Emergency Medical Dad

XXXVIII: early july, present

"Scared of what I might dare you?"

"No, dude, I just don't particularly want to do too much dumb shit right this instant. It's still somewhat light out."

"Okay, truth, I can do a truth," he looks lost for a moment. "Do you lie about your height? I swear you do."

Kaz puffs out his cheeks, "yeah, I round up to five seven. I'm five six and a half."

"That's not that bad, alright, your turn."

Kaz sighs, "this is going to get boring fast if we don't make it fun. I suggest truth or drink instead of truth or dare."

"I'm not particularly in the mood to drink all that much," Jorgen raises his hand, asking my question for me.

"Then you better be good at answering," Kaz shrugs. "Could be truth or hit but I don't know how much weed we actually have here."

"That's worse," Jorgen frowns. "For me, at least."

Kaz raises an eyebrow, "maybe for you it'll be truth or strip."

"Ah," Jorgen frowns. "Hm. I'll just drink, that's fine. I plan on being police-interview good at avoiding questions so it's not like I'll have to anyway." His arm drops behind my back, resting up on the outdoor couch, thumb reaching forward to tap my shoulder, catching my attention. I know he wants to know if I'll be comfortable playing truth or drink and the honest answer is: sure. He's right here just in case something goes wrong and I trust the boys enough to not do anything stupid so really what could go wrong.

"Jess, are you alright to play?" Kaz asks.

"I'm playing, yeah."

"Okay, ditto, awesome. My question for you is did you have a crush on Jorgen in high school, yes or no?"

I pull my lip into my teeth, fighting off a laugh, "yes."

"No explanation?"

"Nope," I bite down harder, trying not to let out the nervous giggle at the back of my throat with all my might.

"Alright, fine, you ask now."

I look around at the guys, sprawled hap-hazardly across the yard furniture, fire crackling in the center.

"Okay, Luka-"

"Oh fuck."

"Do your sexual comments about Kaz come from a place of emotion or are you just crude?"

His eyes go wide, glancing over at Kaz for a split second, "um, emotion."

That gets a low oooooo out of everyone at the fire before Luka covers it as fast as he can.

"Ian, did you immediately have a crush on Pitty when you came to the Barn or was it later?"

Ian shrugs, "immediately," his eyes squeeze shut against his own accord. "I was sick and dying, coughing out half my chest cavity every time I tried to go up a staircase, almost in the medical emergency temperature range of a fever and this bastard-" he jerks his thumb at the man whose lap he's currently inhabiting, "was there the whole time and I was smitten, almost dead, but smitten."

"That's kind of sweet," Duke smiles. "Maybe I'll scrape a very awfully ill girl out from under a bridge someday."

"Ah," Ian frowns. "Not recommended. Anyway, can I make this a truth or dare or drink situation?"

"What do you mean?" Kaz mumbles, lips on the top of his beer bottle.

"The asker gets to pick truth or dare and if you don't want to you have to drink. I just have a really good dare."