Fic: Let's Be More Than This (16/19) [The Covenant, OT4, FRAO/NC-17]
Title: Let's Be More Than This - Chapter 16
Author: mickey_sixx
Fandom: The Covenant
Pairing: Caleb Danvers/Pogue Parry/Reid Garwin/Tyler Simms (eventual), Reid Garwin/Tyler Simms (established)
Rating: FRAO/NC-17/M
Word Count: ~67K (yeah, it's an epic)
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. I do not own them!
Beta: Sam | hawk_dancing (Thank you so much! *smishes*) & barefoot_starz ♥
WARNING! This fic contains scenes of a graphic sexual nature between two (three... eventually four) men. If this offends you, please do not read.
Summary: The last of the old Covenant has died, leaving the new Generation to carry on the legacy, but Caleb soon discovers there is more to the Power than he'd previously thought. Friendships will be tested and secrets revealed as the Sons of Ipswich find out what it really means to be one of the Covenant.
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15
Chapter 16
It had been a long time since the house had seen this much activity. Mrs Garwin had taken over, organizing and instructing, dividing up jobs between the three of them while she prepared the food. Neither of them argued with her, his own mother had watched them with an amused smile as they set to the tasks they were given, knowing that to argue with Meredith Garwin when she was like this was like risking their lives. Caleb leaned against the arch that connected the hall to the dining room, silently watching Reid and Tyler as they laughed and played around each other while setting the table.
The smell of roasting turkey and cooking vegetables wafted through the halls from the kitchen. Caleb's memories stirred briefly, flashing back to when he was a kid - no older than 6 or 7 - sat at the long polished wood table and surrounded by family. Reid and Pogue flicked sweet potatoes at each other when they thought the adults weren't looking, Tyler and Caleb giggling and egging them on until his mother told them to stop or be spanked. Every place at the table had been filled then.
It was to be their last Thanksgiving feast together, the years following turning cold with anger, despair and bitterness.
Something pulled at his insides; a gentle tug that preceded the shiver of his Power recognising someone else. He turned. Even though he knew who it was, his heart still gave a small jolt when his eyes found him, slowing to a stop a few feet away in the hall. Caleb couldn't help but feel the slow burn of arousal coiling inside him; taking in his appearance slowly. Both hands were stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, leather jacket open over a white faded union jack t-shirt. The slight incline of his head caused his hair to fall in his face, despite the fact that Pogue had obviously run his hand through it numerous times. He muttered a quiet 'hey' towards his feet.
"Hey," Caleb replied, almost hesitant, careful. There was a beat before he added, "I didn't think you'd come." The eldest was close enough to see the hurt expression flash across his face and quickly back tracked, "No, I meant... I called and left messages, but..."
The other teen shrugged, finally lifting his head, but still avoiding Caleb's eyes, "Yeah, things got... complicated... and then I... just needed some time to deal. I'm ok now."
"Really?" Caleb asked, doubt slipping in his tone.
"Yeah."
"You sure about that?" Both of them looked up and around to see Reid and Tyler standing firm behind Caleb. Seriousness had replaced childish teasing, in both expression and voice. "Because you've said that before. A couple of times."
Pogue shifted awkwardly, head falling forward again in an unconscious effort to hide from them. They were right, of course, and after each time he'd bolted again and left them while he was stuck in his own head. But this was different. This time he wasn't just saying the words, or burying his head in the sand over the whole thing. His eyes had been opened the night his fantasy had felt more like reality and now he couldn't stop thinking about it. About them. But how could he say that to them here, now?
"Ah, there you are!" The four turned to see Mrs Garwin join them in the hall, her appearance halting their conversation. She gave a smile to Pogue, "Nice to see you, Pogue."
He smiled and nodded, relieved at the short respite she had offered, "You too, Aunt Meredith."
She looked around at them all, standing in the hall and arched an eyebrow, "Well? Have you finished already? Because I can give you something else to do if you want."
Caleb, Reid and Tyler had retreated back to the dining room before she'd even finished her sentence. Meredith smirked and turned back to Pogue, wrapping a motherly arm around his shoulder and leading him into the kitchen, "And you get to help me with the food."
