Chapter Ten
Andrew
The first thing he noticed when the door swung open was the smile on Rory’s face. Rory, being a few inches shorter than Andrew, looked up at him. His broad grin put a twinkle in his eye and he swept to the side as he greeted Andrew. “I’m glad you made it. Come in, please.”
He toed out of his shoes and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he glanced around. Rory closed the door, then brushed past Andrew, looping his fingers around Andrew’s bicep. “Nicky is busy cooking. Can you believe he threw me out of my own kitchen? He insisted on cooking tonight.” Rory leaned closer and whispered. “He wants to impress you.”
Andrew didn’t respond to the fact that Rory called Nick, Nicky. He didn’t want to acknowledge that Rory had at least one special name for Nick. That line of thought would only lead him to places he had no interest in visiting. He didn’t want to sit around and compare all the ways he didn’t measure up to Rory. Of course they shared things like pet names, they’d been together longer and he wouldn’t begrudge them that. Besides, Nick apparently wanted to impress him, and he chose to hold on to that thought instead.
Rory led him into the kitchen and pulled out a stool for him. “You sit here, I’ll help Nicky finish up. Can I get you anything to drink? Wine? Beer? We have pop or juice if you prefer that.”
“A beer would be great.”
Nick was at the stove stirring something and he turned around to greet him. “Hey. Glad you made it.”
He watched as Nick set the spoon down and walked toward him. Nick looked fantastic in a faded band T-shirt and a pair of black jeans that hugged his ass. He leaned across the counter and grinned, then moved in for a fleeting kiss. Since their first real date, Nick had made sure to greet Andrew with a kiss whenever he saw him, except the other day outside the park, but he suspected that had more to do with his own nerves and less to do with Nick not wanting to show affection to him in front of Rory. Andrew was keenly aware of Rory’s gaze when Nick’s lips brushed against his a second time. He almost felt guilty, but then he remembered that this whole idea had come from Rory and he forced himself to relax.
When Nick pulled back a little, Andrew’s insides turned to mush when he saw the depth of Nick’s happiness. To know that he was at least partially responsible for the joy he saw in Nick’s expression choked him. He schooled his face until Nick turned around and headed back to the stove, then he cracked his beer and took a long drink.
He was certain he saw Rory shoot him a look from the corner of his eye, but he ignored it in favor of nursing his beer and watching Nick cook.
Andrew set his beer on the counter and watched a droplet of condensation slide down the side of the bottle. “How did you and Rory meet?” Andrew asked.
Rory put his elbow on the counter and rested his chin in his palm. “Do you want to tell the story, or should I?”
Nick glanced over his shoulder as he bent to pull a tray of fresh buns out of the oven. “I need to get everything finished up here. You tell it better anyway.”
He shifted slightly so he could look at Rory. His blue hair looked more vibrant today. Andrew wondered if he’d dyed it recently or if it stood out because Rory was dressed all in white. A white v-neck shirt clung to him like a second skin and his white pants hugged his narrow frame. The crow's feet at the corner of his eyes deepened when Rory smiled.
“I was at a club after skipping out of one of the most horrific blind dates imaginable. I wanted to dance and blow off some steam. I’d had a few drinks and was doing my thing on the dance floor, grinding, gyrating, having a good time, and then I noticed Mr Tall, Dark and Broody on the edge of the crowd making sex eyes at me. So I went over and introduced myself.”
Nick piled the fresh buns into a basket. “He spent the next thirty minutes gyrating against half the guys on the dance floor and returning my sex eyes.”
“Then I took him home. We’d both only been looking for a one-night stand, but then we got to talking and discovered we had some things in common.”
Nick laughed and shot Rory a look of amused disbelief. “You straddled me, pinned my wrists to the mattress and flat out asked me how kinky I liked to get.”
Rory rolled his eyes. “I thought you wanted me to tell the story.”
“So you guys are a one night stand that never ended?” Andrew tried to wrap his head around that. It was so different from any of his relationships. Even with Gloria, his most recent failed relationship, it took him months to realize he was attracted to her.
A smile tugged at the corner of Rory’s mouth. “He only keeps me around because he likes to watch me move.” He wiggled in his seat a little, in a mock dance move.
