just_1_word | 6.8. Happy
6.8. Happy
Co-written with pullmysteth
[Follows THIS]
Riley’s brow was furrowed as he watched Pat over the top of his can of Diet Coke. “Pat, you don’t…” he began and then sighed. “I knew this was going to happen.”
Pat picked a raisin off his cookie and flicked it in Riley’s general direction. “You haven’t driven me out, darling, so don’t give me that big green-eyed puppy dog look. You’re as bad as Lachie when you do that. You’d make me hand over my dick on a platter if I thought you needed it. You’re still stuck with me mostly during the week and it won’t be every weekend because he’ll have business functions to attend in New York a lot of the time.”
“You can’t tell me you won’t be going to those with him,” Riley returned with a point for emphasis.
“Why would I?” Pat laughed. “They’re business things.”
Riley fished the raisin out from where it had disappeared down the side of the sofa. “Because you’re his lover, his boyfriend, his partner. That’s the sort of thing you’ll do when you’re dating a professional like Aiden. Same as Evie would come with me when I attend doctors’ functions.”
Pat’s nose scrunched up in thought. “I hadn’t really thought about that. It’s not like we’re married, darling. We’ve only just started dating. He’s not obligated to take me anywhere, nor would I want him to be,” he insisted.
“Obligation has nothing to do with it. I’d put my month’s wage on the fact he’ll want to take you. I really don’t think his sexuality is a secret to anyone. Why would he not want to take his boyfriend as his date to important functions?” Riley said confidently. “But either way, I feel like you’re going because you think you’re a third wheel here with us and you’re not. Weekends at first, but the next logical step will be for you to move out with him.”
Pat met Riley’s eyes with a smile. “Well, yeah,” he had to agree. “Just like Tab moved in with Luke and Evie moved in with you. That is the next logical step if things keep going the way they are, darling. I’m doing this because I want to spend more time with Aiden, not because I feel like I’m in the way. But in saying that, you and Evie need your own space. Hell, I need my own space. My wardrobe alone could use its own apartment.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you’re not wanted,” Riley told him. “Is he… are you…”
“We won’t know unless I trust him enough to let him try, will we?” Pat murmured and leaned over to kiss Riley’s cheek. “I’m not moving on to Africa, darling. We’re going to try and get a place that’s close to Tara and Lachlan, which is close to work. I owe it to Aiden and myself to not be scared of committing to someone. He wants to help and he wants to take care of me. That is… fuck, I just keep waiting for him to turn around and tell me he’s just been taking me for a ride and then I feel guilty for thinking that because he’s done nothing but be amazing and make me happy.”
Riley couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Fuck. Look at us. We’ve got Lachlan who is scared to overcome his music hurdle, me who is lucky to have sex without thinking of it as a small military operation, and you who is scared to believe someone wants you as you are, will love you no matter what. But Pat, you deserve someone like Aiden, and when you’re together, you both look smitten. I think you’re doing the right thing, even if I want you to know that you’re always welcome here, no matter what, and for however long you want. You both are. You could never be in the way or never be a burden. I want to see you happy and I think Aiden will give you that.”
Pat smiled and gave Riley a hug. “And look at it this way, darling. With me away working on the relationship hurdles, you can be here working on the sex hurdles. Nothing like fixing sex problems with a good round of spontaneous shagging.”
“What about your sex hurdles?” Riley asked, watching Pat closely. “Have you slept with Aiden yet?”
Pat pulled his lips to the side with a small frustration snort. “Not intercourse,” he confirmed. “He’s been really understanding in that aspect, but it wasn’t like I was going to leave him high and dry. We’ve… had some fun.”
“Still can’t get it up?” Riley took a sip of his drink and relaxed back into the seat.
“I can get it up, I just can’t keep it up,” Pat elaborated, shrugging.
Riley nodded, more than understanding. “Thought about Viagra? Lachlan will tell you it’s a fine option. It’s helped him for months now.”
“I know. Before? No, I didn’t give it much consideration because I had no need to. But now, for obvious reasons, I’ve thought about it a lot. I’m still hoping, though, it might just correct itself. It has all the other times. I’m not completely asymptomatic right now, though. My speech slurs when I’m tired, the pins and needles are there now and again, plus there is some stomach discomfort. It’s either taking longer to get over the last attack or it’s a whole new ball game. That’s kind of why I’ve been apprehensive about Mexico.” Pat frowned. “I don’t think it’s another attack, though. I think it’s just because I had that virus towards the end of the last one. That in itself was absolutely appalling. Now my romantic first meeting of Aiden story is how I threw up all over all him,” he added wryly.
Riley sniggered. “Well, they say those love stories that start out disastrous are always the ones that last the longest. Look at Lachlan and Tara. How many disasters did they have before they finally made it into the sack?”
“Oh god. It took them fucking ages, darling. Tara’s cooking landed him in the ER, but even then they couldn’t stop perving on each other. If that is the case, Aiden and I will probably make it to our nineties. I completely ruined his suit and his arse looked so good in it, too,” Pat said wistfully, staring across the room as he fell into a daydream.
Riley let him go for a moment, watching him in amusement before he snapped his fingers softly in front of his face to get his attention again. “Does he make you happy, Pat?” he asked. “Stupidly, excitedly, butterflies in the stomach happy?”
“More than, darling,” Pat said with a small sigh. “And that’s what scares me.”
