Triangle Trouble

I had this idea when I first heard about Tom Quill's return, so this one-shot starts during episode 7613. There are parts of this which are in canon, but it generally deviates from what happened on-screen.

Tom traipsed down the steps at the front of number 24 in annoyance. He had been hoping to reunite with Aaron and make a fresh start of things, but he was apparently too late. However, Tom was confident that he wasn't too late to sort out the payment for Paul Robinson. He hadn't been completely honest with Aaron earlier about the compensation; although the paperwork had been completed and just needed signatures, Tom had planned to negotiate a lower price to pay. After all, why should he have to pay for something his step-mum did over a year ago? After finding out that he wouldn't be meeting with Paul that evening, but instead Leo Tanaka, who was one of Paul's long-lost sons (who didn't even get along with him), Tom was even more hopeful that he could amend the contract before it was signed.

xxx

As Tom stood with the contract at the counter of Harold's to pay for the drinks that he and Leo had bought, he inwardly prayed that Leo would reconsider the offer. Tom had tried to deter Leo from signing the contract, and he considered David's interruption to be somewhat of a blessing because the contract never got signed.

"So, you and Paul are business partners?" Tom had asked as they sat down opposite each other earlier

"Yeah, I never thought we would be, but things change" Leo replied

Tom nodded, "And how's it all going?"

"It's a bit early to judge" Leo responded, "This is actually the first business-related thing that we've done"

"Well, I feel honoured" Tom smirked, "It can be difficult working with family though, so it's wise to always try to stay one step ahead"

"I will, thanks for the tip" Leo murmured, "Paul told me about Julie, it sounds rough what you went through"

"I've been trying my best" Tom replied quietly, "Julie was never the world's greatest parent, but she wouldn't do anything without a good reason"

"Are you talking about her causing the explosion at Lassiter's?" Leo questioned, "Because I can't think of a good reason anyone could have for doing that"

"Money" Tom shrugged bitterly, "Strange how it all comes down to that, right? I mean, this whole thing started because of money, and now here we are over a year later, discussing payments"

Leo looked guilty as he gazed at the contract, "I'm sorry"

"What for?" Tom asked curiously

"That you're in this situation, that we're in this situation, it feels wrong somehow" Leo replied, "I kind of get what you're going through, and I don't like the idea of your business suffering like mine is"

Leo flicked through the paperwork reluctantly and reached for a pen. Tom wasn't sure what Leo was about to do: was he going to sign it or amend it? Before Tom could say or do anything, however, David arrived and Leo's attention drifted away from the contract. Tom used this to his advantage and managed to intercept the contract before Leo noticed what was happening. Before Tom knew it, he had been invited to dinner with Leo and his brother, which alleviated Tom's anxiety because he knew that he now had more time to strategize how he was going to deal with the payment.

xxx

Tom lifted his drink to his lips as he watched David and Leo's repartee in amusement. Although they didn't look much like twins, they certainly acted like it with their ability to finish each other's sentences and seemingly communicate through telepathy during awkward silences, of which there were several. When Tom heard Paul's name being mentioned, he jumped at the opportunity to lead the conversation.

"So, speaking of Paul" Tom began, "How did this whole thing come about with him being your dad?"

"Well, back in 1985, he and mum had a special hug-" Leo began innocently, causing an astounded David to almost choke to death on his drink

Tom rolled his eyes, "Hey, you know what I meant", he interrupted, "How did you find out?"

Leo patted his brother on the back, "Well, David here played detective and tracked him down, didn't you?"

David sighed, "That's not entirely true, I actually thought our dad was Paul's brother until he and mum told us the truth" he reminded him

"But either way, you were the one who spent years searching for him" Leo pointed out

Tom nodded intently, "And how are things between you guys?"

