It Beats This Hard [3/5]
Go Back?
Don't forget the non-fish aliens: Mordent (16)|Dinah (15)|Aaron (14)|Melchior (12)|Sebastian (9)|Curtis (9)|Oscar (8)
Ali had just put the kettle on when there was a knock at the door. He waited, expecting one of his older children to get it, but there was no answering shriek, no thundering down the stairs. The Indian man sighed softly and stood up to get it.
The blonde on the other side of the door looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn't until Oscar had wound himself around his legs with a shriek of "TOM!" That Ali had made the connection. He went to slam the door in the older man's face, but the blonde's foot was in the way.
"We need to talk." The American said firmly. "I'm not leaving until we have. As soon as we have, I'll go."
Grudgingly, Ali stepped back to let him in. He saw a tiny blonde boy peering curiously out the car window. The boy disappeared as soon as he saw Ali looking at him. "Your boy can come in if you want."
Tom gestured to the boy, who slid silently out the car and followed them. "Thanks. I won't take long."
Ali led Tom to the kitchen. "Say your piece and then leave." He ordered.
"You need to see this." Tom handed a thick book to it. "Teddy let me take these, on the condition that I never put them on my website."
Tentatively, the Indian man opened the portfolio. The first page was a hospital bed, with a familiar figure lying in it. Ali flicked through the pictures. He realised what this was - documentation of Teddy's recovery. Tom's eyes never left his face. Ali kept his face impassive as he looked at the vivid scar that cut neatly across his ex-husband's back, following his spine. The cut across Teddy's chest looked faded and old, compared to the new ones.
"Why are you showing me this?" Ali asked bluntly.
"Because I knew Teddy wouldn't." Tom put another portfolio down on the counter. Ali suddenly noticed how misshapen his hands were, with dark marks spread across the backs of his palms and fingers bent out of shape. "He is scared of you seeing that, and what reaction you'll have. He is scared he'll hurt you again. He is absolutely terrified, but he's Teddy, he won't admit it." The blonde cleared his throat uneasily. "We're going to go now. Have a look at this one when we've gone. I was a bit of a stalker when I was at school."
"You're still now." Ali remarked incredulously. "You followed me home from school."
"Details." The American grinned wickedly. He leant around the door frame. “Oh, and by the way, I saw you looking at my hands. You can blame Teddy for them.”
-
Ali opened the second portfolio tentatively. The Indian man blinked in shock - he didn't think he'd seen so many pictures of Teddy in his life.
He skimmed through the pictures, not wanting to look too closely in case he saw something he didn’t want to see - Teddy and Tom, namely. And there were pictures of them. He’d forgotten that Tom used to be part of the group that wore Doc Martens and long black coats to school. Teddy was shorter than him then.
Tom hadn’t stopped taking pictures after Teddy and he split up. There were still pictures. Pictures of Teddy playing his cello in that concert. He’d even managed to get a picture of their first kiss - well, their first kiss in public. Ali smiled faintly and brushed his fingers across it.
He suddenly stepped away, slammed the portfolio closed. He knew what Tom was planning. It wouldn’t work.
He turned to the end of the portfolio. He didn’t want to see pictures of Teddy and Tom’s oh so happy marriage, not when Tom had fucked up his own. Despite his thoughts, despite everything, the last picture made his lips quirk. Teddy sprawled out, asleep on the couch, the tiny blonde boy that Ali recognised as Tom’s son curled up on his chest.
Ali buried his head in his hands. The pictures were making memories spring up in his mind, memories of waking up on a Sunday morning, knowing that neither of them had to work, curling up against him and trying to get back to sleep until Oscar and Sebastian came in to wish them good morning by jumping on them. Teddy muttering something in a voice still rasping with sleep, tickling Oscar until he squealed shrilly. The feel of Teddy’s lips against his, their bodies pressed together in a way that fitted, a way that had never fitted with Sarah.
The Indian man made a sound of frustration, his eyes still covered.
