Chapter Text
The late afternoon sun filtered through the redwoods, casting long shadows across the lake. Sean found Daniel at the water's edge, methodically tossing stones across the surface. His shoulders were hunched forward in that way that always made Sean's chest tight - the posture of a kid trying to seem smaller than he was.
"Hey enano." Sean settled beside him on the bank, knees drawn up against the cool earth. The late sun caught the ripples where Daniel's stones broke the lake's surface. "You've been quiet today."
Daniel shrugged, not looking up as he sent another stone skipping. His form was perfect - too perfect. The stone bounced nine times before sinking.
"Daniel..." Sean kept his voice low, though there was no one around to hear.
"What? No one can see." But Daniel's next throw was normal, the stone managing three skips before disappearing. He scowled. "We never train anymore. You're always with Cassidy and everyone."
"Daniel-" Sean started.
"Whatever." Daniel threw another stone hard, making it splash rather than skip. "At least Finn hangs out with me. He doesn't think I'm just some stupid kid."
"I don't think-"
"I miss Chris," Daniel cut him off, voice going smaller. "He got it, you know? About having powers and stuff." His next throw barely skipped. "We had the best hideout and everything."
Sean's chest tightened at the mention of Chris - the only real friend Daniel had made since everything happened. "Hey, I know it's been-"
"You don't know anything," Daniel muttered, but he leaned slightly against Sean's shoulder as he said it. "You're too busy being cool with your new friends."
Sean's chest ached. Sometimes he forgot how young Daniel still was - how much he was carrying. How lonely it must be, having this huge secret and no one his age to share it with.
"Hey." Sean nudged his shoulder. "I'm here now, right?"
"Yeah, because you feel bad for me." Another stone - barely two skips this time. Real ones.
"That's not-" Sean cut off at the sound of approaching footsteps, tensing until he recognized the lazy swagger.
"Well shit, look at this technique!" Finn dropped down beside them, dreads swinging forward as he leaned to watch Daniel's throw. "Where'd you learn to skip stones like that, little man?"
"Sean taught me," Daniel said, brightening instantly.
Sean tried to ignore how his own pulse picked up at Finn's answering grin. He'd been noticing that more lately - how his body reacted to Finn's presence. How his eyes caught on small details - the way Finn's fingers moved when he rolled a joint, the curve of his mouth when he laughed. Found himself sketching him more than he meant to, his pencil always finding its way back to those familiar features no matter what he intended to draw.
"That right?" Finn's eyes slid to Sean, that familiar teasing glint making Sean's face heat. "Hidden talents, Diaz. You've been holding out on me."
Sean looked away, focusing on gathering stones. He'd been doing that more too - looking away when Finn's attention got too direct. Like if he met those blue eyes for too long, his heart would do this stupid skippy thing he couldn't explain away.
"Here." Finn was collecting his own pile, sleeve riding up to show the edge of a tattoo Sean had sketched three times trying to get right. "Let's see what you got. Bet I can smoke both of you."
"No way!" Daniel's whole demeanor shifted, that competitive spark lighting his eyes. "I'm way better!"
"Oh yeah?" Finn made a show of selecting his stone, testing its weight with exaggerated seriousness. "Prove it then, little man."
Soon they had a proper competition going. Daniel's first throw was suspiciously perfect - twelve skips that had Finn whistling low.
"Holy shit!" He turned to Sean with a grin. "Some teacher you must be."
Sean shot Daniel a look, and his next throws were more natural. Still good - Sean really had taught him well - but not supernatural. Finn made a production of each throw, adding ridiculous commentary that had Daniel doubled over laughing.
"...and the champion lines up his shot," Finn narrated, winding up dramatically. "The crowd holds their breath..." His stone managed one sad skip before sinking. "What! These rocks are clearly defective."
"You suck!" Daniel cackled. "That was worse than Mushroom could do!"
"Damn, little man, you really know how to hurt a guy," Finn drawled, pressing a hand over his heart. "And here I thought I'd challenge you to something I'm actually good at..."
Daniel narrowed his eyes, but Sean could see the interest there. "Like what?"
"Only the most elite competition..." Finn paused for effect. "Kura-gama? No wait... kurry-gomma? Some hardcore Swedish thing Ingrid was telling me about."
"What?" Daniel and Sean asked together.
"Ancient Swedish art of hide and seek," Finn said with complete seriousness, though he was clearly making it up as he went along. "Super intense shit. Like, special rules and secret techniques passed down through generations."
"That's for kids," Daniel scoffed, but Sean could tell he was intrigued.
"Oh yeah?" Finn's eyes lit up with that mischievous glint. "Bet you wouldn't last five minutes. Too advanced for you, little man."
"I could beat you any day!" Daniel jumped up, competitive spark instantly lit. "You can't even skip stones right."
"Prove it then." Finn was already standing, brushing off his jeans. "Let's see who else is brave enough."
They headed back toward camp, Daniel practically bouncing as he peppered Finn with questions about made-up Swedish hide and seek rules. Sean followed more slowly, watching how naturally Finn's arm settled around his brother's shoulders, the easy way he had of making Daniel feel included. It made something twist in Sean's chest - gratitude tangled with a warmth that caught him off guard whenever Finn smiled like that. He pushed the feeling down, like he'd been doing more and more lately.
By the time they made it back up the winding path to camp, shadows had lengthened between the tents. Cassidy sat cross-legged by the unlit fire pit in the center, guitar across her lap as she worked through chord progressions. At the wooden table nearby, Hannah sorted laundry into precise piles, occasionally lobbing balled-up socks at Penny when his conspiracy theories got too wild.
"There you are!" Cassidy looked up as they approached. "Was about to send out a search party."
"Perfect timing actually," Finn said. "We need volunteers for an elite mission."
