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When Abed wakes up, the first thing he smells is something cooking. He can hear it frying, actually, and he assumes that’s why he knows Annie’s making breakfast. His eyes haven’t opened yet, but he can see the sun filtering through the shades of his room— their room. He guesses it’s about 10.
When his eyes fully open, he sees Troy. He knew Troy was there, because his arm had been wrapped around Abed all night, and Abed had been pressed to his chest, but he didn’t care. Troy gets more and more attractive every time Abed sees him.
Nothing’s said. Troy’s still asleep. Abed didn’t blame him; he’d had a really big night coaching the middle-school-aged football team that needed a volunteer coach a few months ago, and they’d spent a lot of time training on weekends when everyone was free. Those kids took a lot out of him.
That’s why they were actually in bed, Abed remembered. Every Saturday all three of them can spend time together, they watch movies on the couch, cuddled up warmly and comfortably, and end up crashing there. Annie usually woke up with a sore back and deferred making breakfast.
Abed propped himself up on his elbow and drew a soft line down Troy’s nose with his finger. He’d never done it before, nor did he feel the need to, but he’d seen it in the romantic movies Annie liked. He liked being romantic with his partners, mostly because it made them happy.
This was weird, though. Nobody was around, or awake, to see this. Abed was doing this of his free will.
He trailed up across Troy’s eyebrow bridge, pressing heavier as he came down to press at Troy’s temples. He’d had a migraine last night, so they’d all gone to bed early. Abed hoped he was feeling better.
Abed’s finger then came down Troy’s cheekbone. One the way back to repeat his actions, he cupped Troy’s cheek. Troy then smiled, but only in that half-way that happens when you’re faintly waking up. It made Abed smile.
Abed’s nail drifted across the bow of Troy’s lips. Abed wanted to kiss him, and to be squeezed deeply in happiness. Troy gave everyone he loved a bear hug instead of a regular one.
“Did I sleep too late?” Troy whispered. His voice was scratchy from sleep. When his eyes fluttered open, Abed smiled again.
“No,” Abed answered simply. “Or, I don’t think so. Annie’s making breakfast.”
Troy closed his eyes again and smiled. He pulled Abed closer with the arm around his shoulders.
“Good morning, baby,” he said finally.
“Good morning,” Abed replied with a gooey smile. He leaned down to lay his head on Troy’s chest again.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get movie night last night,” Troy said.
“It’s okay. You hadn’t seen the kids in a really long time,” Abed nodded.
Troy rubbed Abed’s arm softly. Abed loved this, loved this closeness. Sometimes he was sure Annie and Troy knew that about him. Either that, or they just showed their own affection through touch.
Before he started dating Troy, Abed felt like he read into his touches too much. The hugs, the small touches on his arm when he did something ‘good’, and especially the camaraderie of the handshake. He was happy to know it wasn’t just friendly, but that the touch would continue into their relationship.
Annie being touchy was a surprise. She seemed so put together, and she is put together, but she constantly needs cuddles. Sometimes, those cuddles are accompanied by her asking for validation and assurance, and sometimes she just needed to be held, but she was always all over her boys.
“Abed?” Troy asked.
Abed hummed in response. He didn’t realize he was falling back asleep and drifting into his own thoughts.
Troy just smiled and looked down at him. Abed looked up through thick lashes.
“You are so pretty,” Troy whispered. Abed smiled, watching as his boyfriend leaned down to kiss him.
Abed had never been kissed before he met Troy. He thought he’d never want to be kissed by anyone after Troy.
Annie walked into the doorframe of their room. She leaned on the wood, one hand on her hip. She was only wearing Abed’s Inspector Spacetime graphic shirt and a pair of Troy’s boxers, but she looked good.
Troy gave her a coy smile. Abed just gave her a regular one.
When Abed kissed Annie during paintball, he felt alive. He remembered thinking that life could never get any better— he’d kissed his two best friends, and his existence had peaked.
Troy wasn’t exactly happy about them kissing, but it was more so that he wasn’t there to see it. That was when the boys had confessed their feelings for Annie to each other. A few months after Annie had moved in, they couldn’t hide it any longer. She was happy to oblige.
Even as she stared back at the boys, cross, Abed couldn’t help but admire everything about her. Neither could Troy. It was in their nature.
Her glare crumbled into a grin, and she crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. Abed kissed her first, gently. She held their foreheads together for a little while before leaning over to kiss Troy. They kissed more languidly than Abed would’ve ever initiated for himself.
It could be posited that Annie ‘liked’ Troy more than Abed. They went to high school together, and Annie had told Abed about how badly she wanted Troy’s attention all those years, and how humiliating their graduation party was. She deserved a pass to kiss Troy the way she did.
“Breakfast is ready,” Annie said softly, somehow matching the vibe accumulated in the room already. She always knew how.
“Mm, what’d you make?” Troy asked.
“Nothing special, just french toast,” she shrugged. She reached over to interlace her fingers with Abed’s.
“‘Nothing special’, she says, and it’s like a four course meal,” Troy grinned.
“I could’ve settled for corn flakes,” Abed nodded.
“You don’t have to settle,” Annie protested, squeezing his hand. “I like making breakfast for you two.”
“Domestic of you,” Troy said. He hand settled on her hip.
Abed loved seeing his best friends and lovers interact. He used the term ‘lovers’, because partners didn’t feel right. This wasn’t a business venture, it was a relationship. At least that’s what Troy said.
Troy looked back at Abed, a dopey grin painted on his face.
“What?” Abed asked. He looked to Annie for reassurance, but she just smiled too.
Troy chuckled. “Let’s get french toast, booger.”
Booger. The name he’d been given for an unknown reason. It was affectionate, and Abed loved it. Annie called him—
“There’s plenty to go around, bug, don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried,” he assured her.
The three of them padded to the kitchen, all in various states of dress, to grab breakfast. They made coffee, and sat on the couch instead of the table. That was a unanimous decision they’d all made without even talking, and Abed loved them for it.
Sunday morning was spent cuddled up, eating good food, watching good shows. Abed didn’t know how he ended up here, or what he’d done to deserve it, but he wouldn’t trade Troy or Annie for the world.