Chapter 32

Click here to read the Disclaimer and Warning.

Chapter 32: Just What You Least Expect

I woke up to a tiny raspy tongue licking my nose, before I felt a mouthful of sharp little teeth closing around it. I yelped and reached up to tear the annoying furry little beast off my face.

"We are so not going to get along if you keep attacking my nose," I told the cat, even as he tried to swipe at me again. Realizing that I was not going to get any more sleep, I sighed and got up. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" I asked Remmy, who looked at me with interest. "I know I do."

I walked into the bathroom and put the kitten into the filled litter box, which he promptly used for its required purpose. "Good boy!" I praised him and scratched him behind the ears. "Now it's my turn."

I walked to the toilet, Remmy following close on my heels, rubbing himself against my ankles and meowing as I relieved myself. When I was done, I picked him up again and headed for the kitchen, re-filling the saucer I had left out for him the previous night with some fresh water, and pouring some kitten chow for him into another saucer. I set him down on the floor in front of the two plates and watched as he carefully sniffed both before tentatively tasting some of the food. I couldn't help but smile at the tiny little fur ball. "I'm not really sure what to do with you either, Remmy. Looks like we're gonna be learning together."

After we both finished eating, I picked him back up and let him climb on me until he got tired, as I settled in to research kitten care. After a few minutes, Remmy circled my lap a couple of times, then curled up and fell asleep. I took notes as I read, making a list of all different things I had to buy and talk to the vet about. Since this was a holiday, I couldn't take him to see a doctor yet, but I found local pet stores and set off on my first shopping trip of the year. When Seth and Emmett called in the afternoon to wish me a Happy New Year, I was back home and setting up Remmy's scratching post and kitty condo in the kids' room. Although my entire house was kid-proof, that room in particular was designed with kid safety in mind, which made it a perfect place for Remmy to hang out while I was at work. The guys gave me all sorts of grief about agreeing to take the cat, with Emmett comparing me to his grandmother, but by then I had grown so attached to the critter that I didn't even care. In any case, the first time they saw him he won them right over too, as he did with everyone else he met.

I could have never predicted it, but having Remmy around did wonders for my mood. At night, after I came home from work, I spent at least an hour just playing and roughhousing with him, training him to use the scratching post and not to use his claws on furniture or when playing with people, especially Liam and Ren. Then, when we grew tired, I would let him settle in my lap or on my chest or shoulders and sleep while I watched TV, used the computer, or talked on the phone. He was growing and maturing, and that was fun to watch too, especially since the one thing that never changed as he got older was his attachment to me.

As the year continued, my life fell into a routine. I had my shifts at work during the day and on most weekends. Monday nights I went out with the NPS crew. Most Wednesday nights I went to a club to pick up a trick, more and more out of habit than necessity or desire. The near anonymous one-night hook-ups were getting stale, and so far none of the guys I'd fucked inspired any desire for other type of interaction. Truth be told, while on occasion I went out with Emmett on the pretext of looking for a boyfriend, I still didn't think I was ready for a relationship. My Jasper thoughts and fantasies continued unabated, as did my nightly entries into what I dubbed my Jasper journal, and I had nothing to offer a boyfriend beyond what I'd given Cliff, which clearly wasn't enough. I had zero interest in going through another heartbreak myself or hurting anyone else. Mindless fucking may not have been emotionally satisfying, but from that perspective, it was safe.

Since I felt I had successfully dealt with most issues, I cut back on therapy pretty severely, resigned to the fact that only time or another guy could help me conquer my Jasper obsession. While none of the techniques Dr. Furman suggested worked to their intended effect, I found the journaling oddly comforting. On occasion I still wrote about the past, but more and more it was a one way conversation about the present. Creepy though it may have sounded to others, which was precisely why I never told anyone about it, instead of focusing on how Jasper was no longer in my life, I pretended that he was there and cognizant of everything I was writing, only unable to communicate back. Some people talked and prayed to God. I wrote to Jasper. In my mind, the two were about equally crazy or sane, depending on your point of view. In any case, while the journal didn't help me alleviate my attachment to Jasper, it did bring me a measure of peace and calm, so I was determined to continue until, for whatever reason, I found I didn't need to do it anymore.

In March I got the dreaded call from Cliff that shook me up far more than it should have. He was seeing someone else, and while he wasn't ready to say it was serious, I could hear in his voice that it was more than a casual fling. Worse, in what must have been the most bizarre coincidence in the world, the guy he was seeing was his high school blow job buddy Derek, who apparently also lived in North Carolina, about 80 miles outside of Wilmington. Having met Derek the one time in Spokane, I would have cried foul and accused him of stalking, except that unbeknownst to Cliff, Derek had been living there since he graduated from college, nearly three years earlier. I briefly wondered if Cliff had known this and chose to move to North Carolina for this very reason, but I dismissed the thought almost as soon as it arrived. Cliff simply wasn't that calculating, and if he had done it for that reason, why would he have waited a year to meet up with the guy? I decided this really was a coincidence, though a potentially disastrous one for Cliff.

As I already knew from my one brief meeting with him, Derek wanted more from Cliff than just to resume their friendship. While that pissed me off when Cliff was with me, now that he was single I couldn't begrudge him. However, I still didn't think Cliff should be thinking about a relationship with this man who, as I suspected from the moment I saw him, was still in the closet, and had an extremely good professional reason to stay there.

"Cliff, you've been out for years. How are you going to handle dating someone who won't acknowledge you publicly?" I thought back to Tyrone's story and how much he suffered as a result of his affair with Stephen. "If he wants to stay in the closet that's fine, but it's completely unfair to force you to participate in that."

"He's not forcing me, Edward," Cliff said patiently. "And while I may not be in the closet, I'm not exactly out to everyone either. I still haven't said anything to anyone at work, so I'm not that different from him."

"Maybe none of your co-workers know, but your family knows, your friends know, and anyone else would know if they asked. The difference is that you wouldn't care if someone found out. You're not trying to hide."

"It's not so bad, really. You know I was never one for going out a lot. I don't mind spending time with him at home. It's easier to talk that way and we have a lot of time to catch up on. And now that we reconnected, he is considering his choices more than ever. He may still decide to come out. But with what he does for a living, in this state, it would likely mean he would have to leave his job, and after all is accomplishments I can't ask him to do that. I need to give him time so he can make that decision on his own terms. Except for what we did in high school, he's never been with any guy, Edward. He's never had to think about coming out, because there was no one to come out for."

"And that's another thing," I vented. "You're gonna have to teach him everything and take care of him. Haven't you had enough of that? You should be with someone who is gonna take care of you for a change," I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it bothered me that someone else was going to get the benefit of Cliff's guidance and instructions. I thought of all the firsts I experienced with him and, selfishly, I wanted to be the only one to do that. But it wasn't meant to be.

"I don't mind teaching and taking care of him," Cliff pointed out gently. "In fact, I rather enjoy it. I have you to thank for that, Edward. If it hadn't been for you, I would not have thought I was capable of doing this. Being with you gave me the confidence to try, and I'll never forget that. You've taught me as much about myself as I taught you."

His compliment should have made it easier. It didn't. I was, without question, jealous and bitter that the recipient of Cliff's affections was someone who wasn't even willing to give him the public accolades and affection that he deserved, like I had been. Derek wasn't worthy. His only advantage over me was not having been involved with anyone else before, and that was so unfair, so beyond my control. Still, no matter how I felt, I had no right to do anything beyond expressing my opinion. Even that I had to do subtly and in a way that would not completely alienate Cliff, because whatever else he was doing and whoever was in his life, the one thing I didn't want was to lose Cliff's friendship.

While ordinarily I would have been inclined to dwell on such things to a probably unhealthy degree, fortunately the timing of Cliff and Derek's reunion coincided with the last month of Rosalie's pregnancy and all the preparations that went along with that. Just as I had been when Maggie was pregnant with Liam, I was absolutely fascinated by the baby's development, and while I no longer had the kind of access I did the first time around, I still stopped by the girls' house nightly to play with Liam and check out the "alien in the tummy" show. As I predicted, Rosalie continued working late into her pregnancy, thankfully not experiencing any of the complications Maggie did. Still, this meant that she was often tired in the evenings, so I really appreciated not getting kicked out on my ass when I would come by to pester her.

