the growing itch in Simon’s hands. the need for him to go to your apartment. the longing glance cast upon that knitted white sweater. nowadays, Simon can’t stray too far from it.

the man hasn’t been quite himself lately. and it worries John to no end.

and not that John is any better. not with the way he’s always checking if he’d been unblocked from all the ways they used to contact you. he detests the gnawing ache sitting at the pit of his stomach whenever he recalls that fact.

none of his messages have been returned. his calls won’t go through. he can’t find you on any social media and he’s got too much pride to resort to using burner accounts just to see what you’re up to.

then he starts to wonder if he and Simon read things the wrong way on your end.

because they know you. the sign you gave when you sent back John’s beanie was clear enough, wasn’t it? they left the door open for you to come back and you should have by now.

yet, you didn’t.

you’ve been radio silent since then. not a word from you. not another forgotten garment sent back. not even a letter. nothing.

and you’re hardly even at your place anymore. they can’t time the right moment to sit down and have a proper conversation with you because you’re scarcely available now.

John hates that the thought is starting to sink in.

that maybe you’re finally cutting ties with them.

“it suits you, dear.”

you were timid to wear it on this particular day, with a pink sundress and sandals. the necklace glimmers under the summer’s light as it rests comfortably on your neck.

you smiled. “thanks, grandpa.”

if only he knew the story behind it.

you’d rather not give your grandparents a heart attack with that tidbit so you keep it to yourself.

the three of you sit at the patio under the cool shade. the wooden couches lined with blue cushions were an added comfort among the lush green trees and flowers. you pour tea for your grandfather and grandmother as you talk to them while you have yourself a tall glass of lemonade.

it’s not often you come to visit them. your maternal grandparents were pretty much ostracized from the rest of the family years ago back for reasons you have yet to uncover. your paternal grandparents always spoke ill of them. for years, you’ve had the misfortune of being forced to spend time with your paternal grandparents and enduring the same treatment from them as the rest of your immediate family.

and for years, you’ve had the misfortune of not seeing your maternal grandparents for that time until you were much older and upon realizing that they don’t hate you as much as the rest of your family, you’ve come to mourn the time you’ve missed with them.

they won’t tell you why they don’t talk to their daughter anymore. quite frankly, considering how much of a bitch she is, you don’t doubt it’s her fault but you’ll leave that up for speculation until you hear the full story.

it’s nice coming to visit them every so often. you can’t believe you forgot how treasured you felt in their presence. the isolation caused by your immediate family must’ve gotten to your head, must’ve clouded your mind from remembering that these two people were the only ones who’s love never faltered on being unconditional.

you’re glad you came here. you’re glad you still have them. making plans to visit them more often becomes your new objective because you’re going to spend as much time as possible you have while you still can.

“so…” grandfather clears his throat. “there’s two of em’, you say?”

“yes.” you slowly say, watching him.

the wrinkles around his eyes become more pronounced as his eyes narrow. he’s always been the more protective one. given that he’s seen a lot in his lifetime, you can understand why. your grandmother, however, despite seeing as much as he has, tends to be more optimistic.

“oh, my! you never told me that.” your grandmother swats her husband’s arm indignantly. “sweetheart–”

“they’re both in a relationship.” you cut her off, your tone low and nearly trembling. “and they want me to be with them.”

“so they’re gay?”

“technically, they’re both bisexual.” you paused, glancing between the two of them. “is that bad?”

is it going to be a problem? are you going to have to make another hard choice here too? you don’t want to. you’d never want to have to choose between the two pairs of people who are dearest to you. ever.

and thankfully, you won’t have to.

“no, of course not!” the dark cloud over your head dissipates when your grandmother chimes in. “two men vying for your affection? you, my little dove, are blessed. i mean, that’s to be expected when you’ve got your looks from me.”

your grandfather groans as he leans forward to reach for another cookie. he takes a small bite of it. “so when are we meeting the bastards?”

“grandpa!” you huffed, laughing.

“what?” he said. “i wanna know the faces of the two boys who are taking out my favourite granddaughter. is that a crime?”

“it is if you’re going to be so hostile.” his wife mumbles, rolling her eyes.

his mustache wiggles as he grumbles something under his breath. it’s always been such a comical little thing about him that he likes to do because it made you giggle so much when you were a child. you’ve always been fond of it.

it seems your worries are a non-issue.

it’s not that your relationship is a bit out of the ordinary. not one but two men who are actively pursuing you. your grandfather couldn’t care if it’s a bit weird and beyond what he’s probably used to. he’s just going to be the typical overprotective father he’s always been no matter who you bring to see them.

and that’s fine. you don’t mind a little hostility from him since it’s mostly harmless and it comes from a good place.

“soon, granddad.” you finally said. “you’ll meet them soon. i promise.”

“good, good–” he nods more to himself.

you spent the afternoon answering more questions from your curious grandmother, who was more thrilled to meet your boys than her husband was.

Johnny and Kyle crafted their speech and delivered it perfectly.

they needed this time off. just a little bit to themselves to sort things out, to make preparations. after the necklace incident, they didn’t have much time to do all that before they had to report back to work and that didn’t sit right with them.

leaving you high and dry after such emotional turmoil. it wasn’t right.

and, fuck, they missed you so much too. unfathomably so. every second they were away from you was agony.

their Captain and Lieutenant were quiet as they listened and deliberated among themselves. the silence was palpable as the Sergeants were being scrutinized.

it was a long while before Price leans back and slipped the cigar out from between his lips, billowing out a puff of smoke. Simon stood sentinel behind him with arms folded.

