Saturation Part 5/5
Part
The new mattress came on Wednesday and Jon was exceedingly grateful. He’d offered to sleep on his mattress until the new one came, but Ryan could be really insistent and blowjobs were a great motivator to do what Ryan wanted. Only trying to cram three people (no matter how skinny two of them were) into a full sized bed could get really uncomfortable.
Ryan announced on Friday that they were going to host a Fourth of July party on Monday and Jon should invite his friends. Jon was pretty sure Ryan realised that Ryan and Spencer (and slowly, Brent and Tyler and the twins) were his friends. But just in case he invited his employees. At the very least it would make Stephanie’s day.
Jon gave them all the address and Rose was bubbling over with excitement about finally getting to see his place. “Should we bring anything? I’ll make my potato salad and my famous brownies.”
Jon texted Spencer, because even if Ryan was the one who’d decided on having the thing, Spencer was the brains behind the operation. Spencer was just planning on grilling burgers and shit (he was taking Ryan to Lowes later to make the purchase of the grill because god knew what Ryan would come home with if he went alone). if they want 2 bring stuf they can. brnt &girls eat anything
After that it turned into some ridiculous case of one-upmanship between his employees of who could bring the most delicious dishes. Jake started talking about his wife’s ambrosia and Stephanie babbled about her family’s secret cake recipe. Jake was talking about bringing his wife and daughter, and Rose her boyfriend and Stephanie her girlfriend.
Jon sort of freaked out but Spencer texted more = merrier. chillax
That helped, until Friday night after dinner when they were all piled on the couch watching V for Vendetta (a compromise-intellectual enough for Ryan’s taste, and with enough action sequences for Jon and Spencer) and Jon’s phone buzzed. There was a fumble of limbs on the couch to get Jon’s phone from the end table, probably with more groping than was strictly necessary, but Jon wasn’t going to complain.
He saw Tom’s name and sat up quickly in Spencer’s embrace to answer before Tom gave up. “Yo! Jwalk!” Tom greeted.
Jon smiled and leaned back against Spencer’s chest. It had been at least a week since Tom had called. They’d been taking a break somewhere, and when they weren’t on stage every night Jon knew they lost sense of the time. “What’s up?” Jon asked. Ryan’s fingers tip-toed up Jon’s leg, past his knee. Jon watched the progress, but didn’t stop him.
“So, with the upcoming holiday, Bill managed to sweet-talk Tony into arranging a long weekend for us,” Tom explained and Bill exclaimed something in the background about his amazing charm.
Jon rolled his eyes at the antics, breath catching a little when Ryan’s fingers walked higher up Jon’s thigh. Spencer kissed the side of Jon’s neck, his own fingers skating down Jon’s chest on an inevitable collision course with Ryan’s. “That’s…uh…awesome for you,” Jon said, hoping he didn’t sound too obviously like a guy getting groped.
“No,” Tom corrected, “it’s awesome for you. We’re playing in Arizona tonight and then we’re coming to play the House of Blues in Vegas…” There was once a time when Jon had known every show date better than the band, but he’d been distracted, as of late.
“Shit, tomorrow?” Jon asked. Ryan’s fingers paused undoing the knot of Jon’s sweatpants. He shook his head frantically for Ryan to continue and Ryan gave him a wicked little grin. Jon raised his hips enough to let Ryan get the pants down. Spencer’s hand was on him in an instant.
“And then we’re staying through the Fourth,” Tom confirmed. “So you better show us a good time.”
Ryan’s lips wrapped around the head of Jon’s cock and he sucked gently, bumping up against Spencer’s fingers. And maybe the STD testing had been obnoxious, but it was totally worth it to have Ryan going down on him without anything between them. “Fuck,” Jon hissed.
“If you insist,” Ryan said, pulling back just enough to suck two fingers in his mouth. He went back to work on Jon’s cock and pressed both fingers against Jon’s ass, easing them in slowly.
“Someone else there, Jonny?” Tom asked, the teasing tone of his voice suggesting that he’d caught on.
“My, ah, roommates,” Jon answered, and oh god, how was he going to explain this to Tom? He’d never hear the end of it.
“Roommates?” Spencer asked and bit down hard on Jon’s neck, fingers going tight around his cock. Spencer rocked his hips up and Jon felt Spencer’s dick against the small of his back.
“Does Jonny boy have a friend?” Bill asked and Jon knew they were doing that annoying thing where they had both their faces pressed up against the phone even though there was a fucking speakerphone button for a reason, you know, Bill.
“You should bring her to the show tomorrow,” Tom said. Jon could hear the smirk in his voice.
Tom was sort of a loud mouth on the phone. Her? Ryan mouthed at Jon and bit the inside of his thigh. Jon arched his hips and made an unmistakable sound.
“Aww,” Bill cooed. “Sounds like might be a little breathless. We should let him go take care of that.”
“Three tickets,” Jon managed to bite out. “I’ll need three tickets for tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, Jon. Have fun,” Tom said and Bill made kissy noises then the line went dead.
“Jesus,” Jon sighed. “You-”
“Shut up,” Ryan smirked. “You love it.” He climbed up Jon’s body for a kiss and there was a moment of awkward fumbling that ended with Spencer and Ryan’s pants joining Jon’s on the floor.
The first time Spencer had produced lube out of the drawer in the end table, Jon had laughed. Now he’d learned to appreciate the convenience of it. Spencer and Ryan liked sex a lot, and they liked it anywhere and everywhere. There was lube stashed all over the house and more often than not Ryan had some on hand in his jeans. Jon could totally get down with that way of thinking.
He let them manhandle him how they wanted, hissing when he settled in Spencer’s lap, Spencer’s cock spearing him open. Spencer wasn’t quite as long as Ryan, but was thicker and it burned all the way in, in the best way. The second Spencer was all the way in, Ryan spread his legs wide, straddling both their laps. He slicked lube down Jon’s cock and climbed on, taking him all in one thrust.
“Fucking…fuck,” Jon whimpered, because there wasn’t anything else to say. They hadn’t done this before, all three of them at once, and that seemed like a fucking crime. They had to do this for the rest of forever.
Ryan chuckled, leaning his forehead against Jon’s, sharing his breath. “So eloquent, Jon,” he taunted. He brushed his hand fondly down Jon’s cheek and caught Jon’s bottom lip between his teeth, giving a little tug.
“I’ll show you eloquent,” Jon growled. He grabbed Ryan’s hips and gave a rough thrust up, as much as he could. Ryan’s head dropped back, throat working around a groan. Jon settled back on Spencer’s cock, thighs shaking from a mixture of effort and pleasure, making his muscles turn to liquid.
“Next time,” Spencer grunted, shifting his hips, fingers tangling with Jon’s on Ryan’s hips, “I’m on top.”
“Quit complaining and move,” Ryan moaned.
The thing was, it was a little difficult to move very much like this. Spencer just rocked up against Jon in a steady rhythm, panting against Jon’s neck. Ryan had more freedom, bouncing on Jon’s lap, in time with Spencer. Jon, caught between them, let their hands guide him how and where they wanted him.
Jon wrapped a hand around Ryan’s cock, pulling hard, using all the things he’d learned over the past week against him. And he’d learned a lot, since pretty much all the time he wasn’t at work was spent experimenting with what made Ryan and Spencer feel best. They were both pretty flexible about who was on top and bottom, and could be coaxed to go fast or slow, gentle or hard, but they had their preferences.
Spencer liked it lazy and unhurried, and he didn’t mind them fucking him hard, but he wasn’t a fan of pain. He liked kisses that lasted for hours, whether they led anywhere or not (though they inevitably did). His one concession to pain was regarding blowjobs. He liked when they grabbed his hair, liked being at their mercy, just fucking his mouth, making him take it all the way.
Ryan, whether on top or bottom, liked it when they were rough with him, just beyond where most would find it pleasurable. He liked them to leave bruises on his hips and bite marks across his throat and down his chest. Jon liked to match his fingers over the bruises Spencer left, squeezing down on the tender skin until Ryan whimpered and squirmed and begged to be fucked.
Now Jon traced a nail up the thick vein of Ryan’s cock, flicked hard against the head, twisted his wrist with just enough force to make Ryan cry out and ride him harder. He didn’t let up, straining his neck to suck marks down Ryan’s throat. Ryan made a sound like a sob and came hard, shaking in Jon’s arms.
“Fuck, Jon,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around Jon’s shoulders and slumping against his chest heavily.
Spencer grunted his disapproval and Ryan leaned over Jon’s shoulder to kiss him. He wished he could see it. They kissed so beautifully, all their years of friendship in each touch.
“Come here,” Ryan said, and leaned back to lay himself out over the sofa. He kept his thighs tight around Jon’s hips, ankles at Spencer’s, keeping Jon inside him. Jon and Spencer followed, reversing their position, and Spencer slammed into Jon with jarring force, shoving him deep into Ryan.
“Shit,” Jon panted, “I’m going to…” he trailed off with a groan, grinding his hips against Ryan’s.
Spencer pulled out enough almost all the way and pushed back in hard. “That’s the point,” he said into Jon’s neck, and bit hard on Jon’s earlobe.
Jon never managed to last very long with these two, but he supposed what they lacked in duration, they made up in quantity. And the quality really wasn’t lacking. Spencer fucked Jon into Ryan and Ryan arched into each thrust, raising his hips to meet them.
Ryan smiled up at him, eyes happy and he was so beautiful like this. “Love you,” Ryan said, and Jon buried his face in Ryan’s shoulder and came with a sharp cry.
Spencer had the most stamina of the three of them, kept fucking Jon until his cock was starting to get interested again. He could feel Ryan’s dick stirring, too. When he came in was with a little groan muffled in the skin at the top of Jon’s spine, caught between his teeth.
Ryan let them catch their breath for a minute before he started squirming, pushing at Jon’s chest. He gasped when Jon gave a little swivel of his hips. “Sh-shower,” Ryan stuttered. Spencer pulled off and Jon still wasn’t quite used to that, feeling open and empty, after, Spencer’s come sliding down his thigh.
Jon rocked inside of Ryan until he was fully hard again, licked a path up Ryan’s neck, closed his teeth against Ryan’s ear. He waited until Ryan’s breathing was laboured again, hands gone from pushing to clinging, hips meeting Jon’s, and then Jon pulled away.
