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Juan had been dating Foolish for a few months, but it's been a long time coming. They had been dancing around each other for a while, unsure of whether the other felt the same, only to finally confess to each other soon after Juan's kidnapping by the Federation. Until the last moment, Juan was unsure whether Foolish felt the same about him, or just saw him as a really close friend, until he got kissed in a definitely-not-friendly manner as a confirmation. He's never been good at noticing how people feel about him.
Maybe that's why, when Graf confessed to him, it caught him by surprise.
"Well, do you like him back?" Foolish had asked him when Juan ran to tell him about what had happened.
He and Foolish weren't in an open relationship, definitely not, but Foolish wasn't bound to one person; he had a lot of love to give. It had always been like this, and Juan knew that before entering the relationship. Foolish had already been dating Vegetta; they shared a bond that had its beginnings long before he and Juan even met, and Juan was fine with that. And although he and Vegetta didn't like each other in the same way, he loved and respected the man as his friend and as his king, and he was happy he was Foolish's partner. They established that Juan could date someone else as well if he wanted to; they would talk about it beforehand, of course, but it was on the table.
The thing was, Juan wasn't sure if he would ever want to date someone else. He wasn't sure if he was capable of loving more than one person at once. He'd never experienced it, unlike Foolish, who had a whole immortal life of experiences.
So, he could date Graf if he wanted to; the problem was, he'd never seen Graf in this way. He was sweet, and Juan loved spending time with him. He was very handsome too, but he had always been just a good friend, and Juan didn't have romantic feelings for him. He didn't think so, anyway.
"No, I— I don't," he replied. "But I don't want to break his heart."
"Did you tell him you have a boyfriend?" Foolish asked.
Juan felt guilt rise up in his chest. Foolish wasn't asking in a judgmental way, but he still felt guilty about it. He couldn't bring himself to reject Graf right away, even when it would be as easy as telling him he was already dating someone else; he was sure Graf would back away. But Graf had looked so nervous and hopeful while confessing to him, and Juan had never seen that look on him before. It caught him off guard.
So Juan had let himself be taken on a date instead of saying no. He was too scared to break Graf's heart and be the reason that hopefulness was gone. There was a painful aching in his chest ever since Graf confessed to him, and Juan attributed it to not wanting to hurt his friend.
"I didn't," he said quietly. "I will. I'll tell him next time; I just— I didn't expect him to confess and I panicked! I know it's going to break his heart, and I didn't know how to say it. I know I should have."
"Whoa," Foolish said, amusement flickering across his face. "I'm not mad, dude. I get it, it's a hard thing to do, breaking poor Graf's heart. So much so that you agree to go on another date with him." He studied Juan for a long moment. "Huh," he said, half to himself.
Before Juan could ask what that meant, Foolish spoke again.
"Maybe you should give him a chance." He smiled at Juan with his sharp teeth.
"Are you serious?" Juan asked, baffled.
Foolish shrugged. "I like him. The way he confessed was kind of cute, honestly, and you're already going on a second date. I think he could be good for you."
"I don't like him back, Foolish."
"Okay, okay," Foolish said in a tone that meant he was going to drop it. He just had one last thing to add. "I'm just saying, you have my blessing if anything changes."
"It won't," Juan replied.
Something changed a few weeks later.
After gathering the courage to do so, he told Graf he was dating Foolish; it went as well as breaking your friend's heart could go.
"I'm sorry, Graf, but I already have a boyfriend," he said during their next date that he wasn't able to refuse, his heart beating frantically in his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away; I wasn't sure how to."
"Oh," Graf said. He looked sad about it for a moment, but he immediately pulled himself together, feigning neutrality. "It's okay. I'm sorry I put you in an uncomfortable position."
"You didn't do anything wrong," Juan said quickly. "We can still be friends; you're really dear to me."
Graf nodded, giving him a small smile. "I'd like that. Are we okay then?"
"Yes," Juan replied.
There was a brief silence for a moment. Juan was nervously playing with the hem of his shirt, thinking about what he should say next. But Graf beat him to it.
"Can I ask who it is?" he asked, and before Juan got the chance to reply, he said: "Is it Foolish?"