"Well," she explained one night, "You are technically the co-creator of this little guy, so it wouldn't be fair to deny you the things you got to do with Liam. And Maggie and I both really appreciate all the things you've done to help us with him, too."

I had been spending more time with Liam as the girls took advantage of my mid-week days off to leave him with me while they went to doctor's appointments or shopping. In an effort not to make Liam feel like he was being displaced by the new baby, the girls decided not just to move Liam into his new "big boy" room, but also to re-decorate the nursery in a similar theme, to make it easier for Liam to feel a bond with his new brother. Liam chose a train theme, and he and I were in charge for finding toys for the boys while the girls purchased bedding and other decorative items. Since the two of us got to play at home while they shopped, and then play again in the toy stores as we shopped together, it was a win-win as far as we were concerned.

As Rosalie's due date drew closer, everyone grew a little more anxious. I was the designated Liam minder, so I worked out an arrangement with a few of my fellow rangers, just in case I needed someone to cover one of my work shifts so I could stay home with Liam while the girls were in the hospital. We explained everything to Liam in advance, as much as he was able to understand, so that he wasn't surprised when both of his mom's would have to leave suddenly for the hospital, and so he wouldn't be scared when I took him in to meet his baby brother. Fortunately, the little guy took it all in stride, definitely not realizing how much his life was about to change. He was just excited about having a new brother to play with, and only became a little disappointed when we explained that at first the brother wouldn't be able to walk or talk or play with him.

"You're going to have to teach him things," Rosalie said. "Like uncle Jason had to teach me when I was a baby."

I looked over at her with an arched eyebrow, having a hard time imagining Jason teaching miss know-it-all anything, but she just ignored me.

"Like what, Mom?" Liam was all curiosity and excitement.

"Well, at first you'll have to introduce him to all the stuffed animals, tell him all their names," Rosalie improvised. "He won't remember things so well at first, so you might have to tell him several times."

"Okay," Liam said seriously. "I can do that. What else?"

"When he's very little, he'll be sleeping a lot, and we'll have to let him so he can grow. But when he gets bigger you can show him how to reach for things, and how to crawl, and how to fit differently shaped blocks into different holes. All kinds of fun stuff like that."

"How soon will he get bigger, Mommy?" Liam asked Maggie.

"It might take him a little while, sweetie. We'll have to be patient. We talked about being patient. And practiced, remember?"

"Yes," Liam said with a sigh. "I don't like patient," he pouted.

"Tell you what, bud," I said, grabbing him by the waist and lifting him high off the ground, causing him to giggle. "Maybe when your baby brother is doing all his sleeping and growing, you can come over more often and play with me and Remmy. What do you think? Would you like that?" I angled his body through the air to make him feel like he was flying.

"Yeah! Can I sleep over with you and Remmy too?"

I glanced over at Rosalie, who was rolling her eyes, but did not say no. I knew Maggie would have no problem with it, so I felt comfortable answering. "Sure you can. We can have a big slumber party."

The first slumber party came in a few days, but it was at the girls' house. Rosalie went into labor at 11:00 pm right on her scheduled due date. Thankfully I was still awake, so I fired off texts to my back-up co-workers and Roger, and quickly made my way to Kent. Maggie had already placed Rosalie's overnight bag in the car and was pacing nervously by the door when I arrived.

"It's going much faster for her than it did for me," she explained. Rose just shook her head and grimaced slightly at a contraction before kissing me hello.

"How are you, Sis?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "I've had paper cuts worse than this."

"Trust me, it doesn't get easier," Maggie said. "Now if you want to play Wonder Woman, that's fine, but let's do it in the hospital, Okay? Come on, Rosie, get in the car. And you," she turned to me kissing me on the cheek, "thank you for your help. Liam's sleeping and probably won't wake up 'till morning, but you might want to make sure before you go to sleep yourself. The guest room is all ready for you. There's a list on the kitchen counter of people to text. I'll text you with updates when I can," she added as she ushered her perfectly calm wife to the passenger seat.

I waited until they drove away, then went inside and checked on Liam first. Sure enough, he was fast asleep, his peaceful, cherubic face surrounded by a halo of blond hair with subtle strawberry blond highlights, that was clearly a mixture of Maggie and Jason's coloring. I stared at him and wondered what his new brother would look like; which Cullen traits, if any, would be visible to the naked eye? From the moment the girls informed me that Rosalie was pregnant, and really even before that, I made a silent vow not to let the fact that I was the sperm donor impact the way I felt about the new baby or how I interacted with him. I would simply be his uncle, just like Liam's, and I'd treat them both exactly the same, assuming that was even possible, considering the bond I'd already formed with the sleeping little boy. But now, faced with the impending birth of a baby that carried half of my genes, I was curious if someday I would see something of myself in Liam's younger brother, either in looks or personality. If there was any resemblance, I just hoped it would not be too obvious, since Maggie, Rosalie and I agreed not to officially reveal my contribution to their growing family.

Knowing I had a job to do, I left Liam's room and went back to the kitchen. Since I'd been through this once before with Maggie, it was easy to follow the instructions and text everyone on the contact list to let them know Rosalie was on her way to the hospital. I left Seth and Emmett for last, because I figured when either of them got the message they would try to call me, and I wanted to be done with everything else before they did so I was free to talk to them. Sure enough, my phone rang within seconds of me sending the text.

"Whee! Another baby boy is on his way!" Seth nearly squealed. "Should we meet you at the hospital?"

"We talked about this, Seth. I'm taking care of Liam, so I have to stay here. I'll go to the hospital when the baby is born and bring Liam with me."

"Oh, that's right," Seth sounded disappointed.

"You guys can feel free to go to the hospital if you want. But Liam's sleeping and it would be too long of a wait for him anyway."

"No, it wouldn't be the same there without you. Should we drive over to Kent instead?"

"It's up to you. You're welcome to, of course, but it's a work day tomorrow and we don't know how long she'll be."

"I'll call in sick," Seth announced. "I mean, I will be in the hospital. And this is important. I was there for Liam, I don't want to miss this new one. Liam was so cute! I wonder what the Amazon's kid will look like. What do we know about the sperm donor again?"

He was fishing, and not very subtly.

"Nothing, beyond that it's probably a man."

"Ha ha. Very funny! You're a regular comedian. Hold on. Emmy wants to talk to you."

"Hey, Eddie. So, are you ready to become an uncle again?"

"Sure," I ran my hand through my hair. "Should be easier this time, right? Now that I've had lots of practice. I think I'm gonna be sitting for Liam more now, just to make it easier for him and the girls."

"I bet it'll be weird for you not to live with the new baby. No more getting up in the middle of the night, changing diapers. How will you stand it?" Emmett teased.

I laughed. "Now that I'm working and have Remmy to take care of, it would be harder to do that anyway, so I guess I'll just have to manage getting to know him through frequent visits. I figure I can stop by on my way home from work and come over on my days off. But yeah, it won't be the same. I got lucky with Liam."

We talked for a little while longer, all three of us deciding that it didn't make sense for them to drive out to Kent. We would meet up at the hospital after the baby was born. As I was ending my conversation, Liam walked into the room, dragging his blanket and rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Hey, buddy, what are you doing up?" I asked, rising and walking over to him to pick him up. "Did I wake you by talking too loud? Sorry about that."

"Is the baby coming?" he asked through a yawn. I was so glad the girls had thought to prepare him for this.

"Yup. He sure is. But he won't be here for a while yet, so you can go back to sleep and I'll be sure to wake you if he gets here before morning, okay? Come on, I'll tuck you in."

"Can I sleep with you, Uncle Edward?"

I sighed. For a little guy, Liam was extremely squirmy, but I figured I wouldn't be getting much sleep anyway, so I agreed, not wanting him to feel like he would miss anything if he slept in his own bed. And, as it turned out, Liam's concern, if I interpreted it correctly, was justified. After dozing on and off all night, trying to sleep next to my perpetually moving furnace of a nephew, I awoke at 5 in the morning to the buzz of my phone. Thinking it was just Maggie updating me on the status and letting me know how much longer it would be, I was shocked when I saw a 2 word text: He's here! Immediately followed by another text giving me the vital statistics and telling me to come over whenever Liam and I were ready. Fortunately the buzzing didn't wake Liam, so I was able to get up and send out more texts updating everyone on the list. But where the noise didn't disturb my nephew, the missing barrier in bed did, so when I glanced over at him after sending the last text, I found him watching me quietly, sucking on the corner of his blanket.

