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Waves crashed repeatedly against the hull of the ship, and wind howled around the walls of the container. But inside, everything was quiet. Sammy rested her head on Yasmina’s shoulder, both asleep. Using his jacket as a blanket, Darius snored softly, lying on a crate.
Between this little sleepover, Kenji stared out of a small gap that offered a view of the ship’s deck. It was raining outside. His legs felt numb and heavy. Just like they had a short time ago. Images flashed through his mind again and again. Shock and grief spread through his whole body. It was his father he saw. How he was brutally killed by the three raptors. The blood, the screams, the feeling — he would never be able to forget any of it.
On the other side, Ben sat on the floor, his back pressed against the wall. He carefully lifted his shirt to check the spot where the stun gun had hit him. Great. A big blister had formed. Of course, now that he wanted to rest, it burned like fire! It wasn’t that bad that he would pass out — but sleep? No way! The pain was too intense. How could anyone sleep through pain like that?
He sighed. That was the moment Kenji noticed he wasn’t the only one awake.
“Yo, Benny, what’s up?” he whispered.
“Nothing important. Can’t sleep either?” The younger boy tried to sit up. Bad idea, Ben thought and flinched. The sudden movement only made the spot on his skin hurt even more.
“Yo, dude!” Kenji walked over to him and put a hand on his left shoulder. “That guy, Cabrera really got you, huh?”
“It’s okay. No need to worry.” Ben shook his head, still in pain.
“Bro, come on, let me see.” Kenji slid a little closer and tugged at his shirt, half-annoyed, half-worried.
“No. What are you doing? Kenj—”
But the Japanese boy didn’t seem to care what he’d said. He came even closer and pulled harder on the hem. Even though Ben tried, it was no use pushing Kenji away.
Also too late. His shirt was already pulled up.
Kenji’s eyes widened when he saw the extent of the injury. “Dude, that looks terrible. Why didn’t you say anything?” He let go.
“I didn’t feel it until now. Maybe I was too distracted, or it was the adrenaline? Anyway, I didn’t want you guys to be worried.” Ben crossed his arms, avoiding Kenji’s gaze. “Right now? There are things more important than me,” he said quietly.
“Stop saying that,” Kenji grabbed his hands: ”You’re important, okay?” He got serious: “And we have to cool this down. Now. How can you even stand it? Oh boy...” He looked around. “There must be something. I’m sure…”
He stood up, leaving Ben with red cheeks.
“Well, next time you could at least warn me first if you plan on undressing me like that,” Ben said, offended.
“That sounds totally gay,” Sammy mumbled sleepily before snuggling closer to Yaz.
Silence filled the room. Now both boys were blushing — Ben more than ever.
“You know I didn’t mean it that way,” he panicked.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Kenji giggled. “But I had no idea your cheeks could glow like that. I mean, I can’t blame you. After all, we’re talking about me — the one and only Kenji Kon.” He winked.
Ben swallowed. He didn’t know what to say. If only you knew, Kenj.
It reminded him of the days on Isla Nublar, when he had admired the older boy so much. Kenji had always been the strong one — sometimes talking too much, mostly nonsense, but always caring. He was there, and he helped, no matter what. Kenji didn’t know, but he had always made Ben feel special somehow.
Like when they met again? He gave him that big, warm hug. He’d even kept his fanny pack. Ben smiled softly. That was really nice of him, right?
Or when Ben tried to save the group from the saber-toothed tiger and ended up being hunted himself. It was Kenji who didn’t hesitate for a second and jumped down into the ravine to help him.
And now this.
The more Ben thought about it, the heavier that feeling in his chest became. That Adonis body, his soft black hair, and those beautiful dark eyes Ben had fallen for when he was fourteen. How could he not be attracted to him? But it was impossible that Kenji liked him the same way. Not like that.
Yeah, he was with Gia now. And Gia was great. But those feelings for Kenji — they’d never really gone away.
“That could help!” Kenji suddenly cheered, pulling Ben out of his thoughts.
“Nurse Kenji on the way, Benny.” He stepped back toward the younger boy. A towel hung over his right arm. In his right hand, he held a water bottle; in his left, a roll of plastic wrap. “Okay, you need to hold still. Can you please pull up your shirt?”
Ben raised his eyebrows skeptically: “I am not sure I like where this is going.”
Kenji nodded. “Don’t worry. Listen, when I was six, Candy and I spent the holidays in a cabin in the mountains. There was nothing but trees, snow, and kitchen utensils. I was bored out of my mind. I spent all my time staring at the fireplace. And I eventually burned myself badly. So she took a wet towel, and after cooling my hand with it, she wrapped it in plastic foil. It was a good emergency fix — helped pretty quickly.”
The Japanese boy put down the things he planned to use and studied them carefully once more. Ben swallowed. So... Kenji wanted to wrap him in plastic foil?
“Wow, okay. That sounds awful — and pretty unsterile.” he answered.
