"Remember, if we see a bear. Run, don't fight it."

"If I see a bear I'm going to throw it at you." Liam said.

"Hey, this was your idea."

"I didn't realize we'd be walking through a monsoon" Liam grumbled, feet skidding across the muddy ground almost toppling him over if it weren't for him being able to grab onto a tree trunk like a koala.

"It's not that bad." Theo said, Liam gaped at him wordlessly, watching as he tipped his face up towards the sky raindrops pelting down on his face, a veritable waterfall dripping from the back of his hair. Liam shoved his own wet hair out of his eyes, wishing he hadn't given Sammy her scrunchie back so he could actually see where he was going without the rain enlisting his hair to blind him.

"It's bad." Liam said, shoving away from his tree and continuing on the treacherous path towards casa del cool. "I'm soaking."

"It's just a bit of rain."

"I'm from California. Rain and I go together like-"

"You and common sense?"

"Hey!" Liam huffed.

"You're not a witch, you won't melt."

"Do they?"

"What?" Theo asked, Liam scurried forwards, slopping through the mud to walk next to Theo.

"Melt."

"I repeat. What?"

"Witches. Do they melt in water?" Liam clarified. "Or is that like another miss translation sort of thing like with werewolves and the argents. Is there a Chris Aqua out there going round hunting witches."

"The Wizard of Oz isn't supernatural law Liam."

"I'm not saying it is." Liam huffed. "I'm just wondering if there's any truth to it."

"I don't know, tell you what, next time you come across a witch challenge her to a water fight and see how she reacts."

Liam rolled his eyes at Theo's less than helpful answer, turning back to the trees as he found himself wondering whether Theo had ever had a proper water fight and then trying to figure out whether it was on Theo's real boy list yet or not.

"Tag." Theo said, hand hitting hard enough against Liam's arm to leave it throbbing in pain before he was taking off, sliding through the mud like frozone.

"wha-DAMMIT COME BACK!" Liam hissed sprinting, or as best as he could through the torrential rain and bog-like mud, after Theo. "Cheater!"

*

By the time the two finally reached casa del cool Liam was fairly sure they were more mud than human but couldn't bring himself to care, especially not after having seen Theo do a few truly spectacular diving trips through the muddy forest. He spotted a nice boulder in the surprisingly warm overhang and was more than happy to curl onto it and dry out for the next hour or so. Theo, it seemed, had a different idea.

"What the hell are you doing?" Liam asked, watching as Theo abandoned their bag of food and started unbuckling his jeans. Theo paused for a moment, eyes flickering to Liam.

"...Going swimming?" Theo said slowly.

"It's raining."

"Uh oh, I might get wet." Theo said dryly, tugging at his jeans.

"Really, you want to swim in the rain?"

"I mean, we came here to swim right?"

"Well yeah but-"

"Besides, I'm pretty sure you promised me and the lake a makeout session."

"Pretty sure you need to be at the end of a big fight to kiss in the rain. Makes it more dramatic." Liam said. Theo nodded slowly, stalking closer as his lips pulled into a smirk.

"Is that a fact?" he drawled. Hands sliding around Liam's sides oh so casually.

"It's like the rule of rain kisses." Liam breathed, leaning in.

"Well, I don't mind breaking the rules if you don't." Theo hummed lips brushing Liam's softly.

"Stop trying to seduce me into swimming. You're not a siren." Liam grinned.

"I'd be a good one wouldn't I?"

"Not good enough." Liam said, nudging Theo away. "Let's eat, the rain might've stopped by the time we're done."

"And then swimming?" Theo asked suspiciously. Liam gave a small nod, ducking in to press a quick kiss to Theo's lips.

"And lots of making out." Liam promised.

"We could skip the food and the swimming if you wanted." Theo said. Even as he moved towards their small bag of supplies. "Uh, Liam."

"Yeah?"

"Some of the food has been uh..moistened by the rain." Theo said scooping a mushy sandwich out of the bag.

"But everything was wrapped." Liam said, eyeing the pile of wet bread in Theo's hand in disgust.

"Not very well apparently." Theo hummed.

"So what survived?"

"Well, we've got oranges." Theo picked up an orange, peel tacky with wet crumbs of food.

"And?"

"That's it." Theo said, upending the bag of soggy food.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"You think the hermits stashed some food around here?"

"I doubt it. They come once a month, stashing food just sounds like a way to get food poisoning." Theo said slowly.

