This Still Happens

Chapter Thirty-Four - Judgement: Scott

Gordon wraps his arms around my waist and spreads his hands out across my chest as I cycle into Kirk Yetholm on Sunday afternoon, skidding to a smart halt outside Angus' house.

"Ding-dong!" I say, knocking at the front door and grinning at Angus through the open windows of the living room. "Gay-von calling!"

Angus laughs, puts aside the book he's reading, and climbs out of the window to hug us both. "Ah, my two fave knaves! What brings you here?"

"Are you free, Nicks?" Gordon asks him, climbing off the back of my bike before all this hugging tips it over.

He ponders for a moment, scratching his chin and looking at the sky. "Are any of us truly free under capitalism?"

I snort with laughter. "Barely even a question at this point, to be honest."

"Damn it, I mean, "Can you come out with us?"" Gordon says, shaking his head and refusing to dignify Angus' little joke with a laugh. "We were gonna have a movie afternoon at Scotty's, and we thought you might like to join us."

"And you came all the way up to Scotland to ask me?" Angus says, putting his palm to his chest and fluttering his eyelashes. "Aw! I'm touched!"

"I mean, we knew that," Gordon says, giggling as he dodges Angus' swipes. "Sorry, sorry! I couldn't resist! Anyway, are you in?"

"Lemme just grab my bike," Angus says, jogging over to his garden shed.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Twenty minutes later, the three of us are snuggling up on my bed, each with a mug of hot chocolate and a little plate of custard creams.

"Banging," Angus mumbles, his mouth full of biscuits. Then he manages to inhale some crumbs, and Gordon and I both have to thwack him on the back as a matter of urgency. "Cheers, lads," he says, taking a sip of hot chocolate to steady himself. "Oh, my God, I swear my whole life just flashed before my eyes. So much fucking coffee."

"Mm, relatable," Gordon says, grinning and ruffling Angus' hair. He's wearing it loose for once, and it's slightly damp; I guess he's washed it today.

I look at him over the top of Angus' head, and, raising his eyebrows, mouths, "Ask him!"

"Now?!" he mouths back, looking acutely and jarringly like he hasn't a clue what to say.

I nod vigorously, eyes wide.

I can tell exactly what he's thinking just from the glare he shoots me. "Thank you so much for getting me to ask, Scotty! Me, just because... why, actually?" I'm fact I can hear the words as he said them yesterday afternoon: "I'm not good at asking people out! I'm good at writing, playing guitar, and being a bitch."

But then he squeezes his eyes shut, and takes a little sip of hot chocolate for luck.. "Um... Angus... you know polyamory?"

"I've never been, but I hear the weather's nice this time of year." He takes a sip of hot chocolate, and then glances at Gordon out of the corner of my eye. And then he bursts out laughing. "Sure, I know about it. Why?"

"Oh, Scotty was talking about it yesterday," he says, giving me a big grin, "Weren't you, Scotty, my love?"

My cheeks burn pink, and I glare at him.

Why didn't I see that one coming?

"Yeah, you were weren't you?" he says, not breaking his smile for a moment.

"Yep," I stammer, "Um... yeah. We were wondering—me and Gordy—if it might be a nice idea. For us..." I swallow hard, and clear my throat. "The three of us. Me... and Gordon, and... and you."