Camp Alpha (BoyxBoy)

{24}

Nate was struggling with the buttons of his shirt, it really wasn’t the buttons fault, it was more Nate’s shaky hands. He had chosen a dark blue button down with long sleeves that were turned up at the wrist and dark skinny jeans, figuring that half serious, half casual would be a good mix.

He ran a hand through his dark hair as he stared at himself in the mirror. He looked prepared, he figured, as long as he could get these damn buttons to work. His hands gravitated back towards the buttons, the tiny things not complying.

‘Here, let me help you,’ Brody said, coming up from behind.

Nate turned around to face Brody, showing him the mess that he had made of his shirt. Nate dropped his hands from his shirt, leaving the space open for Brody to swoop in. His mate’s fingers were able to push the tiny buttons through the holes easily, only taking a few seconds on each button before he was straightening the collar on the shirt too. ‘You look great,’ Brody assured him. ‘Take a deep breath and just talk to him.’

Nate nodded, ‘I will.’ He then did a double take, Brody had been an emotional wreck all day, only eating a third of his dinner and fidgeting with his fingers whenever he was thinking to himself, and yet he was the one calming him down. Nate had been prepared to be the one to sit Brody down before he left to see his father and tell him it was all going to be fine, but it looked like that wouldn’t be necessary anymore. ‘How are you so calm?’ he asked his mate.

Brody shrugged, his hands dropping from the collar. ‘I saw your hands shaking before and I realised that this is going to be really hard for you, and I guess my mind decided that only one of us can go through an emotional breakdown at a time.’

Nate laughed, ‘We are a great couple.’

Brody’s face stayed serious, only a little smile at his lips, ‘The best.’

Nate shoved his sock covered feet in his canvas shoes and faced Brody with more vulnerability on his face than he would let anybody else see. ‘I don’t know what he’s going to say.’

Brody stepped forwards, ‘I don’t know either, but even if it’s worst case scenario, we will figure it out, together.’

‘He could make us go back to our packs alone, he could take away our titles and with the way your pack is right now-’ he stopped there. He wasn’t sure if he should continue that sentence. Brody hadn’t brought up his father’s illness since the day that he had revealed it to Nate, and he wasn’t sure if bringing it up himself was a good idea.

Brody didn’t seem fazed by what Nate had said, ‘We can worry about all that if it happens.’

Nate nodded, ‘You’re right.’

Nate smiled as Brody slowly wrapped his arm’s around his mate’s chest, resting his head over Nate’s racing heart. ‘It’s going to be fine,’ Brody assured him. Nate held onto Brody for a few seconds, allowing the close proximity to his mate release some of the worry that was flowing through his body.

He remembered a line from a song he had once heard, something about lovers slow dancing in a burning room and he held onto Brody tighter. He felt like they were living on borrowed time, that at any moment the carpet could be swept out from under them and the relationship that they had built would crumble and fall around them until there was nothing left. It was his worst fear, and he pressed a kiss to Brody’s forehead, his lips lingering against the skin in a silent promise that he would do whatever it took to keep them together. He was going to make sure that the fire would go out and that they could slow dance forever. 

They slowly pulled apart, ‘Let’s do this,’ Nate said in newfound determination.

‘He knows you’re coming, right?’ Brody asked.