Trio

"I think Elliot doesn't like Evan."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I punched him the other day."

Lake looked up from what he was doing to stare across the table at Elliot. His hands ceased the childish braiding of Raleigh's long red hair, and his mouth hung open. "You punched him?"

"He deserved it," Elliot said grumpily.

"Evan was doing his usual, and forgetting the fact we're not together," Raleigh explained. "So Elliot smacked him on in the jaw."

Lake chuckled, shaking his head at his friend. The trio were sat in a little cafe tucked in a corner of the village. Lake was perched on the back of the seat, Raleigh between his legs while the teenager braided pieces of the long red. Lake had been playing with Raleigh's hair from the moment they all sat down together. Pulling it into pigtails, and generally making Raleigh look like a fool. Only Lake could get away with doing such a thing. "So are you guys speaking now, then?"

"I don't know," Raleigh replied with a sigh. "After carrying his ass to the hospital, I told him that to be honest I don't think we should be friends at all."

"I don't like him at all," Elliot said, stirring his straw in his soda. "Its like I don't exist to him."

"Evan sees what he wants to see," Lake explained. "Even before Calvin started pumping him full of drugs. But you can't just ditch him, you're too nice, Rawrie."

Raleigh smiled weakly. "I hoping Elliot's punch will have knocked some sense into him, and that he starts thinking about his actions - and that I don't want to be with him. Now, or ever again."

"Sooooo, are you two going to grow old together?" Lake asked with a purr. "Planning the wedding already, Rawrie?" He could see Elliot's blush threatening to crawl over his cheeks, and noted how Raleigh's body tensed beneath him at his teasing, but this was Lake, and he meant it in jest. "Bet you'll be adopting about six hundred kids and everything!" He leaned forward, bringing his face close to Raleigh's ear. "Elliot really likes kids," he said, acting as if he was whispering yet saying it loud enough for Elliot to hear.

Raleigh pushed him away, only to end up flying after him to catch him before Lake crashed onto the floor.