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Chapter Text

In the little circles of his binoculars, he watched wolf 82 settling into her den. She was pregnant, and expecting to deliver in the next few days. Megumi had been watching her closely. The Nez Perce pack was newly formed, one of only a dozen in the whole park. Well, newly formed in that it happened just over a year ago. The other packs were well known within the wildlife management branch of the NPS in Yellowstone, but this one was his. There were only three of them in the pack so far, but this first litter was going to be huge for them. 

He had discovered the formation of this new pack shortly after he had arrived to work here in the park.  

The female of the pack was previously a lone wold. She had lured two males away from another pack, and Megumi had witnessed the moment the two had broken off to join her. It caused quite the commotion within the other pack. The female from the 8 mile pack fought them both as they left, but they ultimately had left anyway. A cold breeze ripped through the area, making him pull his coat tighter against the snow and on thr ground and the early April chill. He continued to watch the three wolves in his binoculars, taking notes with his right hand. 

He was the one to fit her with her collar a year ago, given the honors after they had gently captured her in order to put one on her. It would provide data on the packs movements, helping them understand the movement of the wolves in the park better. It was important for his branch to watch the wolves integrate, their reintroduction to the park having happened only thirty years ago. There were only about 120 of them them in the entirety of the park at this point. Something Megumi lamented, humans having previously driven them out of the area completely before their reintroduction.

They were one of the areas only predators. 

Before the reintroduction of the wolves, the prey animals were running rampant, vegetation depleting and their populations beginning to starve. The ecosystem was dying due to lack of natural predation. The earlier humans in these areas didn't have any idea of the damage they were doing to the ecosystems. Megumi watched as the two males doted on the female. He wasn't sure which one was the father of the unborn wolf-pups, but like most packs, it didn't matter. Unlike what was seen in big cats, wolves were more family oriented. One wolf years ago had accidentally bullied her sister to death along with the rest of the pack. The miracle was that the two young pups that were left without their mother were taken care of, the sister taking responsibility for them both. 

Megumi smiled as he wrote some more notes, his body getting stiff from laying on the cold ground for so long, but he couldn't leave yet. He still had an hour before he would run out of daylight to make his way back to the ranger station. He had a feeling the grey wolf might be the father. He noticed she stuck to his side more, however the other one always brought chunks of kill to her so she wouldn't have to move much. 

When the sun was starting to get too close the mountains, threatening to disappear behind them, he finally lowered his binoculars. 

Once wanting to be a veterinarian, his mind changed when he visited his first national park. The rare family outing had changed everything for him. He had met a ranger on the path, one that was directing people away from a black bear, the poor thing more afraid of the people gawking at it then they were of him. She had told Megumi all about the bear. His designation, what he liked to get up to, how calm black bears were compared to other species of bear. She did all of this while protecting the bear from the tourists wanting to get too close. 

Something woke up in Megumi that day. He had been eleven at the time, and he would never forget it. The ranger had been so enthusiastic about his questions, encouraged him to join a junior ranger program. His youth after that was spent cleaning up trails voluntarily, clearing the trash humans left that could harm the wildlife and damage the environment. It was an escape from his drunk gambling father, and a sactuary for himself all at once. No matter what had happened at home, his mood would brighten up immediately when he was in the woods, watching the chipmunks and squirrells, cleaning trails and learning the names of the different birds and all their different calls. He could still remember how the sun felt falliing on his face through the branches as he would look up to the sky. 

The radio on his vest crackeld as he walked back to his snowmobile.

"Kugisaki to Fushiguro, what's your location, over," Nobara's voice came through it. 

"Nez Perce, west, about to head back to old faithful station," he spoke into his com. 

"Of course. Any luck?" She replied. 

"She's close, but nothing yet." 

"Alright. ETA on return?" 

"An hour, out."

Megumi heard her say something alludiing to a get together and he rolled his eyes. He'd been in Yellowstone for two years now, and he'd only really made her as a friend. Well, and Toge, but that man was even quieter than himself. Sometimes he wondered how he had ended up friends with Nobara, their personalities so different. They had started in this park around the same time, and the first time they had hung out, she had hounded him to be her friend. He would be walking along the employee path for some alone time, and she would drive by, shouting at him about some party she was throwing later in her cabin. He dismissed her several times until she cornered him, demanded that Megumi attend. She basically declared that she was going to be his friend 'whether his loner ass liked it or not.'

He feared he had no choice after that. Making an appearance, he realized that most of the other rangers were oddballs of society who found the solace and beauty of nature healing in some form or another. Dealing with people had always been harder for him, animals far easier, but these people were.. like him. They loved nature, animals, and liked people a little less. It almost seemed like a requirement to be in the NPS at this point. 

Okay, fine. If Nobara wanted to drag him into a get together tonight, he could do it for her sake. Maybe he felt like he should celebrate a little bit. The small pack he had discovered was about to have it's first litter. He was about to be able to watch theses wolves grow up. He couldn't imagine being luckier than this. 

Getting on his snowmobile, he put on his helmet and made his way back to the station.

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"Please, come on, tell him," Nobara turned to Megumi. "You knew the words to that David Bowie song, and I just knew you and I were destined besties! It's why I kept trying."

Noritoshi was looking at him with clear interest and had since the man had been transferred to Yellowstone back in January. The man worked in resource management, specializing in conservation. Nobara was endlessly trying to meddle in his love life like it was her duty. She kept shoving herself against his side, causing Megumi to scoot closer to Noritoshi. 

"I'm just surprised you're out hanging out with everyone," Noritoshi chuckled. "Sightings of you seem rare, almost like the elusive wolverines that are living in the park. Have you ever spotted one of those?" 

Megumi squirmed under the man's gaze. It wasn't that he was unattractive, it was just that he wasn't sure he was interested in starting anything with anyone. 

"I have, actually. Once. There's only a few so that's why they are harder to spot. The one I saw was up near the northeast entrance. There are only about seven in the entire park. Did you know that there numbers are low because of the fur trade? They were almost wiped out because of trapping-"

"Oh jesus, now you've set him off," Nobara snorted. "Don't bring up animals around him unless that's all you want to hear about for the next few hours."

Nobara worked in maintenance for NPS. She was gifted in carpentry, and her love for nature landed her here. There was an endless supply of work for someone like her, the walkways above the thermal features constantly needing repair because of the damage from both tourists and the thermal features themselves. The steam from the geysers, hot springs and fumeroles doing damage to designated walkways gave her plenty to do in the summer months. During the winter she was a winter keeper, clearing snow from roofs and walkways, removing ice build up and keeping their heating systems running. 

"I don't mind. He's just passionate," Noritoshi smiled at him. "Do you need another drinK?"

Megumi nodded. 

