RP LOG with artisticaoife | Small World
After staying the night before at Euan's again, Aoife had chosen to leave that morning with just a note to say she needed to start getting herself organised for work. It was never easy for a teacher to start at a new school, so she needed to shop for a whole heap of supplies and source materials now she at least knew what the classes were like. Whatever wasn't essential had been left in storage back in Ireland for now. She was also hankering for some proper coffee and breakfast. As much as she loved her brother, the fact that he'd packed the decent coffee and left out the instant was just unforgivable. She was just grateful for it being the weekend so she didn't need to rush through her morning.
Aoife closed her eyes as she breathed in the heavenly scent of a well brewed coffee, and finished emptying a packet of sugar into it before she backed away from the condiments station. She hadn't even realised that someone had been behind her and yelped in surprise as she felt a wall of body against her back and nearly tipped her coffee down her front. She saved the precious liquid from being spilled and turned around to look up into a pair of dark glasses. "I'm sorry, so sorry. Are you alright? I was lost in my own wee world."
Neil was trying to see through the morning after the night before. It had been a huge wrap party for the airing of the show's pilot, and there had been a hell of a lot of a lot of alcohol. The funny thing was though, that despite getting thirty six numbers from thirty six different girls, he hadn't actually gone home with anyone. He was well drunk by the time the party ended, and just decided to leave with his two sisters. Only, he had no recollection from when he actually left the party and when he woke up on the floor of Liam's bathroom at eight am, with Liam perched on the side of the tub holding out a cup of tea to him in amusement. He let the hangover get the best of him for about an hour before he decided to take matters into his own hands. He had shoved three bacon rolls down his throat for the greasy protein to absorb the booze and then after he stopped feeling so nauseated, decided real coffee was in order. He couldn't help it that he was a coffee snob. It came with lving amongst the rich and famous. London had good coffee, but it had nothing on the place he used to go to in Sydney. Still, he couldn't completely bring himself to miss the place 100%. London was home, it was where he belonged, and it looked like his new show was going to be a huge hit.
He backed away just a little so she could get her footing again and flashed her a smile. "Oh hey, don't worry about it, love. Happens to the best of us." The thing was, living in Australia for so long, Neil's English accent was mixed now. There was a hint of Aussie there that couldn't be missed. He took his glasses off, figuring in this neck of the woods, he would be safe from screaming fangirls. He didn't want to be rude if she was trying to apologise, though, and shoved the glasses up onto his head on top of the cap he was wearing. "The coffee safe? Can I get you another?"
"Coffee's good, no spillage. I think you would have had me crying if it did. I've been dreaming about this coffee, aye? You know when you have the perfect morning planned and you're looking forward to the start of it?" Aoife asked him before she held up her hand. "Which you probably really don't care about and just want to get your own coffee." It hadn't clicked yet that Aoife was standing in front of Neil Morgan. The glasses had thrown her off, and the accent was definitely piquing her interest but mostly she was just concerned she hadn't hurt the bloke. It didn't exactly escape her that he was hot, though.
Neil smirked at her and held up the large double cappuccino he had already just received from the barista. He had managed to keep a firm grip on it when she bumped into him. In fact, he probably would have likely saved the coffee over his own life at that point. Caffeine was vital. "Beat you to it," he offered. "I'm still trying to decide if I actually love the coffee here, or if I am just so desperate for it, that I would love it by default. Like a Big Mac. Seriously, slop on a roll, that is, but when you're hungry enough, it tastes so buggering awesome, you think you're in heaven."
Aoife laughed as she tucked her red hair behind her ear. "Well, yes, there is that. But then under the right circumstances anything can taste awesome. I mean, look at what happens when you drink. A kebab absolutely dripping in fat and probably some bloke's sweat tastes like the greatest thing on earth. But to put your mind at ease, the coffee here is actually good. And I'm glad you already got yours. It's got a good head on it. Head of froth," she clarified with a small frown as she started to get nervous for some reason. It was the fact he was so good looking. Now she was starting to get attracted to him, and the talking would get harder. She blinked as she looked up at him again, feeling like she'd actually seen him somewhere before.
"Good head," Neil commented with a mischievous grin as he took his hat off and set it down on the counter with his glasses so he could pick up a couple of packets of sugar and dump them into the coffee. "Can't argue with that at all. What guy could? Unfortunately, I have to draw the line at kebabs. Had one too many dodgy ones in my time and it's just another thing to regret come morning. I'm not fond of regrets. They leave a bad taste in my mouth."
Aoife just shrugged it off with a sheepish smile as she ducked her head. Now her mind could hardly stay off the topic of a 'good head'. It was only when the man removed his hat that it fell into place and Aoife had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from squealing with shock. Of course biting her cheek only caused her pain, and she wound up clutching the side of her mouth as she cursed a blue streak barely quiet enough to not be overheard by the other diners. "As does a kebab on repeat. I think it's why I try and just not drink much these days."
"I wish I could say the same..." Neil was looking at her strangely now as she clutched the side of her mouth and swore. He hadn't had a drink of her coffee, so it couldn't be that. He fought the urge to step away in case she was a crazy person. It wouldn't be the first time he encountered one of those. He was just about to ask if she was okay when six screaming teeagers came running up to him, bouncing up and down with pens and magazines. Oh fucking hell, he cursed to himself, but gave them a smile. He greeted them, asked them how they were, signed whatever they wanted and then politely wished them a lovely day in sunny London. They took the cue, thank god, and soon he was left alone again with cheek girl and a coffee shop all staring at both of them. "Um... sorry about that. Are you okay? Sure you don't want to change your tune on that drink thing right now? If I wasn't hungover, pretty sure I would."
Aoife gave a shake of her head and dropped her hand from her mouth as she ran her tongue on the inside of her cheek to check for blood. The teenagers screaming had definitely jolted her awake and out of any fantasy she might have been indulging in. She wasn't one of them. She couldn't be one of them. Okay, so there was a crush but the guy was hot. And talented. And Euan hadn't been joking about the height either. "No, no. I'm okay. I just bit the inside of my cheek. To be honest I was afraid I was about to turn into one of them. I was trying not to, you know... give it away, but I guess the elephant stampede did that already. I'm Aoife Fitzpatrick, by the way. Just so you don't think I'm a total nutjob. You know my brother, Euan. Well, sort of know him. Did you want to maybe take the coffee somewhere a little quieter?"
Neil was a little shellshocked. After all these years, he still never really got used to the screamy girls in his face. "Sure," he said with a laugh, picking up his hat and sunglasses, to shove them back on. "That would be great. You would think I would be used to it, huh? Never really did get that mojo. I could disappear into the crowd a lot easier in Oz. Here in London, it feels like I'm a lot more exposed. It's taking some getting used to. Probably my own fault for coming out after the airing last night too, but the hangover demanded it. My baby bro only had tea at home. He doesn't drink coffee." He left his coffee on the counter, not really caring to juggle with it if they were going somewhere else, and held his hand out to her. "Neil Morgan. Euan... Eu-- oh." He fell quiet, remembering the detective very clearly. Nothing like being interrogated about your whereabouts in the wake of your brother's rape. "Yeah. Euan."
Aoife wanted to smack herself in the forehead again, but she managed to take his hand instead to shake it. He was warm, really warm. And his hands were big. Strong... Holding hers. She had to keep telling herself not to do anything embarrassing, but considering she'd already bitten her cheek and put her foot in it regarding her brother, what else was there? "I'm really sorry about your brother, Neil. Mr Morgan. I hadn't seen Euan in a while, or even heard anything from him so we've been doing a lot of talking. He mentioned the... erm, case. I didn't meant to..." She set down her own coffee reluctantly before she indicated the door. "I haven't been here for very long, but I do know a quieter coffee place around the corner. Definitely not built for the teenage crowd. And just to really make myself even more of a loser I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the pilot. I think it's the best thing you've ever done and not just because of the shower scene. It was just great acting, and very realistic. Even E was a little impressed with the details in the cop shop."
Neil pointed to his coffee and then stepped over to pick it up. "You know what? Why don't you come back to my bro's place? It's literally just around the corner. Strategic planning on Soph's part so he was near her, see. And when the wife of a billionaire is buying you an apartment, centre of London is open field. But anyway, it's quiet and out of the spotlight. I really should have known better than to come out this morning. Coffee snobbery comes back to bite me in the arse. Plus, I'm still a little hungover, and if the coffee shop has elevator music or pan pipes, I might just need to hit someone. Liam's gay, his place is spotless, and he has tea. He seems to have shit loads of tea, for some reason. And please, don't apologise. It's fine. Just a really sensitive subject. We all blame ourselves, even if it is irrationally. He's our baby brother, you know? It's a natural reaction. He was impressed? Are you serious? I've been bracing myself for piss-pulling for a week knowing we have coppers in the family."
"He might just more piss-pull over the arse shot," Aoife revealed with a slight smirk. "Are you sure you really want me to come back to your baby brother's place? It just seems really... personal. And you hardly know me. I mean, I don't exactly want to stop chatting because you're really awesome to talk to and--okay, I'm just going to shut up and say yes, because you're nice and there's a slight family connection so it shouldn't be weird. Even if the connection isn't so grand, or a nice reminder." Aoife picked up her own treasured coffee again and took a sip so she shut up. "What's it like having Batman as your brother-in-law anyway? That's what my nephew calls him."
