#noahsstuff

A rustling in the bushes had Max freezing, grabbing for David instinctually. The older man’s fingers laced through his as he swung the light around to face the rustling. A fox shot out from the bushes and scampered along down the path, disappearing in seconds in the inky black underbrush. David breathed a sigh of relief.

“Boy, that was scary!” Max could hear the grin in his voice, even if he couldn’t see it. “Come on, let’s go.” They began to walk again, Max noting that David hadn’t disentangled their fingers. He was glad for the darkness hiding the heat in his cheeks when the older man’s thumb brushed against his.

Eventually they reached a sort of plateau, an outcropping that gave a fantastic view of the valley below. David helped Max onto it, steadying him so he didn’t fall, then hopped up next to him to sit on the little shelf of rock.

“I come out here sometimes when I can’t sleep,” he explained. “It’s peaceful. Quiet. And you can see the stars really well too!” David clicked off the flashlight and slipped it into his pocket.

Max kicked his feet a little, definitely not sulking that David had dropped his hand. “We can see the stars at camp. There’s stars everywhere.”

David chuckled. “Well, yes, but…” He smiled over at Max, the moonlight making his face glow. “Before I came to Camp Campbell, I’d never known how many stars there were. I lived in a city with a lot of light pollution, and I just figured that’s what everywhere looked like.” He settled back on the rock, then opened his arm in silent invitation. He looked…nervous. It was gratifying to know David was as affected by this as Max was. He carefully scooted over, feeling the warmth of David’s arm over him as he pulled him close. Where his head rested on his chest, Max felt the older man’s heart beat just a bit faster.

Max closed his eyes and listened for a moment, a sense of peace washing over him. It was broken when David gasped and shook him. “Max, look! A shooting star!” He opened his eyes just in time to see it streak across the sky, then vanish just as quickly. “Make a wish!”

Max snorted. “You believe in that shit?”

“Well, sure.” Max didn’t need to look at his face to know David was sporting that cute pout he always wore whenever he was teased. “Don’t tell me you’ve never wished on a shooting star before.”

“Alright, I won’t tell you.” He chuckled at the little whine in David’s voice, and snuggled closer, letting his eyes slide shut again. He could feel sleepiness creeping in, David’s heartbeat the sweetest lullaby he’d ever heard. He’d even started to doze when David’s voice startled him awake, the rumbling through his chest seeming to seep into Max’s bones.

“Just look at all of them.” David’s voice was low and awed, his smile unusually serene and peaceful. “Isn’t it beautiful, Max?”

Max’s gaze fell on David’s jaw, the sloping curve of it leading up to cheeks dusted with the barest hint of freckles, up to his eyes which were so wide and reflecting the stars as well as Lake Lilac on a still night. He was in awe, then, for just a moment, before he tore his eyes away, his cheeks flushed. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking just a bit on the single syllable. “Most…beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

--

“Hey, buddy, you can’t sleep here. Come on, wake up.” Max growled low in his throat as he cracked one eyelid open. Tyler the barista stood over him, looking vaguely annoyed that he’d actually had to speak to someone. Max could relate.

“Just fuckin…shut my eyes for two minutes,” he grumbled, dragging a hand down his face and straightening up. His back popped as he stretched.

“Dude, you’ve been over here for like four hours.” To his credit, Tyler didn’t look like he cared much, but the place had started to fill up with more people, and an older woman with a steely gaze was staring him down from behind the counter. “You gotta go.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Max stumbled a bit as he got out of the booth, still groggy. “’M goin’…” He strapped on his backpack and duffle, and took a moment to flip the woman behind the counter the bird before he stepped out into the bright light of early morning.

“Ugh.” He brought up a hand to shield his eyes. “Fucking sun…I’ll destroy you one day, you bright piece of shit.” He glanced down at his phone’s clock and sighed. 8:42. Still a while yet before he had to meet that weirdo. Well, that was fine, since his mournfully growling stomach was reminding him painfully how he hadn’t eaten since early yesterday. He walked aimlessly until he spotted the golden arches of a McDonald’s. Their coffee wasn’t as good, but he still ordered one, along with half a dozen hashbrowns and a biscuit.

He sat down in a windowed booth with his meal and pulled out his phone. Nothing on socials. Definitely nothing from his parents. That was fine as far as he was concerned. If he never heard from either of them again he’d consider it a life well lived.

With nothing better to do, he opened his image folder and scrolled to the private one down near the bottom. He tapped out the password and opened it, smiling faintly at the dozen or so photos inside. He’d almost lost these, had backed them up to a million different places online to make sure his parents couldn’t get rid of them, and had carried them on every device he’d ever owned for the last five years.

They were all of him and David, most of them from camp. David had taken them and sent them to Max over the time they’d been together but had to be apart. Some of them were from before, just quick candid shots where Max did his best to act like he didn’t even want to be in the same room as David. The last few, though…those were the special ones. David holding him close. David kissing him on the cheek. Max sitting in David’s lap.

It was hard to look at these ones. They were the ones that had ruined everything. But…he couldn’t make himself delete them. He gritted his teeth as he stared down at one with David kissing his temple. He should have been more careful. He knew he should have been. But his parents had never cared what he did before. He’d gotten sloppy, left his messenger open and…

They saw.

And suddenly Max was back there, with all the yelling, the questions, finding out David had been arrested while he begged and pleaded with his parents not to do this. He’d refused, every step of the way, to participate in the trial. He hadn’t given a statement, refused to testify against David on the stand, made the whole process as difficult for them as possible, to the frustration of his parents’ lawyer.

It had all paid off when the lawyer got sloppy, tried to forge his statement himself, and Max made sure he got caught. Not guilty on a technicality was still not guilty. It kept David out of jail, at least. The last time Max had seen him, he was being led out of a courtroom, his face haggard and drawn. He’d still managed a smile for Max, though. The last smile he’d ever seen.

