Fic: The Alternative You (02/02), FSkating RPS, Johnny Weir/Evan Lysacek/Stéphane Lambiel, NC17/18
Merry Month of Masturbation - Day 06
My MMOM Master List 2010
Title: The Alternative You (02/02)
Author: Beren
Fandom: Figure Skating RPS
Pairing: Johnny Weir/Evan Lysacek/Stéphane Lambiel
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: threesome
Summary: An anonymous person gives Johnny a mirror, only it's not just a mirror, as Johnny finds out when it transports him to another world. What he finds there affects the way he looks at his own life in very significant ways.
My Fanfic Listings (LJ) | My Fanfic Listings (DreamW)
Link: CH 1
Chapter 2 Home Again
The first thing he did was put the clothes safely in his closet, then he showered and by that time it was a reasonable hour, so he called Tara and had her reschedule his appointments for the next couple of days. She tried to get out of him what he was up to, but he just told her she would find out soon enough. Then he bought several plane tickets and used one to fly to L.A..
Evan looked kind of stunned when he opened his front door to find Johnny standing there.
Once upon a time they had been teenagers and teenagers experimented and the kissing had been good. They'd been friends, almost, but then they had grown up and Johnny had gotten gayer and Evan had grown straighter and there was just this thing between them that they both studiously ignored. Johnny was sure it was that which caused them to lash out at each other from time to time.
"Evan," Johnny said, trying to find the right words and, for once, failing. "Oh fuck it," he eventually decided and grabbed the front of Evan's t-shirt, pulled him close and kissed him.
Evan squeaked, kind of like a girl, which would have been amusing if Johnny's heart hadn't been hammering and half his brain hadn't been screaming at him that he was insane. He only came up for air when he finally felt Evan kiss back.
"What did you do that for?" Evan asked, looking and sounding dazed when Johnny eventually drew back.
"Because I wanted to," Johnny said, staring the other man straight in the eyes, "because I've wanted to for a long time and I'm sick of pretending I don't, because I've been half in love with you for years and I want to be able to fall for you completely, but that means you have to agree."
If it was possible, Evan appeared even more shell shocked by that speech.
"I thought you were in love with Stéphane?" Evan said kind of helplessly and Johnny was pleased to note that he had not yet been shoved away.
"I am," he said, perfectly honestly, "but Stéphane is another story and the reason I have two tickets to Geneva. Before we go and sweep him off his feet we need to sort out us."
The way Evan was looking at him made it clear that Evan thought he might be having a mental breakdown or something. The thing was there had been three teenage boys who experimented during those such long ago times and now Johnny knew why. They had been offered the same thing as Jonirai, Evalian and Stéphar, but their world didn't accept things like that and they had turned away from it. Johnny couldn't run any more.
"Evan," he said, speaking slowly, since he knew the other man would be having trouble processing all the information, "I want to fuck you senseless, or you can fuck me, I don't care. In fact I don't care if I have to squirm all the way to Switzerland on the flight I booked for both of us first thing in the morning, but for that to happen you have to let me in."
They were still standing in the doorway, Evan blocking most of the entrance.
"This is insane," Evan said, but it was a very weak protest.
Johnny knew what he felt, knew what he had been denying all these years; what had turned to bitterness and recriminations and he was almost positive Evan felt it too. Everything he hoped, everything he dreamed relied on that one idea and the fact that Evan hadn't hit him yet, or called the cops made him believe it was true.
"I know," Johnny said as he realised he had the upper hand, "but it's not as insane as the last couple of days I've had, which I would love to tell you about, and don't try and tell me we haven't been hiding from this for far too long."
Evan frowned at him, but didn't outright deny it.
"This could wreck our careers," Evan pointed out seriously.
"Evan," Johnny said, pulling him in so they were all but nose to nose; "I have thought about the consequences, but for one minute don't think career, think love and happiness and growing old and grey with the people you never want to be apart from."
For the first time it looked as if Evan realised he was not fooling around.
"You're serious," Evan said quietly.
"Completely," Johnny replied, never letting his eyes leave Evan's.
That was when Evan stepped out of the way and let Johnny into his home. Johnny dropped his bags in the hall, kicked the door shut with one foot and then began the serious business of undressing Evan as fast as physically possible. Since Evan did not appear to be objecting, Johnny took that as full cooperation. They had a lot to talk about, so much in fact that it was silly, but that was for later; right then he needed Evan like he needed air.
They spent three hours in bed, well technically three hours on the stairs, on the landing and then in bed, but that was just semantics. They only actually gave up when Evan's hip popped like a hip should never really pop and he couldn't move for a good five minutes. Johnny helped to massage it back into alignment and then just continued on massaging, finding it strangely hypnotising.
"Oh god, that feels good," Evan said as Johnny continued to move his hands and he smiled, happy to give Evan pleasure in whatever form was most fitting at the time.
It was only later, after he had worked over Evan's back and the majority of Evan's lower body that he realised the stone in his bracelet was glowing gently. The bracelet and his necklace were the only things he hadn't taken off and, now that he thought about it, his fingers seemed to be tingling.
"Evan," he said, slowly slipping off to the side from where he was straddling Evan's legs, "how does your hip feel?"
At first all he got in reply was a low grunt of disapproval that he had stopped.
"Evan," he said in a serious tone, "I need to make sure it's not getting worse."
Every athlete knew about old injuries acting up, so eventually, after a little prodding, Evan moved and then stopped very suddenly. Then Evan moved again and sat up, a disbelieving look on his face.
"It doesn't hurt at all," Evan said, seemingly shocked. "What did you do?"
"Oh, just a little technique I picked up from some friends," Johnny replied with a grin; "I'll tell you all about it later, but since you seem to be feeling better, I think we were in the middle of something."
It took them another half an hour to make it out of the bedroom and that was only because Evan's stomach began complaining very loudly. Johnny remembered the hunger he had felt after waking up all too well, so he dragged Evan down to the kitchen and began to make the most calorific meal he could from what was in Evan's fridge.
"Are you trying to make me fat?" Evan asked when Johnny presented him with a plate of homemade French bread pizza with real cheese on it.
"No," Johnny replied and tucked into his slice, since he was feeling the effects of actually doing the healing himself, "you need the calories. You've just been healed and that burns a lot of the body's reserves."
Evan looked at him dubiously.
If he just told him, Johnny was pretty sure Evan would think he was crazy, so instead he reached out to Evan's hand. He distinctly remembered Evan breaking one of the fingers on it way back when they were kids at some event or other. There was no instruction manual, so he just did what he'd done upstairs, he stroked his fingers over Evan's and concentrated on making them better. The jewel on his bracelet glowed and this time he felt something change, because he was paying attention.
"What the hell?" Evan asked, pulling Johnny's wrist closer to look at the bracelet.
"Feel better?" Johnny said with a small smile and pulled the bracelet off with the other hand and passed it to Evan to look at.
"Yes," Evan replied, turning the jewellery over in his hands, "how the hell did you do that. What is this?"
"An Elven bracelet," Johnny replied and waited for the penny to drop.
It took a couple of seconds for Evan to process that it seemed and then he looked up.
"A what?" was the obvious question.
"An Elven bracelet," Johnny said again, knowing it wouldn't make much difference, "I told you I've had a weird few days. Now you need food. I will tell you everything, but only if you eat."
Evan didn't appear to know what to do, but eventually he picked up the pizza and so Johnny began to talk. He explained about the mirror and where he had ended up and who he had met and what he had done. He even told Evan about how he had been able to bring Jonirai back from the curse.
"And so I really don't know how this works," he finally finished, "but it seems to be more to do with will than anything else."
Evan had finished his pizza some time before and was just sitting there; Johnny wasn't sure if Evan believed him or thought he was insane.
"So what you're saying," Evan said eventually, just about when Johnny thought Evan's brain might have turned off completely, "is that there is another world out there in some kind of parallel dimension where elves and magic are real and there are three princes who look just like us and are in a three way relationship to bring peace and prosperity to their home?"
Johnny was amazed that Evan had taken in all the details.
"Yeah," he said, slipping his bracelet back on.
"Did you come here because of them?" Evan asked and surprised Johnny again.
"No," Johnny said simply, "well not directly, they just made me realise what I was throwing away. The world we live in is so damn complicated sometimes we forget to look at what is right in front of us."
He gave Evan the time to think that over.