Neil held his hand up. "Hey. You're right, and my apologies. It was overstepping boundaries. Blame the hangover. I'm just really not sure I feel like sitting around in public at the moment. But maybe another time? I don't want you feeling weird about anything. Big family syndrome. We're always sticking our noses into everyone else's business." He pulled his cap back on and put the glasses on top of them. "Batman? Fitzpatrick has a kid? I didn't know that. My apologies. I haven't been back in town so long. But yeah, Ethan isn't anything like Batman. Well, maybe he is when he's being all businessy, but without the suits and the credit cards, he's just a normal bloke. Well, as normal as one can be having grown up the rich kid."
Aoife shook her head as she smiled up at Neil. "No, no. I just... I mean, I don't want you to think this is what I was angling for. Fuck, I'm sounding like such an idiot right now. It's fine. I really wouldn't mind just getting to know you more. I don't exactly have a lot of friends here in London yet that aren't related to me. And trust me, I didn't know my brother had a kid until two days ago. He's good at keeping secrets when he really wants. But even he didn't know until a couple of weeks ago. Ciaran - he's my nephew - he's really taken with Ethan."
Neil raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's pretty intense. I haven't seen my sister in a few days, and in our family, shit always goes down when you aren't looking. It's the story of our life. The more time she can spend with E, the better. They've just found out they have a baby on the way, and Ethan is... well, seems to be allergic to kids. He freaks out, and they seem to freak out. He hasn't really been around them much in his life, so it's understandable. He doesn't give himself a lot of credit, though. A kid could hug him and declare him the best person ever, and E would still think he was fucking it up. Give him a whole corporation and a room full of rich bastards, and he has them wrapped around his little finger, but kids? Whole different ball game. Just shows that money can't even buy you confidence sometimes." He started to head for the door and held it open for her when he got there. "How could you be angling for something you had no clue of? You didn't know I was staying close. If anything, it's more likely me trying to get into your pants than anything else."
As if bumping into him and biting her cheek hadn't already been bad enough, Aoife nearly tripped down the couple of steps that led out of the coffee shop as Neil mentioned getting into her pants. She might have been older than Euan, but his sexual confidence was something he hadn't got from her that was for sure. She'd always been a bit more hesitant when it came to this side of things. Neil couldn't have been serious though, right? "You could have into anyone's pants," she said out loud as she recovered her footing with minimal coffee loss again. "Congratulations on the baby coming. For your sister and Ethan. That's cool. I feel a little cheated that I never had that with Euan and his kid, but Euan really just wasn't in a good place when Ciaran got conceived, so I doubt I would have had it anyway. And he's a cool young lad. Artistic, shy. He's just got some confidence issues, too. Maybe Ethan just doubts himself because family is something he can't exactly close like a business deal. Euan doubts his abilities too, but he's more of a natural at it than he thinks. He gets these Dad Looks when he thinks maybe Ciaran's in trouble."
Neil laughed and shrugged. "Maybe, if I wanted to, yeah. I'm not seeing your point," he admitted in amusement. "I think if you're a sibling, parenting seems a lot easier in the prospect than if you're not. You know growing up how to look after someone else. But when you're an only, the mojo isn't naturally there. Kids can be a scary thing to think about. If they're hurt, they get upset, they can get hurt when you aren't there and you still end up blaming yourself because you weren't there. They need to eat, they need to sleep, they get sick, they cry, they throw tantrums and usually at the most embarrasing times possible. The same goes for puke. Guaranteed, if there is a time you really don't want a kid puking, they will. I mean, you haven't mentioned how old he was, but I take it he's not a bub. That could be harder than facing raising a baby. Kid will have his own mind already, and that's often hard to breach if he can't really understand himself how he is feeling. Trust me, that doesn't get better with age. It's what we're stuggling with Li at the moment. He doesn't really know how he is feeling, so how are we really supposed to know to help, you know?"
Aoife didn't much know her point either, she just knew that Neil was even nicer in person than she could have assumed. Even hungover he was nice, and the smile was killing her. She gave a nod of her head. "Absolutely. Sometimes it's hard to know how to help until the person hurting is ready to talk, or to ask for the help. Ciaran's fourteen. Just about to hit puberty, I think. Somehow he's managed to retain a lot of innocent so it kills me knowing someone hurt him as much as his mum did. As much as his grandparents did. He just says these things that have you sitting there like you've been slapped in the face, but he doesn't blink an eye. You know?"
Neil winced and then laughed again. "Oh, ouch. Big steps on the horizon, then. I still remember puberty. It felt like the whole world was against us just because our voice was doing funny things and you couldn't control your dick for the freaking life of you. Walking through the freezer section at Tesco, boner. Having scones at Nanas, boner. At the beach with your mates, seven boners. Wet dreams, zits, hairy things. Seriously, a complete bloody tragedy, the whole thing. We just don't realise then how awesome it all ends with sex waiting at the end of the deal," he joked. But he nodded wryly. "I understand. I really do. Strange, Ciaran sounds a lot like Liam might be. Don't get me wrong, before any of the recent mess, Liam wasn't shy at all. He was a little slut and loving every minute of it, but now... he's changed. He probably won't ever be the same again. It's the helpless feeling that is the worst. Knowing there really isn't anything you can do to help stop the hurt."
"Maybe Liam could meet Ciaran?" Aoife asked him softly as they walked down the street. "You could bring him over for dinner, or something. I'll offer to take Ciaran for a night. Euan's in the middle of moving, and Ciaran's sick, but maybe once he's better we could do dinner. If you wanted. I know it's probably weird just asking out of the blue. I always figured girls had it worse but when you list it out like that, I get now why Euan was such a handful. Ro' was the one that needed to take care of him during puberty. Then he... he discovered not just sex, but something else, so we kinda lost him for a bit there. Scariest thing I've ever been through."
Neil nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure. I don't see there would be a problem with that. Liam's great with kids. He's gonna be a doctor. He's just not so... it's hard to even explain. He doesn't like being touched so much, or being around many people at once. He's still licking his wounds, I think. It's one of the hardest things for us all to cope with, because he used to be such a cuddly little kid. Hugs all over the place. Now, it's nothing. He lets his lover close, just not... close, if you get my drift. Puberty's a weird time. You start thinking weird things, and start getting the urge to play with yourself, and that's an urge near impossible to fight. Wanking becomes like an addiction, and you have to get all sneaky so you don't get caught. In saying that, in a family like mine, nothing was sacred. Probably why I got used to sex, I was ribbed about it since I discovered it. I serioulsy wouldn't swap wet dreams for that time of the month, though. I would suck as a girl. But that right there, watching someone you love slip away... hardest fucking thing ever. I'm sorry you had to go through that, I really am."
Aoife took a sip of her coffee and gave him a sad smile. "Just like watching someone you love hurting over something you couldn't stop. I'm really sorry Liam was hurt like that. I can't even imagine... Especially not even being able to touch him. That would be tough. It's human nature to want to comfort someone by touching them, and then to not even be allowed. But I get what you mean about the lover. That can't be easy on them either. They're not showing any signs of disappearing though, right? Of it being too much?" She laughed a little and pushed her red hair back over her shoulder. "Do lads ever really stop playing with themselves, though?"
"No, never. Have a hot night with a beautiful woman, and guaranteed we'll come home to wank about it," Neil said, sniggered and shrugged. He was just a guy, he couldn't help loving women and sex. Having the status he did, too, meant he mostly had them on tap. "Liam got pretty hurt that night. The guy was like three times his size. He had Liam up against a brick wall in a bathroom. Pants down, the whole thing... to be honest, I'm actually surprised he is doing as well as he is. I'm proud of him. His lover seems to get it, and that's something we really appreciate with him, but he's a lot older than Liam. Liam likes older guys, he always has. I guess we get nervous the guy might just want to look for sex elsewhere. We couldn't blame him if he did. It's just, right now, I think Liam would let him walk away if he did, and the guy seems to really care about him."
"Then doesn't that mean that he won't be looking for sex elsewhere?" Aoife asked as she frowned a little. "If he cares about Liam, and he's still there - still with him - it doesn't sound like sex is high up against his agenda. Ciaran and me got into a conversation about age yesterday. It was strange trying to justify why age didn't matter with family, but it seemed to matter when you were in love with someone. That kid I swear is going to be full of the curly questions. I don't envy Euan, or Gee for having to deal with him. Especially when it'll come to the puberty questions. Maybe it's just a credit to your family that Liam is dealing with it so well. He'll still know he's safe with his family, even if he doesn't want you touching him."
Neil laughed and then held up his hand in apology. "Sorry. Liam was like that. Why is the sky blue? Why do girls have long hair? Why is Coke brown? Why does Nana smell like lavender? Why is Tesco called Tesco when Tesco isn't even a word? Seriously, migraine central. We used to just try and palm him off onto Soph or Dec, because they were the oldest and all-knowing. At least, that's what we believed. Ironic that they both ended up in jobs working with kids. I'm really not sure what the guy is thinking or feeling. I don't know him all that well. He's a history professor at Li's university. Our baby brother seduced him in a classroom one day just because he could. Then Liam got really sick. Overworked himself, stopped eating, stressed out when he had fingers pointed at him. The guy stuck around for that. The rape was a really bad turn of events in a time that was already really tough. He still stuck around, so I have to give him that much. Zac and me are going to talk to him, take him for a pint or something."
