One Plus Two Equals… - 35

"And the night you came here, and left after telling me what happened was a dream?" Julyan asked. "You said you needed to kiss me 'Not as a game but with…' You never finished that sentence, Auden. With what?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Julyan said softly.

Again Auden's words were so low Julyan could barely hear them. "With…love."

Julyan enfolded him in his arms. "Is it so hard to admit?"

"I have no right to."

"You do!"

"You love Duane."

"In case you haven't noticed, you're part of him just as he's part of you. It took me too long to understand that. I do love him, with all his faults, and I have no problem with the idea of loving you, even though your faults make his seem tiny by comparison."

Auden arched an eyebrow. "I'm not all that certain that's a compliment."

"Suck it up and deal. It might be all you get until the next time."

"The next time? Oh. Yeah. I guess, given that it's almost time for the two of you to think about going to work, I should shift." Auden smiled as he leaned in, murmuring "Close your eyes."

Julyan did and felt Auden's gentle kiss. Then it changed. It was still gentle but different. He opened his eyes to find it was Duane kissing him and sighed fearfully. "Do you hate me now?"

Duane looked thoughtful then shook his head. "There was a moment there, at the beginning, when I did. Jealousy is an evil master and hard to escape. Then I understood what I'd been telling you all along was the truth. He is part of me. How could I hate you for loving him or him for loving you?"

"I love you so much." Julyan's eyes glimmered with tears of happiness. "More than I thought possible."

Brushing away one of the tears as it started to fall, Duane replied softly as he kissed his temple, "Perhaps as much as I love you."

"More," Julyan murmured, curling into Duane's embrace even though he knew they should be getting ready for work. "This is too weird."

"It is, I agree, but how do you mean it?"

Turning his head to look up at him, Julyan chuckled. "Whoever heard of a triangle involving only two people, but it's exactly what we have here."

"I hadn't thought of it that way but you're right, a triangle or a ménage à trois."

"Uh-uh. À trois doesn't work because you can't have sex with yourself. I mean…"

            Duane laughed. "I get what you're trying to say." After kissing him soundly he suggested, albeit reluctantly, that is was time for them to get moving.