"Sure," he said with a good-natured shrug.
The older woman gave him a few minutes to slide out of his jacket before she asked lightly, "Is your mother joining us for dinner?"
He tensed, not looking at her as he shook his head and lay his jacket over a chair, "No, she's not feeling well. She's sorry she can't be here."
The words were slow, practiced. Meredith shared a significant look with Evelyn over the counter while Pogue wasn't looking, dropping her gaze when the young man focused on them. She smiled at him reassuringly, "No matter, I hope she feels better soon. Now, about this food..."
~*~*~*~
She watched him leave on the errand, feeling a small spark of guilt flare in her gut. The bowl she'd sent him for wasn't really needed, but it was a good excuse as any to get him out of the kitchen for a while. She could see he was uncomfortable, nervous even, about being here, and while Reid hadn't filled her in on the details, she had a good idea why. Their conversation in the hallway had only proved her suspicions. Just like his father.
"You didn't really expect her to come, did you?"
The blond woman glanced back to her old friend, sharp eyes tracking her movements across the room as she sorted dishes and plates and utensils. She couldn't help but notice the creases in her skin, the worry lines that the past few years had carved into her. There was no doubt that she was looking better now, but those dark days had left their mark on her. Meredith knew that she was getting help for her drink problem and that her determination to overcome the addiction was getting stronger every day. It was going to be hard, but she didn't doubt that one day she'd see something of the old, vivacious Evelyn Danvers spark in her eyes.
"No," she answered with a sigh, walking over to stove and checking on the vegetables in the steamer, "I would have been more surprised if she had." After a second she paused, "He didn't ask her to come. I doubt he even told her."
Evelyn watched her, eyebrow arching slightly above one eye, "Yet you still asked the boys to set seven places instead of six."
She met her friend's gaze head on, silent for a few moments, before letting out her breath in another sigh, "Hope? Insanity? I don't know, Eve, I just thought-"
"You just thought that she'd changed her mind." The Danvers matriarch finished for her, softening her look marginally when Meredith didn't answer. "Bea isn't going to change her mind, especially not now. She'll never get over what Wayne did to her, she won't let herself."
"I know." The blond's shoulder's sagged, "I know. I'd just hoped that she'd forgive us someday."
Evelyn snorted and went back to looking over the dishes before her, "She's not the forgiving type."
Meredith pursed her lips and said nothing. Beatrice Parry was as stubborn as a mule and a part of her was glad that she wasn't there to unload her bitter and hateful nature onto them.
Another part of her missed the strong young woman she'd known all those years ago.
~*~*~*~
Pogue frowned. Some part of him knew that the conversation he'd overheard wasn't meant for his ears, and another realised that the bowl in his hands was just an excuse to get him out of the kitchen. Without making a sound, he turned to lean against the wall and dropped into his thoughts.
On some level he'd always known that his mother's temperament was caused by his father. He didn't remember much from when he was younger, but it was enough to know that she hadn't always been like that. Then his father had left, and the loving mother's touch he'd always known had turned cold and hard. She'd become an Ice Queen and frozen her own son out of her life. That's why he'd jumped at the chance for a room in the dorms just to escape her.
She'll never get over what Wayne did to her, she won’t let herself. Pogue had asked her once, just after his dad's funeral, why she was so mean. The emotions of the day had got to him, he hadn't understood anything but the need to get out of the cemetery as quick as humanly possible, and so he burst with the question burning inside of him. The memory of his mother's blazing eyes and swift slap had never left him and he'd learned not to ask any more.
You're not like him, dammit. You're better than that. He shook his head and sighed, lifting one hand to push through his long hair in frustration. Was he? His brother's were starting to doubt him; the hesitation in Caleb was as clear as Reid's defiant challenge and didn't blame them for it. Pulling back and running were what the family was best at after all, he thought bitterly, and for all his talk, he'd been towing the line like always. Was he really better than that?
He stayed there for a few minutes, staring at the opposite wall without really seeing it while the noises from the kitchen and from down the hall drifted over him. After a while he took a deep breath in and nodded, the action firm. Silent decision made, he turned back and walked into the kitchen to give the bowl to his aunt.