Ryan swallowed hard enough that Jon heard it. He reached out his arms, blinking as if lost. “Shower,” Jon said matter-of-factly and Spencer chuckled. The two of them scrambled off the couch and hurried up the stairs giggling, waiting for Ryan to follow.
Jon ended up getting fucked against the shower wall, each thrust of Ryan’s cock punishing. He knew he’d be sore for days, but he loved every second of it, begging for more, and Spencer gave it, taking Ryan’s place when he was done.
They fell asleep in a damp tangle of limbs after, and it wasn’t ‘til the next morning over breakfast when Spencer said, “So, we’re going somewhere tonight?” that Jon even remembered Tom had called the night before.
“Shit,” he said. He needed to talk to Tom before they showed up. “It’s The Academy Is…, they’ve got a show at the House of Blues tonight, then they’re staying for the weekend. They said something about hanging out…”
Spencer and Ryan exchanged an unreadable look. “They could come to the party,” Ryan said at last. “I mean, since you’ve already invited half the city anyway.”
Jon shoved at his knee under the table. “Look. Maybe you should meet them before you go inviting them,” Jon said. Spencer frowned and Ryan arched a brow, but neither of them argued the point.
“We’ll go by early. The concert probably starts around seven, but I don’t know what order they’re playing in, since they’re touring with Cobra and Gym Class. My last appointment should be over by five thirty.”
“Should we, I mean…these are your best friends?” Ryan asked nervously. “Should we…”
Jon stroked a hand over Ryan’s hair and down his cheek and lifted his face for a kiss. “You’re my best friends,” Jon said. Ryan put a hand over Jon’s, cheeks reddening.
Jon grabbed Spencer around the waist on his way out of the kitchen, pulling him away from the dishes and pinning him to the counter for a kiss. “Love you,” Jon said, and Spencer smiled bright and whispered it back into another kiss.
As soon as he was in his car, he sent a text to Tom, I need 2 tlk 2u b4 2nte.
Fair enough. We wanna see your studio. Give us the address. Butchers sweet-talking a security guard out of his car keys.
Well, that could only end in disaster. He sent back the address and a request that they not all die messily. Got apptmnt til 12, come then.
He was just finishing up with a particularly prima donna senior and her crazy ass mother (who seemed to think they knew better than he how she should be posed, when Stephanie let him know he had some visitors. She sounded vaguely off. Bill could have that effect on people.
It was totally worth all his client’s fussing when they all came out into the lobby and her jaw dropped at the sight of a bunch of rock stars lounging around. Tom and Bill vied for the first hugs, the rest of the group crowding in around them.
“Dude,” Sisky said, taking the place in, “dude, we should totally have you do the shit for our next album here.”
“Definitely,” Tom said with a proud little smile. Then he grabbed Jon in another breathtakingly tight hug. He buried his face in Jon’s shoulder. “I missed you so much,” Tom said.
Jon was not going cry. That didn’t mean it wasn’t a close thing. “Me too,” he said.
Bill cleared his throat and said, “Seriously, Jonny Walker, you are being very handsy.”
Both Tom and Jon laughed and Jon was pleased to hear Tom’s sounded a little wet. They pulled back to press their foreheads together, grinning. Tom let go of him altogether a second later.
“We had this grand plan of sweeping into town and like, whisking you away from your boring life and taking you back on the road with us,” Bill admitted.
“There was going to be a limousine,” Butcher said, grinning smugly as if the idea had been his. “And roses.”
“But I guess you’re doing okay for yourself,” Bill finished.
“Of course he is,” Tom said, in a soft little voice that made Jon regret any recent less than friendly thoughts he’d had about him. Maybe Tom wasn’t Ryan and Spencer, but that was probably a good thing. Tom was still his oldest friend, still loved him.
“I’m hungry,” Sisky whined. “Jon, take us out for food.” He kicked Jon’s shoe plaintively.
“My next appointment isn’t for another hour and a half. I can take you to a place down the street. Steph, can you hold my calls until I get back?” He turned around to see her watching Bill with a sort of naked hunger. He supposed it made sense that if she was a fan of Ryan’s poetry, she’d probably like The Academy’s music, too. Bill gave her a rakish smile in return.
“Stephanie?”
Stephanie jerked out of it, looking fast at Jon. “Huh?”
Bill sauntered over to her, working the hips. “You coming to our show tonight?” he asked. She nodded dumbly. “Where are your seats?”
“B-balcony,” she whispered.
Bill took her hand, running his fingers lightly over the back. “How’d you like an upgrade?” Stephanie whimpered.
Jon sighed, jerking Bill away by his arm. “Call Jonny when you get to the venue,” Bill said. “We’ll hook you up.”
“Stephanie, please hold my calls until I get back,” Jon repeated. Stephanie mumbled her assent, but Jon wasn’t sure whether it was in response to him or to Bill.
“You’re such a jackass,” Jon told him, when they’d settled into the café next door.
Bill lowered his sunglasses and smiled beatifically. “Whatever. You’re the one who didn’t even warn her we were coming in.”
They fell into easy conversation. Or rather, Bill, Jack and Mike all talking over each other to tell Jon all that he’d missed on the latest tour while Tom leaned in frequently to whisper the true course of events in his ear.
Jon figured it was better that way, anyway. There wasn’t a lot very exciting that happened in his life lately, other than, you know, his really awesome ménage-a-trois, but he wasn’t going to go into detail on that, no matter how drunk or high they managed to get him this weekend.
His phone buzzed and he jumped, wondering if Stephanie had forgotten his request. He flipped out open and saw Ryan’s name and selected the text, reading it quickly.
“Wow,” Butcher said.
“Yeah,” Bill agreed.
“Jonny, are you in love?” Tom asked. Jon looked up at them, only then realising he had a ridiculous grin across his face.
Bill jerked the phone out of his hands before Jon could stop him. “Well he was just hanging around then he fell in love, and he didn’t know how, but he couldn’t get out,” Bill recited. He made an impressed face. “You’re girl a lyricist?”
Jon grabbed the phone back, snapped it shut and shoved it in his pocket. “Look,” Jon said.
“I hope you’ve told your girl about us,” Tom said, teasing.
Jon barely faltered. “I maybe mentioned you guys a time or two. But look, about that-”
“Not trying to weasel out of introducing us, are you?” Bill asked. “Worried we’ll scare her away?”
Jon wanted to scoff, but that was sort of it. Ryan could be really delicate about things, and he liked The Academy. If Bill said something shitty about Ryan’s poetry…well, Jon didn’t know, but it wouldn’t be good.
“Okay,” he said. He was just going to lay it all out. “Seriously, if you guys are dickheads about this, I’m walking right the fuck out.”
Bill’s smile faltered and Tom laid a hand on Jon’s knee. “Dude, whatever,” he said, and sounded vaguely hurt. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Yeah,” Jon agreed. He rubbed his face. “Okay. I’m not. I’m not in love with a girl.” He took a deep breath. If Ryan could so casually reveal their relationship to Celia, Jon could do this with his fucking friends. “I’m in love with-” the words stuck in his throat.
“A goat?” Sisky offered unhelpfully. Jon glared.
“Seriously?” Tom asked. “You think we’d freak out over you dating a dude? We’re like, the gayest band ever.”
“Hey,” Mike muttered in protest, but no one really paid him any attention.
“I’m dating two guys,” Jon said. He just said it. It fell in absolute silence.
“For real?” Sisky finally blurted out.
“And one of them is Ryan Ross, and I swear to god, if any of you say anything to him, because I know none of you have read his stuff, and I’m not going to let you be douchebags just because a bunch of his fans happen to be stupid emo kids.”
Jon sounded a little vicious to his own ears, so he couldn’t blame them for all staring at him in stunned disbelief. Their Jonny Walker never talked like that. He made himself take a deep breath.
“Is this…some sort of joke?” Bill asked at length, doing that weird half-smile, half-you’re-fucking-crazy thing with his brows and lips that he usually reserved for when Siska and Butcher were being weird.
“If you’d read it,” Jon said, but less venomously.
“Wait,” Butcher interrupted. “I really don’t get it.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Tom hissed. “Jonny. Are you…?”
Jon fumbled his phone out again, going to his memory. Spencer liked taking ridiculous pictures and texting them with weird taglines. Occasionally he stole Jon’s phone, too, saying if he wasn’t allowed to use Jon’s nice cameras, he could at least use his phone one, since it was shitty.
There were several pictures he wasn’t about to share with them, of Spencer and Ryan in compromising positions, sent while Jon was at work and couldn’t do anything about it for hours because his boys were fucking teases. He skimmed past them and found a picture of the three of them, Jon and Spencer squishing their cheeks to either side of Ryan’s face, grinning broadly while Ryan made an annoyed expression.
He passed it to Tom to see, relieved when he saw a slow smile spread over Tom’s face. “Pretty boys you got there,” he commented. Bill huffed a sigh and reached for the phone. “Not prettier than you, babe,” he added.
Even after seeing the picture most of them still looked cautiously dubious about the whole thing. Jon couldn’t entirely blame them. “I’m just warning you guys,” Jon said, with a pointed look at Bill, “if you say something-if you hurt them, I’m going to kick your asses.”
“We’ll be on our best behaviour,” Butcher said solemnly. Mike laughed nervously, but the rest of them nodded their agreement.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” Jon said. “We’ll be coming by early, though.”
“Hey,” Tom said, as they were all leaving, “I think I’ll just hang out with JWalk if that’s cool.”
Bill’s expression gave Jon the impression that it wasn’t cool, but he didn’t say anything. Sometimes Jon thought all the things the two of them didn’t say to each other was going to come back and bite them in the ass someday.
Tom just watched while Jon did his first afternoon shot. Jon had missed going out with him, just messing around. In the few minutes they had before his second session, Tom dragged him into his office.
“So,” he said.
“So,” Jon said back.
Tom sighed. “Help me out here, Jon. A month ago you tell me you’re going to go take pictures for this guy, and then you never say anything else about him, and now you’re fucking dating him?” He didn’t sound angry, so much as bewildered. “And who’s this other guy?”
Jon shrugged. “Spencer and Ryan were together when I met them,” he said. He didn’t know anyway to explain that wouldn’t sound insane.
“So, what, they decided they needed to a little spice in the bedroom or something?” Tom asked. He didn’t look very pleased at the prospect.
