Brendan gets to his feet, he walks around the desk and over to the door. He closes it before stopping and facing it, his hand pressed against the wood, his back to his mate. Walker feels uneasy, uncertain, he fidgets in his seat. He was used to Brendan's strange and sudden behaviour, but for him to apologise felt out of character for Brendan. Of course he'd heard him apologise to Cheryl before, but never to him. No matter what he did or said he would never utter the words.
Brendan takes a deep breath and slowly turns around, his eyes down, his shoulders slumped forward. Walker eyes his suspiciously. Brendan can't look at Walker, he walks forward, each step is heavy, he turns and sits down next to him on the sofa. Walker shuffles a little away from Brendan. He may have said that he is fine with what happened, but he wasn't about to cuddle up on a sofa with his very unpredictable boss and lover.
Walker shot to his feet. 'Well now we've sorted that, I've got somewhere to be.' Walker said as he took a step towards the door. Brendan is quickly on his feet and right behind Walker. Walker hurries over to the door and grabs the door handle, but as he turns it and goes to pull it open Brendan has a hand against the door pushing it close. Walker gulps, he can feel the heat of the other man and his breath lightly tickling the back of his neck, he slowly lets go of the handle. He doesn't turn to face Brendan, preferring to keep his back to him. 'Get off the door Brendan.' he mutters anger filling his words. Brendan doesn't reply, he twitches his moustache and flicks his eyes over at Walker, and clenches his jaw. 'We need to talk.' he whispers, leaning in closer to Walker, his breath brushing through his hair. Brendan sniffs Walker, breathing in his scent. Walker takes a deep breath. 'No we don't. Now get off the door.' Walker insists, his voice stronger than he felt.
Walker sighs when it becomes clear that Brendan isn't about to let him out. He turns to face him, leaning back against the door. They are only a few inches away. Walker looks at Brendan, who is portraying all his usual Brendan mannerisms, the facial twitching, the lack of eye contact. Walker shakes his head and rolls his eyes. He goes to turn back round to open the door, when Brendan pounces on him, pushing him back against the door, his lips kissing Walker hard. Lost in the moment, Walker returned the kiss with equal passion and intensity.
With Brendan distracted Walker reaches behind him and grabs the door handle, he turns it and in one swift move, he pushes Brendan back, opens the door and slips out into the club. Brendan is left stood in the office, mouth ajar and a bewildered expression on his face as Walker struts towards the door.
Walker moves with ease, grace and confidence down the steps into the yard, a smirk playing on his face. It's not very often Brendan is on the back foot, but there he was, firmly on it and Walker enjoyed every second of putting him there. He got to the bottom of the steps and sauntered through the yard, and out through the gates. Suddenly a cold chill passes down his spine, he instinctively turns and looks over his shoulder and sees the tell tale sign of a police car, he dives down the alley. He breaks into a sprint and dashes down the alley and out the other side, running as fast as he could and not looking back.
Brendan is now stood behind the bar, he is just pouring a glass of Irish Whiskey when the door opens. He glances up while pouring and sees a tall red headed woman and two police officers stride through the door. Joel, who is stood a foot away from Brendan, polishing a glass freezes when he sees the police. Brendan continues to pour, the woman stands watching him, hands on hips, pissed off look on her face. Brendan takes his time, deliberately slowing the pace of his pour. He places the bottle down on the side next to the tumbler and looks up at the woman. 'Officer.' he mutters, the woman's nostrils flare and her eyes flash with annoyance. 'Detective.' she spits at him. Brendan looks her in the eyes, she holds his stare. 'Detective. How can I help you?' he asks, their eyes still locked together. 'I'm looking for Simon Walker.' she says firmly. Brendan picks up his glass of whiskey and takes a long sip, his eyes burning into hers. Once content with his sip, he places the glass back down on the bar and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. 'He's not here.' he tells her. She nods a little and then looks over at her two uniformed colleagues and nods at them to search the property. They quickly rush off in different directions. Brendan doesn't even blink.
