Extrapril

"God, I am so bored."

Tristan rolled his eyes, from where he was sitting upside down on the couch, reading *Henry's Commentary, Book IV*. His eyes went back to scanning the words, but the truth was, he was even more bored than Macey was.

She might think she was bored, but she'd never tried to look over a set of commentaries on theology, from 1706. They were absolutely, utterly, exhaustive. Six volumes, all of them at least two inches thick, if not more. They were about as extreme as you could go in detail, without going completely batshit crazy.

"Bored enough for a bad idea?" Caleb asked curiously, though he was still focused on the handheld console in front of him. Annoyingly, Caleb was not just playing instead of doing any of the assignments that were due in two days - he probably didn't even have to care.

Sonuvabitch always seemed to be able to write something at the last minute that blew everyone else's out of the water.

Macey gave a nervous laugh, "After last time? No. No I am not."

Caleb gave a small chuckle at that, "Hey, it wasn't entirely my fault that we had to spend the night in the jail cell. That was a case of mistaken identity."

"Aha." Macey said drily, "And the bit that was your fault?"

"You probably owe me a swift kick to the testicles." Caleb laughed.

"Who doesn't?" Tristan complained.

Caleb glared at him, "You. There is no way I've done something to you that would deserve -"

"Stealing my girlfriend." Tristan pointed out.

Tristan went red as the one person in the room who hadn't spoken made a noise. She didn't say anything as such, just scoffed. Making it entirely clear that she didn't really think that Caleb had stolen her away.

Tristan knew that the reason they had broken up was mostly his own. He'd been a stuck up dick, and taken her completely for granted. In fact, his first reaction when she'd dumped him had been shock. Not that she would choose someone else. That she could choose.

"I'm your girlfriend." Macey said with a hint of irritation.

Delilah swung her legs down and leaned over from the bookcase she was sitting on top of. "I thought you were *my* girlfriend."

"Ssh." Macey hissed, causing both men in the room to crack up laughing. It was an open secret among the friends - they did love each other. They were also not averse to fooling around with the other friends. Nor were they particularly jealous about it, either.

Delilah gave a yawn, "So... Is anyone actually doing the shit the lecturers are expecting us to?"

"Not even a little." Caleb shook his head.

Tristan rolled over, sitting up and dropping the book beside him with a whumpf. "I was trying to."

Macey sighed, "Last year, we were getting banned from all the cafés for swapping the sugar and salt. This year? This shit."

"Not all the sugar and salt. Just most." Caleb giggled.

"Theology is not shit. Most people could do with learning a bit more of it." Tristan said stiffly, and then his shoulders slumped, "But... None of us are new to it."

"Can't explain to a conservative why you don't deserve to die, without a degree." Delilah said angrily, "Not like the total of two verses about homosexuality are literally nothing. One's a freaking mistranslation!"

"We are not going there." Macey shook her head, "Being bi ain't a sin, and no one here thinks it so... Oh! I know. Let's do a prank that's bi or some shit."

"Rainbow stuff is boring, and likely to get us back in the sniper's crosshairs." Tristan disagreed.

Caleb shrugged, "Then make it alien shit. As soon as it's aliens, it doesn't count as gay or not."

"Aliens?" Tristan groaned, and then hesitated, "Aliens. Huh. Only the real crazies would probably get taken in and pissed, but..."

Macey grinned slowly, "We could totally make something fun like that. Like... A crashed UFO is boring. But what if we use a projector and mirror? We could fake a wormhole ripping open. Like through a gate or something."

"Wormhole eXtreme?" Delilah frowned, "That sounds... Willing to sue us. Let's not go that route. But something. I like it. I could totally go blue alien opera babe."

"That would absolutely get us sued. I checked." Caleb shook his head.

"Wormholes aren't owned by anyone." Macey crossed her arms, "Even rainbow ponies can do wormholes. We could prank one without ending the whole freaking world."

Tristan sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking torn between wanting to stay out of trouble and wanting to have some fun. "I don't know, guys. This sounds like it could get out of hand pretty quickly."

"Who votes to ignore Tristan?" Caleb put his hand up. The two women raised their own hands without hesitation.

Macey grinned, "So, we definitely need some costumes. You still have that friend who does the comic festival things, Delilah?"

"He's a furry these days. Fully embraced it." Delilah smirked, "Which means he absolutely can hook us up with anything."

