1+1+1=Whole 6/6
special thanks to
my beta bubbleslayer
ceshkaravenstar
sororcula for listeing to me whine for the last 3 weeks! <>
Pairing(s): Don/Coop/Lia(OFC)
Rating: R
Warning(s):Slash
Author's Notes: As always thank you my beta bubbleslayer who as always helps me with content and reigns me when needed
Don watched Coop stalk away and follow Lia into the bedroom. He heard him softly knock and then enter the room. Don sat there stunned. He’d thought that he was doing the right thing by stepping back. Don had thought that this was what they’d wanted when he’d overheard their conversation the night before. Had he misunderstood? He’d heard them say that there was something between them, but Don was in the middle.
&&&
Coop knocked on the bedroom door, “Lee? Can I come in?” Coop entered the bedroom. Lia was sitting on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands. She looked at him as he sat down next to her. She said, “God, what the hell was that all about?” She wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes.
He shrugged, “I don’t know, but it is so like him. Thinking that he always has to be the chivalrous one. Falling on his sword for everyone else.”
She smirked at his comment. She blew out a loud breath, “I can’t take much more of this. The man is making me crazy.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “We, give him everything that he wants and this is what we get for our pains.”
“Yeah, I know,” he answered wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They split apart when they heard a knock at the door. Lia got up to lean against the bureau while Coop stayed sitting on the bed.
Don stepped into the bedroom glancing at both Coop and Lia. Coop gave him a stony glance while Lia turned her tear stained face away. He started to walk towards her, his heart breaking at seeing her so upset. She put up her hand and said fiercely, “Don’t.”
Don ran his hands through his hair before rubbing his forehead trying to think of what to say. “Please, I thought….”
“You thought what Don? What? Please enlighten us on what you are thinking,” snapped Lia.
“I just wanted to do what was right. Bow out gracefully.” Don replied lamely. “I heard you two talking and you have to know that I would do anything, anything to make sure both of you are happy.”
“You have no idea what we were talking about ‘cause if you did you would know that the last thing we would want is to leave you,” Lia said, her voice cracking with emotions.
“You make assumptions that affect not just you, but Lia and me, without talking to us? Come on man, are you really that much of a control freak?” Don cool feel Billy’s anger radiating off of him.
Don starting to feel a bit of his temper flare up, “I know what I heard. Are you going to deny that there isn’t something going on between the two of you?” He glared at them both, “Well, are you gonna answer me?”
“Yes! Yes, Don. There, you happy now? Is that what you wanted to know? Does that make you feel better,” Lia shouted.
“No, ‘cause you two can’t! You’re suppose to be mine,” he yelled back.
“Yours! Yours! How dare you Don Eppes?”
“Lee, Don, calm down. You two yelling at each other is not helping.”
Don looked over at Billy and if it had been any other day he would have found the idea of Billy Cooper being the voice of reason hilarious.
“Whatever Bill. Do you hear him? Hear this nonsense? First, he tells us that he wants to break up with us, then he gets all jealous and tells us we’re his,” she sneered.
“I’m not jealous,” Don said quietly.
Coop snorted, “You could have fooled me.”
“Well, I’m not.”
“Then what Don? Tell us what,” Lia answered.
Don sighed and thought ‘could I have fucked this up anymore than I have?’ He rubbed his forehead, “I’m not jealous. I just don’t want you to leave me. Leave me behind and alone.” He sank down onto the bed next to Coop.
Terrible realization passed over both Coop and Lia’s faces. “Shit Don, why would you even think that? We have no intentions of leaving you,” Coop murmured.
Shaking her head Lia tentatively walked towards Don laying a head on his arm. “Who hurt you so bad? Making you so suspicious of others? They hurt you so bad that you can’t allow yourself to be happy and to be loved.” Tears were forming in her eyes, “ ‘Cause if I ever find them I will kill them.”
He touched the side of her face amused at how fierce and loving she could be towards him.
