Chapter Twenty-One
Glass of Water
Margaret looked out the living room window intently, hoping to find some sort of positive sign in all of this. When the female spied what she was looking for, she let out a relieved sigh and allowed a smile to form on her face.
"Oh good," she said turning to the boys on the couch, "I can see some grass. The snow is finally starting to melt."
Mordecai and Rigby didn't take a look just yet, since they were too busy fighting each other in the video game in front of them. It didn't help that neither of them were playing fair, first starting with the trash talk, then escalating into kicks and punchies against each other, to more playful things such as Rigby jumping on Mordecai's lap and seducing him with little kisses and suggestive hand gestures. Those tended to work usually, but it appeared Mordecai had the upper hand this time.
"Ohhhhhh," Mordecai let out in his trademark scream. "Beat you! Even when you were trying to get into my feathers."
Rigby looked at the TV screen to see Mordecai's player giving a victory pose before a score board popped up, adding up all his points.
"You know you liked it though," Rigby commented with a sly grin. "If we hadn't hadn't done some sexy time last night, my strategy would have so kicked your butt!"
"Even if we didn't have 'sexy' time last night I still would've wiped the floor with you."
"Nuh-uh," the raccoon argued. "I would have won, and you would've been all like, 'Rigby's the best! I like it when Rigby beats me! He puts up a good beating!'"
Mordecai began to chuckle at his friend. "Isn't that what you were saying about me last night in bed?" He winked at his best friend, hoping it would get a good reaction out of him.
"STOP TALKING AGAIN," Rigby screamed as a deep color of red appeared over his face. "THAT'S PRIVATE!"
The girl by the window groaned audibly at their little lover's quibble. "And while the subject of your two's sex life is fascinating," Margaret interrupted, "especially in public with people still in the house who can hear us, I would like to add that the snow is melting."
"What? Really!" Mordecai asked standing up. "So we can finally go outside?"
"I guess," Margaret added as she returned to look out the window. "I can see little patches of green sprouting up, so I think the winter storm's finally past."
That was the best news they had heard in a while. Everyone had been stuck inside most of the time between when the whole Walls-to-Walls thing and when the snow finally began to disappear on the present day. Sure, they still had to go out and do chores here and there, but it was mostly for park upkeep. Skips didn't want anyone staying out there for too long out of risk of hypothermia. So whenever the chores were done, it was right back into the house. This made everyone develop a case of cabin fever over the passing weeks.
The trio had found a way to shove off the effects of the fever, and that was nothing more than physical intimacy. It kept their minds off what was going on outside and how long they had been trapped in there. It was never usually together though. That was more reserved for spur of the moment acts of passion. Usually, it was whenever two of the trio were talking with each other and just so happened to be in the mood. It was mostly between Margaret and Mordecai, or Rigby and Mordecai. Though there were the occasional few times where Margaret and Rigby had actually fooled around when they both couldn't stand it any longer. Though most of it ended in laughter at the sheer thought of it all, they could both happily say that they enjoyed it, and would gladly do it again and again.
As for everyone else and their cabin fever: Pops had found himself doing strange things around the house that no one knew or understood why. Muscle Man had taken to strutting around the house naked every so often (though they weren't sure if that was cabin fever related or just who Muscle Man was), with the ghost concealing his junk in the process. And Skips was barely ever there any more it seemed like. He had been asked to accompany Benson on future therapy sessions and doctors visits, which were turning into nearly daily sessions due to Benson's diminishing condition, so everyone only saw him in the mornings when he would belt out orders and leave for the hospital. It was still shocking to everyone that Benson had been in the hospital for three weeks. May was here now, and if he wasn't out of the hospital by the time the summer months rolled around, the park was going to have issues.
"When do you think Benson will be back?" Margaret asked, changing the subject. She turned back around to look at the boys, but they were gone now. Her head shot back and forth across the room, looking for signs of their escape.
Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs suddenly as Mordecai and Rigby, dressed in winter clothes, crashed through the front door onto the porch.
"C'mon, Margaret," Rigby yelled outside, "snowball fight!"
The red bird stood there by herself for a few moments, feeling utterly ignored.
Her eye lids lowered slightly as a wave of annoyance swept over her. "Well gee, I don't know when Benson will be back, Margaret," she said to herself. "What do you think Margaret?"
