by Aidan Wayne
8 is fine! I’m used to late hours, remember?
Haha, point. Okay, I’ll see you then.
Yeah. Looking forward to it.
Skye scrolled through the group chat on his phone as he continued to wait for his laundry, when his phone buzzed in his hand.
It was a message from Linda.
Hey, what are you up to?
At the laundromat, Skye replied. Why?
Want some company?
Skye blinked down at his phone. But at least it seemed like Linda wasn’t upset with him. Sure. You know which one I use.
Okay. Be there in a few.
Now Skye waited a little anxiously for Linda to show up, trying not to think of all the bad things that could happen. But probably she wouldn’t confront him in a laundromat of all places if she wanted to tell him off. Linda wasn’t like that.
He glanced up every time the door opened, and ended up plugging in his earbuds to try to distract himself with music. It didn’t help as much as it could have, but it was something.
When Linda finally did show up, she was carrying two little containers. “Hey,” she said, plopping down into the chair next to him. “I brought froyo.”
“Thanks,” Skye said, taking one of the containers and a spoon. “Mystery flavor?” Linda lived right near a frozen yogurt shop that specialized in weird and wacky flavors. The last time she’d brought him something, it had turned out to be sweet potato. It hadn’t been bad just… unusual.
“Nah.” Linda shook her head. “I brought you mango.”
“Oh!” Mango was Skye’s favorite. “Thanks.”
“Mmhm. And strawberry vanilla for me.”
“Because you are a boring person,” Skye grinned.
“Excuse you, I like the classics.” Linda took a spoonful of her frozen yogurt and made a show of closing her eyes and savoring.
Skye snickered, relieved. This was normal. Everything was normal. “So what did you want to talk about?”
Linda raised an eyebrow. “I want the dirt on how last night went, duh.”
Skye flushed. “Oh.”
“Oh? Oh like it was a good time, or oh like you’re embarrassed to tell me, or oh like something bad happened?”
“Oh like it was a good time,” Skye managed.
“And like something happened that you’re embarrassed about, because you’re about twelve different shades of red,” Linda said triumphantly. “So? Spill.”
“I thought you didn’t even really approve of what was… going on.”
Linda shrugged. “You think it’s normal. Russell thinks it’s normal. So I’ll treat it as normal until or if it starts hurting one of you two. And in the meantime, that means teasing you mercilessly. I mean, you have two boyfriends now. That’s twice as many things to tease about.”
Thank god for Linda. Even if he definitely was about twelve different shades of red. He took a spoonful of froyo to buy himself some time, while Linda waited impatiently.
“So?” she prompted after a second. “How’d the night go?”
“It went really, uh, really well. Dinner was nice. And I like watching Brent and Russell interact. They’re really good friends which, um. Which helps.”
“I’ll just bet.”
“And after dinner we all went back to my place for a little bit.”
“Really.”
“Linda, I–it wasn’t–I mean–”
She snickered at his stuttering. “If nothing happened, you wouldn’t be fighting to form a full sentence. But seriously? Both of them? At the same time?”
“Oh my god.”
“Teasing you mercilessly.”
Skye rubbed at his face. “Nothing really happened. I mean it. Kissing. We kissed.” And there was also some heavy petting, but Linda really did not need to know that, even if she wanted to.
She leaned back in her chair. “So how does it work? Do they take turns? Are you going to go on dates with both of them, or do one-on-one too?”
Skye cleared his throat and tried to sound casual when he said, “We’re playing it by ear. Figuring it out. It’s new, remember? But Brent and Russell get along really well so that makes things easier. And I’m pretty sure they like–” he cut himself off.
Linda smirked. “Like what?”
“Like ganging up on me,” Skye muttered.
“Oooh.”
“I don’t mean it like that!”
“Yeah?” She linked her fingers together underneath her chin. “How’d you mean it then?”
“I think I liked it better when you thought I was doing something wrong.”
