Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a typical school day, much like any other mundane day. Balloon donned a white shirt paired with a red sweater, beige pants, and red converse shoes. His fluffy red hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon, giving him a cute appearance. Many students labelled him a nerd, not because of his academic skills in maths or science, but due to his attire, demeanour, and passion for writing and poetry. Balloon had few friends, but he cherished his three amazing best friends... and Nickel. Despite their constant disagreements and inability to see eye to eye, Balloon and Nickel kept the peace for the sake of their mutual friends Baseball, Suitcase, and Bot.

Nickel was quite distinctive, noticeably shorter and thinner than Balloon, with short grey fluffy hair. He always sported a light grey beanie along with a large, patched-up dark grey chequered hoodie jacket, rugged pants, and gloves with finger holes. Nickel was angsty, sarcastic, and difficult to talk to—an overall rude individual who seldom listened. Balloon found him unbearable and couldn't comprehend why their friends tolerated him. However, out of fear of losing his other friends, Balloon remained silent and endured the presence of his unpleasant companion.

Nickel constantly finds fault with Balloon, teasing him and calling him names, and even trying to persuade others to abandon him. Balloon and Nickel have a history—they were friends in middle school, and perhaps Balloon wasn't very kind to Nickel back then. But Balloon has changed since then. People change over time, yet Nickel still holds onto grudges, insisting that Balloon hasn't changed and will always be the same person he once was, despite it being years ago. This feels unfair to Balloon.

Balloon has made every effort to make amends with Nickel, but Nickel doesn't seem willing to listen or give him a chance. Instead, Nickel continues to make Balloon's life difficult and tries to take everything away from him. Fortunately, Balloon's friends care enough about him not to abandon him at Nickel's urging. In Balloon's opinion, Nickel is fortunate that his friends haven't deserted him for being so unpleasant all the time.

All Balloon wants is for Nickel to see him as the new person he has become– a kind individual who is eager to show it. If only Nickel would allow him that opportunity, maybe they could be good friends. But Nickel refuses to believe in Balloon's change. No matter what Balloon does, Nickel convinces himself that Balloon is a backstabber and will betray everyone, even though that hasn't been the case for years. Balloon is a good person who just wants to move forward and not feel stuck in the past because of Nickel.

What options did Balloon have left? He was exhausted from trying to prove to Nickel that he had changed. Instead, Balloon focused on being good to his friends and tried to ignore Nickel whenever they hung out together. However, it was challenging. Despite Nickel's intense dislike for Balloon, he refused to leave him alone, constantly tormenting and irritating him, purposefully trying to get under his skin. Balloon couldn't understand why this brought Nickel so much joy.

Balloon feared that one day he would reach his breaking point. There was only so much he could endure before he couldn't take it anymore... and perhaps that breaking point had arrived today.

It was morning, and class hadn't started yet. Nickel, Balloon, Baseball, Suitcase, and Bot were all hanging out behind the school. Nickel and Baseball were passing a vape to each other. Balloon, Suitcase, and Bot didn't approve or like it, but they stayed with their friends regardless. Baseball was a tall, muscular guy with white hair streaked with red, always clad in a red and white jersey over a black shirt—a typical jock. Suitcase, on the other hand, was a kind girl with short brown hair highlighted blonde, dressed in a white shirt and a brown sweater reminiscent of Balloon's style, paired with knee-high socks. These two had been friends with Nickel and Balloon for quite some time, being in the same grade.

As for Bot, they were in a younger grade, notably short with fluffy light green pigtails held by cute ball hair ties. Bot wore a green top and light green overalls. Each member of the group vowed to protect Bot from any trouble.

Nickel sat beside Balloon, leaning against a brick wall. Baseball was next to Nickel, and Suitcase was next to Balloon, forming a circle. Bot stood nearby, keeping watch for any approaching teachers to protect their older friends from getting into trouble. Bot felt proud to be friends with a group of older kids.

Balloon crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Nickel and Baseball. He couldn't believe their actions! Were they really making Bot keep lookout while they vaped behind the school? What if they were caught? Maybe Baseball and Nickel weren't concerned since they often received detention, but what about Bot? If Bot's parents found out they were hanging out with older kids who vaped, it would lead to serious trouble. Balloon found the situation unfair. He couldn't stand by and watch Bot be put at risk, especially knowing that Suitcase was too anxious to say anything for fear of upsetting the others. Therefore, Balloon felt compelled to speak up.

“Do you guys even care if Bot gets in trouble? You shouldn’t use them as a lookout.” Balloon suddenly snapped.

Nickel, who was currently holding the vape in his hand, turned to look at Balloon.

“Nobody asked you, besides, Bot said they were fine to do this, you don’t have to make a big deal out of nothing Balloon, y’know, like you usually do.” Nickel scoffed, bringing the vape to his lips, taking a hit. He passed the vape over to baseball then blew the smoke into Balloon’s face with a wide smirk, his sharp teeth showing as he laughed.

Balloon squeaked, he swatted away the vape and coughed.

“You’re an asshole.” He pointed out before standing up. “Come on Bot… you don’t have to do this if you are scared of getting in trouble, and if you are just doing this to impress us? We already like you… so please, don’t do things that could risk you getting in trouble.” Balloon sighed, putting a hand on Bot’s shoulder.

Bot let out a loud sigh and nodded.

“Yeah… I don’t really want to do this, sorry guys, I think I’m going to head to class, the bell will go off soon” Bot smiled faintly and waved goodbye before leaving.

Nickel shot Nickel a ‘are you kidding’ glare, he looked frustrated at Balloon, he rolled his tongue and clicked it, standing up he pushed his hands into his pocket.

“Are you serious right now? How much of a wuss are you? Bot was completely fine being lookout! You manipulated  them so they would change their mind! Ha– guess things don’t change, still the manipulator I know.” Nickel scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Baseball and Suitcase remained quiet, exchanging knowing looks. They were accustomed to these pointless arguments between Balloon and Nickel and chose to steer clear of the conflict. Past attempts to intervene had only led to more trouble. Both were growing weary of the constant fighting between their friends. They had even contemplated distancing themselves from both Balloon and Nickel, but their care for them prevented them from taking that drastic step. However, if Balloon and Nickel couldn't learn to coexist peacefully, it might become necessary for everyone's growth. At 18 years old, they felt it was absurd that their friends were still behaving like children.

“Are you serious right now? You’re calling me a manipulator? Bot is a kid! You are the manipulator, making them be here while you vape. You could have had the courtesy to tell them it was okay, that they could leave, you are supposed to be responsible Nickel! What if her older sister found out? What would she say?” Balloon snapped, crossing his arms.

Bot's older sister is Test Tube, a tall nerdy girl in their grade who always wears big circle glasses and a lab coat. She's dating a short nerdy kid named Fan, who has bright red hair with yellow highlights, small glasses, and is often seen in hoodies and jeans. Fan is nice, and Balloon sometimes gets along with him in their literature class. He's a sweet guy but extremely obsessive about little things, and he's very protective of people he loves. Since Test Tube and Bot’s parents are often busy working, Fan and Test Tube take care of Bot like a mother and father figure. If either of them found out about this situation, they would likely be very upset and want Nickel dealt with.

“You’re overreacting dipshit! Bot isn’t going to tell them! Jesus, you need to relax, Balloon, you don’t have to be such a stickler y’know?” Nickel scoffed.

“It isn’t about if Bot tells them or not! Are you serious right now? You are such an inconsiderate jerk! You only ever think of yourself! You can’t even put your friends first before your own needs–” Balloon continued before he was cut off.

"Just like how you didn’t prioritise me back in middle school? Hm? You claimed we were friends, Balloon, that you always had my back. But the moment you had a chance to look cool, you took it without considering how I felt. You didn’t care about the consequences for me, all that mattered was putting yourself first. Thanks, by the way, for spreading rumours about how poor my family was. I endured years of teasing because of that, and you couldn't have cared less. You just wanted to be popular, but that didn’t last, did it, buddy?" Nickel spat angrily.

"Nickel, I've changed! We've both changed. I've apologised countless times. How many times do we have to go through this? What more can I do to make it right? I know I messed up! It was my only shot at being cool, and I abandoned my only true friend because I thought popularity was everything. I've said sorry so many times. What else can I do? I know what I did was wrong. It's been years, Nickel, years," Balloon said, crossing his arms uncomfortably and staring at the ground.

"Yeah, and you made my life a living hell. You hurt me. It doesn’t matter how many times you say sorry. How am I supposed to trust that you won’t betray me again? Now you act like the nice guy, making it seem like I’ve been the bad guy all along.” Nickel shook his head.

"We were practically kids… I… I made a mistake, and I've learned from it. I'm not trying to pretend to be the nice guy; I'm genuinely trying to better myself as a person. I'm determined not to repeat the same mistake. I don’t want history to repeat itself. I'm trying to show you that people change! That I've changed! That there's still a chance for you to trust me!" Balloon cried out emotionally.

"You know what? You're right about one thing. People do change. I've changed. I've learned to watch my back and not trust assholes like you," Nickel spat back bitterly.

Baseball and Suitcase stood by, hesitant to intervene or say anything. They had heard this story of betrayal so many times, and they understood both sides. They could see that Balloon had changed, but it didn’t excuse what he did to Nickel all those years ago. They also recognized that Nickel was hurting, but they believed he couldn't hold onto this grudge forever. There would come a time when he would need to forgive Balloon. They just didn’t want to be the ones to decide when that time would be.

"Why can’t you just accept my apology?! It’s been six years! I understand needing time, but this is beyond ridiculous. Fine, if you don’t want to forgive me or be my friend, I can accept that. But why is it your mission to make my life miserable, Nickel? All you do is try to upset me, annoy me, push me down, call me names, and tell me I’m worthless! For six whole years, you've been doing this. But no, of course, one small thing that happened in middle school makes me the worst person in the world, not you, not the person who has been bullying me my entire high school life! Yeah, okay, I’m the bad guy! Sure," Balloon shouted in frustration. "You are an inconsiderate, little jerk! Honestly, I am so sick of you! I'm sick of being harassed when all I've tried to do is make things better," he continued.

The shouting attracted a crowd. Students from different grades gathered around—some who didn’t know the two and some who knew them from way back when this all started. It was clear that this was escalating towards a real fight.

“Fuck you!” Nickel snapped, shoving Balloon backwards.

Baseball and Suitcase, standing side by side, watched in alarm as the situation escalated. Suitcase realised she needed to intervene.

"Guys, come on—please don’t fight—" she pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears.

Without hesitation, Balloon charged at Nickel, knocking him to the ground and launching into a flurry of punches. Nickel retaliated by kicking at Balloon's chest, and soon they were entangled in a chaotic brawl, rolling on the ground, biting, kicking, and grappling fiercely.Their bodies became bruised, their clothes dirtied, and their hair dishevelled as the fight continued unabated. The crowd around them chanted and cheered, hoping to escalate the fight further. 

"You’re such a stupid baby!" Nickel shouted, sinking his teeth into Balloon’s arm. Balloon forcefully pushed him away and kicked his chest.

"I’m the baby?! You’re the one who can’t get over something that happened six years ago!" Balloon snapped back.

Their heated exchange of insults continued as they grappled with each other until a teacher intervened. Ms. Tea Kettle, their food economics teacher, hurried over and pulled them apart.

"Boys, enough!" she shouted, keeping them at arm's length. "I don’t know what started this, but what I do know is that Principal Mephone will be hearing about it. Come on now."

She grabbed each of them by the arm and began to lead them away from the gathering crowd, just as the bell rang.

"Everyone! You know what that means! To class! Now," she called out to the dispersing students, herding the boys along.

Baseball and Suitcase stood there, completely speechless. They had witnessed Nickel and Balloon argue before, but never a full-on fist fight. They couldn't understand what had triggered this sudden escalation. They had discussed their childhood stories countless times, and it had never led to violence. Perhaps it was the stress of nearing the end of high school? They couldn't be sure.

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Balloon and Nickel were brought to the main office, seated in the hallway while Ms. Tea Kettle recounted what she had witnessed to the principal. The two boys slumped in their chairs, avoiding eye contact with each other. They both looked dishevelled, with messy hair, wrinkled clothes, and covered in dirt.

Balloon was visibly nervous, his leg bouncing up and down anxiously as he waited. He rarely got in trouble, so he was worried about what this could mean for him.

Nickel, on the other hand, seemed indifferent as usual. Accustomed to being sent to the office, the grey-haired boy simply relaxed, waiting to see what would happen next.

"This is all your fault..." Balloon muttered under his breath.

Nickel whipped his head around and scoffed. "My fault? You're the one who started it!" Nickel retorted at Balloon, his voice tinged with frustration.

"I wouldn't have started anything if you didn't act like a jerk to me all the time!" Balloon shot back.

Would this endless arguing between them ever cease? Balloon was becoming weary of it. He didn't want today's incident to occur, but he had reached his limit. He couldn't continue letting Nickel treat him this way over something from their childhood.

Before the argument could escalate further, Principal Mephone opened his office door. Ms. Tea Kettle exited, passing by Balloon and Nickel. Mephone turned towards the boys with a disappointed expression.

"In my office," he directed, gesturing for them to step inside.

Nickel groaned and slid off his chair, pushing past Balloon as he entered the office. Balloon sighed and followed suit. They both took seats in front of the principal's desk. Mephone settled behind his desk and fixed his gaze on them.

"I've been informed that the two of you had an argument and ended up fighting in the yard behind the school. Care to explain what led to this escalation?" Mephone inquired.

Balloon and Nickel remained silent, hesitant to out their friend Bot. They couldn't disclose that the fight stemmed from Bot's lookout while Nickel vaped, as it would get Bot in trouble. While they could fabricate a story, Balloon disliked lying, and Nickel hated Mephone, refusing to share anything with him—it was none of his business anyway.

"Why should we tell you? It's none of your business," Nickel snapped.

Mephone raised an eyebrow. He leaned back in his chair, then reached into a drawer and pulled out a pamphlet, sliding it across the desk with a smirk.

"Because if you don't tell me what happened, I'll send you to a behavioural camp," Mephone stated matter-of-factly. He was the type of principal who preferred to avoid dealing directly with students by resorting to measures like camps for discipline.

"It's your choice, really. Either you tell me what happened, or you both will be packing your bags tonight and heading to this behavioural camp first thing tomorrow morning," Mephone insisted sharply.

Balloon was distressed at the thought of going to a camp. He prided himself on being a good student and doing the right thing. It didn't seem fair, but he refused to betray Bot by speaking up. Balloon remained silent, as did Nickel, both reluctant to implicate their friend. They were acting selflessly for once, thinking of Bot's innocence.

"Send us to the camp," Nickel scoffed. "Lazy slob can't even handle his job, so he sends us away..." Nickel continued, speaking as if Mephone wasn't sitting right there.

Balloon nervously covered his eyes, embarrassed by Nickel's attitude. Why was Nickel trying to provoke Mephone? Did he actually want to go to this camp?

"Fine by me. Looks like you boys will be packing your bags," Mephone replied with a shrug.

Balloon shot Nickel a resentful glare. This situation was unbelievable and entirely Nickel's fault. Balloon had never been in trouble before, and now he was being sent to a camp? It was ridiculous! He could try to argue with his parents, but they were always working and likely to see it as "beneficial." As for Nickel's parents... well, he didn't have any. It was a long story, but they weren't around anymore. So it seemed inevitable that they would both be heading to camp tomorrow, along with a group of other "misbehaved kids." Just great.

After Mephone coerced them into signing some paperwork, he suspended them both from school for the day to "prepare" for their two-week stay at 'Inanimate Insanity.' It sounded bizarre. Whatever.

Upon leaving, Balloon refused to even look at Nickel; he was seething with anger. He couldn't believe he was being sent to some behaviour camp when he had never done anything wrong before. It was just this one time, because Nickel had pushed him over the edge. This was unfair and wrong!

"This pamphlet says we're supposed to meet at our school at 6 a.m., and the bus will come pick us up," Nickel mentioned, trying to show Balloon the pamphlet.

"Oh, now you want to talk civilly to me? Because you know you won't have anyone else to talk to for 2 weeks except me? Get lost, don't be a user," Balloon retorted sharply as he pushed past Nickel and walked away.

"Jesus... it's not that bad..." Nickel rolled his eyes and looked back down at the pamphlet. Part of what Balloon said was right... he wouldn't have Baseball, Suitcase, or even Bot with him. It would just be him and Balloon from their friendship group... Who else was he supposed to talk to?

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The next day arrived sooner than either boy wanted. It was early, around 5:45 a.m., with the sun just beginning to rise as Balloon and Nickel lugged their suitcases into school to meet the teachers selected for the trip. They were none other than Mr. Silver Spoon, the literature teacher, and Ms. Candle, the school counsellor. Both teachers looked far from pleased.

Mr. Silver Spoon was a complete stickler, always speaking with utmost propriety and elegance. He dressed like he belonged in the 1800s, with neatly tied back white hair and a distinguished frilled shirt topped with a blue ribbon bowtie. He exuded a sense of arrogance, always convinced he was right about everything. Then there was Ms. Candle. She was short, a bit chubby, and had a fondness for the colour purple. Her dark purple hair fell to her shoulders, and she wore a purple sweater with black tights. Unlike Mr. Silver Spoon, she was kind, calm, collected, and sweet—understanding towards everyone and everything. Supposedly, Principal Mephone chose these two opposites to balance each other out during the camp.

Nickel despised this pairing, convinced he had once caught the two teachers flirting at school. It seemed like everyone knew about their mutual attraction except Mephone!

As for Balloon and Nickel's attire, Balloon opted for a red hoodie and black leggings, not particularly concerned with dressing his best. Nickel wore his usual raggedy jacket, likely with the same clothes he wore yesterday; he didn't have much money to buy new outfits.

They weren’t the only kids there; a few others from their school were lined up, ready to board the bus to the behaviour camp. Among them were Paintbrush, a tall student with scruffy blonde hair, dressed in a black top and a yellow jacket. Accompanying Paintbrush was Lightbulb, their girlfriend, slightly shorter with big, fluffy blonde pigtails, wearing tiny blue shorts and a yellow shirt. 

Then there was Yin Yang, or simply referred to as Yin and Yang. They were a fusion of two individuals and had been together for a long time. Sometimes when they argued, they could separate, but they mostly remained whole. They were short with scruffy hair, half black and half white. Yin Yang wore a black top over a white and black striped shirt, paired with black ripped jeans and converse shoes. One of their eyes was dark black, while the other glowed white. It had been a while since anyone had seen them split—it was likely Yang's fault that they were sent to this camp, as he was the more rebellious side of the duo.

Then there was Knife, a tall guy with a grey mullet, always difficult to approach, exuding a jerkish and abrasive attitude. He often wore a black leather jacket and green cargo pants. Accompanying him was Trophy, also tall and slightly muscular with short blonde hair. They were somewhat friends, more like frenemies, and Knife had two of his friends with him—part of their notorious squad.

One of Knife's companions was Taco, a short British girl who had moved here just last year. She had a blonde wolfcut hairstyle and wore a white shirt with a black bowtie, along with a small beige skirt and knee-high socks, topped off with black polished shoes. Lastly, there was Microphone, a tall girl with black hair styled in a fluffy ponytail. She always had headphones on her head and wore a purple rock-themed torn tank top paired with small black shorts. Completing her look was a black spiked choker and black Doc Martens boots. She had a punk rock vibe but seemed to have a sweet side.

This was the crew attending the camp that Mephone had imposed on them, and everyone seemed quite frustrated, especially given the 5 a.m. start. Groups of friends chatted among themselves as they waited for the bus to arrive. Microphone, Taco, Knife, and Trophy stuck together, while Lightbulb and Paintbrush naturally paired off and engaged in conversation. Yin Yang bombarded Candle with questions about the camp, while Silver attempted to flirt with her… unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, Balloon and Nickel stood silently beside each other, saying nothing.

Everyone assumed that the group was complete, that no more students from that troublesome school would be joining the camp... until two familiar figures appeared. A short guy with red hair tied in a small ponytail with yellow highlights, sporting a red bomber jacket and blue shorts, and a tall girl with big round glasses, light green hair tied back in a ponytail, and wearing a lab coat. Yes, it was Fan and Test Tube. But how? Why? What trouble could these two cause? You might wonder what's so bad about their presence. Well, the reason Balloon and Nickel were at the camp stemmed from their failure to disclose the full story of their fight, which started because of their opinion on Bot keeping a lookout as Nickel vaped. Bot was Test Tube's younger sibling whom she would protect at any cost. If she ever learned the truth, she would want them dead.

Nickel nudged Balloon and gestured toward the approaching figures, his face draining of colour as he turned to meet Nickel's anxious gaze. They both glanced over at the couple greeting their other close friends, Lightbulb and Paintbrush.

Nickel and Balloon strolled over casually, maintaining their distance and trying to appear nonchalant as they listened in to find out what had happened and why they were sent to this camp.

They overheard Test Tube saying, "Yeah, we broke into the science lab... we were conducting an experiment. My mom told me I couldn't do experiments at home anymore."

"I recorded it!" Fan giggled, pulling out his phone and showing Lightbulb and Paintbrush.

Nickel let out a deep breath, telling himself it was fine. Test Tube wouldn't discover the reason they were here; he was just being paranoid. Yeah. He looked up, about to talk to Balloon about the need to keep why they are here between themselves, but Balloon was already walking away. What was his deal? Balloon usually communicated with him fine. Sure, they weren't always on the best of terms, but they still interacted—bantering, arguing, and all that. Now, it seemed like Balloon was completely ignoring him. Strangely, it made Nickel feel a bit sad, which was ridiculous! He didn’t even like Balloon! But he didn’t want to be left alone. Nickel quickly raced over to Balloon, not wanting to be left out while everyone else had someone to talk to.

“Balloon, hey! Wait up!” he called out, chuckling nervously.

Balloon rolled his eyes, arms crossed, and turned to face Nickel with a frustrated look. He let out a long sigh before speaking.

“What, so now you want to act like I’m your friend because you have nobody else?” He scoffed.

“We both know we're not close with anyone else at this camp. I doubt any of them even like us. So if you want to make it through these two weeks, you're going to need to talk to someone to keep yourself entertained—”

“I think I'll manage just fine on my own. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to be alone? Because I'm untrustworthy? Hmm? Yeah.”

The bus approached the group. Balloon pushed past Nickel and headed towards the bus. He didn’t want to speak to Nickel. He wouldn’t even be here if it weren't for Nickel. This was all his fault, all because he couldn’t just accept an apology for something that happened years ago. Balloon was done. Done trying with Nickel. He couldn’t take this anymore. He wasn’t going to get hurt again.

Nickel stood there, stunned. For a moment, he began to realise that their recent argument might have pushed Balloon over the edge, maybe permanently this time. Normally, after their fights, they would exchange words and then make up, getting back on talking terms—it had always been that way. But this time, Balloon wanted nothing to do with him. It made Nickel feel oddly nervous, though he couldn't understand why. He disliked Balloon, but strangely... he missed him? Weird. Shaking off these confusing feelings, Nickel decided to be his usual smart-mouthed self. He scoffed and chuckled before speaking.

"Whatever, Balloon. You'll get bored eventually and then have to talk to me," he smirked as he walked up behind him. “It’s like an 8 hour drive y'know!”

 He added, but got no response. 

Chapter Text

Candle and Silver loaded the bus, placing all the luggage into the luggage compartment underneath. Soon enough the rest of the group lined up in front of the bus. Candle and Silver Spoon entered first and took their seats at the front, with Yin Yang ensuring they sat right behind them. It came as no surprise to anyone; everyone knew Yin Yang looked up to Candle. They spent a lot of time in the counselling office with her, where she helped them to find harmony, to agree to disagree when Yin and Yang fought, and to communicate their feelings effectively. Candle was Yin Yang's source of comfort.

Sometimes this dynamic got on Silver's nerves, especially when he was trying to have alone time with Candle in her office and Yin Yang would come in and spend the whole day there. Poor Yin Yang was oblivious to how Candle and Silver really felt about each other. They would probably be grossed out if they ever found out, considering they didn't really like Silver Spoon.

“After you, my dear~” Silver cooed, allowing Candle to have the window seat.

Candle giggled softly and took her seat happily, Silver following after, taking his seat beside her.

Next, Paintbrush and Lightbulb entered, making sure to sit next to each other. Their story was a funny one. They used to hate each other, or rather, Paintbrush hated Lightbulb. Paintbrush didn’t understand why Lightbulb was so happy all the time and was jealous of her brightness. Eventually, they talked things out, and now Lightbulb brings light into Paintbrush’s life, making them a happier person. They are always seen together and even have a pet crab.

Lightbulb let Paintbrush sit at the window seat, knowing they liked to lay there. 

“Window seat for you!” Lightbulb giggled.

“If you want, sunshine,” Paintbrush replied with a smile, slipping into the seat and leaning against the window. Lightbulb quickly snuggled up to her partner.

Fan and Test Tube naturally sat beside each other. Fan eagerly took the window seat, his favourite spot, while Test Tube was fine with that, settling beside her boyfriend. The two of them ended up sitting behind Lightbulb and Paintbrush.

Microphone and Taco sat beside each other on the bus, while Knife and Trophy sat behind them. Trophy complained a bit, not wanting to sit beside Knife, but Knife couldn’t care less. He just wanted this stupid camp to be over and done with; it was so lame.

The last people to enter were Balloon and Nickel. Once again, Nickel tried to approach Balloon and get him to talk. He wanted to sit with Balloon so he wouldn’t be so bored during the journey.

“Come on, Balloon, sit beside me. I’ll let you have the window seat—” Nickel stopped speaking when he saw Balloon choose to sit beside Yin Yang. Seriously? Yin Yang? They were so annoying. Balloon would rather sit beside them than him? Why?

“Are you serious?” Nickel grunted. He slipped into a seat by himself and crossed his arms, now looking like a loner. Just great.

Yin Yang immediately turned to face Balloon.

“A FRIEND!” Yin cheered.

“We don’t need a friend, especially not Balloon.”

“Yang! Be nice.” Yin warned.

Balloon could already see that this was going to be a draining 8 hours. The two of them would bicker back and forth the whole time. He wouldn’t get any peace, but anything was better than sitting beside Nickel and letting him have that satisfaction.

Once everyone was seated and comfortable, the bus driver started up the bus and pulled out onto the road. The long trip to the camp had begun. Nobody was exactly thrilled to be here, but at least many of them had their best friends or partners along, which would make the camp more bearable. Nickel, however, was miserable, his arms crossed as he stared blankly out the window. This situation seemed so pointless. Why was Balloon being such a baby? They were both in the same boat; why couldn’t he just give in and talk to him? It wouldn’t hurt him to sit beside him on the bus.

As for Balloon, the red-haired boy pulled out a small notepad and pen from his pocket and started writing a poem. It was hard to concentrate with everyone on the bus chatting, especially Yin Yang, who was talking loudly in his ear. Balloon tried to tune them out, but with Yin and Yang bickering, it was almost impossible. Balloon groaned, staring at his blank notepad for a moment before glancing over at Nickel. Should he give in and sit next to him? Balloon wasn’t friends with anyone else here, and at least he and Nickel had a history and hung out frequently, even if they weren’t exactly friends. But then he remembered, he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Nickel. Nickel had spent so many years trying to get rid of Balloon, and he finally did, so why would Balloon go back? This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

Nickel didn’t dwell too deeply on what he truly wanted. He enjoyed annoying Balloon, teasing him, and making him feel hurt like Balloon once made him feel. But deep down, Nickel knew he never truly hated him or wanted him to leave. In reality, he liked hanging out with Balloon, but he felt compelled to maintain this facade of indifference and keep his emotional walls up. He wanted Balloon to understand that he was hurt, yet he didn’t want to lose him completely. He never imagined things would escalate to this point, where he pushed Balloon to the brink of snapping. Nickel felt like he had to be mean; he despised showing his emotions. The one time he had been vulnerable to Balloon all those years ago, Balloon used it against him. Does he believe Balloon has changed? Yes, deep down he does… but he hates admitting it.

Balloon wasn’t sure if he was ready to forgive Nickel. Did he miss being around him? He wasn’t sure. All Nickel seemed to do was make him feel terrible, but occasionally he could be funny and enjoyable to be around. Balloon just needed some time away from him to clear his mind.

Meanwhile, Nickel was quickly becoming bored. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and considered texting Balloon to ask him to come over and sit beside him. Yelling across the seats would attract weird looks, and he didn’t want the attention. However, when Nickel checked Balloon’s social media profiles, he realised he was blocked. Seriously? Balloon was going that far? Blocking him on everything seemed excessive. Nickel grunted in frustration and opened Baseball’s messages, asking him to request that Balloon unblock him. But he had a feeling Baseball wasn’t even awake yet; it was only about 6:30 AM. 

Nickel tapped his leg, growing increasingly bored. He just wanted someone to talk to! Looking around, he noticed Paintbrush and Lightbulb in the row across from him. He scooted over on the seat and attempted to start a conversation.

“What do you think they’ll make us do at this camp, like hands-on work and stuff?” Nickel suddenly spoke.

Paintbrush and Lightbulb turned to Nickel with a confused look. They never even spoke to Nickel at school, and now he was talking to them like they were close? Weird.

“Uh, did you even read the pamphlet?” Paintbrush crossed their arms.

Nickel felt a cold sweat drip down his forehead. “Y-Yeah! Of course I did!” He laughed awkwardly.

“So, you’d know what programs they have for us?” Paintbrush questioned.

“I—uh, well…”

“Thought so,” Paintbrush rolled their eyes. “If you want to know, the programs include things like baking, kayaking, gardening, and other physical activities to build… I don’t know what, to be honest, but supposedly it’s meant to make us better people.” Paintbrush sighed, and turned away. “Don’t you have someone else to talk to Nickel?” Paintbrush snapped.

Nickel fell silent and slumped in his seat. He made a mental note not to get on Paintbrush’s bad side in the mornings; they seemed angrier at this time than any other. Now he was back to square one, bored with nobody to talk to. Great. He checked his phone again to see if he had received a message. Still nothing. This was going to be a long trip.

Balloon witnessed the exchange from a distance, pinching his nose in disappointment. Why was Nickel embarrassing himself like that? Was he seriously that bored that he had to annoy others? Maybe Balloon should just sit beside him to spare him any more humiliation... but for now, he didn’t want to move. He didn’t want Nickel to get the wrong idea that they were on good terms, because they were not. Balloon didn’t want Nickel to think everything was back to normal between them. If Nickel truly wanted Balloon to talk to him again, they would have to do it the right way—on Balloon’s terms and with a genuine effort to put the past behind them, not just because Nickel was bored.

Yin Yang was humming beside Balloon, playing on their 3DS, which provided some semi-entertainment. The loud music was starting to irritate Balloon, but he tried to stay relaxed. Meanwhile, Candle and Silver were discussing work-related matters; Silver’s hand rested on Candle’s knee, a gesture they thought was discreet but was quite obvious to everyone. Paintbrush and Lightbulb took advantage of the early morning to catch a quick snooze, like everyone else who had woken up early for this camp they didn’t want to attend. Test Tube and Fan were watching a video together on Fan’s phone, while Microphone, Taco, Trophy, and Knife were engrossed in a game of "Eye Spy." Balloon and Nickel were the only ones sitting idly, visibly bored out of their minds.

An entire hour had passed, and Balloon had tried to sleep despite the loud music from Yin Yang's 3DS. Finding it impossible to rest, Balloon considered approaching Yin Yang to ask them to turn it down without causing any trouble. Alternatively, he thought about finding a free seat to sit by himself, but he suspected Nickel would just come over and sit beside him anyway. 

Deciding to take the risk, Balloon turned to his side and nervously tapped Yin Yang on the shoulder. "Um, hey Yin Yang, could you maybe turn your game down a little? I'm trying to sleep," he said, offering a faint smile.

Yin Yang jumped slightly at Balloon's request, causing them to misclick and lose their game. Yin started crying internally, upset about losing the level they had worked so hard to reach, while Yang hated when Yin cried.

"You made Yin upset! You made us mess up our game!" Yang shouted, shoving Balloon away.

Balloon squeaked, rubbing his arm where he was pushed. "I-I didn't mean to," he replied nervously.

Nickel heard the commotion and looked over his seat with a smirk. Seeing Balloon get in trouble amused Nickel, who snickered cheekily until Balloon caught him and glared. Nickel quickly ducked back into his seat to hide. Balloon sighed, lacking the energy to get upset. He stood up slowly and made his way to the other side of the bus where Nickel was sitting.

Balloon wordlessly slumped into the seat beside Nickel, looking utterly exhausted. They both did. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Happy now?" Balloon scoffed.

Nickel couldn’t help but smile a little. "Aww, did you miss me~?" he teased.

Balloon scoffed, opening his eyes. "You're the one messaging Baseball, telling him I'm ignoring you and asking me to unblock you," he said, snickering.

Nickel's cheeks flushed. "S-Shut up! I was just bored!" he exclaimed.

Balloon rolled his eyes and shook his head, crossing his arms and sighing. "This doesn’t mean we're on good terms. I'm still mad at you," Balloon warned.

"Were we ever on good terms in the first place?" Nickel turned his head, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"I suppose we weren't, since, y'know, you hate me so much..." Balloon snarked. "You like to talk about how much you hate me and don't want me around, but the moment I ignore you, you become really desperate to talk to me. Weird how things work, huh?" Balloon shrugged.

Nickel scoffed and crossed his arms, turning to look out the window. "Oh, please. I just know I won’t have anyone else to talk to, so I might as well talk to the one person I know well," he replied, trying to cover up the truth.

The truth was something they both knew: Nickel did miss Balloon, missed how close they used to be, and missed him when he wasn't around. Balloon had to admit, he missed Nickel too. All he wanted was for things to go back to the way they were—to be friends again and not just 'tolerate' each other. Some might argue that they were already friends, but it seemed neither of them wanted to admit that title, perhaps afraid of trusting each other again. Who knew?

“Mhm.. whatever.” Balloon didn’t want to argue anymore, he was too tired. He would let Nickel say what he wanted to say, whatever made him happy. 

“So what do you want to do to pass time–” Nickel started,

“Sleep…” Balloon yawned, he carefully leaned his head against Nickel’s shoulder, closing his eyes and relaxing his muscles.

Nickel's cheeks glowed brightly as he looked down at Balloon resting on his shoulder. A tightness gripped his chest as he realised how close they were—it had been a long time since it was just the two of them together, without Suitcase, Baseball, and Bot around to break the tension. It felt strange yet strangely peaceful, reminiscent of old times before their falling out. Nickel had to admit he missed being close to Balloon, just the two of them hanging out.

But it had been so long, and Nickel always thought it would be awkward for them to hang out without the others. Yet now, he found it unexpectedly nice. Despite feeling a bit anxious with Balloon so close, Nickel pushed those thoughts aside and let out a soft sigh.

"Right... so much for entertaining me," he chuckled, teasingly. He wasn't mad; he just wanted to keep up their banter, not show too much of his emotions or let his wall crumble down.

“Mhm.., well I didn’t move here to entertain you, I moved because you were whining and I wanted to sleep…” He murmured into Nickel’s shoulder.

Nickel simply smiled as he stared down at Balloon, who looked surprisingly peaceful as he slept. Was Balloon... cute? Nickel felt weird thinking like that about Balloon. Sure, he was an openly gay male, but this wasn't just any boy—it was Balloon, the same Balloon he hadn't trusted for years, the one he had fought with yesterday, leading them to end up stuck on this bus to a behavioural camp. He was also the same Balloon who had been his childhood best friend, the one he once really cared about. Maybe that care never truly went away? Who knows. But who cares, right? Nickel could find him cute even if he didn't like him! What's wrong with that? He certainly wasn't going to tell Balloon he found him cute! No way! 

Nickel could feel his thoughts battling with one another, confused about how he felt towards Balloon. Now that they were alone without their friends, it was hard to distract himself. He had no choice but to get along with Balloon. Maybe this camp was what would mend their friendship? Who knows.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

The bus pulled over at a small cafe for a bathroom and lunch break. Observing the stop, it seemed like the camp organisers were compensating the driver well for the long trip and breaks. Perhaps the bus driver worked at the camp, no one dared disturb him, who went by the name 'Blueberry' according to his vest name tag, and appeared rather grumpy. Everyone respected his silence and left him alone.

Once the group gathered in front of the cafe, Silver took charge, addressing them all with his usual eloquence. "We have an hour for lunch," he announced. "The school is covering our meals, so each of you can get one meal and a drink." His tone turned stern. "And remember, no misbehaving." 

Candle followed up with a gentler tone. "We'll be sitting at two large tables. Let me announce who's at my table." She consulted her clipboard. "Microphone, Taco, Knife, Trophy, and Yin Yang." She smiled warmly. Silver then listed his table. "Lightbulb, Paintbrush, Fan, Test Tube, Nickel, and Balloon."

It was clear the teachers were considerate, seating friends together. However, Nickel and Balloon weren't thrilled to be at the same table as Test Tube and Fan, given the circumstances that brought them all here. Hopefully, that topic wouldn't likely come up during lunch.

As they entered the cafe, everyone found their assigned seats at the pre-arranged tables. It was evident that reservations had been made in advance. Balloon and Nickel sat next to each other, with Paintbrush beside Balloon and Lightbulb at the end of the table. Across from them sat Test Tube and Fan, while Silver occupied the seat at the far end, leaving a deliberate gap between himself and Fan, clearly trying to avoid engaging with him due to finding his talkative nature annoying.

The menu options were simple, mostly consisting of sandwiches and basic beverages like hot drinks, sodas, and juice. A waitress soon approached to take everyone's orders after they had a chance to peruse the menus. Once the orders were placed and the menus collected, the waitress departed.

Nickel and Balloon attempted to divert themselves by focusing on their phones, anticipating Fan's inevitable attempts to strike up conversation and draw them in.

"Oooh, I have a fun idea! Why don't we go around the table and share why we're here!" Fan exclaimed with excitement, thinking it was a great idea.

"This isn't rehab, dipshit," Nickel retorted sharply, clearly wanting to avoid the topic.

"Well, actually, it kind of is," Test Tube interjected firmly. "We're here because we messed up and need to be rehabilitated from our actions. So, yes, it's a form of rehab. And I wouldn't call my boyfriend a dipshit if I were you. You don't want to mess with a scientist," she added with a pointed glare.

Fan quickly intervened, attempting to diffuse the tension. "Hey, Testy, it's okay," he said, smiling gently to calm her down.

"Oh, look, she's a scientist. What are you gonna do, nerd me to death?" Nickel scoffed, provokingly.

Balloon kicked Nickel's shin and murmured to him, "Be nice..." They didn't want to risk upsetting Test Tube, especially given their friendship with her sibling. "Don't mind him, he's just a little cranky," Balloon quickly interjected.

Nickel crossed his arms and looked away from the table in silence.

"I think it's a super fun idea to go around the table, Fanstar!" Lightbulb chimed in happily. "I'll start. I'm here because apparently pulling pranks on teachers for the past few weeks is considered 'trouble.' But it was all in good fun! They just don't know what fun is," Lightbulb explained with a cheerful tone.

Paintbrush chuckled a little, finding Lightbulb rather adorable. They thought the pranks were genius! 

“Fun! Well… Test Tube and I are here because we kept sneaking into the lab– I know we told you two, but I don’t think we told Nickel and Balloon, speaking of which, what did you two do?” Fan asked with a bright smile.

Nickel and Balloon exchanged a quick glance before turning to Fan, trying to come up with an explanation.

"Well, uh... we got into a fight!" Nickel started, hesitantly.

"Yeah, it was over nothing, really... just old stuff being brought up," Balloon quickly interjected, trying to smooth over the awkwardness. He suddenly realised they could have used this excuse with Mephone to get off the hook.

"Yeah, what Balloon said," Nickel added with a forced smile, attempting to cover up his nervousness.

"Aww, did the boyfriends get into a little fight?" Paintbrush teased playfully.

Nickel's cheeks flushed bright red. "What!? We aren't boyfriends!" he blurted out, embarrassed.

Balloon crossed his arms uncomfortably and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, Nickel wishes," he chuckled lightly, trying to diffuse the tension.

"I do not! Shut up!" Nickel responded, shoving Balloon, with a hint of embarrassment.

 “What about you huh? Why are you here Paintbrush?!” Nickel tried to divert the conversation from him… which Balloon found a little weird, but decided not to question it too much. 

Paintbrush rolled their eyes and crossed their arms, with a scoff, they spoke. “Anger issues apparently, I can’t ‘handle my emotions’ whatever that means.” 

Everybody went silent– 

“Oh, don’t tell me you guys agree!” Paintbrush snapped.

“I-I mean– sometimes, you can get.. Just a little too angry…” Fan nervously spoke up.

“I do NOT ” Paintbrush growled.

Silver was lost in thought, gazing over at Candle as Yin Yang chattered away, seemingly unaware of Silver's distraction. He admired Candle—her beauty, kindness, and warmth. Despite what others might assume, their relationship wasn't official; they were simply very affectionate toward each other. Silver yearned for more, longing for their connection to deepen into something more meaningful. He had never felt such strong love for a woman until he met Candle. 

Although he should have been focused on managing his table, Silver found himself unable to tear his eyes away from Candle, lost in admiration. He couldn't help but feel a pang of unprofessionalism for being so distracted by his feelings during this outing.

Paintbrush was on the verge of strangling Fan over his accusations when the waitress returned with their drinks, setting them on the table for each person. Fan received a milkshake, Test Tube and Lightbulb got lemonade, Paintbrush had orange juice, Silver Spoon had an iced latte, and Balloon and Nickel each received a strawberry lemonade.

"I'll be back soon with the food," the waitress announced cheerfully before leaving with a sweet smile.

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone sipped their drinks, but it didn't take long before someone broke the quiet.

"You like Candle, don't you, Mr. Silver Spoon?" Balloon asked with a knowing smirk.

Silver's entire face flushed bright red, and he shook his head defensively. "W-What! No! Heavens no! Why on earth would you think that! I mean... quite frankly, you're stepping out of line for even asking such a thing!" He rambled in a panic.

Balloon shrugged casually and took another sip of his drink. "The way you look at her... you gaze at her with such deep affection. I see a glint of happiness in your eyes when you stare... your eyes practically sparkle. You admire her in a way that only eyes can tell. You look at Candle as if she's someone you couldn't do without, like she's the one," Balloon said softly.

"Oh..." Silver muttered, at a loss for words.

"Damn, B! That's really deep!" Lightbulb chimed in, laughing a bit. "That's like how I look at Painty!" She turned to her partner with a bright smile.

Balloon simply shrugged again and took another sip of his drink, letting his words hang in the air for Silver to ponder—and perhaps others as well. Nickel couldn't seem to take his eyes off Balloon. He found himself staring at Balloon's slightly pink cheeks, which complemented his complexion and salmon-coloured hair perfectly. Balloon was cute, especially when he spoke so poetically. It hadn't occurred to Nickel before, but the way Balloon described Silver's feelings was how Nickel was looking at Balloon right now. 

Why was he only now appreciating Balloon's worth? Perhaps he had always seen it but had used distractions to avoid facing his true feelings. Maybe the reason he had been avoiding amends in their friendship with Balloon all these years wasn't solely because of their past in middle school—it might have been an excuse to avoid confronting his own feelings towards him. It hurt Nickel a lot when Balloon did what he did… but deep down he wanted to forgive him, but was scared to be hurt? His feelings were a lot deeper than he conveyed, and they are seeming to only grow the longer they spend time together.

Soon enough, their food arrived, and everyone ate in silence, enjoying sandwiches and salads. Once both tables finished their meals, the students were given time to use the bathroom before departing. Balloon took this opportunity to head towards the bathroom, with Nickel following closely behind, seemingly attached to him and not wanting to leave his side.

Inside the bathroom, as Balloon washed his hands, Nickel suddenly spoke up. "Balloon—hey, wait!"

"Hm?" Balloon turned around, curious about what Nickel wanted.

"You talked about how... eyes can tell if someone likes you or something. How do you know yourself? Like, if you're making those eyes at someone else?" Nickel asked, surprising Balloon. He hadn't pegged Nickel as the soft or romantic type.

"Pssh, why are you asking? Do you have a crush on Baseball or something?" Balloon teased with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up! Baseball's like a bro to me. I'm serious! How do you know?" Nickel repeated, his tone earnest.

Balloon shrugged slightly, feeling a bit puzzled. Why was Nickel asking this? He had never seen him show interest in anyone before. "I don't know...? I can't recall ever looking at someone like that myself, so I couldn't help you," Balloon replied, shrugging again. "Come on, let's go. The bus is about to leave," he added, steering the conversation away from the unusual topic.

"Yeah, okay..." Nickel agreed, following Balloon out of the bathroom and back towards the bus.

Everybody reentered the bus and sat in the same spots as before, this time, Balloon didn’t sit away from Nickel, he sat right beside him with no hassle. Maybe he really had forgiven him for the fight? Now they could get through these 2 weeks together as… friends ? No, no they weren’t at that level yet. Nickel wasn’t even sure if he was ready to confirm their friendship after years of being in a ‘non-friendship’ despite hanging out every single day. Maybe it was all a stupid label that Nickel put in place so his walls could stay up and he didn’t have to admit he accepted Balloon’s apology, or maybe it goes back to before and his fear of the conflicting emotions he held to Balloon… whatever it was, he wasn’t ready, if anything he was more nervous to be around him, yet, he couldn’t seem to tear himself away, Balloon was like a drug. He didn’t want him, but had to have him. 

The bus rumbled back into motion, and most of the passengers resumed chatting, resting, or scrolling on their phones. Nickel stared out the window, attempting to clear his mind of swirling thoughts, while Balloon was engrossed in his phone. He found himself on Instagram, in his and Suitcase's DMs, staring at the keyboard with shaky hands. Taking a deep breath, he began typing without hesitation.

"I think this camp was a good thing. I'm seeing a different side to Nickel that I haven't seen in a long time. He's kinder to me, listens to me, and even wants to be around me. I have a feeling this camp might fix what happened between us. I hope it does. I miss him."

With a mix of hope and uncertainty, Balloon hit send.

Chapter Text

After a lengthy bus journey, they finally reached their destination around 5pm, due to several brief stops and a lunch break. As they rolled into the camp, a dirt road led them into a spacious area dotted with a few log cabins, an inviting campfire spot, long outdoor benches, and a nearby crystal-clear river. It didn't feel like a place of punishment at all. Had Mephone made a mistake about the location? Truthfully, he had no clue; he simply assumed it would be dreadful and a lesson in misbehaviour. In reality, this camp aimed to develop skills and strengths for personal improvement. The students gazed out of the bus windows in surprise. Once the bus parked, they all hurriedly disembarked without needing a second prompt.

Waiting for them stood a man of medium height, with tousled blonde hair, a slightly scruffy beard, cargo shorts, and sandals. He wore a white shirt adorned with a life ring symbol. He warmly greeted each student as they stepped off the bus.

"Welcome to Inanimate Insanity Behavioral Camp! I'm Lifering, your camp leader. It's wonderful to meet all of you! I'm confident we'll have a great time here. Why don't you all unpack and then gather back here for a proper introduction?" Lifering suggested cheerfully.

The students were utterly stunned, gazing around at their surroundings with confusion. Even Silver and Candle couldn't believe how well-organised the camp was. Before anyone could voice their questions, the attention was grabbed by a crystal ding, a signature move that Candle uses to grab the attention of her students. She kept it in her shoulder bag.

"Alright, everyone, no pushing or shoving. Please grab your bags and take them to your assigned cabins. You'll be staying in the same groups as you were for lunch. Silver and I will be in the staff cabin," she announced with a smile.

The students began unloading their bags and hauling them towards their designated cabins. Nickel, Balloon, Test Tube, Fan, Lightbulb, and Paintbrush settled into cabin one, while the others occupied cabin two. Stepping inside, they found the cabin to be tidy, furnished with three bunk beds (totaling six beds) and a couch. The space was cosy, with wooden walls matching the exterior, and polished wooden floors. The beds were already made with thin white sheets and pillows; it seemed everyone would need to bring their own sleeping bags for warmth. A separate room branching off from the main area contained a sink, shower, and toilet. It was simple but livable, far from the terrible conditions they had anticipated.

“This isn't quite what I expected,” Nickel remarked as he tossed his bag onto one of the bottom bunks. He didn't want to admit it in front of everyone, but he had a fear of heights and subtly claimed a lower bunk to avoid having to negotiate for it later.

Balloon let out a huff in response. “You know... same here. When they mentioned a behavioural camp, I was imagining forced labour or something. This is actually really nice.” He positioned his suitcase near Nickel's bed, suggesting he had chosen the top bunk, which seemed like the obvious choice given the other four were couples who obviously wanted to bunk together.

“It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun! I can't believe Mephone would send us here! Do you think he even knew what this place was before sending us?” Lightbulb laughed as she claimed a bottom bunk by sitting down on it.

“My theory is exactly that. I doubt Mephone had any clue where he was sending us,” Test Tube chimed in. “Oh, and Lightbulb, would you like to bunk with me? We can push our beds together to sleep next to our partners. I think it's the most logical arrangement. You and Painty can take the bottom bunks, and Fan and I can have the tops,” she suggested with a nerdy grin.

“You're so smart, Testy!” Lightbulb giggled in response.

Nickel scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he turned to Balloon, muttering, “Can you believe we got stuck with the couples?”

Balloon shrugged a little, feeling slightly awkward about being the odd ones out among the couples. But it was only for two weeks—how bad could it be? “Don't worry about it, Nickel. I'm sure they won't be a bother,” he reassured him, trying to downplay the situation.

Test Tube and Lightbulb began pushing their bunk beds together to create a double bunk setup, while Paintbrush sat nearby brushing their hair and Fan paced back and forth in distress over the lack of internet connection.

“What do you mean no bars?! No bars?! What?!” Fan cried out as he continuously tried to refresh his page. His heart raced; the internet was his entire life. How was he supposed to update his blogs and film his daily vlogs?

“Does this place even have a charging port? Oh god—oh god!” Fan continued, struggling to catch his breath.

Test Tube quickly approached him and placed her hands on his arms, gently rubbing them to help calm him down. “Hey, listen... I brought a battery pack. You'll be able to charge your phone. As for service—I really don’t think you'll get much out here, Fan, but it's okay! You can still make your vlogs. My battery pack has enough charge for the next two weeks, okay? Just record your videos and put them together in a compilation. Then you can post the whole thing, alright? Just take deep breaths,” she reassured him.

Fan took a shaky, deep breath and attempted to calm down.

Nickel glanced over at the couple, scoffing lightly as he nudged Balloon.

“First world problems, am I right?” he teased Fan, although it probably wasn't the best idea considering Test Tube had already been upset earlier, and they were trying not to provoke her.

“Shh! Nickel... Please,” Balloon nervously nudged him back. “Just... stop being so insensitive, okay?” he pleaded quietly.

“Insensitive? I’m being insensitive? You're the one being insensitive! You've been avoiding me all day, and now that I try to joke with you, you call me insensitive!” Nickel snapped back. He wasn't sure why he reacted so strongly; it wasn't that big of a deal, and he didn’t want to fight with Balloon. But he was putting up a wall again, the only way he knew how—by being mean, treating Balloon poorly because he was afraid to confront his true feelings. Instead, he tried to create distance between them, hoping their relationship would never progress. But why? What was he so afraid of?

Balloon couldn’t believe Nickel right now. He had started to hope they could mend things, and now Nickel was reverting to treating him like shit? What had Balloon done to deserve this treatment? So what if he had ignored Nickel earlier? He had eventually spoken to him, and they seemed fine on the bus and just moments ago. But now, because of one small comment about being rude, Nickel was throwing a tantrum and getting mad at him? Balloon sighed in frustration.

“Whatever, I’m going outside,” Balloon said, pushing off the bed and storming out. He had briefly entertained the idea that things could improve between them, but now it seemed unlikely.

“Yikes, what did you say to him?” Paintbrush interjected as they put their hairbrush away.

“Nothing, just... go away,” Nickel replied curtly before standing up and also leaving the cabin.

Paintbrush shrugged it off; it didn’t bother them much. Still, it left them curious about what was going on between those two. Paintbrush couldn’t figure out if they were dating, friends, or enemies. They were really confusing like that.

“Come on, guys! The camp leader is probably waiting for us!” Lightbulb spoke with her usual bright smile, bringing her infectious energy to the group. The four of them exited the cabin and made their way over to the campfire where everyone was gathering. Four long logs were set around the campfire, and Nickel and Balloon ended up sitting on opposite sides, clearly avoiding each other.

On the first log sat Candle, Silver Spoon, Lifering, and Yin Yang, who appeared visibly upset and non-verbal. Candle sensed something was wrong but decided it wasn’t the right time to approach him. On the left log sat Balloon, Knife, Taco, Microphone, and Trophy, while the right log held Nickel, Paintbrush, Fan, and Test Tube.

“Alright, campers! I thought we'd start with a little icebreaker challenge to get to know each other,” Lifering announced enthusiastically. “I’m sure you all know a bit about each other, but there are probably some things people don’t know. So, I’ll ask you to share four things: your name, your age, something you like doing, and something nobody knows about you. It’s a trust exercise—I know, a trust exercise on the first day? Sounds crazy, but listen, everything we say here stays within this camp. We’re all here to support each other and build bonds, okay? Alright, I’ll start.”

“I’m Lifering! I’m 28 years old, and I enjoy swimming, water skiing, fishing, and hiking! Something nobody knows about me is that I have a fear of drowning. Funny, right? All these water activities, yet drowning scares me!” Lifering chuckled and then passed the spotlight to Silver Spoon.

Silver Spoon tensed up a bit when it was his turn. He wasn’t fond of sharing personal details with his students, but it was part of the exercise, so he went along with it. “I’m Silver Spoon. As you all know, I’m 30 years old. I like to read and write, and my secret is that I have a big fascination with playwriting.” His secret wasn’t too private, but it was something most people here didn’t know about him, so it worked for the icebreaker.

Now it was Candle's turn, and she was eager to participate. “I’m Candle. I’m 29 years old, and I enjoy meditation, crystals, and inner peace. My secret is that I wasn’t always this ‘calm,’ as you all like to call me. Let’s just say, I found my inner flame, and I believe you all can too,” she shared with a soft smile. Then, she turned to Yin Yang.

Yin Yang shook their head, declining to share.

“Why is that? Is there something we need to talk about?” Candle asked gently.

“Yang is upset,” Yin explained quietly. “But we prefer to talk later, in private.”

“Would you like to take your turn, or should we skip you?” Candle inquired kindly.

“No, It is fine.” Yang snapped.

“ We are Yin Yang, uh, we are 14… we like, hm, dancing, DR FIZZ! Collecting plushies… CHAOS! Our secret is… we don’t have many friends.” Yin admits.

“Didn’t know that was a secret…” Nickel murmured. Paintbrush shoved him a little. 

“Dude, not cool.” They whispered to him.

Jeez, could nobody take a joke around here?

Lifering smiled and addressed the group. “Thank you for sharing, everyone. Now, who's next... ah, you!” Lifering pointed at Balloon.

Balloon suddenly felt a wave of anxiety rush over him, fiddling with his hoodie strings as he tried to speak. “Uhm... I’m Balloon. I’m 18 years old. I guess I like poetry and art... and, uh, something you guys probably don’t know about me is... well, a lot. I don’t think many of you know me well at all, so I guess what I shared for my likes is also something you don’t know... so,” Balloon shrugged, looking down at the ground.

“Thank you for sharing, Balloon,” Lifering smiled warmly, noticing that something was clearly upsetting the kid. He made a mental note to check in with Balloon later and see how he was doing.

Nickel could sense that something was bothering Balloon. He felt like he knew Balloon better than anyone here, and seeing him upset made him wonder if it was because of how he acted back in the cabin. Nickel didn’t think he was that much of a jerk to make Balloon that sad.

As the introductions continued around the campfire, each person shared their name, age, likes, and a secret about themselves. Eventually, it was Nickel's turn to speak.

“And lucky last! Tell us about yourself!” Lifering chimed in.

Nickel, with his arms crossed and a blank expression, let out a sigh and straightened up. “Yeah... uh, I’m Nickel, 18– Ugh, this is so stupid. Why are we doing this again?” Nickel complained.

“To build trust with one another, to learn new things about the people you'll be spending the next two weeks with,” Lifering explained kindly.

Nickel scoffed. “Is that so? Well, I don’t think anyone here gives a damn about me anyway, so why should I tell them about myself? They don’t care, and frankly, I don’t care about them either. This is a pointless exercise, and I'm done participating in it,” Nickel snapped before abruptly standing up and storming off towards the lake. His outburst left everyone in awkward silence; they hadn’t expected Nickel to blow up like that.

“Looks like we have a tough one on our hands,” Lifering chuckled as he stood up. “Well, let's give him some space. In the meantime, let’s head to cabin four! It's our kitchen. Each of you will be helping cook up a meal for everyone—naan bread and seasoned chicken. I’ll assign groups and tasks for everyone.” He clapped his hands to get them moving, and everyone reluctantly dragged themselves towards the kitchen. Balloon remained seated, contemplating what to do.

Before Lifering left with the others, he knelt down in front of Balloon. “Hey, bud, you good?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine... I just—can I go check on Nickel? We're frie–... we know each other,” Balloon replied with a weak smile.

Lifering didn’t see a problem with that; he shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, by all means, be my guest. I want everyone to feel welcome and accepted here. I don’t see any of you as a bad egg, including Nickel. I can tell he’s not a bad kid, just torn up inside. It seems he has a good friend on his hands,” Lifering said, patting Balloon on the back before heading towards the cabin to start tonight's cooking activity.

Balloon slid his hands into his hoodie pocket and strolled along, the sun nearly gone and the moon ascending, casting a dim light across the sky. Eventually, he reached the river where Nickel was aggressively skimming rocks across the water. Balloon didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he sidled up next to Nickel and stood silently beside him, saying nothing as they both faced the water.

“What do you want…” Nickel’s voice was low, his gaze fixed on the water without turning to face Balloon. They stood there together, alone, Nickel feeling an odd reluctance to meet Balloon's eyes.

