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Between the dangers of the wilderness and the foreboding threat of child, Rook wasn't exactly feeling confident. It did help that Lam was confident and enthusiastic regardless of what they did. Rook couldn't help but be worried, about a lot of things. Like what if they came upon a ravenous pack of wild pokemon and he was forced to sacrifice himself for the good of his little tot troop??? What if they got out of control and started being belligerent and everything turned into lord of the flies and he was forced to fight off the children? What if he fell in mud and had an embarrassing stain on his pants that the kids laughed at?
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"Eh haha yeah, I'm ready." He squeaked out at numerous other imagined scenarios played in his head. The worst of them all — what if the kids didn't like him and called him names? He hadn't felt this kind of anticipated anxiety since grade school. Bubblegum stood at the ready, blankly staring into the distance, completely unchanged. He wasn't bothered at all, so Rook shouldn't either.
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The quick peck did a little to alleviate his worry and, honestly, his acting skills were really working off to keep from seeming too much in distress. "Fifth graders." Not exactly the terrors of middle school, but still high-energy. Maybe it would be less bad. They were young, easy to distract with the wonders of nature, but Rook knew nothing about nature himself.
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Admittedly, the nature part of it wasn't so bad. So far.
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As the bus screeched to a halt, the double doors swooped open and then the hoard dismounted with a chorus of laughs and howls. Rook prayed to the summer camp gods.

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[attr="class","text"]Lam nudged him again–more of an affection, sideways lean against him than an elbowing. “You’re gonna do great.” Should he have been more worried about this? It’d been a while since Leif was this size, obviously. How much different were kids now? Surely not that much.[break][break]

Plus Leif had always been high maintenance. These kids were probably a breeze in comparison…even if…there were like, fifteen of them instead of just the one.[break][break]

Hubris was probably gonna be his downfall today, huh?[break][break]

“So like…eleven year olds?” Rook was likely more equipped to handle this age range than he was, if he really stopped to think about it. The other had a vivid imagination–Lam was just good at sports and outdoorsy things. It was entirely probably that they’d just think he was boring and that Rook was the more entertaining of the two.[break][break]

Of course, wrangling them all was bound to be a challenge despite his oricorio’s best efforts. Yuzu waved his pom poms to little avail as the gaggle of children threatened to immediately scatter mere moments after stepping from the bus to the dirt path. The yellow bird trilled in a huff before using a teeter dance around the outskirts of the group to turn them around and send them back inward toward the sign where Lam and Rook stood.[break][break]

Unable to keep him contained, Noodle popped out of his pokeball and tumbled into Bubblegum–a sight that earned nervous laughs from the few shyer kids that had congregated rather than try to bolt. Leaving the shinx to preoccupy them, Lam cupped his hands over his mouth. “Who’s ready to see Petalburg Woods??”

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"I used to get bullied by eleven years old, what if I'm bullied again? Will you protect me?" He half joked, though there was a worry there. Like, what if they didn't listen? What if they didn't like him? What if they teased him like the kids back then? He didn't really want to think about it or else he was gonna have a nervous fit.
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The kids spilled off the bus, filling the Petalburg woods with the sound of howling laughter and screeches. Rook didn't mind kids, in fact, he really liked them. He just wanted them to like him too, which probably was a bad idea. The woods suddenly felt like a breeze in comparison to the tempest of children, they were the problem. Not the wilderness he'd have to fight through.
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"YEAH!" The kids howled in unison, rushing them. It was a little intimidating, have a massive body of children running at them. What if they were SWARMED? How would he survive?
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"Haha okay, let's goooooo!"

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[attr="class","text"]“Of course I’ll protect you,” he replied teasingly, hands balling on his hips as his chest puffed like some sort of playground superhero. “I don’t think you’ll have that much issue, though. I bet you’re a natural.” It was all bold talk, of course. He didn’t really know if the kids would give them a run for their money or if they could keep them contained.[break][break]

His smile softened, though, and for a moment his hands lifted to rest on Rook’s shoulders. He squeezed softly, “You’re gonna do great.” Then there was no time to do any more consoling because they were quickly surrounded. Even the shyer kids that Noodle had been entertaining perked up as Rook corralled them all to go.[break][break]

Taking up his place at the front with Rook, he signaled for Yuzu to follow from behind. He released one of his other oricorio, and Rambutan took up position with the other–ensuring that no kids straggled behind or split away from the pack.[break][break]