After that, his parents wouldn’t let him return to Camp Campbell. They checked everything: his phone, his socials, even his room in case he was hiding some secret correspondence or something. Of course there was nothing. When they backed off a little he tried to look David up, tried to contact him. But of course they’d deleted his number in Max’s phone, and either David didn’t have social media or he had done a damn good job of hiding his identity.

So that was that. Only, it wasn’t, because Max hadn’t given up. He knew so long as he was a kid, he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Emancipation was a bitch and a half, and even if he managed it, David would just end up in trouble again. So his only option was to wait, for five very long years, biding his time until they could finally reunite.

He’d only taken a few bites of the rock-hard biscuit and eaten maybe two hashbrowns, but he found himself pushing his food away at the flip of anxiety in his stomach. Of course he wanted to see David again. It’s all he’d been thinking about for years. While his peers had dated people their own age, he’d been so singularly focused on that goal that even if anyone had been interested he wouldn’t have cared.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous, though.

Finding the little shop turned out to be way more annoying than he’d thought. It was shoved between two other shops, set back a ways into the wall, with a peeling sign that was practically unreadable. Max passed it twice before he finally found it. He pushed open the grimy door and wrinkled his nose at the absolute mess inside. Yeah, this was definitely a front for some shady business, and not a very good front at that.

“Welcome, young man!” the man from this morning greeted him, his grin wide and showing off several missing teeth. He was addressing him as if they’d never met anymore, so Max responded in kind.

“Looking for a souvenir to take home to my mom,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets casually. “Got anything she might like?”

The man made a thoughtful face, then clapped Max on the shoulder. He fought the urge to either shove him off or bite him, feeling his whole body twitch with the effort. This man was being way too familiar, and ride or no ride, if he kept touching him, Max was going to end him.

“I have a few items a discerning gentleman like yourself would be happy to give to a loved one,” the man said, beaming. He didn’t know how close he was to certain doom, then. “Please, follow me.”

Max trailed behind him around the shop, thankfully without the presence of that hand on his shoulder, as the older man picked out items seemingly at random. If this was meant to put on a show, it was a lousy one, but he took the four items offered to him and followed the owner up to the counter.

When the man told him the total, Max shot him a murderous gaze. He had to pay for this shit? For a moment, he considered protesting, throwing the items to the ground and storming out. But only for a moment. He reached into his pocket and carefully withdrew the amount he needed, trying to hide just how much he actually had from the man’s beady eyes.

“I better get this back later,” Max growled through gritted teeth. The man didn’t respond, but his smile widened ever so slightly. When he handed back the change, there was a slip of paper tucked in between the bills. Max slipped the whole bundle into his pocket, gathered up his bag of absolute junk, and left to fulfill this weirdo’s task.

The slip of paper contained instructions on where to take each item, whose hands to put it in. He didn’t need to collect any money, since they’d paid in advance, just get the item to them, then get out of there. Under no circumstances should he linger in one place for too long.

Glancing over his shoulder, Max could see why. He was being tailed. Plainclothes cop, but sloppy. From the corner of his eye, he could see the bulge just under his shirt from where his gun was holstered. And his eyes were fixed on Max. He took a deep breath and kept walking, keeping his gait slow and relaxed. No big deal. He’d just have to ditch him.

Max ducked into a clothing store as he passed, casually wandering among the racks. He could see the cop near the entrance, acting interested in the collared shirts, but glancing up toward Max every few seconds. Amateur. Watch how a real pro does it, he thought.

He pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket and studied it, making sure the cop saw him. Then he grabbed a random article of clothing (some denim shorts, it turned out. Gross) and made his way into the fitting room.

Now the clock was ticking. Max took the duffle and the backpack off and began switching out the items in the shopping bag for random items from his own bags. It was risky, but that creepy dude had been right about one thing: Max was willing to do whatever it took to get where he had to go. Even if he lost everything to do it.

The items he’d purchased from the knick-knack shop were small, easily slipped into a pocket or hidden in his waistband under his hoodie. Once he had them secure, he left the changing room, leaving his backpack and duffle behind, with the shopping bag peeking out enticingly.

Max breezed toward the exit, watching the cop out of the corner of his eye. Come on, he thought, You know you want to. The cop hesitated, shifting his gaze between Max and the bags left behind in the changing room. Just when Max was about to mourn the futile loss of all his clothes and try to make a run for it, the cop began moving toward the changing room, taking his eyes off Max entirely.

Internally, he cheered, the brilliance of his own mind astounding him as he slipped out the door and to freedom. He ran a few blocks, taking random turns and using back alleys to make sure nobody else was tailing him. It seemed like he was in the clear, so he slowed down and took a deep breath, trying to get his bearings.

So, bad news: he no longer had any clothes, or any of the meager possessions he’d brought from home. Good news: he still had his money, his phone and charger, and the clothes on his back, all while giving some meathead pig the slip. So, all things considered…could have been worse.

He remembered the creepy dude’s advice about lingering in one place too long. Giving one cop the runaround didn’t mean he was in the clear yet. So he began to walk, keeping his eyes sharp for any signs of being followed, sticking close to walls and alleyways when he could manage it.

When all was said and done, Max had thought pushing drugs would be a much more exciting time. As it was, he didn’t encounter a single other cop who looked at him twice, and somehow managed to find four people in a huge city based on some vague directions. It took him the better part of the afternoon, of course, but by the time he was done, there was still plenty of daylight left, and a promise to deliver on.

The shutters on the front of the store were down when Max returned, so he went around the back alley and banged on the door there. After a few minutes, the creepy owner opened the door a crack and peeked out. “Oh, kid! You’re back!”

