Return of the Sun - 21. Chapter 21

Scott was settling in for a night at home. Sure he could have gone out, but after being abandoned by Dickie most of the day, he really didn't feel like it. He wanted to stay home, watch some bad T.V., crawl into bed early and write the weekend off entirely.

He shifted, trying to get comfortable on the Victorian-style couch that his grandmother liked so much. It was one of those high-backed, lightly-cushioned affairs with wings, never designed for a young man to sprawl out on. It was perfect for little old ladies sipping tea on the edge of the seats, though. He grumbled about the rotten day he was having when he finally gave up and tossed some cushions onto the floor.

He stopped when he picked up an unfamiliar remote control, staring at it stupidly before looking about the living room. There, under the T.V. was a brand new VCR; no doubt Uncle Nigel had seen fit to modernize Gran's living room. Scott grinned, there was one option; he could walk down to the corner store and rent a film.

He yawned tiredly, fighting off sleep as he picked up the right remote and flicked on, happily discovering something passable and relaxing in to watch the show. Yet fate had other plans. The doorbell ringing at that moment caused him to look up in annoyance. The whole point of his choosing to stay in was to allow him a chance to be by himself. He clambered back to his feet and went out to the front door, swinging it open on a nervous-looking Luke. He was still in uniform, a peaked cap tucked under his arm this time instead of his customary helmet.

He nodded, still looking uncomfortable, though his eyes did soften as he saw Scott open the door. "Hi," he said dropping his voice a bit, "I was just making the rounds and..."

"Gran's gone out," Scott said, breaking into a smile. Luke was nervous, but that hadn't stopped him from stopping by though.

Luke broke into a shy smile, "Well, I can come back.

"No, no," Scott said, glancing over at Mister Roberts who wasn't seeming to pay attention. He was used to Luke dropping by for his evening sandwich on his regular beat; not that Scott blamed him at all, Gran's sandwiches were top rate. "If I turn you away, Gran will never let me hear the end of it, come in for a second."

He waved Luke inside, and had barely closed the door when Luke had enveloped him in a tight hug, pressing his nose into the nape of Scott's neck.

Scott looked down at him and grinned. "Hello to you, too." he said cheerfully, his earlier reluctance for company vanishing completely as he enjoyed Luke's embrace.

"Sorry," Luke said, letting go and sighing. "I haven't had much of a chance to do that since Monday."

Scott nodded, "It's okay; you're busy and I work days..."

"Well, I have some time," Luke said, glancing at his watch.

Scott's jaw dropped open, "Now? Aren't you doing your beat or something?"

Luke held up a finger and clicked on his mic, talking to dispatch through his radio. A few moments later he looked up at Scott, "I told them I have a migraine headache and asked for the rest of the night off." He smiled, "Sarge owes me for covering for him the other week so it looks like I'm all yours..."

Scott shook his head in disbelief, "Okay, so I have my very own police officer for a few hours... this I can live with." He looked Luke up and down, "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, mate, I'm starved," he said with a smile. Scott was growing fond of that smile; it was so rarely seen, and it seemed to be his own special magic that gave it life, nothing like having a smile that was yours alone. Ok, Scott thought, that made no sense...

"I could cook," Scott said leading the way through to the kitchen, as Luke sat down at the breakfast bar, putting his peaked cap down on the edge of the counter. Scott grinned again, suddenly feeling very domestic as he bent to root through the fridge for something edible. The mac and cheese his gran had recommended was woefully small for the two of them so he fished out some french-fries and began to spread them out on a tray.

"So I heard you were out this afternoon," Luke said, trying to hide his grin, "and abandoned my brother in Eastbourne..."

Scott snorted as he popped the fries in the oven and turned, "Me abandon him? He wasn't the one left in the café for three hours while he got drunk with his friends."

Luke was doing a poor job of trying to hide his delight, "Yeah, he had to bus back, and boy was he upset... Prince Charming had to ride public transport..." Luke was laughing now, taking delight in that imagery.

