Written Wonderland

Seeing Ren standing there in his leather jacket would never stop taking Jaz's breath away. A his eyes scanned her face and neck, she thought she felt heat and hunger for her. Gods damn, she thought. Well, he came ready.

All too quickly, though, Ren's eyes left her to look toward her two other guests, but Jaz stubbornly didn't turn around. She was studying Ren's hair and the way it fell over his shoulders, breathing a little heavier than usual.

When Ren looked back at her, his eyelids fell, betraying some fatigue, but he offered a slight smile in return. She got the sense that he was trying to do her a favor, in asking for all this. Jury was still out on whether she would be grateful for that.

"I brought some chips and guac," Ren said, and Jaz's smile returned in full force. Somehow, the snacks made him seem more human, more approachable. "And stuff for tequila sunrises." She reached over to take the tote bag from him and chanced a soft, sweet kiss where his ear and his jaw met. She waited for his grip on the bag to loosen before she took it.

"I'll take care of this." She was already halfway to the kitchen before she added with a wave, "Make yourself at home."

Ren sighed softly as Jaz reached for his tote bag, her fingers brushing his, and her lips leaned in to place a soft kiss on his jaw. He released the tote bag to her, warmed by her touch, and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.

"I'll take care of this," she said, scurrying off to the kitchen. "Make yourself at home."

Ren felt a little awkward immediately being left with Nick and Chris, but he supposed there was nothing for it. He turned to face them, both of them sipping their drinks and looking at him expectantly. He couldn't quite help rolling his eyes, but tried to turn away before they saw it, moving smoothly into taking off his jacket to hang up.

---

Nick had already almost finished his drink. Oh dear. His chest and cheeks were hot, a pleasant flowing sensation already rolling softly into his head. And, his heart pounded as he watched Ren, terribly curious whether Ren remembered him.

That first night was a bit of a blur for Nick, truth told. He'd loved it, but it felt like a dream, and it was bizarre to be confronted with a living embodiment of something that had felt like a figment of his imagination. He hadn't realized just how self-conscious he would feel--he'd been thinking about meeting Ren as his metamour, not as... well, a hook-up from a few months back??

He took another sip of his drink--now empty. Beet-red, he played with his glass in his lap a moment, before remembering there were snacks, and he eagerly reached over to snag another piece of cheese to nibble.

---

Chris eyed Ren and Nick suspiciously. Something felt like it was going over his head, and it was making him uneasy. Plus, then Ren went and sat on the love seat, after grabbing the drink in front of the empty chair. He looked smug when he met Chris' gaze, and Chris tried not to glare.

"You must be Chris," Ren said, his tone friendly enough, before shifting his gaze to Nick. "And Nick, nice to meet you properly."

Nick let out a soft squeak of a giggle and covered his face with his hand again, and Chris' eyebrows slowly rose as suspicions started to click into place, his own cheeks beginning to gain color.

Damned if he was going to let Ren run the show, though.

"Jaz said this was your idea, getting us all together. Cheers for that." He leaned forward to hold his glass out over the table. Ren raised his eyebrow, but did lean forward and lightly clink Chris' glass. Thank fucking God. Maybe it was a weird olive branch, but it was all Chris could think of.

"Cheers to braving the unknown for the crazy girl in the kitchen," Ren said, his smile lighthearted as he gestured his glass toward Nick.

"Aheh, cheers..." Nick said softly with a nervous smile, shyly clinking his empty glass with Ren's. Ren let out a small huff of a chuckle and set his drink down then and stood, moving over to the water pitcher Jaz had set out and pouring a glass, which he then set down on the coffee table in front of Nick before taking his seat on the love seat again.

Chris had no idea how to feel about all that.

"Ah, thanks..." Nick set his empty glass down on the table and rubbed at his hair before picking up the water glass to take a drink.

Feeling stirred to action once again, Chris set his own drink down on the coffee table and walked over toward the door, crouching down to rifle through his backpack for a moment.

Back in the kitchen again, Jaz set Ren's tote on the counter. She braced herself against the sink for a moment. Get it together, Jaz, she told herself, but a wave of longing swept over her, and her knees dipped out from under her briefly. Was her bed big enough for all this? Catching herself, she spread her feet a little wider and set about unpacking Ren's bag. Chips, store-bought guacamole, juices, and tequila. She eyed the brand but didn't recognize it. She might have to look it up later.