Nick motioned toward the dining room. “I want to watch you move your ass to the table so we can eat.” He put the basket of fresh buns on the counter and nudged them toward Rory. “Take those with you.”
Rory scooped the buns off the counter and slid off the stool. “You’d best follow me, Andrew. This one gets snippy when people don’t listen to him.”
Andrew did as he was told and followed Rory to the dining room. Rory placed the basket of bread in the center of the small round table and took a seat. Three places had already been set with bowls and spoons. Rory pulled his foot up and rested his heel on the seat of the chair, then wrapped his arms around his leg and set his chin on his knee. Rory sometimes reminded Andrew of a cat, all grace and flexibility who could find comfort in any position.
“How did you and Nick meet?” Rory asked as Nick swept into the room with a large soup tureen.
Andrew’s face heated, and he stared at the floor. “He tossed me in the drunk tank.” He lifted his gaze and when he found no reproach in Rory’s expression, he continued. “You, ah, probably heard about my unfortunate crush.”
Rory nodded and glanced at Nick as he quietly served everyone a bowl of lentil soup. “Nicky, love, you forgot the butter.”
Andrew continued talking while Nick hurried back to retrieve the butter. “Well, I was out one night feeling particularly sorry for myself and I overdid it. I stumbled into Nick and barely managed not to throw up all over him, then he tossed me in the drunk tank with the rest of the delinquents.”
Andrew felt a hand on his arm and turned to look at Nick, who leaned close enough to steal a kiss. “You’re not a delinquent. Now eat before it gets cold.”
He looked down at his soup and his stomach rumbled. “This smells better than Everett’s.”
Rory laughed as he tore a bun in half and slathered it with some sort of vegan non-butter, butter spread. “Don’t tell Everett that or he may never feed you again.”
Andrew laughed and grabbed his spoon. “He pretty much has no choice. Him and X like to cook more than they like to eat. Whenever they’re doing a big feast, I’m ordered to dinner that night and they send me h with enough leftovers to feed an army.”
Nick looked at him with a gleam of appreciation in his eyes. “I like you well fed.”
Ducking his head, he stared at his soup. “Construction takes a lot of calories. And whatever I don’t think I can finish I give away. There’s a guy on my route to work who has unwittingly been enjoying the offerings of The Crock Cock for months.”
Over dinner he watched Rory and Nick interact. He never noticed if they were purposely trying to include him, or if it came natural for them to do so, but they often asked him questions, or kept the conversation on subjects that he’d be able to contribute too. Sitting there with the two men, eating dinner, it felt so casual and so right that he had to remind himself that this was real.
“I’ll tidy up while you boys go pick a movie.” Rory stood and gathered the empty dishes.
Nick took Andrew’s hand and led him to the living room. A large black leather sectional couch sat against one wall and faced a sizeable flat screen television. “Rory has a thousand DVDs and blu rays in those cupboards under there, but he also subscribes to a bunch of streaming services.”
He watched Nick open the cupboard, and he stared at the wall of DVD’s in front of him. “Oh don’t make me choose. I pretty much watch the same five movies over and over.”
Nick turned. “What ones?”
“Gladiator, Braveheart,” Andrew blushed and moved closer to the wall of DVD’s and pretended to be looking at them. “Dirty Dancing. Mrs. Winterbourne, and Ever After.”
“Rory loves Ever After. He can quote it in his sleep.” Nick reached up and plucked the movie from the shelf. Andrew made himself comfortable on the sofa and was pleasantly surprised when Nick sat so close to him that their thighs touched. He reached over and entwined their fingers. Rory came in from the kitchen and killed the lights on the way to the couch. The only light in the room was now provided by the television. He watched as Rory sat on the other side of Nick and snuggled into his side. Nick leaned back and put his feet up on the coffee table.
As the movie started, he kept glancing over at Rory and Nick. Rory’s head rested comfortably on Nick’s chest. He had an arm wound around Nick’s middle. He wondered what he’d do, or feel, or think, if Rory and Nick started making out during the movie. What would Rory think if him and Nick did? Would they give the other privacy? He supposed that would defeat the purpose of the whole arrangement.