“Pa?” He jolted out of his reverie when Sebastian hopped onto one of the seats at the counter. “What’s up?” He watched as the boy reached for the portfolio on the island. “Hey, it’s Curtis!”
-
“I don’t get it.” Oscar huffed for the ninth time. His father suppressed a sigh of agitation, screwing up the paper he’d been scribbling on and adding it to the little mountain of paper balls he had already accumulated.
“Ok, you don’t have enough to take from here, do you?” The little boy stared blankly at him. “One can’t take away seven, can it?” Oscar shook his head. “So you borrow ten from this row, what row is this?”
“The tens.” His youngest son parroted obediently.
“And that makes it-” Teddy broke off, as the door slammed open. “Ali?”
“I hate you.” The Indian man said softly. His ex-husband stood up, and he lashed out involuntarily, catching Teddy across the face. The cellist closed his eyes, touching the blood that was already welling up on his cheek. Oscar gave a cry of horror.
“Ali, you’re upsetting Oscar.” The older man murmured, his eyes still closed. His fingers were stained red. He didn’t see Ali coming towards him, but he felt the other’s presence, and flinched when a set of fingers covered over his own.
He wasn’t expecting a pair of lips to touch his, moving gently and chastely. His eyes fluttered open to stare at Ali - to make sure it was Ali, and not Tom - and a hand smoothed down to land at the small of the other man’s back. They’d both forgotten Oscar was in the room, watching through his fingers.
Ali broke apart before the kiss could deepen too much, resting his forehead on the other’s. “Tom came to see me.”
“How did he know where you lived?” The cellist’s brow furrowed.
“He followed me home.”
“That is so Tom.” Teddy suddenly felt his knees going. “Whoa.” He cast around behind him for the stool, aware of the younger man’s eyes fixed worriedly on him. “I’m alright, I’m fine, they do this, the crash and all that, awkward position.”
“Dad?” Oscar asked in a small voice. “Pa?” The two men froze. Teddy leant across to look the little boy in the eye.
“Oscar, what you just saw, that’s private, ok? It’s a secret, can you keep a secret? That means not telling anyone.” He stared unblinking into his eyes. “Can you do that?”
“Yeah.” The Indian boy nodded. “I kept the secret that Melky had the last cookie. Ooops.” He giggled and skipped off.
“What did Tom say to you?” Teddy asked suspiciously.
Ali moved a hand to toy with Teddy’s hair lightly, curling his hand in the other’s hair. “He just opened my eyes to what I really wanted.”
-
“BAD INFLUENCE!” Teddy didn’t even blink when the door was flung open. His American best friend folded his arms. “Guess where I’ve just been.”
“School.” The engineer sighed, keeping his eyes on the screen. “Curtis and Bastian got into another fight. Ali called.”
“Your kids are seriously a bad influence.”
“None of them told Curtis that he had to stick up for Bastian every time one of your son’s bratty little friends decided to start shoving him around. It’s your son’s inbuilt loyalty - something that he obviously didn’t inherit from you.” Teddy raised an eyebrow as Tom pushed him away from his desk slightly and sat on the younger man’s lap. “I do have a boyfriend, you know.”
“Do you now?” Tom merely grinned. “Does this mean I can’t do this?” He leant up and kissed the other man softly. Teddy, expecting it, kept his mouth shut. “Spoilsport.”
“I actually want my relationship to last this time. And anyway, didn’t anyone tell you not to interfere with other people’s lives?” He tried to push the blonde off his lap, but Tom had his arms around his neck and he clung on like a limpet. “Oh you are annoying.”
“But you love me.” The American puckered his lips and pressed a kiss to the other’s jaw. He sobered up and slid off his ex-husband’s lap to perch on the desk. “So, tell me.”
“He hit me.” Teddy confessed, running a finger along the sensitive skin on his cheek. “He hit me, and then he kissed me, and it developed from there.”
“Did you fuck him?”
