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Chapter Three

Adrian woke up before sunrise to the sound of someone tapping on his door. A low voice spoke, Muffled through the wood, "Get up, busy day ahead of us!" He felt disoriented, he hated being woken up in the middle of the night. There was a stirring in the cot in the corner of the room. Adrian got up and opened the door to find a large ape standing there, staring down at him disapprovingly. Adrian rubbed his eyes, "What's going on?" was all he could think to say.

The ape replied, "The hike, kid. Get ready to go. I want to be out by the caves by sunrise."

This seemed to snap Adrian from his stupor, "Oh, right, yeah. I'll be right down." He then closed the door on Bill. He grabbed the backpack he had prepared and gathered his new gear. He would have killed for a coffee right now.

He had to kick Vincent before he would get up and out of bed. He exited the room while Vincent got ready. Bill was back up with two sets of Sleeping bags and Tents. He said, "I heard you guys didn't bring these. You can borrow these, I made sure to bring extra." He handed them to Adrian, who dropped Vincent's by their door. He then walked to the bathroom, where Pete was just exiting, completely nude. Adrian didn't give Pete a chance to say a word before darting into the bathroom, locking the door immediately. He couldn't help but think of what a large package the wolf had, though he didn't reflect on this long before brushing his teeth and dressing for the hike. He looked at himself in the mirror, feeling weirdly masculine in the reflection. He looked back into his bright purple eyes, grinning slightly, admiring his own features. There was a knock on the door, which brought him back to reality.

Vincent was waiting to use the bathroom when Adrian got out. He went back into his room to make sure the tent and sleeping bag were strapped to his backpack well enough for they wouldn't fit inside the bag. Once satisfied, he headed down to the living room, the smell of eggs and bacon filled his nose. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Greg, dancing to nothing in particular cooking for the group. The other's were either eating or watching T.V. Adrian realized he and Vincent were the last to really be ready. He sat down to eat, no one really payed him much attention, except for a good morning. Adrian thought that maybe Pete hadn't told them about what he had found last night. Pete sat next to Adrian and asked, casually, "Ready for the hike?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Adrian replied.

Pete laughed to himself, "You had better be, you're on my team."

Adrian's eyes widened, "Wait, what?"

Pete looked shocked, "You didn't hear? We are going in teams of two though the caves and up the mountains. First two to get to the camp site wins. We do it every month or so."

The last thing Adrian wanted to do this weekend was to spend the weekend competing in a race. Let alone with someone that had found his underwear. Adrian nodded, "Um.. Alright.. I.. I'm sorry in advance for slowing you down."

Pete grinned, "Don't worry about it." He bent over to whisper into Adrian's ear, "I've got a secret for winning. I know the shortest rout through the caves."

This reassured Adrian a little bit, it meant less awkward silence, which he knew would take up a bulk of their time together. He nodded slowly, not really thinking of anything to say.

Everyone other than Vincent, who was in the shower, was at the table now. Only Bill, Greg and Pete looked fully aware. Mike was still yawning while Frank had his eyes closed and his head down immediately after finishing his meal. The other's were talking to each other, besides Frank and Adrian, who were totally zoned out. Adrian was glad he wasn't the only person there that was half asleep. Vincent came down, still dripping wet, fully clothed and managed to finish his breakfast before Bill and Greg.

It wasn't too long before the were out of the house and walking thought the woods. The sky was a dark blue, the forest around them was getting more and more visible by the minute. While they walked, Bill was explaining what was to happen to Adrian and Vincent. He strayed behind the group, gathering with the two felines, "There is a cave formation down here. It's pretty secluded. There are about thirteen caves in all, I'm not count the few openings that lead to dead ends. Your partners will have to guide you through the right ones. These caves lead to the other side of this large hill, where there will be a cliff beside you. I've build a rock climbing obstacle course of sorts. I come here a lot with family, so I've mapped out the area. It's a fairly empty area of the forest, so I wouldn't worry about running into any wildlife. I've set you guys up in teams of two. Greg will be with Vincent, and Adrian, you're with Pete. After the hike, there is a large flat opening in the forest where we will set up camp. Any questions?"

Adrian nodded, "What if we get lost in the caves?"

Bill replied, "They're pretty linear, so long as you keep going in the same direction, you shouldn't get lost for more than a few hours. If anything goes wrong, head back as fast as you can, I will be heading to the camp through the dirt road in my van before sunset. My house has the only phone any of us will be able to use out here, so I want to make sure I'm close to it should anything happen.

