RP LOG with cantbuy_me | Family issues
Sophie held her finger to her lips before she took her husband's hand and led him quietly up the hall to their bedroom. They'd just left Liam in the spare room which was now his room for the time being while he took the time to recover and get healthy again. Sophie wasn't going to leave anything up to chance. She wanted to make sure that Liam ate, and that he rested. She realised that his studies and his surgical rounds were busy periods, but that didn't mean that he couldn't eat, and he couldn't sleep properly. She was surprised now that it had been highlighted by his collapse in the hospital just how skinny Liam had gotten.
It was strange to look at him, and remember the chubby-cheeked kid that had spent dinnertime sitting in her lap while he ate off her plate. She doted on her baby brother, and she'd do anything for Liam. Even take him in for as long as necessary.
Now that they were alone in their bedroom, and Liam was sleeping peacefully a few doors down, Sophie flopped onto the bed with a huge sigh. "I can't remember the last time I've scrambled this hard to take care of my brothers and sisters. I still have no fucking clue where Jess is, and that scares me. At least this way I know where Liam is."
Ethan was listening to what she was saying, he really was. He was just also kicking out of his shoes and shrugging out of his jacket at a rather rapid pace. Obviously, his brain had yet to connect to vital dots of the whole scenario. He was nodding in agreement, but his blue eyes were watching her sprawl back on the bed, his tongue stuck out the corner of his lips with keen interest. "Well, he's sick. Makes sense. Can't believe he got into this state, though, to be honest. Just shows how much everyone has been wrapped up in their own shit lately..." he commented. It was only when he was down to just his shirt, boxers and one sock that he abruptly paused, mid trying to yank his other sock off and nearly tumbled over at the end of the bed. He just stood there for a moment, blinking, and then looked down at what was already a healthy erection making itself known in his tight underwear, pointing over his shoulder with his black sock. "Oh fuck."
Sophie had been watching Ethan strip with a combination of amusement and arousal. She couldn't help it, she was still a newlywed and still very much in lust with her husband. She hadn't had any intention of pursuing anything, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the view. She was too worried about her siblings to even consider sex, but she did still want some husband time. She sat up and reached out to pull him onto the bed, healthy erection and all. "I know, sweetie. I know. It's not exactly sexy time. I'm sorry, but I need Liam here."
Ethan was speechless. This hadn't factored into the equation at all, and he really, really needed stress relief. Even more than really, maybe. Even though they had Liam in the car with them on the drive home, Ethan spent the whole ride thinking about sex with Sophie when they got home. That was the luxury of having a driver, daydreaming was easy on trips, even just across the city. While Sophie sat beside them hugging Liam, who pretty much slept the entirety of the short distance, Ethan daydreamed about getting laid. Comfort sex was needed after everything that he had witnessed with Tom and Stuart. In fact, he suspected he maybe even needed to go over and stay the night with Tom later, so comfort sex was needed now. Only, Liam was a light sleeper. That had been a fact Ethan was let in on early in his relationship with Sophie. Even though the Morgan Junior had been asleep a few minutes ago when Sophie seemed reluctant to leave him alone, that didn't mean the slightest thing wasn't going to wake him up, and this was why Ethan was finding himself and his erection abruptly cut off. "But..." he began, but the words died on his lips. "I'll be quiet!"
"Do you really want to traumatise my little brother with the sounds of you shagging his sister? Not to mention het sex." Sophie let Ethan rest on top of her, and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him softly. "You can be as quiet as you want to, love, I might just not be very responsive. I can't when he's just... It's too weird. It's been ages since I've tried to get any ninja action with my family in the house. Do you know how hard it was with seven other siblings not to get caught?" She nuzzled in against throat as she rubbed his back. "I could just give you a hand job."
"No! I don't know!" Ethan cried in a mix of exasperation and frustration. He huffed out a breath in annoyance, the inevitable sulk already starting to set in. He rolled off her and flopped onto his back, his hand already disappearing down into his jocks to cup himself like some sort of placating of his nether regions. It wasn't like he had ever had to encounter anything like siblings catching him... and the house he lived in growing up was so big, he was lucky to see his parents most days, let alone them hear him doing something like shagging a housemaid or the girl down the road everyone thought was a demure virgin. "I don't want one," he said, pouting. "Everyone else is allowed to have sex but me."
