Title: "Breakfast in Bed"
Author:
that_1_incidentFandom: AFI
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Davey Havok/Jade Puget
Word Count: ~2,900
Summary: Sometimes, breakfast in bed is more than just a friendly gesture.
Disclaimer: Jade and Davey belong to themselves, and arguably each other.
Author's Notes: Written a very long time ago (we're talking five years, here) and also posted
here on AFI Slash.
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Jade groaned. He knew pressing his eyes shut and willing his phone to stop ringing would not make the insistent noise go away, but he tried it anyway.
"Dammit," he growled, eventually rolling over and flinging an arm out over the side of his bed. The tips of his fingers brushed cold plastic and he clenched the phone in his fist. There were only two people in the entire world who could avoid facing his fearsome early-morning wrath - and one of them was his mom.
Jade brushed the peroxide bangs out of his right eye and squinted at the Caller ID. Havok. Great. Of the millions of global citizens who might perchance be trying to contact a skinny little rocker with two-tone hair, it had to be the one person he found it impossible to stay mad at.
"It's 7 a.m.," was his greeting.
"I know it's 7 a.m.!" came the cheerful response. "I have organic bagels."
Jade pressed his lips together, irked equally by the randomness of the comment and his inability to fully appreciate it in his sleepy state.
"Davey, it's Saturday," he informed his friend as he flicked the speaker phone button and stifled a yawn. He could picture Davey blinking, trying to find some relevance in what he'd just said.
"Yeah, but... organic, Jade! They're the best. They're always sold out."
Jade considered repeating himself. Would it do any good? Probably not. Besides, his voice was still scratchy from sleep.
"Where are you?" he asked instead.
"Outside your building," came the reply. Jade's eyebrows shot up.
"Holy shit, Davey."
He heard his friend chuckle down the line.
"I know, it's very The call is coming from inside the house," Davey responded, the laughter still present in his voice.
Jade propped his pillow up against the headboard and settled back into it. "Hell of a gamble. What if I had company?"
A delighted screech of absurdity emanated into his eardrums, causing a rueful smile to play across his lips.
"Point taken."
"So, you going to let me in or what?"
Jade sighed. He could picture Davey standing outside his apartment building clutching a paper bag, as bright and breezy as if it was the middle of the day. Resignedly, he buzzed Davey in.
"Come on up."
--
Just as Jade was starting to drift off again, he heard a gentle click followed by the sound of his front door softly being closed.
“Davey?”
He heard faint footfalls growing ever closer until finally the door to his bedroom swung open to reveal the raven-haired bringer of bagels who he called his friend.
“Jadey!”
Jade was happy to see him even at such an inhospitable hour, but he wasn’t about to give Davey the satisfaction of knowing that.
“You know, not everybody likes it when extra Y’s are added to the ends of their names,” he grumped.
“Lucky for me, you don’t fall into that category,” Davey retorted with a smile and a wink, before disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.
Jade rolled his eyes and pulled the covers back over his head to drown out the sound of Davey crashing pots and pans, too sleepy to give any thought to how such items could possibly be useful when it came to toasting bagels...
--
“Jadey? Ja-ade?”
Jade inhaled deeply and arched his back at the sound of Davey’s familiar sing-song, not wanting to let go of what was promising to be a very interesting dream starring himself and the faceless, nameless lover of whom he dreamed often. He felt himself slipping slowly out of the spectre’s snug embrace even as he fought to evade the dreaded reality that was all too quickly encroaching upon him.
“Jade!”
Jade’s eyelashes flew apart as his whole body jolted at the noise. “What?!” he demanded.
Davey was standing in the bedroom doorway, lips pursed, his hands on his hips.
“Where do you keep the soy milk?”
“Uh, I think I ran out,” Jade says, rubbing his eyes. “Is that what you woke me up for?”
Davey fixed him with a deadpan glare. “You ran out of soy milk?”
Jade shrugged himself deeper into the bedclothes. “I guess so, if there’s none in the fridge.”
Davey closed his eyes briefly, looking stressed as Jade regarded him quizzically and wondered what the big deal was. Taking pity on his frazzled friend and knowing he was unlikely to get back to sleep anyway, Jade flung the bedclothes aside and resolutely stood up.
“Maybe there’s a carton jammed at the back somewhere,” he said decisively, making for the hallway. The effect was electric.
“No!” Davey yelped, barricading the bedroom's only exit. “Don’t go in there!”
Jade eyed him strangely for a moment before eventually deciding to ignore his erratic behavior. Hell, Jade wasn’t himself at this time in the morning - why should he expect anyone else to be?
“Well, I’m up now,” he said, stretching. His small biceps rippled as his upper body became taut, and Davey watched quietly, nibbling at his lip ring.
“I might as well help you with breakfast,” Jade continued. “Although I don’t know what’s taking you so long to toast a couple of bagels.”
Davey looked nervous. “I have it all under control, Jade, it’s fine. Go back to bed.”
“But -” Jade protested, stepping forward. The motion was matched immediately by Davey, leaving the two of them standing toe-to-toe in the doorway.