Juan fidgeted with his hands. "Yeah. It's Foolish."
Graf nodded again, thoughtfully, like the answer only confirmed something he already knew. "That's good. I'm happy for you two," he said, and although there was still some sadness hidden in his tone, it didn't sound like a lie. "I'll come by the store to hang out sometime," he added.
"Please do," Juan said. "Don't be a stranger, okay, Graf?"
After that, they went their separate ways. Juan went back to Foolish and told him everything, of course. Foolish had been a great support to him throughout the whole ordeal; he of all people knew how hard it was for Juan to manage his own emotions.
Juan wasn't sure why the ache in his chest didn't fade the way he expected it to. Rejecting Graf was supposed to make things simpler.
It really didn't.
Graf didn't stop being nice. He brought Juan gifts and was as kind to him as he was before, but he seemed to back away a little, keeping a polite distance between them. He still smiled at Juan the same way, still remembered all the small things Juan told him in passing that Juan himself barely remembered; they were still friends. But Graf didn't outright show his affection for Juan the same way he did before.
Juan found himself gravitating towards Graf anyway. He liked to spend time with him; that's why. It had to be.
Foolish was there too, a lot of the time, because he and Juan were sort of a package deal. And of course, he noticed that something was up. He knew Juan better than anyone on the island.
One afternoon, when Foolish and Tubbo took everyone willing for a ride in the Death Star, Graf ended up seated beside Juan the whole time. Somewhere in the middle of it, he gave Juan chocolate ice cream just because Juan mentioned liking it earlier.
It felt nice to be considered like this.
"Thank you," Juan said to him sincerely, and went in for a hug.
Graf stiffened and politely hugged him back, but it was short and strangely distant. He let go first, before Juan, and there was some leftover tension in the air afterwards.
Juan made eye contact with Foolish when they separated. Foolish raised his eyebrows at him in a silent question that Juan didn't have an answer to. He just shrugged.
It was weirdly frustrating. After a while, Juan found himself missing Graf's outward affection, and he felt extremely selfish and cruel in this feeling. How could he reject a guy and then be sad that said guy stopped trying to win him over? He hated that small, selfish ache in his chest over something he wasn't entitled to.
Something strange happened one day. Foolish and Juan were in the main hall of the mansion, having a passionate discussion about something that turned into a make-out session, as it often tended to do with them. Foolish's arms were wrapped around Juan's waist when Graf walked inside.
He stopped in the doorway. "Am I interrupting?"
"No," Foolish said immediately, not taking his hands off Juan. "Hi, Graf!"
"Hi," Juan managed, already feeling his cheeks heat up.
"…Juan, I just finished decorating the outside of the cave as I told you about," Graf said, addressing Juan. He did, in fact, tell Juan about his plans to make the area outside of the Polish Cave look better. "I wanted to ask if you want to come see it, but I can come some other time if you're busy." He looked between them.
"No, I'd love to see it," Juan replied, still feeling slightly embarrassed.
Foolish let go of him, probably ready to leave the two of them alone, but then Graf said:
"Foolish, you can come as well, if you want to."
"Oh, of course!" Foolish said happily, sounding slightly surprised.
They teleported to the Polish Cave, and when the world materialized in front of them, it looked a lot nicer than the last time Juan had seen it. The pathway to the cave had been cleaned up, a small wooden fence separating it from the newly planted hedgerow around the entrance. There were also wooden archways in the way with small lanterns hanging from them. Off to the side, Juan could see an outside eating area with a table and benches around it.
"Wow, it looks so good, man!" Juan said, looking around in awe.
"It really does," Foolish added with a genuine appreciation in his voice. "You're so good at decorating."
Graf looked bashful, eyes shifting between them and their surroundings. "Thank you, but I'm really not," he said. "Juan inspired me to try and improve a little."
He glanced at Juan, and Juan felt a wave of affection at that. And some pride too, because Graf really had improved.
"You did such a good job with it," he said, looking at Graf and giving him a smile. Graf smiled back in a way that was genuine, blushing a little at the compliment, and it made Juan's heart skip a beat. "It looks so much nicer than it did before. You're better at this than you think you are."
