“Can we take a break?”

“No.”

“Can we take a breather?”

“No.”

“Can we stay still for a moment?”

“Using synonyms won't change the answer.”

“Could we just walk slower?”

Xiumin cocked an eyebrow, not slowing. “You agreed mere hours ago to win.”

Suho groaned. “Yes, I recall.” He looked up at the sky, making a pitiful noise that almost had Xiumin slowing down.

Almost.

“We've been walking all night.” When Xiumin gave no reply, Suho continued, “We've been walking all night, my legs hurt, we're on an incline, and I'm really regretting having ever agreed to trade my life to be on a stage.”

“Technically,” Xiumin breathed, side-stepping an outcropping branch. He winced when he heard Suho yelp, having not seen the branch. He called out a small warning, grinning when he got a light kick to the calf in response. “What was I saying? Oh, right. Technically, we're not on a stage. Therefore, no need to be upset, leader.”

“I told you,” Suho muttered, eyes trained on the ground, searching for anything remotely dangerous, “I'm not much of a leader.”

“Fine, young one.”

“Wait. No.”

“Too late,” Xiumin sang, skipping over a pile of rocks. Suho tip-toed carefully over them a few seconds later.

“But seriously,”

“Serious.”

“Don't interrupt,” Suho sighed, “we've been walking for longer than I can keep track of. We're probably way in head of the others. Can we take a break or just... sleep?”

“We're not taking any chances.” Xiumin insisted, scooping up a fallen branch from the ground to use as a hiking stick, “we will win or we will die trying.”

“... I never agreed to that.” Suho sped up to walk beside the older, pointing accusingly.

Xiumin laughed. “Just kidding about the dying bit,” he assured the other leader, and then under his breath, “but not really.”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing.”

Suho settled into step beside the chubby-cheeked male and silence dominated, apart from the rapid footfalls, clinking of the handcuff, and the sounds from within the backpack which moved up and down with each of Suho's steps.

Xiumin looked ahead, eyes wide, and ignoring sleepiness. He'd pulled all-nighters. This was only slightly different.

“Why so determined?”

Xiumin hummed in questioning, not taking his eyes off a nearing pile of rocks.

“It's just, I've never really seen you so... competitive,” Suho struggled to explain, words failing him after 48 hours of time without sleep.

“We don't hang out that much, do we?” Xiumin muttered, slipping his hands into his jean's pockets. “Well, I mean, I've never really had a chance of winning. I usually leave that to Kris and Tao.” He chuckled as Suho tripped on a root. “Maybe I still don't have any chances.”

“Nonsense,” Suho argued, out of breath, pushing hair out of his face. “We have very good chances. Mainly because you are a slave driver and you scare me and we might end up winning if you scare everyone else.”

Xiumin scoffed. “You haven't been scared until you've spent a night in M dorms.”

“And that's why I am quite happy to stay right where I am.”

Xiumin grinned at the other, warily eyeing the approaching rock gathering. Hopefully Suho had seen the group of gray rocks as well and would be stepping over it just as Xiumin was currently doing and–

“What the–“

Xiumin sighed as his hand was jerked down, watching as Suho caught himself and stared at the obstruction, mystified. “Watch out,” he warned dryly.

Suho merely stared up at him with wide eyes, dropping so that he was lying down on the rocks.

“Hey, don't do that.”

“Just leave me for a moment or two, please,” the younger brunet begged, speaking into the rock. “This rock is just really warm and I deserve a second. I think I skinned my knee.”

“This isn't helping us win.”

Suho moaned, falling fully onto the surface. “Your need to win is going to be the end of me. I am one hundred percent sure.”

“As long as we win, I really don't care.”

Suho gave another hopeless moan.

“Good morning!”

Xiumin blinked. That really didn't sound like Suho, unless his voice had gotten significantly higher in the past couple seconds. He blinked at the younger, who was scrambling up to sit on the rocks, inadvertently pulling Xiumin down to sit beside him. The older was just about to ask what he was doing when he saw the man yanking off the single-strapped pack and pulling open the drawstring, rummaging through it.

“I would like to begin by congratulating you all on surviving the first day and night, and making it into the second day.”

Suho grabbed something, and pulled it out with a triumphant yell, setting what looked to be a radio between himself and Xiumin. The older brunet stared at the object with interest, waiting for the woman from yesterday's voice to return.

“I would also like to add that meddling with the cameras will not be tolerated.”

Suho shot Xiumin a glance that the elder shrugged off.

“May I also remind you that this show focuses on the bond between members during the week.”

The two shared a curious look.

“And I will now announce, in order, the line up that myself and the production team have agreed on in terms of chemistry between the pairs.”

“I forgot about that,” Suho muttered. Xiumin nodded in agreement.

“In last place, Chanyeol and Tao. Guys, you're trying to bond, not kill each other.”

Xiumin laughed. Suho slammed his face into his palm.

“Fifth place, we have Kai and Kris. Again, try to bond. We could literally feel the hate pouring off the screen. We're worried you two might lose us viewers.”

“I thought they'd be higher,” Xiumin mused. Suho agreed with a hushed definitely.

“Suho and Xiumin, you two were very agreeable but we couldn't feel the romance, you know?”

Suho froze and turned to stare at Xiumin fearfully.

“Baekhyun and Luhan, same reason. Ease up on the hostility. Chen and Kyungsoo, keep up the good work. And in first place, Sehun and Lay! Loved the cuddling thing, you two. If possible, maybe a bit more? The PD would love that. Okay, good luck to everyone on their second day, be careful, have fun, and remember: we'll be watching! More bonding, less arguing! Bye!”

Suho quickly stuffed the radio back into his bag.

Xiumin stayed silent.

Suho began tapping his fingers on the rock, increasing the tempo when the silence continued. Finally having enough, he opened his mouth. “You know, I don't what the big deal is. It's all a big popularity contest anyway. Sehun's always been a camera hoarder, he'd have been in first place, even if he hadn't cu-cuddled,” he stumbled over the word frowning distastefully, “sorry. I sleep in the same room as the kid and just can't see him willingly touching anyone. Back to the point. It really doesn't matter where we place, as long as we win. We just have to reach the end first and then ta-da! We win!” He threw his arms into the air. His companion remained silent. “... do you not agree?”

Xiumin turned to face Suho so quickly that the other flinched. He stared unblinkingly at the pale, unblemished face.

Suho frowned. “What's wrong?”

“We're losing,” Xiumin mumbled, looking contemplative for a moment, before reaching out and placing his hands on either side of Suho's face. “And I will win, if it kills me.” He leaned in.

Suho realized what was going on just as Xiumin was closing his eyes and flailed, desperately trying to get out of the suddenly strong hold. “No! You don't have to do this! Xiumin, stop it! Oh my god, don't! HELP!” 

A/N: So, ladies and gentlemen,
I managed to give myself a concussion over the weekend. Snowboarding is super fun, but helmet. Wear a helmet. 
I would totally spend my extended stay home writing all day, except staring at a screen for more than 2 minutes actually hurts and I managed to hammer this bit of nothing (barely over 1k sob) out and I'm done and I'm going to sleep now. 

Also this has 89 subs and I just can't. This is crack and it isn't even 10 chapters. Why. 

The title is from Feels Like the First Time by Foreigner because I like Foreigner and I picture this extremely awesome trek up a mountain.