"Pretty good" David replied happily, "I wasn't sure what it was going to be like at first because his reputation kind of precedes him, but it's been really great getting to know him"

"Yeah, they clicked almost immediately" Leo added

"But for you guys, it wasn't that easy" David interjected

"Why not?" Tom asked

David glanced at Leo in a slight panic, and Leo hesitated, "Paul and I were business rivals before we knew we were related" he settled on, not wanting to go into too much unnecessary detail about his history with Paul and Amy

Tom sucked in a breath, "Ah, that sounds awkward"

"Tell me about it" Leo agreed grimly

"But from rivals to partners, that's pretty good" Tom pointed out

Leo narrowed his eyes at him, "You weren't exactly talking it up at Harold's before" he recalled

"What do you mean?" David asked, glancing between them quizzically

Leo saw the opportunity to put his matchmaking plan into action and glanced at his phone, "Well, Tom can tell you what he said to me earlier about working with family" he muttered as he stood up, "I have to go and sort some things out with our dear ol' dad, but you guys have fun"

Tom and David exchanged an exasperated smile as Leo winked at David and practically ran out of The Waterhole, leaving them alone. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Leo was doing. In fact, they had both guessed what was going on back when they were at Harold's and had barely spoken two words to each other. Not that either of them were complaining though.

"So, what did you tell him?" David asked

"Only that he should stay one step ahead, just in case" Tom replied nonchalantly

David nodded in understanding and Tom glanced at the bar, "Anyway, shall I get us another round?"

David bit his lip, "Sure, sounds good, thanks"

Tom smiled as he stood up to pay for the next set of drinks, and tried to decide his next move.

xxx

After a few more rounds, Tom and David decided to call it a night. Since they were both staying at Lassiter's, they didn't need to argue over which person was going to walk the other back to their place. Tom noticed David's silence as they made their way back to the hotel, and wondered whether he was thinking about what Tom had said earlier at The Waterhole.

Tom had returned to their table with more drinks, "Thanks" David breathed as Tom handed him a glass, "So, did you manage to get the contracts signed?"

Tom cleared his throat, "Uh, it's not been as simple as we expected" he replied tentatively as he sat down

"Oh, really?" David questioned, "Dad made it sound like it was just a case of signing on a line"

Tom shrugged, "It's never really that straightforward" he countered uncomfortably

David sensed Tom's discomfort as he swallowed his mouthful of drink, "Is something wrong?"

Tom was unable to meet his eyes and David nodded in realisation, "Are you ok about being back in Erinsborough?" he asked, "I heard a bit about what happened to you last year, and if I was in your position, I'd find it difficult to come back"

Tom took a sip of his drink to give himself some thinking time, "Well, it is bringing back some memories that I'd rather forget"

"Memories of the explosion?" David questioned

"Not exactly, I wasn't really there" Tom admitted, "But the stuff that led up to it, I feel kind of responsible"

"What do you mean?" David asked as he leant towards him

"I did some dodgy things to try to speed up the hotel development" Tom revealed, "I used someone – someone I actually cared about – to get ahead in the business, and it was all for nothing. I don't think the explosion would have happened if I hadn't been so stupid"

On instinct, David put a reassuring hand on Tom's leg, "Hey, you're not 'stupid', you never were" he argued, "I mean, I wasn't there, but by the sounds of it you did what you thought you needed to do for the business"

Tom looked up into David's eyes, and David added, "You didn't cause the explosion, and you shouldn't feel guilty that your step-mum did"

"I've tried not to blame myself, but thinking about the state that the Quill Group is in right now makes me really anxious" Tom whispered, "This is my responsibility and I feel like I'm messing it up. I don't know how we're going to cope after we lose all that money to Paul"

David gazed at him sadly, "I'm really sorry" he murmured, "It's not fair that you have to pay for a mistake that Julie made"

Tom almost jumped for joy that David had articulated exactly what Tom had been thinking for ages. However, Tom played it cool, "Thanks, it's good to know I have someone on my side" he muttered coyly, "Though I don't want to put you at war with your dad"

David considered this, "I'm not going to take sides, but maybe we can come up with something that will benefit both of you"

Tom smiled slightly as his plan came into fruition: David was doing exactly what he had hoped, and Tom hadn't even done much work for it to happen. Tom was still buzzing from that conversation even as he noticed David's thoughtful expression as they entered the hotel.

