Unexpected Family Part 6
Disclaimer: anything resembling reality is a lie
Alexandre watched Philippe sip his wine quietly while sitting on the floor. He'd repeatedly offered to move but the Belgian seemed content to stay on the floor by his feet. It was both too close and not close enough for what he wanted which only infuriated him further. There had been no mention of what happened earlier or last night which left Alexandre at an unexpected loss at how to proceed.
Normally with these things what happened next was obvious but here he wasn't sure and he disliked the lack of certainty. Today had just been filled with contradictions that he couldn't make sense of. Philippe had made him breakfast but had refused to stay and eat with him, citing a need to go check on his bike and his attempts at conversation whilst the Belgian ate his own breakfast were tolerated but not reciprocated. That would have decided the matter had it not been for the fact that Philippe seemed to have settled to being within touching distance without doing anything about it. Just like now, when there were no opportunities for something to happen 'accidentally'. If he shifted forward and tried to kiss Philippe now then it'd be obvious that was what he was doing.
He'd never had this much trouble before, normally the answer was pretty obvious. He knew he could be somewhat of an acquired taste that seemed to polarise opinion one way or another. Then again Philippe had been acting the same way for a while, in an unfamiliar no man's land, and seemed to be reluctant to move in one way or another.
Clearly he was going to have to force the matter if he wanted an answer to the question of Philippe's interest. It'd be somewhat different from what usually happened which would make Philippe stand out, though he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing right now or not.
He shifted carefully before reaching for the bottle of wine. Now was definitely time to give Philippe a top up, before there were any questions raised about the advisability of it. He put the bottle back on the table and watched Philippe drink from the glass. He’d give it a little longer before he tried to take advantage of the situation. “You know if you’re not careful I might start to think that you’re trying to get me drunk,” Philippe said.
“What if I were?”
There was no immediate answer and after a while he stopped expecting there to be one. Philippe’s watching him though, eyes thoughtful and he felt like he was expected to give some sort of answer but he was at a loss to what. “Then I’d want to know why.”
The Belgian put his wine down on the table and he scooted across the floor so he was a lot closer. Alexandre thought it would’ve been easier to provide a response before when he’d have had more chance of being able to lie successfully. This close Philippe was bound to notice and that normally didn’t end well for him. “If it’s because you’re planning on having your wicked way with me I don’t have to be drunk for that.”
The confession just hung there like something large and unwieldy that nobody knew quite what to do with. It had potentially been far too honest, more than either of them were ready for, and now there would be consequences.
Philippe was watching him and he knew now would be a good time to say something but he wasn’t sure he had the nerve to. Actually doing something about it was a lot different to wanting to know whether Philippe was actually interested in more than friendship with him or not.
He’d never been shy about it before and he wasn’t this time, it was just... He felt unsure of himself, of what he had to offer, and it was so far from that unexpected, impulsive kiss that they’d shared that morning. Was it really only this morning that had happened?
In the end it was Philippe who solved the problem for him, leaning forward to join their mouths together. The kiss was cautious until he grabbed hold of Philippe’s t-shirt and pulled him closer. Then the mouth on his seemed to open satisfying his urge to taste even if the wine was overwhelming everything else.
He shifted to get better contact and the response was immediate as all the feelings that he’d kept hidden tumbled out of the box he’d locked them away in. “Alexandre,” Philippe murmured against his lips.
“Just-” he started before he decided his mouth had been parted from Philippe’s for long enough.
Philippe moved closer still and he felt a hand move down his arm and then fingertips against his face. The touch was tentative which seemed at odds with the way Philippe had initiated the contact, had confessed that this was what he wanted.
His own hand stayed where it was, gripping the t-shirt tightly and refusing to let go. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Philippe changed his mind in the morning. It was too late for that, too late for any half measures that would wind him more tightly than he was already.
The kiss ended abruptly when he leant forward and pain shot through his leg. He sucked in a breath and shifted his position to take the weight off it again. That had been stupid, he should have been more careful about what he was doing! The pain subsided enough to make breathing easier which he appreciated even if it had totally killed the mood.
