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Kevin likes video game nights with the cousins. He likes being able to sit back and relax and try to kill all his friends with reckless abandon for hours on end, until Nicky either rage quits because he’s the worst or Neil and Andrew sneak off to go make out on the roof in a way they think is subtle but really isn’t.
But Kevin likes it most when it’s just him and Aaron.
Its a little pleasure Kevin should feel guilty about for indulging in as often as he does, but he isn’t and he doesn’t think he could ever be. Not when Aaron indulges him just as much.
It’s like that now, on a chill Thursday evening in his dorm. Neil and Andrew vacated the space shortly after they came back from afternoon practice, likely to go on some long ass drive to somewhere Kevin doesn’t want to think about because then he’ll start feeling lonely and sorry for himself, and that’s something he refuses to do when the sun is still out.
But Aaron is here, a single couch cushion between them, and that’s all that matters.
Kevin doesn’t actually know what game Aaron put on, he doesn’t recognize any of them by name aside from Mario Kart and that’s only because Nicky yelled about it so many times it’d be impossible for him not to know it, but it’s also one of the ones he’s not totally terrible at.
A childhood spent in the Nest does not a video game aficionado make, even if Kevin tries his best. He hates himself for being terrible nonetheless. Just a little bit.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Aaron calls out when the enemy—or target or character or however the pixels they’re supposed to be killing are called—dodges his shot. “Come on!”
Kevin has completely given up at this point. He’s been downed and revived half a dozen times over the course of this match and he has no idea why Aaron is still humoring him as a teammate.
Instead, Kevin watches Aaron—watches his fingers move deftly over the controls, watches how he purses his lips in concentration, watches how he smirks when he manages a cool move.
Watches how the afternoon sun hits his eyes and turns them into liquid gold.
Aaron’s eyes are the part of his body Kevin likes the most, probably. Not that Kevin is thinking about Aaron’s body all that much to begin with. It would be weird of him to think about a taken man like that, and Kevin isn’t weird—not for this, at least.
“No, no,” Aaron mumbles, frowning deeply at the screen. Kevin has no idea what’s happening in the game. He’s barely even holding his controller. “Don’t, no, no—awe. Fuck.”
Aaron slumps back against the couch, tossing his controller on the cushion between them. The game music changes into something conciliatory, boldly proclaiming they’ve lost this match, and Kevin knows it’s mostly his fault for leaving Aaron high and dry in the middle of the map, surrounded by the enemy.
For a long minute, the only sound is the game music until Aaron sighs and picks up his controller again to maneuver back to the main screen.
Aaron glances over and snorts at whatever he finds on Kevin's face. “Did my dashing good looks distract you, Day?”
Kevin chokes on his answer because he just can’t tell him yes. There has to be some kind of bro code or something that explicitly says you cannot flirt with a taken man even if said man is goading the fuck out of you.
Much to Kevin’s dismay, Aaron laughs. It’s such a pretty laugh.
“Don’t rush to answer me,” he continues. He has a casual sort of arrogance to him now and it’s stupidly attractive. Kevin hates himself for it. “I think I’m done with the games for tonight. Feel like making out instead?”
Every single thought Kevin has ever had goes blank at once. There’s no way in hell he heard Aaron right and even if he did, there’s no fucking way in hell Aaron is being sincere.
“You—” Kevin huffs, incensed on Katelyn’s behalf. He cannot be fucking serious. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
This has to be revenge for Kevin’s lingering eyes in the locker room because Aaron wouldn’t just—step out on the person he fought so hard to be with. And Aaron is a vengeful asshole when he wants to be. Kevin assumed he was being discreet, but maybe he’s just not good at it whatsoever and Aaron caught him. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
Aaron just shrugs. Shrugs. “She said if you ever get your head out of your ass, I have permission to do whatever I want with you. I feel like kissing you. So, what do you say?”
Kevin sputters. Is Aaron crazy? Is Kevin? Did he somehow fall through a multidimensional portal in the last ten minutes and he’s in some side universe where one of his closest friends typically acts like a fucking weirdo?
“N-No? How do I know you’re not just lying about that? I’m not kissing you.”
Aaron rolls his eyes and pulls out his phone. “I’m calling Katelyn, if her permission will make you feel better.”
And he does, even though Kevin would prefer everyone forgets about this as soon as possible. No one cares what Kevin wants, though, so Aaron doesn’t hang up before the call connects and Katelyn answers with a peppy, “Hey, Aarbear. What’s up?”
