"Kanik, Ayla doesn't realize what she's doing, okay? She had a good hunt, and she was excited about her new dog, and she has no idea that pulling me up against you like that was out of line. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make her feel bad, but I couldn't put more space between us, and - "
"Wait," I begged. "This is because Ayla kissed both of us?" I was clearly missing something. "That's the point of both of us being her partners, Rymar. Well,allof us."
With a heavy sigh, he sank down onto the log he was using before Ayla and Zasen had shown up. "No, not that part."
"Whichpart?" I demanded. "Because I don't fucking like being the brunt of the joke. Not about her." And I looked at Zasen.
He lifted his hands and shook his head. "Nope. My little news comes after this."
Well, shit. Now we had two problems? Not good.
Rymar ducked his head to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I didn't mean to grind my dick against you, okay? I mean, she threw herself at me, and kissed the shit out of me. You can't blame me for being a little shocked - or liking it!"
"No, I can't," I agreed, waiting for the problem.
"So my dick got hard," he shot back. "It happens. But she pulled you in too, and then she didn't let go of me, and I didn't want to make it weird, but your ass was there, and I couldn't really shift, so I tried to, you know..." He made a subtle pushing gesture. "Then I realized that was like grabbing your hip, and Iknow you're not into that, but I don't want to cross any lines. It's not my fault I have a reaction!"
Zasen flicked a finger at him. "He thinks you're hot, Kanik."
"Knew that. He's pretty much the only person who does."
"And Ayla," Rymar mumbled.
"I said 'pretty much,'" I pointed out. A moment later, it was as if someone slapped some sense into me. The obviousness of the problem made the pieces crash into place, and a groan fell from my lips. "You're saying you just went weird because youtouchedme?"
"That was a little more than touching," Rymar mumbled.
Slowly, I nodded, hoping the movement would make this make sense. "Ry, we're partners."
"Not that kind of partners," Zasen said just a little too casually.
"Fuck off!" Rymar snapped.
"And someone has had bad luck with love," Zasen added, looking at me, not Rymar. "You know, the guy he likes is straight, the others are assholes, and then a girl shows up and everything feels like it's too good to be true? Yeah, that bit. And when the guy he likes is wrapped up in it, and then he goes humping your ass..."
"He was not humping my ass," I snapped, but I turned to Rymar next. "Is that really what this is about? You think that somehow, in all the years I've known you, I haven't figured out you like men - or that one of them, for some inexplicable reason, is me?"
"I don't want to put you in a position like that," Rymar told the ground at his feet.
Okay, the pressure in my head was fading fast, but the thing replacing it? Instead of feeling like I'd missed the joke, I was now smothered with guilt. How the fuck could this guy be so upset over something so completely normal?
We needed to fix this now, so I made my way around the fire and moved to sit on the ground beside him, our shoulders almost side by side. "I'm sorry I'm not into men." And I leaned enough to bump him lightly. "I mean, having one of the hottest men in Lorsa think I'm... I don't even know what you think about me. Mostly because you don't talk about it. I knowIthink it's flattering."
"But I would never do that to you," he said. "Kanik, I'm not going to rape you any more than I would Ayla! Or assault, harass, or anything else. You're myfriend!"
Zasen murmured under his breath. "Hm... Sounds like something Ayla would say."
He meant the friend part. That woman treated the title like the greatest thing in the world. To be her friend was bigger than husband or parent. So far, the only thing that seemed to come close in her mind was a dog. It was such an amazingly honest way of looking at things, and ranking them. But in that moment, I realized she had a damned good point.
So I reached up to clasp the back of his neck, making him look at me. "Rymar, I don't care. We're partners, okay? I don't care if you walk into the bath while I'm naked. And if we take that into the future, I don't give a shit if you walk in while I'm fucking her - simply because I have no intention of fucking you or Zasen. That doesn't mean I'm appalled at the idea of being in the same room, sharing the same woman, or anything else."
"Well, yeah..." he tried.
"At the same time," I added, smiling when his eyes finally landed on me. "I'm not an idiot, Ry. It could happen. It might not, but that kiss? She clearly wanted both of us close, and I'm okay with it. We have lived together foryearsnow, and you think I'm going to suddenly get weird about you being you?"
"I shoved my dick against your ass," he explained.
"And?" I asked.
