Men in the Mountains

My heart stopped, then seemed to swell in my chest until I thought I was going to explode. My eyes drooped, then shut, and I felt my whole body relax. My brain went fuzzy, and warmth spread from my center to the tips of my fingers and toes. I was in complete ecstasy. Cooper's lips felt soft against my own, and I was distantly aware of a hand on the back of my neck, pulling me in.

Suddenly my eyes shot open. What was I doing? Letting a MAN kiss me on the lips? And ENJOYING it? I put my hands on Cooper's chest and shoved as hard as I could. He was so caught off guard that he fell off the log we were sitting on, landing on his back with a grunt.

I was speechless. I opened my mouth to chastise him, but just couldn't find the words. Cooper looked hurt and embarrassed as he lay unmoving on the ground, propped up by his elbows. His wide eyes stared up at me, and his mouth agape, but he too was silent.

I stood up and stormed to the edge of the clearing, where I stopped, breathing heavily. I didn't want to walk off into the dark forest, especially without a light. Instead I just stood there, my back to Cooper. My thoughts were still muddled, and my heart was racing.

"Preston..." Cooper sounded miserable. "I'm so sorry. I thought..." He faltered and let out a shaky sigh.

I just shook my head sharply. I knew that if I spoke, I would probably start to cry. I turned back to face Cooper, then changed my mind and walked over to my tent and crawled inside, zipping the door shut behind me.

It was a long time before I heard Cooper move. Eventually, the dying firelight created a silhouette on my tent as Cooper walked over and stood outside its door. He stood there, completely still, for what felt like an eternity, then I heard him sigh again, and go into his own tent.

I lay there, awake, for a long time. My mind was clearing now, and I felt much more calm. But underneath that calm feeling, I realized I felt sick, but I couldn't figure out why. At first I thought it was the kiss, but I told myself that hadn't been my fault, and that didn't make me feel any better. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get the memory of Cooper's lips out of my brain. The warmth in my body, the look in his eyes, even his scent, masculine and comforting, all sat in my brain and refused to leave.

I listened for Cooper's snoring to start, but the quiet clearing remained silent. I knew I wasn't likely to fall asleep either, with the way my mind was racing. It was strange; my head was clear, but I couldn't seem to focus it on anything except the man laying mere feet from me.

Eventually, sleep found me, but it was far from restful. When I woke the next morning, I knew I had dreamed of Cooper. I couldn't remember much, but I knew it had ended with him kissing me, both of us completely nude.

I could hear him moving around outside, apparently packing up his tent. Anger (or was it embarrassment?) swelled inside me. I thought about refusing to go with him, then sighed, knowing I couldn't hide in my tent forever, and forced myself to get up and confront him. He needed to know that I was still mad about what he'd done.

He looked exhausted. He must have slept worse than I had. Seeing him brought the events of the previous night sharply into focus in my mind. My face flushed, and I opened my mouth to tell him off, but no words came. Instead, I stepped towards him and punched him as hard as I could, right in the mouth.

The punch barely moved him, physically at least. He put a hand to his lip, presumably to check for blood. It came back with a spot of red. He looked totally dumbfounded.

"What the fuck, Preston?" He started angrily. He then closed his eyes and took a long breath.

He continued, this time in a level tone. "Dude, I'm so sorry for last night. I don't know what I was thinking." He paused. "Well, I guess I wasn't thinking. The point is, I think you're a great friend, even though we've only known each other a few days. I don't want to mess that up. So I hope you can forgive me and we can move on. I know you're kind of stuck with me for now, so even if we never talk again after this, please just don't make it awkward for the rest of the week. Not that I don't want to see you after this, because I do. I just... sorry, I'm rambling."

His voice faded off at the end, looking at me with his brow furrowed. Those worried green eyes did something to me. My anger faded. I had intended to make his life hell for the next few days, maybe even refuse to speak to him. I tried to hold onto those angry thoughts, but I just couldn't.

