Doug, Doug turned up in the deli on a Sunday, Ste had been out at the cash and carry picking up some stuff and Oisin was in the deli alone "hey what can I do for you" Oisin asked politely

"I'm looking for Ste"

"He's out but I can give him a message or whatever, if you want?"

"No I'll just wait for him"

"Oookay" Doug sat on the sofa by the door while Oisin stood awkwardly behind the counter

Ste walked into the deli and went straight towards the counter where Oisin was standing without even glancing around him and started his rant "I swear that man will be the death of me, rings me up and says can Leah have a puppy and ofcourse I said no but turns out he's already bloody bought her one and given it to her! I'm going to kill him, no don't worry I wont really" Ste rushed out "Hello Ste" Doug said from behind him "Wha" Ste stared at Doug like he had three heads

"Dad, whats going on?"

"Erm Oisin just go home I'll see you later yeah?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah it's fine, go on" Oisin took off his apron, picked up his bag and skateboard and walked past Ste and Doug and walked out the door

"Dad? what the hell Ste?! he doesn't even look that much younger than you"

"Fine step-son, now why are you here?"

"I want the deli"

"No way!"

"No I mean like before, well not before but like business partners"

"No"

"It's my deli to Ste"

"Fine whatever, now if you don't mind" Ste gestured towards the door until Doug left.

The house was oddly quiet since it was only nine and four of the kids were asleep and Oisin was reading in his room, Brendan and Ste were curled up on the sofa together when Ste broke the comfortable silence "Bren, I have to tell ya something"

"Hmm"

"Doug showed up today"

"What did he want"

"The deli, he says we're partners again 'cause he still owns it aswell"

"He doesn't have the right, he's been gone"

"Because of me, I left him... for you"

"What you regret it?"

"Never" Ste said turning his head and kissing Brendan

Doug was waiting outside of the deli when Ste showed up that morning "We used to open earlier than this"

"Things change"

"I was wondering if I could uh see the kids sometime maybe"

"No Doug it'll only confuse them if you just pop back into their lives"

"Yeah you're right"

Oisin was on his way to the deli for lunch when two boys from his school stepped out infront of him blocking his path "Yes?" Oisin asked nervously "Your face annoys me"

"That's nice, I'll just be going now"

"No you wont"

"You see there is a rumor going that you're queer" one of the boys said "Rumor being the opperative word"

"I don't know what that means"

"Obviously"

"You calling me stupid" Both boys lundged at him, Oisin foughted back as much as he could and came out with a sore eye and bloody lip

Oisin walked into the deli with slumped shoulders and his skateboard in hand "What happened?" Ste shouted "Nothing"

"It's not nothing Oisin look at your face"

"I'm fine"

"I'm ringing your dad"

"Don't"

"Why not?"

"I lost, dad and you know da he's tough and stuff and I just got jumped by two lads, I don't want him to know"

"He'll find out, you can't hide it from him"

"I know"

"He wont think any less of you"

"Dad"

"Come on then, I'll take you home, Doug can you watch the deli?"

"Yeah no problem"

Brendan was on his way over to the deli with the twins before he had to pick up Leah and Lucas and instead of finding Ste he found his boyfreind's husband, yep that's weird, "Douglas where's Stephen?"

"What no threat, not going to beat me up?"

"You think I'd do that infront of my children, Douglas?"

"Yeah actually I do"

"You obviously don't know me then"

"So, you and him got together then?"

"Yeah"

"And those two are yours and Ste's?"

"Yeah"

"And that other boy?"

"Yeah"

"I always knew you were trying to take him from me"

"This has been nice, Dougie but I'm on the school run"

"Your kid got beat up" Doug called after Brendan as he walked away wheeling the twins in their pram

Brendan walked into his home telling Leah and Lucas to go play out in the back garden, then put the twins in their play pen in the sitting room and went upstairs to find Oisin and Ste, Oisin and Ste were lying on Brendan and Ste's bed with Ste wrapped around Oisin's smaller frame "You okay, kid"

"Yeah"

"Real answer"

"No" Brendan sat down and put his hand in Oisin's hair "Wanna talk about it?"

"No"

"Okay" Brendan sighed and lay down pillowing Oisin between Ste and himself

Leah had named the puppy Princess but now that she knows princess is a prince she is letting Oisin name him for a pretty price ofcourse, Oisin named the puppy Merlin, Brendan found out about Oisin's obsession with Merlin last summer when he came home and found Oisin curled up and crying on the sofa because Arthur was dead and now Merlin had to wait to be with his one true love or something like that, Brendan's son is weird

Doug wanted Ste back and he was going to get him aswell and then he would get back the family he had started with him and Ste would finially move to America, Ste on the other hand wanted a divorce, he was okay with Doug being in the deli because he was being nice enough but he did not want to be anything more than business partners with Doug, Ste loved Brendan and if Brendan would ever agree to it he would marry him and even have more kids with him if he wanted although seven are a handful as it is

Brendan wasn't sure about Doug being here and he really didn't like it, for the first time in a very long time he is happy and that's all down to Ste and the kids, Oisin was doing better and had not closed off to much after he got jumped, Declan and Paddy were talking to him nearly every other night, Leah and Lucas saw him as their second father and that made him happier than anything thing had ever done and the twins were the most amazing and beautiful things that have ever graced the earth.

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