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cjmarloweSomething tells me I should have asked for cash up front...
This was actually written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wildchild1222 for a dollar donation drive way back, who requested "Krale or Krandrew AU deal summer like a road trip to a beach house or something." I finished a draft of it ages ago, and then sat on it till this past week on vacation to fill in the blanks and clean it up.
Boys of Summer
KAB RPF. 4,500 words. PG-13. Kris/Andrew. AU.
Torres gets this old VW van for a song, which not only runs smoothly but can fit all five of them. More or less. If they get friendly, anyway, which isn't something Kris has ever had problem with. That's why Torres is invited along, even though he's a friend of a friend and Kris doesn't know him as well as the others. He seems like a good guy, and if he can come up with an entire van in a pinch he'll probably be a handy guy to have on a road trip with them.
"Is that all you're bringing?" says Andrew, eyeing Kris's bag as he tosses it in the van ahead of himself.
"I didn't want to overpack," he says, climbing in after it. "If I'm missing anything, we can get it on the way."
"You mean you can just smile pretty and people will give you things," says Andrew. Kris smiles pretty at him; Andrew rolls his eyes and throws his own stuff in the van. And okay, cash on hand is admittedly something they're all a little short on, but that's part of the adventure. (It'd probably be more adventurous if Kris didn't know he could call his parents at any time and get them to help him out, but that's a last resort.)
"I can't believe you guys talked me into this," says Ryland, following behind them a few minutes later and loading in a cooler that Kris moved right to the back.
"I didn't talk anybody into anything," says Andrew. "I'm still not entirely sure how I got here myself."
"Kris smiled at you," says Cale, hopping into the driver's seat and firing up the engine just to make sure it turns over. But the thing still purrs like a kitten. A very loud and possibly angry kitten. "We ready to go?"
"Hold your horses, we've still got to load the rest of the stuff in," says Ryland, tossing a couple of bags in Kris's general direction that he just shoves into any available space. "We're not in any hurry. It's not like Keith is expecting us there tomorrow."
"Not till Monday," says Kris, stuffing something under a seat to make sure there's room for bodies. Live bodies, not dead ones. This isn't supposed to be the kind of road trip where there's a body count, it's real life and not popcorn movie. "That's almost a whole week, and Cale doesn't drive that slowly."
A summer spent working part-time at a friend's music day camp sounds pretty much like paradise for Kris. Or at least as close to paradise as he can get while still needing to earn a living. A summer working with (not too young, not too old) kids, outdoors, with his friends and music...other than actually making a living as a musician, it kind of doesn't get any better than that.
"It's not my driving we need to worry about," says Cale, "it's Kris's bathroom breaks. I hope you guys realize we're going to get a tour of the nation's gas stations."
"I can bring an empty bottle with me, if you'd rather," says Kris.
"That's okay," says Andrew quickly. "What's a road trip if you don't do some sight-seeing anyway?"
"Of gas stations?"
"Other places have bathrooms too," he says. "Interesting places."
"Bars have bathrooms," offers Torres. "And museums. And amusement parks."
"Andrew's not old enough to drink," says Ryland immediately, "but I'm sure he'd enjoy the amusement park."
"Bite me," says Andrew, and takes the seat next to Kris. And a few minutes later they're finally on the road.
*
They spend the first night in a dodgy motel, all five of them sharing a room to save money. Ryland lost the coin toss and has to take the floor, and without discussion Andrew takes one bed with Kris while Cale and Torres end up sharing the other. At least the place seems pretty clean and the sheets smell good, so Kris decides to think of the place as well-loved instead of run down. Like his old teddy bear with the missing eye and the bald behind.
"I was so right about the gas stations," says Cale. "Was I or was I not right about the gas stations?"
"You were right about the gas stations," says Ryland, "but I decided to cope by making an anthropological study of them. There's cultural meaning in there somewhere."
"Hey, come on, not all those stops were me," says Kris, "and don't think I don't know you were all just piggybacking on my stops anyway."
"That's because we're crafty," says Andrew, stretching out on the bed. "What kind of TV does this place get?"
"Color, according to the sign outside," says Ryland dryly.
"Come on, do you really want to watch TV?" says Torres. "There's got to be something more interesting to do."
"In a motel room with five guys?" says Andrew. "Probably nothing you'd be interested in doing."
"No, that's more up your alley, isn't it?" says Torres, and he's obviously teasing Andrew the same way they all tease each other, but Andrew tenses up anyway. He came out to them ages and ages ago but it's still this thing with him sometimes where he gets awkward all over again.
Sometimes Kris thinks he should talk to him about it, since it's common ground and all, but if they talked about it then it might lead to Kris talking about other stuff and when it comes to talking about that, Kris figures he needs to let Andrew set the pace.
"Only if you aren't one of the guys," he says, and tosses the box of kleenex at Torres's head. He feels really bad when it actually nails him. "Oh sh— you're not bleeding, are you?"
"You fight dirty, Allen," he says, rubbing his cheekbone. Kris really hopes it's not going to bruise. "I'll get you when you least expect it, just you wait."
"Is it okay if I don't wait, though?" says Kris. "Because if I'm waiting, then I'm kind of going to be expecting it."
"Nope," says Andrew, "I gave it a try but TV's more entertaining. Are you with me, Cale?"
"There's got to be a game on," he says. "I could live with that."
