-Monday came around in no time at all. As Sunday was a big day for everyone, the camp was granted a little sleep in. For this, everyone was grateful. Without this extra time, Justin’s dreams would not have ventured to his co-counsellor. He dreamt of their bodies entwined blissfully. He didn’t realise that he was smiling in his sleep. And drooling. Brian did. He woke before Justin and watched the boy’s face in amusement for a while before rising for his morning smoke. The man wished he knew what the slumbering blond was dreaming about. He would have liked to of known what it was that put that smile on Justin’s face. When Justin finally woke up, he bore a blush to his cheeks.  

It was a very placid morning for The Rangers. Brian and Justin taught the kids some basic Morse code. The campers appreciated the non-strenuous activity and enjoyed taking it easy together. They also enjoyed creating words, phrases and sentences out of what they’d learned. Felix cheekily spelt out ‘Kiss my butt’, giving everyone a laugh. 

In the afternoon, the boys gave their campers some free time to themselves. The campers spent this time snoozing, or mucking about together. They were given this time due to the activity the boy’s had set out for them in the evening. The Rangers took part in an early dinner and gathered back together afterwards. “We waited til the evening to do our second activity of the day because we can only do it in the dark”, Brian said. The campers all leaned in even closer with interested anticipation. “We’re going to be building fires.” 

“Cool!” the campers cooed after pleasant gasps. 

“First, we have to talk to you all about fire safety”, Justin told them. “So listen up, Rangers!” Smiles on their faces, the campers leaned even closer to their counsellors. “First things first, you never touch a fire or burning embers. I figure you’re all smart enough to know that.” The kids chuckled when their counsellor gave them a wink. “Second, we need to keep a water bucket nearby at all times. That’s important so we can put it out quickly if we need to. You can also put a fire out by smothering it with a blanket or cloth, but that carries the risk of setting fire to the material. Absolutely no use of flammable liquids or other items will be used. We have to clear the area around before lighting the fire, making sure there are no extra twigs, sticks or grass nearby. We should keep a three metre distance from anything that could be a hazard. Don’t light the fire unless it’s stable. But mainly; don’t light the fire until Brian and I tell you to.”

Brian stepped up to take over the rest of the safety explanation. “The most important thing is to never leave your fire unattended. Before we go to bed tonight, we all have to make sure that our fires are completely burnt out. We’ll have to come back tomorrow to clear away the debris. And kids; don’t pull anything stupid and throw things into the fire.”  

All the kids nodded and voiced their understanding and acceptance of what their counsellors told them. “We have to look after each other”, Justin said. “If anything catches alight, use the water. If that fails, Brian and I will stomp it out. No one try and play the hero, alright?” More nods. Justin continued, “Campfires aren’t like house fires, so you don’t need to “drop, roll and go, go, go”. Just…well, run.” The kids huffed out a laugh in response. Brian and Justin wanted their campers to understand the seriousness of working with a campfire, but still wanted it to be a fun affair. They did not want anyone to be afraid. “But don’t worry, Rangers”, he said to them with a gentle smile. 

“Nothing bad is going to happen. To any of you. We’re gonna do this right and we’ll all be safe”, Brian said, finishing Justin’s thought. Their campers made it clear that they understood and the patrol was free to begin building their fires. “So everyone gets a chance to help with the fire, you’re going to be building them in groups of five.” The camp counsellors allowed their campers to sort themselves into these groups as they did it quite quickly. Once they were sorted, Brian began explaining what they needed to do. “Okay, kids. We’re gonna need to gather some dry wood, different sized sticks and punk, which is dry grass. The drier the stuff you find, the better. If it’s wet, it won’t burn and if it’s too fresh that increases the risk of the fire getting out of hand. Go team! Go!” 

The excited campers didn’t have to be told twice. They scattered off in search of the things they would need for their campfires. It took several minutes for everyone to return. When they did, each kid was carrying a bundle of dry items. Brian raised his eyebrows, impressed. Justin chuckled, “Eager are we?” This was met with nods from all the kids, causing Justin to laugh again. “Great work, Rangers. We’re off to a good start already.” Justin had collected and placed all of the water buckets and other safety apparatus items they might need while Brian watched the campers. The groups of five were then given spots to build their fires on. They were far enough away from each other so that it was safe, but still close enough that their counsellors could keep an eye on them all without difficulty. Brian and Justin walked around the area as they instructed their patrol on what to do so that they could see everyone and their fires in progress. “To make a campfire, it has to be built up. The best way to do this is to build it in a square shape. None of your firs are going to be incredibly big, so this will be easier.” 

“Start with the biggest sticks and as you work your way up, use the smaller ones”, Brian explained. “To build the square, lay the sticks over each other in the shape. You kind of need to weave some of the sticks in.”

