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Talk about being swept off your feet. Dash feels lucky that he didn't literally get blown away when he met Neve and Kai. When the dust settled, however, it was hard not to be a little grateful for the series of events that introduced him to two of the people he happens to be most fond of in this world.
Or any other, honestly. They're both pretty superlative in their own ways, which has caused him to have several revelations about his own feelings. It's been sort of a journey...
That's just one reason among a few that he goes pretty red-faced when asked that question. He flaps one hand mutely as if in protest, but it's sort of a weak gesture, followed by him sitting up and squaring his shoulders. He clears his throat.
"What if I have more than one?" he asks, eyes darting between the two people sitting close by. He tries to make it sound casual, but there's always a kind of energy in his words that betrays what he's feeling. He chews on his lip.
Neve had never expected to forge a connection with someone as quickly as he had with Kai and Dash. He still wonders, from time to time, whether or not the hurricane had been magical in nature. Somedays it felt like the only explanation for the rightness he felt with these two, as if they'd been carved from the same material. They were different, but there was something about them that brought peace fo Neve's life. Happiness.
He had, for weeks now, been torturing himself over what he felt.
So when Kai asks his question, Neve was suddenly horrified, scared of the truth coming out, scared that things would go awry. What if Dash had a crush on Kai? What if they got together? What if he was asked the same question? He would lie, but wouldn't they know? They both had a knack for reading him, after all.
Neve opens his mouth to object, to tell Dash he doesn't have to answer, but Dash's words have him snap his mouth shut with an audible click of his teeth. More than one?
More than one!
More than one.
Neve has to clench his fists, hiding them inside the sleeves of his hoodie. He feels hope. Glancing at Dash, to Kai, then quickly away, he feels his cheeks heat up as he tries to look as aloof as possible.
The words were music to his ears and a sort of excited hope spread throughout his body. Could it be possible Dash liked them both? His eyes slid over to Neve, trying to look at him discreetly to take in his reaction. How did he feel about it? Did he have feelings for them both?
Maybe he could have asked more directly but what if it messed everything up and he read it all wrong? Better to be sneaky in case he needed to make it all a joke.
"I think you should tell us about them," Kai agreed, leaning forward in an obvious show of eagerness. Hiding his emotions could be difficult, especially when hope mingled into the mix. But he knew he could never hope for better than Neve and Dash. If they had feelings for him it meant a change to everything.
Dash looks back and forth between the two again, before seemingly having some sort of double-take moment and directing his next words squarely at Neve. "All?" he sort of yelps. "I don't have that many crushes!" Yep, little bit red in the face here.
But it quickly turns to a flush that's brought on by amusement, as he laughs a little. "Only two." Fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater, he adopts a thoughtful expression. "One is very sweet, though sometimes kind of mischievous. He's really kind, but also exuberant." He clears his throat again, tracing circles on his stretched-out shirtsleeve. "He asks questions that are hard to answer all the sudden!"
Ahem.
Moving on. "The other is quieter, but you can see when he's thinking about things. He gets a look in his eyes. I think he thinks he's being cool, and it's not that he isn't! He's very cool. But I suspect kind of a softie sometimes too. Sometimes very serious, but also kind." Again, he looks at both of them. "Oh, and they're both extremely handsome!" More laughter, this time a bit shy.
"I like them a lot! I have for... awhile now, I guess? I probably didn't realize it right away, but you know how these things are! At first, I wondered if it was okay to like two people at once, but..." Dash shrugs in a very Dash-like way. "The heart wants what the heart wants!"
For a moment Neve entertains that Kai and Dash spoke of this before, and this is part of a scheme. It's not a thought that bothers him. He knows he's difficult, that he's sometimes oblivious, that he'll avoid things that scare him, and this is definitely one of those things. How could the two best people he know like him the way he likes them? It didn't make sense. It wasn't the sort of thing that happened to Neve.
Even as Dash voiced his description of his crushes, as Neve wanted to tuck his face into the collar of his hoodie and tug it up to hide behind it, doubts crept in. It could be anyone else. Kai and someone else. Or neither of them. Two other people he knows. That made more sense than the possibility of Dash liking someone like him.
"I think... it's possible," he says carefully, staring stubbornly at the ground rather than either Kai or Dash, fighting the part of himself that's hoping and the part of himself that tells him there's no way, and he's a fool for hoping. "To like two people at once."
He would know. He's raged with himself about it for long enough by now to know it's entirely possible, and not a lie of his own lonely mind or a trick of any sort. Both Kai and Dash are precious to him, and have taken more room in his heart that he thought was available in the first place.
The first description rose the hope to an all time high because it had to mean him, right? He asked the crush question for the truth part of the game and okay mischievous described him pretty well, especially at the moment. Wider smile filling his face, it took every ounce of willpower to not launch himself at Dash and confirm the words for sure.
There were still lingering doubts despite the almost certainty.
As Dash started in on the second crush, his eyes slid over to Neve. It had to mean him, right? It sounded like it but Neve appeared conflicted. Okay, he wanted to launch himself at Neve as well, wrap around him and remind him of all his special aspects.
Handsome? Oh boy.
With a thin blush, he nodded. "I think you can like two people at the same time. I do." He paused and decided on his own confession status. "One is incredibly sweet with the biggest heart. So easy to talk to about anything and let's just say he's more feisty than he looks. He'll do anything to help those who need him. He's incredible." He kept his eyes on Dash while he talked, his eyes going towards Neve when he began again. "The other is also sweet but in a more grumpy way. At least, he tries to be grumpy but it just comes across adorable. He's so loyal and insightful when you get him to talk."
"I can't help falling for both of them. Biggest crushes here."
Dash gives Neve a long look. It's a bit puppy-eyed, to be honest. As though he wants to suffuse the other with comfort, but he's not entirely sure how or what's allowed. Did he just confess? It's still kind of ambiguous and they're all sort of tiptoeing around a thing or two here. Perhaps simply because there's no way to stop?
Maybe someone should just break the ice. Maybe he should just open his mouth and...
Ah, subtlety. It's just not Dash's strong suit. He has no skill at maintaining suspense. His hands curl into fists and he pushes them against puffed out cheeks, then exhales heavily. "That's so cute!" he says, hanging his head, as if what he's said just took a huge effort.
"You're both really cute!" Sweater paws pressed to his chest, Dash shakes his head. "It's no wonder I have crushes."
That may not be grammatically or syntactically correct, but Dash doesn't seem to care all that much. He's said his piece, or at least begun to. And he did reply to the truth part of the truth-or-dare as he was requested. Kai did say to tell them about his crush, which he clarified as crushes... and then he said something about each of them.
