Notes: Hartmon Halloween prompt - Bonfire

When the Summer Ends

The end of the week bonfire is particularly tall this time around - it's Cisco second and final week as a camper and the final week for the camp to be open for the summer at all. It hosts scout troops and school field trips during the year itself, but Cisco's public school doesn't do that sort of thing anymore. Not that Cisco would be interested in coming back without Hartley there too.

Hartley's an all summer camper or, as he likes to put it, his parents stick him on a shelf there to get him out of their hair until his private school starts back up for the year. Though the last time he said that, he'd hesitated and blushed, ducking his head and grabbing Cisco's hand for a moment. And then added, "but it's worth it this year. Since I got to meet you."

Of course, then Hartley'd run away to get to their craft sign ups next and avoided Cisco for the rest of the afternoon.

It was a Catholic summer camp - a compromise between Cisco wanting to go to camp at all and his parents wanting him to focus more on religion. So there was the typical summer camp stuff, but also mass on Sunday and they had the priest that came by to give mass also do Reconciliation on Wednesdays. Optional, of course. And Cisco had been all too happy to skip at least that much. But campers had to sit respectfully in quiet while the ones who wanted to take part in the sacrament did so. And while Cisco didn't feel particularly bad about not taking part... he'd seen the nervous looks on Hartley's face as he'd sat out.

Nervous, Cisco suspected, because he was gay. Or at least queer in some fashion. Just like Cisco was.

So Cisco tracked Hartley down at dinner time to sit with in the cafeteria and latched on to his hand to drag him off to the bonfire. The same silly ghost stories - tame and a little boring - were told by the counselors. And Cisco leaned against Hartley's shoulder as he ignored the stories, focusing on the warmth of the tall flames and how nice it was to snuggle against the shoulder of a cute boy.

Hartley had gone tense, but he hadn't shoved Cisco off. He hoped they could talk about it all before they left tomorrow. The last thing Cisco wanted was say goodbye without telling Hartley how much he'd grown to like the other boy.

"C-Cisco," Hartley stammered, shaking Cisco's shoulder a bit.

Sitting up and making a bit of a show of 'waking up' - which, too be fair, Cisco had gotten rather sleepy from the heat and the hypnotic flicker of the flames - Cisco gave Hartley a small smile, yawning before asking, "what is it?" Though it may have come out a bit like 'whazzit?'

"Time for s'mores, my dude," said one of the counselors. "You were about passed out there. Long week, huh?" he handed Cisco a bag with s'mores ingredients in it.

Cisco nodded. "Long but fun. Thanks for letting me borrow your shoulder, Hartley."

Hartley just nodded and stuck a marshmallow on a long stick and shoved it at the bonfire in front of them. It immediately caught on fire and Hartley made an noise that might have been a half-swear he cut off quickly enough. Cisco chuckled and tried his own luck, managing to get his marshmallow more toasty than burned.

"We'll stay in touch during the year, right?" Cisco asked quietly as he smushed the marshmallow in with the chocolate between the broken graham cracker.

"Absolutely," Hartley said. And then, quietly, "I couldn't bear to lose contact with you."

They'd already exchanged cell phone numbers and emails, so if Cisco didn't get the chance to tell Hartley before their parents collected them... well, it was the sort of thing Cisco would prefer to say in person, but he could wait if he had to. As long as he could still talk with Hartley whenever they wanted, surely that would be enough...

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Cisco told Hartley.

"I'm going to miss you too," Hartley replied. And, when their s'mores were all gone, Hartley quietly - anxiously - held Cisco's hand again. Where no one could see, of course. Except for them. And they watched the other kids dancing around the bonfire, being ridiculous and silly. Both wishing they could have just a little more time here together.


Cisco pulled Hartley behind the Canteen - the camp store - and kissed Hartley on the cheek once they were hidden in the shadows. "I'm going to find you. We don't live that far apart and I know you go to private school not far from my public school, so I'm going to find you and take you on a date when we finally settle back at home."

There's a determination in Cisco's eyes that... it makes Hartley believe him. "It's a boarding school," Hartley said, breathlessly. "But I can sign myself out in the afternoons and weekends. No car, though. So I don't know..."

"Dante's got a car and I'm sure I can blackmail him into driving me around on the weekends." Cisco grinned. "A real date. Somewhere no one will care if two boys are holding hands and kissing."

Hartley's heart thudded in his chest. "I can't wait." What Cisco's describing sounds like paradise. "Think you can get your parents to send you back here next summer?"

"I might be able to convince them it's worth paying for more than two weeks, even," Cisco replied. "I'll text you tonight when I get home."

Feeling daring, Hartley brushed a kiss against Cisco's lips. "I'll text you too."

Summer might be ending, but Hartley was relieved to realize that what he'd found with Cisco was only just beginning.