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Following the events of the day so far, John needed a moment to gather his thoughts. There was a little while until school finished, so he decided he had time to walk to the meet-up location with Ellie.

Ambling along, John savoured the cool crisp autumn breeze filling his lungs. The day had already seemed to stretch longer than usual, and though it had started out stressful, he couldn’t help but grin. He felt giddy at the thought of regaling Ellie with the memory of sharing Alison’s first kiss and how she was now his cute meek girlfriend.

Pausing, John’s mind drifted to the complexity of his relationships. “Two girlfriends… no, three,” he mused, contemplating his relationship with the faerie queen. “We should spend some more time together to learn about each other. Maybe we’ll have time later on today?”

John continued walking and realised that his to-do list for the day wasn’t really that long. All he’d planned was to check up on Agni and the kobolds, then visit the faeries and Lani. Despite that short list, John had a sinking feeling that the rest of his day would likely be as eventful as his morning.

Approaching Meander Alley, John’s thoughts turned to Ellie and the meeting with her therapist which was when he paused again. “Ellie said her therapist was a woman, right? Is Ellie going to try and get her in bed with us? Or at the very least is she going to try and get me into her bed? She never really described her to me but I couldn’t be blamed for thinking Ellie might try something, could I?” John pondered, shaking his head and dismissing his worries. “Nah, they’re like long-time friends or whatever, I’m pretty sure she’d have said something if that’s what she planned.”

As John strolled between the shops, his mind became calmer. He pulled out his phone and texted Ellie to let her know he was nearly there. Almost immediately, a reply buzzed in his pocket, letting him know she’d gotten him a drink and that they were waiting.

Sweet and Savoury was quaint and quite familiar to John as he would visit occasionally for a treat or drink; however, he’d never been seated at a table there. A bell chimed above him as he entered through the door.

An amused smile crossed his face as the white-haired baker meerkated her head from the service window to the left of the counter. She gave John a warm smile and a wave before John heard the mumblings of her husband out of view. She turned and nodded, then John heard the voice, closer and more clearly, “Let’s get back to prepping and allow our guests some privacy. Come here, sweetness.”

She squealed and the two owners giggled to each other out of sight. John’s attention turned to the shop and its cosy atmosphere. The counter was adorned with a glass case and several cloches which showcased the cafe's finest offerings and on the wall behind the counter was a chalkboard; both the regular and daily specials menus were handwritten, giving it a more homely feel.

The shop was currently deserted, except for the table where Ellie sat. The blonde’s gaze met his as he entered. His chest fluttered as she smiled at him, her eyes clearly showing her affection towards him, and he was unable to stop himself from mirroring her grin.

The appearance of Ellie’s companion caught him off guard. John had imagined a smartly dressed woman, maybe in a turtleneck with a high ponytail; he did not expect the woman sitting across the room from him.

Her hair was cut in a tidy raven bob, she had a pretty face with only eyeshadow as make-up, around her neck was a black studded collar, her busty chest was covered with a wine red tank top, and she wore a black skirt with ripped fishnets and a pair of Doc Martens. The only indicator that the woman was a medical professional was the clipboard and a pristine white lab coat which sat precariously on her shoulders, threatening to fall off.

John looked at Ellie who was smirking at him, obviously waiting for him to finish ogling her friend before she jumped from her seat and threw herself at John, wrapping her arms around him and almost sending them both toppling onto the floor.

“Hey there, gorgeous,” John greeted, returning her embrace. The moment was interrupted as Ellie let go to pull him into a kiss.

John gently pushed Ellie back, not allowing her to escalate their kiss. Looking into her eyes, John was almost tempted to lean in again when she began to pout, but she let out a light sigh and nodded, interlocking her fingers with his and pulling him back to the table.

The woman stood as they approached and Ellie motioned towards her. “John, this is Valerie, she’s a family friend and my therapist,” she said before motioning towards John. “Val, this is John, my boyfriend.”

Valerie approached the couple with confidence. John extended his hand for a handshake but she avoided it, opting to bring her hand up to his face, resting it behind his ear and pulling him towards her.

John’s eyes widened as Val’s lips met his. Ellie’s hand tightened in his grip, silently encouraging him. ’I was right!’ he thought. ’She’s trying to get me to sleep with her therapist.’

