On Capella, Colonel Daniel Peters opened the door of his apartment and froze. He felt as though someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him. Matthew was standing there with Danyel King locked in his arms, his head on his shoulder. Before he could say anything, Matthew lifted his head and smiled at him, “Ah, here he is now. Daniel, come over here.” He beckoned him over. “King’s having a bit of trouble, he needs his friends.”

Peters went over to the two men, his heart still thumping after the shock, thanking god he had kept his mouth shut. Matthew would have been deeply offended if he thought he didn’t trust him. He did, of course. It had just been... he admitted he had jealousy issues, to put it politely. He put all that aside and gave both men a hug. “What’s the problem? Do you want to talk about it? Or shall I pour everyone a nice stiff drink?”

King managed a shaky smile, “Hi, Daniel. Could we do both?”

Peters poured them all a glass of Orion brandy and they sat on the couch, one on each side of King. “Man trouble?” asked Peters.

“What else?” replied King, starting to feel a little better now he could actually talk to someone who would understand. “I got involved with a guy who thought he was straight.”

“Ahhh – didn’t we all?” murmured Matthew, looking sideways at Peters.

“So straight that he’s going to get married. But the really shitty thing is, that even after we... we went to bed, and he must know he’s an om, he asked me if I would be willing to keep having sex with him.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” asked Matthew, not quite understanding.

“Yes it is, because he’s still going to get married! I’d be his guilty secret. Although how on earth he thinks we could keep something like that secret for long on the Revel, I don’t know!”

“What a total shit!” Matthew leapt to King’s defence.

“Yes. So I’ve got a week’s leave down here, before the ship’s medic can get me a transfer somewhere else under Rule 158.”

“Would you like to stay here, with us?” Peters offered, and was rewarded by a warm smile of appreciation from Matthew.

Matthew had moved in with him temporarily. He was still technically First Lieutenant on the Jerez but he had taken six months leave to try and find another job, or alternatively decide that he and Peters could manage a frequently long distance relationship.

“Is that okay?” asked King doubtfully. “I don’t want to get in your way.”

“It’s no problem. I can make up a bed in the study for you.” Peters paused for a minute. He knew King had once fancied Matthew, had indeed made a heavy pass and been turned down.

He came straight out with it. “It won’t bother you? Us being together?”

“No,” King shook his head. “It will be good to remind myself that things can work out well for oms. I intend to go for lots of walks and play lots of racquetball, but if I find I can’t handle it, I promise I’ll move out.”

“Fair enough,” agreed Peters. “I’m going to have a quick shower and get changed. If you two would like to order some dinner for us in a while?”

Matthew nodded and drew King close against his side. King put his head down on his shoulder again and relaxed into him. “This is nice.” Then he added, “Peters doesn’t need to feel jealous, you know. I’m still hung up on Simon and I like both of you way too much to ask either of you for revenge sex. You can tell him I said so.”

Matthew laughed, as King had hoped he would.