littletonoidea | IC Inbox

Jedao falls in on Eiffel's other side.

"Cause you are busy tonight," Jedao whispers, conspiratorially. "With us."

Eiffel would have been fine if it had just been one of them, but suddenly being boxed in by the pair of them, especially with Jedao's whispering into his ear, makes the curls stand up on the back of his neck and he goes a bright cherry red.

"I- uh- nnnno? I mean I wasn't busy before but I can definitely make time for both of you yeah sure-!"

He means it but it's very alarming being unexpectedly double-teamed when he knows they've been talking about them and Jedao whispering like that is never for a PG13 reason.

Hakkai breaks into a chuckle, altering his steps just enough to bump one shoulder against Eiffel's.

"Don't let him scare you, Eiffel," he offers. "We're just spiriting you away to our lair for nefarious purposes."

The lilt of his voice very nearly adds an audible heart-mark to the sentence.

"He's made me promise to be a gentleman about it," Jedao swears innocently, looping an arm through Eiffel's instead of sticking a hand in his back pocket.

You guys are absolutely going to make Eiffel short-circuit, he's already looking quite frazzled.

"W-wait, so like- we're doing this tonight-tonight?!" Because he can right now only think of one reason both of them would be steering him back to their quarters and he's not opposed but he's very! This is a lot!!

"Well, ah-- first I was thinking tea and conversation..."

There's a flicker of shyness in Hakkai's expression as he glances over at Eiffel, the slightest pulling-in of his shoulders. Jedao had been terribly attached to the idea of sweeping Eiffel off home together, and Hakkai is having fun with it... but they still should probably talk logistics a little before anyone starts making out.

"Tonight-tonight is negotiable. But also tonight is negotiations," Jedao explains, completely clearly.

"Come home with us and we'll cuddle about it while we talk."

There's admittedly a fairly hefty sigh of relief from that, but it does mean he relaxes a bit, and one elbow tightens around Jedao's in his, so he can nudge Hakkai's side with the other. Immediately so much more relaxed, though it'll take some time for the incandescent blush to settle down.

"Jesus, man. You couldn't have opened with that? It's like you're trying to kill me."

Hakkai stays close - not taking Eiffel's other arm, but walking close enough that their shoulders still brush - as he muses aloud, "Blushing is good for your cardiovascular system...."

So, yes, he was trolling a little.

"He was indulging me," Jedao confesses, warm and easy. "I like pouncing on you," he adds, warmer, deeper, still teasing.

"Save it for negotiations, big guy," he says, trying to give Jedao a pompous look and falling flat almost instantly to a goofy grin. "I'm not saying anything without a lawyer."

"But we didn't arrange for legal representation," Hakkai says, affecting alarm as he steers them towards the cabin door. "Will a cozy couch do a a substitute? It's cheaper...."

Inside, greatly daring, he'll drop a brief kiss on Eiffel's cheek before breaking away to make tea.

Jedao grins shamelessly back at him. He...considers the couch. And certain warm memories he has with it.

"If you actually want something to protect you, we might be better off in separate chairs in the kitchen," Jedao points out.

"But you know I always want to hold you. It's your call, baby."

"Maybe just like. Five minutes on the kitchen chairs," he says, halfway to a question. "Not that I don't appreciate the attention, but I think I need to get my blood pressure back under control."

"Kitchen it is, then," Hakkai agrees, setting out three mugs and leaning back against the counter while he waits for the water to boil.

He glances at Eiffel, and, determined - because if he lets himself fall into comforting routines he'll lose the courage to say anything at all - he continues, "Jedao has told me he's raised the idea of the three of us fooling around with you, but, ah, mostly in compromising situations...?"

Which is to say: is Eiffel actually into the idea when he has blood flow to his brain?

Jedao steers him into the kitchen, gives him one more kiss on the cheek, then deposits him in a chair and retreats to his own. He leaves his hand on the table, his ankle extended a little underneath it, available for little reassuring touches but not claiming them right away.