"Which floor?" Tom asked as they stepped into the elevator

"Six" David replied

There was a pause as Tom pressed the button for David's floor, "Listen, I'm sorry if my sob-story made you feel uncomfortable" he began, "I don't want to put you in a weird position or anything"

"No, don't be silly" David assured him, "I didn't see it as a 'sob-story', you were just explaining yourself, and it was nice to get to know more about you other than what I've heard through the grapevine"

"I'm glad" Tom replied as the elevator door opened, "And it was nice to get to know you as well. Julie wasn't a fan of your dad, but it's good to know that he has decent family members"

They both stepped out of the elevator, "'Decent'?" David repeated, "Be careful, my head will start swelling with your high praise" he retorted sarcastically

Tom chuckled, "You know what I mean" he argued, "You and Leo seem awesome-"

"Yeah, we are, though I'm not sure which parent we inherited that from" David interjected as they moved towards the apartment.

"I don't know either, but I'm guessing you got the sarcastic gene from Paul" Tom retorted, "I was going to suggest meeting up again sometime soon, just the two of us. But after the way you're acting now, I'm not so sure"

David shrugged as they reached the door, "Your loss" he joked

"Yeah, it would be" Tom murmured, "And I really don't want to take that risk, so how about it?"

David smiled, "Yeah, 'just the two of us' sounds good" he replied before glancing at the door, "Well, this is my room"

"Oh really? I thought we were just standing outside for fun" Tom retorted jokingly

"Now who's being sarcastic?" David teased

"Well, you're a bad influence" Tom remarked

"Wow, I've never been called that before" David mused, "Then again, a lot's changed recently, so I guess I have as well"

"Well, I for one, hope you don't change anymore" Tom began, "You're fine just the way you are"

David rolled his eyes with a smirk, "And again with the flattery"

"Well, I heard that flattery doesn't get you anywhere" Tom pointed out as he stepped closer to him

"Well, you heard wrong because it's quite the opposite" David replied

"I think I can do better than flattery anyway" Tom murmured as he leant in to kiss him softly.

Despite this being the third guy that he'd kissed, David still felt a wonderful tingling sensation coursing through his body, which made him deepen the kiss. Even now, he couldn't get over the fact that this was his life, the life that he had refrained from living for so long, and he wanted to make the most of every moment. A part of him was glad that he took Aaron's advice to date other guys, otherwise he would have regretted it further down the line. However, the fact that he was thinking about Aaron whilst kissing Tom was slightly disconcerting, so he suddenly ended the kiss.

There was a lingering silence before David cleared his throat coyly, "Uh, thanks"

Tom raised an eyebrow, "Did you just thank me for kissing you?"

David glanced away, "Maybe" he muttered uncertainly, "But I meant thanks for tonight in general"

"It was my pleasure, and I can't wait to do it again" Tom replied

David smiled shyly, "Me neither"

Before they parted ways, they quickly exchanged mobile numbers so that they could contact each other. After they had passed their phones back, they said their awkward goodbyes before David returned to his room.

"So, how was your date?" Leo asked from the sofa as David entered

David glared at the back of his brother's head and let out a deep breath, "You know, I'm not even annoyed about what you did"

"I knew you wouldn't be, that's why I left you guys alone" Leo retorted, "Though you could have invited him in, I wouldn't have made it too awkward for you"

"Sure you wouldn't" David snorted before walking past him, "Besides, it's too soon for that, maybe some other time"

"You don't have to wait until marriage, or the third date, you know" Leo pointed out

"I know" David replied, "I'm just not ready, we're not ready"

"Fair enough, it's none of my business anyway" Leo shrugged, "Sweet dreams, little bro"

David pulled a face at Leo before he opened his bedroom door, despite the fact that Leo couldn't see him. Truthfully, he was very pleased with how the evening had turned out, and David had his brother to thank for that.

xxx

Paul had been angry to learn that Leo hadn't managed to get the contract signed, though David had defended him by claiming that he had interrupted the meeting between Leo and Tom, so Paul grudgingly let Leo's mistake slide. Paul had met with Tom himself to discuss the contract, and had almost laughed in Tom's face at his attempts to lower the amount that the Quill Group had to pay. Paul refused to budge on the original offer, leaving Tom irritated and more desperate for David's help.

