AN: FML, the plot bunnies keep attacking me.

Also Takaba I-Am-SO-Gay-Holy-Shit Akihito is too fun to write *snicker*

Waking up spooned in between two hot men was a disappointingly mortifying experience. Akihito had totally had more than one teenaged fantasy about this very situation but none of them involved drooling on the guys bulging bicep he was using as a pillow. Or having a face full of, admittedly luscious, hair. Nor did it prepare him for dealing with his awkward boner or the rather hard thing pressing into his ass.

Holy shit Asami was huge.

He kind of wanted to take a peek but there was no way he could do so in such an awkward situation. He had no idea if the man was awake but he was plastered to his back. In fact, Fei Long was pressed close enough that he might just be able to feel something poking into his back too. Bright red with embarrassment, Akihito pushed the heavy arm around his waist off and leapt to his feet.

Except he was still kinda tangled in Fei Long's hair and he promptly landed on his ass as the man yelped.

"Sorry!" Akihito yelled out and sat up on his knees to make sure he was okay, embarrassment and boner temporary forgotten. The pretty man narrowed his eyes at Akihito as he rubbed his scalp and the blonde bit his lip in worry. The rest of the tribe slowly sat up to see what was going on and so started their second day on the island.

Breakfast was a quiet and rather grumpy affair all told. No one barring Akihito had seemed to sleep well and Fei Long hadn't said a word to him since that morning. He was fretting about it but wasn't sure how to approach him. The pretty man had been sitting with Asami during breakfast talking quietly but Akihito had been quickly mobbed by Momohara and Aoki and so hadn't been able to approach them. The fire had guttered out during the night but thankfully it hadn't been hard to get started again and they huddled around it while they waited for the sun to rise high enough to bring the warmth back.

They spent some time speculating on the challenge they would face later on in the day. Survivor was known for physical obstacle courses with the elements of problem solving and they went back and forward discussing their own strengths and weaknesses. It wasn't the obstacle courses that really had Akihito worried though. What happened if they were playing for immunity and their tribe lost? They would have to vote someone off. Their tribe had meshed so well, he couldn't image who he might choose to vote for or what that tension would do to their budding friendships. The subtle politics were bound to come into place sooner or later but Akihito was determined to do his best on this next challenge so he would have more time to suss out his tribe members. He wasn't the best judge on character, after all. He was aware that he tended to be a little too trusting but he would keep his eyes peeled and looking out for potential threats.

And peeled for excellent views, mmhmmm. It took every inch of will power not to blatantly follow Asami's shirtless back with his entire head as he walked past carrying more firewood. That would be a little too obvious. Keep it together Akihito. Instead he followed him with his eyes and totally missed his mouth with the mango he was trying to eat. Damn, maybe that was still too obvious.

Deciding that he should help and not laze around, Akihito jumped up and followed after Asami. May as well, right? He followed just slightly behind on the pretence of there being a little too much vegetation and used the advantage to continue his ogling of the man's defined back and tight ass.

"So." It came out a little too high pitched and Akihito cleared his throat before continuing, "What brings you to survivor?"

Amused golden eyes glanced back at him and Akihito got the distinct feeling that he had been caught. Ah well. Worth it.

"I lost a bet," Asami drawled as he gathered up fallen plant debris.

"Really?!"

"Mm. Technically the bet only specified that I had to apply but it was with a rather high profile business partner and I feel like he might have pulled some strings."

Akihito stumbled after him as he tried to find any dry wood. It was all a little damp which wasn't good for fires. "So, you aren't in it to win it?" That thought was a little disappointing somehow.

"I didn't say that," Asami replied. "I agreed to the conditions of the bet and I'm not going to half-ass something just because I lost. I'm going to give it my all and honour the terms of my agreement. My pride demands nothing less. You won't have an easy run of it, if that's what you were thinking."

Akihito grinned, fired up over the note of challenge in Asami's voice. "Ooh, watch out! I'll admit defeat only to someone who fights harder and outplays me. You better be prepared!" Asami chuckled at Akihito's loud declaration. He thought over the man's words as they began to walk back to camp. "So you aren't after the money, then?"

"Not particularly."

"What would you do with it if you won?" Akihito asked, curiously.

"Donate it." Was the immediate reply. Akihito nodded, pleased with the response. They passed by Momohara who was braiding Fei Long's hair and he shot the pretty man a worried look. He still hadn't worked out how to test the waters and make sure he wasn't still upset with him. "And don't mind Fei Long."

He turned his attention back to Asami. "Huh?"

"We are both smokers," he said by way of explanation. "Going cold turkey isn't fun even without adding in our unique situation."

"Oh!" Akihito exclaimed and looked closer at Asami in concern, immediately worried about how he was feeling. The older man waved him off with an amused half-smile.

