Chapter 6
Chapter Six
SKY
“I would make love to you both like that for the rest of my life,” Jackson said, his voice somewhat drowned out by the spray of the showerhead.
It was the following Sunday morning, and they’d woken up before Tyler, their biological clocks synced after years of waking up to the same alarm. Sky and Tyler had gone on a solo date Friday night, coming back to find Jackson waiting for them in bed with three glasses of wine and an assortment of tiny cakes. Sky loved tiny cakes, and he was well aware that both of his lovers were only humoring him in eating the little treats, but it filled him with a helium-like joy to have a surprise picnic on their bed.
“It did feel different than it has before,” Sky said, canting his head back in pleasure as Jackson gently scratched his scalp. He’d been idly washing shampoo out of Sky’s hair for almost ten minutes, but Sky wasn’t going to complain.
They’d gone to brunch and then a museum Saturday afternoon, and they’d come back to the house mentally exhausted after reading all the little plaques and signs. Sky had curled up on the couch and refused to move for dinner or after dinner, when his men tried to tempt him with offers of a massage and cuddles.
Tyler had finally scooped him up, something that had immediately made Sky’s libido go haywire, and carried him into the bedroom. Sky clung to him, demanding he put that strength to good use in their bed immediately. Jackson would occasionally pick him up when he was too sleepy to make the journey into the bedroom, but he was always gentle and careful with him. Sky loved being doted on and so tenderly cared for. Honestly, though, he’d always wanted to be thrown around, just a little.
Tyler laughed at him, but when Sky bit his shoulder—playfully, of course—Tyler grunted and tossed Sky onto the bed. Before Sky could formulate a protest, Tyler grabbed him by the ankles and yanked him down the bed until he was flat on his back with both of his partners looming over him.
“I’ve seen you admiring my muscles,” Tyler said, yanking off his shirt and kicking off his pants and boxers. “And we both know how unbelievably strong and powerful Jackson is.” Tyler turned and, with a quick nod from Jackson, peeled his shirt off over his head.
Sky drank in his husband’s big body, from his broad shoulders Sky liked to fall asleep against to his barrel chest and soft belly. He wanted to feel Jackson on top, behind, underneath, or somehow touching him, right now.
He reached for both of them, but Tyler shook his head with a devious grin. He slowly pulled off Jackson’s pants and then painstakingly slowly lowered his boxers to the ground.
“How about if we put our strength to good use tonight,” Tyler said, kneeling on the bed to thread his arms under Sky. He lifted him up with ease, and together, he and Jackson got him undressed while he was still airborne.
With some instruction from Tyler, he and Jackson got situated facing each other. Sky was expecting them to take him at the same time, which seemed to be their collective favorite position. Tyler had other ideas, though. Tyler pulled Sky down onto his cock, spreading him open with shallow thrusts until finally he sank all the way down.
“God, you feel so good,” Tyler murmured, rocking his hips just enough to get Sky nice and wet. “I think Jackson deserves to feel this good too, though.”
Tyler picked Sky up and transferred him to Jackson’s lap, gently easing him down onto Jackson’s cock. Sky was so confused, he allowed the switch, but when Jackson pulled the same move a minute later, he caught onto the game.
The next time Tyler tried to remove him, Sky whined and begged, but he was no match for one, let alone both of their strengths. He ended up clawing at Tyler’s back and clutching uselessly at Jackson’s shoulders each time they lifted him up and off their cocks. Tyler was committed to flexing his tantalizing biceps and puffing his chest out, much to Sky’s enjoyment. Jackson was a lot less show-boaty, but he, too, seemed to be enjoying the power play.
Sky was finally allowed to come, and he thought maybe he’d be bratty and demand to be cuddled without letting either of them finish. Instead, he was flipped onto his back, and Tyler descended on him, quickly spreading his ass open with a few talented fingers, using Sky’s cum as lube. Tyler and Jackson took turns making love to him missionary style, each of them getting close and then passing the baton to the other.
Sky didn’t always call it making love. What they had done before had without a shadow of a doubt been fucking, but there was just no other word for the way his two lovers tenderly took him apart, piece by piece. He felt utterly broken down, just a scattering of lust, love, and ache, when Jackson reached between his legs and started stroking him in time with Tyler’s thrusts.
He came with a long scream and began trembling uncontrollably. Tyler wrapped him in his arms, and barrel rolled them so Sky was able to curl up on his chest. He drifted between sleep and consciousness, feeling the shifts in Tyler’s body as Jackson prepped him, and then sank into him with a rumbling moan.
