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Jayce collapsed onto the couch and flapped the hem of his t-shirt to make a bit of a breeze, then gave up and pulled it off altogether. He was too hot and sweaty to deal with anything more than the absolutely minimum amount of clothing required. He flopped back against the arm of the couch and threw an arm over his face. "I hate moving," he grumbled.
Viktor's voice came from the kitchen, "I do appreciate your assistance. Do you want something to drink?"
"I would like an entire gallon of iced tea," Jayce called back.
The fridge opened and then closed. "It seems you have already drunk all the iced tea. I can offer a cup of ice water," Viktor countered.
"I'll take it." He would take anything cold at this point. Or even just not hot.
He could hear Viktor's cane as it thumped across the living room floor, so he wasn't startled when a cold cup, already covered in condensation, was set on his chest, right over his sternum. On any normal day, he'd have yelped at the frigid temperature, but now he just groaned in relief and groped for it without looking. "You're a life saver," he said, and pried open one eye just enough to get the cup to his mouth and start gulping down the water. By the time he'd drunk all the water and eaten a couple of the ice cubes, he was feeling almost cooled enough to sit upright.
But not quite. Jayce managed to get both eyes open and focused on Viktor, who had folded into the chair he always sat in when he visited and was watching Jayce with something like amusement. His cheeks were flushed, too, even though he hadn't had to help move any of his furniture. "It's too hot," Jayce said. "I'm so happy you're moving in with us, V, really, but why did you have to move in the middle of the fucking summer?"
"Because that is when my current lease expires," Viktor said, annoyingly logical.
"Ugggg," Jayce complained, then sat up with a put-upon sigh. "Are you going to need help unpacking your shit?"
"I think I will manage. More water?" He stood up and reached for Jayce's cup.
"I can get it."
"You carried more of my boxes than both of the hired movers, combined," Viktor pointed out, leaning over to take the cup. "And reassembled my bed and bookshelves. I think I can fetch a few cups of water."
Normally, Jayce would have argued some more, but Viktor was already heading into the kitchen, and despite the air conditioner blasting, he was still entirely too warm to want to move. "Mel wanted me to ask if you want your own cabinet and shelf in the fridge for your stuff," he said instead. "I told her that you would only eat if we fed you anyway, but she made me promise to ask."
"I subsist primarily on coffee and spite," Viktor agreed, bringing the refilled cup back to Jayce. "Seasoned with the tears of students who think they're going to pass my class without doing any of the homework or reading. I will not need much space in the kitchen. But if you are offering to feed me, I will be happy to contribute toward the grocery bill."
Jayce just shrugged. Viktor rarely ate more than a few bites at any given meal; unless that changed, he wasn't going to significantly impact their grocery budget.
He was still chugging down the last of that water when the door opened and Mel came in. She greeted Viktor with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you agreed to move in," she told him.
"It is very generous of you to make space for me," Viktor said.
"How come Viktor gets a kiss and I don't?" Jayce complained.
"Because Viktor is not covered in nasty sweat," Mel said. She blew him a kiss from the other side of the room. "That's all you get until you take a shower."
"I just finished helping Viktor move in like ten minutes ago!" Jayce protested. He pouted at her, but she'd been living with him long enough to have developed partial immunity.
"So get Viktor to kiss you, then," she suggested, eyes sparkling with mirth.
Not that Jayce would necessarily object to that, but he rolled to his feet, grumbling dramatically. "Fine, fine, I'm going to go take a shower so that my girlfriend and my best friend will deign to allow me into their presence." He slumped toward the stairs, grinning to himself at the giggles coming from behind him.
He paused at the landing to look back at Mel. "You could come wash my back for me," he suggested, "since you so conveniently managed to have errands to run until the very moment there were no more boxes to carry."
Mel hummed. "I suppose that could be arranged," she allowed.
Viktor's face flushed pink. "I am, eh, going to go unpack my dishes," he said, and limped quickly toward the kitchen.
"Hello, mijo," Ximena said as she answered the phone. "You usually call earlier in the day, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Mama," Jayce said. He might be nearly thirty, but she could still hear him rolling his eyes like a teenager. "I was helping Viktor move in today."
