Chapter Text 章节正文
Breakfast, like everything else with the group of bandits, is a loud affair, Nora and Alex trading barbs as they toss bread rolls at each other, Alex sweeping his leg out to kick her hands away from him. Henry watches them carefully, eyes darting back and forth as he tries to discern their relationship - he fails.
诺拉和亚历克斯一边互相扔着面包卷，一边互相攻击，亚历克斯则伸出腿把诺拉的手踢开。亨利仔细观察着他们，眼睛来回瞟着，试图分辨出他们之间的关系--他失败了。
He sticks close to Pez, their shoulders brushing and he relishes the moments where the other man leans in, offering context on the conversations happening around them. He finds himself learning more about the bandits he’s surrounding himself with, and strangely enough he wants to find out more.
他紧紧靠着佩兹，两人的肩膀擦肩而过，他很享受对方靠过来的那一刻，为他们周围发生的对话提供背景信息。他发现自己对周围的强盗有了更多的了解，奇怪的是，他还想了解更多。
“This is because June hit Alex with her horse once in an attempt to impress Nora.”
"这是因为茱恩有一次为了讨好诺拉 用马撞了艾丽克丝"
“No, that’s just because Alex and I got into a duel.”
"不，那是因为亚历克斯和我决斗了"
“Yes, or the time June and Nora got into a contest with a barkeep. They won, of course.”
"是的，还有琼和诺拉和酒吧老板比赛的时候。当然是她们赢了"
As Henry nods, his eyes flit over to June - Bug , as Alex affectionately calls her - to find her already looking at him, eyes curious. Though she’s been spotted, she doesn’t avert her gaze, a small smile twitching on her lips. He returns the smile before looking back down at his hands, counting a few beats in his mind before allowing himself to look at Alex, who has settled down across from him, no longer sparring with Nora.
亨利点点头，目光转向琼（亚历克斯亲切地称呼她 "虫虫"），发现她已经在看着他，眼神充满好奇。虽然被发现了，但她并没有转移视线，嘴角微微一笑。他也报以微笑，然后低头看着自己的双手，在心里默数了几下节拍，然后让自己看向亚历克斯，后者已经在他对面坐下，不再与诺拉争吵。
Judging by the smirk on her face, she has won this battle.
从她脸上的冷笑来看，她已经赢得了这场战斗。
He can’t help the twinge in his gut as he glances amongst Alex and the women, unable to figure out just how deep their bond travels. It’s none of his business, but his mind enjoys having a life of its own, and he is helpless to stop it.
当他瞥向亚历克斯和女人们时，他的内心不由得一阵绞痛，他不知道他们之间的感情到底有多深。这不关他的事，但他的思想却乐此不疲，而他却无力阻止。
June and Nora are sitting very close, shoulders pressed together and leaning tightly into each other’s space. June’s head is ducked low as she murmurs something inaudible that makes Nora chuckle in response.
琼和诺拉坐得很近，肩膀紧紧地贴在一起，紧紧地靠在彼此的空间里。琼低着头，嘴里喃喃地说着一些听不清的话，诺拉也跟着笑了起来。
“So,” He says quietly as he swallows his last piece of bread, stomach happily sated, “what is the next course of action?”
"那么，"他一边咽下最后一块面包，一边低声说，"下一步该怎么办？"
It’s funny to think that twenty four hours prior he was sitting around a breakfast table, Phillip and his grandmother across from him, the picture of civility. He snorts out a laugh as Alex chokes on a piece of bread, hacking loudly until he can swallow it. He finds that he quite enjoys the contrast. Alex sucks his fingers into his mouth and Henry immediately looks away from him, but the image remains in the forefront of his mind.
想想二十四小时前，他还坐在早餐桌旁，菲利普和他的祖母就在他对面，那情景真是有趣极了。当亚历克斯被一块面包噎住时，他 "噗嗤 "一声笑了出来，大声嚼着面包，直到咽下去为止。他发现自己非常喜欢这种反差。亚历克斯把手指吮进嘴里，亨利立刻把目光从他身上移开，但脑海里仍然浮现出那个画面。
One thing he has unfortunately noticed is the size of Alex’s hands, one of them easily bigger than Henry’s own face, fingers thick, long and tanned, as they had been in his dream last night. He prays that Alex just assumes his natural colour is the bright shade of red his face has constantly become in his presence.
遗憾的是，他注意到亚历克斯的手很大，其中一只手很容易就比亨利自己的脸还大，手指又粗又长，皮肤黝黑，就像昨晚梦中那样。他祈祷亚历克斯只是认为他的本色就是他的脸在他面前不断变得鲜红的颜色。
“We need to stock up on supplies,” Pez says idly, taking a swig from a canister before passing it to Henry, who eagerly takes it, “the nearest town is a four days' ride from here.”
"我们需要储备一些补给品，"佩兹闲闲地说着，从一个罐子里喝了一口，然后把罐子递给亨利，亨利迫不及待地接过罐子，"最近的城镇离这里有四天的路程。"
The heat is sweltering, beating down on them and the water cools his throat instantly, leaving him desperate for more. He wishes he was dressed more appropriately from the heat, rather than the outfit he had gone to court Jessica Hampton in. White button up that is now completely marred with dirt and cotton pants, paired with a pair of shoes that were once white.
天气闷热，热浪扑面而来，水瞬间凉透了他的喉咙，让他欲罢不能。他希望自己能穿得更得体一些，而不是像杰西卡-汉普顿出庭时那样。白色纽扣上衣，现在已经完全被灰尘和棉裤弄脏了，配上一双曾经是白色的鞋子。
“And then?” "然后呢？"
“Few more days to the big city.” Nora says sarcastically, “Shit hole if you ask me. Some good saloons though.”
"再过几天就到大城市了"诺拉讽刺地说："要我说，就是个破地方。不过还是有些不错的沙龙。"
Henry nods, tapping his fingers against his thighs as he tries not to think about what will come. He decides to do the one thing he has never been able to in his entire life.
亨利点点头，手指轻轻敲打着大腿，努力不去想即将发生的事情。他决定做一件他这辈子都做不到的事。
Live in the moment.
活在当下
“We did promise to show you a fun time.” Alex drawls, tone sending a shiver down his spine that he does his best to suppress, “And I aim to deliver.”
"我们答应过要让你玩得开心"。艾利克斯低声说着，语气让他的脊背一颤，他竭力压制住自己的情绪，"我的目标是兑现诺言。"
He knows it’s best for his wavering sanity to not comment on it, Alex’s smirk says enough. Sadly, it isn’t the type of fun he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about, that he lay awake until the sun rose and Alex’s lips smacked together as he stirred from sleep.
他知道，为了自己摇摆不定的理智，最好不要对此发表评论，亚历克斯的傻笑已经说明了一切。遗憾的是，这并不是他一直念念不忘的那种乐趣，直到太阳升起，亚历克斯的嘴唇咂在一起时，他才从睡梦中惊醒。
He had looked surprised to see Henry sitting up, either that or shock to see he hadn’t bolted in the night, he wasn’t certain.
看到亨利坐了起来，他显得很惊讶，要么是看到他没有在夜里逃跑而感到震惊，他自己也不确定。
“You’re riding with me..” Alex claps Henry’s shoulder, the motion jolting his body from head to toe, “It’s gonna be a long day. You up for it?”
"你要和我一起骑马......"亚历克斯拍了拍亨利的肩膀，这个动作让他的身体从头抖到脚，"这将是漫长的一天。你准备好了吗？"
“Of course.” Henry says quickly, eyes focused on Alex, the glint in his eyes and the smirk on his lips, teasing him, “I’m ready for anything.”
