Brendan paced the room. He couldn't control his anger. Whoever did this was going to pay. He looked over at Cheryl lying in the hospital bed and he felt so helpless. Surely Warren wouldn't go this far to get back at him. To hurt Brendan, you have to go to those he loves the most. And seeing his sister fighting for her life was like taking a blade to the heart. He had to do something.

People stared as Brendan walked through the village. They all wanted to express their sorrow for what happened to Cheryl but Brendan didn't look approachable right now. He wasn't in the mood for small talk.

As he walked into the club, he seen Joel stood at the bar. Brendan grabbed him by the throat.

"Did Warren tell you to do it?" Brendan glared into Joel's eyes looking for an answer.

"Do what? I don't know what you're talking about." Joel tried to fight Brendan's hand off his neck, he was really hurting him.

"If I find out you're lying and you had anything to do with Cheryl's attack, I will kill you. You understand?" Brendan wasn't joking. He let go and threw Joel to the ground. He jumped back up.

"I had nothing to do with it." Joel left the club quickly.

Brendan poured himself a drink and knocked it back. He knew it was Warren. He had a gut feeling and his instincts were rarely wrong. His mind was working overtime, thinking about Cheryl and Warren. He was just a complete mess and he didn't know how to fix it.

Brendan went back to the flat and lay on the sofa. He closed his eyes, just for a minute. He just wanted to stop thinking about it but his brain couldn't stop.

Knocking on this door was a risk. He knew Brendan wouldn't be pleased to see him, but he had to ask about Cheryl. He tapped on the door and waited.

Brendan opened the door.

"Stephen. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to... How's Cheryl?" Stephen was clearly worried about his friend.

"She's in a coma. Thanks for stopping by." Brendan slammed the door in his face. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you still there?"

"Yes." Ste said through the door. Brendan let him in.

"There's no change. She's fighting like a Brady though. I just want to know who did this." Brendan sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. Ste had never seen him so vulnerable before. He sat down next to him.

"She'll pull through. I know it." Ste placed his hand on Brendan's shoulder. He shrugged it off quickly.

"You don't know that though do you Stephen. You're not a doctor." Brendan looked at him. He didn't want to take his frustration out on Ste. Not again. Not this time.

"Call it a gut feeling. I just come over to make sure you're not doing anything stupid. I'll get going." Ste went to stand up but Brendan placed his hand on his arm desperately.

"Don't. I want you to stay. Just for a bit longer. Please."

"Ok. I'll stay for a bit." Ste looked at the ground. It was weird, Brendan wanting him around. It was kind of uncomfortable. Brendan sensed the awkwardness. He felt it too.

"Look, I appreciate this. I know you're a good friend to Chez." Brendan sat back and rested his head on the back of the sofa. Ste didn't move. His body was tense. He couldn't relax around him. Brendan knew this was his fault. He made him feel this way. Instinctively, Brendan placed his hand on Ste's back. He flinched but Brendan's hand remained.

"What are you doing?" Ste didn't look round to face him. He couldn't. But Brendan began to trace his fingers along Ste's spine slowly. Ste took a deep breath and arched his back as Brendan's fingers sent shivers up and down his back. "Brendan, stop it."

Brendan ignored his unconvincing plea. He slowly moved his warm hand underneath Ste's t-shirt feeling his soft skin. It felt so good, familiar. Ste tried not to look back at him, but Brendan touching him like that was driving him crazy. It was like he was on a rollercoaster and he was teetering on the edge of a huge drop. Then their eyes met and he was plummeting to the ground. Brendan leaned forward, enough to grab Ste's neck and pull him towards him. Their lips met with passion and frustration. Brendan slipped his tongue into Ste's hot mouth while his hand roughly squeezed his thigh. Ste began to unbutton Brendan's shirt, his fingers fumbling with excitement. Brendan pulled Ste's t- shirt over his head and threw it on the floor. Feeling the hair on Brendan's chest between his fingers, Ste was becoming more and more aroused. Brendan stood up and took Ste's hand, leading him to the bedroom.

Brendan pushed Ste onto the bed and stood in front of him, unzipping his trousers. Ste pulled them down and stared up at Brendan longingly. Ste licked his lips with anticipation, slowly removing Brendan's tight black pants revealing his long, erect cock. Ste wrapped his wet mouth around it and Brendan closed his eyes. Ste licked and sucked harder and faster as Brendan's deep groans grew louder. Ste stopped. He didn't want Brendan to come already, he wanted to make this last as long as possible. He stood up and kissed Brendan hard on the mouth. Brendan undone the button on Ste's jeans and forced them down his thighs. He turned Ste around and bent him over vigorously. He slid his hard cock inside him and began to thrust. He held onto Ste's hips, thrusting harder. Ste's moans filled the bedroom, he couldn't hold it in. Seeing how much Ste was enjoying this turned Brendan on even more. Climax was imminent. Then, Brendan came and his body shuddered with bliss.

Brendan lay down next to Ste and sighed. He needed this. For a little while, he'd completely forgot about Cheryl lying in that hospital bed. They drifted off to sleep next to each other, forgetting about their worries for just a little while.