The Woods

Nature Getaway

You flop onto your temporary bed for the next couple of weeks and look at the spectacular view of the forest from the large windows of your room. You were lucky enough to beat traffic so you got there before your friends did. Part of you is anxious about this trip but after blowing off every invite for the past half a year, you couldn't avoid your friends any longer. Well, you could but it was likely that they'd break down the door to your apartment and kidnap you. You take a deep breath and close your eyes for a moment. When you open them back up it's clear a moment turned into a couple of hours. The sun was beginning to set and you could hear your friends making their way through the door. Since you have the only room on the bottom floor it ensures that at the very least early mornings will be quiet and to yourself. The nights not so much but you're kind of nocturnal anyway so that doesn't matter much. You walk out and one drops their stuff to run to you for a bear hug. The other holds onto her stuff with a smile.

"Y/N! I'm so happy you decided to come!" Utahime wraps you in a hug with a huge smile on her face. She's been the most adamant that you come with them for this trip.

"Yeah, I figured some time with friends out in nature couldn't hurt." You hug her back and give her a small smile.

"You getting enough sleep kid? Ieiri asks, her voice a lot more calm. She still has her things in hand as she maneuvers through the living room of the admittedly spacious cabin. She's slowly inching her way to the stairs as if she doesn't want to get caught.

"Um,, maybe but what exactly are you doing?" She keeps moving as you speak. "Also don't call me kid, we're the same age." you grumble under your breath.

"What do you mean? No clue what you're talking about." Utahime is quicker to figure it out than you are.

"Don't you dare! I told you I'm taking that back room!" Utahime lets go of you, almost pushing you over, and rushes to grab her stuff as Ieiri sprints off.

They race and fight each other for a while. You watch for a bit, slightly amused. They fight more than anyone I've ever seen and it's clear that it's cause they like each other and this is the only way they can get that close without "making things weird". After a bit you get bored so you head outside. There's more stuff in the SUV they drove up in so you go to grab as much as you can. It's likely that they will be too tired to do much after their death match and you wouldn't dare let any food go to waste.

The air is so clear out here. You take a moment to appreciate the sounds and the way the light hits the trees as it slowly begins it's daily descent. Filled with a type of peace you haven't felt in a really long time. You close your eyes tilting your head back to better feel the wind on your face and take a deep breath. The peace ended very quickly when you hear footsteps coming from behind you.

"Can I help you?" You turn and speak with clear irritation in your voice and your meanest mug when the steps are a movement away from being too close for comfort. You turn to see a man with long dark hair and warm but analytical eyes. He smiles softly, as if to calm you and you realize just how handsome he is. A different version of you would have been excited to see someone as beautiful as him but current you has dealt with the consequences of that version of you's bad decision making.

"Hey, I was just checking on all of you. I'm in the cabin next door with some friends so feel free to come by later. We're cooking and there's more than enough for everyone." he looks at you as if he's staring into your soul. His eyes moving across your face really taking in your features.

"And you are...?"He's speaking as if you should know already but you can confidently say that you've never seen him before.

"Suguru! Hey, dummy." Ieiri calls out to him. She's empty handed and her hair is messy from the brawl.