"Well I hope, by the grace of Goddess Marceline, it'll be real soon," she answered herself. She sighed before heading up the stairs to collect her jacket.
The snow was beautiful. Rigby couldn't deny that. This was the kind of snow that the raccoon would and could play in all day everyday if he would and could. It was wet enough to pack together to make the ultimate snowball, or even the most sturdy of snow men. No more blizzard or falling snow made it so much easier to see, and he didn't have those pesky flakes pounding at his face so much. And melting snow was just so much easier to maneuver in. This was the kind of snow that the little raccoon loved.
"Hey Mordecai," he screamed, "heads up!"
The blue jay turned around right in time to get a snowball right in his face. He yelled in irritation as he tried to rub the snowy stuff off of his face.
"I'm gonna get you for that," the bird screamed back as he reached down and rolled some snow into his hand.
"You'll have to catch me first," Rigby shouted as he began to run away from his friend, collecting snow in the process for ammunition.
The two men started pelting each other one after another with snowballs and kicking up flakes and fragments of the ice toward each other. They laughed and smiled as they went along, enjoying their park filled with white. It surprised them that no patrons were at the park today. It was the perfect day to play in the snow. The temperature was slowly climbing back up, even though it was late in the day, so that made it even better.
Mordecai suddenly felt Rigby attach himself to his back, climbing up his spine and onto his shoulders. He had gotten used to his friend doing that more often, trying to get attention or love in the process. But he didn't trust his friend right now. No no, not when the snow was out and ready for use. Not when the temperature was just right and their energy was over eleven. Not when Rigby was at his most playful he had been in the longest of time.
And he was right too. The raccoon stood on top of Mordecai's shoulder with an arm full of snow, and dropped in right on top of the bird's head. Mordecai leaped at the sensation of the cold falling around him, and with Rigby already on him, caused both of them to fall onto the snowy ground. Mordecai toppled onto his back, feeling the snow collapse beneath him in an instant, cushioning his blow.
He sat up from the ground to hunt for his friend. He wanted to get revenge. But before he could find him though, he felt himself get pelted once again onto his back by a brown furry thing. He blinked a few times before realizing that Rigby had wrestled him back to the ground. The raccoon's arms were around his neck, and a content smile had appeared on his face. Mordecai returned the smile before placing his wings around his friend.
Rigby loved these moments more than anything. He had never got to experience a true romance before in his life, so this was a treat for him. Everything about romance in general felt new and different to him, dangerous almost, but at the same time, made him feel safe and warm, even on the cold ground of a cool day. It was a stunning experience that he never knew existed. If this was what a romantic style of love was supposed to feel like, he would have made more of an attempt to pursue his friend before Margaret could, especially if he had known in advance that Mordecai was going to reciprocate.
"You're a dork," Rigby said to him, "you know that?"
"Well you're a spaz," Mordecai defended himself.
"Well you're a geek!"
"You're a drillbit!"
"You're a ditz!"
"Well you're a hoser," the bird added.
"Well you're sexy," Rigby returned.
"Well you're," Mordecai said, stopping him self suddenly. "D-d-dude!"
Rigby let out a victorious laugh as he continued to cuddle up next to his friend on the ground.
Mordecai hadn't gotten used to Rigby saying things like that. He had been so used to calling him stupid insults and just being a friendly friend (was that even a phrase?), that he had no idea how to react when Rigby went and did something like that. Hell, he nearly had a heart attack when the raccoon seduced him for the first time a few weeks earlier. This kind of stuff still put him on edge, especially around Margaret. The last thing he wanted was to make Margaret jealous.
"You know dude," the blue jay began, "you shouldn't stay stuff like that out in public."
Rigby picked himself up off Mordecai for a moment to look around the park. No one was in site of the two men. "Bro, there's no one around."
"Yeah, I know," Mordecai said unconvincingly. "I'm just saying."
Rigby fell back down onto his friend's chest, and tried to listen for a heart beat. He loved that sound, when he was all cuddled up next to him, his ear on his chest, listening to the beating of the bird's heart like a lullaby. It had put him to sleep a few times before. The raccoon found it to be one of the most relaxing experiences of his life.
"Hey Mordecai," Rigby said, "can I ask you a question?"
