by Rowan Shaw
I caught sight of a few other ones in a pile on the ground of the far corner of his studio. With the camera still on, I approached them and went through them as I filmed. Many represented sensual mouths, all of them semi-opened in ecstasy.
"Some of your paintings have changed. How do you explain that shift?" I asked.
When I turned to him, Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "If I say something bad, you'll edit it out, right?"
"Yes, you can review the video before I post it."
He nodded, slightly ill at ease. "Okay. So...I wouldn't say I'm sexually frustrated because I'm not. My boyfriend and I want to be monogamous. But that doesn't prevent me from desiring people of genders other than my own. This is how I express that need without straying."
I wanted to ask why he was even forcing himself to be monogamous if it was demanding so much effort, but he didn't leave me time as he continued the tour and kept talking until I had enough material for my video.
"Does Raphaël also miss sex with other genders?" I finally asked when I set the camera down on his table.
I knew the answer already. Men like us couldn't just flip the switch on our desires, even if that didn't prevent the majority of us from being fully monogamous.
"He does." Adrien wasn't looking at me. He'd picked up his charcoal drawings and was spreading them over his table.
My eyes outlined the one representing a cis man caught in a three-way with two cis women. "You guys talked about it?"
"We did."
"But you still don't want to go poly?" I couldn't stop looking at his drawings. I knew they had to represent his fantasies. I also knew he'd already been in all those positions, even the one representing an all-male orgy.
He shrugged and shook his head. It didn't feel like he was scared at all. I was glad to see the same bright smile that hadn't left his eyes since he'd started dating Raphaël. His happiness was all that mattered, really. The rest was only superfluous.
Chapter 12
NOAH
New Year's Eve arrived faster than I expected. I'd spent the past few days editing Adrien's video. It was ready to go up on my channel around seven P.M. when the doorbell rang and Raphaël went to open the door. I turned off my browser and put my laptop away, then followed him to the foyer.
His best friend Charlotte had arrived, a bottle of champagne in hand. I hadn't seen her since that time she accosted me on the street. She handed him the bottle, then took off her long, green velvet coat and silk scarf. I wasn't sure how she didn't freeze out there in the street wearing that beautiful purple dress with thin straps.
Her face illuminated as soon as she saw me standing behind Raphaël. After greeting him, she rushed my way and gave me a kiss on both cheeks, then flashed a gorgeous grin. "How have you been?"
"Well, and you?"
"Great, actually. I don't know if Raphaël told you, but I got a job as a substitute. I didn't get to tell you last time; I was in such a hurry. I'm teaching now. Can you believe it? Six more months before I complete my PhD—hopefully. And I got an apartment too. No more dorms for me."
She gave a little dance and smiled with all her white teeth, one of which was overlapping another at the bottom of her mouth. Her naturally tanned skin was flushed from the cold, the rosy color adding to her beauty. She grabbed my arm to lead me to the living room while Raphaël followed behind as if the place was ours and not his. Charlotte only disentangled herself from my arm when she saw Adrien lighting some candles on the coffee table.
"So what's the plan for tonight?" she asked eagerly. She was so energetic, she could have fused electricity through the entire room. Even when she let herself drop on the couch in a loud woof, her moves were filled with vigor.
Adrien flashed her a quick look. "Champagne with some appetizers, and then dessert."
"Do you guys need help?" I called from the couch when he left for the kitchen, tailed by Raphaël.
"Nah, you two enjoy yourselves," he shouted back.
Charlotte shot me a glance, and I cleared my throat before engaging her in a conversation about her thesis, which turned out to be on the ecological benefits of square-shaped houses. No wonder she got along so well with Raphaël. His thesis was also about ecological architecture. I couldn't understand half the terms she used, but I tried my best not to sound ignorant as I asked more questions.
When Adrien came back carrying a tray of hors d'œuvres and the open champagne, I looked at the huge pain surprise. It was a large, round bread cut into tiny sandwiches, the contents of which could only be discovered upon picking a slice.
