Chapter 7 Take a moment to post a review if you would? I would like feedback about the road so far... I am worried this is dragging, but I like the slow burn between these three. And, to be honest, I really don't have any control over what blurts out on the page. It's like a ghost writer in my head spewing this amazing (I think) story out.

oOo

Panic

The sky was just beginning to lighten when I opened my eyes. I could hear the twittering and scratching of early bird movement, so morning must be coming. I lay on my back, sandwiched between two heavy male bodies lying on top of the covers, me beneath. There was a gentle, yet caste grip on my left breast and a hand wedged between my thighs, one from each man. I turned my head to the left and there was Connor, to my right Murphy. Both were perfectly curved around me, each trapping one of my legs with theirs.

They had come to bed with me the night before after we watched another movie. I hadn't wanted them to leave and they saw no point in going back to their loft late. I thought it might be awkward sleeping with them but it was actually quite natural. I was slowly getting used to having them both near me though the current situation was fairly intolerable.

I squirmed, trying to wiggle free. I was roasting. "Boys?" I whispered, squirming some more. Nothing. Not even a change in their breathing pattern.

"Um, hey, guys?" I squirmed some more. Still nothing. My arms were trapped under the covers and I started to panic.

"Connor! Murphy!" I shouted, wiggling for all I was worth.

"Wha?" Connor's grumbled, burrowing into my neck and automatically squeezing down on my breast in attempt to make me be still. In contrast, Murphy leapt from the bed, head swiveling to survey the room for a threat. I pushed the covers back with my right hand as Murphy came to help. I was taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself from the momentary claustrophobic panic. He pulled me to my feet, gently pushing the hair back from my face and holding me with his left arm.

"A chuisle (my pulse), what tis it, now? I've got ye, a chroí (my heart). Tell me what it is. Why're ye scairt den, girl?" I buried my face in his neck, breathing in his smell, relaxing slowly.

"What did you call me, Murph?"

"Huh?"

"You called me something in Gaelic."

"Oh, um. I's just….hmmm. Nothing sweetheart." Murphy held me close, bending his head to nuzzle at the side of my neck. "What were ye afraid of den? Did ye have a wee nightmare?" He asked.

"No." I laughed, reaching up to hold the back of his neck, my fingers tangling in the hair at his nape. "I woke up trapped under the covers by the two of you." He kissed my neck, running his tongue up to my ear and back down. "I'm okay now," I sighed.

"Aye, I'm glad. Ye like dat, aye?" He asked as I shivered.

"Mmm-hmm." I moaned. He sucked on my neck at the juncture of my shoulder and I felt my knees go weak.

"An dis? Ye like dis?"

"Yes," I sighed. He sucked harder. I could feel the blood rushing to the surface of my skin in what would undoubtedly be a hickey. I flinched away.

"Murph!" I laughed. "You can't do that to me! It's summer and I wear scrubs to work. Everyone will know!" He lifted his head.

"Aye, girl. Dat's de point. We want everyone t'know." He spoke quietly to me in the semi-dark. He was using his dead serious voice. I had no answer to this, too afraid of what this meant. When Murphy spoke, things always seemed to be going far too fast with this three-way, completely unorthodox…relationship? I pulled back a bit in Murphy's arms, beginning to panic again.

"Fratello, andare piano con lei!" (Brother, go slow with her). "What de fuck, Murph?" Connor spoke from the bed urgently. I turned my head to look at him lying in my king sized bed. He seemed to be staring back at me.

"Ya ne khochu, chtoby!" (I don't want to). Murphy retorted impatiently in a different language. Russian I wondered? "Ona budet khorosho." (She'll be fine).

"Non scopare questo in su, Murph!" (Do not fuck this up!) Connor retorted. He sounded completely disgusted.

"Poshel na khuy!" (Fuck you!) Murphy's voice rose, nearly yelling at his brother, fully facing him now. I was left forgotten at his side. I felt like a ping-pong ball, my neck swiveling to follow this bizarre conversation in the barely lit room. The only part of it I could understand was the inflection in their voices and their body language. They continued to argue back and forth, in what sounded like three or four different languages. Connor stood up on the other side of the bed now, shouting at Murphy while he pulled on his jeans. Whatever he said, Murphy lit up. I could feel the heat pouring off his body. I felt him as he clenched his fists, body set to launch at his brother.

I could see a full fledged scuffle breaking out and I moved to forestall it before it escalated further. I stepped in front of Murphy and crossed my arms over my chest. He immediately focused on me, Connor falling silent as well.

"Murph, put your fuckin' pants on and go have a cigarette on the balcony." I ordered in my best nurse's voice. "I won't have you two arguing and fighting in my apartment!" He looked as if he was ready to argue back with me. But I stopped him with a finger to his chest. "Go on, go cool off." Turning to his brother, I continued, "And you, Connor. Go make some fuckin' coffee. Give us all some space, hmm?"