“No, shut up!” The cellist flushed slightly. Absentmindedly, Tom swung his legs into Teddy’s lap, kicking off a flip flop - Tom always wore flip flops - to draw circles on Teddy’s calf with his toe. “You are such a flirt.”
There was a shy clearing of the throat at the doorway, and the two men looked up to see Ali standing there awkwardly. “I...”
“Thomas, leave.” Teddy ordered curtly, his eyes fixed on his boyfriend. Slightly affronted, the blond jumped off the desk. “See you Saturday.”
“Somehow I doubt it.” The blonde responded challengingly, before closing the door behind him.
-
“This is a slight step up from climbing through your window.” Ali commented in a low voice as his boyfriend shut the door as silently as he could.
“No talking until we’re in the bedroom.” Teddy muttered, walking up the stairs. “Follow my footsteps exactly.” The Indian man obeyed, holding his breath. It was too soon for anyone to find out. “...And we’re safe.”
“Even tenser than climbing out your window.” Ali smiled softly as Teddy took his face in his hands, kissing him gently. The engineer deepened the kiss, pushing him down onto the bed and moving a hand to tangle it in his hair. In response, Ali hooked his thumb in Teddy’s jeans, a little surprised that the other man hadn’t done that already, and reached to undo the button.
Teddy drew back instantly, rolling over onto his side. “I can’t.” He said quietly, not facing the other.
“What? But you’re...” The Indian man reached out a hand to touch Teddy’s shoulder, unsurprised when the other shrugged it off. “Teddy?” He got no answer. “Teddy, you’re... you said you have sex with about seven people a week!”
“They didn’t... they weren’t...” The man stood up abruptly. “Look, it doesn’t matter, ok? This isn’t going to-”
“Oh no you don’t.” Ali said darkly. “You are not doing this again, Edward Hetherton.” He stood up to face the other as an equal. “You know what Tom showed me? He showed me what you should have shown me. He showed me what the truck fucking did to you. It broke you Teddy, like Oscar said. I saw the pictures, hell; I was there in the hospital when they did all these operations!” The cellist shook his head, covering it as though he was fearing a bomb blast. “Teddy!” Ali grabbed his arm.
“You don’t-”
“I do understand. I can’t fucking empathise, but there are very few people who get hit by a truck and live, Teddy, just-”
“Shut up, shut up!” Teddy whispered.
“Metal plate in head, broken back, damaged vertebrate, three broken ribs, punctured lung, shattered kneecap, dislocated arm, lacerations from the gravel-” The Indian man broke off, staring straight at the other. “Do I have to go on?” He still got no response. “I’m giving you a choice, Teddy; I’m standing here in front of you. I’m not going to force this; I’m not going to beg.” Ali put his hands in his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly. “At the end of the day, you’re the one that got married, you’re the one who sleeps with seven people a week. I’m... I’m just Ali.”
“I can’t be who you want me to be.” The engineer’s voice was barely a whisper.
“I know.”
-
“Ali!” Teddy was shaking him awake. “Ali, you have to fucking hide!” The Indian man blinked at him blearily.
“Daddy?” He jolted fully awake when the voice of his second youngest son filtered through the door. He climbed out of bed and rolled underneath it, hearing Teddy’s bubbling laugh.
“Bastian?” Teddy padded towards the door and let his son in. “Bastian, what’s wrong?”
“I had a nightmare.” The nine year old snivelled, clinging to his father. “Daddy, I didn’t like it!” The bed sagged as the two sat down. Ali stared at his son’s feet.
“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Teddy murmured, presumably wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I’m here now, nothing’s gonna hurt you. What happened?”
“U-Uncle Dan... He-he...” Sebastian’s feet trembled as he sobbed. “He was gonna kill me, Daddy! An-and, Papa was watching and laughing and...” Despite the fact that Sebastian was crying like he rarely did - similarly to his father, Sebastian was guarded with his emotions, but far more tactile - Ali couldn’t help but laugh. Under his breath, as quiet as he could, because Dan killing Sebastian was so bizarre.
