Thank you once again for your reviews/follows/faves/views :D

Ok, so I kind of feel like some parts of this chapter are a bit flat and boring. I've tried to sit down and write it every night for about a week and I've just been totally stumped, and finally got the urge to write it late last night, so I'm sorry if it's a bit rubbish. I've been lacking any inspiration for it I'm afraid so apologies in advance :(

Anyways, hope it's not too bad. Let me know what you think as always :)

Day Nine - Part 1

Ste was up early – far earlier than his body was used to – and he found himself stood pacing back and forth in his front room, outside Anne's bedroom. The pain in his ribs had woken him plenty of times in the night, the pain searing through him whenever he tried to turn onto his side or his front, but it had been fear of telling Anne about his attack which had stopped him dropping off straight back to sleep.

The problem was that she knew too much. She knew about Ste, knew about his past and his indiscretions, and Ste was worried for her reaction when she found out it could all be catching up with him. He would do anything not to see that look of disappointment in her eyes that told him when he had fucked up.

And with Danny Houston, he had fucked up big time.

He winced as he tasted the tang of iron on his tongue, realising he had been biting anxiously on his lip and had re-opened one of his wounds from the beating. He pulled his sleeve down over his hand to wipe the blood from his face, and found himself chewing on his fist in lieu of his bleeding lip, indentations from his teeth starting to show on his knuckles.

He continued to pace, thinking over situations in his head. How could he tell Anne that Danny had found him and that he needed help? And then how would he explain about Brendan too? Could he admit to her that he was starting to develop feelings for the man? That what Brendan saw as just some holiday fling was quickly turning into so much more for Ste, and that Anne would probably be the only one around to pick up the pieces when he returned home with his wife and kids in a few days time?

He jumped at the sound of the bedroom door creaking open, Anne emerging with a wide yawn that she broke out of as soon as she saw the state of Ste before her.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked with a frown, not awake enough to be showing concern or sympathy right now.

Ste looked back at her guiltily, chewing the inside of his mouth as his mind worked in overdrive, trying to work out what he should tell her and what he should keep hidden.

It was no use trying to lie – he had to be honest with her.

"Danny Houston," he admitted quietly, almost inaudibly; but she had heard and understood him clear enough.

She breathed a heavy sigh, suddenly feeling a wave of doubt pass over her. She had dealt with quite a lot in her life, more than the average girl her age, but she felt completely out of her depth when it came to favours owed to drug dealing gang lords.

Ste kept looking at her expectantly - he had become so used to her having all the answers for him that he hadn't even entertained the idea that she might not be able to help him with this.

"What shall I do, Anne?" he asked with an air of desperation.

She stood and considered his question for a few moments, glancing her eyes across the cuts to his face and the bruising that was starting to develop under his left eye.

"How am I meant to help you with this, Ste?" she asked plainly, tone measured and controlled, eyes locked firmly into those of the broken man before her.

Ste dropped his gaze, looking down at the floor. He had hoped she could give him some answers, give him guidance on how to deal with this, but he knew deep down this wasn't something she could help with. She had never been a part of that world – had grown up in the suburbs and never had to delve into the world of crime to get by like Ste had done – so this was one area where her usual wisdom was displaced.

"How did Danny find you?" she asked, walking towards him tentatively and raising her hands to inspect his wounds.

"I don't know," Ste answered with unease, "They just jumped me, these two guys. His lackies, I guess."

He let her move his head from side to side with her hand under his chin, eventually pulling him into a soft hug as she stroked the back of his head. He winced slightly as she pulled him too close and the pain shot through his chest.

"Ribs?" she asked him as she pulled away with a grimace on her face.

"Yeah," he nodded back at her.

"Do you need to go get them checked out? Hospital?" she questioned.

"No, I'll be fine," he assured her as he pulled away, rounding her and sitting himself down on the sofa. "It's just some bruising I think."

Anne moved around to join him on the sofa, tucking her knees up close to her chest as she regarded him with a worried stare.

"How do you know it was Danny?" she asked after a short while.

"Erm, just that, the guys who jumped me...when they left, they said something about Danny giving them an easy target," Ste told her blankly.

"You sure it's Danny Houston then?" she questioned.

"Well I haven't pissed off any other Danny's that I'm aware of," Ste answered her calmly, fighting his natural urge to drip his words in sass and sarcasm. "It was only a matter of time 'til he came looking for me, weren't it?"

"It might just be -"

"It's him, ok Mitz," Ste interrupted, "I owe him, and now he's found me."

Anne could feel the atmosphere turning – could see the fear in Ste's eyes turning to bitterness and knew she needed to pull him back. She knew about his past with Danny – had been there to help him through it and to pick up the pieces after it all happened. They had bonded over shared tales of woe – hers about Riley, and his about his parents as well as Amy and the kids – and she knew the dangers he was in due to his association with someone like Danny.

