Chapter Thirty Four
When Ste walked into the flat, Brendan was sat on the sofa, head bowed and palms pressed together. He looked up sharply when Ste closed the front door behind him. His blue eyes were panicked and nervous, but he also looked determined. Ste took several, cautious steps towards him, still reeling from the argument with Sam.
"Ye okay?" Brendan asked, fingers twisting together.
"I spoke to my dad," Ste answered carefully, taking a seat next to Brendan on the sofa.
"Yeah?" Brendan glanced up and then quickly away. His shoulders were tensed up, like he couldn't relax.
"You were right," Ste said, biting his lip and looking down at the floor. "He did want to split us up."
"He told ye?"
"Eventually," Ste looked up, catching Brendan in his gaze. "I'm sorry."
"Steven…" Brendan reached out to touch his face tentatively. "I told ye; ye never have to apologise to me."
"I don't want it to be like that, Bren. I want us to be equal, you know?"
Brendan twitched then, taking his hand away. "I know."
Ste looked at him strangely. "What is it?"
Brendan took a deep breath. "There's something. Something I haven't told ye."
Ste nodded, bracing himself for the news. "Is it bad?" He asked when Brendan didn't offer him anything more. "Because if it is, I'm sure we can get through it together, right?"
"Right," Brendan nodded, still twitching and holding himself stiff. "I'm scared," He breathed out unevenly, laughing a little.
Ste reached out to take his hands, gripping them tightly. "Is this why you've been acting weird? What you're about to tell me?"
Brendan nodded, hardly able to meet Ste's eyes. "It's been on my mind a lot. Since Ireland actually."
"Ireland?" Ste frowned, not understanding.
"It made me realise a few things," Brendan said, sounding the most nervous Ste had ever seen him. It was terrifying and fascinating in equal measure.
"What things?" Ste gulped, holding Brendan's hands tighter. "Are you finishing with me?"
"What?" Brendan blinked, incredulous and caught off guard. "No! No, of course I'm not. Why would ye even say that?"
"I dunno. You've just been a bit… upset lately and right now you look like you're about to tell me you're dying. Oh shit, you're not are you? Tell me you're not!"
"No, it's not that," Brendan closed his eyes, making shushing noises to calm him. "Indestructible, remember?" He laughed, voice shaking a little.
"Then what is it?" Ste pressed. "You're really scaring me now."
Brendan's body snapped to attention. He turned in the sofa, still holding Ste's hands. Ste turned with him, leaning forwards anxiously.
"I love ye," Brendan said quietly, finally able to look Ste in the eye.
"Tell me something I don't know," Ste smiled, remembering a happy time.
Brendan's face twisted, apparently too preoccupied to recall the memory.
"I want… I want to…" Brendan grinned in that odd way of his, eventually smoothing his face out and looking at Ste directly once more. "I want to marry ye."
Ste blinked. Once. Twice. He stared at Brendan for an indeterminate amount of time. Brendan reached forwards to close his mouth for him.
"Say something. Please."
"I…" Ste could barely form sentences in his mind, let alone at loud. "Sorry, what?"
"Marry me," Brendan said, a little stronger this time. Ste had never seen him like this, so completely open and vulnerable and yet happy at the same time. Nothing else compared to this.
"You want to… marry me?" Ste blinked again.
"Yes. Very much," Brendan swallowed thickly. "I've actually been arranging it for some time, on the off chance that ye might, ye know, say yes?"
"Marriage," Ste's head was swimming.
"Yeah, this time with me though, not the American," Brendan bit out a laugh. "It won't be like that. I can make ye happy, Steven."
"You say you've already been arranging it?" Ste's brain was beginning to catch up with him.
"Anne already knows, she's been helping. Ye know what she's like. Father Des too, he agreed to do it for us."
Ste's head finally cleared at those last few words. "He did? Really? That must have meant so much to you."
"It did. Mean a lot more if ye say yes though."
"I haven't said yes yet?"
"No," Brendan shook his head, smiling a little. "Good time would be now."
"Yes!" Ste said, louder than he'd intended and feeling a little foolish as a result.
