Rating:

Explicit

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories:

M/M, Multi

Fandom:

Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types

Relationships:

Kip Grady/Scott Hunter, Eric Bennett/Kyle Swift, Eric Bennett/Scott Hunter, Kip Grady/Kyle Swift, Eric Bennett/Kip Grady/Scott Hunter/Kyle Swift

Characters:

Kip Grady, Scott Hunter (Game Changers), Eric Bennett, Kyle Swift

Additional Tags:

Open Relationships, Queerplatonic Relationships, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Platonic Kissing, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Come Sharing, Friendship

Language:

English

Series:

Part 11 of hypotheticals

Stats:

Published: 2026-08-14 Words: 8,918 Chapters: 3/3

is there a line that we can just go cross?

Summary

“I feel like we’re being seduced a little bit,” Kip says, and Kyle’s answering grin is as joyful as it is mischievous.

“Oh, you think?”

“It’s not like either of us needs convincing, but I appreciate the effort.”

-
While Carter is in LA, Kyle and Eric invite Kip and Scott over for a dinner date.

Notes

Chapter 1

“You know, Eric’s house still confuses me,” Kip says, peeking over Kyle’s shoulder as he gives him a hug to say hello. “I can never remember where everything is.”

He’s been to Eric’s four-story townhouse with Scott a few times by now, and only ended up in the yoga studio by accident while looking for the bathroom once, but every time they come over, Kip has to take a moment to reorient himself.

“That why you’re marrying the guy with the penthouse? Easier to navigate?” Scott teases him and Kip looks back over his shoulder to pout at him.

He gives Kyle a squeeze before letting go, their hands lingering just a moment longer than they usually would. Despite the casual conversation, there’s a sense of promise in the air tonight. Carter is out of town visiting Gloria in LA, and Eric and Kyle invited Kip and Scott over for a dinner date. That was the term that was explicitly used, dinner date, and Kip has been excited for it all day.

“Well, Kip, this is the kitchen,” Kyle drawls when they follow him inside from the hallway, and Kip rolls his eyes.

“He knows where the kitchen is,” Eric says, brows furrowed. He’s stirring something in a large pan that smells absolutely delicious and wipes his hands off on a towel before coming to greet them.

Kip gets a hug and the barest hint of a kiss on the cheek that has him look at Kyle with wide eyes full of delight, and Scott gets – a half-hug, a slap on the back, and then a quick kiss on the mouth. They both seem a little confused by the combination of all that, but Scott laughs and shakes it off, handing Kyle the gift bag with the bottle of non-alcoholic gin they brought.

“Ooh, that’s great.” Kyle peers inside the bag and goes to put the bottle in the fridge. “We definitely have tonic for this in the bar downstairs.”

The lights are turned down to a soft, comfortable glow in the kitchen-slash-living-room area and music is quietly playing in the background, something slow and electronic that Kip doubts Eric has picked. Actually, the entire concept of the evening has Kyle written all over it, but Eric seems enthusiastically on board, as far as Kip can tell. He returns to his cooking and Scott goes to stand by his side, listening as Eric explains what tempeh is.

Kip helps Kyle set the table on the kitchen island and then hops up onto one of the stools.

“Hello,” Kyle says, stepping in close, his arm over the back of Kip’s chair.

“I feel like we’re being seduced a little bit,” Kip says, and Kyle’s answering grin is as joyful as it is mischievous.

“Oh, you think?”

“It’s not like either of us needs convincing, but I appreciate the effort.”

“It’s mostly for Eric,” Kyle says softly, and they both look over at where he’s still standing at the stove with Scott. They’re close as they talk, shoulders pressed together, like the intimate setting Kyle created for the evening is already doing its work to help them unwind a little.

Or maybe it’s the three-way make-out session in Detroit everyone keeps hearing about that loosened up some of the remaining tension. That entire scenario has made its way into one or five of Kip’s daydreams during boring classes.

“I think it helps him if this feels...intentional, you know? Like he’s also the one making the move, not just along for the ride.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Kip replies just as quietly.

Eric is still getting used to less-than-traditional arrangements of any kind, and going from a twenty-year relationship and marriage into a more or less casual friends with benefits situation involving six people, including his two best friends – well. It would be a lot for anyone. He’s glad that Eric has Kyle to navigate him through it, and also glad that Kyle has Eric. They’ve been good for each other.

“And you?”

Kip spreads his legs on the stool and Kyle steps forward to stand between them, arms settling around Kip’s shoulders. It’s not like they’ve never had moments like this before, especially in the earlier days of their friendship, before Scott. Kyle is a flirt and mostly doesn’t mean it, but sometimes there’s a tiny little bit of heat between them that Kip can feel. They’ve always ignored it, or at least Kip has. Kyle, maybe not so much, given the revelations from earlier in the year. But Kip knows what a crush born out of convenience and proximity looks like, and part of him thinks that’s most likely all it ever was for Kyle. Or maybe he just wants to believe that to make himself feel better.

“Me?” Kyle asks, playing innocent. “I’m just...facilitating. Catalyzing.”

In a different world, where Kip never met Scott and subsequently, Kyle never met Eric, maybe they would have acted on those little moments. They’d be one of those couples that was never madly in love, but is happy enough with each other. Those 75% of happiness that sometimes have you wondering what could have been, what you’re missing out on, if there isn’t more out there – but that also don’t exactly feel like settling, because nothing is really wrong and it could all be so much worse, right? In that different world, they might have been happy enough with each other.

And who knows, maybe Scott and Eric would have been, too. (More likely: no one would have made the first move and nothing ever would have happened.)

