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Cherry didn’t want to talk about what happened last night, as much as he desperately craved that feeling again.
Lying down in his queen-sized bed, he clung to his pillow, holding it to his chest. The thoughts of Riku’s noises plagued his mind. He squeezed the pillow tighter, fearing it might tear. He was feeling so many emotions, but he knew for sure he wanted to do that again.
What was wrong with him? He tried texting Riku later that night, but he left him on seen. Did he gross him out? Did he never want to talk to him again? He was the one who initiated it! But did he go too far with the neck kisses? Maybe he just wants to pretend it didn’t happen?
He couldn’t accept that; they both felt the tension the entire night, not just in that closet. He remembered how clingy they both were. The passion when Riku gripped his hair, the desperate reconnecting of their lips, and the way he was clawing at his shoulders. This wasn’t one-sided! Though if Riku didn’t want to talk to him again, he had to respect that.
But…
“That asshole could at least reply to my messages!!!”
He angrily shut off his phone, slamming it onto the soft mattress as he gripped the pillow again, this time screaming into it and kicking his feet out of anger, like a high school girl. Some of the plushies on his bed rolled off. He didn’t care if Riku texted him back or not.
Bzz bzz!
His phone vibrated through the blanket, and he sat up quickly. Staring at his phone, wondering if he should even check the notification. He slowly reached for the phone, turning it over, seeing a notification from his mom. He didn’t know if he was relieved it wasn’t Riku or annoyed it wasn’t Riku. Maybe both.
“Hi, sweetie! Hope you’ve packed your bags as I asked you. Could you pack Chloe’s teddy bear as well? There’s not enough room in her bag, and I don’t want her holding it the entire ride.”
He tilted his head in confusion. What was she talking about?
“Mom, what do you mean? Are we going somewhere?”
He watched as his mother began typing, then stopped, then began typing again. It took a minute for her to reply, so he put his phone down to brush his teeth, then came back to a long message from his mother.
“CHERRY!! I told you this 2 days ago! We’re going on a trip with Danielle, Riku’s mom, to celebrate your last day of school! Riku informed us of how much progress you’ve put into the project, and I’m just so proud of the way you two have been getting along!
Please tell me you’ve packed your bags. We leave tonight!”
So that’s how Cherry ended up frantically packing his suitcase for a weekend stay at a campsite.
“Alright! Everything is loaded into the trunk. Cherry, remember to call me once you’ve picked up Riku, okay? I need to know you’re driving safely!” Maureen gave her son a smooch on the forehead before departing with Danielle and the kids. She picked up Danielle much earlier in the day, so Riku was home alone.
The plan was for his mom to drive his sisters, his dad, and Danielle, in the same car, all the way to the campsite. But the car could only fit so many people, so Cherry was volunteered to drive his car and pick up Riku; that way they’d make it to the campsite without everyone squishing themselves into one minivan.
Once he pulled into Riku’s apartment parking lot, his gut churned with anxiety, but there was something else as well. He didn’t bother figuring out what was giving him butterflies in his stomach.
“I’m outside, loser,” He texted Riku, trying his hardest not to sound as awkward as he felt.
“Omw,” Riku replied. “Give me a sec, this bag is heavier than the sun.”
Cherry sat in the front seat, leg shaking while waiting for the other to show up. He noticed Riku struggling to roll the suitcase down the walkway. This guy really never worked out? Not even a little bit?
“Here, I’ll uhm- put your bag in the trunk. I got it!” He tried to offer help, reaching his hand toward the handle. Riku pulled away. “It’s fine, I got it.”
Riku tried lifting the bag to place it in the open trunk, struggling. He could barely lift the wheels off the ground. He sighed, slumping his arms to his side. Cherry lifted the suitcase with little effort, gently placing it before reaching to shut the trunk.
He noticed Riku staring at him with a face he couldn’t quite decipher, but it looked like a mix of annoyance and admiration. Of course he’d admire his muscles; Riku probably wished he had them!
The car ride to the campsite was uncomfortable. They said absolutely nothing to each other. Only a couple of sentences were shared through the hour-long drive. Cherry opened his mouth a couple of times to say something, but quickly shut it down.
At one point in the car ride, the radio played the song “Heartbeat” By Childing Gambino. The same song that was played at the party, when they were in that closet. Closer than atoms, and out of breath because their mouths were too busy-
Riku quickly reached to skip the song, returning his gaze to nothing specific out the window.
They finally made it to the campsite and found the others. Their parents informed them they’d have their own space, which gave them so much relief.
Cherry wished his mom had elaborated on what she meant by that.
“Okay, Room 132 will be for Maureen and me, Room 136 is for Danielle and the girls, and Room 137 is for you boys! Go drop off your luggage so we can grab dinner and head to sleep.” His dad handed him the key card to their cabin. Each of the cabins was near in proximity, so they didn’t have to worry about being far from each other. But that wasn’t what Cherry and Riku were worried about.
“Wh- dad. I thought you guys said me and Riku would have our own space?”
“Yes! You boys have your own room separated from the girls! Meet us in the lobby in 10 minutes.”
Cherry gripped the keycard until his knuckles were white, and Riku’s eyebrows were so furrowed you’d think they’d touch.