So, he followed the rules, right? Not that he'd really mind having some kind of penalty, honestly. If it meant they got to talk about this... though now he's wondering. "Did you know I was going to say it was two people, Kai?"
It sounds like it wasn't a scheme after all. There's a sort of tension, or more like a suspension. Breaths being held.
Maybe he's dreaming?
That might be it. He must be dreaming.
This doesn't just happen. The odds of all three of them liking each other were so low. It was already a gamble to think even one of them could like him back, and now... they both did. And while a part of him feels so relieved and happy he feels a bit like he might cry, the other part of him is scared and has no idea how this might work. The other part of him wants to lie and say he doesn't like anyone right now. Kai and Dash would be good together. He wouldn't contaminate them with all he's done, and the blood on his hands.
But then Dash does that thing with his fists and Neve can't do anything but smile, shy and bashful and filled with fondness. His eyes fall to Kai, who's smile is as bright as the sun. He can't lie. Even if he tried, they wouldn't believe him, would they? It would only hurt them.
He didn't want to do that. That was part of why this scared him. Accepting his feelings for them had been one thing, but accepting that they're out there for them to know, that's something else. Doing something about it is something else entirely. He's not good enough for them. He can't even reconcile that they both like him.
What a twist of fate and one Kai never anticipated because how could three people all like each other at the same time? The fickle state of love usually created all kinds of difficulties but he knew they were worth it. Dash and Neve were worth everything and he knew already he would do anything for their happiness. Whatever it took he wanted to try for the kind of joy most only dared to dream about.
It also helped the loneliness faded when they were all together. Something warm and almost unbelievable for someone who spent a lot of time along and on the outskirts of things. For some reason no one wanted to mingle with the 'weird kid's but to be fair he could be out there.
Both really cute. Crushes.
A confession there, right? It just had to be. Covering his mouth for a moment, he replied, "I mean I -" he dropped his hands to make it easier to hear him. "I had hoped. You've all spent a lot of time together lately and really get along. I thought...." He trailed off with a shrug of his shoulder.
Eyes moving over to Neve, his heart clenched. "I like you like you to not have any doubts. Same for you, Dash." Time to be brave and come what may with both of them. "I'm not sure when but it's grown a lot lately. You're both so cute and --" He covered his blushing face with a soft noise, the too long sleeves of the sweater covering his hands.
"Had you picked dare I might have said a kiss to your crush. Now. We know crushes." Okay, mischievous fit him perfectly , didn't it?
Dash stares long and hard at Kai while he speaks, though it's clear he's had a hard time getting there, because it means he has to stop staring long and hard (and kind of longingly, let's be frank) at Neve. If he had an extra set of eyes, he could stare at both of his favorite people at once! Sadly, that is not a skill he possesses.
Either way, when Kai finishes talking, Dash can't help it. He laughs.
Let it be said, Dash has the kindest sounding laugh. It very rarely ever sounds like he's laughing at someone or something. It's more like the audible expression of a feeling he's almost always feeling, which is somewhere between 'nice' and the sensation you think you might get if you put a bunch of baby animals in a room and then set yourself in the middle. That's his laugh. Baby animals cuddling you.
"You're awfully cunning, you know, Kai!" he says, scooting forward on the floor and laying his hands palms-up by either of them. "One of us could always give you that dare instead," he adds, trailing off as he gives Neve a look.
It's really meant to be cheeky, but it turns awfully soft. Lightly, his forefinger touches Neve's knee. "I do like you, Neve. A lot." It sort of feels important to reiterate it, or rather, to say it directly. "And you too, Kai. I like you both." Now he outstretches his hands more blatantly, wiggling his fingers.
Please hold his hands! He might wither away if he can't show them both some affection pronto. It's very much a code red situation here.
They have been spending a lot of time together. Hence how Neve developed crushes on them both. He tends not to stick around the same people too long, afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of opening up to someone, lingering fears from before he put an end to them, other fears relating to the things he's seen and done and lived. How heavy it feels to be him some days, and how reluctant he is for either Kai or Dash to feel even an ounce of that weight.
He wants to keep them from all harm and ill. He wants to put them in bubble wrap so the world can't ever hit them too hard.
He felt that way, once, long ago. For a person he's been thinking about less and less since the hurricane. Some days that day feels like a test. As if circumstances had brought them together like this to see how they would make it out together, if they could find a balance.
It's a bigger balance than he thought, if they all like each other. But that's also scary. What if a change like this upsets that balance?
Neve swallows, looking a bit in awe, a bit in shock. His eyes keep going from Kai to Dash. Eager and apprehensive all at once, like he wants to hope and like he's scared the other shoe will drop.
"Kai's even cunning about being cunning," he mutters softly, no bite to it whatsoever. Just fondness. One that melts into more of that when Dash reiterates that he likes him, wiggling his fingers. His cheeks feel warm, which is ridiculous when he's a centuries old fae, but... No one's ever told him they have a crush on him before. Neve places his hand in Dash's, lightly. As if afraid it would be pulled back. Then he turns to Kai, holding out his own.
"I want... I want to hold yours too."
Maybe he can't speak the words as they are, but maybe this can be his answer, for the time being, until he feels a little less out of sorts, a little less completely out of his element, a little less like his heart is about to beat right out of his chest.
For someone who spent most of his life alone without a lot of deep connections, Kai had been happy enough with the friendships forming but now they were building towards something more. In a way he never anticipated happening because what were the odds first off and how how lucky could one person be? Dash and Neve were so sweet in their own ways and he only wanted to discover more.
How surreal he could from a whole other type of connection! Not just in a caring friendship way of 'let me protect you.' The emotion stronger than ever as he stared between them both. With Neve, he had the urge to whisk him from his past and help him be lighter. More in tune to the downright beauty inside of him. He didn't know what haunted him but knew something masked him at times. With Dash, he wanted to keep the cruelty out of sight for the other guy to maintain and keep his softness. His brightness that the world hadnt managed to dim yet.
So, really, he had a lot of emotions.
"Saying that just means you want to kiss me so bad," Kai teased with a wink, eyes drifting over to Neve. "You haven't seen anything yet," he promised as he moved to sit in the vacant spot between Dash and Neve. His heart began to race a little hard. How could they both want him?
Grabbing for Dash's hand, he gave it a squeeze, the bright smile returning to his face. He wasted no time in taking Me he's other hand and squeezing it just the same. The warmth flooded through his system and he realized he really liked things happening in twos.
