Leo had couch surfed for most of his adolescence.  There was a non-zero number of times he’d found himself in a stranger’s bed come morning, but there was always a spike of anxiety just before he fully woke up. Today was no different. Except today a soft, feminine voice banished it before it could fully materialize.

 "Good morning.”

 Leo opened his eyes to find yet another stranger standing above him. 

Well, not a complete stranger. He had a vague, unfocused memory of her approaching him at the club, looking stunning in a criminally skimpy pirate costume. 

And she was stunning, even now, in what he assumed were her pajamas. Her dark hair cascaded in loose, silken curls down her back. Her lips – as red as wine and just as tempting – were striking against her ivory complexion, which seemed to glow even in the dim light. He stared at those lips for a long moment before he realized they were moving.

Her voice was soft and comforting, almost melodic, but it was next to impossible to focus on her words when there was a deep, throbbing pain quickly taking up residence in his skull.  

“Where am I?” He rasped, and then winced at the way his own voice reverberated in his mind. He tried to lift a hand to his head, but it felt like a leaden weight at the end of his limp-noodle of an arm. “What happened?” 

Had he drunk that much? He must have been absolutely plastered to not even remember drinking – or going home with someone so gorgeous. He could recall ordering a drink, dancing to that Brittany song, and then being approached by the woman currently looking at him like he was a wounded puppy.  Everything else was a hazy blur that seemed to fade further the harder he tried to grasp it, each attempt spiking pain through his already addled head. He gave up trying and let her gentle voice soothe some of that ache.

"My name is Tiri and you’re at mine and my husband Isaac’s home. We met at the club last night, and you were drugged. You started getting wobbly and were about to fall over while we were talking. There was a man watching you a little too closely and shooting death glares at me. I was afraid to leave you alone in case he was the one who drugged you, so we brought you home with us," she explained. He was thankful that she kept  her voice low.

Leo’s whole body went cold, a pit of dread opening in his already roiling gut. This was exactly the kind of thing his best friend always warned him about when he went out alone. This was exactly the kind of thing Jeremy had lectured him about, before Leo had broken up with him for being overbearing. He had laughed them off. He was a big guy, strong and more than capable of defending himself, not the waifish college student everyone pictured being roofied. This sort of thing wasn’t supposed to happen to him. He was supposed to protect others from… from…

“Leo.” Tiri’s touch on his cheek was soft and surprisingly cool, and as she drew his gaze up towards her kind eyes he felt that pit of dread slowly knitting itself back together. “It’s alright. You’re safe here. Issac and I made sure nothing happened to you.”

He nodded, not entirely sure why he trusted what she was saying, why he somehow knew he was safe here, in this new place with someone he hardly remembered. She could have been lying through her perfect teeth, but… she wasn’t. He could just tell. 

“Is there anything I can get you?” She asked, pulling his attention further from the shame and fear of having been so vulnerable. 

"Painkillers?" He asked, desperate to lessen the pain that thrummed in his skull with each tiny movement. He cringed slightly when her expression turned apologetic, figuring he was out of luck on that front. At least there were blackout curtains over the windows so the sun wouldn’t shatter his eyes. "Coffee, if you have it?"

She nodded at that request then plucked a glass from the night stand and handed it to him. "Of course. In the meantime, try to keep some water down."

She stood and started towards the kitchen but stopped and turned back. "Are you allergic to anything? Are there any foods you don't like? I'm sure breakfast will be ready soon; if you're up to it?"

Before the woman -Tiri- made it to the doorway, another figure stepped through; a tall man with dark hair, a dusky complexion, and chiseled features. He was holding a tray laden with a carafe of coffee and pots of what Leo assumed were cream and sugar. 

"Looks like perfect timing. I’m Isaac," the man said, his voice tinged with an accent Leo couldn't quite place.

Leo slumped back against the headboard, thankful he wouldn't have to try to stand up yet. He watched as the man crossed to the bedside table and put the tray down, struck by the same confused familiarity he felt looking at Tiri. He couldn't remember meeting either of them before, but they didn't feel like strangers to him. Especially since he was in bed in what he had to assume was their house.

