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“Well, I better get going,” Jane announced, getting up from the surprisingly comfortable plastic chairs.
Tom stood up with her, “Need a ride home?”
She shook her head, “Nah, my folks should be here soon. I called them a few minutes ago.”
“Alright,” he nodded, sitting back down beside Harry. And with a few goodbyes, she was gone; leaving the cops on their own in the bowling alley. “Anyone up for another game?” Tom asked.
Doug snorted, shaking his head fondly, “I think we're good, Handsome.”
Judy chuckled at the slight pout gracing Tom's features, leaning into Doug a bit more. “We'll play some other time,” she smiled, “Maybe we'll make our own bowling league. I'm sure Jenko would love that.”
Doug groaned, “Please don't give him another reason to drag me to his bowling games.”
“Who knows, it might be fun, Penhall,” Harry grinned, “It could be just what you need to end your slump.”
“Yeah,” Doug replied, rolling his eyes, “Sure.”
“Hey Tom, what was your prom like?” Judy asked, “You never told us.”
Tom wove a dismissive hand: “Nothin' special. I went with my girlfriend. Took photos and stuff, y'know.”
“Seems like you had the most normal experience out of all of us,” Harry said, nudging Tom's shoulder. Despite his answer, Judy couldn’t help but feel as though he wasn’t telling the whole truth.
Tom gave him a tight smile, “Yeah.”
Judy opened her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by the manager walking over, his glare set on Doug. “I thought I banned you,” he said, briefly glancing at all of them before turning his attention back to Doug.
“You only kicked us out, sir,” Doug replied, barely suppressing a grin, “and we couldn't pass up the opportunity of a good bowling game.”
You could practically see smoke coming out of the manager's ears, his face turning red. Before they got banned, or possibly into a fistfight, Tom stood up, bringing Harry with him. “We'll be on our way now, it's getting pretty late,” Tom said, grabbing Doug's hand and pulling him up; Judy following close behind.
He pushed Doug out the door while Harry paid for the two games; running to catch up with the others when he was done. “So what now?” He asked.
“I know an ice cream place just down the road,” Tom suggested, giving them a shy smile, “Only place in town with decent mango sherbet!”
“Sure,” Judy said, “It's been a while since I've gone to get ice cream.” She looped her arm through his, giving him a soft smile as he started leading their little group.
Doug and Harry hung back a bit, walking behind the pair. A comfortable silence fell over the four of them, the night claiming any need for small talk. It was at this moment, as they walked, that Harry thought of just how pretty Doug was in the dim lighting the streetlights provided And how Judy seemed to glow under the moonlight. How Tom held an effortless beauty, a kind he had never seen before. This wasn't the first time Harry had had thoughts like this. But it was the first time they hit him with such severity; and he knew, at this moment, that what he felt for his friends was more than what was deemed workplace appropriate.
And Doug, well, Doug had known that his friends were more than friends to him for a while. It was a gradual realization, something that had seemed to just have always been there. It was at Harry's birthday party, before Tom had joined them, that he had noticed just how much he cared for him. It was on an assignment with Judy when he realized she was the girl for him. And it was in that silly posh school when Doug registered just how much he wanted to kiss Tom. Many years later, it would be written 'I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once', but Doug would come to this understanding that night, as they walked to the ice cream parlor. Because that was the truth, wasn't it? He was in love with his friends.
Judy walked next to Tom, her arm looped through his, and thought. She had been in love before, but the way she felt about her boys seemed different somehow. Something about the three of them made her days seem brighter, that made rain days a bit less miserable, and the job seem a lot less demanding. Sometimes going into these schools and seeing kids ruin their lives hit pretty hard. But the minute she walked back into the station and saw her boys goofing around, or even just sitting and doing paperwork, she felt better; lighter. Like, with them around, she could do anything. It was no secret they thought she was kick-ass, they told her all the time. They knew she could handle herself, which she appreciated. They didn't think less of her because she was a woman, which is more than she can say for her former precinct. These boys were it for her, and she found herself completely okay with that.
Tom wasn't one to jump headfirst into relationships. But for these three? He'd leap into the deep end before learning to swim. It scared him that he was so infatuated with his friends after only three months. That he'd take a bullet for any of them without a second thought. That he trusted them so wholeheartedly with his life. It was the fact that he wanted to come home to them every night that scared him the most, though. That he wanted to wake up next to them every morning. He wanted to teach them how to bake and have weekly movie nights with them. He wanted all this and more, and it was terrifying. But they made it worth it. Just being able to be around them every day made the perpetual anxiety worth it. He's sure, that if anything ever did happen between them, the anxiety would fade with time. But for now, he was content with the fear and friendship.
Tom grinned at Judy, “Welcome to the best ice cream place in town.”
