Tuesday’s session started a little strangely. Killian froze as he got to the apartment door, hearing raised voices behind it. Jamie shrieked, and Killian was pounding on the door before he knew what he was doing.

The voices went silent. Killian tried to calm himself, but it was hard when shouts had always set him off. Reminded him of sitting on the couch and just letting his dad’s screams roll over him, pressing him down until he was a stain on the hardwood floor.

The door swung open, revealing a dishevelled, flushed, grinning Jamie. “Oh, hey!”

Killian was pretty sure he was shaking. “Are you okay?”

Jamie looked at him oddly. “Uh, yeah? Are you okay?”

“You were screaming.”

Jamie flushed a bright red. “Oh, Randy was just teasing me. He’s a goof.”

“Oh.” Killian tried to let go of the panic, let go of the racing of his heart, the tremble of his hands.

Jamie frowned, seeming concerned. “Sorry if we worried you.”

Killian shook his head. “It’s fine. Sorry.”

There was a tense, silent moment. “Uhm, do you want to come in? I mean, please come in.”

Killian went in. Randy was making noise in the kitchen, the clattering of plates and forks and water running.

Jamie seemed a little unsure as he walked Killian deeper into the apartment, Randy appearing in the kitchen doorway, drying his hands. “Hey. You hungry? I made shepherd’s pie.”

The thought of eating turned Killian’s stomach—adrenalin was pumping through his body—but he didn’t want to make shit awkward. “That sounds great. Thanks.”

Randy looked at him for a moment. “Everything okay?”

Killian gave him one of his fake, practiced smiles. “Yeah. Food smells really good.”

Another pause. “Thanks.”

They all stared at each other. Killian had to do something. “So, uh. Should I help set the table?”

Killian followed Jamie, heeding his instructions as they laid everything down.

“Wow,” Killian joked, “place mats. Didn’t know you guys were so fancy.”

“Good thing we didn’t pull out our white tablecloth and china plates, huh?” Jamie replied.

“Oh, well, now I’m just insulted. Not worth the good stuff, huh?”

“We reserve that for royalty like Beyoncé. Or Prince.”

“So, I have some bad news about Prince…”

“This is a ghost-friendly house.”

Killian looked around suspiciously before whispering, “Is Randy one of the ghosts? He is, isn’t he?”

“Loudest snoring ghost in Brooklyn.”

They laughed quietly as Randy appeared, mitten-clad hands carrying the shepherd’s pie. He set it down, peering at Killian and Jamie questioningly. “What are you guys smiling about?”

“Nothing,” Jamie said innocently.

The food was delicious. Killian had always been a sucker for mashed potatoes. “Are the potatoes done from scratch?” he asked incredulously.

Randy raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, I don’t think you can get ready-made mash.”

“Uh…you can get it in powder. You know, add milk and butter and bam, best mashed potatoes ever.”

Randy looked at him blankly. Jamie laughed into his hand. “Please don’t bring that up; he’s a total snob.”

Randy scoffed. “I’m not a snob. Sorry if I don’t think potatoes can be turned into sawdust.”

Killian gave him a cheeky smile. “Most delicious sawdust in all the land, though.”

“No.”

Killian shrugged. “This is really good. Garlic makes everything better.”

Jamie nodded. “Amen, hallelujah.”

“Church of Garlic…now that’s a religion I can get behind.” Killian winked.

“You should try Randy’s gazpacho. Literally drills a hole in your stomach, it has so much garlic. I got a summer cold last year and that shit exterminated the sickness right out of me.”

Randy preened. “I know how to take care of my guy.”

“I get a tummy ache every time I have some…worth it, though,” Jamie said.

By the time they finished eating, the mood was much lighter, virtually all awkwardness gone. Even when they were done cleaning up and Randy suggested they scent, Randy barely seemed to tense.

“We can do it wherever, but hopefully it’ll help things go smoothly during heat.”

Jamie and Randy looked at each other before Randy nodded, saying, “We can go to the bed, if you’re okay with that.”

“Sure,” Killian said easily and followed them to their room.

Killian flopped onto the mattress, turning onto his back and smiling at them. Hopefully his ease with what they were doing would be contagious and calm the other two.

It seemed to work somewhat as Jamie crawled beside him, lying down tentatively as Randy did the same on his other side.

“Wow, comfy bed. Thousand-count sheets?”

Jamie snorted. “These sheets are as old as time. I think it’s just the constant washing that makes them soft.”

“God, I’m in bed with a couple of peasants,” Killian joked, smiling wide when Randy snorted loudly.

“Okay, simmer down,” Randy said, but the light in his eyes was dancing.

Killian blinked at them slowly before he tilted his head back, posture open. Submissive. Both Jamie and Randy looked at the exposed skin at once, Jamie’s cheeks going a little red as he asked, “Can I?”

“Yep.”

Killian’s eyes fluttered closed as Jamie ran his nose under Killian’s jaw, breath soft and hot. He’d been trying not to think about it, but the bed smelt good. Like Randy and Jamie. Like comfort. Having Jamie so close just made it better, his fresh scent washing over him, a sigh escaping his lips.

Killian twitched as Jamie brushed his lips against him, scent gland tingling as the faintest pressure was applied. It was strange, how reactive he was with these two men he barely knew, especially considering what his job was.

Killian didn’t have the mental space to worry about it, though. He lifted his hand, brushing it along the nape of Jamie’s neck. Now it was his turn to ask, “Can I?”

“Yeah,” Jamie murmured, and the word sent a shudder down Killian’s spine.

He trailed his fingers through Jamie’s hair, moving them until they were pressing below his ear, going lower and daring to touch Jamie’s bond mark.

Jamie jerked, gasping, and Killian took his hand back quickly. What the fuck had he been doing, touching something so intimate?

As he opened his eyes, though, he didn’t see anger in Randy’s face, or smell it in his scent. Instead, Randy’s pupils had gone huge, dark, swallowing Killian in.