To return to an earlier point, Kai leaned in to press a kiss to Neve's cheek, giving the fondest look. The same happened as he turned to do the same to Dash. "If you meant the other kind of kiss well, you'll have to wait." Coy? Maybe? He tried anyway but it usually never worked with his apparent eagerness for things.
Kai isn't the only one. Dash's seem to bubble up, welling from somewhere within, and making their way free in whatever way they can, whether it's a crinkly eye smile or a gentle curling of his fingers around Neve's or a hint of laughter that gets sort of stuck behind his teeth when he hears that remark about wanting to kiss Kai so badly.
Because, well. It's true, isn't it? It's been true for awhile. He laces his fingers with Neve's and with Kai's, holding on tightly, but perhaps not too tightly. He hopes it's not too much. But he knows he wants more, too. If offered, he'd take more. Dash is a bit greedy like that. Moreso because he wants to give that kind of affection to more than one person and he has a secret hope that he'll receive it in return. It's really no secret that his heart's not the most well-guarded place.
In fact, it's a pretty vulnerable thing, actually. Maybe it's a little bit evident in the way tension seems to leech from his body when he touches their hands. Maybe. That's a hint of it. A hint of how bold-faced and honest he can be about how he feels, even if it's kind of a scary thing to admit. To share.
But he is sharing it, isn't he? His smile grows a little more. "If you ask me, the answer is 'of course I want to kiss you!' I don't know about 'so bad' though," he adds on the end, faux contemplation on his face. A beat. "I'm kidding." He sighs dramatically, his expression halfway to pouting, which one could easily assume is his way of commenting on why he didn't get a kiss too!
Then: "'So bad' is right." As though embarrassed by his confession there, Dash momentarily buries his head against Kai's shoulder. His next words are muffled because of it. "Amazing is right, too." His thumb is drawing little circles on the back of Neve's hand now, and he turns his head a little so he can look Neve's way, over Kai's shoulder.
Which is now his headrest, apparently. Sorry, Kai. You became a pillow and didn't even know it. Either way, Dash's look is soft, gentler than his teasing tone of before. And for a moment, it's clear he only has eyes for Neve. Or rather, it's clear he wants to soothe him somehow, to be comforting. To say, 'this is okay.'
Neve's stunned expression doesn't fade, not when Kai kisses his cheek and Dash is touching his hand like that. It makes his heart feel like it's going to burst right out of his chest. He feels like air is running out in the room around them.
This is amazing and nothing short of miraculous. Being aware that some people do have romantic entanglements with more than one person is not the same as experiencing it, and then again not the same as having those same entangled feelings returned.
Neve hardly knows how to navigate these sort of feelings within himself. Now he has to navigate them with two others.
He can tell they want to soothe him, in the midst of their nervous energy about what's coming to light between them. He wants that too, feeling like his own trepidation is causing some of their own. He wants them to be happy.
So very badly. He hopes he can. He's terrified he won't know how. He's never done this before, in any capacity.
"I've never... I've never been with anyone, you know. Not like I'd want to be with you," he admits quietly, staring down between them. It's not shyness, not really. He's not a shy person. But he's reserved, and guarded, and the walls have been ripped down. "I don't know how to be like that. Is that... Is that okay?"
The teasing delighted Kai, evident on his face and the happy way he squeezed both of the hands within his own. Hand holding just so happened to be one of his favorite thing along with what he imagined kissing would be like. He'd only been kissed once in his life and with it being a dare he never counted it. He tended to not count many things from his past and how difficult the school experience had been for him.
"So bad works on my end too," Kai answered back, making kissy lips as he tried to push any other thoughts from his mind. He only wanted to focus on the new emotions twisting around inside of them all. There were so many possibilities and did he ever want to explore them all.
Being used as a pillow seemed to suit Kai just fine and like Dash a lot of the tension worked out of him and slipped away. There were still some nerves but there were lesser compared to the excitement and thrill of something so wonderful.
His eyes drifted over to Neve and his look softened considerably. "We can take this very slow, Neve. It's perfectly okay. It means even more you want to attempt things with us." After a beat, he added, "I haven't either. Uh been in a relationship." A little surprising maybe? Maybe some with his attitude and how teasing he could be bit he tended to just think of it as instincts.
Selkies were very coy by nature, especially dancing.
He squeezed both of their hands again. "We could do - a low-key date? First date. See how things go between us."
To muffle the giggle that works its way from his lips when Kai affirms the degree to which he wants them to kiss, Dash has to bury his face against the other's shoulder again. He stays there a little longer than strictly necessary, thoughts running through his head. There's a lot to consider, after all. With one person, there's a lot, but with two?
It's clear Neve and Kai have different outlooks, which is part of the reason he fell for them in the first place. He likes the way they both look at the world and how it fits into place with his own perspective. There's maybe a little fidgeting in his thoughts. A little squirming and wiggling and making things settle into place. A little getting accustomed to the idea that, yes, they all like one another.
And maybe they'd like to keep exploring this. Dash shifts his head enough that he can look at their entwined hands. Neve's in his, his in Kai's, Kai's in Neve's. It's nice. It looks right somehow.
When Kai speaks again, Dash suddenly sits up a bit straighter, looking over at the other. Then to Neve. Then back to Kai. "Neither of you..." He trails off, shaking his head, as if to clear some thoughts out. "I have. Not anything serious! Not really. But a couple of people, you know, in the past."
His fingers fidget over Neve's, eyes briefly averted. "I think a date sounds nice. I'd like to go out with you both."
For the first time since this conversation went this way, Neve cracks a little smile.
"I've never been on a date." Which is not what's making him smile. What's making him smile is the thought of his very first date in his life being with these two people. They're his best friends. He'd never really even had friends before them, and now they're who he thinks of when his mind strays, who he pictures touching him late at night when he lies in bed alone.
He squeezes both of their hands.
"If it's with you two, it sounds nice." It would be scary otherwise. Out of his element, too vulnerable, too hard to open up to someone with that fear of not being good enough for them. The latter is still there even here, but currently being silenced by their warm hands, the looks they keep exchanging, the way they look at him. How could he reject this?
"Dash can tell us if we get things wrong," he says, looking over at Kai, then at Dash. He trusts them both. It seems crazy to accept, to give this a chance when he wonders if they'd still like him if they knew what he's done. He swallows back his fears, his doubts. He wants the chance to kiss them for the first time. To feel Dash's hand on his face and Kai's fingers in his hair. He wants to see them smile and laugh and know he's making them feel as warm as they make him feel.
