Reality Check - A Huntric/Goldric Based Fic

Grapes Upon The Vine (CHAPTER 16)

Maybe the sun was aligned but the moon was wrong. Stars don't lie but they do reflect. Do neglect sometimes to tell the whole truth, baby.

-TV Girl

Around a month had passed since Hunter and Edric began dating. Of course, this meant summer was ending soon, in maybe a week or two. 

However, nothing about the arrangements of potentially breaking up or leaving each other at the end was on Edric's mind. 

The only thing he was thinking about was what he could possibly do for their one-month anniversary. And he had thought of the perfect thing.

Edric scrolled through his phone, various recipes popping up as recommended. His quiet, midnight time was interrupted by the groundskeeper, Marilyn, bursting through the door with a light. 

"FREEZE- Edric?" She lowered her flashlight, the bulb only now lighting the already fairly illuminated ground. 

"I didn't mean to set off any camp alarms! I just wanted to bake something...!" He raised his hands above his head in guilt.

"Bake? You, baking? She laughed, leaning against the counter. Edric blushed a little and pulled up a picture. 

"This! I want to bake this for... someone." 

In the picture was a circular cake with white frosting and a heart on top. Marilyn squinted her eyes, attempting to clearly see the image. She stood back a bit, hands on her hips. "Alright kid, I can help with that. On ONE condition." Edric quickly nodded, eager for the help. "You tell me who it's for.  

Edric sucked in his breath sharply, messing with the hem of his shirt. "You know I would LOVE to, but the issue is..."

"You scared that I'll snitch? Trust me, I've been 'round long enough to know the motions." She winked, pulling back her deep red hair, conforming it into a ponytail.

Edric smiled softly, his body loosening. "Okay, okay, fine. It's.... Hunter, that blonde counselor."

"Aww, adorable. Ugh, all this lovey-dovey shit is gonna drive me wild... anyways, pull up the recipe, can't bake without one."

As the pair began to list ingredients, the door burst open... again. There stood Luz, in her cat sweatpants and gray tee, her hands up and ready. 

"AY! WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE... Ed? Marilyn? What are you two doing in here?"

Edric sighed and pulled out the picture again. "I'm baking! This, for Hunter!" 

Luz cooed, her eyes glistening. She was a hopeless romantic who LOVED these gestures. Eagerly, she was ready to help.

The trio spent nearly until 4 in the morning attempting to bake the cake. 

The first one was burned by Marilyn, Luz accidently added too much sugar to the second, and Edric put too much salt in the frosting for the first attempt. 

However, it was eventually assembled, with the janky little pink, purple, and blue hearts on top. The three high fived in unison, glad to be done. Edric wiped his brow, readjusting his glasses. 

Luz studied the cake, and her eyebrows shot up. "Oh, my goodness, is Hunter bi?"

"Uh, yeah. He told me, a little while back, at the dance. Actually, that was a really fun time." He sighed, caught in a dream, and leaned on the counter. 

"Hey, lover boy, focus up, we still need to get this cake over and clean the bowls." Marilyn hit his lightly on the head with the spoon end. 

He rubbed his head ruefully and stuck out his tongue. The trio cleaned up the kitchen, Luz taking the bowl of frosting back to her cabin. 

Edric stood in the kitchen for a while, smiling at the cake. 

"You really like this boy, huh?" Marilyn asked, her face and voice softer than normal.

"Yeah, I do. He's just... perfect, in every way I can think of. I'm so glad that I get to call him mine." Edric blushed, grasping his shirt in his hands, almost to stop the butterflies from escaping.

"I'm glad. A lot of people tend to throw away ones who really love 'em or love exactly the wrong person. But you seem to have picked well, eh?"

"Nah, he's the one who had anything to do with the picking. I was just in love." He laughed, running a hand through his hair.

"You little nerd." Marilyn chuckled, messing up Edric's hair. "Just don't let him go at the end of the summer, it might be coming faster than you expect." 

She left the room, leaving Edric in there alone. Her words had a sudden impact on him. 

He hadn't even begun to think about the possibility of them leaving each other at the end of the summer. 

He hadn't even realized how scary it would be, even just to have to date remotely. 

Suddenly, as he looked down on the cake, it was more than just a kind gesture- it was an urge to stay. 

Edric carried the cake to their shared cabin, careful not to trip over the rotting floorboards. 

He gently sat down on the bunk where Hunter was peacefully sleeping, his hair surrounding his head. Edric smiled, taking in the peacefulness of the way Hunter looked. 

He kissed his forehead, leaning forward a bit. "Hunter, I have a surprise."

Hunter grumbled, turning over in the bed. Edric shifted the cake to one hand, gently shaking Hunter. "Come on, love, you're gonna love it!"

He groaned once more before sitting up, blinking in the semi-darkness. "Happy one-month, Hunter!!" He smiled, holding the cake out to him.

Hunter's eyes widened and he blushed. 

He smiled profusely, taking the cake into his overexcited hands. He took a moment to notice the heart designs, the randomness of frosting swirls, the scent of fresh baked cake. His eyes watered a bit as he sat the cake aside for a moment. 

"Thank you, Edric, this means a lot to me." He pulled Edric in for a hug, the two gently embracing one another. 

"Of course, love. I thought it would be good to do something nice." He smiled, placing a kiss on Hunter's cheek as the two dispersed. "Well? Are you gonna try some?" 

Ed pulled out a fork from behind his back and Hunter laughed. He took the fork, digging into the cake. "You want some?" He offered Edric a bite, his mouth partially full. 

Edric glanced at the fork, his hand half-raised. He frowned a bit, before smiling again. "No thank you, I ate PLENTY of it while shaping the layers." He laughed a bit, Hunter shrugging and taking another few bites.

"It's perfect."

"I'm glad that you enjoy it, Hunter."

1051 words.