David's evening with Tom had been on replay in the doctor's mind throughout the following day, and he was trying to figure out how to help Tom without causing too many problems. Leo teasing him about Tom didn't help matters, especially during their family meal with Paul, Amy and Jimmy. Paul was annoyed to find out that Leo had set David and Tom up together, and made his disapproval known.

"Can't you see how inappropriate this is?" Paul questioned

"I wouldn't call it 'inappropriate" David argued, "Maybe 'complicated', I guess"

Paul sighed, "Tom's family ruined my life-"

"-That's a bit of an exaggeration, surely" Leo interrupted

"I lost my home because of the Quill Group, and I went to jail because of what Tom's step-mum did" Paul exclaimed

"Tom's told me about that, and he still feels guilty" David replied softly, "But it wasn't his fault, he didn't play a part in any of that stuff, so why should he have to lose so much money for something that Julie did?"

"It's not Tom's money, it's the Quill Group's money" Paul pointed out

"Which is being run by Tom, who has enough to deal with already without losing millions from his family's business" David countered

Paul glanced down uncomfortably and David let out a breath, "I'm really sorry you went through what you did, but do you have to make Tom pay more than he already has?" David asked

"His family owes me" Paul argued

"Maybe you should stop keeping score of who owes who" David suggested, "A lot has changed recently, can't we just put all that stuff behind us?"

David caught Paul's eye pleadingly, "Please dad, can you just think about it, for me?"

Paul closed his eyes and let out a breath. He didn't like this emotional blackmail, but he realised that he probably would have done the same thing in David's situation, so perhaps his son was more like him than he originally thought, "Ok, I'll think about it" he agreed reluctantly.

David smiled gratefully, "Thank you"

The family returned to their meal, the tension in the room slowly fading as David pondered how he could get the payment sorted in a way that would benefit everyone.

xxx

Tom knew that he should feel happy about David's news regarding the payment for Paul. However, seeing David acting so besotted and determined to help made Tom feel guilty. As he had arrived at Harold's the following evening, Tom had spotted David at the counter. Before he had even had a chance to speak, David had greeted him with an eager kiss.

"Hey, you" David began enthusiastically, "I've got some good news, kind of"

Tom couldn't help smiling at how David was acting, "What do you mean 'kind of' good news?"

David led Tom towards a table, "Dad is going to consider reducing the amount for the settlement"

Tom was surprised, "Really?"

David nodded, "Yeah, I pointed out to him that you didn't deserve to lose so much money for something that wasn't your fault, so he said that he'd think about it, and I'll act as a mediator if necessary"

"Wow" Tom breathed before putting on a smile, "Thank you, you didn't have to do that"

"I wanted to" David countered, "The stuff you told me the other night at The Waterhole really stuck with me, and I just wanted to help in whatever way I could"

Tom nodded uncomfortably as he realised that his words had already manipulated David considerably. David watched him suspiciously, assuming incorrectly that Tom's behaviour was due to the uncertainty regarding the settlement

"Look, nothing's set in stone yet" David began, "But since the original contract was never signed, there's more of a chance that you two can agree on a more suitable price"

Tom assumed another smile, "Yeah, I guess" he murmured

"Is everything ok?" David asked, "You're not as pleased about this as I thought you would be"

Tom sighed, wanting to come clean, "Look, the thing is-"

Before Tom could confess to David what he had done, David's mobile phone began to ring.

David glanced at his phone sheepishly, "Sorry, it's work" he announced, "I should take this, excuse me"

Tom nodded in understanding and watched as David stepped out of Harold's to answer the call. He waited nervously for David to return, inwardly debating whether or not he should come clean. He felt really bad for what he had done to David – what he was still doing – but he was getting closer to exactly what he wanted, what he needed. Tom couldn't let this opportunity slip away, so he decided to keep quiet, at least until he had spoken to Paul.

xxx

Once they were eating dinner, Tom noticed that David's mood was different. David had changed from being excited to being downcast since he had taken the call from the hospital, and Tom was disconcerted.

