Thanks to those people who've reviewed: Arianrhod34, cassiels-song, and A-chan (thanks for following me to this fandom ^^). This is the last chapter in this little saga, and I'm glad that you all have been enjoying yourselves. And now without further ado, on with the show! ;)
O
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Needless to say, Marcus was not able to leave the house or get much done that weekend, not that he was complaining. Esca, it seemed, was also perfectly content to lounge at his house, claiming that his own apartment was "a shitty flat in a shittier neighborhood," and that he wasn't exactly eager to go back now that he had Marcus right where he wanted him. Namely, in bed naked. And while Marcus was somewhat abashed to find that his stamina couldn't quite match twenty-one-year-old Esca's, he found the time between rounds of sex riveting as he and Esca talked and got to know each other better. Esca was an amazing kid and Marcus was only more stunned and thankful that he had been able to capture the younger man's interest. In fact, the only time they left the house was really when they drove to the police station to retrieve Marcus' car which he hadn't been able to pick up due to the drunk fighting incident and all that followed. Not that Marcus was complaining. They picked up the car, stopped by a supermarket for something for dinner, then went home only to make out on the couch until their rumbling stomachs forced them to eat a full half hour later.
It was almost a shock, then, when the weekend ended and his alarm sounded off Monday morning. Esca had showered then jumped in his car to go to school and Marcus had pulled on his – washed – uniform for another day at work. On his way to the station, he had received a call from his uncle saying that he had dropped Rowan off at school and that they had had a great time together.
"I hope that you found some time to relax as well, Marcus?" Uncle had asked, tone only betraying a touch of concern for his notoriously overworked nephew.
"You know, I actually did."
"Oh? Who is she?"
Marcus had almost swerved off the road then stammered off some excuse and had ended the call. Uncle Aquila had always been too perceptive and Marcus hadn't known if he was up for explaining his new relationship twice in one day since he was bound to come under Guern's questioning.
As it turned out, however, Guern had been merciful and had allowed Marcus to stick to a five minute explanation without any further digging. Which turned out to be for the better since worked had piled up over the weekend – reports and warrants to follow up on and, of course, paperwork to fill out, including writing up an incident report about Friday night.
After that, the day continued on as normal. At one, Marcus received a text from Esca saying that he had picked Rowan up from school. He got off at seven to find dinner waiting and an armful of excited six-year-old eager to tell him all about the weekend he had had. Nothing had changed except for now he and Esca were touching more, purposefully letting their hands brush together, holding each other's gazes longer. When it was time for Esca to leave they had even exchanged a quick kiss at the front door before the younger had darted out into the chilling September evening toward his car.
As the days turned to weeks, their relationship slowly began to evolve and become more intimate. Esca began to spend the night; occasionally at first, then every few days, then every other day. Marcus had watched Esca's personal items slowly accumulate in the master suite, both in the bathroom and bedroom. It had started with a spare toothbrush and change of clothes but by the middle of October most of Esca's meager amount of belongings was stored at the Aquila household. Finally they came to the conclusion that it wasn't logical that Esca was paying for rent still when he was predominantly living at Marcus' and the following day Esca gave his two weeks' notice to end his lease.
That was also the day when Esca officially quit working for Calleva Sitters and began to search for another part time job. Rowan had smiled from ear to ear when they had told him that Esca was now living with them. The way that he had yelled "Good job!" as he flung his arms around Marcus' neck had been a little embarrassing, but that day was one of the happiest in Marcus' life.
By the time Halloween rolled around, Marcus had never been happier and his life had never been so domestic. Sure, it wasn't perfect. Esca had an explosive personality, passionate in everything. Rowan wasn't always a perfect angel and even with two stable adults to look after him he fought and screamed and threw tantrums as much as any other six-year-old trying to test his boundaries. Even Marcus knew that after a particularly tough day at work he could come home introverted and surly. But living with each other, good moods or not, was what family was about and in the end, Marcus couldn't imagine anything better than waking up tangled with Esca every morning.
Right now, Marcus grinned as he held up his camera, "You two are great. Here, get closer together, I want to get everything in the shot."
"You're liking this too much, Marcus."
