The Woods ✔

Bees

Caden watched the forest pass by while trying not to devour the whole bag of caramel sweets at once. They had to suffice at least for five months until the path down into the valley was accessible again next spring. As soon as it got cold outside and heavy rain and snow came it was nearly impossible to get down the slope without breaking any bones. Therefore he had to be thrifty with his sweets.

"Did you find out anything about the hunters?" he asked to stop thinking about caramel melting on his tongue.

"Not really," Michael replied and maneuvered the truck safely through another bend. "The same as last year, I suppose. The first ones are goin' to arrive in two weeks."

Caden sighed. Two weeks of freedom. Oliver would depart when the hunters flooded the town and Caden thought it was a good choice. He would prefer not having to deal with stupid humans and their guns, too.

"You still didn't tell me what you meant," he pointed out and Michael groaned, a pained expression on his face.

"Let me rephrase it: I'm too old to talk with you about that."

"Can we try Latte Macchiato at home? I want to know what's the big deal about it," Caden said and Michael nearly missed the next bend. The tires screeched in protest and something in the back of the truck slid across the cargo area, thumping against the side wall.

"We're definitely not trying the kind of Latte Macchiato Oliver wants to do with you," he clarified after getting back control over the truck. "And just to make things clear; you're not doing anything with that boy."

"Why not?" Caden wanted to know, upset about that dumb rule. "He's nice, he's about my age and he likes to read, too."

"Do you remember our talk about bees and flowers?" Michael wanted to know randomly and Caden furrowed his brows.

"I remember it but I don't know what it has to do with Oliver."

"Well, some bees prefer other bees," Michael explained cryptically without risking a single glance in Caden's direction.

"But this way there won't be any baby flowers," Caden remarked, puzzled, and Michael agreed with a curt nod. If there wasn't a big flower involved there couldn't be baby flowers. Perhaps baby bees?

"Some bees do the things they usually do with flowers with other bees. And some flowers do those things with other flowers."

"That makes no sense," Caden replied dryly and Michael groaned.

"Can't you just stay away from Oliver?" Michael desperately tried again but Caden shook his head.

"Tell me what you meant," he demanded stubbornly.

"You became awfully bossy," Michael grumbled and exerted the lever inbetween them. "We're both males so we are bees."

Caden nodded in agreement.

"Oliver is also a bee but he's one of those special bees."

"So he does things with other bees?" Caden added questioningly.

"Exactly." Michael licked his lips uncomfortably. "So, when he asked you to drink Latte Macchiato with him he basically let you know that he wanted to do these things with you."

"Making baby bees?"

Michael appeared to rather jump out of the truck than to answer that question.

"There aren't baby bees," he finally said, managing to confuse Caden even further.

"But why would he want to do it then?"

"I guess because he enjoys it. Being intimate with another person can be quite" He paused and fleetingly looked over at Caden. "pleasurable."