#thinking about. how q was probably remembering that conversation in the cafe too when he wondered why toey would do so much for him

[casualavocados]

Why not consider he might be waiting for you?

Winny Thanawin as Q and Satang Kittiphop as TOEY WE ARE, ep7

[parvulous-writings]

Patrick  McKenna // SFW alphabet

​Summary: A sfw A-Z for Camerlengo Patrick McKenna

Warnings: Breaking of church vows (kinda, if you think about it)

Notes: Please be aware that this is purely off of the movie where McKenna features, this is in no way related to how he is portrayed in the book (mostly because I haven’t read it yet). Also I don’t know how the Roman Catholic church entirely operates- as although I do study it, I have never experienced any of it first hand, so there may be inaccuracies, for which I apologise.  My requests are currently open! My pinned post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist!

Not my gif

A - Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) 

Publicly, Patrick can’t be affectionate. He’ll give you a look every so often, just so you still know he cares for you, even though he can’t exactly show it.  He makes up for it in private though- making food once a week, some beverages, and lots of time curled up together on the sofa. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, he’ll even read to you.

B - Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? Where does the friendship start?)

As a friend, he would be the voice of reason, a moral compass for those who had little or none (whether they listened to him or not though, he couldn’t control). 

C - Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Patrick does quite like cuddles. Curling up to cuddle wherever is probably his favourite way to cuddle- having you both embrace one another as close as you can fills him with such a sense of joy that nothing else can replicate. 

D - Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking, cleaning, ect?)

Despite his vows to the Roman Catholic church, and the Vatican, he would love to settle down with you. Hands down, he’d probably do it in a heartbeat. He’s a pretty good cook, and often does some cleaning around the home. 

E - Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would be very sympathetic about it- he understands it hurts, but if he’s leaving you there is most likely a good reason for it; most likely linking to his profession and position in the Vatican. 

F - Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? Do they wanna get married?)

Despite his vows of celibacy and chastity, this man is still a follower of Roman Catholicism. His commitment to a person would be unwavering, everlasting. But it would have to come after his devotion to the Vatican itself. 

G - Gentle (How gentle are they both physically and emotionally?)

He’s very gentle. He may be firm when implementing his beliefs and his opinions, but he is still gentle when he needs to be. He can be a little extreme, but for the most part, he knows how to take care of you, physically and emotionally. 

H - Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it, and what are they like?)

Similar to cuddles, Patrick really likes hugs as well. A quick form of affection, that works well when out in public. He’ll often hug you from the side, as it’s the easiest one to have whilst on the move or staying mostly out of sight. 

I - I Love You (How fast do they say the “love” word?)

It may take him a little while. He wants to be absolutely sure that love is what he’s feeling before he admits it to anyone but himself, even you.

J - Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What are they like when jealous?)

Jealousy is a trait that McKenna both has and despises. He can become incredibly jealous sometimes, but has become very good at hiding it. Sometimes even you don’t realise that that is what he’s feeling. When it gets really bad though, he’ll come to stand beside you- usually unable to touch you, since this usually happens whilst he is working- and speaks with the offender who made him jealous until they get scared off. 

K - Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Patrick likes to kiss you on your cheek or ear when just out of sight in public. Kisses on the lips are usually fairly chaste, getting heated very rarely- and these were always in private, and always would be unless you get married. He likes to be kissed on the jaw and the crook of his neck- though you found this out through trial and error, rather than him telling you.

L - Little Ones (How are they around kids?)

Patrick is actually pretty good around kids- he is often a good influence for them. Sometimes he can get a little too preachy, but you usually let him know of that and he’ll eventually reel himself back in a little bit.

M - Morning (What are mornings like with them?)

Oftentimes McKenna is long gone by the time you wake up- though occasionally he’ll wake you to give you a forehead kiss before he leaves. 

N - Nights (How are nights spent with them?)

There’s a routine for the evenings with Patrick- Grace and dinner, reading/watching a film, evening prayer, bed. There’s not overly much wiggle room in that, he likes routines. 

O - Open (When do they open up about themselves?)

If you’re having a quiet conversation during a film, he’ll occasionally slip in a piece of information about him, but you already know a lot from what he told you when he first met you- besides his extreme beliefs, he doesn’t keep many secrets. 

P - Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He is incredibly patient. Almost eerily so at times. It takes a lot, and I mean a lot, to get him visibly angered. Such as a lot of pressure over time, or a heavy interrogation.

Q - Quizzes (How much do they remember about you?)

A  lot. Occasionally he’ll forget something though- in which case he’ll profusely apologise and promise to remember it again in future. 

R - Remember (Favorite memory with you?)

There’s no one particular memory. There’s many- going to cafes together, walking along the canals hand in hand, hell even showing you around the Vatican. Anything that makes you smile, really. 

S - Security (How protective are they?)

Quite protective, even if he doesn’t often outwardly show it. The Roman Catholic church is a big organisation, one full of corruption even if they deny it. He knows that if any of them knew of your relationship, it could put you in danger, so he makes sure to inform you of how to keep safe, no matter the situation. 

T - Try (How much effort do they put in?)

He puts about as much effort in as any normal man does. He tries, but it’s not always particularly special. 

U - Ugly (What are their bad habits?)

He preaches a lot. This man has to quote something from scripture every day, for whatever reason. It can get rather frustrating at times. 

V - Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He has to look presentable, but since vanity goes against the virtues he’s been raised to follow, he does his best not to be as vain as some people can be. 

W - Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He would miss you a lot- you’ve become so ingrained into his daily life that it’s hard to imagine a day without you now.

X - Xtra (Random HC)

He’ll sometimes read you a bible story or two to get you to sleep if you’ve had a bad day- he has a very smooth and calming reading voice.

Y - Yuck (Things they don’t like either in general or a partner?)

He doesn’t like it when people try to disprove his beliefs, or argue against them. It gets him very agitated, and will deter him from said person. 

Z - Zzz (Sleep habits)

Literally just a normal sleep pattern, there’s nothing else or unusual to say about it. 

[studythenight-away]

How I Study Korean

Hello hello! To thank y’all for 7k followers I thought I’d make this quick post about how I study Korean. I’ve been in Korea for around 11 months now and while it’s been really hard to keep the motivation going sometimes, I’m really proud of how far I’ve come with studying the language. I think I’ve finally found a way to study the language that is both fun and effective, so I thought I’d share!

