the summer things fell apart- hsmtmts x tsitp au

2.6

nini's pov:

so, we're back in camp shallow lake and yes, we have been forced to sleep in a tent tonight because apparently, dewey wood heard news of us paying a visit to camp ranch.

in some ways, i like being in a tent but especially not when a storm is predicted to be arriving!

"hey, mind if i join, the boys are wrestling like crazy in their camp and claustrophobia and me don't mix well" i smile at the brunnette boy who is peeking through the tiny gap in the tent.

"of course, come sit" i motion him in, grabbing a blanket and draping it over the two of us.

"sooo... the real reason i'm here is yeah, it's kinda because the boys are wrestling but it's also because i know how terrified you are of thunder and lightning"

"you really don't have to pretend that you care ricky, no offence but to others, i'm irrelevant and un-"

"but to me, you're important, you're the heart of this camp nini"

"i'm flattered but i'm really not" i look down at the blanket, picking at it as the storm starts picking up more.

"hey, neens, i'm here, just focus on me ok?" he gently lifts my chin up with his thumb as i glance into his eyes.

his eyes are soft but i can see that the look in his eyes has grown darker, almost as though he's resisting the urge to do something reckless.

"ricky?" i ask him still staring into his eyes.

"yeah?"

"i really don't want to be alone right now..."

"i know, i know and i'm not going anywhere" his voice is so gentle and it's gives me the reassurance that he's here.

the storm gradually starts to pick up and i really want to cry. it reminds me of my childhood, how rough and violent it was and the noises are so loud that it reminds me of my father when he took his anger and frustration out onto me out of spite.

i yelp and ricky immediately takes it as a sign to play with the ends of my hair and talk to me about childhood memories.

"hey, do you remember when we used to always get cotton candy every year when it was the annual summer carnival near our school?"

"how could i forget? i remember when you got your hair stuck in it because you wanted to prove a point that cotton candy isn't sticky"

"gosh, i was a dumb kid but then again, so were you, i remember when you had a huge descendants phase and dyed the ends of your hair blue"

"evie is an icon, i mean come on!"

"mhm debatable, carlos was the best character"

"ok that's fair" i smile at him and for the first time in a long time, i feel safe.

and that's so weird because if you think back to a few months prior to this summer, we wouldn't even be sat here in a tent, smiling and laughing at each other.

but here we are, giggling and smiling like little kids on christmas day and every now and then, he'll do something which makes me want to do something extremely reckless.

"soo guess we have changed a lot this summer huh? i mean, a few months ago, i would have got a fly squatter and smacked you with it if i had to willingly sit in a tent with you"

"well there is no doubt that you would do that now"

"hey, no i wouldn't!" i smack his arm gently.

"see, you just did it!" we both giggle at each other, sticking our tongues out at each other .

then the space between us is getting smaller and smaller until there is no space left. it's weird because i normally would hate the idea of being anywhere close to ricky but now, everything is perfect and just makes sense.

and then it happened and for the first time in a long time, i felt loved...