They continued to stare at each other from the mild distance that separated them. The entire Brady clan had all joined together in the families lush living room, Brendan was on the sofa catching up with Cheryl and dad, while Ste and Walker managed a quiet conversation a few tables away. Between mindless conversations they both shared looks, Brendan looked at Ste with fierceness and fascination, while Ste stared in revolt. That put Brendan off because it was a complete contrast to his present feelings; he needed to get to the bottom of this he had to know what the boy was thinking.
"Walker what is your problem? He was looking at me not the other way around" Brendan had managed to catch the conclusion of Walker and Steven's soundless conversation"
"Well you obviously didn't see things from my perspective, because you were practically drooling" Walker spat out.
"He's your brother why are you acting like this I only said 2 words to him during our 3 second meeting.
"I'm not talking about what was said, I know what I saw" Walker's tone was menacing as he began to say "I won't have you making a fool out of me Ste, you know how much you mean to me and you also know the lengths that I'd go to keep what's mine."
The two men stared at each other for a while; Walker continued to look on domineeringly while Ste's look was of pure fear.
After their exchange Walker dismissed himself from the crowd and Ste did the same, but he went in a different direction.
That was his chance Brendan thought to himself, he had been waiting for what seemed like forever just to hear the young mans voice again. So Brendan politely excused himself from the reunion chat that he and Cheryl were having, well if you call standing up and leaving while Cheryl was in mid sentence polite.
"Look Chez am sure that's interesting to… someone, so how bout you give dad a listen aye, Good!"
Brendan didn't get far before he was stopped by the site of the boy sitting out on the family's veranda, he appeared to be deep in thought, but that wasn't going to stop Brendan from talking to him.
"It's exhausting Innit? Brendan said with a playful tone.
Steven spun around and gave Brendan a glare that anyone would interpret as an "F" off! But seeing that Brendan wasn't just anyone he remained on the patio unwavering.
After a while of unbearable silence Steven started to say something,
"What's exhausting?" he said with a juvenile voice. Brendan looked at him unaware of what he was asking.
"You asked me if it was exhausting, is what exhausting?"
Oh! A light bulb went off in Brendan's head; he had almost forgotten his earlier attempt at making small talk.
"Talking to Walker" Brendan answered with a cheeky half grin.
That little joke accomplished what Brendan had wanted, because for the first time since they met Steven had managed to smile at him.
"That's not funny" Steven said with a smirk still playing around his mouth.
"So what was all of that about?" Brendan asked while motioning to the living area.
"What's got Simon's knickers in a bunch?"
Steven looked lost, "Who's Simon?" he asked.
"Your boyfriend" Brendan said with a look of confusion "Didn't you know that was his real name?" Brendan asked cluing into the answer to his own question.
"His name is Walker, that's all anyone has ever called him."
"It's his middle name" Brendan continued "Of course he didn't tell you, he was always a little sensitive about that name, and I guess it is understandable." "How many gangsters' do you know named Simon?" Steven's hard shell had finally started to crack and he let out a total hissy fit of laughter, which seemed to be contagious because even Brendan's half smile spread across his face.
After all of Brendan's ice breakers he asked again "What's up with you and Walker? Things looked a little heated in there."
"It were nothing, Walker just gets a little passionate sometimes" Steven stretched out that adjective a little too long when he said it, which made Brendan instantly curious.
"What do you mean? What was he giving you a hard time over anyway?"
Steven looked away from Brendan and practically mouthed "You"
He was almost embarrassed which Brendan found intriguing.
"He wanted to know why I was staring at you, when we met" "He get's a bit jealous sometimes" Steven went on to say.
"So I think that it's best we keep our distance Brendan, it's not in either of our best interest to get on Walker's bad side." The lad warned with all sincerity.
"Ha! am I suppose to be scared of Simon, Steven?" Brendan blurted out with an offended tone. "I don't scare that easily and if you don't mind I'll speak to who ever I please."
Steven gave him another half smile that confused Brendan more than anything the boy had done all day.