"Is it time?" he asked.

"Yup. It sure is. Let's take a shower and get ready and then we'll go to the hospital to meet him, Okay?"

"Okay," Liam said, holding out his arms for me to lift him out of bed. I picked him up and took him into his room first, to get the clothes Maggie had laid out for him, and then to the guest bathroom, where Maggie had set out not just the towels, but also a spare change of clothes for me that I'd left there days before precisely for this reason.

"Your Mommy is entirely too efficient, you know that?" I told Liam as I set him down on the floor and helped him get out of his pajamas and diaper before taking off my own clothes.

"What's a fish ant?" he asked, puzzled.

"Well, it's not a cross between a fish and an ant, I can tell you that. Efficient means that she knows what she needs to do and she does it at exactly the right time, or even before," I explained, stepping up to the toilet, annoyed that I had to lift the lid and seat before I could relieve myself. I looked over to find Liam watching me curiously.

"That's not how mommy does that," he pointed out, frowning a little. "Why don't you sit?"

"Boys don't have to sit to pee," I explained. "It's one of the advantages we have over girls." Then, seeing that he was still confused, I continued "It's one of the good things about being a boy."

"Mommy gave me a seat," he complained, and I knew he was talking about the potty training seat that Maggie was slowly trying to induce him to use.

"Well, we still do have to sit sometimes," I conceded. "Just not to pee."

"I want to stand!"

"You are standing, buddy," I pointed out.

"I want to stand to pee. Now!"

"Oh. Oh!" I quickly realized this occasion called for a foot stool, which this bathroom did not have. I told Liam to wait and quickly raced for his bathroom, where I grabbed the step-stool from in front of his sink and returned as fast as I could. I put the stool in front of the toilet and held Liam's hand as he climbed up. I showed him how to hold himself and watched him take his first stand-up piss. He needed to work on his accuracy and control, but I was still as proud as I could be, even as I later dug around the house to find the bathroom cleaner in the cabinet protected by the near adult-proof lock.

It took me a little over an hour to get us both cleaned and dressed and to deal with the bathroom. It took another 30 minutes to feed us both breakfast, until finally we were both ready. I strapped Liam into the seat I'd installed for him in the back seat of my car. The presents we'd picked out for the baby and the mommies were already on the seat beside him, where I had left them the night before.

"Okay, just one more stop and we'll be on our way to meet your little brother," I told him as I got in behind the wheel and pulled out of the driveway. Emmett and Seth called on the drive to the grocery store, the only place I figured would be open at this early hour where I could pick up some flowers and balloons, and we arranged to meet in the hospital lobby. In another half hour we were exchanging hugs and they were helping me and the very excited Liam carry all the gifts to the maternity ward, where we were one of the last arrivals. Rosalie's family was in the waiting room in full force, including Zoe. Siobhan and Liam were there as well, and I figured they must have gotten into the car shortly after getting my text and driven all night to get here. There were quite a few of Rosalie and Maggie's friends and even Yvonne, who had just enough time to give me a quick kiss before running off to work.

"Tell you what, guys," I said to Emmett and Seth, "Since we couldn't be first, we might as well be last. Why don't you two go in and see them now, and Liam and I will follow."

Emmett looked like he was going to protest, until he saw that the grandparents had already grabbed Liam and were fawning all over him, giving him gifts as well, which meant that the kid wasn't anywhere near ready to go see his moms and sibling. Emmett and Seth followed the nurse to Rosalie's room while I leaned back against the wall and watched the scene indulgently, patiently waiting my turn and sharing the happy bit of the morning's urinary history with Jason.

By the time Emmett and Seth returned, Liam had opened all of his gifts and was anxious to go in to see his family. Emmett came with us, carrying the gifts while I held the flowers and balloons in one hand and carried Liam balanced over my hip with the other. Emmett opened the door and I was reminded of the last time we'd been in this setting, except that time Maggie had been in bed, looking absolutely exhausted, while this time Rosalie looked, well, nearly as fresh as a rose. She held the baby while Maggie sat on the edge of the bed at her side, with her arm wrapped around her wife's shoulders and her head leaning in so they could both look directly at the wrapped up infant. Both of them turned to look at us as we walked in.

"Liam!" Maggie exclaimed, getting up and walking quickly toward us to retrieve her son. "Hi, Sweetie! Are you ready to meet your brother? He's been waiting to meet you!"

"He has?" Liam was impressed.

"He sure has. Let's go see him. But remember what I told you? We have to be quiet, and gentle."

She carried him over to the bed, turning to look back at the last moment. "Well, what are you waiting for, Edward? Come on, don't you want to meet him too?"

Emmett glanced over at me and winked. Then he reached over to take the flowers and balloons and put them on a table before he left the room, the door swinging closed behind him. I walked towards the bed tentatively. Liam was on his hands and knees on the bed, peering at his new brother, whose wide eyes were focused on the toddler.

"What do you think of him?" Rosalie asked gently.

"He's small."

"Yes, he is," Maggie confirmed. "But he'll get bigger. Someday he'll be as big as you."

"But I'll always be bigger," Liam protested. "'Cause I'm the big brother."

"Well, that's true. Just like Uncle Jason is my big brother, and Uncle Edward is Mommy’s big brother. Would you like to hold him?"

"Can I?"

"Of course. Come up here and sit by me," Rosalie said. Liam scrambled up to sit next to her against the headboard. She shifted the baby into Liam's lap, while still hanging on to the infant. Maggie moved in to support him from the other side. Liam looked down proudly.

"Edward, our camera is on the table over there," she tipped her head in the direction of the table. "Would you mind?"

I got the camera and snapped several pictures of the whole family together for the first time, until the baby started to wiggle and cry. Maggie picked him up and began walking back and forth, rocking him gently and singing softly. I took the opportunity to walk to the bed and give Rose a kiss.

"So how are you doing? You look great!"

"I feel great. Let me tell you, I'm not gonna let any man get the best of me, no matter how big or small."

I shook my head and laughed.

"Now we know which one of us was made for birthin', and it sure wasn't me. Rose barely groaned, and she had no epidural. Six hours start to finish and she was done. Amazing!" Maggie said proudly. I looked at her closely. Knowing how difficult her pregnancy and labor had been, I wondered if she resented the ease of Rosalie's experience, but I found no evidence of any sort of a negative emotion.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're both amazing. But there's still something I can do that neither of you can."

"Really?" Rosalie arched an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"Liam," I turned to him instead of answering myself, "go ahead and tell your mommies what I taught you this morning."

Liam turned to Rosalie, his chest puffed out proudly. "I stood up!" he said.

"That's great, Liam," Rosalie was trying to be supportive, but her confusion was obvious.

"What were you doing while you stood up?" I prompted.

"I went pee pee," Liam explained, "just like Uncle Edward."

"Oh, Liam, that's really good!" Maggie complimented, clearly delighted and amused.

"Yes, Son, that's very good," Rosalie echoed, though with a bit less enthusiasm. When Liam looked away from her she gave me a narrowed eye look, but then relaxed into a smile.

"We're lucky to have Uncle Edward to teach you that. And he's absolutely right. That is the one thing he can do that your mommies and other girls can't."

I laughed and Liam blindly followed my lead. Rosalie chuckled as well.

"He's sleeping, but would you like to hold your new nephew?" Maggie asked. I looked over at her, startled, for the first time realizing that I hadn't yet properly seen the baby.

"Of course," I replied and stood up. She handed him to me and this time there was no awkwardness. After Liam, I knew exactly how to properly handle a newborn. I cradled him in my arms and drank in his features. For a brief moment I marveled at the fact that I was holding my son, then immediately chased those thoughts away, remembering that my genetic contribution was irrelevant, and that this boy, like the other one in the room, would be my nephew, nothing less or more. Still, regardless of who his parents were, there was no denying that he was already a handsome boy. His eyes were closed, but I'd seen earlier their bright blue color. His lips were light pink and tiny, and even as he slept arranged into a tiny pucker. His head was mostly wrapped up, but peeking out from under the cloth I saw a few tell-tale signs of bronze. So there it was, the most obvious evidence that the boy and I were related. Damn Rose! Amazon woman that she was, I really hoped that thick, blond hair gene of hers would turn out to be dominant, but no such luck. Even with his reddish blond hair, Liam would look like a platinum blond next to his brother. I sighed. This was the chance I took when I agreed to help my sisters, and we'd just have to do our best to pass it off as a coincidence.

