The Camp // Nickloon

The morning arrived sooner than either of them wanted. Nickel was stirred awake by the alarm clock on Balloon's bedside table. He didn't know anyone else who still used those. The poor cat must have been waking up at 6:30 AM every morning while Balloon was away, as it seemed the alarm hadn't been turned off. Nickel leaned over Balloon and slammed it off, groaning at the noise. The shifting and weight on him woke Balloon, who opened his eyes to see Nickel on top of him.

"Hi..." Balloon smiled sleepily.

Nickel's cheeks flushed as he stared down at Balloon, a big dorky grin on his lips. "Good Morning, looney..." He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against Balloon's. Balloon leaned into Nickel's face, and they pressed their lips together, sharing a gentle morning kiss. It was as if they couldn't keep themselves away from each other. But to be fair, today was a big day for both of them, so they might as well enjoy their time alone before the school day began.

Nickel pulled back from the kiss, feeling Balloon's hand reach up to cup his cheek. He couldn't help but lean into the touch, letting out a gentle purr.

"Cute," Balloon giggled softly before sitting up, pushing Nickel back in the process.

Nickel scoffed. "I'm not cute..." he playfully rolled his eyes but still smiled.

"How are you feeling about today?" Nickel suddenly asked, the nervousness evident in his voice.

Balloon's smile immediately dropped, an anxious look appearing on his face. "Uhm... nervous," he admitted as he shifted off the bed and stood up. He stretched his arms behind his head and yawned. He just wanted to get to school and get this over with; the longer he kept it from Suitcase and Baseball, the more guilt and stress he felt.

Nickel moved to the edge of the bed and looked up at Balloon. "I can't lie, I'm nervous too... but we've got this!" Nickel assured him. "I worked something out... if we make the bus, we might be able to catch Test Tube, Fan, and Bot... and I mean, telling Bot could be our trial, y'know? Start easy?" Nickel suggested.

Balloon nodded a bit. "Yeah... I think that will work." He paused. "Oh, uh, put our phones on charge." Balloon almost forgot that Nickel had their phones so he wouldn't be tempted to text his friends.

Nickel did just that, grabbing both his phone and Balloon's phone. He walked over to Balloon's desk and opened a drawer filled with loose chargers. Taking two out, he plugged them in to charge their phones. While Nickel did this, Balloon rummaged through his closet for clothes. He had packed most of his clothes in his suitcase and was too lazy to unpack yet, so he grabbed whatever he could find: blue jeans, a plain white T-shirt, and a red flannel shirt. He laid them out on his bed, then looked over at Nickel, who was pulling out the clothes he had worn at camp from his suitcase.

"Do you need clean clothes? The best I can offer is a clean shirt; I don't think my pants will fit you," Balloon chuckled softly.

"Ah... yes please," Nickel chuckled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed that he wasn't as well-off as Balloon.

Balloon pulled out another plain white T-shirt and handed it to Nickel. It was a little big, but it would do fine. Nickel decided he'd wear his black ripped jeans, the shirt Balloon gave him, and his usual grey jacket with patches he had sewn on himself.

"Uh, you get dressed, I'll make us some coffee," Nickel smiled, leaving his chosen clothes on the bed. "I'll change after you," he added before heading to the door.

"Can you also feed the cat?" Balloon asked with a faint smile, feeling guilty for asking so much of him.

"Of course I can," Nickel smiled. He didn't mind; he liked treating Balloon like a prince. He loved him and would do anything to see him happy.