"You sound crazy," Evan said eventually, "you are aware of that?"
Johnny smiled at that.
"Hell yes," he replied, since it did sound particularly insane, "if I hadn't been there I wouldn't believe me, but I have been and I refuse to run away from this."
He had seen the Elves do all sorts of things, so he wondered if he could manage something more demonstrative than the healing. Holding out his hand he concentrated on the empty water bottle that was sitting on the table and after a few seconds the jewel on the bracelet glowed and the bottle slid to his hand. He couldn't help it and gave a small crow of delight. Evan appeared rather stunned.
"You cannot use that in competition," was what Evan eventually chose to say and Johnny nearly fell off his stool laughing.
====
The next morning Johnny pulled the two tickets out of his bag and walked over to where he had left Evan checking his email. So far Evan seemed to be on the same page he was, but now it was time to make the real decision.
"Evan," he said, looking at the tickets rather than the man he had been sleeping with all night, "if we're both going to the airport, now's the time."
He looked up to find Evan looking at him.
"Too late to turn back now," Evan said and lifted his laptop so Johnny could see the screen.
There, filling most of a web page was a picture of them from Evan's doorstep and they were in a lip lock.
"Son of a bitch," Johnny said, leaning forward; not quite how he had planned to come out. "Do you have paparazzi in your bushes?"
"Sometimes," Evan said with a shrug.
Evan seemed to be taking the whole thing very calmly, Johnny wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
"Look," he said, thinking on his feet while wondering why his phone wasn't ringing it's little heart out until he remembered he'd switched it off, "if you want this to go away I can take the whole blame. We can say I was drunk or high or something and you took me in and put me to bed for my own good."
He wanted this, he wanted it with every beat of his heart, but it wasn't fair to force Evan into it and it looked like he had just royally screwed up. Evan closed his laptop, stood up and then reached out and took his hand.
"Come on," Evan said, without the slightest hint of anxiety, "we have a plane to catch."
Johnny chose not to argue with miracles and let Evan lead him to the door, pick up their bags and walk to Evan's car. It was something of a circus, since the press seemed to have realised that they were both still in Evan's house, but they made it to the car and Evan only had to threaten to decapitate one reporter with a skate. Johnny had never said 'No comment' so many times in his life.
The moment he turned his phone on it started ringing and his mom managed to make it first.
"Hi, Mom," he said cheerfully from the passenger seat of Evan's huge car.
"Johnny, did you see the news?" his mom asked cautiously.
"Yeah, Mom," he replied, feeling amazingly relaxed considering, "I saw it."
"It that really you, sweetheart?" his mom asked, ever mindful of his feelings.
Really he could never have asked for a better mother than Patti.
"Yeah, Mom," he said, grinning to himself despite the mess this was going to cause, "it's me and yes, I was fully aware of what I was doing. Evan and I are going to Switzerland to visit Stéphane, we'll be back in a couple of days."
"You're going to Switzerland with Evan Lysacek?" even his mom sounded shocked and he really couldn't blame her.
It still made him laugh.
"Yes, Mom," he told her, "mad I know, but that seems to suit us. Just so you know I'm madly in love with him and have been since I was about sixteen."
"Well I know that, sweetheart," his mom told him and shocked him into silence, "I just didn't know you did. You're not heading for a fall are you?"
It took him a couple of moments to recover.
"No, Mom," he replied eventually, "everything's great, I promise."
"Well then," his mom said, seemingly satisfied, "my love to you both then, and give my love to Stéphane when you see him too."
"Okay, Mom," he said, feeling incredibly buoyant, "see you when we get back."
Evan glanced at him as soon as he turned off the phone.
"She sends her love," Johnny said and beamed at his lover, "and, can you believe it, she knew this whole time?"
"With your mom," Evan said, looking back at the road, "yeah, I can."
Johnny laughed, he felt incredibly and totally happy. When Tara called, however, the conversation was not so easy. He gave her the go ahead to spin it any way she wanted as long as she made it completely and abundantly clear that Johnny was madly in love, once he'd cleared it with Evan that was. Since she actually squealed a little at that he figured it was okay.
Once they made it to the airport Evan had a few of his own phone calls to make and Johnny heard Evan using some very stern words at one point, but they made it on to the flight without too much incident. What was hilarious was the very gay head flight attendant who hugged them both as soon as they stepped onto the plane and upgraded them to first class. It was almost like they were on honeymoon. The dear man treated them like royalty the whole trip across the Atlantic and Johnny even swapped email addresses with him.
They flew in to Geneva and Johnny had planned to take the train to Lausanne, but as they walked through customs he caught sight of Stéphane waiting for them.
"Stéphane," he said, giving his friend a hug after trotting over to him, "what are you doing here?"
"Twenty emails, ten text messages and three phone calls from at least twenty five different people," Stéphane said, looking strangely cheerful about the whole thing, "how could I not be here? I have the car outside, now let's see if we can avoid the press."
Somehow, Johnny wasn't sure how and wondered if maybe the Swiss press were neutral just like the rest of their country, they made it to the car without being accosted, and then Stéphane pushed them both in the back and climbed in the front.
"Get comfortable," Stéphane said with a smile in the rear view mirror, "blacked out windows."
Johnny grinned back and decided to sit in the middle, putting on his belt and then snuggling up to Evan. Evan had passed out on the plane, all his time going coast to coast while doing Dancing with the Stars seemingly giving him the ability to just turn his brain off in transit, but Johnny hadn't been able to sleep at all. They had flown out at 11am so it was 10pm US time, which made it the middle of the night European time and Johnny knew he was going to be dead the next day, but it wasn't as if they had to do anything.
"We were going to find a hotel," Evan said, clearly feeling awkward about the whole thing.
"Do not be silly, my friend," Stéphane said, smiling into the rear view again as he pulled out of the parking garage; "I would not hear of it. My spare room has not had such delightful company in some time."
Evan looked at Johnny who smiled back; it was obvious that Evan didn't quite know how to deal with suddenly being elevated to friend when he'd barely spoken to Stéphane in a very long time.
"Thank you, Stéphane," Johnny said, leaning his head on Evan's shoulder; "you are wonderful as always."
They drove in silence for a while until they were onto the bigger roads and Johnny let himself relax.
"If you do not mind me asking," Stéphane eventually said as they sped along Switzerland's perfect roads, "how long have you two been together? I have to admit I did not see it coming."
"Me either," Evan said and Johnny giggled.
He could see Stéphane's confused expression in the mirror.
"Since yesterday or since we first kissed, you pick," Johnny replied, smiling serenely.
Stéphane almost turned to look at them before he remembered he was driving, Johnny was almost sure.
"You are photographed kissing and then run away to Switzerland after only one day?" Stéphane asked, sounding incredulous.
"The picture was my fault," Johnny admitted sheepishly, "I got carried away."
"And not doing anything about it is mine," Evan added and smiled at him; "Johnny's very persuasive."
Stéphane still didn't look quite like he believed it.
"But we were coming to Switzerland anyway," Johnny said, snuggling closer to Evan; "we planned to come see you."
He could just see Stéphane's frown of confusion at that.
"I am honoured," Stéphane said and from Stéphane that was probably the plain truth, "but why?"
Johnny closed his eyes; the motion of the car was putting him to sleep.
"Tell you when you're not driving," he mumbled and finally let the stress of the day go; he felt safe now.
He dozed for most of the journey, listening to Evan's low tones speaking quietly to Stéphane without really hearing any of the words. It was soothing and he only really let himself come back to reality when the car came to a proper stop and Evan gently sat him up.
"No grabbing him and kissing him," Evan warned after Stéphane had climbed out of the car; "I'm not sure how he'll take it."
Johnny smiled; that hadn't been what he intended with Stéphane anyway.
"That was just for you," he replied and kissed Evan gently on the mouth; "we don't communicate so well in words."
Evan didn't argue with that one and just smiled.
"Come on," Evan said, going to open the door, "before Stéphane decides to be too nice and carry all our bags for us."
That was something Stéphane would try and do, so Johnny followed Evan out of the car quickly. He managed to repossess his heaviest bag, but Stéphane still ended up with two while he and Evan had one each. Maybe it was part of the genetic makeup of the Swiss to be so nice and plain helpful, or maybe it was just Stéphane.