Sky had pried his eyes open long enough to see the love-drenched expression on Jackson’s face. He wasn’t sure if Tyler saw it, too. If he did, Sky also didn’t know if Tyler knew what it meant, but at that moment, Sky had known for sure.
“Maybe because we’re falling in love,” Jackson said, turning the dial on the shower up a notch.
Sky had suspected for a while now that Jackson was not only falling but probably already in love with Tyler. Part of him reveled in getting to watch his tender-hearted, sometimes guarded husband open up to another person. Sky hadn’t seen him this invested, outside of their own relationship, since Connor.
Tyler seemed to be getting increasingly invested in their relationship, as well. There were the obvious signs, like a few pieces of his clothes in their closet and the increased number of nights he was spending in their bed. There was also the way he whispered “mine” and “yours” during sex. Yet, there were other things he said, or didn’t say, that sometimes made Sky feel like they weren’t always on the same page.
He sighed, but his thoughts slowly began to settle as Jackson dug his fingers into Sky’s lower back. Most of his tension lived there, and Jackson always knew exactly how to fix it. He always tried to fix everything for Sky, which is why when things fell apart the following weekend, Sky knew he had to be the one to fix it this time.
* * *
“You’re perfect for us, gorgeous,” Jackson murmured, pressing sweet kisses into Tyler’s sweat-drenched hair.
A competitive night of hunting zombies on Jackson’s Xbox had somehow sent them into an hours-long love-making session, and Sky wasn’t complaining one bit. Jackson also looked pleased as hell, and Tyler was his typical beaming self.
“You do fit perfectly between us…under us…behind me,” Sky said as he squirmed in Tyler’s arms. He was currently lying on his chest, cheek pressed against the sharp line of his collarbone.
Tyler hummed and squeezed Sky’s hip in a way that felt like an invitation. Sky wasn’t entirely sure if he was up for another round, but he’d gladly watch. Tyler shifted underneath him, as if preparing to get up, but Jackson stilled them both with a hand on Sky’s back.
“Tyler,” Jackson said, the gravity in his voice pinning them down even more than his heavy hand, “I’m so glad we found each other. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this about someone who wasn’t Sky.”
Tyler’s breathing was just beginning to even back out, but Sky heard the way it hitched on his next inhale.
“I think…” Jackson murmured, rubbing his hand absently across Sky’s naked back. “I think I’m in love with you.”
Sky felt all the places Tyler’s body tensed, from his pecs down to his corded hamstrings.
“Jacks…that means a lot to me,” Tyler said, as his ab muscles flexed against Sky’s belly. “Truly, to know you can care about me as much as you care about Sky, that’s…that’s really special.”
The answering silence made Sky grimace. At this point, Sky was also relatively certain he was in love with Tyler, but he’d hesitated to bring it up for this exact reason. Some part of him had suspected that Tyler didn’t reciprocate the feeling–for either of them. He had no doubt Tyler cared about them, but something seemed different for him.
“I hope you know that I care about you, too. I just don’t know if…if things work the same for me,” Tyler tried again.
Jackson let out a breath like he’d been punched. “What does that mean? What things?”
Sky closed his eyes and hid his face against Tyler’s neck, not wanting to watch the fallout.
“I don’t…I don’t know how I feel,” Tyler admitted. “Or, I mean, I don’t know what to call how I feel. I don’t know if it’s love or lust or like or friendship?—“
Jackson made a scoffing noise, and Tyler snapped his mouth closed with an audible click. He slowly sat up, giving Sky the chance to scoot out of his lap so they could all face each other.
Sky felt torn in a way he’d never been before. He watched as stress etched itself into every contour of his husband's face; meanwhile, his boyfriend looked about ready to bolt for the door. He took both their hands in his and tried to think of some way to diffuse the tension, but Jackson steamrolled ahead.
“I’m sorry–you don’t know if how you feel about me is friendship ?”
Tyler’s shoulders were rising to meet his ears, and goose bumps broke out across Sky’s arms. It was like the room was charged with the electricity that comes right before a storm hits.
“I mean, we are friends, right?” Tyler said. “We started as coworkers and then became friends and then really good friends–having really good sex–and now–”
“And now we’re dating,” Jackson interrupted, his voice rising in pitch, while his volume stayed relatively low.
Sky had always been grateful that Jackson wasn’t the type of man to raise his voice. His tone would change, and his body would pull taut as a bow, but as far as Sky knew, he had never yelled at anyone.