It was then he became aware of the hand holding his where he grasped at Philippe’s t-shirt and the other rubbing his back gently. He hadn’t notice Philippe moving but he supposed he had been rather distracted at the time. Lips pressed against his lightly when he began to relax. “Better?”
“Yeah.”
Philippe was looking at him as though seeing him for the very first time, something Alexandre found rather thrilling. There was something about the way those eyes were taking him in that promised something he’d like very much. He wished his leg was better so he could take the Belgian up on what was being offered but that would have to wait for a much later date. “How about I tuck you in,” Philippe offered.
Alexandre nodded before he’d even put much thought into the offer though for once he was thankful he was a little unsteady as it gave Philippe an excuse to hold him close. He claimed another brief kiss before he was forced to focus on the matter of getting himself from the lounge to his bedroom.
He lay in the dark after Philippe had headed to the spare room as he waited for the excitement to die down. He stared at the ceiling and tried to remind himself that until there were more kisses he couldn’t be certain. Tomorrow he would know and no amount of putting of sleep would make it come any sooner.
The first time he woke he was still tired and he closed his eyes again as he willed sleep to claim him once more. The second time he woke he was less tired and this time he knew he would sleep no longer. He shuffled slowly down the hallway towards his kitchen and wondered if he would find the Belgian there or not.
The smile came unbidden when he saw Philippe looking into the fridge. The Belgian was still dressed in his pyjama shorts and looked ruffled. He stood and watched wondering if he’d still be able to enjoy the view once he’d broken the silence. “Any particular requests for breakfast this morning?” Philippe asked before looking over at him.
“Not after what happened yesterday,” he replied.
That had been a disaster and he wasn’t looking for a repeat. It wouldn’t project the right image and he didn’t want to do anything that would change the Belgian’s mind. He moved into the room and headed in Philippe’s direction. “A surprise then,” Philippe murmured and looked at the contents of the fridge before he shut the door. “Oatmeal?”
He just nodded and turned so he could go and sit down at the table. It would be better if he waited before pressing the matter. After all he might as well have breakfast first, at least then he wouldn’t be hungry. “Alexandre?”
“Yeah?” he responded without turning around.
He heard Philippe make a sound of frustration as he continued on his path to the table. All of a sudden Philippe was in front of him and then he was being kissed far more thoroughly than he expected. He extricated a hand from one of his crutches and let it fall to the floor as he reached for the Belgian.
They never did anything the typical way so he didn’t see why this should be any different. He was grateful for the arms around him and the extra support they provided. Not a mistake then he concluded even as Philippe drew back. “Needed that.”
He’d never admit that he felt the same way so he brushed his lips against Philippe’s instead. “Does this mean I’m not getting breakfast?” he teased.
“I might be able to manage that,” Philippe said.
He leant forward and kissed the Belgian again before he looked around for his missing crutch. Philippe picked it up for him and watched as he made his way over to the table and sat down. There was a moment after he sat down when the Belgian seemed reluctant to return to the matter of breakfast. “You know you don’t have to,” he stated.
“I want to.”
“I’m-”
“Always going to be argumentative?” Philippe queried and set to work finding what he needed.
“Not true.”
Philippe glanced back across at him and for a moment he thought there was going to be some sort of objection to his words. “No, you can occasionally be obliging.”
Alexandre decided it was wise not to say anything in response and he caught Philippe’s smile before the Belgian turned to open a cupboard searching for bowls. He shifted around so he could watch Philippe work and nothing more was said between them.
Five minutes later Philippe put a glass of juice down on the table before him. “Where’s my coffee?” he objected.
“Juice first, coffee later.”
He raised an eyebrow and Philippe leant closer. “If you’re good then I might just reward you.”
“You’re worse than my doctor,” he muttered but picked up the glass anyway.
Philippe laughed at his grumpiness and he wondered if there was going to be more bossing him around before the Belgian went home again. He wasn’t sure he’d object much if there were perks that came along with it. It’d stop him objecting immediately at any rate.
A phone started ringing as Philippe came over with bowls and he watched them get put down carefully before the call was answered. “Hello?”