In the end Stéphane put them in the spare room and made sure they had everything they needed and then they all went to bed to try and get a little sleep. Johnny hadn't really thought of Evan being a cuddler, but it seemed he was and Johnny rather liked the way he fitted under Evan's chin when they were spooned together. He let himself wonder how that would work with Stéphane in the mix, since he and Stéphane were the same height, but he drifted off sure they would work it out.
The next morning he left Evan to sleep and padded downstairs in his PJs. He found Stéphane in the kitchen making coffee, also still in his PJs, or at least a very old looking t-shirt and boxers, which Jonny assumed passed as PJs.
"Good morning," his friend greeted with a cheerful smile, "coffee?"
"You said the magic word," Johnny replied, perching himself on one of Stéphane's kitchen chairs.
He watched as Stéphane busied himself pulling out two mugs and pouring the almost black liquid into them. Stéphane moved like a top athlete still even though he was retired and Johnny wondered how long he would keep doing so if he did the same thing. Thanks to the kick start his body had received from his visit to the elven realm he had no intention of retiring soon, but it was still in the back of his mind.
"Thanks," he said when Stéphane handed him one of the mugs and he took a sip gratefully.
"I am thinking this may not be enough to keep me awake after last night," Stéphane said with a tired smile as they both enjoyed their coffee.
"Then you should go back to bed," Johnny replied, warming his hands; "I promise not to tidy your house while you are asleep."
Stéphane laughed at that, as joyful as all of Stéphane's genuine laughs. There was just something about the way he laughed that enchanted Johnny, because it was so real and, like everything else, Stéphane threw himself into it with his whole heart.
"I would not mind if you felt the need," Stéphane replied with a grin, "as long as you told me where you had put everything."
"But that takes all the fun out of it," Johnny whined and pouted.
He watched Stéphane's eyes flutter over his mouth and his friend was still smiling, but the other man looked away, a momentary cloud in his eyes.
"Do you ever think there is something missing?" Johnny asked, seizing the moment.
Stéphane looked up at him again, frowning a little.
"I do not understand," his friend said and Johnny realised that Stéphane probably thought the language was failing him.
"In your life," Johnny made himself clear; "do you ever look at it and think it's not complete?"
The light of understanding sparked in Stéphane's gaze and he smiled sadly.
"Oh," Stéphane replied, looking down into his coffee, "now I see. Yes, my friend, I do, but I think we all do, well, except possibly you now. Am I right?"
Their eyes met again and Stéphane looked genuinely happy for him.
"Almost," Johnny replied, letting his love shine in his expression.
Stéphane frowned a little.
"You have Evan," Stéphane pointed out in his beautifully accented voice, "what could be missing?"
Johnny smiled and that clearly wasn't what Stéphane expected in answer to that question; he really was the sweetest man alive.
"Did it ever occur to you to wonder why we chose here?" Johnny asked, wanting to draw it out just a little. "We could have disappeared for a while much more easily in Moscow."
That caused Stéphane's frown to deepen just a little.
"You are confusing me," Stéphane replied after a few moments. "You have been in love with Evan for a long time, many of us who know you well have seen it; what are you trying to say?"
"There were three of us that year," Johnny said, smiling at the memory; "three of us who were young and curious. I fell in love with both of you then and I know Evan fell in love with both of us. What about you, Stéphane? Did you fall in love too?"
Johnny made a grab for Stéphane's mug as it almost fell from his fingers and placed it carefully on the table as Stéphane just stared at him.
"That was so long ago," Stéphane whispered, the words barely above a murmur.
"And yet it feels like yesterday," Johnny replied, understanding the shock that had to be running through Stéphane and knowing not to push. "I never realised until two nights ago that that short, sweet few days defined me. When I did I went to see Evan."
Stéphane's face was clouded.
"But you are not kissing me in doorways," Stéphane said.
"No," Johnny told his friend and reached out to gently touch Stéphane's hand, "but I have noticed over the years that words work better with you. It takes something demonstrative to get through to Evan sometimes."
There was a flicker of a smile from Stéphane at that, until he seemed to remember what they were talking about.
"We came here for you," Johnny said simply, moving his fingers ever so gently; "if you want us."
He did not resist when Stéphane pulled his hand away, he just sat there and waited.
"Three is not two, Johnny," Stéphane said, worry forming his features into harsh lines; "three does not work like two and the world does not accept three."
"It shouldn't have worked before," Johnny replied, maintaining eye contact with his friend to show his sincerity; "but it did. It was not time at all, Stéphane, but we all know what it could have been, we all felt it and we all ran away from it."
"We were children," Stéphane pointed out.
"And now we're not," Johnny responded instantly, "but we still feel it. Admit it, Stéphane, it's still there. Even Evan, strong, think everything through first, Evan, assimilated me and you in the same thought. While Evan still needs his sponsors we'll have to be careful, we'll have to play the game, but in a few years we'll all be retired and then I don't give a rat's ass what the world thinks."
He was adamant; the world could think what it liked.
"Evan still has sponsors after the news of you and he?" Stéphane asked, clearly focusing on the easy bit of the conversation.
"Tara and Evan's people are already playing it up to be the biggest romance of the decade," Johnny said with a small smile; "it's going to be more publicity than any sponsor could ever want. If they do drop him they'll be in for a world of bad press and someone else is bound to fill the gap."
He hadn't meant it to get out so publicly so quickly, but now that it was there were reasons they had agents.
"You have thought it all through very carefully," Stéphane observed.
"No," Johnny admitted sheepishly, "I just jumped in with both feet as per normal, Evan and all the people we employ for things like this have thought it through carefully. I was lonely, Stéphane, and I didn't realise how lonely until some things happened to me that made me look at everything differently. Are you lonely too?"
For a while Stéphane just looked at him, different emotions passing through his eyes with every second and then Stéphane sighed.
"Yes," Stéphane said quietly, "I am lonely, mon amour."
That was when Johnny reached out his hand again and slipped his fingers into Stéphane's.
"Come on," he said gently, and stood up.
All it took was the lightest tug and Stéphane stood up as well and then Johnny calmly led them up the stairs and into the spare room. Evan was still fast asleep, sprawled over most of the bed, almost as if he had gone looking for Johnny in his sleep. Smiling fondly, Johnny left Stéphane standing at the end of the bed and walked round the side, leaning over and pushing some of Evan's hair out of his face.
"Evan," he said, kissing his lover on the cheek, "you need to move over, Baby; there's not enough room for three with you sprawled like that."
Evan had stirred the moment he had kissed him and sleepy eyes opened to look up at him, followed by a sleepy smile. Then Evan looked over at Stéphane the smile only broadened and Evan shifted back towards the other side of the bed. Johnny held out his hand to Stéphane and pulled the duvet back as Stéphane walked towards him. It wasn't difficult to coax Stéphane into the space Evan had just vacated and then Johnny climbed in as well. Three was definitely more difficult than two, but after a few moments they had themselves arranged comfortably.
"Sex later," Evan said sleepily, seemingly very happy to snuggle up to Stéphane as he laced his fingers through Johnny's and it made Johnny smile.
"Yeah," Johnny said, feeling the last of the tension inside that he had been holding for years finally begin to ease, "sex later."
There was nothing like actually sleeping with someone to dissolve any remaining issues into insignificance and Johnny was very willing to slip back into dreamland.
"Did he tell you about the elves?" Evan said in little more than a mumble just as Johnny was beginning to drift off.
"Quoi?" was Stéphane's response.
"Later," Johnny said before they could all wake up again; "sleep now."
He wasn't sure whether it was his persuasiveness or the fact that they were all wrecked that let him get away with that, but there was no dissent from the ranks and he drifted to sleep with a smile on his face.
====
Johnny woke up to the feeling of a hand sliding into his pyjama pants and neatly wrapping around his cock. He opened his eyes and moaned.
"Sex now?" Stéphane asked from where his friend was leaning over him and smiling at him.
"Oh god yes," Johnny replied; he was not about to argue.
Sex with three was more difficult than with two; there were more semantics to worry about, but it didn't get in their way at all. They started off with a lot of mutual touching because, as it turned out, Evan was very much awake as well and somehow Stéphane and Evan had gotten it into their heads to gang up on him, so of course he had to give as good as he got.