"Don't be grumpy, Esca. Cheese!" Rowan grabbed onto Esca's arm, grinning wide as they stood side-by-side in matching 1920s mobster suits. The sun had just set and Esca had volunteered to take Rowan out for trick-or-treating, embarrassed as he was by the child's insistence for matching costumes. Marcus would have loved to go with them, but it was Halloween and that meant only one thing to a cop –a late and potentially rough night.
After snapping a few pictures, Marcus lowered the camera and stooped down to pull Rowan into a hug. "Have fun, you two. Save some candy for me, alright?" Rowan nodded enthusiastically and Marcus kissed his forehead before standing and drawing Esca close. "Thanks for taking him out."
"It's nothing." Esca bit his lip then looked up at him from underneath his fedora. "You be careful, yeah?"
"Of course." Marcus pecked Esca's cheek before he winked at Rowan, "After all, you gangsters are going to be the last two arrests of the night."
"Nah-uh, Esca and I'll fight back!"
Esca shrugged then nodded, eyes glinting with amusement and a hint of lust, "It's true. You may need those handcuffs of yours if you want the upper hand."
Huffing, Marcus shook his head, trying to smother his libido with his son in the same room. "I'll have to think of a good plan, then. But seriously, have fun and don't worry if I'm out late, it's to be expected. And Rowan, don't eat too much candy – it'll only be going to waste if you get sick on it. I'll call you when I get off the clock. Take pictures."
With that said he was off to the station, but only long enough to meet up with Guern and get into their squad car. Demand for officers on Halloween was so great that the Chief had given every unit a neighborhood to take care of. The map had been posted in the station's meeting room for the last week, slowly getting tweaked until everyone had a job to do. No one was getting the day off tonight.
The radio illustrated as much. Every few seconds it was going off with calls from other units responding to misdemeanors and drunks out on the streets. That was what Halloween always was – a lot of little things that turned into a big job for law enforcement. Marcus scanned the computer for any in-coming call from their assigned neighborhood as Guern rolled down the street at a nice even pace. They had been lucky to have been assigned to an upper-middle class area, vaguely like Marcus' own neighborhood. Groups of parents and kids were out and about but it was otherwise very tame where they were. Letting his eyes follow a group of kids as they moved from house to house, Marcus leaned back in his seat. "So Maggie's taking the kids out right now?"
Guern shook his head absently at the mention of his wife, attention also on the kids. "Nope. My oldest, Andy, just turned fourteen. We figured that was old enough to take his brother and sisters out on his own. We're treating it as an experiment but I can't tell if Maggie's more worried about their safety or happy that she gets to keep the lights on at our house for other kids."
"Did she set them up with safety lighting?"
Guern chuckled quietly. "They're like their own little miniature suns. I had to pull a minor intervention when she pulled out the fourth round of glow sticks." The older man glanced at his watch then sighed. "Actually, they should be getting back home right about now."
Marcus hummed in acknowledgement, letting the conversation fall into companionable silence. A minute later Guern eased the car back into motion, leaving the group they had been watching in the review mirror as they made another pass through all the blocks on their route.
Just as they were passing by the neighborhood church for the third time in one hour, the voice of dispatch crackled over the busy radio. "Unit 9 be advised, a residential alarm was just tripped in your area. Address number 476 River Road."
Marcus snatched up the transmitter, "10-4, we're on our way." Lifting his finger from the button, Marcus asked, "You know where that is?"
"I remember passing River Road some four minutes back. Hang on, I'll pull us around."
As usual, Guern's unfailing sense of direction landed them on River Road four minutes later. 476 was right at the end of the street, a large two-storied Colonial-style house with a box shrub lined front yard. It was an obvious target because it was also backed up against the forest behind the neighborhood. The trees would make a get-away that much easier, which probably explained why the owners had bothered to install an alarm inside their home. Taking an extra second to ensure that his gun was loaded with the safety on, Marcus stepped out of the car, Guern less than a second behind him.
The house was dark but that wasn't an immediate indicator of anything good or bad. Frowning, Marcus reached for his flashlight and turned to Guern, signaling for a walk around the perimeter. Guern nodded and they went in opposite directions toward the back of the house. As he walked around his side of the building, Marcus heard a noise and tensed. It sounded like a window opening. His eyes snapped toward the source of the sound just in time to see a hooded figure sliding out of a window not more than ten feet away, a bag slung over his shoulder. "Hey! CPD!"
