"So, we got to see quite the marriage proposal. What defines you two as a couple in one word?"

Jasmin ran a hand up Jacob's chest and settled into the crook of his neck. "Love."

"I'm still getting used to all of this undying affection, darling. I love it." Jacob shut his eyes to soak it up and pulled her closer. "I'd say... Healing. Getting better, changing the problems we used to have into... this." He rested his head on hers and tried with all his might not to cry. "I didn't even know she wanted to get married until two weeks ago."

Jester placed a hand over his heart. "Beautiful! Splendiferous! How did you two meet?"

*

Jacob was pretty sure he was not supposed to be at Nova Academy. Everyone seemed put together, have their own cliques and friends... He's shook the thought from his head and tried not to look like a teenager.

"Your backpacks unzipped, your shoes are untied, and you look terrified."

He swiveled his head to the right and stopped mid step. Curves as far as the eye could see, dark eyes filled with sarcasm and sass, and the tiniest hint of a smile. "At least I've got my charm and wit about me," He joked nervously. "Has anyone ever told you you're gorgeous?"

Her smile grew a bit more before she dropped it altogether and turned around to face her locker. "No. You should get to class before we eat you alive. Nova students are pretty terrible to newbies."

Jacob blanched and looked around. "Really?"

"Nope. Hand me your schedule, Bubbles."

*

"She has since begun to use my actual name when addressing me," Jacob pridefully explained. "We've been really serious about therapy too."

Jester tipped his head. Therapy? Most couples he interviewed felt therapy was a cop out. It wasn't for him, but he admired the work they had put in for love. "Any advice?"

Jasmin sat up and looked at him head on. "If you think it's worth it: never, ever give up."

*

"The Triple Threat themselves! You know, you're the first polyamorous relationship we've interviewed."

Anna linked their hands together and smiled the biggest smile he'd ever seen, her earrings bouncing with her apparently hard to contain excitement. "We're honored! We've been together for three years!"

"Two years and three quarters, Anna," Adam corrected. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Hazel chuckled. "Come on, it's basically three years."

They fake glared at each other until Hazel relented. Tickled, Adam kissed him just to fluster him further.

"Wait, hold on, girl!" Jester uncrossed his legs just to cross them the opposite way and lean. "You guys are all together. Men included."

Hazel chuffed and tipped his head to the side. He was getting really sick of people asking that question, especially since he'd started out as straight as a ruler and was very clearly not that anymore. "I didn't know I was bisexual until I met Steven and Adam. And then with Jacob and Alex? There's just no way to be straight."

"You tried to take my girl." Adam wrapped a protective arm around Anna as Hazels jaw dropped.

"My guy, I spotted her first." He grabbed her hand and kissed it as Anna turned to Jester.

"I'm basically a toy two toddlers fight over until someone comes and makes them hug it out," She explained, ignoring the sounds of indignant denial her boyfriends were exclaiming loudly. "I'm a lucky girl."

Jester felt an ache in his heart. They were perfect together. "Forgive me for asking and tell me to shut up if it's not appropriate to ask, but how are your parents about all of this?"

Adam almost snapped at Jester, but Anna wiggled happily. "I am now an official part of both families! I uhm, I don't have parents. Not really." The swinging of her legs lessened a little bit.

He put a hand on his heart. "I'm so sorry. My parents are terrible too."

*

Anna had spent all week by the door like a puppy awaiting its Masters return, but she was doing something quite the opposite of normal puppy behavior.

She was waiting for the mail to come.

Every morning she'd leap down far too many stairs and nearly give her boyfriends joint heart-a-strokes and then skip merrily to the commons. They had food in their own house, but Anna was on a mission.

Those with parents welcome were sent tickets to the tour stop nearest to them for an album that was a little less deplorable than their normal ones.

Hazels parent had called immediately and confirmed the proper way.

"I'd love to come, baby! Tell your friends Mama says hi!"

He rolled his eyes. "Please don't embarrass me if I put you on speaker."

She promised profusely and as soon as he confirmed everyone was there, she did it anyways. "I'm so glad Hazel has yall to love on. You know, he was such a loving toddler we used to call him Love Bug! He used to come up to me in the kitchen and pull on my pants until I'd give him a kiss."

Hazel had never been more grateful for dark skin in his life as every ounce of blood he owned rushed to his face and his friends giggled and asked for more stories.

Steven in particular was a-cruisin' for a bruisin'. "Ms. Tabb–,"

"Steven! Is that you? You'd better call me Mama, I'm ain't playing, boy!"

He choked on a laugh and looked Hazel dead in the eyes as innocent as can be. "Sorry, Mama. If you can send us some pictures of when Love Bug was like that, we'd be so happy to see it! I'm sure you have hundreds of them."

