Work Text:
The bar was crowded enough that Liam could barely hear the person next to him without leaning closer. Music pulsed through the room, the bass vibrating through the floor beneath his boots while colored lights painted everything in shifting shades of blue and purple. It was loud, chaotic, and exactly the kind of place Ruby loved.
Liam stood at the bar with a beer in one hand, watching the crowd with mild amusement. Beside him, Ruby sipped a brightly colored cocktail before abruptly pausing mid-conversation. Her attention had been stolen by a brunette walking across the room in a pair of very tight jeans.
"Damn," Ruby said appreciatively.
Liam followed her gaze and immediately understood.
"Yeah," he agreed.
Ruby looked delighted that he'd come to the same conclusion. "Right?"
"Right."
The brunette disappeared into the crowd and Ruby nudged him with her shoulder. "This is why we're superior."
Liam snorted. "We're not superior."
"We absolutely are." She gestured dramatically with her drink. "Most couples fight about checking people out. We have discussions."
"We have ratings."
"We have standards."
"We do not have standards."
Ruby gasped in mock offense. "Take that back."
Liam couldn't help laughing. God, he loved her. People always seemed confused by their relationship. Maybe it was because Ruby was bisexual. Maybe it was because Liam was completely comfortable with that fact. Either way, the combination appeared to short-circuit a surprising number of brains.
To Liam, it had never seemed complicated.
Girls were attractive. Ruby noticed attractive girls. Liam noticed attractive girls. Sometimes they noticed the same attractive girls. The world continued spinning.
Across the room, a woman with bright pink hair caught Ruby's attention. Liam watched the exact moment her focus vanished.
"Oh wow," Ruby breathed.
"There she goes."
"There who goes?"
"The last functioning thought in your head."
Ruby rolled her eyes before grinning. "She's pretty."
"Then go dance."
Her expression softened slightly. Even after a couple years together, she still checked. "You sure?"
"Ruby."
The smile she gave him could have powered half the city. Rising onto her toes, she kissed his cheek before heading toward the dance floor. "You're my favorite."
"That's because I'm buying drinks."
"Partly."
Liam shook his head as she disappeared into the crowd. Ten minutes later she was dancing with a brunette near the center of the floor. Not grinding. Not making out. Just laughing, talking, and flirting harmlessly while music blasted around them.
Liam took another sip of beer and returned his attention to a hockey game playing silently on one of the televisions overhead.
Unfortunately, peace never lasted. A stranger slid onto the stool beside him and nodded toward the dance floor. "Your girl?"
Liam glanced over. Ruby was currently laughing so hard she nearly spilled her drink. "Yep."
The stranger followed Liam's gaze. "And you're okay with that?"
Liam already knew where this conversation was headed. "With dancing?" he asked.
The man gave him a look. "You know what I mean."
"No, actually, I don't."
The stranger frowned. "She's flirting with another woman."
"Yeah."
"And you're okay with that."
"Yeah."
The man looked genuinely confused by the answer. "So she's bisexual."
Liam stared at him for a moment. "Excellent observation."
The sarcasm sailed right over the guy's head. "So doesn't that bother you?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Liam honestly didn't know how to answer that. Because Ruby wasn't property. Because attraction wasn't cheating. Because trust was kind of the entire point.
Instead, he shrugged. "Because I trust her."
The stranger laughed as though Liam had just admitted to believing in fairies. "Dude. You're asking to get your heart broken."
There it was. The assumption. Liam had heard versions of it before.
The stranger leaned forward conspiratorially. "One day she's gonna realize women are better."
Liam blinked and then laughed. The guy looked offended. "What?"
"You think sexuality works like picking a favorite pizza topping?"
The stranger frowned. "That's not what I said."
"It's pretty close."
The man gestured toward Ruby. "Come on. Look at her."
Liam did. Ruby was smiling at something the brunette had said, her dark hair falling over one shoulder as she laughed. She looked happy. Comfortable. Beautiful.
His chest warmed automatically. "Yeah," Liam said. "I'm looking."
The stranger shook his head. "You know what I mean."
"No. I really don't."
The guy sighed dramatically. "Women can give her things you can't."
Liam nearly laughed again. "Buddy, everyone can give people things I can't."
The stranger looked baffled.
"There are eight billion people on the planet," Liam continued. "Someone's always funnier. Smarter. Better looking. Better at something."
"That's depressing."
