Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/3741244. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: F/F, F/M Fandom: Homestuck Relationship: Rose_Lalonde/Kanaya_Maryam, Rose_Lalonde/Dave_Strider, Rose_Lalonde/ Kanaya_Maryam/Dave_Strider Character: Dave_Strider, Rose_Lalonde, Kanaya_Maryam Additional Tags: Polyamory, Xeno, Polyamory_Negotiations, Interspecies_Relationship(s), Relationship_Negotiation, Sibling_Incest Stats: Published: 2015-04-14 Completed: 2015-08-13 Chapters: 4/4 Words: 10134 ****** The Lights in Your Eyes ****** by bench Summary TT: I suppose I will be blunt. TT: I know that trolls don't have a concept of incest, but to you have the concept of polyamory or open relationships? TT: Kanaya? ***** Chapter 1 ***** tentacleTherapist(TT) began pestering turntechGodhead (TG) TT: Dave, I require your assistance in a scientific investigation. TT: It is a matter of some delicacy and I hope that just once we can have a frank and straightforward conversation without talking wild circles around every damn thing. TG: rose please lets be realistic here TG: thats like asking a professional hot dog eater to stop eating hot dogs TG: like he could stop TG: move on TG: find a different career as an accountant or a pizza man or one of those people who hang billboards TG: but he doesnt know how to live without the dogs TG: its his identity now TG: so he goes on eating and eating until finally diabetes begins to set in TG: you know that i am always eager to be the confused yet intrigued guinea pig to your mad scientist TG: but yeah there is no way we are kool-aid-man-ing it though the wall of obfuscation that is basically required to precede every conversation we have TT: Yes, I suppose that was wishful thinking. TG: it surely was TG: but i think weve got it just about covered here so lets move on TG: yeah whatever you need you got me TG: its not like I have anything else to do with my time TG: oh wait no not done just yet TG: because spoiler alert its super fucking boring here TG: there are only so many bare concrete walls to ogle TG: The sprawling metropolis of cantown practically runs itself these days TG: even winding up the angriest of nubby trolls has started to get old as impossible as that may seem TG: haha no that is not true at all that shits still totally entertaining TT: Dave, I am about to finish my chapter; are you done yet? TG: no not quite ive got a few more TG: and no longer are we desperately trying to alchemize something anything to serve the purpose of earth things that were meteor'd out of existence TG: sword practice can only hold my attention for like four or five hours a day TG: so yes TG: yes i am ready to be strapped down to the science table and prodded at with the science rod TG: bring it the hell on TG: what do you need TT: I was reading a novel which highlighted a glaring deficiency in my experience. There was a series of actions that I do not believe to be possible, but I do not know if this is true. TT: The lack of knowledge made it difficult to relate to the tribulations of the leading character. This is not the first time I have been so inconvenienced. TT: It's enough of an irritant that I feel the need to remedy it to the best of my ability and at haste. TT: So. TT: Dave, would you be interested in having sex with me? TT: Dave? TG: well first off i want you to know that i just almost literally choked to death on my apple juice TG: so thanks for that TG: and TG: hm TG: like damn lalonde TG: of all the crazed bullshit of flighty broads that could have come out of your lipsticked maw that was the straight up last thing that i expected TG: dave please join me in my knitting circle TG: dave i think you should be putting more effort into your pursuit of sick raps TG: dave kanaya and i have decided to become alien married and i want you to serve as my maid of honor now please help me pick out a dress TG: these would have been reasonable and fair TG: but nah son TG: You want a piece of this smokin hot strider ass despite the fact that you have never shown the slightest interest in dudes as a genre and have a special lady all up in your business at all hours of the night TT: Is that a no then? TG: hell no is it a no im so in you dont even know im in like a cowboy is diving into the rodeo to wrangle the most ornery of steers TG: he knows the danger TG: he is aware of the risks TG: but damned if he isnt going to take the leap and get down to fucking business TG: count me right the fuck in TT: Excellent. TG: but TG: how does your girl-mate-friend-sprit feel about this TG: since shes supposed to be the one and only one doing any ectosis boning around here TG: im not going to step on a fellow ranchers territory TT: Dave, the metaphor has long since perished. Please let it die with grace. TT: However, you bring up a very valid point. TT: I got a little ahead of myself here. TT: A moment. tentacleTherapist (TT) ceased pestering turntechGodhead (TG) ***** tentacleTherapist (TT) began pestering grimAuxtrillix (GA) TT: Kanaya TT: I need to ask you something. GA: Yes? GA: Rose? TT: I'm not exactly sure how to phrase my question. GA: Well That Is Unusual. TT: I must ask you something that I'm sure lies somewhat outside the realms of standard matespritship, but that I think we can agree could be a valuable venture. TT: Of course if you do not agree I would never dream of going against your wishes. I value our relationship far too highly to put it at any sort of risk. TT: I understand that this may be a difficult cultural bridge to cross, but I propose to make a bold foray across the lines of standard relationship procedures. GA: Rose I Have No Idea What You Are Trying To Say To Me. Please Try To Use Words That Actually Convey Meaning When Used In Sequence TT: Sorry. I've been talking to Dave. GA: Oh Well In That Case I Understand Completely TT: I suppose I will be blunt. TT: I know that trolls don't have a concept of incest, but to you have the concept of polyamory or open relationships? TT: Kanaya? GA: I Am Exploring This Term On The Remains Of Your Human Internet. GA: While Trolls Do Not As Far As I Know Have A Word For The Sort Of Relationship That You Are Insinuating It Is Something That Does Exist In Our Society According To Word Of Mouth GA: And By Word Of Mouth I Mean Karkat TT: Of course. GA: Trolls Are Extraordinarily Territorial By Nature As You Know And The Idea Of Sharing A Mate Would Be Repellant To Most In An Established And Ongoing Liaison Such As The Ones Between The Two Of Us But That Is Not To Say That It Never Happens GA: However When The More Common Dynamic Of Quadrant Flipping Is Brought Into Play One Day Stands Of A Group Nature Are Not At All Uncommon And Are Not Considered Taboo TT: That is interesting, doesn't it put relationships at stake when one's kismesis is red for one's matesprit? TT: No, don't answer that; I had a point. We