It makes Kip even more grateful that they both get to experience their 100% in this world, or at least as close as humanly possible to it. And that they still get to be friends, and now maybe even explore the occasional spark, and then retreat into the safety of their relationships.

“Expediting,” Kip adds a little belatedly, his gaze traveling from Kyle’s eyes to his mouth.

“Yeah?” Kyle asks softly, and they both look over to Scott and Eric for a moment, only to find them already watching.

“Yes,” Kip says and wraps his arms around Kyle’s waist, tilting his face up to press their lips together.

Kissing Kyle feels incredibly easy. They find their rhythm together immediately, and Kip leans into it, comfortable and natural. He parts his lips for Kyle and their tongues slide together, and it feels like they’ve actually done this a hundred times. Maybe it’s the parallel universe bleeding over into this one (or maybe Kip has been watching too much X-Squad lately).

They break apart with a chuckle and Kyle hugs him close, arms tight around Kip’s shoulders.

“Food’s ready whenever you want it,” Eric says after a moment, and he sounds a little amused, like maybe he thought that was cute.

Kyle busies himself helping Eric with the food and Scott comes to stand by the other side of Kip’s stool. He puts his hands on Kip’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Before dinner even? You’re so easy,” he whispers and Kip laughs. And why wouldn’t he be? They’re here for everyone to let themselves have what they want, after all.

Conversation over dinner flows comfortably between them, and there’s much praise for Eric’s cooking that makes him smile, as well as some ideas for the Kingfisher renovations and brief speculation about how Carter is doing (they all know what the plans for his visit with Gloria are, after all).

Not a lot of cleaning up is required after they’re finished except to load the dishwasher, and Kyle puts his hand on Scott’s forearm and looks at him. “Wanna help me with this?”

“Uh.” Scott shoots Kip a quick look and then nods. “Sure, yeah.”

It must be part of the plan for the evening, because it leaves Kip with Eric, who gestures for him to come sit on the couch in the adjacent open living-room area together.

They sit down with a friendly distance and Kip can tell Eric is a bit nervous about it, maybe about how it feels a little staged, so he asks him about his house, the art and the photos, and tells him about some of the redecorating they’re doing back at the penthouse bit by bit. Eric’s house is beautiful, but it looks, if anything, even more impersonal than Scott’s apartment had when Kip saw it for the first time. Sometimes hiring a decorator really isn’t the answer. At least there are bits and pieces of Kyle to be seen everywhere now. It makes Kip smile: Eric and Scott are both neat freaks in their own way and Kip and Kyle are...well. Grad students who work in a bar. Chaos runs in their veins. It had been a bit of a process with Scott, merging their ideas of what a tidy apartment should look like.

“It’s, uh – I hope it’s not weird,” Eric says when their conversation lulls a little bit. “I just wanted to give us each a chance to talk one-on-one, now that...you know. I feel like I know you with Scott, but I don’t know you that well, if that makes sense?”

“You really don’t need an excuse to talk to me,” Kip teases with a smile and covers Eric’s fingers with his where his hand rests on the sofa between them. “And I know what you mean.”

He briefly looks over at Scott, standing in the kitchen and talking to Kyle. It’s not that Scott doesn’t like Kyle, he just has absolutely no idea what to do with him. The blatant flirting just for the fun of it isn’t really Scott’s style, and Kip knows he feels like he has to be extra alert with Kyle or he’ll get chirped, which is a little cute. (Hockey players think they’re good at insults, but they clearly haven’t spent enough time around the average queer friend group, because any even slightly catty gay guy could bury them.) Kip hopes they’ll relax a little bit around each other if they also get a chance to talk more.

And at least Kyle seems relaxed anyway, leaning his hip against the counter and cocking his head as he nods along with the story Scott is telling about his and Eric’s adventures on some road trip last year. He’s definitely flirting with intention this time, putting a hand on Scott’s bicep as he laughs, and Scott, as endearingly awkward as he can be sometimes, knows how to play that game, at least. The version where it means something.

Kyle steps in close and whispers something that Kip assumes amounts to can I kiss you?, and Scott shoots Kip a quick look again before he nods.

Kyle pulls him in with a hand on his waist and their mouths meet with a little gasp from Scott. There’s nothing too sweet about it, no reflection of an underlying friendship like when Kyle kissed Kip earlier; only a very physical connection. And Kip thinks maybe this is a little how Scott used to kiss strangers in European clubs back in the day. Only a lot less intense, now that he’s surrounded by love from all sides and it’s not the only thing he’s getting.

Kip feels Eric tense next to him, watching just as intently.

“Is that okay?” Kip asks softly and Eric nods, licking his lips in a nervous gesture that Kip finds very unintentionally sexy.

“Yeah, it’s – I think I kind of like it.” Kip laughs and leans into his side, and Eric puts an arm around his shoulders.

Kip’s recent history misrepresents his tastes a little; it’s not like he’s exclusively into tall, bulky athletes. Well, he’s into tall, because who isn’t, and because most men are in fact taller than him, so he’d run into some issues if he didn’t like that. The rest he doesn’t really mind. He likes beautiful smiles and kind eyes, he likes that little bit of awkwardness that turns into confidence while getting to know each other better, and he likes when people are passionate about things. So it’s really not just the whole perfect body thing, but Eric’s arm around him, muscles flexing under the soft cashmere of his sweater, the strength Kip can feel in his body where he’s leaning against him – yes, he’ll admit he’s into that.

“I kind of like it, too.”