Scott turned the kettle on to prepare a pot of tea, "I didn't exactly do it on purpose..." He glanced at Luke, "Well, maybe a little... but I swear he ditched me."

"He's too used to having other people chauffer him around," Luke replied as he shrugged off the uniform jacket and put it on the back of his stool. "But hey, I doubt he'll bother asking you again after today."

"I should think not!" Scott said, firmly resting on the counter and looking into Luke's eyes. "It's good to see you..."

"You, too," Luke replied with a contented sigh. "I was coming up with an idea to arrest you, just to spend some time with you. You know, harassing a police officer is an offence."

"Arrest me, huh?" Scott replied with a grin, turning to fetch two cups from the cupboard. "But I haven't begun to harass you yet."

"Oh, it's a trumped up charge..." Luke admitted. "I'd probably have to let you go with a warning and a slap on the wrist..."

"Hmmm, never really been one for that sort of thing..." Scott replied, pouring the water, "Though I did date a psychotic pencil stabber once..."

Luke rolled his eyes, "You promised you'd drop that..."

"Meh," Scott shrugged. "Arrest me."

"After I get my chips," Luke replied, lazily sitting back and liberating one of the cups of tea from Scott. "Right now I'm trying to figure something out."

"What's that?" Scott asked, tasting his own tea and wincing at the bitter watery flavour; why was it he could never make a cup of tea like his gran could?

"What would possess an intelligent, handsome guy like you to get an earring..." Luke said, as he peered at it through his dark eyes.

Scott grinned. "That would be your fault actually," he replied adding sugar to hide the tea's awful taste. "Serena found out this afternoon and she said I owed her for not telling her sooner."

"How'd she take it?" Luke asked, concern clouding his eyes. He was still adjusting to the idea of people knowing about them, but he was resigned to the inevitable happening, and Scott realized at that moment the depth of the commitment Luke was offering him.

He couldn't help it; he crossed the kitchen and kissed Luke firmly. Surprised, Luke took a second before reciprocating the kiss. Pulling back, he gave Scott a puzzled look, "What was that for?"

"My way of saying thanks..." Scott said, still holding onto Luke. "One of these days you're going to have to tell me what you see in me worth changing your entire life for..."

Luke's face slipped a little into sadness as he looked up at the window, "I don't know," he admitted, "because you're such a prat?" He added with a smile, "It's really quite endearing."

"Well, I think that's a compliment," Scott responded with an odd smile, "though I had hoped there was some kind of..."

"Burning..." Luke said.

"Burning's a bit strong..." Scott responded. "I was hoping for something a little..."

"No," Luke said turning Scott slightly so that he could point to the black smoke coming from the oven. "Burning."

"Damn!" Scott said, hurrying over to salvage the french-fries that resembled charcoal. He looked up at Luke apologetically, "I don't think ketchup is going to save this lot..."

"Probably not," Luke agreed, looking at the unappetizing mess on the tray. "I take it you don't know how to cook..."

Scott bit his bottom lip, "I know how...I just can't do it very well..."

Luke shook his head, "Take-out it is then; I'll order a pizza..."

Scott stared at Luke dumbfounded, "They have pizza here?"

Luke turned to him a mixture of disbelief and surprise on his face, "You're kidding, right?"

Scott shrugged, "I didn't know you could order pizza over here..." he admitted truthfully.

"We are living in the twenty-first century, Scott; we do have Dominos..." he shook his head and picked up the phone to place an order.

* * *

Scott was dozing peacefully, dreaming a warm dream in which he and Luke had enjoyed a wonderful evening together, sitting around, enjoying pizza and talking. The talking had led to kissing that had naturally progressed on. As consciousness slowly returned to him, and he snuggled deeper into Luke's arms, he realized he hadn't been dreaming. And he opened an eye as he felt Luke's hand brush the hairs away from his eyes.

"Hi," Scott croaked dryly with a smile.

