#sdhqclosed

She'd spent a lot of the car ride with her eyes closed, head tilted towards the sunshine coming through the slightly-lowered window. Breeze whipped through the small opening as they drove along in their rental car. Dominique had been the one to curate a plan for them this time, they'd spent some time in the Cotswolds and then continued their roadtrip up north. Now they were driving up to the Lake District to enjoy the views and a cottage she'd booked for them there. The radio played on low, buzzing every now and then when it lost signal. Dominique's eyes opened up slowly as she focused herself on Raphael, watching him as he kept his gaze on the beautiful open road ahead of them. "How many miles have we got left?" she asked after a moment, initially not wanting to disrupt the peace of their car ride. "Do you want to swap or are you okay to keep driving?"

"And that was the first time someone other than a family member got me flowers. It was so sweet but I could've done without getting stung," Dominique recounted the story with a laugh, the two of them having exchanged personal anecdotes as they walked through the fields. She already had some blooms in hand, curating a bouquet that would look lovely in their living room. "I know it's so basic but I really love baby's breath. They frame the other flowers so beautifully but they can also be so elegant on their own," she mused, having lifted up her collection to assess what she thought was missing.

"You were not kidding– this water is freezing!" Laurel laughed after having plunged into the lake, her body immediately gaining goosebumps the second she broke the surface. She'd not wasted time, jumping in right after Gwen did and happy for the refreshment of the icy water during such a hot day. She laid back out on the water, letting herself float as she enjoyed the peace and quiet around them. "Did you bring the cooler that was in the car?"

The air was hot from the temperature of all of the griddles, the unmistakable smell of grilled meat and vegetables hanging in the air around them. People were scattered amongst the trucks, poking their heads in the windows and ordering the greasiest and messiest meals anyone could ever imagine. "But the kebabs?" she all but gasped, pointing over to the other truck she'd spotted. "But the loaded fries," she then argued with a pout as she spotted another. "Fuck– should we just grab something from every truck and share it all?" Laurel then twisted to him expectantly. "I mean it's the only true way to know which one of them is the best... right?"

Laurel was licking barbecue sauce off of her fingers when she spotted the other. She admittedly was a little surprised he'd actually come, but a sense of comfort had washed over her upon seeing him. "Grab a paper plate and help yourself," she welcomed casually, trying not to make a big deal of it. If he was giving her a second chance at maybe being friends, she didn't want to screw that up. "I hope you're hungry– everything here is amazing. I helped make the rub for the ribs myself," Laurel added proudly.

"The mess is part of the experience," Tucker insisted as he fed himself more of the noodles with a hearty slurp. Sauce framed the corners of his mouth. "Do you like yours? I told you the spicy one is a hell of a ride but so worth it. The first time I tried it I'm convinced I had steam coming out of my ears," he chuckled, looking to see if Everleigh was enjoying her meal.

"I know you said the view is totally worth it but like– how far is this view now exactly?" Tucker said through heavy breathing as his pace had significantly slowed since the beginning. He'd been so eager out the gate, definitely not pacing himself when they'd first set out, and now he was paying for it. "I feel like I've been walking for ages," he added dramatically, complaining about feeling his ankles shake lightly with each following step.

"I'm going to be so candid with you– this is kind of feeling like a 'reconnecting with my dad from a coming of age movie' moment," Tucker half-joked as they paid for their ice cream and headed out. "It's nice. Who knew ice cream could be so symbolic, huh?" he added with a chuckle. "Let's grab a bench, shall we? Otherwise I think these sprinkles will become part of my shirt shortly."