just_1_word | 28.2. Panic
28.2. Panic
Co-written with mrpublicity
[Follows THIS, THIS, THIS and all THIS]
It was half time in game and Pat had been watching Aiden sitting beside him out the corner of his eye. It had probably been a good half an hour since Aiden's eyes seemed to even focus on the screen and now his head slipped off his hand that had only just been managing to hold it upright. Pat reached over and caught Aiden's forehead with his palm before he banged his head on the arm rest. He smiled a little as Aiden blinked groggily, clearly not realising he had been veering closer and closer to falling asleep by the minute. "Go to bed, darling," Pat told him quietly. "It's very late."
"No, I can wait," Aiden said through a wide, loud yawn. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, feeling the first hints of a headache starting behind them. It had been one fucked up and exhausting week. "You should come to bed too, even though I know you won't."
"I only miss his games if I'm half dead," Pat murmured and nursed his cup of tea against his chest. He watched the Liverpool half-time stats flicking across the screen. "I know the time difference is a bitch, but I can't just miss the game because he hates me. But it is late, sweetheart. Go to bed. I'll be there soon."
Aiden shifted closer and curled up against Pat's side, his cheek squished against his bicep as he sleepily watched the screen. Pat had all the English football games through their pay TV. It was true, he never missed watching one of Cameron's games and even if it was almost one in the morning, this was going to be no exception. "He doesn't hate you, love," he assured his husband. "He just needs some more time. That's all."
Pat looked down into his mug and shook his head. "He's never left without saying goodbye before. He avoided me completely at the wedding. I think I've really ruined things between us. He's never going to forgive me. I just thought out of everyone in the whole world, Cam and Lachie would be the two who just understood why I needed to do this. I guess that's why I didn't worry so much about it. I stupidly assumed he would just feel the same way I did and be happy for me." He took a sip of the tea which had lost some of it's heat. Half time was nearly over. He wouldn't miss the game but he couldn't deny that a part of him just wanted to turn the TV off and crawl into the warm bed with Aiden. The whole fight with Cameron had left him drained and exhausted. It felt like he had run out of ways to try and apologise to his twin for the whole eloping thing.
"I just got a sense that it was because he was happy for you that he was hurt he couldn't share it," Aiden said carefully. He didn't want to upset Pat with it all over again. "I know it's not the same thing, but when Harri told me she was pregnant, I was really hurt. Not because she had promised me the whole uterus thing, but because I hoped if I ever had a kid one day, she would be the biological mother. It was something I always hoped we could share together. Then it was just... not going to happen anymore. She didn't deliberately renege on her promise, but something I had been really hoping for was suddenly taken away. I was angry at her at first, but it was just because I was hurt. I needed to just go away and realise that things just are never going to work out how we plan them. Some things will, but never on a grand scale. Too much changes on a day to day basis. You can't see what's around the corner. Cameron doesn't hate you, love. He can't. You're part of him. He just needs time and I think he's just steering clear because he doesn't want to compound the situation by letting his hurt anger force a bigger gap between you. If he doesn't call you by Tuesday, we're going over there."
The teams were coming back onto the field, but Pat turned to Aiden with a frown. "No, we aren't. We're leaving for Scotland on in the fifth, just like Lachie and Tara. On the chance my brother actually gets his stubborn arse to the christening, he'll probably just spend the whole of that happy occasion avoiding me too. It's not like I haven't tried to contact him. The trip home is for RJ. He's the priority."
Aiden gave a small, tired sigh. "You need to try and make amends with Cameron, love. You're miserable. I'm worried about you."
"I have tired. For lack of a better metaphor, the ball's in his court. He knows how to use a phone." The camera flicked to his brother on the TV and Pat just sighed. "Bollocks. The bastard even knows how to use Skype. I can't believe he didn't say goodbye..."
"Trying to hurt you like you hurt him?" Aiden suggested softly, pressing a kiss to Pat's arm.
"Something like that," Pat mumbled, eyes turning back to the game on the screen. The game was an important one, but it had been uneventful so far to the point it was sitting at a two-all draw. Now they were back for the second half, both teams would be fighting to take the lead. Normally he enjoyed watching and had always followed football religiously. It just increased when Cameron was recruited to the Premier League. Their great grandfather had played for Liverpool, so it had been a proud moment for the family when Cameron got in. Though, no one could have possibly been more proud than Pat. He had supported his brother for every game since.
Aiden stood and reached for Pat's mug when a flurry of activity exploded on the screen. He still didn't really understand the rules of English football... or soccer, as it was known in America. He hadn't ever been much of a sports fan but was learning more being with Pat and his firm ties to the pro sporting world. "That's got to be tasting crap, love. I'll get you a refill."
