Five years later…

Carver leaned back in his chair, taking a careful sip of his strong, scalding hot coffee. Megan and Nate were busy fixing breakfast, scrambled eggs and toast, and he smiled affectionately as he watched them bump against each other in Megan's tiny kitchen.

She had invited them to spend their Satinalia vacation with her in her two-room apartment in Denerim. There wasn't really enough space for three people, not even if they shared a bed and a shower and spent most of the time having wild, passionate sex. But it was clearly important for her to have them here, in her own space.

There was still so much they needed to sort out since the three of them had gotten back together in summer. Megan valued her independence, and she was a lot warier than she had been at seventeen. Just last night, he and Nate had made another attempt to persuade her to move in with them. Their apartment in Amaranthine was roomy enough, and in her line of work, it wouldn't be a problem if she lived elsewhere.

But Megan had been reluctant. "I like my place. I love the big city. And it's cosy with the two of you here. Besides..." She'd looked uncharacteristically serious. "If we live together, all three of us, that means we're making it official. Now, I don't really mind, but are the two of you sure you're ready to tell the world about us?"

Carver had just shrugged. His mother wouldn't approve, but then she'd never approved of his love life anyway.

Nate had actually laughed out loud. "No worries, Meg. I did the whole coming out to my family thing once, when things got serious with Carver. I can do it again. Should be easier the second time round."

Megan had laughed, too, but refused to take the discussion further.

Carver had just gotten to his feet and was trying to squeeze past Megan to get some plates from the cupboard when the doorbell rang.

Megan looked vaguely irritated as she washed her hands and dried them off on a tea towel. "Who… I'm not expecting any visitors."

The bell rang again, more urgently this time, and then they heard the unmistakable sound of a key being inserted into the lock. Megan was at the door in a flash, tearing it open without so much as asking who it was.

"Meg! What are you doing?" Nate sounded worried, and Carver had to stifle a cry of surprise. What-

Megan was squealing with delight, leaping straight into the arms of the unknown visitor, laughing and crying at the same time as she placed a resounding kiss on his lips. "Zevran! Maker, I've missed you."

The stranger set her back on her feet with an indulgent chuckle, but he didn't let go of her entirely. His hands remained on her hips in a gesture that betrayed an unconscious familiarity, and the look he exchanged with Megan was… Uh-oh. Carver didn't know who the guy was, but it was obvious Megan knew him intimately.

Nate must have come to the same conclusion. "Who is this, Meg? And why does he have a key?" There was a dark frown on his face as he observed the scene, and he sounded grumpy.

Good question. Carver had a better view of the man now, and he just barely stopped himself from whistling through his teeth. Whoever he was, he was insanely attractive, with his exotic colouring and the striking tattoo. He had taken a small step backwards in the meantime, but he still hadn't let go of Megan entirely, grasping both her hands in a gesture full of warmth and affection.

"I'm sorry, cara." He addressed himself entirely to Megan. "I would have called, but my phone died on the train journey. And I didn't expect you to have company." His gaze quickly swept through the hallway, taking in Nate's barely contained defensiveness without any visible reaction. When he noticed Carver through the open doorway, his eyebrows flew straight up, but he didn't comment. "As a matter of fact, I didn't expect you to be here at all. You usually spend the holiday with your parents, no?"

Megan nodded. She was still smiling. "Nate, Carver, this is Zevran. I met him during my gap year, and he's the best friend a girl could have." She pulled Zevran into the hallway, shooting a quick glance back over her shoulder at Nate. "And he has a key because I've let him use my apartment in the past, when he was in town and I wasn't around."

And when you were around, he stayed here, too. Carver didn't say it aloud, but it was obvious from the way Zevran acted around Megan. They had quite clearly been more than just friends. He swallowed down the rest of his coffee in one big, nervous gulp, glancing over at Nate, who didn't look happy. Not at all.

With the first rush of happy surprise gone, Megan began to realize that this was going to be complicated. The apartment had never seemed tinier than now, with the three most important men in her life crowded into it together. She wondered how Nate and Carver would handle this.

