Stella was beginning to regret her decision to go on this hunt with these boys. Usually she was just fine sleeping outdoors with only a sleeping bag but the early frost that had hit a couple nights ago had quickly changed those plans. So much for a above average warm fall the weatherman had promised, asshole.

Now she wasn't sure what was worse, being a hot blooded young woman forced to share a tent with four very sexy as hell men, or being a hot blooded young woman being forced to share a tent with four sexy as hell men...who also happened to be in a very open relationship with each other. And by open, she meant VERY open. It had started out subtly at first, little snippets of conversation here and there or touches and looks that lingered to long. Looking back Stella had to wonder if they had been testing her somehow, trying to gauge her reaction before they upped the ante, almost like they were trying to see if she'd accept the fact or not. At first Stella wasn't sure what to think about it all, feeling somewhat like a fish out of water. But she'd never been one to judge anyone on their sexuality or what types of relationships they preferred, for example while she herself couldn't imagine having any sort of relations with other women she had a few very close female friends who did. As much as she had traveled and with all the various people she had worked with and met, Stella had known a few polyamorous people in her time. In the end she'd accepted it for what it was and shrugged it off as just part of who these men were, like she had every other time she'd come across it. Stella hadn't really thought much about such relationships if she was being honest, or any relationship really.

She just had too much baggage to consider anything more then they occasional one night stand and even those were very few and far between. In all honesty it came down to a trust thing...trust did not come easily to her. Until now that was. She wasn't sure why but it was so easy to fall in with these boys, but something about them made it so easy to just...fall in love with them. Ok, maybe not literally in love...like in the romantic sense...but still in love in a way.

Noctis might be royalty, but you wouldn't know it with how easily he joked around and truly seemed to care about his comrades (of course the sexual relationship he had with them might have something to do with deepening that bond beyond the bonds of 'Bromance'). Prompto was just...too fucking cute not to fall for, seriously...Stella had never understood the phrase 'smile to light up a room' until she'd seen Prompto smile the first time. She'd easily found herself falling into the shenanigans the younger two of the group got themselves into.

Which brought her to the two most intimidating motherfuckers of the group. Gladio she realized quickly had soft side to go with his roughness, even when he could be perceived as being an ass, between the lines he was only that way because he cared. Still Stella would not wish the punishment he could deal out on anyone, but then if they were stupid enough to earn it..well she couldn't have too much sympathy. Gladio might be big with enough muscles to bench press a truck with, but he was smart to. And loved cheesy romance novels...but then who didn't like cheesy romance novels. Ignis might not be an intimidating physically as the King's Shield, even though he was only about 4 inches shorter then the 6'5 Shield was, but he had a wickedly intelligent mind and eyes that felt like they could pierce into your soul...with a tongue sharp enough to match his glare. There was a softer side there to, a warmth hidden under the surface of ice that made you want to curl up against it and never leave, Stella could see after only a few days where Noctis and Prompto had gotten the nickame ' ' for Ignis from...not that they were brave, or stupid, enough to say it to his face. Then there were the puns...oh Six the puns...so bad they were good. He could have them all torn between laughing and rolling their eyes in just a few choice words.

But that was making a short story rather long. The hunt they were on would take a few weeks, a handful of days in and then a handful of days out since most of the rural terrain had to be taken by foot and Chocobo. She'd been invited because they needed another long range fighter and for whatever reason Noctis had been dead set on hiring her, for a percentage of the shared bounty of course. Stella had been determined to keep this a strictly professional relationship, but a few days into the trip and it was getting harder and harder. Easy friendship aside...damn it if they weren't the hottest fucking men on the planet, and she could even look the other way when it came to the early morning sleepy touches and stolen kisses, and close her ears to the half muffled hidden handjob or whatever it was two of them were doing while doing a piss poor job of hiding 'away' from camp, which was harder then it sounded. She couldn't fault them their need for 'release' they were young, verile, men after all. But by the Six... if one more of them walked around Shirtless or pantless (Gladio) or whipped it out in the clear open because they 'gotta piss' (Gladio and Noctis), Stella was not going to be responsible for her actions. (aka. Screaming in frustration or begging one of them to fuck her) Which brought her to her current predicament. Deciding it was better to leave them all alone for a hour or so, let them do whatever it was they had to do. Interrupting Gladio getting a blowjob from his Prince had been a huge deciding factor for that decision, Gladio grumbling about 'join in or close the damn tent' had been another. Stella was pretty sure her cheeks were still flaming red.

