Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
MILES
Miles thought he was stealing a moment alone in the kitchen the next morning, but just as he put the coffee pot back down, warm arms circled his waist.He immediately recognized Emmett’s touch.
He thought he’d left the couple dozing in bed, and his processors were in the pocket of his pajama pants, so he hadn’t heard Emmett come in.
Leaning back, he closed his eyes and basked for a moment before he felt a gentle tap on his wrist.He reluctantly pulled back and let Emmett guide him into a turn.
“Morning.”
Miles would never get tired of watching Emmett’s plush lips.“Morning.”His voice felt thick in his mouth.
Cocking his head to the side, Emmett cradled his cheek.“When you’re ready, Mo and I would like to talk.”He signed along a few words, and Miles didn’t hate that he was recognizing more and more.
It occurred to him—hitting him almost like a sack of bricks in the gut—that he could have that if he wanted.If they wanted to keep him, he could have a home where he turned off his ears, and turned off his voice, and let his hands speak.
“Give me five minutes.”
Emmett nodded, then held him by the chin to take a morning kiss before he turned and walked out.Miles appreciated that more than he could say.Part of him wanted to follow Emmett directly into the bedroom, but he needed a moment.
His phone buzzed, and he knew who it was.He’d texted Oliver before starting his coffee because he needed someone to talk to about all this.Padding to the back door, he slipped outside and sat.The air smelled like ocean, and he wondered if his lovers could hear the waves from the house.
Kicking his feet up, Miles sipped his coffee before finally adding sound to his morning by putting on his processors.He took a moment to listen to the breeze move the wind chimes, and to the creak of palm trees that sat at the edge of the property.
When he felt settled, he picked up his phone and saw Oliver’s message waiting: FaceTime me when you’re free.
Miles hit the button and waited.It only took a moment to see Oliver’s face, and Miles was overwhelmed by just how happy he looked.His friend had always been beautiful—strikingly so.It had terrified Miles when they were younger because boys who looked like Oliver got hurt.
But Oliver had kept himself safe when no one else would, and he’d used his looks to get himself ahead.Miles had never been as brave as his friend.But he wanted to be.Which was why he was calling.
He made sure the captions were on before giving his friend a quick wave of hello.
“I missed your face,” Oliver said. “I also got the ear cuffs, and first of all, how fucking dare you!”
Miles’s eyes widened. “Do you not like them?”
Oliver scoffed. “Babe, they’re the nicest things I have ever gotten. I know that must have been hell on your savings.”
Casting his eyes down for a second, Miles sighed. “Yeah, but it was worth it. You deserve it, and I felt really awful for the way I just up and left the wedding. Also, how she behaved.” He didn’t feel like saying Selene’s name right then. “Besides, I’m doing better now.”
Oliver gave him a look. “Seems like it.”
Miles attempted to change the subject.“I missed you.How was your honeymoon?”
“Like a dream.”Oliver’s eyes fluttered closed, and he gave a small, happy sigh.“I can’t believe he wanted to marry me. Me ? Can you fucking imagine?”
Miles scoffed.Oliver had never seen the entirety of his own worth, but seeing Oliver and Victor together, he knew when Oliver’s ego fell short, Victor would be there to fix it.And vice versa.
Miles wanted that.He thought maybe he could have that.
“Yes, I can. I wanted to marry you once, remember?”
Rolling his eyes, Oliver laughed. “Babe, you were eleven, and we would have made terrible husbands.” That was no lie. Miles had no regrets. “ Anyway , so,” Oliver said, lifting his brows to signal he meant business.“What’s your crisis? Your text seemed kind of…I don’t know…frantic?”
“It’s not a crisis. Not…exactly. I met someone new.”
Oliver stared at him for a beat. Then he cleared his throat.“Are you saying you and that woman…”
“Selene,” Miles supplied.Her name tasted like ash. Even though they’d cleared things up, Miles wasn’t ready to let everything go. The pain would be fresh for a while.
“Are you two done?”
“Yeah.We’re over.”
Oliver sagged forward over his phone screen.“Thank fuck.I’m sorry, babe, but I hated her.Haaaaated her.”
His dramatics were appreciated now that any lingering feelings of loss over Selene were gone.He chuckled and shrugged.“A lot of people did.But, uh.It got complicated.”
