Thanks for the reviews, going to start mixing things up a bit now. Still going to use elements of canon, but also switch scenes around as it will work much better that way.
Vulnerable - Chapter 3
Brendan's pov
Brendan couldn't stand this much longer, he'd been sat staring at his front door for what felt like an eternity. Truth be told, it had probably only been fifteen minutes max since he'd been left without Steven's presence, but the place was now eerily silent without Steven's chatter bouncing off the walls and it left Brendan feeling cold.
It was a pathetic attempt, but Brendan didn't know what else to do, he could hardly ring Steven mere minutes after he'd left telling him to come back because he missed him could he? He decided no and opted for the "desperate times call for desperate measures" plan, this meant sending Steven a text message that plainly said 'Help.' Now Brendan had pressed the send button, there was no going back. He psyched himself up because he knew this was going to hurt, throwing yourself out of a wheelchair hardly did wonders for broken ribs and bruised muscles. As he used every ounce of energy he had to tip the wheelchair over, as he writhed on the ground in agony, all he could think of was Steven, and how he hoped he'd get here soon.
Ste's pov
He panicked as soon as he'd received Brendan's text, anyone would if they'd been sent that. What the hell could have happened? He'd only left him about fifteen minutes ago. Ste knew he was meant to be meeting Doug at the deli now but Brendan needed him. His legs had him running to Brendan's front door without even thinking about it, hammering on the door as though his life depended on it. When Brendan replied Ste shoved the front door open and ran to Brendan's side as he found him sprawled on the floor unable to move.
'My week just got worse.' Brendan groaned.
'Stay there.' Ste instructed as he positioned the wheelchair upright again and hooked his arms under Brendan's shoulders to heave him up. Brendan was a lot heavier than Ste, but as if on auto-pilot, Ste dragged him upright with as much strength as he could muster, proving stronger than he thought. Brendan grunted in pain but Ste managed to sit him down in the wheelchair, scanning his face for any signs of pain, his own expression one of sheer concern, Brendan didn't fail to notice and gave Ste a weak smile.
'What happened?' Ste asked.
Brendan's pov
He panicked then, hadn't really decided what he was going to tell Steven, about why the boy was sent an SOS message and had to almost break in to his house to find him an incapable mess on the living room floor.
Steven was looking at him quizzically, brow furrowed, expecting an answer.
'I, I was tryin to get to the sofa.' He mustered. 'Thought I could manage to lift myself out of the chair to sit down but my legs couldn't quite make it.'
'Why do you need the sofa when you're already sittin down in ya wheelchair?'
The boy really did have all the answers didn't he. Brendan rolled his eyes.
'Well believe it or not Steven, it's hardly the most comfortable seat I've ever sat in.'
'Alright, point taken!' Steven held his hands up in defeat.
'I were so worried when I got ya text.' Steven continued.
Brendan's mouth twitched as his adoration for the boy swelled.
The next thing Steven was leaning in towards him, Brendan could feel his breath. He panicked and tried to lean away, as much as he wanted Steven he knew he was no good for him and had to fight himself to let him be with Douglas, that was the moral thing to do. Brendan Brady, with morals, the universe would be laughing at him right now.
As he shrank back, Steven looked concerned.
'What are ye doing?' The sentence came out quieter and more breathy than Brendan had hoped.
Steven was confused now:
'Well I were gonna help ya over to the sofa, cus that's where you wanted to be, right?'
Brendan could have smacked himself on the forehead for being so stupid and jumping to conclusions, of course Steven wouldn't try anything on. He wasn't like that. He did have morals.
'I'm not your problem Steven.'
'You'll always be my problem.' Steven sighed.
Brendan's stomach did a little flip at that statement. He offered him a small appreciative smile in return and Steven was quick to beam one back. It felt good to be like this again, so at ease with one another. For that split second, Brendan could almost kid himself that things would stay like this, that Steven wouldn't be going back to Douglas, that they could stay in their own little bubble, and that Brendan wasn't constantly trying to fight an inner battle, emotions conflicting whenever he was around the lean boy, and even when he was not.
Ste's pov
Brendan really had little faith in him, even though they weren't together any more, after everything they'd been through, Ste was hardly going to just leave him to get on with it, especially in the state he was in.