"We can't get food poisoning, we're werewolves."

"Still, I'm not a fan of eating moldy food just because I can. Are you?"

"There's gotta be something."

"There won't be anything."

"I'll call them." Liam decided. There had to be something, he wouldn't put it past Eric to bury a packet of cookies like a squirrel.

*

"Guns says there's a disposable barbeque in one of the teepees." Liam offered, moving the phone from his ear as Theo poked a stick at their ruined picnic. One day, Liam thought, one day he was going to succeed in having a goddamn picnic with his boyfriend.

"I know Liam, I can hear her." Theo snorted. "A barbecue won't help."

"It's better than nothing."

"Right so...what are we meant to put on the barbeque?" Theo asked.

"Uh-"

"You're predators aren't you? Hunt." Guns scoffed.

"There is no way in hell I'm skinning and eating a deer." Liam said quickly. "I'm not Malia."

"I sincerely doubt she stopped to skin them." Theo said. "We can just hang out for a couple hours then head-"

"No." Liam said quickly. "No, dude, we walked all the way out here in that monsoon we're not marching back after a 'couple hours' that's stupid."

"Liam, we have no food."

"Yeah well, it takes like a month to starve and we have plenty of water so we'll be fine." Liam said, gesturing to the still pouring rain and the crashing waterfall.

"Maybe it'll take you thirty days to starve but i've got used to regular meals. We have about four hours before I eat you."

"Well, then you go out and catch a deer!"

"No." Theo hissed, as if the idea were disgusting.

"Dude, come on."

"Dude, No." Theo said mockingly.

"Why not?"

"Do you not remember watching Bambi as a kid?"

"You won't kill a deer because of Bambi?" Liam asked.

"I won't kill a deer because it's gross. You do it."

"I'm not killing a deer. What if my eyes change color?"

"Your eyes won't change color because you kill an animal."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm not an idiot? Besides, you ate a fly, your eyes didn't turn blue."

"Well, all flies are evil." Liam said.

"Oh yeah, because that makes sense." Theo scoffed.

"GUYS!" Liam jumped as Sara's voice ripped through the phone line. "Shut up. I'll bring you some damn burgers.The rain's meant to stop soon so I'll come then, if it doesn't I'll just send Guns."

"Hey!" Guns protested.

"Hey." Sara said calmly. Like she was just being greeted. "You think you can survive a couple hours without turning into cannibals?"

"We can try." Theo said.

"Good enough, well I'll be there as soon as I can. So just wait for the cavalry." Sara hummed, the line went dead before Liam could even start to open his mouth

"Well...I guess now all we can do is wait." Liam said, turning back to Theo only to find a pile of his clothes as Theo, clad only in swim trunks bounded past him and jumped into the water like he was trying out for the Olympic long jump. "It's still raining." Liam said when Theo swam out from the casa into the open water, the surface in constant ripples as raindrops speckled down onto it.

"I still don't care." Theo said. "You coming in or not?"

"Yeah..alright." Liam sighed, shucking off his wet shirt and fighting his way down to his trunks before he followed Theo's led and leapt into the water.

He had to admit, as he swam out of the cover it wasn't actually bad swimming in the rain. Kind of peaceful, the running water deafening out every sound around them and the droplets of rain lost their chill once he was almost submerged already.

Liam didn't have long to admire the rain, or the patterns it created on the surface of the lake before Theo was in front of him, lips capturing his.

They kissed until the rain stopped and they'd swallowed far too much lake water from accidentally bobbing under when the current took them to where their toes couldn't reach the floor. Then they fought their way back into the cave. Stomachs rumbling and eyes wandering over the clearing as the light begun to crack through the dark clouds drenching the clearing in the kind of glow Liam was sure you should only be able to find in Narnia. It was undoubtedly beautiful, with translucent raindrops clinging to browning leaves and fracturing the light leaving a glow across everything.

Liam looked to his pants, tossed in the corner of the cave near Theo's and wondered if it was time. He could go and grab them. He and Theo could talk and hopefully, by the time that Sara was there everything would have been straightened out. Liam sat up, intent on doing just that only to be stopped as he looked to Theo, stretched out against the dark stone eyes, shining as they looked over the clearing, a smile curling at his lips that looked so soft Liam couldn't bring himself to break the moment of peace. Instead he flopped back down, resting his head on Theo's stomach and listened to the rumbles as he 'died of hunger'.