"We will be fine, maybe irritable though. I did try to smuggle some cigarettes in so it wouldn't be completely cold turkey but the security was unfortunately thorough." He laughed as he placed his bundle down near the fire. "I can guarantee you he's not still mad about this morning. It was an accident, after all."

"Okay. And let me know if you need anything, okay?" Asami turned to consider him and Akihito squirmed under the weight of the unreadable gaze. "We are tribe mates."

He finally nodded after a long drawn-out moment, offering him the smallest of smiles. The genuineness of the smile sent Akihito's heart thumping wildly in his chest. A loud horn interrupted their conversation and allowed him a moment to calm his flustered state. Their tribe quickly grabbed their banner and headed off up a forest path that a survivor staff member had pointed out during their breakfast. Just one of the little things that wouldn't make it onto the TV episodes but really, all they had done was point out a path that Akihito swore hadn't been there yesterday.

The trek was surprisingly long. Mizuno was grumbling and dragging her feet by the time they reached the destination. The yellow tribe was already there and they milled around trading hostile glares while they all waiting on the blue team stragglers. They all looked rather worse for wear and Akihito noticed just how tired everyone seemed.

"Survivors!" Mikhail greeted from beside a small table. "Welcome to the second challenge. Blue tribe, how was your first night on the island?"

There was some uneasy shuffling before a man with an awful goatee finally spoke up. "Shit."

"Oh?" Mikhail raised an eyebrow as though that wasn't what he had expected. Akihito was sure he knew exactly what was going on and who to target. "Was there something wrong with your camp?"

"We got no flint so no fire. It was cold as fuck last night." The other members nodded looking a little disheartened.

"All those supplies yet the most important item was missed. Yellow tribe," Mikhail called out as he turned his attention to the next team. "You had the least supplies from the first challenge, run me through last night."

"We had flint and a small knife," a tall woman stepped forward to say confidently, "and we were able to get a fire going for warmth and cooked food. Not much of a shelter though."

"Red tribe, you had the most successful night of all the tribes. How are you feeling about today?"

"Pumped!" Akihito exclaimed with a little jump of excitement. The rest of the team laughed at his enthusiasm but he caught nearly everyone nodding their agreement.

"Looks like the challenge has been set. Today you are fighting for immunity from the first tribal council." Mikhail turned and pulled an ornate wooden pole off a table behind him to sink it into the ground at his feet. "The first two teams to complete the course will win immunity and a reward. The losing tribe will be seeing me for tribal council where the very first person will be voted off the island."

They were gestured forward and Mikhail walked them past a huge obstacle course. Two huge berlin walls, a cargo net, a thin walkway with planks that looked like they would have to be moved between platforms to get across, and at the end a huge box attached to a rope. The box would have to be hauled forward and two people who would sit out of the obstacle course would have to untie the intricate knot, retrieve puzzle pieces from inside, and carry the pieces over to a table to complete it there. It seemed simple enough. Maybe.

Tour complete, they line up at the starting line again.

"The rewards you will be playing for." Mikhail swept a cover off the table beside him with a grand flourish. "The first team to cross the obstacle course will receive the ultimate camp starter kit along with their immunity. Eight canteens, two machetes, two long coils of rope, one large cooking pot, and one flint. The second tribe to complete the course with also get immunity along with four canteens, one large cooking pot, and flint."

Mikhail walked over to weird stone structure sitting off to the side of the path and rested a hand on the side. "This, survivors, is very important. Water." He paused for dramatic effect and looked over the people assembled. "This well is three kilometres from each of the camps and provides the only non-salt water that you will have access to. This is accessible to all tribes from here on. But do you have anything to carry water in? How many times in one day will you have to make the six-kilometre round trip just for water? Is it safe to drink on its own?"

Akihito bit his lip in thought. They already had four canteens and they were fairly large but it was split between eight of them. They could load up one or two people to make the trip but it would have to be done multiple times each day. The walk in the heat of the day would cause dehydration by itself. Suddenly it became so much more important to win the challenge. Dehydration would bring sickness and discord to the tribe, it had to be avoided at all cost. And the water would most likely have to boiled, adding another step and more effort, just to be able to drink it.

"Alright tribes, you have ten minutes to discuss your strategies! Time starts now!"

Voices exploded all at once in a desperate attempt to be heard and it took a moment before they were able to give their ideas one at a time. The berlin walls would be hard for those who could not jump high enough to reach the top or have the body strength to pull themselves up. They would need people who could get themselves up to pull up the others who couldn't. They needed their entire team over the course before they would even be allowed to start pulling the box up for the puzzle pieces. The cargo ropes shouldn't pose a problem but the walkways only had very small in-between points and there would be a trick to manoeuvring the small wooden planks to get the entire team over quickly.

Mizuno and Momohara would be their puzzle solvers while Fei Long and Akihito would scale the walls first to help pull the others up with Asami and Fujioka helping from the bottom.

"Survivors, line up!" Mikhail called after the horn blared out time.

All right, game on.