"Imagine having code calls, using Morse code, and even sticking a paper bag over a bloke's head all to try and sneak him past four bedrooms and then shoving a sock in his mouth to stop groans." Sophie shifted to rest on top of Ethan, her chin on his chest as she watched his face and slid her arm over his waist. "You're allowed to have sex, Ethan. I'm just... conscious of Liam. Besides, I'm not sure everyone is having sex. Stuart isn't. Tom isn't. Gus isn't. Lauren isn't. I'm pretty sure Jess isn't, and she might never have sex again. I know it's hard - pardon the pun - but I would really, really appreciate it if you could just hold off this once. We'll figure out a way to have sex once we know how Liam's going."
Ethan had grown up a spoiled, rich kid. An only child. He wasn't exactly sympathising at the moment, when he had always had sex on tap. There were always romantic prospects, chicks wanting him. He didn't really know anything else. "I'm not pawing all over you and demanding you fuck me, am I?" he pointed out with a frown, the sexual frustration making him annoyed that she was indicating he was doing her a favour by not pawing all over her. He kept his hands stiffly down by his sides, biting back any abrupt comments about this being how it would be if they ever had kids. "You realise you're going to be lucky if he has the confidence to touch another patient after this. He tries to help Tom and gets kicked in the balls, then has Stuart threatening to ruin his career if he touches him. If he doesn't have even a brief thought that he's going to suck as a doctor, he's inhuman. And what was all that about some professor Lauren was on about? That seemed as random as all fuck."
Sophie started to unbutton Ethan's shirt, her fingers moving swiftly over the buttons before she parted it and kissed his chest. Her hands smoothed over his torso and she smiled at the sight of the light spattering of hair. She always had preferred a man with hair. She hated the waxed ones. "Liam's last lay was a history professor. I think Lauren has it in her head to get the two of them together as something more permanent. But you know Liam, he doesn't do permanent." Soph lay her head against his chest, her cheek pressed against his warm skin as she let out a sigh. There was going to be no telling just how damaged Liam was by everything that had happened, not yet. The patient thing hadn't even entered her mind until Ethan mentioned it. "Shit," she murmured.
"I don't think Liam knows that you know. The glare he gave Lauren could've taken her down if it had physical force. The kid probably hardly has time to shit, let alone do permanent. That's something he's gotta realise he's ready for himself." Ethan looked up at the ceiling, his mind once again turning to Tom. He was so worried about his best mate, it wasn't even funny. The worst part was, he had no way of even helping him. He couldn't even technically offer him a place to stay, at least not a comfortable one. Liam had to be here at the moment so they could strap him down and force-feed him, if that's what it took. "He got in the middle of all this and copped a right beating for it. Patients aside, he might not go near Tom again."
Sophie pulled her mouth to the side as she slid her leg between Ethan's. "He's probably scared about thinking about any kind of relationship. He's probably scared to touch anyone right now. I can't blame him. Jesus, Ethan. I just want to make it all better for him, but I don't think I can, can I? We can feed him, but no one's going to give him his confidence back. I wonder how hard it would be to track that professor down... Li's always loved older guys. There's no way he'll settle down with someone his age, and I know he has to make the decision for himself, but if the professor could actually help him somehow... Just be a friend right now. I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking. Will Tom go near him?"
Ethan rubbed a hand over his face slowly, stifling the urge to moan. He was still painfully horny, and he knew there was no way he would sleep tonight. He took the day off work so they could sort things out with Liam, but he wasn't going to relax. "After everything, is it even a good idea to get the professor involved. It sounds like a whole lot of mess waiting to happen. The last thing Liam needs is more mess, especially if he thinks the rest of us have no clue about it. Still, if there is something going on there, the guy might get worried if Liam suddenly stops showing up. Assuming it's even anything. Liam's not exactly notorious for repeat acts, is he? Tom was one of the rare occurences." He pulled his lips to the side and shook his head. "Right now? No. I don't think he will. I think once he gets sleep and the enormity of Stuart being in hospital and the break up sets in, Tom's gonna realise that he's not ready to just accept the end. He won't risk any chances with Stuart, and Liam is a touchy subject."
