legallytaemin

[legallytaemin]

He couldn't believe it had been over fifteen years since his lips had touched the other's. They fit together so naturally, in a way Tae hadn't felt since Spencer. Nobody fit like Spencer did, except maybe Jin, and that was the whole point of this, right? That was why they were here, why they were on a date together, discussing what kind of offering they should bring Spencer at the bookstore.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long, yeobo," Tae murmured against Jin's lips, the Korean term of endearment slipping out easily with the other man. He held Jin contentedly in his arms, a loose grip on his waist, but he allowed himself to be pulled into Jin again, kissing him eagerly, hungrily, happily. "God, kissing you, it feels amazing," Tae murmured. The bried thought hit him for a moment that maybe he shouldn't be doing this, some instinct left over from years of monogamy, but Spencer was okay. Spencer had told him it was okay. They trusted each other.

Tae couldn't help himself. He slipped his tongue into the other man's mouth, bold in a way that was usually unheard of for him. "I hope I was worth the wait," he whispered gently, finally parting.

Jin felt his breath hitch as Tae guided him into the sheltered space, his heart racing as he realised what was happening. When Tae’s lips finally met his, everything else seemed to fade away; the sound of the market, his earlier nerves, and his tendency to overanalyse and overthink everything. He melted into the kiss, one hand still resting on Tae’s chest, where he could definitely feel that hammering heartbeat, while the other hand moved to rest at the back of Tae’s neck. 

The kiss took him right back to that time in Tae’s pool. All the feelings he had felt then, and felt now, suddenly felt bigger and more serious. More real. It both terrified and excited him. Jin found himself responding with a soft sound of contentment, leaning further into Tae’s warmth. 

When they finally broke apart, Jin looked up at Tae, taking a moment to catch his breath. “That was long overdue. I can’t believe you had me wait this long for a second kiss.” He teased. Jin knew very well that he had been the one to move slowly, and he really appreciated Tae’s patience. But he was definitely as horribly offended as Tae that it had taken them this long. He pushed the thoughts aside again, and pulled Tae back in for another kiss, deeper this time. 

[legallytaemin]

Spencer's confirmation was everything Tae wanted and needed. He sank into the intimacy as if no time had passed between them. Their clothes were discarded in a pile on the floor as they explored one another's bodies. It had been five years since the two of them had been together, and a while since Tae had been with anyone else. He wanted to make Spencer feel good, wanted to feel good himself.

They'd fallen asleep together once or twice since reuniting, on the night when Tae had been at the hospital, and a couple of accidental couch naps since then, but this was different, the two of them curled up together, bare skin on bare skin. When their bodies were spent, Tae made himself comfy in the pillows and sheets, holding his husband in his arms before falling into the best night's sleep he'd had in what felt like forever.

Spencer was practically gone on him already, a dazed expression on his face, his mouth slightly agape. "Yeah," he said, letting out a breathy chuckle. There was no way he'd be able to sleep now. He wanted--needed to be close to Tae, to bury himself in his skin and bones. "Yeah, I'm okay, baby. More than okay."

He happily let Tae lead them into the bedroom, the two of them hardly breaking apart, as if it'd pain them to. He quickly got his arms up so that Tae could get his shirt off, his breathing getting heavy as he felt Tae's lips on his neck and collarbone. "Fuck, I missed you too," he whined. He started pulling at the hem of his husband's shirt, silently pleading to get it off. "Tae, baby...take me, please. I'm yours. All yours."

[legallytaemin]

Not like it's any of our business, Isaac had said, and Tae found himself giving a relieved nod. He hadn't even started telling anyone about the situation with Jin yet, but knowing he was accepted with Spencer was a start. Even in his teens, he'd been conscious of what it meant to be in an inter-racial gay relationship in the south. It had been better in Los Angeles, but Tae was still a little nervous to see how it would translate now that they were back here in Texas, throw Jin into the mix too, and Tae knew he'd need the support of those around him.

"I always thought when people were telling me California was the toughest exam, they were trying to make me feel better for failing. More than once." His cheeks blushed at the confession. If it was difficult, failing shouldn't be so embarrassing, right? Maybe he could continue to blame his father for being the unwelcome voice in his head, always telling him he wasn't good enough.