I just looked at him for a long time. He fidgeted, but didn't say anything else.

Finally, I gave in. "I overreacted. I shouldn't have been so upset." I punched him in the shoulder (good-naturedly this time). "Good thing you're so persuasive. I was ready to beat you to a pulp."

"You WISH you had a chance in a fight against me" He winked. We laughed, and finished packing up camp.

It was another long day of hiking, and although we tried to forget the night before, there was a palpable tension between us. We avoided touching each other, and even the conversation lagged. We walked in silence for most of the day.

The silence was painful for more reasons than one. It left me alone with my thoughts, which was not a comfortable place for me to be. I knew deep down that the anger I still felt wasn't actually directed at Cooper. That's where it was finding an outlet, but the source was somewhere else. I was angry at myself. Angry for how I'd felt the night before, but also angry about how I had responded.

That same longing to be close to Cooper that I had been feeling for days now still rested in the pit of my stomach. I tried to sneak glances at him as we hiked among the rocks and trees. He was walking behind me as usual, and each time, I found him staring at me.

By the time we found a campsite, evening was approaching. I was exhausted, emotionally, physically, and mentally.

"I don't think I have the energy to set up a tent tonight. I'm just going to sleep under the stars," I told Cooper.

"Yeah, I think I'll do the same." He stared at me, thinking. "I'll get a fire going, you just relax. You look exhausted."

I thanked him, and found a flat, grassy spot for our beds. I rolled his out a couple feet from my own, figuring it was the least I could do, since he had offered to go find firewood.

After I had rolled out our pads and sleeping bags, I stood there, staring at them. Eventually, I bent and moved them further apart. I returned to a standing position, then had second thoughts and moved them back to their original places. I shook my head and rummaged through my pack to find some food for dinner.

Cooper still hadn't returned, so I found my way down to the lake to restock on water. This lake was small, and wasn't rocky like the other two had been. Grassy shores turned to mud, which disappeared into the still, dark water. A slight breeze moved the evergreens surrounding it. It was all very peaceful.

In spite of the peaceful surroundings, I was in turmoil. I felt so confused, and couldn't put my thoughts in order. I knew was that I had hurt my friend, and I wanted to make it right. But I also struggled to admit that there was some part of me that had been craving last night's kiss all day long.

I wasn't far from the campsite, so I heard Cooper when he returned with the dead branches he had collected for the fire. I finished filtering the water, then slowly made my way back to the campsite, and watched him skillfully start a fire with flint and his knife. It was fully dark now, so it was just in time. We ate in silence, and then, not knowing what else to do, I made my way to my bed, stripped to my boxers, and crawled inside.

Cooper soon crawled into his own, murmuring a thank you for laying out his bedding. We lay there in silence for a while, and Cooper's breathing eventually slowed, and he began to snore softly. I lay there, watching him sleep.

Watching his handsome face cleared my thoughts. I couldn't resist anymore. I knew where I wanted to be. I kicked myself internally for not putting our beds closer to each other. I got up, and stealthily moved my bedding over until it was next to Cooper's. He was sleeping on his back, arms extended slightly to his sides. I wiggled back into my sleeping bag, then hesitantly unzipped both bags and nestled up against his warm body. As my head came to rest on his shoulder, his snoring stopped, and he stirred.

"You're not going to punch me for this in the morning, are you?" His voice was low and calm, and I knew he was only partially teasing.

"I promise not to." Without looking at his face, I placed a hand on his chest and closed my eyes. "I'm sorry, Cooper."

He caressed my upper back lightly, but didn't speak again.

***

The rising sun was filtering through the trees when I awoke with a start. I felt disoriented until I realized who it was that had his arms wrapped around me. I could feel his chest, pressed against my back, rise and fall with his steady breathing.