It seemed that because it was all his fault, Johnny didn't get much say in what they were doing, but he didn't argue when it meant he ended up with Stéphane buried balls deep in his ass and Evan sucking him off at the same time. He didn't last long, but it was one of the most mind blowing orgasms of his entire life. Watching Stéphane and Evan go at it while he recovered was also something he found he enjoyed immensely.
They all had very well developed egos, but, almost surprisingly, they didn't get in the way, not in this. Johnny was sure it would not all be plain sailing; nothing in life ever was, but he just let himself enjoy the sex, the togetherness and the love that permeated his whole body. It was only when they were lying in a comfortable heap enjoying afterglow number something, Johnny had lost count, that he remembered there was something else he wanted to do as well.
When he turned over and began running his hand over Stéphane's left thigh his new lover squirmed, but he tightened his grip and refused to let go when Stéphane tried to pull away.
"Just relax," he said and began to carefully massage.
He knew the left leg was where all of Stéphane's problems originated, that it was the reason for his lover's retirement and he knew he could help.
"He's good at this," Evan said, from where he was half cuddling Stéphane and Stéphane finally gave in.
Johnny just let himself fall into the hypnotic dance of his fingers on skin when he felt the magic start. He wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be able to do this, since the elves had had healers who specialised in it, but he wasn't arguing that it definitely seemed to work. By the time he caught up with himself again, he had been down one leg and up the other and Stéphane was all but asleep in Evan's arms; it was a beautiful sight. He lay down beside them and sighed contentedly, simply waiting.
It took about ten minutes and then Stéphane opened his eyes, frowning a little.
"I'm hungry," Stéphane said simply, "is anyone else hungry?"
And Johnny laughed as Evan chuckled, which gained them both a suspicious frown from Stéphane.
"You were waiting for that," Stéphane deduced and sat up.
"Oh yes," Johnny replied, sitting up and kissing Stéphane on the cheek before climbing out of bed and trying to decide if he should pull back on his long since discarded PJs or grab a shower and clean up properly before food.
"Food first, shower later," Evan said, climbing out of bed as well and pulling on a pair of shorts.
Clearly Evan could now read his mind, which was slightly worrying, but he shrugged and, for once, did as he was told. It was when Stéphane went to climb out of bed that things got interesting; the expression on Stéphane's face was a picture when he stood up. Every skater over the age of twenty three had some injury or other they automatically compensated for, it was the nature of the sport, and Johnny watched with glee as Stéphane slowly woke up to the fact that the familiar ache was gone. Johnny couldn't take his eyes off his lover as Stéphane carefully moved his left leg, testing out very carefully certain movements.
"What did you do?" Stéphane eventually demanded, looking straight at him. "It doesn't hurt at all."
Johnny just waved his fingers at his lover.
"Johnny," Stéphane asked, clearly still not quiet believing what he was feeling, "do you have magic hands?"
That made Evan snort with laughter and Johnny grinned.
"Yeah, he does," Evan said, handing Stéphane his t-shirt from the floor, "quite literally."
Stéphane quite obviously didn't know how to take that statement.
"I'll explain over brunch," Johnny said and that seemed to appease Stéphane for a little while.
They headed downstairs, Stéphane cooked and Johnny talked. He told Stéphane everything, just like he had Evan and then he used his little sliding object trick to prove he wasn't crazy. Evan finished cooking after that, because Stéphane all but dropped the knife he had been using. Stéphane did not stop asking questions all the way through brunch or when they moved to the living room with coffee, Johnny found it endearing, mostly. It appeared that Stéphane wanted to know everything, every little detail, so Johnny let him have his way. It was only when Evan finally decided to turn his phone back on that any of them remembered there was a world outside the house.
They spent the next two days in bed, discussing how they were going to deal with their situation, fielding international phone calls and organising interviews. Evan and Johnny even did one long distance interview which Johnny had soundly rounded off with: "Because I'm fucking in love with him and have been for years and I finally grew a pair and did something about it."
The interviewer had asked why he'd done it one too many times and he was pretty sure they'd edit out the swearing as he stormed off and let Evan pick up the pieces.
They had decided that for the outside world he and Evan would be the couple and Stéphane would be the perky, supportive friend until such time as the truth would only be a scandal, not a career ending disaster. Their families and close friends were going to get the truth gradually; Evan didn't want to give his parents two heart attacks in quick succession.
That, however, didn't mean Johnny wanted their get away with Stéphane to end. The logistics of the relationship were going to be hell, but none of them had any doubt it would work; it had to, there was no other choice. Johnny had chosen his outfit for returning to the US carefully, because there was likely to be press all over them and he looked at himself in Stéphane's landing mirror and did not want to leave. The mirror reminded him of the one in his bedroom at home; it was carved and pretty and full length and he reached out to brush his fingers over it, wishing that it was as useful as the one he had.
He felt the rush of magic up his arm almost instantly and then he was looking at his bedroom. His heart almost stopped. Jonirai had told him that magic mirrors were rare and wonderful things and he had to keep his very safe, but he had had no idea they were this wonderful. Without really thinking through the whole thing, he stepped through the mirror and, unlike the two times he had moved between his room and Jonirai's there was no blackness, just a little feeling of change as he entered his apartment. Looking back at the mirror he could still see Stéphane's landing and he quickly stepped back through.
This was immense, this was huge, this removed so many of their problems and he was so excited that he couldn't speak. His brain was moving so fast words just wouldn't form and he ran for the bedroom where he knew Stéphane was helping Evan pack.
"Johnny, are you okay?" Stéphane asked when he burst in and grabbed him.
"Fine," Johnny just about managed to say and then grabbed Evan as well, dragging them both out onto the landing.
The mirror was once again just a mirror, but Johnny held out his hand and, well, wished and his bedroom appeared again.
"No need for planes," he said, completely delighted, shoving Stéphane through to make his point and then following.
He was so incredibly happy and he dragged Stéphane back through to the still startled looking Evan.
"That's amazing," Stéphane said as Johnny bounced up and down on the spot.
"How did you do it?" Evan asked.
"It's the mirror and the bracelet," Johnny replied, on such a high he wasn't sure when he would come down; "it just happened. I never knew it could do that and ..." he paused, "um, I don't feel good."
The image of his room wavered in the mirror and his head began to swim and then he fainted.
When he came to again he was being carried in familiar arms.
"Evan," he said, a little confused for a moment.
"Johnny, you are back with us," it was Stéphane who spoke, seemingly appearing from nowhere to stand in front of Evan, checking him over carefully, "how are you feeling?"
Johnny head chose that moment to send shooting pains behind his eyes.
"My head hurts," he said in a pitifully small voice, however he knew the feeling, knew it all too well. "I think I need food."
This was the kind of headache he got when he didn't eat enough or the right things and events began to add up in his head.
"The mirror," he said, before either of his lovers could worry themselves even more; "it must take way more magic; it kind of felt like a rush. I don't think doing it twice was a good idea."
"Are you sure that's all it is?" Stéphane asked as Johnny urged Evan to put his down and help him stand up.
"Yes, yes," Johnny replied, wincing at the way his head hated him, "I need food and I'll be fine; this is a pain I know."
When he opened his eyes after the latest stabbing pain and looked at both Evan and Stéphane he was not sure that was something he should have admitted.
"We are having words about your idea of nutrition," Evan said simply and very firmly, "right after you don't look like you're going to fall down anymore."
"Okay," Johnny said meekly under the full scrutiny of his chosen life partners.
Johnny ate; Stéphane drove them to the airport; he and Evan said tearful goodbyes to Stéphane as if they weren't going to see him again for a long while; they flew home; they did interviews; they talked to their families; they bought Evan a full length free standing mirror for his bedroom and then they flew to Johnny's for the weekend. Stéphane joined them Saturday morning and they didn't appear outside the apartment until Sunday evening after Stéphane went home. Johnny didn't like letting Stéphane go home, even if he was only a mirror away, and he didn't like the fact they couldn't leave the apartment, because Stéphane was supposed to be thousands of miles away.
"You know," he said as he and Evan walked through the park arm in arm, ignoring the photographer who thought it would be a good idea to follow them, "Stéphane would make a great choreographer now he's retired, don't you think?"
Evan smiled at that.
"Yes, Love," Evan said and leant over to kiss him, "I think he would."
It was a media circus and so many things needed sorting out, but for the first time in his life, including when he had been at the top of his career and winning all the time, Johnny was completely and totally happy. They had to get back on the merry-go-round with all the training and sacrifices that entailed, but now it was their merry-go-round and that was all that mattered.