Level of experience honestly mattered so little to Kai and he made sure to keep the soft smile on his face to show it. They were with each other and wanted to try something new and different, everything else just faded away with the rest of the past. Living in the present and all of that, a state of being his father tried to direct him to often, away from all the ghosts haunting him. There were just so many things out of a person's control. But this they could explore and find more out about who they were in the process.
"I - was kissed once," Kai confessed, the smile sliding off his face for only a split second before it returned like nothing happened or bothered him. "But yes, Dash you're the expert now between us."
His eyes fell onto Neve again, squeezing his hand. "Have you ever pictured a first date? Something you might like?" He wanted to make sure Neve enjoyed the date and wanted plenty of others.
Eyes moving back towards Dash, he asked, "Anything you've been wanting to do?" Dash seemed very easy to please, though, and he found it adorable. Still, suggestions and options were good!
"I could plan the first - then we could trade off!" Kai suggested, smile genuinely brighter. The idea would have something to do with water, of course.
Making a note of that expression on Kai's face, but not immediately pressing the issue, Dash looks between the two from his current perch. "If I'm the expert, you might be in trouble!" he says, chuckling sweetly, but also with the slightest hint of sheepishness. Is he confident that he'd do everything in his power to make Kai and Neve feel comfortable and happy?
Yes, of that he's sure. He's been sure of that for some time. But if it means relying on his experience, that is admittedly somewhat limited. And none of what he's experienced in the past feels quite like this. In several ways and on several levels.
He scoots a little closer to Kai, so he can better use his shoulder as a pillow without straining to cross the distance between them. "We could have three first dates," he offers, and he'd hold up three fingers to tick off their names, but he's holding onto both of their hands with no sign of letting go. He's still paying special attention to Neve's hand, maybe because he's giving more attention to his pillow- that is, to Kai's shoulder.
"I can think of a couple of things that might be fun." There's a light in his eye when he looks up at Kai, then across to Neve. Yes, he probably has an idea or two rattling around in that head of his.
It is perhaps entirely possible that he's spent his fair share of time mulling this over. Possibly imagining scenarios where they get to go on dates together. He's an optimist, what can he say!
"You've only kissed?" Neve blinks at Kai, a bit surprised. It was shocking to him, when Kai was such a special person to him, and so handsome, too.
Neve looked sheepish. He should clarify, maybe? He wasn't sure if it was understood this didn't mean he had no experience at all. It didn't matter, but he would hate it if they later learned he'd had more than they'd understood and felt strange about it.
"I'm not... completely lacking in experience."
That was a delicate way to say that, right?
"I've just never dated or been in a relationship."
It was important to Neve to be clear about this. Not to guilt them, or change the way they treated him, but to make it evident that any missteps might come from lack of experience and uncertainty and hesitation, and not a place of ill-intent. To explain they may have to be patient with him, and to be sure they were aware of this before jumping into this with him. Not everyone has the patience, and that would be okay.
Though the thought of Kai and Dash getting together without him filled him with sickening jealousy. So he hoped it wouldn't matter, and wouldn't ever come between them.
"I like that. Three dates." He smile gratefully at both of them, a bit shy still. "When I think about dates I think of listening to someone. The place doesn't really matter as long as we get to talk."
Three dates, he really enjoyed the thought of it, his mind swirling with possibilities. There were so many fun things to do outside of the typical and usual first dates. While traditional could be fun, they were going to be anything but typical. It meant they needed dates to match the outside of the norm. He wondered how many others around them had similar types of relationships. With more opened eyes would he see them now? He knew sometimes he never noticed something until he really knew of it. Giving a nod of his head, he squeezed Dash's hand. "I love the idea of three first dates. Then we'll all get a chance and focus." It would also show the different shades of their personalities.
Eyes moving over to Neve, he blushed a little. "My dad always used to say people just didn't understand me in school," he explained with a tiny shrug of his shoulder. "The selkie thing didn't make it much easier to try and hide. I probably seemed really odd back then." Not at all now but he liked to think of himself as unique, creative.
Not lacking in experience? What did that - oh! "Oh! Neve. Of course that isn't an issue if you think it might be. That'll probably be helpful to not have to watch - uh - things to try and figure it all out." Clearly, he meant adult videos but just didn't say it more clearly. "If someone was with you and didn't want to be with you, they really weren't thinking clearly."
Experience level did not mean much at all to Kai. "Does it - bother either of you I don't ....have much experience?" Now being a virgin could turn off some and if it did, well, he understood. "I mean I've tried plenty of my own!" Probably not an important revelation to actually share but still.
"Talking dates. That sounds perfect to me too." He might be blushing really vividly.
Kai isn't the only one with a head full of thoughts about dates. Dash has daydreamed enough to be a veritable expert on the subject. Even before he was daydreaming vaguely about dates with Neve and Kai, he often got a little lost in thought about the idea of spoiling someone. And there was a point when he was thinking about what it'd be like to go on a date with two people at once, but he hadn't quite cottoned onto the fact that his brain was already thinking of two specific people.
Surely the little imaginary figures in his mind looked like Neve and Kai because they were dear to him, not because he was actually thinking of dating his dearest friends!
Joke's on you, past Dash. You were already head over heels.
"Everything's equal that way," he affirms, nodding. His thoughts were going to wander in another direction, perhaps. Were. And then Kai speaks again, addressing both of them.
He bites his lip, maybe trying to hold back a smile. Trying and failing. "I think it's okay to have a little trial and error! This isn't the same as dating one person at a time, so we're all bound to be a little unsteady on our feet." His smile shows itself now, turning soft. "It's okay to have questions. Let's just promise to do our best to be patient with each other, all right?"
Here, he looks at Neve, then Kai. "Whatever experiences we have had in the past, they can only help us now, don't you think? If we call work together, I bet we'll be able to fill in some of the gaps."
If that means "gaps" in intimate experience in Kai's case and in relationship experience in Neve's, and maybe a little of both for Dash, then so be it.
It's true, this way, they all get to spend time together in a way of their choosing. It's a good way to start — simply re-contextualizing things a little and putting their feet in the water to test it. They can keep talking about this and take it slow.
It's almost hard to, because Neve likes them both so much and wants things he's never wanted before. He doesn't feel like waiting, he wants to grab them both and kiss them and lose himself in them for a few days. When they're in their little world, he feels safe and happy. Like right now, most of his concerns from earlier having faded to nothing.
"That sounds good. Three dates and patience." They would need it, but it wouldn't be a problem for Neve to give it. His impatience was only about wanting to be closer to them, not about being patient with them. He would never rush them into something they were uncomfortable with, or be frustrated with them for needing time.
