(Untitled)

[theunascended]

Dinner. It'd been a long time since he'd actually made dinner. It wasn't anything special this time. Just bits and pieces tossed together to make something that Daniel wasn't sure what to call. But it was food. And there was a table. And there were notes that he was using

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[karmic_darwin]

When Daniel told him he'd invited Alcuin to join them for a working dinner, Mohinder had been vaguely piqued. He wouldn't have invited Alcuin to spend time with he and Daniel, for any reason, without consulting Daniel first. Because of the awkwardness of how they'd gotten together in the first place.

But they did have to teach the class together. And he had been the one who'd been with Alcuin, so if Daniel felt comfortable about the three of them being together, Mohinder couldn't object. It might be uncomfortable for him with the rec room's mischief fresh in his mind, but if it would make Daniel comfortable, he would do it and smile.

As always in the evenings, he found Daniel with his nose buried in a book. If they hadn't been expecting Alcuin as well, he'd have settled on the bed with a book of his own and forgotten Daniel was there until they both happened to look up at the same time. Tonight, they needed to be present.

So he moved behind Daniel, bent and kissed the side of his neck, murmuring, "Hello, professor" in French, and

[will_you_see]

Alcuin watched them, a small shiver of desire passing over him. He felt little in the way of jealousy now, and what lingered was more wishing that he had something like that than wanting either of them for his own.

He took Mohinder's hand and then slid his hand up his arm, resting his hands on both men's backs. "I you to be absolutely sure," he said softly, the words nearly a caress. "I'm going to go inside for a moment and make some tea."

And then he left them there, wanting to be sure that they had a chance to decide together, alone.

[theunascended]

"I am absolutely sure," Daniel said, but he let Alcuin go, running his hand along Mohinder's chest. Softer, he added softly enough that Mohinder was the only one that heard it, "I am."

He was, too. He'd determined that this was the easiest and possibly only way to stop the fights. Daniel didn't necessarily want to sleep with someone else. Maybe if things had been more settled, he'd have considered it.

Now, he just wanted the fights to go away.

"You're sure, aren't you?"

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder placed his hand over Daniel's, trapping it against his heart. For a long minute, he simply looked at Daniel, breathing unevenly through parted lips.

"Honestly, Daniel," he said quietly. "I don't need this. I'm not even sure I want it. But if you do, if it will help, then I will be sure."

He would be, without reservation, but not before he made certain Daniel could never feel he had wanted Alcuin enough to jeopardize what they shared. And not before Daniel knew why he would do it. "I care for Alcuin, but--" His lips curved into a soft, truly intimate smile, and his thumb grazed Daniel's cheekbone. "Not like this."

Not like falling so fast and hard he still hadn't caught his breath.

[theunascended]

"Won't it help you?" he asked, equally as softly. "We're never going to get past this if we don't do something and, as you pointed out, we're both attracted to Alcuin. Or are you going to be uncomfortable every time we're in the room teaching?"

He sighed. The words were reminiscent of what he'd told Owen. Last resort. He really didn't want to associate the two. He didn't want this to be the last resort.

"Something was suggesting to you that the three of us be together or else the jukebox never would have picked up on it, but if you don't want to do this, we'll tell him no."

He knew which he preferred, but his suggestive glance into the hut said something completely different.

[karmic_darwin]

"We've done something," Mohinder answered, gaze never wavering from Daniel's. "Talking about it, with Alcuin, knowing you would do this for me, and that I would with Jack or even Owen for you...that's enough. My discomfort with Alcuin stemmed from knowing he'd wanted both of us, and that I'd hurt you with him."

Unless there was someone else, someone he didn't know about with whom he shared Daniel's affections, his hurt had passed. It would never feel good not to be the only one Daniel wanted, but Mohinder trusted him and believed he'd chosen him.

"It's all in the open now, acknowledged." He shrugged one shoulder, then caressed Daniel's jawline. "It might be fun, someday, to share Alcuin. But for me, that day is not today. When I go to bed tonight, I want it to be with you." He bent and pressed a soft kiss to Daniel's lips. "Just you."

[theunascended]

"And the next time the jukebox decides to taunt you again? Not to mention I'm not sure there'd be another time if not now." He gave Mohinder a sad smile and pulled away a little, turning and looking away at the path out of the area.

"After Ianto broke up with me, I continued to go to the temples. You saw what happened. My broken wrist. And a concussion. Alcuin was there visiting someone and he noticed me and came to check up on me."

His voice went soft as he remembered.

"I was dreaming about my wife. And I kissed him before I realized I'd woken up. He invited me to stay for a few days once I got out of the infirmary. So I went. I almost slept with him. But I wasn't quite ready. I was still too hopeful that I could work things out. He's forgiven me a lot."