“Sure am.” Max yanked the door open all the way and stalked inside. “And thanks to you, I lost all my shit. Had to drop it to throw off some cop who was tailing me.”

“Sorry, kid. That’s business.” The man gave a shrug which did not feel like an apology at all, and grinned toothily down at Max. “But ya did it, huh? I’m impressed. You got some real potential.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Max said flatly. “Now it’s your turn. Take me up to Sleepy Peak.”

“Aw, and here we were just getting acquainted.” The man spread his hands. “You and me, kid, we could make a good team. Ol’ Nestor and, uh…” He squinted. “What’s your name again?”

“I don’t give a shit, old man. We made a deal!” Max advanced on the older man, taking some satisfaction in the way he scrambled back. “Are you gonna deliver, or are we going to have a problem?”

“Hey, hey, I always keep my word,” Nestor said placatingly. “I just got a few things to take care of here, kid. Shouldn’t be…more than a few weeks.”

“What?!” Max reached out and grabbed the collar of the other man’s shirt, yanking him down so they were face to face. “Are you fucking with me, you pathetic waste of skin? I am not waiting here with you for weeks!”

Suddenly the man burst out laughing, seemingly unaffected by Max’s threatening hold. “Oh, kid…your face.” He wiped a tear from his eye and straightened up. “Yeah, I’m fucking with you. We can go now.” He grinned down at Max, a look on his face that seemed to resemble pride. “Pathetic waste of skin…that’s a good one. You got some real guts, kid.”

Max could feel his insides vibrating, every instinct insisting that he throw this man to the floor and kick him until he stopped moving. As Nestor moved to walk past him, he reached out to grab his arm with an iron grip.

“My money,” he growled through gritted teeth. “I want it. Now.”

“Your what? Oh!” The old man tapped himself on the forehead with the heel of his hand. “’Course, ‘course…here, that should be it.” He handed Max a wad of bills. It was a testament to how far he’d been pushed that Max didn’t even bother counting it, instead just stuffing it in his pocket and walking straight out the door.

Nestor’s shitty little blue car looked like it barely ran at all, held together only by the grace of whatever deity happened to be paying attention at the time. But, it was better than walking, so Max slipped into the passenger seat without too much complaint. The dude did have way too many fast food bags on the floor, though. When he scowled down at them, Nestor reached over and started shoveling them into the backseat.

“Sorry, sorry…don’t usually have company.” The older man grinned apologetically. Max just ignored him, turning his head toward the window in a pointed gesture. He just wanted to get through the next hour and a half without opening the car door and throwing himself out. For about fifteen minutes, he held onto that dream, really truly believing it might happen. Then Nestor had to open his big mouth and ruin everything.

“So…what’s a kid like you doing going up to Sleepy Peak anyway? Not exactly a tourist destination.”

Max gritted his teeth. “I’m not a kid,” he said. “I’m 18.”

“Really?” The older man whistled low. “Listen, no offense, you’re just…ah, a little vertically challenged.”

“Oh, really? Wow, you’re the first person to ever tell me, thanks.” Max kept his tone frosty, pointedly refusing to engage, but he’d underestimated his opponent’s curiosity and lack of social boundaries.

“Okay, so you’re 18. Doesn’t explain why you’d wanna go to a dump like that.” He paused. “Unless you’re heading to that summer camp, but…I don’t think anyone’s there during the off season.”

“There’ll be someone there. There usually is.” Max pinned his hands between his knees, suddenly unsure. He always assumed David stayed at the camp during the off seasons to keep an eye on things, but maybe he was wrong. “Anyway, it’s none of your business why I want to go there, I just do.”

“’Course, if you’re going there, you know what kind of reputation that place has, yeah?” Nestor was completely ignoring him and barreling ahead. Max chose to just stay silent this time, let the old man talk himself out. “There was a big scandal some years back. Counselor got caught molesting kids.”

Max’s shoulders tensed, but he remained stubbornly silent. Of course other people would know about the trial. It was all over the news when it happened. It figured that the details would be all muddled and media speculation would turn into declaration of fact once people got their hands on it. There had never been any evidence of David touching any other kids. Because he never had. Hell, he’d barely touched Max, to his great 13-year-old frustration. The guy loved to play at chivalry, said they should wait to do anything sexual until Max was older. Max had disagreed, but once David made his mind up, there was no changing it.

“’Course, the guy got off with no charges,” Nestor continued. “Technicality. That shit prosecutor didn’t know what he was doing, fucked with the evidence…but everyone knows he was guilty. Sick fuck.”

Max could feel that rage coiling in his gut again. Nobody should be allowed to talk about David like that. Not a single person. It didn’t matter that they didn’t know the whole story, or that the media had sensationalized it. They shouldn’t be allowed to even think about him.

“Buncha parents got all up in arms about him still being at that camp, though. Think they ran him off. Or killed him.” Nestor laughed. “Maybe he killed himself, who knows. Nobody’s seen him since.”

A door opened up, and Max’s stomach fell clean through, leaving him feeling faint and light-headed. “How…” Max’s voice came out croaky. He swallowed and tried again. “How do you know he didn’t just move?”

“Oh, plenty of people kept their eye on him after the trial,” Nestor said. “If he’d moved towns, someone would have tracked him down. Nah, he just up and vanished. Weirdest thing.” The older man shrugged. “Good riddance either way, I say.”

Max couldn’t catch his breath. He pulled his hood up to cover his face and went back to staring at the window, trying to process all of that. He hadn’t considered the possibility that David might be… he couldn’t even think it. Wouldn’t believe it. He had to find out what had happened for himself.

Nestor made a few more token efforts at conversation, but when it became clear Max wasn’t listening at all, he just turned on the radio instead. Song after song blended together as Max stared outside, watching buildings become farmland become dense forest, with the teasing shine of a river just visible through the trees. It felt almost painfully nostalgic, like he’d been longing for this place, and had finally come home.

