I sigh. I’d gotten cornered in the stairwell when I was helping Deacon move some more of his things out of his apartment a month ago. Millie lured me into her Crayola box of an apartmentto see the litter, and I’d walked out with a damn dog. I’m still not sure what happened to me in there.
I break down and put Baz outside so I can finish cleaning the floor, but then I have to clean his paws because he’s also a digger. When I’m done with that, I come back into the living room with a wet shirt and wiggly puppy only to find Evan locked in an embrace with Deacon in the kitchen.
I nearly drop the dog. The sight is so beautiful. It’s a double rainbow after a summer storm.
Deacon kisses Evan’s forehead as Apollo spots me and sashays over.
“You just gonna stand there?” Evan asks.
He’s turned to face me with that huge smile on his face that I would absolutely go to war for.
I put the puppy down for Apollo to deal with and navigate around the dogs to meet my gorgeous men in the kitchen. I wrap my arms around them both. “I thought it’d be another hour at least.”
They each put an arm around my waist, and we fit ourselves into a hug we’ve gotten pretty good at. Our bodies and heads slot into place, and I always swear I can feel the love flowing through each body to the next.
“I was able to leave a little early, and I got lucky with traffic.”
“We’re the lucky ones,” Deacon says.
“Mm…” I murmur in agreement.
“Why are you wet?”
“I’m just excited,” I tell Evan.
He laughs. “That explains the dirty dog smell.”
I wiggle out of the hug. “Jesus, I’m sorry.”
He grabs me by the front of the shirt and pulls me back in. “Don’t even.”
Deacon squeezes us tight. “We’re gonna need a shower.”
“I haven’t even gotten the tour yet,” Evan says.
“Shower’s part of the tour.”
“Oh, well, in that case.”
I kiss him, and his lips meet mine with more hunger than I was expecting.
“Babe, can you take a break?” I ask Deacon when I pull away to catch my breath.
“Hell yeah.”
Calyx is radiant. He’s one of the most genetically blessed men I’ve ever come across, but I almost can’t reconcile how happy he looks. Even with Sam’s big hand settled on the back of his neck possessively, Calyx is chattering excitedly about the house and how much he likes everything from the size of it to the paint color to the furniture. I’ve never heard him talk this much, and I’m almost positive I’ve never heard him laugh, but he’s like a different person. Like he finally realized he’s in his twenties and not his forties.
“I mean I guess I’m not surprised you wanted to go big,” he’s saying.
“You planning to add more people to your polycule?” Sam asks.
He says it good-naturedly, so I don’t get defensive. “Nothing like that. I’m very happy with my current complications, but I’ve got some ideas on what to do with some of the extra space.”
“Care to share?” Calyx asks.
“Not yet.” I smile at my boyfriend when Deacon joins me, casually sliding an arm around my waist.
“He won’t tell us either,” Deacon says.