“It isn’t like that,” Jon said, scowling. “They’re not like that.”
Stephanie buzzed through his desk phone, “Your three-fifteen is here.”
“I just…I don’t want to get into it Tom,” Jon said, “but I love them, and I want you to like them too, obviously. They’re important to me, and so are you.”
Tom shook his head in disbelief. “I just. I thought it was Cassie for you, man. I thought you two would get back together.”
Jon hadn’t ever thought that, but he wasn’t so sure that Tom had really understood why they’d broken up. “Well. Then I met Spence and Ryan.” He smiled at Tom. “They’re really awesome, Tom. Ryan is so talented and Spencer is so fucking smart.”
Jon left Tom in his office for the next shoot and when he came back, he found Tom going through the folders of Ryan and Spencer pictures. There were maybe an obscene amount of pictures of the two of them on his computer.
“These are really gorgeous,” he said, scrolling through-some black and white shots from the back yard and bedroom, some of the shots from their recent trip, and several from the first photo shoot with Ryan (which, after moving in, Jon had stolen back from Spencer).
“I’m lucky. My subject matter’s pretty nice,” Jon said.
“You are so fucking smitten,” Tom muttered.
“Says the guy who thinks William Beckett hung the moon,” Jon scoffed.
“Okay. But. Ryan Ross?” Tom asked. It didn’t have the same scorn or disbelief as before, but was strangely pleading, like he wanted Jon to say it was all just a joke.
“Wait until you know him,” Jon said. He closed the computer down and began packing up to go home. “Just. And if you’d just look up some of his stuff online, seriously. He plays guitar, and Spence plays drums, and he’s got arrangements for a lot of his poetry, it’s really awesome. I can’t tell you how stupid I felt, when I first read his stuff. That I’d judged it without even looking at it.”
“I don’t think you’re going to win Bill over without a fight,” Tom said.
“I don’t really give a fuck what Bill thinks, as long as he doesn’t say it to Ryan. He could say it to Spence, though. Spence would probably kick his ass,” Jon said, enjoying the mental image.
Tom gave him a sceptical look. “The one who wears all the pink? And the barrettes?”
Jon laughed. “Don’t let looks fool you. Spencer’s one tough mother fucker.”
They didn’t discuss it any further on the drive to the condo, for which Jon was really thankful. Instead Tom hooked his iPod up and played him some of their new demos, and told him about the book he’d been reading.
“So,” Jon said, “they’re fans of you guys. They were before I even met them. But sometimes they’re kinda bad at showing it so can you…just...”
“Would you quit being such a freak?” Tom said. “If they’re as awesome as you say, everything will be cool.”
Jon wasn’t so sure about that, but he stopped protesting. He pulled into the driveway alongside the hybrid. Spencer would insist on taking it, he was sure. “Nice place,” Tom observed. “Ross’?”
“His and Spencer’s,” Jon said, and then, mumbling, “and I live with them.”
Tom shot him a politely bemused look. “I’m sorry?”
“Dude, it’s a long story,” Jon said. “After the show, okay?” Tom, because he was Tom, totally let it drop.
Jon was barely through the front door when Ryan, descending the stairs, jumped the last three into Jon’s arms, winding his legs around Jon’s waist and sending him crashing into the wall. “Hi,” Ryan said, grinning goofily.
“Hi,” Jon said, smiling cautiously, because this was unusual. He moved his hands to grip Ryan’s ass to keep him from slipping. “What’s up?”
“We have a surprise for you!” Ryan said, and dipped his head to give Jon a kiss when he finally spotted Tom, hovering uncertainly just outside the door. “Oh,” Ryan said, dropping his legs and stepping back quickly.
“Hey,” Tom said, nodding.
“Ryan, this is Tom,” Jon said.
Ryan extended his hand in the same polite, removed way he had when Jon had first met him. “We’ve heard a lot about you,” Ryan said, and Jon could hear the question in his voice.
“Me, too,” Tom said, smiling. “About you and Spencer.”
Ryan pursed his lips. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the show tonight?” He asked.
“I wanted to catch up with my boy,” Tom said, tossing an arm around Jon’s shoulder. He did it in a purposefully baiting way, but Ryan didn’t fall for it. Instead, he grinned.
“Did you tell him?” Spencer asked, appearing at the top of the stairs. He saw Tom and frowned politely. “Oh. Sorry. Hello.” He hurried down and blushed around a smile when he said, “I’m a big fan of yours. I’m Spencer.”
“We should probably get going,” Jon said. He felt uneasy now that they were all in the same room together. “Before Bill freaks out and tells Tony I’ve kidnapped you.”
The first few minutes in the car were incredibly awkward, the only sound the radio. Surprisingly, it was Ryan who broke the silence, leaning forward to address Tom, asking him about his guitar, which somehow turned into a discussion of Bob Dylan. Jon wasn’t really following, but Ryan didn’t always make sense, and anyway Tom seemed to understand the leap, and better, after a few minutes he snuck Jon a private little smile that screamed his approval.
By the time they got to the venue, Ryan had relaxed a little in his skin. Spencer kept tight hold on his hand all the same, and as soon as they were out of the car, Jon took Ryan’s other hand. Ryan gripped it like a lifeline.
It was just Jon’s luck that the first people they ran into inside the venue were Gabe and Travis. Gabe greeted Jon with a leer and a grope and then took in Spencer and Ryan. “So, this is the kinky little ménage-a-trois,” he cooed.
Ryan tensed and Spencer tossed his hair back defiantly. “Aww, no need to be jealous, Gabe, just cause William and Tom won’t let you in on that action,” Jon teased.
Travis giggled and Gabe scowled playfully at him. “If you’re ever looking to add a fourth,” he said, “you know how to get a hold of me. The Cobra has mad sexual techniques, yo.”
After that, it wasn’t so bad. There was a second, when they walked into The Academy’s dressing room, where Jon felt like they were in a bad western, tumbleweed blowing in the wind and all. Then somehow Spencer ended up trading dirty jokes with Butcher, Sisky and Mike, and Tom introduced Ryan to Vicky and Ryland, and the tension went away.
Bill cornered Jon in the corner, looking vaguely seductive, but with Bill that could mean just about anything. Sometimes Jon wasn’t sure if Bill really understood about utilising different facial expressions. His stock of five or so seemed to serve him well enough though, so maybe Bill didn’t care.
“So,” Bill said, wiggling his brows. “I read some of your boy’s stuff.” He tossed his hair back and gave Jon a come-hither look. Either that, or he was wondering who ate the last Pop-tart.
“Okay…” Jon said, smiling cautiously, teasing around the edges.
“Yeah,” Bill said. He pursed his lips. “It wasn’t bad,” he finally said.
Jon let his smile go, take over his whole face. “S’okay. I won’t say I told you so.” Bill looked rightfully dubious about this.
“I’m still not sure he and his little…” Bill glanced at Spencer as if he was searching for an appropriate word to describe him. “Anyway. I’m not sure they deserve you. I mean, I always thought there was too much Jon Walker for one person to handle, but those two.”
Jon laughed. “They handle me pretty well,” he said, tone laced with suggestion.
Bill huffed a sigh. “I’m just saying. I might have to challenge them for your honour.”
“Please. I don’t want to have to explain to Tom why his boyfriend was massacred by mine,” Jon said.
“I don’t have to put up with this,” Bill exclaimed. “I’m going to go warm up.” He flounced off dramatically.
The after-party was in Bill and Tom’s hotel suite, with booze, impropriety and too many people crammed in too small a space. Jon ended up with a Spencer in his lap, so he couldn’t really complain.
Ryan had done shots with Bill and apparently that was some sort of bonding experience, because now the two of them were getting on really well. Ryan, wobbly drunk, was perched on the arm of the sofa, braced with an arm on Jon’s shoulder, fingers scraping absently over Jon’s scalp, in a fierce debate with Bill over something pertaining to Don Quixote.
Jon was still on his first beer and Tom kept trying to offer him another only to be confused when he saw Jon hadn’t finished. When Tom had tried to pass him a joint, Jon had to consider it a long time, but the feeling he usually got from marijuana-light and warm and full-he already had.
“Nah,” he said, and Tom’s brows rose high on his forehead.
“Dude,” Tom said.
Jon smiled, pressing at kiss into Spencer’s neck. “I got my boys,” Jon said, and Spencer beamed at him.
Stephanie, however, did not pass, and after a few hits and a couple beers, mellowed sufficiently. She was discussing photography with Tom in between answering Nate’s questions about bands around campus. She’d only been slightly bemused to see Ryan, though perhaps meeting Bill had helped to prepare her to cope with that.
“I’ve found my soul mate, Bill,” Tom said, patting Stephanie on the knee. “She understands my art.”
Bill rolled his eyes. “You get lonely babe, you know Papi will take care of you,” Gabe purred. That sent everyone into raucous laughter and Tom proclaiming he’d changed his mind, just to save Bill from the VDs.
Spencer nuzzled at Jon’s throat and whispered, “I like your friends.”
“Mmm,” Jon agreed. He ducked his head to brush his lips over Spencer’s. His breath smelled like beer. “I like you,” Jon said. He deepened the kiss and Spencer responded at once, parting his lips and twining his arms around Jon’s neck, pulling him closer.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” Jon heard Bill whisper and felt Ryan’s nails scrape with more pressure across his scalp. Jon could tell just from that touch that Ryan was turned on.
“Why should it bother me?” Ryan asked, tone incredulous. “They’re fucking hot.”
“Yeah, but aren’t you jealous?” Bill protested. Bill liked to tell stories of all the kinky shit he’d done in high school, but he was still amazingly vanilla.
Ryan made an amused sound and slipped off the arm of the sofa into Jon’s lap, legs tangling with Spencer’s. He gave a little tug on Jon’s hair and Jon tipped his head back, making it easier for Ryan to slide forward, fitting his mouth alongside theirs. Spencer made a happy sound and wriggled closer. They were getting pretty good at this three-way kissing thing, Jon thought.
“Shit, that’s hot,” Gabe said, and Mike said, “Fuck.”
Ryan was the first to pull away, mouth red and swollen. He smiled smugly at Bill. “I’m not jealous because it’s mine, too,” he said, “because I can do that whenever I want.”