"当然。"亨利爽快地说，眼睛紧盯着亚历克斯，眼中闪烁着光芒，嘴角挂着笑意，逗他说："我已经做好了一切准备。"
He internally flinches at how desperate the words come out, how pathetic he probably sounds. To Alex’s credit, his smile doesn’t waver and he climbs to his feet, holding out a hand for Henry to take. A motion that once again makes Henry focus on those hands. He prays his palms aren’t sweating as he reaches up, slotting their hands together and allowing Alex to fluidly yank him to his feet in a singular motion.
他听着这些话，内心不禁感到绝望，自己听起来可能是多么可怜。值得称赞的是，亚历克斯的笑容没有丝毫动摇，他站了起来，伸出一只手让亨利握住。这个动作再次让亨利把注意力集中在那双手上。他一边祈祷自己的手心没有出汗，一边伸出手，把他们的手握在一起，让亚历克斯流畅地把他拽到自己的脚下。
David seems to have settled in nicely, bundled between the other two horses, whinnying happily. Henry reaches up and strokes his mane, smiling as the horse nuzzles into his hand, huffing out a loud breath.
戴维似乎安顿得很好，被捆在另外两匹马中间，欢快地呜呜叫着。亨利伸手抚摸着它的鬃毛，微笑着看着马儿偎依在他的手上，呼呼地喘着粗气。
“Are you ready for that adventure?”
"你准备好冒险了吗？"
David’s tail swoops in response.
大卫的尾巴摆动着回应。
Alex hikes himself up on the horse, smiling down at Henry and tilting his chin up to gesture he joins him. Henry flattens his hand on the flank of the horse and boosts himself up, swinging his leg over and settling himself comfortably.
亚历克斯爬上马背，微笑着看着亨利，抬起下巴示意他加入自己的行列。亨利将手放在马的侧腹上，把自己提起来，摆动腿部，让自己舒服地坐下。
“Hold on tight, princess.” Alex flicks the rim of his own hat before settling on David, stroking his head and putting his hand out for him to sniff.
"抓紧了，公主"亚历克斯轻弹了一下自己帽子的边缘，然后把目光落在戴维身上，抚摸着他的头，伸出手让他闻闻。
“Normally David doesn’t do so well with strangers.” Henry murmurs, mostly to himself but Alex seems to pick up on it.
"戴维通常不善于和陌生人打交道"亨利喃喃自语，但亚历克斯似乎听出来了。
“I’m not a stranger,” Henry can hear the grin in his voice, see it in his side profile, “I’m Alex .”
"我不是陌生人，"亨利能从他的声音中听到他的笑容，从他的侧面轮廓中看到他的笑容，"我是亚历克斯."
Henry’s responding snort dissolves into a squeal as Alex kicks off, David starting to run into the distance. This time, Henry allows himself to wind his arms around Alex’s waist, pulling himself close as Alex seems to send the horse impossibly faster, like he has something to prove. It doesn’t mean anything, he thinks as he buries his face in the back of Alex’s neck, it’s simply a means of transport. He continues to try and convince himself of this as he inhales deeply, the smell of warmth and firewood, deeply masculine in a way that makes his fingers clench tighter in Alex’s shirt.
亨利的呼噜声变成了一声尖叫，亚历克斯一脚踢开，戴维开始向远处跑去。这一次，亨利用双手搂住亚历克斯的腰，把自己拉近，亚历克斯似乎把马跑得更快了，好像要证明什么似的。他把脸埋在亚历克斯的后颈上，心想这并不意味着什么，这只是一种交通工具而已。他一边深吸一口气，一边继续试图说服自己，温暖和木柴的味道，深深的阳刚之气让他的手指在亚历克斯的衬衫里攥得更紧了。
Once Alex’s pace has stabilised, Henry manages to pull his face back and actually look around at where they are. They’re in the midst of a vast canyon, land stretching further than Henry can even see. Bright green trees are visible in the distance, hidden amongst spiralling mountains being blazed upon by the sun sweltering down. His hands remain pressed against Alex’s stomach, grounding himself, but his upper body is pulled back, hot winds whipping against his face as it’s exposed to the elements.
当亚历克斯的步伐稳定下来后，亨利才勉强回过神来，环顾四周。他们正身处一个巨大的峡谷之中，这片土地延伸得比亨利能看到的还要远。远处可见翠绿的树木，掩映在盘旋的群山之中，烈日当头。他的双手仍然紧贴着亚历克斯的腹部，让自己脚踏实地，但他的上半身却被拉了回来，热风吹拂着他暴露在大自然中的脸庞。
Despite himself, despite everything , he can feel the laughter bubbling up in his throat. For once, he doesn’t hold it back, doesn’t try to hold himself to some bizarre demure standards set out for him. He leans his head back and he laughs loudly, giddily and listens as it echoes across the canyon.
他不顾自己，不顾一切，喉咙里发出了笑声。这一次，他没有忍住，也没有试图让自己达到某种怪异的端庄标准。他仰头大笑，笑声响彻峡谷。
“Having fun, princess?” Alex’s voice is almost lost in the wind but he can hear him with perfect clarity, warming him to his bones.
"玩得开心吗，公主？"艾利克斯的声音几乎消失在风中，但他听得非常清楚，让他温暖入骨。
Princess . The nickname only serves to bring him back to the previous night, back to his dream where that name was whispered with reverence, moaned into his ear like he just couldn’t get enough. The tone remains the same, light and teasing and it has Henry shifting slightly atop the horse to keep his lower body away from the other man’s.
公主。这个昵称把他带回了前一晚，带回了他的梦中，在梦中，这个名字被人恭敬地低语着，在他耳边呻吟着，好像他怎么也听不够。语调依旧，轻柔而挑逗，这让亨利在马背上微微晃动，让自己的下半身远离对方的身体。
“I am, actually.” He responds, cheeks hurting from the wide smile on his face mixed with the wind practically slapping him from their speed, “I see why you do this.”
"事实上，我是的。"他回应道，脸上灿烂的笑容让他的脸颊生疼，风几乎要把他从他们的速度中拍飞了，"我知道你为什么这么做了。"
“Glad you see it my way.” Alex leans forward, spurring David faster, “Watch this!”
"很高兴你这么想"亚历克斯向前倾，刺激戴维加快速度："看好了！"
Henry practically squeals, his arms flailing for a moment before clenching tighter around Alex’s waist, leaning forward with him. David weaves through the canyon as though it’s second nature to him, leaping over every rock in their path.
亨利几乎要尖叫起来，他的双臂挣扎了一会儿，然后紧紧地抱住亚历克斯的腰，和他一起向前倾。戴维在峡谷中穿梭，仿佛这是他的第二天性，他飞跃过他们前进道路上的每一块岩石。
“You’re crazy!” Henry laughs.
"你疯了！"亨利大笑起来。
Alex only whoops in response, pulling himself slightly off of the horse so he’s crouching rather than fully sat, fingers tangled in David’s mane. Henry can only catch the barest hint of his side profile from the turn of his head, jaw sharp and defined, skin glimmering in sweat from the summer sun and curls spilling out of his hat, tumbling across his face. Henry wants to bite down on that jaw and pull the tendrils of curls between his fingers. His own fingers twitch against Alex’s defined stomach.
亚历克斯只是 "呜呜 "地叫了几声，然后把自己从马背上拉了下来，让自己蹲着，而不是完全坐着，手指缠在大卫的鬃毛上。亨利只能从他转过来的头部捕捉到一丝他侧面的轮廓，下巴锋利而清晰，皮肤在夏日阳光的照射下闪烁着汗水的光泽，卷发从帽子中溢出，在脸上翻滚。亨利想咬住他的下巴，用手指拉住他的卷发。他自己的手指也在艾利克斯线条分明的腹部上抽动。
Much too soon for his liking, the sun is setting across the canyon, blanketing them in darkness until even Alex can’t go any further, squinting into the horizon.