Damn his charismatic attitude and charming way with words. His mom lit up and started gushing as their phones blew up with pictures she was saving for the occasion like all mothers did to humiliate their children.

"Alright, Mama! We're gonna go can't wait to see you byeeee!" He turned off the phone and sighed. His mother could be a little overbearing with her excitement in his personal life, but he loved her to death.

His partners squealed and aw'ed at every damn picture they saw, showing each other and running up to show Hazel like he hadn't sat through six thousand memory lane sessions before.

The rest of their available parents (and guardians) acted similarly save for the obnoxiousness in his opinion, but his eyes were glued to the melancholy smile Anna was wearing.

She hadn't spoken to her parents in almost seven years now, but she'd sent them tickets anyways in hopes they'd come and they could reconcile their differences. Days and days passed but her optimism never wavered. Their happy, sunshine-y girl was ever buzzing with energy, even when the rest started to get nervous.

Connie walked in with the mail discreetly tucked under the hem of her pants and under her shirt, motioning for them to come and see while Anna thankfully was taking a shower. "I can't break her heart," She murmured sadly, nearly in tears. "I just can't do it."

Adam frowned and gestured for her to pass it to him. The one on top made him nauseous with anger. "They... returned it."

They sat in silence for a long time before Hazel grabbed it and reopened the package. It was the two tickets, and everything was the exact same. It hadn't even been opened, and it was definitely their envelope with their band logo stamped on it. "How could such evil people birth such a perfect little princess?"

There was probably no way to tell her that wouldn't break her heart, so Hazel picked her up as soon as she entered and they piled on the couch to hold her close. She was elated but confused at the gentle touches and kisses and validation.

"What did I do?" She asked, looking at all of them and finding most couldn't meet her eye.

Even Alex glanced away guiltily. "I'm sorry, Anna. I really am."

With great hesitation, Hazel passed it over and they snuggled tighter. "They sent it back. You know we love you, right?"

She stared down at it in bewilderment and brought it closer. "It smells like home."

Her tone was flat as she ran her finger over it, nearly expressionless save for the slightly quivering lip. She was fighting it, even as her eyes glassed over a bit. Anna seemed to reach a conclusion in her mind, pulled out the tickets and ripped them in half.

Alex started to groan in dismay at the two tickets worth $650 each being murdered before his very eyes, but Jasmin pinched him and for once he knew when to shut the fuck up. He caught himself by clearing his throat awkwardly in the silence, which just made it all the more heavy and uncomfortable.

Adam brushed a hand over her hair. "Sweetheart, if you need to cry, we're here."

She shook her head profusely, too much even, and laid back. "I'm not surprised or upset. They've been ignoring me for forever, I don't know what you guys expected to happen."

Anna never spoke of her parents, not ever. Not during story time or when wasted or stoned, her lips were sealed tighter than a casket.

The slight stutter in her voice was clearly her holding everything back as she laughed and covered her cheeks. "Oh gosh, St-Steven! You guys! You let me rip up the tickets and didn't say anything! We could've given them to someone else!" Too cheerful, she was being far too cheerful.

Alex once again opened his mouth to tell her he was going to say something before Jasmin assaulted him, but he couldn't even get the words in with Anna rambling.

"I always knew they weren't coming, it's not like they ever loved me after I transitioned anyways. When I told my mom I was a girl, she looked me in the eyes and told me she could only love the son she birthed. I told her I wasn't her son anymore and that was it! They just booted me on the streets." She giggled at humor no one could find and tried to ignore the sad and furious on her behalf faces they were giving her.

Steven shifted a little closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "Anna–,"

"Steven, I'm not going to cry," She assured him. "I've been through so much worse, and this is nothing compared to anything. The world keeps spinning, time goes on, and life does too. That's just the great part of it all: the way that no matter how much you hope it won't, it just keeps going and going and going same as before. Nothing changes that needs it the most–," She stopped her rant and backtracked. "But that's nice isn't it? To always have a routine and expect the same thing no matter what?"

Connie pulled her into a crushing hug. "Anna, stop it."

Apparently it was that simple. Anna broke down immediately and hugged her back, sobbing into her shoulder so hard most of them came out silent. It took awhile of consoling and loving on her until she ran out of tears and just sniffled every once in awhile.

Connie gave her a loving kiss and pulled back to look at her. "If it makes you feel any better, my parents can't come either. They're dead."

Anna choked on a laugh and shook her head. "That's terrible! Why would you say that?"

Jacob pumped a fist into the air. "Dead Parents Squad!"

Steven whooped and patted his belly. "Fuck yeah!"

They dissolved into giggles and spent as much of the rest of the day they could loving on Anna and then the next ones after.

The concert went swimmingly, and Anna was the most excited throughout, practically bouncing off the walls the entire night.

