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Joey kisses him one night, when he’s crashing on Joey’s couch for a day.
They are sitting on a said couch, perhaps a tad closer than usual. But he is good friends with Joey, good enough to get talked into watching anime and chill, so it’s normal that Joey has his hand thrown over Chris’ shoulder, pulling him closer. It’s most definitely normal, perhaps even expected behaviour from Joey at this point.
What’s not normal is Joey kissing him. It’s as out of left field as the plot of the anime (something about mecha and waifus, but if someone’s pointing a gun at his head and asks him to explain the plot, he will get shot) and while it is a lovely experience and Joey is definitely making it hard to think straight, hah, Chris stops him before they get too far.
“Shit. What the fuck was that?” he asks, looking between Joey and Aki’s room. Her door is not closed all the way, and he can see warm yellow light through the crack. It’s the opposite of the blue light from the TV screen illuminating Joey and himself.
Joey first follows his line of sight, then looks back at Chris. “Uh,” he starts, as eloquently as ever, which is to say never. He is more flustered than Chris has ever seen him though. “Before you started to worry-”
“A bit too bloody late for that.”
“It’s fine, I got permission.”
Something about the phrasing of that is hilarious, so Chris snickers. “You got permission?” he asks, and to his credit, his echo only sounds a little mockingly. Less of a tease, more of a confirmation and a curious question all rolled into one.
He can’t see it, but he knows Joey blushes at that because his voice goes a little higher and his words a little faster as he says, “Well, it’s good to communicate in a relationship and maybe I find you a little hot and so I talked to Aki about that and she-”
“You’re going off on a tangent,” Chris points out.
Joey’s mouth snaps shut with a click. He hears a deep intake of breath, and then, slower this time, with more intention, “Maybe you should shut me up then.”
Chris does.
The next morning is only a little embarrassing when he walks out of the bedroom and comes face to face with a grinning Aki.
Joey has the decency to kiss him breathlessly behind closed doors where the light is off and Aki is not watching.
Garnt kisses him in the hallway of the Trash Taste studio where bright white light shines, in front of Sydney.
At least he gets warning this time. Well, it’s not quite a warning as much as a rushed question, a “Can I kiss you, like, right now?” falling out of Garnt’s mouth. A “You can say yes,” from Sydney. A tentative offer to jump into the unknown.
He has not known Garnt for long, and certainly what they share is not a deep connection, but at least he can trust that this offer is safe. And he has always liked the unknown. Has always found it exciting, to an extent. So he says yes.
So Garnt kisses him.
Chris doesn’t make a habit of comparing his partners. It’s incredibly rude to do so, but in the heat of the moment, he can’t help but think of Joey. Joey kisses him frantically, like every kiss is their last. Joey makes it easy to get lost in the rush of it all, makes it easy to forget the flow of time.
Garnt makes him aware of where he is and what he’s doing and all of the noises they’re making. Or perhaps that is less Garnt and more of the fact that he knows Sydney is also watching. It is his first time kissing in front of an audience, even if it’s an audience of one. Nevertheless, there’s a small thrill in the action, a shiver rushing down his spine.
There is always something new to be learnt and discovered, Chris guesses.
When they part, Sydney whistles. His brain is only active enough for Chris to replies with a, “Fuck off.”
It’s not as awkward as Chris was dreading it to be: Sydney is very cool with the arrangement. She watches plenty but never joins in, besides that one time when they talked about Grant's techniques like he was not in the room and left him a fluttering mess; Garnt is most certainly enjoying it, and as Chris later learns, this whole operation was Garnt’s idea in the first place.
Chris, well, he would never say no whenever he’s in town and schedule permits.
Connor kisses him when they’re drunk, and then he kisses him again when they are sobered.
With the alcohol, Connor kisses him almost like how Joey kisses him. Feverently, like he’s the only thing that matters. Chris says almost because Connor kisses him with even more desperation.
Without the alcohol, Connor kisses him almost like how Garnt kisses him. Slowly, taking his time to explore. Chirss says almost because Connor kisses him more gently, like he’s something to be treasured. To be appreciated, and not just by Sydney.
And Chris will have to give Connor a bonus point compared to the other two for not being in a committed relationship when the kissing happens, mainly because it saves Chris from having a guilt complex during the first few seconds of the kiss. With Connor, he can just let himself go right away.
God, he really is making a habit of comparing his partner. In Chris’ defense, it’s only a comparison between those three. They kind of come in one package deal these days after all. And somehow, Chris has kissed all three of them. Or, more accurately, they have kissed him. He’s sure that they don’t even talk to each other about this, which makes this whole situation all the more hilarious, and to be perfectly honest, flattering on his part.
He can’t wait to drop the fact that independently, Joey, Garnt, and Connor have kissed him in a casual conversation. Maybe he will bring it up the next time he meets up with those three to record another podcast episode. Everyone is wanting more Trash Taste ft. Abroad in Japan, after all.