“Sssh, it’s alright.” Teddy trod down hard on Ali’s hand, as hard as he could. He’d obviously heard him laughing, even if Sebastian hadn’t. “We can ring Uncle Dan in the morning, and-”
“Ring him now!” Sebastian interrupts with a wail. “Ring him now, Daddy, I don’t want him to eat me!” Ali bit his hand as hard as he could to stifle his laughing. The dream got better and better.
“Ok, ok, we’re ringing Dan now.” The engineer backed down pretty quickly - it made Ali laugh more. All five of their kids - and all million of Dan’s, for that matter - had Teddy wrapped around their fingers. Despite appearances and gruffness, Teddy couldn’t say no to anything a child asked him, so it was good that he didn’t work with them. Ali heard him pick up the phone and dial the number. “Hey, Dandy. Aw, how cute, I love you too, now tell Bastian that you’re not going to kill and eat him.”
“Hi Uncle Dan.” The nine year old sniffled. “Ok, if you’re sure. I love you too. Nuh night!”
“Can you get back to sleep now kiddo, or are you going to have to stay here?” Ali hated himself, but he was silently praying that Sebastian would leave. There was no way he could stay under this bed all night. Tom and Teddy had had sex in this bed.
Wait. He wanted to sleep on it. Shit, flaw in Ali’s logic there. Anyway. He wasn’t staying under the bed.
“I’m not a baby!” Sebastian replied, affronted. “I’m going to be ten soon, I don’t need to sleep in your bed!” The Indian man under the bed bit back a smile as he imagined the look on Sebastian’s face as the boy flounced - he’d spent too much time with Dan - out of the room.
“I swear, if one of them isn’t dreaming that Dan will kill and eat them, then it’s Dan and him going on a pirate ship and taking over the world.” Teddy grumbled, reaching out a hand to help Ali into bed. “Sleep now.”
“And I was hoping we’d have sex.” The younger man chuckled.
“Shut up.” Teddy’s eyes were already closed, arms around Ali. “Sleep.”
-
“I think your ex-husband may be slightly cool.” Ali said grudgingly, leaning against the doorframe. His boyfriend made a strangled sound and suddenly disappeared into the bathroom. “Teddy...”
“Five minutes.” The older man’s voice was steady, but Ali had known him for too long, he heard the slight hesitation.
“No.” The Indian man said softly. “Teddy, we’ve been dating a month. You can’t hide forever.”
“Can and will.” The engineer replied obstinately.
“Teddy...”
“It’s not nice.” The older man muttered after a pause. “I don’t... it doesn’t look good. I... It’s horrible.”
“Teddy, my best friend is Alex. You cannot see worse than his skinny legs, trust me. I don’t care, alright? Let...” The Indian man sighed softly. “Let me see.”
Teddy pushed the door open with a foot, his arms crossed over his chest. At a look from the other, he slowly moved them to his sides. Eyes trained on Teddy’s face, Ali reached out and traced a finger over the scar he knew; the one that crossed Teddy’s chest, over where his heart was. There was a surgical scar at the bottom of his ribcage, it was puckered and felt strange to touch. He stepped around the older man, looking at the scar that split his back. This was clearly what Teddy felt most self conscious about. Ali watched as Teddy’s shoulder blades shifted uneasily. “Ssh.” He murmured soothingly, stroking a hand down his back and feeling his lover shiver. He slipped his arms around the other man’s waist, resting them on his stomach, to keep him there. Teddy relaxed against him. Mutely, Ali pressed his lips to the top of the scar.
Teddy turned his head, his eyes hooded, and kissed him softly. The Indian man turned to face him again, running his hands through the other’s hair. He could feel the slight ridge where the metal plate had been inserted.
“I’m broken.” Teddy whispered against his lips.