“You’ve been dating me—you’ve been dating us for almost two months and fucking us for even more than that. You have your own drawer and a corner of our closet, a designated seat at our table, and a place in our bed, and you—“ Jackson’s voice broke, and he pulled his hand out of Sky’s to grip the bridge of his nose.
Tyler’s fingers flexed, but he left his hand in Sky’s for the moment. “You’re right, I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right. I know we’re more than casual friends. I just meant I–I need a little more time to figure out how I feel. I care about you both, and I love that I have my things here and that I’m starting to spend more time here than out in the suburbs. It makes my commute shorter and makes it easier to see you both.”
Jackson dropped his hand to stare at Tyler. “You did not just say that you like our relationship because it makes your commute shorter.”
Tyler’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. Jackson pushed off the bed, and Tyler paled, his fingers squeezing Sky’s painfully tight.
“Do you truly not have anything else to say for yourself?” Jackson demanded. “You pretty much just called me and Sky friends with benefits, and the benefits are getting to stay closer to work and–” Jackson cut himself off as emotion choked his voice, then turned around to pull on his discarded pants.
Tyler dropped Sky’s hand so he could scramble towards the end of the bed. Sky wrapped their rumpled sheets around his shoulders. At this point, he didn’t think there was anything he could do. This was how it had gone with Connor, too. He and Jackson had fought, and Sky had barely gotten a word in edgewise before their relationship ended.
“Jackson, please, that’s not what I meant. I?—”
Tyler tripped trying to get his leg into his pants, and Jackson used it as an opportunity to snatch up his shirt as he left the room. Tyler finally managed to get his pants and shirt on and he rushed after him.
Sky grabbed a pillow and bent over at the waist, burying his face in it as surprise tears burned across his eyes. He heard their front door slam once and then a second time, and he pulled the blankets up over his head. As if all of his tears had been collecting, just waiting for this moment, Sky cried harder than he had in years. When he had nothing left but an aching throat and pounding headache, he eventually fell asleep.
He awoke some time later to Jackson stroking his hair back from his face.
“Hi,” Sky croaked, rubbing at his gritty eyes and sticky cheeks.
“Hi, my love.”
Sky looked around, hoping Tyler would magically pop out of the floor. Sadly, he was nowhere to be seen.
“Did Tyler…”
“He went home. I think he might have tried to catch up to me, but I took the car and went for a drive to clear my head. He texted us that he went home to do some thinking.”
Sky tipped his head back to look at the ceiling as, somehow, tears began to form yet again. Apparently, they’d found a trigger point for him.
“Sky,” Jackson breathed, and Sky squeezed his eyes shut, accidentally pushing more tears out. “I’m so sorry, love.“
“It’s…well, it’s not okay, but I do understand. I’ve been having mixed feelings about Tyler—” At Jackson’s horrified gasp, Sky opened his eyes and rushed to clarify. “I mean, my feelings are very clear for him. I love him. I want to be with him, probably forever. But I’ve been getting mixed signals from him, and it’s made me hesitate to share my feelings. I think it’s incredibly brave that you shared yours, but…I guess I’m not entirely surprised it went the way it did.”
Jackson bent forward and rested his forehead on Sky’s shoulder. “I just couldn’t hold it in any longer.”
Sky carded his fingers through Jackson’s disheveled hair. Love was such a strange adventure. Here he was, filled with more love than he’d ever felt for Jackson–and yet also aching frustration with a dash of fear. If things didn’t end up working out with Tyler, Sky would just as much blame himself as he would Jackson. This fight, though, he placed squarely on his two lovers.
Still. He wasn’t one to languish in grief for long.
“It’s okay… It’s all going to be okay,” Sky soothed, scratching his fingers gently over the soft hairs at the base of Jackson’s neck.
He shivered and wrapped his arms around Sky’s back. “I…I don’t know if that’s true.”
Sky shushed him and continued stroking his hair. Sky knew it was true because he was going to do what he should have done a long time ago: take matters into his own hands.
An idea had been forming in Sky’s head for a while, and something about the way Tyler struggled to articulate his feelings was ringing a lot of familiar bells.
One of the folks Sky and Jackson had dated, Samson, was still one of Sky’s good friends. They mostly kept up with each other on social media, but occasionally they would grab drinks and catch up. Sky messaged him that evening and asked if he would be willing to grab a coffee the following morning.
