Discovering Dalton(72)

“No way.”

“Dee, you know showers are our thing.”

“Yeah, and do you know how long we’ve spent in them since this thing started?”

“Don’t say too long, because that’s never going to be the case.”

“I wouldn’t say too long.” Dalton paused, smiling widely. “You're going to be late if you don’t get dressed. I have to be out in half an hour. We need to make this work alongside our jobs, Liam. We’re not millionaires who can swan around and take time off when we feel like it. We all have people who depend on us in different ways.”

“It’s just gone by so fast.”

“It will fly by and we’ll be home tonight, having dinner together.” Dalton stepped closer, sensing Liam’s agitation and concern. “We’re all coming back. I'm coming back. This isn't the end, it's just the beginning.”

Liam did fear this was it. Now they all had their outside lives returning full force, things wouldn’t be as easy, and he really didn’t need things to be any more difficult than they were.

“Together we’re good, but when we go our own ways, it gets confusing. Troy’s going to spend the next few hours overthinking everything and pestering himself with shit he shouldn't be.”

“We can make sure he’s back on our wavelength when we get back.” Dalton kissed him quickly, then headed off for the bedroom. “Once we get today out of the way, it will feel easier tomorrow. You'll see.”

Liam sat back down at the bar, not believing for one moment being apart from them both was going to make the day go faster. It could only slow everything down. All he would do was think about them both at work. But, Dalton was right, they had to see this work in the real world. Keeping indoors and only seeing each other wouldn’t work in the long run.

They couldn’t spend their entire lives in a self-imposed quarantine. Life was bigger than the three of them and the apartment. No matter how it pissed off Liam, that wasn’t going to change and the sooner he got used to going to work and coming home to them both, the sooner it would feel real.

Liam wasn’t one for letting things build up and up in his mind and that’s why this whole thing was easier for him. He didn’t worry about Dalton coming out, it was how it was and people should accept it or fuck off, and if they didn’t fuck off, Liam would make sure as shit he took them out of Dalton’s life.

Troy had always been his. Everyone thought they should be together, and now they were, so no big deal. People would just shrug and be happy. If Liam and Troy found their happiness through Dalton, then who’s business was it but theirs?

He should worry more, but with Troy worrying too much, it felt right to be the one who was laid back and just shrugged off the concern, easing the tension from the three of them. Dalton was more level-headed—he liked to plan. Troy and Liam had no plans, and if they did, it would come from Troy.

Unfortunately, they never really went the way he thought they would do, but maybe with all three of them, they would make it work. They all had advantages and disadvantages, but all three worked in harmony together and life flowed more naturally and easier than ever.

~ ~ ~

Kathy bumped her hip against Liam’s, smirk on her lips. “Come on! Tell me what’s going on in the cavernous, usually vacant head of yours.”

Liam turned slowly, casting a long look her way while she snorted over her mug. They’d not had a big discussion about what to say to people, but Dalton was at the station right now talking about them, so he didn’t feel the need to hide from his friends at work. “I'm just pissed off I'm back here and not where I want to be.”

“And that is?” Kathy grinned at him, leaning over the reception desk and tapping her fingernails on the glass top. “Is it about, Dee?”

“Yeah.” Liam felt the grin spread over his face before he could stop it, then laughed when Kathy jumped around the place.

“I knew it. You two were so good together, it had to happen. So, is that where you’ve been? With him all loved up and alone?”

“I've been with him, and yeah, we’ve been all loved up.” Liam smirked.

“And how’s T taking it?”

Liam almost choked on his water. The words, ‘oh Troy takes it real good’ stilled on his lips and he wiped his mouth. “Troy’s good. But then that’s the other thing, we’re together now, so…”

“What?” Kathy stopped jumping around, hands on hips, vacant look on her face while she tried to work that out. “You and Troy… you’re together, together?” Liam nodded. “And you’re seeing Dalton at the same time? Is it.. you know, open?”