Raphaël came in next with a platter of raw oysters. "Adrien, I told you we were eating the oysters and shrimp first. I already opened all the shells."
"Just put it all in the fridge."
His lips pursed, Raphaël let out a groan but left. We waited for him to return before filling our glasses to toast to the new year. The flutes made a ting when we bumped them against each other before taking a sip. As far as I was concerned, this coming year could only get better from here—or so I hoped.
Raphaël and Adrien were sitting in the two armchairs on either side of the coffee table, motioning for Charlotte and me to serve ourselves. We each picked a small sandwich from the pain surprise and inspected the inside.
"What's in yours?" I asked Charlotte.
"Smoked salmon and butter. Yours?"
"Lucky you." I couldn't tell what the green stuff inside mine was. I took a bite and made a face. "Ugh, avocado."
"You don't like avocado?!" she exclaimed in outrage.
"Gross!"
Charlotte laughed so loud, the sound thundered in my ear as she extended her hand for my piece. "I'll take it. Here, have mine."
I bit into hers right out of her hand and moaned. "So good. Much better than gross avocado."
She shook her head and turned her attention to Raphaël and Adrien, who were discussing the possibility of getting more toys for Opale. Raphaël was all for it, Adrien against it. When the dog heard her name, she came running to them, flicking her tiny tail from side to side, jumping around.
"Is she choking?" I asked when she made the strangest noise.
Not in the least concerned, Adrien chuckled. "No, she's just a weirdo."
"She's not a weirdo," Raphaël protested. "You're just saying that because she's my dog. She's not any weirder than your sociopath cat."
"She is weird. Look at her," Adrien teased, motioning at the dog with his chin.
As if on cue, Opale tried to join Raphaël on his armchair, but she missed her goal and fell on her butt. She sat there, startled, propped up on her front legs. Adrien let out a raw laugh that cost him a glare from Raphaël.
"See, she thinks she's human," he joked.
"Stop making fun of her." Raphaël scowled at him from across the table, and Opale rolled on her back so he could pet her stomach. He bent over to pick her up, then grabbed a slice from the bread.
He was about to eat it when Adrien scolded him, "Wash your hands before you touch that bread and put it in your mouth. I kiss that mouth every day."
Raphaël cut a tiny piece that he threw at him, but Opale must have thought he was playing catch because she jumped off the armchair and ran to go look for the piece by Adrien's seat. When her search turned fruitless, she gazed at Adrien with her huge black eyes and begged.
"This is all your fault," Adrien told Raphaël. "I told you not to feed her at the table. She's spoiled rotten."
Raphaël smiled proudly. As if to taunt Adrien, he called his dog back and gave her a piece of the sandwich coupled with a "Good girl."
Adrien made a face and shook his head. "If she gets sick and throws up, you're cleaning it up."
I had to agree with Raphaël, though. The dog was adorable, and I knew for a fact she never left their side. They even took her on vacation, whereas their Siamese cat stayed home. I had barely seen Ila since moving into the apartment, though. She liked to hide in random places. I couldn't tell if she was mad ab
out the dog or upset that I was living here too, but she was grumpy for sure.
The rest of the evening flew by until we were done eating the hors d'oeuvres and Raphaël brought out the seafood. I was stuffed, but I didn't want to upset him so I ate some of the oysters with vinegar as well as some shrimp. I took off their heads before removing the eggs from between their legs and pulling the tails apart. Considering shrimp was my least favorite seafood and seeing their dead eyes repulsed me, the meal wasn't worth the ordeal, but I wasn't going to say anything.
The clock rang eleven P.M. sooner than I expected. Adrien turned on the TV for the Crazy Horse after asking Charlotte if she minded. Many women watched the cabaret show too as a New Year's tradition, but we didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Charlotte shook her head but shifted in her seat. Her cheeks blushed. I wasn't sure where her sudden coyness came from, but she sat back on the couch and watched the entire show with us. I was so turned on by the time it ended, I had to readjust my pants. I dared a peek at her, hoping she hadn't noticed my condition, but was surprised to see the pink blush on her cheeks turning full-on scarlet and spreading down her neck. She pretended nothing was the matter, though she seemed strangely ill at ease.