“so when are we meeting the bird?” asked the Lieutenant.

“soon, i think.” Kyle replies first. “she’s a bit shy so give her some space to adjust.”

“bit shy’s a severe understatement.” Johnny grumbles under his breath.

Simon grunts with a nod. “noted.”

“got a picture of her?” the Captain suddenly asks.

the Sergeants glance at each other, both unsure, both unsteady on how to proceed. it’s Johnny who takes the initiative, fishing his phone from his right pocket.

“no.” Kyle grabs the device and switches it off. Simon and John stare at him with raised eyebrows. “you can run background checks on her after you’ve met.”

this is you they were talking about and if things were to get serious, John and Simon had to approve. otherwise there was going to be a whole mess of things. they were so close, too fucking close to ruin things now.

John gave him a hard stare. almost scathing. hot to the touch. he’s not often denied things concerning the safety and well-being of his people. but if both Gaz and Soap are in agreement of something then it would be wiser to trust them than go against it.

“alright.” he concedes. “whatever you say, Sergeant.”

“and do not pick her apart once she sets foot in yer house.”

the warning goes to both of them. Johnny’s glare is directed at the man standing behind his Captain.

“i mean it, Simon.” he adds, his tone firm and direct. “we’ve worked too hard tae keep her grounded. she’s no’ running off because ye said somethin’ foul. keep yer thoughts tae yerself till after she’s left.”

Simon and John glance at each other, almost in disbelief. their Sergeants have never been this committed to anyone other than themselves until now and it was a shocker to see this new change. whoever this bird is must be pretty damn special.

Kyle places a hand on his partner’s shoulder in agreement, quietly reinforcing their need to protect you from anything and anyone.

even their most trusted friends. their superiors.

“two weeks.” finally said John. “get your affairs in order and then we meet her.”

you’ve been taking steady breaths. slow and heavy, sometimes mellowing out into a normal pace. but your heart leaps into your throat when you play it over and over again.

your boyfriends (yes, boyfriends) came back far sooner than expected. you were shocked when they explained to you that they asked for this time off. a couple of weeks. to make sure that you’re still on solid ground with them, to make sure that you weren’t planning on taking off while they were absent.

the thought hadn’t even crossed your mind. it didn’t even occur to you that they were even worried about the prospect of that happening.

“hold still, hen.” Johnny’s fingers fiddle with the clasp of your heel. you hold onto his shoulder to keep your balance while he helps you put on the shoes he and Kyle got for you. “now the other one.”

Kyle leaned on the door frame, watching. waiting as he puts on his cufflinks. they’re both in crisp white shirts and dark dress pants. both prepared for this date and helping you get dressed too.

your first real date with them.

you’ve been on a few outings with them, sure. but those were casual. no pressure involved, no full expectation of anything groundbreaking. they weren’t this.

a fancy dinner. getting all dolled up in a pretty dress. gathering the courage to wear the stunning diamond necklace they got for you.

(the very necklace that nearly ended it all).

your stomach fluctuates between hurling breakfast and fluttering butterflies depending on how much you’re trying not to spiral into your thoughts. all the while Johnny stands behind you and clasps the last piece of jewelry, letting it rest on your skin.

“the owner of the restaurant is a good friend of ours and he knows about you.” said Kyle. “so don’t you worry about some muppet saying anything rude, alright?”

“okay.” you catch his gaze in the mirror and nod with a smile. “i understand.”

they went to such great lengths for this. you can tell. it’s all such a dream, it doesn’t seem real that you’ve gotten this far with Johnny and Kyle. it doesn’t seem real that anyone has gotten this far with you when almost everyone else has abandoned you.

your hands clench when they start to tremble. you heave in one deep breath and let go.

it’s just the first date. one step at a time. they promised not to rush things because you’re so new to this. to loving someone who feels the same way.

you never thought this would be so overwhelming. not having to beg for affection, not having to be grateful for mere crumbs, you didn’t realize how heavy the cup weigh once it overflows.

“hey.” Johnny grasps your arms. his lips press against your cheek. “we love ye. remember that when ye get too deep in yer head. let tha’ put ye at ease, alright?”

you smile upon hearing it again and turn around to lace your arms around his neck to kiss him.

“i love you too.” you whisper into his mouth.

you’re not surprised when he doesn’t immediately pull away. the warmth he pours into you melts all of your jitters away and you sink right into him.

nothing will ever compare to this.

“Johnny…” you giggle into his mouth when his hands start to wander and grope. he groans into your mouth.

“no fucking against the mirror or we’re going to be late.” Kyle reminds the two of you as he approaches. you stifle a laugh when Johnny pouts at him. “first date, remember? we can’t miss this.”

he cups your cheek and leans in to press his lips on yours. a kiss that is softly returned. the dazed look he casts upon you when he pulls away makes you all too flustered.

first date. implying that there will be a second and third and many more to come. suddenly, there doesn’t seem to be an end to a future with them. you don’t feel the weight of a time limit in their presence.

Johnny sighs dramatically, rolling his eyes. “fine. alright. no fuckin’ against the mirror.”

“we can do that after the date.” you offered, “you won’t even have to take off my dress.”

both of them brightened upon hearing that and were all too eager to leave the house. you and Kyle wait while Johnny was pulling the car out of the driveway.

your fingers lace with Kyle’s as you whispered to him, “love you.”

he retaliates by pecking your cheek three times, a bright smile flashing across his lips before he embraces you tightly in his arms, drawing a delighted laughter from you.

you were only falling in love.

and they were right there waiting to catch you with open arms.

i almost feel bad for setting reader up for failure...

[rotten work]

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