Cool for the Summer

Chapter 10

Hercules watched Alex and Thomas heatedly argue about the ending of Avengers: Infinity War, bored out of his mind.

"John," he said quietly.

"Hmm?" John replied, polishing off his hotdog.

"Get your girlfriend to steal the marshmallows."

"Peggy's not my girlfriend."

"If she isn't now, she will be soon."

"Didn't her sister imply that you two were lovebirds?" asked Laf.

"How...?" John turned so fast, his neck almost snapped.

Laf shrugged. "Je overheard." But his smirk was a dead giveaway.

"You three were spying on us!" John said accusingly. "Didn't you have anything better to do?"

"No," said Laf and Hercules at the same time.

"I don't know if I should punch you both or laugh," John sighed.

"I'd rather not be punched, since you're giving me the option," Hercules informed him.

Then, before John could continue to chide him and Laf in exasperation, he yelled, "OI! AGENT OF CHAOS!"

Peggy came running. "Marshmallow time?"

"Marshmallow time," John confirmed.

She ran into the kitchens.

"I love that girl," said John breathlessly. Then, seeming to catch himself, he reddened and looked at his feet. Hercules decided to no longer torment his poor friend. For tonight, at least.

Peggy emerged with two bags of Jet Puffed Marshmallows. "This should be enough, right?"

"Brilliant," said John.

"Let's do this thing," Peggy grinned.

"Laf, you first," Hercules thrust a bag into his friend's hands.

"Why me?" Laf asked, though he was already taking out the twenty marshmallows.

"Because you're our special French friend," said John. "Now eat your marshmallows."

Laf crammed the fluffy candy into his mouth as he was told.

"Sho' I sing yet?" he asked through the mouthful.

"We'll do it with you," said Peggy, grabbing some marshmallows for herself.

Hercules threw a marshmallow at Alex's head. "Stop debating and join the party, man."

Alex's eyes lit up. "Right. Sorry-not-sorry, Thomas. I have important business to take care of."

Thomas rolled his eyes, but Hercules could tell that he wanted to join them. He almost extended an invitation to Alex's new enemy, but Laf beat him to it.

"Join uth, mon ami," he said, offering the boy a bag of the marshmallows.

"Are you sure?" Thomas asked, warily.

"Oui, of courth," Laf nodded.

So Thomas took the marshmallows. Before they knew it, they were being joined by Angelica, followed by Eliza, and Thomas's friends (James and Aaron). The Schuyler sisters were heaps of fun on their own, let alone when they joined forces, and Hercules didn't mind Thomas and his friends. Alex was the only one who had a problem with Thomas and James ("But Aaron is okay," he told them).

"My heart will go ooooooon," Hercules attempted to sing.

"Near, far, wherever 'ou are," Alex and Thomas sung, their voices stifled by marshmallows.

"I think we're the only ones who know the rest of the words," Alex told Thomas.

They both laughed, before catching themselves and turning away, each embarrassed to have associated with his enemy. Hercules sighed, and he knew that the others were with him, but nobody said anything.

Well, nobody except Eliza, who perhaps wasn't as accustomed to Alex's ways.

"Why can't you two just seth aside your differences?" she demanded of them. "At least for tonighth?"

As Hercules expected him to, Alex opened his mouth to argue. Then the unthinkable happened. Alex thought better of it, closed his mouth, and nodded.

"Okay," he said.

Hercules, John, and Laf shared a look of surprise. Hercules knew that they were all thinking the same thing. If Alex is willing to stop being a stick in the mud for her, he must really like this girl.

"Sure, but only for tonight," Thomas said after he'd swallowed his marshmallows, his tone steely. That is, until Angelica elbowed him in the side.

"Okay, as long as you want the truce to last, it'll last," said Thomas compliantly, massaging his sore ribs.

And so, the rest of the evening was quite enjoyable, filled with laughter and marshmallows and delightful rule breaking.

A/N: No, the misspelled words are not typos. The squad can't talk right because of the marshmallows.