Swish (16 page)

Thomas's hands almost shook as he carried back a couple beers from the bar to the table. “One for you, one for you, one for me.”

He slid into the booth by his brothers, trying not to feel dwarfed by them. His whole life had been that way, really. They were just big and broad guys, whereas he was built like a twig. He was okay with it personally – it just made them look kinda funny when they were all out together.

“Thanks,” Cam answered while Jackson nodded. Cam cradled the beer, not sipping it yet. He had to make it stretch longer, after all.

“So, I wanted to talk to you guys about... relationships and stuff. You probably guessed,” Thomas laughed faintly. His stomach was twisting with anxiety, making it hard to stomach the beer.

The brothers exchanged looks and nodded. “Yeah, we did,” Jackson confirmed.

“I told Chase, so I may as well tell you: I dated Alex in high school.”

For a moment, none of them said a word. Thomas was holding his breath, waiting for the reaction – good or bad.

Then, Cam slapped the table and made both Jackson and Thomas jump. “
Fuck
, yes! I knew it.”

Jackson punched Cam lightly. “Jesus, take a year off my life, why don't you?”

Cam laughed and shrugged, still looking triumphant. “Sorry, but I knew it. I've been waiting forever to hear that.”

“You suspected?” Thomas asked.

Cam shook his head. “No real proof, if that's what you mean. You hid friggin'
everything
from us, man.”

Thomas felt a little sheepish.

“Yeah, he's right. Why didn't you say?” Jackson watched Thomas closely, his expression soft and more concerned.

Thomas drew a breath and let it out, then sipped his beer to give himself a moment. He had a speech rehearsed, but it was gone now. “I... thought it was weird for us all to wind up gay.”

Jackson raised his eyebrow. “Why?”

“Pretty cool, though,” Cam smirked. “Triple the cool factor. Three gay families in one neighborhood! That Christian school will have to reroute their school buses...”

“Cam,” Jackson laughed. “We're having a moment.” Nevertheless, Thomas laughed and shook his head, too.

Cam raised his hands in apology. “Sorry.”

Thomas turned back to Jackson to explain. “Um, like I was copying my big brothers or something.”

“You aren't copying being gay. Do you like being in bed with him?” Cam asked.

Jackson laughed but looked at Thomas.

Thomas's cheeks heated up and he nodded. “Yeah.”

“And you like being romantic and shit?”

Thomas nodded again.

“Then you're one-hundred-percent full homo milk, baby.”

Jackson snorted. “I'd have put it a little gentler, man. I mean, he could still be bi.”

“Oh, oops.”

Thomas laughed, his tension already fading as he watched his big brothers banter. “No, it's okay. I'm not. I don't think. I don't... really feel into a lot of people, actually. But Alex was always something else.”

“So back in high school...”

Thomas winced. “Yeah, that was another thing. You guys stood up for me because I wasn't gay. But really, I was...”

“No,” Jackson told him firmly. “We stood up for you because you didn't deserve to be picked on, not because you were being called gay when you weren't. I don't give a crap about the bullies' factual accuracy. I gave a crap about people not being picked on for stupid shit. Or any shit, really. You little idiot,” he added.

Thomas was blushing now. He rubbed a hand back through his hair and laughed, almost too flustered to say anything. “I... I don't know. I built it up into this huge thing.”

“Sometimes those huge things are just completely things you invent in your head,” Cam shrugged. “They still feel big. But I'm glad you came to us.”

Thomas still had a nagging little fear or two, though. “But Alex, specifically?”

“What about him?”

“Don't you guys kind of resent him still? Isn't it weird for me to date
him
, of all people?”

“I never knew you cared what others thought,” Jackson half-smiled, but his teasing was gentle. He was right; Thomas usually either didn't care or did a damn good job pretending he didn't.

“But no, we don't,” Cam chimed in. “We talked about it afterwards. He was doing his job both times. We were just worried that – you talked to Jackson about some kind of work thing, and we were worried he was somehow screwing you over.”

“Who, Alex? No, no,” Thomas hurried to explain.

“He wasn't investigating you or something to do with you?”

Thomas shook his head firmly. “Definitely not. He was just keeping an eye on me for a while, until I was ready to... talk to him again, I guess. We never really got over each other.” It was bizarre to be admitting his feelings to his brothers, even over a beer. He couldn't quite look either of them in the eye.

“Why's that? I mean, he's your ex. Did you break up on good terms?” Cam asked. This time, Jackson looked worried.

Thomas hesitated and shook his head. “But we were a lot younger then. We talked through it all.”

“Still,” Jackson added. “Be careful if you decide to date your ex again.”

