Update! I got this chapter finished and am nearly done with chapter 5 and I just finished writing chapter 6. We're near to the finish line!

I am excited to say that I am going to Las Vegas in March for the Supernatural convention! I decided since I probably will never get to meet Tom Hiddleston, I'll go meet a whole bunch of other people that I really admire. Hopefully I last that long! XD

Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

Morning came and Eiji found himself wrapped in Oishi's arms, his back pressed into Oishi's chest. He smiled to himself and placed his own hands over his boyfriend's and sighed in content. The smell of the campfire wafted into the tent. If only I could build up enough courage, this would be the most romantic setting for our first time, he thought biting his lip. "Are you awake?"

Eiji looked back and saw Oishi smiling sleepily at him. "Good morning," Eiji whispered as he turned around. Oishi wrapped his arms tighter around Eiji as the slender man wrapped his arm around the black haired man's waist. Oishi kissed his forehead. Eiji smiled wider.

"Good morning," Oishi murmured as he pressed their foreheads together. "I suppose we should get up?"

"Don't wanna."

Oishi chuckled and rubbed Eiji's back as the redhead buried his face in his boyfriend's neck. "I hear breakfast being made," he whispered.

Eiji sighed dramatically, "I guess I can get up for food," he muttered, unable to hide the smile forming on his lips.

"Good," Oishi said with another laughed and pulled away, his hands lingering on Eiji's body until he was sitting up. They changed and climbed from their tent to see Inui and Kaido sitting on a log together beside a fire with the cooking supplies out.

"We were beginning to think you all were going to sleep all day," Inui commented. Even as he spoke, Kaido's head rested on his shoulder, eyes closed.

"Is no one else up?" Oishi asked as he glanced at the other tents.

"Nope." Inui said with a shrug. "Hey, Kaido, wake up," he murmured.

"No, you're comfortable," Kaido grumbled, glowering sleepily at Inui's hand on his arm..

"Fine, then, no breakfast," Inui said as he reached gently for the plates, trying not to jostle the man resting on him, despite his words.

Kaido pushed up off him reluctantly and took the toast and sausages he was offered. He murmured a thanks. Inui handed Oishi and Eiji some then made a plate for himself. They ate in silence. Soon Tezuka appeared from his tent and helped a sleep disheveled Fuji from their tent. Eiji held back a snicker as he recognized just how mussed Fuji looked and caught sight of the hickey on his neck.

"Well, busy night?" Inui asked, his expression blank, but his glasses glinted as if his eyes had done so.

"No, not really," Tezuka said blankly as Fuji sat beside Eiji. He fixed two plates and then took up the other side of Fuji. The brunette thanked him and smiled.

"So what did happen last night?" Eiji asked in a whisper.

"I can honestly say not what you're thinking," Fuji murmured with a faint blush. "I might have overestimated my nerve."

"Don't worry," Eiji sighed, glancing at Oishi. "Me too."

Fuji nudged him with his shoulder and offered a sympathetic smiled. Eiji returned it and they turned to their breakfast. The all got a few bites in before Momoshiro and Ryoma joined, sitting further away from the others, but closer to each other than they had the day before. Eiji looked up at them, but Fuji was the first to greet them with a mischievous grin, "Good morning. Aren't you up late? Long night?"

"No, we just talked for awhile and went to sleep," Momoshiro replied. Eiji smiled at the blush on Ryoma's cheeks.

"Well, have some breakfast. I'm sure after a long night of talking you must be starved."

"But we really did just talk!" Momoshiro insisted, aghast at the accusation that they would move so quickly when only yesterday they were thrown together.

"Yes, but the topic I'm sure took a lot out of you," Fuji said matter-of-factly. "I mean, it's a tiring conversation when you talk about starting a relationship." Momoshiro blushed and he and Ryoma exchanged glances. "You are in a relationship now… right?"

The two black haired teens exchanged looks and both flushed another shade redder. Momoshiro glanced at everyone's expectant looks. He swallowed and looked down at where their hands touched, their pinky finger's hooked together. "Shut up." He groused.

