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Some time later, the first thing you notice is the glare of some sunlight in your eye. The second thing you notice is the quiet. You presume the rainstorm has finally stopped. You roll over and check your phone; you napped for about an hour.
Val stirs as you do and smiles at you. You kiss her on the lips, then Val pulls away to check her phone. Her face darkens a bit, and she says, "That was a good nap, but we'll need to get cooking soon. Lena's gonna be here around 6."
You rub Val's shoulder and say, "Ok honey, but what are we going to cook for dinner?"
Val thinks for a moment, tapping her lips with a finger. She answers, "I made some cannelloni shells the other day, I think those will be a real crowd-pleaser."
Val's phone buzzes; she checks it, and reports that Lena will also bring some brownies. "Well then, let's get started," you say, standing.
Val pinches your ass with a giggle, then gets out of bed herself. You dig through your bag to find some nicer clothes, while Val looks for an outfit in her closet. She picks out a pair of jeans and a snug black blouse. You sneak up behind Val and admire her reflection in the mirror. "You're always so pretty when you dress up," you compliment her.
Val grins and bends down to kiss you on the forehead. "This is just the start, I'll do my makeup and pick out some accessories later. But for now, let's get cooking, this recipe will take a while."
The two of you make your way down to the kitchen. Val flips on some inconsequential show on the TV for some background noise, and you start cooking some meat on the stove. Val begins the simultaneous process of prepping the cannelloni shells and the other filling ingredients. The work is fun, but time-consuming. The two of you talk and laugh while working, and the mood is decidedly excited. You get a bit of a breather as you finally get the cannellonis into the oven. Val sets aside a huge loaf of garlic bread to later warm, and you start assembling a salad. The cook time means that Lena will have to wait a bit before eating, but you doubt that she'll mind.
Val glances at a clock on the oven, "Crap. Honey, I need to do my makeup and stuff before Lena gets here. Can you handle the rest of the prep work?"
"Yeah, no sweat," you say.
Val rushes up to her room, and you put the finishing touches on the salad and start tidying up the kitchen. Truthfully, there isn't much to do. As you hear Val padding her way back to the kitchen, the doorbell rings, right on time. Val's footsteps speed up, and you meet up with her at the door. There's no time to appreciate Val's gorgeous makeup work, so you nod at each other and open the door.
Lena stands before you. She's wearing a knee-length black dress that hugs her curves nicely, and a pair of modest heels with some pantyhose. She upgraded her makeup as well, with some subtle shimmer on her cheeks and a smoldering smokey-eye look. Lena also added a bit of jewelry: an ornate blue pendant nestling between her breasts, and a silvery headband tucked under her gingery locks. She smiles at the two of you warmly and holds up a large flat container that smells of chocolate. A long moment passes as you all look at each other. You've always thought Lena was vaguely pretty, but she looks downright ravishing right now. You glance over at Val and struggle to keep your composure.
She added an elegant wingtip eye makeup look, and immaculately applied a layer of blood-red lipstick. The air is supercharged with tension and mutual attraction. Val is characteristically the first to break the silence. "Lena! You look great, and those brownies smell divine. Come on in!"
Lena smiles and nods before following you inside the house. As she does so, her heels click-clack on the floor. "I'm sorry I'm a bit late," Lena says.
"Not at all," you say while ushering her inside. Lena sets the brownies on the counter and you continue, "You're right on time, maybe your clocks are a little fast?"
Lena laughs. "Maybe..."
You both crack a smile, but the air is still thick with something else. The mood feels strained, and you're not quite sure why. Actually, you know exactly why.
Val pops up with a bottle of wine and a trio of long-stemmed glasses. "Drinks?" she asks with a smile.
"Yes, please," Lena replies. She takes a deep sniff of the kitchen and sighs, "Whatever you're cooking smells unbelievable. You should have me over more often!"
You and Val look at each other. Val bites her lip and hands Lena a glass of red wine. Lena's eyes are closed as she samples the bouquet of the wine. Val gives you a serious look and nods for you to go ahead.
Once Lena has finished her first sip, you say, "About that..."
Lena looks at you expectantly, "Hm?"
You sip some wine and swirl the glass. You can't even taste the drink in that moment.
"Lena..." You start, "Well, we've all known each other for a while, we're all grownups here, and I think we're all mutually attracted to each other."
Lena's eyes widen as she stares at Val, who just nods.
"Anon..." Lena utters.
"Lena, Val and I would like to invite you into a polyamorous relationship with us."
There. You said it. Out in the open, with no lies between you. You watch as Lena's face goes from surprise to tentative acceptance.
"I..." Lena starts, "I'm not sure..."
"It's okay, we understand," you reply.
"Well..." Lena says, pausing. She takes a quick drink from her wine glass, then places it down on the table.
"I just need to think. About a lot of things. And this is another something to add to the pile," she says.
The oven beeps, rescuing the three of you from the uncomfortable moment.
"Dinner's ready!" Val says cheerily.
"Oooh, are those cannellonis?" Lena says, her mood lightening and the topic of the hour dropped in a flash. "Yep!" You reply, moving dishes to the table, "Homemade from scratch by Val and me."