Just as John was about to respond to the kiss, Valerie playfully nibbled his lip, pulling away teasingly. She embraced him, her chest pressed against his making him almost painfully aware of it. The therapist’s hand boldly explored his back before squeezing his butt.

“Nice to finally meet you,” Valerie greeted casually as she released him and returned to her seat. “Come, join us.”

John stood in a daze, bewildered by the situation. While he should have grown used to that kind of attention by now, he couldn’t fathom why so many beautiful women seemed drawn to him in that way.

Ellie burst into laughter. “Oh goodness, John, I can’t help it, sorry. Your expression is too precious.” She chuckled, pulling his arm into a hug and leaning her head on his shoulder as she addressed the therapist, “And Val, thanks for the entertainment.” While still slightly confused John allowed Ellie to lead him and sit across from Valerie.

“No need to thank me, tiger, it was my pleasure. That was quite the kiss, even if he didn’t reciprocate. Maybe I’ve found the secret of how he has you so smitten,” Val teased.

Ellie released John’s hand momentarily to readjust, then interlaced their fingers again, pulling his hand up to kiss it. John felt a warmth spread in his chest at the smile Ellie gave him, but his attention was quickly diverted by Val as she cleared her throat.

“I hope you don’t mind if I slip into therapist mode for a moment,” she started. “Ellie is a dear friend of mine, and even though you’ve only been dating just over a week, from the way I see you act and look at each other, others might assume it’s been months or even years. But even a strong relationship benefits from therapy, and I’d like to give you a trial run if you are open to it?”

“I, uh, I’m not sure,” John replied, surprised by Val’s directness. “Talking about personal stuff like that is kinda… uncomfortable to talk about with someone I’m not close with.”

Val exaggerated a pout. “Oh, what a shame. Does that mean you’ll only open up if I sleep with you?” she quipped, uncrossing her legs and leaving them open just enough for John to see a strip of red. Leaning forward with a lecherous smile, she rested her head on the back of her hands, fixing her gaze on him.

John felt his cheeks burn, unable to stammer a reply. His grip on Ellie’s hand tightened and she intervened. “I think we should probably ease up on the teasing,” Ellie said, giggling. “I don’t think any of us want to traumatise my boyfriend any more than he already is.”

Val let out a giggle. “Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that; I have a strong feeling that his discomfort comes more from liking the teasing. I will spare him for now though,” she teased. “How about this: I’ll ask you a few questions, and you decide if you want to answer or not. If you’d prefer not to answer, just consider what your answer would be, that way you can talk about it in a safer environment with someone you trust.”

Ellie gently pulled his attention to her physically. “Hey, just want you to know, you don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to, BUT despite the teasing she’s been giving you, she’s a top-rated therapist and she’s someone I’d tell if I ever needed to hide a body. I’ve told her intimate details of my life and she’s never done anything to ever break my trust, even when it was personal. She also does already know some details about our love life as well as our relationship too.”

Valerie hummed and nodded. “Mmh, you did tell me about some things, didn’t you? Which reminds me we still need to dive further into your thought process about your attempt at getting John to open up to you and what reasons led to such a drastic choice,” Val said sternly to Ellie, who had a twinge of shame in her face. Valerie’s expression softened as she looked at John once more. “This isn’t about Ellie right now, though, it’s about you. So, would you be willing to give me a chance with this impromptu therapy session?”

John glanced between the two women. ’I don’t need therapy, right? It’s for people dealing with, like, serious trauma and stuff, isn’t it?’ John thought, looking to Ellie for comfort, who gave him a reassuring smile and a nod. ’But I suppose it couldn’t hurt, and I don’t have to answer if I don’t want to.’ Without opening his mouth, John nodded.

“Thank you. Shall we start from the beginning? Ellie mentioned the two of you are both in a polyamorous and open relationship, and it is your first relationship, are those statements true? I just want to reassure you that I’m not a judge, nor is this an interrogation,” Valerie assured him.

Feeling a twinge of embarrassment from his lack of relationship experience, John pondered briefly. “Uh, yeah…” he confirmed. “But aren’t polyamory and open relationships the same thing?”

Val smiled. “Not quite. While they’re both similar and share intersections, they’re distinct. I could spend hours delving into the nuances, but to simplify, open relationships focus on physical connections while maintaining emotional exclusivity with one primary partner. While polyamory emphasises emotional involvement with multiple partners.

