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It was a routine that they’ve shared for the last 5 years. Every other Friday was pizza and bad rom-com night. They kept this tradition all the way through high school with only a small break when Gordon first went away to MIT. Barney had lasted three month before he unceremoniously quit his retail job and found a decent paying security guard gig in Massachusetts and moved into a small studio apartment just ten minutes from Gordons dorm room.
To Gordons face Barney always told him it was because of the bigotry in their old hometown, that he was tired of his old idiot boss or that he just needed a change in climate. What he didn't tell Gordon about was the almost crippling depression that had settled over Barney's life after just two weeks without his childhood friend and deep seated crush. He didn’t tell Gordon that the first Friday that they hadn’t shared a bowl of popcorn and some hetronormative bullshit movie he’d spent the night in bed crying his eyes out.
Gordon in turn never told Barney how he almost flunked out during those first three month. The knowledge of the distance between him and Barney enough to make him lie sleepless at night, loneliness almost paralyzing him.
It had been Benrey who had kept him at some level of sanity during that time. The little gamer dude kept coming over with take out, helped him fill out various paperwork needed for the school, even held him during a particularly bad panic attack. He was also the only person, outside of his phone calls with Barney, that made Gordon laugh. The guy seemingly having an endless supply of bad video game jokes. And with the laughter came a warmth that Gordon had only known before in Barney's presence. It was at the same time exhilarating and terrifying.
So when Barney finally moved to town and bad rom-com Friday was reinstated as a tradition it felt only natural to include Benrey in the affair.
Gordon had been sweating bullets that first night. What if Barney felt that he’d betrayed their little tradition by inviting a third party? What if Benrey felt replaced now that Gordon had his childhood best friend back? What if they didn’t get along?!
These fears, he would soon find out, was totally unfounded.
“So you’re this Benrey fellow that Gordon won’t shut up about?” The tone was teasing and a smile played on Barney's lips.
“Yo, nice to meet you.” Benrey threw a glance at Gordons direction, face unreadable. “You been talking about me GG?”
Gordon tried to mask his embarrassment with a laugh.
“Not much else to talk about around here I’m afraid. Spent most of my time either with you or in class and Bambi won’t let me rant about theoretical physics anymore.”
There was a soft snicker from Benrey.
“Bambi?”
“Only movie I ever saw Barney cry to.”
“It was ONE time Gordon.”
“And he has been Bambi ever since.”
“And I can’t help it if your melodic voice droning on about particles and black holes puts me to sleep Doc.”
Benrey gave an agreeing nod.
“Dude talks a lot.”
Barney grins at the confirmation.
“It’s like I've unwillingly subscribed to a nerd podcast.”
“Hey, hey. I don’t remember agreeing on being roasted on rom-com Friday!” Gordon tried sounding offended but it was hard with the way his two friends kept grinning at each other.
“You kinda did Doc.”
“Yeah you introduced two people who know a lot of your..uuh...nerdy little secrets. Gonna have to roast you now Gordo.”
“This is now Gordon roast Friday and there’s nothin’ you can do about it.”
By that point Gordon was wheezing for air, almost doubling over at the onslaught.
“I’ve made a terrible mistake haven't I?” He managed between laughs.
An arm was thrown over Gordons shoulders, Barneys teasing eyes meting his.
“Sure have Sunflower.”
Benreys arm joined the other side, effectively trapping Gordons tall frame between the two shorter men.
“You dun fucked up friend.”
And so a new tradition was formed. Every other Friday they met in Gordons cramped little college room, loaded up with pizza, snacks and the most embarrassing rom-com they could get their grubby little hands on. Sometimes they spiced things up with a drinking game or two which always yielded hilariously embarrassing results. It was during one of these drinking games when they had that first faithful conversation.
“What I mean is…” Benrey had to paus, putting down the beer bottle he just had taken a swig from and squinted at the other two “...is that it’s such a dumb plot point.”
“What is?” Gordon had a bit of trouble following Benreys train of thought when they were both drunk.
“The fuckin’ love triangle!” Benrey waved his arms, almost smacking Barney in the face.
“I’m with Benny on this one.” Barney absentmindedly caught Benreys arm, linking it with his own to keep it from doing more harm. “S’ stupid and hetronoma- hetro...straight.”
“It’s not even that dude...it’s mononormative.” Benrey slumped deeper in the sofa, pressing into Gordons side.
“I’m too drunk for long words, explain please.” Gordon carefully freed his arm from where it had been trapped between his and Benreys bodies, choosing to drape it over the shorter man's shoulders instead.
“It’s like...you don’t have to choose right. Why choose? S’ stupid. Could just love the both of them.”
If Benrey had been more sober he might have noticed how the two bodies that his own was tangled with stiffened for just a second.
Gordon's mind went a mile a minute as he turned over the idea in his head. You could do that? It was a thing? Was that even allowed? Was..was he allowed? How would that even work?
Gordon was well aware of the crush he'd had for Barney for almost 5 years now. He’d accepted it but never dared move on it, too afraid to ruin what they already had.
