Love During Robot Fighting Time: Chapter 21

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

If you want to support my work, consider making a one-time donation via Ko-Fi:

https://ko-fi.com/helenaheissner

Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/helena_heissner?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

and Tumblr here:

https://www.tumblr.com/helenaheissner

Thank you so much for your continued support of my work! Every little bit helps me to keep going :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled nerdy romcom shenanigans!

***

Faith

“Okay, so, how is this gonna work?” Kate asked, swirling her straw inside her tall glass of skim milk. 

The three of us sat in a booth inside a twenty-four hour diner in West Hollywood, atop brown leather seats jammed into the back corner of the main dining room. Overhead lights buzzed above us, casting their hot glow downwards on our intrepid trio. The blues stylings of Blind Blake hummed from the speaker, while the aromas of potatoes frying and meat grilling and pastries baking all filled the air. We all split a plate of onion rings while we waited for our entrees to arrive, taking turns dipping them in a small bowl of ketchup. I sipped my orange juice and Zeke skimmed his finger over the rim on his glass of sprite. “How do you mean?” I asked after swallowing a mouthful of OJ. 

“I mean… Well, I guess I just mean I’ve never been in a real relationship before, let alone one where there’s three people total. Zeke and I have only been a couple for a short while so far and now we’re adding you and I guess I just don’t really know what all this entails.”

“She raises a good point,” Zeke said. He sat next to her while I faced the two of them, putting his arm around her. I tried to ignore the green sparks shooting through my chest, tried to make sure they didn’t ignite a verdant blaze of hideous jealousy. I had no reason to be jealous- I’d literally kissed both of them less than a half hour ago. 

“Yeah, she does,” I said. “Still, does it have to be that different from how things are right now? Zeke, you and I have been best friends for a while anyway, and a couple is basically just a pair of best friends who have a romantic and/or sexual component to that dynamic.”

“That’s true,” Zeke said, idly scratching at the beard stubble sprouting on his chin. 

“And she does have the most relationship experience between the three of us,” Kate said. 

“That’s a scary prospect,” I said. 

“That doesn’t fill us with confidence, babe,” Zeke said. 

Babe. 

He called me… 

He called me babe.

HE CALLED ME BABE!!!!!!!

I squirmed in my seat, putting my hands under my chin as I wiggled back and forth and smiled. “Heeheehee,” I giggled. 

“I think she likes that, babe,” Kate said.

“I’m inclined to agree, babe,” Zeke said. 

“This is getting a little confusing though, babe,” Kate said, smirking. “It’s kinda what I’m talking about- if all three of us are occupying the same space and we’re all calling each other babe, which babe is the babe to whom we’re referring.”

“That could get a little confusing, yeah,” I said. Then I winked at her. “Babe.”

Those big blue doe eyes went wide as she blushed and smiled. “I mean… That certainly helps.”

Zeke snort-laughed. “Okay, back on topic: I can kinda see a broader issue happening here with one of us feeling like a third-wheel if two of us spend more time one-on-one then with all three of us. And since Faith and I live together, that feels like it will probably happen at some point.”

“The last thing I want is for Kate to feel neglected,” I said. 

“I mean hey, that’s not something I want either,” Kate said wryly before chomping down on another onion ring.

The waiter, a short and stocky black man with braids tied back into a man-bun and a nametag that read ‘Jerome’, came over with our meals: a stack of banana chocolate chip pancakes with a side of ham and cooked golden apples for Kate, a pastrami reuben on rye with a side of potato salad for Zeke, and an avocado melt on whole wheat with a side of coleslaw for me. “Here y’all are. Anything else I can get for you?”

“We’re good for now, though we might want some milkshakes by the end of the night,” Zeke said. 

“Or just one, with three straws,” Kate said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I cocked (heh) a smile. “I like the way you think, Katie.”

“Hmmm. I like it when you call me that,” she replied. 

Jerome left us to our food, and we all got so busy chowing down we let the conversation go silent for a few minutes. After we’d sated our initial hunger and let ourselves slow down, however, I said what was really on my mind: “it does raise the question, though: we’re gonna have to find ways for all three of us to be together a lot if we want to avoid any of us feeling jealous or neglected. Like, I’m not gonna lie, I wish I was sitting on that side of the booth with one of you instead of being here on my own.”

“Then come over and sit with us,” Kate shrugged. 

“Kate, she’s not gonna fit,” Zeke said. 

“Exactly, and I’m worried about that becoming a metaphor for this throuple-”

“Oh God, that is what we are, aren’t we?” Kate said. 

“I prefer ‘polycule’ personally,” Zeke said. “If we’re serious about this.”

“I am if y’all are,” Kate said. 

I nodded in agreement. “We should set up some ground rules: for every one-on-one date that a permutation of the three of us goes on, we have to go on a three-person date.”

