the love triangle trope, but it's actually a triangle

zubin learns what everybody already knows

ross held onto joe, acting as the big spoon in his bed. joe had fallen asleep some time ago, his feast from earlier practically putting him into hibernation. ross laid awake, falling in and out of consciousness.

a knock at the door fully woke him up. he peeled away from joe, hoping not to wake him up. he looked completely knocked out though, so he wasn't concerned.

ross opened the door, squinting his eyes at the light. zubin stood in the doorway.

"oh,, hi zoobs. did you need anything?" ross mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"is joe asleep?" he asked. ross nodded. zubin closed the door from behind him and motioned for ross to move to his room. he followed, and finally noticed zubin's angry look.

"so what was this about?" zubin said, as if he were accusing ross of something. "you and joe just having your own date after you told us he felt bad or whatever?"

ross froze, eyes wide from being caught so easily. all he could say was "what?"

he groaned, hands on his head and moving around the room as he started to talk. "i'm not mad or anything really bad,, but, why? why did you two dip on us? just to go eat at the same place too?" he stopped pacing and stared at ross. "you know we wouldn't get in the way of you two, right?"

"of course we know that,," ross mumbled, guilt brewing in him. "its not what you think zubin. we weren't trying to avoid you guys or anything its..."

"its?"

"it's complicated." ross stated. "i-i'm trying to help you guys really!"

zubin scoffed. "with what?"

"your relationship!" he blurted, getting more nervous by the second. "and god do you guys really need it..."

"what are you talking about?"

"well,,," ross wrung his hands out. "look... you and rob and andrew all have this really weird love thing going on..."

"love thing?" zubin's expression melted into one of more shock.

ross decided to spill on everything he knew so far to zubin. most of it was out of date at this point, all he knew was that andrew liked rob and rob liked zubin, and zubin's fiasco he had the other day. but he did know that him and andrew cuddled that one night, which zubin seemed angry about.

"we did? and i don't remember?!" he groaned. "i was okay with not remembering a lot from that night. i thought you guys would tell me if something bad happened. but this? god dammit!"

"you guys could always cuddle more when you're... together, right?" he said. "if you're all willing to be together, or even not, you'll still have at least one of them."

zubin thought it over. "that would be really nice... we're gonna have a tv thrate tomorrow, so maybe we could..."

"a thrate?"

"don't worry about it... i don't know, maybe there is a chance."

"i hope there is." ross smiled at him. "i think you guys can figure this out. and i'm willing to help too! didn't your dinner go well?"

he nodded. "it went fine. it gives me more hope for tomorrow, i guess."

ross pat his back. "that's the spirit. good luck out there zoobs, i'm going back to bed."

"yeah... thanks."

ross left zubins room, closing the door behind him. zubin thought over what ross told him. he thought about their thrate earlier, and how the others acted towards him... he was surprised he didn't figure it out sooner.