Bill nodded dumbly and flicked not so subtle gaze in Tom’s direction. Jon smacked Spencer’s ass lightly, enough to earn him an indignant sound and a bite on his lip. “I think I’m gonna take my boys home,” Jon said, liking the way Spencer’s eyes sparked at his words.
Spencer scrambled to his feet, dragging Ryan with him. “Will we see you tomorrow?” Tom asked, his casual tone belying what he was really asking.
“I’ll call you,” Jon said. “We’ll show you the town. And, uh,” he glanced at Ryan just to double check and Ryan nodded. “We’re having a Fourth thing on Monday that you guys should come to.” That, apparently, appeased Tom.
Ryan was still really drunk from his shots and Spencer was buzzed enough that he was all red in the face and giggly at Jon’s side, so Jon drove. It was sort of weird being the designated driver. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d left a party and not been wasted.
It was nice.
Jon glanced at them in the rear view mirror, tangled all together in a way that bespoke of the years of their closeness. In the shadows it was difficult to tell whose arm was whose, where one body began and the other ended. He thought of the poem Ryan had recited at the book reading and heard a melody along with it.
“Things have changed for me,” he sang, “but that’s okay, I feel the same.”
Spencer lifted his head to meet Jon’s gaze in the mirror. “We have a present for you, Jon Walker.”
Ryan mumbled an agreement into Spencer’s shirtfront, nodding his head. “We’re gonna be a band,” he said.
They presented him with the bass when they got home, dragging him up to the study. “We asked Brent, and he gave us a list, and then we saw this one.”
Jon didn’t even want know how much money they’d spent on the bass. It was a Fender Jaguar maple and rosewood and a black finish. “You guys, this is too much,” he said. But there was no way he was giving it back.
“Well, you’ll just have to pay us back by making our band rock hardcore,” Spencer teased.
Sunday was a whirlwind of activity, hoping from one casino to another. The bands had all been through Vegas before, but usually only for a day at most, and that meant a visit to one, maybe two casinos if you knew how to work it. So they wandered up and down the Strip, Ryan and Spencer telling some truly hilarious stories that not even Jon had heard about their experiences at the various places, or rumours that had been passed down from the locals.
Tom monopolised most of Jon’s time, but it was good, getting a chance to talk nonsense with Tom after so long away. It was good to know that even with that time and distance they could fall into their same old, familiar routine. Even if it meant Jon had to explain how he’d ended up living with Ryan and Spencer, car and all.
That had led to a twenty minute rant from Tom about what sort of horrible friend do you think I am, Jon, that I wouldn’t help and why didn’t you fucking call me you asshole?
Spencer had been singularly unhelpful, shooting Jon a smug smirk every few minutes throughout, as if to say see, it wasn’t just us, you are an idiot.
The highlight of the evening was the amazing, if inexplicable, attendance of Barry Manilow’s show. Jon was just going to blame that one on Alex and Ryland. It seemed liked the safest bet.
Monday morning the twins came over early to help out getting things ready. Maybe they were just used to Ryan being famous, but for whatever reason, they weren’t fazed when The Academy showed up bearing a shit tonne of fruit and even more beer. Siska was sort of hilariously reminiscent of Baby from Dirty Dancing, juggling two huge watermelons through the front door.
After that, the flood of people seemed a little endless. Ryan stood on the back porch surveying the roaring crowd of friends and family both within and without, an absent expression on his face. Jon came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Ryan’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder. “What’s up?”
“I think we need a bigger house,” Ryan observed.
Spencer had explained to Jon that he hadn’t felt strange letting Ryan buy the condo, because Ryan would have bought it either way, whether he was with Spencer or not, and they’d always planned on living together, so it wasn’t a big deal.
Ryan buying Spencer’s SUV had been more about paying Spencer back for everything he’d given Ryan throughout the years, and Spencer had felt a little weird about that. But giving Spencer things made Ryan happy, and it wasn’t like Ryan couldn’t afford it, so Spencer eventually learned to give in.
Jon wasn’t quite to that point yet, but he could think about the idea of Ryan buying them a bigger house and not feel anxious about it. “Something further away from the neighbours,” he suggested. “So Spence can play drums whenever he wants.” Their neighbours had more than once expressed their displeasure over late night jam sessions.
Ryan smiled at the suggestion, laying his hands over Jon’s, holding him in place. Which was how Spencer’s parents found them when they arrived a few minutes later. Jon had a blind moment of panic when Ryan said, “Mom, Dad!” because from what Ryan had said, Jon was pretty sure Ryan and his mother weren’t on speaking terms and Ryan’s dad was dead. The panic didn’t go away when he realised it was Spencer’s parents, and he was holding their son’s boyfriend in his arms. He tried to pull away but Ryan held fast.
“Ryan,” Mrs. Smith said and then looked at Jon. “And you must be Jon.”
Jon swallowed hard. “Yes ma’am,” he said.
“Jon, this is Ginger and Spencer,” Ryan introduced them. He finally let Jon go so Jon could shake their hands.
“Pleased to meet you,” Jon mumbled awkwardly, trying to remember all the things his mother had told him about meeting parents for the first time. He didn’t know if this was a situation his mother had ever accounted for.
“Crystal goes on about you,” Ginger said. “As do my boys.” Ryan blushed a little. She pursed her lips at him. “Don’t think being cute is going to make me forget about the fact that the girls met him months ago and your father and I are only just now meeting him.”
“I’ve been pretty busy with work,” Jon said, not sure if he was even supposed to be involved in this conversation, but feeling he should say something in Ryan and Spencer’s defence.
“We’re not upset at you, dear,” Ginger said.
“Hey,” Spencer said, coming up alongside them, “you know that whole ‘living only ten minutes away’ thing goes both ways, right?” he asked his mother.
Ginger gave him an unimpressed look, lips twisted in annoyance. “Thank you, Spencer,” she said dryly.
“Anytime,” Spencer smarted back and gave his mother and father a hug before worming his way between Ryan and Jon to get an arm around them both. He laid his head against Jon’s and grinned cheekily at his parents.
“Spencer tells me you have a studio downtown,” Spencer the elder commented. “And that you’re the one responsible for those pieces in the living room.”
“Um…” Jon looked uncertainly to Spencer for his cue. Spencer just smiled serenely back. “Yes sir.”
“You can call me Spencer, please,” he corrected. “You know,” he went on, clapping a hand on Jon’s shoulder, “I used to dabble with photography a little bit, in college. Crystal was saying you had some other pieces here?”
“Oh,” Jon said. “Yes…” Spencer and Ryan weren’t really forthcoming with any help, so Jon let Spencer-senior? he was going to have to figure that out-lead him off to discuss photography.
Jon was worried it would be awkward, but Spencer actually knew what he was talking about for the most part and noticed things about Jon’s photography that other people didn’t always. Things Jon liked. “I’ll show you some of my stuff when you come over on Friday,” Spencer said.
“Friday?” Jon echoed, wondering if he’d missed something.
Spencer chuckled. “Ginger’s been bitching about Spence and Ryan not bringing you home. We’re making roast on Friday so she can sit you all down for a family dinner. I imagine as soon as we were gone she gave them a guilt trip until they submitted.”
Jon cornered his Spencer as soon as possible, dragging him into the pantry off the kitchen. “Do your parents realise exactly what is going on here?” Jon asked, because he wasn’t so sure. No one could be so cool about finding out that their surrogate son and their actual son were involved in a ménage-a-trois.
Spencer chuckled and looked just like his father when he did. “Well, I’m not sure they’ve really sought out the details,” he said, “but…yeah. I told them how I felt about you before we even got together. And, I mean, Crystal wouldn’t shut up about how stupid we were being about you.”
“Crystal knows?” Jon asked.
Spencer rolled his eyes. “Her and Jackie both. They’re sixteen, and they’re not blind.”
“But…they just…they don’t care?” Jon sputtered.
“I’ve got a pretty cool family,” Spencer said, bending to press a kiss to the corner of Jon’s mouth. “You should have seen how my parents reacted when they found out about me and Ryan.” A smile curled over his face at the memory.
“It was so embarrassing, but they just…they just basically said that they trusted us to not do anything stupid. They let me stay all the time at Ryan’s dorm even though I was still in high school and they knew exactly what we were doing.” There was a dull blush over his cheeks. “They didn’t care, because they trusted us, and they knew we loved each other. And they trusted us when we told them we loved you.”
“You really do have the coolest parents ever,” Jon agreed, a little bit awed. He was still trying to figure out how he was even going to broach the subject with his own parents.
“Well, yeah. They raised me,” Spencer said. He draped his arms over Jon’s shoulders and leaned in for a longer kiss.
In the backyard, Suarez had taken over DJing duties and Gabe and Tom had begun a game of limbo and somehow Butcher had taken over grilling duties from Ryan. That was only moderately better. Now Bill and Ryan were sharing a lounge chair and playing guitar together, heads bent close.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen my boys look so happy,” Ginger said, coming up alongside him. “Spencer’s helped Ryan a lot, but it’s been tough.”
Jon had definitely got that impression, but he wasn’t sure that they’d been unhappy before he’d come. “I think they would have been fine without me,” he said.
“I think so, too,” Ginger said. “But sometimes three works better than two.”
Three definitely worked better than two. Sometimes Jon thought it was strange how well it worked. There weren’t a lot of fights, mostly only when Spencer was stressed over school or when Jon got busy at work, and those were easily resolved with soft words and softer kisses. Jon was never ashamed to apologise and was always quick to forgive, and no one held grudges for long.
Ryan was more difficult to handle, because no matter how happy he was most of the time, fits of depression could take him suddenly and completely, making him mope around listlessly. Luckily, between Spencer’s experience and Jon’s temperament, they learned to coax him out.
And then Jon did see them becoming happier. It was the way Ryan no longer shirked his public appearances, the way he recited his poetry confidently, the way he laughed openly, even around strangers. It was in the way Spencer stopped watching every move Ryan made, worried that someone might hurt him. It was like Spencer could finally fully relax, knowing Jon was there to help.
A year passed, and Jon had long stopped worrying that the feelings would go away. The little problems only made them stronger in the long run, closer. Spencer and Ryan had had a lifetime to learn each other, but Jon held his own, all things considered. It helped that they were so willing to share, to draw him in as deep as they were.
Three worked so well that Jon forgot what being just two was like, wondered how anyone could function as any other number.
Then he went out in the desert and stumbled across a boy in an elf costume.
