"TIM!" a voice shouted, but Tim wasn't sure where it was coming from. He barely heard it, over his own coughing and the intense ringing in his ears. Between choking gasps, he realized he had fallen to the ground, hands curling into fists and gripping fallen leaves. His fingers dug into the ground, dirt getting impossibly far under the nails. The Operator was close, Tim knew that. But he was unable to move and Jay was somewhere, looking for him. Feet appeared quickly in the top of Tim's vision and maybe, just maybe, the voice belonging to those feet said his name again. But he wasn't sure. The feet turned into thighs, and there was Jay, kneeling in front of him and grabbing his face none too gently. "WE NEED TO GO!" Jay shouted, and Tim gave a tiny nod, attempting to push himself up. But his forearms weren't working and Tim was coughing so badly again that it didn't really matter. Jay, seeing his difficulty, stood and attempted to bring Tim to his feet. It took time, precious seconds that they didn't have, but Tim finally found himself on his feet. Arm draped over Jay's neck and leaning heavily on the other man, Jay dragged the both of them into the woods.
"TIM!" Jay screamed, turning in circles. Tim was nowhere to be seen, and Jay could have sworn he was just behind him. Distantly, Jay heard him; coughing. Breaking into a sprint, Jay made his way as quickly as he could towards the sound, tripping face first twice over roots and fallen branches in his haste. Coughing himself, Jay knew he had to hurry. Had to get to Tim. He had collapsed in a small clearing in the trees, full of tall, shoot like plants that were probably all poison ivy, but Jay didn't care as he plunged into it, running at Tim, repeating his name and receiving no response. Kneeling down now, Jay grabbed Tim's face, forcing him to look at him. "WE NEED TO GO!" Jay shouted, not daring to look behind him. But Tim's nose was streaming now and he was coughing, his whole body shaking with it. Standing up, Jay hooked Tim under the arms and, fueled by pure terror and adrenaline, managed to bring Tim to his feet. Stumbling forward, Jay dragged the both of them into the woods.
The ringing was lessening marginally every few feet, and the coughing was dissipating for Tim. Occasionally he aided Jay in their progress by moving his feet in a coherent way. "Jay..." Tim wheezed, taking a large gulp of air. Jay was still focused on walking, taking methodical step after methodical step. "Jay! Jay, wait!" Tim said, a little louder now. The ringing had all but stopped now and the coughing was sporadic at best. This time, Jay stopped, and Tim fell away from him. Doubling over, Tim pressed his palms against his knees and caught his breath. Jay leaned against a spindly tree next to him, catching his breath as well. "We're safe for now, I think." Tim said, looking at Jay. Jay frowned, shaking his head, "We need to get out of here right now, Tim." he said, pushing himself from the tree and back into a standing position. "Yeah, obviously." Tim said, the smallest hint of annoyance in his voice. He knew they weren't safe, of course, but for that very second, nothing was actively trying to kill them. "You okay to walk?" Jay asked, looking Tim in the eye. Tim stood up, "Yeah, I think so." he said, nodding, all traces of previous annoyance disappearing from his voice at the look of genuine concern on Jay's face. The pair continued walking, their pace not as fast as usual, but steady.
The adrenaline was wearing off now and Jay was starting to feel the fatigue of supporting Tim as he walked. Tim had stopped coughing now and was making an effort to walk again, much to Jay's relief. He wasn't sure he could get them both out of Rosswood with Tim semi-conscious. But Jay was still aware of the pressing danger and, while Tim was trying to walk, Jay was still supporting him. He focused on the path ahead of them, trying to avoid as much as he possibly could. "Jay! Jay, wait!" Tim said, and Jay did just that, stopping. He wondered briefly if Tim had tried to get his attention before. Tim let him go, stepping away and doubling over, hands on his knees, catching his breath. Jay started towards him before stepping away, leaning against a nearby tree to catch his own breath. That was what Tim was doing, and Jay didn't want to crowd him. That wasn't what he needed right now. "We're safe now, I think." Tim said, looking at Jay. Tim looked so vulnerable right now, doubled over and barely breathing normally, that Jay frowned, shaking his head, "We need to get out of here right now, Tim." Jay said, feeling a sudden sense of urgency. Jay stood now, and Tim seemed mildly annoyed, "Yeah, obviously." he said. Jay ignored the tone, waiting for Tim to stand on his own because he needed to go. They needed to go. "You okay to walk?" Jay asked, looking Tim in the eye. He looked worn out, but at least the colour was returning to his face. Standing now, Tim nodded, "Yeah, I think so." Jay nodded and turned, waiting for Tim, so that he could keep in stride with him. Jay didn't want to lose him again. The pair continued walking, their pace much slower than Jay liked.