'What do you want Walker for?' Brendan asks slowly, once again lifting his tumbler and taking a slow sip. Shawnee sneers as she watches the man drink, it is beyond her why so many people fall under his spell, she can't for the life of her understand why or how Walker had fallen for him. Brendan Brady repulses her. Everything about him makes her stomach turn, especially his stupid moustache. 'Don't answer me then.' Brendan mutters after he doesn't get a reply to his question. They are all left to stand in awkward silence. Joel slowly polishes the same glass over and over, sweat forming on his brow. He looks over at Brendan and wonders how he can be so cool when the police are looking for his friend, accomplice, runner, whatever he is to him. Joel had his suspicions about the true depths of Brendan and Walker's relationship, he'd seen how close they would stand, the little looks that they would give one another, there were even times when he would see Walker coming out of Brendan's room in the morning, not that either of them knew it.
When the officers return from checking the office, the toilets, the cellar and even behind the bar Brendan simply smirks 'I told you.' Shawnee glares at him, she takes a step forward and crosses her arms. 'Well I don't suppose you know where he is?' she hisses, her eyes narrowing. Brendan looks directly at her, he takes his time before answering her with a slow shake of the head. 'No idea.' Shawnee sighs, the muscles in her face tighten. She walks up to the bar. 'Look, stop wasting my time. I need to know where Simon Walker is? Now do you know or not?' She hisses as she leans closer to Brendan, she gets whiff of his aftershave, the very same aftershave she smelt on Walker the day before. Brendan leans closer to her and turns his head ever so slightly so he can see her face.
Brendan opens and closes his mouth a couple of times resembling a fish going around it's bowl. 'No.' he growls with a grin of enjoyment on his face as he sees the annoyance in her face. Shawnee moves back and storms over to the other officers. 'This is pointless. Sorry for wasting your time Mr Brady.' she almost shouts as the trio head out the door. Brendan rushes over to the door and opens it just a fraction. Shawnee is on the steps, she pulls out her mobile, she fiddles with it before putting it to her ear, she wait's a second and then barks into the receiver 'Walker, where are you?' then hangs up and storms down the rest of the steps. 'Yes Walker where are you?' Brendan murmurs to himself as he pushes the door close.
Walker takes a deep breath as he leans against a wall in an alley. He sighs, and closes his eyes. He had just ran from his superior, from everything. What was he doing? Why'd he run. That had been his opportunity to get away from whatever mess this had become. He could have gone along with the out and got as far away from Brendan Brady as possible and it would have all been over. He could be on the first step of getting his life back on track, but no instead he'd ran away like the devil himself was hot on his heels.
Brendan hurries down the steps and across the courtyard and out of the gates. He quickly unlocks the silver Mercedes parked on the street and slips inside. He starts the engine with a roar and quickly drives away. He has an idea of where Walker would head.
Walker is walking through the streets, his mind heavy, his heart more so. He wishes he had someone to talk to. He needs someone to simply listen and then give him some much needed advice. Things are spiralling out of control and he feels powerless to resolve it. He trudges along the street, heading down a very familiar road. Completely oblivious to the silver Mercedes glide past him.
Brendan pulls into the parking lot. He steps out and locks the car before rushing inside the hospital. Checking over his shoulder he dives into the closing lift. He presses for the third floor. The lift creaks into life and begins moving upwards. Walker slowly walks inside the building, his eyes are trailing the floor. He fears that this may be the last time he sees his brother. He sighs as he presses the call button for the lift, unaware that the lift had just stopped at the third floor and let Brendan out.
Brendan saunters out of the lift and down the corridor to the room he had stood inside only hours earlier, checking that it is empty except the young man lying unresponsive in the bed, he quickly steps inside. He looks over at Cam, but soon looks down at the ground. He had played a part in the man being in that bed, in that condition, guilt washing over him. Seeing Cam hooked up to various machines and his eyes fixed open made him feel sick. He sighs and steps back into the corner of the room, behind the door.
Walker plods heavily towards his brother's room. He pushes the door open and steps inside. He walks over to the bed and leans over and kisses his brother lightly on the forehead, he pulls back a little but then stops. He jolts upright. He turns slowly to face the man in the corner of the room. His eyes are dark and angry. He glares at Brendan. 'What the hell are you doing here?' he spits, teeth together, venom lacing his words. Brendan looks up at Walker and then back to the floor. 'How do you know?' Walker continues, before diving at Brendan, pressing him against the wall, his arm across the Irishman's throat. 'Tell me.' he almost shouts. His eyes are empty of emotion now. Brendan can feel his chest tighten from the lack of oxygen, his face begins to redden, he raises his hands in defeat. Walker eases off and takes a step back. Brendan welcomes the air into his lungs like a long lost friend as he steps forward from the wall. He looks up at Walker, he is clearly a mix of tense and angry. He doesn't blink or move.