For some context, I came to Korea knowing only the Korean alphabet (and it still took me a few seconds to remember it). On my first day of Orientation we learned 잘먹겠습니다 and I was like chal-mok-uh-what? We had six weeks of intensive classes before heading to our placements (more info about my Fulbright experience here) but it wasn’t very helpful because the class itself was pretty poorly structured. Essentially I’ve studied the whole language only on my own. Now I can understand a good portion of what’s said at my workplace (ok like 30%), can use enough Korean to fool people into thinking I’m Korean hehe, and most importantly just feel overall less overwhelmed about being surrounded by a language I don’t speak.

So how’d I get here?

Vocab - you can’t really do anything without vocab. I use a TOPIK I vocab book because even though I’m not taking the TOPIK, I figured the words they expect you to know are probably helpful (they are). I talk more about that book here.

Grammar - Currently I’m going through the TTMIK books. I put all my grammar in one place because then it almost becomes like a grammar dictionary for me when I have a question. I try to write as many sample sentences as possible so I remember how to use them. Before TTMIK I used KGIU Beginner (and will soon move onto KGIU Intermediate). I talk about my grammar books in that same post here.

Writing sentences/daily diary - I then use the words in each chapter of the TOPIK book along with the grammar I learned together in sentences. That helps with me actually producing content using what I learned, instead of just memorizing everything. 

**Just memorizing words will not get you anywhere. I saw a HUGE improvement in my Korean once I actually started to write sentences instead of only memorizing grammar and vocab**

Learning Korean songs - My new favorite thing to do. Everyone says that when you learn a language you need some connection to it to help you stay motivated. I’ve been going through a lot of popular Korean songs (prepping for dem norebang nights amiright) and doing the following: I define all new words that I see, explain all foreign grammar, and directly translate all the lyrics.

Note that some vocab in the songs is not commonly spoken vocab. Just like how poets will use a lot of words that might be weird to say in daily conversation. I recommend looking up the words in Naver dictionary and looking at the example sentences to get a feel of when it’s used.

Also note that song grammar is often not proper grammar. They take liberties. I don’t recommend you focus on the grammar in songs until your Korean is at a high enough level where you can sort of decipher that and google the right thing. For example, they’ll mush particles into words which might confuse you or mess up the sentence order for it to sound better.

Lastly, I use Color Coded Lyrics because it has not only the Korean lyrics to songs but a rough English translation. I only use the English translation to make sure I’m somewhat going in the right direction, but try not to refer to it that often. The purpose is to make sure that I can understand the song by myself first before checking the translation. (Also the link is to the first song I ever learned, Mikrokosmos by BTS)

Other resources I often use

TTMIK’s QandA videos. All their videos are good but their Q&A series is the most useful in my opinion because it goes through examples of things that are genuinely confusing about Korean, especially when you try to speak it. Hyunwoo always gives amazing (and numerous) examples. Here’s the playlist.

Anki. YAS spaced repetition is the key. Make sure to use it every day (I forget to and uh yea I should). As long as you need to absorb new vocabulary, Anki is great. But please please remember that just flashcards will not help. You have to actively use this vocabulary in conversation or writing to remember it. Also check out this hilarious article about how you really should not be using Anki.

Also I recommend syncing your deck across devices so you can use the web version on your phone (instead of downloading the app you have to pay for on iOS)

How to Study Korean. I used to use this as my only source of grammar learning but I found it a bit too dense. He really packs a lot into each lesson and as an early learner it’s a bit overwhelming. But from the perspective of wanting an in-depth explanation to a grammar point, it’s incredible. Usually I just google the grammar point I need and use his explanation.

Language Learning with Netflix. Listening skills are also super important so I use this Chrome extension to be able to see both the Korean and English subtitles at the same time. Especially in the early stages of learning, I definitely couldn’t tell you exactly what words the actors were saying, so seeing the English translation really didn’t help much. With the extension you can also have it auto-pause after each line if you really want to hard-study. I usually just pause and write lines down when I think I might say something like that in conversation.

Apps

Papago. This is a better alternative to Google Translate because apparently they have user competitions to find the most natural ways to translate things, so it’s not just based on machines. It’s also helpful because you can take pictures of Korean text and it’ll translate it pretty effectively.

Naver Korean Dictionary. This app is great because it has a “Conjugation” button when you look up verbs and adjectives, gives you samples sentences, and also lets you connect easily to naver.com if you need to search for a good cafe. More importantly though, this app also has Papago within it. While it doesn’t let you take pictures of text like the normal Papago app, it does list all the new vocab in the sentence you translated, which the Papago app doesn’t do. This is incredibly helpful when sometimes something is conjugated weirdly in the sentence and you can’t decipher what the base word actually was. Naver will tell you!

Let me know if you have any questions!! I hope this helps someone :)

[pleasurextreasure]

❛nct reaction when they have a crush on you

a/n ~ thank you so much for requesting, we’ve been waiting to do a nct reaction but never got around in doing so. hope you like it and enjoy.➴admin kiki & lele 

Ξ r e q u e s t Ξ

j o h n n y

Johnny would be a mess. He would try and act cool around you but something would always backfire and he’d get all red and embarrassed, hoping you didn’t think much of it. Like that time he tried to lean against the wall when he saw you coming but instead leaned into an open doorway and falling inside the room as you checked if he was okay.  

t a e i l

The absolute sweetest to you. Although he’d be embarrassed of the other boys knowing of his crush, he had no problem with showing affection to you. He’d purposefully remember the things you like and surprise you with them either the next day or days later. 

t a e y o n g 

Taeyong would be so shy and wouldn’t know what to do. You could be across the room eating in the same cafe and he’d make accidental eye contact with you making him quickly turn away from you and turn bright red. When you were around him he’d become a soft little boy and try to subtly compliment you without making it too obvious he liked you. 

y u t a 

Did I hear cringey pick-up lines?? Because that’s all Yuta will be saying to you when you’re in his line of sight. So jokingly flirty with you that it hurts your heart. After weeks of his endless jokes, you end up pulling up some of your own, one being the famous dropping of limes and throwing the line of “Sorry, I’m bad at pickup limes.” You then pointed at him, “But I love cutecumbers.”

k u n

Kun would be very quiet around you, trying not to make a fool of himself around you. All the members would tease him around you especially lucas making it quite obvious he had a crush on you, but since he was so quiet around you, you thought he hated you. When you confronted him and asked if he hated you he was shocked. 

