Status: Complete!
Closer to the Edge
t w o - b o u n d a r i e s
*Shannon*
I never expected to develop feelings for her. In fact, I didn't even realize that I had until I woke up that morning. We were almost home. She and Jared were sitting in the lounge like they always were when I woke up. As I walked past to get my coffee, both of them gave me a kind of strange look, and suddenly I remembered what I'd said to her the night before, how fucking creepy I'd been outside her bunk. Usually, I would've sat with them, but that time I couldn't quite bring myself to. She'd obviously told him. I figured she probably thought I was a joke.
*Jared*
When she told me that Shannon had called her pretty, I didn't really know how to feel. I had no right to be annoyed by it, I knew that. Shan and I were usually pretty good at setting boundaries, and neither of us had mentioned to the other that we thought we might have feelings for Natalia. I suppose it was bound to happen, such a pretty girl on a bus full of lonely guys. I just didn't expect it to happen to me, and I definitely didn't expect it to happen to Shannon.
*Natalia*
A week home from tour and I was already hard at work planning the next one. The guys were currently on a tour cycle, and were prepared to be touring almost constantly. When I wasn't working, I was missing them. Not even just Jared and Shannon specifically, just tour life. I'd forgotten how much I loved it. I loved being on the road, being on a bus. I guess it was the nomad in me. I never did really like staying in one place too long.
I talked to both Shannon and Jared everyday. Sometimes it was work stuff, sometimes it wasn't. I told them both on a regular basis that I missed them because it was true. They both made a habit of making fun of me for it. I lay awake in bed every night, hoping I wouldn't have to wait until the next tour to see either of them again.
My hopes were answered when they showed up at my door together. I was going to ask how they'd gotten my address, but then I remembered that my address was probably the least of my personal information that they had access to. I greeted them both with hugs and immediately noticed that they both looked much more serious than I would have expected them to. I invited them in and they sat side-by-side on my couch. I sat down on the chair adjacent from them and looked at them expectantly.
"So, we've gotta talk," Shannon started the conversation, and I was sure that for some reason or another, they were about to fire me.
"Okay..." I trailed off, palms starting to sweat.
"Shan and I have been talking, and we've realized that both of us are kind of... attracted to you," Jared said in the tone that I now knew he used when he wanted to sound professional.
"We've got big fat crushes on you," Shannon confirmed. The tone he used to sound professional didn't exist.
"Oh?" It was all I could muster. I didn't know what to say, and I couldn't imagine what they were about to say. Them admitting crushes on me was definitely the last thing in the world I'd expected them to do when they'd walked through my door. They could've taken turns punching me in the face and I would've been less absolutely shocked.
"We just thought it would be a good idea to let you know that we've kind of made a deal, and neither of us are allowed to make any moves on you. I wanted you to know just in case you think either of us are being cold or anything like that, we're not meaning to. Unless, of course, you think we're both disgusting and wouldn't care about any of this anyway," Shannon said, giving me a look that told me he knew damn well that I didn't think either of them were disgusting.
"I... don't think you're disgusting," I said, and they both got looks on their faces that told me I was telling them something that seemed to be common knowledge.
"We're not trying to offend you or anything here, it's just that this is what we do when we both are interested in the same girl. Admittedly, we don't usually go to her house and tell her it's happening, but we figured that since we'd both like to be working with you for a long time, we should probably tell you. If for no other reason than it means you can help us uphold our respective ends of the bargain," Jared said, seeming much more at-ease than he had been when they walked in. I nodded, trying as hard as I could to hide my utter disappointment from them. It wasn't that I'd thought for sure that things were going to happen with either of them and myself, it was mostly just that I liked holding onto the hope that maybe things could happen.
"I... sure. I can do that," I said, hoping that neither of them could tell from my tone how upset I was trying so hard not to be.
Jared smiled, and Shannon continued to stare at me with an unreadable look on his face. Jared asked if I wanted to go to lunch with them, and I obliged even though I didn't really want to. Jared made a comment about going to grab his car; apparently he was parked pretty far away. Shannon stayed with me, and I didn't know what to say to him.
"I'm sorry, little one. I wish it was different," he said in a voice barely above a whisper, his features settled into a frown. "It's the way we've always handled this. We can't... can't mess it up, y'know?" he asked, and I nodded.
"I wish it was different, too," I told him, a single tear involuntarily slipping down my cheek. I didn't know why I was so upset, but I was. I felt like I was being rejected by not just one, but two men who also happened to be the most talented, gorgeous, funny men I'd ever met, and it hurt. A lot.
Before I even realized he was moving, Shannon was off the couch and standing right in front of me. He offered me his hand and helped me up. He stared me in the eyes and I wished I could tell what he was thinking. He looked at me for a moment more, and then his lips were on mine, kissing me like his life depended on it. I leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around me. It was over much too soon and my lips ached for him. He put his finger very gently where his lips had just been on mine.
"He doesn't need to know everything," he told me, smiling devilishly and wiping my cheek where the tear was still pooled with the side of his thumb. He took my hand to lead me outside and opened Jared's passenger door, motioning me inside.
My head was swimming as Jared drove to the restaurant. All I could think about was how the Letos were the most amazing and the most ridiculous men that I'd ever met.