"I can't believe you have to re-take it." It seemed like a scam. Surely people moved to firms in other states all the time? "I'm not going back to Law School. I have my degrees from Berkeley." Undergrad and law degree. "But I might try to find something, a refresher course, or sit in on some local college classes, studying together would be sweet. My husband wasn't a very good study buddy when we were in school," he said with a laugh. "Do you want to commit together? Re-take it in February?" Tae suggested, extending a hand for a handshake.

"I don't know about moving. It would depend on my husband. We both have family here. He owns a business here. For now, I'm content where I am, but I may end up commuting into Fort Worth eventually."

"That's really all we can do," Isaac agreed solemnly. Taking it day by day was what he had been trying to do since he got served divorce papers. Then again, he wasn't sure he was going to be anyone's, apparently a husband, any time soon. "I'm sure you guys got this. Besides, it's not like it's any of our business."

Isaac almost felt his eyes light up when he mentioned it was reassuring. He had loved his time practicing law, a little too much, some would say. It wasn't for him right now, but he loved the idea of others joining the field. There really could never be enough attorneys in the world. "Dude, yeah definitely! I've heard New York and California are on par for toughest exams. Other states are probably more reasonable."

He listened attentively, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips as he listened to Tae walk through the available dates. Isaac didn't comment on it, but he seemed pretty decided. "February is a good one, enough time to study. Most people do a ten-week situation after graduating, just studying over the summer." The question caused that smile he'd been half-holding to just come loose, widening and spreading across his features. "Of course, not an inconvenience at all. I mean if I can't help you study, it'll probably say a lot about my teaching. So, really you'd also be helping me. And, who knows, maybe I study alongside you and we take the exam together." There was something about talking to Tae that had that fire for law ignite once more. Not that it ever died, but it had been very dim as of late. "You'd want to stay here, to start your career? Or move to a bigger city nearby?" Isaac remembered big law was always an enticing opportunity for people.

[legallytaemin]

"I love you," Tae answered. "If you just want to fall asleep, that's--" He was going to say 'that's okay', but the tone of the nature of the kisses implied that falling asleep was the last thing on Spencer's mind. Tae sank into the kiss, guiding Spencer from their position on the couch, fumbling for the remote to switch off the TV. "Are you okay?" he asked breathlessly, lips pressing to Spencer's.

Without objection, Tae let his feet lead them to the bedroom, slowing his kisses to be deliberate, thoughtful, but still filled with passion. "I missed you, so much," he whispered, hands sliding down Spencer's sides to slide beneath his t-shirt, over the soft flesh of his torso. He pulled the t-shirt over his head, continuing the kisses down the lines of his neck, his shoulder, his collarbone.

Once the kiss had gotten deeper, Spencer felt his heart racing in his chest, his skin beginning to buzz. The smallest of noises escaped his lips when he felt Tae's hands in his hair. The question nearly surprised him, but he still couldn't help but think finally.

"Tae--" He decided to throw a leg over Tae so that he was now straddling his lap, wrapping his arms around Tae's neck. "Okay. I'll stay," he said in between heated kisses, smiling all the while. "Love you...so much."

[legallytaemin]

"It's a travesty, right?" Tae's tone and expression were soft. He cared about Jin a great deal. He didn't want him to feel pressured or uncomfortable, but he also trusted Jin to tell him if he was. Jin was right here, touching him, holding his hand. He watched as Jin's eyes moved to his lips, then to his eyes. Tae's heart hammered in his chest as Jin moved closer. He felt the hesitance, true, but he also felt the desire.

"Come here," Tae whispered gently, leaning into Jin, almost sweeping him away into his arms into a small gap between two stalls, the tarp that covered it blowing gently in the wind, flapping at the edges of where it was attached to the frame. God, Tae hoped he was reading this right. He leaned into Jin, holding him closely as the tarps shielded them from the view of the street market. Tae cupped Jin's chin, heart hammering in his chest so hard that he was sure Jin could feel it. Tae closed what little remained of the gap between them, pressing his lips to Jin's.

It was different to the last time they'd kissed. Jin had been a good kisser then, or at least it had felt like it with all the teen hormones and excitement, but what they shared now was so much deeper, felt so much more real now that they'd grown fully into themselves. Tae lightly held Jin's cheek as he explored the other man's lips with his own. He didn't want to stop.

Jin felt his breath catch slightly at the touch to his cheek, and he couldn’t help but smile at Tae’s teasing complaint. There was a blush over his cheeks as he looked down briefly, before back up at him. He didn’t really care where they were. The touch to his cheek and the fact that Tae was standing so close to him was all tht really mattered to Jin. “Well, we can’t have that.” He said quietly, his eyes darting from Tae’s, to his lips and back. He had definitely thought about kissing Tae since the time they went on the ghost tour and talked about renting that one haunted room. 