太阳很快就落到了峡谷的另一头，黑暗笼罩着他们，就连亚历克斯也走不动了，只能眯着眼睛望着地平线。
“We need to stop for the night,” He says before whistling to the rest of the gang, who are trailing behind, “Set up camp!”
"我们得停下来过夜了，"他说，然后对跟在后面的其他人吹了声口哨，"扎营吧！"
“Yessir!” Nora calls sarcastically and as Henry turns his head he sees her salute him with one hand that switches into a middle finger as she pulls her horse to a stop, June’s chin tucked into her shoulder.
"是的！"诺拉讽刺地叫了一声，亨利转过头去，就看到她一边拉马停下来，一边用一只手竖起中指向他致敬，琼的下巴缩在她的肩膀里。
Alex pulls David to a gentle stop, rubbing his mane before turning to Henry with a raised eyebrow, “You can let go now, you know.”
亚历克斯拉着戴维轻轻停了下来，揉了揉他的鬃毛，然后挑着眉毛转向亨利："你现在可以放手了，你知道的。"
“Oh!” Henry squeaks, hands flying back to his own sides, “Sorry.”
"哦！"亨利尖叫一声，双手飞回自己身边，"对不起。"
Alex shoots him a wink, “Don’t be.”
亚历克斯向他抛了个媚眼，"别这样"。
It takes an additional thirty seconds after Alex lands on his feet for Henry to move from the horse.
亚历克斯站起来后又过了三十秒，亨利才从马上下来。
“Oh boy,” Henry says with a sigh as he jumps down, petting David’s nose, “I am so screwed.”
"哦，孩子，"亨利叹了口气说，他跳下来，抚摸着戴维的鼻子，"我完蛋了。"
That night, June is barely conscious as they set up the tents, slumped against the legs of her horse, eyes firmly closed.
那天晚上，当他们搭起帐篷时，琼几乎没有了知觉，她斜靠在马腿上，紧闭着双眼。
“Straight to bed tonight?” Alex says, crouching beside her and waving some food under her nose as if that will stir her, “You should eat, Bug.”
"今晚直接上床睡觉？"亚历克斯说，蹲在她身边，在她鼻子下挥舞着一些食物，好像这样就能激起她的兴趣，"你应该吃点东西，虫虫。"
“I ate as we rode.” June murmurs, eyes still firmly shut, “Sleepy.”
"我边吃边骑"茱恩喃喃自语，仍然紧闭双眼，"困了"
Alex chuckles, running a hand down her face and pinching her chin between two fingers before leaving her be, moving to help Pez set up his tent. Henry finds himself with Nora, building a fire that likely would end up unused.
亚历克斯笑了笑，用手摸了摸她的脸，用两根手指捏了捏她的下巴，然后就不管她了，自己去帮佩兹搭帐篷。亨利发现自己正和诺拉一起生火，而这堆火最终很可能会被闲置。
“So,” Nora starts, something in her tone that warns Henry he is not going to enjoy this conversation, “how’s sharing with Alex?”
"那么，"诺拉开了口，语气中有些警告亨利，他不会喜欢这样的谈话，"和亚历克斯分享怎么样？"
“Fine.” If Nora notices the strain in his voice, she’s polite enough to pretend not to notice, “He’s nice.”
"很好"如果诺拉注意到他声音里的紧张，她会礼貌地假装没注意到："他很好。"
She snorts, “Haven’t heard someone call Alex nice in a long time. Especially those who are stuck sharing a bed with him.”
她嗤之以鼻："很久没有人说亚历克斯好了。尤其是那些和他同床共枕的人。"
“You share beds with hostages often?”
"你经常和人质同床共枕吗？"
“No.” Something in her eyes twinkle, “You’re the first. Must be special.”
"不"她的眼睛里闪烁着光芒："你是第一个。一定很特别
“Must be.” "一定是"
His mind is a whirlwind as they finally get the fire blazing, the flames instantly warming him. Every thought he has had since the moment he woke has been completely and entirely Alex and he does not want to think about what that could mean. The thoughts of going to sleep beside Alex again terrify him, of the dreams that could come of it. He’s just confused, that’s the only explanation for the thoughts in his mind. This is just a little blip in the road, a bit of confusion, before he goes back home and marries Jessica Hampton.
当他们终于把火生起来，火焰立刻温暖了他的时候，他的脑子里就像刮起了一阵旋风。从他醒来的那一刻起，他的每一个想法都完全是亚历克斯的，他不愿去想这可能意味着什么。一想到又要在亚历克斯身边入睡，他就害怕，害怕可能会做的梦。他只是很困惑，这是他脑中想法的唯一解释。在他回家娶杰西卡-汉普顿之前，这只是一个小插曲，一点困惑。
Perhaps this has all been a bit of an awakening, one he can take home and truly feel passion towards the woman he is set to marry.
也许这一切让他幡然醒悟，他可以把这一切带回家，真正感受到对即将与之结婚的女人的热情。
“I’m gonna take this one to bed.” Nora says, tilting her chin towards June who is now curled up on the ground, snoring gently.
"我要把这只抱到床上去"。诺拉说着，把下巴偏向了琼，后者正蜷缩在地上，发出轻轻的鼾声。
Pez’s face lights up, eyes darting to Henry’s as his lips fall into a smirk, “Yes. I believe I may go to bed too. Long day of riding ahead of us.”
佩兹脸上一亮，眼睛瞟向亨利，嘴角露出一丝冷笑："是的，我想我也该睡觉了。今天的骑行还长着呢。"
“Y’all are boring.” Alex says, plopping himself down in front of the fire, a few feet from where Henry is sitting eating his dinner, “Hen and I are going to burn the midnight oil.”
"你们都很无聊"艾利克斯说着，在离亨利吃晚饭的地方几英尺远的火炉前坐下，"亨利和我要去烧午夜油"。
“I’m sure you will.” Nora says, and Henry watches the nonverbal exchange between the pair of them that has Nora smirking and Alex glaring at her as though she’s done something wrong.
"我相信你会的。"诺拉说，亨利看着他们之间的非语言交流，诺拉在偷笑，而亚历克斯则瞪着她，好像她做错了什么。
And the three of them are gone, June holding bridal style in Nora’s arms as they disappear into their tent, Pez sending Henry a confusing wink as he ducks into his own. For the first time that day, complete silence falls and Henry finds that he hates it, making it easier for his brain to scream at him things he doesn’t fully understand.
他们三人走了，茱恩抱着新娘式的诺拉消失在自己的帐篷里，佩兹在躲进自己的帐篷时向亨利使了个迷惑的眼色。亨利发现自己很讨厌这种安静，因为这是他那天第一次完全安静下来，让他的大脑更容易对他不完全理解的事情大喊大叫。
“How are you finding the bandit life?”
"你觉得土匪生活怎么样？"
One thing that Henry has learned about Alex is the fact that silence is almost non-existent - as though it personally offends him to not be talking at any point in time.
亨利从亚历克斯身上学到的一点是，他几乎不爱说话，好像任何时候不说话都会冒犯他。
“It’s interesting.” Henry says, taking a long swig of water from the canister Pez had given him.
"这很有趣。"亨利说着，从佩兹给他的水罐里喝了一大口水。
It’s silver, engraved with a P, but Pez was more than delighted to give it to him. Alex had joked that the P stood for Princess, which made Henry blush to the roots of his hair.
它是银制的，上面刻着一个 P，但佩兹非常高兴地把它送给了他。亚历克斯开玩笑说 P 代表公主，这让亨利脸红到了发根。
“Interesting, huh?” Alex chuckles, the sound low and smooth over the crackling of the fire. He pulls his hat off and lays it to the side before lying back, hands cradling the back of his neck and turning his head to the side to look at Henry.