Sophie looked down Ethan's body and slid her hand past the waistband of his boxers and curled her fingers around his length. She kissed Ethan's chest again and ran her tongue over her lips as she started to shuffle downwards. There was maybe just a small chance she was beginning to realise that she actually needed comfort sex too, but she still wasn't sure about trying to engage in it while Liam was a few doors down. Only her husband's penis was calling to her. "Probably not. So the professor is out. We'll just forget him for the moment. If Liam decides he needs him, he can call him. I guess I just have to learn that they're all adults now. I need to let them take care of their own lives. I wish we could have Tom here, but it's really not going to work, is it? I feel awful. Maybe you should just go and stay with him. I'll be alright here with Li."
Ethan let out a rough breath and tried not to get worked up at the mixed signals he was getting. He curled his fingers around her wrist to still her actions. "It's okay," he told her. "I'll just make a cup of tea or something instead. I don't know what to do about Tom. I feel sick thinking about what he's going through. I wish I could jump immediately to his defense and call Stuart all the wanker names under the sun, but I'm not angry at Stuart, either. Neither is Tom. He didn't want to leave him at the hospital. Probably one of the hardest things he did was walk away. He sent Stuart flowers... no card. I don't know what's going to happen. It wouldn't surprise me if Tom wanted to take up a drinking habit after this. It didn't take Stuart long to become his everything, and I really think that was a two-way street."
Sophie looked up at him and gave a shake of her head. "I want to. I'm sorry, love. I know I was a cow before. You will be quiet though, right? I know Liam's an adult, but he's still my baby brother. I don't want him waking up to sounds of us having sex. But I think we need it. I don't want us to end up like Stuart and Tom. I want to stay connected to you, physically and mentally. I want to just be with you. I need you, and I know you need me. So let me do this, okay?" She wriggled her wrist free of his grip and kissed a trail down his torso. "I want to protect them both. They're both like having another couple of brothers to me. They're family. It hurts more than anything to see Tom like this, and to see Stuart go through surgery on top of everything... It's not fair. It's just not fair. No card? Why not? Do you think they could ever get back together?"
Ethan was just restless by now, being cut off before was still playing on his mind. Didn't the reasons she gave him still stand? "No, I won't be quiet," he returned with a small frown down at her. "Nothing until Liam's gone. You can't have changed your mind that quickly. It doesn't matter what's needed, the point still stands. He didn't know what to say on the card, and he was worried Stuart's family would turf them the minute they saw who they were from. I don't think they would, but I guess you start worrying about shit like that. You know what they say about calling someone an idiot long enough and you start to believe it? Tom's feeling every bit of guilt and fear that he would if he had cheated on Stuart. On the other hand, I have no idea what Stuart's feeling. Part of me wants to try and talk to him, but Tom might kill me."
Sophie pulled her hand out of his briefs and shifted so she was lying level with him again. She was now on her stomach though, her fingers linked with his as she held his hand. Her eyes flicked over his face before falling closed briefly as she tried to consider the situation. "Okay, okay. And I can't help it if your cock just tends to start calling to me. You have a siren in your jocks. Tom's such a sweetheart. He's just a big... sexy teddy bear. He wouldn't have hurt Stuart. I still can't believe he would have ever really cheated, but you're right. Someone starts telling you one thing enough you do start believing it. Look at me with you. I'd convinced myself you were a shit, and that I didn't want anything to do with you. It takes time to break the mindset."
"Stuart never thought any of that about Tom, though. It's why this all came as such a blow to him. I don't know if he so much as believed it, as was too shocked to immediately see the truth. It came out in anger, especially after seeing that DVD of Tom and Liam. It wasn't his right hand he thumped the wall with, it was his left. With the ring." Ethan seemed to have a small frown just determined to stay set in his features right now. It was like he had so much to think about, but couldn't sort it all out rationally. "To top it all off, seems Liam had a genuine reason to be concerned about Tom's condition. I'm not sure I buy that he would have crossed that boundary if he wasn't genuinely worried about Tom."
"Go and stay with him," Sophie gently urged again. "It'll help us stay off the sex wagon, and it'll help ease your mind about Tom. You can also have that little chat to Stuart. I know Tom won't want you to, but I think as his best friend and as a friend of Stuart's you won't rest until you do. And I'd rather you did the things that eased your mind because I don't want you exploding on me again. I can't take another of my boys winding up in hospital."
