The Hijinks War

51. Ships and Flares

"Night, Nic. You going to be okay here on your own?" Jackson shone a light into the tent.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm not on my own anyways. Night, Jacks."

I was sleeping in Mark's tent again, this time in a double sleeping bag on a bed made of pine needles.

"You're sure? Because, I can tell Cass you need me here."

Of course, he'd have a new plaything he'd have to cancel on. Not even the drama of what had unfolded the last three days could stop that.

"I'm fine, Jacks. Don't cancel on Cass. Who knows how many more nights you'll have to be wild in the woods." 

"Funny, Nicole." He deadpanned, showing me a single finger. "I was going to kiss you goodnight, but now all you get is this."

"Ew, no, never! Night, Jacks!" 

I was almost asleep when I heard shuffling outside. Everyone should have been up in their blinds by now. I listened as the shuffling drew near to my tent, paused and then receded. This happened three more times before I sighed and sat up during the pause.

"Kels. I'm awake. Come on in."

The bough covering the entrance swung aside and his head popped in. In the dim haze cast by the fire, he looked sheepish, and he hesitated, before coming and sitting by me. 

"What's up, Kels? Why were you pacing out there?"

"I was deciding if I should bother you. Jacks has another visitor."

"Did you think I'd just let you sleep outside all night?"

"I was going to leave you alone tonight, Cole. I was debating bothering you, or just going to sleep in the other tent with the boys. I figured at least people would stop... you know."

"There's no room in the other tents," I said before thinking.

He looked at me as surprised as I felt my stomach flip. I wanted the speculation to stop, but I knew it wouldn't simply because he slept in the other tent. I shrugged at him, flipping down a corner of my sleeping bag in invitation, and he looked at me completely unsure of what was happening. Frankly, I wasn't sure what I was doing, maybe the painkillers were making me loopy? 

I didn't want him to leave me alone, despite disliking that he cuddled with me like he knew I spent my time wishing he would. I didn't. Or I hadn't. Damn it! 

"Come on, Kels. You know you want to... Let them speculate!"

He still eyed my sleeping bag dubiously, like he was really struggling with what I was suggesting. Even I felt weird about it, because this time I was offering.

Shoving the silly feeling in my stomach down, I grinned at how awkward he looked. "Would you really rather cuddle with Tank?"

Laughing, he scooted closer to me, pulling me back so my head rested on his chest. "Tank is nice and all, but you're always before him on my list of people to cuddle."

As I fiddled with further opening the zipper on the sleeping bag, Kellen tensed and made no indication of moving to join me.

"Kels, seriously," I muttered. "It was warm in here and the longer you take, the worse it'll be when I kill you."

"I'm not so sure, Babe," his face was scrunched as he scratched at his stubbly chin. "The Medics come to check on Mark like twice a night; it'll be more than unwarranted speculation tomorrow."

"I don't have a rat's ass to give about that, and neither should you, Kels. Take it or leave it. This sleeping bag's closing in three, two―"

"Fine. But don't complain to me when all those freaking fan girls are asking you what it was like."