Xaviers!

"I can talk to her, but honestly, we've got two rooms more or less at our disposal, provided Gemma's agreeable, why not rearrange things?"

"It does seem more fair to Viv, aye." She nods.

"I guess this is... well it's feeling more real all the time, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, living together and everything. I'm not complaining or anything, but we got close pretty bloody quickly, aye?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no!" She quickly covers.

"Just kind of been going over it in my head since we talked about how some of us might... ah... live a long while?"

"What, you didn't go through standard courting procedures? My mamaw was right; college does signify the breakdown of society. "

"Then maybe society could use a little breakdown," Tereza quips, "Might be fewer people with sticks up their asses. Is that what's bugging you about this idea, Sam?"

"I guess it just feels like we're... well it's more than just dating."

"And we've talked about that, aye? I'm not saying it sounds bad or wrong, just... it's kind of sinking in."

"This is your 'thing that's scary' then, isn't it?"

"Well wasn't it kind of sticking with you too?"

"I mean maybe I'm freaking out about our mortality or lack thereof, but it's all kind of in a jumble."

Tereza runs her hands through her hair, "I don't know. It's not quite... that's not how I would put my... issues. Hell, if I thought we could afford it and I didn't have to replace a guitar and find a car, I'd suggest we rent a flat off-campus. Moving in together isn't scary to me."

"Well I've been living with you all semester, aye? So that's not it."

"I hate to butt in...

...But you're 18. Ish. Yeah, maybe one day you'll be 18 bajillion or something but...take some advice from your elders here, and just enjoy being 18 and together. Maybe you'll be together forever, maybe you'll snipe at each other in six months. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? But you're together now, so just...enjoy it."

"There are options. It is a good idea for Tereza to stay close to me, at least for a few months. Maybe only overnights. Perhaps we revisit the..."polyamory" concept again after."

She looked at her basket and frowned.

"So sad when there are no more chips but you have dip left."

Without even seeming to think about it, Tereza pushed her chips towards Vivienne, "I don't know that anyone's advocating putting things in the cooler here."

"Viv, I love you both to a pretty shocking extent. I think that's why this has been rolling around in my head, aye?"

"Of course, we're... in each other's heads a bit, too."

"This is something for the three of you to talk about...so, if you'd excuse me," Will said, shrinking down to try to slip out of the booth.

Tereza's eyes snap to Will with some amount of concern. "No, it's okay. This doesn't have to be settled tonight."

"Yeah, but I mean, if I'm going to be the fourth wheel, I'd prefer to be strapped to the car," Will joked. "This is important stuff."

"I'm not meaning to be a wet blanket here."

Will shook his head. "Of course not. You guys should be getting drunk and having sloppy makeout sessions; that's what college is for."

Will scrunched up his face again.

"I'll have you know that our makeout sessions are immaculate," she smirks.

"Prove it," Will said, as his filter between brain and mouth continued to malfunction.

"Okay," Tereza says, half-standing and leaning across the table towards Sam.

"What, right here?"

"I mean, if it's immaculate, then there shouldn't be any problems, right?" Will teased. "Table in perfect order for enchiladas or whatever."

"I would have gone with Viv, but as she's currently consuming large amounts of dip and chips, that would hardly prove the point," Tereza says even as she sits back down.

"I'll go and grab her some more while the Morrigan attempts to dethaw her feet," Will said, using the excuse to slip away for the moment.

Tereza watches him go, "You should probably eat some proper food too, Viv."

"Right." She looks over the menu.

"I wanted actual nachos. Didn't realize how hungry I was."

Around the corner, where no prying eyes could catch him, Will flagged down the waiter, and handed him a stack of bills.

"The ladies over at that table are on my tab, OK? Don't let them pay for anything tonight."

The waiter nods, "Of course, sir."

Back at the table, Tereza shrugs, "I just think this relationship is good for all of us. That's why I'm suggesting we make it closer."

"I'm not trying to sound like I think that's a bad idea, aye?"

Will glanced down at the empty basket of chips, then over at the table, then out the window at the car they had arrived in.

There was definitely a part of his brain that was going for the flight reflex. It's bad enough being a third wheel on a date; being a fourth wheel is breaking into new, previously unthought of grounds of awkwardness.

On the other hand, they had asked him here, and had saved him in the fight. He could stomach through a bout of awkwardness if that's what it took.


Getting some new chips from the waiter, Will returned to the table, sliding the chips and some new baskets of melted cheese in front of Viv. "Eat up."

"You just have reservations," Tereza says, protective instinct toning down now that Will was back.

"And I'll work through them. With both of you."

"You can probably get a cheap second-hand bed that's larger than what the school offers, though you'd probably have to figure out some way to use another area to hold some of your furniture and things," Will offered, helpfully.

"I think pushing three beds together will have to do for now... If that's what we want to do."

"Well, if you need a hand setting things up, I'm more than happy to help."