AFTG | 🥩

🗯 SWEET THING, I WATCH YOU. (jerejean)

> quick note: this is kind of bad but my writing does get better after this fic, trust.
> title from 'when the sun hits' by slowdive.
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as he woke up, the other side of the bed was empty.

jeremy had been sleeping peacefully at first - he usually had no troubles falling asleep and getting enough hours of rest these days - but today seemed to be different. he didn't know what had woken him up, but as soon as his eyes opened, his brain signaled him that something was wrong. something wasn't the same as it was supposed to be.

it took him approximately fifteen seconds to be properly awake and realise where he was, and one look to the other side of the bed to tell him what exactly the missing thing was. another second was spent by jumping out of the bed, looking over at his own bed to check if maybe jean had simply decided to move there.

over the past few months, jean had been becoming more and more comfortable living with them; a progress jeremy was incredibly grateful for and also rather proud of. they'd gotten so comfortable around each other even, that, every once in a while, they both fell asleep in the same bed together (usually after an evening spent by listening to jeremy talk about non exy related topics, so jean would get exposed to something that wasn't related to sports only.), jeremy being too lazy to walk the few steps over towards his own.

however, jean was not next to him where he was supposed to be, immediately making jeremy mentally go through a list of all worst case scenarios he could think of.

while jeremy wanted to tell himself that there was nothing to worry about and that jean was finally in a condition where they didn't have to worry about him suddenly running back to the nest and never looking back, it was still jean. jean with his horrible past that jeremy couldn't even start to imagine, jean who seemed to never fully be able to leave all the people that harmed him behind. grayson was no one to worry about anymore, but that didn't mean that there were no other people coming for him.

jean still hadn't opened up about a lot, but jeremy knew enough from him or kevin to have started instantly assuming the worst. not even his seemingly unbeatable optimism could make this any better. while he couldn't think of anybody who deserved some peace and quiet more than jean did, that didn't mean that they were actually capable of guaranteeing him that.

jeremy took a quick look at his phone to check for the time and if jean had maybe texted him, before quietly but hurriedly leaving the room. bare feet on the cold floor, he instantly regretted not wearing socks at night. it didn't matter, however. finding jean was what mattered, not the uncomfortable feeling of the floor underneath him.

to his relief, it only took him a few steps to find jean, who was sitting on the porch of the house, back turned towards jeremy.

letting out a sigh, he instantly relaxed. he knew that he had overreacted, but his reaction still seemed appropriate, even after realising jean was doing just fine. making his way outside, jeremy purposely walked loud enough to not startle jean, already announcing his presence before he even made it outside. there'd been enough times already where one of them had accidentally not made themselves known when jean was around and ended up startling him, and it was better for everyone to not scare jean to death and give him an even harder time than necessary. jeremy was used to jean's extreme reactions, but that didn't mean that he wanted to trigger them. it was something he'd gladly avoid.

as he sat down next to the taller man (it was unfair, really. there was no reason for jean to be as tall as he was), jeremy didn't make a sound aside from yawning, waiting for jean to initiate a conversation if he wanted to. he knew how pointless this often seemes to be, as jean moreau was not one people saw as the type of person to start conversations with most, but they'd gotten better at it over the past few months and jeremy knew that he'd speak up if he wanted to.