"有意思吧？"亚历克斯笑了笑，声音在噼啪作响的炉火中显得低沉而平稳。他把帽子摘下来放在一边，然后躺下来，双手抱着后颈，把头转向一边，看着亨利。
“You aren’t what I expected.” He says softly, the words more vulnerable than he would like, “Uh. All of you, I mean.”
"你和我想象的不一样"他轻声说道，话语中的脆弱超出了他的想象，"呃，我是说你们所有人"。
Alex props himself up on an elbow, grinning, “Really? How so?”
亚历克斯用胳膊肘撑起身子，咧嘴笑道："真的吗？怎么说？"
“The stories my grandmother told of bandits…” Henry took a deep breath, “Murderous monsters that do nothing but steal and pillage. Monsters that took my-” He cuts himself off, lips clamping together as Bea’s face flashes across his mind, “something that was very important to me.”
"我祖母讲的土匪故事......"亨利深吸了一口气："杀人不眨眼的怪物，只会偷窃和掠夺。这些怪物夺走了我的......"他打断了自己的话，当碧的脸在他脑海中闪过时，他的嘴唇紧紧地抿在了一起，"那是对我非常重要的东西。"
Alex’s face falls, “Henry, I-”
亚历克斯脸色一沉："亨利，我......"
“I know, it’s silly. Horror stories at most but…can you blame me?”
"我知道，这很傻。顶多是恐怖故事，但......你能怪我吗？"
“I can’t. I am sorry if we scared you at all.”
"我做不到如果我们吓到你了，我很抱歉。"
Henry’s smile is half hearted, “Couldn’t have scared me that much if I practically begged you to take me for ransom.”
亨利半信半疑地笑道："如果我几乎是求着你带我去赎人，也不可能把我吓成这样。"
Alex barks out a laugh, the sound echoing in the clearing, “Yeah, shock of my fucking life . Never taken a hostage before but…you’ve made it interesting.”
亚历克斯大笑起来，声音在空地上回荡："是啊，真他妈让我大吃一惊。以前从没挟持过人质，但......你让我觉得很有意思。"
“Interesting, huh?” He can’t help but tease.
"有意思吧？"他忍不住调侃道。
“Very,” Alex’s eyes dart across his face, dark irises practically shining in the dim fire light, “I think we are going to have a great time, princess.”
"非常，"亚历克斯的眼睛在他脸上瞟来瞟去，深色的虹膜在昏暗的火光下几乎闪闪发光，"我想我们会玩得很开心的，公主。"
“Me too.” He says and finds that he actually means it. His eyes feel heavy and he can’t fight the yawn he lets out.
"我也是"他说，并发现自己其实是认真的。他感到眼睛沉重，忍不住打了个哈欠。
Alex grins, stretching his arms above his head as he sits up, grabbing his hat and dusting it off, “Bed time?”
亚历克斯咧嘴一笑，坐起来时把胳膊伸到头顶，拿起帽子掸了掸灰尘，"该睡觉了？"
Henry nods helplessly as Alex climbs to his feet and goes towards their tent - his tent. Not theirs. Henry makes a quick stop by the three horses, standing with their heads together down low.
亨利无奈地点点头，亚历克斯站起身来，走向他们的帐篷--他的帐篷。不是他们的。亨利在三匹马旁停了一下，它们低着头站在一起。
“Goodnight buddy.” He whispers before turning and leaving the three of them together.
"晚安，伙计"他低声说道，然后转身离开了他们三个。
Nora and June’s horse is aptly named Spot, while Pez’s is named Babe, which he was very proud to announce when Henry had asked him. Henry ducks into the tent after Alex, letting it shut behind him.
诺拉和琼的马名叫 "斑点"（Spot），而佩兹的马名叫 "贝贝"（Babe），当亨利问他时，他非常自豪地宣布了这个名字。亨利跟着亚历克斯躲进帐篷，让帐篷在他身后关上。
As the flap closes behind them Henry watches as Alex moves in perfectly practised movements, identical to the night before. He lights the lamp, pulls off his shirt and pants before climbing into the bed roll, tossing his hat across the room so that it lands on his pile of clothes.
当门在他们身后关上时，亨利看着亚历克斯以完美的练习动作移动，与前一晚一模一样。他点亮台灯，脱下衬衫和裤子，然后爬上床铺，把帽子扔过房间，让它落在衣服堆上。
Henry finds himself moving slowly, extremely aware of Alex’s eyes on him as he unbuttons his shirt, folding it carefully before adding his pants and shoes to the pile. He finds himself standing in only Pez’s underwear that he had borrowed from the other man, feigning discomfort from wearing the same pair for two days in a row. In reality, he couldn’t stick the thoughts of wearing the pair he had absolutely destroyed from his dream the night before.
亨利发现自己走得很慢，他非常清楚亚历克斯的目光在注视着他，他解开衬衫的扣子，小心翼翼地叠好，然后把裤子和鞋子也放了进去。他发现自己只穿着从佩兹那里借来的内裤，假装因为连续两天穿同一条内裤而感到不适。实际上，他无法忍受穿上前一晚梦中被他彻底毁掉的那条内裤。
He prays tonight is easier as he can’t think of another excuse to steal another pair from Pez.
他祈祷今晚能轻松点，因为他想不出别的借口再从 Pez 那里偷一双了。
“Are you coming to bed?” Henry can’t fight the shudder that runs through his body at the low, sensual timbre of Alex’s voice, calling to him.
"你要上床吗？"听到亚历克斯低沉而性感的声音在呼唤他，亨利忍不住全身颤抖。
Alex looks like the figment from his dream, blanket pooled around his waist, bare chest shimmering in the candlelight. His arms are pulled above his head, cradling his neck as he grins at Henry wolfishly, as though he’s well aware of the effect he has on him. Henry simply nods, walking slowly towards the bed and pulling the blanket up to his chin and turning on his side away from Alex.
亚历克斯看起来就像他梦中的那个人，毯子围在腰间，裸露的胸膛在烛光下闪闪发光。他的双臂举过头顶，搂着自己的脖子，对着亨利露出狼一般的笑容，似乎他很清楚自己对亨利的影响。亨利只是点点头，慢慢走向床边，把毯子拉到下巴处，然后侧过身，远离亚历克斯。
“Hey.” Alex hisses, prodding his shoulder. Henry can’t fight the smile that spreads across his face, willing the blush not to rise. Alex pokes him again when he doesn’t turn, “Henry.”
"嘿"艾利克斯嘶哑着嗓音，拍了拍他的肩膀。亨利无法抗拒脸上绽放的笑容，只得忍住脸红。见他没转过身来，亚历克斯又戳了戳他，"亨利"。
Henry glances over his shoulder to see Alex staring at him curiously, lips pursed into an adorable pout, “Yes?”
亨利瞥了一眼，看到亚历克斯好奇地盯着他，嘴唇嘟成了一个可爱的小嘴，"是吗？"
“Turn around.” "转过身去"
Henry makes a show of huffing, rolling his eyes and turning to lean on his left shoulder, tucking his hands under his face and facing Alex head on. He can’t help the smile that spreads across his lips as they stare at each other.
亨利装模作样地哼了一声，翻了个白眼，转身靠在自己的左肩上，双手掩面，正面对着亚历克斯。当他们互相凝视时，他的嘴角情不自禁地露出了微笑。
“Yes?” "什么事？"
“Hi.” Alex says simply, his smile soft but wide enough to sprout the dimples on his cheeks, “Fancy meeting you here.”
"你好。"艾利克斯简单地说，他的笑容很柔和，但足够宽厚，让脸颊上的酒窝萌发出来，"很高兴在这里见到你。"
“In your bed?” "在你的床上？"
“Mhm.” Alex’s eyes slide shut, the smile still present, “It’s nice.”