*

"I bring SUSTENANCE!" Sara yelled to announce her arrival. Liam watched her hopping over the stepping stones a carrier bag held over her head like Tarzan holding up Sabor after their fight. Which, really, didn't exactly look cool to begin with, but when her foot slipped on the algae on one of the stones and almost sent her tumbling backward into the water with a scream it lost any semblance of cool it could have had. Sara hopped the last few steps cautiously, bag clutched to her chest.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked when she hopped the last step into the cave.

"Is the food okay?" Theo inquired.

"I'm fine." Sara said, swooping further into the cave and beginning to unload the bag. "I got Marshmallows, chocolate-"

"That sounds like terrible barbeque food." Theo said.

"-Burgers, buns, sausages and then some potato salad because it was reduced."

"You're amazing." Liam said sincerely. "Thank you for this."

"It's cool. Mom's been bitching at me to come find scrabble for like two weeks."

"Scrabble?"

"She's got book club on Monday." Sara said. "So you good? Anything else you need?"

"You got a lighter?" Theo asked.

"No, but Moe said he left one around camp. Come on, I'll help you look if you help me find scrabble." Sara said, shoving the now empty bag in her pocket.

*

The lighter was the easiest thing to find, more so because there seemed to be fifty scattered throughout the few teepees like Moe was single-handedly trying to fund all the mini pyromaniacs the Hermit Pack drew in.

The disposable barbeque was also easy, tucked beneath one of the small fold-away tables in the corner of the main structure. The scrabble, however, was more difficult to find, hidden under the logs in the wood store as if someone had put it there hoping it would be picked up and thrown on the fire with the logs around it.

The three hauled it, the barbeque, five lighters and a couple of armfuls of logs back to the cave, along with a rope Theo had decided they needed for no discernable reason before Sara was leaving with quick hugs and much more grace than she'd arrived with.

The two boys hunkered down by the small barbeque, fighting to light it for an embarrassingly long time before they were finally settling back to wait for the fire on the coals to burn down enough for the food to go on. At least, Liam was, Theo just moved away, grabbing his rope and making his way out of the cave.

*

"This seems like a terrible idea." Liam said, watching as Theo tied the rope around a branch overhanging the cliff face. He'd thought about leaving it, but when he'd heard the scratching of shoes against stone and peeked out to see Theo trying to scale the cliff like he'd done the last time they'd been in Idaho. Curiosity had gotten the best of him and he'd forced himself to clamour up the wall behind Theo until they were sat on the muddy ground overlooking the pool and Theo was racing off once again to the tree.

"It'll be fun." Theo promised.

"Until the rope breaks." Liam said.

"The rope won't break." Theo scoffed

"Dude, seriously, you need a thicker rope." Liam said.

"Liam, the ropes fine." Theo said, tightening the knot roughly. "You jumped off an actual cliff, going on a rope swing into water shouldn't freak out you."

"Okay one, I didn't jump, you pushed me and Two, I'm not freaking out, I'm just pointing out that that rope won't hold you if you try and swing on it. This is meant to be like, a fun day, not 'oh god Theo's dying because he wouldn't listen to logic'."

"So you don't want a go?"

"God no. I'd rather jump." Liam said. "At least I can control that a bit."

"Well, go on then."

"I said I'd rather, not that I'm going to."

"How else are you going to get down?"

"I'll climb."

"Really? You want to climb down the slippery wall above sharp rocks rather than jump into the nice safe water and you wonder why I don't trust your 'logic'."

"Have a go."

"No."

"I'm pretty sure rope swing is on my list."

"It's not."

"Well, it should be." Theo said. "Come on." He waggled the rope at Liam.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Just trust me."

"It's the rope I don't trust." Liam said, even as he snatched the rope from Theo's hand. "So I just..Swing?"

"That is the idea of rope swings." Theo said. "Remember to let go."

"Right." Liam said, inching closer to the edge. It wasn't that far really, not after the cliff, or the skywalk, just a little baby drop. More like the well Garrett had left him in. The one he almost died in and-

"You need me to push you?"

"Fuck off." Liam huffed, chewing his lip. "If the rope breaks I'll kick your ass."

"Luckily it won't break then." Theo said. Liam gave the rope a harsh tug, it stayed steady.

"Okay." Liam said, creeping closer to the edge. "Okay."

