The cookies available at the catering table were possibly the worst he'd ever had, Justin thought darkly, chewing with grim determination on a dry, gritty mouthful of what was probably meant to be chocolate chip. It was roughly as tasteless as cardboard, and he was increasingly convinced the dark bits in the cookie were mouse turds rather than chocolate. Gross.

There were people everywhere, though, and he refused to spit it out and look like a wimp. No way. He forced himself to swallow his bite, looked at the remainder of the cookie with revulsion, and tossed it into the trash with what he thought was convincingly casual disdain. Two points! he thought gleefully, and turned back to the table, scavenging for what remained after their combined bands had already descended on the selection. He was a growing boy, after all, he needed sustainance.

A finger appeared in front of him, pointing to something cakelike, brown and weird-looking and covered in slime, and Justin looked up to see Brian standing there, grinning easily, still wearing his uniform from the game, sweaty and good-natured and clear-eyed.

"This stuff's pretty good," Brian told him easily, and Justin looked back at it dubiously. Anyone else he might have accused of poisoning him, or at best pulling some weird kind of practical joke. But this was Brian, and possibly the most straight-laced guy on the planet--at the very least, he wouldn't play a practical joke on anyone except maybe Nick--so he gingerly scooped up a slice and bit in. And raised his eyebrows, swallowing quickly and returning for more.

"Mmm, 's really good," he mumbled with surprise through his mouthful, and Brian laughed and clapped him on the back, hand lingering just a second too long.

"Yeah," Brian said. "Sometimes it's the stuff that you never look at that tastes the best." Justin looked up at him sharply, and Brian squeezed his shoulder and smiled at him. Then he was gone, and Justin was left with a mouthful of cake and a warm handprint on his body.

It took a long time to fade away.

~end~