"I don't see the point in training the little shits to be more overdramatic than they already are," Tommy insisted the morning of auditions, gathering his bag for the day. "It's been the worst part of camp since the dawn of time."

Bobby gave Johnny a pointed look at that, an understanding passing between them. Honestly, every summer, Tommy bitched about the camp's theatre program, then got more invested than anyone else. Then, the day after the show, he went right back to complaining about theatre again.

Ali, who had now deemed it fit to lounge about the boy's cabin whenever she pleased, took the shot at his comment: "You don't have to do this cycle every year, Tommy. We all know you love the theatre as much as you love the worn out '81 Playboy you keep under your bed."

Tommy scoffed, looking around at Johnny and Bobby. "First Daniel, now Ali? When will you guys give me a break? Please tell me you didn't tell Jessica, too."

"We'll give you a break when you throw the thing out, it's on its last legs." Johnny muttered.

"Also, I told Susan and Jess within the first five minutes of knowing myself," Ali supplied. "But we can't really blame you too much. The June addition's got Terri Welles, after all."

The cabin went silent at that, and Ali looked around incredulously. "What, as if you guys aren't into Tom Cruise?"

They all shrugged at that, the occasional mutter of argument as they continued to get ready for the day.

Each counselor retrieved their campers--Bobby leaving Larusso's campers alone as Larusso would finally be coming back to watch them--and lead them to the center of the camp. There, a large stage was set up, with a small half-circle of benches set up in rows for the audience. Johnny never took much an interest in theatre, but he did like the setup, as it had impressed him since the first time he laid eyes on it.

"I hadn't really took a look at it, before. It's a really nice setup."

Johnny couldn't help but smile to hear Larusso's voice.

He looked over to see him standing beside him, good as new besides how he seemed to be favoring his good right leg. Johnny's mind fumbled for something to say, half-wit remarks jumbling as he tried to not look too happy to see him, though Larusso beat him to it:

"You think your campers are thespians, then?"

Johnny furrowed his brows, shaking his head as his cheeks flushed in the summer sun. "My guys can't be lesbians, Larusso, get your head on straight."

Larusso rolled his eyes with a scoff, though he seemed to be unable to help but grin. "Thespians, Johnny. Actors."

"Oh," Johnny nodded, as if it were obvious. And then, the more honest answer: "No, absolutely not. They can throw a ball around any sport, but I dunno if acting is really their thing. Little Bert might be able to get a good part, though."

Larusso nodded, as if Johnny had actually said something worth considering. "What's the play we're doing, again?"

"Peter Pan," Jessica interjected, eyes on the stage as all the campers were directed to come up and read lines. The counselors would not be in the play, though they would help with everything behind the scenes. Jessica pulled Larusso towards the seating area, and Johnny joined, sitting beside Larusso by coincidence. Bobby ended up sitting by Jessica, Tommy by Bobby, and Ali on Johnny's other side.

"I miss playing gaga ball, guys, we should go do that instead of watching this," Tommy complained.

"I wanna be here for the campers," Larusso insisted. "Besides, I don't think Johnny can handle getting his ass handed to him again."

"Oh, really?" Johnny asked, looking over at Larusso pointedly as he reached over, squeezing his knee for a moment. "Even with your messed up leg?"

"I beat you with a messed up leg last time," Larusso fired back, eyes locked on Johnny's. Perhaps it was the theater's seating, but he felt awfully close, Larusso's slightly flushed cheeks mirroring Johnny's own.

"I thought we were moving on, guys, come on." Ali pointed out abruptly, and whatever Larusso's odd spell was seemed to break as Larusso's eyes returned to the stage.

"We are," Johnny insisted, his voice slightly softer. "Just because Larusso won gaga ball last time, that doesn't mean I can't kick his ass next time."

"The competition between you two is exhausting--" Ali started, but Larusso cut her off by abruptly grabbing Johnny's shirt and pulling him down close.

"Looking for an excuse to grab my ass again, Lawrence?" Larusso whispered, his breath warm as his lips brushed Johnny's ear before letting him go.

Johnny scoffed, face flushing, eyeing Larusso with something akin to horror and curiosity. "What--I didn't--I don't--"

"I'm banning the both of you from gaga ball until well after Friday, anyway." Jessica commented, paying no real attention to the pair of them as she watched the campers on stage be separated into groups to recite lines. "We're all going to need time to recover from it."

