Chapter 3

In the morning, Kevin and Bobby dressed slowly, shyly. Eyes meeting, looking away, then meeting again, grins finally appearing at the silliness of it all. Yes, things had changed. But they were the same. There was no reason to act like something life altering had happened.

Even if it had.

Twice during the night they had awoken together, twice they had given the other pleasure. Kevin had felt nothing strange about touching his friend, enjoying the experience of making him tremble and shake. The last time, he had thought Bobby was going to go down and suck him, wondering if he, himself, would go that far in return, but both had stayed with just their hands. That had been enough. Things would, eventually, go father, he knew.

Which was good. After all, it was Bobby.

His Mom was leaving as they stumbled downstairs, off to work. She gave last minute instructions he half listened to, nothing important that he noticed. Feeling ambitious, Kevin pulled down the pancake mix and looked at the instructions. Without needing to be asked, Bobby went to the kitchen wall phone and called Vicky. She was with them ten minutes later.

"Man, I love pancakes," she told them, stacking four on her plate. "Is that still your grandpa's syrup?"

"Yup. Go easy on it," Kevin told her, frowning a bit. "I think there's still another bottle somewhere, but it has to last until he taps those trees again."

"We'll have to have eggs when we're at your place," Bobby told her, slipping into the chair across from her and forking some sausage from the plate Kevin was putting on the table. "I love the way your mom scrambles them."

"Vicky's egg was definitely scrambled," Kevin said, getting a playful growl from her. She grabbed the butter dish, cutting chunks off to stick between her layers of fractal shaped pancakes. Kevin, taking his seat between the two at the round kitchen table, cut slabs off the other end of the stick. "Any good movies opening today?"

Vicky shook her head.

"Naw. Some blow-em-up thing, and two girly comedies. All look stupid."

"The blow-em-up didn't look that bad," Bobby said, mouth full. "Stupid, yeah, but it could be fun. It's in 3D. And, it's from the makers of The Core. So, you know, it should be good."

Both looked at Kevin, awaiting his opinion.

"We can always check it out," he said, considering. "Wander the mall, then go to the movie. Maybe we'll be the only ones there."

"That would be cool," Vicky said, grinning. "It would be like watching at home!"

The three focused on their food. Kevin was definitely proud of his meal, not making too much of a mess around the kitchen. Nothing that couldn't be easily cleaned up.

The ring of the kitchen phone brought the eating to a pause. It was probably some stupid recording or salesman, Kevin knew. His parents both had cell phones, where is where any important call would go. If HE had a phone, they could probably get rid of the antique. Not that he didn't get a kick out of it. The white phone even had a long cord which curled like a spring, so you could stretch it out into the next room. He was debating whether to stand up and answer, as opposed to waiting for the machine in the living room to do so, when Bobby rose. He was sitting almost under the thing.

"Hello."

As Kevin and Vicky watched, his eyes widened in surprise, and confusion.

"Um, hi, Mom." Kevin shared a glance with Vicky. "Oh, nothing, we're just eating breakfast. Yeah, pancakes. No, Mrs. Drew left awhile ago." There was a pause. "Um, really? Sure. No, I'd like that! Let me finish breakfast first. OK. Yeah. I will. Bye, Mom."

Bobby hung up, expression turning sheepish as he looked at the others. Kevin sighed.

"Leaving us, I assume?"

"Yeah." Bobby sat back down, quickly cutting a hunk out of his remaining stack of pancakes. "Mom's meetings were canceled today, so she's taking the day off and wants to do stuff with me."

"That's cool," Vicky said. He nodded, mouth full.

"We can do the movie in a few days," Kevin agreed. He kind of suspected Mrs. Stanfield hadn't really had meetings canceled, just taking the day off, but the motives of parents were always something of a mystery. They finished breakfast in silence.

"Well," Bobby said, standing, "I think I'll have to bail on helping clean up."

"Just like a man," Vicky said, giving him the full force of her gender based displeasure. He nodded happily.

"That's me, all man." He circled around Kevin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "See you two later."

"Later." Kevin watched as Bobby paused beside Vicky. He leaned down, whispering something in her ear. Vicky's eyes widened, head turning to look into his face.

"No!"

"Yup! Enjoy!"

Vicky was quiet as the two teens filled the dishwasher.

Bobby had ... done things with Kevin the night before. Played with him. Jacked him off. And Kevin had let him.

The whole gay thing, which, really, she had only begun to think about the previous morning, was now real. Bobby was in love with Kevin, and Kevin was happy to do ... sex things with Bobby. God, that was so hot. She wished she had been there to watch. Hell, been there to take part! Vicky suddenly remembered the sleepover at her place tomorrow night. The three of them, alone in her basement. Her parents never checked on them after 10 PM. They could ... wow...

"That's not a glass."

Vicky focused on what she was doing, which had been putting a plate up on the top where the cups went. She smiled apologetically, shrugging.

"Sorry!"

"Well, I know how sleepy you are this early, so I forgive you."

Which, of course, was a huge joke, as she was always up early and wide awake, unless she was up late, and even then she didn't sleep in all that long. She gave a theatrical yawn.

"You know, you're right. I should take a nap!"

"Don't let me stop you!"

Kevin closed the door to the dishwasher. Turning, he leaned back against the counter. Vicky liked the way his t-shirt was pulled a little tight, although she still couldn't see his nipples behind the blue fabric.

"So," he asked, hands gripping the countertop on either side behind him, "now what?"

Vicky knew what she wanted to do. Wanting, and doing, was always a huge gap for her. If Bobby was here, she doubted she'd hesitate. She was always more comfortable when they were three, instead of two, or one. Everything was right when they were three. As three, none could ever do wrong in the eyes of the others.

Kevin stood there, waiting for her. He always waited for her. Always. She was the newcomer to the group, not meeting the friends until they were two. He had made friends with her, asking his parents to invite her to any and all parties and activities along with Bobby. When boys and girls began breaking off into different cliques, he kept her with them. Never treated her like another boy, but neither did he treat her like some girl. She ... to him, she knew, she was just "Vicky", and the way he said her name it sounded like the most important title in the world.

"I know what I want to do," she said, softly. Kevin cocked his head questioningly.

"And?"

She again wished Bobby was there. She had kissed Kevin the day before, with him as backup. Bobby gave her strength.

But, then, he WAS there. In spirit. Taking comfort and courage from that, Vicky moved to stand before Kevin.

"This." Leaning forward, she kissed him.

Kevin closed his eyes, her lips and body lightly pressed against his.

The difference between his two friends was, not light and day, but more cake and ice-cream. Both wonderful, but each with a texture and taste all their own. Vicky was ice-cream. Her lips were smooth against his, tasting of maple syrup. His mouth opened, tongue flicking out get more of that flavor. It was met, tentatively, by hers. Soft hands touched the sides of his face, caressing his cheeks. His own hands were at her waist, just above her jeans. He had meant to put them over her shirt, but as they slid up off her pants they found themselves on soft, bare skin. She was softer than Bobby, but not by much.