Mordecai took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to clear his mind of any bad thoughts. "Sure dude. What's up?"
"When the snow melts, and we go off and do stuff together… outside the park I mean. Like on a date? Ummm…"
The blue jay looked at his friend curiously. This seemed to be a question that he was having trouble asking. Mordecai smiled at the thought of Rigby being the shy one for a change.
"Would you like," the raccoon continued shyly, "let me hold you hand… and kiss you and ummm… you know... do couple stuff?"
That was a question Mordecai had never thought about. Public displays of affection with Rigby, who was a guy, and his best friend, and that everyone could see? That unnerved the avian a little bit. What would other people think of that? Could they go around the streets like a regular couple, with no issue? God knows if Muscle Man and High Five Ghost were any indication of the normal citizen of this fair city, it could be a problem. Still, he needed to think of something to tell Rigby, and fast.
"Well… sure," he told Rigby, "but only if we were… together together. Like officially together."
Rigby picked himself up off his lover's chest again to look down at the bird face to face. "Wait, wait. So we're not together now?"
"No no, we're together now," Mordecai defended as he scratched the back of his neck, "just not together together."
"Together tog-" Rigby started, an agitation in his belly growing. "So we're not an actual couple, is that it!"
Mordecai sat up from the ground, causing the small animal on him to tumble to the snow. He quickly brought up his wings to try and calm his friend down. "That's now what I mean dude! I mean to say that we're not officially a couple."
"How are we not officially a couple?" Rigby asked. "We've been doing all the stuff couples do!"
"I know, I know dude. Believe me, I know… but."
"I'll bet if I had lady pecs you wouldn't be saying that. Red feathers too!"
"Dude, that's not it at all," Mordecai continued to argue. A look of worry was coming over his face as he failed in his defense.
"Uh oh," came a feminine voice from behind. "I hear myself being described."
Margaret approached the two men in her jacket with a smile on her face and an off key song in her heart. She observed the two arguing and assumed it was a lovers spat.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing. Rigby and I were just-"
"Mordecai says that he and I aren't officially a couple," the small man interrupted.
"Well why is that?" Margaret asked.
"Because I'm not yooooooooou," the raccoon exclaimed in a whining voice.
"That's not it at all," Mordecai said to the both of them, "really it's not!"
"Then what is it?" Margaret continued to barrage with questions.
Mordecai let out a grunt and began to shoot his gaze back and forth to the red robin and the raccoon. "I just think it's weird that… people would see me with… another dude. Like they would be saying, 'dude, that dude is with a dude, dude.'"
His outbursts weren't making any sense again. It was the usual strategy the blue jay had when he was nervous or backed into a corner.
The girl rolled her eyes at him. "Well who cares what other people think," Margaret reasoned. "They're not you. I mean you don't care when you're holding my hand in public do you?"
"Yeah but," Mordecai started, "that's norm-"
"If you value what you have with Rigby," she stopped him with a frown forming on her face, "don't finish that sentence."
The blue jay looked at her for a moment before turning his gaze away, feeling a little shamed for what he would have said. His glance turned to Rigby who wasn't looking the most friendly of people at that moment.
"Sorry Rigby," Mordecai whispered audible, "I'm not used to this yet."
"Well you're the one who really wanted to try this," Margaret said. "You need to get used to this kind of stuff quick. I mean, what are you gonna do if Rigby and I want to do some PDA with you at the same time?"
Mordecai hadn't thought about that part either. He had only been worried about his relationship with Rigby in public, and not all of them as a whole. That just made him feel worse than before
She was right though. Mordecai was the one who had really wanted to enter into this strange three-way relationship. Rigby and Margaret were supportive of it, but knew that it might not end well. Of course, there was always a chance that they could be wrong.
"Don't worry about it," Margaret said with comfort as she knelt down and began to rub the blue jay's neck. "We can always just cross that bridge when we get there."
Mordecai gave the red robin a small smile and nodded to her. She smiled back and leaned over to give him a kiss on the forehead.
She began to pick herself up, removing her wing from the back of the bird's neck, only to find it stuck in place for a second before finally coming undone.
"Well that was weird," she commented. "I think my hand froze to the back your neck there for a second."