"Yeah," Foolish said. "I like a man who can decorate."
Graf's head snapped to him, and his face got even redder. Juan's head snapped to Foolish as well. Did he just…? Graf eyed him nervously, but Juan turned his head away. He didn't want Graf to see the look on his face and realize that it definitely wasn't jealousy.
Foolish wandered a few steps further, admiring one of the archways like nothing had happened. Like he didn't just make Juan's head spin. "This is impressive, dude. What kind of wood is this?"
Graf stood frozen for a moment before the words fully registered, then stumbled slightly on his way over to the archway too, still blushing. He started explaining something to Foolish in a slightly shaky voice, but the words were background noise to Juan at the moment. He was still hung up on how nice it felt to watch Foolish's easy confidence make someone other than Juan fall apart like that.
Juan liked it more than he wanted to admit out loud.
During the next BBQ Monday at the North, Juan got a little tipsy. He didn't drink much, but the alcohol buzzed pleasantly in his veins, making him feel bolder than usual. It was a good chance to relax, take a break from all his responsibilities for one night. He did some karaoke throughout the night, and then sat a little further away, next to the bonfire, when he felt like he got too dizzy to stand from screaming the lyrics. He just observed everyone else singing, feeling happy. He loved his family.
Foolish found him there, grinning at him in a way that made Juan's heart flip in his chest. He sat next to him on the log.
"You look happy," he said.
"I am," Juan replied, smiling back at him. "Everyone is together. We have so many people today."
"Yeah. It's nice seeing this place so alive," Foolish said, looking at everyone over the fire with a fond gaze. He loved the North just as much as Juan did. "You're not singing anymore?"
"I need a break," he replied. "But maybe later."
Without warning, Foolish pulled him onto his lap, earning himself a surprised gasp from Juan. He leaned into his boyfriend's warm body, relishing the feeling.
"You deserve a break," he said. "You always work so hard so everyone can have fun."
And then he leaned in and kissed Juan.
Juan grabbed his face, angling it better, and kissed back with ferocity. He closed his eyes. The noise of the karaoke became just background noise, and all he could feel in the moment was Foolish's lips on his own.
When he finally opened his eyes, he noticed someone looking straight at him.
It was Graf.
He was standing near one of the logs, holding a drink in his hand. He made eye contact with Juan right as he opened his eyes, and wasn't even trying to pretend to look elsewhere despite being caught. He was just watching them kiss.
Juan's stomach dropped with a feeling that was a mix of guilt, shame, and something entirely else. He should have looked away. He should have stopped, should have pulled away from Foolish out of respect for Graf.
But the way Graf was looking at him made him feel… something. There was an electrifying feeling in his stomach, not just from kissing his boyfriend. Graf didn't stop looking, and Juan didn't stop kissing Foolish.
He found himself holding Graf's gaze. He deepened the kiss, leaning even closer to Foolish. He didn't close his eyes this time. Foolish pulled him closer onto his lap, and Graf was still looking at them. He didn't look jealous, like Juan would expect him to. He was looking at them with something akin to want in his eyes, like he couldn't tear his gaze away. Or maybe that was just Juan's mind making things up. Filling in what he wanted to see.
Stop it, he scolded himself mentally. This isn't fair to him.
But some other, much more repressed part of himself was saying, You like this. Why? Why do you enjoy Graf watching you and Foolish kiss?
It wasn't about making Graf jealous to stroke his own ego. It would probably be easier if it was that simple.
Foolish finally broke the kiss, and Juan gasped for air, head spinning for more reasons than one. Foolish opened his eyes, caught Juan's gaze, and turned his head to follow it. His eyes found Graf, who had already turned around, looking elsewhere. Despite that, there was a knowing look on Foolish's face when he turned back to Juan.
"Did we put on a show for him?" he asked in a teasing tone, something almost smug mixed into his expression.
Juan's face went even redder. He turned his head to the side, overwhelmed by the emotions that were flooding through him. "I don't— I don't know, I— "
"Dude, you're so red," Foolish said, grabbing his face gently and tilting it back toward him. "Holy shit."
"I don't know why!"