d o y o u n g

He would be too obvious that he’s crushing on you. Whenever you’d try talking to him, his face would heat up and his eyes would look at everything but you as he gave a short response. You assumed he just didn’t like you until you caught him staring a selfie you had posted the other day. 

c h i t t a p h o n 

Ten would probably make dirty jokes around you often, that you wouldn’t understand most of the time. The boys would give it away by always telling him he was friend zoned, and such until you decided to make a dirty joke back at him catching him off guard as he tried to look like it didn’t affect him.

j a e h y u n

Just like Johnny, he would try to act cool and collected around you. But behind closed room doors specifically behind the boys’, he’d be a complete gushy pile of affection that would fanboy over the things you said or done that day. “Okay, but hear me out guys. Have you heard her yawn? Because let me tell you, I heard an angel today.”

s i c h e n g  

Winwin is a little shy boy, and he wouldn’t know how to act. He would defiantly stutter with his words and could barely form a sentence. He’d freeze up around you and try to limit his time being alone with you trying to find someone else who he could add into the conversation so he could still talk to you without freezing up so much. 

j u n g w o o

A soft boy too shy to confess his feelings for you despite having them for ages now. Everyone knew he liked you. The boys knew. His parents knew. You knew. And because of this, you would try to subtlety hint at him that the feelings were mutual. But every hint would fly past him, causing you to give in and ask him on a date yourself. You could say he was definitely not prepared for it, especially with the way his eyes bulged out.

y u k h e i 

Lucas is a big flirt, no doubt but he also goes really shy sometimes. Lucas would always compliment ‘how beautiful you are’ and just smile when you start blushing. BUT if you compliment him he will get all shy and do that thing where he covers his mouth with his big hands when he shyly laughs, and his eyes do the little eye crinkle im getting carried away sorry I love him   

m a r k

Error 404: Mark’s sense could not be found. Would have total blankouts whenever in a conversation with you. His hands would always get so clammy when he’s talking to you because how can someone still look so pretty when they’re just talking? It was hard for him to just look at you without wanting to hug you.

r e n j u n

Renjun would be super sweet to you and always doing random cute things like holding the door open for you, or noticing something new you did to your hair, until you play a game of Mario Kart with him. He’s very competitive and will try to fight you

j e n o  

Liking someone??? Jeno never heard of it until you came around. Now he can’t get you out of his head no matter what he’s doing to distract himself from your eye-crinkling smile. He’d be eating cereal and the random thought of you would come around, causing him to dreamily sigh as he munched away on Cheerios.

d o n g h y u k

Haechan would be singing around the dorm when you joined into the song he was singing he’d look at you until you notice and stopped. He stared at you with a blank face as you shyly smiled and he said “You’re singing in the wrong tone.” 

j a e m i n

Would definitely compliment you 24/7. Not to you though, are you crazy?? He could never tell you how pretty your eyes are when the sunlight hits them just right or how bright they get when you’re excited over something. He tells the boys, though. Like all the time. All. The. Time. 

c h e n l e

Would burst into a fit of giggles at anything you say. He’s so obvious about his feelings that the boys would tease him all the time for it. On the other hand, you find it undeniably cute and sweet, and defend him anytime the boys call him out on his cringiness. 

j i s u n g

Absolute total puppy love. The boys would take it upon themselves to help their youngest member try to catch your eye. Queue the multiple attempts of pairing the two of you off during group outings, or not-so-secretly try to get the two of you to be alone with each other.

[trouvxilles-blog]

a conversation. #4

“so you’re actually going to do it?”

quinn snorts, attention on the tablet in his hands because, like terry, he can’t stop working - even on weekends. but, unlike terry, quinn actually has money. in this little home away from of home, terry’s pretty much the only one who’s consistently flat broke.

not that they care. they love him. shocker.

“why not?”

terry forgets about the coffee made prior - the moment he walked into the cafe, bob just called him over to the counter to come get it. early saturday routine, he guesses. it almost feels like another schedule, but one he doesn’t mind at all.

quinn lowers his tablet enough to look at his friend dead in the eye. “because you can’t even remember his name.”

“it’s not like i’m not fucking trying. it’s a weird-ass name. unlike, you know, bob. which, by the way, is apparently not short for robert like stephen calls him.”

“sylvan.”

“who?” a pause as quinn gives him another look, a combination of disbelief and exasperation. “ah. shit. yeah - okay. sylvan. i should get his name tattooed on my fucking hand.”

“add a heart, and believe me, he’d pass the fuck out right in from of you.”

with a sigh, terry slumps in his seat, back sinking into the cushion. he zones out, the smoke rising from his cup a blur. “why me, even? i’m from the fucking ghetto. and, judging by his financial status, i think his parents are hoping for a litter.”

quinn shrugs. “i don’t know, either.” it’s a joke, and he proves it by setting his ipad on the table between them. he offers terry a smile. “really, what’s not to like? you’re hot, you work hard - too hard - and, even with the shitstorm that is your life, you’re well-read.”

“then why don’t you ask me out instead?” he offers the other a tight-lipped, sarcastic smile.

“i would,” quinn replies, purposely slow. “but i like someone else.”

“is it bob?”

“let’s get back to the point, please.”

terry glances over at the register, where sylvan is leaning over the counter and flirting with girls. flirting, in a sense that he’s quoting shakespeare, and apparently, in bob’s words, chicks dig that.

bob, the wingman, does his best. terry can tell. especially since bob, also the cafe manager (an absolute joke, that lazy ass), resorts to calling sylvan that hunk of a man that is my best friend.

but to the whole shakespeare thing, sure, terry’s into that as well. at least, to an extent. if only he’d have noticed sooner. it’s hard to when girls are constantly flocking around him. isn’t sylvan’s dad the ceo of the media enterprise terry’s working at? carter. thanks for the last minute head’s up, q. jesus. he should have known. then again, last names aren’t exactly the first thing to remember because he can’t even fully grasp the barista’s given name.

sylvan…

the daily, self-composed haiku written on the side of his coffee cups wouldn’t have been so anonymous lest there were at least initials. or just a name. a name he’ll probably forget. but that’s beside the point. because those coffee cups are handed over to staff, and terry never batted an eyelash until one of the directors asked him about it. fuck if he knows.

three in the afternoon. without fail, he’s always behind the counter with tinted cheeks, stuttering words, and a bright smile. bob comes in to ruin the moment. that part, also without fail. so quinn spills his coffee on purpose, ceramic shards on the floor, forcing bob’s attention elsewhere. both a good and bad thing - for every one of them.

