Love In The Balance Ch 06

Hey guys, here's Chapter 06! I hope you enjoy it. I know this has been a slow burn story, but I like exploring their lives beyond just sex. I also am trying to make this about the entire cast of The Gang of Eight. Steven is an emotional guy, and a loyal one! Things should be heating up soon! Comments and feedback are always appreciated! I read every single one. Also, please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Errors bug me, and I make sure to upload revised editions whenever I find any. Please note that this story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. As always, this is a world without STI's, and everyone involved in sexual activity is at least eighteen years old.

-Witty

~Saturday May 10, 2025~

It was Noah Beck's twenty-sixth birthday and The Gang of Eight met up early so they could spend the entire day together. They walked around Central Park before eating lunch on the grass. There was plenty to do in the park until dinner, so they spent the day enjoying the sun. Noah was given gifts while enjoying a perfectly-cooked steak at a nice restaurant.

The weather was nice and warm, allowing the group to dress casually and not worry about getting cold. Camilla and Jane had dresses on while the other girls wore jeans and t-shirts. The guys also had on t-shirts and jeans, happy to not have to wear the business casual attire expected at work. The last stop of the evening was Theo and Noah's apartment.

"Really? No strip club?" Noah sighed, placing his bags on the kitchen table. "I'm not gonna get laid on my own birthday?"

"You have a right hand," Jane shrugged.

"No one asked you, Silver," Noah grunted. "I'm just saying that not motorboating some titties on your birthday is a damn shame."'

"He's got a point," Theo nodded.

"No, he doesn't," Leslie interjected.

"You know you can't actually touch the strippers, right?" Camilla reminded the birthday boy.

"I could pick up a stripper," Noah stated with a thoughtful expression.

"No, you couldn't," Sienna snorted. "They have creepy guys drooling over them every day. You'd just be one more perv."

"You underestimate my power," Noah insisted, placing his hands on his hips and posing.

"He has scored with waitresses before," Steven reasoned, "and they always get hit on."

"Noah was also famous in college for bagging three cheerleaders at one party," Theo spoke up.

"That's fucking awesome!" Conner exclaimed.

"See?" Noah grinned triumphantly. "I could totally bag a stripper."

"Maybe he actually could," Steven said, starting to come around.

"Why are we friends with these idiots?" Sienna rolled her eyes.

"Low standards?" Jane suggested.

"Sounds about right," Sienna sighed.

"And I'm the dumbass who let one of them knock me up," Leslie shook her head, resting her hand on her slightly protruding belly.

"Which one?" Camilla asked innocently.

"See? You girls are just as bad as we are," Steven said.

"No. Camilla is as bad as you guys," Jane shook her head. "Not the same."

"Can we go back to talking about me getting a stripper?" Noah asked.

"Sure," Sienna shrugged. "Theo, strip for Noah."

"Not what I meant!" Noah exclaimed while Theo held up his hands and shook his head in refusal.

"In Noah's defense, I did have a stripper on my birthday last month," Conner smirked.

"And he's married!" Theo exclaimed, gesturing toward Conner.

"Wait," Noah frowned, looking at Leslie. "You took your husband to a strip club for his birthday?"

"Did you buy him a lap dance?" Steven questioned.

"No, I gave my husband a lap dance," Leslie giggled, placing a hand on her hip and waggling her eyebrows. "I was his stripper, idiots."

"Nice," Noah grinned approvingly.

"Get it, girl," Camilla smirked and nodded.

The banter continued as the group set up in the living room. Noah did not end up getting his stripper and the girls refused the suggestion to flash him. As usual, Theo took the joking a little too far and ended up pouting when he was told off. Theo was improving slightly, but major changes did not happen overnight.

Breaking out the board games and booze, The Gang of Eight relaxed on the floor. The guys had beers and the girls had wine coolers, except for Leslie who drank diet soda. They started with a team game. It was guys versus girls. The guys ended up being sore losers, but in their defense the girls weren't the best winners. Chanting "Girls rule and boys drool!" like schoolgirls was not the best way to convince people to lose graciously.

They played a few more games before people started leaving. Leslie and Conner were the first to go because Leslie wanted to get to bed early. She also couldn't drink, and no one enjoyed being the only sober person. The couple got their hugs and handshakes and started the trip home.

The others stayed for awhile longer, with Camilla and Sienna getting into a drinking contest. Jane ended up dragging a barely-coherent Camilla out the door. Steven left at the same time. Sienna didn't feel like dealing with the subway just yet, so she decided to stay for a movie.