"So, how's work?" Tom asked David, who was playing with his food

"Busy" David replied flatly

"Well, you're a doctor, it's hardly a 9 to 5 job" Tom began, "You probably don't get much free time"

David scoffed, "You know, I used to use that as an excuse to not be in relationships before I came out" he admitted, "Ironically, it's actually true now that I'm finally out and trying to date"

Tom smiled, "In which case, I'm flattered that you've made the time to see me"

"Well, today's actually my day off" David told him before muttering, "Thank God"

"Why do you say that?" Tom asked, "Is something going on?"

David let out a deep breath, "There's a guy at work that I went on a date with a while ago, it didn't work out, and now I feel kind of uncomfortable being there"

"I'm sorry to hear that" Tom responded, "But haven't you said something to someone about it?"

"Said what to who?" David asked, "This is my fault for being so naïve, and I can't exactly report him for not being interested in me, can I?"

"But if it's a hostile work environment then you need to speak up" Tom pointed out

"No, I need to grow up" David countered determinedly, "I work with 'hostile' people all the time, and I'm never going to get away unscathed in the dating world, so it's time for me to deal with it"

"Just maybe don't be too hard on yourself" Tom suggested gently as he took David's hand in his own, "You're new to all of this, you're bound to make a few mistakes, so you should just take it one step at a time"

David smiled at him, "You should be a motivational speaker" he teased, ignoring the fact that he had said similar words to Aaron only a couple of months earlier.

Tom considered this, "Yeah, people often say that to me" he joked

"In that case, could you advise me on how to stop feeling hurt and used by this guy?" David asked half-heartedly

Tom was taken aback, "What exactly did he do?"

"Nothing, that's the problem" David replied, "He seemed like the perfect gentleman on our first date, but the next day I found out that he was laughing about my lack of experience behind my back to his colleagues"

"That sucks" Tom muttered sympathetically, "I'm really sorry that happened to you"

"I'm just sorry I didn't listen to the warnings" David retorted bitterly, "I was told that this guy had a bad history, and that he was taking advantage of my 'innocence', but I chose to ignore them"

"Because you liked him and wanted to think the best of him" Tom added slowly, feeling rather guilty about what he was doing, "That's not a bad thing, but it can lead to a few problems"

"Only 'a few'?" David scoffed, "I guess I need to be more careful about who I let into my life and who I trust"

"Maybe" Tom murmured, beginning to regret this part of the plan. He was enjoying spending time with David and didn't want to hurt him. However, he figured that David was probably going to get hurt eventually, even if their relationship blossomed into something genuine and more serious further down the track.

xxx

Aaron stood in front of the bathroom mirror of number 24 as he styled his hair. Inspecting his choice of outfit, he was pleased with the result. He didn't seem too over-dressed, but he did want to make the effort for what could potentially be an amazing evening. He had spent all day mentally debating over which guy he should be with: David or Tom.

Aaron knew that he and Tom were on the same page in regards to relationships: they both wanted something long-term and serious, and – eleven months ago – Aaron could have imagined a future with him. But Aaron realised that a lot had changed in that time; David was now in his life and they had already been through a lot together, like helping David search for his dad, trying to support him with his sexuality (though David did a lot of that without his assistance) and trying to guide him through the next stage in his life. No matter what, he and David would always be close and would always have a history. Though, no matter how strong his feelings for David were, there was still a niggling doubt as to whether David was ready to be with him, and whether he and David were at the same stage like he was with Tom.