“yes,” quinn says, firmly. terry zones back in to see a smug smile on his friend’s face. “that’s his name.”

terry wasn’t aware he said it out loud. he throws his head back, feeling the cushion on his neck. “christ, what do i do?”

“it’s one date, ter.” quinn mumbles on the side of the coffee cup. “you owe him that, at least. he’s been trying to get your attention for months.”

“how does someone like me date someone with the second name alexander?”

“how do you remember that, and not his first? unbelievable.” quinn takes a sip of his coffee, finally. terry doesn’t touch his. “anyway, your second name is a character from shakespeare.” point taken. his mom is a pretentious cunt. “just follow your heart.”

“my heart says to kill myself.”

“then your gut.”

“my gut is a blackhole of guilt, my dude. always has to remind me that i’m already dating someone else.”

“not the last time i checked.”

quinn takes another sip, winces because it’s still piping hot. terry would chug that down until it burns his throat enough that his larynx will be deemed useless. his own coffee has grown cold. quinn puts the cup back down.

“exclusive means the same thing.”

quinn knows. of course. one of them has to, and quinn’s the only one with a sound enough mind to consider this. then again.

“it’s not. it’s really not.” he rolls his eyes at this, lightly scratches his cheek. a habit quinn’s formed when he’s thinking. “did he say - deliberately - that you cannot go on this one date?”

“what if i actually end up genuinely liking him? you think i’m all for playing cinderella?”

“why the hell not? you’re as pretty as cinderella,” quinn grins. terry scoffs. “come on, you’re also just as on the verge of a mental breakdown as cinderella if you don’t learn to put yourself first. for once. evil step-siblings aside.” quinn pauses, studies terry’s torn expression. “look, t. he can take care of you.”

“i don’t want to be taken care of.”

“well, sometimes you need to be.”

terry has no idea how to respond to that, so he just considers. the date, not the fairytale ending. everyone only offers good points - even that aiden kid. “i mean, i can ask -”

“don’t do that.”

of course.

quinn’s moral compass rarely ever points in the right direction. he nods toward the counter, and for a moment, terry catches sylvan’s eye. the barista almost trips on his own two feet.

quinn adds, “he’s a catch.”

“i know,” terry says, mostly to himself. but it seems more like sylvan’s the one that needs catching. terry’s not sure if he’s up for that yet. quinn tosses his cup on the floor - the ceramic breaks. he calls for bob.

for fuck’s sake!

oops, sorry.

sylvan is ready with a mop in hand, and quinn gives terry the look. fucking do it. it’s not ideal to ask someone out - or agree to it - when they’re miserably mopping up steaming espresso off the floor. but as he watches sylvan stride over, terry instinctively sucks in a breath.

here we fucking go.

he can’t do it.

at least, not yet.

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian fic - “Beside Myself: Chapter 4 - You (and You and You) and Me Make Things Complicated” (Rated NC17)

Kurt has been kind of stalking a man for weeks, going to the same mediocre cafe every day just to have lunch in his presence. It starts out as harmless - crushing on a guy that reminds him of his boyfriend - until Kurt starts to feel guilty. Right when he decides that leaving is the right thing to do, something unexpected happens.

Glee/The Flash sort of crossover (5554 words for this chapter)

Chapter 1 - Caught in the Act

Chapter 2 - Plot Twist

Chapter 3 - A Freudian Black Hole

Read on AO3.

“So, you’re sure you’re okay with this?” Barry asks as he and Carson walk hand in hand to the hotel behind Kurt and Sebastian, who can’t seem to keep their hands off one another. Carson isn’t a fan of PDA. He doesn’t understand the appeal behind feeling someone up and swapping spit in front of God and country. It’s tacky, it’s gross, and it makes everyone by and large uncomfortable.

But watching Kurt and Sebastian make-out like this fascinates him. It’s not that they don’t care who may or may not be watching (though they probably don’t), it’s as if no one else exists when they’re together. They’re not putting on a show for attention; they’re just that much in lust, but a lust bred from love. In fact, Carson is pretty sure that he and Barry could bow out right now and the two men in front of them would be none the wiser. They’d go up to Sebastian’s rented room and make love, high on each other and the simple suggestion of a foursome.

Carson would like to believe he has something similar with Barry (not as steeped in performance art, but similar). But watching Kurt and Sebastian, he doesn’t think they do. Not even close. It’s something Carson never thought he might envy before he saw these two men together.

Carson wants to see if he can siphon a little bit of that spirit from them.

“Yes, I’m okay with this,” Carson says, so tightly his voice almost changes pitch. “Could you please stop asking me?”

“I just want to make sure you’ll be able to handle it.”

“Handle it?” Carson scoffs. “Barry, please. I’ve been stuck in the middle of a gun battle in Yemen, narrowly missed mortar fire in Iraq, took photos of an epic crash at the Indy 500 from the track, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Barry says with a hard swallow. He doesn’t particularly like to be reminded of Carson’s reckless streak.

“I think I can handle an orgy.”

“I’m not sure. This is different.”

“I fail to see how it is.”

“You do those other things because it’s part of your job, but you take risks because you think you’re invincible.”

“I am invincible,” Carson says, conceited. “I’ve escaped death more than once. I’m considering adding that to my resume.”

“But this isn’t about putting your life on the line. This is about your heart … and mine.” Barry runs a thumb over Carson’s knuckles – as affectionate in public as they dare get. “You don’t have to do this for me. I’ll understand if you say no.”

“I know that,” Carson says, conflicted. This seems like an easy out. Should he take it? Would Barry end up resenting him if he did? Would Carson resent himself in the long run? “But maybe I’m doing this for me.”

Barry slows their pace a step to look at his boyfriend, his expression of perplexed, concerned, and sweet part of everything Carson loves about him. “Are you doing this for you?”

“Yes,” Carson says, definitively, decidedly – he thinks. He’s 89% sure. “I am. I swear.”

Barry lets the subject drop, but only for about three seconds before he picks it back up again. “Just so you know, it’s never too late to back out. Even when we’re in the middle of it, I’m totally okay with …”

“Look, Barry. Do you want to talk me out of this, or do you want to do this?”