They watch Kyle and Scott kiss for a little longer, until Scott pulls away and mutters “yeah, okay” mostly to himself, like he’s a little unsure what just happened there. Kyle laughs and grins at him, then turns back to the kitchen counter to put some leftovers in the fridge, completely at ease.

“Do you….?” Eric clears his throat and looks at Kip, almost a little unsure.

“I very much do, but no pressure at all,” Kip replies and leans against Eric’s shoulder, trying to look his most kissable. Which probably won’t make much of a difference, but it’s always good to put in the effort.

Eric leans in, his free hand on Kip’s cheek, and kisses him so sweetly that Kip melts a little bit. It’s short, nothing like Scott and Kyle making out in the kitchen, but he smiles when he pulls away and Kip feels himself blush a little bit. Yeah, he can definitely see even from this small preview why everyone in their group went a little bananas about bringing Eric in.

“Trade you?” Kip looks up to see Kyle and Scott standing by the sofa and Kyle gives Eric a grin to go with his question.

“What kind of cattle trade is this?” Scott complains, but Kip knows by his smile he doesn’t mean it at all. He sits down on Eric’s other side and Kip lets Kyle pull him to his feet with both hands.

“We’ll make some drinks,” Kyle says. “You two just…get comfortable.” He finishes in that very suggestive tone of voice and Kip can only just catch a glimpse of Scott and Eric’s reaction before Kyle pulls him along.

“Where are we going?”

“Getting the tonic from the basement. And some other stuff,” Kyle replies and Kip follows him down the stairs. “And giving these two a second to process.”

It’s sweet, how he handles Eric. He’s still very Kyle about it, of course, but Kip feels like that particular mix of assertive and caring works very well for them, to make Eric feel comfortable and encourage him to let loose a little at the same time.

Kyle sits down on one of the couches in the party area once they get to the basement, stretching his long legs out. “We’ll give them a minute.”

Kip does a little lap around the room, looking at the different bottles behind the bar and collecting what they’ll need for different gin cocktails. There are regular drinks but also non-alcoholic versions of almost everything, even the spirits.

“What do you wanna do?” Kyle asks. “Back upstairs.”

Kip puts the bottles down on one of the coffee tables and sits down next to Kyle, considering for a moment. Thinking about the last time the four of them were together like this.

“I might have an idea…”

It turns out Kyle is very much on board with Kip’s ideas.

Chapter 2

When they come back to the living-room, Kyle stops Kip with a hand on his elbow and they stand in the doorway. Scott and Eric are kissing on the couch, as was expected, but Kip wasn’t quite prepared for the spark of heat in his belly.

He can only see the back of Eric’s head from here, Scott’s fingers tangled in his hair, and a little bit of Scott’s face, the corner of one closed eye.

It feels a little bizarre, how they’re just standing in the doorway watching, and Kip barely suppresses a laugh, giddy energy that seeks its release. Kyle shushes him, eyebrows raised and shaking his head. They sneak over towards the kitchen, quiet on socked feet, silenced giggles that come out as soft huffs of breath, trying not to make noise with the bottles. It doesn’t work, of course.

“Hey,” Scott says, and they laugh freely then, the thrill both of getting caught and having made it this far buzzing through them.

Scott looks slightly worse for wear, hair standing up in different directions and his eyes a little glazed, lips kissed red. Another wave of heat rushes over Kip. He wants to finish what Eric started. He wants to make him fall apart completely.

“We’re not even here,” Kyle says, tugging on the sleeve of Kip’s shirt to get him to follow him the rest of the way to the kitchen area. “As you were. Entertain yourselves until the drinks are ready.”

Scott might be going a little pink in the face, but Kip knows just by looking at him that he’s too far gone already to let embarrassment deter him. Eric is harder to read, but his eyes are dark when he looks at Kyle, and he runs his hand over his face, his beard and chin, and then shakes his head with a small smile.

He turns back to Scott, who shrugs as if to say I guess, and they’re right back to kissing. Kip can’t help but stare, and Kyle stands beside him by the kitchen island, a hand low on his back.

“I don’t think I can work like this,” Kip whispers, gesturing at the drinks, and Kyle laughs quietly, his breath tickling the top of Kip’s ear as he moves to stand behind him.

“What, so distracted you can’t even make a gin and tonic?”

He’s close enough for Kip to feel his lips moving when he speaks, brushing the shell of his ear and then down the side of his neck, definitely not a happy accident anymore. Kip leans back against his chest, the small moan that escapes him entirely involuntary.

“You’re not, uh – not currently making me less distracted.”

“Fuck, just look at them,” Kyle whispers.

He’s pressing close now, hands on Kip’s hips, and Kip can feel him hard against his back. He stutters out a breath, almost frantic, his fingers gripping the cool, solid marble of the kitchen island.

Scott and Eric are wrapped up in each other on the couch, Scott half on his lap and the little movements of his hips an unmistakable grind, Eric’s hands on his waist under his shirt. Kip can almost feel it from across the room, the tension and the energy coming off them in waves, that scorching hunger for each other.

Kyle’s hand drops lower, covering Kip’s hard-on where he’s straining against his jeans. Another sound slips out, one that Kip swears he didn’t allow his body to make.

“Make the drinks,” Kyle says. He’s not moving his hand on Kip, just holding, and that’s maybe worse than any of the available alternatives.

And fuck, Kip knows that Kyle can be like this, but that’s really a more academic type of knowing. (The good news is, Scott is going to absolutely fucking eat this up if Kyle ever tries it with him, Kip thinks.)