Zevran, of course, was wholly at ease, at least on the surface. She was pretty sure there was a hint of disappointment in his expression as he shook hands with Nate and Carver and gracefully accepted a mug of coffee from her. Megan could hardly blame him. The last time he'd showed up, they'd been halfway out of their clothes the moment the door had closed behind him. He'd fucked her right there, in the hallway, up against the wall, and it had been amazing. It had always been amazing with him.

She did her best not to let her nostalgia show on her face as they settled down in the living room. The couch only had room for three, and Megan chose to sit in the middle, with Zevran on her right. After a moment's hesitation, Carver joined them. Nate ended up in the solitary armchair facing them. He looked stiff and uncomfortable.

Megan cast about for something to lighten the atmosphere, but it was hard to find a safe topic. "I'm afraid there's not enough room for you in here, Zev. But I can give Morrigan a ring and ask her if she can put you up in her spare room. I'm sure she'll be happy to help us out for old time's sake."

"I'm sure she will, cara." Zevran seemed aware of her nervousness. Megan recognized the warm, soothing tone in his voice. "I'll be fine. As are you, it seems. Things are going well, yes?"

His gesture took in both Nate and Carver, and he made no effort to hide his suggestive wink. Nate's face darkened even further.

So he's going to make this difficult. Megan knew Nate was prone to jealousy, but she'd hoped he'd realize how unfounded it was in this case. "Yes, Zev," was all she said aloud. "Really well. We… We've been back together for quite a while now. I meant to tell you earlier, but-"

"Surely you're under no obligation to keep him informed about your love life." Nate probably hadn't intended to sound quite so sulky, but even so, Megan could have slapped him.

Favouring him with her best icy stare, she ignored his comment and focussed on Zevran instead. They chatted for a little longer, catching up on what had happened since their last meeting. Carver was quiet and withdrawn, but at least he wasn't overtly hostile. Still, the mood was decidedly tense.

With a sigh, Megan eventually got to her feet. "Let me get my phone and call Morrigan."

Her friend readily agreed to put up Zevran for the night. "Of course, Meg. But make sure he knows it's a friendly visit." Morrigan's dry tone hadn't changed at all. "I expect him to be good and keep his hands to himself, or he can sleep on the balcony and freeze his pretty Antivan ass off."

Megan hung up with a smile, but when she returned to the living room, Zevran was alone there. He was standing at the window, staring out into the busy street. Nate and Carver had disappeared; she thought she could hear them puttering about in the kitchen.

"I'd better leave, Megan." Zevran pulled her into his arms for a chaste hug. He'd already put his jacket back on, and she closed her eyes as she huddled close to him, inhaling the scent of the leather.

The flood of memories was immediate, and so vivid she had to hold back a moan. "You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do." Zevran pulled back with a knowing smile. "I know when I'm in the way, cara. And I'm truly glad you guys are giving it a second chance. You are good together, I believe." He hadn't bothered to keep his voice down, but before he left, he leaned in to breathe a kiss on her cheek. "They're both gorgeous," he whispered conspiratorially. "If the three of you ever get bored, you know where to find me."

"Zev!" She playfully punched his arm. "Be nice to Morrigan, you hear me?"

"But of course. You know I adore her. And one day she'll realize what she's been missing." His cheeky grin was only too familiar. "I'll be in touch. Take care."

The door fell shut behind him. Megan yawned and stretched, smiling to herself. Oh, Zev. You're incorrigible. Really, Nate had no reason whatsoever to be jealous. But then again how would he know that? It wasn't as if she'd been ready to commit to him and Carver so far. She'd been keeping them at arm's length, both literally and figuratively.

With a deep sigh, she turned to face her men. Time to sort this out.

Nate was mad at himself. And at Megan, for allowing this situation to happen. "I'm sorry, Meg, I really am. I know I was out of line." He did his best to sound contrite. "But surely you have to see... The way he acted around you, touched you, talked to you, making it so damn obvious that the two of you-"

He broke off, realizing he was making things worse. "It's not easy, that's all. I can't help imagining you with him, back then."