'I followed you before.' Brendan croaks before coughing lightly to clear his throat. Walker's shoulders slump forward. His eyes droop, he looks at the floor. 'Why?' he whispers. 'I needed to know where you were going.' Brendan answers honestly. 'Why?' Walker asks quietly. 'I…. I don't know.' Brendan mutters. Walker looks up at Brendan, his eyes are now full of conflicting emotions. 'Why do you need to know where I go? What business is it of yours?' he snaps moving forward towards Brendan, who in turn takes a step back and hit's the wall. 'I'm sorry.' is all Brendan can mumble. 'Sorry. Sorry! Is that all you can say? What are you sorry for? Eh?' Walker snarls as he places his hands against the wall either side of Brendan's head. Brendan can't look at Walker. 'Are you sorry for the life you ruined? For the fact that you're the reason I'm here. The reason you're here? The fact that you put my little brother into that bed? The fact that he is dying and you're the reason for it? Huh?' Walker spits at Brendan.
Walker's eyes fill with tears and he steps back. He turns away from Brendan and runs his hands through his shaggy hair. The tears are flowing down his flush cheeks. He looks down at his brother and crushes his eyes close and gives out a heavy sigh. He slumps to the floor at the foot of his brother's bed, head in his hands. Tears streaming down his face. Brendan stands in silence awkwardly in the corner of the room. Walker is crying on the floor, letting out all the confused emotions that had built up inside him. Brendan hesitantly shuffles forward over to Walker. He crouches down and with twitching fingers he places his hand on Walker's elbow. Walker doesn't react, he just continues to cry. Brendan looks around the room, to the door, to the man in the bed, to the floor and then slowly back at the crumpled man in front of him.
'Walker.' Brendan whispers. 'I'm sorry. For you're brother.' he whispers even more quieter. Walker sniffs and looks up at Brendan. In that moment he can see the anguish in Brendan's face, the genuine regret in his eyes. Walker wipes his face with the palms of his hands and sniffs. He gets to his feet, Brendan does also, but takes a step back. Walker glares at Brendan with his head slightly down, he is standing sideways to the Irishman. Suddenly out of nowhere Walker turns as quick as lightning and punches Brendan straight in the face. Brendan stumbles backwards, his hand clutching his mouth, his eyes burning into the other man, who is now standing facing him, his jaw tense.
'I guess I deserve that.' Brendan says coolly as he moves his hand away from his mouth and licking the blood from his lip. 'I should hate you. Despise you. But… I can't.' Walker snarls through gritted teeth. He and Brendan are staring at the other. The atmosphere is tense, the only sound in the room is the steady beat of the machine keeping Cam alive. 'A woman was looking for you before.' Brendan says breaking the silence and changing the subject at the same time. He sees the flicker of recognition in Walker's eyes.
'Shawnee.' Walker quietly answers. 'You're boss?' Brendan asks with a crack in his voice. Walker looks down at the ground and then gives a small nod. 'So you're undercover.' Brendan asks, this time his voice is more controlled. Walker nods again. Brendan turns his back on Walker and looks out of the door into the corridor, watching the occasional nurse, doctor or relative walk past. 'What did she want you for?' Brendan asks, his jaw clenching. 'It was my out.' Walker whispers. 'Why?' Brendan asks in hushed tones. 'She said I'd got too close.' Walker tells him. 'Mmmm.' Brendan replies. Brendan takes a few short steps towards Walker.
Brendan is right in front of Walker, who can feel Brendan's breath on his cheek. 'And what are you going to do about it?' he almost growls at Walker, his eyes searching the other man's eyes. 'What do you want me to do?' Walker replies. Brendan leans in and presses his lips aggressively onto Walker's. They stand at the foot of his brother's bed kissing passionately. Holding onto each other. Walker pulls away and steps back, his legs banging into the frame of the bed. He looks at Brendan, his eyes full of confusion. 'Does that answer you're question.' Brendan almost purrs, his eyes dancing lustfully. 'Now how to sort out you're boss.' he smirks before strutting out of the room while fixing his jacket, Walker's eyes trailing after him.
Author's Note - I had a tough time with trying to figure out how to end this story. I'm not overly happy with it, it's not my best, so I do apologise L