In the Forest Calls

Welcome to your campsite!

The amenities are free for you to use and use the space as you like.

Do not go into the forest alone at night.

Jesse squinted at the signboard posted at the center of the path to their campsite as the others walked by, toting the gear they would be using for the night.

"Hmm? What's that? Anything interesting?"

From over his shoulder, Jesse saw Shintaro heaving a fold-out table out from the back of the van under his arm.

"Ah. No. It's just a welcome sign," he said before quickly scurrying over to help Shintaro with the compact yet still heavy table.

"It just warns to not go into the forest too late at night."

"Well… that's a given, isn't it?" Shintaro gave a strained laugh. "I'm sure they just don't want to be liable if anyone gets lost in there."

"It's not like there's monsters or anything."

Jesse laughed along with him as they took the table to the other four who already circled around the fire pit.

"Of course not."

It had been forever since the six of them had been together.

In college, he, Shintaro, Juri, Hokuto, Yugo and Taiga were basically peas in a pod... if the pod was long enough to hold six peas, that is. It felt like some kind of miracle that they had grown so close, considering that they were essentially all very different people with conflicting personalities. Somehow, like pieces of a slapped together puzzle, they all fit together in an oddly made balance.

Throughout highschool and college, they were inseparable. No fight, drunken escapade, or whatever was happening with Hokuto and Taiga, was able to break the group apart. Even now, with the pressures and hustle culture of modern society their friendship stayed strong, though it definitely made it challenging.

They still talked as much as they could. Their group chat stayed lively through the years with some being more available than others in their mindless stream of conversation. Jesse had managed to align his schedule to have dinner and drink with Juri, Shintaro and Hokuto separately, but getting three or more together proved to be difficult. Especially with Yugo and Taiga in particular. While the four of them were rather grounded in the Tokyo area, Yugo and Taiga seemed to never stay in one place long enough to set their roots.

"So you're back home for five months?"

Taiga nodded, affirming Juri's question as they both squatted and stared at the smoldering beginnings of the fire Yugo worked on.

"We're composing new pieces so I won't be doing any performances for a while."

Juri smiled, waving the smoke from his face. "How is it finally staying in one place?"

Taiga hugged his knees with a huff. "Amazing."

"Sleeping in the same bed for more than a week is like heaven."

Juri chuckled before turning to Yugo beside him, bumping his shoulder into his.

"I bet you can't relate, right Kochi?"

"You get to stay in all those luxurious ryoukan."

Yugo took another deep inhale to feed into the thin pipe, the fire breathing and glowing with his breath.

"I can appreciate my bed too, you know," Yugo said as he pushed a dry twig into the glowing mound. "Not living out of a suitcase from time to time is just as good as an expensive meal."

Hokuto sighed, reaching out to the small fire to warm the back of his hand. "You're off this month, right? I thought you usually try to find more places when your guide is in production."

"I do, but I decided to take a break. I just needed a bit of a breather."

Jesse glanced over to the four as he unfolded the camping table with Shintaro, unable to restrain the grin that grew on his lips.

This was the only reason why he was able to get everyone in the same place.

Like the stars aligning once in a lifetime, the two travelers were staying in Tokyo at the same time.

The moment Jesse found out, his body burned with excitement as he immediately contacted everyone for their work calendar for the next month. He would be damned if he let this opportunity pass, and if he had to coordinate the busy life schedules of six people, he would do it.

Because Jesse Lewis had to see Kochi Yugo.

And the others, of course.

But mostly Yugo.

"Jesse?"

"Hmm-?"

Shintaro spat out a curse as the weight of the table suddenly dropped down on his foot after Jesse let go of his side to give his complete attention to the one who called for him.

"Oh fuck! Sorry, Shintaro!!"

The youngest laughed through his grimacing wince as Jesse lifted the table to let him pull out his foot from under the metal bar.

Damnit.

He was already losing his cool.

Jesse could feel his ears burning in the fresh air as he heard Yugo's bright laughter through the chorus of Juri's and Hokuto's along with it.

Most would think that after 8 years, someone would finally learn how to behave around their crush, but Yugo still managed to make Jesse feel like he could barely puppet his body to behave like a functioning human when he was around him.

The first day Jesse realized his feelings, just the sight of Yugo made all of his emotions well up into his stomach to the point he was speechless.

Their friends quickly became his crutch, letting Jesse joke around and ebb with the flow of the cheery air of the group. With that, he was able to sit next to Yugo, playfully bumping his shoulder against his as he selfishly asked to be spoiled by him while they got drunk on beer.

With friends, it was easy.

But alone, Jesse could only spend every moment thinking about how much he loved him. From the way his name sounded from Yugo's lips, his wonderful adorable laughter, to his warm softened smile that heated Jesse's chest with his endless kindness.

In highschool, it was unbearable. Now, it was just as unbearable, but college and work had taught him enough social skills to not completely buckle at the knees.

Jesse just hoped Yugo would wait for him until he had enough courage.

… Though, he had been trying to build that courage since what felt like forever.

After several years of maturing, Jesse thought he could finally face Yugo with a stronger composer, but the softening of age only made Yugo more handsome, only managing to force Jesse back into his timid shell once again.

Thank god, he had waited until all of them were available. If it had only been Shintaro or Hokuto with him, Yugo surely would have still winded him.

Jesse laughed awkwardly as he quickly went to Shintaro, kneeling down to help him with his foot.

"Sorry, what was that Kochi? Did you need something?" He asked as Shintaro toed off his shoe with a light wince for him to check.

Besides some redness, it seemed fine.

Though Jesse's specialty was with children, his training had taught him enough to know that if Shintaro didn't yelp when he flexed his foot, nothing was broken.

Yugo just laughed to himself as he straightened out while brushing off his lap.