When Bill was done explaining what was happening, the group found themselves beside a large hole in the ground. Like a crack in the earth. The trees stood far apart, making room for the large rocky hill before them. The were going to navigate their way through a mountain. Looking in either direction, Adrian saw that the ground wasn't as smooth as it was when they set out. The crack was a nearly sheer drop into a lower section of the woods that was cleared out and lit by the now rising sun. Greg, Frank and Mike were already making their way down a small route down to the opening. It was a steep climb down. Adrian was on his knees almost the entire time to keep himself from falling. It was very cold in the hole, every noise was echoed.

Bill dusted off his pants and said, "Alright guys, get ready." There was a beep from his watch, "One minute, group up and choose a path." Pete grabbed Adrian's paw and stopped him in from of on of the numerous small caves. The entire wall had this bee-hive sort of look to it. Some of the holes were large and some, Adrian felt even Greg couldn't fit into. There was an eerie draft coming from no hole in particular. The one Pete and Adrian stood in front of was one of the smallest in the wall. They were going to have to start the race on their paws and knees.

With a sigh, Adrian got ready. "Thirty seconds." rang out Bill's voice. Adrian's heart started beating faster, He was nervous about being in such a small place for more than an hour. "Tweating seconds!" Boomed the ape's voice.

Adrian wanted to back out, though Jeff would probably scold him for not trying at the very least. "Fifteen seconds." Adrian felt that Bill was building up the suspense just to make everyone nervous. The countdown was definitely getting to him now. "Ten." Adrian almost groaned, he stopped listening to Bill, the countdown was making him think too much about the claustrophobic cave he was about to enter. Before he knew it, Pete had darted forward. Adrian followed him into the small crevice. It was hard at first, though he trusted Pete knew what he was doing.

Eventually, the walls around them opened up a bit, giving them more room to move. Adrian was starting to relax a bit more. Pete turned on a lamp, giving light to the two of them. Adrian didn't like being surrounded by nothing but earth. The dim light behind them was all but gone now. It was uncomfortably quiet. A few times, Adrian heard Pete clear his through as though he wanted to say something, but would back down at the last second. Adrian wished he could say something, but he didn't know what. All he could think about was the image of Pete holding onto his panties.

After an hour of shuffling down the narrow path, they came to an opening where they could stand up entirely without hitting the ground above them. The passage twisted and turned so much that Adrian didn't know what direction they were facing anymore. Adrian thought that if this was the most direct route, he didn't want to know how the other's were doing. The last thing he remembered was Mike and Frank were climbing up to get to one of the hardest to reach caves.

Pete sighed, "I lied last night."

The sudden rush of sound startled Adrian, "What?"

Pete stopped and turned around to face Adrian, the light radiating from the lamp illuminated his canine features as he spoke, "I didn't really lose my virginity at school."

"Um.. Why are you telling me this?" Adrian gave Pete a confused look as the wolf blushed, "It was with Frank. We stole one of my dad's Viagra and tried what we saw in a magazine Frank found in his brother's room."

Adrian nodded, totally lost as to why he was being told this story.

The wolf laughed, "We only did it once. I wanted to do it again, but he said he didn't like doing it with me. Because he was straight.." He blushed, looking at his feet.

Adrian was starting to guess where Pete was going with his story. All he could think to say was, "There's nothing wrong with that.."

Pete grinned and took a small, familiar piece of fabric from his pocket, handing it to Adrian, "There, now you know one of my secrets. Are we even?"

Adrian took the pair of panties, shoving it quickly into his pocket, feeling himself blush harder then ever, "Erm.. Yeah, we're even." He forced a smile.

With that, Pete turned around, tail wagging a bit. Adrian sighed in relief. That was a bit easier than he had thought it would be. He noticed he wasn't nearly as tense now. Soon after that, Pete spoke up again, still walking through the darkness, "So.. Are they more comfortable to wear?"

Adrian rolled his eyes, "Yeah.. I guess." He said, not wanting to give anything away, He had to stop this line of questioning before it got too personal.

"I dated a guy in my first yeah of college that wore them." Pete said, sounding a little eager to talk about him and his gayness now that it was out. Adrian suspected that Pete didn't really have anyone to talk to about it and thought it would be a good idea to keep Pete talking about himself. Pete continued, "I tried to wear them for a day, but I felt too restricted in them."

Adrian asked, "I guess you wear boxers?"

The wolf nodded, "That or nothing at all."

Adrian nodded, instinctively replying, "Ah, commando." He then winced at his lack of forethought, opening the chance for Pete to ask another question.

Pete laughed to himself and asked, "So.. Are you gay?"

Adrian felt a little relieved, it wasn't too bad a question, "Yeah." The answer came out easier than he had expected, "I take it you are, as well?"

