Thomas was currently on the phone to his eleven year old daughter Abi, who seemed to miss her father quite a lot as she was just chatting away to him. She was currently being looked after by a friend of Thomas's called Lawrence.
"Da, when are you coming back?" Abi asked her father, as she was sat on the couch, talking on Lawrence's house-phone.
"Your uncle Seamus has lost someone and I'm going to stay there for three days until June's funeral, alright?" Thomas asked her with a smile, he loved his daughter more than anything else in the whole world. A common trait in the Brady family.
"Is uncle Seamus alright?" Abi asked him, she has spoken to Seamus from time to time. Though Seamus hardly made any conversation with the child, he ignored her for most of his time spend there.
"Yeah, he is; Abi, I don't want you speaking to Declen and Patrick alright?" Thomas questioned her.
"Okay, I hardly speak to them anyway da" Abi told him, that was true though Thomas wanted to make sure for good, they don't live that far from Eileen and the children.
"Alright, good; Have you been in school? Been doing all your homework?" Thomas asked, he heard the taps going on, Seamus was running a bath for himself.
"Of cause da, Lawrence refused to make me dinner unless I did it, you know like what you do" Abi told him, she was a good child though only because Thomas kept her hidden from the rest of the world, he kept her very sheltered.
"Good, you been eating healthy meals; I don't want you turning into one of those fat kids" Thomas replied, he always has had high expectations for everyone around him though they rarely met it.
"Yeah, Lawrence made me a roast dinner; he made me eat it all up; he read your list" Abi breathed, at the tender age of eleven she knew she was being controlled but she accepted it because it's all she ever known.
"I'm glad; What do you say to your da before I go?" Thomas asked her, waiting for those four words that make him so happy.
"I love you da" Abi told him, those were the exact words he wanted. She was use to it, she knew it made him happy.
"I love you too, Abi; goodbye" Thomas placed the phone down, he was still not entirely satisfied though he is never entirely satisfied because his expectations are too perfect to be physically possible.
...
"I don't want to lose you, Brendan" Steven started, as he finally admitted his fears to him. As he snuggled up to him on the couch, staring into thin air; half-expecting that to solve every problem.
"I can't make you any promises" Brendan admitted, just increasing his concern about their future which at the minute doesn't look very bright.
"Stop speaking like that Brendan" Steven spoke quietly, as he moved away from him. The closeness scared him, he didn't want to make things uncomfortable for him.
"We need to be realistic here Steven, I can't promise you a happy ending because they don't exist; Amy hates me, your ex is still living and working here and my da is still here in the pub; so excuse me if I'm having second thoughts" Brendan told him, then almost cowered again.
"I'm sorry" Brendan quickly said, he didn't like being the pitied one so he refused to say anymore about how much of a bad time he is having.
"No, don't say sorry" Steven spoke, as he didn't want to hear Brendan blaming himself for being 'selfish' which is what Brendan believes he sounds like at the minute.
"I should Steven; after everything I put you through; I'm a bad man" Brendan told him, Steven shook his head.
"Brendan, I haven't forgotten, I forgave and you're not a bad man; okay, I know that and Cheryl knows that" Steven spoke, as he moved up slightly closer again. He didn't know what else to say to him.
"I'm a murderer, an abuser, a thug; how can there be any good in that?" Brendan asked him, not convinced at all.
"You protect those you love Brendan; you care about other people, you just had a lot of bad things happen to you okay; I know what people think about you and I don't care because I love you, I know you Brendan okay" Steven tried to say, as he gave him a quick peck on his dry lips.
"Thank you Steven; by the way you can stop with the flattery; you have me tied to you by law now" Brendan spoke, Steven smiled as he gave him a quick kiss again.
As he wrapped his arms around Brendan's neck, warming him up as the breeze came through. He moved his body close to his, blocking of any gaps in between them. As he felt Brendan kiss him back for once, though Steven thought it was too early.
"Are you sure about this?" Steven asked him, breaking away, surprised that he never pulled away from him sooner.
Brendan nodded, though he wasn't that sure at all.
Steven smiled nervously as he leaned back in for another long, lingering kiss. Brendan breathed, as he adjusted himself carefully on top. Wanting to take back control in this area though something about this felt very wrong because of recent events.
"If you want me to stop, just say" Steven told him, placing one hand around Brendan's neck again, as he looked up at him.
Brendan gave a half-hearted smile, he really wasn't in it tonight. As he started to kiss Steven's neck, starting it of slow to ease Steven into this unpassionate love-making session. Unenthusiastic it was as well.
"Brendan" Steven spoke, though he was cut of by Brendan's kiss which felt rough but not in an inviting way, it was more in an aggressive way.
As Steven tried to soften the mood by sliding his fingers up and down Brendan's leg though that triggered the night in the club as Brendan abruptly ended the kiss as he leaned back, moving away from Steven.
"Bren, what's wrong?" Steven asked, as he felt nervous and felt like he has done something wrong.
...
"So Seamus, have you planned anything for June's funeral?" Thomas asked him, he didn't expect him of to though sometimes his brother can surprise him.
"No; I haven't" Seamus replied to him, just as he had expected him to.
"Did you really mean all those things you said about Brendan? Because if I'm honest, I didn't expect you to laugh with me when I called him unmanly" Thomas replied, as he looked up at him now.
"Brendan is unmanly, he always has been; couldn't even hold his drink on his sister's engagement party" Seamus hissed, every time the Brendan subject came up, his tone changed rapidly.
"He is still your son regardless of everything else" Thomas spoke, Seamus glared at him, he wasn't impressed.
"You better shut your fucking mouth, Thomas" Seamus replied, Thomas eyes widened. Even he seemed surprised to his brother's sudden change, it was a very jarring mood change.
"You always did have a problem with father and son relationships; I don't remember you crying at our father's funeral" Thomas was playing with unknown fire, as he thought that he got the same treatment as his brother.
"That man beat us daily Thomas, why would I cry at that monster's death-bed?" Seamus asked him, he was slowly losing his temper.
"I know he did Seamus but deep down he loved us" Thomas spoke.
Seamus suddenly pushed the table forward, Thomas gasped and choked. As he felt the table digging into his thin stomach. As he pushed it back, with Seamus looking more furious than ever.
"Who even are you?" Thomas asked before walking into the spare bedroom, shocked to the core of his brother's shocking behaviour.
Seamus shook his head, as he pushed a glass of the table, making it smash as it hit the floor. He sighed, as he poured himself another drink, he was drinking to forget.
...
Later that night, Steven was just staring at Brendan. He wanted to fix him and look after him though he just didn't know how, as he held softly onto his hand. As he watched him open and close his tired eyes. Brendan looked exhausted.
"Try and get some sleep" Steven spoke, with a small yawn.
Brendan breathed, as he wrapped the blanket around them more. It was freezing tonight and it was going to say that way for many nights to come. As he wrapped his arms around Steven more, as he let him snuggle up to him.
"I love you" Brendan told him, kissing the top of Steven's head and sliding his fingers through his hair, relaxing him as he watched him slowly drift of.
Brendan waited and waited for Steven to fall asleep, he felt quite safe in here. He felt content here as he too was snuggling up to Steven, in his bedroom away from the rest of the world. It felt nice and he wouldn't change it.
...
Brendan was pulling his suitcase back home, it was around eight in the morning. As him and Steven were both returning to Steven's flat. He persuaded Brendan to return, they walked towards the door.
"Home sweet home" Brendan spoke in an unenthusiastic and emotionless tone.
Steven opened the door, as he let Brendan go in front. He closed the door behind himself, locking it.
"Do you want anything to eat?" Steven asked him simply.
...
TCB