"What do you do now?" she asked tentatively, concern creeping into her tone now as she worried what the answer to her own question would be.

Ste hesitated before answering, mulling his answer over in his own head before confirming his own fears out loud.

"I guess I just wait," he conceded. "He knows where I am, he'll let me know what he wants from me soon enough."

"Fucks sake, Ste," Anne muttered in exasperation as she exhaled, shaking her head as she watched Ste stare out of the window, deep in thought.

She had to try to bring him back from the edge of despair. She couldn't sit and watch her friend wallow in pity like this.

"Who cleaned you up?" she asked, noticing the lack of blood pouring from his cuts and the lack of gravel in the graze on his cheekbones.

The question pulled Ste from his thoughts, and he returned his attention back to Anne.

"Erm, Brendan found me," he replied.

"Brendan?" she questioned.

"Yeah, we was meant to be meetin' for a drink, weren't we? That's when I got jumped. He found me and took me back to his room, got me all cleaned up and that," Ste replied.

It hadn't gone unnoticed to Anne how he had suddenly become chatty again when the Irishman's name was mentioned. Something about that man just seemed to perk Ste up almost instantly.

"He ok with you?" Anne asked reluctantly, still wary to trust Brendan completely after his initial violence towards Ste.

The glint in Ste's eye told Anne all she needed to know, and she rolled her eyes affectionately at him.

"Yeah, he was more than ok, Anne," he smirked.

"Jesus, Ste," she smiled back at him, "Is there nothing that'll stop you pair?"

"I hope not," Ste quipped straight back, beaming now despite the cloud looming over him right now.

"You're unbelievable," she scolded him playfully.

"I need you to do me a favour, through, Anne," Ste asked after a short while. "Any chance you could cover the cruise for me, what with the whole mugging thing? Not exactly the best impression to make, is it? Plus I can't be done with anyone asking me any questions about it or owt."

"Yeah, course I will," Anne smiled back, winking at him to let him know she was fully aware of his intentions over the next few days. While the cats away, and all that.

He smiled back at her knowingly, giggling slightly at the thought of it himself.

"Cheers, you're a diamond," he replied.

-s-

After a hearty breakfast and a strong cup of tea, Ste cautiously made his way into the hotel Reception to face the shift he was covering for Anne in return for her taking the cruise. Anne had done her best to try to cover up his bruises, but he knew if anyone looked at him for long enough they would see the purpling skin behind her concealer, so he concentrated on staying out of anybody's way. He could just claim to have a hangover and to not want to speak to anyone if any of the hotel staff tried talking to him, and he prayed that no customers came to see him as he manned the desk in Reception.

Apart from Brendan, that was.

If Brendan came over, he would be more than willing to break his silence.

He smiled as he thought back to the Irishman's final words as he left him the night before – that he had plans for him. His mouth started salivating as he let his imagination run away with all sorts of plans he was hoping Brendan had in mind. He was so ready for him – ready to give himself to Brendan completely – and he knew tonight had to be it. If Eileen hadn't almost caught them at it in the bathroom last night, he may well have pushed for it then. If she had been seconds earlier, she would have seen her husband devouring him like he was his last meal; but had she been 10 minutes later, she may well have interrupted something a whole lot more intimate. He just couldn't stop himself when it came to the Irishman.

He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he pulled himself out of his daydream. He didn't care if he was being pushy, or clingy, or if he was breaking all the rules of trying to play it cool – he wanted to see Brendan, to speak to him, to know that he had been playing on his mind as much as Brendan had been playing on Ste's. Last night had been incredible – more than incredible – by far the most mind-blowing feeling Ste had ever known before in his life. He thought he had known pleasure, thought he had known sex; but Brendan had opened his eyes to a whole new world of intensity, and he couldn't wait to explore that even further as soon as he could get Brendan alone again.

He picked up his phone and toyed with the idea of calling him, but stopped himself for fear of what he would say if Eileen were to pick up, or even his kids. He didn't want to raise her suspicions.

He settled for a text message, but deliberated for a good while over what to send. As he stood in the far corner of the hotel lobby, twirling his phone around in his hands anxiously, playing over different messages he could send in his head, his eyes narrowed as he spotted three suited men walk in through the hotel entrance. It raised his suspicions instantly – nobody dressed like that over here unless they were people to be wary of – and as soon as he spotted the flash of blond on the man in the middle he knew who it was.

He darted off quickly and hid behind one of the pillars that decorated the sides of the lobby, shielding himself from view. He could clearly make out Danny's features as he approached the Reception desk, but he didn't recognise the two men he was with. He wished he could have heard what they were saying but he was a little too far away, just out of earshot. He could imagine what they wanted, though, and felt dread rising within him at the thought of it.

