Work Text:
Jimmy was staring.
He couldn’t help it. Him and Scott were eating lunch, sitting where they normally did in the grass outside the school. Normally, no one else was around, but today some of the other kids were messing about outside. Skizz, BigB. And Tango.
The three were playing some game with sticks on the floor while they ate their lunches. Or at least that was Jimmy’s theory. He couldn’t see very well from where he was. Or maybe he could, if he had actually been paying attention. Instead, he was mesmerized by something else.
Tango was laughing.
And maybe, it wasn’t that normal that Jimmy was distracted so easily by one of his friends laughing. But Tango’s laugh just made him happy. The giant, unapologetic grin that came with it. The mischievous look on his face as he took the pile of sticks Skizz had accumulated.
So maybe Jimmy was staring. Maybe it might’ve seemed weird. But Tango was never just some friend anyway. They were his rancher! One of his best friends. And sure, maybe when the two were squished together on the couch at the Halloween party, and he could feel just how warm Tango was, Jimmy was panicking a little bit, but that didn’t mean—
“Hello? Earth to my wonderful boyfriend?” A hand waved in front of his face.
Jimmy turned to look at his partner. “Huh?”
Scott let out a light laugh and asked, “You haven’t been listening to a single word I’ve said, have you?”
“No, no, I was listening! You were saying, uhm… ah.”
“Uh huh,” Scott responded knowingly, “So, you and Tango, huh?”
“What do you mean?” Jimmy tried to play it off. How was he supposed to tell his boyfriend that he might’ve been crushing on another man? Really, Jimmy wasn’t being a good partner. Being mesmerized by someone else’s laugh. Sure, Tango was great, but Jimmy loved Scott too much to be acting like this. Like a cheater.
“You should ask him out. He’s cute. And a nice guy,” Scott suggested.
Jimmy was flabbergasted. Scott seemed genuine. But what sane person would tell their partner to ask another person out? He must have been joking. Or teasing.
But Scott never did seem sane anyway.
“Yeah, yeah…” Jimmy laughed, playing it off again, treating it as the joke it surely must have been.
“If you don’t ask him out I will,” Scott said deadpan, before seeing the confused look on his boyfriend’s face and continuing, “I’m serious. You ask him out or I will. I’ll get the bragging rights.”
“Wh- But, we’re already dating. What do you mean ‘ask Tango out?’”
“Well. You like Tango, clearly. I’m pretty confident he likes you back. So you should ask him out.”
Jimmy thought he understood now. This must be some sort of test. If he agrees, Scott breaks up with him.
Scott, clearly sensing his discomfort, asked a question with a smile on his face.
“Jimmy, do you know what polyamory is?”
“I think I’ve heard the word,” Jimmy answered, “But I’m not sure what it means. I think Joel said something about polyamory at one point?”
“Joel is definitely polyamorous,” Scott confirmed, “The man has some sort of harem , I swear.”
“What… what is polyamory?”
Scott’s smile widened. “Someone who is polyamorous is basically someone who wants to date multiple people at the same time,” he explained, “I’m polyamorous. I’ve had crushes while in relationships, and while I’ve never ended up dating two people simultaneously, I have considered it. And it seems like you might be, too.”
“Oh,” Jimmy responded, one sound worth a million thoughts and questions, “So… I’m allowed to like both you and Tango?”
“Definitely,” Scott reassured, “Actually, it might simplify things for the two of us a little bit. I love you, Jimmy, and I like Tango, too.”
“Really?” Jimmy said, shocked.
“Mhm,” his partner nodded, “He’s actually really cute.”
Jimmy sighed, “Right?! I swear, he laughs and I just… deflate.”
“Seriously,” Scott laughed.
“So,” Jimmy rerailed the conversation, “I might be… polyamorous?”
“Yes,” Scott said, “And if you want to date other people at the same time as me, I’m fine with it. As long as there is some discussion between us first.”
“Of course,” Jimmy agreed, “And… you can date other people too. That sounds good to me.”
The two were giggling at the awkward tone of Jimmy’s words when they heard an approaching voice.
“Hey guys!” Tango said with cheer, carrying his pile of sticks in his arms, “What are you two lovebirds talkificating about?”
“Oh, I was just explaining the concept of polyamory to Jimmy,” Scott said, with no shame.
“Scott! That was a private conversation!”
“Mhm,” he hummed in faux sympathy. “Anyway, Tango, what have you been up to?”
“Oh, we were gambling with sticks,” they said excitedly, “I won! If you can’t tell.”
“Oh, good job!” Scott began to subtly elbow Jimmy in the side, “What does winning sticks get you anyway?”
“Why, bragging rights of course! Also Skizz is driving me home for a month now. Of course, he would’ve done that anyway, but it’s funnier to say that it’s for the bet.”
“It always is,” Scott agreed, “But I would’ve gambled for something better. Maybe his firstborn.”
“Y- Yeah,” Tango laughed. “Problem is I’m basically Impulse and Skizz’s firstborn, so that would be a bit problematic.”
“Fair point,” they agreed, before turning the conversation in a completely different direction. “Jimmy has a question to ask you.”
“I do?! ” Jimmy yelped. Scott looked at him expectantly. “Uhm- right, yeah! Tango, did you ever figure out what problems the math homework was supposed to be?”
“Oh yeah, I think it was—” Tango started to respond, before Scott cut him off.
“That was not the question I meant actually,” they corrected.
“Well, I’ve got no idea what question you do mean, then,” Jimmy lied. He was not asking Tango out. No way.
“Well, I’ll ask it then,” Scott said. “Tango, do you want to go out with me sometime?”
“Scott!” Jimmy shouted, panicked.
“Wh- huh?” Tango stammered, “Aren’t- aren’t you two- datificating? What do you mean? Me going out with you?”
“We are,” Scott said, “But we want to date you, too. Right, Jimmy?”
Jimmy realized they were too far into this to back out without making it worse. “Yeah, we would,” he admitted nervously, “You’re— you’re a really cool guy, Tango, and I didn’t know polyamory was a thing until like five minutes ago, but now that I know I can like you without feeling bad about it because of my relationship with Scott, I think— yeah.”
Tango seemed shocked and flustered.
“And I think you’re cute, too,” Scott flirted shamelessly, “I may not be as close with you as Jimmy is, but I can appreciate a kind and handsome person when I see one.”
Tango was blushing bright red now. Jimmy could almost feel the heat coming off of him. “You guys, you two— datificaters— want me to date you too?” After receiving two very eager nods, he continued, “I- I’d like that I think. I’ve liked you two for a while now, but I didn’t know if either of you was polyamorous, or if you liked me like that anyway, but if you are, and if you do… I think we could. Do something sometime.”
“Yeah!” Jimmy said excitedly, “We could… uhm. I’m not that great at date ideas.”
“We can figure something out,” Scott said, the bell ringing, signifying the end of lunch, “But for now, can we agree that the three of us can go out together sometime?”
A resounding and excited “Yes” came from his two companions, with wide smiles on their faces, before the three headed their separate ways to class, fantasizing about the date to come.