Campfire story

Disclaimer: This story is more or less a follow-up to a previous story I wrote, Christmas at the Hakamichis. More specifically, the Akira chapters/ending.
If you have read it and would like a reminder (or if you want a bit of context for that story):
Akira chapter (build up): https://pastebin.com/tyfmFydA
Akira ending (lewd): https://pastebin.com/cc9bH2zL
Anyway, cliffnotes from these chapters: You celebrated Christmas with Akira (among others), she gave you a shirt, and later on, you fucked. And now for the follow up!

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                                                               Campfire story




Not a sound is heard, other than Akira's talking; Everyone is waiting, anxiously, to see how her story would end. I'm somewhat curious as well, but try my best not to let it show.

Akira: 'The worst part is, they never found who did it, nor the axe he used to do it... The only thing they ever found when they woke up, was the head of their guide, slowly cooking on the fire, ten feet away from their tent.'

No one says anything for a short while after she stopped talking, afraid to break the silence. Eventually, Misha frowns in disapproval, and opens her mouth;

Misha: 'Akira! That's not a very nice story!'
Akira: 'Well duh! We're telling horror stories, dummy! Not fairytales!'
Misha: 'Oh. Right, right!'

She picks up her smile right away, but when a log cracks in the fire, she can't avoid letting out a scream, along with a few of the other girls. Even Shizune -usually calm and logical- seems troubled, despite only getting the story though Misha's signs. Hanako seems to be the most affected, while Lilly's face doesn't show anything. Either she's good at hiding her reaction, or perhaps she doesn't have any; As Akira's sister, she might have heard that story before, around the same campfire; The camping area is owned by their family, so they likely came here often in their youth.

Emi looks like she wasn't even paying attention to the story, focused on the marshmallow she's roasting on the fire, for Rin and herself. As for Rin, she's staring intensely at the marshmallow, and I wonder if she's picturing a head slowly being roasted; With Rin, you never know. Lilly eventually stands up and speaks to the group.

Lilly: 'Shall we try and get some sleep? I'm sure we will have pleasant dreams, after this lovely story.'

Well, the sarcasm made it clear, the story did affect her; She simply didn't let it show at first.
Akira looked in her direction, obviously not in agreement.

Akira: 'Aww, so soon? Don't you guys want to know what happened when he showed up again, while another group was camping? We could crack open a few more beers, and I'll tell you about it, and what he did to-'
Lilly: 'We have a long walk tomorrow, Akira. We should get some rest.'

Lilly did seem a bit tired, and she's right about the need to be well rested for the day to come, but it's so unlike her to interrupt someone talking like that... Made me think she wanted to avoid Akira going into more gruesome details, and fill everyone's head with more nightmare material.

Akira: 'Boooooh! Fine, fine, you can go. I'll have a few beers by myself anyway, unless someone wants to keep me company? '

I don't know whether it's just my imagination, but I think she looked in my direction as she said that, before quickly looking away, at nothing in particular. I debate the invitation in my mind for a moment, but when a large mosquito lands on my arm, it makes the debate go in favor of the comfort of my tent, versus beers and bugs.

Hisao: 'I'll pass. Going to sleep, before these bugs eat me alive.'
Akira: 'Boo you too! Anyone else?'

When it becomes clear that everyone's going to sleep, we start cleaning up the area, to prepare for the night. Akira chugs her beer in one big gulp, then helps the group. When we're done, I walk to my tent and close the door behind me, making sure the zipper is shutting it down as tight as possible, to avoid any bugs coming in during the night.

I read a couple chapters of the book I brought with me, with the help of my flashlight, then I put it back in my bag, and pick the small tube of toothpaste I brought with me, and brush my teeth. "Should've done that outside"... I ponder opening the door to spit it out, but laziness triumphs, and I swallow it all.

I shut the flashlight and go into my bed, but before I fall asleep, I see a strong light on the walls of my tent, and a moment later, the zipper of my tent is being pulled up. "Well, time to get axe-murdered", I think to myself, but I recognize Akira, despite the blinding light she's aiming right at my face.

Hisao: '...Akira?'

She pretends to be startled for a second, but -alcohol helping- she's not acting very convincingly;

Akira: 'Oh! Hisao? I think I got the wrong tent, hah!'

She says that, but doesn't seem intent on leaving my tent; She even inches forward slowly, perhaps thinking herself subtle. I'm not too sure what to say, if anything; This is awkward. When she trips on a bag I left on the floor - and barely stops herself from falling - I use this opportunity to ask a question.

Hisao: 'You alright? You sure you didn't have one too many out there?'

She looks at me with accusing eyes;

Akira: 'Didn't have a choice, no one else wanted to drink with me!'
Hisao: 'And of course, not drinking all the beer tonight was never an option, right?'
Akira: 'Of course not!'

