Noah raises an eyebrow. "About Dylan?"
"Yeah, what else?" I chuckle wryly. "It's a little hard to focus on rugby at the moment. She's not like anyone we've met before."
Noah nods. "She's one of a kind. Tough yet so damn vibrant." Affection warms his tone.
"Exactly. And it got me thinking..." I hesitate. Noah's protectiveness could make this conversation tricky. "Wondering if we should talk about...possibilities."
Noah stills. "Possibilities," he repeats carefully.
I forge ahead. "Look, we all care about her. And she fits here, with us, so easily. Almost like..."
"Like she belongs," Noah finishes quietly. "And when I say 'belongs'… there's something she brings to each of us individually, and then collectively as a group as well."
I'm relieved he understands my meaning. "Right. So do we just ignore that? Or actually discuss it?"
Noah is silent, mulling it over. Then he meets my gaze, resolve in his eyes. "Yeah. Let's talk."
Just then, Jayden wanders in, yawning. His hair is mussed from sleep, his eyes bleary.
Noah clears his throat. "We were just talking about Dylan."
Jayden perks up instantly. "Yeah? What about her?"
I exchange a look with Noah. No going back now.
"About exploring something real. The three of us, with Dylan." I watch Jayden closely. "If that's something we all want."
Jayden glances between us, then grins slowly. "Hell yes, let's talk."
Relief floods through me, along with a hum of anticipation. This conversation won't be easy, but now we're facing our future head-on. Embracing the unexpected with brave hearts and open minds.
A future that just might include Dylan. In a way we never imagined, but are willing to build together.
I take a deep breath as Noah and Jayden settle in at the table, mugs of coffee in hand. This is uncharted territory for us all.
"So..." I begin slowly. "I think we need to lay everything on the table here. Talk through how each of us feels, and what we want. Really figure this out. To see if this could actually work, or if it's just a silly idea that could never really happen in practice."
Noah nods. "You're right. No assumptions." He meets my gaze. "I'll start. Dylan is special. Strong, passionate, beautiful. Being with her just feels...right. But it's more than that." His voice softens. "She makes me want to be better. For her, and for us. I admire her strength and tenacity—the way she's overcome hardships in her real life and faced some pretty tough challenges head-on. But she hasn't lost her softer side, her generous side. She's already taught me so much about balance and not letting the shit stuff that happens harden us forever."
I'm touched by his candor. Now it's my turn. "Since she got here, it feels like everything has changed. In the best way. With her, it's easy, comfortable, but also challenging… and if I'm honest, which we need to be here, at times, even infuriating. There's a richness in our lives that didn't exist before. Forget all the fangirls and the nights out on the town making poor decisions that feel good for a fleeting moment. I can't imagine her not being here." I take a breath. "And I don't want to."
We turn to Jayden. He rakes a hand through his hair. "You know me. Not one for talking about feelings and all that." His mouth quirks up. "But yeah, she's got under my skin, too. In a big way… I tried and tried to hate her, and to push her away. But she kept coming back and now I'm the one who can't stay away."
I lean forward intently. "So we're all on the same page here. We care about her, a lot. We all want this to work." I meet each of their gazes. "But we have to be smart. Talk through the challenges. This doesn't sound simple just talking about it, and it's only going to get more complicated in practice."
Noah frowns. "Well, I'll admit I'm pretty protective of her. Just like I am with all of my things. Not sure I'm cut out for sharing."
"Same here," Jayden grunts. "I don't like thinking of her with anyone else."
I nod slowly. Their territorial instincts could be an issue. "Right. But this only works if we're all equal partners. No jealousy, no possessiveness. Dylan deserves better than that."
Jayden exhales sharply. "Yeah, you're right. It's just...new. But we can figure it out. For her, I would make this type of exception. Especially if you guys were the ones I had to share her with."
Noah murmurs his agreement.
"And me?" I prompt them. "What are your worries there?"
Noah considers me. "That your desire for monogamy might make this difficult. Sharing intimacy, affection. I've never even seen you rotate between short-term flings. You have a shitty reputation for being a player, but you're actually a really loyal guy, and this type of arrangement is going to challenge your sense of which way is up."