"Did you name him yet?" I asked, suddenly realizing that I was missing a key piece of information.

"Owen Edward Hale," Maggie said softly.

"Owen," I repeated, staring in wonder at this child that I literally had a hand in creating. "That's a great name. It suits him. He's beautiful!"

I held the baby for a while longer, and waited while Maggie took pictures, first of me and Owen, then of the two of us with Liam. I then handed him over and left the kids with their moms while I went back out to the waiting room to catch up with Seth and Emmett. They hadn't had breakfast yet, so we went out to the same diner we went to when Liam was born. Seth gave me a single pointed look, letting me know he'd guessed Owen's parentage, but I ignored him and he let it go.

Since Rosalie felt fine and preferred not to stay at the hospital, she and Owen came home the following day. As I predicted before she gave birth, the role of stay at home mom did not suit her, and a month later she was back to work, part time at first but rather quickly resuming her full time schedule, modifying it only so she could come home to feed Owen. Maggie grumbled that her wife should have taken more time to rest, but we could all see that Rosalie was built of the stock of women who centuries before would have squatted to have their children outdoors and gone back to tending the fields. If anything, too much rest was detrimental to her health. She was much happier wheeling and dealing for her real estate clients.

Owen was not quite as good of a baby as Liam had been, and in an ironic twist, he and I never developed that special bond I had with Liam, so having me hold him didn't help calm him down at all. Liam tried to be a good big brother, as instructed by his moms, but he had occasional bouts of jealousy and resentment so, as I promised him before his brother was born, I picked him up often to come over to my house and play with me and Remmy. The cat and a quiet play room of his own seemed to suit him, and when he spent the night at my house, as he frequently requested, our morning ritual of standing up to pee together kept him from regressing in his toilet training despite the new infant in the house.

I became so absorbed in taking care of Liam and getting to know Owen as much as I could that, other than an occasional Wednesday drive into Seattle to pick up a club trick for a quick fuck, I didn't really have time to socialize. Fortunately, Seth and Emmett seemed to understand and pretty much left me alone. So it was a surprise one night in early June when Seth called and ordered me to meet him and Emmett at a club on a Thursday night.

"I haven't asked you for much lately, 'cause I know you've been busy, but this is important, so don't even think about saying no."

He refused to say more, but when he put it like that, it was hard to refuse. So, cursing traffic the entire way, I fought my way into the city after work on the appointed night and met Emmett at his condo.

"What is this all about?" I asked as we left his place and waited for the elevator to take us down to the lobby. "Seth knows we both hate clubbing, especially on work nights. Why the sudden edict that we join him? He's done perfectly well all his life without us at his side."

"I don't know," Emmett shrugged. "This guy he met about a month ago has got him really bent out of shape. He wants us to tell him what we think of him."

"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow. The elevator door slid open and we both entered, pushing the button for the lobby. "Seth wants our opinion on a guy?"

"Yeah, I know. I've never seen him like this before. Then again, I've never met a guy before who just wanted to hang out with him and not sleep with him."

"The guy hasn't made a move on Seth yet?" I asked in disbelief as we stepped off the elevator into the lobby and then out to the street. "That's incredible! Maybe he's a bottom?"

"No," Emmett shook his head. He raised his hand to hail a passing cab. "The guy's a top. Seth was so frustrated he actually asked. I think he was hoping he had read the guy wrong and that was the problem. But the guy said no. He said that he likes Seth a lot and if they can't date he'd rather just be friends and hang out."

"Wait," I held up my hand and shook my head, then entered the cab behind Emmett and waited while he gave the driver the club's address. "There's a top in this town who wants to date Seth? That's nothing new. Why doesn't Seth just tell him to take a hike and move on?" I continued.

"I don't know. Like I said, this has never happened as long as I've known him."

"So the top's playing hard to get, huh? And Seth's totally falling for it. That's absolutely hilarious! And ingenious on the other guy's part. I wonder why no other top has thought of this before?"

"Honestly, I don't think it would have worked if they had. There's something different about this guy. Seth is... I don't know the right word. Infatuated, I guess. He's seeing this guy on a regular basis, so he's cut back on his regular outings, but the guy still insists on a few weeks of exclusive dating before he'll sleep with Seth."

"That's the condition? A few weeks of exclusive dating before he'll sleep with Seth. This almost sounds like one of those stupid Hollywood movies with a bet or something. Is this guy on the up-and-up?"

Emmett frowned. "You think he's just messing with Seth for a bet? If he is and I find out about it, he'll regret ever being born."

"Hold your horses, Emmett. I don't know anything. I'm just saying it sounds strange. Maybe it's good we're meeting him tonight. We can see for ourselves if he seems alright or not."

"Yeah," Emmett admitted. "I mean, I met him the night they met, when I was at the gallery with Seth on first Thursday last month, but I didn't really get a chance to talk with him or anything. He seemed all right, though. Pretty successful. Doesn't seem the type to make stupid bets like that. And I imagine if that's what it was, Seth would have sniffed it out by now. You know he has a sixth sense about these things. But he's said nothing, except that he's just beside himself, wanting to fuck this guy who doesn't seem to be interested enough."

"I just bet that's driving Seth crazy," I nodded. "Now he knows what all those tops he rejected felt."

"Yeah, but it's more than that. More than sex, I think. You should hear him. All the time it's Garrett this and Garrett that."

"Garrett?" I frowned. No, it couldn't be. "Em, what does this guy do?"

"I'm not sure. He co-owns that art gallery on Pioneer Square, but I think his main job's in banking."

"Is he with Fifth Third Bank?"

"I think so. Why do you ask?" Emmett suddenly looked suspicious.

"Oh, my God. I know him! A guy named Garrett is the manager of my trust. How many bankers named Garrett can there be at Fifth Third Bank? Especially well-off enough to co-own a gallery."

"Huh," Emmett said. "Small world. Wait 'till Seth finds out."

"Yeah. Remember that one time last October when I came over with Chinese take-out? I told you guys about him then, even said that he seemed Seth's type. He's a nice guy, but always seemed a little reserved and unavailable. I guess he still is."

The cab pulled up to the club and Emmett and I got out. I paid the cover fee and we went in, Emmett using his height to his advantage in looking for Seth. When he spotted our friend he grabbed me and we joined Seth in a large, U-shaped upholstered booth. Sure enough, Garrett Thompson sat in the booth with him, though wearing a tee shirt and jeans that made him look very different from every other time I'd seen him.

"Finally! What the hell kept you guys? You were supposed to be here a half hour ago."

"Sorry Seth," I said, sliding into the booth and leaning over to give him a brief kiss on the lips. "It's my fault, sort of. There was an accident and it took me longer to drive back from work."

Seth crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me, then relaxed when he divined that I was telling the truth. "It's all right. It gave Garrett and me more time to talk. And speaking of, Garrett, you remember Emmett? And this is..."

"Edward," Garrett said, extending his hand to me over the table after shaking with Emmett. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"It is," I nodded and shook his hand, ignoring Seth's frown. "Though I must admit I have a hard time reconciling this version of you with the Garrett Thompson I know."

Garrett smiled, similarly ignoring Seth, though I could tell that he was very aware of my friend's curiosity and resentment at being left out of the conversation, and was being very deliberate in his apparent oversight. "I admit this is not where I would normally spend my evenings, but I know Seth enjoys it and so I'm here for him." He finally released my hand and reached for Seth's. My little friend tried to feign nonchalance, but I could tell he was pleased both with Garrett's statement and the gesture.

"How do you two know each other?" Seth asked Garrett who hesitated, his face suddenly troubled. I could see he wanted to tell Seth the truth, but did not want to violate a client's privacy. I was pleased by this, since he had no idea what my friends knew about me and my financial situation. But his concern was, to a point, unnecessary.