“Shut up.” The younger man hooked his thumbs in Teddy’s belt loops and kissed him again.
next
Don't forget the non-fish aliens: Mordent (16)|Dinah (15)|Aaron (14)|Melchior (12)|Sebastian (9)|Curtis (9)|Oscar (8)
Ali had just put the kettle on when there was a knock at the door. He waited, expecting one of his older children to get it, but there was no answering shriek, no thundering down the stairs. The Indian man sighed softly and stood up to get it.
The blonde on the other side of the door looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn't until Oscar had wound himself around his legs with a shriek of "TOM!" That Ali had made the connection. He went to slam the door in the older man's face, but the blonde's foot was in the way.
"We need to talk." The American said firmly. "I'm not leaving until we have. As soon as we have, I'll go."
Grudgingly, Ali stepped back to let him in. He saw a tiny blonde boy peering curiously out the car window. The boy disappeared as soon as he saw Ali looking at him. "Your boy can come in if you want."
Tom gestured to the boy, who slid silently out the car and followed them. "Thanks. I won't take long."
Ali led Tom to the kitchen. "Say your piece and then leave." He ordered.
"You need to see this." Tom handed a thick book to it. "Teddy let me take these, on the condition that I never put them on my website."
Tentatively, the Indian man opened the portfolio. The first page was a hospital bed, with a familiar figure lying in it. Ali flicked through the pictures. He realised what this was - documentation of Teddy's recovery. Tom's eyes never left his face. Ali kept his face impassive as he looked at the vivid scar that cut neatly across his ex-husband's back, following his spine. The cut across Teddy's chest looked faded and old, compared to the new ones.
"Why are you showing me this?" Ali asked bluntly.
"Because I knew Teddy wouldn't." Tom put another portfolio down on the counter. Ali suddenly noticed how misshapen his hands were, with dark marks spread across the backs of his palms and fingers bent out of shape. "He is scared of you seeing that, and what reaction you'll have. He is scared he'll hurt you again. He is absolutely terrified, but he's Teddy, he won't admit it." The blonde cleared his throat uneasily. "We're going to go now. Have a look at this one when we've gone. I was a bit of a stalker when I was at school."
"You're still now." Ali remarked incredulously. "You followed me home from school."
"Details." The American grinned wickedly. He leant around the door frame. “Oh, and by the way, I saw you looking at my hands. You can blame Teddy for them.”
-
Ali opened the second portfolio tentatively. The Indian man blinked in shock - he didn't think he'd seen so many pictures of Teddy in his life.
He skimmed through the pictures, not wanting to look too closely in case he saw something he didn’t want to see - Teddy and Tom, namely. And there were pictures of them. He’d forgotten that Tom used to be part of the group that wore Doc Martens and long black coats to school. Teddy was shorter than him then.
Tom hadn’t stopped taking pictures after Teddy and he split up. There were still pictures. Pictures of Teddy playing his cello in that concert. He’d even managed to get a picture of their first kiss - well, their first kiss in public. Ali smiled faintly and brushed his fingers across it.
He suddenly stepped away, slammed the portfolio closed. He knew what Tom was planning. It wouldn’t work.
He turned to the end of the portfolio. He didn’t want to see pictures of Teddy and Tom’s oh so happy marriage, not when Tom had fucked up his own. Despite his thoughts, despite everything, the last picture made his lips quirk. Teddy sprawled out, asleep on the couch, the tiny blonde boy that Ali recognised as Tom’s son curled up on his chest.
Ali buried his head in his hands. The pictures were making memories spring up in his mind, memories of waking up on a Sunday morning, knowing that neither of them had to work, curling up against him and trying to get back to sleep until Oscar and Sebastian came in to wish them good morning by jumping on them. Teddy muttering something in a voice still rasping with sleep, tickling Oscar until he squealed shrilly. The feel of Teddy’s lips against his, their bodies pressed together in a way that fitted, a way that had never fitted with Sarah.
The Indian man made a sound of frustration, his eyes still covered.
