Chapter 37

Chapter 37 — A Secret

Going to work the next day feels weird for Liam. He doesn't know about the two other men, but it definitely is for him.

He considers calling in sick for the day, but no, he is not going to do that. He forces himself out of bed, to get ready and out of the house.

How is he supposed to greet them both? Do they pretend as if there's nothing between them? Everyone already knows that he and Jason are going out, so that's fine, but what about Aaron? And he's their boss too. It will definitely draw considerable attention, that's for sure. Why the fuck did they not discuss all this yesterday night?

Yesterday night's events filter into his mind and oh, okay.

But they really should have talked about it.

Luckily for Liam (or maybe not), his next course of actions has been set for him. He finds both the men in the parking lot. By the way both of their attention affix to the car the moment he drives in, it's obvious they have been waiting for him.

"Hey?" he greets them questioningly upon getting out of the car and joining them.

He notices the sullen look on Jason's face and furrows his eyebrows. Aaron has his arms crossed and gives him a disapproving look.

"You're late," is the first thing he says to him.

Liam rolls his eyes; he cannot believe he is dating this insufferable jerk now, "By three minutes. And you guys aren't in the office either,"

"That's because we have to talk,"

"And by talk, he means he's going to tell us what to do and we have to comply to it," Jason clarifies grudgingly.

Liam looks between the two of them questioningly before adding his own statement, "Seems like you two have already had the talk,"

"Again, you're late,"

Rolling his eyes, he ignores Aaron and directs his full attention on Jason, "What did he say?"

"He wants to pretend that we aren't together,"

Liam nods. He can see why Aaron would want that, but–

"Are you okay with that?" he asks Jason.

"Obviously not," he scoffs.

"Neither am I," he shrugs and then clasps his hands together, rubbing them, "Two against one; I don't think I need to explain more regarding what we're going to do,"

"You guys can't just come to a decision like that," Aaron exclaims.

"Why not?" surprisingly it is Jason who challenges him.

"Because it concerns me too and I'm not okay with it,"

"You were basically instructing me not minutes ago forgoing my own feelings about it," Jason doesn't waste his time in pointing that out — he has to be really pissed to be direct like this.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Lesson learnt,"

"I'll accept your apology,"

"Alright," Liam interrupts their lovers quarrel to refocus their attention, "What do you suppose we do now? We can't obviously discuss all the details now,"

Jason sighs, "I can be okay with pretending for today. Only for today though. We will continue this discussion later and come to an agreement that is appealing to all of us,"

"Yeah, I am okay with that," Liam nods, followed by Aaron.

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There isn't a single time when Liam didn't catch Aaron looking at him. The man's eyes seem to be glued to him.

Liam tries not to be too affected by it but damn it, he is. He stumbles more than he usually would, and he's picked up his pen from the floor more times than he'd actually used to write it.

Finally, after hours of looking at him not so subtly, he approaches him, drumming his finger on the table. Trying to appear as nonchalant as possible, Liam looks up, and raises his eyebrows in question.

Aaron clears his throat before speaking up, "I ordered lunch and it's here,"

"Okay. I'll go and bring them up," Liam stands about to leave, but Aaron stops him before he can even take a step.

"No, no. Um, Jason's bringing them up,"

"Jason?"

"Yes. I thought we all could have lunch together. In my office?"

"In your office?"

"Yes," Aaron gives him a single affirmative nod.

However, Liam is still sceptical, "What happened to you wanting to pretend that we aren't together?"

A small shrug, "I thought about it,"

"And?" Liam prompts him.

But instead of answering him, Aaron nods his head sideways, and Liam follows his line of gaze to see Jason emerging with bags in his hand and a wide smile on his face.

This man is totally irresistible, Liam thinks to himself, but by assuming the way Aaron looks at him, it is apparent that he thinks so too.

Liam cannot really decline the lunch offer after that and so he follows behind them silently. Aaron closes the door behind them and shuts the blinds, and curtains. Jason is too giddy to notice this but not Liam.

