“What did he say?” Aiden said as we sat down on either side of him, boxing him into the corner.
“Wanted to make sure our intentions were good,” Hunter said with a wry smile. “And he’s sorry you’ve been avoiding us.”
“Dickhead,” Aiden muttered under his breath, shaking his head fondly. “He’s worse than Jonny.”
“They’re probably conspiring. It was Jonny who told us how to find the pub,” I said teasingly as I sipped my beer. It was good. Better than I’d expected.
“Wouldn’t surprise me. They both love to interfere in my life.”
“Does it bother you?” I asked. I fixed him with a hard look. “If you want us to go, then we’ll go.”
“No, don’t. I’m sorry. I… I’m glad you’re here. And I’m sorry for avoiding you. Or drifting away, I guess.”
“Even though you said you wouldn’t?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, that.” He sipped his pint. “You can call me a wanker. It’s all right, Bacon already has. And not affectionately either. I think I’ve hit the limit of his sympathy.”
Hunter’s smile widened a little. “What did you do?”
“Just mope,” Aiden said. He ran his hand through his hair and rested his forearms on the table. “I missed you both. A lot. And that scared me. I’ve always thought I didn’t need anyone, but then I spent two days with you and suddenly I’m getting all these feelings.” He flushed slightly as he picked up his glass, not looking at either of us. “I mean, it was before that, but last week kinda confirmed them.”
“You could have told us,” I said gently, nudging my fingers against his hand. Not really touching, more to let him know I was there.
“I know. I, fuck, I really like you two. And I don’t know if I’ll be any bloody good at this, at being in a relationship, but I want to try. With both of you. Together. All three of us.” He smiled, but there was a terrified spark in his eyes, like he wanted to run away or be sick. He downed the rest of his pint and I bit back a laugh. Looking over the table at Hunter, I could see he felt the same. I still hadn’t told him how I felt. I guessed now was the time to get it all out.
“I want that too,” I said. “With both of you. Hunter, you’re my best friend and I trust you more than anyone else in the world. You balance me out, and you don’t care that we’re so emotionally enmeshed we’re pretty much one person or, like, that weird old married couple who do everything together. I… I’ve loved you for years, probably since we first met, but I don’t think I’d ever have had the courage to act on it without the nudge Aiden gave us.”
“More like a shove,” Hunter said. He was smiling fondly, fighting hard to keep his emotions together. Maybe doing this in the middle of the pub hadn’t been the best idea.
“Yeah, and we needed it. Aiden, you changed everything for me. The first time I saw you, I thought you were hot as fuck, and you just strolled into our lives like you belonged there. And you do. You belong with us, Aiden. Without you, everything wouldfall apart. You take care of me when I’m so tied up taking care of everyone else I forget how to breathe. You help me let go and ask for what I want, but you’re also happy to tell me what to do and I, er, I like that. Kind of need it sometimes to be honest. I know this is new, and fucking terrifying, but we need you.Ineed you.”
“I need you too,” Hunter said, shifting slightly in his seat. I wondered if he’d moved his foot under the table to touch Aiden’s. He did that to me when he wanted reassurance in public. “The first time we met, you saw right through me, like I was made of glass. All the things I’d never allowed myself to want, you handed them to me with a smile and that was it. You didn’t make a big deal of it, or act like I wasn’t supposed to want the things I do. And you didn’t care that me and Bailey had feelings for each other—even if we were shit at acknowledging them?—”
“So shit,” Aiden said with a teasing smile. He’d relaxed with every word we said, the realisation that we really wanted him finally starting to sink in. It was a beautiful thing to watch.
It was too early to tell him I loved him, but I already knew that was how I felt. And one day I’d tell him and press my love into his skin with my lips. Maybe the three of us would find a flat together, or a house, and Hunter and I would take Aiden to Ibiza, spend days lounging on our sofa under the huge crochet blanket Hunter wanted to make, kiss each other as much as physically possible, fuck until we were exhausted, and figure out the rest of our lives.
I already knew that was what I wanted with him and Hunter.
I just had to wait for them to catch up.
But I was a patient man. I’d waited this long; I could wait another few months. Years if I had to.
Hunter smiled, and I wished I could lean across the table and kiss him. Kiss both of them. “Yeah, we were. Still are. I mean, this is the first time I’ve told Bailey how I really feel.”
“Jesus Christ, and I’m the emotionally constipated one?” Aiden asked.
“You can have the gold medal,” I said. “We’ll tie for silver.”
“Fine, but you’re not far behind.” He turned back to Hunter, and out of the corner of my eye I watched him nudge Hunter’s knee under the table with his own. “Sorry, baby, you were saying.”
“Just that, you’ve never had a problem with me and Bailey coming as a pair. We didn’t have to choose between us.”
“I’d never make you choose,” Aiden said. “If anything, I thought you’d choose each other and decide you didn’t need me. I was ready to be a footnote in your relationship.”
“That’s never going to happen,” I said sharply. “It’s the three of us or nothing.”
Hunter nodded. “Agreed. I don’t want one of you. I’m greedy. I want both.”