Why he didn't just accept the 'not now', he wasn't sure. Maybe because Mohinder had brought up Jack and Owen after Daniel had told him that nothing would happen. Period. "You will be with me," he said softly. "Either way."

[karmic_darwin]

"The next time the jukebox, or the bookshelf, or the island decides to taunt us, we will all three laugh together," Mohinder answered confidently, stepping behind Daniel and wrapping his arms around his waist. "And if there is never another time, then there won't be."

Hearing that Daniel had almost slept with Alcuin didn't hurt. Maybe it should have, but it didn't. "I am genuinely glad Alcuin was there for you after Ianto and the temples. You needed someone, and it couldn't have been me. If it would help you to know the details of what passed between Alcuin and I, I'll tell you. But I want you to know that we didn't have intercourse."

He bent his head to kiss Daniel's throat. "I am attracted to Alcuin, as are you. But attraction is not the same as desire. I can go to bed with both of you. I want only you."

[theunascended]

"Tell Alcuin that you've changed your mind, then," Daniel said, giving no hint of how that made him feel. He kissed Mohinder and pulled away, cleaning up the dishes.

"I just hope he doesn't take it badly. That's how I hurt him last time."

Alcuin had been right. They were just going around in circles. Daniel was tired of it, but there wasn't anything he could do. Not willingly, at least. Not yet. Not ever, if he had his way. But Mohinder seemed to think that he'd sleep with Jack or, god, Owen, if given the chance.

Daniel wondered if he'd ever be able to convince Mohinder he wouldn't.

[karmic_darwin]

When Daniel pulled away, Mohinder sighed in frustration. This should be the right thing, telling Daniel he didn't want anyone else. But Daniel seemed disappointed. It made no sense, after he'd been so adamant about Dani.

He pushed a hand through his hair. "If you tell me you want this because you want Alcuin, then I am willing to do this with you. Talk to me. Please? Tell me why you want to do this. Because I'm not seeing how it's right for anyone."

Including Alcuin, who should be loved for himself. Not as a fix for a problem that wasn't even a problem, just the past being laid to rest.

[theunascended]

"Mohinder." Tell him or not?

"I don't see how it's wrong for anyone. Before you second guessed it, before Alcuin left to give us time to think, what was your first reaction? You kissed me and held a hand out to him."

Daniel caught Mohinder's eye.

"Slightly more than willing, remember?" He smiled. "You over-think things. I should know. I do the same thing. Before it was just a natural continuation of where the conversation had turned and now you're asking me to give you reasons and facts and logic."

He licked his lips. "And before you second guessed it, I'd already said yes."

[karmic_darwin]

"Daniel." Mohinder shook his head, smiling, because Daniel was, and he couldn't not smile when Daniel did. "I'm a scientist and a philosopher. Of course I want reasons and facts and logic."

He crossed his arms over his chest, tucking in his hands, and leaning against the side of the hut. "You told me, when we talked about Jack, and again about Owen, that you couldn't control your feelings but you could control your behavior. I believe that. And I'm exercising that same control here."

But seeing Daniel look interested automatically made him start thinking about Daniel naked, panting and sweat-slicked from pleasure. The thought that Alcuin could make it that much more intense for Daniel did have an appeal if he let himself think about it, and Daniel was making it hard not to.

"I hear you saying yes. And me saying no. I can meet you at yes. But only if you tell me it's because you want the pleasure of two sets of hands and two mouths on your body. And only if you tell me you want me to fuck you while Alcuin's there, helping."

[theunascended]

Daniel inhaled sharply. Put like that, he almost forgot why he'd had objections in the first place. And given that it was where he'd been steering the conversation the entire time, it was an opportunity too good to pass up. He caught Mohinder's eye and made sure he saw the desire there.

"I'd already said yes," he said, voice deceptively soft. "Do you really expect me to say no after hearing that?"

It was pretty much impossible, even if he'd been a saint and, as time had proven, he wasn't anything close to a saint.

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder knew Daniel. He knew the sound of his breathing when aroused, and the look in his eye when he wanted. It hadn't been there before, not fully. Now it was, and with it, heat flared and sparked through him as well.

"What I expect," Mohinder answered, voice a lilting, rolling purr as he arched off the wall and went to Daniel. "Is that you'll tell me if anything we do with Alcuin upsets you." Curling a hand around his neck again, he leaned in, breathing over his mouth. "And that you'll come so hard your vision blurs."

With that, he kissed Daniel, then found his hand and threaded their fingers together. "Come on, let's go tell Alcuin we're sure. Then go somewhere else so that your roommate doesn't stumble on something he'd rather not see."

[will_you_see]

Alcuin had had the good grace not to eavesdrop - partly because it would be rude and intrusive and partly because just the conversation they'd been having in front of him was circular enough to give him a headache and he envisioned it only getting worse.

So when Mohinder and Daniel stepped into the hut, he stood up and gave them a look that clearly read: Well?