Miraculously, Cortez didn't call out the next day. He came to the building, sat through his boss' reprimands about abandoning his shift, and went back to work. It was a long, difficult shift, and all throughout he entertained the idea of quitting on the spot. Eventually, it was the end of his shift. He clocked out, staggered back to his apartment, and barely made it to his bed before passing out.

The next day was Sunday.

Cortez made the effort to wash his face and put on a new shirt before Harl was due to pick him up. He checked the weather and decided it was nice enough to wait outside, so he went downstairs a few minutes early.

Harl was already there, sitting on his bike in a parking spot. He started when he saw Cortez. "Oh, hi!" he said with half a smile. "I, uh, I'm here early, I know, I just…"

He trailed off. Cortez frowned. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Not really? I mean, sort of. I mean, it's like–"

Harl cut himself off and dismounted his bike. "Cortez," he said, "can we talk about something?"

Cortez didn't answer for a few long seconds. "Well," he said, and looked away. "I…"

He could still see Harl's worried expression in the corner of his vision. Cortez ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing for a way out. Eternities passed. He felt doors spiraling in the back of his mind.

"Of course, Harl," he finally said. "What is it?"

---

They sat on Cortez's couch. His apartment was mostly clean–maybe there was a few too many dishes in the sink, but he couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed. Harl took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Shirley told me what happened in Paradoors," he said.

Cortez nodded. "I'm not surprised," he said. "She was… encouraging me to talk to you, really. What did she say?"

"Um…" Harl looked down at his lap. "That you're depressed."

He snorted. "That's not a secret."

"She said…" Harl shook his head. "While I was, um… gone, you stopped eating. She said you wanted to die."

"It's not…" His mouth was dry. Cortez rethought what he was going to say and went through with it anyway. "It's not as bad as it sounds," he said.

Harl looked at him with wide eyes. "How?"

Cortez couldn't speak for a moment. "I thought there wasn't hope," he said. "If we were all going to die, it didn't matter if I was…" His voice faltered. "…one of the first."

Harl took a sharp breath and looked away.

Cortez sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know that's not… I don't know. It's not nice to hear."

"I mean, I can't argue with it." Harl toyed with the cuff of one glove. "But… even if I was, um, not coming back… Tippy probably would have gotten more food and stuff? I don't know, but… it wouldn't have been all hopeless, right?"

He couldn't listen to him. "Harl, I thought you were dead because of me."

"Cortez–"

Cortez raised a hand to stop him. "I wasn't kind to you," he said, "and you died to save me. What was I supposed to do? I thought it should have been me. I thought I deserved to die after that. I can never repay you for–for even wanting to save me after how I treated you."

"Cortez, no!" Harl leaned forward and grasped his hand. "You don't have to repay me. I don't want that. I'm okay, Cortez. I didn't die."

His voice shook. "But what if you had?"

"I don't–" Harl's voice caught. "I don't want to think about that."

Cortez took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry," he said, and pulled his hand away. "I shouldn't… this must be hard for you, too."

"It's not," said Harl all-too-quickly. "I just–I just don't think about it."

One look at his face, and Cortez knew that Harl thought about it more often than he liked.

"Are you doing okay, Harl?" he asked.

Harl went stiff. "I'm fine," he said. "I–I don't think about it. I can't think about it, 'cause every time I do, I start thinking things I don't want to think about." His hands shook. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I don't want to be not fine."

Cortez hugged him.

Harl squeezed him hard and buried his face in his shoulder, trembling. "I can't," he said with a sob. "It–it doesn't matter, 'cause we got out and no one died, and–and I came back in time. I can't think about anything else, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Cortez choked out, his own eyes filling with tears. "I didn't want to upset you."

"It's–it's okay, Cortez. We're all okay."

Harl pulled back and smiled at him, his eyes damp. Cortez sniffed and rubbed his nose. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I just… I care about you so much, Harl. It's painful to think about a time I didn't."

"It's okay, Cortez." Harl took Cortez's hand and held it to his chest. "It's okay."

Cortez couldn't speak. Fresh tears fell down his face. He covered his eyes and grit his teeth to try and stop the sobs from coming, but it didn't work.

"Cortez?" Harl hugged him again. "Is there… something else?"

"I shouldn't say it."

"If there's something I can do…"

Cortez laughed softly. "I don't know what I would do without you." He pressed his face into Harl's shoulder. "There's nothing else you have to do, I just… you're so important to me, Harl. I'm in love with you."

"Oh," Harl said, and he held Cortez tighter.

"I'm sorry," Cortez said.

"You don't have to be sorry."

"You have Tippy, and I know he's good to you. I don't want to ruin that, I just–" Cortez hiccuped. "You kissed me, and I keep thinking about how nice it would be to kiss you again when our lives aren't at stake. I don't want to ruin anything, Harl."

"You're not ruining anything," Harl said. "Cortez, I didn't know."

"I didn't tell you."

