Pacifier

Damien

"You're finished! How'd it go?" Mel asked her best friend as she hopefully awaited his response from her seat on Corey's couch.

"I'll live." Thomas shrugged.

"Pity." Corey sighed from the kitchen a drink in his large hand.

Thomas's gaze pierced through Corey like daggers, and Corey raised his free hand in surrender.

"Kidding." He smirked taking a sip of his liquor.

"That's it I know when I'm not welcome. I'm leaving." Thomas frowned walking over to the door.

Mel shot up instantly, "Thomas you can't leave it's not safe! Tell him Corey!"

"He doesn't need to tell me anything! I can take care of myself."

"Oh and you definitely proved that today big guy." Corey smirked amused.

"Thomas he didn't mean that. Please stay, you can sleep on the couch right Corey."

"Sure."

"See Tom-Tom, just stay okay." She pleaded walking over to her taller friend. She would do anything to keep him here. To keep him safe. "If not for me then stay for yourself." She whispered gently taking his good hand, "You're going to need someone to dress your wound and only Stella can do that."

Thomas dipped his head down to rest it ontop of Mel's.

"I don't like this Mel." He admitted in hopes that only she could hear. He did not want to appear any weaker than he already had in front of Corey.

"I know and I'm sorry. If I could change it all I would."

Sighing Thomas let go of her hand to walk back over to the couch and sit down. "I'm demanding blankets and pillows."

Mel sighed in relief and contempt. Thomas would always listen to her.

***

The next morning Mel found her self lying alone in Corey's bed.

Again.

Yawning she lazily rolled out of the covers and stood up to use the washroom, but once again she was met with a swirling set of whispering voices from outside the closed bedroom door.

"Why is it that I'm always the last-" Mel began but quickly stopped dead in her tracks upon entering the living room. "Damien.."

"Hello Mel." He tried his best to avoid her prosecuting gaze and it took everything within Mel to not slap him right where he stood.

"I'm sorry babe were we too loud?" Corey asked getting off the couch and walking over to her.

"Babe?" A now fully awake Thomas's questioned sitting up confused.

"What's he doing here." Mel panicked her eyes shifting between Damien and Corey.

"Look you don't own this flat love." Damien spat and Corey shot him a warning look that said shut the fuck up or I'll make you.

"He just came to give me updates about the," Corey searched for a light way to put it, "well about the situation we have going on."

"Hmm ok and he couldn't tell you this through text, email even?" Mel retorted annoyed.

"Apparently Damien's going to be staying with us for a while. " Thomas spoke up sarcastically. "Can't wait."

"What? Why?"

"Just until things die down." Corey explained.

"Look love this is how it's gonna go down. I'm gonna be staying 'ere for a while. Just like how you're going to be staying 'ere for a while, and how he's going to be staying 'ere a while. So you better get used to it Princess."

"Right.. Okay. Corey can I talk to you in private for a minute?" Mel asked but before he could answer she already had him halfway into the bedroom.

Damien coughed awkwardly after they had gone, making his way around the sofa and taking a seat beside Thomas.

"I'm sorry about the stab wound." Damien stated so nonchalantly it almost made Thomas chuckle. Almost.

"So what did you do with the body." Thomas whispered after some time spent between them in silence.

"Nothin' no other Barrick wouldn't do." Damien retorted proudly.

"Oh."

More silence filled the space.

"You know for what it's worth, I don't blame you for what happened." Thomas whispered looking over at Damien.

Thomas saw Damien for what he really was. A scared child doing what he thought was expected of him. Thomas recognized that look because he once saw it in Mel.

"Maybe you should blame me Thomas."

Subconsciously Damien would have done anything in that moment to keep Thomas's eyes on him. I mean sure Thomas was cute but Damien really just wanted someone to tell him that everything really would be okay, because things had to be okay. His sisters wellbeing was on the line. Thomas looked away.

"Maybe with your last name comes this delusional idea that you have to appear tough all the time, but you can cut the crap in front of me. Let's not forget that because of your cousin I almost died. So you can at least spare me the tough guy shite."

Thomas caught himself looking into the younger boy's eyes again. They were so clouded with fear that he missed the hint of admiration brewing behind them. Thomas would later learn that Damien eyes were like the ocean, they could swallow you whole.

***

Just in the other room an entirely different conversation stemmed from the same tree, was brewing.

"Corey when you asked me to come to London with you this was never a part of the plan!" Mel panicked steadily pacing around the room.

"I know Mel and believe me this is not how I wanted to spend my time with you. I mean I woke up with a hard on this morning and I couldn't even do anything about it... or get you to do anything about it." He laughed causing the hairs on the back of Mel's neck to stand in attention.

"I'm not joking Corey!"

"Neither am I." He hummed catching her small waist in his hands. "I mean you are literally dressed in only my t-shirt and I can't do anything about it." He bit down on his bottom lip in frustration. "But the second this shit clears, they're gone and I'm going to claim you." He slowly leaned down and kissed the dip between her neck and shoulder and smiled as he felt her shiver at his touch.

"Corey."

"Hmm?" He asked kissing her there a second time his hand sliding lower and lower down her waist.

"Fuck you."