They made it to their cabin, and it was fairly nice. They had their bathroom across the hall, and a small living room with huge windows and curtains. The couch was firm and tough, and they hoped their beds were nothing like that.
So they all shared one cabin; just 3 rooms were next to each other, sharing thin walls with the others.
The others separated to their rooms. “I found our room. Room 137.” Riku waved at Cherry to walk over, getting a whiff of his cheap cologne he tried to ignore.
They finally saw their bedroom, assuming they’d find 2 twin-sized beds across from each other. But instead, there lay only 1 singular full-sized bed set in the middle of the room with two mini side tables.
Fuck.
“One bed?! You’re kidding!”
“I guess you’re sleeping on the couch.” Riku threw his backpack on the floor near the desk.
“Me?! Hell no! That couch is more stubborn than you. You sleep on it.”
“Oh my god, I’d rather sleep on the roof than sleep on that couch.”
“Then sleep on the roof! I’m sleeping on the bed.”
“I hope that bed has bed bugs. Maybe they’ll bite away your ego.”
The two bickered back and forth, refusing to come up with a solution. There’s no way Cherry would agree to sleep in the same bed as him! Especially not after… Nevermind.
They made it to dinner, but refused to speak to each other.
They just had to get through this weekend! As long as no one noticed they were acting differently, nothing bad would happen.
Riku excused himself from the table to find the public bathrooms. Nia kicked Cherry’s knee under the table. “Wh- Ow!”
“Shut up! What’s up with Riku? He’s been gloomy all day. I’m kind of worried.”
“We get it, you have a fat crush on him.” Cherry pouted.
“Tch, I can’t just be curious?” A moment of silence went on between the two; Nia simply examined Cherry’s expression. His barely flushed face, his leg shaking under the table, his eyebrows furrowed.
And the way they’d been clearly avoiding each other the entire trip-
“You two kissed!” She slammed the table.
Cherry’s eyes widened; he reached his hand over to cover her mouth, thankfully everyone else was too focused on their conversation.
“No! No, we didn’t!” He sat back down, panicked.
Nia gasped, a look of victory on her face. “You totally hooked uppp!” She had the widest grin on her face.
“We didn’t hook up!”
“Then why have you two been acting weird all day?”
…
“It was just a small peck.”
Nia wasn’t even jealous, ignoring her minor crush on Riku. She was now entirely interested in how these born rivals ended up like this. “Okay, when did this even happen? Who made the first move? Are you sure it was just a peck? It feels like more-”
She shut up immediately when Riku sat down; he’d just made it back. He was sitting beside Nia, facing diagonally from Cherry.
Nia loudly cleared her throat. “So- how was everyone's Friday? Yesterday I had a sleepover with my friends, so it was pretty busy. How about you, Riku?”
He looked up from his plate, confused. “Hm?”
“What’d you do yesterday?”
Riku seemed hesitant, but played it off. “Oh! Uhm, not much really. I went to this party, but that was all.”
“Ooh! A party? Was it the same one Cherry went to?” She smirked evilly, and Cherry knew she had a plan. He was practically fuming out of his ears.
“Yeah. I had tons of fun but decided to go home; it got boring really quickly.”
Cherry felt a stab in the throat; he choked on his peas and carrots before quickly chugging some water. “Uh-huh. The party sucked, to be honest. Not like anything important happened.” He played with his food and pouted into his palm.
Riku rolled his eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t say it sucked. Seemed like you had plenty of fun.”
“Oh, please! I’ve had more fun than that.”
“And I’ve had more fun studying.”
“Okay, but studying is all you do.”
“At least I actually study! Instead of wasting my time in the gym goofing off with my friends.”
“At least I actually have friends!”
“I have friends! Ugh. Whatever.”
“What. Ever.”
They both fumed with anger, pouting away from each other. Nia glanced at Riku, then at Cherry, then back to Riku.
“Sounds like fun.”
After about ten minutes, they all made it back to their cabin, each going to their own rooms.
Cherry called dibs on first to shower. When he got out, he was in nothing but a towel. Good lord, that towel was low. Riku had to force his eyes to stray away as he quickly showered next.
Before they both decided to go to sleep, Riku rummaged through the closet for extra pillows and blankets. Cherry stared at him with confusion and skepticism. “What are you doing, weirdo?”
Riku came back with plenty of extra pillows and one extra blanket. If he wasn’t sleeping on the floor, what the hell was he doing?
He began to make a wall with the pillows, separating him and Cherry.
“What does it look like, dummy? I’m making a barrier so you don’t do anything weird.”
“Wh- ME?!”
“Yes, you! Goodnight, creep.” Riku shut off his lamp with a click and nuzzled into his blanket, facing away from Cherry.
“Hold on!” Cherry quickly turned on his lamp, and Riku groaned. “You kissed me!”
Riku sat up, brows furrowed and irritated. “You went for my neck!”
Cherry stumbled with his words, face burning. “You liked it!”
Now it was Riku’s turn to stumble with his words. They were both so irritated, but something in them felt relieved. They were finally speaking about it, instead of the constant silence and tranquility they’d been fighting all day.
“Whatever, Cherry! Let’s just forget about it. Clearly it was a mistake, nothing more.” Riku lay back down, irritated but exhausted from arguing.