"Hi," Luke replied, giving him a contented look in return. "You were out like a light."

"It's been a long day..." Scott suddenly sat bolt upright as he heard the latch on the door downstairs go; Gran was home.

"Shit!" he said leaping out of bed, trying to reach for his clothes; but his feet were tangled in the duvet and he fell backwards, Luke catching him before he did himself an injury.

The front door opened and there was the sound of voices in the hall. Scott pulled on his jeans as fast as he could, shrugging on his jersey as Luke tried desperately to put his uniform back on, fumbling with the buttons as he did so. It was a mad rush against time they were both going to lose, and Scott hurried to think.

"Stay put!" he said firmly in a fierce whisper.

Luke wasn't about to argue, simply nodded with terror in his eyes as Scott slipped out of the bedroom closing the door behind him and trying to smooth down his ruffled hair. Stubbornly it refused and he slipped downstairs.

Gran looked up at him coming down and she gave him a rueful grin, "Sleeping again, sunshine?" she asked brightly.

"Yeah," Scott said trying to calm himself down; there was only one way down from upstairs and somehow he had to sneak Luke out past not just his gran but his aunt and uncle as well. This was going to take some doing; if he was lucky they would go to bed and he would be able to pull it off.

Uncle Nigel yawned, "I'm going to make a cup of coffee, if anyone's interested."

"This late at night, Nigel?" Gran admonished. "You'll never sleep like that."

Nigel waved her off as he went out to the kitchen, Gran giving Scott another look, "Are you all right dear? You look a little flushed."

"Fine," Scott said, feeling his heart pounding in his chest and a tight knot in his stomach; how could they not know? He was doomed, Luke was going down with him, and there was nothing left to do but bail out and pray... "I just woke up, that's all."

"Poor thing," Gran explained to Debbie, "he always wakes up with such a start. You should have seen him that first night; you'd think the devil himself had touched him the way he jumped."

Scott's heart returned to a normal level, and he swallowed, "I should go give Uncle Nigel a hand," he said, trying to escape the two women who would surely see through his tissue of lies at any moment.

He walked out into the kitchen, and his heart sank as Uncle Nigel stood examining Luke's peaked cap in puzzlement. Nigel turned and saw the strangled look on Scott's face and he looked down at the cap again...

"Did you find everything?" Gran asked, walking up behind Scott, and Nigel stuffed the cap behind his back and painted an innocent look on his face.

"Oh, Scott just offered to make it," he said, throwing a look at Scott to play along.

Scott nodded, though the mortified look on his face must have been priceless. Woodenly he walked to the cupboard and with shaking hands began to prepare the coffee. Gran watched him spill the coffee on the counter, and she 'tsked' at him as she took over.

"If you're that tired you should really go back to bed," she said as she poured the water in.

Nigel hadn't moved, and Scott was still looking at him with fear in his eyes. As Gran turned her back, Nigel hurriedly stuffed the cap into a cupboard and rested on the counter over it. "Well, I think Scott should stay up a little longer. I think he and I have a lot to catch up on, don't we Scott?" he asked, giving Scott a look that said he was going to explain everything.

Scott wanted nothing better than to curl up and die at that precise moment, "Y-yes we do," he stammered.

Debbie returned to the kitchen yawning herself, "Well, I'm going to go to bed," she stated, giving her husband a kiss and wandering back towards the stairs.

Gran nodded in satisfaction as the coffee began to percolate. "I think I should be going as well; I have to be up for church tomorrow. You two boys don't be up to much longer, either," she warned as she followed Debbie up the stairs.

Nigel waited until they were out of earshot before he bent down to pull the cap out of the cupboard he had stuffed it in. "Something you need to get off your chest?" he asked lightly as he handed Scott the cap.

"No," Scott lied, knowing full well Nigel wouldn't buy it for a second.

"That wouldn't belong to that," he snapped his fingers trying to remember the name, "Jan's boy, Luke; he's a policeman, isn't he? Mum was saying you two were friends."