Oliver’s gaze went into laser-focus mode.“Tell me everything.”
Miles took a breath, and then he did.He spilled it all.The lunch, her cheating, the break-up, Emmett finding him in the parking lot.He decided to skip the part where he thought Emmett was hurting Cosimo because Oliver didn’t need to know all of that.
He also skipped the part where Emmett was his Daddy.
That Cosimo was his everything else. That he was cared for in a way he’d never known.
He didn’t say how Cosimo held him tight every night, how Emmett made him come so hard he sobbed into his pillow.
How he was pulled apart and put back together again by four powerful hands.
But he did say, “I’m in love with them.”
Oliver was silent for a long while.“There’s more, isn’t there? You’re not telling me everything.”
Miles flushed.To Oliver, he’d always been transparent.
“Yes.But I don’t…it’s kind of…private?
I guess? I’m not trying to keep secrets.
I swear.” It was silly, of course. Oliver had been an escort.
He’d probably done the Daddy thing more than once in his career.
If anyone would get it, it was him. But Miles still felt like he wanted to hoard this part of their relationship to himself.
Just for a little while.
“No, babe.I get it.”Oliver stroked his fingers over his chin.His nails were painted a pretty light blue.“You seem…different.Happier. But you also look a little scared.”
He let out a breath. He wasn’t really afraid, but his insecurities were loud today. They were in love with each other. They’d said as much. But there would always be a part of him waiting for the other shoe to drop. “I’m afraid they’re going to wake up one day and realize I’m too much.”
“I don’t know them.I’ve never met them.
But, babe, anyone who thinks you’re too much isn’t worth your time.
”Oliver had said that before, and while Miles appreciated the sentiment, that didn’t mean much in the face of so much rejection.
“I also have experience with a thing I never thought I could have, and I can tell you that when you know, you know.It’s just hard to listen to your gut. ”
His gut was telling him that this was it.That this was right.And it was maybe even forever.
“If they ever don’t want me anymore, can I come stay with you?” Miles asked quietly.
“My home is your home.It always will be,” Oliver said firmly.“But have a little hope.You owe it to yourself.”
Miles was willing to accept that.“I love you.I miss you.”
“Aww, babe.I love you so much.Promise me the three of you will come visit.”
The three of them.Something zinged up Miles’s spine.“Can I call you later?”
Oliver grinned.“Yeah, babe.Go get your men.”
The call ended before Miles could push the button, and he stood up, leaving his phone next to his coffee as he made his way inside.The house sounded quiet, and he walked as softly as he could until he reached the bedroom door.
He could hear voices beyond, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying through the heavy wood, and after a beat, he stopped trying.He pushed inside, and he found Cosimo and Emmett lying in each other’s arms.They looked so good like that.So perfect.
Like they were exactly where they belonged.
For a moment, he was hit with another burst of fear.He didn’t belong.He was an interloper, a part-time, temporary guest.He was…
“Hey, baby.”Emmett’s voice silenced the one in his head.He held his arms open.“Come cuddle?”
Miles collapsed against him and was bustled between them both.His back was to Cosimo, Emmett on his side, facing him.He traced a touch over Emmett’s mouth, making him smile.
“So, I need to rip this Band-Aid kind off,” Emmett said.
Miles frowned.“Um…okay?”
“He means he has no patience, so he’s just going to blurt shit out without easing into it,” Cosimo rumbled behind him.
Miles felt his face heat.“Right.Cool.”
“You know now we’re in love with you,” Emmett said.“You feel right with us.And I don’t want to pressure you, baby.I really don’t.But I need to know right now if this is it for you.”
It took him by surprise that Emmett was as nervous and insecure as he was. How could a man like that feel like Miles wouldn’t literally conquer the known universe just to prove his love to them both? It almost made him laugh. Then he saw the nervous look on Emmett’s face and that urge died out.
Cosimo was holding Emmett’s hand tightly like he knew his husband needed reassurance.
“I want to stay, Daddy,” he said very, very quietly. “I’m yours.”
Emmett looked over Miles’s shoulder at whatever face Cosimo was making, then Cosimo’s arms tightened around him and almost squeezed the breath out of him.
“Mine too?” Cosimo asked.