“I can see you’re not okay,” Balloon said softly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Why do you care? You stormed off earlier…” Nickel skipped another rock across the river.

“You’re right, I did… I was upset,” Balloon admitted with a sigh. “But being upset doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.” He turned towards Nickel, though Nickel still kept his gaze averted.

“Yeah, whatever,” Nickel muttered, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his vape. He took a puff and exhaled unsteadily.

Balloon let out a sigh of disappointment upon seeing Nickel with the vape. However, he reminded himself not to judge. Nickel had stormed off earlier because he felt judged by everyone, and Balloon didn’t want to add to that feeling. His goal was to make Nickel feel comfortable expressing himself. So, Balloon made a decision to step out of his comfort zone to demonstrate his support for his friend.

“Can I try it…?” Balloon asked tentatively.

Finally, Nickel turned to face Balloon, eyebrow raised. “I thought you didn’t vape?” he questioned.

“I don’t, but I want you to know I’m here for you,” Balloon explained, holding out his hand. “I’m not here to judge you, Nickel.”

Nickel shook his head and put the vape back in his pocket. “No, I’m not getting you started on this… you’re better than that, Balloon,” he said with a frown. “I believe you care, okay? Just… Please, don’t do things you don’t want to do.”

Balloon sighed and nodded slightly, then squatted down by the riverbank and sat on the ground, looking up at Nickel to see his reaction. Nickel huffed and joined him, sitting down beside Balloon. Together, they remained silent, gazing out at the river. The moon was now visible, and the sun had completely disappeared, its reflection shimmering on the water. Nickel stuffed his hand back into his pocket and pulled out the vape, taking another quick hit and exhaling into the air.

“The others are cooking dinner. If we stay out here long enough, we won’t need to cook,” Balloon chuckled softly, trying to break the silence.

“You can just admit you want to spend more time with me…” Nickel muttered unexpectedly. His remark was slightly suggestive and oddly flirtatious, surprising even himself with what he had said.

Balloon's cheeks flushed, but he chose to stay silent, not responding to Nickel's comment. He felt an unexpected warmth inside, puzzled by why Nickel of all people was making him feel this way.

Nickel felt his palms getting sweaty and tightened his grip on the vape, taking another shaky hit. He was trembling slightly, unsure if it was from nerves or the evening chill. He avoided looking at Balloon, feeling foolish for blurting out those words and wondering why they had slipped out.

Balloon simply sighed and leaned slightly against Nickel's shoulder, closing his eyes briefly. He missed this closeness with Nickel, longing for their past connection. He would do anything to restore their relationship.

“Well, maybe you’re right. I do want to stay here a little longer,” Balloon murmured softly.

Nickel’s cheeks remained flushed as he chuckled shyly and averted his gaze from Balloon, unwilling to meet his eyes. The two of them sat quietly, Balloon's head resting peacefully on Nickel’s shoulder while Nickel vaped. It felt tranquil, perhaps the first time in years they had experienced such calmness together, entirely of their own accord. Out here by the river, it was just the two of them, by their own choice. It felt comforting, almost cosy. There was a sense of safety in the air. Balloon cherished this moment, dreading its end, afraid that something would once again disrupt their peace and drive Nickel away. He couldn’t understand why, but it seemed like every time they grew closer, Nickel would unexpectedly build a wall and jeopardise what they had. Balloon longed for Nickel to simply be genuine with him for once. They had been at odds for too long, and Balloon yearned to return to the ease they once shared.

“We should head to dinner, right?” Nickel finally broke the silence after a while. Being alone with Balloon for so long felt strange and new, stirring a sense of uncertainty within him.

“Yeah, probably,” Balloon replied with a nervous chuckle. He stood up and glanced back at the cabins, letting out a soft sigh. He wished they could stay in that moment forever, but hunger and the concern of Lifering's watchful eye prompted their return.

Nickel stood as well, and together they made their way back toward the cabins, walking in peaceful silence.

Upon entering the kitchen cabin, they were greeted by four long wooden benches and a small kitchen workstation in the back. The aroma of food filled the air as they began serving up plates and placing them on the table. Everyone would enjoy the same meal with a glass of water.

Knife scoffed as he noticed Balloon and Nickel sitting together at one of the benches. “Oh, look who decided to show up, the two who disappeared while the rest of us were slaving away. You’re welcome, Your Highnesses,” he snapped, placing their plates in front of them before walking off to finish serving.

Balloon and Nickel paid no mind to the comments. They knew they had needed that time alone, regardless of what others might say or think about them.

Soon, everyone gathered around the tables and dinner began. They dispersed themselves among the available tables. Lightbulb, Paintbrush, Fan, and Test Tube occupied one table, while Microphone, Knife, Taco, and Trophy sat at another. Balloon and Nickel shared a bench with the teachers and Yin Yang, as others seemed to avoid them, clearly angry that they had skipped out on cooking, not caring whether or not they were upset or not, they found it unfair.

However, it wasn’t just Balloon and Nickel who skipped cooking—Yin Yang also stayed out, having a discussion with Candle about their feelings. It turned out they were upset about not being able to stay in Candle’s room. Candle encouraged Yin Yang to make friends with his group, which they resisted but eventually agreed to join their group in their room at least, realising they had no other choice.

“So, how are you boys feeling?” Lifering inquired, looking at Nickel and Balloon.

Balloon finished chewing and nodded. “Better.”

Nickel shrugged, poking at his food. “Yeah, whatever. Doesn’t change that everyone at this camp seems to hate us... but fine, I guess,” he muttered, shaking his head.

Lifering smiled and shook his head slightly. “Does it really matter what everyone else thinks? You have each other, and that’s what really matters,” he reassured them.

Nickel and Balloon glanced up at Lifering, If only he knew their history.

“Yeah, I guess we do,” Balloon responded softly, turning to face Nickel.

Nickel looked away shyly, struggling to meet Balloon's gaze. There was something unsettling about the way Balloon could read him just by looking into his eyes. When he did it earlier today with Silver Spoon, when he was staring at Candle, it alarmed him. Nickel didn’t want Balloon to detect his feelings; he didn’t even want to acknowledge those feelings himself. Pushing Balloon away seemed like the only solution to prevent these emotions from surfacing. Yet, deep down, Nickel yearned for Balloon’s presence. He didn’t want to lose him, but he also didn’t want to confront these overwhelming feelings that put him in such a conflicting position.

“Well I am glad, just stick together, it seems you both really care about each other.” Lifering smiled.

. . .

Not long after, everyone finished their meals and placed their dishes in the dishwasher, which Lifering started once they were all done.

“Alright, it’s been a long day! Why don’t you all head off to bed? We have a big day tomorrow!” Lifering announced. “If tomorrow goes well, who knows, I might treat you all to marshmallows by the fire! But for tonight, off to bed, get some rest!” Lifering suggested cheerfully.

Candle and Silver guided the students out, ensuring each one safely entered their cabins before retiring to bed themselves. Their staff cabin was quite upscale, featuring several separate rooms, each with a decent-sized bed for personal comfort. Before Candle could enter the cabin, Yin Yang stopped her by grabbing her sleeve.

“Please don’t make me sleep in my own cabin, they will bully us!”

“Please Candle! We will behave!”

Yin Yang begged.

Candle sighed softly, lowering herself to Yin Yang's eye level.

“Yin Yang... you'll have to stay in there eventually... but, just for tonight, would you be okay with sleeping on the staff couch?” She asked.

Yin Yang quickly nodded their head.

“Yes!”

They both cheered as they hurried inside, racing for the couch.

Candle let out a gentle yawn, retrieving a blanket from her bag—a soft, purple throw—and draped it over Yin Yang, ensuring they would stay warm.

“Sleep well, Yin Yang,” she sighed before entering her own room.

. . .

In Balloon and Nickel’s cabin, everyone was getting ready for bed. The setup with the beds pushed together seemed to work well for the couples. Paintbrush had their arm around their girlfriend, holding her close as they slept, while Test Tube and Fan were huddled together.

Each person had unique pyjamas. Paintbrush wore a simple white tank top and bike shorts. Lightbulb donned a fuzzy yellow bunny onesie, while Fan opted for a plain white t-shirt and grey shorts. Test Tube sported a button-up silk green pyjama top with matching pants.

Meanwhile, Balloon and Nickel were the last to change into their pyjamas, taking turns in the bathroom. Nickel emerged wearing a grey t-shirt and shorts, while Balloon wore a white tank top and small red shorts. Balloon’s curly, poofy hair was let loose, contrasting with Nickel’s scruffy, tousled locks.

They headed to their respective beds. Nickel collapsed onto his with an audible sigh of exhaustion, relieved to finally rest after a long day. He felt a bit odd being the only ones without a significant other in the room, especially seeing everyone cuddling with their partners nearby. To avoid dwelling on it, he turned to face the wall.

Balloon climbed up the metal ladder with a sleeping bag in hand, laying it out inside and settling down. He placed his head on the pillow and let out a soft sigh, ready to unwind and sleep.

Balloon tossed from one side to the other, rattling the bed with each movement, unable to find a comfortable position to sleep. He wasn’t sure why...

“Could you knock it off? I’m trying to sleep,” Nickel whispered loudly at Balloon.

“Sorry... I just... I can’t get comfortable,” Balloon admitted, his voice shaky. 

“Not my problem,” Nickel responded bluntly.

“Well, it is if I keep tossing and turning…” Balloon murmured. “I, uh... I’m actually afraid of the dark,” he suddenly confessed. Balloon felt petrified in the pitch-black room without any lights.

“Oh,” Nickel responded cautiously, surprised that Balloon would share such a deep fear so openly. “It’s okay, alright? Nothing will hurt you,” Nickel tried to comfort him.

Balloon sat up, hugging his arms tightly around himself, his whole body shaking with fear. “No... you don’t understand, Nickel... I’m really scared,” Balloon’s voice cracked, clearly distressed.

Nickel quickly sat up, genuinely concerned now that he saw Balloon on the verge of tears. “Hey, it’s okay... Shh. Can you come down?” Nickel asked as he slipped out of bed and stood by the ladder, too afraid to climb up in the dark. “I think I packed a flashlight; let me find it for you,” he spoke softly.

Balloon sniffled and carefully wiggled out of his sleeping bag. “Please... hold me as I climb down... I don’t want to fall,” he stuttered.

Nickel swallowed nervously and moved closer to the ladder, reaching out to hold Balloon’s hips as he descended the ladder step by step. Once Balloon made it down, he turned around and wrapped his arms tightly around Nickel, burying his head into Nickel's chest. Balloon was shaking and crying, revealing a vulnerability that surprised Nickel. Awkwardly, Nickel placed a hand on Balloon's back, gently patting it. As they stood there, holding each other, Nickel couldn’t deny that it felt oddly comforting and familiar—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“You okay…?” Nickel whispered to him.

“Mhm…” Balloon replied, still holding onto Nickel tightly.

“Here, let’s sit,” Nickel suggested, guiding Balloon to his bed and sitting down beside him. Balloon covered his eyes and rested his head against Nickel’s shoulder while Nickel rummaged through his bag, feeling around with his hands. He soon found his torch, quickly turning it on and covering the light with his hand to keep it dim. Holding it between them, he illuminated their faces.

“Are you okay?” Nickel asked softly.

Balloon nodded and sniffled again.

“Thank you.”

They sat quietly for a moment, neither speaking, just gazing at the soft light filtering through Nickel’s hand.

“I don’t want to go back up…” Balloon admitted quietly.

Nickel frowned. “Well, I’m not going up there–”

“No! I mean, I don’t want to be alone,” Balloon clarified. “Can I just stay down here, with you…? Even if it’s just for a little bit, I just need someone close to me to feel safe, please Nickel?” Balloon practically begged, his fear palpable. He wouldn’t ask this if he wasn’t genuinely scared.

Nickel hesitated to be close with Balloon, fearing that his feelings might intensify if they became physically intimate. He quickly shook his head. “N-No, no way, Balloon… it'll be okay, right? I mean, what if the others wake up and start teasing us, calling us boyfriends—”

“So...? Why should we care?” Balloon interrupted.

“I-I just don’t want people to think we’re dating, okay?” Nickel stated bluntly.

Balloon scoffed. “Would that really be such a nightmare for you?”

“W-What! No! I... dating and relationships... It’s a weird topic for me, okay? I…” Nickel hesitated, noticing Balloon’s trembling and realising he truly didn’t want to be alone. “Fine, fine! You can stay down here, but just for a little while! When you’re ready, take my torch and go back up before anyone wakes up, okay, set an alarm and make sure you wake up, alright?” Nickel negotiated.

Balloon didn’t understand why Nickel cared so much about others' opinions but decided not to press further since he was getting his way. He smiled cheesily and eagerly settled into the bed. Nickel sighed and laid down beside him, unable to believe he was sharing a bed with Balloon. This was so... gay, and Nickel was gay!. What would Suitcase and Baseball think? They would tease him endlessly if they found out he was snuggling up with Balloon… They’d never let him hear the end of it! He had tried to avoid situations like this to prevent developing feelings for Balloon, but now here they were, in the same bed!

Balloon rested his head close to Nickel’s, placing his hand on Nickel’s chest to keep him close. As they lay there, Nickel turned off the torch in his hand and let out a shaky breath. He was nervous about the situation and tried to calm himself by speaking.

“I’m afraid of heights,” Nickel suddenly confessed. “That’s why I didn’t want to climb up or take the top bunk,” he admitted truthfully.

Balloon sighed softly, feeling sleep overcoming him. “Well, everyone is afraid of something...” he murmured tiredly. “I fear abandonment and judgement,” Balloon added.

“Heh... me too,” Nickel responded softly, realising how much he and Balloon had in common.

Nickel zoned out for a moment, and when he refocused, he went to ask Balloon if he was okay, only to hear gentle snores. Nickel sighed with relief, finally able to relax. He couldn’t believe he allowed this to happen, but that was a problem for tomorrow’s Nickel to worry about—right now, there were no more worries.

Except for one thing... They had forgotten to set an alarm to wake up before everyone else.

Oops.

Chapter Text

The following day arrived sooner than Nickel or Balloon had expected. They had planned to set an alarm for Balloon to return to his own bed, but in the comfort of each other's arms, they forgot, and now it was morning. The two lay entangled, legs intertwined, with Nickel's arm securely around Balloon, both deep in slumber.

Meanwhile, Paintbrush, an early riser who meticulously attended to their hair, was up at 6 am. Paintbrush had their own alarm that neither Nickel nor Balloon had heard. Paintbrush shut it off and got up. They grabbed their clothes and hairbrush, heading to the bathroom without noticing the pair still asleep in bed. After grooming their hair to perfection and dressing in black jeans, a white tank top, and an oversized brown jacket, Paintbrush left the room.

Outside, Lightbulb was just waking up, squinting against the morning light. Paintbrush greeted her affectionately with a kiss on the forehead before noticing Fan, who was groggily waking up and descending from his bunk.

None of them had yet noticed Nickel and Balloon still sound asleep.

A short while later, Test Tube, yawning from sleepiness, joined them.

"Gee… Up so early, everyone?" Test Tube asked with a yawn.

"Not everyone," Paintbrush replied, looking toward the bunk beds. To their surprise, Balloon wasn't in his bunk up the top. Their gaze dropped to the lower bunk, where they spotted Balloon snuggled up with Nickel.

"Oh my," Paintbrush exclaimed softly.

"Golly! How cute!" Test Tube giggled in delight.

"I thought they weren't dating?" Lightbulb tilted her head curiously at the sight of Nickel and Balloon snuggled together.

"They're definitely not," Fan chuckled. "Balloon always told me Nickel can't stand him."

The four of them continued to observe Nickel and Balloon, who remained fast asleep despite their quiet conversation.

"This is too good!" Paintbrush exclaimed, pulling out their phone and leaning in to capture the scene. They snapped a photo of the unexpected pair.

"Come on, Paintbrush, maybe they wouldn't appreciate that," Fan interjected cautiously.

"Nickel is always so jerkish with us! A little harmless teasing won't hurt. He could use a taste of his own medicine!" Paintbrush defended their actions.

"But Balloon is always kind to everyone... Does he deserve it?" Fan voiced his concern.

"For the sake of camp humour! It's all in good fun. They 'hate' each other, right? This is just playful teasing!" Paintbrush grinned mischievously at the photo they had taken.

Fan shook his head, feeling outnumbered as Lightbulb and Test Tube giggled over the situation.

"Come on, Fan, lighten up! They're the only non-couple in our cabin and the only ones not in our friendship circle. Besides, do you really want to defend them? Remember, they're the bad influences always hanging around Bot!" Test Tube argued, crossing her arms. "Maybe they deserve a little teasing..."

Fan stayed quiet, realising he didn't have much say in the matter. Instead, he grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom to prepare for the day, leaving the others to continue laughing and taking photos.

It didn't take long for Balloon and Nickel to awaken, stirred by the constant chatter and giggling. Balloon groaned and tossed a bit, trying to adjust to the noise. As his eyes fluttered open, he heard faint whispers of "shh, he's waking up," then found himself staring at Lightbulb, Paintbrush, and Test Tube.

"AH!" Balloon squealed in surprise, rolling off the bed in a panic, which promptly woke up Nickel. The grey-haired boy shot up, looking around in confusion. Both were very disoriented and confused for a moment until Balloon remembered.

"Oh no..." Balloon muttered to himself, blushing.

"Did you two enjoy your cosy cuddles last night?" Paintbrush teased with a laugh.

Nickel's face turned bright red as he spun his head to glare at Balloon, feeling utterly embarrassed. Balloon, unable to meet Nickel's eyes, looked down shamefully at the ground.

“You were supposed to set an alarm!” Nickel snapped at him suddenly, feeling so embarrassed that he just caught cuddling with BALLOON of all people! What if this gets back to suitcase and Baseball!?

“I forgot! I’m sorry! I was just so tired and it was so nice and warm and–” 

Nickel quietly slipped out of bed without saying a word. Fan was just exiting the bathroom when Nickel pushed past him and swiftly shut the bathroom door, turning on the shower. The room fell silent, and the jovial atmosphere dissipated.

"Oh geez... what did I miss?" Fan said awkwardly, clutching his folded pyjamas to his chest.

Balloon felt a surge of emotion, on the verge of tears. He had finally been making progress in rebuilding his connection with Nickel, only to mess it up over such a simple mistake. How could he have forgotten to set the alarm? He believed they were starting to grow closer again, and now he feared he had ruined everything with one oversight.

"Yikes... wasn't expecting that," Paintbrush suddenly remarked, breaking the silence. "And they say I have anger issues..." Paintbrush spoke awkwardly, feeling somewhat responsible for setting off the chain of events.

“Sorry Balloon… we didn’t think Nickel would–” Test Tube started.

"You didn't think Nickel would... lash out at me? Blame me? Get mad at me? Do you even know him? His whole persona is to basically despise me! It's like he refuses to let anyone see how he actually feels about me. When we're alone, he's the nicest person I've ever known. But around others, he acts like he wishes I didn't exist! I thought, just maybe, he was growing out of that and we could finally move on and be friends again. But because I didn't set a stupid alarm... Now he probably hates me again. So yeah, thanks, guys," Balloon snapped, his frustration evident.

"Wow, that's a lot to process. I don't think they meant any harm, Balloon. They were just trying to be playful..." Fan attempted to defend his friends, though he knew their actions had upset Balloon.

"Also... if I may ask, what's the deal between you and Nickel?" Fan asked cautiously.

"Would you like to go for a walk...?" Balloon sighed, returning to his usual feeble demeanour.

"Oh... I, uh, sure," Fan replied, though he had a feeling this walk would involve Balloon opening up about his feelings and the history of his friendship with Nickel. Still, Fan felt honoured that Balloon trusted him enough to share.

Balloon quickly threw on a hoodie and some socks and shoes, not bothering to change out of his pyjama shorts. Soon, Fan and Balloon left the cabin.

Meanwhile, Test Tube, Lightbulb, and Paintbrush remained behind.

"I did not see that coming..." Test Tube awkwardly remarked.

"Me neither... Hopefully Fan can help cheer Balloon up," Lightbulb said with a hopeful smile, trying to stay optimistic.

As the two redheads made their way down by the lake, they walked in silence for a moment before Fan began to speak.

"I know I'm not a therapist or great socially. I'm probably the most awkward person you'll ever meet, but you can trust me to be there for you," Fan said with a faint smile, placing a reassuring hand on Balloon's back. "You don't have to tell me what's going on between you two if you don't want to, but I'm here for you if you need to talk."

"Thanks... We don't really talk much, do we?" Balloon chuckled softly. "Sorry about that... I'm socially awkward too," he admitted.

The two paused and gazed out at the rising sun.

"It's funny, just yesterday, Nickel and I sat here together and... it felt like things had changed, like we were turning over a new leaf and becoming friends," Balloon sighed. "But every time I try... It's like he's building this wall to avoid me. I don't know why he resents me so much—he's so confusing! One minute he says he misses me and tries everything to get my attention, and then the next he wants nothing to do with me... I just... I don't know what to do anymore. It's so stressful," Balloon confided, holding back tears.

"What... What happened between you two? You mentioned you used to be friends, right? How did you become constant bickering enemies or whatever..." Fan asked, curious.

"I... I wasn't a good friend to him when we were younger. I did things that I regret—but that was years ago. I've changed, and he knows I have. Yet he still tries to keep this wall up, as if I'm plotting to hurt him again. But he knows I won't do that! I can see that he knows, yet he just keeps shutting me out. Why? And he doesn't want anyone to know we're friends; he refuses. He's only nice to me when it's just the two of us, and I just don't understand why," Balloon explained, sitting down by the riverbank and hugging his knees. "I miss him," he admitted softly.

Fan squatted down beside him, contemplating Balloon's words.

"It sounds like he still has personal demons he's trying to battle, something that's stopping him from making amends with you. Like he's scared of something—something that might come from being too close," Fan speculated with a thoughtful huff.

“But what?! What could be so possibly scary that he has to keep avoiding what we had!” Balloon exclaimed.

Fan fell silent for a moment, pondering his thoughts. Suddenly, a far-fetched idea came to his mind. It was a shot in the dark, and he wasn't sure if Balloon would believe him. Taking a deep breath, Fan decided to voice his theory.

"Uh, well... maybe he has a crush on you?" Fan blurted out quickly, then nervously looked away, fearing Balloon's reaction.

"What?! Nickel?! Have a crush on me?! No way! We haven't even properly been friends for years. He wouldn't just have a crush on me!" Balloon snapped, caught off guard by the suggestion. It seemed completely unbelievable. Why would Nickel have a crush on him? What made him so special? After everything Balloon had done to Nickel, it didn't make any sense.

"Balloon, hear me out! You say Nickel constantly seeks your attention, but then when you get too close, he pushes you away. What if he's scared that if you get too close, his feelings will show?" Fan explained earnestly.

"N-No, that wouldn't make sense. He has always hated me!" Balloon replied anxiously, feeling his head spin with the unexpected conversation.

"But what if he didn't hate you? What if all along, he liked you but just put on this fake persona of hatred? That's why he gets so upset when people see him getting too close to you—he doesn't want anyone, especially you, to know!" Fan continued.

"No way, not after what I did to him, Fan! You weren't there... I practically ruined his life," Balloon admitted, feeling himself overwhelmed by these accusations.

"But Balloon, what if he liked you back then too? And that's why whatever you did really hurt him. But you've apologised, right? You've done everything in your power to make him care about you again. So why does he keep pushing you away? Maybe it's just easier for him to hate you than to admit his feelings!" Fan exclaimed. "I don't think I'm insane for saying this. I really think Nickel likes you, Balloon."

Balloon felt lightheaded as Fan continued to delve into his theories. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts he had never considered before—the possibility that Nickel could have liked him, or still liked him. They used to be very close, and even now, despite their distance, Balloon noticed moments when Nickel looked at him with fondness, especially when Balloon laughed or rambled about things he loved. Balloon pretended not to notice to spare Nickel any embarrassment, but deep down, he saw the adoring looks. He always thought it was just nostalgia for their old friendship, not something deeper like a crush. Balloon wasn't even sure how he felt about Nickel in that way. He cared about Nickel and wanted to mend their friendship, but to have romantic feelings for him? Balloon was uncertain and confused. He didn't want to dwell on it any longer.

"So... what do you suggest I do...?" Balloon murmured.

"I, uh, well, you could try to secretly find out if he likes you... test the waters, like accidentally touching his hand and see how he reacts!" Fan suggested.

"But... I don't even know how I feel about him. I don't want Nickel to think I'm leading him on... Wouldn't that be wrong, playing with his emotions?" Balloon asked, fiddling with his hoodie strings.

"Oh... I thought you did like him—" Fan quickly averted his gaze, feeling awkward for assuming.

"Well... I don't know! I don't know how I feel about him! He makes me feel... fuzzy. But it's been so long since we've been fighting! I just... I don't know," Balloon admitted, feeling overwhelmed.

"Hey, it's okay. Maybe this camp will help you figure it out. First things first, talk to Nickel today. He seemed upset, so it might be a good idea to try to have a one-on-one with him," Fan suggested, standing up. "We should head back; everyone will be starting to get up, and you still need to get dressed," Fan redirected the conversation, feeling uneasy about being so involved in Balloon's personal dilemma.

As Balloon and Fan returned to the cabin, they found everyone dressed and ready. Nickel was just tying his shoes while the others kept their distance from him. When Balloon entered, Nickel glanced up briefly but then focused back on his shoelaces, deliberately ignoring him.

Test Tube pulled Fan aside and whispered, inquiring about what he had discovered. Fan quietly explained everything—their troubled past, Nickel's behaviour of shutting Balloon out, and even his theory about Nickel possibly having feelings for Balloon. Test Tube gasped softly but nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Balloon awkwardly moved to his bag, situated right next to Nickel's bed. He quietly rummaged through his bag for clothes to change into, intentionally avoiding eye contact with Nickel. Balloon felt uneasy after Fan's revelation, unsure of how to process the theory or if it held any truth. Nickel was clearly upset and avoiding any interaction with him.

After gathering his clothes, Balloon headed to the bathroom to change. Seizing the opportunity, the others left the cabin to join the rest of the camp for the day's activities. Surprisingly, Nickel remained behind, sitting on his bed with arms crossed, waiting for Balloon to return from the bathroom.

When Balloon exited, intending to pack his pyjamas, he found Nickel still there, which caught him off guard. Balloon took the chance to apologise softly as he put away his clothes and grabbed his shoes and socks.

"Sorry," Balloon murmured.

Nickel shifted slightly to make space for Balloon to sit beside him, which puzzled Balloon. He compiled without comment, sitting down beside Nickel.

"I told you to set an alarm..." Nickel grumbled. "Now everyone thinks we're dating or something!" He exclaimed angrily.

Balloon swallowed nervously. "I... I mean, so what if they think that? Why do you care what they think..." Balloon regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

"So what? Maybe because I'm not dating you!" Nickel snapped, standing up abruptly and scoffing. “Besides, the whole sleeping in my bed was a one-off thing…” He added. 

Balloon quickly tied his shoes and stood behind Nickel. "One-off thing...?" Balloon asked cautiously.

"Uh... yeah?" Nickel turned around, inadvertently realising how close they were. His face turned slightly pink before he stepped back. "You can't expect me to let you sleep in my bed again just because you're scared of the dark!" Nickel retorted.

"Why does it matter now? They all saw it happen. We can just explain that I'm scared and need company! I mean, come on, it's not like there's anyone else for me to sleep beside, besides you!" Balloon exclaimed anxiously.

"Don't care. Maybe I would've allowed it if you set an alarm, but you forgot, so you're not sleeping in my bed... just use my torch or something," Nickel retorted with a huff as he headed toward the door.

Balloon twiddled his thumbs nervously, standing there feeling unsure.

"So... we're good? You don't hate me...?" Balloon asked tentatively, his confusion evident.

Nickel turned around, looking at Balloon as if he were insane for even suggesting such a thing, though this reaction was not unfamiliar to Balloon.

"What—no!" Nickel crossed his arms. "I'm just annoyed," he snapped.

"Oh..." Balloon was taken aback by the response. Despite Nickel's annoyance, Balloon couldn't help but feel a hint of relief. This might be the first time Nickel didn't completely shut him out after a mistake. Quickly, Balloon followed after Nickel, standing beside him as they exited the cabin. Perhaps this camp was indeed changing how Nickel viewed Balloon. While they still had plenty of issues to work out, at least Nickel wasn't ignoring him anymore. Balloon recalled Fan's suggestion about finding out if Nickel liked him, without making it too obvious. He stayed close to Nickel as they walked toward the rest of the camp members.

"I'm glad you don't hate me... I would've missed you if you ignored me," Balloon said, flashing an innocent smile up at Nickel.

Nickel stopped in his tracks, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Shut up—you're the one who was ignoring me yesterday!" He retorted, looking away from Balloon.

"Yeah, I guess it worked out for me, because now you're being nicer to me~" Balloon teased, nudging Nickel playfully.

Nickel felt his body go stiff. Why was Balloon getting so close to him? It made him feel very nervous.

"N-No, pssh! I'm just—" Nickel paused, not really knowing what to say.

"Nice?" Balloon finished his sentence with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Nickel nudged him, but instead of his usual mean demeanour… he smiled.

Balloon was starting to seriously consider what Fan had said that morning. Maybe he was right. Maybe Nickel did like him. Now that Fan had planted this idea in his mind, Balloon would be looking for signs all day to confirm it.

Everyone gathered in front of Lifering as he prepared to explain the day's activities.

"I hope you all had an amazing sleep! We have a busy day ahead of us with two different activities: Kayaking and Barista Skills!" Lifering announced enthusiastically. "I'll be dividing you into two groups, Group A and Group B. Group A will start with Kayaking in the morning and then move on to Barista Skills in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Group B will begin with Barista Skills and then go kayaking later. Now, you might be wondering how we can manage two activities at once. Well, I have my good friend... Goo!" Lifering introduced a short man with shaggy blue hair, dressed similarly to himself.

"Hello!" Goo greeted the group with a smile.

"Goo will be taking care of Group B!" Lifering explained. "Now, let's determine the groups with a lucky draw from this hat containing everyone's names."

Lifering dipped his hand into the hat. "First name... Fan! Next is... Balloon! Then we have... Knife, YinYang, Paintbrush..." Lifering purposely manipulated the draw to ensure no matter what that Nickel would be on Balloon's team. "And Nickel!" Lifering announced, though he had not actually drawn Nickel's name. He saw how sad Nickel was yesterday, but somehow Balloon turned his mood around… he liked that, he didn’t want to separate them. 

Balloon beamed when he realised he would be on Nickel's team. He leaned his arm on Nickel's shoulder, and though Nickel initially felt stiff, he eventually sighed and smiled faintly. Deep down, he was secretly glad to be teamed up with Balloon, even if he wouldn't admit it openly.

Fan's distress was evident as he struggled with the separation from Test Tube. He felt overwhelmed and on the verge of tears, anxiously rubbing his arms.

Meanwhile, Test Tube was celebrating with Lightbulb about being in her group until she noticed Fan's distress and couldn't bear to see him like that. She wanted to protest about the uneven numbers, especially since YinYang counted as two people, but leaving Paintbrush alone wasn't an ideal solution either. She excused herself from celebrating with Lightbulb and approached Fan with care.

"Love..." Test Tube murmured as she wrapped her arms around Fan. He buried his face into her chest, finding comfort in her embrace. "You will be okay... I promise," she reassured him softly, stroking his hair soothingly.

Balloon, noticing Fan's distress, felt compelled to step in and offer support. "H-Hey, Fan... it will be okay. You have Nickel and me, not to mention Paintbrush... We promise to be there for you," Balloon said with a faint smile.

Nickel, while not particularly close to Fan, recognized the situation and decided not to be overly harsh. He knew Test Tube would not appreciate any mistreatment of her boyfriend. "Yeah, Fan. It'll be fine," Nickel added, trying to reassure him.

Test Tube kissed Fan's forehead affectionately. She understood his anxiety, especially his separation anxiety, but she hoped this experience might ultimately be good for him.

The group's show of support seemed to calm Fan's nerves slightly as he took deep breaths, trying to steady himself for the day ahead. He appreciated the encouragement from his friends and felt a bit more reassured knowing they were there for him.

Paintbrush appeared behind Fan, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Come on, bud. My girlfriend isn't in my group either," Paintbrush said, looking up at Test Tube and silently mouthing, "I'll take care of him."

Test Tube nodded in agreement and gave Fan one last kiss on the top of his head before returning to her group.

"Now that the groups are settled, please gather around your camp leader!" Lifering announced to the assembled campers. He indicated that Candle and Silver Spoon would also need to choose a team to join.

Silver of course wanted to stay with Candle, but he knew how these things worked, they at least needed one teacher per team, and it wasn’t like he had much choice where he’d be going, Candle would have to with Yinyang’s group or else they would be upset, just as expected she started making her way to their group. Silver huffed, oh well. 

The students headed towards their designated group leader, with Nickel and Balloon's group, Group A, being led by Lifering and accompanied by their teacher, Candle. Balloon wasn't entirely sure if he had ever been kayaking before or if he even knew how, but he was excited nonetheless. Nickel, on the other hand, couldn't muster much enthusiasm for kayaking. He considered feigning another episode to get out of it, but the thought of Lifering's suspicion held him back. He sighed and tucked his hands into his jacket pockets, stealing a glance at Balloon who appeared genuinely excited—his smile was bright and his eyes sparkled. Nickel felt a strange tug at his heart, his face flushing slightly as a smile played at his lips. What was wrong with him? Why did being around Balloon make him feel this way? He knew the answer but refused to acknowledge his feelings.

Realising he had been staring for too long, Nickel quickly averted his gaze when Balloon turned to him with excitement. Balloon noticed and made a mental note.

"Are you excited, Nickel?" Balloon asked cheerfully.

"No, not really," Nickel huffed, attempting to mask his feelings. "But I can tell you are..."

"It will be fun! And those kayaks down by the river looked like they had two seats... we can share one!" Balloon smiled brightly, hoping to elicit a response from Nickel.

Nickel could feel his face growing warm, but he turned away, afraid that Balloon might see through him. "Yeah, whoopdeedoo, I guess," he replied sarcastically. Deep down, however, he didn't mind the idea of sharing a kayak with Balloon. He secretly enjoyed the time they were spending together...

Actually, he liked it alot. This can’t be good.

Chapter Text

Lifering led his group down to the lakeside where the kayaks were neatly lined up and ready for use. With a cheerful smile, he turned to his group to explain the activity.

"Each kayak is designed for two people, so find a partner! You'll each have a paddle—use it by pushing away from your body at the shoulder and pulling back. It's easy once you get the hang of it. The river forms a big loop around the forest, so you'll circle back here. And to make things exciting, the first team to return wins a night in the luxury cabin!" Lifering gestured towards the cabins with a mischievous grin. "Now, choose your teams!"

Balloon turned to Nickel with a warm smile. He hoped to partner with him, seeing it as a great opportunity for them to work together and possibly win a prize. They would make a formidable team! Plus, Balloon found himself enjoying Nickel's company lately, a stark contrast to just a day ago when he couldn't bear his rude attitude. Now, he relished it. Balloon also wanted to test Fan's theory, did Nickel truly have a crush on him, or was Fan merely being delusional?

"Partners?" Balloon asked with a playful grin.

Nickel huffed softly, offering a weak smile and a nod of agreement. "Yeah... partners," he replied, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension about being alone with Balloon on a boat out on the river. Strange feelings were resurfacing strongly, and Nickel struggled to ignore them. He wanted to push Balloon away again to avoid these confusing emotions, but they had made so much progress in reconnecting as friends after years apart. Nickel couldn't bear the thought of hurting Balloon now. It had been easier to shut Balloon out when they were estranged because any pain was already there, but now that they were repairing their friendship, causing Balloon pain would be devastating. Nickel had to maintain his facade, hiding his true feelings and avoiding any slip-ups that might reveal his emotions.

Paintbrush took it upon themselves to look out for Fan and provide comfort while his girlfriend was away. Knowing how attached Fan was to Test Tube, Paintbrush aimed to help him cope with the separation anxiety.

"Hey Lifering, quick question!" Paintbrush chimed in. "Will the other group be doing the same challenge as us? Do the winners from both groups get the luxury cabin?" 

Lifering confirmed with a smile, "That's right! Four lucky winners will enjoy the luxury cabin tonight!"

Excitedly, Paintbrush turned to Fan, sharing a plan. "Fan, if we win, we can strategize with Lightbulb and Test Tube for their turn. If both groups succeed, we could all share the cabin!"

Fan glanced towards Nickel and Balloon behind them. "What about Nickel and Balloon? They'll be alone in that old shack... Is that fair?" 

Nickel overheard and interjected, "Unfair? We get a night without you 'loser couples'!" He chuckled lightly.

Balloon couldn't contain his smile at the thought of being alone with Nickel in a quiet setting, without the judgement of the others, maybe Nickel would let him cuddle with him again if they were alone. "I agree! Go for it! Win this, we're rooting for you!" Balloon beamed brightly. “Besides, I just want to have fun with my friend… not win any stupid challenge...” He turned to Nickel and gave him a warm smile.

Nickel blushed as Balloon spoke, feeling flustered. He turned away, covering his face with a hand. His thoughts were jumbled, but one thing was clear—Balloon was just too cute, and it was unfair how much it affected him!

"Alright then! It's settled, Fan, we've got to win this!" Paintbrush exclaimed eagerly. "We can't let Knife and YinYang take it. I have a feeling we can easily beat them. They don't even seem like they've  even spoken to each other before!"

YinYang stood with arms crossed, clearly reluctant to partner with Knife.

"I don't want to be their partner, Candle!" YinYang protested to Candle.

"Come on, YinYang. Remember what we talked about? You need to open up and make new friends. Knife will be nice, and you two will have fun," Candle encouraged with a smile directed at Knife, who appeared indifferent but ready to get started.

"Alright, I'm about to start the timer. I'll be here waiting for your return! You need to run to that small shack, put on a life jacket, head to a kayak, and get going. On your marks... get set... GO!" Lifering shouted.

The teams of two hurried towards the shack while Balloon and Nickel strolled leisurely. While the other groups swiftly strapped on their life jackets and raced to their boats, Balloon and Nickel took their time. They truly hoped that Paintbrush and Fan would emerge victorious. As for Test Tube and Lightbulb, they wished for a night away from the couples and their romantic displays.

Balloon carefully secured his life jacket, ensuring it was on properly. He glanced over at Nickel, who was struggling with his clip. Balloon couldn't help but chuckle softly at Nickel's frustration. Moving closer, Balloon offered, "Here, let me help."

Nickel tensed up, feeling his heart race as Balloon came near. He was bewildered by Balloon's kindness. After all the years of Nickel being awful to him, why was Balloon suddenly so forgiving and friendly? Nickel hadn't even apologised for his past behaviour. He didn't feel deserving of Balloon's kindness. Nickel had harboured resentment towards Balloon since middle school, yet Balloon was showing him such care despite their history of conflict. It perplexed Nickel. Why did Balloon care so much about him? Shouldn't Balloon hate him after all these years?

These thoughts consumed Nickel's mind as they paddled down the river in silence for the first 5 minutes, surrounded by the serene forest scenery, the gentle sounds of nature filling the air. Balloon was absorbed in the beauty around them, his strokes gentle and contemplative.

Meanwhile, Nickel struggled to focus, his thoughts and emotions in turmoil. He couldn't comprehend how Balloon could be so forgiving after everything. Part of him wondered if he was overreacting and should just accept Balloon's friendship, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. His mind desperately sought reasons to build a barrier between them, to avoid acknowledging his growing feelings for Balloon. He craved conflict and distance to shield himself from his own emotions. His mind twisted, trying to convince him that Balloon wasn't as kind as he appeared, fueling his frustration at Balloon's unwarranted forgiveness. It felt unjust and unearned, leaving Nickel grappling with a mix of guilt, confusion, and anger.

"I don't understand..." Nickel suddenly grumbled, breaking the silence between them.

Balloon paused his rowing and turned to face Nickel, genuinely puzzled.

"I... I mean, why are you being so nice to me? You don't have to be. Is it because you feel sorry for me? Because you think I'm pathetic and everyone else here hates me, so you're my only option for company? Seriously, what is it? Why do you care so much all of a sudden? Why are you helping me and wanting to spend time with me? What did I do to deserve any of this?" Nickel's frustration poured out. "I've been nothing but awful to you for years, and here you are acting like none of it even happened! You can't erase the past, Balloon. You can't erase how badly I treated you. I made you apologise over and over again, but I never once apologised to you. So what gives? Why are you doing this? If it's out of pity, just stop. I don't need your pity." Nickel snapped, crossing his arms as he turned away to gaze at the forest.

Balloon was left speechless, unable to find the right words to respond to Nickel's outburst. He simply turned back to rowing, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to say.

Nickel huffed and rolled his eyes, convinced that Balloon's kindness stemmed from pity.

Balloon's hands tightened on the paddles, his eyes welling up with tears as his grip began to shake. He felt on the verge of breaking down. Why couldn't Nickel understand? Why was everything always his fault? Balloon had been trying so hard to repair their friendship, and here was Nickel, still making excuses and doubting Balloon's sincerity. Balloon abruptly stopped paddling, slamming the paddles down, and turned to face Nickel.

Nickel's expression froze as he saw the tears in Balloon's eyes...

"Pity? You think this is all about pity? So you still don’t trust me? You still believe I have ulterior motives? I thought we were past this!" Balloon's voice cracked with emotion. "Did you ever consider that maybe I'm just tired of us fighting all the time? Maybe I simply want to be your friend again! Perhaps I don't need an apology from you because I know it won't come. Maybe I just wanted things to be easier, to put everything behind us and start anew. I don't care about the past. We both hurt each other, but that's behind us now. I'm trying my best to move forward, for both of us. I don't pity you; I just want us to be friends again. I just want you to like me! I just..." Balloon ran a shaky hand through his curly red locks, his whole body trembling with emotion.

Nickel was caught off guard and overwhelmed with guilt. Balloon's emotional reaction made him realise how unfairly he had treated his friend. Awkwardly, Nickel shifted closer on the wooden seat of the kayak, gently moving Balloon's hands away from his tear-streaked face. Nickel's hands found Balloon's damp, trembling hands, and he held them firmly. Balloon looked up weakly at Nickel, his body trembling with emotion.

"Balloon... I didn't mean it like that, okay? I'm... I'm just angry. Not at you, but at myself. I'm taking my own insecurities out on you because... because you forgive so easily, and you love and trust so quickly. And me? I build stupid walls between the people I care about. I don't forgive easily... I can't do what you do, and I guess... I'm angry because I don't understand how it's so easy for you and so hard for me," Nickel confessed shakily. "I don't feel like I deserve your kindness. I treated you horribly for years, and now you're acting like it never happened. But you did one thing all the way back in middle school, and I held onto that grudge. I was horrible, unlike you... who is kind, honest, and caring. I wish I was like that, and I just get angry that I'm not." Nickel swallowed harshly, feeling vulnerable speaking about his emotions.

Balloon sniffled, his knee trembling as he moved one hand to gently cup Nickel's face, lifting it so they made eye contact.

"We all handle things differently. Some forgive easily, some don't. That doesn't make you a bad person. I hurt you. I broke your trust," Balloon admitted with sincerity. "I shouldn't have pushed for your forgiveness all those years. I should have waited until you were ready instead of getting so frustrated with you. I realise now that we're all different. You don't forgive easily, and that's okay. I should have accepted that instead of constantly pressuring you. I missed you, but that didn't give me the right to force a friendship on you. But please, now that you've forgiven me, let me forgive you. Even if it happened quicker than you wanted, this is how I heal. And maybe if I had let you heal the way you needed, we wouldn't be in this mess. Please, let me forgive you... let's put it in the past finally. I just want my friend back." Balloon spoke shakily, staring directly into Nickel’s glassy eyes.

Nickel sniffled and, without thinking, leaned into Balloon's hand, his eyes fixed on the salmon-haired boy. A strange weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. It felt good. Both of their cheeks turned pink with shyness. Balloon found himself noticing how cute Nickel was, but quickly withdrew his hand, feeling a surge of emotions he couldn't quite understand. Was he also falling for Nickel? He wasn't sure...

Nickel wiped away his tears quickly, uncomfortable with showing so much vulnerability. He took a shaky deep breath and picked up his paddle.

"Should we get going? I know we're not aiming to win, but we can't take too long!" He chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.

Balloon chuckled softly, still facing Nickel. "Oh, but my arms hurt! You steer! I'll rest!" Balloon playfully flopped his head into Nickel's lap, peeking up to see Nickel's flushed face. Nickel stiffened, his shoulders tightening and hands gripping the paddles tightly.

"G-Get off! Lazy ass... come on," Nickel playfully pushed Balloon off him, partly to break the flustering moment and partly to keep the playful mood going.

Balloon laughed and sat up, grabbing his paddle. "Alright, fine!"

They both began paddling down the river, using the physical activity to release the pent-up emotions that had been driving them both crazy. Although they hadn't verbally confirmed that they were starting over and rebuilding their friendship, it was evident from their actions and the unspoken understanding between them.

Nickel's mind was still in turmoil. Processing everything they had discussed and the fact that he and Balloon were embarking on a fresh start weighed heavily on him. He was determined not to mess it up. He wanted this renewed friendship to succeed as much as Balloon did, but he feared that he might say or do something to ruin everything. His complicated feelings for Balloon added another layer of anxiety. He desperately wanted to conceal his emotions, especially since Balloon had a knack for doing cute things that made it challenging for Nickel to keep his feelings hidden. Nickel was afraid that one slip-up could create awkwardness between them, and he hoped fervently that it wouldn't happen. He couldn't let Balloon know about his feelings, not now or ever. Little did he know that Balloon had his suspicions.

They continued rowing, the occasional silence broken by Balloon's voice.

"How do you think Suitcase and Baseball will react to knowing we're friends again?" Balloon asked, genuinely curious about their mutual friends' potential reactions.

Nickel shrugged slightly. "Uh, probably glad..."

Balloon smiled faintly. "I think so too... They always tried to get us to get along. Who knew all we needed was some time alone together to sort it out, huh?" Balloon chuckled, finding irony in the situation.

They were halfway around the loop, the other teams nowhere in sight, likely racing against each other for the lead.

"I like hanging out with you... just the two of us," Balloon suddenly murmured shyly. He wanted to gauge Nickel's reaction but also felt the sincerity of his words.

Nickel's throat went dry, his cheeks flushing at Balloon's words and tone. "Yeah... me too," Nickel admitted with a mumble. He genuinely enjoyed their alone time, but a part of him worried that it was fueling his growing feelings for Balloon, giving him more reasons to fall for him.

"I kinda hope that Fan and Paintbrush win this... along with Lightbulb and Test Tube," Balloon hummed softly. "It would be nice without them in the cabin, just the two of us tonight."

Nickel smirked teasingly. "Why? So you have an excuse to cuddle with me, huh?"

Balloon's response caught Nickel off guard. "I suppose..." Balloon murmured, glancing around at the scenery, feeling his heart quicken.

Nickel's expression changed as he blushed, trying to keep up the teasing without making things awkward. "Aww, because you're a big baby who's afraid of the dark~ wah wah!" He laughed nervously.

"Aw, well if you like, you can sleep on the top bunk and I'll take the bottom closer to the window for light! I know how much you love the top bunk," Balloon teased back, giggling.

"Oh, shut up," Nickel scoffed, but then added with a hint of playfulness, "You can cuddle with me, jeez... gaybo."

"Says you!" Balloon retorted, both of them smiling like dorks.

Nickel couldn't quite decipher whether Balloon was flirting or just teasing, but it made him incredibly nervous. He maintained a gruff facade, acting as if everything was fine and attempting to conceal any genuine feelings. Maybe if he could make Balloon appear more interested, he'd back off?

"Oh, look! The shore! And everyone's there... Well, we lost!" Nickel chuckled awkwardly, trying to divert attention.

They paddled over to the other kayaks and stepped onto the shore. It was clear that Paintbrush and Fan had won, celebrating happily, while YinYang and Knife appeared displeased.

"It's about time you two came back! What were you doing? Making out?" Paintbrush teased.

Both Balloon and Nickel blushed slightly, glancing at each other before quickly looking away.

"Ha! Balloon wishes!" Nickel jokes, attempting to mask any deeper feelings.

Balloon let out a squeak and playfully punched Nickel's arm. "Nuh uh!"

Fan observed their interactions closely, noting the way they interacted with each other and their reactions to Paintbrush's teasing. He had a strong suspicion that his theory was correct, but he also sensed that Balloon was developing feelings for Nickel as well.

"Campers! You're all here!" Lifering announced. "Okay, so Paintbrush and Fan won this challenge, so they get the luxury cabin! You'll be sharing with the winners from the other group!" Lifering redirected the group away from the lake. "We're running a bit late, and the other group is probably waiting for the crossover! Off to the kitchen for the barista course!" He clapped his hands, leading the group toward the kitchen.

As they all walked together into the kitchen, they joined their friends from the other group. Excitement filled the air as everyone dispersed into smaller groups, discussing their experiences from the challenge and strategizing for the next activities. Paintbrush and Fan eagerly approached their partners, sharing details about their adventure and emphasising the importance of winning for the luxury cabin.

"Alright, everyone! Before we move on to the next activity, we'll have lunch!" Lifering announced cheerfully. "We have pre-prepared sandwiches and fruits, so gather around the tables and we'll serve the food!" He added.

Lightbulb, Paintbrush, Fan, and Test Tube all sat together, forming a cosy group. Fan was particularly affectionate, holding onto his girlfriend tightly and showering her with affectionate gestures. Test Tube kept her boyfriend close, comforting him with forehead kisses.

Lightbulb and Paintbrush, on the other hand, were less clingy. Paintbrush had their arm around Lightbulb's shoulder, and they were engaged in planning with the others to ensure they could all share the luxury cabin together.

Balloon and Nickel sat together at a separate table, initially alone until Candle, Silver, and YinYang joined them. Lifering and Goo arrived, placing platters of food and paper plates in front of each person. Balloon and Nickel wasted no time in grabbing sandwiches, clearly hungry, and quietly began eating while others around them chatted away.

Candle decided to break the silence and engage the table in conversation. "So, how are you boys liking the camp so far?" she asked calmly, smiling.

Nickel gave a slight shrug as he took another bite of his sandwich. "It's been okay," he replied, not particularly eager to engage in conversation but sensing he would be drawn into it regardless.

"I think it's been great... better than I expected," Balloon chimed in with a smile, glancing briefly at Nickel.

Candle had observed the long-standing feud between these two for years, so seeing them getting along now brought her genuine joy.

"I'm glad," Candle responded warmly, shifting her attention to Silver. "What about you, Silver? I know you're not exactly the camping type. Surprised Mephone managed to convince you to come along for the trip," she teased with a soft giggle.

Silver Spoon's cheeks flushed bright red as he scoffed in response. "I'm offended! I am so the camping type!"

Candle placed a hand on his arm and smiled up at him. "Keep telling yourself that," she joked playfully.

Silver's heart raced with affection for Candle. If only she knew just how much he adored her.

Nickel let out a groan, feeling uncomfortable with the teachers' flirtatious exchange happening right across from them. Without a word, he grabbed Balloon's arm and pulled him away from the table.

"What about YinYang? I'm sure they don't want to sit there and watch their favourite teacher flirt with their most disliked teacher," Balloon remarked.

“Oh please, it doesn’t matter as long as they are hanging off Candle, come on, let’s just sit somewhere else.”  Nickel added, leading Balloon to find another place to sit.

Balloon blushed slightly at the close proximity with Nickel, appreciating the shift in their relationship from avoidance to closeness. They settled at another table with their cabin roommates, which caused the table to fall silent, giving them curious looks.

"Yes?" Paintbrush spoke up with a hint of sass.

"What? Do you have a problem?" Nickel retorted, his tone defensive.

Paintbrush growled, clenching their fists in frustration at Nickel's attitude.

"Hey, it's okay. Let's just be nice," Fan intervened, trying to calm Paintbrush down. "After all, they let us win. And Balloon and I are friends," he added, smiling warmly at Balloon, who returned the smile. It felt good to have a friend outside of their usual group, making Balloon feel like they were finally starting to fit in.

"Speaking of friends, want to  be a good friend and help me get some glasses and a jug of water for our table?" Fan smiled faintly, trying not to sound too suspicious. It was clear to Balloon that Fan wanted to talk to him in private, likely about their earlier conversation.

"Sure," Balloon agreed, slipping from his seat and following Fan, leaving poor Nickel with a table that seemed to dislike him.

Balloon and Fan headed over to where the jugs of water were displayed, slowly gathering cups and a jug for their table.

"So... how's it going? Have you figured out if Nickel likes you?" Fan asked curiously.

"I have a suspicion," Balloon admitted quietly. "I don't want to assume if I'm not sure... but I've noticed certain things, like how he looks at me or how his face turns red when I playfully tease him." Balloon rambled on, his thoughts spilling out.

"We actually had a little argument when we were on the river, but... it resulted in us finally putting the past behind us. It felt nice," Balloon added, glancing back at Nickel with a soft expression.

Fan smirked mischievously. "I think you're falling for him!" Fan exclaimed teasingly.

Balloon spun around, his cheeks flushing even more. "Fan!! I've never even been in a relationship... I don't know, okay? But... I am enjoying being around him again. I missed it," Balloon sighed, his tone earnest.

"Well, hopefully you'll both have some time alone tonight," Fan grinned mischievously. "Come on, let's get the water back to our table."

Balloon nodded in agreement, feeling the heat in his cheeks as he tried to push back thoughts of possibly liking Nickel. Carrying the glasses, they returned to their table. Balloon carefully placed a glass in front of each person while Fan placed the jug in the middle.

"Took you long enough," Nickel jabbed, quickly grabbing the jug. He couldn't bear another moment alone at the table without Balloon, feeling the judgmental eyes of the group. He was convinced that Paintbrush thought he was a sarcastic jerk, Test Tube had no respect for him because he was a ‘bad influence’ on Bot, and Lightbulb simply followed along with her friends' opinions of him.

"Five more minutes of lunch, then we'll be breaking off into groups again!" Lifering called out to everyone.

Fan wrapped his arms around Test Tube, planting quick kisses on her face. "Good luck, love. Win this race! And hey, if you don't... I'll stay in the normal cabin with you," he said, running his fingers through her long green hair.

"Aw, Fan, you don't have to do that," Test Tube frowned.

"Well, actually, no way am I going to sleep in a cabin without you," Fan laughed, admittingly.

Test Tube sighed and kissed his head. "I'll try my best to win."

Nickel cringed at the whole exchange and started pretending to gag, which caused Balloon to start giggling uncontrollably. Balloon couldn't help it; Nickel was such a goofy idiot sometimes… Balloon couldn’t help himself! Balloon's cheeks flushed as he giggled, and Nickel couldn't help but notice how adorable Balloon looked when he laughed—his smile was so pretty and his giggle so angelic. Nickel felt himself growing warm, unable to tear his eyes away from Balloon. Unbeknownst to himself, Nickel was looking at Balloon with adoration until their eyes met, and then he realised how he must have appeared. Balloon's laughter stopped abruptly, and his face turned bright red.

"Assholes!" Test Tube exclaimed, rolling her eyes at the two.

The sudden comment broke them out of their trance, and they quickly and embarrassingly looked away. Balloon couldn’t shake the image of how Nickel had looked at him—with big, loving eyes, almost sparkling. He had never seen Nickel gaze at anyone like that before.

"Sorry, Test Tube," Balloon murmured awkwardly as he anxiously poured himself a glass of water.

Fan witnessed the whole exchange, trying his best not to smirk or say anything. Nickel definitely has a crush on Balloon; there's no way to hide it. And Fan suspects Balloon knows it but is scared to face it.

"Alright! Group time! Group B, go with Goo to the kayaks! Group A, stay here with me!" Lifering suddenly called out.

Fan sighed as he stood up to give his girlfriend one last hug before she had to leave. She kissed the top of his head and said goodbye before departing. Fan then sat back down across from Balloon and Nickel.

Paintbrush also bid farewell to their girlfriend with a kiss on the lips before she left.

Nickel cringed at the kiss and playfully poked his tongue out, mocking the display of affection. Balloon snickered and nudged Nickel to stop.

Paintbrush turned around, scoffing. "You two are so childish..." They rolled their eyes before slipping from the seat and walking over to Lifering, who was standing by the coffee machines.

Fan smiled at Balloon and Nickel for a moment.

"They might be right, but it's wholesome," Fan remarked before slipping from his seat. "It's nice to see you two getting along," he added before joining Lifering and the others.

Nickel's cheeks flushed a little. He felt weird, fuzzy almost. He was sure that Balloon noticed the way he looked at him earlier... he totally messed up, didn't he? Now Balloon knows... he knows how Nickel feels.

"Ready to go?" Balloon asked Nickel curiously as he stood up.

"Uh, yeah," Nickel replied quickly, standing up and following Balloon over to Lifering. Balloon didn’t seem like he knew... maybe Nickel was just imagining things or overreacting.

Balloon couldn't shake the image of how Nickel looked at him; it was etched into his mind. Was he just going insane, convincing himself that Nickel liked him? No, because Fan could see it too—Balloon could tell Fan noticed. But how could he be 100% sure? He might be misreading everything and being influenced by Fan, who could also be mistaken. Balloon decided he needed to try harder to find out, to be more subtle in his actions, and to get even closer to Nickel. 

Balloon needed to fully break down his wall.

Chapter Text

Balloon and Nickel stood close to each other as Lifering explained how to use the coffee machines. Balloon found himself distracted, repeatedly glancing at Nickel. He couldn't help but wonder if Nickel truly had a crush on him. Balloon felt almost certain, but he couldn't be sure. This uncertainty made him unable to focus; instead, he kept stealing glances at Nickel, curious and somewhat fixated on finding out the truth.