There were several other rangers in Nobara's place. Most had been here before them, working here for years. Toge Inumaki who worked in water treatment, Kasumi Miwa who worked at the visitor center and as an interpretive ranger and Kokichi Muta who worked as a wildland ranger. Most of them had been gone for several weeks over the shoulder season, having just returned over the last few days as the park was set to reopen for the summer season in just a couple of weeks. 

This past winter was Megumi's second in the park and he had adored it. There were far fewer tourists, only able to come in on snow coach or snowmobile keeping the numbers low. Mentally preparing for the upcoming summer season. Last summer had worked on his nerves as people were constantly ignoring the danger that wildlife posed, taking selfies far too close to the animals. Three people had been gored by bison last summer. Thankfully, there were no grizzly bear attacks, but that didn't mean several people hadn't gotten close to being at the bad end of one.

Noritoshi handed him another beer, sitting closer to Megumi than he had been last time. He sat up a little straighter so they wouldn't touch. 

"So you were out all day in the cold, huh?" Noritoshi asked.

"He's really dedicated," Nobara said, wriggling her eyebrows again. Megumi wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or not at this point. 

He decided not to say anything and the two of them started talking again. Noritoshi kept looking at him like he wanted him to join. Megumi smiled, unsure. His mind was still on his work. 

"Mm!" Nobara said, her mouth full of chips, but using her hand to indicate that she had something important to say to the group. "The summer season is just a couple weeks away. Seems crazy, like last summer just ended! We have a bunch of newbies coming in a week. Are you excited?" 

Megumi let out a small laugh. "Yeah, it really does honestly. Do you know how many of the new rangers coming in are for the old faithful area?" 

"I think a few. I think I heard that Naoya was returning," she grimaced. "You know you're going to be talking at the orientation when they come in," Nobara said with a sigh. "Don't even sigh, Megumi."

He did anyway. Between knowing that asshole Naoya was coming back and having to talk before all the new transfers was daunting. Naoya worked in the law enforcement side, every part the kind of cop Megumi hated. Thick headed, lacking compassion and picking on people he deemed less than himself. He was unfortunately one of the man's main targets, and he got the rest of the law enforcement to pick on Megumi as well. Between nerd jokes and shoulder checks, he had a rough summer with that division of rangers. 

Most of the law enforcemnet rangers seemed to think this would be easier than being a city cop, while others over-extended their authority, acting like they could tell Megumi what to do. Naoya had made all of that so much worse. 

"Don't want to speak at the orientation?" Noritoshi asked.

"Not really.. more like I don't want to see that dickhead Naoya. You'll know what I mean when you meet him," Megumi said. 

"Oh yeah, he sucks. But what a big boohoo about getting to see the new hires first! Maybe some of them are hot!" Nobara exclaimed. A few of the others laughed, encouraging her. "Let's hope for some hotties, yeah?"

The night went on for a little longer, the group talking about the upcoming summer and what they were excited about the most. Megumi relaxed a little, thinking about the wolves and how he was going to spend the summer watching new wolves grow up. He went on a small rant about the laws in Montana allowing the hunting of wolves and how wrong it was until Nobara slapped her hand over his mouth, declaring that they had heard enough when he was going on for ten full minutes on the subject.

It was when Noritoshi put his hand on his thigh that Megumi jumped up. 

"I'm going to bed. I have to do a report on 82's movements in the morning," Megumi said, standing up and stretching. He gave Noritoshi a small smile, not wanting him to feel bad, but Megumi wasn't sure he was feeling anything for the other ranger. 

Noritoshi insisted on the two of them exchanging numbers before he left. They had been working together for three months now, so why hadn't they already done this, Noritoshi insisted. Megumi just nodded along, Nobara giving him suggestive looks behind the other mans back. 

He was so sick of her shit right now. 

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Megumi yawned, pouring another cup of coffee for himself in the ranger station. All he had been doing all morning is filling out paperwork, making his notes more palatable for those above him. This was his least favorite part of the job. He really just wanted to be able to study wildlife, look at nature, without this. But this, this is what got him paid. 

He spent a couple of hours tapping away at his keys, typing out more of his observations from yesterday. 

Sighing, he sent the the paperwork in. He knew the research was important, it was the biggest part of his job in wildlife management, but he just wanted to observe it all. The tedious part of his work always annoyed him. He didn't see a single other soul the whole time he worked.  

Most rangers, no matter the branch they entered, were used to the isolation of their jobs. Often in remote areas, it was easy to go days without seeing another person in the shoulder seasons in the parks. 

Today though, he had to go and talk at orientation to the new transfers. Only a few of them were staying at the old faithful area, others going to various other parts of the park. Old faithful had the biggest auditorium in the visitor center, and even though there was probably only about 20 of them, they still insisted on doing it here. It was the biggest attraction in the park so he understood that the new transfers often wanted to see the Old Faithful geyser first thing. 

He still had a couple of hours until the orientation was supposed to start, so Megumi was going to head out to check on a couple of close bear dens. Some had started to emerge from hibernation, but he still hadn't caught sight of bear 401 and her cubs yet. This was the last day he would be allowed to use his snowmobile, the roads were getting cleared tomorrow, preparing for the summer influx. He geared up and headed out.  

Making it to the site where he could clearly see the bear den, he lifted the visor of his helmet and put the binoculars to his face. There, just at the mouth of the den, the two cubs were playing. A smile spread across his face as he lowered them to get his notbook out, noting the day and time, the conditions the cubs appeared to be in. He was watching them, saw bear 401 make her appearance, sauntering out behind her cubs, swatting at them playfully as one attampted to climb up her back. He was so engrossed in watching that he lost track of time. 

When he looked down at his phone, he realized he had fifteen minutes to make it back to old faithful visitor center, twenty-five minutes away. Cursing, he put his supplies away and started his snowmobile again. He was going to hear from Supervisor Yaga for sure, who had confirmed the time with him several times the day before. Going faster than he should, he was still almost ten minutes late. Yaga was outside with several people. It didn't look like they had started yet but as he pulled up on his snowmobile, Yaga was sending him an irritated glare anyway. 

"You're late, Fushiguro," the man snapped. "Where were you?" 

Megumi flipped his visor up and turned his vehicle off. "I'm so sorry, I was checking on bear 401. She and her cubs are finally active and I just kinda lost track of time. I'm so sorry, sir." 

The man standing next to Yaga was someone that Megumi had never seen before. He had to double a take, the man's strawberry blonde hair more strawberry than blonde, making his hair almost appear pink. He shot Megumi an attractive smile and gave a shy little wave to him. Megumi nodded, looking back at Yaga. 

"This is why I reminded you of the time more than once yesterday," Yaga sighed. "You're lucky we haven't started yet. Let's go." 

Megumi took off his helmet, trying to fix his hair a little, knowing that no matter what he did, his dark locks would do whatever they wanted. He tucked his helmet under his arm and followed the others in. 

He mentally prepared himself for having to speak to the new NPS transfers. Most would be seasoned by the other parks they had worked in, so he would just have to give a lecture about the wildlife in the park, but he still hated it. Interacting with other people was still a thing he had to do and he hated it, especially people who he didn't know. 

