Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Hollyoaks!
Summary: Brendan and Ste have been apart for months, can something dramatic bring them together again? One-Shot.
Burn
There was something to be said about passion. It was more than desire, or infatuation. It was something deeply ingrained in your soul; something beyond bliss. Or at least it felt that way to Brendan. Every time he looked at Stephen now he wanted him; mind, body and soul. It wasn't particularly a new development; except Brendan hadn't been without him for this long before. It had been a few months since he had left prison and things between them had been tense to say the least. They barely interacted unless it was work related. Brendan missed him. It was as simple as that.
He missed the way he laughed and how ridiculous it sounded. He missed the way his hair would tuft of a morning, and how he would always drape himself across Brendan's body at some point in the night. Most of all he missed his inane chatter, or the way he would grin so sentimentally if Brendan did anything remotely sweet; a rarity in itself.
It wasn't as though Brendan hadn't tried to win him back. He'd attempted seduction to the best of his ability, had given Stephen extra attention at work, and had even invited him round for dinner one evening with him and Cheryl. All to no avail. Brendan didn't know what he was doing wrong. Stephen had once told him it wasn't genuine enough. What did that even mean?
On the night that changed everything, Brendan hadn't even seen it coming. It was an ordinary day; Stephen came to work in an irritable mood, slamming his coat down on the table and pouting. Brendan wanted to bite his bottom lip and tangle his fingers in that hair. On the outside of course he wore his best poker face.
"Problem, Stephen?"
Stephen immediately glared at him as though it was his fault. "No" he said forcefully. Brendan cocked an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Leave it" Stephen muttered, arranging his uniform.
Brendan's expression softened. "Seriously, what's wrong?"
Stephen stared at him, thawing a little at Brendan's tone. "Just on my own tonight, Amy's off out with Michaela and the kids are staying at Mike's"
"Is that bad?"
Stephen shrugged, looking awkward. "I avoid being on my own"
"Why?" Brendan was genuinely curious now.
Stephen gave him a hard look. "Because when I'm alone, I want to go back to you"
Brendan was taken aback. "Is that so terrible?" He asked quietly.
"To me, yeah" Stephen mumbled.
"So why are ye scared ye might? If it's so bad"
"Because I still want you" Stephen said plainly. "And it kills me"
Brendan was stunned into silence. He had never seen Stephen look so intense before. He reached out to touch him but he flinched away.
"No, Brendan. Don't make this harder than it already is"
"I don't-" Brendan cut himself off. "Can't ye just…give in?"
"No" Stephen said firmly, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't"
Brendan deflated inwardly. "Alright. Just, get to work then, yeah?"
Stephen nodded gratefully.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Stephen went home early, muttering something about going home to a dark house because there was a power cut. Brendan offered for him to stay at his but Stephen flatly refused. Brendan sighed, frustrated with Stephen and with himself.
Brendan spent the remainder of his shift irritable and distracted. An hour before he was due to leave, Cheryl pulled him to one side.
"For God's sake, Bren. Just go visit him, will you?"
"I don't know what ye are talking about" Brendan replied, crossing his arms.
Cheryl laughed, shaking her head. "I'm fine here, go on"
"I don't need-"
"You don't need him? Really? Could have fooled me"
Brendan rolled his eyes, realising he wouldn't win this argument. "Fine. But he'll probably tell me to fuck off"
Cheryl looked at him in some pity. "Don't give him a reason to then, yeah?"
Brendan grunted in reply, grabbing his coat and making for the stairs.
xxx
Brendan knew straight away that something wasn't right when he arrived at Stephen's flat. He pounded on the door first, feeling his chest tighten in anxiety. Bending down to look through the letterbox, Brendan immediately spied smoke and then the flickering of flames.
"Fuck!" He cursed, fumbling in his pocket for his keys. "STEPHEN!" He shouted, already breaking out into a sweat. When the key didn't fit in properly Brendan tossed it to the side, kicking the door in instead.
It was impossible to see at first and Brendan had to cover his head with his jacket as he ploughed into the hallway.
"STEPHEN!" He shouted again, coughing as the smoke found its way into his lungs. "Where are ye?"
Brendan strained his ears and heard a feeble coughing sound coming from the living room. He made towards the sound, avoiding any outbursts of flame coming in his direction. Thankfully it hadn't spread too far. His chest was pounding with each step he took; his mind whirling at the possibility that Stephen wasn't really there, that Brendan's ears were playing tricks on him.
With a strangled cry he recognised Stephen's form laid out across the sofa. He wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. Brendan stumbled forwards, his hands grasping Stephen's Chez Chez jumper that he was still wearing from earlier.
"Stephen" Brendan whispered, his voice beginning to fade. "Can ye hear me? Can ye move?"
