Unspoken Words

chapter 6|jesse

Cheeto rings the doorbell next to the name Lawrence several times in a row before someone answers.

"Yes?"

"FBI, open up!"

Lewis rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Wait, hold on, I'll just hide the body real quick." The person inside the house laughs and a buzzing sound is audible.

Cheeto pushes the door open, then almost jumps from step to step before stopping after one flight of stairs. Lewis follows it with me right behind him.

The door in front of us is opened by a young, friendly-looking man, probably in his mid-twenties. He and Cheeto do have their similarities, the same tall figure, dark eyes and skin tone and similar facial features, but he can't possibly be its father. Brother maybe?

"Hey." He says before hugging Cheeto, smiling at Lewis (even his smile looks like his... sibling's?) and then looking at me. "I'm Jayden, the brother of this chaotic little fuck here. And you must be Jesse, right?"

I nod.

"Great to meet you! I've heard some things about you, only positive, of course. Get in!"

We do, and Cheeto leads me around the tiny apartment it lives in with its brother. Bathroom, kitchen, one bedroom and a living room.

"I sleep here, on the couch. Jayden tried to convince me to sleep in the bed or at least take turns when I got here but I can be very stubborn." Cheeto ends with a grin. Its expression seems a little shaky, almost as if remembering that particular situation is not as funny or great as it seems. Why is it not living with its parents anyway? And when did it get here? I glance over to Lewis, who is already sitting on the couch like he's at home, but also looking at Cheeto with an expression that I can't really understand. Worried? Impressed?

I turn my gaze back to Cheeto. It's nice here., I comment, and then: Are you alright?

"Um. Yeah, I'm good. Thanks." It responds and smiles before sitting next to Lewis and patting on the place next to the two. "C'mere."

I nod and put my bag down in front of the couch.

"You sure you're okay?" Lewis whispers to his friend, probably thinking I don't hear it, and I see Cheeto shrug and leans its head onto Lewis's shoulder from the corner of my eye. I pretend like I didn't notice anything and just sit next to them, but Lewis's question reawakens the other ones in my head, and many more. I don't ask them, I know it's none of my business, I just met Cheeto this week and it's already very impressive that it shows me its apartment, and that it doesn't live with its parents, but I just wonder why things are the way they apparently are for it.

"Group hug?" Cheeto asks and stretches out an arm towards me. "Sorry, I'm very cuddly right now."

Is that really the reason? Of course, I don't deny and we just sit there like that for a while, all three with our arms around each other. I close my eyes and inhale a mixture of peach shampoo, deodorant that I think Cheeto referred to as Anarchy at some point, and friendship. We stay like this until the door opens and Jayden comes in.

"Do you guys-" He smiles. "Aw, I haven't done that with my friends in ages!"

Lewis lets go of Cheeto with one arm and stretches it out to Jayden, who shakes his head. "Thank you. But I actually just came here to ask if you wanted anything to drink."

"That would be great, thank you!" Cheeto responds. "You know my choice."

"You got coffee? I could barely sleep last night because school's an asshole and it's getting back on me right now. I almost fell asleep here." Lewis adds.

"Sure. We have some oat milk here, too." Jayden adds and Lewis nods.

"Yes, please."

"Jesse? I understand sign language, by the way, our grandma's deaf."

I shake my head and use my foot to point at a bottle filled with peppermint tea next to my bag.

"'Kay then. Be right back."

He leaves the room and we untangle from the hug before I open my bottle to take a sip.

"So... What're we gonna do?" Cheeto asks.

Lewis shrugs. "I mean, I'd be cool with cuddling all day."

I start laughing and almost choke on my tea, coughing loudly with Cheeto patting on my back.

Anyway, I personally agree with Lewis. I add to the conversation and Cheeto smiles. "I mean, sure but I feel like that'd destroy our backs."

We just end up talking and ranting a lot, and teaching each other everything about different topics we researched on when we had nothing better to do and tried to be smarter - for example Greek mythology, the history of patriarchy or how to treat your house plant - with Cheeto translating everything I say to Lewis. I don't think I've ever had such a long conversation in my entire life, or talked that much myself.

I love it here.

LMAO I NAMED A CIS MAN JAYDEN-

I'M SORRY I COULDN'T RESIST

any faves yet? ;)

also, i made an aesthetic for the trio™️, here ya go:

one more thing before i finally shut up: if there's anyone who can, would you want to draw any of the characters? i just think it'd be interesting to see how you imagine them.