There were so many jokes that the visitor center was hiding the pump for the geyser, but the truth was that geologists determined this spot as the least disruptive and safest place to put a visitor center near old faithful. The auditorium was large for so few people to be occupying it. He made his way to the front, digging in his backpack on the side of the stage. Megumi sighed, looking at the people he had to speak in front of. Some would be his coworkers and neighbors, but he didn't know which ones yet. 

One thing they never tell you when working in the national parks is that the people around you are either your housemates or neighbors. The employee housing was very closenit. Megumi thought about the empty room in the house he currently was in. Usually it would be occupied, but they were a bit short staffed this year according to Yaga. He was hoping that the room would remain empty. 

Standing awkwardly to the side of the stage as the super attendant welcomed the new rangers, acknowledging a few from other parks that were here to work this season, Megumi looked out. There were about two dozen new rangers sitting in the auditorium. They were all sitting up close in the first few rows. He spotted Naoya and groaned internally. Knowing that most of the others were law enforcement made him uneasy. Naoya was back and he would make sure that dealing with his crew would be a nightmare. 

"Hello," he started as walked center stage. "I'm part of the wildlife management program. I mostly am here for just research and wildlife emergencies. I want you to be able to rely on me for any incident involving wildlife, or otherwise. As rangers, we know that all of our jobs tend to bleed and blend into other branches as needed. I've been here at the Old Faithful Ranger Station for a year and half. I like to think I know the area, but there are always things to learn." 

Megumi continued, giving the group in front of him as much information about the wildlife as he could.  

There was one face in the front that kept distracting him. His eyes were so big and earnest, his face turning serious at the right times as he talked. Megumi kept looking at him, realizing the man was quite handsome. It was the man from outside, with the almost pink hair. He raised his hand after Megumi finished. Megumi nodded to him. 

"I'm sorry, I'm coming from California, can you tell me uh, physical differences between a black bear and of a grizzly again?" He asked. 

"Sure. If you're not able to tell by the color of the coat, as that can be deceiving, look for a hump on the back, where the shoulders of the animal are, along with the general size. The face is also a good way to tell, as it slopes. Speaking of, they are waking up at this time and are very hungry. The disposal of trash if very important. I'm sure I don't really need to tell you all this. As a matter of fact, bear 401 is active as of today, and she's pretty close by. She's had 6 cubs over the last seven years, two of them are still with her. If you'd like I can-" 

Yaga cleared his throat behind him. Megumi turned to look at him, his face heating up. Naoya snickered at him from his seat. 

"Sorry, that's all," Megumi muttered. 

"Thank you," Ranger Yaga said, letting him take a seat with the others. 

Megumi was grateful his part was over. He had only done this one time before and he hoped he did alright this time. Last time he felt like he stuttered far more, so he probably did. He sat at the end of the second row, hoping the rest of this would go quickly. 

The handsome guy with strawberry blonde hair was smiling at him, big and wide in a way Megumi wasn't sure how to answer. He gave a soft smile and wave back, pointing at Yaga so he would pay attention. 

The man seemed to get it, blushing and facing front, sending a thumbs up his way. Megumi nodded, unsure of what else to do. Megumi looked down at his own notes from earlier, disobeying the very thing he told the new guy to do. He flipped back to the day before, looking at the notes on the wolves.

Wolf 82 was due to give birth at any time and it was still so early in spring. He was worried about her litter, if she would be giving birth with so much snow still on the ground. Sure, it was April, but this was Montana. A lot of it wouldn't be thawed out until the end of May. He knew he was worrying for nothing, that the wolves he was watching were better adapted than himself or anyone else he would ever meet for the weather in Montana, but it didn't stop him wanting to make sure this little new pack was safe. 

He was still looking down in his lap at his notes when the lights of the auditorium went brighter, meaning the orientation was over. Blinking up and looking around he pulled his legs to himself so people could pass him if they wanted to. There was something in his notes that he needed to fix. 

"Hi." 

Megumi looked up, the guy with strawberry blonde hair was in front of him. 

"Hey," Megumi said, feeling a bit out of sorts. He was even more handsome up close. 

"I really appreciate the information you gave. I grew up in California and I worked in Yosemite and the Redwoods before coming here. We don't have near as much wildlife. I mean, we do, but it's different. Not so.. ready to fight," the man laughed. "My name is Yuuji Itadori, by the way. I um, didn't catch your name. You said you were in wildlife management, but didn't say your name?"

I didn't?

"Oh, sorry, I'm Megumi Fushiguro. This is only my second orientation doing a speech, I was a little nervous. Where are you working this summer?"

"I'm here in Old Faithful. Law enforcement," Yuuji said. 

Megumi felt his heart sink. This guy might seem alright but law enforcement with Naoya was going to turn this guy against him. He would eventually be calling Megumi a nerd or picking on him for something. Now that he took in the build of the guy, it made sense. Tall and built, it should have been obvious. He gave a small smile. 

"It's nice to meet you," Megumi said, offering his hand. Please let me be wrong about him. 

"It's really nice to meet you Fushiguro!" Yuuji exclaimed taking his hand, smile bright and threatening to dim the lights around them. 

Megumi smiled back, still unsure. The close quarters of living and working together made it imperative that he try and make this work at least on a surface level. 

"How many parks have you worked at? How long have you been here?"

"Only here," Megumi offered. "I came here fresh out of college. I've been here for a year and a half, now."

"Really?" Yuuji asked, his face excited. "I mean, that's cool. I thought you looked younger than me and I guess you are. That's really impressive that you know so much. And you get to snowmobile here in the winter? I've never done that. I guess if I stay for this upcoming winter, you'll have to teach me. It's really nice to meet you." 

Yuuji got up and jumped over a couple rows of seats, making his way to the other newbies. Megumi stared after him for a second. He shook his head, getting up from his own seat, closing the notebook in his hand and putting it back in his pack. He lifted the helmet onto his head as he walked out, making his way to his snowmobile. 

"Fushiguro," Yaga said, stopping him. He flipped the visor back up, biting back a groan. 

"Yes, sir?" Megumi asked. 

"Good job, today. Tomorrow, I want you to work with the others in the wildlife management team and get them oriented. I'm going to take them to housing and get them situated. There are about 6 altogether, but only one of them is going to be staying here with us in old faithful. I trust you to get them properly informed before they leave for their stations."

"Yes, sir," Megumi said, nodding. "I'll do my best." 

"Focus on the important stuff, don't go off on tangents, okay?"

"Yeah, I mean, yes, sir. Sorry," Megumi mumbled, his face flaming again. 

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"Your name is Maki Zenin? You've got to be kidding me," Megumi said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're related to that asshole then?" 