Jin’s free hand came up to rest lightly on Tae’s chest. “I like you too, you know.” He admitted, the words coming out a bit rushed, but sincere. Since finding out Tae had been the guy he had kissed all those years ago back home in Korea, the old feelings he had had for him  had seemingly come rushing back, but more intense now. 

“It means a lot that you’re being patient enough to let me figure this out at my own pace.” He paused, his eyes moving back to Tae’s lips briefly before back to his eyes. He hadn’t really noticed it until now, but he was leaning a little closer. The hand on his cheek already had him leaning into his warmth. Though, part of him was conscious of the way Tae had looked around and didn’t want to put him in an uncomfortable spot.

[legallytaemin]

Those types. By 'those types', Tae meant his parents, or at least his father. His mother turned a blind eye to it, even encouraged it. It had been strange, growing up in a house without love, with only criticism. Family had been something he couldn't truly understand until he had moved in with his Aunt and Uncle, been treated like a human being rather than a piece of property.

"Maybe we can convince my Uncle to join us sometimes. I bet the two of you would get along." Tae's uncle was the heir to a big company that made farming equipment, John Deere but on a smaller scale. He had plenty of meetings with prospective clients and business partners on this very golf course.

"Maybe we can just go and avoid the massages. Do the mud baths or the hot tubs," he suggested with a smile. Whatever toxic masculinity his father had tried to instil in him clearly hadn't worked very well. After all, why should he feel embarrassed or ashamed of taking care of his body and his skin?

At Siwan's offer to let him go first, Tae nodded, assessing the clubs. "Driver, right?" He asked, as if uncertain about his own choice as he picked one out. He chose the driver, although he couldn't claim to know the nuance of the differences between specific ones, taking his shot. The ball soared gracefully threw the air, making its way to the fairway. "Well, it didn't end up in the brush or a pond? I'll take that as a victory."

Siwan smiled at Tae’s comment about never being sure about getting berated. “Fair enough. I suppose we’ve all run into our share of those types.” He adjusted his grip on his golf bag as they walked, appreciating how easy the conversation felt. It was refreshing, and felt less performative when he was able to switch back to his native language. He could be more open and relaxed. 

“I’d be happy to be your golfing buddy,” he said with a genuine smile. He paused, processing what Tae had just shared about his relationship situation. Siwan wasn’t one to pry, but he found it interesting how openly Tae talked about his husband and ‘the guy they’re seeing’. It was different from his more traditional approach to relationships, but he also wasn’t about to judge. “Maybe they’ll enjoy the spa more than golf,” he agreed with an easy smile. 

“It does sound appealing with the spa,” he admitted. “Though, I’m probably in the same camp as your husband when it comes to massages from strangers. Something about being that vulnerable with someone I don’t know,” he shook his head, and shrugged his shoulders with a self-aware smile. He stopped when they reached the first course, and set his golf bag down. “Do you want to go first?” 

[legallytaemin]

Ah, there it was. The protective best friend coming out to save the day. "I'm not sure how much Spencer has told you about us..." Probably a lot. It had to come up when the two of them were together at the shop all day, right? What else did you fill your time with? "But I do plan to treat him well. I hope I already do." If Spencer was unhappy, surely he would have told Tae, right? They'd had so many conversations about the status of their relationship, about Jin.

"I was going to suggest we find a place in Fort Worth or Dallas, even, but do you prefer home-cooked? Spencer might be a bit out of practice making Korean dishes. The two of us might have to remind him," Tae laughed, deciding to settle on buying a full chicken. They could decide what to do with it afterwards, make a roast dinner, or use the different parts for different meals. "You'd be welcome to invite a friend over. I can't claim I know anyone single worth setting you up with, either," Tae laughed. "I'm kind of an introvert."

Dawn shrugged her shoulders, tilting her head with a knowing smile creeping across her face. She hadn’t had the chance to ask, or interrogate, Spencer about his relationship with Tae yet. But she did have a set of very well functioning eyes, so she wasn’t completely in the dark. “I haven’t had the chance to ask all the questions I have for him yet, but we’ll get there.” She said to him. “You better treat him well. I know you’ve known him longer than I have, but that doesn’t change anything.” She told him, giving him a pointed look. She still had a smile on her face, though. “Oh, no partner for me right now. Just me and my sad little microwave dinners.” She waves it off with a small laugh, but there’s something a bit forced about it. “But I would absolutely love to do Korean BBQ with you two! That sounds amazing, actually. I miss having people to cook with.” 