It's been a long day anyway, and while they sit at the end of the bed and flip though the limited channels Kris cleans up and climbs into bed and closes his eyes, and he's pretty good at drowning out the sounds of other people. He knows when Andrew finally comes to bed not because he feels him get in but because he wakes up briefly when he feels Andrew's side pressed up against his in the middle of the bed, warm and solid and comfortable.
Kris is asleep again a few moments later.
*
They make fun of Kris for bathroom breaks (which he really doesn't take that many of, he's just the only one of them who understands the need to hydrate) but Andrew keeps wanting to stop to take pictures of everything now that they're outside of the part of the country he's familiar with. It's kind of endearing really, and Kris always backs him up when he says he wants to stop. No one really argues, though. Heck, Torres usually thinks it's a great idea.
Maybe it's just that the places that Andrew wants to stop are usually more scenic than gas station bathrooms.
And in a pinch, Kris can usually pee in them too.
"Are we even going to have time to be ready when we get there?" says Ryland. "I don't think I ever got to vet the schedule."
"Yeah, there's a reason for that," says Cale. "Keith just does a one day orientation with us. One afternoon, really. We're not babysitting the kids, we're teaching them music. Other people are there to do the supervision part."
"I have my first aid certification," says Ryland. "I thought that would be a requirement."
"Recommended, not required," says Kris, "but it's good to know who to go to when I get a bee sting."
"Or a paper cut," offers Andrew.
"I don't know how you talked me into this," says Ryland. "I'm not even sure what I'm doing here with you four."
"Don't say that like you actually had anything better to do this summer," says Cale. "We know you. You're just cranky because we made you hitchhike."
"Of all the people to make hitchhike," he says, "why me?"
"Because you have no automotive skills," says Cale. "We were trying to play to your strengths. You're pretty."
"Actually, we were trying to minimize the effect of your weaknesses," says Andrew. "I've seen you around cars. They'd rather leap to their deaths."
"Besides," says Kris, "you got us a tow, so you were obviously the right man for the job."
And the van was ready to go again a couple hours later, good as new, so Kris would count their blessings. The old girl was solid and faithful, she just needed a little TLC along the way. And four new tires, but they would settle for one for the moment.
"Next time we blow out a tire, can we do it somewhere there's no interference with cell service?"
"Yeah, just for you, we'll make that happen," says Andrew, snapping a photo of the four of them while they're not paying attention. Torres is the only one who's smiling.
*
"I'm not staying in a place called the Valhalla Inn," says Ryland, staring at the sign. "That's just begging for trouble."
"It's a name," says Andrew. "It's not like they called it the Dead Man's Inn."
"I'd stay in a place called the Dead Man's Inn," says Cale. "Nothing would ever happen to you. It'd be too ironic."
"I don't think ironic's the word you're looking for there," says Ryland. "Either one is just asking for trouble, if you ask me."
"It's half the price of the other place," says Kris, "and isn't that the important thing?"
"Besides," says Cale, "you'd stay in a place called Heaven's Inn, wouldn't you?"
"They're not exactly the same thing," says Ryland. "Don't you know your mythology?"
"Not really, no," says Cale with a carefree shrug. "Come on, it's just a name. Suck it up and grab your toothbrush, we're going in."
The carpet is possibly the ugliest thing Kris has ever seen, but it smells good in there and Kris has learned to trust his nose when it comes to accommodations. Just because something is ugly doesn’t mean it isn't good. It just means it's better appreciated in the dark.
Cale gets the floor this time, and tries to offer favors for anyone to swap with him but no one bites.
The night at the Valhalla Inn is remarkable only in its uneventfulness. Cale tries to claim a point for that, in a game that no one else is playing.
*
The campground isn't really well lit, and despite packing anticipating spending at least one night in tents, none of them are really prepared to actually do that. They have bedding and things, because they all wanted something from home when they were away for a whole summer, but you need more than that to be comfortable in a tent. Still, there are worse things. Like trying to get comfortable in the van. Though Kris thinks Ryland is contemplating it anyway.
"Are you sure we couldn't have swung another night in a motel?" says Cale. "I thought we budgeted for this."
"We didn't budget so well for all the detours," says Torres, "but there's just so much cool shit to see in the world. What's the point of a road trip if you don't stop to see it once in a while?"
"The flat tire hit us pretty hard," says Ryland. "And shelling out for a spare, too. At least we get good mileage."
Kris doesn’t mind camping, though. He camped sometimes when he was a kid, just for fun. It was the kind of camping where they packed for it and had power outlets and usually a camper, but it was still camping. He liked being outside like this. Sometimes. Not as a lifestyle, though.
"I'm starving," he says. "Who has the sandwiches?"
"I do," says Andrew, and even gets one out for him. A hot meal would've been nice, since the night is starting to cool off, but Kris isn't that picky, he'll take what he can get. It's nice when Andrew joins him, claiming the other half of his sandwich and eating in comfortable silence. That's the nice thing about Andrew, or one of the nice things about him—he doesn't always feel like he has to be saying something.
Kris and Andrew end up in the two-man tent while the other three share the bigger one, though two-man is kind of generous even when one of those men is Kris's size and you don't have to stow any gear in there with you other than a change of clothes.
"We're just going to have to get friendly," says Kris. "It's ridiculous to try to make two beds in here. We've shared before, it's no big deal."
