FQWL: Instant OT3, just add Gabriel

[moonshadows]

The first thing Gabriel became aware of was the pounding, nauseating headache gently alerting him to the fact that he was hung over. He groaned, trying to think back through the haze of whiskey and piece together what he'd done and where he was. He got to town too late to do anything, so he'd gone to a bar figuring he could find someone to spend the night with and there had been a guy...almost like him but skinnier, looked malnourished and like he slept in an alley, but he had the money to get trashed and he looked like he was looking for someone to take home, so Gabriel had figured, why not? Through the dizzy pain, he smirked. Guy had been a good lay, well worth the hangover. Gabriel peels his eyes open to discover a glass of water and two white tablets within easy reach on the bedside table. Guess his host was the courteous sort. He fumbled the aspirin into his mouth, sucked down a mouthful of water, and then drained the glass. A few quiet minutes later, the throbbing started to ease and he levered himself up to take a look at the room.

Hmph. Empty liquor bottles, old ashtrays full of dusty cigarette butts, and dirty clothes everywhere. Exactly what he expected to see. What he did not expect to see was a second glass of water and two aspirin on the other bedside table, or his host still passed the fuck out. What was going on here?

Slowly, Gabriel hunted down his clothes and put them back on as the other man groaned and cursed softly. Then there was a pause as he took in the sight of water and painkillers, and he uttered a quiet but emphatic fuck.

Had he not been the one to put out water the night before?

Gabriel watched as the other man took the pills, drank the water, and dragged himself out of bed to pull clothes on.

"May as well get this over with," he said in a rusty voice, scratching at his unwashed hair.

"Get what over with?" Gabriel asked, but then he smelled coffee and something baking. He left the bedroom at his host's gesture and walked into the kitchen to see a third man, a blond, standing at the stove, stirring a pan of scrambled eggs. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend," he blurted.

"He's not..."

The man at the stove was blushing.

Gabriel arched an eyebrow at his host. Robert, that was his name. "So you have...an attractive friend who has a key to your house and makes you breakfast when you're hung over, and you don't hit that? Fuck, I'd hit that."

The man blushed harder, and Robert was looking a little pink himself. Then the blushing blond turned around and smiled at him, like a goddamn golden retriever, nearly brightening the kitchen through the sheer force of his expression, and said, "I'm Mr. Mom, but you can call me Jack."

Fuck.

"Jack...Morrison?" Gabriel asked warily, already knowing the answer because how many times had Ana described Jack's smile as brilliant? At Jack's confused nod, he sighed and sat at the kitchen table, next to Robert. "Gabriel Reyes," he said as Jack poured them all coffee and started loading plates with eggs and - were those fresh biscuits? "Ex-military. I served with your wife."

"She talked about me, then?" Jack asked, still blushing but not meeting anyone's eyes as he put down plates and forks and sat across the table from them.

"Captain Amari talked about you and Fareeha all the time." Gabriel hesitated before saying, "I withdraw my earlier comments about you. That was crude of me. Captain Amari would have my hide if she knew I'd disparaged the man who married her out of the kindness of his heart and helped raise her daughter as though she was his own."

Jack looked up and smiled at him, but it was brittle and full of pain. "You mean she would have," he said in a tone that was trying to pretend to be lighthearted.

Gabriel put his fork down. "Captain Amari's not dead," he said firmly. "I searched for her body myself. I found nothing but tracks. She's alive, she just doesn't want to be found. I promised her that if anything happened, I'd bring the news to you and Fareeha personally."

"You said ex-military," Jack said quietly.

"Burned my bridges," Gabriel confirmed.

"So now that you've delivered the news...what are you going to do?"

Gabriel opened his mouth, met Jack's concerned blue eyes, and the blithe dismissal he'd been about to deliver died on his tongue. "I...didn't plan that far," he admitted. Hell, he hadn't even brought more than the clothes he was wearing and the contents of his pockets.

Beside him, Robert snorted. Fuck, he'd almost forgot about the man.

"I have a spare room," Robert growled.

Gabriel's stomach flipped over. "I can't pay rent."

"I don't need your money," Robert snapped.

"Then what, you want a live-in fuck?"

Across the table, Jack choked. Gabriel forgot about Robert and leaped up to make sure Jack was okay, noticing as Jack waved him away that Robert had done the same thing.

"I'm fine," Jack wheezed. "Just...surprised me."

"You don't look fine," Robert insisted.

Sure enough, Jack's face was still beet red. Gabriel gave him a sly smile.

"Missed the show last night and hoping to catch the next one?" Gabriel asked.

Not looking at either of them, Jack gave a tiny nod. Gabriel's gaze met Robert's over the blond's head.

You game?

Sure, why not?

"Okay," Gabriel said slowly, sitting back down. "I'll stay."

===

What's wrong with me?

The thought kept circling through Jack's head as he spent the morning helping Robert and Gabriel clean the spare room, although it was more like airing out and dusting. The room had never been lived in, although it had been impersonally furnished as a lovely guest room with a queen-sized bed. Jack kept getting distracted from what he was doing to stare at one or the other of the two men cautiously trying to get to know each other, imagining what they'd look like with no clothes, their expressions as one kissed the other somewhere sensitive, their gasps-

Blushing, Jack tore his eyes away and shook out a clean sheet for the bed. What was wrong with him? It wasn't enough that he was crushing on Robert, now he apparently had equal feelings for a man who knew him by reputation from Ana's stories?

What was he going to tell Amanda?

And when, whispered his traitorous libido, the one he hadn't known he had until Robert informed him he didn't kiss and tell, are they going to get it on so you can watch?

"...won't fit me," Gabriel was saying.

"Jack can take you clothes shopping," Robert said.

"With what money? I don't-"

Robert shrugged. "I've got cash. Jack?"

"Sure," he answered reflexively. "Are you coming with us?"

Robert shook his head. "I'll handle the laundry. Give you two a chance to talk alone."

Jack smiled at him. "Okay. I'm thinking chicken parm for dinner tonight, is that okay with you two?"

Gabriel looked uncomfortable. "You don't have to-"

"Just go with it," Robert advised him dryly. "Birds fly, fish swim, Jack mothers people. Get used to it."

For a long moment, Gabriel scowled at both of them. "Only because Ana said you were a really good cook," he told Jack finally. "And I'm doing the dishes."

Jack opened his mouth to protest. Gabriel's scowl intensified. Jack shut his mouth.

"I'm a goddamned guest," the bald man snarled. "I'm not a fucking leech, and I'm not a whore, even if we are fucking," he shot at Robert. "I'll pull my own weight by doing chores."

But if Gabriel did the chores, what would Jack do? Emptiness loomed in front of him, ghosts of nothing to distract him from the grief of little Maddie's death, and the world faded into deep grey.

Distantly, he heard Gabriel cursing and Robert calling his name. Then he was sitting on the bed, strong arms holding him to a broad chest and trembling hands holding his.

"Jack, look at me. Jack, please."

Fingers fluttering on his cheeks. He shuddered.

"I'm an idiot," Gabriel growled, his voice rumbling through his chest. "Ana told me..." His voice drifted away, like it was a kite in a high wind, and then drifted back. "...but I was wrong. Fuck. Any response?"

Robert's hand caressing his cheek. He leaned into the warmth slightly.

"Jack...please don't leave me." Robert's voice shook.

The world drained back in like the shuddering inhalation of Jack's lungs inflating. Robert was kneeling on the floor in front of the bed, looking heartbreakingly vulnerable, his hand on Jack's cheek still. Gabriel was sitting next to him, holding him tight to his chest.

"Oh thank god," Robert breathed, and then he was on the bed next to Jack, doing his best to hug him.

"Jack, listen to me," Gabriel ordered. "I'm not going to do all the chores. Just the nasty shit Robert hasn't been doing. Hacking his back yard into shape. Chemical warfare on his bathroom. He still needs you."

Jack swallowed, trying to loosen his stiff jaw. "Y...you do?"

"I'm a fucking mess, Jack," Robert said quietly. "Look at me. Look at my house."

Gabriel said, "You don't fucking know me yet, but I'm not much better. We both need you. And Fareeha needs you."

"Not for long," Jack whispered. "College..."

"Is still months away," Gabriel said firmly. "She needs you now. Hop to it, Mr. Mom."

Reluctantly, they both let go and stood, bringing Jack with them.

Robert looked at Jack critically. "You know," he said slowly, "I think I should come shopping with you after all."

Jack smiled tentatively at the other two. "Well then...what are we waiting for?"

===

"I'm home," a cheerful female voice called out, followed by the slam of the front door.

Gabriel didn't miss the way Jack's face lit up. He exchanged a glance with Robert, a did you see that? that turned into god, we're both smitten.

"What smells good, Pops?" the voice called, coming closer, and then a teenage girl stepped into the kitchen and stopped dead, eyes wide at the sight of three men where she'd expected one.

"This is Gabriel Reyes," Jack said casually. "He worked with your mother. He's recently left the military, and he's staying with Robert for the time being."

Gabriel stood and crossed his arms over his chest, looking the girl up and down. "So you're Fareeha?" he asked in a challenging voice. Timidly, she nodded. "How old are you now, sixteen? Seventeen?"

"Eighteen," she corrected, chin stubbornly out.

"Then you're old enough to hear all the stories your mom couldn't tell you," Gabriel said, smiling.

Fareeha beamed. "I like him, Dad."

"I like him, too," Jack said mildly. "And what smells so good is the chicken parm we're having for dinner. Go wash your hands, sweetie."

Robert chuckled as the girl ran off. "She doesn't even question dinner guests. You do this a lot, Jack?"

Jack blushed slightly.

"He does this a lot," Gabriel supplied. "Ana told stories about how in college, he found a guy passed out drunk on the sidewalk, cuddling a road cone, and not only adopted him but became best friends. I'm pretty sure we've both been adopted," he added as Jack blushed more.

Robert looked at Jack. "I thought Craig was your best friend in college."

"That was Craig," Jack said dryly, pulling the garlic bread out of the oven as Robert choked trying not to laugh.

Fareeha came back in and grabbed the bowl of salad off the counter. "I've got wicked tough math homework, Dad," she announced as she set the salad on the table. "Gonna need some help with that."