Aaron clears his throat but Kevin sees the flush on his cheeks anyway. “Hi, Katiebear.” He sounds ridiculously fond when he greets her. Kevin stamps down his jealousy with a fervor he hopes isn’t obvious. “You’re on speaker. Kevin wants to know if you’ll let him kiss me.”
Kevin’s entire body revolts at the suggestion. He flinches away from Aaron and into the arm of the couch, protests on the tip of his tongue—he’s not a homewrecker, he doesn’t want to ruin Aaron and Katelyn’s relationship, he’ll be fine if he never knows what Aaron’s mouth tastes like—but Katelyn never gives him the chance.
“Oh!” she gasps. Kevin doesn’t think she sounds upset but he’s also not the best at reading people’s emotions, especially when he can’t actually see their faces. She takes a few seconds to respond but when she does, she’s the same happy-go-lucky cheerleader she’s always been. Kevin isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or not. “That’s cool, yeah. Just—can you wait until I come over? I can be there in, like, ten minutes. Eleven, tops.”
Aaron turns to Kevin for his input on…well, Kevin doesn’t know what. Is Aaron asking if Kevin is okay with his girlfriend coming over to watch them kiss? Is this her giving her permission?
“I-I,” Kevin stammers and then shrugs when his words fail him. Is he supposed to say yes?
Aaron shakes his head, but it seems distinctly fond, a small smile tugging at the corner of his—very pretty, very soft looking—lips. “Kevin’s being stupid. Just come over.”
Kevin barely registers their send offs, his head buzzing. What the fuck did he just stumble into?
***
It takes Katelyn eight minutes to get to their dorm after she ends the call and nearly busts down the door when she does.
She’s out of breath like she ran all the way from wherever she was but not a single hair is out of place nor does she look even a little bit sweaty despite the temperature sitting solidly in the low nineties. Katelyn Mackenzie is a force of nature all on her own but Kevin thinks she’d have to be, to be with Aaron and deal with the clusterfuck that is the Minyard twins.
She drops down on the coffee table and beams at them, forgoing any proper greeting. Aaron watches her with an intensity Kevin has only ever seen him give to her.
Kevin takes a second to look at Katelyn a little closer than he usually does. She’s cute, that’s a given, but in a very peppy naive cheerleader kind of way rather than anything that interests Kevin on a normal day.
But, well, today isn’t really a normal day, is it?
And, well, she’s looking extremely adorable in her bubblegum pink cardigan and bright white sneakers. Kevin can almost see what Aaron sees in her.
“So,” Katelyn starts. She looks between the two of them before gesturing wildly, still beaming. Kevin wonders if her face ever gets stuck like that. “Go ahead! Whenever you feel like it.”
Kevin doesn’t move and neither does Aaron. It can’t be that easy, can it? He expected more of a push back since Aaron is hers and not Kevin’s but he doesn’t know Katelyn all that well. She could just be really into guys kissing as far as he’s aware.
He feels Aaron shift closer and turns to see him reaching out. Maybe it can be that easy. There’s a question on his unfairly pretty face and Kevin answers it by taking hold of his shirt collar and pulling him in. If he’s being given the opportunity for this, he won’t squander it. This may be his only chance to know what Aaron’s lips feel like against his own.
And they feel—nice. Very nice.
Aaron is a good kisser, and Kevin instantly likes kissing him despite Aaron’s lips being chapped from how much he chews on them while studying. He’s significantly shorter than Kevin even when sitting, so Kevin has to tilt his head down to be able to reach Aaron’s mouth but he doesn’t mind that. Really, the knowledge that he’s so much bigger than Aaron sends a thrill up his spine. It’s ridiculously hot.
Kevin moves his other hand to the back of Aaron’s head, threading his fingers through the soft hairs at the base of his skull. Aaron makes a soft noise that gets swallowed up in between their mouths but it’s enough for something inside Kevin to snap.
He uses his hold on Aaron’s shirt to pull him in even closer and takes the brief second Aaron’s mouth opens in surprise to slip his tongue in between his lips.
They kiss wet and messy and it’s so, so hot, Kevin might just combust.
A hand suddenly touches Kevin’s knee. He jerks away from Aaron only to see Katelyn much closer. There’s a dusting of red across her freckled cheekbones and her eyes are dilated and her breathing a little heavier than it was before. It’s the first time Kevin has ever seen her as something other than joy personified and it’s a little addicting.
Kevin expects her to go after Aaron, to reclaim what is hers, but she doesn’t.
Katelyn turns on him, sliding her hand further up Kevin’s leg so it rests solidly in the middle of his thigh. Her hand is warm and small and Kevin could probably cover the entire thing with his own.
