In the mirror, Sam’s belly was a tiny bit bigger than before. Valen hugged him, too, touched his baby bump.
“I’ll miss you when you go to work,” Valen said. “And when Big H does a full shift at the station. There won’t be anyone at home with me.”
Harris rolled his eyes. “Sure, V. Whine all you want.”
“I’ll make you some food,” Sam said. “Is that good enough?”
“He’s just gonna whine more if you do that,” Harris said. He was grinning, though, and Valen’s heart soared.
“I love you,” he said, meeting Harris’ eyes through the mirror.
Harris froze, his hand on Valen’s thigh.
“Go on,” Sam said, raising his eyebrows at Harris.
Harris swallowed. Then he sighed, leaning his forehead into Valen’s temple. “Love you, V.”
Valen’s heart stuttered. He knew it, but hearing it... that was still a punch in the gut.
He closed his eyes, the better to etch those words into his memory. Harris loved him. Sam, too. Seemed almost too easy, the pieces of his life fitting together like that.
“So... the three of us,” he said. Harris hummed against his cheek. “What are we?”
“All in a relationship, unless you want to call it something else,” Harris said.
“‘Us’?” Sam leaned into Valen, moaning when Valen’s knot moved inside him. “If you don’t mind me being here...”
“Or me,” Harris said.
Valen looked incredulously at them both. They looked back at him, and he realized neither of them thought they belonged. His heart ached. “Are you serious? I want you both. In my bed. Or in my ass. You name it.”
Sam eased into a laugh, and Harris bit Valen’s shoulder. “I’ll put Sam in your ass, V. One of these days.”
Valen met Sam’s eyes in the mirror. Sam looked back at him, curious, uncertain. “Yeah, sure,” Valen said. He’d had Harris inside him. Only fair to let Sam in, too. “If both of you want that.”
Harris grinned. Sam gave him a tentative smile. “Maybe?” Sam said.
Valen sucked in dahlia and sandalwood and oak, and hugged Sam to himself, leaning against Harris. “One of these days,” he said. “Surprise me.”
Harris chuckled. “Don’t regret it, V.”
“You say that like I should be wary.”
A slow smile crept along Harris’ lips. He circled Valen’s nipple with his fingers, pinched it. “Perhaps.”
Made Valen curious about what he had in mind.
“So, tonight...?” Sam asked, squirming.
“You sleep in our bed,” Valen said. “Every night from now on.”
Harris nodded. “Unless you’d prefer to sleep upstairs. That’s fine, too.”
Gods, all three of them, in the same bed? This had taken far longer than Valen thought it would.
Sam grinned, his eyes bright. “Thank you.”
“You might wake up to find Valen inside you,” Harris said, smiling wryly. “Fair warning.”
Sam blushed prettily. “Sure.”
“So, the three of us,” Valen said. Dragged his wrist down Harris’ shoulder, and down Sam’s chest. “Both of you are mine.”
“I’m yours,” Sam said.
“Yours,” Harris said. “Will you mark us too, Sam?”
Valen met Sam’s gaze, finding the remnants of disbelief in his eyes.
“Please,” Valen said. He leaned into Sam, brushed his wrists down Sam’s chest. “Mark me.”
Sam breathed out, a sigh of relief. He reached behind, ran his wrists down Valen’s jaw. “And... Harris?”
Harris took Sam’s hand. Pressed a kiss to his palm, and dragged his lips over Sam’s wrist. Kissed him right on the scent gland, marking his own lips with dahlia. “Good?”
“Yeah,” Sam breathed.
When Valen looked in the mirror, he found Sam hard again. Hadn’t been that long. It didn’t matter, though.
After everything that happened last week, all of them needed a break. Maybe an extended vacation. Valen wouldn’t mind curling up with his alpha and omega, everyone marking each other until they were all certain they belonged. And then some.
Maybe later, when they were all sated, they could discuss the future. Three of them—Harris, Sam, and Valen. They would share a future, share a house and their children. Seemed so simple, now that Valen thought about it, Harris against his back, Sam leaning into his shoulder.
All they had to do was move forward... right?
22
Sam
The days turned into weeks. Sam moved into Harris and Valen’s bedroom.
Sometimes, he woke to find himself sandwiched between two alphas, Harris’ arms around him, Valen stroking down Sam’s cock.
Sometimes, Valen snuggled between Sam and Harris, and Sam would wake to find Valen in his ass, his own breathing ragged.
Sometimes, he and Valen would crowd around Harris, sling their legs over his hips, and Harris would frown. Then, when Harris thought neither of them was looking, he’d smile to himself, and Sam would squeeze Valen’s knee, so he caught Harris smiling, too.
When Valen recovered from the smoke inhalation, Harris returned him to the full-time roster.
On quieter days, when both his alphas were at the station, Sam would cook in the kitchen, prepare salads and grilled chicken so there’d be food when they were home and he was at work.
It wasn’t expected of him. But it was something he wanted to do for them, when he wanted to see them smile.
Sometimes, Harris would send Sam to work, and other times, Valen would. Sometimes, when Sam got off from work, the two of them would show up in Valen’s truck. Valen would shove his hands in Sam’s pants, make him come before he got home.
It grated on Harris’ nerves. When they got home, Harris would throw Valen down on the bed, and Sam would watch them fight, Harris pinning Valen beneath himself, forcing Valen to submit to him.
This fighting? It was good. Far better than the cold spell when Valen and Harris had stopped talking to each other.
Sometimes, Sam wondered how long this relationship between the three of them would last, how long until someone got angry, or jealous, or their pasts caught up with them.
Then Valen would sneak up behind him, catch him around the waist and spin him in a circle. Harris would watch from the kitchen doorway, shaking his head. You guys are almost thirty, he’d say. You’re not too old for that?
You’re only as old as you think you are, Valen would tell