"I think Dash is right," he says, nudging Kai with his shoulder. "It can only help us. It doesn't bother me at all." A beat. "But I might want to know what kind of things you've liked."
Okay, that isn't entirely necessary, actually, at least not yet, but the words escape him before he can think. "I mean, eventually." His cheeks get a little pink, flustered that he let his thoughts escape his mind so easily.
He clears his throat, squeezing their hands.
"Do we... want to talk about more things?" Like what their boundaries were, if it was okay for two of them to spend romantic time together without the third, things like that.
Equality, trial and error, patience - he nodded his head about all of it, easily agreeing. They would need to slowly find their footing with how to have a relationship with two others rather than just one. It excited him more than worried him because he could already tell there were a lot of emotions to contend with. They also had already developed a significant relationship between the three of them. It would help more than anything else because a strong foundation mattered.
Neve and Dash mattered to him.
"All of that sounds great but we probably need to figure out the dating aspect to this. Are we only going to do romantic things as a trio or will it be as a duo sometimes too?" he offered, squeezing both of their hands. The mechanics of things would need to be discussed to not have anyone slighted or feeling badly. Communication mattered more here than in typical relationships.
"As for things I enjoyed or do enjoy...." His voice drifted off as he looked at Neve, a smile filling his face again. "Do you want to know now or later?" A tease? Maybe, just maybe but he couldn't help himself.
"We will need to talk about that too. What we think with preferences and uh desires." Again, only as a trio or sometimes as a duo? Another important point to figure out.
Unable to help himself, he pressed a kiss to the back of Neve and Dash's hands. Affection starved and all of that.
Dash lights up at the kiss to his hand. He is sort of a sucker for sweet gestures and that one made his heart leap a little bit. Tiny bit. There was a second there where it jumped a little and threatened to try and make a leap into his throat. He smiles, ducking his head.
"You're cute," he says quietly. He then nods in Neve's direction and Kai's right after. "Both of you. Very, very cute." Kai, with a kind of softness to him that makes Dash want to curl up in his arms for hours and Neve, with a warmth that isn't immediately evident, but so very often makes Dash feel short of breath. They're both beautiful in their own ways and Dash knows he has a very special affection for either of them.
Both of them. At the same time. It gives him some pause over Kai's question.
"It's all right with me, you know. If you both want to spend time together, just the two of you." He raises his head from Kai's shoulder and relocates to Neve's, doing so slowly and cautiously. He wants to broadcast his intent and his eyes silently ask if it's okay. Before he lowers his head, he'll wait for an affirmative reply of some kind. "If it's about things that are, ah, more physical? I think we should let things happen naturally. There's no reason it has to be planned out too much ahead of time, right?"
Here, he hugs both of their hands to his chest. "But it's okay if we want to, too, I think. I don't mind telling you now." He bites his lip, holding back a little smile "I guess it'd be good to know before we actually get there, right?"
Maybe it'd be... prudent. "There's some... logistical stuff, I guess, that we'd want to talk about. I may have experience, but," he coughs softly. "Not like this."
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stardustly2018-01-01 05:57 pm
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Or any other, honestly. They're both pretty superlative in their own ways, which has caused him to have several revelations about his own feelings. It's been sort of a journey...
That's just one reason among a few that he goes pretty red-faced when asked that question. He flaps one hand mutely as if in protest, but it's sort of a weak gesture, followed by him sitting up and squaring his shoulders. He clears his throat.
"What if I have more than one?" he asks, eyes darting between the two people sitting close by. He tries to make it sound casual, but there's always a kind of energy in his words that betrays what he's feeling. He chews on his lip.
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He had, for weeks now, been torturing himself over what he felt.
So when Kai asks his question, Neve was suddenly horrified, scared of the truth coming out, scared that things would go awry. What if Dash had a crush on Kai? What if they got together? What if he was asked the same question? He would lie, but wouldn't they know? They both had a knack for reading him, after all.
Neve opens his mouth to object, to tell Dash he doesn't have to answer, but Dash's words have him snap his mouth shut with an audible click of his teeth. More than one?
More than one!
More than one.
Neve has to clench his fists, hiding them inside the sleeves of his hoodie. He feels hope. Glancing at Dash, to Kai, then quickly away, he feels his cheeks heat up as he tries to look as aloof as possible.
"Then you can tell us about all of them."
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The words were music to his ears and a sort of excited hope spread throughout his body. Could it be possible Dash liked them both? His eyes slid over to Neve, trying to look at him discreetly to take in his reaction. How did he feel about it? Did he have feelings for them both?
Maybe he could have asked more directly but what if it messed everything up and he read it all wrong? Better to be sneaky in case he needed to make it all a joke.
"I think you should tell us about them," Kai agreed, leaning forward in an obvious show of eagerness. Hiding his emotions could be difficult, especially when hope mingled into the mix. But he knew he could never hope for better than Neve and Dash. If they had feelings for him it meant a change to everything.
He wanted it so badly.
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But it quickly turns to a flush that's brought on by amusement, as he laughs a little. "Only two." Fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater, he adopts a thoughtful expression. "One is very sweet, though sometimes kind of mischievous. He's really kind, but also exuberant." He clears his throat again, tracing circles on his stretched-out shirtsleeve. "He asks questions that are hard to answer all the sudden!"
Ahem.
Moving on. "The other is quieter, but you can see when he's thinking about things. He gets a look in his eyes. I think he thinks he's being cool, and it's not that he isn't! He's very cool. But I suspect kind of a softie sometimes too. Sometimes very serious, but also kind." Again, he looks at both of them. "Oh, and they're both extremely handsome!" More laughter, this time a bit shy.
"I like them a lot! I have for... awhile now, I guess? I probably didn't realize it right away, but you know how these things are! At first, I wondered if it was okay to like two people at once, but..." Dash shrugs in a very Dash-like way. "The heart wants what the heart wants!"
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Even as Dash voiced his description of his crushes, as Neve wanted to tuck his face into the collar of his hoodie and tug it up to hide behind it, doubts crept in. It could be anyone else. Kai and someone else. Or neither of them. Two other people he knows. That made more sense than the possibility of Dash liking someone like him.
"I think... it's possible," he says carefully, staring stubbornly at the ground rather than either Kai or Dash, fighting the part of himself that's hoping and the part of himself that tells him there's no way, and he's a fool for hoping. "To like two people at once."
He would know. He's raged with himself about it for long enough by now to know it's entirely possible, and not a lie of his own lonely mind or a trick of any sort. Both Kai and Dash are precious to him, and have taken more room in his heart that he thought was available in the first place.
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There were still lingering doubts despite the almost certainty.
