Lucas remains in the tub for nearly thirty minutes, draining it a little and adding more hot water as needed, and unlike Zane, he doesn't really speak. I think he just wants to warm up, spend time with me while we're naked, and relax. Possibly abuse the fact that he's costing Zane money by using hot water. There's not a look of satisfaction on his face when he adds more to the tub, but I wouldn't put it past him to be staying long enough to need to top it off a couple of times just because of the extra costs associated with hot water usage. Like using water. And heating it.

Eventually, Zane enters the bathroom, still naked and hard, and looks at Lucas. There's a very good chance the erection is intentionally just to mess with Lucas, and I focus my attention elsewhere. Now that I've actually recovered, the nudity and being around erect hot guys is kind of uncomfortable. That's part of why I haven't really tried making conversation with Lucas, as much as I appreciate his company right now.

"So, uh, if you aren't eating soon," Zane says. "I'm going to start fixing something for me and Kieran, because Shadow Boy is definitely hungry."

"Considering what your diet is," Lucas stands. "That's not happening."

Lucas steps out of the bath and grabs a towel, then starts drying off. Zane starts to walk toward the tub, and I can tell that he's intending on getting back into the bath with me. I'm not the only one who notices, as Lucas snaps a hand out, grabbing Zane by the arm.

"You've already warmed up, Zane," Lucas fixes an intense stare on Zane.

"But-"

"Kieran wants to dry off and get dressed now," Lucas glances at me. "Don't you?"

It's not the kind of statement and question that's telling me to agree and get out, but the kind that says he's noticed.

"Yeah," I answer.

Zane pouts, but lets Lucas push him out of the bathroom. Lucas finishes drying off, then leaves the bathroom, leaving me alone. I pull the plug for the drain, then exit and grab a towel from the rack, then begin drying off. Just to give Lucas extra time to force Zane to cover up, I make sure to completely dry myself off before wrapping the towel around my waist and exiting the bathroom.

Our clothes aren't out drying anywhere. My bag isn't here, either. The apartment's a studio, like mine, with a massive bed against the wall opposite the entrance to the bathroom, then a dresser set up similarly to mine but with space between it and the bed.

On the other side of that is a couch with its back against the dresser, just as long as the dresser and a little bit shorter in height, as I can only see part of the arm. Then there's a coffee table, and against the next wall is a TV sitting on a stand with consoles, games, and movies underneath.

The kitchen rests against the bathroom and closet, just like in my apartment, though just like the rest of the space, it's larger. It even has its own pantry on the wall with the closet. At least, I'm assuming it's a pantry.

Between the kitchen and the living room is the dining area, as the apartment actually is large enough for that. It's really just a rectangular dining table stretched longways between the kitchen and living area, with two chairs on either side and one on either end. Has Zane actually ever needed all six chairs before?

If our clothes were in here, they're not anywhere I can see. Lucas is wearing a pair of sweats and an apron, while Zane is wearing a pair of red boxer-briefs. The latter's in the kitchen, cooking, while the former's sitting at the table, watching him with a grin.

"Where are our clothes?" I ask. "And, uh, phones?"

"I tossed everything in the washer," Lucas answers without looking away from the food. "Your bags had gotten soaked through, too, so your stuff inside was wet. Zach said he'd switch them to the dryer once it was time and bring them up once it was done."

"You met Zach?" I ask.

"Yeah," Zane answers for Lucas. "The laundry room's on the lower apartment level rather than this one, and Zach was apparently doing something in there."

"Ah," I say. "So, um…"

"Couch," Zane says.

"Huh?"

"Couch," he indicates the couch.

I walk around the couch and find a hoodie folded up and sitting on a pair of folded sweats, along with a thick blanket. Zane's sitting on this side, so his back's to me, and Lucas is cooking with his back to me. Even though they both saw me naked just a little bit ago, I'm still a little uncomfortable being naked around them.

There really is a difference when trying to warm up and after having returned to normal.

Grateful that they're being courteous, I drop the towel and begin dressing, slipping into the sweats and the hoodie, then I move the towels back to the bathroom, hanging them on a bar on the wall so that they can dry. With all of that done, I return to the main room and move to the couch, climbing onto it and pulling the blanket around me.

This is cozy.

"Awesome!" Zane moves over here and kneels in front of the TV, opening up the case underneath it. "I'm going to play a game until dinner. Did you ever play any, back before you were living on your own?"

"I don't remember," I answer as Zane puts a game in, then grabs a controller and joins me on the couch. "Do you get new games? Or are these all older ones?"

"I have a couple of new ones," he tells me. "Zach and Dad got me them for my birthday this year."

"When's your birthday?" I ask as the game boots up.

"March nineteenth," he answers. "Yours?"

Right. When asking someone's birthday, it's courteous to share your own. I forgot about that, and that asking was likely to result in mine being asked.

"I don't like sharing mine," I mumble. "I shouldn't have asked 'cause of that. Sorry."

"Oh," his tone softens. "I guess it's been awhile since you had any celebrations? Well, I'm planning on still being around for your birthdays from now on, Kieran, so we'll make sure it's not some lonely day. But, um, I'll make sure to not go too much with it, okay?"

