Dex is 100% gonna kill me, but whatever. He’s like, super sweet. He’s thoughtful as fuck and really takes the time to get to know you if he really cares about you and shit. Being with him is great, like really fucking great. And I’m preeeeeeetty lucky he hasn’t like, gotten tired of me yet. Also? He’s funny as shit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed at like three am because of something stupid he said. It’s great. And he’s totally obsessed with meme’s it’s kinda cute.
🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)
Uh, shit dude. Um. My artistic ability (shut up), being able to put off doing school shit until the last minute and still getting a wicked good grade, and... That I can eat like 8 New York sliced pizzas in one sitting.
💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Lol, this is about to get mad sad my dudes, anyways.
Andover is shit, like it’s super shitty but it will get better. Like trust me dude, it’s going to be really bad. So bad that you’re gonna wanna do something stupid. But you don’t and that’s good. Just keep your head high, your Mom’s got your back. Also? They’re around a lot more and actually try, it’s really good. Samwell is amazing, you’re going to make great friends. Friends that you’re going to want to keep in your life for a long ass time dude. You’re going to meet an angry red head with a shit ton of freckles and you’re going to enjoy annoying the hell out of him because you like him. You two are gonna fight like hell for a while, but it passes, trust. Chill, and like, actually chill. You’re going to be happy.
March honestly terrifies me about 25% of the time but that’s a good thing. I need to be with someone like that, I think. She calls me on my shit before the shit even goes down and I appreciate how capable she is every day. No one takes care of business like my girl. She’s also the most encouraging human ever because she says things that she actually means, not trite shit that doesn’t matter.
Ransom is my beautiful reef-man and I’d do anything for him. We’ve done some crazy shit over the last four years and I’ve loved every single second of it, even in bad/sad/not rad times. I don’t really believe in the concept of soulmates but I believe in him. He’s my pong partner for life and we might win or we might lose but at the end of the day we’ll be shitfaced on cheap beer together and that’s what matters to me.
🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)
1. My singing voice2. My powerpoint presentation skills (it’s an art)3. The fact that I can fit over 30 marshmallows in my mouth.
CHARACTERS: Alexei Mashkov, Kent Parson, Justin Oluransi
LOCATION: Haus Kitchen
DATE: Jan. 22, 2016 (Morning of Epikegster 2016, directly after “Tater Visits the Haus”)
NOTES: Kent and Tater keep an eye on some pies and Ransom definitely does not suspect anything about their relationship. Nope. Not at all.
KENT
Kent followed Bitty to the kitchen and froze in the doorway, smiling brightly. "Lyosha! What are you doing here?" He went up to his boyfriend and kissed him briefly. He waved absently when Bitty left the room and then he kissed Tater again. "I was going to surprise you in Providence tomorrow. I wasn't expecting to see you here."
TATER
Tater grinned brightly and wrapped his arms around Kent's waist, kissing him the second time with a hum. "You were to surprise me? Is so nice of you." He said and hugged Kent tightly, glad to finally see his boyfriend again, even if the situation was a bit confusing. "I am here to bake with Bitty." He said, gesturing to the countertop and stove. "Why you are here?"
RANSOM
Ransom had just gotten in from spending the night at March's and was about to trudge up to the attic (praying to god Holster wasn't there) when he saw the light was on in the Haus kitchen. The promise of pancakes and mini pies was too great to pass up, so he slid into the kitchen behind another figure he presumed was Bitty.
It was not. Well, it was, but it was also - his jaw literally dropped.
KENT
Kent stroked Tater's face and smiled. "You bake with Bitty? That is fucking adorable." He ran his hand down Tater's arm and squeezed his hand. "I'm here for the kegster tonight and then I was going to drive over to your place tomorrow." Kent licked his lips and glanced at the door, about to tell Tater about the whole making-out thing when his eyes fell on the man in question. Not wanting to out his boyfriend, Kent dropped Tater's hand quickly and plastered on a wide media-smile. "Ransom! Good to see you, man. Have you met Tates?"
TATER
Chuckling at that, Tater was about to lean down again to kiss Kent, but the blonde spoke before he could, alerting Tater that they weren't alone. The Russian man stepped back to be behind Kent and looked at the person Kent had addressed as 'Ransom'. "Hello." He greeted and stepped forward, offering his hand to shake the other's.
