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Kris, Susie, and Noelle were really good friends.
That’s what Kris thought at least and they were half right. Kris had never payed it much mind. Never payed ut much mind when they cuddled on movie night. Never payed it much mind when they shared a milkshake with three straws. Never paid it much mine how Noelle gave them the cute nickname of “apple head” and would often rustle their hair playfully.
Those were just friend things.
Platonic friend things.
Kris was… not the smartest with knowing the difference between romantic and platonic affection. Not that those acts couldn’t be done in a platonic way per say. Platonic cuddling was a thing. However Kris… wasn’t reading the room.
Susie and Noelle sat by the lake, watching the leaves of the trees return, blossoming flowers just starting to grow. Noelle had picked some purple and white wildflowers and began making a flower crown. She inquired, “How much more clear do we have to be?”
“How much more clear CAN we be?” Susie inquired. “I say we just tell them we’ve been dating for a while.”
“No don’t say it like that,” Noelle shook her head. “That… kinda takes away their choice?”
“Yeah that’s… that doesn’t work then,” Susie shook her head. “But we may have well been.”
“I get that but we really gotta communicate properly and make sure Kris actually,” Noelle explained. “Y'know… wants this? That it’s best for them too? I feel like they should have picked up by now.”
“I mean maybe Kris is just touch starved,” Susie suggested. “And just kinda assumed that it’s normal? I mean you can platonically cuddle someone fine whatever but-“
“I mean you’re not one to talk there,” Noelle playfully teased.
“Bear hug it is!” Susie laughed playfully grabbing Noelle in a tight warm hug.
She tickled Noelle who laughed. “Stop! Stop! I give!”
She had a wide smile as Susie set her back down. She chuckled, “Heh… heh… OK but no I think we just have to say it.”
“You wanna say it?” Susie inquired. “I…” Susie started blushing. “I don’t know how to say it.”
“Awwww you’re nervous,” Noelle teased.
“You’re not?” Susie teased back.
Noelle’s face went red as she turned away. “I got this. I mean we really can’t get more clear than inviting them to Valentine’s Day dinner.”
Kris approached and placed a dandelion behind Susie’s ear gently. They smiled at the two. “You’re always so sneaky,” Susie chuckled.
“I have my talents,” Kris replied. “How are you two?”
“We need to talk about something,” Susie explained. She gestured towards Noelle, signaling for her to take over.
Kris tensed up. Had they done something wrong? These two were their best friends. They didn’t wanna ruin things. They didn’t want to upset them. “Is everything OK?”
“Oh no no no!” Susie assured them, taking them in a one armed hug. “No it’s nothing bad! Don’t worry. Don’t worry OK?”
Kris relaxed slightly, but confusion stretched across their face. If it wasn’t bad, why did Susie seem so nervous?
“So Valentine’s Day is coming up,” Noelle explained. “We’re going to go to a nice dinner, my dad knows a place.”
“Oh that’s great!” Kris was entirely genuine in their words, ignoring the tinge of jealousy in the back of their mind. The tinge of desire to express having a crush on the both of them. That desire they couldn’t express cause they felt they weren’t supposed to. That it would be disrespecting their platonic bond to the two if they told them. “I hope you guys have fun!”
“Kris,” Susie sighed… “No screw this I’m going for it. Kris in case it hasn’t been clear we… we kinda assumed you would catch on that we want you to come with us.”
That made sense to Kris! “Oh right! Valentine’s Day is about all forms of love. Platonic love too!”
“By the Angel…” Susie groaned, chuckling tk herself.
“Kris we aren’t asking platonically.” Noelle stated plainly. “Let me make this expressly clear. We like you. Romantically as well platonically. We are asking if you want to enter a mutual poly relationship.” Noelle chuckled nervously, blushing. “Frankly we kinda assumed you would have caught the signs by now. Yeah cuddling and stuff can be platonic but… you know we didn’t mean it that way right?”
Kris froze. Their face went red as a cherry. They seized up in a mix of happiness and shock. They didn’t know that Susie and Noelle felt that way, or were polyamorous at all.
“Apple head?” Noelle asked.
Kris remained in a state of shock, processing that none of that stuff was meant to be read as platonic.
“Dude?” Susie demanded snapping her fingers in their case. “Noelle you broke them!”
“Hey you weren’t gonna say it!” Noelle teased.
“Kris?” Susie inquired. “We wanna kiss you. Nod if you consent.”
Kris, processing that this was real, nodded. Susie gently kissed their forehead and smiled. Noelle hugged them right and stole a peck on cheek.
“So… all of that was meant to be romantic?” Kris inquired.
“Yeah,” Noelle replied.
“OK so you kissing me on the cheek two weeks ago that was meant to be romantic too?” Kris inquired.
“We were basically hitting you over the head with it,” Susie nodded.
“So… Valentine’s Day?” Kris inquired.
“Yeah,” Noelle nodded.
“OK,” Kris nodded. “Sorry just… I’m saying yes but I need like a little space to process.”
“That’s OK,” Susie nodded. “Love you.”
Kris hugged their partners tightly. They all hugged each other in a mutual beautiful embrace of romantic love. They just, stayed in this warm loving embrace for a moment before Kris left, blushing.
“...I feel that went well!” Susie declared.
“Yeah,” Noelle smiled.
“...so we shouldn’t invite them to movie night this week?” Susie inquired.
“Let’s asl,” Noelle suggested.
“Hey Kris we still on for movie night?” Susie called.
Kris gave a thumbs up, before turning and smiling wide as the reality set in.
This was exactly what they wanted, all three of them, and they all couldn’t be happier.
Moral of the story: use your words.