~Sunday May 11, 2025~

Sienna's head was pounding as she slowly regained consciousness. Her mouth was dry and there was a horrid taste on her tongue. She felt weak, various aches and pains throbbing throughout her entire body. Sweat clung to her skin and she somehow felt both hot and cold at the same time. Sienna groaned, her heart racing as she wondered where she was.

The small amount of light pouring in through the window was enough to make Sienna wince when she opened her bloodshot eyes. Her head started spinning and she was unable to form a coherent thought. That changed when her vision cleared and she wondered why there was a life-size poster of a very famous model in a bikini on the ceiling.

Stretching out her sore limbs, Sienna finally understood that she was laying in bed. With that knowledge came the realization that she was naked. Moving quickly, Sienna pulled the blanket higher, making sure her entire body was covered.

Holding the blanket over her chest, Sienna sat up with a loud groan. Just that simple movement made her head spin and it took several seconds before she could look around. It was a fairly standard, if messy, bedroom. A dresser, bedside table, and a small bookshelf. There was a television mounted on the wall, and there were more clothes on the floor than there were in the hamper.

Parts of the previous night came back to Sienna in brief flashes; individual snapshots that she used to slowly piece together what happened. A birthday party. Noah's. Drinking. So much drinking. Competing against... Camilla? Oh God, what a terrible idea. Needing to sober up enough to get through a turnstile to get on the subway. Then nothing. Just nothing.

Running her fingers through her auburn hair, Sienna let out a breath as she glanced up at the image on the ceiling. She pressed the blanket tighter against her body to protect her breasts as she shivered slightly. The ridiculous poster on the ceiling and the calendar on the wall with a picture of a woman in a bikini convinced her of whose room she was in. Oh fuck. She didn't, did she?

"Oh God, no," Sienna whimpered, lowering her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh, what have I done?"

After making completely sure she was alone, the tiny redhead slowly got out of bed completely nude. She nearly fell over, her legs shaking from just trying to hold her weight. Reaching back, she placed her hands on the bed to hold herself up. Sienna closed her eyes and breathed deeply while waiting for the dizziness to pass. Then she started searching the room for her clothes.

Sienna looked amazing naked. At exactly five feet tall, the petite girl didn't weigh ninety pounds soaking wet. Her skin was pale and lightly-freckled, her hair was a natural red, and she had striking green eyes. She was in great shape. There was no fat on her body, despite the large amount of junk food in her diet. A small bush of fiery red pubic hair proved that she was a natural redhead, and she had big boobs with light pink nipples.

A few colorful expletives flew from her mouth when she found her bra on the dresser and wondered just how crazy last night got. Her hands were shaking slightly, making it difficult for her to hook the bra. Once she finally got it on, she reached into each cup to make sure her large breasts were properly situated.

Her t-shirt was on the floor by the door and her jeans were on the bookshelf for some reason. Sienna hunted around the room in just her bra before finally finding her panties under the bed. When trying to step into her underwear, the hungover girl fell over and landed on her face.

Getting to her feet while cursing loudly, Sienna finally got her panties up her legs. She nearly fell two more times while trying to get her pants on. Her frustration only grew when she tried putting her head through one of the arm holes of her shirt.

"I did not get drunk and sleep with Theo, I did not get drunk and sleep with Theo," Sienna kept telling herself, as if repeating the words could make them true. "I did NOT get drunk and sleep with Theo."

Sienna had no memory of having sex. But, she also had no memory of taking her clothes off. A quick check of her pussy had confirmed there wasn't any semen present and she didn't feel any tenderness. Still, she was horrified by what she might have done.

Her legs kept shaking as she walked barefoot down the hall, forcing Sienna to keep her hand on the wall for balance. Grimacing from the light and sound, she found Theo and Noah in the living room watching television. It was after 10:00AM so it was not surprising that they were both awake. Both of them looked over when Sienna entered.

"Hey, look who's awake!" Noah called out. He was just wearing a pair of lounge pants, and his muscular chest was on full display.

"How are you feeling?" Theo asked, looking concerned. Unlike Noah, Theo was wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. "Are you hungry or nauseated?"

"My head is killing me, the light is burning my eyes, and you two are talking way, way too loudly," Sienna winced. "And yeah, I'm hungry."

"I'll make you something," Theo offered, getting to his feet.