Meanwhile, Nickel wasn't fully attentive either. His hands hung by his side as he tried to concentrate on Lifering's instructions, but everything seemed like a blur. His mind was preoccupied with worry about whether Balloon had noticed his feelings. Nickel feared that if Balloon knew, it might affect their friendship. He didn't think there was any chance Balloon could reciprocate his feelings, especially considering Balloon's reserved nature about relationships. Nickel had initially assumed Balloon liked Suitcase, but there was no solid evidence of that. The way Balloon acted—wanting to cuddle, touching his face—confused Nickel deeply. He couldn't tell if Balloon was simply being affectionate as a friend or if there was something more romantic behind it. Nickel wished he didn't feel so strongly about Balloon, as these thoughts only brought him confusion and uncertainty.

Today, Balloon was determined to find out if Nickel liked him. He couldn't stand the uncertainty any longer and needed to put his doubts to rest. As Lifering continued explaining the art of making a perfect latte, Balloon saw an opportunity to test the waters with Nickel. He decided to subtly brush his hand against Nickel's, making it seem like an accidental touch– a classic move, but one that might reveal the truth. Keeping his eyes fixed on the front, Balloon nonchalantly swayed and manoeuvred his hand closer to Nickel's, ensuring their hands brushed against each other.

Nickel felt the gentle contact like an electric shock, causing him to instinctively cross his arms and blush bright red. He tried to ignore the sensation, but his heart raced, longing to reach out and hold Balloon's hand. Meanwhile, Balloon observed Nickel's reaction closely. It was not the response of someone without feelings. Balloon calmly slid his hands into his pockets, masking any emotion on his face, acting as though the touch had gone unnoticed. It seemed that Nickel hadn't suspected a thing.

"Alright, now in pairs, I want you to create a perfect latte!" Lifering announced, gesturing towards a colourful cardboard box labelled 'Prizes'. "Candle and I will be the judges, and the best latte wins a prize!"

The sudden instruction snapped Balloon and Nickel back to attention. Without a word, they headed towards one of the coffee machines, as if they had already silently agreed to be partners.

Balloon hoped that Nickel had been paying attention because he himself hadn't absorbed a single word from Lifering's demonstration. Unbeknownst to Balloon, Nickel had actually taken a barista course in the past and knew how to make a latte. However, he found it strangely embarrassing to admit, fearing that Balloon might mock him for it. Nickel couldn't understand why Balloon's opinion suddenly mattered to him, but he felt an odd desire to impress him.

"So..." Nickel leaned against the counter. "We start by turning on the machine, right?"

Balloon stared at the array of buttons, unsure which one to press. He tentatively reached for a button, hoping he was choosing the right one.

"No, not that one!" Nickel exclaimed, smacking Balloon's hand away. "Did you even pay attention during the demonstration, Balloon?"

"Uh... maybe I got a bit distracted," Balloon admitted sheepishly. "Sorry, I was just a bit bored."

"Well, that's a first—Balloon getting bored of learning," Nickel chuckled softly. "It's okay. Lucky for you, I was paying attention. I'll show you what to do."

Balloon smiled mischievously. He had a plan forming in his mind. He decided to intentionally make mistakes, just to see if Nickel would help him and how he would react. Perhaps he could even coax Nickel into grabbing his hand—it was worth a shot! All the while, Balloon aimed to subtly flirt with Nickel, testing the waters to see how Nickel responded.

Nickel effortlessly switched on the coffee machine. "See? Easy. Now, with this advanced machine, you just need to select the right number of coffee shots to start with. The milk is the trickier part, you have to froth it just right."

Nickel's rambling came to an abrupt halt when he noticed Balloon smirking at him.

"What?" Nickel snapped, his cheeks flushing.

"Have you done this before?" Balloon teased playfully.

"What? No! Just grab a cup and do what I said... idiot," Nickel replied, crossing his arms defensively.

Balloon chuckled and grabbed one of the clear coffee cups. Instead of placing it in the obvious spot directly under the coffee drip, Balloon purposely mispositioned it to see how Nickel would react.

Nickel's response was immediate. "No, not there! How are you so hopeless at this?" He grabbed Balloon's wrist and guided his hand to the correct spot. "Jeez, Balloon..."

"At least I'm lucky to have someone on my team who knows what he's doing!" Balloon said with a sweet smile directed at Nickel. "So... which button do I press now?"

This pattern of Balloon making mistakes and Nickel guiding him continued, creating a wholesome atmosphere. Nickel teased Balloon for his lack of expertise, and Balloon playfully ribbed Nickel for being a know-it-all. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company immensely.

Soon, they reached the milk portion of the process. Balloon poured milk into the metal measuring flask until Nickel instructed him to stop. Balloon then attempted to position the flask under the frothing stick, but his alignment was way off. Nickel swiftly hit the lever to start the frothing and immediately noticed Balloon's error. Without thinking twice, he placed his hand over Balloon's and guided the flask to the correct location, helping him froth the milk properly.

It wasn't until then that Balloon realised how close they were standing. He was right behind Balloon, practically pressed against him, his breath brushing against Balloon's neck, and his hands on Balloon's. Nickel was completely focused on ensuring Balloon got it right. As for Balloon, he was a mess. His face was bright pink, and his heart raced in his chest. He hadn't expected to be so affected by this situation. Maybe he hadn't thought this through…

"Uh, yeah, thanks... I think I've got it," Balloon stammered nervously. It was only when Balloon spoke that Nickel realised how close he had been. He quickly retreated, feeling a rush of embarrassment and regret. How could he have invaded Balloon's personal space like that? He was certain he had made Balloon uncomfortable.

"Um... so, is that enough frothing?" Balloon asked anxiously.

"Oh, uh, yes," Nickel replied hurriedly, turning off the lever.

Both boys were visibly flustered and barely speaking to each other. Balloon had never felt this way before, especially being that close to someone. Nickel, on the other hand, was embarrassed that he had let his guard down so much, causing discomfort for Balloon. He mentally scolded himself for being such an idiot. 

"Here, let me finish it," Nickel offered quietly. He took the flask from Balloon and carefully poured the milk into the cup, ensuring it was done perfectly. Balloon stepped aside, remaining silent, his face still flushed pink as he waited for the process to be completed.

“A perfect latte.” Nickel showed Balloon. 

"We did it!" Balloon exclaimed, recognizing the need to calm himself down. He took a deep breath and composed himself, wanting to avoid making Nickel feel uncomfortable. "Well, I couldn't have done it without such an amazing teacher," Balloon giggled, his cheeks still flushed.

Nickel's face mirrored Balloon's blush as he chuckled softly. "Oh... I wasn't that great," he replied with a sweet smile directed at Balloon. They shared a moment of smiling at each other, and Nickel began to feel a sense of relief. Maybe Balloon wasn't uncomfortable after all. But that put another question into his mind… Did Balloon also have feelings for him? Nickel's heart started racing at the thought. It couldn't be true, could it? Why would Balloon...?

As they stood there, Nickel's mind raced with questions. The way they had interacted throughout the entire process—from start to now, made Nickel wonder if Balloon was also contemplating the same thing. Did Balloon know about Nickel's feelings? So many thoughts swirled in Nickel's mind.

"So... should we take it to Lifering?" Balloon asked, still smiling.

"Oh, uh, yeah! Let's do that," Nickel replied, trying to push aside his thoughts. Maybe he was just imagining things again. There couldn't possibly be a way that Balloon felt that way about him.

The two boys approached Lifering and proudly displayed their latte creation to him. Lifering smiled warmly at them and picked up the cup. It looked like a latte, which was a good start. He took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the taste.

"Wow, boys! This is fantastic! You make a really good team," Lifering complimented, continuing to enjoy the latte.

Balloon and Nickel beamed proudly. They had indeed made a good team.

"Well, it was mostly Nickel..." Balloon said, leaning his arm against Nickel's shoulder, given that Nickel was slightly shorter.

"Oh, whatever... you contributed a lot too!" Nickel playfully shoved him, and both boys grinned like dorks.

"You both deserve a prize! Go on, pick something from the prize box," Lifering encouraged.

Balloon and Nickel eagerly rummaged through the box of prizes. Nickel pulled out a new pair of sunglasses, which he promptly placed on top of his head.

"Pfft, dork," Balloon teased, giggling.

"Shut up! I totally look cool," Nickel retorted, playfully shoving Balloon.

Balloon chuckled and leaned in to select his prize—a rainbow pin. "Cool..." He quickly pinned it onto his hoodie.

“Fag!” Nickel pointed at him and laughed. 

Balloon smirked mischievously. "Aww, am I not allowed to support my best friend?" he cooed playfully.

"Hey!" Nickel's face flushed slightly at the teasing remark.

"Who said you were my best friend, hm?" Balloon leaned in close, his smirk evident.

"I did," Nickel replied with a smile. "Besides, I didn't know you had any other gay friends," he added, chuckling.

"I don't, just you!" Balloon ruffled Nickel's hair affectionately.

Nickel couldn’t contain his smile. He hadn’t had this much fun with Balloon since middle school. It felt like they were finally back to being the close friends they used to be. Being labelled as Balloon’s best friend again felt nice—it had been too long since he heard Balloon call him that. But deep down, Nickel wished for a different label, one he was sure would never come. They were just friends, nothing more. Nickel had to keep it that way; he refused to risk ruining their friendship. They had come so far, and he couldn’t let his feelings get in the way.

"So... why the rainbow pin anyway?" Nickel asked casually, unsure if Balloon was joking about supporting him or if there was another reason.

"Well... I do like rainbows, and I'd say I'm an ally... and, well," Balloon spoke casually, "I am pansexual after all." He smiled faintly. Balloon rarely discussed his sexuality, unsure if he had ever mentioned it to anyone before now.

"You're what?! Why didn't you tell me? How long have you known? Do Suitcase and Baseball know?" Nickel was utterly shocked. He had no idea that Balloon identified as pansexual. This revelation could change everything—maybe Balloon really did have a crush on him?

"Oh... uh, for a little while. It's not that big of a deal! And no… I didn't think it was important for anyone to know. I mean, people don't go around telling everyone they're straight, so... what's the difference?" Balloon shrugged slightly. "But it's nice to finally tell someone," he admitted.

"So... I'm the first person you've come out to?" Nickel asked sincerely.

"Yeah... I guess so," Balloon replied casually.

"Heh... should've told me before you cuddled me without saying 'no homo'!" Nickel jokes, partly to gauge Balloon's reaction.

“Well… maybe it was homo…” Balloon shrugged. 

“Wait what–”

Before Nickel could seek an explanation, the kitchen doors swung open, revealing the return of the other group. Lightbulb and Test Tube were beaming with excitement as they ran over to Fan and Paintbrush.

"Guess what!" Lightbulb giggled.

"We won!" Test Tube chimed in.

Fan squealed joyfully and leaped into his girlfriend's arms, hugging her tightly. "YAY! Luxury cabin!" he exclaimed.

Paintbrush smiled and draped an arm around Lightbulb. "Well done, Sunshine. Can't wait to get out of that dirty shack for a night."

Balloon smiled and silently applauded their victory. This meant that he and Nickel would have the cabin all to themselves, while the others enjoyed the luxury cabin for the night. Although the luxury cabin seemed appealing, Balloon much preferred the idea of spending a night alone with Nickel.

"Congratulations, guys!" Balloon congratulated them.

"Thanks, B!" Lightbulb smiled at him. "Sorry to leave you and Nickel behind!" she added.

"Don't worry... we'll be fine!" Balloon grinned in response.

Nickel remained silent, his mind in turmoil. Was Balloon joking about the "no homo" thing? Surely he wasn't cuddling him because he... liked him? No, it must have been because he was afraid of the dark, right? Nickel didn't know what to believe. He had learned so much in just a few minutes—Balloon was pansexual, and Balloon considered him his best friend again? It was all happening so quickly, but Nickel couldn't afford to assume anything. If he assumed Balloon had a crush on him and he didn't, it could jeopardise their entire friendship. So, he resolved to stop overthinking it, let it be, and see what unfolded.

“Uh, yeah congrats or whatever.” Nickel chimed in.

“Nice sunglasses.” Paintbrush snickered sarcastically.

“Hey! They look cool!” Nickel snapped, crossing his arms.

Balloon leaned an arm on his shoulder. “Dorkish maybe…” He giggled. “I’m kidding! They suit you!” He quickly added.

“Hmph, well the gay pin suits you…” Nickel grumbled.

“Aw thanks!” Balloon beamed.

“What?! No! That wasn’t– ugh… whatever.” He crossed his arms and huffed.

. . .

"Alright, campers! It's been a very eventful and fun day! I'm sure we've all learned some new skills. As a reward for our success, we'll toast marshmallows by the fire after dinner! Speaking of dinner, tonight we'll be making lasagne—it's an easy dish since the sheets and sauce are already provided. You just need to put it all together and bake it in the oven. Once again in pairs, each of you will make a mini lasagne to share, served with garden salad that Goo and I are preparing for each table. The lasagne sheets and sauce are in the fridge. Grab one of each and head to your workbench to assemble your lasagne, then bake it in one of the ovens. It should only take 40 minutes to cook, so while we wait, we can do another icebreaker!" Lifering announced.

After Lifering finished explaining, everyone paired up. Test Tube and Fan naturally teamed up since they hadn't spent much time together all day, and Paintbrush and Lightbulb partnered as well. Microphone and Taco formed another pair, while Knife and Trophy teamed up, and YinYang decided to pair with themselves, guided by Candle. Silver, of course, was paired with Candle, his clear reason for attending this camp to get closer to her—an intention not lost on anyone given his aversion to camping.

Balloon and Nickel wasted no time pairing up. Nickel chose a workbench while Balloon retrieved the ingredients from the fridge. Balloon returned with the ingredients and carefully arranged them on the table. Lifering was right—it didn't take long to assemble the lasagne sheets with the sauce and crushed meat into a single tray. The two of them worked relatively quietly until Balloon was on the last sheet.

“So, we get a whole cabin to ourselves tonight. Kinda sucks we didn’t get the luxury cabin; I bet it has light…” Nickel suddenly commented.

“It doesn’t matter where we stay, whether it's a run-down old wooden shack or a luxury cabin with all the comforts, as long as you’re there,” Balloon replied, flashing a gentle smile at Nickel, whose face quickly flushed.

“Gay…” Nickel mumbled, attempting to mask his true feelings.

“Here, take the tray to one of the ovens since you’ve just been standing around watching me do all the work,” Balloon teased as he handed the tray to Nickel. He didn’t actually mind that Nickel hadn't contributed much; he was just happy to have him back after so many years of distance between them.

Nickel took the tray with a huff. “Fine,” he playfully complained before heading off to place the tray in the oven. Most pairs were finishing up their lasagne and placing it in the ovens by now. It was a quick dish. Lifering and Goo had finished making the salads and placed the sharing bowls in the fridge, ready for dinner.

"Alright campers! Gather 'round the table! It's time for another icebreaker!" Lifering called out, capturing everyone's attention.

The campers walked over to the table where Lifering was standing, squishing together to fit around the table. Nickel ended up sitting at the very end next to Balloon. Fan sat beside Balloon, followed by Test Tube, then Lightbulb and Paintbrush on the other end. On the opposite side, Microphone sat at one end, with Taco, Knife, and Trophy beside them, and YinYang at the other end. The teachers and camp coordinators stood at the sides of the table, with Goo and Lifering on one side and Silver Spoon and Candle on the other. It was quite crowded since the tables were long, picnic-style with seating only along each side, but everyone managed to squeeze in.

"Alright! Today's icebreaker is a fun game! The person at one end will make an assumption about the person next to them, and that person will confirm whether the assumption is correct or incorrect. Then, we'll continue around the table until we reach the last person. What's the point of this? It helps us see how much we really know about each other and discover things we didn't know or thought we did! Nickel, why don't you start us off?" Lifering turned to Nickel, who was seated at his side.

"Uh... sure, but I'm pretty sure I already know a lot about Balloon," Nickel chuckled. "I guess... I assume that Balloon likes to write?"

"You already know that!" Balloon giggled in response.

"Well, I dunno! I already know a lot about you!" Nickel chuckled again, smiling sweetly at Balloon. He loved seeing him smile and couldn't take his eyes off him whenever he did.

"Well, that's okay too! Now everyone else also knows Balloon likes to write, so those who didn't know just learned something new about him!" Lifering explained.

"Cool," Nickel shrugged.

Lifering noted how Nickel was actually participating in the icebreaker today. He seemed in a better mood than yesterday, which led Lifering to believe he made the right decision by placing him in a group with Balloon.

They all went around the table making assumptions about each other. It would have been more interesting if everyone had been shuffled and sat next to people they didn't know, but it was still fun. 

Soon enough, the oven alarms started going off, indicating that the lasagnas were finished. Each person left the table when their alarm sounded and went to retrieve their tray from the oven. Balloon slipped on mittens and slid the lasagna out for himself and Nickel; it smelled amazing. Nickel fetched paper plates while Balloon cut their lasagna in half, placing the portions onto the plates. They were among the first to sit back down.

Goo and Lifering came around, placing bowls of salad on each table along with tongs for serving. Once the salad was placed, Nickel took the lead in spooning salad onto both his and Balloon's plates.

The dinner tables were arranged similarly to lunch, with Candle, Silver, and YinYang seated at the same table as Balloon and Nickel, who had deliberately chosen to sit apart from everyone else. Lifering and Goo joined their table, turning it into what appeared to be the designated "outcast and teacher" table.

Lifering, despite Nickel and Balloon preferring to be left alone, initiated small talk with their table, and they played along.

"Nickel! It was nice to see you participate in today's icebreaker! I'm proud," Lifering smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks... I guess?" Nickel replied quietly, not wanting to make a big deal out of simply participating.

"Did you have a good day? It seems like you both did! Watching you guys work as a team throughout! You two must be really good friends," Lifering continued.

Balloon smiled faintly as he poked at his food. "Yeah... I guess we are."

They continued eating amidst the chatter filling the kitchen. It seemed like everyone was enjoying the camp, which made Lifering feel proud. He was glad to help troubled kids grow and feel better about themselves; it was his goal.

Soon, Silver started trying to flirt with Candle again, showing no shame despite some of his students being at the table with him.

"So, my dear, how was your day?" Silver asked curiously.

"It was lovely, and yours?" Candle replied with a sweet smile.

"Oh, it was alright, I suppose... it would've been better if you were around," Silver playfully cooed at her.

Lifering leaned in beside Nickel and Balloon and whispered to them, "Is your teacher always like this?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"Yep," both Nickel and Balloon replied.

Lifering leaned back and continued eating his food. It was obvious that Silver Spoon only came to this camp to flirt with Candle, which Lifering found cute. However, he felt bad for the students who had to witness their teachers flirting all the time, especially YinYang, who was much younger compared to the others. Fortunately, YinYang seemed oblivious to the constant flirting, which was probably for the best.

. . .

After finishing dinner, everyone disposed of their paper plates in the bin and lined up to place their cutlery in the large kitchen dishwasher. With that task done, they followed Lifering out of the kitchen for marshmallow time. Lifering held a bag of marshmallows while Goo had sticks in hand. The group ventured outside and gathered around the unlit campfire.

Candle took charge of starting the fire, having camping experience and knowing exactly what to do. Soon, a blaze emerged, and they all circled around the fire as Lifering and Goo distributed sticks and marshmallows to each person. They were only getting one each to ensure there would be plenty for the next day.

Nickel loved his marshmallow burnt to a crisp, ensuring it had charcoal all over it. Balloon, on the other hand, preferred his marshmallow golden and squishy. The two of them sat together on the logs and munched on their marshmallows. 

"You burnt yours, dude!" Balloon chuckled.

"Nuh uh! I cooked it just right!" Nickel protested, popping the rest into his mouth and chewing the squishy mallow.

Balloon did the same, enjoying the gooey treat.

On the other side of the fire, Fan, Test Tube, Lightbulb, and Paintbrush finished their marshmallows. Fan sat in Test Tube's lap as she played with his hair, Fan hummed happily, glancing across the fire at Balloon and Nickel.

"They totally like each other..." Fan hummed.

"Who?" Test Tube looked up. "Oh, Balloon and Nickel?" She snorted. "Gee, Fan, are you fanboying over them?" She teased playfully. "It's kind of obvious. Do you see the way they look at each other? Reminds me of us before we got together, actually..." She smiled down at her boyfriend. 

Fan glanced up. "Really?" he asked. 

"Yes, really." Test Tube sighed and leaned in, kissing his lips.

Before long, everyone finished their marshmallows and was ready for bed. It had been a long day, and everyone was exhausted and eager to head back to the cabins. The winners of the kayak race, the self-proclaimed "Bright Lights" best friend group, were the first to return to their cabin to gather their belongings for the luxury cabin stay. Nickel and Balloon accompanied them back to the cabin, holding torches to help them see in the dark room. 

They gathered their pillows, blankets, and pyjamas. Nickel and Balloon, a bit envious that the winners would have heating, light, and comfortable beds in the luxury cabin. However, they were also looking forward to having the cabin to themselves without the couples being all lovey-dovey.

After bidding goodnight to Balloon and Nickel, the "Bright Lights" wished them a restful sleep before departing for the luxury cabin. Finally, it was just Nickel and Balloon left in the cabin, free from any distractions. As the others left, the cabin fell into silence, leaving Balloon and Nickel seated on Nickel’s bed in the darkness, illuminated only by their torches.

Chapter Text

“I have an idea.” 

Nickel suddenly spoke up. “We can have some light in here, at least for tonight!” Nickel got off the bed, taking his torch and wedging it securely between the bunk bars. The light from the torch pointed towards the pushed-together bunks.

“Since the others aren’t here, we can use their bed, and now the light will reach it! No more darkness,” Nickel said with a smile.

“That’s perfect! Look at you being all clever,” Balloon teased playfully as he stood up.

Nickel removed his sunglasses from his forehead and stashed them in his bag.

"Ugh, I can't be bothered putting on pyjamas," Nickel whined as he slipped off his jacket and draped it over his bag. He scratched his head and yawned. "I'll just wear this." He was dressed in a band shirt and black tracksuits, which he found comfortable enough to sleep in.

"If you didn't bring many pyjamas and you're trying to keep them clean, you can wear mine. I brought extras," Balloon offered, lingering nearby.

"Hmph, I hate that you knew that was the reason," Nickel grumbled softly.

"Don't be embarrassed. I don't mind, really," Balloon reassured him, leaning down to unzip his bag.

"Nah, it's cool," Nickel replied, waving his hand dismissively before sitting down on the double bed, which was just two beds pushed together.

"Alright," Balloon shrugged, rummaging through his bag to retrieve a pair of matching pyjama shorts and a shirt, both in a soft fabric and the same colour as his hair.

"Since, uh... nobody else is here, you don't mind me getting changed here, right? I prefer to stay in the light... the bathroom is so dark," Balloon shyly asked.

"Uh... sure," Nickel replied, trying to act nonchalant, but his heart was racing in his chest.

Balloon smiled faintly before slipping off his hoodie and tossing it aside. He raised his shirt over his head, revealing pale skin with soft freckles scattered across his shoulders and back. Each freckle was as beautiful as the other, and Nickel couldn't tear his eyes away. Balloon quickly slipped on his pyjama shirt and kicked off his pants, pulling on the pyjama bottoms over his legs. Before Nickel knew it, Balloon was fully changed and collapsed beside him on the bed. Nickel was stunned, his cheeks hot. Jesus why did he have to be so gay?! It was just Balloon's back, but it had him feeling incredibly flustered!

Balloon let out a soft yawn and casually leaned his head against Nickel's shoulder.

"I'm so tired..." he sighed.

Nickel's body tensed up. He was already flustered, and now Balloon was so close to him! Not to mention, he still wanted to cuddle with him tonight. After everything that happened today, he felt even more nervous being close to Balloon. The possibility that Balloon might have a crush on him drove Nickel insane, but he didn't want to assume or risk ruining their friendship because of his feelings.

"I'm wide awake... heh..." Nickel admitted anxiously.

Balloon had his eyes closed, his head peacefully resting against Nickel’s shoulder. He didn’t want to fall asleep on Nickel, especially on their one night alone away from the others. So he shifted up and rubbed his eyes, letting out another soft yawn.

“I can try to stay awake a little longer…” he murmured.

“Awww look at you… all cute and sleepy~” Nickel teased him playfully.

Balloon’s cheeks flushed a little as he turned his head to face Nickel. He wasn’t sure if that was a joke or if Nickel genuinely called him cute. He tilted his head a little.

“You… think I’m cute?” Balloon asked hesitantly.

Nickel realised what he said. It just came out without thinking! He swallowed anxiously and avoided eye contact, feeling flustered by his slip-up. There was no going back now. He didn’t want to claim he was lying because he genuinely found Balloon cute.

“Yeah… so what?” Nickel snapped, trying to cover his embarrassment.

“No reason!” Balloon quickly said, giggling. “Just… not a lot of people call me cute.” He flashed a nervous smile and looked away from Nickel shyly.

“Well… maybe they should,” Nickel murmured, also avoiding eye contact. “It’s like, totally obvious how cute you are; people are just too pussy to say it.”

“Is that so?” Balloon chuckled.

There was a moment of silence before Balloon spoke up again.

“You’re cute too,” he hummed softly.

Nickel felt his face flush with heat, his hands clammy. His heart raced in his chest. He tried to ignore what he was feeling, telling himself that Balloon was just being nice. But deep down, Nickel wasn’t sure anymore. He couldn’t tell if Balloon was flirting with him or just being friendly!

“Pssh… not really…” Nickel muttered. He shifted back, pulling his feet onto the bed, and laid back against the pillow with a sigh. “Can you grab my blanket? I left it on my bed,” Nickel asked.

“Sure… I love your blanket, it’s so soft,” Balloon hummed as he slipped off the bed to retrieve Nickel’s blanket. He brought it back and threw it over Nickel before climbing back into bed beside him. The cabin was chilly at night without heating, and all they had were the blankets they brought along.

“It’s so cold…” Balloon shivered as he snuggled up closer to Nickel.

“Yeah… colder than last night… Maybe you should get your sleeping bag; you can open it up into a blanket, right? We can use that as an extra layer,” Nickel suggested.

“Good idea.” Balloon slipped out of bed into the cold, stood up on the ladder of his bunk, and reached for his sleeping bag. Nickel couldn’t help but notice—Balloon did have a nice ass.

Balloon grabbed the sleeping bag, climbed down, unzipped it into a blanket, and threw it over Nickel before climbing back into bed beside him. The two of them were half sitting up and half lying down, trying to stay warm in the chilly cabin. Balloon moved closer to Nickel—suddenly not as tired as before, probably from having to keep getting up. He was shivering, still feeling really cold. Nickel noticed this and casually wrapped an arm around Balloon's shoulders, pulling him in closer. He rubbed Balloon's arm a little.

“Your arms are so cold… I can feel your goosebumps,” Nickel chuckled.

“Yeah… It’s freezing!” Balloon whined.

“I can… uh, make you warmer?” Nickel offered cautiously.

“Hm?” Balloon tilted his head curiously.

“You don’t mind… uh, being close to me, right?” Nickel asked nervously.

“Not at all,” Balloon answered quickly, intrigued by what Nickel was planning.

The shorter boy shifted slightly, arranging Balloon so he was lying against his chest. Nickel wrapped both arms around Balloon, his head resting against Balloon's fluffy, curly salmon locks.

Balloon's heart was beating quickly in his chest, and he could hear Nickel's heartbeat, too. They were so close… Sure, they had cuddled last night, but it was different today. Something about their closeness felt new.

“Aww, but now I can’t see your face!” Balloon playfully complained. He shifted, turning his body so his chest was against Nickel's, facing him directly. Wrapping his arms around Nickel, Balloon could already feel their legs tangling together under the sheets. Nickel swallowed nervously, staring down at Balloon, who was now so close to him—practically on top of him. It was surreal to think that just two days ago, he wouldn't have imagined himself spooning with Balloon. Yet here they were, their friendship growing closer, the funny thing was… Suitcase and Baseball were unaware of their new bond.

"Why do you need to see my face... we're supposed to be trying to sleep..." Nickel grumbled, avoiding eye contact with Balloon, which was quite challenging given their current position.

Balloon just flashed Nickel a cheesy smile and ran his hand through Nickel’s tangled locks. "You don’t brush your hair, do you, Nickel?" Balloon teased.

Nickel's face turned crimson, feeling a tightness in his chest. Balloon was too close for comfort. This was the kind of interaction Fan and Test Tube had, not two best friends who had practically disliked each other for years.

"Neither do you!" Nickel retorted, attempting to conceal his nervousness.

"I have curly hair, doofus. If I brush it, I'll look like a sheep," Balloon chuckled. He pulled out his hair tie, letting his curls cascade over his shoulders. Nickel couldn't help but stare, his eyes filled with adoration. He absentmindedly reached behind Balloon's head, running his fingers through the soft curls, savouring the feeling. He wished he could do this all the time.

Balloon's face turned a deep shade of red, his heart racing as he locked eyes with Nickel. There was a silent exchange between them, each studying the other's features without speaking, both hesitant to break the moment for fear of making things awkward. Nickel couldn't tear his gaze away from Balloon, despite his efforts. He found it hard to catch his breath, his eyes shimmering with helplessness, shifting between Balloon's lips and eyes. Nickel might try to deny it, but Balloon could tell. It was clear now, wasn't it? Nickel clearly liked him, more than just a friend. But how could one really know for sure if someone felt the same way? Perhaps, a kiss?

Balloon hesitated briefly before cautiously closing the distance between them. His eyes fluttered shut as he gently pressed his lips against Nickel’s. Nickel's eyes widened, his hand trembling as he tried to process what was happening. Once it sank in that Balloon was actually kissing him, he relaxed, closing his eyes and gripping Balloon’s hair, pulling him closer, returning the kiss softly. As their lips met, Nickel softly stroked Balloon’s hair, their legs tangled, lost in the moment that felt like it was out of a movie. Both of them felt a rush of heat and nerves. The kiss was pure bliss, an experience Nickel had never felt before. He could hardly believe it was happening! All this time, he had been avoiding the truth about his feelings, but here Balloon was, making the first move—it was surreal. Nickel could have kissed those sweet lips forever, but sadly, all good things must come to an end. 

Balloon shakily pulled back, his chest tight with breathlessness—why had he done that?! That was too much, too fast! Yes, he wanted to know the truth, which was abundantly clear now, but he wasn’t ready for a kiss. He wasn’t even sure about a relationship. He didn’t know how he felt about Nickel, and now he had gone and kissed him?! What had he been thinking!?

“Wow…” Nickel muttered, not really knowing what else he could say.

Balloon abruptly pulled away and sat up, his whole body trembling. This was a disaster—he had ruined everything.

Nickel immediately sensed something was amiss and sat up as well. “Balloon...? What’s wrong?” he asked, clearly anxious. Had he done something wrong? Was he a bad kisser? Did he make Balloon uncomfortable?

“I-I... I didn’t mean to kiss you!” Balloon blurted out in embarrassment.

“What do you mean, you ‘didn’t mean to kiss me’?” Nickel snapped back, his confusion mounting.

“I—I mean, I did kiss you on purpose... I just... I wanted to see if you’d kiss me back…” Balloon stammered anxiously. He had messed up badly.

“What are you talking about?” Nickel demanded.

“Look... F-Fan had this idea that... you liked me, like... liked me. I didn’t believe it at first, but then I started noticing things! And... I saw the way you were acting around me! So... I tried subtly doing things to see how you’d react... and in the moment, I just... thought maybe kissing you would confirm it... and it did... But I didn’t think it through—”

“So what? You used me?” Nickel cut in sharply, feeling deeply hurt and confused.

“What! No, no, no! I didn’t use you! I... I was just—”

“You were just what, Balloon? Trying to manipulate my emotions? Again? Just so you and Fan could... what, make fun of me?” Nickel stood up, his stomach churning with regret and anger. How could he have been so foolish?

“What! No!” Balloon stood up quickly. “It wasn’t like that! I—Nickel, I just– I don’t fall in love easily! It’s hard for me to feel attraction to people…” Balloon confessed, tears welling up in his eyes, his whole body shaking.

“I thought you were pansexual?!” Nickel snapped back. “Was that a lie too?” He realised he shouldn’t have let his guard down, especially around Balloon.

“I am!! I just– It’s hard to explain! It’s not that I don’t care about you, Nickel! I just... this is a lot for me, okay? Please—” Balloon pleaded, reaching out for Nickel’s hand.

Nickel pulled his hand away and grabbed his jacket. “So what? You kissed me knowing you didn’t actually want to kiss me? For God’s sake, Balloon, if you had just told me how you felt, maybe we could have taken things slowly. But no, you had to pull this kind of stunt and mess with my feelings!”

“Nickel, please! I’m sorry! I don’t want to lose you, please…” Tears streamed down Balloon’s face, his entire body trembling with emotion.

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought of that before leading me on just to see if you and Fan could, I don’t know, make fun of me? Whatever. Screw you. Enjoy the cabin to yourself! I’m leaving.” Nickel snapped as he swung the cabin door open.

“Leaving where?!” Balloon shouted, but all he heard in response was the door slamming shut.

Balloon's entire body shook with anxiety, feeling like he might be sick. Tears streamed down his face, making it hard to breathe. How could he have been so foolish? He knew he wasn't ready for this! Uncertain about his feelings for Nickel, he still kissed him—just to test Fan's theory, to confirm what he already suspected. But now everything had unravelled because of his impulsiveness. He had ruined the progress he and Nickel had made in rebuilding their friendship. Balloon had messed up badly and risked losing his best friend again, all because of his own selfish actions. He felt sick with embarrassment and shame, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed.

He needed to talk to someone, to confide in Fan. Balloon quickly threw on his hoodie, his vision blurred by tears, but he didn't care. He didn't even bother with shoes. Silently, he swung open the door and made his way to the luxury cabin, hoping they were still awake.

Fortunately for Balloon, the Bright Lights were still awake, gathered in a circle playing Uno. The luxury cabin provided them with ample comforts—warm blankets, soft pillows, a cosy carpet, board games, lights, and a heater. It felt like a five-star hotel compared to the shacks everyone else was staying in. The four of them were not expecting any visitors tonight—why would they?

"UNO!" Fan exclaimed excitedly.

"He's got yellow!" Lightbulb chimed in, leaning over Fan's shoulder.

"Lighty! Knock it off!" Fan pushed her away, attempting to hide his card.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. They all paused, turning towards it with confusion. Who could be knocking at this hour? Perhaps Lifering, asking them to keep it down?

"Fan, go see who it is!" Paintbrush urged.

"Fine." Fan placed his card upside down as he stood and made his way to the door.

Paintbrush quickly handed Test Tube a +4 card, knowing it would disrupt Fan's turn and potentially shake things up.

Fan casually swung open the door, only to be taken aback by the sight of Balloon—shaking, tears streaming down his face. Without hesitation, Fan ushered him inside. The others looked over, their expressions shifting immediately to concern. Fan closed the door gently and guided Balloon down to join their circle. Lightbulb wasted no time jumping up to grab a blanket, draping it over Balloon's shoulders to keep him warm, as everyone turned to him with genuine worry.

“Balloon… what happened?” Fan asked anxiously, already suspecting it involved Nickel.

“I kissed Nickel…” Balloon spoke shakily.

“I thought that would be a good thing?” Lightbulb questioned, puzzled.

“No, it wasn’t! I—I didn’t want to kiss him! I don’t know why I did! I... I don’t even know how I feel about him, if I like him... I was so wrapped up in finding out if Nickel liked me because of Fan—”

“Fan!! Did you meddle in people’s relationships again?” Test Tube interjected, hands on her hips.

“What? No! I just had a theory... that Nickel had a crush on Balloon!” Fan chuckled awkwardly.

“And then what? You planted the idea in Balloon's head that he had to pursue Nickel?” Test Tube snapped back.

“What! No! I... I just thought he should find out! That’s all…” Fan felt partly responsible for this mess.

“No, don’t blame Fan. I... I went too far! Fan only suggested I compliment him and stuff… I don’t know why I kissed him! The way he was looking at me... I've never seen him look at me like that before... At that moment, I thought maybe I wouldn’t get Nickel to like me unless... I liked him back? He's been avoiding me because of this supposed crush, according to Fan's theory—and I just... didn’t want to lose him! But after I kissed him, I realised I messed up.” Balloon suddenly broke down into sobs, his whole body trembling as he cried into his hands.

Test Tube shot a glare at Fan before gently moving him aside, taking his place beside Balloon. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a hug, softly petting his hair as he sobbed.

“Shh… it’s okay… let it out.”

Fan felt overwhelming guilt. He uncomfortably crossed his arms and looked down, realising he may have triggered this situation. He never should have suggested that Nickel had feelings for Balloon. None of this would have happened. Balloon and Nickel could have simply repaired their friendship, and perhaps, in time, developed something special. Fan had let his hopeless romantic nature cloud his judgement, pushing things forward without considering Balloon's feelings or readiness. He had wanted to see them happy together, but he had failed to consider what Balloon truly wanted or was prepared for.

Balloon was in disarray, unable to cease his tears which streamed down his face, his breaths coming in irregular bursts. He clung tightly to Test Tube, sobbing into her shoulder. Test Tube felt uneasy, knowing there was little she could do to comfort him.

“Where's Nickel at the moment…?” Test Tube asked tentatively.

“I… I don’t know? He got up and left the cabin without telling me where he was going! I didn’t want to follow him because I was afraid I’d say something stupid and make things worse—so I just came straight here…” Balloon spoke shakily. “He's so upset with me, Test Tube. I don’t think he'll ever want to talk to me again.” Balloon continued to sob, still trembling.

Test Tube continued to stroke Balloon's hair as he sobbed into her shoulder; it was the most she could offer him. She felt concerned about Nickel being outside alone at night, so she turned to Fan and spoke firmly.

“Go find him,” she ordered.

“What?! Why me? He won’t listen to me! He probably hates me!” Fan protested.

“Fan, you're partially involved in this. Go and get him, and explain your part in this,” Test Tube said, giving him a serious look.

Fan didn’t want to argue with Test Tube when she was clearly annoyed; she could be quite feisty at times. He groaned and stood up, slipping on his red sandals.

“What if he doesn’t want to listen to me, then what?” Fan asked.

“Then make him listen,” Test Tube ordered.

“Ughh, do I have to go alone…” Fan complained.

“I’ll come,” Paintbrush stood up and stretched their arm. “Come on, let’s just get it over with.” Paintbrush grabbed Fan’s arm and dragged him to the door. The two of them left in search of Nickel in the middle of the night.

As soon as the two left, Lightbulb got up and sat beside Balloon, placing a hand on his back and gently rubbing it. Balloon remained seated, caught between Test Tube and Lightbulb, who were doing everything they could to comfort him and lift his spirits. The girls understood that without Nickel present, their efforts were limited, but Balloon still appreciated their support.

“I don’t understand why Fan can’t just mind his own business when it comes to other people’s relationships…” Test Tube huffed.

“Aww, don’t blame him, Testy! He just wants to see love flourish…” Lightbulb smiled faintly, then returned her attention to Balloon. “But sometimes… love isn’t quite ready to bloom, and that’s okay.” She continued to rub Balloon’s back softly.

“Maybe I should’ve just kept quiet… I’d never seen Nickel so happy before—” Balloon attempted to explain.

“But would that make you happy? You shouldn’t act just to please others… you should be true to yourself, because that’s what brings real happiness,” Lightbulb reasoned. “You are who you are, and that’s something no one can change,” she added.

“But… I’m not happy. What would make me happy is if Nickel wanted to be my friend and genuinely enjoyed spending time with me! It’s… it’s not that I don’t like him, I do… I think I was really starting to like him a lot! It’s just—my whole life, I’ve never felt attraction to anyone, and suddenly the guy who’s been in my life since childhood, who happens to have feelings for me despite our constant fights over the last 8 years… suddenly shows interest… and I start feeling things, things I’ve never felt before… It's so overwhelming! It’s not that I didn’t want to kiss him—I just wasn’t ready. I did it because I wanted to know if he liked me, not because I truly wanted to, or because I was ready,” Balloon explained tearfully. “And now, me and my stupid mouth have messed up everything!”

“Balloon, why don’t you just explain all of this to him? It seems like a perfect reason… if he listens, maybe he could understand,” Test Tube suggested.

“It’s not that easy… I’ve messed up in the past. I broke Nickel’s trust before, and now I’ve done it again just when he was starting to trust me again. I messed up and did something stupid right after he let his guard down,” Balloon vented, his voice filled with regret.

“Well… if Paintbrush and Fan successfully bring him back, maybe you’ll have a chance to explain yourself. But for now, you’re stuck with us. Is that really so bad? We’re pretty fun!” Lightbulb ruffled his hair playfully.

“Yeah… I guess you’re both pretty cool…” Balloon sniffled. “I always avoided your friend group because it intimidated me… I was scared you guys wouldn’t want to be my friend,” he confessed.

“Aw, Balloon…” Lightbulb smiled softly. “If you wanted to hang out with us, you just needed to ask!”

“You know… my sibling talks really highly about you,” Test Tube chimed in.

“Really?” Balloon asked.

“Yeah, I think Bot really looks up to you. I'll admit, I was a little jealous; they spoke of you more highly than me…” Test Tube admitted sheepishly. “But… now I can see why. You’re a real gem, Balloon,” she said with a faint smile.

Balloon smiled back. “Aw… shucks.”

. . .

While the girls did their best to comfort Balloon, Fan and Paintbrush set off to find Nickel. They searched around the cabins first but found nothing, then ventured down to the river. It was so dark that they regretted not bringing flashlights, but it was too late to go back for them now. They just hoped they could convince Nickel to come back with them and fix everything.

Down by the river, Nickel was angrily stomping and destroying flowers, crushing them beneath his bare feet. His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were swollen and red. He didn’t want Balloon to see him crying, that’s why he was out here. The memory of their kiss burned in his mind. For once in his life, he had felt truly happy, but it was ripped away from him. He was in love with Balloon, and it hurt knowing Balloon couldn’t make up his mind about his feelings. Instead, he felt manipulated, deceived, and made to look like a fool yet again. He regretted trusting Balloon, but he did, for reasons he couldn't fathom. Now, he felt like a complete idiot.

Fan and Paintbrush noticed Nickel in the distance and hurried over.

“Nickel! What are you doing?” Paintbrush exclaimed. “It’s the middle of the night, and Balloon is at our door in tears because of your fight. Couldn’t you have at least tried to work things out with him?” Paintbrush was frustrated that their game of Uno was interrupted by such a petty argument.

“Just leave me alone,” Nickel snapped as he crushed another flower.

“Paintbrush, that's not helping!” Fan intervened, speaking quickly. “Nickel… please, let's fix this. I know it was partly my fault. Don’t blame Balloon,” he pleaded, attempting to shift the blame onto himself.

Nickel snapped his head to glare at Fan. “I blame both of you. How dare you talk about me behind my back and make assumptions that you know nothing about!”

“Okay—fair, I shouldn’t have done that. I understand why you’re mad… I just saw the way you looked at Balloon, and it was so clear you liked him! I thought maybe if Balloon could see how much you liked him, something more could happen!” Fan tried to explain his reasoning.

“Well, you were wrong. Balloon doesn’t like me. He just used me to see if I liked him because of something YOU told him, which you had no right to talk about. Maybe you could’ve talked to me instead of assuming things! Now look what happened. Hope you’re happy, Fan!” Nickel snapped harshly before storming past them.

Fan panicked and quickly chased after him, trying to reason with him.

“Nickel!! Please, Balloon is so upset—it’s not about what I did, it’s not even about me. It’s about you and him, and your friendship! He doesn’t want to lose you! He’s breaking down because of this—just please—” Fan pleaded desperately.

“How do you think I feel? That jerk kisses me, knowing full well I love him—” Nickel spun around and shouted, tears streaming down his face.

Both Fan and Paintbrush stopped, stunned by Nickel’s outburst. They had never seen him like this before, let alone heard him use the L word.

“You… love him?” Paintbrush questioned.

“N-No… shut up!!” Nickel squeaked, wiping away his tears. “You know nothing! Just please, leave me alone!”

“Nickel… I can tell you this now: Balloon might not be ready to kiss you or be in a relationship, but every time I spoke to him about you, his eyes lit up. He looked helpless just thinking about you… I think he likes you. Maybe he's just not ready, or maybe it's moving too fast. But you won’t know unless you let him explain. He's terrified of losing you. Please, come with us so we can fix this. Give Balloon a chance to explain himself. Don’t let it be my foolish theories that ruin all the progress you two made in healing your friendship,” Fan said, his voice trembling with hope.

“Fan’s right… and you already threw the L word out there. Do you really think avoiding him for another decade will make you feel any better? You'll just be suppressing your feelings again and living in misery. Maybe something good can come out of this if you let him explain,” Paintbrush added. “Please. I want to get back to my Uno game.”

Nickel clenched his fists, his body shaking—whether from nerves, anger, or the cold, it was hard to tell. He sniffled and closed his eyes tightly.

“Fine. Whatever. So you can get back to your stupid Uno game. Let's go.”

The three of them climbed back up the hill and approached the luxury cabin in silence. Nickel trembled as they reached the doorstep. Fan opened the door for him, and suddenly all heads turned. When Balloon saw Nickel, his heart sank. Nickel was a mess—trembling, with red, puffy eyes. It looked like he hadn’t stopped crying. But then again, Balloon didn’t look much different.

Paintbrush ushered Nickel inside and closed the door to shut out the freezing cold. They all walked back over to the circle and sat down.

Fan stood awkwardly by the door, rubbing his arm. He felt partially responsible for the situation.

“Well? I’m here,” Nickel snapped, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

Balloon swallowed anxiously, unable to speak. He sniffled and stared hopelessly.

“You… look cold,” Balloon remarked, noticing Nickel’s shivering.

“Well yeah, it’s freezing outside…” Nickel grumbled.

Balloon bit his lip and fiddled with his hair tie on his wrist.

“There’s room for another in this blanket…” Balloon murmured.

Nickel rolled his eyes.

“Whatever…” He walked over and sat down beside Balloon. Balloon wrapped the blanket around Nickel to keep him warm.

“So… you gonna explain, or whatever–” before Nickel could finish his sentence, Ballon threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly. Nickel froze up, he looked down at Balloon and sighed, wrapping an arm around him, he placed his hand on his head and gently stroked his head. Balloon leaned back, tears running down his beautiful face. It broke Nickel’s heart to see.

“Nickel— I’m so sorry! I… I don’t know what I was thinking, okay?! I just wanted you to like me, at any cost. Being able to have fun with you and spend time together again after all these years… it's been amazing, and I didn’t want to lose that. I was afraid that maybe you were avoiding me because you liked me, and if I didn’t like you back, you’d continue blocking me out! I wanted to know if it was true, if you did like me… and I pushed it too far. I wasn’t ready to kiss you, but I did it anyways… I wasn’t thinking! I let you down again, after I promised I wouldn’t let you down. I hurt you, I deceived you again, and I feel horrible… I just don’t want to lose you again. Please, Nickel, please don’t leave me!” Balloon cried, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

Nickel felt awful. Hearing Balloon cry like this broke his heart. The fact that Balloon felt pressured to rush things to make Nickel happy made him feel even worse. But Balloon should’ve just talked to him, been honest, instead of manipulating him and leading him on. He gently pulled Balloon off of him and took a deep breath before speaking.

“How do you think I feel…? I let my guard down for you, I showed a side of me I haven’t shown in years because I felt like I could trust you. But you used my feelings against me, made me look like an idiot, and still, you sit here and play the victim card! Crying and begging, like you didn’t just manipulate my feelings all over again, just like in middle school!” Nickel snapped. “Now I look like a complete idiot! And… Everyone in this room knows how I feel! You know how much I hate talking about my feelings. If you had just spoken to me, we wouldn’t be here… like… dude… this kills me.”

“I’m not trying to play the victim card! If you just listen to me, you’ll understand that! I didn’t just use you. I meant it when I called you cute, and I wanted to cuddle with you… It’s not that I don’t like you, Nickel! I do… I’ve just never experienced anything like this, and it’s overwhelming for me. I pushed myself too far by kissing you because I wanted to make you happy, but I didn’t think about what I wanted or what I was ready for… I’m so sorry…” Balloon trembled intensely, tears streaming down his face.

Nickel was speechless. Was Balloon saying that he did have a crush on him? Nickel felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Maybe if he had let Balloon explain back at the cabin, they wouldn’t have ended up in this situation in the first place.

“You… like me?” Nickel asked cautiously.

“Um… I think that’s what he said—” Fan started to speak.

Paintbrush promptly slapped his arm. “Stop it!”

Balloon almost forgot that the others were witnessing this drama unfold like a soap opera.

“Can we please go back to our cabin?” Balloon practically begged.

Nickel swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

He stood up, and Balloon followed along silently as they left the luxury cabin to head back to their own shack.

…

“Do you think they'll sort things out? I hope so… they make such a cute couple!!” Fan rambled.

“Fan, I swear to god—” Test Tube pinched her nose and grumbled.

The room fell silent for a moment.

“So… Uno?” Paintbrush asked, attempting to change the subject.

. . .

Nickel and Balloon returned to their cabin. The torch was still on from when they abruptly left. They entered quietly and quickly climbed back into bed, both shivering from the cold. For the first few minutes, they sat in silence, seeking warmth. Nickel laid back tiredly, his head throbbing from all the crying. He wrapped his arms around Balloon and pulled him close, settling Balloon against his chest. Balloon, trembling from the cold, was grateful for the warmth and comfort of Nickel’s embrace.

“So… now that we’re alone…” Nickel began.

“Yes. I… I think I like you,” Balloon replied shakily.

Nickel nodded slightly and smiled faintly, running his fingers through Balloon’s soft curls. “Cool…”

Another silence lingered between them before Balloon spoke up wearily.

“But that doesn’t mean we can be boyfriends,” he stated. “I… I'm still unsure about how I feel, okay?” Balloon admitted. “You make me feel warm and happy, but I’ve never really thought about…”

“I know,” Nickel quickly interjected. “I understand now… I promise, I won’t rush you. I just want you to be happy, and if you need time, then I’ll give you time. And… we don’t have to date if you don’t want to!” Nickel wanted Balloon to feel safe with his feelings.

Balloon sighed contentedly, relieved to have this conversation out in the open.

“Well… maybe I do want to date you,” Balloon admitted, fiddling with his hair tie. “Just… not yet. I need time to… process this,” he smiled faintly.

“So… am I really the first person you've ever liked… or whatever?” Nickel asked curiously.

Balloon giggled a little. “I bet you’d love to hear that… you and your high ego,” he teased. “But… if you must know, maybe once I did have a crush on Suitcase, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, and I didn’t see a need to tell her or share how I felt.”

Nickel felt a twinge of jealousy but kept it to himself.

“Right, but you don’t anymore…?” he asked, trying to clarify.

“Nickel… don’t be jealous,” Balloon warned.

“I’m not!” Nickel quickly defended himself. “Just making sure…” he chuckled nervously.

They fell silent again, Balloon enjoying listening to Nickel’s breath against his chest.

“If it makes you feel less jealous, you’re the only and first guy I’ve ever liked…” Balloon giggled. It felt weird saying that but also felt natural.

“Ha! Gay,” Nickel snorted.

“You’re a real piece of work, Nickel…” Balloon smirked, holding back giggles.

Nickel smirked proudly, admiring his crush.

“So… I do have to ask for my own sanity… What are you okay with? I know you don’t want to rush anything, and I would never want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable! I have to say— for someone who has never kissed anyone, you’re an amazing kisser…” Nickel confessed, his cheeks flushing.

“Nickel… I’m not kissing you again… not yet at least,” Balloon sighed. “But… this… this is nice. I like cuddling with you,” he hummed happily.

“It’s cool… It's cool… we don’t have to kiss…” Nickel would love to kiss his pretty lips again, but he wasn’t forcing Balloon to do anything he wasn’t ready for… especially since they weren’t even in a relationship yet, taking it slow, Nickel was okay with that. He hid how he truly felt for years, a little longer couldn’t hurt.

Balloon closed his eyes peacefully, feeling good about this new development. Though nervous about the prospect of a potential relationship—his first—he decided to set aside those worries for another day. For now, he enjoyed the moment, feeling content in Nickel's embrace. It wasn't long before Balloon drifted off to sleep, his peaceful snores filling the room.

Nickel sighed softly as he gazed down at the beautiful salmon-haired boy. He ran his fingers through Balloon's hair and simply smiled. He looked forward to what lay ahead for them. He resolved to treat Balloon like a prince, to do everything for him, make him feel safe, and protect him. Anything Balloon needed, Nickel vowed to be there. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Balloon. Ever.

Chapter Text

The sun shone into the old, broken-down cabin. Balloon lay peacefully in Nickel's arms, his breathing soft, with a bit of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. Nickel was already awake, admiring his sleeping beauty. He gently ran his hands through Balloon's locks as he slept so peacefully. Nickel couldn't help but smile, his cheeks pink as he watched Balloon. He savoured this moment, knowing Balloon would wake up any minute and they would need to start their day. Nickel wished they could be more than just best friends with a possible crush on one another. He would have loved to have Balloon as his boyfriend, but he understood Balloon wasn't ready, and he was going to respect that. Still, he was determined to show his dear Balloon his worth, to demonstrate the treatment he would receive as his boyfriend. He would be treated like a prince, given anything he wanted whenever he wanted it, and protected at all costs. Today was the day for Nickel to prove himself and showcase what an amazing boyfriend he could be. Perhaps, this would hurry things along, and Balloon would be ready sooner once he saw what Nickel could do for him.

Today, Balloon would be… Prince Balloon.

The salmon-haired boy stirred in his sleep, his eyes suddenly opening. He saw Nickel staring back at him and felt his heart skip a beat. Nickel really did love him, didn’t he? Balloon couldn’t help but feel guilt gnawing at him. He didn’t know what he felt yet, whether he wanted a relationship or to be with Nickel, but Nickel seemed so sure that Balloon was what he wanted. It filled Balloon with questions. How long had Nickel liked him? Had he been in love with him this whole time but never said anything? How could Balloon have been so blind to this if it were true? Either that, or Nickel was insanely good at masking his true feelings.

“Good morning handsome!” Nickel chimed as he saw Balloon’s eyes open.

Balloon groaned a bit and shifted out of Nickel’s arms. He tiredly rubbed his eyes. The sun was so bright, which meant it was definitely past 6 a.m. by now. They couldn’t hear anyone else outside, so perhaps everyone else slept in too?

“Good morning,” he smiled faintly. He moved his hand to his hair and felt how fuzzy it was. Damn it, Nickel. He probably combed it too much with his fingers while Balloon was asleep. Balloon huffed and slipped from the bed. He walked over, switched off the flashlight they had left on last night, and then leaned down to his bag to start gathering clothes for the day.

“Getting ready so soon? We probably have a little longer before we have to get up!” Nickel said.

Balloon yawned. 

“We would… but someone was combing my hair, and now it’s all fuzzy! So, I’ve got to shower,” Balloon snarked playfully. 

“Aww, the fluffiness looks cute though! Please, Balloon! Five more minutes! Please!” Nickel practically begged.

Balloon had never seen Nickel so needy. He was so desperate for Balloon’s attention, which was odd after years of Nickel hating every time Balloon even spoke. It was a nice change. It made Balloon feel good to finally get the attention he deserved. All his life, he tried so hard to get the approval and attention of others, and now here Nickel was, serving attention on a silver platter, practically begging for it. Who could say no to this?

“I suppose five more minutes couldn’t hurt…” He smirked.

Balloon walked back over to the bed and slipped in beside Nickel. The shorter male snuggled up onto Balloon’s chest, laying against it.

“Did you sleep well?” Balloon asked as he moved a hand to Nickel’s hair, softly brushing the locks.

“I slept great with you in my arms,” Nickel purred.

Balloon’s face flushed. This was so strange… he wasn’t used to Nickel flirting with him! It made his stomach flip, and he couldn’t tell if it was in a good or bad way.

“Is that so…” Balloon chuckled softly, trying to mask his slight discomfort.

They sat in silence for a little longer before Balloon pulled away. Nickel whined, grabbing onto Balloon’s hand.

“Come on… I have to shower,” Balloon sighed.

“But I’ll miss you!” Nickel frowned.

Balloon inhaled sharply and sighed. “Just stand by the shower curtain and talk to me, then.” Balloon couldn’t believe he was even offering this, but if it got Nickel to stop acting so clingy for a few minutes, then fine.

Nickel’s cheeks flushed red. He quickly jumped out of bed. At least that got him moving. Balloon shook his head and chuckled at Nickel. He was such a goofball. The salmon-haired boy squatted back down to his bags and collected his clothes: black chino pants, another plain white shirt, and his favourite red sweater, the same outfit he wore the other day. He took his clothes and headed into the rundown bathroom, Nickel trailing behind him, humming happily. Balloon couldn’t lie, Nickel did look really adorable in the morning with his dishevelled hair and wrinkled clothes. He was really cute, like a sleepy puppy.

The bathroom had a toilet and a shower tub with a floral curtain. There wasn’t much space to stand in the tub, and the shower temperature was always uneven, but it was all they had. Balloon placed his clothes neatly on the rack. Luckily, this camp at least had towels. There was a small linen cupboard with plain, clean white towels, so that was easily sorted. Nickel happily sat himself on the closed toilet seat, his legs dangling beneath him.

Balloon raised a brow at him. “I am not changing in front of you.” Balloon crossed his arms.

“You did yesterday!” Nickel protested.

“I was still wearing underwear, firstly… and secondly… we didn’t know where we stood, but now we do… and I don’t need you perving on me…” Balloon smirked a little.

“What! I am not!” Nickel protested, his face turning bright red.

Balloon giggled a little. He liked getting Nickel frustrated; it always made him laugh. “You sure? You seem so eager,” Balloon teased.

“Shut up!” Nickel squeaked, moving his hands in front of his eyes. “There, happy?”

Balloon rolled his eyes and shook his head. He walked over to Nickel and, without further ado, scooped him into his arms.

“Hey!” Nickel squeaked.

“You can stay outside the bathroom until you hear the shower running.” Balloon opened the door and placed Nickel outside the room.

Nickel scoffed and poked his tongue out at Balloon. “I wasn’t gonna look, y’know!” he protested.

Balloon simply closed the door in his face.