Well he's calling it now that he's not leaving this cabin without having to deal with am erection first.

His face reheats like a TV dinner, and he runs a hand down his stubble as if he can wipe his blush into his beard somehow. "He, uh. Well, it's not like it's an easy one to bring up without it turning into a compromised situation, you know? It's... I mean, you're both hot, you're both hot together, I, um."

He runs his hand all the way down to the back of his neck, curling in on himself a little but only from sheer embarrassment. "I mean it's a nice mental image is all."

"Well," Hakkai says, very matter of fact despite the slight reddening of his own ears, "it's not as if I'm going to be offended that you think we're hot, Eiffel. I like the idea of the three of us together myself. I just, ah..."

He retreats to phrasing borrowed from Jedao, who is much better at talking about this sort of thing.

"... I want to make sure it's not something you like better as a fantasy than a reality."

"I also think you're both hot," Jedao adds, in a cheerful tone that communicates nothing so much as 'I'm participating!'

Jedao's oh so helpful contribution makes him snort, but it also takes some of the tension out of him, and he leans to rest on his elbows on the bench, still carding through his ponytail with one hand.

"Okay. Hokay, uhhhh." He puffs up his cheeks and lets out a noisy exhale. "This is... I mean, obviously this isn't something I actually thought would happen, but... I mean." He looks between the two of them sheepishly. "I've just. Never done something with two people before, so I don't... i-it's just-- it's a lot, to think about, a-and I know you guys talk about me but I didn't think it'd actually go anywhere and I'm not gonna like be scared of you guys or avoid you or whatever I know I can say no and it'll be fine but I, um."

Breathe, Eiffel.

"It's... worth a shot, at least?"

"Well," Hakkai murmurs, "it'll be a new experience for all of us, then."

The kettle whistles, and he turns to pick it up, pouring it over the jasmine tea he'd picked.

Through the cloud of floral steam, he adds, "You haven't gotten as much of a chance to talk about the idea as we have. Would you like to?"

"Mmhm," Jedao confirms, and does not go off on a tangent about the closest he's gotten, when the Hexarch sent those two professionals to his room and Jedao ended up asking them to teach him to juggle, instead.

"Together doesn't have to mean together for everything all at once, either?" he points out. "I think it would be really beautiful to just watch you two kissing."

He sounds - quieter, sweeter, affectionate and a little wistful.

"...huh."

Somehow he hadn't considered that intermediary step. And the idea rolls almost visibly around his head, as his gaze shifts from Jedao to Hakkai.

...well, Hera definitely caught him cranking it more than once, before she very politely pointed out that extraneous biological material can cause blockages and contaminate their already limited water supply. And that got him to stop very quickly.

It can't be weirder having his best friend watching him constantly twenty-four seven whether they like it or not than sleeping with someone while his husband is watching, right?

"I mean..." He runs a hand down his face again, scruffing his beard idly with his fingertips as his eyes linger, uncertain but curious on Hakkai. "I do like kissing you."

"Well," Hakkai says gently, "in that case...."

He sets the teapot down on the table in front of Jedao, who has elected himself the person who gets to pour the tea by his suggestion, and leans in towards Eiffel to kiss him. He keeps it soft, close-lipped and chaste: partly, that's to let Eiffel set his own pace for anything more. Partly, it's because Hakkai can feel unreasoning fear digging its claws between his ribs.

It's not that he actually believes anything terrible is going to happen to Eiffel, but--

He is more fragile than Jedao, and it hasn't been very long since the last terrible thing happened to him. And Hakkai is so afraid to love anyone he can lose.

Jedao does not pour the tea. For one thing, because he's watching raptly and would probably spill it if he tried. But more importantly, because he's watching, and that means he's paying enough attention to worry about Hakkai, not the tea.

Jedao places his hand overtop Hakkai's where Hakkai is braced slightly on the table, warm steady pressure. He hopes this communicates if anyone tries to hurt Eiffel I will sever all their tendons simultaneously, and then they will be a very sad heap of useless jelly.

Also, I love you.

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