The smile that had still been on Philippe’s face soon disappeared and he watched a complete change in mood come over the Belgian. “Is Alan okay?”
The question made him realise who it was on the other end of the phone and his good mood vanished. He put down the glass while Philippe turned and moved away from the table. “You want to do that right now?” the Belgian asked before pausing to wait for an answer. “Does it have to be in person?”
When Philippe looked back at him with a distressed look on his face Alexandre knew that the Belgian was leaving. “Fine, I’ve got a few things I need to do here but I’ll call and let you know what time I’ll be back.”
With that the call ended and Philippe came towards him. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah,” is all Philippe says.
“Is Alan all right?” he asked.
“He’s fine.”
Alexandre frowned and tried to work out what else would make the Belgian rush to get back home again with such urgency. “Then what’s the big emergency?”
There was a pause when Philippe looked particularly uncomfortable before anything resembling a response. “I have to get back, I’ll call you when I get there, okay?”
He wasn’t sure it was okay but until he found out what was going on then there wasn’t much he could say. If Philippe needed to leave then there was no way around it. The timing left a lot to be desired obviously but it couldn’t be helped. “You better go pack then,” was what he said in response.
Far too soon Philippe was gone and Alexandre was left alone with the silence he’d endured before. Oddly enough he hadn’t noticed it before but now it was suffocating. Now he was alone again there would soon be someone coming to check up on him but until that happened he would just have to occupy himself.
A week later Philippe still hadn’t called him. He’d received a short text the day Philippe left to let him know that the journey had passed without incident but since then there’d been nothing.
Usually he wasn’t this patient; normally he’d have called and demanded an explanation for what was going on long before now. Apparently this time he was prepared to wait until Philippe called him, for a while at least.
He kept himself busy so he wouldn’t have to think about what this would mean for their relationship, or lack of one, since Alexandre couldn’t think of any scenario where this would have a good outcome for him.
Another week past and Alexandre gave up expecting Philippe to call. He felt better than he had before even if he still wasn’t sleeping and the prospect of getting back on the bike felt no closer than it had when it had happened.
He stood in his garden and surveyed the plants that had started to pick up since he’d demanded the got watered. He turned and started to move back towards the house. It was a nice evening and it would be good to sit out on the patio and eat. He could survey his surroundings and just let everything fade away. There would still be no wine but that was no reason he couldn’t enjoy a relaxing evening. It had been a while since he had and it had been a tough couple of weeks.
He moved slowly over to inspect another plant and sighed at the battered state it was in. Obviously someone had not paid enough attention to where they were putting their feet when watering some of the other plants. It looked a lot better than it had so that was something to be thankful for at least.
He made a note to make sure it got some extra attention over the next few days before he turned to go back towards the house. Progress was slow but there was no rush, it wasn’t as if he had to be anywhere. He was half way across the lower garden when he spotted Philippe headed in his direction and stopped abruptly.
He hadn’t heard from the Belgian in over two weeks but apparently Philippe had enough time to make a trip to see him again. Alexandre scowled, he didn’t appreciate being ignored until it was convenient. Obviously it was time to move his spare key if people were just letting themselves in!
Philippe jogged over to him with a huge smile and wrapped arms around him once he was in touching distance. “I’ve missed you.”
Alexandre felt the wall he’d hidden his emotions behind crack at the easy affection. He held himself stiffly and hoped that Philippe would get the message. Lips showered him with kisses but all he could see was the smile. He’d been ignored for two weeks, he’d been miserable, and Philippe was happier than he’d seen in a long time. “It’s so good to see you again,” the Belgian confessed. “I didn’t realise-”
“Enough!” he snapped. “Get out of my way.”
He saw the smile on Philippe’s face dim slightly but it refused to go away it seemed. “I know I said I’d call and I didn’t but-”
“I’m not interested in your excuses.”
Alexandre reached out with an arm to push Philippe away from him and then began to move towards the house. “Alexandre-”
“Don’t!” he said angrily. “You don’t have anything to say that I want to hear.”
He’d thought that if Philippe ever came and explained what was going on that he’d be willing to listen but now the Belgian was here he didn’t want to hear what had been so important that he was ignored.
