Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Hollyoaks!

Summary: Ste is a dealer for Danny Houston, Brendan is not too pleased when he finds out. Slight AU but can also run alongside canon events.

A/N: Big thank you to Busman's Holiday for all her help in editing this!

Deal

Chapter One

Ste wasn't sure he liked working in the SU bar. Chez Chez had a certain air of mystery about it that drew you in, or perhaps that was more to do with Brendan. Ste couldn't tell the difference. He glanced over at him now. He was frowning at his phone screen in concentration. Brendan didn't like to admit what was troubling him and Ste couldn't ask; if Brendan wanted to share anything with him, he would.

Their relationship wasn't what Ste would call normal. At the beginning Ste had hardly realised what was happening between them at all. He'd always wanted to impress Brendan, had drunk in any attention from him like it meant the world. At first Ste had thought it was simply an employee wanting to impress their boss, but of course it wasn't in the same way he'd tried to impress Tony, when he'd worked with him.

It was only later that he'd realised what it was. Ste touched his lips absently, remembering that first kiss in Brendan's flat. It had awoken a desire in him that he hadn't realised he was capable of. Later in the cellar was when he had truly understood it. He'd felt it through the pulse in his throat, anticipating Brendan's approach. He'd felt it in the press of Brendan's lips against his own, the slow slide of his tongue inside his mouth. Ste didn't think he had ever felt so wanted in all his life.

It wasn't all plain-sailing. The bruises were a stark reminder of how quickly things could turn, how easily Brendan could slip into his second mask. It wasn't as easy as walking away, Ste found that he couldn't. He didn't think Brendan could either. He was still difficult to read but Ste saw something in the way he looked at him sometimes; the quirk of his mouth when Ste did something to make him laugh, the way his eyes would follow him across the room while Ste was working. Sometimes Brendan would take him into his office and lock the door behind them, craving it as much as Ste was, unable to wait a moment longer.

Today however, Ste could tell Brendan was in a foul mood. He hoped it wasn't anything that involved him. A month or so ago Danny Houston had offered Ste a way of making some extra money on the side. He'd needed it with two mouths to feed. How could he refuse his kids anything? Things hadn't been going great with Brendan at the time either and it was always a struggle for him and Amy on one wage. He'd started dealing for Danny. Nothing too risky, he liked to think. Danny had his trusted clients and Ste tried not to ask questions, even though it was in his nature to do so. Danny kept his side of the bargain too, he kept it from Brendan. It wasn't a deal Ste had vocalised but it went without saying that as his boss, Brendan wouldn't approve. If Danny had known what else they were to each other… well, Ste didn't like to think about it.

Ste started unloading the dishwasher. Most things were the same here as they were back in the club but Ste still missed it and he knew Brendan did too. He approached Ste now, still holding his phone tightly in his hand. Ste averted his eyes, grabbing a towel from the counter.

Brendan settled behind the bar, his fingers drumming to a nameless beat. Ste swallowed down his curiosity, waiting for Brendan to speak first. He felt his gaze on him, burning into his skin. It took all of Ste's self restraint to not look up and meet his eyes. Eventually Brendan broke the silence around them, taking the towel out of Ste's hands.

"Steven," his voice was low, almost soft. Ste looked up in some surprise.

"Alright?"

Brendan snorted, playing with the towel between his two hands. "Not really."

"You wanna err, talk about it or something?" Ste asked awkwardly, reaching out to take the towel back from Brendan.

Brendan shrugged, his gaze piercing. "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"Jacqui went off somewhere. She never likes doing the cleaning."

"It's beneath you," Brendan replied in a rare moment of reflection.

"Do you wanna do it then?" Ste offered, lips twitching in a smile. "I don't mind you know."

"Yeah I'll bet." Brendan smiled in return but it didn't reach his eyes. Something was really bothering him.

"What's wrong, Bren?" Ste asked quietly, leaning close.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He met his gaze then, attempting a gentle smile. "You can knock off early if you want." He coughed to disguise the awkwardness of the offer. He never let Ste go before they opened.

"Why?" Ste asked, tenacious as ever.

Brendan sighed, rubbing his temple. "I'm giving you the night off."

"Yeah but why?" Ste pressed, trying to meet Brendan's eyes again.

"Does it matter? Just take the offer won't you?" He was getting angry now and Ste found himself getting annoyed too.

"Well if you don't want me around, fine. You could just say." He threw the towel over his shoulder, moving out from behind the bar quickly. Brendan was by his side in a heartbeat, hand wrapped around Ste's wrist.