"Unfortunately," the girl, Maki, replied. At that, Megumi looked up at her and studied her face. She didn't seem to like him much either. He's supposed to work with her for the rest of the summer, and if she hated Naoya, too, then the two of them could possibly be allies. It wasn't like she was law enforcement. She was a 'geek' like himself. 

"Well, alright then. I guess you don't like him either?"

"Hell no." 

Megumi smiled at her answer. She smiled back. Yeah, this could work. 

The day after orientation was spent going over the fundamentals with the new wildlife management officers. There wasn't a lot that they needed to ask, all of them already having a lot of knowledge about how to handle things from previous park postings. The rule about not geeking out about his field flew out the window when all of them started doing it. It was nice being with fellow researchers that were just as excited about their jobs as he was. They were asking all about the newest wolf pack, all invested as he divulged about how it was that he had seen the two male wolves break off and join the lone female. 

"It was the coolest thing I've ever seen," Megumi gushed. "I was just in the right place at the right time, honestly." 

The end of the day came and they all separated, the newbies going to their temporary dwellings until they would be stationed at different areas of the park. 

He put on some tea and settled down with a book. About an hour into doing his normal evening routine, his phone lit up. A message from Nobara was on his screen, asking if he wanted some of the food she had made. He had only eaten a couple of granola bars that day, so he didn't turn her down. She was over in a matter of minutes, a steaming pot of stew in her hands. It became very clear that

she was interested in the new hires and who was staying here from the group she had seen him leading around earlier. 

"Another Zenin?" Nobara deflated. "Goddamnit." 

"No, I know what you're thinking, but she doesn't seem anything like him. She's actually pretty nice, to be honest. I think you two would get along," Megumi said between bites. 

"That's high praise coming from you," Nobara said, raising her eyebrows. "And what about the others? Do you know anyone else staying on location?"

"Yeah, a guy named Yuuji Itadori. He's law enforcement. He seemed nice today, but he's going to be working with Naoya here," Megumi said. 

"Is he cute? Speaking of, Noritoshi asked about you again. He said he messaged you but you never said anything back." 

Megumi frowned, grabbing his phone. Sure enough, there was a message waiting for him there. He was asking about his day off coming up, and if he wanted to do something, maybe make his way out to the town with him. Megumi typed back a reply, keeping it ambiguous. The guy seemed nice enough, but he was so unsure about starting anything. He didn't want to just have a summer fling, he wasn't like that. Not knowing whether someone was staying made him not want to get attached. His last relationship ended in college and it was a disaster. The man had been controlling, demanded Megumi move his life around for him, even knowing what his plans were. When he didn't and instead broke things off, he'd been stalked and hounded by his ex until he finally left town, moving to Yellowstone.

It really made Megumi reconsider relationships. He was happy enough with his research. 

"Er, sorry, you were saying?" Megumi said, turning his attention back to Nobara. 

She rolled her eyes. "Right. So did you accept the date or what?" 

"Huh? Date? Oh you mean.. I haven't really answered yet. Not really. I don't know if I should."

Nobara snagged his phone from his hand, sending a yes to Noritoshi for him. 

"Hey!" Megumi shouted, grabbing it back. Three little dots showed on the bottom of the screen as Noritoshi typed a reply. An enthusiastic message came across his screen, and he groaned. 

"Just give him a damn chance. One. If you don't like him, then that's okay, but at least let the poor bastard have a shot," Nobara scoffed. "He's attractive and he seems nice enough. It's okay if you decide there's no chemistry after the date, but go on a date you shall." 

Megumi regretted his decision to let her over to his place, even if she was feeding him. 

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It was a few days later, and he was getting ready to go to town with Noritoshi. They had decided on dinner and drinks. He tried to fix his messy hair in the mirror, his green staring back at him in frustration. Why he was even bothering on trying to look nice when the guy had seen him all winter with ice stuck to his long lashes, red faced from the cold and frumpy in his winter gear was beyond himself. If he was still interested after all of that, he couldn't have looked that bad. It had to be his nerves. Outside of his uniforms he didn't have much in way of clothes, so he decided on something warm, a long black coat, black pants, black shoes. 

Good enough. 

A knock on his door told him his time was up. Noritoshi was standing there, his car idling behind him. The roads had been cleared. Well, the majority of them. It was clear to the town just outside the west entrance. Megumi was hoping that Noritoshi might want to stop and check on wolf 82 with him on the way, so he had brought his pack. He got in the passenger seat, taking in the tidiness of his car. He thought about how his car looked most of the time and rubbed the back of his neck. Cameras, lenses, granola bar wrappers, various reusable water bottles everywhere. His place was kept tidy but for some reason when it came to his car he was a mess. 

He was going to have to go to the Mammoth ranger station and dig that thing out of the snow soon. The roads going north were still being cleared. It wasn't kept this deep in the park throughout winter for obvious reasons. Noritoshi had just been quicker about getting his car out of the station in the town they were heading to. 

"Have an preferences on what you want to listen to?" Noritoshi asked. 

"Whatever is fine, I'm not particularly picky."

The music he put on wasn't his favorite, but it was inoffensive. When Noritoshi declined to stop so Megumi could look for the wolf pack, he deflated a little. The other man insisted that he not continute to work on his day off. He hardly considered stopping for the wolves work, but he understood the man had a point. 

They got to town after bypassing the locked gates. There were people who had planned poorly, not realizing the park was still closed for another few days that watched them leave the park, closing and locking the gate behind them. Bombarded with a few questions and aggravation from the uninformed tourists was always a treat this time of year. 

Megumi had told Noritoshi that something casual was better. He didn't want the guy to put too much into the date in case Megumi decided that he wasn't interested after all. They wound up at a bar and pizzeria that was popular with the locals. They had some strange pizzas and there was one that he had been wanting to try, so he got that. Noritoshi teased him and ordered another pizza, something normal in case they didnt' like that one. It was way more food than either of them could eat. 

Megumi sipped his beer slowly as they talked. Eventually they ended up playing pool, the pizza's on a nearby table. They were halfway through their first game when Naoya and a few other rangers walked in. He groaned lowly. He recognized two of the them from the orientation, one being Yuuji. He didn't know the other guy's name. The third man with him was another law enforcement ranger from last year, a guy who simply went by Mahito. Megumi despised him almost as much as Naoya. 

Pretending not to have seen them, he continued on with the game. It didn't take long before they were getting crowded by the group. 

"Hey there," Naoya smirked. "What are you doing here?" 

"Same thing as you, I reckon," Megumi rolled his eyes. 

"Hey Fushiguro!" Yuuji said. "This is my friend Toudou. He transferred here with me from Yosemite. Toudou, this is that guy I was telling you about. Hey, you didn't tell us at orientation that you watched a new pack form!" 

Megumi gaped at him for a moment. "I- Well, I was just lucky. It wasn't relevant information, either. This is Noritoshi. He's in resource management. Are you law enforcement as well?" Megumi asked Toudou. 