"I'll do my best," Jack said doubtfully, but Gabriel perked up.

"Let me take a shot, Jack. I'm pretty good at math."

Fareeha looked at him doubtfully. "You're sure?"

"Hey, the military's not just fun and guns." Gabriel poked her forehead gently. "There's a lot of math involved, too."

"Did you shoot people?" she asked.

"Lots."

"Kill any of them?"

"Most of them."

"How many?"

"Amanda!" Jack called sharply.

Gabriel looked up curiously, noticing that Robert was looking curiously at both of them.

"I got tired of no one knowing how to spell my name in first grade," Fareeha said sheepishly. "So I told everyone my name was Amanda."

"Can't argue with that." Gabriel shrugged.

Jack handed plates to Fareeha-Amanda and Robert, a mound of spaghetti on each one topped with a generous ladle of marinara sauce with a piece of chicken parmigiana on top, Parmesean cheese sprinkled over the whole thing and two pieces of garlic bread tucked against the side. Gabriel's mouth started to water. Moments later, Jack set a plate down in front of him and then sat at the table.

"Dig in," he said, smiling as everyone did just that.

It was delicious.

Once everyone was stuffed and the leftovers had been put in the fridge, Robert quietly suggested a movie to Jack and they sprawled comfortably on the couch while Gabriel followed the girl he thought of almost as his niece to her room to help her with math homework...and tell stories.

At ten, he wandered back into the living room while Amanda got ready for bed. Jack was in the kitchen, doing dishes, and Gabriel gingerly sat on the couch next to Robert.

"What's the plan for the rest of the night?" he asked quietly.

Robert snorted. "Normally? I'd go right back to that bar and get trashed again."

"Don't let me stop you," Gabriel retorted. "That sounds like my idea of fun."

"You want to get shitfaced, there's plenty of booze at my place. But first, we need to talk about Jack."

Gabriel went still. "What about Jack?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw the way you were looking at him. You saw the way I was. We need to talk about Jack."

The silence sat for several breaths before Gabriel nodded. "Point. We need to talk about Jack."

Robert stood up. "Jack," he called into the kitchen, "we're gonna head out and turn in early for a change. We'll see you for breakfast."

Jack smiled at both of them. "Okay. Take care, stay safe, I'll see you in the morning."

"You too," Gabriel answered solemnly. Having another of Ana's stories confirmed was unnerving.

He followed Robert down the curve of the darkened street and inside the house. By unspoken agreement, they sat at the kitchen table and braced themselves to talk about feelings they would both otherwise try to pretend they didn't have.

===

Jack frowned as his two crushes filed in and sat at the kitchen table. "Rough night?" he asked neutrally, pouring them each a glass of cold water.

"More late than rough," Gabriel rasped. "We stayed up talking."

Robert looked away. "And then, once we finished talking, we drank a bit to blur what we'd talked about. Eggs over easy and toast?"

"Of course," Jack said, smiling warmly. "Gabriel?"

The bald man waved one hand vaguely. "Scrambled is fine. Morning, Panda," he said as Amanda walked in.

"Morning, everyone. Dad, can I do the biscuits today?"

Jack grinned at her. "Sure thing, sweet pea. How do you want your eggs?"

"Scrambled with cheese."

Jack supervised the mixing of the biscuit dough, and then Amanda took over frying the potatoes while Jack switched to eggs. Breakfast was warm and domestic, and Amanda hugged each of them as she declared her intent to leave for school.

"Stay safe," Jack called after her. "Love you, Manda Panda!"

"Love you too, Dad!" she called back, and then she was out the door.

Jack turned to the other two. "So," he asked, slightly nervous, "what's the plan?"

"I need a nap before I'm fit for anything else," Robert announced. "You and Gabriel can get to know each other. Don't," he added as Jack made an aborted motion towards the doorway. "I can get the pillow and sheet out of the closet myself."

"Okay," Jack said, smiling softly and resisting the urge to hug his exhausted-looking crush. "Have a good nap."

Gabriel was collecting plates and forks. "You wash, I dry?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

Jack gave him the same soft smile. "That sounds good, thank you."

Was Gabriel...blushing? Just a little? Jack remembered strong arms around him yesterday and tried not to blush himself. They did the dishes in comfortable silence broken by Jack quietly telling Gabriel where various things lived once they were dry, and then he scrawled a note on the whiteboard letting Robert know they were in the backyard.

"Nice," Gabriel murmured as he followed Jack to the bench under the cherry tree.

"You really think Ana 's alive?" Jack asked as they sat.

Gabriel took his hand and squeezed gently. "Absolutely."

"And she asked you to come..."

"She told a lot of stories about you," Gabriel said in a low voice. "She knew that if anything ever happened to her, you'd need someone to lean on." He paused for just a moment. "You can lean on me, Jack. Physically and emotionally. I'm here for you."

Jack's breath caught. Slowly, gingerly, he laid his head on Gabriel's shoulder. After a moment. Gabriel wrapped his arm around Jack's waist.

===

When Robert opened the back door, Gabriel wasn't sure if he was disappointed that his little soft-conversation-and-cuddle time with Jack was over, or excited that Jack's private peep show was going to begin.

"Ready to spice up your morning?" he asked, grinning across the yard at Robert.

Jack sat up and gave him a look that was 90% confusion and 10% blushing. "Spice...?"

"Matinee showing of the one you missed the other night."

The blushing went up to 75% with 25% arousal. Gabriel grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."

"We on?" Robert asked dryly.

"Oh yeah. Your place, I think."

"Sounds good."

Blushing and tongue-tied, Jack followed them to Robert's house and into the bedroom, which had been roughly prepared for this. All the dirty clothes had been kicked into one corner, the empty bottles into another, and the red upholstered chair had been moved to a prime position at the foot of the bed. A box of kleenex sat on one arm of the chair, and the covers had been pushed up to the head of the bed.

"What..." Jack reconsidered his question. "How..."

"Sit," Gabriel ordered, pointing at the chair. "You don't have to get undressed but you probably want to make sure you can get at your meat."

Halfway to sitting down, Jack froze. "I...what?"

Robert snorted. "Why did you think there was a box of tissue there? If you need to pull a Pee-wee Herman, don't worry about getting caught."

Gingerly, Jack sat. "I'm not sure I...I think I'd be too embarrassed."

Gabriel pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the floor. Instantly, Jack's breath caught and his attention focused on the chiseled planes of Gabriel's chest. Perversely, Gabriel struck a few poses and flexed. Jack didn't even notice Robert undressing until he was completely naked and sprawled on the bed, stretched out on his stomach and reaching playfully for the band of Gabriel's jeans. Jack's fingers tightened on the arms of the chair until his knuckles were white, wide eyes roving over the expanse of scar-speckled skin so like Gabriel's own, lip caught between his teeth.

"Jack," Gabriel said gently. Like a startled animal, Jack's attention snapped back to him. "Is this your first time seeing a naked man?"

"No," he protested. "Just..."

Just one he was attracted to. Gabriel exchanged a look with Robert. Neither of them were going to make him say it.

"If you're this interested now, Jack, you're going to burst when we actually start doing things. Do yourself a favor and whip it out. Don't worry about being embarrassed."

"Yeah," Robert added. "Neither of us are used to having an audience. We're all going to be aroused and embarrassed together."

Slowly, blushing to the tips of his ears, Jack slid his jeans down over his hips and pushed them past his knees until he could step out of them one leg at a time. The white briefs he was wearing did absolutely nothing to hide that he was already sporting a bulge that made Gabriel's member start to take notice. To distract Jack from the fact that both he and Robert were staring, he unfastened his jeans and let them drop to the floor, revealing the nothing he wore underneath and the thick, sleepy (but not for long) length of his uncut manhood. Absolutely riveted by this display - and the slow erection his attention was causing - Jack absently hooked his fingers under the band of his briefs and slipped them off as well. 

Gabriel's breath caught as Jack's erection sprang free. Six, maybe six and a half inches, smooth and pale with a rosy head, but thick. It reminded him of those fat rocket pops from the ice cream truck, and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to slide it into his mouth and hear Jack groan. It took real effort to tear his gaze away from Jack and focus on Robert, who looked just as desperate as he felt. Achingly aware of Jack's hungry eyes on his junk, Gabriel climbed onto the bed where Robert was pushing himself up onto his knees, long and slender but every inch as hard.

There was nothing sweet, nothing gentle about their kiss. They came together like the crash of an ocean wave meeting the unyielding, rocky face of a cliff, Gabriel's hands holding Robert's head in place as he ravished the slighter man with lips and teeth, feeling warmth slide over his ribs as Robert's hands went seeking a handhold, unsure if they wanted to draw Gabriel's torso closer or push him away. The small sounds that slipped past their tongues were deep and needy, high and begging, and Gabriel abandoned his conspirator's face to lightly nip his jaw, throat, shoulder, working his way down to one dusky nipple and drawing out a desperate gasp as teeth closed over sensitive flesh. Robert melted beneath his hands, falling back to the surface of the bed like the wave collapsing back into the sea and Gabriel followed, kissing Robert's stomach even as his hands pushed the other man's thighs apart.

When Gabriel's lips fastened onto Robert's head, Jack gasped. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jack working his rod. Judging by Robert's moan, he could see the same thing. They'd discussed this, last night: what they liked, what they didn't do, what they wanted. Robert topped in his liaisons, same as Gabriel, but he wasn't as drastically opposed to having another man's dick up his ass. On the other hand, Robert was a lot more picky about who he would trust to have his dick in the mouth of, and hated giving head. So they'd agreed on a sequence that would satisfy both of them and give Jack a good show. Gabriel went to work on Robert's cock, licking up his shaft and blowing across his head before taking him back in and stroking as he sucked, neither bothering to even try to keep quiet. Gabriel's deep, urgent groans vibrated against Robert's penis, eliciting rough sounds of pleasure that in turn caused Jack to make little whimpers of need as he stroked desperately and made Gabriel's balls ache. Soon, he promised himself. As soon as Robert climaxed, he could grab the lube and go to town on that sweet ass, imagining it was Jack beneath him, Jack throwing his head back and panting, Jack's hands clutching at the bedsheet as Gabriel thrust again and again until-

Robert came in his mouth. He didn't choke, but he didn't swallow either. Jack was slumped in the red chair, panting, a tissue held in place over his softening erection. Gabriel stood and swiped a tissue from the box, spitting into it because god, Robert's jizz tasted nasty. As he was reaching for the lube, however, a knock on the front door grabbed everyone's attention.