"What happens on Friday?" Larusso asked, as casually-as-fucking-ever, as if he did not just whisper something that was sure to unsettle Johnny got the rest of the day.

Johnny, who seemed to gain some semblance over what human words sounded like, scoffed again. "Do you not know anything that's going on here?"

Larusso looked over at him, his smug look replaced with one of vexation. "Well, there's so much shit happening here all the time, and I recently had a little incapacitating injury--"

"You're incapacitating my patience," Johnny replied shortly. "It's capture the flag. You know, two teams looking around in the dark...it can get a little scary if you're afraid of the dark."

"I'm not afraid of the dark," Larusso sneered. "As long as you don't resort to foul play, I'm sure it's just another thing that I'll beat you in."

"You two are annoying," Jessica interjected, squinting over in the sun to where Susan had just come out of the Big Cabin, holding something small to her chest. As she came over and sat down, Johnny saw that it was Cookies, wide awake and mewling like crazy.

"Oh hey, baby!" Larusso cooed, scooping Cookies up once Susan placed him down on the dirt. He brought the kitten up, beaming as he looked back at him with his big, cute, dumb kitten eyes. "How are you doing today, beautiful baby boy?"

Johnny could hear a gentle laugh from Ali, something adoring, and he flushed.

"Do you have to be so obnoxious about everything, Larusso?" Johnny found himself snapping.

Larusso looked back over at him, only a fraction as hurt as he probably should have been because damn it, the Jersey punk had thick skin. "Cookies and I have a close connection," he said, only slightly defensive. "We spent a lot of time in the nurse's office together."

And damn it, Johnny does not think of Larusso, sound asleep with Cookies purring on his chest, surrounded by get well cards and sporting that dumb flower crown Jess made. He doesn't think of anything at all.

"I was the one that found him," Johnny replied, more defensive himself with every word. "See? Cookies, look at me, who's my favorite little ass-kicker?"

Cookies just yawned, showing sharp white teeth as he blinked, sleepy and unimpressed, in Johnny's direction.

"Oh yeah, he really loves you, Johnny." Larusso commented, dripping with a sarcasm Bobby would be jealous off--if he were not busy watching the auditions.

Johnny frowned at that, and Larusso seemed to take notice, though the group was wholly silent.

The auditions wrapped up, and each counselor took their group to the dining pavilion for lunch. There, Johnny ate lunch with his kids, Robby talking his ear off about how he was probably going to play the crocodile that chomped off Captain Hook's hand.

He could see each of the counselors chatting with their kids, excitedly guessing what their roles would be, which would be revealed after lunch. Cookies the kitten was left to waddle around under the tables, nibbling at spare bits of food and meowing with a loudness that none of the kids had projected on the stage earlier.

After lunch, the kids all made their way back to the stage, the counselors helping to shepherd them, though Johnny strayed behind. Larusso was muttering something to himself, head poked under the table as he spoke in a hushed voice:

"Johnny's not so bad, Cookies. He just takes a little getting used to, 's all. You'd still be in the woods if he didn't take you in, after all--oh, who am I kidding, you would have meowed loud enough to attract half the campers." Larusso laughed softly, picking up Cookies once more. Honestly, with all the coddling Larusso did for Cookies, the kitten would never learn to be independent. "Come here, sweetie--yeah, I know, you already got fat off those table scraps--" 

Larusso stopped short as he locked eyes with Johnny, Cookies squirming a little in his small hands.

"What?" he asked, and it would be defensive if his eyes weren't so wide and concerning.

"Nothing," Johnny shot back, not surprised, but a little embarrassed, that his voice came out so stunned. "Thanks, Larusso. You didn't have to do that. Um..." strangely enough, he didn't want to end this like a corny Hallmark card, like he owed something to Larusso. "Don't think this'll make me go easy on you during capture the flag."

"Of course not," Larusso stood, and with his ankle healed, he seemed ready for action once more. "I'm ready to take you out any day of the week--my ankle was just an ass-kicking detour." he grinned, and Johnny wondered when exactly Larusso adopted Johnny's Effective Method of Friendly Threatening, and if it would become a regular habit. However, with Larusso getting the last word--what else is new?--he turned to follow the others, Cookies's meowing growing softer with each step.