Chapter Text
The leaves on the trees of the Brewer’s backyard float and flutter in a gentle breeze, which can be seen from the sliding doors. A record crackles from the living room, the sounds of Clint’s Simon and Garkunkel spilling into the bright and airy kitchen. It’s an easy Saturday afternoon in late May, and David is sitting up at the kitchen counter as Marcy prepares a spread for lunch. Though he’s offered to help twice, Marcy has gently refused him, insisting he take his proper place across from her at the breakfast nook. Patrick has just clambered downstairs after finally reaching satisfaction with his essay, and quickly changed topics when his mother inquired about his progress.
They spend most weekends since winter trip like this; either at Patrick’s, his family’s country house, or studying with their friend group at Cafe Tropical. David’s phone chimes, and he takes a moment to glance at it while his boyfriend (boyfriend!), all cute and casual in his Elmdale High Athletics sweatpants, explains their final assignment for outdoor education.
It’s a photo from Stevie: she has a very unimpressed face, while Twyla is smiling brightly from over her shoulder. The text below reads, we made the mistake of going to the bookstore with Rachel. It makes David feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. His people. At least the girls managed to get Stevie out of the house today- she and her aunt have been fighting a lot lately. He’ll text her back once lunch is made.
“So run this by me one more time?” Marcy asks, gripping the hearty homemade loaf of bread in one hand and sawing through it with another. Patrick grabs the peanut butter and jam out of the fridge, and the Nutella and marshmallows from the cupboard while David watches from his place on the kitchen stool.
“We get assigned our own spot, on the property, and we have to camp there for twenty-four hours. I thought Roland explained it in the email.”
“He did,” Marcy lays out the slices of bread on the counter in front of them, “And you have the graduation ceremony shortly after. But I was asking about the prom part.”
David looks up at her, and they share a conspiring glance. She’s his favourite, he’s decided. Patrick’s great. A lovely boyfriend. 11/10. But Marcy Brewer is what Miss Honey from Matilda wishes she was. Like maybe a cross between Miss Honey and Mrs. Weasley, with the talent of Mary Berry. She passes David a butter knife, and they all get to working on their respective sandwiches.
“I for one, think it’s exciting,” David says softly, watching the patterns that come from smoothing over swirls of Nutella with a butter knife. He watches Patrick seated on the stool beside him, expertly placing marshmallows on top of his gobs of peanut butter. It’s vile, but he also loves him for it. Loves his affinity for sandwiches, that is.
“I don’t know what the big deal is,” Patrick shrugs, glancing up at his mom. “We already have the graduation, why do we need a dance? I thought the whole reason we went to outdoor school was to avoid the conventions of regular high school or whatever.”
Marcy rolls her eyes lovingly, pouring hot water from the electric kettle. “Honey, it’s a fun night. You get to celebrate all your hard work and just… let loose.”
“But do I have to?” David watches Patrick pout, ripping into his sandwich. “It’s not like I’m being graded on it,” he says through a mouthful of bread, peanut butter, and marshmallow. All Patrick has cared about lately are his grades.
Marcy pokes her son’s shoulder. “Patrick Brewer, you stop talking with food in your mouth.”
David watches Patrick smirk back at her. “But I can’t, I’m a hungry hungry hippo,” he teases before ripping into his sandwich again. David admires their gentle mother and son banter. Though he gets along with his own mother, Patrick’s relationship with Marcy seems much less… draining? And it’s only gotten easier with time.
An easy silence falls over the kitchen. Marcy’s gaze drifts over to David while she takes a sip of her tea.
“You know you boys are lucky. Ten years ago you probably wouldn’t have been allowed to go together. Can you imagine?”
“Mom!”
David chuckles. Leave it to the director of the Elmdale Civic Museum to start schooling her son on queer history. But Marcy just smiles along with him.
They’ve come a long way. Ever since David and Patrick got back together on winter trip, David was welcomed into their home almost immediately. Marcy and Clint were nice before, but now they go almost out of their way to make sure David feels comfortable in their home. And he does. They even started buying Nutella just for him. That, and Patrick has become more and more used to showing affection for David in front of them.
He remembers those awkward, almost painful times in sophomore year, where Patrick would keep at least a metre between them. He would make a beeline for the treehouse, wanting to be out of sight as soon as possible. Now, here they are at the kitchen counter. It’s a simple thing, and yet to David it means the world.
He’s been trying to hint to Patrick for weeks now about just how excited he is for prom. It’s not regular high school prom- not some disgusting under-the-sea balloon monstrosity in the smelly gym at Elmdale High. This is outdoor school prom- where they get to design and hand-make everything. It's the pinnacle of rustic charm. David has been trying to downplay just how excited he is about it.
They make their way outside to the treehouse, sandwiches and mugs of tea in hand.
“Plus,” Patrick adds, reaching a tone of exasperation. “It’s right after solos! I don’t want to go to prom all sweaty and smelling like campfire!”
“I like when your hair smells like campfire,” David says offhand, staring at his sandwich and thinking of the beautiful curls Patrick has finally started growing back out. He feels a blush seep into his cheeks. There’s no sound coming from beside him, so he dares to look up.
Even though they’re walking and have their hands full, Patrick still manages to gaze back at David with a stupid pouty look on his face. (Patrick is still learning how to take a compliment.)
David rolls his eyes, but he knows his face is soft and smiley. “Just climb up the ladder,” he gestures to the tree before them. Patrick breaks out into a grin and places their food on the tray, then expertly makes his way up the wooden planks. David crosses his arms, watching him. If you’d have told him six months ago his favourite way to spend a Saturday would be in his boyfriend Patrick’s treehouse, he would’ve laughed. (Or started crying, depending on the night.) His brain flashes with memories of New York; drunk on a school night, being pulled into an alleyway and pressed up against a cold brick wall to make out with- the mere thought of Sebastian makes him want to vomit. Luckily, Patrick’s much better than that.
Patrick Brewer is selfless and kind, loves his parents, goes on passionate rants about single-use plastics, and would rename the stars just for David. (He has, many times. That’s one of the benefits of having a constellation projector.) Since returning to outdoor school and getting back together, David is probably the happiest he’s ever felt. Sometimes it’s too much, and he can’t find a way to express it in words. It’s definitely love, but that isn’t something either of them have managed to share with each other. But that’s okay. He thinks that feeling is most likely there. And in a few weeks time, Patrick’s going to be David’s date to the prom. David can hardly wait.