"Fuck," Robert groaned, sounding more darkly angry than sexually satisfied. "That'll be Joseph."

Joseph. The asshole who was emotionally extorting him for sexual favors. And now, the reason Gabriel was getting blue balls because the nice, sexy mood had just been shattered and everyone had gotten off but him.

"Jack, give me your underwear," he snarled.

"Why-"

"Because you're the only one who wears any," he answered, pulling the briefs on angrily.

They did absolutely nothing to hide his raging erection.

Good.

"Cuddle him," he ordered, pointing at Robert as he stalked out of the bedroom.

Gabriel yanked the front door open mid-knock, leaving the man on the other side with his hand stupidly in the air. Blond, blue eyes, pink polo and a blue sweater. He matched Robert's description, but Robert failed to mention that Joseph looked like a bad copy of Jack.

"What do you want?" Gabriel snapped, arms crossed over his chest.

Joseph blanched, his eyes dipping down before jerking back up to fasten desperately on Gabriel's face. "I-is...Robert home?"

"He's busy. What do you want."

"I...uh...just wanted to extend an invitation to the neighborhood cookout this Saturday-"

"We'll be there. Now, unless you want to take care of this..." he waved at his bulging borrowed briefs.

"Sir! I am a married man," Joseph gasped in something that sounded close to real affront.

"Then go away." Gabriel slammed the door shut in Joseph's face and stalked back towards the master bedroom.

Jack and Robert were sitting side-by-side on the bed, Robert's head on Jack's shoulder while Jack had an arm around his waist, and at some point Jack had taken his shirt off. Gabriel walked right past and into the guest room where he grabbed another kleenex and flopped onto the bed to jerk himself off, imagining his cum splattering all over Joseph's smug face.

It was significantly less satisfying than Robert's ass.

Placated but disappointed, Gabriel walked back into the master bedroom and sat down on Robert's other side, sliding an arm around his waist above Jack's.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," Robert answered. It sounded more like 'not really, but whatever'. "Sorry about..."

"It's fine." It wasn't, but that wasn't Robert's fault. "I think Jack would have had a heart attack if we hadn't been interrupted. As long as you're up for round two later..."

Robert turned to their mutual crush. "Jack?"

Jack blushed a beet red. "I just realized we're all still naked."

"Well, yes." Gabriel grinned at him. "But do you want to see the other half of the show later today?"

Hesitantly, Jack said, "Yes?"

Robert chuckled. "Good man. Let's put our clothes back on and go do something that has nothing to do with Joseph."

"Um...Gabriel..."

"Yes, Jack?"

The blond was still blushing. "Where did you leave my briefs?"

===

Now fully clothed again, Jack and his crushes headed out to the park and immediately got distracted by an ice cream truck.

"I need a chocolate cone," Robert announced before glancing at the other two. They stared back, and he crossed his arms. "I'm not going to be the only one eating ice cream. What do you two want?"

"Good Humor strawberry shortcake," Jack answered immediately. "Thank you."

Robert grunted. "I eat your food all the time. Send me a bill at the end of the month. Gabriel?"

The muscular man gave Jack a sly look. "Rocket Pop," he announced.

Jack wasn't sure what Gabriel was thinking of, but he blushed anyway. Preemptively, as it turned out, because no sooner did he get the wrapper off his Rocket Pop than he started licking it in a highly suggestive way. Jack tried to focus on his ice cream bar, but he kept looking at Gabriel out of the corner of his eye.

"Frustrated?" Robert asked dryly.

Gabriel only growled.

"Let's go somewhere you won't traumatize the kids, then." Robert jerked his head at the woods. "Follow me. There's a bench."

Jack followed Robert, ears burning even though Gabriel was behind him, and it wasn't long before they came to a bench big enough for all three of them. Somehow, Jack found himself sitting in the middle. He tried even harder to focus on his creamy treat, but Gabriel was on his left doing indecent things to his fat popsicle and on his right, Robert had eaten all the crunchy coating off his chocolate cone and was starting to do the same things.

"You're dripping," Gabriel pointed out, grinning.

Sure enough, pale streaks marked Jack's fingers where the ice cream had started to melt at the bottom. He quickly licked them up, then cleaned up the soft bottom corners and faltered to a stop.

Both Robert and Gabriel were staring at him.

Awkwardly, all three of them returned to their frozen treats and no one said anything until only wrappers and little wooden sticks remained. Robert gathered them up and stuffed them in his pocket, and somehow they ended up in a double hug, Robert and Gabriel both with an arm around Jack's waist and his arms around their shoulders. It was...peaceful. Comfortable.

"We should have brought a blanket," Jack found himself saying. "We could have had a picnic lunch."

Robert made an amused sound. "It's not even lunchtime yet. We still could."

"Or we could have it in Robert's backyard," Gabriel joked. "It's basically untamed wilderness right now. Easier to get to. More privacy."

"Robert?" Jack asked softly.

"Do you actually have a picnic basket?"

"...yes," Jack admitted sheepishly. "And a blanket."

Robert chuckled. "Sure. Why not. Let's do it."

Reluctantly, they all reclaimed their arms and stood. The walk back was filled with the quiet tension of how badly Jack wanted to reach forward and grab Robert's hand, or swing his arm back and have Gabriel grab his hand, or both. He thought of his college years, telling sorority girls that he was married because that was easier than explaining that he had no interest. Explaining to Craig that no, he wasn't gay, he just had no interest. He hadn't had any interest in anyone until he looked at Robert, and now he kept thinking of lips and teeth and hands on Gabriel's skin, on Robert's, and wishing that he'd been between them. That those kisses, those touches, had been on his skin. But at the same time, he wanted to share a comfortable couch with both of them as they watched a movie, Robert's commentary and what he was sure would be Gabriel's scathing jokes washing over him. To fall asleep cradling Robert to his chest, and be cradled to Gabriel's at the same time. To wake up to Gabriel's lips on his neck, his shoulder, and see Robert's tense expression melt into a smile as the first thing he saw was Jack's face.

Jack sighed. He was barely friends with Gabriel, and that was probably more out of friendship with Ana. Gabriel wasn't even friends with Robert, they were only living together because they inexplicably were willing to do sexual things to each other while Jack watched.

...wait...

If they wanted to do sexual things for Jack to watch, did that mean they wanted to do sexual things with Jack? Robert had never repeated his initial offer, drunk or sober, but there had to be a reason he'd made it that first night. Right? Maybe Jack would just...push the boundaries of acquaintances and see what his crushes would let him get away with.

"I can make sandwiches," Jack announced as they reached the cul-de-sac, "but a potato or macaroni salad would take too long to make, and I think some fruit would be a good addition. I've got an unopened bag of chips - salt and vinegar - and some cold cans of Coke, but I can also mix up a pitcher of strawberry lemonade."

"I'll go to the store," Robert offered. "Gabriel, you care more about your sandwiches, or your salads?"

"You have no idea what I've been eating the last few years," Gabriel joked. "Unless you put something weird in your sandwiches or your salads, they'll both be fine. I'll start stomping a flat place in the yard for the picnic blanket, pick up branches, that sort of thing."

Jack exchanged a look with Robert and shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Robert let Gabriel into the house before getting into his truck; Jack kept going and slipped into his own house. He made six sandwiches - roast beef and turkey, three of each - and then rummaged around until he found the picnic basket (thankfully with the blanket inside) and the insulated pitcher. Lemonade in the pitcher, cans of Coke on a bed of cold packs with sandwiches layered on top and the bag of chips acting as insulation on top of that, spoons and forks tucked into the side pockets because he was willing to bet Robert hadn't thought about that, and he hefted the basket experimentally. Then he draped the blanket over his shoulder, hefted the basket, locked the front door, and slipped into Robert's house moments before the man himself came home.

Gabriel had cleared a good portion of the backyard of dead branches and stomped the overgrown grass flat. He and Jack were getting the blanket spread out when Robert joined them with a plastic grocery bag and a smaller paper bag that Jack would bet held-

"White Zinfandel," Robert announced, brandishing the bag. "Jack doesn't drink, but you're welcome to share or drink whatever you can find in the house."

"I think I'll stick with lemonade," Gabriel said, not looking at Jack. "I washed a few glasses out, just in case."

Jack smiled. "Thank you. I forgot all about them."

"I hope you remembered forks or something for these salads," Robert said, "because I didn't."

"No worries, I remembered them."

It didn't take long before they were sprawled on the thick blanket, food spread out in a delicious array. Jack got halfway through a turkey sandwich before giving in to the lure of the fruit, and somehow things escalated to a point where he was lying on his back, head on one of Gabriel's thick thighs, while Gabriel and Robert took turns feeding him strawberries or bits of pineapple and watermelon. Robert also fed Gabriel forkfuls of potato salad and handed him his can of Coke as needed. Once the good bits of fruit were gone, Jack sat up to attack the chips and then guzzle strawberry lemonade and finish his sandwich. Gabriel devoured two roast beef sandwiches, Robert ate one turkey and one roast beef, and set the wine aside when the bottle was half empty.

"I don't want to move," Gabriel murmured, leaning against Jack.

"We can't fall asleep out here, we'll get sunburned," Jack countered, indulging himself by resting his head against Gabriel's.

"You mean you'll get sunburned," Gabriel countered teasingly. "We'll be fine."

"Mmm. But you don't want me to get sunburned, do you?"

Robert scooted over on the blanket to lean against Jack's other side. "You can nap on my bed," he offered.

"All by myself?" Jack murmured.

"Of course not." Gabriel nuzzled him slightly. "We'll nap with you. Right?"

"Right." Robert sighed. "Guess we should get this cleaned up first."

