Set around the 3rd/4th January 2014 (so the rape hasn't happened yet nor does The Hutch exist). A familiar face returns to the Deli, but will it be good or bad? Nothing belongs to me (except the plot); everything belongs to Hollyoaks, and there are direct quotes and references to the show itself.

Chapter 1

Ste stood behind the cash register alone. Again. For the last nearly three months he had stood in that spot in silence, ever since his husband, Doug, died last October. He missed him. He missed everything about him: his beautiful blue eyes which he could stare at for hours on end, his gorgeous smile that lit up the room whenever he grinned or laughed. And that laugh. Ste once even considered recording him laughing and using it as his ringtone. Unfortunately he never got the chance. One of the things he missed most about him, though, was his love. Doug truly loved Ste, even a blind person could see that, and Ste loved him too, though he didn't fully appreciate it until it was too late. Doug gave him security; he always felt safe when he was around. He also gave him the Deli: Carter and Hay. If it wasn't for Doug, Ste would have only been able to dream about owning a business, but Doug was there, supporting him and encouraging him to keep trying; they had to prove to people that they could succeed, even if the odds were stacked against them. The odds were certainly stacked against them the night of their leaving party that fateful October evening.

So Ste stood in silence. He missed having someone to talk to, to laugh with, to cry with or even to argue with. God, their arguments; he never thought he would miss arguing so much. Sometimes they were serious, like when Doug confronted Ste about his feelings for Brendan after Ste refused to move to America with him. But sometimes their arguments were really trivial such as which filling tasted better with which bread. Ste chuckled to himself at that memory, since it turned into an argument about which filling tasted better on their skin… Ste shook his head at that memory, at the memory of touching Doug's soft, delicate skin, knowing that he could never experience that sensation again.

Probably their most memorable argument was the one in which Ste found out about Doug's feelings for him. Ste had just started dating this guy he had met online, Adam, and they had been on several dates. Doug was getting increasingly jealous, though Ste was oblivious to it at that point. Then one afternoon Doug snapped:

"It's like Adam is all that you care about anymore and you hardly even know him. And you obviously don't care about me because you don't show me the slightest bit of consideration- we're meant to be in this together. Do you know what? I consider you all the time. You're the first person I think about in the morning and the last person I think about at night, and when I check my phone it's to see if you've texted."

At the time Ste had thought that Doug was overreacting. He was probably tired because they had been working long days for the last week, but even that didn't excuse the fact that Doug accused him of not caring about their partnership. He felt slightly uncomfortable: perhaps he had been neglecting him slightly, but he still cared. Then Doug pushed it:

"Well I'm sorry Ste but I don't want you spending all your time with Adam-"

Ste lost it, "So we should just spend twenty-four hours a day together then, should we?" he snapped, sarcastically. He was so irritated at this point, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to hear Doug's response.

"Yes" Doug exclaimed instantly, "He doesn't love you!"

Ste was seriously pissed off, so he replied contemptuously, "oh right, and you do, do you?"

Doug did not respond. Ste was confused, then astounded…Wait, what? Doug was straight, how could he be in love with him? Doug shot him a small look, a scared look, then exited silently.

Ste sighed at that memory, wishing he could turn back time, back to that moment and change his own reaction. What would he have done? Maybe kissed him, or told him that he felt the same, because he did, he was just in shock as he didn't expect Doug to feel that way. Then again, in terms of their relationship- apart from the ending- he wouldn't have changed any of it for the world.

As if on cue, the door opened slowly and a handsome young man with brunette hair and dark stubble entered cautiously. Ste didn't recognise him immediately but after a few moments it dawned on him who it was, he was just thinking about the argument that he had with Doug about him.

"Adam?" Ste said, surprised

"Hey" Adam replied, smiling slightly, "good to see the business is…" he looked around at the near-empty shop, "still going"

"Yeah, you don't have to be polite about it. I'm barely making enough to get by, that's if I'm doing my maths right, which I highly doubt" he scoffed.

"I thought Doug takes care of the numbers and you… wait, what do you do?"

Ste chuckled, remembering their first date, then shook his head

"Doug's not here anymore" he said, Adam looked surprised

"Really? He always seemed so psyched about this place"

"He was, he loved this place, but ummm" he paused, biting his lip. Adam raised his eyebrows, expectantly

"It's a long story"

"Oh, so he's just left you here on your own?" Adam replied, then added sarcastically, "nice"

"Exactly" he responded bitterly, then smiled at Adam, "so, what can I get you?"

"Well now that you told me about Doug, I was wondering if you wanted any help. I'm pretty good with numbers and I think I'd look good in that apron" he said, pointing to the apron hanging up, the one that used to belong to Doug.

Ste looked at it worriedly, then turned back to Adam, "so you came here for a job?"

"Kind of. I lost my job recently and I couldn't afford the rent. I've just come here looking for a place to live, or at least to sleep, and a job. I guess it was just coincidence that you're short staffed"

Ste smiled slightly, "well, yeah, it would be good to have someone else work here, not promising anything in terms of customers but if you can put up with hours of quiet…"

Adam's eyes widened, "you mean frequent breaks? Oh, can you imagine anything worse?" he cried, in mock horror

Ste laughed, then held out his hand

"Well then, welcome aboard"

They shook hands.

Thanks for reading! I've written the next chapter but I'll probably upload it next week sometime. Please rate and review- I'd appreciate any feedback: positive or negative (though if it's the latter please go easy on me!).