Andrew makes a sort of a noise that tries to suggest it makes no difference to him and they share the bedding they claimed (one a sleeping bag that Kris brought plus a couple of army blankets and a set of sheets that are intended to go on Andrew's bed when they finally reach the cabin. It really is a lot more comfortable that way, even without an air mattress. (Not that an air mattress would have fit in that tiny tent anyway. Two-man, Kris's ass.)
It's about twenty minutes before Andrew's arm ends up pressed up against Kris's, and another ten before it sort of carefully-casually snakes around him. Kris just snuggles into the embrace.
"Are you awake?" he murmurs. There's nothing at first, just breathing, then Andrew makes a soft noise and holds on tighter, almost defensively. "Okay, good. I'd hate to think you were doing that in your sleep and wouldn't remember in the morning."
There's another pause, then Andrew says, "So it's okay?"
Kris smiles into the night air and resists the urge to roll his eyes, mostly because no one is there to see. "It's always been okay," he says, a little louder but still soft enough to be appropriate for private, nighttime conversation. "Ever since...you know. I've been waiting."
"You could have made the first move," says Andrew. "I've been scared out of my mind."
"I didn't think you were ready," says Kris simply. And even though he was interested, he was in no hurry. Either it was going to happen or it wasn't, and rushing it would just get in the way. "I figured you'd let me know when you were."
"Well, this is me, letting you know," says Andrew. "In case that wasn't clear."
"No, it's clear," Kris says, and then, because everything's sort of green light now, he gives Andrew a nudge so he's facing him and kisses him gently. A little like a kiss of introduction. A kiss of 'hey, you can do this now, isn't it kind of great?'
And apparently Andrew agrees it's great because they're kissing again, and again, and shifting under the covers and pressing up against one another and laughing a little and kissing some more.
"This doesn't mean you forfeit having to take your turns on the floor," Ryland calls over from the other tent, and Kris just laughs louder as Andrew buries his face against his neck.
*
Kris has no idea how the guy does it. He has some pretty good luck himself, and has a knack for getting what he needs in life with hard work and a good attitude, but if Kris had gone out in a rainstorm to find them shelter for the night (or at least till they had enough visibility to keep driving) he maybe would've come up with someone's basement rec room. At best. Or maybe a manger or something. Torres comes back having nabbed them someone's nine-bedroom summer manor for the night.
"Are you serious?" says Cale. "Does this mean hot showers?"
"It means we can all shower at the same time," says Kris. "I mean, not that we couldn't before, but I mean in separate showers."
"If that's your preference," says Andrew, and Kris grins at his cheek. Apparently the rain brings out a whole new side of him. Or maybe it's something else bringing it out.
"We all get our own beds, too," says Torres, and this time it's Ryland who says, "If that's your preference," and slaps Andrew on the back.
For the record, it isn't, though Kris doesn't think that needs to be said.
"This is so much better than sleeping in the van," says Cale, which also sort of goes without saying, Kris thinks. After all, sleeping in tents is better than sleeping in the van, so fresh beds and warm showers is going to be like heaven. "What's the catch?"
"No catch," says Torres. "I even asked if it was haunted or something. It's stocked with food too, they just got a grocery delivery yesterday. They just got called back to the city for a business thing or a funeral or...well, something. I didn't really ask. She's going ahead to open up for us before they go, it's just up the road."
"They're not scared we're going to rob them blind?"
Torres just shrugs. "I guess I’m a trustworthy guy?" he says, and Kris thinks they should just run with it because there's no way they're getting a better offer. Even if the place is haunted.
Actually, it would be sort of interesting if it was, though Kris would feel kind of weird searching the place for clues. It's weird enough accepting this kind of hospitality.
"So what are we going to do tonight?" says Cale as Torres takes the wheel, driving the slowly and carefully, following the directions they've been given. "Now that we have options."
"Honestly, I’m just going to read a book," says Ryland. "Sorry to be so boring."
"Long hot bath," says Torres. "Don't judge me, you know you're thinking the same thing."
Cale looks at Andrew and Kris, but Andrew just shakes his head and Cale smirks at them. Kris is thinking the same thing, though. Large, clean, private bed. He can think of a few things he wants to be doing tonight while they have a chance. There are likely to be precious few this summer.
"Well, we'll eat first, though," says Kris. "I'll even cook."
"You're a prince among men," says Cale. "I guess I can watch the game. Alone. Because you all suck."
"Better hope the cable's not out," says Ryland.
"I hate you all," says Cale.
The house is everything they could've hoped for, though, and still too good to be true, but sometimes good things happen to good people and Kris likes to think this is one of those times. There's not much they can do for their absent hosts but make sure they clean up after themselves, strip the beds in the morning and do their own laundry because even though they're clearly the kind of people who have a cleaning service do these things for them, they weren't expecting overnight guests and shouldn't have to shoulder the responsibility of cleaning up after them.
Well, Ryland and Kris do the laundry, because they don't trust the rest of them to even know how, and Cale straightens up the rooms even though they don't need much straightening, and Andrew and Torres handle the kitchen. They don't even break anything, so they all consider it a success.
Morning is clear and sunny, and after leaving a thank you note—because Kris was raised with manners—and locking up, they hit the road.