"It'll go bad if we don't," Jack pointed out. "It won't take long, just stick the salads and the last sandwich in the fridge. Everything else just has to be inside."

With three reluctant sighs, they forced themselves to stand and haul the remnants of the picnic inside. Then they were back in Robert's bedroom, shedding shirts and shoes and arranging pillows and wadding the covers up to set on the chair. Jack was the first to crawl onto the bed and he sprawled face-first in the middle before rolling onto one side. Gabriel climbed in after him and inched closer until he could drape one warm arm over Jack's side, pulling him to his broad chest. Then Robert crawled over to them, carefully laying down and shifting until Jack could reach out and hug him close, face buried in the softness of Robert's hair, his back pressed against Jack's chest.

Sleep came easily.

===

So far, Gabriel thought as he pressed his nose into Jack's hair, things were going well. Neither he nor Robert had actually admitted to feeling love for Jack, which wasn't unexpected given their respective issues. But they'd agreed that they wanted Jack happy, no matter which of them it was that made him happy, and they cared about him. They wanted to fuss over him, protect him, be comforted by him. They wanted to do with him the things they'd done with each other - but they couldn't. Because they were both fuckups, human train wrecks who had no idea how to do relationships right, much less with a golden ray of sunshine like Jack fucking Morrison. Ana may not have been in love with her husband, as she reminded him so often, but she would still defend his lily-white ass to the death...and now he knew why, because he hadn't known Jack for an hour before realizing that he'd do the same.

So sex, for the time being, was off the table. With Jack, anyway. As much as he and Robert both wanted to, neither of them would touch their golden boy in a sexual way unless he specifically requested it - and even at that, there would be a discussion first wherein they both laid their shameful failures at his feet and begged for his forgiveness if they fucked anything up.

But Jack seemed to have gotten some sort of hint, because he'd signaled that he was open to close physical contact and had allowed intimate gestures. The memory of Jack's lips sucking fruit juice gently off of Gabriel's fingers made him bite back a groan and try to think of something else because if he kept thinking about that, Jack would definitely feel his arousal pressing against his ass.

It didn't help that he'd been cock-blocked earlier. Damn that Joseph.

A cell phone chirped and buzzed somewhere; Robert grumbled and shifted, causing Jack to murmur sleepily and shift as well.

"Mary," Robert rasped before answering with speakerphone. "What."

"Good afternoon to you, too," a female voice answered sharply. "You sound like you got started without me."

"Not awake," Robert corrected. "Jack fed me. Food coma."

The woman - Mary, Gabriel assumed - snorted. "Well, god knows you need someone to feed you. So. Tonight."

Robert grumbled wordlessly.

"Chill, cowboy. Joseph actually manned up. Out of the blue, which is why I'm calling. Did you say something to him when he went over there?"

"I didn't even answer the door," Robert said while Jack started to blush. Gabriel bit his lip to keep the wicked chuckle inside.  "Friend of Jack's wife stopped in and I'm letting him stay with me."

Mary laughed. It wasn't a happy sound; this was a woman who had some issues with her husband. "That explains things. You bringing him to the cookout on Saturday?"

Robert snorted. "Sure. Why not. I'll bring him with me if you still want to go out tonight."

"I told you: Joseph manned up. No need to prowl tonight. Buuuut..." she let the word hang there. "...it would be neighborly of me to stop buy and welcome Jack's friend, wouldn't it? What do you say? I could bring pizza."

"I want to clear it with Jack," Robert said, sounding less groggy and more subdued. "Make sure he doesn't have any dinner plans. And with Gabriel, make sure he's up for meeting new people."

"You're a regular sweetheart, Robert," Mary said in a resigned tone. "But I can't compete with a home-cooked meal, especially not when Jack's the one cooking. Go check with your he's-not-my-boyfriend and get back to me, hmm?"

"Sure," Robert said shortly. "Later."

The line clicked off.

"Am I invited to pizza?" Jack asked in a hesitant, sleepy voice.

Gabriel gave the back of Jack's head a sharp look. Had he heard that 'not-my-boyfriend' comment? Was he pretending to be more asleep than he was?

"If you want," Robert said unhappily. "It's going to be the same as Jim and Kim's, only with pizza instead of Mary terrorizing young men."

Jack hugged Robert tighter. "I won't be offended if you don't want me there," he said softly.

Robert just curled into himself a little, and Gabriel took pity on him.

"He doesn't want to make you feel excluded, but he thinks you'll be uncomfortable if you're there," Gabriel said quietly. "Guessing this is going to be drinking and bitchy gossip?" he asked Robert.

"Yeah."

"So you stick around long enough to make introductions, then take a pizza and go to Jack's. Watch a movie together before you come back. I'll drink and gossip with Mary."

Robert went still, then twisted around until he could look at Jack. "Would you like that?"

Gabriel couldn't see Jack's expression, but he could guess from Robert's that it was a sunny smile.

"We'll do that, then," Robert said, smiling back. "Thank you, Gabriel."

"Call Mary back, tell her the plan."

Robert nodded and freed himself from the bed, walking out of the room as he dialed. Jack twisted in Gabriel's arms to smile up at him and oh shit, Ana was going to laugh at him because he was head over fucking heels for her husband.

"I'll come by and make breakfast for you," Jack said quietly. "Try to remember to drink some water before you go to bed, too."

It was tempting as shit to just...tilt his head and kiss Jack. On the temple. On the lips. Anywhere. He was right there. It would have been a reward for taking one for Robert, sending him on a date with their crush instead of disappointing him by getting shitfaced with him and Mary. And he was weak, he was greedy, he was needy. He wanted that reward, wanted a hint from Jack that he had a chance, that he wasn't just throwing himself under the bus so Robert could look good.

"I'll try," he muttered uneasily, looking away from Jack's beautiful blue eyes.

"Gabriel?"

"It's nothing," he lied, letting go of Jack and sitting up.

He wasn't expecting to be hugged from behind, or for Jack to press his cheek against Gabriel's shoulder.

"I know you know a lot more about me than I know about you," Jack said softly, "but you burned your bridges and came here with no other plans just to be there for me to lean on. That says a lot, and I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it. I also remember you saying that you both need me. I'm here for you, Gabriel. Tell me how I can help."

God damn it, he remembered that. Gabriel shuddered at how deeply Jack had gotten past his defenses. He wasn't supposed to see how weak and needy Gabriel was.

Jack's arms tightened slightly, hands spread over Gabriel's skin. "Did Ana tell you that we had an open marriage? That both of us were free to do whatever with whoever?"

Jerkily, Gabriel nodded.

"Did she tell you that I never did?" Jack's voice was warm. Friendly. Inviting Gabriel to laugh with Jack. "I never had any interest in anyone until I met Robert in a bar. Then, for the first time, I was feeling...things. When I met you the other day, I felt the same things. Just as strong. I'm...trusting that since you're not pulling away, you feel things for me, too."

"Yes," Gabriel whispered, eyes shut, his hands covering Jack's.

Against his back, Jack went utterly still. Then his breath tickled Gabriel's skin as he exhaled shakily. "I feel like a teenager," he half-laughed. "Does Robert...?"

"Yes," Gabriel said, more firmly.

Again, Jack went still and then laughed a little in disbelief. "Are...do...I..." A pause while he considered how to phrase things. "Do I need to choose, or can I have both of you?"

"I'm pretty sure I don't deserve anyone half as good as you," Robert said from the doorway, "so I'm more than content to share. If you're sure you want to deal with two fucking messes."

"What he said," Gabriel added dryly.

Jack's arms went slack and his warmth vanished from Gabriel's back. Tentatively, he turned to look - and was glad he did, because Jack was beaming, like a little kid who'd just been told he won the lottery and a lifetime supply of candy and a pet unicorn.

"Hugs," he demanded, kneeling on the bed with his arms out.

Gabriel was more than happy to comply, laying his head on Jack's shoulder, arms wrapped around his torso. The bed dipped and bounced as Robert joined them, his arms threading between Gabriel's, his head on Jack's other shoulder. For a long minute they just knelt there, breathing in the warmth and relief of requited feelings.

"Don't tell anyone?" Robert asked quietly.

Gabriel snorted. "I don't know anyone."

"You'll meet them on Saturday," Robert countered. "I just...don't want everyone to know. To make comments, even well-meaning ones."

Jack hugged them both reassuringly. "As far as anyone outside this room knows, nothing has changed."

"What about Mary?" Gabriel asked, frowning against Jack's skin.

"I'll handle her," Robert reassured him. "Just follow my lead."

"What about..." Jack paused. "What about round two?"

Gabriel bit back a groan.

"We're trash fires, Jack," Robert said in a darkly quiet voice. "We don't want to burn you. So for now..."

"...we're going to do to each other all the things we want to do to you, while you watch," Gabriel finished. "And we'll all talk things over together. Gives us a chance to sort our shit out, gives you a chance to get used to thinking about that sort of thing without having a complete meltdown."

"That sounds reasonable," Jack said, "but I meant I'm...ready for it if you are."

Jack wanted to watch him nail Robert. Jack would be jerking it to his naked body, his cock in Robert's ass. Gabriel groaned while Robert gasped softly, no doubt thinking similar things.

"Oh," he said huskily, feeling his dick swell. "I'm ready."

===

For the second time that day, Jack sat naked on the red chair as his two - were they still crushes, or were they boyfriends? - as Robert and Gabriel knelt on the bed, kissing each other fiercely. Jack had his hands self-consciously over his crotch, but the curves of their bodies...Gabriel's powerful thighs, his fingers in Robert's hair...the almost helpless sounds Robert was making...Jack let his fingers slip and his erection speak silently for itself.

Gabriel noticed it first, breaking off the latest kiss to stare hungrily at it. Remembering the things he did to that Rocket Pop made Jack bite back a moan and clutch the arms of the chair as he imagined those things being done to him. Robert looked hungry as well, but also a bit...forlorn...and he stroked himself a few times almost absently.

A quiet word Jack couldn't make out sent Robert on his back while Gabriel rolled a condom onto his long, thick cock and smeared a generous amount of lube onto it. "Can you see?" Gabriel asked, his voice rough.