“Alright,” Barry says, but with a healthy bit of skepticism. This acquiescence seems out of character for Carson. He’s usually so competitive, and territorial when it comes to their relationship. Anyone who so much as looks at Barry can expect Carson’s bitch glare aimed their way, burning a hole into their skull.

Barry speeds up again, catching up with Kurt and Sebastian as they reach the opposite sidewalk.

“Out of curiosity, what were you and Sebastian talking about for so long anyway? You know, before you came over and swallowed Kurt’s tonsils,” Carson asks after they cross the street to the hotel and all of this begins to get very real.

“We were talking about decisions,” Barry says, squeezing Carson’s hand. “Which ones I wanted to make, which ones I thought you’d be okay with …” Which ones I thought I could live with …

Sebastian must have called ahead at some point, or he has a room permanently on retainer, because he goes straight to the concierge’s desk, scans a screen loaded on his iPhone, and the lady behind the desk hands him a key card. It takes less than two minutes. Jesus Christ! It took Carson nearly forty-five minutes to check-in to his single room at the Holiday Inn last time he traveled, and a good thirty minutes of that time had to do with a discrepancy concerning his passport.

Carson’s passport had been charred during an accident back in high school. He should just get it replaced and bypass all the bullshit it causes, but he’s kind of fond of it that way.

The four of them catch the elevator the second its doors open to let a handful of visitors out on the lobby level. Sebastian slams the close door button before anyone else can get on, giving one surprised businessman a shrug when the doors close in his face and no one makes a move to hold it for him.

Sebastian immediately pulls Kurt into his arms and starts kissing him again, one hand latching on to his right butt cheek and squeezing till the fabric of his pants crease, while Kurt loops his arms around Sebastian’s neck and nearly winds his legs around his waist. They whisper and giggle, trade I love yous and carry on like hormonally charged teenagers. Barry can’t help chuckling at the two of them. He doesn’t think he’s ever been as eager to get at someone before in his life the way they seem to want to get at each other. The majority of what he feels in his stomach now is nervous butterflies. He envies their ability to throw caution to the wind and express that kind of affection, no holds barred.

Barry turns to Carson to see if he might want a kiss, a hug, a hand to hold, but he’s looking at his phone, rearranging meetings and answering texts (from what Barry can tell). It dawns on Barry that he should be doing the same, letting someone at the department know that he’s taking an extended lunch break. Carson’s the practical one, making sure that all of his loose ends are tied and his q’s curled before he does something spontaneous.

He could also be hiding how uncomfortable he is behind menial tasks that make him feel in control, but that doesn’t make what he’s doing any less intelligent.

Barry would ask which, but it seems clear from their conversation on the street that Carson’s not telling.

The elevator stops and they step off. Barry and Carson follow yet again as Kurt and Sebastian basically wrestle one another down the hallway to the room. In an impressive move, Sebastian sticks the key card in the slot and opens the door without even breaking Kurt’s kiss. Barry gets the impression that the two of them have been in this situation before – so caught up in kissing one another that things like riding in elevators and opening doors become completely secondary, and they’ve learned to do them without having to pay attention.

Behind closed doors, things change.

The atmosphere in the hotel room is drastically different compared to the walk over. Walking from the deli to the hotel, Carson had an excuse not to participate in any heavy petting, but here, things will be expected of him. He just doesn’t know how they’ll proceed. It’s not something they stopped to talk about. Carson assumed they would start out in pairs, both couples beginning with what was familiar and then adding to the other group as time went on. But Sebastian seems to declare himself the leader. He undoes Kurt’s fly, then takes Barry’s hand and shoves it down the front of Kurt’s pants while Sebastian kisses Barry’s neck. Barry strokes, and Kurt attacks Barry’s lips. Sebastian splits his time between undressing Kurt and undressing Barry while simultaneously leading the entire entourage over to the bed.

When Barry’s mouth isn’t on Kurt’s, Sebastian’s mouth is. Barry and Sebastian trade-off who kisses Kurt, who undresses Kurt, who strokes Kurt. Sooner than Cason thought, the focus becomes Kurt. Because Sebastian wants Kurt, that’s more than obvious, but so does Barry. Kurt, in the middle of receiving this body worship, reaches out for Carson, but Carson slides away, hoping Barry will reach for him instead, which he does, but then Carson finds himself shrinking from his touch when Barry gets on his knees and sucks Kurt’s cock into his mouth. Carson hadn’t prepared for that. He had envisioned Barry fucking Kurt. He had envisioned Barry fucking Sebastian. He had envisioned some combination of both. But this seems too intimate to Carson. The sound Kurt makes when Barry begins to bob, along with his choked off, “Barry!” swallowed by Sebastian’s grinning mouth, is unequalled by any sound made during any sex act that Carson has ever been a participant of. Eventually, Carson edges himself out of the equation with his pants and half of his shirt unbuttoned, while the three naked men, Carson’s boyfriend included, writhe on the king-size bed – Barry on top of Kurt and Sebastian moving behind Barry, until they become a blur of flesh and moans.

Carson thought he would be okay with this. He honestly did. He talked a good game, even to himself, but he really isn’t. Not with the reality of his boyfriend and another man who looks like his boyfriend pleasuring a man who looks like him … but isn’t him. Seeing it with his own eyes in real life is paralyzing.

And not because Carson is jealous.

Of all the people in the world that Barry finally looked at sideways since he and Carson had started dating, Barry chose a man who looks just like him, so that has to say something.

Except that’s where the similarities stop.

Kurt isn’t like Carson.

Kurt is polished, sophisticated, dresses infinitely better, wears expensive cologne and, Carson suspects, makeup to cover up his flaws (if he has any). Kurt worries about things like skincare, diet, manicures, and the cut of his clothes. His life doesn’t surround politics, riots, military movements, coups, and last minute trips to places where you have to live out of one bag, carry your own biodegradable toilet paper, and can’t drink the water or you’ll die.

Kurt is the kind of man Barry could come home to after a long day, go to sleep next to every night without worrying about his cell phone ringing, meet for quickies at lunch time, and take to the CCPD’s Annual Christmas Gala. Carson has had to miss the last three. After this last time, Barry joked that the guys at CCPD didn’t believe that Barry actually had a date. Barry was teasing, but Carson could tell that it bothered him.