He hooked his arms under Brendan's again and encouraged him to lean his weight in to his front, Brendan seemed begrudging at first which Ste gathered to be a pride thing, but he soon obliged and Ste found himself staggering backwards with the weight of Brendan Brady literally on his shoulders.
He managed to shuffle them both towards the sofa but somehow managed to hit back in to the arm rest at an awkward angle, and before Ste knew it, he was toppling over on to the sofa, Brendan falling on top of him.
Both of their faces were a picture. Ste felt awkward and uncomfortable right now while Brendan's weight was pinning him down. Of course Brendan used this moment to crack a joke and flash Ste a flirtatious smile. That man was unbelievable!
'I bet it's a while since you've been on the bottom.'
Ste ignored him and tried to wriggle from underneath.
'Urgh Brendan, will ya at least try and help me move ya off me just a little bit?'
'Ye never complained before Steven.'
'Oh ha ha!….Ya squashin me!'
Brendan's face sobered now as he used the strength in his arms to push his upper body away from Ste's so Ste was able to move him over in to a seated position next to him on the sofa.
'Well we got there in the end.'
Ste was nervous now. His lips had just been inches away from Brendan's, and neither of them could deny that they hadn't been tempted, even just for a second.
Brendan was twiddling his thumbs now, hands clasped in his lap clearly feeling just as awkward now as Ste was. He was looking down, concentrating on his hands, but when he looked up Ste could see worry lines etched on his face.
'I didn't hurt ye did I?'
Ste smiled. Brendan was the one who'd been hospitalised, but as usual, he still worried about Ste more than himself.
'I'm fine' he laughed. 'Ya muscles don't weigh that much.'
Brendan smirked along now:
'But ye can't deny, they are pretty big.'
'Don't flatter yaself Mr Michelin man' Ste jibed. He playfully formed a fist to knock in to Brendan's arm but as he did so Brendan let out a hiss of discomfort.
Ste scolded himself instantly for hurting the wounded man.
'Oh god, Bren, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?'
Without thinking, Ste had instinctively straddled Brendan, rubbing up and down his upper arms as if to sooth them, and cradled his face in his hands, searching his eyes for any more signs of damage.
Brendan was silent.
Ste continued to bore in to his eyes, face filled with concern as his fingers began to trace the stitches and cuts covering Brendan's face.
Brendan flinched slightly but didn't move. Ste's eyes had started to grow darker.
'They're healing.' He barely recognised his voice as it came out in a whisper.
All Brendan could do was slightly nod, too intoxicated by the male on his lap.
Ste took his time, carefully feeling every ridge over Brendan's cheeks and forehead with his fingertips, then moving lower to trace the outline of his moustache. Suddenly Ste was letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in, it made him shudder as only now did he realise just how close he was to the Irishman.
As if in slow motion, Ste leant down closer towards Brendan's face, watching as his eyelids fluttered as he did so. Brendan had a butterfly stitch above his left eyebrow which Ste brought his warm lips to, healing with a kiss. He could feel the rise and fall of Brendan's chest and each movement made the anticipation that little bit more intense, filling Ste with an excitement he knew was wrong to be happening.
His movements became more confidant now, peppering Brendan with small kisses all over his face, from his forehead, down to the bridge of his nose. As he suddenly reached the edge of Brendan's moustache, he pulled back, realising what the next move could only be.
Ste rested their foreheads together, staring in to Brendan's eyes, seeking a kind of permission that they both already knew the answer to. Blue eyes mirrored blue eyes, piercing in to one another's soul. Brendan looked sure of this, his stare unwavering from Ste's, a look of confident triumph that encouraged Ste to abandon any doubts that may have been present. Ste shakily met his lips with Brendan's and was immediately overcome by the warmth and love that he felt there.
Brendan's pov
Steven was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted, it was only now, after so long apart, that finally being reunited with the only drug that Brendan had not only craved, but needed to stay alive, did he realise just how much he could never, ever not be with Steven.
This beautiful boy was whimpering in his lap as he continued to cup Brendan's face, pulling him in as close as they could possibly get. They started off gentle, but now their craving for each other was gradually overtaking the senses, causing a frantic crashing of lips and powerful surge of tongues. Steven was kissing Brendan as though his life depended on it, while Brendan grabbed every inch of Steven he could get his hands on, slowly working his way up underneath the boy's t shirt, palming the smooth skin he never wanted to forget the feel of.