*
They run out of gas money somewhere in Connecticut, despite trying to budget, because what could have been a two-day trip for the more goal oriented has been more than twice that already. Kris hauls out his guitar and heads to what seems like a well-populated and friendly street corner and hopes that they can scrounge up enough money to keep going. It's not that much further, and Cale talked to Keith just that morning and he sounded pretty eager to have them there, since a couple of the local students he hired weren't working out that well.
Not everyone was cut out to work with kids, after all.
Andrew brings his guitar too, and the two of them play, sometimes together, sometimes alternating, going through just about every song both of them can play off the top of their heads and don't need to rehearse. Which turns out to be a lot, actually.
They make about fifty bucks for an afternoon's work, which means either they were really good or (more likely) the sunny Friday afternoon just put everyone in a good mood and as long as Kris and Andrew were competent they were happy to throw a bit of change (or occasionally bills) into the open guitar case. It's definitely enough to fill the tank, anyway, and nobody has to call home which is always a plus. Just because they can doesn't mean they want to.
They stay the night, since they're already in town, and pick up some cheap canned food at the corner store because fifty bucks might fill the tank but it's not enough to buy them a hot meal or a motel room.
There's no conversation about who takes which tent this time, even though Cale tries to initiate one just to be a dick. Kris and Andrew completely ignore him, Torres laughs, and Ryland gives him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, giving in before the discussion even starts.
"Did you hear that?" says Torres, after they've heated their tins over an open fire. It’s about as tasty as it sounds, but it's an adventure. Kris just gives him a look. "No, really, did you hear that?"
"If you want to sleep in the van, sleep in the van," says Cale. "You don't have to make excuses."
"No, seriously, it was like a Bigfoot or something."
"A bigfoot?" says Andrew. "In Connecticut?"
"That sounds like the title of a movie," says Cale. "Wait, is that the title of a movie? If it isn't, it should be."
"Yeah, we can make it in our spare time this summer," says Andrew. "Torres can be Bigfoot."
"If anyone around here's going to be bigfoot, it's Cale," said Torres. "Have you seen his feet?"
"I'm not really sure that's the relevant point," says Ryland when the sound of a cracking branch echoes through their campsite. Nevermind that they're just off a major highway in a cheap roadside campground with little to no actual foliage, they all still look around nervously.
"Okay, did you hear that?"
"It wasn't Bigfoot," says Andrew. "Probably a bear."
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," says Torres. "At least a Bigfoot would only kidnap me. A bear will eat me."
"So yeah, sweet dreams," says Andrew. "I think I'm going to turn in now."
"Night, Andrew," says Ryland. "Night, Kris."
"Wait, I didn't say I was—"
"Trust me," says Ryland, "you're going to bed."
Kris looks at Andrew and grins and yeah, he can take a hint.
*
They finally arrive on Saturday around dinnertime, only getting lost once as they try to find the place because none of them have ever actually been there before. Kris has at least seen a few pictures, and recognizes the sign the second time they pass it.
They pull up at the main house just as Keith is stepping out onto the porch.
"Didn't expect you guys till tomorrow," he says as they all tumble out of the van. "Figured you'd take your sweet time."
"We did," says Kris, "but there's only so long that trip can actually take."
"False," says Torres. "It could have taken much longer, actually. Trust me."
"That's a story for another time," says Ryland. "Another time when I'm not verging on starving to death."
"It takes a really long time to starve to death," says Kris. "Like, weeks. And you could always eat leaves and stuff, the non-poisonous kind."
"And insects," says Andrew. "They're good for protein."
"You guys are such a comfort," says Ryland.
"Let me show you where you're staying, and then we'll get you fed," says Keith. "Boy am I glad to see you guys. Next session starts Monday morning and one of my guys just stopped showing up. I was worried we were gonna find him dead in a ditch somewhere but it turns out he just got a better job.
"Better than this?" says Kris. "Is there any such thing?"
"I knew I liked you for a reason," says Keith. "This way, just over the hill."
The cabin has rooms, enough for everyone, which they hadn't been counting on. Kris had actually envisioned some sort of bunkbed situation, so this is both a relief and a tiny, tiny disappointment. Because if there'd only been four rooms instead of six he could have casually offered to share with Andrew and it wouldn't have been a decision. But since there's actual space for everyone, it's a thing.
"Well, what do you think?" says Kris, holding his bag in one hand and looking at the free rooms.
"Hey, come on, don't put this all on me," says Andrew. "I already had to make the first move. You don't get to foist all responsibility onto me."
"Yeah," says Kris. "Yeah, okay. Well, we should. We might need our own space sometimes, so we should have our own rooms. But that doesn't mean we have to sleep there."
"Let me make this easy for you," says Cale from behind them. "Take the two rooms at the end of the hall, and sleep in the furthest one. Gives us a one-room buffer if you want to whatever."
"I'm not talking to you about this," says Andrew, hiding his face in his hand.
"Nothing saying none of you guys are going to find someone this summer," Kris points out. "Just saying."
"Well, we'll deal with that when the time comes," says Cale. "In the meantime...come on, you know we were all actually rooting for you, right?"
"You were?" says Andrew, at the same time Kris says, "Yeah, I know."
"We just don't want to hear it."
Kris laughs and Andrew grabs both of their bags and stalks down the hall to the furthest room, and Cale gives him a fond clap on the shoulder, the clap of a best friend who's always got your back, no matter what. A moment later, Kris goes to check out his new room.
It's going to be a great summer.
This entry was originally posted at http://cj.dreamwidth.org/10060.html.