"No. That's reality."
The stranger still didn't seem convinced. "But she's attracted to women."
"And men."
"Yeah, but —"
"But nothing."
Liam set his beer down. "Ruby chose me."
The man fell silent. For approximately three seconds. Then he ruined it. "So what? You guys have threesomes all the time?"
Liam nearly inhaled his drink. "What?"
The stranger nodded as though he'd finally asked the important question. "You know. Since she's bi."
Liam stared at him. "No."
The guy blinked. "No?"
"No."
"Never?"
"No."
The confusion on the man's face somehow managed to be genuine. "But isn't that the whole point?"
Liam buried his face in one hand. "The whole point of what?"
"Dating a bisexual girl."
Before Liam could answer, another voice joined the conversation. "Wow."
Ruby appeared beside them carrying her drink. "That was physically painful to listen to."
The stranger jumped. Ruby looked delighted.
"Oh my God." She pointed at Liam. "Did he ask about threesomes?"
"He absolutely asked about threesomes."
Ruby groaned. "Why is it always threesomes?"
The stranger's face turned bright red. Ruby ignored him entirely and slid onto Liam's lap. Liam wrapped an arm around her waist automatically, earning a satisfied hum from her as she settled against him.
"Let me guess," she said. "He also thinks I'm eventually going to leave you for a woman."
The stranger suddenly found the bar counter very interesting. Liam sighed. "He may have mentioned that."
Ruby immediately burst out laughing. "Oh, that's my favorite one."
The stranger looked horrified. Ruby pointed at him. "Okay, serious question. Do you think every straight person secretly wants to run off with every attractive person they see?"
"No."
"Then why would I?"
The man opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again but nothing came out.
Ruby looked victorious. "Exactly."
She leaned back against Liam's chest and took a sip of her drink. "Girls are hot."
"True," Liam agreed.
"Really hot."
"Also true."
"Like, objectively."
"Absolutely."
Ruby nodded solemnly. "See? He understands."
The stranger looked more confused than ever. Ruby turned toward him with a grin. "Girls are amazing."
For a second, hope appeared in the man's eyes. Then Ruby hooked a finger through Liam's belt loop and tugged him closer. "But this is my puppy."
Liam groaned. Ruby laughed. The stranger blinked. "Puppy?"
"It's a long story," Liam muttered.
"It really is," Ruby agreed.
Then she looked up at Liam. The teasing remained, but something softer settled beneath it. Something warm and genuine. Without another word, she kissed him.
Not for show or to make a point, just because she wanted to. Liam's hand slid to the back of her neck as the noise of the bar faded into the background. When they finally pulled apart, Ruby rested her forehead against his.
"There," she said smugly. "Proof."
"Proof of what?"
"That you're stuck with me."
"Terrifying."
"I know."
She kissed his cheek. Then she finally turned back toward the stranger. "Being bisexual doesn't mean I'm half committed," she said gently. "It doesn't mean I'm secretly looking for an upgrade. It doesn't mean every attractive woman is a threat to my relationship."
The man looked embarrassed now. Ruby smiled. "It just means I can appreciate attractive people regardless of gender."
"And?" the stranger asked quietly.
"And when I chose Liam, I chose Liam."
The simplicity of it seemed to hit him. "Oh."
"Yeah."
For a moment, nobody spoke. Then the stranger rubbed the back of his neck and gave an awkward laugh. "I guess I never thought about it like that."
Ruby grinned. "We noticed."
A minute later the man excused himself and vanished into the crowd. The second he was gone, Ruby buried her face against Liam's shoulder and started laughing. "Oh my God."
"I know."
"'Isn't that the whole point?'"
"Please stop repeating it."
"I'm never stopping."
Liam groaned while Ruby continued laughing.
Eventually she stood and offered him her hand. "Come dance with me."
"I dance like a wounded moose."
"You dance like a puppy."
"That's not better."
"It is to me."
Liam rolled his eyes but took her hand anyway. Ruby's grin widened triumphantly as she pulled him toward the dance floor.
The brunette from earlier waved when she spotted them. Ruby waved back enthusiastically before immediately getting distracted by another attractive woman walking past. Liam just laughed. People made it sound complicated.
It wasn't. Trust wasn't complicated. Love wasn't complicated.
And Ruby Redmoon, bisexual chaos, professional flirt, and the absolute love of his life, was still very much his. Just as Liam Dunbar was very much hers.