Aoife had to smile. "Aye, that's Ciaran alright. Wow, seducing a professor... I'm jealous. I can't actually remember the last time I seduced someone. Sad, huh? Not like that, anyway. There's been relationships and sex, but no great seductions worthy of a story. A pint? Is that brotherly code for an interrogation? I actually miss those. That's how I know someone's worth it. Ro' or Euan actually want to interrogate them to make sure they're doing right by me."
"Foiled," Neil said with a smirk. "We can't help it. We need to know what the guy's intentions are. Li's so fragile, we don't want him hurt anymore, and if he's leaning on this guy, only for the guy to get fed up and walk out anyway, we would rather he fucked off now and saved Liam the pain. But then, he is older. He's about thirty six, I think. He would probably understand a lot better than some young dude who has no idea about true feelings. You know, there is no point seducing anyone if you don't feel like you want to. No need to just do what others are doing for the fuck of it. It opens yourself up to getting hurt more then. No one needs that." He gestured to the apartment block. "This is it. Soph and Ethan live the next block over."
Aoife looked up at the apartment building as her stomach clenched briefly with the knowledge that the professor was the same age as her. She remembered reading once that Neil was only in his mid to late twenties, and again she doubted the fact she would ever have the chance of having him in her panties. Still, it was nice to talk to him, to know that he was grounded despite the screaming teens that seemed to end up in his face. "Wow, nice... Definitely puts my little closet space to shame."
Neil nodded. "Still, you have one up on me. I don't even have my own place yet. Liam doesn't seem to mind me hanging around. I could just bounce around between brothers and sisters, and never have to worry about real estate. In saying that, signed for three seasons of the show, so I'm going to be in town awhile. I'm procrastinating. I don't even know why I'm procrastinating. It's coming out of my mouth and I realise I'm sounding ridiculous. I guess I'm making excuses to stick around with Liam and keep an eye on him." He gave the doorman a wave and headed for the elevators.
"I figured I couldn't really crash in on Euan, and now I know why. It's not fair when he's working on doing the marriage thing, and the dad thing. He doesn't need his big sister cramping his style. Not that you'd be cramping Liam's! Or any of your siblings styles. Maybe you think it'll jinx the show for some reason?" Aoife asked as she looked at him. "Settle yourself too much, and you figure that maybe it's a bad sign? There's nothing wrong with procrastinating."
"Why not?" Neil asked but then waved his free hand as the elevator arrived. "Sorry. Ignore that. I don't exactly have a history of subtlety. I'm asking you that when Ethan practically freaked when all of us were staying with Soph, but then, she did cut him off from sex and he reciprocated by cutting her right off too. And although it's a huge apartment, it's still an apartment, and Ethan and Soph aren't exactly... subtle, in certain domains of their life, if you get what I mean. But still. If they have the room, why can't you crash with your brother? Be another set of hands on hand to help with the kid. Euan's a copper, and isn't his other half one, too? That's gonna be one full-on schedule. Hmm, not really. I know that sounds arrogant, but even if they didn't have me on the show, it would still be a hit. Just enough a cop drama and just enough a soap opera with just enough flesh showing to cater to everyone's tastes. London's home, I was really homesick over there. I just never expected to walk into Family World War Three when I got back."
Aoife pointed at him as they stepped into the lift. "That would be why. Euan's always been keen about sex, and now he's starting to bemoan the fact that he won't be able to have it as loud or as often with Ciaran around. He doesn't need me added to that. I can still take care of Ciaran without needing to live with them. It's fine, really. Apparently his best friend will take care of Ciaran for a couple nights, and then Gee's parents for another night or so when it's needed." She smiled. "Well, maybe, but I think you'll find it's hard to avoid that shower scene now. You've probably just gained about eighty percent of Britain's audience - male and female - with that scene. I'm sure the Family World War has to ease up soon. Doesn't it?"
Neil stepped into the lift after her and selected the fourth floor button. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows. "You don't want to take care of the kid? You do realise there are five school days in the week, right?" He held up five fingers and waved them a little. "A couple and another night or so doesn't equal five days a week. Has the kid even been asked who he would like to be with? I used to get babysat by this strange chick when I was a kid, and I'll tell you, it scarred me for life. Hey, a copper needs a wash, right? Just telling a story. Never actually been scared of prospective nude scenes, and they were testing me to see if I would go for it. Yeah, one would think it would, but who really knows? It's a big family, wide roads to attract dramas."
Aoife held one of her hands up. "I just said I could still take care of my own nephew, but thanks for listening. I just don't need to live in the house to do it. I'm not sure if Ciaran would even really be able to give an answer. He's a bit scared to ever tell people what he wants and he's still worried that Euan's going to disappear anyway. Apparently nothing good ever lasts for him. It's enough to break your heart..." Aoife arched her eyebrow slightly. "Scarred you? I just used to get looked after by Ronan most of the time. Or the girl next door. Who I think Ronan lost his virginity too, but he never told me for sure. Oh, aye... Coppers should always keep clean. Aren't you ever... you know, nervous about getting it on for the cameras? I suppose... Even small families have the dramas as well."
"Yeah, but then you went on to tell me that half the rest of London will be having him. Thanks for confusing me," Neil threw back and stepped aside so she could step out of the elevator ahead of him when it arrived on Liam's floor. "No kid should feel like that. Sure, it sounds like you've all got an uphill battle on your hands, but you'll get there. You will. He'll feel how much he is wanted. Plus, London is pretty full on if he came from Ireland. Yep, she was like an evil Mrs Doubtfire. Happened about three times before I screamed the place down and she never wanted to come back again." He gestured over to Liam's door so she knew what direction to head in and started digging his keys out of his pocket. "I don't get nervous with my acting. I used to get stage fright in the early days, but I got over it. Getting it on for the cameras, or getting it off for them?" he asked with a cheeky smirk.
"I was just trying to say that they're not short of babysitters. I didn't mean to confuse you, I'm sorry," Aoife offered with an apologetic smile. "I think I'm still in shock. I've only known of the lad's existence for forty-eight hours. I didn't mean to get tetchy. Jesus, even the bloody hallway looks posh," she murmured as they walked along the corridor towards Liam's apartment. She couldn't stop staring, and even tried to peek out of the window at the end of the hall to see what kind of view they'd get of London. "He just knows he wants to go on the London Eye and a double decker bus. How cute is that? Me, I just wanted to find a good coffee place. Evil Mrs Doubtfire? Christ, no wonder you're scarred. You really do have my sympathies." Aoife coughed after only just managing to swallow her coffee as her gaze inevitably tried to go to Neil's arse. "Erm... well, I... both."
"There's babysitters and there's aunties and uncles. The latters trumps the former every single time. I just became an uncle for the first time, and it rocks. Best thing ever. My nephew is the most gorgeous kid to ever walk the earth... erm, I mean. I'm sure yours is way well up there too," Neil quickly added hastily before the proud uncle in him took off running. "You look like you have great genes, it would pass on, no doubt. You think this is posh, you should see Soph and E's place. It's like too expensive to even breathe on. This is small change to him. It's surreal. She's been married nine months now, and it still blows my mind that she nabbed him. She deserves it, though. He's smitten with her, even if she gave him a rough time in the early days. Thought he was just a rich prick, like his reputation. The London Eye is awesome. I had sex on that once. Best views for a fuck." He unlocked the door of the apartment quietly, just in case Liam had gone back to bed. There was no sign of the youngest Morgan anywhere, though, so it was good for the moment. "I'm nervous with neither. My first sex scene comes up soon. I sleep with my married partner. Awkward."
Aoife clapped one hand over her ear as she stared at Neil with wide eyes. "Oi! No fucking spoilers, buddy! Please?" she added quietly after she realised she'd just burst out into fangirl. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't like knowing what's coming up on a show I actually like. I know it's stupid. I'll read anything I can get on the shows I don't like so much so I don't feel bad if I miss an episode, but tell me anything about a show I do actually like and enjoy and I go mental. Like just then. It's a sickness, I swear. But I guess it's like a good relationship. You don't always want to know what's around the corner because you still want some surprises. Like the first kiss, and the anticipation that comes with it and whether or not there'll be tingles and little explosions at the base of your spine." Aoife bit down on her lip as she tried to stop herself from rambling any more and just moved away to start looking at the apartment. "Congratulations on being an uncle for the first time. That's huge... I heard Liam delivered him and everything."
Neil sniggered and shook his head as he went into the living area of Liam's apartment and put his keys and coffee onto Liam's coffee table. "It's not a secret, love. It's on the advert for the next episode. But I promise, I'll keep my mouth shut from here on in. I'll take the fact you like it from episode one as a compliment, though. So, it's all good. Can't vouch for the relationship metaphor, though. I don't really have much of a history with those. I'll take your word for it." He was looking at her uncertainly, though he was definitely amused. "You sound like my sisters. They all say stuff like that. Yeah, Liam delivered him. Renee didn't realise she was in labour. She knew she was feeling shitty, but didn't want to bother Liam. He was having a bad day. Once he realised what was going on, it was all a matter of about twenty minutes. The ambos didn't even get here in time. That's something awesome right there. I would have probably cried and passed out cold."