This was actually written for
wildchild1222 for a dollar donation drive way back, who requested "Krale or Krandrew AU deal summer like a road trip to a beach house or something." I finished a draft of it ages ago, and then sat on it till this past week on vacation to fill in the blanks and clean it up.Boys of Summer
KAB RPF. 4,500 words. PG-13. Kris/Andrew. AU.
Torres gets this old VW van for a song, which not only runs smoothly but can fit all five of them. More or less. If they get friendly, anyway, which isn't something Kris has ever had problem with. That's why Torres is invited along, even though he's a friend of a friend and Kris doesn't know him as well as the others. He seems like a good guy, and if he can come up with an entire van in a pinch he'll probably be a handy guy to have on a road trip with them.
"Is that all you're bringing?" says Andrew, eyeing Kris's bag as he tosses it in the van ahead of himself.
"I didn't want to overpack," he says, climbing in after it. "If I'm missing anything, we can get it on the way."
"You mean you can just smile pretty and people will give you things," says Andrew. Kris smiles pretty at him; Andrew rolls his eyes and throws his own stuff in the van. And okay, cash on hand is admittedly something they're all a little short on, but that's part of the adventure. (It'd probably be more adventurous if Kris didn't know he could call his parents at any time and get them to help him out, but that's a last resort.)
"I can't believe you guys talked me into this," says Ryland, following behind them a few minutes later and loading in a cooler that Kris moved right to the back.
"I didn't talk anybody into anything," says Andrew. "I'm still not entirely sure how I got here myself."
"Kris smiled at you," says Cale, hopping into the driver's seat and firing up the engine just to make sure it turns over. But the thing still purrs like a kitten. A very loud and possibly angry kitten. "We ready to go?"
"Hold your horses, we've still got to load the rest of the stuff in," says Ryland, tossing a couple of bags in Kris's general direction that he just shoves into any available space. "We're not in any hurry. It's not like Keith is expecting us there tomorrow."
"Not till Monday," says Kris, stuffing something under a seat to make sure there's room for bodies. Live bodies, not dead ones. This isn't supposed to be the kind of road trip where there's a body count, it's real life and not popcorn movie. "That's almost a whole week, and Cale doesn't drive that slowly."
A summer spent working part-time at a friend's music day camp sounds pretty much like paradise for Kris. Or at least as close to paradise as he can get while still needing to earn a living. A summer working with (not too young, not too old) kids, outdoors, with his friends and music...other than actually making a living as a musician, it kind of doesn't get any better than that.
"It's not my driving we need to worry about," says Cale, "it's Kris's bathroom breaks. I hope you guys realize we're going to get a tour of the nation's gas stations."
"I can bring an empty bottle with me, if you'd rather," says Kris.
"That's okay," says Andrew quickly. "What's a road trip if you don't do some sight-seeing anyway?"
"Of gas stations?"
"Other places have bathrooms too," he says. "Interesting places."
"Bars have bathrooms," offers Torres. "And museums. And amusement parks."
"Andrew's not old enough to drink," says Ryland immediately, "but I'm sure he'd enjoy the amusement park."
"Bite me," says Andrew, and takes the seat next to Kris. And a few minutes later they're finally on the road.
*
They spend the first night in a dodgy motel, all five of them sharing a room to save money. Ryland lost the coin toss and has to take the floor, and without discussion Andrew takes one bed with Kris while Cale and Torres end up sharing the other. At least the place seems pretty clean and the sheets smell good, so Kris decides to think of the place as well-loved instead of run down. Like his old teddy bear with the missing eye and the bald behind.
"I was so right about the gas stations," says Cale. "Was I or was I not right about the gas stations?"
"You were right about the gas stations," says Ryland, "but I decided to cope by making an anthropological study of them. There's cultural meaning in there somewhere."
"Hey, come on, not all those stops were me," says Kris, "and don't think I don't know you were all just piggybacking on my stops anyway."
"That's because we're crafty," says Andrew, stretching out on the bed. "What kind of TV does this place get?"
"Color, according to the sign outside," says Ryland dryly.
"Come on, do you really want to watch TV?" says Torres. "There's got to be something more interesting to do."
"In a motel room with five guys?" says Andrew. "Probably nothing you'd be interested in doing."
"No, that's more up your alley, isn't it?" says Torres, and he's obviously teasing Andrew the same way they all tease each other, but Andrew tenses up anyway. He came out to them ages and ages ago but it's still this thing with him sometimes where he gets awkward all over again.
Sometimes Kris thinks he should talk to him about it, since it's common ground and all, but if they talked about it then it might lead to Kris talking about other stuff and when it comes to talking about that, Kris figures he needs to let Andrew set the pace.
"Only if you aren't one of the guys," he says, and tosses the box of kleenex at Torres's head. He feels really bad when it actually nails him. "Oh sh— you're not bleeding, are you?"
"You fight dirty, Allen," he says, rubbing his cheekbone. Kris really hopes it's not going to bruise. "I'll get you when you least expect it, just you wait."
"Is it okay if I don't wait, though?" says Kris. "Because if I'm waiting, then I'm kind of going to be expecting it."
"Nope," says Andrew, "I gave it a try but TV's more entertaining. Are you with me, Cale?"
"There's got to be a game on," he says. "I could live with that."