“Of course.” Thomas smiled to himself, gazing at the head settling in his beer glass. “I think I was just waiting for him to grow up, and... for me to, too. I know you don't like exes dating...”

“Just 'cause we've had bad luck doesn't mean you will,” Cam said firmly, looking over at Jackson like he was soliciting agreement.

Jackson hesitantly nodded.

“Nathan was shit for a long time. I knew that
before
we broke up. The last time, I mean. You know we broke up more than once – Jesus, it must have been four, five times. It was really off-again-on-again,” Cam told them. “And last month, he sold our story to some online paper. It's only a really minor piece. You have to search for my name to find it.”

Thomas straightened up; he'd never heard this much. “Oh. What...?”

“Yeah. It's all bullshit, so I'm ignoring it. And anyway, we “mutually” broke up most of those times, but...” Cam trailed off, shaking his head. “He moved in and out. He tried to control which of my teammates I hung out with. Luckily I never cared what he wanted me to do, but if I hadn't been so pigheaded...”

Thomas shivered. “I didn't know that. I just thought he was a dick for being so... weird and cold when Jackson saw him before, he told me. And dumping you twice. I didn't know it was
that
many times. Fuck.”

“You gossiped about my boyfriend?” Cam grinned at Jackson.

“When you're dating a dick, that happens.”

“Fair enough,” Cam laughed. “And there was you and... Ed?”

“Oh, Christ, don't even talk about Ed,” Jackson groaned.

Thomas laughed. He remembered the man who'd moved in with Jackson just as well. They'd given a relationship two shots, the second of which was even worse than the first. They just hadn't clicked together, and after the honeymoon period of living together for a week, it had been fights all the time. He didn't like seeing Jackson like that. He was so much calmer now that Chase was around.

“But like I said, this could be different,” Cam said, looking back at Thomas.

Thomas couldn't express how grateful he was for the benefit of the doubt. He hurried to confirm, “It is.”

“Okay,” Jackson smiled, raising his beer. “Here's to that.”

They clinked glasses and sipped, Thomas's eyes flickering at last between his brothers' faces. They both seemed genuinely pleased, not pissed off at him. He felt even more stupid for waiting so many years to talk to them.

“So is it looking like you'll date again?”

After this conversation... hell, yes.
“Yeah,” Thomas nodded. “I'd already decided I'm gonna date him again. I just wanted to tell you first.”

“Oh,” Cam laughed. “Suppose you'd better let him know next.”

Jackson joined in his laughter. “Sounds about right. There's our stubborn Thomas back.”

Thomas grinned broadly. “Yeah. Don't worry, I'm not roping him into anything.” Far from it – he was stepping back into Alex's waiting arms.

He was one of the few people stubborn enough to resist Alex's charms, deal with his bratty moments, and better yet, let Alex lead when he had to. But he was done resisting.

“I invited him to come along for supper tomorrow. I figure all our boyfriends and friends will be there. Especially if I tell them what it's for,” Thomas grinned. “That'll be a surprise for him.”

Jackson choked on his drink. “Oh, Jesus, you're wicked.”

“Yeah,” Thomas agreed, grinning and sipping his beer again as he leaned back in his chair. “Just quietly so.”

“Damn right,” Cam laughed. “Try to be a little less quiet next time, eh?”

That was their way of asking Thomas to trust them with his secrets. He trusted them with more than that – with his life. He just casually nodded and raised his glass.

“Yep.”

That was all he had to say in order for his brothers to understand.

Thomas patted his hands together, then stood up straight as he spotted the peacoat-clad figure of his boy-- his
lover
, he reminded himself sternly.

“Hey,” Alex called out with a little wave, walking carefully around an icy patch. When he finally reached Thomas, he shook his head. “Jesus, the city must have run out of its salt budget for the year.”

Thomas laughed, taking Alex's hand once he was close enough. His cheeks burned, but he stretched up onto tiptoe to give him a hello kiss.

It was quiet and gentle, and full of affection.

“Oh...
hello
,” Alex murmured, pulling back after a couple of seconds. “You all right?”

“Never been better,” Thomas grinned. “You got all dressed up. I see you chose your pinstriped shirt.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You always liked pinstripes on your test days. You said it was a lucky charm.”

“Oh, man,” Alex laughed. “I forgot that. And you look adorable.”

Thomas laughed, glowing with appreciation. He'd chosen a chunky grey knitted scarf and a different shade of grey V-neck sweater over a collared shirt.

It seemed like an appropriate outfit to come out in.

“Are your friends and brothers here yet?”

“Yeah, you're the last one.”