"Well, I see two explanations: you're either a monster and you enjoy watching poor Graf suffer, or you want him," Foolish said bluntly, making Juan shiver at the claim. "And I don't think it's the former."
"I'm too drunk for this," Juan said.
"You're barely tipsy! You had like, what, one drink?"
He buried his face into Foolish's chest. He didn't answer that.
"I think we need to have a talk about this," Foolish said, letting out a chuckle. How could he sound so casual about this when Juan was internally freaking out?
"Yeah," Juan mumbled against his boyfriend's bare skin. "Yeah, we should talk."
Juan went to Foolish's room the next day.
"Okay," he said, sitting down on the bed. "Let's talk."
Foolish sat beside him, looking at him expectantly. Juan gathered his thoughts before speaking.
"I think..." he started, still unsure. "I think I made a mistake."
It was the first time he'd ever admitted it, even to himself.
A small smile tugged at Foolish's mouth, like he knew where this was going. "With Graf?" he asked, already knowing the answer. But his tone was gentle, and Juan really appreciated it.
"Yeah," Juan confirmed anyway. "I think I do like him."
Foolish wrapped a steady arm around his waist. Juan leaned into him.
It felt strange, saying it out loud. He wasn't sure why it was so hard to admit; it had taken him long enough just to let himself love one person, back in the early days with Foolish, and adding a second person into that didn't make the feeling any easier. He felt like he didn't deserve this.
"I think you do too," Foolish replied. Juan could tell he was smiling without even looking at him.
"How did you— How did you figure this out before me?"
"No offense dude, but you're kinda out of touch with your feelings," Foolish said, and Juan immediately scoffed.
"Hey!"
But he couldn't deny it.
"I'm just saying! You would probably take ages to tell me you liked me if I didn't do it first." Foolish grinned, and Juan couldn't even argue, because he was right. "And I noticed you might have a crush on Graf, but I waited for you to realize it first. And tell me yourself."
"Well, I did figure it out. What now? I told him I don't feel the same," Juan said.
"Dude, just tell him how you feel. Trust me, he still wants you as well."
The words made something warm spread in Juan's chest. "Why are you so… normal about this? Why am I the only one freaking out?"
"I've had like, a couple hundred more years to get good at dealing with my feelings," Foolish replied.
Right. Silly Juan and his silly human lifespan.
"What about you?" he asked, thinking back to Foolish talking to Graf outside the Polish Cave. There was something hopeful hidden in that question, but he didn't let himself to fully embrace it just yet.
Then, it was Foolish's turn to look to the side. He didn't look embarrassed about it, but more like, pleased with himself.
"I might… Like him a little as well," he admitted, and when Juan looked at him expectantly, he added. "I'm not head over heels in love like you are yet, but we spent more time together recently, and he's kinda cute! I can't say I don't have a small crush. think… I think I'd like it if he wanted me as well, I guess."
Juan felt relief flush over him. And happiness too; it was the best possible outcome, them both liking Graf like this.
"That's good, that's really good," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. He was freaking out slightly less than before, but still freaking out. "So… We just need to tell him."
"Yeah. I already talked to Vegetta about this," Foolish told him. "We have his blessing."
"You have his blessing; he's your boyfriend," Juan replied.
"Well, yes, but he told me to wish you good luck," Foolish wiggled his eyebrows. "He said: tell Juan good luck with Graf, and tell him to be safe when—"
Juan shut him up by kissing him again.
You whisper to Graf: hey, can we meet up?
You whisper to Graf: we need to talk to you
You whisper to Graf: foolish and i
Graf whispered to you: ?
Graf whispered to you: did something happen?
You whisper to Graf: no it's just something i need to tell you in person it's nothing bad
You whisper to Graf: i hope it's not
You whisper to Graf: just come by the north when you have the time
Graf whispered to you: i'll be there soon
He was nervous. Foolish tried to calm him down, but he kept on pacing around his room.
"What if he doesn't like me anymore?" Juan said, for probably the third time already. "He's been more distant lately."
It was ironic, really. First he'd rejected Graf. Now he was terrified Graf might do the exact same thing back to him. It would have been funny, if it weren't so nerve-racking.