Hannah snorted, not looking up from her folding. "Whatever you're planning, count me out."
"Aw come on Hannah!" Daniel turned those puppy eyes on her - the ones Sean knew from experience were hard to resist. "Please?"
"What exactly are we talking about here?" Hannah's tone was gruff, but Sean caught the slight softening around her eyes. For all her tough exterior, Hannah had a soft spot for Daniel.
"Hide and seek," Finn announced. "Hey Ingrid, what was that Swedish version you were telling me about? The kurry... kura... you know, the championship one?"
Ingrid's eyes sparkled, catching on. "Kurragömma," she corrected, accent rolling the 'r'. "Won me three golden medals back in Malmö." She winked at Daniel. "Only the best players survive."
"Just wait until you see the rules," Anders added, stretching lazily in his camp chair. "Americans always fuck it up."
"Hear that?" Finn grabbed Daniel's shoulder. "Time to show these Swedes what we got, little man."
"I'm in!" Cassidy set her guitar aside carefully. "Better than listening to Penny's theory about government drones disguised as raccoons again."
"Hey, I have evidence!" Penny protested. "Just last night I saw one doing these weird robotic movements - totally unnatural man, like it was being remote controlled-"
"Jacob?" Finn cut him off, turning to where Jacob sat reading. "Come on man, live a little."
Jacob looked uncertain until Daniel added his pleading to Finn's. "Well... I suppose..."
"Sweet!" Finn clapped his hands. "Alright, rules are simple - whole camp's fair game, no going past the far trees. Our Swedish champion seeks first."
"Oh no," Ingrid laughed. "If we're doing this, we're doing it properly. In Sweden, we choose the seeker with 'Ole dole doff.'"
"The fuck is that?" Hannah asked, finally setting aside her laundry.
"Counting rhyme," Anders explained, coming over to join his girlfriend. "Like eeny meeny miney mo."
"Ole dole doff," Ingrid started, pointing around the circle. "Kinke lane koff..."
"What kind of witchcraft is this?" Penny interrupted, suddenly alert. "Are we being cursed right now?"
"Shut up and let her finish," Hannah threw another sock at his head.
"...Koffe lane, binke bane, ole dole... doff!" Ingrid's finger landed on Cassidy. "You're seeking first!"
"Rigged," Cassidy laughed, setting her guitar carefully aside. "Alright, how long do I count?"
"To fifty," Anders suggested. "In Swedish."
"Fuck that," Cassidy turned to face one of the surrounding trees. "Regular numbers or no deal. One..."
They scattered. Sean watched Daniel dash off with Jacob toward the shower area, their footsteps crunching on pine needles. He started toward a promising spot between the supply crates, but Penny was already there, giving him a bleary wave.
"Sorry man, occupied. Unless..." Penny's eyes gleamed with that familiar conspiratorial look. "You want to hear about the mind control chemicals they're putting in the coffee supply? Got some real solid evidence this time-"
"Twenty!" Cassidy called out.
Sean backed away quickly, scanning the darkening camp. He could see Hannah's shadow ducking behind the food tent, hear Anders and Ingrid giggling somewhere near their camp chairs. The numbers were getting higher and his heart was starting to race - funny how childhood games could still trigger that rush of adrenaline.
He was about to duck behind their tent when hands grabbed him from behind, yanking him into the shadows. His first instinct was to fight until he caught the familiar scent of weed and pine.
"Shh." Finn's breath was warm against his ear as he pulled Sean deeper into the tree line. Sean stumbled slightly over exposed roots and Finn steadied him, one hand firm on his waist as he pressed him back against a redwood. The bark bit into Sean's shoulders through his thin shirt, a sharp contrast to the heat of Finn's palm as it came up to cover his mouth. Cassidy's footsteps crunched closer through the pine needles.
"Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty! Ready or not, assholes!"
They were pressed together from chest to thigh, Finn effectively pinning Sean to the tree. At first Sean had to bite back a laugh at the absurdity - hiding like kids in the dark. But then Finn shifted, peering around the tree trunk toward approaching footsteps, and Sean's whole body went hot.
He could feel everything - the solid warmth of Finn's chest against his, those calloused fingers still pressed to his lips, Finn's thigh slotted between his legs. Sean's heart was hammering but not from the game anymore. He tried to focus on anything else - Cassidy's voice in the distance, branches creaking overhead - but all he could think about was how Finn's dreads brushed his cheek, the way he smelled like smoke and earth and something uniquely him.
"Got you!" Cassidy's voice rang out, followed by Penny's groan. "Man, you need better hiding spots."
"The government has clearly compromised all the good ones," Penny's voice faded as they moved away.
Finn lowered his hand from Sean's mouth, but didn't step back. Sean could feel him breathing, the slight shake in his exhale when Sean unconsciously shifted closer. Their eyes met in the growing darkness, and Sean watched Finn's gaze drop to his lips, lingering there. The air felt thick between them, charged with something Sean wasn't ready to name.
Everything seemed to slow down, narrow to just this moment - Finn's warmth against him, the rough bark at his back, how his own breath caught when Finn swayed slightly closer. His body was reacting in ways he couldn't control, heat pooling low in his stomach. He wanted... fuck, he didn't know what he wanted, but his skin felt too tight, his pulse racing with more than just adrenaline.
A shriek of laughter shattered the moment - Hannah had been found. Finn stepped back quickly, running a hand through his dreads.
"Better move," he said roughly. "Can't make it too easy for them."
Then he was gone, leaving Sean alone in the shadows. Sean stayed there a moment, trying to steady his breathing, very aware of his body's reaction. Fuck. What was that?
"Got you!"
Sean jumped at Cassidy's voice as she rounded the tree, his heart still racing from... from the game. Just the game.