There was an outburst of excited cheering and a few words of congratulations. Even Kaido offered a smiled before ignoring the two to finish his breakfast. Ryoma's face darkened another shade of red, but he clenched his jaw and stubbornly kept his face neutral. Momoshiro glanced at him and smiled to himself and nudged him. Ryoma blinked and offered a small smile. They got their plates and the group died down and they all eight.

"So what shall we do today?" Oishi asked after his plate was cleared.

"We could go hiking?" Fuji suggest as he put his plate on the ground and looked up at Tezuka who mimicked him.

"That sounds nice. After swimming yesterday we didn't really get to see much of the area." Oishi offered glancing around. Everyone nodded and gave sounds of agreement.

"You know, a hike does sound like fun," Momo piped in, the red in his face finally fading away.

"I'm not going if he's going," Kaido growled as he leaned closer to Inui. The taller man looked down at him. A smirk flashed over his lips, but he quickly hid it.

"Why don't you guys go on, have a good time and Kaido and I will stay here and keep an eye on everything. If you get lost just follow the smoke of the fire."

"If you're sure," Oishi said, but he smiled. They all agreed and moved to head off and they disappeared, leaving Inui and Kaido alone.

"So are we really doing the dishes?" Kaido asked, eyeing his boyfriend.

"Of course," Inui said, taken aback. "I would never lie."

"Oh," Kaido looked away, but the disappointment was clear in his tone. Inui chuckled and wrapped his arms around Kaido's shoulders and kissed his ear, making Kaido offer one of his rare smiles.

"If we finished them quickly, though, we can do something more fun," Inui murmured low and rough, his lips brushing Kaido's ear.

"Oh yea?"

"Yea," Inui pulled away. "I need a few more ingredients for my new juice recipe and I know their indigenous to this area. We can go look for them." He barely got the words out before he started chuckling. Kaido's nearly blissful expression darkened and he glared. "Or we could pick off where we're leaving off now."

"I like that idea better," Kaido said grumpily. He looked away, his face reddening. "Unless you really would rather-."

Inui quickly kissed Kaido's mouth silencing the doubt he heard there. "I could not think of anything I would rather do than have alone time with you."

One of Kaido's rare smiles pulled back his lips and looked away, trying to hide it, but Inui couldn't stop his own smiled and quickly grabbed Kaido's hand and the dishes and dragged them both to the lake as quickly as he could.

Eiji's fingers brushed over Oishi's hand. The other man smiled and laced his fingers with the redhead and kissed his cheek. Eiji smiled and they continued after Fuji and Tezuka who led, helping one another over large intrusive roots and large rocks. Ryoma and Momoshiro took up the back, talking to one another quietly. The redhead looked up and towards the tree line. "I hear running water."

"I don't-." Oishi stopped and listened. He looked towards the direction Eiji stared and gasped. "Oh, wow. There is!"

"Fuji! Let's see what that is!" Eiji called, tugging Oishi along with him as he ran up to the other two. Momoshiro and Ryoma hurried after them so they wouldn't be left behind.

Fuji smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's go!" They hurried towards the sound. Fuji stumbled a couple of times, but Tezuka caught him and set him to rights with a kiss on his nose. Fuji smiled and they continued their trudge until they stopped at a riverbank that dropped into a rushing river. There were no rapids, but the water moved quickly.

"Oh, wow!" Eiji gasped staring into the blue water. A few fish jumped out of the water followed by a couple more flopping after the first. He laughed.

Ryoma took a step closer and tripped, nearly plummeting forward. Momoshiro latched onto him, arms wrapped around his waist, and pulled him back. Ryoma clutched him and gasped for air. "I got you," Momoshiro whispered, hugging him tightly. He rubbed his back and kissed his hair.

"That was scary," Eiji gasped, clutching his chest. He looked down at the water and kneeled beside Ryoma and Momo as they sat down, Ryoma still clutched in Momoshiro's arms, breathing hard. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt when Momo grabbed you?"

