Camping Trip

Chapter Three

"Who dumped who?" Hugh asked, "I bet she did the dumping."

"Why her?" Linda didn't read anything mean in his words. Aiden did. "She was smitten."

"You got bored." Ben said, "Right? I saw that look. A month in and you were sick of her."

"It was just a summer fling-" Aiden answered as diplomatically as he could.

Linda snorted. "A 'fling', what a boy."

Aiden was prodded by different questions, and by the end it didn't really matter what he said because they were only teasing him.

"Looking for another summer romance?" Connor questioned idly, his eyes flicking to Evie at his side.

"Nope." Aiden answered quickly, "I'll pass on round two, thanks."

"'thanks'?" Connor repeated, "I wasn't propositioning you."

That got a good laugh out of the guides, and pretty much everyone. Lucas scowl stood out among smiling faces. Connor noticed it and flashed a satisfied smile.

Aiden downed the rest of his beer. If one of the others had said it, it would have annoyed him. But Connor didn't seem to have any malice intent in his words.

At midnight Aiden excused himself and went back to his cabin. Connor wasn't long coming after him. He hummed lightly under his breath, and his eyes didn't have the same sharpness as they did yesterday.

"Settling in?" Aiden asked.

"I like the staff here."

"Thanks."

Connor smirked, and tossed himself onto his back on the mattress. "Can you get the light?"

He did.

"Hugh doesn't like you."

"He doesn't like you either." Aiden replied.

"No, but he has to be nice to me because of Lucas." Connor rolled over to face him, "What about Kal? Does he hate you too?"

"We don't get along" He crawled under the covers and took of his broken watch, laying it on the bedside table.

"Do they bully you?"

"Bully? No."

"Seems like they would." Connor said, "I mean, Lucas just behaves like an idiot, but with them it would be intentional."

Aiden wasn't quite sure what that meant. "They're a pain in the neck at school. Their jokes always need to be at someone's expense, sometimes that would be me. Throwing things in class, tripping up – just stupid, childish things."

"That sounds about right." Connor said.

Aiden frowned into the darkness. He worried for a few minutes about whether he should have answered honestly like that or not. It didn't take long to decide it was fine. Connor clearly didn't like them. he wouldn't repeat what he'd said. Hopefully.

The knocking at the door woke him up. It was only a faint tap – and he didn't think it had even woken up Connor. Aiden squinted at the screen of his phone. 3.34 am.

Who would be out this early?

He quietly opened the door and the chill of the night hit his bare legs.

"Lucas?" Aiden stepped outside, and pulled the door softly closed behind him, "It's the middle of the night, what are you still doing up?"

"I-"

"Shh" Aiden hissed, "Connor's sleeping."

Lucas looked at the door, and then at Aiden. "Right." He whispered. With his voice came the acidic scent of beer. "I came to say sorry."

Aiden took in his glowing red cheeks and swaying stance. "You apologised earlier."

"I didn't mean to yell at you." Lucas put his hands over Aiden's shoulders. "And I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm so, so, so, sorry"

"Okay." Aiden caught him as his weight titled dangerously to the side, "Apology accepted. Why don't I walk you back to your cabin?"

"That would be nice." Lucas mumbled, "Why did you break up with Sarah?"

Aiden strained against his weight pushing him to the door.

"Cause she was boring?" Lucas wondered, "Are you going to go out with Connor instead?"

"No?" Aiden needed a few seconds to translate each sentence, given the slur in his words. "I broke up with Sarah because I realised I didn't like her all that much."

"Were you heartbroken?"

"No. Ready to go to your cabin?"

"Is your jaw okay?"

"Lucas" Aiden groaned, "I want to go to sleep." He tried to meet Lucas's eyes, but they were fixed on his jaw. He wasn't even looking at the right side.

"Hey." Aiden caught his chin and forced him to look up. "Let's go to your cabin, okay?"

Lucas's eyes focused on him. "Really?"

"Yes, really" Aiden muttered back annoyed.

"Oh uh, well, the others are there." Lucas said with an overly concerned voice. "Is that okay?"

"Even better." Aiden said. Unless they were as pissed drunk as Lucas and behaved like this too.

"Better... no ... I'd rather stay here." Lucas rubbed Aiden's jaw, finding the exact spot with the bruise.

"Ow" Aiden grabbed his hand.

He wished he hadn't, because Lucas leaned in for another dozen 'sorrys' that bathed Aiden in the scent of beer.

"Can you try support your own weight please?" Aiden's back pressed uncomfortably against the door handle.

Lucas cupped his cheek, asking 'does it hurt' or the slurred equivalent.

"No." Aiden barked out annoyed. His patience had run out.

Lucas brushed his other hand along his neck and raised it to cup Aiden's other cheek.

"What are you doing?" Aiden pulled back but couldn't escape the Lucas's grip.

Lucas leaned down and kissed him.