"I was just going to ask you to get some more firewood from the van when you got a chance."

"The wood the camp provided is a little wet so it's not lighting properly."

"A-ah! Yeah. Sure!"

Jesse prayed no one heard the stutter in his voice as he held down Shintaro's shoe for him to slip back on after giving him the okay.

"Alright, Kochi. What should we do next?" Juri asked, standing up after losing interest in the failing fire. "Should we get the food?"

Even though it was Jesse who had planned the trip, Yugo was the true composer behind the curtain. After all, he was the one who had the certification and none of the others had any reason not to listen.

Jesse only knew as much as what he learned from secretly reading Yugo's articles each month.

Yugo shook his head as he pulled his hand hatchet from his bag. "No, go get the tents first. Once the fire is going, I'll teach everyone how to set it up."

Before Taiga could sit down in one of the many camping chairs, Yugo pushed at his shoulder, making his feet stumble just a bit.

"Bocchan, if you don't have anything better to do, go in the forest and try to find some dry tinder."

The nostalgic squabble between the two eldest faded as Jesse retreated back to the van, the crunching of gravel under Juri's feet catching up from behind him.

"Hey, thanks for planning this."

Jesse smiled as Juri patted the center of his back.

"Of course, I thought it'd be fun to have everyone together again."

He pulled on the gloves Yugo had put over the bag of firewood before picking up a few to tuck under his arms as Juri slung the long bundles of tents onto his shoulders.

Juri grunted as he pulled one over each shoulder with a third in his hand, refusing to take more as Jesse helped with the last three. "Oof!... Did we really need to have one for everyone?... Would have sharing been fine?"

Honestly, Jesse had the same thought. The tents Yugo had in stock were made to fit up to at least two people each, but the idea of spending the night next to Yugo in a small tent nearly made his heart explode.

Sure, he could have just shared with one of the other four, but there was absolutely no chance he was going to let that happen.

Jesse adjusted the wood under his arm after fixing the bags on his back. "Well, I mentioned that to him, but considering none of us are exactly small Kochi said that two in one tent would be kind of a tight squeeze."

"Oh whatever. It's not like the lot of us didn't literally used to sleep in piles in college after drinking. I'm sure it would have been fine."

"That was all of us though. It's different when there's only two of you."

"I would have been fine with it."

"You're basically fine with anything, Juri," Jesse laughed.

Juri grinned back at his friend as they walked back to the fire pit.

"Well, that's more or less true."

Juri went to throw the bags by the small stretch of grass as Jesse went and handed the wood to Yugo.

"Here, is this enough?" Jesse asked as Yugo sped over to take them from him.

For a moment, the direction of the breeze brought the gentle scent of Yugo's hair over him, nearly making Jesse's heart jump from his throat as Yugo leaned in close to take the wood from under his arm.

"Yes, this is more than enough. Thank you, Jesse."

Yugo's smile was reward enough as Jesse chuckled, letting the grateful gesture warm his chest as he spoke in a low voice only loud enough for both of them to hear.

"Let me know if you need more."

Yugo's voice was just as quiet with his reply.

"I will."

It had always been like this.

Even if they weren't a couple, these small moments of intimacy had fed Jesse for years as it provided hints of an affection that was never said in words.

Somewhere deep inside, Jesse believed Yugo felt the same as he felt for him.

If it wasn't the way that Yugo spoiled him regardless of his complaints or the way they always found themselves sat beside each other, then it was the way Yugo bumped his head against his jaw as they laughed and the way he always let Jesse put his arm around him when he slid up against his side.

Each time brought Jesse a momentary bliss.

Juri rolled his strained shoulders as Jesse brought himself to part from Yugo to set down the heavy tent bags with the others.

"Hmm? Where's the other three?"

"Taiga went to find dry tinder in the woods and Shintaro said he needed to use the bathroom," Yugo said as he took another piece of wood to splinter in half with his hatchet.

"And Hokuto, he–..."

Yugo raised his head from his work to find vacant from his spot by the fire he had seen him last.

"... I'm not sure where Hokuto is."

"He's not getting eaten alive in the forest, is he?" Juri mostly joked as he pulled out the manual from one of the tent bags.

Jesse grinned, placing the strips of wood into the fire pit by Yugo's directions. "No way. If a bear came to eat him, he could just karate chop in the face, right?"

Juri let out the loud sharp laugh that Jesse hadn't heard in months. "Yeah! Like right between the eyes!! I'd pay money to see that!"

"Pay money to see what?"

Speak of the devil.

Out of the winding forest, Hokuto appeared, hands full of dry twigs and leaves with Taiga in tow behind him.

"Nothing," Jesse smiled as he watched Hokuto pass the bundle to Taiga behind him before joining the two of them by the pile of unmade tents. "But we were wondering if you'd be able to use your black belt to ward off a bear."

Hokuto scoffed first before he laughed.

"I'd definitely be torn apart first."

The tinder helped the fire come to life as Taiga clapped with amazement and Shintaro whined about missing the whole thing.

The six of them gathered, appreciating the hard earned warmth around the flames for a moment as they complimented Yugo's work before they were sent to pitch up their own tents.

As expected, Yugo finished in a flash as the others struggled with varying degrees.

Shintaro took it as a challenge, wrestling it into submission until it became a tent. Hokuto took his time and set it up at a steady pace, while Jesse pretended to fight with his just a bit so he could ask Yugo for help.

Maybe it was a tactic that teenage girls used to have the boy they like reach a book from a top shelf, but Jesse didn't care.

All of this was so he could spend time with Yugo and he was ready to take full advantage of it.

"So, you put the hooks onto the poles across the top and then insert the ends into the corners, see?"

