4. Gary
Gary ordered the pizzas from his phone, trying to calm his heart rate before he had a heart attack. As calm and collected as he was on the outside, inside, he was screaming for it to be real. His and Rowan’s dream was within reach, but he needed Lev and Bryan to be sure. He refused to hurt Rowan if things went wrong. Refused to hurt any of them.
“Okay,” he said, putting his phone on the side table. “Who wants to start?”
“How about you?” Rowan said, sipping his wine and raising his eyebrow at him.
Gary’s mouth twitched. He’d get his ass paddled for that one day. “Fine.” He faced Lev and Bryan, trying to gather his thoughts. “Rowan dropped that bombshell on you, but it doesn’t mean we won’t accept it if you say no. We will never do anything to hurt you,” he said to Lev. “Never.”
Lev nodded, his hands trembling while holding the glass close to his chest. “I think that’s what I’m worried about most.” He blanched. “Not the being hurt thing. I mean, how things would be if I don’t like it.” He ducked his head, and Gary loved the shyness. “But if…that was anything to go by, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
Gary and Bryan chuckled. “Yes, we did seem to have chemistry,” Bryan said, resting his hand on Lev’s nape. Lev’s tension lessened at the touch, and Gary noted that in case he needed it later.
“We can try for one night, and then, if you decide you want more, we can figure out rules and stuff after.”
Lev frowned. “Rules?”
Gary smiled. “Like if we can see each other outside of the foursome or if we only work as a team.”
Lev’s expression cleared, and he nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Do you have any questions, sweetheart?” Bryan asked Lev.
Taking a sip of the wine, Lev studied the floor, and Bryan held up a hand to let them know to give him time, although Gary already knew Lev’s thinking face. While they waited, Gary studied Rowan; the slight trembling of his body gave away his excitement. Rowan reminded him of a chihuahua who could hear its owner but had to stay still until they came into the room—barely restrained.
“Only one. When can we do this?”
Lev’s question hung in the air, trembling with its weight, but Bryan broke it by chuckling. “So impatient. Do you want to think about this some more?”
Lev glanced at him, scraping his teeth over his bottom lip. “No. I’ve been thinking and thinking for weeks now. I want to know. No more waiting.”
Gary inhaled at the sheer strength Lev showed in those words. He was all in. “When?”
Lev licked his lips. “Tonight?” His voice cracked at the end, belying his confidence, but Gary trusted him to know his own mind.
“Bryan?” he asked, glancing at his best friend. Bryan nodded, the corners of his mouth curving as he stared at his husband. “Rowan?”
“Hell, yes.” He glanced at Gary. “You?”
He nodded. “No time like the present.”
“Holy shit,” Lev whispered, though louder than Gary thought he meant to because they each laughed, and Lev rubbed his nose as his cheeks flamed.
“Finish your wine, Lev,” Gary said. “Food should be here soon.”
He reached for the remote and switched the TV on, scrolling to a show he and Rowan were in the middle of watching. He knew from previous conversations that Lev and Bryan had already seen the show, so there wouldn’t be spoilers. He just had to make sure Bryan kept his mouth shut and didn’t spoil it for them.
Pointing his fingers at Bryan, he warned, “Don’t say a word.”
Bryan grinned and threw his arm around Lev, pulling him closer. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
They sat in companionable silence—well, apart from the mutterings coming from the opposite sofa, mutterings he chose to ignore—until the food arrived, and then he nipped into the kitchen to grab Lev a plate before handing out the food to each of them.
He truly wanted Lev to relax, and it seemed like it was working. He had noticed him glancing at them from time to time, but he didn’t acknowledge it, not wanting Lev to get embarrassed or upset about it. Rowan had been blunt earlier in the evening, and though Gary wouldn’t have chosen that way of telling them how much they wanted their best friends, he was glad it was out there. But that being said, he hated the idea of Lev feeling shaky about how much they wanted him and whether he could say no. And it would be something he would acknowledge as soon as they were in the room he wanted them to end the night in.
When the second episode ended, Gary paused it before the third started and gathered the empty dishes. Rowan groaned and rubbed his stomach.
“I shouldn’t have eaten so much.”
Lev threw a cushion at him. “I told you to slow down. You should’ve listened.”
“You could say the same. You ate that entire plate!”
Lev grinned. “I did, but I have plenty of space.” He patted his stomach.
“Well, if we’re talking about stomachs…” Bryan lifted the bottom of his T-shirt and slapped his skin, the slight ripple of his skin showing his love of food, but it didn’t detract from his appeal. Gary wasn’t one to link a wonderful personality with good looks. Not that Bryan wasn’t good-looking to him, he was.
Gary disappeared into the kitchen while everyone laughed at their antics. He put the plates in the sink to deal with later and wandered to the pantry to choose another bottle of wine. The food should’ve soaked up what they’d already drunk, but a little more liquid courage wouldn’t hurt.
“What about you, Gary?”
Lev’s voice surprised him, but thankfully, he tightened his hold on the bottle instead of letting it go. He glanced over his shoulder, and Lev stood near him, wringing his hands.
“What about me what?”
“Are you wishing you hadn’t eaten so much, or did you pace yourself?”
Gary’s mouth twitched, and he locked gazes with him. “I always pace myself.” There was an alternate meaning to his words, and when Lev’s cheeks flushed, he knew he’d got his point across. He stepped closer to him, wanting to gauge his reaction to his closeness, and Lev didn’t back up. His breathing picked up, his cheeks darkened further, and he swayed from foot to foot, but he stood his ground. “Would you like some more wine, Lev?”
Lev glanced down at the bottle he held, licked his lips, but shook his head. “I think I’ve had enough.”
“What do you need from me?”
Lev swallowed hard but then met his gaze again, those green eyes shining with determination. “I know you’re waiting for me to show you I’m okay with this, but waiting only makes me worry that you’re doing this for me and not because you want to. If you’re waiting for me, I’m ready. I want to see whether we can become more. I do want this.”
Gary put the bottle on the table and put his hand on Lev’s chest, pushing him back against the wall and caging him with his arms. He curled a finger under his chin and lifted. “I wasn’t making you wait for only that reason. I was making the rest of us calm down. Too many heightened emotions can cause messages to be missed or misinterpreted. I wanted us all on an even keel so we can all work ourselves up together.” He brushed his fingertip across Lev’s lower lip. “I’m assuming you’re impatient?”
He asked it like a question, but he didn’t mean it as one, and Lev seemed to understand because he didn’t reply. Gary lowered his head, stopping a millimetre from Lev’s mouth.
“Shall we figure out just how compatible we all are?” he whispered. A question he wanted an answer to.
Lev exhaled shakily. “Yes, please,” he whispered.
Gary smirked. “Come on then, little rabbit. Let’s collect the others and find out if we can make music together.”
He pulled away, a quiet whimper leaving Lev’s mouth before he swallowed it back. He threaded his fingers through Lev’s and tugged him into the living room, making sure to keep his gaze on him, even though it meant he had to walk backwards. He knew the layout of his house and furniture, so he had a good idea of where things were.
“I think it’s time we had some fun, don’t you, little rabbit?” Gary said to the entire room, but mainly Lev, giving him the chance to acknowledge what he wanted.
“Definitely,” Lev said.
Gary smiled and nodded, pleased Lev’s voice was strong with his conviction. He brought Lev’s hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles, finally pulling his gaze away from him to look at Rowan, who wore a shit-eating grin, and Bryan, who looked proud. Just like Gary was.
Their little rabbit might fear what was about to happen, but he was willing to grab it with both hands. Now, they needed to make it the best experience he had, and Gary knew just how to do it.