“Pa?” He jolted out of his reverie when Sebastian hopped onto one of the seats at the counter. “What’s up?” He watched as the boy reached for the portfolio on the island. “Hey, it’s Curtis!”
-
“I don’t get it.” Oscar huffed for the ninth time. His father suppressed a sigh of agitation, screwing up the paper he’d been scribbling on and adding it to the little mountain of paper balls he had already accumulated.
“Ok, you don’t have enough to take from here, do you?” The little boy stared blankly at him. “One can’t take away seven, can it?” Oscar shook his head. “So you borrow ten from this row, what row is this?”
“The tens.” His youngest son parroted obediently.
“And that makes it-” Teddy broke off, as the door slammed open. “Ali?”
“I hate you.” The Indian man said softly. His ex-husband stood up, and he lashed out involuntarily, catching Teddy across the face. The cellist closed his eyes, touching the blood that was already welling up on his cheek. Oscar gave a cry of horror.
“Ali, you’re upsetting Oscar.” The older man murmured, his eyes still closed. His fingers were stained red. He didn’t see Ali coming towards him, but he felt the other’s presence, and flinched when a set of fingers covered over his own.
He wasn’t expecting a pair of lips to touch his, moving gently and chastely. His eyes fluttered open to stare at Ali - to make sure it was Ali, and not Tom - and a hand smoothed down to land at the small of the other man’s back. They’d both forgotten Oscar was in the room, watching through his fingers.
Ali broke apart before the kiss could deepen too much, resting his forehead on the other’s. “Tom came to see me.”
“How did he know where you lived?” The cellist’s brow furrowed.
“He followed me home.”
“That is so Tom.” Teddy suddenly felt his knees going. “Whoa.” He cast around behind him for the stool, aware of the younger man’s eyes fixed worriedly on him. “I’m alright, I’m fine, they do this, the crash and all that, awkward position.”
“Dad?” Oscar asked in a small voice. “Pa?” The two men froze. Teddy leant across to look the little boy in the eye.
“Oscar, what you just saw, that’s private, ok? It’s a secret, can you keep a secret? That means not telling anyone.” He stared unblinking into his eyes. “Can you do that?”
“Yeah.” The Indian boy nodded. “I kept the secret that Melky had the last cookie. Ooops.” He giggled and skipped off.
“What did Tom say to you?” Teddy asked suspiciously.
Ali moved a hand to toy with Teddy’s hair lightly, curling his hand in the other’s hair. “He just opened my eyes to what I really wanted.”
-
“BAD INFLUENCE!” Teddy didn’t even blink when the door was flung open. His American best friend folded his arms. “Guess where I’ve just been.”
“School.” The engineer sighed, keeping his eyes on the screen. “Curtis and Bastian got into another fight. Ali called.”
“Your kids are seriously a bad influence.”
“None of them told Curtis that he had to stick up for Bastian every time one of your son’s bratty little friends decided to start shoving him around. It’s your son’s inbuilt loyalty - something that he obviously didn’t inherit from you.” Teddy raised an eyebrow as Tom pushed him away from his desk slightly and sat on the younger man’s lap. “I do have a boyfriend, you know.”
“Do you now?” Tom merely grinned. “Does this mean I can’t do this?” He leant up and kissed the other man softly. Teddy, expecting it, kept his mouth shut. “Spoilsport.”
“I actually want my relationship to last this time. And anyway, didn’t anyone tell you not to interfere with other people’s lives?” He tried to push the blonde off his lap, but Tom had his arms around his neck and he clung on like a limpet. “Oh you are annoying.”
“But you love me.” The American puckered his lips and pressed a kiss to the other’s jaw. He sobered up and slid off his ex-husband’s lap to perch on the desk. “So, tell me.”
“He hit me.” Teddy confessed, running a finger along the sensitive skin on his cheek. “He hit me, and then he kissed me, and it developed from there.”
“Did you fuck him?”