"Well, I suppose... There's still something nice about sitting down and watching a program and having no idea what's coming." Aoife set down her own coffee as well as her bag and suddenly found herself at a loss with what she should do with her hands. She tucked them into the back pockets of her jeans as she thrust out her chest a little and gave him a smile. "Please tell me that's a compliment, and not that I'm just one of your sisters. It really is. I think I probably would have done the same. Your brother's pretty bloody amazing. Even after everything he went through he could still deliver your sister's baby."
"Sure, I bet there is. Ironically, since I became an actor, I struggle to actually stay interested in shows beyond one or two episodes. I start picking at all the technical faults and bad speech patterns. Really, I'm a pain in the arse to watch TV with. I stick to reality shows or sports. If I have the time. Or turn to books and magazines. Only no magazines around here. Liam and his girly fashion shit. Who wants to wear a peacock on their hear or around their neck? I don't get it." Neil went over to the mantel and picked up a framed photo and brought it back, gesturing for her to sit down on the sofa. "Here. You can put some names to faces. Take a seat. It doesn't bite. Or vibrate. Liam has an inner strength the rest of us didn't get so much. He finds it when he needs to. I'm proud of him, but he's still my baby brother. I'll still kill to protect him."
Aoife sat down at the invitation, trying not to giggle at the idea of a vibrating couch. Or trying not to hope to hard that it might vibrate. It would be the most action she'd seen in a few weeks. "Oh, no... don't ask me anything about fashion. I might be an art teacher but I am definitely not into that side of art. Most of my clothes inevitably wind up covered in paint, or ink anyway. The only remotely fashion related thing I even do is dye my hair red. I'm naturally a blonde. Can you even watch your own shows, or once it's filmed do you just kind of wash your hands of it?" She took the picture frame and looked at all the faces carefully. "There's no guesses who Liam is, is there? This was before he was hurt, right?"
"Don't say that around Li, he might faint. He's all walking model material. Apparently 007's BFF had set her sights on him and another lad for a photoshoot with the three of them. The other lad is a model. Braden Evans. She's... fuck, what's her name? Rian? Fashion designer. She's been trying to woo Stuart's brother." Neil pointed to the photo. "That's Stuart and Tom. Stuart works with your brother. Tom is Ethan's BFF, that's Ethan right there and the one he is hugging is Soph, my big sister. That's Liam between my baby sisters Loz and Jess. Yeah, it was before the attack. He was so out there, nothing bothered him. He just took life by the balls, as you can see. Only Li would get away with silver leather pants for a family photo shoot. Then there is Zac and Dec, my other brothers. Renee and me aren't there. This was taken when we were still abroad." He paused and looked at her hair. "Seriously? You're blonde? I would never have picked that. And nope, I can't watch myself. I start picking at myself worse than everyone else. I watch the final cut before it airs and that's it."
Aoife frowned a little as she tried to think if she actually knew the names, but she just had to shake her head in defeat. Fashion really did just go over her head. "Wow, that's pretty amazing. I think my brother said something about him being a hairdresser and a surgeon? Or at least a student one... Seems like there's nothing he can't do." She went back to looking at the photo, smiling a little as she finally got to put names to faces. It all started to make a lot more sense in her head. "I am in serious envy of your family's genes. Everyone's so fucking gorgeous. And happy... I can't even remember the last time I managed to get a photo taken with Euan and Ronan. I think I have one of them together from over in the States. My last one with either of them was years ago." She nodded as she met his gaze again. "Aye, seriously. Very, very blonde. Wait until you catch me with the roots growing back. Funnily enough that's actually a little reassuring."
Neil grinned and nodded proudly. "I think they're all pretty gorgeous. Not that I'm biased or anything. Just don't be fooled. Photos can be deceiving. See Tom? He's sitting and Stuart looks about ready to thump anyone who gets too near him. It was after he got out of hospital after the accident that wasn't really an accident. Everyone was having a pretty tough time. But before Jess accidentally walked in on Liam examining Tom's injuries and thought he was blowing him, only to end up telling Stuart's brother who went on to tell Stuart. Liam and Tom had a history with, um, porn movies. It all coincided with Stuart finding the footage and it was Blow Up of the Century. Liam felt guilty when Stuart and Tom split, he stopped eating and passed out on the job. So, see? We might look like the Brady Bunch, but we have our fair share of pain just like any family. You probably need an update, anyway. You've got new additions to the family mix now. Blonde roots are better than grey, though, huh?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth he just started laughing. "Oh shit, I'm sorry. Aussies call sex roots over there, my mind went to bad places."
Aoife's mind had still been on the Blow Up of the Century and it took her a moment to realise why Neil was laughing before she started to join in. "And I thought the American 'screwing' was bad. Roots? Seriously? Either way I'm pretty sure a blonde one is definitely better."
Liam heard the laughter up the hall before he arrived in the livingroom. He was zipping up his hoodie when he appeared with a faint smirk at his brother sitting on the sofa with an unfamiliar girl. "What number of thirty six is she, Neilo? How many times do I have to do tell you, you don't need a nurse for a hangover," he joked and went over to get his wallet and keys from where he left them near the TV. He was in some loose black cargo pants and his beloved grey hoodie with a pink FCUK t-shirt underneath. Silver Doc Martin boots with black laces completed the look. He might be dressing down with the extra layers lately, but it didn't mean he had to go out in public looking like a bum. Over the past few weeks since everything had happened, he had let his hair grow out a little, and it was long enough to have pulled into an elastic at the nape of his neck, even if the front was still flopping in his face. "I gotta go out. Got a doctor's appointment to, uh... see about stuff. But you don't have to worry. Joe's picking me up and I'm going to his place afterwards, so you'll have the place to yourself," he added, raising an eyebrow pointedly.
Neil closed his eyes briefly when the comment about the thirty six women fell from his little brother's lips so freely. He had been so caught up in feeling hungover, needing coffee, and talking to Aoife that he hadn't really contemplated that Liam might appear. In fact, he had appeared and although he still looked pale and tired like he always did lately, he looked a little refreshed ready to go out. Still, it was too good to be true to think that there might be a bit of a step towards something here, when Liam put his keys and wallet in his pocket and then grabbed his long leather jacket, pulling it on to cover himself up again. "Hang on a sec, Li. This Aoife Fitzpatrick. She's Euan's big sister. We just bumped into each other at the coffee place and got talking." He was going to add pointedly that she was none of the thirty six and he was relieved of the fact, but he really didn't want to draw attention to that for some reason. "She's just moved to London from Ireland so she can spend time with him. She's going to be teaching art at a local school here."
Liam offered her Aoife a smile and held his hand out to her. "Hey, it's nice to meet you. I would say I've heard a lot about you, but my interactions with your brother have mostly been on a professional basis. Good timing with your nephew and all, though. You'll enjoy being an aunt. I hear the lad's a pretty sweet kid."
Aoife's head was still spinning regarding what number of thirty-six women she was. Neil had gotten thirty-six women's numbers in one night? At least, that's what it sounded like. She just smiled at Liam though and shook his hand. She couldn't help studying him quietly for a moment. "It's nice to meet you too, Liam. Oh no, hey, it's okay. I'm not offended or anything. I'm sorry to hear that your dealings with him have been on the professional side. Maybe one day it can be under better circumstances. Ciaran's amazing, even after a couple of days I'm floored with how good of a kid he is. Congratulations on becoming an uncle, too."
Liam gave a nod with another small smile. "Cheers. Family... you can't beat it." He gave them a small wave and then shoved his hands into his pockets. "I've gotta get going. Any strange stains on the sofa, and I expect them completely gone by the time I get home," he couldn't help adding and then left, leaving Neil alone with Aoife again.
Neil was sitting there just a tiny bit shellshocked and then groaned slightly, holding his hand up in apology. "I probably should have mentioned that Liam says whatever the hell he likes," he said to her, shooting her a sheepishly smile. "And despite the fact he has been to hell and back, he's still our Liam."
"That should reassure you. He's definitely, ah... direct. Euan was always like that. Is like that." Aoife tucked her hair behind her ear again as she felt it start to fall loose, and stared at Neil for a moment before she heard her brother's voice in her ear, urging her on. He would never be adverse to creating stains on the sofa, even after being technically caught. Aoife surged forward and caught Neil's lips with her own, figuring that if she didn't take the chance now she never would. And she liked him. She liked him for more than the fact that he was Neil Morgan, TV star. She liked him as Neil Morgan full stop.
"He's a Morgan," Neil said with a shrug and a smirk of amusement, but that's all he managed to say before she completely caught him off guard with the kiss. It wasn't like he hadn't been thinking about doing the same to her. He really was still Neil Morgan and he liked women. A lot. But it was the fact that she was Euan's sister, and pretty much family by default that had him making more with the conversation than trying to get his hand up her shirt. Any other woman, and he probably would have had her in bed by now, but there was a respect there. Only respect was the last thing on his mind now when she started to kiss him, and there was no going back. He was still a cocky celebrity at heart, and he wasn't going to push her away. In fact, he really... really wasn't going to push her away.