RANSOM
All Ransom could do was stare down at the hand extended towards him, sure that his face was almost purple with how hard he was blushing. "H-hi," he said, forcing himself to do something other than stare adoringly, god, could he not be embarrassing for like thirty seconds, "hello, Mr. Tater Mashkov Sir, it's so good to meet you I am a huge fan and I really hope Kent didn't let you into the attic because I really would've wanted to put away my Tater action figure beforehand but I guess that's kind of a moot point now that I've just told you about it." Ransom stopped to breathe, because that apparently was something he still needed to do. He had been shaking Tater's hand for, like, over a minute so he figured he needed to wrap it up before it got weird...er. "...I'm Justin. R-ransom. Jack and I used to play together."
KENT
Kent snorted and clapped Ransom on the shoulder. "Okay, hotshot, don't forget to breathe there." He nudged Tater in the side and fake-whispered, "I think Ransom has a thing for you, Tates. He definitely seems to like holding your hand." He winked at Ransom. "Not that I can blame him."
TATER
Alexei furrowed his eyebrows whenever Ransom kept shaking his hand far longer than he should have, and called him about 4 different names. He thought it was charming, if anything, and took his hand back once the other let go of it. "Good to meet you.. Jack tell me about you and.. Um.. Holster? Yes, good d-men." He said and scratched the back of his head at Kent's statement, giving a forced smile and watching the other two for a moment. He clapped his hands together and looked back to the oven. "I am to watch the pies.."
RANSOM
Ransom's eyes were wide as hockey pucks at Kent's words, for multiple reasons because, for one thing, could Kent just...do... that? Flirt with Tater? Was Tater cool with that? Did Tater know about Jack? Did Tater think he was the biggest idiot in the whole world because he was saying nothing? His stomach swooped at the mention of Holster, but he pushed past it, scrambling for a spare bit of paper in his pocket. "Sorry, Mr. Mashkov, this is probably so annoying especially since you have to..uh.. watch the pies, but do you think you could sign an autograph for Holster? He'd probably sit on me for about an hour if he knew I saw you and I didn't get one, and he's over two hundred pounds so that's not an optimal situation for obvious reasons."
KENT
Kent rolled his eyes. "Oh my god. 'Mr. Mashkov?' Seriously, dude?" He shook his head and nudged Tater again. "You better sign that thing for him, Alyosha. I'm afraid he's gonna spontaneously combust. Or maybe hyperventilate." He glanced at the oven and tilted his head. "Do the pies really need to be...watched? Can't they just bake themselves?"
TATER
Looking down at the other he smiled a bit and nodded, patting his pockets before he held up a finger to the other. "I have something in car." He said before he untied the apron that Bitty had put on him earlier and left it on the counter. "Bitty tell me to watch pies. You can watch pies for me? I be right back." He asked Kent softly, setting a hand on his boyfriend's waist for a moment. After jogging out to his car, he came back with one of the Falconers collectors cards that George had given him - he kept the stack in his glove box because fans normally ran into him outside the rink. "For Holster, yes?" He asked after entering the kitchen again, popping the cap off of his Sharpie and holding the lid between his teeth. "Here." He said, passing the Mashkov card to Ransom after he'd signed the back.
RANSOM
Ransom eyed the hand Tater placed on Kent's waist because, okay, seriously? Was every person Ransom was in love with also in love with Guy Who Would Be Eternally Cooler Than Him AKA Kent Parson? The awkward jealousy was wiped clean away when Tater came back and signed the collector's card for Holster, and Ransom couldn't bring himself to wipe the over-enthused expression from his face. "Oh my god, he's gonna..." well, Ransom didn't know what Holster was going to do because their friendship was in a weird place, so he didn't finish, instead letting out a hurried, "just, thank you. So much. You are so cool on and off the ice, and I really didn't meant to bother you guys, uh..." He looked between Tater and Kent carefully, "hanging out?"
KENT
Kent kept a dutiful eye on the pies while Tater ran out to his car and his heart melted a little when he saw what he brought back in. Kent was so fucking lucky to be with this man. So lucky and so in love it was ridiculous. He wanted nothing more than to kiss him then and there, company be damned, but he didn't want to do something that Tater was uncomfortable with. So instead he clapped Tater's shoulder and said, "That was really cool of you, Alyosha." He turned back to Ransom and waved his hand. "Nah, dude, it's okay. We were just, uh. Catching up."