Unexpectedly, Jade felt a little thrill run through his body - and as much as he hated to admit it, this was more than likely to be happening as a result of their close proximity. As he looked into Davey’s eyes, he could feel his breath hitch slightly in his throat and swallowed uneasily. The parallel universes of this world and the dream realm seemed suddenly to be orbiting a little too close for comfort.
--
Jade stepped back, deciding he should pick his battles. Plus - and he wasn’t going to be letting go of this fact anytime soon - it wasn’t even 8 o’clock yet. As soon as this realization hit, he wondered why he was fighting to stay out of his bed rather than in it.
“Fine…” he conceded resignedly. “What’s up with you, anyways? Why all the secrecy?”
Davey’s eyes sparkled. “Don’t worry yourself with such trivialities!” he chastized with a gentle grin.
Jade didn’t have to be told twice. He turned and literally fell forwards onto the mattress, hoping to recapture the now fleeting dream of a mysterious stranger he had the unshakeable sense that he knew.
--
Davey busied himself in the kitchen. He knew Jade was in possession of a silver-plated tray for… for… well, he had no idea what it was for, but he knew Jade owned one. Opening a familiar cabinet, he scanned the array of brightly colored cereal boxes and read their names aloud: Banana Nut, Vanilla Almond, Mango Passion... The last one sounded good. He poured some into a ceramic bowl and spooned out some yogurt he’d found during his quest for milk.
Satisfied with the presentation of this part of the meal, Davey set the cereal bowl carefully on the silver tray before turning to the toaster, which handily expelled the bagels right as he glanced at it. With a grin, he grabbed a plate from the countertop and neatly caught them on their descent.
--
From the bedroom, Jade fancied he heard the faint sound of the toaster. He pried his eyelashes apart, found himself in the direct path of a shaft of sunlight beaming in through his window, blinked a few times, and adjusted his position.
“Tell me you haven’t fallen asleep again, Jade!” Davey called from the kitchen.
Jade let out a chuckle - his first of the day. “Nah, I’m awake now.”
With that, Davey appeared once again in the bedroom doorway. He was balancing a silver tray and the intensity of his smile rivaled that of the light peeking in at the window.
“Surprise,” he said softly, approaching the bed and coyly holding out his offering. “I made you something.”
Jade softened visibly and propped himself up against a pillow.
“That’s why you didn’t want me in the kitchen, isn’t it?”
Davey nodded shyly, but all the while his eyes retained that mysterious glint. “Although it all went according to plan in the end, with the exception of the soy milk debacle.”
Hesitantly, Jade reached out and picked up a bagel.
Davey smiled. “Take it, it’s all yours.”
Jade met his eyes and broke the bagel into two pieces. “Here, it’s yours too. I was, uh…” he laughed self-consciously, “Less than welcoming to you this morning - it’s the least I can do.”
Davey smirked. “That’s true,” he admitted, reaching out to take the proffered half.
Jade smiled back. “So, are you planning on just standing there like that the entire time?”
“Oh, well…” Davey sank down onto the bed, tucking his legs beneath him as he leaned back on one elbow and gazed up at Jade. “Of course not. Still, this is your surprise, so I decided my behavior should be more restrained than hurling myself onto your bed - but, since you offered…”
He trailed off and then pouted suggestively, fully aware of the double entendre. Jade rolled his eyes - typical Davey. He picked up a spoon and gestured towards the bowl. “What’s this?”
“Yogurt, honey and cereal,” Davey replied, his words muffled by a piece of bagel. He chewed and then swallowed. “I would’ve made it the regular way, but somebody didn’t buy soy milk.”
“Somebody wouldn’t let me into the kitchen to look for the soy milk,” Jade retorted. “And anyway, what’s the occasion for this?”
The other man delicately scrunched up his nose. “Does there have to be an occasion?”
“Uh, as far as I’m aware you don’t show up on Hunter or Adam’s doorsteps at the ass-crack of dawn.”
Jade’s statement hung in the air for a few moments, tinging the relaxed ambiance with something darker. Davey shifted slightly on the bed.
“I don’t know,” he said somewhat defensively. “Our relationship’s just different, that’s all. Sometimes I feel like I practically live at your house.”
Jade laughed. “Me too.”
Davey looked at him quizzically.
“Not that that’s a bad thing,” he added hastily, wondering why he suddenly felt so awkward around someone who’d been one of his closest friends for years.
Davey nodded seriously, curling up like a cat in the middle of Jade’s bed.
“Well, I’m glad you don’t mind,” he said with finality before his eyelashes fluttered shut. Jade smirked.
“Excuse me, what happened to ‘It’s 7 a.m.; let’s eat organic bagels’?”
Davey blinked. “Do you know what time I had to wake up in order to buy the organic bagels?” he countered.
Jade shook his head in disbelief before placing the now mostly empty tray on the bedside table. “Havok, you’re fuckin’ crazy.”
