Three Gays of the Condo (Mavin)

Unease

It was awkward.

Kevin sat in the back seat of Avi's car in complete silence, staring out the window at the changing scenery. Avi, who refused to let the car be completely silent, was gently humming along to the radio, which was barely on. After a little bit of driving, Avi gave up and turned the radio off, sighing as if turning the knob would be his most trying trial. The three of us sat in complete silence for what felt like ages, the roaring hum of the car engine and the breeze from the AC being the only noises floating around us.

"So," Kevin started, stopping to clear his throat. "What have-... I mean...How have you guys been?" He hesitated. I could tell by the tone in his voice that he wanted to say something more meaningful. "No-... I-..." He leaned forwards a little, pulling at the seatbelt across his body. "I don't really know where to start," he admitted.

Avi chuckled, letting a wide grin stretch across his face. "I missed you," he said while shaking his head.

As he continued to laugh, I found myself laughing with him. "I missed you too," I said towards Kevin.

Somehow, unintentionally, Kevin had broken the weird tension, igniting a lighthearted conversation between the three of us. We talked about everything from what Avi and I had been up to, to Kevin's funny stories about some students that he would probably have again next school year. By the time we got back to the condo, we were giggling like we'd never left each other's company. I went ahead of Kevin and Avi, to unlock the door with the key Avi'd given me incase I showed up while he was sleeping. With no hesitation, I ran inside, Avi following behind me. Kevin stopped at the door and looked inside as if he was a vampire and not allowed to enter until invited. He took a deep breath and stepped inside, taking off his shoes and the door.

"He hasn't been here for five minutes and he's already better than you!" Avi spat while pointing to the shoes still on my feet.

"In my defense, I also haven't been here for five minutes," I said seriously, trying to keep myself from smiling and failing.

Avi lifted me up and dropped me on the couch, sitting on my torso and ripping my shoes off my feet while I giggled and hit his back. He nonchalantly carried my shoes to the door and dropped them next to the small pile of shoes I was building, mostly to irritate Esther. She still owed me ten dollars for that bet she lost about sticking straws in Avi's mouth while he was asleep.

Kevin sighed as he walked towards the couch, like he was seeing an old friend again for the first time in years. He went to sit down, almost landing on my foot, which I yanked out the way and placed on his thigh. He looked down at my foot before tracing it up to my smiling face.

"Hi," I chirped. Avi lifted my leg and sat between us, pulling me against his side, by my leg, and resting against Kevin's shoulder.

"Let's marathon movies!" Avi beamed. He was so happy just having both of us with him, he could ignore the weird atmosphere that swarmed us like angry bees. Was he oblivious? He grabbed the remote and started going through movies until he stopped on How to Train your Dragon. He adjusted himself until he was comfortable and pulled a blanket from just behind the couch on a small table, where I'd left it the night before.

Kevin helped Avi spread the blanket out before putting his arm around both of us. I was the only one that seemed to notice that we didn't have snacks, and I was not sitting through the gauntlet of dragon centered movies that Avi always made me watch without at least some popcorn or something.

I wiggled free of Avi's hold on my leg and Kevin's hold on the rest of me and headed to the kitchen. Avi was whining while rubbing his hand against the spot on the couch my butt had warmed, as if that would magically put me back where I was. After gathering a few hours worth of snacks, I placed myself back into the oddly comfortable position I was in before.

It didn't take long before both Kevin and I were asleep and leaning against Avi, who was rendered almost completely unable to move. At least, not without waking at least one of us up from our light slumber.