Author Notes: I hope BK reads this. :)
Missing Daddy Brendan
Steven Hay and Douglass Carter entered the bedroom, after their half-hearted reunion which was only a saké of 'wanting to be secure'. It was kinda of pathetic in a way, since both of them were not particularly fond of each other.
"Have you got any?" Doug asked, referring to protection.
Steven went towards the draw, he was feeling around the drawers when his hand touched something. He pulled it out to find a ring which simply had 'B' painted on silver on it, as he just looked at it with surprise.
"Ste" Doug spoke.
As he could see him just standing there looking down and not looking happy or excited anymore. As he just felt Brendan's ring, remembering and he thought to himself 'what am I doing?'
He didn't want this relationship with Douglass, only reason he is back with him is for his two children Leah and Lucas who need a stable home. He wished that Brendan was still here, he doesn't mention it because he been so wrapped up in his own problems that he never seemed to come to mind.
"I haven't got any" Steven lied to Doug, as he turned back around and closed the drawers.
Doug seemed so confused, as he looked at him. He felt quite helpless, he doesn't know what is wrong with Ste. He never has understood him completely.
"Doug; can I just have some alone-time tonight; It's not you, it's me; I just want some alone-time" Steven spoke, slightly cringing at his own cliché excuse.
"I thought" Doug was already cut of before he even finished his sentence.
"You thought wrong Doug okay, just go home please" Steven was already almost breaking-down right in front of him.
"Fine, I get the message" Doug spoke with a sigh, before leaving Steven alone.
Steven waited for the sound of the door closing, before he started to cry as he sat down on the floor. With more tears falling down his cheek, as he clutched onto the ring like it was an antique.
"Daddy" Leah Barnes, spoke as she stood in the doorway.
Ste quickly wiped away his tears, as he looked up at her with a forced smile. Though Leah didn't believe it, she was a smart kid.
"Why are you crying?" Leah asked him, as she sat besides him. She looked into his hand to see the familiar ring.
"Are you crying about Daddy Brendan?" Leah then asked, she recognized the ring almost straight away.
"Daddy Brendan is long gone, Leah" Steven replied to her, as he tried to hide his feelings away from his six-year-old daughter.
"I miss Daddy Brendan too, I didn't say though because I thought you were happy with Daddy Doug" Leah admitted, as she placed her hand in her father's hand; feeling the ring.
"I am happy" Steven tried to say, though he knows that Leah is right.
"Happy people don't cry unless they get an award then they cry lots and lots because there so happy but you haven't won anything" Leah replied quickly, moving slighty closer to her father.
"Your right I haven't, why didn't you tell me that you missed Daddy Brendan?" Steven asked her.
"Well mummy didn't like me mentioning it because she said if I mentioned it then I might make you sad but your sad already" Leah told him, she remembers her mother Amy's advice.
"You and your mummy know me too well" Steven replied, it made sense now.
"Do you really miss Daddy Brendan?" Leah asked him.
"Yeah I do,a lot; I just don't mention it like you, because it will make me sad" Steven tried another smile, Leah gave a small one back.
"Is that real silver?" Leah asked him, as she looked at Brendan's ring.
"I don't think Daddy Brendan was that rich" Ste spoke, Leah giggled.
"Just because Daddy Brendan isn't with us now, he will always be our hearts won't he? Daddy?" Leah asked him, he just nodded back, wiping away one tear.
"Yeah he will forever, you know Daddy Brendan was a good man, he just had a lot of bad things happen to him and don't let anyone tell you otherwise because were the only ones who knows him property" Steven answered, he felt the need to say that.
"I think Daddy Brendan will be thinking about you, me and Lucas still; we won't forget him and he won't forget us; he still loves us all" Leah was beyond her years.
"I wish he was still here with us" Steven told her.
"Me too, you weren't getting with Doug because you wanted him; were you?" Leah asked, a little puzzled.
"No" Steven admitted with a sigh.
"You should tell him that; if Daddy Brendan was still around then you would only be mates with Doug" Leah replied, she didn't even say 'Daddy Doug' now which said a lot in itself
"I should" Steven replied, he was doing this to make this kids happy.
Though little did he know that the kids were pretending to be happy because they thought there daddy was happy.
"Will you be okay now?" Leah asked him.
"Yeah, go on; I bring you back to bed" Steven smiled, as he stood up with her. As he walked with her to her bedroom nd helped her back into bed.
"'Night daddy" Leah spoke.
"Night Leah" Steven replied, as he switched of the lights.
Before returning to his empty bedroom, he placed Brendan's ring at the side on the drawers. He got out his phone from his pocket, going back to that picture which was him and Brendan in Dublin.
"I miss you" Steven spoke quietly, looking at the picture and remembering when it was took.
"Go on Brendan, gis a picture" Steven spoke with a laugh, as he tried to do Brendan's Irish accent.
"You want to frame it Steven?" Brendan asked, Steven playfully nudged him as he got out his phone.
"Go on, smile Brendan; you got to do better than that" Steven laughed, as Brendan placed one arm around him. They were currently outside of the 'Guinness shop' They were just about to go in.
"Pass me your phone, I take it" Brendan told him, as he gently took the phone from Steven's hand.
"Smile, come on" Steven spoke, Brendan sighed.
"I got no choice in the matter" Brendan teased, as he held the camera away from them.
Steven smiled, though it just made Brendan smile back eventually as he took the picture.
"Well done" Steven playfully teased, as Brendan passed him back the phone.
Steven still had the last text, Brendan sent him.
Steven, get back home, you haven't made it up to me yet
Steven shook his head, as he looked around his room. He walked over to his wardrobe, he still had the leather jacket. Sinead asked him about it once, he claimed it was his but he never noticed it was too big for him until after he brought it.
"Always did like you in that" Steven spoke, with a small smile.
He walked back towards the bed, he was still missing and loving like he promised. He just didn't make a big fuss about it. Nobody seemed to notice anyway.
Fin