Ethan gave a snort of ironic laughter. "I said exactly the same thing to Tom... minus the 'my boys' bit. I have no plans of occupying a hospital bed ever. You can just chuck me in the wheelie bin if it comes to that, I'm never being a patient, as much respect as I have for the medical industry. It's bad enough watching everyone else in those beds." He turned his head to meet her eyes with a heavy sigh. "I don't know what to do. I guess Liam has the right idea. Sleep on it. Hibernating seems like a really good idea right now. Only... Tom shouldn't be alone in that place. Not after he's come to see it has his and Stuart's home. All he's going to do is look everywhere and sees Stuart's stuff."
Sophie slid her arm over Ethan to give him a tight hug and kissed his cheek. "So go. You can catch up on sleep there. I think you need to be there for him. He hasn't got anyone else. Stuart has his brothers, his partner, his parents... Do Tom's parents even know? Maybe you should call them."
Ethan shook his head. "What the fuck am I supposed to say? There's being a best mate and there is completely crossing the boundaries. It's not my place to tell his parents that his relationship has split up. Are you going to be alright here with Liam? He seemed pretty out of it when we got home."
Sophie shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you should just urge him to call them. He'll need them. We always need our parents." She gave her husband a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, sweetheart. I've got years of practice. I think he's just going to need some quiet time. I won't try and push him too much. I'll just make sure he's okay."
"I'll be trying to urge him to talk to Jess, take time off work, think about Stuart, go to a doctor... there's only so much I'll get away with before he belts me in the face and tells me to fuck off out of his sight," Ethan pointed out. He sat up and brushed his fingers through his hair. "Make sure he eats, and shits, and whatever else it takes to get healthy. It's not like I'm the doctor of the family."
"Don't you two call them love smacks? I thought they were supposed to be good things..." Sophie dragged herself up next to Ethan and looked at him. "Or the poet," she teased quietly. "Goodbye kiss?"
Ethan gave a slight shrug. "There hasn't been a whole lot of good things lately, has there? I'm not going to mess with the odds." He was still dressed, he was still horny, and he was starting to get a headache now it was all catching up. He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss, touching her hair. "Let me know if you find Jess."
"Let me know if Tom needs anything. Or you." Sophie reached out to button up his shirt again. "I love you, Ethan Williamson. Take care of him. If you have to bring him back here, just do it. We'll find a way to manage with Li."
Ethan gave her another kiss and sighed as he reluctantly pulled out of it. "I might just have to do that. God help us. They'll just have to deal with it."
Word Count | 3,521
It was strange to look at him, and remember the chubby-cheeked kid that had spent dinnertime sitting in her lap while he ate off her plate. She doted on her baby brother, and she'd do anything for Liam. Even take him in for as long as necessary.
Now that they were alone in their bedroom, and Liam was sleeping peacefully a few doors down, Sophie flopped onto the bed with a huge sigh. "I can't remember the last time I've scrambled this hard to take care of my brothers and sisters. I still have no fucking clue where Jess is, and that scares me. At least this way I know where Liam is."
Ethan was listening to what she was saying, he really was. He was just also kicking out of his shoes and shrugging out of his jacket at a rather rapid pace. Obviously, his brain had yet to connect to vital dots of the whole scenario. He was nodding in agreement, but his blue eyes were watching her sprawl back on the bed, his tongue stuck out the corner of his lips with keen interest. "Well, he's sick. Makes sense. Can't believe he got into this state, though, to be honest. Just shows how much everyone has been wrapped up in their own shit lately..." he commented. It was only when he was down to just his shirt, boxers and one sock that he abruptly paused, mid trying to yank his other sock off and nearly tumbled over at the end of the bed. He just stood there for a moment, blinking, and then looked down at what was already a healthy erection making itself known in his tight underwear, pointing over his shoulder with his black sock. "Oh fuck."
Sophie had been watching Ethan strip with a combination of amusement and arousal. She couldn't help it, she was still a newlywed and still very much in lust with her husband. She hadn't had any intention of pursuing anything, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the view. She was too worried about her siblings to even consider sex, but she did still want some husband time. She sat up and reached out to pull him onto the bed, healthy erection and all. "I know, sweetie. I know. It's not exactly sexy time. I'm sorry, but I need Liam here."