“You’re a nightmare and I hate you,” Kip whispers, his hand shaking as he picks up the chilled bottle of non-alcoholic gin in front of him, pouring two fingers in each of the four glasses. Tonic is next and – okay, yes, he can still mix basic drinks even under very, very dire conditions.

“See? Well done.” Kyle steps back as if nothing happened and assembles the glasses on a small tray he produces from one of the kitchen cabinets. He gives Kip a little wink and walks over to the living-room area. Kip trails after him, hard and a little dizzy and wanting. He isn’t even entirely sure what. Everything, anything, and Scott, Scott, Scott – Scott, who is looking at Kip with big eyes and his face flushed, disentangled from Eric for the moment.

“I hear it’s important to stay hydrated,” Kyle says, putting the drinks down, and then he laughs when Eric pulls him down onto the couch with his arms around his waist. “Mhm. Eager.”

“Don’t think I didn’t see what you were doing,” Eric mutters, a grin tugging at his lips and – where is that shy, quiet man from half an hour ago? It’s a truly fascinating process, what happens to Eric Bennett’s personality when his dick gets hard. Someone should probably study it for science.

“Well, you were busy,” Kyle drawls, and Kip exchanges an amused look with Scott, who holds up his arm for Kip to slip under and press in close against his side.

Kip kisses him, and it turns from predictably heated to slightly more composed, the slow slide of their tongues together and Kip’s hand on Scott’s chest.

“Your heart’s beating really fast.” Kip can feel is against his palm, the steady thump he likes to fall asleep to sped up into a pounding rhythm. “You’re really into this.”

It’s kind of an obvious statement, because they both already know that, but it’s worth pointing out anyway just to see the flush on Scott’s face deepen, to see him duck his head a little and lick his lips. Kip is grateful for this little moment they have to reconnect, each of the couples wrapped up in each other and speaking in hushed tones between sips of their drinks. They’ve talked about this of course, from fantasies to boundaries and back again, but the reality of it can always be a different story. Scott isn’t worried about Kip and Kyle, and Kip is glad for that – he doesn’t need to be. But neither of them takes it for granted, the trust extended to each other, the freedom they give each other.

“I want to blow you,” Kip whispers, and Scott makes a punched-out little sound and nods. “Here, with them.”

“Yeah. Yes.”

“Yeah? Can I make you come?” Another question Kip already knows the answer to, but he wants Scott to confirm. It’s always little more complicated between Eric and him than it is with Carter, a little more fragile because they’re both scared of what might happen when they want too much.

“Please,” Scott breathes now, not looking scared at all, and Kip kisses him firmly before he climbs off the couch to kneel between Scott’s legs, already spread wide for him, and starts undoing his pants.

Next to them, Kyle and Eric must have just had a very similar conversation, and Kyle joins Kip on the floor, Eric’s knee pressing against Scott’s when he makes room for Kyle. The tension between the four of them is thick enough to make the air feel heavy and the anticipation makes Kip shiver.

It’s almost a bit of a déjà vu moment to when things didn’t go any further, and that’s very intentional. Kip knows Scott has been thinking about it, and probably would have let him do absolutely anything in that hotel room with Eric and Kyle next to them. But it’s not impulsive this time like it would have been then; it’s a deliberate choice to let themselves have this.

And that’s what Kip has been telling Scott all along, and what he’s sure Kyle has been telling Eric as well: yes, yes, you can have this. There’s no reason to be scared. You can have everything you want. Take it, it’s yours.

Because Kip will always give, and he knows Scott will do the same for him. He will be right here, on the floor of Eric’s living-room, in his ridiculous house, and take Scott’s cock into his mouth, hot and hard on his tongue, and watch Scott’s fingers grip Eric’s thigh. He will see Scott’s eyes flicker back and forth between himself and Kyle next to him, and then be proven right when he checks to confirm whether Eric is doing the same.

“Kip,” Scott whispers, and Kip looks up at him, eyes wide like he knows will make Scott weak from this angle, his tongue pressing against the underside of Scott’s cock, teasing around the head.

He watches Eric take Scott’s hand on top of his leg, their fingers lacing together, and there’s something slightly misplaced and so very innocent about the gesture that it warms his heart. Like this is just a new kind of adventure for them to have together.

Kyle is being much less innocent, his hand also on Kip’s thigh but creeping higher, and Kip goes all in: he reaches over, decisive, and covers Kyle’s hard-on with his palm, rubbing him through his jeans. Kyle makes a muffled sound, and all of this should probably feel weirder than it does, but it’s just like kissing him earlier. It’s easy.

It’s also kind of insane how hot Eric and Kyle look together, Eric with one hand in Kyle’s hair and his ever watchful eyes on him, Kyle bobbing his head, one hand down Eric’s open pants, maybe to play with his balls or press a finger against him – and the other one now gripping Kip through his pants, slowly massaging the same way Kip is doing for him.

“Jesus,” Eric rasps, his gaze briefly dropping between Kip’s legs and then back to Kyle, working his lips up and down his cock.

And then there’s Scott, lips parted and eyes half-lidded as he’s staring down at Kip with what looks almost like reverence, one hand gentle on Kip’s cheek and the other squeezing Eric’s fingers.

“God, your mouth,” Scott mutters under his breath, and Kip takes him deeper, working his tongue until Scott starts muttering a string of ohGodohGod and Kip over and over again.

Kip can feel his legs tremble, and that’s when Scott lets go of Eric’s hand and pulls him back into a kiss instead with what looks like starving ferocity. Their groans fill the room, louder than the music still playing in the background and louder than Kip’s own heart now pounding in this chest, and it has him feeling almost feverish with how much it turns him on.