From the living room, she heard Ren deducing names. "And Nick, nice to meet you properly," Jaz heard Ren say. She giggled a little then, quietly enough that she didn't think anyone could hear. She hadn't really thought to bring that night up again beforehand, but it was here now. Which made Chris the only one who hadn't been there.

She put the alcohol and juices in the fridge first. Then, Jaz opened the guacamole and put the chips in a big bowl as Chris said to Ren, "Jaz said this was your idea, getting us all together. Cheers for that." Jaz heard glasses clinking, but she got the impression that Chris was being a little disingenuous. She would have to keep an eye on him tonight. She wanted him to feel included.

"Cheers to braving the unknown for the crazy girl in the kitchen," Ren said.

"Heard that!" Jaz immediately said from the kitchen, her face getting warm again. Crazy? Did Ren really think she was crazy? Well, he was probably right, but it wasn't a very nice thing to say right out of the gate. At least Chris had given her a compliment first.

She smoothed her hackles, though, thinking about it in context. They were all doing something they probably never would have done to be with her. And that meant something. It meant she was worth doing... well, all this. And, by now, she was starting to trust that she really did mean something to Ren.

You're the one person I would save, Jaz remembered him saying over a month ago now. Gods, that one line had given her a lot of mileage.

Ren was pouring Nick a glass of water when Jaz stepped out with the chips and guacamole ready to go. She clocked that Chris was rummaging in his backpack for something, and her face fell a little. It was difficult to help him feel included from there. And Ren had, of course, sat down in the loveseat. Jaz flushed, a pleased satisfaction making her face warm again. She wanted to be his, and she wanted that to show tonight, even if Nick and Chris were also hers. They were each different dynamics, and she wanted to honor that.

Placing the food on the table, Jaz walked around the low coffee table and sat on the floor next to Ren, cozying up to his leg and placing her arm casually on his knee. It was only once she was settled that she realized Nick's drink was gone. Too late to make him another now--she was already comfortable. Jaz grabbed her own drink instead and took a sip, but then frowned and looked up at Ren.

"I can't believe you called me crazy in front of my boyfriends. Take it back."

Nick was... really grateful for the glass of water, honestly. He felt rather sheepish about having downed his drink first - and a little worried that his head was starting to swim, albeit pleasantly, right when it seemed like tension was winding up. He didn't want tonight to just be another blur, however pleasant--er, especially if it didn't end up being pleasant. But he wanted to hold out hope that it would be. It was normal for things to get a little tense at first, right?

He sipped on his water while Jaz brought out the chips and guac, and then sat down on the floor by Ren, draping an arm over his leg. He felt jealous, for sure, but also... glad, that that kind of contact was on the table. Surely they'd all get their chances to exchange affections throughout the evening?

"I can't believe you called me crazy in front of my boyfriends," Jaz said up to Ren once she was settled. "Take it back."

Ren looked down at her with a grin that reminded Nick a little over his own boyfriend... partner... whatever they were. It sent a thrill fluttering through his stomach. Especially when Ren answered, his voice suddenly richer somehow.

"No."

It made Nick want Ren to talk more. Honestly, if he could just cozy up to Jaz at some point and listen to her and Ren talk...

Oh, but what about Chris, though?

Nick looked over to where Chris finally stood from his backpack and walked back towards his chair with a small rectangular box in one hand.

"You are a little crazy," he said to Jaz on his way past with a lighthearted smirk, then flopped down in his chair cross-legged--oh, he'd also taken off his shoes. That was probably good, right? Leaning forward, Chris opened the box on the table, pulling out a deck of cards.

"I was thinking... we could draw cards for tonight?"

Nick leaned forward with interest, but occupied both hands with holding his glass of water, unsure how to proceed.

---

Ren stiffened when he realized what Chris was setting down on the table. He supposed it made sense that Jaz would have a woo-y boyfriend. He glanced to Nick, clocking his timid interest in Chris' proposition.