Samson was gray-ace, and it had been a much-discussed aspect of their relationship. Sky hadn’t known much about asexuality before, but he’d learned a lot through dating Samson. He’d also learned a bit about aromanticism.
Sky waited until Samson had taken a bite of his muffin and had at least two sips of Rainbow Bean’s newest blend of coffee before launching into his first question. He’d jotted down over twenty in his notes app the previous night, and he tried to keep his emotions in check as he dove in. Samson laughed good-naturedly and, after insisting that he didn’t speak for all aro-ace folks, did his best to answer.
“So, this hypothetical person you’re speaking of sounds like they might be aspec. As I know I’ve told you before, asexual people come in all different flavors and have wildly different inclinations. While most asexual folks experience little to no sexual desire, they can still engage in sex and be in sexual relationships if they choose. The same can be said of aromantic folk. Many of them experience love of different flavors and are in relationships–they just might look different from alloromantic relationships, like yours and my relationship looked sexually different from your sexual relationship with Jackson.”
Sky felt the tension he’d been carrying for the past twelve hours dissipate, and he stopped shredding his napkin in his lap. “Is there anything wrong with trying to be in a romantic relationship with someone who’s aromantic?” Samson raised a thick eyebrow at him, and Sky stumbled to answer his own question. “As long as it's consensual…would it be the same as being in a consenting sexual relationship with someone who’s on the ace spectrum?”
Samson gave him a sarcastic slow clap, and Sky threw a straw wrapper at him.
“I know you did a lot of research back when we were dating,” Samson said, pulling Sky’s wrapper off his shoulder and placing it on his empty plate. “I’d recommend you do some reading, maybe watch some vlogs or videos. The aspec experience is vastly different, and I won’t pretend like I know for certain what this person is feeling. I imagine, though, that if you’re going to potentially offer them an accepting hand out of the closet, you’d better come prepared with a deeper understanding than you have now.”
Sky placed the shredded remains of his napkin onto his empty plate, and Samson reached across the table, squeezing his bicep in that reassuring way he used to do.
Sky turned the conversation to Samson’s new partner, and Sky’s heart warmed at the way he absolutely lit up as he described him.
“For what it’s worth, it sounds like this hypothetical person really wants to be with you,” Samson said, as they both stood up to leave. “Mixing allosexual and ace or alloromantic and aro isn’t easy, but I think it’s often worth it. I’m sure you experience that as well, being trans in relationships with cis men. As you probably know, if enough care, compassion, and understanding are given, it can all work out in the end.”
He sent Sky a few articles on aromanticism and recommended a few influencers who spoke about their experiences being aro in an allo-favoring world. Sky watched videos until his eyes crossed and took over four pages of notes before he figured he’d done all he could on his own.
That night, he discussed everything with Jackson. It quickly became apparent that Jackson would need to do his own research, as his questions grew in complexity and far surpassed what Sky had gauged from his own study.
Sky put on Tyler’s hoodie, which he’d left behind in his mad dash to follow Jackson. His smell washed over Sky like calming incense at a spa. He pulled his knees up to his chest and pulled the bottom of the sweatshirt down around his knees until it just barely brushed the tops of his toes. Sky could fit his entire curled up body in Jackson’s sweatshirts. It stretched them out a little, so he only did it to the ones he knew Jackson didn’t care about. He was pretty sure Tyler liked this hoodie. He knew Jackson definitely liked the way he looked in it, and Sky liked the way the well-worn fabric felt against his bare chest when they snuggled. He made sure he wasn’t pulling on any of the seams before he buried his face in the fabric, taking in such a deep breath his middle back popped.
With a sigh, he reached for his phone and clicked Tyler’s contact photo in his favorites.
“Hello?” Tyler answered on the fifth ring, his voice sounding almost as exhausted as Sky felt.
“Hi, baby.”
Tyler let out a soft breath. “Hi, sweetheart. Are you okay? Are you…both okay?”
Sky glanced across the room at where Jackson was engrossed in his research. “We’re fine, Ty. We missed you today. I miss you… a lot ,” Sky whispered, emotion clogging his voice.
“Oh, Sky…I’m sorry. I don’t even know how that went so wrong, so fast, but–”
“No, you don’t need to apologize. I’m actually calling because I met up with an old friend of mine…”
Sky went on to explain the gist of his conversation with Samson, and he shared a few tidbits he’d gleaned from his research. Tyler listened intently the whole time, only making the occasional quiet gasp or affirmative grunt.
“I…fuck, Sky. I…that’s a lot.”
