Chapter 19

By the time they got home, Zeke had mostly dismissed her worries. She went to the bathroom leaving them alone.

"What's bothering you?"

He looked at Rory. "Maura doesn't have things like that happen to her."

Rory shrugged. "So, she felt someone staring at her. She's probably tired."

Zeke thought about it and realized he might be blowing it out of proportion. How much of it had to do with their relationship?

"I see those wheels turning, so what the hell is going on in there?" Rory asked.

"Nothing."

But he was lying. He was in love with two people who made it very hard to choose. Not that they had asked him to, but he could feel them dancing around each other trying to figure out the relationship. There was a small part of him...okay a big part of him that wanted to make it permanent. He wanted both of them forever.

That thought hit him hard. He blinked.

"Zee, are you okay?"

Rory's concerned voice reached him. He nodded.

But he wasn't. Shit, he had promised himself that he wouldn't get bogged down on what would happen when they returned home, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he had been. He had been hoping that they could be together forever.

"What's up with him?" Maura asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Not sure."

"We just need to get to sleep."

Maura smiled, but it wasn't her usual brilliant grin. Zeke realized just how exhausted she was. He patted her shoulder.

"Come on, love, let's get to bed."

She nodded and he practically carried her up the stairs to the bedroom. By the time she was in PJs, she was almost asleep. He tucked her into bed then looked up at Rory.

"She's wiped out," he said.

Zeke nodded and waited. It was going to be a real test if he wanted to sleep with her. Zeke wanted to, but Rory tended to avoid sleeping with other lovers. The intimacy was something he could not handle. Zeke was pretty sure he was the only lover Rory had ever really slept beside.

Rory pulled his shirt up over his head, and dropped his pants. He climbed into bed with Maura as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Zeke was so happy, he didn't even mention that Rory had left his clothes on the floor.

Zeke undressed and then brushed his teeth. When he walked out of the bathroom, he stopped and just looked at the scene on the bed. Maura had rolled all the way over to Rory. Both of them were fast asleep and she was snuggled up against him. Rory had his arm wrapped around her as if to protect her.

Zeke's heart melted. The two of them probably didn't even realize what it meant to him to see them like that. In their sleep, they accepted each other. He slipped into bed behind Maura, snuggled up close to her and sighed as he closed his eyes.

It wasn't a huge step, but it was at least a step in the right direction.