Page 9 of You're Ours

“Then I wouldn’t have gotten to see your pretty face.”

Sky pulled his bottom lip between his teeth but forced his eyes to roll as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Inside, his heart did a little stutter step. Ever since Sky had said Tyler could call him whatever he wanted, he’d been dropping little compliments into conversation, calling Sky “pretty,” “cute,” “sweet,” and one time, late at night, he’d whispered in Sky’s ear that he was gorgeous.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Sky said as he pushed off the wall and brushed past Tyler. If he let his shoulder linger a little longer than necessary against Tyler’s side, who could blame him?

Tyler followed behind him, as Sky had hoped he would. “Is there any chance you have access to the billing statement?”

“For you?” Sky said, throwing a cheeky grin over his shoulder. “I’m sure I can find it.”

“You’re the best,” Tyler said, and the sincerity in his voice made Sky pull up short of his cubicle.

No one else was in their little pod, either out to lunch or teleworking for the day. While Sky liked to socialize the rest of the week, he got a lot of work done on Tuesdays because it was one of the team’s two telework days.

He turned on his heel and threw his arms around Tyler’s neck in a hug. Tyler’s hand found the curve of his back like it belonged there. He pulled Sky’s body flush against his chest and buried his face in Sky’s hair.

“You smell nice,” he murmured.

Sky had just been thinking the same about Tyler’s hickory smell, which would hopefully settle into Sky’s sweater for the day. For himself, Sky preferred lighter, more floral scents. Jackson had always gravitated towards fresh scents, like his current bottle of Babbling Brook for Men. Sky couldn’t help but giggle as he realized that together they made up a whole damn forest.

Tyler pulled back, a small grin on his lips even while his eyebrow arched up. “Having a good day?”

Sky couldn’t help but grin back. “I’m having a wonderful day, and it just keeps getting better.”

Tyler looked like he wanted to say more, but Sky pulled him back in for one more hug. He loved that Tyler was about halfway between Sky and Jackson’s height. It meant if he stood on his tip toes he could kiss the tip of Tyler’s sharp nose and nuzzle his cheek against the slight stubble on his jaw. Jackson was so tall that Sky had long ago given up trying to plant sneaky kisses on his lips. It was hard to be sneaky when he had to jump. Besides, all he had to do was tilt his head up and purse his lips, and he’d receive all the kisses he wanted.

His lips itched to kiss Tyler now, but he kept it G-rated just in case any of his coworkers came back to their desks. He had no problem with PDA, but things with Tyler were still undefined, and for the time being, it felt easier not having to explain things to his nosy, yet well intentioned coworkers.

“Not that I don’t enjoy the midday snuggles,” Tyler said, “but I actually really do need that document before my next meeting.”

Sky sighed dramatically and dropped back down so his feet were flat on the floor. Unfortunately, Tyler didn’t retract his hands, so he ended up dragging Sky’s sweater and dress shirt out of the back of his slacks.

“Tyler!” Sky gasped, clutching at imaginary pearls on his neck. “Naughty, naughty. Trying to get me undressed in the workplace.”

Tyler flushed an impressive scarlet and stuttered out an apology. Sky cackled as he walked over to his laptop to pull up their shared drive. He quickly found, emailed, and printed the bill for good measure–and to thank Tyler for putting up with his antics.

Tyler gave him one last quick hug, keeping his hands safely around Sky’s shoulders, before heading back upstairs.

Sky struggled to focus the rest of the day, his mind all too often drifting to his husband and his lover. He didn’t want to rush Tyler or this fledgling thing growing between them. However, with the prospect of Tyler getting tested for them, Sky anticipated there might be change coming in the near future.

By the time five p.m. rolled around, he was nowhere near done with his work, so he texted Jackson to go home without him. Jackson admitted he’d gotten very little done as well, but he was going to go home and take a nap and try to do more work that night.

Sky spun in his chair as he thought about what it would be like to include Tyler in that text thread. Would Tyler want to go home with Jackson, maybe give him a massage before snuggling up with him for a quick nap? Would he offer to stay late with Sky? Or maybe he’d go to the gym, and they’d all meet back home for dinner?

Rubbing both of his hands down his face, Sky forced himself to focus on answering a few more emails. He knew he was getting carried away with himself, but he couldn’t help it. He’d known as soon as he saw Jackson that they would be fantastic together. However, he also knew that successful relationships were at least in part due to timing. He’d been so lucky to join Jackson in a polyamorous relationship because, even though it ultimately failed, it led to them finally having their time together.

Jackson had known Tyler for several years, and it was clear, at least to Sky, that the three of them would be fantastic together, too, but the timing had never been right. He couldn’t say for sure if this was their time or not, but something in his gut told him it was. He was happier than he’d ever been with just Jackson, and they were ready and excited to expand their relationship. Now it just depended on if Tyler was ready, too.

Sky gave up working at half past six and took a ride share to their neighborhood. He decided to pick up Jackson’s favorite curry from the Indian restaurant down the street. If he’d spent the afternoon tied into knots thinking about their new relationship, he was sure his introspective husband had done the same.

He found Jackson looking soft and rumpled on the couch, crease marks from his pillow still evident on his cheek. Sky walked right past the cabinet with plates and didn’t even stop to grab silverware. They could use the plastic ones that came with the food or, if the restaurant had forgotten like they often did, they could eat with their hands for all he cared. He needed to be in his beloved’s armsnow.

“Hi, love,” Jackson said, easily trading his laptop for Sky in his lap.

Sky dropped the food on their coffee table and curled up against Jackson’s chest. His fingers knotted in the well worn fabric of Jackson’s undershirt, and he pressed his nose into Jackson’s neck. Most of his cologne had faded throughout the day, and he was left smelling warm and slightly musky from sleep.

On the weekend, when they were home long enough to enjoy it, Sky liked to burn candles around the house. He also liked to take luxuriously long showers, after which Jackson usually left the bathroom window open a crack, letting in the smell of pine from the park two stories below. Over time, their furniture had begun to take on these smells, and it was often the first thing Sky noticed when he got home.

The smell of Jackson’s skin, though…that was what home truly smelled like.

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