Alex groaned. “Oh, I hate being the last one.”

“Really? You don't like being the center of attention?” Thomas teased. He knew Alex had his moments where he did.

Alex hesitated, then shook his head. “Not when it comes to meeting important people.”

“It's not a huge deal,” Thomas assured him with a smile.

“They're important to you, so they're important to me. Speaking of which, what have you told them? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable...”

Thomas smiled softly at Alex and leaned in to peck his lips again. “There's rumors is all. I didn't want to assume anything when I told them, but... they know we're seeing each other.”

“Okay,” Alex grinned. “Cool. I'm glad.” He looked much more excited than Thomas had expected.

Thomas smiled back, then led Alex into the bar.

It was noisy that evening and busy, but they'd managed to find their own table big enough to cram a bunch of their buddies in – Floyd, Ryan, Kevin, Ashley, Chase, Noah, Jackson, Cam, and now Thomas and Alex.

Alex actually went pale for a moment, and Thomas grinned.
Oh, my god.
He'd never actually seen Alex visibly nervous before, so the fact that he was now made Thomas's heart squeeze. He was telling the truth about wanting to make a good impression on them.

Thomas loved him all the more.

“Hey, guys. This is Alex.”

“Hi.” Alex waved, looking around at them. “I kinda know a couple of you... I'll try to remember your names.” He slid into one of the two empty chairs that they'd all left next to each other and Thomas took the other as they all introduced themselves.

Thomas smiled, leaning back to watch.

“Want a beer? Jackson offered. “I'm about to get a round.”

“Oh, thanks,” Alex nodded. “That'd be great.”

A waiter passed by and Jackson flagged him down, then asked for a round of beers.

“So, what do you do?” Ryan asked. “I heard something about being a cop...”

“Oh, no. A private investigator,” Alex chuckled. “Kinda like a cop but we can't carry weapons.”

“Is it dangerous?” Kevin asked.

Alex relaxed, like he'd had this conversation a hundred times. He probably had; Thomas had been just as fascinated when he found out what Alex wanted to become. “Oh, it can be, but it's not as dangerous as the movies make you think.”

“Anything happen here?” Ashley asked.

Jackson grinned at Thomas and Thomas just rolled his eyes and laughed.

“What?” Ashley insisted. “I'm just askin'.”

“Everyone wants to know about my most dangerous stakeout,” Alex grinned. “It's okay. I just can't say much. Client confidentiality. Um, I
can
say that I once had to watch someone all day during a blizzard, building my own snow shelter in the woods to watch from the edge of their property... and then I found bear tracks in the fresh snow.”

“Jesus,” Thomas muttered. He hadn't heard that one, and all of a sudden he worried a little more for his lover's safety.

Alex grinned and shook his head. “That's rare, though. A lot more of it is just stuff like cheating spouses, lost pets, missing persons.”

“Don't the cops deal with missing persons?”

Alex's expression faded into a grimace and he looked around. “Anyone friends with the cops here?”

“Oh, boy.” Kevin clapped his hands. “We're getting to the juicy stuff and we haven't even got our beers yet.”

This set off a round of laughter.

“We work together sometimes,” Alex shook his head. “Some are great. Others around here are... well, you saw the headlines. Otherwise, Google them sometime if you want.”

Thomas nodded. He read the newspaper, though most of their friends didn't. It was hard to find New Brunswick-specific news otherwise.

“They just can't do everything we can, and vice versa. Sometimes they have bigger things to worry about in a particular time or year. Sometimes people don't trust the cops, but they trust someone outside of them.”

Ashley was nodding thoughtfully.

“That's pretty cool,” Jackson agreed.

“How did you meet?” Kevin grinned broadly, and a few others – Thomas included – groaned.

“Nosy bastards. You don't have to answer,” Thomas laughed. “But, for the record, we knew each other from school.”

“No kidding. That's a long time.”

Alex smoothly answered, “We dropped out of touch for a while. Then when we both moved back here...”
He tracked down my brother and my other brother's lover and then bumped into me...

They exchanged grins for a moment, both clearly thinking the same thing.

Jackson chuckled under his breath.

“Cool,” Ryan said simply. “Oh, here's our beers. Cheers!”

They all clinked glasses as best they could, then settled back to drink. It only took minutes before they were involving Alex in conversations, asking about his hobbies and who he knew here.

Thomas relaxed while Jackson shot him a
told-you-so
look.

As bizarre as it was being open about who he was now, nobody had even commented. With two gay brothers already, he had the easiest time of all. Their friends could be assholes sometimes, but only in a friendly way and Alex could handle himself.

Maybe this was gonna work out okay.