Sheraton Academy

Draw Four

Rating: PG

Warnings: mentions of scars

Sometimes, when it was late and JD and Kong Yok had lost track of time, they'd miss curfew watching movies or playing cards and talking, and one of them would have to stay over in the other's room.

Sometimes, when they were in his room and JD wasn't paying attention, Kong Yok knew exactly what time it was, but didn't say anything. JD always seemed to enjoy staying over, and if he didn't want to be there, he'd be somewhere else. At least, that was how Kong Yok rationalized his actions to himself. JD was so popular, and while Kong Yok wasn't sure how many of the people he hung around were friends versus acquaintances or classmates, the older boy was still often really, really busy. Kong Yok treasured the time they spent one on one, because while JD was around other people, he might as well not exist. JD didn't ignore him, but Kong Yok just tended to... disappear.

So even though they spent most of the night sleeping – because most nights they lost track of time tended to be school nights – the nights he and JD spent alone together were special. Theirs. So even though curfew hit in about ten minutes, Kong Yok didn't say anything. This time he was at JD's, though, so he'd have to eventually go back to his room. He didn't feel safe anywhere else.

But then JD slapped down a red three and shouted 'Uno!' and Kong Yok was having none of that. He slapped down the card he'd been saving for just the occasion.

"Draw four," he said. "And yellow."

JD hunched his shoulders and frowned, but drew the cards. After he drew his four, he continued. No yellows, apparently. Kong Yok had picked well.

He'd intended to keep an eye on the time. Really, he had. He was going to check again in what he guessed was about five minutes. But then JD finally drew a yellow, and by that time he had practically a full hand again. Kong Yok threw down a five, and laughed, and forgot to check the clock.

By the time he remembered again, they'd each whittled their hands down to two cards each, and it was nearing eleven. An hour past curfew. If Kong Yok got caught going back to his room, he'd be guaranteed a detention. Maybe more than one.

"You can stay with me," JD said. "You've let me stay with you how many times, man? I totally don't mind returning the favor."

Kong Yok bit his lip. "I don't have any pajamas." JD had taken to leaving a spare set in Kong Yok's room, but Kong Yok had never stayed the night here before.

"It's cool. You can use some of mine," JD said. "Let me see what I've got."

"You don't have to –"

But JD was already up at his dresser, digging through drawers. Kong Yok looked down at his two cards and bit his lip. He shouldn't stay and inconvenience JD like this. He shouldn't dirty a clean pair of clothes just because he'd been dumb and lost track of time. He should just risk going back to his room and getting caught.

"Nonsense!" JD said. "Um..." He rifled through a few more drawers and finally came up with a t-shirt and a pair of flannel sleep pants. He shoved them into Kong Yok's arms, and Kong Yok dropped his cards.

"You can change behind the closet door," he said. "I know you don't like when people can see you. I'll even go under the blanket, too, if you want."

Kong Yok smiled nervously. "No, you don't have to do that." He stood and took a step toward the door, then paused and looked over his shoulder. "But thank you."

He ducked behind the closet door and opened it all the way so it would cover his little stretch of space. His change was quick, practiced from years in locker rooms full of prying eyes and curious glances at his scars. It took seconds, and he folded his old clothes and put them in a pile by his backpack to take back to his room in the morning.

JD's clothes were much too big. The shirt slid off Kong Yok's shoulders and even pulled to its tightest, the drawstring pants were still loose, and they bunched up over his small feet. JD chuckled and Kong Yok turned bright red, huffing as he turned away and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Here," JD said. He gently tugged at the hem of the shirt and Kong Yok took a step closer. JD pulled a rubber band off his desk and bunched up the bottom of the shirt so it would stay in place, then tied it off.

"We did this when I was a kid in the States," he said. "We had these weird little plastic things though. Remind me to show you sometime. I think I still have one buried in all my stuff somewhere."

Kong Yok huffed again, through his nose, and nodded. JD's hands were so closeto his skin, he could feel the warmth through the warn fabric of the shirt. The heel of JD's hand brushed against his stomach and Kong Yok had to fight not to shiver. He wasn't sure whether he liked it or not, but it didn't matter, because JD finally pulled his hands away and propped them on his hips.

"There!" he said. "Totally '90s rockin' it!"

Kong Yok fiddled a little with the bit of shirt poking out from the rubber band and said, "Thanks."

"Sit down on the bed?"

Kong Yok's head shot up. "What?"

"So I can roll your pants up a little. Don't want you tripping and hurting that cute face of yours!"

Kong Yok very quickly decided he wasn't going to think about the fact that JD had called his face cute. He sat down and stuck his feet out. JD kneeled down and rolled each pant leg up to his ankle. It made him feel like a little kid again, like when Kuan-Yin Fai was still alive and would put his socks on every morning. Things weren't good then, really, but they hadn't gone bad yet, either.

For a while, Kong Yok stared at his bare feet, counting his toes, flexing his soles.

"Hey, you okay?"

Kong Yok looked up at JD and smiled. "Yeah," he said. "I am now."

JD didn't ask him to elaborate, and for that, Kong Yok was grateful. Sometimes his friend talked too much, but he always knew when it was important not to ask or push, somehow. He just smiled back and gently patted Kong Yok's calf and said, "Well, if you're up to it, we've got an Uno game to finish. Unless you're afraid I'm going to beat you."

Kong Yok snorted.

"We'll see."