AN: This story kind of jumps around timewise so I'm sorry if that annoys anyone. Also, thank you to the people who reviewed. I really appreciate it.

Chapter 2

A Week Later

Brendan walked up the stairs of Chez Chez, humming a tune under his breath despite the fact that the loud blaring music and voices of countless people talking made sure that he would never be able to hear it. Looking over to the bar, Brendan's good mood evaporated.

Walking over to the other side of the bar, he clicked his fingers right in front of Ste and Rae's faces, although it might have been a little closer to Rae rather than Ste. They stopped kissing and immediately jerked back.

"What the hell is your problem?" Rae demanded to know.

Brendan sneered at her. "My problem is that I don't pay Stephen to snogg his girlfriend during work hours. Him actually doing his job during his shift is not too much for me to ask, is it Rae?"

"No, it's not." Ste replied, trying to placate Brendan. "I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"Don't apologise to him Ste. You're shift is over in like, 5 minutes."

Brendan leaned over the bar. "Then for the next, like, 5 minutes you're going to disappear, got it? Otherwise, Stephen here might have to take on the next couple of shifts as well, just so that he can make up for the minutes that you've distracted him."

Rae didn't look too happy about that. "You can't do that. We have plans-"

"It's alright, I'll stay a couple of hours more. Will that be alright Brendan?"

Brendan finally looked away from Rae. "That will be fine, Stephen." Brendan patted Ste's cheek and then walked over to his sister who was sitting on the lounge in the middle of the club.

"What is that all about?" Cheryl asked, gesturing to the bar where the couple was now fighting.

Brendan grinned. "Lover's tiff. You know how it is."

...

Two Hours Later

Ste had just finished his shift that night when someone grabbed hold of his hand outside the club. Ste was pulled into a solid body.

"What's the rush, Stephen."

Brendan pulled the smaller man into a secluded corner where no one could see them.

Ste had gotten in a foul mood since his fight with Rae. "Following me is getting to be a habit for you Brendan." he said sourly.

A corner of Brendan's mouth twitched. "There are worse habits."

"Like fucking a man and then beating him up whenever everything starts getting a bit too gay?" Ste shot back.

Brendan felt fury bubble at the bottom of his gut. "Watch your tone. I don't know why you're angry but that's no reason to take it out on me."

"Oh that's rich coming from you." There was a thick silence between them now. Ste ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm down. "Look I'm sorry Brendan. It's just I had a huge fight with Rae and..."

Brendan nodded "Right, you're having troubles with the Mrs"

"Yeah, and this is all getting to me now. What we're doing isn't fair on Rae."

Brendan sighed. "Rae will be fine."

"No" Ste shook his head "I don't know why we just can't be together." Ste moved forward, his hands traveling up Brendan's chest. "Why can't I just quit it with Rae?"

Brendan's hands covered Ste's and his fingers curled around them, stopping their ascent. "Because she's your cover-"

"I don't need a cover. I want you, I don't care who knows." Brendan's grip on Ste's fingers were starting to get painful. "We love each other, why is that so wrong- Ahh"

Brendan's hands were bending Ste's fingers at a painful angle now.

"Brendan, stop" Ste was scared that Brendan was going to break his fingers.

Brendan instantly let go of Ste's hands, but Ste's relief was short lived when he got a hard punch to his ribs instead. Ste slowly sunk down to the ground, clutching at his bruised flesh.

Brendan watched him, his hands shaking. "You shouldn't have said that. Why do you have to make everything so difficult? Why don't you just do what your told?"

Brendan reached down to help Ste back up but Ste jerked away. "Just go away" shouted Ste.

Brendan turned to see if anyone was nearby, they were outside after all, but it looked like no one had seen or heard anything. "Look, I know you're angry with me but-"

"Just go, or I'll yell." Ste said softly, still in obvious pain.

Brendan didn't move.

"I said go" Ste repeated louder.

Brendan left, leaving Ste in pain, cold and alone outside of Chez Chez in the middle of the night.

...

Two Days Later

Ste was hauling crates upstairs when Brendan cornered him in the cellar. It was the first time that Brendan managed to get Ste alone since that night when he'd left him outside the club.

"What do you want Brendan?" Ste asked monotonously.

"What makes you think I want something?"

Ste ignored Brendan and lifted one of the crates, starting to head upstairs. Brendan, undeterred, picked up a crate of his own and followed him.

"We need to talk."

