the breaking point (threesome canon; for ofthecubs)

[theunpressuredclub]

Rachel is weeping when they stumble into Edgar’s chambers, and the two of them slump to the ground just inside the door, only just keeping one another from falling over completely. There is blood staining her shirt and a frightening looking gash near one of his eyes, among other things, but the injuries are being ignored for now by the young redhead as she clings to her boyfriend, presses her forehead against his.

“Enough, Elliot,” she says, her voice rough and shaking, “I don’t care if you and Pierre have to switch Suits and come stay with us. We can’t—we can’t do this anymore.”

“Rachel,” he begins, and his voice is a kind of raspiness that only comes from screaming too long.

“No.” she interrupts, “I can’t—watch while he does this anymore. I can’t let him make you watch, either. This—this is going to end. Maybe not tonight, but—soon.”

“Rachel—”

“—No, Elliot.” Her gaze turns instinctively, pleadingly, towards Edgar, “There’s another way. We’ll find it—won’t we, Ed?”

And maybe they will, now that the majority of them are in agreement that another way needed to be found. Now that Rachel, finally, after far too long, wants to seek the other solutions Edgar has spent too long asking them both to find.

Comments

[ofthecubs]

He loves them. He loves both of them so much that it almost breaks his heart in half from simply the joy of loving anyone at all this much, this intensely, this constantly.

It makes waiting for them an absolute agony. It makes the way they invariably stumble into his safe, quiet little rooms dig barbs into his heart. It means that he's up almost before they're through the door fully, locking it safely behind them so he can drop down where both of them can be clung to. Where he can see them both breathing and feel it reverberate through his body as he does.

And it makes it feel like bursting to the surface after holding one's breath too long to hear her speak about ending it--ending this, the last genuinely fractured thing keeping the two of them so far from him. True, they'll always be bound in a different way. They'll always walk with a different shadow over them. That's fine. That's part of them.

It's just that the blood on Rachel's skin and clothes shouldn't be there. The pain in Elliot's throat shouldn't be there. That wasn't part of them. That was someone else leaving fingerprints where he shouldn't.

"We'll find a way." It's important to murmur now, his own voice tight from only nerves. "For all of you. All of you."

But starting with Rachel. Starting with Elliot.

[theunpressuredclub]

"But this is-- so much bigger than us," Elliot protests roughly, and it's not an invalid argument even if it's a bit of a tired one.

"That's why, Elliot," Rachel says, voice cracking, her fingers digging into Edgar's back, "We-- we can't do this alone."

[ofthecubs]

The dig of her nails is barely noticed. His own fingers catch tighter at her shoulder, shift to clench more tightly at the fabric of Elliot's shirt.

"And we can't just-- let it be."

Not anymore.

[theunpressuredclub]

She curls in closer to the both of them, one hand lifting to touch Elliot's cheek.

"Please," she murmurs, "Please, Elliot-- for us. Let's-- try this another way."

He looks first at her, then Edgar, before sighing heavily and nodding. His forehead comes to rest against Rachel's briefly, before he brushes a rough kiss against Edgar's cheek.

"--Okay," he finally relents, "But-- not right now."

"Not right now," Rachel agrees softly, but there's still a freed sort of relief in her eyes, "Right now, you need ice for your shoulder. D'you have any, Ed?"

[ofthecubs]

There's relief in being allowed to press a firm kiss to Elliot's forehead, to hold Rachel briefly tighter. To know that, once these injuries are seen to, they'll start to talk properly about ending this constant source of pain once and for all.

Not just for them, but still especially for them.

"Of course." It's hard to let go and stand up, but once he's on his feet, it's quick enough to get to the small kitchen and start pulling out ice packs. "Should-- we get you to someone who can patch you up, Rach?"

[theunpressuredclub]

Elliot will return the kiss with another in his cheek. Rachel will briefly bury her face in his chest as he holds her close. Both of them will help one another properly get to their feet without doing anymore damage to existing injuries.

