Learn to Howl {Alex Vreeke | Jumanji}

9; slate grey & a lost epoch

"Hey!" As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Spencer turned his attention onto Fridge. "What did you mean about that 'candlelight dinner' thing?"

"What are you talking about?" Fridge snapped.

"You said 'me and Martha, candlelight dinner', what does that even mean?" Eyes wide, Spencer tried to get Fridge to focus, though Fridge just pointedly rolled his eyes.

"That girl was into you, Spencer." He snapped, which sent Spencer reeling back.

"What?!" He yelped, and Fridge surged forwards, making an elaborate shushing gesture, before pointing at the Transportation Shed beyond the boulders the three men were crouched behind.

"This is a ridiculous idea." Fridge turned instead to Alex, his hand still on Spencer's arm as the later dealt with the implications of Martha liking him back. Alex, however, seemed zoned out, looking out at the guards, before realising he was being spoken to and looking around as if emerging from a trance.

"What? Oh, yeah," he nodded quickly. There was a moment of silence before Alex snorted out a laugh, looking over to the forest where the girls had disappeared only a minute ago, "I can't believe she agreed to do it." He even sounds disbelieving, but it's quickly followed by Spencer.

"I can't believe she's into me." Shaking his head, he smiled fondly at the thought before his expression dropped and he looked to Fridge. "What if she tries to kiss me?" Suddenly panicked, he doesn't even seem to notice the way Fridge splutters with confusion.

"Then you kiss her back, man!" He crowed, before pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, trying to steady himself where he was swaying, "Why are we still even talking about this?"

"What if she tries to kiss me, like, like, like without warning?" He asks, and even Alex has to stifle a laugh at this, though Fridge seems to be losing his damn mind.

"What are you talking about?! Have you ever kissed anyone?" He demanded, and Spencer stumbled back, face flush with embarrassment as he cast a nervous glance over his shoulder.

"I don't- dude! You're gonna tell the whole jungle?!" He hissed, though he was cut off fairly quickly by Alex waving them over, eyes trained on the Transportation Shed.

"Guys, guys come here. Tet's right, side exit." He enthused, grinning brightly as he turned back to the other two, Spencer avoiding everyone's gaze and looking down at the Transportation Shed with something akin to guilt or embarrassment on his face, while Fridge just leveled a frown at his friend, with what can only be described as exasperation on his face. "And for the record," Alex's knowing tone finally gets Spencer to look at him, and he fixes the newcomer with a smirk, "take the initiative." And while Fridge snorts, rolling his eyes, and Spencer tried to stutter his way through a response, all Alex can think of is Tetra. His mind, however, seems to short circuit at the sight of the guards waiting at their outpost.

He doesn't like to think about the NPCs that often, if he can help it. It's sort of selfish, really, the faint rush of jealousy that he gets when considering the fact that these NPCs work for Van Pelt, and what he had meant to Tetra. It's strange, it's an old ache, one he's gotten used to with time, and at the same time, one he knows is completely unreasonable. Van Pelt isn't real.

But Tetra's feelings were, and that's what hurts.

But maybe, here and now, his jealousy was a little warranted, Tetra was going down there with the express purpose of flirting with them. His hand reflexively clenched into a fist. It's still a little baffling to him that she volunteered for this task, but then he remembered the shake in Martha's voice, the loophole in Tetra's personality where she'll put herself in harm's way if she can convince herself it's for selfish reasons - beating the game, getting home, it's all she's really wanted, apart from Van Pelt's head on a plate. It suddenly seems very in character of her, and with that realisation, Alex feels more secure in the plan, looking out over the ridge, zoning back in to hear where Spencer and Fridge were still quietly but frivolously arguing.