can dive into a discussion on the intricacies of troll relationships some other time. TT: Back on earth there were many different kinds of open relationships the details of which I don't want to go into right now. TT: The sort that I think would apply best to our situation is one in which one member of the relationship is unable to supply some sort of fulfillment to the other. TT: There is no less love, or in this case pity, for the member who cannot supply, and the other chooses to find that satisfaction elsewhere. TT: I need to know what it feels like to have intercourse with a human male for research purposes. TT: It would of course only be with your permission. I want to assure you that I wish you to be my primary partner as long as you are willing to have me. GA: I Believe That As Long As We Are Able To Talk Openly About Our Intentions We Will Be Able To Possibly Make Such An Arrangement Work TT: Oh ok. TT: How about we meet in your block to discuss the situation in person? TT: Now that the difficult part is over this seems humorously inefficient when we are down the hall from each other. GA: Agreed I Will See You In A Moment tentacleTherapist (TT) ceased pestering grimAuxtrillix (GA) ***** tentacleTherapist (TT) began pestering turntechGodhead (TG) TT: Kanaya and I have discussed the matter at length and as long as we all behave within certain parameters, I believe that this is an itch that will be perfectly possible for me to scratch. TG: damn rose you said a moment TG: you were gone for like four hours that was one hell of a discussion and your definition of a moment is pretty different from the guy with fucking universe-spanning time powers TG: what I am trying to insinuate here and i know im doing a pretty awful job of it is that you were totally fucking it out werent you TT: A lady does not comment on what she may or may not do in the bedroom with her girlfriend to her brother. It's crass. TT: What I am trying to say, dearest ectobrother, is fuck right off. TG: ok but you see the bullshit in what you just said right TT: Yes, Dave, I was being ironic. I would think that you would see that. TG: just makin sure that were all on the same page TT: I think we are. TG: so whats the plan then TG: i agreed so im not gonna just go back on my word TG: but if your agreement includes really kinky shit or anything that will leave me an emotionally damaged wreck i would like to plead the fifth TG: and you remember my bro so you know that it would have to be pretty fucked up to even ping on the kink radar that is my sundered concept of a normal sex life TT: Quite. TT: What Kanaya and I agreed upon is that in order for the both of us to be as comfortable as possible, she should be not just present for but engaged in any proceedings. TT: And that whatever you and I might experience together as members of the same species should not impact what we feel as an xenobiological couple and should not negate any portions of that relationship. TT: Not that there was any risk of that, but it needs to be said. TG: well I guess that seems pretty reasonable TT: I have assured Kanaya that I will make you fully aware of the guidelines and as long as you are still willing to play your part we can move forward. TG: alright so im going to try to strip the overblown bullshit out of all of those words because damn you have been talking to me too much TG: what youre saying is that as long as i am alright with an alien threesome we are clear with your alien ladyfriend to have semi-incestuous sexytimes to your shriveled little hearts content TG: and as if i could ever get between you guys dont insult me TT: Yes, that pretty much sums it up. TG: yeah cool just give me a time and a place tentacleTherapist (TT) ceased pestering turntechGodhead (TG) ***** Chapter 2 ***** Chapter Summary Three days later. Back when you made this proposal you were at the disadvantage of being three quarters through a particularly raunchy Earth romance novel and working on a second bottle of poorly alchemised wine. Now that you stand, three days later, minutes away from the fruit of all your planning, your nerves are finally catching up with you. In the day since you came up with the plot you have put it from your mind. You aren't about to abort mission, but with Kanaya due any minute to start everything off… well. This could be a huge mistake. Yes, this is something you want. Yes, you have been thinking about it for a long time. But no, you didn't want to make your proposal on a drunken impulse. But you aren't backing down. You glance down at the knitting you are currently twisting out of shape in your hands and sigh. Kanaya is to meet you in your room at six thirty and Dave to make his appearance at seven. It is six twelve now. Kanaya is always a bit early and Dave is always a bit late. You have planned this very precisely, even Seen that you have done everything you can to ensure a favorable outcome. It's up to the players to win the game now. With emotions this dear on the line the future branches too much too fast for you to know anything for sure. What you can See is that there are far more favorable outcomes than unfavorable ones. As events unfold you can continue to nudge them down promising paths. That should be enough. At the same time, some of the paths are more than favorable. They are positively enchanting. You don't want to get ahead of yourself as you have found that chasing after a thread of the future has a way of pulling it from you grasp, but there is exciting potential that you can nudge the evening towards. At the same time you are worried that the stakes could be too high. How sure do you need to be for the awards to outweigh the risks? You won't lose Kanaya, of course, but you could lose Dave. He is… sensitive, your brother. He reacts poorly to hurt and even worse to uncertainty. There are seven damn people on this meteor and you couldn't bear to have another you can't talk to. You are twisting the sweater again and you thrust it down in frustration, taking a sip out of your drink instead. Yes, you desperately want to know exactly what it feels like to have sex with a human male. Yes, you have taken every precaution. But no, you don't want to spoil your existing relationships to get it. You aren't an idiot. You are more in tune with the emotions and thoughts of others than anyone. If it all goes to hell you can stop, do damage control, and make sure nothing is ruined in the long term. There is really nothing to worry about. You take up your knitting again and begin counting stitches. Kanaya will be here any moment and you would like to find a good stopping spot. As you count, you go over the plan again. Kanaya arrives at six twenty five exactly. You will have forty minutes to make sure that you are both comfortable and to maybe get a little bit of a head start. Dave comes in, sees what's going on, and he doesn't