Balloon sighed once inside. He quickly stripped down and stepped into the small shower. 

“Nickel, while you’re out there, can you get my toiletry bag? It has shampoo and soap and stuff!” Balloon called out before closing the curtain and turning on the shower.

Nickel groaned from the other side. Grumbling, he walked over to Balloon’s bag and knelt down. He rummaged through the bag until he found the clear toiletry bag, then looked at the contents and laughed to himself. 

“Of course Balloon uses strawberry-scented shampoo.” He stood up and walked back to the door, carefully creaking it open to make sure the curtain was closed. It was. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. He walked over and sat back down on the toilet seat, holding the small clear bag in his hand.

“So, strawberry scent, huh?” he laughed a little.

Balloon jumped, hearing Nickel’s voice; he hadn’t even heard him come in. He took a shaky deep breath and spoke. “Yes, now give me the bag. I kinda need that,” Balloon huffed.

“Oh, right!” Nickel slipped off the seat and walked over to the curtain. He slipped his hand through and felt Balloon take the bag from him. Then he walked back to the toilet seat.

Balloon opened the bag and took out his shampoo. He squirted some into his hands and ran it through his wet curly locks.

Nickel sat there awkwardly, kicking his legs back and forth. He hadn’t really thought through what he’d talk about once he was in here. Maybe he’d been a little too eager because he thought it was kind of hot to be alone in the bathroom with Balloon. Now, he realised it was kind of lame.

“Ugh, I’m bored. Are you done yet?” Nickel complained.

“If you’re bored, why don’t you go get dressed yourself?” Balloon hummed as he happily cleaned his hair.

“I guess.” Nickel slipped off the seat and exited the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, went to his bag, and pulled out some black ripped jeans and a grey hoodie. Yeah, that’d do. He’d just keep the shirt he had on. He took his clothes and walked back, opening the bathroom door and stepping inside. He placed his clothes on the toilet seat and started to strip.

“Nickel! Are you getting changed in here!?” Balloon squeaked.

“Yeah—why not?” Nickel said as he kicked his pants off.

“Isn’t it weird that we’re both naked in the same room…?” Balloon asked, his face heating up.

“Balloon, there’s a curtain between us. Relax. Besides, have you ever been in a boys’ locker room?” Nickel asked.

“No…?” Balloon answered awkwardly.

“Oh… well, it’s hot!” Nickel snorted and laughed.

“Nickel!” Balloon scolded him. “Just stop yapping and get changed and grab me a towel.”

Nickel sighed. He changed his underwear, pulled on his clean pants, and threw on his hoodie. Then, he opened the linen cupboard and took out a clean towel. The shower stopped on the other side, and Nickel walked over and handed the towel through the curtain. Balloon grabbed it quickly and wrapped it around his waist.

Balloon emerged from the shower, his pale chest exposed, glossy salmon hair dripping down his shoulder. Nickel couldn’t help but admire him; he looked stunning. Nickel's cheeks tinged with a slight flush as he gazed at Balloon with adoration, his breath growing heavy in his chest.

“What...?” Balloon murmured shyly.

“You just... you look really beautiful,” Nickel mumbled, quickly averting his gaze.

“Thanks…” Balloon responded, cheeks bright pink. “Uh, so... I should get changed.” He chuckled awkwardly, shifting behind Nickel towards the rack holding his clothes. He quickly grabbed them and darted behind the curtain, struggling to change with one hand while holding his clothes in the other. Eventually, he managed to put on his underwear and pants. He slipped his white shirt on, buttoning it halfway. Stepping out, he handed Nickel his sweater. “Hold this,” he said, swiftly finishing buttoning his shirt before taking his sweater back. He pulled it over his head and smoothed it down over his shirt.

He was really flustered... the way Nickel looked at him, nobody had ever looked at him like that before. It made him feel incredibly fuzzy inside.

“So... now that’s done!” Nickel chuckled. “Let’s go put socks and shoes on.” He smiled faintly, opening the door for Balloon.

The two of them thought they would be alone all morning, but to their horror... the bright lights were back. Apparently, they had to bring all their stuff back in the morning so the next winners of whatever challenge Lifering came up with today could get the luxury cabin. They stood at the door, just staring at the two who had just exited the bathroom.

“Uh, did you two shower together?” Lightbulb asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

“Does my hair look wet to you?” Nickel snapped at Lightbulb.

“I guess not... so were you just watching Balloon shower then?” Lightbulb giggled.

“What! No!” Nickel's face flushed red. This was so embarrassing.

Fan and Test Tube silently whispered to each other before Fan nervously spoke up. “Well, it’s good to see you both on good terms!” Fan quickly added, awkwardly breaking the tension.

“Nickel was bored and didn’t want to be left alone. He didn’t watch me shower; the curtain was closed. He just wanted someone to talk to. Get your minds out of the gutter,” Balloon said, crossing his arms in frustration at their assumptions.

“Yeah! What Balloon said! You guys are so weird to think that! Balloon is allowed to shower while I sit and wait in the same room!” Nickel snapped at them.

“Thank you, Nickel... I can defend myself,” Balloon grumbled.

“Well, okay then…” Paintbrush spoke before slipping past them both so they could put their bags back down by their bed.

“So... Are you two dating?!” Fan asked excitedly.

Test Tube smacked his arm. “Fan! I told you to stay out of it!” she snapped.

“I’m just curious!” Fan exclaimed.

Balloon rolled his eyes. “If you must know, we aren’t dating. We're just taking things slow,” Balloon answered Fan’s question.

“Aww, so you guys didn’t make out the minute you got back to the cabin...?” Fan pouted.

Test Tube smacked her face into her hand. “Fan, you are SO weird.”

Balloon cringed at Fan's comment. He was about to retort, but Nickel spoke over him. 

“How dare you! Balloon is allowed to take however long he wants before kissing me again!” Nickel snapped at Fan.

Balloon clenched his fists but took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Nickel, but again, I can speak for myself…”

Nickel frowned. Why didn’t Balloon appreciate that he was standing up for him? Was he doing something wrong? It felt like ever since he woke up, Balloon had been acting distant... Maybe Nickel wasn’t treating him like a prince enough? Yeah, that’s it. He just had to up his game!

“Let me get your socks and shoes, Balloon!” Nickel suddenly exclaimed, racing off to Balloon’s bag to retrieve his footwear.

“Thanks... I guess?” Balloon responded, a bit puzzled by Nickel's sudden eagerness.

Balloon noticed a strange shift in Nickel. He seemed overly obsessive, needy, and almost controlling, as if he was trying to protect Balloon. Balloon was his own person and didn’t need anyone to do things for him, but maybe it wasn’t so bad having Nickel treat him like a prince? Perhaps he was just overreacting because it was new and he wasn’t used to being treated so well by Nickel. He decided not to complain and let Nickel do his thing. It probably wouldn’t last, and Nickel would get back to his usual self... hopefully.

Nickel grabbed both his and Balloon’s footwear. He handed Balloon’s shoes and socks to him, then dropped to the ground to put his own on. Balloon huffed and kneeled beside Nickel, slipping on his shoes and socks as the bright lights dropped off their stuff and left. They looked like they had already had showers, probably enjoying the high-quality shower in the luxury cabin. With their shoes and socks on, they were all dressed and ready to start the day, exiting the cabin to join the others.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

It was a cold morning, and a few students were already awake, gathered around the glowing campfire. Goo and Lifering were handing out fruit for breakfast. Some students sipped hot chocolate, tea, or coffee, with the kitchen open for them to make any hot beverage they liked. Candle and Silver sat together, drinking their morning tea—Silver with black tea and Candle with green tea—and chatting. Yinyang sat beside Candle, holding a cup of hot chocolate. It was a peaceful morning, marked by relaxation and no sense of rush. Silver Spoon, however, saw this serene moment as the perfect opportunity to flirt with Candle, trying to impress her with outrageous lies about himself. Yinyang, as usual, was oblivious to the blatant flirting, thinking Candle and Silver were just good friends. Little did they know how wrong they were.

“I have been camping many times before, my dear! I am an expert of nature!” Silver bragged.

Candle giggled as she sipped her tea, a smirk playing on her lips. She didn’t believe a word of it, but she found his efforts to impress her flattering.

“Is that so?” She tilted her head.

Behind Silver Spoon, Knife approached, holding a cup of coffee. He took a seat beside Silver on the logs. “An expert of nature, huh? I seem to recall in class you saw a bug and cried, begging one of us to kill it,” Knife snickered. “Or… maybe I’m remembering wrong.” He wore a huge smirk.

“Oh, shut it, you little sh—”

Candle raised an eyebrow at Silver.

“Sh—illy… Silly! Silly Knife, Ha! Ha! We joke all the time, he and I! Yes…” He glared at Knife, who just kept laughing to himself.

Candle giggled softly and moved closer to Silver. 

“Aww, it’s okay to be afraid of bugs, Silver… we all have our fears.” She placed a hand on his knee and looked up into his eyes. “Besides, doesn’t it make you tougher to admit your fears? It shows how strong you really are,” she hummed.

Silver’s face flushed bright red, his lips wobbling as he nervously responded.

“Oh… well… I suppose… I am a little afraid of bugs…” he confessed.

“See? Don’t you feel better admitting that?” Candle smiled sweetly at him.

Silver adored her smile—it was so pure, always putting him at peace and making a calmness bloom within him. His anger always washed away when he saw her gaze. He had liked Candle for a few years now, since she started working at the school, and since then, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. Her gorgeous purple hair, her exquisite fashion choices, her beautiful figure—everything about her captivated him. Silver would die for her.

Knife cringed at the way they looked at each other. How could YinYang be so oblivious to the fact that Candle and Silver had a thing for each other? The innocent fusion sat happily drinking their hot chocolate, completely unaware. How did they not see it? Knife, not typically the type to be overly nice to people, felt an unusual urge to prevent YinYang from discovering the truth.

“Hey, uh, YinYang, want to come with me to wake up the others? I think Microphone and Taco are still asleep,” Knife offered kindly.

YinYang hesitated. Knife was never usually nice to them.

“I don’t know if we can trust him, Yin.”

“But we will never know if we don’t try! Plus Candle said we had to make more friends!” 

“Fine. For Candle.”

“Fine, we will come.”

Knife smiled faintly as he slipped off the log. YinYang followed, walking with Knife back to their cabin.

Back with the others, Balloon and Nickel sat closely together on the other side of the campfire. Balloon, still very tired, leaned his head against Nickel’s shoulder. Nickel, smiling contentedly, held his hands out to catch some warmth from the fire. He cherished the closeness between them, happy to be even nearer to Balloon than they had been before.

“Would you like me to get you something to drink, Looney?” Nickel asked lovingly.

Balloon shifted off his shoulder, yawning softly.

“Sure… just tea, please.”

“On it!” Nickel jumped up from the log and headed to the kitchen.

Balloon hadn’t heard Nickel call him that nickname in years, not since their fight in middle school. Hearing it again made him feel good about their rekindled friendship. The salmon-haired boy lifted his legs onto the log and hugged them tight. For a moment, he closed his eyes and rested peacefully. However, his tranquillity was short-lived as Test Tube scooted up beside him.

“Hey, Balloon… How are you feeling about last night?” Test Tube asked, having not yet had the opportunity to check in.

Balloon dropped his legs and sighed.

“It’s okay… I guess,” he replied with a weak smile.

“You… guess?” she asked curiously.

“Well… I feel like Nickel is still hoping for something more between us… and I am too! I do like him, but I’m worried I won’t be enough for him. I’m afraid I won’t be able to give him what he needs. He’s already really clingy, constantly doing things for me even though I don’t ask him to. I can’t tell if he’s trying to make up for being a jerk all these years or if he’s trying to impress me. But I don’t need him to do everything for me! I am my own person,” Balloon huffed. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate how much he’s trying, but it feels like he’s trying too hard.”

Test Tube listened carefully before responding.

“I’m no psychologist or relationship counsellor, but Fan and I have been dating for a few years now. You know how Fan is—extremely clingy, to the point where he cries when he can’t be around me. And yeah, that can get really annoying, especially when I want time to myself or with other people. But you wouldn’t believe how bad Fan was when we first started dating! He wouldn’t even let me leave his sight because he was scared he’d lose me. But he’s gotten so much better, making friends outside of just me. I know Nickel is acting really obsessive right now, but he will loosen up. Especially once this camp is over and he sees Baseball and Suitcase again. I’m sure he won’t be as clingy when he has his other friends back,” Test Tube smiled.

Balloon had almost forgotten about Suitcase and Baseball. What would they think? Would they even expect that Nickel and Balloon were friends again, let alone possibly starting to date? He vaguely remembered Suitcase once mentioning she had a crush on Nickel. Sure, she knew he was gay, but that didn’t change her feelings. Would it be weird if two of their best friends became a couple? Would it make Suitcase and Baseball feel left out? Or would Nickel, once they returned home, act like none of this ever happened and push Balloon away again? Balloon was scared of what might come after this camp.

“Do… Do you think Baseball and Suitcase would accept us?” Balloon asked nervously, fiddling with a bit of yellow string in his hand.

“Uh… I don’t know them personally, but why wouldn’t they? They’re your best friends!” Test Tube exclaimed.

“Because they’ve only ever seen Nickel and me fighting, it’ll be so strange for them to see us getting along. They might not understand or feel uncomfortable. And between us… Suitcase had a crush on Nickel. Yes, she knows he’s gay, but she didn’t know until Baseball and I told her, and she was crushed! At the time, I really liked her, but she liked Nickel. I tried to tell her, but then she said she saw me as her brother? I was hurt, but I understood. I said it was nothing serious anyway. But now it would be awkward. One of her friends who liked her and one of her friends that she liked are now dating. Wouldn’t that hurt her feelings? And then what about Baseball? Baseball has been Nickel’s best friend for years, a little bit after Nickel and I stopped being friends. I don’t want him to feel like I’m taking his best friend away from him. So many things are going to change when we get back. It will change our dynamic,” Balloon explained, his voice cracking with nerves.

“Gee, Balloon, don’t overthink it, okay? That’s a lot, I’ll admit. But firstly, if you and Nickel do end up dating, I doubt Baseball will care. It’s not like Nickel is replacing you with him. They’ll still be best friends, and you’ll just be his boyfriend. It’s like my friends and I! I’m not jealous that Lightbulb hangs out with Painty because that’s her partner, you know? I don’t think Baseball will be upset. As for Suitcase, maybe it’ll take her time to get used to the fact that you two are dating. Maybe she’ll feel a little bad, maybe even like you betrayed her because you knew how she felt. But at the end of the day, she should be happy for you both. It’s not like she can change the fact that Nickel isn’t into her, and it’s also not like you can change how you feel about Nickel. I think it will be okay. But you shouldn’t worry about that right now. That’s still 12 days away!” Test Tube smiled faintly.

Balloon inhaled sharply and huffed. He moved his hand behind his head and scooped his curly locks up, he tied the piece of string around his hair into a little bow.

“I guess you’re right… maybe I am just worrying too much… I tend to do that a lot, I am just so worried about losing the people I care about, but I think you’re right… everything will turn out okay! It has too… but what should I do about Nickel? I feel like he is trying to push us a little? Like he wants to get with me immediately after confessing… I’m not ready for that! Only two days ago I told myself I was done with him and didn’t want to talk to him again, and now… I literally can’t stop thinking about him, it’s so confusing! I really like him, but my head isn’t on straight with all this.” Balloon explained. “I need time, I need him to give me that time.” He huffed.

“And you deserve that time, Balloon. Maybe you should—”

“Test Tube, there you are!” Fan exclaimed, waving her down as he plopped himself beside his girlfriend.

“Hi, dear,” she smiled faintly.

“I got us coffee!” Fan handed her a mug and kept one for himself. “I saw Nickel in there, actually. He made the coffee… he offered! Now he’s making his own as Balloon’s tea brews or something… So, what are you two talking about?” Fan asked happily, kicking his legs.

Balloon anxiously fiddled with his sleeves, giving Test Tube a pleading look. Test Tube shared a lot with Fan, but not everything. So far, Fan hadn’t been the most helpful with advice for Balloon, and she felt it was better if he stayed out of Balloon and Nickel’s relationship before giving more of the wrong advice. She could tell Balloon really didn’t want Fan to know either, especially since Fan could be really obsessive with others' relationships.

“Balloon was just telling me about a show he likes… nothing interesting, really,” she said with an anxious grin.

Fan smiled a little. “Oh, okay… cool! Well, do you want to catch up with Lightbulb and Paintbrush now?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure, hun, I’ll meet you over there.” She leaned in and pecked his nose.

Fan squealed happily and jumped up.

“Alright! Talk soon!”

Test Tube huffed and turned back to Balloon, who gave her a sweet smile.

“Thanks for not telling him… I know Fan means well! But I think he’s more focused on making his favourite ships sail than what we actually want…” Balloon chuckled awkwardly.

Test Tube shook her head and laughed a little. “Fan’s a dork… I love him though. I’m sorry about him, I already talked to him about it last night, and he felt really bad about everything.” She brought her coffee to her lips and took a sip.

“Aw… he was only trying to help,” Balloon smiled faintly.

“Yeah… Well, I should probably go. Fan is waiting for me now. Just remember, everything will be alright, okay? Hang in there,” Test Tube said as she stood up and turned to leave.

“Hey, Test Tube…” Balloon spoke up.

“Yeah?” She turned around.

“Thanks,” Balloon smiled.

“Anytime, Balloon,” she grinned before walking off.

. . .

“I’m back! Sorry it took so long, I had to help Fan make his coffee first.” Nickel chuckled as he took a spot beside Balloon. He handed him his tea and smiled. 

“Thanks… and that’s okay.” Balloon smiled faintly back and took a careful sip of his tea.

Nickel smiled faintly, noticing something seemed a little off with Balloon, which was a tad bit concerning. But maybe he was just tired and everything was fine?

“I wonder what Lifering has instore for us today!” Nickel initiated small talk in between sips of his coffee. “Hopefully whatever it is, we’ll be in the same group again.”

Balloon smiled and nodded. “Yeah, hopefully.” He looked down at his tea, feeling his head swirl with thoughts. He wanted to tell Nickel how he was feeling, and what he had shared with Test Tube, but he was scared to see how Nickel would react. What if Nickel got really upset again, like yesterday, and felt like Balloon didn’t care or appreciate anything he did? It would make Balloon feel awful. He didn’t want to lose Nickel either. Maybe he could just wait until the obsessive behaviour died down? Maybe he just had to stick through it. What choice did he have? It was either he got used to Nickel treating him like royalty and tried to embrace it, or possibly made Nickel upset for not appreciating what he was doing for him. He didn’t want Nickel to feel like he didn’t care that he was trying, because he did care. He loved the attention. He hadn’t received this much attention from Nickel since middle school. But that’s just it—it had been so long since then. Now everything felt surreal. It was all so much, all at once, and it was overwhelming Balloon. He was just so conflicted on what to do. Maybe he just needed to let Nickel do his thing? Let him get it out of his system. I mean, how bad could it be to be treated like a prince for a day? Surely not that bad… right?

Chapter Text

Most of the students had gathered around the morning campfire, eagerly waiting for Lifering to announce the day's activities. They chatted amongst themselves, anticipating the signal to pay attention. Amid the lively conversation, Candle and Silver quietly slipped away, hand in hand, unnoticed by most. Balloon, peacefully sipping his tea, observed their leave. He suspected they were seeking a more private location, probably to make out—gross. Deciding it wasn't any of his business, Balloon returned to his tea, patiently waiting for the discussion about the day's plans to begin.

Balloon zoned out, staring into the distance, he noticed Knife and YinYang returning with their other cabin members. YinYang seemed engrossed in conversation with Knife, so much so that they hadn't noticed Candle was missing. Perhaps that was for the best—they needed to distance themselves from Candle, after all. Nickel sat close beside Balloon, happily sipping his coffee and kicking his legs. He was in an unusually good mood today, a rare feeling for him. The prospect of potentially having a boyfriend soon—especially if that boyfriend was Balloon—filled him with joy.  He was gazing at him with admiration. He marvelled at how Balloon’s still-wet hair glistened in the morning sun, the golden string in his hair beautifully contrasting with the salmon curls.

Balloon turned, sensing Nickel’s gaze, and faintly smiled, his cheeks tinged pink. He wasn't used to this kind of attention; it felt... nice.

“Yes?” Balloon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nickel smirked. “Just admiring how cute you look.” He chuckled cockily, fancying himself a master flirt. Balloon thought he tried too hard, but found it adorable nonetheless.

“Oh, really?” Balloon giggled. “Am I that cute?” He moved his cup to his face, covering his smile.

Nickel moved closer, placing a hand on the cup and lowering it. “Don’t hide that cute smile,” he teased.

In the midst of their flirting, Paintbrush plopped down beside them, with their girlfriend Lightbulb by their side. 

“You two are going to make me throw up in my mouth,” Paintbrush cringed at them.

“Painty! Be nice! I think it’s cute!” Lightbulb giggled.

Balloon’s cheeks flushed as he nervously looked away, sipping his tea. Nickel scoffed at Paintbrush and then turned to Lightbulb.

“Thank you, Lightbulb! At least you can see how cute Balloon is!” Nickel remarked cockily.

Lightbulb raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Well… I didn’t exactly say Balloon was cute… but okay?” She chuckled awkwardly.

“Oh, so you don’t think Balloon is cute?” Nickel snapped, crossing his arms.

“Nickel…” Balloon placed a hand on his arm. “She doesn’t have to find me cute. The only person I care about finding me cute is you.” Balloon smiled faintly.

Nickel turned to Balloon and huffed, then smiled slightly. “Right, right. Who cares about Lightbulb’s opinion? She isn’t really that smart anyway,” he said cockily.

“Wow… that’s not what I said,” Balloon replied, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

Before any altercations could occur, Lifering approached the fire with a proud smile, hands on his hips, ready to outline the day's activities.

“Okay, campers! I hope you enjoyed your morning snack and beverage, but now it’s time to get down to business! Today, one group will go fishing while the other will explore the woods on a nature walk. Just like yesterday, the groups will switch activities afterward. Since I received a few complaints about some students not being with their friends, I’ve decided that today you can pick your own groups, as long as they’re evenly spread!” Lifering announced. “Each group will have one camp coordinator, either myself or Goo—who, by the way, is coming around to collect your mugs—and one teacher, either Candle or Silver… Wait, where are they?” Lifering looked around, noticing that both Candle and Silver were nowhere to be seen.

YinYang hadn’t noticed that Candle was missing as Knife was keeping them busy. The moment they heard that sheer panic filled them. 

“What?! Where is she?!” Yang grumbled.

“She was right here before!” Yin cried.

Balloon saw them walk off together... should he say something or stay silent? He wasn’t sure what to do. He didn't want to get them in trouble for being so careless at camp, but he also didn’t want poor YinYang to find out the truth. Anxiously staring at the floor, he felt his stomach churn.

“Balloon, what’s wrong?” Nickel whispered, sensing something was off.

Balloon swallowed and looked up, then leaned into Nickel's ear and whispered, “I saw Candle and Silver walk off right before YinYang came back... I think they’ve gone to…”

“Oh, gross!” Nickel recoiled with a look of disgust. “You can’t tell YinYang that! It will crush them!” he exclaimed.

“I know! But what am I supposed to do? They’re going to find out eventually!” Balloon replied, a worried frown on his lips.

YinYang was freaking out, pacing back and forth, worried about where Candle had gone. They saw Candle as a mother figure—what if she was hurt? They were out in the middle of nowhere! Maybe she got lost! Or perhaps the evil, mean literature teacher Silver Spoon had kidnapped her! YinYang’s thoughts were running wild. Balloon could see this and knew he couldn’t hide the truth from them; he had to say something to put poor YinYang at ease.

“I have to say something,” Balloon said, slipping off the log. Nickel wasn’t about to let Balloon go alone. He quickly got up and followed, staying close as they approached YinYang.

“Uh… YinYang?” Balloon tapped them on the shoulder.

YinYang spun around.

“WHAT!”

“Hey! You don’t have the right to yell at him like that!” Nickel interjected, arms crossed, trying to defend Balloon even though it wasn’t necessary.

“Nickel, please, I can defend myself,” Balloon said, putting an arm in front of him and gently ushering him back before stepping forward. “I think I know where Candle went. I saw her and Silver Spoon head back to their cabin, but I really don’t think you should go looking for her, okay?” Balloon tried to reason with YinYang.

“Why not?!” Yang grumbled.

“Yes, why not! We need her!” Yin cried.

Balloon glanced back at Nickel, who gave him a worried shrug. What were they supposed to say? They couldn’t tell YinYang the real reason they shouldn’t go search for Candle—it would either upset them greatly or make them believe Balloon was a liar, prompting them to investigate and get a shocking surprise. There was no way around it; they had no reason or means to stop YinYang from checking on Candle.

“Alright... but what if we come with you?” Balloon offered with a faint smile. At least if YinYang got traumatised, they would have support to calm them down.

“Fine. We agree. Let’s go find her now,” Yang said, turning toward the cabin.

Balloon and Nickel followed behind. Nickel placed a hand on Balloon’s shoulder. “What are you doing? This is going to crush them!” he whisper-shouted.

“What else am I supposed to do, Nickel? Besides, they have to find out at some point. Everyone knows but them!” Balloon replied. He was right; it was only a matter of time before YinYang found out anyway.

Balloon was right; there was nothing that could be done. Nickel fell silent and followed alongside Balloon. The three of them—or four, counting both Yin and Yang—walked up to the cabin. Balloon and Nickel were both nervous about what they might find inside, while YinYang, unaware of the possibilities, felt no fear. Balloon couldn’t let YinYang be the one to open the door; he couldn’t do that to them. He quickly moved in front.

“Let me open the door,” Balloon said, awkwardly smiling to make it seem like he was just being polite.

“Aw, thanks, Balloon!” Yin chirped.

“Yeah, uh, no problem!” Balloon replied, carefully reaching for the door knob.

Silver and Candle thought they had slipped away unnoticed and believed they had more time than they actually did. Of course, they would never do anything inappropriate at a school camp; they weren’t that foolish. What they were doing was harmless, but to YinYang, it would be a declaration of war. It had been evident for a while that Silver was infatuated with Candle, given the way he looked at her, spoke to her, and acted around her. Candle, who always laughed at his jokes and was frequently seen talking to him during lunch breaks, was clearly developing feelings for him too. Everyone could see it coming—everyone except poor, naive YinYang. YinYang had no idea what was about to unfold.

Inside the cabin, as innocent as it was, YinYang was not going to like what they were going to see. Silver with his hands on Candle’s waist, and Candle with her arms wrapped around his neck, the two of them softly kissing each other.

The door creaked open, and everyone stood stunned, staring at the two of them. Balloon and Nickel had expected worse, but they were still pretty grossed out. Candle quickly turned when she heard the door open, alarming Balloon, who squeaked and quickly shut the door, his face flushed from being caught watching.

“Sorry!” Balloon quickly said as he stepped back from the door.

Poor YinYang was frozen in place, their whole body trembling, hands clenched into fists. Balloon could see the tears in their eyes. They weren’t okay; this was crushing them.

As for Candle and Silver, the two of them were embarrassed. Silver couldn’t believe how rude his students were for not knocking, his arms crossed over his chest and his face flushed bright. Candle felt terrible; she didn’t want the students to see that, especially not YinYang. She knew she couldn’t hide the truth from YinYang and had to explain. Awkwardly excusing herself from Silver Spoon, she opened the door. Silver stood behind her, feeling really frustrated that their moment was so rudely interrupted.

“Boys... I’m sorry you had to see that. Silver Spoon and I like each other, just like anyone with a crush. And, naturally, with a crush comes kissing. However, that doesn’t excuse us sneaking away to do this. It wasn’t the right time, and you didn’t need to see it. I apologise.” She realised there was little more she could say; the more she spoke, the more upset YinYang seemed to grow.

“Spoonhead is going to keep you away from us! He’s going to steal you from us! He’s evil, an evil man. He doesn’t love; he only hates! Candle, you cannot be with him!” Yang shouted.

“You never even told us! You portray our feelings!” 

“Boys… I am sorry, I promise this was new for me also, please calm down, Silver won’t be replacing you–” She tried to reason with them. 

Silver Spoon thought YinYang was being a little melodramatic! It wasn’t the big of a deal, he wasn’t going to steal Candle away. They needed to take a deep breath and relax, but alas, they did quite the opposite. 

YinYang was visibly shaking, their entire body trembling furiously. YinYang placed their hands on their head, struggling to keep it together, but they were so upset! Balloon and Nickel awkwardly stepped back, sensing that YinYang was on the verge of exploding. No one anticipated what was about to happen. Suddenly, there was a violent shaking, followed by a bright flash that blinded everyone. When they reopened their eyes, they saw Yin and Yang split, lying on the floor opposite each other. Yin wore all white clothes, with white hair, a white polo shirt, and shorts. Yang, in contrast, wore black clothes, identical to Yin’s but in black, with jet-black hair. It had been years since anyone had seen them separated. Candle gasped, placing a hand over her lips in shock, unable to believe that YinYang had split.

Everyone was stunned, staring at the two of them separated, unsure of what to say or do. It had been years since anyone had seen them in their separate forms. Yang was the first to get up, dusting himself off. With sharp teeth and scruffy hair, he snapped his neck towards Silver Spoon and snarled at him.

“I am not forgiving either of you! You are both liars! Mean, mean liars!” Yang snapped.

Yin anxiously stood up, immediately fiddling with their thumbs.

“Yang… please!” Yin tries to reason with him.

Balloon glanced at Nickel, then back at Yin and Yang. This was crazy and not at all how he had imagined things would unfold. He felt awful for bringing them here and partially responsible for their split. He had to fix this; he couldn’t let Yin and Yang fight because of him! Even if they were blaming Candle, it didn’t matter. Balloon knew the consequences and still brought them here to witness that. He could have hidden it from them, but he didn’t.

“Yin… Yang, hey, we can work this out… Why did you see the need to split…?” Balloon anxiously asked.

“Because! Yang won’t forgive! He says he hates Candle, but Candle is a good woman! She is always here for us, helping us, I forgive her… even if I do not like Silver Spoon.” Yin explains.

“WELL I DO NOT! I will not forgive!” Yang snaps at Yin. 

Candle felt awful. She never meant to upset YinYang, never intended to make them split or fight. This was breaking her inside. She adored them both so much, and although it was lovely to finally see them separated, it was not under terms she would have liked.

“Yang, you don’t have to forgive me, but is it really fair to blame Yin just because he forgives me?” Candle spoke up, hesitant but knowing she had to say something.

As for Silver, he stood stunned. He had no idea that the two of them could even split. This was all new to him.

“Yin is so soft! He never listens to me! He never lets me be upset! I need time away from him! I need time away from you.” Yang points at Candle. “I do not want you around me, or Yin.” 

“Yang! I get to make that decision for myself! And if I want to be around Candle, then I should be allowed! You don’t always control what I say just because you are stronger than me! I have feelings too!” Yin cried.

Candle took a deep breath, accepting that this was her fault and that she needed to fix it.

“Listen, here’s what we’re going to do. You two will take the day separated to figure this out. It seems you both have some personal issues with each other that you haven’t shared with me, and I suppose this was just the cherry on top to trigger it all. I will stay away from you both and let you work it out, coming to an agreement if you want to forgive me or not, as a pair, not individually. I know you both can work this out together. For now, why don’t you both stay with Nickel and Balloon for the day?” Candle smiled as she spoke calmly, her voice peaceful and understanding.

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Good... I’ll request that you four stay in the same group today. As for me, I think I should be in the opposite group, which means you will have Silver. Are you okay with that?” Candle asked calmly.

“As long as he stays away from me.” Yang grumbles.

“What Yang said…” Yin adds.

“See, you’re both already agreeing. I believe you’ll be able to work this out by the end of the day,” Candle smiled.

“Wow... a mutual agreement to hate me, how nice,” Silver scoffed sarcastically.

Nickel couldn’t believe this! Why was the responsibility being put on him and Balloon? It wasn’t even their fault! Balloon was trying to do the right thing, and now they were stuck with both Yin and Yang all day, having to sort out their problems? How was that fair? Nickel wanted today to woo Balloon, treat him like a prince, and show him what it would be like if they were a couple. Instead, they had to babysit? This was ridiculous! How was he supposed to get close to Balloon with Yin and Yang in the way? At this rate, the two of them would never have time alone together!

“What! How is that fair to us? We never agreed to babysit them! We aren’t even involved!” Nickel snapped grumpily.

“Excuse us for a moment!” Balloon said with a nervous, frustrated smile.

Balloon put a hand on his head and gently pushed Nickel away.

“Nickel, will you be quiet? You don’t have to babysit them if you don’t want to, but I am just as involved as Candle is, and I’m going to help. Whether you want to help me or not, I am helping,” Balloon snapped at him.

“But we just confessed yesterday, and we haven’t had any time together yet! I just want to spend time with you alone...” Nickel confessed, his face flushing a little.

Balloon felt like he was going to rip his hair out. Although, it was cute that Nickel just wanted time alone with him. He took a deep breath and calmed down.

“We can still spend time together... but we need to be there for them, okay? Just do this for me, please?” he pleaded, looking up at Nickel with hopeful eyes.

“Fiiine. Fine. Because you’re stupidly cute,” Nickel grumbled with a flushed face.

“Yay! Thanks Nickel!” He hummed happily, turning back to the others. “Come on, Yin, Yang, let’s go back to the campfire.”

“Whatever…” Yang grumbled and followed behind Balloon and Nickel, who led the way. 

As for Yin, he paused for a moment to give Candle a hopeful smile before quickly turning around and following the others.

Candle and Silver stood silently for a moment. She felt guilty about what had happened, but she hoped that maybe this would help YinYang make new friends instead of always relying on her. They needed to learn that there were other people out there who were fun to be around too.

Silver Spoon turned to Candle and sighed. “Are you alright, my dear?” Silver asked.

“I’m fine, Silver... I think this will be good for YinYang... Come along now, we have to go and inform Lifering of everything that happened,” Candle said, taking Silver’s hand and guiding him back to camp.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

Upon returning to the campfire, everybody stopped and looked. It didn’t take long for whispers to spread about Yin and Yang being split. For many of them, it was a surreal sight as they had never seen the two separated before. Yin and Yang barely acknowledged anyone, staying close to Balloon and Nickel as they followed them to sit by the fire. The campers stared at them with shock, speechless at what was unfolding before their eyes.

It wasn’t long before Candle and Silver arrived, drawing more attention. Everyone had their own theories about what had happened, whispering their thoughts and opinions on the cause of the split. Candle approached Lifering, who was just as stunned as everyone else. He didn’t even know the two of them could split; he honestly never understood what they were. Candle pulled Lifering aside and explained the entire situation to him, and he was understanding.

Once Candle finished explaining, Lifering went back to the campers, clapping his hands together to stop the whispering.

“Attention, campers! Please choose your groups! We will be starting activities soon!” he called out. “Once you have your groups, come to me.”

The bright lights took this as an opportunity to ask what happened, the four of them approaching Yin-Yang, Balloon, and Nickel.

“So... what’s up with that?” Fan asked curiously.

“None of your business shortie!” Yang snaps at Fan.

“You’re a shortie too, Yang!” Yin exclaimed.

Balloon took a deep breath before responding. 

“Look, they just need some time apart. Let’s not make this uncomfortable for them. Candle wants Nickel and myself to stick with them and help them work out their differences…” Balloon decided to leave out the part about finding Candle and Silver kissing, respecting their privacy.

“Golly... sounds complicated... Are you sure you can handle this right now, Balloon? I know you’ve got a lot on your mind…” Test Tube frowned, genuinely worried about Balloon taking on more than he could handle.

“I’ll be fine! Heh... Thank you, though. Really... I’ll be fine,” he said, mustering a faint smile.

Test Tube gave a supportive smile before turning back to her friends.

Nickel raised a brow and turned to Balloon curiously. “Uh... what does she mean by that?” he asked, his worry evident.

“N-Nothing! Don’t worry!” Balloon quickly brushed it off, smiling anxiously. “We have to find two other team members... Come on!” he changed the topic, eager to distract from the moment.

Knife and Trophy approached.

“Hey, we were wondering if we could be in your group. It’d be an all-boys group if we did,” Knife tried to play it off as if he was trying to create an all-boys group rather than expressing concern for YinYang.

“Oh... uh, sure!” Balloon smiled nervously, feeling intimidated by Knife as always.

“ALL BOYS CLUB! LET’S GO!” Yang cheered.

“Of course you’d like the sound of that, Yang.” Yin giggled.

Knife smiled faintly as he approached the two of them.

“Wow, you guys split... cool stuff,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah… just for the day, I hope!” Yin smiles faintly.

“We’ll see…” Yang grumbled, his arms crossed. 

Trophy didn’t really care much about anyone, but somehow Knife convinced him to team up with these guys. Why not? It’s not like he had much of a choice.

In the other group, there was the Bright Lights friend group along with Taco and Microphone. Mainly all girls, besides Fan and Paintbrush, but they didn’t care; they just wanted to be with their girlfriends.

Once Lifering saw that the groups were sorted, he sent the teachers to their allocated groups. Silver was placed in the group with YinYang as Candle requested to be away from them for a day to let both Yin and Yang heal without her help. She was sent to the other group. Lifering decided he should go with YinYang’s group to keep an eye on everything and report back to Candle how everything went during their switch over breaks. Goo was sent to the group with Candle; their group would be fishing first, while Lifering’s group would be going on the nature walk.

. . .

Lifering approached their group with a positive smile, holding a crate full of bags.

“Alright! Looks like an all-boy group! How fun! We’ll be going into the woods for a few hours on a nature walk! I’ve already packed a few backpacks with everything you'll need: water, snacks, and a GPS.” He placed the crate down for his group to grab a bag each.

Everyone quickly snatched a bag for themselves and put it on their backs. It wasn’t long before they were all ready to go.

They started their walk towards the woods, Nickel staying close to Balloon while he chatted with Yin, trying to cheer him up. It seemed Yang was having a good time socialising with Knife and Trophy. This was new for both of them; they never really had a chance to split and talk to others like this. Maybe this would be really good for them both? Balloon hoped it would be, and hoped that by the end of the day they’d be able to see eye to eye again and come together as one. Sometimes... you need to take a break from others, even those you really love. 

As Balloon and Yin spoke about things they enjoyed, such as catching butterflies, Nickel grumpily walked beside them, kicking up rocks as he walked. He couldn’t help but think about what Test Tube said... What did she mean that Balloon had a lot on his mind? Was he okay? Was there something that Balloon wasn’t telling him? This really worried Nickel; he wanted to make Balloon happy if he was sad, and the only way he could do that was if Balloon was being open and honest with him.

Nickel hoped that maybe he could get Balloon to be more open with him today. He wanted to help; he wanted to be there for him. He still wanted to treat him like royalty, despite everything that had happened today already. Was that too hard to ask?

Chapter Text

Nickel wasn’t going to let Yin and Yang’s split get in the way of his plan to impress Balloon. He wanted to get closer to him, and he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him. While Balloon was engrossed in conversation with Yin, Nickel slyly dropped his hand beside Balloon’s, sneakily snatching Balloon’s hand in his, causing Balloon’s face to go bright red. Balloon turned to his side to face Nickel, offering him a shy smile. Nickel smiled back 'charmingly', but to Balloon, he looked like a cute dork.

“This is okay... right?” Nickel asked cautiously, not wanting to make Balloon uncomfortable.

Balloon glanced ahead at the other guys. They didn’t know about how Nickel and Balloon felt toward each other, and Balloon feared they might tease them. They weren’t like the Bright Lights, who were a little more supportive compared to Knife and Trophy. Balloon knew he shouldn’t care what others thought about him; that was the whole reason he and Nickel stopped talking in the first place. Balloon wanted people to like him and hurt Nickel in the process of trying to be liked. He shouldn’t repeat the same patterns as before, but he was worried for both him and Nickel. He didn’t want them to be bullied. Balloon finally felt like they were able to fit in with the group. Knife and Trophy were really cool! And maybe they would think Balloon was lame if he was holding hands with Nickel.

Balloon bit his lip anxiously.

“Uh... maybe not around the others... I mean, Knife and Trophy have no idea that we like each other... and I don’t want them to think we’re uncool…” Balloon nervously spoke as he pulled his hand back.

Nickel’s smile fell into a frown. “Who cares what they think...?” He felt the trauma from middle school flooding back, he didn’t want to go backwards, not again. He took a deep breath, before speaking. He wasn’t letting Balloon go back to fearing what others thought of him. Not again. 

“I think you’re pretty cool,” Nickel spoke softly, with a small grin.

Balloon’s face flushed pink as he looked away and covered his smile with his hand. “I’m not cool... we both know that,” he chuckled softly.

“I think you’re both cool!” Yin chirped. “Nickel is right, Yang always tells me we shouldn’t let others' opinions hurt us, we are allowed to be who we are without judgement!” Yin flashed a happy smile.

“See!? You should be yourself…” Nickel grinned, he felt himself relax from worry. 

Balloon looked ahead at the other boys, still feeling really hesitant. He wanted to be himself, but he wasn’t ready for the world to know how he felt about Nickel, especially since he wasn’t 100% sure himself. If he started being romantic with Nickel now, what would happen if, in 12 days when they get back home and everything supposedly changes?  They decide they don’t feel that way for one another. People would ask questions, wondering what happened. Balloon didn’t think things would change between them, but he still had doubts. What if they went back to school and things reverted to the old ways where they didn’t talk? He really hoped not, but he couldn’t help worrying about it. Everyone knew them as constantly bickering and hating each other. How would their friends react when they saw them not only getting along but possibly dating? It was a lot for Balloon to take in.

He didn’t want to hurt Nickel’s feelings by not holding his hand, nor did he want to make Nickel worry that he had reverted to his old ways of pushing him away to be liked by others. This was a completely different situation. Yes, a part of him didn’t want to be made fun of, and another part wanted Knife and Trophy to think he was cool. They never even talked to him at school, and now they were in a group together. He didn’t want to do anything that could embarrass himself, not that Nickel was embarrassing or that showing romantic attraction to him was embarrassing. It was more about the stigma around being lovey-dovey; maybe they’d find that uncool. Even if Balloon didn’t care about their opinion, he dreaded the thought of having to explain things. Surely people would ask questions about why they were holding hands. There were so many factors that freaked Balloon out. He just wanted to avoid humiliation as much as possible. Was that too much to ask?

“I really appreciate everything you both are saying… and I do want to be myself and not have to worry about what others think of me! I just… What if they tease us…We are even lucky to have them in our group… I don’t want them to think we are uncool because we are holding hands… a-and this is nothing against you Nickel, it could be anyone else and I still would feel anxious to hold their hand, I just–”

"Balloon... it's okay, you don’t have to justify yourself. We don’t have to hold hands, okay?" Nickel flashed a weak smile. Despite his smile, he felt hurt inside. It felt like history was repeating itself, and he was overwhelmed with anxiety and dread that Balloon would hurt him again. He had spent years avoiding being friends with Balloon, fearing he would get hurt once more. He had built a wall around himself, vowing never to let Balloon hurt him again. He didn't want to trust him or believe that he had changed. But now, he had let that wall crumble, and he was vulnerable.

Deep down, Nickel knew he should stand his ground and tell Balloon straight out that if he wasn't holding his hand because he was afraid of being made fun of, then it was over between them. He should rebuild that wall. But he couldn’t. The wall was already in pieces, and it would take time to put it back up. Now that it had crumbled, he had to give Balloon chances. He had to believe that Balloon wouldn’t hurt him again, especially since he had become so attached and didn’t want to lose him again. So, he smiled through the pain and went along with it, even though he knew he should stand his ground. He gave Balloon the benefit of the doubt and made excuses for him, again. Balloon said he had a crush on him, that he liked him. There was a chance for them, and he just had to keep pushing through. He just had to keep trying and not shut him away. Right?

Balloon glanced in front of him and then back at Nickel. It didn’t look like Knife and Trophy were even paying attention, they were focused on talking with Yang. Although Balloon felt weary about it, he didn’t want to hurt Nickel, he wanted to show him that he has changed and that he didn’t give him a chance for nothing. So with a soft sigh, Balloon slides his hand into Nickel’s hand.

Nickel quickly glanced up into Balloon’s eyes, his eyes wide in confusion, tilting his head a little… he didn’t think Balloon would hold his hand, but he was glad he did, it was able to put him at ease, that Balloon was willing to change.

“Happy?” Balloon huffed with a smile.

“Very.” Nickel grinned brightly.

Yin smiled wide witnessing the two. He totally shipped it.

The group continued on as Lifering rambled about the history of the forest. Poor Silver Spoon looked out of breath from all the walking, which he had been tagging along behind everyone, for two reasons, one he didn’t want to be near Yin or Yang, knowing they probably both wanted him dead and two because… he wasn’t really used to walking so much. Alas for Balloon and Nickel, It was a peaceful walk: the sky was clear, a soft breeze blew, and while the weather was a bit chilly, it wasn’t overly cold. Nickel and Balloon held hands as they walked, listening to Yin occasionally rambling about various topics. They stole shy glances at each other, clearly showing that neither had much experience in relationships. Both were nervous wrecks, and every time they looked at each other, they smiled like dorks and blushed. It was nice.

Nickel would’ve loved for it to last a little longer, but as soon as Knife and Trophy turned around, Balloon quickly dropped his hand. Nickel should’ve expected it. He wasn’t mad, just upset. He wished Balloon didn’t care so much about what others thought, but what could he do? He bit his tongue and crossed his arms uncomfortably.

“I almost forgot you guys were here!” Knife laughed, smiling at the group behind them.

Balloon smiled faintly; it felt really cool to have Knife talk to him. “Haha, yeah… we can be quiet!” he replied with a small smile.

“Yang told us about what happened earlier. Kinda sucks to see your teachers making out… It’s understandable why he’s so upset,” Knife continued. “Especially since both Yin and Yang see Candle as a mother figure…” Knife huffed.

“It was unfair what she did!” Yang spoke up behind him, arms crossed.

Yin hid behind Nickel. “I know it was unfair that she never told us… but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t forgive her!” Yin chimed in.

“She doesn’t deserve our forgiveness!” Yang snaps grumpily.

Silver Spoon finally caught up to the group, huffing and puffing and sweating his ass off.

“I don’t know why you’re so upset at her. She’s allowed to be in a relationship.” Silver scoffed as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

“Not with you! You are a meanie!” Yin crossed his arms.

“Yes, Yin is right! You are mean! Mean dumb guy!” Yang added.

“I’m a… ‘mean dumb guy?’ Is that all you have? I didn’t do anything!” Silver protested.

“Group! Let’s keep moving, we can chat and walk!” Lifering called out. He could see the tension growing and worried for Silver’s safety, Yin and Yang were not happy with him, and Lifering would much rather Silver not get attacked due to his carelessness with words. 

Yang snarled at Silver, glaring him down, before walking ahead. Yin blew a raspberry at him and continued walking also. They both hated his guts right now. Ultimately, they did blame Silver Spoon for what happened, even though… nothing really happened. They were kids, and their mother figure had a boyfriend, it hurt them and that’s enough for them to be this upset.

They continued to walk, with Silver Spoon lagging behind again. He wasn’t even trying to keep up with the group; he was too frustrated. He couldn’t understand how any of this was his fault. He was allowed to be with Candle, whether YinYang liked it or not. This whole ordeal was ridiculous, and he was growing sick of it. But what could he do? He couldn’t yell at them without being seen as the 'bad guy,' so he had to just keep his mouth shut and let those two little rascals talk horribly about him.

As for Balloon and Nickel, they kept pace with the group a little better. Yin was actually walking with Yang, which was a good sign—it meant there was a chance they might reunite. Despite this, Nickel still felt a weird pit in his stomach about the day’s events. Test Tube worrying about Balloon, Balloon dropping his hand when Knife and Trophy looked back—these things weighed heavily on Nickel’s mind. He had hoped today would be a day to show Balloon what it would be like to be with him, but being in a group of all guys somehow made it more difficult. The other group was much more accepting, perhaps even too accepting at times. This group, however.... Well actually Nickel had no idea where they stood! It wasn’t really them that was the problem; it was Balloon. He refused to test the waters around them, afraid of embarrassment, masking his true self to look cool. But he didn’t need to do that. If they truly liked him, they’d like the real him, not this facade.

“So, how’s it been hanging with the others? We don’t really talk to them much,” Knife began, looking down at Balloon, who was noticeably shorter than him.

“Oh… yeah, they’re nice,” Balloon replied nervously, hardly believing Knife was talking to him.

“Nice, but annoying,” Knife laughed a little, casually wrapping an arm around Balloon. “What’s with the ribbon in your hair?” he asked, fiddling with it.

“O-Oh… it’s, uh… just…” Balloon stammered, suddenly very nervous about their closeness.

Nickel, walking a little behind them, watched everything unfold, his blood boiling. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. This was supposed to be his and Balloon’s day. They confessed to each other last night and should be spending time together, not having Knife steal Balloon right under his nose. Nickel was furious! It wasn’t fair! Knife was like a cooler version of him. What if Balloon liked Knife more than him? They were practically the same—both sarcastic, a bit rude, and with similar style—but Knife was ten times cooler. What if Balloon decided he liked Knife instead of Nickel? Nickel couldn’t possibly compete with that!

Jealousy surged within him. He should be the one with an arm around Balloon... Even if he was probably too short to do so, who cares? That should be him, not Knife! Who did Knife even think he was? Was he doing this on purpose? Did he see Balloon and him holding hands earlier and think it would be funny to steal Balloon from him? He was a jerk, after all! He'd do anything for a little humour! He felt his face growing hot from anger.

“You look jealous~” Silver suddenly cooed from behind him.

Nickel snapped his neck to glare at Silver.

“What!? No! Why would I be jealous… Knife doesn’t even know Balloon! They’ve barely ever talked… he knows ME better than Balloon…” Nickel crossed his arms.

“Well… it looks to me like he is getting to know him right now~” Silver Spoon teased.

"Shut up! If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have to be in this group! You and Candle just had to sneak off in the middle of camp to make out! Christ! How could you be so inconsiderate?" Nickel snapped at him.

"Whoa, don’t take your anger out on me! I’m not the one flirting with your boyfriend~" Silver smirked, crossing his arms.

"He isn’t..." Nickel paused. "Ugh." He turned away from Silver and caught up with the others.

Knife still had his arm around Balloon’s shoulder, playing with the ribbon that kept Balloon’s hair tied back. The two of them were walking and talking. Balloon felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Nickel behind, but he didn’t want to appear bad in front of Knife, so he kept quiet and let Knife continue talking.

Suddenly, Nickel stormed up behind them, loudly clearing his throat. The two of them turned around.

“Uh, yeah, thanks for leaving me behind, Balloon,” Nickel snapped sarcastically.

Balloon frowned, realising he had messed up.

“Sorry! I... I got distracted... you see, Knife was just telling me about–”

“I don’t want to hear it! So what, I can’t hold your hand, but Knife can be all over you? Wow, I see how it is,” Nickel snapped suddenly.

“Nickel! What the hell?!” Balloon squeaked, his face turning bright red.

Knife took a moment to analyse the situation before he moved his arm away from Balloon.

“Jeez, I didn’t know you two were dating…”

“Well– no, technically we aren’t dating–” Nickel quickly protested.

“So what, you’re just getting jealous that someone else is hitting on him? You’re not dating, so what’s the big deal?” Knife asked, with genuine curiosity.

“So you were hitting on him!” Nickel grunted, gritting his teeth.

“Relax, I was just playfully flirting…” Knife rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

“Well, don’t playfully flirt with him, how about that?” Nickel spat.

Balloon had no idea that Knife was even flirting with him. He was so caught up in trying to impress Knife that he hadn’t even realised what was going on! As much as Nickel believed that Balloon thought Knife was better than him, that was the complete opposite. Sure, Knife was really cool, but Balloon wouldn’t want to date him. He didn’t have what Balloon had with Nickel... Why on earth would he actually want to date Knife? Balloon felt guilty but also really angry. Why was Nickel acting so jealous and controlling? All day, he had been acting really weird, obsessive, and possessive, defending Balloon when he didn’t need defending. It was getting so annoying! Balloon had his own voice and didn’t need Nickel to speak for him.

Balloon couldn’t take this anymore. He was so frustrated and confused, he wanted to curl into a ball and cry if he didn’t speak.

"Nickel, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Balloon burst out. "All day, you've been so obsessive and controlling. You've treated me like a prize to be won, constantly doing everything to... I don't know, impress me? You promised you'd give me time and space to work this out, but you haven't been doing that! You've been constantly pushing me and pressuring me! You asked what Test Tube was talking about... well, she was talking about this. I'm so overwhelmed with everything that's going on. One second you hated me and didn't want anything to do with me, and then I learned that you're in love with me. The next thing I know, you're obsessed with me and doing everything you can to impress me! I don’t need you to speak for me. I don’t need you to treat me like I'm royalty. I just want you to be you... and let me be me. As for Knife? I didn’t even know he was flirting with me! And do you really think I'd be accepting of that when I can't even work out my feelings with you?"

Balloon's words poured out, driven by emotion. "We're supposed to be here for Yin and Yang, but all you can care about is trying to make me like you! I already do like you, Nickel—why can't you see that?" Balloon cried.

“No, no! You are not doing this right now! How dare you paint me to be the bad guy here! You cannot sit here and play the innocent card! How the hell is this fair on me? You said it yourself, you can’t even work out how you feel about me! So what, do I have to just sit here and hope that maybe something could come from us, being a possibility that nothing could happen? You know how I feel about you, yet it’s like you’re playing with my emotions! And then on top of that... I can still see the old you, desperate to fit in and be liked. You can’t even hold my hand, but you can let Knife have his arm around you? I don’t care if you knew he was flirting or not, you abandoned me! Again! For popularity, after everything, after all these years, you still managed to make the same mistake. Do you even learn? I am bending over backwards for you, and it’s like you aren’t even trying! I can’t keep doing this, I can’t let you keep toying with my emotions!” Nickel shouted.

The shouting grabbed the attention of the others. Lifering quickly intervened, stepping between them, as the others stood around and watched. Knife felt partially responsible for this starting, but how was he supposed to know? He didn’t know that they were a thing... or kind of a thing! Trophy, Yin, and Yang weren’t paying much attention as they were walking ahead. It wasn’t until they heard the shouting that they realised something was going down. They stood as bystanders, listening in before Lifering could break up the fight.

"Alright... that’s enough, both of you. Come on... we can talk about this. We're heading back anyway... just, let’s keep it cool, alright?" Lifering spoke calmly.

Balloon felt guilt and shame rise within him. Was he really the same old Balloon? Had he truly not changed? He didn’t want to lose Nickel again; he had just gotten him back! He didn’t want Nickel to believe he hadn’t changed and rebuild his wall, shutting him out again. He couldn’t handle that. As much as he didn’t want Nickel obsessing over him... he kind of did? It was so confusing! He liked the attention he was getting from Nickel, but at the same time, it was overwhelming him. He just wanted Nickel to like him again, to go back to how they were. He wanted Nickel’s attention, but not in the way Nickel thought. He was fine with the clingy behaviour, but when it got possessive... Balloon didn’t want that. He didn’t want Nickel speaking for him or being overprotective. He just wanted Nickel to care about him and not others around them.

Nickel felt hurt. Part of him knew he had gone too far. He shouldn’t have pushed Balloon so much or been so clingy. He was just afraid of losing him, feeling like he had to prove he was good enough, especially since he hadn’t been kind to Balloon for years. He wanted to show Balloon that he had changed, but in the end, he just made himself look like a jerk. But that didn’t excuse what Balloon had done. Sure, maybe Nickel was at fault, but so was Balloon. He was still doing the same things he had promised he wouldn’t do! He didn’t need the approval of the popular group; he was already special. Why couldn’t he see that? It hurt Nickel that he couldn’t see that. He had just let down his wall... he didn’t want to have to rebuild it because of trust issues. He wanted to be with Balloon, not avoid him for another few years.

For the rest of the walk, Balloon walked ahead with Lifering, while Nickel remained back. He was silent, arms crossed, and head down. After that big blow-up, nobody was really talkative, besides Yin and Yang who seemed to be sorting through their differences... which was at least something good that had come out of the day so far.

“I am sorry for causing so much fuss,” Balloon suddenly spoke up.

Lifering smiled and shook his head. “It’s okay... sometimes, fights happen, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fixed,” Lifering spoke with positivity.

“I... I don’t think this can be fixed. I broke his trust again! You don’t know our past... I understand you just want to help, but you have no idea what we’ve been through together... I did the one thing that could break our relationship again. Things were finally going so well, but I had to let my insecurities get the best of me!” Balloon cried.

“Hey, I may not know what you’ve both been through, but what I do know is what I’ve seen during this camp so far. You both seem to really care about each other... and if you don’t want this to ruin your relationship with one another, then I suggest you change your mentality. No relationship can’t be mended; you just need to talk to each other about your feelings, with words, not anger. It seems to me you both have a lot you want to share, you both are struggling with different things, but at the end of the day, it seems like you both want the same thing... and that’s to be there for each other,” Lifering placed a hand on his shoulder. “You both have loyalty to each other; don’t let this be the thing that breaks you, okay?”

Balloon huffed, letting those words sink in as he walked. Maybe Lifering was right… this didn’t have to be over, he had a chance to fix this… he can’t let it slide this time. All those years ago, he didn’t apologise when he hurt Nickel, it wasn’t until Nickel started to distance himself that Balloon finally started apologising. He isn’t letting the same thing happen. This time, he was going to do the right thing, he was going to speak up instead of avoiding it because it’s the easier thing to do. He cared about Nickel and he wanted to show how much he cared. 

He waited until they were exiting the woods. As the group all walked ahead, Balloon slowed down to match up with Nickel. The grey-haired boy didn’t say anything, hands in his pocket and head down. He didn’t want to talk to Balloon right now, but he knew Balloon wasn’t going to give him much of a choice. 

“Hey,” Balloon spoke up.

“Hi,” Nickel responded bluntly.

Balloon awkwardly looked down at the floor. He hadn’t really thought about what he was going to say before speaking, but now that he was here, there was no running away. He shakily took a deep breath before speaking.

