Hey, so this is my first fic and I don't know if it is any good so please review and let me know what you think! I have made a few changes. Brendan and Ste do not have children and are both openly gay. I have also made both a bit younger, Brendan is 30 and Ste is 21. Just to warn you this isnt going to be a short fic. However, i do not know how many chapters there will be at the moment. Well here's the first chapter. Don't forget to tell me what you think and if you think i should continue:) Rated M but will not be 'M' until later chapters, but there is bad language from the start. Oh and tell me if you would like longer chapters!
Allure - Ste's P.O.V
You are awoken by a loud pounding in your head. This isn't how you usually feel after a heavy night out with the lads. This pounding is one hundred times worse and it feels as if a herd of elephants are repeatedly stomping on your brain. Over and over again. After about five minutes of snoozing with your head under your pillow you realise the noise isn't just in your head, it's also outside and your near-empty flat is echoing the bangs, causing it to vibrate through your walls.
"What the fuck is that?" you mutter while dragging your hurting body to it's feet and shuffling out of your bedroom.
When you are in the living room and have managed to discard any crusty sleepy dust from your eyes you notice the empty bottle of Vodka smashed on the floor. Only then do you remember how yesterday had been a partically bad day at the office and how you had continued to drown your sorrows by yourself after leaving your friends at 'Elements' the local gay bar. Then you remember how Doug had called asking you where you had vanished off to and how this had led to your rage boiling over ending in you lobbing the vodka bottle at the wall before stomping off to bed.
You shake your head slightly, cursing yourself at how stupid you can be before walking over to the kitchen window to see what all the commotion is about.
"Fucking great, that's all i need" you tut as you witness the scene in front of you; the noise is coming from a big removal van, this means only one thing. Someone is moving into the empty flat next door. Students no doubt. Now at only twenty-one years of age you are no grandad and you certainly know how to have a good time, even if it's not everyone else's cup of tea. However the last people to live in that flat, a young couple no older than seventeen had taken the piss before finally being evicted. They had thrown wild parties nearly every night until at least two in the morning, then after everyone else had disappeared they proceeded to have extremely noisy sex. To be frank you did not need that again, especially as last time had nearly cost you your job.
You knew early on that working as a personal assistant for the head of 'Chester Corp and Co' was not going to be easy. If being treated like pure shit was not enough then the five am starts definitely confirmed it. Hence why you did not need to be kept awake into the early hours all over again, you just thank god everyday that you do not have to work on weekends. That would have been hell.
Looking around your flat you realise you cannot put off tidying up any longer no matter what your pounding head or aching joints are telling you. This place is a state. After popping over the recommended dose of Paracetamol you start cleaning. You had never noticed what a dump this place actually was, the tap doesn't stop dripping, the wallpaper is peeling and the carpet is stained with God knows what, you can't bare to think about the mould around the bathroom ceiling. At least if students have moved in next door it will give you an excuse when you tell the landlord that you want out of this hell hole.
By the time you have finished hoovering, dusting, scrubing, wiping and sorting it is gone two, even with the time the summer heat is only just setting in and sweat is dripping down your forehead and back. God you hate summer. Your new neighbors removal van is long gone and all you can think about is the long cold shower you are going to have, a reward for your hard work. You are proud that the flat is now spotless even though you feel like a dead man walking.
Walking towards the bathroom you notice the black binbag on the floor. Eugh you thought you had taken all the bags out. Wandering over to the front door you open it just enough to peek your head out. You feel stupid that you are hiding from someone you havent even met. You are not in the mood to make idle chit-chat with a complete stranger. With the coast clear you rush out of your flat carrying the over-flowing bag in both hands while being extra careful not to drop anything. Quickly dumping your rubbish into the dustbin you turn to get back to the safe cover of your home, then something stops you in your tracks, a very unfamilar voice.
"Hey, you must be my new neighbor"
Shit. You tense at the sudden contact. How stupid you must have been to think you could have got inside before being noticed. This is the last thing you need.
"Hello...?" The stranger questions you.
Only then do you notice the thick Irish accent, you are immediantly intrigued. You turn around with a fake smile plastered on your face. Just be nice Ste, this will only take a few minutes. You feel your jaw drop and your eyes widen when you set your sights on the man. He is bloody gorgeous. Quickly regaining your composure you make your way over to the Irishman, you can't stop staring no matter how hard you try. This man is a god, his hair is very dark and perfectley gelled into a slight quiff. You can tell he is very muscular as his red top is clinging in all the right places, around his arms and torso. All you can see is a silver cross embedded in a few dark chest hairs poking out of his unbuttoned shirt. You feel your throat turning dry as you glance down, his tight suit trousers are not leaving much to the imagination and he certainly looks well equipped. You look down at your own baggy tracksuit bottoms and immediantly feel self-concious, what must he think of you? As you look back up you see something you hadn't noticed at first, this man is sporting a YMCA moustache. You never really like facial hair but you suddenly begin to wonder what it would feel like against your lips, you push that thought to the back of your mind as quick as it came. Realising you are now stood in front of him you give your best smile and point over to your own run-down home.
"Sorry, was miles away. Yeah i live just over there" You say, still leaving that stupid grin on your face.
"Well i guessed that, seeing as ye just put rubbish in the bin belonging to that flat" The Irishman smirks, you can't help feeling slightly stupid at your over-obvious statement.
You are momentarily stunned as the other man's hand is swiftly lifted and placed in front of you, you can't help notice that his hands are remarkably bigger than your own.
"Brendan" he says with his had cocked to one side. The way he says his own name is so...sexy you think before inwardly cursing yourself for thinking such things about a man you don't even know.
"Ste" you both look down as your hands come into contact. A sudden warm feeling washes over you and you get a strange spark that feels as though a electric current is coursing through your veins. It's almost like you are connected instantly. You can feel your heart rate immediantly accelerate and pull away as though you have been burned, terrified that the Irishman will be able to feel how his touch has had such an effect on your body. After a few seconds you chance a look at the other man, the expression on Brendan's face shows you he had just experienced the same thing. He looks just as bewildered as you feel.
When Brendan looks at you both of your eyes lock onto each other, you are lost in the crystal blue colour of the Irishman's eyes and he seems just as lost in yours. Both unable to break the contact.
After what feels like an eternity Brendan breaks the silence while looking away, you can tell he suddenly feels uncomfortable and it makes your heart jump into your mouth.
"So...I'll be seeing you around Steven" he says, he can't even look at you now and you can't understand why; all you want to do is rewind a few seconds so you can look back into his beautiful eyes.
"Yeah sure, and it's..." But before you can correct him on your name he has already turn't and walked away, waving his hand behind his head. You wonder if you had imagined the instant attraction because he seems completely fine while you can hardly breathe and your heart is pounding so fast it feels as if it is going to explode. Reluctantly you turn and start to walk back to you own flat which is located just metres away. You know for a fact that your dreams will be plagued by only one face tonight. Brendan's.