The hooded man whipped around to face him and Marcus just saw a flash of wide eyes before the thief turned and bolted for the fence that separated him from the forest. Marcus tore after him, yelling for Guern. The man vaulted the six-foot-fence with ease, buying him a few precious seconds as Marcus gracelessly scaled it after him. The old would in his thigh flared up as Marcus stretched the weakened muscles past their capability when he hiked it over the fencing but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind and hit the ground on the other side sprinting.
The thief had already made it to the tree line but Marcus didn't let that deter him and followed the criminal into the woods, radioing in the man's description as he did. Although his leg was screaming at him, the man in front of him was carrying a large bag of something, and Marcus knew that it had to be feeling heavier and heavier at the speeds they were moving. So Marcus pushed forward, ignoring his straining muscles, the branches and bushes scratching at his uniform, arms, and face as he navigated his way through the trees.
His eyes widened when he saw the thief breaking through to a sudden clearing up ahead. It was a service road just visible up a steep slope, a getaway car parked on the edge of the shoulder waiting to go. Panting harsh breaths of air, Marcus increased his pace and grabbed for the radio clipped to his shoulder. "Suspect approaching vehicle on service road behind residence! Honda Civic, white." If the suspect got the car started before Marcus could get to him but no, the man was having difficulties getting the door open!
Marcus was scrambling up the incline, ten feet from the car, reaching for his taser when the passenger door opened. It was only because of his time on the front lines that he spotted the gun in the man's hand and threw his momentum backward, dropping to the ground but not quickly enough. Marcus felt one bullet slam into his vest, knocking the air from his lungs, another clip his left shoulder and the last hit him square in the gut.
It was that last one that sent knifes of pain cutting through his body but Marcus knew the motions of combat by instinct and in the next second he was returning fire. His shots shattered the window and Marcus was grimly pleased to hear a cry of pain but the first thief had by now started the car and was driving away.
Their escape left a vacuum of silence in its wake and suddenly Marcus could hear nothing but the ringing in his ears and his own haggard breathing as he started to drag himself up toward the road. Halfway up he had to stop to breathe but he used the time to call for help. "Dispatch, this is Sergeant Aquila. 10-53, I've been shot." Coughing, he pulled his mouth away from the radio, grimacing when he saw a few spots of blood in the grass beneath his lips. "Request immediate assistance!"
"-geant Aquila, what is your location? Please respond!"
Marcus blinked, realizing he must have blacked out for a second. Worried that his body might be going into shock, Marcus forced himself to grab at the radio again, moving his other hand to press over the wound to his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding as best he could. "Service road in the woods about a mile from River Road. Two suspects, male, in a white Honda Civic. Driver wearing a grey hoody. Passenger was armed." Marcus had to close his eyes as his vision began to dance in front of him –he was losing a lot of blood but he still wasn't where he wanted to be.
The slope of the hill up to the service road had been what had saved him minutes ago – the gunman's angle of sight severely hindered by the patchy, tall grasses and steep angle – but was now proving to be Marcus' downfall. He had to get visible from the road, or else he couldn't expect to be found anytime soon.
Meaning that he would have to move himself, which sounded like the worst idea in the world at the moment. Just as he had raised himself to his elbow, and that move had been painful enough, Marcus heard sticks snapping and leaves rustling behind him and turned his head to see Guern crashing out of the woods.
It was the best thing that Marcus had ever seen in his life and he allowed his head to drop back down to the grass in relief.
"Marcus!"
Guern knelt down next to him, immediately taking stock of his injuries as he simultaneously cursed him out. "You damned idiot, you should have waited for me before going after him like that!"
Marcus tried to smile but it probably came out more as a bashful grimace as he croaked, "Bad habit, sorry."
"Your sorry isn't going to cut it if I have to be the one to tell your son and Esca that you're dead."
That's right. Rowan and Esca. A wave of anxiety spiked up Marcus' spine and he tried to sit up, to prove to himself that he was okay and going back home tonight, only to be hit with a wave of dizzying agony.
"Calm down, Marcus. Don't move an inch until the paramedics get here."
Marcus met Guern's gaze, the older man's brown eyes were narrowed with worry and frustration and suddenly Marcus had to make sure. Grabbing onto the other's arm, he spoke up as best he could. "You'll…call Esca, right? I, I want you to call."
"I'll call him personally right after we get you loaded into the ambulance, Marcus. Until then I'm going to be right here with you."