TATER
"Is no problem. Jack telling me you are very good with hockey, hopefully will get to play with you some time. I give Bitty tickets for team to come to game so bring your skates." He said with a nod at the other. Tater smiled down at Kent and put the cap back onto his Sharpie before putting it in his pocket, humming as he stepped back towards the blonde. His eyes flickered over Kent's face, nearly forgetting that the other was even there because of how taken he was. "Yes - were just catching up.. Has been too long." He noted to Kent.
RANSOM
Ransom wanted to be a little salty about Tater and Kent, he really did, but the way they were looking at each other at that particular moment... Ransom's chest ached with it. He had it, with March, but he couldn't help but feel like there was something...missing. "I see," Ransom said casually, making his way to the Haus fridge, "have you guys had breakfast?" The question was a formality, he was already pulling things out of the fridge. "I was gonna make frittatas. They'll be done before pie duty's up. And they're super healthy, 100% NHL nutritionist approved. Trust me, I'm pre-med."
KENT
Kent was pretty sure his stomach rumbled the minute Ransom mentioned breakfast. He squeezed Tater's shoulder and tilted his head to the side. "You hungry, big guy? I don't know about you but I feel like I could eat about six frittatas on my own." He let his hand linger a little longer than necessary and then turned to Ransom. "You need help with any of that, dude? I make an excellent sous chef."
TATER
Tater wound his own hand around Kent's waist as he spoke, hoping it didn't look too obvious - but Ransom was turned towards the fridge so he decided that it was alright. "No.. Have to be watching pies." He said and gestured to the oven. No way was he about to let Bitty's pies burn.
RANSOM
Ugh, they were gross, and Ransom wanted to kiss March's forehead so so bad. He also wanted his own giant boyfriend, and the two desires didn't seem to conflict in his head. Fuck his life, even if he was standing in a kitchen with Alexei Mashkov. "Oh, pie watching and frittata eating don't sound like mutually exclusive activities. Especially for someone as talented as you, Mr. Mashkov," Ransom smiled, pointedly not looking at the arm Tater had looped around Kent's waist, instead directing his attention to throwing together breakfast. "Stay where you are, Parse," Ransom flashed Kent a faux stern look, "this is a one man job. 15 minutes tops, don't lose your appetite."
KENT
"Yeah, ba--uh--Tates, you can eat while you watch. Piece of cake." He laughed to himself. "Or piece of pie, really." He leaned into Tater unconsciously, his body just gravitating toward the other man. Since Tater was the one initiating the contact Kent decided not to worry about it. He looked into the little window on the oven door and nodded. "Well if you insist," he said to Ransom. "It's probably best for me to help this guy watch Bitty's pies. Apparently it's a two-man job."
TATER
Chuckling at Kent's antics, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Kent's lips - unable to resist it. He hadn't seen him in too long, and he just wanted to be close to him. "Bitty teach me how to make pies." He told Kent in a whisper, letting his nose brush over the blonde's temple affectionately.
RANSOM
Ransom remained faced towards the stove, though he could see Kent and Tater from the corner of his eye and it was...stupid cute. God, he missed Holster. How long had it been since he'd said more than a few sentences to him? It felt like years. "Yeah, we take Bitty's pies very seriously around here. Dropping one is a hefty fine." Ransom shot a quick text off to the SMH group chat while Kent and Tater were...occupied, telling them a repairman was there to take a look at their garbage disposal, and to steer clear of the kitchen. He retrieved a few of the least cracked plates from over the sink and set them in front of Kent and Tater, along with forks and a few paper towels as well. "Either of you vegetarian?"
KENT
Kent glanced a little nervously at Ransom but he figured that it was up to Tater if he wanted to take the risk. He kissed him back gently and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the closeness. When it looked like the food would be ready soon, Kent nodded at the table. "Want to sit? I'm sure you can keep an eye on the pies from the table." He glanced up at Ransom and chuckled. "Definitely not vegetarian. Give me all the meat, my man."
TATER
Tater smiled into the kiss and set his hands onto Kent's waist, having missed his west coast boyfriend a lot in the last month. "What is this? Vegetarian? Oh, is like when are not eating animals?" He asked and looked towards Ransom, shaking his head at the question. "No, am not the vegetarian." He confirmed before sitting down at the table, being sure he could still look over and make sure the pies were okay - as if they were going to burst into flame the minute they became too hot.