"Well no one has ever responded like that before," the lad exclaimed "Guys usually leave skit marks by the mention of Walker Brady's name, "Hmph!" the young man said as he got up preparing to leave, "You might not be as bad as I thought after all Brendan" and with another extraordinary smile he left.
Brendan was strangely relieved, but why? What did he care what this skinny little lad thought of him, he had never been one to care about the opinions of others so why did he find such comfort in the acceptance of this chavy kid.
And he was just that a kid, if he had never spoken to Steven he would of wondered what Walker was doing with this kid who looked no older than eighteen if that, but after talking to Steven for all of thirty minutes he saw just what was so appealing about him, exterior traits aside. At first the boy came off as tough and impenetrable, but if you took the time to explore him you'd find that was just a "defense mechanism". Brendan could relate to that because that was the mask that he had worn his entire life, a mask that was only hardened during his time in prison he had to be tougher than ever, he had to be more guarded than ever if he wanted to survive. Brendan wondered why the lad was this way, what was his prison? Yet again he was filled with even more questions about Walker's mysterious boyfriend.
XXXX
Steven made his way up the stares to his and Walkers grand bedroom, Walker had decided earlier to retire for the evening and would be expecting Steven to join him shortly, he hoped that Walker would be fast asleep by the time he went up. Walker had been in an awful mode all day and Steven couldn't help but feel that it had something to do with his older brother's release from prison, which he found odd, why was Walker so put off by his brother, who scruffiness aside appeared to be completely pleasant and charming.
The mere thought of Brendan consumed Steven he couldn't help but be impressed with the Irishman. Brendan was even more than the thousands of pictures that lined the walls of the Brady's home suggest. He was tall, lean and muscular at every inch. He had beautiful dark spiky hair that topped his head, deep blue eyes that appeared to get deeper the more you stared into them and a full beard that swallowed up the remaining part of his face, a new addition courtesy of his eight year stint. Steven knew this because pictures had revealed a strange mouthstache that Brendan wore before he went into prison, an unconventional fashion statement for a then 22 year old, but strangely becoming.
"Ste what is your problem? Stop obsessing about your boyfriends brother" The man couldn't help but saying to himself.
He entered the large bedroom expecting to find Walker fast asleep, but he was shocked to find him sitting in the large chair that faced the main entrance. Even more surprising was the expression that the man was wearing, Ste had hoped that he would be well over their little disagreement, but he knew Walker oh too well, yet he was more pissed than Ste could have ever imagined.
"Did you and my brother have a good chat downstairs? It looked like you two were becoming well acquainted with each other." The tall blonde said with a threatening tone.
Ste remained stone stiff and silent as he stood by the door not having moved an inch from the place where he first laid eyes on Walker.
"I…thought that you were done for the night Walker" Ste stammered unable to make a coherent excuse.
"That's not what I asked Ste, where you and my brother having fun behind my back?"
"We weren' doing anything behind your back, we were just talking, fifteen minutes the most, we weren' doing anything sly." Ste managed still scared beyond belief. Ste knew that when Walker was in this type of mode nothing could shake his resolve, he was livid and nothing could be said to change that, still he had to try.
"There you go lying to me again Ste, you think that I didn't see you? You two were getting along like long lost lovers."
Ste was caught of guard by that comment; still it wasn't new for Walker to blow things well out of proportion.
"Walker what are you going on about? We were just talking." "I promise you there's nothing going on between me and Bren…" Ste pleaded but before he could finish he was met with a quick blow to the rib cage.
As he sunk to the ground beneath him in a mess of tears he was later joined by an intimidating Walker. "I know what I saw Ste, do you think that am stupid?" "I love you Ste, do you think that I'll ever let you go? I won't ever loose you not to anyone… especially him." Without another word Walker got up and left the room. Ste was still on the ground now curled up in the fetal position, he was in unbelievable pain and gasping for air.
After three years of being Walker's punching bag, Ste still could not believe that he was in this place once again.