Unknown Number

by Victoria Hyder

  Grey eyes found his in a heartbeat.

  Slowly, he released his hold on a spare coaster and let Cavan guide him down on the sofa beside him. He was ramrod stiff, rigid, and seemed to be breathing hard. "Sorry," he managed to say.

  "It's okay," he said. "I just -you don't need to clean up for me."

  Lucas itched as his thigh in a distracted manner. "It's -habit, I guess."

  They lapsed into silence.

  Cavan decided to fill it with eating, whist Lucas fiddled with the TV remote, channel-surfing to calm himself. Cavan focused on chewing his eyes watching the channels flicker before him. He had to bite back a smile as he felt the rigidity fizzle out of Lucas's body. The hairs on the back of Cavan's neck stood up a little; there was still the issue of his parents' phone-call to talk about. However, if the alternative was eating sandwiches on an amazingly plush sofa with Lucas in his adorable cottage -well, it was hardly a contest, was it?

  Once he'd finished eating, he leaned back to recline in the sofa and nearly jumped when he felt Lucas's forearm on the back of his neck. He didn't mean to flinch, stomach cramping with dread in case the older man drew his arm back. Thankfully, he didn't. Despite how stiff he felt, Cavan shifted over a few inches, sweating bravery out of every pore as he felt the solid muscle of Lucas's chest press against his shoulder.

  Oh! He'd forgotten how muscular he was!

  He had to suppress a moan as he shifted so that his head tipped back onto Lucas's arm. He waited, breath hitched, waiting for Lucas to squirm out of reach, or to smack him upside the head. Nothing like that happened. It was cosy. Drop by drop, the tension ebbed out of them as they relaxed, watching a comedy rerun on the TV. Cavan allowed himself to get lost in the show, startling only a little when he felt deft, firm fingers stroking through the hair at the nape of his neck. It made excitement bubble in his stomach.

  "Do you like that, Cavan?" Lucas purred in his ear.

  Cavan let out a small groan, letting his eyelids close as he tipped his head back completely, letting Lucas's fingers slide deep and tangle in his hair. It was bliss! "I've missed this!" he groaned.

  Lucas chuckled. "I've not done this before."

  "You have in my dreams," he said, inwardly cringing at how cheesy he sounded.

  To his delight, another chuckle came from the older man. "Is that so?"

  "Mhmm."

  Lucas continued to card his fingers tightly through Cavan's hair, massaging his scalp and eliciting the most delicious moans from the young man. It shouldn't have aroused him like it did, but there was no denying how his blood rushed south and boiled in his boxers. 'Calm yourself,' his brain ordered. 'You need to remember why the brat is here in the first place.'

  His fingers slowed a little. "Cavan?"

  "Mmmm yes Lucas?"

  "Are you ready to talk about what happened?"

  The kid stiffened against his chest. That wasn't a good sign. Cavan bowed his head a little, chewing on his bottom lip. Lucas watched the kid's profile, his fingers still embedded within the dark brown tresses. He wasn't going to push. It wasn't like his parents knew where to find him. They even had his phone, there was no real way they could trace his location.

  "You don't have to," Lucas continued in a measured tone, "However, if either one of your parents gets back in contact or, Heaven forbid, the police then we need to discuss this."

  "You don't think they'd call the police, do you?" Cavan asked, turning his wide eyes to his companion.

  Lucas shot him a serious look, "They're your parents, kid, you tell me."

  His shoulder's slumped. "I guess my dad would."

  "He wasn't too happy when I called earlier."

  "Thank you," Cavan blushed a little, avoiding eye contact. "No one really stands up to him. It was … amazing, that you did."

  Lucas gave a small smile. He couldn't deny the sense of pride that threatened to sprout inside him. "I didn't like the way he spoke about you. It … bothered me."

  "Sorry."

  "It's not your fault, kid. Besides, I was getting a little bored up here by myself," he said flippantly. "I'm almost glad to have you dropping by unannounced."

  Cavan had to bite back a grin. He'd missed Lucas's sarcasm. Something poked him hard in the back of the head.

  "Ow!" he whined, glaring up at the teacher who merely smirked at him. "Fine. I wanted to tell them that I sort of had a guy I liked. I wasn't planning to say anything major, just that there was a guy who I liked, who was respectful of my studying and had a full-time job, so he wasn't going to oppress me in any way and hinder my progress."

  Lucas nodded. "I'm guessing it didn't go as planned."

  "No," Cavan groused. "My mum seemed to accept it well-enough. She obviously wanted to know more but she seemed to know not to push. My dad on the other hand …"

  "What happened?" Lucas asked in a calm humming tone.

  "He … flipped his shit. As soon as I said you were older, he was on the paedophile-parade tangent and just got more idiotic as he went on."