Jesse watched attentively, but also didn't waste a second admiring the way Yugo's fingers smoothly snapped the pieces into place.

It was blissful, getting lost and smothered with Yugo's attention as Juri and Shintaro's sidebar conversation about Hokuto's odd behavior and Taiga's strange hesitance fell on deaf ears.

Once Jesse had finished his tent with Taiga close behind after receiving Hokuto's verbal help, the real festivities began as the drinks and food began to flow.

It was almost like they were sent back to an easier time.

Juri and Taiga cheered as they opened their second can of beer while the others still worked on their first with Hokuto and Shintaro preparing the food for Yugo to cook with Jesse's close assistant.

Soon enough, a second became a third while the firsts quickly caught up to be a second, third and fourth as they all ate the food of their labor in glee, laughing and trading stories of their youthful times with each other.

"Does anyone remember when we were at the beach and Shintaro and I took Kyomo far out into the water?" Juri laughed with a new cigarette tucked between his grip on his can. "He looked like he was about to die when we left him there."

"That's because I thought I was going to die!!" Taiga huffed before taking another bite of yakisoba. "I was terrified I was going to get lost at sea or drown until you brought me back!"

Shintaro chuckled as he shoved another slice of meat into his mouth. "The face you made was rich, though! It was almost as good as Jesse's face when Yugo pushed him off the dock."

"I felt so betrayed…" Jesse sighed, internally pleased with the way Yugo laughed beside him. "I thought I could trust him."

Yugo sipped the top of his drink with a smile still on his lips. "You were really getting on my nerves that day, I had to do it."

Jesse frowned as he leaned into him beside him. "You were mad?? Why??"

Yugo bumped him back as he drank.

"I'll never tell."

The warm sun setting sun on their backs slipped behind the mountains as they were left with only the stars and their handmade fire to illuminate them. Their excited conversation slowed with their clumsy tongues as they talked about all and whatever, reminiscing on their past, present and future.

"Why don't you find a new job? I could see if the dive shop needs any technical work."

Hokuto shook his head at Shintaro's offer.

"No, I couldn't. If I suddenly left all my work, the whole program would fall apart. I just have to get used to the high pace."

"That's not the right way to think about it…" Juri said as he drank the rest of the beer he said would be his last. "I get that it's corporate, but I don't expect any of my sales team to work overtime as long as they can meet their quotas. And if they can't, then we reevaluate and rebalance group work so we can meet our goals."

Hokuto hummed, throwing the stick he had been poking one of the molten logs with into the flames.

"We all wish we could have such forward thinking like that…"

"But it's just not like that for me."

The night grew late and the fire dulled to the soft glow of rolling embers hidden in the spent wood. Hokuto was the first to retire to his tent before Shintaro and Taiga followed soon after.

As soon as Juri's last cigarette burnt down to its filter and was discarded, he stood up from his camping chair with a deep sigh.

"I think it's time to call it a night. How about you guys?"

Jesse was ready to agree, the drowsiness from the alcohol weighing on his eyelids, but his words caught in his mouth when Yugo spoke first.

"I'll just be a little while longer."

Juri nodded, already undoing the zipper of his tent.

"Jesse?"

"I–…"

Jesse glanced between Juri and Yugo who sat beside him.

Once Juri entered his tent, Jesse would be alone with Yugo.

Something inside him still wanted to run and save himself from his pounding heart and his rising pulse. Maybe in hindsight, that would have been the better choice.

But Jesse had just the right amount of alcohol in his stomach to convince him to stay.

"I'm… going to stay too."

Juri covered his mouth as he yawned, removing his shoes before stepping inside his tent. "Alright, suit yourself."

"Don't stay up too late."

Yugo shooed him away with a wave of his hand.

"We won't."

After the zip off Juri's tent came to a close, Yugo and Jesse were left in a quiet filled only by the light rustling of leaves that clung to their trees and the gentle popping of burning wood.

They both stared into the remnants of their fire as Jesse shook his long empty beer can before throwing it back on his lip, hoping to get the last few drops from the bottom before his nerves could begin to spark.

He was alone with Yugo.

Sure, his sleeping friends were around behind him, but alone, he couldn't bring himself to laugh and joke with just the two of them.

With just the two of them, it was always different.

The energetic liveliness of six dispersed into a comfortable serene of two that Jesse could have stayed in forever.

With Yugo.

"... Hey."

"... Mnn?"

Jesse eased his thumb into the aluminum can, crushing it slowly to throw away as he begged his pulse to slow.

"Thanks for today."

"O-oh… Yeah. Of course…" Jesse chuckled timidly.

"I wanted to see everyone again."

Especially you, Jesse thought, but couldn't bring himself to say.

When Yugo's shoulder leaned against his, he thought his heart would burst. It took everything in Jesse to not lean his head against his and lose himself in his soft scent.

"I wish we had another day… One doesn't feel like enough."

Jesse didn't need to see Yugo's lips to know he was smiling.

He could just tell by his voice.

"Me too…"

They stayed there, making use of each other's warmth beside the fading fire as they spoke in quiet voices about their friends.

Jesse wished that this could have lasted until morning. Until tomorrow night. Until next week.

Until forever.

But when Yugo tapped his knee after Jesse started to drift with his heat against his side, he knew it had come to an end.

"Come on, Jesse. Let's go to bed."

Jesse nodded obediently, getting to his feet as Yugo smothered out the rest of the embers with water.

He wished he could have gone into Yugo's tent with him. There was no ill intent.

Just so he could be at his side a bit longer, even if it was in his sleep.

But even so, they parted ways with Jesse's side having a chill that couldn't be melted away by any number of thick sleeping bags and coats.

"Goodnight, Jesse."

"... Goodnight, Kochi."

Jesse blinked awake.