Word Count | 8,513
Aoife closed her eyes as she breathed in the heavenly scent of a well brewed coffee, and finished emptying a packet of sugar into it before she backed away from the condiments station. She hadn't even realised that someone had been behind her and yelped in surprise as she felt a wall of body against her back and nearly tipped her coffee down her front. She saved the precious liquid from being spilled and turned around to look up into a pair of dark glasses. "I'm sorry, so sorry. Are you alright? I was lost in my own wee world."
Neil was trying to see through the morning after the night before. It had been a huge wrap party for the airing of the show's pilot, and there had been a hell of a lot of a lot of alcohol. The funny thing was though, that despite getting thirty six numbers from thirty six different girls, he hadn't actually gone home with anyone. He was well drunk by the time the party ended, and just decided to leave with his two sisters. Only, he had no recollection from when he actually left the party and when he woke up on the floor of Liam's bathroom at eight am, with Liam perched on the side of the tub holding out a cup of tea to him in amusement. He let the hangover get the best of him for about an hour before he decided to take matters into his own hands. He had shoved three bacon rolls down his throat for the greasy protein to absorb the booze and then after he stopped feeling so nauseated, decided real coffee was in order. He couldn't help it that he was a coffee snob. It came with lving amongst the rich and famous. London had good coffee, but it had nothing on the place he used to go to in Sydney. Still, he couldn't completely bring himself to miss the place 100%. London was home, it was where he belonged, and it looked like his new show was going to be a huge hit.
He backed away just a little so she could get her footing again and flashed her a smile. "Oh hey, don't worry about it, love. Happens to the best of us." The thing was, living in Australia for so long, Neil's English accent was mixed now. There was a hint of Aussie there that couldn't be missed. He took his glasses off, figuring in this neck of the woods, he would be safe from screaming fangirls. He didn't want to be rude if she was trying to apologise, though, and shoved the glasses up onto his head on top of the cap he was wearing. "The coffee safe? Can I get you another?"
"Coffee's good, no spillage. I think you would have had me crying if it did. I've been dreaming about this coffee, aye? You know when you have the perfect morning planned and you're looking forward to the start of it?" Aoife asked him before she held up her hand. "Which you probably really don't care about and just want to get your own coffee." It hadn't clicked yet that Aoife was standing in front of Neil Morgan. The glasses had thrown her off, and the accent was definitely piquing her interest but mostly she was just concerned she hadn't hurt the bloke. It didn't exactly escape her that he was hot, though.
Neil smirked at her and held up the large double cappuccino he had already just received from the barista. He had managed to keep a firm grip on it when she bumped into him. In fact, he probably would have likely saved the coffee over his own life at that point. Caffeine was vital. "Beat you to it," he offered. "I'm still trying to decide if I actually love the coffee here, or if I am just so desperate for it, that I would love it by default. Like a Big Mac. Seriously, slop on a roll, that is, but when you're hungry enough, it tastes so buggering awesome, you think you're in heaven."
Aoife laughed as she tucked her red hair behind her ear. "Well, yes, there is that. But then under the right circumstances anything can taste awesome. I mean, look at what happens when you drink. A kebab absolutely dripping in fat and probably some bloke's sweat tastes like the greatest thing on earth. But to put your mind at ease, the coffee here is actually good. And I'm glad you already got yours. It's got a good head on it. Head of froth," she clarified with a small frown as she started to get nervous for some reason. It was the fact he was so good looking. Now she was starting to get attracted to him, and the talking would get harder. She blinked as she looked up at him again, feeling like she'd actually seen him somewhere before.
"Good head," Neil commented with a mischievous grin as he took his hat off and set it down on the counter with his glasses so he could pick up a couple of packets of sugar and dump them into the coffee. "Can't argue with that at all. What guy could? Unfortunately, I have to draw the line at kebabs. Had one too many dodgy ones in my time and it's just another thing to regret come morning. I'm not fond of regrets. They leave a bad taste in my mouth."
Aoife just shrugged it off with a sheepish smile as she ducked her head. Now her mind could hardly stay off the topic of a 'good head'. It was only when the man removed his hat that it fell into place and Aoife had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from squealing with shock. Of course biting her cheek only caused her pain, and she wound up clutching the side of her mouth as she cursed a blue streak barely quiet enough to not be overheard by the other diners. "As does a kebab on repeat. I think it's why I try and just not drink much these days."
"I wish I could say the same..." Neil was looking at her strangely now as she clutched the side of her mouth and swore. He hadn't had a drink of her coffee, so it couldn't be that. He fought the urge to step away in case she was a crazy person. It wouldn't be the first time he encountered one of those. He was just about to ask if she was okay when six screaming teeagers came running up to him, bouncing up and down with pens and magazines. Oh fucking hell, he cursed to himself, but gave them a smile. He greeted them, asked them how they were, signed whatever they wanted and then politely wished them a lovely day in sunny London. They took the cue, thank god, and soon he was left alone again with cheek girl and a coffee shop all staring at both of them. "Um... sorry about that. Are you okay? Sure you don't want to change your tune on that drink thing right now? If I wasn't hungover, pretty sure I would."
Aoife gave a shake of her head and dropped her hand from her mouth as she ran her tongue on the inside of her cheek to check for blood. The teenagers screaming had definitely jolted her awake and out of any fantasy she might have been indulging in. She wasn't one of them. She couldn't be one of them. Okay, so there was a crush but the guy was hot. And talented. And Euan hadn't been joking about the height either. "No, no. I'm okay. I just bit the inside of my cheek. To be honest I was afraid I was about to turn into one of them. I was trying not to, you know... give it away, but I guess the elephant stampede did that already. I'm Aoife Fitzpatrick, by the way. Just so you don't think I'm a total nutjob. You know my brother, Euan. Well, sort of know him. Did you want to maybe take the coffee somewhere a little quieter?"
Neil was a little shellshocked. After all these years, he still never really got used to the screamy girls in his face. "Sure," he said with a laugh, picking up his hat and sunglasses, to shove them back on. "That would be great. You would think I would be used to it, huh? Never really did get that mojo. I could disappear into the crowd a lot easier in Oz. Here in London, it feels like I'm a lot more exposed. It's taking some getting used to. Probably my own fault for coming out after the airing last night too, but the hangover demanded it. My baby bro only had tea at home. He doesn't drink coffee." He left his coffee on the counter, not really caring to juggle with it if they were going somewhere else, and held his hand out to her. "Neil Morgan. Euan... Eu-- oh." He fell quiet, remembering the detective very clearly. Nothing like being interrogated about your whereabouts in the wake of your brother's rape. "Yeah. Euan."
Aoife wanted to smack herself in the forehead again, but she managed to take his hand instead to shake it. He was warm, really warm. And his hands were big. Strong... Holding hers. She had to keep telling herself not to do anything embarrassing, but considering she'd already bitten her cheek and put her foot in it regarding her brother, what else was there? "I'm really sorry about your brother, Neil. Mr Morgan. I hadn't seen Euan in a while, or even heard anything from him so we've been doing a lot of talking. He mentioned the... erm, case. I didn't meant to..." She set down her own coffee reluctantly before she indicated the door. "I haven't been here for very long, but I do know a quieter coffee place around the corner. Definitely not built for the teenage crowd. And just to really make myself even more of a loser I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the pilot. I think it's the best thing you've ever done and not just because of the shower scene. It was just great acting, and very realistic. Even E was a little impressed with the details in the cop shop."
Neil pointed to his coffee and then stepped over to pick it up. "You know what? Why don't you come back to my bro's place? It's literally just around the corner. Strategic planning on Soph's part so he was near her, see. And when the wife of a billionaire is buying you an apartment, centre of London is open field. But anyway, it's quiet and out of the spotlight. I really should have known better than to come out this morning. Coffee snobbery comes back to bite me in the arse. Plus, I'm still a little hungover, and if the coffee shop has elevator music or pan pipes, I might just need to hit someone. Liam's gay, his place is spotless, and he has tea. He seems to have shit loads of tea, for some reason. And please, don't apologise. It's fine. Just a really sensitive subject. We all blame ourselves, even if it is irrationally. He's our baby brother, you know? It's a natural reaction. He was impressed? Are you serious? I've been bracing myself for piss-pulling for a week knowing we have coppers in the family."
"He might just more piss-pull over the arse shot," Aoife revealed with a slight smirk. "Are you sure you really want me to come back to your baby brother's place? It just seems really... personal. And you hardly know me. I mean, I don't exactly want to stop chatting because you're really awesome to talk to and--okay, I'm just going to shut up and say yes, because you're nice and there's a slight family connection so it shouldn't be weird. Even if the connection isn't so grand, or a nice reminder." Aoife picked up her own treasured coffee again and took a sip so she shut up. "What's it like having Batman as your brother-in-law anyway? That's what my nephew calls him."