“I'll be the judge of that, Hanson,” Doug smiled, throwing an arm around Tom's shoulders as they entered the shop.
Just then there was a clatter from the back, “Tom Hanson, is that you?”
“You know it, Mr. Johnson!” Tom called back.
An elderly man walked out from the back, “How many times do I have to tell you to call me Don, kid?”
“At least once more, Mr. Johnson,” Tom grinned, “Where's Maggie?”
“Date night,” Don replied, “Who are these fine young kids?”
“This is Judy, Harry, and Doug,” Tom answered, gesturing to them.
“What's got you lot all fancy?” He asked.
Judy smiled, “Prom, sir.”
“Prom? Ain't y'all a little too old for prom? I remember Tom's prom night,” Don said with a grimace, "And drop all that sir nonsense.”
“We were undercover,” Harry replied.
Don nodded, “Right, that fancy job of yours.”
“I wouldn't call it fancy, Mr. Johnson,” Doug said, pulling Tom a little bit closer.
Don raised an eyebrow, giving Tom a look, “Maggie's been dying to see you again. She and Linda told me to tell you that if you don't call them soon, they'll storm your precinct. And Tris wants you over for dinner soon.”
“You tell Mrs. Johnson that I'll be over Thursday night for dinner. And I'll call Maggie tomorrow,” Tom replied with a nervous laugh, “We don't want them storming the place.”
“Right, well, I was about to close up but since you're here, what would you kids like?” He asked, picking up the ice cream scoop.
“I'll close up for you, Mr. Johnson. Go home,” Tom said, “Don't even think about complaining, Mrs. Johnson told me your knees been bothering you recently.”
Don sighed, “Alright, kid. Don't trash the place.” After turning the open sign and with a round of goodbyes, he went upstairs for the night.
Tom grinned, moving out from under Doug's arm, trying to ignore the way he missed the warmth. “We've got the place to ourselves!” He said, gesturing to the empty shop.
“He was sweet,” Judy remarked, walking over to look at the ice cream, “How do you know him so well?”
Tom hopped over the counter, “Grew up around here, remember? Dad and I used to stop by every Friday night, and I got my first job here.”
“That's neat,” Harry remarked.
“Yeah,” Tom said, “Now, what can I get you?”
Doug took a deep breath, leaning over the counter. “Well, I’d love your number for starters,” He smirked, hoping to god Tom couldn’t hear how nervous he was.
“I meant what kinda ice cream, Penhall,” Tom replied, doing his best to suppress a grin.
Doug deflated a little, upset his flirting wasn’t acknowledged. Harry placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You got coffee ice cream?” Doug asked.
“Yep!” Tom nodded, “Harry, Judy?”
“I'll take rocky road,” Harry said.
Judy smiled, “Mint chocolate chip please.”
Tom gave a small nod, “You got it. It'll be ready in a minute.”
“Cool, cool,” Doug said, moving to sit at one of the high tops with Harry and Judy. A comfortable silence fell over the store as Tom prepared their ice cream. Judy laid her head on Harry's shoulder as he draped his arm over her shoulders.
A few minutes later, Tom came over; four cups of ice cream balanced in his arms. “I've got mint chocolate chip for you Jude,” He smiled, placing the cup in front of her, “Rocky road for you, Ioki. And for you, Penhall, bubble gum ice cream; because I know coffee is not your first choice.”
“Now, how the hell do you know that?” Doug asked, a faint blush making an appearance.
“Lucky guess,” Tom shrugged, a knowing smirk gracing his face.
Judy chuckled, “Thanks for the ice cream, Tom. How much do we owe you?”
“It's on me,” He replied, sending her a smile. She smiled back before focusing her attention on the ice cream. She noticed something written on the side of the cup; it was Tom’s number. She couldn’t help but try and hide her smile when she saw the winky face he had drawn as well. She nudged Harry, showing him her cup. He smiled, revealing how his own cup had a very similar note from Tom. They gave each other a look before glancing over at Doug’s cup; any doubts they had were disproved by the black numbers written on the cup. They shared a glance again before looking at Tom. They made quick eye contact before he looked away, a light blush dusting his cheeks. He stared at his sherbet for a moment before speaking, “So, I know these three old ladies who all live together.”
“Okay?” Doug replied, raising an eyebrow.
Judy kicked his shin, “Let him speak.”
“So I’ve known them all my life, right? They were our neighbors when I was a kid, we were over for dinner at least once a month,” Tom continued, sending Judy a grateful look, “But there was always something different about them. The other people in the neighborhood would avoid their house and whisper awful things about them, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why.”
He shifted in his seat a little, glancing at the three of them in turn, “I was in high school when I finally figured out why everyone seemed to hate them. It’s because they were in a relationship— the three of them. They explained it to me one evening. The three of them had been dating since the 50s. And uh- well, what I’m trying to get at is- well-”
“You want us to be like that,” Harry finished.