He hated the pang of regret he felt when Philippe just let him go and stomped on it ruthlessly. He deserved better and he wasn’t going to go weak at the knees or something equally as pathetic just because Philippe remembered who he was.
He managed to get to the house before Philippe came after him. There were no words, the Belgian just opened the back door and held it open so he could get back into the house easily enough. “I can manage,” he insisted.
Philippe reached out to touch him but at the last minute appeared to think better of it and pulled his hand back before it could make contact. “I know.”
He almost missed the words they were said so quietly but he moved away regardless. He headed in the direction of his room and slammed the door when he got there. He eased himself down onto the bed and wondered what the likelihood of Philippe leaving was.
He hated the part of him that wanted to go back to the kitchen and have Philippe hold him close again. Was it only two weeks ago that he’d been looking forward to what might come from the change in their relationship? What a fool he’d been. He closed his eyes and concentrated on just breathing. If he just kept breathing then everything else would take care of himself.
There was a tentative knock on the door to his room some time later. “I made you something to eat,” the words came through the door but he ignored them.
Hunger eventually forced him from his sanctuary and he headed towards the kitchen. He could hear the television on in the lounge as he walked down the hallway. The scene that confronted him when he reached the doorway of the kitchen wasn’t the one he expected.
There was half a glass of wine forgotten on the otherwise empty counter top. Dishes had been left to drain by the sink and once way would leave the kitchen immaculate. Those details, while significant, weren’t what held his attention. It was the table that had been pulled over by the large windows overlooking the garden.
The table had been laid with two settings, table mats and cutlery all laid out neatly with a plate in between. He moved close and saw the spot where the wine glass was meant to be. He took in his wine glass half filled with juice and the spoons that indicated Philippe had dessert of some description.
There was something resting against the stem of his wine glass and he moved closer to investigate. He reached out for the envelope which was frustratingly blank. There was nothing on it which indicated what was inside. He set it back down on the table and stared at it. Did he really want to know what was inside? Once he knew he’d be forced to do something in response and he wasn’t sure he would like the outcome. “I knew you’d be angry but I never thought you’d refuse to let me explain.”
He glanced towards the door where Philippe was stood. “Obviously you don’t know me all that well.”
“I’m sorry.”
He watched as the Belgian crossed the room towards him and he knew sooner or later he’d have to make a choice that would define where they went from here. “I don’t care.”
“Really?”
He didn’t want Philippe so close, questioning his words and his decisions. A hand came out to caress his cheek gently and he leant into the touch. “I’m sorry,” Philippe murmured. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He inhaled sharply but didn’t push Philippe away. He probably should have but this close he didn’t have the heart to do it. “What’s in the envelope?”
“Petition for custody.”
It explained why Philippe had rushed off the minute he’d received the call after all it was the reason the Belgian had come to visit him in the first place. “She’s always thought that there was something more between us than just friendship and I thought if I called you...”
“Never took you for the superstitious type,” he murmured.
“It’s Alan,” Philippe responded as though that explained everything.
He supposed it did but he wasn’t sure what that meant for him, or for them. A lot had happened in the past two weeks and it didn’t exactly bode well for them. “I needed some time to think and I wasn’t sure you’d let me have it if I asked. We’ve been friends for a while and... I’m a package deal, always have been.”
“Philippe-”
“It’s been so long since I felt like this about someone and the fact that it’s you...”
“What are you saying?” he asked.
“Took me by surprise, I guess. It just felt so right and of course I had to do my best to screw it up-”
Alexandre closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to Philippe’s. He felt hands grasp at him cautiously and he felt himself smile. “Alexandre-”
“Stop worrying,” he ordered. “Just trust me.”
Philippe looked like he wanted to say something so he did the only thing he could do and kissed Philippe instead. “Did you really cook?”
He felt Philippe’s smile against his lips. “Sit down, I’ll go get it for you.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
He watched Philippe head over to the oven and bring out two plates. Maybe they hadn’t exactly made life easy for themselves but they could work on that. They’d never be conventional but something told him that if they just stopped fighting it and let thing develop at their own pace then things would go a lot smoother. They had unexpectedly become family and he wouldn’t give that up without a fight.