Miles squirmed in his arms, turning, and he took him by the face in a firm hold.“I am absolutely and completely yours.”
Cosimo kissed him.Then Emmett’s lips fell into the crook of his neck, sucking a possessive mark.Miles groaned loudly, sinking into his Daddy’s arms as Cosimo began to work his pants down to his knees.
“I want to fuck you, baby.Will you let me?” Emmett said.
“Please, Daddy,” Miles begged.
Emmett groaned softly before his hand trailed between Miles’s cheeks, and then lubed fingers slipped inside him.He was sore, but in the best way, and before he could even really think about the pain, a warm mouth slipped over his cock and took him all the way down.
Miles’s lips parted on a groan as Cosimo sucked on him—a sort of gentle suckle while Emmett got him ready.His tongue pulsed a pattern over his shaft, and just before he could beg for something more—something harder, and deeper—Emmett shifted his hips up.
“Breathe for me, sweetness.”
“Yes, Daddy.”Miles did, forcing himself to inhale and exhale slowly.
“Good boy.My precious, perfect thing.”
Miles shivered, his eyes going hot as suddenly he was full.Emmett’s dick was silky, hard, and slick.His hips rolled gently as he lashed an arm around Miles and began to move him up and down.The angle was perfect, nailing his prostate, sending sparks through him.
Cosimo began to suck him harder, faster, and Miles was close to losing it.
“Please, please,” he begged.
“You make the prettiest sounds, baby,” Emmett purred.He hitched his chin up on Miles’s shoulder and reached for Cosimo’s cheek.“Stroke yourself, my love.Make yourself come while you swallow his.”
Cosimo’s eyes rolled back, and Miles watched his hand disappear between his legs.He couldn’t quite make out the sounds of his hand moving, but the motion of it was enough.It was too much.His whole body began to shake, and Emmett fucked him harder—faster.
“Let go,” Emmett said.“My precious loves.Let go.Both of you.”
Miles’s eyes closed against his will, and somewhere in the distance he heard soft moans, felt both of his lovers shudder, and just as he tipped over the edge, he heard Emmett groan against his processor, “I’m coming.Oh fuck, baby.I’m coming.”
And that was the moment he knew.
It was all over.
“I spoke with Selene,” Emmett said quietly, a few hours after their morning tryst. Miles’s body was wrung out and he was going to need a couple of days to recover before they did that again. But he’d needed it.
It was almost like a ritual, and for the first time since he set foot in that house, he felt like he truly belonged. Like part of this life was actually his.
The three of them were lounging on the couch, Cosimo with his laptop doing some kind of paperwork, and Emmett and Miles watching TV on silent with the captions rolling.
Cosimo looked up from his screen and frowned. “Yeah?”
“She wants to get together in a few weeks for lunch. Just the two of us,” he added, glancing quickly at Miles like he was afraid of his reaction.
Miles let out a breath of air and shook his head. “No, don’t make that face. I’m happy about this.”
“Do you want me to tell her we won’t be there without you?”
Cosimo smirked as Miles pulled a face because he knew.
He’d been present for his conversation with Selene.
He shook his head and took Emmett’s hand, kissing his knuckles.
“No. I don’t want to go. I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to be, you know, friends with her.
I accepted her apology and forgave her because I think for the first time in her life, she’s trying.
And that matters. And I will never get in the way of your relationship with her. I just don’t want to be part of it.”
Emmett hummed and leaned over, kissing Miles softly. “Whatever you want, gorgeous.”
Miles leaned against him and tucked his toes under Cosimo’s thighs. “I was hoping,” he said slowly, “that in a few weeks we can drive up to meet my friends. I’d like you to meet them. My friends.”
Cosimo closed his laptop and set it on the table, then took Miles’s feet into his lap and began to massage them the way he’d seen him do to Emmett from time to time. “I think I can swing a few days extra off work.”
“So can I.” Emmett kissed his temple. “I can’t wait to meet your family.”
Not friends. Family. They got it. They understood. And they were willing to be part of Miles’s weird, extended little world he’d created for himself. They were expanding it, making it theirs.
“Thanks,” he said, nestling deeper into his lovers’ touch.
Cosimo squeezed his foot, and Emmett kissed the side of his head again.
It was simple.
Easy.
Tender.
Perfect.