Then it felt like relatively smooth sailing. At least for the first leg. Lots of excited chattering and squawks of laughter rose from the gaggle of children as they wandered the stretch of forest trail. Relatively flat, the path was an easy one–marked by bright blue splashes of paint.[break][break]

It was the sort of thing he used to do with his dad all of the time when he’d been a kid, so it felt pretty nostalgic the longer time stretched on. Even more so when one of the more curious kids tugged at his elbow when they stopped to rest and explore a shady clearing.[break][break]

“What do those do?” she asked, pointing at the binoculars draped around his neck. Lam looked down at her with a friendly smile, before his nose scrunched up. “Holly, right?” he waited for her response–a shy nod as she grinned. “Well, Holly. These are the coolest things ever, they help you see pokemon up out of reach. I use them to see birds.”[break][break]

Pulling them free, Lam looked up into the foliage, scanning for rustling movement before he stooped down next to the girl. “Look, see right there?” he paused and pointed at the top of an overhanging tree before holding them up to his face. “There’s something up there.” Holding the binoculars out, he let her take them and put them to her eyes. “You know what sort that is?” Her excitement was palpable as she rocked on her heels.[break][break]

“That’s a hoothoot!”[break][break]

“Heck yeah it is, good job.” As she swiveled around, looking for more hidden creatures Lam remained knelt on one knee beside her and glanced over her to where Rook was. Smiling as he checked to see how he was faring.

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Lam was the most encouraging person he knew. No one else could ease him through his fears and anxieties quite like Lam could. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as the kids met up with them. They didn't seem quite so wild up close and it helped that they had things to keep them busy. It would probably be a lot harder in a crowded room with nothing to do.
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When he'd been in school, it had always been hard for him to focus and his grades always suffered for it. So, it made sense that a lot of kids were like that and the great outdoors would prove a better babysitter than anything.
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It was also beyond adorable to see Lam interact with kids. In a way that made Rook feel a weird achy sort of way, which was kinda weird.
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Rook wasn't exactly a nature expert though so anything he didn't know, he simply made up on the spot. The kids believed him too, which was amazing.
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Though the pokemon he could identify, for the most park. "Hey things aren't so bad after all." He whispered to Lam as he passed him, pinky finger twining with his. "When's lunch?" He said, immediately followed by a demanding screech of children about lunch.

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[attr="class","text"] Whether or not Rook was a pro at nature stuff, it didn’t matter. He could pinpoint the Pokémon even Lam couldn’t remember immediately, and Lam could cover the outdoorsy stuff thanks to his own dad. It was a good trade off, and sorta made the whole thing go smoother.[break][break]
Despite the fact that Rook seemed to be spinning up imaginary facts for the kids, they seemed hooked on what he was saying. It was a creativity they naturally gravitated to, and seeing as much in action only confirmed his belief that Rook was more than capable of handling this.[break][break]
In fact, it was pretty adorable to see. The sort of sight that snuck little thoughts into his head things he’d never really considered before. Heart fluttering, sheepish feelings he didn’t know what to do with.[break][break]
The loop of their pinkies made him smile, and he let his squeeze Rook’s lightly as their shoulders bumped together. “See? Easy peasy, you’re a natural.” Even if Rook didn’t think it of himself, it was obvious.[break][break]
The question, of course, raised a squall—the sudden realization that under all of their fun, the kids’ bellies actually felt emptier than they’d realized. His other hand lifted to look at his watch, “Looks like soon. We’re almost done looping around, and then everything should be ready at the ranger’s station.”[break][break]
He paused, doing his best to sound appealing, “But if anyone needs anything sooner, I got plenty of granola bars.” He reached around and tapped his backpack.[break][break]
It felt a little like playing with fire— either there’d be no interest in a boring snack, or they’d be swarmed.

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It probably wasn't good to play with kids' naivety. Especially not in coming up with fake facts that he said with complete confidence. They whole-heartedly believed him too, so he felt a little bad in hindsight. Still, admittedly, it was kind of fun.
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"A natural liar, you mean." He laughed as Lam commended him being a natural. The question of food was enough to turn the children and himself into raving hungry monsters. His own belly gurgled with the vacancy within, so sad. Most of the children, Rook included, were not interested in granola bars. "Those are gross, right kids?" They all yelled in confirmation.
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He looked to Lam with a look of success for compelling the children to his side. "You know... this wouldn't be half bad. Having a kid." Did he really just say that? What a terrifying thought.

