Chapter Text
I'll ask for forgiveness in the morning
Sink my teeth into this tender moment
So let me into your mind
I wanna see what everything is hiding behind
☾
“Okay. Rule one: No Exy.” Jean sounds, unfortunately, very serious. Kevin is always thinking about Exy, unless he’s thinking about Jean. Or Jeremy. Or both, ideally around him.
He pouts a little, and Jeremy pats him condescendingly on the head, saying “Don’t worry Kev, we’ll find something else for you to do,” and any argument he almost makes is kind of wiped from his mind. He gives a pathetic little nod, and Jean looks surprised, but doesn’t push it.
“Rule two?” Jeremy prods.
“There’s no rule two. It’s really just the Exy thing.”
Jeremy laughs at Jean before turning to Kevin. “Okay baby. We got a plan here; we’re getting things for dinner- what you want for dinner, and also lunch, and literally anything else that catches your eye. That sound good?” It’s a ridiculous sentence, because Kevin wants very few things (to be an Olympian, to be with Jean, to be with Jeremy, just to name them), and food isn’t something he ever really wants. That’s probably the wrong thing to say though, so he just nods again.
Jean tells him to “use his words,” and it makes Kevin blush, but he listens.
He says “Okay. That sounds good.” Then he hesitates and says, “I don't know what I want for dinner. Can you pick? I’ll just cook?” It comes out as more of a question than he means it to be, and he likes cooking but he doesn’t like picking out food, so in a way- he’s asking for permission here.
The couple exchange a quick look, and then Jeremy is telling him, “That’s fine baby, you can cook for us,” and Kevin grins, bright and wide, and it makes them smile back at him. He thinks it’s the first real smile he’s given in a while.
☾
Jean and Jeremy are discussing the merits of a pasta versus a lighter salad vs something that’s heavy and meaty while they walk, and Kevin cuts into the conversation.
“I can make it all,” he offers, “You’d just have to give me a bit of time, but I can really do whatever you two feel like.” They both stare at him like he’s grown a second head and, self-conscious, Kevin focuses his eyes on the cuffs of the baggy hoodie he’s wearing, folding them up over his hands. He should’ve cuffed the jeans higher, he’s about to trip with every step they take.
“He’s like a fucking dream, Jean.”
“He’s a perfect fucking housewife is what he is, amour.”
It sounds like Jean groans a little when he says it, and it makes Kevin’s ears turn pink. He peeks up at them, and he swears they can see how desperate he is. Maybe they can, because then Jeremy’s pointing out his blush, going “Look at him, Jean, he’s so fucking pretty for us,” and they are in public, at a farmers market, and this is a entirely inappropriate conversation to be had around other people.
Kevin mutters “shut up.” It is not his best response, he knows it, they know it.
“C’mon baby, you can be our housewife if you want,” Jean’s voice is- condescending isn’t the wrong word here, but it isn’t the best it’s more- it’s more like he’s making fun of Kevin, just a bit, but it’s not bad, or mean.
“Do you want to be, princess? We’ve got a pretty apron, somewhere in a closet at home. Will you wear it for us?”
Kevin’s face is fucking burning at this point. The faster he agrees, the faster this will probably end, so he waves a hand vaguely at them, and says quickly, “Yes, yeah, I’ll do whatever you two want,” which was definitely the wrong thing to say.
They both go “ promise?” at the same time, in the same tone, looking at him like he’s something to win, and he just nods, once, sharp. He’s not lying, he will do whatever they want, but he didn’t mean to just say it. The nod is accepted this time, and Kevin starts walking faster, already running through all the possible options for dinner that night, because if he’s cooking for someone else, he’s going to do a damn fine job of it.
☾
At some point, Kevin has procured several bags of stuff. Anything he mentions, or lingers on too long is purchased, with the excuse of “you can just make us something with it,” and he supposes that’s good enough. There are some truly good sellers here, and he spends several minutes waxing on and on about the differences in tomatoes. Both Jeremy and Jean manage to look engaged the whole time, they ask questions at the right moments and everything. It’s nice, having people listen to him.