"I'm fine," Ryoma murmured before burying his face in Momoshiro's neck. Momoshiro hugged him close and kissed his hair again. He rubbed his back and murmured to him.

Fuji had turned at the first outcry and now took a step towards them. "Are you sure you're alright? We can head-." He gave a shout as his foot caught in a crack among the rocks and roots and stumbled forward.

"Fuji!" Tezuka cried out as he tried to grab his boyfriend, but he was gone just as his hand closed around the air where Fuji's shirt used to be. "Fuji!"

At first the brunette was nowhere to be seen. Then he surfaced several feet away, down river. "Tezuka!" He called out before pushed under the current. Tezuka bolted after him and called out his boyfriend's name as the distressed man fought against the water.

"Hold on, Fuji!" Tezuka darted beneath a branch and skidded to a spot where a long tree limb had fallen he grabbed it and pushed it into Fuji's path. "Grab on!"

Fuji scrambled in the current towards the branch. His hand missed, dragging a curse from Tezuka. Fuji swiped for it again and latched onto the end. "Hold on!" Tezuka demanded pulling on the branch. Fuji gripped tighter.

Oishi and Eiji appeared and quickly grabbed the branch behind Tezuka. All three of them pulled and watched Fuji come closer. Fuji lifted out of the water like a fish caught on a spear and Tezuka dropped the branched, throwing himself to reach over the edge. Fuji reached for his hand and gripped him tightly. He pulled his boyfriend up and let him scrambled over the edge and back onto the ground. Fuji crawled away from the edge and into the tree line before Tezuka could get back to his feet. A few yards away Fuji collapsed, panting.

"Fuji! Fuji, are you all right?" Tezuka called, hurrying to his side.

Fuji threw his arms around him, soaked and shivering. "Thank you-."

"Ssh," Tezuka collected him and held him close. "Ssh, I got you." Tezuka pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Fuji's shaking shoulders. The boy curled up into him and closed his eyes, his teeth still chattering.

"I was scared I would die-." Fuji said quietly. "I love you. I love you so much."

"Ssh, Fuji; relax." Tezuka kissed him. "You're safe now."

"I love you-."

"I know. I love you too." Tezuka kissed his forehead and hugged him close.

"Fuji, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Eiji cried as he dropped the branch and leaned over his friend, worry on his face.

"Y-Yea, I'm fine," Fuji said softly and shivered. "J-Just cold."

"Let's get back to camp," Tezuka suggested, brushing a few damp strands from Fuji's face. He kissed him gently and stood. "Are you all right to stand?"

"I think so," Fuji replied with a trembling nod. He stumbled a bit, but Tezuka wrapped his arms around his waist and held tight so he wouldn't fall again.

Fuji smiled and buried his face in Tezuka's shoulder. "Hey!" Momoshiro called from the tree line. Ryoma stood with him, still clutching him, although only by his arm. "Everybody alright?"

"Yea, we're good," Oishi called back as they made it back into the trees and away from the river. "Fuji's cold and drenched. We're heading back to camp."

"Sounds good," Momoshiro agreed as they continued to move towards some sort of direction. They walked a few yards before they realized, "This isn't the same path as before."

"Oh, no," Eiji covered his mouth, looking around as they stopped at a fork in the path. "He's right. I think the path was more that way." He pointed in a direction towards the right as they faced away from the cursed river.

"No I think it was still straight ahead, but towards the left," Fuji forced out through chattering teeth. Tezuka wrapped his arms around him and warmed him up.

"Why don't we split up? You guys can go one way and we'll go the other way. There is a flare gun and some flares back at camp. Whoever gets there first can fire some up and then the other group can follow it?" Oishi offered.

"Aren't I lucky?" Eiji smiled and curled up in Oishi's arms and kissed his cheek. "Being with someone so smart."

"Sounds good. Uh, Momo and Echizen, follow the path towards the right and we'll follow the left path."

"Sounds good," Momoshiro smiled and Ryoma blushed at the look on the taller boy's face.

