AH collections

The sugar baby escapades (7)

OT6
Word count: 17704
Chapters: 18

Being a criminal isn't all aimless destruction and leading the cops on a merry chase. Sometimes it's wining and dining and high society with crystal tumblers. Sometimes it's an open bar watching Gavin go to work on potentially wooing a new investor or backer, testing the waters to see who has a moral compass with.

The Fakes aren't that terrible. They give what they can to downtrodden in society, leaving anonymous tips, donating time and energy for projects they all wished they had access to when they were but teenage screw ups. They generally try to go for people who think and act like them. Anyone who doesn't have a line is an automatic out. They need people with scruples.

So it's one of those nights that Geoff hosts in a rented out villa in the Vinewood hills. The Fakes and their associates—B-Team, Haus, Stream Team—are all milling about, dressed in suits and dresses, decked out in jewelry, picking up ordeurves and complimentary champagne being passed around by the catering service.

Jeremy is bubbly. Well, he should actually say tipsy, but he's having a good time. These galas are usually a fun night after everyone is given the customary pat down at the front doors. He's catching up with his old partners, Trevor and Matt from the B-Team. He worked his way up to the main six and has missed spending time with the two of them, when they worked out of a room the size of a shoebox before Geoff gave them a bit more money to work with. He spends a while catching up before drifting back to the bar to order another one of those imported Belgian beers.

He takes a seat at the bar because when he's tipsy and full of energy like this, he often gets wobbly. So he sits down and people watches for a while. There's Gavin hanging off of Ryan's arm. Michael and his new crush Lindsay. Jack and Geoff, always inseparable. The Haus crew, an inseparable team of seven that's even more possessive of each other than the Fakes are.

Everyone's just having a good time! What a good night! Everything's glittering and golden, and if you forget about the fact that everyone's a wanted criminal, it could be just a regular high society function.

Another man comes up to the bar and turns to the side to greet Jeremy.

"Harvard," he says his name is, and Jeremy doesn't know if it's his first or last, but he shakes the man's hand and says, "Jeremy."

"You look a bit young to be in a crowd like this," Harvard says. "How did you get tangled up in this mess?"

"Well, it starts out with a shitty childhood and it ends up attracting the attention of a kingpin." Jeremy takes a swig of his beer.

Harvard smiles kindly. "Shitty childhood. Well, I guess that's something we all have in common here. Screw them up young enough, and they end up where we are."

"Cheers to that, pal." Jeremy clinks glasses with Harvard a bit heavier than he means to. Okay. Maybe he's a bit more than tipsy, but things are okay.

He begins chatting it up with Harvard, because the guy seems nice, and he looks at Jeremy in a way that makes Jeremey feel like he's the only one in the room. It's nice. Out of all these people, Harvard wants to talk to him. Him! And he doesn't even know what Geoff has to say to these people. He's just around for the ride, but Harvard makes it seem easy, and he loves it. Absolutely loves talking to him and the way he'll look down, supposedly bashful, as Jeremy hangs on his every word.

Jeremy doesn't notice when Harvard puts his hand on his knee. Suddenly it's just there, and okay, guess that's where this is headed.

And then Ryan's there, and Jeremy smiles up at him. "Ryan!" he says. "Have you ... you need to meet Harvard. Have you met him before?"

"Yes," Ryan says, and he's not looking at Jeremy. He's looking at Harvard, and Harvard slowly takes back his hand. "I've met him." He sets a heavy hand on Jeremy's shoulder.

Geoff plops down on the bar stool on the other side of Harvard. "Harvard," he says, loudly. "It's been a while. How are you?"

As Harvard reacquaints himself with Geoff, the others arrives one by one, crowding Jeremy in at the bar, brushing their hands along his book as they reach for their drinks. Gavin daringly kisses the top of his head, making Jeremy giggle and blush because he loves it when Gavin does that. It makes him feel special.

And while the Fakes are free with their gestures of affection, Harvard shrinks in on himself.

"What do you think of Jeremy here, Harvard?" Geoff says. "Isn't he great? He's got a sharp eye. Great surveillance man. Yeah, he fits in so well with us." He pushes away from the stool and makes to stand by Jeremy's side, Ryan vacating the space so Geoff can put his arm around Jeremy's shoulder, and Jeremy beams at him, pride welling up in his chest because he loves it when Geoff speaks well of him.

"I see," Harvard says, smile tight. "Well, if you'll excuse me. I do have a long drive to make. Thank you for hosting, Ramsey. It's been a wonderful evening." Harvard leaves without saying goodbye to Jeremy, but Jeremy doesn't care. Geoff is holding him close

"That's enough drinks for you," he says.

The rest of the night is a blur. Jeremy somehow ends up in bed with Michael pulling his pants off.

"You're such a lightweight," he mutters.

"What are you doing over there, Ryan?" That's Gavin.

"Seeing where this Harvard guy lives," Ryan says.

"Jealous?"

"Shhhhhhhhh."

"Comfy, Lil J?" Michael asks.

Jeremy nods and wraps himself up in the comforter. "'love you guys, s' much."

"Love you, too, Lil J."

The Haus crew may be possessive of each other and more readily to show it. But no one matched the Fakes on their level of jealousy.