She's pretending to be annoyed, but the wide smile on her face betrays her; It's just banter. She seems to ponder her words, that or she's trying to come up with a plan... But it seems to have failed, as a few seconds later, she speaks up, and steps back outside the tent;

Akira: 'Well, going back to my tent! Good niiiiiight!'

She stretches the last word for what feels like a minute, looking me straight in the eyes, and then leaves, closing the zipper. "Was she trying to tell me something, or was she just super drunk..."
I wonder if I should've said something, but what? Invite her into my tent? Should I do something now, follow her to her tent? I feel like a dense anime protagonist, unable to read the signals or to act on them. But perhaps I'm just imagining signals...
Ah, screw it. Back to sleep.

I close my eyes again, listening to the ambient sounds. Sounds you never heard in the city. Crickets chirping, trying to attract females... A nearby river, flowing slowly... The zipper of my tent being pulled again;

No flashlight this time, and it's too dark for me to see who that shape is, though I have a pretty good idea; Well, it's either her or an axe murderer. Don't think anyone else would have any reason to come in.

Hisao: 'Akira?'

She walks inside, and closes the door behind her, zipping it tight, then turns around to face me, and seems to ponder her words again. Eventually, she speaks up;

Akira: 'You know what? I think there's some rotten food in my tent. It stinks real bad in there. Tough to sleep.'
Hisao: 'Oh. You need help to take it out?'

This time it's not me being dense... I'm just fucking with her; See what she'll come up with.

Akira: 'Ahhhhhhhh I think the stink will stay even if we take it out, right? Plus, you know, it might attract something...'
Hisao: 'Something?'

She seems quite flustered, and I know why, but there's more than that; She seems scared.

Akira: 'Well you know! Lots of scary things in the forest! Bears, wolves...'
Hisao: '...Axe murderers?'
Akira: 'Shut up!'

I was just throwing a guess there, but her reaction tells me I'm at least not entirely wrong;

Hisao: 'Are you serious? It's your own story, you know it's just made up! How did you manage to scare yourself with your own damn story?'
Akira: 'I'm NOT scared!'

She stumbles again, catching her footing at the last second to avoid falling on her ass. She's obviously well past her limits, which I know to be quite high. I decide to play with her some more.

Hisao: 'Well, if you're not scared, then I suppose you only came in here for-'
Akira: 'If I wanted to suck your dick, it'd be in my mouth already, silly!'

I was about to say 'For the pleasure of my company', but Akira skips a few steps ahead. She may well be drunk, but her mind is still sharp. She seems to realize what she said, and while she's not one to be embarrassed by such things, she still tries to move to another topic;

Akira: 'Anyway, it's safer with two of us in the tent, right?'

Before I can even reply, she goes on, apparently willing to dig her hole a bit deeper;

Akira: 'Besides, even if there's a fake story about a murderer, doesn't mean there's no ACTUAL murderer, you know?'

I stifle a laugh.

Hisao: 'Sound logic. Can't argue against that.'

Despite her inebriation, she seems to realize I'm not actually serious, and pouts.

Akira: 'Anyway, I might be scared of sleeping alone, but it looks like you're scared of sleeping in a tent with a girl!'

Well, that was out of the blue. She's so desperately trying to turn the situation against me, I can't help but smile at the poor attempt.

Hisao: 'Who says I'm scared? Here, I'll set up a bed for you.'

I move to place a pillow on the other side, when Akira grabs my arm to stop me;

Akira: 'What are you doing?'
Hisao: 'Huh, making a bed for you?'
Akira: 'We don't need thaaaaaat...'

I realize what she means, but she seems embarrassed by the situation, so like a gentleman, of course... I decide to fuck with her some more.

Hisao: 'What do you mean, we don't need that? Where are you gonna sleep?'

This time, and despite her drunkenness, she realizes what I'm doing, and goes on the offensive;

Akira: 'Hey, just because I won't suck your dick tonight, doesn't mean we can't cuddle.'
Hisao: 'You won't do it tonight? How about tomorrow?'

I still expected to see her a bit flustered, but apparently, she's way past that, having found a new confidence. She gives me a sweet smile, too innocent for this conversation, in truth;

Akira: 'Who knows? See if you play your cards right!'

I ponder a new angle to mess with her some more, but when I come up empty, I bring the pillow back to my bed - little more than a sleeping bag - and take my shirt off; It's only now, looking at the logo in front, that I remember it's the shirt Akira gave me last Christmas. I wonder if she thought I only have it on to show I'm still "using her gift"... But really, it's just warm and comfortable. Ah well, no use thinking about it. She might not even remember she gave it to me.
I'm about to get into the bed when she stops me;

Akira: 'Wait! Pants off too! And the socks! You're my heat source tonight, I want to be against your skin, not denim and cotton or whatever.'
Hisao: 'Ah, right. How could I forget, that your feet are even colder than your heart.'
Akira: 'You know me! Now, less talking, more undressing! I'm super tired.'

