Uh...France?{Jeffmads}

There's Never Too Much Syrup

nine

It was still dark when James woke, the only source of light being the TV screen. He moved to sit up, his body stiff and protesting but he managed to anyway.
He pulled out his phone to check the time and forced himself not to look away from the bright screen.
Through half closed eyes he read that it was only 1 am.
He sighed and stood slowly as to not make any more noise then necessary.
On the couch, Peggy and Maria were still cuddling and on the ground in front of the TV, Thomas was asleep too on the pillows they'd taken from the bedroom. James smiled a little.

Empty pizza boxes littered the coffee table. Using the faint glow of the TV, James cleaned up as quietly as he could.

"James?" He heard a quiet voice, turning to find Thomas stiffly sitting up, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Sorry," James apologize loud enough for only Thomas to hear. "Did I wake you?"

Thomas shook his head, "No, don't worry."
He rose slowly and stretched, then helped with the last of the pizza boxes, James smiled gratefully.

"Thanks." He whispered. When the two had finished and the girls were still asleep, they gathered up the pillows and headed to James's room - no homo tho.

"So," Thomas started, laying on James's bed. "What'd I miss?"

"What do yoy mean?" (Fucking hate that song) James inquired as sat next to Thomas.

"While I was gone, what happened?"

"Um..... Oh! Eliza and Alex broke up." He said.

"No..." Thomas sat up and looked at James with disbelief.

"He's with Laurens now." James elaborated.

"John Laurens?"

"Yeah, and George and Samuel went back to England."

"What about Aaron and Theo?" Thomas asked, concerned for his other friends. He hoped they hadn't broken up.

"Aaron's studying law in New York, Theo went with him."

Thomas sighed with relief and laid back down.
"When's he coming back?"

"They're visiting for Christmas."

"Can't wait to surprise them." Thomas chuckled, James nodded in agreement, he was still tired.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" He asked as his eyes closed and he laid back beside his friend.

"Mm hmm." Thomas was already drifting back to sleep, so was James.

A few hours later, when the sun was warm and shining through the windows, James woke again. Thomas was still asleep, his back against James's.
James slowly sat up and slid off the bed, hoping not to wake Thomas once again.

He headed back the lounge room to find both girls yet again still asleep. It was only seven so he didn't wake them, he doesn't know why he woke so early either.
While waiting for his friends to wake he decided to get some work done.

~like, 2/3 hours later idk~

Peggy and Maria woke at bout the same time but Thomas was still asleep, they all agreed it was probably the jet lag.
Maria kept making jokes about Thomas sleeping in James's bed, then continued to say she shipped it.
James rolled his eyes at her comments and opted for a conversation with Peggy.
They talked mostly about bands and TV shows and even some books.
They argued over ships too, James was a dedicated Heronstairs shipper (me tbh) but Peggy like Jem with Tessa (these are Shadowhunters btw).

"But they're cannon!" Peggy whined.

"I don't care, my head cannons are better!"

"I agree with James." A third voice said, Thomas.

"Hah!" James stuck his tongue out at Peggy as Thomas joined them on the couch.
"Did we wake you?"

"Yes, you did." Thomas said so matter-of-factly,
"But what better way to wake then to the sounds of a ship war."

"True." Said Peggy and James in unison, Thomas pouted.

"That's our thing!" He whined, James sighed.

"I know, don't sook." He said and stood up, heading for the kitchen.
"Who wants breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" Maria said enthusiastically and jumped off the couch, chasing James to the kitchen.
This left Thomas and Peggy on the couch by themselves.

"How much did you miss me?" He asked, "On a scale of one to ten."

"I'd say a two." Peggy answered teasingly.

"Hey!" James hit her playfully with the throw pillow.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She laughed, shielding herself.
"Maybe... An 8?"

"Just an 8?" Thomas gasped dramatically. "I mean that little to you?"

Peggy picked up the second throw pillow and whacked Thomas with it.
And thus the pillow fight began.
Thomas hit Peggy then jumped from the couch to avoid a pillow in the face.
She chased him in circles around the couch until he tripped. This was good for her, she jumped on him and started repeatedly whacking him with her pillow and his.
With his own weapon being used against him, Thomas opted for tickling.

Peggy squealed as Thomas attacked her with tickles, Maria then ran in looking very concerned.
Her expression changed from solicitous to somewhat relived followed by irritation.

"I thought you were hurt!" She said, Peggy slammed the pillow down on Thomas's face before getting off him.
She smiled with a sense of pride and victory.
Thomas frowned defeatedly.

"That's cheating." He whined. "You can't use my own weapon against me."

"You cheated!" Peggy shot back, "You can't use tickling in a pillow fight!"

"Oh my God, you two are so immature." Sighed Maria before leaving the lounge room and heading back to the kitchen.

"We're the immature ones?" Thomas scoffed after she'd left, Peggy chuckled and nodded in agreement.
After a few minuets, James and Maria both called in unison from the kitchen.

"Pancakes!"
Peggy and Thomas chuckled and raced each other into the kitchen were Maria and James were for some reason both covered in syrup.

"Don't even ask." James advised as he handed them both a plate of heavily syruped pancakes.

"I feel like this is too much syrup." Thomas commented.

"There's never too much syrup." Maria told him as she to fit a whole, syrup-dripping pancake into her mouth (actually me).
The other three laughed as it spilled down her chin and the front of her shirt.
"Worth it." She managed to somehow say even with all that pancake in her mouth.

"That is gross." Peggy said, Maria smiled and moved closer to her.

"Kiss?" She asked and leaned forward, Peggy squealed and cowered away.