"Yep, best ranger position there is!" Toudou said proudly. 

Megumi immediately felt apprehensive. The group of law enforcement were all taller and broader than him, and being crowded like this was making him feel a little claustrophobic. 

Everyone introduced themselves and shook hands. Naoya was being oddly diplomatic so far, but Megumi knew it wouldn't last much longer. Sure enough, as they went back to playing pool, he started talking about how dorky Megumi was, bringing up his blunder at the orientation. 

"You're acting like I messed up the whole thing," Megumi mumbled. 

"I found him informative," Yuuji protested. 

Their group ended up playing pool at the table next to them. He lost to Noritoshi twice before he gave up, smiling as he conceded. Noritoshi placed his hand was on his lower back as they went to sit at the table. He looked at the other group and caught Yuuji frowning in their direction for a moment before he went back to his game. They had to box up a lot of the pizza they had ordered, but they had one more beer. Their conversation was stiff here and there, but maybe that was just Megumi. 

Noritoshi wasn't bad, but Megumi wasn't sure he was feeling anything other than friendship. There was no spark, no desire for a deeper connection. Feeling a little bad about that, but knowing that he at least tried made him feel better. There wasn't anything wrong with trying, right? 

When they made it back to the old faithful housing area, Noritoshi walked him to his door. He kissed Megumi goodnight, surprising him. When Megumi still failed to feel anything from the kiss, he apologized to the other man. There was a bit of hurt on his face, and he seemed a little miffed, but ultimately he understood. 

Megumi hoped they could still remain friends and he hadn't just made things super awkward between them for the rest of the seaon. He hadn't been home for two minutes before Nobara burst through the door without knocking. 

"So?" She asked, overly excited. 

Megumi sighed and shook his head. "I hate to disappoint, but I just wasn't feeling it." 

Nobara's shoulders fell. "Shoot. I was so sure you two would be such a cute couple. Did he do something to mess it up?" 

Megumi thought it over, deciding the other man hadn't exactly ruined it. Not stopping to search for the wolves, poking at him for his pizza choice and kissing him without any warning all weren't deal breakers. However, it probably made Megumi less inclined to want to go out with him again. 

"Not really, no. There wasn't any.. spark, I guess. I'm sorry," Megumi shrugged. "I know you were hoping that your matchmaking skills were better but." 

"I'm still figuring out your type. I'll get it right, one day," Nobara sighed. "This was only my second time trying to find someone for you, and you know what they say? Third times the charm!" 
A low groan escaped him. He knew she meant it. 

This was going to be a long season. 

Chapter Text

Yuuji's POV

The park had opened four days ago and the tourists were flocking in. Yuuji found that his day to day wasn't much different than it had been from working in the Redwoods or Yosemite. Citations, pulling people over for speeding, dealing with drunk concessions employees.. That part was all familiar. What wasn't was the environment. The thermal features were proving to be a point of fascination for him. He had seen several geysers go off and he was so curious about them and how there seemed to be a never ending well of boiling hot water beneath the surface of the earth. 

Yuuji knew he wasn't book savvy enough to get into a specialization, but that didn't mean he wasn't a good ranger. He knew bad people from from good, knew the laws in the parks and that being a good law enforcement ranger kept the lands that he adored safe. He might let people off with warnings from time to time, but that's normal, right? Every ranger should. It's everyone's first time on earth, and if they weren't blatantly disrespecting the laws and the environment, he could let them know to do better next time. Not every mistake had to ruin someone's life.

And as much as he was enjoying the geysers and learning about the area, he missed the community from his previous posting. Being new meant he would have to learn new ways, but it seemed like the divisions were really separated here as compared to Yosemite. Sure this park was bigger but that didn't mean they weren't still a community.

Sometimes he missed the granite walls of his last post, Yosemite holding a special place in his heart. Growing up outside of there in a small town, the valley had immediately called to him. His grandfather used to take him all the time. 

Well, until they got in trouble for fishing in the park. He was only about twelve and didn't know that he wasn't supposed to do that, but his grandfather did and didn't care. He insisted that people couldn't tell him what to do or where to do it. The NPS ranger that caught them that day was furious with them, arresting them. Yuuji had been scared, sitting with handcuffs in the backseat, wondering why something they did all the time wasn't allowed. The ranger hadn't been kind or sympathetic about him being a child at all. 

His grandfather was cited, Yuuji was let free of the cuffs by another ranger who called the first one ridiculous and the two of them stopped going together. It wasn't until later that he found out that Wasuke had been banned for five years and that's why they stopped going.

He ended up visiting the park a few more times with friends in his late teens. In one of the gift shops, he picked up a book about how the National Park Service was formed. Not usually interested in non-fiction, he found himself tearing through that book. It read a like an action novel, all adventure and danger. After the experience with his grandfather previously, he had gotten a bad impression of rangers, but this book changed his mind. Something inside him that day wanted more from his experience, and he decided that he wanted to be a better example of what a ranger should be. Someone who could both protect the land but also didn't put a kid in handcuffs. 

While he enjoyed Yosemite, he had worked there for about three years after working in the Redwoods for two. He was 29 now, and he decided to take advantage of a particular perk of his job; traveling. 

Now, he found himself in one of the most coveted positions amongst rangers. Yellowstone.

He was ecstatic that not only did he get to transfer, but he also got his best friend to come with him. They met working in Yosemite, and had been inseparable. When Yuuji mentioned wanting to transfer to explore and learn more, Toudou had agreed, quickly pointing out that they needed to challenge themselves to grow. 

Yuuji spun around in his chair in the ranger station,  humming to himself to make the time pass. His shift might be over, but he was waiting. His favorite new ranger hadn't come back yet, and he might have exciting news.

The sound of the door opening had him peering over the desk, hopeful, but gave a soft frown when he saw who walked in. 

"Brother," Toudou called out as he walked into the ranger station. "Why are you still here? Your shift ended an hour ago." 

"I'm waiting for Fushiguro," Yuuji smiled at his best friend sheepishly. 

He was waiting for Megumi to come back, and he had been staying after his shift over the last few days. The wildlife ranger had mentioned that the female wolf was due to give birth any day now, and so he waited to find out the news. Megumi wasn't usually back to the station so late, so that was a sign that it could have happened. He was thrumming with anticipation.

Megumi had been shocked when he first asked about the wolves. The wildlife ranger had hesitated, but slowly started opening up. Now, the other man's eyes lit up when Yuuji asked, excited and happy to talk about his work. He wondered what had made him seem skeptical about his interest, but didn't want to press, just happy the other ranger was finally accepting him. 

"Ah, the wolves," Toudou said, nodding his head. "I'll wait with you. I'm excited to know as well."

They weren't waiting much longer until the ranger in question entered, his sea-urchin hair messy and the smile on his face wide and big. Yuuji hadn't been here long, but he hadn't seen the man smile quite like that. It was so genuine and beautiful that it took his breath away for a moment. 