The sun was just starting to set when they pulled into town. It hadn’t changed even a little. Still the same old shops, the same old streets. Hell, even the same old dudes sitting on their porch in rocking chairs. It was like being 10 again. Like something out of a time machine. He half expected to pop into the electronics store and see Neil behind the counter.

“Hey, kid.” Max turned with a scowl. “You know, I meant what I said. About us being a team. If things don’t work out with what you’ve gotta do around here.” Nestor pulled a napkin out of his pocket and scribbled down a phone number, then handed it to Max. “If you ever need anything, let me know, okay?” The older man smiled, and it was the first truly genuine smile Max had seen on his face. “Hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Max didn’t know what to say to that. He stared down at the napkin, at the awful chicken scratch he could barely read. After a moment’s hesitation, he stuffed it in his pocket.

“I’ll find it,” Max said. Then he turned on his heel and began to walk.

There was no need for Max to go anywhere else tonight. As much as he desperately just wanted to get there, it would be too dark to walk soon. He’d have to find a place in town to stay until tomorrow, and then start the long trek toward the camp.

His stomach growled mournfully. But first, food.

When he saw the lights of the pizza joint in the distance, Max couldn’t help the smile that lit his face. After David brought him here when he was 10, after that awful parent’s day, it had become a regular place for them. The pizza wasn’t exactly good, but it was edible, and the atmosphere was cozy compared to the rest of the town. He made a beeline for it, already looking forward to eating his body weight in hot grease.

Like the town, it was exactly as he remembered it. The peeling booths along the walls, framed pictures of Italy at regular intervals, fine layer of grease and grime covering every surface…oh, yeah, he’d really missed this place. He sat himself down in a booth with a grin, then froze when his eyes caught on the only other patron.

She wasn’t paying attention to him, scrolling on her phone with one hand as the other hand shoveled pizza into her mouth. She looked bored. Tired. Her hair was pixie cut and ears pierced all the way up the sides. Since it was cool outside, she wore jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, much plainer than he would expect from her.

Despite the differences, he’d recognize those violet eyes anywhere.

Max stood and slowly approached the table, watching her become aware of his presence and glance up in annoyance. “You got a problem, buddy?” she asked, eyes flashing. “If you’re here to tell me how you saw my beauty from across the room and just had to come and talk to me, save it. Not interested.”

“No?” Max couldn’t help the amused grin. “That’s too bad. I really thought there was a spark between us at camp, Gwen. Don’t tell me it was just me.”

The girl froze, squinting at him for just a moment before her eyes went wide.

“Max?” she whispered.

Max grinned and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “In the flesh.” He was nearly bowled over when Gwen threw herself out of the booth and into a tight bear hug. He gasped for air. “Gwen. Please. Need to breathe…”

“You can breathe when I say you can breathe!” If anything, she squeezed him tighter. “I haven’t seen you in forever! Since…” She paused.

“Since…the trial,” Max finished with a sigh. “Yeah.” She pulled back to look at him and he scratched the back of his head. “I wanted to come back. But, uh…”

Gwen nodded. “Yeah. I get it.” She pushed him down into the booth, then sat across from him with a wide smile. “So, what are you doing here? You know the camp’s not open right now, right?”

“Yeah, I know. What are you doing here, then?” Max helped himself to a slice of her pizza, raising a curious eyebrow. “You still working up at that shitshow? I thought you’d have moved on by now.”

“Well, sort of.” Gwen shrugged. “I’m not a counselor anymore. I legally still own the place, so I’m just doing all the admin stuff I did as a counselor, but I’m paying myself way more.” She grinned. “I’m just here to oversee some maintenance. The cabins need some repairs before next summer.”

“Oh, yeah?” Max chewed on his pizza slowly, thoughtfully, then swallowed. “Is it…just you up there?”

“Yeah. My counselors are all home, so it’s just me.” She sighed in exasperation. “It’s a drag to be up here again, but what can ya do? I’m used to working from home, so I guess I can’t complain too much.”

“Yeah…” Max felt his stomach twist as he stared down at the table. “What about…other people? There’s nobody?”

Gwen raised an eyebrow. “What, you mean like Campbell? Dude’s long gone. Once he passed off the ownership and got off parole, he disappeared. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t care.”

Max sighed. She was really going to make him ask, wasn’t she? “Gwen. Where’s David?”

There was a long pause while Gwen stared down at the table, her arms tight across her chest. “He’s…well, that’s complicated, Max.”

“Complicated how?” Max leaned forward. “Just tell me. Is he at the camp? Is he…okay?” He had to know. Even if it hurt, he had to know what had happened.

Gwen sighed. “He’s not at camp,” she said. “After everything that happened, he…stepped down. Relinquished full ownership to me. He didn’t want his reputation to cause the camp to suffer.” She glanced away. “As for where he is now…I’m sorry, Max. I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?” Max snapped. “Come on, Gwen, just…a phone number? An address? Something.” He swallowed. “He’s not…he’s still alive, isn’t he?”

“What? Of course he is.” Gwen gave him an incredulous look. “No, I’m sorry, but the reason I can’t tell you is…he asked me not to.”

There it was again, the door through which his stomach made a swift and sudden exit. Max’s mouth was suddenly dry. He swallowed. “What…what does that mean?”

David didn’t even take days off, or step a single step outside the camp without letting at least Gwen know where he was going. Between her and Quartermaster, they managed to keep the place from burning down, but it wasn’t exactly the same. He could only watch the weather channel so many times before even the thought of one of David’s sing-alongs sounded appealing.

God, he almost threw up in his mouth.

But then, not only had he just up and vanished, but he just reappeared acting like nothing had happened! His usual dumb self babbling about lessons, and kindness, or something…he wasn’t really listening, and not just because he usually tuned David out whenever he spoke.