Pat didn't have time to relinquish the mug, however. On the screen, Cameron had control of the ball, which should have been a good thing. But all in a matter of seconds, a player from the other team tried to take him down by shoving his leg in front of Cameron's to trip him. Pat watched, eyes wide in horror as their bodies slammed together and Cameron was knocked head-first into the hard ground of the field. And he didn't get up. He didn't move. Pat dropped the mug in shock, and the remnants of the tea spilt on the blanket over his legs.
Aiden froze in shock as he caught what had just played out on screen. His hand was paused mid-air where he had been reaching for the mug. He didn't need to know much about the sport to see that was an horrific move by Cameron's opponent. But he dragged his eyes away from the screen to Pat, who had paled dramatically in just those few short moments. He was staring, stunned, at the screen like it was impossible to actually move. "Pat," Aiden gasped, dropping back down on the seat to take Pat's hand.
"He's really hurt," Pat whispered, swallowing as he started to shake all over. His eyes never left the screen. He couldn't see clearly what was going on, but when Cameron was loaded into a stretcher, it looked like he was conscious, but only just. A sharp nausea twisted in Pat's stomach, the fight all but forgotten about. "I'm going to be sick," he warned, trying to get up off the sofa. But his legs were weak and he only just managed to get up before he couldn't stop it and vomited on the carpet.
Aiden jumped up to grab Pat so he wouldn't fall over. He had heard about the twin thing, but other than seeing Pat depressed and upset when he had to say goodbye to his brother, he had never actually seen as strong physical reaction as this. And it was scary. The commotion on the screen was abating, though Cameron's name was still dotting the commentary, heard over the crowds yelling. Pat's whole body was trembling and the colour of his face was just shy of the white of his wifebeater. His breathing was short and panicked, and Aiden wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do. It wasn't like they could just jump in a car and rush to Liverpool in England, was it? "Pat, sweetheart, tell me what to do," he said helplessly.
Pat put his hand up to his mouth and tried to think rationally through the panic. His head was pounding and he just knew Cameron injuries weren't a mere scratched or bruise. He sucked in a hoarse breath and wet his lips. "Flights," he rasped. "I've just got to get to him, whether he's okay or not."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,538
Co-written with mrpublicity
[Follows THIS, THIS, THIS and all THIS]
It was half time in game and Pat had been watching Aiden sitting beside him out the corner of his eye. It had probably been a good half an hour since Aiden's eyes seemed to even focus on the screen and now his head slipped off his hand that had only just been managing to hold it upright. Pat reached over and caught Aiden's forehead with his palm before he banged his head on the arm rest. He smiled a little as Aiden blinked groggily, clearly not realising he had been veering closer and closer to falling asleep by the minute. "Go to bed, darling," Pat told him quietly. "It's very late."
"No, I can wait," Aiden said through a wide, loud yawn. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, feeling the first hints of a headache starting behind them. It had been one fucked up and exhausting week. "You should come to bed too, even though I know you won't."
"I only miss his games if I'm half dead," Pat murmured and nursed his cup of tea against his chest. He watched the Liverpool half-time stats flicking across the screen. "I know the time difference is a bitch, but I can't just miss the game because he hates me. But it is late, sweetheart. Go to bed. I'll be there soon."
Aiden shifted closer and curled up against Pat's side, his cheek squished against his bicep as he sleepily watched the screen. Pat had all the English football games through their pay TV. It was true, he never missed watching one of Cameron's games and even if it was almost one in the morning, this was going to be no exception. "He doesn't hate you, love," he assured his husband. "He just needs some more time. That's all."
Pat looked down into his mug and shook his head. "He's never left without saying goodbye before. He avoided me completely at the wedding. I think I've really ruined things between us. He's never going to forgive me. I just thought out of everyone in the whole world, Cam and Lachie would be the two who just understood why I needed to do this. I guess that's why I didn't worry so much about it. I stupidly assumed he would just feel the same way I did and be happy for me." He took a sip of the tea which had lost some of it's heat. Half time was nearly over. He wouldn't miss the game but he couldn't deny that a part of him just wanted to turn the TV off and crawl into the warm bed with Aiden. The whole fight with Cameron had left him drained and exhausted. It felt like he had run out of ways to try and apologise to his twin for the whole eloping thing.