Marcus was thankful for the support, knew that Guern's presence would keep him awake and fighting, but he really wished it was Esca beside him right now, just in case…
o
o
Marcus felt as if he had been asleep for a while, but the sounds of beeping and white noise alerted him to the fact that he was not at home. It sounded like the military hospital. What had just happened? A rocket hit his vehicle? No, that didn't sound right, what was he missing…?
"Marcus, are you awake?"
That lilting voice sparked a familiarity through Marcus followed by an anxiousness to open his eyes. So he pushed himself through the last layers of clinging fog into consciousness. He was immediately hit by the sensation of an aching throb in his stomach and the rest of his body feeling like lead, but he opened his eyes to see the best sight in the world. "…Esca."
Esca was perched at his bedside, a sleeping Rowan on his lap, both of them dressed in their pajamas. Esca was clutching onto the boy so tightly it was a mystery how the little guy had actually managed to fall asleep but Marcus' family was here with him. At the sound of his name, Esca had snapped into focus and just like that the worried young man clinging to comfort became a raging fury. "I can't believe you, you fucking arse! Only you would stumble onto a bloody robbery and get shot on Halloween!"
Marcus' eyes flickered down to Rowan who had begun to wake from the volume of Esca's tirade.
"Do you have any idea what it's like to get a call at one in the morning saying that your boyfriend's been shot and is maybe even fucking dying?"
"Esca." Marcus's quick warning cut the blonde off only a breath before Rowan opened his eyes. The boy's wide green gaze immediately locked onto Marcus and grew watery. Opening his arms, Marcus let his son crawl out of Esca's grasp and onto his cot. "Hey, buddy. It's alright, I'm okay."
Shaking his head, Rowan just buried his face into Marcus' right shoulder, luckily the one that hadn't been shot. Marcus sort of wished that the other shoulder was healthy too though because Esca, for all his anger, looked like he wanted to do exactly the same thing. Rubbing Rowan's back, Marcus nodded with his head for Esca to come closer. Esca was on him in a heartbeat, kissing him.
When they broke for air, Marcus murmured, "I'm sorry for worrying you."
Esca snorted, sniffing back tears he was too proud to shed. "Shut up. I'm not forgiving you that easy."
Marcus nodded but kissed him once more before leaning back in bed. "What happened?"
"You mean after you were shot and left for dead in a ditch?"
Marcus rolled his eyes but nodded, "Yeah, after that?"
"I got a call from your partner Guern and we drove over here while you were in emergency operation." Esca swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, settling back into his chair. "The doctor said that your shoulder was going to be okay with just a few stitches and your ribs were just going to be bruised for a while from the bullet-proof vest. He said they managed to get the bullet out of your intestines but that you would need to be on a liquid diet for two weeks or so, so I hope you like soup and smoothies. You even managed to tear the muscles in your left thigh – how'd that happen?"
Marcus frowned down at the aforementioned leg through the thin hospital blanket. "It's my weak leg. I think I hurt it when I scaled that fence."
"Christ, you're impossible."
"But there were no complications or permanent damage, right?"
Esca bit his lip then nodded jerkily. "Yeah, you should heal."
"Then see? It's okay. I'm going to be fine."
Shaking his head, Esca nonetheless got out of his chair again and ran his fingers through Marcus' short hair before he leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.
"What the hell is this?"
Hearing the voice, both men looked toward the doorway but it was Rowan who had lifted his head from his father's shoulder and spoke first. "Mom?"
Marcus momentarily wondered if he had too high a dose of pain killers in his system because Amanda was at the door of his hospital room. Her long brown hair was done up in artful curls spilling over her shoulders and she was dressed in the newest cut of jeans with matching blouse and handbag. She was as beautiful as always but her brown eyes were angry as she stormed into the room. "Marcus Flavius Aquila, what the hell are you doing? I knew I'd get this call someday but I didn't expect to come in here to see our son sandwiched between you and some scrawny kid while you made out!"
"Uh," Marcus couldn't even begin to form his thoughts together into a coherent sentence before Amanda was storming forward, one of her manicured hands reaching out. "Rowan, come over here."
"But, Daddy-"
"Rowan, come on."
The young boy pouted but dutifully detached himself from his father and padded over to grab his mother's hand. Marcus watched, frowning, suddenly feeling very tired. "Amanda…do we have to do this now? In front of Rowan?"
