“Alfred, can’t you drive a little slower, please?!”

Matthew was riding shotgun in the rental car that his younger brother was now gunning through the streets—they’d just gotten out of traffic so horrible they thought they’d be stuck there for a week! It was terribly embarrassing to be late to larger family gatherings, and ever since the two had moved away from their parents they knew they were long overdue for one.

Hell, Francis hadn’t stopped pestering them over FaceTime for the past several weeks, always asking either one or both of them when they were going to come back to one of the family homes just outside of Paris for a few months now!

“Does Papa really have to be so… you know, naggy?” Alfred huffed, cowlick bouncing around as he gunned the vehicle through the roads, never mind if he’d almost run over a few stray wandering sheep and geese in the process. “Why does he want to see us? I already told them I’d be coming by on my own time, not like this!”

“Alfie—you have to understand, they’re still our parents. I’m betting you that Dad’s with him right now, being an eternally salty man who just wants to see us. Yes, even you. Even if you already told him that you’re not going to be bound by his boring English… you know,” the older brother retorted quietly, giving the younger a pointed stare.

“But did it really have to be now? So close to my trip to Moscow?” Alfred whined, slamming on the brakes just in time to come to a stop to let a sheep herder pass through.

“Yes, Alfred, it has to be now. Especially now that he knows you’re dating someone—“ Matthew tried to reason, before watching Alfred’s face go off like a Roman Candle.

“Sh—shut up, bro, look… I was planning on telling them eventually that… that I’m gay, okay?” Alfred mutters a few moments later, sighing as he’s impatient, wanting to press down on the horn, to get the sheep herder to hurry the hell up so that they could get moving.

Running through the rain
Trying to catch up to you
When we had this conversation
Wasn’t everything normal? What happened?

Wasn’t expecting you to leave
To just walk out of my life
Straight into the darkness
Are you coming back? To me?

Rumbling through the heavens
Looking up, I see a flash
Then I hear the rolling sound
And the wind starts picking up, threatening to send my flying off my feet

Where have you gone off to?
Why can’t I find you?
Have you just… melted?
Are you a water spirit?

Did the gods of wind and lightning finally reclaim you?
Have I lost you to this thunderstorm of madness?

Multi-colored lights,
Blooming in the sky above
Aerial beauty

Set alight by the
Celebrations of people
Enjoying freedom

Red, blue, yellow, green,
Orange, purple, as well as
Bright white, floating stars

That celebrate a
Momentous occasion, a
Reminder of life

Of freedom, honor,
Liberty—the right to live
And true happiness.

“You know I’m more of a city guy, Mattie, why the hell are you dragging me along with you to the mountains?”

“Because you need to get out and see nature more, Alfie! Don’t be such a lazy bum and just waste away in front of a computer terminal your entire life! Don’t you want to reconnect with nature?”

“Bro—bro,” Alfred tries again, exasperation in his voice. “You know what happened the last time we went on a camping trip. I made the entire party so miserable we had to go back home and drop me off in the city…”

“Look—look, Alfred,” Matthew counters, trying so hard not to lose his cool when it came to handling with his nature-phobic younger brother. “You need fresh air. How do you even survive in the polluted wasteland that you call home? It’s a marvel you haven’t collapsed dead yet!”

Truth of the matter was, Alfred didn’t want to go on a camping trip because everything alien scared him. The sounds of nature, the unpredictable weather—and the food. Oh, god, don’t get him started on the food! Fires took forever to set up, and then what if it rained and ruined the entire trip, how were they going to eat? Cold food straight from a can?

He’d much rather stay in the city, thank you very much!

“Alfie—look. Lars already got the cabin booked for the three of us. Are you really going to—“ the older brother continued, exasperated sigh crossing his features.

“Bro—look, if you want to go camping with your boyfriend, by all means, have at it. You can have the cabin to yourselves. I wouldn’t want to look like the third wheel!” the younger of the two says a few moments later, holding his hands up in a waving gesture, as if shooing the other away.

“That would be so awkward, you know, me being between you lovebirds and shit,” he adds.

With the sun high in the sky,
And not a cloud in sight
The wind doesn’t blow
It’s so terribly hot out

When you don’t want to move
And stay in a cold room
With movies, or with food
You know you want to be lazy

The feel of curling up on a couch
Reading a book, eating some chips
Eyes glued to the page
Wanting to know what would happen next

The dog days of summer are here
It’s extremely hot outside—
While most people like the beach
I would rather stay inside and hide away.

Can you blame me if it’s so hot out?
The sun isn’t my best friend on lazy days, after all…

What would you need in a cookout?