Get ahold of yourself. The guy has a boyfriend. 

But he couldn't help it. The attraction had been instant, the moment he flipped the visor of his helmet up, revealing emerald eyes surrounded by long beautiful lashes. Yuuji was almost sure his heart had stopped for a moment. After his speech at the orientation, it was all but solidified, and he knew he wanted to get to know him better. But then his hope popped like a balloon when they went to town and he saw him with that other ranger, Kamo. The hand on the small of Megumi's back made him realize that he had been stupid. Of course someone like him wouldn't be single. 

He would have to settle on being just a friend. 

"So?" He prompted when he remembered himself. 

"Three! All of them are different colors. Brown, white and black. Can you believe it? I have photos if you want to see," Megumi was gushing and Yuuji was smiling in response to his enthusiasm. There was something so enthralling about seeing the excitement and passion in someone who was so normally reserved. Like a private entry to a club, a sneak-preview to a great movie or the first looks for a good animation you're really into. 

"May I see as well?" Toudou asked. 

Megumi nodded, pulling out a large camera from his pack, turning it on and handing it over. "You two just click through them, I'm going to get some stuff put away and I'll be right back." 

He went to his office as Yuuji and Toudou oo'ed and aw'ed over the photos of brand new wolf puppies. They were all clearly taken from far away but Megumi's camera was excellent. The pictures with the mother were especially cute, doting on her new babies. Yuuji wanted to ask if Megumi wouldn't mind sending him a couple of the photos so he could send them to some friends back in Yosemite. 

Naoya and Mahito walked in, geared up and ready for their evening shifts. Naoya saw the two of them hunched over the camera and walked over. 

"Fushiguro's camera?" Mahito asked. Yuuji just nodded, and the other ranger came around to look at the photos, too. "Aw, so cute I want to squish them so hard they can't breathe." 

Yuuji blanched at the man's words. 

"They were born then, huh?" Naoya asked rhetorically. "Where is he?" 

"His office," Yuuji answered not really looking up from the camera. The three of them continued to gush at the photos, Mahito making weird remarks about wanting to 'rip their cute little paws off' or 'smash their little heads in'. Yuuji had heard of cute-aggression before but these comments were a little.. over the top. 

He heard Naoya and Megumi talking in the latter's office. Megumi's voice drifted in, sounding put out and annoyed by whatever Naoya had just told him. The wildlife ranger was coming back into the room, Naoya on his heels.

"No it wasn't him, but I even saw you together. Glad to know it's just a rumor," Naoya said, sounding snarky. 

"Again, why would it matter to you? You did the same thing to me last summer, always in my business, and for what?" Megumi snapped. "This is really inappropriate." 

Naoya appeared to get a little pink in the cheeks, but he brushed it off. "Alright, alright. Sorry for trying to get to know a bit more about you."

Megumi cocked his head at him, but ultimately sighed and let the conversation end there. He hadn't followed the whole thing but it was clear that Naoya was poking at Megumi about something personal. Yuuji frowned, not liking that his supervisor was making the other ranger upset. 

"Anyway, are you celebrating?" Naoya asked, nodding towards where Yuuji and Toudou still had his camera. "Big deal today. Want me to throw you a little party?" 

"Yeah, like you would ever. And I wasn't planning on it, anyway" Megumi mumbled. Turning to the other three, he gave a smile. It was dimmer than the one he had arrived with. "So there they are. Adorable, right? To think they only weigh about a pound each right now. They grow so damn quickly. By the time they are six weeks, they will be about 20 to 25 pounds. That's when it's safest for me to collect samples, less ris-"

"Jesus, who asked?" Naoya said, his tone between annoyed and teasing. Mahito gave a giggle like the supervisor was being funny, but Yuuji failed to see the humor, especially when Megumi's face fell, his mouth snapping shut. He didn't like that.

"I want to know," Yuuji said, lifting his chin. "I think it's interesting." 

Naoya rolled his eyes. "Don't encourage him." 

Then, the other two men were leaving, taking off for patrol. Had they seriously just come in here to hassle Megumi? Yuuji handed the camera back. The bright smile the wildlife ranger had walked in with was gone, stolen away by Naoya being a jerk. He didn't know their history, only knew they had both worked here last year in the same positions. Maybe he should ask. 

"What did you do to make him act like that?" Yuuji asked. "What happened?" 

Megumi blinked at him for a moment, before he looked irritated. "Why would you assume I did something? I haven't done anything to him. He's just always been an asshole to me for no reason. Him and that lackey of his."

Yuuji held up his hands, realizing that his question was definitely worded wrong. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." 

Megumi put the camera away in his pack, sighing. "It's fine. But seriously, if you find out why he doesn't like me, let me know." 

Megumi left after that, his shoulders down as he walked out. Yuuji had half a mind to hunt Zenin down and figure out his issue with Megumi but decided against it. Maybe he could ask tomorrow when they worked together. It suddenly felt like his mission to get to the bottom of this and sort out the two's issues. He didn't want to see the light dimmed in Megumi's eyes like that again. 

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Later that night, Yuuji was making some dinner. Toudou and himself could have had their own places, but they had decided to live together, having done it since they were put together in Yosemite. One of the new rangers he had made friends with was over, so they were making extra.

Nobara Kugisaki was easily one of the oddest people he had ever met. They met during an incident on the boardwalk. He had come upon her pointing her hammer at someone and yelling at them about breaking her rails by leaning on them. The tourists had looked completely shocked and a little afraid. He managed to de-escalate the situation but she continued to rant and rave about how dumb the tourists are for the better part of an hour. 

She was certainly funny. Definitely quick to anger. Unquestionably did not like tourists.  

The weather outside was still cold so he was making them all nice huge bowls of udon. Yuuji was used to the community in Yosemite and hadn't quite figured out how to stop making enough food for a family of six. There was so much left over. He wondered if he should ask Nobara if some rangers would be interested in a dinner rotation system. It worked really well in Yosemite. Everyone would gather at Yuuji's and they would take turns making dinner. Man, he missed his friends right now.

"So, how are you liking Yellowstone so far?" Nobara asked, laid out in the living room, flipping through a streaming service. "Any major differences so far?"

"It's definitely got a lot of differences. The thermal features are fascinating," Toudou replied.

"From Yosemite? Other than the environment, not much. I have to be honest, though. I'm worried about running into a grizzly. Those things scare me," Yuuji replied, dishing up the food. 

"They can be, but they don't tend to come into a lot of the area's your usually patrolling, too many people. I think I might have been a grizzly in a past life and the aversion to people never really left me, you know?" Nobara said, sitting up and accepting the bowl of food from Yuuji. Her eyes widened at the portion, saying thanks. The three of them tucked in. 

They made small talk. Nobara rejected all of his movie ideas, refusing to watch anything about 'some gross worm man' or anything that might be even a little scary. They settled on a comedy. He knew his movies would get shot down, but he had to try anyway. People just didn't understand the complexity of Human Earthworm. He silently lamented that so many people would never know the story just because of what the main character was. 