"Seriously jump or I'll pu-" Liam leaped before Theo could finish his sentence, fully aware that Theo wouldn't warn him a third time.

The air whistled in his ears as he span screaming off of the cliff, unbreaking rope clutched in white-knuckled grip as he turned in neat little loops like when you tangled a swing at the park before letting it uncurl with you on it.

"Let go!" Theo called. Liam did, reluctantly. A moment later he was meeting the water, plummeting under it with an almighty splash adrenaline pumping as he quickly swam back up, head breaking the surface to hear Theo laughing.

"Told you it wouldn't break." Theo called.

"That was awesome!" Liam cheered. Theo leaned out over the cliff, grabbing the still swinging rope and jumping off with no preamble. Liam watched him swing in a spiraling arch like Liam had and then let go. Liam dove out of the way before he could be hit with a flying mass of Theo.

Theo's head popped back up out of the water quickly, eyes appearing over the ripples like a hippo.

"Race you to the top." Liam declared, splashing his way towards the shore.

It was easy to get lost in the adrenaline of the dumb little rope swing, easier still to ignore the ominous sounding creaks each time they swung when the air would be filled with shouting and laughter. They spent what felt like forever climbing up the cliff just to jump right back down, trying to out-do the others flip off of the rope into the water.

Liam leant against the tree, panting harshly as he tried to catch his breath. Eyes on Theo as he wound the rope around his arm again. His stomach rumbled unhappily.

"We should cook after this. The barbeque will be ready now."

"You gonna claim starvation when you can't copy my quadruple flip?" Theo asked. Liam snorted, leaning heavier against the tree.

"Dude, if you can pull that off I'll give you my PlayStation."

"I did a triple flip."

"Barely." Liam said. "And it's a whole other rotation, you're screwed." Theo paused, eyeing the rope swing and the water curiously before he gave a small nod and took a few steps back.

"Screw that. I can't hook up a console in the truck. How about if I can do it you have to feed me while I drive."

"You still haven't given up on that?"

"I fed you, and told you about my nightmares, it's about time you pay up pumpkin."

"Tell you what, if you do this I'll blow you while you drive." Liam offered.

"What?" Theo croaked.

"You heard." Liam said seriously. Theo's eyes flickered down to his lips, cheeks dusting pink before he was shaking his head out like a wet dog and turning back to the cliff.

"So you can't drive faster than ten miles an hour but you're happy to break the law with sex while driving?" Theo mocked.

"Just jump, dickhead." Liam said, kicking out to hit Theo's leg and so Theo did, springing forwards and dying out into the abyss. The tree behind Liam gave a hearty crunch before giving way, splinters spraying out as the branch the rope was attached to shattered. Theo let out a truly hilarious scream before he plummeted into the water with zero flips, let alone four. Liam heard a dull thunk as the branch slapped into Theo whilst he broke the surface.

"Mother fuc-" Theo hissed, flailing in the water as Liam blinked on in shock, eyes moving from the tree, to the branch floating in the water and Theo, with a stream of blood dripping from his forehead as he swore. He knocked a fist back against the tree curiously and heard the hollow ring.

"I'm not that heavy." Theo grumbled.

"The tree's dead. Dumbass."

"You didn't think to check that earlier?"

"You didn't think to check before you tied a rope to it?" Liam asked.

"I want a redo."

"Fuck that, I want food." Liam decided, leaping off of the cliff.

*

"Technically I was right." Theo said tugging a shirt over his damp skin. "The rope didn't break." He finished, dropping down by the edge of the water and scooping up a handful to try and clean the blood off of his forehead.

"Oh yeah, bet you're feeling really smart right now." Liam snorted dropping a burger on the thankfully still hot grill.

"I'm feeling concussed right now." Theo grumbled. Liam was fairly sure it wasn't meant to make him smile but it did. Still, he quickly went about throwing the rest of the food on, each hitting the metal with a satisfying sizzle, before he was wiping his hands on his pants and moving over to Theo.

"Let me see." Liam insisted, grabbing Theo's head and swerving it up so he could see the angry looking gash. "It's healing." He said, watching the skin as it already worked on knitting itself together.

"Thanks for that Captain Obvious." Theo said.

"Stop being bitter you lost." Liam snorted, leeching Theo's pain. He watched as Theo's shoulders drooped instantly, his eyes focusing on the black veins like they had back in New York with the same confused wonder.