Jeremy disappears for a few minutes while Kevin is looking at fruits- he’s thinking of possibly, maybe, making a tart of some kind for dessert. That’s what people do, he thinks. They have dessert with their nice meals.
Kevin’s only just decided on strawberries, with Jean’s help, when Jeremy pops back up with some kind of juice in-hand. He offers one to Kevin and he takes it, thanking him. He pretends he doesn’t see the relieved way Jeremy looks at Jean when he drinks it without hesitation. Kevin’s always had an easier time with drinks, and he can be convinced to eat or drink almost anything short of real junk, if he’s moving while he has it. Some weird loophole in his brain, he guesses.
Jeremy tells him that strawberries are his favorite and Kevin says “I know,” and “I’ll make you something with them, tonight? Unless there’s something else you want?”
“No, that’d be perfect sweetheart, anything you make is good.” It’s so genuine because it’s Jeremy, and Kevin smiles up at him. Jean agrees from Kevin’s other side, and he turns the grin on him too. He’s so fucking happy , it makes him feel a little drunk.
They feed him a lot that day- not all at once, just bites of their things, from their fingers. Kevin is careful to mind his teeth. With everything he accepts, he can feel Jeremy relax more. He tries bits of bread with different jams on them, and they're so sweet it makes his teeth ache, but the way Jean looks at him makes it worth it. They offer him fruit, little desserts, and bites off their sandwiches. He’s pretty sure this is the most he’s eaten in a long time and it’s definitely the only time in the last decade that he hasn’t felt like shit about it. Kevin might actually be able to keep this down later. He hopes he can.
☾
Eventually, Kevin runs out of things he needs. They’ve spent a frankly ridiculous amount of money, and he’s got a bunch of cute little bags of stuff to experiment with back at the house. He’s not used to spending this much time out anymore, not unless he’s on a court, and it’s exhausting- fun, but exhausting. It’s worth it.
Jeremy helps him load everything into the car. He tells Kevin to keep the hoodie on when they get home, that “it makes Jean happy,” and he likes making Jean happy so he agrees. It feels unnecessary, he wasn’t gonna take it off anyways.
He sits in the backseat again, and he makes an effort to participate in the conversation the couple has up front. It’s something about their plans for tomorrow, he thinks maybe they want to go shopping? Kevin tells them that it sounds fun, even though he doesn’t really need anything. Maybe there’ll be an Exites, it’s always good to see the new racquets.
They’re pulling up at the house before he even realizes they’re on their street, and he’s getting the car door open as soon as they stop to help out with the groceries. Now that they’re actually back, he’s so excited to start cooking- he never does anything fancy for himself, and he’s forgotten how much he actually does enjoy putting together nice meals. Jeremy laughs at his enthusiasm, and Jean says something about him being like a puppy, and he’s embarrassed by his energy for a moment, but Jean brushes his waist when he makes his way past Kevin to the front door, and then he’s more focused on that than on the shame.
Things are unloaded in a very specific way. Kevin tells them where to put items, because he bought a lot of food to use for the next few days, and they still don’t really know exactly what he’s making. When they finish, he’s kind of expecting them to leave, but they just sit at the counter to watch.
Halfway through Kevin prepping his tomatoes (they’re such nice tomatoes), Jeremy cuts himself off from the conversation he’d been having with Jean in the background like he’s been shocked, and leaves the room. Kevin looks at Jean, and Jean just shrugs.
“He’s strange when he gets something in his head- that’s why we like him, yeah?”
Kevin’s about to answer when Jeremy comes sliding back into the kitchen with a ridiculously red apron bundled in his hands. He shakes it out triumphantly in front of him and god the things got ruffles. It has fucking sparkles.
“You promised Kev, you’ve gotta wear it,” and Kevin’s not gonna say no, not to Jeremy, not when he’s looking at him like he’d cry if he changed his mind. Especially when it’s kind of on him for saying he’d wear it at all.