"No blue opera alien. Don't wanna get sued." Tristan said firmly.

Delilah rolled her eyes, "Macey, can you blow him or something? Tristan needs to get down with this. We need his brain."

"She's right, Trist." Macey said, looking at her boyfriend with big round eyes, "We need to plan it carefully. So no one goes too crazy, and no one freaks out. You're the best of us at the admin stuff, Trist."

"Wow. I think you just called me boring."

Macey sighed, "If it's what it takes, I'll totally blow you. But I don't think you really want Caleb watching. Not since you found out he kinda likes ya butt."

"Macey!" Caleb exploded.

Tristan waved a hand, "Yeah, yeah. I've known you're bi for years, Caleb. It's nothing to me. The crush? Eh. Not so much. I'm afraid I'm only into Mace."

"Who is sometimes into me." Delilah said with a smirk.

Macey stood up, walked over, and then sank down on her knees. Looking up innocently, "Well..."

"No." Tristan rolled his eyes, pulling his girlfriend into his lap and hugging around her waist. "Especially not with Caleb watching."

The two sniggered for a moment as Caleb hid his embarrassed face behind his hands. Delilah yawned and stretched, "So, if we're done with my boyfriend... Any chance you know how we're going to pull this one off?"

"Oh, they're never going to forget this one." Tristan broke into a huge smile.

*QSBzcGFyayB3YXMgc2*

Building a projector is surprisingly easy in the modern age. You can either pick one up for fifty bucks, or you can just stick your smartphone screen up to a cheap plastic cup. Either works about as well as the other.

However, just the ability to project does not make for a believable projection. What that requires, is careful planning, and more than that, absolutely ace graphics skills.

Which is precisely why Delilah was rubbing the side of her head, spinning her digital pen and then sketching a little more. Going back and forth on the timeline, a frame at a time. Her lips were pursed, and it very nearly looked as if she were attempting to kiss the air.

Macey, on the other hand, didn't have much to do right at that moment. Everyone had agreed that she should be the first alien to be seen, because she was the shortest. She could make people doubt themselves. Think they hadn't quite seen it.

They didn't want people buying into the joke at first sight. That was a boring nothing. Make them know what they saw was a social media stunt. That way... They'd argue with other people. They'd be invested, by the time the next one came along and made them reconsider their position.

Delilah had asked Macey to stick around, so that she could take some height measurements, do a little gait recording. The things she'd need to make the graphics for the portal really believable.

Unfortunately, Macey sticking around, and Macey being bored, meant Macey was thinking a good deal about how she and Delilah would sometimes fool around. Not that Delilah would ever use that turn of phrase. There was nothing foolish about what they shared.

They shared something that wasn't quite the love that they had with their boyfriends, but it wasn't something of a friendship either. They absolutely did love each other. More than anything platonic could ever hope to be.

Macey kissed the back of Delilah's neck, something so soft that Delilah doubted that it had even happened at first. Delilah shivered, her skin puckering and the hairs on her neck standing on end, her mouth twisted downwards, and she tried to focus on the shape of the fiery gateway to nothingness that she was crafting.

The pen skittered back and forth, distorting and wafting the edges of the gateway. Delilah did her best to make it look like roiling flames around nothing at all. A deep blackness that would swallow up whatever they were going to project it on - the boys were off selecting a place in town, and getting together a couple projectors.

Macey's arms snaked around her waist, and she kissed again at Delilah's neck, delicate and breathless. The gentle woman pulling herself in against her. Not asking if Delilah had a moment to spare, or if she was interested. Just quietly tempting away at her.

Delilah blew at her fringe, "You know, this shit isn't as easy as I make it look, right?"

"You're a professional, love." Macey murmured.

She shivered despite herself, and tried to refocus, "This whole thing was your idea. You're not quite acting like you want it to actually get done, Mace."

"Trist has been... Possessive." Macey whispered, as she continued to kiss away at her best friend, "He's been... Getting jealous..."

Delilah rolled her eyes, "You slept in my bed last night."

"I wish you could stay in mine." Macey complained.

Delilah chuckled, "Oh, Caleb would love that."

"Jealousy is a stupid emotion."

She shook her head, "No. Caleb actually would love that. He'd be able to snuggle up to Tristan. Can you imagine the two of them? They'd drift off, holding each other's hands."

"Caleb would deny doing it." Macey giggled.