"Oh, that's right! I forgot; forgive me." It seemed strange to her, for a couple like Jayce and Mel to have a non-relative living with them, even when that person was Jayce's dearest friend. She had been hoping, when Jayce and Mel had bought that lovely large house with so many bedrooms, that it had been for family reasons.
But everything was so expensive in these modern times, she had to admit that it made some sense to find ways to lessen the burden of housing costs. And she had always been extremely fond of Viktor. "How is he? You haven't brought him for dinner in ages!"
"He's fine, he's good. I think it's going to be great, him living here with us. We're turning one of the spare rooms into an office for us."
Ximena hummed. "Just be careful," she said. "A couple needs some privacy, after all. Especially if I am to have nietos!"
Jayce groaned. "Mama," he groaned, and Ximena had to put her hand to her mouth so he wouldn't hear her snickering. "Mel and I have our own bedroom and bathroom, we have plenty of privacy. Y ¡deja de preguntar sobre los nietos!"
Jayce resorted to Spanish when he didn't want Mel to know what he was saying, Ximena knew. Mel was not adept at languages. In the two years they'd been dating, she'd learned no more than a handful of phrases.
On the other hand, Viktor spoke Spanish moderately well. He and Jayce had competed to see who could learn the other's native language fastest, early in their friendship, they'd told Ximena once. Viktor still practiced with her a little, when she saw him. Now, in the background of her call with Jayce, she could hear Viktor laughing.
Then she heard Mel. "What did he say? Viktor! Tell me!"
Jayce, slightly muffled, "Don't you dare!"
"It is very rude," said Viktor's voice, "for you to keep secrets from your beloved."
Ximena was laughing too hard for her to hide it, and Jayce made an exasperated noise into the phone at her.
"Jayce Talis!" Mel said sharply; clearly Viktor had provided a translation. Ximena laughed even harder.
"Now look what you've done, Mama," Jayce complained.
"Perhaps you shouldn't have tried to keep Mel in the dark," Ximena shot back, still giggling.
"Well, as much as I'd love to talk longer," Jayce said sarcastically, "apparently I'm going to have to go do something drastic to block this unholy alliance between my housemates."
"Have fun!" Ximena said. "I will talk to you soon, mijo."
It was nice that Viktor and Mel got along so well, Ximena decided. Maybe when babies finally came along, he would help babysit.
Viktor glanced up from his computer when the office door opened. Mel came in, offering him a warm smile, even as she glanced at his screen to make sure she wasn't interrupting a class or meeting.
"Jayce is working on campus today," Viktor told her. "He said he would pick up dinner on his way home."
"He told me already, but thank you," she said, and folded herself elegantly into Jayce's desk chair.
Mel did everything elegantly. Sometimes, Viktor wasn't certain which of his friends he was more jealous of. (That was a lie. (Maybe.))
She leaned forward to grip Viktor's wrist. In public, Mel was extremely reserved even with Jayce, but Viktor had learned that in private, she was very nearly as physical as her lover. Viktor was still getting used to it, but he had come to rather enjoy it. "I'm so glad you agreed to move in with us," she said, squeezing his arm briefly before she released it.
Mel had been very diligent about reassuring him that his presence was not only accepted but appreciated during the months he'd lived here. It was sweet; they hadn't always been friends, after all. "Not many women are happy to have their partner's best friend move in with them," Viktor said, amused.
"I grew up in Noxus," she reminded him. "Noxians tend to live in multi-generational homes. It was almost too quiet, with just the two of us here. Plus, I like you, now that you've warmed up to me a little." She grinned, teasing a bit.
"I am like a cat," Viktor agreed gamely, teasing back. "You must feed me and scratch my ears a few times before I will sit in your lap."
Mel laughed. "Also, you needed to figure out whether I was going to steal your best friend," she pointed out knowingly. She leaned back in Jayce's chair and looked at the drawings on their shared whiteboard. "Do you know, I was interested in Jayce for at least a year before I finally asked him out?"
"I did not," he admitted. "It does not seem much like you to wait so long for a thing you have decided you want."
"No, it doesn't. But I spent most of that year trying to figure out if he was dating his lab partner." She smiled slyly at him.
Viktor could feel the flush spreading across his cheeks. "Oh. Ah, no. No, Jayce and I never dated."
