8
The next few days were spent busily removing the contraband from their spare room. Both men were on edge, twitching at every sound. They were paranoid that they were going to get raided at any moment, but Alister had said they were ok for the time being, and Cal believed him. He had given him two weeks to think about his offer, but he'd already decided on his answer. No.
In that time they played it safe, getting rid of their stock until things died down. They had money still in their accounts to get them by for the moment, and just in case, they took on a few extra shifts at the Swan Inn.
Andy stayed at a distance after the argument they'd had. Just calling with information about who wanted what gear and where, and of course, he drove with them to the drops, but other than that he stayed back, keeping things just purely business.
Stopping off at the shop, Calvin wanted to grab some cigarettes leaving the two alone in the car whilst he got some, asking if they needed anything while he was there.
"Grab me a bottle of Pepsi, please," Theo asked politely.
"Red?" Cal asked the tall man sitting in the driver's seat, almost bluntly as he still was pissed off with him.
"Na, I'm alright, cheers." Andy barely looked at him.
"Won't be a tic, I'm I sure I can trust you two?" He narrowed his eyes at the red-head, who blushed.
"Of course, what mischief can we get up to in a car?" Theo replied.
Cal made a sound of uncertainty as he closed the car door. Once he had disappeared through the sliding ones of the Spar shop Andy cleared his throat to speak. "You ain't told him then?" He said from the side of his mouth.
"Of course I haven't, what do you take me for?" He growled lowly.
"Pretty sure you didn't do it to spite him then?"
"No. Look what we did was a mistake, a bloody stupid mistake."
"Thanks a lot and here's me thinking you cared."
"I do! It's just difficult. What do you reckon he'd do if he knew, huh? You saw how furious he was when he got back, about our tangle with the police. He'll break your neck."
"Takes two to tango Theo!" Andy said brashly. "And if I wasn't mistaken, you took the lead."
Theo sighed and leaned back against the back seat. "I'm sorry if I led you on, it was just, I was..."
"...Lonely? Yes I know and I was your substitute shag."
"Don't say it like that, Andy."
He turned in the seat, the leather creaking as he twisted around to look at him. "I'm lonely, and to me you were a damn good remedy. I do actually give a damn about you and it hurts me to know..." He trailed off, turning back to look through the windscreen, eyes following a young lady struggling with her screaming child across the road.
"...What, that I'm with Calv, and not you? I've seen how you look at me; how you gawp like you want to strip me where I stand. You were touching me more often, then all the bloody time and now you've had me, there! So now you can stop fantasizing."
"You can be a real bastard sometimes," Andy clicked disapprovingly. "You never used to be, what's changed you?" He sounded hurt now.
"I have to be, remember what you said? 'Toughen up Theodore, be a man.' Well I am now, after you got me raped and almost shot. It's only thing I can do to close out the pain."
Andy tapped on the steering wheel, looking to the direction of the shop. He had nothing more to say, but Theo was right. He had said that, and because of it he had grown harder, and probably bitterer too.
"I'm sorry," he breathed, dropping his head. "I wish I could turn back time, I wish I'd never made you do that drop or got involve you with the...," he stopped, realizing what he had just said, and closed his eyes, inwardly kicking himself.
Lucky for him, Theo didn't grasp anything. "No its ok, I'm sorry for being a prick." He leaned forward between the front seats, trying to catch Andy's eyes staring until the blue ones locked with his. Andy was moving forward by instinct, his heart hammering in his chest as he captured the beautiful green spheres.
"Theo... I..."
The door opened and he shot back. Andy coughed and started the engine as Cal slid into the car. He sat back, looking curiously at the two, and handed his boyfriend the bottle of pop, switching a glance between them as he slowly fastened his belt.
"What are you two plotting now?" He asked cynically.
"Nothing," Theo jumped in.
"I was just going to apologizing for how I behaved," Andy started. "I have been out of order and I still value our friendship." He caught the dark glare in the rear view mirror. "I really don't want us to fall out, so please accept my apology and come to dinner at the restaurant tonight, on me. I'll even throw in a bottle of our best champagne."
"What you reckon Babe, you think he really means it?" Almost teasing.
"Yeah, I forgive him." He grinned, but Andy furrowed a brow at him through the mirror.
"Ok, then we accept." Cal smiled, feeding a hand between the two front seats and receiving a firm handshake.
"Good."
"But no more fuck ups you hear?"
"Sure, I cross my heart and hope to die."
They hurried to Camden to drop off some gear to Betsy Kershaw, a trusted customer who had told them she would take some more off their hands to sell to her closest friends.
"Ah bookies," Andy chimed as he stopped outside Baker Street.
"God no"
"Won't be long, got a good tip on the gee gees."
"Oh that's it, we will have to set up camp now," Calvin joked, sparking up a fag and offering one to his boyfriend.
"Yep." Theo felt an arm wrap around him, pulling him close. It was nice that they were back to normal, and having fantastic sex every night, or whenever they had a chance.