The End
My MMOM Master List 2010
Title: The Alternative You (02/02)
Author: Beren
Fandom: Figure Skating RPS
Pairing: Johnny Weir/Evan Lysacek/Stéphane Lambiel
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: threesome
Summary: An anonymous person gives Johnny a mirror, only it's not just a mirror, as Johnny finds out when it transports him to another world. What he finds there affects the way he looks at his own life in very significant ways.
My Fanfic Listings (LJ) | My Fanfic Listings (DreamW)
Link: CH 1
Chapter 2 Home Again
The first thing he did was put the clothes safely in his closet, then he showered and by that time it was a reasonable hour, so he called Tara and had her reschedule his appointments for the next couple of days. She tried to get out of him what he was up to, but he just told her she would find out soon enough. Then he bought several plane tickets and used one to fly to L.A..
Evan looked kind of stunned when he opened his front door to find Johnny standing there.
Once upon a time they had been teenagers and teenagers experimented and the kissing had been good. They'd been friends, almost, but then they had grown up and Johnny had gotten gayer and Evan had grown straighter and there was just this thing between them that they both studiously ignored. Johnny was sure it was that which caused them to lash out at each other from time to time.
"Evan," Johnny said, trying to find the right words and, for once, failing. "Oh fuck it," he eventually decided and grabbed the front of Evan's t-shirt, pulled him close and kissed him.
Evan squeaked, kind of like a girl, which would have been amusing if Johnny's heart hadn't been hammering and half his brain hadn't been screaming at him that he was insane. He only came up for air when he finally felt Evan kiss back.
"What did you do that for?" Evan asked, looking and sounding dazed when Johnny eventually drew back.
"Because I wanted to," Johnny said, staring the other man straight in the eyes, "because I've wanted to for a long time and I'm sick of pretending I don't, because I've been half in love with you for years and I want to be able to fall for you completely, but that means you have to agree."
If it was possible, Evan appeared even more shell shocked by that speech.
"I thought you were in love with Stéphane?" Evan said kind of helplessly and Johnny was pleased to note that he had not yet been shoved away.
"I am," he said, perfectly honestly, "but Stéphane is another story and the reason I have two tickets to Geneva. Before we go and sweep him off his feet we need to sort out us."
The way Evan was looking at him made it clear that Evan thought he might be having a mental breakdown or something. The thing was there had been three teenage boys who experimented during those such long ago times and now Johnny knew why. They had been offered the same thing as Jonirai, Evalian and Stéphar, but their world didn't accept things like that and they had turned away from it. Johnny couldn't run any more.
"Evan," he said, speaking slowly, since he knew the other man would be having trouble processing all the information, "I want to fuck you senseless, or you can fuck me, I don't care. In fact I don't care if I have to squirm all the way to Switzerland on the flight I booked for both of us first thing in the morning, but for that to happen you have to let me in."
They were still standing in the doorway, Evan blocking most of the entrance.
"This is insane," Evan said, but it was a very weak protest.
Johnny knew what he felt, knew what he had been denying all these years; what had turned to bitterness and recriminations and he was almost positive Evan felt it too. Everything he hoped, everything he dreamed relied on that one idea and the fact that Evan hadn't hit him yet, or called the cops made him believe it was true.
"I know," Johnny said as he realised he had the upper hand, "but it's not as insane as the last couple of days I've had, which I would love to tell you about, and don't try and tell me we haven't been hiding from this for far too long."
Evan frowned at him, but didn't outright deny it.
"This could wreck our careers," Evan pointed out seriously.
"Evan," Johnny said, pulling him in so they were all but nose to nose; "I have thought about the consequences, but for one minute don't think career, think love and happiness and growing old and grey with the people you never want to be apart from."
For the first time it looked as if Evan realised he was not fooling around.
"You're serious," Evan said quietly.
"Completely," Johnny replied, never letting his eyes leave Evan's.
That was when Evan stepped out of the way and let Johnny into his home. Johnny dropped his bags in the hall, kicked the door shut with one foot and then began the serious business of undressing Evan as fast as physically possible. Since Evan did not appear to be objecting, Johnny took that as full cooperation. They had a lot to talk about, so much in fact that it was silly, but that was for later; right then he needed Evan like he needed air.
They spent three hours in bed, well technically three hours on the stairs, on the landing and then in bed, but that was just semantics. They only actually gave up when Evan's hip popped like a hip should never really pop and he couldn't move for a good five minutes. Johnny helped to massage it back into alignment and then just continued on massaging, finding it strangely hypnotising.
"Oh god, that feels good," Evan said as Johnny continued to move his hands and he smiled, happy to give Evan pleasure in whatever form was most fitting at the time.
It was only later, after he had worked over Evan's back and the majority of Evan's lower body that he realised the stone in his bracelet was glowing gently. The bracelet and his necklace were the only things he hadn't taken off and, now that he thought about it, his fingers seemed to be tingling.
"Evan," he said, slowly slipping off to the side from where he was straddling Evan's legs, "how does your hip feel?"
At first all he got in reply was a low grunt of disapproval that he had stopped.
"Evan," he said in a serious tone, "I need to make sure it's not getting worse."
Every athlete knew about old injuries acting up, so eventually, after a little prodding, Evan moved and then stopped very suddenly. Then Evan moved again and sat up, a disbelieving look on his face.
"It doesn't hurt at all," Evan said, seemingly shocked. "What did you do?"
"Oh, just a little technique I picked up from some friends," Johnny replied with a grin; "I'll tell you all about it later, but since you seem to be feeling better, I think we were in the middle of something."
It took them another half an hour to make it out of the bedroom and that was only because Evan's stomach began complaining very loudly. Johnny remembered the hunger he had felt after waking up all too well, so he dragged Evan down to the kitchen and began to make the most calorific meal he could from what was in Evan's fridge.
"Are you trying to make me fat?" Evan asked when Johnny presented him with a plate of homemade French bread pizza with real cheese on it.
"No," Johnny replied and tucked into his slice, since he was feeling the effects of actually doing the healing himself, "you need the calories. You've just been healed and that burns a lot of the body's reserves."
Evan looked at him dubiously.
If he just told him, Johnny was pretty sure Evan would think he was crazy, so instead he reached out to Evan's hand. He distinctly remembered Evan breaking one of the fingers on it way back when they were kids at some event or other. There was no instruction manual, so he just did what he'd done upstairs, he stroked his fingers over Evan's and concentrated on making them better. The jewel on his bracelet glowed and this time he felt something change, because he was paying attention.
"What the hell?" Evan asked, pulling Johnny's wrist closer to look at the bracelet.
"Feel better?" Johnny said with a small smile and pulled the bracelet off with the other hand and passed it to Evan to look at.
"Yes," Evan replied, turning the jewellery over in his hands, "how the hell did you do that. What is this?"
"An Elven bracelet," Johnny replied and waited for the penny to drop.
It took a couple of seconds for Evan to process that it seemed and then he looked up.
"A what?" was the obvious question.
"An Elven bracelet," Johnny said again, knowing it wouldn't make much difference, "I told you I've had a weird few days. Now you need food. I will tell you everything, but only if you eat."
Evan didn't appear to know what to do, but eventually he picked up the pizza and so Johnny began to talk. He explained about the mirror and where he had ended up and who he had met and what he had done. He even told Evan about how he had been able to bring Jonirai back from the curse.
"And so I really don't know how this works," he finally finished, "but it seems to be more to do with will than anything else."
Evan had finished his pizza some time before and was just sitting there; Johnny wasn't sure if Evan believed him or thought he was insane.
"So what you're saying," Evan said eventually, just about when Johnny thought Evan's brain might have turned off completely, "is that there is another world out there in some kind of parallel dimension where elves and magic are real and there are three princes who look just like us and are in a three way relationship to bring peace and prosperity to their home?"
Johnny was amazed that Evan had taken in all the details.
"Yeah," he said, slipping his bracelet back on.
"Did you come here because of them?" Evan asked and surprised Johnny again.
"No," Johnny said simply, "well not directly, they just made me realise what I was throwing away. The world we live in is so damn complicated sometimes we forget to look at what is right in front of us."
He gave Evan the time to think that over.
"You sound crazy," Evan said eventually, "you are aware of that?"
Johnny smiled at that.