[legallytaemin]

Tae and Spencer were probably going to have to come up with a better way to explain their relationship to people. He'd caught Spencer calling him his husband a few times, too, so it wasn't that the word itself was a problem, but they had no legal standing right now. They didn't even wear their rings anymore. "We'll just take it day by day," he said, giving a nod.

"Hearing that the California BAR is the hardest is actually reassuring," he said with a small chuckle. He was self-conscious about his own failure. He still heard his father's voice criticising him for it. Maybe he could have passed it if he had just kept trying, but the prospect of failing again and again had taken its toll on him. It had been long enough though, now, and he wasn't planning on leaving Texas any time soon.

"I looked up the dates of the Texas exam," he admitted. "July's exam seemed too soon for me to really study properly, but maybe February. Maybe I can make that one." He realized Isaac was the first person he was admitting that thought process too out loud. Any other time it came up, it was a 'maybe eventually' kind of plan, no specific time frame attached. "Do you mean that? You'd help me with it? I don't want to be an inconvenience..."

"Apparently a husband, got it." Isaac raised his hands, his sign that he wouldn't ask more. "Nah I get that," hearing him go through the different terms available. Isaac agreed, none of those quite fit more than apparently a husband. "What does the law even know these days? I'll use your term, don't even worry about it. Give it a week, it'll catch on. Might even trend online." After a beat, he offered Tae a warm smile. "I'm happy for you though, who cares about titles."

Isaac listened to him talk about fate, which sounded closely related to religion. Reminded him a lot of his family back in Mexico. "Not wishy-washy at all, my family's big on fate too. Everything happens for a reason, and all that. That's usually a good feeling, feeling like things are falling into place. So, you think that the forces guided you here, to Blackstone Ridge?" He hummed, wondering if these same forces were guiding him here. He wished to understand more, almost to see things the way Tae saw that.

Isaac nodded in response before shrugging. "Yes, kind of. Well, I'd need to take the bar here, but to be honest, considering that California has one of the hardest exams, I might be alright taking Texas'. The real question is more whether I want to keep practicing. Fletcher Law, that's amazing - how are you liking it?" He offered a grin, as if to say, come on. "Dude, honestly you can probably take the Texas bar with your eyes closed, but you know that I'll help out. I'm about to start teaching, so if you need a study buddy, I should be gaining some new skills to help out there. My brother, Eli Deveaux. He owns Bluebonnet Bakery in downtown. Or, you might know my sister, Inez. She owns Floral & Hardy. Chances are you've run into some of my family out here, they're very..involved in the town."

[legallytaemin]

"I think he goes to sports sometimes, with Corey, your friend. They were talking about it when Jin and I saw them at the firework display." Tae wasn't exactly sure what the situation was with Corey and the woman they'd been with, so he didn't say anything about it. Corey apparently hadn't gone out of their way to throw him under the bus with Spencer, even before they had known Spencer was already clued in on everything. "But you know I wouldn't choose to go to sports games of my own volition. I'd go to have fun with you, though." Tae wasn't a huge sports fan. He could take it or leave it. His grin tugged at his lips at being called Spencer's cutie-pie dork. "That's exactly what I am," he agreed.

This whole situation was new to him, and something he never really would have imagined, but it felt good, felt right. Knowing Spencer felt the same way he did made him go weak at the knees, and he was thankful the pair were seated. As Spencer kissed him, Tae leaned into him, returning the kiss, soft at first, but growing deeper and more fervent. "I love you, too," he murmured, hand reaching out to stroke through Spencer's hair. He wrapped the other around Spencer's waist, drawing him in close. "Stay," he whispered against the other man's lips. "Spend the night." It was a big ask, he knew. They hadn't crossed that line since coming back together, but he wanted him, needed him close.

Spencer was smiling back. "I figured a sports game would be too boring for Jin, and playing a sport would probably be torture, so bowling's the way to go, right?" he said with a chuckle. He liked the idea of Tae and Jin going to the farmer's market, though. "That sounds perfect for you guys." His heart was beginning to swell as Tae listed off ideas for the three of them, and he let out a dreamy sigh. "Ugh, you're such a dork," he teased, pressing a kiss to his husband's cheek. "My cutie pie dork."