His ex-wife shook her head, brown curls flying over her shoulder, "No, Marcus. This was why we divorced. Because I knew that I'd get yourself killed. But I still came when the hospital called me," it was true, Marcus had neglected to switch his emergency contact list after the divorce. "I didn't want Rowan to be alone but I guess that wasn't really a problem, was it? When were you going to tell me about him?"
"We don't really talk any more. I didn't think it was something to call you about. It is my life." Marcus grimaced as a slight shift in weight sent a twinge of agony through his system. His pain medication was probably wearing off.
Noticing his discomfort, Esca gripped his arm. The young blonde had been quiet up to now, although his cool gray eyes had been sharp and guarded since Amanda's entrance, but now he murmured soothingly. "Calm down. I'll go get the nurse."
Clearly he had been looking for an excuse to leave the room. Marcus let him go, wanting him to be free of the tension and really looking forward to a new dose of pain killers. In fact, guessing the conversation that was about to take place, "Esca, why don't you take Rowan. After you find a nurse you can take him down the cafeteria, maybe get him some hot chocolate or ice cream?"
Esca looked tensely toward Amanda then back to Marcus. His back straightened before he nodded. Having listened in to the conversation, Rowan darted over to take his hand. "Yeah, alright. Maybe just hot chocolate though, yeah? You stuffed yourself full of candy before bed. And maybe we can also tell your Dad's friends that he's alright while we're out."
Marcus started, "There are more people outside?"
Fixing him with a fond 'you're an idiot' expression, Esca nodded. "It's a bloody circus outside. There are at least a dozen uniforms out in the lobby looking for news on how Sergeant Aquila's doing. I'd guessed you were popular but I hadn't really expected that sort of fanbase, which is silly now that I think about it."
"My dad is the best cop ever and everyone knows it." Rowan was quiet, enthusiasm quelled somewhat by his father's condition but the pride was still clearly there.
Esca nodded again absently, squeezing the kid's hand, "Yeah. We can also see if they have any more news about the bast-guy who did this to you. Be back soon."
Once they were gone from the room, Marcus turned to the matter at hand. "What are you doing here, Amanda?"
Amanda shifted, looking confused for a moment before her face grew gentle. "I really did come to check on you. We may be divorced but that doesn't mean I wouldn't come to see you if I thought you were dying."
Well, when she put it that way… "Point taken."
"This doesn't mean I'm okay with your new choice in friends though. Since when have you been gay?"
"I'm not gay." It had been an instant denial, but Marcus felt it deep in his gut as he amended, "It's, it's just him. Just Esca. It's not like I was checking out the guys in the barracks back in the day or anything."
Amanda didn't look completely convinced, but her frown lessened somewhat, telling Marcus that she had been momentarily satisfied. That didn't stop her from continuing, "But still, to raise Rowan in that sort of environment…"
The surge of irritation only served to aggravate Marcus' stomach. "Amanda, you left Rowan with me to raise. As I see it, the best thing I could have done for him was to give him another stable adult in his life. Esca is a great guy, and he's really good with Rowan."
Sighing, Amanda just stared at him for a moment then nodded. Marcus couldn't remember a time when she had looked so mature, and it was somewhat of a comfort to know that she cared about Rowan's wellbeing enough for that maturity to come out, even if she was worried about something so stupid. "I guess I'll have plenty of time to see that for myself."
Wait, "What?"
"I took the week off from my job. It wasn't a problem with my bosses because it was for such a good reason so I guess that since you're okay I'm just going to be able to relax, take the time to visit old friends here in Calleva."
"Great. What hotel are you going to stay at?"
"I'm not staying at a hotel. Why would I spend that much money when I know you have a guestroom at the house?"
Shit.
"It'll even work for you. I can help look after Rowan when I'm not out visiting friends. It'll be less to worry about when you're like this," she waved to his bedridden state. "Maybe you can even you out on dates with your little boy toy."
The way that she was snickering disheartened Marcus a little. She clearly wasn't taking his new apparent relationship seriously. Which, Marcus supposed, was a better reaction than straight up antagonism. But it would make life awkward, especially because Esca was most definitely living with them now.
Marcus kind of hoped that he would be stuck in the hospital for a while.