“Fine with me!”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
Cherry clicked the lamp off, and the two eventually fell asleep.
Safe to say, when they woke up, the barrier had been breached. Cherry opened his eyes to the light shining through the blinds, and his face was near Riku, who was sleeping.
He shot back, quickly but softly, careful not to wake him. He let out a soft sigh of relief when he caught another glance of Riku. Still asleep, soft snoring and relaxed face. Well, kind of relaxed. His eyebrows were still furrowed; Jeez! Did he pop out of the womb stressed?
He giggled to himself quietly. “You’ll grow up with so many wrinkles, haha!” He whispered, keeping his gaze on Riku’s face. “Serves you right.”
His position looked like he had fallen from the tenth floor. His arm was reached over his head, and the blanket was entirely off, only covering his knee down. His shirt was lifted, showing his midriff, and also fallen off his shoulder, revealing his surprisingly sharp collarbone, and the way his jaw matched perfectly to his neck.
Cherry had to admit, Riku looked absolutely gorgeous with the sun hitting his face like this. The curtains gave the sunrise a small reflection on his naturally soft skin, even giving his eyelashes the shine they deserved. The orange and pink from the sunrise matched perfectly with his slightly tanned skin. His hair was silky from the shower he took last night. Cherry despised how gravely he wanted to curl his fingers through his hair.
Whatever. Maybe gorgeous was a stretch. He looked decent! Still annoying and ugly.
Cherry scoffed and slipped out of their shared bed. “His stupid wall didn’t even work.”
They met in the cafeteria for the all-inclusive breakfast buffet.
Maureen pried Cherry to get a blueberry muffin. He hated blueberry muffins! So there was a sad, lonely, uneaten muffin in the corner of his plate. He refused to eat that muffin.
Although he remembered that Riku still loved blueberries. Maybe he could offer him his muffin? He was still salty, though. Nevermind.
“Cherry, Riku, I’ve noticed you boys getting along more often! How on earth did you go from the constant fights to practically best friends?” Maureen tilted her head, pointing her fork towards both of them as she spoke.
Cherry didn’t know what to say, and he feared that if Riku spoke up, he’d just take all the credit for the project! Unfortunately, Riku said something before Cherry could.
“Actually, that project seemed to bring us closer? Kind of? We both put in a decent amount of effort, and I think it changed us both.”
Cherry’s heart skipped a beat. “Really?” He asked Riku
Riku rolled his eyes, but this time it was playfully. He wasn’t brushing him off like some burden he had to carry. He nodded, “Don’t get too cocky, though. I still did most of the writing!”
“Yeah, Mom. He’s practically saying I did the entire project on my own!” Cherry sat back in his seat, tilting the chair's legs off the floor.
Riku scoffed, “If that helps you sleep, I guess.” He fought every bone in his body not to kick the seat Cherry was leaning back on. It’d be hilarious to see him fall out of his chair.
The whole table shared laughs, like it was some silly family sitcom. Riku cringed a little, but thankfully the warmth of the joy at the table overrode it.
At one point, he and Cherry made eye contact, both trying not to laugh at an embarrassing conversation they overheard from another table.
It was nice.
“Why’d you get a blueberry muffin? You don’t even like those.” Riku inquired, taking a sip of his orange juice.
“Oh, yeah. My mom made me grab one.”
Riku softly chuckled, hesitant to ask for the muffin.
“Here! You still like blueberries, right?” Cherry was holding the wrapped muffin in front of him, waiting for Riku to take it.
“I honestly can’t believe you remembered that. Thought you had the memory of a goldfish.” Riku smirked before reaching out to grab the treat.
“Actually, never mind.” He joked, pulling the muffin away.
Riku leaned over the table, laughing while reaching for the muffin. “Hey, wait! No!” Thankfully, Cherry gave in and handed him the muffin. Folded like a piece of paper.
Lately, Riku felt like he’d just been prone to Cherry’s silly leeching whenever they hung out.
His stupid brainrotted jokes didn’t irritate him anymore, nor did his loud obnoxious laugh. He actually began to find his laugh somewhat comforting. He enjoyed making Cherry laugh; it felt like an accomplishment. Like when you get a lollipop at the end of a doctor's appointment. Cherry was that lollipop.
After breakfast, Maureen informed them they’d be doing an activity. She claimed it was a scavenger hike of some kind. They were supposed to break out in groups of 2, so she pulled their names out of a hat and assigned them their partners.
“Nia and Riku, Danielle and Cherry, and we’ll take Chloe along with us!” She handed each of them a fanny pack with all the essentials they’d need. A camera, a couple of band-aids, and 2 mini water bottles.
Nia felt content that she was partnered with Riku, but felt even more prideful over the plan she was about to enact.
Each of them stood around the Campsite lobby, a giant room with plenty of seats. Outside the main exit was the trail they were soon to take on. The air was still crisp, but later that day they planned to take a dip in the lake, so the sun would warm up the area very soon. Riku was more than thrilled they weren’t going camping when it was blazing hot. The bright sun, the bugs, the sweating- it irritated him.