When Brendan smiled though, Ste forgot all of that. The pure, unadulterated joy on his face was something Ste hadn't seen for a long time. Next thing he knew, Brendan was on top of him, kissing him all over.
"Fuck," He growled, kissing Ste so hard it knocked both of them over on the sofa. "I'm gonna fuck ye now."
"Alright," Ste said weakly, almost delirious with happiness.
Brendan hastily tugged his trousers and boxers down, grappling with Ste's legs in the process. Ste lifted his arse to accommodate him, tugging at Brendan's shirt.
"This is all so sudden," Ste gasped, once they were laid bare to each other and Brendan's hands were making their way down his body.
Brendan paused in his movements, looking at Ste quizzically.
"Not the sex," Ste said hastily. "The… proposal."
Brendan smiled then, putting his fingers inside Ste's mouth to cover them in saliva.
"Ye think?" He withdrew them slowly, brushing the tip of his finger over Ste's moistened lips.
"I mean, yeah. Before you went to prison, I wanted to ask you and everything but then Kevin and Walker, and you know…" Ste trailed off, wishing he could shut himself up but not knowing how to.
"Ye did? Ye wanted to ask me?" Brendan stared at him in wonder, hands stilled before reaching their destination.
"At the deli that night we baked bread," Ste explained quickly, feeling foolish all over again.
Brendan's expression changed to one of regret. "I didn't know."
Ste brushed him off. "How could you know? It was a mess."
"It won't be now," Brendan promised, testing one finger against Ste's entry.
"Let's talk about it afterwards," Ste breathed, sucking in air as Brendan pushed the first finger inside, the movement inside of him making an obscene sound, magnified when he entered more.
"Okay?" Brendan's fingers hooked and twisted, stretching him open.
Ste nodded, pulling Brendan by his shoulders to rest on top of him, bringing their lips together in a searing kiss. Brendan's cock nudged against him, wide enough now to slide in expertly.
Everything after that was a blur of pleasure and the tangle of bodies. Ste liked it when he felt Brendan's weight on top of him; that feeling of being completely taken; a sensation he'd only ever gotten with Brendan.
The sofa was an awkward place to fuck but Ste shifted himself as best he could, wrapping his legs around Brendan's waist and drawing him in closer and closer, feeling the hot slide of their bodies together.
"Ye do realise," Brendan whispered, breath warm against his ear. "You'll be a Brady."
Ste cried out, orgasm coiling out of him. He bucked against Brendan, dragging him in deeper. "You complete bastard," He swore, pleased when Brendan's face contorted and his own orgasm was ripped out of him.
Brendan rolled to the side, taking Ste with him so he was laid half on top of him. Their bodies were slick with sweat despite it being a cold day. Brendan trailed his fingers up and down Ste's spine, making him shiver.
"I can't believe this," Ste whispered, awestruck.
"What's that?" Brendan murmured, relaxed and drowsy as he often was after sex.
"You! Keeping this quiet for so long."
"Me? Keep a secret? Come on," Brendan flashed him a grin. "Least it's a good one, eh?"
"The best," Ste agreed, resting his head against Brendan's chest. "When?"
"When?" Brendan's hand moved to curl in Ste's hair.
"When will we… you know," Ste felt himself blush, redness spreading across his face and neck.
"Oh," Brendan moved to a seated position, pulling Ste back into his arms once they were comfortable. "I was thinking really soon actually. Like… next week."
"Next week?" Ste turned his head to stare at him. "What's the rush?"
"I don't want to waste anymore time," Brendan said softly. "We've wasted enough already."
"Is that why you asked about moving away?" Ste asked suddenly, realisation dawning on him. "Is this all a part of the fresh start?"
Brendan nodded against him. "What do ye say?"
"I'm not sure I'm ready to leave here," Ste admitted honestly. "But I am ready to marry you, sooner the better."
"Good enough for me," Brendan tilted his face towards him for a long kiss. "We better get packing then."
"What?"
"Well, we can't stay here, can we?"
"You think dad will stop us somehow?" Ste frowned.
"Maybe. I don't really want to stick around to find out."