Mel's head cocked to one side, curiously. "Did you want to?"
Viktor's eyes widened and his heart jumped like a startled rabbit. "Mel," he said carefully, "I would never do or say anything that would jeopardize--"
"Oh, I think that answers my question," she said, smiling, and before Viktor could back away, she'd reached out to capture his hand, very gently. "You look terrified, Viktor."
"Perhaps because I am, a little," Viktor said breathlessly. His mind was whirling, trying to figure out what she wanted, what it would take for her to believe that he was not and never had been any kind of threat to her relationship with Jayce.
"You don't need to be," she said. She was petting the back of his hand. "Jayce likes you, too, you know."
Viktor's entire world turned to static, just for an instant. "We are... very good friends," he said slowly. "And only friends, I swear. If you cannot trust me, then at least trust him. He would never cheat--"
"Of course I trust you, Viktor. Clearly, I am not explaining myself well, and now you're just running in loops around what you think I'm saying instead of what I'm actually saying." She faced him directly, pressing his captive hand between hers and looking closely into his eyes. "You are a scientist, Viktor. Try not to draw any conclusions until you've heard all the facts. Okay?"
Fact: Mel's eyes were green. Viktor had never thought of green as a particularly warm color, until he'd seen the shades of it in Jayce's eyes. Mel's were darker, but just as warm. Whatever she had come to say to him, she wasn't angry or upset about it.
He took a breath. "Yes. All the facts. I am listening."
She smiled at him. "Good. You've had feelings for Jayce for a long time, haven't you?"
Viktor nodded somewhat sheepishly. "Almost since we met, in fact." He felt the need to add, "He has never shown any returned interest."
"That is because he can be a little bit of an idiot when it comes to his own emotions," Mel said, looking amused. Viktor... could not dispute that, really. "But he does have feelings for you, as well. I don't know when they started, but certainly since before he and I even met."
She had to be mistaken. Viktor drew a breath to tell her so, then clamped down on it. All the facts. Fact: "He loves you. Very obviously. He adores you."
Another smile. "He does," she said. "And he also loves you. Which I know," she said, raising her voice just a bit, to override his automatic protest, "because he and I have talked about it."
Viktor stared at her.
She looked back, serene.
"You and Jayce have... talked," Viktor repeated, feeling slightly ill, "about his feelings. Toward... me."
"Yes."
A thousand questions boiled over in his mind but the one that forced itself out of his mouth first was, "Why?"
"Because Jayce is a little bit of an idiot about his own emotions," Mel reiterated fondly, "and it wasn't until you moved in that he realized he's been in love with you for a minimum of four years."
"How could he not have realized something like that?" Viktor demanded.
Mel giggled a little bit. "He didn't realize he was bisexual. He really thought you were just very good friends."
Viktor stared at her some more. "He... Mel, the three of us had a conversation, a year ago, about the actors we had crushes on, growing up."
"Yes, we did," Mel agreed.
"More than half of his candidates were men!" She was still holding one of Viktor's hands, but he dragged the other over his face. "How could he not have known?"
Mel was giggling again. "I love him very much," she said, between spates of laughter, "and he is one of the smartest people I know. But he is also, very, very much, a bit of an idiot."
Viktor laughed helplessly.
And then the ache in his chest that he'd lived with for so long now began to throb, and he sobered immediately. He leaned forward, clasping her hands in both of his. "Why are you telling me this, Mel? Jayce is with you, whatever lingering... confusion he might harbor. Neither of us would--"
She held up a finger to stop him. "One more fact," she said. She eyed him carefully, making sure he was paying attention. "I," she said slowly, "am polyamorous."
Viktor's mouth hung open for a long moment as an assortment of geometries unfolded behind his eyes. "...Is Jayce?" he finally squeaked out.
Mel's smile curved into something very close to smug. "Given that he has been in love with both of us for several years? I thought he might be. Which is why I brought up the topic to him in the first place. He has not been part of a polycule before, but he was open to the idea." She leaned closer, as if confiding a secret. "He is very uncertain as to any of your feelings, however, and quite reluctant to risk your friendship over it. I told him that I would find out. Subtly."
Viktor was surprised into a snorting laugh. "I have seen you be subtle. This was not subtle."