"Aye, girl, whatever ye want." Murphy grumbled, reaching for his Levi's. Hoping World War III wouldn't break out, I turned my back on the both of them and went to the bathroom. I managed to not slam the door, but I certainly closed it forcefully. And locked it. I let my head drop back against the door, shaking it ruefully. What was I going to do with them?

oOo

Parks & Latin

When I came back out of the bathroom, both boys were in the kitchen making coffee, apparently in accord. I peeked through the door as they both companionably moved around the kitchen. We were going to have a conversation about the constant bickering at some point, but I figured that could wait. We had Mass to attend. And I had a dress to wear; I smiled wickedly to myself, picking out a dress with buttons all the way down the front.

The sky was beginning to lighten on this early summer Sunday. I could smell the boys' scent in the room. It was different than how my room usually smelled. I liked it. It smelled…. good. Ok, to be honest, it smelled like I needed to have a very different conversation—one with my gynecologist about birth control pills. I hadn't been sexually active in years, ever since I moved to Boston after my one and only boyfriend dumped me. I wondered if I had told the boys about this life changing event on Friday night while drunk on whisky. I had no idea.

But birth control pills were going to be a necessity, if I hoped correctly. I was a bit surprised at myself actually. Contemplating the both of them, it seemed almost normal and a bit intriguing—okay, I was also scared half to death too. But sleeping with them had helped. It was like our dreams had entangled and we were a part of each other; sleeping together had definitely increased my intimacy level. They really were two halves of a whole, I justified to myself. Could I keep them both happy? I wondered at this possibility while I dressed. I had a fairly limited first-hand knowledge, though vast experience as a professional in the nursing field. I felt like I had seen and heard it all. I just had never done it myself.

The dress felt good. It was a bit short for Mass, but I thought it would work. It was a cream colored silk scattered with red tea roses. I added a jaunty red scarf around my neck to cover Murphy's hickey, the brat. I didn't have anything to cover my hair, but what the hell? I was going to Mass with two men who probably wouldn't keep their hands off me if the look on their faces when they saw in me in the dress was any indication.

oOo

After church, the boys and I had breakfast in a diner and wandered down to the park. It was another beautiful day and I could feel their desire to be outside. Connor settled my head comfortably in his lap as he leaned against a tree. I was stretched out with Murphy's head companionably resting on my stomach, our bodies forming a rough horseshoe. It was a lazy day.

Connor read to Murphy a bit and then they would talk and forth, stumbling over their sentences. When Connor handed the book to Murphy so could he read aloud, Connor threaded his hands through my hair, waving it out in giant fan over his legs and onto the grass; it was a very pleasant sensation, being lightly groomed. I could hear Murphy's voice first hitch and then trail off. I looked at him to see him staring as Connor played with my hair, his tongue rubbing his lower lip unconsciously.

"What, Murph?" He bit his lip. Instead of speaking, Connor answered instead.

"Wee Murph has a t'ing fer long hair. He's a bit jealous right now." I could hear the smirk in his voice as he teased his brother. I smiled at them, used to their good natured jabs at each other. Murphy, not to be outdone, shook himself free of his trance.

"Aye, and me brudder over dere has a t'ing fer tits. It's why he's sitting where he is, so he can look down yer dress." Involuntarily I looked down at my cleavage but everything was covered appropriately. Instead of rising to the bait, I just laughed and turned back to my book. Though I couldn't understand them, it was enjoyable, listening to their voices. They sounded good. They weren't speaking Gaelic but I could still hear the Irish inflection in their speech. After about an hour of this, though, my curiosity got the better of me.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, setting down my own book. Connor looked down at my face, smiling at me.

"Teachin' ourselves Latin, darlin'." He said matter of factly, running his finger tips over my collarbone.

"You're what?"

"Teachin' ourselves to read Latin," Murphy echoed patiently, chewing on a blade of grass.

"You're kidding me! Latin, to be sure!" I laughed, joggling Murphy's head on my stomach.

"We are, Lass. We've a bit of Latin from Mass, aye? But I want more." Connor explained seriously.

"Connor," I said patiently, "No one reads Latin anymore."

"Aye, well," Connor looked away, seemingly a bit embarrassed. "I want to read a few t'ings. An' Murph's willin' t'help. An'…" he trailed off. I felt my eyebrows go up.

"And you need to teach yourself Latin, because?" I made a rolling motion with my finger looking up at him sideways.

"Weel, ye see, I want to read Marcus Aurelius' Mediations. And maybe some Hannibal." He admitted, then continued in a rush, "It's better, aye? T'read it in the original language ye see. Leaves out de commentary from de translators muckin' it up."

