Cole

While the pacific northwest in him may have reveled at the morning light, Cole barely stifled a wince as strip of sunlight came through the blinds. He guessed it to be around eight, and while that was a reasonable time, he wished for a bit more on a Sunday. But as he looked at the one curled next to him, any complaint didn't stand a chance. Even if she had claimed every square inch of the bed she could.

Her hair was around her face in tufts, falling from her habitual bun at the top of her head. Cole realized his hand was cupped at the back of it, and indulged himself in running his fingers over the smooth locks escaping. His system tilted as he found he didn't want to wake up to another view. Things wouldn't always be as simple as they were this morning, but Cole would always want to wake up and see Gilly's messy hair against his hand.

As the thoughts and feelings swirled in his mind he eased his hand back and quietly shifted out of bed. Checking his phone he saw two missed texts from the night before in a group message, neither surprising.

(E) Shine, our boy is not sleeping in his bed this night

(J) Good, an inside man to this young and free lifestyle the TV speaks of. Pun intended.

Cole rolled his eyes once as he thought up a response and sent it. Looking down he saw the streak of sun that had woken him up was now hovering over one of Gilly's hands. Clicking on his phone camera, he angled it and moved to crouch as he tapped the screen to focus. Her palm was up, fingers slightly curled as if cupping that light. The line of it ran up the pillow and empty space of bed he'd vacated. The sheets were wrinkled from their weight, the pillow sunken from his head. Half her hand leaned against the empty pillow, both holding the light and reaching. Cole looked back at the shots he captured and grinned. He was gathering quite the array of a Gilly Lind collection.

He didn't feel quite as tired now that his creative side had gotten a jolt, so he saw two choices. He could go into the living space so he didn't disturb Gilly and start working on editing the wedding rolls. Or.

Gilly's curses were impressive as Cole flopped over her and rolled until she was hovering half off the bed, half in his arms. "What the hell are you doing?!" She screeched and then whimpered. "No No No. We just went to sleep, it's not morning."

"It is, and here I thought you'd like to try the comfort of when the other bed party takes up as much space as humanly possible."

"I was tired. And it's my bed. And it's for sure the middle of the night. Away with you." With impressive strength she shoved until they rolled back, but the momentum sent her over Cole. "Damnit." She had time to exclaim before they both toppled off the other side, knocking her desk on the way in the small room. She was half huffing from the bone rattling fall, half laughing as she saw the tissue box from her desk land on Cole's head. "My neighbors are going to think I'm having chandelier swinging sex, but no. I get awoken with a death match."

"The romance of it will speak to the generations." Cole looked up as he rubbed his elbow. "Plus you don't have a chandelier handy."

Gilly reached up and pushed some of his hair back from his forehead. "So my bed hogging woke you up did it?"

"That, and the sun coming in. Then I got a look at you and the work juices started pumping."

Looking down at the underwear and tshirt she managed to pull on after round two Gilly's eyes narrowed. "You took a photo of me like this."

Cole scoffed. "Please." Reaching a hand up to the desk where he'd left his phone he showed her.

"Hmm. Well someone doesn't need coffee to get the talent flowing." She shook her head as she swiped. "How do you make something every day look like that?"

"It's you." He said simply, planting a kiss at the top of her head before helping her up.

"If we're up we should probably head over to your place. Or did you want to have solo time with Ethan since you're not working today?"

I wasn't the first time he heard three words in his head when he was around her, but still he hadn't found the way to make them a reality yet. So instead he tugged a stray tendril of her hair and kept the words in with another kiss.

"I've had eighteen years with the guy."

"And you don't want to do a walk of shame."

"It would be this year's Christmas card."

"Please tell me that's not you being quippy and that the three of you really do have combined cards each year."

"Remind me to show you 2003's."

Ethan

Balancing a carton of eggs, a box of Eggos and a pound of bacon Ethan waited in line at the corner deli. The trip came after growling at his phone and the text from Cole that said simply "Incoming, cook something." Staring at the items again as he placed them on the counter, he considered the job done. He hadn't slept well, but knew he'd bounce back once Cole was back. And Ethan had to admit, Gilly too.

It had been too long since someone outside of the three of them had gotten involved. He saw that now, and imagined Jenna did as well. Cole would have his worries, but they needed this. Someone else to share with, someone else to get excited about and check in on. It would be a good thing, even if he did occasionally have to crawl out of bed to hit a deli.

Ethan let himself back into the apartment as Keith was barreling from bathroom to his bedroom at top speed.

