Fic: Unexpected Circumstances
Unexpected Circumstances
Rating: Teen
Warning: No warnings apply
Characters: Laura Hobson, Robert Lewis, James Hathaway
Word count: 1,038
Summary: Taking a slow, deep breath, she marvelled again at the circumstances that had brought her - and them - to this point.
A little something that emerged from my WIPs folder when I took a wee break from my Summer Challenge piece.
Unbetaed, unpreviewed, all errors are mine.
Undecided as to whether to post to AO3
UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES
Dressed only in a silk robe, Laura curled up in the large wingback chair in the corner of the bedroom and cast her gaze fondly over the two sleeping forms snoring softly in her bed. Taking a slow, deep breath, she marvelled again at the circumstances that had brought her - and them - to this point.
When Robbie had first told her that being with him meant sharing him with James, she'd simply assumed he'd meant his time, and although she’d already figured that out for herself - Robbie and James were best mates, and Laura had learnt as a teenager that coming between best mates was the quickest way to lose someone - she appreciated Robbie’s honesty. And if, perchance, it meant she would have to spend more time with Robbie and James, well, she wasn't going to make a fuss. She was very fond of James (more than she’d have willingly admitted to anyone else), and had often wondered what could have been had he been a few years older, or she a few younger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robbie had cooked dinner for her - a roast chicken with the trimmings. She'd been touched by the effort he'd gone to, even more so when he'd told her James had been his guide through the process. She'd known a few men who could cook, but very few who would have openly volunteered that they had called on a mate to help them. Afterwards, with the dishes soaking in the sink, they'd curled up quietly with the remainder of the wine and an old movie. She'd been relaxed, looking forward to the rest of their evening, but something had changed in Robbie's demeanour as the movie progressed. There was a nervousness about him; he'd seemed uncertain, anxious.
Using the remote to turn off the telly, he’d shifted in his seat, forcing her to move with him. She’d felt a shuddering sigh leave his body.
"About James," he’d begun.
Laura had sat up and looked at his face. She had seen the deep creases in his brow that indicated he'd been thinking about what he was going to say for some time.
"I understand..." She’d slipped her hand over his.
"No, you don't," Robbie had whispered, and his eyes had fallen away from hers.
Robbie had begun to talk, quietly and slowly at first, his words becoming faster and deeper as they seemed to tumble over each other in their urgency to be heard.
Laura had listened carefully, first in gentle silence and then in nervous disbelief and quiet shock as Robbie's tale had unfolded.
He'd spoken of his love for James, and how they had simply fallen together, unconsciously, and quietly - the most natural thing in the world. "Seemed to happen overnight, though truth is we'd had a long courtship over many years - much of that effectively 'chaperoned' by our careers and respective positions. but when it happened..."
Laura had managed to whisper, "How long?"
"Since the Thornton case."
Her mind had raced backwards, trying to see the clues in hindsight. There had been signs - if you'd known you were looking for them - however, they had been very discreet. But if Robbie and James were together...?
"What happened? Why me? Why now? And James - what's..."
"James felt he was being selfish. He said I'd never really given you and I a proper shot and I should, before I made any decision to commit to him. He said he'd... he didn't want there to be any 'what ifs' hanging over us, and if, in the end, I chose you, then that was how it was meant to be. Thing is, I like this, you and me, I like it a lot, but James..." He'd sighed heavily and flushed beetroot red. Glancing sideways at Laura, he’d croaked, "I want both of you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes Robbie stayed at James's flat, sometimes James stayed at Robbie's. Laura occasionally went to one flat or the other, though more often than not Robbie or James stayed at her house. And sometimes, like tonight, all three stayed at Laura’s with its king-sized bed (as opposed to Robbie and James’s doubles) and large, deep bath. It should have been fraught with tension and jealousies, but it was all very relaxed and amicable. It could have been sordid, but it wasn't.
It was rich and varied, and oh, so satisfying. It wasn't solely about sex, though it was very much about intimacy. They understood each other on a level Laura wouldn't have thought possible. They never made plans about who would be with whom, or where. It was as though their energies sought out each other and knew who and what each other needed.
She knew she'd never be able to explain it to any of her family or friends, and she didn't care. Her heart told her they were together for the long haul and that was all that mattered.
Robbie was bright and content, James was joyful and at peace, and Laura was... well if she was completely honest, she was still stunned at the turn of events, but she was happy, very happy. How many other women could say they spent their nights with two of the Oxfordshire Police's finest? Her only regret was that Jean was still very much bound to Mr Innocent, in her heart if not in body. Laura knew Jean would fit their little group very well. Perhaps one day…
As her happiness threatened to once again bubble out in giggles, Laura pulled herself out of the chair. She removed her robe, draping it over the arm of the chair, and walked to the end of the bed. As she crawled over the covers and slipped back into the gap she’d left between the sleeping men, first Robbie then James moved unconsciously towards her. She snuggled down, tucking her head under Robbie's chin as his arm slipped around her waist. James wriggled closer and draped his arm over both of them, his chin coming to rest lightly at the top of her head, an action that would have brought his face within kissing distance of Robbie’s.
With a small, contented sigh, Laura drifted back to sleep, wondering which one of them would gently wake her in the morning.