"Aye, Connor is a great one fer de plannin'. It's why he's always makin' me watch Charlie Bronson movies." Murphy dissolved into a fit of giggles. Connor swiped at him half heartedly. I laughed helplessly, looking down at my own book. Good God, I thought, here I am reading a romance novel and the boys are teaching themselves a dead language so Connor could study warfare strategies.

"So, this will be your eighth language then? You speak what? Gaelic, English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian already, right?" I ticked off their languages on my fingers.

"Aye." Connor nodded.

"I see. I think it's nice." I smiled and then added with a bit of a frown, "Even if you do talk about me and won't explain what you're saying."

"Murph told ye, we'll explain someday. Patience, Lass."

"Ah, well," I grumbled. "Next and you'll be after reading Greek and then I really won't understand you." I laughed. Murphy turned to me in surprise, rolling the blade of grass he was chewing on from one side of his mouth to the other.

"How did ye know dat, girl?"

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Dat de Greek is next?"

I barked out a laugh of surprise. "I didn't Murph, I was only joking. But if you want to learn Greek, I'm all for it. Connor can whisper Catullus' love poems to me in original Latin and you can read me Saphho's poetry in ancient Greek." I giggled, turning back to my book as they both narrowed their eyes in calculation. "I'll get the gist."

oOo

Decades

The sun was beginning to slant toward the horizon when I stretched. It felt wonderful to be outside, in the shade, lying down with two beautiful men. I cautioned myself not to let the sheer amount of attention go to my head.

"Food, Connor." Murphy said, rolling onto his side, his ear against my stomach.

"It's time?" Connor replied, closing the book of Latin grammar.

"Aye, her stomach's growlin' agin. Best feed her, aye?" I felt my face flush in embarrassment. Murphy tossed the latest of many blades of grass away, standing. "An early supper, girl? We have to say our penance tonight. Speakin' fer meself, it's gonna take a while." He touched his rosary automatically and held out a hand to help me up.

"How many did ye get, Murph?" Connor asked, standing and dusting off his jeans.

"Seven decades." Murphy grimaced folding my right hand into his left after he lit a cigarette.

"Seven laddie? Fuck, what have ye been t'inkin'? Ye've not been out of me sight dis week t'get int'any trouble." Connor laughed, wrapping his right arm around my shoulder.

"Aye, well." Murphy trailed off handing his cigarette to Connor. "It was a good weekend. I'm afraid I went into a bit o'detail wit' de priest." He said sheepishly.

"Ye probably burned his ears and fueled his fantasies for a month!" Connor cracked up.

"Aye. How many did ye get den, Connor?" Connor stopped laughing abruptly, looking away, exhaling smoke.

"Ten." He mumbled.

"Ten is it?" Murphy laughed back at his brother. "Did I hear ye say ten?"

oOo

Waking Up

We ended up at my place after dinner and the boys spent the night again. I woke the next morning to Connor kissing my neck.

"Mornin,' Lass." I moved my hand to the right, but Murphy wasn't there. Then I realized I could hear the shower running.

"Mmm, hello, love." I said, stretching to allow him better access. He licked along my collarbone, pulling my sleep shirt out of the way as I wrapped my hand around his neck. I moaned, causing him to crawl onto the bed with me. He pulled me into another one of his searing kisses. I heard Murphy come into the room, but I couldn't spare him any other attention than that of my ears as Connor kissed me senseless. He tasted wonderful. I felt the bed depress on my right side and Murphy's hand brushed hair behind my ear. Connor never missed a beat, just kept his tongue in my mouth as I fumbled my hand onto Murphy's thigh, clutching him closer.

"We've got t'go, Connor." Murphy said restlessly. Connor slowly pulled back, reluctant to break the connection.

"Aye, Lass, we have t'get to church and den t'work." Connor sat up on his knees regretfully. Murphy leaned over me, using his fingers to turn my head towards him.

"We'll see ye tonight, girl?" And then he pulled me into his own deep kiss. I could feel Connor watching us, but wrapped my arms around Murphy's neck without embarrassment. I loved kissing them both and I could feel desire pool inside my body. I was in a near constant state of sexual tension between the two. Murphy pulled back to look at me, caressing my ear.

"Ye'll be careful today?" Murphy asked.

"Yes."

"Promise, Lass?"

"Aye, Connor, I promise." I smiled at him as they turned for the door.

"And will ye maybe wear another dress?" Murphy asked turning back to glance at me.

"Sure, Murph, one just for you." I giggled, stretching. "And I promise not to let any motherfuckers in!" They both cracked up. I laughed too, listening to them push and shove each other good naturedly as they rattled out of the apartment. The last thing I heard was the snap of two locks going home from the outside.