It's been a long day anyway, and while they sit at the end of the bed and flip though the limited channels Kris cleans up and climbs into bed and closes his eyes, and he's pretty good at drowning out the sounds of other people. He knows when Andrew finally comes to bed not because he feels him get in but because he wakes up briefly when he feels Andrew's side pressed up against his in the middle of the bed, warm and solid and comfortable.
Kris is asleep again a few moments later.
*
They make fun of Kris for bathroom breaks (which he really doesn't take that many of, he's just the only one of them who understands the need to hydrate) but Andrew keeps wanting to stop to take pictures of everything now that they're outside of the part of the country he's familiar with. It's kind of endearing really, and Kris always backs him up when he says he wants to stop. No one really argues, though. Heck, Torres usually thinks it's a great idea.
Maybe it's just that the places that Andrew wants to stop are usually more scenic than gas station bathrooms.
And in a pinch, Kris can usually pee in them too.
"Are we even going to have time to be ready when we get there?" says Ryland. "I don't think I ever got to vet the schedule."
"Yeah, there's a reason for that," says Cale. "Keith just does a one day orientation with us. One afternoon, really. We're not babysitting the kids, we're teaching them music. Other people are there to do the supervision part."
"I have my first aid certification," says Ryland. "I thought that would be a requirement."
"Recommended, not required," says Kris, "but it's good to know who to go to when I get a bee sting."
"Or a paper cut," offers Andrew.
"I don't know how you talked me into this," says Ryland. "I'm not even sure what I'm doing here with you four."
"Don't say that like you actually had anything better to do this summer," says Cale. "We know you. You're just cranky because we made you hitchhike."
"Of all the people to make hitchhike," he says, "why me?"
"Because you have no automotive skills," says Cale. "We were trying to play to your strengths. You're pretty."
"Actually, we were trying to minimize the effect of your weaknesses," says Andrew. "I've seen you around cars. They'd rather leap to their deaths."
"Besides," says Kris, "you got us a tow, so you were obviously the right man for the job."
And the van was ready to go again a couple hours later, good as new, so Kris would count their blessings. The old girl was solid and faithful, she just needed a little TLC along the way. And four new tires, but they would settle for one for the moment.
"Next time we blow out a tire, can we do it somewhere there's no interference with cell service?"
"Yeah, just for you, we'll make that happen," says Andrew, snapping a photo of the four of them while they're not paying attention. Torres is the only one who's smiling.
*
"I'm not staying in a place called the Valhalla Inn," says Ryland, staring at the sign. "That's just begging for trouble."
"It's a name," says Andrew. "It's not like they called it the Dead Man's Inn."
"I'd stay in a place called the Dead Man's Inn," says Cale. "Nothing would ever happen to you. It'd be too ironic."
"I don't think ironic's the word you're looking for there," says Ryland. "Either one is just asking for trouble, if you ask me."
"It's half the price of the other place," says Kris, "and isn't that the important thing?"
"Besides," says Cale, "you'd stay in a place called Heaven's Inn, wouldn't you?"
"They're not exactly the same thing," says Ryland. "Don't you know your mythology?"
"Not really, no," says Cale with a carefree shrug. "Come on, it's just a name. Suck it up and grab your toothbrush, we're going in."
The carpet is possibly the ugliest thing Kris has ever seen, but it smells good in there and Kris has learned to trust his nose when it comes to accommodations. Just because something is ugly doesn’t mean it isn't good. It just means it's better appreciated in the dark.
Cale gets the floor this time, and tries to offer favors for anyone to swap with him but no one bites.
The night at the Valhalla Inn is remarkable only in its uneventfulness. Cale tries to claim a point for that, in a game that no one else is playing.
*
The campground isn't really well lit, and despite packing anticipating spending at least one night in tents, none of them are really prepared to actually do that. They have bedding and things, because they all wanted something from home when they were away for a whole summer, but you need more than that to be comfortable in a tent. Still, there are worse things. Like trying to get comfortable in the van. Though Kris thinks Ryland is contemplating it anyway.
"Are you sure we couldn't have swung another night in a motel?" says Cale. "I thought we budgeted for this."
"We didn't budget so well for all the detours," says Torres, "but there's just so much cool shit to see in the world. What's the point of a road trip if you don't stop to see it once in a while?"
"The flat tire hit us pretty hard," says Ryland. "And shelling out for a spare, too. At least we get good mileage."
Kris doesn’t mind camping, though. He camped sometimes when he was a kid, just for fun. It was the kind of camping where they packed for it and had power outlets and usually a camper, but it was still camping. He liked being outside like this. Sometimes. Not as a lifestyle, though.
"I'm starving," he says. "Who has the sandwiches?"
"I do," says Andrew, and even gets one out for him. A hot meal would've been nice, since the night is starting to cool off, but Kris isn't that picky, he'll take what he can get. It's nice when Andrew joins him, claiming the other half of his sandwich and eating in comfortable silence. That's the nice thing about Andrew, or one of the nice things about him—he doesn't always feel like he has to be saying something.
Kris and Andrew end up in the two-man tent while the other three share the bigger one, though two-man is kind of generous even when one of those men is Kris's size and you don't have to stow any gear in there with you other than a change of clothes.
"We're just going to have to get friendly," says Kris. "It's ridiculous to try to make two beds in here. We've shared before, it's no big deal."