Stephen's eyelids flickered a little but he offered no response. Brendan touched his face, looking for signs of recognition. "We have to get out of here" he glanced around himself; the fire was spreading, the flames licking the walls threateningly. Brendan shook Stephen's shoulders roughly. "Wake up, lad. Come on"
"Brendan?" Stephen croaked. "What you doing here? I told you-"
"Stephen, there's a fucking fire, can we do this later?"
Stephen's eyes opened fully, widening in disbelief. "What? I only lit a few candles!"
"And fell asleep I bet" Brendan murmured.
"I only shut my eyes for a minute…"
"Come on, we have to move"
Stephen attempted to sit up but immediately doubled over, coughing.
"What is it?" Brendan asked frantically, wrapping an arm around his back.
"I can't…" Stephen coughed more forcefully, gagging a little on some vomit.
"Stephen…" Brendan sighed. "Come 'ere"
Stephen pushed him away. "What you doing?"
"Saving yer life!"
"I don't need saving" Stephen whined, his face reddening as he coughed more profusely.
"Don't be a git; for once will ye trust me?" Brendan stared into Stephen's eyes intently, he could see him wavering.
"Alright" Stephen opened his arms, allowing Brendan to lift him easily off of the sofa.
"Cor, ye are heavy" Brendan teased.
"Shut up" Stephen replied, crossing his arms.
"Hold onto me or I might drop ye"
Stephen obligingly wrapped his arms securely around Brendan's neck.
"You're loving this aren't you?"
"Oh yeah, I just love saving ye from life-threatening situations"
"You don't seem too fazed" Stephen noted, his voice was beginning to falter. "I don't feel so good you know"
Brendan looked down at him. "It's the smoke; put yer face against my chest"
Stephen did so without argument. As Brendan made his way to the front door, Stephen stopped talking altogether.
"Ye still with me?" Brendan asked, pushing open the front door. It was a relief to breathe in fresh air. Brendan breathed in too quickly, almost choking.
"Brendan!" Jacqui rushed over with Rhys, holding her phone. "I've called the fire department, are you two okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine" Brendan looked down anxiously at Stephen.
"Get a blanket, Rhys" Jacqui ordered. Rhys, rolling his eyes at the demand, did so. "I'll ring Cheryl and Amy" Jacqui said, moving to one side.
Brendan laid Stephen carefully on the ground; his eyes were closed once more.
"Stephen?" Brendan shook him a little. "Don't do this now" Brendan was beginning to shake with the after effects. Stephen remained unresponsive. Brendan pulled him back into his arms, cradling his head. "I never should have let ye go home by yerself. Can't leave ye alone for a minute without something bad happening"
Brendan looked around them, alone at last. Stephen had avoided encounters when they would be alone lately. Brendan had thought it was because Stephen didn't trust Brendan around him, but judging by their chat earlier it seemed as though Stephen didn't trust himself.
"I'm so sorry" Brendan's voice came out choked, distorted. "I didn't mean for this to happen, for us to be apart like this" Brendan sighed deeply. "What do ye expect though? Me to be some sort of knight in fucking armour, sweep ye off yer feet, carry yer into the sunset? That isn't me, Stephen. Except, well I kind of just did, didn't I?" Brendan laughed a little hysterically. "And ye know I didn't do it to score points; ye know better than anyone the idea of losing ye makes me do crazy things. I just love ye so damn fucking much" Brendan wiped angrily at his eyes. "I can't bloody do it anymore. I just can't. I won't let ye leave me again, not ever. Ye are mine, ye always will be" Brendan held him tighter, practically sobbing now into Stephen's hair.
"Was it so hard?" Stephen croaked out quietly.
Brendan jolted, staring intensely into his face. "Fuck, Stephen. Don't do that again" Without even thinking, he kissed him. First on his lips and then all over his face, eventually just allowing his lips to linger on his forehead, breathing him in.
"That's all I wanted" Stephen said carefully.
"What?"
"For you to tell the truth, no holding back"
"Ye heard?" Brendan asked incredulously.
"Just about" Stephen grinned a little. "Couldn't cut you off mid flow, could I?"
"Ye little-"
"Shh" Stephen kissed him again. The fire department arrived, and the ambulance. Brendan wouldn't leave Stephen's side as he was taken in by the paramedic.
"Sir, we should check you out too" one told him.
"Him first, he's more important"
Stephen smiled fondly at him, swaddled in blankets. "My fella, the hero"
"And don't ye forget it" Brendan grinned, kissing the top of his head affectionately.
"Thank you" Stephen said very quietly. "You saved me"
Brendan smiled a little, holding him close to his body. "Always" he simply said.