Comic Boys

"No, seriously, Jekyll... what if your parents hate me?" I whimpered, crossing my arms over my chest like a pathetic school boy, ignoring Jekyll's hands that were tugging on my arm, trying to hoist me out of the car. We were situated in the driveway of the Marlowe house; a small, two-storey suburban building that looked so warm and homely that it looked like it should be the front cover of a 'Better Home and Gardens' magazine.

"Calm down, London. They're going to adore you, promise! Now just get out of the car..." Jekyll said, smiling in amusement, his voice matching the sweet appearance of the house he grew up in, his accent seeming to jump out at me more than usual. "You were so excited to meet them just a moment ago, what's changed, London?"

"I don't know. Maybe the fact that they're watching me right now through the front window is what's freaking me out!" I replied, as Jekyll raised a brow, turning around behind him before solidly face palming, giving a girl about my age a menacing death glare through the window. She squealed, the sound muffled by the wall separating me and the family-that-will-no-doubt-hate-me, and escaped on her jean-clad legs deep into the sunshine-and-happiness-radiating house.

"See? She hates me already!" I yelled, frowning, as Jekyll laughed, kissing my forehead as I blushed a deep scarlet, hiding my head in the collar of my hoodie.

"Kit doesn't hate you," Jekyll said, pulling me gently out of the car before closing the door to ensure I didn't dive back in. "And besides, she's only my cousin." I looked at Jekyll for a long moment, before sighing in resignation, pulling up the plastic pully-handle of my suitcase, lugging it across the dwindling grass to the front door. I gulped, my throat dry and clogged, as Jekyll stabbed his finger into the circular doorbell, one arm around my shoulders, the other on his own baggage. It was barely a second before the door swung open, revealing an older, female version of Jekyll.

"Jerry! Jem and I were just about to come out to help you and London with you bags, but I guess you beat us to it!" the bubbly woman laughed, opening the door wider to accommodate our large bags. She then clamped her small hand over my shoulders, smiling widely, showing off her pearly whites. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Buttercakes! Jerry told us so many nice things about you, and I can tell that he wasn't lying to his poor mother! Just call be Jan, by the way. No need for formalities! Now, make yourself at home- I have some cookies waiting in the oven and they'll be done by the time you've had a shower! Jerry, you know the house. Show him to the guest room." She then turned around, cupping her mouth with her hand before continuing. "Jem! Jerry's home! Get your butt down here to carry their bags into their rooms!"

Jekyll shook his head in mock shame before hoisting me into his arms against my will, smirking as he walked the two of us upstairs. We passed a room that was definitely his- the name Jeremy was plastered against the white-painted door in Spiderman lettering. We continued on down the short hall to the guest room, where Jekyll basically threw (yes, he threw) me onto a cushioned bed. I screamed as he hopped on, and soon I realised it was actually a water bed. I was on a fucking water bed.

"Holy crap! Jekyll, you're going to burst it! Quit jumping around!" I laughed, grabbing him around the waist, pulling him down on top of me with a lot of struggle. Jekyll's throaty laugh cascaded around me as his arms held his torso up above me, his hands by my ears.

"Welcome to London, London," I smiled, eyes sparkling.

"Stop being weird and get out of my room. I want to take a shower," I replied, sticking my tongue out before ducking out from under him and into the bathroom connecting to my room. I locked the door as a precaution before stripping down and stepping into the tiled shower, before looking dubiously at the odd shower mechanism that looked as alien to me as Sigourney Weaver's alien baby.

After a good five minutes of messing with the shower tap, I finally understood how the somewhat complicated shower worked. I washed quickly, using the shampoo that was waiting for me on the counter and soon hopped out, wrapping a towel around my lower half before strutting out of the bathroom (like a boss). It was only after moving to undo the towel around my waist to change into the clothes that were in my suitcase (which Jem had taken upstairs whilst I was showering) that I wasn't alone in the room.

And it wasn't Jekyll that was staring at my practically naked body like I was candy. It was Kit.

"Oh, fu-" I started, scrabbling for a pillow to cover myself a little more since I wasn't one for indecently showing my merchandise to a girl I hadn't really met before. I could barely wear swim trunks without feeling like a fucking flasher!

"You're a weird one," she said, smirking. "I can see why my cuz likes you. I'm Kit, by the way. And don't worry about offending me- I've seen all those bits and pieces before."

I honestly didn't know what to say as she sprung up, her ash-white hair bouncing up and down in the side-pony she was sporting to peer at me with calculating eyes. She looked me up and down, before nodding her head in appreciation.

"You're not bad. A little scrawny, but not bad at all. The glasses don't do much for you face, though. Got contacts?" she asked, and I shook my head, causing her to sigh. "Damn. Plan ruined."

"P-Plan?" I stammered as she grinned.

"I need a date for tonight. I've got some... boy problems," she said, winking. "And I needed someone decent to make Jake back off. But I guess you'll have to do."

"Wh-what? I didn't o-offer to..."

"Kit, leave him alone," Jekyll's voice said tiredly from the door, his eyes glaring at her before turning to me, a strange fire in his irises as his lips curled up into a cheeky grin. "Lookin' good there, London."

"Sh-shut up!" I yelled, throwing the pillow at him, which he caught in one hand as he sauntered over to Kit, grabbing her by the arm.

"That's not a way to treat your knight in shining armour," Jekyll teased, shoving a screaming Kit out the door. "And don't mind her. She's just testing you."

"Testing me?" I asked, as he turned around so I could get changed.

"Yeah. It's complicated," he replied, his voice hinting that there was indeed some sort of story behind Kit's strange 'testing' techniques, something that Jekyll didn't really want to elaborate on at the current time. I changed into a pair of light blue skinny jeans and a band t-shirt, before pulling on a pair of Vans that I had stashed in the front pocket of my suitcase last minute.

"Okay, you can turn around," I said, as Jekyll turned, walking over to me.

"My mum told me to tell you to come down for cookies. But you shouldn't eat too much- save some for the dinner I'm going to treat you to," he grinned, winking, before taking me hand in his.

"Your family... is nice," I said, as he raised a brow. "Um, not that I thought they'd be serial killers or anything."

"They're not that bad... but I warn you, they'll probably be a little too familiar with you. They basically think you're family," he said, and I smiled, blushing.

Family. Huh. Maybe that was a little too much right now.