Alexandre watched Philippe sip his wine quietly while sitting on the floor. He'd repeatedly offered to move but the Belgian seemed content to stay on the floor by his feet. It was both too close and not close enough for what he wanted which only infuriated him further. There had been no mention of what happened earlier or last night which left Alexandre at an unexpected loss at how to proceed.
Normally with these things what happened next was obvious but here he wasn't sure and he disliked the lack of certainty. Today had just been filled with contradictions that he couldn't make sense of. Philippe had made him breakfast but had refused to stay and eat with him, citing a need to go check on his bike and his attempts at conversation whilst the Belgian ate his own breakfast were tolerated but not reciprocated. That would have decided the matter had it not been for the fact that Philippe seemed to have settled to being within touching distance without doing anything about it. Just like now, when there were no opportunities for something to happen 'accidentally'. If he shifted forward and tried to kiss Philippe now then it'd be obvious that was what he was doing.
He'd never had this much trouble before, normally the answer was pretty obvious. He knew he could be somewhat of an acquired taste that seemed to polarise opinion one way or another. Then again Philippe had been acting the same way for a while, in an unfamiliar no man's land, and seemed to be reluctant to move in one way or another.
Clearly he was going to have to force the matter if he wanted an answer to the question of Philippe's interest. It'd be somewhat different from what usually happened which would make Philippe stand out, though he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing right now or not.
He shifted carefully before reaching for the bottle of wine. Now was definitely time to give Philippe a top up, before there were any questions raised about the advisability of it. He put the bottle back on the table and watched Philippe drink from the glass. He’d give it a little longer before he tried to take advantage of the situation. “You know if you’re not careful I might start to think that you’re trying to get me drunk,” Philippe said.
“What if I were?”
There was no immediate answer and after a while he stopped expecting there to be one. Philippe’s watching him though, eyes thoughtful and he felt like he was expected to give some sort of answer but he was at a loss to what. “Then I’d want to know why.”
The Belgian put his wine down on the table and he scooted across the floor so he was a lot closer. Alexandre thought it would’ve been easier to provide a response before when he’d have had more chance of being able to lie successfully. This close Philippe was bound to notice and that normally didn’t end well for him. “If it’s because you’re planning on having your wicked way with me I don’t have to be drunk for that.”
The confession just hung there like something large and unwieldy that nobody knew quite what to do with. It had potentially been far too honest, more than either of them were ready for, and now there would be consequences.
Philippe was watching him and he knew now would be a good time to say something but he wasn’t sure he had the nerve to. Actually doing something about it was a lot different to wanting to know whether Philippe was actually interested in more than friendship with him or not.
He’d never been shy about it before and he wasn’t this time, it was just... He felt unsure of himself, of what he had to offer, and it was so far from that unexpected, impulsive kiss that they’d shared that morning. Was it really only this morning that had happened?
In the end it was Philippe who solved the problem for him, leaning forward to join their mouths together. The kiss was cautious until he grabbed hold of Philippe’s t-shirt and pulled him closer. Then the mouth on his seemed to open satisfying his urge to taste even if the wine was overwhelming everything else.
He shifted to get better contact and the response was immediate as all the feelings that he’d kept hidden tumbled out of the box he’d locked them away in. “Alexandre,” Philippe murmured against his lips.
“Just-” he started before he decided his mouth had been parted from Philippe’s for long enough.
Philippe moved closer still and he felt a hand move down his arm and then fingertips against his face. The touch was tentative which seemed at odds with the way Philippe had initiated the contact, had confessed that this was what he wanted.
His own hand stayed where it was, gripping the t-shirt tightly and refusing to let go. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Philippe changed his mind in the morning. It was too late for that, too late for any half measures that would wind him more tightly than he was already.
The kiss ended abruptly when he leant forward and pain shot through his leg. He sucked in a breath and shifted his position to take the weight off it again. That had been stupid, he should have been more careful about what he was doing! The pain subsided enough to make breathing easier which he appreciated even if it had totally killed the mood.