Ren tried to keep his expression neutral, not wanting to be the killjoy tonight, and looked down to Jaz. His eyes perhaps betrayed a sheen of discomfort, but a tiny, subtle shrug of his shoulders also let her know that he would go along with it, if it's what everyone else wanted to do.

Ren looked down at her with such a grin that she should have known what was coming.

"No." She stayed stock still for a moment, falling into his gaze, before she shook it off and scoffed, bumping her body into his leg softly.

Jaz didn't have time for another retort before Chris came back with a box of tarot cards and said, "You are a little crazy." She opened her mouth in mock shock, prepared to playfully say that Nick was her only boyfriend now, but Chris quickly moved on.

"I was thinking... we could draw cards for tonight?"

Jaz stiffened against Ren's leg, knowing he might have a negative reaction to the suggestion. When she looked at him, though, he shrugged his shoulders a little, and that was permission enough.

They still needed to tread carefully with this. It could sour the mood, not to mention that there was a high capacity for Jaz getting ganged-up on, apparently. She frowned momentarily but then realized how that looked and smiled at Chris.

"That's a very sweet idea, Chris. Even if you have betrayed me. Never expected you to team up with Ren." Jaz smirked and reached for the cards to shuffle them, thinking of what container would simultaneously be satisfying and salvageable if the wrong sorts of cards came up.

"How about we each draw a card and share a memory it reminds us of?" Jaz suggested, prepared to draw a card for herself.

((OOC: I'm imagining that we can draw cards in real life and use the "real" explanation as a jumping off point for whatever explanation we might want to paraphrase here, but I'm open to suggestions. Also, whoever is welcome to chime in with an alternate idea in the story, too.))

Chris watched with a heavy heart as Jaz looked up to Ren as if deferring to him, and then chewed a small frown. He was really, really fighting against disliking Ren so far, and he was afraid his eyes might be showing it despite his efforts to keep up a friendly expression.

"That's a very sweet idea, Chris," Jaz said after forcing a smile, and Chris couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, his posture slumping slightly in some kind of defeat. But, then she went on: "Even if you have betrayed me. Never expected you to team up with Ren."

Next thing Chris knew, Jaz was smirking and reaching for the cards, and he hardly had the werewithal to stop her. As her words sank in, he blinked up to Ren, who smiled congenially and raised his drink in a gentle toast. Chris swallowed down a squirming discomfort, trying to tell himself that Ren was genuinely trying to be friendly. That he still wanted to keep trying to be genuinely friendly, even if he felt the temptation tugging at him to start moping, worry biting in that this evening was going to be one long series of Chris doing things wrong.

"How about we each draw a card and share a memory it reminds us of?" Jaz proposed, and Chris returned his gaze to her with a sigh. He didn't love the idea--it felt a little like it was taking something fun and meaningful and turning it into, like, a lame icebreaker? But, what would he even counter-propose, exactly? He'd never really put into words what drawing cards meant to him. Whatever, he thought, and sighed again, his heart jumping briefly as he realized how close he'd gotten to saying that out loud.

"That works," he replied instead, hoping he kept the edge out of his voice. Then, he picked his drink up and knocked the rest of it back, before standing up to go pour himself a glass of water.

---

Ren was definitely clocking the subtle scowls in Chris' glances. He'd kind of asked for it, he supposed--taking the love seat, having Jaz at his feet. He wasn't even sure he begrudged Chris his edges, in that sense. But, he couldn't bring himself to regret taking this position. What were they all going to do all night, none of them touch Jaz? He offered Chris what he could in what he felt were perfectly respectful, congenial expressions--even a playful toast when Jaz complained about them teaming up. But Chris was clearly having some trouble. Ren couldn't quite help a soft groan when the guy knocked back his drink and stood up to go pour some water, his own expression faltering into frustration.

---

Oh dear. Nick chewed subtly at the inside of his lip as he watched Chris struggle. He felt for him--if he wasn't used to non-monogamy, it probably was pretty hard seeing his girlfriend as cozy as she was with someone else. But, it seemed like he really was trying. It seemed like something else was going on, too, with the Tarot cards, which Nick didn't really understand. He watched Chris stand up to go pour himself some water, and debated whether he should try to offer Chris something. But, what would he even offer?

