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?