Imagine Barry walking into the ballroom of the Silver Ages Tower with Kurt on his arm?

What if Kurt is what Barry wants? Someone like Carson, yes, but different?

Kurt reminds Carson of Iris, the woman that Barry had been in love with his entire life until she fell in love with and got engaged to someone else. Shortly after Barry decided to give up on love altogether and focus on work, he and Carson met, and something clicked - a spark that grew so bright between them that it couldn’t be ignored.

But regardless of that spark, and how hot it got when they were together, Carson always felt like a rebound, that there was someone else in the world that Barry might like better.

What if he was half right?

Carson becomes so lost in that thought that he backs himself into a corner, partially staring, but mainly contemplating, so he doesn’t notice Sebastian leave the group and come his way.

“Are you going to get in on this? Or do you plan on remaining a wallflower?” he asks. Carson gives him and the others a cursory glance. From around Sebastian’s naked (and visibly aroused) body, Carson catches a glimpse of Kurt lying on his back with Barry hovering over him, sliding inside him slowly.

Carson’s eyes spring open. Well, that escalated quickly, now didn’t it?

When Carson doesn’t answer, Sebastian sighs. “Look, you sulking in the corner is kind of getting creepy. We all want you to join in. But if you’re not down for sex, we can compromise. You’re a journalist, right? I’ll lend you my iPhone, and you can take some pictures.”

“What do you care if I join in or not?” Carson’s eyes dart away from the visual of Barry climbing on top of Kurt and Kurt arching his back, eyes shut, face already orgasmic. “More for you, right?”

“Well, jeez, Carson” – Sebastian rolls his eyes – “if you’d told us you’re man-strating, we would have waited out the week.”

Carson laughs dryly. “You have quite the way with words, Mr. Smythe. Must be why Kurt loves you so much.”

“One of the many reasons,” Sebastian kids. “But seriously, you’re missing out on all the fun with your boy Barry.”

“Really? Because it doesn’t look like Barry’s missing me much.”

“Oh yeah?” Sebastian chuckles. “Well, he’s called Kurt Carson twice already.”

“It doesn’t look like Kurt minds.” Carson is about to check, but decides he really doesn’t want to. Talking to Sebastian, even naked Sebastian, feels safer than watching what’s going on over on the bed. “It doesn’t look like you mind, either.”

“We don’t mind because this is just sex,” Sebastian says. “It’s not love. That’s what this was supposed to be about, right? Why are you sitting out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to literally fuck yourself?” Sebastian takes a few steps forward, the expression on his face more understanding than before, when he was all snarky remarks and jabs. Maybe it’s a side-effect of being nude and slightly vulnerable, but he seems genuinely curious to find out what might be wrong.

Carson centers his gaze on the ceiling, trying to ignore the soft gasps across the room. “What if … what if Barry starts liking Kurt … more than he likes me?

“Why would he? I mean, the two of you might look the same, but you’re you. He fell in love with you. And regardless of finding someone who looks like you, there’s only one you, Carson.” Sebastian leans his back against the wall next to Carson. With an unobstructed view, Carson watches Barry drop his head to Kurt’s shoulder - in frustration, maybe? Embarrassment? Kurt whispers something, and Barry nods, a shy smile twitching his lips. Then Barry whispers something back, and Kurt laughs, full and honest. They look like they’re enjoying themselves, enjoying one another … and Carson hates it. Sebastian, on the other hand, looks on with a fond smile, and so much love in his eyes that Carson would think Sebastian is watching himself on the bed with Kurt and not someone who looks like him. “You know, statistics say that there’s actually six or seven lookalikes for every person on earth, you’re just unlikely to find them. So, there are other people that look like you in the world aside from Kurt. Is Barry going to run off with all of them? Is Barry going to fuck all of them if he finds them? Not likely. Besides, if your little Barry wants my Kurt, he’s going to have to go through me to get to him, and cop or no, he’s going to be in for one hell of a fight.”

Carson barks a laughs at the conviction in that statement. Even if Barry wanted a relationship with Kurt, Sebastian wouldn’t let the man go without a fight.

“I guess,” Carson says, noticing Barry peek over when he laughs.

“Look,” Sebastian says, “Kurt and I didn’t intend for this to cause bad feelings. We thought you were down or we wouldn’t have agreed. We’re not going to push. If you want to leave right now, you can. No one’s keeping you here.”

Carson shrugs a shoulder. “I couldn’t leave without Barry, and I’m sure that he wants to stay.”

Sebastian seems stunned by that remark. “What? You think he’d stay here without you?” Carson doesn’t answer. Didn’t Barry say it didn’t matter what point they were at in this, if Carson wanted to go, they’d go? Carson doesn’t want to admit that he doesn’t believe Barry would leave – not now. Not when he’s this far in with a gorgeous man. Not when it looks like he’s having the time of his life. Carson doesn’t want to be the person who interrupts that.

Carson’s silence is Sebastian’s answer. He shakes his head. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but he only wants you.” Carson sputters another laugh and turns his face away. “He’d go with you,” Sebastian insists. “Right now. No questions asked.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“You don’t have much faith in your man.”

“How do you suddenly know so much about what Barry would and wouldn’t do?”

“Because he told me. Duh. Literally a second before I walked over here. And I believe him.” Sebastian waits for his words to sink in, for Carson to have a Eureka! moment and change his tune, but that moment doesn’t come. “Look, hang in the corner if you want, but this is getting hot, and my boyfriend needs to be kissed.”

Sebastian pushes off the wall and heads back to the bed. Carson watches it play out: Sebastian’s eyes lock on to Kurt as if he were the only other person in the room. He struts over to his boyfriend lying on the bed, being steadily fucked by Barry, stroking his erection back to hard. Kurt smiles at Sebastian and only Sebastian, licks his lips when he sees Sebastian’s cock in his hand. Kurt’s eyes glow with an intensity that belongs to Sebastian. Sebastian kneels down beside the bed and murmurs in Kurt’s ear, then he claims Kurt’s mouth. Carson watches Kurt rise up to meet him, sees how absolutely in love the two of them are. Barry may be there, he may be in as intimate a position with Kurt as any human being can be, but that doesn’t seem to matter. It adds to the experience of Kurt and Sebastian together; it doesn’t take anything away.

Barry may look like Sebastian, but he’s not Sebastian.

And Sebastian is in love with Kurt.

