Archer
“You know she’s figured out that I know where you are, right?” Jon shot Archer a look that said it all, he wasn’t happy to be brought back into the middle of his and Grace’s relationship. This thing between the three of them seemed to take on a life of its own and he didn’t know what to do about it. For as long as Archer could remember, he had been in love with Jon, and he knew that his best friend felt the same way. But they never really acted on their feelings, especially not in high school, when they were still trying to figure things out. Jon convinced him to go to the same college as him and Archer couldn’t find a reason not to. The last thing he wanted to do was be separated from Jon and choosing another college seemed pointless. They kept things platonic, even rooming together for the first two years. Jon started seeing Grace and Archer knew the score, even though he pretended not to. He wasn’t sure what his plan was, but he decided that Grace between them felt right. Archer secretly started dating her and when Jon found out, he demanded that Grace pick between the two of them. Archer told Jon about his plan to put Grace between them, but he balked at the idea, saying that no one would accept the three of them together and that it was unnatural. Archer didn’t give a fuck what other people thought, but Jon was dead set to make Grace choose. She spent months deciding and, in the end, she chose him. Archer hated the hurt in Jon’s eyes and the way he all but disappeared from their lives. Archer moved in with Grace and it took so long to mend their rift, but they finally did. Jon was even the best man at his wedding. But all that happened between the three of them, wasn’t enough to erase the fact that Archer still wanted Jon—that would never change. It felt as though he had been living a lie, being married to just one person who held half a piece of his heart. The other half belonged to the man standing in front of him, looking at him as though he wanted to punch him.
“Grace is going to figure things out sooner or later, Jon. I told you that I don’t want to hurt her, but this thing between us isn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t stay with Grace another day and not be with you too. It’s like allowing only half of my body to breathe, I just can’t live that way.” Archer reached for Jon’s arm, and he shrugged his hand off. “Please, help me to figure out what to do,” Archer begged.
Jon sighed and reached for Archer’s hand, “How the hell do you expect me to respond to all of this Arch? You made your choice, and you chose her. We can’t be together—not now, not ever. I told you that I won’t live a life hiding who I am, but I won’t choose this side of myself. I like both men and women, I just chose to be with women,” Jon whispered.
Archer growled and ran his hands through his overly long blond hair, making it stand on end. Jon smiled at him and squeezed his hand in his own. “How can you say that you’re happy living half a life, Jon? That’s exactly what you’re doing, denying half of your needs. What I proposed hell, what I’m proposing is that we put Gracie between us and see what the three of us can have together.”
“No,” Jon barked. “I won’t do that to her or you. What will people say?” Archer knew that Jon struggled with public opinion, especially in his line of work. As a political advisor, Jon was constantly in the spotlight. Archer knew that coming out as part of a threesome might destroy Jon’s political aspirations and that wasn’t what he wanted.
“What if we could find a way to keep things under wraps until we can figure out how everything will work?” Archer asked. Jon eyed him suspiciously and Archer felt hopeful for the first time in the more than two weeks since he left his wife. God, he missed her, and he felt like shit for the way he left things. Grace deserved better from him than a letter left saying that he needed time to think. Hell, all he had done was think since they said their vows. He made her promises that he couldn’t keep, and he’d do just about anything to make that up to her, including sharing the man that he believed they both wanted. Grace had no clue how Archer felt about Jon and why would she; he’d never given her any inkling that he was in love with Jon. But Archer saw the way Grace looked at Jon when she thought that no one was watching. He just hoped that Jon felt the same way about them both, otherwise he left his wife for nothing, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to fix things between them.
“So, let’s hear this plan.” Jon looked so unsure, but Archer knew that he was throwing him a lifeline and he was grateful. Archer was done sitting by and letting life just happen. He was ready to take what he wanted, and he wanted both Jon and Grace.
Archer aligned their bodies and softly kissed Jon’s lips. He wanted to laugh at how rigid Jon felt against him. He wrapped his arms around Jon’s waist and pulled him tighter against his body, deepening the kiss. Archer took Jon’s arms banding around his neck as a good sign. When Jon moaned, Archer dipped his tongue into Jon’s mouth to brush it with his own.
Jon broke the kiss, leaving them both breathless. “Fuck, Arch. You can’t just go around doing shit like that,” he growled. Archer couldn’t help his smile; Jon was always so dramatic even back in high school.
“Admit that you liked it, Jon.” Archer crossed his arms over his chest, and he didn’t miss the way Jon’s eyes flared with need and followed the bunch of his muscles.
“Fine,” Jon smiled back at him, “I fucking liked it,” he admitted. Archer breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Jon’s willing body against his own. He liked the way Jon’s brown eyes flashed with need and passion but most of all desire as he dipped his head to kiss him again. He finally had his best friend right where he wanted him and now, it was time to get his wife on board. If he played his cards right, Archer knew that he would finally have the two people he wanted most in the world. He wouldn’t fuck things up again, not this time.