"Hey Stella." Prompto's voice interrupted her thoughts before the inner fantasies got even more vivid, he flopped down on the log beside her. "Nice view."

Stella looked out over the pond, really noticing it for the first time. "Yeah it is." They sat in silence for a few moments then Prompto sighed.

"Look I..." he blond bit his lip nervously. "I know Gladio and Noct aren't the most subtle about things but really... they weren't expecting it to be you who walked in."

"I figured as much... with the invitation to join and all." Stella almost winced at herself for the tone her voice had. Well shit that came out wrong

"I know we can come on kinda strong sometimes but...well we thought you were ok with...well...it. Not the joining part I mean, that was a little over the line but the...you know...the ...well us part. The four of us." Prompto's voice quivered. "I mean if you're not we ...we'll respect that and keep a lid on it...but you never said anything so..."

"Hell Prompto." Stella cursed, flinging out an arm and putting around her distraught friend's shoulder. Giving him a one armed hug. "I'm not mad or anything and I certainly don't think you guys are... you know...bad people or strange or some such bullshit. It's just figuring something was..you know...up and actually seeing it are two different things. I got embarrassed it all."

"So we're cool? I mean friends and all?"

"Totally." Stella smiled at him. "I just figured I'd give you all some space to...you know...do whatever it was you guys needed to do."

"Thanks Stell." Prompto hugged her, earning a laugh from the shorter woman. "If you have any questions...ask me anything...really. I promise I won't make it awkward"

"Well if she can't handle it, it ain't our issue." Gladio shrugged. Hiding the fact he was worried to hunter woman couldn't 'handle it'. He liked her.. but then he'd liked lots of women over the years who couldn't come to terms with the fact he liked men to...and more importantly was in a rather long term open relationship with some friends.

"She can handle it." Noct said, tapping on his phone as he played a round of King's Knight. "Prom went to talk to her, he'll sooth it out."

Ignis continued his discussion with Gladio as if the Prince hadn't spoken. "Be that as it may, I can't believe you two would be so reckless as to do that in the tent."

"Not an issue before" Gladio huffed.

"Because we weren't sharing with someone we want to make a friend of."

"Don't you mean someone you want to make a friend of?" Gladio asked, "Don't think I haven't missed the way you look at her Iggy."

"That's not the point."

"It is" Gladio challenged. "I've known you too long Iggy, you're curious about this one." He cut off the Advisor as the sandy haired man made to argue. "Just as I know the fact her name Stella Juno has a role to play in this and I know what you're like when you get curious." Iggy being curious was how Prompto had gone from being exclusively Noct's playmate to all of theirs. "It worked out last time but I 'm not risking bringing a practical stranger into this whole thing...not until I am sure of where her loyalties lie."

"Stella's cool, as loyal to the crown as they come." Noct said.

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Gladio answered at the same time Ignis scoffed.

"I am hardly so reckless. Unlike some people..."

Noct looked up. "It worked out didn't it?"

"Not the point."

"Don't start." Gladio stated firmly, putting an end to rising argument. Iggy was on edge and borderline looking for a fight. It had been a long time since Gladio had seen him so vested in someone, he wondered if the heartbreak of losing Melisande was finally healing. He knew Iggy had brought up the fact he was in a relationship with 3 other men, Melisande had been accepting of the fact Ignis had this kind of relationship with them, but had been rather firm on the fact that while he was allowed his dalliances outside their bedroom...within it...he was to be hers and hers alone. To Gladio's knowledge Iggy as respected that wish. And he knew the bespectacled man had loved her deeply on at least some level. After her death had been announced it had taken a lot to get Iggy to open up again, in any form. And now he was...but was it for the right reasons? That Gladio couldn't say, but he wanted to be sure before he allowed his long time lover to risk another heart break like that. Part of him really hoped that he hadn't misread the situation with Stella completely and that his instinct was right, that she might...in the future... be amiable to joining their little free form group. "The point is what's done is done."