It was then he became aware of the hand holding his where he grasped at Philippe’s t-shirt and the other rubbing his back gently. He hadn’t notice Philippe moving but he supposed he had been rather distracted at the time. Lips pressed against his lightly when he began to relax. “Better?”
“Yeah.”
Philippe was looking at him as though seeing him for the very first time, something Alexandre found rather thrilling. There was something about the way those eyes were taking him in that promised something he’d like very much. He wished his leg was better so he could take the Belgian up on what was being offered but that would have to wait for a much later date. “How about I tuck you in,” Philippe offered.
Alexandre nodded before he’d even put much thought into the offer though for once he was thankful he was a little unsteady as it gave Philippe an excuse to hold him close. He claimed another brief kiss before he was forced to focus on the matter of getting himself from the lounge to his bedroom.
He lay in the dark after Philippe had headed to the spare room as he waited for the excitement to die down. He stared at the ceiling and tried to remind himself that until there were more kisses he couldn’t be certain. Tomorrow he would know and no amount of putting of sleep would make it come any sooner.
The first time he woke he was still tired and he closed his eyes again as he willed sleep to claim him once more. The second time he woke he was less tired and this time he knew he would sleep no longer. He shuffled slowly down the hallway towards his kitchen and wondered if he would find the Belgian there or not.
The smile came unbidden when he saw Philippe looking into the fridge. The Belgian was still dressed in his pyjama shorts and looked ruffled. He stood and watched wondering if he’d still be able to enjoy the view once he’d broken the silence. “Any particular requests for breakfast this morning?” Philippe asked before looking over at him.
“Not after what happened yesterday,” he replied.
That had been a disaster and he wasn’t looking for a repeat. It wouldn’t project the right image and he didn’t want to do anything that would change the Belgian’s mind. He moved into the room and headed in Philippe’s direction. “A surprise then,” Philippe murmured and looked at the contents of the fridge before he shut the door. “Oatmeal?”
He just nodded and turned so he could go and sit down at the table. It would be better if he waited before pressing the matter. After all he might as well have breakfast first, at least then he wouldn’t be hungry. “Alexandre?”
“Yeah?” he responded without turning around.
He heard Philippe make a sound of frustration as he continued on his path to the table. All of a sudden Philippe was in front of him and then he was being kissed far more thoroughly than he expected. He extricated a hand from one of his crutches and let it fall to the floor as he reached for the Belgian.
They never did anything the typical way so he didn’t see why this should be any different. He was grateful for the arms around him and the extra support they provided. Not a mistake then he concluded even as Philippe drew back. “Needed that.”
He’d never admit that he felt the same way so he brushed his lips against Philippe’s instead. “Does this mean I’m not getting breakfast?” he teased.
“I might be able to manage that,” Philippe said.
He leant forward and kissed the Belgian again before he looked around for his missing crutch. Philippe picked it up for him and watched as he made his way over to the table and sat down. There was a moment after he sat down when the Belgian seemed reluctant to return to the matter of breakfast. “You know you don’t have to,” he stated.
“I want to.”
“I’m-”
“Always going to be argumentative?” Philippe queried and set to work finding what he needed.
“Not true.”
Philippe glanced back across at him and for a moment he thought there was going to be some sort of objection to his words. “No, you can occasionally be obliging.”
Alexandre decided it was wise not to say anything in response and he caught Philippe’s smile before the Belgian turned to open a cupboard searching for bowls. He shifted around so he could watch Philippe work and nothing more was said between them.
Five minutes later Philippe put a glass of juice down on the table before him. “Where’s my coffee?” he objected.
“Juice first, coffee later.”
He raised an eyebrow and Philippe leant closer. “If you’re good then I might just reward you.”
“You’re worse than my doctor,” he muttered but picked up the glass anyway.
Philippe laughed at his grumpiness and he wondered if there was going to be more bossing him around before the Belgian went home again. He wasn’t sure he’d object much if there were perks that came along with it. It’d stop him objecting immediately at any rate.
A phone started ringing as Philippe came over with bowls and he watched them get put down carefully before the call was answered. “Hello?”
The smile that had still been on Philippe’s face soon disappeared and he watched a complete change in mood come over the Belgian. “Is Alan okay?”
