One Fine Day

[Jeremy Thorne]

Rolling over in bed, Jeremy slowly opened his eyes and blinked away sleep. The drapes had left only a small opening for the sun to enter the room, though it hadn't thankfully reached where his head would be just yet. Turning to his right, Jeremy glanced at the clock on his night table. It read 9:02 am, nearly an hour later than he usually woke up. Normally, it would be panic time but not today. It was a rare occasion for the Healer - a day off - and he planned on making the most of it. Lifting his hands over his head, Jeremy gripped the bed's headboard and used it to stretch his back, the protesting muscles loosening slightly at the stretch. There was no sense of urgency in any of his movements. No, the guy was going to make the most of his day off, hoping that he'd have the opportunity to be lazy. So far, he was off to a good start. Thoughts of blueberry waffles drifted through the man's mind, his stomach immediately getting with that program as it began to demand food.

Jeremy reached down and rubbed his stomach, his other hand reaching over to the floor where he'd thrown his shirt last night. His hand moved around, finally connecting with the black shirt. Pausing before he sat up to put it on, Jeremy glanced over to the other side of the room and smiled. He settled back onto the bed, facing in that direction, the shirt tightly clutched in his fist. Jeremy knew that he could have remained looking that way forever. The guy had gone through a lot over the past few years, trying to establish his career and his identity. It was only recently that everything seemed to have fallen into place. Jeremy had been doing well as a Healer and rumor had it that he was due for a raise soon. In his personal life is where Jeremy believed life had changed most. He believed it was a positive change, though the doubts about his decision were still present. Cautious Jeremy had always had trouble being impulsive and just going with the flow, but he'd done just that recently. It both terrified and excited him to no end.

 

[Henri Keto]

Life is a strange concept. One that Henri had never really thought about before. Living day by day was so usual for him, that thinking ahead, or even thinking back was something he did so rarely, it almost never happened. He tried to live his life with no regrets and so taking risks was something that he usually didn't think about. His biggest risks being his choice of outfit in the morning. He'd thought he'd been living his life. Then he left Finland and he finally realised the true meaning of living. It was and had always been about creating his own freedoms. Becoming the person he wanted to be and not the one that was expected. Kellin was his best friend, the only person of his age from his hometown. Kellin was like his brother. The day his friend had asked him to leave the town for a chance at travel, Henri had almost said no, he'd almost told his parents that he would accept their recommendations and join the army and he'd almost let Kellin go alone. He was definitely glad that he had changed his mind and taken Kellin's offer. Henri has taken more risks in the last three years of his life then he ever had back home. He'd met people, made new friends, found a job that he liked and was good at, travelled the world, settled into his own little life and now he couldn't be happier. Though he didn't see Kellin as often as he used too, and the two of them weren't as close as they used to be, that didn't mean that they weren't friends anymore. Henri liked to think that it really made them even better friends because he didn't get frustrated by the constant closeness and the annoying midnight wakeup calls. Henri had made a name and a life for himself in New Zealand, one that he wasn't so eager to leave so soon.

Henri looked up from the book he had been looking at and smiled at the awakened form on the bed. Being so used to early calls, Henri's internal body clock rarely let him sleep past six or seven in the morning. Sometimes it was a pain in the arse, but other times it was good. Huddled into the corner of the room as he was, Henri had to look up to see Jeremy, but that was no problem for him. The low vantage point gave him perfect viewing for all he wanted to see and that was all he needed. "Oh, you're awake. I had wondered if you'd drifted into a coma after last night." He joked, laying his book to the side and pulling his knees up to his chest. As he eyed the shirt, Henri smirked and gestured to it. "You have two options with that." He held up one finger, "firstly, you could put it back on and we can go and find something for breakfast.." Then he held up his second finger. "Secondly, you could leave it off and we can go and find something for breakfast." He then looked at his fingers and held up another one. "Thirdly, I could join you back in bed and we can relive the events of last night." Henri winked at the last option and put his hand down again. He realised his count was off, but he was not a mathematician, besides, he'd only just thought of the third option, by far his favourite.
​

 

[Jeremy Thorne]