“I’m sorry,” he started. “I’m sorry that I hurt you, again. I know how much it means to you that I am true to myself... I just— I have so many insecurities. I am so afraid of judgement, that people won’t like me! I wanted to be liked so badly, and I was finally getting attention from the popular guys... but in the process, I left you out, just like middle school all over again. I made the same mistake that I promised I wouldn’t make, and I feel terrible about it! I don’t want this to be the thing that ruins us again, not because of my stupid insecurities,” Balloon huffed. “I don’t know why I care so much about what they think... I have someone here who loves me for who I am... Well, I hope they still do,” Balloon looked away nervously.

Nickel inhaled sharply before breathing out. “Of course I still do,” he finally spoke. “Maybe a little too much, huh?” he chuckled sadly. “I didn’t realise I was pushing you; I was just so excited to finally be talking to you again. I missed you a lot... and I guess I was scared of losing you. Just like you, I let my insecurities get the best of me. I tried so hard to impress you because I felt like if I didn’t, you’d leave me again. I was worried you’d abandon me for someone better, and when I saw Knife and you so close... it crushed me, especially since you just left me like it was nothing! It felt like I had been trying to impress you for nothing because there will always be someone who is better than me... and seeing you with Knife, it just proved that right,” Nickel sighed.

Balloon stopped in his tracks, he turned to Nickel, placing his hands on his shoulder.

“Nickel, Knife might be really cool… but he isn’t you. I’d never replace you with Knife, I wouldn’t even date Knife over you! I like you, not him. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you had to impress me for me to like you… truth is, I always did like you, you were always my favourite person, I just have an obsession with making everyone like me, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t my favourite person, or that I like them more than you. I made a mistake in middle school, I humiliated you just to gain popularity, I felt awful for what I did… we can go over and over again but how sorry I am, but you’ve heard that story before. But I promise you… that won’t happen again, I don’t want to lose you again Nickel.” Balloon nervously smiled.

Nickel faintly smiled back, huffing.

“I guess... maybe I overreacted a little... I mean, to be fair, Knife was flirting with you! So...”

Balloon snickered softly, leaning his head against Nickel’s forehead, Nickel smiling back and doing the same.

“I can’t believe I missed that... I didn’t even know Knife swung that way!” he chuckled a little more.

“Aww, maybe it’s just that you’re too cute that he couldn’t resist. I guess I can’t really blame him, can I?” Nickel smirked confidently.

“Shut up, dork!” Balloon giggled, smiling like a goofball.

The two of them stared into each other's eyes for a moment, smiling like idiots, their faces flushed bright red. It was nice to have a moment, with just the two of them again. Nickel was glad that Balloon came and spoke to him... he was glad to be able to fix this. It showed Balloon’s loyalty to him, that he did indeed care. It made Nickel happy. He seriously couldn’t stop smiling now.

“So… you really wouldn’t pick Knife over me, right?” Nickel asked sheepishly.

“No!” Balloon playfully shoved him. “You’re way better… a lot nicer too, and that’s saying a lot~” he teased.

“Oh shut up!” Nickel laughed.

“Make me!” Balloon said with a cheeky smirk.

Nickel shrugged with a big smile tugging at his lips, before Balloon knew it, Nickel scooped him up and held him over his shoulder.

“Oi!” Balloon giggled.

“Jeez! You’re extremely light!” Nickel chuckled.

“I surrender! Put me down!” Balloon continued giggling.

Nickel carefully placed Balloon back down, happily looking up into his eyes. He was so in love with him… if only Balloon knew how deeply in love he really was. He wanted Balloon, more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before, he completely adored him, deeply and truly. He wished Balloon could see what he saw… maybe then he wouldn’t be so insecure about himself.

“We should head back to camp or else we’ll miss out on lunch…” 

Balloon suddenly broke eye contact as he spoke. Too much eye contact made him nervous; it made his stomach flutter and his heart beat fast. He was falling for Nickel, and it was scary to him. He had never seen himself in a relationship with anyone, especially not Nickel. A part of him was worried to fall for him, worried about what could come from it. But at this rate, he couldn’t stop himself from falling deeper and deeper. Why was he scared? He had never been in a relationship before, and he was afraid of what it could hold, what it could be like. He was scared of what was to come. He liked the thought in theory, but to actually be in a relationship with someone frightened him. What if he messed up? What if he wasn’t good enough? He had never felt this way before, and it scared him. Maybe that’s why he was so anxious, why he was avoiding moving too fast. He was preventing himself from fully falling due to worry, worry that something would happen to ruin all that they had fixed. Everything was happening so quickly... But what was he to do?

“True… alright, I guess we should head over then!” Nickel smiled happily, he seriously could not stop smiling, and his smile was infectious, making Balloon smile back.

“Would you… like me to hold your hand?” Balloon asked softly.

“I dunno… are you going to drop it immediately when you see Knife?” Nickel teased, but half of him was asking this as a genuine question.

“I don’t care what Knife thinks… besides, maybe he will back off and let you have me all to yourself~ isn’t that what you wanted, Nickel~?” Balloon teased.

“Oh, shuuut up!” Nickel laughed.  “Do you want to hold my hand or not?” 

“Yes. Yes I do.” Balloon grinned brightly.

Nickel rolled his eyes and held out his hand with a scoff, as if this was an inconvenience to him, yet he was smiling like an idiot the whole time. 

Balloon happily took his hand.

Chapter Text

“I'm a jealous, jealous, jealous girl

If I can't have you baby, if I can't have you baby”

. . .

Walking hand in hand, the two of them made their way back to the camp. Everyone else was already heading inside the kitchen for lunch and to meet up with friends from other groups. Upon reaching the door, Nickel felt a twinge of worry that Balloon might let go of his hand, not wanting to embarrass himself by being seen holding it... but he didn’t let go. Instead, Balloon opened the door with his free hand as they entered together. Relief washed over Nickel. Their relationship seemed to be progressing well, and it was a promising sign. He had high hopes for them and really wanted this to work out. He was determined not to mess it up.

Everyone was already sitting at tables as Lifering and Goo passed around sandwiches and juice boxes. Unsurprisingly, the Bright Lights friendship group sat together, while Knife and Trophy sat with their friends Taco and Microphone. Yin and Yang also joined Knife and the others, appearing to make new friends due to their split, which Candle was glad to see. She sat with Silver Spoon at the last table. Both Yin and Yang shot Silver dirty looks from across the room, but to Candle, that didn’t matter. They could get as angry as they wanted at Silver or herself; she was just happy to see them stepping out of their shell and making new friends. She also noticed that Yin and Yang seemed to be getting along better and understanding each other more, which was a positive sign. Hopefully, they’d be able to fuse again and possibly even forgive Candle collectively. She didn't want them to rush; she wanted them to reach a mutual agreement on what they wanted. Of course, she’d be upset if YinYang never trusted her again, but she wanted what was best for them, and that was all that mattered. Although YinYang being upset with her was saddening, it did allow her to spend more time alone with Silver Spoon, which was a plus. With YinYang around, it had been hard for her to reciprocate her feelings towards Silver Spoon for obvious reasons, but now that they were distracted, she could spend more time with her boyfriend.

Balloon and Nickel refused to sit at a table with Silver Spoon and Candle, especially since they both equally disliked Silver and seeing their teachers kissing had made them really uncomfortable. They knew they didn’t want to sit at Knife’s table because of everything that had happened, and besides, the table was full. So, they had no choice but to sit with their cabin mates, the Bright Lights.

Still holding hands, they walked over and sat down beside Fan and Test Tube. Fan immediately noticed them holding hands, his eyes lighting up with glee as he let out a squeal like a proud parent.

“You two!! You’re holding hands!”

Nickel scoffed, using his free hand to hide his blushing face. “Yeah, so?” He tried to downplay it, especially since he knew Balloon didn’t want to make a big deal of it either.

“Hi Fan, nice to see you too,” Balloon chuckled softly before reaching over to grab a sandwich.

“How was it in your group? You had Knife and Trophy!! So cool… Knife is so cool… those guys barely ever talk to me and when they do… they kinda bully me–” Fan chuckled awkwardly.

Nickel scoffed, rolling his eyes at the mention of Knife. He despised Knife after what he did, even if Knife didn’t know how Nickel felt about Balloon. It still upset him. Maybe he was still a little jealous that his crush was flirted with by one of the most popular boys at school… but not THAT jealous, just a little. Maybe.

“Forget about Knife! That jerk thinks he's so cool… Did you know he was gay? Because I didn’t!” Nickel scoffed.

“He is?!” Fan exclaimed excitedly.

“Way too excited to hear that, buddy,” Test Tube said, placing a hand on her boyfriend's head.

Fan leaned back, calming down. “Now that you say it… I’m surprised I didn’t know!” He laughed. “Wait– how do you know that?” Fan quickly asked.

Balloon snickered cheekily, smirking a little. He felt a little proud of himself. I mean, someone as popular and cool as Knife did flirt with him after all, that was pretty cool… It was also really funny to see Nickel get so worked up about this. His jealousy was amusing.

“He flirted with me,” Balloon suddenly murmured with a cheeky grin.

Nickel moved his hand away and crossed his arms. “Yeah! That jerk put his arm around Balloon and everything! Who does he think he is?” Nickel ranted.

“What! No fair!” Fan squeaked.

Test Tube turned to him with a ‘are you serious’ look. 

Nickel raised a brow at Fan then leaned over to look at Test Tube.

“Are you sure your boyfriend isn’t some gay twink, Test Tube?” Nickel asked.

“Sometimes he makes me wonder the same thing…” Test Tube rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Noo! I love you!” Fan whined as he wrapped his arms around Test Tube, smothering his head into her side. 

Test Tube kept her arms crossed, glaring down at Fan.

“Mhm…”

“I do… please Testy…” He whined. 

Test Tube scoffed, she uncrossed her arms and wrapped them around Fan. Fan squealed happily, and moved off his seat onto her lap, he wrapped his arms around her and smothered his head into her chest. Test Tube looked unphased as she held Fan like a baby. 

“I swear Fan, you’re the only boy in our friend group, yet you’re the girliest out of all of us.” Paintbrush points out.

“Uh– are we not your friends?” Nickel scoffed, glaring Paintbrush down.

“Oh. I guess you guys are?” Paintbrush didn’t really consider them friends, but whatever. “You’re not a part of our group though.” They added.

Balloon smiled a little, it was nice to have other friends that weren’t Baseball, Suitcase and Bot, it felt nice to make new friends, this camp really was helping them grow. Who would’ve thought?

“Aw Painty, be nice! They can be an extension to our group, the bright lights and the silly gays!” Lightbulb giggled.

Nickel chuckled a little, he didn’t mind this, and usually Nickel hates everyone, so for him to not really mind this group of people, it was odd for him. Sure, they weren’t best friend material, but he could tell Balloon enjoyed their company, and that was what mattered to him.

“So, are you two dating? I am not sure if I should ask…” Lightbulb asked nervously.

Balloon’s face flushed a little, he awkwardly looked away, hiding his face with his hand to his cheek.

“No… not yet,” he murmured.

“Yeah! But there's nothing wrong with taking things slow! It’s better for us!” Nickel chimed in, wrapping an arm around Balloon. Balloon felt his face heating up from the contact, he liked this a lot more better than when Knife did it. 

Test Tube smiled at them both, she noticed Balloon was looking better, he didn’t seem as stressed, which she theorised was because he ended up talking to Nickel about how he felt, which seemingly, went well given that the two were still close. She was happy for him. 

“I almost forgot to ask, was there any challenge for you guys? We didn’t get one, so I was wondering how they’d pick winners for the luxury cabin.” Paintbrush spoke up.

“We didn’t get any either, maybe Lifering will choose names out of a hat or something.” Balloon responded.

Paintbrush huffed, they obviously wanted the luxury cabin again, and well Balloon and Nickel did kinda ruin their time in there with their blow up of emotions, Paintbrush seemed really annoyed at them for it.

“Well you can still play uno in our cabin, we can even play with you guys.” Balloon offered.

“I guess.” Paintbrush crossed their arms grumpily.

Soon enough, Lifering and Goo came over to gather the empty platters and put them away. Eventually, it was time for everyone to part ways with their friends and return to their groups. Nickel didn’t hesitate to grab Balloon’s hand when it was time to leave, almost as if he was shoving it in Knife’s face, making it clear that Balloon was with him and Knife stood no chance. His jealousy was still through the roof, and it was probably going to cause a few issues later on, but Balloon tried not to let that stress him out right now.

The Bright Lights said their goodbyes to their “silly gays,” as Lightbulb called them, before leaving with their group for the nature walk.

Before Candle could leave to go with her group, she wanted to check on Yin and Yang to see how they were doing. She walked up to them, with Silver, of course, following her. Yang tried not to look pleased to see Candle, crossing his arms and grumpily looking away. Yin smiled faintly as she approached.

“Hi Yin, Yang, how are you both doing?” she asked them calmly.

“Fine.” Yang snapped.

“We are going quite well! We are making new friends, just like you wanted us too!” Yin exclaimed happily.

“I am really proud of you both, I am always proud of you, Silver was actually telling me about how well you both were doing on the nature walk.” She hummed.

“He does not care…” Yang glared at Silver who stood behind Candle.

“Yeah! He only says things to impress you.” Yin frowns.

“Boys… I know you may not like Silver, but I can assure you, he does care about more than just me, and sure, even if his first priority isn’t making you both happy, aren’t you happy that he is at least trying, even if it’s for the sake of me?” She asked. 

“No.”

“I guess.”

“You should try to get along with Silver… you might actually get along with him if you try.” She shrugged a little. “I have to go now, but I will check in with you both later.” She waved goodbye before leaving with her group.

Yin and Yang turned to look at Silver Spoon with a dead expression.

“Get along with you? Yeah right.”

“Listen here you little shoehorn. I don’t like you both, and you don’t like me, but don’t you want to at least try and get along, for Candle’s sake? I am sure we can find… some common ground, somewhere, right?” Silver Spoon wanted to try to get along with Yin and Yang for Candle’s sake, the moment he can get on their good side is the moment he can actually spend time around Candle without having them upset, it would make things a lot easier. He also fears that Candle may distance herself from him if he doesn’t do something about how YinYang feels towards him, so he has to at least try to get along with them. 

“We’ll think about it.”

“For Candle’s sake.” 

The two of them walked off, heading toward the group that was facing Lifering. Once everyone was ready, Lifering led them out of the kitchen and down to the docks. Balloon and Nickel held hands as they walked. Nickel noticed Knife eyeing them with an aggressive glint, which made him feel uneasy. What had he done? Knife couldn't be seriously mad, could he? Nickel looked away, trying to focus on Balloon and not let his jealousy get the better of him.

Down at the docks, they all stood around as Lifering taught them how to use the fishing rods. However, everyone was distracted in their own way. Nickel couldn't shake off the looks Knife was giving him and Balloon. Knife was a lot bigger and more intimidating than him. They might share similar attitudes, but Knife was stronger and could be violent. Nickel didn't want to get on his bad side, but he also didn't want Knife stealing his crush right in front of him. Feeling insecure, Nickel moved his hand from Balloon's and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. He whispered in his ear, trying to play it off as a way to get Balloon’s full attention.

"Knife keeps staring at us," Nickel whispered.

Balloon, his face turning pink from the sudden touch, awkwardly glanced back. Knife smirked at him, causing Balloon to quickly turn back to Nickel.

"He doesn’t look threatening," Balloon whispered back.

"Yeah, well, he doesn’t have a problem with you, does he? If anything, he seems to really like you," Nickel scoffed in frustration. "But it looks like he doesn’t like me or how close we are," Nickel grumbled.

Balloon raised an eyebrow, looking down at Nickel. He couldn't help but smirk.

"You're jealous," he said.

"Stop it! I'm being serious! I want to protect you from him. What if he wants to bully you or something?" Nickel asked.

"I strongly doubt that, Nickel," Balloon replied. "Maybe he's just into me, and you don’t like it," Balloon shrugged a bit.

"S-Shut up! That isn’t it at all!" Nickel grumbled defensively.

“Nickel! Balloon! Eyes up front! You are going to want to hear these instructions.” Lifering snapped politely at them,

The two of them fell silent and looked ahead. Nickel still felt uneasy about Knife, but tried not to let it get to him. Maybe he was just being paranoid because of what happened earlier. Balloon assured him that he didn’t like Knife or anyone else; he liked Nickel and only Nickel. So Knife shouldn't be a threat, right? Nickel wished he could believe that, but he couldn’t help but have doubts. Knife was like him, but so much cooler. What if Balloon noticed that? It kept playing on Nickel's mind.

Once Lifering had explained how to use the fishing rods and how to successfully catch a fish, he began handing out rods and fake bait to each student. With everyone equipped, it was time to start fishing. Lifering loved to fish; it was one of his favourite activities, and he could get really absorbed in it. While everyone was figuring out their rods, he wandered off to start fishing himself, which meant he would be distracted.

Nickel and Balloon stood together as they figured out how to use their rods. Nickel had a better grasp on it than Balloon; he actually really liked nature, camping tricks, and the like, even though he didn't go camping. He watched a lot of outdoor videos online. After getting his rod and bait ready first, he began helping Balloon. The salmon-haired boy seemed distracted, his gaze wandering elsewhere. He also noticed Knife repeatedly looking in their direction, which was odd, but he didn't mention it to Nickel. He didn't want Nickel to overreact and cause an unnecessary fight. So, he tried to look away and focus on fishing with Nickel.

Knife whispered something to Trophy, causing him to laugh. Suddenly, Knife approached Nickel and Balloon, choosing the spot right next to them to fish. As Nickel finished preparing Balloon’s rod, he looked up to pass it to him and saw Knife standing uncomfortably close. What did he want?

“Can we help you?” Nickel snapped sassily.

“I dunno… can you?” Knife smirked.

“Don’t be a smartass with me,” Nickel said sternly.

“Oh, I’m so scared…” Knife chuckled sarcastically. “I’m allowed to stand here,” he added.

Balloon suddenly felt non-verbal, anxiety creeping in as he stood between the two. They were oddly similar—both with attitude, rude tendencies, sarcasm, and even good looks. It was almost overwhelming but also strangely entertaining that they were both interested in someone like him—a dorky, nervous guy who likes to write poems in his spare time. It was flattering yet overstimulating for Balloon.

Knife noticed nervous little Balloon standing there awkwardly. Sure, Balloon was nothing special, but he was pretty darn cute, especially when he got nervous and shy. Knife playfully swung his arm over Balloon’s shoulders right in front of Nickel, with no concern for how angry it made him. If anything, he did it just to provoke him.

“Hey, Balloon,” Knife practically purred.

Balloon felt himself shrink into his shoulders, his face flushing pink. He felt so nervous around Knife. It wasn’t like the crush kind of nervous he felt for Nickel, but he still got flustered. It was like the feeling you get when a celebrity talks to you—something about Knife showing interest in him made him feel good about himself and shy at the same time. It didn’t mean he had feelings for Knife; it just meant he felt lucky to be talking to him, let alone having him flirt. It was flattering more than anything.

But Nickel didn’t see it that way at all. Seeing Balloon get all giddy and nervous around Knife made him furious. Something inside him snapped every time he saw them together, his blood boiling and bones aching. His frustration was evident, inside and out. 

Nickel’s eyes were practically twitching, his grip on his fishing rod so tight his knuckles turned white. He would love to smack Knife over the head with the rod right now, but he knew he couldn’t. He gritted his teeth, breathing through his anger. Who did Knife think he was? Nickel had already told him to stay away from Balloon. Knife was well aware of how they felt about each other, yet he still continued. He had a lot of nerve to think this was okay.

Balloon nervously glanced at Nickel and saw how upset he was. He felt bad; he didn’t want Nickel to feel like he wasn’t good enough or that Knife was better than him in any way because that wasn’t true. Honestly, if Balloon didn’t know Nickel from middle school, he’d probably react the same way if Nickel started talking to him and showing interest out of the blue. The fact that Nickel had a crush on him, out of everyone he could possibly like, made him so happy. And he felt the same way. But he couldn’t help how nervous Knife made him feel.

Knife smirked wider at Nickel’s reaction, loving how angry it made him. He moved his hand playfully up Balloon’s neck to his hair, flicking his fluffy locks. He hummed softly, smirking at Balloon, who was a nervous mess, both from Knife’s proximity and Nickel’s growing anger. Balloon didn’t want a fight to break out because of him. While it was flattering to have two guys vying for his attention, a physical fight would be far from flattering.

“I’m right here, y’know?” Nickel grunted viciously.

“Uh huh, I see you,” Knife replied cockily.

“Mhm, well, you do realise how Balloon and I feel about each other, right?” Nickel asked harshly.

“Yep. Sure do,” Knife snarked.

“Then maybe you should back off? Hm?” Nickel gritted through his teeth.

“Well, about that. You see, as you said yourself, you aren’t dating Balloon. He’s free as far as I’m aware. Besides, it looks to me like he’s enjoying the attention,” Knife purred, glancing at Balloon, who shrunk further into his shoulders. If he were a turtle, he’d be retreating into his shell right about now.

Nickel scoffed in disbelief. “What? Are you calling him an attention seeker? Balloon doesn’t like you. You’re just making him nervous on purpose!” Nickel snapped. “And just because Balloon isn’t dating anyone doesn’t mean he’s free. He isn’t some possession to be won, y’know?”

Knife raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because it seems to me that’s exactly how you treat him. Acting like you own him, that nobody else is allowed to have him. You seem pretty possessive.”

“I—I do not!” Nickel protested.

“Uh, seems like you do. I mean, you’re getting jealous because I simply have an arm around him. It’s not like I’m kissing him, though he’d probably like that…” Knife smirked, looking down at Balloon.

Balloon's heart raced in his chest, and he felt like he wanted to cry. He was so anxious; he didn't want a fight to break out because of him. The mere mention of Knife proposing to kiss him caused his entire face to turn red hot. His breath caught in his chest, and he visibly shook from nerves. He could barely even kiss Nickel without freaking out, and now another guy was mentioning kissing him? He didn't even think he was that much of a kissable person! He felt sick from nerves. He hated being in the middle of this and hated that he didn't have the confidence to speak out against any of it. He felt so weak, ashamed of himself, and guilty for making Nickel so angry because he couldn't stand up for himself. He had ranted about how he didn't need Nickel to defend him, but now he couldn't even prove that he could defend himself.

Standing in the distance, Silver Spoon was actually getting along with Yin and Yang. The boys were helping Silver learn how to use his rod, something they never expected to be doing. But they were doing it for Candle. Yin was mainly the one assisting, while Yang kept a close eye on Silver, ensuring he stayed in line. He didn’t trust or like Silver, especially around Yin. What if Silver somehow convinced Yin not to like Yang anymore? Yang couldn’t allow that. He was very protective of Yin and wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.

While Yin struggled to stick the bait on the hook, Silver noticed the tension between Knife, Nickel, and Balloon. He saw that Lifering was distracted with his fishing and a bit away from the group, which meant it would be up to him to split up any fight. He stepped away suddenly, causing Yang to panic, where did he think he was going? He snatched Yin’s wrist and tugged him along, Yin squeaked and dropped the rod, following along. The three of them approached the group, Yin and Yang standing back as Silver intervened.

“What is going on here? Don’t think I can’t see you lot arguing!” Silver crossed his arms and stared down at the boys. 

"Nothing's going on. Mind your own business," Knife snapped at Silver Spoon. "It's not even involving you," he added.

Balloon looked up at Silver with a pleading expression, almost begging to be taken out of the situation. Silver noticed this and paused for a moment before speaking.

"I suppose it isn't any of my business, is it?" He put his hands on his hips. "Balloon, dear, Yin, Yang, and I could use your help with something. Could you be of assistance?" Silver asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes!" Balloon quickly said as he slipped away from Knife's grasp.

Yin and Yang looked up at Silver, almost admiring the way he handled the situation. Maybe Silver wasn't so bad after all? Nevertheless, they pushed that thought away and walked away with Balloon and Silver Spoon, back to the spot they were before.

Once away from Knife and Nickel, Silver placed a hand on Balloon's shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked calmly.

"I could be better... but thank you," Balloon faintly smiled.

Silver nodded. "Why don't you stay over here with us," he offered.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Balloon agreed.

He wasn't mad at either Knife or Nickel; he just needed to escape from that situation. He hated the awkwardness of being in between the two of them fighting over him. He needed space, a moment away. And honestly, he least expected Silver to actually act like an adult for once and help him out like that. He appreciated it greatly. He may have gained a slight bit of respect for the guy, which was shocking since he was generally disliked.

The moment Balloon left with Silver, Nickel turned his attention back to Knife, a glint of fury in his eyes. He was furious at him. Balloon and him were having a fine rest of their day until knife came along and tried to ruin it, again! Nickel wanted to kill the guy right now! 

“You’re a jerk!” Nickel snapped.

“Okay? Didn’t ask.” Knife scoffed, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Why can’t you just leave Balloon alone? You already know he likes me, so why not back off and quit embarrassing yourself?” Nickel snapped, poking a finger in his face.

“Why don’t you actually make Balloon your boyfriend? You like him so much, so date him?” Knife offered his ‘advice’ 

Nickel awkwardly crossed his arms. As much as he wanted to date Balloon… Balloon wasn’t ready for that. 

“He doesn’t want to date yet… he isn’t ready.” Nickel murmured, feeling a little embarrassed that he was getting so possessive over a boy he wasn’t even dating.

Knife couldn’t help but laugh. So Balloon didn’t even want to date him? Wow.

“So he doesn’t even like you, is what you’re telling me?” Knife smirked.

“What?! N-No! He does like me! He likes me a lot actually! We cuddle and hold hands and–” 

“Aww, aren’t you two just adorable~!” Knife teased. “Cuddwing and howding hands!” He continued to tease.

Nickel's face turned bright red, feeling embarrassed. Knife's teasing made him feel small, like they were both just kids.

"S-Shut up!" Nickel snapped, his voice cracking a little. "Balloon doesn’t have to do anything else with me if he isn’t ready. Stop being such a prick!" 

"Whatever, dude. I'll stay away from your 'wittwe cwush' so you two can continue being babies!" Knife chuckled. "Seriously though, I hope he doesn’t expect you two to just stay in this babyzone forever… that’d be pretty shitty on you," Knife pointed out.

"We will do more when he's ready," Nickel grumbled. "Just… stop flirting with him. Please, it’ll make this process go a lot faster," he huffed.

Knife shrugged. "I honestly just wanted to make you angry, bro," he answered truthfully. "Sure, the first time I was trying to hit on him, but the second time was for fun. I have no interest in a relationship with Balloon; I just thought maybe we could have a camp fling or something, but he's obviously too much of a baby for that, so I’ll back off."

"He isn’t a baby," Nickel murmured as Knife turned to walk away.

"And that’s disgusting, by the way!" Nickel shouted out to him.

"Whatever, man!" Knife responded as he returned to Trophy.

Nickel took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He was so angry, but he knew he had to relax, especially if he was going to approach Balloon and ask if he was okay. Nickel took a moment for himself to breathe and collect his thoughts. Today had been overwhelming, and Knife hadn't stopped getting on his nerves and making things worse.

Sure, maybe he was jealous and overprotective, but could anyone really blame him? Knife openly admitted to flirting with Balloon! Nickel didn’t want to lose Balloon, and he didn’t want anyone to come between what they had going on. He knew they weren’t dating yet, and he understood that to some, it might seem weird. But it wasn’t weird if Balloon wasn’t ready for it. Nickel wanted to date Balloon, he really did, but he liked him so much that he was willing to wait as long as it took. He didn’t care what Knife thought, or that Knife wasn't the type of person to wait. It wasn’t up to him. Nickel loved Balloon and was going to wait until he was ready.

Once Nickel had calmed down, he approached Balloon, who seemed to be at ease, casually chatting with Yin. Yin was making sure Balloon was okay, while Yang attempted to teach Silver how to cast his rod, failing in the process. At least they were communicating, but Nickel didn't care about that right now. His only concern was Balloon. As he carefully approached, Balloon looked up from where he and Yin sat. When Nickel was in front of him, Balloon stood up.

"You okay?" Nickel asked as reassuring as he could.

"Better now you’re here," Balloon smiled faintly.

Nickel couldn’t help but smile, his cheeks turning rosy pink. "Glad to hear it."

Balloon smiled and then looked down at his feet. "I’m surprised you’re not mad at me…" he huffed.

"Hey… Why would I be mad at you?" Nickel moved his hand to Balloon’s cheek, gently lifting his face.

"Because! I didn’t do anything! I just stood there defenceless while Knife flirted with me—I promise I didn’t like it! I was just really nervous and didn’t know what to do! I really do like you, no matter what Knife says!" Balloon tried to defend himself, though he didn't need to.

Nickel gently caressed his cheek. "I know you do, amour."

"Ah, I see French class has been helping you with sweet talk…" Balloon chuckled, his eyes becoming a little glassy. He leaned into Nickel’s hand, smiling like an idiot. He was so glad Nickel wasn’t upset with him.

Nickel stopped to admire Balloon’s face. He was so adorable… it warmed Nickel’s heart, making him feel so helpless. He could feel his heart beating so fast in his chest. A feeling of haze over flowing him. He was so into him. If he could, he’d kiss him right now… but he knew he couldn’t. Instead he admired Balloon’s features, his pretty pink cheeks, his long eyelashes, soft lips… he was beautiful. 

“I admit it.” Nickel suddenly spoke up, chuckling softly.

“Admit… what?” Balloon leaned back a little, nervous to what Nickel was about to admit.

“I’m jealous.” He smiled faintly at Balloon. “I don’t want anyone else to have you… I can only see you in my arms… and it upsets me greatly when others come onto you.” Nickel admits. 

Balloon snickered softly.
“Jealousy looks cute on you.” Balloon paused for a moment… before quickly leaning in and kissing Nickel’s nose.

Nickel’s entire face heated up in an instant. He was not expecting that, but he definitely wasn’t complaining. Although he wished the kiss was on the lips, he was glad to get what he got, it was a kiss nonetheless and he couldn’t be more happier to receive it.

“Hey you two! Less flirting, more fishing!” Silver snaps his fingers at them. “You can be all lovey dovey back at camp, come on now!” 

“For once, I agree with Spoonhead, no more icky romance!” Yang declared.

“I think it’s cute!” Yin giggled.

Balloon chuckled softly and moved back from Nickel.

“They are right, we should probably start fishing.” 

Nickel snickered in response. “True, besides, these guys have no idea how to fish it seems, looks like I’m gonna have to teach them.” Nickel snarked.

“Please do. This is exhausting.” Silver admitted.

“Aw, I thought you were all about nature! That’s what you told Candle!” Nickel teased.

“Shut it!” Silver snapped, slightly embarrassed.

“HAHAHA! SILVER ALL ABOUT NATURE! THAT’S A GOOD ONE!” Yang laughed.

This was nice. Everyone was getting along. Balloon couldn't help but step back and admire the scene. He was glad today turned out this way and happy to be at this camp. Only a few days ago, he was upset about being dragged to what he thought would be a boring camp, but now? He couldn't help but feel grateful for the experience. He had made so many amazing friends, seen new sides to people, and best of all, he and Nickel had finally put their differences behind them. They had talked about what happened between them and were slowly falling in love with each other. It was nice.

He was happy with how much progress had been made today. Part of him felt like he was starting to become ready for more with Nickel, to take their relationship to the next level and finally confirm it. But another part of him was still really nervous. There were so many factors stopping him from fully committing: the fact that they hadn’t been close friends for years, even though they hung out almost every day with Suitcase, Baseball, and Bot; the fact that Nickel had secretly always liked him, but they had never really talked about what happened between them until now. What would their friends think, those who had only ever known them as constantly bickering and seemingly hating each other? He wasn’t even certain how he felt about it all. It was a lot to process, knowing that Nickel had liked him all along, and that after all those years, they were basically skipping friendship and moving right into wanting to be lovers. It seemed too fast… but also not. Like it was meant to be this way all along, as if deep down, he had also had a crush on Nickel all these years but didn’t know how to go about it. Balloon still couldn’t believe Nickel admitted to being jealous. He thought Nickel would continue to deny his jealousy, but he admitted it. Something about that made Balloon feel good. For someone to be jealous over him? Protective of him? Not wanting anyone else to date him? Balloon liked that attention. He liked his silly, jealous crush. He liked Nickel.

. . .

"Jealous, jealous, jealous girl If I can't have you baby, no one else in this world can"

Chapter Text

The rest of the day was peaceful. Nickel taught Silver, Yin, Yang, and Balloon how to fish. Although nobody actually caught anything, it was still fun to bond. Balloon and Nickel stayed close the entire day, casually flirting with each other, sharing quick glances and sweet compliments.

As for Silver, Yin, and Yang, they were bonding in a dynamic almost like father and son, or perhaps like an older arrogant brother and his younger, annoying sibling. Nevertheless, they were bonding. Candle would be happy to see this. Yin and Yang realised that maybe Silver wasn’t as bad as they thought. Sure, he was still posh, arrogant, and sometimes mean, but he had some kind qualities too. His love and care for Candle were evident; he clearly cared about her deeply and had no intention of hurting her. Both Yin and Yang were beginning to see that now. While they didn’t fully like the idea of Candle focusing more on Silver Spoon than on them, at least they didn’t hate Silver as much anymore.

As the sun began to set, it was time to pack up and head back to camp to meet up with the other group. Lifering, who hadn't left his spot the entire fishing session, stood up and approached the group. He had been too oblivious and engrossed in fishing to notice any earlier arguments.

“It’s getting late! The other group should be returning by now. Let’s pack up these rods and head back to camp!” Lifering called out to the group.

They started to pack up their fishing rods and fake fish bait, storing everything back in the shed by the docks. Knife had kept his distance from Balloon and Nickel since their last encounter, which made Nickel and Balloon feel more at ease. Even while packing up, Knife stayed away, barely looking at them or acknowledging their existence. Finally, they could relax.

While walking back, Silver, Yin, and Yang were chatting, with Balloon and Nickel hanging back behind them, hand in hand, smiling as they watched. They were glad that Yin and Yang were able to overcome their hatred for Silver. Even Balloon and Nickel hated Silver a little less after today; he had shown that he wasn’t a terrible person after all.

“Water is better than Dr. Fizz! It is more healthy!”

“Dr. Fizz is superior! You are just a wuss, Yin!” 

“Water!”

“Dr. Fizz!”

“Water!”

“Dr. Fizz!”

“Let’s ask Silver Spoon, he will tell us which one is better!” 

Yin and Yang look up at Silver curious to see his answer.

It flattered Silver that Yin and Yang cared about his opinion, he never thought they would ever listen or want to listen to his opinion, it made him feel proud…?

“Well, personally I prefer an oat milk latte…” Silver chuckled, poshly. As he does.

“Oh! I know how to make those!” Nickel randomly chimed up from behind them.

“Nickel, is there anything you can’t do?” Balloon chuckled softly.

. . .

Soon enough, they were back at the camp, reuniting with the other campers and gathering around for Lifering and Goo to give the next instructions.

As soon as the group entered camp, Candle immediately noticed Silver getting along with both Yin and Yang. She smiled widely at the sight and made her way over. She had always believed they would come around and get along eventually; they just needed more than her efforts alone.

“Candle!” Silver chirped with a bright grin as she approached.

“Hello, Silver. Hi, Yin, Yang, how are you both?” Candle smiled at the pair. They seemed happier, which made her happy too.

“Good! Today was fun!” Yin exclaimed. “We got along with Silver Spoon! Just like you wanted!”

“He wasn’t as mean as I thought he was, I admit.” Yang added.

"That is pleasant to hear." Candle couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she glanced up at Silver, who was contentedly smiling at the boys.

Silver's cheeks flushed as he looked up and saw Candle staring at him. She always made him feel happy; something about her calmed him, making him feel fuzzy and relaxed. "I must say, I enjoyed my time too." He placed his hands on top of Yin and Yang's heads. "I misunderstood them; they are quite fun to be around," he added.

Candle felt like a proud mom. She couldn’t stop smiling as she looked at her dear boys in front of her. She loved them all so much and was overjoyed to see them getting along.

“Come here, you guys,” Candle said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around all three of them, squeezing them tight. Yang grunted momentarily, hating physical contact, while Yin happily leaned into the hug. Silver froze, feeling the warmth of genuine affection and respect for once. 

Yang knew he wasn’t getting out of this hug, so he softly huffed and smiled contentedly, which thrilled Yin. Without any notice, the pair started to glow between Silver and Candle, and before they knew it, they were fused back into one.

Candle and Silver stepped back, smiling brightly at YinYang, glad to have them back as one. While it had been fun to see them thrive as two individuals, they were truly themselves when whole, and they loved who they were.

“I’m glad you’re back, YinYang,” Candle said softly.

YinYang smiled widely at Candle. They were glad to be back together; being apart for so long had felt strange. This was where they belonged, and they wanted to keep it that way.

“Does this mean you both forgive me for not telling you about Silver and I?” Candle asked with a sweet smile.

“I suppose…”

“Yes!”

Candle was glad to hear it, and so was Silver, who couldn’t stop smiling. As YinYang appreciated themselves and embraced being whole again, Silver shifted beside Candle and took her hand.

. . .

Back with the other campers, Balloon and Nickel reunited with the bright lights and discussed how their day went. Nickel was mostly ranting about how much he hated Knife and how Knife had tried to hit on Balloon again. He was clearly still upset about it and very jealous of Knife. Balloon didn’t mind; he found it adorable how worked up Nickel got. Nickel's protectiveness made Balloon feel appreciated and cared for.

The bright lights listened to Nickel's rants about how much he hated Knife, finding it amusing how worked up Nickel could get over protecting Balloon. It seemed like only a matter of time before those two would be in an actual relationship. The others could clearly see how close they were becoming, and they noticed a change in Balloon too. He seemed more at ease with the idea of being with Nickel. Not only that, but the way Balloon looked at him spoke volumes; he gazed at Nickel with pure adoration, as if he truly loved him. It was only a matter of time.

Speaking of time, it was time for Lifering to explain what was happening next. He whistled loudly to grab everyone's attention. All campers turned around to face Lifering and Goo up front.

“Alright, campers! It has been an amazing day! Nature walks and fishing! Woo! All outdoorsy fun! I bet you’re all hungry! Tonight we will be cooking beef stir fry! There will be instructions on each bench. Today, instead of cooking individually or in pairs, everyone will share the load. So, one group will focus on cooking the meat, another on cutting the vegetables, and the last group will mix it all together and add the spices! You need to divide yourselves into three groups. Goo and I will be supervising everything,” Lifering explained. “So, form your groups and let's head over to the kitchen!”

“Oh, what about announcing who will be staying in the luxury cabin?” Paintbrush called out.

Lifering turned to address the question. He felt a bit awkward about it, but it had to be said. “Oh, right. Every second night, the luxury cabin will be closed for cleaning sheets and blankets for the next group. It will be back open tomorrow!” Lifering smiled.

The campers groaned, disappointed that they couldn't stay in the luxury cabin, but they understood the need for cleanliness. 

While Lifering was addressing any remaining questions, Balloon tugged on Nickel’s sleeve and whispered something in his ear. Nickel looked a bit confused, but he nodded in agreement. The two of them sneakily walked off without a trace, unnoticed by anyone.

“Any more questions? ... No? Okay! Form your groups! They don’t have to be perfectly even, just evenly spread out!”

All the bright lights exchanged glances, clearly intending to stick together. However, their attention was abruptly drawn to the absence of Balloon and Nickel.

"Where did Balloon and Nickel go?" Lightbulb inquired.

Test Tube scanned the area. "I don't see them anywhere. Did they slip away while we weren't paying attention?"

"Should we tell Lifering that they're missing?" Test Tube proposed.

"Considering how hectic their day seemed, maybe they just needed some alone time. Let's not say anything," Fan suggested.

"But won't Lifering notice the uneven groups?" Test Tube expressed concern.

“Come on Testy! It’ll be fine, we will pretend we didn’t notice… and even if the groups had to be us four… then like a group of two and three, it would still work!” Lightbulb chimed in.

Though hesitant, Test Tube trusted her friends. She shrugged and agreed, joining the others as they headed towards the kitchen.

. . .

Meanwhile, Balloon and Nickel walked hand in hand down to the lake, their steps quiet as the sun began to set. When they reached the riverbank, Balloon released Nickel's hand and sat down on the grass, gazing at the river where the sunset's reflection danced on the shimmering water. Nickel sat beside him, looking up at the slowly descending sun. He was the first to break the silence.

"This isn't like you to sneak off..." Nickel remarked with a small smile. "Have I been a bad influence on you?" he teased.

"Maybe you have. Who knows?" Balloon snickered softly, inching closer to Nickel and taking his hand again.

"Why did you want to come out here, anyway?" Nickel asked in a gentle hum.

Balloon shrugged, turning his gaze back to the sunset. "I guess I wanted some more alone time with you," he murmured shyly.

Nickel couldn't help but smile like a dork, his cheeks turning pink as he admired Balloon in the sunset's glow. The light made Balloon's complexion radiant, his eyes sparkled, and his lips appeared more plump and pink. Nickel was overcome with the desire to kiss him. He couldn't take his eyes off Balloon; he was utterly captivated by him. He wished he could find the right words to express how he felt about this boy. Balloon occupied his thoughts constantly; he wanted him, longed to be with him. Perhaps he truly was obsessed with Balloon.

Balloon hadn't noticed Nickel staring at him, his eyes fixed on the sun as it slowly set against the river. The view was gorgeous. It was rare for him to take the time to watch a sunset, and this one was particularly beautiful. It made him feel grateful to be alive and to exist in such a wonderful world. Life wasn't perfect, but moments like this made it all worthwhile. He sighed softly, feeling at peace and content in this moment. Away from the hustle and bustle of the real world, there was no social media, no bad news—just isolation and freedom, the perfect way to clear his mind.

It was even better that it was just the two of them right now, just him and Nickel. Reflecting on the past few days, he realised how grateful he was for their fight three days ago. If it hadn't happened, they wouldn't have been sent to this camp, and they wouldn't have had the chance to heal their friendship. He wouldn't be here with Nickel right now, holding his hand. Some things really do happen for a reason, and he wouldn't change a thing.

Nickel gently moved his free hand up to Balloon's hair, brushing a curl back around his ear. Balloon turned to face Nickel, his cheeks a rosy pink as he gazed helplessly into his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment, staring deeply into each other's eyes with adoration as the sun fully set, disappearing behind the river. Neither could look away, each studying the other's features and marvelling at their beauty. They truly did adore each other. Their feelings for each other were unmistakable, evident in the way they looked at one another, as if they had found their soulmate. Neither Balloon nor Nickel could have imagined this moment, where they would be sitting here, gazing deeply into each other's eyes. Yet here they were, utterly and helplessly captivated by one another.

Balloon knew it was still early to feel this way, but his emotions were stronger than he ever imagined they could become in just three days. A part of him realised that deep down, he might have always harboured feelings for Nickel. Despite their fight in middle school, they hadn't gone their separate ways. They remained a constant presence in each other's lives, watching one another grow and learn, becoming the people they are today. Although they hadn't always been on good terms, they were always there, together, getting by. It wasn't all bad; they had shared laughs and moments of closeness despite everything that had happened.

Now, they were free to leave the past behind and start anew, reclaiming their old bond and building something even more meaningful. They no longer had to hide their feelings or worry about how they wanted to feel. They could like each other—the real versions of each other—without the drama or the worry. With their walls broken down and their minds free of shame, it was time to begin again, and they both wanted this new chapter to include each other.

"Remember the first night we came here? You stormed off from the campfire ice breaker, and I came to check on you. I remember you were vaping, and I asked if I could try," Balloon chuckled softly.

Nickel smiled, reminiscing about that night and realising how much had changed in just three days. "Yeah... and I remember you made a lame excuse to hide the fact that you wanted to spend time with me. It's funny, when I asked you today why you wanted to sneak off, you told me the truth. It's amazing how things change," Nickel chuckled softly.

"Hey, it’s true! I wanted to get out of cooking dinner! But... I guess I also wanted to spend time with you—mainly spend time with you, both then and now," Balloon hummed happily.

“About the vape… you don’t mind if I…?” Nickel asked.

“Not at all,” Balloon answered.

Nickel huffed and smiled as he reached into his pocket and took out his vape. He had been using it discreetly whenever he had a moment alone, but he hadn’t had a chance to really relax and enjoy it like he usually would. He raised the vape to his lips, took a small hit, inhaled, and exhaled. Balloon watched, curious about why Nickel vaped but never having asked before.

"Hey... why do you vape? I’m not criticising or anything, just curious," Balloon asked gently.

Nickel huffed, chuckling bitterly. "It's a fair question. I know it’s not healthy for me. But it helps me detox after a bad day, and I have a lot of bad days. My life isn’t great—no parents, living in a shithole, barely making ends meet with my job... I don’t have many people to support me. I need something to relieve the stress, to clear my mind from all the bullshit," Nickel answered truthfully.

Balloon didn’t expect that response, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure what he had expected. Maybe he thought Nickel did it to be cool or because everyone else was doing it. But then he remembered that Nickel never did things just to fit in. He was content being himself, prioritising the people he cared about without worrying about what others thought. That was one of the qualities Balloon had always admired in him—Nickel's ability to be himself without needing to fit in or seek approval. Unlike Balloon, who often felt the need to be liked in order to be happy.

“Well… I support you,” Balloon said with a faint smile, scooting closer.

“Yeah?” Nickel returned the faint smile. “I guess you do. Losing you was one of the worst days of my life, but getting you back? That has to be the best. Who knows, maybe I will quit as time goes on… Having you back definitely makes life better. It's already looking up.” He turned to face Balloon, a smile playing on his lips.

“Well, from now on, you'll have me in your life. I promise I’m not going anywhere again. I’m not making the same mistake. I swear it to you. I can’t stand seeing you hurt; it crushes me when you’re down,” Balloon sighed. “I care about you so much,” he added, moving a little closer.

“I care about you too…” Nickel spoke softly, noticing how close they were. It made his heart skip a beat. He tried to stay calm and not show how much it excited him to have Balloon sitting so near. Shakily, he raised the vape back to his lips, taking another hit. He made sure to blow the smoke in the opposite direction, using this as an excuse to look away as he grew increasingly flustered.

“You know… there are other ways to relieve stress?” Balloon suggested.

Nickel turned his head, chuckling. “Like Candle’s weird hippy meditation classes?” He laughed at his own joke, not prepared for what Balloon was actually going to suggest. Nickel casually took another hit of his vape.

“I... I was thinking more like kissing,” Balloon smiled softly.

Nickel choked, coughing on his vape as his face turned bright red. “k-kissing!?” he squeaked, his throat burning a little.

Balloon nervously bit his lip, smiling at Nickel's reaction. “Well... personally, I don’t know since I’ve only ever kissed one person... which was, uh, you—but I assume it would? I heard somewhere that it releases calming brain chemicals that reduce stress levels and soothe the mind,” Balloon shrugged. “But it could be fake... I’ll have to test that hypothesis sometime, won’t I?”

“Please—” Nickel practically begged, his desperation evident in his voice.

Balloon smirked slightly, feeling a sense of pride at how desperately Nickel seemed to want to kiss him. Carefully, the salmon-haired boy shifted his body closer to Nickel's, practically hovering over him. He gently placed his hand on Nickel's cheek, tilting his face upward. Nickel trembled as he stared helplessly into Balloon’s eyes, occasionally glancing down at his lips and then back up again. Was it happening? Was Balloon actually going to kiss him? Or was he just teasing him? Nickel couldn't tell, but he was eager and ready. 

Balloon wasn't entirely sure why, but he felt ready now. He actually wanted to kiss Nickel. In all honesty, he had kind of lured him out here in the hopes of kissing him. After everything that had been happening between them—the incident with Knife flirting with him, and both he and Nickel laying their feelings out on the table—Balloon realised how much he was truly falling for Nickel. Sure, he could put off kissing him for a little longer; it wouldn't hurt Nickel to wait a bit more. But Balloon actually wanted to do it.

As he looked at Nickel, he felt soft and fuzzy inside. He experienced feelings he had never felt around anyone before—something that made Nickel endearing to him. He wanted to kiss him. This wasn’t about making Nickel like him more, nor was it about others pressuring them to do so. This was his choice, something he genuinely wanted to do.

Balloon took a shaky breath before allowing his eyes to flutter closed. Nickel followed suit, closing his own. Slowly, Balloon leaned in and bridged the space between them, gently pressing his lips against Nickel’s. Nickel responded by purring into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Balloon’s neck and pulling him closer. Balloon didn’t resist; in fact, he found himself enjoying it more than he had expected. This kiss felt different from the first time he kissed Nickel. It felt right, perhaps because he was doing it for the right reasons. It felt magical.

His heart raced in his chest, and his stomach flipped in a good way. He felt helpless and flustered, his entire face flushed pink. He dropped his hand and placed it against Nickel’s waist, tugging him closer as he leaned in further. For Nickel, it felt like heaven. He couldn’t get enough of Balloon’s lips, melting helplessly into them. They felt soft and perfect, and he had longed for this moment for so long. Now, here he was, kissing the lips he had yearned to kiss.

For once in both their lives, it felt like the world around them had ceased to exist, leaving only them against the backdrop of the universe. All their struggles and worries faded away into a distant haze; nothing else mattered but them. For once, Nickel felt true happiness, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time. This was where he wanted to be—with Balloon. All other thoughts vanished, leaving only Balloon occupying his mind. He loved him, truly and deeply, and he knew he would never forget this kiss. It might not have been their first kiss, but it was the first one that held profound meaning for both of them. Nickel was overwhelmed with joy to be here with Balloon, to share this intimate moment with him.

After a moment, they reluctantly pulled apart to catch their breath, their lips parting as they both gasped for air. Balloon leaned his head against Nickel’s, a faint smile playing on his lips as he tried to process the whirlwind of emotions. His heart was pounding so loudly, he could practically hear it. He had never experienced anything like this before—it was truly incredible.

They gazed into each other's eyes, both wearing foolish grins. Nickel took shaky breaths as he played with Balloon’s yellow string that held up his hair, his fingers tracing the curls of Balloon’s hair. He longed to keep kissing Balloon; he could honestly kiss him for hours if given the chance.

“Heh... you’re right... much better than vaping,” Nickel finally broke the silence, his breath still shaky.

Balloon faintly smiled. “Told you,” he whispered softly.

Nickel ran his hand through Balloon’s hair, stroking the soft curls as he locked eyes with him, unable to wipe the smile off his face. “Did you... um, enjoy it this time...?” he asked hesitantly.

Balloon’s smile brightened, and he let out a soft giggle before nodding. “I enjoyed it a lot, actually.”

Nickel's heart skipped a beat at hearing that. He was thrilled to know that Balloon enjoyed the kiss—it meant good things for their relationship moving forward. Though they were running short on time and needed to return to the kitchen for dinner, Nickel couldn’t help but want more, just a little bit, before they had to go.

“So... uh, could we kiss some more?” Nickel asked, his voice tinged with shyness.

“Of course, love,” Balloon spoke softly as he leaned back in to press his lips against Nickel’s once more. Nickel felt his heart leap at being called ‘love’—it felt incredibly good. He wanted to melt into Balloon’s embrace.

The two of them shared soft kisses as darkness began to envelop them, stars twinkling above and the moon's reflection shimmering on the water. It was a beautiful sight, one that filled them both with hope for their future together. Balloon and Nickel could feel it deep in their hearts.

Chapter Text

Back in the kitchen, the groups were nearly finished cooking. Although Lifering initially noticed that Balloon and Nickel were missing, Lightbulb explained that they had gone to fetch something from the cabin. That was half an hour ago, and he hadn't followed up, so once again, they managed to avoid cooking dinner. The original cooking groups didn't stick together; initially, there were distinct groups, but soon people started switching tasks. Some opted for easier jobs, while others moved around to help with everything. Lifering didn't mind as long as the food was being prepared. Everyone seemed to work well together, so if solid groups weren't necessary, that was fine with him.

It was time to stir the stir-fry in the wok, and Knife took on the task since he didn't mind cooking. He was casually mixing the vegetables, meat, and sauce together, humming to himself and minding his own business, until that annoying red-headed pest showed up.

"Do you need any help?" Fan asked in an overly enthusiastic tone.

"No. Go away," Knife grumbled, placing his hand on Fan's forehead and shoving him away.

Fan whined at being pushed away but quickly moved back beside Knife. He was persistent; Knife had to give him that. "Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to help?"

“Maybe try not being so annoying?” Knife snapped at him. What did Fan even want? Why was he being so irritating?

Fan frowned and crossed his arms. Why did Knife have to be such an asshole? He was nice to Balloon! He even flirted with Balloon, but he was so mean to Fan. Why? “Why do you have to be so rude to me?” Fan asked. “You were nice to Balloon!”

Knife stopped stirring for a moment, raising an eyebrow. How would Fan know? He wasn’t in their group. He glanced at Fan and then back at the wok. “So, Nickel has been talking shit about me, hm?”

“I... I didn’t say that,” Fan murmured nervously. He hadn't really thought before speaking, had he?

“Well, you didn’t say that, but if you know what happened between Balloon and me earlier, I assume Nickel has been talking about it. What’d that whiny baby say? How I was trying to steal his crush? Pshh...” Knife rolled his eyes, removed the wooden spoon, and put the lid on the pot to let it simmer.

“Well, partially yes, he was upset about you flirting with Balloon. I mean, totally uncool, man! Fine if you didn’t know the first time, but to do it a second time to annoy Nickel? That's, like, totally unfair.” Fan put his hands on his hips, lecturing Knife.

Knife was unamused by Fan’s little lecture. Did he even know who he was talking to? Knife didn’t give two shits about how Nickel felt. Knife was a jerk, and he loved being a jerk. Nothing would change that, especially not an annoying, whiny pest who wouldn’t leave him alone. The audacity of Fan to lecture him about this was ridiculous. Why did he even get a say? He wasn’t there; he heard the drama from a third party and now thought he had some sort of authority? Did he want to start drama? Did he want trouble? Because Knife could give him trouble if that’s what he wanted. He let Fan continue rambling about how bad it was to steal other people’s crushes, how Knife needed to ‘rethink’ his life choices, and how Knife’s attitude wouldn’t work in the real world. Yada yada... boring! 

Knife stared down at this rambling, short imbecile before moving his hand above Fan’s head, pressing his hand against the wall behind him and backing him into the bench attached to the wall. Fan squeaked and shrunk his shoulders, looking up at Knife with nervousness rushing over him. Initially, Knife did this to frighten and intimidate Fan, but then he noticed how utterly flustered it made him. Interesting… Knife moved his other hand to Fan’s face, gently running the back of it down Fan’s cheek, causing Fan to shiver. His face was burning hot. Knife never realised how feeble and sensitive Fan was. Sure, he could tell when he used to beat him up, but this was different.

Fan was trembling, trying to steady himself by placing a hand on the bench behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest, adrenaline surging through him. His entire face was flushed pink. He could feel his breath catching in his chest and knew he had to escape the situation before he said or did something stupid. He swallowed shakily and spoke quickly.

“I... I have to go!” Fan squeaked, ducking under Knife’s arm and trying to escape. Knife snatched Fan’s jacket hood and pulled him back, causing Fan to let out a whine, what did he want? Why couldn’t he just let him go?

“Actually, you can help me with something,” Knife smirked.

“Oh... heh... I should really get back to Test Tube—” Fan protested, trying his best to get away.

Knife yanked him back harshly, throwing him against the bench and standing over him menacingly. Fan was extremely short compared to Knife, with a skinny and feeble frame that contrasted sharply with Knife’s stature. Knife had to admit, he found it rather cute—especially how easily Fan got flustered. He leaned in closely to Fan’s face before speaking.

"I want you to tell Nickel to keep his mouth shut about me, or else I'll make his life hell. Got it? Can you do that for me, Fan?" Knife said, moving a hand down Fan's hair and stroking it softly.

Fan shivered helplessly, his shoulders tensing as his head sank down. Knife’s touch made him feel weird, and he didn't like it—it felt so wrong. He shook his head, snapping out of it.

"Mhm! Got it! Okay, I should go—bye!" Fan quickly rambled before wrenching himself free from Knife’s grasp, hurrying to escape and head towards the bright lights.

Fan felt like he couldn’t breathe. His chest was tight, his face flushed bright red. He had no idea what he was feeling right now, but it was definitely not what he should be feeling—it was like a rush of adrenaline. He didn’t like Knife, not like that... but come on, someone as hot and popular as Knife, lowkey flirting with him? It did something to you! Fan wasn’t straight, even though he was dating his lovely girlfriend Test Tube. He was bisexual, so yeah, a guy as hot as Knife was going to make him flustered! He couldn’t help that. At least, that’s what he told himself to justify the weird feelings he was experiencing. 

Fan quickly raced back to the bright lights, where everyone was simply waiting for the food to be ready to be served. They noticed how nervous he was and immediately turned their attention to him.

“Fan... what did you do?” Test Tube asked, crossing her arms. She knew her boyfriend well enough to recognize when something was wrong, especially something he probably caused.

Fan swallowed and cleared his throat before speaking. “I may... or may not have accidentally told Knife that Nickel was talking about him... b-but it wasn’t on purpose! Oh god... Nickel is going to kill me... and then Knife is going to kill Nickel. Oh god, what did I do? What did I do!?” Fan felt like he couldn’t breathe for multiple reasons right now.

Test Tube knew she couldn’t get mad at him; he was having a mini panic attack, and getting angry would only make him feel worse. So she took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close into a hug. Fan quickly wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her chest. She huffed and moved her hand to the back of his head, stroking his hair.

“Alright… hey, calm down. Nickel isn’t going to hurt you. I doubt it greatly. You messed up, and that’s okay. Just tell me exactly what Knife said, and we can probably fix this, okay?” Test Tube spoke calmly.

Fan sniffled and moved his face up to look at her. “He said to tell Nickel to keep his mouth shut about him or he’ll make his life hell…” Fan looked up at Test Tube with pleading eyes.