"Anon's actually quite the chef," Val beams, ruffling your hair a bit. The three of you sit at the table, dish up some portions, and start eating. The cannelloni is amazing. Just the right blend of meat, cheese, and herbs wrapped in an al dente pasta shell. Surprisingly light and delicious. The salad is crisp and fresh, the garlic bread soft and fluffy. As Lena digs in, she remarks, "I don't know how you did it. I'm starving right now, even after stuffing myself at brunch."
Val swallows a bite of her meal, "That's just the power of good food and good friends."
You shovel another forkful into your mouth, nodding in agreement with a smile. Soon, the three of you are sitting around the dining room table, with most of the food gone. Val's fork is the last to fall silent. You're all pretty full, but the girls pushed themselves pretty hard. Lena rests her hands on her stomach and wears a satisfied smile on her face. She sighs contentedly and giggles, "I'm gonna get really fat if I keep eating like this. But you know what, I don't think I mind."
"You should have some fun with it," Val says, standing up and stretching. You notice Lena snap to attention, her eyes following Val's movements.
You diffuse the tension by speaking up, "So I remember somebody brought some brownies."
"Oh God, how could I forget?" Lena exclaims.
You start clearing your dishes and explain, "So Val and I often like to smoke a little weed after dinner. It's great with dessert. Care to indulge?”
"Fuck yeah!" Lena replies, standing up and picking up her plate. Val licks her lips and smiles, nodding eagerly.
The three of you deposit your dirty dishes into the sink, and set what little food remains off to the side. Lena grabs her tray of brownies and follows you and Val into the living room. You direct her to set the brownies on the coffee table as Val starts collecting her weed equipment. Val straightens up with a vial and a pen-like device. You remember that Val wanted to try moving away from smoking her THC. Lena recognizes the device too, and you all sit on the couch. Val sits between you and Lena and fiddles with the vape. After a few failed attempts to turn it on, she holds it to her mouth.
The blue vapor rises and she takes a deep breath, holding it for a moment. She exhales slowly and grins, "Ah.... I'm still not quite over how much smoother that is."
She offers the vape to Lena.
Lena takes the vape, putting it to her lips and holding it there for a moment. She exhales slowly, and then smiles.
"That's pretty great!" she exclaims.
Lena then reaches across Val to hand you the vape. You don't think she needed to rest her hand on Val's thigh to support herself, but you say nothing and accept the device.
"This is so much easier," you say. "We should have switched ages ago."
Val nods.
"Yeah, my mom would definitely switch to this," Val says.
You press the activation button and take a huge hit, feeling your lungs fill with the cool vapors. You hold your breath for as long as you can manage, then exhale slowly.
"By the gods," you practically breath. The world goes hazy and spins as the drug takes hold of you. You're going to have to be careful with this one.
"Wait," you say slowly, "Val, your mom smokes pot?"
"Oh, yeah," Val says as the haze begins to take effect. "She grows it, especially near her..." her words become garbled as you lose yourself in the world of the vape. The next thing you know, Lena has reached into the tray and retrieved two brownies. Her expression is unreadable, but she shifts so that she can face you and Val simultaneously. Lena gestures for you to come closer, and it's your turn to be leaning across Val.
"What?" you ask.
Lena puts a finger over her lips in a "shushing" motion, then cracks an odd smile. She takes a brownie in each hand, and brings one to Val's lips, and one to yours. You open your mouth, and Lena feeds you the brownie, pressing it into your open mouth. Val moans in pleasure as she gets the same treatment. Lena giggles, then leans forward to grab a brownie of her own. You blink slowly and savor the flavors of the sweet treat. "Lena, this is amazing."
Lena smiles softly, and bites into her brownie with a faint moan of pleasure. You savor one of the best desserts you've ever tasted, watching Lena and Val stare at each other as they eat.
"So...." Val says, reaching for another pair of brownies and handing one to Lena, "What are you thinking about?"
"Flowers," Lena says. "I was thinking about flowers."
Val's eyebrow raises slowly as she holds the brownie in her hands. "Really?" She asks, skeptical.
Lena makes a face with her mouth full of brownie. She hurriedly chews and swallows, her brow furrowing slightly. She then answers, "Val, honey, I know what you're trying to do. I also know that we're all high as fuck. Let's just relax for now?"
Val bites her lower lip for a moment, then releases it with a sigh. "Alright," she says, turning to look past the powered-off TV, "I'm trying not to think about anything."
Lena taps Val on the shoulder and Val slowly turns to face her. Lena sighs and says, "Look. I really am working through a lot of new feelings. I only came out as bi a couple weeks ago. And now you and Anon..."
Val nods patiently and smiles.
Lena continues, "You're being really sweet, and I think I want this to go further, but I'm not just not certain right now. I don't want to mess up a long friendship because I don't have my own feelings sorted out."
Lena looks at you apologetically.
You smile and nod, "It's fine, Lena. If you don't want it to go any further, that's fine."
Val looks at Lena and says, "Lena, no pressure, but there's something I want you to know. You know I've liked girls for a while, at least theoretically, but what you don't know is that I've never been with one,"
Val looks to the side, poking her index fingers together awkwardly and continues, "I just thought.... You and me, it could be something special..."
