48 Peas In A Pod

"What?" Kir asked. "Weren't you listening? I'm interested in both of you," he said. "And I don't want to break you two up if you have a good thing going..."

Kordia and Rain both looked confused.

"Wouldn't that get complicated?" Kordia asked. "If we were both dating you?"

"Why would it?" Kir asked, "You'd still be dating each other..."

Rain raised his hand. "I'm confused. I thought you're only supposed to date one person at a time."

"I mean, generally that's how people do it... but if you two are fine with each other, there's no reason to break it off for me when I could just... be included..." Kir was flustered. He got up and started pacing. "It would be um... a polycule."

"A what?" Rain and Kordia asked at the same time.

"How do I explain..." Kir wondered to himself. "We'd all be in a relationship. You two with me, and each other... which you already are- with each other, that is. You'd just both also be with me." The explanation sounded bad.

"Oh! So you'd be like a male mistress or something!" Rain exclaimed.

Kir flinched at the word mistress. "No. We'd all be equal. Yeah, it would take some communication, and we'd have to talk through things like if we get jealous or something... but I don't want to be someone's 'on the side,' and I don't want to treat either of you that way." Kir took a deep breath. "So if you're willing... I'd like to choose both of you."

Kordia put a hand under her chin, her ears twitching as she thought about it.

Then she looked up at Rain.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I'm willing to try," Rain smiled.

Kir watched as she scrunched her lips and gave him an appraising look. "I'll try on one condition," she said.

Kir nodded.

"You have to kiss me... right now. If you fake it, I'm out." She threw down the gauntlet.

Kir looked from her to Rain, who nodded to him, a big dopey smile on his face.

He approached Kordia.

"How do you want to..."

Reaching up, she pulled him down on the bed. She was surprisingly strong for her size, but she still had to shift backward to align her face with his.

Kir set aside his nervousness and stared into her eyes. Her brilliant, intelligent eyes. When he kissed her, he started soft, building the pressure and pressing his body against her as he worked his mouth in conjunction with soft lips. He kept going, sneaking small breaths until suddenly he shuddered and leaned up. Rainier's hand had touched the base of his tail, sending a strong shiver up his spine.

"That was..." Kordia groaned. "Oh gods... I'm really doing this, aren't I..." she giggled to herself.

"That was really hot," Rain said, winking when Kir looked his way.

Kir blushed, but he felt much less embarrassed than before.

"Now we're even," Kordia said to Rain, pinching him on the side.

"So you're in?" Rain asked her.

"I'm in... This... polywhatever..." she replied. "You'll have to tell me where you got the idea from," she said to Kir.

"Oh, um... pretty sure I read it in a book..." Kir lied nervously as he stood back from the bed, sitting on his own. "But... um... I guess I need to tell you a couple more things before we... um... start dating." He took a long breath. "Firstly... I'm not half beastkin. I'm half angel. My birth mother is named Ailia. I never met her, but I know she's called Daughter of Heaven for some reason..."

Rainier's jaw dropped. "Whoah... that's a really big deal."

"Why?" Kir asked.

"Daughter of Heaven is, like, a princess of princesses. Your mom could be an Empress by now," he explained.

Kir grimaced a little. "Maybe if she wasn't missing... See, I have to find her, or I'm pretty much going to end up as my dad's property or something. I swore an oath with him that's apparently more unbreakable than a demonic contract..."

"Who's your father?" Kordia asked, her face showing some concern.

"Maledict... Duke of Heresy," Kir confessed.

"What?!" Kordia shouted, shrilly. "You're related to Maledict?!"

"Is that a problem?" Kir asked nervously.

"Who?" Rainier asked.

"A problem?! He's one of the most powerful spellcasters in the world! He'd be amazing to learn from if it was possible," Kordia replied. "That must be why your mana is so vast..."

It sounded like Kordia was judging Kir's magical capability by his father's, not announcing any particular judgment on him. After a few minutes of naming some of the spells Maledict was known for inventing or mastering, and asking Kir if he could do them, she settled down when the consistent answer he gave was "No".

"Wow," Rain said, having taken the entire time just to process Kir's heritage. "I thought angels and demons having babies was impossible... I mean, relations are certainly forbidden but..."

"Well, I suppose I'm proof that it's very possible. But I'd appreciate it if you just said I was half beastkin or something. Angel feathers are apparently-"

"One of the greatest magical catalysts sold by Heaven!" Kordia interrupted.

"Exactly," Kir said.

Kordia continued, "I have a theory about that. Everyone collects mana, but I think angels collect extra mana through their wings! That's why they're so powerful when it comes to sustained spells!"

Kir shrugged. There might have been something to it, but that wasn't the point. The point was to see if they would accept him, as he truly was.

"The second thing I need to tell you both..." He steeled himself. "Is that, um, I'm transgender."

They looked at each other again, then turned back to Kir. "I don't know what that means," Kordia said.

Kir hadn't expected her to, but laying out the word with some gravity set him up for a serious explanation.

"I'm a boy... but when it comes to, um, what's 'down there,' I have what you have, Kordia... I hope you're both fine with that." Kir scratched the back of his head, his tail curling tensely.

Kordia and Rain looked to each other. Then Rain said.

"I'm not sure I understand. You were raised as a boy?"

Kordia had him lean in so she could whisper in his ear. After a long moment, they parted.

"Okay," he said to Kir, sounding unsure. "I didn't know some boys had those. That's awesome!" he said.

Kir looked to Kordia.

"I don't care about your, um, that. I care that you're a good person, Kir," she replied, eyeing him curiously. "So if there's nothing else... are we together?" she asked.

"I'd say yes," Rain smiled.

Kir's lips widened in a sincere, happy grin. "I'd say, too."

"I'm not calling it a polywhatever though," Kordia asserted. "How about... pod? Like peas in a pod."

Kir and Rainier shared a look before turning to her. ""I like it,"" they said at the same time.

Everyone laughed, and embraced, and talked for a long time.