He was wearing a leg splint.

And was that…Max squinted. There was some kind of dark stain on his neckerchief. It looked faded, but it was definitely there, not to mention it had way more tatters and rips than it had before.

Not that he spent a lot of time looking at David or anything, but even an idiot could notice something like that.

It just didn’t add up was all. David was hiding something. He was smiling and acting like his usual peppy self, but he was definitely favoring his left leg, and one time Max thought he caught him clutching at his side, just for a second.

Max didn’t care if he’d gotten himself hurt. Of course he didn’t care.

But maybe he’d see what was up.

It was just after lights-out. Gwen had gone into town, leaving David fully in charge after his month-long absence. Everyone else was tucked up in their tents, pretending to sleep. Max was making a beeline for the counselor’s cabin. The lights were still on, and he could see David moving around inside.

His plan was simple: get a quick peek inside, see what the fuck was up with David, get back to his tent with his curiosity satisfied. It was probably something stupid anyway. He’d done the whole ‘stalk David to find out what was up with him’ thing. Waste of time. The man was as interesting as buttered toast.

The window was just tall enough for him to peer into if he gripped onto the sill and stood on his toes. He strained to look, glancing around for David. At first, he didn’t see him at all, deep furrows between his eyes as they swept back and forth over the cabin. Then he realized the green lump on one of the beds had a tuft of red poking out of it. A lump that was shaking.

What the fuck? Was David crying?

David crying was usually a hilarious sight. But that was usually because Max had been the one to cause it. This was just…uncomfortable. And not at all worth getting out of bed for. He was just about to say fuck it and go back to his tent when a sharp cry from inside made him drop down quickly.

Oh fuck, had David seen him?

No. That had definitely been a pain noise. He hoisted himself back up and watched as David, now sitting on the edge of his bed, gripped at his side with one hand, the other fisting in the sheets. He slowly loosened his hold and began to lift his shirt from the bottom hem, moving as slowly as molasses.

What, was the idiot trying to build suspense?

Around the time Max’s arms were starting to strain from the effort to hold himself up, David finally got the shirt and neckerchief off.

It…wasn’t pretty.

Deep scars criss-crossed the pale skin of his back, healed but still an angry red. His ribs were poking out, and boy if Max had thought he was skinny before, it was absolutely nothing compared to this. His fingers began to gingerly prod at a deep purple bruise spreading down his side, and even without seeing his face, Max could see the wince. It looked recent.

Max dropped down under the window and pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to calm his breathing. What the fuck? What had happened? David hadn’t just disappeared on some conference or nature hike or…

Come to think of it, had he given them an explanation for his absence?

No. None of them had even asked.

Max blinked away furious tears and forced himself to his feet. He opened the cabin door with the force of a hurricane and slammed it shut behind him, causing David to yelp and reach for his shirt.

Yeah, it was way too late to be hiding that.

“What the fuck, David?” Max’s hands balled into fists at his side, nails digging into his palms. “You think you can just…just disappear for a month and show up looking like that-“ He nodded at the myriad of damage on the counselor’s body. On his chest, too, and his arm looked like ground hamburger meat. How had he missed that? “You think you can just get away with pretending like nothing happened?”

“Now, Max…” David held up his hands in a placating way. “I…didn’t want to worry anyone-“

“Bullshit!” Max stalked forward and snatched David’s neckerchief off the bed. As he suspected, the stains on it were from blood. David’s blood? Given the fact he looked like he’d gotten chewed up, it seemed the only conclusion to draw. “You think nobody noticed this?! Fuck’s sake, David.”

David gripped the back of his neck and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s…everything is fine now, Max. There’s no point getting so worked up.” He seemed so tired. The normal David would be using his annoyingly aggressive cheer by now, trying to put a fun, positive spin on the situation. This David sounded so…far away.

Max decided he hated it.

He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm the simmering rage in his chest. He wanted to hurt David more, to punch him right in his bruised side, make him cry so he’d get that awful blank look off his face. Like he’d put up a wall in front of himself. Max hated that shit, and the last person he’d expected it from was David.

“Little fucking late for that,” he said, hopping up onto the bed next to David. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and glared up at his counselor, as if daring him to make him leave. “So you’re just going to have to tell me what happened.”

David visibly flinched, and Max felt a sick sort of pride at getting a reaction. “It’s…it’s really nothing. I just…got lost for a little while.”

Max laughed humorlessly. “You? Lost in the woods? Yeah. I’m not that stupid, David.” He pointed at the scars all over his body. “If you just got lost, what are those? What the fuck hurt you?” A deep dark part of him wanted David to tell him so he could go out and hurt whatever it was that had done it. Nobody was allowed to hurt David but him.

“These…were…” David sighed, peering down at his chest. “I was…attacked by a wolf. But it’s fine! She was just…she was just hungry. And scared.” The faraway look came back to his eyes. “She wasn’t really so bad.”

Oh god, he was going to cry again, wasn’t he? Max could see the shine in his eyes. He was not prepared to deal with that. Pain crying, yes. Emotions crying? No, thank you.

“Why didn’t you go to a hospital?” he demanded, trying to get David talking again. If he was talking, he couldn’t cry, right? He really hoped that was true. “That bruise looks really bad.”

David huffed out a laugh. “Got thrown into a tree. By a bear.” He prodded at the bruise again and winced visibly. “Might have cracked a rib.”

“Wh-“ Max stared at him incredulously. “A bear. First a wolf. Then a bear?? David…how the fuck are you alive right now?!”

David began to laugh at that, but it quickly devolved into sobs, his body curling into itself as Max sat frozen beside him.

What was he supposed to do? What did normal people do in this situation? Hesitantly, he reached out to pat the counselor’s knee gently.