"Hey, don't be like that." Brendan's voice was at his ear, breath drifting across his cheek. Ste gave a little shiver. "I didn't mean anything by it."

Sometimes Ste couldn't believe the change in him. During the early days Brendan had often been cold, distant. He hadn't demonstrated much feeling towards Ste outside of the confines of his office. It was almost as though he was losing that grip on himself, the one that made him keep his distance. Ste wasn't sure when things had changed so drastically but he preferred it to the coldness, as confusing as it could be sometimes.

"Will you just tell me what's going on?" Ste asked outright, unable to loosen his wrist from Brendan's grip. Brendan was too close, just inches apart from him. It was clouding his judgement. He couldn't stay angry when Brendan was this near, this vulnerable. It was written all over his face.

"Danny's coming by tonight."

Ste took a definitive step back, needing to put his poker face on. He didn't want Brendan to notice the change in his expression.

"What for?" He tried to sound casual but it came out strange. Brendan gave him a look, releasing Ste's wrist but taking a step towards him, hand hovering over his waist.

"To check the books. He's been coming in more and more recently. I don't like it."

"He does own part of the club," Ste pointed out.

"But he's never been this interested before." Brendan looked beyond Ste to the door as if expecting Danny's arrival any moment.

"He won't come till later, you know that. He never does."

"I wish he wouldn't come at all," Brendan murmured.

"It's not like you," Ste said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"To be scared of anyone."

Brendan blinked, as if thinking back to another time. He took a step back from Ste. He took the warmth with him.

"It's not that." Brendan shook his head. Ste waited for him to continue, wondering if the shutters were up now. When Brendan made no sign of speaking, Ste continued himself.

"Why do I have to go home then? I can deal with Danny." Ste winced at his choice of words but Brendan didn't notice. He was staring down at his shoes, reflecting.

"I don't like him being around you," he admitted quietly, as if only to himself. Ste was startled by his honestly. Brendan didn't know something, did he?

"I'm a big boy, Brendan," Ste said, trying to keep his voice level. At the same time he wanted to roll his eyes. If only Brendan knew what he was up to, but of course he didn't and Ste wasn't about to tell him.

Brendan looked up, faint smile on his lips. "I know you can handle yourself. Just humour me, yeah?"

Ste took a moment to consider. He wondered if Brendan was afraid of Danny finding out about them, or if it was something else. It wasn't a secret that everyone was wary of Danny. Jacqui and Rhys especially, for their own reasons. Even Cheryl seemed to stumble over her words whenever she saw him. Brendan was looking at him now, waiting for his answer.

He decided to give in, thinking that he was behind on payment anyway and Danny was likely to have a go at him if he saw him tonight. But mostly he wanted to take that look away from Brendan's face. It didn't sit right on him, not the big bad Brendan Brady everyone knew. Not the man Ste knew either.

"So?" Brendan pressed, growing impatient.

"Fine, I'll go." Ste made a move towards the staffroom but Brendan stopped him, his hand against Ste's waist.

"You don't have to go right now." Brendan had that familiar look in his eyes and Ste felt his body respond automatically, the pull between them ever present and undeniable.

"Where do you want me?" He asked, voice low.

Brendan tugged him towards the office, firm arm around Ste's slight waist. Normally he would press him against the door, sometimes roughly, other times not. It depended on his mood. He was gentle today, deliberate. He had Ste on the little sofa, his body pressed down into the soft cushions. His lips were just below Ste's ear, travelling down to his throat. He knew it made Ste crazy. He wriggled a little underneath him but it only made Brendan kiss him more intimately. Eventually he worked his way across his jaw and to his mouth. Ste could kiss Brendan for hours, he would never tire of it. Brendan had something else on his mind however. His touch drifted towards Ste's back, his hand slipping easily underneath his t-shirt.

The skin to skin contact was almost unbearable at this point. Ste let out a soft moan, pushing himself up against Brendan. He chuckled, flipping Ste onto his side to get access to the inside of his trousers. Ste remembered the first time they had done this in the Chez Chez office. Brendan had been urgent then, his fingers slippery with lubricant and desperate to get inside. Now he was taking his sweet time. Ste wasn't sure what he preferred. They both ended the same way, with Ste stood up, bracing himself against the sofa.

Brendan entered him from behind, his fingers tightening on the soft skin of Ste's hips. Ste pushed back into Brendan's strong arms, allowing him to hold his weight. Brendan liked to be in control and sometimes Ste liked to indulge him. There was something to be said for being held with such purpose anyway. It was something Ste never tired of.