His shoulders had slagged when Tae started playing with his hair, his body and mind immediately relaxing under the other's touch. "Yeah, exactly," he agreed. He really did. Besides, he didn't want Tae to lose the chance to explore something with Jin, something that they should've had long ago before it was taken away from them. You and me. Spencer returned the kiss before he was nodding his head, smiling as their foreheads touched. "Yeah, babe. You and me and Jin," he murmured, leaning back in for another kiss, letting it linger this time. Spencer would never get tired of kissing the other man, and honestly, he'd been holding back a whole lot since getting back together with him. He didn't want to rush things, but there was something about having an official talk, and the idea of them being with Jin made Spence's insides all nice and warm. "I love you," he whispered.

[legallytaemin]

Tae had been just about to leave, to be honest. His phone buzzed, the friend he was supposed to be meeting having cancelled because of apparent car trouble. Tae wasn't sure he believed it, really, but he wasn't going to cause a fuss. Tae was looking forward to catching up with someone. He hadn't seen them in a while, not since a couple of years ago during one of his trips home for the holidays, but he supposed he could finish working on that Abraham Lincoln biography he'd been wrestling his way through, or see if Spencer was free for the evening when the woman spoke to him.

"Join me?" He glanced at the empty tables next to him. "Sure, go ahead." He wasn't used to people being so forward with him, but her words meant he hopefully wasn't giving the impression of someone who wanted anything that resembled a date. "Should I be offended that eating with me is comparable to a solo night, or do I simply give off comforting, gay energy?" He said, offering a hand. "I'm Tae."

WHO: @legallytaemin

WHERE: Şerefe

All she wanted to do was try out this highly recommended spot in peace, as was her intention for the evening. Unfortunately, that lasted all of twenty minutes when two individuals walked up to her at the bar, trying to flirt. After declining the second advance, Lettie took her glass of wine, spotting a patron who was dining solo, hoping to divert any more attention to herself for the rest of the night. "Hi, I'm so sorry. I hope you're not planning on meeting anyone, but could I sit here for a few? I appreciate all the compliments, but I just wanted a solo night, you know?"

[legallytaemin]

Siwan was definitely the quiet kind. He was always polite, kind, pleasant to be around, but he was slightly older than Tae, and a bit more traditional, at least in Tae's assessment. He wasn't sure if Siwan had ever outwardly mentioned when he'd moved to the US, but it wouldn't have surprised Tae if he'd spent more time in Korea than Tae had, too. It was just a sense he got. "You can never be too sure about whether you're about to get berated or not," Tae teased, but he was fortunate that the toxic expectations instilled in him from his father seemed to be less and less common now. Most people, Tae had discovered, treated one another well.

"I suppose I can be accused of being a bit stressed at times." A little less so now that he was working things out with Spencer, and figuring out their dynamic with Jin. "It would be nice to do something relaxing, just for me, or for us? I don't think this is something my husband or the guy we're seeing would enjoy. If it doesn't go horribly, are you down to be my golfing buddy?" Tae asked with a small smile.

"And yes, of course there's a spa. Now that part might be something my husband likes. Although he might not be big on the massages. I bet he'd get squirmy about being touched by strangers," he said with a small laugh.

Siwan wasn’t big on sharing about himself. If he could get away with saying the bare minimum, that’s what he’d do. That’s why he was always a little surprised when people opened up to him about things like what Tae had just said. It was obvious he had a tense relationship with his father. Siwan was lucky enough not to know what that was like, but he felt for him, nonetheless. “I wasn’t planning on berating you anyway,” he said, glancing up from the club in his hands. “What would I even have to criticise? Maybe we can turn this into a more positive association for you if you like it. I wouldn’t be opposed to come back for more games. It’s a great stress reliever.” He didn’t fully want to dismiss what Tae had said, but he also didn’t want to dwell on it in case he didn’t really want to talk about it. 

“How long has it been since you played?” He asked as they walked together to get onto the course. “I don’t come here often, no. I haven’t played since the last time I was in South Korea a few years ago. Don’t usually make time for golfing.  I’ve kind of wanted to visit, but I haven’t had a reason to until today. Coming on my own seemed a little…” he trailed off and shrugged. Coming here alone was probably quite relaxing, but he had a fear of being accidentally roped into a group with cigar-smoking finance bros in too-tight polo shirts - that sounded like Siwan’s own personal hell. 

“Wait, there’s a spa?” 