His heart sank and his mind began to race, panic setting in as he realised Danny had found out where he worked. It would only be a matter of time before he turned up on his doorstep, demanding that Ste repay his favour. He just prayed that Sofia on Reception, who Danny was stood talking to right now, would keep his confidence and put Danny off the scent for a little while. She didn't know what she was protecting Ste from, but he hoped she could grasp that three men turning up in suits asking after him was bad news, and that she shouldn't tell them anything. He hoped she was bright enough to have made that deduction herself.

He chanced another glance out from behind his pillar, just in time to see the three men retreating back outside the hotel entrance. He sighed heavily and emerged from his hiding place, trying to catch Sofia's attention to gauge some sort of idea from her as to what she had told the men, but she didn't seem to be showing any interest in him for once. Ste thought that strange, having assumed she would be eager to have an excuse to come and talk to him for once, to quiz him over the important looking men who had dropped by to see him – but she seemed completely disinterested in him. Almost as if Danny hadn't even mentioned Ste's name when he'd been here. Strange.

He was about to approach her and try a little digging when his message tone beeped from his phone. He glanced down at it expectantly, and dropped his shoulders with relief as he read Brendan's Your New Favourite Person ID show up on his phone. He had half thought it might have been Danny. He smiled goofily to himself as he opened up the message.

How's the ribs? Sleep ok?

He didn't know why, but the idea of Brendan asking him if he slept ok made a shiver run through him. If Ste didn't know better, he would have said it meant that he cared, even just a little. As if he was more than just a bit of holiday fun for the Irishman – however ridiculous Ste knew that thought was. He typed out a quick reply:

Still hurtin, didn't sleep gr8 tbh. U ok?

He sat down on one of the sofa's in Reception and awaited the Irishman's reply.

I'm ok. You should be resting.

Ste smiled at his concern and replied straight away.

Some of us av gotta work ;) Annes gonna do the cruise tho

Brendan's reply was instant:

Interesting

And then another text came through straight after:

Where have your bruises gone?

Ste looked around, sure he would find Brendan staring at him from some corner of the lobby, but every where he looked he drew a blank.

Wot you mean?

He was confused even more by Brendan's immediate reply:

The bruise under your eye. It's healed quickly.

He knew then Brendan was sat watching him somewhere, but he couldn't see him wherever he looked. It unnerved him slightly, that he could be watching him and Ste was completely unaware. He thought for a second about Danny, about how he must have seen him before sending his minions out to pass on his warning, but he tried to shake that thought from his mind. He couldn't live his life like that, could he? He texted Brendan back:

Where are you?

Brendan's reply was instant once again. He clearly had no regard for the rules about appearing too keen, and Ste loved it.

Never mind where I am. Are you wearing make up?

Ste felt himself flush red with embarrassment. He knew the concealer Anne had put him on his bruises wasn't obvious, but he was also aware that Brendan knew the bruise was there, and had obviously deduced how Ste had managed to cover it up so successfully.

Shut up

He replied as the smile ripped across his face. He could picture Brendan laughing at him from wherever he was watching. His phone buzzed with another reply:

Come outside. And by the way, you're cute when you blush.

Ste wasn't sure his smile could grow any wider, but somehow it stepped up another level upon reading Brendan's text. How could he not do as he was told and go outside when he had just told him he looked cute? How could he not fall at the Irishman's feet and just obey his every command when he was being so fucking cute himself.

He picked up his bag and moved outside to the pool area, hoping he would see Brendan as soon as he stepped out into the sunshine. He was still being elusive, however, and Ste glanced in every direction but to no avail. He made his way to one of the sun loungers, and was about to text Brendan a plea to show his face when his phone buzzed again.

Take off your shirt.

Ste smirked and shook his head. He was tempted, almost doing it without thinking, until he remembered the purpling, yellowing marks on his skin and how stupid he would have to be to expose that to all of his customers around the pool. He replied to Brendan reluctantly.

I can't. Bruises.

Brendan took a while to reply then, Ste assuming he had forgotten all about it for a brief moment as he had done himself, and wasn't appreciating the reminder. His phone buzzed again eventually.

Ok. Save it for later then if you must.

The smile returned to Ste's face. He replied expectantly:

Later?

And Brendan confirmed it in a heartbeat:

Later.

Ste lay back in his sun lounger and smiled excitedly to himself, texting Brendan back:

That a promise?

He lay back and closed his eyes, letting the images of his own filthy imagination dance behind his eyelids, graphic images of everything he wanted to do to Brendan, and wanted Brendan to do to him. He waited for Brendan's reply, but nothing came. He kept clicking his phone to check for a response, but nothing came. He tried not to appear too obvious, all too aware that the Irishman's eyes could well be watching his every move from somewhere close by, and resisted the urge to double text him. He noticed it was nearing 1pm and that he needed to be present at the holiday company's desk in Reception, so he pulled himself up and sauntered inside, checking his phone once more as he moved - still no reply. Brendan had obviously decided to start playing hard to get all of a sudden.