But then, they had saved him, hadn't they? That's what she had said, and though he couldn't remember it felt... right. Despite waking up in a strange place, confused and in pain, he felt comfortable around them. Safe.  He was fairly sure it wasn't just because they were two of the most beautiful people he had ever seen.

"How do you like it?" the man - no, Isaac - asked him; it took Leo a solid minute to realize he was asking about the coffee. A splash of cream and a scoop of sugar later, Leo was cupping a wonderfully warm mug in his hands, tilting it back to let some of the liquid roll down his throat.

"It’s delicious, thank you," Leo said after his first sip, looking first to the man who had brought him this gift, and then to the still-concerned looking woman behind him. A vague memory flashed through his mind of her challenging him to a sword fight. "For... everything. I hope you don't mind if I take a rain check on that duel?"

"Of course, I prefer my dueling partner to be in peak condition. Otherwise there's no fun in it," she quipped back.

Leo gave her a small, grateful smile and tucked back into his coffee, feeling just slightly more himself with each sip that he took. They settled into a silence that should have been uncomfortable, as Isaac poured his own cup of coffee and took a few drinks.

"Breakfast is ready, if you feel you are able to eat," Isaac offered shyly once Leo was sitting a little straighter.

"It does smell amazing," Leo admitted  after taking his last sip, his gaze dropping to the empty cup in his hands. It really did smell great, but they had already helped him so much already. He knew he should thank them, maybe offer some money for their trouble, and be on his way.

Yet one look at Isaac and the goodbye died in his throat. There was something about the man—the married man, whose wife was standing right there - that called to Leo. For one dizzying moment, he had the wild urge to reach out and stroke the man's beard.

"Since you already went to the trouble, I could eat something before I get out of your hair," he found himself saying, still focusing on keeping his hands to himself. "Though you've already done too much for me."

Tiri smiled. "It's no bother, and it's honestly kind of nice to have a guest. It's been a while since we've had anyone over. Why don't you get cleaned up while Isaac and I set the table? That costume can't be comfortable and there are some clothes and toiletries in the guest bathroom."

Isaac motioned to the hallway behind them. "It's down this hallway to the left, and the kitchen is to the right."

 Leo stared at himself in the mirror by the door of the bathroom. He was still damp from a shower, wearing one of Isaac's t-shirts that clung tightly to his broad frame and gray sweatpants that hugged his hips a little too snuggly. This place and these people already felt entirely too much like home and it was disconcerting. Even the too small clothes felt right. He’d slept here apparently, but he didn’t know them from Adam and he shouldn’t get too comfortable, he reminded himself as he left the bathroom and headed down the hall.

Rounding the corner, Leo blushed to see the Tiri perched in Isaac's lap, both of them staring at him with wide eyes as if they had been caught by a schoolteacher. Despite having spent most of his time in the bathroom telling himself it wasn't a good idea to stick around this house, alone with the most gorgeous married couple he'd ever seen when he already threw himself into relationship after relationship - getting burned each time - here he was, shuffling a step further into their kitchen.

"Sorry," he said, blushing deeper, though he couldn't quite look away from them, either. "I uh... didn't mean to interrupt."

Tiri cleared her throat softly and stood, smoothing the front of her hoodie.  It was about a dozen sizes too large - would dwarf even him - and hung down to her knees, leaving her calves and feet bare. "You didn't. We've been told we're uncomfortably affectionate around others."

"Oh." Leo felt his cheeks warm even more. He couldn't exactly fault them for being affectionate with each other. He shook his head to clear the thought of taking her place in Isaac's lap and running his fingertips through the man’s meticulously groomed, dark beard again - something he had the distinct impression he’d done before, even if he didn’t remember it. Reluctantly, he took his own seat instead. "Don't feel like you have to stop on my account, it is your house."

“As tempting as that is, I think we should probably eat instead,” Isaac laughed when Leo’s stomach rumbled. “The food is right behind you.”

With wide eyes, Leo turned and took in the counters holding dozens of trays of food. Now conscious and refreshed from a shower, his appetite was returning with a fierceness.