[legallytaemin]

"Apparently a husband," Tae repeated with a small laugh, a blush making its way to his cheeks. "Um, there really isn't a simple term to use when they're technically an ex-husband but the two of you are back together? Boyfriend doesn't feel appropriate. Ex-husband feels misleading. Husband, but, I suppose not in the legal sense anymore." For someone who was involved in law, the legal status wasn't unimportant, but the heart was what truly mattered. He wasn't going to spill the beans on Jin, yet. That part was private.

"I believe in fate, to an extent. Forces within the world that guide you. That probably sounds a bit wishy-washy, but I can't lie, life has been shaking up a little bit strangely lately, and it feels as if things are starting to fall into place, so I feel like it would be foolish not to believe in something." Religion had never been Tae's thing, but with Jin being here, Spencer being here, and Jin being the other person Spencer had feelings for, it seemed like there had to be something in the air, or in the soil.

"You can switch your license to here, can't you?" Tae asked. Not that the had a law license to transfer. "I'm working at Fletcher Law. Legal assistant. Does that mean if I try to take the BAR, I can't count on you as a study buddy?" he asked with a small laugh. "Who's your brother, what does he do?"

"Huh, that's fair. Wait, hold on - what does apparently a husband mean?" Of course Tae saw the complete confusion on his face, trying to decipher the use of apparently. "You completely read my mind, or my face." Isaac tried thinking of Spencer, trying to place who he spoke about. After a few minutes, it clicked for him. "Yes, Spencer I vaguely recall. Wow, that is crazy. This place must've gotten some kind of advertisement I didn't get." And, he didn't say - but there must be something in the air here at Blackstone Ridge. Everyone settling down here, damn.

"So, that's what keeps you so sharp. I'll need you to send me that, because my brain may or may not be losing it here." Isaac nodded in response to his question. "I do - siblings, parents, nieces and nephews too. Yeah, unfortunately the unemployed gig couldn't keep my attention for long. I decided to switch out law for teaching. Less requirements anyway, but I haven't taught a single class in years. And, of course I came to town in the middle of the summer so haven't started yet. Who knows if all those students will hate me." He took a seat in front of him, adjusting in his chair. "Still, thought I'd take a trip here, take a look at the place. My brother had asked if I'd be interested in practicing law again, but the bar exam is not enticing anyone these days."

[legallytaemin]

"You keep that up, Spencer might actually curse you, you know," Tae teased, lightly nudging Jin in the arm. The two fell into step together with a natural ease, something Tae rarely found with anyone else. Being in the same relationship his entire adulthood had made him guarded when it came to letting people in, but Jin just fit. He was like a missing puzzle pieace. "I think maybe if we convince him to focus on the hand holding part, we can get him involved. You have a mischievious little mind." He said the words affectionately, with a sideways smile.

"You're not intruding," he said, hoping to be reassuring, simply glad that Jin was at least comfortable enough to be honest. From the research he'd done on polyamory since the three of them had been doing whatever this was, the importance of communication came up over and over. Tae slowed his pace to squeeze Jin's hand more firmly, guiding him towards him to look at him seriously, but softly.

"Jin, I really want you to feel comfortable, and happy, and you have just as much right to have boundaries and ground rules as anyone, okay?" He lifted a hand to lightly touch Jin's cheek, glancing around momentarily to make sure they weren't drawing too much attention. He still got a little self-conscious about being openly affectionate with other men sometimes. Not that there had been many. "Where I stand is I like you. I have feelings for you. And I'm horribly offended that you haven't kissed me yet," he teased lightly. "Really, though. I want us to move at your pace. I never thought there'd be a situation where there was a guy I didn't mind going on dates with Spencer, but... Things happen, unexpectedly."

Jin shook his head. “I still want the ritual and curses part, but I’m just saying I think he’d be okay if it involved candles and hand holding, don’t you think?” He joked, looking up at Tae. Jin felt his cheeks warm slightly at the kiss to his hand, and his eyes fell on their joined fingers for a moment before looking back up at Tae. “You’re not giving me too much,” he said, giving his hand a squeeze. 

He paused for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts. “I guess… I don’t really know what to expect yet? This is all pretty new for me. But you’ve said it is for you too, so that helps a little.” He mused. “I like this… spending time with you, with both of you. Whether it’s one on one or both together. I don’t want to feel like I’m intruding on what you guys have, but I also don’t want to be treated like I’m made of glass, you know?” 