When the clock ticked midnight, we all stood and cheered before downing half our cups of champagne. It was already my third glass, and I was getting fairly drunk at this point.
Adrien and Raphaël fell into a kiss that I thought would never end, leaving Charlotte and me to look at each other like complete losers.
"We could kiss too...if you want," she offered hesitantly.
I gave an encouraging smile—inviting enough that she pressed a closed-mouth kiss on my lips. "Happy new year, Noah. May it be better than the last."
Her jasmine scent heightened my arousal. When she pulled away, Raphaël and Adrien had stopped making out. They were staring at us, their eyebrows raised before they exchanged a quick glance.
Adrien smirked and stared at me. "So you're not sleeping in our room tonight, huh?"
He was as discreet as a bull, but I raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why not."
His mischievous grin never fell, his eyes shifting between Charlotte and me.
Upon realizing what he had just implied, Charlotte snapped her head toward him. "Wait! Have you guys been...? Are you three fucking?"
Her head whipped toward Raphaël, who choked on his champagne and started coughing.
"I thought you wanted to be monogamous," she told him, sounding slightly accusatory.
"I did. I do," he asserted.
"It sure doesn't sound like it." She raised her chin and beheld the three of us. "If you guys are sleeping in the same room tonight, would you let me join?"
Raphaël's mouth gaped open before he shot Adrien a fleeting glimpse asking for help.
"What?" Charlotte asked. "I've already been with you and Adrien before..."
"Yes, but..." Raphaël seemed so unsettled that she laughed.
"You think I'm going to sleep on this hard couch while the three of you are fucking all night long? I'd rather go home."
"We actually thought you'd be sleeping in Noah's room," Raphaël explained, his eyes shifting toward Adrien again. Unfortunately for him, it didn't look like his boyfriend was willing to get him out of this one.
"Where is Noah sleeping if I'm taking his room?" Charlotte asked.
Raphaël looked at Adrien stealthily and whispered, "In our bed."
"I want in," Charlotte insisted, then hesitated. "Well, if you guys want me, of course. I'm not going to force you." Then she looked at me. "You're not gay, right? Raphaël told me your channel was all bi stuff. You don't mind sex with women, right?"
I shook my head, my boner raging in pain. I hadn't had a foursome in years, and never one involving a woman. Actually, I hadn't been with a woman in forever, the last one being Nour. If Raphaël and Adrien weren't going to say "yes" to sex with Charlotte, I sure would.
The two of them looked at each other before Adrien acquiesced. "It's a deal."
Charlotte looked at Raphaël. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, let's do this," he replied.
Charlotte beamed, her smile rising to her eyes as she pumped her fist. "Three men to myself!"
Raphaël shook his head at her.
"If you say anything even remotely slut-shaming, I'll kick you in your beautiful balls," she warned.
"I'm in no position to slut-shame you," he replied.
"Damn right you aren't," she chimed.
The four of us cleaned up the living room as quickly as possible. I couldn't tell who wanted this to happen the most. We moved things to Adrien's room in a rush, and though we were all over each other the moment we stepped in, things got awkward quickly. It wasn't clear who was going to be doing whom or what or how. Adrien offered to take over and direct us, which made things go a lot smoother.
Our entire focus was on Charlotte and her pleasure. Watching her unravel was so hot, I couldn't stop staring no matter which one of us was gifting her an orgasm. Each time my turn came to bury myself inside her, near euphoria overtook me. She was so tight, I climaxed every time with each orgasm stronger than the last. I was baffled by Charlotte's wildness in bed; it clashed so strongly with the deep blushes I'd caught on her cheeks after the cabaret show.
After a few rounds, we were all too exhausted to continue. We settled in the guys' huge bed and snuggled against each other without bothering to get dressed. Charlotte and I were in the middle with Adrien and Raphaël spooning us from either side. Charlotte's skin was soft and warm against mine when she fell asleep in my arms while I caressed her short auburn hair.