It was still dark with only the hazy glow of the moon peeking through the clouds seeping through his tent.

Jesse pressed his fingers into his temple as he rolled over in his sleeping bag.

He hadn't drank that much…

… But he swore he heard a voice.

It must have been something in his dreams leaking into reality. With the looming defenselessness of the woods, his mind must have been playing games with the rustling of branches. There were no footsteps or sounds of polyester to suggest anyone was awake, so it could have only been his imagination.

It must have been.

Yet, Jesse laid still, waiting to see if the sound would return.

…

……

"............"

"Jesse."

Jesse shot up.

This time, he knew he heard it.

Even though it was faint and carried by the wind, he knew he heard it. There was no amount of alcohol that had ever tricked his ears and he knew that voice all too well.

It was Yugo's.

Jesse pulled on his jacket before quickly unzipping his tent, only to find Yugo's open and abandoned.

All the sleep and drunkenness burned from his body as Jesse began to panic, hearing the voice again.

"......Jesse…………."

"Help."

The moment Jesse saw a glimmer of light from within the forest, he ran. He didn't even think for a second about waking anyone else up or asking for help.

All Jesse knew was that Yugo was calling for him.

That he needed him.

That was enough to make Jesse bolt deep into the woods.

All he could think about was that Yugo was in danger. Something had to be wrong if he was calling for him. For him. Maybe Yugo had been attacked by an animal or otherwise. Maybe he got lost in the mist that seemed to thicken at Jesse's feet or slipped into a ravine.

Whatever it was, Jesse had to find him.

If anything happened to Yugo just because he was too cowardly to act, he wouldn't know what he would do with himself.

"Kochi!!!"

"Kochi!! Where are you!?!!"

Jesse shouted into a forest with no echo as he whipped his head around, the woods seemingly endless as he desperately searched for a glimpse of the light before.

His head was throbbing and his blood ran cold as he called Yugo's name again, hoping, begging for a voice to call back.

"Kochi!?!"

"Please!!! Say something!!! Where are you!?!"

Jesse needed him to respond.

If Yugo didn't, there was no telling what could have happened to make him unresponsive.

He repeated his name, over and over as he rounded past the trees stretching far above him, allowing only strips of moonlight through their leaves.

The longer he went, the worse the panic settled deep in his heart.

Please.

Please.

"Kochi!!!"

His throat was nearly sore, calling and shouting over and over again in desperate need of something, anything/, back.

But he wouldn't stop.

Even if it meant searching until daylight.

"Kochi!!" Jesse screamed again into the endless forest, his eyes nearly stinging with frustrated tears.

"Please!!! Say something!!!"

He folded over himself, his heaving breath tearing through his throat.

Please.

Please, call my name again.

"Jesse!!"

Jesse whipped around.

"Kochi!?! Kochi!! Where are you!?!"

Finally.

Finally.

"Jesse–! I'm here!!"

"Help me!!"

Despite his shoes and feet becoming damp and sore from uneven roots and dew, Jesse ran as fast as he could.

He ran towards the voice that begged for him until he found him, his heart nearly pounding out of his throat.

Yugo.

He was really here, sitting at the base of a tree.

Jesse's eyes shot around, barely taking in what he was seeing as his oxygen exhausted mind struggled to pull itself together.

"W-What–"

Jesse could barely pant out words before Yugo spoke over him.

"Jesse, please– I can't get this off myself–"

When Yugo winced and hissed in pain, Jesse finally saw the large branch that Yugo fought to push off his leg.

It was sizable and didn't appear all too heavy, but with one leg pinned down it made it nearly impossible to move.

"Holy shit– Okay, hold on–"

Jesse quickly went to the branch, taking half a moment to make sure that it wouldn't hurt Yugo more when he lifted it and heaved it away from them.

He huffed, barely getting his breath back before he fell to his knees to take Yugo's leg into his hands.

"What on earth were you doing?? Are you okay?? Why were you–???"

There were a million questions Jesse could have asked as pushed up the leg of Yugo's jeans, not waiting for permission the second he saw blood seeping through the fabric, but the moment Yugo's voice reached him, he went speechless, staring down at the gash in his calf.

"Jesse..."

Jesse wanted to scold him.

He wanted to yell and tell him off for being so careless.

But all the anger and irritation was dashed by Yugo's small voice as Jesse was overcome by concern.

"You came…"

Jesse wasn't sure if there was truly anything he could have done to keep Yugo from getting injured, but it didn't stop the guilt that sank on his chest.

"... Of course, I did…" he said, his voice shaken as he pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to dab the cotton of his shirt against the wound.

"You called, so I came…"

As long as it was Yugo, Jesse would come to him no matter when or where or what time.

If Yugo needed him, even wanted him, he'd come.

He gently cleaned around it, the blood soaking into his sleeve as he carefully pressed it against the cut that ran up the side of Yugo's leg. It looked shallow enough to not need stitches and it would heal cleanly, but the sight of blood had still shocked him.

Jesse was just thankful it wasn't any worse.

"... Can I see your ankle?..."

He glanced up to see Yugo's small nod before pulling the knot loose from his shoe. He tried to loosen the laces as much as he could before slowly easing Yugo's heel out from inside, but still, Yugo's fingers dug into his pants as he bit back his grunts of pain.

"I'm sorry–..." Jesse whispered as he tried to steady Yugo's foot the best he could.

"I'm so sorry…"

As soon as the boot came loose, Jesse folded his cold hands around Yugo's ankle, hoping that it would help ease the pain.

"Are you okay?..."

"Yeah…" Yugo muttered on a strained breath. "It hurts… but you've already made it feel much better…"

Just that alone helped lighten Jesse's worries.

He gave the other a reassuring smile before slipping Yugo's sock off from under his heel.