have time to twist himself in knots of self-doubt before you convince him to join in. This is where you are going to have to improvise, something you hate. Somehow you'll get everyone in bed, satisfied, and educated. You swallow down the rest of your mojito in a single gulp and accidentally knit when you should have purled. Usually knitting has a way of settling your nerves, but every damn thing seems to be riling you up tonight. You try for another sip but the glass is down to ice and crushed mint. You are contemplating going for another when there is a knock at your door. A glance at the clock informs you that it's six twenty five. Kanaya, right on time. You shove the glass to the back of your desk where it won't get in the way in case someone decides that something must be done on its surface. It has happened before and no one likes vacuuming glass shards out of carpet. The knitting is tucked into a basket under your chair. You take a deep breath, tell yourself that you have considered every possibility and there is nothing else to stress about, and stand. You pull open the door to your room and pull her in by a handful of her blouse, kicking the door shut behind her. She squawks with as much dignity as it is possible for a person to squawk. You don't snicker, but that is only because your lips are otherwise occupied. You keep your girlfriend pressed up against the door. You want to drown your worry in the taste of her, in the feel of her chill skin against your palms, in the way she gasps when you bite down on her lip ever so slightly. Kanaya is your safe haven when the future is a current pulling you down. When the weight of the world that crumbled to bring you here is too much to bear, she reminds you of what you will be able to build When the meteor finishes its journey. When the icy touch of the furthest ring brushes at the fringes of your mind with vicious whispers of all you have failed and all you have lost her glow burns them back. You forget that there was anything you were worried about in the ritual of coming together. Fortunately Kanaya has always been more sensible about these things then you. She indulges you until the tension falls out of you, then pushes you off. She fixes you with a look that says "If You Want To Fuck Against The Door We Can But I Take No Responsibility." You nod and turn to walk further into the room to sit on the edge of your bed. She takes your recently- abandoned desk chair. "You are sure that you are ready to go through with this?" she asks sounding a bit breathless. "I'm sure," you assert with more confidence than you really feel. "But remember if at any time Dave or I do something that you find-" "Rose stop it," she interrupts you before you have a chance to really get going. You are grateful. "We discussed this until we were green in the face. At this point I am more worried about you than I am about me. I trust you, Rose." You swallow. "I think you should consider one more time whether Dave is the correct outlet for these yearnings," she continues. "If you were trolls I think I would insist that you refrain since a more obvious morailigence I have never seen and you should not pail where you pale. However, since you aren't I shall defer to your judgment. But I do want to take this opportunity to express my concerns once more. This will change things between the two of you, Rose. Merely making the proposal already has." It is just as fair a point as it was last time she brought it up, and one that you have agonized over the last few days. Unfortunately you don't have a good answer. You don’t have enough experience with interpersonal relationships or with your god tier powers to understand exactly what you have wrought. There will be change. Some will be welcome and some will not. You have weighted everything, even made lists, and now, finally, you are confident. The pros outweigh the cons by a comfortable margin. The risks are few and the rewards are great. You nod firmly. "Yes, this is what I want to do. It is going to go well, everyone is going to have a good time, and, in the end, we will all be the closer and the more knowledgeable for it." Kanaya regards you with thorough scrutiny. You know that this is, for the two of you at least, the deciding moment. Finally she mirrors your nod. "Very well." A small smile breaks the seriousness of the conversation. "Now I believe it was your intention that the two of us, how do you say it, get this party started?" You laugh, startled. "That is exactly how you say it." For a moment you grin at each other, both relieved that you have finally arrived at the conclusion of all your worry. It is, however, time to begin. You bite your lip, pondering where to start, and can't help but notice how Kanaya's gaze snaps there. You lick your lip deliberately and she takes that as the invitation that it was. She doesn’t need any more prompting. Rainbow drinker speed could almost rival that of a flashstep and she is over you with a knee on either side of your left thigh before you have fully registered that she moved. Her fangs create little indents in her smile. You want to lick them, but she is kneeling too far above you. For now. With one hand she braces herself on you right knee. She plants the other on your shoulder and pushes until you are flat on your back. Your breathing has already picked up. There is something about her casual alien strength that gets you going every time. You can feel yourself blushing. "Oh, Rose. Aren't you just the loveliest thing," she murmurs gazing down at you. Her words send a shiver down your spine. She begins to bend down slowly enough that you would arch up to meet her if only she didn't still have a hand holding you down. Her lips are mere inches from connecting with yours and you are squirming with anticipation when there is a thundering knock at your door. You curse between clenched teeth as your matesprit pulls away and climbs down off of the bed. "Shall I let him in?" she asks, sounding obnoxiously unruffled. The reality of what you are about to do crashes back down with an almost physical force. Fear and lust all caught up in a tangle that makes your head spin and your legs rub together. It would be a lie to say that you hadn't thought about this a lot in the last three days once you made the proposition. Perhaps you have not yet experienced the genuine article yourself, but your imagination is rich. You and Dave and Kanaya, working together, for each other, in a variety of enticing positions. And now the moment is here, fantasies flooding back in a rush. You try to speak, fail around your dry throat, and try again. "I suppose you'd best," you croak. She smirks at your obvious distress and strides over to the door with much swaying of hips and sultry backwards glances. You would glare, but you are too busy imagining those hips matched to yours while Dave presses