Megan shrugged. She had been very clear about what she thought of his attitude. "I don't mind if you do, you know. But, I do mind you getting yourself in such a state over it. Tell me..." Her voice turned sharper. "Back when I first slept with Zev, after the three of us broke up... What were you doing then?"

Carver inhaled sharply at her words, but kept silent, clearly unwilling to get involved. He'd never been overly fond of discussing his emotions or the details of their relationship.

Nate cleared his throat. "I... Well, you remember Anders?"

"Of course I do." Megan snorted impatiently. "What about him?"

"A few weeks after our graduation, I found him outside my apartment one night." Nate swallowed. "He... He was in bad shape, had been living on the street for a while. He hadn't eaten properly for quite some time, I think."

And that's putting it mildly. Anders had been half starved and feverish, unwashed and sick. Nate almost hadn't recognized him at first.

"On the street! But why?" Megan seemed utterly bewildered. "His parents-"

"They kicked him out, Meg, when he told them he was gay." Nate felt his eyes sting at the memory. "They belong to this obscure, hyper-Andrastian sect from the Anderfels, and they refused to even talk to him unless he-" Again, he had to swallow. "I had to help him, Meg!"

"Of course you did." Megan reached out to take his hand, squeezing it gently. "So you took him in and you ended up in bed together?"

"Not straight away, no." Nate took a deep breath, pleased to find he sounded steadier now. "I had to clean him up first, and then help him recover, you know, put on some weight again and all that. But yeah, eventually..."

He hadn't meant to. The whole thing hadn't felt right at first, with Anders so broken and so dependent on him. But Anders had been so eager, so needy, had practically inserted himself into Nate's bed, his life, his heart, without accepting no for an answer.

So, in the end, he had given in to Anders' advances, and it had been good. Good enough for them to try it again, and again, and then even go all the way. Nate had been curious, of course. He and Carver had done quite a bit of exploring together, but they had always stopped shy of actual penetration. Whereas Anders...

"Please, Nate." Anders was writhing on the sheets, his legs spread in a manner that was positively indecent. "I know you want to."

"Damn it, Anders." Nate was rapidly reaching the limit of his self-control. "I... I have no idea how to do this, and I don't want to hurt you."

"I trust you. How hard can it be?" Anders was breathless and flushed, moaning when Nate touched him. "Just... Please, Nate."

And then he'd been inside Anders' hot, tight body, and it had been incredibly sweet and intense, and the look on Anders' face as he'd pushed deeper-

He was torn out of his memories by Megan's crisp, clear voice.

"Well, Nate? Done enough reminiscing?" Her grip on his hand tightened. "Now, do you think that watching your face, seeing the way you smiled when you took that little walk down memory lane, was easy for me? Or for Carver?"

"Meg, please, I-" Carver's discomfort was almost tangible, and he was clearly trying to defuse the situation.

But Megan wouldn't have it. "It's difficult for everyone, Nate! We've all had other lovers, other people we care about. Zevran will always have a special place in my heart. He was there for me at a time when I badly needed company, and I won't forget that." Her face softened. "But I love you. You and Carver. And I'm with you two, not with him, okay?"

It wasn't easy. He couldn't just brush aside his jealousy at a moment's notice. But in his heart, Nate knew Megan was right, knew she was telling the truth. He made himself nod. "Okay."

"Come here." Megan pulled him into a tight embrace, extending a hand towards Carver to make him join in as well. "I love you both so much."

For a long moment, they just held each other, and Nate had to close his eyes, almost overcome by the intensity of his feelings. To have them both in his arms, so warm, so close, so perfect - it was all he'd ever wanted. Now if only Megan-

"Come on, guys. We still have some decorating to do for Satinalia. And afterwards…" Megan took a deep, shaky breath, but when she met his gaze, her eyes were clear, nothing held back. "I think we should start discussing my move to Amaranthine."

And that's it, folks. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me to the end, and of course to my amazing beta suilven.