“I – uh, I wasn’t sure what your preferences were, so I just made a little of everything we had on hand,” Isaac said.

Leo stepped over to the first of the serving dishes overflowing with pancakes, breakfast meats, fruit, muffins, pastries and things he wasn’t sure what they were. Even the unfamiliar food made it onto his plate. If someone was going to go to the trouble of making all this food he would at least try as much of it as he could.  He was fairly certain he even saw beans and toast further down the counter when he finished.  

Isaac was right behind him, loading his plate mostly with the foods Leo wasn’t sure about.  

"It all looks delicious, thank you for cooking. And for coffee. And for saving my ass, apparently. I'll have to find a way to repay you two for... everything,"  Leo said, feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything they had done for him. He had a fork full of cheese-laden eggs halfway to his mouth before his eyes widened again and he looked up at them. "I'm Leo, by the way. Though maybe you already knew that? I don’t remember much past you being in a pirate costume.”

"I'm impressed. We only spoke for a few minutes, and you weren't terribly awake for most of it," Tiri said with a smile, before sipping her drink.

"You're hard to forget, apparently, I mean... It's not every day a beautiful woman offers to duel me in a bar," Leo said, his voice a little too warm as memories surfaced of her approaching him and flirting. He immediately dropped his gaze to his plate, kicking himself for making suggestive comments to a married woman with her husband sitting right next to him. “I uh, I hope I wasn’t out of line.”

“A rarity for me as well, and don’t worry, you were the picture of courtesy,” Tiri answered. 

He took the warmth in her voice to mean he hadn’t gone too far last night or this morning.

Isaac also didn’t seem to be upset - only tucked into his own meal - so Leo relaxed a bit at her reassurance. "I'm glad. Though, I guess if I had been too rude you could have left me there in that alley…" It was an alley wasn’t it? Leo vaguely remembered he had left the club with Tiri through a side entrance… his fork clattered to his plate and he let out a low groan as another fuzzy memory surfaced. “I didn’t touch your beard did I? Please tell me I didn’t touch your beard."

Isaac coughed on his bite of food and then cleared his throat. "Don't worry about it, you weren't thinking straight."

"You also got a little indignant that there would be a third person at our duel, before propositioning him instead," Tiri added cheerfully. "It’s alright, I'm not the jealous type. Besides, I can't really blame you, he is very handsome, and I understand the compulsion."

Leo flushed bright scarlet at those reminders, fighting the urge to bury his face in his hands; people had kicked his ass - or at least tried to - for less, but these two had still taken care of him. Maybe that was why he was so drawn to them both? "I'm so sorry. And you still brought me home and made me breakfast?"

"I told you I'm not the jealous type," Tiri said and reached across the table to put a hand on his arm.

Her touch sent a jolt of electricity through him that he vaguely remembered from the bar. He lifted his hand to cover hers without thinking, not wanting that feeling to end quite yet. "I'm glad you're not, because I definitely wouldn't have survived that duel last night."

Isaac laughed lightly. "If you want to have a chance of winning, you should eat something."

"Yes, sir," Leo said with a chuckle of his own, his embarrassment mostly forgotten, and turned back to his plate to devour the delicious food Isaac had made for him.

A sound almost like a muffled growl sounded from somewhere in Isaac's chest, and Leo looked up at him with wide eyes. "Sounds like you should eat, too, if your stomach is rumbling that loudly.”

Isaac took a deep breath and nodded without saying anything before digging into his own meal

It was legitimately some of the most incredible food Leo had ever eaten. It was all he could do not to groan out loud when he tried the first bite of a thick, fluffy pancake soaked in an orange honey sauce and topped with finely chopped dates, strawberries, and pomegranate seeds.  “Thank you again for breakfast, this is delicious.”

Isaac’s smile turned so brilliant he thought he might go blind. Leo’s heart thudded in his chest; it was all he could do not to stare. The man was entirely too attractive, especially because he was married and out of reach. They were both married and as out of reach as a winning lottery ticket(the moon, saturn, winning the lottery, something not so matchy).  So he ate. And then ate some more. At least the perfect, pillowy frittata  (more specific word perhaps, what food) was almost good enough to distract him from wanting to crawl into either of their laps.