At the end, she was met with a very unexpected surprise. Three people that looked familiar but not approached her and her boyfriends with huge grins on their faces and pulled them all into a group hug all while introducing themselves and gushing about how beautiful she was and how amazing the concert was and introducing themselves to each other too. It was chaos, you'd never expect Adams parents of all people to be as cheerful and bubbly as she was, squealing and doting on their son like he was a baby.

Adam sighed and one arm hugged his dad, who forced a bigger one. "Don't tell me you're too famous to give your old man a hug now, son."

Hazels mother pulled her into a hug and snuffled. It was the best hug she had ever had in her life, and she melted into the motherly touch hoping she wasn't as stinky and gross as she felt. She pulled away suddenly and smiled so big it stopped Anna's heart. "I'm so glad to have a daughter again."

Hazel turned away to burst into tears and his mom pulled him in while motioning for Adam too. "You boys take care of this girl, you hear me? You ain't never had a beating like a black momma gives to protect her daughters and you don't wanna experience it."

They gulped and nodded their agreement. "Yes, Ma'am."

*

It was exceedingly obvious to Jester why Steven and Connie were together, and why they were a power couple. Steven kissed Connie what felt like every two seconds wherever he could reach inbetween answering questions and Connie playfully swatted him away until she found herself doing it too. They were playing a game now, seeing how long they could resist and then not playing by any rules he could follow.

"Alright you two, you're the last ones and then you can go home with all the straight shit," Jester laughed with a wag of his pen.

They giggled too and Connie shot Steven a mock glare. "You got me in trouble."

"You got yourself in trouble," He murmured, pulling her to sit on his lap. She almost protested before she settled, but then her mouth was shut abruptly. "I also happen to be mostly gay, according to everyone around me. Anyways, we met on a beach in Beach City, most know it as Dewey Beach."

Connie snorted and stage whispered to Jester, "He was trying to ride his bike in the sand to impress me. It didn't work."

"Saving your life worked," He protested. "With my magical powers and boyish charms."

"So then what's your dynamic? Don't tell me it's Damsel In Distress and King."

Connie stuck out her arm and narrowed her eyes. Steven went aglow and a sword appeared in front of her, pink and shimmering with hard light as Jester took off his sunglasses to gawk at it. "Badass Bisexual Knight and Puppy Boy Liege would be our official dynamic name."

With another flick of her wrist it was gone, the image still slightly burned into his retinas from the light it radiated. "What kind of puppy? A golden retriever from all that affection I'm guessing," Jester mused.

Steven grew a salacious smile. "Yeah, Connie. What kind of puppy?" In a not so subtle move his fingers pressed into her sides as if he were thinking the most depraved things known to mankind.

"Yes to the golden retriever. But people think golden retrievers are always docile and silly." Her cheeks grew a bit red as she shook her head, eyes practically shining with memories he assumed were a good time. "That is not the case."

Jester had to ask, he was too curious. "Do you guys believe in soulmates?"

They both shrugged and Steven removed his hands to focus. If he didn't get his hands off of her he was going to end up in a very precarious situation very soon. "There was no such thing as soulmates before we met."

Connie's nose wrinkled. "You're so shmaltzy. It's making me sick."

"I've got the remedy." He put a shimmering kiss on her cheek. "I believe with all my heart Connie and I are supposed to be together. She's my sword and I'm her shield." He summoned it to show the literality.

"Who's a show off now?" Connie pressed her hand against it and hummed. "It's buzzing. Bigger than usual too."

It disappeared with a sigh. "I have a lot of energy."

"We can go burn some off then at The Ruins if you need to, Steven," She offered with kind understanding. "You can't just let it build up like this, you have to talk to me."

He nodded and kissed the hand pressed against his cheek. "I love you." His voice was heavy with it, he couldn't help it even in front of cameras.

"Last question," Jester promised. "What moment in time is your favorite memory together?"

Connie tugged on strands of her hair as she thought about it. "Probably that weird little incident a couple of years ago when Steven got really drunk."

Steven sighed. "How could I forget? You never let me forget." He did chuckle a little though, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. "You tell it, I'm busy."

*

Steven was so wasted all he could do was slump against the couch, half asleep and half wonderfully miserable as the alcohol started fighting back. "C-Connie."

She was a little drunk too, but not nearly as much. Her hand ran through his hair and he moaned so wantonly it caught more than a few of their friends' attention. "What's the matter, Biscuit?"

"I have a confession."

Connie raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Okay..."

He looked right into her soul. "I love you."

She smiled in relief and pure joy as she nuzzled him sweetly. "I love you too, Steven."

He groaned and shook his head in irritation. "N-no! Like, in love with you."

Bewildered and amused, she asked him to elaborate. The longer he talked the more she realized he was so drunk he'd forgotten one of the most important details of his life. "Steven, look at your left hand."

He looked at his right first, scrunching up his face as his friends laughed before he noticed the ring on his left. "Whoa. It– it's so pretty."