"I know, but…"

He trailed off. He didn't let go. Cortez hoped he would never let go.

Harl did, eventually. "Um," he said, "Tippy is good to me, and I love him, but… I can kiss you, Cortez. He won't mind."

Cortez wiped his eyes. "Really?"

"I mean, I'm not going to hide it from him." Harl laughed a little and rubbed his nose. "It won't be a secret, but he won't mind, I promise."

"Okay," Cortez said. "I, I mean… if it's really all right, and if you want to…"

"Do you want me to kiss you, Cortez?"

"God, yes."

Harl smiled again and leaned forward.

The kiss was mostly damp, because both of them had been crying. Cortez pulled back a little to dry his face on his sleeve, then went for another. Harl met his lips and wrapped his arms around him. Nothing threatened them, no one's lives were at stake, they could kiss for the joy of it.

They parted. Harl held Cortez's hand again. "I care about you a lot, too," he said. "Um… I'm happy if I can be there for you, okay? Nothing has to change."

"I know," Cortez said, his heart pounding. "I'm happy the way things are, Harl. Really."

"I'm gonna talk to Tippy," Harl said, "but, um… if he was okay with it, and you were okay with it…"

"Okay with what?"

"I could date you both," Harl said. Cortez realized his cheeks were tinted pink. "I mean, if that's okay, and Tippy has to be okay with it too, but… I care about you, and I want you to be happy."

"You don't have to…" Cortez took a breath. "You shouldn't date me just to make me happy."

"Of course not, Cortez." Harl beamed at him. "You make me happy, too."

---

Tippy wanted to talk to him.

It made sense, Cortez told himself. Harl said that Tippy was open to the idea, but he wanted to talk to them both before anything happened. Which was fine–Harl was his boyfriend, after all, and Cortez didn't want to get between them.

So of course Tippy would want to talk to him before giving the go-ahead for Cortez and Harl to date. That was fine.

Cortez sighed, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. He hadn't seen Tippy since the impromptu dinner they had with Freya and Shirley. Cortez hadn't spoken to him much, then, and Tippy hadn't exactly been chatty. Then again, what could they say to each other? Tippy tried to kill him.

He closed his eyes. When he thought of that confrontation, he could only think of how Harl died to save him–but it was Tippy who wanted him dead. Even if it was only in the moment, even if it was a result of the power he wielded…

"Dammit," Cortez muttered, and ran the sink. He washed off his face, combed his hair, and decided he was presentable enough to ask for Tippy's blessing in dating his boyfriend.

He went downstairs and idled on the sidewalk while he waited for Harl to arrive.

Eventually, he heard the familiar jingle, and spotted Harl waving at him down the street.

"Hi, Cortez!" he said, cheery as ever. "Ready for today?"

"As ready as I can be," said Cortez. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine." Harl laughed. "I'm sure everything will go fine. Let's go!"

Cortez took his place on the cart, and Harl started off towards the diner.

The closer they got, the more Cortez's heart pounded. Everything would be fine, he told himself. Damn, why couldn't he have more of Harl's optimism? Everything would be fine, even if Tippy said that no, actually, he didn't want Cortez dating his boyfriend. He could accept that.

They arrived. Cortez let go of Harl and disembarked. "Well," he said, "here goes nothing."

Harl clapped a hand on his back. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll be okay."

Cortez smiled. "If you think so, Harl."

They entered together.

After all the anxiety about going inside, Tippy wasn't there. "He didn't want to wait here alone," Harl said when Cortez asked. "He'll be here in a minute. Let's get a table."

Made sense. Cortez wouldn't want to be out on his own with Tippy's reputation, either. They got a table, ordered drinks, and waited.

Cortez tapped his fingers on the table. "He knows we're here, right?"

"I texted him," Harl said. "He's probably just nervous."

"Was he waiting at your apartment? Wouldn't it take a while to get here?"

"Not really. He just needs a door."

"Right," said Cortez. "He has, ah, that good a grasp on his powers?"

"I mean, I can do it, too, but it's kinda awkward to just show up somewhere, right?" Harl laughed. "He doesn't really mind it as much."

Something clattered. Cortez turned when he heard Tippy's voice: "Sorry! Sorry, I'll help…"

He didn't hear the response, but Tippy emerged from the kitchen a moment later, flustered and walking quickly. Harl waved him to their table. "Over here!" he called.

Cortez steeled himself.

Tippy sat down next to Harl. "Hello, Harl," he said with a smile. "And, ah… hello, Cortez."

He couldn't help but laugh. "You don't need to sound so formal," he said. "I mean, we've known each other for, what, how long?"

"It's been a long time," Tippy said. "Though it hasn't always been on the best terms."

"Sure, sure," Cortez said. "But we don't have to dwell on that, do we? Harl told you what we're here for."

"I did!" Harl said brightly. "Um, we can just talk, right? Tippy, you said you wanted to know Cortez a little better, now that so much has changed."

