Locked in Permafrost

February

Jean-Pierre pulled up to the cabin in a massive truck with tracks like a tank instead of tires. The vehicle itself was like an arctic RV where the man could sleep and eat and work on his gear. Behind it, he pulled a sledge the size of a tractor-trailer loaded with his own haul plus what he'd obtained from stops at two remote indigenous villages and five cabins on his way in. He had one more cabin stop after Paul's before heading straight down to Anchorage.

He'd met Paul when the young man was newly arrived in Alaska and putting out feelers for remote land opportunities. He was a seasoned sourdough used to seeing young people come, try, and leave, but with little else for entertainment, he enjoyed helping them along a bit and watching their little dramas play out. Paul stuck around longer than most and built himself a tidy little settlement. Unlike the others, he was happy to stay put and never chomping at the bit to get out for vacations or other social activities. He'd felt a bit sorry that a young man with such a nice establishment never put himself in the way of finding a partner to share it.

His shock when Paul asked about the native goods on his sledge and selected three pairs of moccasins, one baby-sized, was considerable. Adjustable hide pants were also requested. Was he planning for a future partner or hiding someone in his cabin now? He didn't invite Jean-Pierre in for coffee as he usually would.

In addition to Paul's usual furs, antlers, and woodcrafts, there were some awkward antler crafts which he brought out for the old trapper. They might have been his own work, trying something new, but Jean-Pierre doubted that. In any case, he said nothing about it. This was the way among them. Nobody up here liked a nosy busybody. Thinking about what else he might have in his sledge for a baby, Jean-Pierre remembered an otter fur-lined hanging cradle. It was made in a style for selling to outsiders. Inuit women didn't use cradles. They kept their babies with them in a large parka called an Amauti. But, since only natives were allowed to hunt otters and they could only sell the hides if they were worked into goods, objects like this were occasionally made. Otter hides are the softest thing on earth and it was worth a pretty penny as an art object besides its utilitarian value, but Paul never seemed to lack funds. If he didn't need money, perhaps he'd take it in a trade straight across for the pile of goods he offered.

Paul countered his offer with the addition of an errand. He'd trade all his goods for the aforementioned moccasins and pants; double his usual portion of seal jerky, dried fish, and seaweed; the cradle; and delivery of a small pile of packages to the post office in Anchorage. In order to avoid going to civilization himself, Paul usually gave the trapper a favorable deal on his goods. This was still quite good for the older man, but unusual. He'd never asked for mail delivery before and he made it clear he wanted them sent out of Anchorage. He didn't want them dropped off at any post office nearer. He agreed, and they made the exchange.

Before he pulled away, Paul brought him a thermos of fresh coffee and traded it for his identical empty one. There was only one type of thermos good enough to be useful in this climate so this was a common trade. But, there was no way the man could have made this coffee himself. He'd been preoccupied with the loading in and out. Paul was definitely not alone out here anymore. Why he hid his partner was a mystery that would provide many pleasant hours of mental occupation for Jean-Pierre on the long road in.

Paul thought about hiding his gifts from Eric to surprise him later, closer to when the baby came, but when he saw his nervous face he decided to take him out to the barn to inspect the goods right away for a distraction. They'd had many discussions about whether it was okay for the old man to see Eric's face. His ex-fiancé's family had connections in Alaska and any connection in Alaska was a connection to everyone in Alaska. There were too few people to provide the usual six degrees of separation. There were seldom more than two. In the end, he stayed hidden. Though his existence was probably exposed, his face and name were secure.

His face the moment he unwrapped the cradle was a sight to behold. He buried his hands in the fur and purred. There were no words for the emotions exploding inside Eric. They burst out of him in tears and smiles and involuntary shaking all at the same time. "You guessed?" He whispered in disbelief. Paul nodded and smiled. "And you're happy?" He nodded and smiled even bigger. "What if I'm not?" Eric choked on that tiny bit of fear that had kept him silent on the matter thus far. After all, he didn't have access to any kind of pregnancy test.

Paul wrapped his arms around his mate. "You are. I'm sure of it. You have all the signs and your period and heat haven't come again since November. This isn't a surprise, right?"

"Well, this is a surprise," Eric said, pointing to the cradle, "but no," his hands moved to his belly, "this isn't really a surprise." He chuckled. "The way we went at it during my heat..." his eyes twinkled at the memory.

"Are you sure you're okay...with me, I mean?" Paul asked, his own unspoken fears, about never giving Eric a choice, making his voice crack.

"Yeah," Eric turned in Paul's arms and kissed him. "I'm okay with you." It was a lie. He wasn't okay with Paul. He was ecstatic and luckier than a lotto winner. He was safe and cared for and happy to the depths of his being. But okay was all he could admit verbally in the moment. He let his body confess the full range of his happiness after they returned to the cabin.

With the subject of Eric's pregnancy finally breached, Paul no longer held back his attentions. Stroking his hands across the small bulge developing low in his mate's pelvis, he kissed his way down whispering "I love you," to both Eric and their unborn child.

Eric melted under Paul's onslaught of affection. He could scarcely move on his own, but he could feel, and every nerve ending in his body was electrified awaiting Paul's touch. 

"Please...please," he begged, not even coherent enough to know what for. But Paul seemed to understand anyway. He stroked and licked and blew his hot breath across Eric's skin causing goosebumps to rise as he exposed it bit by bit. Then he parted Eric's limp legs and buried his face in the heat at his core causing both of them to feel fire.

When Eric started squirming uncomfortably in his prone position, Paul pulled back to help him roll over and get on his hands and knees. He'd read a bit about sex positions for pregnant women. He hadn't found any comparable articles for pregnant men so he thought he could start with what worked for women and adjust as needed. Eric wasn't showing much, but to show at all meant that inside everything was already crowded.

His mate already quivered with need so as soon as he confirmed the position worked, he set to work opening Eric's cute hole. It didn't take long before it was sucking his fingers in and Eric was wriggling his ass around trying to get more. Paul's hard on started before they even reached the bed so it was almost purple by the time he eased his fingers out of Eric's ass and replaced them with his throbbing erection.

It was so big and hard and Eric felt it stretching him and finally reaching that itchy place inside that fingers could never reach. He lost control and thrust himself back and forth on it. Paul was the one whimpering now, trying to hold back Eric's attack. On all fours, Eric had leverage and he pounded back hard against Paul's pelvis. He grew slicker inside all the sudden and almost launched himself right off Paul's joystick but Paul managed to catch him and pull him back.

"That's your body accepting me," Paul said with awe in his voice. He continued stroking and thrusting at a steady pace that would lead them to nirvana together.

"Uhhh, ungh, duh!" Eric grunted. "It's carrying your baby."

"It's still amazing." It was everything to Paul to feel that acceptance. He'd never known the love of a mother, but he saw the way Eric loved his unborn child and it filled that hole in him and made him adore his mate all the more, causing an escalating spiral of love and acceptance between them that made these moments so intense it took days to come back down. They'd whisper endearments and kiss and touch and feel the buzz of their climax continue to spark between them as they went through the quiet winter days. And every now and then the sparks would reignite a sexual fervor and start the cycle over again. It was bliss.