The question made him realise who it was on the other end of the phone and his good mood vanished. He put down the glass while Philippe turned and moved away from the table. “You want to do that right now?” the Belgian asked before pausing to wait for an answer. “Does it have to be in person?”
When Philippe looked back at him with a distressed look on his face Alexandre knew that the Belgian was leaving. “Fine, I’ve got a few things I need to do here but I’ll call and let you know what time I’ll be back.”
With that the call ended and Philippe came towards him. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah,” is all Philippe says.
“Is Alan all right?” he asked.
“He’s fine.”
Alexandre frowned and tried to work out what else would make the Belgian rush to get back home again with such urgency. “Then what’s the big emergency?”
There was a pause when Philippe looked particularly uncomfortable before anything resembling a response. “I have to get back, I’ll call you when I get there, okay?”
He wasn’t sure it was okay but until he found out what was going on then there wasn’t much he could say. If Philippe needed to leave then there was no way around it. The timing left a lot to be desired obviously but it couldn’t be helped. “You better go pack then,” was what he said in response.
Far too soon Philippe was gone and Alexandre was left alone with the silence he’d endured before. Oddly enough he hadn’t noticed it before but now it was suffocating. Now he was alone again there would soon be someone coming to check up on him but until that happened he would just have to occupy himself.
A week later Philippe still hadn’t called him. He’d received a short text the day Philippe left to let him know that the journey had passed without incident but since then there’d been nothing.
Usually he wasn’t this patient; normally he’d have called and demanded an explanation for what was going on long before now. Apparently this time he was prepared to wait until Philippe called him, for a while at least.
He kept himself busy so he wouldn’t have to think about what this would mean for their relationship, or lack of one, since Alexandre couldn’t think of any scenario where this would have a good outcome for him.
Another week past and Alexandre gave up expecting Philippe to call. He felt better than he had before even if he still wasn’t sleeping and the prospect of getting back on the bike felt no closer than it had when it had happened.
He stood in his garden and surveyed the plants that had started to pick up since he’d demanded the got watered. He turned and started to move back towards the house. It was a nice evening and it would be good to sit out on the patio and eat. He could survey his surroundings and just let everything fade away. There would still be no wine but that was no reason he couldn’t enjoy a relaxing evening. It had been a while since he had and it had been a tough couple of weeks.
He moved slowly over to inspect another plant and sighed at the battered state it was in. Obviously someone had not paid enough attention to where they were putting their feet when watering some of the other plants. It looked a lot better than it had so that was something to be thankful for at least.
He made a note to make sure it got some extra attention over the next few days before he turned to go back towards the house. Progress was slow but there was no rush, it wasn’t as if he had to be anywhere. He was half way across the lower garden when he spotted Philippe headed in his direction and stopped abruptly.
He hadn’t heard from the Belgian in over two weeks but apparently Philippe had enough time to make a trip to see him again. Alexandre scowled, he didn’t appreciate being ignored until it was convenient. Obviously it was time to move his spare key if people were just letting themselves in!
Philippe jogged over to him with a huge smile and wrapped arms around him once he was in touching distance. “I’ve missed you.”
Alexandre felt the wall he’d hidden his emotions behind crack at the easy affection. He held himself stiffly and hoped that Philippe would get the message. Lips showered him with kisses but all he could see was the smile. He’d been ignored for two weeks, he’d been miserable, and Philippe was happier than he’d seen in a long time. “It’s so good to see you again,” the Belgian confessed. “I didn’t realise-”
“Enough!” he snapped. “Get out of my way.”
He saw the smile on Philippe’s face dim slightly but it refused to go away it seemed. “I know I said I’d call and I didn’t but-”
“I’m not interested in your excuses.”
Alexandre reached out with an arm to push Philippe away from him and then began to move towards the house. “Alexandre-”
“Don’t!” he said angrily. “You don’t have anything to say that I want to hear.”
He’d thought that if Philippe ever came and explained what was going on that he’d be willing to listen but now the Belgian was here he didn’t want to hear what had been so important that he was ignored.
