Let me fall into your gravity Who: Ronnie & Mikey What: The start of a long, much needed weekend When: Present Where: Gass Peak Road Camping Area Rating: Low Status: Complete
I want to your heavens and your oceans too
The lid on the Yeti was tilted back.
Ronnie had prepped ahead, putting some meals together for the impromptu camping trip that Mikey had suggested. Honestly, the timing was perfect. Lately he’d been mostly bedridden, no energy and feeling much unlike his usual self. And the chance to get away with the man he loved in a small place like a tent on an open spread of land sounded like a dream.
They’d packed up their stuff into Mikey’s truck and set off for a destination the cougar had in mind.
It didn’t take long for the tent to become erected, the sleeping bags and pillows tossed in, and the fire to get going. Ronnie perched next to the fire and set two foil wrapped bags filled with mostly meat and a few veggies on a grate they’d brought.
With the flick of a wrist he flipped the cooler lid closed and smiled at the dancing flames. “This was a great idea, babe,” he murmured. The stars above shimmered. Even the drive had been nice. Putting distance between himself and his problem was a cure he didn’t know he needed.
Out here Mikey could run if he wanted to. Ronnie liked that his love had a sense of freedom here to be himself if he wanted to. He shivered a bit.
“Yeah,” Mikey agreed, liking the relaxed look on Ronnie’s face. It was a rare thing these days -- the asshole who’d been tormenting Ronnie hadn’t let up (persistent fucker), and Mikey knew if Ronnie left town again, it’d be like it had the last time around -- with him rattling around in a crappy motel, drinking when he wasn’t sleeping, and trying not to look at his phone.
This felt like a better way of getting out of that headspace for a little -- and it wasn’t just that they were together and away from prying eyes -- it was that they were out in the wild, surrounded by trees and the smell of green growing things, with enough things to distract that Ronnie’s phone (which couldn’t get a signal for crap out this far anyways) could fade into the background.
“Yeah,” he continued, wrapping an arm around Ronnie and burying his nose in the crook of Ronnie’s neck. “Smells good,” he added. “Food don’t smell so bad either,” he continued, his mouth curling into a smile. “You wanna blanket from the truck, babe?”
To his right he heard the song of a bird; it wasn’t a raccocus call of a corvid but more of a melody. He took a moment to listen, to really appreciate the sound, head tilting to the side. Then his smile brightened.
Ronnie leaned into Mikey, almost curling himself around the other man. He laughed. “I love you, dude. You’re amazing.” Leaning over, he caught Mikey by the mouth and then shook his head. “Nah, you’ll find a clever way to keep me warm.”
He hooked an arm around Mikey and nestled in. “Pretty sure I saw a shooting star up there. You gotta make a wish.”
“Pretty sure I already got mine,” Mikey replied, wrapping his arms a little tighter around Ronnie. “And m’ also pretty sure you’re the clever one,” he continued. “I mean, you can make miracles with like a few ingredients and some foil. I just jam some hotdogs on a stick and burn ‘em when I got a campfire.” He grinned. “Got me a grade-A genius here. A hot genius.”
Ronnie’s cheeks reddened a bit. Thankfully the licking light from the fire concealed that. He curled more into that embrace. There was never a moment where he didn’t feel safe in Mikey’s arms. Even in the early days of their white hot courting he knew he was safe there. And nearly almost dying in that monster filled burger joint only settled it.
“I dunno if I ever told you,” he began, sure he had at least once, “I worked for Gordon Ramsay. I’m a three Michelin star chef. It’s like a crazy thing. Restaurants …. like the crazy fancy ones are rated on those things. Five is the best. I like cooking for you. And for our friends, the most. Coming up with my own crazy shit in the kitchen.”
Ramsay was still in his speed dial if he ever needed a new gig. He never took the offer though. “I still wanna do that food truck thing. Rhiannon said I’d sell out at her gym. Maybe I could come to the marina. Who knows.” That seemed like a far away dream though.
Mikey laughed a little. “I remember thinkin’ when you told me about the Ramsey thing, ‘oh, God, he’s gonna get so bored, bein’ stuck here with me.’” He kissed Ronnie lightly. “Thought you were gonna jet yourself off to Paris or somethin’, because damn, baby, you could, you know you could.” He grinned fondly at Ronnie. “Damn, I’m lucky you didn’t.”
He kissed Ronnie again. “Let’s go truck shoppin’ soon as we get back,” he added. “Give us something to do, get it in good shape.”
