Chapter Text
Jasper had never been one for camp Campbell but they were short staffed and his boyfriend had practically begged him to come this year. So he did. Because he was a sucker for that fine lipped pout the redhead could accomplish so well. When they arrived at camp it was just as shit as he remembered, somehow it was still standing though he wasn’t sure how.
He’d noticed Max right away, he was the first to arrive, dropped off in a cab by himself. David always told the most stories about Max rather than any other camper and it wasn’t until halfway through the second week did Jasper understand why.
“You think he might feel like you did?” Jasper asked as they lay together quietly one night in the councilors cabin, Gwen snoring in the other half of the room.
Jasper felt the others fingers curling around his hair, tightening and then letting go of curls, a move he loved the other to do. “Yeah…” the man trailed off looking down. “But I don’t know how to approach them about it?” He said honestly.
Jasper slid his arm around his lover's waist pulling him closer peppering little kisses over his freckles. “Leave it to me okay?” He stroked the others cheek.
“What are you going to do?” He watched the wonder fill those gleaming emerald eyes.
“Just don’t be mad… but I’ve got a plan to push him over to you… if it’s okay the campers know your secret.” David nodded, of course, he was okay with it, he would openly talk about it if he thought it was something the campers would care about.
“Alright, tomorrow I’m going to let it slip on purpose around him.” The understanding that dawned on his lovers faces brought a brilliant smile to his.
“Okay, that’s gonna be really awkward… it’s been a while so I’m not sure I’ll remember to react.” He laughed and they settled in for the night.
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At breakfast was too busy, but when they started out on the hiking trip it would be a little easier. Gwen took the lead with most of the campers, Jasper in the middle and David took up the rear with Max, about halfway through Jasper came jogging back. “Delilah!” He cried and then stopped mid step. “Ah shit, that was… I’m sorry David.” He pointedly pronounces the name as David faltered, it felt weird being called that name after more than a decade.
“J-Jas it’s okay that’s okay it happens.” He let out an awkward laugh
“Delilah? Who the fuck is Delilah?” The boy in the blue hoodie looked up at David with a deep frown.
“There’s another girl here?” Nikki asked peeking up and looking around.
“No, no kids it was just a mistake I made,” Jasper said quickly waving his hands.
Neil looked between Jasper and David skeptically for a long moment before shouting it. “David’s trans?”
There was a flash of recognition in the teal blue eyes, but the shortest boy tried his best to keep it off his face.
“What’s trans? Is that like riding the train a lot?” The green haired girl asked with enthusiasm.
“No, it means he was born a girl,” Neil explained the matter of factly.
“But David’s a boy,” Nikki said with a frown as she got stuck.
“That’s the fucking point, Nikki, he’s a boy but he was born a ducking girl so he had to fix that.” Max quipped at his best friend.
“Ohhh sort of like when Neil became a girl to join the flower scouts,” Nikki shouted before running off to join the rest of the campers to tell them all.
“What?” All three remaining people asked turning to Neil in confusion.
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Later that evening after David and Jasper got the rundown of the time the trio had tried to escape the camp, they settled in for a bonfire. The two male councilors settled onto a log beside one another, David pulled out his guitar and the two sang a couple songs together.
“Are you two married or some shit?” Max asked coming up from behind them causing Jasper to jump, he had been warned how stealthy Max could be but he hadn’t really expected it to be as bad as t was.
David had learned not to react. “Well yeah Max we’re not married but we’ve been together since high school.” He said honestly.
“When did you stop being a girl?” Max asked bluntly, it caused David to laugh. “I’ve never been a girl, but I didn’t really realize it till the summer after I first met Jasper here at camp Campbell.”
“We were the same age as you, Max,” Jasper added cheerfully.
“Then why the fuck did you call him by the wrong name?” Max asked clearly sensing bullshit.
David and Jasper shared a glance and then looked back to the boy. “We thought…”
Max felt his cheeks flush deeply. “What the fuck are you two homos looking at?” He asked looking away shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away without an answer.
David wanted to correct Max that, that hadn’t been a very nice thing to say but at the child walked away David was actually happy that Max counted him as homosexual since not everyone did.
“Well, that went… better than expected?” The redhead said a little stunned.
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The following weeks were filled with random, misinformed questions that they boys understood were questioning and well intended. They answered them with patience and care, giving the kid the best answers they could to most of it.
They still weren’t entirely sure where Max stood until haircut day came. The kids were at camp long enough that once a month they offered haircuts. On the day Max came in as he always did climbing into the chair, his curly hair falling into his face a little, he looked at the wall with almost dead eyes.
“Max do you even want a haircut?” The redhead asked.
This was where it started, Max glanced up at the redhead in surprise. “I don’t have to?”
David shook his head. “No Max of course not, if you don’t want to you don’t have to.” He jogged over to a drawer in the bathroom and pulled out a hair tie. “Here you can take this if you want.”
“Thanks…” Max took the elastic and looked in the mirror considering his hair was the first signs of care that David had ever seen. “Can you… show me how?” He asked holding up the elastic.
“Of course Max!” He said coming over gently pulling Max’s curls back into his hands and wrapping the elastic around it. A small curl fell down beside Max’s face and both pairs of eyes looked at it when David reached to fix it Max smacked his hand away.
“Leave it.” The kid said before slipping off the chair. “Thanks… David…” He said looking at the ground before leaving again.