“Nope.” Liam stood up, a streak of green running through him. “It’s most definitely not open. We’re all together. Just us three, no one else. Not going to happen.”

“Oh…” Kathy leaned back on the desk and looked at him silently for a few moments. “A ménage then?”

“Yup.”

“Right.” Kathy bit her lip, and then nodded. “Well, you and Dalton are great together, and to be honest, you and Troy are joined at the hip. It’s just I thought… Well, aren’t you brothers?”

“Foster brothers.”

“Oh, thank God. I thought… I mean, I was confused, because… Yay. Okay, happy now.” She wiped her brow dramaticaly, Liam chuckling as he began to walk off. “Congrats on the new relationship.”

“Thanks.”

“So glad you’re not really brothers and all.”

“Yeah, you have no idea how happy I am about that as well.” Liam snorted at her fits of giggles coming behind him.

He wondered as he set up the weights for his next client if many other people thought they were blood brothers. If they did, it would seem a bit strange them suddenly openly kissing and touching, but Liam just put that thought to the side, labeled with: ‘I’ll deal with it if it happens.’

Working out took his mind off how slowly time was passing, but he was thankful when the hour came to an end and he could call up Dalton and see how his meeting went. Dalton answered on the second ring, sounding happy which pleased Liam to no end. “Hey, I guess things went okay?”

“Yeah. I'm back at work on light duties next week. I have some catching up to do in the office, new policies and other little things which I need to make sure I'm up to date with before I get back out on patrol.”

Liam almost broke out into a cold sweat when he imagined Dalton back on the streets. Being a police officer was dangerous, and not too long ago he’d read about one being stabbed in the city.

Dalton sighed. “Liam… I know you’re going to worry, but I’ve been doing this for a long time and I enjoy it. This is a good thing, and we have time to get used to me being back out there before it happens.”

“Yeah, I know, and I'm not saying I want you to stop. I do, but I'm not saying that.” Both of them chuckled. “Look, I'm happy for you, I am. I'm just concerned and on edge, but I guess a lot of people who date police officers are.”

“Yeah…” Dalton paused. “Kelly and I, we had problems. I don’t want those to continue with us, and I'm going to make sure my home life is the priority, not the job. She felt like she married me and I married the uniform. I'm not going to risk us slipping to the side for the job, Liam. I'm giving you permission to give me shit about it if I start doing overtime and staying late when I should be at home with you two.”

“Oh, don’t worry, if I'm missing you and you’re not home on time—hell, I’ll be hunting you down and carrying you caveman style over my shoulder back home.”

Dalton laughed loudly. “Christ, Liam, you can do that any time you want.”

“Hmm, you like the idea of being pushed around by me, huh? Well, I can do that all day, Baby, and not get bored.”

“All day I'm not sure about. All night… Yeah, that’s manageable.”

“Is it, then watch out, because tonight I'm going all out to be bossy and domineering.”

“How long is it till you get off again?”

Liam huffed. “Too. Fucking. Long.”

Dalton was laughing again, the sound making Liam join in. He had an infectious little laugh which seemed to make everyone around him smile. “Did you find somewhere to have lunch?”

“I thought we’d try out a new place one of the members told me about. Sounds good. Tapas bar, so something for everyone.”

“Great. Shall I run by in the car and pick you up, or is it walking distance?”

“Bring the car, we can spend more time together if you do. I’ll ask Troy to meet us here at twelve.”

“Okay, I’ll let you get off. I’ve got some work to do filling in forms for HR, and then I’m popping over to my parents’ place. I have that charity coming round to pick up the furniture.”

“Oh, yeah, well, don’t spend too long there. I don’t want you alone in that house when we can all go round and help.”

“I know, and I appreciate the offer. I guess you being with me it might feel like an introduction. One I won’t have the opportunity to do once it’s sold.”

Liam paused, thinking what to say and hoping it would be right. “Do you think if he’d lived longer, he’d like the three of us being together?”