“As you build your fire, add some punk in the middle of it. You don’t need to go overboard, but make sure you have a decent amount in there”, Justin told the campers as he walked around. Everyone seemed to be doing well. They were working in their teams and following the instructions as they were given. It turned out to be easier than the patrol had anticipated. “Add in some smaller left over sticks once you’ve built up your square.” 

“Remember; don’t make it too big and don’t overflow it”, said Brian. 

The men visited each group to inspect their campfires. They made a few minor fixes to each one and told them they could light it when it was deemed correct. One by one, each fire built by the Rangers was lit. “Ooo”, some of the kids said. “Cool!” They seemed mesmerised by the flames.

Brian and Justin shared a look that was a mixture of amusement and pride. Their campers had done so well and the boys were glad that they were now enjoying their creations. “Well done, guys!” exclaimed Justin. “Look at how well you’ve done!” 

“To celebrate and enjoy your fires to the full extent…” Brian began. He pulled some cookies, marshmallows and melting chocolate out of a bag he’d carried there earlier. “You’re all going to make smores!” Brian had to stop himself from shuddering at the thought of all the calories. Justin noticed this in how the man tensed his jaw and came close to laughing at him. Brian may intend to stay away from the traditional campfire treat, but Justin definitely planned to indulge. 

The campers liked the sound of this and voiced their joy. “Yeah!” 

“Alright!”

“Yum!” 

Justin chuckled and took the bags from Brian before he threw them out of his hands. He handed out the necessary number of supplies to the campers and took some fro himself. He offered Brian some just to piss him off. The brunet was stubborn and shook his head at the offer. Justin shrugged and said, “Okay, but you’ll be missing out on a camp tradition.” 

“I think I’ll be fine”, Brian remarked back. “My heart isn’t broken by the fact.” 

The blond raised his brows as he feigned surprise. “You have a heart?” 

Brian smirked and pretended to be offended. “Why, yes and you’ve just bruised him.” He put his hand on his chest and faked a wince.

Justin laughed, enjoying the night. It had gotten dark as the kids built their fires and had had to turn on some lanterns before the fires were lit. Justin made sure the kids knew how to make smores and made one himself, cooking it over Hawnai’s group fire. The kids laughed and chattered away for a while before Justin noticed Marijanna sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest. She had a sad look on her face, making Justin’s heart drop. As secretly as he could, Justin moved over to the girl and whispered, “Are you alright?” She nodded, but Justin was not at all convinced. “Would you like to talk about it more privately?” Thankfully, Marijanna looked up at him and nodded. Justin was glad for the fact. He led the girl a little away from the group and found a log they could sit on. “What’s going on?” he asked her with a gentleness in his voice that made her feel safe enough to talk.    

“I…” she began. Trying to decide what she should say. “It’s stupid”, she shook her head. 

Justin shook his head and tried to convince this camper otherwise. “If you’re upset about it then it is definitely not stupid, Marijanna. Has something happened?” 

“No.” The girl shook her head. She thought silently for a second and said, “I’m just…I really miss my dad. And my sister.” 

This was enough to make Justin understand what the problem was and he was glad that it was nothing majorly serious. “You’re homesick”, he said rather than asked. Marijanna nodded slowly, her face falling again. Justin gave the girl’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “That’s okay. It’s normal to miss the people you love when you’re away from them”, he told her as a few tears fell from her eyes. “I can see if you can give them a call later if you’d like?” he suggested. 

“You can do that?” Marijanna asked, sitting up straighter. 

Justin shrugged, “I can ask Sally and see what she says. I think she’ll say yes”, he told her. 

This put a hopeful smile on the girl’s face. “Yeah”, she said in a small voice. She smiled shyly then and said, “I’d really like that.” 

Justin smiled tenderly. “We’ll see about it tomorrow, then.” 

“Thank you.” 

“It’s no trouble at all”, Justin said. “You know if anything is bothering you, you can always come to someone about it. Whether it’s me, or Brian, or another counsellor or another camper. Just make sure that you don’t keep it to yourself, okay?” 

Marijanna nodded and wiped away the last of her tears. Just a few metres away from them, Brian watched the scene. He couldn’t make out everything that was said due to the myriad of sounds around him, but he heard the best of it. It was a sweet scene, as much as Brian hated to think of anything as ‘sweet’. Despite that, he saw Justin as quite sweet. When he wanted to be. But this was not the first time he’d seen the boy he so nice to someone who was upset…

________________________________________

FLASHBACK- Summer, 2000

Brian power walked away from the great hall. His movements quickly turned into a full sprint as his desire to be far away from everything and everyone increased. He finally stopped when he reached his favourite large tree to sit on. He had found it in the first week he was at Peatree and mentally claimed the spot as his own special place. For when he ever needed an escape. Brian was not sure that he would need an escape over the summer that was supposed to be the escape. Today, he found that he did. 