Neil held his hand up. "Hey. You're right, and my apologies. It was overstepping boundaries. Blame the hangover. I'm just really not sure I feel like sitting around in public at the moment. But maybe another time? I don't want you feeling weird about anything. Big family syndrome. We're always sticking our noses into everyone else's business." He pulled his cap back on and put the glasses on top of them. "Batman? Fitzpatrick has a kid? I didn't know that. My apologies. I haven't been back in town so long. But yeah, Ethan isn't anything like Batman. Well, maybe he is when he's being all businessy, but without the suits and the credit cards, he's just a normal bloke. Well, as normal as one can be having grown up the rich kid."
Aoife shook her head as she smiled up at Neil. "No, no. I just... I mean, I don't want you to think this is what I was angling for. Fuck, I'm sounding like such an idiot right now. It's fine. I really wouldn't mind just getting to know you more. I don't exactly have a lot of friends here in London yet that aren't related to me. And trust me, I didn't know my brother had a kid until two days ago. He's good at keeping secrets when he really wants. But even he didn't know until a couple of weeks ago. Ciaran - he's my nephew - he's really taken with Ethan."
Neil raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's pretty intense. I haven't seen my sister in a few days, and in our family, shit always goes down when you aren't looking. It's the story of our life. The more time she can spend with E, the better. They've just found out they have a baby on the way, and Ethan is... well, seems to be allergic to kids. He freaks out, and they seem to freak out. He hasn't really been around them much in his life, so it's understandable. He doesn't give himself a lot of credit, though. A kid could hug him and declare him the best person ever, and E would still think he was fucking it up. Give him a whole corporation and a room full of rich bastards, and he has them wrapped around his little finger, but kids? Whole different ball game. Just shows that money can't even buy you confidence sometimes." He started to head for the door and held it open for her when he got there. "How could you be angling for something you had no clue of? You didn't know I was staying close. If anything, it's more likely me trying to get into your pants than anything else."
As if bumping into him and biting her cheek hadn't already been bad enough, Aoife nearly tripped down the couple of steps that led out of the coffee shop as Neil mentioned getting into her pants. She might have been older than Euan, but his sexual confidence was something he hadn't got from her that was for sure. She'd always been a bit more hesitant when it came to this side of things. Neil couldn't have been serious though, right? "You could have into anyone's pants," she said out loud as she recovered her footing with minimal coffee loss again. "Congratulations on the baby coming. For your sister and Ethan. That's cool. I feel a little cheated that I never had that with Euan and his kid, but Euan really just wasn't in a good place when Ciaran got conceived, so I doubt I would have had it anyway. And he's a cool young lad. Artistic, shy. He's just got some confidence issues, too. Maybe Ethan just doubts himself because family is something he can't exactly close like a business deal. Euan doubts his abilities too, but he's more of a natural at it than he thinks. He gets these Dad Looks when he thinks maybe Ciaran's in trouble."
Neil laughed and shrugged. "Maybe, if I wanted to, yeah. I'm not seeing your point," he admitted in amusement. "I think if you're a sibling, parenting seems a lot easier in the prospect than if you're not. You know growing up how to look after someone else. But when you're an only, the mojo isn't naturally there. Kids can be a scary thing to think about. If they're hurt, they get upset, they can get hurt when you aren't there and you still end up blaming yourself because you weren't there. They need to eat, they need to sleep, they get sick, they cry, they throw tantrums and usually at the most embarrasing times possible. The same goes for puke. Guaranteed, if there is a time you really don't want a kid puking, they will. I mean, you haven't mentioned how old he was, but I take it he's not a bub. That could be harder than facing raising a baby. Kid will have his own mind already, and that's often hard to breach if he can't really understand himself how he is feeling. Trust me, that doesn't get better with age. It's what we're stuggling with Li at the moment. He doesn't really know how he is feeling, so how are we really supposed to know to help, you know?"
Aoife didn't much know her point either, she just knew that Neil was even nicer in person than she could have assumed. Even hungover he was nice, and the smile was killing her. She gave a nod of her head. "Absolutely. Sometimes it's hard to know how to help until the person hurting is ready to talk, or to ask for the help. Ciaran's fourteen. Just about to hit puberty, I think. Somehow he's managed to retain a lot of innocent so it kills me knowing someone hurt him as much as his mum did. As much as his grandparents did. He just says these things that have you sitting there like you've been slapped in the face, but he doesn't blink an eye. You know?"
Neil winced and then laughed again. "Oh, ouch. Big steps on the horizon, then. I still remember puberty. It felt like the whole world was against us just because our voice was doing funny things and you couldn't control your dick for the freaking life of you. Walking through the freezer section at Tesco, boner. Having scones at Nanas, boner. At the beach with your mates, seven boners. Wet dreams, zits, hairy things. Seriously, a complete bloody tragedy, the whole thing. We just don't realise then how awesome it all ends with sex waiting at the end of the deal," he joked. But he nodded wryly. "I understand. I really do. Strange, Ciaran sounds a lot like Liam might be. Don't get me wrong, before any of the recent mess, Liam wasn't shy at all. He was a little slut and loving every minute of it, but now... he's changed. He probably won't ever be the same again. It's the helpless feeling that is the worst. Knowing there really isn't anything you can do to help stop the hurt."
"Maybe Liam could meet Ciaran?" Aoife asked him softly as they walked down the street. "You could bring him over for dinner, or something. I'll offer to take Ciaran for a night. Euan's in the middle of moving, and Ciaran's sick, but maybe once he's better we could do dinner. If you wanted. I know it's probably weird just asking out of the blue. I always figured girls had it worse but when you list it out like that, I get now why Euan was such a handful. Ro' was the one that needed to take care of him during puberty. Then he... he discovered not just sex, but something else, so we kinda lost him for a bit there. Scariest thing I've ever been through."
Neil nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure. I don't see there would be a problem with that. Liam's great with kids. He's gonna be a doctor. He's just not so... it's hard to even explain. He doesn't like being touched so much, or being around many people at once. He's still licking his wounds, I think. It's one of the hardest things for us all to cope with, because he used to be such a cuddly little kid. Hugs all over the place. Now, it's nothing. He lets his lover close, just not... close, if you get my drift. Puberty's a weird time. You start thinking weird things, and start getting the urge to play with yourself, and that's an urge near impossible to fight. Wanking becomes like an addiction, and you have to get all sneaky so you don't get caught. In saying that, in a family like mine, nothing was sacred. Probably why I got used to sex, I was ribbed about it since I discovered it. I serioulsy wouldn't swap wet dreams for that time of the month, though. I would suck as a girl. But that right there, watching someone you love slip away... hardest fucking thing ever. I'm sorry you had to go through that, I really am."
Aoife took a sip of her coffee and gave him a sad smile. "Just like watching someone you love hurting over something you couldn't stop. I'm really sorry Liam was hurt like that. I can't even imagine... Especially not even being able to touch him. That would be tough. It's human nature to want to comfort someone by touching them, and then to not even be allowed. But I get what you mean about the lover. That can't be easy on them either. They're not showing any signs of disappearing though, right? Of it being too much?" She laughed a little and pushed her red hair back over her shoulder. "Do lads ever really stop playing with themselves, though?"
"No, never. Have a hot night with a beautiful woman, and guaranteed we'll come home to wank about it," Neil said, sniggered and shrugged. He was just a guy, he couldn't help loving women and sex. Having the status he did, too, meant he mostly had them on tap. "Liam got pretty hurt that night. The guy was like three times his size. He had Liam up against a brick wall in a bathroom. Pants down, the whole thing... to be honest, I'm actually surprised he is doing as well as he is. I'm proud of him. His lover seems to get it, and that's something we really appreciate with him, but he's a lot older than Liam. Liam likes older guys, he always has. I guess we get nervous the guy might just want to look for sex elsewhere. We couldn't blame him if he did. It's just, right now, I think Liam would let him walk away if he did, and the guy seems to really care about him."
"Then doesn't that mean that he won't be looking for sex elsewhere?" Aoife asked as she frowned a little. "If he cares about Liam, and he's still there - still with him - it doesn't sound like sex is high up against his agenda. Ciaran and me got into a conversation about age yesterday. It was strange trying to justify why age didn't matter with family, but it seemed to matter when you were in love with someone. That kid I swear is going to be full of the curly questions. I don't envy Euan, or Gee for having to deal with him. Especially when it'll come to the puberty questions. Maybe it's just a credit to your family that Liam is dealing with it so well. He'll still know he's safe with his family, even if he doesn't want you touching him."
Neil laughed and then held up his hand in apology. "Sorry. Liam was like that. Why is the sky blue? Why do girls have long hair? Why is Coke brown? Why does Nana smell like lavender? Why is Tesco called Tesco when Tesco isn't even a word? Seriously, migraine central. We used to just try and palm him off onto Soph or Dec, because they were the oldest and all-knowing. At least, that's what we believed. Ironic that they both ended up in jobs working with kids. I'm really not sure what the guy is thinking or feeling. I don't know him all that well. He's a history professor at Li's university. Our baby brother seduced him in a classroom one day just because he could. Then Liam got really sick. Overworked himself, stopped eating, stressed out when he had fingers pointed at him. The guy stuck around for that. The rape was a really bad turn of events in a time that was already really tough. He still stuck around, so I have to give him that much. Zac and me are going to talk to him, take him for a pint or something."