up behind you. Cold on one side, heat on the other. You think you make a noise. "Kanaya, a real pleasure to see you on this delightful evening," Dave deadpans. You struggle to bring your attention back to the present, shifting your gaze from the ceiling to the doorway. Dave does not appear at all surprised to find Kanaya answering the door and you more than a little at disadvantage and sprawled out across the bed. Kanaya has always been the more self-managed of the two of you. "A good evening to you as well," she replies. Dave nods, his color already high. You want to see that color all over him. "Would you care to join us?" Kanaya asks gesturing magnanimously at the bed where you still lie, not entirely sure how to act. His color deepens, but otherwise he doesn't react. "As long as I'm here," he says shrugging and starts towards the bed. Kanaya settles herself back into the desk chair and grins at you. You stare back, wide-eyed. Dave stands over you for a moment, at the same time surveying the scene and delaying. You force yourself to remember the plan: get Dave hot and bothered before he has time to make a departure from the handle in suitably dramatic fashion. "Come on, Dave," you murmur. "Let's get this party started." ***** Chapter 3 ***** Chapter Summary Rose gets this show on the road. Chapter Notes Posting from Paris! Wow! See the end of the chapter for more notes An almost imperceptible smile breaks Dave's façade. He climbs onto the bed settling a knee on either side of your left leg in an unconscious reflection of your earlier position under Kanaya. You inhale sharply and Dave freezes. "Please, take your time." Kanaya says, before you can explain yourself. She still manages to sound unruffled while your heart pounds in your chest. It's not fair that she can keep her head so well at a time like this. "I will interfere when I am so inclined." You make a noise that could not possibly be qualified as a whimper. "As the lady commands," Dave replies, slipping a hand under the small of your back and pulling you up to him. It is obvious from the first moment Dave's lips touch yours that he hadn't the slightest goddamn idea what he's doing. He is frozen with awkwardness, staring at you with increasing alarm. You are close enough to see his wide eyes through the shades that he is still wearing. He must have had some idea of what he wanted to do when he pulled you to him, but taking fantasies into a reality with actual humans and real arms, legs, and hands is another thing all together. He is unsure of where and how he is permitted to touch you. In fact, other than where his knees press into your thigh and his lips still frozen on yours he somehow manages not to touch you anywhere. Your novels always featured gentlemen with vast experience and that is somehow what you imagined this encounter to be despite knowing he had never touched another person romantically. An oversight. He is just sort of hovering there with his lips touching yours and you can practically hear his brain screaming "now what??" You are equal parts annoyed, amused, intrigued, and excited, but you are not going to let this go on any longer. The last thing you need is for him to worry himself straight out of bed. It seems like you are going to have to teach him all that you and Kanaya learned through painstaking, thorough practice. Your instinct is to just take the whole thing over, because really. Instead you force yourself to guide. To coax. Dave is so very invested in his self-image of the dashing knight even if he doesn’t really know it. Pushing him is a sure way to shut him right down. You grip one shoulder to steady him and pull him a bit closer, because you can hear cogs turning and each and every one of them screams doubt about himself and about being here. A small amount of tension falls out of him now that you have assured him in this small way that yes, you do want him here and no, he isn't making a mistake. With your other hand you cup the back of his head so that you can get him positioned the way you want him, shifting the angle so that your lips align. You run your tongue light and quick against his bottom lip and he inhales sharply, another bit of tension falling from his shoulders. You take advantage of his slightly open mouth to suck lightly on his lip. It seems to finally wake him up from wherever his head sent him when his confidence ran for the hills. He slips one hand under the back of your neck and uses it to tilt you back so that he can return the gesture, sucking at your bottom lip, than the top, than the bottom. You notice yourself starting to breathe a little heavier. Dave was always a quick learner. You ease back, pulling him with you until you are flat against the bed again. You scrape at his lip with your teeth, then bite down, then soothe it better. You keep it light and teasing while Dave continues to relax. This is easy. There is no pressure. Just kissing. When you decide to up the ante you keep it slow, letting him get the feel for what you are doing one little step at a time. Together you continue in that manner for a while, getting a little faster and a little sloppier as you go on. Now that he is in the swing of things and no longer needs your hands guiding him, you allow them to roam. As you slide your hand down his back from his shoulder you can feel his ribs through his god tier robes. You want to count them. With your tongue. You thread your fingers through his hair alternately gripping it to messiness and smoothing it back to order. Dave is supporting himself with one hand and he doesn't do much with the one under your neck other than shift the angle between the two of you and stroke lightly at what little of your hair you can reach. It makes you shiver. The tension that you worked out of him begins to sink back in, but it is a different kind of tension. All the while you are aware of Kanaya sitting just a few feet away like there is a compass within you and she is your north. There is a tiny part of you that wonders just how this is going to work. She isn't going to sit there forever, and the moment she joins in is the most delicate part of the operation. Dave is skittish as a kitten and nearly as fragile. You need to get the timing just right: after he is settled in and comfortable, but before things go so far that the intrusion is irritating. When Kanaya feels that Dave is ready she will, with caution, insert herself into the tangle. You couldn't just tell her what to do when. Even with your seer powers it was difficult for you to know how this was going down. Emotions are a messy, capricious business, pointing down so many possible paths. You couldn’t hope to know exactly how Dave would react even after all your negotiations, or if your little group would even manage to make the many complications of a threesome work. You probably would--the outlook was good--but you