The new mattress came on Wednesday and Jon was exceedingly grateful. He’d offered to sleep on his mattress until the new one came, but Ryan could be really insistent and blowjobs were a great motivator to do what Ryan wanted. Only trying to cram three people (no matter how skinny two of them were) into a full sized bed could get really uncomfortable.
Ryan announced on Friday that they were going to host a Fourth of July party on Monday and Jon should invite his friends. Jon was pretty sure Ryan realised that Ryan and Spencer (and slowly, Brent and Tyler and the twins) were his friends. But just in case he invited his employees. At the very least it would make Stephanie’s day.
Jon gave them all the address and Rose was bubbling over with excitement about finally getting to see his place. “Should we bring anything? I’ll make my potato salad and my famous brownies.”
Jon texted Spencer, because even if Ryan was the one who’d decided on having the thing, Spencer was the brains behind the operation. Spencer was just planning on grilling burgers and shit (he was taking Ryan to Lowes later to make the purchase of the grill because god knew what Ryan would come home with if he went alone). if they want 2 bring stuf they can. brnt &girls eat anything
After that it turned into some ridiculous case of one-upmanship between his employees of who could bring the most delicious dishes. Jake started talking about his wife’s ambrosia and Stephanie babbled about her family’s secret cake recipe. Jake was talking about bringing his wife and daughter, and Rose her boyfriend and Stephanie her girlfriend.
Jon sort of freaked out but Spencer texted more = merrier. chillax
That helped, until Friday night after dinner when they were all piled on the couch watching V for Vendetta (a compromise-intellectual enough for Ryan’s taste, and with enough action sequences for Jon and Spencer) and Jon’s phone buzzed. There was a fumble of limbs on the couch to get Jon’s phone from the end table, probably with more groping than was strictly necessary, but Jon wasn’t going to complain.
He saw Tom’s name and sat up quickly in Spencer’s embrace to answer before Tom gave up. “Yo! Jwalk!” Tom greeted.
Jon smiled and leaned back against Spencer’s chest. It had been at least a week since Tom had called. They’d been taking a break somewhere, and when they weren’t on stage every night Jon knew they lost sense of the time. “What’s up?” Jon asked. Ryan’s fingers tip-toed up Jon’s leg, past his knee. Jon watched the progress, but didn’t stop him.
“So, with the upcoming holiday, Bill managed to sweet-talk Tony into arranging a long weekend for us,” Tom explained and Bill exclaimed something in the background about his amazing charm.
Jon rolled his eyes at the antics, breath catching a little when Ryan’s fingers walked higher up Jon’s thigh. Spencer kissed the side of Jon’s neck, his own fingers skating down Jon’s chest on an inevitable collision course with Ryan’s. “That’s…uh…awesome for you,” Jon said, hoping he didn’t sound too obviously like a guy getting groped.
“No,” Tom corrected, “it’s awesome for you. We’re playing in Arizona tonight and then we’re coming to play the House of Blues in Vegas…” There was once a time when Jon had known every show date better than the band, but he’d been distracted, as of late.
“Shit, tomorrow?” Jon asked. Ryan’s fingers paused undoing the knot of Jon’s sweatpants. He shook his head frantically for Ryan to continue and Ryan gave him a wicked little grin. Jon raised his hips enough to let Ryan get the pants down. Spencer’s hand was on him in an instant.
“And then we’re staying through the Fourth,” Tom confirmed. “So you better show us a good time.”
Ryan’s lips wrapped around the head of Jon’s cock and he sucked gently, bumping up against Spencer’s fingers. And maybe the STD testing had been obnoxious, but it was totally worth it to have Ryan going down on him without anything between them. “Fuck,” Jon hissed.
“If you insist,” Ryan said, pulling back just enough to suck two fingers in his mouth. He went back to work on Jon’s cock and pressed both fingers against Jon’s ass, easing them in slowly.
“Someone else there, Jonny?” Tom asked, the teasing tone of his voice suggesting that he’d caught on.
“My, ah, roommates,” Jon answered, and oh god, how was he going to explain this to Tom? He’d never hear the end of it.
“Roommates?” Spencer asked and bit down hard on Jon’s neck, fingers going tight around his cock. Spencer rocked his hips up and Jon felt Spencer’s dick against the small of his back.
“Does Jonny boy have a friend?” Bill asked and Jon knew they were doing that annoying thing where they had both their faces pressed up against the phone even though there was a fucking speakerphone button for a reason, you know, Bill.
“You should bring her to the show tomorrow,” Tom said. Jon could hear the smirk in his voice.
Tom was sort of a loud mouth on the phone. Her? Ryan mouthed at Jon and bit the inside of his thigh. Jon arched his hips and made an unmistakable sound.
“Aww,” Bill cooed. “Sounds like might be a little breathless. We should let him go take care of that.”
“Three tickets,” Jon managed to bite out. “I’ll need three tickets for tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, Jon. Have fun,” Tom said and Bill made kissy noises then the line went dead.
“Jesus,” Jon sighed. “You-”
“Shut up,” Ryan smirked. “You love it.” He climbed up Jon’s body for a kiss and there was a moment of awkward fumbling that ended with Spencer and Ryan’s pants joining Jon’s on the floor.
The first time Spencer had produced lube out of the drawer in the end table, Jon had laughed. Now he’d learned to appreciate the convenience of it. Spencer and Ryan liked sex a lot, and they liked it anywhere and everywhere. There was lube stashed all over the house and more often than not Ryan had some on hand in his jeans. Jon could totally get down with that way of thinking.
He let them manhandle him how they wanted, hissing when he settled in Spencer’s lap, Spencer’s cock spearing him open. Spencer wasn’t quite as long as Ryan, but was thicker and it burned all the way in, in the best way. The second Spencer was all the way in, Ryan spread his legs wide, straddling both their laps. He slicked lube down Jon’s cock and climbed on, taking him all in one thrust.
“Fucking…fuck,” Jon whimpered, because there wasn’t anything else to say. They hadn’t done this before, all three of them at once, and that seemed like a fucking crime. They had to do this for the rest of forever.
Ryan chuckled, leaning his forehead against Jon’s, sharing his breath. “So eloquent, Jon,” he taunted. He brushed his hand fondly down Jon’s cheek and caught Jon’s bottom lip between his teeth, giving a little tug.
“I’ll show you eloquent,” Jon growled. He grabbed Ryan’s hips and gave a rough thrust up, as much as he could. Ryan’s head dropped back, throat working around a groan. Jon settled back on Spencer’s cock, thighs shaking from a mixture of effort and pleasure, making his muscles turn to liquid.
“Next time,” Spencer grunted, shifting his hips, fingers tangling with Jon’s on Ryan’s hips, “I’m on top.”
“Quit complaining and move,” Ryan moaned.
The thing was, it was a little difficult to move very much like this. Spencer just rocked up against Jon in a steady rhythm, panting against Jon’s neck. Ryan had more freedom, bouncing on Jon’s lap, in time with Spencer. Jon, caught between them, let their hands guide him how and where they wanted him.
Jon wrapped a hand around Ryan’s cock, pulling hard, using all the things he’d learned over the past week against him. And he’d learned a lot, since pretty much all the time he wasn’t at work was spent experimenting with what made Ryan and Spencer feel best. They were both pretty flexible about who was on top and bottom, and could be coaxed to go fast or slow, gentle or hard, but they had their preferences.
Spencer liked it lazy and unhurried, and he didn’t mind them fucking him hard, but he wasn’t a fan of pain. He liked kisses that lasted for hours, whether they led anywhere or not (though they inevitably did). His one concession to pain was regarding blowjobs. He liked when they grabbed his hair, liked being at their mercy, just fucking his mouth, making him take it all the way.
Ryan, whether on top or bottom, liked it when they were rough with him, just beyond where most would find it pleasurable. He liked them to leave bruises on his hips and bite marks across his throat and down his chest. Jon liked to match his fingers over the bruises Spencer left, squeezing down on the tender skin until Ryan whimpered and squirmed and begged to be fucked.
Now Jon traced a nail up the thick vein of Ryan’s cock, flicked hard against the head, twisted his wrist with just enough force to make Ryan cry out and ride him harder. He didn’t let up, straining his neck to suck marks down Ryan’s throat. Ryan made a sound like a sob and came hard, shaking in Jon’s arms.
“Fuck, Jon,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around Jon’s shoulders and slumping against his chest heavily.
Spencer grunted his disapproval and Ryan leaned over Jon’s shoulder to kiss him. He wished he could see it. They kissed so beautifully, all their years of friendship in each touch.
“Come here,” Ryan said, and leaned back to lay himself out over the sofa. He kept his thighs tight around Jon’s hips, ankles at Spencer’s, keeping Jon inside him. Jon and Spencer followed, reversing their position, and Spencer slammed into Jon with jarring force, shoving him deep into Ryan.
“Shit,” Jon panted, “I’m going to…” he trailed off with a groan, grinding his hips against Ryan’s.
Spencer pulled out enough almost all the way and pushed back in hard. “That’s the point,” he said into Jon’s neck, and bit hard on Jon’s earlobe.
Jon never managed to last very long with these two, but he supposed what they lacked in duration, they made up in quantity. And the quality really wasn’t lacking. Spencer fucked Jon into Ryan and Ryan arched into each thrust, raising his hips to meet them.
Ryan smiled up at him, eyes happy and he was so beautiful like this. “Love you,” Ryan said, and Jon buried his face in Ryan’s shoulder and came with a sharp cry.
Spencer had the most stamina of the three of them, kept fucking Jon until his cock was starting to get interested again. He could feel Ryan’s dick stirring, too. When he came in was with a little groan muffled in the skin at the top of Jon’s spine, caught between his teeth.
Ryan let them catch their breath for a minute before he started squirming, pushing at Jon’s chest. He gasped when Jon gave a little swivel of his hips. “Sh-shower,” Ryan stuttered. Spencer pulled off and Jon still wasn’t quite used to that, feeling open and empty, after, Spencer’s come sliding down his thigh.
Jon rocked inside of Ryan until he was fully hard again, licked a path up Ryan’s neck, closed his teeth against Ryan’s ear. He waited until Ryan’s breathing was laboured again, hands gone from pushing to clinging, hips meeting Jon’s, and then Jon pulled away.
