Second Chances [BxB]

twelve

He sighed, "Okay." He rose his hands in surrender, "Is this friend...a...uh...special friend?"

Sebastian cheeks instantly grew red, and he desperately tried to shield his face with his hands, "Oh my god." He groaned, "Dad...don't...please don't-"

"What?" He countered defensively, his lips curling up at the corners, "I'm just asking-"

"This is so embarrassing-"

"What's his name then?"

Sebastian took a deep breath, and dropped his hands from his face, "He's not...I mean, we're not..." He groaned, "I don't know what we are, really, but-"

"Ah." He nodded in understanding, "He's one of those friends, is he?"

Sebastian frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"You know..." He gestured vaguely, "Someone you...have fun with..."

"Oh my god." Sebastian covered his face again, "That's it; you can never speak to me again-"

"Oh, relax." Douglas rolled his eyes, "You're twenty years old and sober - you gotta get off somewhere, right?"

Sebastian gulped, "Okay, well, this has been a lovely chat, but I really should get to work-"

His Father latched onto his arm before he could leave, "You'll come over for dinner sometime, won't you?" He asked hopefully, "Your Mother misses you."

"Yeah, Dad." Sebastian agreed reluctantly, "I'll come over for dinner."

The rest of the day went by the same way it always did; lifting and carrying, drilling and sawing, mounting and dismounting heavy machinery. When it was time to leave, Sebastian's limbs were aching, and his muscles were burning from the exercise. He liked having a purely physical job where he only had to use his body and not his brain, but sometimes, it took a toll on him.

"Oi, Seb!" Harvey slung an arm over his shoulder, and tugged him back from the gate, "Wait up-"

"I'm not staying here a minute longer." Sebastian shoved him away, "My Dad might try and kidnap me so he can take me to some family dinner-"

"Fuck that." Harvey scoffed, "A few of us are going to the pub, and you're coming."

"No." Sebastian said flatly.

"I won't drink." Harvey promised hastily, "In solidarity."

"I'm not gonna ask you to stay sober for me-"

"You're not asking." Harvey rolled his eyes, "I want you to come, Seb, and I know you won't because you're worried about what people might say if you're the only one not drinking, so-"

"So, instead, we have to try and explain why neither of us are drinking?"

Harvey smiled, "C'mon." He goaded, "You never come out with us. You've been working here for years and the guys barely even know you-"

"That's the point." Sebastian reminded him. He didn't want his co-workers to know that he was sober, and he didn't want them to know why. It invited too much unwanted attention. He would rather keep his head down, do his job, and ignore everything else.

"You gotta step out of your comfort zone, Seb." Harvey pressed, "You did it once and look where it got you - into bed with a pretty boy!" He grinned, "If I hadn't convinced you to go out that night, you never would have met Declan."

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder, where a group of guys were huddled, all stuffing their hi-vis jackets into their backpacks, and laughing amongst themselves. Sebastian sighed, and turned back to Harvey, "Well, tonight better not end with me in bed with any of this lot." He joked.