Delilah sighed and put her pen down, turning so she could plant a kiss on her friend's lips. She had intended just to briefly kiss Macey, and then have a serious conversation about the men in their lives, and finding a balance for everyone.

Instead, she found her tongue snaking into the other woman's willing mouth. Found it dancing back and forth, teasing playfully, before Macey pushed into Delilah's mouth.

The smaller woman climbed into her lap, knees resting either side of her hips, and arms going behind her neck. Pulling the softness of the two of them together. Macey took her time with it, though. Showing how much she cared, speaking the syllables of her love, in each moment shared.

This was why Delilah always tried to deny her... She felt herself giving away her whole, the moment Macey asked for it.

Macey was the one to breathlessly break their kiss, cheeks a shining bright red. She put a finger to Delilah's mouth, "Jealousy is stupid. But Caleb is going to be totally pissed with me if you don't finish the portal."

"You have got to be kidding me." Delilah glared.

Macey grinned, "Faster you finish it, the faster I promise to finish you."

"Mace!"

*VlbiB0byBmYWxsIGZyb20*

Tristan's glare lit up Caleb's back with deathly accusation. He could feel it burning into the nape of his neck as the two of them threaded through the morning crowds at the shopping centre. He also couldn't really come up with a defence that he thought was remotely palatable.

As they headed into the hardware store, the crowds spaced out before practically disappearing. Leaving the two of them alone as they headed down Aisle Five. Tristan moved up beside him, but Caleb was intently looking at the shelves for the things they'd need.

Nails and rivets were in this aisle, but the hinges were two or three aisles further across.

The fun automation things were sometimes in the next over from the nails, but otherwise they were spread out across the entire store. Thinking about these things had Caleb miss Tristan's first question. "- like an idiot."

"Missed that." Caleb sighed, "What am I an idiot over?"

Tristan sighed, "Expecting that the girls aren't going to pick up on this. You promised me that you were going to tell Delilah. She has to at least suspect us."

"You haven't told Macey..." Caleb tried to half-heartedly reject it.

Tristan snorted, "What makes you think that? Girl would take it as an excuse to jump Delilah, which she absolutely is, right now."

"You haven't told her." Caleb repeated.

The other man sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck, "Okay. Maybe not. Mace... She doesn't think I'm both ways. I don't know if I'm both ways or you're just special, or whatever..."

Caleb stopped, picking up a set of screws, "Ten mills. That's what we wanted, right? About a hundred of 'em."

"I'll tell her, if you actually tell Delilah. Who I am half afraid I'm going to wake up to, late at night, carrying a ten-inch kitchen knife." Tristan said darkly.

Caleb chose some rivets carefully, and sighed, "Delilah will kill me first, Trist. For touching what is hers."

"I dunno. I reckon Macey is going to be fucking pissed."

Caleb swallowed, "Oh. Yeah. Been a while since we've seen Macey lose it. I thought I'd finally forgotten it."

"She might kill someone, this time around." Tristan shivered, "Worst thing is... I kinda... Think we deserve it? It is technically cheating. We're cheating on both of 'em. We deserve whatever the fuck they dish out."

"No technically about it. They... Probably won't mind, but..."

"Lying about it." Tristan completed the thought.

Caleb swallowed, "As soon as we're done here, tell 'em together. Even if it ruins the April Fool's prank."

*gYSBzdGFyLCBhbmQgdG8gZ3JvdyBhcyBpdCB*

Delilah finished the projection sketch. She'd designed it with three different projectors in mind.

The thing would move and shimmer in the air, as if the wind was tugging at the edge of it. A gateway, torn into the sky, flaming away. It also would show a shadow on top of that black, as if reflected by the light of the circle.

A shadow that was designed to match Macey's body and movements. Delilah wasn't convinced it was perfect, this was a hobby of hers, not a passion. All the same it would be enough for just a prank.

She tapped her pen on her bottom lip a couple times, and then nodded to herself and turned the chair, "Mace. I'm done."

"Busy." The other woman mumbled, staring down at her phone and tapping away on the touch screen.

Delilah glared at her, "Oi. You put me in the -"

"Busy." Macey interrupted, holding up a single finger, before going back to typing away on her phone. Which did immediately catch Delilah's attention. It wasn't like her friend to act like that, which suggested she actually was doing something of some import.

Not that Delilah could imagine what that would be.