He undoes Kyle’s pants with one hand, clumsy and blind, an exercise in dexterity that usually isn’t required for this, and Scott fucks his hips up into Kip’s mouth, erratic, like it’s all instinct and he can’t control what his body even does anymore.

Kip’s eyes sting and his jaw hurts and his lips feel raw and he just wants more of it, more, more, frantically breathing through his nose as he keeps moving his head up and down, and he needs Scott to come. He thought he’d be in control of this, or him and Kyle anyway, but it feels like no one actually is anymore, which is exhilarating in its own way.

He watches out of the corner of his eye when Eric comes, fingers buried in Scott’s hair and panting into his mouth more than kissing him, and it doesn’t take much for Scott after that, either.

Kip pulls back a little bit, softly sucking around the head, making sure to catch everything when the warmth of Scott’s release floods his mouth. Scott is leaning against Eric, foreheads pressed together and both of them looking positively wrecked, but the little movement of his thumb stroking Kip’s cheek is all tenderness and love.

“God, that was –” Scott starts, but falls silent when sees Kip kissing Kyle again.

It’s so messy. It’s too much; they make a show of it on purpose. Both of them with their mouths still full, tongues sliding together in an open-mouthed kiss. A few drops slipping out the corner of Kip’s mouth and then Kyle licking them off. Eric making a strangled sound in his throat and, when Kip looks over, Scott staring at them with his mouth hanging open a little.

Kip is so hard he’s sure there can’t be any blood left in his brain, or that’s what it feels like anyway. He’s up on his knees and still touching Kyle, hands down his pants and jerking him off without any real rhythm to it, and Kyle pushes his own jeans down his hips and then Kip’s, giving them both a little more room. They don’t know what they each like best, but it doesn’t matter; they’re both so far past that anyway. Kip nearly sobs when Kyle’s fingers wrap around him, and they break the kiss, swallowing down the combined taste of – them. All of them, really. The thought makes Kip’s head spin.

“I’m –” Kip tries, a little embarrassed at how fast that was, but Kyle just says, “yeah,” and they both come at nearly the same time, spilling hot over each other’s hands and onto Eric’s hardwood flooring.

“Oh my God.” He can hear Scott’s voice, sounding distant, and leans against Kyle for a moment, forehead dropped to his shoulder. Only Kyle seems just about as steady as Kip currently feels, so they’re mostly just swaying in place as they hold on to each other.

“Kip. Sweetheart.” Oh. That’s Scott behind him, on the floor with them, and he really feels significantly more solid, so Kip just lets himself go boneless. Scott catches him and Kip closes his eyes for a minute, smiling when he feels Scott kiss his cheek and his arms wrap tightly around him.

“That was insanely hot,” Scott whispers, and there’s an undercurrent to it, heat still clinging to his words like maybe he hasn’t had enough yet.

“Yeah?” Kip blinks his eyes open and grins up at him. “That was fun.”

And this is good. It’s so good, Scott still so into it, and Kip feels light and happy with how well it went, and doesn’t care whether that’s maybe just the endorphins of his orgasm still pulsing through his bloodstream.

He pulls his pants back up, stretching out his legs and slowly finding his grip on reality again. They’re actually all on the floor, Eric with an arm wrapped around Kyle and Kyle holding a pack of wet wipes that must have been stashed around the room somewhere.

“Smart,” Kip says as Kyle hands him one, and they both laugh at nothing.

Over the top of Kip’s head, Scott is looking at Eric and Kip sees the quick little check-in between them, a nod and small smile – all good.

Eric offers them the guest room, because it’s late by now, and no one is really in any shape to be going places. And maybe also because he wants them to stick around for a bit, Kip thinks. He’d like that, too. Just to be around each other a little longer and let the events of the evening settle.

“It’s really not a problem,” Eric says. “I have everything here, toothbrush, spare clothes...whatever you need.”

“Thank you,” Scott replies, and the words carry a lot more meaning than just the offer to spend the night. They say their goodnights in words and hugs and quick kisses, making Kip feel warm and his heart a little soft, and then Scott follows Kip into the guest room on the same floor they’re on, while Kyle and Eric go upstairs.

“Kip,” he says as soon as they’re inside, voice cracking a little, and Kip can see the undisguised need on his face, now that they’re alone and Scott is letting it show. So his feeling from earlier was right; Scott isn’t done with the night yet.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Kip whispers and presses close to him, hands on his hips, crowding him back against the door. “What do you need?”

Instead of an answer, Scott kisses him, arms around Kip’s shoulders and his weight leaning on him, his lips hot and searching. Kip can feel just how desperate Scott is by the way his breath hitches in his throat, the way his fingers twist into Kip’s shirt. They both got off not even twenty minutes ago, so it’s not like either of them is going to get hard again any time soon, but –

“I still – I need you,” Scott says almost pitifully, his hands wandering under Kip’s shirt and over bare skin. “Please, can you –”

Kip walks them backwards to the bed, because either way, that’s where things are headed, and Scott takes a wet, ragged breath right by his ear. “Finger me.”

The blunt request sends a fresh jolt of arousal through Kip and he buries his hands in Scott’s hair, kissing him again.

“Of course I can. I’m gonna take care of you.”

Scott makes a soft sound and clings to Kip. He isn’t sure what exactly it was tonight that set off this kind of mood, but he loves it, and he’ll never deny Scott anything.

“Let me find some lube, baby,” Kip says and Scott lets him go and sits on the bed, looking around the room. “They definitely fuck in every room of this house, there must be an emergency stash.”

