cian often forgets about certain things that accompany wealth and the kind of upbringing that mars has had. when surrounded by the luxuries of life, the simple things often become forgotten, perhaps not even registered as a thing people actually do or experience.

one of those things, for example, is camping.

"and i can't believe you've never gone camping."

actually, he can believe it, and it doesn't sound all that surprising if he really thinks about it.

"like twice a year, i think? the whole family went."

boruta maher would watch over him and caden maher, and the only reason cian knows how to start a fire is because of his ranger brother.

"are you excited?"

Martín del Mar

☉

Even if Mars had not been raised with wealth and luxury, he probably still wouldn’t know what going camping is like. Things like those are usually the sort of activities people do because they want to spend time together, because they choose to do as much, and Mars knows all too well that no one in this “family” of his would ever choose his company for reasons he’d like…
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Naturally, when the response comes, this is not something he explains to Cian, because mentioning things like those would only ruin the mood and make all this much less enjoyable – just like the mere mention of his family always makes things much less enjoyable.
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”Really? That sounds sweet, I bet you have some good memories of it.”
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It does sound sweet, and while there will perhaps always be a part of him that’s envious of the fact that none of his childhood memories are like this, Cian’s are, and that makes him happy.
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”Honestly? Yeah.”
[break][break]
A chuckle, because even if he has his doubts, he really is.

[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER | MISSION

they are good memories, mostly, but some have been marred by things that have happened to them both individually and as a family. these thoughts threaten to surface but he pushes them back down. this day is meant to be a joyous, and so he'll try to make it one.

"yeah. they were good times."

a part of him wishes he could relive them.

mars' answer makes him chuckle. he turns to him with a bright smile on his face.

"i'm glad you're excited, because you have the very tough job of picking us a spot to set up our camp for the night."

Martín del Mar

☉

”Ha! Are you sure you want to leave that up to me?”
[break][break]
Cian’s smile is mirrored, his own being happy and radiant, but honestly, how is he supposed to decide that?
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Mars doesn’t know the first thing about camping, but if he really thinks about it, some things seem like they should be obvious enough. A spot that’s big enough for more than just the tent, the ground should be level for the sake of it too, they probably should avoid low areas in case it rains or anything… and, maybe a clearing, simply because looking up at the skies at night sounds pretty nice.
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Okay, that sounds easy enough. He can do that.
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”Alright, I’ll do it, but does that mean you’ll take care of setting things up all on your own? Since, you know, I’m supposed to be taking it easy and all.”
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He smirks, even though it is the truth. He’s supposed to be taking it easy, and because he has tried to (hard as it has been to do), his injuries seem to be doing much better than before – even if there’s still bruises and even if it always hurts when he puts in too much effort.
[break][break]
Then again, even if he weren’t supposed to be taking it easy, it’s not like Mars would know what to do when it comes to setting up camp and things like those.


[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER | MISSION

a lot about camping is intuitive so there's not much to educate about what to consider when picking the right spot. as long as it's big enough then they should be fine; a little cover would be nice, though.

little does he know mars is putting way more thought into it, but he should've expected as much.

"yeah? taking it easy like you were doing last night?"

mars definitely wasn't taking it easy then, and so the smirk is warranted.

"don't worry, babe. i'll teach you."

Martín del Mar

☉

Mars always puts thought into things, perhaps much more than what will ever be necessary. It’s a habit that has been built overtime, something he has learned to do because he has needed to do as much. These days it comes without him even realizing, even with things as simple and meaningless as picking a campsite for a camping trip that’s supposed to be fun.
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And yet, Cian pulls him away from these thoughts, distracting him just as he always easily seems to do.
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How could Mars not smirk at this?
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”Mm… As I recall it, last night you had no issue with me not taking it easy. Would you rather I had?”
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He doesn’t need to ask to know the answer to that. If anything, it could be said it had been Cian’s fault that he hadn’t taken it easy, just like he probably won’t take it easy on this night.
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”And here I thought I could get away with just watching you while you do all the work. Fine, just for you.”
[break][break]
With that, he smiles.



[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER | MISSION

the answer is obvious to both of them and it doesn't need to be said, and yet...

"no. i like it when you're rough."

a wink and he turns away to glance at their surroundings. it's quiet, serene, and peaceful. they'd have to change that later.