-s-

He sat at the desk impatiently, still watching his phone, perplexed as to why all of sudden Brendan had stopped texting. He hoped he hadn't said the wrong thing – hadn't pushed him too far and scared him off. He had high expectations for this evening and he was damned if he was going to let the Irishman start running scared again.

He sensed somebody approaching the desk and looked up from his phone reluctantly.

"Ste, hi," Eileen smiled as she breezed up to him, one kid in each hand and Brendan lurking sheepishly behind her.

"Hi," Ste smiled back, looking beyond her and trying to get Brendan's attention, which seemed to be rooted to the floor. "You all excited for your trip?"

"Oh, they can't wait Ste," Eileen beamed, oblivious to his distraction, "We're just off for some lunch then we're going to pack. What time do the coaches come?"

"They leave at 4, don't be late," he warned playfully. "And Anne's heading up the trip now, what with, y'know..." he trailed off as he nodded his head down towards his chest and the injuries that he knew Eileen was fully aware of.

"Yeah, of course," she smiled with sympathy, "How you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine, me," Ste reassured her, "Tougher than I look. Just thought it's best not to push meself with the cruise, y'know."

"Yeah, makes sense," Eileen agreed, "And this one will look after ye, won't ye?" she said as she pointed back towards Brendan, who looked up and faced Ste for the first time.

"Yeah, yeah of course," Brendan smiled at his wife before turning his attention back to Ste, a smirk playing over his lips. "Anything ye need, mate, I'm all yours."

Ste exhaled sharply as he let Brendan's secret invitation drip over him, suddenly feeling overcome with a knot of excitement in the pit of his stomach as he locked eyes with the Irishman, an all-knowing glance shared between the two of them that was downright disrespectful in their present company.

"Might have to take you up on that," Ste replied, and couldn't wait to do just that once Eileen was out of the way later.

Ste had no idea how Eileen didn't pick up on the shameless foreplay the two of them were almost engaging in – the build up to what they both knew was coming later on that night.

"We best get some lunch, anyway," Eileen said as she started to walk off towards the restaurant, kids in tow. "See ye later, Ste."

"Bye," Ste replied as they walked off, catching Brendan's eyeline once more as he started to follow his family.

"Yeah, see you later, Steven," Brendan said as he retreated, his deep Irish lull shooting straight to Ste's cock in anticipation of what Brendan was promising.

He couldn't fucking wait until later.

-s-

It had been just less than an hour since the Brady's had gone off for lunch, and time seemed to be dragging. Ste had watched the doors to the restaurant like a hawk, counting down the minutes until Brendan reappeared. He felt like a teenager again, like he was crushing over one of his mates again as he used to do, but he couldn't have admitted that to himself at the time. The difference was that he knew Brendan wanted him too. Whether or not this was a long term thing; whether or not they had any future after Brendan returned home in a few days time; whether or not he would ever admit to his true identity – neither of them could deny that Brendan wanted him, just as much as he wanted Brendan.

The restaurant doors flung open once again and Ste's eyes lit up as Declan and Paddy ran out, playfighting with pretend light-sabres as they ran through the lobby. Ste watched on as Eileen and Brendan sauntered out after them, walking miles apart from each other and displaying the distance in their relationship to anybody who cared enough to notice. Brendan looked straight in Ste's direction, locking eyes with him as his lips twitched upwards, clearly trying to suppress the smile that threatened to break out over his face.

Ste watched Brendan lean over and say something to Eileen, who nodded and called the boys back over before going to call for the lift. Brendan started to saunter over in Ste's direction, playful expression dancing over his face, before Ste's attention was drawn away by the sound of someone standing infront of his desk and coughing.

"Oh, sorry, hiya," Ste grimaced as he broke his eye contact with Brendan and looked over to the customer stood before him, "How can I help?"

Ste sat and half-listened to the man infront of him, who introduced himself as Mr Hill, and who seemed to be having a few issues with his air conditioning. He was requesting for it to be fixed right away or Ste would have to sort out a new room for him and his wife. Ste couldn't have been less interested in Mr Hill's problems right now, and broke his attention away every few seconds to glance over in Brendan's direction.

He had stayed behind in the lobby as Eileen and the boys had returned to the room, and was sitting on one of the sofa's in the large lobby area – the same one he had been on the other night when Ste had returned from the sunset cruise at gone midnight. He was watching Ste intently, taking pleasure in making him feel nervous under the pressure of his scrutiny.

Ste couldn't help but notice that Brendan looked sexy as hell today, sporting smart navy blue knee length shorts and a crisp bright white v-neck t-shirt. There was something about the way the Irishman dressed, and about the way he composed himself. He was different to all the other tourists that came and went week by week – he had an air of superiority about him than just drew Ste in, made him want the man more and more each time he lay eyes on him. He never seemed to be affected by the heat, never broke a sweat, never looked even slightly uncomfortable, even when it passed 40 degrees. He was enigmatic and mysterious, and it was clear that he didn't let people in easily – but he had let Ste in. For some reason, something completely perplexing to Ste himself, Brendan had seen fit to break down some of his own barriers to let the boy see part way in. Ste was under no illusion though – there was more to Brendan Brady than Ste had been afforded a glance at – and he wasn't sure he would ever know the full story. He wasn't sure that anybody ever would.