Lena doesn't say anything for a long moment.
Val slumps back and her face darkens, "I did it again. I said too much, and pushed the boundaries too hard..."
Lena sets her hand on Val's shoulder, gently squeezing until the blonde girl sadly looks over. Lena says, "Hey. Thank you for telling me this. I'm honestly kind of a ditz, and I appreciate knowing this sort of stuff directly. It's just.... I just can't make a snap decision, especially on something like this."
Val bites her lip and exhales, "Of course. If you don't want me, I understand."
Lena frowns and leans in, bringing her face closer to Val's. Lena then says, "Hey! It isn't about that. I think you're hella hot and I want to cook you approximately all the desserts," Lena then looks past Val and points at you, "Anon too! You're a sexy man, but you're skinny and I want to feed you all the food."
Your weed-addled mind can't process that lusty comment before Lena faces Val again and continues, "But! The ever important big but, other than mine," Lena wobbles her generous rear at that comment, "Is that you're both my friends and that I've known you for a long time. I'm serious, I don't want to mess that up."
Lena sits back and exhales, "I don't want to make a promise that I can't keep. So I will promise this: I'll give this a hell of a lot of thought, and I'll give you my answer as soon as I can."
Lena reaches forward and grabs another brownie, then concludes, "I don't want to hurt your feelings, so I don't want to give you any expectations other than that. I'm sorry if this isn't exactly what you were hoping for, but this is what I can offer right now."
Val smiles and says, "Alright. I can deal with that. I will accept whatever you decide."
You add, "Good enough for me, Lena. Take all the time you need."
Lena "mm-hms" while munching her brownie, and an awkward silence descends. Val grabs herself another brownie and reaches for the TV remote. She asks, "Wanna just watch some TV and just chill for now?”
Lena nods and says, "Sure, that sounds nice."
Val raises the remote and powers up the TV, flipping through channels. You lean forward around Val and say to Lena, "Hey. We won't bring this up again until you're ready to talk. Our promise to you is that we won't push you into anything."
Lena nods. She pauses to suck some chocolate residue from her fingertips and says, "Thanks, guys."
The two of you sit in silence as the TV plays some sitcom before flipping to a news channel. Val says, "So, what are you thinking about?"
Lena sits back and says, "That I'm waiting for this vape to clear out of my system. Good lord that was some strong shit. Can't say I didn't like it though."
You continue to watch the TV as the news channels play their normal coverage. Val "hm-hms" and says, "Hey, nice. The weather is supposed to be good this week."
The three of you make small talk for a while and half-watch the TV as you all come down.
"It's nice, just hanging out, not doing anything in particular," Lena muses. She checks her phone and her face scrunches a bit. She then says, "I think I'd better go. I've got work in the morning."
Lena stands slowly and huffs, patting her stomach, "Thanks for having me over, and for letting me pig out again."
You say to Lena, "You're very welcome, Lena. I hope you'll be back soon."
Lena waves and says, "I hope so too. Take care of yourselves, guys."
You and Val stand and follow Lena to the door. Just before she steps outside, she remarks, "Keep the brownies, by the way. I can't have either of you going hungry!"
Lena giggles, and with a final wave, she's out the door.
"Well, I guess that's it for now," Val says. You head back to the couch to discuss how the evening went.
You say, "Well, Lena didn't slap me in the face and scream when I asked her to consider joining our relationship, so that's probably a good sign."
Val "I'm not so sure of that. I don't think Lena is a bad person, but she is definitely a lonely one."
"What makes you think that?" You ask.
Val speculates, "Well, I think she's been hurt before. She just wasn't ready to connect with us yet."
You nod and say, "I think there's a spark. I felt it when we were rubbing your full belly back during your brunch challenge. Let's just try not to think about her while she works through her stuff."
Val looks into your eyes and says, "I hope you're right. She's a lovely, wonderful lady, and I think I'd like her to sit on my face."
You break into roaring laughter, "Ok fine, that's something she can do that I can't. But we'll always have each other."
Val chuckles, "I know. I love you, Anon."
"I love you too, Val."
The two of you share a deep, tender kiss, then you cuddle up into Val's arms. You and her settle in to watch some trashy TV. As Val and you snuggle up together on the couch, the two of you dwell on how lovely it is to be in each other's company. You feel so satisfied and happy, for no good reason at all. You don't even care that you might have just been curved by Lena. Everybody was an adult about it, and it felt great to openly say your piece. You and Val snicker at the TV as some rednecks ham it up and act stupid for some reality show. Eventually, you feel a yawn work its way through Val's chest.
"Bedtime?" you ask with a bit of a smirk.
"Mm-hmm," Val nods. "I'm just so tired."
"Food coma part two, the revenge," you chuckle. Val laughs a little too, and you both head upstairs to get ready for bed. A few minutes later, you're both laying next to each other in a world of cozy blankets. The two of you dim the lights, and lay down.
"Goodnight, Val."
Val mumbles some simple goodnights back at you, and you feel her body relax. You close your eyes, and fall asleep in no time.