Foolish rolled his eyes, though there was no real annoyance behind it, just fondness. "He does," he said simply. "And if he doesn't, he's an idiot. He probably just wanted to get over you or something, I don't know."
Juan stopped dead in his tracks. "What if he did?"
"Trust me." Foolish smirked. He tugged on Juan's wrist, pulling him to a stop. "That's impossible."
He pulled Juan in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, then drew him closer, wrapping his arms loosely around Juan. Juan let out a shaky breath and let himself be held,
"You're so calm about this," he mumbled.
"Somebody has to be." Foolish pressed another kiss to the top of his head.
Juan let out another sigh. "But what if he—"
There was a soft knock at the door, and Juan's whole body filled with dread. The sentence died in his throat. He looked at Foolish, who grinned at him in return.
"Go get it," he said, nudging Juan towards the door.
When he opened it, there was a wary-looking Graf standing on the other side. Juan tried to smile at him, but it probably came out more like a grimace.
"Hi, Graf!" Foolish said, cheerful, coming to stand beside him.
"Hi." Graf's eyes flicked between the two of them. "Is everything okay?"
"Well—" Foolish started, but he cut himself off the second he looked at Juan's expression.
"Everything's okay," Juan said instead. "Can you, um— Can we sit down?"
He gestured towards his coffee table. Graf nodded and sat on a chair across from it, while Juan and Foolish sat on the couch facing him. It felt strangely formal, and the formality of it made Juan's skin crawl with some unease. Foolish spread himself out a little, giving the situation some semblance of normalcy, but Juan and Graf were sitting very stiffly.
"So," Juan started, and immediately realized he had no idea how to continue. How do you invite your friend that you rejected some time ago into your relationship?
He glanced at Foolish, looking for some help, but Foolish just shrugged and gave him the 'you have to do it yourself ' look. Juan hated that he was right once again. He had to be the one to start it. He audibly swallowed and tried again.
"I've been… thinking about some stuff. Recently." He cringed internally at how unnatural it sounded. "Ever since we went on that date."
"Oh," Graf said, looking even more uncomfortable now; there was a visible tension in his body. Great. What a wonderful beginning. "What were you thinking about, exactly?"
He looked genuinely confused, like he couldn't possibly imagine what version of this doesn't end in something horrible for him. Juan started fidgeting with his hands in his laps. He just had to say it.
"I know I said I don't like you," he blurted out. "But I think— I realized I actually do."
Graf went very still. His eyes went wide, flicking rapidly between Juan and Foolish, like he was waiting for them to tell him it's all a joke. Foolish was silent the entire time, letting Juan express his own feelings first.
"Juan—" Graf tried to start.
"Let me finish," Juan interrupted. "These past few weeks, we were spending so much time together, but it was different than before. You pulled back a little, and it made me realize how— It made me realize how much I miss when you were affectionate with me."
His heart was hammering so hard it felt like it was gonna jump out of his chest. Beside him, Foolish reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. He continued.
"I told myself I just missed you as a friend. But it wasn't that. It took me a while to admit it, because it was scary, I guess. It was like that with Foolish too, at first — I've never been good at any of this." He gestured vaguely at the space between the three of them. "Emotions."
Graf was looking at him with that careful, calculating gaze, like he was trying his best to understand this situation without letting himself hope yet.
"What I'm trying to say," Juan pushed on, "is that I like you, Graf. I like you back. If you still feel the same way… I want to be with you."
It felt like some weight had been lifted off his chest.
Graf stared at him, bewildered, before his gaze flicked helplessly to Foolish again, searching for anything that would make this make sense. "I don't understand," he said quietly. "Aren't you two… together? Did something happen between you?"
"No, gods, no, we're still together," Juan said immediately. "We, um. We talked about this. And we think—"
He thought of the best way to put it, but before he had the chance, Foolish finally joined the conversation. "We want you to be a part of our relationship," he said, straight to the point. "If that's something you'd want too."
Graf's head snapped toward him, a faint blush rising fast across his cheeks. "You— both of you…?" he asked with audible disbelief.
"Yes," Foolish confirmed, and Graf's face went even redder at that. "I won't lie to you, you're handsome, and kind, and you make Juan happy. It's different than how Juan feels about you, probably, but I want you too, if you'll have me. I want us to try."
