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.