She patted him on the shoulder. “You don’t mean that.”
Skye sighed, but had to smile. “No, I really don’t.”
***
Brent’s apartment was stupid nice. Skye tried not to stare too much as he was led inside. It was impeccable and looked like something out of a showroom.
“Make yourself at home,” Brent said, slipping off his shoes.
“Where?” Skye blurted out, before trying to backtrack. “I-I mean, it’s so nice.” I don’t belong here.
Brent huffed a laugh. “It doesn’t look that lived in, does it? I don’t really spend a whole lot of time here. I’m usually at the office or traveling for work. Or out doing other things.”
“I think I’d want to spend more time at home, if I lived somewhere like this.” And Skye liked his own place just fine.
“Tell you what,” Brent said leading him over to the couch in the living room. “Maybe you can convince me to spend more time here.”
It surprised a laugh out of Skye, who scooted closer to Brent once he sat down next to him. “Did you pick out your own furniture at least?”
Brent snorted. “I went to a designer and she had me fill out a questionnaire about hobbies and colors and then gave me a mock-up, and I just went with it.”
Skye snickered. “Seriously?”
“I don’t know anything about decorating,” Brent protested.
“Being the most cultured person on the planet doesn’t extend to choosing wall art and throw pillows?”
Brent sighed. “I actually do have an art collection. I just haven’t gotten around to putting any of it up and taking what I already have up down.”
“Really? Why not?”
“I couldn’t give you a good reason. It’s just one of those things that’s easy for me to put off.”
“Can I see? Your collection, I mean.”
Brent smiled. “Sure.”
He tugged Skye up off the couch and led him to what looked like a guestroom. Something about it just didn’t seem “master bedroom.” Once there, Brent went to the bed and crouched down, pulling out the drawer that was hidden beneath.
It opened to reveal several framed pieces, stacked on top of each other, as well as a few mounted sculptures. It was a mini treasure-trove of interesting art, and Skye stared down at it in awe.
“Can I… is it okay if I look through them? I mean–would you show me?”
“Sure.” Brent pulled piece after piece out of the drawer, spreading it on the floor all around them. “I tend to acquire art when I go someplace new, or to a gallery I’ve never been to before. I like collecting unique pieces–things you could only get right then.”
Skye, unwilling to touch, pointed to a framed piece of paper that looked like it was torn out of a sketchbook, with a beautiful watercolor building painted on it. “What’s this one from?”
“Paris,” Brent said, gazing down at it fondly. “There are always artists by the waterfront. I go to France often enough that I don’t usually purchase a piece every time I’m there, but I really liked this one and had to get it.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“It is,” Brent said, looking up at Skye.
Skye glanced from one piece to another before he said, “Okay, these are all framed and everything. Why aren’t they on your walls? This is amazing. And so much more–human. Not, um, not to say that your picture of the bowl and stones in
your hallway isn’t um, human or anything but–”
“No, I know what you mean. You’re right.” Brent reached out to touch another piece. “All this is me.”
“Do you want to?”
“I’m sorry?”
Skye flushed. “Put some of this up. I-I mean it wouldn’t be very hard, if we took some of the stuff already on the walls down and just hung something new in its place.” When Brent didn’t say anything, Skye quickly added, “Sorry, it–it’s a stupid idea, I didn’t mean–”
“No, no. It’s not stupid at all. That sounds like a lot of fun. And it is about time I do something with at least part of my collection. What’s the point of having art if you don’t display it?” Brent grinned. “Maybe you can help me choose what should go where.”
Skye grinned back. “Sure.” That didn’t seem like it’d be too difficult. Decisions with another person to bounce ideas off of were a lot easier.
After a lot of debate, they ended up picking five pieces to replace art already on the walls: a hanging sculpture to go in the hallway (“Instead of the bowl and stones,” Brent had laughed), three large paintings, one for the guestroom and two for the living room, and the watercolor building, which Brent decided to put in his bedroom.