Steven had started rocking in to Brendan's lap, groin brushing groin, creating friction that made Brendan groan with an intense want. If only this boy knew what he were doing to him, although Brendan was sure his sudden hard on would probably speak for itself.
He cupped the boy's arse cheeks, sliding him further up his lap meaning that he rocked in to that exact spot that made Brendan make the filthiest noises. Steven's own whimpers were growing louder and more frantic as his cheeks flushed and hair became dishevelled. Brendan eased Steven's t shirt up over his head and drank in the beauty of his naked torso, even though he'd seen it all before, it still took his breath away.
He kissed Steven's navel and flicked his tongue around it, holding the boy in place. Breathing in the scent of naked skin, the naked skin made him relax, breath tickling the hairs on Steven's stomach.
Brendan continued kissing Steven's torso as Steven leant his face in to Brendan's hair, both were reacquainting themselves with every part of each other, and this time Brendan would savour every moment.
As if someone was reading his mind, Steven's phone started ringing. Both heads shot up as Brendan cursed in frustration.
Steven spun around in Brendan's lap, craning to see where he'd left his phone.
'Leave it!'
Brendan grasped both hands around Steven's hips trying to hold him in to place.
The look on Steven's face told Brendan he was fighting an internal battle, they both knew who was probably calling, as it was the person Steven should have been with right now.
Steven's eyes located his phone on the arm of the opposite sofa as he struggled off of Brendan's lap trying not to hurt him, and left him with a guilty glance.
'Hiya!' Ste coughed to clear his voice.
The tone was a bit too breezy for Brendan's liking, they both knew full well what would have happened if Douglas hadn't have interrupted. Brendan felt his hands balling in to fists at the sheer frustration of it all.
'I know, yeah….I'm so sorry…no I know Doug, but I..ermm…well Amy rang, yeah Amy rang sayin she'd had a fall out with that new bloke of hers, ermm…just a petty argument really but she were dead upset so I've only just come off the phone to her, she just needed someone to talk to ya know?…..yeah…..no it's ok now…..yeah course, I'm on me way….love you too….bye.'
So he was lying to him now? Couldn't even tell him that he'd been in Brendan's presence?
'Why the story Steven?'
'Wha?'
Steven spun around with a confused look on his face. He was still shirtless and Brendan had to divert his eyes so that he could remember that he was now meant to be annoyed with him.
'Why couldn't Douglas know you were here?'
Steven looked annoyed now.
'Oh so you think that when me fiancé rings askin where I am cus I were meant to meet him half hour ago, that it's alright to turn round and tell im that I'm here wiv you, and that we just nearly….' His voice faltered then.
Brendan huffed out a sigh.
'You could have told him half of the truth…that I had a fall, no one else was around so I needed ye help. After all…..ye did sign at the hospital to take over my care.'
Steven's face flickered with a different emotion then which made Brendan's stomach lurch.
'He doesn't know does he?' Brendan asked.
Steven remained silent.
'Steven…..does Douglas know you brought me back from the hospital?'
'No, alright….he doesn't!'
Ste slumped his shoulders and was now aggressively grabbing his discarded t shirt from off the floor to dress himself.
'So that would have been the end of the world would it?'
Brendan was getting annoyed now, and so was Ste as his voice began to rise:
'Of course it would! For Doug it would! Look….I'm gonna be marryin im alright? I can't keep runnin to me ex every time you clicks ya fingers.'
'Oh, so I'm an inconvenience am I? Well I am so sorry that I'm cooped up inside while you and ye precious Doug could be skipping around outside.'
In his anger Brendan momentarily forgot about his inability to walk and tried to rouse himself from the sofa which only resulted in a gasp of pain as he shrank back in to the cushions.
This made Ste stop for a moment while Brendan held his gaze through the silence. Eventually Ste let out a sigh.
'Look Bren, I don't wanna argue alright? I wanna help you, I do, but what just happened, it was wrong….so wrong.'
Brendan couldn't help but notice that the last part of that sentence came out a lot quieter.
Steven was moving over to the door now.
'I need to go and meet Doug, but I'll come back later with some food, you'll need some dinner. Just stay there and watch some telly or somethin while I'm gone will ya? I don't wanna come back to find you on the floor again.'
He attempted a smile which Brendan struggled to return. Soon the door was shut again and the boy was out of sight and out of reach. All Brendan could do was sit in the silence trying to understand what the hell was happening.