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[attr="class","text"] He shrugged, laughing along with his boyfriend “Not like you’re fibbing to be mean or something. They’re clearly having fun, so I don’t think you have to worry too much.” He still meant it—Rook was good with them. It made his heart feel all funny and warm.[break][break]
Lam sighed, clearly defeated in his attempt to be persuasive. “Alright, alright, no granola bars. But there’ll be plenty of snack choices once we get back.” He looked over at Rook with a flattened expression, “You’ve started a whole mutiny against me.” He couldn’t believe that it looked like he’d be the we have food at home dad.[break][break]
Woah. Now that was a new and daunting thought.[break][break]
Still, Rook somehow seemed to read his mind as they continued to lead the hungry campers back to the ranger outpost. That, or they were just on the same wavelength. Funny, how that worked. It still provoked a flustered reaction in Lam, his face reddening with color as his head swiveled to look at Rook. “Yeah, I, uh..”[break][break]
He looked down then, sheepish as a laugh slipped free. A smile crept across his mouth and he reached a hand to let their pinkies lock together. “I wouldn’t mind that, I think. If it was with you.”[break][break]
Absolute madness. But something that felt inexplicably right. “Think we’d be pretty decent at it. The whole dad thing.”

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"Yeah well who brings granola bars as an option for hungry kids?" A health-conscious person, that's who. Admittedly, Lam would have been the more conscientious caregiver in that regard, as Rook really didn't know much about limitation anymore. He didn't want to be the parent/mentor to limit kids on anything, as he had been when he was young. It probably wasn't a healthy response though.
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Granted though, it did give him ideas. None of which were good ideas. He had never planned around the idea of kids. Especially considering how his own parents had handled him. What if he was just as bad as his own father had been? Though he'd also not really talked to Lam about the idea either.
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Right then, he couldn't help himself. He had to ask, even if it was just a tiny step. A little question. Totally innocent and nothing intended. He half expected Lam to shrug it off, laugh it off even. The other had never divulged into his thoughts on the topic and Rook had never asked. It made sense, they'd never been in the position to even think about it until then. Now, they were settling and comfortable.
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He was silent then, waiting for Lam to break the silence. The awkwardness felt stifling. "It uhh.." He scrambled, tripping over his tongue to back-track on the question. It's a dumb idea, I'm sorry HAHAHA. PSYCHE. He didn't get a word out though before falling into silence. "Really? You think so?" It was only half a question though, he was too deep in thought to expect a response. "I think I'd like that too, kids... I mean."

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[attr="class","text"] “A vegetarian?” he asked, answer tilting up into a question. “Plus, it’s not like I can fit a tub of cheez balls in my backpack.” Even if that would invariably make him cooler with the baby hoard.[break][break]
It wasn’t like he’d had the most conventional childhood. His mom had up and left, and his dad was always packing them up and toting them off on projects. He worked so much for the tiny house with its second-hand aesthetic they’d only lived in half the time. The rest spent out in the wilder parts of Alola. So maybe he didn’t really have an idea of what day to day looked like. What steady looked like.[break][break]
Still, it wasn’t as though he’d hated it, or lacked for love. Not in the same ways Rook had been affected by his own upbringing. And he didn’t really know what it was about them, but the idea of doing something like this together made the uncertainty of it all a little more palatable. Way more palatable.[break][break]
Suddenly, it sounded nice. Comfortable.[break][break]
His truer ambitions didn’t reach as high as those of others. Not really. Maybe building a life like this was enough, whether he rose higher than gym leader or not. That wasn’t as important to him. He could have been fired tomorrow and it wouldn’t have mattered (okay, so that was not…totally true, because they needed to afford to eat, but the sentiment was there.)[break][break]
It was clear, though, that neither of them had really anticipated the sudden turn. Or what a simple volunteering project could bring about. A quiet laugh fell from his lips as Rook stammered over his words, but Lam didn’t regret that the other had asked. Finally reaching the station, the kids were turned loose on the ranger on duty for snack time. He hung back with Rook, pinkies still locked. “Yeah, of course I think so.”[break][break]
He gave that pinky a squeeze with his own. “With you, it feels right.” He didn’t know how else to put it. He looked back toward the flock of kids, all yelling and hooting. “Something I didn’t really know I wanted, until you.”

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[attr="class","wildtag"]lam logan

[attr="class","wildnote"] CONGRATULATIONS!