Jin ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit. “As for ground rules, and whatnot… I don’t really have any opinions. I think. I don’t… I’m not entirely sure where I stand I don’t think it’s fair for me to lay down rules.” He said with a small sheepish smile. “What about you, though? What do you want? And what would be your ground rules?” He looked up at Tae again, giving his hand another squeeze. “And don’t tell me not to worry about you, because I will worry triple if you keep saying that.” He added, before Tae could say anything. “I want to know where you stand, too.” 

[legallytaemin]

Tae smiled gently. "That's sweet, honey. We're going to take a trip to the farmer's market." The thought of Jin bowling amused him. The thought of him doing it with Spencer was touching. "I've been looking up some ideas for things for us to do together, too. "There might be lots of gardens, museum exhibitions, and a murder mystery dinner on the list," Tae said with a laugh. He was a little dorky by nature, a trait he hoped Spencer still found endearing after all this time.

Tae gave a thoughtful nod as Spencer described his emotions. He was experiencing all this for the first time. He'd always had feelings for Jin, an affection for the boy who had been his first kiss, and then Spencer had been his husband for years, his first true love. It was only natural that feelings remain for each of them. "I want all that too, everything you described," Tae said gently, stroking his fingers through Spencer's hair. "I want you, regardless of anything. Jin can be involved as much or as little as he's comfortable with. I don't want to push him away, or make him feel pressured. But whatever happens, I know I want you. You and me." He reached in to give Spencer a gentle kiss, leaning his forehead on his. "So, you and me, exclusive except for Jin?"

There was a giggle that escaped Spencer's lips, extremely fond of the memories early on in their relationship when they did handwritten letters. He'd have to show Tae the shoebox at some point--the shoebox of things he kept from their relationship, like their letters and printed out chat logs from AIM, birthday cards and anniversary cards, and little trinkets. He was almost afraid to admit Tae that he kept that kind of stuff, but now that they were together again, it'd be nice to show it to him. With a soft smile, Spence placed a kiss to Tae's head. "I wouldn't trade it, either," he said. "Yeah, we're actually going bowling this weekend." He actually liked that he could share these little things with Tae, it made him feel a bit closer, if that made sense.

He knew that this talk had to come sooner or later, though. He sat up a little straighter, a soft smile on his face as he listened to his husband. "I haven't done this before either," Spence with a quiet chuckle. "I was jealous...at first. I just didn't know if I was more jealous of you or him. But since I had my little freakout, I'm okay now." He took a deep breath. "I know I like you. And I know I like Jin. I also like seeing you two together. There's this, uh, sparkle you get in your eyes when you look at him. For some reason, that makes me happy." He gave Tae's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, you can say that. Same page," he confirmed. "I've been reading up some more on polyamory, and while it'd be nice if Jin would want to be with us both, that's just not realistic. I don't want to put that pressure on him. And if it turns out he doesn't want to be with either of us? That'll be okay, too. I mean, it'll suck for a bit, but I want him to have that choice. Either way, you and me...I want us to be partners. Husbands."

[legallytaemin]

"Oh, so you just want the candle light and hand holding part? I think Spencer would rather do that over a nice dinner, no rituals, no jar of teeth. Call me crazy," he said with a small laugh. He wasn't sure how much he was supposed to be talking about Spencer, if it was okay or not. The last thing he wanted was for Jin to feel undervalued or like a spare part. He was important. Important to both of them.

"You don't need to worry about me," Tae said gently. "I only want to make sure you feel good. Feel included. I like spending time with you. I suppose I'm trying to walk that line between making you feel appreciated and not feel overwhelmed. So if you think I'm not giving you enough, or... if I'm giving too much, it's okay, you know? You can just tell me." He squeezed Jin's hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss it gently.

"We've just talked about what our expectations are, ground rules, I suppose? I wanted to bring it up so I can check with you, too. What you want. What you expect. But we can go at your pace, okay?" Their situation was delicate. Tae knew that. He wanted to treat both Jin and the situation as a whole with the respect it deserved.

Jin smiled some at that. “Go-karts are the better choice.” He agreed with a nod. “Sounds way more dignified than the scooter, honestly. And not to mention faster.” He leaned into Tae’s touch a little. “But we should do it in traffic with banana peels. If we’re going to go-kart, we have to do it the way Mario intended.” 