It was no surprise to Jeremy that Henri was up already and looked as if he had been up for some time. Jeremy didn’t know how he did it and more importantly, why he did it, especially on his days off. The former Head Boy always slept like the dead, but last night’s sleep had been particularly great. There was no doubt about that, which was why Jeremy stifled a laugh as he considered throwing his shirt at Henri. No doubt the guy would enjoy it though, especially with as much as he seemed to enjoy teasing Jeremy. It was one of Henri’s more endearing qualities though. You would think that Jeremy might have gotten used to it by now, but the guy still made him blush about something at least once a day. Jeremy couldn’t help that he was so self-conscious about things whereas Henri was…not. At least, he didn’t seem to be to Jeremy. As he debated the merits of throwing the pillow that his head was laying on, Henri began to speak again to deliver some rather amusing options. At the word ‘breakfast,’ Jeremy’s stomach seemed determined to cast its vote as it grumbled rather loudly. That was nowhere near as embarrassing to him as what Henri was saying though, and Jeremy found himself blushing at the last option. He also found himself considering it. “By my count, that’s three options, not two” Jeremy replied with a smirk on his face, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. Not that he minded having three options.

“I do like option three. My stomach likes option two though” he mused as he slid over to make some room. His stomach grumbled once more, eager for the answer. Jeremy wished that it would shut up as he took the shirt that was in his hand and tossed it over his shoulder. It landed exactly where he had just picked it up from. The Healer couldn’t pinpoint exactly when things had changed between him and Henri, perhaps around the time of their Hawaiian vacation. Something had changed though. Something that made Jeremy curious and eager, even, to explore his attraction to Henri. Jeremy had been slow to admit to himself that what he was felt was something more than just admiration for Henri’s openness or his ability to engage anyone in a room. Now, he couldn’t imagine why he had waited so long to figure things out. Jeremy had been in relationships before, but this one, even though it was still relatively new, felt different to him. It was a good different, which was why Jeremy was always scared half to death by what he was feeling. Jeremy glanced over, his blue eyes watching as Henri came over to join him. Being in bed all day wouldn’t be a terrible way to spend the day, though he’d be up for doing other things too.

 

[Henri Keto]

Making Jeremy blush was something of an enjoyed activity of Henri's. For whatever reason, a blush from Jeremy tended to cheer Henri right up even if he was in a pretty foul mood, though that rarely ever happened and when it did he was usually too far away from Jeremy for there to be any help for it anyway, so Henri often went out of his way to achieve his goal. However, luckily for him, Jeremy blushed so easily that he barely even had to put any effort into it, though he wasn't likely ever to tell Jeremy that, it was kind of mean after all. Well, mean-spirited. Shaking his head, Henri waved his hand at his companion in dismissal. "If the world was built on absolutes there would never be any fun." Just because he had said that he had two options, that didn't mean that he couldn't decide to have three. "Don't be a party-pooper Jer, three options is way better then two anyway. Two makes everything seem like a life or death situation." He nodded as he came to the end of his sentence, giving his own absolute and brining his point to a close. Then he grinned at Jeremy like it was the funniest thing in the world and winked. His flirty nature was by far more active today then it generally was on other days, save his working days, but that didn't matter. He was in a good mood and being flirty was always fun, especially with Jeremy. He got all sorts of nice things in response. His eyes immediately moved to those blue eyes that he loved so much and the sight of them sent a shiver down his spine. Had anyone told him three years ago that his favourite combination of features would be found in Jeremy Thorne he would have died laughing. Now though, he was quite glad for it.

As Jeremy moved over to make some room, Henri's face suddenly changed from mischief to one of lusty playfulness. He unfolded himself from where he had been sitting and crawled purposefully towards the bed, coming to a stop as he came up onto his knees and rested his torso on the mattress. "If I get into this bed right now... I will not be getting back out." He avoided Jeremy's gaze for a moment as he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position and then reached out to run his hand along Jeremy's arm. "Maybe breakfast would be the more ... appropriate option?" It was definitely a question, but in all honesty, Henri would have been just as happy laying in bed with Jeremy all day. He blinked for a moment and slapped himself in the forehead. "Merlin, I am tyhmä, an idiot. We aren't muggles, what on Earth was I thinking?" Henri shook his head and immediately pulled himself up onto the bed and laid back with his hands pillowed under his head. "Your bed is much comfier then your wall." He nodded at this, though there was no need and turned to look at Jeremy. "Honestly though, whilst we are thinking about it, what do you want for breakfast? Something sweet? Savoury? Me?"
​