Mordecai put his hand over the back of his neck to check something. It didn't stick, nor did it feel cold to the touch. He pulled back his hand, looking at it before looking at Margaret and shrugging.
"Weird," he said.
"Well you're just a weird person overall aren't you?" she asked him with a reassuring grin.
"Maybe just a little," Mordecai answered with a blush.
"How about a lot?" Rigby chimed in as he punched his friend's shoulder. It didn't hurt. "I mean, what kind of person dates a girl and a guy at the same time?"
"This person, apparently," Margaret joked as she pointed to Mordecai with her thumb.
The robin and raccoon laughed at Mordecai for a moment jokingly before picking him up and returning to their early evening of fun. Mordecai laughed along with them, but he didn't mean it. Actually, it hurt him the more he thought about it.
"You think he's alright with this?" Rigby asked Margaret as he laid back against the red robin in bed.
"Are WE even alright with what's going on between the three of us right now?" she asked him back as she turned the page of her magazine.
"I don't know," Rigby answered as he tried to follow along with what was on the page in front of him. "Why are you asking me?"
"I don't know," Margaret mimicked. "Why are you asking me?"
Neither of them got an answer and simply rolled with it. Rigby sighed and tried to piece together what magazine Margaret was reading in front of her. It was something about music and heartthrobs and this and that gossip. He couldn't get into it. He just leaned back into the girl's t-shirt and resumed his period of relaxation using her as a proper bed.
"You know I'm sitting right here you two," Mordecai commented to Margaret, whom was using the blue jay as a bed herself. "I can hear both of you."
"And we're still worried about you," the robin smirked as she turned another page of the magazine. She snuggled her back into the bird's chest and enjoyed the feeling of his arms wrapped around her neck softly. "Are we not allowed to worry about you now?"
Mordecai scratched at the back of his neck, before sighing and donning a small smile. "That's okay, I guess. But you guys shouldn't be worried about me. Why would you be?"
Both Rigby and Margaret turned their heads up to look at the bird. They both raised an eyebrow in disbelief that the blue jay might have already forgotten, or chose to forget everything that happened.
"I don't know," Rigby said sarcastically. "Maybe it's because you went ballistic after we admitted everything to you and ran off to find a new job and abandon us."
"I had a lot on my mind," Mordecai defended.
"Yeah but it still hurt us with what you did," Margaret added. "In fact…" She then turned herself half way around, rolled up her magazine, and delivered a swift blow to the taller man's head, causing him to flinch from minor pain. The blue jay snatched the paper weapon from out of her hand and tossed it off the bed. Margaret let out an amused laugh before turning back a moment later and resuming her relaxation into her boyfriend.
"You can't keep doing that forever," Mordecai said as he rubbed his forehead to ease the pain.
"I know," Margaret laughed, "but it's still funny no matter how many times I do it."
"No it's not," the blue bird continued to bemoan.
"Hey I think it's pretty dang funny," Rigby attached to Margaret's comment.
"Yeah," Mordecai started as a smile started to form, "says the guy who loses to everyone at punchies."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Margaret chimed in. "How is that bruise I gave you a few days ago? Is it still purple?"
"No, it's not still purple," Rigby snarked angrily. The bruise in question on the flesh of his shoulder was no longer purple, but had evolved into a painful black. It hurt every time he brought his arm up.
Mordecai and Margaret laughed at the raccoon, causing his cheeks to puff up and his eyes to grow angry. He stood up from Margaret and turned to meet their gaze.
"Awww," Margaret said, "look at that face."
"It's a face only a mother could love," Mordecai added on with a grin.
Rigby clenched his fists together and was about to start a punchie match with some birds. He wondered if maybe he could still perform the death punch from long ago.
"Well," the robin continued, "and us too."
She leaned forward and took the raccoon into her arms, hugging him tight. He struggled at first, as he usually did, but feeling that familiar warmth and glow surrounding him, submitted to the embrace and began to enjoy it. He felt a second pair of wings bound him, and smiled as he noticed the blue feathers had joined in on the hug. The childish anger inside him faded, replaced with a sense of joy.
"Dude, you're so easy to please," Mordecai said as he tightened his hold on both Rigby and Margaret.
"He's not the only one," Margaret said as she titled her head against the muzzle of the blue jay.