don't know for sure. Dave feels amazing. His lips are hot against yours, his body solid, and his fingers clever, but your mind is only half on what the two of you are doing. There is a massive piece missing from the puzzle. She is the one who is supposed to be making your head spin and your knees weak and every other romantic cliché that you used to write off as fanciful horseshit until it all began to happen to you on a daily basis. You won't be able to keep this up for long without her. It would have been smart to establish a signal beforehand that it was time to dive into the fray. Of course, because she is the light of your life and the cleverest person you have ever had the good fortune to meet, Kanaya picks the very moment you start to fret to run one hand from your knee up the outside of your free thigh. You shiver in a way that is more than noticeable enough for Dave to realize something is up. He pulls away from you -his lip slipping from between yours with a pop- to glance back over his shoulder. It is at once a blessing, as now you have a moment to catch your breath, and an irritation since he isn't kissing you anymore. You settle for being thoroughly distracted by the creaking of the mattress as Kanaya joins you on the bed. Dave, being Dave, stiffens up again as all of his worries rush back to the forefront. Mentally you sigh. Physically you run your hands reassuringly over his shoulders and back. It's ok, you try to think loudly enough for him to hear straight through his thick, stubborn skull. This is just fine. You're doing great. He calms faster this time, used to the way you show him you want him. More than anything it seems as though he was only startled by Kanaya's emergence. As you agreed, Kanaya keeps her distance at first, merely making her presence known. Yes, she is here. Yes, she is fine with what you are doing. No, there is no need for anyone to get all self-conscious and launch straight off the handle. Dave, however, isn't having any of it. With his usual grace he pushes up on his knees and swivels at the waist to face Kanaya. His already-vivid blush somehow manages to brighten as he leans towards her. Again he hesitates, but Kanaya can more than handle him. She takes ahold of his chin with one hand and uses it to draw him in. He follows easily, steadying himself with one hand on her shoulder. You can't even believe that they are going to do what you think they are going to do until a smirk quirks at one side of Kanaya's mouth and she closes the final inches between them. Your angle is nothing short of awful, but you still very nearly swoon. The sight of your ectobrother making out with your girlmatefriendsprit clocks in as a solid three on the list of sexiest things you have ever seen. You must make a noise, because as one they shift so that you can view them in perfect profile. The way they move against each other is art and poetry and they are yours. You taught them this, you brought this on, they are doing this for you. You notice that your hands are white knuckle fisted in the blankets and prop yourself up on your elbows instead; the better to see them with. Kanaya has one hand cupping Dave's cheek and the other at his hip. Dave has one hand on Kanaya's left horn and has shifted the other from her shoulder to wrap around her waist. You can see his fingers shifting with want where they curl around her ribs. You want to cover his and with yours. You want to use her free horn to lever Kanaya on top of you and use the collar of Dave's God Tier pajamas to do the same. For now you content yourself with watching, and what a sight it is. The have pulled each other as close as they can with your legs tangled in between them, moving with each other like they were made to do it. Suddenly Dave jerks back with a startled almost-shout and Kanaya cringes. A single drop of ruby-red blood beads on his lower lip and falls to trickle down his chin. One of the hazards of troll makeouts, rainbow drinkers in particular. Kanaya makes an abortive motion to lick up the drop, but freezes, not knowing how Dave will respond. He tilts is head back a fraction on an inch in a clear invitation. Kanaya takes it for what it is and licks from chin to lips in one slow, sensuous motion. You have what would be most accurately called a Pavlovian response, your entire body clenching in a wave of desire that leaves you lightheaded. You have cut lips and tongue on those fangs more times than you can count, all with the result that you see before you now. It never leads anywhere tame. You surge upwards before you register the desire to move. Propping yourself up on one hand, you grab Kanaya's horn with the other. She gasps, startled and discomforted, and you capture the noise with your mouth. It's not a kiss exactly. You bite her lower lip until your blunt teeth are able to make their mark. You get a quick taste of the very essence of Kanaya before the precarious position you are all in collapses sideways. You end up flat on your back once again with Kanaya and Dave on on either side of you. Everyone's arms and legs and cloths are all tangled up in ways that probably defy physics. There is a beat of silence before you burst into hysterics of laughter. Kanaya and Dave follow, all of you incredulous that you are even doing this and giddy that it seems to be working. Still laughing, you move together to get untangled. It's a mess, every inch of your dress seems to be either trapped under someone or twisted with someone's cloths. Kanaya forgot to take off her shoes and kicks you hard in the ankle. Dave somehow manages to launch a dozen potatoes out of his sylladex and all over your room. On top of that, every time any of you lock eyes it sends you back into cascades of giggles. Eventually you find yourselves laying side-by-side on the bed, you in the middle, holding hands and wondering what to do next. All of the romance in the situation vanished like Karkat from a discussion of earth social constructs. If you want this to continue in the direction you had intended when you started out, and you do, you are going to need to make a move. You lay there longer than you need to, because you find yourself torn. The first order of business ought to be to get the Dave train back on the tracks because he is the wild card here, but on the other hand you haven't really kissed Kanaya yet and that's just not the way it's supposed to be. You indulge in a few more moments of conflict before you give into the inevitable and drop Dave's hand so that you can twist into your side. Kanaya, either as a side effect of her species, or her status as the undead, or something that is just her, has a very distinct taste. You cannot get enough of it. Unlike with Dave there is no caution here, no starting slow. You scrape your tongue over the dagger-sharp points of her fangs and she bites down hard enough to draw blood. You