As Dash started in on the second crush, his eyes slid over to Neve. It had to mean him, right? It sounded like it but Neve appeared conflicted. Okay, he wanted to launch himself at Neve as well, wrap around him and remind him of all his special aspects.
Handsome? Oh boy.
With a thin blush, he nodded. "I think you can like two people at the same time. I do." He paused and decided on his own confession status. "One is incredibly sweet with the biggest heart. So easy to talk to about anything and let's just say he's more feisty than he looks. He'll do anything to help those who need him. He's incredible." He kept his eyes on Dash while he talked, his eyes going towards Neve when he began again. "The other is also sweet but in a more grumpy way. At least, he tries to be grumpy but it just comes across adorable. He's so loyal and insightful when you get him to talk."
"I can't help falling for both of them. Biggest crushes here."
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Maybe someone should just break the ice. Maybe he should just open his mouth and...
Ah, subtlety. It's just not Dash's strong suit. He has no skill at maintaining suspense. His hands curl into fists and he pushes them against puffed out cheeks, then exhales heavily. "That's so cute!" he says, hanging his head, as if what he's said just took a huge effort.
"You're both really cute!" Sweater paws pressed to his chest, Dash shakes his head. "It's no wonder I have crushes."
That may not be grammatically or syntactically correct, but Dash doesn't seem to care all that much. He's said his piece, or at least begun to. And he did reply to the truth part of the truth-or-dare as he was requested. Kai did say to tell them about his crush, which he clarified as crushes... and then he said something about each of them.
So, he followed the rules, right? Not that he'd really mind having some kind of penalty, honestly. If it meant they got to talk about this... though now he's wondering. "Did you know I was going to say it was two people, Kai?"
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Maybe he's dreaming?
That might be it. He must be dreaming.
This doesn't just happen. The odds of all three of them liking each other were so low. It was already a gamble to think even one of them could like him back, and now... they both did. And while a part of him feels so relieved and happy he feels a bit like he might cry, the other part of him is scared and has no idea how this might work. The other part of him wants to lie and say he doesn't like anyone right now. Kai and Dash would be good together. He wouldn't contaminate them with all he's done, and the blood on his hands.
But then Dash does that thing with his fists and Neve can't do anything but smile, shy and bashful and filled with fondness. His eyes fall to Kai, who's smile is as bright as the sun. He can't lie. Even if he tried, they wouldn't believe him, would they? It would only hurt them.
He didn't want to do that. That was part of why this scared him. Accepting his feelings for them had been one thing, but accepting that they're out there for them to know, that's something else. Doing something about it is something else entirely. He's not good enough for them. He can't even reconcile that they both like him.
"So you... you both like me?"
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It also helped the loneliness faded when they were all together. Something warm and almost unbelievable for someone who spent a lot of time along and on the outskirts of things. For some reason no one wanted to mingle with the 'weird kid's but to be fair he could be out there.
Both really cute. Crushes.
A confession there, right? It just had to be. Covering his mouth for a moment, he replied, "I mean I -" he dropped his hands to make it easier to hear him. "I had hoped. You've all spent a lot of time together lately and really get along. I thought...." He trailed off with a shrug of his shoulder.
Eyes moving over to Neve, his heart clenched. "I like you like you to not have any doubts. Same for you, Dash." Time to be brave and come what may with both of them. "I'm not sure when but it's grown a lot lately. You're both so cute and --" He covered his blushing face with a soft noise, the too long sleeves of the sweater covering his hands.
"Had you picked dare I might have said a kiss to your crush. Now. We know crushes." Okay, mischievous fit him perfectly , didn't it?
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Either way, when Kai finishes talking, Dash can't help it. He laughs.
Let it be said, Dash has the kindest sounding laugh. It very rarely ever sounds like he's laughing at someone or something. It's more like the audible expression of a feeling he's almost always feeling, which is somewhere between 'nice' and the sensation you think you might get if you put a bunch of baby animals in a room and then set yourself in the middle. That's his laugh. Baby animals cuddling you.
"You're awfully cunning, you know, Kai!" he says, scooting forward on the floor and laying his hands palms-up by either of them. "One of us could always give you that dare instead," he adds, trailing off as he gives Neve a look.
It's really meant to be cheeky, but it turns awfully soft. Lightly, his forefinger touches Neve's knee. "I do like you, Neve. A lot." It sort of feels important to reiterate it, or rather, to say it directly. "And you too, Kai. I like you both." Now he outstretches his hands more blatantly, wiggling his fingers.
Please hold his hands! He might wither away if he can't show them both some affection pronto. It's very much a code red situation here.
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He wants to keep them from all harm and ill. He wants to put them in bubble wrap so the world can't ever hit them too hard.
He felt that way, once, long ago. For a person he's been thinking about less and less since the hurricane. Some days that day feels like a test. As if circumstances had brought them together like this to see how they would make it out together, if they could find a balance.
It's a bigger balance than he thought, if they all like each other. But that's also scary. What if a change like this upsets that balance?
Neve swallows, looking a bit in awe, a bit in shock. His eyes keep going from Kai to Dash. Eager and apprehensive all at once, like he wants to hope and like he's scared the other shoe will drop.
"Kai's even cunning about being cunning," he mutters softly, no bite to it whatsoever. Just fondness. One that melts into more of that when Dash reiterates that he likes him, wiggling his fingers. His cheeks feel warm, which is ridiculous when he's a centuries old fae, but... No one's ever told him they have a crush on him before. Neve places his hand in Dash's, lightly. As if afraid it would be pulled back. Then he turns to Kai, holding out his own.
"I want... I want to hold yours too."
Maybe he can't speak the words as they are, but maybe this can be his answer, for the time being, until he feels a little less out of sorts, a little less completely out of his element, a little less like his heart is about to beat right out of his chest.
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How surreal he could from a whole other type of connection! Not just in a caring friendship way of 'let me protect you.' The emotion stronger than ever as he stared between them both. With Neve, he had the urge to whisk him from his past and help him be lighter. More in tune to the downright beauty inside of him. He didn't know what haunted him but knew something masked him at times. With Dash, he wanted to keep the cruelty out of sight for the other guy to maintain and keep his softness. His brightness that the world hadnt managed to dim yet.
So, really, he had a lot of emotions.
"Saying that just means you want to kiss me so bad," Kai teased with a wink, eyes drifting over to Neve. "You haven't seen anything yet," he promised as he moved to sit in the vacant spot between Dash and Neve. His heart began to race a little hard. How could they both want him?