Aaron grew more anxious as he became aware that this debate wasn't yet over, so he decided to make his way to Lassiter's in the hope that the journey to the hotel would speed up the process.

xxx

David and Tom entered Lassiter's together, "I feel like I should apologise for my 'sob-story'" David began, echoing Tom's words from after their first date, "I didn't mean to offload on you like that"

"Hey, it's no problem" Tom assured him as they reached the elevator, "You clearly needed someone to talk to, and I was happy to listen"

"You did more than just listen" David argued softly, "So, thank you"

David reached up to kiss Tom deeply. Neither of them cared that they were standing just outside the elevator, which wasn't exactly private. However, their kiss was soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching them and suddenly stopping, which made a squeaking sound on the floor. Tom and David pulled away from each other and turned to look at where the sound came from. They were both surprised to see Aaron staring at them in shock.

"Aaron?" They both asked simultaneously in confusion, then glanced at each other in disbelief

"Wait, you two know each other?" David asked as he stepped away from Tom

"And you two know each other?" Tom questioned in return

"Well, you two know clearly each other" Aaron pointed out flatly

"What's going on?" David asked

"Something that I never thought I'd have to deal with" Aaron replied coldly before glancing at Tom, "When Leo asked me the other week about the fact we used to date, I didn't realise he had an ulterior motive"

"You used to date?" David clarified, "When?"

"Last year" Tom answered dismissively

"And when you came back here, it seemed like you wanted to pick up where we left off" Aaron reminded Tom, "Though that's obviously not the case anymore, is it?"

"You didn't want me, so I moved on" Tom pointed out

"I never said that" Aaron sighed

"So, you do want him?" David questioned

"Look, I really don't think this is the right place to be talking about this" Aaron hissed as he noticed that the guests walking past were staring at them

"Ok, fine" David breathed, "Let's go back to my apartment, Leo should be there and maybe we can find out what's actually going on"

Tom began to put the pieces together in his head as they made their way up to David and Leo's apartment in silence. Remembering Aaron telling him about the guy that he considered to be 'the one', it was easy to deduce that he had been referring to David. He truly hadn't expected anything like this to happen, and he inwardly kicked himself for making things so much more complicated than they should have been.

xxx

Leo was sat at the dining table when the door of the apartment opened. He glanced up to see David and Tom entering.

"Hey, so you decided that tonight's the night then?" he laughed, then his face fell in surprise when Aaron followed them in, "Oh"

"Shut up" David warned him quickly

Leo put his hands up in a fake-surrender, "Hey, there's no judgement from me" he assured them casually

"That's not why we're here" David began in annoyance, "We want to talk to you about why we're in this situation"

"What situation?" Leo asked

"You knew that Tom and Aaron used to date, yet you still tried to set me up with him" David pointed out

"Yeah, 'used to', but not anymore" Leo replied, "You're both single and I knew you were still upset about what happened with Will, and I just wanted to help"

"By setting me up on a date with Aaron's ex, without telling me that?" David hissed

"What difference does it make who he used to date?" Leo asked, "You don't need to know the exes of every person you go out with"

"He does if the person he used to date is in love with him" Tom interjected, referring to what Aaron had told him the other week

"What?" David asked in confusion

Aaron sighed, "I think we need to sit down and talk about this properly, don't you?"

Leo stood up, "In that case, make yourselves comfortable" he suggested as he gestured to the table, "I'll make the tea, shall I?"

David glared at him and Leo shrugged, "Fine, I'll leave you guys alone" he muttered as he grabbed his jacket, "Text me when it's safe for me to come back here"

The three remaining guys sat down at the table as Leo left, "So, David's 'the one', I'm guessing" Tom murmured to Aaron

"Yeah" Aaron shrugged, "Well, I thought so"

"What do you mean, 'the one'?" David asked cautiously

Tom and Aaron exchanged a look, "Aaron told me that he was interested in someone else, I just didn't know it was you, and he said that he thought this guy could be 'the one'" Tom told David

David studied Aaron thoughtfully, "Is that true?" he asked tentatively, his heart pounding heavily in his chest.

"It was, but it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Aaron replied as he glanced between David and Tom, "How long has this been going on?

"Not long" David replied flatly, unsure of how he was feeling about Aaron's confession and attitude.