Tim felt better now, his stride matching Jay's, who was speed walking through the forest, refusing to stop. But Tim could hardly blame him, just as eager to get out of the park as Jay was. "Are you sure the car is this way?" Tim asked, looking around at the woods. Honestly, it all looked the same to him. "Yeah, I'm sure." Jay said, sidestepping a branch. Tim trusted him on this, speeding up a little to catch up with Jay. "You okay?" Jay asked, focusing on the ground ahead of him and not looking at Tim. Tim nodded, "Yeah. I'm fine now. What about you?" he asked, the thought of Jay practically dragging him for half a mile weighing heavily on his mind. "I'll be a lot better when we get out of Rosswood." Jay replied. Tim rolled his eyes a little, focusing once again on the ground. After a few moments, Tim glanced at Jay's hands, and it took a few moments for him to realize that Jay was missing his camera. "Hey, Jay? Did you drop your camera?" Tim asked. Jay stopped walking, looking down at his empty hands with such surprise that Tim would have thought he had grown an extra finger. "I must have, when I helped you stand..." he said slowly, looking suddenly lost without his camera. "Do you want to go get it...?" Tim asked, quite aware of the darkening sky. Jay shook his head, "No, we can get it later. Yours was recording anyway." he said, but the hint of regret in his voice did not escape Tim's notice. "We need to hurry, or we'll be caught out here in the dark.." Tim said, this time urging Jay on. Jay followed him without question in the same direction they had been going.
Jay was walking as fast as he could manage, impressed that Tim could keep up with his pace. But he was, despite the obstacles that the forest put in their way. "Are you sure the car is this way?" Tim said from beside him, doubt creeping into his voice. "Yeah, I'm sure." Jay said, barely sidestepping a branch. He wasn't sure at all, but this direction felt familiar. The trees looked right, at any rate. Jay sped up a little, and so did Tim. "You okay?" Jay asked, not looking at Tim. "Yeah. I'm fine. What about you?" he asked, and Jay didn't hesitate with his response, "I'll be a lot better when we get out of Rosswood." he said, because 'I'm exhausted and would take a nap right here if at all possible.' wasn't quite the optimistic answer Jay was going for. Jay focused on the ground again before Tim's voice once again brought his attention away from it. "Hey, Jay? Did you drop your camera?" Tim asked, and Jay instantly felt his stomach turn. He stopped walking suddenly, double checking his hands (because it's important to check your hands) and finding them, surprisingly, empty. Jay stared at them in shock for a few moments, unable to believe that he hadn't noticed the camera's absence. "I must have, when I helped you stand..." Jay said slowly, the pieces clicking into place. Tim was more important than a camera, but that didn't stop Jay from feeling naked without it. "Do you want to go get it...?" Tim asked, but Jay dismissed the suggestion immediately, shaking his head, "No, we can get it later. Yours was recording anyway." he said, thankful for chest-cams and their hands free filming ability. They had gotten footage, at any rate. "We need to hurry, or we'll be caught out here in the dark.." Tim said, and Jay glanced at the sky. Tim was right. Jay followed Tim now, still in the same direction they had been going.