For all Brendan's care in preparing him, the sex itself was startlingly desperate. Brendan kept his arms firmly fixed around Ste's middle, holding him as he barrelled into him, knowing by now that Ste could take the impact, urged on by Ste's cries and groans of pleasure.

He withdrew before he came, Ste dropping to his knees and opening his mouth wide. The come was warm on his face. Most of it had gone on his tongue, the rest on his chin and lips. Brendan pressed his thumb to the corner of Ste's mouth, drinking in the sight of him. He lowered himself to Ste's level, grasping him in his hand to finish him off. He locked gazes with him and Ste was taken aback by the intimacy of it. He came over Brendan's hand, his body shuddering with it. Brendan held him with a firm hand on his shoulder. He passed Ste some tissues after, to clean himself up with.

The intimacy was gone. Brendan was rearranging his suit, his back to Ste.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said brusquely, not looking back. Something in the way he held himself told Ste a different story to how he was really feeling. Ste didn't have the energy to argue the point though. He redressed himself and waited ten minutes after Brendan left the office to emerge out of it himself before he went home.

Danny didn't show up until gone eleven. Brendan had made sure the books were in order by then. He didn't like the feeling of having to prove himself but he couldn't afford to have Danny against him.

Brendan offered him a drink when he arrived, wanting to keep things civil. Danny nodded amiably. He was dressed in a sharp, crisp suit of blue. His smile was slight and his eyes were observing the room at large with every step, like he was looking for something.

Brendan went behind the bar to fix Danny's drink. Jacqui spotted him and averted her gaze, going to Rhys. Danny glanced briefly at them but he seemed to have something else on his mind tonight.

"Where's your boy then?" He asked as he sipped at his drink. Brendan almost dropped the bottle he was holding.

He cleared his throat. "I don't-"

"You know who I mean," Danny said, eyes twinkling. "Your Steven. Where is he?"

"He's not-" Brendan gave him a hard look but Danny's smile didn't waver. "Night off," he said briefly.

"Can I see the rota?"

"Why?" Brendan was on the defensive. He didn't appreciate Danny's tone.

Danny shook his head, smile never leaving his face. "Call it curiosity."

Reluctantly Brendan asked one of the bar staff to fetch the rota. Steven had done it himself on Brendan's computer. He'd sat on Brendan's lap and Brendan had kept touching him in order to distract him. It hadn't entirely worked; Steven still got the work done. Never left a job half finished, did Steven.

Danny looked over the rota, his small eyes darting down the page until they landed on Steven's name.

"I think you made a mistake, Brendan. He's right here."

"I gave him the night off."

"Oh? Are you in the habit of doing that for all your staff? Maybe I should ask the rest of them."

"Steven's missus needed him," Brendan improvised.

"His missus eh?" Danny looked sceptical. "Call him in, Brendan. I need to speak to him."

"What for?" Brendan asked bluntly.

Danny raised his eyebrows, smile beginning to waver. "Is that any of your business?"

"He is a part of my staff."

"And that makes him a part of mine. Call him in." Danny's voice told him there was no room for argument. Brendan hated to bow to anyone but Danny was different. He didn't like to think of the circles he ran in, the people he knew. Brendan went into the office to call Steven.

"Bren?" Steven answered on the third ring, always eager when it came to Brendan.

"I need you to come to the bar," Brendan said, straight to the point. He felt unsettled, calling Steven like this after what had happened in the office earlier. He could still smell Steven all over him and he wondered, perhaps ridiculously, if Danny could smell him too.

"I thought you gave me the night off," Steven said uncertainly, as though gauging Brendan's reaction. Brendan hated that he made that necessary. He didn't want Steven to be wary of him.

"Yeah well Danny wants to see you." Brendan cleared his throat awkwardly.

Steven went silent on the other end.

"Steven?"

"Sorry. Yeah, course I'll come in." He sounded unsure and it immediately made Brendan suspicious.

"Do you know what this is about? Why does Danny want to see you?"

"I dunno," Steven said, far too quickly. "Guess I'll see when I get there."

"Don't be too long," Brendan said before hanging up. He brought the phone to his lips, thinking hard.

Steven arrived twenty minutes later, bundled up in a big coat. He went straight to the bar, making himself known to Danny.

"Ah, there he is!" Danny was all jovial again, clapping Steven on the back. "Come into the office, Ste. We'll talk in there. More private." He shot Brendan a look. "Won't be long with him, Brendan."