They all found a seat at a large round table near the windows, Chloe needing a booster seat with paw patrol characters on it to fit in. They each exchanged conversation when Danielle offered to grab everyone some snacks before the scavenger hunt began.
Danielle had been waiting in line for a bit when Nia approached her.
“Hey, Miss Aoki! Could we partner together instead? I’d much rather it just be us girls, you know?”
“Aw, sure thing, sweetie! And you don’t need to call me Miss Aoki. Just Danielle is fine!”
“Sure thing! I’ll go let Cherry and Riku know.”
Nia’s initial plan was to interrogate Riku about the night of the party while she and he were scavenging, but teaming him up with Cherry was much smarter! She ought to give herself a pat on the back. She high-fived herself, a grin across her face, then went to inform the boys.
“Uhm, alright. I guess if my mom wants to team up with you, then that's cool. Hopefully Cherry doesn’t forget the camera.”
“You probably don’t even know how to use a camera!”
Nia expected an argument, or at least a squabble, but she didn’t expect them to break out in giggles like high school girlfriends. Not that she was complaining.
Her plan was working perfectly.
Once everyone went their separate ways, each group was fairly deep into the trails, searching for the items on their list.
Riku wiped his forehead, already breaking a sweat with the warmth surrounding them. The sun finally began to reveal itself. “Alright, so our goal is to snap a selfie of us with every item on the list. Seems pretty simple.” He held the sheet up in front of him, examining the number of items.
Cherry neared, holding the other end of the paper along with Riku. “We just need to find a blue flower, a river, a bird's nest, a rock the size of your hand, and a twig shaped like a ‘Y’. Easy peasy!”
They set out to rummage through the maze of a trail along the forest. The sun shone through the trees' leaves, heating the surroundings further. They managed to find the Rock and a bird's nest, but seemed to be having trouble with the others.
As they strolled, analyzing their surroundings, Cherry held the conversation up. “This kind of reminds me of the project! Taking pics, documenting this stuff. You know?”
“Uh huh. Oh! A blue flower!” Riku dashed a couple of feet away, behind a tree. Cherry had to quickly catch up to him, which didn’t take long, as Riku wasn’t a fast runner. They came across a bush of blue flowers, which seemed to be the only bush in miles.
Cherry reached for the camera and carefully plucked a flower from the bush. The flower was a Dutch iris, and it reminded him of Riku far too much. Its delicate, deep blue petals had a soft yellow inside. Reminded him of the way Riku could be so cold and blue to him on the outside, but it wasn’t difficult to spot the bright yellow joy that would appear rarely.
It quickly reminded him of the moment they spent in the closet the other night, which he desperately wanted to acknowledge more. But Riku made it obvious he’d rather forget about it.
Cherry didn’t want to ruin the decent day they’d had by opening his stupid mouth, so he didn’t, and kept his thoughts to himself.
He glanced at Riku admiring the flowers, a lovely sight he never wanted to lose. He snapped a picture quickly, giggling to himself when Riku got upset that the picture was unplanned.
Cherry laughed it off, but gently placed the flower he picked in his pocket. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to hold on to it.
They stumbled upon a stick shaped like a Y, and Cherry insisted they make a wishbone. Riku claimed it was silly and childish, but still complied.
They wouldn’t speak out loud what they wished for, but hoped their wishes would be granted soon.
Last but not least, they found a river a little off the trail.
“It’s about time. My feet are killing me.” Riku groaned, slumping his legs as he made it beside Cherry. They both crouched near the stream, admiring the view, before snapping a picture. “Alright, let's head back before-”
Riku’s face was splashed with river water. “Cherry.”
“PFFT-” Cherry burst with laughter, full-on belly laughing. Tears were forming from laughter for a moment before Riku wiped his face and gave Cherry a taste of his own medicine.
He cupped some water and quickly flicked it onto Cherry’s shirt. Now he realized why he was laughing so hard, because Riku finally joined him in laughing. Cherry was about to splash more water before Riku ran off, hiding behind a tree.
They were laughing like kids.
When they arrived back at the campsite, the others were waiting for them. Apparently they were the last ones to find all of the stuff.
It was around the afternoon; after they ate lunch, they moved on to their next activity, the lake.
“Cherry, sweetie, your father and I will take Chloe around the shallow end of the lake, so we’ll be out of sight. You guys have fun!”
Maureen and her husband disappeared behind a couple of trees, around the other side of the lake. The sun caused Riku to break a sweat, making the cool lake seem all the more refreshing. He really didn’t feel like swimming, though, so he sat on the pier dipping his feet in the water.
Cherry jumped in, splashing the others. Riku shivered as cold water droplets touched his bare skin.
When Cherry popped his head out of the water, he brushed his curls from his face while treading water. His pale skin was already getting sunburnt, which immediately reminded Danielle of the sunscreen she’d left in her cabin.
“Oh! Shoot! I forgot the sunscreen back in my suitcase. Be right back!” She skidaddled off; the cabins were pretty far.
“Wait up!” Nia ran after Danielle; she planned to leave Cherry and Riku alone together as often as she could. Might as well give her a fricken medal!
“You just going to sit there?” Cherry swam up to the pier, resting his arms beside Riku. He tilted his face to look up at him, covering the sun with his hand while squinting his eyes.