"I'm going to feel around a bit, okay?"

"Okay…"

In the quiet of the forest, Jesse's fingers traveled gently around Yugo's foot, feeling for any inflammation or abnormal bumps that would suggest a fracture as Yugo let out slow breaths through his nose.

It didn't feel like a break. Yugo never flinched or yelped abruptly, meaning that there wasn't any severe immediate pain.

At worst, it was only a bad sprain.

Jesse's brow furrowed as he gently massaged his thumbs against the damaged muscles, rolling small circles into it to aid the ache.

"... What happened?..."

He heard Yugo give an embarrassed half hearted laugh as he rounded his thumb around the joint.

"I… I couldn't sleep…"

"My mind kept wandering so I thought I would just go for a walk… "

"Into the woods?"

"I thought I could handle it. I didn't expect for such a strong breeze to suddenly come through."

Jesse's lips flattened as Yugo chuckled softly, disarming Jesse of any anger he possibly could have had left.

"... You could have asked me…"

"Hm?"

Jesse wasn't surprised Yugo didn't hear him.

He had barely said it on his breath.

"... You could have asked me," Jesse repeated.

"I'd go with you."

"I'd talk to you about whatever you want. Whatever you want… It doesn't matter… I'll go with you."

"Jesse…"

For a moment, a rare silence fell between them after his name gently left Yugo's lips with Jesse's fingers continuing to smooth over the swollen muscles in Yugo's thin ankle.

If their eyes had met, Jesse would have burned red from his honest words, but it was the fact that they were honest that made them easier to say.

Whatever Yugo needed, Jesse would give.

He would give and give until there was none of himself left as long as Yugo would still smile at him after.

"Jesse…" Yugo repeated again.

The cold evening wind brushed past them as Yugo took another breath to speak.

"... You're always so sweet to me."

Jesse's heart skipped as he chuckled quietly, trying to conceal his flustering.

"Well… I–..."

"You always stick so close to me. And you're always so kind."

Jesse hadn't realized his hands had stopped moving as his ears began to tint a darker pink than they were from the bites of the cold.

The rush and worry of finding Yugo had busied his mind enough to not notice, but the soft exchange of words reminded him that they were alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

"I mean–... O-of course, I just–"

Jesse's heart raced.

Yugo continued to speak.

"You always smile when I smile."

"You always laugh when I laugh."

"You come to me when you want to be spoiled and spoil me double fold with your care."

Hearing it all said out loud with Yugo's own words made Jesse's body flash with embarrassment, because all of it was true. Every single detail.

Of course, he smiled when Yugo smiled. Of course, he laughed when Yugo laughed. Of course, Jesse took every moment he had to selfishly claim Yugo's attention to only himself as he asked for selfish requests, to which all of them Yugo would fulfill.

Of course, he spoiled Yugo sick with his care.

After all, why wouldn't he?...

"I-... I–..."

"Jesse."

When Yugo said his name, Jesse raised his head as if it had been a spell demanding him too.

Instantly, Jesse went breathless.

As their eyes locked, Yugo's deep and warm gaze sent shocks up his spine. Out of all the times Jesse had been lost in his eyes, it had never been like this. There was always a kindness in Yugo's image. Sweet and gentle with the lines that creased by his eyes.

But now, the reflection that showed past Yugo's long lashes were only of him.

"Jesse…"

His name sounded like velvet coming from his tongue.

"... Won't you tell me why?..."

Jesse's tongue tripped as he stammered, his hands coming loose from Yugo's foot as it slipped away.

"Wh-what do you–...?"

The answer was obvious.

It was so obvious, he thought Yugo knew it too without saying it for so long, but even still, Jesse couldn't force the words from his chest as his lungs seized.

"Tell me, Jesse."

Jesse couldn't break himself away from Yugo's softening eyes as Yugo placed a hand on his shoulder, slowly moving him backwards until his shoulder blades collided with the tree truck behind him, sitting him against it.

He felt lightheaded, falling deep into the tenderness of Yugo's voice as his mouth hung open, vacant of full words.

"Tell me…"

Yugo spoke on his breath.

"Why, Jesse?..."

Dirt grinded under Jesse's shoes as he flattened himself against the tree, his heart threatening to escape his ribcage.

As Yugo grew only closer, Jesse dug his fingers into the forest floor, the damp soil collecting under his nails to save his heart from bursting.

He swallowed hard, barely able to wet his throat that had long gone dry as he forced his voice to work. "B-because–... Because I–"

"Because?..."

Jesse stared up at the man he had been in love with for 8 years as he hovered over him, nearly sat in his lap with his lightened hair falling over his warm eyes.

The breath in Jesse's chest shook as Yugo's night chilled fingers smoothed up his shoulder to slide over the base of his neck before he asked again.

"Because what, Jesse?..."

"I…"

"....... I–..."

If Yugo's pleading whisper wasn't enough, then the brush of a kiss Yugo placed on his lips was.

Everything in Jesse's body melted all at once.

The moment Yugo's lips parted from his, Jesse raised his chin to catch them again.

8 years.

8 years he had been waiting for this and every day he waited was worth it as Jesse finally said those three words.

"I love you."

Jesse pulled Yugo into his lap, wrapping his arms tight around his waist as he hungrily kissed him again, sighing into each before Yugo rocked his jaw back into his with his hands buried into his hair.

"I love you, Kochi..." Jesse breathed into his lips.

"I love you…"

His heart was bursting.

Yugo felt perfect in his arms as he had in his endless dreams and his lips as soft as they were in his waking nightmares.

Jesse felt like he could cry.

He almost did as Yugo pulled away, tilting his head before claiming his lips again as Jesse inhaled deeply into it through his nose.

"I love you, Jesse…"

Yugo tugged at Jesse's chin with his thumb to bid his lips to part before bumping their open mouths together.