As his luck had it, Marcus was ready for discharge just two days later. The thieves who had attacked him had been caught just two hours after Marcus had woken up the first time, pulled over by a cruiser two counties over. The cops hadn't gone easy on them – police officers were brothers in arms regardless of any particular precinct, and news of Marcus' near-death attack had spread faster than the criminals had managed to flee. The two men were arrested and the one who Marcus had shot had been taken to the hospital – he had been until then bleeding out in the passenger seat. Marcus considered the outcome a complete victory because in the end no one had died and the bad guys had been caught without anyone else being hurt.
He was, however, far less optimistic about his personal recovery, due entirely to the fact that his ex-wife wanted to vacation in his and his new boyfriend's house. Which used to be her house. Awkward was an understatement, and the tension was near tangible. Luckily, there had been no confrontation over who was at the house because Esca had stayed at his side in the hospital as much as possible between classes and picking Rowan up from kindergarten. The blonde had only gone back to the Aquila house for brief minutes to shower and get two hour naps and had reported that he hadn't seen Amanda but he had found her bags in the office and that the day bed in the same room had been turned down for sleep.
After her first visit, Amanda had returned to the hospital to visit once, mercifully when Esca wasn't there. She brought Marcus food and talked about how her life was going. It was nice to hear how she had done over the last year and a half since they had separated – she had gotten a job as a secretary at a prestigious law firm, was renting a nice apartment in the middle of the downtown area in her new city. Everything seemed to be going well for her. Her constant talking did get tiring, but at least she wasn't expecting him to carry any of the conversation.
When Esca visited, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Esca was clearly still worried but he still sat with him, just keeping him company as they watched bad daytime television. It was especially nice when Esca brought Rowan with him. The boy was so excited, wanting to tell Marcus everything that had happened to him that day in kindergarten.
And after two days, Marcus had been given the okay to go home. At this point, the only thing for him was bed rest and a periodic changing of his bandages. And no solid food, which Marcus was already missing. Both of those could be done at home with very little training. Esca had just needed to watch the nurse do the bandaging once before the woman had given him a bag full of bandages and antiseptic.
And as much as his stomach had ached, Marcus had refused the offer of a wheelchair to bring him out to the car. Instead he had walked out with Esca right at his side, just in case he stumbled. It was willpower alone that truly got Marcus to the car, but he had at least been able to leave on his own power.
It felt indescribably great to be back at the house. Since they returned right before one, Esca had immediately needed to head back out to collect Rowan, leaving Marcus to get comfortable on the couch. He had just found the perfect position, with his left leg propped up so that the muscles in his thigh could stretch. It was a little painful but it was necessary in order to get the limb back into working shape. Closing his eyes, Marcus heaved a little sigh, wincing when he heard the front door bang open.
"Oh, Marcus! When did you get back?"
Amanda. Marcus didn't even bother to open his eyes. "Just a few minutes ago."
"How lucky! I went out and brought groceries this morning. I was going to make us soup. You know, the minestrone, your favorite. Just like old times. Sound good?"
'Just like the old times' meant that she was going to open up some soup cans and heat it up because as far as Marcus knew, Amanda knew how to cook about as much as he did, which wasn't much at all. Still, as far as his current diet went, minestrone was at least a change in taste. "Sounds good, thanks."
"No problem." Marcus grunted as Amanda took a seat next to him, shifting over as best he could to make room for her. Smiling, she ran her fingers through his hair. "How are you feeling?"
"Unsurprisingly, not too much better. It turns out that getting shot doesn't feel that great."
Amanda giggled a little at this. "I guess that was something you didn't end up experiencing in battle. You just got a ruined leg instead. What a tradeoff, right?"
"Hah, yeah." Marcus allowed himself to close his eyes. Though Amanda hadn't been a part of his life in a long time she was still a source of comfort and he was feeling pretty awful. Even though that last comment had stung a bit; after all, it had been the biggest relief that his leg hadn't been completely ruined.
He was drawn out of his thoughts when Amanda pet through his short hair again, her voice soft as she murmured. "You're doing really well though, Marcus. I mean, except for this whole getting shot thing. You're still making good money, Rowan's so well behaved. You're as handsome as ever. It's kind of making me remember why I fell for you in the first place."
This conversation was getting awkward, and Marcus kept his eyes closed in hopes of avoiding the growing tension. What he wasn't expecting was the pair of lips pressing against his. Hazel eyes snapping open, Marcus jerked back as much as he could, which really wasn't far considering his lack of mobility. "Amanda, what the hell?"