“Th…there-there?” Yeah, he really sucked at this. He could see David trying to smile, trying to stop himself from crying, but it was clearly a losing battle. His face was screwed up in an awful grimace. Max growled to himself, then stood on the bed and wrapped his arms around the counselor’s neck.

“Max…?” At least that had startled David into not crying anymore. Max tightened his arms, only barely suppressing the urge to strangle him.

“I thought you were dead,” he mumbled, burying his face in David’s neck. “You didn’t come back. Asshole. I was…people could have been worried about you. I guess.” His cheeks were burning hot. Stupid David, getting stupid lost in the stupid woods and getting attacked by a stupid bear. Making Max miss him and…

Oh, god.

Max had missed him.

He pulled away from the hug, tucking his hands in his hoodie pocket and scowling at the floor. “You tell anyone about that, they’ll never find your body. Got it?”

“Got it.” Max glanced over at David, who had a small smile on his face and was wiping tears away with the heel of his hand. “Thank you, Max.”

Max scoffed. “I just did that so you’d stop crying. It was really annoying.”

“Right. Of course.” His smiled widened but he didn’t push the issue. “You should get back to bed, Max.”

Max hesitated. As much as he didn’t want to stick around in case David started crying again, the thought of leaving him alone felt…bad.

“When’s Gwen coming back?”

David shrugged. “She could be out all night, honestly. Maybe not until tomorrow. She seemed, ah…well, I believe the term she used was ‘absolutely done with those kids.’” There were probably a lot more swear words David was omitting because he was fucking David.

Max grunted. “Long walk back in the dark alone.”

“Oh. Did you want me to-?”

“Don’t be stupid!” Max glared at David. “Shouldn’t be walking anywhere on that busted leg anyway.” He shrugged, sitting back down on the bed. “I guess I’ll just…have to stay here until Gwen gets back. She can take me.”

David stared at him. “Max. I don’t think it’s conducive to a healthy sleep schedule to stay up all night. You should-“

Max growled in frustration. “Then fucking move over! Jesus, David, can’t share a damn bed?”

David blinked, finally getting it. Took him long enough. “I guess that’s fine. Yeah.” He pushed himself to his feet and moved to the small dresser. Max shimmied further onto the bed, facing the wall and pulling the blankets tightly around him.

It was only slightly more comfortable than his cot, but it smelled nice. The sheets were clean and crisp, the blanket warm and soft, and Max had already begun to doze when he felt the bed dip again as David climbed into bed.

He moved so carefully and slowly, lowering himself onto the bed with a groan. Max could feel his labored breaths on the back of his neck as he tried to adjust on his good side. He held himself stiff as a board as David shifted around and finally settled with a long sigh.

The sleepy, comfortable feeling of before was gone, replaced with a hyper-awareness of David behind him. He’d never actually shared a bed before, not even with his parents, who always sent him back to bed after claims of nightmares, making him walk the long dark hallway by himself. It was…strange, to have another person so close to him.

He pulled the blankets tighter and curled into a little ball, forcing his eyes shut and trying to will himself back to sleep. But between the feel of David’s breath and the warmth of him so close, he couldn’t seem to calm down. His heart was hammering in his ears so loud he almost didn’t hear David’s whisper of, “Max? You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he hissed back, trying to push himself further against the wall. “Do you have to take up so much space?”

A long pause. “I could try my other side if that would…”

“Fuck no!” All pretense gone, Max shot up in bed. The lights were off, but the light of the moonlight outside cast a faint glow in the room. David was mostly a silhouette beside him. “You’re just gonna hurt yourself more if you keep moving around, idiot! Just…” He growled in frustration. “Do you gotta breathe on me so much?”

Another long pause. “I’m going to be honest, Max, I’m not sure what to do about that.”

Max grunted, then flopped down on the bed again. “Whatever, just…okay, point your head that way.” He reached up and pushed David’s jaw up, then he dropped down so his head was tucked under it. That was better. “There. Okay.” But then he realized his new problem. He was facing David now, tucked against his chest, and even with his breathing gone somehow this felt so much worse.

Well, he couldn’t very well admit that to David, could he?

“Goodnight,” he said pointedly, closing his eyes.

“Uh…” This close, Max could feel David’s throat bob as he swallowed. “Max, I need to…my arm.” Max opened his eyes, confused about the problem, then he realized the counselor was holding his arm away from his body. Of course it hurt to keep it against his side, but Max was too close now to rest it on the bed. He sighed and grabbed it, then draped it over himself.

“There. Now can you just go to sleep already?”

It was David’s turn to freeze in place. “Are you…sure this is okay?”

“Yes!” Max hissed. It wasn’t, but it was too late to go back on it now. “Just go to sleep, alright?”

It took a long time for the both of them to adjust. It was clear David wasn’t used to sleeping with anyone else either. He squirmed a bit before finally settling in the position Max had pushed him into. Max remained as still as possible, trying and failing to just fucking calm down and sleep. So what if this was kind of weird? It’s not like he didn’t have someone in his tent at all hours snoring up a storm (thanks, Neil) so this should be no big deal, right?

Eventually, David’s clear exhaustion won out, and he settled, his arm curling around Max as if he were David’s own personal teddy bear. Max thought mournfully of Mr. Honeynuts back in his tent, but it was a little late to be going to get him now. He didn’t really snore as much, but Max noted with some amusement that he seemed to be reciting the names of trees on every other breath, just a faint little exhalation of “cedar” and “pine” every few breaths. It was almost endearing.

Ugh. David, endearing? Gross.

Max found that once David was asleep, it was easier. The warmth of his body settled into something more comfortable, and since his chest was right there, it was easier to just settle against it and close his eyes. He could hear David’s heartbeat, the steady drum of it lulling him onto a drifting cloud of drowsiness.

