Theinitial dread of spilling a bit of his truth had fizzled away before they’d even left the restaurant. Kaiden always had a way of making words pour right out of Dylan, to say anything, share anything, and know he wouldn’t end up judged. His past wasn’t necessarily a topic he intentionally avoided, merely something he believed too much of a downer to discuss. Though he’d come to realize all too quickly there was no topic off the table with Kaiden or Rus. They both carried such curiosity and compassion. It emboldened Dylan to think or speak anything on his mind, from the silly to the somber.
After they left, Dylan drove everyone home, starting with Rus. He figured Kaiden could use the buffer before returning to his place, given the headache his family had brought him.
“No one’s going to walk me upstairs?” Rus asked, coyly hiding his lips behind the collar of his shirt. “I do hope I get home safely.”
With a grin, Dylan slipped out of his car and opened Kaiden’s door to drag him along too. Rus lingered at his door, fumblingwith keys as he recapped the night. Since casual chitchat quickly failed them, Dylan kissed Rus goodnight, slow and passionate. Suddenly, Rus managed to unlock his door despite his attention fixed on Dylan’s lips.
When Kaiden shifted awkwardly beside them, Dylan yanked him by the tie and turned his attention to his other boyfriend. His best friend. Fuck, how he loved having Kaiden in his life this way, loved exploring this newfound journey together, loved every little surprise Rus brought into their lives.
Rus stepped into the tiny apartment, and Dylan backstepped with Kaiden in tow, their mouths still pressed together. Dylan led Kaiden’s lips, guiding their mouths and slowly pushing him back to the bed. Rus plopped down first, watching them kiss, but Dylan soon followed after, dropping beside him. He held out his hand, awaiting Kaiden’s decision.
Kaiden stared down at Dylan, and for a moment, he worried he’d linger above and find some reason not to join them on the bed. Instead, he carefully knelt and crawled between Rus and Dylan.
The three pressed against each other, lips smacking back and forth, and Dylan lost himself to the bliss of their kiss.
Before long, Kaiden rolled on top of Dylan, straddling his waist and kissing him. Rus nibbled on Dylan’s neck, teasing him and surely on the verge of leaving a hickey.
“Don’t mark my neck too badly,” Dylan said between kisses, losing himself on Kaiden’s mouth.
“Just gonna spell my name out,” Rus teased, licking and sucking on Dylan’s neck.
“Can you even fit Russell on his neck?” Kaiden chuckled.
“My name’s not Russell,” Rus said with a slight scoff.
“Seriously?” Kaiden tilted his head, leaning against Dylan’s shoulder. “What is it?”
“I’ll only tell if I can spell it out on Dylan’s neck.”
“Absolutely not,” Dylan declared, sweeping his arms around Kaiden and pulling him into a closer embrace. “Use Kaiden as your canvas, that’s what I’m planning anyway.”
And with that, he shoved his tongue down his boyfriend’s throat before he could protest. Kaiden giggled and playfully resisted, giving Rus a look as he went to move his hickey attention onto him instead.
The sweet kiss goodnight had turned into a full-blown make-out session with Dylan and Rus focusing their attention on Kaiden in equal measure. Kaiden wriggled a bit, ticklish from Rus’ touch, from the graze of Dylan’s hands swishing along the delicate lace of Kaiden’s corset vest. Oh, how he wanted to rip through the fine fabric, but he resisted. In return, his patience paid off with Kaiden arching his back at Dylan’s touch. He continued straddling Dylan’s waist, lips lost on each other.
When Rus’ hand met Dylan’s, he gently guided him to the strings of Kaiden’s outfit. The pair locked eyes for a moment, each taking their time with Kaiden, and their gaze said everything since words were lost to them. They worked together, unfastening the strings of the corset vest, preparing to take this night to the next step.
“We can’t just hook up on a first date,” Kaiden said, taking a breathy pause as he pulled his lips away from Dylan.
It made him hunger for Kaiden all the more.
“Says who?” Rus asked, curiously cocking his head.
The way he questioned people always drew Dylan in. Rus never asked out of confusion, out of some need for clarification. No, his look often came with an assertive demand. Hesought justification in the answer, certainty from whoever he questioned.
“It’s just not what people do,” Kaiden said, fumbling with his words. “Right? I mean, is slow the norm?”
Dylan lowered his hands, still craving Kaiden’s touch, and fueled by a desire to rip off their clothes. “Is slow what you want?”
“No. Not at all. I don’t think so, anyway, but I’m not the best judge on dating rules.”
“Me either.” Dylan smirked.
“To be clear, we can go as fast or slow as you’re comfortable with,” Rus replied. “As all of us are comfortable with. No pressure.”
“Plus, I think thoserulesyou’re so worried about apply to couples, not throuples,” Dylan added.
“And I’ve never been one to follow unprecedented societal norms just because it’s what everyone else does,” Rus commented. “Fuck everyone else.”