I closed my eyes again and tried to just enjoy the moment. I didn't want to wake him and ruin it. However, our covers had shifted, and much of me was exposed to the cold morning air. It wasn't long before I shivered involuntarily. This woke the mountain of a man laying behind me. He let me know he was awake by leaning in and kissing the back of my neck, then squeezing me tightly in his arms. He then set about making sure my body was covered from the cold.

"Good morning," he whispered.

My heart fluttered. "Good morning. Did you sleep ok?"

He laughed softly, "I don't think I've slept this well in years, and we're laying in the fucking dirt."

I smiled to myself, and tried to snuggle in closer to him. As I did, I felt something hard press against my ass. In my euphoric state, it took me a moment to realize what it was. As soon as I did, I jerked my head around to look at Cooper's face. He was grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry, man. I can't help it," he shrugged. "Do you want me to walk it off?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't want to mess this up again." I turned onto my other side so that we were facing each other, and looked him in the eyes. "I've wanted to do this for a while, but I was too scared to admit it." Then I kissed him.

He must have been a little surprised at first, because it took a few seconds before he kissed me back. I felt like my head was on fire. It was like a dam had broken, and all the tension that had been building for days was released in a rush. Our kissing grew more and more passionate, and I was aware of my dick growing hard in my boxers.

My hands wandered freely over Cooper's defined body, touching his bare skin on his chest, arms, and back. I was careful to keep them from wandering below his waistline. I wanted to, but I still wasn't sure what the rules were here. I worried that that would be going too far.

He seemed to be able to read my mind. Kissing me constantly, he guided my hand slowly down his chest, abs, and to his waistband. He paused there, apparently waiting to see if I'd take over. My heart was thundering, and I couldn't convince myself to make the move. We stayed like that for what felt like forever, his hand lightly touching my wrist. He finally realized I wasn't going to do anything, and he slowly applied pressure to my shaking hand until I felt his hard cock under my fingers.

That was all the encouragement I needed. As soon as I made contact, I quickly, almost desperately, clutched at his hot, pulsing dick. I realized I had stopped kissing, but didn't care. There were more important things happening now. I let go of his rod long enough to slide my hand beneath his boxers. When I again grasped his cock, he breathed in sharply. I decided to take that as a good sign. I began to stroke him, slowly at first, feeling each ridge, vein, and curve, as I slid my hand from base to tip and back again. As I built up speed, he groaned, eyes closed, and licked his lips.

We lay there for some time. I enthusiastically jacked him while he breathed heavily. Then I felt a hand grasp at my own dick. The rush of excitement that filled me was overwhelming. I gasped as Cooper thrust his hand into my boxers and began to stroke me expertly. My hand faltered on his dick as I struggled to remember how to breathe. Cooper glanced at my face and chuckled, then kissed me, stroking all the while.

His tongue invaded my mouth as his hand caressed my most private appendage. I had never felt so much pleasure. I felt like I had lost the ability to move, or even think. Then, in one motion, Cooper threw our covers to the side. Our rapidly warming bodies literally steamed as they were exposed to the morning air. Cooper got up and knelt next to me, surveying my body.

"Hot as hell, dude."

I tried to find a compliment to give him, but my muddled brain wouldn't let me. Instead, I just mumbled something nonsensical about his huge arms. He grinned at me, then leaned down and yanked my boxers off. My dick audibly slapped against my stomach as it was released from the confines of my underwear. Cooper carelessly tossed my boxers to the side, then stood and removed his own. I watched his erect cock swing from side to side above me as he stepped out of them.

Then Cooper stepped between my legs, which were splayed apart, and knelt there. He caught hold of my dick, and placed it against his own. I wasn't sure if I was feeling the pulsing of my own dick, or if it was coming from his. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched as he stroked our two shafts together. The sight was incredibly hot, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep this up for long.

As usual, Cooper seemed to be able to read my mind. He stopped stroking and looked at me.

"So, Preston. Ever had a blow job?" He way he asked it was so matter-of-fact I almost started laughing.

"Yeah, but never from a guy."

