Color

One Hundred

Avi parked the car in the driveway, quickly getting out of the car. "Can't wait to see what Mitch got for dinner."

Alex grinned, closing his car door. "Mitch has always been so great with cooking... I'm always excited to see what he makes."

Avi waited for Alex to walk around to the front of the car, holding a hand out toward him. "You're so proud." He used his other hand to point at his mouth. "Kiss?"

Alex's grin widened. "You're adorable." He leaned in to kiss him once, and then again before leaning back. "Feel better?"

Avi's eyes were still closed, but he opened them slowly. "I could kiss you all day. Do you have any idea how irresistible you are?"

Alex felt a light blush come over his face. "Oh stop.. That's so embarrassing."

"No it's not. You're stupidly handsome, and I'm gonna keep reminding you of it." 

As they began to walk toward the front door, Avi reached out to grab Alex's hand roughly. 

Alex stopped walking, looking alarmed. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing?" Avi dropped Alex's hand. "Oh sorry, let me try that again." He gently took Alex's hand again with a soft smile. "My bad."

Alex just shook his head and walked toward the door, opening it and pulling Avi inside. 

Avi let go of his hand just to walk toward the kitchen, seeing Scott jumping around in a hilarious dance to what Avi considered to be songs from The Breakfast Club. 

Mitch was standing by the oven with his arms crossed over his chest, very clearly trying not to laugh. 

He finally broke when Scott started to do the cabbage patch, giggling with his hands over his face, one of which with a red oven mitt on it. 

Scott kept bouncing around, mouthing the words to We Are Not Alone by Karla DeVito as he reached out to grab both of Mitch's hands to keep him laughing. 

Avi shook his head and walked into the room. "What the fuck are you doing? Are you stuck in the 1980's?"

Scott didn't stop what he was doing, now dancing toward Avi. "I'm gonna tag you in, how's that?"

"I'd rather not." Avi smacked his hands away. "Get off me, I'm not gay."

Scott glanced back at Mitch. "I can prove that you are, if you want."

Mitch shook his head though, very sharply. "Scott, don't."

Scott huffed, and walked back over to Mitch instead. "Fine. Guess I won't, then."

Alex walked into the room then, hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter near the oven. "The food smells great, Mitchie! Thanks for making dinner, babe."

Mitch took a few steps to the side to stand in between Alex's knees, still clutching the oven mitt on his hand. "You're welcome."

Scott continued dancing through the kitchen, now holding Avi's hands as he dragged him around, mouthing words aggressively at him. 

Mitch turned around to face them, keeping his hips between Alex's knees, Alex leaning over Mitch's back to set his chin on Mitch's shoulder. 

Alex spoke softly, now that Avi and Scott were distracted. "Did you talk to Kirstie?"

Mitch just sighed. "Yeah. She said she already had plans."

Alex hummed in response, before speaking. "That's alright. She's in her honeymoon phase. Happens to all of us."

"Yeah well... It's shitty of her to forget about her friends."

"I know, honey, she's not doing it on purpose. Remember how lonely she was when we first moved in here? She tried to keep it to herself, but she was always upset when we all got couple-y. Just let her have this."

Mitch took a deep breath. "Fine. I just miss her."

"I miss her too... She'll come back to us."

*

Now sitting down together for dinner, Mitch reached out to place a hand on Scott's thigh under the table.

Scott glanced at him, speaking under the volume of Avi and Alex's conversation. "Everything okay?"

Mitch nodded and grinned at him fondly. "I just love you, that's all."

"Aw. I love you too." Scott dropped a hand down to rest on top of Mitch's. 

Mitch looked over to Alex, and then Avi. He spoke when their focus shifted over to him, noticing his stare. "Sorry, don't let me interrupt. I just wanted to say that, like... I'm really grateful for you guys being in my life. Adulthood is so challenging, but it's a little easier with friends like you."

Alex smiled widely. "That's sweet of you. I'm also grateful to have met you, and I'm happy that I'm still in your life."

Avi spoke quietly, wanting to be sentimental but only able to do so without making eye contact with anyone, so he stared at the table. "Don't sell yourself short though, Mitch. Your vibe attracts your tribe, y'know."

*

Kirstie wandered in right at the end of their dinner, a wide smile on her face. 

Alex was laughing loudly at something Avi had said, while Mitch loudly responded, "He called it pancake butt? That's actually the best thing ever."

Scott was stood from the table with he and Mitch's empty plates in hand to take to the kitchen. "Rude."

Kirstie closed the front door and locked it for the night with a quick, "Hey guys."

Scott looked up at her. "Oh, hey."

Mitch glanced back, immediately noticing the hickey on her neck, and then quickly turned right back around without saying anything. 

Alex was the first to stand from his seat. "I've got some asparagus left, if you're hungry. Did you eat something?"

Kirstie grinned at him. "I already ate, but thanks. I'm just gonna head to my room, but I'll see you guys in the morning."

Alex gave her a nod, but frowned as soon as she was out of the room. 

Avi responded by standing to take Alex's plate from the table, and follow Scott into the kitchen. He paused once to speak softly to Alex. "It's alright, babe."

Alex just sat back down, and made eye contact with Mitch. "It's fine. Right? It's okay, at least she's home and she's safe."

Mitch just nodded, and was quiet for a few seconds, before he spoke in a somewhat angry tone. "If Scott ever gives me a hickey as big and ugly as that, you can feel free to punch him in the trachea."

**