He furrows his eyebrows, "We're only eating lunch, right? Not performing a satanic ritual?"

Aaron rolls his eyes, ignoring him. There is a corner in his office that is specifically set for his recreational uses and they could have used that space for lunch, but still, they find themselves sitting on the floor, opening the food packages and eating.

"I thought we could discuss now," Aaron says and it takes a minute for Liam to recognise that he is responding to his prompt from before — it really took him long enough, "About our arrangements outside of personal space,"

"Outside of personal space," Jason echoes after him; the enthusiasm that exuded just moments before disappearing, "What do you really mean by that?"

"I mean..." Aaron takes a moment to consider his words before answering, and he keeps his eyes drifting between them both, speaking slowly, "I like you guys, and I am certainly okay with going out you two. But that doesn't mean other people have to know about it, you know. It's not their business,"

"Is this your way of saying you want to keep our relationship a secret?" Liam asks point blank.

"Maybe?"

Jason scoffs, shaking his head, which probably means that it's up to Liam now to keep this conversation going. This is weird; one would think he would be the one to be annoyed by Aaron first, not Jason.

"Okay. For how long?"

Aaron lifts his shoulder and with a sheepish expression, he asks, "Do people really have to know about us?"

"That's not–" Liam stops himself, rethinks his approach and tries again, "Okay, so what do you suppose we do?"

"I just... can you give me some time?"

"For?"

"To tell my friends at least. They don't know I'm polyamorous, and that I'm even interested in you two. I don't know how they're going to react,"

"Never really pegged you as someone who would care what others think of you," Liam admits.

"Quite the opposite actually," Jason decides to join in, and when Aaron frowns about to disagree, he adds on, "Do you remember how long it took for you to admit that you were going out with me before to Chloe, Daniel and even Rufus, your closest friends?"

Aaron shuts his mouth, and downcasts his eyes guiltily.

"I just don't really want a repeat of that," Jason explains.

"Don't worry," Liam easily reassures me, "This time you have me, and it won't be the same,"

Jason allows a small smile to escape his lips, and Aaron frowns at them both.

"You guys are really making out to me worse than I actually am,"

"No, you really are that insufferable," Liam says and Jason doesn't deny or approve the statement, only smiling pacifyingly.

"Yeah, I really love the dynamics we've got going on already,"

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Liam cannot remember the last time he felt this... content. You know those happily ever after in the fairy tales — Liam thinks he might be in those 'ever after'. It is admittedly a good thing, but whenever he feels himself thinking about it a little too much he cringes inwardly and he can't really believe that this is his life right now.

As cliche as it sounds, it just feels too good to be true.

It has only been a week since they started going out, maybe he shouldn't jinx it this early.

He reaches Jason's place a little after half past seven, and it is Aaron who answers the door, and Liam could already guess what he's going to say before he's even opened his mouth.

"You're late," the both of them say at the same time, and Liam succeeds in killing off the smirk on Aaron's face.

He taps his cheek, smiling cheekily before walking past him, looking for Jason. He finds him in the kitchen as expected, and spins him around, so that he can kiss him in greeting.

Aaron has followed him into the kitchen, and is scowling at him, arms crossed, "Hey, where's my kiss?"

"You lost it at — you're late," he imitates him mockingly.

"That is not at all how I sound,"

Liam snorts, "You can ask Jason if you don't believe me,"

Scoffing, Aaron turns to the said man, "Well?"

Jason simply shrugs, and shakes his head — that is his signal of I'm-not-getting-into-another-one-of-your-childish-banters, "Just help me set the table," he says instead.

Both of them comply, abandoning their argument for the time being. This is only the second time that they're all together alone, but it is much easy-going and less awkward than their first time.

Maybe it's all the long late-night calls — they have spent all their nights so far talking to each other on the phone, and they even have a group chat going on which has allowed them to bond further closer.