“I like that,” Kate said, cutting up her ham and mixing it in with the syrupy pancakes before taking a large bite. 

“I do too, but what exactly constitutes a date?” Zeke said. “Again, Faith and I live together and we hang out watching TV basically every night unless I’m going on a date with Kate. Does that count?”

“I don’t really think so, no,” I said. 

“Okay, but Kate, be honest, would you get jealous about that? Me and Faith watching movies without you?”

Kate shook her head while chewing her food. She swallowed, then said, “No, that’s just hanging at home.”

“Okay, but what if Faith and I started banging?” Zeke said. 

I had the misfortune of swallowing a bite of my own sandwich when he said that, and nearly started choking before forcing the food down. “Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we, Underhill?”

He rubbed the back of his head. “... Fair enough, but like… It’s been on my mind. And I know you well enough to know that it’s been on yours as well. Kate and I have already talked about how we’re not quite ready for that yet-”

Kate put her palm flat across Zeke’s face. “Babe. Babe, we’re in public.”

“... Right, sorry. Forgot that.”

“Thank God this place is almost empty,” I said with a nervous chuckle, looking around to make sure none of the three old couples scattered throughout the diner were gawking at us degenerate youngins. Blind Blake gave way to Dolly Parton, ironically begging Jolene not to steal her man. Heh, I was pretty sure I’d figured out the work around to that particular conundrum. “But, uh, yeah, I’ll admit, there is that aspect to this particular equation. You and I have known each other a while, and I’ve been on HRT long enough that I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with my body. And since we live together, we certainly have ease of access-”

“Yeah you do,” Kate said, brows raised and grin downright shit-eating. 

I started laughing in spite of myself. “Damn, Katie, you’re BAD.”

“You’re surprised?” Zeke deadpanned. 

“I really shouldn’t be,” I admitted. 

“Indeed.”

“Okay, seriously tho- you two are further along in all this stuff then I am,” Kate said.

“Are we? You and Zeke have been together longer,” I said.

“You and Zeke have known each other longer,” Kate retorted. 

“And you two have been the most desperate to bang each other the longest,” Zeke said. 

“What?!” Kate and I said in tandem. 

“Oh, c’mon, don’t deny it,” Zeke said. “We’re already here, in a polycule, don’t act like this is new or anything.”

“It is new,” Kate said. She looked at me. “Right?”

“I…,” I began, quickly trailing off. Then I thought back, to all the times Calloway had annoyed me over the past year, and wondered if there was anything more to that than poor social skills. “Actually, he might be onto something.”

“I don’t understand you sometimes,” Kate said. 

“It’s okay, we can work on that,” I said, squeezing her hand.

She blushed. “Sounds good. Also, for what it’s worth, I don’t mind if you two want to start getting intimate with each other. I’m not ready for it yet, but I hopefully will be soon. And there’s no reason for me not to let you two get a head start.”

So many images clouded my mind at that moment. SOOOO MANY. “I… Okay. Zeke, what do you think?”

“I think… I’m open to it. But, circling back a little, how about this,” Zeke said. “A date counts as such if it involves two or more of us going out and doing something together. This can include going to hang out with Katie at her place, and her at our place, but not us two at our own place. Does that sound good?”

“I’m cool with it,” Kate said. 

“Me too,” I nodded. 

“And we’re agreed that for every two-person date there needs to be a three-of-us date that week?” I asked, finishing off my sandwich. 

“Absolutely,” Zeke said, inhaling his last bite of potato salad. 

“We should also have a group chat,” Kate said, swallowing a large quantity of pancake. 

“Oh, good idea,” I said, whipping out my phone and cobbling one together. I dubbed it ‘Faith’s favorite people.’

“Awww,” Kate said. 

“Very cute,” Zeke said. “Relatedly: one last question.”

“Yes?” Kate and I both asked. 

“Does this count as one of our ‘all three of us’ dates?” Zeke asked. 

“I think so,” I said with a wide smile. 

“So do I,” Kate said. 

“In that case, a toast,” Zeke said, raising his glass. “To us. And to new beginnings.”

“Cheers!” I said, clinking my glass.

“Cheers!” Kate said. 

Jerome came back, with a chocolate malt and three straws on a tray. He set it on our table. “Figured this was where the evening was headed. Did I assume correctly?”

“You did indeed, my good man, you did indeed,” I said. 

I reached over to the center and sucked on the straw, the two faces of the people I cared about more than anything came very, very close to me while they did the same thing. We all drank together, not stopping until all three of us were wincing from brain freeze and laughing together through the pain. Kate’s laughter came in time with the final notes of ‘Jolene’, and Zeke held both of our hands as we reveled in each other’s company. 

I could get used to this. 

