The Hike 44

This morning, Eve woke up a bit slower than usual. She opened her eyes to a warm, bright, sunrise, and as she tried to stretch she found her reach blocked from either side. With such a deep sleep as she had this morning, her waking thoughts were still those of dreams. Waking up with sunlight bathing her from all sides, she thought of herself being reanimated from within a translucent, stained glass coffin.

Eve searched around herself and soon found the zipper to her hammock's bug net. As she sat up and completed her almost instinctual morning stretch, she breathed in the cool nature's air around her. Eve was in the heart of beautiful Appalachia, making her journey along the Appalachian Trail. She had been on the trail for a while, but at a certain point her attention, and to some extent her care, for the actual distances she was traveling had dwindled. She thought she was somewhere close to halfway through her journey, but certainly not more than halfway, and this was good enough for her. She hiked at a very steady and consistent pace, and the confidence rising from her toned legs as she hiked made her sure she would finish the trail with a bit of time to spare.

Eve is 22 years old. She is 5'4", though she often tells people that she's taller. She has dark, short, curly hair, and her skin has a tan complexion, with warm undertones. Eve has a toned, athletic body wrought through running, and she is with no doubt an attractive girl, with very kind features (her deep brown eyes in particular) that invite you to take a closer look. Tearing down her camp, surrounded by nothing but man-made gear and the indifference of nature, she looked to be the only thing created with the eye of the beholder in mind.

She set out about an hour after she woke, after using the bathroom, making and drinking coffee, and taking down her camp, making sure to leave the site in good shape for the next hiker to happen upon it at bedtime. Eve walked at a healthy pace, slow enough that she was not struggling. She hiked with her head high, taking in the picturesque sunlight filtering through the leaves above. Many things went through her mind as she hiked; Why am I here? How tall is that tree in particular? If I am walking this fast, for this long per day, I will finish in this many days. What comes after the hike? All of these thoughts and more drifted through her mind transiently, never being awarded the focus that a truly special thought deserves. This continued for an unimportant amount of time, until the flow-like state of her mind was suddenly corked by one thought: Are those footsteps behind me?

The man coming up behind Eve, at a pace only slightly faster than her's, was, before anything, a large man. He was a full foot taller than Eve, and with his broadness to boot it was hard to believe the two were the same species. From a distance he looked to be a rather rough man, with a full beard adorning his face, which was at this time devoid of a smile. He had a full head of dark brown hair that matched the color of his beard, and went well with his slightly tan skin and dark blue eyes. From the right distance, the second thing one will notice about this man, after his size, are the pure white patches covering parts of his skin. His hands in particular were enveloped by a twisting, complicated whiteness. The roughness of his appearance began to soften as he approached Eve. His unsmiling face shifted to a kind one, certainly more contemplative than mean. As he got closer to Eve, the man looked up and, now with a big smile drawn across his face, the dimple on his left cheek signaling that he came in peace, he greeted her.

"Hi. What's your name?" Said the man.

"Eve. How about you?" She replied.

"Nice to meet you Eve. I'm Dorian."

"Nice to meet you, too."

The dialogue between Dorian and Eve was as simple as should be expected from two strangers. Life on the trail necessitated a simple greeting, though never asked for more. If a conversation develops, if two people get to know each other, it is completely by their choice. Being on the trail can be blamed for a relationship only as much as God can.

"What goes through your mind while you hike? As I'm walking I find my thoughts start to lose themselves. They get tangled up and confused, and only when I give up trying to organize them do they unravel. Then they flow out of my head. Like if you took a coil of rope, tied a rock to one end, and placed the rock over the railing of a bridge." Said Dorian, with a genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"That's a pretty detailed visualization. My thoughts flow more like a river, though. Looking from the bank, you can't really tell that the river is flowing from high to low. It seems to be moving just for the sake of moving. Each individual thought is flowing through my mind on its own accord. That was, until I noticed a bear like man coming up behind me." She said, and they both laughed.

They laughed with the same laugh. Different in sound, but the same emotionally. They bared their feelings and the states of their minds to each other just shortly after meeting, and with a similar amount of ease they joke and laugh.