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 1,132
Co-written with pullmysteth
[Follows THIS]
Riley’s brow was furrowed as he watched Pat over the top of his can of Diet Coke. “Pat, you don’t…” he began and then sighed. “I knew this was going to happen.”
Pat picked a raisin off his cookie and flicked it in Riley’s general direction. “You haven’t driven me out, darling, so don’t give me that big green-eyed puppy dog look. You’re as bad as Lachie when you do that. You’d make me hand over my dick on a platter if I thought you needed it. You’re still stuck with me mostly during the week and it won’t be every weekend because he’ll have business functions to attend in New York a lot of the time.”
“You can’t tell me you won’t be going to those with him,” Riley returned with a point for emphasis.
“Why would I?” Pat laughed. “They’re business things.”
Riley fished the raisin out from where it had disappeared down the side of the sofa. “Because you’re his lover, his boyfriend, his partner. That’s the sort of thing you’ll do when you’re dating a professional like Aiden. Same as Evie would come with me when I attend doctors’ functions.”
Pat’s nose scrunched up in thought. “I hadn’t really thought about that. It’s not like we’re married, darling. We’ve only just started dating. He’s not obligated to take me anywhere, nor would I want him to be,” he insisted.
“Obligation has nothing to do with it. I’d put my month’s wage on the fact he’ll want to take you. I really don’t think his sexuality is a secret to anyone. Why would he not want to take his boyfriend as his date to important functions?” Riley said confidently. “But either way, I feel like you’re going because you think you’re a third wheel here with us and you’re not. Weekends at first, but the next logical step will be for you to move out with him.”
Pat met Riley’s eyes with a smile. “Well, yeah,” he had to agree. “Just like Tab moved in with Luke and Evie moved in with you. That is the next logical step if things keep going the way they are, darling. I’m doing this because I want to spend more time with Aiden, not because I feel like I’m in the way. But in saying that, you and Evie need your own space. Hell, I need my own space. My wardrobe alone could use its own apartment.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you’re not wanted,” Riley told him. “Is he… are you…”
“We won’t know unless I trust him enough to let him try, will we?” Pat murmured and leaned over to kiss Riley’s cheek. “I’m not moving on to Africa, darling. We’re going to try and get a place that’s close to Tara and Lachlan, which is close to work. I owe it to Aiden and myself to not be scared of committing to someone. He wants to help and he wants to take care of me. That is… fuck, I just keep waiting for him to turn around and tell me he’s just been taking me for a ride and then I feel guilty for thinking that because he’s done nothing but be amazing and make me happy.”
Riley couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Fuck. Look at us. We’ve got Lachlan who is scared to overcome his music hurdle, me who is lucky to have sex without thinking of it as a small military operation, and you who is scared to believe someone wants you as you are, will love you no matter what. But Pat, you deserve someone like Aiden, and when you’re together, you both look smitten. I think you’re doing the right thing, even if I want you to know that you’re always welcome here, no matter what, and for however long you want. You both are. You could never be in the way or never be a burden. I want to see you happy and I think Aiden will give you that.”
Pat smiled and gave Riley a hug. “And look at it this way, darling. With me away working on the relationship hurdles, you can be here working on the sex hurdles. Nothing like fixing sex problems with a good round of spontaneous shagging.”
“What about your sex hurdles?” Riley asked, watching Pat closely. “Have you slept with Aiden yet?”
Pat pulled his lips to the side with a small frustration snort. “Not intercourse,” he confirmed. “He’s been really understanding in that aspect, but it wasn’t like I was going to leave him high and dry. We’ve… had some fun.”
“Still can’t get it up?” Riley took a sip of his drink and relaxed back into the seat.
“I can get it up, I just can’t keep it up,” Pat elaborated, shrugging.
Riley nodded, more than understanding. “Thought about Viagra? Lachlan will tell you it’s a fine option. It’s helped him for months now.”
“I know. Before? No, I didn’t give it much consideration because I had no need to. But now, for obvious reasons, I’ve thought about it a lot. I’m still hoping, though, it might just correct itself. It has all the other times. I’m not completely asymptomatic right now, though. My speech slurs when I’m tired, the pins and needles are there now and again, plus there is some stomach discomfort. It’s either taking longer to get over the last attack or it’s a whole new ball game. That’s kind of why I’ve been apprehensive about Mexico.” Pat frowned. “I don’t think it’s another attack, though. I think it’s just because I had that virus towards the end of the last one. That in itself was absolutely appalling. Now my romantic first meeting of Aiden story is how I threw up all over all him,” he added wryly.
Riley sniggered. “Well, they say those love stories that start out disastrous are always the ones that last the longest. Look at Lachlan and Tara. How many disasters did they have before they finally made it into the sack?”
“Oh god. It took them fucking ages, darling. Tara’s cooking landed him in the ER, but even then they couldn’t stop perving on each other. If that is the case, Aiden and I will probably make it to our nineties. I completely ruined his suit and his arse looked so good in it, too,” Pat said wistfully, staring across the room as he fell into a daydream.
Riley let him go for a moment, watching him in amusement before he snapped his fingers softly in front of his face to get his attention again. “Does he make you happy, Pat?” he asked. “Stupidly, excitedly, butterflies in the stomach happy?”
“More than, darling,” Pat said with a small sigh. “And that’s what scares me.”
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 1,132