***

Later that night, after we’d dropped Kate off at home, Zeke and I made our way back to our place and walked up to our apartment, hand in hand. He smelled so damn good, musky and virile, and his massive hands felt amazing wrapped around my small, calloused ones. He was so much bigger than me, and I’d always been short, but around him, I felt… Delicate. Around him, I felt like me, and I wanted to savor that feeling as much as possible. I wanted to make each second I spent with him count, to make up for the wasted years I’d spent trying to avoid taking responsibility for my feelings. I wanted that with Kate, too, but I’d wanted it with Zeke for longer, and I wanted him to know how much I cared about him. 

Besides, I wasn’t tired yet- locking down a relationship with two hotties tends to give you an adrenaline rush, as it turns out. 

“Nightcap?” I asked him as he closed and locked the door. 

“I… Think I meant it, when I said I don’t wanna drink anymore,” Zeke said with a nervous laugh. “My mom is… Very clearly an alcoholic, and I don’t wanna go down that road.”

“Zeke, hey, you’re nothing like her,” I said, my heart sawing itself in half at his words and his downcast expression. He couldn’t possibly still think he was like his parents. He had to know how amazing he was. 

“I know, I just… The risk seems high to me, still,” he said. “I wanna be better than her. And him. Both for myself… And for you and Kate.”

The smile crept onto my face in spite of the sorrow behind the situation. I went to him, cupped his cheeks in my hands. His stubble had already grown thicker- by morning, the beginnings of a beard would already be manifesting. He was so rough and hairy and hard; I was used to girls, soft and smooth and elegant. This was different: this was a man, built differently than me, wired differently than me. It had taken me a few months to really accept that I liked the differences, liked the way he towered over me, liked the way he leapt to my aid without hesitation, liked the way he wanted to be my knight in shining armor. But now that I had, and I knew that I could have it both ways… It was as if I’d unlocked some hidden part of myself, long neglected and shoved into a corner in the back of my mind. I was a woman, yes; but moreover, at that moment, I knew I was one of HIS women. And I loved being that. 

Guess it was up to me to show him how much I loved it. Challenge accepted. 

“Hey,” I said, standing up on my tip-toes, leaning against his chest, stroking his cheek. “You’re already more than enough for both of us. So don’t ever compare yourself to your idiot parents, yeah?”

“You really mean that?” he said, his nose touching mine, our foreheads pressing together, his heartbeat thundering as I leaned on him. 

“I really, really do,” I said, my mouth getting closer to his. 

Our lips met, and it was different from our first kiss- that had been exploratory, tentative, nervous. We’d both been shaking when it happened, terrified of the idea that the aftermath might not be as good as the anticipation. 

Now we knew we didn’t have that problem. His stubble tickled my face, making me giggle as my tongue entered his mouth and explored the inside. My hands dug into his hair and rubbed his scalp as he pushed forward and pinned me against the wall, hands running down my shoulders and settling on my hips. My knee popped and I pushed back, kissing his neck and his cheek, my hands running over his hard, muscular chest. 

He gripped my hips tightly and lifted me up, and I settled into his arms as my forehead pressed against his and my tongue once again found its way down his throat. “Bedroom?” I said in a hungry whisper. 

“Are you sure?” he said, kissing me up and down my arm. 

“Only if you are,” I purred. 

“That… That would be a nightcap more up my alley,” he said. “We’ll have to tell Katie about this, though.”

“That’s fine with me,” I said, pulling off his shirt and witnessing the glory of his six pack abs and toned pectorals, digging my hands into his modest garden of dark chest hair, nibbling his shoulder lightly. Arousal burned like a wildfire through every inch of me, desperate to consume everything. “And she said she was fine with it.”

“Okay,” he said, a downright wicked smile on his face, mischief in his eyes. He bridal-carried me into his room.

“Throw me onto the bed,” I pleaded. I was small and delicate, and I was in his massive hands and strong arms. I wanted to be reminded of just how much he could do to me. 

“Throw you?!” he said, aghast. 

I giggled. Oh, Zeke. Ever the gentleman. “Okay, toss me lightly. Is that better?”

He laughed, and carefully tossed me onto his mattress. Then he jumped on as well, kicking off his shoes and pinning me down by my wrists. He loomed above me, a massive tower of masculine desire and intention. “I’ve dreamt of this moment. Literally dreamt of it.”

“Honestly, same,” I said, looking up into him, desperate to relinquish all control and give myself over to him, mind and body- ESPECIALLY body. “Guess dreams really do come true.”

“Evidently, yes,” he said, tugging the dress down from my shoulders and carefully folding it before placing it on the floor. It was honestly the sweetest little thing he could have done, and it very definitely DID SOMETHING for me. “Now then: shall we begin, oh captain my captain?”

“Yes please,” I said as I unzipped his jeans and pulled them down. 

A very long, very involved, very sweaty night proceeded from there.