Jack shook his head; Robert's thigh was blocking his view. A few murmured words and Robert lifted the offending leg, resting his ankle on Gabriel's shoulder. Mutely, eyes riveted on the newly-revealed topography, Jack nodded. Gabriel positioned himself carefully, leaning over Robert's scarred torso and kissing his way up to the other man's collarbone while his leg slid down to wrap around Gabriel's hip. Then those thighs flexed and he pushed, slowly, pressing against Robert's asshole and sliding inside as both men gasped and groaned. Jack's fingers curled around his shaft, tightening at each sound.

He'd never seen man-on-man porn, and only a little man-on-woman thanks to his dad falling asleep with the TV on, but he hadn't expected it to start this...slowly. Gabriel looked like he was waiting for some sign from Robert before he pressed deeper, and Jack realized after a minute that getting something that big shoved up your ass might need some...adjustment time. Finally, Gabriel was in all the way and Robert was clutching at his shoulders, head thrown back. Jack wanted to kiss the exposed column of his throat. As if he'd heard the thought, Gabriel started doing just that, lavishing tender attention on Robert's skin while he panted and moaned.

They're doing what they want to do to me, Jack thought. Gabriel wants to kiss my throat like that. Robert wants to clutch at my skin while he adjusts to having me inside him.

The thought of being the one on top of Robert - or beneath Gabriel - made him utter a little sound of need as his thumb swiped across the head of his penis. Gabriel shuddered and Robert gasped and then they were fucking, slow and steady, easing into the motions. Jack started stroking, trying to keep pace. They were all making sounds now, speeding up, Jack imagining himself giving every kiss, feeling every caress, pressing his face against Robert's chest as he thrust, having Gabriel leave a hickey on his collarbone as he thrust into him, clutching at the sheet as he slid into Robert-

"Jack," Robert breathed, high and desperate, a plea for more and a warning that he couldn't take much more.

"Jack," Gabriel echoed, low and tight.

"Harder," Jack begged, keeping time with Gabriel's hips, feeling his balls tighten at how close the other two were.

Gabriel moaned and sped up. Jack's motions sped up as well and he could feel it, welling up and about to burst loose.

"I'm..." He scrabbled for a tissue, pressed it blindly over his right hand. "I'm..."

"Jack!"

The world washed away.

Hands, tugging at him, urging him up. He let himself be pulled, out of the chair, onto the bed. Muzzily, content, boneless, he cuddled up to Gabriel's chest and felt warmth sandwich him as Robert snuggled up to his back, stubble catching in his hair. Scratchiness as Gabriel kissed his forehead.

"Am I allowed to kiss you?" Jack murmured.

Two sets of arms tightened around him.

"Not yet," Robert growled.

Gabriel hummed agreement. "If you kiss me, I'm not sure I'll be able to resist kissing you back and then taking it somewhere none of us are ready for it to go, no matter how badly we want it to."

"Can I hug you?" Jack asked.

Another scratchy forehead kiss, and tugging on his hair as Robert kissed the top of his head.

"Yes."

"Yes."

Jack smiled. "Then it's all good."

===

"Mary might come on to you," Robert said as Gabriel chugged a glass of Jack's strawberry lemonade. "She's not serious. She has a twisted-love thing with her husband, Joseph."

Gabriel grunted. "What's the twist?"

Robert grimaced. "She actually loves him. He's hardcore into the Good Christian Values - divorce is evil, homosexuality is evil, sex is for procreation - but he's as queer as a three-dollar bill and so deep in denial that you could crown him Pharaoh. So she tries to get him riled up enough to actually perform his marital duties because even though he'll screw around, she won't. They're a real pair, but she's decent enough to slum around with."

A knock on the door prevented Gabriel from needing to find anything to say to that.

=

"...so I opened the door wearing nothing but a pair of tighty-whities and a scowl."

Mary let out a shriek of laughter and covered her mouth. "Oh no..."

Gabriel grinned. "Oh yes. Did I mention I was hard as steel? There was a reason I was scowling." He sipped his Jack and Coke - Mary didn't need to know it was mostly Coke - and said, "He asked if Robert was home, and I told him Robert was busy."

"You didn't!"

"I did! We'd been putting on a little...show...for Jack, and he interrupted us."

"So you answered the door in your underwear."

Smugly, Gabriel sipped again. "I never said it was my underwear."

Mary put her wine glass down.

"It was Jack's."

She laughed until tears streaked her cheeks.

=

"...see you at the cookout," Mary said, swaying as she clung to the doorframe. "G'night, you two."

"Good night, Mary," Robert said, gently closing the door as she wandered away. Then he turned to Gabriel, sitting slumped on the couch. "How are you doing?"

Gabriel rubbed his temples, knowing better than to shake his head. "Ran out of Coke. Started doing shots. Not as bad as I could be, worse than I'd like. Contemplating praying to the porcelain god but don't want to see the pizza again."

Robert did something noisy in the kitchen. "Here," he said, holding a glass of water for Gabriel to drink from. "Sip on that. Can you make it to your bed or do you want to camp here for the night? I've got a big pot here for you to puke in if you need it."

"I think I'd better not stand up," Gabriel said slowly, taking the glass. "You go to bed. I'll work on this water."

"Okay." Robert set the pot on the floor by one end of the couch. "Yell if you need anything."

Gabriel flashed him a thumbs-up.

=

The pounding headache was just as bad as Gabriel thought it would be, but the nausea had thankfully fucked off sometime in the night. He pried one eyelid open enough to confirm there was a glass of water and two aspirin on the coffee table and groaned softly at the effort of reaching for them.

All of a sudden Jack was there, like he'd just appeared, holding the glass so Gabriel could drink. He sucked the whole thing down and laid his head down with a sigh, letting his eyes slip shut again.

"How are you doing?" Jack asked softly, his hand warm on Gabriel's temple, his cheek, his shoulder.

"Ask me in five minutes," he croaked.

"Okay," Jack said warmly. "I'll get breakfast started. Any requests?"

"Not pizza."

"Pizza is only breakfast if you're a college student," Jack teased.

Gabriel smiled briefly. "Scrambled eggs. Your biscuits. Black coffee. A kiss."

"I'm not allowed to kiss you, remember?"

"Spoilsport," Gabriel protested, but his lips were twitching as he tried not to grin.

"How about after breakfast, you come over and we'll watch a movie together."

That was worth the effort of peeling his eyes open to see the smile on Jack's face. "I'd like that."

Jack's smile was brilliant.

===

"Robert..." Jack tore his gaze away from the groceries spread out on the counter and the smugly pleased men who had procured them for him. "This is way too many strawberries."

"Gabriel said you like strawberries." Robert shrugged. "They were on sale."

Jack felt himself start to blush. Of course Ana would have told Gabriel how much he liked strawberries. He hesitated to ask, because he knew he was playing into his paramours' hands, but he had to. "What are we going to do with the rest?"

Gabriel pulled out a carton of whipping cream and a package of ladyfingers.

"...oh," Jack murmured.

"We're going to spoil you."

Ana definitely told him stories. Jack sighed once in resignation and then beamed at his paramours, tickled that they'd decided to spoil him in the first place. They both smiled back, and when Jack spread his arms, he found each one filled almost instantly with a dusky-skinned man breathing in the scent of his hair.

Jack set Gabriel to crushing Oreos while Robert manned the mixer. He supervised the entire process - heating the oven, putting cupcake liners in the muffin tins, adding ingredients to the cheesecake filling Robert was blending and checking the consistency of the Oreo crumbs that would make up the crust. While Jack assembled the cheesecakes, Robert and Gabriel washed and cored the strawberries. Then Robert sliced them into a bowl while Gabriel started whipping the cream. Jack claimed a portion of the strawberries to make the topping with and checked the stiffness of the whipped cream, adding sugar and vanilla before letting Gabriel resume his ministrations. By the time the cheesecakes were done and cooling, his paramours had assembled the fluffy, layered dessert he loved best but rarely made because he could - and would - eat the entire thing by himself.

"Okay, the cheesecakes are in the fridge along with the topping," Jack declared, trying not to feel nervous at the grins directed his way. "Now..."

"Now we feed you," Gabriel announced, pleased as punch.

"I can eat that whole thing," Jack warned them, pointing at the pan.

Robert crossed his arms. "Good."

"But if I do, I'll be useless for making dinner."

"I'll order Chinese," Robert said dismissively.

Gabriel crossed his arms as well. "Get that cute butt of yours on the couch, Jack. We're taking over."

Thrown off-balance by the compliment to his posterior, Jack scurried into the living room and sat in the center of the couch, unbuttoning his jeans as a precaution. Robert sat on his right, holding a soup spoon in each hand, while Gabriel took his place to Jack's left and set the pan on Jack's thighs before accepting a spoon.

"Ana told me you have a hard time remembering to do things for yourself," he murmured, his breath tickling Jack's ear.

"You don't relax enough," Robert growled softly. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

"The Shining?" Jack asked. "I'm not going to snap and go psycho."

Robert dipped his spoon into the creamy dessert and held it up to Jack's mouth. "I'm not taking that chance," he said, amused, as Jack accepted the spoonful eagerly.

Gabriel beamed at him, holding his loaded spoon ready for the instant Jack's mouth opened.

Feeling a bit like a baby bird, but entirely pleased by having two attractive men feed him his favorite dessert, Jack settled back into the combined embraces of paramours and couch and just opened his mouth imperiously as soon as he'd swallowed. By the time the pan was empty, he'd had to unzip his jeans and he wasn't sure he could move, but he had Gabriel snuggled up on his left, head on Jack's shoulder, one hand gently rubbing his distended stomach while Robert mirrored his position on Jack's right.

"Glad I wore a long shirt today," Jack murmured, eyes sliding shut. "Won't scandalize 'Manda when she comes home."

Robert snorted. "You don't think it will scandalize her to see us draped on you like a pair of concubines?"

"She'll probably cheer and applaud," Gabriel countered.

Robert's chuckle made Jack smile.

"Thank you for this," he murmured, hands gently squeezing their thighs. "I don't think I've ever been so content and happy, even on my birthday."

Gabriel smiled against his neck. "Is there anything we can do to make you happier?"

