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The sun began to set down over the Stawaki Carnival. After today's challenge, truth or dare, and a loss, the red team returned tiredly to their shelter.
While everyone was already either lying in their sleeping bags or talking to someone, Spencer kept moving his sleeping bag around, trying to find a good position to place it in. Last night, he kept sleeping on some rocks, which were gathered around everywhere, and eventually led up to him waking up with some terrible back pain. As everyone else seemed to have found a comfortable placement for their sleeping bags, Spencer only kept getting frustrated more and more. He just gave up after some time and wanted to finally get some sleep, but before he could do so, he heard a voice calling behind him.
"Hey, Spence. Do you have a moment?"
It was Diego. Spencer turned around with an unamused expression as he stood up.
"No, I'm sorry. I don't want to risk performing badly at tomorrow's challenge because of lack of sleep."
He simply stated, crossing his arms. Diego scratched his neck as he awkwardly looked away before looking at Spencer again.
"Please? It won't take long, I promise!"
He said with a heartwarming yet anxious look on his face. Spencer sighed.
"Can't it wait till tomorrow?"
"Just this once, please? I will never ask you again after that, I promise. The more we talk, the more time we're wasting."
Diego explained with hope in his eyes. He really did want Spencer to go with him for whatever reason. Spencer rolled his eyes.
"And what if you keep saying that as well the next time?"
Diego's eyes lighten up, and a light smirk starts to form on his face.
"Next time? So you were already considering a next time?"
"What?! No!" Spencer immediately responded. "I just wanted to- Urgh forget it."
He looked away with a sour expression on his face. Diego chuckled.
"C'mon mi amigo. It really won't take long. I just.. please?"
After a small thinking pause, Spencer sighed.
"Okay, fine. But make it quick, I really need my sleep and if I lose tomorrow's challenge I'll blame you."
Spencer finally gave in, thinking that it'd probably be faster to just go along with it than to keep discussing it.
Diego's eyes immediately lightened up, and his smile grew wider and wider. He took Spencer's hand and started leading him near a place at the beach. While they were walking there, Spencer broke his hand loose, to which Diego only gave a light smile.
"Well, here we are."
Diego said while gesturing his hands towards a log, placed behind a tree stump with berries on it.
"Diego, what's this for?"
Spencer asked in an irritated tone, raising his eyebrow. Diego chuckled softly and started scratching his neck, looking to the floor with a soft smile.
"You seemed pretty upset after the challenge.. plus, you have eaten barely anything today." He put one hand on his hip, looking over to Spencer. "I just wanted to cheer you up a bit."
Spencer felt his cheeks heating up little by little as he watched Diego's soft smile. He glanced back at the tree stump and couldn't help but feel speechless. He did really appreciate Diego's gesture, who suddenly gave a light pet to Spencer's shoulder.
"C'mon buddy, let's sit down."
All Spencer did was nod, as they both started walking towards the log and sat down on it. He inspected the berries closely.
"Are you sure that these aren't poisonous?"
Diego let out another chuckle and ate one berry.
"I'm very sure. For one of my tours I had to read about them and they're not only not poisonous but they're also supposed to be very healthy! And if it makes you feel any better.. I've already eaten a few beforehand, and I'm still feeling pretty well."
Diego reassured Spencer with a warming smile. Still judging, Spencer stared at the berries, eventually reaching for one of them. Diego just sat there, grinning like a child, as he watched Spencer tasting one of them.
"Well? How'd it taste?"
A small pause.
"..surprisingly good."
Spencer admitted. He reached for another one. But before eating that one too, he glanced over to Diego.
"What about you? Don't you want to eat some as well?"
"Mmmh, no. You need it more than me, mi amigo. I appreciate the gesture, though."
Diego replied with a heartwarming smile once more. Spencer turned his face around to the log with the berries on again. While he at first hesitatingly ate a few berries, he soon began to eat one after another in record speed. Those berries did taste pretty good indeed, and Spencer couldn't help but feel.. comfortable. Diego sat there in silence, not directly staring at him, but more of appreciating the nature around them, which Spencer didn't mind at all. Instead, he was the one who kept stealing glances at Diego. With more minutes passing, Spencer eventually started to feel full, even if there were still some berries left. He did wonder where Diego got them all from and how long it must've taken him to get all of those. As Spencer kept thinking about it, he started to notice his cheeks heating up a little. Diego's been nothing but nice to him. Even if Spencer could already look through him, knowing what his motives were, he still dearly appreciated his gesture. It was indeed very.. nice as well as sweet of Diego to do that for him. But before Spencer could continue his thoughts, he got cut off.
"Oh, are you feeling full?"
Diego asked, giving Spencer another one of those warm smiles. He turned around, facing Diego.
"Well, yes."
Spencer simply answered. He felt like as if he wanted to add more to this simple statement, but he currently couldn't get any more words out since Diego already replied to him once more again.
"I'm glad." Diego fiddled with his fingers and looked to the side. "You can go back to the shelter now." He looked back again at Spencer. "I'll be eating the rest of the berries. We wouldn't want them to go to waste, no?" He chuckled softly.
There was a small pause. Spencer didn't stand up nor moved. He just stared back and forth between Diego and the berries and the shelter.
"Actually..-" he hesitated. "Thank you, Diego. I really appreciate you doing this for.. me." Spencer stated.
Diego's smile became even wider.
"Of course, mi amigo."
He answered in a soothing tone. Spencer stood up and started walking towards the shelter again, turning around one last time to wave Diego a goodbye and a good night.
As Spencer arrived at the shelter again, he noticed that everyone was already asleep. He wondered how late it was and how much time had passed while he was with Diego. Spencer started to wonder what the other man was thinking about at the moment and when he'd return. Before he could indulge into these thoughts any longer, he let out an annoyed sigh as he noticed his sleeping bag.
"Urgh, bloody hell."
Spencer whispered. He doesn't want to spend another night sleeping so uncomfortably. As he looked around, he noticed one more sleeping bag. Diego's sleeping bag. It was placed pretty far off of the other contestants 'beds' and the floor looked pretty clean and smooth compared to the floor on which Spencer was sleeping. After leaving out a yawn and feeling the tiredness rush over him, he didn't think twice about what he was about to do next. He grabbed his sleeping bag and placed it near Diego's. Spencer put his glasses on the ground and crawled into his sleeping bag. This spot was way more comfortable to sleep on, and he immediately felt his eyes shut, slowly dozing off into the land of dreams.