Their conversations continued seemingly without end. Each person felt a strange feeling. They felt as if they could say anything, no matter how abhorrent, and the other would process it with an open mind. They felt comfortable with each other, and each was happy that they had the other to entertain them on their hike.

As they were walking together, Eve misplaced her step along a thick root in the ground, and she began to fall. Compared to the relaxed state of mind she had while hiking earlier, a fall incites something completely different. Many thoughts still rush through her head, but she processes each one with a cold efficiency. The adrenaline flowing in her has turned her mind into a well-oiled survival machine, and unfortunately this miracle of evolution has led her to only one conclusion: She is going to hit the ground. She would have fallen all the way down, never once in the two seconds of falling accepting her fate, but she abruptly stopped mid-air. The adrenaline immediately began to be replaced by relief, and she soon noticed a strong grip around her arm.

Looking back, she saw Dorian's arm, now bulging with muscles she had failed to notice before, suspending her mid-fall. Her gaze trailed along his large arm, up across his shoulder, finally resting on his face. He still wore the calm expression that she had grown accustomed to in their short time knowing each other, and Eve came to realize that supporting her body weight out in front of him was as effortless as the rest of the day had been. As she came to this realization, she felt herself begin to rise back up, being pulled powerfully through the air. She had ended the ordeal where she started, upright on her own two feet, with only a flush in her cheeks and a certain, indescribable hotness within her to show for it.

"You alright?" Asked Dorian

"I'm okay. Thank you." Said Eve, with a noticeable shyness in her voice that had not been present before.

Thoughts ran through Eve's head, not unlike when she was falling: Thank God he caught me. Why am I so flustered right now? Did he notice the redness in my cheeks? Even if he did, why should I care? But her thoughts were interrupted by Dorian's already familiar voice: "We should set up camp soon, it'll be dark in about an hour".

Eve and Dorian set up camp shortly after Dorian suggested it. It was a cloudy night, and after eating dinner together and talking some more by the fire under the watch of the stars, they both set up their hammocks and rain covers and went to sleep, their bodies exhausted from the days hike, even after months of conditioning. Neither thought twice about camping among the other. A certain amount of caution is necessary on the trail, but they both felt comfortable around the other.

Cloud cover had persisted throughout the night, though there was no rain, and the morning was colder than usual. They decided to make a fire in the morning, even though their propane stoves were more than enough to heat up their coffee. Eve took down her hammock and rain cover and set them down near her bag. She joined Dorian by the fire, who had already packed his belongings, and they enjoyed a cup of coffee together. Dorian was wearing a light jacket this morning, and it covered his bulky arms which saved her from her fall the night before. Dorian noticed Eve's gaze, and checked his sleeves for dirt or stains. "Is there something on me?" Asked Dorian

Flustered, Eve brushed her hand against Dorian's bicep, despite there not actually being anything there. She wasn't sure if her hand lingered too long.

"Got it. Ready to head out?" Said Eve, as she turned away to quickly pack up her belongings, and hide her face.

The cloud cover was appreciated on the trail, making uncovered sections of the hike more bearable without the sun beating down on their faces and necks. The chance of rain, however, was intimidating. Dorian and Eve were not expert hikers, but their collective months on trail gave them some confidence in their weather predicting abilities. It was surely going to rain tonight, and once the clouds darkened a bit more they would have to set up camp.

"Cloudy days like this are a break for my mind along with my body" said Eve. Dorian's eyes met hers, interested in what she had to say next.

She continued, "sunny days make me feel as if I have to be productive. If the sun can rise and fall the same every day, with a practiced and inherent consistency, why do I struggle to do what I need to do and think what I need to think? If I'm having a bad day and I look up to see the sun in the same spot it was in 24 hours ago, I can think only of my own inconsistency."

Dorian was silent for a moment. "Nobody ever wonders how the sun feels about it's role. I'm sure it loves cloudy days as much as we do." He replied.