Aoife had to smile. "Aye, that's Ciaran alright. Wow, seducing a professor... I'm jealous. I can't actually remember the last time I seduced someone. Sad, huh? Not like that, anyway. There's been relationships and sex, but no great seductions worthy of a story. A pint? Is that brotherly code for an interrogation? I actually miss those. That's how I know someone's worth it. Ro' or Euan actually want to interrogate them to make sure they're doing right by me."
"Foiled," Neil said with a smirk. "We can't help it. We need to know what the guy's intentions are. Li's so fragile, we don't want him hurt anymore, and if he's leaning on this guy, only for the guy to get fed up and walk out anyway, we would rather he fucked off now and saved Liam the pain. But then, he is older. He's about thirty six, I think. He would probably understand a lot better than some young dude who has no idea about true feelings. You know, there is no point seducing anyone if you don't feel like you want to. No need to just do what others are doing for the fuck of it. It opens yourself up to getting hurt more then. No one needs that." He gestured to the apartment block. "This is it. Soph and Ethan live the next block over."
Aoife looked up at the apartment building as her stomach clenched briefly with the knowledge that the professor was the same age as her. She remembered reading once that Neil was only in his mid to late twenties, and again she doubted the fact she would ever have the chance of having him in her panties. Still, it was nice to talk to him, to know that he was grounded despite the screaming teens that seemed to end up in his face. "Wow, nice... Definitely puts my little closet space to shame."
Neil nodded. "Still, you have one up on me. I don't even have my own place yet. Liam doesn't seem to mind me hanging around. I could just bounce around between brothers and sisters, and never have to worry about real estate. In saying that, signed for three seasons of the show, so I'm going to be in town awhile. I'm procrastinating. I don't even know why I'm procrastinating. It's coming out of my mouth and I realise I'm sounding ridiculous. I guess I'm making excuses to stick around with Liam and keep an eye on him." He gave the doorman a wave and headed for the elevators.
"I figured I couldn't really crash in on Euan, and now I know why. It's not fair when he's working on doing the marriage thing, and the dad thing. He doesn't need his big sister cramping his style. Not that you'd be cramping Liam's! Or any of your siblings styles. Maybe you think it'll jinx the show for some reason?" Aoife asked as she looked at him. "Settle yourself too much, and you figure that maybe it's a bad sign? There's nothing wrong with procrastinating."
"Why not?" Neil asked but then waved his free hand as the elevator arrived. "Sorry. Ignore that. I don't exactly have a history of subtlety. I'm asking you that when Ethan practically freaked when all of us were staying with Soph, but then, she did cut him off from sex and he reciprocated by cutting her right off too. And although it's a huge apartment, it's still an apartment, and Ethan and Soph aren't exactly... subtle, in certain domains of their life, if you get what I mean. But still. If they have the room, why can't you crash with your brother? Be another set of hands on hand to help with the kid. Euan's a copper, and isn't his other half one, too? That's gonna be one full-on schedule. Hmm, not really. I know that sounds arrogant, but even if they didn't have me on the show, it would still be a hit. Just enough a cop drama and just enough a soap opera with just enough flesh showing to cater to everyone's tastes. London's home, I was really homesick over there. I just never expected to walk into Family World War Three when I got back."
Aoife pointed at him as they stepped into the lift. "That would be why. Euan's always been keen about sex, and now he's starting to bemoan the fact that he won't be able to have it as loud or as often with Ciaran around. He doesn't need me added to that. I can still take care of Ciaran without needing to live with them. It's fine, really. Apparently his best friend will take care of Ciaran for a couple nights, and then Gee's parents for another night or so when it's needed." She smiled. "Well, maybe, but I think you'll find it's hard to avoid that shower scene now. You've probably just gained about eighty percent of Britain's audience - male and female - with that scene. I'm sure the Family World War has to ease up soon. Doesn't it?"
Neil stepped into the lift after her and selected the fourth floor button. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows. "You don't want to take care of the kid? You do realise there are five school days in the week, right?" He held up five fingers and waved them a little. "A couple and another night or so doesn't equal five days a week. Has the kid even been asked who he would like to be with? I used to get babysat by this strange chick when I was a kid, and I'll tell you, it scarred me for life. Hey, a copper needs a wash, right? Just telling a story. Never actually been scared of prospective nude scenes, and they were testing me to see if I would go for it. Yeah, one would think it would, but who really knows? It's a big family, wide roads to attract dramas."
Aoife held one of her hands up. "I just said I could still take care of my own nephew, but thanks for listening. I just don't need to live in the house to do it. I'm not sure if Ciaran would even really be able to give an answer. He's a bit scared to ever tell people what he wants and he's still worried that Euan's going to disappear anyway. Apparently nothing good ever lasts for him. It's enough to break your heart..." Aoife arched her eyebrow slightly. "Scarred you? I just used to get looked after by Ronan most of the time. Or the girl next door. Who I think Ronan lost his virginity too, but he never told me for sure. Oh, aye... Coppers should always keep clean. Aren't you ever... you know, nervous about getting it on for the cameras? I suppose... Even small families have the dramas as well."
"Yeah, but then you went on to tell me that half the rest of London will be having him. Thanks for confusing me," Neil threw back and stepped aside so she could step out of the elevator ahead of him when it arrived on Liam's floor. "No kid should feel like that. Sure, it sounds like you've all got an uphill battle on your hands, but you'll get there. You will. He'll feel how much he is wanted. Plus, London is pretty full on if he came from Ireland. Yep, she was like an evil Mrs Doubtfire. Happened about three times before I screamed the place down and she never wanted to come back again." He gestured over to Liam's door so she knew what direction to head in and started digging his keys out of his pocket. "I don't get nervous with my acting. I used to get stage fright in the early days, but I got over it. Getting it on for the cameras, or getting it off for them?" he asked with a cheeky smirk.
"I was just trying to say that they're not short of babysitters. I didn't mean to confuse you, I'm sorry," Aoife offered with an apologetic smile. "I think I'm still in shock. I've only known of the lad's existence for forty-eight hours. I didn't mean to get tetchy. Jesus, even the bloody hallway looks posh," she murmured as they walked along the corridor towards Liam's apartment. She couldn't stop staring, and even tried to peek out of the window at the end of the hall to see what kind of view they'd get of London. "He just knows he wants to go on the London Eye and a double decker bus. How cute is that? Me, I just wanted to find a good coffee place. Evil Mrs Doubtfire? Christ, no wonder you're scarred. You really do have my sympathies." Aoife coughed after only just managing to swallow her coffee as her gaze inevitably tried to go to Neil's arse. "Erm... well, I... both."
"There's babysitters and there's aunties and uncles. The latters trumps the former every single time. I just became an uncle for the first time, and it rocks. Best thing ever. My nephew is the most gorgeous kid to ever walk the earth... erm, I mean. I'm sure yours is way well up there too," Neil quickly added hastily before the proud uncle in him took off running. "You look like you have great genes, it would pass on, no doubt. You think this is posh, you should see Soph and E's place. It's like too expensive to even breathe on. This is small change to him. It's surreal. She's been married nine months now, and it still blows my mind that she nabbed him. She deserves it, though. He's smitten with her, even if she gave him a rough time in the early days. Thought he was just a rich prick, like his reputation. The London Eye is awesome. I had sex on that once. Best views for a fuck." He unlocked the door of the apartment quietly, just in case Liam had gone back to bed. There was no sign of the youngest Morgan anywhere, though, so it was good for the moment. "I'm nervous with neither. My first sex scene comes up soon. I sleep with my married partner. Awkward."
Aoife clapped one hand over her ear as she stared at Neil with wide eyes. "Oi! No fucking spoilers, buddy! Please?" she added quietly after she realised she'd just burst out into fangirl. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't like knowing what's coming up on a show I actually like. I know it's stupid. I'll read anything I can get on the shows I don't like so much so I don't feel bad if I miss an episode, but tell me anything about a show I do actually like and enjoy and I go mental. Like just then. It's a sickness, I swear. But I guess it's like a good relationship. You don't always want to know what's around the corner because you still want some surprises. Like the first kiss, and the anticipation that comes with it and whether or not there'll be tingles and little explosions at the base of your spine." Aoife bit down on her lip as she tried to stop herself from rambling any more and just moved away to start looking at the apartment. "Congratulations on being an uncle for the first time. That's huge... I heard Liam delivered him and everything."
Neil sniggered and shook his head as he went into the living area of Liam's apartment and put his keys and coffee onto Liam's coffee table. "It's not a secret, love. It's on the advert for the next episode. But I promise, I'll keep my mouth shut from here on in. I'll take the fact you like it from episode one as a compliment, though. So, it's all good. Can't vouch for the relationship metaphor, though. I don't really have much of a history with those. I'll take your word for it." He was looking at her uncertainly, though he was definitely amused. "You sound like my sisters. They all say stuff like that. Yeah, Liam delivered him. Renee didn't realise she was in labour. She knew she was feeling shitty, but didn't want to bother Liam. He was having a bad day. Once he realised what was going on, it was all a matter of about twenty minutes. The ambos didn't even get here in time. That's something awesome right there. I would have probably cried and passed out cold."