Kip tries the bathroom first but is more successful in the bedside drawer, two small foil packets hidden at the very back. Kyle probably thinks he was sneaky with that. Scott is already naked on the bed when Kip returns and he follows suit, stripping down to his underwear before he joins Scott on the bed.

They’re both half-hard in a way that isn’t really going anywhere, but Kip knows he can make Scott come anyway, and that’s what he wants. He coats two fingers and presses between Scott’s cheeks, smearing lube all over his rim.

“Is that what you were thinking about before?” Kip asks between pressing kisses to Scott’s shoulder blades. He’s lying on his front with Kip next to him. “Did you want me to do that while I was sucking you off?”

“Yeah. Kip. Fuck.”

“I’m here. We’re just going slow.” He presses one finger inside tight heat and Scott shudders, his eyes falling closed. Kip also has a different idea though, and maybe...maybe.

“Or did you want Eric to do that to you?” Scott doesn’t say anything, but his next few breaths come out heavy and quick, and Kip knows he’s on to something. “Did you want his fingers inside and my mouth on you?”

Scott whines, face pressing into the pillow, and it could just be because Kip found the right angle, but –

“I think you did.” Kip adds a second finger and curls them just right, drawing another lovely noise out of Scott. “I think you wanted him to open you up, stretch you out. You know he’d be all nice and gentle.”

Scott mutters something into the pillow that Kip doesn’t quite catch and he kisses his shoulder blade again.

“But is that all?” he asks and presses his fingers down harder, stroking him from inside and watching as Scott’s entire body trembles with it. “Or did you want more?”

“Kip,” Scott moans, turning his face to the side and sucking in huge breaths, his cheeks red. “Please.”

“Tell me,” Kip whispers, adding pressure from outside with his thumb against Scott’s perineum.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Did you want his cock inside you?”

“I don’t know,” Scott whines, and his hand reaches out for Kip, searching, until he grips his thigh, fingers digging into muscle almost painfully.

“It’s okay,” Kip reassures him gently, because he doesn’t want Scott to think he’s being punished or that this is in any way wrong. He’s fairly sure Scott knows that, but sometimes his mind goes down strange paths when he’s all strung out like this. “It’s okay to want that.”

Scott looks at him with glazed eyes, and that deep trust he sees in them always goes right to Kip’s heart.

“I got you,” he murmurs, twisting his fingers inside Scott, rubbing small circles over his prostate. “You can tell me.”

“Maybe,” Scott breathes, and then moans when Kip speeds up his fingers, a high and plaintive sound that means he’s close.

“Good, you’re so good,” Kip praises, and he watches Scott’s eyes flutter closed again like he doesn’t have the strength to hold them open anymore. “I just know you’d take his cock so well.”

“Oh God, Kip,” Scott sobs, and Kip feels him clench around his fingers, his second orgasm of the night crashing through his body, making him writhe on the bed and shake with it.

Kip gives him a few moments before he withdraws his fingers, kissing his temples and stroking his hair. He mutters a quick “be right back” to Scott before he goes to the bathroom to wash his hands and bring back a washcloth.

Scott hasn’t moved at all and Kip lies down by his side, cuddling close and kissing his forehead.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“Mhm.” Scott blinks at him, a soft smile spreading over his face. He rolls onto his side and opens his arms for Kip, and then looks down his body, at the mess on his stomach and the bedspread. “Oh no.”

Kip laughs despite himself and wipes the damp washcloth over Scott’s belly, then dabs at the stains on the bed a little bit. “I’m sure we can just throw that in the wash tomorrow. It’s not like it’s completely unexpected that we had sex in here.”

“Feels illegal,” Scott mutters and pulls Kip close, “feels slutty.”

“That’s how I like you best,” Kip whispers with a smile and kisses him. Scott is very, very cute when he’s all fucked-out like this.

“Do you want…” Scott’s fingers trail down Kip’s back and over the curve of his ass, but Kip shakes his head.

“In the morning. Make that bedspread earn its trip in the washing machine.”

“Eugh,” Scott says.

Chapter 3

With Scott and Kip settled for the night, Kyle follows Eric up the two sets of stairs to the bedroom. Eric is quiet and holds his hand while they walk, almost like he’s holding on to a connection he’s afraid will slip away. There’s really no danger of that, though Kyle can see where it comes from. Things are still so new with them, and sometimes it feels crazy to open a relationship to a whole group of friends when they’re still getting to know each other in some ways.

So, yes – they both had some insecurities about the night, Kyle with Scott, but also Eric with Kip, given Kyle’s history with him. And as much as Kyle wanted to just smile through it and ignore all that (on his end at least), Eric didn’t let him. It wasn’t so much that he pushed the conversation on it, but there were moments of quiet reassurance here and there that, after a while of being defensive about it and brushing him off, Kyle learned to accept as the little tokens of love they were. So he tried to give the same back, even if it felt clumsy and strange, but Eric is a patient man and, as scary as the thought is, he knows Kyle. He knows him well by now, and he sees through all of the layers, always so much more perceptive with the things he chooses to give his attention than Kyle gave him credit for in the beginning.

In the bedroom, they undress each other slowly. There’s no rush after all, this is just coming down. Kyle can feel the spike of adrenaline from earlier slowly abating, tension resolved in many ways.

Eric peels Kyle’s clothes off bit by bit, kissing and caressing every inch of skin that is revealed like he’s seeing it for the first time. He takes extra care with the places he knows Kyle likes to be touched, hands gentle on his stomach, kisses placed to his collarbones and the inside of his elbow. The tenderness that still sometimes scares Kyle feels right today, and he can soak it up and let himself sink into it. That’s been getting easier lately; letting himself want that kind of thing and then have it and actually feel good about it.