Lightbulb and Paintbrush exchanged looks. This was Fan overreacting again. It seemed like Knife was making an empty threat to scare Nickel. If anything, Fan should be more worried about Nickel getting mad at him for telling Knife that Nickel was talking about him behind his back.

“Fanstar! Relax, bud! I doubt Knife will actually do anything to Nickel. Maybe Nickel might be mad at you, but I doubt he’ll be mad for long!” Lightbulb assured Fan.

“Yeah, because Balloon will tell him not to, and knowing Nickel, he’ll obey anything Balloon tells him to do,” Paintbrush snickered softly to themself.

"Speaking of Balloon and Nickel… they aren't back yet," Test Tube realised, feeling a twinge of worry. She knew they'd probably be fine, but she didn't want them to get into trouble for disappearing.

"They're probably making out or something," Paintbrush chuckled, half-joking.

"Ooh, you think!?" Fan exclaimed, far too excitedly.

Test Tube shot Fan a sharp glare before crossing her arms nervously and looking away. 

"Someone should go get them," she declared.

"I'll go!" Fan volunteered, far too eagerly.

"You will not," Test Tube snapped, grabbing his arm. "If they are 'making out,' you're probably the last person they want to catch them," she reasoned.

"She has a point, Fanstar. After how you tried to push them together the first time, they probably wouldn’t appreciate seeing you there. Plus, you did tell Knife about Nickel talking about him. Sure, Nickel doesn't know yet, but for his safety, you'll eventually have to tell him," Lightbulb added.

Test Tube nodded, feeling that the best choice was for her to go. Balloon already trusted her a lot; she had practically become his personal therapist. They would react better to her catching them making out rather than Fan, who was weirdly obsessive, especially about other people's relationships.

"I'll go. Just… if the teachers ask where I went, tell them I went to the bathroom," Test Tube said with a huff.

"I doubt they'll ask. Silver and Candle are too busy flirting, and no offence to Goo and Lifering, but they are the most absent-minded people I've ever met. They never know what's going on," Paintbrush pointed out.

"Just in case, you know what to say. I'll be back soon." Test Tube quickly left to find Balloon and Nickel.

. . .

Balloon and Nickel sat against the riverbank, unmoved from their spot for the past half hour. Nickel had his arms wrapped around Balloon's neck, while Balloon's hands rested on Nickel's waist. Nickel lay back on the grass as Balloon hovered over him, kissing his lips tenderly. They both knew they had overstayed and needed to return to the kitchen for dinner, but neither boy wanted to. Interlocked at the lips, eyes closed, faces flushed red, they lost all concept of time as everything blurred into one. They were no longer just softly kissing; it had escalated to full-blown making out. Desperately, they pressed their lips together, mouths open, wet and sloppy. It wasn’t perfect—no one's first time ever was—but despite the imperfections, they were both completely into it. 

It was odd, despite Balloon not wanting to at first, he was the one controlling most of it, his tongue desperately swirling in Nickel’s mouth, exploring each corner it could, Nickel felt like he was in heaven, experiencing a moment of pure bliss. Everything around him seemed like clouds and mist. He had lost all thoughts of anything else besides Balloon, completely zoned out as saliva dripped down the corner of his lip. As the kiss continued, Nickel couldn't resist playing with Balloon's ribbon, eventually pulling it out and letting Balloon's hair fall onto his shoulders. In that moment, Balloon didn't mind, especially since moments later, Nickel began running his fingers through Balloon's salmon-coloured locks.

The two of them wished they could stay like this forever, without a care in the world, just each other. They both knew that once this moment ended, they’d have to face reality again, along with the conflicting emotions they had never fully explored. Deep down, Balloon wasn't sure if he wanted a relationship. He was undeniably falling in love with Nickel—there was no doubt about it, as he was literally sitting here kissing him—but he was still afraid. He had just regained Nickel after all these years, and he feared that something might come between them and pull them apart again. Balloon worried that if they rushed into a relationship too quickly, it would hurt even more if they had to split. He didn't want to feel that pain or even think about it. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to kiss Nickel, knowing that once he did, there would be no turning back. Yet, his emotions got the best of him. He really wanted to kiss Nickel, even if he wasn't mentally ready for it. Now here they were, making out in the dead of night at a camp they didn’t even want to attend. It’s strange how things can change.

As for Test Tube, she first checked the cabin to see if they were there, but once she cleared that, she began her walk down to the river. She had a feeling they'd be there—it was the closest place to the camp that was isolated enough for privacy. Test Tube had mentally prepared herself to see anything; she already suspected she might catch them making out, given the tension between them lately. She casually hummed as she strolled down the hill toward the riverbank. It was dark out, and she could barely see, but fortunately, the bright moon above guided her. She stopped when she could clearly see the pair in the distance, doing exactly what she had expected. Rolling her eyes, she called out anyway.

"Hey! You two! You've been gone for almost an hour! If I were you, I'd head back now—dinner is almost done!" she yelled. There was no way she was going down there to get a closer look at them kissing; she knew how awkward that would be. So, she waited on the hill for them to finish and come up.

Balloon let out a squeak upon hearing the call. Nervously, he pulled his lips away from Nickel, the saliva breaking between them. Nickel whined as Balloon moved back, keeping his arms wrapped around Balloon's neck and trying to pull him back, unwilling to leave.

“Looney… come back…” he whined.

Balloon, out of breath from all the kissing, huffed. “We have to go…” he whispered.

Nickel frowned and moved his arms away, crossing them grumpily.

Balloon wiped his lips and stood up, realising his hair was undone. He looked toward Nickel. “Ribbon?” he asked.

Nickel got to his feet and grumbled as he handed the ribbon over, clearly not wanting to stop.

Balloon took the ribbon and tied up his hair before smiling down at the stubborn Nickel.

“You knew we’d have to leave eventually… come on,” Balloon chuckled softly as he took Nickel's hand.

“I guess…” Nickel scoffed. Of course, he knew they couldn’t kiss forever, but it was just sad that it had to end when it did.

The two of them slowly made their way back up the hill to Test Tube, talking as they walked.

“So… does this mean we’re–” Nickel began, but was cut off.

“I’ll think about it… I just, I need time, okay?” Balloon huffed.

“Yeah… cool… cool, time! Gotcha, can do!” Nickel smiled a little. He wished to be in a relationship with Balloon, but he understood why Balloon needed time to process everything. A lot had happened that night, and in the past few days as well.

They reached the top of the hill where Test Tube stood with her arms crossed, looking at them with a hint of annoyance.

“Gee… you both got out of cooking again. Good job,” Test Tube snickered bitterly. “You both owe me,” she warned.

Balloon and Nickel exchanged glances and then nodded at Test Tube.

“Of course, whatever you need. Your wish is our command,” Nickel replied with a positive smile.

“Just... one little thing. Could you keep whatever you saw between us three? Please? I know how Fan will react if he finds out, and both Nickel and I... we’re still working things out. We really don’t need the pressure from others. We’ll tell them when we’re ready,” Balloon asked softly.

“Of course...” Test Tube smiled a bit, feeling a pang of guilt for the trouble her boyfriend had caused. This reminded her that she had some news to break. “About Fan... he, uh... he might have accidentally told Knife that Nickel was talking about him. I have no idea how it happened, I wasn’t there, but Fan was really worked up about it. He mentioned something about Knife threatening Nickel,” Test Tube nervously explained.

Nickel’s eye twitched with obvious anger. Balloon could sense how tense Nickel was, so he gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Hey... don’t blame Fan, okay? Knife is the one you should be angry with,” Balloon muttered softly to him.

“He could still keep his mouth shut,” Nickel grumbled. “Seriously, why does he have to be so obnoxious sometimes?” Nickel spat.

“Hey! Calm down, he didn’t mean it, okay?” Test Tube didn’t appreciate him talking about her boyfriend like that. “As Balloon said, Knife is the real issue here, not Fan.” She added. “Fan was really upset when he told me, so just give him a break, okay? You said you owe me one, right? Then do me a favour and don’t get mad at Fan,” Test Tube requested.

Nickel grumbled, gritting his teeth. “Fine,” he snapped. “I won’t get directly mad at him... but he’ll still know I’m annoyed with him,” Nickel warned.

“As long as you don’t take it out on him, I’m fine with that,” Test Tube huffed.

Soon enough, the three of them made it back to camp and headed inside the kitchen. The tables were already set, and everyone had already taken their seats. Balloon, Nickel, and Test Tube quickly snuck in and sat at the table with Lightbulb, Fan, and Paintbrush, who had saved their seats and bowls of stir-fry. Each couple sat across from each other, with Balloon, Fan, and Lightbulb on one side and Nickel, Test Tube, and Paintbrush on the other. Once everyone was settled, Paintbrush spoke up to voice their frustration about Nickel and Balloon ditching cooking.

“You two are so lucky the teachers or coordinators didn’t notice you were both gone. I can’t believe you got out of cooking, again! Seriously... we all had to be stuck here doing something. I don’t think it was really fair for you two to sneak away, and then what? We had to cover for you?!” Paintbrush snapped.

“We didn’t ask you to cover for us,” Nickel scoffed.

“B-But we’re glad you did! Thank you…” Balloon quickly added with a faint smile after Nickel's remark.

“You better be thankful…” Paintbrush scoffed as they shoved food into their mouth.

There was a moment of silence at the table before Fan spoke up.

“So, what were you two doing... making out?” Fan asked with a smirk on his lips.

“No–” Balloon quickly interjected.

“Yes–” Nickel cut in.

“Nickel!” Balloon squeaked.

“What! I can’t help it! We were making out! Besides, I’d like it to be known that you are clearly seeing someone so the likes of Knife backs off… that jerk thinks he can threaten me… stupid little…” Nickel grumbled before he was cut off.

“Test Tube! You told them!” Fan cried, frowning at his girlfriend.

“I had to, Fan! I knew you weren’t going to tell them! And you knew they had to know; you can’t keep something like that from them,” Test Tube lectured.

“Yeah... about that, what the heck were you thinking?!” Nickel snapped at Fan.

“Nickel! You said you weren’t going to yell at him!” Test Tube snapped back at Nickel.

“Well, sorry your boyfriend is so dimwitted!” Nickel retorted.

All this arguing was clearly making Balloon nervous; he played with his food, keeping his head down as everyone around him argued.

Paintbrush hated arguments; their eyes twitched as they clutched their fork in their hand. They had had enough.

“EVERYONE SHUT UP,” Paintbrush snapped loudly, slamming their hands on the table, their eyes blazing with anger. “You are all equally in the wrong! Fan, you shouldn’t have said anything to Knife. Nickel and Balloon shouldn’t have snuck off in the first place. And Test Tube... well, you haven’t done anything wrong. But everyone else needs to just relax and stop being jerks to each other. Fan didn’t mean it, Nickel, and if you were actually here, maybe that wouldn’t have happened, who knows?” Paintbrush took a deep breath and tried to calm down. They were prone to lashing out like this, especially when things got overstimulating. “Just, can we not be mad at each other? We can all equally agree that Knife is an asshole, yes?” Paintbrush asks.

Everyone stayed silent through Paintbrush’s lash out, nobody was really expecting it to happen. They all looked down at their food nervously, there were no more arguments as Paintbrush had all valid points that they could not argue against. They were in the wrong and they had to accept that and not put the blame on each other.

“Soo… I was thinking we could play a few games back at the cabin tonight… I mean why not, right?” Lightbulb spoke up, trying to lighten the mood to the best of her ability.

“Sure, Lightbulb… that sounds fun.” Balloon spoke up with a faint smile.

Nickel couldn't shake off what Knife had done. It wasn't just the threat; he could handle that. Knife threatened plenty of people. But now, it was sinking in how aggressively he had acted today. Knife was deliberately trying to take Balloon away from him, and he wasn't even bothering to hide it! What's to say he won't try again? Nickel felt an urge to take action, to confront Knife and make him back off. The anger was boiling inside him, and if he didn't do something about it, he felt like he would explode. Deep down, he knew that approaching Knife would only escalate things, but he couldn't help it. When angry, you don't think straight, and he wasn't. He wanted to "protect" Balloon and their relationship, the only way he knew how.

"Hey, uh... I'll be back," Nickel excused himself from the table.

"Where are you going...?" Balloon asked nervously.

"Bathroom... I'll only be a second!" he lied.

Nickel headed straight to Knife’s table on the other side of the room. He interrupted Knife, who was talking with Microphone.

"Can we speak for a moment, in private?" Nickel snapped at Knife.

Knife looked up from his friends towards Nickel. "Huh... alright." He excused himself from his friends, and the two of them headed out the back door, outside the kitchen.

"Let me guess, you're here about the threat?" Knife asked with a smirk on his face.

"Shut up," Nickel snapped at him, surprising Knife slightly. He didn’t think Nickel had it in him. "This isn't about that stupid threat. This is about you and Balloon. How dare you try to steal him from me! I told you that I liked him, yet you still tried to pursue him, and you even proceeded to call him names! Well, guess what, Balloon and I got to second base, we made out! So yeah! He isn’t such a baby after all!" Nickel snapped at Knife.

To Knife, this whole encounter was laughable. He had to hold back his laughs at how pathetic Nickel was being right now. Seriously, he was coming at him to basically ‘threaten’ him to stay away from Balloon, like a protective little boyfriend... aw, how cute. Knife smirked down at the little worm. Did he think he was so much better than Knife? Didn’t he realise Knife could crush him in a second?

"Oh, whoopdeedoo... You made out with him. Do you want a medal?" Knife scoffed as he laughed. "You're so pathetic, you know that? Does your little boyfriend even know you're out here? What would he say if he knew you were here trying to square up to me?" Knife asked with a wide smile. "Y'know, I was going to back away from Balloon. I just didn't want you talking smack about me when you didn't have the right to... but now? Heh... you're finished. I am going to make Balloon wish he never fucking met you." Knife spat violently. "Then, I’m going to make him MY bitch, and kiss him right in front of you. You like that?" Knife snarled.

Nickel was shaking in his spot, his hands clenched to his sides. He wanted to punch Knife right in the face and beat him to the ground. He was furious, more than furious—he was outraged. How dare he! Did he realise how hard Nickel had worked to finally get to where he was with Balloon, and now he wanted to take that away from him too?

“Fuck you! You’re not going near him! He won’t trust you, or believe anything you say! He hates you as much as I hate you! So if you really think that will work, go for it, but it won’t, you’ll just make yourself look like an idiot trying!” Nickel snapped back. 

Knife simply smirked down at Nickel for a moment, watching him blow up as if he were an angry mouse. Once Nickel finished speaking, Knife grabbed him by his jacket harshly and threw him onto the dirty ground. He then proceeded to stomp on his side.

“Don’t speak to me like that, you little worm!” he spat, kicking him one last time before spitting on the ground beside him.

“I will do whatever I want, and there is nothing you can do about it,” Knife said finally before turning around and heading back inside.

Nickel groaned, rolling around on the ground in pain, clenching his side as he coughed. He pushed himself up against the wall as tears welled up in his eyes. He was in so much pain; he was definitely going to bruise up now. But he couldn’t let Balloon know he was out here with Knife, couldn’t let him know that he got beaten up by him. He couldn’t make him worry; he just couldn’t. Especially, he couldn’t let Balloon go after Knife because of this. So Nickel sat there, in pain, breathing through it. He closed his eyes and took a moment to endure the pain.

God, he hoped Knife was just bluffing. He couldn’t take this right now, not when he had just gotten Balloon.

Chapter Text

Nickel slowly pulled himself off the ground, clenching his stomach and groaning. There was no way he was going back through the same door. He'd have to pass Knife’s table again, and he really didn’t want to do that. Instead, he weakly walked all the way back around to the front door. He felt sick to his stomach, partly because Knife had just beaten him up, and partly because of what Knife had implied he would do. Nickel had no idea if Knife was serious, but it put him on edge. He couldn’t afford to lose Balloon. No way. Not after everything they had been through. He was in love with Balloon, and losing him could destroy Nickel. 

He had basically nothing left and saw Balloon as his only hope to keep going. If Balloon was gone, what hope did he really have? Was there any reason to keep living his miserable life? Sure, he had friends he cared about, but he was already planning on leaving them. This was a sign that the universe wasn’t done with him yet, that he had more than he thought he did. Balloon was the push he needed. He couldn't lose that.

Back inside, Balloon was growing worried about how long Nickel was taking. He tried to remain calm, not wanting to appear clingy or obsessive just because of one kiss. He looked around to see if Nickel had come back while the bright lights discussed the games they wanted to play tonight, planning to stay up a little late but not past 1 a.m. Balloon was zoning out from their conversations, his mind elsewhere. He couldn’t believe what had happened in the last few days… and tonight! They had made out. It was the first time Balloon had made out with anyone, and Nickel was also his first kiss. Nickel was his first real crush. It was a lot to take in, making his head fuzzy and his stomach whirl. He wasn’t prepared for all of this to happen, and here he was falling in love with his idiot friend—someone he had always cared for but had to keep distant because of the past. 

It was something to finally have Nickel respect him as a person and want to talk to him as a friend again, but it was entirely different for him to be in love with him and want to date him. It was something he wasn’t really expecting, which, in retrospect, was strange. Nickel always seemed to care, even if he never showed it. Balloon could remember a few times when Nickel cared a lot about him, even when they were fighting.

⎯⎯ ୨ Balloon’s Flashback ୧ ⎯⎯

11th Grade.  Last Year.

Balloon, Baseball, Suitcase, and Nickel were all trying out for the basketball team because their teacher insisted it would be good for them. They didn’t really have a choice, as Nickel had been caught selling weed to one of his classmates, and the other three had covered for him. Now it was either basketball tryouts or a suspension that would go on their school records. Nickel didn’t care about a suspension, but the others didn’t want that on their records. Outvoted, here they were at basketball tryouts. Balloon was furious at Nickel; once again, he had messed things up for everyone else for his own sake. Balloon understood that Nickel didn’t have much money, his job paid poorly, and he needed to earn a little extra on the side, but why drag his friends into it? Balloon wasn’t even sure why he agreed to help Nickel. It wasn’t like they were friends, at least according to Nickel.

So here they were, the four of them trying out for basketball after school. Of course, it had to be after school! Among the group were some of the smart kids, Paper and OJ. They weren’t the nerdy kind of smart, but the cool kind that everyone respected. Surprisingly, they were both really good at basketball. There probably wasn’t anything those two couldn’t do well!

They had to split into two teams for some basic training. Nickel, Balloon, Paper, and Suitcase formed one team, while Baseball and OJ made up the other. Nickel, of course, complained about being on a team with Balloon, making a big deal out of him being weak. Balloon was sick of his complaining. They bickered back and forth, with Balloon remarking that at least he was tall enough to play, unlike Nickel, who was probably the height of an eighth-grader—maybe even shorter, according to Balloon. Their constant bickering continued through practice, which involved dribbling and shooting on their side of the court.

When it was time for a practice game, all hell broke loose. Nickel refused to pass to Balloon, convinced he wasn’t capable of catching the ball and would mess up any shots he took. Instead, Nickel either threw to Paper, who always immediately took the shot, or took the shot himself. Balloon was getting fed up with this bullshit. He could tell Nickel was deliberately avoiding him, and the other team was winning because they were actually working together. Nickel couldn’t even aim right! Every time he took a shot, he missed. Paper was basically carrying the whole game, and even then, it wasn’t good enough.

Balloon had had enough. He couldn’t take it anymore and decided to tackle the ball off Nickel. Of course, if you know how to play basketball, you’re supposed to tackle the ball from the opposing team, not your own. But Balloon was so sick of Nickel not trusting him with the ball. It wasn’t just in basketball; Nickel never gave him a chance at anything. Balloon was fed up. So here they were, rolling around, trying to wrestle the ball from each other.

Eventually, the coach couldn’t take their constant bickering and fighting anymore. The coach warned them that if they weren’t willing to try and learn, they would both be suspended. Despite numerous warnings throughout the game, the suspension ended up happening.

So, great. Nickel got Balloon suspended. Of course, he did! Nickel at least wanted to be suspended; Balloon did not. His parents were going to kill him when they found out. He was furious.

Balloon rode his bike to school, so he had to go all the way to the other side of the school to the bike shed before he could leave, which made him even more annoyed. He got on his bike and rode out of the school gates, his bag on his back. He was so worried about what his parents would do when they found out that he was suspended… he started to zone out, his mind absent as he rode. Before he could react, Balloon rode off the side of the path. His bike wheel wobbled, and before he could respond, the bike fell sideways, sending him crashing to the ground in front of the main school gate just as Nickel was walking out. Nickel watched as Balloon crashed and fell off his bike. The salmon-haired boy sat helplessly on the ground, holding his knee in pain. 

Nickel reacted quickly, and Balloon never understood why Nickel helped him until now. It all made sense. The grey-haired boy raced over and knelt beside Balloon, checking on him. Despite believing that Balloon was the cause of their suspension, Nickel still helped—not just by helping him up and making sure he was okay, but genuinely helping, as if he cared deeply and wanted him to be alright.

Neither of them spoke as Nickel carefully rolled up Balloon’s pants past his knee, revealing a nasty scrape with a bit of cut skin from the fall. Nickel slipped his bag off his back, unzipped it, and searched through it. He pulled out a mini first aid kit. Nickel had been carrying a first aid kit around since Balloon had known him. He used to help Balloon a lot when they were younger, patching him up from falls like this. Maybe that phase never faded away, and he still felt the need to carry it around just in case.

Nickel opened the small kit and took out an alcohol wipe. He gently pressed it against the wound to clean it. Neither of them spoke during this. Balloon refused to even look at Nickel; he honestly wasn’t sure what to say. He looked away, trying to breathe through the stinging of the wipe, squinting his eyes and clenching his fists.

“Stop squirming…” Nickel held Balloon’s leg still as he finished cleaning the blood up.

“It hurts.” Balloon answered.

“Of course it hurts, dumb, dumb, you scraped your knee…” Nickel moved the alcohol wipe away and scoffed. “You’ve always been so accident prone…” he muttered as he searched through the kit for a band aid.

“No I haven’t…” Balloon grumbled in response, crossing his arms.

“Mhm… I don’t know how many times I had to clean you up after a fall…” Nickel snickered to himself.

There was a moment of silence as the memory of their history together lingered in both their minds.

Balloon snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Nickel opening a band-aid package. It was a large blue band-aid patch. Nickel peeled off the clear covers and carefully pressed the patch over Balloon’s knee.

“Thank you,” Balloon muttered awkwardly.

Nickel nodded in response. He got back to his feet and extended a hand to Balloon. Balloon reached out and took Nickel’s hand, slowly standing up beside him.

Balloon seethed through his teeth, clearly in a lot of pain.

“You aren’t riding your bike. You’re hurt,” Nickel said bluntly. “Come on, let’s wait for a bus.” Nickel took the bike from Balloon and started wheeling it along as they walked slowly to the bus stop.

Balloon didn’t argue. He wanted to say he was fine, but Nickel knew he wasn’t. So here they were, standing by the bus stop, waiting in silence. They were silent on the bus, and then they parted their ways when Balloon got off at his stop, he took his bike, and left. They never spoke of this again.

⎯⎯ ୨ Present Day ୧ ⎯⎯

Balloon never realised why Nickel helped him that day, not until now. It all made sense. Nickel still cared about him deeply; why else would he still carry that kit around if he didn’t? Balloon just wished he had said something more than thank you; he was so stunned and didn’t know what to do at that moment. He couldn’t understand why Nickel would help him, but now he did. Looking back on that day, it was strange how the events unfolded. What would have happened if he had asked Nickel why he was helping him? What would he have said? He could have questioned Nickel about why he still carried the first aid kit around, but he didn’t. There were so many things he would have changed about that day, but he didn’t. He regrets it now, but at the same time, maybe it was just meant to be? He didn’t want to think too deeply into it.

Nickel approached the table, looking worn down and holding his stomach in a strange way, as if he were in pain. He groaned as he sat in the chair beside Balloon instead of where he originally sat, maybe because he was protective of him after what had happened… Either way he was attempting to mask his discomfort with a fake smile. Balloon could tell something was off; he wasn’t an idiot.

“Nickel… are you okay?” Balloon whispered to him as he sat down.

Nickel knew Balloon could see through his facade, and insisting he was fine would only worry him more. He took a shaky breath before speaking. “I just fell.” Nickel lied.

Balloon didn’t buy it for a second. Something was seriously wrong with him; he looked worried, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost, and he appeared visibly unwell. Balloon noticed him clutching his stomach in pain. Carefully, Balloon moved his hand to remove Nickel’s hand from his stomach and gently lifted his shirt to see bruises. He didn’t want to argue with him or call him a liar. Whatever had happened, it didn’t matter; what mattered now was tending to Nickel.

“We’re heading to the cabin, right now.” Balloon stood up and pulled on Nickel’s arm.

This caught the attention of the bright lights.

“Is everything okay…?” Test Tube asked anxiously.

“Nickel fell over, I just want to check if he is okay…” Balloon smiled faintly, although he didn’t believe that Nickel simply ‘fell over’ he had to go with that story for now.

“Oh… okay, well we’ll be at the cabin soon!” Test Tube nervously smiled in response.

. . .

Balloon carefully helped Nickel out of the kitchen, and the two of them slowly walked back to the cabin. Once inside, Balloon closed the door and sat Nickel down. He grabbed two torches and wedged them between the bed bars of both bunk beds, casting a soft light in the room. Making sure Nickel was seated on one of the lower bunks, Balloon didn’t speak as he kneeled in front of him. He moved his hands to Nickel’s shirt and carefully lifted it over his head, exposing the bruises just below his ribcage.

“Jesus,” Balloon muttered, crossing his arms. “Nickel, I know this wasn’t from a fall.”

“Heh… what makes you say that?” Nickel laughed weakly, then suddenly started coughing.

“Jesus… because this doesn’t happen from a fall? What the hell happened?!” Balloon demanded to know.

Nickel shook his head, refusing to tell Balloon the truth. “I just fell… really! I was heading to the bathroom in the cabin. It was dark, and I tripped over one of the bags. I plunged into something heavy in one of the bags, that’s all!” Nickel continued to lie. He didn’t want Balloon to worry, especially because Knife was involved, and he didn’t want him getting hurt.

Balloon still didn’t believe him. Why would he? His story was absurd! But he had no choice but to take his word for it. He huffed, giving in to his idiotic story. “Fine… let me go and see if the kitchen has any ice packs…” Balloon stood up.

“My bag, first zip, there should be a little white case. It has some of those one-time-use crack-and-freeze ice packs, y’know, the ones that automatically freeze when you crack them, due to, like, chemicals and shit—” Nickel batted his hand.

Balloon tilted his head and then realised, a smile coming to his lips. 

“Uh… what?” Nickel chuckled awkwardly, a little confused.

Balloon didn’t respond. Instead, he turned around and rummaged through Nickel’s bag, finding the first aid kit. Heh, ironic, wasn’t it?

“You really brought it…” Balloon muttered to himself.

“What? The first aid kit?” Nickel chuckled, a little confused.

Balloon took out the ice packs, cracking one open. It took a moment, but then it started to freeze. He grabbed Nickel’s shirt and wrapped the ice pack in it, carefully placing it against the bruise, causing Nickel to shiver from the cold. Nickel took it from there, holding the blue ice pack to his stomach.

“Thank you…” Nickel huffed softly.

Suddenly, it brought them back to that day, except this time, the roles were reversed. Now the significance of the first aid kit clicked in Nickel’s mind.

“Heh… remember when we both got suspended… and you fell off your bike?” Nickel chuckled softly. “You messed up your knee so bad, dude…” He smiled.

Balloon chuckled softly. “Yeah, and then you wouldn’t let me ride home. You walked me to the bus stop and made sure I got to my stop safely…” Balloon rambled, getting lost in the memory.

“I never asked you why…” Balloon sighed.

“Why what…?” Nickel asked, confused.

“Why you helped me…” Balloon looked up at Nickel, his face flushed pink.

“Heh… do you really need an answer to that now? Or do you already know the answer…” Nickel chuckled softly.

Balloon looked down, nodding. He knew the answer, but he still had a lot of questions.

“If you still cared about me… why did you avoid me and act like you hated me for so long?” Balloon looked up at him.

Nickel huffed. “I was scared. Scared that if I got too close to you again, I’d lose you all over again… It didn’t mean I ever stopped caring about you. I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I carry that stupid first aid kit around in case… y’know, you ever hurt yourself…” Nickel realised how stupid that sounded now.

Balloon chuckled softly, smiling like an idiot. “That’s cute…”

Nickel smiled back. “You’re cute…”

Balloon’s cheeks flushed red. “Shut up…” Balloon giggled.

He moved onto his knees and leaned in, currently sitting on the floor as Nickel sat on the bed above him. Balloon moved his hand behind Nickel’s neck and tilted it down a little, pressing his lips gently against Nickel’s. Now that he had kissed him, he couldn’t stop the urge to keep kissing him. Nickel happily kissed back, allowing his eyes to fall shut. The kiss didn’t last long as Nickel leaned too far forward. He groaned and clutched his stomach, moving back.

Balloon shifted off the floor and slipped onto the bed beside him. Nickel slowly turned to face Balloon. It didn’t take long before the two of them were back to kissing. Balloon held Nickel’s cheek in his hand as they softly exchanged small kisses, smiling throughout. All of this reminiscing about the past and sharing romantic moments made Balloon forget about his initial worry that Nickel was lying to him about the bruises. It slipped from his mind as he melted into the kisses. Nickel was relieved. He really didn’t want Balloon to know the truth. He had no idea how Balloon might react, and he couldn’t stand up to Knife, especially if Nickel couldn’t. He was also slightly afraid that Knife was serious about what he said and might somehow turn Balloon against him. He couldn’t allow that. He had to make sure Balloon stayed as far away from Knife as possible.

Chapter Text

Nickel and Balloon lost track of time as they kissed in the dimly lit room, and soon enough, voices outside the cabin indicated the return of the bright lights from dinner. They pulled away from their kissing, giggling softly to each other. Balloon moved back onto the floor and grabbed the first aid kit, putting it back into Nickel’s bag as the others entered the cabin. They would’ve continued kissing if it wasn’t for the fact they shared the cabin with the others. Oh well… maybe they could kiss later?

“Oh! So you're both here—shit! Nickel! Are you okay? Those look nasty…” Lightbulb exclaimed when she noticed Nickel’s bruises.

“I’m okay, just fell…” Nickel smiled weakly. “Balloon helped me feel better though…” He glanced down at Balloon and smiled, his face flushing pink.

“Great to know,” Paintbrush said bluntly. “Anyways—should we play Uno?!” They smiled.

“I was thinking something like truth or dare!” Lightbulb giggled.

“Sure, whatever you want, babe,” Paintbrush shrugged and sat down on the floor.

Test Tube and Fan sat on the opposite bed, while Lightbulb joined Paintbrush and Balloon on the floor.

“Who wants to start?” Fan asked excitedly.

“Sure, I’ll start. Truth or dare, Nickel?” Paintbrush asked.

Nickel hadn’t realised he had to be involved in this game. Whatever.

 “Dare, as long as I don’t have to get up,” he shrugged.

Paintbrush thought for a moment, then smirked when they got an idea. “I dare you to give everyone here at least one compliment, including Fan.”

“Hey!” Fan exclaimed.

Nickel groaned, throwing his head back. “Do I have to?” he pleaded.

“It can’t be that hard to be nice to us,” Paintbrush spoke bluntly.

“Fine…uh, Test Tube, I like that you care about Balloon’s well-being, Lightbulb… you’re nice, I guess… Paintbrush, you get right to the point, I respect that, Fan…” He tried to think of something nice to say. “You… you exist, and that’s good, because uh—your friends seem to like you around…?” Nickel shrugged. He wasn’t really sure if that cut it.

“Wow… what a compliment…” Fan muttered sarcastically.

“What about me?” Balloon smiled up at Nickel.

“What about you? Of course! How could I ever forget…” Nickel smiled brightly. “Well… you’re adorable, sweet, caring, pretty, funny… a good kisser,” Nickel purred playfully at Balloon.

“Okay—I said, say one compliment each! Please stop before I throw up,” Paintbrush cut in.

Balloon giggled, his face bright red from all the compliments. He found it cute how carried away Nickel got with complimenting him.

"Guess it’s my turn to ask, then?" Nickel shrugged, looking away from Balloon. He often found himself lost in Balloon's eyes if he stared too long.

"Truth or dare, Fan?" Nickel asked. There was something he wanted to get to the bottom of.

"Uh, truth?" Fan replied with a shrug.

"What exactly did you tell Knife?" Nickel was genuinely curious. Knowing the details could be useful, especially if Fan had shared any trash talk with Knife.

"Oh—well… I didn’t exactly tell him anything," Fan admitted awkwardly.

"What?  what’s that supposed to mean?" Nickel asked with a bitter chuckle.

"I just asked him why Balloon, and he figured out you must’ve told me what happened. It was an accident," Fan explained, shrugging uncomfortably.

Test Tube scooted away from Fan, crossing her arms and giving him a mean glare. Fan could tell she was upset, but he couldn’t figure out why.

"What?" Fan asked nervously.

"Why do you care what Knife thinks about Balloon? And why do you want him to… like you over him?" Test Tube asked, clearly uncomfortable.

Panic surged through Fan. He raised his hands defensively and started to ramble.

"Whoa! Testy, I don’t! I just want to be liked. Knife has always bullied me, but he flirts with Balloon? It offended me! It has nothing to do with anything else! I mean, I’m a cute redhead too! Balloon and I are practically the same! Why does he choose him?"

"Hey! You’re nothing like me!" Balloon scoffed, crossing his arms. He couldn’t believe Fan made that comparison.

"I dunno, Balloon… you both seem to have an obsession with being liked, even by the worst of people," Nickel pointed out.

Balloon scoffed, hating the comparison to Fan. No offence to Fan, but Balloon didn’t see himself as anything like him and didn’t want to be.

"So? Lots of people want to be liked. If Fan is so similar to me, why don’t you go make out with him?" Balloon sassed.

"Oh, gross—I take it back!" Nickel laughed.

"Hey! I’m a great kisser!" Fan retorted, clearly offended.

"Good for you, bud," Nickel replied, rolling his eyes.

Test Tube remained distant, her eyes avoiding the conversation. She was silent and reserved, deeply worried about Fan and his strange obsession with Knife. This wasn't the first time at camp that he had said something concerning.

Fan could tell he was making her worried and knew he had to fix it. He took her hands and stared at her face, even though she wasn’t looking at him.

"Test Tube… I promise, my love and commitment are with you. It wasn’t like that. I just… I guess it’s because, why am I so easy to bully and Balloon is not—no offence, Balloon. But it hurt! Maybe Balloon and I aren’t the same, but why me? Am I a loser?" Fan frowned.

Test Tube sighed, turning her gaze to her troubled boyfriend. She believed him; she had no choice but to believe him. Placing her hand on his cheek, she stared into his eyes.

"Geez, Fan… you don’t need to be liked by Knife. You’re not a loser. Even if you were, you’d be my loser, and I love you. Why should anyone else's opinion matter?" She gently rubbed his cheek.

Fan sighed and nodded, leaning into her touch.

"Okay, you’re right," he admitted. "I’m sorry."

"But I think you should stay away from Knife. He's bad news. He's bullied you in the past, so what’s stopping him now? He’s clearly a bad person. If you get infatuated with trying to make him like you, it could be extremely dangerous for you. So please, promise me you'll stay away from him, Fan," Test Tube asked seriously. She didn't trust Knife around her boyfriend; something about it seemed off.

"Okay… I will stay away from him," Fan nodded in agreement. He kind of wanted to after what happened between them, which nobody knew about. He hadn’t expected that. He’d asked why Knife flirted with Balloon and not him, and then Knife flirted with him. He couldn’t really complain, but if Test Tube ever found out about that moment with Knife, she’d probably try to kill him. She was extremely protective of Fan.

"She's right, you know," Nickel spoke up. "Knife is dangerous… and that goes for you too, Balloon. This isn’t a jealousy thing; you need to stay clear of him. Please—I can’t imagine what he could do. I mean, he did—" Nickel stopped.

"He… did what?" Balloon tilted his head with concern.

"Uh—I forgot." Nickel mentally facepalmed; that was an awful cover.

"Oh my god… Knife hurt you, didn’t he? That’s why you disappeared for so long! You got into a fight!" Balloon cried.

"It wasn’t really a fight…" Nickel muttered.

"So he did hurt you! Nickel, why the hell did you lie to me?" Balloon turned to him, disappointed that Nickel had lied but mostly worried that Knife had beaten him up.

All eyes were turned to Nickel now, curious to hear what happened.

“That’s why the bruises look so bad–” Paintbrush pointed out. 

Nickel scoffed. “Come on, guys, it wasn’t that serious! He just shoved me to the ground and kicked me. But I shouldn’t have approached him. I’m fine, really. I’m more worried about you, Balloon. You really should stay away from him.” Nickel was worried Balloon would confront Knife now, which he couldn't have. He didn’t want Balloon anywhere near Knife, especially after what Knife had threatened before attacking him.

Balloon looked deeply concerned, clearly upset and conflicted. He was mad that Nickel lied to him, but he understood it might have been to avoid worrying him or to avoid seeming weak. Regardless, Nickel shouldn't have lied. He was also furious at Knife—who did he think he was? Knife had no right to hurt Nickel, who had done nothing wrong. It made Balloon so mad.

“I won’t go near him,” Balloon stated. “I promise… just please, stay away from him too. And please don’t lie to me, Nickel. If you want a relationship with me, we need transparency. Lies have only ever hurt us in the past, so please, just be open with me.” Balloon practically begged.

Nickel felt awful for not telling Balloon. He had wanted to protect him, knowing Balloon would worry, and he was still fearful that Balloon might confront Knife and get hurt. He could see the anger in Balloon’s eyes; Balloon probably wanted to hunt Knife down right now. But a few words wouldn't change anything—Knife didn’t use words; he used anger and violence. Nickel couldn’t risk Balloon getting hurt. He couldn’t let Balloon out of his sight now.

Still, Nickel knew he couldn't say all this. Balloon would see it as pointless excuses and get more upset with him for arguing. So Nickel huffed and nodded. “Yeah. I don’t plan on going near him. You’re right, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t want to worry you,” Nickel said, leaving his other reasons out.

“At least if I know, I know that I need to protect you. Okay? We’ll both stay away from him, and everything will be okay. That goes for Test Tube and Fan too… all of us, in fact. He clearly has a problem with us. So, we just stay away, and there won’t be a problem, right?” Balloon hoped this would be true.

"Balloon's right. If we just stay away from him, everything should be fine," Test Tube agreed.

Fan twiddled his thumbs, looking anxious and out of it. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Knife had acted towards him, the way he backed him into that counter. It was like the old days when he used to bully Fan, but without the punches. Instead, Knife had this look in his eye, like he knew the closeness was messing with Fan. The way he smirked and got closer, it felt like he was taking advantage of Fan’s emotions. Fan didn’t want to feel anything for Knife, but something about the big, rough, popular bully—because that’s what he was—standing over him, staring deeply into his eyes, touching his hair… It drove Fan mental. He didn’t even like Knife romantically, but there was this raw tension that gave him the shivers and made him flustered so easily. Fan hated it, but at the same time, he wanted more. It filled him with adrenaline.

Fan snapped out of his trance. He couldn’t think about Knife right now, not when Nickel had been beaten up. He needed to apologise; this was his fault, after all. If he had never approached Knife, never let his jealousy get the better of him, none of this would have happened. He felt sick with shame.

"Nickel, I'm really sorry…" Fan murmured suddenly. "I—I shouldn’t have even gone near Knife, let alone opened my mouth. None of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have triggered you to approach him, and then Knife wouldn’t have hurt you…" Fan rambled on, trembling as he spoke.

Test Tube placed a hand on Fan’s back and rubbed it gently. "Love… it’s okay. It’s not your fault that Knife is a maniac," she assured him. "Right, Nickel?" She glared at Nickel.

Nickel scoffed. He did blame Fan a little, but he knew it was best to avoid a fight right now, so he simply agreed. "Sure. Whatever."

There was a moment of silence in the room, the tension high and the mood sombre. One question had ruined the game of truth or dare before it could truly begin. Paintbrush looked unimpressed, while Lightbulb seemed extremely nervous, unsure of what to say. It was a lot to take in at once. Both she and Paintbrush seemed to be the only ones not involved in the whole Knife drama, which was good, but it also meant they didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation.

"Can we please continue the game?" Lightbulb muttered nervously.

Balloon sighed in relief. "Yeah, that would be nice. I need to stop thinking about all this drama."

Nickel unravelled his shirt from the ice pack and tossed it aside; it had gotten warm. He slipped his cold shirt on and shivered from the chill left by the ice pack. Carefully, he shifted down beside Balloon, pulling the blanket from the bed and wrapping it around both of them.

Test Tube and Fan also relocated to the floor, forming a small circle. Test Tube and Fan, Paintbrush and Lightbulb, Nickel and Balloon, all in a small circle, each couple cuddled up to their significant other, sharing a blanket, it was nice. 

The game continued without any serious or strenuous tasks, as everyone was tired. Silly truths and simple dares were the order of the night. Despite yawning and struggling to keep their eyes open, they pushed through, enjoying their wholesome little game of truth or dare. They all agreed to head to bed by 1 a.m., which was still half an hour away.

“Truth or dare, Paintbrush?” Test Tube asked.

“Truth,” Paintbrush replied bluntly.

“Who here is the worst at flirting, that you’ve seen?” Test Tube asked, genuinely curious about Paintbrush’s opinion.

“The worst? Nickel. Because he makes me cringe,” Paintbrush stated.

“Hey! Cringe doesn’t mean the worst!” Nickel protested. “Balloon, you like my flirting, right?” he turned to his crush.

“Ehhh…” Balloon giggled before quickly adding, “I’m kidding! It’s cute!”

“It better be…” Nickel playfully teased.

…

"Truth or dare, Balloon?" Paintbrush asked.

"Hm… truth?" Balloon replied, too tired for any more dares, and nobody was really pushing dares anyway.

"Alright… when did you first realise that Nickel was gay?" Paintbrush was curious to hear the answer.

Nickel raised a brow at the question but let it go. He was gay, after all; there was no hiding that.

"When I first realised Nickel was gay… Wow… I think I always just kind of knew," Balloon chuckled. It wasn’t even much of a joke; he had genuinely sensed it since they met.

"What? No way," Nickel protested.

"You do give off gay vibes," Paintbrush pointed out.

"I’ll take that as a compliment," Nickel snickered.

…

Half an hour later, it was time to wrap up their game. Lightbulb had already passed out, peacefully sleeping on Paintbrush’s shoulder. The others were struggling to keep their eyes open. With a yawn, Test Tube suggested they go to bed, and everyone agreed. It had been a long day, and a good night's rest would help them feel refreshed for whatever drama they might face tomorrow.

Paintbrush carefully scooped Lightbulb into their arms and walked over to their bed. They gently laid her down and pulled her fluffy blanket over her. Paintbrush paused for a moment, smiling as they admired their girlfriend peacefully sleeping, before slipping in beside her. As soon as Paintbrush lay down, they wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

Test Tube and Fan followed suit, climbing into bed together. No one bothered with pyjamas; it was late, and everyone was exhausted. The moment Test Tube lay down, Fan snuggled up close, resting his head on her chest and using her as a pillow. Test Tube sighed contentedly, wrapping an arm around her short boyfriend. She gently stroked his soft hair as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Nickel and Balloon didn't go to sleep right away. Balloon sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, while Nickel rested his head in Balloon's lap, gazing up at him with pure love in his eyes. Balloon softly hummed, running his fingers through Nickel's hair. They stayed like this, savouring the moment, staring into each other's eyes, and appreciating how far they had come. They were grateful to have each other; it felt perfect, like this was exactly where they were meant to be.

Balloon shifted slightly, covering a soft yawn with his hand. Nickel reached up, gently taking Balloon's hand and lowering it to his lips. He kissed it softly, closing his eyes and nuzzling into it. Balloon smiled at Nickel's loving gesture, still marvelling at their recent intimacy. Though they were currently friends with benefits, Balloon was still processing a lot, especially the complications involving Knife.

He genuinely cared for Nickel, feeling something he had never felt for anyone before. Despite his strong feelings, fear kept him from committing to being Nickel's boyfriend just yet. He was content with their current arrangement, even though he desired more. Until his mind was clear, this was enough. Nickel understood and accepted this. Everything had happened so quickly—this was only day four at the camp, and so much had transpired between them in that short time. They both needed time to process it all, especially with the ongoing issues with Knife.

Their priority now was to stay clear of Knife, particularly for Balloon's sake. Nickel wasn't sure if Knife was bluffing about ruining their relationship or if he was serious, which put Nickel on edge and made him overly protective. He couldn't bear the thought of Balloon being out of his sight tomorrow; the stress would be overwhelming.

Balloon couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt as he looked down at Nickel. If he had just stayed clear of Knife in the first place, none of this would have happened. He knew how Nickel felt about him and was aware of Nickel's fear of being abandoned. Yet, he still allowed Knife to get close to him. Although the second encounter wasn't entirely his fault, as Knife deliberately came onto him to upset Nickel, Balloon couldn't defend himself. He went silent, feeling overwhelmed by a sense of weakness.

He had told Nickel he could stand up for himself, but the truth was, he couldn't—and Nickel could see that. Balloon had thought he was tough enough to face Knife, but now he was bruised and battered from trying to defend his crush. He felt partially responsible for everything that had happened.

“Nickel…  I’m curious, what happened when you approached Knife, despite him hurting you.” Balloon felt like he needed to know what caused this so he could make sure they were both safe. 

Nickel opened his eyes, worry evident in his expression. He didn’t want to tell Balloon what had happened, but he knew Balloon wouldn’t let it go until he did.

“I called him out on his bullshit,” Nickel began. “I was on edge, and I couldn’t take my anger out on Fan. I needed to yell at someone. So, I confronted him about flirting with you, knowing how I felt about you. He got mad and said he could do whatever he wanted.” Nickel huffed. “That's when he grabbed me and threw me onto the floor. He stomped on my side with his boot and then kicked me. It hurt like hell…” Nickel chuckled a little. “I know I should’ve just left it, but I got carried away and told him that we, uh—” Nickel bit his lip and looked away, regretting that he had mentioned to Knife that he and Balloon had made out.

“You told him? Nickel…” Balloon sighed in disappointment.

“I’m sorry! He was all over you, and my jealousy got the better of me. I wanted to shove it in his face.” Nickel huffed. “He got really mad… too mad.”

“Yeah… you think?” Balloon replied sarcastically. “You didn’t have to shove that in his face. What happened to not caring what others thought?” Balloon asked with a hint of sass.

“This is different! I don’t care what Knife thinks; I care that he thinks he can flirt with you right under my nose. I wanted him to see you were—well, seeing someone.” Nickel realised he might have made a mistake. Approaching Knife and telling him about their relationship had only escalated things. None of this would’ve happened if he had taken Knife’s threat seriously and stayed away. But he had to speak up, and now he regretted it.

"Mhm, now look at you," Balloon said, shaking his head. "I am never going to forgive Knife for what he did. I can’t believe he even hurt you." He moved his hand away from Nickel’s lips and ran it down his chest, lifting Nickel’s shirt slightly to examine the bruise. It had turned a dark purple and looked really nasty. For some reason, Balloon lifting his shirt like that gave Nickel chills, but he ignored it and grabbed Balloon’s hand, pulling it back up to his lips and giving it another soft kiss.

"We should get into bed," Balloon suggested with a small smile.

"Ugh… I’m comfortable here!" Nickel whined playfully.

"I’m not!" Balloon laughed. "It’s uncomfortable on the floor." He gently pushed Nickel off of him and moved onto the bed.

Nickel whined when Balloon left, but he willingly followed, carefully getting off the floor and scooting in beside him. They pressed up against each other as they lay in the single bed. Nickel nuzzled into Balloon’s chest, wrapping his arms around him and basking in his warmth. Balloon smiled and extended an arm to wrap around Nickel in return. This felt nice. It was comforting to know they no longer had to feel ashamed for cuddling up to each other. This felt right, it felt safe.

 “Goodnight Nickel…” Balloon softly murmured as his eyes fell closed. 

“Night Looney…” sighed softly.

Chapter Text

The next day arrived quickly, with the sun streaming through the cabin windows, signalling it was time to wake up. Balloon and Nickel were still fast asleep, snuggled up together in bed, exhausted from the previous day's events. As usual, Paintbrush was the first to rise. They hopped into the shower before anyone else had a chance and were now fully dressed and ready to start the day.

Fan and Test Tube woke up next, around the same time. The moment Test Tube slipped out of Fan's grasp, Fan complained about being too cold and got up as well. They both waited for Paintbrush to finish in the bathroom before taking their own showers.

Lightbulb remained sound asleep, her arm hanging off the side of the bed as she snored peacefully. Paintbrush sat at the edge of the bed, gently running their hand through Lightbulb’s hair, watching her sleep. They loved their girlfriend so much; she brought a sense of brightness to their life. Paintbrush wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. Paintbrush waited a few more minutes before waking their girlfriend up to get ready for the day.

Before long, both Nickel and Balloon stirred awake due to the chatter of the bright lights preparing to leave the cabin for a morning beverage. Nickel sat up first, groaning as he rubbed his eyes. He stretched his arm and looked down at Balloon beside him. The salmon-haired boy blinked his eyes open, adjusting to the sun rays shining directly on their bed. He groaned and sat up next to Nickel.

Nickel painfully slipped out of bed, his ribs aching from Knife's stomp the previous day. He groaned as he stood up but tried to play it off as stretching, not wanting to worry Balloon.

Balloon rubbed his eyes and shifted out of bed as well.

“I’m going to have a shower…” Nickel said as Balloon got up, then leaned down to grab some clothes from his bag.

“Do you want me to wait here for you? I don’t mind waiting,” Balloon offered, getting some clean clothes out of his own bag.

“Yes, please.” Nickel smiled faintly. He felt a bit guilty making Balloon stay, but he didn’t want to leave him alone, especially if he encountered Knife again.

“By the way… I brought painkillers,” Balloon said, pulling out a packet from his bag. He smiled faintly and handed them to Nickel.

“Thanks…” Nickel chuckled awkwardly, realising his attempt to hide his pain hadn’t really worked. Maybe it could fool someone else, but not someone who knew him as well as Balloon did. It was worth a try, though. “I’ll be back,” he said before heading to the shower.

As Nickel left, Balloon got dressed. He slipped on a pair of blue jeans, a plain white T-shirt, and a red button-up shirt that he left unbuttoned. He put on his red converse and retied his hair, not bothering to tame it since it was too curly to brush and he didn’t have the right products to make it sit properly. Once he was fully ready, he sat on the bed and patiently waited for Nickel.

. . .

Outside, the Bright lights gathered around the morning campfire, waiting for the other campers to wake up. Fan was getting really bored, especially since Test Tube and Lightbulb were deep in conversation, making him feel left out. Sure, he could talk to Paintbrush, but they were off doing their own thing.

“I’m going to go to the kitchen and make us coffee. I think I know how to use the coffee machine now,” Fan announced as he stood up.

“Alright, hun,” Test Tube smiled at him, not seeing an issue with it.

“Oooh, make me a hot chocolate!” Lightbulb giggled.

“If I figure out how, sure,” Fan replied with a faint smile before letting the two girls get back to their chat.

He made his way to the kitchen, humming as he walked. It was still pretty early, and the other cabin seemed to be asleep. It looked like the Bright Lights were the first ones up, but it probably wouldn’t be long until the others woke up too. The sun was really bright, and Lifering was awake, talking to Goo and the teachers around the campfire, probably about the day's activities.

Fan walked into the kitchen and froze in place when he saw who was at the coffee machine. Knife. He knew he should have turned around and left immediately, but he was paralyzed, all the recent talk about avoiding Knife at all costs running through his mind. It was shocking to see him just standing there after spending an entire night discussing how to avoid him. Now here he was, right in front of him, and they were alone. Fan didn't know how to respond, his brain shutting down as he stood stiff. Knife noticed him almost immediately. Leaning casually against the counter with a coffee mug in his hand, Knife seemed to have woken up before his cabin and grabbed a cup of coffee before everyone started lining up. 

Knife spoke up when he realised Fan wasn't going to say anything, stuck in some sort of trance. 

"Morning," Knife said casually, taking a sip of his coffee. "Need help with the machine? I could make you a coffee," he offered with a smile.

Why was Knife being oddly nice? Well, why wouldn't he be? He didn't have a problem with Fan. If anything, Fan had been a great help to him so far and had been entertaining to playfully tease. Besides, Knife saw potential in Fan as someone he could manipulate to get what he wanted. He just had to play his cards right to find a way to control him. How hard could it be?

Fan gulped, trying to open his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He felt overwhelmed by Knife's presence, as if it were illegal to even be near him. Test Tube didn't want him anywhere near Knife, and Fan felt like he was doing something wrong, even though it wasn’t his fault. He had a few options: he could casually accept Knife's offer, get the help, and leave; he could decline, make his coffee, and leave; or he could leave right now without saying another word. But did he choose any of those options? No, of course not.

“I’m not supposed to talk to you–” Fan blurted out nervously.

Knife tilted his head slightly, chuckling. Though Fan's reaction threw him off a bit, it wasn’t surprising, especially since Knife already knew Nickel had been talking about him. He suspected Nickel had spilled the beans about the attack last night.

"Who said?" Knife asked curiously, crossing his arms over his chest.

"My girlfriend," Fan replied, uncomfortably crossing his own arms and averting his eyes. Knife made him feel small, intimidated. He didn’t want to feel this way again. Knife seemed to have a hypnotic effect on him, making it hard to concentrate when he was near.

"Test Tube?" Knife questioned. He wasn’t expecting that, but then again, it made sense. Test Tube probably noticed Fan's infatuation with Knife and that made her jealous,  she also knew Knife was bad news. "It’s not like I’m gonna bite…" Knife snickered as he switched on the coffee machine. "What do you want? I’ll make it."

Fan awkwardly approached the coffee machine, unsure why he didn’t just turn and leave, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood next to Knife.

“Cappuccino…” Fan muttered. “Two of them. I need to bring one back to Test Tube—who, by the way, said I shouldn’t even be talking to you! So…” Fan recrossed his arms.

"Why's that?" Knife hummed as he casually prepared the coffee machine.

“You know why!” Fan squeaked. “She’s worried you’re gonna, like, hurt me or something! I mean, you did beat Nickel up! What did he do to deserve that, by the way? Wasn’t the threat you made enough?” Fan asked, feeling really guilty about all of this.

"It was," Knife started as he ground the coffee beans. "Until the little prick approached me and started mouthing off. I don’t like being spoken down to, and he did, so I taught him a lesson. It was as simple as that."

Fan frowned, fiddling with his thumbs and still trying to avoid eye contact with Knife. “That doesn’t mean you had to beat him up… everyone is super mad at you! Wait—why am I even telling you any of this? I shouldn’t be talking to you! Stop this! Stop trying to get in my head!” Fan snapped.

"Hm? I’m not… you’re willingly telling me everything," Knife shrugged as he walked over to the fridge to get the milk.

“Yeah, but—you’re being all smooth and stuff. Making me coffee, speaking so casually, trying to give me a false sense of security that this is okay! That’s manipulative! This is exactly what Test Tube was talking about and why she wants me away from you! She knows that—”

“What? That you’re the weakest out of all of them? Easily tricked and manipulated? Does she not have faith in you? I mean, it’s not my place to say anything, but you should be allowed to speak to anyone you want…” Knife shrugged as he poured the milk into the metal flask.

“It’s not like that…” Fan murmured, it made him start to think if this was Test Tube’s true intentions… because she didn’t trust him to keep his mouth shut, maybe it wasn’t actually about his safety after all?

“You sure? You don’t sound sure,” Knife pointed out as he started to warm the milk.

“I’m sure,” Fan snapped. “Stop trying to get inside my head. I know you’re trying to get me to turn against my friends, but I won’t. I know what you’re doing! I’m not an idiot,” Fan scoffed.

Knife snickered softly. He moved the hot milk and carefully poured it into the cup, completing the first freshly brewed cappuccino. “I’m not doing anything. You’re in your own head, making up stuff. I haven’t once asked you to tell me any of this. I offered to make you coffee,” Knife stated. He wasn’t wrong; Fan was the one willingly spilling all the beans. Knife wasn’t forcing him to say anything. Sure, he might have been using a smooth tactic to make Fan nervous, but there was no actual proof he was doing that. He was simply being nice.

“Then—then why are you being so nice to me? You’re doing this on purpose to make me comfortable with you! Why else would you suddenly want to talk to me? You know I’m the weak one, and you know you can use me like some kind of pawn, so you’re being extra nice to me to get me to say stuff to you! I know exactly what you’re doing! I’ve seen it all before, but guess what, buddy? I’m not falling for it!” Fan snapped, taking the first coffee and having a sip. It tasted really good, but he wasn’t going to admit that.

Knife started on the second coffee, allowing Fan to go off on his little tantrum. Rolling his eyes, he turned to face him as the coffee was being ground.

“Maybe I just want to be your friend,” Knife shrugged.

“Why would you want to be my friend? You used to bully me!” Fan exclaimed.

“Yeah, and maybe I think you’re cool now,” Knife hummed as he repeated the process with the coffee machine.

“You…? Think I’m cool? Heh—no… you’re the cool one. Why would you think I’m cool? Now I know you’re lying!” Fan was starting to get nervous again; compliments made him feel weird, especially coming from someone like Knife.

“Aw… you think I’m cool? That’s cute.” Knife smiled charmingly, leaning against the bench as he stared down at Fan, who was starting to become a nervous wreck.

“Stop,” Fan warned.

“Stop what?” Knife questioned, smirking a bit. He found this really fun.

“Looking at me like that… it’s making me nervous,” Fan admitted, looking away. He grabbed his mug and took another nervous sip, trying to avoid looking back at Knife.

Knife chuckled softly, finding it amusing how nervous Fan got just from his presence. It was entertaining, and Knife was definitely going to use it to his advantage. He finished making the second coffee and set it aside for Fan to take back to Test Tube. Watching Fan quickly grab the cup and prepare to make his escape, Knife couldn't help but enjoy the moment.

