Surprise Sleepover
It was almost 10 at night when Jeong decided to leave his room for an after-dinner snack, a sweet reward for him studying so diligently - or so he liked to think he'd been. He rolled his neck back as he stepped down the stairs, catching a glimpse of his sister's head over the back of the sofa in front of the TV. She was watching something, no doubt, which was a little odd. She usually didn't.
He immediately changed directions, heading into the living room instead of the kitchen. No doubt she'd snuck that asshole Seth in here, goddamnit, she should know better...!
"Hey, what's going on he--" He stopped himself in his tracks, his harsh tone stopping in his voice once he saw who was lounging next to her.
"S-senpai!" The 'offender' hastily stood up and bowed to him deeply, obviously flustered and maybe just a little ashamed. "I-I'm sorry for not saying hello to you earlier, Jill told me not to bother..."
"Clovis..." Jeong started, eyes flickering down to the Spaniard's attire. "...Why are you here? In....sweatpants?"
Clovis' cheek reddened even more, and he averted his gaze to the ground. "W-well, um..."
"Hey, Clovis," Jill chirped, "I'm going to go to my room, okay? Knock on my door if you need me, it's the one with my name on it." She shot him a reassuring smile and tilted her head ever so slightly, giving him a light pat on his shoulder. "Have fun with Jeong! I hope you feel better soon~"
"Thanks..." Clovis muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Both boys opted for silence until they heard Jill's door close, at which point Jeong spoke up.
"What's....going on, Clovis?" he asked slowly, cautiously. It was only when Clovis finally looked at him did he realize that Clovis' eyes were puffy and red.
"Just....needed a place to spend the night," Clovis explained lamely. "S-sorry, I can leave if you--"
"No, no," Jeong shook his head quickly. "Just...hey, are you alright?"
"Yeah...........no," Clovis sighed, a lot more than air just leaving him as his shoulders slumped. "Just....family issues. Mom, being Mom..."
"......Sit down."
Clovis blinked, surprised by the sudden amount of authority in Jeong's voice. "S-sen--?"
"Sit down, damnit, and stay put," Jeong huffed, turning on his heel and all but storming off to the kitchen. Swiftly, he pulled out a variety of cooking utensils from the cupboard shelves, expertly putting them precisely where he needed them. With minimal effort, he moved around the kitchen, pulling out a few ingredients from the pantry.
Hearing the commotion, Clovis had promptly disregarded Jeong's request and moved closer, peeking around the wall to see what Jeong was doing. Clovis had seen Jeong cook before, and had even taken a few cooking lessons him. Whatever he was making, it was bound to be good, but Clovis had to question why. "Senpai, what are you--"
"Hey, what'd I just say?" Jeong huffed, glancing back as he turned on the stove. "Oh, whatever. If you're gonna watch, do it where I can see you, at least..."
"Ah, okay...!" Clovis almost tripped over himself rushing over to Jeong's side, backing off when Jeong gave him a look that told him he was entirely too close to the chef's area. "Um...what're you making?"
"You'll see," Jeong said dismissively, opting to switch back to their previous subject. "So...again, why're you here...?"
"Oh, uh..." Clovis faltered, "well...Jill let me in...."
"No, I mean...what happened?"
Clovis fell silent at that, looking like he wanted to speak but didn't at the same time. If Jeong knew him well enough, that was probably the case, and he certainly wasn't going to push it. He also knew Clovis well enough to know that the more he pushed the farther he'd be from getting an answer.
Another semi-awkward silence ensued, the awkward air soon filled with the sounds of something cooking in the pan Jeong had heated up. Clovis watched it more intently than he should have, though Jeong was decidedly not bothered, focused on the dish in front of him.
By the end of it, Jeong had made exactly two torrijas, and he arranged them meticulously on a plate, simultaneously carefully and carelessly sprinkling cinnamon, powdered sugar, and strawberries as finishing touches. He looked up to see Clovis still standing there, staring at the plate of food as if simply watching would allow him to soak up the knowledge of how to make such a dish.
Jeong let out a small laugh through his nose and jerked his head towards the dining table, mentally vowing to teach Clovis how to make this, next. He plopped himself into a seat, sliding the plate onto the table right in front of where Clovis was sitting.
"Eat."
"R-really? Oh, ah, time to eat...!" Almost as if afraid that the food under his nose would be taken away from him, Clovis dug in without another word, tension slowly and visibly seeping off him with every bite.