Just like Barry, cock buried deep inside this other man, is in love with Carson. He has his head turned, staring at Carson with lust blown eyes, silently begging for Carson’s mouth on his. And Carson wants to give that to him. But not yet. That’s not entirely what this experience is about.

“Sebastian?” Carson calls, interrupting his and Kurt’s kiss. “Sebastian, can you … can you come here, please?”

Sebastian turns to Barry, eyebrows raised, as if he expected Carson to call him back, like he was waiting for it. That’s obnoxious. Barry would never do something like that. Even if he anticipated Carson’s next move, he’d have the decency to look surprised.

“Why?” Sebastian asks, pulling away from a whimpering Kurt and heading back to Carson’s corner of the room. “What’s up?”

Carson lifts his hands to his shirt and starts unbuttoning it the rest of the way, emboldened when Sebastian’s eyes follow. Carson takes the shirt off and tosses it in the corner. Sebastian looks Carson over, outlines his bare torso with his hungry gaze. He licks his lips, and Carson’s mouth goes dry.

“Would you ... kiss me?” Carson feels stupid asking this, as if Sebastian’s going to say no. Sebastian’s proven he’s a decent guy … for a pervert.

Sebastian smirks. A desire lights his eyes that Carson would have never expected.

“My pleasure.” Sebastian takes the last two steps towards Carson with a sensual confidence that Carson can’t help finding extremely sexy. He expects Sebastian to grab him by the shoulders and kiss him hard, maybe painfully, but he doesn’t. Sebastian takes his time. He wraps an arm around Carson’s waist, then another. He runs fingertips up Carson’s spine until his hand cradles the back of his head, drawing Carson’s gaze to Sebastian’s eyes – green eyes that look like Barry’s from a distance, but up close are distinct. Sebastian’s eyes carry flecks of gold, where Barry’s eyes are more grounded in one color, but in a variety of hues. Sebastian’s eyes smolder where Barry’s eyes simmer. Sebastian’s eyes go from green to black in almost an instant whereas Barry’s take a while to get there. Sebastian removes Carson’s glasses carefully and sets them on a nearby table. He looks from Carson’s eyes, probably noting similar differences between him and Kurt, down to his mouth, then slowly back up to his eyes again before he kisses him.

There’s a part of Carson whose first instinct is to rebel at having another man’s mouth on his, but he tries his best to relax. After a second, he’s not trying anymore. He’s doing – holding tight to Sebastian’s shoulders, wrapping a leg around his, kissing him back. He doesn’t feel Sebastian move him, held captive by this kiss; doesn’t register being picked up and walked over to the bed to join the other two.

Sebastian lays Carson out on the bed a short distance from Kurt and Barry.

Barry whispers something to Kurt, and Kurt enthusiastically agrees.

“Top or bottom, Carson?” Sebastian asks, undoing the button to Carson’s pants.

“Bottom,” Carson says.

“On your hands or on your back?”

“Back.”

Sebastian smiles. He looks surprisingly bashful, but still very little like Barry. “Are you just picking the second choice I give you - yes or no?”

“No.” Carson chuckles. “I just …” He wants to mirror what Kurt and Barry are doing. He wants to picture himself in Kurt’s place, being fucked by Barry with that new blue electricity dancing in his eyes. “I want it this way.”

“Mmm, he’s usually on top,” Barry moans. “Maybe he wants to try something different.”

“Sounds good to me.” Sebastian leans low over Carson and Carson closes his eyes. He abandons himself to feel - Sebastian’s lips roaming his body, down his chest to lick his nipples, skimming his abs to reach his cock. Carson hears shuffling, things being moved around on the bed, then he feels Sebastian’s lubed fingers search the crack of his ass. Sebastian’s lips encircle his head, taking it into his mouth in slow centimeters, a gently tortuous switch off of lick and suck that wipes Carson’s brain, and his anxiety, away.

“Oh God,” Carson moans, reaching down with trembling hands to touch Sebastian’s hair, rectify the reality of this man between his legs with Barry nearby fucking Kurt. Sebastian isn’t Barry; that’s important for Carson to remember. Because that means that the man he loves, who he knows everything about, realizes that Kurt isn’t him regardless of how much he may look like him, a fact that seems to be emphasized every time Barry breaks from a kiss with Kurt in favor of kissing Carson.

“How’s that feel?” Barry asks, watching his boyfriend with eagle eyes as Sebastian blows him.

“Good.” Carson tries to maintain eye contact with Barry but he can’t. He feels like his face is about to explode. He closes his eyes. “So good. Different from you.”

“Better than me?”

Carson’s eyes snap open and Kurt snickers.

“Not better,” Carson says quickly, his words almost cut when Sebastian sucks hard. “J-just … just different.”

Sebastian climbs back up Carson’s body, indulging in one long kiss from Kurt, then another from Barry, before he goes in search of a condom. Kurt lifts up and leans over for a kiss from Carson while Sebastian puts the condom on, pulling Barry down to give his boyfriend a taste of what Kurt had a moment ago. Carson begins to understand the appeal. As he surrenders to the mouths on him, their different styles of kissing and their vastly unique tastes, he finds freedom in this. This isn’t love, not with anyone but Barry. And as long as Barry is fine with what they’re doing, Carson doesn’t have to worry about hurting Kurt’s or Sebastian’s feelings. He just has to enjoy what’s happening to him, appreciate the people giving him pleasure, live in the moment and remember that after today, his life with Barry continues on. Maybe they’ll see Kurt and Sebastian again, maybe they won’t. But that’s not the point.

Having fun is the point. And this is fun.

Carson feels Sebastian lift his legs up and apart, and gasps when the man slides inside. Sebastian takes it slow, but Carson’s ready … and he’s willing. Sebastian feels thinner than Barry, surprisingly, but only by a tiny bit. It’s still another difference to tick off the list. He feels a hand on his cock that he’s sure is Barry’s; another hand on his cheek, fingers playing over his lips that he’s sure are Kurt’s; but either way it doesn’t matter. Sebastian moves in and out of him, there are hands all around, and voices moaning in ecstasy, some even moaning his name. He arches his back the way Kurt had done, and hands creep up his back to support him. A mouth meets his and kisses him hard. The hand on his cock disappears, but then another one returns. The first one was slightly rough, and familiar; the second one softer but more firm; then a third, with less speed but more technique.