She grinned. "I may have lied about that part."
"Not very nice of you." Though at least she'd forced a confession from Viktor before spilling Jayce's secret.
She rolled her eyes. "If it turned out that you didn't have feelings for him, would my telling you any of this have changed how you feel about your friendship?"
"Never."
"And if you were not willing to try sharing him with me, would you have made things awkward for him?"
"No, of course not."
Mel nodded as if she'd already known those answers, which she probably had. Of all their friends and acquaintances, she was the best at reading people. "So there was no need to actually be sneaky about it. I only said I would be discreet to ease his anxiety." She squeezed his hands again, then released them as she stood up. "I'm going out for the evening and will not be back until quite late. Do be sure to tell him I was subtle, hm?"
Viktor laughed. His heart was still racing, but for a somewhat different reason, now. "Yes, I will be sure he knows you used the most delicate of touches."
Ximena checked her phone and then answered its ringing with delight. "Vander! It's been too long!"
"Ximena," Vander said, "you sound well."
"Oh, quite. How are Silco and the children?"
"Good, they're good. Well, Sil's in the midst of an argument with our apartment manager, but you know he's not happy unless he's arguing with someone."
Ximena chuckled. "Yes, that does sound like him."
"Listen, 'Mena, I wanted to ask you... Did, um. Did Jayce and Mel split up?"
Ximena paused. "I don't... think so?" She pulled the phone from her ear to check her text messages, but the last message from Jayce had been just that morning, and had seemed perfectly cheerful. "Why? Have you heard something?"
Vander sighed. "No, but... I stopped in at the house yesterday, to drop off some things for Viktor."
"Yes?"
"And Mel was out -- she's in Noxus this week for a family visit, apparently -- but I stayed a bit to chat with the boys. And there was..." Vander sighed heavily. "This may be more information than a mother wants about her son, but I happened to spot a... mark on Jayce's neck. Low, almost but not quite under his collar."
Ximena huffed. "A mother does not necessarily want to know, but is aware that her son encourages biting. It's been that way since he was a teenager."
"Yeah, but I don't think Mel gave him that lovebite, is the thing," Vander said. "There was a jagged edge to it that looked a lot to me like, ah, Viktor's crooked tooth."
Ximena had to take a moment to assimilate that. "Vander," she said carefully, "are you suggesting that my son is cheating on Mel? With your son?"
Vander's wince was nearly audible. "I don't like to assume," he said. "Jayce is a good kid, I can't imagine him cheating. And I can't really imagine Viktor allowing it, either. I was hoping you'd know something."
Ximena did not want to think that she had raised a son capable of such reprehensible behavior. But neither did any other philanderer's mother, she supposed. "I cannot just ask him," she reasoned. "If it is true, he would lie to me."
And Mel was in Noxus. Had she gone home to heal a broken heart? To gain distance from Jayce? But even if they had ended their relationship before Jayce took up with Viktor, that was... very fast.
Vander sighed. "I'll put Sil on it," he promised. "If anyone can get to the bottom of this, he can."
"All right," Ximena agreed, wringing her hands.
"Try not to worry too much," Vander said. "It'll probably turn out that we've got our pants in a twist over nothing."
"I hope so," Ximena said.
Mel's flight back from Noxus had been rescheduled, then delayed, and then delayed again. She had already been exhausted from a whole week of dealing with her mother, and by the time the taxi dropped her at home at almost three in the morning, she could barely keep her eyes open.
She left her suitcase just inside the door, dropped her purse on the couch, and stumbled up the stairs.
It wasn't until she reached the top that she realized she wasn't sure which bedroom she should go to. Jayce's last text had promised he was waiting for her, but that had been before the last flight delay. She'd texted him with the new information, but if he'd responded, it had been after she was finally in the air with her phone off, and she'd been too tired to dig it out and check it when she landed.
And now it was downstairs, buried in the bottom of her purse, on the couch. She didn't want to go back downstairs.
Mel's thoughts were running molasses-slow, but probably, she reasoned, Jayce and Viktor would have taken the evening for themselves once they knew she would be so late. Which meant that she should sleep in Viktor's room.
Yes.
And Viktor's room was closer to the top of the stairs, which was a bonus. She shuffled to the door, barely able to pick up her feet. She didn't bother turning on any lights; there was enough ambient light to make her way to the rumpled bed and fall into it.