"嗯。"艾利克斯闭上了眼睛，笑容依旧："这很好。"
He can’t help but ask, “What is?”
他忍不住问："是什么？"
“You. Here.” His voice is barely a mumble as he drifts to sleep before Henry’s eyes, “Mm Hen.”
"你，给"他的声音喃喃自语，在亨利眼前沉沉睡去，"嗯轩"。
“Alex?” "亚历克斯？"
His only response is a soft snore.
他唯一的反应就是轻轻地打鼾。
–
Thankfully, his sleep is dreamless that night, but come morning he realises reality might be a tad more trying. As he peels his eyes open he finds himself feeling extremely warm, sweaty almost in the heat of the tent. There’s a firm weight across his chest and that damned stirring in his groin once more. When his eyes adjust to the light he finds himself eyelevel with a pair of plush dark lips.
值得庆幸的是，当晚他睡得很香，但到了早上，他意识到现实可能会更残酷一些。当他睁开眼睛时，发现自己感到非常温暖，在帐篷的热浪中几乎汗流浃背。他的胸口有一种沉甸甸的感觉，腹股沟里又开始骚动起来。当他的眼睛适应了光线，他发现自己正与一对毛绒绒的深色嘴唇对视。
“Shit.” He hisses, feeling Alex’s arm tighten around his waist and pull him closer.
"该死"他嘶吼着，感觉亚历克斯的手臂紧紧搂住他的腰，把他拉得更近。
He’s face to face with Alex, eyes still firmly closed and long lashes on display. Their chests are plastered together and Alex’s arms are tightly wound around his waist, fingers twitching by his sides.
他和亚历克斯面对面，眼睛仍然紧闭，长长的睫毛露在外面。他们的胸膛贴在一起，亚历克斯的双臂紧紧环绕着他的腰，手指在他身旁抽动。
He watches as Alex smacks his lips and shifts his body so that it’s pressed more firmly against Henry’s. As much as it’s killing him right now, he can’t help but enjoy the warmth spreading through him at the contact, head to toe. He can’t remember the last time he had been held like this - if ever. It’s only when Alex’s body shifts slightly to the right does Henry freeze entirely.
他看着亚历克斯咂咂嘴，挪动身体，让身体更紧地贴在亨利的身上。虽然他现在很难受，但他还是情不自禁地享受着这种从头到脚的接触所带来的温暖。他已经不记得上一次这样被抱着是什么时候了--如果有的话。直到亚历克斯的身体向右微微移动时，亨利才完全僵住了。
Something warm and stiff is pressed against Henry’s hip and judging by himself the other night, he can hazard a guess at what it is. He needs to move away before Alex wakes up and accuses him of… something . But, even in slumber, Alex’s grip is tight around Henry’s waist and he lets out a low whine as he tries to wriggle out of it. He is well and truly trapped.
亨利的臀部被一个温暖而僵硬的东西顶着，根据那晚的情况，他可以猜测那是什么。他需要在亚历克斯醒来并指责他......什么之前离开。但是，即使在睡梦中，亚历克斯也紧紧地搂着亨利的腰，他发出低沉的呜咽声，试图挣脱。他真的被困住了。
Alex’s leg slots between Henry’s and electricity zips up his spine, making him squirm. It feels good… too good and he needs to get out of Alex’s arms, even if it means throwing him off of him. Every movement Alex makes sends the sparks skyrocketing and the panic to make it stop increases, along with the underlying thoughts of what it would mean if he were awake. Sliding his hands up Alex’s chest, he pushes as hard as he can, but the other man does not budge.
亚历克斯的腿夹住了亨利的腿，电流划过他的脊柱，让他扭动起来。这感觉很好......太好了，他需要从亚历克斯的怀抱中挣脱出来，即使这意味着要把他从自己身上扔出去。艾利克斯的每一个动作都会让火花蹿升，让火花停止的恐慌也随之增加，同时他还在想，如果他醒着，这将意味着什么。他的双手滑上亚历克斯的胸膛，拼命用力，但对方纹丝不动。
“Light sleeper, I’m sure.” Henry mutters, deciding to try another tactic.
"轻度睡眠者，我敢肯定。"亨利喃喃自语，决定尝试另一种策略。
He lowers his head beneath the loop of Alex’s arms and pushes his body outward, using his hands on Alex’s chest to brace himself. It works, but with the downside of propelling his own body straight off the bedroll and halfway across the tent, groaning from the impact. He freezes as Alex’s face drops, his arms reaching across the roll and frowning as he doesn’t find whatever he’s looking for.
他把头低到亚历克斯手臂的环下，身体向外推，用双手撑住亚历克斯的胸膛来支撑自己。这招很管用，但缺点是会把他自己的身体直接推离床铺，横跨半个帐篷，并因撞击而发出呻吟。当亚历克斯的脸垂下来时，他僵住了，他的手臂伸过床铺，皱着眉头，因为他没有找到他要找的东西。
With a sigh, Henry grabs his pillow and slides it into Alex’s arms, which seems to appease him, before pulling on his clothes and exiting the tent, letting the flap fly shut behind him.
亨利叹了口气，抓起枕头塞进亚历克斯的怀里，这似乎安抚了他的情绪，然后穿上衣服走出帐篷，让身后的挡板飞快地关上。
Only Pez is sat outside by the now dead fire, head tilted back in order for the sun to blaze down on him, eyes closed.
只有 Pez 坐在室外已经熄灭的火堆旁，头向后仰着，让阳光洒在他身上，闭着眼睛。
“Morning, Hen.” He says without opening his eyes.
"早上好，轩"他没睁开眼睛就说。
“How did you know it was me?” He sits across from the man, eyeing him warily.
"你怎么知道是我？"他坐在那人对面，警惕地盯着他。
“Alex normally speaks the moment he wakes up and the girls were still sleeping last I checked.” His tone is mischievous, “How’d you sleep?”
"艾利克斯通常一醒来就会说话 而我上次检查的时候 姑娘们还在睡觉"他的语气很调皮："你睡得怎么样？"
“Fine.” His voice comes out as a slight squeak, which would be more embarrassing if he had been speaking to anyone else.
"好吧。"他的声音带着轻微的吱吱声，如果是跟别人说话，那就更尴尬了。
He had come to realise, in the short time they had spent together, that Pez is ‘on his side’, or as much as a pseudo kidnapper can be. He notices that Pez sticks close to his side, cajoling him into drinking water and giving him pieces of his own food when Henry finishes too soon for his liking.
在他们相处的短短时间里，他逐渐意识到佩斯是 "站在他这边的"，或者说是一个伪绑匪所能做到的 "站在他这边的"。他注意到佩兹紧紧地跟在他身边，哄他喝水，当亨利吃得太快而不喜欢时，就把自己的食物分给他吃。
It’s extremely reminiscent of Bea and, as much as it pains him to admit it, he has missed the feeling of being taken care of. Of having someone care .
这让他想起了碧，尽管他不愿承认，但他还是很怀念那种被人照顾的感觉。被人照顾的感觉
“Fine, huh?” Pez finally drops his head, eyes sparkling with mirth, “I bet you did.”
"很好，是吧？"佩兹终于低下了头，眼睛里闪烁着笑意，"我打赌你是的。"
“I don’t understand what you’re implying.”
"我不明白你在暗示什么"
“Sure you don’t, darling.” Pez smiles, “Breakfast?”
"当然不会，亲爱的"佩兹笑着说："早餐？"
“Yeah. That’d be nice. I’ll help you spark the fire.”
"是啊。那太好了我来帮你点火。"
Pez claps his shoulder, “Good man.”