The clouds started to darken right as they were ready to set up camp. The winds were picking up, and they realized the storm may be stronger than they thought. Tonight would not be appropriate for hammocks. They set their packs down near the fire pit and Eve went to gather sticks and wood for a fire. Dorian gets to work setting up his tent, making sure to set up his rain tarp properly to avoid getting wet that night. Eve gets the fire started, and starts to heat up some water for their dinner. While waiting for the water to boil, she starts to set up her tent. When she opens her bag, however, her heart sinks. Eve is very methodical about the way she packs her bag, and the fact that her rain tarp was not on top meant that, without a doubt, it was still on the ground at their last camp, maybe 8 or 10 miles away.

Normally, her mind races at a moment like this. A moment of realization that your plans have changed, that your previous idea of what you are going to do is no longer possible. Her mind would race with every option, every possible solution, and not too long after, she would pick the optimal one. Her mind did not race this time, however, because there was clearly only one option. She would have to spend the night with Dorian in his tent. The storm was going to be rough, and she and her belongings would end up soaked without the cover of Dorian's rain tarp. Conveniently, Dorian, being a large guy, uses a tent that could definitely accommodate the both of them. The real struggle for Eve was figuring out how to ask him.

"What's the hold up? The water's boiling, and I think the rain will start within the next 45 minutes or so." Said Dorian.

"I'm having a little problem with my gear, can you start the food?" Eve replied.

"Sure." Said Dorian, adding the boiling water to the dehydrated food bags.

Dorian finished preparing the food, and walked up behind Eve.

"You fix your gear? You haven't even unpacked your bag." Said Dorian

Eve realized that her stalling has come to an end. "Listen, Dorian. I have an issue. I left my rain tarp at the last camp. I don't know how I'll get through this storm." Said Eve, sounding defeated and nervous.

"You can just stay in my tent with me. Don't sound so upset." Dorian said with a big smile, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"How can you say that so comfortably?" Asked Eve.

"Well, there's no other choice, is there?" he replied.

Eve didn't know how to feel about his response. As they sat down to eat, chatting about random things as they've grown so accustomed to doing, Eve's mind was elsewhere. He asked me to spend the night with him so easily, as if he wants me to, yet he also points out that there's no other choice. Eve was about to ask once more, to make sure he was really okay with it. She felt terrible for making a silly mistake and inconveniencing him. But, as she looked up from her food to ask, she found Dorian's gaze was already upon her. His eyes drifted slowly from her's, down to her lips, and across her body. He looked upon her like one looks upon fine art at a museum, savoring every detail, and wholly indifferent to whether the art knew it were being observed. Such a gaze would usually be off putting, but then again, who looks upon fine art in such a way if they don't appreciate it? Eve decided not to ask her question again.

They finished eating and a light rain was already falling. Even though it should still be bright outside, the cloud cover blocked most of the days remaining light, and it seemed as if night were already upon them. The put out the fire and cleaned their dishes, then headed into the tent before the rain really got bad. As if on cue, the second they zipped up the door to the tent, thunder rumbled throughout the forest. Eve jumped at the sound.

"Relax, it's just a little thunder." Said Dorian

"The rain's still light, it caught me off guard! Anyway, I know we already said this, but it seems like this storm will be pretty rough. You sure your tent will hold? Thanks again for letting me stay with you." Eve replied, a bit nervous but genuinely thankful.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. I put the stakes in and everything, and now the tent has two people weighing it down. With the way I set up the tarp, I don't think it'll catch much wind. Honestly, I'm kind of excited for the storm. I sleep really well on rainy nights."

"Well, I'm glad one of us is excited." Eve replied

Eve and Dorian were sitting criss cross in the tent, so there was still room between them. As it got later the storm picked up, and it started to get cold. Eve was shivering. Dorian still had on his jacket, and as she saw Eve shiver, he took it off and handed it to her. Eve took the jacket reluctantly, and in the lamp light of the tent, the definition in Dorian's arm muscles and collar bones was accentuated. Eve put the jacket on, but it was still cold. And now, without his jacket, Dorian was shivering as well.

"Eve, do you mind if I move a little closer?" Asked Dorian

Eve was surprised by his boldness. She didn't know what to say, but she knew what she wanted. Without answering, Eve moved to him instead. She scooted next to Dorian, and he put his arm around her.

