Paper Hearts

ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕆𝕟 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕝𝕝

Chapter 18: Castle On The Hill

After his bags were packed, Lex spent the night telling the few friends he had of the road trip they were planning for the summer break. Eero was up for hanging out and another friend, Jay, said she had no problem joining them. Lex was happy he'd get to spend his break with his friends and lovers, and he knew his boyfriends were also inviting a few of their own friends too. 

He slept that night with a smile on his face after he had stargazed for a while, feeling the slight breeze through his hair and in the small places where his clothes let in air. After a shower that relaxed his muscles enough to be ready for bed, he threw himself under the covers.

The next morning, Mateo was outside his door really early in a minibus he bought just for this trip. Yes, bought. Lex thought it was a little unnecessary, but he didn't say anything. Just pursed his lips and jumped in the seat right at the back, squeezing himself next to a sleeping Fern. He stirred, opening an eye, and when he saw that Lex was finally in the minibus with them, he smiled, opened his arms for him and went back to sleep as soon as Lex was in his arms. 

Mateo only smiled, snapped a photo and started packing in Lex's bags that sat in the middle seats. After, he started driving around town, picking up everyone that were joining them on the trip. The minibus was a good choice, he concluded, seeing as everyone fit in just right. The bus was a little noisy, everyone laughing and joking around, getting to know each other, and through all the noise, Fern was still asleep until Lex started poking his sides out of boredom.

His eyes opened very slowly, his face hardened, and his jaw tensed. Lex shrinked back, deciding that annoying Fern out of his sleep wasn't the best idea he'd had in his lifetime so far. "Sorry," he squeaked only to be attacked by Fern's own fingers that tickled his stomach and ribs. They wriggled in the small space in the backseats, Lex laughing too loudly for someone who had company. 

"F-Fern." He gasped. "St-stop! Please!" More laughing. "I'm sorry!" He shrieked loudly. Everyone turned to see what was wrong, even Mateo looked at them through the rear-view mirror, worried for his boyfriend. He shook his head when he saw what the commotion was about. 

"Fern, that's enough." Mateo smiled, fixing his gaze on them from the mirror. "I think he's had enough." Fern nodded, pulling Lex to his lap. Lex slumped against him, drained of energy from having to laugh so forcefully, even though it was for a short amount of time. After regaining his breath, he hugged Fern tightly, whining about how bored he was.

"Sing along to the music or something." Fern replied, speaking against Lex's shoulder. "Maybe play a game on your phone?" He was falling asleep against Lex's shoulder, the rumbling of the tires against the tar and the music lulling him to sleep.

"No." Lex spoke softly against his chest. Even so, he was also falling asleep, listening to the older male's heartbeat and swaying in his hold. He pushed Fern back against the seats, pecking his lips and then laying his head on Fern's shoulder, where he slowly fell asleep. 

When the two woke up, the van was empty save for Jay who was rocking her head up and down to the music blasting from her headphones. They looked out the windows, seeing they were parked outside a gas station. They struggled to get out the van but managed, walking to the small store built with the gas stop. 

Inside, everything was chaotic. Eero was in the far corner, standing tall on a plastic chair using his camera to record the mess, his red curls wet against his forehead. Half his shirt was soaked but it looked like he didn't care at that moment. Matt, one of Fern's friends was trying to fit three popsicles in his mouth, all while trying to balance a pile of candy packets atop his head. 

Sarah, another of Fern's friends with black hair in two buns, denim shorts that hid nothing and Doc Martins on her feet, was filling her mouth with gum of all types, colours and flavours. She was acting like a child when in fact she left a child and husband at home to spend time with her new friends. 

Mateo and his friend were nowhere to be seen. Maybe if they were there to see the chaotic mess they'd left behind, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. 

Lex glanced at Fern who was still staring at the mess, pulled him along and walked through the candy isle as if what was happening around them was absolutely normal. When they found nothing interesting, Fern pulled them back to the others as if it was his first time being near anything as chaotic.

"Hey Lex!" Eero called out. "I dare you to dunk your head in that bucket of ice water." He pointed to the bucket in Matt's hands who had multi-coloured stains on his peach t-shirt. Fern squeezed his hand and shook his head. But Lex had done it before; this wasn't the first time Eero had dared him to do it, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

He squeezed back, kissed his cheek (to which everyone cooed) and walked to the bucket. In a swift movement, his head was in the cold water, soaking his hair and t-shirt. He pulled his head out and shook it, water spraying everywhere. He was glad it was hot outside, because if it wasn't, he would be shivering right there. His mullet now looked like a wet mess, the strands curling around his head. 

He was squinting his eyes so as not to get water in them, his lashes wet, and he kept blinking. Fern had miraculously gotten a towel (in truth, the store had towels and other toiletries for odd reasons no one knows) and he got to work rubbing the towel through Lex's hair and dabbed it over his face gently. "I swear if you get sick..." He mumbled, focused on getting most of the water off of Lex. 

"I'm fine." Lex rubbed at his sore left eye. Some water had gotten into it, and it was burning. "I'm feeling fine, really." He smiled at Fern who only frowned but moved a step back. Matt walked forward with the intention of putting the bucket of ice water wherever he had found it, but he stepped on a popsicle he had abandoned, slipping and splashing the whole bucket on Fern.

Fern gasped, clothes and body soaked wet, staring at the floor while the water drip, drip, dripped off of him. 

"What happened here? Where's security?"