佩兹拍拍他的肩膀，"好样的"。
They work side by side as Pez asks what he’s pretending are casual questions about every aspect of Henry’s existence.
他们并肩工作，Pez 假装不经意地询问亨利生活的方方面面。
“I have a brother.” He says when Pez asks, “He’s a bit…tightly wound. And my sister…” He trails off, surprised that he doesn’t feel tears prickling behind his eyes for the first time in years upon mention of her, “I haven’t seen her in years.”
"我有个哥哥"当佩兹问起时，他说："他有点......神经紧绷。我姐姐......"他说到这里，惊讶地发现自己多年来第一次在提到她时没有感到眼泪在眼眶里打转，"我已经很多年没见过她了。"
“Were you close?” "你们很亲密吗？"
“Extremely.” His smile is thin as the pan sizzles atop the fire, “I miss her every day.”
"极其想念"他的笑容很淡，就像平底锅在火上嗞嗞作响："我每天都在想念她。"
Thankfully, Pez seems to know better than to comment. They make enough breakfast to feed all of them and Pez sets Henry to work filling the small wooden bowls from his satchel with water for the horses, who lap it up happily.
幸好，佩兹似乎知道最好不要发表意见。他们做了足够所有人吃的早餐，佩兹让亨利开始工作，从他的挎包里拿出小木碗给马儿们装水，马儿们高兴地喝了起来。
“We need to get more water.” Pez says, “We won’t have enough to get us to town. There’s a stream not far north from here. Would be good for a wash too.”
"我们需要更多的水"佩兹说："我们没有足够的水去镇上。北边不远处有条小溪洗个澡也不错。"
Henry hums in acknowledgement, opening his mouth to speak when a loud crash sounds from within his - Alex’s tent. The flap flies open and Alex stumbles out, shirtless but having pulled on pants, eyes immediately fixing on Pez.
亨利哼了一声表示感谢，张嘴正要说话，他的帐篷--亚历克斯的帐篷--里传来一声巨响。挡板飞快地打开了，亚历克斯跌跌撞撞地跑了出来，他没穿上衣，但已经穿上了裤子，眼睛立刻盯住了佩斯。
“Pez!” He exclaims, “He’s gone! I don’t- he -”
"皮兹！"他惊呼道："他走了！我不，他......"
Henry folds his arms with a frown, waiting for Alex to look slightly to his right and notice his existence.
亨利皱着眉头，双手合十，等待亚历克斯稍稍向右侧看去，注意到他的存在。
“Alex-” Pez starts, but Alex is frantic, waving his arms wildly.
"艾利克斯--"佩兹刚开口，艾利克斯却疯狂地挥舞着手臂。
“We have to find him! He could be hurt , why would he fucking run-” He stops in his tracks as he nearly barrels into Henry, “Oh.”
"我们必须找到他！他可能受伤了，他为什么要跑......" 他停下脚步，因为他差点撞到亨利，"哦"。
“ Oh ?” Henry mocks, not feeling as happy as he had been mere moments ago, “Cheers for that. What? You think I’m stupid enough to just bolt into the desert when I have zero clue where we are? Do you take me for a fool?”
"哦？亨利嘲笑道，他不像刚才那么高兴了，"干杯。你以为我傻到会在完全不知道我们在哪儿的情况下就跑进沙漠吗？你当我是傻瓜吗？
“Woah, Henry. I didn’t-”
"哇，亨利。我没有......"
“I don’t have a choice in these matters but to trust you.” He says, feeling the traitorous tears prick behind his eyes, “Silly me for thinking you would grant me the same level of respect.”
"在这些事情上，我别无选择，只能相信你"他说着，感觉到叛徒的眼泪在眼眶里打转 "我真傻，以为你会给予我同样的尊重"
He feels foolish, like a child believing in absolute folly as he stares Alex down, the man that clearly sees him as nothing but a nuisance , a ransom to be gotten. Which is exactly what he is, and he feels worse for having allowed himself to believe otherwise, to think that Alex saw him as anything else.
他觉得自己很愚蠢，就像一个相信绝对愚蠢的孩子，因为他盯着亚历克斯，而亚历克斯显然只把他当成一个讨厌鬼，一个可以得到赎金的人。他就是这样的人，他觉得自己更糟糕了，因为他允许自己相信别的东西，认为亚历克斯把他当成了别的东西。
“Henry,” Alex’s eyes are wide, haunted almost as he reaches out a hand, but Henry pulls away from him, “I-”
"亨利，"亚历克斯的眼睛瞪得大大的，他几乎是魂不守舍地伸出一只手，但亨利拉开了他的手，"我......"
“Breakfast is served!” Pez announces, wrapping an arm around Henry’s shoulder and pulling him back towards the fire.
"早餐准备好了！佩兹搂着亨利的肩膀，把他拉回火炉旁，宣布道。
“Thank you.” Henry whispers and Pez squeezes his shoulder in response.
"谢谢你"亨利低声说道，佩兹捏了捏他的肩膀以示回应。
A glance over his shoulder shows Alex stood in the same spot, mouth working uselessly as he stares at the space Henry had just vacated. He tells himself that the sharp pain in his chest is just from the spice of the food he begins eating.
艾利克斯瞟了一眼他的肩膀，发现他站在原地，盯着亨利刚刚腾出的位置，嘴巴在做无用功。他告诉自己，胸口的剧痛只是因为开始吃的食物太辣了。
Alex is uncharacteristically silent even as the girls stumble out of their tent and join them and Henry can’t find any words to say to break it.
当女孩们跌跌撞撞地走出帐篷加入他们的行列时，亚历克斯也一反常态地沉默不语。
“Alright, Alexander.” Pez announces as they get everything packed up and loaded onto the horses, “You’ve been hogging my boy for long enough. Today he rides with me .”
"好了，亚历山大他们把东西都收拾好，装上马背，佩兹宣布道："你已经霸占我儿子够久了。今天他和我一起骑马。"
“Pez-” Alex starts, but quickly stops at the glare the other man shoots him, mouth clamping shut.
"佩兹......"亚历克斯刚开始说，但很快就被对方的眼神吓住了，嘴巴紧紧地闭上。
Henry could kiss Pez.
亨利可以亲吻佩斯
“We have much to talk about, don’t we Hazza?”
"我们有很多话要谈，不是吗，哈扎？"
“Hazza?” Henry can’t help but smile.
"哈扎？"亨利不禁微笑起来。
Pez shrugs, “Everyone gets a name with me, babes. It’s a privilege.”
Pez 耸耸肩："在我这里，每个人都有名字，宝贝们。这是一种特权。"
“I’m honoured.” "我很荣幸"
Alex watches them silently, brim on his hat pulled so low that Henry can’t make out the look in his eyes. The girls say nothing, but he notices the long glance they share before climbing aboard their own house. He feels slightly traitorous as he joins Pez on his horse, leaving Alex to handle David on his own.
亚历克斯静静地看着她们，帽檐压得很低，亨利看不清他的眼神。女孩们什么也没说，但他注意到她们在爬上自己的房子之前，都看了他很久。当他和佩兹一起上马，留下亚历克斯独自对付戴维时，他觉得自己有点叛逆。
For the first time, Alex hangs back instead of bounding miles ahead of the others and Henry’s heart pointedly does not ache at the thought of him, silent and head hung. It’s all he can think about for the remainder of the day while his arms are wound around Pez’s slim waist. It isn’t the same, not by a longshot, and it surprises even him how disappointed it makes him feel.
这是第一次，亚历克斯没有一马当先，而是落在后面。一想到他沉默不语、垂头丧气的样子，亨利的心就尖锐地痛了起来。在今天剩下的时间里，当他的双臂环绕着佩兹纤细的腰肢时，他满脑子想的都是这件事。这一切都不一样了，完全不一样了，这让他感到非常失望，连他自己都感到惊讶。
“We should stop here!” June calls from up ahead, the sun beginning to set in the distance.
