One Plus Two Equals... - 54

Duane was feeling a bit like a third wheel. Stupid he knew, but he still couldn't help it. Between Auden's working with Julyan to control his shifting, and then taking him with him on an assignment, Duane had seen almost nothing of him except in the mornings before going to work. As soon as he'd come home in the evening he'd eat and then shift so Auden could take over.

I know I'm being stupid, and selfish, but damn it.

He rolled over to look at the other side of the bed even though he was well aware Julyan wasn't there. He'd been so exhausted after the assignment and then the aftermath that Auden had made him sleep in his own bed, coming back to the master bedroom to fall into bed himself, barely managing to shift before passing out.

He heard a light knock on the door and then it opened and Julyan peered at him. "May I come in?"

Grumpily, Duane nodded. "If you want, but he's not here."

"Uh oh." Julyan moved swiftly to the bed, pulling back the covers to slide in beside Duane. "Is someone feeling just a bit jealous?"

Duane was tempted to deny it but didn't. "A bit, yes."

"Why?" Julyan rested on one elbow as he looked at Duane. "You know I love you."

"I know you do." Duane smiled ruefully. "Sometimes though, knowing and knowing are two different things since I'm well aware you love him too."

Tracing his fingers lightly over Duane's chest, Julyan smiled. "Look at it this way. When you're you and here, you have my entire attention. And things should be, umm, fairer now, I suppose, since I've mastered this whole shifting thing." He grinned, nipping lightly along the line of Duane's jaw. "Of course if you want, I could shift and you could play with Xander."

"I think I'll pass on that, thanks. I prefer the man to the cat. Besides, with those fangs, kissing would be out of the question and I do like to kiss you."

Julyan arched an eyebrow and waited. A very long moment passed before he finally said, "So why aren't you?"

"Why aren't I what?" Duane replied innocently.

"Kissing me."

"Oh, you wanted me to?"

"It's that or I bring Xander out and you can play chase the ball with him." Duane's hand went instinctively to cover his balls, thinking what a big cat like Xander could do to them. Julyan burst out laughing. "Not those balls."

"I know, but in the interests of being safe…" Duane cupped the back of Julyan's head, drawing it closer. "Since you asked for it, let the kissing commence."

It commenced. And quite a while later there were more kisses, but first they had other things which needed taking care of.

Finally, happily sated, Julyan lifted his head from Duane's shoulder to look up at him. "Feeling a bit less jealous?" he joked.

Duane tapped a finger on his lips, looking thoughtful. "A bit. It's going to take a lot more to completely eradicate it however."

"Well, we have the rest of today, and all of tomorrow, barring emergencies." He leaned over to snag Duane's phone from the bedside table, turning it off before he tossed it onto a chair across the room. "And if there is one, the boss will just have to interrupt someone else's weekend because the next twenty-four hours are all about you."

"All about us," Duane replied softly. "Although…"

Julyan stopped him with a kiss. "I'll deal with the third part of our strange triangle later, you know that. This…" he kissed him again, "is you…" another kiss, "and me. So deal."

Duane smiled in amusement. "I'm dealing, I'm dealing."

And he did, several times, with no feelings of guilt. He knew Julyan loved him, and Auden, and as far as he was concerned that was the way it should be and would be for as long as they lived. Which, given what all of them were, could be more than a few lifetimes.

The End