The night had settled into silence. The kind of silence that didn't press down but sat beside you—still, thick, a little too loud for comfort.

Théodore lay flat on his bed, shirtless, a throw blanket draped over his lower body. The overhead light was off, only the soft yellow from his bedside lamp painting streaks across the ceiling. His phone was still in his hand.

He hadn’t stopped staring at it.

Not since they left.

That photo. That damn photo.

Remi sandwiched in the middle, grinning so wide his eyes almost disappeared. Ash on the right, giving that signature barely-there smirk, the one that almost looked like he was judging the whole universe—but didn’t move away when Remi leaned into him. And Theo, left side, arm slung across the back of the seat, hand brushing shoulders like it was casual—but it wasn’t. Not really. Not for him.

He blew out a breath.

That date was…

Fuck.

It was supposed to be fun. Casual. Something to laugh about later. A way to test the waters.

But they cracked something open in him.

It started small. The way Remi’s eyes lit up when he saw the old-school movie screen. Or the way Ash tried not to smile at the snacks stocked in the car but failed anyway. The way they eased into conversation like they weren’t strangers at all.

He didn’t expect to talk that much. But he wanted to. Every time Remi laughed, he leaned in more. Every time Ash added some sarcastic one-liner, he wanted to chase it with a joke of his own. They made him feel like he belonged. Not like a third wheel—like a missing piece.

When they told him how they met, he didn’t just listen. He watched them. Watched Remi light up with every word, watched Ash try to act unaffected but give himself away with the softness in his voice. That little flashback played in Theo’s head like a movie of its own—Brooklyn, a skincare store, a breakout emergency and some random pretty boy turning a shitty birthday around. It felt like the universe gave them a moment. And tonight, maybe it gave him one too.

Then came the confession.

God, his heart was pounding so hard when he said it.

He hadn’t planned it. Not like that. But when they kept trying to insist on paying for the car work, when they kept looking at him with those soft, sweet guilty eyes, he knew he had to say something. Not as a mechanic. Not as someone trying to flirt. As a man who wanted something real.

“I want a chance. Not pressure. Just... a chance.”

He thought they'd freeze. Or shut it down immediately. But they didn’t.

Remi looked at him first, eyes soft, hand squeezed Ashley’s. And when he said “yes,” Theo swore his chest expanded three sizes.

Even if it was just the beginning. Even if they said let’s take it slow.

It was more than he expected.

That hug Remi gave him caught him off guard. He wasn’t used to people hugging him like that—like they actually meant it. Like he wasn’t just muscle and tattoos and confidence.

Then Ash. Ash’s hug was shorter, stiffer. But it lingered. And Theo felt it. Like a secret he wasn’t supposed to know but was allowed to hold for a second.

Now, here he was.

Still holding onto it.

The photo stayed on his screen.

He zoomed in on Remi. Then on Ash. Then just stared at all three of them together.

He chuckled under his breath. “What the fuck are you doing, Theo…”

But he didn’t delete it.

Didn’t look away.

Didn’t regret a damn second of it.

He placed the phone on his chest, eyes closed, breath slow. The image burned into the back of his lids. Their voices still in his ears.

Maybe he’d fall asleep.

Or maybe he’d stay up all night like a dumbass, replaying every second.

But either way, he was in it now.

And he wanted more.

Theodore sat on the edge of his couch, phone in hand, blanket wrapped loosely around his shoulders, still warm from sleep. His hair was pulled back in a low bun, damp from a quick rinse, and his coffee sat untouched on the table beside him.

He hadn’t even fully opened his eyes yet before he was typing a message.

> Theo.machinix: Good morning, sugar & stormcloud ☀️

Still thinking about last night. You two up yet?

He stared at the screen for a second, thumb hovering over the screen. Then—

Seen. Typing…

> Ash.byx: Why tf am I “stormcloud”

Theo smirked.

> Theo.machinix: Because you got that permanent “don’t talk to me” face.

> Remi.xoxo🌈🧃: LMFAOOO STOPPPP

We’re making breakfast rn. Coffee + chaos. Wanna video call us?

> Theo.machinix: Say less.

He pressed the button. The screen rang once. Twice. Then their faces filled the screen—Remi front and center, a spatula in one hand, and Ash sitting behind him at the table, nursing a cup of coffee with one brow raised like he didn’t ask to be involved in this.

Theo grinned.

“Good morning, domestic darlings,” he teased. “Whatcha making?”

“Eggs and whatever this is,” Remi said, lifting a pan and shaking it. It looked vaguely edible. “I might’ve gotten distracted.”

Ash’s voice cut in, low and dry. “He added cinnamon to the eggs.”

Theo blinked. “...The fuck?”

Remi shoved Ash’s arm. “I thought it was pepper! I was sleepy!”

Ash sipped his coffee. “He was dancing to Doja Cat.”

“I was vibing to Doja Cat.”

Theo leaned back and laughed. God, it felt easy with them. The kind of laughter that settled into your ribs and made you forget the rest of the world.

As they kept talking, the conversation turned from jokes to little things. Favorite foods. Remi admitted he had a minor obsession with strawberry milk and colorful snacks. Ash said he liked spicy food but had no tolerance for it and suffered in silence. Theo found out Ash preferred horror movies (even though he always claimed they were “trash”) and Remi loved soft slice-of-life films where people kissed in grocery store aisles and cried under fairy lights.

Theo? He liked gritty thrillers. Ones where the lead character always had a dark past and a sexy accent. Remi said that sounded exactly like Theo, and Theo just shrugged.

“I contain multitudes,” he replied with a wink.

They kept the call going even as Ash moved to clean up their plates, Remi flopping on the couch, still holding the phone. “Babe!” he called over his shoulder. “Film me.”

Ash raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Why?”

“Because I feel sexy!”

And then Remi was dancing. Some ridiculous little wiggly number that made no sense at all but made Theo burst into laughter so loud his neighbors probably heard.

Ash turned the phone so Theo could get a full view, muttering, “This is what I live with.”

“He’s a menace,” Theo agreed through his grin. “A cute one, though.”

Ash rolled his eyes but didn't disagree.

Theo’s gaze lingered a second longer on Ash. He wasn’t even trying to do anything. He was just standing there, hair messy, mug in hand, watching Remi with that soft look he always tried to hide. And Theo saw it—that little sliver of vulnerability.

He was fascinated by it.

There was something under the surface with Ash. That quiet calm he carried around wasn’t just confidence. It was armor. You could see it in the way he sat, the way his shoulders stayed a little tense, even when he was laughing. But when Remi looked at him? That armor cracked a bit.

And Theo wanted to see what was underneath.

He wanted to be allowed into that space—just like Remi was.

As for Remi, it wasn’t all bubbly chaos and sparkles, even if that was what he liked to show the world. Theo could tell. Sometimes, there was this flicker behind his eyes when he thought no one was looking—like he was waiting for something to break. Or maybe scared it already had.

Theo didn’t know everything yet. But he wanted to.

He remembered what he said the night before. “I want to earn my space.”

He meant it.

And as the three of them giggled through more jokes, shared little pieces of themselves—Theo knew he’d never had anything like this before.

It wasn’t just chemistry. It was connection.

He glanced down at the screen again, where Remi was now pressed against Ash’s chest, both of them watching the camera like Theo was just... there with them.

And maybe someday, he would be.

But for now, this was the start.

And it felt damn good.