It took him a moment to identify the feeling, but once he did, it was obvious. Safe. He felt safe, with David here. One arm around him, holding him, Max snuggled into his chest. He just wanted to stay here, forever, where his parents’ neglect didn’t matter, where he was cherished and cared for and safe.

The screen door crashed open as his mother followed him down the walkway. Her face was drawn, enraged, and at one time Max might have been afraid of her. But he wasn’t 10 anymore, and despite the fact he was still shorter than her at 18, he had the muscle mass to fight back if she tried anything funny.

“You think you can just walk out of here, after everything we’ve done for you?” She reached out to grab his arm, but he smacked her away and reached for the gate. “You think anyone’s going to take pity on a little fuckup like you? You’ll be sleeping on the streets and eating out of dumpsters for the rest of your life.”

“Yeah? Well, that’d be an improvement!” He moved to unlatch the gate, but she blocked him with one manicured hand. “Move,” he growled.

His mother laughed cruelly. “Or what, Maxxie?” Her tone was saccharine, and he could feel his blood boiling under his skin. His fists shook at his sides. He was so close to getting out of here. “You think you’re an adult just because you turned 18?” She scoffed. “You’re a nobody. A little shit with no future. Go on then, if you want to go so badly. Just know you won’t have anything to crawl back to when you fuck it up.”

Max fought back the tears prickling the corners of his eyes and pushed past her. She was so good at poking her sharp little fingers into his ribs and peeling them apart to get at the soft bits underneath. He could not, would not let her see him weak.

He could hear her yelling insults after him as he took off down the sidewalk, but managed to tune her out. Focus, he thought. One foot in front of the other. He was free. No matter what shitty things his mother said, no matter how little his father cared, getting out of that place had been the only thing he cared about for years.

He was free.

Some of the tension released from his chest as he walked, that thought rising through him like a helium balloon. Free. No longer would he have to worry about sleeping on the porch when he missed curfew and his parents locked him out. No longer would he have to worry about what he’d wear when his parents bought him clothes that were two sizes too small. His mother couldn’t “forget” to feed him anymore, leaving him scrounging for scraps at 2am while his stomach desperately growled. All those years of working shit jobs and saving every bit he could spare in the loose floorboard under his bed, they were finally worth it. He had enough to live on for months, if he was careful. Plenty of time to put his plan into motion.

The greyhound bus station was mostly deserted this time of day. That was fine by Max. He preferred the solitude. He pulled out a few crumpled bills from the hastily folded wad in his pocket, then handed them over in exchange for a ticket.

A ticket which had an hour wait. Of course.

Max dropped into one of the uncomfortable plastic seats, piling his bags beside him and pulling out the cheap smart phone he’d bought himself. It wasn’t hooked up to a network, but the station had wifi, so it wasn’t a total wash. He began to scroll through socials, smiling faintly at the few birthday wishes he’d been sent. He was in an unusually cheery mood, so he snapped a photo of himself and posted it.

Feels good to be an adult! the caption read. #freedom #newlife #fuckparents

He got a few likes on the photo right away, specifically from Nikki and Neil, who somehow he’d managed to stay in contact with over all these years. Mostly thanks to the internet, but it was something. They didn’t talk much anymore, but he figured a few likes and one-word comments on posts was about the level of friendship he could take these days.

A comment notification popped up on his screen and he clicked it. It was from Nikki.

Dude, no way!!! You gotta come see me!!!

Max liked the comment, but he wasn’t going to be making any promises about visiting anyone. Not yet, anyway. He still had something he had to do, and he couldn’t afford to get distracted.

He would like to see her, though, once this was all over. Maybe they could get Neil in on it too, if he wasn’t too busy at his fancy college. It’d be nice to have a little reunion.

Max scrolled aimlessly until he got bored, then watched cute cat videos until his bus was called. There was an itch under his skin, an anticipation as he gathered up his things and made his way out to where his bus was waiting. If he did this, there was no going back. He’d be leaving everything behind.

He only hesitated a moment, then pushed his way through to the luggage, dumping his duffle on the cart and carrying his backpack up into the bus with him. He wasn’t leaving anything behind that was worth keeping. His parents, his so-called home, the shitty school he’d barely graduated from, some run-down community college he might not even get into? None of that mattered. No, what mattered was the only thing he was going after now. The only thing that had ever mattered to him, the only person who’d ever made him feel like he mattered.

Max managed to snag a window seat, then dropped his backpack in the seat next to him to ward off any would-be seatmates. He wasn’t interested in a chatty stranger. Not for an 8-hour bus ride. Absently, he pulled out his phone again, but there were only so many times he could hit refresh before it became obvious he wasn’t going to get any entertainment.

He pulled up his hoodie and rested his head against the glass window. It was going to be a very long ride.

As the bus rumbled along, Max let his mind wander, staring out at the scenery but only barely seeing it. He wondered how things were going to go, a little worm in the back of his brain making him wonder if this had been such a good idea after all. It had been five years. Five very long years. A lot could change in that amount of time. Who knew if he’d even be welcome?

He gritted his teeth. No. Of course he’d be welcome. Just because all his attempts at contact had failed didn’t mean…well, a lot of things were different now. He was 18. He had money. No parents to choose the worst possible time to become helicopter parents and start checking his messages. So things were really ideal.

That didn’t stop the gnawing in his chest, though, that little echo of his mother’s words in his mind. You think anyone’s going to take pity on a little fuckup like you? Well, fuck her! He didn’t want pity, anyway. He wanted…

He wanted what they’d taken away from him, five years ago.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing he knew he was jerking awake at the feel of a hand shaking his shoulder. He pushed the stranger away by instinct, scowling up at a girl who couldn’t be more than a couple years older than he was. She matched his scowl. “Bus is stopped, asshole,” she said, then stalked off down the steps and into the station.