While part of me not caring much for my birthday comes from not having had anything to really celebrate the last four years, that's not why I don't like sharing mine. I wouldn't mind celebrating it with friends. It has to do with the date itself.

"Mine's January fifth," Lucas tells us. "And Zane? He probably just doesn't like people knowing his birthday for more than that, considering the actual date it is."

"How do you know when my birthday is?" I ask, surprised.

"Personal trainers have access to your file at the center," he tells me. "I saw it on there. And no, I'm not going to act the way people probably normally do, I know that something like that could be annoying."

"Now I'm really curious," Zane grins. "But I'm going to respect your-"

"It's fine," I sigh. "Lucas already knows, so you might as well. February fourteenth."

Zane is silent for a few moments, then he starts laughing, and I pull the blanket around me more. Why did he have to laugh at finding out I was born on Valentine's Day? This is Zane, he'll probably tease me mercilessly over finding out. But he would eventually if we stay friends, especially if we start dating, so it was better to get this out of the way? Even if it means getting teased sooner?

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"Man!" He eventually puts an arm around me. "If I'm the one you end up dating, Kieran, I promise you that I'm going to make sure your birthday is extra special every single year. Okay? It's not just celebrating the day of your birthday, but a day for love, romance, and if you want it, more. What's your idea of an ideal date?"

Well, this went better than I expected. Maybe Zane can be mature at times?

"Um… I don't really know," I shrug. "I've never been on a date, and never really thought about it. Even with, um, thinking about dating one of you two. I can't really afford things right now and don't really know much of what to do. So the 'ideal date' hasn't really come to mind before."

"Hm," Zane says. "I guess I can see that."

"What's one for you?" I ask.

"Probably one full of sex," Lucas scoffs.

"Hey!" Zane says. "That's only part of the date! And don't say you don't expect sex in the ideal date, Lucas! You're a power user, too!"

Lucas doesn't respond, which basically confirms that Zane is right. It's kind of understandable, though, considering what using our powers does to us.

"I'm not sharing my ideal date unless Lucas does," Zane pouts.

"Watching a movie," Lucas answers. "Then eating whatever meal it's time for, before snuggling on a couch, enjoying each other's company before yes, having sex."

That suits him, actually. From what I've experienced with Lucas, he likes activities that don't require too much interaction while hanging out. That might just be because of a morning thing, but he definitely seems like the kind of guy who wants to be snuggling the entire time, which is something he can do with a movie. He also seems to like cooking, despite the excuses for why he's doing it each time.

"So?" I look at Zane. "Yours?"

"First," he says. "We go to the Nakibia Arcade and play some games. Two-player games, together. Then, we possibly do a round of laser tag, if he wants to. After that, a nice walk to a neat restaurant, eat, then a nice walk back here. Then we have sex, maybe after some wrestling. After we exhaust ourselves, a good shower, then a good soak in the tub before heading to bed. If we have the energy for it, then some more sex before falling asleep."

Active things that burn off energy and let him entertain his competitive side. I can definitely see that as being his perfect date. Both of those sound interesting, though I think I'd lean more towards Lucas's version of one.

I'm not so sure about the movie part, I think just cuddling and eating together would be nice. Maybe a small activity so that we actually do something. Perhaps a walk, like Zane mentioned? Maybe while holding hands.

"Now that we're done discussing how much more awesome my dates are than Lucas's," Zane says, causing Lucas to snort. "I'm going to start playing. Or do you want to?"

"I don't know how," I tell him.

"It's really easy," he says. "Standard play is using this button, the star, for confirmation messages. Some games ignore that, and we don't play those games. For movement, you either move the left directional stick, this thing here, or use the directional pad, these arrows. Everything else, any good game tells you. Start a new game on File 5."

He holds the controller in front of me, and I decide to just go with it, moving my hands out of the blanket and grabbing it. I start a new game and select File 5 for my save, noticing that File 1 and File 2 are both in use, with the latter not having as much playtime as the former.

"Do you let your brother play here?" I ask.

"No," Zane answers. "Some games it's better to have two save files: your main and your secondary. The main is the one you save on most of the time, while the secondary is the one you save on when in certain situations, in case you need to return to before that point. That way, you can just load up your main save, which is presumably as recently as possible from before entering the zone where you did the secondary."

"Uh…"

"You'll see," Zane says. "Eventually. I don't think we'll get to the first dungeon tonight, since you'll probably be too sleepy to continue. By the way, you're being asked to confirm the save slot."

"Oh."

I confirm the save slot, then the game launches into a video sequence that Zane explains is just the opening. The animation is kind of cartoonish, though still 3D. As the video plays, Zane explains a few things to me, mostly introducing who the characters are and probably giving me a little bit more information than he should.

That doesn't bother me, though, as I'm not really into this and it seems to make him happy to get to explain stuff. For the next half-hour, I go through the game's tutorial, then start exploring the caves beyond that. I've barely left the caves and saved at the floating crystal outside of them when Lucas announces dinner is finished, so Zane teaches me how to exit the game, then we move to the table for dinner.