"Well, I suppose... There's still something nice about sitting down and watching a program and having no idea what's coming." Aoife set down her own coffee as well as her bag and suddenly found herself at a loss with what she should do with her hands. She tucked them into the back pockets of her jeans as she thrust out her chest a little and gave him a smile. "Please tell me that's a compliment, and not that I'm just one of your sisters. It really is. I think I probably would have done the same. Your brother's pretty bloody amazing. Even after everything he went through he could still deliver your sister's baby."
"Sure, I bet there is. Ironically, since I became an actor, I struggle to actually stay interested in shows beyond one or two episodes. I start picking at all the technical faults and bad speech patterns. Really, I'm a pain in the arse to watch TV with. I stick to reality shows or sports. If I have the time. Or turn to books and magazines. Only no magazines around here. Liam and his girly fashion shit. Who wants to wear a peacock on their hear or around their neck? I don't get it." Neil went over to the mantel and picked up a framed photo and brought it back, gesturing for her to sit down on the sofa. "Here. You can put some names to faces. Take a seat. It doesn't bite. Or vibrate. Liam has an inner strength the rest of us didn't get so much. He finds it when he needs to. I'm proud of him, but he's still my baby brother. I'll still kill to protect him."
Aoife sat down at the invitation, trying not to giggle at the idea of a vibrating couch. Or trying not to hope to hard that it might vibrate. It would be the most action she'd seen in a few weeks. "Oh, no... don't ask me anything about fashion. I might be an art teacher but I am definitely not into that side of art. Most of my clothes inevitably wind up covered in paint, or ink anyway. The only remotely fashion related thing I even do is dye my hair red. I'm naturally a blonde. Can you even watch your own shows, or once it's filmed do you just kind of wash your hands of it?" She took the picture frame and looked at all the faces carefully. "There's no guesses who Liam is, is there? This was before he was hurt, right?"
"Don't say that around Li, he might faint. He's all walking model material. Apparently 007's BFF had set her sights on him and another lad for a photoshoot with the three of them. The other lad is a model. Braden Evans. She's... fuck, what's her name? Rian? Fashion designer. She's been trying to woo Stuart's brother." Neil pointed to the photo. "That's Stuart and Tom. Stuart works with your brother. Tom is Ethan's BFF, that's Ethan right there and the one he is hugging is Soph, my big sister. That's Liam between my baby sisters Loz and Jess. Yeah, it was before the attack. He was so out there, nothing bothered him. He just took life by the balls, as you can see. Only Li would get away with silver leather pants for a family photo shoot. Then there is Zac and Dec, my other brothers. Renee and me aren't there. This was taken when we were still abroad." He paused and looked at her hair. "Seriously? You're blonde? I would never have picked that. And nope, I can't watch myself. I start picking at myself worse than everyone else. I watch the final cut before it airs and that's it."
Aoife frowned a little as she tried to think if she actually knew the names, but she just had to shake her head in defeat. Fashion really did just go over her head. "Wow, that's pretty amazing. I think my brother said something about him being a hairdresser and a surgeon? Or at least a student one... Seems like there's nothing he can't do." She went back to looking at the photo, smiling a little as she finally got to put names to faces. It all started to make a lot more sense in her head. "I am in serious envy of your family's genes. Everyone's so fucking gorgeous. And happy... I can't even remember the last time I managed to get a photo taken with Euan and Ronan. I think I have one of them together from over in the States. My last one with either of them was years ago." She nodded as she met his gaze again. "Aye, seriously. Very, very blonde. Wait until you catch me with the roots growing back. Funnily enough that's actually a little reassuring."
Neil grinned and nodded proudly. "I think they're all pretty gorgeous. Not that I'm biased or anything. Just don't be fooled. Photos can be deceiving. See Tom? He's sitting and Stuart looks about ready to thump anyone who gets too near him. It was after he got out of hospital after the accident that wasn't really an accident. Everyone was having a pretty tough time. But before Jess accidentally walked in on Liam examining Tom's injuries and thought he was blowing him, only to end up telling Stuart's brother who went on to tell Stuart. Liam and Tom had a history with, um, porn movies. It all coincided with Stuart finding the footage and it was Blow Up of the Century. Liam felt guilty when Stuart and Tom split, he stopped eating and passed out on the job. So, see? We might look like the Brady Bunch, but we have our fair share of pain just like any family. You probably need an update, anyway. You've got new additions to the family mix now. Blonde roots are better than grey, though, huh?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth he just started laughing. "Oh shit, I'm sorry. Aussies call sex roots over there, my mind went to bad places."
Aoife's mind had still been on the Blow Up of the Century and it took her a moment to realise why Neil was laughing before she started to join in. "And I thought the American 'screwing' was bad. Roots? Seriously? Either way I'm pretty sure a blonde one is definitely better."
Liam heard the laughter up the hall before he arrived in the livingroom. He was zipping up his hoodie when he appeared with a faint smirk at his brother sitting on the sofa with an unfamiliar girl. "What number of thirty six is she, Neilo? How many times do I have to do tell you, you don't need a nurse for a hangover," he joked and went over to get his wallet and keys from where he left them near the TV. He was in some loose black cargo pants and his beloved grey hoodie with a pink FCUK t-shirt underneath. Silver Doc Martin boots with black laces completed the look. He might be dressing down with the extra layers lately, but it didn't mean he had to go out in public looking like a bum. Over the past few weeks since everything had happened, he had let his hair grow out a little, and it was long enough to have pulled into an elastic at the nape of his neck, even if the front was still flopping in his face. "I gotta go out. Got a doctor's appointment to, uh... see about stuff. But you don't have to worry. Joe's picking me up and I'm going to his place afterwards, so you'll have the place to yourself," he added, raising an eyebrow pointedly.
Neil closed his eyes briefly when the comment about the thirty six women fell from his little brother's lips so freely. He had been so caught up in feeling hungover, needing coffee, and talking to Aoife that he hadn't really contemplated that Liam might appear. In fact, he had appeared and although he still looked pale and tired like he always did lately, he looked a little refreshed ready to go out. Still, it was too good to be true to think that there might be a bit of a step towards something here, when Liam put his keys and wallet in his pocket and then grabbed his long leather jacket, pulling it on to cover himself up again. "Hang on a sec, Li. This Aoife Fitzpatrick. She's Euan's big sister. We just bumped into each other at the coffee place and got talking." He was going to add pointedly that she was none of the thirty six and he was relieved of the fact, but he really didn't want to draw attention to that for some reason. "She's just moved to London from Ireland so she can spend time with him. She's going to be teaching art at a local school here."
Liam offered her Aoife a smile and held his hand out to her. "Hey, it's nice to meet you. I would say I've heard a lot about you, but my interactions with your brother have mostly been on a professional basis. Good timing with your nephew and all, though. You'll enjoy being an aunt. I hear the lad's a pretty sweet kid."
Aoife's head was still spinning regarding what number of thirty-six women she was. Neil had gotten thirty-six women's numbers in one night? At least, that's what it sounded like. She just smiled at Liam though and shook his hand. She couldn't help studying him quietly for a moment. "It's nice to meet you too, Liam. Oh no, hey, it's okay. I'm not offended or anything. I'm sorry to hear that your dealings with him have been on the professional side. Maybe one day it can be under better circumstances. Ciaran's amazing, even after a couple of days I'm floored with how good of a kid he is. Congratulations on becoming an uncle, too."
Liam gave a nod with another small smile. "Cheers. Family... you can't beat it." He gave them a small wave and then shoved his hands into his pockets. "I've gotta get going. Any strange stains on the sofa, and I expect them completely gone by the time I get home," he couldn't help adding and then left, leaving Neil alone with Aoife again.
Neil was sitting there just a tiny bit shellshocked and then groaned slightly, holding his hand up in apology. "I probably should have mentioned that Liam says whatever the hell he likes," he said to her, shooting her a sheepishly smile. "And despite the fact he has been to hell and back, he's still our Liam."
"That should reassure you. He's definitely, ah... direct. Euan was always like that. Is like that." Aoife tucked her hair behind her ear again as she felt it start to fall loose, and stared at Neil for a moment before she heard her brother's voice in her ear, urging her on. He would never be adverse to creating stains on the sofa, even after being technically caught. Aoife surged forward and caught Neil's lips with her own, figuring that if she didn't take the chance now she never would. And she liked him. She liked him for more than the fact that he was Neil Morgan, TV star. She liked him as Neil Morgan full stop.
"He's a Morgan," Neil said with a shrug and a smirk of amusement, but that's all he managed to say before she completely caught him off guard with the kiss. It wasn't like he hadn't been thinking about doing the same to her. He really was still Neil Morgan and he liked women. A lot. But it was the fact that she was Euan's sister, and pretty much family by default that had him making more with the conversation than trying to get his hand up her shirt. Any other woman, and he probably would have had her in bed by now, but there was a respect there. Only respect was the last thing on his mind now when she started to kiss him, and there was no going back. He was still a cocky celebrity at heart, and he wasn't going to push her away. In fact, he really... really wasn't going to push her away.
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