12. Gary
As Gary led Bryan to the same sofa he and Lev had occupied moments before, he rubbed his lips together, remembering the searing kiss he’d shared with Lev. He hadn’t expected him to lean closer and kiss him while they’d been talking about the school fair that Gary was helping to organise, but afterwards, Lev had apologised and explained that he had been so overwhelmed by how much Gary cared about the kids he had in his school. Lev was…perfect.
And now Gary had the chance to build more bridges with Bryan, a man he’d known for several years before their respective partners had ever met. Their work had crossed over in places, and they’d had joint meetings. Eventually, Bryan asked Gary if he wanted to go for a drink to celebrate their success with one child, and Gary agreed. They both knew they were married, and it had been a platonic offer. Several celebratory meetings later, Gary had invited Bryan to the birthday party Rowan was throwing for him, and that was when they’d clicked.
It might have taken years before they reached the point they were at then, but it was worth it.
“You’re thinking hard again, Gary. What’s up?”
Gary smiled. “Just thinking of when we introduced those two.” He gestured to the corner where their husbands snuggled together.
“I’ve never seen two people click as quickly as they did.” Bryan chuckled.
“It’s going to be worse now.” Gary shook his head and refocused on Bryan. “How are you holding up about all this?”
Bryan took his time to answer, and Gary appreciated it. “I’m good. You know I’ve had poly relationships before Lev, so I know how it goes, but I’ve never wanted it to work as much as I do now.”
Gary reached across and took his hand. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Not anymore. Lev seems to have settled into the idea a lot quicker than most.”
“It helps that we talk to him and explain things. Communication is always key, but here, it’s vital.”
“Thank you for kissing me earlier tonight,” Gary said, changing the subject slightly. “I had wanted to, but I knew we needed to figure out the rules first.”
Bryan huffed a laugh. “I wanted to as well. I’m glad they let us. It was…” Bryan shook his head.
“Explosive?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
“Did you know that Lev realised it and that his running upstairs was an excuse to call Rowan to get permission?” Bryan’s eyes widened, and Gary chuckled. “I guess not.”
“I can’t believe that, but I’m glad he did.” Bryan put his beer down and reached across the space, resting his hand on the side of Gary’s neck, his thumb brushing across his jaw. “Again?”
“Maybe slightly less risqué than that one?”
Bryan sighed and then grinned. “If we must.”
Their lips met, and that frisson of awareness punched him in the gut again. If he had to guess who he was kissing just by taste, he would’ve been able to because they each had a unique twist to their kisses, not to mention the way they kissed was slightly different, too. Bryan had a rougher, more demanding and insistent kiss, while Lev had a more tentative and shyer one. Rowan, however, latched on until they couldn’t breathe. Gary could be either of those things, depending on his partner, and while he wanted to deepen the kiss with Bryan like they had earlier, there was no telling what they’d end up doing if he didn’t rein it in. He gentled the kiss, telling Bryan without words that they needed to stop, and they rested their foreheads together.
“We can’t do that in public too much,” Bryan said, pulling back and adjusting himself.
“I agree.” Gary gulped his lemonade, hoping to cool his arousal, but glancing over at their husbands, he groaned and pressed a hand to his groin. “Fuck.”
Rowan and Lev’s kissing was a sight to behold—well, watching any of them kiss was—but Lev was trying to climb into Rowan’s lap while Rowan tried to stop him, laughing.
“We definitely need to keep an eye on them,” Bryan said with a groan. “They’re going to kill us off.”
“And we’d stand there and let them do it,” Gary added.
“Without a doubt.”
“As much as I want to spend more time talking to you, I think it’s time we went home.” Gary stood.
Bryan copied, and they headed over to the other two pieces of their puzzle. “Home time,” Bryan said, holding out his hand for Lev.
Lev pouted but didn’t deny him. Gary reached for Rowan, and his husband grinned and jumped up, throwing his arms around his neck.
“I’ve had a wonderful time,” Rowan said. “We should do this more often.”
“We will,” Bryan said. “But for now, we should get home. We still have to work tomorrow.”
Rowan and Lev groaned but didn’t argue when they led them to the door. They received more than one set of stares as they strode through the room, but he ignored them. They had no bearing on their relationship, and if they had a problem with Gary’s, they could keep it to themselves.
Helping their slightly drunk husbands into the back seat of the car, Gary and Bryan climbed into the front, laughing.
“They’re either going to fall asleep straight away or fool around and distract us,” Bryan said, buckling his seatbelt.
“I’m betting on the latter.” Gary eyed the rearview mirror, Rowan’s and Lev’s heads already leaning close as they whispered. He shook his head and started the car, heading for Bryan and Lev’s home. Bryan’s hand reached over and rested on Gary’s leg. “You had this all planned out, didn’t you?”
Bryan chuckled. “A little. I knew what I wanted us to do because I wanted Lev to become more confident in who he was with us as individuals as well as a quad, but it worked better than even I imagined.”
“Are you going to tell your parents?” Gary said after a few seconds of silence.
Bryan exhaled, staring out of the side window. “I honestly don’t know. I rarely talk to them anyway, as you know. I don’t know whether there’s any point because we all know what their reaction will be. I don’t think I want the hassle. What do you think?”
Gary considered their dynamic as it stood then, with Bryan’s parents knowing about Lev and that’s all, and how when they did speak, it was barely cordial. And then he considered how that would change if Bryan told them about the four of them. Those barely cordial words would either disappear or become infected with malice.
“I wouldn’t bother. I don’t mind them not knowing about us. It doesn’t stop us from being who we are if they do know.”
Bryan nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. Why make our lives harder by telling them? I’ll double-check with Lev tomorrow, but I think we’ll be on the same page. What about your parents?”
“You know them. They’ll be fine.” He sighed and glanced in the rearview mirror again. “Rowan’s parents will not take it well, though. We’ll talk about it, but I think the less they know, the better.”
Rowan sat forward, poking his head between the seats. “No, I’m going to tell them. I fully expect them to disown me, but I’m fine with that. I have you all, who accept me for everything I am, and I’m not willing to hide. If they don’t see what an amazing relationship I have with the four of you, then that’s on them.”
He sat back again, and pride filled Gary’s heart. There was that strength he’d built up over the years, and Gary couldn’t help how happy it made him. Not that Rowan losing his family made him happy, but Rowan had to make his own decisions about it.
“Let’s give it a couple of weeks before you decide, okay, sweetie?” he said.
Rowan frowned at him but nodded and went back to talking to Lev, who had cuddled into Rowan’s arms when he’d sat back.
“Maybe I should take a leaf out of his book,” Bryan said. “Every time I need to talk to them, it takes me far too long to pluck up the courage. Cutting ties with them might be easier.”
“Yeah, but easier isn’t always the best route.”
Bryan glanced over his shoulder at the back seat. “I have no idea how Lev’s parents would take it.”
“There’s no rush to do anything, so we have time to make plans, test the waters and decide what we’re going to do.” Gary squeezed Bryan’s hand. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Bryan smiled and nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Looking after the people in his car was going to be Gary’s sole focus. He wouldn’t let anything hurt them if he could stop it. As Lev had rightly described the previous night, they were each other’s foundations, walls and roofs, and as much as he loved the furniture inside, it could be changed and moved and redecorated however they saw fit. No one else had permission to say it needed changing. Rowan, Bryan and Lev were home, and that’s all there was to it.