"You like her?" Adrien asked in my ear from behind.
I nodded, watching her ample chest rise and fall with every breath. She was gorgeous, her makeup an absolute mess running down her face. Mine was probably just as bad, but I was too beat to care and clean it up.
"She's poly, you know? As in more than just experimenting."
"Really?" Obviously, she enjoyed some fun in the sack, but I didn't know it was on more than one random occasion.
"Back when she was with Raphaël, she was looking for someone who wanted to settle down while being open."
I glanced at Raphaël, who was fast asleep, his arm around Charlotte's waist, his mouth wide open in a snore. I stopped stroking Charlotte's hair and turned around so I was chest to chest against Adrien.
"She's straight, though," I whispered.
"Is that a problem?" he asked, stroking my face, his gaze tracing the movements of his fingers before meeting my eyes.
"I won't try anything with someone who's monosexual."
He furrowed his brow, his eyes dipping to my lips. "Why not?"
"Because they say they're okay with me sleeping with all genders at first. And then, when they get attached, they get upset and restrict me to the only gender they like. Been there, done that." I rolled my eyes. I wasn't willing to try the experience again.
"Charlotte isn't Hugo. She would have let Raphaël sleep with other women if he'd asked."
"Maybe she would at first. They always say 'yes' at the beginning, but once they know you're finally hooked, they change their mind, and it's too late to turn back."
"You did enjoy tonight, though, right?" He stroked my cheek again, his lips pulling into a naughty grin.
"Pfff, understatement of the year." I hadn't had sex with a woman in so long, I almost ejaculated on the spot when I first penetrated her. "She's incredibly good in bed."
"You should hang out with her sometime."
"Are you trying to set me up?" I asked.
"I don't think you're ready for a relationship, no. But Charlotte loves sex, and so do you, so why not enjoy it together?"
"How come she's still single?" I asked. She sounded so perfect.
"Misogyny," Adrien replied.
"Huh?"
"There are many men out there who don't like women to be sexually free."
"Right." I rolled my eyes. Why did they h
ave to ruin all the fun for the rest of us? I liked women to be sexually liberated and free to choose for themselves whether they remained celibate or were overly sexual.
"Raphaël said she hasn't been with anyone in a while. She got tired of guys using her for sex, then treating her like a whore the moment they were done with her."
I couldn't hide the anger consuming me. Charlotte was such a sweet person. As a male, I hated it when other men thought they held the monopoly on sex and orgasms. It infuriated me, even.
"Invite her to hang out. Just to see what happens." Adrien kissed me on the lips, tenderly seeking my tongue as he rolled me on my back to give me a blow job that pushed me over the edge so fast, I fell down the cliff with a barely restrained cry.
Chapter 13
NOAH
"You're sure you'll be fine?" Adrien asked while getting ready for work a few days later. He slid on his black v-neck sweater, then helped Raphaël, who was struggling to put on his jacket.
I flashed him a sarcastic smile. "Oui, père."
After spending all this time with them around, the apartment was going to feel empty, but I had things to do, and I needed to get back to work. I still had to post that video I'd made of Adrien's art and fully get back on social media. If he was concerned about me still mourning my relationship with Hugo, he didn't need to be. Yes, I still thought about Hugo. Yes, I still missed him. But I was doing much better.
"I don't like leaving you alone like this," he insisted.
"I'm fine. It's just eight hours, and I'm not three years old. I can take care of myself. I have to work, and I also need to start looking for a place to stay. I'm tackling that task this week."
"We're not kicking you out," Raphaël said, narrowing his hazel eyes. "You can stay as long as you need."
"I know, but I'm not going to stay here forever. You guys need your privacy."
I followed them through the living room all the way to the foyer. To my surprise, Raphaël seemed a bit disappointed I was considering leaving. I wasn't sure when he'd started considering me a part of their relationship, but I knew it was better not to consider it an option at all.