She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
...
There was an arm over her waist. Still more than half-asleep, she sighed happily and snuggled back against Jayce's chest.
Except... That wasn't Jayce.
Mel opened her eyes. It was still dark, but the glowing numbers of the clock on the nightstand suggested that it was nearly dawn. Cautiously, she turned over and found herself facing Viktor, blinking sleepily as her movement woke him.
"Oh dear," she whispered.
"Did you forget which room was yours?" he wondered, smiling slightly. His arm was still wrapped over her waist, and his eyelids were already drifting to half-mast.
"I thought you would be with Jayce," she said quietly.
"He wanted to wait for you," Viktor muttered. "We missed you."
Mel couldn't help smiling. "That's sweet," she said. "You too?"
"Mm," Viktor agreed, and his eyes were closed again. It was adorable enough that she almost leaned in to kiss his nose, but she didn't want to wake him up any further.
"I'll go," she said. "Let you finish sleeping." She started to scoot away, but his arm tightened and pulled her back in. Despite lacking Jayce's exuberant muscle, Viktor's arms were very strong.
"Stay," he mumbled, at least three-quarters asleep again. "Y're warm. An' soft."
And she hadn't even had three hours of sleep yet, and moving seemed like a lot of work.
So she hummed her acquiescence and snuggled a little closer, pillowing her head on Viktor's narrow shoulder.
...
"I'm hurt," Jayce's voice said.
He didn't sound hurt. He sounded like he was trying not to laugh.
Mel squeezed one eye open and saw... Viktor's chest, covered by the thin, old t-shirt that he slept in. Not useful. She sighed and carefully rolled over again to face the door.
Jayce was leaning against the frame of the open bedroom door, a mug of coffee in one hand. He smiled brightly when her eyes reached his face. "Welcome home."
"Thank you," she managed. Now at her back, Viktor made a disgruntled noise and tucked himself more firmly against her.
Her face felt warm. She was glad it was dim enough that Jayce wouldn't be able to spot her blush.
"I'm still hurt," Jayce said, conversationally. "You guys had a sleepover and didn't even invite me?"
"We cannot gossip about cute boys," Viktor said sleepily, without lifting his head, "if the cute boys are here."
"At least one of the cute boys is here," Jayce countered, smirking.
"It is too early for your nonsense," Viktor grumbled. "Give me your coffee or I'm going back to sleep."
"With my girlfriend?" Jayce said.
"Apparently," Viktor said, but he finally pulled his arm back, and Mel rather missed the warmth of it. Then he sighed and sat up, carefully rearranging the blankets to stay tucked around her, which she appreciated. "Coffee," he demanded.
Jayce came into the room and sat on the side of the bed, in the curve of Mel's body. The coffee, she saw, was already pale with milk and smelled sweet, which meant he'd made it for Viktor to begin with. Jayce drank his black, and on the rare occasions she drank coffee, Mel took only just enough cream to color it.
Jayce made sure Viktor had a grip on the mug before releasing it, then laid his now-empty hand against her thigh. Even through the travel leggings she was still wearing, it was extra warm from holding the coffee. He didn't try to kiss her, because he knew she wouldn't allow it as long as either of them had morning breath. It was a firm rule. "We missed you," he told her.
"So Viktor said." She rolled onto her back so she could see both of them. "Sorry," she added. "I assumed Viktor would be in with you and passed out before I realized he was here."
"It's fine," Jayce said. "I panicked a little when I woke up alone, but your bags were all downstairs, so I figured you were in the house somewhere. Besides, you two look cute snuggled together."
"We are very cute, thank you," Mel said.
"Jayce thinks we should kiss," Viktor said into his mug.
"Viktor! That's not what I said!" Mel looked at him and raised her eyebrows. Jayce blushed immediately, clearly visible even in the dim light. "I said you two would be really pretty if you kissed. It wasn't, you know, a request."
"It sounds a little like a request," Mel teased.
"It does." Viktor nodded and then offered her his coffee. "Drink this."
Mel propped herself up on one elbow to look into the cup. There was maybe a swallow left. "Why?"
"Because coffee and toothpaste don't go well together."
