Golden leaves crunched under Daisuke's feet, the group traversing through the underbrush.
Sunshine glittered overhead, illuminating the forest floor. "Are we there yet?" Veemon groaned, sighing from his perch on Daisuke's shoulders.
Just ahead, the rest of the group stood off to the side, sipping from water bottles.
Daisuke's sweater encapsulated his heat, sweat dripping uncomfortably down his back. "I dunno," he finally thought to respond.
Delicate hands grasping the strap of his book bag, Ken cast a glance over his shoulder, Wormmon comfortably nestled against his chest.
As the others took a break, Ken stayed behind, his deep, purple sweater accentuating his eyes in a way that ran Daisuke's mouth dry.
"Is everything alright?" His voice was soft against the ambiance of the hike. Somewhere in the distance, water burbled against the river bed, the last heat of summer slipping away on the chilly breeze.
Daisuke nodded, leaning against the trunk of a tree. It had been Miyako's idea to camp in the Digital World, insisting that it would 'promote teamwork' and 'bring them closer to nature'.
She had also been the first to offer Hikari a space in her tent, the first one to complain about the blisters on her feet.
Despite the cool air, Daisuke's own face warmed underneath Ken's scrutiny.
"Well," Ken began, turning his body back towards the group, "Miyako says our camping spot is just over this hill." With a small smile, he trotted off, leaving Daisuke no choice but to follow. Veemon's little legs dangled from his shoulders, his food-centric ramblings falling onto deaf ears.
Brown eyes followed Ken's form, feet trailing after him. With every step Daisuke took, the weight of his own tent dug painfully into his shoulders.
In just a few hours, he would be sharing the same space as his best friend, their sleeping bags rustling in the dark.
He could already imagine the even pacing of Ken's slumbered breaths, memories of sleepovers flitting behind his eyelids.
All too soon, the trees thinned out, the bubbling stream winding across the clearing.
"Wow," Hikari breathed. A comfortable silence fell amongst them, the sun enveloping the group in a golden haze.
Just as he opened his mouth, low grumbles erupted from Daisuke's stomach, eliciting a round of laughter from his friends.
"Didn't you eat, like, an hour ago?" Takeru chided, his mouth curled into an infuriating smirk.
Embarrassment flooded Daisuke's cheeks, his hand gripping his sweater just above his belly. He wracked his brain for a response, something witty that would shut Takeru up for good, but just as his mouth opened, his best friend took a step forward.
"Actually, I'm hungry too." Ken spoke up, his effervescent voice cutting through the tension. Still atop Daisuke's shoulders, Veemon nodded readily in agreement.
Takeru merely rolled his eyes. As his blond head bent down to assemble a tent, Ken's eyes met Daisuke's, a small smile playing on Ken's pretty lips.
Raven hair dancing in the breeze, Ken tossed him an extra granola bar, rummaging in his bag before pulling another one out, handing it to Veemon.
With a hushed thank you, the pair of them scarfed down.
Once his hunger was satiated, Daisuke was finally able to focus on the task at hand He shrugged off his book bag before scouting the ideal place to sleep for the night.
Not far off, just beside the babbling stream, a flat stretch of dying grass beckoned to him, Veemon bounding ahead, hopping in place victoriously.
Looking around, the others had split off into pairs, talking quietly amongst themselves, doing their best to arrange their things despite the chilly breeze.
Together, Ken and Daisuke erected their own tent, knuckles chapped from the dropping temperatures.
Wormmon and Veemon were most unhelpful, rolling around in the fallen leaves, giggles spilling from their lips. Daisuke watched as Ken unrolled his sleeping bag with the utmost care, carefully avoiding the lump of Daisuke's own belongings.
Off to the side, Hikari and Miyako busied themselves with preparing a firepit, Iori tugging graham crackers and chocolate from his bag.
Once Takeru had managed to start the fire, the six of them sat languidly around the pit, marshmallows dangling precariously on the tips of their sticks.
Gingerly, Ken hovered his marshmallow just above the tips of the flames, delicately browning all of the sides before smashing it between the crackers.
Daisuke did his best not to stare as Ken bit into his s'more, melted chocolate trailing down his chin.
"Daisuke," Ken muttered, cheeks warm, "Your marshmallow is burning."
With a curse, he frantically pulled his stick from the fire, groaning at the charred skin of the marshmallow.
Giggles passed through their group, a pout poking at Daisuke's bottom lip.
"Here." Ken offered another graham cracker, his thin fingers coaxing the melted sugar from Daisuke's stick. With careful precision, he managed to salvage Daisuke's s'more, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Ashes flew from the flames, coating his cinnamon locks in a dusting of white. He had trouble tearing his eyes away from Ken, from the chocolate that still adorned his chin, temptation rolling in Daisuke's stomach.
Tentatively, Daisuke bit into his snack, doing his best to avoid the melted chocolate that seeped onto his fingers, the sticky string of marshmallow trailing persistently between the s'more and his chin.
"You're messy," Ken muttered. 'So are you,' Daisuke wanted to say, but then the sleeve of Ken's sweater scratched against his skin, the faint smell of lavender wafting around him. The clearing fell silent aside from the popping of the fire, warmth crawling down Daisuke's neck.
"Thank you," he muttered, eyes downcast. Ken's sleeve hovered just above Daisuke's pink cheek, eyes wide. In an effort to help Daisuke, Ken had scooted imperceptibly closer, his knees grazing either side of Daisuke's thighs.
Without thinking, Daisuke raised his palm to cup Ken's warm cheek, a calloused thumb wiping the remainder of chocolate from his chin. He fought the urge to taste it, to taste the salt of Ken's skin underneath the sweet treat.
Instead, he wiped his hand on the edge of his cargo shorts, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.
From across the flames, Takeru shot them a knowing look, an infuriating grin spreading across his cheeks.
"If I get chocolate on my face, would you clean me up like that, Motomiya?" Amusement glittered in Takeru's eyes, body shaking with silent laughter.
A small squeak slipped from Ken's lips, arm dropping back down to his side. His dark eyes avoided Daisuke's, the autumn breeze toying with the ends of his raven hair.
Annoyance clenched at Daisuke's jaw, eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Hey, Takeru?" he asked, a head of blond hair whipping in his direction. "Shut up."