Sky fidgeted with the sleeve of Tyler’s sweatshirt, rubbing a loose thread between his thumb and middle finger. “I know, and I’m by no means asking you to come out as aspec on the phone with me tonight. I’m not asking you to ever come out, if you don’t want to. I just wanted to share my thoughts and a few observations in case it's relevant. Do you…want to take some time to think about everything? Jackson and I were thinking of going away for the week, a little R it was just the form and function that might need to change.
Tyler gave an extra loud sniff and then said in a wobbly voice, “Thank you for saying that. I…I think I needed to hear that. I can’t wait to see you. I want to hold you both so badly, and–and I’m so sorry this happened.”
“It’s really, truly okay, Tyler,” Sky said. “Please don’t beat yourself up. I think this week will be healing for all of us, and hopefully we come back together even stronger.”
“That’s all we want,” Jackson added. “To move forward, together.”
“The–the three of us?” Tyler asked.
“The three of us, baby,” Sky said.
Sky and Jackson did exactly as they’d promised. They didn’t want to go to work that week in case Tyler needed it as an escape, and they had a lot of PTO saved up. They went to visit Sky’s parents, who welcomed them with open, tie-dye clad arms.
Sky’s parents had always been into free-love and self-expression. When Sky came out as trans at three years old, his parents had immediately pivoted and raised him as a boy. Unfortunately, their hippy lifestyle had meant they didn’t know much about puberty blockers, which had made Sky’s teenage and young adult years challenging. Despite this, he truly loved his parents and all they’d done for him, including giving him his androgynous birth name that he kept even after he physically transitioned.
They were well aware of Sky and Jackson’s polyam lifestyle. When Sky told them a little about the situation, his mom asked if they’d considered a sexual QPR—a queer platonic relationship. It was a term Samson had used as well, but Sky wasn’t terribly familiar with it.
He and Jackson curled up on Sky’s massive bean bag chair and did some more research together. Sky downloaded a few books from the library, and Jackson listened to him read them aloud for the next several days.
Sometimes his mom and dad would listen in, sharing stories of relationships they’d had when they lived in a hippie community in the 70s that they now admitted would probably classify as QPRs. Sky jokingly covered his ears when his mom said she was in a sexual QPR right out of college. He uncovered his ears and asked a few follow-up questions to both of them when his dad mentioned the QPR he’d been in with a man for several years, up through and for several years after he began dating Sky’s mom.
Jackson listened with rapt attention and a somewhat shocked expression. This was a rather common occurrence when they came to visit Sky’s parents. Jackson’s parents were accepting and supportive of his queer marriage, and even accepting of his polyamorous relationships, they just preferred to hear as little detail as possible, and provided equally sparse information about their own marriage. Jackson seemed to prefer it that way.
Even though Sky joked around–at one point singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” quite loudly to interrupt a recounting of one the festivals his mom and dad had attended–he actually savored learning more about his parents' dalliances in love and relationships. Ultimately, though, there were only so many wiki pages and articles they could read and so many parental tales they could listen to. By the end of the week, Sky was practically crawling out of his skin, desperate to see Tyler again and talk things out.
In an unexpected departure from their relationship thus far, Tyler called them Saturday morning and invited them to his place.
Sky probably could have powered their car with how hard he was vibrating on the way out of the city. Jackson had to place an all-too-knowing hand on his thigh to keep him from jumping out of the car before they’d come to a complete stop in Tyler’s parking lot. Finally, they arrived at his doorstep, outfitted with a doormat that read, “Go away, unless you’re the pizza guy.”
Jackson snorted, but Sky was too focused on anxiously knocking on the door. Tyler pulled the door open less than a second later, and Sky threw himself into his arms. They barely managed to get inside before Tyler burst into tears.
Jackson placed a steady hand on both of them and led them over to a navy blue couch, draped with a fluffy looking blanket and topped off with two mismatched throw pillows. Sky immediately perched in Tyler’s lap as he leaned into Jackson’s side.
They started slowly, Tyler sharing all the things he’d researched, discussed, and learned about himself that week. Sky interjected with a few details from Samson, as well as some of the more easy to explain anecdotes from his parents. It turned out they’d read a few of the same blogs and even followed the same influencer who was demiromantic and had a grayromantic partner.
“At the end of the day,” Tyler said, “no matter which identity resonates with me, I think the bottom line is, I don’t understand the difference between loving someone versus being in love with them. Like…I’m now completely certain that I love you both.”