"So why Robin Hood? I'm always curious to know why people pick their costumes," Tiri asked once they had sated the worst of their hunger.

"Oh." Leo grinned, the fact that they hadn't thought he was Peter Pan like most people made him like them even more. "I don't know. He was a favorite of mine as a kid. Maybe it's silly, but his life always kind of appealed to me. Being the swashbuckling adventurer type, but for the good of the people..."

Isaac smiled warmly. "That sounds very noble.”

Over a seemingly endless  supply of coffee, the conversation flowed so smoothly Leo didn’t even notice how much time had passed until he glanced at the microwave clock and saw it was well into the afternoon.

"You have to at least let me do the dishes as thank you. That was fantastic," Leo said as he took Isaac's plate, his free hand dropping onto the man's shoulder to give it a squeeze.

The increasingly familiar jolt of electricity that shot through his arm at that simple touch made him gasp and stagger in surprise. The dish at the top of the pile he was carrying teetered, and then crashed to the floor, shattering against the tile.

"Shit," Leo said, pushing the remaining pile onto the nearby counter and crouching down to start picking up the pieces. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still not 100%."

"It's alright. They're replaceable," Isaac reassured as he knelt beside him, helping to pick up the pieces while Tiri took the pile of unbroken dishes to the kitchen. "Besides, I would be surprised if you were back to normal already. It's not your fault someone decided to try to drug you."

"Did you see the guy?" Leo asked, his voice no more steady than his trembling hands. He had felt so safe and comfortable with them that it hadn't sunk in what had almost happened to him until just now. "It was lucky for me that Tiri decided to talk to me, but he could still hurt someone else."

Isaac placed the plate they had used to gather the pieces of glass on the table, and then took both of Leo's hands in his, his grip firm and steady. "Tiri took care of it before we left."

As if on cue Tiri swept back in with a broom, making quick work of the last of the shards. "I did, and  promise he won't be bothering you or anyone else. If you would feel more comfortable recovering at home, we can give you our address for someone to pick you up, or we can take you there. But it's really not an imposition for you to stay. I know what it is to need safety after something like that, and I promise there is nowhere safer for you than here." 

"Do you..." Leo hesitated a moment, knowing he should say his thank yous and goodbyes and stop imposing on these not-quite strangers. He should find his way back to his apartment. His lonely, quiet apartment. "Do you mind if I stay for a little longer? I'm new to the area - haven’t really even unpacked yet - I don't really know many people, and I-" (this whole paragraph, word choice, sentence fluency, just lovely!)

Don't want to be alone. He let the words die in his throat, not wanting to burden these two with the way his voice would have shaken. He didn't want to be alone, but it was more than that, too. He didn't want to leave them. He didn't even want Isaac to let go of his hand. The electric buzz of his touch had faded into a deep, rich warmth, but it was still mystifying and comforting and.... right, somehow.

"We would be glad to have you," Isaac was quick to assure him, his voice just as warm as his touch.

"Thank you," Leo said, his shoulders slumping with relief. "I'll find a way to make it up to you that doesn't involve breaking your dishes."

"You're more than welcome," Isaac replied. "And don't worry about making anything up to us. It’s not every day we get to rescue a handsome stranger.”

"Our only plans for the day were to watch movies and laze about, anyway," Tiri cut in with a smile and a small shrug. "Why don't you guys go pick out the first one while I finish squaring things away?"

"The pirate queen has spoken; we should probably listen or she'll have us flogged," Isaac joked and rose to his feet, helping Leo to stand before turning to head towards the spacious living room.

It was all Leo could do not to groan out loud at the threat, because it wasn’t much of a threat to him. There was no way either of them could know about that particular kink of his though. Right?

Issac clicked the TV on and offered the remote to Leo once a list of streaming services appeared on screen. "Sleepover rules, guests get to pick the movie.”

Leo cleared his throat and took the remote, banishing the thought of being on his knees sucking off the man in front of him while being flogged by his wife. “Thanks.”