"What?" Jayce squinted at Viktor. "That... doesn't make any sense."
Mel laughed, though, catching it immediately. She drank the coffee, vilely-sweet as it was, using it to rinse the taste of sleep from her mouth.
Jayce said, "What--"
"Pay attention," Mel said, and Jayce blinked at her.
She waited a couple of seconds, making sure that Jayce was watching, then leaned up to kiss Viktor.
It had been his idea, but he waited for her to cross most of the distance between them before cupping her chin in his hand and lowering his lips to hers, both of them smirking just a little at Jayce's swift intake of breath.
It might have started as a joke to tease Jayce, but... Fuck, Viktor could kiss. When he finally drew back, Mel found herself clutching his arm and panting for breath, fairly certain she'd just been moaning obscenely. She was only saved from complete embarrassment because he seemed to be similarly affected, his pale skin flushed and his eyes wide and dark as he unsubtly bunched up the blankets to hide his lap.
Jayce cleared his throat, and when Mel looked over at him, his face was red and his eyes dilated. "We, um. We maybe should, uh, revisit the, um, arrangements?"
A week after Mel had returned from Noxus, Ximena received an email from Silco, because Silco hated both texting and calling. It was brief: Found this on Mel's social media. Attached was a screenshot of a selfie of Mel. The caption said that it had been taken just before she and Jayce had gone out on a nice date, and it looked like it had been posted two days ago.
Mel was, as usual, impeccably dressed and beautiful. But in one corner of the picture, half-hidden by Mel's earring, there was Viktor, sitting in his usual chair in their living room with a book in his lap, and literally behind Mel's back, there was Jayce, wearing a suit and clearly about to kiss Viktor.
Ximena stared at it for a long moment. She tried to imagine he was brushing lint off Viktor's shirt, or making a joke, or... or anything else. But the way they were looking at each other, Viktor's hand reaching up to curl around Jayce's neck, Jayce's hand reaching down over Viktor's shoulder... it was damning.
Ximena had had enough. She emailed Silco back: I will speak with them. She invited all three of them to Sunday dinner.
All three of them came. They greeted her as they always had, and if she stared suspiciously at the fresh marks on Jayce's neck while he was taking off his jacket -- one of which definitely had a jagged edge -- no one seemed to notice.
They followed her into the living room and sat on the couch, Jayce in the middle between Mel and Viktor. As always.
Ximena smiled at Mel and said, "Forgive me, querida, I left our drinks in the kitchen. Would you be so good as to bring them?"
"Of course," Mel agreed, and stood up.
"And perhaps some cookies," Ximena added. She'd taken care to hide the cookies, to give her an extra moment to talk to the boys.
Mel hesitated. "Are you all right, Ximena?"
"Just a bit tired today, is all," Ximena assured her. "You're a good girl. Thank you."
The instant Mel left the room, Jayce opened his mouth to say something, and Ximena beat him to it in rapid, furious Spanish. "Just what do you two think you are doing? Do you have no decency?"
Viktor had the temerity to look surprised.
Jayce opened his mouth again and got as far as, "I don't know what--"
Ximena pointed at Viktor. "Your father tells me that the two of you are having an affair!"
"My father?" Viktor was apparently too flustered to remember his Spanish. Had he truly thought they would not get caught?
"Mama, I don't know what you heard, but--"
Ximena was ready for their lies and dissembling. She held up her phone, showing them the photo from Silco, already zoomed in on the damning corner.
Viktor's eyes widened, and Jayce turned a guilty red.
"It's okay, really," Jayce tried, "just let me--"
"It is not okay!"
Viktor's hands were up as if she was threatening to arrest him. "Mrs. Talis, I can promise--"
"I think enough promises have been broken, don't you?" she snapped.
"What promises are those?" Mel asked from the doorway, a tray of glasses in her hands.
Ximena looked at her in surprise.
"I couldn't find the cookies," Mel said, her head cocked curiously, "so I thought I'd bring the drinks before I went back to look." She paused. "What promises?"
Ximena turned a fierce stare on Jayce, silently commanding him to confess. Poor Mel's heart would be broken, but at least she would know.
