Lex was quickly discovering one of his favorite qualities about Forest, beyond the superficial appreciation he harbored for the hard lines of the farm boy's muscular and well-worked body. He was easy to talk to, exceptionally so, and it wasn't a chore for Lex to imagine himself resting there in the cool grass with Forest for a long while, listening to the melodic rise and fall of his companion's charming southern twang. Forest was simple, Lex thought, or perhaps a better word would have been<i>uncomplicated</i>. Mason was a volcano wrapped up in flesh and bone; sometimes talking to him felt like poking your finger in death's face, just to see how far you could go. Wallis was simple too, but not the same way. The Englishman doubted he and Wallis would have established any kind of real relationship with one another were it not for their unique and drastic circumstances. But Forest... he was awfully easy. Lex decided he quite enjoyed that.<br/><br/>"I'll help you with whatever you need," Lex promised, smiling as he settled himself down next to his drying friend. "You'll have to be patient with me while I learn about all this man's work. Ain't no louse when it comes to domestic jobs, mum made sure of that. Alas, that kind of knowledge will only get you so far, but perchance it'll make our lives here a little more enjoyable, eh?"<br/><br/>It was strange, this feeling. Was it excitement? Contentment? Lex couldn't be sure. It had felt like a lifetime had passed since he had last experienced any strong positive emotions. He decided to not question it too much, but instead allow the comfortable feelings to settle in his belly.<br/><br/>Forest was quick to recover, or perhaps just incredibly stubborn. Lex stayed close, providing him with the assistance he needed to continue getting around until he was doing so all on his own again, albeit a tad slower than usual. Harvesting from the garden was a bit less labor intensive than some of the other jobs needing to get done around the farm, but gathering fruits and vegetables was still no task for the weary. Lex had taken to using his shirt as a makeshift towel, wiping at the sweat that dripped from his forehead and temples as he dug into the dirt, loosening earth and freeing the sustenance hiding below ground.<br/><br/>"Stew isn't all that bad, mate," Lex laughed, wiping his dirt-encrusted hands onto his jeans. "Though I won't complain at a little change of menu. Truthfully, it's just a relief to know that we're getting regular meals nowadays. Food is frightfully scarce for scavengers." Lex could recall times when his odd little trio had gone without food for days on end, only to satisfy their aching hunger when one of the boys found some rotting leftovers or the odd critter scurrying about the streets, a rarer and rarer occurrence as the days dragged on.<br/><br/>The former model smiled as Forest pointed out the peaches. "The do look divine, don't they?" Lex agreed, admiring the firm orange flesh. Lex wandered to the tree, looking up and finding the lowest hanging branch with the fattest fruit. He reached up, long limbs stretching toward the sky and greedy fingers hiding themselves among the wood as he plucked the prettiest peach. It was pleasantly firm in his hand, with a beautiful gradient color palette like a jeweled sunset. Pink, orange, and yellow, beautiful and alluring, and he briefly wondered how something so simple could be so lovely.<br/><br/>As he returned to Forest, Lex sunk his teeth into the inviting fruit, moaning softly as the flesh gave beneath his teeth and sweet juice gushed onto his tongue, down the corners of his mouth. It was delicious and sticky, his fingers quickly becoming covered as he consumed another messy bite.<br/><br/>"Forest, you have to try this," Lex insisted, mouth full of warm fruit. "Here." He held out the partially eaten peach with fingers damp with juice. "Eat."