The light was fading quickly now, and the mad dash towards the edge of the woods was on. Tim was half running with Jay, stumbling every now and then over rocks and sticks, but keeping pace. But suddenly, the ringing in his ears returned full blast, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs. Stopping suddenly, Tim knew Jay sensed it too. Tim struggled forward, fighting against his body to run with Jay. He knew Jay was shouting encouraging things at him, but he couldn't make them out. Tim could see him, the Operator, standing yards away now. Jay was too focused on him to notice, but Tim did. That extra thrill of terror was all he needed to momentarily block out the piercing ringing and run. Jay was never far behind and the parking lot was in sight now. With a last burst of energy, Tim sprinted to the car, coming to a stop just before he ran into it. Jay ran past him to the drivers side, and they both slid into the unlocked car, slamming the doors closed. The car was full of sound, heavy breathing and the wild beating of hearts, and Tim caught Jay's eye. He nearly let out a wild laugh, simply out of the thrill of being alive but Jay had grabbed his face and, before Tim knew what was happening, was practically smashing his lips against his. Tim froze, inhaling sharply, unable to move. It lasted seconds, but it seemed like much longer to Tim, who, with closed eyes, was suddenly aware of the dryness of his lips in comparison to Jay's. Jay released his face, pulling away and letting out a long breath of air, and then laughing himself. Pulling keys out of thin air, or maybe, as Tim's mind caught up with things, his pocket, Jay started the car and backed out.
Jay was all too aware of how dark it was becoming now, and he was trying desperately now to find familiar landmarks to indicate that yes, he had known where the parking lot was and no, he hadn't just led Tim into a dead end. Jay felt dread swelling in the pit of his stomach, only serving to make him move faster. But then Tim stopped running, and the dread popped like a balloon, nearly rooting him to the ground. Tim was fighting it now, and over his shoulder, Jay knew Tim could see him. The Operator. Jay did not look back, instead shouting "Come on, Tim!" repeatedly. Tim seemed motivated, by the Operator or his encouragements, Jay did not care. Now he found himself trying to catch up to Tim, who was running as fast as possible towards the edge of the woods and, to Jay's relief, the parking lot. It was completely empty, aside from their lone car, which Jay had left unlocked. Practically throwing himself over the hood of the car, Jay slid into the drivers seat and slammed his door, echoing Tim's movements. Jay turned to Tim, who was breathing heavily, like he was. Who had just evaded the Operator twice in one evening, like he had. Who was alive, like he was. Jay was only slightly aware of what he was doing, but he didn't stop himself from crashing his lips into Tim's, stopping what had looked like a laugh in it's tracks. Jay smiled at that, the tips of his fingers sinking into Tim's hair. Pulling away, Jay let out the breath he had been holding before laughing. He felt almost intoxicated, drunk on the fact that they had come so close and yet here they were, both sitting here alive. Jay found keys in his pocket and started the car, grinning at Tim who was gaping at him from the corner of his eye as he pulled out of the parking lot.
Tim turned himself, facing forward now. His heart was beating wildly now, but wasn't so sure it was the Operators fault this time. Staring straight ahead, Tim watched the overhead lights that lined the road, counting the seconds that passed in between passing underneath them, when the car would briefly be illuminated with their off-yellow light. Tim's thoughts, previously sluggish, were racing now, throwing out wild possibilities to justify Jay's actions. Maybe Jay was hallucinating and, underneath his sideburns, had mistaken him for Jessica? Jay had always had a thing for her, right? Or maybe Jay thought Tim was choking and needed mouth to mouth but had forgotten how to properly administer it? That was logical, right? Because Tim refused to believe that Jay had just kissed him, without warning, right here... Tim looked at Jay out of the corner of his eye. He was focused on the road, but he had a dopey little grin that nearly made Tim match it. Great. Fantastic. Tim stifled a sigh, focusing on the the overhead lights again. This was going to make for an interesting conversation when they got back to the hotel, which, with the lack of traffic on the streets right now, was only a few minutes away.
