Here's a lighter chapter. I just had fun playing around. Enjoy!

At this point it is a month and a half into his incarceration and Eli is about ready to go crazy. There is only so much a person can do in a house – the most boring house – before they hit the end and then have to go through the same things over and over and- Eli screams.

"Eli!" his mother yells. "What did I tell you about screaming?"

Eli groans. "Sorry, mother." He lets his head fall flat on the desk. So this is how it ends. Death by boredom. If ever it was going to happen he'll definitely be the one to experience it now. At least he can take solace knowing he'll go down in history as the first to die like this, to prove it is in fact possible.

Clink. His ears prick as a faint sound pierces the silence. Clink. He lifts his head and blinks, his brow creasing as he tries to pin down exactly what the noise could be. Clink. There is it is again. And it's coming from…the window?

He stands and tiptoes toward it. He leans in close and peers through the glass. A face pops into view and he shrieks, stumbling back and nearly falling over.

"Elijah Leslie Pepperjack!"

Eli slaps his hands over his mouth. He clears his throat and drops his hand. "S-Sorry, mother. It was a…a mouse. Skittered across my foot."

"A mouse?" his mother's voice is shrill. "We can not have vermin in this house. Have you been hording food again?"

"No, mother. It's probably just cold or something. I'll get rid of it. Don't worry." He breathes out and composes himself before he returns to the window.

Steve grins and waves. "Sup."

Eli shoves the glass up and glares with all he has. "What do you think you're doing?" he says with hushed shrillness. "You can't be here." He frowns and his huffy front falters as another oddity falls on him. "And…why were you throwing rocks if you were already on the roof?"

Steve shrugs. "I was bored. So I came." He snickers. "And why not throw rocks?" He holds his hands up. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to notice. Pretty quick actually. Tapping would have been too easy."

Eli looks at him as if he is an utter moron.

"What? Creepslayerz training," he offers this to try and placate Eli. Putting a creepslayerz twist on things almost always wins him over.

"Seriously, you can not be here." He glances over his shoulder. "If my mother found out-"

Steve scoffs. "So we won't let her find out." He pushes Eli just hard enough to get him clear of the window and then slips in.

"Steve," Eli says through gritted teeth.

"Relax, dude." He pats Eli on the head as he passes. "And stop with your weird quiet voice. They're not gonna hear us. Unless you scream again." He smirks as he shoots Eli an accusing look.

Eli sighs. Well, he certainly isn't bored anymore. He closes the window. "What exactly do you think you're going to be able to do here that you can't do at your house?" Steve even has a tv for crying out loud. All that's here are board games that Steve doesn't even like.

"Get away from stupid idiots in love." Steve stretches out on Eli's bed.

Eli frowns. "Sorry?"

Steve lets out a long sigh. "It's date night. And those damn walls are paper thin. Plus, it's just…coach! That's our coach." Steve makes a sound of disgust and sticks his tongue out. "Forget that."

"Oh." Eli giggles. "Sorry." He covers his mouth to try and muffle the sound. But nothing can hide the way his eyes light with amusement.

Steve narrows his eyes. "It's not funny." He points. "Imagine your mom dating one of your teachers."

Eli snorts. "Yeah, no thanks. Besides, my moms are the perfect couple."

Steve blinks. "Wait, what?"

Eli's expression goes blank as he realizes what he said. "Uh, I said my parents are the perfect couple." He shifts his gaze from one side to the other, desperate to look at anything that isn't Steve.

"Nu-uh. You big fat liar." Steve sits up and swings his legs over the edge. "You said moms. With an s."

Eli's cheeks color. "S-So! What of it?"

Steve chuckles. "Nothing of it. I just didn't know."

"Oh…ok." Eli drops his gaze to the floor.

Steve shakes his head. "You really think I'd make fun of you for that? I mean, your middle name's Leslie for crying out loud, if I was going to pick on you I'd just use that." His expression dims slightly. "Besides, what's there to make fun of? Your family's functional. That's the best anyone could ask for."

Eli stifles a grimace. He knows well that Steve's family was less than perfect, tilted heavily toward dysfunctional. An unhealthy mess. He doesn't know details, he could never pry like that and Steve has never talked about any of it, but he knows his father was awful and that's enough.

