Paper Bags

Paper Bags 09

Llama Town was not a walk away. It was not even a day away. Haru stared at the map on the table, spread across the ground outside of the bunker. Paper bags off their heads, all but Adam, they were ready to start their journey to find Edward Sparkle. That was until Fatima magically took out a map she had been hiding behind her orange jacket, neatly folded into a square. He turned his head to one side and then to the next, blobs of what seemed like islands were scattered across the browning paper. And across them were names, no doubt referring to the places, in faded, black ink.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Are you sure this map is reliable?"

Fatima sat back on her feet, a sigh escaping from her lips. "Honestly? No clue. I just snatched this from Dad's table before I met with you guys."

Rain hummed, placing a hand on the other woman's shoulder and leaned in close to the map. "I think my family has the same map. So, maybe it's right?"

There really wasn't real confirmation that they could trust the directions on this already-falling-apart paper. Even when Haru glanced at Jason, all he received was a smile and a shrug. It wasn't that he didn't trust his friends to lead him the right way, but the last thing he wanted was for them to end up in Piranha Town by accident or something. Which, by the look of it on the map, that was located near the Harbour Pyramid, a port for trades.

"What are we waiting for then?" Adam's voice came out a bit muffled, the ridiculous brown-toned Bag still over his head and reflected an emoji of a straight face. When the direction of the bad boy wannabe's head shifted to face him, the straight line for lips quirked upwards and the eyes squinted to form a smirk. "Well?"

"What are you looking at me for?" Haru said, resisting the urge to lean forward and wrap his hands around that neck. He hadn't forgotten the mockery that had been made out of him just hours ago. Jason pressed his arm against his, bringing his attention back to the present. When he met the green eyes of his best friend, he sighed. "What?"

"Pushing aside your murderous intent that is clear from your eyes," Jason said, amusement ringing from his tone, "you decide. Should we trust the map and go?"

Suddenly, all pair of eyes were on him and the pressure was on. The back of his neck prickled in heat, the decision now in his hands. They could take the chance and follow the map, or they could regroup and try to find a potential, more modern version of the map. One that didn't look like a pirate had lost his directions years ago.

A part of him also didn't want to disappoint his friends. They probably were excited to be on this journey, unlike the apprehension that had been bubbling in his gut since they started this. Palms growing sweaty, he took in a deep breath, pressing his lips firmly together. What could he choose that would appease everyone?

Just before he could blurt out an answer, Adam stood up, silencing him. The man patted his black clothes and then jutted a finger over his shoulders. The emojis on the Bag shifted to a briefly annoyed one before an eyebrow-raised face took a more permanent spot. Haru stared at him, almost holding his breath at what this idiot was going to do. Maybe something stupid that would end up killing him.

And then Adam said, "You guys can stick around and chat. I'll head off to the town first."

Haru blinked at the man who had now turned his back against them and started to walk away. Besides his footsteps retreating, the only other sound that filled between the group of friends were the occasional breeze, blowing orange-red dust onto the map and almost burying it underneath its ugly colour. Haru opened his mouth and then closed it, confusion whirling in him.

"Oi, the map's here!" he hollered at Adam.

It wasn't like he cared if the bad boy wannabe got lost. In fact, it would probably be interesting to hunt him down and find out he had been eaten by a magical plant that craves for meat or something. But this level of stupidity was still worrying, especially when the other man had forced himself into their friendship group. When Haru glanced at Rain, she met his gaze and frowned. Even she was worried and she had been planning a shark tank for Adam for years!

"I know my way there!" Adam hollered back, not even bothering to turn around and answer him. That level of arrogance was definitely irritating. But he didn't have time to be mad when the confusion turned into bewilderedness. "I've been there a few times."

"You what?" Fatima said, immediately standing up with the map now gathered against her chest. "And you didn't think to tell us?"

Adam waved, but that was all he did. The lack of response had Jason groaning underneath his breath and Haru had to agree. "When did he even go there?" Haru mumbled.

"I don't know but if he knows the way, then it's better than using this map," Rain said, patting Fatima's shoulder. "Come on."

"You're willing to trust him?" Haru asked, following after her anyway when the rest of his friends moved.

Rain only shrugged. He sighed, the bud of irritation aimed at Adam continued to grow. It was a miracle he hadn't decked him yet after being in his presence for so long. Jason touched his elbow, forcing him to slow down and lag behind the group by three steps. He glanced at his best friend, raising an eyebrows when those eyes stared at him.

"What is it?" Haru asked.

The grip on him tightened just a fraction before Jason's lips quirked upwards. "Nothing. You looked like you were close to jumping on Adam and I'm not sure if I'm worried or not."

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have," Haru said, earning an eyebrow-raised look from the other man. "I don't get why he's in this team."

"He's been useful." Jason's words surprised him. He didn't expect something like that from his best friend, especially not something potentially nice about Adam from that mouth. He tilted his head to one side a little, eyeing the face he had grown accustomed to. A face that never failed to make him smile whenever he saw him. Only now, he felt like he was staring at a face he didn't recognise. Jason's lips stretched wider. "Now you looked like you want to jump me. Not that I'd mind that."

A weird noise escaped his lips at that, his eyes widening and his feet almost tripped over nothing at that. Jason placed a hand on his hip then, halting him from face-planting onto the orange-red dust. His heart hammered against his chest, the familiar wartime he had been harbouring for the other man all this while came crashing into him tenfold. He stopped walking then, letting Jason's touch to linger on him for more than a few seconds. Even when what seemed like an acceptable amount of time to hold one another passed, Haru couldn't find it in himself to step back.

Jason's smile softened, visibly almost. Those green eyes seemed more beautiful underneath the sun than it could have ever been in artificial lighting. And he couldn't help the squeeze of his stomach at that. If he could reach a hand and touch his face, run his thumb underneath his eye just to appreciate him— he would. But he wasn't that brave.

A few more seconds passed before Jason let him go. The second his hands left his body, it brought a certain cold on his hip that he disliked. He immediately reigned in that thought. It wouldn't do anything good right now. While he was getting more and more confident that Jason might know how he felt about him, he would rather not open that can of worms. Not right now.

He turned his head to the direction his friends went, slightly alarmed they were quite ahead of them.

Deciding to defuse the tension between them, he said, "Let's catch up before we really get lost."

Jason hummed, nodding. "And you'll refrain from hurting Adam?"

"If he doesn't stop being a dick," Haru said, his mood souring almost immediately. "What even was that back there? That asshole made me look like an idiot."

His best friend slapped his arm and started to walk, a sign for him to follow along. "I didn't like it either," Jason said. "He shouldn't have been that close to you."

"You're telling me," Haru said, though his face heated and it was definitely not from the sun. "You have permission to punch him next time."

Jason chuckled shaking his head. "Your violent tendencies are getting out of hand."

Haru could only grumble, mesmerised a tad at the grin now crawling on his best friend's face that immediately competed with the sun due to it being so bright. The momentary anger he felt for Adam melted at the back of his mind. Unable to resist it, he nudged Jason with his arm, earning a nudge back.