Brendan's expression must have been thunderous because Steven looked at him and winced, turning his face away to follow Danny into the office. Brendan stared after them, unblinking. He hoped Steven could still feel his gaze through the door.

Brendan hovered by the office door, hoping to hear something. Raised voices perhaps. He heard nothing. Danny came out first looking satisfied. Steven followed after him, his coat looking impossibly bigger than before.

"My business is done for the night, Brendan. See you soon." He shook Brendan's hand firmly before heading to the exit. Steven made as if to follow but Brendan put out his arm to stop him.

"Office. Now."

Normally Steven would pout and argue but this time he did as he was told. That unnerved Brendan more than anything else tonight. He closed the door after them.

"So?" He looked Steven over but he wasn't looking at him. He was pulling his coat tighter around his small body. "You gonna tell me what that was all about?"

Steven shrugged unhelpfully, still not looking at Brendan. Brendan considered him for a moment, deliberating how best to play this. He knew all the ways to coax things out of Steven, after all. He decided on a gentle approach. He walked towards him slowly and Steven finally looked at him. His eyes were panicked. He took a step back. Brendan stopped too, perplexed.

"What is it?" He tilted his head to the side, confused. Steven hadn't shrunk away from him since… Brendan didn't like to think about it.

"Nothing. I just need to get off, that's all." He glanced towards the door. Brendan moved to stand in front of it, crossing his arms.

"You aren't going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."

"Steven, you're not fine." Brendan approached him in two long strides, placing his hands on Steven's shoulders. Steven bowed his head, almost in defeat. "I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on." Brendan's head was whirling with possibilities. Had Danny found out about them? The comments he'd made earlier were enough to make Brendan wonder, especially with him sniffing around more than usual…

Steven shook his head. "I can't tell you, okay? I just can't."

Brendan's grip tightened. "Why not?"

"Danny would kill me. I have to go, Brendan. Please."

Something in his voice startled Brendan. He released him slowly, reluctantly.

"Come by mine tonight. I'll be off in a few hours."

"I don't know, maybe." Steven sniffed a little, already halfway to the door.

Brendan watched him go, his face turning from soft to hard in seconds. He had to find out what Steven was hiding from him. He couldn't keep secrets from him, the very idea was laughable. Especially if it had something to do with Danny and his secret. He did what any concerned boss would do in his position. He followed him.

Ste walked away from the SU bar hastily, feeling his breath catch in his throat. That had been close, too close. He wasn't sure that Brendan would drop it, not now he'd seen the state Ste was in. What was Danny playing at, asking him to meet him at the bar right under Brendan's nose? If Ste didn't know any better he'd have sworn Danny wanted Brendan to find out. What could he possibly gain from that though? Ste shivered, heading away from the bar into the heart of the village. If he could just get this done he could go home. He wouldn't be going to Brendan's tonight. The man was relentless, he'd get whatever Ste was hiding out of him within minutes, maybe not even that.

Ste shuffled into the dark confines of the alleyway. He could feel the product underneath his coat. Danny had shoved it in there, telling him he had to make this deal otherwise he was tripling the payment Ste already owed him. He wished he hadn't gotten into this mess in the first place but he'd been desperate. He tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him he was desperate now, desperate for Brendan not to find out.

He'd kept it from Brendan all this time. Meeting with Danny outside the club, making sure he wasn't being followed. It was ridiculous really, the thought of Ste having to hide from Brendan, to make sure he wasn't following him. He'd been careless tonight in his haste to get this deal done. He would pay for that later.

The bloke Ste was meeting was running late. He came fifteen minutes later and by then Ste was feeling antsy. They did the swap hastily, Ste almost dropping the drugs in his hurry. The guy gave him a dirty look, shoving him into the wall for his trouble before running off. Ste tilted his head back against the bricks, taking a breath. His head ached from where it had connected with the wall and he blinked hard, trying to steady himself. It was starting to become too risky. After he'd paid Danny off he'd stop. He had to, now that Brendan had become suspicious. He couldn't risk it anymore.

He made his way home slowly, still feeling a little funny. He thought he heard footsteps behind him and quickened his pace, wondering if it was Danny's guy back to finish him off. The idea was ridiculous, he'd done everything he was supposed to do. But he didn't trust Danny. He still couldn't work out why he'd come specifically to the bar tonight. Something wasn't right.

By the time he got home, he was completely on edge. He dropped his keys, fumbling for them in the dark. No one else was home; Amy and the kids were still at Mike's. He finally managed to get the door open, practically throwing himself through it. He turned to close it behind him and froze. There was someone there. Ste felt dread settle in his stomach at the sight of him.