Under The Mistletoe

[simplepuzzle]

 
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Comments

[simplepuzzle]

"You didn't tell us there was a problem!" And holy fuck does Chuck not want to do this now. "Yancy didn't know and he knows you better than anybody! You didn't trust us to be able to deal with what you were feeling, Raleigh, I need a fucking reason not to think you won't leave us again because I can't--"

And it's stupid and he's exhausted and he's still getting the shit out of his system but he's feeling tears prick his eyes and he hates it.

"I can't watch you leave again, Raleigh." It tore him up once, he's not sure he'd survive it again.

[unbreachable]

"I don't have reasons! It's not like I can pick up a fucking box and go 'oh this one will do!' I just gave you all I had!"

What the fuck else do you want from him?

"Don't worry. This is the last time you'll ever see me. I'm gonna do you a favor and never contact you again."

He's starting to stomp out.

"Raleigh, stop."

Yancy has had enough of you both.

Raleigh stops.

"Sit down, kid. Chuck - you're gonna have to elaborate what you mean by reason for him. He doesn't understand."

Raleigh gives Yancy a murderous look, but he sits down and folds his arms.

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck can feel himself curling in, heat pressing at his eyes and nose and he's a grown fucking man and he's not going to cry. Not over Raleigh. Not again.

"You know what I'm talking about though, right?" he asks Yancy, voice rough. "We can't just be together just because he changed his mind." He turns back to Raleigh though it's hard to look directly at him. "What are we supposed to do if you change your mind back? It's...it's like you said, you said you'd try, and you tried it and you couldn't do it. Other than missing us, what's changed? What are you going to do to stop this happening again?"

How can he trust Raleigh not to go over all jealous on them again?

[unbreachable]

"I get it," Yancy says. Chuck wasn't the only one hurt when Raleigh left.

"I don't know what else to give you," raleigh says softly, anger ebbing. "You'll..just have to trust I mean what I say. And if you can't do that, then we all shouldn't be together anyway."

[simplepuzzle]

"I want to trust you. I did trust you."

And Raleigh lied to them about how he was feeling. He let it build up until he burst, which wasn't fair to him, and the blast caught Yancy and Chuck, which wasn't fair to them.

[unbreachable]

"So trust me again," he says, scooting closer to Chuck.

"I'll be better. We'll communicate. All of us. If something's wrong, no hiding. If we're jealous, we talk about why."

Yancy nods, coming to rest a hand on Raleigh's shoulder.

"It has to be open, Rals," he says quietly. "Al across the board. You can't stew over something if it's bothering you, especially if it pertains to all of us."

Raleigh nods.

"I know."

[simplepuzzle]

It'd be so fucking easy to just fall into it again, especially with Yancy kind of monitoring Raleigh's behavior, but.

"It's not as easy as that," he said, still gripping the pillow. "Raleigh you said you can't do poly. And that's okay. Talking about being jealous is fine but--what if you can't handle it again? Are you going to leave again?"

[unbreachable]

"I can," he insists. "I can. It was stupid..I was being petty."

He needs Chuck. And it would be nice to know he's needed in return instead of getting Chuck's arrogance all the time.

"I won't leave. The months I've gone without you..they've been the worst of my life."

[simplepuzzle]

He needs Raleigh and Yancy, he misses them so hard it hurts.

Chuck knows this is going to go up in flames. He needs to let them go, he needs for them all to move on and stop feeling this way.

"Yancy too?" Because it can't just be him. "Without Yancy, I mean, it was the same?" He glances at Yancy. "Do you think we can do it?"

[unbreachable]

"Both of you."

Raleigh is adamant.

"It's both of you. I felt..it feels like I'm dying."

He looks down and Yancy squeezes his shoulder, thumb rubbing gently.

"If we work at it, I think so." Yancy says slowly. "We have to be patient with each other. And kind. I've never seen anyone more skilled at throwing barbs than you two. We need to be good to each other in order to be good for each other."

[simplepuzzle]

"...I wanna think about it." He needs rest and he wants to think about it.

He wants to so fucking badly he wants them so much. He misses them he can taste it, he's been trying to let himself breath with overindulgence and it hasn't been working.

[unbreachable]

"Of course."

Yancy is gonna herd Raleigh out but pause in the door.

"We're staying at the hotel by the hospital, the Sheraton? 523. If you need us."

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck nods--they leave as the doctors come back in, concerned at the alarms Chuck's blood pressure and heart rate are raising.

He just wants a couple of days to think about it.

[unbreachable]

That's absolutely fine. Gives Raleigh and Yancy a few days to catch up. This is the first time they've seen each other since that night too. It's emotional for everyone.

They'll wait for Chuck's call.

[simplepuzzle]

They'll get a call.

"My dad's in a meeting, can you guys come pick me up from the hospital?"

[unbreachable]

It's Raleigh who picks up.

"Yeah. Course. Give us five."

And they'll be right there.

[simplepuzzle]

it's some kind of hospital rule Chuck's pretty sure that everyone has to leave in a wheelchair and it's stupid but.

He's glad to see his guys.

[unbreachable]

It is. And Raleigh insists on pushing and makes airplane noises.

"Where to?"

[simplepuzzle]

"Stop that." He wants back in on this but he's not in the mood for the whimsy quite yet.

"You want to come home with me?"

[unbreachable]

Too bad.

"Sure."

Get him all set up.

[simplepuzzle]

He really meant kind of. Like. Give them all space to talk.

Because Chuck's willing to try it again as long as Raleigh's honest with them.

[unbreachable]

That works too. The drive is pretty quiet.

But they're here and listening.

[simplepuzzle]

"If this isn't working, for any of us," he starts, looking between the both of them, "we say immediately. No matter what. Even if we're in mid-fuck. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and I--we have to accept that."

[unbreachable]

A series of nods before Raleigh speaks up.

"Agreed."

[simplepuzzle]

"Good." He's going to lean against Raleigh's side now and press his face into his shoulder. He's tired.