Page 48 of Tender
Miles flushed.“I know that one.I know some of the basics, remember?”He showed them his small lexicon.Yes, no, thank you, you’re welcome, help, sorry, how are you.He could order coffee in sign if he needed to and find the bathroom. He added jellyfish at the end to make Emmett smile. “I really do plan to learn,” he said as he picked up his fork, watching Emmett fill his plate.“I just need to focus on my dissertation right now.Andthen, you know, getting a job so I never have to be homeless again.”
Emmett made a quiet noise of protest, but Miles appreciated that he didn’t argue with the statement.He was staying here, but he was homeless. Technically.“Okay,” he said after a heavy sigh.“Let’s eat.”
Cosimo eventually folded his paper and helped himself, and while there wasn’t conversation between them, Miles still felt like he was part of something.He liked it.Probably a little too much.He caught Emmett’s eye several times, and with each approving nod from the man, Miles blushed harder.
He polished off his plate, then almost preened when Emmett leaned in to take it and murmured, “Good boy.”
Miles's entire body twitched. Fuck. Did he really just...?
Cosimo was watching like a hawk, and when Emmett returned to sit, he cleared his throat.“Enough beating around the bush. Rip the Band-Aid off.”
Miles stiffened, but Emmett just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked over at his husband.“Fine.You want to start?”
“I think that’s on you, Sir,” Cosimo answered.
It was nothing like how Cosimo had used sir before, but there was still an air of deference in it that made Miles tremble all over.He was looking at Emmett, but he could feel Cosimo staring at him. He was being studied.
“My darling, bratty husband,” Emmett said quietly, “and I had a long conversation last night, and he thinks the way I handled yesterday wasn’t the best choice.”
Miles stared between them both, then said, “I don’t know what you mean. I…well. You said it was a date. You said it wasn’t cheating.”
“It was,” Emmett said. “And it wasn’t.”
“It wasn’t cheating,” Cosimo added, like he wanted to be sure Miles understood it came from both of them.
Emmett took a fortifying breath. “I should have been more clear about what I wanted from you.”
“Just you?” Miles asked.
“In this case, yes,” Emmett answered. The fact that Cosimo didn’t look bothered set Miles a little at ease. But not completely. “Mo and I have experimented with adding a third person to our dynamic. A permanent partner. Someone we hoped would someday become another spouse.”
Miles felt like he’d been knocked off his feet. “Oh.”
“Obviously it never worked out. That lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Older men tend not to have the patience or stamina. Younger men tend to get bored.”
Miles cleared his throat. “Okay, but I’m still kind of lost.”
“You’re avoiding the words, amore,” Cosimo pointed out.
Emmett gave him a dark look, and Cosimo’s jaw snapped shut, but his eyes remained defiant. After a beat, Emmett groaned and said, “There’s something I’d like to ask you now that I know it’s something you want.”
Miles’s throat went a little hot and he cleared it.“Ah.Okay. Go for it.”
Emmett licked his lips.“Mo and I have talked about something like this before.It never worked out, but—”He stopped, and Miles tried to follow his thread, but he was lost.
“Emmett,” Cosimo said, very quietly, “you’re still stalling. Just ask him. He’s not going to get angry.”
Of course he wasn’t. They could ask him to strip down and sit on the roof and make bird noises, and he’d probably do it just to show his appreciation for everything they’d done for him.
Emmett’s cheeks pinked.“Right, yep.Sorry.”He took a breath and turned toward Miles fully.“First of all, staying here is not contingent on whether or not you say yes.I want to makesure you understand that first.You are welcome here for as long as you want.Stay until you graduate.Stay longer.We don’t care.”
Miles wanted to tell him that he might regret that, but it felt rude.But no one ever really wanted him to stay.The only reason Selene had kept him around was because he cleaned, cooked, and drove her everywhere.
“Miles?” Emmett pressed.
He snapped out of his thoughts.“Yes.Okay.Thank you.”
Emmett’s eyes narrowed but not like he was angry.He studied Miles for a long second.“Secondly, we’re not going into our usual twenty-four-seven dynamic for Mo’s vacation, even with your very kind offer to take a step back. Neither of us were really in the headspace for it after the whole thing with Selene.”