"just for me. now pick, and be careful not to pick a bad spot."

as if mars could ever do anything remotely bad. still, it's fun to tease him. his gaze returns to mars, watching closely.

Martín del Mar

☉

”I know you do. Luckily for you, I like it too.”
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Luckily for you.
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It’s stupid, and he smirk about it, his gaze following Cian’s in order to look at their surroundings. It’s quiet. Too quiet for Mars’ liking, but then again, silence is never something he minds all that much when in Cian’s company. It’s not like it’ll last for long anyway – it never does, does it?
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”Oh, I can feel the pressure.”
[break][break]
He chuckles, leaning in order to place a quick kiss upon Cian’s cheek, then turning to once again watch their surroundings. While he had been joking, there is actually some pressure, because as intuitive as camping may be at times, Mars has never done anything even remotely similar to this. Maybe he just doesn’t want to fuck things up.
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Still, it’s with all the confidence in the world that he grins and takes Cian’s hand.
[break][break]
”Okay, let’s go over here.”
[break][break]
A small clearing is not far from where they had been, the ground smooth for the most part. The trees are tall, and there’s the faint scent of evergreens.


[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER | MISSION

oh, i can feel the pressure.

"good."

he smiles even if he knows mar is exaggerating, content as his cheek's kissed. a moment later, he's tugged along to a small clearing, and when they arrive cian takes a moment to glance around, taking it in.

"not bad."

it's better than not bad, really, but he can't be too quick to give mars the credit. can't let it to get his head.

"you think this is the best spot you'll find?"

Martín del Mar

☉

’You think this is the best spot you'll find?’
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So, this is the game they’re playing now, huh?
[break][break]
Mars smirks, raising an eyebrow as he looks back at Cian. He finds his gaze, as easily as always.
[break][break][break]
”Cian, babe, are you trying to tell me something?”
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The question is teasing, yet there’s a certain honesty to it, because for all he knows he could have actually fucked up in some way. Not like Mars knows anything about camping, even if it isn’t difficult to tell that Cian is probably just messing with him (or mostly messing with him?). There is a certain amount of doubt in this, and yet...
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”Maybe I should just show you how great this spot can be.”
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While keep looking when he could do a great sales pitch?
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This spot should be good enough, and this is more fun anyway.

[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER | MISSION

babe.

he'll never tire of hearing mars call him that. it makes him feel warm and safe in a way he's never quite felt before, or at least hasn't felt for a very long time.

"not trying to tell you anything, babe. i'm just making sure you're confident with your choice."

he shrugs, turning away to look around them.

"alright. sell it to me."

Martín del Mar

☉

”Aw, so sweet of you to look out for me like that.”
[break][break]
Confident with his choice.
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Confidence has always been something that comes easily to Mars, but that doesn’t change the fact that he can be a bit of a perfectionist at times. Things are planned, arranged, and he always delivers the best. So, in a situation like this, where so many factors are unknown and out of his control, complete confidence is actually impossible to achieve.
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Still, he’ll play along, and he’ll convince both Cian and himself that this is indeed the right choice.
[break][break]
”Babe, what is there to even say? Look at the ground, it’s so smooth and leveled – perfect to set up a tent.” He smirks, and of course, as he says this, he dramatically gestures towards their surroundings. Then, he moves onto the trees...
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”And the trees? Are you kidding? They’re so tall that they’ll provide for nice shade during the day, but the clearing is big enough that later on we’ll have a romantic view of the night sky.”
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With these words, there’s a wink, calmly walking to end up standing right behind Cian.
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”Most important of all, though…”
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With comfortable ease, arms are wrapped around him, the next words being whispered to his ear:
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”...We’re all alone, and would you really rather waste our time looking for another spot when instead we could be doing something much more fun?”
[break][break]
It wouldn't be Mars without including that part.

[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER | MISSION

his gaze moves with mars' words, starting with the ground, then up to the trees that surround them, and ending on mars himself. even without the hard sell he would've been fine with anywhere as long as mars is there with him.

and he's proven right when arms are wrapped around him. he leans into the touch, turning to meet mars' gaze.

"yeah? more fun?"

feigning innocence, he hums in thought, smirking.

"what kinda fun?"

Martín del Mar

☉