Their Little Beauty (MxMxM+)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Do They, Don't They... Please Don't.

"You and me- I- we can't- they-". 

Looking between all the faces at the table, Jesse's one of anticipation and the other two of caution, Briar stood abruptly. 

"Well, um, I'm going to bed. Goodnight!". 

And then he was off, zipping from the room despite Jesse's voice desperately calling him back then he bolted up the steps, tripping up one and banging his knee but carrying on until his bedroom door slammed shut behind him. 

Sliding against the door so his bottom connected with the floor, Briar sat in silence for what felt like a lifetime. Then the realisation of what just happened hit all at once, leaving him feeling dazed.

So... Jesse had feelings for him. And judging from the older men that were in the room lacking any form of betrayal or shock upon their handsome faces, they knew about it. 

They fucking knew. 

"Ha!" he barked an incredulous laugh before scrubbing his face with a hand, covering his eyes from the world. 

If Jesse liked him, then maybe Quinn and Devon did too. Why the hell not, all three of the amazing people downstairs could have held endearment within their massive hearts for Briar. How incredible that would be- poor unlovable briar with three ridiculously attractive humans vying for his affections.

How unrealistic. The longer he thought about it, the more it seemed like a joke he had taken too seriously. Jesse was a prankster, they enjoyed messing around and teasing everyone in the household- sometimes to a point where Briar couldn't tell where the jokes stopped and sincerity started. Like when they started calling him Beauty and said it was because the moment the two met, they had found him unbelievably beautiful. Briar had always thought it was a slightly sarcastic or purely ironic nickname, not that they had actually found him beautiful.

But if they truly meant what they said, and that they truly liked him, what did all the hand holding and cuddling they'd been doing for a while, mean? Had Jesse been doing these things because they wanted to be closer to him romantically rather than the reason he had always assumed; that they were just a touchy person?

Oh no, we've been doing that in front of Quinn and Devon!  It must've made them so uncomfortable.

Briar got up and began pacing. He felt horrible, imagining how he would have felt should he have been dating someone and saw them doing all the things he and Jesse had done. He would've felt betrayed, hurt, mortified. That would be a level of pain he wouldn't have been able to bear. 

But... Devon and Quinn never seemed to mind. The first time Jesse chose to sidle up to Briar on the sofa and practically lay in his lap, a popcorn bowl shared between them (which the little fox ate most of), the men had simply watched them for a few moments before continuing their conversation like nothing odd was happening across from them. 

When Jesse grabbed his hand to tug him places or Quinn smoothed a hand over his hair, no one said anything or gave Briar looks of disdain. Devon cancelling plans with his husband last minute all to help Briar with something never seemed to lead to arguments. In fact, Quinn and Jesse often opted to bring them snacks or refreshments whenever he was being aided with high school exam preparations.

"Wait... so Jesse did all of that because they actually like me? And their partners knew. They knew and didn't... care? Why? Do they actually like me too?". 

Thinking for a while longer led him to one answer: yes, they did.

"OH, MY FUCKING FUCK! THEY ALL LIKE ME!" he screamed, unthinking of those below very likely hearing him, and leapt around the room like a caffeinated kangaroo.