Tonight, we're having some sort of thin, small strips of meat cooked with onions and some other veggies I'm not sure, all sliced up neat and thin, cooked in a marinade of some sort. There's rice on the side, along with a mix of fruit, and to round off the meal, there are brownies for dessert.

"You made all this in what, thirty minutes? Forty minutes?" I ask. "Color me impressed, Lucas."

"The brownies are store-bought," he confesses. "There's a bakery that does their goods daily in the building I was shopping in, and I picked them up there. Otherwise, we'd still be cooking."

"I don't see forks," I realize, then spot something at each of the three seats. "Wait. Chopsticks? You know I don't know how to use them."

"You're not the only one," Zane assures me.

"It's an ancient dish from Korea," Lucas says. "Bulgogi. I figured we'd use chopsticks with it, since that's what would have been used in the Old Society, and what the remnants still use. I'll teach you both."

Lucas begins showing us how to use chopsticks, and they turn out to be easier to use than I expected. By the time I've finished eating, I'm able to use them without issue, and Zane can, too.

After dinner, Lucas and I wash the dishes and Zane dries them and puts them away, then I head to the bathroom, letting them know that I'm tired enough I'm probably going to bed after.

"Okay," Zane says, and I'm not sure I like the look he gives Lucas.

I use the bathroom, wash my hands, dry them off, and step out, only to find the two of them arguing in hushed voices on the other side of the table. They probably did it there so that I wouldn't overhear them from the bathroom. Just as I go to interrupt them and tell them to knock off the argument, I realize what they're arguing about.

"I cooked dinner, so it's fair that I get to," Lucas says.

"It's my apartment," Zane counters. "That makes it my bed. You can sleep on the couch or floor."

"Kieran's not sleeping on the couch or floor," Lucas states. "We both agreed he could use a comfortable bed. You just want to share it with him because you want to feel him up, don't deny it."

"Again, have more faith in me," Zane tells him. "I don't do that unless it's consensual, and Kieran certainly ain't going to consent to it. You've gotten to snuggle him twice. It's my turn."

Before I can ask if I get a say in it, there's a knock at the door, interrupting their argument.

"You know," Zane walks over to the door. "You could always use another apartment, we have a few spare ones. You'd probably be more comfortable like that, right?"

Zane opens the door, revealing Zach on the other side. He's carrying a basket in his arms, the basket full of clothes.

"The bags are still drying," Zach says. "I didn't think it was a good idea to put them in the dryer, but the clothes are done."

"Thanks," Zane grabs the basket. "We appreciate the help, Zach."

Zach looks at the three of us, and I can tell he's trying to figure out the chances of something happening tonight despite what Zane told their family. They still don't believe he's really given up the constant hookups with different guys in exchange for looking for an actual relationship.

"Hey, Zach," I give him a wave.

"Nice to see you again, Kieran," he says. "My brother's not being a brat, is he?"

"He's not really a brat to me," I tell him. "I think he's worried it'll ruin his chances of getting a date with me."

"You guys need anything?" Zach asks, the question aimed at me rather than Zane or Lucas.

"Nah," I answer. "We're just getting ready for bed. Lucas and Zane are trying to decide who gets to be the big spoon between them while I'm trying to decide if I really only need the one blanket. The apartment's warmer than mine since it has heating, and the blanket's warmer than mine, too. I might actually change into shorts and a tee, now that my clothes are back, else I might end up sweating tonight."

"Alright!" Zach laughs as Zane and Lucas both look uncomfortable now. At least his worries about Zane still being his old self have been alleviated for tonight. "Have a good night, you three."

Zach leaves, then I grab some of my clothes from the basket and take them to the bathroom to change into. I really will sweat up a storm if I sleep in Zane's sweats and hoodie while under a blanket. When I leave the bathroom, Zane and Lucas are both sitting on the bed, waiting.

"We decided," Lucas says. "That if you're okay with it, we can all share the bed tonight."

So they finally came to an agreement, huh? I can imagine that Lucas isn't too comfortable sharing a bed with Zane, but is willing to put up with it because he wants to snuggle me. Zane probably doesn't want to share snuggling me with Lucas, but is willing to because it means he'd get to snuggle me.

I'm willing to snuggle both of them because being snuggled feels nice, based on the two times that Lucas has snuggled me and my memories of snuggling with my family, years ago.

"Sure," I say. "As long as Zane gets to be the big spoon, since you have twice already and that's fair."

"Fine," Lucas grumbles as Zane gives him a grin.

They made a bet on whether I'd say or that or not, didn't they?

"Let's get some sleep," I tell them.

I climb onto the bed, and Lucas gets up to turn off the light as Zane and I lie down under the blankets, Zane spooning me from behind, just as comfortable as Lucas, though I'm quite aware of something poking at me from behind, too. It doesn't feel as big as I'd thought it would, after seeing how big it is. Strange.

With Zane and me in position and the lights off, Lucas then joins us in the bed, lying in front of me, facing me, his forehead resting against mine, a hand on my side. Everyone's legs are tangled up, and this is actually a little comfortable.

It's also warm.

Closing my eyes, I let exhaustion start to seep in, wondering as I drift off if Shade will contact me again tonight.