“I think you should considering asking Jackson out on a date.”

“Excuse me?” Stiles pauses the video game he’s playing so he can turn his head to stare at his girlfriend of nearly four years. “Did you seriously just say what I think you said?”

“If you thought I said you should date Jackson then, yes, I seriously said it.” Kira shifts a little bit, nudging his leg with her foot when he gapes at her. “What?”

“What what?” Stiles puts the controller down because this is obviously one of those conversations where he needs to pay attention. He looks at Kira and asks quietly, “Are you breaking up with me? Are you trying to set me up on a rebound before you dump me?”

“No!” Kira blinks at him. “Of course I’m not. Why would I break up with you, Stiles?”

“Then what are you talking about?” Stiles moves so that he’s sitting sideways on the sofa, facing her. “Why would I date Jackson if I’m dating you?”

“Doing one of those things doesn’t necessarily preclude you from doing both,” Kira points out with a smile. “I mean, I love you, Stiles. We’ve been together for years, and I’m very confident in our relationship.”

“You know I love you, too, right?” Stiles frowns, trying to figure out what he’s done to make her possibly doubt his feelings or to lead to this conversation in the first place. “I’m head over heels for you.

“Head over heels, huh?” Kira smiles as she leans forward to kiss him. “I like the sound of that.”

“Yeah, well, it’s true,” he mutters. “Anyway, I’m not trying to break up with you or anything stupid like that, got it?”

“I never thought you were,” she tells him honestly. “But there’s something happening between you and Jackson, and you can’t ignore it like that’s going to make it go away. All ignoring it will do is lead to some type of explosion at some point, which could possibly end up hurting someone.”

“I don’t know why you’re so interested in Jackson.” Stiles makes a face. “The only thing happening between the two of us is a surprisingly good friendship. You never knew Jackson before, when he was a complete douchebag asshat who lived to make my life miserable. This more mature Jackson who’s been mellowed by London and his wolf is just different enough to not be a total asshole.”

“I’ve heard a lot of stories about him, from his own mouth,” Kira reminds him. “You two have more than just a good friendship that’s developed in the months since he came back to town. And, yes, he might be a little obnoxious and hide his feelings behind smugness, but he’s also in love with you.”

“No, he’s not,” Stiles says firmly. She arches a brow, and he runs his fingers through his hair because sometimes he thinks maybe Jackson does have feelings for him that aren’t strictly platonic. “Okay, I know there’s an attraction there. I’ve been honest with you about that since the first wet dream I had about him because we can talk to each other about stuff without getting weird. Kira, babe, this is getting weird, though.”

“Stiles, I know love when I see it,” she says softly. “I think you love him, too, even if it’s still just in the early stages. I think you could end up head over heels for him, too, if given the opportunity.”

“I don’t.” Stiles feels a twist in his gut because he knows it’s a lie, and Kira is giving him a gentle look that lets him know she realizes it, too. He takes her hand, rubbing his thumb along her palm. “Even if I might have complex emotions for that smug ass, you’re the one I want, Kira. I choose you. We’re happy, aren’t we? I’m sorry if I’ve mucked stuff up somehow. I’d never act on anything I feel for someone else. I’d never betray you like that or use him in that way.”

“Stiles, this conversation started with me telling you that you should date Jackson,” she reminds him. She squeezes his hand. “You’ve got a lot of love to give, and I’ve thought about it a lot and realized I can definitely share you with Jackson. So I’d be happy to let you explore your feelings with him. That doesn’t mean we have to break up, you know?”

“I don’t really understand,” he admits. He looks at her curiously. “Do you mean you’re attracted to him, too? You want him to join us? Like for sex only or something more serious?”

“Not really?” Kira shrugs. “I mean, he’s very pretty, and I do enjoy hanging out with him. He’s become a good friend since he moved back from England, but that’s all he really is to me. A good friend. I’m not attracted to him like that, but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed if you ever wanted a threesome, you know? I’d just prefer watching the two of you together than doing him myself. You’re more than enough for me in that respect.” She waggles her eyebrows and grins. “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t date him, though, and have sex with him and stuff.”

“You want us to have an open relationship? Is there someone you’re interested in?” Stiles is having a little difficulty understanding what Kira’s got in mind. She’s talking about sharing him with Jackson, but he’s not even sure if Jackson would be interested in something like that. Hell, he’s not sure if he’s into the idea because it sounds complicated and risky. Like someone could get jealous and hurt by the whole the thing.

“You. Only you.” Kira leans forward and kisses his forehead. “Open relationship in a way, only not exactly? I mean, this isn’t something that everyone really does, but I’ve asked around, done some reading, and tried to figure out a solution that could make us all happy. Because, right now, Jackson isn’t happy, and I think you could be happier, which would make me happier. You don’t need to tell me you love me, because I know you do. I wouldn’t be confident enough to suggest this relationship change if I had any doubts about that.”