The Spade starts to follow after Edgar as he moves to the kitchen, but Rachel stops him by catching at his hand, guiding him more properly to the couch. The worried tension that still lingers around the corners of her eyes, the gentle way in which she treats the fair-haired young man, makes it clear which of them took the brunt of things tonight.

"No," Rachel says with a shake of her head, "I need to clean and bandage some things better, but I think it's all right. Not all of it's mine."

She touches the small of his back as she moves into the little kitchen as well, seeks out towels and a bowl to fill with water.

"You're keeping our extra clothes in the bathroom still, right?"

[ofthecubs]

It helps, seeing them care for each other. It's good to know that, even in this darkness, even when he can't be near them to look after them, that they still have each other.

And that they want to have more. They want to be free of this entirely.

"I do." But she'll be directed back to the couch herself with an ice pack and a worried bump of his nose to hers. "I'll get it."

[theunpressuredclub]

She'll let him shoo her to the couch only after she kisses him properly, "Thanks, Ed."

Which means she can settle on the couch next to their boyfriend. Coax him out of his shirt so she can properly apply the ice pack to the swelling around his shoulder and scan the new bruises and cuts that have formed on his torso.

"I can do it, Rachel," Elliot tells her softly, "You should be taking care of your own stuff."

The young woman can't help but shake her head, press a light kiss against his cheek, "Let me worry, mm?"

And, more importantly, let her appease that worry by helping him.

[ofthecubs]

They've done this before. Too many times before, really. It hasn't killed any of the nervousness in his lips pressed to hers, or urgency in pulling together first aid kits and clean clothes. It just makes it quicker to be back by their sides again.

"That's half the good of there being three of us, nn?"

They could worry in cycles. Rachel could tend to Elliot while Edgar started cleaning her up. They could worry about two other people but be worried about by two other people.

It was the only thing keeping his hands steady now, really.

[theunpressuredclub]

"True."

It was something that had helped make all of this easier. Would, likely, help make the breaking away they intended to do similarly so.

For now, it means that once Rachel has more properly gotten the ice pack balanced on Elliot's shoulder, she can offer one arm to Edgar to let him help with cleaning the gash on her forearm while she gets a wet towel of her own to start working on the blood on Elliot's face.

[ofthecubs]

It's difficult, helping to clean them up without asking too many questions. It's just a bit painful, knowing that he'll probably never get the full story of the wounds he's cleaning out and bandaging, of the ones he's barely allowed to see because the other two are taking care of each other.

But it's a good step, that at least Rachel is fully ready to end this. That Elliot is at least properly entertaining the idea.

"You'll stay here tonight?"

Both of them, obviously. Kept safe in his careful clutch and oversized bed.

[theunpressuredclub]

"If you want," Elliot replies, shifting his head slightly so Rachel can better clean the injury over his eye.

Rachel tsks softly, pauses to kiss the Spade because she knows what he's thinking when he responds along those lines, "Of course we want you here. And of course we'll stay, Ed."

It'll be easier to feel safer, that way. To figure out where to go from here so they can remain safe.

[ofthecubs]

Neither of them are in critical condition. Both of them can wait a moment while Edgar shifts around to steal a kiss from Elliot's temple and Rachel's cheek.

"Always want it."

Always wanted both of them closer. Always wanted both of them where he could watch over them.

[theunpressuredclub]

Elliot shifts to properly press a kiss against Edgar's lips, smiling for the first time all night.

"'m glad."

Because he's always going to want this. And Rachel is always going to want to beam at the both of them, kissing Edgar when he escapes to press a lips against hers.

"I love you two," she murmurs, "So much."

[ofthecubs]

It's wonderful, kissing them. It's even better being kissed by them in these fragile moments. Knowing that they want to be here for more than just the convenience of the safe haven his rooms provide.

Knowing that the love he feels overwhelmingly for them is felt and returned.

"More than we can say, Rach."

It's still easier to say it to her than to Elliot. Hopefully it's no less felt as he leans slightly to check on the ice pack.

[theunpressuredclub]

"I know."

