A week. That's how long he hadn't seen Steven for – a whole bloody week. Brendan didn't have a clue how the fuck he'd lasted three years without seeing his face. Torture. He craved the urge to be near him today, to see him, to smell him and he needed to make that happen.

He knew Steven's children and he knew how much they loved the outdoors. They were a little bit like himself as a child; more of the outdoor type that liked to get dirty and play outside than be cooped up inside, bored out of their mind. That's how he knew that if he stayed out here long enough, he would eventually bump into Steven. Brendan knew Amy never took the kids to the park, something about being scared of losing them? It was bullshit obviously, but Steven loved looking after his kids, having a laugh and joke with them so it didn't seem to bother him back in the day when he was lumbered with the job of spending the day with his pride and joy.

That's how he'd found himself here on a park bench with his hood up, a newspaper for company. Brendan thought he must look like a right idiot looking like this, looking like one of the local teenagers you'd do anything to avoid. The teenage stereotype – hood equals trouble. He needed it though. He needed it if there was just a little chance of Amy or Cheryl walking past; that there was something there to hide his identity.

"Lucas don't kick that ball too hard…LUCAS!" And there he was appearing round the back of a tree. Steven.

Brendan placed his newspaper on the bench, he wasn't even reading it anyway truth be told. Waste of money. He picked up the football that had landed at his feet, doing a few 'keepy-uppys' before catching the ball and handing it to Lucas. "Don't hit it as hard next time eh?" Brendan said, kneeling down to Lucas' level. He missed this, he used to be so close to Steven's kids, treated them like his own almost. Deepdown he was worried that Leah would recognise him. She was six when the accident happened, the sort of age that you start to record things in your memory. Would she remember Brendan? Would she remember how some nights, when he'd stay over he'd read her a bedtime story before kissing her on the forehead and tucking her in? He hoped in a way that she didn't, or if she did she wouldn't let these things on to her dad. Lucas on the other hand was only four when the accident happened, so he wasn't too worried about his memories.

Steven ran after his son, halting when he saw who he was talking to. Him. The man. "Sorry about that. He can be a bit forceful at times."

"It's fine honestly. My boys were the same."

Ste couldn't help but stare. This bloke had kids? Well that seals the deal then. He can't be gay. He's got children. But then something triggered in Ste's mind. So does he.

"Can we play please? Leah hates football, she's a girl and dad's boring."

"What… Lucas! This man's probably got somewhere to be, you can't just ask some rand…"

Brendan cut Ste off, not even letting him finish his sentence. "You know. Girl's can be good at football too. My cousin used to play when she was younger and she's got all these trophies. Do you have a football team?"

Lucas nodded.

"Do you like it?"

Another nod.

"Yeah come on I'll play with you for a bit"

"What?" Ste looked up at Brendan.

"Sure I'll play with him, if you don't want to."

"Oh… Erm okay then. Stay close though, where I can see you."

"I'll try not to hit it at your head…"

"Ste." he replied, taking a breath. Brendan obviously wanted to input a name there but he didn't know it did he?

Brendan looked into Ste's eyes. "Huh?"

"Ste. My name's Ste, we haven't like introduced eachother yet or anything have we?"

Yes, we have almost six years ago.

"No of course we haven't. I'm Brendan."

"Brendan. Nice to meet you Brendan."

The way his name rolled off Steven's tongue. Brendunnnn. It hadn't change after all of these years of not hearing it. It sounded sexual, enticing. He loved it.

"You too Steven."

"Ste."

"Got a thing about names Steven. I'll try not to aim this ball at your head deal?"

Ste laughed to himself. "Deal."

Brendan remembered one of his first thoughts as he got out of the taxi seven days ago.

"I need to work out. I wonder if Steven goes there." He needed that gym now and fast. You never know how unfit you are until you are running around after a seven year old boy, trying to get a football off of him. A good player at that. Knackered, tired, sore. That was a few words Brendan would use to describe himself right now. He more or less collapsed on the blanket that Steven was spralled out on, trying to catch some non-exsistant sun rays while Leah drew some pictures in a pad she'd brought with her.

"Take it you don't do that often then." Ste laughed, nodding his head towards Lucas who was now dribbling the ball between jumpers that he'd laid out equally on the floor.

"You take it right." Brendan said between breaths, trying to catch it.

Ste threw him over a bottle of water. "'Ere Are."

Brendan grabbed it, forcing the water down his throat. That's better. He could breathe again. "Thanks."

"Dad can I go on the monkey bars?" Leah asked.

"No. They're dangerous."

"But you always used to let me!" Leah looked towards Brendan. Did she know? Because it was true. He did always to let her. He let her when Steven didn't. Leah remembered didn't she? She remembered Brendan...

"Go and get you and your brother an ice cream..." Brendan shoved a £10 note into Leah's hand, trying to get rid of her before she said anything else. Close call. He didn't want Steven finding out like this, he wanted to be the one to tell him, in his own time.

Leah and Lucas ran off to the ice-cream van, the one with the biggest queue. They'd be gone for a while.

"Steven, I erm..."

"Today was nice weren't it?"

"Huh? What? Yeah. Yeah it was."

"So are you gonna you know... give me your number. So I could text you and invite you for that drink?" It was blatent how shy Ste was. His cheeks were full of embarrassment.

"Depends are you gonna give me yours?"

"Might do."

They both smiled at eachother. It'd be so clear to a passer-by that they fancied eachother, but Ste couldn't see it. He couldn't see in how Brendan's eye's smiled along with his mouth whenever Steven so much as looked at him. Ste ripped a corner piece of Leah's book off the corner - he'd get a bollocking about that later- and wrote down his number before passing another piece to Brendan. Brendan did the same, and then they exchanged.

"I'll be seeing you soon then Brendan yeah?"

"Soon Steven, soon"

Brendan walked off in the opposite direction. The direction to Mitzeee's, the direction of his home for the foreseeable future. He had Steven right where we wanted him, well not right where he wanted him, but close to it. Steven was going to be his again, he was going to make sure of it. There was just a few little barriers to cross first. The truth being one of them.

Thanks for reading! :)