Ste continued to ignore Brendan, dropping the crate beside Jacqui, and heading back downstairs to pick up another one, acutely aware of Brendan following suit.

"I didn't like having to get physical with you the other night but you were out of line."

In the cellar now, Ste turned and smiled mirthlessly. "You love getting physical with me" Ste moved until he had Brendan backed up against the wall, molding his body to his "That's why you're here now, so that we can keep getting physical. Right, Brendan? Just as long as no one finds out."

Brendan eyed the wide open door, faintly hearing Jacqui and her nine inch heels moving around upstairs. He pushed Ste away harshly.

Ste shook his head at the older man in disgust. "That's what I thought."

Ste continued to move the crates and Brendan continued to help him, frustration with Ste evident in his every move.

"How the bloody hell do you get him to do that?" Jacqui asked when they'd brought up all they needed. Immediately after, Brendan had retreated to the office and slammed the door behind him. "Can you believe that I nearly pulled my back out trying to move that lounge yesterday and the prick didn't lift a single finger..."

Ste wasn't listening, his eyes were still on the door that Brendan had disappeared through.

...

Next Day

Ste was at the park with Leah, Lucas and Rae when Warren approached him.

"Ste, we need to have a talk." He eyed Rae and the kids "Privately."

Rae looked suspicious. "What about?"

"Work. Nothing to worry yourself about little girl." Warren didn't wait for Ste's reply and just started to walk a fair distance away, making sure to find a place where no one could see them.

"Ste, it's your day off, you don't have to talk to him."

"I do if I want to have a job to go back to tomorrow."

Rae looked frustrated. "Jesus Ste, why won't the people you work for just leave us alone. First Brendan, now Warren. At this rate Cheryl's going to start stalking us as well pretty soon."

"Rae, just look after the kids and I'll sort this, please." Ste handed Lucas over.

Rae picked him up in her arms. "Yeah, alright."

Ste smiled "Thanks" he said before heading in the direction that Warren had walked off in.

He soon found Warren and the man immediately gave Ste a large roll of cash. "Good work, you've been doing."

"Yeah, thanks." Ste pocketed the money "You know, you could have just given this to me at the club tonight. I do have a shift."

"With Brendan and Cheryl around?" Warren snorted "That Brendan's much too up in my business already."

Ste scowled. "Yeah, alright, but that don't mean you can just show up in front of my girlfriend and my kids whenever you want to."

"Last time I checked I don't take orders from anybody, especially not from a runt like you."

"All I'm saying is that it's a bit suss is all, and I can't keep covering for-"

"That's not my problem" Warren interrupted, looking not at all regretful. "I'll find you when I want. I don't care where you are and who you're with, got it?"

Ste nodded and Warren immediately turned to leave.

When the other man was out of sight Ste started to walk back to the main part of the park when he spotted someone watching him.

"Rae?"

"Hey, Ste." Rae replied angrily.

Ste looked around frantically. "Where are my kids?"

"Amy and Lee finally showed up." Rae answered. "And when you took so long to come back, we all got worried."

"Oh"

"Yeah, now how about you answer some of my questions?" She folded her hands over her chest "Like can you please explain to me why I just saw Warren Fox giving you a big wad of cash?"

Ste blanched. "Warren was a bit short on cash last week" he said weakly "so he said that he'd pay-"

"I'd totally buy that Ste" Rae interrupted "If you hadn't been sneaking out of the house at all hours lately, getting millions of calls from both Warren and Brendan, staying out all night sometimes, getting all these bruises on yourself and Ste, these past few weeks you seem to have more money than a barman should get paid in months."

Ste tried to hide his nervousness. He'd known that Rae would eventually put two and two together because she'd been acting so suspicious of him lately, he just hadn't realised how fast.

"Rae, you're being paranoid." Ste walked the space between them and took her hand. "I'm telling you, Warren was just paying me for my shifts."

Rae pulled her hand away. "I'm not stupid Ste, don't lie right to my face."

"I'm not lying" Ste tried not wince at the outright lie "I told you and Amy that I got a pay rise and that means more responsibility. That's why Warren and Brendan call me and sometimes I have to go to the club at odd hours."

"And the bruises?"

Ste couldn't look Rae in the eyes. "I work in a club, don't I?" was all he said.

Rae didn't look completely convinced but she let it go. "Yeah alright Ste. I believe you."

He smiled and took her hand again as they started to walk back.

"Just promise me that you'd tell me if you were up to something dodgy."

Ste squeezed her hand. "I promise."
...