Max rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stood, his legs still shaky with grogginess. His backpack felt so heavy on his back, and a quiet part of his brain whined to just sit back down and catch a few more winks, just go where the bus took him. He forced himself off the bus and grabbed his duffle instead, groaning at the added weight as he pushed his way through the station and out the front door.

It was late. Really late. Or early, if you wanted to look at it like that. The streets were mostly empty, and the cool mist of pre-dawn made Max shiver and zip his hoodie up tighter. It was still dark, but in the distance, a beacon of hope in a 24-hour Starbucks. He wandered toward it like a man possessed, craving the sweet, sweet burn of caffeine.

The place was nearly deserted when he pushed the door open, a cheery jingle prompting him to scowl upward. There was a man in one corner of the shop, maybe mid-forties, reading a newspaper stretched out in front of him and nursing a lidded cup. A barista who looked to be in his late 20s stood by the register, staring at Max with a bored expression.

Max wandered up to the register, ignoring the menu. “Small black coffee,” he muttered, reaching into his pocket and fishing out a few bills. The barista didn’t comment, or ask his name, just put his order in and gave him his change. It was kind of refreshing, actually. He glanced at the guy’s nametag (Tyler, in a loopy handwriting) and dropped a few bills into the tip jar. Quality customer service as far as he was concerned.

When he had his coffee, he went to sit at a table as far away from the other patron as possible. It was a booth, with plenty of room to drop his bags in a clear message to anyone else who might swing by: he was not looking for company, or conversation of any kind. He only hoped the scowl would scare off any extra determined souls.

The coffee was magical, the bitter liquid doing its damned best to ease the ache in his bones, warming him up from the inside out. He sipped at it gingerly, trying not to burn his tongue, and pulled out his phone again. He frowned when he opened the maps app and punched in the address. That was…much farther away than it had been when he was a kid. How the hell was he supposed to get all the way out there? And of course no bus in their right mind was going to go there. Maybe an uber, but the bill was going to be way more than he could afford to lose right now.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself, glaring at the two pins so far apart. “This is just not my fuckin’ day, is it?” He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh and leaned back in the booth, staring at the ceiling. So, that was a bit of a speedbump.

When Max looked back down, he noticed the other man in the shop staring at him. He shot him a glare and took another pointed drink of his coffee, then ripped his gaze away back to his phone. He didn’t have time for creepy dudes in coffee shops.

Once he’d drained his cup, he stood to throw it away, glancing curiously at the barista. He wasn’t watching Max anymore, too busy meticulously stocking some of the items behind the display case. There probably wasn’t a lot to do this early, before the morning crowd really rolled in. Maybe he’d know something, though. He walked up to the counter, forcing a smile to his face, quickly abandoned it when the barista fixed him with a horrified stare.

“Hey,” he said, trying to go for casual as he fished his phone out of his pocket. “I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking to get here…” He opened the map and showed the barista the location. “It’s out in the Sleepy Peak region…know anyone who’d be able to give me a ride out there?”

The barista glanced at his phone without taking it, then shrugged. “I’ve never really been out there, sorry. Why would you wanna go out to the middle of nowhere, anyway?”

Max bristled instinctively and snatched his hand back. “That’s my business,” he said, stuffing both hands in his hoodie pockets. “Thanks anyway.” He turned to go and nearly ran headlong into another figure. “Hey! Watch it!”

It was the other man, the one who had been watching Max. He stared down now with stormy grey eyes, bloodshot and drooping. His thin brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which didn’t flatter his angular face one bit. He smiled with a mouth full of crooked teeth.

“You need a ride up to Sleepy Peak?” he asked, his voice the consistency of gravel in a blender. Max felt his skin crawl as he pushed his way past the man.

“Yeah, no thanks. Not really looking to get murdered and dumped in the woods today.” He made his way back to the table, trying to ignore the other man. To his absolute fury, the creep followed him, pushing aside his things so he could sit down across from him.

“Dude, what do you want?” Max snapped. “I’m a little busy here, in case you couldn’t tell.”

The other man nodded. “Right. You need a ride up to Sleepy Peak. I just so happen to be heading up there to pick up some…let’s say, merchandise. Might be willing to give you a ride if you do me just a little favor.”

Max’s eyes narrowed. A free ride up to the shitty little town would get him a lot closer to his goal. But… “What’s the catch?”

“No catch, no catch at all.” The man spread his hands and smiled. He probably thought he looked like the picture of innocence. Max thought he looked like someone who was going to skin him alive and dump him in the river. “All you have to do is deliver a few items for me. Discreetly. I find myself short on delivery boys recently, and you look like a kid who can get things done.”

“So it’s illegal,” Max said flatly. That wasn’t exactly a deal-breaker, but if he got himself thrown in jail, that was going to put a real damper on his plans. Then again, he’d always been pretty good at evading cops in his old town. “What makes you think I’d be any good? You don’t even know me.”

The man looked him up and down. “I get a feeling from you, kid. You’re willing to do whatever you have to to get what you want. I respect that.” He folded his arms and leaned closer over the table. “I want to help you out. I’m a nice guy like that.”

Max snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure.” He glanced down at his phone again, at those two pins so far apart, and sighed. “What do you need me to do?”

The older man’s grin split his face as he grabbed a napkin and scribbled down an address. He thrust it into Max’s hands. “Be here at 10am,” the man instructed. “And we’ve never met, got it?” Without another word, he left, the tinkling of the bell above the door his only fanfare.

Max stared down at the napkin, frowning at the barely legible chicken scratch made worse by a leaky blue pen. He folded it up and shoved it in his pocket. He was pretty sure he was going to regret this. But it didn’t matter. If he was able to get a ride up to Sleepy Peak, it would all be worth it.