"I guess you're right," Ste sighed, leaning forwards out of Brendan's embrace. "He'll be worried though."
"Leave him a note," Brendan came up behind him, kissing his shoulder and wrapping his arms around his waist.
"Saying what? 'Sorry, Dad I've run off with Brendan to elope'?"
Brendan grazed his teeth against his skin. "Maybe just the sorry part? Not that ye need to be of course."
Ste nodded. "I just hope he doesn't come after us. Where are we gonna go anyway?"
"I'll book us into a hotel," Brendan said, reaching for the laptop.
"We could go to that one we went to before."
"Which?"
Ste frowned, thinking. "Maybe that first one we went to? Better memories than the last."
"Right," Brendan said awkwardly, replacing the laptop on his lap instead of Ste.
"I'll go pack for us," Ste said, slipping his clothes back on.
"Ye want a king-size?"
"Always," Ste winked, scurrying down to the bedroom.
"Good answer," Brendan called after him, chuckling.
Within the hour, Ste had packed two bags for them and Brendan had sorted the hotel out.
"We'll call Anne on the way, let her know what's happening," Brendan said as he put their bags into the car.
"Are we having it at a church?"
"Yeah, that a problem?"
"No. Not really religious though, me."
Brendan shrugged, opening the door for him. "Doesn't matter. Father Des only asked that we have an interview with him beforehand."
"Interview?" Ste scrunched his face up, turning the heater on in the car. "Like we're going for a job or something?"
Brendan turned to him, smiling. "Have ye even had a job interview before?"
"Yeah!" Ste answered, a little too quickly. "Maybe not recently, but-"
"It's not like a job interview," Brendan cut in. "He just wants to talk to us, make sure we know what we're doing."
"And do we?" Ste asked as Brendan's car started moving.
"Who knows. But we got each other, right?"
"Right," Ste agreed, nodding.
They didn't drive far; the hotel was a good thirty minutes away. Ste remembered the first time he had gone with Brendan to one, bruises still fading on his ribs, fear and excitement coursing through him. He felt the same now but for different reasons. Brendan, as though reading his thoughts, reached across to squeeze his thigh reassuringly.
"Nearly there," He told him, looking out at the road again.
Mitzeee had been overcome with happiness at the news, informing them she absolutely had to be there for it.
"After all, I like to think I played a part in getting you together in the first place."
"Really?" Ste asked sceptically. "You mean when you became Brendan's beard, or when you unlocked the door of the office and had Rae catch us or-"
"Alright!" Mitzeee interrupted. "Point taken. I still want to be there though."
"Of course," Ste said, glancing over at Brendan. "Wouldn't do it without you."
"Naturally," Mitzeee replied breezily. "What about Sam?"
"Well we'll have to do it without him."
"Obviously. But what should I tell him if he asks where you are?"
"Just say we're safe and we'll be back soon," Ste said carefully. "Don't tell him about the wedding though." The word sounded unusual on Ste's lips. He smiled to himself, elated again.
They pulled up outside the hotel, grander than Ste remembered it being. Perhaps the first time he'd been so distracted by what they were about to do and how they would pull it off that he hadn't noticed. Brendan parked up, slipping easily out of the car and retrieving their bags. Ste hung back, unsure and a little hesitant.
"Ye coming?" Brendan poked his head in, eyes glittering in the darkness of the night.
"Sorry," Ste shook his head, stepping out of the car. The air was cold on his face, making him wince. He suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders and blinked up at Brendan, now devoid of his black coat.
"Thought ye could use it more than me," He shrugged, nonchalant. Ste smiled into the fabric, the scent of Brendan strong in his nostrils.
The woman at reception smiled at them brightly, her long, dark hair swept behind her back. She took their reservation number, giving them a coy smile when she read out loud that they'd booked the king-size suite. Brendan turned to Ste, hand firm and reassuring at the small of his back.
The room was amazing. Ste immediately bounced on the bed, messing the primly ordered covers in the process. Brendan laughed, dumping their bags by the door to join him. He pulled him underneath his body, straddling him.
"This is almost like old times," Ste smirked, wriggling a little under Brendan's weight.
