palace_sean

[Takes place immediately after Eric and Sean fight. ]

Striding angrily up the corridor, past a terrified novice libertine, pressing herself up against the wall to avoid being hit, Eric muttered to himself, stupid bloody stalker, fucking freak... He pushed open a door, cringing slightly as he heard it bang loudly against the wall. He walked into admin and knocked sharply on the door to Harry's office.

Please be in.

"'S open!" Harry called out, sorting though stacks of paperwork that Elijah had left him, knowing that he'd explained the colour coding system- probably more than once, and he still didn't know what was going on.

Eric opened the door, peering round the door to make sure Harry was alone. When he had made certain he was, Eric walked in and slumped down into a chair.

Harry grinned as Eric walked through the door - the grin short lived as he saw the look on Eric's face. He got up from the desk and walked around to Eric, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Need beer, talk, or both?" he asked quietly.

Both" Eric muttered, sinking lower in his chair. "Life sucks today."

"I'll grab us a beer, you go sit over there," Harry indicated the couch against the far wall. "Chair's just for intimidating folk while I glower at them over the desk top." Harry squeezed Eric's shoulder, and walked into the outer office to grab the drinks from the bar fridge.

Moving to the couch, Eric felt a deep sense of dread pierce his chest, what if I've fucked this up for good? he thought, bile rising up from his stomach. Eric sat wobbly down on the couch, covering his face with his hands as he waited for Harry to return.

Harry walked back into the office, moved straight over to the couch, and kneeled down in front of Eric, placing the bottles down on the floor. "Eric, c'mere." He said quietly, pulling the larger man into a hug.

Eric let himself be drawn into a deep hug, gripping tightly at Harry as he spoke, words choking out; "I... I just had... huge fight with Sean."

Well, it was that or something with his kids... nothing else would get him this upset. "First fight?" he asked softly.

Voice shaking, Eric answered, "Yeah, Was horrible."

"Here, lemme up." Harry moved Eric's arms gently off him and climbed onto the couch, sliding in behind Eric, and encouraging him to lean up against him. "Tell me what happened?"

"I... I got this magazine, you know the one with... with Sean on the cover this month?" Eric looked at Harry for confirmation, saw him nod and then continued. "Well the article with me and Sean had my face slashed out and obscenities scrawled all over it. Shook me up. Think I overreacted."

"People do some pretty fucked up shit when you're with someone high profile. It's not easy. And if that's the first time something like that has happened to you- not surprising that you were upset." Harry soothed.

"But Sean fucking acted like it was nothing... It, it hurt y'know? Like he didn't really give a shit."

Eric sighed, reaching for Harry's hand and gripping it tightly.

God damn you, Sean. Harry sighed, holding Eric's hand and returning the grip. "He cares, Eric. He's just gotten too good at completely disregarding the elements of his fame he doesn't want to deal with- the notoriety. Both for the good stuff, and the bad. That's why he has Sala now- someone to look after him in those ways because he won't do it for himself."

"He’s a bloody...." But Eric didn't get to finish his statement as a sharp noise outside the door disturbed his thoughts.

Sean stalked down the hall toward Harry's office. I hope to HELL he can talk some sense into Eric, since *apparently* he's not listening to me. This is fucking ridiculous. It's not like I ASKED for this to happen. Or ASKED to have a fucking bodyguard. Or ASKED for anyone to stick their nose in *my* business

Reaching Harry's door, he flung it open, not even bothering to knock. "Harry, I need to you do something about...." Seeing Harry cuddled with Eric on the couch, Sean ground his teeth together and glared at the pair. "OH." he growled, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. "I see that you're already busy. So sorry to have bothered you. As you were." Turning on his heel, Sean started back out the door, at a loss as to where to turn now. Maybe Marton would have a few minutes.

"Oh for the love of Christ, Sean, get in here!" Harry ordered, rolling his eyes. "As if you remotely thought anything was going on."

"I didn't *say* there was anything going on here," Sean said, turning to look at Harry, avoiding Eric's gaze completely. "I *meant* that you're obviously sitting there nice and cozy and hearing about what a cold, unfeeling bastard I am." Finally letting his eyes drift down to Eric for a moment, he realized that his lover looked as miserable as he himself felt. "It's not like I got to *say* anything before I was left standing there, yelling at the fucking door, anyway," he said, his voice now not quite as certain.

Harry gave Eric's arm a squeeze and slipped out from behind him. "You want to talk to Eric, talk to Eric. He's right here. I am going to go sit on me desk, and make sure you two don't kill each other." Harry stood up off the couch, gave Sean's arm a squeeze just like he'd given Eric, and strolled over to his desk, parking himself on the edge, swinging his feet and watching casually.