"You know," Scott said turning the hat in his hands, "he might have left it here earlier in the week..."

"Oh, I see," Nigel said, walking over to the sink and picking up the two plates that were there. A few seconds later he lifted out the two cups, "You sure there's nothing you want to tell me? Or should I go upstairs and ask him?"

Scott knew full well he was caught; there were only so many lies he could tell before he could admit he was caught fair and square. "I don't think he'd react well to that," Scott admitted.

Nigel nodded. "Bit careless tonight, weren't we?" he stated, a grin spreading across his face. "You're lucky, Mum used to be a lot sharper than that. I remember getting caught sneaking a girl out when I was your age." He stopped and looked down at the hat and back up at Scott, "Though I can see how this might be a bit more..." he searched for the word, "difficult."

"Right," Scott replied in open embarrassment. "I should go get him..."

"Give them a few minutes to settle in, then go," Nigel said knowingly. "I don't think your gran needs a heart attack tonight."

"Yeah," Scott replied, swallowing and stumbling in shell shock to the coffee pot; he poured himself a cup, walked to the saltshaker and added a pinch. His father had always taken his coffee that way, said it was good for the nerves. He kept his back to his uncle as he collected his wits, and downed the mug.

Nigel chuckled, "Well it's about time, though my money was on your Cousin Darren."

"Huh?" Scott asked in surprise as he turned.

"Darren," Nigel said, fetching himself a mug of coffee and stirring in some sugar. "You have to understand I hadn't seen you in years so had no idea," he squeezed Scott's shoulder. "Anyone know?"

Scott shook his head, "A couple of friends, that's about it."

Nigel gave him a serious look, "Is this why you fell out with your dad?"

Scott set his mug down on the counter and swallowed, "No, I think he might have guessed but I wasn't even out to myself when I last saw him. No, he wasn't pleased that I dropped school."

"Well that's typical," Nigel said firmly. "Dads only see the boy, they never see the man that boy becomes. From what Gran says you're working hard and settling in alright, so to hell with your dad."

Scott threw his arms around his uncle and hugged him tightly, holding on for a while before letting go, "I should go get Luke..."

Nigel nodded, "Let him out the back door," he advised. "The front is always too loud."

Scott crept up the stairs and leaned around the door to his bedroom. Luke nervously pacing to and fro, turned to look at him fearfully. Scott smiled at him and held a finger up to his lips as he motioned for Luke to follow him. The pair of them moved quietly down the stairs and through to the kitchen.

Luke gave Nigel a startled look, but Scott shrugged and handed him his cap, "That's my Uncle Nigel," he introduced. "He's... he's okay."

Luke looked into Scott's reassuring eyes before accepting Nigel's pre-offered hand. "Nice to meet you," he stated, his voice trebling.

Nigel shrugged, "Just be thankful I'm not chasing you out of here with a broom," he said with a teasing grin. "It's good to finally meet you, as well. Now you two better kiss goodnight...outside if you don't mind; I'm liberal, but I don't think I'm that liberal yet; and I am going to bed." With that, he set off.

Luke watched him leave and felt Scott draw close to him; he turned, the look of shock still on his face. "I'm so sorry," he said, shaking his head in apology.

Scott shrugged, "I'll live, it's you I'm worried about..."

Luke blinked as if he hadn't considered that angle; he blinked again as he realized it hadn't entered his thoughts, he'd been too concerned about Scott to worry about himself. He swallowed and shrugged, "I'm...I'm fine," he took Scott into his arms, "really, I love you..."

"Oh," Scott said, as that bombshell fell on one unsuspecting American-English immigrant, "I do too.... love you, that is... I mean..." He'd never used those words before.

Luke sighed and relaxed, "Well, I should say good night, then; I'd rather not meet the rest of your family like this..."

Scott set Luke's cap on his head and turned it on an angle the way Luke had done with his visor, and reached up to kiss him good night.