One hour and another two games of Laserforce later, the mood of the day had quite turned itself around. 

Vincent was sprawled in one of the beanbags they had lying around in the rest area. He was glaring at the sparkly floor, which was designed to look like the night sky, glaring at the walls, where paintings of alien commanders and laser gunners were frozen in action, glaring at the roof, where multicoloured disco balls swung around and lit up the room. 

Scott, on the other hand, was lounging in a plastic chair, one leg thrown loosely over the other and a huge cocky grin on his face. He'd successfully beaten Vincent in every single game. Beside him on the table were two small trophies. One for beating the state record from the first game, one for beating it again in the third.

Mike should probably have ended the day while it was on a somewhat good note. He contemplated this as he pushed some money across the counter to order them all lunch. But this was probably as close to bonding as the two of them were going to get, and he wasn't going to lie: seeing Scott silently mocking Vincent and Vincent get all sensitive over it was hugely amusing.

"I'll bring the food over to you when it's done," the cashier had a name tag. After a long time of squinting, Mike read 'Spcae Comadner Jnenifer', which he assumed minus-dyslexia was supposed to be 'Space Commander Jennifer.' She looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if to say, 'you've ordered, you've paid, what are you still doing here?'.

"Oh," Mike looked back at her. Briefly he wondered if making a move now after staring into the distance and then at her name-tag for a while would be too weird. Damnit. Vincent and Scott ruined my chances with a space commander.  "Right. Yeah, sorry," He turned, trying not to show any sense of disappointment, and walked back over to the table where Vincent and Scott were sitting.

Scott was tracing over his trophy with a finger, smirking at Vincent, "I wouldn't sulk so much about it, hon. You just have to accept that I'm better than you at some things. Like... existing." His smirk widened, "Good looks don't get you everywhere in life."

"Oh ho," Mike grinned as he pulled out a chair and plonked himself down in it, "Did you just admit that you find Vincent good looking?"

Scott's eyes widened and his face filled with pink. "No!" he squawked. "No! God, no! That's not at all-! What made you think-!"

Vincent, however, wasn't going to let it go that easily. He leapt forward out of his beanbag, suddenly revitalised and eager for revenge. "Is that what this is all about, Scott? Oh my, I never would have guessed you'd be of that persuasion~" 

"No!" Scott shook his head, "No. No, no. I'm not... like that. Trust me when I say I have never looked at Vincent and thought..." He trailed off, and his face darkened another shade.

Vincent gave a facetious glance towards Mike, ('thanks for bringing this up'), and looked back at Scott, "And thought...? Thought what, hmm? And thought I was good looking? ...Attractive, even?" His lips parted into a sharkish grin, "Sexually attractive?" 

Scott's eyes slowly widened even more. He leaned back in his chair as if uncomfortable, "I-I don't know what indecent things you're suggesting, Vincent, but I assure you that you are the last person on Earth that I'd... think those things about."

Vincent's grin only widened, his eyes flashing with triumph at successfully having made Scott flustered. "Don't worry about it, Scott. I've had plenty of men fall for me before." He winked and leaned back in his beanbag. 

"See?" Scott mumbled, turning to Mike, "This is what I mean. Fine. He's got the looks. Sure. But the smarts?" He whistled, "He's like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast."

It was Vincent's turn to scoff incredulously, "Yeah? Well you're like..." he trailed off, thinking for a moment before glaring, "Whatever. Disney movies are stupid anyway. You're probably the only guy camp enough to watch them."

Scott jumped up out of his chair, "What?" he snarled, "Camp? I'm not camp, Vincent. I'm not remotely camp. You take that back!"

Mike snorted really before he could help himself, "Sorry Scott, have you looked in a mirror..." he trailed off when Scott turned to face him with a glare that could make a thug visit his grandma for Christmas, "... lately?" 

Scott growled and turned back to Vincent, "Well, fine! Tease me all you like, you still can't deny that this boy," he pointed to himself proudly, "Is the best at Laserforce." 

Vincent groaned and made a show of rolling his eyes, "You know what? For a moment I was curious, but I've just decided I wouldn't like you even if you were gay." 

For just one second, Scott hesitated. Then the glare was back, "What's that supposed to mean, huh? You hate me, but if I was gay - which I'm not, you wouldn't mind? What, you think I'm an easy score? Another notch on your belt? You disgust me." 

"I disgust you?" Vincent laughed, "Oh, Scott, don't even get me started. From the moment you saw me, you've been nothing but antagonising and rude. I didn't start all this! You're the one who..."

Mike sighed and tuned out of the conversation, staring at the table instead. It was going so well... I thought they were actually going to be friends for a moment there. 

Space Commander Jenny walked over, a tray of party food balanced in one of her hands. She placed it down on the table where Scott and Vincent were pointedly ignoring each other, "You the guys that ordered the Junior Cadet Meal?" 

Scott tensed, then quickly spun around and grabbed the little alien-decorated box. He hunched over it, ignoring Vincent's snigger, and pulled out his fries.

Mike looked up at Jenny, "So... a space commander, huh? You're Jen-uinely out of this world." 

Jennifer stared at him for a long moment, then dumped the rest of the food from the tray onto the table and walked off without a world.

Mike groaned and slumped, "I knew I shouldn't have snuck in a name pun but I just couldn't help it."

No reply from Vincent or Scott, not even a glance. They were at it again. Some stupid argument over the sticker sheet Scott got in his kids' meal. Other people in the waiting area were starting to stare at them, muttering under their breath. Not that Mike had ever cared about what other people thought of him, but this was honestly getting embarrassing.

He glared and poked at his food, "Can you both just stop this petty feud and get along already? You don't even have good reason to hate each other. You're acting like children, the both of you."

"And you're acting like our mother," Scott paused his insult of Vincent's long hair to snap at Mike.

Mike sighed, frustrated, and shoveled some meat pie into his mouth. He wasn't going to put up with this anymore. He couldn't stand Vincent and Scott hating each other. No matter what it took, he was going to force those two to get along. 

Operation: 'Scott and Vincent become Best Friends' was in place.