"Garrett manages the investments in my trust," I told Seth and saw relief wash over Garrett's features. He sent me a thankful smile. I responded with a wink. Whatever was behind Garrett's mysterious behavior, I could tell he was genuinely interested in our friend and very cognizant of his feelings. I took a long look at him as he turned his smile back to Seth, and I watched Seth smile back at him enthusiastically. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that I was witnessing two men who had freshly fallen in love. Of course, with one of those men being Seth, that conclusion was absurd and impossible. And yet...

"I'm gonna get a beer," Emmett's voice startled me out of my thoughts. "Anyone else need anything?"

"I'll take a beer," I replied.

"I wouldn't turn down another cosmo," Seth added.

"I could use another martini. Why don't I go with you, Emmett?" Garrett offered. "I'm afraid I'm a bit particular."

"Sure, come on," Emmett said, and the two of them set off for the bar, leaving me and Seth in the booth alone.

"I cannot believe you two know each other. Tell me everything!" Seth didn't waste time on preliminaries.

"There's not much to tell, Seth. It's not like I know him well. I've only seen him a few times and it's always at my lawyer's offices. He's pleasant and professional. We've never had much time for personal conversations. He's good at what he does. His investment strategy has been working great. And he looks good in a suit," I added for good measure.

"I know, right? Of course, he looks good in anything," Seth all but sighed. And then, undoubtedly noticing my smirk, immediately sat up straight. "I mean, he has the kind of body clothes were made for. Of course they look good on him."

"Sure, Seth. Whatever you say."

"So how come you've been keeping him a secret, anyway?" Seth apparently decided to ignore my pointed response.

"Secret? What the fuck are you talking about? I told you about this guy the first day I met him. I even told you he seemed perfect for you. I believe your response was something about not being interested in paper pushing, boring accountants. Seems you're singing a different song today," I said smugly. I couldn't help the attitude. It wasn't every day that I got to say 'I told you so' to Seth Clearwater. "Maybe it's time for you to start listening to me?"

"Ha!" Seth scoffed. "That'll be the day! Though you may have been right this one time," he admitted reluctantly.

"And yet Emmett tells me the infamous Clearwater charm isn't working as well as it usually does. What's going on?"

"Fuck if I know!" Seth vented his frustration. "It's never taken me more than a half hour at the very most for a top to want to fuck me. Not even when I first came to Seattle, and certainly not now. I mean, now they line up. But this guy, he says he wants us to really get to know each other before we sleep together, without the distraction of other people. I mean, what the fuck are we, straight teenage girls? We're gay men. We go out, have a good time for a few hours, and then we fuck. Right?"

"That's not what I did with Cliff," I pointed out. "And it's not what Emmett does."

"And just look how well that's worked out for the two of you!" Seth exclaimed. I recoiled, feeling as if I'd been physically hit, well below the belt. I could take it, but I was glad Emmett hadn't been around to hear that. A look of regret washed over Seth's face as soon as he saw my reaction and he slid over to me, throwing his arms around me.

"Oh shit, Edward, I'm sorry. That was a shitty thing to say. I didn't mean it. Not like that. This whole thing is just stressing me out and I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I didn't mean to take it out on you. Forgive me?" he asked, giving me the lost puppy look. I nodded. I could see he was stressed out and knew he hadn't really meant to say what he did.

"You and Emmett, you're different than I am," Seth continued, sliding back to his previous place in the booth. "You're looking for different things. Partners. Love. Those things just aren't me. I've been who I am forever and everybody knows what they get when they're with me - a single audience where they get to serve The King and, if they're lucky, get a piece of ass too. I get to decide who I want to fuck and where and how and for how long and they thank me for it afterward. And at the end of the night it's over. I don't do relationships, they just complicate things. I have no need or desire to get to know the guys I fuck. And I've always been happy with that."

"Seth, you are who you are. If this guy is demanding that you stop doing the things you like to do, then let him screw himself and forget about him. You don't need someone like that in your life."

"That's the thing, though, he hasn't demanded anything. He hasn't even asked me to stop. All he said is that as long as I'm fucking other guys, he just wants to be friends! Friends? I don't need another fucking friend."

"So walk away," I stated as simply as I could.

"I can't," he said, his voice so low I could barely hear him over the music in the club. When I arched my brow he revised. "I don't want to. There's something about him that pulls at me, like a magnet. I like spending time with him, talking to him, I like the way he laughs with his eyes, I like his demeanor - he's always cool on the outside, but I can see a fire smoldering just underneath, waiting to be unleashed. I want some of that fire, Edward," he said, looking up at me wistfully.

"Then it seems you two are at an impasse and you're gonna stay in that staring contest until one of you blinks or walks away," I summarized just as Emmett and Garrett came back with the drinks. Seth sent me a quick fearful look, before composing himself and turning to Garrett to accept his cosmo with a smile.

"Thanks, Honey,"

"Think nothing of it. It's my pleasure," Garrett replied easily, settling back into the booth with his martini.

The four of us talked for a while, until Seth started squirming in his seat and Garrett, the perfect gentleman who could take a hint, asked him to dance.

"If you want to go out there, Eddie, go ahead. I'll be fine," Emmett encouraged.

"Nah. It's a work night, so no tricks for me tonight. And you know I hate dancing otherwise."

Emmett took a swig of his beer and tilted his head towards me. "Seth always considers that his greatest failure, you know."

"He'll survive," I answered, taking a swallow of my own brew. "So, what do you think of the main attraction?"

"Garrett? He still seems all right. I like him, actually. He really seems into Seth."

We looked over at the dance floor, where the other dancers gave our friends enough room for us to still be able to see them. Garrett and Seth were all over each other as they danced. I was surprised, both by how well Garrett moved, something I would have never expected from seeing him in his professional role, and by how intimate Seth was allowing him to be as they danced. Ordinarily, Seth was a peacock who danced for the pageantry of it, always hyper aware of how he appeared to others. With Garrett, though, he seemed to be only aware of his partner, who, in return, lavished him with attention, similarly unconcerned about anyone else on the dance floor.

"It sure doesn't look like he's not interested in fucking Seth, does it?"

"No, it sure doesn't," Emmett confirmed. "So what do you think his deal is?"

"I think he wants more than a single night engagement."

"From Seth?" Emmett scoffed. "That'll never happen."

"You never know, Emmy. You never know. There may be some powerful forces at work here that not even Seth can overcome."

"Huh. There's no such thing," Emmett shook his head in disbelief, but this one time I had a feeling I knew what was going on with his best friend better than he did.

Several songs later Seth and Garrett returned, laughing, Garrett's arm wrapped around our friend in a way that seemed casual, yet still intimate.

"You're a great dancer, Garrett," Seth complimented as he slid back into the booth. "We should do this more often."

"If you'd like," Garrett inclined his head and agreed easily.

"Seth Clearwater, is that you? I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I saw you on the dance floor. You haven't been around in a while. We almost forgot what you look like!" we heard the voice first, and then watched its owner emerge from the sea of dancing bodies and approach our table, holding two martinis. "And Edward, what an unexpected surprise on a Thursday night."

"Hello, Dex," I threw out, so as not to be completely rude. After all, I did fuck him a few months ago, though it hadn't been anything to write on bathroom walls about. Seth merely nodded. Once upon a time Dex had been one of Seth's protégés, but lately it seemed like he was trying to take the master's place. Given that Dex had about a tenth of Seth's personality and looks, and evidently the skills, he was more of an annoyance than a threat, and Seth treated him as such. Still, it was unusual for this fly to risk landing within Seth's swatting distance.

"I watched the two of you dance out there," Dex continued, turning to Garrett. "You were hot! I figured all the dancing might have made you thirsty, so I brought you this," he placed one of the martinis in front of Garrett. "I made sure the bartender mixed it just as you instructed. Now all I need is a name to go along with the drink."

I watched with amusement as Seth shot daggers at Dex with his eyes. Dex, however, only had eyes for Garrett. Though he remained calm, I could see Garrett was uncomfortable with Dex's less than subtle flirtation right in front of Seth. He threw a worried look at Seth, and then at me. He was a smart guy, and I knew he'd eventually figure this out for himself, but I decided to help anyway. I held his gaze, narrowed my eyes and gave him a very slight nod. He drew his brows together for a moment, and then his eyes widened. He turned back to Dex.