"Not gonna say thank you?" Knife asked, brushing a hand against Fan’s hair.

Fan shivered, jolting slightly at the contact. His cheeks flushed brightly as he stared at Knife. Any touch from Knife always made him feel fuzzy... and he hated it. He hated the effect Knife had on him. Fan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He felt overwhelmed by everything: Knife beating up Nickel, Test Tube forbidding him from speaking to Knife, bumping into Knife this morning—no, not just bumping into him, but having him make the coffee he was going to give to Test Tube! And of course, Knife's smooth talk and flirty tones were making him feel a certain way. It wasn’t fair. Fan just stood there, eyes wide, pupils dilating, breath caught in his throat, struggling to say anything. He slowly nodded, never taking his eyes off Knife.

"You know… you really shouldn’t let your friends cloud your judgement about me," Knife cooed, stroking Fan’s hair. "I can tell you like having me around~. You should have a say in this. Fine, they don’t have to talk to me… I don’t like those losers anyway. But you? I don’t have a problem with you~" Knife leaned in closer.

He watched as Fan’s face grew redder and redder, his shoulders sinking and his breath catching in his throat. Fan couldn’t even look away; like a stunned deer, he stared, too fearful to flee. He just nodded again in response.

"Look… if you’re really worried about what they’ll do if they find out you’re still talking to me, there’s a solution! Don’t tell them. We can always talk in private. I mean… I like being alone with you. It’s fun~" Knife continued, trying everything he could to get Fan on his side. He knew he could manipulate him; it wasn’t hard since Fan was so easily convinced.

Fan just slowly nodded. He didn’t want to lie to Test Tube or any of his other friends—they really didn’t want him talking to Knife. And quite frankly, he didn’t want to either. Knife made him feel weird, and he hated that. He couldn’t let Knife confuse his mind like this! He wanted to run, to pretend Knife wasn’t there, but he couldn’t. He felt trapped. If he said no, if he decided to run and tell Test Tube, what would Knife do? Would he do what he did to Nickel? Would he hurt him?

Fan had been bullied by Knife all the time, but now, one of the coolest people Fan knew thought he was cool? That he actually wanted him around and wanted to talk to him? Part of Fan knew this was manipulation. He knew! But it felt so nice to be liked by someone other than his friends. It felt so nice to feel like he could fit in. There were too many factors convincing him to agree with Knife, to stay his friend and lie to his real friends. He was so conflicted, and he hated it.

“T-The coffees getting cold… I should go–” Fan managed to stutter out.

"Alright, just think about what I said, hm? You deserve to make your own choice. Your opinion matters, Fan." Knife gave a faint smile before walking past him. He felt he had played it pretty smooth and that it might have been enough to convince Fan that this was the right decision. Knife tried to paint himself as the bigger man in the situation, suggesting that Fan’s friends weren’t considering him at all, but Knife was. He wanted to make it seem like this wasn’t his fault and that the others had some random issue with him. He wanted to appear as the saint to Fan and turn him against his friends.

Once Knife had left, Fan quickly followed, not wanting to walk out at the same time in case anyone saw. As he exited the kitchen, he glanced over at the campfire where people were starting to gather, including Knife and his friends, of course on the opposite side from Fan’s friends. He watched as his three best friends eyed Knife down as he sat by the camp before continuing to talk among themselves. Fan took a deep, shaky breath and tried to put on a fake facade. He decided he wouldn’t tell anyone about the encounter with Knife; he would keep this to himself, not because Knife told him to, but because it shouldn’t be anyone else’s business. It’s not like Knife approached him—he was already in the kitchen—and he wasn’t in any kind of danger, so why did they need to know?

As for his decision on whether or not to befriend Knife… he was still thinking about it. He was confused by his feelings and wasn’t sure how to actually feel about it all. He needed time to think it over; hence, the others couldn’t know. He couldn’t have anyone else influencing his decision, like Knife said. This was his choice, not theirs. He got a say in this.

Fan approached the camp and sat down beside Test Tube, trying to appear as calm and unsuspecting as possible. He handed her the coffee and sipped his own. Test Tube was too busy talking to Lightbulb and Paintbrush to notice Fan’s change in behaviour. Fan kept to himself, sipping his coffee as he zoned out. The ramblings of his girlfriend and friends became a blur. His eyes drifted off into the distance, staring at Knife, who was talking with his own friends. He couldn’t seem to look away. Was he afraid of Knife or drawn to him? He wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened. It made him feel unsettled.

. . .

Back in the cabin, Nickel had finished his shower and got fully dressed for the day. He walked out, his hair still dripping wet. He walked over and sat beside Balloon on the bed, who was writing poems in his little notebook. Nickel grabs his shoes and socks and slips them on, humming casually.

"Whatcha writing?" Nickel asked curiously.

"Poems," Balloon answered with a faint smile, closing his book and putting it away. "There’s no internet here, can’t scroll through social media… So why not write?"

"Yeah… it’s weird. We haven’t spoken to Baseball or Suitcase in five days," Nickel chuckled awkwardly.

They both went silent for a moment, the thought that Baseball and Suitcase had no idea what had happened over the last five days weighing on them.

"The last message I managed to send... I think I mentioned that I had a good feeling about this camp and us," Balloon said as he slipped off the bed. "But I don’t think she would’ve ever thought... all this would happen." He took Nickel’s hand and pulled him up.

"I doubt she did," Nickel chuckled a little.

There was another moment of silence before Nickel spoke again.

"Do you think they’ll be okay with everything that’s happened between us? I mean, they’re not homophobic, obviously, but wouldn’t it be weird for them to see us like this? And… didn’t..." Nickel paused, lowering his voice. "Didn’t Suitcase like me?" He felt weird saying it out loud. It had come as a shock when Baseball and Balloon told him about Suitcase’s feelings, especially since he was gay and didn’t feel the same way... it killed him.

"It might be... and it might take her a moment to deal with the change, but I’m sure she’ll still be happy for us," Balloon assured Nickel, though he wasn’t too sure himself. "But what about Baseball? What if he starts to feel left out? We’re his only real guy friends... and if we start dating, wouldn’t that make it weird for him?"

Nickel shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about what his friends would think, mostly because he was worried about it and tried to push the thought away.

"I think it’ll be okay, Balloon. We have a week before we have to confront that. Let’s just enjoy ourselves. When we update them, we’ll be ready, and... it will be okay," Nickel tried to sound positive, for Balloon’s sake.

"Okay, you’re right. We shouldn’t worry," Balloon smiled faintly. "Should we go?"

"Yeah, the others are probably waiting for us," Nickel agreed.

Chapter Text

Nickel and Balloon stepped out of the cabin and headed towards the campfire where their friends were gathered. As soon as they left the cabin, Nickel grabbed Balloon’s hand. He wanted to make it clear to Knife that he and Balloon had a connection, even if they weren’t officially a couple. Nickel despised Knife’s assumption that he could just swoop in because Nickel and Balloon weren’t dating. He intended to make sure Knife understood that, despite their status, Balloon had feelings for him. As they walked past Knife, Nickel shot him a glare. Knife noticed and smirked, his eyes following the pair as they joined the group by the fire. Fan, meanwhile, clutched his coffee mug tightly, his gaze distant.

"Good morning," Balloon greeted Fan with a smile, sensing something was wrong but not wanting to pry.

Fan snapped out of his trance and looked up, noticing Balloon standing beside him with a concerned expression. He returned a faint smile before responding.

"Uh, yes, good morning," he replied quickly, taking a sip of his coffee.

Nickel and Balloon exchanged glances, both sensing that something was off with Fan. They decided not to ask, despite suspecting it might be related to Knife.

In the midst of her rambling with Test Tube, Lightbulb noticed Test Tube had a coffee. She realised Fan had returned without her noticing. She paused and leaned over Test Tube to ask Fan.

"Did you get my hot chocolate?" Lightbulb asked.

Fan's eyes widened. He had completely forgotten! "Geez... I'm sorry, Lightbulb! I completely forgot," he admitted.

Lightbulb smiled faintly. She really wanted a hot chocolate, but sometimes people forget things. She wasn’t mad at Fan for forgetting, just disappointed she didn’t have her hot drink. Leaning back into her spot, she said, “It’s okay,” with a bright smile.

Paintbrush, sitting beside Lightbulb, frowned at how upset their girlfriend was. They put an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder, shooting a fierce look at Fan.

Fan gulped and shifted nervously. “I can go make you one now if you like?” he offered, mostly because he was intimidated by Paintbrush. He had learned never to get on Paintbrush’s bad side; they could get really, really angry, which was terrifying.

“If you want... you don’t have to if it’s too much work!” Lightbulb quickly assured.

“Haha... nonsense,” Fan smiled awkwardly as he stood up. Paintbrush continued to glare, never taking their eyes off him, making it clear he was to make their girlfriend a hot chocolate this time.

As Fan stood up, Balloon noticed how Knife watched carefully, his eyes following Fan’s every move as if he were watching his prey. Balloon felt uncomfortable letting Fan go to the kitchen alone, especially since it seemed Knife was planning to follow him. From what Balloon knew, Fan got a bit weird around Knife, which worried Balloon. He didn’t want Fan to make a mistake and fall for any of Knife’s tricks, so he decided to speak up before Fan left.

“I’ll come too. I think I remember how to make a coffee this time!” Balloon smiled at Nickel. “It’s my turn to make a coffee for you,” he added with a cheesy grin.

“Whatever you say, looney,” Nickel chuckled, letting go of Balloon’s hand. “Better be good!” he teased.

Balloon smiled at Nickel before leaving with Fan toward the kitchen. Nickel didn’t even think twice about why Balloon decided to go with Fan; he was too sleepy to realise that letting the two most vulnerable to Knife’s games go alone might not be the best idea.

Fan and Balloon headed into the kitchen together, relieved that it didn’t seem like they were being followed. Once inside, Fan huffed, running a hand through his hair, clearly stressed out.

“I can trust you… right?” Fan suddenly asked, taking Balloon by surprise.

“Did something happen?” Balloon asked immediately.

“No, it’s just—” Before Fan could finish his sentence, the kitchen door swung open, and in walked Knife. Of course he had followed them; that was the whole reason Balloon came along in the first place.

To their surprise, Taco stood behind Knife, but that was a minor concern compared to the unease Knife's presence caused.

“Well, if it isn’t my two favourite redheads!” Knife greeted them with a charming smile.

Fan’s head sank, his stomach churning at the sight of Knife. He trembled nervously and scooted behind Balloon, finding Knife’s presence unsettling. At least this time he had someone to shield him from Knife’s flirty behaviour.

Balloon stared at Knife but said nothing. He grabbed Fan’s arm. “Come on, we have to make Lightbulb a hot chocolate, remember?” Balloon said, trying to distract Fan from Knife. Ignoring Knife entirely, Balloon turned and pulled Fan over to the coffee machine.

“It’s not nice to ignore people,” Taco spoke up, arms crossed. “Which one of them is Fan and which one is Balloon?” she asked Knife. It was clear Knife had been talking about them to his friend group, which was even more unsettling.

“The one with the ribbon in his hair is Balloon. Cute, huh?” Knife chuckled. “Fan is the one with the yellow in his hair,” he pointed out.

“Oooh, right…” Taco nodded. “You say they are your friends, Knife, but they appear to be ignoring you,” she pointed out.

“Nah, nonsense!” Knife strode over and swung his arms around both of them. “You boys need help with the coffee machine? I was just about to teach Taco how to make coffee!” Knife smiled sharply.

“Actually, I was going to make tea… but okay…” Taco rolled her eyes. She often wondered why she put up with Knife’s weird shenanigans. She made her way over and pulled herself up onto the bench, sitting on top as she turned on the kettle beside her, watching Knife with his ‘two favourite redheads,’ as he put it.

Balloon shrugged off Knife’s arm and ushered him away. He grabbed Fan’s arm again and led him to the other coffee machine, determined not to interact with Knife after what he did to Nickel.

Knife crossed his arms, watching as Balloon and Fan ignored him once more. What was their problem? Leaning against the bench, he stared at them as Balloon began to make a coffee for himself and Nickel, already fumbling with the basics.

Fan, anxious, reached for one of the jars on display, grabbing the cocoa powder. He took a spoon and a mug, scooping a generous amount of powder into the mug. Both continued to ignore Knife’s presence.

“Fan, why are you ignoring me? We spoke before, and you seemed fine,” Knife pointed out, knowing it would get him in trouble since Fan had been told not to talk to him anymore.

Balloon turned and glared at Fan. He spoke with Knife? After Fan’s girlfriend strictly told him not to? After what Knife did to Nickel? That infuriated Balloon. He rolled his eyes, clearly pissed off. Fan panicked and quickly defended himself.

“It wasn’t my fault, Balloon! He was just in the kitchen when I was making coffee—I didn’t know what to do!” Fan blurted out.

“You could’ve walked out! But instead, you engaged in conversation with him? After Test Tube told you not to! Now it makes sense why you were acting weird!” Balloon snapped.

Knife listened intently. So Fan was acting weird, huh? Their little talk had an effect—excellent, his plan was going perfectly.

“Woah, Looney, relax. Fan is allowed to talk with me if he wants to. It wasn’t even that serious; I just helped him make coffee,” Knife said, putting a hand on Balloon’s shoulder.

Balloon whirled around and shoved Knife’s hand off. “Do NOT call me that,” he growled through gritted teeth. “Do you seriously think I wouldn’t be upset after what you did to Nickel? He didn’t deserve that! I thought you were cool once, I actually didn’t mind talking to you, and maybe I would’ve agreed that Nickel was being a little overprotective the other day, until YOU made everything so complicated, just to get back at Nickel!” Balloon snapped.

Taco, meanwhile, poured hot water into a mug with a teabag, watching the drama unfold with curiosity. She had to admit, she was a big fan of drama. Sitting back with her legs crossed and a smirk on her lips, she observed everything go down.

“Well, Nickel shouldn’t be such a little menace,” Knife rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “You know, I bet Nickel never told you this, but we used to be friends,” Knife added casually.

Balloon paused, tilting his head in confusion. “What? No way. He was never your friend...” Balloon was baffled. He had known Nickel for years, long before he met Knife. Nickel had only ever been friends with Suitcase, Baseball, and Bot... right?

“Uh, just because we didn’t hang out at school doesn’t mean we weren’t friends,” Knife pointed out. “We used to hang out when he sold my friends and me weed. He was super chill. In fact, he used to talk about how he hated you.”

Balloon frowned, feeling a wave of nausea. It made sense... of course Nickel would have hung out with them if he was selling drugs. It also explained why Nickel wanted to keep him away from Knife; he knew what Knife was about. “He doesn’t hate me anymore,” Balloon defended. “We had a rough patch, but that’s over.”

“Well, you can’t blame me for not knowing that!” Knife retorted defensively. “I was under the impression he was just tolerating you at this camp because he didn’t have any of his other loser friends to keep him company.”

Balloon had thought that at first, but he knew it wasn’t true anymore. He wouldn’t let Knife make him believe otherwise. Sure, he was a little mad that Nickel never told him or their other friends about hanging around Knife, but maybe Nickel knew what they would say if they found out.

“Then why keep going? He told you how he feels about me, so why did you keep trying to pursue me? I don’t get it, just let it be,” Balloon muttered, looking down at his feet. He felt overwhelmed by this new information. He knew he shouldn’t be upset—he and Nickel weren’t even that close—but the fact that Nickel had been hanging out with Knife and talking badly about him? Was Nickel talking about their other friends too?

The whole reason Nickel and Balloon had fought years ago was because Balloon had tried to make himself cool by hanging around the wrong people and talking badly about his real friends to look better. Now he finds out that’s probably what Nickel was doing too? It felt so hypocritical! How was it fair that Nickel could do that and get away with it, but when Balloon did it, it was a big deal? This revelation frustrated Balloon. All this fuss, only to find out that Nickel had been hanging around the 'cool kids' himself, boasting by selling them weed.

“Because Nickel is a little rat… He sold us weed, hung out with us a few times, seemed like a cool dude, we actually got along with him. But then one day, we found out he snitched on us! Somehow the teachers found the weed in our lockers, the same weed HE sold us, and then we got suspended, while all he got was forced to do basketball tryouts. It’s obvious the teachers made a deal with him; that’s why he didn’t get punished as severely as my friends and me. That’s why they knew exactly where to find the weed. He snitched,” Knife snapped, crossing his arms.

Balloon paused, everything was linking together now... Did Nickel somehow make a deal that if he threw Knife and his crew under the bus, his real friends would get off free? Nickel had told Balloon and the others that the teachers found out from the cameras that they were selling. Suitcase had questioned why they weren’t just suspended, why they were thrown into tryouts instead. Nickel said he had no idea, but now it made sense... He didn’t do this to protect himself; he did it to protect his friends from getting in trouble. He threw his cool new friends under the bus to make sure his real friends didn’t get suspended. Nickel really did care about his friends… which made Balloon feel slightly bad for doubting him. Still, it doesn’t change the fact he did hang out with Knife and never told them, or the fact he was walking badly about Balloon behind his back.

Balloon wasn’t sure how to feel, on one side, he was in awe that Nickel protected his friends from facing harsher punishments, but on the other hand, he was upset that Nickel would talk badly about him behind his back, or even hang out with Knife and not tell any of his friends that he was doing so. Balloon tried to push those thoughts away for now, none of that mattered in this moment.

“I can understand why that upset you,” Balloon huffed. “But... can’t we put the past in the past?” he asked, though he knew he couldn’t fully defend Nickel. While Nickel had snitched to protect his real friends, it had also gotten his other friends in trouble, which wasn’t fair to them, especially since they had seemed to genuinely accept Nickel.

Taco slurped her tea loudly to grab everyone's attention. She slipped off the bench and walked over to the group. “In the past? He got Pickle expelled,” Taco snapped. “He had already been suspended three times; that was his last straw. But Nickel didn’t care, did he? He didn’t even apologise. He acted as though it didn’t happen, played innocent, and then sent Microphone a message, saying he needed to focus on studying so he couldn’t hang out anymore. He played it off like nothing, didn’t even have the guts to tell us what he did,” Taco spat. “So no, the past is not in the past,” she snapped angrily.

Fan and Balloon glanced at each other, completely shocked that Nickel had actually gotten someone expelled. They hadn't expected that twist, but it made sense; Pickle had just disappeared, and everyone assumed he had moved schools.

“Well… you don’t know for sure that Nickel ratted you out… the teachers could’ve found out–” Fan suddenly spoke up.

“Oh no, he definitely did. We aren’t idiots, and I know you both aren’t as dumb as you appear. Nickel could’ve prevented this, but he didn’t,” Knife crossed his arms. “Now, I wasn’t going to tell you both, but since you were so adamant about knowing why we hated Nickel, there you go.”

This was a lot of information to process at once—the fact that Nickel used to hang out with Knife, possibly spoke negatively about Balloon when he was with them, threw Knife and his friends under the bus to protect his actual friends, and actually got Pickle expelled without saying anything. Nickel had a lot of explaining to do.

“Besides all that, that isn’t the reason why I was flirting with you. I thought you were cute, and I still do,” Knife smirked at Balloon. Taco simply rolled her eyes at Knife.

Balloon uncomfortably crossed his arms, cheeks flushing a light red. “I am flattered, really… but I told you, I like Nickel,” he huffed.

“For now~ but who knows... you might like me down the track. I am everything you like about Nickel, times ten,” Knife gloated.

“Do you think I’m cute?” Fan blurted out, feeling a twinge of jealousy that Knife found Balloon cute. It’s not because he likes Knife! He just... wants to be seen as cute to one of the most popular boys at school.

“Of course I think you’re cute, Fan~” Knife purred.

“Okay, that’s enough. Come on,” Balloon grabbed Fan’s arm and yanked him along.

“What about the hot chocolate?” Fan panicked.

Balloon groaned, reaching the door. “Fine.” He let go of Fan’s arm, stormed past Knife and Taco, grabbed the coffee beaker, poured milk into it, heated it up, poured it into the mug, gave it a stir, and then said, “Bye,” to Taco and Knife before taking the hot chocolate and heading out with Fan.

. . .

Once outside, Balloon took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed and unable to process everything properly.

“I was going to tell you that I encountered Knife before he walked in,” Fan muttered.

“Can you stop trying to get Knife to flirt with you? Can’t you see he is deliberately trying to start drama? I get that you think Knife is hot— I mean, I can’t say I disagree… but still! He is manipulating us,” Balloon tried to explain. “He is using you to get information, and he is using me to upset Nickel. He doesn’t actually like us,” he continued.

“Well— Nickel isn’t innocent! He got someone expelled!” Fan protested.

“On accident! You don’t know the full story, okay? He only snitched because he didn’t want myself, Baseball, and Suitcase in trouble,” Balloon explained. “The teachers found out we helped Nickel, and so he must have made a compromise with them so we didn’t get in trouble… it wasn’t his fault,” Balloon tried to explain. “I... I find it kind of sweet he did that for us… it means he really does care about us,” Balloon smiled faintly. “B-But I am still mad at him! I mean, come on! He could have told us he was hanging out with Knife, and apparently, to Knife, he was talking about me behind my back… I get we weren’t friends anymore, but was that really fair on me?! No,” Balloon didn’t realise it, but he had started to rant. Fan awkwardly stood there, nodding and listening, trying to let Balloon let it all out.

Fan was overwhelmed himself, fearful that Test Tube would find out he spoke to Knife now that Balloon knew. He didn’t want Test Tube mad at him… he couldn’t imagine losing her.

“Please, before we go back, don’t tell Test Tube,” Fan begged. “About the first encounter… I don’t mind if you tell them about this one, but please, don’t tell her about the one I had earlier with Knife.”

Balloon paused, his expression softening as he noticed how stressed Fan was. He found it unfair that Fan had gone behind Test Tube’s back and spoken to Knife anyway. He had no idea what Fan had even said to Knife during that first encounter, and he wasn’t sure if he could fully trust Fan, considering it seemed he had a thing for Knife and was easily manipulated by him. However, Balloon also felt it wasn’t his place to tell Test Tube. He wasn’t trying to start unnecessary drama; he already had enough on his plate with this new information. Taking a shaky deep breath, he nodded in agreement.

“It’s not my place to say anything… but maybe the fact that you have to hide this from Test Tube should tell you something,” Balloon huffed. 

“Are you going to tell Nickel?” Fan asked nervously.

Balloon wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell the others about their encounter with Knife and Taco in the kitchen, especially since he didn’t want everyone to know about Nickel’s drama with Knife. It wasn’t their business what Nickel did, and if Nickel wanted to share it with them, he could. However, Balloon planned to tell Nickel about the encounter; he wasn’t going to hide that from him. He also intended to bring up what he found out and demand an explanation from Nickel's side of the story. He needed to know the full story of everything. So, he planned to go back, give Lightbulb her hot chocolate, explain that he couldn't work out the coffee machine, and then, once Lifering explained what was happening that day, he would pull Nickel aside and tell him what happened and what he found out. As for Fan, it was up to him whether he wanted to tell Test Tube about his encounter; if he didn’t, that wasn’t Balloon’s problem.

“Not right away,” Balloon responded. “I will tell him in private. I don’t think the others need to hear Nickel’s drama from me. I want to let Nickel explain himself before I make an assumption and make him look bad. If he wants to tell them what happened, he can. It’s not up to me to tell them,” Balloon explained. “In saying that, you can tell the others, but please wait until we break off. I don’t need to embarrass Nickel,” he added.

“I probably won’t say anything,” Fan muttered. “Nothing really happened anyway! Well, besides you finding out why Knife hates Nickel, but that has nothing to do with me! So—let’s pretend, if Nickel and you ever do tell the others, that I wasn’t there when you found out,” Fan stated.

“Sure. Come on, let’s get this hot chocolate back to Lightbulb,” Balloon answered. He didn’t agree with Fan about hiding the fact he had an encounter with the one person Test Tube begged him to stay away from, but it wasn’t his business. So he agreed not to say anything.

Chapter Text

Balloon and Fan returned to the group, their lips sealed about what had just transpired. They took their places by the campfire, doing their best to act casual and non-suspicious. Balloon tapped Lightbulb on the shoulder and handed her the hot chocolate she had requested. Nickel's face showed confusion—Balloon hadn’t come back with the coffee he said he would—but he waited for Balloon to give Lightbulb her hot chocolate before speaking up.

"Thanks, Balloon!" Lightbulb chirped happily, taking a sip.

Balloon offered a nervous smile before sitting down beside Nickel. He placed his hands in his lap and avoided eye contact, his mind racing with things he needed to confront Nickel about. It felt wrong to keep this information to himself, even temporarily. He promised Fan he wouldn’t say anything, it isn’t up to him to spill the beans to his girlfriend and friends, his priority was Nickel. He had to wait until they were alone before saying anything.

Fan, meanwhile, anxiously sat down beside his girlfriend, unusually quiet. He looked overly nervous, as if he had done something terribly wrong. Fortunately for him, Test Tube was too busy chatting to notice his odd behaviour.

"So... where's the coffee?" Nickel asked with a soft chuckle.

Balloon forced a faint smile and laughed, trying to appear as casual as possible to avoid raising suspicion. He didn't want Nickel to sense that something was wrong just yet. He needed to wait until they were alone before addressing the fact that Nickel might have gotten someone expelled, hung out with the worst people possible, and talked badly about Balloon behind his back. Ha… How was he keeping it all together?

"Oh, um, I had trouble figuring it out... heheh, I guess you’ll have to teach me again," Balloon answered somewhat nervously.

Nickel could tell something was off. He was about to ask if Balloon had run into Knife in the kitchen when Lifering called out to grab everyone's attention. It was time to discuss the daily activity.

All the campers turned their attention to Lifering and Goo, who stood up front looking as cheerful as ever.

“Alright! I hope you all had a great sleep! It's time to discuss today’s activity! Goo and I have decided to mix things up. Today, there won’t be two separate groups; instead, we'll all be working together! Today’s challenge is a scavenger race! Isn’t that fun? Let me explain the basics: everyone will start here at the campsite. I will hand each of you a pamphlet listing a few items you need to find—such as a special kind of rock, a specific twig, a certain flower, and so on. You will collect all these items in the woods and race back to the campsite! The first four people to gather all the scavenger items and return here will win the luxury cabin!”

Balloon saw this as a perfect opportunity to get Nickel alone and ask him about everything. Winning or losing the challenge didn’t matter much to Balloon; he'd rather lose than risk being accidentally put in a cabin with Knife. He glanced at Nickel, who seemed quite pleased with the challenge, probably because it meant more time alone with Balloon.

“Goo will come around and hand each of you a pamphlet with the items you need to find, along with a small sack to carry the items in. Teaming up is allowed, but each team member must have their own set of items to win. Please play nice—no fighting or sabotaging! Stay safe! Silver Spoon and Candle will be in the woods with you, walking around and helping random contestants when they can. If they spot anyone disobeying the rules of the challenge, that person will be immediately disqualified from winning the cabin!” Lifering continued.

The campers listened attentively, ready for the day's challenge.

Goo went around to each camper, handing them a sack and pamphlet. People were already forming mini-teams. Naturally, Knife, Microphone, Taco, and Trophy banded together, and it didn’t take a genius to know that the Bright Lights would team up as well.

“You guys want to join our team?” Lightbulb asked with a bright smile.

“Uh—no thanks! I think it would be nice for Nickel and I to spend some time together,” Balloon quickly replied before Nickel could even open his mouth. Nickel smiled faintly, liking the idea of spending time alone with Balloon.

“Yeah, besides, there are four of you. It makes sense for you all to team up to try to win the cabin for yourselves. Adding two more people wouldn’t be practical,” Nickel pointed out.

“He has a point, babe,” Paintbrush added with a shrug.

“Well, let the best team win! Good luck, guys! We’ll see you at the end of the challenge!” Test Tube chimed in with a wide grin.

Fan remained silent, his head down and hands anxiously in his pockets. It was clear something was bothering him, making Balloon a bit nervous for him. Although Balloon believed it was unfair for Fan to hide things from Test Tube, he couldn’t help but feel concerned for him. However, that wasn’t his immediate problem. He needed to confront Nickel about everything he had learned earlier.

The Bright Lights say their goodbyes to Balloon and Nickel before walking off as a group into the woods. 

Balloon glanced into the sack, noticing snacks inside: an apple, a fruit bar, and a packet of chips. It looked like everyone had a pre packed lunch, signalling an all-day challenge. He huffed, tightened the sack back up, and swung it over his shoulder.

“It was kinda sweet that you wanted to spend more time with me,” Nickel said with a slight smirk.

“Mhm...” Balloon responded curtly as he started walking toward the woods.

Nickel hadn’t expected that response. Now he knew something was wrong. Had he said something to upset Balloon? Had something happened that morning? Nickel quickly followed after him.

“Hey, is everything alright?” Nickel asked.

Balloon shrugged, continuing to walk. All the other campers had already disappeared into the woods, eager to find their items. It was clear that the two friendship groups were competing fiercely for the luxury cabin.

“Balloon...?” Nickel asked again, growing increasingly worried.

Balloon felt a knot in his stomach. He was nervous about telling Nickel he had run into Knife in the kitchen, fearing Nickel would jump to conclusions and get angry. Rightfully so, since Nickel didn’t want Knife anywhere near Balloon after the recent events. Balloon needed Nickel to listen and understand before reacting. He took a shaky deep breath and looked around to ensure they were alone before speaking.

“I saw Knife in the kitchen,” Balloon said bluntly.

Nickel’s eyes widened, his brows furrowing immediately. “I knew it! I knew you and Fan were acting off since you came back! Why are you only telling me now? I could’ve gone up to that punk and punched him right there! Why can’t he just leave you alone? Why is he targeting you? It’s me he has an issue with, so—”

“Nickel, enough,” Balloon snapped, stopping in his tracks, dropping his sack beside him.

Nickel immediately fell silent, stopping and turning to face Balloon, dropping his sack also.

“Firstly, there’s no way I would’ve let you go up to him. Last time you tried to confront him, he beat you to the ground. No offence, but he’s clearly stronger than you,” Balloon said, frowning as he took Nickel’s hands.

Nickel’s face flushed. “What! I’m strong! I’m really strong!” Nickel whined.

“I didn’t say you weren’t. I’m saying Knife is too strong. Come on, we both know it,” Balloon huffed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I saw Knife in the kitchen, but there’s a good reason why I didn’t.”

“Oh really? What could be a good enough reason not to tell me? Because you were worried I’d freak out? Of course I’d freak out! He’s trying to steal you from me! It’s like he’s trying to ruin my life! What did I ever do to deserve this?” Nickel snapped.

Balloon dropped Nickel’s hands, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. “I don’t know... what did you do?” he questioned.

“Wha—Balloon, you can’t seriously believe I did something to deserve this, right? What did that creep tell you? I promise I haven’t done anything,” Nickel pleaded.

“Nothing?” Balloon questioned, raising a sceptical eyebrow.

“No! Of course not!” Nickel protested.

“Oh... so you didn't hang out with Knife?” Balloon asked sassily.

Nickel froze, realising what Knife must have told Balloon. It all made sense now. “Oh,” he simply said, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

“So you did?” Balloon pressed.

Nickel swallowed anxiously and nodded slightly. “Well, yeah... but it was for a short period of time! Besides, why do you care? We weren’t even friends at the time!” Nickel scoffed, starting to get defensive.

“Why do I... why do I care?! I’m sorry, but even if you didn’t classify me as a friend back then, I still cared about you. And what about Suitcase and Baseball? How do you think they’d feel if they found out you were hanging out with Knife? And the fact you hid it from them?! They are your best friends, and you ditched them just to hang out with some cool kids for a while!” Balloon shouted, unable to contain his frustration. Nickel’s cockiness was really pissing him off.

“Well, for your information, Balloon, I was just hanging out with them so I could sell them weed! It was business. I couldn’t care less about them! They’re complete jerks! And just so you know, you’re lucky you and the others didn’t get suspended for helping me! I snitched on Knife and all his friends FOR you guys. So yeah, sure, make me out to be the jerk, but just know I did this for you guys!” Nickel shouted back, his voice thick with emotion. He didn’t want to fight with Balloon, but he hated being accused of being a bad person when he wasn’t.

“Jesus Christ, Nickel! If you’d just let me speak, you’d know I already knew that. He told me everything—how you got them suspended, how you got Pickle expelled. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I didn’t think it was anyone else’s business what happened between you and Knife,” Balloon huffed, arms crossed over his chest, clearly ticked off. “Taco was in the kitchen too, and they both seemed really upset... I can’t believe you actually got someone expelled,” Balloon muttered awkwardly.

Nickel took a deep breath, realising he might have overreacted a bit. “I didn’t mean to! How was I supposed to know Pickle had already been suspended three times? Besides, I’d do anything for my friends. Do you think I really cared that Pickle was expelled? As long as my friends weren’t in trouble for my mistake,” Nickel huffed, feeling awful about involving his friends in his drug dealing. He should never have asked for their help.

Balloon suddenly felt bad for getting upset with Nickel. Although Nickel had been a bit of a jerk, Balloon realised he might have triggered that by being distant and not telling Nickel straight up what was wrong. Nickel preferred people to be straightforward and hated when things were sugar coated. Balloon knew this by now and should have taken a different approach instead of letting his emotions take over. It was clear Nickel cared deeply about his friends, and while his actions towards Knife and his crew might not have been fair, he did it to protect those he truly cared about.

"Knife said something else," Balloon muttered with a small huff. He decided to be open and straightforward, especially since this directly involved him.

"What did he say?" Nickel asked, his face unamused.

Balloon bit his lip and looked uncomfortably down at the dirt path. "He said you talked about me when you were off getting high with them," Balloon muttered.

Nickel's eyes widened. "W-Well, maybe once or twice—what did he say I said?" Nickel asked nervously.

"He just said you talked bad about me, I guess..." Balloon shrugged, looking sad.

Nickel gave a confused expression, tilting his head. "What? No, no—I never once spoke bad about you, Balloon! Not once!" He quickly moved his hands to Balloon’s cheeks to make him look up at him, to prove he wasn’t lying by the look in his eyes.

Balloon frowned, now really confused. “Well if you didn’t speak shit about me… then what did you say?” Balloon asked with nervous and baffled tone.

Nickel’s cheeks flushed a bit, he let out a nervous chuckle as he gazed away shyly.

“Well… I did tell him about how we fought, what happened in middle school…and obviously he asked me why I still hung out with you after all that… and I dunno why I told him, he could’ve been the weed or the drinking… or the fact I hated that I had to hide it… but I told him the real reason, sure part of the reason was for Baseball and Suitcase’s sake… but the real reason was because I still really cared about you, deep down, it didn’t matter what you did to hurt me, I never stopped caring… like I said yesterday, I really never stopped caring about you– and well I kinda…” Nickel bit his lip, his face blushing so bright.

Balloon looked up, his cheeks a light pink. “You... you really did like me all these years, didn’t you? But then why say you hated me? Why treat me like shit if you cared about me so much?” Balloon cried.

“Because it was easier to push you away! I’ve told you this already, okay? That whole thing in middle school really hurt me, and I was afraid you’d hurt me again. I didn’t want to feel that pain. I liked you a lot, more than I should’ve. You’re probably the whole reason I even realised I was gay! Ha... it’s so fucking ridiculous now that I think about it,” Nickel laughed coldly at his own idiocy, moving away as he ran a hand through his grey locks.

“It’s not ridiculous... I mean, we were pretty close,” Balloon said with a faint grin.

“Yeah... sleepovers at your place every weekend,” Nickel chuckled softly.

“Mhm... back when my parents didn’t work so much. Remember my Ma would make us hot cocoa?” Balloon giggled.

“Yeah... it was nice,” Nickel smiled weakly.

There was a brief silence between them as they looked away from each other.

“So... you talked about how you liked me... to Knife?” Balloon suddenly asked.

Nickel’s eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. “What? No—I didn’t say that directly! I just told him that I couldn’t leave you in my past because... well, because you meant a lot to me. I explained how I cared about you, how I wished I could go back and change things. I never mentioned it in a crush way. I guess I did explain to him how it was easier to push you away because I was scared of you hurting me again. Maybe that’s where he got the idea I hated you or that I was talking bad about you,” Nickel frowned.

“I believe you,” Balloon said softly, taking Nickel’s hands again. “I’m sorry for causing so much fuss over this... I was just really shocked when I found out, and Knife put me on edge,” he admitted.

“It’s okay... sorry for getting so defensive. I always do that,” Nickel sighed, knowing he needed to work on it.

Balloon smiled a little, glad Nickel could admit that. After a brief silence, Balloon spoke again.

“Why didn’t you apologise to them after getting Pickle expelled?” he asked cautiously.

Nickel sighed, feeling the weight of his actions. He still felt terrible about it to this day. He had sold them weed, yet they got in trouble. Sure, it was to protect his real friends from getting into bigger trouble for helping him out, but Knife and his friends had been good to him. They didn’t deserve what happened, and maybe if he had explained or apologised instead of shutting them out, Knife wouldn’t hold so much resentment.

“Well, why did I shut you out? You know I’m not good with emotions... I guess I felt it was easier to ignore the problem than face it head-on. I knew I got a good person expelled, and before all this, Knife and his friends were kind to me. I felt embarrassed to show my face. I snitched and backstabbed them, and I couldn’t face them again,” Nickel sighed. “I feel terrible about what happened. Maybe I should’ve told them so they could hide their weed or explained why I did what I did... maybe they would’ve understood,” Nickel contemplated.

Balloon shook his head. “Or maybe if you didn’t snitch and came to us first, your friends, and told us what happened instead of lying to us this whole time... we all knew it was fishy that we didn’t get suspended. Now it makes sense. You should’ve come to us about everything—about hanging out with Knife, and the minute you found out the teachers viewed the footage. So what if we all got suspended? We helped you willingly, knowing the consequences, because we cared and knew you were dealing with a lot,” Balloon explained. “Maybe if we knew about Knife, we could’ve given you the right advice. They didn’t deserve that. They smoked the stuff you sold them. How is it fair they got in trouble and Pickle got expelled? I get why they’re upset. It doesn’t excuse how they’re treating you, but it makes sense why they’d be acting like this,” Balloon reasoned.

“You’re right,” Nickel answered with a saddened smile. “I just couldn’t let you all get in trouble because of my mistakes. I thought it would be better to help you guys and throw the others under the bus. And I mean, it was easier that way too—I’d never have to tell you about hanging out with Knife. It could all be swept under the rug,” Nickel sheepishly admitted.

Balloon knew there was a catch. It made sense that Nickel didn’t want them to know and tried the easy way out so they would never find out. Yes, he did it for his friends, so they wouldn’t get in trouble, but he also did it for himself, so he wouldn’t have to face their disappointment.

“Nickel, the truth always comes out,” Balloon frowned slightly. “But I forgive you. And if you really want, I won’t tell Baseball or Suitcase about this,” Balloon awkwardly smiled. He hated to keep secrets from them, but for Nickel, he would do anything.

“I wish I had told them from the beginning… I wish I had told you. Now Knife sees you as a way to get to me, and you’re involved because of my selfish behaviour.” Nickel felt ashamed, unable to meet Balloon's eyes.

Balloon gently lifted Nickel's chin, making him look up at him. “The past is the past... we're moving forward. Besides, even if it didn’t involve me directly, the fact that it involves you already makes it my business. Nobody hurts you and gets away with it.” Balloon cupped Nickel’s cheeks, gazing lovingly into his eyes.

Nickel chuckled shyly, his cheeks flushing pink. "Speaking of hurt… I am in a bit of pain actually," he groaned.

Balloon’s smile turned into a worried frown. "Are you okay? We can go back to the cabin if you need to," Balloon said quickly, panicking a bit. "Where does it hurt?"

"Oww... yeah... my lips hurt so bad. I was wondering if you could kiss them better?" Nickel smirked.

Balloon gasped, then laughed, playfully shoving Nickel’s shoulder. "Nickel! You scared me!" Balloon chuckled, smiling like an idiot.

"Heh, sorry! I mean, my ribs do hurt... but I’m fine," Nickel shrugged a bit.

"I don’t suppose you want me to kiss you there too," Balloon scoffed, rolling his eyes playfully.

Nickel’s face turned red as he nervously looked away. "I mean... if you want..."

"NICKEL!!" Balloon squeaked, laughing a bit.

"What!! You said it!" Nickel chuckled along with him.

"You’re an idiot," Balloon shook his head, playfully moving his hands gently onto Nickel’s waist.

Nickel slyly wrapped his arms around Balloon’s neck, lifting himself onto his tiptoes. Balloon smirked before leaning in and pressing his lips softly against Nickel's. They had barely made it into the woods, and already they were kissing. It had probably been an hour since the challenge started, but the two of them had completely forgotten about it. Lost in the moment, they kissed lovingly, their minds hazy with everything that had just happened, that didn’t matter anymore, all that mattered was this moment.

Nickel was becoming lost in the kiss, unable to keep his lips off Balloon. Every kiss with him felt magical. He wished he had told Balloon how he felt sooner, but there was no point dwelling on the past. Now was the time to do what he'd wanted to do for years. Nickel carefully moved his hands up to Balloon’s hair, running his fingers through his curly locks. Balloon loved the feeling of Nickel’s fingers in his hair; it made him feel safe. Balloon smiled into the kiss, still new to it and unsure of what he was doing. Their kisses were always a bit messy and all over the place, typical of first-timers, but it meant so much to both of them. They knew they couldn’t kiss forever, as they still had to participate in the activity. Not that they cared about winning, but they had to at least look like they participated.

Balloon pulled away for a moment to breathe, smiling as he took a shaky breath. "Come on... we have to do the actual challenge," he said softly, looking into Nickel's pleading eyes.

“Please, Looney…” Nickel whined. “Who cares about the challenge anyway? It’s not like we’re going to win!” He was clearly needy for Balloon right now.

“Yeah… but what if we get in trouble for not participating?” Balloon asked, staring down at Nickel, who looked so cute when he was like this.

“Ugh… we have plenty of time. We can just pretend we participated and grab whatever junk we find to throw in the bag… come on!!” Nickel begged, giving him big puppy dog eyes.

Balloon couldn’t say no to that face. Nickel was so adorable. He scoffed and sighed, shaking his head in defeat. “Fine… but let’s go somewhere private. I don’t think making out in the middle of the path is a good idea. I don’t want one of the teachers to sneak up on us. Then we might actually get in trouble for not participating.”

“Fair,” Nickel shrugged, taking Balloon’s hand. “Alright, lead the way to an area you’d consider more private.”

Balloon smiled brightly and did just that. Taking Nickel’s hand in one hand and picking up both their sacks with the other, he guided Nickel off the track and deeper into the woods, through a few bushes until he found the perfect spot. It was by a huge tree, with some flat surface covered by a few bushes. Nobody would find them here, Balloon thought. He settled down by the tree, pulling Nickel down beside him. Tossing the bags aside, he turned to face Nickel.

Gosh, he really did like him. Maybe he even dared to say love? He adored everything about Nickel; he always had. He just never realised it could’ve been more than a friendship. But something about all of this felt so right, like it was meant to be. He was still a bit wary about starting a real relationship with Nickel, because just like Nickel, he had his own fears too. It had only been a few days since they first kissed, and they had already fought a few times. What if this relationship wasn’t going to be stable because of all the lost time and the arguing? Maybe they weren’t meant to be. Or maybe they were meant to be because of that—because they were real with each other. This wasn’t some cheesy, fake relationship that’s ‘claimed’ to be perfect. It was real, with raw emotions. So maybe they really were meant to be. Balloon wanted to believe it, and he really did want to be Nickel’s boyfriend. Despite his fears, he wasn’t going to let that stop him from kissing Nickel. He adored every time their lips connected. In fact, he couldn’t wait to kiss him again.

Balloon scooted closer, his hand moving to Nickel’s cheek. He gently tilted it before leaning in once more, pressing his lips against Nickel’s. They kissed again, deeply immersed in the moment. Nickel closed his eyes, savouring the sensation as he kissed Balloon back tenderly. 

As they kissed, Nickel couldn’t help but dream of being Balloon’s official boyfriend. If this was what it felt like to be best friends with mutual feelings, he couldn’t imagine how wonderful it would be to actually be in a relationship with Balloon. He promised himself he would be the best boyfriend he could be for Balloon—he would do anything for him. 

Nickel loved Balloon deeply. He just hoped that Balloon loved him back.

Chapter Text

Balloon and Nickel couldn't keep their hands off each other, their lips tangling together in a passionate kiss, oblivious to the world around them. Nickel's hands threaded through Balloon's salmon locks, while Balloon leaned over him, careful not to press on his ribs too much due to the bruises, but practically pinning him to the floor. One of Balloon's hands rested beside Nickel on the ground, while the other gently cupped Nickel's cheek. Nickel felt a bit prissy about being pinned; it gave Balloon more control over what happened, how fast the kissing was, how gentle or rough it was. Nickel wanted more power than just to lie there and helplessly kiss back. He was so needy! It didn’t help that Balloon occasionally teased him. They would be kissing, happily enjoying themselves, then Balloon would pull back mid-kiss and just stare at Nickel, giving him a look that made Nickel really nervous.

Balloon would gaze lovingly into his eyes with pure gentleness and adoration, delicately rubbing his cheek, a stupid grin on his face. Nickel couldn’t take it! It wasn’t fair! Balloon was extremely pretty—everything about his face, from his adorable nose to his pink lips, his little freckles spreading across his cheeks, his long eyelashes, and his green eyes. UGH! Nickel felt repulsed. But… he didn’t. He really, really liked Balloon, and it annoyed him how nervous that made him. Nickel’s face flushed dark red every time Balloon looked at him like that. He grumpily avoided eye contact, letting out a nervous huff. It had happened three times now, and that was three times too many. Nickel decided to speak up.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Nickel grumbled. He wasn’t used to this much affection. It felt weird, but of course, he liked it. He just wasn’t used to being looked at like that, like he was actually loved by someone.

Balloon let out a soft giggle, a smirk playing on his lips. He found it amusing how flustered Nickel became, which is why he kept doing it. He loved seeing Nickel get nervous and shy. Nickel put on a tough persona with everyone else, but Balloon always knew the real Nickel—the gentle, adorable, and needy side. Nickel was desperate for attention, constantly, whether it be romantic or just friendly. He was more sensitive than he let on and would do anything for the people he cared about. He loved nature and was actually really sweet. It was almost like coffee: he might act or appear bitter, but there was a hidden sweetness about him that not many people saw. They assumed he was just rude and sarcastic, a complete jerk, but they didn’t know Nickel like Balloon did.

“Like what?” Balloon hummed as he leaned in to kiss Nickel again. Nickel turned his head away and grumbled, causing Balloon to pull back.

“Awww, what’s wrong?” Balloon teased.

Nickel scoffed. “You know what’s wrong!” he complained.

“Do I?” Balloon chuckled softly.

“Why do you keep pulling away? Stop it!” Nickel frowned.

Balloon smiled faintly, humming. “Because when I’m kissing you, I can’t see your adorable, handsome face. So, I have to pull away occasionally, don’t I?” Balloon giggled as he leaned in and kissed Nickel’s nose.

Nickel let out a squeak, a sound he rarely made. He quickly covered his face in embarrassment, his entire face bright red. 

“You didn’t hear that!” he ordered.

Balloon smirked brightly, thoroughly enjoying the moment. He moved his hands to Nickel’s wrists and gently pried them away from his face.

“Cute,” Balloon giggled happily.

Nickel let out another grumble before speaking. “Fine! Let me be the one in control, and then we’ll see how much you like being teased, hm?” Nickel snapped, feeling a bit bullied.

Balloon shrugged and shifted off of Nickel. “Alright, Nickel. Go ahead,” he offered.

Nickel tilted his head. “Wait, really?” he asked.

“Yep,” Balloon answered shortly.

“It was that easy?” Nickel chuckled a bit.

“Are you going to kiss me or not?” Balloon raised an eyebrow.

“Yes! Duh! I’m getting there, patience…” Nickel grumbled as he scooted forward.

Awkwardly, he moved his hand to Balloon’s slightly chubby cheek and leaned in closer. He allowed his eyes to flutter closed as he gently pressed his lips against Balloon’s. He kissed him delicately, as if fearful of hurting him. Balloon found it adorable how careful Nickel was with his kisses. Nickel always saw Balloon as sensitive, someone he had to protect and keep safe, someone easily hurt. Lately, it seemed the opposite. Maybe that was making Nickel feel insecure? He liked being the tough one between them, but instead, he was appearing as the softie who needed to be taken care of. 

Balloon did something to him that broke his character, making him feel all mushy and soft. He made him so needy and desperate for attention. He made him act weak. It was something Nickel had to get used to. The way Balloon made him feel had always been present; Nickel had just been able to hide it better in the past, especially when he pushed Balloon away. But now? It was almost impossible to do so.

Balloon hummed happily into the kiss, unable to help but smile. This felt so right. He couldn’t explain why, but it seemed meant to be. He just hoped these feelings would remain once camp was over. He didn’t want this to be something that happened at camp and stayed at camp, like in the movies. He genuinely wanted to move forward with Nickel. However, he was fearful of how Nickel might change when confronted with Baseball and Suitcase. What if it was all too hard? What if Nickel pushed him away again because it was easier that way?

Nickel noticed Balloon zoning out and moved back, giving him a gentle smile, worried he might have done something wrong.

“Are you okay?” Nickel asked softly.

Balloon, slightly confused by the sudden stop, fluttered his eyes open and looked at Nickel. Realizing he had zoned out during their kiss, he gave a small nod and smiled to show he was okay. He didn’t want to burden Nickel with his thoughts.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Nickel assured, moving his hand to Balloon’s hair and pushing a curl behind his ear.

Balloon nodded. “I know.”

Nickel smiled a bit, still unsure if Balloon was truly okay but not wanting to push him. They had already dealt with a lot today.

“Okay…” Nickel smiled faintly, moving his hand back to Balloon’s cheek as he leaned in to kiss him again. Balloon kissed back.

Nickel couldn’t help but worry that something was up but tried to push that thought aside. He decided he might ask later if Balloon was doing alright. For now, they were both content with just kissing.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

Elsewhere, Knife and his group of friends were "searching" for the items they needed for the scavenger hunt. In reality, Trophy was doing nothing, while Taco and Microphone were chatting (flirting), leaving Knife to do everything.

“This flower is as pretty as you,” Microphone said with a smile, handing a flower she found to Taco.

Taco's cheeks flushed pink as she smiled and happily accepted the flower. It wasn’t even the flower they needed to find! “Thank you.” She tucked it into her hair.

Knife rolled his eyes at his two best friends. They drove him insane sometimes. Of course, he cared about them, but they were always like this—always so close while he was left out. It’s not like he could hang out with Trophy. Half the time, Trophy was too busy playing sports at school and trying to get a scholarship to study some sport at university. Knife honestly forgot which sport it was. He missed Pickle. School was so much more fun when he was around. He would never forgive Nickel for what he did. And to think, for a bit, he kind of saw Nickel like a little brother, a mini him, someone he could take under his wing. Yet Nickel betrayed him? Yeesh, what a friend.

“You look tense,” Trophy spoke up as he walked with Knife, noticing his annoyance.

“Oh really? Of course I’m annoyed! Nobody is helping me! I thought you wanted to win, Trophy, or do you want to be a loser?” Knife snapped.

“Hey! Fine! I’ll help. It just looked like you were doing a good job finding the items on your own!” Trophy crossed his arms, annoyed that Knife was getting upset with him for no reason.

“Well, guess what? I’ve only been collecting items for myself! So, good luck with that, losers.” Knife scoffed before storming off.

“Wait, what did he say?” Taco asked.

“HE SAID HE HASN’T BEEN COLLECTING THE ITEMS FOR US!” Microphone yelled.

“Honey, volume control,” Taco grunted as she rubbed her ear.

“Sorry,” Microphone frowned.

“It’s quite alright, love.” Taco smiled faintly.

Trophy crossed his arms. “You two! Quit that! Come on, we have to find items. I’m not letting Knife beat us and keep the cabin all to himself!” Trophy grumbled, his competitive side showing.

“Fine,” Taco rolled her eyes. She really couldn’t be bothered, but she did want the luxury cabin, so she decided to pick up her game.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

The Bright Lights were actually doing quite well. Each member had at least one item, and every time they found a new one, they gave it to the person without an item. They figured this was the most optimal way of winning. However, the only person who didn’t have an item yet was Fan. The short redhead was too busy on his phone. Who had allowed him to bring it? Who knows, but it was making everyone really annoyed. He kept stopping to take photos of random things, like bugs and trees, and would take random vlog videos, getting in everyone’s way.

Test Tube tried to stay calm with her boyfriend since she loved him and understood how much his phone meant to him. She just wanted him to be happy, so she smiled weakly and tried to get involved with Fan’s fun, waving for the camera here and there while still trying to look for the items they needed.

Lightbulb didn’t really care if Fan wanted to vlog; it was all just a bit of fun, right? But she could tell that her partner, Paintbrush, was growing really annoyed. Every single time Fan stopped and they had to wait for him, she could see the fury in Paintbrush’s eyes. They were getting so frustrated that they looked like they wanted to hit him. Paintbrush was competitive and liked to win. They were a bit of a diva and couldn’t spend one more second in that god-awful cabin. They needed to win the luxury cabin, and Fan? Fan was just holding them all back!

Fan hummed happily as he held out his phone, starting another video. “Part 12 of walking through the woods! We still haven’t found an item for me yet, but my beautiful girlfriend got an item!” He panned the phone to her. “Show them, Test Tube!”

“Fan, it’s in the sack. I’d have to stop and pull it out. We’re wasting too much time,” Test Tube tried to reason with her boyfriend.

“Come on, Testie, it will only take a second!” Fan begged.

Test Tube huffed, lowering the sack from her back and plopping it on the floor.

Paintbrush saw this and felt their eye twitch with anger. They were stopping. AGAIN ? They couldn’t take it anymore! Fan really knew how to push their buttons. Throwing their sack aside, Paintbrush stormed over to Fan. Lightbulb already knew this wasn’t going to end well.

Test Tube stepped back, not wanting to get involved in Paintbrush’s outburst. Fan noticed Test Tube stepping back and turned around, still holding the phone out. Paintbrush was shaking with anger, their hair standing on end. When Paintbrush got really, really mad, their hair would set on fire, a clear warning to everyone. But before Fan could apologise or put his phone away, Paintbrush snatched it from his hand and threw it as far as they could into the woods.

“HOW ANNOYING DO YOU HAVE TO BE?!” Paintbrush yelled, their hair igniting.

Fan squeaked and hunched his shoulders nervously. “I’m sorry, Paintbrush! I was just having a little fun, I—”

“No! NO MORE! This isn’t fun! You’re just making everyone annoyed! Even your own girlfriend is getting annoyed. None of us have our phones, do we? You haven’t even got one item yet and you haven’t done a single thing to help us! You’re just messing around! This whole camp you’ve been nothing but annoying! Stop being so selfish!” Paintbrush shouted, their hair still blazing.

Fan couldn’t even properly process everything. Why were they yelling at him? He didn’t ask to be here! He wished he never had to come! He hated camping and just wanted to be at home. It felt like everything at camp had been his fault, no matter what he did. He tried to help Balloon and Nickel get together, but somehow that was his fault too. He just wanted people to understand him and care about him, but was that so hard? They all kept telling him what he could and couldn’t do, and he was so sick of it! The only person who had actually listened to him and given him any time was Knife, but even talking to him wasn’t allowed! Fan was so done. He just wanted to go home.

His eyes welled with tears, and he visibly shook. Sniffing, he shook his head. “Fine.” Before anyone could stop him, Fan stormed off in the direction his phone had been thrown. He needed some time to cool off and to check if his phone was okay.

Once Fan left, Paintbrush took a deep breath, closing their eyes for a moment to calm down. Their hair returned to normal. When they opened their eyes, they saw Test Tube glaring at them.

“What the hell, Paintbrush?!” Test Tube yelled, crossing her arms.

Lightbulb hated fights. She stood anxiously, looking in the direction Fan had left, worried about her friend being on his own. However, she knew Paintbrush would be upset if she left, so she stayed put and remained silent.

“You’re kidding, right? Don’t yell at me! You were the one complaining about Fan earlier! How he’s been getting on your nerves, remember? Well, I dealt with it, didn’t I? Maybe now he’ll actually pull his head in.” Paintbrush crossed their arms defensively.

“I know, I just… Gee– did he really deserve that? He can be a bit much sometimes, I get it, and yes, he’s been driving me insane this camp, but he seemed really upset! He doesn’t mean to act this way; it’s just who he is. And… I love him for who he is. He was the first person to accept me for who I was, and I accepted him back. Even if he sometimes really annoys me and says or does things that upset me, I love him, and he didn’t deserve that. You know it, I know it, and I bet even Lightbulb knows it.” Test Tube crossed her arms over her chest.

Paintbrush started to feel a little bad now. Maybe they had gone overboard. “Sorry. Maybe it was too much… Sometimes I really can’t control my anger. Fan is one of those people who really get on my nerves to the point of breaking. Don’t get me wrong, I love the little guy; he’s one of my best friends. But sometimes it’s actual torture for me to deal with him!” Paintbrush explained, offering a half-hearted apology.

“I get it, Painty. I do. But he was just having fun. Yes, it was annoying, but is winning really everything? Fan has been out of his comfort zone for almost a week now. He never does anything like this. He hasn’t been able to access the internet at all during this time. The least we could do is let him have a bit of fun with videos and stuff, right?” Test Tube frowned. “Even if he does get a bit annoying…”

Paintbrush grumpily crossed their arms. “Yeah, I guess. But we’re all out of our comfort zones! I hate camping too! I know you do also! You’re away from all your science stuff. The only one of us who seems to love camping is Lightbulb.” Paintbrush pointed over at their girlfriend, who was currently eating a stick. She nervously smiled at the other two.

“Golly… I guess you’re right. We’re all a bit on edge. I mean, I’ve never had an issue with Fan before. Sure, sometimes he makes me a little annoyed, but not as bad as it’s been here. I guess our tolerance is really low. But doesn’t that show you that we need to be there for each other instead of fight?” Test Tube explained.