She cleared her throat, “Don listen to me. We don’t want to leave you, that’s not our intention. But I can’t help the way I feel. I never imagined that I would think of Bill like this, and I am sure the same goes for him. So please believe me that I, we, never meant for this.”
“So, you don’t want to stop seeing me?” He watched them both shake their heads, “But you do want to see each other?”
Coop shrugged, “I guess. I mean, I don’t know. Lee?”
She sat down on the other of Don. She ran her hand over her forehead and her eyes were closed. “I don’t know. I just….we shouldn’t have started this between all three of us. We should have kept it all separate because now look at this mess.”
“Why? ‘Cause hell, this has been the best damn three months I’ve had in years,” replied Coop. “I know it’s not ideal, and not what you wanted, but it is what it is.”
Don took a deep breath, “Whatever you two want, I mean, I’ll do whatever you want. If that means I have to share you two with each other then I can do that. You two did it for me so I guess I need to do it for you too.” He turned to Lia, “What do you want Lee?”
“I don’t know. I am so confused, all I can think of is what if it doesn’t work out with us Bill, will that ruin things with Don? Will it ruin what friendship we have? If things don’t work out will you and Don leave me? You are not the only who is afraid Don.” She started to wring her hands together, “You have no idea what it’s been like for me. Every day I wonder if you’ll finally make a choice and you’ll leave me behind in the dust. There is so much history between the two of you that I can’t even touch the surface of that.” Fresh tears began to spill down her cheeks.
“Oh god Lee, I didn’t know this has been so hard on you. I thought you were happy,” Don said as he gave a pointed look to Coop.
“I was, I, I am. I’m just really afraid,” her voice cracked with emotions.
Coop said gently, “Don’s not gonna leave you. You make him happy Lee.” He waggled his eyebrows teasingly, “I on the other hand, I just drive him crazy with lust.”
Despite his best efforts Don let out a chuckle, “Nah men, not lust, you just make me crazy.” He looked over at Lia who had a small smile on her lips and was shaking her head.
Coop softly spoke, “Seriously Lee, if you don’t want to see me too, it’s cool. I don’t want to force that on you. I’ll back off. It doesn’t have to be all three of us.”
Don added, “Seriously, whatever you want. I know it will be weird at first but like you said to me once ‘I just want you to be happy.’ And besides, do you really want to break up the three musketeers,” Don asked earning himself a small laugh from Lia.
“No, I don’t want that. This is just really hard. How do you do this Don? I mean, it’s been only a couple of weeks and I can’t stand being so divided.”
Don sighed, “Lee, I don’t know. I guess I’ve just been so happy that both of you are with me that I don’t worry about it. Things have worked so well that I don’t worry about it. Truth be told, I may have known Billy longer, but my feelings for the two of you are balanced.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “But, all I can say is that we take it slow. And between all three of I think we can figure it out.”
She nodded her head, “Okay.”
Coop asked, “So, we good here? You know for right now.”
“Yeah, I think so. I think we just might be okay,” Lia replied tentatively.
Coop clasped his hands together and teased, “Great! So this means makeup sex right?”
Lia rolled her eyes, “He’s kidding right?”
“Nope, I don’t believe he is,” Don smirked.
“Come on! Makeup sex is the best kind of sex.”
Don turned towards Lia, “You sure you want to get more involved with this man?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking I might need to rethink this bright idea,” she said slyly.
“Hey, come on,” Coop interjected. “You know you want too.” He waggled his eyebrows at both of them.
Lia stood, “Okay well you two can have makeup sex. I am going to go dig into the chocolate tort that I made ‘cause chocolate tort trumps both of you any day.”
“Hey that’s not nice,” Don said with mock horror “But your chocolate tort is really good.” He stood and followed Lia.
Coop followed them, “So what? After chocolate tort, makeup sex? ‘Cause I think Don has a lot of making up do. And besides, didn’t you just buy a new bottle of honey?”