RANSOM
Ransom really hoped they were more careful around other people if they were actually trying to keep that whole thing a secret, because seriously. What a mushy. He sort of understood, though. He incurred his fair share of fines whenever March came around the house, it was hard to keep his hands to himself when he knew he was allowed to touch. "Don't get too excited, Parse," Ransom warned, tossing various pre cut vegetables and meat into his frying pan (he did Frittata prep at the beginning of every week), "it's just grilled chicken. And a little sausage. A little." He paused, contemplating the correct way to go about his next words. "Breakfast is a great time to, uh... catch up, you know? Especially in the Haus kitchen right now, since we're all headed to..brunch... at Jerry's. This space should be empty for an hour or two."
KENT
"Chicken is good. Sausage is definitely good. I'm just hungry, dude, I'll eat whatever you make." Kent raised an eyebrow at Ransom's careful words. "You're /all/ headed to brunch? Seems like someone would've mentioned it when I said I'd be here this morning." He narrowed his eyes at Ransom. "You know something, don't you?" He glanced at Tater and then back at Ransom. "What do you know?"
TATER
Tater was too busy eating the leftover blueberries that Bitty had left a bowl of on the table, looking at Kent when he felt like he was being addressed with the stare, then back to looking at Ransom. "..?" He furrowed his eyebrows at Kent and ignored his cheek full of berries, chewing as he listened.
RANSOM
Ransom slid the frittatas out of the pan and onto the plates in front of Kent and Tater, grabbing a bottle of Sriracha from the top shelf in the cabinet just in case they happened to be kindred spirits. "A lot about human anatomy and pathology, my dude. I'm a simple guy," Ransom answered, evasive and charming as ever. "Seriously, though, why the paranoia, Parson? Team brunch is a regular occurrence for the occupants of the SMH. And those that won't be in attendance are in their rooms, for sure, trying to get a jump start on the semester." Popping a blueberry from the bowl in his mouth, he winked at Parse and spared one last glance at The Alexei Mashkov Actually In His Kitchen Eating From A Bowl That Would Never Be Washed Again. "It was so good to meet you, Mr. Mashkov. That whole don't touch your idols with a ten foot pole thing is total B.S., I can attest to it now." And with that, Ransom strolled idly out of the kitchen, throwing a "we'll all be back in ONE HOUR, have fun catching up" tossed carelessly over his shoulder.
KENT
Kent took a bite of the fritatta and hummed. "Oh man, this is great. Thanks, dude!" He tilted his head and frowned a little as Ransom made his hasty retreat. Turning to Tater he said, "I think he knows. About us. I mean, he knows I'm into guys and he was acting really weird and...I think he knows." He bit his lip and squeezed Tater's knee. "I'm sorry, babe."
TATER
Tater stood to thank Ransom and offered his hand to shake again, setting his other hand on the other's shoulder firmly and looked at him with a smile. "Keep playing good, yeah? Good to meet you." He said before sitting back down next to Kent. He was a nice guy, but he seemed to be acting a little strange. Tater took a bite of his breakfast before he looked over to Kent, chewing slowly. "Oh? He will tell people? If he is not to tell people I do not be seeing problem." Tater said with a shrug, leaning over a bit to kiss Kent's cheek before he went back to eating.
KENT
Kent relaxed with Tater's words and smiled. "I'm sure he won't tell anyone, babe." He chewed his food for a moment and then reached over to place his hand on Tater's knee, squeezing gently. "Hey. I'm glad I got to see you this morning. Even if it did ruin my surprise."
TATER
"Was big surprise enough just to be seeing you." Tater said softly, leaning over and pecking Kent's lips softly before he set his free arm over the back of Kent's chair, glad to finally have some time with his boyfriend.
CHARACTERS: Kent Parson, March Anderson, Justin Oluransi, and Adam Birkholtz
LOCATION: Haus Kitchen
DATE: Jan. 22, 2016 (Epikegster)
NOTES: Lots of kissing and some angst! (Written off-site.)
KENT
Kent managed to finally escape the line of fans and slipped into the kitchen for a water refill. He smiled when he saw March talking to Ransom and slid his arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Hey there, cutie."
MARCH
Feeling an arm around her waist, March turned and came face to face with none other than Kent Parson. Her face widened into a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace. "Hey! I was wondering when I'd get to see you." Pulling away, she smiled over at Ransom. "Kent, Ransom. Ransom, Kent."