don’t mind at all, moaning softly. Again you bite hard on her bottom lip, much harder than you would dare with Dave. She retaliates with enthusiasm, sucking on your tongue and using her fangs to further effect. You bite and suck at lips and tongue until the two of you can only maintain contact for a moment or two between your gasping breaths. At some point you managed to lace the fingers of one hand with hers while she cards through your hair as much as she is able with the other. With your free hand you grope towards your back where you can feel Dave pressed up against you, on his side, propped up on one elbow, watching the proceedings with almost tangible interest. You hope he is enjoying the show as much as you did. After you sort of poke him in the stomach a few times he finally gets the message and holds on. He also seems to take it as his queue to get in on the action. He drops down onto the bed again, making it bounce. His now-freed hand slips under your head to catch Kanaya's and he presses a gentle kiss to the back of your neck. Kanaya abandons your mouth for a moment, pressing kisses along the column of your throat. You let yourself just revel in all the attention for as long as you can stand to be still. The two bodies and two hands and two lips all pressing up against you feels better than any drink you have managed to alchemize. You writhe a little and shiver more and gasp even more than that. Dave trails down the back of your neck and across the back of your shoulder while Kanaya moves across your collarbone. You are at once overwhelmed and in wild need of more. The contrast between the two of them is stark and keeps you from getting too lost in the sensation. Dave is soft and careful while Kanaya is all experience and fang. It wouldn’t surprise you if she drew blood as she passed over your throat again. Dave would die uncomplaining before he did you the slightest harm. You feel like you are caught in the crossfire of two conquering armies, all intent on you. Behind you and to the side Dave, has let go of Kanaya's hand, apparently assured that he is welcome here, and hooked his arm over your waist. He pulls you closer and closer as if he wants you to merge together. Kanaya is hip-to- hip and chest-to-chest with you, her familiar form getting you riled well beyond kisses alone. You can feel her bulge squirming against your abdomen, the same way it has countless times before. Against your hip on the other side Dave is alternating between pressing his hardon against you and pulling away so you can't feel it. Of course you feel it and, similar to how you feel with Kanaya but this is new, it inindudates you with a heady feeling of power. You are surrounded and nearly consumed, one body so familiar, the other so strange, but both so very plesant. The contrast is very fascinating from a scientific perspective, you tell yourself as you try to push forward into Kanaya and back into Dave at the same time. You don't get much of anywhere, but it feels wonderful nevertheless. However, as much as you love being the center of attention, you are on a mission here. If you don't do something you will still be here on this bed kissing well into next week. You give yourself a few more moments of being lavished by the two most important people in your life before you elbow both of them back and rise. "I think," you say rather breathlessly, "that we would all be better off with significantly less clothing getting in the way." Dave gives you this look like he can't decide if he's thrilled to be getting naked or annoyed that you made him stop rutting against you. He freezes with indecision. Kanaya, of course, is comfortable with any move you could possibly make and, with grace you envy, worms her way out of the heap on the bed to stand in front of it. In a few quick motions she is altogether nude. She looks down at you and Dave still half tangled together and raises a single eyebrow as if to say "are you really going to make me wait?" You really, really aren't. With Kanaya out of the way it takes little effort to extricate yourself from Dave. Too impatient to make a whole thing of it at this point, you simply shrug out of all that you are wearing while kneeling on the bed. There is no dignified way to remove leggings even when standing, but no one here is standing on your dignity. You just don't want to be dressed any more. You turn to examine your brother and find that he still hasn't moved, but rather than indecisive he appears shell shocked halfway to drooling on the comforter. He can't seem to decide if he should fixate on Kanaya's mostly- emerged bulge or your… everything. With a smirk, Kanaya reaches down to let her bulge twine between her fingers, capturing both your and Dave's attention completely. Dave makes small a wanting-but-confused-about-it noise. You don't, but only because you have a lot more practice. Instead you are very, very impatient. You want that in you and you want it hours ago. "Dave," you snap, "get undressed or get left behind." Chapter End Notes My tumblr if you have anything to say! ***** Chapter 4 ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes For once he obeys with alacrity, no more doubt or hesitation. His flashstep has improved in your months on the meteor, and he moves so fast that you are barely even able to see that he is moving at all. In little more than a blink of the eye he is kneeling on the bed facing you, stark fucking naked. You hear his clothes hit the floor somewhere off to your side in a twin thwump-thwump that you barely register through this newly revealed revelation. For the first time since Kanaya walked into your room you give yourself time to stop and consider. Here before you stands something you have never had the opportunity to see, nor are you likely to lay eyes upon such a sight again. You need to get a good, thorough eyeful. For science. For literature. Because you damn well want to. The specimen in question is a human male, aroused. His face is flushed, lips well-bitten, figure fine, and fully-hard cock is just sort of jutting out from his groin. How fascinating. You rather thought that it would hang down. Your hand twitches to touch, but you refrain. It is a subject that requires thorough visual study. His blush extends down his neck to color his chest. His nipples are so small compared to yours. You assumed that he would be hairier, but no. You start to mentally meander toward ponderances of testosterone levels and genetics, but then your wandering eyes make it below the belt and you remember your mission. Analysis can come later. Now is, once again, the time for action. You feel your face shift into the predatory expression that you employ when faced with a pleasant challenge. Rather than looking concerned or intimidated as he usually would when faced with you in such a mood, Dave simply looks wanting. You swallow and