“No, shut up!” The cellist flushed slightly. Absentmindedly, Tom swung his legs into Teddy’s lap, kicking off a flip flop - Tom always wore flip flops - to draw circles on Teddy’s calf with his toe. “You are such a flirt.”
There was a shy clearing of the throat at the doorway, and the two men looked up to see Ali standing there awkwardly. “I...”
“Thomas, leave.” Teddy ordered curtly, his eyes fixed on his boyfriend. Slightly affronted, the blond jumped off the desk. “See you Saturday.”
“Somehow I doubt it.” The blonde responded challengingly, before closing the door behind him.
-
“This is a slight step up from climbing through your window.” Ali commented in a low voice as his boyfriend shut the door as silently as he could.
“No talking until we’re in the bedroom.” Teddy muttered, walking up the stairs. “Follow my footsteps exactly.” The Indian man obeyed, holding his breath. It was too soon for anyone to find out. “...And we’re safe.”
“Even tenser than climbing out your window.” Ali smiled softly as Teddy took his face in his hands, kissing him gently. The engineer deepened the kiss, pushing him down onto the bed and moving a hand to tangle it in his hair. In response, Ali hooked his thumb in Teddy’s jeans, a little surprised that the other man hadn’t done that already, and reached to undo the button.
Teddy drew back instantly, rolling over onto his side. “I can’t.” He said quietly, not facing the other.
“What? But you’re...” The Indian man reached out a hand to touch Teddy’s shoulder, unsurprised when the other shrugged it off. “Teddy?” He got no answer. “Teddy, you’re... you said you have sex with about seven people a week!”
“They didn’t... they weren’t...” The man stood up abruptly. “Look, it doesn’t matter, ok? This isn’t going to-”
“Oh no you don’t.” Ali said darkly. “You are not doing this again, Edward Hetherton.” He stood up to face the other as an equal. “You know what Tom showed me? He showed me what you should have shown me. He showed me what the truck fucking did to you. It broke you Teddy, like Oscar said. I saw the pictures, hell; I was there in the hospital when they did all these operations!” The cellist shook his head, covering it as though he was fearing a bomb blast. “Teddy!” Ali grabbed his arm.
“You don’t-”
“I do understand. I can’t fucking empathise, but there are very few people who get hit by a truck and live, Teddy, just-”
“Shut up, shut up!” Teddy whispered.
“Metal plate in head, broken back, damaged vertebrate, three broken ribs, punctured lung, shattered kneecap, dislocated arm, lacerations from the gravel-” The Indian man broke off, staring straight at the other. “Do I have to go on?” He still got no response. “I’m giving you a choice, Teddy; I’m standing here in front of you. I’m not going to force this; I’m not going to beg.” Ali put his hands in his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly. “At the end of the day, you’re the one that got married, you’re the one who sleeps with seven people a week. I’m... I’m just Ali.”
“I can’t be who you want me to be.” The engineer’s voice was barely a whisper.
“I know.”
-
“Ali!” Teddy was shaking him awake. “Ali, you have to fucking hide!” The Indian man blinked at him blearily.
“Daddy?” He jolted fully awake when the voice of his second youngest son filtered through the door. He climbed out of bed and rolled underneath it, hearing Teddy’s bubbling laugh.
“Bastian?” Teddy padded towards the door and let his son in. “Bastian, what’s wrong?”
“I had a nightmare.” The nine year old snivelled, clinging to his father. “Daddy, I didn’t like it!” The bed sagged as the two sat down. Ali stared at his son’s feet.
“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Teddy murmured, presumably wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I’m here now, nothing’s gonna hurt you. What happened?”
“U-Uncle Dan... He-he...” Sebastian’s feet trembled as he sobbed. “He was gonna kill me, Daddy! An-and, Papa was watching and laughing and...” Despite the fact that Sebastian was crying like he rarely did - similarly to his father, Sebastian was guarded with his emotions, but far more tactile - Ali couldn’t help but laugh. Under his breath, as quiet as he could, because Dan killing Sebastian was so bizarre.