Grabbing for Dash's hand, he gave it a squeeze, the bright smile returning to his face. He wasted no time in taking Me he's other hand and squeezing it just the same. The warmth flooded through his system and he realized he really liked things happening in twos.
To return to an earlier point, Kai leaned in to press a kiss to Neve's cheek, giving the fondest look. The same happened as he turned to do the same to Dash. "If you meant the other kind of kiss well, you'll have to wait." Coy? Maybe? He tried anyway but it usually never worked with his apparent eagerness for things.
"This is - amazing."
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Kai isn't the only one. Dash's seem to bubble up, welling from somewhere within, and making their way free in whatever way they can, whether it's a crinkly eye smile or a gentle curling of his fingers around Neve's or a hint of laughter that gets sort of stuck behind his teeth when he hears that remark about wanting to kiss Kai so badly.
Because, well. It's true, isn't it? It's been true for awhile. He laces his fingers with Neve's and with Kai's, holding on tightly, but perhaps not too tightly. He hopes it's not too much. But he knows he wants more, too. If offered, he'd take more. Dash is a bit greedy like that. Moreso because he wants to give that kind of affection to more than one person and he has a secret hope that he'll receive it in return. It's really no secret that his heart's not the most well-guarded place.
In fact, it's a pretty vulnerable thing, actually. Maybe it's a little bit evident in the way tension seems to leech from his body when he touches their hands. Maybe. That's a hint of it. A hint of how bold-faced and honest he can be about how he feels, even if it's kind of a scary thing to admit. To share.
But he is sharing it, isn't he? His smile grows a little more. "If you ask me, the answer is 'of course I want to kiss you!' I don't know about 'so bad' though," he adds on the end, faux contemplation on his face. A beat. "I'm kidding." He sighs dramatically, his expression halfway to pouting, which one could easily assume is his way of commenting on why he didn't get a kiss too!
Then: "'So bad' is right." As though embarrassed by his confession there, Dash momentarily buries his head against Kai's shoulder. His next words are muffled because of it. "Amazing is right, too." His thumb is drawing little circles on the back of Neve's hand now, and he turns his head a little so he can look Neve's way, over Kai's shoulder.
Which is now his headrest, apparently. Sorry, Kai. You became a pillow and didn't even know it. Either way, Dash's look is soft, gentler than his teasing tone of before. And for a moment, it's clear he only has eyes for Neve. Or rather, it's clear he wants to soothe him somehow, to be comforting. To say, 'this is okay.'
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This is amazing and nothing short of miraculous. Being aware that some people do have romantic entanglements with more than one person is not the same as experiencing it, and then again not the same as having those same entangled feelings returned.
Neve hardly knows how to navigate these sort of feelings within himself. Now he has to navigate them with two others.
He can tell they want to soothe him, in the midst of their nervous energy about what's coming to light between them. He wants that too, feeling like his own trepidation is causing some of their own. He wants them to be happy.
So very badly. He hopes he can. He's terrified he won't know how. He's never done this before, in any capacity.
"I've never... I've never been with anyone, you know. Not like I'd want to be with you," he admits quietly, staring down between them. It's not shyness, not really. He's not a shy person. But he's reserved, and guarded, and the walls have been ripped down. "I don't know how to be like that. Is that... Is that okay?"
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"So bad works on my end too," Kai answered back, making kissy lips as he tried to push any other thoughts from his mind. He only wanted to focus on the new emotions twisting around inside of them all. There were so many possibilities and did he ever want to explore them all.
Being used as a pillow seemed to suit Kai just fine and like Dash a lot of the tension worked out of him and slipped away. There were still some nerves but there were lesser compared to the excitement and thrill of something so wonderful.
His eyes drifted over to Neve and his look softened considerably. "We can take this very slow, Neve. It's perfectly okay. It means even more you want to attempt things with us." After a beat, he added, "I haven't either. Uh been in a relationship." A little surprising maybe? Maybe some with his attitude and how teasing he could be bit he tended to just think of it as instincts.
Selkies were very coy by nature, especially dancing.
He squeezed both of their hands again. "We could do - a low-key date? First date. See how things go between us."
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It's clear Neve and Kai have different outlooks, which is part of the reason he fell for them in the first place. He likes the way they both look at the world and how it fits into place with his own perspective. There's maybe a little fidgeting in his thoughts. A little squirming and wiggling and making things settle into place. A little getting accustomed to the idea that, yes, they all like one another.
And maybe they'd like to keep exploring this. Dash shifts his head enough that he can look at their entwined hands. Neve's in his, his in Kai's, Kai's in Neve's. It's nice. It looks right somehow.
When Kai speaks again, Dash suddenly sits up a bit straighter, looking over at the other. Then to Neve. Then back to Kai. "Neither of you..." He trails off, shaking his head, as if to clear some thoughts out. "I have. Not anything serious! Not really. But a couple of people, you know, in the past."
His fingers fidget over Neve's, eyes briefly averted. "I think a date sounds nice. I'd like to go out with you both."
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"I've never been on a date." Which is not what's making him smile. What's making him smile is the thought of his very first date in his life being with these two people. They're his best friends. He'd never really even had friends before them, and now they're who he thinks of when his mind strays, who he pictures touching him late at night when he lies in bed alone.
He squeezes both of their hands.
"If it's with you two, it sounds nice." It would be scary otherwise. Out of his element, too vulnerable, too hard to open up to someone with that fear of not being good enough for them. The latter is still there even here, but currently being silenced by their warm hands, the looks they keep exchanging, the way they look at him. How could he reject this?
"Dash can tell us if we get things wrong," he says, looking over at Kai, then at Dash. He trusts them both. It seems crazy to accept, to give this a chance when he wonders if they'd still like him if they knew what he's done. He swallows back his fears, his doubts. He wants the chance to kiss them for the first time. To feel Dash's hand on his face and Kai's fingers in his hair. He wants to see them smile and laugh and know he's making them feel as warm as they make him feel.
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"I - was kissed once," Kai confessed, the smile sliding off his face for only a split second before it returned like nothing happened or bothered him. "But yes, Dash you're the expert now between us."
His eyes fell onto Neve again, squeezing his hand. "Have you ever pictured a first date? Something you might like?" He wanted to make sure Neve enjoyed the date and wanted plenty of others.
Eyes moving back towards Dash, he asked, "Anything you've been wanting to do?" Dash seemed very easy to please, though, and he found it adorable. Still, suggestions and options were good!
"I could plan the first - then we could trade off!" Kai suggested, smile genuinely brighter. The idea would have something to do with water, of course.
