AN: Thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed!

It was 3:1 in favour of longer chapters, so thought would do this one as is, then work on that. I will do my best, but may still go with hooks sometimes!

Brendan let Ste work on the bar again that night. He was still bottom of the ladder, but he guessed he'd proven himself enough. Or, maybe, if what he'd guessed about Brendan was right, the older man just wanted to keep an eye on him.

The evening started out uneventful, though Ste could feel Brendan's eyes burning on him, and Ste waited for the arrival that he knew would push Brendan into action. He couldn't help but grin when he saw him walk casually over to the bar, which of course Noah took as a promising sign.

"Told you I'd be back," he said, with a grin to match Ste's.

"What can I get you?" Ste asked, and he felt his eyes slip onto Brendan, feeling good that Brendan's eyes me his instantly. He almost didn't hear Noah's order.

"So," Noah said as Ste served him, "what time do you finish tonight?"

"Er, not for a while," Ste replied, he didn't want to end up letting Noah think they were going to sleep together, just make it look right, "but I've got a break in a while."

He was pushing it. He hadn't had a break at all yesterday, but Jacqui had. Brendan couldn't object to it. Not without admitting why. Probably.

"Great!" said Noah, and Ste smiled, letting his eyes return to Brendan, who was now openly glaring.

"Er, I better get on with it, me" Ste said, nervously, "Collecting glasses and stuff, just so he don't think I'm slacking, like."

He slipped out from behind the bar, giving Noah his friendliest look, and strolled towards Brendan. He made careful eye contact.

"Brendan," he greeted cheerfully.

"Steven," Brendan replied, icily, "everything OK over there?" He nodded towards Noah, who was looking very pleased with himself as he leant against the bar.

"Oh, yeah!" Ste replied, "Noah's being really nice, actually."

"Is he now?" Brendan grumbled.

"Oh, yeah," Ste breezed, pretending not to notice the annoyance in the older man's voice, "he wants to chat during mi break. I said I'd meet him outside." Not exactly truth, but it had the effect Ste wanted.

"What?" Brendan growled.

"Yeah," Ste continued, happily, "said I'd take these down, get them sorted, and then he'd meet me outside. You know, I think we might get to be really good friends."

Ste was sure he could actually hear Brendan's teeth grounding together.

"So, I'll just get going then," he continued, smiling. He turned, collected a big pile of glasses and wandered back to the bar. Brendan didn't follow. Ste was almost disappointed except for the sure and certain knowledge that Brendan was still watching his every move.

He brushed past Noah when he got back to the bar, then smiled at him. "See you later," he said, and Noah looked like an excitable puppy, which gave Ste a twinge of guilt as he made his way down to the cellar, carefully balancing his big pile of washing up. Still, no one followed him, or stopped him, or even tried to talk to him. As he ran the water into the basin, he began wondering if he had made a mistake.

He listened hard for feet on the stairs. It would be hard to tell them apart from the noises on the floor above, hundreds of people walking around, but eventually he heard some. He turned to the sink, and wondered if it was possible to look alluring doing the washing up.

"Ste!" called a voice from the stairs, and Ste let out a disappointed sigh.

"Jacqui?" he asked.

"Is there any of that Russian stuff left?" she asked from where she stood halfway up the stairs.

"I dunno," Ste answered sulkily.

"Oh, well, don't help me out will ya? I only got you a job, not like you owe me or owt."

She was grumbling, and probably rightfully, but Ste was feeling increasingly disappointed. She didn't take long fetching whatever it was she was after, and as soon as she'd gone, Ste glanced around. The place was annoyingly quiet. He'd clearly misjudged Brendan. The gorgeous man did not care. Maybe Ste had made it all up in his head. He turned the tap off, sink still only half full. It wasn't time to do the washing up, yet. He'd had twice as much to do yesterday. He should just go back up and chat to Noah.

He trundled back up the stairs, head drooped in disappointment. He could have kicked himself. What had he expected? Brendan to decide he wanted him? Him, a scrawny, pathetic boy? Brendan didn't care what he did. And even that was one step better than it could have been. He'd seen men beaten black and blue for less than he'd done that evening. He passed the office, heading for the bar.

Hands grabbed his shoulders, mercilessly, pulling him backwards, into the office, where the door slammed behind him. He was spun around, and shoved against the wall, caught by the collar of his shirt.

"You think you're in charge here, boy?" Brendan growled in his face.

Ste shook his head, his heart pounding, tears beginning to prickle his eyes. He'd been so stupid. No one else was really as disgusting as him. They didn't have perverse, sexual thoughts about other men. Brendan was right to be disgusted. He was disgusting. He'd played with his family's food, and lost. He just had to hope he survived so he could find them some more.

He grabbed Brendan's hands and pushed them off of him, ready to run, but Brendan grabbed his wrists, pushing him back against the wall, and his hands above his head. Brendan stared at him a moment longer, face dark, unreadable.