Ethan was speechless. This hadn't factored into the equation at all, and he really, really needed stress relief. Even more than really, maybe. Even though they had Liam in the car with them on the drive home, Ethan spent the whole ride thinking about sex with Sophie when they got home. That was the luxury of having a driver, daydreaming was easy on trips, even just across the city. While Sophie sat beside them hugging Liam, who pretty much slept the entirety of the short distance, Ethan daydreamed about getting laid. Comfort sex was needed after everything that he had witnessed with Tom and Stuart. In fact, he suspected he maybe even needed to go over and stay the night with Tom later, so comfort sex was needed now. Only, Liam was a light sleeper. That had been a fact Ethan was let in on early in his relationship with Sophie. Even though the Morgan Junior had been asleep a few minutes ago when Sophie seemed reluctant to leave him alone, that didn't mean the slightest thing wasn't going to wake him up, and this was why Ethan was finding himself and his erection abruptly cut off. "But..." he began, but the words died on his lips. "I'll be quiet!"
"Do you really want to traumatise my little brother with the sounds of you shagging his sister? Not to mention het sex." Sophie let Ethan rest on top of her, and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him softly. "You can be as quiet as you want to, love, I might just not be very responsive. I can't when he's just... It's too weird. It's been ages since I've tried to get any ninja action with my family in the house. Do you know how hard it was with seven other siblings not to get caught?" She nuzzled in against throat as she rubbed his back. "I could just give you a hand job."
"No! I don't know!" Ethan cried in a mix of exasperation and frustration. He huffed out a breath in annoyance, the inevitable sulk already starting to set in. He rolled off her and flopped onto his back, his hand already disappearing down into his jocks to cup himself like some sort of placating of his nether regions. It wasn't like he had ever had to encounter anything like siblings catching him... and the house he lived in growing up was so big, he was lucky to see his parents most days, let alone them hear him doing something like shagging a housemaid or the girl down the road everyone thought was a demure virgin. "I don't want one," he said, pouting. "Everyone else is allowed to have sex but me."
"Imagine having code calls, using Morse code, and even sticking a paper bag over a bloke's head all to try and sneak him past four bedrooms and then shoving a sock in his mouth to stop groans." Sophie shifted to rest on top of Ethan, her chin on his chest as she watched his face and slid her arm over his waist. "You're allowed to have sex, Ethan. I'm just... conscious of Liam. Besides, I'm not sure everyone is having sex. Stuart isn't. Tom isn't. Gus isn't. Lauren isn't. I'm pretty sure Jess isn't, and she might never have sex again. I know it's hard - pardon the pun - but I would really, really appreciate it if you could just hold off this once. We'll figure out a way to have sex once we know how Liam's going."
Ethan had grown up a spoiled, rich kid. An only child. He wasn't exactly sympathising at the moment, when he had always had sex on tap. There were always romantic prospects, chicks wanting him. He didn't really know anything else. "I'm not pawing all over you and demanding you fuck me, am I?" he pointed out with a frown, the sexual frustration making him annoyed that she was indicating he was doing her a favour by not pawing all over her. He kept his hands stiffly down by his sides, biting back any abrupt comments about this being how it would be if they ever had kids. "You realise you're going to be lucky if he has the confidence to touch another patient after this. He tries to help Tom and gets kicked in the balls, then has Stuart threatening to ruin his career if he touches him. If he doesn't have even a brief thought that he's going to suck as a doctor, he's inhuman. And what was all that about some professor Lauren was on about? That seemed as random as all fuck."
Sophie started to unbutton Ethan's shirt, her fingers moving swiftly over the buttons before she parted it and kissed his chest. Her hands smoothed over his torso and she smiled at the sight of the light spattering of hair. She always had preferred a man with hair. She hated the waxed ones. "Liam's last lay was a history professor. I think Lauren has it in her head to get the two of them together as something more permanent. But you know Liam, he doesn't do permanent." Soph lay her head against his chest, her cheek pressed against his warm skin as she let out a sigh. There was going to be no telling just how damaged Liam was by everything that had happened, not yet. The patient thing hadn't even entered her mind until Ethan mentioned it. "Shit," she murmured.
"I don't think Liam knows that you know. The glare he gave Lauren could've taken her down if it had physical force. The kid probably hardly has time to shit, let alone do permanent. That's something he's gotta realise he's ready for himself." Ethan looked up at the ceiling, his mind once again turning to Tom. He was so worried about his best mate, it wasn't even funny. The worst part was, he had no way of even helping him. He couldn't even technically offer him a place to stay, at least not a comfortable one. Liam had to be here at the moment so they could strap him down and force-feed him, if that's what it took. "He got in the middle of all this and copped a right beating for it. Patients aside, he might not go near Tom again."
