Bonedust

bag.” Gabriel merely nodded and took off in the direction of the camping section.
    Urban meandered down aisles until he found what he was looking for: A row of meats kept chilly in the refrigeration section. He found a package of steaks, thick and red and marbled with streaks of fat, and grabbed a bag of chips to go with it.
    He found Gabriel waiting up front. His arms were full and he grinned at Urban over the top of the sleeping bag. It was pink—not girly pink, but salmon-colored and hideous. Urban gave a snort of laughter and Gabriel shook his head.
    “Only big one they had. Shut up. Here.” He offered Urban a length of grate that would fit over the fire, something to cook their steaks on, as well as a pair of tongs. His dark eyes glimmered under the pallid fluorescents and Urban had to resist the urge to kiss him right then and there. He would wait until they were alone, the only voyeurs being the birds and the trees.
    Packing all the supplies into a large bag, Urban hauled it over his shoulder and they headed into the forest. The late afternoon sun beamed down on their backs, but it was so cold out that it did little to warm them. Pandora trotted ahead, sniffing out their trail as if on a hunt, but her posture was relaxed, her tail swaying behind her.
    “We forgot a tent,” Gabriel murmured as they stepped into the clearing, patterned by the sunlight dappled through the trees. Birds chirped a cheerful tune around them.
    “Babe, the whole point of camping out is to sleep under the stars,” Urban said with a smile as he dropped the bag to the ground, where it landed with a whumph of dust. “Let’s make our fire pit before the sun goes down and we’re stumbling blind in the dark.”
    Together they hauled large rocks into the center of the clearing, lining them in a circle around a patch of ground Pandora had dug up. They stacked them like bricks and Gabriel went searching for twigs and dry sticks while Urban rolled a log close to the edge of the pit. In a matter of minutes, the fire had caught on and flickered red and gold, a wild bird caged by rocks. Urban spread his hands, letting the warmth seep into them. “Beautiful,” he murmured, plopping down on top of the log and stretching out his legs.
    Gabriel spread out their sleeping bag and readied the makeshift grill. Urban unwrapped the plastic from the steaks and laid them on the grating. Juices dripped down and the fire sizzled hungrily and Pandora pressed her nose into Urban’s side. Her eyes were locked onto the thick slabs of meat, her tongue lolling.
    “Yeah, yeah. You’ll get your share,” Urban snickered, rubbing the hound’s ears. “Come over here, Gabe.” He patted the spot beside him and Gabriel, with a shy smile, eased down next to him.
    “Still nervous?” He pressed his face into the crook of the other man’s neck, breathing him in, soft and slightly tangy. Gabriel glanced out into the darkening trees but didn’t say anything. Urban grinned against his skin, placing a kiss on his throat and the man pressed his forehead against Urban’s cheek. “I’ll take that as a yes. Second question: Want me to make you forget all about your nerves?”
    “That sounds naughty…”
    “It’s meant to be naughty, babe.” He kissed him again, then reached up, skimming the man’s jaw with gentle fingers. He brought them nose to nose, a smile playing on his lips. He itched to kiss the man’s worries away. “Gabriel… Do you know that you’re beautiful?”
    As expected, Gabe’s eyes snapped to his, his mouth making a pleasant little ‘o’ of surprise. Urban captured his lips in a kiss before he could deny it; he tasted even better than he smelled, with a hint of orange and honey. “It’s true, you know. You’re like an angel.”
    Gabriel smiled ruefully, pulling back. “Angels are beautiful and perfect. I’m hardly perfect.”
    “Gabe.”
    The man jerked away, rising to stand, but Urban’s hand clasped around Gabriel’s wrist, pulling him back down. “Why not? These?” He traced fingers across the intricate patterns marring the milky skin of his wrists, lacing up his arms like veins. “They’re beautiful, Gabriel. They make you you . I love them.”
    “I hate them.” His lip rose in a snarl.
    “They’re beautiful.” He pulled Gabe’s wrist to his mouth, kissing the pulse hammering just beneath the surface. “You’re beautiful. You don’t have to believe me, but I’ll never stop saying it. Come here.” Without