Chapter 73

Yoshi and Baker had been waiting on the two to get them food for at least an hour. However, they quickly gave up on them and decided to go themselves. McDonalds wasn't that far, but Baker had dragged Yoshi down a different path, not that the boy minded. He didn't at all. "Baker, what's your plan with this?" Yoshi asked. He held onto Baker's hand, rubbing his palm. Baker looked around, different tourists and natives walking around. It was dark, and they both still had on their Yokosa uniforms.

Yoshi finally noticed where Baker was going.

Warm yellow lights lit up the pond's crystal blue water. The tips of the green and pink flowers brightening up the dark blue sky. Baker continued to pull him towards the edge of the dock, the water meeting the aged wooden dock. Baker stopped at the edge, looking over to the other side of the dock. "Beautiful." Yoshi mumbled. Baker hummed along. "Isn't it? I found it when I was younger, but haven't been anytime soon."

Yoshi swung their entangled hands back and forth, humming softly. "Sit." Baker said, before sitting down himself. Yoshi does as the other side, sitting down. "Baker?" Yoshi turned his head to look at the blond boy, who was still looking out to the pond.

"Why did you bring me here?" Yoshi asked, laying his head on Baker's shoulder. The boy sighed, shutting his eyes. He seemed sad. Stressed, but why? "Baker…?" Nothing. He doesn't say anything, still looking out onto the water. Yoshi frowned, leaning over to look at him. "Baker? Uh, Baker are you-"

"IlikeyoualotbutIcan'tdoanythingbecauseifIdateyouthenI'llfeelemptyandlonely."Baker said quickly, looking over at Yoshi, who understood nothing. Yoshi stared at him in confusion. "Wha- what? Baker, say it slowly." Yoshi said, letting go of Baker's hand to turn to him. Baker sighed, shutting his eyes. Was Yoshi getting on his nerves?

"I- Yoshi I love you."

Yoshi stared at him in shock. He… what? Euphoria and warmth spread throughout his body at Baker's words. That was practically exactly what he wanted to hear. Yoshi smiled, looking down at the water. What was Yoshi supposed to do? Kiss him? Hug him? He felt frozen, the breezing becoming the only cold feeling.

A light pulled from his heart, in a different direction. A direction that wasn't to Baker. Yet the warmth of what the boy said. He didn't know what to say. "But, I love other people too." His breath froze, escaping with the wind. Yoshi continued to stare at the water. Yoshi didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet.

However, there was a small breath of relief. A tiny part of him that was happy. Happy that he wasn't the only one he loved others as much as he loved the person in front of him. Was it possible? That small part warmed up the places that once were lost. Yoshi grinned wider than he ever had before. He laughed quietly. Yoshi looked up at the boy, who had a confused look on his face. He smiled, looking into Baker's delicate eyes.

Flowers bloomed in them, and Yoshi could see them.

"I want to kiss you so much right now." Yoshi murmured, Baker's floral eyes smiling. Was a kiss meaningless to them? Was it meaningless for Baker? Yoshi prayed not, it couldn't be, that would ruin Yoshi. Baker tapped onto the old wood of the dock, looking back out. "Who is it?" Yoshi asked, seeing a light blush float onto Baker's cheeks. As if he didn't expect an answer like that.

As if everything was still normal between them.

Baker sucked in a breath, shutting his eyes. Yoshi didn't know who he was going to say, if it was someone the boy knew or didn't. If the other's name would hurt or if it wouldn't. Somehow, this other name, this other boy, was getting him anxious. Baker placed his hands over his face, groaning. "Everyone." He groaned. Everyone? Who was everyone? Everyone as in what?

"Everyone as in everyone in our group?"

Baker guiltily nodded.

Yoshi smiled brightly, hugging the boy. "You are the craziest person I know." Yoshi said, grinning like a psycho. Baker hugged back, their warmth finally becoming one. Yoshi finally felt connected. Though he was still empty, at least a part of his heart was warm. He just needed everyone else to say yes as well. But that was a risk.

"What does that mean?" Baker implored. Yoshi shut his eyes, not having the exact words to say. How could you say something that you couldn't describe? Baker did it. So should Yoshi snatch the words off his lips. "The people you love are the same as the ones I do."

Baker seemed to not understand what he meant, until a visual light bulb clicked. The boy hugged Yoshi tighter, smiling brighter than the moon and stars. His smile, his laughter was what seemed to warm Yoshi's heart. Fireworks went off in Yoshi's brain, happiness exploding into a rainbow of color.

Now it was time for the hard part.

Yoshi wasn't a pessimistic person. Not in the slightest. But knew the chances, and he didn't want to see Baker's heart broken. He wouldn't allow that. He grabbed the boy's hand, making the blond look at him. "I love you, to the moon and back a million times. But, they might not. It would be amazing if we had a group of lovey dovey people, but it might not happen. So you have to promise me something."

Yoshi let go of one of Baker's hands to extend his pinky. Baker glanced down at it before back at Yoshi. "Promise me, that if they say no, you'll get through it. We'll get through it. Together." Baker looked back down at Yoshi's pinky, before wrapping it around his own.

"Promise."