"I'm Garrett," he said in a calm but friendly tone. "Thanks for the drink. Would you like to join us, Dex, was it?" He slid over in the booth to make room.

"You can call me Dex, or cupcake, if you prefer," Dex flirted.

"Cupcake?" Garret was more baiting than taking the bait.

"Ah-huh. Because I'm sweet and delicious and you can spread your creamy frosting on me wherever you'd like."

"What an interesting concept," Garrett said as Emmett rolled his eyes and Seth actually sat on his hands so as not to use them to throttle his competitor for Garrett's attention.

"I was hoping you'd think so. I haven't seen you here before. Are you new in town?"

"Not so new anymore, though I haven't been clubbing much. We were actually just talking about how I should come here more often."

It took a lot of self-restraint on my part not to put out my hand for a high five. Garrett was the smoothest operator I had ever seen. Not only did it take him no time to pick up my hint to flirt with Dex, he was doing it masterfully. I could feel the anger and jealousy radiating from Seth in waves, but I knew that as long as he insisted on clinging to their friendship status and his power bottom role, he had no good reason to interfere.

"Best news I've heard all night," Dex continued to lay it on thick. "You could make it even better if you come out and dance with me. Unless," he said in a slightly conciliatory tone, "you're already taken for the night?"

"Nope," Garrett denied. "Just having a few drinks with my friends. Let's go dance, Cupcake. Excuse us, guys," he said, draining his martini. Elated, Dex scampered out of the booth and waited for Garrett, before the two walked over to the dance floor and disappeared in the crowd.

"Goddamn it!" Seth exploded. "Did you see that? What is that little fuck Dex playing at? That ridiculous talk about creamy frosting! The fucking nerve!"

"He was a little ballsy," I admitted. "But he did defer to you there, in the end. If Garrett had been with you, I think he would have stepped aside."

"What the fuck do you mean, Edward?" Seth continued to rage. "Garrett was with me!"

"Not quite in the same capacity that Dex was offering up," I pointed out.

"If it bothered you so much, Sweetie, why didn't you say anything?" Emmett asked reasonably.

Seth deflated a little. "Because Garrett never once tried to interfere with me seeing other guys, so how could I do that to him?"

"Ah," I nodded slowly. "Turnabout's fair play. Life can be a bitch that way."

No one said anything for the rest of the song. When the music changed and Garrett still wasn't back, Emmett started talking about his day at work, explaining how his company was trying to secure a job designing kitchens for some new hotel development in Las Vegas.

"Construction won't start until the fall, but the RFP responses are due in a couple of weeks so we're scrambling to put the costs and preliminary designs together."

With Seth only half listening at best, distracted by constant surreptitious alternating glances at the dance floor and his watch, it was up to me to continue the conversation.

"Well, good luck. If you win the project, will you get to go to Vegas on the company's dime?"

Emmett laughed and took a swallow of his beer. "Not likely. The project's too important to send someone as junior as me. Most likely they would send my boss."

"Ah," I nodded. "Too bad. Maybe next time, right?"

"It's okay. I don't think I'm much of a Vegas guy, anyway. I don't gamble and what else would I find there besides showgirls and sand? I'll stay right here, thanks."

It was at least another 15 minutes before Garrett made his reappearance. Seth looked relieved, until Garrett announced that he was only back to let us know that he was taking Dex home.

"You should have told me you were this hard up tonight," Seth said testily. "We could have gone back to my place and been at it for hours already."

"Seth," Garrett said with a sigh. "You already know how I feel. Give me a few weeks for us to get to know each other without distractions and then we can do whatever your heart desires."

Seth narrowed his eyes. "We've been getting to know each other for over a month. And if you need a few weeks to get to know the boys you fuck, how come you're taking Dex home the first night you met him?"

Garrett slid into the booth, took Seth's hand and looked intently into his eyes. "I never said I need to get to know the boys I fuck. I only want to take the time to get to know the man with whom I want to make love."

Seth swallowed hard, clearly caught off guard and taken aback. "Garrett, I... I don't do that," he whispered.

"I know," Garrett said sadly, releasing Seth's hand. "So we'll just remain good friends. Shall I call you tomorrow?"

Seth nodded mutely and watched Garrett leave the booth again, saying goodbye to me and Emmett before returning to the dance floor. When the other man disappeared from view, Seth turned to me with desperate eyes. He looked absolutely devastated.

"Shit, Sweetie, that was intense," Emmett pointed out the obvious. "And just about the most fucking romantic thing I have ever heard. That guy has seriously fallen for you."

"I know," Seth nodded slowly. "But you heard him, he won't even fuck me!" he lamented.

"If you're that hard up, Seth," I said, throwing his words right back at him, "I'll fuck you. Come on. It's about time you experienced the famous Cullen cock."

"Shut up, Edward! I'll never be that desperate. Do you know how many guys in this room would give their right nut to fuck me tonight? But if Garrett really feels the way he feels, why does he want me to change who I am before he'll be with me?"

"That's not quite what I heard," I corrected. "What I think he said is that he accepts you exactly for who you are, but he doesn't want to share you and become just one of the guys you fucked. Judging by the way you reacted to him leaving with Dex, you have an idea of what that feels like. And fucking a different guy every night is not who you are, Seth. It's what you choose to do. You can just as easily choose to change what you do without changing who you are. Why not give it a shot? What do you have to lose? If it doesn't work out after the few weeks he's asking for, you can always go back to doing what you've always done."

Seth looked to Emmett but, for once, his best friend did not provide the support he was looking for. "I think Edward's right, and I don't see a downside. Garrett seems like a nice guy. Why not give him the time he's asking for?"

"Ugh," Seth huffed in frustration. "You two can't possibly understand. Love, relationships, they're not for people like me. I have a responsibility here to the community. People expect certain things from me. I can't just abandon all that for a few weeks. Especially if there's no fucking in all that time!"

"Trust me, Sweetie, you'd survive," Emmett said dryly.

"And since when have you given a shit about other people's expectations?" I added. "You should live your life for you, the way I always thought you were."

"Like I said, you two can't possibly understand," Seth shook his head. "Thanks for coming out to meet him. I'm glad you like him. But now, I need to find someone who's gonna fuck these stupid thoughts and ideas right out of me and make me forget this night ever happened. And I think I see a great candidate right over there."

He slid out of the booth and walked over to a guy I didn't recognize, engaging him in conversation. I turned to look at Emmett.

"What do you think about all this?" he asked.

"I think Seth's gonna be stubborn for a little while longer, but Garrett doesn't give up and, eventually, he'll wear Seth down."

"If you'd told me that a few hours ago, I wouldn't have believed it. Now... Garrett sure seems in love with Seth, doesn't he? But what I can't figure out is why he decided to leave with Dex."

"He does seem in love and, for that matter, so does Seth. Did you catch the fact that Seth suggested taking Garrett back to your place? He's never done that with any other guy, right?" I looked to Emmett for confirmation and watched his eyes widen with surprise as he recognized the truth of my statement. "As for Dex, well, Garrett only said he was gonna take him home. He didn't say what, if anything, he'd do with him once he got there. My bet would be nothing. But even if he did fuck him, it's no more than Seth's gonna do tonight. It doesn't change how they feel about each other."

"You've got a point. It sure is gonna be interesting to see how this all shakes out," Emmett admitted and finished his beer. "So, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go. Thanks for letting me crash with you. I'm in no shape to drive back to Covington tonight."

"No problem, Eddie. You know you're always welcome. It'll be nice sleeping next to a warm body again. I've missed that."

"Well, you heard me offer my services to Seth, and it would be rude if I didn't offer the same to you," I teased.

Emmett laughed. "Not tonight, buddy, thanks. But if you ask me again in a few weeks, I might change my mind. It's been a long dry spell."

"I know Em," I commiserated. "You could always do what I do."

He wrinkled his nose. "It's not quite the same for me. A bottom has to be a little more discerning. No offense," he added quickly.

"None taken," I assured him. He was right, there weren't many bottoms around who did what Seth did and still commandeered respect. And Emmett was no ordinary bottom, either. He needed to wait for special guys. Too bad there seemed to be such a shortage of them in Seattle.