Theo helped the redhead into the kitchen and sat her down at the table. She struggled to breathe as the husky guy made her an omelet. He served it to her with toast and a tall glass of juice. Sienna watched as he sat across from her and gave her a small smile.

"Does everyone know?" Sienna asked, her eyes glancing to the side to avoid looking at him.

"Know what?" Theo frowned.

"That we had sex," she mumbled, her face red.

"We didn't, but nice to know that I'm so horrible your big concern is who knows about you and the loser," he grunted.

"That's not what I meant!" Sienna exclaimed, her fiery expression dying when Theo gave her a flat look. "Okay, maybe it was a little."

"Right," Theo grimaced.

"We didn't sleep together?" she questioned.

"You weren't exactly in a position of consenting," he explained. "I slept on the couch."

"But I was naked?" Sienna frowned.

"It was just the three of us, everyone else had left," Theo began. "Noah wanted to go to bed, said goodnight, and wandered off. You were kind of out of it so I tried to wake you up. You must have gotten your second wind. Your second drunken wind, really."

"W-what happened next?" she asked nervously.

"You dragged me into the bedroom and asked if I thought I could 'handle The Red Dragon,' whatever the fuck that means," he continued.

"Oh, my God!" Sienna gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth.

"Do you mind if I ask about that?" he inquired gently.

"It's an old nickname," Sienna squeaked, keeping her hands over her mouth.

"A nickname?" Theo probbed.

"Ah, yeah," Sienna blushed, lowering her hands while looking mortified. "I was born in California, but my ancestry is Welsh. I love Wales."

"Okay..." he trailed off.

"I'm a Welsh redhead and there's a red dragon on the flag of Wales," she swallowed nervously. "It's an old nickname my boyfriend had for me. He came up with it because I love Wales and, ah, I was kind of a lot to handle in the bedroom."

"I did notice your aggressive side last night," Theo acknowledged.

"Oh, my God!" Sienna gasped, once again burying her face in her hands. "Shit, ah, please forget about it. Forget about everything!"

"It's forgotten," Theo nodded.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "Um, what happened next?"

"I tried to stop you," he explained, "but I didn't wanna touch you when you started taking your clothes off and throwing them around the room."

"Shit!" she gasped, completely mortified.

"You kept trying to jump me, but I got you into bed," he explained. "I made sure you were on your side in case you threw up, and I went to sleep on the couch."

"So, you, ah, you saw my, um, my girl parts?" Sienna asked, looking everywhere but at Theo.

"Really? Your 'girl parts?'" Theo laughed. "You say I need to grow up, but that's how you refer to your beautiful, I mean, you were the most stunning, ah, well, I tried not to look."

"And that right there is why you're not a loser, Theo," she stated firmly, finding the strength to face him.

"Huh?" he asked stupidly.

"When it matters, you're a good person," Sienna explained.

"Tell that to all the girls who call me a loser or a freak," Theo grimaced.

"I'm sorry," she bit her lower lip. "What about the sisters you and Noah hooked up with? I forget their names, but neither of you would shut up about the blowjobs."

"Luna and Harper," he responded sadly. "Harper was going after Noah and Luna just came along. It was Luna's birthday and she wanted to go wild, she didn't really like me."

"You still got a hummer from a hot chick," Sienna reasoned.

"I came as soon as she put her mouth on me," Theo admitted sadly.

"Oh, Theo," she gave him a sympathetic look.

"She worked to get me hard again while her sister blew Noah," he sighed.

"So, you got two blowjobs!" Sienna smirked. "Look at it that way."

"I guess," Theo mumbled. "Harper texts Noah sometimes, but Luna hasn't responded to me at all."

"I'm sorry," she responded sincerely.

"You should eat your breakfast before it gets cold," he said, changing the subject.

Sienna dug into her omelet, realizing that Theo was actually a really good cook. The food helped, but she still felt terrible. She was also embarrassed. While she was glad she hadn't had sex, Theo had still seen her naked body. Sienna wasn't into casual hook-ups and was usually pretty modest.

Her thoughts were muddled as she processed what happened through the fog of her hangover. Theo was being so nice, Sienna felt guilty for the mean jokes she and the other girls sometimes made. She knew Theo was trying to do better, he just really struggled to socialize.

"I don't have a dick, so I don't really have any advice on how to not cum fast," Sienna said after swallowing a bite of her omelet. "You'll have to talk to Noah about that one. All I know is, if you're gonna get laid, have the girl suck out the easy one so you can last awhile in her pussy."

