"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.