He desperately tried to keep his eyes off the Irishman, feigning concern at Mr Hill and his air conditioning problem but all the while feeling Brendan's eyes burning into the side of his head, the heat of his stare feeling stifling as he tried to ignore it. It wasn't fair, and Ste made a note to make sure he scolded Brendan for it later on. He couldn't think about later on right now, however – he couldn't deal with being any more flustered than he already was.

After hearing Mr Hill out for over 25 minutes and trying to convey his apologies, the hotel handy man reappeared to advise Ste that the air con couldn't be fixed, so he was going to have to sort out a room change. He sighed heavily and set about the task, throwing what he hoped looked like an apology in Brendan's direction. Seconds later he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out to see a text from Brendan.

Gonna be long?

He looked over to the Irishman and nodded reluctantly, all the while cursing his own luck that when he had finally been afforded the luxury of Brendan's attention, he had also been stuck looking after Mr Hill.

He noticed Brendan get up and walk over to the lifts, throwing Ste a suggestive wink as he skulked off. Fucking tease.

An hour later Ste was back at his desk having set the couple up in their new sub-zero temperature room, and as he checked his watch he noticed the lobby filling with small groups of people holding onto their bags, clearly waiting for the coaches for the Egypt cruise. It was nearing 4pm, and he knew that meant one thing – Eileen and the kids were nearly out of the way.

He caught Anne's eye from across the lobby as she milled around the groups, ticking off their names from her list and dishing out the essential bits of information they would need. She mouthed an are you ok in Ste's direction so he nodded and smiled at her reassuringly in response. She smiled back at him and carried on taking names.

A few minutes later the lift door pinged open and all four Brady's walked out, Brendan's eyes meeting Ste's instantly and the pair of them trying yet again to hide that same satisfied smile.

Ste heard snippets of their conversation as the family passed him, walking over to join Anne and the rest of the tourists.

"Ye didn't have to chaperone us down, Brendan," he heard Eileen say.

"Just wanted to make sure ye got off ok, Eileen," Brendan replied, eyes locking onto Ste's as they passed by. It felt like some private conversation between the two of them, both of them fully aware why Brendan wanted to make sure she had definitely left. Ste couldn't help but feel excited by it.

A few minutes later and they were all being herded onto the coach, Brendan waving up at Declan and Paddy through the coach window as it pulled away. As soon as they were out of sight, Brendan spun on his heels and walked purposefully back through the sliding glass doors and straight over to Steven, who was stood with his back to him. He stopped inches away from him, could feel the boys body heat creeping onto his chest, and felt his shoulders tense up as Brendan leant in close to his ear and whispered to him.

"About time."

Ste relaxed his shoulders upon hearing the Irish accent, had been scared for a second that it had been the other gangster in his life creeping up on him, and smiled when he spun round to see Brendan before him and not Danny.

"Yeah, that's it, creep up on the guy who was mugged last night," Ste chastised him with a smile on his face.

Brendan smiled back at him but flinched back slightly when he realised they were almost nose to nose, and it was far too public for them to be this close to each other. He had almost lost his mind completely and leant in for a taste of the boys perfectly delectable lips, before he had regained his composure and realised where they were and how many people were watching.

He would save that for later, when they were alone.

"You missed me?" Brendan asked almost arrogantly, knowing Ste's reply without even having to ask.

"Maybe," he teased back.

"Hmmm, only you haven't taken your eyes off me all day," Brendan smirked.

"Could say the same to you, Brady," Ste pointed out, self-satisfied smile on his face.

Ste broke away from the Irishman's gaze and continued what he was doing before he had been interrupted - tidying up the desk and putting everything back into the office. He was done for the day, and he knew what that meant – him and Brendan had nothing in their way now.

Brendan went to follow him into the office, but stopped himself when he saw the girl on the Reception desk eyeing him suspiciously. He wondered what her sudden interest was in him, but decided he wouldn't pique it any further by disappearing into the office with Steven. He would have his fill of the boy later – he was sure of that. He just needed to be patient.

When Steven had finished packing everything away he wandered straight over to Brendan again, expression full of hope and anticipation.

"So," he asked teasingly, looking up at him through his lashes in a way that was just making Brendan's heart race. He couldn't wait to see the lad giving him this smile as he fucked him senseless later on that night, his blood running hot at the mere suggestion of it.

He composed himself after a lengthy pause. "So?" he replied expectantly.

"So," Steven answered him back, "What's these plans you've got for me?"