"Yeah," Juan confirmed as well. "We both want it."
For a long moment, Graf didn't say anything at all. He looked like he was trying to process this really hard.
"I thought I just made that up," he said, after a while, looking at Foolish. "That moment when you flirted with me."
"Nope." Foolish grinned. "I did that on purpose. You're cute when you get nervous."
Graf let out a small, flustered laugh, and it felt like the tension finally lifted from his body.
"Okay," he said finally. "I want... I want you guys too."
Juan had to physically stop himself from grabbing Graf and kissing him in that very moment. It was the best possible option that could happen, and he couldn't be happier. Graf wanted him, wanted them both, and Juan did all that worrying for nothing. Well, at least he can have this now.
"Yay!" Foolish cheered, delighted, and then turned to Juan with a huge smile on his face. "Do we get to kiss him now?"
Juan looked at the very flustered Graf, who looked back at him with a hopeful expression. "Only if he wants to," he said, directing it more toward Graf than toward Foolish. Then, unable to help himself, he added: "But I get to go first."
Foolish chuckled. "I guess you've suffered enough."
Juan was still looking at Graf. "Do you want to—?" Graf nodded frantically before he could finish. It was really endearing, his eagerness.
"Come here." He patted the space between him and Foolish on the couch.
Graf's eyes widened further, and he glanced between them again, like he was still searching for some sign that it wasn't real and he wasn't really allowed to do that. He didn't find one. He got up and made his way over, nearly tripping on the low table in the process. Both Juan and Foolish reached out to steady him at once, and they all started giggling.
"Eager?" Foolish teased once Graf settled between them.
It was meant as a joke, but Juan's stomach filled with warmth when Graf just licked his lips and nodded, looking at him, like kissing Juan was the best possible thing that could happen to him right now.
"Okay," Juan giggled nervously. Graf made himself comfortable on the couch between them and looked at Foolish, who grinned even wider, and then back to Juan.
Juan couldn't take it anymore. He took Graf's face in his hands and pressed their lips together. Graf made a small, startled sound against him, like he wasn't expecting it to happen until the very last moment, and then he kissed back. His hands found their way onto Juan's back, and pulled him a little closer. Juan could feel how Graf leaned into him, kissing him gently. It was a little messy and uncoordinated, but it was perfect for Juan. They kissed until Juan was out of breath and had to pull back. He looked at Graf, who had a slightly dazed smile on his face now, looking back at him with so much fondness in his gaze that it made Juan's heart ache.
"You're— you're so pretty," he said, a little breathless, just because he was allowed to say it now. Graf let out a shuddering breath and kissed him again.
Foolish wolf-whistled when they broke apart, looking at them with a genuine smile. "That good?" he asked, and Juan just nodded. "My turn now. Come here, Graf."
Graf turned to him, and Foolish pulled him closer, making Graf sit in between his spread legs. Juan sat back and watched, excitement brewing in his chest. It was a new feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He'd seen Foolish kiss Vegetta many times before, but it never had this kind of effect on him. He never found himself anticipating it so eagerly.
Their kiss was different from the one Graf and Juan had shared. Foolish was very soft with Graf, probably not wanting to overwhelm him, careful to keep his sharp teeth out of the way; at least for their first kiss. It felt good to watch them. It was nice to see Graf melting into the kiss the same way he did when he kissed Juan, but now Juan got to see it happen in real time, after he just experienced it for himself.
When Foolish finally pulled back, Graf let out a soft laugh, glancing between the two of them like he still couldn't quite believe any of it was real.
"So?" Foolish asked, grinning. "Who do you rate better — me, or Juan?"
"What the hell?!" Juan said, in a mock-offended tone. "Why would you ask him that? It's obviously me."
"You're both unbelievable," Graf said, laughing harder now. All of the tension was gone from his body.
Foolish grabbed Juan and pulled him in too, trying to arrange all three of them on the small couch. They finally managed to find a comfortable position that involved both Juan and Graf lying on Foolish's chest. Cuddling with three people was a little more overwhelming than with just one, but not in a bad way.
Juan could get used to this.