Jay focused on the road, acutely aware of how Tim was still turned to face him, apparently in shock. That made Jay grin just a little bit more. After a few moments, Tim turned away, focusing determinedly ahead on the road. By the way his eyes were flicking up and down, Jay assumed he was counting the overhead lights. That was something Jay remembered doing as a kid, to pass the time on road trips. But as the silence stretched on and they got closer to the hotel, something in the back of Jay's mind began to panic. He was an idiot, oh god, why had he done THAT? That was an uncalled for move and he had probably just ruined everything with Tim. Jay kept the grin up as Tim looked at him, but dropped it immediately after. He had just killed whatever they had had going with one rash, impulsive move. Jay gripped the steering wheel just a little bit tighter as the hotel came into view.
Tim waited a few moments after Jay shut the car off before opening his door and getting out. Jay did the same, and they both shut their doors in near sync. Glancing down, Tim realized he hadn't stopped filming since they left Rosswood. Fumbling with the camera, Tim turned it off, having wasted about fifteen minutes of film with the boring view of a dashboard and road. At least he was pretty sure it was off. He wasn't a film student and after a few moments decided it didn't really matter. Walking behind Jay, Tim followed him up the sidewalk and to their hotel door. Jay unlocked it, his hands fumbling a little bit with the door handle. Tim noted the absence of his grin. Jay hit the lightswitch and trudged into the hotel and Tim followed suit, shutting the door behind him. The hotel was even quieter than the car was, and Tim was now aware of this. The almost awkward silence between them. Tim took off the chest-cam, sitting it on the empty desk where Jay's camera should have been also. Jay had excused himself to the bathroom and Tim was left alone now in the hotel room, standing awkwardly in the corner. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Tim took off his shoes, brushing the bits of leaf and debris from his socks. He was thankful that he had been wearing pants, not wanting to imagine the amount of cuts and bruises he would have accumulated otherwise. Sighing, Tim waited for his turn in the bathroom, eager to go to bed, really. Jay didn't seem in the talking mood and he himself was more than unsure of how to approach the conversation. Finally, after an excessively long time in the bathroom, Jay opened the door and walked out into the room, watching his feet and decidedly not Tim. Frowning, Tim stood up and passed him, shutting himself into the bathroom.
The sudden silence between them when Jay turned the car off was almost jarring, causing Jay to freeze, just incase Tim said something. But he didn't, and after a few moments, got out of the car. Jay did the same, mirroring his actions. He watched as Tim fiddled with the camera, trying to turn it off and failing, before realizing he should probably be unlocking the hotel room. He was the one with the key, anyway. Stepping onto the sidewalk, Jay could hear Tim behind him, following in step. Probably frowning, wondering why he had ever trusted Jay in the first place. His hands shook a little as he opened the door, but he was sure Tim didn't notice. Jay braced himself for the unexpected as he turned the lights on, but no supernatural beings lay in wait. Just an uncomfortable silence that crept up on Jay, making it hard to breathe. Jay stepped towards the desk before realizing he had nothing to place there. Instead, Jay pretended to check the window as Tim removed his camera before excusing himself to the bathroom. Locking the door, Jay turned the sink on, bracing himself around the basin. Splashing his face repeatedly with the cool tap water, Jay dried his face off with a hand towel, letting it drop from his hands and on to the counter. "That was stupid..." Jay whispered to himself several times, the sink still on. He was confident that Tim couldn't hear him. Not wanting to leave the safety of the bathroom just yet, Jay killed as much time as he could with brushing his teeth. Accepting that brushing them more than four times in a row was probably excessive, Jay finally dragged himself out of the bathroom, staring at his feet. He didn't want to face Tim's assuredly scrutinizing look.
Tim stared at himself in the mirror, picking out the various debris that had caught in his hair, tossing them into the small trash can beside the sink. Grabbing the pajamas he had left in the bathroom that morning, Tim put them on, folding his discarded clothes neatly and sitting them on the counter. He brushed his teeth quickly, noting that they were almost out of toothpaste. Exiting the bathroom in a considerably shorter length of time than Jay had, Tim sat his clothes on top of his duffel bag. Looking up, Tim found Jay, already in his own pajamas, laying on top of the covers of his bed. Only Tim's lamp remained on, much of the room in shadow. "Do you want to get your camera in the morning?" Tim asked, breaking the silence. Jay seemed surprised by this question, "Oh..? Uh, sure..." he said slowly, "If you think it's safe?" he added. Tim nodded, a little confused by Jay's response. "It should be safer, anyway. But we should probably be quick about it. I don't want a repeat of today." he said, sitting down on his own bed. Jay seemed to wince at those words, and it took Tim a few moments to realize why. "Well..." he added slowly, not quite focusing on Jay's face, but almost, "I don't want to repeat...most of it..." Turning away, Tim focused on the wall, waiting for Jay's response to that. "Assuming you don't want to repeat the parts where we almost died..." he said after a few moments, nearly laughing. Tim grinned at that. "Yeah... I'll pass up those." The silence that followed was, for the first time, not uncomfortable.