"Hell yes," he replied, since it did sound particularly insane, "if I hadn't been there I wouldn't believe me, but I have been and I refuse to run away from this."
He had seen the Elves do all sorts of things, so he wondered if he could manage something more demonstrative than the healing. Holding out his hand he concentrated on the empty water bottle that was sitting on the table and after a few seconds the jewel on the bracelet glowed and the bottle slid to his hand. He couldn't help it and gave a small crow of delight. Evan appeared rather stunned.
"You cannot use that in competition," was what Evan eventually chose to say and Johnny nearly fell off his stool laughing.
====
The next morning Johnny pulled the two tickets out of his bag and walked over to where he had left Evan checking his email. So far Evan seemed to be on the same page he was, but now it was time to make the real decision.
"Evan," he said, looking at the tickets rather than the man he had been sleeping with all night, "if we're both going to the airport, now's the time."
He looked up to find Evan looking at him.
"Too late to turn back now," Evan said and lifted his laptop so Johnny could see the screen.
There, filling most of a web page was a picture of them from Evan's doorstep and they were in a lip lock.
"Son of a bitch," Johnny said, leaning forward; not quite how he had planned to come out. "Do you have paparazzi in your bushes?"
"Sometimes," Evan said with a shrug.
Evan seemed to be taking the whole thing very calmly, Johnny wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
"Look," he said, thinking on his feet while wondering why his phone wasn't ringing it's little heart out until he remembered he'd switched it off, "if you want this to go away I can take the whole blame. We can say I was drunk or high or something and you took me in and put me to bed for my own good."
He wanted this, he wanted it with every beat of his heart, but it wasn't fair to force Evan into it and it looked like he had just royally screwed up. Evan closed his laptop, stood up and then reached out and took his hand.
"Come on," Evan said, without the slightest hint of anxiety, "we have a plane to catch."
Johnny chose not to argue with miracles and let Evan lead him to the door, pick up their bags and walk to Evan's car. It was something of a circus, since the press seemed to have realised that they were both still in Evan's house, but they made it to the car and Evan only had to threaten to decapitate one reporter with a skate. Johnny had never said 'No comment' so many times in his life.
The moment he turned his phone on it started ringing and his mom managed to make it first.
"Hi, Mom," he said cheerfully from the passenger seat of Evan's huge car.
"Johnny, did you see the news?" his mom asked cautiously.
"Yeah, Mom," he replied, feeling amazingly relaxed considering, "I saw it."
"It that really you, sweetheart?" his mom asked, ever mindful of his feelings.
Really he could never have asked for a better mother than Patti.
"Yeah, Mom," he said, grinning to himself despite the mess this was going to cause, "it's me and yes, I was fully aware of what I was doing. Evan and I are going to Switzerland to visit Stéphane, we'll be back in a couple of days."
"You're going to Switzerland with Evan Lysacek?" even his mom sounded shocked and he really couldn't blame her.
It still made him laugh.
"Yes, Mom," he told her, "mad I know, but that seems to suit us. Just so you know I'm madly in love with him and have been since I was about sixteen."
"Well I know that, sweetheart," his mom told him and shocked him into silence, "I just didn't know you did. You're not heading for a fall are you?"
It took him a couple of moments to recover.
"No, Mom," he replied eventually, "everything's great, I promise."
"Well then," his mom said, seemingly satisfied, "my love to you both then, and give my love to Stéphane when you see him too."
"Okay, Mom," he said, feeling incredibly buoyant, "see you when we get back."
Evan glanced at him as soon as he turned off the phone.
"She sends her love," Johnny said and beamed at his lover, "and, can you believe it, she knew this whole time?"
"With your mom," Evan said, looking back at the road, "yeah, I can."
Johnny laughed, he felt incredibly and totally happy. When Tara called, however, the conversation was not so easy. He gave her the go ahead to spin it any way she wanted as long as she made it completely and abundantly clear that Johnny was madly in love, once he'd cleared it with Evan that was. Since she actually squealed a little at that he figured it was okay.
Once they made it to the airport Evan had a few of his own phone calls to make and Johnny heard Evan using some very stern words at one point, but they made it on to the flight without too much incident. What was hilarious was the very gay head flight attendant who hugged them both as soon as they stepped onto the plane and upgraded them to first class. It was almost like they were on honeymoon. The dear man treated them like royalty the whole trip across the Atlantic and Johnny even swapped email addresses with him.
They flew in to Geneva and Johnny had planned to take the train to Lausanne, but as they walked through customs he caught sight of Stéphane waiting for them.
"Stéphane," he said, giving his friend a hug after trotting over to him, "what are you doing here?"
"Twenty emails, ten text messages and three phone calls from at least twenty five different people," Stéphane said, looking strangely cheerful about the whole thing, "how could I not be here? I have the car outside, now let's see if we can avoid the press."
Somehow, Johnny wasn't sure how and wondered if maybe the Swiss press were neutral just like the rest of their country, they made it to the car without being accosted, and then Stéphane pushed them both in the back and climbed in the front.
"Get comfortable," Stéphane said with a smile in the rear view mirror, "blacked out windows."
Johnny grinned back and decided to sit in the middle, putting on his belt and then snuggling up to Evan. Evan had passed out on the plane, all his time going coast to coast while doing Dancing with the Stars seemingly giving him the ability to just turn his brain off in transit, but Johnny hadn't been able to sleep at all. They had flown out at 11am so it was 10pm US time, which made it the middle of the night European time and Johnny knew he was going to be dead the next day, but it wasn't as if they had to do anything.
"We were going to find a hotel," Evan said, clearly feeling awkward about the whole thing.
"Do not be silly, my friend," Stéphane said, smiling into the rear view again as he pulled out of the parking garage; "I would not hear of it. My spare room has not had such delightful company in some time."
Evan looked at Johnny who smiled back; it was obvious that Evan didn't quite know how to deal with suddenly being elevated to friend when he'd barely spoken to Stéphane in a very long time.
"Thank you, Stéphane," Johnny said, leaning his head on Evan's shoulder; "you are wonderful as always."
They drove in silence for a while until they were onto the bigger roads and Johnny let himself relax.
"If you do not mind me asking," Stéphane eventually said as they sped along Switzerland's perfect roads, "how long have you two been together? I have to admit I did not see it coming."
"Me either," Evan said and Johnny giggled.
He could see Stéphane's confused expression in the mirror.
"Since yesterday or since we first kissed, you pick," Johnny replied, smiling serenely.
Stéphane almost turned to look at them before he remembered he was driving, Johnny was almost sure.
"You are photographed kissing and then run away to Switzerland after only one day?" Stéphane asked, sounding incredulous.
"The picture was my fault," Johnny admitted sheepishly, "I got carried away."
"And not doing anything about it is mine," Evan added and smiled at him; "Johnny's very persuasive."
Stéphane still didn't look quite like he believed it.
"But we were coming to Switzerland anyway," Johnny said, snuggling closer to Evan; "we planned to come see you."
He could just see Stéphane's frown of confusion at that.
"I am honoured," Stéphane said and from Stéphane that was probably the plain truth, "but why?"
Johnny closed his eyes; the motion of the car was putting him to sleep.
"Tell you when you're not driving," he mumbled and finally let the stress of the day go; he felt safe now.
He dozed for most of the journey, listening to Evan's low tones speaking quietly to Stéphane without really hearing any of the words. It was soothing and he only really let himself come back to reality when the car came to a proper stop and Evan gently sat him up.
"No grabbing him and kissing him," Evan warned after Stéphane had climbed out of the car; "I'm not sure how he'll take it."
Johnny smiled; that hadn't been what he intended with Stéphane anyway.
"That was just for you," he replied and kissed Evan gently on the mouth; "we don't communicate so well in words."
Evan didn't argue with that one and just smiled.
"Come on," Evan said, going to open the door, "before Stéphane decides to be too nice and carry all our bags for us."
That was something Stéphane would try and do, so Johnny followed Evan out of the car quickly. He managed to repossess his heaviest bag, but Stéphane still ended up with two while he and Evan had one each. Maybe it was part of the genetic makeup of the Swiss to be so nice and plain helpful, or maybe it was just Stéphane.