Ren groaned softly beside him, and Nick felt panic rising in his chest as he looked over to see the man's now frustrated expression. He shifted his gaze a little wide-eyed to Jaz, at a loss for what to do.

((OOC: Okay, lmao, guess it's good I didn't rush ahead to drawing cards. Chris is having a time ;^_^ Nick may think of something to say here shortly, but there's definitely a moment in which Jaz can act/say something first.))

Jaz watched as Chris' face fell, and he almost looked like he wanted to rolled his eyes.

"That works," Chris said but then knocked back the rest of his drink and stood up to get some water. No, it definitely didn't work. Jaz looked down at the cards and sighed. She'd gone and made a mess of a sweet thing. Fuck.

Okay, what now, then?

"No, no, you're right. I'm being controlling again. Your cards, your container," she said, lifting her hands in front of her in defeat as she set the cards back down on the table. "Tell us how it will go, and I'll go make you and Nick new drinks," Jaz said, standing up from her seat on the floor and heading for the kitchen, giving Chris an apologetic look on the way there and briefly touching the back of his hand as she went.

"No, no, you're right," Jaz said, and Chris stiffened.

"I'm being controlling again. Your cards, your container. Tell us how it will go, and I'll go make you and Nick new drinks."

Oh, great. Now he was going to be on the hook for a container nobody else even wanted. He finished pouring his glass of water, but then just stood there a moment with his back to the rest of them, panicing and not sure what to do. He heard Jaz stand up and start walking toward him--toward the kitchen--and his panic only rose. He startled a little when he felt her touch the back of his hand, but then he pivoted and all but launched himself into a hug, wrapping his arms tight around her. Gods, he hoped that wasn't out of bounds.

Jaz didn't make it much further before Chris launched himself around her, his arms pulling her into a tight hug. Surprised, she made a breathy sound but returned the hug tightly and snuggled into the crook of Chris' neck and shoulder. Gods, she really should have done this with him when he arrived. But they were doing it now, and hopefully it would help.

The problem was, she didn't want to stop hugging Chris. She held onto him for longer than the average hug, her mind whirring.

"Do you all just want to go cuddle in my bed?" Jaz asked, softly so as not to speak too loudly in Chris' ear.

Jaz wrapped her arms around Chris and nuzzled into his shoulder, and he let out a deep sigh of relief as he nuzzled his cheek into her hair.

He started to get a little self-conscious about how long she held the hug, but, he really didn't want to let go. He wanted to soak up as much of this as she wanted to give him right now. The others could just. Wait. Sounded like they were both munching on Ren's chips, anyway.

"Do you all just want to go cuddle in my bed?" Jaz asked softly. Chris stiffened a little, but sublimated it back into the hug, deciding to just hold her tight and let the others answer first. In the meantime, he got a longer hug.

He was a bit surprised when Nick answered--granted, a bit hesitant and uncertain--with "Yes?" He supposed that seemed like as good a prompt as any to finally pull out of the hug, offering Jaz a sheepish, grateful smile.

He stiffened again when he realized Ren had stood and was approaching, even moreso when Ren held something out to him. He didn't even realize what it was until Ren asked him a question.

"Before or after we draw cards?"

Chris blinked, stunned again with surprise, but sheepishly withdrew the rest of the way from Jaz to accept the deck from Ren, both hands closing around it. He felt nervous still about being put on the spot to make a decision, but he supposed, with both Jaz and Ren offering, he did feel a bit better. He just didn't want to fuck this up.

"Well, uh... Jaz did offer to make the next round of drinks..." he said tentatively, glancing to Jaz briefly as if to confirm he hadn't said anything incorrect.

"I'll make the drinks," Ren cut in--confidently, but good-naturedly. "Maybe you three can go ahead and start getting comfortable, and we can draw cards once I join you?"

Chris blinked between Ren and Jaz, before turning back to Ren and offering a tentative nod.

"Uh... yeah. I mean, that's fine by me."

Granted, it still seemed a little crazy that they were all just.... going to go lay on a bed together??? But, whatever. Might as well give it a try? He glanced again to Jaz, and then to Nick, who very tentatively stood from his chair.