“It went in with you,” he said, and there was something about the way he said it that made me want to ask more questions. I didn’t get the chance, because Declan spoke.
“You can use my phone while I shower, Sonny.”
“Thanks. I want to start following some peeps.”
“Who?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I’ll have to search them out, which is why I wanted my phone.”
Erik turned to Declan, as though asking for clarification.
Declan cleared his throat, a sure sign he was uncomfortable. “He wants to look up polyamory.”
“Of course I do,” I cried. “Because that’s what we are now, right? I don’t want to leave this to chance, I want it to work!”
Declan was standing by the bathroom door, crutch in one hand and a pile of clothes in the other and gloriously naked apart from that. Our come was smeared across him, more than I’d anticipated because apparently Erik’s tentacles had slithered through it and wiped it across his chest. I really, really wanted to see Erik’s tentacles wound around Declan again as he made Declan come. That would be so hot.
“I guess I’ll leave you to your research and clean up.”
Declan turned to enter the bathroom and I jumped up from the couch and rushed over to him across the tiny space.
Wrapping my arms around him from behind, I squeezed tightly, feeling the same relief and gratitude that he was here, so warm and alive in my arms, that I always felt when I held him.
“What’s this for?” he asked.
“Because I love you, and I’m so glad I get to tell you that now.”
He gave a chuckle and his fingers stroked my arm, the only bit of me he could reach. “I’m glad, too. I like hearing it.”
“I’ll tell you a lot,” I promised.
Releasing him, I watched him walk into the bathroom and close the door. There was no click of the lock because apparently Erik had a ‘no locking the door’ rule for Declan, too.
I smiled at how sweet Erik was to take care of us both like that. I wanted to do something for him, too.
“Do you want a cup of tea?” I asked.
It wasn’t exactly a declaration of undying love or the greatest show of caretaking or anything, but it was a start. I still wasn’t a hundred percent sure what we were – I really needed to look that up, right? – but I wanted to show Erik that I’d take care of him.
“Sure,” he said. “How about I put the fire on to warm this place up?”
“Great! I love sitting by the fire.”
“I know. And maybe you want to wash that semen off your arms while you’re in the kitchen.”
I looked down at my arms, and realised that, when I’d wrapped them around Declan, I’d squelched our come all over my forearms.
Erik’s eyes twinkled as he looked at me, so I smiled and said, “Sure,” and went into the kitchen. While the kettle boiled, I washed my arms in the sink, using a tea towel and throwing it straight into the washing machine. That could get washed with the next load.
By the time I carried three teas into the other room, the fire was crackling merrily, a small, bright flame.
“Your tree looks nice in the firelight. It’s making everything sparkle.”
“Thank you,” said Erik. “I nearly didn’t bother with a tree this year, but since you and Declan were stuck here with me, I thought it was worth it.”
I sat on the couch and patted the seat beside me. Erik squeezed into the space and I gave a dramatic shiver.
“That fire hasn’t warmed me up yet.”
