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.