Andrew makes a sort of a noise that tries to suggest it makes no difference to him and they share the bedding they claimed (one a sleeping bag that Kris brought plus a couple of army blankets and a set of sheets that are intended to go on Andrew's bed when they finally reach the cabin. It really is a lot more comfortable that way, even without an air mattress. (Not that an air mattress would have fit in that tiny tent anyway. Two-man, Kris's ass.)
It's about twenty minutes before Andrew's arm ends up pressed up against Kris's, and another ten before it sort of carefully-casually snakes around him. Kris just snuggles into the embrace.
"Are you awake?" he murmurs. There's nothing at first, just breathing, then Andrew makes a soft noise and holds on tighter, almost defensively. "Okay, good. I'd hate to think you were doing that in your sleep and wouldn't remember in the morning."
There's another pause, then Andrew says, "So it's okay?"
Kris smiles into the night air and resists the urge to roll his eyes, mostly because no one is there to see. "It's always been okay," he says, a little louder but still soft enough to be appropriate for private, nighttime conversation. "Ever since...you know. I've been waiting."
"You could have made the first move," says Andrew. "I've been scared out of my mind."
"I didn't think you were ready," says Kris simply. And even though he was interested, he was in no hurry. Either it was going to happen or it wasn't, and rushing it would just get in the way. "I figured you'd let me know when you were."
"Well, this is me, letting you know," says Andrew. "In case that wasn't clear."
"No, it's clear," Kris says, and then, because everything's sort of green light now, he gives Andrew a nudge so he's facing him and kisses him gently. A little like a kiss of introduction. A kiss of 'hey, you can do this now, isn't it kind of great?'
And apparently Andrew agrees it's great because they're kissing again, and again, and shifting under the covers and pressing up against one another and laughing a little and kissing some more.
"This doesn't mean you forfeit having to take your turns on the floor," Ryland calls over from the other tent, and Kris just laughs louder as Andrew buries his face against his neck.
*
Kris has no idea how the guy does it. He has some pretty good luck himself, and has a knack for getting what he needs in life with hard work and a good attitude, but if Kris had gone out in a rainstorm to find them shelter for the night (or at least till they had enough visibility to keep driving) he maybe would've come up with someone's basement rec room. At best. Or maybe a manger or something. Torres comes back having nabbed them someone's nine-bedroom summer manor for the night.
"Are you serious?" says Cale. "Does this mean hot showers?"
"It means we can all shower at the same time," says Kris. "I mean, not that we couldn't before, but I mean in separate showers."
"If that's your preference," says Andrew, and Kris grins at his cheek. Apparently the rain brings out a whole new side of him. Or maybe it's something else bringing it out.
"We all get our own beds, too," says Torres, and this time it's Ryland who says, "If that's your preference," and slaps Andrew on the back.
For the record, it isn't, though Kris doesn't think that needs to be said.
"This is so much better than sleeping in the van," says Cale, which also sort of goes without saying, Kris thinks. After all, sleeping in tents is better than sleeping in the van, so fresh beds and warm showers is going to be like heaven. "What's the catch?"
"No catch," says Torres. "I even asked if it was haunted or something. It's stocked with food too, they just got a grocery delivery yesterday. They just got called back to the city for a business thing or a funeral or...well, something. I didn't really ask. She's going ahead to open up for us before they go, it's just up the road."
"They're not scared we're going to rob them blind?"
Torres just shrugs. "I guess I’m a trustworthy guy?" he says, and Kris thinks they should just run with it because there's no way they're getting a better offer. Even if the place is haunted.
Actually, it would be sort of interesting if it was, though Kris would feel kind of weird searching the place for clues. It's weird enough accepting this kind of hospitality.
"So what are we going to do tonight?" says Cale as Torres takes the wheel, driving the slowly and carefully, following the directions they've been given. "Now that we have options."
"Honestly, I’m just going to read a book," says Ryland. "Sorry to be so boring."
"Long hot bath," says Torres. "Don't judge me, you know you're thinking the same thing."
Cale looks at Andrew and Kris, but Andrew just shakes his head and Cale smirks at them. Kris is thinking the same thing, though. Large, clean, private bed. He can think of a few things he wants to be doing tonight while they have a chance. There are likely to be precious few this summer.
"Well, we'll eat first, though," says Kris. "I'll even cook."
"You're a prince among men," says Cale. "I guess I can watch the game. Alone. Because you all suck."
"Better hope the cable's not out," says Ryland.
"I hate you all," says Cale.
The house is everything they could've hoped for, though, and still too good to be true, but sometimes good things happen to good people and Kris likes to think this is one of those times. There's not much they can do for their absent hosts but make sure they clean up after themselves, strip the beds in the morning and do their own laundry because even though they're clearly the kind of people who have a cleaning service do these things for them, they weren't expecting overnight guests and shouldn't have to shoulder the responsibility of cleaning up after them.
Well, Ryland and Kris do the laundry, because they don't trust the rest of them to even know how, and Cale straightens up the rooms even though they don't need much straightening, and Andrew and Torres handle the kitchen. They don't even break anything, so they all consider it a success.
Morning is clear and sunny, and after leaving a thank you note—because Kris was raised with manners—and locking up, they hit the road.
