So, I had a dream about this and I decided to write it into a fic… this happened and I'm not sure if people are going to like it but this stupid story wouldn't leave me alone so I had to write it. Anyways, enjoy… maybe :))

Ste Hay remembers his imaginary friend as though the last time he saw he was yesterday; as though he is permanently etched into his brain and in some respect, he is.

When Ste was a child – around five or six – 'B' appeared to him for the first time. A little boy of similar age, add on a few years, with a funny accent and he would always come with his white cape; the material contrasting with his pitch black hair and matching with his milky white skin and Jesus if he wasn't Ste's best friend until he was sixteen years old.

That's the thing about 'B', he grew when Ste grew; he aged when Ste aged and he was always there, always there for Ste to talk to whenever he was down, whenever he needed someone or whenever he just wanted to play.

'B' felt so real, like Ste could almost reach out and touch him and he remembers the night he did; how he and 'B' where laying side by side in bed – around fourteen – and he had outstretched his hand, linking and entwining his fingers with 'B's' and he remembers how it was the best feeling in the world. Knowing this person was here for you and would always be there; knowing that person loved you back.

He also remembers the last time he saw 'B'; sixteen years old and just out of school – looking forward to college and the night before he had fell asleep next to 'B'. Telling him he loved him and was the best friend ever and he had sat there all day waiting for the other boy to come back but he never did; he just vanished for no reason what so ever.

Weeks and weeks passed and Ste never gave up hope; he knew 'B' would come back one day because he loved him back and said he would never leave Ste. He lied. One day, around six months after 'B' left, Ste just came to terms with it; he suddenly realised that 'B' had left him and he couldn't go on with his life waiting for him to come back so he just… moved on.

Which is why, four years later when Ste is twenty years old and looking up at this dark, handsome man with the moustache and muscles; he can't help but feel that pang of familiarity.

"Hello? Can I help you?" The man drawls and shit, it's that accent again, the funny one that 'B' had and Ste is stood here gawping; terrified because why does this stranger look so familiar? Taking in his features it's fairly obvious. This man has the same colour hair, the same milky skin, the same low Irish accent, the same piercingly blue eyes and Ste knows. He knows he has just met his dream man because when he was sixteen… he realised he loved 'B' in that way and it sounds crazy because he was imaginary but what if he wasn't, what if his mind was showing him a glimpse of the future… a future he could have with this man in front of him.

"Err…" He clears his throat, his words getting stuck because this man is looking at him with such intent; a deep hunger in his eyes and Ste can see he is attracted to him. The way this man is eyeing him up appreciatively and cleaning the glass suggestively tells Ste everything he needs to know and fuck if he doesn't want this man to bend him over the bar right now. "Can I have a beer please?" He manages to choke out and the man smiles at him before turning and grabbing the beer, clicking the bottle cap off and passing it to him.

"It's on the house; count it as a way of me paying you back." Ste stares at him, wanting nothing more than to kiss his face off but why does this stranger have to 'pay him back'? He's done nothing to deserve that.

"Ey?" The man smiles and outstretches his hand, offering it to Ste so he can shake it and when Ste takes hold of it, it's the most cliché thing in the whole entire universe. A bolt electricity shoots through his body and he shudders, a strange amount of emotion rising in his chest and Brendan looks confused; brows furrowed and eyes screwed shut slightly and when he pulls his hand away, he smiles.

"My name's Brendan." Brendan… 'B'… it all makes sense, they look so similar and sound exactly the same and there's no way this is just a coincidence, the names… both beginning with B and whenever Ste tried to get his full name out of him – he vanished, walked away and now Ste realises… they must be the same person and maybe 'B' wasn't imaginary… maybe this goes beyond something he can fully comprehend.

He smiles back at Brendan and swallows the lump in his throat before speaking. "I'm Ste… how come I haven't seen you round here before?" He's certain he would remember seeing this man before and this almost feels like fate; something led him into this brand new club, something pulled him towards it and he didn't even want to come out tonight but he felt like he had to.

Brendan grins at him, leaning forward on the bar so their faces are only centimetres apart and when he talks, it makes Ste shiver with anticipation. "Well, I would have moved here a lot sooner if I knew what… –" he looks Ste up and down, " – kind of people they had here…" it's shameless flirting and Ste feels himself flush all over, he's never felt like this before and he wants him so badly; it's a need that is burning deep inside him and he knows he isn't going to stop until he gets this man.

"Really? Manchester isn't all that actually…" He smiles and it's at this moment he realise the time – one am – and he has work tomorrow, has to be at the office by eight and shit, he's gonna be exhausted. He turns to Brendan with a sorry expression on his face and gulps down the last of his beer, standing up and looking at the man in front of him; fuck, he's gorgeous. "I really have to go… I have work early…" Brendan's face drops slightly and suddenly he turns around and grabs a piece of paper, scribbling something down before pushing it across the bar towards him.

"It's my number… if you want it…" Ste smiles and takes the paper, putting it in his back pocket before telling Brendan he'll call him and walking away; he knows nothing about this man but this feels right, it feels perfect and he walks out of that bar with a smile on his face.

...

It's been two weeks now and Ste has seen Brendan almost every day; it's their fifth 'official' date now and that's a big thing for Ste. He has this thing where, if someone lasts five dates, then he believes it's time to take their relationship a step further and he's been ready since he first saw Brendan to do this, he wants it more than anything.

Brendan takes him to a restaurant; somewhere a bit too posh for his usual tastes but with Brendan, it's perfect and he orders the fish – something Brendan warns him about but of course he doesn't listen and of course, he whinges when it's too flaky.

And that night, in the low lighting of his bedroom, he sucks Brendan's cock dry and lets him fuck him into the early hours of the morning.

Months pass by and the sex keeps getting better and better and on the sixth month of their relationship, Brendan asks him to move into his flat; Ste is elated. He begins moving his things into Brendan's flat that week and Brendan's sister, Cheryl, is overjoyed; apparently, she's never seen her brother so in love and it's a shock because Ste hasn't even spoken them words yet, let alone heard Brendan say them and as soon as Cheryl leaves, he changes that.

"I love you…" He says as Brendan's flicking through the TV channels and the older man turns to look at him, a shocked expression on his face and Ste is scared only for a millisecond because that shock soon turns into a smile.

"And I love you too…" Brendan says and he takes Ste to the bedroom, showing him just how much that is true and a few weeks later, Ste tells Brendan about 'B'; explains their similarities and Brendan sits there and listens before he takes Ste's hand, looks him dead in the eyes and says,

"I had someone like that once… his name was 'S'." And right at that moment, Ste realises 'B' and 'S' where not imaginary friends at all. They were parts of their future.

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