make your move. You shuffle towards him until you are nearly knee to knee. He makes a noise in the back of his throat like a man watching the arrival on an oncoming tidal wave. Your grin spreads. From off to your side you hear a wet noise as Kanaya continues to work her bulge, but you pay it no mind. Sure you are going to be showing off for her, but this is for you. They are your questions that need answering. Your curiosity that cannot be staunched. This is supposed to be all about you. You are unable to forget that she is watching nevertheless, and it is with her in mind that you press one palm to the center of Dave's chest and push until he falls onto his back, head barely elevated by the pillows behind him. His legs are trapped under him and his hands lay useless to his sides. He makes no move to change the situation in the slightest. You are, as ever, in control. You follow the path your eyes took moments ago with your hands. Cup his face, run your nails lightly over his ribcage, pinch at his nipples. Each different touch produces a different reaction: a twitch or a gasp or a moan; hands loose with far-off lust or white-knuckled in the sheets with forceful want. All so pleasant. All so different from what you have experienced with Kanaya. All fascinating. He seems to react most when you run your fingers through his hair and grip it to angle his head just so. He sighs the sweetest when you trace your nails over his ribs. You preform extensive experiments to insure that your initial findings stand up to rigorous attempts at reproduction. There is a moment where you have to pause. You are trying hard, so hard, to be impersonal. It wouldn't be fair to Dave or Kanaya for you to get too invested in this. This is a one-time thing you remind yourself, and the knowledge cuts like a knife. Tomorrow you will go back to being the Rose and Dave that you have always been and, but for your literary work, it will be as if this never happened. You swallow hard and return to your ministrations, mind back on the task you set out to accomplish. Once you are confident that you have mapped his skin with your hands to satisfactory extent, you move down, teasing at hips, soothing inner thigh. Dave has fallen mostly still, drifting off on the consistent amount of attention you have been giving. You pinch the skin at the V of hip and thigh, making him yelp and fall right back into the present. You know he's back when he starts talking, but it is so fast and so slurred with lust that you can't hardly understand a word in three. Most of those that you do understand are variations on "please" and "more." Impatient boy. You figure that this is a thorough enough investigation into the human male reaction to delayed gratification, and so you consent to lay hands upon him. He shouts. You squeeze and he moans, shift and he gasps. So easy to get a reaction. You twist your wrist and he doesn't make a sound, just arches his back like you have done something too powerful to express in words. You do feel damn powerful as you play him like a violin. When you get right down to it there isn't so much difference between a dick and a bulge. Sure one likes to be pumped and the other likes to be squeezed, but they both react to heat and pressure and subtle changes in rhythm. Sensitive organs the both of them, desperate for attention. There are, of course, more distinct differences. This is what you focus on. Dry rather than wet except for the very tip where moisture beads. The smooth texture isn't so different, but his skin tone is a mirror to yours, not tinted green. Stiff rather than flexible, hotter than you, rather than cooler. You wonder what it would feel like between your legs. You think that you will find out. But first. You brace your free hand on his hip, steady his cock with the other, and lean down to get a taste. You are aware that Dave is reacting, but it is well within expected parameters given previous experimental data. You ignore it and let him holler his lungs out to his heart's content. Instead you focus on all of the things that your literature highlighted. Salty flavor, much less pleasant than you had been lead to believe. The texture is… slimy. It isn't awful, but it isn't great either. It wouldn't be something that you aimed to repeat if it weren't for the reactions you garner. You allow your attention to shift from taste and texture to Dave above you. At first touch Dave had fisted his hands in the sheets to hold himself still. You can see the strain of it across his body as he fights not to buck his hips. When you switch from tasting to sucking, he loses that slim control. Your hand still plated on his hip keeps him from going anywhere you would rather he didn't, and you keep up that pressure as you continue to explore. It is even simpler to play Dave this way. Sucking at the head produces a reaction distinct from licking up the length which is distinct from pressing against the vein at the underside. Moving your hand in concert with your mouth creates a different sound still. While you try to find out just how much you can get him to squirm, you feel Kanaya climbing onto the bed, this time near the head to help you hold Dave in place. At the periphery of your vision you can see her settling with his head in her lap. She takes his hands in one of hers and holds them against her chest above his head. With the other she keeps her bulge in check. Perfect. With the majority of his ability to move taken away, you are free to explore at your leisure. You experiment with everything that you have read about over the sweeps (years!), sucking and licking and combining the two, all the while listening to the chorus of tones that you can coax out of Dave with every action. Every reaction you can coax out is delicious. Not just from Dave, but from Kanaya as well. What she sees must be affecting her too. Every time you manage to coax a particularly excellent reaction from Dave, you hear her moan in response. If your mouth weren't otherwise occupied you would be joining them. As it is, you can still feel the occasional sound escaping you. And you are more than a little damp between the legs. You keep catching yourself rubbing your thighs together for friction and forcing yourself to stop. No matter how distracted you might be, you are not going to lose sight of your mission. There is still more you set out to learn. While you are testing the limits of how deep you can take him, Dave's reactions reach a pitch that leads you suspect that he might be reaching his limit. It is too early to end here. You stop and pull away. It isn't something Dave is thrilled about, but he has no choice but to be accepting of the situation. You have his hips and Kanaya has his hands and he must wait. In fact, you are going to force him to wait a while, long enough to pull himself well back from the brink. You simply must get