He emphasised the word plans with such seduction that Brendan had to stop himself ripping his clothes off right away and fucking him up against the desk in front of everyone.

"You'll have to wait and see," Brendan flirted back, licking his lips as he watched the boy biting down on his bottom lip seductively.

Brendan didn't think he'd ever seen anything so fucking tempting in his entire life.

Ste blinked up at him before coming in close to whisper his reply.

"Maybe I don't want to wait."

Brendan inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling his stomach flip and his chest tighten with something that seemed completely alien to him, something he had never felt before. This boy could be the end of him.

He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he allowed himself to catch the boys eye.

"Patience is a virtue, boy," he teased.

"I think we've been patient enough, don't you," Ste replied quickly, his words seeming to reach down and ignite Brendan's cock into life, rendering him almost speechless for what must have been the first time in a long while.

Brendan shook his head and forced himself to break his gaze away from this boy, before he did something reckless that he would live to regret. He laughed nervously, noticed Steven's expression wash over with uncertainty and he knew the boy wondered if he had taken it too far, pushed him with his words, scared him away with his eagerness.

He hadn't. Not even close.

Brendan wanted to see that knowing smile return to Steven's face, so he started to put his plan into action.

"What are you doing tonight?" Brendan asked, apprehension starting to kick in about what he was about to do.

Ste resisted the urge to say You in response, hoping to god that would be true but not sure enough of himself to be that arrogant. He shrugged nonchalantly instead, as if he didn't already know he had cleared his entire diary to make way for the Irishman.

"Ye fancy going out?" Brendan asked nervously, not as sure of himself as he usually was.

Ste felt a little disappointed, couldn't deny that it was a night in with Brendan that he had been hoping for.

"Yeah, can do," Ste answered lightly, trying to hide his regret.

"We can just have dinner, or something, few drinks, whatever, come back here, y'know, whatever you want."

Ste smiled to himself - Brendan was nervous. He wouldn't have believed it if he wasn't seeing it with his own eyes, but Brendan was asking him out for dinner, and he was nervous about it.

"Is this a date?" Ste asked cheekily.

"It's not a fucking date, is it?" Brendan snapped back, suddenly avoiding all eye contact.

Ste couldn't wipe the smirk from his face.

"Why's it not a date? I think it's a date," Ste continued to tease him.

"It's not a date, Steven," Brendan replied, "How can it be a date? We're two blokes. We don't go on dates, ok? I just need to eat and I don't wanna go on my own, that's all."

Ste thought Brendan was protesting a little too much, but didn't feel the need to push it. He knew it was a date, and he felt on top of the world for it.

"Yeah ok," Ste agreed, twinkle in his eye that Brendan smiled at. Brendan knew he'd been rumbled, and he couldn't admit to caring all that much about it.

"Ok," Brendan smiled back, grasping back at his composure and looking Steven in the eye once again. "Let's make it an early one," he added, "Six sound good?"

Ste smiled. An early start meant plenty of time for plenty of other things besides dinner and drinks to happen, and that was fine as far as Ste was concerned.

"Perfect," he answered, but as he looked up he noticed Brendan's attention had been diverted elsewhere, and a look of pure panic was starting to spread across his features.

Ste turned slowly to find out what was instilling such fear in Brendan's eyes, half expecting to see Eileen stood there witnessing their infidelity.

But it wasn't Eileen. It was worse than that.

Slowly sauntering through the hotel entrance once again, still sporting that same pinstriped suit despite the humidity, was Danny Houston.

Danny took a second to cast his glare over the lobby, and Ste wondered in that split second if he should run. He hadn't been spotted yet, and if he was quick enough he could make it.

But he couldn't move. Rabbit in the headlights syndrome took over, and before he had the chance to regain control of his body, Danny's confident eyes had locked into his own and he was done.

Danny's approach seemed agonisingly slow, torturing him as the suspense made the hair on his forearms stand on end, and he played through a million different scenarios in his head as to how this could play out. He knew he had pissed Danny off – knew he had been cheeky and taken him for a ride – but he never thought it would be enough to make him track him down like this, come all the way over here just to take from him what he owed.

"Well, well, well," Danny started, his East London accent thick with Cockney charm, a proper villain straight from the set of Eastenders. Ste's blood ran cold at the sound of his voice, at the memories it brought back to him. "If it's not our own little runaway, young Ste Hay," he drawled, "Fancy seeing you here."

"D-Danny," Ste started, searching for the apology that his brain couldn't formulate right now.

"It's been a while, ain't it lad," Danny smiled at him knowingly. He had Ste in the palm of his hand and he would have usually enjoyed dragging this out, but he had to remember that Ste wasn't the reason he was here.

Ste turned quickly back to Brendan, fully intending to hash together some kind of introduction between the two men to break some of the tension, but when he turned he was surprised to find the Irishman had disappeared. He turned back to Danny confused, but the Cockney hadn't picked up on his bewilderment, mistaking it just for unease at finding himself in Danny's company.