 

[Jeremy Thorne]

Henri seemed to be particularly happy and flirty to Jeremy, more so than usual. Maybe it was because of the fun they'd had the night before. A happy Henri made for all sorts of fun, so Jeremy didn't mind at all. His smile widened as the guy made his way over to the bed slowly. It gave the healer all sorts of time to admire the model and his many assets. If someone would have mentioned to Jeremy that he would one day date a model, the man knew that he would never have believed that person. Even now he could barely believe it. Now that he'd moved over, the man was just a tad too far to reach out and touch Henri. That didn't take long to change as Henri reached over and touched him instead, sending waves of electricity up his arm. Jeremy's eyebrow rose as he received Henri's warnings about what might happen if he did what Jeremy asked. He knew a challenge when he heard one and Jeremy wouldn't mind at all accepting it.

As the guy moved himself into the space that Jeremy had left for him, Jeremy turned onto his side, propping his head up with his arm. "I would hope so. I do a lot more with the bed than I do with the wall" he stated, a smirk growing on his face. He allowed Henri to get comfortable before he replied. " I was thinking about blueberry waffles, but I think I might have figured out something I'd rather have first" he stated as he leaned over for a kiss. It deepened quickly and Jeremy knew that he was going to have a good start to his morning. It might not be the lazy morning he'd been hoping for, but he was willing to compromise.

 

[Henri Keto]

Henri liked watching Jeremy move. It wasn't a fluid movement like he was used to see from models, or the dainty moves he was used to seeing from his mother, but it was something that always made him feel like he was seeing a part of Jeremy that others didn't understand. Whether it was conscious or not he liked the way Jeremy moved when he was with him and he was happy. Smiling, Henri propped himself onto his elbow alongside Jeremy and focused on the other mans eyes. It had been his eyes that had first drawn Henri's attention. Despite his initial wonder as to if he would ever feel comfortable with Jeremy, he'd pursued a feeling, he was glad that he had. Henri winked at Jeremy. "I should think so. Though... not everything needs to be done horizontally." Henri shook his head at himself, even he'd heard that one. Sometimes he ran his mouth a little too much. One of these days it was going to get him into some serious trouble. However, not today. Henri rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling as Jeremy spoke again. Henri turned his head to inquire what Jeremy meant and was greeted with what could only be described as an attack on his lips. Henri eagerly grabbed a hold of whatever parts of Jeremy he could reach and pulled him closer. Blueberry waffles be damned, Jeremy was much better for his health. Well, maybe not better for his health, but definitely much better for his moral. He always felt happier in the company of Jeremy.

Breaking away from the kiss, Henri laughed and pushed Jeremy away gently, rolling on top of him and pressing him down into the bed. "Why, Jeremy, all you had to do was ask. Attacking people isn't very nice at all." Henri smirked and swiftly kissed the other man on the shoulder before rolling off of him and jumping out of the bed. "However, I just worked up an appetite, so... I'm going to make blueberry waffles the muggle way. It's 'sensual'" He air-quoted the last word and turned around, making his way out of the bedroom and heading towards the kitchen, before he realised he actually didn't know where the kitchen was. It had been rather dark last night. Pouting slightly, Henri turned back into the bedroom and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Um... where's the kitchen?"
​

 

[Jeremy Thorne]

It was in moments like this, when he and Henri were all alone, that Jeremy felt his happiest. He had enjoyed the man's company from the moment they'd been introduced to each other, and that feeling had only increased. Henri had a small filter, something that both amused and annoyed Jeremy depending on the day. Today, it was definitely amusing him. As Jeremy found himself on his back, he grinned up at the guy, his blue eyes gleaming as he listened. He raised his head to meet Henri, but the man went for his shoulder instead before going off the bed. He turned his head, hoping that Henri was just teasing him.

