HAPPY ENDING | svt ✓

²⁹ : send help

minghao looked around, seungkwan looking up at him while shielding his eyes from the rain. "do you see anything?" seungkwan asked, minghao squinting and trying his best to see through the heavy rain and the dark skies.

he shook his head, reaching up for a branch higher up on the tree much to seungkwans' dismay. "can you be careful please?" he yelled, his voice fighting the sound of lightning and thunder as minghao pulled himself up a level.

in the near distance, he saw trees move to form a somewhat shelter, a bright green flame burning and he immediately knew who it belonged to. "i found dino and vernon!" he yelled, slowly making his way down.

seungkwan offered him a hand to help in his final jump but instead of taking it, minghao simply hopped off, unaffected by his rocky landing. "they're that way," he said, pointing in the direction he had seen the fire from.

"well i guess it's a lot better than just waiting here," seungkwan said, reaching a hand out to help stabilise minghao to which the older immediately shied away from. "you're limping."

minghao looked down, his left foot clearly dragging behind his right but nevertheless, he brushed his concerns aside, continuing to walk in the direction he saw the flame come from.

with a sigh, seungkwan jogged in front of him, blocking him from moving further. "let me at least help support your weight," he said, raindrops getting into his eyes which he tried to rapidly blink away.

"i don't need help," minghao insisted, walking around him slowly. seungkwan frowned, unsure why he was being needlessly difficult but nevertheless, he stopped insisting, simply walking near him in case he were to topple down.

despite both being neutrals, the pair didn't interact as much as others did and in that situation, seungkwan could feel a certain tension in the air.

"so..." minghao looked at him, his eyes narrowed in what seungkwan assumed to be his attempt to keep the rain out. "how're things with you and jun?"

"there's nothing between me and jun," minghao answered simply, looking straight ahead and trying to remember where he had seen the fire.

seungkwan bit his lip. sure, he had expected it to be awkward when they were paired together but he never thought it to be as bad as it was now.

he didn't like the silence.

it felt oddly suffocating but he wasn't sure what else he could talk about that would open up to a proper conversation-

"what about you and vernon? you two slept in the same tent." seungkwans' head snapped in minghaos' direction, the younger getting whiplash in the process. "don't injure yourself too — we only have room for one injury."

his short comment brought a chuckle out of seungkwan, the boy smiling and nodding as he gently pushed a drooping tree branch out of his way. "there's nothing between me and vernon but truthfully speaking, he isn't as bad as i thought him to be," he answered, thunder roaring the second he did which caused him to jump while minghao looked unfazed. "how are you so fearless?"

he shrugged, still walking as though nothing had happened. "so are you gonna give him a chance?" albeit slow, seungkwan found himself feeling grateful for minghaos' attempt at a conversation.

"why? are you gonna give jun a chance if i do?"

minghao shrugged again, looking down at his muddy shoes. "we have our own partners-"

"you sound like jeonghan," seungkwan stated, a faint light slowly growing from the distance. "but you know, we have time now so if you want to-" he caught sight of a familiar smiling face, subconsciously smiling to himself as well.