He sighs, resigned, and holds out a hand to take it. Instead, Jeremy comes to him, and pokes him a bit, prompting him to turn. He drops the thing over Kevin’s head, and ties the waist for him, tightening it and reaching around him to knot a bow in the front. Then Jeremy’s backing away, over to where Jean’s been watching them and he twirls a finger in the air, telling Kevin to “spin for us baby.”
Blushing, Kevin does as he’s told, eyes on the floor. The apron flares out wide, it’s built like a fucking skirt, and Kevin is a six foot tall professional athlete, and he should not enjoy this.
There’s a long silence, and it makes his face burn. Kevin goes back to his vegetables.
“We’re keeping him, like, forever. Right?” Jeremy’s clearly trying to whisper, but he’s always been shit at being quiet.
“What?”
“Nothing amour, Jer just thinks you’re cute like this,” Kevin can tell somethings coming from the way Jean smiles at him, and then, “You really are perfect, just a pretty boy cooking for us. We appreciate it, princess.”
Kevin stares at him. He’s so terribly confused by all of this, so he mumbles “ thank you,” and ignores the way his voice shakes a bit. Jean’s hoodie sleeves have slipped past his hands, it’s really so big on Kevin, and he shoves them back up. He pours all his energy into cooking, resolutely ignoring the way the couple tries to draw him into conversation, just nodding every once in a while.
☾
When Kevin is finished, he does speak to them. It’s polite and quiet. He asks them to set the table for him, and they jump at the opportunity. They chatter in the dining room, and Kevin plates everything. He’s made some salad he can’t remember the name of anymore, but it’s light, and it’s got his new fancy tomatoes diced in and he’s actually excited to try it. That practically never happens and it makes him feel less bad about the fact that he’s barely going to touch the steaks he made ( he absolutely soaked them in butter, because that’s how you get the nice flavors- but that’s a lot for him), and he’s never been a huge pasta guy, it’s just too heavy. Jean and Jeremy will fucking love it though, and his tarts are setting in the fridge- he hopes they’re not sour, Jeremy really does prefer sweet things, but he didn’t want to overdo it either. He almost forgets to take the apron off before he joins them in the dining room.
He’s proud of himself when he sets everything down, and sees their faces. Jean smiles at him, bright, and Jeremy looks like he might shake out of his skin.
“Let me know if there’s anything you don’t like, okay?” Objectively, he knows this all turned out damn good, but there’s always a chance things won’t have come out exactly how he envisioned, “I haven’t cooked much in a while, so it just- might not be great?”
Jeremy is quick to reassure him, saying “Sweetheart, we told you earlier- anything is good if it’s you- and besides we’re not picky,” and it makes Kevin feel a little better. Jean takes over then, giving Jeremy and Kevin however much he decides they need- and, thankfully, he seems to give Kevin smaller portions than Jeremy. Kevin smiles at him from across the table, and Jean just nods, understanding.
He waits till they’ve both tried everything to start eating, because the anxiety is making him a little bit sick. Jean moans a little when he tries the steak, probably playing it up for Kevin’s benefit, and he flushes, refusing to look at them.
They give him matching “This is so good,” and they sound so sweet, and that’s when he decides to stop playing with his food. Kevin was right. The salad did turn out good.
The salad is the only thing he finishes. The steak and pasta had genuine efforts made, but it’s just still too much and he has to give up before he gets halfway through. Jean still smiles at him though.
Jeremy tells him he’s so good when he notices that Kevin's stopped eating, and it eases the nausea for a few minutes. It takes a while for the other two to finish, but it’s remarkably silent, just the sound of forks and knives against porcelain. Kevin thinks he’s okay with that, fighting the urge to excuse himself to the bathroom is hard enough without having to hold a conversation at the same time.
When he goes to collect plates, Jeremy gets up too, pushing Kevin back into his seat. It shouldn’t be hot, but it is, especially when he murmurs that he’s “ too cute to do dishes,” and then he’s grabbing everything, making his way into the kitchen. Kevin can hear the water running. He has to twist his fingers in his hoodie sleeves to keep from getting up and helping.