The woman just sighed then plastered herself against him, her breasts pressing against his chest as she pushed him down into the cushions. When she tucked her head against his collarbone, Marcus was disturbed to see that he couldn't see her face, just a mass of dark brown curls. He felt warm breath sink through the thin cotton of his shirt. "Marcus, I made a huge mistake asking you for that divorce. I didn't realize how good I had it here with you, with Rowan, until I left. I miss you."
"Amanda…it can't be that easy." Marcus pushed his ex-wife away, trying to be gentle despite the smoldering anger flaring inside him. "You left. You left your son and you left me with a five-year-old kid and a full-time job with no idea how to balance the two. These last two years have been really hard. I've had to work hard. If it hadn't been for Esca, we would have been a mess by now."
"Esca," Amanda spat his name and Marcus saw a flash of ugliness and pettiness that he had never seen before. "He's taking advantage of you. You're some stupidly adorable older vet who needed help and had money. He saw that and he's taking advantage of you. Marcus, you have to know that. How much money have you given him already?"
"Don't talk about him like that." Marcus had almost growled but he had meant it. "You have no idea what we have and how backwards you have it."
With a groan of exasperation, Amanda took Marcus' face in her slim hands. "Marcus, I know you. You're not gay. This thing is, it's stupid. We need to get the family back together again, and you need to get a woman back in your life. You need these back in your life."
Marcus blinked, stunned, as she grabbed his large hands and pressed them against her breasts.
"Oi!"
Esca was standing at the front door, Rowan peeking out scared from behind him as Esca's eyes narrowed in rage.
"Esca-"
Esca immediately broke Marcus off, eyes flashing even as the older man snatched his hands back from Amanda's chest. "Rowan, go play outside. Now."
The child dutifully shot off toward the back of the house as Esca stomped over to the two of them. Marcus was horrified, brain stuttering to think of a reason why he and his ex might be feeling each other up other than doing something more productive and appropriate. However, much to Marcus' shock, Esca focused most of his attention on Amanda when he stalked over to them, finger jabbing the air emphatically. "I knew I was going to be pissed off when I saw your fucking car in the driveway but this is bullshit. I 'm only going say this once – don't you dare try to get back together with him. You had your chance and you threw it away. He's mine now, and I'm definitely not going to fuck this up like you did."
"I'm not going to take that shit from you, you freeloader." Amanda had stood during Esca's confrontation. With her heels on, she was an inch taller than the blonde student but she definitely was not intimidating him. Marcus felt a bubble of happiness swell in his chest from Esca's words. 'He's mine now.' Marcus never pegged himself as liking that sort of possessiveness, but Esca's ferocity certainly made it more attractive. Marcus blinked out of his thoughts when Amanda rounded on him, a pouting frown twisting her glossy-red lips downwards. "Marcus, you can't be serious about him. While you were in the hospital I called my boss to do a background check on him and I can tell you right now that he is not going to be good for you! Do you know that he was arrested three times in Scotland?"
"I was a kid, we were just fucking around!"
"I heard you stole and vandalized shit. I bet you would have gotten jail time if you hadn't been underage." Advancing on Esca, Amanda poked him savagely in the chest. "I know that you're taking advantage of Marcus, and I have the evidence to prove that you're a lying, stealing little bastard."
"Amanda, enough!" Marcus had heard enough – he wasn't just going to lie there and let them argue over him. Both of them started at his sharp tone though, as if they had forgotten that he was even there. With a sigh, Marcus pushed himself into a sitting position, managing to send a zing of pain through his gut, and dragging a grunt of discomfort from his throat. Esca immediately sat down beside him to provide support, a concerned rebuke ready on his thin lips.
"Marcus, you tosser, the doctor said not to bend at the waist if you could help it. Do you want to go back to the hospital for another week?"
Taking the question as rhetorical, Marcus grit his teeth through the aftershocks of pain prompted by the shift, and focused on Esca's hand rubbing comforting circles across his shoulders instead of replying. When the pain had finally shrunk to a manageable level, he opened his eyes again and locked gazes with his ex-wife. "Look, Amanda, I appreciate that you're worried about me. Really, it's good to know that you still feel enough for me as a human being to come down here after everything that happened with the divorce. But we can't get together again. As strange as it may seem to you, I am with Esca now, and I plan to be for as long as he'll have me. So, I'm sorry, but I've made a new life for myself, and I hope that you can respect that and move on."