A phone call home had resulted in his rush of emotions. The boy had received a cryptic letter from his sister and decided to phone home from one of the camp’s main phones in the great hall. For once he had followed the rules and got permission first. But his folks had yelled at him like they always did. His sister was not home and his mother was not interested in speaking to her son. His father was drunk as usual and spat the crap he always did when Brian was home. They didn’t miss him at all. In fact, the old folks had acted like they were glad he was absent. Brian didn’t know what he’d been expecting. He was mad at himself for feeling pain over the call. That did not stop the hurt. 

The hurt was enough to make Brian clutch his chest, where his aching heart was. He struggled against himself for several seconds before the tears came. He could not possible stop himself from crying. “Fuck!” he cried out, hating his weakness. Deep down, Brian knew that sadness was not a weakness. But it was what his father had always told him. When he ‘wouldn’t listen’, the man would show him. He hate the man that had fathered him. But he was never a real father to him. Brian considered the people that called himself his parents to be the asshole that impregnated the witch who gave birth to him. The saying that you can’t choose your family was bullshit to Brian, because he had chosen his. His was with his friends the Novotony’s. Not the Kinneys. That did not stop the hurt. 

He cried alone for a while before he heard some rustling, signalling that he was no longer alone. The heartbroken boy tried to wipe at his eyes, but it was too late. The person in his presence had already seen him. He turned his head and saw the last person he wanted to see him like this; Justin fricken Taylor. “Oh. I-uh…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” 

Still wiping at his reddened eyes, Brian looked away. He didn’t know why he bothered; the boy had clearly seen him crying. “What, Taylor?” he demanded, trying to make his sad voice sound as mean and scary as possible. It didn’t work very well. “You gonna make fun of me now? ‘Poor Brian, the pathetic, dickless pussy’.”  When Justin did not respond right away, he asked bitterly, “Well?” 

“No”, the blond answered simply. There was something in his voice that Brian had never heard before. It was almost…kind. “I’m not going to do that.” 

Brian huffed and crossed his arms. “Why not? You hate me, don’t you?” 

“I don’t kick people when they’re down”, Justin responded, much faster than his first answer to Brian’s vulnerable grumblings. “No matter who they are.” 

Brian looked back at the boy curiously. He was hesitant to believe him but the look in Justin’s eyes were genuine. Not a trace of sarcasm or disdain was there. This was not at all what Brian had expected when he first noticed who had discovered him. It was odd. How could someone possibly be nice to someone they despised? Especially when the perfect opportunity to tear them down was presented. It seemed there was more to this Justin than Brian realised. He let out a breath and Justin saw the look of acceptance on his face. Brian looked away again. 

Meanwhile, Justin was experiencing something odd within as well. He was now seeing a side to the biggest jerk he’d ever met that he did not know existed. Brian Kinney had a vulnerable side. In a weird way, it was heartbreakingly beautiful. Justin hated that only Brian could make crying look elegant. What was even odder was that Justin found himself feeling for the boy. By nature, he was a kind person, but Justin never imagined he would feel for his number one nemesis. He saw that Brian was struggling with accepting that he was not going to treat him like shit and was glad when the brunet finally did (accept that he was there with him.) He could see that the last thing the boy needed was ridicule. What he really needed was some kind of support. Justin couldn’t believe he was about to offer his. “You know, whatever’s happened, you just need to remember one thing; tomorrow’s a new day.” He could tell Brian was listening and went on, “It’s okay to let yourself be sad right now, just as long as you make sure you pick yourself up. Life goes on. And so will you. Because no matter what has happened today, you are still ‘Brian Fucking Kinney’. And you’ll still be him tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that. That’s all you need to remember, and you’ll survive.” 

Brian did not say anything in response, but it was clear that he took everything in. Truthfully, Brian was glad to not be alone. And for the words. They were encouraging, comforting, and kind. Words he did not expect would be spoken to him from the Taylor boy. Strangely, his presence was reassuring. The boys stayed together in silence for quite a while until Justin quietly left Brian. The brunet turned and watched the kind boy walk away. The strangest thing of all…he did not want him to go.

________________________________________

PRESENT

Marijanna was happy enough to return to the rest of the group after her chat with Justin. The man was glad to cheer her up. In true lesbionic fashion, Brian felt his heart warm.  

“Hey, let’s tell ghost stories”, Masamane suggested. 

“Yeah! I’ve got a good one”, Sasha said with great enthusiasm. The entire patrol sat in such as way that they could all hear each other’s spooky tales. Justin came to sit next to Brian as Sasha begun telling her story. “A long time ago, on the road to Texas…” Brian and Justin met each other’s eyes and held the look for longer than they usually did. Neither man had ever wanted to kiss someone more than they did each other right in that moment. Despite the intense attraction they felt to each other in the campfire heat, both men refrained from making any such move. 

TO BE CONTINUED…