Kenji wasn’t impressed. He slid closer again. Suddenly, they were face to face. With piercing eyes and a look full of self-confidence, Kenji stared right into Ben’s.
“Trust me. It’ll help. I promise. Pinky promise!” Kenji held out his free hand, his little finger extended.
Finally, Ben gave in. “All right.” He sighed and hooked in. After that, he lifted his shirt.
Not a second later, Kenji poured water onto the cloth and carefully pressed it against Ben’s skin. As soon as it touched the injured area, Ben flinched — but he tried not to show too much pain.
“I never thought you’d still do things like pinky promises. Isn’t that more for little kids?” Ben teased, trying to distract himself.
“Hey, I’m taking care of you here. Be a little nicer to Nurse Kenji. Otherwise...” He pressed the towel a little harder.
Ben moaned in pain. “Okay, okay, got it! I’m sorry.”
“Good.” Kenji tore the plastic wrap apart with both hands. “Ready for round two?”
The younger boy blinked. His eyes widened in shock. Being wrapped in plastic wrap... Does this mean that Kenji would probably have to touch him directly? He shivered.
“I’m not sure. I think... I think I feel much better now. You really don’t have to do this,” Ben said quickly, waving both hands.
But the Japanese boy had no intention of backing off. With one hand, he placed the foil on Ben’s chest, and with the other, he pulled the roll around his body. It was almost as if he were hugging him. Ben could feel the older boy’s breath — could feel Kenji’s touch even through the plastic wrap. He was close. Damn, he was so close...
When Kenji’s fingers brushed his skin, goosebumps spread across Ben’s body. His heart beat faster. This isn’t really happening, is it?
“Your face won’t stop glowing, will it?” Kenji grinned as he finished bandaging his upper body.
“I-I mean, i-it’s just...” Ben stuttered.
“What?” Kenji asked.
“Your touch...” the younger boy whispered.
“Oh, are you uncomfortable? If you want, I won’t tell anyone. And don’t worry about me — it’s totally fine. I don’t feel weird about it,” Kenjis cheeks turned slightly red.
“No, actually... it’s the opposite.” Ben couldn’t look him in the face. “I—I like it. Somehow.”
His face felt like it was on fire. Oh God. Did I really just say that out loud? This is so embarrassing. Kenji must think I’m even weirder than before.
“I’m glad,” Kenji said, a slight smile on his lips.
Ben blinked: “What did you just say?”
The Japanese boy tied the ends of the foil together. “I’m glad you feel that way.” Their eyes met.
“I know I was with Brook, but... you’re important to me too. It doesn’t feel the same as with Darius — he’s my brother, you know? But you...” Kenji took a deep breath. “You’re different. You always have been. Back on Nublar, it was like I had to protect you, and I liked that — taking care of someone. At first, your clinginess annoyed me because I wasn’t used to it. You know, being alone all the time. But you didn’t give up. When you fell off the monorail, I realized how important you were to me. Then you became this brave jungle boy, and suddenly you didn’t need me anymore. It was probably the other way around. I needed you. Later, when I helped my father with the dinosaur sale, you were the first one to trust me again. You helped me reconnect with the group. And now...” Kenji hesitated. “It feels good again. You know, caring about someone and stuff.”
Ben was confused. The words were nice, but what exactly did Kenji mean? What was this about?
“I didn’t know you liked me — I mean, the clingy Ben. I always thought I annoyed everyone.” Ben looked down, his voice small.
“Jeez, Benjamin! Will you ever stop thinking that?” Kenji laughed and patted him on the head.
“Maybe,” the younger one smiled weakly.
“So, how does your chest feel now?”
“Oh. Yeah, now that you mention it.” Ben stretched carefully. “Much better, actually.” He smiled. “Thanks, Kenj.”
The other boy nodded. “You’re welcome. And thanks for the nice tal—”
Suddenly, the room spun. Iron creaked, and the entire floor vibrated. Outside, a strong gust of wind howled, and the waves made the ship rock violently for a moment. Some boxes slid from one side to the other. A single cabbage rolled by.
Kenji, who had been kneeling next to Ben earlier, lost his balance and fell — headfirst — directly into the younger boy’s arms. Both were thrown to the ground, Kenji landing on top.
“Damn this stupid ship.” He pushed himself up with one arm and rubbed his forehead with the other, blinking. After a few seconds, his eyes focused — straight into Ben’s.
Kenji’s throat suddenly went dry. Everything around them was so quiet. Then he noticed them again. Those blue eyes. His beautiful blue eyes.
“Wow. I didn’t know your...” His voice trailed off.
Awesome. Lying on the ground with Kenji sitting on top of him. This was the moment Ben’s face couldn’t have been any redder. He hadn’t felt this hot in a long time. Actually, ever.
The younger boy gently pressed his right hand against Kenji’s chest. “Yo, that’s... really close. Could you...” Ben tried to avoid eye contact. Touching Kenji felt different now than it had years ago. Still electrifying and somehow comforting, maybe even safe, but also... Something he couldn’t quite name.