I never expected to develop feelings for her. In fact, I didn't even realize that I had until I woke up that morning. We were almost home. She and Jared were sitting in the lounge like they always were when I woke up. As I walked past to get my coffee, both of them gave me a kind of strange look, and suddenly I remembered what I'd said to her the night before, how fucking creepy I'd been outside her bunk. Usually, I would've sat with them, but that time I couldn't quite bring myself to. She'd obviously told him. I figured she probably thought I was a joke.
*Jared*
When she told me that Shannon had called her pretty, I didn't really know how to feel. I had no right to be annoyed by it, I knew that. Shan and I were usually pretty good at setting boundaries, and neither of us had mentioned to the other that we thought we might have feelings for Natalia. I suppose it was bound to happen, such a pretty girl on a bus full of lonely guys. I just didn't expect it to happen to me, and I definitely didn't expect it to happen to Shannon.
*Natalia*
A week home from tour and I was already hard at work planning the next one. The guys were currently on a tour cycle, and were prepared to be touring almost constantly. When I wasn't working, I was missing them. Not even just Jared and Shannon specifically, just tour life. I'd forgotten how much I loved it. I loved being on the road, being on a bus. I guess it was the nomad in me. I never did really like staying in one place too long.
I talked to both Shannon and Jared everyday. Sometimes it was work stuff, sometimes it wasn't. I told them both on a regular basis that I missed them because it was true. They both made a habit of making fun of me for it. I lay awake in bed every night, hoping I wouldn't have to wait until the next tour to see either of them again.
My hopes were answered when they showed up at my door together. I was going to ask how they'd gotten my address, but then I remembered that my address was probably the least of my personal information that they had access to. I greeted them both with hugs and immediately noticed that they both looked much more serious than I would have expected them to. I invited them in and they sat side-by-side on my couch. I sat down on the chair adjacent from them and looked at them expectantly.
"So, we've gotta talk," Shannon started the conversation, and I was sure that for some reason or another, they were about to fire me.
"Okay..." I trailed off, palms starting to sweat.
"Shan and I have been talking, and we've realized that both of us are kind of... attracted to you," Jared said in the tone that I now knew he used when he wanted to sound professional.
"We've got big fat crushes on you," Shannon confirmed. The tone he used to sound professional didn't exist.
"Oh?" It was all I could muster. I didn't know what to say, and I couldn't imagine what they were about to say. Them admitting crushes on me was definitely the last thing in the world I'd expected them to do when they'd walked through my door. They could've taken turns punching me in the face and I would've been less absolutely shocked.
"We just thought it would be a good idea to let you know that we've kind of made a deal, and neither of us are allowed to make any moves on you. I wanted you to know just in case you think either of us are being cold or anything like that, we're not meaning to. Unless, of course, you think we're both disgusting and wouldn't care about any of this anyway," Shannon said, giving me a look that told me he knew damn well that I didn't think either of them were disgusting.
"I... don't think you're disgusting," I said, and they both got looks on their faces that told me I was telling them something that seemed to be common knowledge.
"We're not trying to offend you or anything here, it's just that this is what we do when we both are interested in the same girl. Admittedly, we don't usually go to her house and tell her it's happening, but we figured that since we'd both like to be working with you for a long time, we should probably tell you. If for no other reason than it means you can help us uphold our respective ends of the bargain," Jared said, seeming much more at-ease than he had been when they walked in. I nodded, trying as hard as I could to hide my utter disappointment from them. It wasn't that I'd thought for sure that things were going to happen with either of them and myself, it was mostly just that I liked holding onto the hope that maybe things could happen.
"I... sure. I can do that," I said, hoping that neither of them could tell from my tone how upset I was trying so hard not to be.
Jared smiled, and Shannon continued to stare at me with an unreadable look on his face. Jared asked if I wanted to go to lunch with them, and I obliged even though I didn't really want to. Jared made a comment about going to grab his car; apparently he was parked pretty far away. Shannon stayed with me, and I didn't know what to say to him.
"I'm sorry, little one. I wish it was different," he said in a voice barely above a whisper, his features settled into a frown. "It's the way we've always handled this. We can't... can't mess it up, y'know?" he asked, and I nodded.
"I wish it was different, too," I told him, a single tear involuntarily slipping down my cheek. I didn't know why I was so upset, but I was. I felt like I was being rejected by not just one, but two men who also happened to be the most talented, gorgeous, funny men I'd ever met, and it hurt. A lot.
Before I even realized he was moving, Shannon was off the couch and standing right in front of me. He offered me his hand and helped me up. He stared me in the eyes and I wished I could tell what he was thinking. He looked at me for a moment more, and then his lips were on mine, kissing me like his life depended on it. I leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around me. It was over much too soon and my lips ached for him. He put his finger very gently where his lips had just been on mine.
"He doesn't need to know everything," he told me, smiling devilishly and wiping my cheek where the tear was still pooled with the side of his thumb. He took my hand to lead me outside and opened Jared's passenger door, motioning me inside.
My head was swimming as Jared drove to the restaurant. All I could think about was how the Letos were the most amazing and the most ridiculous men that I'd ever met.