"我们应该停在这里！"茱恩在前面喊道，远处的太阳已经开始下山了。
“What?” Alex shouts from his place behind the group, “There’s still light out. If we want to make it to town before the week is out we should really keep going!”
"什么？"亚历克斯在队伍后面喊道："天还没亮。如果我们想在本周结束前赶到镇上，就应该继续走！"
“Because I feel filthy and I want a damn wash!” Nora chimes in, “There’s that lake we went to last summer through the clearing up here. We can stop for the night and head off in the morning. We’re only two days out, it’s not a big deal Alejandro .”
"因为我觉得很脏，我想洗个澡！"诺拉插话说："去年夏天我们去的那个湖，就在这附近的空地上。我们可以在那里过夜，明天一早就出发。我们才出发两天，没什么大不了的，亚历杭德罗."
Alex scowls audibly and Henry pointedly does not turn around to offer him a supportive smile.
亚历克斯明显地皱了皱眉头，而亨利却没有转过身来给他一个支持的微笑。
This time, Henry helps with setting up the tents, having watched the rest of them do it the previous two nights and he finds himself wondering if he will be sleeping with Pez in his tent tonight, rather than Alex. Both outcomes seem to upset him the more he thinks about them.
这一次，亨利帮忙搭帐篷，因为前两晚他都是看着其他人搭帐篷的。他发现自己在想，今晚他是否会和佩斯而不是亚历克斯一起睡在帐篷里。这两种结果似乎都让他越想越难过。
“Right. We’ll go in shifts. Someone needs to watch the horses.” Nora says, smirking, “Alex, you and Hazza can hang out here while we go, then we can swap.”
好的我们轮班去。得有人看着马。"诺拉笑着说："艾丽克丝，我们走的时候你和哈扎可以在这里待着，然后我们可以交换。"
“I don’t think-” Pez begins, but immediately falls silent at the fiery look Nora sends his way, “Sorry, Haz. You’re on your own.” His jaw is practically detaching from his face as Nora crooks a finger at him and Henry fights down the wave of nausea he feels from the look in her eyes.
"我不认为......"Pez 开了个头，但看到 Nora 向他投来的火热眼神，立刻沉默了下来，"对不起，Haz。你得靠自己了。"当诺拉对他竖起手指时，他的下巴几乎要从脸上脱落，亨利强忍着从她的眼神中感受到的阵阵恶心。
“Fine.” Alex says dryly, “Off with you because if you stand here for another minute I am going to vomit.”
"好吧。"亚历克斯干巴巴地说："跟你走，因为如果你再站一分钟，我就要吐了。"
June’s cheeks pinken as she and Alex stare at each other before she turns, walking off with the other two close on her heels. Henry watches them carefully, eyes widening in realisation.
琼的脸颊涨得通红，她和亚历克斯互相凝视着对方，然后她转身走了，另外两个人紧随其后。亨利仔细地看着她们，眼睛睁得大大的。
“Are they…?” "他们是......？"
“Yep.” Alex says, “I try not to think about it too much.”
"是的"亚历克斯说，"我尽量不去想它"
“All three-” "所有三个"
“ Yep . Let’s not talk about it.”
"是的.我们不谈这个了"
Henry nods, drawing his lower lip into his mouth as he looks anywhere but at Alex, who he can feel moving closer to his side.
亨利点点头，把下嘴唇含在嘴里，眼睛却不看亚历克斯，他能感觉到亚历克斯正在靠近他。
“I am really sorry for doubting you, Henry.” Alex says, voice practically in his ear and he stiffens his shoulders to fight the shiver begging to run down his spine, “I do trust you.”
"我真的很抱歉怀疑你，亨利。"艾利克斯说，声音几乎就在他耳边，他僵硬着肩膀，抵御着脊背上乞求的颤抖，"我真的相信你。"
“Why?” Henry says, still not turning around.
"为什么？"亨利说，仍然没有转过身来。
“Why?” "为什么？"
“You have no reason to trust me. Why should you?”
"你没理由相信我你为什么要相信我？"
“Because…I do. You’re a good person, Henry. Better than me. If anything you shouldn’t trust me.”
"因为......我愿意。你是个好人 亨利比我好如果有什么你不应该相信我。"
Henry finally turns, heart stuttering in his chest at the crestfallen look on Alex’s face, hat wrung between his hands like a cloth, “I do, though.”
亨利终于转过身来，看着亚历克斯沮丧的表情，他的心怦怦直跳，帽子像块布一样拧在两手之间，"不过，我愿意。"
A small smile crosses his face, “And I promise to not betray that trust.”
他微微一笑，"我保证不会辜负这份信任"。
“Thank you.” "谢谢"
“I know it’s sudden but…I do care about you, Henry. I promised you no harm would come to you and I mean that.”
"我知道这很突然，但是......我真的很关心你，亨利。我答应过你不会伤害你 我是认真的"
“I believe you.” "我相信你"
Alex’s responding smile is blinding and Henry’s heart seizes in his chest - the only difference is that this time, he can’t avoid the fact that it’s Alex causing that reaction.
艾利克斯回应的笑容刺眼极了，亨利的心怦怦直跳--唯一不同的是，这次他无法回避是艾利克斯引起了这种反应。
By the time the three return - giggling and arms around each other - Henry is more than ready for a bath of his own, his skin caked in dirt and deep beneath his nails where he can’t quite reach.
当三人嬉笑着抱在一起回来时，亨利已经准备好给自己洗个澡了，他的皮肤上沾满了泥土，指甲缝里深不见底。
Pez claps his back as he passes, a reassuring smile on his face, “You okay?”
佩兹在他经过时拍了拍他的背，脸上露出了令人安心的微笑，"你还好吗？"
“Yeah.” He nods, “Much better, thank you.”
"是的"他点点头，"好多了，谢谢"
The lake is small, a small circle hidden amongst trees that looks like an oasis to him. The fact that he can finally be clean , it could be the size of a hole in the ground and he would take it. Alex is practically vibrating next to him and the second they grow close enough, he shucks off his clothes, briefs included and bounds into the water, hollering like a damned vagrant as he goes.
湖很小，是一个隐藏在树丛中的小圆圈，在他看来就像一片绿洲。事实上，他终于可以洗干净了，即使这个湖只有地洞那么大，他也愿意接受。艾利克斯几乎在他身边震动，他们一靠近，他就脱掉衣服，包括内裤，跳进水里，像个该死的流浪汉一样大喊大叫。
Henry, frozen on the spot from the sight of Alex’s round bare ass in his direct line of vision, doesn’t move until Alex hollers at him to “get fucking moving, princess!”
亨利被艾丽克丝圆滚滚的光屁股挡住了视线，一动不动，直到艾丽克丝冲他喊道："快他妈动起来，公主！"
With shaky hands, he unbuttons his shirt, folding it and leaving it beside Alex’s pile of clothes before doing the same with his shoes and pants, hesitating as he reaches his briefs. Does he take them off? Leave them on? A quick glance at Alex’s clothes makes his decisions as he reaches into the waistband and tugs them down, kicking them off and letting them land atop the rest of his clothes.
他用颤抖的手解开衬衫的扣子，叠好后放在亚历克斯的衣服堆旁，然后又脱下鞋子和裤子，脱到内裤时他犹豫了。他要脱掉吗？还是不脱？他快速扫了一眼亚历克斯的衣服，就做出了决定，他把手伸进裤腰带，把内裤拽下来，踢掉内裤，让它落在其他衣服上。
As he looks up, he stops in his stride as Alex is staring at him, wide-eyed and flushed cheeks.