"It won't do." He kept repeating to himself, until he spotted Ethan and could fire upon him. "Did you hear that?!"

"I didn't do, say, or feel whatever it is you're on a tear about. Unless it's eat the last of the eggos, cuz I did that." He juggled the paper bag. "Rectified though."

"The man leaves this place in a state, and goes off to have premarital sex."

"To be fair you're having premarital sex Kei…but that's not the point" Ethan nodded as Keith advanced on him. "Absolutely not the point. Now could you chill it some and fill me in on why you want Cole's blood at nine in the morning?"

"You didn't see his room?" Keith followed Ethan to the kitchen.

"I was half alive when I rolled from couch to bathroom and out the door so no I did not see Cole's room."

"You weren't in yours?"

"I had the cushions right where I wanted them." Ethan placed the eggs in the fridge and straightened when he caught Keith's expression. "Why."

Keith started leading him back towards the rooms. "I thought it was just some sort of creative fit."

"Cole is famous for them." Ethan trailed off as he looked into Cole's room. The bed was still made, but covered with every paper Cole seemed to own. Some pictures were strewn about, though nothing looked damaged. Notes from his job at PIN caught Ethan's eye, but Keith called his name before he could move closer.

"But your window is open. You really didn't sleep in there? Open it and be one of those crazy need the room freezing fits?" Keith's fit faded to concern.

Ethan walked in, glanced around as his jaw tightened. His expression smoothed as he turned. "C'mon Keith, we'd know if someone was in here. TVs are still here and all. I probably forgot to close it yesterday. My bad."

"Cole's room though."

"He and Gilly are gonna be here soon, I'll grill him."

Keith relaxed enough to lean on the door jam. "I was getting stuff together to go to Mark's, should I stay just in case?"

"We weren't robbed Keith, I promise."

"Yeah, well, you let me know if anything turns up missing. I'll not come back to my room in that state." Keith waved a hand at Cole's room and picked up his backpack from the hall floor. "You're still going to stop by Mark's for dinner before you leave right?"

"How else will I find out his intentions?"

Keith laughed like Ethan had hoped and clapped him on the back before heading out. Ethan pulled out his phone and calculating the time difference to Washington, figured it too early, even for Jenna's early rising habit. No sense in riling her when he wasn't sure.

And still, closing Cole's door a familiar feeling nagged. He tried to put it out of his mind once he went back to the kitchen to pop some eggos in the toaster and start on the eggs. He'd have to tell Cole of course but it was beginning to be obvious Gilly wasn't far off from being told either. Cole would wish it differently, but there wouldn't be another way. They didn't keep secrets from those they loved unless they had to. And as Cole came through the door with Gilly Ethan knew his friend had fallen the rest of the way.

"What a display of domesticity." Gilly laughed as she turned into the kitchen. "Is there coffee?"

"No one should be that chipper before coffee, Cole you must have taken my lessons."

"Were there demonstrations, I want a visual to carry." Gilly elbow bumped Ethan's back as she reached for a cabinet.

While she measured out coffee Ethan sent Cole a look, and jerked his head when Cole stiffened.

"I'm going to put my stuff away." Cole gestured with his camera bag.

"Since I'm the only one not getting any, you finish the breakfast Gilda."

"Awww poor boy." Gilly ran a hand down his arm as she took the spatula. "You're lucky I'm feeling mellow or I'd point out all of your certain womanizing."

"I have nev….we're going to fight about this in a minute." Ethan pointed before walking out "Womanizing. Of all the…" He sighed as he rounded to Cole's room. "Ok you're wigging."

"Not a time for joking." Cole raked his hands through his hair as her surveyed the room. "Why the hell didn't you call me?"

"I didn't know. I knocked out on the couch, Keith raised the alarm this morning after I already knew you were coming over. He thinks you had some sort of disorganizing fit, I didn't discourage that."

"You didn't hear anything?"

"Nothing. And I'm guessing neither did Keith. So that solidifies the them theory as much as I'd rather it didn't."

Cole looked at the pictures scattered across his bed. "What did they get?"

"Nothing is missing anywhere else in the apartment. Looks like they were looking for info." Ethan hesitated. "Your work papers were out. Ones for PIN." Ethan watched Cole shake his head. "Look, we have to get back out there. We knew this was coming, and now we can prepare for it. I'll call Jenna later and fill her in."

"And you think I should tell Gilly."