Ryan swallowed hard enough that Jon heard it. He reached out his arms, blinking as if lost. “Shower,” Jon said matter-of-factly and Spencer chuckled. The two of them scrambled off the couch and hurried up the stairs giggling, waiting for Ryan to follow.
Jon ended up getting fucked against the shower wall, each thrust of Ryan’s cock punishing. He knew he’d be sore for days, but he loved every second of it, begging for more, and Spencer gave it, taking Ryan’s place when he was done.
They fell asleep in a damp tangle of limbs after, and it wasn’t ‘til the next morning over breakfast when Spencer said, “So, we’re going somewhere tonight?” that Jon even remembered Tom had called the night before.
“Shit,” he said. He needed to talk to Tom before they showed up. “It’s The Academy Is…, they’ve got a show at the House of Blues tonight, then they’re staying for the weekend. They said something about hanging out…”
Spencer and Ryan exchanged an unreadable look. “They could come to the party,” Ryan said at last. “I mean, since you’ve already invited half the city anyway.”
Jon shoved at his knee under the table. “Look. Maybe you should meet them before you go inviting them,” Jon said. Spencer frowned and Ryan arched a brow, but neither of them argued the point.
“We’ll go by early. The concert probably starts around seven, but I don’t know what order they’re playing in, since they’re touring with Cobra and Gym Class. My last appointment should be over by five thirty.”
“Should we, I mean…these are your best friends?” Ryan asked nervously. “Should we…”
Jon stroked a hand over Ryan’s hair and down his cheek and lifted his face for a kiss. “You’re my best friends,” Jon said. Ryan put a hand over Jon’s, cheeks reddening.
Jon grabbed Spencer around the waist on his way out of the kitchen, pulling him away from the dishes and pinning him to the counter for a kiss. “Love you,” Jon said, and Spencer smiled bright and whispered it back into another kiss.
As soon as he was in his car, he sent a text to Tom, I need 2 tlk 2u b4 2nte.
Fair enough. We wanna see your studio. Give us the address. Butchers sweet-talking a security guard out of his car keys.
Well, that could only end in disaster. He sent back the address and a request that they not all die messily. Got apptmnt til 12, come then.
He was just finishing up with a particularly prima donna senior and her crazy ass mother (who seemed to think they knew better than he how she should be posed, when Stephanie let him know he had some visitors. She sounded vaguely off. Bill could have that effect on people.
It was totally worth all his client’s fussing when they all came out into the lobby and her jaw dropped at the sight of a bunch of rock stars lounging around. Tom and Bill vied for the first hugs, the rest of the group crowding in around them.
“Dude,” Sisky said, taking the place in, “dude, we should totally have you do the shit for our next album here.”
“Definitely,” Tom said with a proud little smile. Then he grabbed Jon in another breathtakingly tight hug. He buried his face in Jon’s shoulder. “I missed you so much,” Tom said.
Jon was not going cry. That didn’t mean it wasn’t a close thing. “Me too,” he said.
Bill cleared his throat and said, “Seriously, Jonny Walker, you are being very handsy.”
Both Tom and Jon laughed and Jon was pleased to hear Tom’s sounded a little wet. They pulled back to press their foreheads together, grinning. Tom let go of him altogether a second later.
“We had this grand plan of sweeping into town and like, whisking you away from your boring life and taking you back on the road with us,” Bill admitted.
“There was going to be a limousine,” Butcher said, grinning smugly as if the idea had been his. “And roses.”
“But I guess you’re doing okay for yourself,” Bill finished.
“Of course he is,” Tom said, in a soft little voice that made Jon regret any recent less than friendly thoughts he’d had about him. Maybe Tom wasn’t Ryan and Spencer, but that was probably a good thing. Tom was still his oldest friend, still loved him.
“I’m hungry,” Sisky whined. “Jon, take us out for food.” He kicked Jon’s shoe plaintively.
“My next appointment isn’t for another hour and a half. I can take you to a place down the street. Steph, can you hold my calls until I get back?” He turned around to see her watching Bill with a sort of naked hunger. He supposed it made sense that if she was a fan of Ryan’s poetry, she’d probably like The Academy’s music, too. Bill gave her a rakish smile in return.
“Stephanie?”
Stephanie jerked out of it, looking fast at Jon. “Huh?”
Bill sauntered over to her, working the hips. “You coming to our show tonight?” he asked. She nodded dumbly. “Where are your seats?”
“B-balcony,” she whispered.
Bill took her hand, running his fingers lightly over the back. “How’d you like an upgrade?” Stephanie whimpered.
Jon sighed, jerking Bill away by his arm. “Call Jonny when you get to the venue,” Bill said. “We’ll hook you up.”
“Stephanie, please hold my calls until I get back,” Jon repeated. Stephanie mumbled her assent, but Jon wasn’t sure whether it was in response to him or to Bill.
“You’re such a jackass,” Jon told him, when they’d settled into the café next door.
Bill lowered his sunglasses and smiled beatifically. “Whatever. You’re the one who didn’t even warn her we were coming in.”
They fell into easy conversation. Or rather, Bill, Jack and Mike all talking over each other to tell Jon all that he’d missed on the latest tour while Tom leaned in frequently to whisper the true course of events in his ear.
Jon figured it was better that way, anyway. There wasn’t a lot very exciting that happened in his life lately, other than, you know, his really awesome ménage-a-trois, but he wasn’t going to go into detail on that, no matter how drunk or high they managed to get him this weekend.
His phone buzzed and he jumped, wondering if Stephanie had forgotten his request. He flipped out open and saw Ryan’s name and selected the text, reading it quickly.
“Wow,” Butcher said.
“Yeah,” Bill agreed.
“Jonny, are you in love?” Tom asked. Jon looked up at them, only then realising he had a ridiculous grin across his face.
Bill jerked the phone out of his hands before Jon could stop him. “Well he was just hanging around then he fell in love, and he didn’t know how, but he couldn’t get out,” Bill recited. He made an impressed face. “You’re girl a lyricist?”
Jon grabbed the phone back, snapped it shut and shoved it in his pocket. “Look,” Jon said.
“I hope you’ve told your girl about us,” Tom said, teasing.
Jon barely faltered. “I maybe mentioned you guys a time or two. But look, about that-”
“Not trying to weasel out of introducing us, are you?” Bill asked. “Worried we’ll scare her away?”
Jon wanted to scoff, but that was sort of it. Ryan could be really delicate about things, and he liked The Academy. If Bill said something shitty about Ryan’s poetry…well, Jon didn’t know, but it wouldn’t be good.
“Okay,” he said. He was just going to lay it all out. “Seriously, if you guys are dickheads about this, I’m walking right the fuck out.”
Bill’s smile faltered and Tom laid a hand on Jon’s knee. “Dude, whatever,” he said, and sounded vaguely hurt. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Yeah,” Jon agreed. He rubbed his face. “Okay. I’m not. I’m not in love with a girl.” He took a deep breath. If Ryan could so casually reveal their relationship to Celia, Jon could do this with his fucking friends. “I’m in love with-” the words stuck in his throat.
“A goat?” Sisky offered unhelpfully. Jon glared.
“Seriously?” Tom asked. “You think we’d freak out over you dating a dude? We’re like, the gayest band ever.”
“Hey,” Mike muttered in protest, but no one really paid him any attention.
“I’m dating two guys,” Jon said. He just said it. It fell in absolute silence.
“For real?” Sisky finally blurted out.
“And one of them is Ryan Ross, and I swear to god, if any of you say anything to him, because I know none of you have read his stuff, and I’m not going to let you be douchebags just because a bunch of his fans happen to be stupid emo kids.”
Jon sounded a little vicious to his own ears, so he couldn’t blame them for all staring at him in stunned disbelief. Their Jonny Walker never talked like that. He made himself take a deep breath.
“Is this…some sort of joke?” Bill asked at length, doing that weird half-smile, half-you’re-fucking-crazy thing with his brows and lips that he usually reserved for when Siska and Butcher were being weird.
“If you’d read it,” Jon said, but less venomously.
“Wait,” Butcher interrupted. “I really don’t get it.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Tom hissed. “Jonny. Are you…?”
Jon fumbled his phone out again, going to his memory. Spencer liked taking ridiculous pictures and texting them with weird taglines. Occasionally he stole Jon’s phone, too, saying if he wasn’t allowed to use Jon’s nice cameras, he could at least use his phone one, since it was shitty.
There were several pictures he wasn’t about to share with them, of Spencer and Ryan in compromising positions, sent while Jon was at work and couldn’t do anything about it for hours because his boys were fucking teases. He skimmed past them and found a picture of the three of them, Jon and Spencer squishing their cheeks to either side of Ryan’s face, grinning broadly while Ryan made an annoyed expression.
He passed it to Tom to see, relieved when he saw a slow smile spread over Tom’s face. “Pretty boys you got there,” he commented. Bill huffed a sigh and reached for the phone. “Not prettier than you, babe,” he added.
Even after seeing the picture most of them still looked cautiously dubious about the whole thing. Jon couldn’t entirely blame them. “I’m just warning you guys,” Jon said, with a pointed look at Bill, “if you say something-if you hurt them, I’m going to kick your asses.”
“We’ll be on our best behaviour,” Butcher said solemnly. Mike laughed nervously, but the rest of them nodded their agreement.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” Jon said. “We’ll be coming by early, though.”
“Hey,” Tom said, as they were all leaving, “I think I’ll just hang out with JWalk if that’s cool.”
Bill’s expression gave Jon the impression that it wasn’t cool, but he didn’t say anything. Sometimes Jon thought all the things the two of them didn’t say to each other was going to come back and bite them in the ass someday.
Tom just watched while Jon did his first afternoon shot. Jon had missed going out with him, just messing around. In the few minutes they had before his second session, Tom dragged him into his office.
“So,” he said.
“So,” Jon said back.
Tom sighed. “Help me out here, Jon. A month ago you tell me you’re going to go take pictures for this guy, and then you never say anything else about him, and now you’re fucking dating him?” He didn’t sound angry, so much as bewildered. “And who’s this other guy?”
Jon shrugged. “Spencer and Ryan were together when I met them,” he said. He didn’t know anyway to explain that wouldn’t sound insane.
“So, what, they decided they needed to a little spice in the bedroom or something?” Tom asked. He didn’t look very pleased at the prospect.