Butterflies made their way to both of their stomachs, and Dorian felt a tightness in his chest. Dorian moved his hand up to Eve's head. His hand was large, and he used it to grab her hair. He pulled her head back, and his eyes met her's. They stared into each other's eyes for a long time. There was an electricity between them, and the essence of their beings was beginning to mix. There was an aura of energy in the tent, a swirling of deep brown and dark blue, the colors of their eyes filling the air.

Before either realized what was happening, their faces drew closer. Dorian placed his lips on Eve's, and she received his kiss passionately. Their bodies got closer, Dorian falling back and Eve straddling on top of him. Their hands explored each other's bodies thoroughly. Dorian's hands moved along Eve's back. They wrapped around her shoulders. He moved them down, firmly grabbing Eve's ass, his large hands caressing it, studying its curves as if he had to sculpt it from marble the next day. He moved his hands up the back of her jacket and shirt, feeling the smoothness and warmth of her skin.

Throughout this, Eve was exploring too. She moved her hand behind Dorian's head, running it through his hair, and forcing his lips into hers. Her other hand felt his arm, rubbing it and holding it the way she had wanted to earlier that morning. In between each kiss, she would look into his eyes, as if piercing his soul and discovering everything he truly wanted from her. When their lips met again, she explored his mouth with her tongue, and her's with his.

All the while, Eve moved her hips, grinding against his body with a hot energy, feeling ecstatic each time her crotch rubbed against his. Even though they were still clothed, Dorian could feel the wetness and warmth between her legs. Each time she moved her hips, each time she kissed him or pulled his head closer to hers, his penis would involuntarily flex, as if it were thinking for itself, trying it's very hardest to move through the clothes that were blocking it from it's only desire at the moment. As if she could read his mind, Eve sat up and removed the jacket Dorian had given her.

"Won't you get cold?" Dorian said while contradicting himself, pulling Eve's shirt off her body and exposing her bra. She was wearing a black sports bra, perfect for hiking and other physical activities.

"You can warm me up. Besides, I won't be the only cold one" Said Eve, moving to remove Dorian's shirt.

He helped her out, lifting his shirt above his head. With his chest now exposed, he felt a new energy within him. He sat up to face Eve. She was still straddling his lap, and in this position his cock pressed into her harder than before. With this she leaned her head back and let out a small moan. Dorian took this chance to kiss her exposed neck, running his tongue along her hot skin. At the same time he ran his hands up her back slowly, his fingertips just barely grazing her skin. He made his way to her bra, and she let him pull it above her head. Her breasts were exposed, and they were beautiful. They were the perfect shape, and Parker couldn't take his eyes away. He only stopped looking when Eve lifted his chin, using her other hand to move one of his hands to her tit. Her nipples were hard with either the cold or excitement, and her boob fit perfectly in his hand. He squeezed it hard, and they kissed passionately.

Moving forward ever so gently, Dorian pushed Eve onto her back, and he followed on top of her. He kissed her neck again, and gently bit her ear as she turned her head away. They moved their hips in sync, pressing into each other even harder with every passing moment. Dorian moved his head down to Eve's chest, kissing her skin along the way. He put her nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue and gently biting it. Eve's underwear were soaked, her breathing ragged and intense in between her moans of pleasure. He kept making his way down, kissing her stomach gently and tenderly. When he arrived at his destination, he lifted his head up slightly and looked into Eve's eyes. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too. She gave him a light nod, and, without wasting any time, Dorian slid off her joggers and underwear, exposing her pussy, which was wet and glistening in the lantern light.

Eve lifted her hips, bringing her wetness to Dorian's mouth. Dorian, with one of his hands still caressing her chest, brought his tongue to Eve's pussy, running it across her slit, tasting her. He found her clit, and he flicked it with his tongue. She moaned hard as he did this, grabbing the back of his head and pulling his hair. While one hand squeezed her tits, Dorian moved the othering to her opening. He gently ran his fingers along the outside of her hole, and after feelings it's wetness he pushed his middle and ring finger inside her, rubbing her clit with his tongue at the same time. He moved his fingers inside and out, gently massaging her G-spot with each pass. Eve could not stop moaning, and without even thinking she grabbed Dorian's hand, moving it away from her tit and into her mouth. She sucked on his fingers, running her tongue along their length, forcing them down her throat.