• A grill, obviously
• Lots of charcoal
• Some basting oil
• A hell of a lot of patience
• Enough meat to keep the fire going
• A swimming pool nearby
• Really loud and hungry kids to steal some hotdogs
• Someone to help you get the food off the fire
• Very hungry guests in general

What kind of cookout would you like having during summer? One for hotdogs only? Or barbeque? Or maybe steaks on the grill? Hell, maybe you could have a mix of every meat that you can find and start a competition nearby with other families if they’re willing!

The important thing to keep in mind when it comes to having cookouts, is to finish everything that comes off the grill! Even marshmallows can be included in a cookout if you’re clever enough…

“No. There’s no way you’re getting me to ride that.”

Was he afraid of heights?

To be honest—he was actually pretty much fucking terrified ever since he was a kid—how high places made him get all nervous and fidgety, not to mention his anxiety would spike so much whenever he would see some of the taller roller coasters around a carnival theme park.

“But—I thought you said you could handle them, Lars?” the wheaten blonde inquired, pale purple eyes turning to meet a frightened emerald gaze.

“I—look, Mathijs, I lied, okay? I thought I could handle them. But—I haven’t told you this yet, have I? I’m—terrified of heights. Especially… really… high places. It just. I don’t know, it makes me all nervous, my hands get sweaty, I feel like I could faint at any time, I could—“ the taller blonde rambled, going on and on about the fear he’d been trying to keep secret for such a long time.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” he asks the other gently, hanging onto his arm.

“B—because… look, I didn’t want you to think so… so lowly of me. I’m just—I really don’t like those rides. The ones where… the ones where you’re just strapped in a dinky little chair, and then you get taken into the great unknown and then you’re like—your heart goes so fast you don’t know if it’s going to leap out of your throat or something. I—I can’t do this. I’m…I’m sorry, Mathijs, I can’t join you on the roller coasters…” he ends quietly, looking away from his boyfriend of many years.

“I—I don’t want to ruin our date, b—but…” he adds, more to himself than to the other.

Gather up the logs
Bring in the stones
Build the pit
Pile the wood up high

Strike a match
Get some charcoal
Get a fire going
Watch the flames soar

The bonfire’s ready
It’s a beacon of light
That summons so many
Towards the beach

Bring your friends
Get the food
And the alcohol
Because tonight

We’re going to party
Until we all drop on the sand!

Having a water fight
In the late afternoon light
Can be so much fun
When it’s done under the sun

Balloons are thrown
Alliances are blown
Everyone picks a side
It’s going to be one hell of a ride

It would be better
When everyone’s wetter
When the rain starts to pour
At least it won’t be a bore

When everyone runs
And brings out the water guns
Start drenching each other
Until everything’s a blur

Everything’s all black
When the lights went out and I
Was caught unaware

When sparks exploded
And the space went really dark
Are we in the gloom?

Where did the light go?
Why can’t I see anything?
Have I lost my sight?

The darkness scares me
Even if my friends mock that
I may be afraid

When the shine went out
Everything started to change
We dance in the dark

In the electrical night.

You are fire
I am ice
We are enemies
And also friends

Why do we fight?
Is it to win?
To lose, to live?
Or just to feel?

Bright, living fire
Cold, frozen ice
Our elements clash
And also yield

Can’t we get along?
Can we be friends?
I want to know
If you can stay

Here with me
Together, as one
Not far apart
Never an enemy.

“When should we tell them?

“That we’re all going on a picnic later when they wake up, mon chérie? Let’s surprise them.”

“But you know Alfred, once you mention food he’ll never keep quiet. Bloody hell.”

“Ah, Arthur, then I should handle making the food for then, non?”

Two parents were arguing in quiet whispers in the kitchen, standing over an island counter full of unpacked supplies. There were cans of food waiting to be stored, while there were groceries that stood on one side, some of the plastic bags still shimmering wet with a faint dew due to the frozen food that was in them.

“What should we prepare then?” one of the two blondes asked the other, irritable huff evident in his voice.

“Ah—didn’t I tell you before, that you’re not allowed to cook?” Francis teased his husband, mischievous glint in his eye as he began putting away the vegetables into the fridge.

“Why, you wanker—“ Arthur began to hiss, making his way around the counter and preparing to swat the other when they heard footsteps headed their way.

“Quick, act natural!” the other blonde hisses under his breath, and the two quickly go about the chore of putting away the groceries from their weekly trip to the local supermarket as two young boys come stomping into the kitchen.

“Dad, I want my candy,” the brighter blonde-haired boy asked, eyes looking up at the counter. “Where is it?!”

“Alfred, you’ve already had dinner. No candy after dinner, remember?” Arthur said his way, giving him a ‘please cooperate’ kind of glare. “We wouldn’t want to ruin your teeth now.”

“But—but the other kids in school get candy after dinner!” he whined, pouting as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I want some too.”