“Okay. Let me see if I understand.” Stiles rests his forehead against hers. “You want our relationship to remain the same as it is, but you also want me to date Jackson and have sex with him. But you don’t really want to have sex with him or date him.”

“Yep. That’s it exactly.” Kira scratches the back of his head, hitting the spot that always makes him want to twitch his leg like a dog being petted in a sweet spot. “It’s called a vee. You’d be the point of our vee, and Jackson and I would be the arms or whatever you’d want to call the things that poke out from the point. You’d be romantically involved with me and Jackson, but he and I’d just be friends without the romance and sex stuff.”

“I don’t see how that would be successful,” he admits. “Wouldn’t you be jealous? It sounds really complicated, dating two people at the same time.”

“I might be jealous sometimes. Won’t really know until we do this, after all.” Kira strokes his cheek. “But jealousy isn’t something that really controls me. You know that I’m pretty easy going when it comes to that stuff.” She tilts her head slightly. “I think it might not be that easy at the start, but I think the three of us can make it work. The fact that Jackson and I are friends and have that emotional connection should help a lot, actually.”

“Jackson’s possessive and more than a little needy, Kira. Do you really think he’d be open to dating someone who’s also dating someone else that they’ve been involved with for years?” Stiles is starting to come around to the concept because, well, he does have feelings for Jackson. They aren’t anything he’d have ever explored, not when he’s head over heels for Kira, but there’s definitely a crush that’s become a little more since Jackson returned to Beacon Hills last year.

Kira bites her lip as she squeezes his hands. “I might have already discussed the possibility with him, and he might have been supportive of the idea,” she says carefully. “I mean, there wasn’t much point in bringing it up if he wasn’t interested, was there? He’s actually down the street at the coffee shop waiting for my call after I talk to you about this, ready to either join us or to avoid us depending on your reaction, I figure.”

“Seriously?” Stiles smiles slightly. “I should have known you’d be thorough and prepared before bringing this up. Alright, maybe you should call him? Tell him to come over because I’d like to discuss this with all of us here before we make any decisions about a relationship between us.”

“Okay. Let me text him.” Kira grabs her phone off the table, typing in a few words before she smiles. “He’ll be here in a few minutes.” She looks at Stiles after she puts the phone down. “You doing okay, hon?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it all. Might have been nice if you’d dropped a few hints here and there, maybe left some information around for me to read,” he tells her. “It wouldn’t be so much to take in if there’d been some warning or if I understood what this vee thing is so it’d make more sense right now.”

“Jackson and I discussed being subtle and leaving hints, but we both agreed that it was probably better to just hit you with it at once so you wouldn’t have as much time to research and worry about all the various ways things could go wrong,” Kira confesses. “You tend to worst case scenario stuff instead of thinking about the positives. And he felt it would be better coming from me since I was the one who suggested it in the first place. Between us, I’m not sure if he really believed I was totally supporting the idea despite instigating the whole thing.”

“He’s probably not used to anyone being so kind and generous, especially with their boyfriends.” Stiles brushes her hair back from her face. “Are you really sure about doing this, Kira? You’re not letting your heart get in the way of your head? Feeling bad for him or thinking you have to do this or risk losing me? Because you won’t lose me.”

“I’m sure.” Kira kisses his palm. “I won’t lie and say I’m one hundred percent confident it’s going to be perfect. I’m expecting some problems, figure it won’t be super easy, in fact, but I think it’s something that could really be great for all of us. I mean, Jackson and I get along really well, and we both love you, so it seems like an easy way to solve a potential problem by sharing instead of forcing you to make bad choices that don’t make anyone all that happy.”

Before Stiles can answer, there’s a knock on the door. “I’ll get it,” he says, leaning in to kiss Kira as he cards his fingers through her hair before he gets up and crosses the room. When he opens the door, he sees Jackson standing there, shifting his weight from foot to foot and looking vulnerable in a way Stiles hasn’t seen since he died back in sophomore year. “Hey, Jackson.”

“Hey.” Jackson looks at him for a moment before glancing behind him towards Kira. “Hello, Kira.”

“Come on in.” Stiles steps aside, watching Jackson walk over to give Kira a hug and whisper something to her. She whispers something back, reaching up to stroke his hair in a comforting sort of way. They get along really well, even if it’s not a physical sort of thing, and he has a suspicion that they’d definitely keep him on his toes because they’re both mischievous when teaming up against him. Jackson’s a bit of a handful while Kira’s got a tricky nature. He closes the door and just watches them for a moment, wondering if he should even dare hope that they could both be his like Kira seems to think is possible.

Jackson looks up as Stiles gets closer to the sofa. “For the record, I’m all in,” he says simply. “Kira and I spent weeks discussing this, and I was opposed at first, but we kept talking, and I learned more about the concept, and now I’m totally committed to this. To you and her.”

“What happens if you want to see me one night, but she and I are already going out?” Stiles asks. “What about if you come over and smell her all over me? What if I have to choose sometimes, and I choose her?”

