Work Text:
“And I’m done,” Ben said through pants, crashing out on Pedro’s front lawn. Claudio was leaning on his knees, breathing heavily next to him while Pedro’s cool as a cucumber act was betrayed by the sweat dripping down his face.
“Good work guys,” praised their captain, “breakfast is on me.” The boys followed Pedro through his front door and collapsed at the table.
“Right so I have toast…” Pedro eyed the couple of ends of bread left on the counter. “Or not.” Pulling open the cupboard he said, “Bran flakes, muesli, porridge, cornflakes…”
Ben slumped on the table dramatically at the list of healthy cereals. “Any Coco Pops? Rice Krispies?” he asked hopefully.
Both Pedro and Claudio gave him blank looks. “I don’t even know what those are Ben. You’re out of luck.”
Ben had been complaining all morning about how much he hated Pedro’s idea of going for an early morning jog, even though Leo started them and he was fine with then. It was Leo this and Leo and that and Pedro thought that he was doing the football team a favour by taking them out for an early jog but only Ben and Claudio decided to turn up.
Ben continued whining, “If Leo was doing this we’d have a proper breakfast all laid out ready when we came back. We’d have a full English breakfast and Hero and Beatrice would make those amazing pancakes.”
“Ugh, Ben,” groaned Claudio, “don’t mention pancakes I’m hungry enough as it is.”
The third groan of the morning came from Pedro when he discovered there was only half a pint of milk in the fridge. “Why is there no food in the house?”
Ben sarcastically replied, “Because normal people don’t wake up at six on a Sunday morning when no shops are open.”
“You don’t technically need milk in porridge…”
Ben declared, “Pedro Donaldson, if you think I’m eating porridge in this sweltering heat then you are very wrong. Can we go to the Duke’s and beg them to make pancakes for us?”
Pancakes, pancakes, they had pancakes in the Donaldson household every Sunday, without needing to go to the shops so there must be some pancake mix somewhere around here. “Aha!” Pedro exclaimed as he found the magic bag he was looking for. “Instant pancakes.” He looked smug as he dropped the bag on the table, causing Ben to sit up as flour sprayed on him. “Let’s get to it.”
It took them a while to get going, but soon Claudio was expertly flipping pancakes and Pedro was whipping up a second batch while Ben whined and eventually washed a lemon.
After demolishing his first pancake, Ben said, “I reckon we could give the Dukes a run for their money you know.”
“Claudio and I maybe, Ben,” Pedro said teasingly. “And speaking of the Dukes, how’s your crush doing Claudio. He nudged his friend repeatedly as Claudio rolled his eyes.
“Just let things happen in their own time, okay? I don’t want to rush things.” The other two nodded and agreed, after all, if Claudio was worried about rushing things, things had to be happening.
Ben turned his attack on Pedro next. “And what about you Pedro? What’s going on between you and Beatrice?”
The fact that two people of the opposite sex couldn’t be friends without people commenting on their relationship was really annoying Pedro. First Balthazar and then Ben, it was as if his best friends hardly knew the two. “We’re just friends Ben, nothing is going on.”
Ben backed off, holding his hands in the air. “Alright, alright. Don’t get your boxers in a twist. I was only asking.”
“Only asking because he’s interested in Bea himself,” Claudio cut in. He and Pedro burst out laughing at Ben’s protestations.
“No- Me and Beatrice – relationships are bad – and definitely not with Beatrice.”
Now that the attention was off him, Pedro relaxed into teasing Ben. “Alright Ben, we’ll believe you when you have a conversation with her without getting into an argument.”
“I am never, never going out with Beatrice – I would eat porridge before going out with Beatrice.” He kept protesting the whole way through breakfast.