I decide not to point out that I would've been asleep thirty minutes ago if she didn't come into my tent. Instead, I simply undress, then get to bed. I position myself to watch her undress, and as expected, she gives me a little show, moving around seductively as she takes her shirt off. I'm not even surprised that she's not wearing a bra underneath... Or perhaps she took it off in her tent before coming in mine. Her pants follow, revealing the tight, white boyshorts she's wearing.

What does surprise me, is that rather than coming to bed with me, she takes my shirt and put it on;

Hisao: 'Huh, I thought we were supposed to go naked, not just take your shirt off to replace it with mine?'
Akira: 'Naked, are you crazy? The nights are cold out there, would take some kind of idiot to sleep in the nude!'

The way she grins, it's rather obvious she's expecting me to say something about how she got me to sleep in the nude. Well, almost in the nude. When I don't reply - to avoid giving her the satisfaction - she goes on;

Akira: 'Besides, I'm the one who gave you that shirt. So it's kinda mine too!'

Ah, she does remember! I ponder telling her that's not exactly how gifts work, but I probably shouldn't. When she realizes I'm not gonna say anything, she moves forward, to climb into bed with me... But I bar the way with my arm before she can come in.

Hisao: 'Sorry Akira, this bed is a no-shirt zone. My tent, my rules.'

She pouts, quite exaggeratedly, then seems to debate options in her mind; Argue against this? Obey, which would concede me the victory? Try to rush and fight her way inside the bed? Eventually, she goes for the laziest option, likely too tired for anything else. She takes off the shirt.

Akira: 'Fine, but when we leave this place, you have to let me keep that shirt. I touched it, now it's mine.'
Hisao: 'Hey, you can't just take your gifts back! Besides, I like that shirt!'
Akira: 'Not my prooooooblem. My camping grounds, my rules.'

Oh, right. I suppose I set the precedent, with my "tent rules". I take a mental note to be wary about going camping on Satou's grounds in the future. It only cost me a shirt, I suppose I got off lightly. Before I can think of a good comeback, she continues;

Akira: 'You know, given we both like it so much, you should come to my place someday... We'll share the shirt.'
Hisao: 'How very generous of you.'

I try to sound unaffected, but I can feel myself blushing; It's the second time Akira invites me, though the first one was a year ago. But that time, she did mention 'after graduation'.
Which means, now. I can see the gears turning in her mind, and she likely knows what I'm thinking about. When she moves to another topic, it pretty much confirms it;

Akira: 'Well, now that you forced me to strip, you're gonna have to hold me tight all night long. Think you can do that?'
Hisao: 'I should be up to the task.'

I lay on my back, right arm extended, waiting for her to come cuddle herself next to me; I still remember how she likes to sleep with a guy, after all...
But to my surprise, she lays next to me on the side, then pulls me close, making me spoon her.

Hisao: 'I thought you preferred the guy laying on his back?'

She smiles timidly.

Akira: 'That was before. That was... Different.'
Hisao: 'What's different now?'

She takes my arm and passes it around her, to hold it against her chest, and gives my hand a light kiss, before letting it rest against her shoulder.
Part of me feels like kissing her on the lips, but she seems so comfortable, I don't want to force her to move... So I settle for a kiss on the back of her neck.
When she feels it, I see another shy smile form on her lips, though she tries to hide it by turning her face more into the pillow. The way she inches toward me, trying to get even closer, tells me she liked that kiss.

I would've liked an answer to my question, but she seems content to let the mystery remain, and I know she's not gonna say anything.
I give her one last goodnight kiss, before wishing her the good night that comes with it.

Akira: 'Gooooooood night.'

The way she stretches her words, at first I thought she was just a little drunk, but her speech isn't slurred or anything, which makes me think she's simply being playful, childish. She's always been young at heart, that's for sure.

She relaxes quickly, and I thought she would fall asleep long before me, but with the place now being silent, and neither of us moving, I can feel the heartbeats against me, and while Akira seems at peace and tries to keep up appearances, of that carefree girl who takes everything lightly, her heart betrayed her, just a little bit; Not enough to let me know what it was for sure, but just enough to know there was something.

It isn't the first time Akira and I hang out together, we see each other all the time... and it isn't even the first time we slept together - we even had sex, the first time it happened - but there seems to be something way different now;

I never knew, and she never told me... But that night, Akira was scared, like she has rarely ever been. Not scared of bears, wolves, and certainly not scared of axe murderers...
She was scared of her feelings, and the thought of confessing them to me.

The end.