Jack's smile flickered out, but he didn't open his eyes. "I'd like to know why I can't kiss you two," he said quietly. "I want to understand the reasons, because they're hurting you, and I want to help."

Robert trembled. Jack squeezed his thigh reassuringly.

"You're the first person I've been sexually attracted to," Gabriel began slowly, "who I also care about. I'm a one-night stand kind of guy. Love 'em and leave 'em. I've had a few relationships, but they were more like regular lays. Didn't feel anything for them, not like I feel for you." He took a deep breath. "I don't want to fuck up with you. I don't want you to think I don't care. I don't want to accidentally treat you like a one-night stand, and not just because Ana would kill me."

"Same with me," Robert practically whispered. "Only more extreme, and with a wife I was an asshole to instead of shitty relationships. All my experiences with men..." He shuddered and buried his face in Jack's shoulder for a long minute. "The first one...I thought he cared. I cared about him. And then I found myself out in the cold with an excuse that was barely an apology. It hurt. A lot. I figured...if any man who wanted a piece of me was just going to boot me out, I may as well boot them out first, you know? But you..."

Jack threaded his left arm out from between Gabriel's and gently pressed his hand to the back of Robert's head. "Is that why you never asked again?"

Mutely, Robert nodded.

"I'm not going to boot you out, Robert. You know that."

"I know," he murmured back, "but I'm afraid of treating you like I was treated. Of pulling away once we've...and leaving you hurt and confused."

Jack stroked his hair, thinking.

"That's why," Gabriel said quietly. "Neither of us know how to do a relationship without fucking it up, and you..."

"Have only been in a platonic relationship," Jack supplied. "So we're making it up as we go?"

Robert gave a dry bark of a laugh. "Sounds about right."

"You said you're doing to each other the things you want to do to me, right?"

Two nods against his shoulders.

"So extend that past the sexual," Jack suggested. "Treat each other the way you want to treat me. Figure out what works, and what doesn't. Talk to each other. Talk to me. I'm okay with waiting until both of you are comfortable, but you'll never get comfortable unless you practice."

In silence, he stroked Robert's hair and waited for his paramours to think the idea over.

"Sounds good to me," Gabriel said finally. "Robert?"

"We're both in this together. Either of us fucks up, it hurts Jack. You watch my back, I'll watch yours. Deal?"

The hands that had been caressing Jack's stomach stopped and clasped.

"Deal," Gabriel said.

In the absence of that gentle massage, the air that had escaped melting whipped cream combined into a single bubble and made a break for freedom. Jack had only that single moment of realization before a long, rumbling belch caused the other two to freeze in surprise.

After a few seconds, Robert relaxed and patted Jack's stomach gently. "A-plus. Well done."

Gabriel laughed. "I think we get some of the credit for that. Think we could do that again?"

Jack groaned good-naturedly. "Please don't burp me like a baby."

"We're just helping your digestion," Gabriel protested with false innocence. "Sparing Amanda's innocent eyes from the sight of her father lying on the couch like a beached whale."

"I'm not-"

"More like a well-fed dolphin," Robert countered.

"Hey!"

"Reason?" Gabriel asked.

"Dolphins are cuter. Also pale."

"I'm not that-"

Jack's protest dissolved into giggles as Gabriel leaned down to blow a raspberry against his stomach.

"You're right, Robert," Gabriel said, grinning. "Dolphin."

Robert laughed, and Jack couldn't bring himself to feel the slightest bit of regret if it made his paramours that happy.

"Fine," he sighed, trying to hide his grin and failing. "I'm a dolphin."

===

"You know we're going to look like a couple," Robert said from the bathroom doorway, arms crossed.

Gabriel shrugged and rinsed off his razor. "It's for Jack, and I don't have a reputation to lose except with Mary - who thinks I'm hilarious - and Joseph. Did I miss any patches?" he asked, craning his head around trying to see his entire scalp.

"Hold still, let me check." Fingers brushed his skin. "No, you're good. Okay, so you're down with looking like my lover."

"Yup."

Robert sighed. "Being drunk is the only way I can stand being around Joseph without causing a scene. But..."

He didn't have to finish; they were thinking the same thing. Neither of them really wanted to get drunk around Jack. Gabriel looked up and met Robert's dark eyes in the mirror. "Stick by Jack until I spook him, then stick by me. I'll keep him off you."

The entirety of Robert's response to that was to look away, and Gabriel turned to pull him into a tight hug. "Hey. It's going to be okay. Need a shot to settle your nerves before we go over?"

"Yes, and I hate myself for it," the other man said darkly. "I don't want to be a fucking drunk. Why can't I be stronger?"

"Make you a deal, cabron," Gabriel said in a steely voice. "Five. We each get five drinks a day. Beer, whiskey, wine, whatever. Five standard drinks. No more."

"Or what?"

"If I go over, you get to nail me. If you go over, you suck me off."

Robert went still, thinking about it. Then he pulled away and stared at Gabriel, silently asking if he was sure. Gabriel nodded solemnly.

"It's a deal," Robert said. "Let me get that shot and we'll head over."

Gabriel watched as Robert poured and downed his shot, and then they grabbed the fruit platter and headed into Joseph's backyard.

"Stick by Jack," Gabriel ordered in an undertone as Joseph looked over and saw them. As Robert and the fruit tray peeled off for Jack and the food table, Gabriel pasted a big, fake smile on his face and headed straight for the host. "Hi," he enthused as he got within a few yards. "We weren't properly introduced yesterday. I'm Gabriel, a friend of Jack's wife. We served together."

"Joseph," the man introduced himself. "You're...staying with Robert?"

"For the foreseeable future," Gabriel agreed. "Turns out we have a lot in common."

Now close enough to touch, Gabriel stopped and looked Joseph up and down appraisingly. He made sure to spend an impolite amount of time staring at the other man's crotch before drifting around him in a circle, making thoughtful sounds. When he had almost completed his circuit, he leaned in close enough that his murmured words would tickle against Joseph's ear.

"Robert's ass is better."

Without bothering to look at the reaction he'd gotten, Gabriel crossed the yard and slid one arm around Robert's waist, copping a generous feel as he did. Then he leaned over to whisper in his compatriot's ear.

"Does Joseph look spooked enough?"

Robert turned his head and chuckled. "A little more should do it," he said, and he kissed Gabriel.

Gabriel kissed back, fully aware of the stares they were getting from people he didn't know yet, but especially Jack's and Joseph's. When he broke the kiss, Jack was beaming at them and damn if his cheeks didn't feel warm.

"Hey," Gabriel said wittily.

Jack offered them both a strawberry cheesecake, and Gabriel gratefully stuffed his mouth because apparently he could not be trusted to talk rationally right now. Once he and Robert had used the sweet distraction to regain their composure, his compatriot took him around to meet the neighbors. They seemed pleasant enough, but there were a significant number of uncertain looks in Jack's direction. He noticed Mary following in their wake, whispering something to each man who immediately brightened. She joined them as they were putting together plates of food.

"Don't worry, boys," she said in a low voice. "I let everyone know you're not gonna break Jack's heart."

"Thanks," Robert murmured back.

She gave him a wicked little laugh. "It was worth it to see your friend prowl around my husband like that. What did you tell him?"

Gabriel smirked. "That Robert's ass was better."

"Perfect," she purred. "Oh, he's gesturing at me. I think he needs me in the house for something. I'd better go see what he wants," she finished in a tone of knowing exactly what he wanted and being more than happy to both laugh at him and comply.

"Go with god," Robert deadpanned.

Gabriel couldn't resist. "And may his angels watch over you."

Mary laughed. "Well, if they do, I hope they enjoy the show."

Now that the other guys knew Gabriel wasn't a homewrecker, they were much more friendly to him.

"Nothing personal," Hugo said to him as Robert was sitting quietly next to Jack, holding his hand. "It's just that Jack's been the best thing that happened to Robert in years."

Mat gave a breathy little laugh. "I can practically tell how Robert spent the night by if and what he orders in the morning. If he gets Jack's Chai Antwoord and the Right Said Banana Bread, he fucked up."

"He's not ready for a relationship yet," Gabriel told them. "Neither of us are. So we're practicing, because Jack deserves better than cleaning up our messes."

Damien, who had been silent, brightened. "Ah-ha! You make a play of courting each other so that you may refine your courtship. And when you are ready, you will present your suit together...?"

"Good question," Hugo asked. "What happens when you're not...a mess anymore?"

"Ride or die," Gabriel answered crisply. "This isn't 'me or him', we're both in it together. Either one of us fucking up hurts Jack."

"Ah, polyamory rather than a love triangle," Damien cooed. "How splendid! I would love to have you all over for tea some time; it would be a delight to host the three of you."

Gabriel grinned. "I'll see what they have to say."

Jack looked up and smiled as Gabriel approached, one arm out in an invitation for Gabriel to slide onto the bench of the picnic table and take his rightful place in a hug. He smiled back as he sat beside Jack, wanting so badly to kiss him. Instead, he buried his face in Jack's hair and inhaled before laying his head on Jack's shoulder and wrapping an arm around the man's waist. On Jack's other side, Robert leaned in for a tighter hug and then stood to go socialize.

"Robert told me about your agreement," Jack murmured. "You know I fully support you both in your efforts to drink less, but I won't get angry if you mess up."

"I know," Gabriel sighed, feeling unfairly relaxed with Jack's arm around him. "But that's why we have to do it this way. Otherwise, we'll just keep messing up and feel worse about it."

"Robert said the same thing. Can I reward you in any way for both of you making it through the day without going over your drink limit?"

Gabriel thought about it. "If we make it the whole week," he said slowly, "you spend the night with us."

The arm around his waist tightened. "I think that's a great idea. Don't hesitate to call or text if you or Robert are in a bad place and need support, okay?"

It wasn't fair that anyone could make him feel so vulnerable and so happy at the same time.

"I promise."

===
An entire summer later
===

"You're sure you've got everything?" Jack asked for at least the fifth time. "Phone, charger, directions-"

"Daaaad." Amanda rolled her eyes and grinned at him. "You made a checklist. I checked everything off. You checked everything off. I've got everything, including a room at a motel halfway there and one in town so I can take my time getting checked and moved in."