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Yes, of that he's sure. He's been sure of that for some time. But if it means relying on his experience, that is admittedly somewhat limited. And none of what he's experienced in the past feels quite like this. In several ways and on several levels.
He scoots a little closer to Kai, so he can better use his shoulder as a pillow without straining to cross the distance between them. "We could have three first dates," he offers, and he'd hold up three fingers to tick off their names, but he's holding onto both of their hands with no sign of letting go. He's still paying special attention to Neve's hand, maybe because he's giving more attention to his pillow- that is, to Kai's shoulder.
"I can think of a couple of things that might be fun." There's a light in his eye when he looks up at Kai, then across to Neve. Yes, he probably has an idea or two rattling around in that head of his.
It is perhaps entirely possible that he's spent his fair share of time mulling this over. Possibly imagining scenarios where they get to go on dates together. He's an optimist, what can he say!
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Neve looked sheepish. He should clarify, maybe? He wasn't sure if it was understood this didn't mean he had no experience at all. It didn't matter, but he would hate it if they later learned he'd had more than they'd understood and felt strange about it.
"I'm not... completely lacking in experience."
That was a delicate way to say that, right?
"I've just never dated or been in a relationship."
It was important to Neve to be clear about this. Not to guilt them, or change the way they treated him, but to make it evident that any missteps might come from lack of experience and uncertainty and hesitation, and not a place of ill-intent. To explain they may have to be patient with him, and to be sure they were aware of this before jumping into this with him. Not everyone has the patience, and that would be okay.
Though the thought of Kai and Dash getting together without him filled him with sickening jealousy. So he hoped it wouldn't matter, and wouldn't ever come between them.
"I like that. Three dates." He smile gratefully at both of them, a bit shy still. "When I think about dates I think of listening to someone. The place doesn't really matter as long as we get to talk."
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Eyes moving over to Neve, he blushed a little. "My dad always used to say people just didn't understand me in school," he explained with a tiny shrug of his shoulder. "The selkie thing didn't make it much easier to try and hide. I probably seemed really odd back then." Not at all now but he liked to think of himself as unique, creative.
Not lacking in experience? What did that - oh! "Oh! Neve. Of course that isn't an issue if you think it might be. That'll probably be helpful to not have to watch - uh - things to try and figure it all out." Clearly, he meant adult videos but just didn't say it more clearly. "If someone was with you and didn't want to be with you, they really weren't thinking clearly."
Experience level did not mean much at all to Kai. "Does it - bother either of you I don't ....have much experience?" Now being a virgin could turn off some and if it did, well, he understood. "I mean I've tried plenty of my own!" Probably not an important revelation to actually share but still.
"Talking dates. That sounds perfect to me too." He might be blushing really vividly.
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Surely the little imaginary figures in his mind looked like Neve and Kai because they were dear to him, not because he was actually thinking of dating his dearest friends!
Joke's on you, past Dash. You were already head over heels.
"Everything's equal that way," he affirms, nodding. His thoughts were going to wander in another direction, perhaps. Were. And then Kai speaks again, addressing both of them.
He bites his lip, maybe trying to hold back a smile. Trying and failing. "I think it's okay to have a little trial and error! This isn't the same as dating one person at a time, so we're all bound to be a little unsteady on our feet." His smile shows itself now, turning soft. "It's okay to have questions. Let's just promise to do our best to be patient with each other, all right?"
Here, he looks at Neve, then Kai. "Whatever experiences we have had in the past, they can only help us now, don't you think? If we call work together, I bet we'll be able to fill in some of the gaps."
If that means "gaps" in intimate experience in Kai's case and in relationship experience in Neve's, and maybe a little of both for Dash, then so be it.
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It's almost hard to, because Neve likes them both so much and wants things he's never wanted before. He doesn't feel like waiting, he wants to grab them both and kiss them and lose himself in them for a few days. When they're in their little world, he feels safe and happy. Like right now, most of his concerns from earlier having faded to nothing.
"That sounds good. Three dates and patience." They would need it, but it wouldn't be a problem for Neve to give it. His impatience was only about wanting to be closer to them, not about being patient with them. He would never rush them into something they were uncomfortable with, or be frustrated with them for needing time.
"I think Dash is right," he says, nudging Kai with his shoulder. "It can only help us. It doesn't bother me at all." A beat. "But I might want to know what kind of things you've liked."
Okay, that isn't entirely necessary, actually, at least not yet, but the words escape him before he can think. "I mean, eventually." His cheeks get a little pink, flustered that he let his thoughts escape his mind so easily.
He clears his throat, squeezing their hands.
"Do we... want to talk about more things?" Like what their boundaries were, if it was okay for two of them to spend romantic time together without the third, things like that.
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Neve and Dash mattered to him.
"All of that sounds great but we probably need to figure out the dating aspect to this. Are we only going to do romantic things as a trio or will it be as a duo sometimes too?" he offered, squeezing both of their hands. The mechanics of things would need to be discussed to not have anyone slighted or feeling badly. Communication mattered more here than in typical relationships.
"As for things I enjoyed or do enjoy...." His voice drifted off as he looked at Neve, a smile filling his face again. "Do you want to know now or later?" A tease? Maybe, just maybe but he couldn't help himself.
"We will need to talk about that too. What we think with preferences and uh desires." Again, only as a trio or sometimes as a duo? Another important point to figure out.
Unable to help himself, he pressed a kiss to the back of Neve and Dash's hands. Affection starved and all of that.
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"You're cute," he says quietly. He then nods in Neve's direction and Kai's right after. "Both of you. Very, very cute." Kai, with a kind of softness to him that makes Dash want to curl up in his arms for hours and Neve, with a warmth that isn't immediately evident, but so very often makes Dash feel short of breath. They're both beautiful in their own ways and Dash knows he has a very special affection for either of them.
Both of them. At the same time. It gives him some pause over Kai's question.
"It's all right with me, you know. If you both want to spend time together, just the two of you." He raises his head from Kai's shoulder and relocates to Neve's, doing so slowly and cautiously. He wants to broadcast his intent and his eyes silently ask if it's okay. Before he lowers his head, he'll wait for an affirmative reply of some kind. "If it's about things that are, ah, more physical? I think we should let things happen naturally. There's no reason it has to be planned out too much ahead of time, right?"
Here, he hugs both of their hands to his chest. "But it's okay if we want to, too, I think. I don't mind telling you now." He bites his lip, holding back a little smile "I guess it'd be good to know before we actually get there, right?"
Maybe it'd be... prudent. "There's some... logistical stuff, I guess, that we'd want to talk about. I may have experience, but," he coughs softly. "Not like this."