"So, I guess he didn't tell you what he did to me while we were together" Aaron prompted

David glanced at Tom in confusion, "Aaron was the guy that I used to speed up the hotel development" Tom explained, and David remembered their conversation at the Waterhole, realising that it was Aaron who he had been referring to, "I manipulated him, I doctored council reports, I did anything I could to make the development happen"

"Then I realised what he was doing made it public knowledge" Aaron added, "He also blackmailed me and Sonya, did he mention that?"

David shook his head, "But you've changed, right?" he asked Tom

Tom nodded uncomfortably, "I learnt my lesson after Julie blew up the hotel and killed those people"

"One of whom was my closest friend!" Aaron growled

"But Tom didn't cause the explosion" David pointed out, "And it was a long time ago, can't we move on?"

"Try telling that to Brad Willis, who lost his dad and son because of it" Aaron scoffed

"I'm sorry! I don't know how many times I've said it, or how many times I'm supposed to say it, but I am" Tom insisted

"It wasn't your fault" David reminded him

"Well, if I'd played by the rules then Julie wouldn't have gone to the lengths she did, the explosion wouldn't have happened, Josh and Doug would still be alive, Julie wouldn't be in prison, and the Quill Group wouldn't be losing millions of dollars to Paul. So, actually, it was my fault" Tom ranted before letting out a deep breath, "I'm still carrying that guilt around, and I think I always will"

Aaron hung his head in shame, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel worse" he apologised, "I'm just trying to look out for David"

"Why?" David asked in exasperation, "I don't get why you're doing this"

Aaron stared at him, "Yes you do, you know exactly why" he replied quietly

David held his gaze as he realised what Aaron was suggesting, but knew that it was too late for them to be together, "But I don't need you to 'look out for' me" he sighed, "Look, you were right about Will, but you shouldn't have gotten involved at all, I should have been able to sort it out myself. I can make my own decisions and I'll learn how to deal with the consequences of them, so you can't keep interfering"

"I know, and I'm sorry" Aaron whispered, "From now on, I'll stay out of your life"

David watched regretfully as Aaron stood up, "I should go, and leave you guys sort this stuff out" he began awkwardly before putting on a fake smile, "I hope you'll be very happy together"

Aaron's departure from the room left a tense silence between David and Tom for a while.

Eventually, David let out a breath, "I don't really know what to say" he admitted, "A lot has just happened in such a short amount of time"

Tom nodded before glancing up at him, "Do you feel the same about Aaron as he feels about you?"

David stared at the table "I did, but I don't know anymore" he admitted before looking up at Tom, "What about you? Do you still have feelings for him?"

Tom shrugged, "I haven't thought about it since I met you" he answered, "But if I'd have known that you were the guy that Aaron had feelings for, I would never have…" he stopped, unsure of how he wanted to complete the sentence

"You would never have gone near me?" David suggested

"I don't know" Tom breathed, realising that he finally needed to confess, "I'm sorry"

"Stop apologising for things that aren't your fault" David responded in frustration, "None of us were aware of everything that was going on, there's no bad guy here so don't blame yourself"

Tom shook his head, "That's not why I was apologising"

"Then why? What do you have to be sorry for?" David asked

"For using you" Tom answered

David was perplexed, "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I would have pursued a relationship with you if you weren't Paul's son" Tom confessed, "I thought I could use you to settle a lower price with him"

"So, this whole thing has been a lie?" David realised, "You weren't interested in me for who I am, but who I'm related to and how it could benefit your bank balance?"

Tom nodded in shame, "Yeah, at first" he whispered, "But then I got to know you and like you, and it stopped being about Paul-"

"Oh, because that makes it ok, does it?" David hissed, "You did the same to me as you did to Aaron; you told me a sob-story about your mum and your guilt, you made me feel sorry for you and manipulated me into trying to help you with your settlement"

"Yeah, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this" Tom tried to explain

"What did you expect then?" David asked angrily, "Did you think you were going to settle on a lower price to pay to my dad, then do the whole 'it's not you, it's me' routine to break up with me, and leave town without anyone realising what you did?"

