Benjy lifted his eyebrows, inclined his chin and tried for a devious expression, playing along with Caradoc’s drug warning. “Oh but you aren’t just anyone. You get extra special treatment, most of which you will be passed out for. Since this is your first time you’ll get to keep all of your vital organs.” Benjy couldn’t help but wink when suddenly Caradoc’s voice came through about the damned lock again.
Benjy’s shoulders slouched. There were coming off as an odd duo here and Merlin fuck, it embarrassed Benjy slightly. “Okay, okay," He walked over to the door, tugged on it and nodded, "We’re good to go."
The look he gave Caradoc was a little less than playful in return as he downed his second shot with the other two. Benjy’s eyes lingered on Car’s stupid little smirk and immediately he felt regret for leaving the door unlocked in the first place. He felt annoyed all of a sudden, but not at Caradoc (although Caradoc might have to take the heat anyways). The look Car was giving him was warm and somehow very much wanted, needed. Reminded Benjy of his parents. No, Benjy felt annoyed at himself. It wasn’t just a matter of a locked door, it was a matter of how Caradoc had that way of improving Benjy every time.
So whereas he wanted to just say something touching like thanks, he simply rolled his eyes at Caradoc and turned torwards Sturgis before gesturing the the loveseat and recliner, “Make yourself at home. Have a seat.” Benjy lightly tapped Sturgis’s shoulder and smiled at him, “I usually just have dinner out here rather than in the kitchen, but I mean… we can eat wherever. Sorry, I’m not exactly used to having company over. And hey, your life sounds awful similar to my life.”
Benjy turned away from the boys and made his way over to the radio. He switched it on and immediately heard the familiar radio talk show host making announcements on the news, something about the war of course. He was going on about the Ministry’s current state of worry. Nothing too important. It was the station Benjy often listened to when he was alone. Benjy swallowed hard, turned to give Caradoc and Sturgis a small smile, “How about something a little less distracting?” He took a moment to find a radio station that played rock songs. Benjy released a tense sigh and made his way back over to his friends, “That’s better.”
Caradoc noticed the shift in Benjy, the way his shoulders slumped, his face falling into an expression that Car was still trying to find out. Had he teased him too much? The boys’ were always messing around with one another, teasing and making harsh jokes, but Benjy had always known he was just kidding. He was sure Benjy had said far worse to Car so did his jokes really bother him that much? He wondered if it was because Sturgis was here and he began to watch Benjy’s mannerisms. He didn’t like the thought of his best friend being angry with him. Actually, Car didn’t like feeling like anyone was mad at him, especially at a time like this. The war was too close to home now and headlines were constantly mentioning the murders of muggles and specific wizard families. He couldn’t imagine getting into a fight with Benjy and never being able to have the chance to apologize if anything were to happen to either of them. No, he couldn’t let himself think like this. They were going to be fine.
The look Benjy tossed his way had Car’s brows furrowing, and he scowled to himself after Benjy rolled his eyes, turning his attention solely on Sturgis. It made him slightly paranoid and annoyed and even a bit jealous when he chose to ignore Car. Obviously Caradoc had said something wrong and now he couldn’t even ask Benjy what he had said to piss him off. Sturgis and the boys’ were still finding their dynamics with one another and he really didn’t need to frighten Sturgis so quickly or make him feel uncomfortable. Whatever it was, Benjy better not act like a twat the entire night, especially since he was persuading him to drink so much.
He decided to play nice and keep the teases to a minimum, pulling a seat out to Sturgis beside him. He then moved one out for Benjy to return to after he made his way towards the radio. A crackle and voice sounded through the room, the warnings of war and death making the air around them that much more tense. It wasn’t necessarily a tense topic of war but even still, Car tensed.
Caradoc was immensely proud of his choice to join the Order but he couldn’t help but feel as if he was drowning when heard the radio or heard the whispers of those around Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. The Order was strong, filled with some of the greatest witches and wizards of their time, but he couldn’t help but feel that they were probably incredibly outnumbered. He smiled when Benjy changed it to something more enjoyable and Caradoc immediately lifted the bottle to pour everyone another drink. “Come on then,” He motioned over to Benjy, placing the shot glasses closer to them. “What better way to end a day of work with some whiskey?” He joked, lifting his glass that was threatening to spill over the room. With such large hands, it was hard for Car to balance it enough so that small drops didn’t land on his pant leg. “Cheers - “
Sturgis could feel the way he was throwing the other two men off. They were stumbling over his presence, trying to figure out how be more than two. He hated it. He quickly took Benjy's offer and sank into one side of the loveseat, trying to feign complete comfort. He reprimanded himself for wishing he could leave and smiled at Benjy's awkwardness, pretending he found it amusing. "I'm fine with whatever. Don't worry about me. I'm not company, more like a dog you found on the street or something." The joke was lame, and he knew it. But the effort was there he supposed.
At the sound of the radio broadcaster's voice Sturgis immediately stiffened. He'd never been much of a radio listener, but recently he had been avoiding it like the plague. The somber notes of the announcer's voice felt heavy, landing on him resolutely. When Benjy changed the channel it was hard to resist letting out an audible sigh of relief.
Sturgis lifted his glass to join Caradoc's in the air, echoing him with a vaguely enthusiastic "Cheers," and taking a large gulp of the burning beverage. "So what about you, Caradoc? Is your life as boring and mine and Benjy's?" He wished that his attempt at conversation didn't sound so unconvincing in his ears.
