"Goddamnit Charlie, is that what I think it is?" Cameron looked positively scandalised as the rascal in question dipped into the cave with his usual cocky finesse. The items in his hands reflected the moonlight with a mischievous glint.

"The bottled blood of our homie, Jesus Lord Christ and these neat little body biscuits, big bet. Much better than a half eaten roll." A pointed stare was directed at Gerard Pitts who openly quailed.

"I offered to put it back!"

Overstreet's hand clapped on his shoulder in a sign of support, "No one needs your sloppy seconds, Pittsie."

"Knox would if he wasn't so wrapped up in Chris' a—OW! Bestie abuse! You bastard!" Charlie returns Knox's swing for their punches to dissolve into a juvenile hand-slappy back 'n forth. Typical. Todd just shakes his head, hiding his smile at the childish display.

"Drop dead, Charlie. Thrice."

"No blood for you, Judas."

"I'd take the silver coinage over you any day, dipstick—Don't touch me, dude! Disgustin-guh!"

Neil clears his throat over Charlie and Knox's banter, "Are we going to read some pottery or what, gentlemen?"

"Pottery?" "Did he just say—?" "—Yeah, I think he said—" "—Someone say pot?" Charlie took that as his cue to start singing Unchained Melody and mime making a vase (or something) on a wheel.

Shut up!" Neil couldn't even be bothered to be embarrassed, "You know what I meant!" He laughs as his friend rib him mercilessly for the mistake until Charlie calls a truce,

"Praise Perry?"

"Praise Perry!" The rest of the cave echoed jovially as Charlie started passing the bottle of wine around making a show of skipping Knox to let the boy sitting next to him, Meeks, get the second swig.

Knox tracked Charlie's face as his now former best friend reached across him, "You. Suck."

"Swallow too, for the right person." There was a chorus of disgusted laughs when Charlie winked at his sullen friend.

"I truly hate you all." Cameron announced, still smiling but half sincere.

Not one to leave a good announcement unsaid, "Ladies, gentlemen and those of you who have yet to make up your minds, are we finally ready?" Neil was poised and prepared with the book of verses, waiting for enthusiastic replies.

Pitts had crammed about 20 representations of Christ's body in his mouth and was choking on the crumbling communion wafers, "Ready," Dying noises ensued, "For anything!" He managed to get out as Meeks stared at him, hypnotised in horror at the display.

"Definitely expecting inevitable damnation and death," His ginger haired roommate confirmed watching the coughing mess Pitts was spraying across Meeks' picnic blanket jacket, and sighed, "Matzel Tov."

With one hand on his heart and the other stretched towards Meeks, Knox reached out in solidarity, "That's very halal of you brother, namaste."

Steven didn't even know where to begin with that so Cameron swooped in with a single "Amen." to round it out.

Todd was a quiet council at Neil's side "I don't think anyone is going to be ready until you just start, Neil."

He had wanted to respond but, between the slap-fight that Cameron was trying (and failing) to break up between Knox and Charlie, Pitts spraying crumbs on everyone and everything within reach (including Meeks' hair) with Todd budged up close to him, Neil threw his head back and laughed.

Sometimes, it felt so good to be alive.

Wordlessly, he met Todd's eyes, delighted to see the blonde boy smiling and slightly pink in his own enjoyment of the cave's chaos. A subtle head tilt towards the outside had him and Todd crawling out of the cave unnoticed by the others.

"N-Neil," the dark boy in question shhh'd Todd politely, concerned they'd be overheard and disturbed, "What are we doing?" His voice dropped an octave or two as requested but it did nothing to dull how bright and eager his eyes shone.

"Going into the woods to live deliberately." Obviously.

Behind them their disappearing act had been noted sooner than Neil had anticipated, "Where the fuck did Teil go?" Neil and Todd shared a laughable oh shit look before scrambling for cover amongst the trees, still very much within earshot. Neil pressed a finger to his lips as Todd tried to abide, biting down on his smile As Neil indicated for them to listen to the chaos left in their wake.

Knox was the first to speak up, "What—why are talking about colours, Charlie, the hell?"

"Todd and Neil equals Teil you idiot, it was supposed to save time but now that I've had to explain it—"

"—do I have one of those?" Cameron sounds oddly hopeful.

Steven washed his hands of this situation almost immediately. "Peeks doesn't do it for me, I do not claim that at all."

"That's because we make sweet Cheeks, Steve." Charlie lunged towards the bespectacled boy as if to make a point only for his face to meet braced freckled hands.

"Don't even try," Meeks looked to his roommate who was of no help, Pitts was too busy trying to concoct an elegant way of smashing the names Gerard and Steven together. You know, to save time. "Little help here, please!? Get off, Charlie!"

"...Sterard?"

"Literally trying to—why won't you just let me love you?!" Charlie caught Meeks' waist, threateningly dragging him closer but losing against Steven's ironclad locked elbows.

"Geven?"

"Because you're a reject!" As practised as he was and despite how hard he tried, Steven was starting to lose against Charlie's rowing strength.

"Oo you sound just like my Dad. Say it again, I like it."

"Peeks! Oh wait, he already denied that one..."

"Pitts, hey buddy," Cameron whispered, "You suck at this."

"Mitts! We're Mitts! Ha!" He goaded in Cameron's very unimpressed face.

Only to be instantly refuted by his increasingly frustrated roommate,"No, no, no we're not," Charlie was laughing maniacally as he octopussed himself around his highly unamused friend, slowly sliding down him like a pole. "Is anybody going to help me?!" There was nothing Steven could do to prise this psycho off him.

Until Knox spoke up, "Daddy Dalton is a DILF for certain."

As one man, everyone in the cave looked at Knox in silence. Charlie even released his prey and neutrally dusted off both their rumbled clothes,"…Wow nothing has ever made me so flaccid so fast—why would you do that?"

Meeks is as sarcastic and exasperated as ever, hitting Charlie's attempts at being useful (copping a feel) away brusquely, "Someone really needs to get you scheduled for a neutering, Dalton. Jesus fuck."

"Big bet he did though, why else hang out with the prostitute crowd—Teil! You're going to miss out on all of the alcoholic cannibalism symbolism!" He took a drink of wine and then smiled, letting it all run down out of his mouth like blood.

"Waste of alcohol." "Aw what the hell, man!" "That's disgusting!" "My coat!" It wasn't that hard for Todd and Neil to figure out who said what as they tried to subdue their laughter in the trees.

"We should go back, Neil—" He was cut off by Neil's arm draped around his shoulders, pulling him close.

"—Absolutely not, listen!"

"It's just wine you wuss puss." The same liquid in question had poured all down Charlie's jacket and shirt front underneath.

"My coat…" Said Steven, looking forlornly at the red puddle Charlie had spread all over the cave floor.

Cameron regarded the both of them placidly, "You'll never get that stain out."

Charlie waved him off, "That's okay, Knox has been knocked around enough that he's almost as good as any girl at getting blood out of laundry."

"Can I add that the 'blood' of Christ is actually wine and a completely different ball game?" Steven seemed to be the only one who heard Cameron's accurate observation.

"My coat," said Meeks.

Knox grimaced, "I don't know if I should be flattered or disgusted."

"It's Charlie so, both." Pitt's clarified.

"Relax," Charlie's hand on Steven's shoulder was brushed off, "I'll get you a new one."

"My coat." said Meeks.

"See what happens when we ignore Neil?" Cameron accused, shaking his head. This was further punctuated by Charlie howling at the moon in triumphant abandon; ears covered and eyes pressed shut at the noise Cameron sighed, "Utter chaos."