That still didn't change the fact that she was feeling the fatigue of some successful art, the frustration from Macey kissing her earlier, and even more frustration with Caleb for hiding something. Thinking he was clever enough to get away with it. She just hoped it was a surprise present, and not that he wanted to break up with her.

She... Truly did love him.

Delilah suddenly found herself both horny and sad. Itchy between her legs, at the same time as holding back her tears. It didn't take very long for the tears to win that particular fight.

"Not that busy!" Macey said quickly, dropping her phone and jumping across and into Delilah's lap. Wiping the tears from one of her cheeks whilst giving her a pained and concerned look. "I wasn't ignoring you, Dee. I wasn't. You'd like what I was doing."

Delilah shook her head, "Not... You."

"Bloody Caleb." Macey said angrily, "He's such a jerk, sometimes. I'm sorry, Dee, I love him too. But he can be so very horrible, and he doesn't damn well realise it."

"I... Love him."

Macey kissed her forehead, "I know. I just... Wish I could fix whatever this is."

Delilah gave a very heavy sigh, "Fine. I never keep anything from you, in the end... Caleb and I... We haven't slept together for... A while. I don't know why. He's just... Not into me."

"About seven weeks, by my count." Macey said drily, and shrugged at Delilah's shocked expression. "You've been on me, for about five weeks. Sorry. But... I noticed."

She looked down, "He won't talk to me about it. Just says he is tired."

"He's fuckin' my boyfriend."

Delilah's head jerked up, "Don't joke about this, Macey. I -"

"I wasn't joking. He's fuckin' Tristan." Macey shrugged, "You're not the only one getting less at home. It... Pissed me off, at first. But... I'm okay with it. They love each other. We love them. We love each other. It's fine. Complicated, but fine."

"I... Am not fine." Delilah's voice dropped, "Get out of my lap."

"Nope."

"Now, Macey!" Delilah snapped.

The other woman put her hands around her neck and laughed, "Hell no. You'll go kill 'em both. I'm sorta partial to Tristan continuing to breathe. Caleb too, sometimes."

Delilah dislodged her friend, and stood up. Macey landed on her feet and pushed Delilah back into the seat. She glared up at Macey, but the smaller woman just put a finger onto her lips, before leaning in and kissing her.

She shoved Macey back and tried to stand again.

"Would you calm down for five freaking minutes!?" The smaller woman complained.

Delilah glared, "Would you?"

"Already told you, been through this myself." Macey crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "And it's not like I killed you, when you stole him from me in the first fucking place, is it?"

"N-no." Delilah winced.

Macey rolled her jaw back and forth, "Should I have?"

"He's a bastard!" Delilah exploded.

Macey shrugged, "Yeah. But he's your bastard. So chill."

"I... Can't. What he's done is -"

Her friend shrugged and went down on her knees, "Pretty sure I can make you forget all about him for five freaking minutes."

"I hate it when you offer that. Feels like I'm using you." Delilah shook her head.

Macey reached up and undid the button in the middle of Delilah's pants. "You're not using me. I'm your best friend, showing you a time, because someone you care about... Isn't. I love you, Dee. Heart and soul."

"I love you, too." Delilah whispered, and let Macey guide her back into the chair. This wasn't just a distraction. It was an honest expression of the blonde's love for her friend. Macey loved her, in the same way that she loved Tristan, and... Even the way she loved Caleb.

Pants gently pulled down, dragging against her skin, until they were down among Delilah's ankles. Where she immediately pulled one free, so that she could spread herself open freely. Nothing holding her back at all.

Macey purred as she scooted forward, placing Delilah's knees over her shoulders, her warm breath on the prickling sensitivities of the demanding hot pocket. She didn't kiss, or so much as nuzzle. Macey sitting there, teasing her, yet somehow still telling her how much she meant to the other woman.

"Love you, too." Delilah said in frustration, "But would you please -"

She cut off with a sharp intake of breath.

Macey's tongue flicked across her quickly, glancing at the private little treasure, but still not quite ready to dive in yet. Delilah grabbed her friend by their hair and forcefully pulled them against her depths, begging silently.

Delilah's fingers remained tangled as Macey finally decided to work away at all the tension and frustration. Melting it all away instantly, as little waves of pleasure pushed through Delilah's whole essence. Her knees trembled and she shuddered through every breath.

It was ungodly, how well Macey seemed to understand the human anatomy. It's supposed to take a little bit to get you going, to take the burning desire and ignite it into a raging flame. Macey... Macey didn't take any time at all.