Eric stared at Sean, brown eyes softening as his gaze met green. "Do you even want to talk to me?" Eric said defensively, folding his arms across his chest, "Is there anything to discuss?"

Sean sighed and ran his tongue along his bottom lip, his anger level decreasing another degree. "If you'll let me talk this time," he said, lowering his voice. "And not just storm out on me, I can *try* to tell you about this fucking stalker business."

Harry grumbled under his breath. "Can't believe you didn't tell him that."

Acknowledging Harry's comment, Eric tilted his head questioningly, "So... now you have my attention. Tell me."

Sean glared at Harry for a moment before turning back to Eric. "What do you want me to say, Eric?" he asked, moving across the room to sit on the other side of the couch, his anger still not letting him reach out for his lover just yet, not even sure the touch would be welcomed if he did. "I didn't think it was a big deal. Not until....this."

"Not a big deal? Sean you have a fucking stalker! Did you not think that even if you didn't bloody feel it was important that maybe I would have, as your boyfriend, liked to know about that?" Irritation was present all over Eric's face, "You might not think it's a big deal - some of us do."

Harry violently resisted the urge to say 'I told you so.'

Sean leaned forward, running a hand over his face, resting his elbows on his knees, truly shocked that Harry hadn't inserted his two cents already. "Fair enough," he said with a tired sigh. "But you need to remember I've never *had* a boyfriend before. I'm used to worrying about myself - no one else, and
I have no idea what the hell I’m doing. I just thought....oh, hell, I don't know what I thought. I just thought it would go away or something, I guess."

"It's not gonna go away, Sean" Eric's voice dropped, tenderness creeping in as he resisted the urge to hold his lover. "And I want to know these things, no matter how trivial and unimportant you think they are."

Harry violently resisted the urge to kiss Eric soundly on the lips.

"You... you still want to know?" Sean asked quietly, looking up at Eric through his eyelashes. "I mean....even now - after *this*?"

Eric's mouth broke out into a smile, "Of course I want to know. I don't bloody agree with what you did, but it was just an argument."

Sean looked down for a moment, studying his shoes. "Well, then," he grinned. "I'll.....I'll tell you next time something like this happens. NOT that I think it will, but if it does, I'll tell you." He moved a bit closer and let his knee touch Eric's. "So...we're.......ok?"

The warm press of body against body, however small, was a huge relief to Eric, now moving closer to embrace his lover, "We're ok" he whispered as he brought his lips down onto Sean's waiting mouth, "We're definitely ok."

Sean's eyes fell closed and his arms were around Eric before he realized what he was doing. All thoughts of anger had completely left him, and he could think of little else but the warm skin under his hands and the soft press of lips against his own. "Good," he said softly, breaking the kiss when the need for air became too great. Leaning back to gaze into his lover's eyes, he smiled, hoping this one word would convey to Eric his relief. "Good." Pulling his lover back into a deep kiss, he leaned back, taking Eric with him.

Harry waited a few beats, not wanting to break the moment, then spoke up quietly, with a soft smile on his face, "Do you two really want your first round of make up sex to be on the crappy couch in my office?"

Eric looked up blearily, having momentarily forgot that Harry was even in the room, snuggling into Sean as he spoke; "Not the most desirable place in the world," Eric smiled, tracing a finger along the outline of Sean's knee, "But it could do... what do you think?" He looked at Sean, eyes sparkling.

Sean jumped slightly, having completely forgotten about Harry. He grinned sheepishly and shifted a bit, his arms still around his lover. "Well," he smirked. "It's not like it wouldn't serve him right. Did I ever tell you about the time..." He voice trailed off and he sighed. "Oh, nevermind," he grinned, leaning up to kiss Eric's nose. "I'm sure we can find someplace a little more
comfortable."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh just get out already. I've seen both of you naked more than enough for one lifetime without you bonking in my office."

Sean rolled his eyes back at Harry and stood, pulling Eric up with him. "Thanks, Harry," he said, holding tightly onto Eric's hand. "As usual, you fixed it. And you didn't even have to snark either one of us to do it this time. Couldn't have been easy on you, mate."

Harry shook his head. "Didn't do anything this time. And you both owe me a couple good snarks in at ya. Go, and be good to each other, yeah?" Harry said, smiling happily.

"We will" Eric said, as Sean and he turned to leave the room, "And thanks."

Harry violently resisted the urge to make a joke about the pleasure being entirely theirs. "You're welcome. Love you both. Now get out and let a mate work already!" he laughed.

"Like you work" Eric smirked, as the two exited the room. As the door closed behind them Eric turned to Sean, kissing him once more, "Lets not do that again..."

"No," Sean whispered, gazing into Eric's dark eyes. "Let's not."