And Kyle also feels good what happened between them all tonight. Which is a relief, because that’s not always the case for him. Not specifically relating to their group, just in general. There were more than enough encounters in his past that felt good in the moment and then turned into nausea the moment the guy left. Kyle could never really figure out why, because there was nothing wrong with those hook-ups – he wanted them, he had fun. And yet, that terrible gnawing feeling in his stomach would sometimes follow; right after or maybe the next day. Sometimes he thinks maybe something got wired the wrong way in his brain, back in Vermont, and it’s his eternal punishment to just feel inexplicably awful after hooking up maybe 1 out of 4 times. But it’s been a long time now since that has even happened, and he knows by how warm his chest feels and how settled his stomach that it won’t be like this tonight either.

“I love you,” Eric whispers right by Kyle’s ear, hands pushing his jeans down his hips.

“You’re mine,” and a kiss to his forehead, the words making Kyle’s stomach flutter.

“And I’m yours,” with Eric’s face pressed into Kyle’s hair and his arms wrapped around him, holding him close, so close.

They get settled in bed, and Kyle finally manages to say it all back like he wanted to all along, head tucked against Eric’s chest as his fingers trail up and down between Kyle’s shoulder blades. The moment somehow feels huge, and at the same time, their world is incredibly small right now, narrowed down to just each other in the safety of Eric’s bed.

“Thank you,” Eric eventually says and Kyle wants to protest that; he didn’t even do anything. But Eric preempts it with a kiss and then gives him an expectant look, almost like a challenge.

“Okay, fine, I’m not saying anything. You’re welcome for helping you seduce our friends, I guess.”

That’s really not not saying anything, but Eric lets it slide and just kisses him again.

A part of Kyle wants to give reassurance back now too – wants to tell Eric how it felt with Kip, how it made him realize just what those old feelings really were, born out of a deep friendship, out of attraction, yes, and just how safe he felt with Kip, and his mind and heart and body twisting that into something that maybe wasn’t entirely what it seemed. But Eric looks at him like he doesn’t even need that, because he gets it. Maybe because that’s how he feels about Scott, though that seems a little more complex in many ways. And in their quiet little moment alone, where it feels like it’s okay to admit he wants these things, Kyle lets himself bask in it for a moment. In all the love he’s being given today.

---

Kyle wakes up early the next day, before Eric even gets out of bed for his morning yoga, and they stay wrapped up in each other for a little longer. While Kyle really wouldn’t have said no to a round of slightly drowsy sex, this feels almost as good in a different way: slow touches to sleep-warm skin, smiles and kisses and filthy promises for later made under their breath.

Since he’s up, Kyle figures he might as well get some coffee started, and is surprised to find Scott and Kip already in the kitchen. Scott is making omelets and Kip is looking through the fridge, and Kyle watches them from the doorway for a moment, a throwback to a very different kind of scene he observed with Kip from there last night.

“I give up. I’m officially overwhelmed by the extensive yogurt selection,” Kip declares dramatically and closes the fridge, leaning into Scott’s side where he holds out an arm for him. “That’s not a life choice I can make for someone, they’ll have to pick their own.”

“I’ll let you pick my yogurt for me,” Scott says, because he’s an absolute sap, “I trust you.”

“Babe, there are things in there you’ve never even heard of! I could be giving you, like, cashew-based coconut flavor, and then what would you do?”

“If I don’t like it, maybe I’ll just eat you instead,” Scott replies and presses a kiss to a happily giggling Kip’s cheek. Kyle decides that’s just about as much saccharine sweetness he can take at this hour before his teeth start falling out.

“Good morning.”

“Oh hey,” Kip says, turning around. “We were gonna be good guests and make you guys breakfast, but there’s kind of a lot going on in this kitchen.”

“There was a lot going on in this kitchen last night,” Kyle says casually and the way Kip grins at him in reply settles something in his chest.

“Not just in the kitchen.”

Scott clears his throat and flips the omelet with absolute focus.

“You might need to restock that drawer in the guest room,” Kip adds and Scott coughs, probably to cover up what other, more embarrassing sounds might have come out of his mouth. Kyle finds this highly entertaining.

“Huh. This morning? Or last night?” It feels like a normal question to ask, and Kip seems to agree, because he just shrugs.

“Maybe both, a little bit.”

“We stripped the bed,” Scott adds, sounding somewhat frantic. “We put the bedding in the wash. The laundry basket. The – yeah.”

Kyle leans back against the kitchen island, watching the way Scott’s ears turn a little red with great amusement. He thinks about pushing things and saying something lewd, because a flustered Scott is funny (and admittedly kind of hot in his awkwardness), but decides to be generous just this once and let it go.

They finish preparing breakfast together and then drink their first cup of coffee on the couch, Kip cuddly and full of smiles wedged in the middle between them, while they wait for Eric to come down.

Scott seems to have regained his composure and makes some joke about Eric always sleeping late, and Kip and Kyle get treated to the surreal experience of two of the most obsessive and hard-working people they know calling each other lazy slackers for fun.

Breakfast is quiet but comfortable, and there’s a soft new intimacy to the way they all move around each other when they clear the table afterwards. Lingering touches, warm looks exchanged. Like they’re all holding on to the events of last night, cradling them in their hands like something precious, a little seedling to nurture.

