Spencer was cautious as he approached The Pit, the designated 'Spooky Story' clearing, just a few minutes' walk from the lodgings.
He'd never enjoyed the scary story sessions during the camp period and didn't understand how anyone could.
Why would you want to sit there, cold despite a raging fire and surrounded by thick trees and darkness that you couldn't see into as someone put the fear of your very life in the back of your head with ludicrous stories that you logically know are stupid but can't help but shudder over.
It just didn't sound like a good time to him and something in the back of his head was screaming that he was being set up for a prank, which he wasn't in the mood for after the long day everyone had just had.
Yet, that didn't stop him from making his way to The Pit after making sure that Pearl was in safe hands with Elliott, one of the counsellors for the younger children.
He had to go, what if it was some kind of urgent matter that needed to be confidential?
Granted, they could have come to his cabin but maybe they weren't comfortable with that so he forfeited his time.
He was on edge for the whole walk, despite still having the fading sunlight to guide him.
Every minor scuff of his own feet and snap of a twig from whatever wilderness could be out there had Spencer jumping and looking over his shoulder.
The further he went, the more nervous he got and a couple of times he thought about heading back, but curiosity pushed him forward to The Pit, which felt like a marathon away.
The relief he felt upon pushing through the treeline made him feel both foolish and at instant ease.
This soon shifted into mild bewilderment at the sight of a picnic blanket laid out with leftovers that no one would miss but still looked fresh with Dylan sitting on one of the long logs they used as a seat for story time, his back towards the rest of the mismatching seats and the centre they would use for the fire.
Dylan looked up at the noise of Spencer's shuffling footsteps as his boots connected with the twigs and grass, an unusual smile coming to his face. One that looked laid back and yet almost uncharacteristically uncertain.
Spencer noted the apple in Dylan's hand, one he must have just taken a bite out of as he was merrily chewing as he smiled with close lips.
There was a pause of silence as Spencer took in the scene, which included battery powered lanterns sat on two corners of the blanket and Dylan's hair that still didn't look combed, but at least looked like he'd ran his fingers through it in an attempt to make it look tidier.
"Hope you don't mind that I started already," Dylan said, holding up his apple to accentuate the point.
Spencer rose an eyebrow, pulling his glasses off to clean them with a cloth that he pulled from his pocket.
"Of course not, why would I?"
"Well," Dylan shrugged, standing up, "you went to all this effort to set up a surprise picnic and I start eating without you, though...gotta admit, I wasn't expecting this from your note."
"I'm sorry, what? I didn't set this up, I came here because of your note."
Dylan's brows furrowed and he shook his head while reaching into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a sheet of paper and unfolding it carelessly with one hand.
"No, you asked me here."
Spencer slipped the carefully folded note from his pocket and opened it to show Dylan.
Dylan stepped closer and leaned forward to read the note then flicked his eyes up to meet Spencer's.
"My handwriting isn't that bad," he smiled wryly, straightening up again. "So, it looks like someone is setting us up."
"So it would seems" Spencer huffed, folding the note again and slipping it into his pocket. "I shall go back and have words with people."
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and took a step back to turn back on the path he had just taken, the treeline looking more daunting than before now that the light was fading further.
"Whoa, hold on," Dylan said, grabbing onto his wrist. "Come on, let loose...someone obviously set this up for us, may as well enjoy it right?"
Spencer glanced down at Dylan's hand and then looked away, clearing his throat.
"Um...I don't know, it's getting late."
"It's not that late," Dylan smiled, letting go of his wrist, "besides, it's been a while since I had an actual date."
"Date?!" Spencer shrieked, his voice unintentionally higher than he had intended for it to be.
"Sure," Dylan shrugged, slipping his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. "Unless you don't want it to be, which is cool too."
Spencer paused and Dylan could have sworn that he visibly saw the uptight man's brain shut down, his face slack and his eyes wide as he tried to process what had just occurred.
Eventually, he snapped his mouth shut as his cheeks flushed lightly.
"You actually want it to be a date?"
Dylan shrugged, his eyes roaming over the area as though he couldn't dare to meet Spencer's.
"I wouldn't say no."
"With me? Why? I don't get it."
"What's not to get? I like you. Have for a while."
"Okay, but why?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You want me to list the reasons? There's many."
Dylan stared at Spencer, not unkindly but still in a way that had the other man squirming in his spot, as though he had said something wrong or stupid and now he wanted the ground to eat him up.
After a painfully drawn-out moment, Dylan moved closer again and put a hand on Spencer's shoulder, smiling down at him in a way that made Spencer's stomach flip and his heart jolt.
"Sit down with me, Spence and I'll tell you all about it."
Spencer looked up at him, internally cursing him for being at least two inches taller.
But the kindness in his eyes and the smile aimed just at him made his resolve quickly shrivel up and he could only drop his head as he nodded, having to push his glasses up his nose once again.
"Okay," he said, barely above a whisper. "But let's not make this a habit."
---
"You did what?"
I looked at Taylor from my place on the floor, a clipboard in my hand as I went over the next day's activities.
"I set them up on a picnic, used secret notes and everything."
"Man," she groaned, flopping back onto her bed. "That's so lame!"
"I'm at a camp, what am I meant to do? Put them in a canoe and push them into the lake to sail away?"
"That would have been funnier and we could have at least watched it."
I rolled my eyes and looked back at my sheet.
"You can still go and spy on them, check it out and see if they actually bothered."
Taylor scoffed, throwing a hand into the air.
"Come on, we all know Spencer wouldn't make his way to The Pit over a mystery note."
"Hey, don't crap all over my idea, you never know."
"We both know."
I stared at her, narrowing my eyes and silently cursing at her for likely being right.
"I told you I wasn't good with romance," I muttered, glaring at her knees.
"Yeah well, you better come up with a better idea because there's no way that'll work."
I nodded slowly, biting the inside of my bottom lip as the cogs in my head turned before finally snapping into place.
"You know...I'm willing to bet it will."
There was a couple of beats of silence, me staring at Taylor staring at the ceiling.
Then she shifted on the bed and pushed herself up on her elbows to meet my eye, that mischievous smile in its usual place, her hair unusually tousled as she rose an eyebrow.
"Oh, I am taking you up on that."