"Nasty cut you got on your eye, there, lad," Danny continued, drinking in the fear from Ste's eyes, "Sorry 'bout that. I'm here on other business but I couldn't believe my luck when I saw you wander out these doors the other night. Had to send you a little reminder, you know how it is. No hard feelings. Just don't forget about that little favour you still owe me, yeah."

Ste gulped down and found the strength from somewhere to try to explain himself.

"Danny, I can – I can explain that, Danny, I swear, I just had -"

"I ain't interested in your excuses," Danny interrupted him before he could explain, punctuating every word in that menacing way he always had, "All I'm interested in, lad, is that you still owe me. Big time."

"Yeah I know, Danny, I know, and I'll do anything, I promise, just name it," Ste pleaded with him, could hear his own words and cringed at how desperate he sounded, but he knew he was in trouble and he would do anything to save his own skin right now. He was thankful Brendan had scarpered – he would rather die than let him witness this pathetic display – but he couldn't help wishing he had stayed to defend him. He would have him out about that later.

Ste watched as Danny's face morphed slowly into a smile, and he realised he was formulating something. He could almost hear the cogs turning, almost see the light bulb flickering on above his head, as Danny seemed to form some sort of plan right before his eyes.

"Funny you should say that, actually," Danny continued, the smile growing even further as he pieced together his idea, "There's something you can help me with, now you come to mention it."

Ste watched on in expectation, dreading what Danny was about to suggest. He knew he would never be free of Danny if he didn't pay him back though, so he resigned himself to his punishment.

"What's that Danny?" he asked reluctantly.

"Well, if you can believe it, I never actually came out here for you, lad," Danny explained in that slow, laboured, hostile tone he owned so well, "Though I can't deny it's playing right into my hands having you here, what with you owing me a favour and everything."

"Please, Danny, I'll do anything I swear," Ste continued to beg unashamedly.

"Alright, lad, stop fucking whining," Danny almost laughed, "Jeez, you always were pathetic, weren't you kid?"

Ste resented that. He had been desperate, and desperate men did desperate things, didn't they? But he wasn't pathetic. He was far from it – had been through enough shit to be able to stand up for himself. He had just gotten a little out of his depth.

Still, he would rather people like Danny underestimate him like this – it gave him a fighting chance to surprise them and come out on top.

"Real reason I'm here," Danny continued steadily, "Is that someone stole from me. And when I say stole, I mean they fucking pulled a proper Italian job on my arse. And now I need to teach them a lesson."

Ste looked back at him expectantly.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

Danny laughed at him, clearly thinking Ste was thick as two short planks and incapable of joining the dots by himself.

"The man who stole from me, he thinks he's done a runner," Danny explained, slow as torture now, Ste begging him to reach his point. "But I ain't as easy to fool as that. See, the stupid fucker used his credit card here last week, so I reckon he's staying right here in this hotel. Probably spending all my fucking money in that posh spa down there. Only every time I call, they won't tell me shit. And when I asked that pretty little piece on the Reception over there she wouldn't tell me shit either. So you see my predicament here, young Ste?"

Ste nodded back. He didn't like where this was heading, dread coiling in the pit of his stomach as he started to piece it all together.

"So, what with you working here and everything," Danny continued, "I reckon you're gonna be able to find him for me and bring him to me. That sound like something you think you can handle, yeah?"

"Yeah, course Danny," Ste confirmed after a short moment of hesitation. "Who – who is he?" he asked, although by now he had a pretty good idea what the answer was going to be.

"His name's Brady. Brendan Brady. And you can't fucking miss him, got a moustache straight out of a Village People video, fucking ridiculous."

Ste's heart dropped straight to the floor; his world falling apart beneath his feet. He tried desperately to keep the devastation off his face – hoping Danny would mistake it for unease at what he was asking him to do, not who he was asking him to screw over. He was asking him to turn Brendan over to him, to trick him into walking right into Danny's path, to leave him at Danny's mercy.

The mere thought of Brendan being in danger was making him feel physically sick, his mouth running dry all of a sudden and his heart rate increasing with the panic that was coursing through his body now. He had never been a martyr, but he couldn't hand Brendan over to Danny just to save himself. He couldn't do it. It wasn't even a case of him not wanting to – he physically couldn't. Hurting Brendan, or putting him in the line of fire, was simply not an option Ste was willing to take. He would rather take the beating himself than let anyone touch Brendan.

It was only with this thought that he realised exactly how much he had let himself care about the Irishman. He couldn't lose him now, much less to some two-bit gangster like Danny Houston. Brendan was bigger and better than he was – who the fuck did Danny think he was anyway? He was nothing next to Brendan.

"Now, I can see you're working right now," Danny interrupted Ste's thoughts as he smiled eerily, pointing down at his uniform, "unless you like to dress like this for fun?"