“Pretty much.” Riku patted his ankles back and forth in the water at a steady pace. “I might not get in.”
“Boringgg! Loser!”
Riku giggled at how stupid Cherry sounded. “Shut up, dork.” Riku faced away for a minute, letting his face cool off from the heat that was rising. Ever since that moment they shared in the closet, it's all he could think about. The replaying of gripping Cherry’s broad shoulders, and the way he grabbed his waist so… perfectly. Cherry resting toned arms on the pier wasn’t helping at all.
He noticed it went a little too quiet. He glanced at where Cherry previously was, only to notice no one was there. Where the hell did he go? Was he that lost in thought that he didn’t hear him leave?
He saw something moving underwater; the ripples approached him. He noticed the orange hair underneath, and his stomach dropped. “Oh god-”
“Boo!”
It happened in a flash. Riku felt a pair of hands grab his torso, lift him from the wood, and yank him into the water. He let out a yelp, entirely unprepared.
“Woah-!” He grabbed at Cherry’s shoulders, keeping him steady for a hot moment. “Jeez! What’s your problem, you psycho?!” Riku kept his eyes glued on the water, trying to calm his heart rate down. Cherry kept his hands firmly grasping at Riku’s torso. Riku was too focused on the surprise of cold water immediately on his skin to notice.
But Cherry noticed.
He didn’t know if his face was this red because of the sun, or something else, but this position really reminded him of the other night-
It seemed like finally Riku noticed how close they were, and quickly shoved him off. God, he desperately wanted to climb back onto Cherry. His body was so warm, and the water was so cold.
Riku shoved the thought away by splashing Cherry with a swing of the water. He put his arms up defensively, squinting his eyes so none of the water got in. “Haha!”
They went back and forth with the splashing before Riku finally swam away and made it back to the pier. He sat back up on the edge of the wood, sighing to catch his breath. Man, he was winded.
“Haha, you’re so out of breath.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not a gym bro like you.” Riku ran his fingers through his soaked hair, shaking some of the water off.
“You make push-ups look like the hardest thing on earth!”
When they spoke, it seemed like they couldn’t get their eyes off each other. Why was there so much tension? Why couldn’t they just forget about that night?
The amount of eye contact they’d made that day was probably the most eye contact Riku had made in his entire life. Especially with Cherry. But it wasn’t just his looks that entrapped Riku’s eyes.
I mean, the muscles definitely weren’t easy to look away from, but the way Cherry was so carefree and erratic. It was so interesting to him; he’d never spent this much enjoyable time with someone. The way he’d go with the flow, not worrying too much about anything.
How he usually failed to make Riku laugh, but still tried anyway.
Riku would never admit he admired that.
He had so much time to observe Cherry recently. The way he always tried to lighten the mood, the way he’d touch everything so gently, even though he’s sporty. That sounded creepy. What the hell was he even thinking? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about it?!
They’d been beating around so much tension all day.
There were too many close calls that day where they just couldn’t get their eyes away.
“Riku- uhm, can I ask you something?”
“Hm?”
Their eyes locked onto each other. Riku anticipated the question, his heart racing for some stupid reason.
But Cherry didn’t get to ask his question.
“We’re finally back with the sunscreen! Jeez, that took ages.” Nia yelled from across the pier. She eyed the boys, smirking in pride.
Danielle sat beside Riku, dipping her feet in the cool water as well. “Hope you boys are enjoying the heat while it lasts! It’ll be freezing tonight.”
They made the most of their moment, cooling off in the water, leaving, snacking on some chips before getting back in the water.
The entire day had passed; finally, they’d made it to sunset.
Both boys were freshly showered and exhausted from the long day they’d just experienced. Barely any sun peeped through the living room window.
As they sat on the couch, it was difficult to focus on the movie because the couch was so firm and solid. Not to mention the only movies that were streaming were Rio or Titanic. Riku decided on Titanic, a story that Cherry would always love. He knew how much Cherry enjoyed that movie.
That's not why he picked it, though! He just preferred it over Rio. Definitely.
They sat there, simply watching the movie. No bickering, no teasing, just calm silence. This was very rare. Riku had never seen Cherry so quiet and focused; it was kind of adorable.
“You know what’s crazy? They released this movie on the 85th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.” Cherry informed, surprisingly confident about the history of this movie.
“Huh. I actually didn’t know that. That’s kinda cool that you know that.”
Cherry grinned at the praise. For some reason, nothing gave him as much joy as Riku’s approval. It was addictive.
“Kinda sucks though, Jack and Rose’s love story wasn’t real.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah! Jack and Rose aren’t real!”
Riku was fascinated with how educated Cherry was on this topic; it was nice seeing him passionate about something other than Volleyball.
Although that was something Cherry usually did. He was always so persistent, in his own way. When he was sick, he was determined to keep Riku in bed. His heart fluttered remembering then.
Even then, Riku wanted to continue studying, but Cherry was considerate enough to find a way for him to study without getting out of bed. The compromise of Riku’s health and education was amiable.
There was about an hour left in the movie, and Riku was getting bored.
“I’m heading to the room. I’ve got a book I want to continue.”
“Alright! I’ll be there after the movie, probably.”