Scott and Kip have some wedding thing or other to do, so they leave shortly after breakfast (Kyle is sure Kip told him, but as happy as he is for his friend, his interests in cake tasting and flower selection are somewhat limited – he’ll plan the bachelor party; know your strengths and all). He’s sort of expecting some more talking from Eric, now that they’re alone in the house again, but what he gets is a hand on his hip, lips wet on his neck, and Eric’s voice low when he leans in and whispers to him.

“I need a shower, and I want you to join me.”

“Hmm, really? And what’s in it for me?” Kyle asks, his mouth curling into a smile.

God, he loves Eric in a mood like this. It’s so incredibly sexy to him, he could just die every time. Eric must have been worked up all the way through breakfast. Maybe regretting not taking things any further in bed this morning, which – good. Never waste an opportunity.

“I want you to join me and I want you to fuck me.”

It sends a shiver through Kyle’s body, heat prickling beneath his skin. He’s playing it a lot cooler than he feels when he walks up the stairs, looking back over his shoulder at Eric as he pulls his shirt over his head. “Oh yeah? You want it?”

It’s almost surprising they make it up the two flights of stairs without any accidents, given the amount of laughing and kissing and pieces of clothing lost their ascent involves, but fortune really does favor the bold sometimes.

(Though not always, which is why the shower in the en-suite to Eric’s bedroom has one of those non-slip mats these days after one very close call.)

The hot water steams up the glass-door cabin around them, spreading the smell of Eric’s shower gel that always reminds Kyle of winter in a log cabin in the mountains. They should go sometime. Eric could trade his tailored shirts and Burberry coat in for a flannel and go outside to chop wood for no particular reason, and then get warmed up again while he gives Kyle a blowjob in front of the fireplace.

For now though, Kyle already has him right where he wants him, no fantasies necessary. He runs his hands over the expanse of wet skin in front of him, tracing hard planes of muscle and pressing their bodies close, already hard for each other.

“Turn around,” Kyle says, and Eric braces himself against the tiles, his stance wide and a less than subtle little arch to his back. He really does love following directions, and Kyle is more than happy to give them.

They keep a bottle of lube in the shower, because who’s going to tell them not to, and Kyle kisses along the scar on Eric’s shoulder as he pushes slick fingers inside, wet hair tickling his face.

“Do you know how much I wanted to do that this morning?”

Eric moans, the sound mostly swallowed by the noise of the shower, but Kyle can feel it in his body.

“You could have. You can do whatever you want to me.”

Kyle reaches around with his other hand, fingers wrapping around Eric’s cock in what is barely more than a light tease.

“Mhm, is that so? Whatever I want, whenever I want?”

Eric’s cock twitches in Kyle’s hand and he curls his fingers inside him, drawing out another deep moan when he hits the right spot.

“Yes, yes.”

It’s a good thought, and Kyle knows it’s mostly true. If he gets Eric going enough, he’s into almost anything Kyle suggests.

“Think they would have known? If you’d come down to breakfast after you’d just been fucked?”

He slicks himself up, rubbing his cock between Eric’s cheeks, holding off on giving him what they both want just a moment longer.

“Yeah.” Eric sounds breathless. “I’d want them to know.”

“Still all wet and open,” Kyle says, spreading him apart and positioning himself, timing it for dramatic effect. He can lay it on thick, he knows Eric will be into it right now. “Used for my pleasure.”

“Fuck, oh God, yes.” Eric trembles against him as Kyle pushes inside, slowly until he’s as deep as he can go, hips flush against Eric’s ass.

“Full of my come.”

What comes out of Eric’s mouth next is unintelligible, and Kyle knows he got it right.

He’s never going to get tired of the effect he has on Eric, how easily he yields to even the smallest bit of control Kyle takes. It’s equally as hot when Kyle pushes him far enough to just snap and he takes over, but this right here, right now...it feels perfect.

“So good,” is the next half-sentence Kyle can make out, rolling his hips forward in a deep and steady grind.

“You feel amazing, gorgeous,” he tells Eric, his own control starting to slip. They’re both breathing hard in the steam, sweating under the hot spray around them.

“Right – there, oh fuck,” Eric rasps.

“Yeah? Is that right, baby? Is that it?”

“Kyle –”

Kyle speeds up his hand, quick and furious pumps of Eric’s cock, and feels his orgasm wash over him a moment later; body straining back against Kyle, muscles clenching around his cock inside Eric, low groans filling his ears.

Kyle grips Eric’s hips with both hands, wet skin making everything slippery, but he doesn’t need much more anyway, thighs burning as he pounds into him a few more times and then releases deep inside, face buried against the back of Eric’s neck.

“That what you needed?” Kyle asks after a few more breaths, a kiss pressed to the top of Eric’s spine, and he receives a deeply satisfied groan in reply. That’s a yes, then.

They rinse off under the water, Kyle’s legs feeling pleasantly jelly-like as he steps out of the shower, and Eric is very agreeable to crawling back into bed for just a little while even though it’s nearly noon. They don’t nap, but it’s a close thing, and it feels like the biggest luxury to just enjoy the quiet moment together before the obligations of everyday life take over again.

Kyle has a shift at work later today, and Eric is coming by with Holly for early evening drinks. He was expecting to feel a little apprehensive about meeting her, but finds that he really doesn’t. From everything he’s heard about her so far, she seems great, and what’s a green flag in a guy if not an ex who doesn't hate him?

Kyle’s train of thought is interrupted by his phone screen lighting up about seven times in a row with notifications and he grabs it from the bedside table to see what’s so important.

"Sounds like Gloria and Carter had an eventful time..."