Cole
The alarm app chimed half a beat before it was switched off. Cole had already been in that half-awake state. As quietly as he could manage he slipped into the hallway. He glanced at the bathroom, wanting a shower but not wanting to risk he noise. It was lucky enough no one would be sleeping in the living room. Keith spent the night at his boyfriends, so Ethan had taken his room. And though he'd still been buzzed off the rooftop shenanigans they'd gotten into all afternoon through after one, Cole had decided last night he'd be the first up and make everyone breakfast.
Anna was rarely not the first up, which was why he'd used the alarm and set it for the terrible hour of 6:30. He knew no matter how late she stayed up, her internal clock woke her at 7:30 if she was home, 7 or earlier if she was someplace different. At all their sleepovers from children on, she would make her own morning while she waited for them. Or getting jealous of Ethan, who had the talent of sleeping whenever and wherever, would decide when they should wake.
In lieu of that shower, Cole opened the freezer and stuck his head in for a minute. He didn't mind being up this early though. It gave him the moments to enjoy knowing they were there, but still having his own time. Separate togetherness was one of his favorite parts of having Ethan and Anna. And it seemed a good morning to show it. He wasn't much in the kitchen but when he'd gotten his first apartment Ethan's father John had taught the two of them how to make decent pancakes. The undertone of them being for the possible "morning after" wasn't lost on them, but Cole figured it was a handy skill no matter what the use.
After measuring out coffee to brew and gathering what he needed to cook, he stared at the machine willing it to brew faster. He'd barely gotten past his first sip when he heard a door creak and the bathroom one follow. With a shake of his head he leaned against the counter, calculating he had at least fifteen minutes more. The cue of the shower had him smiling.
He was cracking the egg when Anna wandered out. She'd clipped some of her wild hair back and away from her face and put a short dress over leggings before the griddle was hot. Her eyes were still a bit heavy before coffee but her smile bright as she took in the kitchen scene. Saying nothing she rubbed the back of Cole's shoulders while reaching in a cabinet and passing him the cinnamon.
"Mr. K always forgot that one." She said as she moved to the machine to doctor her coffee.
"Did you sleep or do your toss game?"
"A bit of both. The mattress Ethan has in there is better than mine though."
"That's not saying much." Whisking he looked over at her sharply. "It's time for a wake there. Long past time."
"If the car cooperates next tax return season, then the time will be here. Drop it." She added hastily before he could growl at her. Once again she posted herself on the counter.
Cole had never battled Anna over working for an upstate gallery rather than the more lucrative ones in the city. He knew her heart was never in the city and she valued her home. Still, her budget was a war he still had with her from time to time. One they couldn't have with Ethan giving his different upbringing. For now, Cole buried the frustration down. "I thought we'd have an easy morning. I have to drop off a portrait, other than that nothing going until I stop by PIN later."
"About that. You need to tell me now if you want me to head Ethan off with that."
"If I did, I would have myself."
"You couldn't have. I however," She buffed her nails over the collar of her dress, "Could. It's the other reason I came. If you aren't ready then I'll tell him to ease off and wait for another visit."
"Last month when he said he'd meet her when he visited you were gung-ho."
"That was before."
"Before what?" Cole grinned when he flipped the first pancake and saw the coloring was perfect.
Anna's eyes narrowed at his back and looked around for something to throw. Coming up with a bottle cap she let it fly. With a smug look for Cole's answering glare, she snuggled back against the cabinets and lifted her mug. "Before she was your girlfriend you little shit."
"Don't start that. We haven't defined anything, we haven't even had a date yet. Her schedule picked up for a minute there night work wise, so we've only managed to see each other at PIN." He paused to put a popcorn bowl over the plate to keep the pancakes warm as he went.
"Where I'm sure you've been spending more time than you usually do."
Cole shrugged. "It's changed, I'm not trying to bullshit you there. I just don't want you two….I don't know."
"Embarrassing you? We're not going to ask her what her intentions are."
"No. Getting your hopes up."
Anna lifted her head and shook it at the back of his. Boosting herself down she went and wrapped her arms around him. Smiling as he tapped her hand with the spatula she laid her head against his back. "Michael. I don't care what other people have said over the years. Ethan and I are not sitting here waiting for you to find someone so we'll have another team member here. The three of us is plenty. I don't think about it any more than you do. The only thing I think of is you being happy. Ethan and I have been that kind of happy before, it's only natural we'd get excited for you to find yours."
"Yet I'm positive you'd be the first one to tell me I can be perfectly happy on my own."
Smiling against his shirt Anna shrugged. "Goes without saying. But that's me. There could be something more out there for you. But we won't put that pressure on this. You two haven't had a date yet so it's just new friends getting together. If you want to wait though…"
"I don't." He flipped another pancake under the dome. "I think I'm different than you two. I can't decide where this is going if I don't know how she clicks with my other sides."
As Anna laughed Ethan stomped his way down the hall. "Uh oh."
"Why is there speaking? Why is there laughter?" His half open eyes moved from one to the other. "Move." He snarled at Anna as she shifted to let him towards the coffee. After taking a gulp straight from the pot he blinked a few times. His expression lit as he looked at the nearly empty batter bowl and skillet. "Pancakes?! Hot damn."
"Like a magic trick that is." Anna rolled her eyes. "I'm going to set up trays in front of the tv so we can eat like the civilized."
They passed the early morning watching and laughing at the jackass movies they'd loved when they were teenagers. Then while Ethan did the dishes and got ready, Cole and Anna watched one of their BBC shows as Anna took out her laptop to check on work emails. In some ways it had been what Cole always pictured their adult lives would be. Maybe he thought they'd live in the same town and recreate scenes from Friends and Seinfeld. Always bursting into each other's homes. But they melded like that now. Their separate togetherness he thought again.
Once Ethan wandered back in, Cole took his turn after setting the other two up with some of his recent works. He liked hearing their comments after he got out of the shower to get dressed. He had enough confidence in his work to stop being baffled at their pride, but it never failed to humble and reassure him. When he'd started on this path he had days of doubt that it was right. One a teacher or two had also voiced. With his IQ wasn't it more prudent to pursue academic avenues rather than creative? But it only took the look his parents and friends had gotten when they looked at something he captured to keep him moving forward.
Hefting the wrapped portrait he had to deliver he walked back out and grinned as Ethan held up a print excitedly.
"When did you get this?" He pointed at the shot of his father.
"He came through on his way to Long Island for a show. Only had an hour but he sprang for lunch. I couldn't resist that one when he went to get a cab."
The picture showed John from the back, one leg mid step, one hand stretched behind him to adjust the collar on his worn leather jacket, that despite the black and white of the shot, they all knew was a cognac brown and older than all of them. At fifty two, Johnnie Kelly was still a badass even when simply walking towards a curb.
"What are your plans for it?" Ethan asked, knowing Cole tended to see something they didn't.
"I had him sign a release. Could be a poster for a music shop. You can always see the rockstar on that guy."
"Could be a book cover." Anna put in and grinned when Cole pointed at her. "It's great. I want it for the gallery but really you should send it on to The Olympic. He's performed at that place enough times you know they'd love it. And for the twofer that you took it."
"That would be why you're my agent." Cole tapped the package under his arm. "For now though we got to get going so I can drop this off before PIN."
Once they managed to get out they walked side by side towards the subway. He grinned when Anna shoved Ethan at some joke he made. As Cole got out his phone to let Hayley know they'd be in soon, he felt the surprise at knowing he wasn't nervous at all. A few blocks later the three of them piled down the subway stairs, a mix of arguing, laughing, and wild hand gestures.
They never saw the figure that followed a few paces behind.