Riku stretched, arms reaching over his head. He heard his lower back pop. He was never sitting on this couch again.
He didn’t notice Cherry eyeing him up and down as he stretched.
As Riku read his book in silence, he recalled Cherry about to ask him a question back at the lake. He never heard his question, and now his curiosity was rising. He seemed nervous to ask; typically he’d just ask the question, instead of asking to ask. Riku found this odd.
As if right on cue, Cherry entered the bedroom, eyes glued to his phone. Riku pretended not to notice. He sank into the mattress, springs creaking. He shut his phone off when Riku spoke up. “How was the movie?”
“It was so fire! I’d watch it again, but I don’t feel like sitting for another 3 hours on that couch.”
“It is your favorite movie.” Riku kept his eyes on the page in his book.
Cherry opened his mouth, then closed it.
They sat in silence for a moment before Riku grew the balls to bring up the unknown question mentioned at the lake.
Riku shut his book. “Hey, by the way, what did you want to ask?”
“Huh?”
“Earlier, back at the lake, you had a question. Right?”
“Oh, right! I forgot.” He looked away, then back at Riku.
Riku didn’t believe him. “Really.”
Cherry sucked his teeth, hesitant on if he should be honest.
Riku didn’t push, just sat there leaning his side on the bed frame, facing him.
He deflated, shoulders slumping as he leaned his head back on the bed frame.
“How do you do it?”
“Wh- huh?” Riku tilted his head, confused as to what he meant.
“I mean, this might sound stupid, but how do you easily pretend like-” He inhaled, finding the courage to continue. “Like nothing happened?”
Riku didn’t say anything.
“It’s just- so difficult for me to think about anything other than that party.” Cherry refrained from eye contact entirely. “And I can’t help but enjoy thinking about it. I don’t like admitting that.”
Riku stared, his face holding a look he couldn’t decipher.
“You just-! You make it look so easy! It’s so frustrating! How are you not affected by this- like- at all?!” Riku fixed his posture, subconsciously leaning closer to Cherry.
“I’m trying to listen to what you said, to just forget about it, because I agree! It was a mistake. But why can’t I shake the feeling that it was a really enjoyable mistake?”
He finally looked up, meeting with Riku’s eyes.
“Why do I feel like we’re about to make the same mistake?” Cherry spoke barely above a whisper.
Riku inched closer. “What if I said- …I don’t think it was a mistake?”
“I hate that I never know what you’re thinking.”
Riku wanted to tell him everything that was on his mind. “Cherry- what if I said I’ve been thinking about- the same- ugh.” He sighed, unsure if he even needed to finish his sentence.
Cherry finally connected the dots, but said nothing.
Their faces felt even closer than when they were in that closet. Hearts pounding, probably matching the rapid rhythms of beats in their chest.
Riku groaned with frustration and impatience. “Oh my god- Fuck it-”
Cherry felt a cold hand squish his face and pull him in. His head screamed when a pair of chapped lips met his. Before he could even kiss back, Riku pulled away, eyes filled with fear that the kiss was unwanted.
“I-I’m so sorry-”
Before he could even think about continuing, Cherry dragged him back in, and that was the last time either of them planned on stopping.
Riku quickly gripped Cherry’s shirt with both hands, refusing to let him go.
This was so much different. In the closet, it was firm and hurried, but also angry and intense. This time it was tender and passionate. It started soft, simply their mouths getting used to the sensational feeling again. Cherry’s hands cupped Riku’s face, holding him ever so gently like glass he refused to shatter.
The feeling of being held so pleasantly was unfathomable.
Cherry held their faces close, yet removed their lips to speak. “And I thought I was reading the signs all wrong.”
“Not at all,” Riku shook his head and huffed before reattaching their mouths without delay. He was the one to hastily increase their pace. Cherry let out heavy inhales and exhales through his nose.
He had no idea how badly he needed this.
Riku seemed to have an idea, swiftly throwing his leg across Cherry’s thighs for easier access to his face. He wouldn’t dare to think about stopping him. They were both entirely consumed with this new position. The way he fit so flawlessly on top of him. As if they were carved exactly for this.
Cherry had no idea how Riku managed to keep the pace so needy and reckless, yet gentle and comfortable. But the way he was mouthing at his face brought him actual happiness. His lips were so soft, and he could taste the faint blackberry chapstick. It reminded him again of the night at the party.
Each kiss was just as sedated as the next; they didn’t care how late it was. The thought of them having to end this eventually was devastating.
They lightly rocked back and forth, clinging to each other's upper bodies like koalas. Their hands barely moved, simply marinating in the touch and the tender movements of their lips.
Riku’s cold fingertips against Cherry’s hot, flushed, bare skin, and Cherry’s warm embracing hands bearing his heated neck. They craved to soak in as much as possible before needing more.
And they began to require more. Their breaths were shaky and slow, trembling with cravings of more, but refusing to end the unhurried intimacy. The soft rustle of the blankets and faint creaking of the bed were the only things they could fully hear besides their slow, mingled breathing and their pulses echoing through their ears.
The relief Cherry felt was immense, especially with Riku making these bold decisions. There was something about Riku being in control that drove Cherry’s mind haywire. Letting him take the wheel was refreshing and comforting, knowing he had a sense of direction between them.