“Sssh, it’s alright.” Teddy trod down hard on Ali’s hand, as hard as he could. He’d obviously heard him laughing, even if Sebastian hadn’t. “We can ring Uncle Dan in the morning, and-”
“Ring him now!” Sebastian interrupts with a wail. “Ring him now, Daddy, I don’t want him to eat me!” Ali bit his hand as hard as he could to stifle his laughing. The dream got better and better.
“Ok, ok, we’re ringing Dan now.” The engineer backed down pretty quickly - it made Ali laugh more. All five of their kids - and all million of Dan’s, for that matter - had Teddy wrapped around their fingers. Despite appearances and gruffness, Teddy couldn’t say no to anything a child asked him, so it was good that he didn’t work with them. Ali heard him pick up the phone and dial the number. “Hey, Dandy. Aw, how cute, I love you too, now tell Bastian that you’re not going to kill and eat him.”
“Hi Uncle Dan.” The nine year old sniffled. “Ok, if you’re sure. I love you too. Nuh night!”
“Can you get back to sleep now kiddo, or are you going to have to stay here?” Ali hated himself, but he was silently praying that Sebastian would leave. There was no way he could stay under this bed all night. Tom and Teddy had had sex in this bed.
Wait. He wanted to sleep on it. Shit, flaw in Ali’s logic there. Anyway. He wasn’t staying under the bed.
“I’m not a baby!” Sebastian replied, affronted. “I’m going to be ten soon, I don’t need to sleep in your bed!” The Indian man under the bed bit back a smile as he imagined the look on Sebastian’s face as the boy flounced - he’d spent too much time with Dan - out of the room.
“I swear, if one of them isn’t dreaming that Dan will kill and eat them, then it’s Dan and him going on a pirate ship and taking over the world.” Teddy grumbled, reaching out a hand to help Ali into bed. “Sleep now.”
“And I was hoping we’d have sex.” The younger man chuckled.
“Shut up.” Teddy’s eyes were already closed, arms around Ali. “Sleep.”
-
“I think your ex-husband may be slightly cool.” Ali said grudgingly, leaning against the doorframe. His boyfriend made a strangled sound and suddenly disappeared into the bathroom. “Teddy...”
“Five minutes.” The older man’s voice was steady, but Ali had known him for too long, he heard the slight hesitation.
“No.” The Indian man said softly. “Teddy, we’ve been dating a month. You can’t hide forever.”
“Can and will.” The engineer replied obstinately.
“Teddy...”
“It’s not nice.” The older man muttered after a pause. “I don’t... it doesn’t look good. I... It’s horrible.”
“Teddy, my best friend is Alex. You cannot see worse than his skinny legs, trust me. I don’t care, alright? Let...” The Indian man sighed softly. “Let me see.”
Teddy pushed the door open with a foot, his arms crossed over his chest. At a look from the other, he slowly moved them to his sides. Eyes trained on Teddy’s face, Ali reached out and traced a finger over the scar he knew; the one that crossed Teddy’s chest, over where his heart was. There was a surgical scar at the bottom of his ribcage, it was puckered and felt strange to touch. He stepped around the older man, looking at the scar that split his back. This was clearly what Teddy felt most self conscious about. Ali watched as Teddy’s shoulder blades shifted uneasily. “Ssh.” He murmured soothingly, stroking a hand down his back and feeling his lover shiver. He slipped his arms around the other man’s waist, resting them on his stomach, to keep him there. Teddy relaxed against him. Mutely, Ali pressed his lips to the top of the scar.
Teddy turned his head, his eyes hooded, and kissed him softly. The Indian man turned to face him again, running his hands through the other’s hair. He could feel the slight ridge where the metal plate had been inserted.
“I’m broken.” Teddy whispered against his lips.
“Shut up.” The younger man hooked his thumbs in Teddy’s belt loops and kissed him again.
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