当他抬起头时，脚步停住了，因为亚历克斯正瞪大眼睛、脸颊通红地看着他。
“You okay?” Henry frowns, glancing behind him as though expecting to see someone standing there.
"你还好吗？"亨利皱了皱眉头，向身后瞥了一眼，似乎期待看到有人站在那里。
“Uh…yeah. Right as rain, sweetheart. You coming in?” Alex’s voice is stilted and Henry can’t for the life of him figure out why.
"嗯......是的。就像下雨一样，亲爱的。你要进来吗？"艾利克斯的声音有些僵硬，亨利怎么也想不出原因。
With a shrug, Henry continues his walk towards the lake, letting out a sigh of relief as his toes breach the cool waters. He walks until he reaches a few feet of Alex, water hitting him mid stomach. Alex is bobbing alongside him, chest bare and exposed, droplets running from his collarbone down to the water again.
亨利耸了耸肩，继续向湖边走去，当他的脚趾踏入清凉的湖水时，他松了一口气。他走到离亚历克斯几英尺远的地方，水打中了他的腹部。亚历克斯正和他并肩晃动，胸膛裸露在外，水珠从锁骨一直流到水里。
“Earth to Henry?” "亨利的地球？"
Henry’s head snaps up, cheeks absolutely an unbecoming shade of red as he meets Alex’s gaze, the other man smirking at him like he knows exactly what he’s thinking about.
亨利猛地抬起头，双颊泛起不伦不类的红晕，与亚历克斯的目光对视，对方正笑眯眯地看着他，好像很清楚他在想什么。
“Sorry.” Henry says, unable to think of anything else. He feels exposed and resists the urge to cross his arms across his pale chest, feeling even paler in the moonlight shining down on them.
"对不起"亨利说，想不出别的话来。他感觉自己暴露在月光下，忍不住将双手交叉放在苍白的胸前，在月光的照耀下，他感觉自己更加苍白了。
Alex tilts his head to the side, as though considering him, yet never breaks eye contact. Henry sees him lick his lips in his peripheral vision and wonders what it would be like to lean in, cover his lips with his own-
亚历克斯把头偏向一边，似乎在考虑他的问题，但眼神却从未分开过。亨利在余光中看到他舔了舔嘴唇，不知道凑过去用自己的嘴唇盖住他的嘴唇会是什么感觉--
Christ . 基督 .
He is treading dangerous ground, harbouring these kinds of thoughts for another man - let alone one that has technically kidnapped him. His eyes widen as Alex moves slightly closer, a hand reaching out to grab his forearm, pulling him in.
他对另一个男人怀有这种想法是非常危险的，更何况这个男人还绑架了他。当亚历克斯稍微靠近他时，他的眼睛睁得更大了，一只手伸过来抓住了他的前臂，把他拉了进去。
The hand burns where it holds him in place, those damned fingers curled around his skin, grounding him. He imagines what it would be like to lift that hand, pulling those fingers into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the tips of them.
那只手灼伤了他的身体，那些该死的手指蜷缩在他的皮肤上，将他禁锢。他想象着抬起那只手，把手指伸进嘴里，用舌头在指尖打转的感觉。
He feels lightheaded, like he would collapse beneath the waves without Alex there to keep him in place, keep him afloat.
他感到头晕目眩，就像没有亚历克斯在身边，他就会倒在波涛汹涌的大海中。
“Henry…” Alex’s voice is low, a smooth drawl that he wants to drown in, let it be the last sound he ever hears and he will die a happy man.
"亨利......"亚历克斯的声音很低沉，他想淹没在这平缓的乡音中，让这成为他听到的最后一个声音，这样他就会快乐地死去。
“Alex…” His voice breaks on the last syllable, which makes Alex’s eyes widen.
"亚历克斯......"他的声音在最后一个音节断断续续，这让亚历克斯睁大了眼睛。
A smile spreads across Alex’s lips, stretching over perfectly white teeth that Henry wants to sink into his skin, leaving their mark. He feels like a prey trapped beneath the gaze of a hunter and he wants nothing more than to give in - to let the other man do whatever he wants to him.
亚历克斯的嘴角绽放出一丝微笑，完美洁白的牙齿伸展开来，亨利恨不得将它深深地咬进自己的皮肤里，留下自己的印记。他感觉自己就像被困在猎人目光下的猎物，他只想屈服--让对方对他为所欲为。
His chest is heaving as he stares deep into Alex’s eyes, so dark that they’re no longer their usual shade of brown, instead closer to black. His tongue is stuck to the roof of his mouth, fingers twitching beneath the water as they resist the urge to reach out and touch.
他的胸口剧烈地起伏着，深情地凝视着亚历克斯的眼睛，那双眼睛不再是平常的棕色，而是更接近黑色。他的舌头贴在嘴角，手指在水下抽动，克制不住想要伸手触摸的冲动。
He can practically feel the tension in the air, likely his own creation, but Alex isn’t speaking. Isn’t doing anything but staring right back at Henry, panting with concealed effort to not do something. His face grows closer and Henry does what Henry does best - he absolutely panics.
他几乎能感觉到空气中的紧张气氛，这很可能是他自己造成的，但亚历克斯没有说话。他什么也没做，只是回过头来盯着亨利，气喘吁吁地掩饰着自己没有做什么。他的脸越来越近，亨利做了亨利最擅长的事--他绝对慌了。
His grandmother’s frowning face flashes in his mind, warning him of what people would think . He sees Jessica Hampton, the woman that is technically to be his wife . All he wants to do is lean in and kiss the man standing in front of him but he can’t . He’s not allowed.
他的祖母皱着眉头的脸在他脑海中闪过，警告他不要让别人这么想。他看到了杰西卡-汉普顿，那个严格意义上将成为他妻子的女人 .他只想俯身亲吻站在他面前的男人，但他不能 .他不被允许
In a last ditch effort of self-preservation he leans back before plunging himself deep beneath the water. He holds his breath, allowing the water to wash over him, freezing cold against his skin and burning against his closed eyelids. He only resurfaces when his lungs burn, screaming at him to get some air. When his head pops back up, Alex is leaning against the riverbank, eyebrow raised.
为了最后的自保，他向后仰了仰，然后把自己深深地扎进了水里。他屏住呼吸，任由水流冲刷着他，冰冷的水流贴着他的皮肤，灼烧着他紧闭的眼皮。只有当他的肺部被灼伤，呼喊着要呼吸点新鲜空气时，他才会浮出水面。当他的头浮出水面时，亚历克斯正靠在河岸上，眉毛上扬。
He thankfully doesn’t comment.
幸好他没有发表评论。
That was close - too close. Because as badly as he wants the man in front of him - and by Christ it’s badly - he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he can’t have him. That it’s unnatural and his grandmother would likely have his head. Beyond that, Alex doesn’t want him that way, especially given how close he seems to be with the girls. Henry has always had an active imagination, as his grandmother often told him, it’s easy for him to imagine the darkening look in Alex’s eyes, to mistake it for lust.
好险--太险了。因为尽管他很想得到眼前这个男人--上帝啊，他真的很想得到他--但他毫无疑问地知道，他不能得到他。这不符合常理，他的祖母很可能会要了他的命。除此之外，亚历克斯也不希望他这样，尤其是考虑到他和女孩们似乎很亲密。亨利的想象力一直很丰富，就像他祖母经常对他说的那样，他很容易就能想象出亚历克斯眼中暗淡的神情，并误以为那是他的欲望。
It’s too many thoughts fighting for dominance in his mind when all he wants to do is bound forward, grab Alex by his curls and kiss him for all he’s worth.
当他只想上前抓住亚历克斯的卷发，尽情亲吻他时，太多的想法在他脑海中争夺主导权。
At least he still has his dreams.
至少他还有梦想。