He nodded, "Yup, though, could you not tell anybody?

Adrian replied, "Secret is safe with me. Why do you keep it secret? Jeff and David are out."

Pete sighed, "David is a much stronger person than I am. He used to be quarterback. Now he's just a bench warmer for the most part. I'm on the wrestling team, I don't think I could take that kind of news breaking out."

Adrian understood somewhat and patted the wolf on the shoulder, "It's okay, I won't tell anyone." Realizing he didn't divert the conversation from himself, he asked, "Did David complain or anything?"

Pete slumped slightly, "Jeff did, I know that. The coach said he wasn't playing as well since he started dating, even though they've been dating like, their whole lives. He accused Jeff of distracting a good player. Even though other players have girlfriends."

Adrian frowned, "That's pretty unfair."

Pete shrugged, "The world we live in." then sighed.

Adrian nodded, they walked in silence for a while before they found themselves in a larger space. Pete stopped, sitting on one of the larger rocks in the space, putting the lantern on the ground and said, "Are you hungry? This would be the best place for us to take a break. It only gets harder from here on out."

He rummaged through his bag. Adrian realized he hadn't packed anything before leaving. Adrian sighed, "Yeah.. Um, I forgot to bring anything to eat." Adrian lowered his head, sitting on a rock beside Pete, feeling foolish for neglecting to bring any food. Pete took two sandwiches from his bag and said, "Don't worry, I brought an extra, just in case." He smiled at Adrian, "P.B. And J. or Ham and Cheese? I didn't know which you would normally eat."

Adrian replied, "Peanut butter, thanks. That was sweet of you." He was handed a wrapped sandwich which he began to eat. As they ate, Pete and Adrian talked. Mostly about their lives. Small talk, getting to know one another. Even as they finished their meals and headed back to crawling through the very small section of the cave.

The conversation was going so well before Pete abruptly said, "I'm really glad you came to this trip." He sounded a bit nervous, his tail had stopped wagging so much.

Adrian paused for a moment, not knowing what to say, "Erm.. Yeah, me, too." He blurted out uncomfortably.

Pete let out a small laugh, "No, really.. I um.." He stopped moving, Adrian felt his heart starting to beat a little faster, feeling what was going to come up. Pete turned his head awkwardly to face Adrian, unable to turn much due to the cramped space they were in. The lanterns electric glow made it hard to look at Pete's face.

Pete eventually said, "I have always thought you were cute. I've been meaning to ask you out. But I was kinda scared you'd say no or we'd have nothing in common."

Adrian felt his heart sink. Realization stabbed him like a knife in the heart. He felt excited and sad at the same time. He thought a lot of Pete, though, never imagined he'd have a chance. Though he knew he couldn't. He couldn't hide himself for long. He could feel tears forming in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Pete. I wish we could have.. But.." He let out a heavy sigh, "But it could never work." He wanted so bad for it to be possible. Any relationship for him was impossible. Love was out of the question for Adrian, he had accepted it a long time ago.

"Why not?" asked the wolf, in a soft, hurt voice.

Adrian felt like he was going to explode. All the longing and loneliness he felt in his life that he ignored seemed to be catching up to him. He hated throwing away the chance that someone could love him for fear that he wouldn't be accepted. He looked down at the ground, at the blurred shape of his paws, "There are.. Reasons.. I can't tell you.."

"Oh.. Are you already seeing someone?"

Adrian felt another surge of emotion, "No.. I'll never be with anyone.." He could feel himself starting to cry.

Pete noticed something in Adrian's voice and the next thing Adrian knew, Pete had turned to plant a kiss on his lips. Adrian was in a daze, not knowing what he should do, listening to his instincts, he kissed back, leaning towards the awkwardly positioned wolf.

After a couple seconds, Adrian pulled back, "No.. I can't.. We can't.. I'm broken, I can't. I'll just scare you away."

Before Adrian could slip up and spill everything, Pete said, "Don't worry, you won't. Nothing would scare me away." Before Adrian could respond, Pete kissed him again. After the short kiss, he turned around and started crawling, "Only thing that would do that is if you didn't want to be around me."

"I do want to be around you.. But-" Adrian said before Pete cut in, "Good, let's hurry, we are almost at the end."

Pete sped up, without another word. Adrian followed him, the air was getting colder, and a dim light was visible in the distance. The were almost out. Adrian didn't know how he was going to handle this situation. A part of him wanted to believe that, if Vincent didn't care that he was a cuntboy, that Pete would be okay with it, as well. Adrian was disheartened however, because Pete was gay, which would mean he likes his guys with the proper equipment.