“Then I’ll be disappointed, maybe even jealous, but I’ll wait for another night,” Jackson tells him, sitting on the coffee table and rubbing the back of his neck. “I smell her on you now, and I’m not turning into a jealous raving lunatic, so that’s not likely to suddenly change. And you might choose her sometimes, but you’ll also choose me sometimes.”

“See, I don’t believe it’s that easy.” Stiles sits on the sofa by Kira and looks between them both. “Don’t get me wrong. I wish it would be, but that sounds like when you’re reading instructions to something, so everything’s all black and white. When we add in human behavior, and wolf and kitsune behavior, I can’t help but think there’s going to be a hell of a lot of grey we don’t anticipate.”

“There’s a lot of grey in our lives anyway,” Kira points out. “Nothing is really ever black and white. If we go into this with our eyes wide open, I’m confident we’re going to be successful.”

“Stiles, I’m not good at talking about emotions and shit like that,” Jackson murmurs. “You know I don’t throw a certain four letter word around at all. In fact, I haven’t said it or wanted to say it in a very long time. But fuck. How can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?”

Kira leans over to give Jackson a half-hug, resting her cheek against his shoulder as she looks at Stiles. Stiles licks his lips, feeling his heart racing as they both look at him, and he realizes they’re completely serious and committed to this idea. Their friendship is obvious, and he’s actually really happy that they hit it off so well. Possibly because Kira didn’t know Jackson before the kanima and everything, so she’s been open and willing to accept him in a way that caught him off-guard. It’s one reason Jackson felt comfortable hanging out at their place so often, which led to their friendship growing into something more along the way.

And Jackson’s changed. He’s still an ass, sure, but there’s more maturity and depth there now. They have fun bickering, and their arguments rarely hit below the belt unless they’re really frustrated, which isn’t often. If anything, they’ve become good friends, much to his dad and Scott’s surprise. Stiles really likes him, even loves him a little if he’s totally honest, and he’s definitely attracted to him, but not to the point where he’s rethought his relationship with Kira or ever considered exploring those feelings.

He’d never cheat, so the worst he’s done is have fantasies, jerking off occasionally to thoughts of Jackson, sometimes to thoughts of having sex with both Jackson and Kira. But he’s been honest with Kira about getting off to dirty thoughts about Jackson some nights just like she’s candid about most her own fantasies. Now, he wonders if he should feel guilty for developing feelings for someone other than his girlfriend, whether he’s been unfaithful because of those feelings regardless of the fact he’d never been going to act on them.

“If I’d known this was the way to make you speechless, I’d have told you I was in love with you months ago,” Jackson says, his tone smug but his expression is definitely vulnerable.

“I’m not speechless,” Stiles points out. “I’m just a little overwhelmed.” He meets those pretty blue eyes, smiling slightly. “I think I could be in love with you, too. I’ve never really let myself think about it, but I know there are feelings here.”

“Yes, there are,” Kira agrees, reaching out to take Stiles’ hand. She tugs him closer to them and smiles. “Which is why I think you should also date Jackson.”

“I love you so much,” Stiles tells her sincerely, squeezing her fingers before he leans in to kiss her thoroughly. When he pulls back, he looks at Jackson, sees the way he’s watching them. Leaning in, he lightly presses his lips against Jackson’s mouth, not sure if having their first kiss with his girlfriend watching is the best idea or not. Jackson presses closer, his fingers moving into Stiles’ hair as he moves his lips to return the kiss.

Jackson pulls back before tongues can get involved, a light flush high on his cheeks as he looks between them. “What are you thinking, Stiles?”

“I’m thinking this could be the stupidest thing we’ve ever done,” he admits, smiling despite his harsh words. “But it also could be a great thing for all of us.”

“Stupid but great is something I can get behind,” Kira says, smiling as she strokes his jaw.

“Nothing I do is stupid,” Jackson scoffs, dragging his tongue over his bottom lip as he sneaks a look at Stiles’ mouth. “It’s an unorthodox idea that I appreciate Kira thinking up when most women would probably not consider sharing their boyfriend with someone else, especially not another man.”

“Yeah, well, Kira’s pretty amazing and special,” Stiles reminds him. “If we do this, are there rules or anything?”

“We can talk about that stuff later. Right now, why don’t we order some pizza, and I’ll kick your asses at COD,” Kira suggests, winking at Jackson who groans at the idea of suffering such a humiliating defeat yet again.

“I’ll call in the pizza. You two set up the game,” Jackson tells them. He kisses Kira’s cheek and Stiles’ mouth before he pulls out his cell phone to dial their favorite pizza delivery place.

Kira grins at Stiles, leaning in to kiss him. “Stop worrying about the possible problems, Stiles. If you have to think about something, then focus on all the ways this relationship will be positive and beneficial for all of us. There’s no point getting anxious, you know? Anyway, this is going to be good. I can feel it in my gut, and my gut’s always right.”