Amanda gasped out a little noise of confusion and despair, digging her manicured fingers through her curly hair. "But Marcus, I just don't get this. I mean, I never even knew that you were fucking gay! I just, I can't just get over this!"
"Learn to," Esca growled. In a move of utter possessiveness, the blonde grabbed the back of Marcus' head, holding him in place and swooping in to press their lips together. Stunned, Marcus couldn't help but go with it, opening his mouth to allow Esca's insistent tongue entrance, grunting when Esca delved in with lusty abandon. The very fact that his ex-wife was standing there slack-jawed watching them couldn't even phase him when Esca was kissing him so fiercely.
Finally, needing to breathe, Marcus pulled his lips away, pecking Esca as the younger tried to follow his mouth. It was only when Amanda shifted, the movement of fabric drawing his attention, that Marcus turned back to her. "As you can see, I am serious about him. But if you're interested in spending more time with Rowan instead of having sex with me, then we can work something out. You may have given me full custody but I couldn't say anything against him spending time with his mom. I'd understand if you needed time to work a schedule out but this could be a great opportunity for him."
Amanda seemed, fort the first time, to be at a loss for words. She opened her mouth once, twice, and then finally stuttered out. "I-I'll think about it. But right now I'm going home. I'll pack my things and then I'm gone."
She nearly fled upstairs to the office/guest room, leaving Esca and Marcus sitting on the couch. After a long moment of simple silence, Marcus released a long sigh and turned his head down to stare at his knees. "I'm sorry for that, Esca. For this whole mess."
Humming, Esca just drew his legs up onto the cushion and leaned his cheek against the older man's shoulder. "No harm done. To be honest, I knew that I'd have to fend off rivals at some point or another," he chose to ignore Marcus' snort, "though I didn't honestly expect it to be your ex so soon in our relationship."
"Yeah, me neither." Marcus swallowed thickly as his gaze darted up Esca's body to his sharp blue eyes dancing in amusement. The midday sun was lighting his features perfectly, casting shadows and highlights across his angular face and making his pale skin look almost like carved stone. Licking his suddenly dry lips, Marcus pulled Esca by the shoulders close enough to hear a private response. "I feel like I should be declaring my undying love to you right now." When Esca cracked a small, almost nervous, smile, Marcus felt all of his attempts at cynicism die in his throat. What had seconds ago been joking banter became all too serious. This was Esca. Though they had been together as lovers for only a matter of weeks, it was the best relationship that Marcus had ever known. Esca was terrific with Rowan, he didn't care about his scar, and he was beautiful. He might be an imperfect person but Marcus loved him for all of his temper and guarded mannerisms. Just the thought of returning back to Amanda after knowing him made Marcus' heart clench painfully in his chest.
"Esca," Marcus' voice was thick in his throat but he placed his hand over Esca's slender one. Esca met his gaze and swallowed, his obvious nervousness prompting Marcus forward. "I would never choose anyone over you. I do love you."
"Christ." Esca laughed, a sharp, broken sound. "You are so fucking serious all the time. You bastard," drawing closer to the older man. He pressed a gentle, long kiss to Marcus' lips. "Love you too though."
After that day, Amanda moved out of their house, returning to her apartment. It wasn't long after that Marcus learned through what mutual friends they had left that Amanda had actually overextended her finances. She had been living as if she still had unlimited access to Marcus' bank account. Which explained the sudden renewal of interest. Marcus had accepted it with exasperated resignation – Amanda had only kissed and fooled around with him when she wanted something before, he wasn't surprised that things hadn't changed since their divorce.
Esca officially changed his address to the Aquila household just a week after Marcus returned from the hospital. Not only was he now irrevocably part of the family, but Marcus' house was also closer to his university than his old apartment had been. With Esca and Rowan in school, Marcus had remained at home for two weeks of recovery time from his bullet wounds before he had grown tired of laying around an empty house and had stumbled back to the police station. Though he had been relegated to desk jobs for another two weeks, it was worth it to go back to work.
By Christmas, Rowan was introducing them as his two dads, much to Marcus' joy. It had been a long road, but this life, right now, was perfect, and Marcus wouldn't change it for the world.