  "To what degree?"

  "That you were probably an old pervert. That you were grooming me. That you were going to ruin my chances of graduating with a proper degree since I'm on the last leg of my dissertation."

  Lucas loathed to admit those were all logical arguments, bar one point. "So, what made you flip your shit, exactly?"

  "He … He went mad when I blurted out that we'd met together up London and hadn't told them. Then that we'd practically been meeting every weekend since then and were actually productive."

  "He didn't approve, I'm sure."

  "Nope," Cavan sighed, closing his eyes as though in pain at the memory. "He disapproved of everything and told me that I was never to see or contact you again and then demanded that I give him my phone before going to my room."

  "What are you? Twelve?"

  "I know right?" He let out a long, weary sigh. "It doesn't matter. I had a bit of a meltdown and somehow managed to contact Bonnie during that time before sneaking out and heading to the train station."

  "You didn't even tell Arthur. Or your sister."

  "It was all just a blur," Cavan moaned. "I … I didn't know! I sort of went on instinct and didn't exactly plan it all out. By the time I got to the train station, I'd missed the last train and had no phone to call for help or let anyone know I was okay."

  Lucas looked down at the young man basically cradled against his chest. The low lights from the corner lamp made his skin glow gold, his bright eyes shrouded by thick lashes and his long, muscular legs stretched out long the length of the sofa. He had to stop himself from running his hands down the length of Cavan's body sprawled before him on his black sofa. He ground his back teeth together to stop the thoughts from over-taking his mind.

  "You're lucky I let Arthur, Sophie and Bonnie know that you were fine as soon as I sent you off to bed."

  Green eyes opened to peer up at him. "You're amazing you know?"

  "Calm yourself, kid. I just didn't want them harassing me for answers as to where I'd buried your body."

  Cavan chuckled. God, he'd missed this. "Still on that train of thought, eh?"

  Lucas couldn't help but smirk a little. "What can I say? I'm consistent in my madness."

  He didn't reply. He merely closed his eyes, a placated hum issuing from his throat as he burrowed closer against Lucas, practically lying in the older man's lap. He'd missed being so close to him, to feel the curves of his muscles pressing up against his back muscles. The smell of his shower gel alone was intoxicating.

  He felt his mind starting to drift, the weight of the last two days slowly evaporating from his brain. Despite having slept for a good portion of the afternoon, he wanted nothing more than to curl up warm and secure against Lucas.

  Something tapped him on the head.

  "Come on, brat, think it's time you went back to sleep."

  "Can I sleep on the sofa?"

  "With a perfectly good bed upstairs? I think the fuck not."

  Cava
n pouted but failed to hide a grin as he was practically ushered up to his room, trailing a little on the staircase as Lucas shut-off everything downstairs, before emerging from the darkness to hound Cavan the rest of the way up the stairs and into the bathroom.

  ~0~

  Lying in the dark, Cavan listened to Lucas pottering around in the room across the hall. The noises were muffled, but it was comforting to know that he was just two doors away if Cavan needed him -for whatever reason. Curling up on his side, Cavan sighed softly, the room around him shrouded in darkness. It was still warm and cosy, a pleasant change from his one night camped-out in a train station.

  He was grateful Lucas hadn't turned him away.

  Or force him to go back home.

  Lucas had been so good to him.

  Chewing on his bottom lip, Cavan pushed his covers to one side and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His heart flipped in his chest as he tiptoed towards the door, lifted the old-fashioned latch, and eased the door open. The landing was dark beyond, but a thin strip of light shone from under Lucas's door. He hesitated for a moment. Was he being presumptuous, going to Lucas's bedroom like this? Steeling himself, he raised a hand and knocked.

  "Come in, kid."

  Pushing the door open, Cavan blinked as he adjusted to the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Lucas was sitting up against his pillows, glasses low on his nose with a ‘DEXTER’ book open in his lap. He let the book droop in his hands, as he quirked an eyebrow at the young man in his doorway.

  "Can't sleep?" Cavan shook his head. "Guess you'd better climb in, then."

  The brat wasted no time in crossing the room and slipping under the covers, his sudden warmth sending a shiver running through Lucas's body. "What're you reading?" Cavan murmured softly, crawling onto the edge of Lucas's pillow, his chin prodding at the older man's shoulder.

  Lucas hummed, his eyes drifting briefly to look down at Cavan. "You can see very well what I'm reading."

  "Which part are you up to?" Before he could answer, Cavan glanced over the book and chimed, "Oh! This is a good part!"

  "No spoilers, brat."

  Cavan chuckled. "Hey, you know what we should do once you've finished the books?"

  "Hmmm? You mean other than have a Dexter marathon?"

  "Yes. Although we should totally do that, by the way." Lucas rolled his eyes. "But I was thinking of something else, too."