"I've always loved you…"

Jesse took his tongue, tasting it so he could never forget it as his hands clenched desperately into the back of Yugo's jacket.

They gasped, their heavy lidded eyes meeting for only moments before Yugo pulled Jesse back in by the collar of his clothes.

"I've loved you since the beginning."

"I've loved you since forever."

Jesse's head was spinning, his mind lost in the kiss he had been wanting for forever as he explored every inch of Yugo's mouth.

He loved him.

He was in love with him.

Each word of love Yugo spoke into their kiss made his heart sore as there wasn't anything in the world he wanted to hear more.

"Yugo…"

Jesse panted, his breath deep and heavy as Yugo pressed chaste rocking kisses into his lips.

"I love you…"

"I love you too…"

His hands loosened from Yugo's clothes and set on his hips, not noticing Yugo pulling down the zipper of his jacket as he bumped their bottom lips together.

"Jesse…"

"Stay with me…"

Yugo let Jesse suck at the tip of his tongue with a heated sigh.

"Of course…"

Yugo's kiss smoothly traveled from his lips to his jaw as Jesse's head tilted back, thumping gently against the bark of the tree behind him.

"Stay here…"

"With me…"

Jesse submitted to his weighted lids, closing his eyes as Yugo pressed delicate loving kisses along his jawline to under his ear.

"I will…"

"I'll stay…"

As Yugo's kiss reached his throat, Jesse's hands fell from his hips, allowing his head to roll with Yugo's hold behind it to outstretch his collar and neck.

"Stay with me…"

Yugo's tongue felt cold as it licked his smooth skin.

"Stay with me."

"Forever."

"Jesse…"

"Jesse……….."

"Jesse?..."

Yugo wasn't sure what he was seeing.

When he stepped out from the tent in the middle of the night, the first thing he saw was the zipper of Jesse's left wide open with the inside vacant.

Against his better judgment, he walked over and slipped a hand under the folds of the sleeping bag that had been left empty.

If Jesse had only stepped away to use the bathroom then it should have still been warm…

But it was ice cold.

Yugo shot back up onto his feet, jolting back over to Juri's tent to rip the zipper open before shaking the notoriously heavy sleeper awake.

"Juri. Juri!"

"Wake up! Wake up, right now!!"

Juri groaned, squinting and hiding his face with his arm as Yugo roughly jostled him. "Hmm– huh?? What the hell, Kochi– What is it–?"

"Jesse's gone."

"Huh?? What do you–"

Yugo didn't wait for Juri to finish his sentence before quickly going to Hokuto's tent to do the same.

By the time Juri had been able to sluggishly pull on his jacket and step out of his tent, Yugo had been able to wake the other four before digging into his bag for extra flashlights.

"Are you sure he's gone?" Taiga asked, nudging his glasses up his nose as Shintaro yawned beside him.

"He's gone." Yugo shoved one of the flashlights into Hokuto's hand as he stood there speechless.

"We have to find him."

"Quickly."

None of them had ever heard Yugo talk so quickly.

"I saw shoe marks going into the forest. He has to be in there. We don't know how long he's been gone he could be—"

Juri pulled a light from under Yugo's arm before pushing at his back.

"Okay, okay. We believe you. Take a breath."

Yugo hadn't realized he had nearly began to hyperventilate.

He paused, inhaling deeply to calm himself as Juri smoothly directed the others.

"We'll go in pairs. I'll go with Kochi and Kyomo with Shintaro. We'll search the woods while Hokuto, you look over the grounds to make sure he's really nowhere here."

"Keep your phone on you. We might not have signal, but no matter what, we meet here back at the top of the hour, got it?"

Taiga and Shintaro nodded, ready to make steps into the forest smothered in mist, but before Taiga's back could turn, he was stopped by an unrelenting grip on his sleeve.

Hokuto didn't have to say anything.

Hokuto had been traumatized by this before.

From just his eyes, Taiga could read every word that was stuck in Hokuto's throat.

"Um! I'll… I'll stay here with Matsumura."

Juri turned to him, seeing that Taiga was still ten steps behind.

"We shouldn't leave someone alone. I'll search with him," Taiga said, hiding that he pulled his sleeve out of Hokuto's fingers behind his back.

Yugo just nodded, pushing the others forward into the thick of trees.

"Okay."

He faced the others, giving Shintaro the last light.

"No one leaves anyone's sight."

"Stay together, got it? If anything happens, use your voice."

Shintaro's flashlight came to life after pushing the button in, the rolling mists sharpening the cone of light that flooded into the dark forest.

"Got it."

With urgency, the three of them wound through the forest as Kochi used a length of chalk to mark each tree he passed.

They called out Jesse's name, over and over, hoping that one of them would receive a response.

"Kochi! Juri!! Over here!! There's some trampled grass!"

They followed every lead they could find, wading through the mist that flooded over their feet as they desperately searched for a glimpse of their friend.

Yugo called his name, hearing the other two do the same in different directions.

"Jesse!!!"

"Jesse–!!!"

He cursed, grinding his teeth as he directed his light over the forest floor.

"Where the hell are you–"

"Jesse!!!!"

Yugo's eyes flashed past the bushes and brush, desperately looking for anything that would take them a step closer to finding Jesse. His heart hammered in his chest as he fought back the worst of his thoughts, trying to focus only on searching for his dear friend.

But when his light caught the bottom of a shoe, his heart completely stopped.

"Jesse—" he gasped.

"Jesse!!!"

Yugo's feet scrambled, nearly tripping on roots as he found Jesse unconscious against a tree.

He fell to his knees, pressing his fingers against the spot under Jesse's neck.

Yugo breathed hard, pleased to find a pulse, but Jesse's skin was ice cold.