“It isn’t like that,” Jon said, scowling. “They’re not like that.”
Stephanie buzzed through his desk phone, “Your three-fifteen is here.”
“I just…I don’t want to get into it Tom,” Jon said, “but I love them, and I want you to like them too, obviously. They’re important to me, and so are you.”
Tom shook his head in disbelief. “I just. I thought it was Cassie for you, man. I thought you two would get back together.”
Jon hadn’t ever thought that, but he wasn’t so sure that Tom had really understood why they’d broken up. “Well. Then I met Spence and Ryan.” He smiled at Tom. “They’re really awesome, Tom. Ryan is so talented and Spencer is so fucking smart.”
Jon left Tom in his office for the next shoot and when he came back, he found Tom going through the folders of Ryan and Spencer pictures. There were maybe an obscene amount of pictures of the two of them on his computer.
“These are really gorgeous,” he said, scrolling through-some black and white shots from the back yard and bedroom, some of the shots from their recent trip, and several from the first photo shoot with Ryan (which, after moving in, Jon had stolen back from Spencer).
“I’m lucky. My subject matter’s pretty nice,” Jon said.
“You are so fucking smitten,” Tom muttered.
“Says the guy who thinks William Beckett hung the moon,” Jon scoffed.
“Okay. But. Ryan Ross?” Tom asked. It didn’t have the same scorn or disbelief as before, but was strangely pleading, like he wanted Jon to say it was all just a joke.
“Wait until you know him,” Jon said. He closed the computer down and began packing up to go home. “Just. And if you’d just look up some of his stuff online, seriously. He plays guitar, and Spence plays drums, and he’s got arrangements for a lot of his poetry, it’s really awesome. I can’t tell you how stupid I felt, when I first read his stuff. That I’d judged it without even looking at it.”
“I don’t think you’re going to win Bill over without a fight,” Tom said.
“I don’t really give a fuck what Bill thinks, as long as he doesn’t say it to Ryan. He could say it to Spence, though. Spence would probably kick his ass,” Jon said, enjoying the mental image.
Tom gave him a sceptical look. “The one who wears all the pink? And the barrettes?”
Jon laughed. “Don’t let looks fool you. Spencer’s one tough mother fucker.”
They didn’t discuss it any further on the drive to the condo, for which Jon was really thankful. Instead Tom hooked his iPod up and played him some of their new demos, and told him about the book he’d been reading.
“So,” Jon said, “they’re fans of you guys. They were before I even met them. But sometimes they’re kinda bad at showing it so can you…just...”
“Would you quit being such a freak?” Tom said. “If they’re as awesome as you say, everything will be cool.”
Jon wasn’t so sure about that, but he stopped protesting. He pulled into the driveway alongside the hybrid. Spencer would insist on taking it, he was sure. “Nice place,” Tom observed. “Ross’?”
“His and Spencer’s,” Jon said, and then, mumbling, “and I live with them.”
Tom shot him a politely bemused look. “I’m sorry?”
“Dude, it’s a long story,” Jon said. “After the show, okay?” Tom, because he was Tom, totally let it drop.
Jon was barely through the front door when Ryan, descending the stairs, jumped the last three into Jon’s arms, winding his legs around Jon’s waist and sending him crashing into the wall. “Hi,” Ryan said, grinning goofily.
“Hi,” Jon said, smiling cautiously, because this was unusual. He moved his hands to grip Ryan’s ass to keep him from slipping. “What’s up?”
“We have a surprise for you!” Ryan said, and dipped his head to give Jon a kiss when he finally spotted Tom, hovering uncertainly just outside the door. “Oh,” Ryan said, dropping his legs and stepping back quickly.
“Hey,” Tom said, nodding.
“Ryan, this is Tom,” Jon said.
Ryan extended his hand in the same polite, removed way he had when Jon had first met him. “We’ve heard a lot about you,” Ryan said, and Jon could hear the question in his voice.
“Me, too,” Tom said, smiling. “About you and Spencer.”
Ryan pursed his lips. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the show tonight?” He asked.
“I wanted to catch up with my boy,” Tom said, tossing an arm around Jon’s shoulder. He did it in a purposefully baiting way, but Ryan didn’t fall for it. Instead, he grinned.
“Did you tell him?” Spencer asked, appearing at the top of the stairs. He saw Tom and frowned politely. “Oh. Sorry. Hello.” He hurried down and blushed around a smile when he said, “I’m a big fan of yours. I’m Spencer.”
“We should probably get going,” Jon said. He felt uneasy now that they were all in the same room together. “Before Bill freaks out and tells Tony I’ve kidnapped you.”
The first few minutes in the car were incredibly awkward, the only sound the radio. Surprisingly, it was Ryan who broke the silence, leaning forward to address Tom, asking him about his guitar, which somehow turned into a discussion of Bob Dylan. Jon wasn’t really following, but Ryan didn’t always make sense, and anyway Tom seemed to understand the leap, and better, after a few minutes he snuck Jon a private little smile that screamed his approval.
By the time they got to the venue, Ryan had relaxed a little in his skin. Spencer kept tight hold on his hand all the same, and as soon as they were out of the car, Jon took Ryan’s other hand. Ryan gripped it like a lifeline.
It was just Jon’s luck that the first people they ran into inside the venue were Gabe and Travis. Gabe greeted Jon with a leer and a grope and then took in Spencer and Ryan. “So, this is the kinky little ménage-a-trois,” he cooed.
Ryan tensed and Spencer tossed his hair back defiantly. “Aww, no need to be jealous, Gabe, just cause William and Tom won’t let you in on that action,” Jon teased.
Travis giggled and Gabe scowled playfully at him. “If you’re ever looking to add a fourth,” he said, “you know how to get a hold of me. The Cobra has mad sexual techniques, yo.”
After that, it wasn’t so bad. There was a second, when they walked into The Academy’s dressing room, where Jon felt like they were in a bad western, tumbleweed blowing in the wind and all. Then somehow Spencer ended up trading dirty jokes with Butcher, Sisky and Mike, and Tom introduced Ryan to Vicky and Ryland, and the tension went away.
Bill cornered Jon in the corner, looking vaguely seductive, but with Bill that could mean just about anything. Sometimes Jon wasn’t sure if Bill really understood about utilising different facial expressions. His stock of five or so seemed to serve him well enough though, so maybe Bill didn’t care.
“So,” Bill said, wiggling his brows. “I read some of your boy’s stuff.” He tossed his hair back and gave Jon a come-hither look. Either that, or he was wondering who ate the last Pop-tart.
“Okay…” Jon said, smiling cautiously, teasing around the edges.
“Yeah,” Bill said. He pursed his lips. “It wasn’t bad,” he finally said.
Jon let his smile go, take over his whole face. “S’okay. I won’t say I told you so.” Bill looked rightfully dubious about this.
“I’m still not sure he and his little…” Bill glanced at Spencer as if he was searching for an appropriate word to describe him. “Anyway. I’m not sure they deserve you. I mean, I always thought there was too much Jon Walker for one person to handle, but those two.”
Jon laughed. “They handle me pretty well,” he said, tone laced with suggestion.
Bill huffed a sigh. “I’m just saying. I might have to challenge them for your honour.”
“Please. I don’t want to have to explain to Tom why his boyfriend was massacred by mine,” Jon said.
“I don’t have to put up with this,” Bill exclaimed. “I’m going to go warm up.” He flounced off dramatically.
The after-party was in Bill and Tom’s hotel suite, with booze, impropriety and too many people crammed in too small a space. Jon ended up with a Spencer in his lap, so he couldn’t really complain.
Ryan had done shots with Bill and apparently that was some sort of bonding experience, because now the two of them were getting on really well. Ryan, wobbly drunk, was perched on the arm of the sofa, braced with an arm on Jon’s shoulder, fingers scraping absently over Jon’s scalp, in a fierce debate with Bill over something pertaining to Don Quixote.
Jon was still on his first beer and Tom kept trying to offer him another only to be confused when he saw Jon hadn’t finished. When Tom had tried to pass him a joint, Jon had to consider it a long time, but the feeling he usually got from marijuana-light and warm and full-he already had.
“Nah,” he said, and Tom’s brows rose high on his forehead.
“Dude,” Tom said.
Jon smiled, pressing at kiss into Spencer’s neck. “I got my boys,” Jon said, and Spencer beamed at him.
Stephanie, however, did not pass, and after a few hits and a couple beers, mellowed sufficiently. She was discussing photography with Tom in between answering Nate’s questions about bands around campus. She’d only been slightly bemused to see Ryan, though perhaps meeting Bill had helped to prepare her to cope with that.
“I’ve found my soul mate, Bill,” Tom said, patting Stephanie on the knee. “She understands my art.”
Bill rolled his eyes. “You get lonely babe, you know Papi will take care of you,” Gabe purred. That sent everyone into raucous laughter and Tom proclaiming he’d changed his mind, just to save Bill from the VDs.
Spencer nuzzled at Jon’s throat and whispered, “I like your friends.”
“Mmm,” Jon agreed. He ducked his head to brush his lips over Spencer’s. His breath smelled like beer. “I like you,” Jon said. He deepened the kiss and Spencer responded at once, parting his lips and twining his arms around Jon’s neck, pulling him closer.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” Jon heard Bill whisper and felt Ryan’s nails scrape with more pressure across his scalp. Jon could tell just from that touch that Ryan was turned on.
“Why should it bother me?” Ryan asked, tone incredulous. “They’re fucking hot.”
“Yeah, but aren’t you jealous?” Bill protested. Bill liked to tell stories of all the kinky shit he’d done in high school, but he was still amazingly vanilla.
Ryan made an amused sound and slipped off the arm of the sofa into Jon’s lap, legs tangling with Spencer’s. He gave a little tug on Jon’s hair and Jon tipped his head back, making it easier for Ryan to slide forward, fitting his mouth alongside theirs. Spencer made a happy sound and wriggled closer. They were getting pretty good at this three-way kissing thing, Jon thought.
“Shit, that’s hot,” Gabe said, and Mike said, “Fuck.”
Ryan was the first to pull away, mouth red and swollen. He smiled smugly at Bill. “I’m not jealous because it’s mine, too,” he said, “because I can do that whenever I want.”