His eyes darted between Sky and Jackson, as if he might somehow be in trouble.
Sky tightened his grip on Tyler’s hand, and Jackson bit his lip as color flooded his cheeks. They both held their silence as Tyler rolled out his tense shoulders.
“But…I love Bobby,” Tyler continued. “And I love my sister and her wife, and I love my other best friends, too. To me that feels like enough–like more than enough–but it always seems like people want more from me.”
Tyler sighed, and Sky’s heart broke for this amazing man he hoped he’d have the privilege to continue calling his own.
“It’s always felt so confusing,” Tyler said, running a hand back through his hair. “And even worse, it’s always felt like I’ve been doing something wrong. Like… I’m wrong.”
Sky gently stroked his fingers over Tyler’s arms, tracing a familiar vein from the curve of his bicep down to the inside of his wrist. “Well, first, thank you for sharing all that with us, baby.”
Jackson placed his hand over top of Sky’s, on top of Tyler’s, and Sky had to take a second to catch his breath. They’d come so far since that first night in their kitchen, and if they could get this conversation right, hopefully they’d be able to continue carving their path together.
“I really, deeply care about you as well,” Sky said, bringing his other hand up to rub at his throat. That choked feeling was starting, and he wanted to get this out before any more surprise tears made an appearance. “I think I’m falling…or, to be honest, I think I have fallen in love with you. For me, that means I love spending time with you, texting with you, and having sex with you. It also means the way I feel for you is much more intense, and much more romantic, than how I feel for anyone else, except Jackson.”
Tyler nodded slowly, his fingers twitching under Sky’s hand. Sky shifted their hands so they could entwine fingers, Jackson’s hand a comforting weight on top of them.
“I also love having sex with you,” Tyler said. “It’s truly some of the best sex I’ve ever had. And I want to keep doing that for a really long time–like, possibly forever, if you’ll let me.”
Sky laughed, but Jackson was still looking uncertain, the furrow between his brows carving a deep line in his forehead. “I appreciate you saying it's the best sex you’ve had. It’s the best sex I’ve ever had, too. But that’s because I’m in love with Sky and in love with you. That’s what makes sex, hanging out on the weekends, going for coffee at work, or getting dinner afterwards feel so good with both of you. I’m in love with you, and I want to be with you, forever.”
“I think that’s the same for me, though!” Tyler said, his signature smile breaking across his face. “Most sex feels good, but for me, sex only becomes amazing when I really respect, care for, and enjoy being with the person–or people–I’m fucking. Otherwise, it’s just a fun way to pass the time or get my rocks off. Really good, intimate sex only happens when I…I guess, my version of love someone.”
“And your version of love is…” Jackson trailed off, raw, naked hope stealing across his face.
Tyler squinted his eyes, his lips pursing in adorable concentration. “Well, to start, I know that I enjoy every second I’m with you. I’ve never had a boring moment with you, even if we’re loading the dishwasher or wiping down the counters. I don’t ever want to leave your apartment. I did a crappy job of saying it before, but I would love to move in with you both and share your bed every single night. I love you both, and I don’t see that ever changing. But…I guess that’s the thing, right? I can’t really see that ever changing, for the bad…but also for the ‘good’ or ‘more,’ if that makes sense.”
Sky’s fingers reached out of their own accord, caressing the side of Tyler’s face until he turned to look at him. “You don’t picture yourself falling in love is what you’re saying? You don’t think your love will morph or change into something romantic.”
Tyler nodded aggressively.
“And your love for us is enough to make you want to be with us, possibly forever, in the utmost capacity you can?” Sky pressed.
A slow smile spread across Tyler’s face. “Well…yeah. I don’t think I could have put it like that, but yes. That’s exactly how I feel. I want to go out and do fun things, hold hands as we walk down the street, spend time with our families and friends, and know that at the end of every day we get to go home together. I want to be with you guys, just like we are now—or…I guess a few days ago before I cocked it all up.”
He grimaced, and Jackson, whose brow had finally smoothed out, pulled him into his arms. Sky came with him, slouching sideways until they were curled up in a messy heap on Tyler’s slightly too small couch.
“You didn’t mess anything up,” Jackson said, placing a soft kiss on Tyler’s forehead. “If anything, I think you gave us the final push we needed to say what we want out of this and how we really feel.”
“I want to be with you both. Forever. If you’ll have me,” Tyler whispered.
“You’re already ours,” Sky said.
Tyler looked between the two of them as fresh tears filled his eyes. “And…you’re mine.”