Jeong let a small smile creep onto his face - watching Clovis eat was always such a rewarding experience. Somehow, it made him feel like he was the best goddamn chef in the world. Ah, but wait....that wasn't what was important right now.
"Thank you for the meal~" Clovis finally said after mere minutes of devouring, stifling a burp behind his fist. "That was delicious, Senpai, thank you...!"
"No problem," Jeong smiled, feeling his heart swell. Fuck, Clovis had so much power over him...a fact Jeong hoped that Clovis would and would never know. "So...feeling better?"
"Of course!" Clovis beamed. "Man, I wish I could get this kinda treatment all the time...." He faltered, eyes diving to the ground as he realized what he'd said, mind flickering back to the event that had driven him out of his own house for the night.
"J-just....mh...w-wish I didn't...n-nevermind," he muttered. His chest suddenly ached, and he felt very, very small, a feeling he was all to familiar with. Make it stop, he pleaded to himself.
"Clovis..." Jeong murmured, eyebrows knotted together in worry over the sudden change of mood, "what happened...?"
Clovis' eyes flickered between the other boy and the table. In the end, they fell down to his lap, and he sighed. "Nothin' much, just....mom was in a really bad mood today, I guess, so..."
"So...?"
"....." Clovis sighed heavily. "Turned on me eventually and I booked it outta there. N-no big."
"Is...that why you're in sweats?" Jeong asked slowly.
Clovis just nodded. "I've got clothes, though. Packed my clothes into a bag, just in case. Was hopin' I wouldn't actually need it, sh-she's never....gotten that angry before...!" Tears prickled at Clovis' eyes, and his fists clenched on his knees. He sniffled, trying not to let himself get too upset, god forbid cry.
Jeong couldn't take it. He knew about Clovis' mom, he'd heard stories - stories that had even been confirmed by Seth. As much as he hated that guy, he at least trusted he wouldn't lie about Clovis. Without thinking, Jeong got up out of his seat and pulled up a chair next to Clovis, pulling the other's head into his chest. "It's alright," he murmured, his heart aching. "It's okay..."
There was a moment of stunned silence. Clovis' mind whirred at a million miles a minute, processing what was happening, until finally coming to one conclusion. His face screwed up and he leaned into Jeong, body habitually trying to choke back sobs that shook his body. He wasn't just upset about tonight's events, but also about his future. There were things about him his mother didn't know yet, and the possibility of her discovering those secrets, well...that terrified him. She'd hate him, he knew it, and it was that terror that plagued him more than anything.
A few good minutes passed until the shivering within Clovis' body stopped, dying down to the occasional hiccup. Jeong lowered his mouth into Clovis' fluffy hair, the closest he dared to get to actually giving the other a kiss. It was disgusting, really - here was Clovis, vulnerable and upset, and Jeong could feel the urge to kiss the boy rising within him. God, he was so awful...
"S-sorry, Senpai..." Clovis murmured, pulling away from Jeong and sniffling.
"I-it's okay," Jeong reassured him, guilt gnawing at his heart. Clovis shouldn't be apologizing to him for anything, and he knew it. "Don't worry about it."
"Oh....well....thanks, then," Clovis said quietly.
Jeong's heart thudded loudly at that, and in his embarrassment, he scowled and looked away. "Tch, f-for what...?"
"Y-you know..." Clovis shifted uncomfortably, "for being such a great Senpai and taking care of me...?"
"Of course I'm a good Senpai, stupid," Jeong huffed. "Only a moron would be a bad one."
"Guess I should be grateful you're not a moron, then," Clovis chuckled weakly.
"Damn straight," Jeong said firmly. "Now stop being such a baby and get your ass on the couch, we might as well watch a movie since you're here or something."
"But there's school tomorrow," Clovis protested.
Jeong scoffed. "And?"
"...Fair point," Clovis nodded with a small smile. "What should I do with this plate...?"
"Eh, I'll put it in the sink," Jeong said dismissively, getting up and doing just that. "Now c'mon, let's figure out what to watch."
In the early morning, Jill tiptoed down to make breakfast, peeking over the edge of the couch to see how Clovis was doing. A grin broke out on her face and she fiddled with her phone in her hands, quietly snapping a picture of her brother and her friend sleeping together on the couch.
As she retreated up the stairs, thoughts of breakfast quickly fading away, she vowed to text the both of them that picture later in the day. They'd embarrassedly yell about it but not-so-secretly love it, no doubt.