Ignite

Conversations Under the Stars

A black convertible roof had been pulled down to let in some extra fresh air. Quilted fabric along padded seating felt cool to the touch. A half empty bottle of water sat undisturbed in the cup holder near the touchscreen dashboard. Pleasant, gentle wind made a dangling air freshener dance in its spot. Random lo-fi music was playing on the speakers, the tune being part of an extensive and carefully crafted playlist.

Alessandro leaned against his car door while soaking up the sun's rays. Sounds of passing vehicles filled his ears as he stood, waiting for his to finish charging.

About half of the twenty hour long road trip had been completed. They recently made their way into South Carolina and were reaching another coastal route.

While the northern states were still getting accustomed to chillier spring, the southern states were basking freely in the heated clutches of summer. Because of this, a cool sixty degrees had steadily climbed to a toastier seventy eight.

Even though Lance was taking a bit to snag some food from a nearby store, waiting for him wasn't a bothersome task. Standing outside was just as comfortable as sitting around in the car.

Fluffy clouds danced across the sky without a care in the world. A hot sun made its presence known every once in awhile before retreating again. Flocks of birds flew in large groups. The silhouette of an airplane could be made out as it flew overhead.

Alessandro pulled his attention away from the sky when his phone vibrated. Sliding his shades atop his head, he looked over a message from Leonardo.

It was a picture of him and Rain snuggling on a lounge chair by the pool. She was sleeping in the man's lap. An open book could be seen in the background alongside a mostly empty glass of wine. Leonardo chose to pose by sticking his tongue out while also holding up a lazy peace sign. 

Alessandro replied to the message with a quick 'don't drink all my wine :P'.

"Andro.~"

He turned around at the call of his name.

Pocketing his phone, he took in the sight of Lance jogging over with two large paper bags. It looked more like he went grocery shopping instead of going for a quick snack run.

"Uh, Lance? What's all that?"

"Everything you can imagine!" He laughed. "It's vacation time, which means I get to eat as badly as I want. So!- I got some donuts, chips, candy- I snagged you a bag of smoked jerky because I know you like those- some juices, more water, and a couple more things. Now we don't have to stop for food again until later for dinner."

"...You're lucky we have trunk space." Alessandro chuckled and shook his head. "Since you mentioned dinner, where would you want to stop? I was thinking an eat-in place to give us some time out of the car. If you want fast food though, I don't mind finding a rest stop for us to eat at."

"Hm, good question," Lance answered as he put the bags away. He nibbled on his bottom lip, pondering his options. "I'm fine with eat-in. You want to do an all day breakfast spot? Have some pancakes for dinner?"

"You and your pancakes. But sure, I'm fine with that."

Alessandro moved to disconnect the car from its charging station. He paid for the usage electronically and closed the hatch.

The battery was at a decent ninety five percent, so they wouldn't have to stop at a station again until they reached Florida. If everything went according to plan, they'd get to their designated hotel after midnight. It was roughly four o'clock, meaning there was still quite a bit more driving to do.

Further planning for the day was halted when cool fingers caressed the back of Alessandro's neck. He sighed at the feeling as a generous amount of sunscreen was spread onto his skin. He took care of his arms and face once the blue and orange bottle was passed over.