Business and Pleasure SLASH, MxM

Chapter 14

Marshall called up Patrick immediately before he even got out of the parking garage. It only had to ring once before the blond man picked up. "Marshall?" Patrick asked. He was surprised that the older male would call after the argument they just had and he couldn't ignore the way his heart jumped as soon as the man's named popped on the screen. 

Marshall didn't miss a beat. "He knows. He fucking knows. And he's going to tell Anne and she's going to fucking know and we're going to be fucked."

There was a pause before Patrick heaved a sigh over the phone. "Alright. Calm down. Who knows?"

"I don't even know how he found out. We were careful, right?  At least, I thought we were careful...Fucking Victor. God... I have to tell her. I have to. 'Cause if she finds out from someone else, from him of all people, God  it will be a helluva a lot worse. Shit, it's already bad enough..."

Patrick didn't need to be there to know that Marshall was panicking. He could practically visualize the man's freak out in his head. "Pull over. You need time to calm down and clear your head. I'll... figure something out. I promise. Just cool off then head home. Don't do anything stupid." There was silence on the other end of the line and he waited with baited breath until Marshall finally choked out an affirmative "Ok." before hanging up.

When the line went silent, the blond man stared at the walls of the meeting room. He took a deep breath. And then another. He was already regretted telling Marshall he'd figure something out now he almost didn't want to.

That was the kicker wasn't it?

What they wanted.

Or was there even a they? Sure there was an Anne and Marshall. And when he had been an idiot, a Claudette and Patrick. But there wasn't exactly a Patrick and Marshall. The real question was would there ever be? Did he want there to be?

He wanted to kiss Marshall in public. He wanted to go home with him. He wanted to wake up next to him, or at least roll over and lie on the spot of the bed that still held his warmth. He wanted the raise of his brow. The curve of his lips. The touch of his skin. He wanted everything that was already promised to someone else, sealed with a little gold band and a the sparkle of life in a petite woman's stomach.

He needed a drink.

But first he had to make another call.

-

Marshall came home and was met with Anne lying on the couch watching Arrested Development. When she heard the door open she sat up and smiled at him. "Hi Honey! Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked.

He took a deep breath and walked over. "What? I mean, sure." He shook his head. "What about, though?" "Well..." She tucked some of her black hair behind her ear and bit her lip. "I want to look at bigger houses. I mean, with the baby, we'll need a bigger backyard, and the one extra room we have is filled with your stuff and it's waaay too small and—"

"Ok." Marshall said before even waiting for her to finish. She looked at him confused. "Wait what?" She had expected an argument or some form of defiance. After all, Marshall loved how close their current house was to work and then there was the whole buying versus renting issue...

He smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the head. "If you want to look at houses, it's fine. Just... don't make any decisions without me, ok?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down so that she could kiss him on the lips. "Thank you." She murmured before kissing him again, deeper this time. He pulled away slowly and sighed. "I'm tired and going to lay down. Alright? I love you."