Paintbrush huffed and nodded. “Yeah… I’m sorry.” They meant it; they didn’t want to hurt Fan and felt awful for doing so.

“Should we find Fan?” Test Tube asked nervously, clearly worried about her boyfriend’s well-being.

“Yeah,” Paintbrush answered bluntly.

“That could mean we lose. Are you okay with that?” Lightbulb asked softly.

“Yeah. I need to say sorry. Like Test Tube said, we all need to be there for each other.” Paintbrush felt pretty awful now, realising what they did was wrong. They wished they could take back how they treated Fan, but now all they could do was apologise and hope Fan forgave them.

“Okay, let’s go! I think he went this way–” Test Tube pointed, the complete wrong way.

“I thought he went this way…” Lightbulb pointed the opposite way. Yeah… this may take a while.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

Fan continued in the direction he saw his phone fly, scanning the surroundings until he spotted it in the distance. With a quick dash, he reached it, brushing off dirt and dust. Checking the screen, he found it cracked but still functional—thankfully. A sigh of relief escaped him as he slipped it into his pocket. 

Closing his eyes briefly, tears welled up. Paintbrush's words echoed in his mind—was he truly such a burden? The thought gnawed at him, tempting him to feign illness just to escape. He couldn't bear staying where he felt unwanted.

As he reopened his eyes, panic set in—he was lost. Lost in the woods with no signal. Another nightmare realised. Fan's despair deepened. Had he let everyone down, even Test Tube? Shame washed over him, and he struggled to breathe, feeling an anxiety attack coming on. He sank to the ground, curling into a ball, trying to steady his breathing, eyes squeezed shut.

A rustle nearby snapped him back to alertness. Fan's eyes shot open in panic, fearing some wild animal.

It was Knife. They locked eyes, and for once, Knife's expression held genuine concern. He approached cautiously.

"Fan?" Knife's voice softened, a rare display of concern for the usually brash contestant. He moved closer as Fan scrambled to his feet, hastily wiping away tears.

"Are you okay?" Knife asked, perplexed by Fan's presence alone in the woods.

Suddenly, Fan wrapped his arms around Knife, burying his head against his chest and sobbing. Knife stiffened at the unexpected embrace, unsure how to comfort someone. His interactions with Fan had been contentious lately, filled with manipulation and flirtation. This display of raw emotion caught him off guard. He awkwardly placed his arm around Fan, patting his back, silently offering support.

Fan pulled back quickly, wiping tears and sniffing. "I'm sorry... I know that was strange and pathetic. You probably think I'm a total baby for crying like this," Fan rambled nervously.

Knife shook his head awkwardly. "No, it's okay. You're not weak for feeling emotions," he reassured him hesitantly. "What happened out here?" he asked, though unsure if he really wanted to know.

Fan sniffled, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I was just messing around with my phone, and Paintbrush got really mad at me. They threw my phone and called me selfish... I feel like I've been a burden to all my friends this whole week, like everything I do just makes things worse for them. I feel like I'm failing them, and they'll all leave me eventually. So I ran off to find my phone, thinking they didn't want me around... and now I'm lost. I hate this, Knife. I just want to go home." He buried his head in Knife's chest once more, sobbing softly.

Knife hesitantly raised a hand to Fan's head, gently stroking his hair in an attempt to comfort him. Fan seemed so fragile, much smaller than Knife in both stature and emotional strength.

"I'm sure they don't see you as a burden, Fan," Knife said with a sigh. "I stormed off from my friends too, but I lashed out at them. This camp... it's really getting to all of us," he admitted, his voice unusually soft and sincere. This vulnerability was new for Knife; he rarely showed such genuine emotion.

"I didn't mean what I said to my friends. I care about them a lot. And I know your friends care about you too," Knife added, gently pulling away from the hug.

He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to help Fan now, especially after trying to manipulate him earlier. Perhaps seeing Fan so broken resonated with his own feelings of being overwhelmed. Or maybe Knife simply wasn't used to comforting people, making this situation awkward yet strangely heartfelt. Whatever the reason, this was the kindest and most genuine Knife had been toward Fan.

Fan sniffled, wiping away his tears and nodding. "I don’t understand why my friends want me to stay away from you. You're actually really nice," he chuckled sadly.

Knife's cheeks flushed slightly. It was rare for anyone to say that about him. The first person who had  said anything like that was Pickle, and it still felt somewhat unfamiliar.

"Fan..." Knife sighed heavily. "They're right, you know? I'm not a good influence on you. You shouldn't be around someone like me. You have great friends who genuinely care about you. I used to bully you, Fan. Do you really want to be around someone who treated you like that?" Knife questioned with a hint of self-awareness.

Fan frowned and shook his head. "You've changed... You've been nothing but kind to me this whole camp," he countered.

"Dude, I've been using you to get information on Nickel and Balloon," Knife admitted, his tone tinged with regret.

Fan felt a pang of sadness, realising his hope might have been misplaced. However, he didn't let it fully bring him down.

"But... you're not using me now. There's no gain for you in helping me," Fan pointed out. "You're helping me because you care... So maybe it wasn't all fake after all," he added, crossing his arms in a mix of bitterness and contemplation.

Knife shook his head slightly, a small smile playing on his lips. Fan was definitely a character, and he was starting to see that in a new light.

"How many items do you have?" Knife suddenly asked.

"None?" Fan replied, puzzled.

Knife turned to his sack and opened it. "Cool, I've collected every item on the list," he said casually.

"What!?" Fan exclaimed, surprised that Knife had managed such a feat.

Knife took out a few items and placed them in Fan's bag. "Here."

Fan looked at his bag, now holding a total of four items. He smiled faintly before turning back to Knife. "But why?" he asked.

"Because I'm sorry for dragging you into the mess between Nickel and me... It had nothing to do with you," Knife replied with a huff as he slung his sack over his shoulder.

Fan simply smiled, picking up his own sack. Knife wasn't as bad as everyone thought; he was just troubled, missing his best friend Pickle. Fan wished others could see what he saw—that Knife wasn't such a bad guy if given a chance.

"Do you want me to help you get out of here? You've got four items, and I've got eleven... That should be enough. We can leave and relax by the campfire until everyone else is done," Knife offered casually.

"My friends can't see me with you," Fan murmured sadly.

"Eh, we'll take a shortcut through the bushes! No one will dare go through there," Knife chuckled. "We'll be completely off the radar. Once we're back at camp, I'll leave you be—maybe sit with Lifering for a bit? Then I'll slip back in, and we can pretend this never happened. Deal?" Knife suggested.

Fan smiled faintly, nodding. "Deal—but I want to remember this favour you did for me. It was really sweet."

"Fine, it stays between us," Knife grumbled. "And you owe me one!" he added with a smirk.

"Sounds fair to me!" Fan agreed, shaking Knife's hand.

Off they went, off the beaten track, where surely no one else would find them. :).

Chapter Text

Fan and Knife walked together through the bushes, the silence between them growing increasingly awkward. Knife felt uncomfortable helping Fan, while Fan found the silence anxiety-inducing. He was a chatterbox by nature, and the quiet made him uneasy. He couldn't stop thinking about Knife's confession—that he had been using Fan all along. Did that mean the compliments Knife had given him weren't genuine? Did Knife not actually find him cute? These questions gnawed at Fan's mind, and he couldn't just let them go. This was Fan, after all. The small, short redhead glanced up at Knife, nervously clearing his throat to break the silence.

“So, uh… when you said you were just using me to get information about Nickel and Balloon… does that mean you don’t think I’m cute, or…?” Fan asked, tilting his head.

Knife was baffled. Was Fan serious? Why did he care so much about being called cute? He had a girlfriend, yet here he was, asking a guy if he found him cute. Knife couldn’t help but wonder if Test Tube was aware that her boyfriend might not be straight because Fan sure acted like he wasn't.

Did Knife find Fan cute? Initially, he had said so only to manipulate him, but now, thinking about it truthfully, what was his actual opinion? He looked down at Fan, taking in his nerdy appearance—a goofy grin, messy hair, big dorky glasses, and even a bowtie. Yet, there was something about Fan’s dorkiness that made him oddly cute.

“I still think you’re cute,” Knife answered with a shrug.

Fan's smile widened, his face flushing pink as he giggled. He knew he shouldn't be excited about Knife finding him cute, especially since he had a girlfriend, but he couldn't help it. Someone as cool as Knife thinking he was cute made his heart flutter. Fan just loved being called cute; it made him feel good.

Knife raised an eyebrow, convinced Fan had issues. He was unlike anyone Knife had ever met. Still, Knife ignored it. Why should he care? He continued walking, puzzled as to why he was doing this for Fan. He couldn’t use him for his own benefit anymore, so why was he helping Fan when he had no use for him? Maybe he really was starting to like the guy. There was an innocence about Fan that Knife would have bullied him for in the past, but now, he couldn't help but smile when Fan acted like himself.

As he watched Fan take out his phone to do a vlog, Knife couldn’t help but smile. Seeing the idiot do a vlog in the middle of the woods was amusing. It didn’t seem interesting to Knife, but apparently, to Fan, it was worth recording.

They walked a bit further, with Knife allowing Fan to be his usual goofball self, recording a vlog as they navigated through the bushes. Fan acted as if he were on a live chat, even though it was impossible in the middle of nowhere with no signal. Knife found it a bit strange but rolled with it, letting Fan have his fun. There was no harm in it; Fan was just doing something that helped him cope.

Knife understood coping mechanisms all too well. He had been teased in the past for his own ways of coping. For example, he used to bring a doll to sleepovers when he was younger and was relentlessly bullied for it until he eventually stopped. Sure, Knife bullied people all the time, but he never shut down someone's way of coping. Something told him that after this camp, he would find it hard to ever bully Fan again.

They were almost back at camp now. Knife was slightly worried about his friends and whether they had found any items. He really wanted to share a cabin with them. He had no idea how the Bright Lights were doing, nor how much progress Balloon and Nickel had made. He tried to stay calm and hide his paranoia about his friends losing; he wasn't the type to worry excessively.

As they continued walking closer to camp, Fan lagged behind, taking videos and photos of random things. Suddenly, Knife paused, hearing noises coming from behind a bush. He extended his hand in front of Fan, stopping him in his tracks, and put a finger to his lips, signalling for silence.

Behind the bush, Nickel had his arms wrapped around Balloon's neck, their lips melting into one another. This time, Nickel made sure there was no pulling away to stare at each other—he refused to get those weird fuzzy feelings that made him feel weak. They were passionately kissing, with Nickel playing with Balloon's hair while Balloon's hands rested on Nickel's waist. They were so absorbed in each other that they didn't hear the approaching footsteps. It wasn't until a twig snapped nearby that they abruptly pulled apart.

"What was that…?" Balloon asked nervously, worried someone had caught them. Nickel whined in frustration, not wanting to stop. He crossed his arms and grumbled.

"Whoever it is, I'm gonna kick their ass for it…" Nickel snapped, standing up and turning around. His body froze, the colour draining from his face.

Balloon quickly stood up, his eyes widening.

"Fan?!" Balloon exclaimed, more shocked to see Knife with Fan than to see Knife at all.

"We're not here to cause trouble," Knife said, raising his hands defensively. Fan nervously hid behind Knife, knowing he was in trouble now. He thought nobody would have found them. Why did Nickel and Balloon have to be making out? Couldn't they be actually doing the challenge?

Nickel clenched his fists, furious to see Knife. Everything Balloon had told him earlier flooded back. He wanted to punch Knife in the face. How dare Knife follow Balloon into the kitchen and then talk shit about him, trying to turn Balloon against him? Whatever Knife's goal was, Nickel didn't care—he wanted revenge. He was about to lash out, scream at Knife, and confront him for what he did, when a squeaky voice from behind interrupted.

"What the hell are you doing with Knife?! What do you think Test Tube will think when she finds out about this? She told you to stay away from him!" Balloon yelled. "You didn't tell her about running into him in the kitchen, and now you probably won't tell her about this? What, do you just keep sneaking off to be with him? What is your problem?!" Balloon was really disappointed with Fan. Hasn't Knife caused enough issues? Why did Fan want him to cause more relationship problems?

Knife felt a surge of anger. He glanced down at Fan, who was speechless and trembling, looking like he was about to break down and cry. This wasn’t his fault, and it wasn’t what Balloon thought at all. Balloon had no right to yell at Fan. If anything, he should be yelling at Knife for everything he had done, not Fan.

"Whoa, whoa, hold it. Fan has done nothing wrong! You're just assuming he ran off to see me like this is some sort of forbidden love story. I assure you, that’s not what's happening! Fan had a fight with his friends, Paintbrush or someone, threw his phone, and he got lost. I'm only helping him get back to camp, that’s it. Maybe you should think before you accuse," Knife snapped at Balloon.

Nickel frowned and stood in front of Balloon. "Hey, don't speak to him like that! He has every right to accuse. Fan has been weird about you all camp! And why wouldn’t he be upset? You cornered them both in the kitchen earlier. Not to mention you had to bring up stuff between us," Nickel said, crossing his arms.

"Aww, were you not gonna tell him?" Knife taunted. "You were going to lie to him forever? Hide the fact that you got Pickle expelled? He was bound to find out eventually." Knife scoffed.

"You know I didn’t mean to do that!" Nickel shouted. "I wasn’t trying to get Pickle expelled. I had no idea he already had three suspensions! I was trying to protect my friends, Knife. You would’ve done the same if you were in my position. I brought my friends into my mess, and it wasn’t fair that they were punished for my stupidity. I never meant to hurt you." Nickel realised this was the first time he was actually apologising, though it sounded more like making excuses for his actions.

"I understand all that, but you didn’t even tell us. You blindsided us, went behind our backs, snitched on us without warning. We could’ve done something to help Pickle, but you didn’t trust us enough to include us. And on top of that, you never apologised or spoke to us directly. Instead, you messaged Microphone with some lame excuse because you were too much of a coward to face us," Knife snapped.

Nickel crossed his arms, remaining silent.

There was a tense moment of silence as everyone processed the exchange.

"I swear what Knife said is true..." Fan spoke up nervously. "Paintbrush got mad at me for annoying them, took my phone, and threw it. I stormed off to find it and got lost. Knife found me unintentionally. And I know Test Tube doesn’t want me around Knife, okay? That's why we were trying to avoid being seen together by walking through here!"

"So what? You're just going to keep lying to her? Not tell her you ran into Knife again?" Balloon crossed his arms, looking sceptical.

Fan remained silent. His plan was to continue lying and not tell Test Tube about running into Knife again. He couldn't bear the thought of her reaction; losing Test Tube would be devastating. Sure, Fan found Knife attractive, enjoyed his company, and thought he was cool, but Knife was no Test Tube. Fan loved his girlfriend more than anything, despite sometimes making poor decisions.

"Knife isn’t as bad as everyone thinks… I mean, think about it. Nickel didn’t seem to think he was that bad since he hung out with him! Everyone just assumes Knife is the bad guy because of his history with Nickel!" Fan protested, though defending Knife was probably a bad idea.

Knife glanced down at Fan, perplexed. Why was Fan defending him? After everything, Fan had a chance to apologise, admit he was wrong, and move on, yet here he was defending Knife. It baffled Knife, especially after he had admitted to using Fan for his own ends.

"Don’t try to blame Nickel for this. We both know Test Tube doesn’t like Knife, and for good reason—HE BULLIED YOU. She has every right to dislike him for hurting her boyfriend, and now you're defending him?!" Balloon snapped, his anger escalating as Fan tried to shift blame onto Nickel.

Nickel couldn’t help but smirk slightly as Balloon defended him, arms crossed with a smug expression as he stood beside his almost-boyfriend.

“I’m sorry, okay? I swear, there’s nothing between me and Knife… I love Test Tube more than anything. Please, Balloon, don’t tell her. I don’t want to lose her!” Fan pleaded desperately.

Balloon shifted uncomfortably, torn between honesty and loyalty. He didn’t want to lie or keep secrets from Test Tube, especially after all she had done for him. Yet, he couldn’t ignore that Knife had been the one approaching Fan, harassing him, and manipulating his emotions. It wasn’t fair that Knife could potentially ruin another relationship. However, Fan needed to learn about loyalty and keeping promises. Even though Fan hadn’t intentionally betrayed Test Tube, he hadn’t been forthright with her either, unlike Balloon who had informed Nickel about the encounter with Knife. 

Pausing to think, a compromise started to form in Balloon’s mind.

"Alright, I won’t say anything," Balloon declared firmly.

"Really?" Fan sniffled, his eyes wide with hope.

" IF Knife leaves Nickel and me alone for the rest of camp. I want to enjoy the remainder of this camp without constantly worrying about my boyfriend getting hurt. Whatever issues you both have, you can work them out after camp. Only then will I keep this from Test Tube. Do we have a deal? Because I doubt Knife will—" Balloon started to say.

"Sure. Sounds fair," Knife interjected, crossing his arms as he stared down at Balloon.

"Wait, what—" Balloon stumbled, taken aback.

"I said, it sounds fair. I won’t approach either of you if you keep your mouth shut about this," Knife said, a sharp smile on his face. "We have a deal. Don’t we?" He smirked confidently.

"I... I guess?" Balloon responded, clearly caught off guard by Knife's unexpected acceptance. This had been Balloon's attempt to get Fan to stop defending Knife and admit his mistake, but it seemed Knife had turned the tables on him instead.

Fan glanced up at Knife, smiling a little. It felt strangely nice to see that Knife cared about him.

"No way he's keeping that promise for Fan!" Nickel interjected, his face flushed. He was still processing Balloon calling him his boyfriend, but that was a discussion for later.

"Why's that? I would've done the same for you, since, y'know, you were my friend," Knife shrugged. "But I guess you didn’t see it that way." He gently took Fan's wrist. "Now, if you don't mind, we'll be leaving," Knife confirmed abruptly.

Balloon stood stunned, completely speechless. He couldn’t believe Knife was actually doing this for Fan. Wasn’t Knife supposed to hate Fan? He used to bully him constantly, and now he was acting like Fan was his best friend? What had changed? Balloon couldn’t think of any logical explanation other than maybe they really did have something going on, because why else would Knife agree to that—for Fan?

"Whatever, you're only doing this to prove Balloon wrong, asshole," Nickel snapped at Knife.

Knife rolled his eyes and kept walking, gently pulling Fan along with him. He wasn't entirely sure why he had agreed to Balloon's conditions either. Maybe it was partly to wipe the smug look off Nickel and Balloon's faces, or perhaps it felt surprisingly good to have someone defend him for once. He also felt a twinge of guilt for involving Fan in all of this; Fan didn't deserve to have his relationship ruined because of Knife's actions.

Truth be told, there was something Nickel didn't know. Knife had been dating Pickle until Pickle was expelled. They hadn't been very public about it since they weren't openly romantic types, but they were together nonetheless. When Pickle's parents found out about the expulsion, they forced him to break up with Knife, blaming Knife as a bad influence. This experience explained why Knife had been so determined to disrupt Nickel's relationship—because he had his own relationship torn apart unfairly. Now, seeing how much Fan cared about him, Knife couldn’t bring himself to do the same to Fan. At first, he didn’t care about Fan, but now he couldn’t bear to see him hurt.

As for Nickel, he couldn’t bring himself to apologise after everything that had transpired. Instead, he clung to his pride with a smug smirk. He could hide behind his boyfriend all he wanted, but once this camp was over, Knife would exact his revenge, whether Nickel liked it or not.

“Thanks for… uh, y’know.” Fan muttered.

“Whatever.” Knife grumbled, uncomfortably crossing his arms. He hated that he had a soft spot for this stupid vermin… but it was nice to have someone who cared about him. 

. . .

Back with Nickel and Balloon, Balloon remained stunned, trying to process what had just transpired. Now, he was reluctantly committed to keeping this entire incident hidden from Test Tube, and it ate away at him. She deserved to know the truth, and not telling her was tearing him apart. He couldn’t fathom why Fan had agreed to such a compromise—it infuriated him just as much as it did Nickel. Both of them speculated that Fan had only done it to wipe the smug expressions off their faces.

Nickel noticed Balloon deep in thought, visibly stressed. He moved closer and took Balloon’s hand in his own.

"Look on the bright side, Knife won’t bother us for the rest of camp. And as for Fan… who cares? After this camp, we probably won’t have anything to do with their friend group again," Nickel shrugged nonchalantly.

“Maybe you won’t! But I actually enjoy hanging out with the Bright Lights,” Balloon retorted, pulling his hand away and crossing his arms.

“Oh… uh, what about Baseball, Suitcase, and Bot?” Nickel asked tentatively, sensing Balloon’s tension.

“People can have more than one friend group, Nickel. It’s just better if you actually tell your friends about your other friend group…” Balloon snapped bitterly, taking a jab at Nickel’s friendship with Knife. “Seemed like Knife really saw you as a friend…” he added pointedly.

Nickel frowned, caught off guard. “Whoa… why are you getting mad at me?” he asked defensively, confused by Balloon’s sudden hostility.

Balloon pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. “I’m just… on edge. You do remember that Test Tube is Bot’s sister, right? And… Test Tube has been incredibly supportive of us. I can’t imagine how hurt she’d be if she found out what Fan did. I know Fan means well and loves Test Tube, but he’s making all the wrong choices,” Balloon lamented. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, Nickel… I just wish none of this was happening.” He sighed, feeling drained from the ordeal.

“Sorry,” Nickel murmured quietly.

“You should’ve said that to Knife. Maybe this would be over,” Balloon grumbled as he started walking.

Nickel let those words sink in for a moment. He knew Balloon was right. He should have apologised, but he didn’t—even when he had the chance today, he still couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I know. Okay? I know I should’ve just apologised. But after everything Knife has put me through, us through, he doesn’t deserve an apology!” Nickel complained. “I agree I should’ve said sorry from the start, but now it’s too late.” He grumpily crossed his arms.

“I know,” Balloon sighed heavily. “I’m sorry—I don’t mean to take this out on you…” He turned around, looking visibly exhausted.

Nickel sighed and wrapped his arms around Balloon, pulling him into a hug. Balloon sighed in return, leaning his head against Nickel’s.

“We totally lost the challenge, y’know?” Balloon chuckled softly.

“I didn’t care about it anyway,” Nickel smirked. “Doesn’t matter as long as I’m with you.” He purred.

“Pfft… gay,” Balloon giggled.

“You’re the one who called me your boyfriend,” Nickel teased playfully.

Balloon pulled away, his face flushing bright pink. “Oh… heh, I guess I did.” He almost forgot about that.

There was a moment of silence between them...

“So uh… does that mean you want to be my boyfriend?” Nickel nervously asked.

Balloon smiled shyly, his gaze turning to the ground, nervous to meet Nickel's eyes. “Do you?” he asked quietly, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Nickel's face flushed bright red, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. Was this finally happening?

“Of course I do!” Nickel blurted out eagerly, unable to contain his excitement.

Balloon lifted his eyes to meet Nickel's, a nervous grin spreading across his face. “Well... ask the question,” he teased, biting his lip and unable to hide his growing smile, despite the blush creeping up his cheeks.

“Balloon, do you want to be my boyfriend?” Nickel asked formally.

Balloon stepped forward, placing his hands on Nickel’s hips and pulling him close. “I would love to be your boyfriend,” he said gently before closing the gap between them.

Once again, they kissed, but this time, it was official—they were a couple.

Chapter Text

Balloon and Nickel were heading back to camp, not having secured a single item. Neither of them cared. They had already won in their own way. Sure, they hadn’t won the challenge, but who cared about that now?

“So… I really am your boyfriend?” Nickel asked, wanting to be sure.

“Yes, Nickel, I’ve told you five times already,” Balloon replied, rolling his eyes. Despite his attitude, Balloon found Nickel's excitement adorable.

“So, I can call you my boyfriend to other people?” Nickel asked, a smug smile playing on his lips.

“Why? Whose face are you planning to rub it in?” Balloon teased.

“Everyone’s,” Nickel answered honestly. “I’ll be like, ‘Guys, this is my boyfriend. Isn’t he the cutest ever?’” He purred happily.

“Oh god… don’t embarrass me!” Balloon laughed.

“Aww… why not, baby?” Nickel cooed flirtatiously.

Balloon’s face flushed bright red. He scoffed and crossed his arms at the pet name. “Oh god… don’t start with the pet names. We’ll be as cringe as Lightbulb and Paintbrush!” he joked playfully.

“Right?” Nickel snickered. “Well, at least Lightbulb and Paintbrush tell each other everything. Fan... yikes, buddy.” He gossiped a bit.

“That’s what I’m saying! He can’t just hide that from his girlfriend… like, dude…” Balloon shook his head. “Then again, you did hide that you were friends with Knife from me, Suitcase, and Baseball…” Balloon pointed out.

Nickel hated every time this was brought up. Was Balloon never going to let him live that down? It wasn’t even that big of a deal!

“I get it… I messed up. I won’t do it again.” Nickel crossed his arms grumpily.

“You promise? Like, you’ll tell me things now that we’re a couple? No secrets, right?” Balloon asked, wanting to make sure that rule was set in stone.

“Right, no secrets between us. Unless it’s your birthday and I’m getting you a gift,” Nickel chuckled, smiling contentedly at Balloon. 

“Pfft, hehe…” Balloon giggled. “I suppose that’s fine.” He smiled happily before taking Nickel’s hand in his own.

Nickel couldn’t pry his eyes away from Balloon. Everything about him was perfect. Nickel was so in love with him, more than Balloon could ever know. He was his reason for everything. He would do anything for him—anything to see his smile, to hear his laugh, to hold him in his arms. Nickel was lovestruck, obsessed, and adored everything about him.

The two of them walked back to camp, hand in hand, chattering along the way and gossiping a bit about the situation with Knife and Fan. They had always been really gossipy with each other, something Balloon had almost forgotten about their friendship with Nickel. It had been so long since they were close that he forgot how much the two of them would talk about others. It felt safe– they knew they could trust each other. They weren’t bad people for gossiping between themselves; they wouldn’t go around spreading anything they said. It was just their own thoughts and opinions shared in confidence. It felt nice to have that back, to feel like they could talk freely with each other again.

Upon entering camp, they saw Fan sitting with Lifering and Goo, tallying up how many items he had collected. Knife had likely explained to Lifering and Goo why Fan was back so soon—how he got stuck in the woods and how everything became too overwhelming. Fan looked like he had just been rescued from a blizzard, wrapped in a blanket and holding a cup of cocoa. Balloon and Nickel glanced at each other, both wearing frustrated expressions. They were still really angry with Fan. It wasn’t fair that he got away with everything, but there wasn’t much they could do. They might as well act like everything was fine with Fan since that’s what he wanted. Besides, if they wanted Knife to stay away from them, they’d have to keep their mouths shut and pretend everything was the same as before.

The two walked over and sat beside Fan, casually, not saying anything about what had happened. Despite their silence, their annoyance was evident. They both seemed very distant from Fan, silently judging him with their looks.

Lifering noticed they were holding hands and smiled. That was good news to him! 

“So, how did you guys do? How many items did you collect?”

Balloon bit his lip nervously and tapped his hand on his knee awkwardly. “None…” he answered hesitantly.

“You didn’t participate?” Lifering asked, slightly concerned.

“Uh, yeah… Nickel was having some issues, so I sat down and had a long talk with him. We forgot about the challenge and just came back… sooo…” Balloon shrugged a bit. 

Nickel shot a quick glare at Balloon for making him look like he needed coddling. “Oh yeah… sure… it was me that was having issues…” Nickel snarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Balloon glared sharply at him before quickly patting his head. “Aha… don’t mind him.”

Lifering raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. “Oh, right! Well, your mental health is important, Nickel. If you ever need to talk, I’m here,” he said with a smile before turning back to Goo. The two of them resumed chatting about fishing or something equally mundane.

“Didn’t know making out was talking about issues…” Fan muttered.

“What was that?” Balloon asked, frustration flashing in his eyes.

“Nothing,” Fan quickly replied, sipping his drink nervously.

“Well, we were talking before that!” Nickel snapped. “Y’know… about Knife, your new best friend.” He spoke bitterly. “Where is he, anyway?”

Fan frowned slightly. “He went back to find his friends. And we aren’t best friends… I said I was sorry, okay? Can we please move past this?” Fan begged, looking really dishevelled. Exhausted, stressed… worked up. He didn’t look great. Sure, a lot of this was his own fault, but Knife did start all of this in the first place.

“You’re not sorry. If you were, you wouldn’t have defended Knife!” Nickel snapped, his frustration boiling over.

“Calm down… it’s fine.” Balloon interposed, his hand gently guiding Nickel back.

Nickel shot a glare at Fan but stopped because Balloon said so.

“Look, let’s not dwell on this anymore. We’ve all been caught up in Knife’s games… Let’s just move past it, okay?” Balloon suggested.

Fan nodded silently, taking a sip of his drink.

Nickel grumbled under his breath but reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Balloon sighed with relief, eager to end the argument and simply enjoy the rest of the camp without Knife’s drama. He wearily rested his head on Nickel’s shoulder, feeling exhausted. He couldn’t wait to sleep tonight, even if they were back in the regular cabin. At least there, he could happily cuddle with his boyfriend.

Nickel smiled faintly as Balloon leaned on him. He turned his head, causing Balloon to shift back slightly. “You okay?” Nickel asked, his hand gently brushing Balloon’s cheek.

“Just tired…” Balloon chuckled softly.

“Want to lay on my lap? You can nap while we wait for the others,” Nickel offered with a sweet smile.

“I’ll be okay, but thank you.” Balloon leaned in and kissed Nickel’s forehead.

Fan watched quietly, slurping his hot cocoa. He had noticed a change between them recently—how much closer they seemed, and Balloon calling Nickel his boyfriend earlier. Were they official now? If so, they should thank Fan for planting the idea in Balloon’s head about Nickel’s crush. Otherwise, they might not be together like this. Unable to stop himself, Fan continued to watch them, trying to determine if they were officially a couple. Eventually, he decided to just ask.

"So, uh... are you two officially boyfriends now?" Fan asked curiously.

Balloon turned slightly, ready to answer, but Nickel spoke up first. "Yeah, Balloon and I are together," he declared proudly.

Fan smiled warmly. "Congrats to you both! I always knew that Nickel liked you, Balloon!" he said with a hint of smugness.

Balloon nodded awkwardly, laughing a bit. He could tell that Fan wanted recognition for his role in bringing them together. "I guess it really did all start with you," Balloon admitted with a weak smile.

"Eh, it would've happened anyway," Nickel interjected.

"Would it though?" Fan challenged. "You weren't going to tell Balloon yourself, and Balloon didn't realise until I pointed out how obvious it was. Only then did he see it," Fan pointed out, clearly proud of his matchmaking skills.

Nickel felt a twinge of defensiveness. "I would have told him eventually!" he insisted.

"Would you though?" Fan questioned with a sheepish smile.

"I would!" Nickel protested.

"I'm not so sure, Nickel... You did push me away because you were afraid of your feelings. I doubt you would've confessed if Fan hadn't suggested it," Balloon admitted, feeling a bit conflicted for siding with Fan, but acknowledging the truth in his words.

Nickel knew deep down that there was no way he would have told Balloon about his feelings. Their lives would probably have just continued as usual. While they had grown closer during camp, he feared things might revert to how they were once it ended. It was unsettling to realise how much Fan, of all people, had played a pivotal role in bringing them together. It made Nickel feel embarrassed—unable to express his emotions directly, relying on someone else to convey his feelings for him seemed ridiculous.

“Whatever…” Nickel grumbled, feeling outnumbered in the conversation.

Balloon could sense his boyfriend’s embarrassment over needing help to express his emotions. Not wanting Nickel to feel bad, he scooted closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. 

“Who knows… maybe we were destined to be together, and no matter what happened, we’d have found each other,” Balloon suggested with a cute grin.

Nickel liked that idea. His face flushed, and his eyes glimmered. Balloon was right; it didn’t matter how they came together. It felt right, like it was meant to be. Being with Balloon was exactly what he had been missing.

“You two are so cute together!” Fan giggled with a wide smile. “My new favourite ship!” he exclaimed, kicking his feet happily.

Nickel cringed at Fan, feeling a strong dislike for him but not wanting to voice it. He found Fan almost insufferable.

Balloon smiled faintly, also cringing but not wanting to be rude. “Heh, yeah…” He moved his arm away from Nickel, feeling a bit awkward being romantic around Fan.

Nickel pouted when Balloon moved away. He just wanted to snuggle up close to Balloon without weirdos like Fan watching their every move.

Luckily, they didn’t have to deal with Fan for too much longer as the bright lights returned. They couldn’t find Fan anywhere, so they assumed he went back to camp. Sure enough, that’s where they found him. All three wasted no time running over to check if he was okay, their worry evident.

“Fan! We were looking everywhere for you. Oh, golly, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Test Tube exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and holding him close. She felt awful about what had happened and wanted to make up for it in any way she could.

Lightbulb and Paintbrush stood aside, with Paintbrush nervously crossing their arms. They felt really bad about how they had treated Fan and weren’t sure if he would forgive them.

Fan put his mug down and hugged Test Tube back. Guilt filled him, knowing she had no idea about his encounter with Knife. It made him feel sick to his stomach, having to act like everything was okay and that he wasn’t lying to his girlfriend. He felt awful about what he had been doing, but he felt he had gone too deep to tell the truth. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her; he knew Test Tube would flip if she found out. But did it matter? He could pretend like it never happened. Test Tube was here now, holding him in her arms, and Fan was so glad for it. He could put the whole thing with Knife behind him.

“Are you okay?” Test Tube asked as she pulled back and cupped his cheeks.

“I’m okay. I just found my way back to camp after finding my phone,” Fan lied, offering a weak smile.

Paintbrush stood still, unsure when to apologise. Their girlfriend, Lightbulb, nudged them gently, encouraging them to speak up. Paintbrush glanced at Lightbulb, sighed, and nodded before clearing their throat.

“Uh, Fan… I’m sorry for losing it at you. I didn’t mean it. I know it’s really tough out here for you. I just get worked up easily,” Paintbrush apologised, feeling terrible about their behaviour.

Fan turned to face them. Paintbrush was one of his best friends, so of course he would forgive them. “Don’t worry about it, Painty. I’m sorry for getting on your nerves,” Fan replied with a small smile. “We good?” he asked.

“Yeah, we’re good. I’m just glad you’re okay,” Paintbrush said, smiling. It was true—they were relieved that Fan was safe and sound. They would have felt terrible if anything had happened to him.

Test Tube smiled, glad that everything was cleared up. She hated seeing her friends fight, and she especially hated seeing her boyfriend so down. Fan was a sensitive soul, easily upset, which could be challenging at times, but it was nothing Test Tube couldn’t handle. She wrapped her arms around him again, squeezing him tight before planting a flurry of kisses on his face. Fan happily melted into her embrace, loving the affection.

Lightbulb and Paintbrush smiled, relieved that everything was okay. Lightbulb was especially glad her friends weren’t fighting anymore. It always made her uncomfortable when they argued, as she usually stayed out of it or ended up stuck in the middle. She was happy it was over.

Nickel and Balloon exchanged looks of exasperation. Knowing what Fan had done and seeing him not confess to his loving and supportive girlfriend really annoyed them. But they couldn’t say anything because of their deal with Knife. They had to prioritise their own relationship and keep Knife away. If that meant staying quiet about Fan’s lie, then so be it.

“Oh! Oh! Guys, guess what!” Fan suddenly exclaimed excitedly.

“What is it?” Test Tube smiled at her ecstatic boyfriend.

“Balloon and Nickel are dating!” he cheered happily. Despite everything, he was still their number one supporter.

“Golly! That’s amazing!” Test Tube beamed at them.

“YAY!” Lightbulb cheered, hugging them both from behind.

Paintbrush gave a thumbs-up.

“Haha… yep! Nickel and I are together,” Balloon smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Nickel was a little annoyed that Fan got to break the news instead of himself, but he let it slide. “That’s right! Balloon and I are together,” Nickel said smugly. “My beautiful boyfriend~” he teased, purring the words and making Balloon blush.

“Nickel… stop,” Balloon chuckled shyly, his cheeks flushing.

“I am so happy for you both!” Test Tube smiled warmly, proud of how far they had come. “I’m going to go tell Lifering that we only got two items.” She chuckled awkwardly as she tried to pull away from her boyfriend. Fan clung to her arms, refusing to let go.

“Make someone else do it…” he whined, holding onto Test Tube.

Test Tube huffed and put her hand on Fan’s head, running her fingers through his hair. “Fine. Painty?” she asked, smiling up at them.

“Yep,” Paintbrush replied, already heading toward Lifering.

“You guys only got two items?” Nickel asked with a raised brow. Sure, he and Balloon got none, but knowing the Bright Lights, they could be competitive, especially since they really liked the luxury cabin.

Test Tube huffed and nodded. “Yeah, but it’s okay! We were looking for Fan, which is worth a loss. We had to make sure he was okay,” she smiled before turning to her overly clingy boyfriend, who seemed clingier than usual.

Nickel and Balloon exchanged worried looks. They both were thinking the same thing: how unfair it was that Fan was getting away with this. The Bright Lights lost because they were looking for Fan, but Fan was fine—Knife had found him. The others didn’t know this yet, but the truth always comes out eventually.

Soon enough, Knife and his friends came back from the woods. They were all talking again, so that was good. Trophy was bragging about how he found three items, wow, how amazing. Apparently Taco and Microphone found one each, it seemed like everyone really flunked this challenge, it was either they were all way too distracted or somehow Lifering and Goo made it difficult, Knife decided not to tell his friends about his 11 items as he was still annoyed that they didn’t help him. He kept them all to himself, he allowed Trophy to ramble about how amazing he was, nodding along smugly. Knife assumed that one of the bright lights would’ve surely got more than 3 items, he was trying to work out in his head who the hell he’d have to share a cabin with tonight, but he couldn’t really work it out… he felt like he was forgetting someone. 

Nickel immediately snuggled up to Balloon when he saw Knife, wrapping his arm around Balloon's and pulling him close, as if to say, ‘He is mine.’ Balloon chuckled softly at Nickel, placing his hand on top of Nickel's head. Knife rolled his eyes at Nickel's petty behaviour and walked past them toward Lifering to show him how many items he and his friends had collected.

Trophy was dumbfounded when he realised that Knife somehow got eleven items! How?!

“No way!” Trophy complained.

“I warned you.” Knife shrugged. 

“I didn’t realise you had that many!” Trophy crossed his arms.

Knife simply shrugged and walked off to sit by the campfire. Taco and Microphone already knew they had lost; they were a little upset about not getting the luxury cabin but found it amusing that Trophy was acting prissy because Knife got eleven items. Knife had warned them, so they couldn’t really complain.

The group sat by the campfire, assuming everyone was present and it was almost time to announce the winners. Knife was sure that one of the Bright Lights had to have collected more items than him or at least more than Trophy. Little did he know, they each only had two items. This put Knife in the lead, with Fan in second place thanks to the four items Knife gave him, and then Trophy.

Suddenly emerging from the woods were YinYang, Silver Spoon, and Candle. How could everyone forget about YinYang?

Silver and Candle walked hand in hand, their smugness evident, as they escorted YinYang to the front where Lifering and Goo stood. They proudly displayed his haul: fifteen items. How had he managed to collect so many? Well, having Silver and Candle helping him the entire time certainly didn’t hurt.

"Wow! 15 items! I think we already have a winner!" Lifering announced with a bright smile.

Suddenly, everyone realised how unfair that was. YinYang had both teachers helping him collect all the items! While they all worked in groups, everyone had sort of forgotten about YinYang during the challenge. Silver and Candle weren’t participating—they could give every single item they found to YinYang. How was that fair? Of course, many people wanted to complain about the unfairness, but it was YinYang. They were only fourteen. They shouldn’t even have been sent here, and they didn’t have any other friends. Everyone had forgotten about them; if anything, they deserved to win!

However, not everyone saw it that way.

"You’re kidding! How the hell is that fair? YinYang cheated!" Trophy yelled across the fire, hands on his hips.

YinYang frowned.

“We did not cheat!” 

“YEAH!”

"Yeah, you did! You had to get your mommy and daddy to help you," Trophy taunted angrily, clearly upset that this put a damper on his chances of winning. "How is that fair, Lifering? Both the teachers helped them win! We didn’t get any help like that!" Trophy persisted.

“Well… to be fair, Trophy, everyone forgot about YinYang. What if they had gotten lost? We were just making sure they were safe,” Candle reasoned calmly.

“Don’t be a sore loser now,” Silver Spoon retorted sassily.

“I am NOT a sore loser! This is clearly favouritism! You see how they are with YinYang, Lifering! This has to be cheating!” Trophy continued to argue.

Lifering crossed his arms, displeased with Trophy's accusations of cheating. YinYang was just a kid; did it really matter if they won the luxury cabin? Lifering didn't think it was a big issue. Besides, Trophy was currently in fourth place, and Lifering could have informed him of that if he had let him continue speaking.

“I don’t see this as cheating. YinYang found fifteen items, so they get to stay in the cabin,” Lifering began. “Plus, if you had let me finish, you would have known you’re in fourth place. But since I have a policy against sore losers, I might consider giving your spot to someone else.”

“What!?” Trophy exclaimed. “How is that fair? I earned my spot fair and square! This is ridiculous!” Trophy shouted, visibly agitated.

“It’s fair because it’s teaching you a life lesson: winning isn’t everything, and it’s not okay to lash out when you don’t win,” Lifering said firmly, crossing his arms.

“Oh, whatever! This camp is a load of bullshit anyway!” Trophy snapped, crossing his arms and sitting back down. Knife glanced at him with a slight smirk, finding it amusing that Trophy’s sore loser attitude had cost him his spot in the cabin.

“So, what’s the score now?” Knife asked curiously.

Lifering glanced down at his paper and then back up at everyone. “Funny you asked, Knife! In second place, with eleven points, is you! Congrats! You’ll be joining YinYang in the cabin!”

“Cool,” Knife replied with a smile.

“YES! ALL BOYS CLUB!”  Yang cheered.

“Yang, there is still one more person.” Candle told him with a soft chuckle, not wanting him to get his hopes up on an all boys club.

“Well, in third place is Fan with four items!” Lifering announced loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.

Test Tube shifted slightly away from Fan, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. How did he manage to find four items when he was supposedly just looking for his phone and leaving the woods? Was it plausible that he stumbled upon four items in that time? Test Tube needed to hear his explanation directly. Paintbrush felt a twinge of jealousy, silently crossing their arms in frustration at how unfair it seemed. Lightbulb, on the other hand, beamed with pride for Fan’s accomplishment.

Yet none of them noticed the main issue.

Fan would be sharing a cabin with Knife.

“How the hell did that twerp get more items than me? There’s no way!” Trophy erupted in frustration.

Knife struggled to contain his amusement, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle a laugh.

Nickel and Balloon exchanged knowing glances but kept silent. Nickel remained nestled against Balloon’s chest, while Balloon gently ran his fingers through Nickel’s hair, avoiding eye contact to avoid betraying their secret.

“Yeah, how did you manage to find that many items?” Test Tube crossed her arms, eyeing Fan suspiciously.

Fan felt a nervous sweat trickling down his forehead. He swallowed hard, struggling to come up with a plausible explanation to appease Test Tube without revealing the truth. Before he could respond, Paintbrush interjected from behind them.

“Wait, does that mean Fan will be sharing a cabin with Knife?!”

Test Tube's eyes widened in realisation. She shook her head vehemently. “No way. I am not letting you share a cabin with him,” she declared firmly, crossing her arms in defiance.

Lifering cleared his throat loudly, gaining everyone’s attention. He disliked the bickering and wanted to continue smoothly.

“I wasn’t finished,” Lifering continued. “Since Trophy is disqualified for poor sportsmanship, I will allow one of the three winners to pick another person to join them. Considering YinYang had a slight advantage, Knife will choose the fourth person for the cabin, but it cannot be Trophy, as he needs to learn from this.”

Trophy scoffed loudly. “Oh, now you talk about unfair advantages. Real nice,” he remarked sarcastically.

Knife scanned the crowd, his eyes settling on Fan and Test Tube. He watched as Test Tube lectured Fan, clearly upset and making it known she didn’t trust Knife around him. Knife rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, contemplating his decision. He couldn’t choose Balloon due to their agreement to stay away, and picking either Taco or Microphone would leave the other disappointed. Paintbrush seemed to harbour animosity towards him for some unknown reason, and Lightbulb he didn’t really know well. After a brief moment of consideration, the choice became clear.

“Sure, Test Tube,” Knife said casually, as if it were no big deal.

“And you expect me to believe that Knife would actually leave you alo—wait, what?!” Test Tube interrupted her own lecture, utterly shocked.

“TEST TUBE?!” Trophy, Microphone, and Taco exclaimed simultaneously, their disbelief palpable.

“Yeah, so?” Knife retorted, nonchalant.

Even Fan was in disbelief. He was speechless and frozen with fear. Oh god, this was not good. Knife and Test Tube in the same room? She would find out... she would find out about his lies. Was Knife planning on telling her? Why on earth did she pick Test Tube? Fan couldn't comprehend it, but it sent him into a panic.

Paintbrush and Lightbulb were equally stunned, their eyes wide with surprise, yet they remained silent, unable to process Knife’s unexpected choice.

Nickel and Balloon immediately snapped to attention upon hearing this, no longer able to ignore what was happening.

Test Tube stood there, mouth agape, struggling to comprehend why Knife would select her. It didn’t make sense to her at all.

Everyone stared at Knife, waiting for an explanation. Knife, annoyed by their reactions, snapped back defensively.

“What?” Knife snapped. “She was complaining! Clearly, she doesn’t want her boyfriend alone with me, so I fixed it. She can come too,” he explained curtly. “It’s not that hard to figure out.” He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Still, the decision baffled everyone. Throughout their time at camp, Knife had been trying to get Fan alone so he could use him for whatever weird infatuation he had with ruining Nickel and Balloon’s relationship. Why was he suddenly acting so nice? One would expect Knife to choose someone else to spite Test Tube, considering he was trying to steal her boyfriend. Plus the idea of Knife, YinYang, Fan, and Test Tube sharing a cabin did not seem like a great match at all. Would Knife even want to share a cabin with them?

“Wait– does this mean no boys club?” Yang pouted.

“Yes Yang, that means no boys club.” Silver put a hand on his head. 

“DANG IT!” Yang stomped his foot on the ground and crossed his arms.

Test Tube didn’t understand this one bit… but she was going to get to the bottom of it. There was no way Knife picked her for no reason.

Chapter Text

Everyone was stunned when Knife chose Test Tube as the fourth person for the luxury cabin. The question on everyone's mind was, 'why?' It seemed out of character for Knife. His friends, well-acquainted with his drama and schemes, had been offering advice and support because they cared about Pickle and wanted Nickel to face consequences for his actions. They knew Knife planned to use Fan to his advantage, seeing him as a weak link. Being friends with Balloon and Nickel, Fan was easily manipulated by Knife, who pretended to like him to extract information about the duo. It was a flawless plan. 

Fan had always been an easy target, so what had changed? Why wouldn't Knife want Fan alone in the cabin to gather more intel on Balloon and Nickel? Test Tube's presence complicated things. She was too smart and would ensure Fan kept his distance from Knife and didn't spill any secrets. How could Knife manipulate Fan if Test Tube was there? Clearly, he couldn't. So what was Knife's plan? There had to be something more to it; he wouldn't do it just to stop Test Tube's complaints. Knife never acted without a hidden agenda.

Everyone headed to the kitchen, clueless and eager for answers that weren’t coming. Once inside, they waited for Lifering to explain what they would be making and eating that night.

"Tonight’s meal will be a roast! Just like the other night, there will be stations—someone cooking the meat, someone handling the vegetables, and so on. Instructions are on your benches. You can work with whoever you want as long as you get it done! And please, no arguments! I’ve noticed some tension recently, so I feel I need to get that out there!" Lifering announced, emphasising the need for cooperation.

The groups dispersed to different work benches. The Bright Lights took the meat cooking station, Knife’s crew handled the vegetables, and Nickel and Balloon avoided everyone, heading to the dessert table to bake cookies. YinYang was torn about which group to join since the tension was high, but their love for cookies led them to Nickel and Balloon. Why not? Nickel and Balloon had been nice to them at this camp. Naturally, Candle and Silver followed YinYang, wanting to keep an eye on them. Balloon and Nickel didn't seem to mind too much; in fact, they welcomed the extra help, which meant less work for them.

Bright Lights.

“I just don’t understand why he would pick me. He could’ve chosen any of his friends…” Test Tube was trying to make sense of it all, but it just didn’t add up.

Fan stayed silent. Part of him thought Knife might actually be considering him a friend now. Maybe Knife felt it was unfair that Fan didn’t get the luxury cabin. Maybe he wanted to placate Test Tube by choosing her as the fourth person. It made some sense given recent events: Knife taking Balloon’s compromise so Fan was safe from his girlfriend finding out his lies, helping him out of the woods, giving him some of his items from the hunt, and even offering support. It almost seemed like Knife had a soft spot for him. This wasn’t good.

Why wasn’t it good? Because Test Tube couldn’t find out they were friends. If she discovered that Fan and Knife had been getting along behind her back, she would lose her mind. She already had slight jealousy issues when it came to Fan, being overly protective and sometimes disliking him hanging out with Paintbrush or Lightbulb alone. This was her first relationship, and she didn’t want to lose him. She loved him deeply and just wanted to keep him safe from any harm. She saw Knife as harm, as a threat. Knife had bullied Fan before Test Tube even knew him, and once Fan told her about this, she made sure it never happened again. And now suddenly, Knife was acting so close to Fan? Like he wanted to be his friend or possibly more? Fan said questionable things about Knife, which felt off to her. Something wasn’t right, but she didn’t know that Fan had been speaking to Knife behind her back despite her strict instructions not to. 

Sure, maybe Fan wasn’t initiating it and Knife was coming to him, but why wasn’t he telling her? Why was he hiding it from her? Fan knew what he was doing was wrong, even if he wasn’t actually cheating. He felt guilty knowing he was disobeying his girlfriend. She told him to stay away from Knife, and he hadn’t. He was even starting to become friends with him. This was not okay, and Fan knew it. Hence, he was extremely stressed about her finding out. If she even suspected that they were friends, it would be over for Fan. Test Tube would find out he went behind her back and had been keeping things from her.

Some people might call Test Tube controlling for doing everything for Fan and forbidding him from talking to certain people, but it wasn’t like that. Knife was literally trying to hit on her boyfriend, and Fan had said some questionable things about Knife, almost as if he had a crush on him. Whether it was as innocent as Fan finding Knife attractive or wanting to be like him, it made Test Tube uncomfortable, jealous, and upset, and rightfully so. She feared Knife would take her boyfriend away. If she found out that Fan had been going behind her back, she would overthink and assume the worst. It could be the end of their relationship.

So here Fan stood, quieter than he’d ever been, his eyes occasionally glancing over to Knife. He felt paranoid. Test Tube was relentless when it came to getting answers, and he was almost certain she would find out. Fan’s palms were sweating, his knees trembling, and his heart pounding in his chest. He kept checking his phone gallery, trying to distract himself to avoid looking suspicious. But there was no doubt that Test Tube was going to start asking questions.

“It is really odd that he would pick you over one of his friends or even Balloon. He’s been trying to hit on Balloon this entire camp, trying to split him from Nickel. Wouldn’t it make more sense to pick him? I feel like he’s up to something,” Paintbrush said, agreeing that something was really off as they helped Lightbulb marinate the beef.

“Exactly! This makes no sense. I mean, it’s not like I’m not glad that I’ll be going to the luxury cabin with Fan. I’m so happy Fan doesn’t have to be alone with Knife, but there has to be a reason why…” Test Tube adjusted her glasses, pushing them up with her index finger, and turned to look at her boyfriend, who was staring at his phone.

“What do you think, Fan?” Test Tube asked, wanting to believe that Fan had nothing to do with this, that he respected her wishes and had been staying away from Knife. But part of her was nervous that might not be true.

Fan didn’t look up from his phone, his heart racing as attention focused on him. He nervously cleared his throat and began to speak. “I, uh, have no idea actually,” he answered quietly.

Test Tube could see something was off with Fan; he was too quiet. “You don’t know anything about this, right, Fan?” She had full faith in him and would believe anything he told her, but she just needed to know.

Fan quickly glanced up at Test Tube. “No! No, of course, I don’t know anything about this… why would I?” He chuckled nervously. “But, uh, who cares why he did it, right? We get to spend the night in the luxury cabin together! We don’t even have to talk to Knife. Actually, that’s a great idea—let’s just not speak to him, like at all.” Fan gave a weird, awkward smile, the one he always had when he was anxious.

Test Tube knew something was fishy but wanted to trust her boyfriend. Why wouldn’t she? She leaned back and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I still want to get to the bottom of this. I might just interrogate him… I mean, we are spending the night with him, right? We’ll get something out of him, surely.” Test Tube shrugged.

Fan gulped and nodded. “Heh… yeah.” 

He was so done for.

Knife’s Crew

Everyone was staring at Knife as he proceeded to cut the vegetables for the roast. Trophy sat nearby with his arms crossed, looking grumpy—he was still upset about not getting the cabin. Taco and Microphone had their eyes glued to Knife. He acted so nonchalant, as if he hadn’t just made the most baffling choice possible for a cabin mate. Choosing Balloon would have made sense, or even one of his friends, but Test Tube? Fan’s actual girlfriend? Why. What was his reasoning? It couldn’t just be a whim.

“So, you want to tell us your plan behind inviting Test Tube to the cabin? You could’ve had Balloon right where you wanted him, you could’ve easily gotten on Nickel’s nerves… and even if not Balloon, you could’ve invited one of us. I don’t understand your reasoning,” Taco began. “You’ve been going on about your plan to avenge Pickle, and how Fan was your easy way into finding out info on Balloon and Nickel since Balloon wasn’t budging. But you pass up the best opportunity to get Fan alone? Test Tube won’t let you even look at Fan, I hope you know that, Knife.” Taco scoffed.

Knife rolled his eyes and continued cutting vegetables, letting Taco’s lecture wash over him. What did they expect him to do? He picked Test Tube—so what? What was the big deal?

“I know I don’t usually get involved in these issues, but Taco has a point. Why Test Tube?” Microphone asked nervously, hating to be involved in this kind of stuff.

“See? Microphone understands. Thank you, darling.” Taco smiled at her, then turned back to Knife with a questioning look. “Well? Want to tell us?”

Knife huffed, looking up at them. “Maybe it’s because Fan’s girlfriend was nagging him, and it got on my nerves. He won third place fair and square. He deserves to have the cabin. It’s not fair that his girlfriend was going to forbid him from staying there just because I was going to be there,” Knife started. “When I stormed off, I found Fan curled up in a ball, crying his eyes out because he had a fight with his friends. So, I gave him some of my items. His friends were awful to him today, and I wanted to see the look on their faces when they saw Fan actually managed to get some items since they clearly didn’t believe he could. I didn’t think he’d have more than them or that you’d all have less than him. None of that was intentional. I thought you guys would’ve picked up your game and actually gotten more items. Clearly, I was way off—except for Trophy, who had to be a sore loser.” Knife rolled his eyes. “And if you really want to know why I didn’t pick Balloon for the cabin, fine. I found Nickel and Balloon making out when I was taking Fan back to camp. As you know, Test Tube doesn’t want Fan anywhere near me, so Balloon and I made a compromise. He wouldn’t tell Test Tube that he saw Fan with me if I left him and Nickel alone for the whole camp.” Knife explained with an unamused look.

“Don’t tell me you actually took the compromise…” Taco felt like facepalming.

“Of course he did! Are you guys idiots? Can’t you see Knife has a soft spot for that stupid nerdy redhead? He literally ditched us and helped him win! He’s clearly starting to actually like him.” Trophy cut in with frustration.

Knife bit his tongue, wanting to punch Trophy so badly. “I do not have a soft spot for Fan,” he grunted through his teeth.

“Oh really? Then why did you choose Test Tube for the cabin?” Trophy spoke smugly. “Exactly. Because you felt bad for your new boyfriend!” Trophy scoffed.

Knife felt himself growing more heated by the second. Fan was not his boyfriend. He would never be his boyfriend. His actual boyfriend was torn from him, and it was all Nickel’s fault. None of this would be happening if Nickel wasn’t such a lying snitch. He would still have Pickle.

“He isn’t my boyfriend, and I do not have a soft spot for him. I’ll prove it to you—I’ll tell Test Tube that Fan has been talking to me behind her back,” Knife snapped, crossing his arms. “Because I honestly couldn’t give two shits about the little twerp.”

Deep down, Knife knew he did have a soft spot for Fan. He knew he was starting to care about him. That’s why he was doing what he was doing for Fan; he wanted him to be okay. He hated that he suddenly cared about Fan. He didn’t even know how it happened or why he felt the need to care for him. Maybe spending a lot of time with someone who looks up to you as much as Fan looks up to him changes your view of a person.

“I can’t believe this… you actually care about him, don’t you?” Taco crossed her arms, her jaw dropping.

“I do not,” Knife spat.

“Then why did you help him?” Taco pressed.

“I want him on my good side, don’t I?” Knife snarked. “What, you wanted me to just leave him there?” Knife scoffed.

“I mean, why did you take the compromise? Who cares if Balloon told Test Tube? That isn’t your problem. Your problem is getting revenge on Nickel,” Taco snapped. “Pickle is expelled because of him. Pickle isn’t allowed to see any of us anymore because of him. Why on earth would you throw away revenge just so Fan was safe from a fight with his girlfriend?”

“You don’t think I miss Pickle too? He was everything to me. It’s not like I can’t get revenge on Nickel after the camp. It’s only for the camp, so shut your mouths and let me do this my way. Pickle was my boyfriend, so I will do what I like to get revenge for him,” Knife harshly snapped.

“He is our friend too. We get our say in this. I don’t approve of this… strange friendship you have going on with Fan,” Taco scoffed.

“Fine! Fine, okay, you want me to tell Test Tube what Fan did? I will. Tonight. I’ll prove to you Fan means nothing to me,” Knife spat at them.