Carson likes control. It drives his life. He likes to have his ducks in a row. He likes to know what to expect before he goes anywhere, know where all the emergency exits and the fire extinguishers are, thinks over every conceivable outcome. But he also craves excitement. He’s not in control here. He’s literally lying back and letting whatever happens happens. And it’s exciting. He kisses what comes near his mouth, touches what journeys near his hands, and lets everyone else take care of the rest … including him.

“Yes, Barry,” Carson hears Kurt moan. “God, yes … just … just like that … faster, please …”

“You want faster? I’ll give you faster,” Barry answers seductively. But Carson giggles. He can’t let that lie.

“Be careful, Kurt,” Carson says, trying to keep his voice from shaking long enough to speak coherently. “Where we come from, Barry’s known as the fastest man alive.”

Sebastian laughs so hard he crows, but Barry laughs, too.

“Well, I think he’s doing just fine,” Kurt coos, grabbing Barry’s shoulder and tugging him down. Barry pulls Kurt closer by his bent knees and pounds into him hard, the sound of their bodies slapping together disarming to Carson. Again, more real than he’d prepared himself for. But then Sebastian snaps his hips, trying to keep up, trying to get Carson to the same place as Kurt at the same time, and that sound becomes fairly easy to ignore.

“How’s that?” Sebastian asks, biting Carson’s bottom lip; kissing his mouth, top and bottom; swiping his tongue inside. “Do you like it hard and fast like Kurt?”

“Yes,” Carson says, grabbing at the blanket beneath him. “Yes, please …” He feels a hand take his – Kurt’s hand lacing their fingers together, then squeezing as he starts to cum, sharing with Carson this moment between him and Barry.

The second the rocking from Kurt and Barry’s side of the bed stops, and the strained sounds of their climax subsides, Kurt’s lips are on Carson’s, Barry’s hand on his cock, and along with Sebastian’s pounding, it becomes too much, but not in a bad way. Not in a bad way at all. Carson enjoys the one on one intimacy of him and Barry, the singular focus between two souls. All of this attention overwhelms him. It sends him spiraling, flinging him out of his mind with the multiple, overlapping sensations of tasting, testing, touching – the one man who knows him edging him closer and closer towards completion with two fabulous supporting players giving him a boost.

But it’s more than just a hand up. It’s like rocket power.

Carson would probably cry out if not for Kurt’s mouth on his, kissing him even after Carson’s lips go still. He feels full of Sebastian, his rhythmic thrusting hitting all the right spots, but it’s Barry’s hand that takes Carson all the way. When Carson cums, it’s with these wonderful men around him, inside him, moving through him, elevating him, then catching him as he comes down.

It’s one of the most fulfilling sexual experiences of his life.

After Carson cums, Kurt backs away. Carson had already been on the fence about this. It took him a while to find his groove. Kurt doesn’t want to make things uncomfortable for him when things cool down by encroaching on his personal space. Kurt understands because Carson’s like Kurt that way. Kurt loves the intimacy of a truly magical sexual experience, but it takes him a while to open up to someone new. Kurt doesn’t think he’d have been half as receptive to Barry if he didn’t look like Sebastian.

Sebastian’s the last to finish, a few deep thrusts behind Carson, but he was just about done when he heard Kurt cry, and then saw him kiss Carson. Sebastian wanted to last long enough to get Carson to climax. But the things he did to bide – figuring out his baseline tax deductions for the next filing year and trying to spell his full name backwards – worked a little better than he’d anticipated.

When Sebastian stops shuddering, he looks at Barry, curious as to what a wrecked Barry Allen looks like. Barry has scratches running down his chest from Kurt’s nails digging in to his skin, and Sebastian can’t help being jealous. Carson wasn’t much for touching outside of looping his arms around Sebastian’s neck when Sebastian bent over to kiss him, but that was kind of nice. There was a certain nostalgic innocence to it, like his more romantic times with Kurt, when the two of them would just hold one another and rock for hours. But Kurt raking his nails down Sebastian’s back or his chest are one of Sebastian’s favorite things about how powerfully Kurt cums.

Barry catches Sebastian’s eye, the glance down his chest, and he smirks in a way that’s shockingly Sebastian-like.

“Nice,” Sebastian says with an approving nod.

“Thanks.” The smirk disappears from Barry’s face in a flash, and he becomes shy Barry Allen again. “Uh … not that I’m complaining but … does he always do that?” he asks, running a hand subconsciously down his front.

“Nah,” Sebastian says. “Most of the time he draws blood.”

“But you love it, don’t you?” Kurt locks eyes with his boyfriend as Barry eases away from him, searching Sebastian’s face for any sign that what happened between them wasn’t okay, that he didn’t like it, that he and Kurt are in trouble, possibly over.

“You know it.” Sebastian blows Kurt a kiss, and Kurt, only mildly red before, blushes like a June virgin.

Kurt, Sebastian, and Barry chat and joke, trying to keep sexual tension from turning into awkward tension. But in between the comparing and the complimenting, Sebastian begins to notice how quiet Carson is. He looks down at the man he’s still buried in to see his eyes solemnly closed. “Carson? Buddy? Are you okay? Talk to us.”

Barry notices, too, and while Sebastian untangles his body from Carson’s legs and discards their condom, Barry runs to his side of the bed.

“Hey, hey, hey, Carson? Baby? Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” Carson laughs, and, in relief, Barry joins him. “I’m just trying to process.”

“So … did you enjoy yourself?”

Carson starts to shake his head, but he laughs louder. “Yeah,” he admits, opening his eyes. By then, Sebastian had gone, retreating to the head of the bed where Kurt was climbing underneath the covers. “I did. I didn’t want to, not at first, not after watching you and Kurt, but … I did.”

“And what did you think, my love?” Sebastian asks Kurt, curling his boyfriend against his body.

“I think …” Kurt glances shyly at Barry, helping Carson beneath the blankets on the opposite side of the bed “… that that was pretty electric.”

“I think that’s an accurate word for it,” Barry admits, pitching his own condom and climbing behind his boyfriend. He tucks the blanket around Carson’s body and holds him tight. “What do you think, baby?”

Carson looks over his shoulder at Barry, then across the bed at the two men looking at him with quizzical looks – similar faces, but so damn different. There’s only one Kurt and Sebastian, only one Carson and Barry, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. Carson smiles. “Absolutely.”