Chapter Text
Going over Jeremy’s house was normal for Pran.
It was so normal that he didn’t have to ask in advance to come over. He could come in from the front door or Jeremy’s bedroom window and the Kings wouldn’t bat an eye. It was as if he lived there too. The fact that he has his own bed in Jeremy’s room proves that fact even more.
The night started off normal. The only difference being Jeremy’s parents are not home with them. They had decided to go on a vacation for their anniversary. That was fine. It’s not as if Pran and Jeremy had never been left alone before. Being in the King's house without Jeremy’s parents always brought Pran back to the days he used to babysit Jeremy. It was always funny to watch Jeremy’s face turn into one of irritation whenever he’s reminded of the fact his parents hired a babysitter who was the same age as him. Pran personally didn’t think it was too big a deal. It’s not as if the Kings knew him back then and they sure as hell didn’t know his age either. In the end, it worked out anyway.
Since they had the whole house to themselves they decided to watch a movie. It was always hard to pick something to watch with both of them having a lack of opinion on most things. They settled for “The Corpse Bride.” It was dark, animated and featured mentions of death. Perfect.
They gathered blankets and pillows, pushing the separate couches together so it seemed like one big couch. Pran sat down and waited for Jeremy to join him, but he seemed lost in thought. “I want something sweet.” He didn’t even wait for Pran to respond before he marched his way to the kitchen.
Joining him in the kitchen, Pran witnessed Jeremy digging through the pantry. It was a walk in but it was pretty small so Pran decided to wait outside of it, out of consideration for his friend’s disdain for touch. He’s not even sure he would be able to fit inside it in the first place. Just as his insecurities about being so damn tall were about to wash over him. He heard a muffled, “I found hot cocoa…”
There was a pause and Pran responded. “I don’t need any.” Jeremy ducked out the pantry, hot cocoa box in hand. “It has extra marshmallows” Pran raised a brow. “Don’t they just melt anyway?” Jeremy smiled and Pran braced himself. “That’s why I eat them separately.” He had the audacity to say, as he walked towards the oven. Pran just stood there, processing. “You eat them…outside of the hot cocoa?” Jeremy nodded as he squatted to get a pot out the cabinet. “I used to get those big marshmallows directly out of the bag too.”
Pran cringed, just thinking about how much sugar was in them and how sweet that would taste. He always wondered how Jeremy managed to stay so adorably small when he ate like a hippo on drugs. He was sort of jealous, but it’s not as if Jeremy chose to have the type of body he does. Some people are just born small. It must be nice though, being so small you could hide anywhere. In a crowd you wouldn’t draw any attention, you most likely wouldn’t even be seen.
Though, Jeremy wasn’t just born small. There are people who are small and still manage to gain weight. Jeremy however has the metabolism that most girls their age wish they had. The kind where he could shove anything in his mouth and his body wouldn’t hold onto any of it. Pran brought this up to him once and Jeremy just said, “If I was ever in a situation where I wouldn’t be able to get food for longer than a month, I would die, literally. My body would eat itself alive.”
Pran shivered at the mental image and never mentioned it again.
He guessed he deserved that. Jeremy didn’t like talking about his body just as Pran didn’t like to mention his. Pran’s eyes traveled to Jeremy’s waist. Just because Jeremy didn’t appreciate the way he looked doesn’t mean other people don’t.
He was brought back to reality by getting a hot cocoa packet thrown at his face.
He startled and looked down at the offending packet that now laid on the ground. Then he looked back up at Jeremy to see him glaring, with a hint of a red on his cheeks, his lips in a pout. “Stop staring and help me get a cup.” Pran blinked and did as he was told.
—
By the time they got to the middle of the movie, the point where Victor was snatched back into the underground by a very angry Emily, Jeremy had knocked out. Pran slowly and carefully moved the, now cold, hot cocoa that was in his hands to the coffee table in front of them. He paused the movie and looked over at his best friend.
His head was turned the opposite direction from Pran, leaning on nothing. If he stayed like that he would surely wake up with neck pain tomorrow. Though Pran would love to carry him to bed and tuck him in, his friends' fear of touch prevented him from doing so. As he debated leaving Jeremy on the couch, he took this time to really look at him.
His small body was basically drowning in those pajamas his parents got him, the added yellow blanket he’s grown fond of making him look like the very definition of cozy. The white light from the TV highlighted his eyelashes as they cast shadows on his cheeks. His face was soft and round, unlike his own. If there was any area of Jeremy’s body that had chub it would be his face. Though it wasn’t much, there was surely enough for someone to pinch them. His skin was so pale, like porcelain, getting pinched would leave a mark, especially since Jeremy was so easy to bruise.
Pran hadn’t noticed he was leaning closer and closer until he realized he could hear Jeremy’s breath now. Up close he could see the bags under his eyes, the slight pink of his lips, and his very tiny nose.
Jeremy stirred a little and Pran snapped out of whatever trance he was in.
He lowered the movie’s volume a considerable amount, hit play and decided that both of them would be sleeping here tonight.