Their tongues softly rolling against each other’s, Riku’s tongue grazing Cherry’s lips, savoring every taste.
His fingers gently traced along Cherry’s jaw, dragging them down his throat, hovering over his Adam's apple.
They parted their faces for the quickest moment; Cherry grasped the chance to flutter his eyes open and examine the boy on top. They simply drowned in each other's eyes for what felt like forever, when Riku went back for a soft, quick peck on Cherry’s lips.
He assumed they were going to return the fervent makeout session, but when Riku teased at the nape of his neck with his hand before slowly drawing his head back, he shut his eyes and let out a surprising noise he didn’t know he could make.
It didn’t seem to bother Riku whatsoever. He slowly brought his lips to flutter along Cherry’s jaw. Then tugged at his hair again, lightly, but it was enough to gain another moan. “H-hah- Riku-” He whispered, trying his hardest to stay quiet from the light teasing. “Yes?”
He shivered at the feeling of Riku’s hot breath on his neck, yet no action. He only let his soft lips linger on his throat. Cherry’s breath hitched, nervous for when, or if, Riku would continue. And he desperately needed him to continue.
“P-please?” Cherry shut his eyes tighter than they already were when Riku softly caressed the spot he tugged at his hair. It was such a comforting feeling, if he wasn’t so frustrated. He wanted Riku to stop mocking him and just go for it.
Finally, he felt the lips he’d been dying for gently peck at every spot they could reach. He laid a much slower, open-mouthed, and consuming kiss on a spot under his jaw. He was about to pull away, allowing every chance to stop if he wanted. But he didn’t. “Again?” Cherry begged.
Riku didn’t feel like teasing anymore, or having him plead anymore than he already clearly pleaded. He simply answered his question with more rough kisses throughout his neck. He searched for spots that were the most sensitive, underneath where his jawline met his ear.
His breath grew quicker and quicker, as Riku’s mouth didn’t plan on stopping the hungry, rapid devouring of his neck. He nibbled on a fleshy part near his collarbone, sucking as hard as he could while swirling his tongue in that same spot.
Any coherent thoughts that Cherry had were long gone.
Same with any self-control he’d managed. Riku pressed his hand down on Cherry’s chest, pinning him back, rubbing up and down, caressing every spot he could reach before quickly reaching under his shirt. Cherry was losing his mind.
“You’re really enjoying this?” Riku chuckled against his neck, then continued to roll his tongue across every spot he sucked at.
“Shut the hell up.”
He let out a cry of pleasure when he felt a tongue lap at his shoulder, uncontrollably groaning with every suck and bite at his neck. He gave up any attempt at being quiet, feeling like he was going to explode at any moment. He needed so much more; he was so hopeless. “Riku!”
As much as Riku adored hearing his name being called like that, he didn’t need them getting caught.
He brought his hand that was initially in Cherry’s curls to quickly cover his mouth. “Cherry.” They found each other's eyes. He was breathing so heavily against Riku’s hand, mainly because the other hand was currently under Cherry’s shirt, still roaming and grazing ever so delicately.
“We can’t keep going if you can’t be quiet,” Riku whispered. “...And I really want to keep going.”
Cherry whined into his hand, “Mhm.” He nodded, not trusting himself to be quiet. Riku couldn’t trust him to continue being quiet, so he kept his hand covering his mouth as he continued. He completely forgot to check if he left a hickey.
He repeated the motions of his hand exploring underneath Cherry’s shirt, exiting just to tease at the hem of his pajama pants, before going back for more. He latched his teeth back onto his neck, and ran his tongue along his Adam's apple. His lips were soaked, and Cherry’s throat was covered in licks and nibbles.
He wretchedly cried against Riku’s hand, jolting his hips up subconsciously.
Riku reached towards Cherry’s hips, nailing them to the mattress. This restrained him from gaining any desperate friction, only causing him to whine louder. He didn’t expect Riku to gain mutual pleasure. “Ngh- Cherry!”
He almost forgot how deeply he admired the way Riku said his name. Desperately holding onto his soft hair, the addictive scent of his coconut shampoo gave him comfort while his head was reeling. He removed his hand from Riku's hair to grasp at his face, hauling him to reattach their lips.
“Mmf-!” Riku muffled against their lips; they finally reconnected, their bodies now fuming with the heat of the exploration and adoration. Their tongues swirled together, and it was now Riku’s turn to whimper from the sudden entry in his mouth.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Cherry, Riku! We’re doing s’mores outside! Come join!”
They jolted from surprise; Cherry’s heart fluttered when he saw Riku’s wet lips and tousled hair. He was such a beauty. He was even happier when Riku didn’t push away.
“W-We’ll pass! You guys have fun!” Riku yelled back, then exhaled with ease when whoever interrupted them walked away. He slumped his head on Cherry’s shoulder, laughing breathily.
Cherry rested his face in the side of Riku’s hair, slumping his hands on his waist. “Hah, shit.”
“Right?”
They laughed against each other, warmth blooming across their chests.
Riku was about to go in for another kiss when Cherry inched away.
“I uhm- Kinda wanted some s’mores.”