He just winked in response, then leaned down and began kissing my inner thighs. Chills raced across my skin as his lips--and several days' worth of facial hair growth-- brushed against me. I could feel his warm breath as he slowly moved closer to my crotch. He put both hands on my extreme lower stomach, just above my dick, then looked into my eyes as he lightly ran his tongue from the base of my cock to the tip of it. My whole body spasmed, and I helplessly grabbed one of his chiseled shoulders.

He licked around the head of my cock, then closed his lips around it. He slowly lowered his mouth toward my balls, and I watched in awe as my shaft disappeared. I felt the head of my dick come into contact with the back of his throat, and I felt suddenly weak. My head flopped back, and I surprised myself by letting out a loud moan.

It took a Herculean effort to lift my head back up so I could watch what he was doing. He had picked up the pace now, bobbing up and down on my dick with his mouth, glancing up at me every so often. I could feel his tongue swirling against the underside of my cock, never seeming to stay still. He was massaging my balls gently with one hand, and stroking himself with the other.

As I watched his hand move along his cock, I was suddenly filled with desire.

"Hey Cooper," I asked in a low voice, "can I suck you?"

His eyes widened, and he smiled around the dick in his mouth. He was still smiling as he flopped onto his back beside me. He leaned in and kissed me, then said "It's all yours."

I grinned, and crawled down between his legs, positioning myself the way he had with me. I tried to copy the things that he had done, but I didn't have as much patience as he did. I wanted his dick in my mouth. I grabbed it around the base with one hand, and wrapped my lips around its head. I put as much of it in my mouth as I could before realizing it should probably slow down a little.

I thought about which parts of my dick were most sensitive, and tried to focus on those same areas on him. I circled his head with my tongue, and applied pressure to the underside of this shaft, just below the head. I tightened my lips around his rod, loving the heat I could feel coming off it as I did. I was careful not to let my teeth touch him as I began to bob my head up and down on him.

He grunted softly when I did something he liked, and I tried to repeat the things that got a response. I was stroking myself as I hunched over him, but had to stop, because I could tell I was getting close to finishing.

I was surprised to admit that I loved the sensation of having a dick in my mouth. Or maybe it was just that I loved the sensation of THIS dick in my mouth. Either way, I was in a total bliss, and almost didn't hear Cooper when he spoke again.

"Come up here and let me kiss you, you stud."

I finally processed what he had said, and crawled up over his thick torso. I felt our throbbing cocks rub together as I reached his face. We kissed passionately, and I gyrated my body to keep us rubbing together. I could feel Cooper's hands running over my back, arms, and ass. He stopped every time he reached my ass and gave it a firm, two hand squeeze.

He then rolled me off of him, and we kept kissing, each of us propped up on an elbow. Our free hands found each other's dick like magnets, and soon we were jerking rapidly. I could feel a pressure building inside me, and pulled my head away from his just long enough to breathlessly say, "I'm getting close."

He nodded slightly, but didn't slow his stroking. Suddenly the pleasure coursing through my body spiked to those indescribable levels only an orgasm can bring, and my body stiffened. Cooper pushed me gently onto my back, and kept kissing and stroking as I shot. My hips rose into the air as my dick took control of my body. Huge ropes of cum streaked across my chest and stomach, and I groaned loudly, scaring several birds out of the trees. My body twitched in time with my cock, slowing with each squirt of semen.

My eyes were squeezed shut, and I opened them when I realized Cooper wasn't kissing me anymore. They took a moment to focus, but when they did, I saw Cooper vigorously stroking himself, eyes glued to my dick and the cum pooling on my torso. The expression on his face was hungry, almost animalistic. I watched in wonder as his breathing caught, and load after load of hot, white liquid spewed from his impossibly hard dick. I found myself counting each shot. After the 6th one, his body finally relaxed.

We then lay there in silence, the dappled sun shining on our wet, sticky bodies. I sighed contentedly, and turned my head to look at Cooper. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling slightly.