The sound of footsteps breaches Eli's thoughts and he jerks to attention. "Oh no, no, no." He springs forward and grabs Steve by his arms.

Steve starts. "What the heck are you-"

"Get down. Get down now." He pulls Steve with all his might and shoves him toward the floor. "Under the bed. Under."

Steve grunts as he is pushed and pulled about. "Stop it. I'm not a string bean like you. No way I'm gonna fit."

"Steve."

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Chill." Eli doesn't accomplish anything with his own power – Steve is much too firm for that – but the poking and jabbing is super annoying.

Eli gives a final push before the door clicks and he leaps to his feet. "Oh, hi mom." When he smiles it is genuine.

His mom smiles in return. "I just came to see if you wanted some cookies. They're chocolate chip." She holds out a plate full of them.

Eli opens his mouth to say no, but a grunt comes out instead as he feels his leg being tugged on. He glares at the hand peeking out from beneath the bed. When he looks up the light has returned to his eyes. "Yeah, I'd love a few." He shakes off Steve's hand and goes to his mom. "Thanks." He takes three.

"You're welcome, honey." She pats him on the head. "Oh, but do tone it down with the screams, alright kiddo? You're really only making it harder on yourself. Your mother is going to lock you up until you're thirty if you aren't careful," she half laughs.

Eli laughs too, but the possibility is unfortunately way more likely than either of them would like.

"Night, kiddo." His mom waves over her shoulder before she closes the door behind her.

Eli lets out a long breath. Thank goodness. If that had been his other mother then they probably would not have made it out of the visit alive, especially with stupid Steve pulling at his pants. He glares at the bottom of the bed.

Steve wiggles his way out with much effort, sighing as he is able to stretch out all his limbs again. "Alright." He hops to his feet and rubs his hands together. "Cookies." He plucks one from Eli's hands and takes a big bite. "So," he says through his food, "which one was that?"

Eli blinks. "What?"

"Your mom. Which one was that one?" He tilts his head.

"Oh, right." He tugs at his sleeve. He has never had anyone ask something like that. No one at school knows. Steve is the first. "Her name's Laura. She's the, uh, nicer one?" He gives a sheepish smile.

Steve bursts out laughing. "Oh my God. You picked favorites. I can not believe you just threw prison mom under the bus."

Eli puffs his lips out in a pout and crosses his arms. "It's not like that. Mom, she's just…more chill. Like, yeah, she was mad about the car and all and I'm pretty sure she might be on the lookout for you since it kinda was completely your fault, but she didn't come up with this punishment."

"Yeah, she didn't sound tough enough to be the warden." He snickers as he takes another bite from his cookie. "Holy crap. These are the best cookies I've had in my life."

Eli chuckles. "Yeah, her specialty is desserts. She makes at least one dish every week."

"Okay. So you've got to tell me every time she does make something and that is the day I'm gonna break in every week."

Eli scowls. "You can not keep doing this. If you do you'll get us caught and I'll be the one who gets punished for it."

Steve scoffs. "As if you are the only one who suffers from this. If this place goes on lockdown then that means I won't get to see you anymore except for stupid school."

Eli starts and stares mystified. "You…you like hanging out with me that much?" A broad smile spreads over his face.

Steve rolls his eyes and hits Eli lightly on the arm. "You're the smart one." He grabs another cookie and takes his seat on the bed. "You figure it out."

Eli rubs where Steve hit him, continuing to smile despite Steve's ridiculous response. He always has to give some cope out answer.

"What about the other one?" Steve asks through another mouthful.

"Angie. As you like to say, she's 'prison mom'," he mimics Steve's tone as best he can. "She's still nice." He shoots Steve a pointed look. "She just worries more. She doesn't want me falling in with the wrong crowd."

Steve barks out a laugh. "Well, too late for that."

Eli frowns. "You are not 'the wrong crowd'. You just…didn't get off on the best foot with mother." He rubs the back of his neck. "You know, wrecking her car and all."

Steve snorts. "There's no proof I had anything to do with that." He holds his head high. "Innocent until proven guilty."

Eli makes a face. "But you are guilty."

"Says you." He licks his fingers clean and eyes the cookie remaining in Eli's hand. "Hey, you gonna eat that?" He points.

Eli shakes his head. "It's all yours." He tosses it. He can just go get another one later.