The idea that he could watch Nick get intimate with someone appealed to him. So much so that he shifted position to accommodate the sudden swelling in his pants. He'd never watched a lot of porn but now he wondered what it would be like to watch someone he cared about be intimate with someone, especially if it were someone they cared about. He already liked the way it made him feel that Nick and Rory allowed him into their world. They let him witness their private moments, even simple ones like cuddling on the couch. He suspected that watching them together would be far more mind blowing than any porn he could ever find.
Andrew had never fancied himself to be a voyeur, but he’d wondered, more than once about the look on Nick’s face when Rory commanded him to his knees. He wondered if there’d be a power struggle, or if Nick would go willingly. He’d heard the song and dance before, about there being strength in submission, and he wondered what that strength looked like.
The power of Dominance attracted him, but not because he wanted to be a Dom. The way he saw it, subs might have all the power, but Doms held that power. They protected it and kept it safe. The idea that someone could take someone’s whole being, their entire essence, and hold it in their hands and keep it safe, thrilled him in the strangest way and he couldn’t get it out of his head.
He’d often thought about how powerful the connection between Dom and sub must be, and the level of trust that needed to exist between two people for them to interact in such a way. And the more he thought about it the more curious he became.
“I love that she rescues herself.” Rory’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts and back into the present. “Too often people don’t realize they have the power to save themselves, but Danielle knew what she was capable of.”
He realized that he’d sat next to Nick for the better part of an entire movie, daydreaming about watching him get expertly dominated, and fucked by Rory. He tried discreetly adjusting his package, but Nick noticed the movement.
He glanced down at Andrew’s crotch, then shot him a crooked smile and leaned closer. “I could help you with that if you’d like.”
Andrew’s mouth watered and his breathing hitched. Was he ready for that? Would Rory sit there and watch? Would Nick want to go all the way? Would they leave the room? If they did would Rory follow? Would he join in? Would he tell Nick what to do? There was a new thought for Andrew to mull over. Nick doing things to Andrew at Rory’s command.
Next to him, Nick chuckled and brought Andrew’s hand to his mouth. He brushed a kiss across his knuckles. “It’s okay if you’re not ready, Andrew. I want you to be comfortable.”
“I am.” Andrew said, but he wasn’t convinced by his own words.
Nick squeezed his hand. “When I can ask that question and not see eight different thoughts cause a train wreck in your brain, then you’re ready.”
Andrew didn’t want to feel relieved. He’d been trying to push himself to move faster. He didn’t want to be the closed off, frigid person he’d been accused of being anymore. The movie ended, and he rose from the couch. Eager to get home and dig into the beer in his fridge and sort through all these new and different thoughts and feelings, he thanked Nick and Rory for a wonderful dinner.
Nick walked him to the door, not letting go of his hand the whole time. Nick turned and faced him. “Thank you for coming. You made tonight special for me.”
He offered Nick a small smile. “All I did was show up.” We didn’t even do anything, he thought.
Nick shrugged. “That’s all I wanted. It means a lot to me that you’re so open to being here with Rory and me. It’s not something that most people would be comfortable with.”
He was keenly aware of Rory’s gaze on them as Nick kissed him goodnight. When Nick finally let go of his hand and stepped away, Rory came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He rose up on his toes a little to press a kiss to Andrew’s cheek.
“Thank you for tonight. For everything. It means a lot to both of us.” Rory’s touch vanished and he took a step back.
“We’ve never talked much, just the two of us.” Andrew found himself saying. He didn’t know what he was doing, but the look on Nick’s face when he thanked Andrew, the affection in his gaze, Andrew was greedy for that. He wanted more from both men. He realized it when Rory brushed the kiss against his cheek that he wanted Rory to like him, too. To want to hang out with him because Rory liked him, and not only because it would make Nick happy.
“Tomorrow is Sunday. This one,” Rory slid an arm around Nick’s waist, “has an early shift. You’re welcome to come over. We can have breakfast together, then, when Officer Young is busy keeping our streets safe, we can hang out.”
Andrew nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Goodnight.” He thanked them again for dinner and went back to his apartment and couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting to images of Rory and Nick, and sometimes all three of them, all night long.