"I like to think it's better though," Brendan murmured, kissing him lightly on the lips.
"Obviously," Ste replied, sighing contently. "So what now?"
Brendan raised his eyebrows, slowly beginning to smile. "What do ye think?"
"Again?" Ste wasn't surprised. He felt Brendan's hand on his waist, the other holding himself upright.
"Might as well make use of the bed," Brendan gave an experimental bounce.
"We're never gonna leave it, are we?" Ste asked softly, Brendan's hands already pushing his shirt up and finding the smooth skin underneath.
"Tomorrow we do. Interview, remember?"
"Tomorrow?" Ste yelped, taken off guard.
"Is that a problem?" Brendan cocked his head to one side, hand hovering over Ste's stomach.
"No it's fine, just wasn't expecting it that soon," Ste blushed. "What if he doesn't like me?"
"Who wouldn't like you?" Brendan kissed him again as if demonstrating Ste's appeal.
"Yeah but he isn't gonna kiss me, is he?" Ste pointed out.
"Better not," Brendan growled, moving his lips to Ste's neck and sucking hard at his flesh.
The conversation took a different turn after that, comprised of groans and hurried instructions. Ste made good use of the bed, spreading himself out and giving Brendan free reign of his body.
By the time they were finished, Ste could feel his eyelids beginning to droop. He barely had the energy to move his body up towards the pillow; his limbs felt stretched and loose.
Brendan, in contrast, was moving freely about the room, cock dangling between his legs with all the bravado and pride he possessed. He was pouring them drinks from the mini bar having already wiped the sticky mess from Ste's stomach.
"Not tired already?" Brendan turned, seating himself at the corner of the bed and nudging Ste's foot with his knee.
"Maybe," Ste murmured into the soft, fluffy pillow.
"I thought ye were younger than me," Brendan teased. Ste heard the clink of the glasses being put on the side before he felt Brendan next to him once more.
"Someone's in a good mood," Ste noted, voice half-muffled by the pillow.
"And why not?" Brendan wrapped an arm around Ste's waist, fingers lightly trailing against his skin.
Ste's phone buzzed distantly, interrupting them. Brendan leaned across the bed to retrieve it, tucked in Ste's trousers.
"Samuel again. I thought ye were turning this thing off?"
"How many times has he called now?" Ste asked, lifting his head slightly.
"Fifteen," Brendan sighed, still holding Ste's phone.
"He's probably just worried," Ste said, frowning. "Maybe I should call him back, let him know I'm alright."
"That's up to ye," Brendan said, handing him his phone. He seemed reluctant to do so but this was the way it had to be now.
"He might come after us though," Ste said thoughtfully.
Brendan simply looked at him, not offering an opinion. Eventually he turned to take a sip of one of the drinks, handing the other to Ste.
"I guess I can call him after," Ste finally decided, switching his phone off.
"He won't be pleased," Brendan warned him.
"He isn't anyway," Ste shrugged.
Brendan took the glass from his hand, putting them to the side. "Ye wanna sleep? Talk?"
"Sleep."
"Alright," Brendan smoothed a hand through his hair, pulling him against his chest.
"Bren?" Ste asked, nose nudging against his throat.
"Mm?"
"Why do you want to marry me?"
"I thought ye wanted to sleep," Brendan replied.
"I do but… I just need to know."
Brendan pulled the covers over them, keeping his arm securely around Ste.
"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Brendan said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Tell me," Ste pressed, making himself comfortable.
"Well I love ye, that's certainly a start."
"But why marriage?" Ste looked up at him questioningly, feeling less tired and more alert.
"I guess I'm pretty old fashioned still," Brendan said, his chest rumbling with each word. "Plus it would be a fresh start; put everything else behind us and start again, together."
"We are together though," Ste pointed out. "But I get what you mean. More real, innit?"
"Eloquently put," Brendan laughed.
"I never expected this," Ste said truthfully. "It feels really good though."
"Always happy to hear that," Brendan pulled him closer, arms encircling him.
"I think I can sleep now," Ste yawned, burying his face further into Brendan's chest. "Night…" He paused, feeling delightfully wicked. "Hubby."