Nobara was tapping away at her phone at some point, smiling in fond exasperation. 

"This damn guy," she muttered.

"What's going on?" Yuuji asked. "Anything we can help with?"

"No, it's my friend. He just messaged me and said he forgot to eat all day. I swear if it weren't for granola bars and me taking pity on him and bringing him food, he would wither away. I'll have to stop by and give him my leftovers from last night," Nobara said tiredly. "He's lucky I love him, I swear." 

"Take some udon!" Yuuji declared. "I made way too much. There's enough for like, three more people. Hey, do you think anyone would be interested in setting up a rotation system? Toudou and I used to do in Yosemite. It was a really good way to bond. Even if someone has to work an evening shift, we just put it in a to-go container. What do you think?"

Nobara chewed her food for a moment. "I would be down for that, definitely. Let me put some feelers out and see if others want to join. And that's really sweet of you to offer some of your food for him, thank you. He's going to have to wait until I eat mine though." 

The subject changed, the three of them talking about previous postings, how they got into their line of work. Nobara surprised him by revealing that she never went to college or anything. She used to work in maintenance for the concessions here in the parks. Specifically, she worked at the inn, doing historical restoration. A job opened up in NPS and she applied for it. They gave her a trial run and when she proved herself competent, they let her have the job permanently. She took some environment courses online and she had been here ever since. 

"You know, that's incredible," Toudou said when she finished. "How did you get into a hobby like carpentry? And no trade school even?" 

"That's frankly amazing," Yuuji smiled at her. He had met people who had done something similar, and it required tons of volunteer hours. He knew she must have left that part of her journey out. The woman was formidable, and for all he knew, maybe she was telling the whole truth. 

The words seemed to go to Nobara's head as she held her head high. She had every right to. He already respected her, but now he did even more. A warmth spread through him as he looked at his new friend and he best friend, feeling like this summer was going be one of the best of his life. He was still smiling while he did the dishes. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What, haven't you ever heard of negging?" Naoya looked at him in disbelief. "You bring the person you're interested in down. It subconsciously makes them want to impress you more."

"So.. you're mean because you like him? Isn't that, I don't know, childish? Besides, it doesn't seem very.. nice?" Yuuji asked, genuinely confused by the man's strategy. 

They were on patrol together driving to the scene of a car accident. One problem was that Yuuji had decided to pursue his query of asking Naoya about what his problem with Megumi was. Now the two of them were here, stuck awkwardly together while Yuuji had to listen to the man's drivel about bad dating tactics. He regretted every moment of this. 

Never bring up dating around Naoya. Got it. 

Thankfully  the accident the two of them were headed to didn't sound like anything serious. Of course, a park service ambulance was following behind them just in case. Sometimes people had delayed injuries, even in a fender-bender. 

"'Like' is a strong word, and It's not childish. It's proven to work. I do it to everyone I find attractive. I think I have a type though, and it's geeks," Naoya said, smirking. "The point is that you aren't supposed to be nice. Girls, guys, doesn't matter. They like it when you're mean. There were a few of them last year that were good looking dorky types. I get at least a couple every season doing this method. Don't you listen to those dating podcasts?" 

"Er, no I don't. I don't think guys that are single in their forties should be listened to for dating advice," Yuuji grumbled. 

Didn't he know that Megumi was taken? It seemed disrespectful to actively go after someone else's partner. He decided he didn't want to ask, afraid of the answer he might get from the guy. 

Naoya barked out a laugh. "They are single by choice, choosing to hook up and dismiss instead of commit. Didn't you do any of that in college?"

"I'm not that type of guy."

Naoya gave him a look like he was an idiot for not doing so. 

"Well, anyway, he's a tough nut to crack. I even got Mahito and a couple of the others in on it to try and wear him down faster last year, but he didn't budge. Mahito is a great wing-man, by the way, if you find something you like," Naoya gave him a cocky grin. "But I might flip it around and try being nice to wolf-boy instead. Could confuse him enough. Mind games, you know? Unless something else comes along." 

This conversation was starting to feel gross and Yuuji didn't know how to get out of it now that he had started it. Thankfully they were almost to the accident site. Naoya had been nice to himself and Toudou, welcoming them with open arms and showing them the ropes. Now he was seeing a different side of the man, and Yuuji was finding it.. scummy. The conversation was over thankfully, but he thought about what Megumi said about wanting to know the reason Naoya was so rude to him. There was no way he was telling him this, though. 

The accident thankfully did not require any medical assistance. The people were mostly upset that their vacations had run into such a snag. The cars were not totaled but they would require some light body work. People came from all over the world to visit the national parks, spending hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on their vacations. Yuuji could understand the frustration of the tourists in this situation, knowing now they were probably going to have to spend more on fixing their cars after spending so much already. 

Glad that everyone was okay, he tried to make the process of a report as quick and painless as possible for them. It was all fairly straightforward.  Yuuji was getting back in the SUV, but was stopped when he saw Naoya talking to one of the EMT's. It was clear he was poking at her, teasing bordering on being mean based on her facial expressions. His mouth fell open when he saw him get her number. Naoya was smug as he walked back over, the both of them entering the vehicle. 

"See? It works," Naoya was saying as they headed back. 

Yuuji changed the subject, not wanting to hear anymore about this guys dating tactics or sex life. He was finding the respect he had for him going down, and he was sure if he heard anymore that he wouldn't have any left. 

Instead, he talked about anything else. The conversation moved onto safer topics, and Yuuji internally sighed in relief. The man's personal life had nothing to do with their job, so he would just avoid the topic going forward. 

He was still his supervisor, after all. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The visitor center was quieter in the evening. Most of the tourists were staying outside of the park, except those that paid top dollar to stay in the hotels inside. When he discovered how much a basic room at the Awhahnee hotel in Yosemite was, his eyebrows almost left his face. He knew it must be similar here, but he hadn't asked yet.

He was also convinced there were goddamn ghosts in the Awhahnee. The Old Faithful Inn had the same vibe. He didn't want to be walking around in their at night, full of people or not. He knew Toudou wouldn't be into it, but maybe Nobara would be open to an Ouiji board session in there? He certainly couldn't do it himself. 

Oh, he was definitely going to ask her later. 

He shook himself, focusing back on the books and maps in front of him. Having less people around made shopping for guides easier, so he really should do it all now if he could. He had a couple of days off coming up and he wanted to do some exploring. While the rangers around him had been  helpful on recommendations, he wanted a little guidebook that kept the information for him. Retaining information wasn't his strongest attribute. 

Yuko Ozawa was working tonight. She wasn't a ranger and just worked in the visitor center as a government employee. She leaned over the counter, flipping through a book and eyeing Yuuji. Yuuji was across from her, fussing with a stack of trail maps. It wasn't his job, but he noticed some of them were out of place. And then it bothered him that some of them were out of alphabetical order. Maybe he just wasn't sure what he needed, and now he was taking it out on the stacks in front of him.