RANSOM
One minute Ransom was just hanging out with his girl in the kitchen eating a quesadilla, and the next Stanley Cup Champion Kent Parson was there. The ridiculous amount of alcohol on his breath made him feel a little trashy, but he tried to sit up straighter and give Kent a Cool Nod. "Hey dude," he smiled, holding up an unopened beer, "can I top you off?"
HOLSTER
Planning and maintaining the perfect party atmosphere took work, damn it, and Holster had been doing everything he could to make sure everyone was having a great time. He'd just slammed back a few shots with various guests when he wandered into the kitchen, greeting everyone with a shout. "Bros, is this Kegster fucking lit or is it fucking lit?" He wrapped an arm around Kent's shoulders, leaning against him.
KENT
"Thanks, man, but I'm gonna stick to water for now. I drank that weird-colored shit earlier and I don't think I can handle much more." Especially not if he was going to make out with the frankly gorgeous man in front of him. He definitely wanted to be mostly sober for that. Kent laughed when Holster burst in and patted his shoulder. "Absolutely fucking LIT, man!"
MARCH
March couldn’t help herself and giggled into her fist, watching Ransom freak out over Kent was probably one of the best things to happen that night. "Tub juice," March said with a nod. "It'll fuck you up, be careful." She added before Holster came in. "Did you get bombarded by any fans?"
RANSOM
Ransom took a pensive bite of his quesadilla, abruptly trying not to choke on it when Holster burst into the room. He wanted to say something or tackle Holster or find some way to act normal, but he couldn’t. He just stayed where he was perched on the island, sneaker thumping into the cabinet behind him. "Haha, yeah, that shit hits you hard. Bitty made a ton of food so feel free to eat whatever. Helps with the burn a little."
HOLSTER
Holster beamed, pleased that they'd delivered a quality Kegster experience to Kent. He turned his attention to the hockey player, trying not to focus too much on how closely March and Ransom were standing. They were friends, was all, or that was the mantra he repeated to himself even as he reached around Kent to grab himself a bottle of water. "Yeah, food is key. Tub juice's primary function is to fuck you up."
KENT
"I've signed sixteen Solo cups, eight random pieces of paper, two hats, and one arm." Kent rolled his eyes. "The dude wanted to get my signature tattooed." He grabbed a skewer filled with tater tots and popped a couple into his mouth. "I also took twenty-seven selfies," he said, doing his best to avoid spewing food while he talked. He swallowed quickly and nodded at the tub juice observations, laughing. "Yeah, I really don't want to get fucked up tonight."
MARCH
"I've already had too much. That being, two cups of Tub Juice." March giggled as she leaned on Ransom for support. "I'm so glad you came, and that you're like having a great time. Even if all those people asked you for stuff." After March peeled a piece of Ransom's quesadilla and popped it into her mouth, she remembered. "Remember that time Kent wanted to make out with Ransom." She mentioned casually.
RANSOM
If Ransom had been taking a sip of his LaCroix (which he maybe put a little gin in? Details were getting fuzzy), he would have choked on it. He pinched March's butt in what he hoped was a somewhat subtle move, outwardly flashing her and then Kent his best Someday I'm Going to Be a Rich Doctor Smile. "That was like, three thousand years ago, Starfish. Don't hold him to it. Especially if he's had Tub Juice and the alcoholic cupcakes."
HOLSTER
Holster knew he was generally a loud person, but his laughter echoed around the kitchen and drew the attention of a few other partygoers. "If by three thousand years you mean two weeks, then yeah, sure." He loosened his grip on Kent, placing his hand on the counter beside Ransom's hip to crowd close to him. "C'mon, bro, I know you know what to do. Practice makes perfect."
KENT
Kent's eyes go wide and he shot a glare at March, whispering a furious, "Fuck you oh my god." He laughed nervously and took a sip of his water. The thing was, he definitely did want to make out with Ransom. The guy was fuckin' ripped and his face was so pretty and he really wanted to find out what his lips felt like. But also he wanted to kick March in the shin for not being cool. And then Holster got all up in Ransom's space and...okay, that wasn't the worst sight in the world.
RANSOM
So that was two times Ransom would have choked in the last five minutes. Were they all trying to kill him? He could feel Holster's breath on his neck and it was kind of turning him on, but he refused to look. He knew he'd just want to kiss him, and that was not the arrangement. Instead, Ransom took a very generous sip (chugged, he fucking chugged it) of his mostly-gin-a-little-Lacroix, and said, "Anyways, if one of you doesn't kiss me in the next couple minutes I'm literally going to riot."