He would not be his father.
~*~*~*~
Hours later, Caleb found himself elbow deep in soapy water, washing up plates and cooking utensils used before, during, and after dinner. As Thanksgiving's go, it certainly wasn't the worst, even if the long awkward silence as they started to eat had made him wish for the ground to open up and swallow him. They struggled to find a conversation topic that would lighten the mood, but his mom surprised them by telling stories about Caleb's first years.
That wish became a very heart-felt prayer.
But while the tales of his childhood were embarrassing, they eased away the tense moments, smoothing them out like wrinkles on a blanket. Caleb frowned and tried not to think on it too much.
Light footsteps behind him alerted him to another presence, the Power prickling along his skin in recognition. He paused for a brief second and then continued to wash the plate in his hands at a slower pace. Delaying tactics, he knew, but he couldn't help it. He didn't think he could cope with another let down.
He sighed as he placed the gleaming white plate on the drying rack, using the dish cloth beside him to wipe his hands before turning around. Pogue hovered near the island in the centre of the kitchen, both hands deep in his jeans pockets. Caleb studied him for a few seconds, noting that he hadn't shaken off the nervousness that had settled over him during dinner. Eyes darted around the room, avoiding his for as long as possible and he could tell that he was making a conscious effort not to hide behind his hair. Caleb's stomach twisted a little in desperation; he wanted to have him, to help him. But how could he do that when Pogue wouldn't help himself?
"Are you ok?" He asked eventually, leaning back against the counter and trying not to let the doubt shadow his face.
"Yeah," Pogue answered quickly, still not meeting his eyes, "Yeah, I'm... good."
He wasn't. It was so damn clear that he wasn't ok and Caleb barely suppressed a snort. The long-haired teen had been quiet all through dinner, jumpy almost. He'd had a hard time blocking out his emotions and trying to keep in control of his own. Nervousness, fear, and frustration swept through him like firestorms; burning and strong and near consuming him.
"Riiiiight." The word was drawn out, tone clearly saying he wasn't convinced. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Caleb threw down the dish cloth and went to leave, but just as he brushed past Pogue, a strong hand clamped around his bicep and jerked him back. Control snapped, the need to shake the other boy until his teeth rattled rising higher and higher.
"Caleb-"
"Dammit!" He growled, his own frustration taking hold as he pulled his arm free and stared at his brother. Fingers clenched and released, but he held himself back from wrapping them around Pogue's throat. "Just tell me what you want!"
His mouth worked as Pogue flailed around for an answer, "I... well... you."
Caleb laughed, but the sound was harsh and angry, "Really? Is that what you really want?" When Pogue didn't answer he shook his head, "You can't just keep saying yes then running away from us. I can't stand it anymo-"
Shock made his eyes widen, but it was the hard, closed-mouth kiss that dried the words in his mouth. He was paralyzed, unable to respond or move away. The bite of Pogue's grip shot along his upper arms for a few seconds but it was lost as his world tilted and spun in the wrong direction. The Power rippled around them, the humming in his ears growing louder and louder and louder-
Only to finish as soon as it had started. When he finally sucked in air he felt dizzy and disorientated, a cacophony of feeling and noise bouncing around his skull. Only the weight of large hands gripping his arms kept him from falling or flying, and Pogue's words, when he spoke, barely carried over the din.
"Look, I..." he took a deep breath and started again, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do here, ok, but I know it's what I want. I'm sick of running."
When Caleb's silence became too much to bear, Pogue swallowed and started to turn away. But this time, Caleb was ready for him. A decision was made in the space of a second. Spinning him around, he pinned him hard against the wall, reversing their positions as the need to dominate overruled his desire to knock him senseless. He could sense Pogue's shock, his fear, his anger, and it only fuelled him more. Taking advantage of his open mouth, Caleb kissed him long and dirty, tongue invading, tasting, taking. The soft noise of Pogue's apparent confusion was swept aside by his tongue and swallowed, blood pounding in his ears like a demanding drum-beat, urging him on until the coil tightened so much he was damn sure it was going to break.