"Stop looking so fucking scared," Brendan growled, "you started it!"

"Started wh…?" Ste began, but never finished. Brendan's lips were on his, joining them together, and tasting like alcohol and smoke and something intoxicating. Brendan's hands left his wrists, (Ste left his hands where they were) travelling instead to his face, and Ste tried to slip his tongue into Brendan's mouth.

Frustratingly, Brendan chose that moment to pull back, holding Ste's face back. "Still need me to say it?" he teased.

Ste shook his head again, though this time with a smile on his face, and put his hands into Brendan's hair. The kiss restarted. Brendan's hands roamed Ste's body, exploring its contours, and he groaned in appreciation. He pressed his own body against Ste's, hard, strong and incredible. Ste gasped at the feel.

Ste could barely believe what was happening. It was beautiful, wonderful. He let his hands drop to Brendan's wide shoulders. They were as impossibly perfect as they looked, like iron covered in velvet. His hands moved to the buttons of Brendan's shirt.

Brendan knocked them off, and stepped back. Ste frowned. Had he done something wrong? But Brendan's face was still one of lust, of dark, contained, excitement.

"Strip," he ordered.

Ste paled slightly at the order. He hated his body. It was skinny and weak. Girls before Amy had scorned him for it. But Brendan's expression was nothing like scorn. It was admiring, so Ste smiled shyly, and obeyed.

Brendan watched his every movement like Amy would watch a sunset. To feel so desired made Ste almost giddy. He dropped his clothes haphazardly on the floor, his shoes, his shirt, his trousers, and watched Brendan watching him. The moment he was down to nothing, Brendan sprang into action, removing his own clothes in moments, and pushing Ste back against the wall, pressing their bare bodies together.

Ste threw his arms around Brendan's neck and restarted the kiss once again, thinking only of how he could get nearer, closer. He never wanted this to end, and he dared to hope Brendan felt the same. It was a ridiculous way to feel; Brendan was violent, easily angered and obsessed with his own power, but just a few moments of very limited compassion and an incredible body had got into Ste's heart.

That was an overreaction. This was just about two bodies indulging in a sin they could no longer resist, giving into the temptation sent by the devil. Their tongues met, and Ste let Brendan rule, knowing Brendan would have it no other way, and knowing he himself didn't care. This was part of Brendan's attraction – his unforgiving dominance.

He felt Brendan's hands reach his arse and gasped. He had never got this far with a man. He barely knew what should happen next. Thankfully Brendan did.

He spun Ste around, pushing his chest against the door, and Ste was glad it was such a solid, thick sort of wood, hoping it wouldn't bang too much at its usage. He crossed his arms under his head to protect it from the solid wood, and allowed the thrill to overwhelm him as Brendan dropped to his knees.

Brendan seemed fascinated by his bottom. He stroked it, as if memorising every inch with his hands, then with his tongue. Suddenly that tongue had breached the most intimate part of Ste's body. Ste cried out. It was like an invasion, but one he could have begged for.

No more words were needed. Brendan stretched him and prepared him, and Ste bit his lips trying not to let out the desperate sounds he seemed unable to control. And that was only the beginning.

He felt Brendan stand behind him, pulling his hands up Ste's body, before resting them on top of Ste's. "You ready?" he whispered, voice breathless. Ste could only nod.

…xxx…xxx…xxx…

Ste lay breathless on the floor beside Brendan. It was like a tragedy that the moment was over, and Ste was almost ready to pray that it would happen again, until he remembered that God definitely wouldn't approve of a repeat. But he'd done it now. He was on his way to hell. He may as well enjoy the road,

He laid a hand on Brendan's warm chest. The older man did not push it away. He gave Ste another of his impenetrable looks. Ste wished he knew what the older man was thinking, at least if it was positive.

"I've gotta get back," muttered Brendan, "and you'll have a pile of glasses as big as you if you don't get a move on."

Ste nodded. It was true, but something more bothered him. "Will we get to do this again?" he asked.

Brendan smirked. He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned towards him, catching Ste's head with one hand, and steeling a deep and luxurious kiss. Ste took it as a yes.

Brendan jumped up too soon, and dressed, though clearly taking time to enjoy the sight of Ste doing the same. When they were both dressed, they kissed again, Brendan squeezing Ste's slightly sore bottom as he did so, then tidying both their hair and smoothing down his own moustache.

"Ready?" he said.

"Not really," Ste replied.

Brendan just gave him one last grin, and then opened the door to the outside world.

A short, fair haired man, with a self-assured, cunning face like a cat, stood silently in the door way. Ste had not heard him arrive, and, by Brendan's sudden stiffening, guessed the older man hadn't either.

Brendan recovered quickly.

"Danny," he greeted, "what can I do for you?"

AN: Would love to hear what you guys think. so please take time to review!