Bill nodded dumbly and flicked not so subtle gaze in Tom’s direction. Jon smacked Spencer’s ass lightly, enough to earn him an indignant sound and a bite on his lip. “I think I’m gonna take my boys home,” Jon said, liking the way Spencer’s eyes sparked at his words.
Spencer scrambled to his feet, dragging Ryan with him. “Will we see you tomorrow?” Tom asked, his casual tone belying what he was really asking.
“I’ll call you,” Jon said. “We’ll show you the town. And, uh,” he glanced at Ryan just to double check and Ryan nodded. “We’re having a Fourth thing on Monday that you guys should come to.” That, apparently, appeased Tom.
Ryan was still really drunk from his shots and Spencer was buzzed enough that he was all red in the face and giggly at Jon’s side, so Jon drove. It was sort of weird being the designated driver. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d left a party and not been wasted.
It was nice.
Jon glanced at them in the rear view mirror, tangled all together in a way that bespoke of the years of their closeness. In the shadows it was difficult to tell whose arm was whose, where one body began and the other ended. He thought of the poem Ryan had recited at the book reading and heard a melody along with it.
“Things have changed for me,” he sang, “but that’s okay, I feel the same.”
Spencer lifted his head to meet Jon’s gaze in the mirror. “We have a present for you, Jon Walker.”
Ryan mumbled an agreement into Spencer’s shirtfront, nodding his head. “We’re gonna be a band,” he said.
They presented him with the bass when they got home, dragging him up to the study. “We asked Brent, and he gave us a list, and then we saw this one.”
Jon didn’t even want know how much money they’d spent on the bass. It was a Fender Jaguar maple and rosewood and a black finish. “You guys, this is too much,” he said. But there was no way he was giving it back.
“Well, you’ll just have to pay us back by making our band rock hardcore,” Spencer teased.
Sunday was a whirlwind of activity, hoping from one casino to another. The bands had all been through Vegas before, but usually only for a day at most, and that meant a visit to one, maybe two casinos if you knew how to work it. So they wandered up and down the Strip, Ryan and Spencer telling some truly hilarious stories that not even Jon had heard about their experiences at the various places, or rumours that had been passed down from the locals.
Tom monopolised most of Jon’s time, but it was good, getting a chance to talk nonsense with Tom after so long away. It was good to know that even with that time and distance they could fall into their same old, familiar routine. Even if it meant Jon had to explain how he’d ended up living with Ryan and Spencer, car and all.
That had led to a twenty minute rant from Tom about what sort of horrible friend do you think I am, Jon, that I wouldn’t help and why didn’t you fucking call me you asshole?
Spencer had been singularly unhelpful, shooting Jon a smug smirk every few minutes throughout, as if to say see, it wasn’t just us, you are an idiot.
The highlight of the evening was the amazing, if inexplicable, attendance of Barry Manilow’s show. Jon was just going to blame that one on Alex and Ryland. It seemed liked the safest bet.
Monday morning the twins came over early to help out getting things ready. Maybe they were just used to Ryan being famous, but for whatever reason, they weren’t fazed when The Academy showed up bearing a shit tonne of fruit and even more beer. Siska was sort of hilariously reminiscent of Baby from Dirty Dancing, juggling two huge watermelons through the front door.
After that, the flood of people seemed a little endless. Ryan stood on the back porch surveying the roaring crowd of friends and family both within and without, an absent expression on his face. Jon came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Ryan’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder. “What’s up?”
“I think we need a bigger house,” Ryan observed.
Spencer had explained to Jon that he hadn’t felt strange letting Ryan buy the condo, because Ryan would have bought it either way, whether he was with Spencer or not, and they’d always planned on living together, so it wasn’t a big deal.
Ryan buying Spencer’s SUV had been more about paying Spencer back for everything he’d given Ryan throughout the years, and Spencer had felt a little weird about that. But giving Spencer things made Ryan happy, and it wasn’t like Ryan couldn’t afford it, so Spencer eventually learned to give in.
Jon wasn’t quite to that point yet, but he could think about the idea of Ryan buying them a bigger house and not feel anxious about it. “Something further away from the neighbours,” he suggested. “So Spence can play drums whenever he wants.” Their neighbours had more than once expressed their displeasure over late night jam sessions.
Ryan smiled at the suggestion, laying his hands over Jon’s, holding him in place. Which was how Spencer’s parents found them when they arrived a few minutes later. Jon had a blind moment of panic when Ryan said, “Mom, Dad!” because from what Ryan had said, Jon was pretty sure Ryan and his mother weren’t on speaking terms and Ryan’s dad was dead. The panic didn’t go away when he realised it was Spencer’s parents, and he was holding their son’s boyfriend in his arms. He tried to pull away but Ryan held fast.
“Ryan,” Mrs. Smith said and then looked at Jon. “And you must be Jon.”
Jon swallowed hard. “Yes ma’am,” he said.
“Jon, this is Ginger and Spencer,” Ryan introduced them. He finally let Jon go so Jon could shake their hands.
“Pleased to meet you,” Jon mumbled awkwardly, trying to remember all the things his mother had told him about meeting parents for the first time. He didn’t know if this was a situation his mother had ever accounted for.
“Crystal goes on about you,” Ginger said. “As do my boys.” Ryan blushed a little. She pursed her lips at him. “Don’t think being cute is going to make me forget about the fact that the girls met him months ago and your father and I are only just now meeting him.”
“I’ve been pretty busy with work,” Jon said, not sure if he was even supposed to be involved in this conversation, but feeling he should say something in Ryan and Spencer’s defence.
“We’re not upset at you, dear,” Ginger said.
“Hey,” Spencer said, coming up alongside them, “you know that whole ‘living only ten minutes away’ thing goes both ways, right?” he asked his mother.
Ginger gave him an unimpressed look, lips twisted in annoyance. “Thank you, Spencer,” she said dryly.
“Anytime,” Spencer smarted back and gave his mother and father a hug before worming his way between Ryan and Jon to get an arm around them both. He laid his head against Jon’s and grinned cheekily at his parents.
“Spencer tells me you have a studio downtown,” Spencer the elder commented. “And that you’re the one responsible for those pieces in the living room.”
“Um…” Jon looked uncertainly to Spencer for his cue. Spencer just smiled serenely back. “Yes sir.”
“You can call me Spencer, please,” he corrected. “You know,” he went on, clapping a hand on Jon’s shoulder, “I used to dabble with photography a little bit, in college. Crystal was saying you had some other pieces here?”
“Oh,” Jon said. “Yes…” Spencer and Ryan weren’t really forthcoming with any help, so Jon let Spencer-senior? he was going to have to figure that out-lead him off to discuss photography.
Jon was worried it would be awkward, but Spencer actually knew what he was talking about for the most part and noticed things about Jon’s photography that other people didn’t always. Things Jon liked. “I’ll show you some of my stuff when you come over on Friday,” Spencer said.
“Friday?” Jon echoed, wondering if he’d missed something.
Spencer chuckled. “Ginger’s been bitching about Spence and Ryan not bringing you home. We’re making roast on Friday so she can sit you all down for a family dinner. I imagine as soon as we were gone she gave them a guilt trip until they submitted.”
Jon cornered his Spencer as soon as possible, dragging him into the pantry off the kitchen. “Do your parents realise exactly what is going on here?” Jon asked, because he wasn’t so sure. No one could be so cool about finding out that their surrogate son and their actual son were involved in a ménage-a-trois.
Spencer chuckled and looked just like his father when he did. “Well, I’m not sure they’ve really sought out the details,” he said, “but…yeah. I told them how I felt about you before we even got together. And, I mean, Crystal wouldn’t shut up about how stupid we were being about you.”
“Crystal knows?” Jon asked.
Spencer rolled his eyes. “Her and Jackie both. They’re sixteen, and they’re not blind.”
“But…they just…they don’t care?” Jon sputtered.
“I’ve got a pretty cool family,” Spencer said, bending to press a kiss to the corner of Jon’s mouth. “You should have seen how my parents reacted when they found out about me and Ryan.” A smile curled over his face at the memory.
“It was so embarrassing, but they just…they just basically said that they trusted us to not do anything stupid. They let me stay all the time at Ryan’s dorm even though I was still in high school and they knew exactly what we were doing.” There was a dull blush over his cheeks. “They didn’t care, because they trusted us, and they knew we loved each other. And they trusted us when we told them we loved you.”
“You really do have the coolest parents ever,” Jon agreed, a little bit awed. He was still trying to figure out how he was even going to broach the subject with his own parents.
“Well, yeah. They raised me,” Spencer said. He draped his arms over Jon’s shoulders and leaned in for a longer kiss.
In the backyard, Suarez had taken over DJing duties and Gabe and Tom had begun a game of limbo and somehow Butcher had taken over grilling duties from Ryan. That was only moderately better. Now Bill and Ryan were sharing a lounge chair and playing guitar together, heads bent close.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen my boys look so happy,” Ginger said, coming up alongside him. “Spencer’s helped Ryan a lot, but it’s been tough.”
Jon had definitely got that impression, but he wasn’t sure that they’d been unhappy before he’d come. “I think they would have been fine without me,” he said.
“I think so, too,” Ginger said. “But sometimes three works better than two.”
Three definitely worked better than two. Sometimes Jon thought it was strange how well it worked. There weren’t a lot of fights, mostly only when Spencer was stressed over school or when Jon got busy at work, and those were easily resolved with soft words and softer kisses. Jon was never ashamed to apologise and was always quick to forgive, and no one held grudges for long.
Ryan was more difficult to handle, because no matter how happy he was most of the time, fits of depression could take him suddenly and completely, making him mope around listlessly. Luckily, between Spencer’s experience and Jon’s temperament, they learned to coax him out.
And then Jon did see them becoming happier. It was the way Ryan no longer shirked his public appearances, the way he recited his poetry confidently, the way he laughed openly, even around strangers. It was in the way Spencer stopped watching every move Ryan made, worried that someone might hurt him. It was like Spencer could finally fully relax, knowing Jon was there to help.
A year passed, and Jon had long stopped worrying that the feelings would go away. The little problems only made them stronger in the long run, closer. Spencer and Ryan had had a lifetime to learn each other, but Jon held his own, all things considered. It helped that they were so willing to share, to draw him in as deep as they were.
Three worked so well that Jon forgot what being just two was like, wondered how anyone could function as any other number.
Then he went out in the desert and stumbled across a boy in an elf costume.