In the end Stéphane put them in the spare room and made sure they had everything they needed and then they all went to bed to try and get a little sleep. Johnny hadn't really thought of Evan being a cuddler, but it seemed he was and Johnny rather liked the way he fitted under Evan's chin when they were spooned together. He let himself wonder how that would work with Stéphane in the mix, since he and Stéphane were the same height, but he drifted off sure they would work it out.
The next morning he left Evan to sleep and padded downstairs in his PJs. He found Stéphane in the kitchen making coffee, also still in his PJs, or at least a very old looking t-shirt and boxers, which Jonny assumed passed as PJs.
"Good morning," his friend greeted with a cheerful smile, "coffee?"
"You said the magic word," Johnny replied, perching himself on one of Stéphane's kitchen chairs.
He watched as Stéphane busied himself pulling out two mugs and pouring the almost black liquid into them. Stéphane moved like a top athlete still even though he was retired and Johnny wondered how long he would keep doing so if he did the same thing. Thanks to the kick start his body had received from his visit to the elven realm he had no intention of retiring soon, but it was still in the back of his mind.
"Thanks," he said when Stéphane handed him one of the mugs and he took a sip gratefully.
"I am thinking this may not be enough to keep me awake after last night," Stéphane said with a tired smile as they both enjoyed their coffee.
"Then you should go back to bed," Johnny replied, warming his hands; "I promise not to tidy your house while you are asleep."
Stéphane laughed at that, as joyful as all of Stéphane's genuine laughs. There was just something about the way he laughed that enchanted Johnny, because it was so real and, like everything else, Stéphane threw himself into it with his whole heart.
"I would not mind if you felt the need," Stéphane replied with a grin, "as long as you told me where you had put everything."
"But that takes all the fun out of it," Johnny whined and pouted.
He watched Stéphane's eyes flutter over his mouth and his friend was still smiling, but the other man looked away, a momentary cloud in his eyes.
"Do you ever think there is something missing?" Johnny asked, seizing the moment.
Stéphane looked up at him again, frowning a little.
"I do not understand," his friend said and Johnny realised that Stéphane probably thought the language was failing him.
"In your life," Johnny made himself clear; "do you ever look at it and think it's not complete?"
The light of understanding sparked in Stéphane's gaze and he smiled sadly.
"Oh," Stéphane replied, looking down into his coffee, "now I see. Yes, my friend, I do, but I think we all do, well, except possibly you now. Am I right?"
Their eyes met again and Stéphane looked genuinely happy for him.
"Almost," Johnny replied, letting his love shine in his expression.
Stéphane frowned a little.
"You have Evan," Stéphane pointed out in his beautifully accented voice, "what could be missing?"
Johnny smiled and that clearly wasn't what Stéphane expected in answer to that question; he really was the sweetest man alive.
"Did it ever occur to you to wonder why we chose here?" Johnny asked, wanting to draw it out just a little. "We could have disappeared for a while much more easily in Moscow."
That caused Stéphane's frown to deepen just a little.
"You are confusing me," Stéphane replied after a few moments. "You have been in love with Evan for a long time, many of us who know you well have seen it; what are you trying to say?"
"There were three of us that year," Johnny said, smiling at the memory; "three of us who were young and curious. I fell in love with both of you then and I know Evan fell in love with both of us. What about you, Stéphane? Did you fall in love too?"
Johnny made a grab for Stéphane's mug as it almost fell from his fingers and placed it carefully on the table as Stéphane just stared at him.
"That was so long ago," Stéphane whispered, the words barely above a murmur.
"And yet it feels like yesterday," Johnny replied, understanding the shock that had to be running through Stéphane and knowing not to push. "I never realised until two nights ago that that short, sweet few days defined me. When I did I went to see Evan."
Stéphane's face was clouded.
"But you are not kissing me in doorways," Stéphane said.
"No," Johnny told his friend and reached out to gently touch Stéphane's hand, "but I have noticed over the years that words work better with you. It takes something demonstrative to get through to Evan sometimes."
There was a flicker of a smile from Stéphane at that, until he seemed to remember what they were talking about.
"We came here for you," Johnny said simply, moving his fingers ever so gently; "if you want us."
He did not resist when Stéphane pulled his hand away, he just sat there and waited.
"Three is not two, Johnny," Stéphane said, worry forming his features into harsh lines; "three does not work like two and the world does not accept three."
"It shouldn't have worked before," Johnny replied, maintaining eye contact with his friend to show his sincerity; "but it did. It was not time at all, Stéphane, but we all know what it could have been, we all felt it and we all ran away from it."
"We were children," Stéphane pointed out.
"And now we're not," Johnny responded instantly, "but we still feel it. Admit it, Stéphane, it's still there. Even Evan, strong, think everything through first, Evan, assimilated me and you in the same thought. While Evan still needs his sponsors we'll have to be careful, we'll have to play the game, but in a few years we'll all be retired and then I don't give a rat's ass what the world thinks."
He was adamant; the world could think what it liked.
"Evan still has sponsors after the news of you and he?" Stéphane asked, clearly focusing on the easy bit of the conversation.
"Tara and Evan's people are already playing it up to be the biggest romance of the decade," Johnny said with a small smile; "it's going to be more publicity than any sponsor could ever want. If they do drop him they'll be in for a world of bad press and someone else is bound to fill the gap."
He hadn't meant it to get out so publicly so quickly, but now that it was there were reasons they had agents.
"You have thought it all through very carefully," Stéphane observed.
"No," Johnny admitted sheepishly, "I just jumped in with both feet as per normal, Evan and all the people we employ for things like this have thought it through carefully. I was lonely, Stéphane, and I didn't realise how lonely until some things happened to me that made me look at everything differently. Are you lonely too?"
For a while Stéphane just looked at him, different emotions passing through his eyes with every second and then Stéphane sighed.
"Yes," Stéphane said quietly, "I am lonely, mon amour."
That was when Johnny reached out his hand again and slipped his fingers into Stéphane's.
"Come on," he said gently, and stood up.
All it took was the lightest tug and Stéphane stood up as well and then Johnny calmly led them up the stairs and into the spare room. Evan was still fast asleep, sprawled over most of the bed, almost as if he had gone looking for Johnny in his sleep. Smiling fondly, Johnny left Stéphane standing at the end of the bed and walked round the side, leaning over and pushing some of Evan's hair out of his face.
"Evan," he said, kissing his lover on the cheek, "you need to move over, Baby; there's not enough room for three with you sprawled like that."
Evan had stirred the moment he had kissed him and sleepy eyes opened to look up at him, followed by a sleepy smile. Then Evan looked over at Stéphane the smile only broadened and Evan shifted back towards the other side of the bed. Johnny held out his hand to Stéphane and pulled the duvet back as Stéphane walked towards him. It wasn't difficult to coax Stéphane into the space Evan had just vacated and then Johnny climbed in as well. Three was definitely more difficult than two, but after a few moments they had themselves arranged comfortably.
"Sex later," Evan said sleepily, seemingly very happy to snuggle up to Stéphane as he laced his fingers through Johnny's and it made Johnny smile.
"Yeah," Johnny said, feeling the last of the tension inside that he had been holding for years finally begin to ease, "sex later."
There was nothing like actually sleeping with someone to dissolve any remaining issues into insignificance and Johnny was very willing to slip back into dreamland.
"Did he tell you about the elves?" Evan said in little more than a mumble just as Johnny was beginning to drift off.
"Quoi?" was Stéphane's response.
"Later," Johnny said before they could all wake up again; "sleep now."
He wasn't sure whether it was his persuasiveness or the fact that they were all wrecked that let him get away with that, but there was no dissent from the ranks and he drifted to sleep with a smile on his face.
====
Johnny woke up to the feeling of a hand sliding into his pyjama pants and neatly wrapping around his cock. He opened his eyes and moaned.
"Sex now?" Stéphane asked from where his friend was leaning over him and smiling at him.
"Oh god yes," Johnny replied; he was not about to argue.
Sex with three was more difficult than with two; there were more semantics to worry about, but it didn't get in their way at all. They started off with a lot of mutual touching because, as it turned out, Evan was very much awake as well and somehow Stéphane and Evan had gotten it into their heads to gang up on him, so of course he had to give as good as he got.
It seemed that because it was all his fault, Johnny didn't get much say in what they were doing, but he didn't argue when it meant he ended up with Stéphane buried balls deep in his ass and Evan sucking him off at the same time. He didn't last long, but it was one of the most mind blowing orgasms of his entire life. Watching Stéphane and Evan go at it while he recovered was also something he found he enjoyed immensely.