"I guess" Tom shrugged, realising that he didn't really have a concrete plan when he returned to Erinsborough, or anything to justify his actions now.

"I feel so stupid" David sighed sadly, "Why didn't I see this coming? It was way too convenient that you would just happen to be interested in the son of the guy that you owe money to"

"I was interested in you" Tom argued, "I still am, it's not about the money anymore"

"I don't know if I believe you, or if I can even trust you" David muttered, "I mean, I heard that you were dodgy before but I thought you'd changed. I guess a leopard never really changes its spots, does it?"

"I'm really sorry" Tom apologised solemnly

David studied him carefully, "At least you owned up to it before you were caught out" he remarked grudgingly, "But it doesn't change anything, I can't be with you anymore"

"So, you're breaking up with me so that you and Aaron can skip off into the sunset together?" Tom muttered bitterly

"No, I'm breaking up with you because you used me, and I deserve better" David corrected, "And based on how Aaron was acting before, I deserve better than him as well"

"He wasn't wrong, though" Tom pointed out, "When he talked about the stuff I did last year, he was right to be worried about what I'd do to you, he knew what I was capable of and he was trying to protect you because he loves you"

David felt goose bumps on his body at Tom's words but shook his head, "You don't know what you're talking about, you haven't been around these past nine months" he began, "If he loves me then it would be easy, we'd be together and we wouldn't be in this mess right now"

"Love isn't easy, and sometimes it isn't enough" Tom replied, "But if you just give it a go, it can be more than worth it"

David looked away, "Well, I wanted to give it a go, but Aaron wanted me to date other guys" he explained, "Look how that turned out, he's sabotaged both of the relationships I've ever been in"

"He didn't sabotage this one" Tom argued, "I did by using you"

"This whole thing is so messed up" David complained as he hid his head in his hands, "I thought I was out of my depth a few weeks ago, but that was nothing compared to this"

"You'll figure it out" Tom assured him before coming to a decision, "And, if it helps, I'll pay Paul the original amount that the company owes him"

David dropped his hands and stared at him, "It's not going to change my mind about us" he pointed out, and sighed when Tom glanced at the table in disappointment, "But thank you for doing the right thing"

"It's the least I can do" Tom replied dismissively, "Losing so much money from the company is going to suck, but what I did to you was worse"

David couldn't help smiling at the idea that Tom viewed him as more important than his business. He felt himself softening towards the other man, but remembered the manipulation and stopped himself from giving him another chance. This was the second guy that he had felt used by: was this something that he was going to have to deal with regularly? Would every guy he ever dated treat him the same way? How could David ever trust anyone? David wondered whether he was really ready for anything romantic if he was just going to question the motives of every potential boyfriend he ever had.

David felt his pulse rate quicken in panic, "Look, could you go now, please?" he insisted

Tom looked at him with worry as he stood up reluctantly, "Sure, are you ok?"

"As well as could be expected, considering everything that happened tonight" David replied humourlessly

"Yeah, of course" Tom murmured, "Again, I'm really sorry about all of this"

David nodded as he practically stumbled to the front door, "Yeah, I know" he panted as he opened the door

"I'll call Paul and arrange to meet so that we can get the original contracts signed" Tom assured David as he left

"Cool, you do that" David wheezed as he shut the door in Tom's face. Letting out a deep breath, David slid to the floor and cradled himself in a small ball by the door. He was so confused by what had happened over the past couple of weeks, and angry at himself for ending up in this situation. David had no idea what he was supposed to do or feel, and questioned everything he thought he knew about himself and the people around him. Eventually, he decided that he needed some time on his own to decide what he was going to do and who he could turn to, because – here and now – he couldn't figure it out.

Thanks for reading! I actually talked myself into writing this: when Tom returned, I was convinced that he was going to use David so that he could lower the payment amount. I then claimed that I would write a fanfiction story about it if it didn't happen on-screen, so this was the result of that claim! Anyway, if anyone has any ideas for one-shots, then please let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!