Jayce sighed. "No promises have been broken," he maintained firmly. Ximena practically swelled with fury, but Jayce took Viktor's hand and gave Mel a wry smile and said, "Mama seems to have found out about me and Viktor. I haven't been able to actually explain yet."
"Oh, dear. I told you we should have said something earlier." Mel set the tray on the table, then crouched by Ximena's chair and took her hands. "Ximena, I know how it seems, but it is not what you fear."
Ximena could barely look her in the eye, but Mel was smiling warmly, as she always did.
Viktor groped for his cane and stood, grimacing. "I should, I think, step outside and call my fathers." He rested his hand briefly on Mel's shoulder as he passed, and she glanced up to give him a... wink?
"I'll come out after we get Mama settled," Jayce said as Viktor opened the door.
Ximena narrowed her eyes at him. She was not the one who needed to be settled!
"Ximena," Mel said again, gently squeezing her hands to recapture her attention. "What do you know about polyamory?"
Caitlyn double-checked the room number -- campus numbering was so strange -- and pushed open the door. It wasn't on springs the way she'd expected, so it swung too hard and banged into the wall with a crash that made her wince.
"If you're done with the grading, you can just dump it on my desk, thanks!" Jayce called. He was bent over a very fancy piece of equipment that probably cost as much as a moderately nice car, peering into some kind of narrow viewing scope.
"I'm not your TA," Caitlyn informed him.
Jayce straightened, blinking. "Cait?" He blinked again, rubbing at his eyes. "How did you find me? What's happened?"
"Why do you think something happened?"
"Because you somehow hunted down my campus lab instead of just texting me like a normal person?"
Caitlyn considered it. "Yeah, well, I'm kind of having a crisis."
Jayce came over and dragged her to the far side of the lab where there were chairs. "Come sit down. What's going on?"
"It turns out the company that built like... eight or so of the newest apartment buildings in the city was bribing its way through all the inspections and permits," Caitlyn said.
"Oh, yeah, that was in my news digest a few days ago," Jayce said, nodding.
"My building is one of them."
"Yikes."
"No kidding. They sent new inspectors over yesterday, and today I got a notice that because of some pretty serious safety issues, they're kicking everyone out until it can all be fixed." She grimaced. "I've got about eight more hours to get all my shit together and into storage or something and then find a place to live for the next whoever knows how long."
Jayce pulled out his phone and started tapping. "I mean, obviously you're welcome to stay with us," he said.
"Oh, god, thank you," Caitlyn sighed. "It should only be a week or so, maybe, until I can line up a different apartment."
"You can stay as long as you need," Jayce promised.
Caitlyn snorted. "You'll probably want to check with your partners on that first," she pointed out.
"On it," Jayce said, grinning, and held up his phone to show his group chat with Mel and Viktor.
Jayce: cait lost her apt, she can stay with us yeah?
Mel: Of course! What happened?
Jayce: safety hazards in her bldg
Viktor: That bribery case? She should not go back even after it is fixed.
Mel: She can have the downstairs suite for as long as she wants it
Jayce: ❤️❤️ love uuuuuu
Even as she read, new messages appeared.
Viktor: Arranging a truck rental for you now to get her things, will send details ASAP.
Mel: It will be nice to have another woman in the house
Viktor: Also there is a class-action lawsuit for residents who wish to terminate their lease early. Forward this link to her, please, so she can join it. <link>
Mel: For heavens sake just set up a chat with her for the whole house
Caitlyn swallowed back tears. "Your partners are. Like. The best."
Jayce beamed. "Yeah, I know." He tucked the phone back in his pocket and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Deep breath, Cait. We've got you."
She leaned into him, let him hug her. "You're the best, too."
"There is one catch," Jayce said.
"What's that?"
"Viktor's dads are throwing their annual barbeque next month. You will be required to attend."
Caitlyn squinted up at him. "I think Viktor already invited me to that, actually."
"And now you're not allowed to say no!" Jayce grinned and gave her a noogie. "It's a fun time," he added. "Vik's sister and I always have an arm-wrestling competition. Sometimes she even lets me win."
Xilmena had it all figured out now. She'd had a long talk with Mel and Jayce and Viktor about ethical non-monogamy, and then she'd done some of her own research. It made her head spin a little -- modern relationships were so confusing!