Jay listened to the water run in the bathroom as he changed into pajamas, throwing his clothes on top of his duffel bag. He would deal with them in the morning, but right now, he was exhausted. Turning on the bedside lamps, Jay turned off the hotel light and laid down on his own bed, half propped up by pillows and the headboard. He was dreading the moment Tim walked out of the bathroom, not wanting to discuss at all what had happened. Jay considered feigning sleep for a few moments before dismissing it. He didn't want to stoop to such childish levels...yet. Much too soon, Tim walked out of the bathroom door, sitting his neatly folded clothes with his bag. Jay braced himself for Tim to hurl questions, scathing remarks. So Jay was naturally surprised when Tim asked instead "Do you want to get your camera in the morning?" Jay's brain was completely unprepared for this and stuttered out "Oh...? Uh, sure..." much to Jay's disbelief. Regaining coherent speech, he added "If you think it's safe?" Tim looked confused, but he nodded anyway. "It should be safe, anyway. But we should probably be quick about it. I don't want a repeat of today." Jay's heart dropped a little bit. There it was. He was implying it, anyway. He was obviously trying to let him down gently. "Well.." Tim said, and Jay looked up warily. What was that even supposed to mean? Well isn't a sentence and- the rest of Tim's sentence stopped Jay's thoughts in their tracks. "I don't want to repeat...most of it..." and then Tim was turning away and Jay's heart was back in place because he probably totally got what Tim was implying there. Jay realized he should probably respond at some point. "Assuming you don't want to repeat the parts where we almost died...?" he said, nearly laughing because Tim wasn't upset with him and didn't regret it. Tim grinned at the wall, "Yeah.. I'll pass up those." Jay grinned, staring at the ceiling.
Although the silence was comfortable, Tim still had questions. "Jay?" he said quietly. "Yeah?" Jay responded, still looking at the ceiling. "Any...particular reason you...kissed me?" That sounded a lot more juvenile aloud than Tim intended, but oh well...Jay shrugged a little bit, "It seemed like the thing to do. You never know when you won't be able to, so I went for it." Tim nodded, finding the answer acceptable. Jay continued, his voice sleepy, "I had to pick you up off the ground and I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to help you enough. But we both made it out and I guess I was just excited about that..." Tim nodded, unsure of what to really say. "Yeah... Thank you for that, by the way. For coming back for me." Jay responded almost instantly, "Of course I did! I couldn't leave you again. I mean, how could I now? I love you too much to-" Jay stopped talking, and Tim glanced over. There was colour on his cheeks now, and Tim smiled at that. "Love certainly is carrying someone out of the woods." Tim said quietly, watching Jay's reaction. Jay frowned. "I didn't carry you out of the woods, I just helped you walk a little bit of the way. And friendship is also carrying someone out of the woods..." he said, backtracking a little on his words. "Friendship is love..." Tim said quietly, shifting a little on the bed. Jay was quiet for a few moments, processing this. "Love is a lot of things." he said finally. Tim wasn't quite sure where he was going with it, but he intended to let him finish. "Yeah?" Tim prompted. Jay's voice was sleepy and determined. "Yeah, it is. It's putting your life on the line for others. It's..it's um... It's sharing stuff with them. It's liking their faults and quirks. Like that thing your hair does in the back when you first wake up.." It took Tim a moment to register that Jay directed that at him, and quickly found himself feeling the back of his head. He didn't think Jay noticed that... "Love is like...imagine four balls on the edge of a cliff." Jay said, yawning. Tim waited for Jay to continue, but he did not. "Jay...? What the hell does that mean?" Tim asked, because it sounded familiar, somehow. "I dunno. It was something Alex said." Jay said. Tim frowned, thinking about the phrase. "What if...what if the four balls represent different things you can do with love?" Tim said quietly, "What if, you can choose to ignore the ball. Or just leave the ball there, but always keep it in mind. Or you could take the ball and put it in your pocket and keep it safe. Or, you know, you could push the ball of the cliff. And you can do the same thing with love, I guess. You can ignore it, you can choose to not act on it, you can cherish it, or you could...well, you could kill it. What do you think it means, Jay?" Tim asked, glancing over at Jay, who was asleep, his face turned towards Tim on his pillow. Sighing, Tim got up, removing the blanket folded across the foot of the bed and throwing it over Jay. Climbing back into his own bed, Tim turned the lamp off, plunging the room into darkness. "Just so you know...you missed a fantastic explanation." he whispered to Jay's sleeping form, settling down in the bed, wondering how so much could have changed in 24 hours. But Tim didn't mind this change.