It's easier for the boys, sometimes, to talk of their affection through Rachel than directly to each other. It's all right. Everyone involved understands.

Which is why Rachel continues smiling fondly as she shifts to let Edgar take care of Elliot, setting the towel back on the edge of the bowl so she can rummage through the first aid kit for the antibiotic cream for her and Elliot's cuts.

It's also why Elliot moves his good arm to squeeze briefly, affectionately, at Edgar's hand before letting him steady the ice pack.

[ofthecubs]

They'll get to saying it properly, most likely. They'll come around to being able to whisper it comfortably the way they can murmur it to Rachel.

Later. Now, there's just tsking and moving ice packs and tugging bandages tighter. Thank goodness that's a language they all understand.

"You two be okay while I grab clean clothes?"

[theunpressuredclub]

They're still learning. Still growing into this love that is so different from love as they usually know it and yet something so much more real than the love of others their age.

It's a love that doesn't necessarily need words.

"We'll be fine," Rachel assures, attention just slightly drifting as she starts to apply the ointment to her arm.

"We will be," Elliot repeats, more firmly as he looks at Edgar with a tiny smile.

[ofthecubs]

It's a relief to smile properly. It's wonderful to go and know they'll be there when he comes back.

It's best to stop in the door, briefly, and ask, "Shower first? Either of you?"

Because they're both here.

[theunpressuredclub]

"We probably both should," Rachel hums thoughtfully, stifling a wince as the cream stings just slightly.

"'ll go," Elliot says, leaning to press a kiss against Rachel's forehead before he sets the ice pack aside and gets to his feet, "Might help with the bruises."

[ofthecubs]

Another good thing about having three of them, really; they can pass off the one who needs most help. His hand is reaching for Elliot's before the Spade has even fully left Rachel's side.

"C'mon, scarecrow."

[theunpressuredclub]

"Scarecrow?" The Spade echoes with a snort as he properly pulls to his full height, stifling a grimace as the movement tugs at aching parts.

Taking his hand is still easy. So is leaning a little closer and briefly, comfortably resting his head against Edgar's shoulder.

[ofthecubs]

"Working on something more creative, promise."

More importantly, he's working on squeezing the other young man's hand. On kissing the top of his head firmly.

On a tight, adoring hug once they're in the bath room.

[meonmyway2stealurgirl]

"You better. Otherwise I'll be quite upset with you."

Not that he could actually be entirely angry at him. Especially not now, when he's able to snuggle in close and kiss him properly.

[ofthecubs]

Proper kisses are important. Proper kisses make his breath come a little easier as he holds the other young man in close.

"And... we'll talk tomorrow, yeah? About-- everything with you and Rach?"

[meonmyway2stealurgirl]

It's always surprising how much their kisses help the world feel more settled. Make it easy to breathe despite the bruises marring his chest making it otherwise difficult.

"We-- we will."

Finally. After all this time.

[ofthecubs]

"Promise, okay?"

It's important to get it promised. Important that this warm safety extend to the next day.

[meonmyway2stealurgirl]

"...I promise, Ed."

And he'll seal it with a proper kiss, even.

[ofthecubs]

It's the sort of thing he wants to end with 'I love you.' It's the sort of thing, if it were Rachel, that it would have rolled naturally out.

Breaking from this kiss comes with a shaky sort of breath because the words are still getting swallowed. "You're-- you're really the best, nn?"

[meonmyway2stealurgirl]

"You are," Elliot insists, chasing his lips just a little.

It's the way they say 'I love you,' for now. They'll get better at it, slowly.

Might get better about it now, with Rachel rapping on the door questioningly.

"Room for one more?" she queries with a small smile.

[ofthecubs]

The words they have are enough for now. They'll grow and change when they're supposed to.

It's enough, for the moment, to smile crookedly at the man he's holding before reaching out for the woman in the door.

"C'mon. Everyone in the shower. 's big enough."

[meonmyway2stealurgirl]

Rachel will come in with a beautifully bright smile and wrap her arms about both young men, sighing in soft contentment.

"All right, then."