But she was glad that Jayce had finally figured out his feelings for Viktor; it had been so painful watching them when they'd first met and were obviously entranced by each other while Jayce kept insisting that he was straight. Ximena loved her son with all her heart but she'd known he wasn't straight since he was fourteen.
And she got to keep Mel, which was absolutely a bonus, because Mel was such a darling and was so good and patient with Jayce's foibles while still respecting and adoring him for his strengths. And she would make such beautiful babies someday.
She'd had a long conversation with Vander about it, and exchanged several emails with Silco, and they'd all agreed that while it seemed very strange, the important thing was that their children were happy. Which they certainly seemed to be.
The three of them had come to dinner every Sunday since, except for once when Viktor had been out of town at a conference, and another time when Mel had a very stressful work deadline, and they always had a lovely time, and even if it was still strange, it was so nice seeing them all so easy and happy with each other.
Still, when she'd called Jayce on Thursday to make sure they were still planning to join her that Sunday, she was a little surprised to learn that they had yet another housemate, an old friend of Jayce's from high school who'd recently moved back into the area for work.
"Well, obviously you should bring Caitlyn along to dinner," Ximena said. It wasn't as if she couldn't fit one more around the table.
"Are you sure?" Jayce asked. "She's only met you the once, back when we were both still ugly awkward teenagers."
Someone in the background who must have been Caitlyn yelled, "I have never been anything but poised and beautiful!"
"Don't make me get out the yearbooks, Cait!" Jayce yelled back, and Caitlyn squawked indignantly.
Ximena laughed. "She sounds delightful, bring her!"
"If you're sure," Jayce agreed.
Ximena beamed proudly after she hung up the phone. She was definitely getting the hang of these modern relationships!
"Oh, hey, Mama, I meant to tell you -- Cait isn't going to make it to dinner this week." Jayce rummaged in the cupboard, but nothing sparked joy. Mel had taken Viktor as her date to an awards dinner for her firm, and he hated cooking for only himself. Ramen would do, he decided.
"That's too bad," Ximena said, speakerphone making her voice slightly tinny. "Is she all right?"
"Oh, yeah, she's fine. But she started dating Viktor's sister, so they're going somewhere." He tossed a packet of ramen on the counter and then dug into the fridge for some extra veggies and protein to throw into it.
He'd pulled out an onion and a carrot and some chicken strips before he realized his mother hadn't said anything. "Mama? You still there?"
"Yes," she said, slightly shakily. "That... that might be a little more than I can manage, mijo."
Jayce put down the package of chicken and frowned at his phone. "That's Cait's dating Vi? You've never had a problem with gay couples before, I don't understand."
"Of course it's not because they're gay!" she said, indignant.
That was a relief. "Okay, that's. That's good. But I don't understand..."
"It's Viktor's sister," Ximena said. Her voice was actually a little shaky.
Jayce blinked at the phone. "She's only like two years younger than Viktor, it's not that big a deal."
"I'm sorry, Jayce. I'm just not sure I can quite cope with knowing that she's in a relationship with both Viktor and his sister!"
Jayce choked on his own spit. "What?"
"I'm trying to be supportive, querido, but--"
"Caitlyn is not part of our relationship!"
"She's not?"
"No!" Jayce shudders at the thought. "She's like, she's like my sister, that's just gross! Also, she's super gay, she wouldn't touch Vik or me with a ten-foot pole anyway!"
Silence.
Deep breath. "Then why," Ximena said, very cautiously, "has she been coming to family dinner on Sundays?"
"You invited her!"
"You told me she moved into the house with you!"
Jayce pressed both hands over his face. "She's living with us because she lost her apartment and she's a good friend! That's it!"
"Well, you didn't tell me that!"
"Of course I--" Jayce paused. Had he told his mother about that? He wasn't sure. The whole situation was absurd, and he started laughing. "Okay, maybe. Fine. Look, I'll make a chart for you or something so you can keep track, okay? Color-coded lines or something."
"That might be for the best." Ximena was laughing now, too, at the ridiculousness, and that was okay. "Mijo?"
"Yeah, Mama?"
"You know I love your strange little family, yes? No matter what color the lines are."
Jayce smiled. "Thanks, Mama."
"But I still need grandchildren. Get on with it."
"Mama!"