"Jesse– Jesse!! Can you hear me??"

He cupped and gently tapped his cheek, desperately trying to bring the other back to consciousness as the blood that had smeared onto his fingers from Jesse's neck left prints on his skin.

"Jesse! Come on–"

"Wake up–! Please–!!"

After a few more panicked moments. Jesse's eyes cracked open.

Finally.

"Jesse?? Jesse!!"

Jesse stirred, his hazy vision and ringing ears coming back into focus as he woke to the same name and same voice he felt he had only heard seconds ago.

"... Yugo?..."

His voice was weak, seeing the blurred vision of Yugo shouting at someone behind as he stripped off his jacket from his arms.

"What–... What happened–?"

When the warm jacket was wrapped around him, Jesse only then realized just how cold he was from the remaining body heat locked in Yugo's clothes.

"I don't know," Yugo replied as Jesse saw Shintaro and Juri jogging over to his side.

"I-... I don't know."

"Holy shit." Shintaro huffed, shocked, but relieved. "Thank fucking god!..."

Jesse's eyes stayed on Yugo as he moved back and rose to his feet to let the others lean in to check on him. Before he could begin to wonder why the close Yugo wore were different from earlier, pain shot through his skull, nearly disabling him as he grimaced.

"Hey, are you alright?" Juri asked hurriedly, pulling Yugo's jacket higher on his shoulders. "Do you need a second? Or can you stand?"

"I can stand…" Jesse panted as he squeezed his eyes shut to subside the dizzying behind them.

"Just need some help…"

When Jesse raised his arm, Shintaro quickly hooked it around his shoulder to help bring Jesse to his feet.

"I got him," Shintaro nodded at Juri and Yugo before Yugo scanned around them.

"Okay. Then let's get the hell out of here."

Jesse kept his eyes closed, Yugo's jacket over his shoulders as he relied on Shintaro's strength to take them back through the woods with Yugo's lead. Steadily they made their way back through the woods, Yugo finding his chalk marks as the throbbing in Jesse's head felt as if it was going to burst from his temple.

Everything in his body felt sluggish and ached like every muscle had been pulverized and battered before leaving him like a discarded empty battery on the side of the road.

Shintaro caught Jesse's weight as the taller's feet stumbled on weeds. "Let me know if you need to slow down, okay?"

"... Mhm… Thanks…"

There was only the quiet conversation of the pair in front of them as Shintaro stabilized his dragging feet, but even in the silence, Jesse's ears rang as his head was flooded with pain and confusion.

Jesse didn't say a word as Shintaro carefully led him through the woods, until Jesse clutched his fingers into the hoodie on Shintaro's shoulders.

"... Hey…" Jesse muttered.

"... Yeah?" Shintaro said softly for once in his life.

"Is… Is Kochi okay?..."

Shintaro blinked, glancing over to Yugo talking to Juri in front of them.

"... Yes?... I mean… He's as okay as the rest of us are…"

"... What about his leg?"

"His leg?"

"He's hurt."

"Hurt?..."

Jesse nodded with his head still hung low. "... He had a cut–... I saw it when I found him-"

"Found him??..."

What was Shintaro not understanding?...

"When I found him… His leg– there was blood and I helped clean it. I–"

"Jesse…"

Shintaro's feet stopped, letting him look over to his friend who grabbed his head with his free hand to keep his head from spinning.

"... Kochi was with us…"

"We found you."

Jesse clenched his teeth.

Now, his head only hurt worse.

Once they finally emerged from the forest, Taiga and Hokuto broke from their whispered argument to take Jesse from Shintaro's exhausted form. From the way Jesse didn't raise to meet their eyes, both of them knew better than to ask the endless prying questions that had stirred within them the moment he was found missing, knowing that if Jesse wanted to talk, he would have already talked.

And from the glance Yugo gave them, neither of them asked about the bite and smear of blood on his neck.

Yugo went to restart a small fire as Hokuto asked Jesse to sit, bringing him to a camping chair to sit down and rest with a bottle of water.

Jesse was still wrapped in Yugo's jacket, the light scent of his skin trapped in the fabric under Jesse's nose as he sank into the polyester chair, staring at the flickering embers reflecting through his water and listening to the others mutter quietly around him.

"You should have seen it in there… It was like a horror movie…" Shintaro mumbled to Taiga and Hokuto as he rubbed the goosebumps from his arms. "You could hardly see in front of you. If Kochi and Juri didn't have their own flashlights, I'm sure I would have lost them…"

"I'm sorry…" Taiga sighed. "I should have gone with you guys."

Shintaro waved his hand. "No, it's okay. Kochi was moving so fast, you might have got left behind. It's good you stayed."

"Did you guys find anything here?"

Hokuto shook his head. "No. Besides not finding Jesse, everything seemed fine. We did a call in to the camp staff and they said if Jesse didn't show up in 20 minutes, they would send people to scour the forest."

Shintaro shivered again. "I don't know how I can go back to sleep… I'm going to be wide awake…"

"Then stay awake then."

He groaned as he grabbed and shook Taiga's arm.

"It's three am! I want to sleep!"

A hush came from who must have been Hokuto after noticing the stern look Yugo shot at them from across the fire.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Taiga whispered again in a newly lowered voice. "Sleep next to you like we're 13 again?"

"Actually-..."

"Shintaro."

Jesse could hear the shifting of gravel as Shintaro pulled Taiga from his spot.

"It will be a good distraction. Come on, it will be fun."

"Do I have to remind you how big of a person you are? Also you snore at night."

"Only a little. And let's be real, are you really planning on getting any more sleep?"

There was no reply from Taiga before the zipper on Shintaro's tent was pulled undone.

"Let's just talk for a while. Hokuto, you come too."