Ste didn't know if that question was rhetorical, replying with just a nervous laugh.

"What I'll do, lad, is give you 'til tomorrow. Midday. Have a check on your records, see if he's staying here. I'll meet you in the cafe round the corner. If he's here, we'll come up with a little agreement, something that gets me what I want and gets you off the hook with that favour you owe me. How does that sound?"

Ste nodded nervously, mind still spinning with what Danny was asking him to do.

"Yeah, yeah Danny, course," he assured as he continued to nod furiously, against all of his bodily instincts.

"Good work, lad," Danny smiled, an obviously fake smile that he didn't even try to pretend had reached his eyes. "And try not to be so fucking...jittery all the time, yeah. I ain't gonna hurt ya."

Ste laughed back, well aware of how nervous and jittery he definitely sounded. "Yeah, course," he replied.

"Unless you fuck me over, of course. Again," Danny laughed, "And then I will fucking hurt ya. That clear enough for ya?"

"Crystal," Ste replied without hesitation.

"Good. See you tomorrow then, lad," Danny confirmed, and with that he turned and walked straight back through the hotel entrance, never once looking back, just leaving Ste a nervous, confused wreck; alone with this complete and utter headfuck of a situation.

He owed Danny Houston a favour, and to pay him back, he had to hand Brendan over to him on a plate. Brendan who had turned his world upside down in the past eight days. Brendan who he was falling for quicker than he could even comprehend, his heart already in fifth gear and in far too deep as his mind tried desperately to keep up, lagging behind as he tried to work out exactly what the Irishman meant to him.

Brendan who he was ready to hand himself over to in every single way later that night.

He sat down, head in his hands as he tried to get his head around it all. Danny hadn't been here to find him after all – he had been more than willing to make his presence known once he had found Ste – but it had been Brendan he had been looking for. It must have been Brendan he was asking Sofia about when Ste saw him earlier. And it must have been Danny who had been calling Reception asking after Brendan for the past few days.

And it was Brendan who had stolen from Danny. Stolen big time, by the sounds of it.

Nobody stole big time from Danny Houston. Not if they valued their life.

But then he had to remind himself – Brendan wasn't just anybody. Brendan was Brendan Brady. Notorious, hardened criminal; Don of the North West; Vinny Ocean eat your heart out.

As much as he struggled to reconcile that image with the man he had gotten to know over the past few days, he had to face the reality – the Brendan he knew was only one side of a man with many faces. And one of those faces was threatening to kill off everything they had, before it had even properly begun.

He wasn't sure he could do it anymore.

But he wasn't sure he could walk away from him either.

And he certainly wasn't sure he could hand him over to Danny, like a lamb to the slaughter.

It suddenly made sense why he had disappeared so quickly, why he had shot off and left Ste to fend for himself at Danny's mercy. At least it meant Danny hadn't seen them together – he still had no idea they even knew each other, let alone exactly what they meant to each other.

Ste's mind was a hazy plethora of questions, and he couldn't deal with it right now. He got up and made his way back to the flat. All he wanted right now was a long, hot shower, a can of strong, cold lager, and a bit of Cheryl Cole on full blast whilst he got ready.

He would have this out with Brendan on their date later.

Despite it all he couldn't help but smile at the thought of going on a date with Brendan Brady.

He didn't care what Brendan said, it was definitely a date.

-s-

Brendan slammed the hotel door shut as soon as he had forced his was through it, leaning up against the door and sliding down onto the ground as he started to hyperventilate, his mind desperately trying to process what had just happened.

It wasn't just that he was fucking out of his mind shit-scared that Danny had found him. He was that, sure. He might be fucking fearless most of the time, but he had stolen two million pounds worth of drugs from right under Danny's nose, and had fled the country with his family when it became clear to him that Danny knew he was responsible. He knew Danny's reputation as much as Danny knew his, so for one of the first times in his life, he was scared.

But it wasn't just himself that he was scared for.

As soon as he had spotted Danny coming through the hotel lobby, his survival instincts had kicked in and he had darted off to hide behind one of the pillars – well out of sight, but still within earshot - and he had stayed to hear the start of Danny's little chat with his Steven.

And what he couldn't explain was that he had been more scared to learn that it was Danny that Steven owed a favour to, than he had been to learn that Danny had tracked him down and was after him. He feared more for Steven's life than he did for his own, and selfless concern was not something Brendan had ever experienced before, except for with his kids.

Steven was in Danny's debt.

And that was not a good place to be.

He had run off before hearing the end of their conversation – self-preservation kicking in as he knew he had to get himself as far away from Danny as he could – but he had heard as much as he needed to.

He said a silent prayer of thanks that Eileen had taken the boys away, that they weren't around for Danny to prey on and use as bait. That was something at least.

But Steven. Danny had a hold over Steven. His Steven.

And Brendan didn't like that one bit.

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