Jay smiled to himself, enjoying the comfortable silence. He hadn't been expecting things to turn out this way, and the sense of relief he felt was almost overwhelming. "Jay?" Tim asked from the bed beside him, "Yeah?" Jay responded quickly, watching the ceiling. "Any...particular reason you...kissed me?" Tim asked, apparently choosing his words carefully. Jay shrugged, letting his sleepy self respond. "It seemed like the thing to do. You never know when you won't be able to, so I went for it." Jay saw Tim nod out of the corner of his eye. "I had to pick you up off the ground and I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to help you enough. But we both made it out and I guess I was just excited about that..." Jay frowned at the memory. He was still unsure of how they had managed to get out of that. "Yeah... Thank you for that, by the way. For coming back for me." Tim said, and Jay responded as soon as he registered what Tim was saying, "Of course I did! I couldn't leave you again. I mean, how could I now? I love you too much to-" Jay realized what he had said and quickly stopped talking. Maybe letting himself talk when he was exhausted was a terrible idea. No, no, it definitely was. But Tim was smiling and Jay was, he realized, blushing. Because what could make this situation more embarrassing? Blushing! Of course... "Love certainly is carrying someone out of the woods." Tim said quietly, surprising Jay once again with his answer. Was it though? Jay frowned, "I didn't carry you out of the woods, I just helped you walk a little bit of the way. And friendship is also carrying someone out of the woods..." That was what friends did...that what he had always done for Tim. Well...no, that wasn't quite true. He hadn't always done that for Tim. Jay's frown deepened at the thought. He barely heard Tim say quietly "Friendship is love..." Jay's brain was being stubbornly sluggish now, processing things slowly. "Love is a lot of things." he responded. He was uncertain if he was conscious at this point. This could very well be a lot of things. Tim had shifted in his bed now, and was looking at Jay. "Yeah?" Tim asked, prompting Jay to continue. "Yeah, it is. It's putting your life on the line for others. It's..it's um... It's sharing stuff with them. It's liking their faults and quirks. Like that thing your hair does in the back when you first wake up.." Jay was too tired to laugh at Tim, who was touching the back of his hair. Of course it wasn't sticking up...he hadn't slept on it yet. Closing his eyes, Jay attempted to continue speaking. "Love is like... Imagine four balls on the edge of a cliff." he said, yawning. At least he thought that was the quote. It was the only thing coming to mind, and he wasn't really sure what it meant. Or where it came from... Alex maybe? Probably Alex. That sounded like something Alex would say. "Jay...? What the hell does that mean?" Tim asked, causing Jay to shrug as much as he really could. He wasn't sure he could still control his arms, so it might not have been a shrug at all. "I dunno. It was something Alex said." Jay whispered, trying hard to stay awake, because Tim was talking now. But he sounded far away, and Jay finally gave in to sleep, wondering what Tim was saying. He was certain it was something important.