Chapter Text
“My feet huuuuuuurt,” Yuri whines, as if Otabek and Jean had not heard him the twenty-three previous times.
“That’s because your shoes are new,” Otabek explains flatly.
“What was I supposed to do? Wear them in town?”
“We can put up the tent over there,” Jean says as he points at a clearing between the branches. “The trees will protect us from the wind.”
He steps over a few bushes and pushes a couple of branches out of the way until he reaches the soft grass. Otabek and Yuri watch him drop his backpack, kneel, and take out a smaller nylon bag. He dives a hand in it and pulls out a mallet and a handful of pegs.
“Seriously?” Yuri deadpans. “You couldn’t get one of those tents that you throw in the air and are all set up when they hit the ground?”
“For three it’d have been tight. With this one we’ll have space to eat inside if it rains,” Jean explains patiently. “Beks, the canvas is in your backpack.”
Yuri kicks into a rock before slumping on a log. He thought he would be able to rest in his sleeping bag and now he will have to wait until the two others figure out how to put up a tent.
When they have gathered all the elements of the tent, Jean stands beside Otabek and gestures to explain how they will arrange their camp.
To Yuri’s great surprise, it only takes a few minutes before the canvas rises from the ground and Jean starts hammering the first peg in the soil. Otabek holds a pole up until the strings are taut enough that it stands by itself. He wipes his palms on his thighs and catches Yuri gaping at the scene. “What?” he asks.
“Nothing,” Yuri mumbles.
“You thought we decided to go camping without knowing anything?”
“How could I know he knew how to build a tent?”
“Really?”
“Just because he’s Canadian doesn’t mean he’s used to camping.”
“Jean’s a boy scout.”
Yuri winces. “Like the guys who walk around with high socks and flashy neckerchiefs?”
“He just put up your roof for tonight, don’t be a brat.”
“That’s still super gay.”
Jean dusts his knees and puts away his mallet when Otabek walks up to him. They watch Yuri pull his backpack that is almost as big as him inside the tent.
“Did you swear to stay physically strong and morally straight?” Otabek asks teasingly.
Jean has a side smile and shakes his head. “I’m not an American boy scout. I promised to do my duty to God and the Queen, and help other people at all times.”
“What’s your duty to the Queen?”
Jean shrugs. “I don’t know, but I’m going to help Yuri unfold his sleeping bag and take off his clothes, gotta carry out the spirit of the scout law.”