Skye liked Brent’s bedroom a lot more than the rest of the apartment. The covers were rumpled and his desk was covered in books and papers. This room, at least, really seemed lived in.
“Where should it go, do you think?” Brent asked.
Skye looked around. The most obvious place to put it would be above Brent’s bed, but, “I think it would look kind of small above your headboard. And then you wouldn’t be able to see it.”
“Good point. What about over here?” Brent nodded to a side wall, next to the window. There was currently a picture of an inkwell and feathers. Very nice, very artsy, and very monochromatic.
“That might be nice,” Skye said approvingly. “It’d be a good accent.”
“That clinches it for me.” Brent went over and took the picture down, hanging up the watercolor in its place. He adjusted it to make sure it was straight and then stepped back, looking at it appreciatively. “That looks a lot better,” he said. He turned to Skye. “My whole apartment looks a lot better. Thank you.”
Skye smiled at him. “Welcome.” It was comfortable, moving around Brent’s apartment with him. Being in his bedroom with him.
He took a step forward just as Brent asked, “May I kiss you?” And then it was easy to take another step, and then another.
Skye eagerly opened up for the kiss, clutching at Brent and pulling him in closer. Brent moved to kiss down the side of Skye’s jaw, eventually stopping to nip at Skye’s collarbone.
Skye moaned and tilted his head to give Brent a better angle, hands running up and down Brent’s back before fisting in his shirt. “Hey,” he said pulling back just a little. “Can I take this off you?”
“Fuck yes,” Brent groaned into Skye’s neck.
Pleased, Skye went to work on the buttons, pushing open the shirt and then leaning in the mouth at the exposed skin, Brent’s hands settling onto his hips and holding on tight.
“Good?”
“Skye,” Brent gasped. “Fuck.”
Skye grinned and tilted his head back up, and then Brent was on him again, kissing him fiercely and turning them, pressing Skye back against the wall. Skye arched up against him, moaning into Brent’s mouth as they moved together.
Eventually, panting, Brent pulled back. “We keep this up, I am not going to want to stop,” he said. “I already don’t want to stop.”
“We don’t have to,” Skye said, surprising himself. It was all moving really fast but he didn’t mind. He didn’t feel anxious at all. A little nervous maybe, but it felt like the normal sort of nervous. “I mean, if you don’t want to.”
“Skye,” Brent breathed. “Are you sure?”
Skye darted in the kiss the corner of Brent’s mouth. Brent made him feel brave. “Well. We are already here.”
Brent grinned, wide and bright, and tugged Skye towards the bed, where Skye sat down, watching appreciatively as Brent shrugged out of his shirt.
Bare chested now, Brent turned to Skye. “Let me?”
“Okay.” Skye dropped his own hands and let Brent unbutton him. Brent pressed kisses to Skye’s chest as he revealed skin. Skye closed his eyes and shuddered through it.
“You are a beautiful, beautiful man.” Brent whispered, almost to himself. He was speaking with awe again. Skye couldn’t help but wonder why, but it was not the time to ask.
Brent stood back up to kiss him, hot and searing, and lay him down on the bed, hands bracketing Skye’s head as the kiss continued.
“You’re going to kill your back,” Skye gasped, “Let me scoot up.” Brent let him go, enough for Skye to do a complicated wriggle so that he was lying fully on the bed, and he laughed breathlessly when Brent climbed on after him, pressed a kiss to his forehead, then his nose.
“Something funny?” Brent asked, smiling too.
“I’m having fun.” And it was wonderful.
“Good.” Brent leaned back down, catching Skye’s mouth. Skye wound his hands around Brent’s back and pulled him closer until they were flush against each other. Brent was hard against his thigh and–
Guilt started clawing Skye in the throat. He must have tensed up, because Brent pulled away to frown down at him. Asked, concerned, “What’s wrong?”