Riku genuinely laughed. Cherry adored the way his eyes wrinkled whenever he genuinely laughed. It was one of the most attractive things, making Riku laugh.
“You’re a mess.”
“You’re not any better, Mr. Vampire.”
Riku grabbed a nearby pillow and struck Cherry’s head.
They quickly fixed themselves up and joined the others for some s’mores. Riku refused to bring a jacket, claiming the fire would be enough warmth.
The winter air was crisp, holding a chill even through their jackets. Riku forgot to check if he’d accidentally gotten ahead of himself and left a hickey. Thank goodness for the scarves.
Cherry pulled out some Vaseline from his pocket; the coldness chapping his lips was the last thing he’d want. Riku asked to borrow some, and he was more than happy to share.
The s'mores were amazing. The warmth of the marshmallow with the cold was such a comforting feeling.
“What’s the best part of a s’more?” Cherry asked Riku, as he held his marshmallow over the fire.
Riku thought for a moment. “The chocolate.”
“Wrong!” He made a noise of a very loud incorrect buzzer. “It’s obviously the marshmallow.”
“That’s so basic!”
“It’s not basic, it's classic.”
Riku rolled his eyes, shivering to himself. He lied when he said the fire was enough to warm him up. “Once the chocolate melts, it automatically becomes the best part, no doubt.”
“Right, and what makes the chocolate melt?”
“The marshmallow?”
Cherry smirked, as if he’d won the debate.
They both heard a voice from beside them. “You’re both wrong! The best part is for sure the graham cracker.” Maureen pitched in. Danielle agreed, throwing Maureen a wink.
“Shit, it's cold,” Riku mumbled to himself as he tried inching towards the fire.
Cherry removed his jacket. “I told you not to leave without one! You need my jacket?”
Riku waved his hand, dismissing the offer. “What? I don’t need your jacket. I’m f-fine.”
Cherry didn’t say anything, just held his jacket out.
“Well, since you won't shut up about it,” Riku threw on his jacket, and he loved the smell, his heart fluttering.
Cherry and Riku excused themselves for the night. They told the others they were exhausted and were going to sleep.
Once they were out of sight, they ran back to their room, almost tripping with how fast they were going.
Their lips crashed together, too fast, too desperate—but neither of them cared. Cherry’s hands were already tangled in Riku’s hair. Their teeth clashed, and they immediately resumed where they were before.
Riku quickly slammed the door with his leg. Cherry proceeded to shove him into the door, their bodies pressing against each other. He went straight for Riku’s throat, giving him the same pleasure he had from earlier.
He aimlessly searched for the doorknob, and with a click, he locked their door.
Riku removed his jacket and reached his hands, wrapping them around Cherry’s head; he slipped his knee between his legs and groaned as Cherry attached their lips.
They could taste the leftover s’more, making them all the more starved. Aggressively mouthing, consuming their lips against the door because they simply couldn’t wait. Riku went straight to removing Cherry’s shirt.
He swung the shirt above his head and tossed it across the room like it personally offended him. Cherry shivered at the cold room on his bare skin, now entirely shirtless.
“Mmf- Bed.”
He demanded while barely removing their mouths, tongues continuously lapping. They stumbled off the door before Cherry momentarily picked him up, bringing him to the bed as he ordered, panting against each other before reconnecting.
They continued without interruption, not going too far. They mutually agreed kissing was all they’d do. For now.
Cherry was happy his mouth was currently occupied before he ruined the wondrous moment by asking stupid questions like, “What does this make us?” or “What are we?”
About 25 minutes passed, and Riku had fallen asleep on his bare chest. Much more comfortable than the couch. Cherry nuzzled his face into Riku’s hair, inhaling the addictive scent, pulling him closer before eventually falling asleep as well.
The morning, they packed everything back up and began making their way home.
The drive back was much different than the drive to the campsite. As Cherry drove and Riku was in the passenger seat, they chatted as much as possible. Sharing loud laughs and hot takes, they jokingly argued half of the drive, yet not a moment went by where they were bored.
They finally arrived at Riku’s apartments. They’d made it there before the others, so Cherry offered to help him bring his luggage inside. Riku walked Cherry back to his car, and for a couple of minutes they decided to just chat before leaving.
“I’ll start heading inside. My mom just texted me they’re almost here.”
“Oh, alright!”
Riku swung his tote bag over his shoulder and exited the car. Before he shut the door, Cherry grabbed his attention one last time.
“Uhm-! I’ll text you?”
Riku let out a hum of contentment and leaned inside the car.
Cherry didn’t expect a pair of warm, soft lips to land on his cheek. Riku let the small peck linger for a moment before exiting the car for the last time.
“I’ll text you.”
The next day had passed, and Cherry and Riku had been nonstop texting. The next night, Cherry was brushing his teeth, getting ready for bed. Although he wasn’t tired in the slightest.
His phone vibrated on the bathroom counter. It was a text from Riku.
Riku: “hi”
Cherry: “hey”
Riku was typing for a minute, then stopped.
Riku: “mom’s at work, my place?”
His stomach flipped 360.
Riku: “If ur not busy”
Cherry hearted the message.
Cherry: “On My Way!”
Cherry: “ew autocorrect :// omw rn”