Because with Kenji, everything felt different and only confused him.
This closeness. This was different than the hugs from his mom, the other member of camp fam. Even different from Gia’s hugs. He loved them but thinking about the time back on Nublar, he’d always felt drawn to Kenji. He wanted to be near him all the time. Sometimes he caught himself staying close on purpose. Whenever Kenji touched him — even if it was just grass or bugs that the older boy had brushed off his shoulders — his heart had raced, his face had flushed and his hands had trembled.
Now, in this situation (and in this position), it felt like nothing had changed. Jeez, Benjamin. Pull yourself together!
“Kenji, really. Let go.” He pushed the older boy away a little harder.
“Oh. Sorry! Sorry, I—”
Within a second, Kenji crawled off the younger one and sat upright beside him again. Neither of them dared to say anything.
But they didn’t have to. All the noise from earlier had now woken up a rather annoyed Yasmina:“Guys. What is it? People are trying to sleep.” She waved tiredly, pointing toward Darius and Sammy — who were also on their feets now.
“What’s up?” Darius rubbed his left eye.
Sammy yawned. “Ya, I dreamed that you two were date—uh, I mean... Somethin’ happen?”
The boys looked at each other, confused about what she wanted to say. Kenji shrugged.
“Remember when Ben got hit by that stun gun? Turns out he had some pretty bad burns. So I helped him deal with the pain.”
“Really? Why didn’t you tell us?” Sammy asked worriedly while walking over to them.
Ben nodded. “I didn’t really feel the pain again until we finally got here. But—”
“BUT,” Kenji interrupted proudly, “Nurse Kenji was there for the rescue!” He stood up, hands on his hips.
“Okaaay... Good. Now that Mr-Soggy-Van is okay and we’re all awake, it wouldn’t hurt to look around for useful stuff, right?” Yaz suggested.
“Hey.“ Ben protested “ What soggy van? It’s a classic one. I mean… was.” He gestured, wiping a non-existing tear from his face. Symbolically, of course. For his red bus, which now lay at the bottom of a lake in Wyoming.
Outside the storm got heavier. It wasn't raining. It was more like a waterfall would pour down from the sky. Inside the container the camp fam had split. While Sammy and Yasmina searched in the back for stuff, the boys checked the entrance area. But apart from the cabbages rolling around, there was nothing else in their container.
“Seriously, is there anything to eat?” Darius said, looking around: “I mean, beside the dinosaurs on this boat, also the crew needs food, right? There’s gotta be something,”
“This sucks,” Kenji sighed: “Is there really nothing here besides salad? I’d fight a ceratosaurus for— I don’t know — a chocolate bar. Dude, you don’t have anything in your fanny pack?” He looked at Ben.
The other boy raised an eyebrow. “Of course not. And if I did, I wouldn’t share. Last time, you guys were pretty rude about my carbon bars.”
“Pff, don’t say that. I loved those disgusting, awful-tasting protein snacks.”
“Come on, Kenj. I’m sure wherever this ship’s going, we’ll get there in a few days. And then we’ll find some real food. I promise,” Darius patted his best friends left shoulder.
“Maybe we won’t have to wait that long,” Ben said, pointing to the crack he’d been looking through. The same gap Kenji had earlier. “Looks like the crew got a lot of supplies. I think I even see potato chips. Wait a minute — no way! Are those Ruby Ropes?”
Kenji blinked. “I don’t know anything about these Ruby Rats, but did you just say chips?”
Ben nodded, smiling confidently.
“Okay, that’s all I need to know. I’m gonna get that stuff.” Kenji zipped up his jacket and was about to leave the shelter when Darius jumped up.
“Wait! We should think this over.”
His sudden movement caught Yasmina and Sammy’s attention.
“Yo, boys, did you find something?” Sammy asked.
“We did. Don’t worry, stomach — everything’s gonna be fine.” Kenji patted his belly dramatically, opened the door, and stepped out into the rain.
Darius touched his forehead in frustration: “That guy…”
Yaz blinked. “Uh, hello? What just happened? And what does Kenji’s stomach have to do with it?”
“Yeah, is he looking for a toilet or something?” Sammy asked. “I once had to deal with Bessy, who had diarrhea during a thunderstorm. I know how scary things can get and hit the stomach when the weather’s like this.”
She nodded seriously.
“Ooooh, I know exactly what you mean. Back on Isla Nublar, when it thundered and flashed Bumpy—”
“Guys,” Darius groaned. “I know you’re both experts when it comes to large animals with large organic problems, but can we focus on Kenji? He’s outside, we’re on a ship with evil people transporting dinosaurs. Oh, and worst of all — dinosaurs!”
“We should probably go after him.” Sammy agreed.
The group started preparing to follow Kenji... but Ben had drifted off into thought again.
Wait a minute. Focus on Kenji.
All those nice things the older boy had said earlier — about liking to protect and care for him...
Had Kenji just confessed his feelings to him?
And once again, his whole body burned like fire and his face flushed.