“I…” Skye swallowed. No, no, he didn’t want to ruin the mood– “Sorry, it’s nothing–”
But Brent was moving, off of Skye and next to him on the bed. Giving Skye distance. “Skye,” he said quietly. “Don’t say it’s nothing. Okay? I don’t want to do anything you’re not one hundred percent on board with. What’s wrong?”
“I… I just felt guilty. That…” He squeezed his eyes shut, “God, this sounds so stupid. That–that Russell’s not here. Or not even that he’s not here but that he doesn’t know what… what we’re doing.”
“Okay. Okay, how do we make that better for you?”
Skye was so ridiculous. What was he supposed to do, suggest that they call Russell? And what, ask his permission? For what? What… how far would Skye have been able to go right now, if he didn’t have his hang-ups? “I don’t know. I’m sorry. And I say that so much I’m sor–” he furiously cut himself off and glared at the bedspread.
“Skye, it’s really okay. Figuring this out, remember? If you need to talk to Russell before we do anything–if you need to talk to him even if we don’t do anything, that’s fine. It’s all fine.”
“I wish I weren’t like this,” Skye forced out. “I feel like this whole time you both have been making concessions for me. It just doesn’t seem fair.”
“Would you rather I pushed you into something you weren’t comfortable with doing?”
“I–” Skye hesitated. It seemed like Brent didn’t want that, but there were so many things Skye wasn’t comfortable doing. What was the harm in just.. being given a little push? Plenty of other people had done that to him. Made him go out of his comfort zone.
Things usually turned out okay.
But Brent swallowed and the expression on his face... “The answer to that should be ‘no,’ Skye. It should always be no.”
Skye stared at his knees.
“Why don’t we call Russell,” Brent suggested quietly, after a long minute. “It’s not that late. He should still be up.”
“Would it bother you?”
“Of course not, that’s why–”
Skye shook his head. “No, I mean. Would it bother you? If I was out with Russell right now. If we were together. And you weren’t there.”
Brent tilted his head back to gaze at his ceiling. “I think I’d miss being a part of it,” he said slowly. “But the idea of you and Russell together having fun doesn’t bother me. Like I said before, I kind of get off on knowing that you’re being taken care of by someone I care about and trust.” He grinned, a littl
e abashed. “I think I’d like details, if nothing else.”
“Oh.”
“That’s what you’re worried about, huh? Us getting jealous?”
“I know you both already said you don’t mind,” Skye said. “But I guess I just realized that there’s theory and then there’s practice. I’m sorry.”
“Okay.” Brent’s lips quirked. “Then I think we really should call Russell. Because right now, the clear solution is to make him a part of things.”
“What?”
Brent reached forward to take Skye’s hand. “Trust me?”
And Skye did. “Okay.”
Chapter 10
“So let me get this straight,” Russell said through the speakerphone, in response to whatever Brent had texted him. “You two had a great night out and then you actually convinced Brent to finally hang up some of his ginormous art collection?”
“Um.” Skye glanced over at Brent, who smiled wide. “Yeah?”
“And then things started getting a little heated, you were having fun… and you thought I would mind?”
“Basically yes.” Skye cringed. It sounded even stupider having it said out loud.
“It sounds like Brent was taking real good care of you,” Russell said, voice coming across all warm.
“Um.” Skye flushed. “He-he was.”
“Now, I do remember saying something along the lines of how that made me happy, not upset. You remember that?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I do, I’m sor–”
“But I get that it’s harder when it’s for real.”
Skye sagged, and leaned into Brent when he wound an arm around Skye’s shoulders. “Yeah, it is.”
“So what should we do?” Brent asked.
“Good question,” Russell said. “I think I might have at least part of an answer.”
“Great.” Brent grinned at Skye, who tried to smile back. “Go ahead.”
“Well for starters, Skye, why don’t you go ahead and kiss Brent?”
Skye startled. “What?”
“If you wanna, I mean.”
“I, um, I do?”
“Nice to hear that,” Brent teased.