They're comfortable with each other, that's all that matters.

Aaron manages to cage Liam at the table when he was setting the plate. It does flutter the latter at little, standing so close to him with no easy escape but he still wills himself to keep his eyes on the man challengingly.

"What?" he asks.

"Still waiting for my kiss,"

Liam has to bite back a smile, "Never took you for someone needy,"

It works quite easily — scoffing, Aaron takes a step back, "Fine. I won't kiss you too,"

Laughing, Liam takes a step forward, eliminating the little extra space Aaron just put in between them. Throwing his arms around his neck, he pulls him down and kisses him. Automatically, Aaron's hands go to his waist and pulls him even closer.

"Happy now?" Liam asks after the kiss.

"Mhmm," Aaron nods, smiling, but just as he is about to go in for another kiss, they hear Jason clear his throat from behind them.

"Dinner,"

"Ooh, yes, dinner," Liam pulls away from Aaron and goes to Jason, taking a bowl from his hand, "We're going to pick this up after dinner, aren't we, Jason?"

Liam is just having way too much teasing both the men.

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They did pick things up after dinner.

Aaron lies in the middle with Jason on his right and Liam on his left in Jason's bedroom. Aaron clears his throat first.

"There's actually something I want to tell both of you,"

"What is it?" Jason asks, and Liam shifts so that he is lying on his side, head propped up on his hand, listening intently.

"I told Rufus," he says and clears his throat again, "About us,"

"You did?" there's no mistaking the excitement in Jason's voice.

Aaron nods meekly, "And Chloe and Daniels,"

Jason lets out an embarrassing squeal, throwing his arms around Aaron — that brings a small smile on the latter's lips.

Aaron turns to Liam now, raising his eyebrows a little. He just shakes his head.

"What did they say?"

Jason pulls back as well, waiting for his answer.

Aaron shrugs, "They were surprisingly cool,"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Liam asks, to which Aaron nods, "Then why do you look so troubled?"

"I'm not," Aaron denies, but both Liam and Jason are not convinced and at last he sighs, "It's just... I don't know... I was preparing myself for the worst, and it didn't happen, which is a good thing, but I guess I'm disappointed?" he shrugs, "I don't know. It's nothing," he covers his eyes with his arm.

"No, no," Liam reaches and pulls his arm away, "I can relate with that — I do that all the time,"

"You're just saying that to make me feel better,"

"Ew, no," Liam scrunches up his face as if in disgust.

"Oh, thank you; that makes me feel much better,"

He laughs, "You know I'm just joking. But really, I do that too — you can ask Jason if you don't believe me,"

And accordingly, Jason nods, "It's annoying, really. And glad to know that you that too,"

"Aren't you supposed to be the nice one among us three?" Liam asks accusingly.

"Shit, I think we're rubbing off on him," Aaron chimes in.

Jason rolls his eyes, hitting his arm lightly, "Shut up,"

Aaron laughs, rounding his arm around Jason, pulling him closer, placing a kiss on top of his head. Liam gets comfortable too, resting his head on Aaron's chest. Aaron's hand automatically goes to his hair, running through the strands soothingly. Liam closes his eyes, humming appreciatively.

Aaron and Jason engage in a conversation and Liam does try to pay attention, but soon enough he finds himself dozing off. That is until Aaron says something that captures his entire attention, and he jerks awake:

"I was thinking maybe we should sign an agreement in the office regarding our relationship,"

"Are you sure?" Jason asks.

Aaron nods, "Yeah. Why not?"

Liam sits up, and stares down at him, "No, are you really sure?" he presses, "Because I know we were unhappy the other day, but I thought about it and it's really okay if you wanted to keep it under wraps at work,"

Jason raises his hand and nods his head, agreeing.

"No, I don't want this to become a problem in the future. And Chloe already knows about us anyways, so..." he shrugs.

"Okay," Liam nods, and lies back down, resuming his prior position, "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now. Good night,"

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