MARCH
March snorted and pushed herself up onto the counter. All of these guys were taller than her and whatever happened next she didn't want to have to strain her neck that much. "I'm a very sharing girlfriend," She smiled as she leaned back on her hands. "He's a great kisser by the way." March said, her words directed at Kent, though her eyes fell on Holster instead.
HOLSTER
The words hit him like a physical blow; a brutal cross check that any fair referee would call a penalty. This wasn’t a game, though, but Holster responds like he always did. He squared his shoulders and pushed back, a bright, believable smile plastered on his face so he didn’t have the chance to express anything other than joy. His teeth were grinding together painfully and a painful knot had tangled itself in his throat, but he wouldn’t break. He never did and never would. "Of course he is." Holster said, slipping his hand around the back of Ransom's neck. "Rans is great at everything." He turned towards Kent, snagging the front of his shirt in one big hand. "Get over here, bro. I can't kiss him for you." Once he deemed Kent and Ransom close enough he took a step back, thrusting his hands in his pockets to hide the trembling.
KENT
Kent's eyes went wide at the sudden manhandling. What? This was...this was weird, right? The whole point was to make out with Ransom. He licked his lips and huffed out a little breath. "Um," he said. What was he supposed to do? He turned to March, eyes wide, pleading silently for help.
MARCH
With her teeth bitten down on her tongue, her eyes flickered to Holster before an uneasy feeling hit her. Not sure how to approach the situation, she pushed it to the farthest corner of her mind. Her shoulders raised up to her ears before falling, her head tilted to the side. "First kisses are always a little awk."
RANSOM
He was…not mad, exactly, but frustrated with both of them, for making this awkward and being weird and territorial and dragging poor Kent Parson into all of it. None of that night was going to plan (in fact, none of Ransom's romantic life in general was going to plan) but the one thing he knew for certain was that the only person who hadn't tried to stir up drama that night was Kent Parson. So he shoved his quesadilla and his disgusting drink away, pulled Parse flush up against him, and kissed him like they were in a dirty Pimms fanfic.
HOLSTER
Ah, fuck. As Holster looked between the three faces staring back at him he could see that he'd made a mistake. He'd wanted to smooth things over, to distract from the stupid, idiotic dejected faces he might make if he lost control, but what he'd hoped would move things along seemed to have stagnated them awfully. He was about to apologize and get the hell out of Dodge when Ransom suddenly surged forward to kiss Kent. It looked incredible, if Holster was being honest with himself, but it didn’t feel like he'd thought it would. Instead, he was too acutely aware of the dull thudding in his chest, suddenly too bare in his thin shirt. He shouldn't be here, he realized. They didn’t need him and he needed to get used to not needing them, either.
KENT
Kent didn't think it was possible for his eyes to go wider, but Ransom proved him wrong. And then his wide eyes fell shut and he sank into the other man because damn those lips were softer than he had expected. He hummed and settled his hands on Ransoms biceps, appreciating the way they flexed under his fingers. This was definitely a good idea.
MARCH
The thoughts that had been rolling around her mind for the ten minutes halted once Kent and Ransom kissed. She watched as their lips moved against each other’s and her cheeks started to flare. Part of her wanted to look away, but the way they kissed, she couldn't deny herself the satisfaction.
RANSOM
Ransom thought, with a mixture of smugness and anxiety, that he had officially made out with every single person currently in that room, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Despite the fact there were about a thousand thoughts concerning the abrupt way March had divulged their relationship and the look on Holster's face after she'd done it, kissing Kent Parson made it all go away. So he enjoyed that for a few minutes, his arms slung loosely around Kent's neck and his lips already feeling a little bruised.
But he couldn't let himself exist in that floaty space forever. With great difficulty he pulled back and fixed Kent with a soft smile, bracing his hands against the counter behind him. "That was good, right? They didn't talk me up for no reason?"
HOLSTER
It took all of Holster's self-control to remain in the kitchen. Every inch of him wanted to run and hide away in the attic (nothing bad happens in the attic) but some dark part of him knew he needed to see this if only to build up a tolerance. He and Ransom weren't together and never would be, not with someone like March in the picture. He forced his hand out of his pocket to grab the water bottle he'd set on the counter, taking a long swig of the cool liquid to give himself something to do as Ransom broke the kiss. Idly, he wondered when the best time to leave would be—now that they were talking again, it might seem more natural?