Then Pogue started kissing back. Then his hands settled on his hips, heavy and warm, squeezing and dragging him closer. And just like that, the unchecked wave of passion crashed and started to settle. A strong, slick tongue duelled with his own; pushing and sliding and teasing. He became aware of warm, broad shoulders under his palms, the t-shirt that had been screwed up by his fingers now lay creased, but flat against his skin as one hand drifted towards his cheek, fingers twining in long strands of hair behind his ear.
The coil inside him loosened once more.
Grudgingly, the two teens broke their lip lock in order to catch their breath, but neither seemed willing to move otherwise. Warm foreheads pressed together and their shared air as they panted lightly, hormones and Power running rampant through their heated blood. Hazel eyes connected with deep brown, conversation passing silently between them.
"Now that's settled," Said a voice from the doorway, "maybe we can stop walking on eggshells and avoiding each other."
They jumped apart guiltily and snapped their focus to Tyler, who stood with his arms crossed and smiling at them, one eyebrow cocked. Pogue cleared his throat, cheeks heating as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck.
"How long you been standing there?"
Tyler's smile turned into a smirk, "A while." He laughed gently at Pogue's clear discomfort and moved towards them, reaching out and mock punching him on the arm, "Glad to have you with us, bitch." Pogue grumbled and made a face at him while the youngest leaned back against the island, but he couldn't hide the embarrassed, yet happy smile that pulled at his bruised lips.
"We're not there yet," Caleb said quietly, a fond smile stretching his mouth as he looked from Tyler to Pogue, "But it's a start."
The saloon-type doors opened again and three heads swivelled around to watch Reid back into the kitchen, arms full of tablecloth and used napkins. He turned, stopped, and looked between the three of them with a frown that only deepened as the seconds passed. Not a word was spoken, until Reid's troubled expression shifted to one of disappointment as he dumped the pile of cloth onto the counter.
"Aw shit, what did I miss?"
Caleb and Pogue grinned, eyes connecting for a second before avoiding again. Tyler rolled his eyes and moved towards his boyfriend, "Not much really, just Caleb and Pogue sucking face like it was going out of style." He kissed the pale cheek with a grin of his own and sauntered off with the stuff for the laundry.
Reid pouted at them, a mischievous look already in his eye, "I expect a repeat performance soon." The pout transformed to a leer as he raked his gaze down both bodies, "Preferably with less clothes."
The eldest chuckled and finally moved to leave, ignoring the way his already interested cock filled more with Reid's look. "No rushing, ok? At least try to keep it in your pants, Garwin." He smirked and passed the blond, brushing by much closer than was necessary as he left to finish up his chores.
If either of the two women noticed his lighter step, or the small smile that graced his lips, they didn't mention it.
~*~*~*~
It was late when their party of six broke up. Reid helped his mom load her car with the stuff they'd brought over and then waited until she was out of sight before cornering Pogue and stealing a kiss of his own. To hell with waiting. He wanted to make sure Pogue knew his intentions, to tell him that if he was going to accept Caleb then he accepted all of them. And by the way Pogue responded, he knew it wouldn't take much to convince him.
"No more running, moron," he breathed when they parted, nipping at his lower lip sharply to get his attention, "Or I will hunt you down, drag you back, and chain you to the goddamn bed." He kissed him again, quick and chaste to seal his promise, and then left him stunned in the hallway for Caleb to find.
Tyler was waiting for him on the drive.
"What did you do?" He asked dubiously upon seeing the wicked look in his eye. The blond headed towards the younger teen with a feigned look of innocence.
"Nothing," he said lightly, wrapping his arms around his hips and kissing his neck gently. Tyler stiffened in his arms and tried to pull away, but Reid only held him tighter and nipped at the sensitive skin, making him shudder.
"C'mon, Re, your mom's... in the car..."
Reid shrugged and stopped kissing his throat, but he didn't let go of Tyler or let him pull away. He looked the younger teen dead in the eye and said, "So?"
He blinked, "So? Dude, you can't just... kiss me like that... in front of your mom." It was hard to see Tyler's blush in the dark, but he knew it was there. He grinned and answered him with another kiss, this time to the lips; slow and sweet. Unable to resist any longer, Tyler relaxed against him with a sigh, forgetting everything and everyone around them and loosing himself to Reid without another thought.