"I just got a sense that it was because he was happy for you that he was hurt he couldn't share it," Aiden said carefully. He didn't want to upset Pat with it all over again. "I know it's not the same thing, but when Harri told me she was pregnant, I was really hurt. Not because she had promised me the whole uterus thing, but because I hoped if I ever had a kid one day, she would be the biological mother. It was something I always hoped we could share together. Then it was just... not going to happen anymore. She didn't deliberately renege on her promise, but something I had been really hoping for was suddenly taken away. I was angry at her at first, but it was just because I was hurt. I needed to just go away and realise that things just are never going to work out how we plan them. Some things will, but never on a grand scale. Too much changes on a day to day basis. You can't see what's around the corner. Cameron doesn't hate you, love. He can't. You're part of him. He just needs time and I think he's just steering clear because he doesn't want to compound the situation by letting his hurt anger force a bigger gap between you. If he doesn't call you by Tuesday, we're going over there."
The teams were coming back onto the field, but Pat turned to Aiden with a frown. "No, we aren't. We're leaving for Scotland on in the fifth, just like Lachie and Tara. On the chance my brother actually gets his stubborn arse to the christening, he'll probably just spend the whole of that happy occasion avoiding me too. It's not like I haven't tried to contact him. The trip home is for RJ. He's the priority."
Aiden gave a small, tired sigh. "You need to try and make amends with Cameron, love. You're miserable. I'm worried about you."
"I have tired. For lack of a better metaphor, the ball's in his court. He knows how to use a phone." The camera flicked to his brother on the TV and Pat just sighed. "Bollocks. The bastard even knows how to use Skype. I can't believe he didn't say goodbye..."
"Trying to hurt you like you hurt him?" Aiden suggested softly, pressing a kiss to Pat's arm.
"Something like that," Pat mumbled, eyes turning back to the game on the screen. The game was an important one, but it had been uneventful so far to the point it was sitting at a two-all draw. Now they were back for the second half, both teams would be fighting to take the lead. Normally he enjoyed watching and had always followed football religiously. It just increased when Cameron was recruited to the Premier League. Their great grandfather had played for Liverpool, so it had been a proud moment for the family when Cameron got in. Though, no one could have possibly been more proud than Pat. He had supported his brother for every game since.
Aiden stood and reached for Pat's mug when a flurry of activity exploded on the screen. He still didn't really understand the rules of English football... or soccer, as it was known in America. He hadn't ever been much of a sports fan but was learning more being with Pat and his firm ties to the pro sporting world. "That's got to be tasting crap, love. I'll get you a refill."
Pat didn't have time to relinquish the mug, however. On the screen, Cameron had control of the ball, which should have been a good thing. But all in a matter of seconds, a player from the other team tried to take him down by shoving his leg in front of Cameron's to trip him. Pat watched, eyes wide in horror as their bodies slammed together and Cameron was knocked head-first into the hard ground of the field. And he didn't get up. He didn't move. Pat dropped the mug in shock, and the remnants of the tea spilt on the blanket over his legs.
Aiden froze in shock as he caught what had just played out on screen. His hand was paused mid-air where he had been reaching for the mug. He didn't need to know much about the sport to see that was an horrific move by Cameron's opponent. But he dragged his eyes away from the screen to Pat, who had paled dramatically in just those few short moments. He was staring, stunned, at the screen like it was impossible to actually move. "Pat," Aiden gasped, dropping back down on the seat to take Pat's hand.
"He's really hurt," Pat whispered, swallowing as he started to shake all over. His eyes never left the screen. He couldn't see clearly what was going on, but when Cameron was loaded into a stretcher, it looked like he was conscious, but only just. A sharp nausea twisted in Pat's stomach, the fight all but forgotten about. "I'm going to be sick," he warned, trying to get up off the sofa. But his legs were weak and he only just managed to get up before he couldn't stop it and vomited on the carpet.
Aiden jumped up to grab Pat so he wouldn't fall over. He had heard about the twin thing, but other than seeing Pat depressed and upset when he had to say goodbye to his brother, he had never actually seen as strong physical reaction as this. And it was scary. The commotion on the screen was abating, though Cameron's name was still dotting the commentary, heard over the crowds yelling. Pat's whole body was trembling and the colour of his face was just shy of the white of his wifebeater. His breathing was short and panicked, and Aiden wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do. It wasn't like they could just jump in a car and rush to Liverpool in England, was it? "Pat, sweetheart, tell me what to do," he said helplessly.
Pat put his hand up to his mouth and tried to think rationally through the panic. His head was pounding and he just knew Cameron injuries weren't a mere scratched or bruise. He sucked in a hoarse breath and wet his lips. "Flights," he rasped. "I've just got to get to him, whether he's okay or not."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,538