“I know,” Davey said matter-of-factly, uncurling his body and stretching to take advantage of the newfound space. He rested his head on the part of the pillow not already being used by Jade, taking up the unoccupied side of the bed. “That’s why you love me.”
Jade was about to deliver a witty comeback when a thought struck him, rendering his throat as dry as sandpaper. Davey lying so near to him on his bed had triggered something in his mind, leading to a sudden realization: Davey and the mysterious stranger were one and the same.
--
Davey’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”
“Huh?” Jade said nervously. “I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but you… you tensed up.”
Jade snorted. “I did not.”
“Jade, I’m lying right next to you,” Davey said quietly - not challengingly.
Jade’s heart plummeted. Don’t remind me, he thought.
“I’m just…” he tried to shrug it off. “No, I’m fine.”
Davey regarded him steadily, to the point where Jade felt as if the gaze was penetrating into his soul. He wished Davey would stop.
“Hey,” he tried again, attempting some kind of explanation. Davey waited, and the silence was palpable. He sighed. “I’m just tired, okay? This was… this was sweet. Thanks, Davey.”
Davey curled up again, drawing the sheets to his chin. A muffled “You’re welcome” could be heard through the fabric.
Jade took a deep breath, rolled over so he had his back to Davey, and shut his eyes tightly. Beside him, he felt Davey exhale, and he was pretty sure he could sense his friend’s hand poised above his back, wanting to touch him, unsure of how to leave things. He hunched his shoulders and felt Davey shift his weight slightly in response, withdrawing the hand. Soon after that, his breathing became deeper and more rhythmic.
Jade opened his eyes but didn’t dare to look at the sleeping man beside him. Instead, he watched the glowing numbers on his digital clock flip five, ten, twenty, forty, before finally drifting off into an uncomfortable slumber.
--
When Jade awoke, Davey’s hand was slung across his chest and the younger man was curled against him in peaceful slumber, breathing slow and soft. Jade felt as if he should feel uncomfortable, but didn’t. He frowned, trying to make sense of the situation, piecing together the fragments of memory from earlier that morning until his realization hit him all over again.
“Fuck,” he breathed.
Davey stirred and snuggled closer, nose bumping against Jade’s collarbone and triggering the release of a thousand tiny electric sparks beneath Jade’s skin. Jade bit his lip. He swore Davey’s subconscious must be out to get him - and what’s more, it was pushing all of the right buttons.
“Hey.” Jade elbowed his friend gently in the side. “Davey. Personal space, Davey.”
Davey’s long lashes fluttered. “Hm?” he murmured into Jade’s chest before sleepily acclimating himself to his current position. “Oh.”
“Mm,” Jade said, hoping fervently that Davey couldn’t feel his heart thundering from inside his chest.
“Jade?”
“Yeah?”
“Why is your heart beating so fast?”
…So much for hoping.
“Um, I - I just woke up,” Jade stuttered. “I must have been dreaming.”
“Oh,” Davey said quietly, sounding somewhat forlorn - but that could just have been Jade’s imagination. “So…” he raised his head to look at the digital clock that rested on top of a chest of drawers near Jade’s bed. “It’s past noon. We should probably get up.”
What happened next surprised Jade. It surprised him because of the strength of the reaction, it surprised him because of the physical intensity, and most of all it surprised him because he thought he knew himself better than that, but nonetheless, when presented with the concept of Davey’s body untangling from around him, Jade felt a sick, sharp pain go right through his heart. He clutched tightly onto the other man.
“N-no,” he choked. “I. I’m fine right here.”
“Hmmmmm,” Davey mused, drawing out the last letter and making the noise sound as nonchalant and knowledgeable as any “Hm” could be. Jade was still trying to figure out how Davey had done that when - “You like me.”
Jade inhaled sharply, somehow choked on his own breath, and coughed. “What?”
“Jade Puget,” Davey began, a trace of mirth in his voice that incited Jade into kind of wanting to kill him a little bit, “You like me.”
Jade’s face began to go red.
“You have feelings for me,” Davey continued, sounding perversely delighted with the discomfort he was causing. “You’re crushing!” he went on gleefully.
“No‘mnot,” Jade mumbled, dispensing with the pauses between his words all together.
Davey nuzzled at the soft skin just under Jade's jaw line, and Jade blushed crimson. “Yes, you are,” Davey murmured against his skin.
Jade felt a nauseous thudding in his chest. “So what?” he asked weakly, convinced this was all some kind of cruel little game.
Davey raised himself up onto his elbows, stared down into Jade’s eyes. “So what if I feel the same way about you?”
Jade’s mouth went dry.
“You don’t,” he said flatly. “You couldn’t possibly.”
Davey nipped gently at the edge of Jade’s lip, sucked briefly, then released.
“Like you said earlier… I don’t show up on Hunter or Adam’s doorsteps at 7 a.m. on a Saturday. Especially not just to bring them organic bagels.”
“That’s because they like the regular kind,” Jade started to say, but Davey shushed him with cheek kisses, then real kisses, and Jade decided to stop trying to say anything at all.
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