It’s an odd thought to have about someone he previously barely ever regarded but today is a strange day. He might as well find Katelyn attractive.
“Can I kiss you too?” she asks.
He thinks on this for all of a second. Kevin has been lonely since before he ever broke things off with Thea and it’s only gotten worse the last few months. At least before then, he knew he had someone out there who cared about him beyond his exy abilities but he’s felt adrift since.
Even if he knows Neil and Andrew, the two people he’s closest to, stay with him because they like him and not because he’s Kevin Day, it’s not the same. They don’t want him like Kevin wants to be wanted. He won’t make them feel bad for not wanting him like that, but it doesn’t stop him from yearning for someone to, anyway.
It feels good to be touched, to have people want to pay attention to him off the court. Even if this is fleeting, a one-time thing, he’ll milk it for all it’s worth.
“Yeah,” Kevin breathes, “yeah, you can.”
Kissing Katelyn is different but despite his reservations about the girl, he can’t deny that she knows what she’s doing. Her lips are soft from lip balm and taste exactly like peaches. Her hands go to Kevin’s shoulder and grab two fistfuls of his shirt so she can use him as an anchor when she moves into his lap.
He releases Aaron so he can wrap an arm around her to keep her steady. It feels good to have her on top of him, for her to press as much of her body against his as she can.
Well, fuck. He might just be into Aaron’s girlfriend too.
Eventually Katelyn pulls back to catch her breath. Her lips are red and slicked with spit and it’s—adorable. She’s adorable. Kevin definitely understands what Aaron sees in her now.
She gives him a tiny smile, something a little bit awkward but entirely endearing, and turns toward her actual boyfriend. Aaron leans into her like it’s second nature, sliding into a kiss with an ease that would make their years together obvious if Kevin didn’t already know.
For a moment, all Kevin can do is watch. It’s mesmerizing how they move, anticipate each other’s desires with just their mouths. It makes Kevin a little jealous, a little envious, for what they have.
Even so enthralled with her boyfriend, Katelyn slides a hand up so she can gently pet Kevin's hair, her long nails scratching so nicely against his scalp. It makes Kevin feel like he’s part of something, that he’s not forgotten, that he’s not just hanging on where he’s not wanted like he usually does.
It’s more than what he expected out of Katelyn, especially when he’s kind of, sort of trying to poach her boyfriend.
Though, maybe she doesn’t see it that way. Maybe she wants Kevin just as much as she wants Aaron and isn’t that a thought. Kevin pushes it away for later examination once they all part and Kevin is on his own again.
Katelyn makes a noise, something partway between a moan and a hum, and she sits back away from Aaron. There’s a peaceful sort of expression on both of their faces and Kevin feels like he’s looking in on something he has no business seeing, even though it was them who engineered this entire situation.
“Question,” Katelyn says, turning so she can look directly at Kevin. She doesn’t move out of Kevin’s lap but she does put more space between them. “What do you think about being our boyfriend?”
Kevin’s brain short-circuits. He never thought about this possibly being anything other than a one-time thing—a curiosity sated, an itch scratched.
Be our boyfriend.
It’s crazy, isn’t it? The only thing more so, is Kevin genuinely considering accepting. It would be nice to not go to bed feeling like he’s constantly being held at arm’s length by everyone in his life, to know that there are people out there who lo—like him, despite his idiosyncrasies, or maybe even because of them.
But that can’t be it. If they wanted a third, they could have anyone they wanted. Aaron and Katelyn are gorgeous all on their own and they’re only more so together. Anyone would be lucky to be pursued by them.
“Um,” Kevin eloquently responds. Katelyn tries her best not to laugh but Aaron doesn’t have the same considerations. Kevin feels like he’s missing something. “Me? Why me?”
“Well,” Katelyn says, the tilt of her smile more mischievous than he’s ever seen from her before. She flicks her gaze over to Aaron and Kevin follows to see Aaron now pointedly looking away, face red. “Aaron’s had a crush on you for so long. And I understand what he sees you too. You’re passionate and dedicated and you try so hard and you’re so brave and frankly, you’re hot as hell on top of all of that. Why wouldn’t we want to date you?”
Kevin can only blink.
There are so many reasons why Kevin Day would make a terrible romantic partner, or at least Kevin assumes there are. He can’t actually think of any right now, the only thing running through his mind is the knowledge that Aaron has a crush on him and Katelyn agrees with him.
It’s crazy, it really is, but Kevin thinks he might just be okay with that.