"Your loss," says Brian, who bites into the first pizza roll he snags between his fingertips - and immediately starts hooting in apparent agony when the interior scorches the roof of his mouth.

One of Tim's hands jerks up over his mouth, but there's no mistaking it - underneath it all, he's actually biting back a smile.

"You dumbass," he manages, the word both strangled and companionable. "The hell'd you expect?"

"Aaagh," says Brian, bolting to the sink to spit up the offending incendiary contents.

Tim takes advantage of his friend's lapse in focus to double over in his seat, shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth.