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Gabriel was beginning to get a little frustrated. He was packing to head back to Sanctum for a weekend with his parents and he couldn’t find either of his favorite cardigans. October had just started and there was a chill in the air, so he’d need something . He had a handful of cardigans and hoodies, but two of his favorite cardigans appeared to be missing from his closet.
“Come on, Gabriel,” he whispered quietly to himself. “Where did you see either of them last?”
He continued his search to his hall closet, where he kept his heavier coats. When that search yielded no results, Gabriel flopped onto his couch and threw his arm over his eyes to just collect himself for a moment. “Think, Gabriel.”
Gabriel was broken from his thoughts by a text alert on his cell phone. Pulling his phone out of his back pocket, it was a message from the group chat he was in with his boyfriend and girlfriend.
Princess: Bell and I are at the store to pick up a few things for tonight. Any special requests? 😊
A small smile made its way across his face.
Gabe: You know I’m not picky. As long as there are plenty of greens for you, princess. 😉
Gabriel had barely set his phone down when Clarke replied back with the vomiting emoji. He fondly rolled his eyes and decided to put off packing for the weekend until the morning.
Suddenly it hit him. The last time he had worn either piece of clothing was over at their place. Feeling relieved, he decided to get ready for a night at their place and then head over.
***
Getting out of the car, Gabriel slung his overnight bag over his shoulder and proceeded to the front entrance of the building and pressed the button to Apt 102B to be let in. After being buzzed in, he continued to the stairwell on the side of the main lobby and walked up the one flight of stairs.
He was pulling out the key he was given to their actual apartment (they were working on getting him a key to the main lobby door, as well, but that was just taking a little bit longer), when he heard Clarke’s loud laughter from just outside the door. Quietly unlocking the door and letting himself in, he proceeded to set his bag down and take off his shoes by the door. He could hear Bellamy and Clarke goofing off in the kitchen and it made his heart feel so light and warm.
Leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, he took his two lovers in and proceeded to do a double-take. Bellamy was once again at the stove, cooking their dinner, but he was wearing something awfully familiar. Clarke, who was sitting on the counter beside the stove, was snacking on some dried cranberries while also wearing something super familiar.
“Are those my clothes?” Gabriel bewilderedly wondered aloud.
Not hearing him come in, both Bellamy and Clarke had been startled and jumped at his question. They quickly looked at each other and then, ashamedly, glanced at Gabriel. Clarke had his favorite shade of pink filling her cheeks.
Bellamy smirked at him, “And what if they are?”
Walking closer to his boyfriend, he put his right arm around his waist and touched his left hand to Clarke’s thigh. Giving Bellamy’s neck a quick kiss, he quipped back, “You two have absolutely no idea how long I had been looking for those today. I thought I was going crazy.”
Clarke entwined her fingers with his on her thigh and gently yanked him towards her. She proceeded to give him a lingering kiss in greeting and part apology. “Sorry, Gabe. You just literally have the best sweaters.”
He stood back and took the two of them in. The two of them DID look good in his clothes. Clarke had snatched his dark blue cardigan and it absolutely swamped her petite frame. She had to roll the sleeves up several times and it was baggy on her arms. She looked positively adorable. Bellamy, on the other hand, had snagged his dark grey one. It beefed his shoulders up, making him look even more broad and strong.
His stare growing darker with want, maybe Gabriel felt something.
“You like it,” Clarke said, huskily. She had caught on to the look in Gabriel’s eyes.
Letting the tension build in the room, Gabriel looked between the two of them. Really looking at them up and down. His thoughts going back over their relationship the past couple of months. He can hardly believe it’s been about 4 months since Bellamy and Clarke welcomed him into their lives. He’s experienced emotions he had only dreamed of one day experiencing. His sexual world had been rocked, as well as his capacity to love.
Love.
Bellamy and Clarke had been dating for about a year and were already madly, deeply in love when Gabriel joined the fray. Getting to know each other and what kind of relationship they had hoped to build together had been one of the easiest things about the whole thing. However, Gabriel couldn’t help but second-guess his place in the relationship in the beginning. Sometimes, when he’d leave their place after having a perfect night with them, he’d almost feel like they would get bored of having a third. Each and every time though, Bellamy and Clarke would prove that that couldn’t be further from the truth. It was a new dynamic for all of them.
Of course, there were going to be hits and misses, but they were learning and growing together. Their sexual compatibility was off the charts. Their romantic desires were well in-tune with each other’s. They were all extremely intellectual and all aligned, politically. Sometimes Gabriel felt slightly foolish for thinking they’d get bored of him. He’d never make it be known to them though. He didn’t want them to feel bad, especially when they made every effort to make him feel so good.
Long story short: He loved them.
“I don’t like it,” he paused. “I love it. I love you. Both of you.”
You could hear a pin drop in that kitchen.
Bellamy had an awestruck look on his face, while Clarke’s face had gone full-on red.
Misinterpreting the silence on their end, Gabriel started to ramble. “I know we’ve only been together for a handful of months. I don’t expect either of you to say anything back. Maybe I shouldn’t have sai—”
“Gabe, stop!” Bellamy slowly walked closer to Gabriel and started running his hand up and down his back. “We didn’t want to scare you away, but we love you too.”
“SO much,” Clarke added. “Gabriel, I love you like I love Bellamy; with my whole heart. I’m so glad you’re with us.”
Gabriel’s eyes started to water and he grabbed onto the hem of HIS sweater on Bellamy, fiddling with it. “I’ve never felt this way before. Not even with Josephine, who I thought I was so in love with.” He takes a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. “I never expected that I’d fall in love again when I moved here, let alone with two people. You two? You’re everything to me. It’s like coming home.”
Taking his hand off his back and moving to cup Gabriel’s face, Bellamy leans in and kisses him. What started off as a tame smooch, quickly grew in intensity. Gabriel’s hands wound their way into Bellamy’s curls while Bellamy’s arms wound their way around Gabriel’s waist. Clarke jumped off the counter and wrapped herself around Gabriel’s back and tucking her face in between his shoulder blades, getting a little bit emotional, herself.
Coming up for air and while staying in the embrace, Bellamy grumbles into Gabriel’s neck, “You’re everything to me too. You and Clarke. You’re everything.”
Clarke had wormed her way under Gabriel’s arms and in between the two of her guys and they all just held each other in the middle of their kitchen; taking each other in and content to just bask in each other.
However, the timer on the oven chose that moment to go off. Lightly laughing the heavy moment off, they break apart. Bellamy gets the chicken parmesan he had cooked out of the oven and plates the steamed veggies, while Clarke and Gabriel grab the plates and silverware from the drawers and cabinets and set the table.
They all settle at the table and dig into their plates.
After a couple of bites, Gabriel notices Bellamy nudge Clarke’s elbow. In retaliation, Clarke kicks his leg under the table.
“Ouch, Clarke! Rude.”
“Well maybe don’t start something you can’t finish.”
Bellamy and Clarke start a stare-off with each other. They’re having one of their silent communications that Gabriel was intimidated by at the beginning of their relationship. However, it no longer bothers him because he’s just as in-tune with them at times.
Fondly looking on, Gabriel breaks up the little tussle. “What could you two possibly be bickering over?”
Breaking the silent conversation, Clarke takes a deep breath and turns to Gabriel. “Well… Bellamy and I were talking earlier and we know you have a six-month lease that’s due to expire at the end of the year…”
Taking over, Bellamy continues, “We were wondering if you’d like to move in with us when your lease expires?”
Taken aback, Gabriel takes the two of them in. He loves them. He knows they love him. He plans to stay with them for the foreseeable future. The next logical step in a serious relationship would be to move in, despite only knowing each other for four months now, six months then. Absolutely anything could happen between now and then.
“I…okay. Yeah.”
His two lovers perk up in their seats.
“Yeah?” Clarke asks.
“Yeah. I’m serious about you both and I know the two of you are serious about me. It makes sense.”
Excitedly, Bellamy adds, “Great! But, umm, there’s more, too.”
Gabriel gestures for him to continue.
“Our lease is up at the end of next June. We were thinking, that is, if you had agreed to moving in with us, that maybe when our lease is up, we could buy a house? An apartment…while a perfectly fine home for the short term for three people, it would probably get kind of cramped after a while.”
Interrupting Bellamy’s sales pitch, Clarke adds, “We know it’s a lot, especially because we’ve only been together all of four months, but like we said earlier, we’re each other’s homes.”
These two continue to surprise him in all the best ways. They’re thinking just as long term as he is.
“How could I possibly say no?”
“Great!” Clarke exclaims. “Maybe we could start preparing when you come back from visiting your parents?”
“That sounds pretty good to me.” Finishing his dinner and setting his fork down so he can fold his hands together in front of him, he takes turns staring down his two loves. “So,” Gabriel starts as he clears his throat. “How long have you two been holding my sweaters hostage?”