She giggled and held up her own for him to inspect. "See the stone? It's shaped like a diamond, and pink. It matches the stones in yours, too." He blinked up at her and she knew with how slowly he processed things sometimes sober that it would take him six days to make the connection. "Steven, we're married. I should hope my husband would be in love with me, his wife, of whom he's been married to for four months."

Steven slumped into her arms heavily, breathing shuttering as he choked up. "I'm such a lucky man. I'm your husband! This is so cool!"

*

Jester raised an amused eyebrow of his own. "He called your marriage 'cool'?" He said in disbelief. "He did all that, and then he said it was cool?"

Connie shook her head in agreement. "I know right? It's like men don't have vocabulary skills at all."

"Preach sister." They shared a high five and Steven grumbled in embarrassment. "What's that, Steven? The cameras didn't pick you up."

He cleared his throat and lifted to be heard clearly. "I said I'm going to make her forget that memory as soon as we're done here." His smile was bright and childishly perky, not at all the right tone for the words.

"Well, I guess that means we're done here," Jester replied with a laugh. "You guys have all been great."

Moriah ran on and whispered to him for a moment. Jesters face dropped and lifted again into a smile. "Okay, real talk: I lied. There's one more thing to do."

*

Jester was impressed with the polycules ability to fit on one couch and make it work. Laps, the back of the chair, shoulders, everything was utilized so they fit nicely, albeit messily. "So, we all got to see why you're with your mains. And I know it's time for home. But I simply cannot let you leave without asking, how did all this happen?"

They looked confused, as if this were something everyone did with their friends.

"How'd you start your polycule?"

Understanding passed through them, and then a round of giggles and accusations of them being surrounded with himbos ruining their cognitive abilities.

"I dunno," Adam fiddled with a chain and glanced at the others. "It just happened. It was easy to love Steven, and then easier to love the people around him."

Alex snorted. "I wouldn't say I love you guys."

Jester knew the type, but he played the game anyways. "Oh? Care to explain?"

Hazel leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek before he started talking, and stopped it right in his throat. He tried again and this time Jacob kissed him. Adam came for him right after, and Steven gave him a healing kiss on the juncture of his shoulder that made his arm tingle. "Jesus, don't you people know how to keep your hands to yourself?"

He was blushing hard, pouting, and clearly quite pleased with himself. Jester couldn't help but notice Alex was wearing only the best, and more than that, the not-very-subtle day collar around his neck. He would've linked it directly to Jacob if a row of green, pink, purple and yellow stones didn't race over the shining black metal.

Connie laughed at Alex, and Jasmin smirked condescendingly. "Well, I guess being bisexual makes it easier to be polyamorous. Having our mains, and then our partners means everyone's fulfilled at all times. We keep schedules and rules and honesty at the top of our priorities. It's been years, now. I also knew my Steven was polyamorous probably before he did."

Anna nodded heartily at that. "He loves everyone even if they suck. It's crazy."

"But I love you guys most of all." Steven grinned as they either swooned or gagged at his constant state of poetic speaking. "Love shouldn't be hard. If it is..." His face turned downcast and Connie squeezed his hand. He lit back up again immediately. "Then you're not looking in the right place. Loving them came naturally."

Jester fanned at his eyes dramatically and sighed. "If I wasn't so aromantic, I'd be looking for the same thing."

Alex shrugged. "I was aromantic too. Now I don't know what the fuck is going on at any given moment. These people are neanderthals but... I guess they're my neanderthals."

"Doll, right in the heart." Hazel kissed him full on.

"Anyways, I have the sudden urge to go home immediately before I go to jail," Jacob said as he tapped Jasmin's hip three times and stood with her. "I'm not driving."

He tossed the keys to Steven, who tossed them to Hazel, who scoffed when Anna tried to take them. "Nuh uh, little girl. You don't have your license."

She pouted and handed them to Adam. "Fuck you guys, I'm not driving either. I'm also trying to get home."

Alex snatched the keys. "No fucking around in the backseats."

"I got you that Nikon Z 8 Camera, love." Jacob smiled when Alex nearly fell off the back of the couch. "You'll drive us then and be happy about it, yeah?"

"So you're the spoiled brat?" Jester inquired, taking him in again. Oh definitely.

Steven tipped his head back to gaze at Alex. "I can't help myself."

"The bass needs to go, Steven." Alex playfully pushed him off and slid off. "Come on, then."

They all bustled out the door in excitement, planning their next meal while Adam and Connie fought over who would cook.

Jester smiled a bit wistfully and motioned for the cameras to pack it up. "What a fun little group."

Steven poked his head back in the door and gave Jester the sweetest grin. "We'll see you soon, Jester! Thank you!"

"Ugh. So sweet. Moriah, buy me every album they have on record!"

"Of course."