Despite the less than obvious disapproving faces from Hokuto and Taiga, the side glance Shintaro made at Jesse's quiet back was all that he needed to convince them.

"Just for a bit…"

The three of them slipped into the one person tent, leaving the front zipper half open as they gave Jesse the needed space as they muttered amongst themselves, where eventually, the consequences of their adrenaline would bring them exhaustion with Shintaro silently asleep in the middle.

After their exit, Jesse continued to stare blankly into his water in his given quiet as the muted words of his friends barely reached his ears.

Ever since he stepped out from the woods, his head ached and his mind buzzed with the same repeating thoughts and questions as he finally cracked the plastic seal of the cap.

It was him.

It was him.

It had to be him.

He didn't understand what Shintaro meant.

He didn't want to understand what Shintaro meant.

He had kissed him. He confessed an endless love to him that had locked away for too long.

Yugo had said it back.

Jesse heard it. He heard it as he kissed him in every way he had ever dreamed.

It was real…

It felt real…

It had to be…

After barely taking a drink, Jesse glanced across the fire, seeing Yugo and Juri whispering to each other.

It looked as if Juri was trying to console him as Yugo held himself with his own arms, his eyebrows pinched while Juri rubbed his shoulder.

Jesse saw Yugo catch his gaze for a moment, flashing him a small smile before leaning over to whisper to Juri once more to which Juri replied with a nod.

He heard Juri murmur to Yugo in a low voice one last time before slipping back into his tent.

Yugo came over to him, fixing his own jacket over Jesse as Jesse couldn't stop staring at the blood stain that was missing from Yugo's calf.

"... Are you alright?"

It was the usual kind voice Yugo always used with him.

"... What happened?..."

Yugo squeezed his arm as he squatted down beside him.

"... I don't know… I just saw you were missing when I went to get my phone from my tent and I saw footprints going into the forest…" Yugo sighed as he watched Jesse's eyes that didn't meet his own. "Hokuto and Taiga stayed behind while me and the other two went looking. I was so scared… I was–"

"What do you mean by 'getting your phone from your tent'?"

Yugo blinked.

Jesse repeated himself.

"... What do you mean by 'going to your tent'?..."

Jesse didn't understand the concerned look Yugo had when he finally met his gaze before reciting the words he had heard just before.

"... Kochi?..."

"...... What did Juri mean by 'I'll see you inside soon'?..."

At first, Yugo didn't say anything.

All Jesse received was silence before he finally watched Yugo inhale deeply and release it all from his chest as he took his hand from his arm.

"Jesse…"

"I…"

Even the way Yugo said his name was different from before.

Then, when they were alone in the woods with only enough light to see each other, Yugo said his name laced with yearning and sweet adoration.

He had said his name in a way that told him he loved him, all this time, just as he had for all these years.

Jesse loved Yugo.

And Jesse believed Yugo loved him.

But now, all Jesse could hear in Yugo's voice was guilt before his heart that had finally finally brimmed and flooded with a love he had been waiting on for 8 years, crashed and shattered all at once with only three words.

"I'm dating Juri."

Yugo loved Jesse.

Yugo believed Jesse loved him too.

He loved every moment with him. Every touch. Every smile. Every laugh. Every second and minute spent beside him where he could feel the sweet and honest kindness that radiated from the person named Jesse Lewis.

Yugo loved him and he knew Jesse loved him too.

The problem was that he could never tell how much.

Yugo knew his heart belonged to him, he didn't have a single doubt about that, but the heart he wanted to belong to only him was given to everyone.

For every hug and for every smile they traded, Yugo watched Jesse pull Shintaro into a forced embrace and exchange chuckling grins with Juri. He listened to him talk about how Taiga's hands were beautiful and how Hokuto's heart was pure before exhibiting a close skinship with all and each.

It made Yugo doubt if the love he believed in was really real.

It was only made worse when Jesse recoiled and ran every time they had a moment alone.

Yugo wanted his love and having Jesse pull away from him after they were cuddled so close when they were just with their friends made his chest ache.

It felt like it was all just an act. A play that Yugo had believed in this whole time that only existed for the purpose of drawing a chuckle or a groan from their friends.

Yugo didn't know any more.

He wanted to believe this all had a purpose when Jesse pulled him into his lap on a cold day for them to share their heat, only to have Jesse pull away from his hold on his arm when they went to leave together.

Yugo felt helpless, locked between believing and doubting that any of it was real as the conflicting emotions boiled over inside him, bringing him to shove Jesse into frigid waters after being pushed and pulled all weekend.

He wanted to believe.

He wanted to believe in Jesse's love.

He wanted to believe that one day, Jesse would finally be the one to tell him he loved him.

Yugo had made himself clear without words. There was no one he treated as sweetly or as kindly or as endlessly close and intimate as Jesse. He couldn't be the one to use those words because he wasn't the one who was running.

It had to be Jesse.

So Yugo waited.

Day by day, he waited.

He waited through highschool. He waited through college.

When they graduated, Yugo still waited.

They completed college and found jobs and Yugo was still left waiting, waiting for Jesse to finally confess as their meetings grew few and their messages grew scarce.

"Hey."

Yugo glanced past the rim of his beer to Juri sitting across from him as they were near the end of their yakiniku Juri invited him to after finding out they worked for the same company.

A smile played on Juri's lips as he watched Kochi set down his glass.

"Do you want to try dating?"

Yugo was still waiting, even now.

But his heart had grown tired.

Juri's sudden proposal made Yugo feel like he had stepped into a cold shower, sobering him the lovesickness that poisoned his system for so long.

Yugo loved Jesse.

Even as he nodded, he loved Jesse.

He and his heart just couldn't wait anymore.

"Sure."

"Let's date."