*
They run out of gas money somewhere in Connecticut, despite trying to budget, because what could have been a two-day trip for the more goal oriented has been more than twice that already. Kris hauls out his guitar and heads to what seems like a well-populated and friendly street corner and hopes that they can scrounge up enough money to keep going. It's not that much further, and Cale talked to Keith just that morning and he sounded pretty eager to have them there, since a couple of the local students he hired weren't working out that well.
Not everyone was cut out to work with kids, after all.
Andrew brings his guitar too, and the two of them play, sometimes together, sometimes alternating, going through just about every song both of them can play off the top of their heads and don't need to rehearse. Which turns out to be a lot, actually.
They make about fifty bucks for an afternoon's work, which means either they were really good or (more likely) the sunny Friday afternoon just put everyone in a good mood and as long as Kris and Andrew were competent they were happy to throw a bit of change (or occasionally bills) into the open guitar case. It's definitely enough to fill the tank, anyway, and nobody has to call home which is always a plus. Just because they can doesn't mean they want to.
They stay the night, since they're already in town, and pick up some cheap canned food at the corner store because fifty bucks might fill the tank but it's not enough to buy them a hot meal or a motel room.
There's no conversation about who takes which tent this time, even though Cale tries to initiate one just to be a dick. Kris and Andrew completely ignore him, Torres laughs, and Ryland gives him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, giving in before the discussion even starts.
"Did you hear that?" says Torres, after they've heated their tins over an open fire. It’s about as tasty as it sounds, but it's an adventure. Kris just gives him a look. "No, really, did you hear that?"
"If you want to sleep in the van, sleep in the van," says Cale. "You don't have to make excuses."
"No, seriously, it was like a Bigfoot or something."
"A bigfoot?" says Andrew. "In Connecticut?"
"That sounds like the title of a movie," says Cale. "Wait, is that the title of a movie? If it isn't, it should be."
"Yeah, we can make it in our spare time this summer," says Andrew. "Torres can be Bigfoot."
"If anyone around here's going to be bigfoot, it's Cale," said Torres. "Have you seen his feet?"
"I'm not really sure that's the relevant point," says Ryland when the sound of a cracking branch echoes through their campsite. Nevermind that they're just off a major highway in a cheap roadside campground with little to no actual foliage, they all still look around nervously.
"Okay, did you hear that?"
"It wasn't Bigfoot," says Andrew. "Probably a bear."
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," says Torres. "At least a Bigfoot would only kidnap me. A bear will eat me."
"So yeah, sweet dreams," says Andrew. "I think I'm going to turn in now."
"Night, Andrew," says Ryland. "Night, Kris."
"Wait, I didn't say I was—"
"Trust me," says Ryland, "you're going to bed."
Kris looks at Andrew and grins and yeah, he can take a hint.
*
They finally arrive on Saturday around dinnertime, only getting lost once as they try to find the place because none of them have ever actually been there before. Kris has at least seen a few pictures, and recognizes the sign the second time they pass it.
They pull up at the main house just as Keith is stepping out onto the porch.
"Didn't expect you guys till tomorrow," he says as they all tumble out of the van. "Figured you'd take your sweet time."
"We did," says Kris, "but there's only so long that trip can actually take."
"False," says Torres. "It could have taken much longer, actually. Trust me."
"That's a story for another time," says Ryland. "Another time when I'm not verging on starving to death."
"It takes a really long time to starve to death," says Kris. "Like, weeks. And you could always eat leaves and stuff, the non-poisonous kind."
"And insects," says Andrew. "They're good for protein."
"You guys are such a comfort," says Ryland.
"Let me show you where you're staying, and then we'll get you fed," says Keith. "Boy am I glad to see you guys. Next session starts Monday morning and one of my guys just stopped showing up. I was worried we were gonna find him dead in a ditch somewhere but it turns out he just got a better job.
"Better than this?" says Kris. "Is there any such thing?"
"I knew I liked you for a reason," says Keith. "This way, just over the hill."
The cabin has rooms, enough for everyone, which they hadn't been counting on. Kris had actually envisioned some sort of bunkbed situation, so this is both a relief and a tiny, tiny disappointment. Because if there'd only been four rooms instead of six he could have casually offered to share with Andrew and it wouldn't have been a decision. But since there's actual space for everyone, it's a thing.
"Well, what do you think?" says Kris, holding his bag in one hand and looking at the free rooms.
"Hey, come on, don't put this all on me," says Andrew. "I already had to make the first move. You don't get to foist all responsibility onto me."
"Yeah," says Kris. "Yeah, okay. Well, we should. We might need our own space sometimes, so we should have our own rooms. But that doesn't mean we have to sleep there."
"Let me make this easy for you," says Cale from behind them. "Take the two rooms at the end of the hall, and sleep in the furthest one. Gives us a one-room buffer if you want to whatever."
"I'm not talking to you about this," says Andrew, hiding his face in his hand.
"Nothing saying none of you guys are going to find someone this summer," Kris points out. "Just saying."
"Well, we'll deal with that when the time comes," says Cale. "In the meantime...come on, you know we were all actually rooting for you, right?"
"You were?" says Andrew, at the same time Kris says, "Yeah, I know."
"We just don't want to hear it."
Kris laughs and Andrew grabs both of their bags and stalks down the hall to the furthest room, and Cale gives him a fond clap on the shoulder, the clap of a best friend who's always got your back, no matter what. A moment later, Kris goes to check out his new room.
It's going to be a great summer.
This entry was originally posted at http://cj.dreamwidth.org/10060.html.
