Chapter Text
WAKE ME UP
WAKE ME INSIDE
(CAN'T WAKE UP)
WAKE-
David slapped the alarm on his phone, panicked and wide awake. Jasper and Gwen must have changed his ringer when he wasn't looking. That would explain the giggling he kept hearing from the living room while he tried to sleep.
Jasper, his torso bent awkwardly, was still fast asleep. This didn't surprise David in the slightest. He had probably only gone to bed an hour or so ago. David couldn't remember if he heard the other boy come into their bedroom, but at least he was asleep in his own bed.
David had to admit, he was tempted to wake Jasper up with a kiss, but he was still very much in the stomach-in-buttflies phase of his new relationship with his former best friend. Then again, the jerk had offered to drive him to the campsite and then stayed up all night playing video games with Gwen.
Then again, again, he wasn't sure he wanted Jasper driving while he was tired. He was barely a decent driver with one good arm as it was. He shook his head and decided to leave it alone. It was the first day of summer break – Jasper deserved to sleep as much as he wanted.
Leaving the bedroom after dressing in his official (!!!) Camp Campbell counselor t-shirt, his nose was tickled pleasantly by the smell of breakfast cooking.
“Morning, hon.” Loretta, Jasper's mother and David's guardian from the time he was ten years old, was standing at the stove.
“Good morning, Ms. McElroy.” David replied, politely. Though she used to be Auntie, David had begun speaking to her more formally when he entered high school. It had broken Loretta's heart a little, but she kept it from the boys. “Did you just get home?”
“Oh, no, sweetie, I've been here for a bit. Had to kick Jasp out of the living room. That boy...” She shook her head.
“Is supposed to be taking me to camp.” David responded, grumpy.
“Yes, well,” Loretta slid some eggs, bacon, sausage, various fruits, and pancakes on several plates that she then arranged in front of him, “he gets that from me. But I'd be happy to take you.”
David swallowed some orange juice. “Oh, no, it's okay! I'm sure-”
“David.”
“Sure. I'd love it if you took me. Thank you.”
David finished his breakfast in silence while Loretta sipped her coffee. In just a few short hours, David would be on the shores of Lake Lilac! It had been three long years since he had been to his favorite place in the world. He just felt a little bummed that he wouldn't be able to see Gwen or Jasper for three months. He was hoping they would, at the very least, come visit, but they had both taken part time jobs this summer. Gwen was interning for her mother, and Jasper got the old man at the record shop to finally hire some help.
“He'll be okay.” Loretta said.
“I know...” David said, hoisting his bags out the front door. “We've just... never gone more than a few days without seeing each other. And now it's the whole summer.”
“Sonia would say that you two have an unhealthy level of co-dependence.” She pointed out.
David playfully stuck his tongue out. “We can go three months without each other. Especially since I'll have my cell phone.”
“Does the camp even get service?” Loretta loaded one of David's duffle bags into the trunk of his station wagon.
“Do you really think Campbell would spend the whole summer without it?”
They laughed. Every new piece of technology to be invented or discovered in the past 30 years, Cameron Campbell made a point of thoroughly investigating. After all, who knew what could prove to be useful?
“Mmmnnnnnnnnnnnnn!”
David and Loretta turned to the sound of grumpy moaning.
“It's six in the morning!” Jasper rasped, having not quite recovered his vocals from the day before.
Loretta rolled her eyes and hopped into the car, giving her boys some privacy. She never worried about inappropriate things happening. Both of them were pretty clueless, after all. And very, very awkward.
“Hey, Jasp.” David said shyly, stepping up to the other boy. Jasper had caught up to David in height and was a bit more bulky, but they both knew the ginger wasn't done growing.
“'Morning.” He replied through a yawn, rubbing his eye. He couldn't see anything at the moment, having stumbled out of the bedroom without his glasses on.
“You wanna come with?” David asked, tucking a stray hair behind Jasper's ear. Jasper gave a tired smile and shook his head.
“Nah, Gwen kept me up all night.”
David pouted, but was rewarded with a quick kiss on the lips. “Sorry, Davey.” Jasper mumbled, resting his head on his shoulder. David wrapped his arms around Jasper and sighed.
“It's okay, Jasp.”
“I got you something.”
David pulled away, pleased to see a smile and blush spread across Jasper's face. “Oh, you didn't have to, Jasper, it's okay-”
“Shush.” He replied, shoving a thin, yellow piece of cloth in David's face. David snatched it with an eye roll, surprised that his exhausted boyfriend still had the energy for shenanigans. He thought it was just a bandana to keep the sweat away while working, but further examination made David pause.
“Jasp...”
Jasper shrugged, still blushing, hiding behind a fringe of hair. “I'm still alive, in spite of that stupid place, right? And you... it's because of you, dude, so... I guess it's lucky?”
“I didn't think you wanted anything to do with camp any more. Why did you keep this?” Honestly, David thought that Jasper's camp shirt had been singed and destroyed beyond all recognition after the accident.
Jasper shrugged again. “Like I said... Luck. I think you're gonna need it.”
David folded the old yellow camp shirt into a triangle and tied it around his neck. Jasper was still smiling his sleepy smile.
“I knew it'd look good on you.” He said.
“Oh, hush.” David was blushing now. He certainly felt lucky, being with Jasper. Just one small gesture did so much to alleviate his anxieties about being a junior assistant intern counselor.
Loretta honked the horn, cuing David to finish his goodbye. He envoloped Jasper into a tight hug, pressing his lips to the top of Jasper's head.
“You better call me every day.” Jasper mumbled, face hidden in David's chest.
“I will.” He promised.
“Good luck, Davey. I... I'll miss you.” But that's not what he really wanted to say.
“I'll miss you, too, Jasper.” It wasn't what David wanted to say, either. “Thanks...”
They shared one real, deep kiss before breaking apart. David walked slowly to the car, equal parts excited and miserable.
“Does it always have to be a mix...?” He muttered, watching in the rear view mirror until Jasper faded from sight.