They all had very well developed egos, but, almost surprisingly, they didn't get in the way, not in this. Johnny was sure it would not all be plain sailing; nothing in life ever was, but he just let himself enjoy the sex, the togetherness and the love that permeated his whole body. It was only when they were lying in a comfortable heap enjoying afterglow number something, Johnny had lost count, that he remembered there was something else he wanted to do as well.
When he turned over and began running his hand over Stéphane's left thigh his new lover squirmed, but he tightened his grip and refused to let go when Stéphane tried to pull away.
"Just relax," he said and began to carefully massage.
He knew the left leg was where all of Stéphane's problems originated, that it was the reason for his lover's retirement and he knew he could help.
"He's good at this," Evan said, from where he was half cuddling Stéphane and Stéphane finally gave in.
Johnny just let himself fall into the hypnotic dance of his fingers on skin when he felt the magic start. He wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be able to do this, since the elves had had healers who specialised in it, but he wasn't arguing that it definitely seemed to work. By the time he caught up with himself again, he had been down one leg and up the other and Stéphane was all but asleep in Evan's arms; it was a beautiful sight. He lay down beside them and sighed contentedly, simply waiting.
It took about ten minutes and then Stéphane opened his eyes, frowning a little.
"I'm hungry," Stéphane said simply, "is anyone else hungry?"
And Johnny laughed as Evan chuckled, which gained them both a suspicious frown from Stéphane.
"You were waiting for that," Stéphane deduced and sat up.
"Oh yes," Johnny replied, sitting up and kissing Stéphane on the cheek before climbing out of bed and trying to decide if he should pull back on his long since discarded PJs or grab a shower and clean up properly before food.
"Food first, shower later," Evan said, climbing out of bed as well and pulling on a pair of shorts.
Clearly Evan could now read his mind, which was slightly worrying, but he shrugged and, for once, did as he was told. It was when Stéphane went to climb out of bed that things got interesting; the expression on Stéphane's face was a picture when he stood up. Every skater over the age of twenty three had some injury or other they automatically compensated for, it was the nature of the sport, and Johnny watched with glee as Stéphane slowly woke up to the fact that the familiar ache was gone. Johnny couldn't take his eyes off his lover as Stéphane carefully moved his left leg, testing out very carefully certain movements.
"What did you do?" Stéphane eventually demanded, looking straight at him. "It doesn't hurt at all."
Johnny just waved his fingers at his lover.
"Johnny," Stéphane asked, clearly still not quiet believing what he was feeling, "do you have magic hands?"
That made Evan snort with laughter and Johnny grinned.
"Yeah, he does," Evan said, handing Stéphane his t-shirt from the floor, "quite literally."
Stéphane quite obviously didn't know how to take that statement.
"I'll explain over brunch," Johnny said and that seemed to appease Stéphane for a little while.
They headed downstairs, Stéphane cooked and Johnny talked. He told Stéphane everything, just like he had Evan and then he used his little sliding object trick to prove he wasn't crazy. Evan finished cooking after that, because Stéphane all but dropped the knife he had been using. Stéphane did not stop asking questions all the way through brunch or when they moved to the living room with coffee, Johnny found it endearing, mostly. It appeared that Stéphane wanted to know everything, every little detail, so Johnny let him have his way. It was only when Evan finally decided to turn his phone back on that any of them remembered there was a world outside the house.
They spent the next two days in bed, discussing how they were going to deal with their situation, fielding international phone calls and organising interviews. Evan and Johnny even did one long distance interview which Johnny had soundly rounded off with: "Because I'm fucking in love with him and have been for years and I finally grew a pair and did something about it."
The interviewer had asked why he'd done it one too many times and he was pretty sure they'd edit out the swearing as he stormed off and let Evan pick up the pieces.
They had decided that for the outside world he and Evan would be the couple and Stéphane would be the perky, supportive friend until such time as the truth would only be a scandal, not a career ending disaster. Their families and close friends were going to get the truth gradually; Evan didn't want to give his parents two heart attacks in quick succession.
That, however, didn't mean Johnny wanted their get away with Stéphane to end. The logistics of the relationship were going to be hell, but none of them had any doubt it would work; it had to, there was no other choice. Johnny had chosen his outfit for returning to the US carefully, because there was likely to be press all over them and he looked at himself in Stéphane's landing mirror and did not want to leave. The mirror reminded him of the one in his bedroom at home; it was carved and pretty and full length and he reached out to brush his fingers over it, wishing that it was as useful as the one he had.
He felt the rush of magic up his arm almost instantly and then he was looking at his bedroom. His heart almost stopped. Jonirai had told him that magic mirrors were rare and wonderful things and he had to keep his very safe, but he had had no idea they were this wonderful. Without really thinking through the whole thing, he stepped through the mirror and, unlike the two times he had moved between his room and Jonirai's there was no blackness, just a little feeling of change as he entered his apartment. Looking back at the mirror he could still see Stéphane's landing and he quickly stepped back through.
This was immense, this was huge, this removed so many of their problems and he was so excited that he couldn't speak. His brain was moving so fast words just wouldn't form and he ran for the bedroom where he knew Stéphane was helping Evan pack.
"Johnny, are you okay?" Stéphane asked when he burst in and grabbed him.
"Fine," Johnny just about managed to say and then grabbed Evan as well, dragging them both out onto the landing.
The mirror was once again just a mirror, but Johnny held out his hand and, well, wished and his bedroom appeared again.
"No need for planes," he said, completely delighted, shoving Stéphane through to make his point and then following.
He was so incredibly happy and he dragged Stéphane back through to the still startled looking Evan.
"That's amazing," Stéphane said as Johnny bounced up and down on the spot.
"How did you do it?" Evan asked.
"It's the mirror and the bracelet," Johnny replied, on such a high he wasn't sure when he would come down; "it just happened. I never knew it could do that and ..." he paused, "um, I don't feel good."
The image of his room wavered in the mirror and his head began to swim and then he fainted.
When he came to again he was being carried in familiar arms.
"Evan," he said, a little confused for a moment.
"Johnny, you are back with us," it was Stéphane who spoke, seemingly appearing from nowhere to stand in front of Evan, checking him over carefully, "how are you feeling?"
Johnny head chose that moment to send shooting pains behind his eyes.
"My head hurts," he said in a pitifully small voice, however he knew the feeling, knew it all too well. "I think I need food."
This was the kind of headache he got when he didn't eat enough or the right things and events began to add up in his head.
"The mirror," he said, before either of his lovers could worry themselves even more; "it must take way more magic; it kind of felt like a rush. I don't think doing it twice was a good idea."
"Are you sure that's all it is?" Stéphane asked as Johnny urged Evan to put his down and help him stand up.
"Yes, yes," Johnny replied, wincing at the way his head hated him, "I need food and I'll be fine; this is a pain I know."
When he opened his eyes after the latest stabbing pain and looked at both Evan and Stéphane he was not sure that was something he should have admitted.
"We are having words about your idea of nutrition," Evan said simply and very firmly, "right after you don't look like you're going to fall down anymore."
"Okay," Johnny said meekly under the full scrutiny of his chosen life partners.
Johnny ate; Stéphane drove them to the airport; he and Evan said tearful goodbyes to Stéphane as if they weren't going to see him again for a long while; they flew home; they did interviews; they talked to their families; they bought Evan a full length free standing mirror for his bedroom and then they flew to Johnny's for the weekend. Stéphane joined them Saturday morning and they didn't appear outside the apartment until Sunday evening after Stéphane went home. Johnny didn't like letting Stéphane go home, even if he was only a mirror away, and he didn't like the fact they couldn't leave the apartment, because Stéphane was supposed to be thousands of miles away.
"You know," he said as he and Evan walked through the park arm in arm, ignoring the photographer who thought it would be a good idea to follow them, "Stéphane would make a great choreographer now he's retired, don't you think?"
Evan smiled at that.
"Yes, Love," Evan said and leant over to kiss him, "I think he would."
It was a media circus and so many things needed sorting out, but for the first time in his life, including when he had been at the top of his career and winning all the time, Johnny was completely and totally happy. They had to get back on the merry-go-round with all the training and sacrifices that entailed, but now it was their merry-go-round and that was all that mattered.
The End