Jack sighed. "I know. You'll be fine. And I worry too much."

She hugged him. "You've got a valid reason to worry. I'll drive the speed limit and text you every time I stop for anything."

"Thanks for putting up with your neurotic dad," Jack whispered, hugging back.

"Dad, no. You spent half your life making sure I'd get this far. You're the best dad I've ever seen, and I'm so, so grateful for your sacrifices. I mean, I got into my dream school! I'm not the only one that graduated - you graduated, too. And now we're both going on new adventures. I'm learning how to be an adult, and you're..."

"I'm learning how to be an adult, too," Jack finished dryly, letting go of his daughter to wipe his eyes. "Drive safe, Fareeha. I love you."

Now it was her turn to wipe her eyes. "I love you too, Dad." Fiercely, she turned to the other two men watching. "Knife Dad, Gun Dad, I'm counting on you to take care of him until I come back for Thanksgiving break. Okay?"

They swooped in and hugged her, one after the other.

"I promise, Manda Panda," Robert said huskily.

Gabriel ruffled her hair. "Your mom would be super proud of you, kiddo. Go be amazing."

"Thanks, both of you," she said quietly.

Then, as though trying to make sure she left before anyone started crying including her, she turned and threw herself into the SUV loaded up with boxes and bags. Gabriel and Robert moved to flank Jack, both of them hugging him as they watched the SUV drive off.

"We're not letting you spend the night alone," Gabriel said firmly. "You're going to be a wreck. Your house, or Robert's?"

"I..." Jack's protest trailed off. Now that the SUV was out of sight, he could feel the faint stirring of panic flutter around his chest. "Mine," he said quietly, "or I'll start avoiding it because she's not there."

Gabriel kissed him on the temple. "Alright, sunshine, let's get your butt on the couch. Robert's got movies he wants to show you and I happen to know there's a fresh carton of strawberry shortcake ice cream in your freezer."

Jack hugged his paramours - he still wasn't sure if he could call them boyfriends or lovers - and nuzzled each of their necks in turn. "Thank you, both of you."

Robert kissed his cheek, stubble scraping gently against his skin. "You've been there for me - Christ, it was only two fuckin' nights ago that I had a breakdown and needed you to hug me and reassure me that you actually cared! So I'm damn well gonna be there for you because without you and Gabe, I'd still be trying to kill myself with the bottle."

Gabriel stepped towards Robert, pulling Jack with him until they had completed the hug triangle. "If you hadn't offered me your spare room, Rob, I don't even know where I'd be. It sure as fuck wouldn't be sober and happy. If Ana knew that I was in a stable relationship, I think the only reason she wouldn't be looking for whoever murdered me and assumed my identity is because Jack's a part of it, and she knows..." Gabriel broke off, blushing. "...she knows..that I've had a thing for Jack for years, just from her stories."

Both Jack and Robert leaned in to kiss his cheeks. Gabriel shook himself free, trying to look stern despite his blush.

"Okay, enough being sappy. On the couch, both of you, now."

Grinning, they filed into Jack's house.

=

Jack had no idea what time it was, only that it was dark and despite being comfortably sandwiched between his two loves, he couldn't sleep. He knew his daughter had reached the motel safely, and that the odds were vanishingly slim that she would be murdered in the middle of the night. But despite the whisper of habitual anxiety it wasn't actually concern for her safety that was keeping him awake. He'd succeeded as a parent: his child was an adult, off living her own life. She'd spread her wings and left the nest. But being a parent was all he'd known for most of his life - without her, what was he going to do with his life?

Tears welled up in his eyes and he bit his lip, trying to control his breathing and not give in to the moan of despair that was trapped in his throat. Although he stayed silent, he couldn't stop the shudders wracking his body and he hoped both that he wouldn't wake his loves, and that his loves would wake and comfort him.

A few tense minutes passed before he slipped and half a sob escaped.

"Jack?" Gabriel asked quietly. Fuck. How long had he been awake? When Jack didn't answer, Gabriel said, "Rob!" in a low tone.

Robert turned in Jack's arms and kissed him, forehead and wet eyelids and salty cheeks and finally lips. Gentle, enticing, inviting distraction, Robert kissed him until he began to kiss back, existential crisis put on hold by stubble and the subtle scent of the clove cigarettes Robert smoked when he was feeling anxious. Although this was far from the first time they'd kissed, they had only made it as far as mutual masturbation and each time Jack got kissed like this, he hoped that this time, it would end with seeing the expression on Robert's face as he slid gently inside, as he lay physical claim to Jack the way Gabriel had.

"I need you, Jack," Robert murmured, kissing down his jaw, to his throat, the gentle scratch of stubble making Jack melt. "I'm a needy mess, but you've been there for me and I'm here for you. I want to be the man you deserve. I want..." Robert trembled and laid his head against Jack's chest. "I want to show you I can be better. I want to make you happy, I want to chase away the worry about what you'll do with your life." He hesitated briefly, then said in a rush, "I want to be inside you."

It was like lightning going down Jack's spine and dimly, he was aware that he was on his back with Robert leaning over him, searching his face in the dim light.

"Rob?"

Robert leaned down to kiss him lightly. "I want to be inside you," he repeated softly. "I want to make love to you. Do...do you want me to?"

Jack thought he was going to cry from happiness, that his heart was going to get lodged in his throat and keep the words from coming out. "Yes, Rob."

That got him kissed again, a gentle worshiping of lips where every motion was a silent 'thank you'. Hands urged his pajama bottoms down and Jack lifted his ass off the bed to facilitate that, not questioning whose hands were stripping his lower half until Robert retreated down the bed. His head dipped, and the warm wetness of his tongue was an unanticipated surprise that brought Jack quickly to full arousal. Moaning, he spread his legs and waited while unseen hands slipped the slender little dildo just past his opening and depressed the plunger, the generous squirt of slightly-cool lube making him even more eager for the impending warmth that would soon fill him.

Warm lips on his thigh made Jack's breath catch; the return of Robert's tongue made him let that breath out in a moan. Then Robert was climbing back up the bed, kissing his way up Jack's stomach, a point of heat indicating that he had positioned himself for entry.

"W-wait," he gasped. "I want to see you."

From the darkness, Gabriel chuckled. "Close your eyes."

Jack closed his eyes. A moment later, the lowest setting of the lamp on the bedside table flooded the room with dim golden light. He gave it a count of ten before he opened his eyes again, smiling at the uncertain look on Robert's face. It melted into the smile that made Jack feel warm and gooey inside, and Robert leaned down to kiss him lightly.

"Ready?" he murmured.

When Jack murmured assent, he lifted his face and began pushing gently. His eyes slipped shut as he eased inside, expression becoming sweetly vulnerable. A breathy 'oh' escaped as he slid deeper, and when he'd filled Jack to the hilt, he laid his head on Jack's chest again and just breathed, trembling slightly. Jack stroked his hair and kissed the top of his head, letting him adjust to finally being inside after so long.

"Tell me if I hurt you," Robert murmured as he lifted his head. "I'm used to taking what I want, but what I want now is to give."

Jack urged his face closer for a kiss. "I promise," he murmured back.

It was slow and sweet, different from any time he'd been penetrated by Gabriel. That had been intense, intoxicating, the infectious beat that makes you want to get up and dance. Robert's lovemaking was a slow dance, two partners embracing, moving leisurely with the music, just enjoying the moment and each other's presence. Jack came first, clutching Robert's shoulders, head thrown back while the motions paused so Robert could drink in the expression of bliss and know that he had caused that. When Jack finally opened his eyes and smiled at him, he lowered his head to kiss that smile.

"I'm gonna finish now," he murmured into Jack's mouth. "Okay?"

"Please do," Jack murmured back.

The motions resumed, Robert's eyes slipping shut as he sped up, his head dipping down to rest on Jack's chest briefly before raising again. "Jack," he whispered, the same tone of awe and excitement he once used when they were stargazing and he'd seen a shooting star. Then he threw his head back and Jack drank in the expression he'd waited months to see.

With a ragged sigh, Robert's arms slowly gave out and he lay on Jack's chest. Jack wrapped his arms around his lover - he could finally call them both that, his lovers - and kissed the top of his head. It wasn't a surprise when Gabriel re-joined them on the bed, nor when Robert's liquid contentment curdled into shivering.

"It's okay, Rob," Jack murmured into his hair, rolling towards Gabriel. This time, Robert would be the one sandwiched. "I'm not leaving you, not when I've finally got you. I love you. Stay with me."

Wetness on his chest made Jack's heart ache, and when Robert thrashed, Jack let go enough that he could turn and press himself against Gabriel's chest instead. Undeterred, Jack cuddled up to Robert's back and kept murmuring reassurance until the hysterical backlash reaction wound down to shaky, sobbing breaths.

"Jack," Robert moaned, pushing slightly away from Gabriel's comforting bulk.

"I'm right here, Rob." Jack kissed his shoulder. "I didn't go anywhere."

Robert struggled to turn around again, fingers gently tracing Jack's face as his dark eyes searched Jack's blue. "Please don't leave me," he begged quietly.

The reminder that his life's purpose was sleeping in a motel eight hours way made Jack tremble. "Please don't leave me," he countered with equal desperation.

"Neither of you are leaving," Gabriel rumbled firmly. "The only leaving is going to be leaving it to me and I'm bundling you both on the couch for the rest of the night. Got it?"

Jack and Robert stared at each other, frozen by that unexpected pronouncement. Then they giggled weakly, tiredly, and pressed their foreheads together in a gesture of intimacy that substituted for the kissing they couldn't quite manage to get their lips to work for.

Meekly, holding hands, they followed Gabriel to the living room and sat obediently where he pointed them to on the couch. Then he tucked the blanket in around both of them and vanished into the kitchen while they got cozy. A few minutes later he re-emerged carrying two mugs with bendy straws stuck in them.

"Drink," he ordered, perching on the coffee table and holding the mugs out.