“There are also variations and hybrids of these dynamics, such as partially open relationships, but I digress,” Valerie added with a smile before returning her full attention to John. “Getting back on topic, how did you initially feel when Ellie introduced this new dynamic?”

John paused, his thoughts swirling. ’Wait, that means I’m the one who made us polyamorous, Ellie just opened the relationship to sleep with other women…’ Taking a deep breath he pushed the thought to the side for now. “Well, our relationship moved quickly, and I guess I kinda got swept up, at the beginning. I’m still confused and conflicted. Our entire relationship feels like something out of a fantasy, you know? Ellie’s everything I could dream of, and the idea of being with multiple people was something I didn’t think I could be capable of,” he explained.

Val repeated what he just said in summary, before glancing up from her little clipboard with a comforting smile. “It’s completely normal and healthy to have those types of feelings. Everyone experiences reservations at times. You might be surprised to know even Ellie went through similar thoughts in the past. Now, how have you adjusted since then?”

John felt tension creeping into his body and absently began to rub the back of his neck, a gesture not unnoticed by Ellie. Sensing his unease, she untangled her fingers and stood, moving behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.

“Well… I feel torn, my emotions feel like they’re on a rollercoaster,” John confessed. “Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person in the entire world, other times I’m so caught up in the moment that I don’t have time to dwell on it. But sometimes I just can’t shake my anxiety and uncertainty, like everything’s too good to be true.”

As John spoke, Ellie’s hands paused, before sliding down his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. “I love you so much. And there’s nothing in this world that could make me feel otherwise,” she whispered, her voice tickling his ear and her words sent an excited shiver through his body.

A tear threatened to roll down his face as John leaned into her embrace, whispering back, “I love you so much too.”

Valarie gave them a moment, before gently probing, “Would you feel comfortable elaborating on what specifically triggers your anxiety or doubt?”

John felt **** and was quiet. Pulling away, Ellie sat on her chair once again, shuffling closer to him and taking his hand with both of hers, ensuring John knew she was there. Taking a deep breath John found the confidence to answer.

Ellie stroked his hand as he spoke. “I guess I have quite a few doubts. It’s strange to have one girl interested in me, let alone several. I used to think I repelled anyone I liked. The same day I met Ellie, something else happened which changed my life and I can’t help but wonder if anyone would be interested in me if that event hadn’t happened.”

Squeezing his hand, John could tell Ellie was concerned. “I have three official girlfriends, a friend with benefits which just got very complicated, an enemy with benefits and then two girls who aren’t official but I think will become official soon. Can I even love all of these women at the same time? Would my affection be equal? Isn’t it selfish of me to be with all of these girls if I can’t do those things? And can I even keep up with them all?”

The cafe was quiet other than the distant conversation and giggles from the back of the shop. John took a deep breath and continued, “I worry I’m not going to treat everyone equally, and that I’ll hurt someone. What if one asks for exclusivity? No matter my choice, I’d upset someone.”

There was another pause; John fidgeted and felt his entire body tense. “My biggest fear though… They’ll all realise I’m not special, I’m not worth it, and that they’ve wasted their time on me and that one day I’ll wake up and they’ll have all left without even a word and that I’ll be all alone again…”

Ellie silenced his fears by pressing her lips against his and pulling him into a tight hug which conveyed a silent promise to never let go. It took a moment for his ragged breaths to steady.

Valarie waited patiently, giving John time to calm down. “When you go through a big change in life, it’s not uncommon to feel like you’ve lost control which can leave you with doubts about your validity. This might seem condescending, but communication in this situation is very important. Talking to Ellie or any of your other partners about how you’re feeling should help reassure you.

“It’s possible your fear might be connected to past trauma, maybe rooted in abandonment issues. I’m aware that this is hard for you right now, but do you know what the source of those fears might be?” she asked.

John’s anxiety spiked and he abruptly stood up. “I… I need to use the restroom,” he said, quickly excusing himself and locking the bathroom door.

Taking deep breaths John sat on the clean toilet lid, thoughts of his aunt and cousin flashing in his mind causing a wave of sadness and nausea. Ten minutes passed and John moved to the sink, splashing himself with water and looking at his reflection.

“It’s fine, I didn’t need them anyway. I’ve got Ellie and Alison and Violet and Mom and everyone now,” he muttered.

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