Sophie pulled her mouth to the side as she slid her leg between Ethan's. "He's probably scared about thinking about any kind of relationship. He's probably scared to touch anyone right now. I can't blame him. Jesus, Ethan. I just want to make it all better for him, but I don't think I can, can I? We can feed him, but no one's going to give him his confidence back. I wonder how hard it would be to track that professor down... Li's always loved older guys. There's no way he'll settle down with someone his age, and I know he has to make the decision for himself, but if the professor could actually help him somehow... Just be a friend right now. I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking. Will Tom go near him?"
Ethan rubbed a hand over his face slowly, stifling the urge to moan. He was still painfully horny, and he knew there was no way he would sleep tonight. He took the day off work so they could sort things out with Liam, but he wasn't going to relax. "After everything, is it even a good idea to get the professor involved. It sounds like a whole lot of mess waiting to happen. The last thing Liam needs is more mess, especially if he thinks the rest of us have no clue about it. Still, if there is something going on there, the guy might get worried if Liam suddenly stops showing up. Assuming it's even anything. Liam's not exactly notorious for repeat acts, is he? Tom was one of the rare occurences." He pulled his lips to the side and shook his head. "Right now? No. I don't think he will. I think once he gets sleep and the enormity of Stuart being in hospital and the break up sets in, Tom's gonna realise that he's not ready to just accept the end. He won't risk any chances with Stuart, and Liam is a touchy subject."
Sophie looked down Ethan's body and slid her hand past the waistband of his boxers and curled her fingers around his length. She kissed Ethan's chest again and ran her tongue over her lips as she started to shuffle downwards. There was maybe just a small chance she was beginning to realise that she actually needed comfort sex too, but she still wasn't sure about trying to engage in it while Liam was a few doors down. Only her husband's penis was calling to her. "Probably not. So the professor is out. We'll just forget him for the moment. If Liam decides he needs him, he can call him. I guess I just have to learn that they're all adults now. I need to let them take care of their own lives. I wish we could have Tom here, but it's really not going to work, is it? I feel awful. Maybe you should just go and stay with him. I'll be alright here with Li."
Ethan let out a rough breath and tried not to get worked up at the mixed signals he was getting. He curled his fingers around her wrist to still her actions. "It's okay," he told her. "I'll just make a cup of tea or something instead. I don't know what to do about Tom. I feel sick thinking about what he's going through. I wish I could jump immediately to his defense and call Stuart all the wanker names under the sun, but I'm not angry at Stuart, either. Neither is Tom. He didn't want to leave him at the hospital. Probably one of the hardest things he did was walk away. He sent Stuart flowers... no card. I don't know what's going to happen. It wouldn't surprise me if Tom wanted to take up a drinking habit after this. It didn't take Stuart long to become his everything, and I really think that was a two-way street."
Sophie looked up at him and gave a shake of her head. "I want to. I'm sorry, love. I know I was a cow before. You will be quiet though, right? I know Liam's an adult, but he's still my baby brother. I don't want him waking up to sounds of us having sex. But I think we need it. I don't want us to end up like Stuart and Tom. I want to stay connected to you, physically and mentally. I want to just be with you. I need you, and I know you need me. So let me do this, okay?" She wriggled her wrist free of his grip and kissed a trail down his torso. "I want to protect them both. They're both like having another couple of brothers to me. They're family. It hurts more than anything to see Tom like this, and to see Stuart go through surgery on top of everything... It's not fair. It's just not fair. No card? Why not? Do you think they could ever get back together?"
Ethan was just restless by now, being cut off before was still playing on his mind. Didn't the reasons she gave him still stand? "No, I won't be quiet," he returned with a small frown down at her. "Nothing until Liam's gone. You can't have changed your mind that quickly. It doesn't matter what's needed, the point still stands. He didn't know what to say on the card, and he was worried Stuart's family would turf them the minute they saw who they were from. I don't think they would, but I guess you start worrying about shit like that. You know what they say about calling someone an idiot long enough and you start to believe it? Tom's feeling every bit of guilt and fear that he would if he had cheated on Stuart. On the other hand, I have no idea what Stuart's feeling. Part of me wants to try and talk to him, but Tom might kill me."