"I've heard that one," Theo nodded. "At least Luna didn't make fun of me."

"It's really common, Theo," she told him. "When I lost my virginity, well, he wasn't quite a two-pump chump, but he probably didn't even make it to a dozen thrusts."

Theo was surprised. Sienna was perfectly comfortable talking about sex, but she rarely gave out explicit details about her own sexual history. Mostly, she mentioned when she thought someone was hot or she'd make a dirty joke. That was about it. The Gang of Eight really only knew about one ex-boyfriend that she had mentioned a handful of times in passing.

"You were probably just so beautiful he couldn't help it," he eventually said.

"Thanks, Theo," she smiled after swallowing a bite of toast. "See? That wasn't hard. You can be comfortable with girls."

"It's easier when there's no pressure," Theo explained.

"You're putting pressure on yourself," Sienna countered. "Not every interaction will result in a hook-up, so stop trying so hard."

"It seems to for Noah," he grumbled jealously.

"I realize Noah gets more ass than a toilet seat, but I promise even he strikes out," she argued. "Just treat women like people and talk to them. You don't have any confidence so you hide behind jokes and inappropriate comments. Stop. Stop, and I promise women will notice."

"What do I have if I'm not making her laugh?" Theo sighed. "I have a round face and a beer gut."

"The dad bod look is totally in," she giggled. "You're cute! And there isn't anything wrong with your real personality. Just stop trying so damn hard to be inappropriate. It also wouldn't hurt to clean your room, you're not in college anymore."

"Yeah, that's fair," he admitted with a nod.

"Care about what she has to say," Sienna continued. "Show her you care. If she knows you just see her as a way to get your dick wet, it will turn her off."

"I don't just want to get laid," Theo insisted. "I want a real relationship."

"That's good. That's very good," she nodded. "And you deserve it. You don't have a lot of experience, but that's okay. You can learn to talk and flirt. You can learn to be comfortable between her legs."

"Did your ex get better?" Theo questioned before wincing. "Uh, sorry if that's too personal."

"You saw me naked, I think we're well into the personal stage," Sienna giggled. "Yeah, he got better. I had already given him practice to learn how to properly eat a cunt. It wasn't long before we were really going at it like rabbits."

"Lucky guy," he smiled softly.

"Yeah, sex was never our problem," she sighed.

Sienna finished her breakfast and downed her juice. She was still feeling hungover, so Theo made them each a cup of coffee. They made small talk across the kitchen table, both of them thinking about other things. Sienna felt bad for Theo and was proud of him for wanting a real relationship. Theo found himself wondering about Sienna's past, wondering what fucking moron would end his relationship with her. He assumed she must have broken up with him.

"How's the hangover?" Noah suddenly asked, walking into the kitchen wearing his workout outfit. He also had a gym bag slung over his shoulder.

"Terrible," Sienna grunted. "I'm tired, my head is pounding, my joints ache, oh, and it's way too bright in here."

"Ouch, been there," Noah winced in sympathy. "At least Theo didn't drop your sorry ass on the couch. He was enough of a gentleman to give up the bed."

"He has a sweet moment every now and then," she smiled at Theo.

"Don't give him too much credit, he was just thrilled to finally have a girl spend the night in his bed," Noah teased.

"Do you have someplace to be?" Theo glared at his best friend.

"Right, I'm gonna go get some exercise," Noah nodded before turning to Sienna. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I think I'm all set, thanks," Sienna shook her head.

Noah said his goodbyes and left the apartment. Theo and Sienna sipped on their coffees in silence for a few minutes. Theo could tell the redhead was exhausted, but he wasn't sure if he should offer to let her use his bed. Would it be insulting? He was way out of his element.

"You look tired," he observed.

"The coffee helps a bit, but yeah," she replied.

"I'm not sure if offering to let you take a nap in my bed would be creepy or not," Theo reluctantly admitted.

"It's sweet," Sienna smiled. "I should probably get going so I can shower and sleep in my own bed."

"Do you want me to come with you to make sure you got home safe?" he offered.

"I'm a big girl, I think I can make it on my own," she smirked. "But, thank you for offering. It's really nice."

Sienna helped Theo clean up and the two of them talked for a few more minutes before she was ready to leave. The redhead took a few minutes to wash her face in an effort to clear her head a bit. Then she put on her shoes so Theo could walk her to the door and hold it open for her.