KENT
"Definitely good," Kent said, winking. "Ten out of ten. Would kiss again." He glanced over at March, her pretty lips calling to him, and he couldn't resist—he laid his hand on her cheek and pulled her into a deep kiss. He hummed happily and pulled back. "Yep. Also very kissable. Definitely would repeat." He turned to Holster. "Sorry, bro, but I have to have as much data as possible, so—" he tugged him forward by the front of his shirt (turnabout was fair play and all that) and stood on his toes to reach the taller man's lips.
MARCH
Her cheeks still burned red, only to have them get warmer when Kent placed his hand on her cheek. Sitting up slightly from the slouched position she was in, her eyes fluttered closed as Kent pulled her in for a kiss. Bringing a hand up to his neck, she grazed the skin with her thumb before March let out a content sigh. She giggled as they pulled away and watched the Kent and Holster kiss, her eyes bigger than she was sure they'd ever been.
RANSOM
Ransom watched Kent kiss March (and it was hot) and then Ransom watched Kent kiss Holster (and it was also hot), but the idea that he wouldn't get a turn when Kent wrapped it up was...unsettling. And frustrating. The idea that the last time he kissed Holster was probably the last time ever was an additional slightly anxiety-inducing thought. And then he had a quarter of a boner and he was pretty annoyed and he just wanted to get out of what was suddenly an extremely hot kitchen. "Hey," he muttered to March, placing his hand maybe a little dangerously low on her back, "you wanna get out of here? Go back to your place?"
HOLSTER
Holster was, in a word, overwhelmed. The skin-too-hot-too-tight feeling was back, and the lump in his throat resided slightly as Kent kissed him. He hadn't been prepared for this, and all the panic and fear he felt manifested into a deep, desperate kiss. He cupped Kent's jaw, pulling him close. He could hear Ransom speak and it only made him kiss Kent harder.
KENT
Kent wrapped his arms around Holster's broad shoulders and groaned at being kissed so thoroughly. He hadn't really meant to kiss so many people in such a short timeframe but he had absolutely zero regrets. As his fingers found their way into Holster's hair he felt a little shiver run through his body. He pulled back to briefly to catch his breath and grinned at the taller man. "Yeah, you definitely present a challenge to these two." He glanced back at March and Ransom, who looked cozier than they had a few minutes ago, and wiggled his eyebrows. "You two can go have some fun. I'll keep this one—" he gestured toward Holster "—occupied." His eyes went a little soft and he smiled at March. "See you later, babe?"
MARCH
She watched as Kent continued to kiss Holster, her head tilted to the side to catch a better look. Then suddenly Ransom moved closer to her side, the hand on her back, her head turned toward him, as she attempted to concentrate on what he had just said. March blinked before Kent spoke, her head turned toward him and Holster once again. "Yeah," She nodded, her voice came out soft and scratchy. March hopped off the counter, walked over to Kent and wrapped her arms around his torso in a tight hug. "Don't get into too much trouble, yeah?" She tried to make the mood lighter before she raised herself on her toes and gave Kent a soft kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to Ransom and reached for his arm, waiting for his lead.
RANSOM
Ransom's stomach dropped and it felt a little like some sort of wild animal was burrowing its way into his chest. Kent Parson was a cool dude and a great kisser but at that particular moment, all Ransom wanted to do was break something. Maybe over his head. But he refused to let it show on his face, plastering on a halfhearted smirk and clinging to March's hand for dear life.
As March and Kent kissed, Ransom locked eyes with Holster, trying his best not to look like a jealous asshole. "Have fun, bro," he said quietly, offering the hand not wrapped around March's for a fist bump. "Attic's all yours tonight."
HOLSTER
His big thumb brushed over Kent's cheek before pulling back, a casual smile plastered on his face. "Sure," he said easily, trying to keep his voice light. He felt...he didn’t know how he felt. It was frightening to be so undone in such a public setting. He took a step back from Kent, eyeing Ransom's fist warily, not reaching out to accept the bump for the first time in their friendship. "Have fun with your girlfriend." He said, tension apparent in his shoulders and jaw. Holster turned away, placing a large hand on Kent's shoulder. "Ready to brave that crowd again, bro? We can head upstairs anytime." He glanced at Ransom and March as they headed out the door, trying to focus on anything but them.