Sophie pulled her hand out of his briefs and shifted so she was lying level with him again. She was now on her stomach though, her fingers linked with his as she held his hand. Her eyes flicked over his face before falling closed briefly as she tried to consider the situation. "Okay, okay. And I can't help it if your cock just tends to start calling to me. You have a siren in your jocks. Tom's such a sweetheart. He's just a big... sexy teddy bear. He wouldn't have hurt Stuart. I still can't believe he would have ever really cheated, but you're right. Someone starts telling you one thing enough you do start believing it. Look at me with you. I'd convinced myself you were a shit, and that I didn't want anything to do with you. It takes time to break the mindset."
"Stuart never thought any of that about Tom, though. It's why this all came as such a blow to him. I don't know if he so much as believed it, as was too shocked to immediately see the truth. It came out in anger, especially after seeing that DVD of Tom and Liam. It wasn't his right hand he thumped the wall with, it was his left. With the ring." Ethan seemed to have a small frown just determined to stay set in his features right now. It was like he had so much to think about, but couldn't sort it all out rationally. "To top it all off, seems Liam had a genuine reason to be concerned about Tom's condition. I'm not sure I buy that he would have crossed that boundary if he wasn't genuinely worried about Tom."
"Go and stay with him," Sophie gently urged again. "It'll help us stay off the sex wagon, and it'll help ease your mind about Tom. You can also have that little chat to Stuart. I know Tom won't want you to, but I think as his best friend and as a friend of Stuart's you won't rest until you do. And I'd rather you did the things that eased your mind because I don't want you exploding on me again. I can't take another of my boys winding up in hospital."
Ethan gave a snort of ironic laughter. "I said exactly the same thing to Tom... minus the 'my boys' bit. I have no plans of occupying a hospital bed ever. You can just chuck me in the wheelie bin if it comes to that, I'm never being a patient, as much respect as I have for the medical industry. It's bad enough watching everyone else in those beds." He turned his head to meet her eyes with a heavy sigh. "I don't know what to do. I guess Liam has the right idea. Sleep on it. Hibernating seems like a really good idea right now. Only... Tom shouldn't be alone in that place. Not after he's come to see it has his and Stuart's home. All he's going to do is look everywhere and sees Stuart's stuff."
Sophie slid her arm over Ethan to give him a tight hug and kissed his cheek. "So go. You can catch up on sleep there. I think you need to be there for him. He hasn't got anyone else. Stuart has his brothers, his partner, his parents... Do Tom's parents even know? Maybe you should call them."
Ethan shook his head. "What the fuck am I supposed to say? There's being a best mate and there is completely crossing the boundaries. It's not my place to tell his parents that his relationship has split up. Are you going to be alright here with Liam? He seemed pretty out of it when we got home."
Sophie shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you should just urge him to call them. He'll need them. We always need our parents." She gave her husband a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, sweetheart. I've got years of practice. I think he's just going to need some quiet time. I won't try and push him too much. I'll just make sure he's okay."
"I'll be trying to urge him to talk to Jess, take time off work, think about Stuart, go to a doctor... there's only so much I'll get away with before he belts me in the face and tells me to fuck off out of his sight," Ethan pointed out. He sat up and brushed his fingers through his hair. "Make sure he eats, and shits, and whatever else it takes to get healthy. It's not like I'm the doctor of the family."
"Don't you two call them love smacks? I thought they were supposed to be good things..." Sophie dragged herself up next to Ethan and looked at him. "Or the poet," she teased quietly. "Goodbye kiss?"
Ethan gave a slight shrug. "There hasn't been a whole lot of good things lately, has there? I'm not going to mess with the odds." He was still dressed, he was still horny, and he was starting to get a headache now it was all catching up. He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss, touching her hair. "Let me know if you find Jess."
"Let me know if Tom needs anything. Or you." Sophie reached out to button up his shirt again. "I love you, Ethan Williamson. Take care of him. If you have to bring him back here, just do it. We'll find a way to manage with Li."
Ethan gave her another kiss and sighed as he reluctantly pulled out of it. "I might just have to do that. God help us. They'll just have to deal with it."
Word Count | 3,521