The last guy Emmett dated, Mark, sounded promising at first. Emmett had met him on the plane, coming back from his Christmas holidays in Minnesota. On the surface, the two of them had a lot in common. Mark was tall and, while not as built as Emmett, he too made liberal use of his gym membership. He was a mid-level executive in the graphic design department at Microsoft, giving him and Emmett a common professional interest. Most important of all, especially after David, he was a skilled top.

"Best sex I ever had," Emmett announced without prompting the first time he told me about the new guy in his life. "Hands down, no contest. And he's got a good sense of humor, and we have the same taste in food and movies. It's going really well," he announced with a smile and crossed fingers. I crossed my fingers too, and fought the instinct to keep them crossed after I had a chance to speak with Seth about Mark when Emmett wasn't around. Not surprisingly, his impression of the new boyfriend wasn't as favorable as Emmett's.

"He's murky," Seth opined. "Yeah, Murky Mark, that's perfect. He seems fine on the surface, but there's something about him that doesn't seem right. I don't know what it is yet, but it will come to me."

"Seth," I sighed. "Did you ever think that maybe your standards are just a little too high and that you'll never meet a man who you'll think is good enough for Emmett. I mean, he seems really happy with this guy, and Lord knows he deserves to have a decent boyfriend for a change. If there's nothing obviously wrong with him, can't you just, I don't know, reserve judgment?"

Seth raised his eyebrow at me in a way designed to make me feel like I wasn't fit to be in the same room with him and that I had been permitted to be in his presence only because he was feeling unusually generous and tolerant. "I," he pronounced, "don't need to reserve judgment. I already know there's something wrong with him. I just don't know what it is yet. When Emmett brings home a man who's right for him, I'll know that too."

Of course, once again, Seth was absolutely correct. Murky Mark's fatal flaw turned out to be his politics. He and Emmett were fine as long as they kept the conversation to professional subjects or pop culture, but as they got serious and started discussing various political and ethical issues, the relationship began to unravel. Mark, a Republican, held views on most issues that were the exact opposite of Emmett's. Worse, once he found out he and Emmett disagreed, he set out on a campaign to convert Emmett to his way of thinking.

"It was bad enough thinking that I was sleeping with the enemy," Emmett said the night he told us he broke things off with Mark. "I already felt like I was bartering my soul to the devil in exchange for some laughs and a good fuck. But when he tried to turn me into his clone, I had to draw the line. There's no guy or cock in the world worth changing my fundamental beliefs for."

That was March, and two months later Emmett still hadn't found a guy worth taking home for the night, much less for a longer term commitment. Being discerning had its price. Then again, fucking for the sake of fucking was becoming so empty, I wondered why I did it anymore. Seth had been doing the same thing for years and it never bothered him, but I knew he got more than physical satisfaction out of it. In fact, I suspected for Seth the physical satisfaction was merely a bonus. For me, there was little else, and the level of satisfaction was starting to decrease to match one I could achieve single handedly on my own.

"You coming, Eddie?" Emmett drew me out of my thoughts as he stood by the booth, waiting for me to get up and follow him out of the club. I shook off my thoughts and slid out of the booth.

"Yeah, let's go."

We made our way to the exit and out to the sidewalk, where Emmett hailed a cab. As one pulled up, the door to the club opened and we were joined by Seth.

"Wait. I'm coming with you."

Emmett's brows drew together. "Is everything all right, Sweetie?"

Seth shrugged. "The guy wasn't worth my time. I'm better off getting some beauty sleep and coming back tomorrow."

I smirked a little, earning a punch to the gut from my short friend that wasn't quite forceful enough to double me over, but certainly was not painless.

"Shut up," Seth ordered testily.

We didn't speak on the ride back home, all of us feeling Seth's tension and agitation. I didn't know what to expect when we got to the condo. Normally Seth didn't show this much vulnerability in front of me, and I really hoped Emmett was better equipped to handle this than I was. Judging by the confidence with which he headed for the freezer and pulled out a bottle of vodka immediately upon entering his home, he did. He took out three shot glasses and filled them, picking his up and silently indicating we should all do the same. We tipped our heads back and swallowed, the liquid simultaneously chilling and burning our insides.

"What's going on, Sweetie?" Emmett asked again, concern clear in his voice. "I've never seen you this rattled."

"I'm not rattled," Seth protested.

"Seth..." Emmett cocked his head. "Give me some credit. How long have we lived together and been best friends? Who knows you better than I do?" He threw his arm around his much slighter best friend and steered him to the living room sofa. Not knowing what else to do, I followed.

"I just don't get how he could come out to the club with me and then leave with Dex. Dex! He could have had me, and he chose Dex!" Seth vacillated between outrage and incredulity.

"I'm a little confused, Seth," I admitted. "Are you upset that he left with Dex, or that he didn't leave with you?"

"It's one and the same," he snapped. "I'm the best. He should have left with me tonight. Fuck! He should have left with me the first night we went out."

"Sweetie," Emmett began slowly. "I don't like seeing you like this. Garrett seems like a nice guy, but I don't like what these outings with him are doing to you. He's not giving you what you want or need, so maybe..."

"Don't, Emmy," Seth stopped him. "I know what you're going to say, so just don't."

"Seth," it was my turn to try. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If you're not happy just being friends with him, you need to change something. Either stop seeing him or consider his request."

"Consider his... " Seth shook his head. "I don't wait a month to fuck anyone. Hell, I don't wait twenty minutes."

"But you have waited a month already," I contradicted. "And with Garrett, it seems you only have two choices. Wait a month or wait forever. If you really want him, a month is a hell of a lot shorter."

Seth crossed his arms in front of him.

"I don't wait for any man. Men wait for me," he said stubbornly.

"You're wrong!" Emmett's pronouncement was quiet, but spoken with conviction, startling both me and Seth.

"I know most of the time you know exactly what's best for every situation, but in this case you're too close to judge and you're wrong. I can't even tell you what Edward or I would do to have a guy like Garrett tell us what he told you tonight. I mean, the man told you he wants the two of you to get to know each other better so he can make love to you. I'd die if a guy told me that sincerely. Dead, on the spot. I've been waiting for a man like that to come along for nearly as long as I've known you. You have no idea how incredibly rare and beautiful what he did tonight was. And you just threw it back at him, without a second thought. Why? Because you don't make love? Because you prefer to fuck? Sweetie, sex can be good with a random stranger. Hell, it can even be great. But even great sex doesn't come close to the feeling you get when you're making love with someone you care about and who cares about you. The emotional satisfaction you get when making love turns something that feels good into sheer bliss. Tonight Garrett as much as told you that's what he wants to share with you, and you just flatly rejected him."

Emmett shook his head and looked down at his clasped hands.

"Bliss!" Seth scoffed, but his voice was soft and unconvincing. He turned to me, silently asking for support, but I just shook my head.

"Emmett's right. Fucking's just jerking off with a warm prop. It's nice not having to do all the work yourself, and if you don't think about it too much you can convince yourself that you're getting more out of it than you really are, but at the end of the day it doesn't even come close to making love."

"Love. You both make it sound so simple, so good. But that's not what love is. Not from what I've seen. Love just makes you vulnerable and weak. You think the other person loves you, so they're gonna protect you and keep you safe and accept you for who you are, but instead that love just allows them to get closer to you, so that when they reject and abandon you they hurt you that much more and plunge the knife that much deeper. I don't care what you both say. It's not worth it. I don't want anything to do with love."

He stood up off the sofa and strode towards his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I looked towards Emmett.

"I didn't mean..." I said helplessly. "Jesus, I didn't know he felt like this. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Emmett slid over to me and hugged me tightly. I got the distinct feeling that the hug was as much for him as it was for me, so I wrapped my arms around him and returned the embrace.

"We were both trying to help," he said. "But Seth can be the most stubborn man on Earth when he wants to. And there are things in his past that you don't know about. People he cared about hurt him really badly. He never talks about it and I guess I thought he had put it all behind him, but maybe we pushed him too far tonight," he let me go and pulled back. "Come on," he said, standing up and holding out his hand to help me. "Let's go make this better."

I got up and together we walked up to Seth's door. Emmett knocked and, when we didn't hear a response, tried to turn the knob. The door was locked.

"Sweetie, we're sorry. Let us in, please?"

"Go away," Seth's voice was muffled.