He hated the pang of regret he felt when Philippe just let him go and stomped on it ruthlessly. He deserved better and he wasn’t going to go weak at the knees or something equally as pathetic just because Philippe remembered who he was.
He managed to get to the house before Philippe came after him. There were no words, the Belgian just opened the back door and held it open so he could get back into the house easily enough. “I can manage,” he insisted.
Philippe reached out to touch him but at the last minute appeared to think better of it and pulled his hand back before it could make contact. “I know.”
He almost missed the words they were said so quietly but he moved away regardless. He headed in the direction of his room and slammed the door when he got there. He eased himself down onto the bed and wondered what the likelihood of Philippe leaving was.
He hated the part of him that wanted to go back to the kitchen and have Philippe hold him close again. Was it only two weeks ago that he’d been looking forward to what might come from the change in their relationship? What a fool he’d been. He closed his eyes and concentrated on just breathing. If he just kept breathing then everything else would take care of himself.
There was a tentative knock on the door to his room some time later. “I made you something to eat,” the words came through the door but he ignored them.
Hunger eventually forced him from his sanctuary and he headed towards the kitchen. He could hear the television on in the lounge as he walked down the hallway. The scene that confronted him when he reached the doorway of the kitchen wasn’t the one he expected.
There was half a glass of wine forgotten on the otherwise empty counter top. Dishes had been left to drain by the sink and once way would leave the kitchen immaculate. Those details, while significant, weren’t what held his attention. It was the table that had been pulled over by the large windows overlooking the garden.
The table had been laid with two settings, table mats and cutlery all laid out neatly with a plate in between. He moved close and saw the spot where the wine glass was meant to be. He took in his wine glass half filled with juice and the spoons that indicated Philippe had dessert of some description.
There was something resting against the stem of his wine glass and he moved closer to investigate. He reached out for the envelope which was frustratingly blank. There was nothing on it which indicated what was inside. He set it back down on the table and stared at it. Did he really want to know what was inside? Once he knew he’d be forced to do something in response and he wasn’t sure he would like the outcome. “I knew you’d be angry but I never thought you’d refuse to let me explain.”
He glanced towards the door where Philippe was stood. “Obviously you don’t know me all that well.”
“I’m sorry.”
He watched as the Belgian crossed the room towards him and he knew sooner or later he’d have to make a choice that would define where they went from here. “I don’t care.”
“Really?”
He didn’t want Philippe so close, questioning his words and his decisions. A hand came out to caress his cheek gently and he leant into the touch. “I’m sorry,” Philippe murmured. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He inhaled sharply but didn’t push Philippe away. He probably should have but this close he didn’t have the heart to do it. “What’s in the envelope?”
“Petition for custody.”
It explained why Philippe had rushed off the minute he’d received the call after all it was the reason the Belgian had come to visit him in the first place. “She’s always thought that there was something more between us than just friendship and I thought if I called you...”
“Never took you for the superstitious type,” he murmured.
“It’s Alan,” Philippe responded as though that explained everything.
He supposed it did but he wasn’t sure what that meant for him, or for them. A lot had happened in the past two weeks and it didn’t exactly bode well for them. “I needed some time to think and I wasn’t sure you’d let me have it if I asked. We’ve been friends for a while and... I’m a package deal, always have been.”
“Philippe-”
“It’s been so long since I felt like this about someone and the fact that it’s you...”
“What are you saying?” he asked.
“Took me by surprise, I guess. It just felt so right and of course I had to do my best to screw it up-”
Alexandre closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to Philippe’s. He felt hands grasp at him cautiously and he felt himself smile. “Alexandre-”
“Stop worrying,” he ordered. “Just trust me.”
Philippe looked like he wanted to say something so he did the only thing he could do and kissed Philippe instead. “Did you really cook?”
He felt Philippe’s smile against his lips. “Sit down, I’ll go get it for you.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
He watched Philippe head over to the oven and bring out two plates. Maybe they hadn’t exactly made life easy for themselves but they could work on that. They’d never be conventional but something told him that if they just stopped fighting it and let thing develop at their own pace then things would go a lot smoother. They had unexpectedly become family and he wouldn’t give that up without a fight.