This series, should I choose to continue it, will most likely contain Jeremie-centric stories, as he is my favorite character. That is not to say that he will be the only character shown or the only perspective I will write in, but most of my ideas for this are going to revolve around him. So if you are like me and consider Jeremie to be under-appreciated and are desperate for more content about him... you've come to the right place.
Though it was Aelita who brought them all together, Jeremie considered Ulrich to be his first true friend.
"Think you're smart, Belpois?"
His turtleneck made it easy for the boy to hoist him up against the wall. It was a familiar feeling, bricks pressing into his back, his shoes dangling above the ground, legs straining to touch it. Felix Dubost and his friend were fairly large kids, certainly bigger than Jeremie was, and more than capable of packing a punch. He'd been on the receiving end of these tantrums before, but this was the first time he felt like he was really in trouble. Dubost looked ready to throttle him.
They were tucked into an alley between two buildings, the only other occupant being an old vending machine that had stopped working ages ago. No one came in there, and most people passing by wouldn't see them. Those who did were unlikely to intervene.
"Gonna make a fool of me in the middle of class, huh?" Dubost gave him a shake. "I'm not gonna let some nine year old make me a laughingstock!"
Jeremie gritted his teeth. "I'm not nine, and–" his head knocked against the wall, hard, making his teeth dig into his cheek. He tasted blood, making his stomach roil. "And I'm sorry! The teacher called on me, I wasn't trying to show you up!"
The grip around his collar vanished, leaving him to drop and hit the ground hard. He was stopped by Dubost's crony when he tried to crawl away. The kid's foot was planted firmly against Jeremie's sternum, to pin him in place. Even with his glasses knocked off, he could see Dubost's foot raising up in preparation for a kick that would surely break his jaw if it hit. His eyes squeezed shut.
"Hey, leave him alone, would ya."
A kid in a green jacket stood at the entrance to the alley, feet set firmly and arms crossed in front of him. "Don't you have something better to do than beat up kids half your size?"
The comment stung, but it had delayed Jeremie's tormentors. They turned to the kid as Dubost clenched his fists. "What's it to you? He your boyfriend or something?"
"No." Green-jacket tensed. Jeremie was no expert, but it looked like a fighting stance. "I just can't stand unfair fights. Now beat it or I'll make you."
Dubost started forward, but his friend gripped his shoulder to stop him. "Hang on," he hissed. "That's Ulrich Stern–the principal's daughter is crazy about him. You touch him and she'll go crying to her dad."
They were all silent. Jeremie watched them, sure that Dubost would strike anyway, and he didn't know who would win. Even with Stern's apparent experience, the fight would still be two on one. Then the kid straightened up, snapping, "Fine." He swung his head around to glare at Jeremie. "Don't think you're off the hook, Belpois." He stormed off, his friend hurrying along behind him.
Jeremie let out a slow breath. A blurry hand appeared in his vision, and he grabbed his glasses before taking it. "You okay?" Stern asked, hauling Jeremie to his feet.
A small laugh. "I've been better." He set his glasses on his nose and looked up at his rescuer. "Uh. Thanks for, um, helping me out."
Stern waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Like I said, I can't stand an unfair fight. And no offense, but you really don't look you could hold your own against them."
"None taken. You're right, I'm terrible in gym, let alone a fight." Actually, Jeremie thought that he'd seen Stern in his class before. Heat rose to his cheeks. He'd probably gotten front row seats to watching Jeremie make a fool of himself on the track.
Stern was giving him a funny look, which only made his cheeks go from pink to red. He'd always been quick to blush. The bell rang in that moment, sparing him from any further embarrassment, and Jeremie let out a small breath of relief. "Well," Stern said, eyes shifting to the side. "Feel free to tell me if those clowns give you trouble again."
"Okay. Thanks again." He tried for a smile, then grabbed his fallen bag and hurried off.
He watched with wide eyes as Stern dragged Dubost off of him. A harsh shove sent the kid sprawling back onto the ground, now safely away from Jeremie. "I thought I told you to leave him alone," Stern growled. When Dubost tried to get up, Stern only knocked him down again with a kick. "I swear, if I catch you like this one more time you're gonna regret it." His voice was low.
"Okay!" Dubost's voice cracked. He scrambled away, his hands and face scraped from hitting the concrete. "I'll leave Belpois alone, just quit it!" This time when he tried to run, Stern didn't stop him.
Jeremie got to his feet, wincing a bit. His stomach hurt after recieving a harsh punch, and even getting up made him want to double over and hurl. He supposed it was lucky he'd been dragged off before he'd managed to get his lunch.
His apparent bodyguard turned to face him. "How many times have we met like this now?" Stern asked. He sounded exasperated, but there was a trace of humor in his voice.
Jeremie repositioned his glasses and said, "Five times total, though only twice with Dubost and three times where I'm on the ground."
"Kids really have it out for you, huh?"
"I'm used to it. People don't really take kindly to having someone a year younger than them be…"
Stern lifted a brow. "Smarter than them?"
He winced. "Uh… for lack of a more tactful term… yeah." Jeremie scratched the back of his head, his eyes cast towards the ground. "Thanks again."
"Don't worry about it. I'm starting to get used to looking out for you at lunch." Stern gave him an odd smile. "Besides, it's a good way to let off some energy. My martial arts classes aren't due to start for another couple of weeks."
"Still, I feel like I owe you."
Stern shook his head. "Nah." Then he stopped, looking contemplative. "Though those kids are giving you a hard time cause you're good in class, right? My math grade's in the gutter, I wouldn't mind a little help with that."
Jeremie's face hardened, his hands clenched into fists. He stepped back and grit out, "If you're asking me to do your work for you, then you can just let them beat me up–"
"No, Belpois, that's not what I meant." Stern frowned. "I mean actual help. If you can get me to understand numbers, well, I'll get into fights for you every day." He laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck.
Lingering suspicion made Jeremie hesitate. He pursed his lips and drummed his fingers on the back of one hand, then finally gave Stern a short nod. "Okay. If you mean it, I can do that… Do you have anything to do today after your classes? I'm only a couple doors down from you in the dormitory."
He shook his head. "Nah, I'm free. So after dinner?"
"Sure." A tentative smile pulled at Jeremie's lips. "I'll see you around then, Stern."
Ulrich smiled back, slipping his hands into his pockets. "You too, Belpois."
Through the rest of his classes, Jeremie couldn't fight down the anxious fluttering in his stomach. He'd never done this, inviting someone over, even for something as impersonal as helping with homework. Chances were he would say or do something to make Ulrich change his mind. Then he'd be back to fending for himself, keeping his head down in classes, having no one to say a single word to. But it was too late to take it back.
He didn't regret it.
Rather short, but in my defense this was a spur-of-the-moment creation. Please review to let me know what you thought, they keep me going. You may also make requests. I'm not shy about the content, give me all you've got. Cute ideas, violent ones, horrifyingly sad ones. Give me M/M and M/F ships (only reason I don't say F/F is because these are Jeremie-centric but hey if you want Aelita and Yumi to be together in a story I'm down for that) and trans headcanons. Hit me up, I'll see what I can do.
Hope you enjoyed!