It was the car horn that made him jump and pull away with a gasp, looking around wildly for the source and then flushing when he realized who it was. Blue eyes laughed at him in the dark, lips red and slick, and Tyler sent him a muted glare.
"I hate when you do that," He muttered, wrapping his arms around himself as the winter chill seeped through his jacket. Funny, he hadn't noticed when Reid had been wrapped around him.
"No you don't." The blond smirked and darted forward to kiss him quick, "Later."
Reid struggled to keep the self-satisfied grin from pulling at his mouth when he jumped into the car. His mother eyed him with an arched eyebrow as she pulled away from the house and down the drive. Reid watched her, lips twitching. "What?"
Meredith sighed and shook her head, amused, "I knew this was going to be trouble."
He laughed and settled back in the seat, "If it makes you feel any better, me and Ty were together before this Power-bond thing came up." She glanced at him, surprised, and he shrugged. "It's kinda official between us."
"Since when?" she questioned.
Another shrug, eyes lowering to his hands as he picked at the hangnails around his thumb, "Since August."
The slight curving of his lips that he couldn't quite hide was all Meredith needed to see to know that he was serious, but while that made her happy, a part of her couldn't help feeling unsettled at the revelation too. It made things both simple and a lot more complicated, for too many reasons to list.
When they finally got back home, Reid, after much grumbling and dragging his feet, helped his mother in with the boxes they'd taken from Caleb's house. He groaned as he waited for her to unlock the door; God knew what stuff they'd brought home with them. Some of it was theirs, that much he knew, but the extra stuff had been boxed up by Caleb's mother and given to them.
"Jeez," he hissed, finally setting the box down on the kitchen table, "What the hell's in these things."
"Never you mind," Meredith muttered, giving him a look when he rolled his eyes at her comment, "Just get them out of the car."
Five minutes later, Reid had set the last box down on the table and tossed the car keys on the side. He looked around for his mom, but she didn't appear to be around. Good, he thought with a smirk, that means I can get one of these suckers open and see what Aunt Evelyn is hiding. He retrieved a knife from the sideboard and went to slice through the packing tape that sealed the box, but before the tip of the knife could pierce the tape, he stopped. Something on the table caught his eye and frowning, he set down the knife to get a closer look.
Tucked under one of the boxes were two white rectangles of paper. With a swift tug, Reid pulled them free and had a closer look.
"Going somewhere, mom?" He murmured to himself, frowning down at the tickets in his hand. The destination said London, departure from Logan, but it was the date that caught his attention the most. December 9th to December 29th. "But... that's Christmas..."
"I know."
Reid looked up, gaze locking onto his mother. She looked tired, but serious, and if he wasn't mistaken, a little nervous too. His frown deepened. "I don't get it. You've only just got back." Before she could answer he glanced back down to the tickets and carried on, "And why two tickets, if there's only..."
His sentence trailed off when he saw the name on the second ticket, then he laughed and shook his head, but the look he gave his mother was anything but amused. "No way."
"Reid-"
"Nu-uh, no," he cut across her, "Cancel the ticket."
She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she regarded her son, "No. The ticket stays." Reid went to argue but the blonde woman lifted a hand to stop him, "No, Reid. The tickets are booked. We're going to England and that's final."
"Bullshit!" he exploded, glaring at her, "It's freakin' Christmas!"
"And I have family I want you to meet," she shot back, "So we're going. End of story"
"Family?!" Reid stared at her, Meredith met his eyes, almost defiantly, as though their roles were reversed, "No, Mom. My family is here," Reid growled, "and I'm spending Christmas with them. So you can cancel the ticket because I'm not going. End of story," Reid shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Fucking family."
Meredith narrowed her eyes, "Reid Joseph Garwin, don't you dare take that tone with me."
He recognised the danger in her voice, but he was too angry to care, "Whatever. I'm out of here."
"Reid. Reid! Get back here right now!"
Ignoring his mother's furious calls, Reid grabbed his keys from the sideboard and left, slamming the door behind him.
On to Chapter 17