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"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.

There's a moment of - not panic in his eyes, but surprise at the oh this is happening NOW now of it all, but when Hakkai kisses him there's only a moment of pause from it, before he relaxes. Hakkai's still soft, and warm, and his own face is burning but he leans up into it to meet him on the second one, and his eyes fall shut as he enjoys this little bit, lets himself try and ease into it.

And maybe after a minute, he hesitates; but it's just to catch his breath, resist the urge to let his gaze flick over to Jedao and take a moment to assess where to put his hand on Hakkai's waist so he can maybe deepen the kiss a little more, if Hakkai's into it too.

Hakkai runs his thumb along the side of Jedao's hand in silent thanks for the touch, and lets himself relax deliberately into the kiss. Eiffel tastes of cigarette smoke, not overwhelming, but distinct; Hakkai, who lived with a chain smoker for years, finds it oddly familiar and reassuring, even if he and Eiffel haven't kissed all that often, yet.

And - he's warm.

When he pulls away to catch his breath, Hakkai pulls off the monocle concealing his glass eye and sets it on the table with a decisive little click.

His hand settles, butterfly light, on Eiffel's cheek as Eiffel kisses him again. His own gestures are slowly gaining confidence as he goes along with the deeper kiss; his hand slides along the rough stubble at the edge of Eiffel's beard, after a moment, and into his hair.

When he breaks the kiss at last to breathe, his tongue flickers out to wet his lips reflexively.

"Like that?" he offers, with a hint of a smile, leaving his hand in Eiffel's curls for a moment longer. He's planning to step back and take one of the empty kitchen chairs in just a moment, but...

... the touch warms him, right down to that cold lump of fear at the core.

Edited 2024-05-02 14:04 (UTC)

When Eiffel glances over, Jedao is leaning back comfortably in his chair, looking rapt and delighted. His hand is still a steady weight on Hakkai's hand, fingers half-entwined. Jedao gives Eiffel an encouraging wink.

Edited 2024-05-02 15:38 (UTC)

Jedao you are not helping but okay he kind of is, because the wink makes his stomach do a warm little flip and he gives a sort of helpless, slightly overwhelmed smile back. Not in a bad way just still a lot, but he's enjoying it.

And then Hakkai's hand is on his face and he all but melts into it, kissing back with enthusiasm at the touch, and a small, hoarse noise escapes him when he feels those long fingers trail through his hair, which makes his face burn even hotter but he's not upset by it.

He swallows thickly when Hakkai pulls back, swallowing audibly when he watches him lick his lips, and he nods eagerly. "Yeah. That's good."

"I'm glad." Hakkai smiles at him, one of his rarer, sweeter, just-between-us smiles, and then gives Eiffel's hair the tiniest little tug before he lets go.

He settles down into the seat on Eiffel's other side, stretching out one leg to press his ankle against Eiffel's, and turns his hand under Jedao's so that they can hold hands properly as he continues.

"I like it, too," he adds, and then, his voice dipping to something a bit quieter and more shy, he adds, "--and. As slow as you want to start, I'm happy with that. We could start with kissing when we're all hanging out on the couch -- maybe escalate to Jedao blowing both you and me while we put on a movie and kiss....

"I don't even think it would be moving too fast to take our pants off."

Anymore. He clears his throat. "But... I do want to work up to inviting you to spend the night with both of us, Eiffel, from time to time. Whether that means you and me with Jedao watching, or all three of us together."

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