OOC: backstory fic
Title: Polyamory’s Not For Everybody
Authors: Karra and Dele
Summary: Polyamory is one thing. Fucking everything on two legs is quite another.
***
Donna bounced Lydia on her lap, sitting at the kitchen table in Tommy’s house. Since Frank’s ‘untimely’ death, the three of them had been living together. It made things simpler, although Tommy regularly complained that the bed wasn’t big enough, Izzy had cold feet and Donna snored.
Donna was of the opinion that if Tommy liked getting laid on a regular basis, he’d stop complaining about them.
Izzy was mostly of the opinion that Tommy should just shut the hell up. But that was how Izzy felt most of them time. She was currently making coffee and eggs for everyone, and didn't look...all that happy, really.
Oh boy.
“Third time this week,” Donna said, quietly.
Izzy didn’t ask what she meant. She didn’t answer for a while, either, stirring the coffee far longer than she needed to. “It’s not working.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Where is he?”
“He said he was going to the club.”
“What he said means jack. I won't have another Frank situation."
"I know."
"I can't deal with that..."
"I know."
Izzy sat down, looking at Lydia. "It really isn't working.”
Donna stared down at the baby. “It’s not. And we’re…God, Izzy, you know we’d barely be holding it together even if he weren’t sleeping with every little idiot he comes across.”
“Yeah.” Izzy warmed her hands around a coffee mug, staring down into it. “We need to talk to him.”
“There’s a job waiting for me.” Donna said, quietly. “In Chicago.”
Izzy didn't look up. "Oh?"
"Teaching. Kindergarten."
"Huh." Izzy didn't say anything, anything at all. What could she say? Really?
This wasn't working.
Tommy didn’t get home for another three hours. When he did, the two women were still sat where they’d been when he left the house. Donna looked up when he walked in; Izzy didn’t.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, for once actually paying enough attention to realise that yes, there was something wrong.
“This isn’t working.” They said it at the same time, glanced at each other and chuckled, weakly.
He stared at them. For a long, long moment. He took Lydia and sat down. "Excuse me?"
"It's not working, Tommy. I can't do this. I won't sit here while you screw every girl in town." Izzy finally said, not looking at him.
“I’m not going to do this jealous girlfriend bullshit,” Donna said, reaching out to play with Lydia’s tiny hands. “I’m not. We’re not. You want to fuck everything in Texas with tits? Fine. I’m not going to stay here and watch you do it.”
“I’m not leaving-“ unlike someone “-but you and me? You and me and Donna? We’re over, Tommy. This was the last fucking straw.” Izzy closed her eyes. “I’m tired of it.”
“I have a job waiting in Chicago. I’m not taking Lydia with me, she’ll be better off here with you and Izzy and we all know that.” Donna rubbed the back of her neck, her expression unhappy. “But I can’t stay here.”
“I tried,” Tommy said, quietly, looking down at his daughter. Too young to understand what was going on. “I honestly tried.”
“You didn’t try hard enough,” Izzy snapped. "You didn't try at all! Dammit, Tommy..." She shook her head, not looking at him. Looking anywhere but him.
"I'm sorry."
"Fuck you."
Donna stood up. “I need to pack.”
“You’re really going all the way to Chicago?” Tommy sounded like they’d blown all the wind out of his sails. He shifted Lydia on his knee.
“I’ve run out of reasons to stay.”
Izzy didn’t say anything.