A puff of smoke and sparks rose from the campfire. It was half past ten at night, and the stars were out, mostly obscured by the thick canopy of trees around the campsite. Arthur watched, warm underneath a thick blanket, while Digitalis tended to the fire after making sure his kids were asleep in their tent. The tents were set about thirty feet away from the fire for safety, which also allowed Arthur and Digitalis a little privacy where they sat. The campfire wasn't casting much light but the white streak on Digitalis's large, bluejay-like feathered wings stood out in the dark.
"Want to make smores?" whispered Arthur. He sat on the two-person fold-out chair next to the fire, wrapped in two layers of sweatshirts under his blanket. Arthur's jet-black feathered wings were splayed casually out behind him over the backrest.
"Let's wait a while," yawned Digitalis. He removed a kettle from the side of the fire and using it to pour hot water into two mugs. "I'd like to relax a little before hauling the food out again. How are you feeling? Still cold?"
"I'm much better, thanks," said Arthur. He'd taken a shower that evening at the campground showers; the warm water had only lasted about two minutes before going cold and when Arthur had returned to the campsite, his wet waist-length dark hair coiled into a tight braid, he was shivering in his sweat clothes. Digitalis remedied the problem by making tea, and it had worked nicely. After four cups, he could feel his bladder filling up, but he didn't refuse the fifth cup when Digitalis handed it to him.
"I'm glad," said Digitalis. He sat down, tucking his wings behind him over the backrest while Arthur pulled over the blanket so they could share. "But I'll need to make a trip to the bathroom in a few minutes."
"Me too," said Arthur quietly, sipping his tea. "But we'll have to go one at a time." He sighed; the bathrooms were about a hundred meters away, along the main driveway of the campground.
Digitalis nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the small tent next to his and Arthur's. "I don't want to leave the kids alone out here after dark."
"You go first. I can wait a while," said Arthur. Digitalis had always seemed to have a radiant heat that emanated from his body, and Arthur leaned into him, close enough to smell the wood smoke in his hair and clothes.
"If it's alright with you I'd like to sit and relax for a bit, at least until I finish my tea," yawned Digitalis.
"Can't fault you for that," said Arthur. They spent the next hour sharing a pair of earbuds, listening to one of Digitalis's favorite books. Arthur wasn't really paying attention; he was warm and comfortable, and the voice of the person narrating the voice was so soothing that he was beginning to doze off. The only thing that kept him clinging to wakefulness was his painfully-full bladder. It seemed to be filling even faster since Arthur had finished his tea, and when an unexpected pop from the fire jolted him awake, he had to cross his legs to keep from leaking. His wings twisted behind him, and the urge to pee slowly ebbed away.
"You okay, Bear?" asked Digitalis, pausing the audiobook.
Feeling warm and shaky, Arthur sat up a bit. "I need to get to the bathroom before I start leaking." The air outside of the blankets was cold, and Arthur was hesitant to get up and walk the long trail to the bathrooms. Then, after using the bathroom, he'd have to wash his hands with the icy water in the camp's bathroom sinks-
Pop!
Arthur jumped. He knew it was just another ember in the fire but that didn't stop a hot trickle of piss from spilling out of him, warming the crotch of his sweatpants. He tried to hold his bladder and could feel himself failing. He pulled away from Digitalis slightly.
"What's up, Bear?" Digitalis asked sleepily.
Arthur hurriedly yanked down the front of his pants under the blanket, letting the reluctant dribble out onto the ground in front of the fold-out chair. It quickened to a steady stream as he relaxed, leaning back and letting the pressure drain off. He stretched out his wings and leaned back, spreading his legs wider and pulling back his foreskin to aim better.
"Sorry Digit," said Arthur with a big sigh. "I couldn't stop it."
Digitalis's pupilless amber eyes glinted in the firelight. He seemed to enjoy watching Arthur. Even though he couldn't see anything, the whizzing stream was loud under the blankets, pattering quietly on the damp ground between Arthur's feet.
"That's a good idea, actually," said Digitalis. "If I didn't have to wash my hands before taking out the food again I'd do it."
Arthur looked up quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"I need to wash my hands before I take out the food-"
"No, Digit," sighed Arthur. He pointed in the direction of the campsite's small water faucet with his free hand. "I mean you could just pee here and then wash your hands here. We have soap."
"The water is ice cold under the tap," said Digitalis.
"It's ice cold in the bathrooms too," Arthur pointed out. His stream was finally beginning to slow. "Plus you have to walk all that way."
