#campmonster

“Think the kids will leave us alone for long enough?” He gave a quick glance from one side to the other as if he was expecting some of the kids or another counselor to pop up. Interrupt their already limited alone time. It felt like they were talking about whether they wanted to sneak away to make-out instead of simply taking a nap. In all honesty, they had to worry more about the other counselors finding them and chewing them out for skipping out on work. “I think we can manage it.”

Max said a lot of stupid and-or weird things. That was something that the man had learned rather quickly after meeting him — In fact, he seemed to realize that before they had officially met just from the handful of times he overheard Max talking with some campers or other counselors in previous years. Decker had learned to tune out most of the weird little ramblings that the other had. He was listening, technically, but not quite taking everything that the younger man had said in. And yet? Dark eyes flickered away from the door that he had been repairing to stare at Max for a couple long, uncomfortable moments. “How have you not almost died?” The question came out before he could stop it. Decker was well aware of how many times he had prevented disaster stemming from Max’s clumsiness or lack of brain cells. But he wasn’t always around the other. And what did Max do when during the rest of the year when he was on his own?

             ‘ your  plan's  gonna  get  us  all  killed,  and  you  know  it, ’     @campmonster​.

“Couldn’t have waited until we were closer?” The words were grumbled as he gathered Max in his arms. Even without wolf strength, it was easy to hold the would-have-been-counselor and carry him toward the main cabin at the camp. A place that would, hopefully, offer him some safety. Decker blinked slowly as his eyes shifted to the pale, glowing ones of his wolf form. Something to make it easier to see in the dark and help get Max to the safety of a building quicker.

Ryder knew that Max would never hurt him. The problem, though, arose with the fact that Max was no longer in control of himself for one night every month. He wanted to believe that Max would never hurt him even with the new development. But the few times that he had witnessed said transformation seemed to prove that idea to be false. The slashes across his chest, now healed into ugly scars, was even more proof of that. “I know you’d never intentionally hurt me.” There was something unpleasant that twisted in his chest as he said the words. He hated the idea of Max thinking that he was dangerous or that Ryder was afraid of him. “But you’re not in control when these things happen.”

The sudden weight against his side did not seem to get any sort of reaction. Even as more and more of the kid’s weight began to press on him — At that point, it seemed that leaning against Decker’s shoulder was the only thing that was keeping Max upright. He could hear the way that his breathing had started to slow, of course, and could practically feel the exhaustion hit the younger. It was a feeling that he refused to let himself feel. He pushed away the exhaustion from his own night to focus on the events of his own night. It wouldn’t matter if he nodded off, either, since nightmares were sure to tear him awake not long after he would fall asleep. Not to mention the fact that someone had to sit up with Max and make sure nothing happened to him. Decker’s reaction was almost similar to when a cat would come lay on you for the first time. He tried to keep his breathing quiet, body a bit rigid with uncertainty but he didn’t dare move or disturb Max.

The alcohol gave him a warm buzz that only seemed to grow warmer as the night went on. Whatever dumb things that had been passed around the group had made him a bit more giggly than he originally was. Despite the tipsy state, he perked up at the sound of Max’s voice before the words seemed to click in his head and he practically jumped to his feet. “I want another drink.” Ryder was quick to loop an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders to start tugging him along. “We’ll get everyone drinks.”

Ryder found himself at the bars of his own cell. The closest he could be to Max while still being able to see him with the cell that separated the two of theirs. “Are you okay?” Worry evident in his tone as his eyes flickered over his boyfriend’s form. What he could see if him, anyways, since he was too far away to see the small details that he wanted to. “Hey. You have to tell me what’s wrong.” Ryder could not help the panic that swelled in his chest. The fact that he was, quite literally, helpless and couldn’t do anything for Max only made the feeling worse.