“You do?”
“Yes,” Geoff said.
“We wanted to know if you’d like to be part of our family,” Teddy said. “Move here and live with us.”
“You want me to be your third? Someone you play with?”
The disappointment on Ciaran’s face absolutely devastated Teddy. It wasn’t what they wanted, for him to be a friend with benefits. They wanted him as an equal partner in their relationship. Someone to add to the love they already had. He clearly wasn’t explaining it well at all.
“Not like that.” Teddy shook his head. “We want you tojoinour relationship. As a partner, with all of us equal in our love for each other.”
“What?” Ciaran said. “You guys have been together for years. I don’t know if I’d ever feel like an equal. You’ve had sixteen years to learn about each other and grow together. Here I am, just some guy you met a week ago.”
Teddy walked up to him and hugged him tightly. “You and I connected in the kitchen. I love Geoff to death, but he hates cooking. Doing it with you was a wonderful experience. I haven’t felt like that in years. We moved around the kitchen as though we’d been doing it together for years.”
Geoff walked around and wrapped his arms around Ciaran’s back. “Playing video games with you was a blast. And hiking? You made me see things in a new light. The scenes you pointed out were breathtaking.”
“We would care about you,” Teddy assured him.
“We wouldn’t do anything to make you feel like you don’t belong,” Geoff added.
“I need to think about it,” Ciaran told them. “How would it even work?”
“We can discuss everything when you’re ready,” Teddy promised. “Then you can decide if it’s right for you.”
“Thanks,” Ciaran stated. “I’m going to go to my room and read for a bit.”
“Take the time you need,” Geoff said.
“Would you like to eat here with us before you go, or did you want to take it with you?” Teddy asked.
“I’ll eat here first,” Ciaran replied.
Teddy smiled. He never thought that they would fall for someone else, and it happened so fast.
They ate in silence. Teddy glanced at Ciaran, who kept his eyes on his plate. They’d put him in a difficult position, and Teddy’s stomach twisted. They shouldn’t have. Ciaran was already unsure of what he wanted out of life, and they’d placed a near-impossible decision in front of him. It’d have been better if they’d never slept with him.
But we had feelings before that. We’d obviously wanted to get caught.
“I’ll talk with you guys later,” Ciaran said.
“If we’ve done anything that made you uncomfortable, we’re sorry,” Teddy said, looking at him. “It felt right, to be honest. I hope you know we would never force you into something you didn’t want.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ciaran said. “I’ve thought about it, too. I just need to gather my thoughts, and then we can talk about it.”
“That’s fair,” Geoff observed. “We’ll see you at lunch.”
Ciaran turned and headed to his room.
They watched him go before Teddy headed to the kitchen with an armful of dishes, followed by Geoff.
“I think we scared him,” Teddy worried, placing the dishes in the sink.
“I don’t think so,” Geoff said. “He was just surprised we felt the same way he did. We validated his feelings, and I don’t think he’s had that before. He isn’t sure what to do with that. Give him time.”
“You’re right,” Teddy agreed.
Geoff wrapped his arms around Teddy and squeezed. “We’ll figure this out, I promise.” He kissed the back of his neck.
