🦋 . Butterflies in My Head

░ . 🦋 . Chapter Eleven

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 [𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 2]

»𝖳𝖶: 𝖬𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝖻𝗎𝗌𝖾«

⊱ ───ஓ๑༺♰༻๑ஓ ─── ⊰

"Lizard!" Jumping up from her seat, Aiyanna ran forward and hugged the girl squealing. "We're gonna make s'mores!!" Epione stood for a moment, she wasn't sure what to say. She watched as Kevin took a seat beside Brian, conversation began almost instantly. Brooklynn looks up, following Epiones gaze before looking at Aj and placing a soft kiss against his cheek. She wiggles out of his lap, standing and walking to Epione taking her hand as Aiyanna stood back.

"Want to see your tent?" She nods silently, leading the girl to the back of the camp, there were two tents set out with lights hanging around. Epione smiled small, looking at Brook. "Like it? Aj and I will be staying in the other tent. .." Epione nods. "So are you and Kevin alright?" Something crumbled within her, she squeezed Brooks hand a little.

"He. . . He asked what we were. . . I. . . Brook I don't know. Brooke I don't know what we are.." Epione stutters, tearing up. "I couldn't answer." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Do you love him?" That question. Brook faces her, slipping their hands away before grabbing her upper arm gently. "Epione. .. It's okay. . . It's okay to love him. .. To love someone... He won't hurt you." Brushing tears away, she cupped Epiones cheeks and forced her to look at her. "Epione he is different. .. He loves you so goddamn much. That man is crazy about you." Epione lets out a breathy chuckle, sniffling.

"I know. . . But what if it isn't him that hurts me. . . What if I hurt him?"

"Then you'll work through it. You'll work through it together." Brook places a kiss on Epiones forehead before hugging her close and tightly. Epione grasped onto the material at the back of her shirt, she didn't want to let go. She wanted to stay in that moment for as long as possible, but she knew she would have to let up. The group had called for them, causing Brook to pull away a little just enough to wrap an arm around her waist leading her back towards the group.

"Everything alright, Epi?" She looks at Nick and smiles nodding a little. Looking back up at Brooklynn, she clears her throat.

"Thanks." She says quite softly before pulling away and walking around to sit between Aiyanna and Kevin, she found herself sitting on the ground. Even though there was a chair for her, she felt better with her butt firmly planted on the ground. She tucked her knees beneath herself and brushed out her skirt gently flattening out some of the wrinkles while letting out a soft sigh.

"So. .. Tomorrow do we wanna go hiking?" Brian suggested. Brooklynn walked around and carefully sat back in Aj's lap, he gently patted her thigh as he wrapped his arms around her while looking at Brian. They all nodded. "Alright. .. I think there are fireworks going on as well. .. Maybe we can see them?"

Aiyanna slid out of her seat, she felt someone's gaze on her and looked over to find Howie's sunkissed brown eyes watching her with wonder. Aiyanna offers a small smile before crawling over and sitting down beside Epione before pulling the girl into her lap with a soft squeal and giggle. The attention fell to them for a moment, Epione giggles as she adjusts herself and leans into Aiyanna.

"My lizard!" Aiyanna sings. "I love my lizard! I do! I do!" She sings, Epione shakes her head, laughing.

"Shh!!" She shushes the other, Kevin couldn't help as he smiled a bit. Brooklynn chuckled, watching the two.

Night came sooner than expected, the fire had been made and lit. The flames were cackling and dancing threatening to burn anything and bite hotly. The marshmallows had been pulled out, Aiyanna found a stick from around the campsite and even though it might have had dirt and such on it she still used it.

Epione had gone back to the tent, saying that she needed to change out of the wet clothes. Though it seemed to be known that she wasn't going to come back for a little while. Brook watched the flames as she leaned into Aj, the warmth from him comforted her and the familiar intoxicating scent calmed her nerves and made her thoughts become quiet. Amaris had run off with Nick to find sticks, they hadn't been gone long honestly, so there wasn't much to worry about. Brian held his fiancee close, they both talked softly, smiling occasionally as they held each other close. Howie sat beside Aiyanna, they had all noticed that he would look up at her numerous times, though she didn't seem to notice.

Kevin stood up, walking around and nodding a 'goodnight' to everyone before making his way back to the tent. Upon unzipping the door, he found Epione curled up reading a book silently, the stuffed bunny she held so very close sat in her lap the best it could, a faint smile rested on her lips as her eyes flicked over the words printed into the pages.

"Revuese?" That nickname made her head shoot up, her eyes were lit up with slight happiness and interest. He stepped in crouching down a bit, zipping the 'door' closed behind himself as he sat down across from her. Sitting up slowly, he had only now realized that she was dressed in a mid hip length cream colored shirt that read off 'Sleep first, Talk later', and a pair of cream and blue plaid pants. Her hair was left down in large beautiful raven colored curls. "Are you alright?"

Epione looked from the book to him, she brushed her fingers against the cover that had read 'Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire' thinking for a moment before nodding slightly. "Just reading." She says softly. He nods, his words caught in his throat. Was he going to ask again? Or was he going to let it go for now and enjoy what they had at the moment, maybe by asking earlier he had ruined what relationship they had. She searched around for a moment, picking up her book mark and slipping it into the fold of the book, shutting it before setting it on top of her bag which was unzipped and slightly open. She crossed her legs indian style as she held the bunny, picking at small bits of fuzz that looked as if they were about to fall off.

"I uhm. . .." He started. "I wanted to talk about earlier. .. I'm so--"

"It's alright." She cuts him off, not looking up as he stares at her in shock. "I was in the wrong for not telling you anything. . . I urm. . . I've had issues with a past relationship -- which Brook and Yana ended up saving me from. I was afraid that it would end up like the last. .. But you--..." She stops, taking a breath in and pushing back memories that tried surfacing. "You. .. You've helped me so goddamn much, Kevin. Just the littlest things have made me feel so special.. And you've shown me -- well I think I kind of already knew that I loved you and that you were never like him. I. .. I truly love you." She tears up, her chest felt as if it were tightening. "And I understand if you don't feel the same way I just. .. I just wanted to get everything off my chest because I can't keep it all in. . . And I am sorry if I was wrong for spilling everything on you.. Because you have so much to deal with already and--" A small squeak left her lips as he pulled her close. The sweet yet somehow burning taste of bourbon was all she could taste. Epione melted, she felt her cheeks heating up as she let her eyes fall closed. The scruff from his facial hair brushed against her skin tickling and scratching, though it didn't hurt in a way it felt nice. Silence fell, but it was a comfortable silence as he slowly pulled away his forehead resting against hers.

"Calm down, revuese." Soft spoken and slightly breathy, as if that simple action had taken so much air from his lungs. His hand comes up and cups her cheek as he pulls away, looking over her calmed expression. Her eyes open a little, looking nowhere in general. He wasn't sure what to say, he was thankful that she had opened up some though it seemed as if there was something deeper down that she wouldn't let up on. Maybe that was a good thing, with how much she had let out already. He bites his lower lip, thoughts plaguing him and not allowing him to focus.