  "Oh?"

  "What are your feelings about Doctor Who?"

  Lucas blinked. Almost like he was waiting for the punchline of a joke. "I have no feelings about Doctor Who."

  "Oh," Cavan frowned. "We need to change that too!"

  Lucas swatted the brat upside the head. "I'm trying to read, kid. If you don't pipe-down, you can go back to your own room."

  Cavan pouted. Damn why was he so cute when he pouted? Lucas sighed. He wasn't going to get any reading done at this rate. As he put the book on the bedside table, along with his glasses, Cavan frowned. Turning to face the younger man, Lucas quirked an eyebrow. "Don't give me that look," he said. "It's been a long day and I've told you; you need to sleep."

  Cavan flopped down onto the spare pillow, "But I'm not tired!"

  "Well then why don't you entertain yourself."

  A wicked grin appeared on Cavan's face and Lucas felt his gut twist. "Do you want to play a game?"

  Lucas narrowed his eyes, "What sort of game?"

  "I don't kn-o-o-o-w! I just don't want to go to bed knowing you're going to be awake in the next room!" He turned on his side, turning those dazzling green eyes on Lucas. He was even pouting! Lucas groaned.

  "God help me, kid, you'll be the death of me."

  Cavan huffed, trying not to let the dejected feeling take hold. "Fine!" he sighed, folding his arms across his chest and pouting. "What about if we watched a movie?"

  Lucas heaved a sigh, but his mouth twitched up at the corners. "You have ten minutes to choose three. If not, I'm locking you out of my room."

  Cavan's jaw hit the floor. "That's so cruel!"

  Glancing down at his watch the older man intoned, "Nine minutes, fifty-two seconds."

  Cavan jumped off the bed and bolted out of the room. Lucas smirked and returned to his book, mentally counting as he did so.

  They ended up watching 'JOHN WICK' until the early hours of the morning. Cavan fell asleep within the first forty minutes, leaving Lucas to tolerate the remainder of the film. He had to begrudgingly admit that it was a pretty good movie.

  Turning the TV off, he tossed the remote onto his bedside table and turned to look down at the young man nestled on the covers next to him. He looked worn-out. It had been a long day, Lucas couldn't blame him, really. At least the kid had managed to shower the grime from the last day off his body. Brushing the fluffy, messy brown hair out of his sleeping eyes, Lucas drew a woollen blanket over from the edge of the bed and draped it over Cavan's body.

  "Sleep tight, kid."

  Chapter 20

  Saturday AM

  Eating bacon, scrambled eggs and toast Cavan kept glancing around the kitchen and trying not to gape. It was difficult considering that Lucas was being domestic. Not only had he cooked breakfast in a pair of loose black bottom and a white tank top, his black undercut ruffled from sleep, he had also made the beds, did last night’s dishes and mentally prepared for the day. Cavan was still trying to blink both eyes at the same time. It had been a long time since he'd had a proper cooked breakfast. Lucas's version of breakfast was a mug of black coffee and a cigarette with the back-door cracked open and the cool morning air snaking inside.

  Not that Cavan minded.

  "So, we need to run into town and grab you something warmer to wear," Lucas stated, "And then we can go for a hike through the fields."

  Cavan snorted, "You don't strike me as the hiking sort."

  "Fresh air and fitness are no laughing matter, brat," Lucas intoned. "Besides, what else do you think there is to do around here?"

  Cavan caught the hint of a smirk on the older man's lips. He bit back his own grin and devoured the rest of his breakfast. He offered to wash up, but Lucas shoved him away telling him to go and get himself sorted. Cavan went upstairs and couldn't help feeling calm and relaxed. If this was the life he'd be able to have away from his parents, then he was glad he'd run off.

  Once they were both dressed, they walked out into the brisk morning air and made their way down the country lane. Pebbles shifted underfoot as they made their way across the fields. The grey skies and dull, green grass were vivid contrast to the monotonous colour scheme Cavan was used to on his days travelling back and forth to Uni. Even the times he'd gone out to the woods with Arthur, Zoe and Sophie it had been dull browns at best. Even the breeze the smelled of cold mud and weeds was somehow refreshing in comparison.

  Their shoulders brushed against one another as they walked through a steel gate and made their way across a downward sloping field. The air smelled a little damp. Cavan hoped that they wouldn't get caught in any rain. His clothes weren't exactly that thick to protect him from more than a firm breeze.

  Lucas glanced up at him several times from behind his glasses, but they didn't really make eye-contact until they came to a large hedged border. They continued to walk, the grass rasping against their legs as they walked. Lucas's hand kept nudging against Cavan's until he finally braved the distance and laced their fingers together without breaking stride. Cavan blinked in surprise but squeezed Lucas's hand, a grin spreading over his mouth.