"Sooner is safer than later, but that's still up to you. It's kind of gonna suck either way. You know that."

"I just want this to be normal." Cole put up his hands. "I don't hate our life Eth, I don't. But this? I haven't been here before. I wanted to experience it."

Ethan thought of all the supportive things he could say or relatable advice. So he smacked Cole on the back of the head. "You are experiencing it, idiot. Our lives were never going to be storybook. Buck up."

"You two have fifteen seconds to get out here before I eat all this myself." Gilly shouted from the kitchen.

"I don't know which of you helps me more, it's overwhelming." Cole gathered up the pictures and papers and tossed them on his desk.

"What's worse," Ethan raised his voice as they walked back to the kitchen. "Is your girlfriend seems to classify me as a womanizer."

"Gilly Lind." Cole gasped before kissing her cheek and snatching a plate.

"And she meant it Cole. She meant it." Ethan glared as Gilly passed him and curled up on the sofa with her breakfast.

"I didn't call him a womanizer, I said he obviously has partaken in womanizing. Totally different statements." Gilly curled her feet under her. "Look me in the face and tell me you and that" She gestured with her eggo "all that you got going on….didn't reel in all the ladies."

"What's all that he's got going on?" Cole wondered only to wipe eggo crums off his arm when Gilly switched gestures. "Gilly, just because the man is gorgeous"

"Thanks buddy"

"You're welcome. Just because he is, doesn't mean he's a no good womanizer. He has been perfectly decent to all his millions."

"Millions, really?" Ethan whistled. "What a career."

Gilly rolled her eyes. "Least you're admitting I'm right, you've gotten plenty a lady so you can't bitch about…"

"Do not gesture at us with the eggo again." Cole shook his head. "Relationship, you'd call it a relationship. Well, you woulda."

Ethan's head fell back as Gilly's snapped to Cole. "Woulda?" Her eyes narrowed. "You woulda called it that?"

"Freaking amateur." Ethan mumbled.

"Please tell me that's not how you break things off. I can't kill someone in Brooklyn the morning after the first time we sleep together. That's not how I go down."

"No it's not, you go down in a hail of explosions I'm sure of it. And also, I'm not helping." Ethan pointed at Cole who pointed back.

Gilly sighed and put her plate on the coffee table. "Ok whatever is going on hit me with it and hit me quick." She settled back and looked to Cole.

"I'm not ending things, I worded it that way because you might want to."

"Somethings happened then, you were fine this morning."

"I was because I didn't think I would need to….but now it's….there are things I haven't told you."

"If that's not the start to every superhero movie ever. Though maybe less articulate."

Ethan snorted into his coffee mug. "Holy shit, first try."

"What?!" Gilly sat up straight.

"You had your turn doing this and you botched it to high hell, why are you ruining mine?" Cole grabbed the remote and chucked it at Ethan.

"Fine, I'll leave you to it."

Gilly stayed facing Cole but snapped her fingers and pointed to the chair. "You stay right there. And you." She took a breath and shook her head. "I don't know what's going on but I can see whatever it is has you a little freaked out over telling me. The only thing I ask is you don't lie to me. You don't hold back over some fear for me or for me leaving. I'm not moving."

Ethan smiled at Gilly's back and felt his own shoulders loosen with Cole's. "He hasn't lied to you. None of us ever will. A part of our past has come knocking, and it's not a pretty part."

"Ok. I'm sorry your hand is being forced then. I'm going to do the dishes so there's nothing we can all throw if this gets dicey." As Gilly gathered she rubbed a hand down Cole's arm.

Ethan gripped the mug handles in one hand while using the other to throw the remote back at Cole. Both gestures seemed to resolve Cole into the task at hand. Following Gilly, he placed the mugs at the counter and hip bumped her as she ran the water.

"I can kick off somewhere if it would make you more comfortable."

"You being here will help him."

"I didn't ask about him."

Gilly tipped her head to his shoulder for a second. "I really home you guys don't travel the world killing children because I've grown quite fond of you." She straightened and sighed. "I'm not uncomfortable, so you stay. Though I am wondering if I should suggest he wait for Jenna though since I'm sure it's about the three of you."

"Probably best it's just us for now. I'll call her later."

"Alright." Gilly shut off the water and squared her shoulders as they walked back into the living room. "Why do I feel like now we're in the part of the movie where my life changes?" She asked as she took her seat next to Cole.

Ethan tapped a fist on her jaw before sitting in the chair. "Ha, kid that moment passed, but now is when you see it."