AH collections

the sugar baby escapades (14)

OT6
Word count: 17704
Chapters: 18

It's date night, and that usually means Jeremy gets to pick tonight's activity. He doesn't want anything overcomplicated, something that will bring them attention. Because he's going out with Michael and Gavin tonight and they're not known for keeping it on the down low. He loves them. He does, but he just wants to keep it casual tonight, you know?

"All right, Jeremy," Michael says as they settle in the car, Gavin fully reclining on the back seat.

"Oh!" Jeremy lights up and pulls out his phone. "There's this new game's café open on Third? I really want to check this place out. Rob said it was a pretty great place to go to."

Michael laughs a little. "Whatever you say, J."

He pulls out of the garage and heads out to their destination.

"What did you say this place was, Jere?" Gavin asks. He's finally looking up from his phone for once.

"Game's cafe," he says. "It has, like, board games and card games. And we can get like a plate of nachos or something."

Gavin laughs. "Nachos."

"Hey, don't know until you've tried it."

They get to the café, and Jeremy bounds in first, both Michael and Gavin clearly amused by how excited he is.

"Come on! Table's over here, guys!" Jeremy claims a space for them and as soon as they're sat he stands before them. "Okay. What game do you guys want to play?"

Michael only shrugs. "It's all up to you, Jeremy. I haven't played a board game in years."

Jeremy goes to check out what games they have and he immediately perks up. He grabs a few and makes his way back over to the table. "Gavin," he says. "You'll never guess what they have."

Gavin looks up at him, a curious smile on his face. "What is it, Jeremy?"

"The game of Gwent."

Gavin sits up. "You're shitting me."

Jeremy holds it up. "May I introduce to you the card game from the Witcher 3."

He sees Michael roll his eyes fondly. "Oh, my god."

"Told you this place would be awesome, Michael."

They all indulge him. It's all about Jeremy and how he feels, what he wants. And while he's always sure to check in with how they're doing, he knows they just want to care for him. He eats it up. He's never had this level of chare before—and from five different people no less. Of course, he's going to just accept everything without question. It's genuine care without any strings.

Because he's in school now, he's also prone to the school borne illnesses. How easily they drift between students. He happens to get a nasty bout of the flu that completely takes him by surprise. He gets sick on a Thursday, has to miss studio time with Tess and Paula and thank goodness he has no class on Fridays. He's down for the count with a fever and the chills and he has no intention of going anywhere. He's not at his own place. He actually stumbled into the penthouse and started moaning on the couch until someone gave him the attention he wanted.

"Okay," Geoff said. "Let's get you to the bed."

And that's how he ended up in one of the spare bedrooms with Jack and Geoff waiting on him hand and foot.

The door to the bedroom remains open when he isn't sleeping so he can loudly voice how uncomfortable he is and have Geoff rush in by saying, "I've got you, Jeremy. Daddy's coming." To which Jeremy will only groan louder because, "Geoff, that's gross." Geoff will only laugh.

Jack at least just does as she needs to, makes sure Jeremy is comfortable, makes sure he's drinking and eating if he can stomach it, and then also helps him make the transition over to the couch in the living room because he wanted a change in scenery. And also to try and help Geoff complete a play through of Spyro.

"Your knowledge of this game astounds me," Geoff says.

"Was the only game in the house when I was growing up." He pushes his feet against Geoff's leg. "Over there, over there."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Don't need to be so pushy about it."

He returns to classes on Monday and is in the studio late that night to catch up on some work. Rob begins leaning in suspiciously close enough to make Jeremy lean back.

"What is it, Rob?" he asks.

"You look like it's Valentine's day. It's March fifteenth."

"Can't help it if I got people who love me and like to dote on me." He stares at Rob until he backs away.

Once Rob is safely at his desk, he says, "Oh by the way, I ate, like, half your chicken soup. It was delicious by the way. Tell Jack I said thanks."

Jeremy only sighs and picks up his smudger.

He's out at a rather peppy bar on a Friday night, an excuse to just take it easy before the first major heist Jeremy will be a part of since the semester ended. It's an upscale thing with TVs set to some baseball game, great food at great prices, a pool table, and the right amount of people for Jeremy to soak up all the energy and feel like hit is the place he wants to be.

He's at the bar waiting to pick up some drinks for him and Ryan—what's on tap and just a diet coke respectively. A woman, probably around his age, slides up to the bar and sets an order for her drink. They settle beside each other, Jeremy looking over just briefly and their eyes meet. They break off laugh.

"Hi, I'm Rita," she says.

"Jeremy."

She points to his shoulder. "I like your tattoo."

Jeremy looks down at his arm, the edge of a tattoo peeking out underneath his shirt sleeve. "Oh, thank you! It's still in progress. I want to bring it around the arm yet."

She nods appreciatively. "Nice. I, uh, I work in a parlous so the colours just caught my eye. Where do you go to get your art done?"

They talk for some time, getting comfortable and familiar with each other and the beauties of body art. They talk until they get their drinks and then some. Rita looks down at them. "Drinking for two?" she asks.

Then he snaps to it. "Oh, right. No, I was getting drinks for my boyfriend." He turns and points at Ryan, who smiles and waves.

Rita closes her eyes, smiles, and then shakes her head. "He looks nice," she says. "I hope you have a wonderful night, Jeremy."

"You, too, Rita!"

He takes his drinks and goes back to where Ryan is and hands him his diet coke.

"You two looked cozy," he says, with a tilt to his mouth. "Have fun making friends?"

Jeremy frowns a little. "What is it with you guys and having me talk to other people?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but most of the people who talk to you are probably flirting." He wraps an arm around Jeremy's shoulders and bends in closer. "And you know how possessive we get."

"Down, boy," he mutters. "We're in public."

"I know."