Tom nodded, "Yeah."
“It would definitely be unconventional,” Judy remarked, “And we wouldn’t really be able to tell anyone.”
“But?” Tom asked, sensing her hesitation.
“But I think it might be worth the try,” She shrugged, “Unless I’ve been reading you guys wrong, we all have feelings for one another; and that’s all a relationship really needs, no matter how many people are in it.”
“I definitely like you guys,” Harry agreed, “I’m up to giving it a try.” They all turned to Doug, who was just staring at his ice cream, “Doug?”
He looked up, “I really like you guys.”
Harry smiled softly, “It’s decided then?”
“I guess so,” Tom grinned.
There was a small pause where they just gave each other dopey grins, each one just as excited about this new development as the other. The ice cream sat on the table, melting slowly as they were forgotten about. It was Doug who broke the silence, “Does that mean I can kiss you guys?”
Tom nodded, blushing lightly. Doug gave him a nervous smile before leaning in. Now, Tom wasn’t one for clichés, but he swore fireworks went off when Doug kissed him. Nothing else mattered at that moment, not even the need to breathe. Of course, eventually, breathing became a necessity, and they pulled away from each other; both of them breathing harder than before. “Wow,” Tom breathed.
“My turn,” Judy demanded, leaning across the table to pull Doug in by the front of his shirt. It wasn’t quite a conscious decision for Tom to kiss Harry, but it felt like the right thing to do. There was something magical about this moment; like they had created their own world at midnight in this old ice cream parlor as they traded kisses. Their little bubble faded gradually as the fatigue of the night seemed to catch up with them. “We should head back to the chapel,” Judy sighed.
“Yeah,” Harry agreed, standing up. He helped Judy to her feet, wincing in sympathy as she frowned at her heels.
“I gotta clean up in here first,” Tom said, collecting their forgotten ice cream cups, “You guys can go grab my car while I do that if you want.”
He handed the keys to Doug as Judy sat back down, taking her shoes off. “I’ll wait here with Tom, I’m not walking more than I have to in these shoes,” She explained.
Harry and Doug bid their goodbyes, kissing both of them on the forehead before leaving to retrieve Tom’s car. The other two sat in relative silence as Tom cleaned up, quiet music playing over the speakers. It wasn’t much later when Doug and Harry returned with the car, arriving just after Tom had finished closing up the shop. Doug walked in, handing the keys to Tom. “Harry’s waiting in the car,” He said.
“I do not want to put my shoes back on,” Judy complained, glaring at her heels.
“Let’s go, Princess,” Doug said, rolling his eyes fondly as he picked Judy up bridal style. She grinned, cuddling in closer to him.
The drive back to the chapel was a good kind of quiet. Tom kept glancing in the rearview mirror, watching Doug and Judy cuddle in the back seat. He jumped slightly when Harry placed his hand over his. He rolled his eyes when Harry laughed at him, sticking his tongue out in response. He pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later, holding Harry’s hand properly once they both got out. “So now what?” He asked.
“I guess we see each other tomorrow?” Judy replied.
Tom nodded, “Yeah, but we’ll go on out soon, right?”
“For sure,” Doug said, nudging Tom’s shoulder.
Tom was about to reply when a yellow van pulled up next to them, Jenko jumping out of the driver's seat. “Where have you kids been? I was about to go out looking for you,” He said, “Y’all were supposed to be back an hour ago.”
“Sorry Jenko,” Harry apologized, “We got a little sidetracked.”
He looked them over, pausing a moment when he noticed that Harry was still holding Tom’s hand and that Doug’s arm was wrapped around Judy’s waist and that Judy was holding Harry’s other hand. “Oh hey– kids, that’s great,” He smiled.
“What?” Doug asked, tilting his head slightly.
“Now I won’t tell anyone. But y’all should have told me,” Jenko continued, “It could be a complication in the field, dig?”
“I’m sorry,” Judy said, “What are you talking about?”
He gestured to their hands, “Whatever the four of you got going.” They pulled away from each other immediately, sharing a look of worry. “Now, don’t y’all worry. I’m about as hippie as they come, I’ve been in my fair share of unconventional arrangements. I won’t judge or stop you. You just have to be careful.”
“Thanks, Jenk,” Tom smiled.
“Anytime kids. Enjoy the rest of your night,” He smiled, getting back into his car, “Don’t forget to check in next time though!”
“We won’t!” Judy called back, “Drive safe!”
He waved as he pulled away, bidding them all a good night. They didn’t hang around for much longer after that, they had work in the morning after all. There was an understanding between them that something wonderful had been born that night and that nothing would be the same again. And, with a few last kisses and goodbyes, they went their separate ways.