He gulped as her beak rubbed up against him. One of her wings left the embrace around the raccoon and skulked up the tall man's cheek, cupping it into her palm. Mordecai could feel a warm shiver down his spine, as he knew what was coming up.
"Right now?" He asked with an unending anticipation growing within him.
"Maaaaaaybe," she said in a painfully seductive tone.
Her tongue began to flick across his neck, an area that both Margaret and Rigby discovered was an extremely powerful turn on point for the blue jay. He quivered and moaned as she caressed and dug into the neck with her mouth and hand.
Margaret looked down and Rigby, who was looking up at her eagerly.
She ceased her touch on the bird and started to back away from him. "Alright, Rigby. He's all yours."
Mordecai blinked, unsure of what just happened, but was tackled onto his back a second later by his raccoon lover for the second time that day. Rigby began to continue where Margaret had left off, kissing and feeling the area around his neck and collar.
"He..hey," Mordecai let out, trying to control himself of the feeling, "what about you, Margaret?"
"Rigby and I already talked about," she said with a coy smile. "I wanna watch this time. Besides, I think you and I go at it more than you and Rigby, so I decided to let the little guy have his fun this time."
Watch? She wanted to watch, and not participate? How does that work? Was this just some sort of sick theater game to her? Didn't the time they spent together mean anything to her? Mordecai thought all these things as Rigby continued to assault him with his mouth, eventually falling into an open mouth kiss with the raccoon. Those questions didn't seem to matter as much when your libido was high as a kite.
Mordecai clawed and gripped at fur like he did so many times before, trying to find that one place that would send a moan out of his friend's mouth. What was that mystery area of the day? He tried the neck, but only got little laughs. He tried the back, but didn't get as much as a grunt. He tried a leg or a foot, and only received a cocked eyebrow. This was annoying. Rigby knew all the right places to get Mordecai off, but he couldn't find anything to help Rigby along, save for a full on attack downstairs.
Still, he decided to try something. He released his mouth from Rigby's and began to kiss his way to the back of Rigby's head. There was a place there where the neck met the spine that he had an inkling that might do it. It worked, as he began to kiss and prod his tongue into the raccoon's flesh, receiving rewards of moans and groans. Mordecai continued to do this, enjoying the sounds that were escaping his friend's mouth. They made him happy to hear them.
He rested his head and beak onto the raccoon's back, content with his success. He smiled as he could feel the raccoon's warm fur up against his belly. The bird felt his raccoon friend shuffle slightly underneath him. Mordecai wondered what he was up to. It didn't take him long when he felt the raccoon's mouth playfully bite into the bird's belly.
"Already?" Mordecai coughed out as a slightly aching shock of pleasure pulsed through his body, emanating from his crotch. "No more kissing?"
The bird clenched at the raccoon's fur as he felt teeth nibble happily into the flesh of the bird osftly. The smile on Mordecai's face was wiped suddenly when Rigby bit down a bit too hard. His expression changed to that of one of pain, which could be ironic, considering he was feeling little volts of excitement flow up his body. Mordecai closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling as his friend nibbled, licked, and bit at his body, allowing him self to gasp and moan when they just wouldn't stay inside him. It was definitely something new that Rigby hadn't tried before. Though Mordecai couldn't help but selfishly wonder why Rigby never explored downtown with anything other than his hand, even when they had had their first time.
He opened his eyes and looked ahead of him to see Margaret staring at the two of them. A blissful look was all over her face as she watched the two of them in the moment.
"Don't give me that look," Mordecai told her.
"What look?" she asked with the same look of anticipation on her face.
"They look of, AH," he gasped loudly as he felt Rigby's paw made way for his groin. "That look… that look like you're enjoying this more than I am."
"Well maybe I am," she said in a playful tone. "Aren't you?"
He felt that damn itch on the back of his neck again. And no matter the amount of scratching, it wouldn't stop itching. So he ignored, and continued to act as someone that wasn't himself.
Glass of Water – Cold Play
Author's Notes
Filler filler filler! That's pretty much what this chapter boils down to. It only slightly forwards the story, and is mostly just used as an excuse to show off the trio's relationship. I didn't particularly like writing it, but I didn't hate it either. I'll make it up to you all in the next one. That'll be the one where the plot moves forward finally.
So Until Next Chapter...
Adieu...