When asked about the rituals, Jin laughed. “I’m pretty sure any sane person would jump to rituals before the authorities.” He pointed out to Tae, but nodded in agreement when he spoke about Spencer’s reaction to it. He knew he was superstitious, and it probably didn’t help that Jin had recommended him horror books when he had been in the bookshop. But Spencer had recommended Romance, which was about as scary as any Stephen King book. “Most rituals involve candlelight and hand-holding, I’m sure he’ll be fine.” 

His smile faded a little at Tae’s more serious question. He was quiet for a moment, looking down at his hands. “I’m okay. I’m just still figuring things out, you know?” He glanced up at Tae. “I’m not entirely sure where I stand yet, other than I like where things are now. If that makes sense.” He bit his lip thoughtfully. “What about you? What do you think about it? Are you ok? Has he said anything?” 

[legallytaemin]

"I don't know how cool I'll look, riding around on a scooter in my mid-thirties, but maybe we can rent go-karts or something for a day. To settle the urge." Tae had been quiet the last few months since moving back to town, but Jin and Spencer were helping him to want to come out of his shell, get out and do things.

"Now why would your first instinct be to perform a ritual? Don't let Spencer hear you say that. You know how sensitive he is about that kind of thing," Tae said with a laugh. Spencer was very superstitious and sensitive when it came to the supernatural. "I doubt he even would have enjoyed our ghost tour every much. Maybe if we were both there to hold his hand," Tae teased with a gentle smile.

"Full, like... not right to the rim, but there were lots of teeth in there. It was definitely weird. Nobody knew where they came from, or who they belonged to, but I suppose they sold it as a novelty item or something. It gave me the creeps." Tae leaned into Jin's side, slipping an arm around him, gently rubbing his shoulder. "You okay?" he asked. "With everything, with us, and Spencer?"

Jin laughed, shaking his head. “I’m pretty sure the only age limit is that you have to be over sixteen or something like that, I was just trying to be optimistic about our remaining youth.” He teased. He smiled some to himself as he listened to Tae talk about the scooter-crimes he had witnessed. “It’s weird how people forget common sense once they get on one of those, though.” The absolute last thing he wanted was to accidentally take out someone’s grandmother on his first scooter ride. 

“I’ll get back to you on the unpacking,” he offered with a small smile. Honestly, he probably needed the help, but was too stubborn to accept it. Also, there was that voice in the back of his head telling him how easy it was to move everything when he wasn’t fully unpacked, should there be a need to. “The festival was really good, I had a lot of fun with you guys.” He said, offering Tae a genuine smile. “The dinosaur is in my studio wearing a sombrero from a tequila bottle. He’s an important part of the household now.” 

He raised his eyebrows in surprise at the mention of the jar of teeth. “What do you mean? Why would you give them to the authorities when you could do witchcraft? You could curse everyone you don’t like, it would be great.” He laughed lightly. “But also, what kind of attic just has a jar of teeth sitting around? Was it full?” 

[legallytaemin]

"I swear half the stuff on my feed is bot or AI generated. I miss the days when you were my cute little penpal, in a sweet, nostalgic way," he said with a smile, planting a little kiss to Spencer's cheek. The two had only seen each other during summers and vacations when they had first met, when Spencer still lived in Houston. They had decided to both apply to college in LA, move in together, and the rest was history. "But I wouldn't trade it for having you here." He settled comfortably against his husband's shoulder, noting he still had a habit of calling him that, in spite of the divorce. It felt nice, and he wasn't planning to change it any time soon. "He was good. You've been spending time with him, too?"

Tae absentmindedly played with Spencer's fingers. "Did we need to talk? About what this is, what our expectations are?" He straightened up a little, looking at Spencer, his expression soft but serious. "I haven't done this before. Been with two people. I didn't think I ever would. You know how attached I am, how traditional in a lot of ways. But I don't worry about you with him. I don't feel threatened, or jealous, or scared. I don't know that I'd feel that way with someone else. Are we on the same page with that?"

Laughing, Spencer was shaking his head. "You ever miss the old Internet days, y'know, before this AI takeover?" he asked with a rather wistful sigh. "We'd stay up late in chatrooms, talking about nothing and everything. God, I remember getting so excited when I'd hear that little ding! noise because I knew that was you getting online." He wrapped an arm around Tae's shoulder as they lounged on the couch, his hand playing with the baby hairs on the back of Tae's neck. "Mm, it was alright. I missed you, though," he said softly. He missed having these little moments of domesticity, this calmness. "How was the farmer's market with Jin?" he asked, genuinely interested. "Did he seem...okay?"