Hesitantly, Jack sipped. Hot cocoa, cooled with milk and spiked with peppermint schnapps. Normally he'd be wary, but by silent consent they were leaving it to Gabriel tonight, and he squeezed Robert's hand under the blanket as they both drank. The heat of the alcohol and the cocoa warmed him from the inside and when the straws came up empty, Gabriel took the mugs back to the kitchen.

"I'm not leaving you," Jack murmured, resting his head on Robert's shoulder and letting his eyes close. "I need you, Rob. I don't know what I'm doing with myself."

"I'm not leaving you either," Robert murmured back. "I need you too badly. We'll figure it out together, you me and Gabe."

Gabriel. Where was he?

"Gabe?" Jack called, not raising his head. "Where are you?"

"I'm in your chair," Gabriel replied dryly.

Only then did Jack realize that he and Robert were taking up the entire couch.

"Good-night kiss?" he asked, feeling sheepish that he hadn't noticed Gabriel couldn't complete the sandwich.

Robert chuckled tiredly, head leaning against Jack's. Creaking indicated that Gabriel was standing up, and then scratchy goatee and warm lips pressed against Jack's cheek.

"Now sleep, you adorable idiots," Gabriel chided affectionately.

Jack squeezed Robert's hand. Robert squeezed back. Smiling, he let sleep take him.

===
Thanksgiving break
===

Three phones buzzed on the bedside tables; two of the bodies in the beds stirred.

"Gabe?" Jack muttered, mostly-asleep.

Gabriel rolled over and flailed for a phone. The first one he grabbed was Jack's.

To: Dad, Knife Dad, Gun Dad
HEY DADS HEADING OUT. WILL TEXT AT EVERY REST STOP. ETA TOMORROW 10AM!!! LOVE YOU! (PANDA)

Grunting, he slowly typed a quick message back.

LU2. DRIVE SAFE. C U L8R. SLEEP NOW. (HEART) (FLEX)

If the typing style didn't let her know which dad had just texted her back, the arm-flexing emoji would act as a signature.

"Panda on her way," he murmured as he nuzzled the back of Jack's neck. "Gotta piss, be right back."

Gabriel put Jack's phone back down and picked his own up before making his way to the half-bath by the kitchen. Once the door was closed behind him, he scrolled through his contacts and selected one that looked like it would be a relative. In reality, it was a burner phone he'd left in a storage locker. When Ana made her way back to civilization, she'd retrieve it and have months worth of weekly texts letting her know what was going on - that he'd found Jack, where he was staying, that he and Robert were both in a relationship with Jack. Fareeha's graduation. The classes she'd taken over the summer. Her college contact information. The dates of Thanksgiving break. Now he sent another text, informing her of her daughter's immanent arrival late tomorrow morning.

A few seconds later, for the first time since he'd arrived in Maple Bay, he got a return text.

STILL READING. PLANE LEAVING SOON. AM I INVITED?

Hands shaking, he typed WHO R U? and anxiously waited for confirmation that he wasn't inviting a random stranger to Robert's house.

ANGEL OR NO, IF YOU BREAK THAT COUNTRY BOY'S HEART YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR DEATH COMING.

Yeah. That was Ana.

ABSOLUTELY INVITED, he typed eagerly back. TEXT WHEN U LAND. TELL JACK OR NO?

Seconds later, the response came in.

BOARDING IN 30. TELL NO ONE. AMARI OUT.

Giddy now, Gabriel typed one last message. U GOT IT. FLY SAFE. REYES OUT.

Ana was alive, and she was coming to Thanksgiving. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep now. Gabriel slipped into the kitchen and put the coffee on. Jack would be waking up soon; maybe he'd be interested in a little early-morning fun. They could double-team Robert later.

===

FRONTAL APPROACH OR COVERT? Gabriel texted while Val was distracting Jack and Robert and Fareeha with a story.

A minute later, Ana texted back. WHO IS SLEEPING WHERE?

JACK WITH ME & ROB. THE GIRLS AT JACK'S. COOKING AND EATING AT ROB'S.

LEAVE THE BACK DOOR UNLOCKED, Ana texted. AMARI OUT.

Gabriel smothered a gin. ROGER THAT. REYES OUT.

The rest of the evening passed in comfortable chatter and laughter, Gabriel winding up as the middle of the sandwich halfway through so each dad could sit across from his daughter as they perched on the other couch. Eventually, everyone started yawning and Jack sternly reminded the girls that while there was pumpkin pie and egg nog in the fridge, they were to eat no more than a total of half the pie and have a single glass of egg nog each for breakfast, and that he was aiming to have the full meal ready at two. Then hugs were exchanged, the girls taking turns hugging all three of them, Gabriel included. Fareeha and Val said their good-nights and I-love-yous, which brought tears to Robert's eyes and got him another hug from his daughter. Then the girls left for Jack's house with the spare key to Robert's. Gabriel made sure the back door was unlocked under the pretense of hitting the bathroom by the kitchen before joining the other two in bed.

Jack, as expected, was up ungodly early to put the turkey in despite Gabriel's urging to deep-fry it. He also put coffee on and made pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes, which ensured both of his lovers braved the morning for the rewards of caffeine, chocolate, and sunshiny kisses. There was a pile of pancakes left on the stove in case the girls decided to come over for breakfast. The three men went back to bed for a little pick-me-up that had nothing to do with caffeine or chocolate, and when they re-emerged clean and dressed and ready for the day, Gabriel noticed the stack was a pancake or three shorter than it had been.

He and Robert allowed themselves to be recruited as kitchen aids, placated as they were by satisfaction and Jack's sunny smile as he cooked for his loved ones. The girls wandered over around ten and started setting the dining room table in between nibbling on pancakes. They also brought the pumpkin pie and egg nog with them. Gabriel wondered where Ana was hiding and suspected the guest bedroom, but there was no excuse he could think of that would get him in there to check.

In the lull between preparing the cold foods and waiting until they needed to prepare the hot ones, they all congregated in the living room. This time, Gabriel wound up sandwiched between the girls while Robert fetched drinks and Jack sprawled on the other couch, fanning himself.

Fareeha - she'd taken her birth name back up at college - threaded her fingers between Gabriel's. "I'm glad you're here," she said quietly. "This is going to be the first Thanksgiving without Mom."

"She's out there, Panda," Gabriel said, squeezing her hand gently. "I looked for her body, and I found footprints."

She leaned against him. "Yeah, but that was months ago. She could be dead by now, and we'd never know. It's easier to just assume she is than to keep wondering, you know?"

Gabriel wanted to tell her. Wanted so very badly, but he kept his mouth shut and hugged her instead. "She's alive," he repeated firmly. "I served with her. She was voted Most Likely To Kick The Grim Reaper In The Nuts."

That made not only Fareeha but also Robert giggle.

"She sounds like my kind of woman," Val joked.

"She's a little old for you," Gabriel teased. "You're what, twenty-six? She's got a decade on you."

Val shrugged. "Thirty-six is still young. Older women can be...exciting."

"You have a girlfriend," Robert chided as he joined Jack on the other couch.

"You have two boyfriends," she protested.

Jack said sternly, "You need to talk to your girlfriend about adding a third before you approach the third."

Val perks up. "Are you giving me permission to date your wife?"

When the laughter at Jack's blush died down, he said, "Yes. Assuming she is alive, and interested, and your girlfriend agrees."

Fareeha and Val exchanged a look.

"On second thought," Val said, "I think that would be weird to date the mom of my honorary little sister. I withdraw my suit."

They laughed again at that.

=

After a bit of seating discussion, Gabriel sat at the head of the table while Jack and Robert sat across from each other, between him and their daughters. All the food had been put into serving dishes and arranged onto the table, glasses had been filled, and the mood turned solemn as they all sat and looked at the empty place setting at the foot of the table. Military tradition, Gabriel had insisted. Leaving a place for the missing to remember them and express that they were still welcome. He suspected that Ana would make her move, and took Jack and Robert's hands. They took Fareeha and Val's hands in turn, and the girls were reaching carefully across the table for each other when the footsteps started.

Robert started, intending to pull away and charge the intruder, but Gabriel tightened his grip and gave him a brief headshake and rolled his eyes in Jack's direction. Robert frowned, then his eyes went wide and he turned to watch the doorway along with the rest of them as the footsteps came closer.

Ana stepped into the dining room.

For the most part, she looked the same. That is, aside from the patch over her right eye. Her hair was covered by a blue scarf that matched her blue sweater and even the worn jeans she was wearing. It was only natural that she would be moving hesitantly, uncertain of her reception, but there was a stiffness in her left leg that had nothing to do with that. Her left eye moved nervously over the table, from her husband to her daughter and back, but no one said anything.

"Captain Amari," Gabriel said crisply.

Ana's eye focused on him, and she gave him a small smile. "Gabriel. You're looking well."

That broke the spell; Fareeha shook off her father's hand and scrambled around the end of the table to hug her mother and cry. Jack was right behind her, blinking away tears. Gabriel grinned and shrugged at Robert and Val, they grinned back, and then it was a group hug in the doorway with everyone laughing, or crying, or both.

"I told you," Gabriel kept repeating to hold his own emotional reaction at bay. "I told you!"

Ana reached through the press of bodies to touch his cheek with one finger. "And yet, Gabriel, you are crying."

"You had me worried," he protested. "And I'm happy to see you."

"I am delighted to see all of you," she responded from where Jack was holding her to his chest, "but I am also famished and everything smells delicious."

Just like that, everyone dispersed back to their seats and started serving food, passing plated around or leaning over the table. There was another pause as the flurry of activity died down, and Gabriel took Jack's and Robert's hands again. This time, Ana completed the circle and beamed down the table at him.

"We are thankful for this food," she said steadily, "but more thankful for the company. For the good health of friends and family, and the love we share. But most importantly," she added dryly, "for the scope which sacrificed itself so that I would lose only my eye instead of my life, and which was the catalyst that brought you all together so happily. I give thanks for my life, my health, the success of my daughter, and the happiness my husband has finally found."

"Amen," Gabriel said fervently, kissing the knuckles of the hands he was holding captive before releasing them, while four other voices echoed his 'amen'.

"Dig in while it's still hot," Jack said, picking up his knife and fork.

Grinning broadly, everyone did just that.

It was delicious.