yourself off once before you ride him if you expect to catalogue all of his and your reactions during the act. By the time Dave has reigned in the fringes of his consciousness and regained some amount of control over himself, you and Kanaya have already moved away, off to the side. In a practiced motion you take her by one hand and one shoulder, and flip the both of you around so that you are straddling her hips and her lower legs dangle over the other side of the bed, horns poking into Dave's ribs. Getting comfortably situated is a mere matter of knee-crawling a hair forward and pressing a kiss to her neck. She shivers when you give a hint of teeth, clutching at your hips and waist. Her bulge presses into you right away, involuntarily most likely. Of course you are not going to complain, rather you push your hips down to urge her on. Physically this doesn't do you much good because her bulge just bends back with you, but it does serve to convey your intent. She pushes further into you and you moan. It is wonderful to go back to the comfortable and familiar. She twists and twines into you and you gasp and clench down just the way she likes, pressing sloppy kisses into her throat and whispering sweet nothings. She hits all of the right places, murmurs the right words of pity and commitment into your ear as you sprawl across her chest with your fingers twisted in her hair and your thumbs rubbing at the base of her horns. You gnaw at her collar and neck to distract yourself from just getting completely overwhelmed, but it doesn't help. It's like coming home. You feel good, so good, your head floating away, the tension twisting in you almost to the breaking point. With the last thought you have left, you free one hand and reach behind you to stroke at her nook with clumsy fingers. Her bulge twists just so as Kanaya gasps and you come with a shout that is muffled by your teeth sunk into her collarbone. You start to drift off to the place that you always go when you feel too good to think when she follows you. The pleasant-painful sensation of her release sends you into a second, smaller orgasm right off the heels of the first that jerks you right back into reality. This isn't over yet. When you climb up to hands and knees on limbs that feel like jello, her release spills out of you all over Kanaya and the bed. You're probably going to have to burn it, but you push that thought away. You can deal with the messy aftermath later. Your head is spinning full with so-good cotton candy, but you still remember your goal. You try to crawl across the bed to where Dave is propped against the headboard, one hand clamped around the base of his dick like he is trying to keep it from blasting off, but instead you just sort of flop over onto your side. You giggle because that is just the last reaction you have to give. You always get a little loopy right after. Fortunately Kanaya has her shit together much more than you do. With gentle hands she pulls you back up onto hands and knees, then with well- placed nudges arranges you so that you are facing Dave sitting just off to his side. For a moment you let yourself think that perhaps she is just as invested in this scene as you are underneath it all. Maybe you won't have to walk around tomorrow forever pushing tonight out of your mind. Under your own power again, you shift to sit between Dave's splayed legs. It gives you quite a view. He relaxes his grip on himself and lets his hands fall back to rest at his sides. There is still twisted tension written into every inch of him, but he has himself under control. It’s time for you to take that control away again. You start to crawl forward, unsteady joints and all. Dave is all shallow, gasping breaths, lust-blown pupils, and twitching fingers. It is a good look for him. You suspect that you will be able to get him looking even better. You are already eager for a second round and Dave looks to be a stray glance and an offhand stroke away from his first. It will be over quickly, but you are going to get all you can out of it. You are well used to climbing onto Kanaya's bulge, and this isn't that different in concept or practice. Yes, Kanaya poses a bit of a challenge in that she is quite dexterous in the groin area, but it's the same principal. Get the tip under control in one hand, use the free hand as a fulcrum in the middle of his chest, guide it where you want it, sink down, throw head back and fight to adjust in a haze of hell-yes feelings. As similar as it is in execution it is different in sensation. Kanaya's motion is all undulation and slight changes in thickness. Dave's is, as you find out with the first involuntary jerk of his hips, all thrust and friction. It is so different, but not the worse for it. You try to focus on how this compares to your novels as you ease down, but another thrust sends all such thoughts tumbling out of your head. Instead it is filled with variations on "oh!" and "Dave!" and "don't stop, more!" All of this is likely out loud, but it doesn't worry you. If a meteor rocketing through the void of space isn't a place where you can make a lot of goddamn noise you don't know what is. Your hips grind down to meet him as you fight to wring out, for you and Dave both, every ounce of pleasure that you can summon. You allow yourself to just give into the feeling and forget everything else. You focus on the way the friction is so different and startlingly pleasant. The tightness within you that is taking you to that cliff, the way Dave is fighting to hold off until you fall first, one hand steadying your hip and the other fisted in his hair. No reason to put it off. You tumble over the edge with a dizzy shout, and as you collapse over Dave you feel him follow. After a while you start processing external stimuli again and notice that Kanaya, you, and Dave, are tucked together under a single sheet, arms and legs as tangled as they have ever been in this excursion. You feel warm and sated and deeply comfortable in a way that you couldn't have hoped after all of this. You managed to make it through with no hurt feelings, no ruffled feathers, much pleasure. So much, in fact, that you would rather like to know if it is an experiment with repeatable results. You certainly hope that it is. "I'm afraid," you ponder aloud after a while, "that this might be a bit of a thing." There is a pause while everyone takes your break of the silence to shift into a more comfortable position. Kanaya is, no surprise, next to speak. "I think that we could find a suitable arrangement between the three of us," she murmurs. Dave makes a quiet noise of ascent as he curls more closely into your embrace. An arrangement and a thing it looks to be. Chapter End Notes Thank you for reading! You can find me on tumblr where I would be happy to chat out or take requests! Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!