"That's correct, yes." Tippy didn't meet Cortez's eyes. "We've both changed a lot since… we first knew each other, and in the event we do date the same person, we'll have to spend more time around each other." He paused. "At least, I hope you'd be alright with that."

"Oh, yeah," said Cortez. "It's only natural, right?"

"I'm glad you think so."

"I think the waiter's walking over," said Harl.

Cortez watched Tippy as he ordered his food. What he remembered of Tippy was that he had an air to him that Cortez thought made him charming, at the time, and later considered it the result of an overinflated ego. Now, he was subdued, and the attitude that made him stand out before was replaced by simple politeness. Still, there were hints of the same Tippy he had once dated.

Maybe that was what he was afraid of.

"And what will you have?" the waiter asked him. Cortez panicked, pointed at something random, and regretted it as soon as the waiter walked away and he actually read what it was.

"The banana buffalo wings?" Harl said. "Didn't think you liked those!"

"I usually don't," Cortez said. "So…"

Tippy nodded. Neither of them spoke.

Harl cleared his throat. "Maybe," he said, "we should talk about why we want to do this?"

"Cool," said Cortez. He didn't elaborate.

"Okay," said Harl after a long silence. "I, um… I want to date both of you because…"

"Do you need refills on your drinks?" said the waiter.

"No!" Tippy and Cortez said in unison. The waiter apologized and fled.

Harl laughed. "You're both really nervous, huh?" he said.

Cortez shrugged. "Only a little."

"That's okay. I'm nervous, too." Harl beamed at him. "I love Tippy a lot, and it's scary to add someone new, even if you're not really new to each other. But Cortez, you're really, um… nice to me, and a good friend, but there's more to you that I don't know yet. I want to get closer to you. I think it would make me happy."

Harl's face was like the sun. That must be why Cortez's eyes were watering, staring at him too long. "That's really great to hear," he said, unable to stop the smile on his own face. "I want to do this because I haven't been able to stop thinking about the first time we kissed since it happened."

Harl covered his mouth, still smiling. "Really?"

"Yes." Cortez glanced at Tippy. He didn't look surprised to hear about the kiss, so Harl must have told him. "More than that… you do so much for other people, and when I see you carrying so much weight, it makes me think…"

He mentally floundered. Think what? That it was unfair, that Harl did so much for so little reward? That the world wasn't worth the love Harl put into it? That it was ultimately useless?

"…that I want to be there with you," he said. "You know. Sharing that weight."

"That's," Harl said, and paused. "Um, wow. That's a lot."

Cortez's smile faltered. "Too much?"

"No, no, I just…" He stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom."

He nudged Tippy's shoulder. Tippy got out to let him out, and then Tippy and Cortez were alone at the table.

The moment Harl was out of sight, Tippy slumped on the table, burying his face in his hands. Cortez frowned. "Are you okay?"

"He's going to leave me," Tippy mumbled.

Cortez shook his head. "I don't intend to take him away from you."

Tippy peeked at him through his fingers. "It won't even be you," he said. "Not necessarily. But… this can't last forever. He's going to leave me, and I'll deserve it."

"Oh, come on. He loves you."

"I know, I just…"

Cortez sighed. "Look," he said, "I told him I didn't want to get between you two, and I meant it. You're fine, alright? If you don't want me to date him–"

"That's not what I'm worried about, Cortez." Tippy lowered his hands and looked down at the table. "I just don't know what he sees in me, and I'm so scared he's going to realize I'm not good for him and leave."

"Come on, Tippy. You're plenty good for him."

"How?"

He blinked. "What, you need a reason? You're not hurting him by being around him, if that's what you're worried about. You love him, and you were willing to change for him. Unless that's different, now?"

"Of course it's not," Tippy said. "I love him more than anything in the world."

Cortez smiled. "And he feels the same way about you. So what's the problem?"

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Oh my God," said Cortez. "Listen, I know what you were like when we dated. You had your flaws, sure, but we had a good time together. Now that you're actually working on yourself, you can be an even better partner to Harl than you were to me."

Tippy looked up with a small smile. "I thought you hated me."

"Yeah, well, I did for a while." Cortez shrugged. "Maybe Harl's making me a better person, too."

They spotted the man in question walking back and ended their conversation.

"I'm back!" Harl said, sliding back into his seat. "What were you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Cortez said. "Just how much of an incredible person you are."

Tippy leaned down and kissed Harl's cheek. "We both agree on that," he said. "I think it would be fine if you and Cortez dated."

Harl grinned. "Really?"

"Of course, Harl." Tippy smiled. "You told me you want to stay with me, and he said he doesn't want to get between us. I trust both of you."

Cortez couldn't keep his own smile off his face. "Great!" he said, a little too loud. "I mean…"

Harl reached across the table. Cortez put their hands together. "Thank you, Tippy," he said. "I'm glad to hear it."

The waiter brought them their food. Cortez put a forkful of the banana buffalo wings into his mouth and found it wasn't as bad as he thought.