Ronnie laughed. “Yeah, he’s a character but he’s a good dude. Real nice.” At least he’d been nice enough when Ronnie’s mama was dying. Then he smiled. “I don’t wanna go anywhere unless you’re there with me. I’m the lucky one, trust me.” He didn’t want to go anywhere in the world. His life was here, his love was here. Anywhere else seemed empty.
“Yeah?” He brightened a bit. He had his eye on one, he and Tal went to look at it, but that was a long time ago. There had been a long while between then and now and he doubted that same truck was available. But picking one with Mikey seemed better. “Okay, I’d like that.”
Mikey was picturing hours in the truck driving around to various places and kicking tires, imagining what it could look like with a fresh paint job. “We can get it fixed up real nice,” he replied. “Get you a reputation. Best food truck in Nevada. What do you think you’ll call it?” He asked. “Somethin’ snappy, I bet.”
He laughed a little. “I get to taste-test the entire menu, yeah?” He added. “Multiple times. For quality control.”
“I kind of wanted to name it after Mama,” he replied, looking at Mikey. “You know. Something down home. Like Rose’s.” She had always been so welcoming. He wanted to bring that into his food and leave people with a feeling she always left in him: love.
And then he laughed, too. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. My special sandwiches are gonna be the Mikey and the Rhiannon.” He would run his ideas by Mikey for sure, but also Ro. And he needed another employee. He considered asking Nesryn or Nobu, but he wasn’t sure.
“You know she would’ve loved that,” Mikey replied, kissing Ronnie’s cheek. “And you can have little roses painted everywhere. That’s awesome, dude. Maybe see about gettin’ that one picture of you and her where you’re wearing the cowboy hat and missing your front tooth blown up or somethin’, because that was the cutest thing I think I’ve ever seen.” He grinned. “What’s my sandwich gonna have on it?” He asked, with a slight tease to the corner of his mouth.
“Oh Jesus,” Ronnie laughed. That was a cute picture. “I’ll think about it. Maybe.” And then a bit of a sly look. “A whole ton of meat.”
Ronnie turned to the fire. He carefully turned over the foil packets and timed it in his head. It already smelled good. He hadn’t camped as a kid, they couldn’t afford it. But as he grew and left home he went out on a few adventures. It wasn’t until he met Derek that he really got out to see the world. Or, at least, the stuff around Nevada. The last trip they’d taken was to the Grand Canyon. They were overdue.
Mikey snorted. “Yeah,” he said, “I can dig it.”
He nuzzled Ronnie, the two of them sitting in companionable silence for a few minutes, soaking in the crackle of the fire and the sound of an owl in the distance, the slight rustle of wind through the leaves, the smell of the cooking meat and char of the wood mixing with the green smell of pine.
“S’ nice,” he added, quietly. “Bein’ out here with you. We should come out next time you get a day off.”
Ronnie leaned in closer to Mikey. The silence was so relaxing. “Every day is pretty much a day off,” he laughed. Since he bolted, he hadn’t worked. He didn’t need to, really, but it set him up to be able to work for himself which is truly what he was after. Once this thing with Christopher stopped he would feel safe enough to get out and start putting the dream he had back together.
“So we can come back anytime.” He turned to look over at Mikey, admiring the man in the glow of the fire. How’d he get so lucky?
Mikey hummed. The sooner Ronnie got back to his daily routine the better -- he didn’t care for the endless stretches Ronnie spent in bed. It just wasn’t good for him.
“Next time I got a day off, then,” he replied.
He grinned as he felt Ronnie shiver a little, wrapping his arm tighter. “Hey,” he purred, “you wanna curl up with a cougar tonight? Keep you all warm.”
Ronnie smiled at the idea of curling up with the cougar. While he preferred Mikey over anything, he loved the soft fur and the little sounds. Plus the animal was warm. “Yeah, that sounds awesome.” Tucking himself more into his love, Ronnie began to instantly feel safer, warmer.
“Get some food in you first, babe. Then I can clean up around here and get ready for bed if you wanna run for a bit or something.”
Carefully, he pulled the little foil packets of dinner from the fire and set them aside so they could cool. Inside was a good amount of meat - sausage and some leftover brisket, with a few root veggies for heartiness.
Mikey made a happy sound as he began to tear away at the meat. “You’re a genius,” he said, grinning, through a mouthful of food. “You’re awesome.”