Steve dips forward and catches it between his teeth. "Haha. Score." He gulps it down in one go. "So, what do I have to do to make them not hate me anymore?" It's more or less a non-issue, but this would all be a hell of a lot easier if he was allowed to freely pass through the house and see Eli. That and if Eli could leave.

Eli snorts out a laugh. "Go back in time. That's basically it."

"Oh, come on." Steve throws his hands in the air. "You said your one mom is chill. It's got to be easier with her at least."

Eli shrugs. "Over protective moms. And I've got two of them."

Steve huffs and crosses his arms. "This is stupid."

"Well, you could start by not sneaking into my room. Waiting like a good kid and influence for me to get out of jail is exactly what my moms would want."

"We both know that's not happening." He leans over and grabs a piece of paper off the floor. He crumples it up without even checking what it is and throws it into the air. Catch, throw. Catch, throw. "Especially now that I know there's free food involved."

"Seriously." Eli looks hard at him.

"I'm being completely serious." He flops onto his back and continues tossing his paper wad. "Your scary moms aren't gonna chase me away." His cheer falters as he says it. He already knows what true fear is anyway. Nothing these people could do will ever match up to what he has experienced.

Another set of footsteps tromp up the stairs and Eli gasps. He launches forward and smacks the paper out of Steve's hand. "Time to move. Move, move, move." He fusses over Steve.

Steve swats away Eli's hands. "Cut it out. I know the drill, crazy." He drops to the floor and scrunches under the bed again.

Eli throws himself into the chair at his desk and leans over the array of papers spread out.

In the next instant, the door swings open.

Eli perks and swivels his chair. "Oh, hey, mother." He puts on his best smile and tries his hardest not the look toward the bed. If his mother gets so much as the tiniest feeling something is off, he is going to be eaten alive. "I was just double checking some homework."

"That's good." She smiles. "I was wondering if you wanted to come play a board game, something like House on the Hill. Thought it might keep you from wailing for a bit." She gives him a pointed look. "I even convinced Laura to play."

Eli bounces in his seat and squeals. "Seriously?" Mom rarely likes to play those types of board games. "Yes!" He leaps to his feet and snatches the game from the shelf. "You set up." He shoves the box at her. "I've gotta do something real quick."

His mother smirks. "Careful. I might rig it so I know I'll be the traitor."

Eli scoffs, grinning from ear to ear. "You can't rig something like that."

"That's what you think." She raises her brows twice. "Better be quick." She pivots and hurries down the stairs.

Eli bounces from one foot to the other as he turns to the bed. He bends down and whispers, "Okay, seriously, you have to go now."

Steve pops his head out, a grin plastered across his face. "I can not believe jail mom is also nerd mom," he utters a hushed laugh. "Who'd have thunk it." He crawls the rest of the way out. "Those two things, they just don't go together."

Eli pouts. "It is not a nerd game. It's cool. It's macabre and full of mystique." He moves his hand in a sweeping motion.

"All I hear is nerd." Steve smirks.

Eli shakes his head. "Now get. Go." He shoos Steve toward the window.

"I'm going already." Steve moves toward the window and pauses to lean on the frame. "Just gimme a minute. It's cold out there."

"I mean it, Steve." He looks hard at Steve and points a finger in his face. "If I come back and you're here – under the bed, in the closet, anywhere – I'm going to throw you out the window on your ass."

Steve bites back a laugh as the crude word passes Eli's lips. Definitely got that from him. Eli wouldn't be caught dead talking like that a month ago. "Okay, short stuff." He pats Eli on the head. "See ya." He gives a half salute before slipping out the window just the way he came.

Eli smiles after him. He fussed, but really having Steve here, even for the shortest time, was a lot of fun. He kind of hopes Steve makes a habit of sneaking in. Now! He runs to the living room. Off to slay the beast!

I am so on board the Eli has two moms train like yes please. Unless the show specifically states somewhere that he has a single mother or whatever then he will have two moms in my canon. haha Also, I don't know if any real family employs this, but if I was a kid with two parents of the same gender I'd definitely be figuring out a way to keep them from both being called 'mom' without using their names, otherwise you'd yell 'mom' and they'd both think you were talking to them. lol Regardless of if it is a thing in real life, it works better for writing. Please review!