"You know," Ozawa said, glancing up at him again, "I was going to take care of that after we closed.. or whoever works in the morning could have done it. You don't have to." 

Yuuji looked up, dead serious. "It’s bugging me. I'm not the most organized person, but when something should be organized-" Yuuji shut up when she laughed at him. "What?"

“Hey, I'm just teasing you. Thank you, honestly. It does save me some work later,” she smiled at him. Ozawa sighed, tapping her pen on the counter. “So, uh, what do you do for fun around here? When you’re not helping a girl out at her job?”

Yuuji blinked, considering. "Movies, nature, hanging out with my best friend. Oh, and I like to cook." 

"Oh yeah? What do you like to cook?"

"I've heard my meatballs are great, so I like to make those when I can. With noodles," he said after a moment.

Ozawa let out a loud laugh, like he said something funnier that meatballs. He tilted his head at her, confused. "What's wrong with meatballs?"

Ozawa tried to hide her grin behind her hand. “Wow. You’re really a wild man, Yuuji."

He frowned slightly. "It's not like, wild meat meatballs. Just beef, or sometimes ground chicken."

She started laughing again, twirling her hair as she looked at him. Yuuji turned back to the books. 

"Uh, you got any recommendations? I just want something with a lot of information, but not too bulky. I'm still learning about the land and everything here." 

"Hm. What about the laminated quick info pamphlets? There is one on the plants, birds, trees.." Ozawa leaned her elbows on the counter, chin resting on her hands. "You know, I was thinking since you like to cook, maybe you can teach me something? I'm a little helpless in a kitchen."

He tilted his head at her again. "You don’t know how to make meatballs?"

"Probably not as good as you," Ozawa said, smiling.

That's when it finally hit him. Was she flirting with him? Yuuji felt his neck heat up. She was a nice girl, but it felt quite sudden. There wasn't anyone that had really caught his eye.. Except for someone who he  couldn't have anyway. He was about to make an excuse to leave when the radio on his chest crackled to life. 

"Yuuji, you copy? We’ve got a couple of hikers overdue from Delacy Creek. Need you to check the trailhead, over," Naoya's voice came through. 

Yuuji straightened immediately. "Delacy creek trailhead, copy that, out.”"

He grabbed his hat off the counter. He felt relief that he had an out without having to lie. Lying never sat well with him. 

Ozawa sighed, sounding a little disappointed, but she gave him a smile anyway. “Yeah, of course. Go save the day, ranger.”

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A couple of weeks later, they were halfway through May. Yuuji was in a meeting called for by the superintendent. There was a storm coming up, one that could potentially risk the lives of tourists if they were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. They would need to warn everyone coming into the park and shut down backpacking trails. The last thing they needed was people trapped in remote areas during a storm. 

"Jeez, hopefully the park doesn't get shut down again," Miwa said under her breath. 

"There has been a closure recently?" Yuuji asked. "When did that happen?"

"Just a couple of years ago. The temperatures were high early in the spring, causing the snow to melt too quickly. The Yellowstone river flooded on the north side of the park. They had to build a new road and everything," she answered, keeping her voice low, the superintendent still talking. 

"Yeah, I hope that doesn't happen, too," Yuuji said. 

The meeting wrapped up and he spent the day learning about all the backpacking trails in Yellowstone. Obviously the one that he was most concerned for was the Continental Divide Trail. It spanned over multiple states, so people could be on it already. It wasn't likely they would be in this area yet, but still. Even some of the shorter hikes could prove to put people in danger if this storm was as bad as they said it could be. 

"We are going to go ahead and shut down all trails that take three days or more to hike as a precaution. Tomorrow, we will shut down the ones that take two days. We don't want to restrict people too much, but we also want to keep them safe. As we are understaffed, it will be all hands on deck if anyone goes missing. We might even have to borrow search and rescue rangers from Teton National Park should the need arise," Yaga was finishing. "I would like resource, wildland and enforcement to work together on this." 

Yuuji found himself working with Kokichi Muta, a wildland ranger. They were assigned a certain section of the park, and Muta had already determined what trails needed to be closed today. There were a lot more than he realized. Muta turned out to be very well versed, knowing the park like the back of his hand. Yuuji felt that way about Yosemite, so he knew this guy had to have been working here a long time. He hung onto his every word, trying to learn what he could. 

"This is one of my favorite trails, actually," Kokichi said. "A lot of people don't like it, but I find it peaceful. Buggy mid summer, but peaceful."

They were at the trailhead for Wapiti Lake. He made a mental note to try and hike this trail later in the year. Yuuji put the signs on the trail guide board, another on the pole right at the trailhead. They taped it off for good measure. They repeated the process at a couple of other trailheads. They compiled a list of trails to close off the following day. There was always a problem with times like these. It didn't matter how many signs they put up, it depended on whether or not people would heed them. 

"The good thing is that people need a permit in order to do some of these longer trails and have to check in once they make it back out. We will have a record of everyone who embarks on these. Well, we should anyway. Some people break the law, obviously," Muta gave him a small smile. "That's what you're here for." 

"True," Yuuji sighed. "So the stations won't issue permits for them for the time being, right?" 

"Yep. That part is covered, they have already began refusing..  Some are still closed until later in the season as well so, hopefully we are good." 

The drive back from the last trailhead, Yuuji was in the passenger seat now, having driven most of the day. Muta thankfully offered to give him a break from driving. He got to really look around at the park. There were so many thermal features everywhere. Technically he had known that before coming, but the random risings of steam were so many and so spread out. Kokichi was more than happy to answer his questions, to let him know about whatever he wanted. 

"And a lot of them are connected. It's why some of the geysers have distinct patterns before erupting, and why some eruptions affect others. Life on a caldera, huh?" Muta laughed at the wonder that must have been on his face. 

"This place has got to be a dream for geologists," Yuuji responded. 

"Oh man. There is one that comes here every year. His name is Satoru Gojo, and he's obsessed with the geysers. He's uncovered so many crazy things about the way they work. He tends to travel around to all of the parks all year long doing various research projects, but he stays here for a few weeks every summer. Hopefully you get to meet him. There's a joke we like say about him. We call him Neil Degrasse Gojo, because the man is just an infinite wealth of information about his specialty." 

"I hope I get to meet him then. A lot of stuff doesn't stick in my brain but I still like to hear it, anyway," Yuuji laughed.

They made it back to the ranger station without incident, marking the trails they closed on a big board. The other rangers came in, marking theirs off as well. Despite the reassurance that things were getting done, he was still feeling a bit of anxiety. A gut feeling that something was going to go wrong. He did his best to ease his own mind, boiling it down to nerves. 

This was the first potential big incident in a new place, that was all it was.