"Sweetie, come on. Let us in. You know I can break down this door if I have to. Don't make me do that."

We waited. For a long time no sound came from within. Then, just as Emmett opened his mouth to say something, the door swung open, giving us a glimpse of Seth's back as he walked away and threw himself face down on the bed. Emmett didn't hesitate. In a few strides he was on the bed with Seth, gathering the smaller man into his arms and pulling him against his chest. I hovered in the doorway, uncertain whether I should go in or leave the two best friends alone. I became even more distraught when I realized that Seth's back was shaking and that I could hear the soft sound of muffled sobs. I tried to think, but I couldn't remember a time when I saw Seth Clearwater cry.

"It's all right, Sweetie. It's okay," Emmett crooned quietly, trying to soothe Seth.

I walked into the room and sat on the bed behind Seth, placing my hand on a tiny scrap of his back that wasn't already covered by Emmett's huge arms.

"I'm sorry, Seth," I whispered. "I didn't mean to say anything to hurt you. You know I would never do that."

"I know," Seth said quietly, his voice sounding calmer. "I'm all right."

"We're sorry the things we said upset you, Sweetie, but you know we love you and we would never deliberately hurt you or reject you or abandon you. You do know that, right?" Emmett prompted.

"I know," Seth sighed. "I love you guys, too. You guys and Leah, and that's enough. That's all the love I need and all I have to give."

None of us said any more. Eventually we all lay down on Seth's king-size bed, Seth wrapped in Emmett's arms, and fell asleep, fully clothed, with the lights still on.

The next day I spent the first half of my work shift agonizing over whether I should get any more involved in Seth's relationship with Garrett than I already was, or if I should stay out of it. In the end, remembering how upset my friend had been, I decided making sure Garrett wasn't going to hurt Seth was more important than minding my own business.

"Edward, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Garrett asked when I called him on my lunch hour. I knew it was his way of asking if the call was business or personal. Since I did have a bit of business to discuss, I decided to take care of that first.

"I was surprised to see you with Seth last night," I informed him, "and I realize the introductions were a little awkward. Just so you understand, Seth and Emmett know I have a sizable trust fund, but they do not know the exact amounts involved, and I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"Of course, Edward. Please be assured of my complete discretion in that regard. No one will learn anything about your finances from me, you may be confident of that. Seth and Emmett will only know as much as you choose to tell them."

"Thank you, though I already knew I could count on you to keep my financial dealings confidential. I just wanted you to know what Seth knows. I don't want to make things difficult for you if you continue to see him."

"I appreciate that, Edward. Especially since I very much hope to continue seeing Seth."

"Right. About that. I realize I'm probably stepping over the line here, but Seth is a good friend, and I don't want to see him hurt."

"That would be the absolute last thing I want as well. I've enjoyed meeting Seth and spending time with him. I enjoy our friendship. It's not a secret I would like more, but I understand Seth is not ready for that."

"Seth may never be ready for that. He never has been before."

"I understand that too, but I am a patient and persistent man, and I believe Seth is worth the investment of my time."

"You know you don't have to wait," I pointed out.

"With all due respect, I disagree," he stated calmly. "I know Seth is worth the investment of my time, but I also need to know he believes I'm worth the investment of his time. Otherwise, I risk becoming just another one of his conquests. That is not what I want to be and it's not a risk I'm willing to take."

"He's already given you far more of his time than he has any other guys he's ever been with," I informed him, though a part of me knew I was telling him nothing new.

"I realize this," Garrett confirmed my suspicion, "but I need a bit more."

"What happened with Dex last night, after you left the club?" I decided to switch subjects. Garrett paused before he answered.

"Ordinarily I would ignore that sort of question as completely inappropriate," he said coolly, "and in the future I will do exactly that. However, I believe I understand the reason for your inquiry, so let me inform you that nothing happened beyond me escorting him to his apartment and leaving as soon as I knew he was safely inside."

Though I felt fairly sure this would be his answer, I nevertheless felt immense relief at having my feelings verified.

"Seth needs to know that."

"I will tell him, if he asks."

"He'd never ask you, but I can make sure he finds out another way. For what it's worth," I added, "he spent the night at home last night."

I could barely hear his faint sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Edward. I very much appreciate you sharing that. I hope it does not cause problems between you and Seth."

"I won't tell him if you won't, but this will also be our last conversation on this subject. You have quite a challenge in front of you. Good luck!"

Garrett thanked me again and we hung up. I immediately called Simon and explained that I needed a favor. I knew Dex would never be able to keep his mouth shut about what he undoubtedly perceived as a slight from Garrett. I just needed to make sure that he talked to the right people so that the news would easily reach Seth. After the previous night, I knew he needed to hear that Dex was no competition. I would never tell Seth, because he would not believe me, but speaking with Garrett had confirmed everything I believed about his intentions. If being with Garrett was Seth's ultimate goal, only one man blocked him from reaching that goal, and he himself was that man.

It took another excruciating and agonizing month for Seth to finally capitulate and agree to stop seeing other men and focus exclusively on Garrett. Watching the push pull between the two of them over the course of that month, calm and deliberate on Garrett's part, agitated and reactive on Seth's, I was extremely impressed by Garrett's tenacity. The payoff, however, had been huge for all of us. Once Seth allowed himself to fall in love, he fell hard, but Garrett was there to catch him and to return his feelings with at least an equal amount of intensity. The result was two guys who could not possibly be more enamored and happy together. Emmett and I just watched it all from the sidelines, on occasion exchanging self-satisfied, knowing looks.

Seth and Garrett quickly became inseparable, spending all available time together, shuttling between their two condos. Seth complained about the hassle of constantly having to pack and unpack his overnight bag, and never remembering where he had left one item of clothing or another, but none of that was enough to stop the back and forth travel.

"It's going very well, far better than I had even hoped, but the constant shuttling between his place and mine is draining," Garrett confessed as we talked one day in August after wrapping up the business reasons for our meeting. "I would love for him to move in with me. It would make everything so much easier. I know I want to share everything with him, Edward, my home and my life. I made space in the condo for his things. I gave him a key and told him that I would love for him to consider it his home as well. I went so far as to suggest that he move in whenever he feels the time is right, but I have seen no indication that he has any interest in changing either of our living arrangements. Was I too forward, do you think? I hope I am not pushing or rushing him. I would never want to do that. It's just that I've had two more months than he has to come to terms with my feelings. Perhaps I am moving too quickly? Or do you think he might not want to move into my home? Would it be better to sell my condo and buy one we pick out together? "

My first instinct was to just tell him, but I bit my tongue. While I wanted to help, it really wasn't my place to lay out a road map for him. He needed to figure things out for himself. I could, however, give him a hint.

"Garrett, there are many things you will have to keep in mind to keep Seth happy in your relationship, but one is most important, and it's one that most lesser men would overlook, despite its enormity."

Garrett furrowed his brow, and I could almost see him digesting and trying to figure out the meaning behind my words. Suddenly his face cleared with realization.

"Emmett," he said simply. "He doesn't want to leave Emmett. It's so obvious! How did I not see it before? But," he frowned again, "as much as I love Emmett, and I do, I'm not sure I could handle all three of us living together."

"I can't imagine either of them would expect that, or even want it," I smiled. I reached into my wallet and pulled out one of Rosalie's business cards I kept in there for exactly this purpose. "Here, this is my sister's wife. She's a genius Realtor, and if you're looking to move somewhere closer to Emmett's place, she will find you the perfect property. Just give her a call and tell her what you need. I'll let her know I sent you."

He took the card and read it, then looked up at me with gratitude. "I will give her a call as soon as we are done," he stated firmly. "Thank you, Edward. Really."

"Seth would do the same for me," I said, acknowledging his thanks with a slight nod. "And he's done a lot more than that for me already. It's good to see him so happy, Garrett. Thank you for that."

I called Rosalie and asked her to take good care of Garrett, which she did. She found him several suitable properties near Emmett's building and then, when he expressed that he would prefer to find something in the same building, she approached the owners of the penthouses herself and inquired to see if any of them would consider selling, for the right price, of course. Garrett was lucky. One of the residents had been thinking about moving and a deal was quickly struck. Garrett immediately began renovations, involving Seth in all the decisions, and when the work was complete in September, Garrett and Seth moved in together.