"Be good you two," Fuji chattered out pulling the jacket closer around his shoulders. He smirked through his cold making Momoshiro flush and glower at him.

Tezuka chuckled. "Let's go."

Oishi led the way with Eiji close behind him. Tezuka helped his shivering boyfriend through the thicket that grew over the path. Oishi moved over a raised root as it crossed his path. He hurried forward, trying to get a better lay of where they were, but nothing really offered him any help.

"Oishi!"

He whipped around into to see that Eiji did not miss the root and fell at an odd angle. Oishi ran back and fell to his knees. "Eiji! Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"I-I think I'm okay," Eiji looked at his hands and picked the rocks out of his hands. He didn't see much blood and wiped them off on his shorts. Trembling, he turned around to sit and examine his knees. They were in the same state as his hands and brushed off the dirt and rocks. Oishi helped him stand and he cried out as all his weight hit his feet and stumbled into his boyfriend.

"What's wrong?!"

"My ankle," he lifted his left ankle and winced. "It's throbbing. I think I sprained it." He said as he moved it around. He could move his foot, but it hurt like kell to do so.

"What happened?" Tezuka asked as they caught up.

"Eiji sprained his ankle. Come here, love," Oishi turned and motioned for Eiji to get on his back. "I'll carry you."

"Oishi, I'm too heavy."

"No you're not and I won't have you hobbling all over this forest when you're hurt." Oishi stated firmly. Eiji's eyes widened and he blushed and clambered on his boyfriend's back and hugged his shoulders as Oishi adjusted him properly.

"It's starting to get dark," Tezuka said, looking up at the sky. "Let's keep going down this way, but stop and find a place to make camp. We can find the others tomorrow when it's light."

"Sounds good to me," Fuji chattered with a shiver running up his spine. Tezuka rubbed his back. They moved through the trees, coming to a place where the path cleared and they continued on. Soon, just as the sun was setting, they came to a clearing and began to make camp. Tezuka sat Fuji down and stripped away his wet shirt and wrapped him in his jacket and zipped it up. He set to building a fire and soon a warm blaze flickered around them. Tezuka sat beside Fuji and held him close, both sitting near the warmth. Eiji sat with Oishi a little further back, Oishi with his arms around Eiji and Eiji leaning into his shoulder. His injured leg was outstretched, his other bent, making him sit half way to cross-legged.

"I hope we find the others tomorrow," Eiji muttered quietly into Oishi's arm.

"We will," Oishi murmured, kissing the red head's temple. "You'll see. Now we should try to get some sleep, alright? We'll need to get going early."

"Mkay," Eiji murmured.

"C'mere," Oishi lay down and motioned for Eiji to do the same. Eiji nodded and pressed into Oishi's side and closed his eyes. Oishi stroked his hair and smiled as his boyfriend buried his face into his shoulder.

"I'm going to get more firewood," Tezuka stated quietly. Fuji nodded, finally beginning to warm up. "Then we should try and get some sleep, too."

"Okay."

Tezuka brought the fire to a roaring blaze and lay down on the ground a little further than he had sat. He gestured for Fuji to come closer. The brunette did and pressed into his side. Tezuka smiled and wrapped his arms securely around Fuji. "How are you feeling?" Tezuka whispered as he stroked Fuji's hair with the hand wrapped around his slender shoulders.

"Much better now," Fuji stated as he buried his face in Tezuka's neck.

"Good," Tezuka murmured and kissed his hair. "Try and get some sleep."

"Mkay," Fuji breathed softly.

"Hey, Tezuka?" Oishi whispered.

"Yea?"

"Do you think Momo and Ryoma are alright?"

"They'll be fine. They're both sensible. I'm sure they will have done as we have and we'll find each other in the morning."

"I'm sure you're right," Oishi said with a sigh. "I just worry."

"Try and get some sleep."

"Alright," Oishi sighed. "You do the same."

Tezuka sighed as Oishi went silent. He looked down at Fuji and kissed the top of his head before closing his eyes and trying to sleep as well.

Chapter 4 - End

TBC