"Because you two couldn't keep your dicks in your pants!"

"Stella's either going to accept it or she's not. We can't change that and we can't force her to agree with anything. Let's just see how this plays out before we start bitching about it."

"Very well." Ignis sneered and turned his back on both of them, having no argument against Gladio's words. Gladio and Noct both winced as Ignis proceeded to chop at dinner's vegetables with a bit more force them necassary.

Noct typed a quick text to Gladio, not trusting they wouldn't be overheard. /Shit...I think he really likes her/

Gladio texted back, /No kidding./

/Think she'll come around?/

/Why do you ask Princess? Like her to?/

/Yeah...so does Prom. What about you?/

/Not sure yet. Still trying to work that part out/

Stella was quiet for a bit but then her curiosity got the better of her."So...ummm...if it's not to... personal...how did you all...I mean...this start?"

Prompto eyed her out of the corner of his eye, she seemed genuinely curious and not just fishing so he said. "Well I think Iggy and Gladio fooled around on and off when they were teenagers, I'm not sure when Noct joined in because he was already with them when we started dating in senior year, unofficially of course. It was after we graduated that I decided to join them all and not just be with Noct."

"Oh...and that was...ok?"

"You mean with the King and all? Well yeah, it took a bit to wrap my head around it all but the Nobility have a totally different outlook then us commoners when it comes to relationships...you know. I think it's because so many of their marriages and unions are decided for them for the sake politics and heirs and bloodlines and such that they have to be more free thinking when it comes to the relationships they have outside those unions. A lot of the nobility are bi-sexual and are either in polyamorous relationships or have a least one consort or mistress outside of their marriages. In the past it caused a lot of trouble for them but as time went on they realized that to make the arrangements work they had to allow for people to also fall in love as they wanted. So there's not really the stigma anymore when it comes to having more then one partner. Not like there is with a 'common folk' anyway, which is one of the reasons they also kept everything under wraps and don't just put it out there for the world to see. "

"That makes things a bit easier to understand I guess."

Prompto turned. "Can I ask a personal question now?"

"Sure, only fair."

"Do you find any of us attractive?"

"I find all of you attractive...very attractive."

"Oh..." Prompto grinned. "Do tell?"

"Tell what?"

"You find us all attractive..."

"Of course I do, you're all very good looking."

"So...like attractive like you'd find a model in a magazine attractive or attractive like you have dreams about us attractive?"

Stella pinned him with a playful glare. "I am not having 'girl' talk with a guy whose ass looks better in jeans then mine does."

"So you think my ass looks good?"

Stella stood up and stretched. "Prompto..."

"yes." Prompto squeaked, forcing his eyes off her chest..well trying to anyway.

"Don't make this weird."

"Well you're the one you admitted to looking at my ass."

"Touche." Stella laughed. Seeing how he was looking at her she snapped her fingers. "Eyes up here handsome." she said once she had his attention. "Think they'll be done..." she waved.

"Oh..ummm..yeah.." Prompto blushed standing.

"And to answer your question. Let's just say the tent makes things...difficult sometimes."

"Oh...well if you're interested all you have to do is..."

"Don't offer something you're not willing to let go of." Stella warned him.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't do relationships and I don't do weird. And fucking friends with no intention of a relationship...makes it weird."

Prompto eyed her again, there was a story there...they way she said it but he had neither the tact or the wits to fish for it so he let it go. Back at camp he gave a double thumbs up to his lovers saying all was A-OK.

Noct looked far too smug, Ignis relieved. But Gladio...Prompto didn't know if that look meant he was happy or pissed about it. It was so hard to read the Shield sometimes when his amber eyes took on that look. Prompto hoped he was happy...but one never really knew with Gladio.