Jeremy groaned in frustration, his fist slamming onto the bed as Henri left the room. The healer wasn't much of a cook, but he'd never call it sensual. Throwing his legs over, Jeremy sat up, his back to the door. He was in the process of grabbing his shirt with his toes when he heard Henri's voice at the doorway one more. His stomach flip flopped as he pulled his shirt over his head and stood up to face the man who was just peeking into the room. Why is he so darn good-looking?, Jeremy bemused. " Down the steps and to the left. You'll know you're there when you see a stove and a fridge" he replied with a chuckle. Taking a couple of steps forward, Jeremy's eyebrow quirked up. "Do you even know how to make waffles?" he asked. He barely cooked, so he didn't.

 

[Henri Keto]

Henri watched Jeremy as he pulled his shirt back on and winked. "I'd say something really cute right now, but I'm too hungry." He shook his head. Hungry for what would have been a good question at this point, but he was determined to eat nutritious food, not... either way, he was going to make waffles if it was the last thing he ever did, which, it very well might be. "Okay, so down the steps to the left... fridge and stove, right." He followed the directions in his mind and was about to turn around and head that way when Jeremy spoke again. He thought about it for a second before looking over his shoulder and winking. "Of course I don't know how to make waffles. I'm a model, I lived with my mother until I was seventeen and then moved from hotel to hotel. You think I know how to cook?" He asked, moving to follow the directions. "How hard could it be though, honestly?" Regardless of how confident he was, Henri somehow thought he was going to regret that statement, one way or another.

Having followed the directions given to him, Henri made his way about the kitchen taking random ingredients out of cupboards and the fridge and laying them on the counter. He surveyed them for a while and tried to remember if he had ever watched his mother make waffles. He didn't think he had, so he was going to have to do this by hand. "Mixing bowl!" He pulled one towards him and then stopped. What was he supposed to do with the mixing bowl... flower? There was flower in waffles right? He refused to use those silly little pre-made packet things that muggles had. How anyone could eat pre-made, pre-packaged food he would never know. "You put the flower in the mixing bowl... and um... milk. I think that's it." He looked up at Jeremy. "Do we even have the ingredients to do this?"
​

 

[Jeremy Thorne]

Henri said about what Jeremy expected him to say...that he had no idea what he was doing. It had never stopped the guy before, Jeremy knew, but it didn't stop the groan that escaped Jeremy's lips. Unlike Henri, Jeremy wasn't the type to just jump in head first. He preferred looking things up and doing his research, and if he found that the task seemed impossible, Jeremy was much more likely to not try at all than he was to just jump in and possibly fail. With a shake of his head, Jeremy figured that he should get downstairs, if only to make sure that Henri didn't burn his apartment down. He rather liked the space. Leaning against the door jamb, Jeremy watched as Henri wandered around the kitchen grabbing ingredients. If he didn't know any better, Jeremy might have actually thought that the model knew what he was doing. He looked pretty confident. Jeremy was glad that he knew better. Who knew what concoction Henri might make? Thinking for a moment that he remembered something from his own childhood, anything that might prove helpful, Jeremy realized he had nothing. "Um...I don't know" Jeremy shrugged his shoulders, a bewildered expression on his face. "I just think the kitchen looks nice. I don't actually cook anything in here...unless you count eggs" the man admitted rather sheepishly. He stepped into the kitchen and looked at the ingredients that the guy had taken out. "And sandwiches. I make a mean grilled cheese" Jeremy added with a smirk. "Remind me to make you one one day."

The Healer picked up the gallon of milk and stared at it for a moment before putting it down. "Maybe we should go out for breakfast" he began before stopping and rushing out of the room. He could be heard sifting through boxes urgently. When he returned to the room, it was with a triumphant look on his face and a book in his hand. "My sister gave this to me a couple of Christmases ago and I forgot all about it until now" he stated as he turned the book to reveal the cover - Magical Breakfasts in 10 minutes or less. The cover had a picture of some blueberry waffles. The man rushed over to the counter and opened the book up in between them. "Come on...it's got to be here somewhere" he mumbled to himself, stopping when he had finally found it, a smile on his face. Clearing some space on the counter, Jeremy hopped up, the book on his lap. "I'll read it aloud while you cook?" he suggested. Jeremy hoped he would agree to it. He wouldn't mind instructing Henri for a change, and he certainly wouldn't mind watching him move around the kitchen.