At some point, Kevin remembers his tart, and excuses himself from the table. Is it possible to over-set something? He should really google that. He’s so absorbed in his thoughts, in cutting the tart into perfect triangles, that he doesn’t notice when Jean comes in to watch him, when Jeremy finishes the dishes and stands behind his boyfriend, leaning forearms against his shoulders.
“They look nice baby, I think you can stop fussing,” Jean sounds a little like he’s laughing at him, and, startled, Kevin almost cuts his hand open. He breathes in, sharp, and drops it on the counter. They notice, and Jean reaches out, concerned, but Kevin waves them off. He’s done with the knife anyways.
“C’mere Kev,” Jeremy says, and he pouts a little, so Kevin goes. As soon as he’s within reach, Jeremy’s got hands wrapped around his hips, and he’s lifting Kevin to sit on the counter, legs swinging. He yelps a little, holding onto Jeremy’s shoulders. Then Jeremy’s sitting on the stool next to Jean, and Jean’s pulling the sliced tart over, and they’re crowding him, hands rubbing against his thighs and waist.
Fingers tap against his lips, and Jean tells him to “ open,” and obviously, obviously Kevin does it. He feeds Kevin a bite of the dessert, and Kevin’s lips close on Jean's fingers. A weird strangled noise comes from both Jean and Jeremy, and he looks at them, eyes wide and questioning.
Jeremy reads his face perfectly and says, “Don’t worry. I think Jean just really likes it when you look like this,” and then Jean pulls his hand from Kevins face and smacks Jeremy’s shoulder.
He turns back to Kevin and says, “Is it good?” and Kevin decides he does not want to ask what Jeremy means, so he nods a little. He accepts the second bite, offered by Jeremy, and turns his face away from the rest. He didn’t make it for himself.
The three of them sit there for a while, mostly just until Jeremy finishes off half the tart, alone, and then he’s holding Kevin again, sliding him off the counter. He pulls him against his chest, and tilts Kevin’s head up. Kevin can’t do anything other than just look up at him, and Jeremy’s hand comes up against Kevin’s face, wiping something away from his lips with his thumb. Then he makes eye contact with Jean, and he licks it off, and Jean makes- Jean makes an utterly indecent sound, and Kevin mourns the fact that he didn’t see his face.
Jeremy lets him back away after a moment frozen like that, and he sees the clock, and takes the opportunity to ask them, “I’m so sorry, but um, I’m kinda tired? From today? And I was just wondering if it was okay, if I could go to bed early?” His ears are hot again, and he’s pretty sure he’s spent more of this trip blushing than not, and Jean asks him if he’s sure, voice tight, and Kevin’s nodding, and they let him go.
Jean catches his wrist before he gets out the door. He keeps his voice low, but he asks Kevin if he could “please try to keep the food down?” and Kevin nods, if only to get out of the room so that Jean and Jeremy can have time together- without him intruding.
☾
When Kevin gets to his guest room, he strips off the jeans. He keeps the hoodie, and everything else, and when he sees himself in the mirror, with the edges of the hoodie hanging down to his mid-thigh, he’s scared by how much he wants them.
Naturally, he turns to the most reliable source for emotions. The internet.
He spends a few hours, just alone, curled up in the (stupid big and cold) bed, googling things. Kevin googles how to know if your friends like you romantically, and I love my friends, what do I do and a million other iterations.
He comes to the conclusion around midnight that, maybe, they do want him. Not in a dating-way, but in a sex way and- that kind of lines up with everything. They keep teasing and they touch him so much and they definitely don’t want a real thing, so they must just want to fuck him. Kevin doesn’t know if he could handle that but, it would be better than nothing.
Kevin resolves to let them, if they want to, ask. He is not risking their friendship because he’s so self absorbed that he thought they’d want to have sex.
Shutting his phone off, he tries to sleep.
All he can think about is Jeremy and Jean, and how it would feel to touch them.