His feelings for Benrey were newer and a bit more confusing. He cared a lot for the little dude, and there had been both one and two fantasies about kissing that stupid little gin he sometimes wore right of his face.
And then it was the thought of both of them...together and oh boy did that start some kind of chain reaction in his brain. Benrey and Barney smiling together, teasing the living daylight out of him, making him laugh so hard he could barely breathe. Benrey and Barney holding hands, Benrey and Barney hugging, Bambi and Benny kiss- Gordons head chose that moment to fuse out.
On the other side of the couch Barney's mind went through a similar thought process albeit in a less panicked and slightly drunker pace.
Gordon was cute, Benrey was cute. Together they were extra cute. They’d probably looked super duper cute hugging, even more so if he could be in the middle of that hug. Yes, triple hug good and cute. How drunk would Gordon have to be to allow a cute triple hug?
Glancing over Benreys head he caught Gordons slightly panicky gaze.
Well, drunker than that that’s for sure. Gordon did always overthink things even when sloshed. Wordlessly he grabbed a beer bottle and reached it over to Gordon who grabbed it and emptied it in one swing. Gordon really was cute.
It would take another three rom-com Fridays and a drunken kiss between Benrey and Gordon at a frat party before Gordon finally wrestled his scattered emotions into some kind of order.
'You gotta try everything once' was what Benrey had said at the party. The words had finally spurred Gordon into action and the kiss had felt so nice and he desperately wanted to experience it again. But he also wanted to kiss Barney. And, his greedy mind added, it would be super awesome if Benrey and Barney would kiss too. And like, he could at least ask, right!? What was the harm in asking two dudes to be his boyfriends? He desperately tried to shut up the voice in the back of his head that kept on whispering about abandonment and loneliness, with mixed success.
It was in this thought process he found himself on a Friday evening, wedged between his two crushes and barely focusing on the movie that played before him. He’d almost convinced himself to start talking three times already but every time doubt crept back into his head, making him pull back and curl deeper into the sofa.
It wasn’t until a popcorn bounced off his glasses that he became aware of his surroundings again, dark thoughts dissipating.
“Dude what’s going on in that noggin of yours, you’ve been like totally spaced out all night.” Benrey sounded a bit annoyed but the look on his face only showed concern.
“Yeah Doc, penny for your thoughts.”
Oh boy, Gordon was fairly sure that this kind of thought was worth a hell of a lot more than a penny. Still, gotta try everything once right?
Sliding off the sofa he turned and sat on the edge of the coffee table so that he could face the other two.
“Ok so I have a confession to make. But I really need you two to let me finish talking and not interrupt me. Alright?”
He was met with twin nods but the worry on Barneys face at his words almost made him chicken out right then and there.
“Ok so me and Benny kissed- no wait, let me finish…” he held up a finger to silence Benrey who had opened his mouth at the mention of the kiss. “...we kissed and it was really nice and to be perfectly frank I really wanna do that again.”
Benreys mouth closed with a snap, a blush creeping over his face.
“The thing is I also wanna kiss you Bambi.” Gordon continued. “I’ve wanted to do that for five years but I’ve been too much of a chicken hat to actually do it. And just because I’m the greediest bastard in the world I would also like it if you two kissed each other. There, I said it. I’m dying. Please don’t hate me.”
By the end of his little speech Gordon had buried his face in his hands, incapable of looking at the other two out of sheer embarrassment and absolute terror.
The silence that followed was the worst experience in Gordons life so far. The whispers in the back of his head now a raging storm yelling at him that he fucked up, that everything is ruined and that from now on he would be alone.
He didn’t even notice that he’d started to cry until a hand carefully grabs his own and brought it away from his face, fingers gently wiping away tears.
“Took you long enough Doc.”
“Wuh?”
Another pair of hands caught his still free one.
“Yeah GG, been pining like sucker since that kiss and here you tell me that you’ve felt the same all along? You wasted both our time dude, could have gotten in so much smooching in.”
“You’re ok with this? You don’t hate me?”
Gordon was caught somewhere between crying and laughing, making the words come out all wet and breathy.
Barney turned his head to grin at Benrey.
“We really caught ourself a dumb one didn’t we Benny?”
“Hey.”
“Yup, should've called him Gordo Himboman.”
“HEY!”
Gordon was pointedly ignored.
“By the way, I’ve been crushing on you like super hard since I first heard Gordo call you Bambi. You’re too cute man, fucking OTKO me.”
“Damn you got one over me, didn’t catch feelings until you slaughtered me in Mario Kart that first night.”
“Yooo! I seduced you with my sick gamer skills? You hear that Gordo, that’s how you win the heart of a true gamer.”
The laughter had definitely replaced the crying now and Gordon desperately tried to catch his breath while gathering them both up in his arms.
“You’re going to be the death of me.” The words were mumbled against the top of both their heads.
“That’s the plan Sunflower.”
Soft lips met his own only to be replaced by another pair a second later.
“Gonna murder you with our awesome smootches.” The sentence was punctuated by the shorter pair kissing and the swell in Gordons chest was indescribable.
There was going to be talking and figuring things out later but for the moment the three were content in being wrapped up in each others arms as a bad rom-com played forgotten in the background.