Oliver Thorton

Thomas didn’t believe it. He was heartbroken that his brother didn’t approve of his relationship, yes, but when he made his way back down the stairs and saw the look of pure anxiety and fear of James’s face, he knew that he would not have to heart to break it off with the man. He would take the hurt that James might bestow on him in the future, but he wanted to be with the man now.

“L-Look,” James began, wrapping his arm around Thomas’s waist and acknowledging Oliver. “I know that I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past and I’ve told Tom about all of it, but -”

“You didn’t tell him about the cheating.” Oliver countered, crossing his arms over his chest. “You didn’t tell him that all of your relationships failed because you can’t keep it in your pants for even a second.”
James sighed, running his hand across his face. He knew it was all going to come out today.

“I-I know, but...I didn’t want him to think bad of me. I mean, I know he probably already did because he knew about all of the one night stands and the partying and stuff, but...I’ve changed. I know you’ve noticed. I never go out anymore and I never bring anyone home and...I know you’ve noticed Oli.” James was not past getting on his knees and begging for a chance. He knew that if Oliver didn’t agree with this then Tom would call it off. He had tried to prepare himself for this possibility, but it had been too hard.

Oliver didn’t want to admit it, but he did know how much James had changed. He had seen the way that James had changed over the past few months. The man stayed home on Saturday nights and always talked about the ‘amazing girl’ he was seeing and how he thought she might be the one. He never talked about his conquests anymore or ever brought up bringing anyone to the house. Oliver had noticed and he had said many times to himself that the girl that James was seeing must have been special because she was changing him for the better. Why did he not want to believe these thoughts now that he found out that it was all for his brother?

“I know I’m not good enough for him.” James sighed. “I know that, but...I just want a chance. I’ve changed and I'll continue to do so, just...please just give me a chance. Please just give us a chance.”

Thomas felt like such a woman for getting teary eyed. He didn’t think he had meant that much to James. But he was Oliver’s twin and they were both essentially women with the wrong bodies.

Oliver sighed. He couldn’t believe he was thinking about it. But from the perspective of the man who have seen James the past few months, he had to believe some truth in his words. James was one of the best people that Oliver knew. He was kind and generous and loving, but he had a lot of flaws...a lot of flaws and most of them had to do with relationships. He didn’t want his brother getting caught up in it. He needed advice. He couldn’t do this by himself.

“Can I just...take some time please?” He waited for both men to nod before grabbing his sleeping son and making his way back up the stairs and into his bedroom. He called Benjamin.

“What’s up buttercup? Miss me already? I would too if I were you, I’m fantastic.” Benjamin never failed to put a smile on Oliver’s face.

“Yes yes, you’re wonderful in every single way, but I have an emergency and I need you right now. Are you working?” Oliver placed Sam on his back and sat across from his son on the bed.

“I just finished my shift, I can be there in 10.”
Oliver sighed in relief.

“Thank you.”

...

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just say that James is dating your brother? As in Thomas? That brother? Unless you have a brother that’s a girl, this doesn’t make sense to me.”

Neither Thomas nor James had been around when Benjamin made his way through the front door, therefore there was no suspicion on his part. He had immediately taken off his shoes, made his way up the stairs and sat across from Oliver on the bed, next to Sam.

“Thomas, as in my twin and only brother Thomas. What am I supposed to do? I can’t accept that. James is...James.”

Benjamin sighed, laying on his back in a similar way to the baby. He had been at work since 5:30 in the morning and all he wanted was to take a nap, but he couldn’t say no to Oliver when the man clearly needed him.

“What can you do about it?” Benjamin inquired. “I mean, they’re both grown men and they are plenty capable of making decisions for themselves. I get it that they want your blessing, but really they don’t need it.”
Oliver scoffed, kicking Benjamin in the shin.

“Yes they do need it, Ben! How am I supposed to accept it? James is going to be James and he’s going to cheat on my brother and break his poor heart and then I’m going to have to decide if I can live with a man like that. But if I don’t live with him, then I’m back to a crappy flat in a shit neighbourhood with Sam! And then Thomas is going to have his heart ripped out and shredded to pieces and he’s never going to trust again and he’s definitely never going to love again and -”

Benjamin cut Oliver’s rant off by pressing his lips to the younger man’s. They had missed this, quite a bit and Oliver still felt as though his chest was on fire every time he kissed Benjamin and really he still couldn’t believe that he had Benjamin to call his own, but here they are and -

“Don’t you cut me off by kissing me, you cheater!” Oliver shoved a smirking Benjamin away and went to pacing his bedroom.

“But how do you know thats 'll going to happen as you say? Based on what you told me that James told you, it seems like he really might be changing for Thomas. You even told me yourself, before all of this happened, that you were proud of him for liking this girl so much that he was willing to grow up for her. Did you not say that to me? Come here, stop pacing.”
Benjamin took hold of Oliver’s small wrist and pulled the man into him. Sam stirred when Oliver dropped onto the bed but didn’t wake. Benjamin sat the boy up and placed him in between his legs, leaning Oliver’s back against his chest and wrapping his arms snuggly around him.

“Give James a chance. You’re his best friend, he would never do anything to hurt you and you know that. Even if he was attracted to your brother, if he knew that he was going to hurt him, he would never do it because he values your friendship way too much to risk losing you in that way and it sounds to me that he really likes Thomas. Why not just give them a chance and if worse comes to
worse...I’ll be right here to help you and Thomas pick up the pieces.”

Oliver sighed. Benjamin drove a good deal. How could he say no to that? Another sigh.

“I hate it when you’re right. Why are you always so right?” He turned his head to pout at the man behind him.
Benjamin gave a light chuckle and pressed a kiss to the side of Oliver’s head,

“Because I’m a genius, duh.”

Oliver rolled his eyes at his...boyfriend? Not yet. They have been out on three dates and Benjamin had yet to ask.

“Alright, I guess I have some apologizing to do. If you’ll excuse me please.”

...

Thomas had engulfed him in a hug and started squealing. Oliver always thought that his brother had been the manlier of them...he thought wrong.

James too had engulfed him in a hug and promised to take good care of Thomas. Oliver smiled. He really couldn’t help but believe it.



2 months later

“Where are we going?” Oliver giggled. Benjamin had showed up at his work as soon as he had finished and had blindfolded him and led him to the car. It had been Oliver’s car so he wondered how Benjamin managed to get to the shop.

“I told you, that’s a surprise, but you’re going to love it.”

It was well into April, the air was clear, the sun was shining and bright and it had begun to warm up. Sam was already nine months old and Johanna had sent him a picture of her growing baby bump. Change was in the air.

Oliver, in the middle of one of his infamous 16 hour shifts, had not gotten off of work until 10:30, so the sun had set, the roads were clear and there was nothing open at this hour.

“Where could you be possibly taking me at this hour?”

“I’m actually just driving around in circles to confuse you, I’m really just going to take you home.”
Oliver giggled and was soon joined in by Benjamin’s rumbling laughter. He loved that sound, Benjamin’s majestic laugh.

The car suddenly came to a stop after a lot of bumpy road and Benjamin got out of the vehicle. He came around and helped Oliver exit himself and then began leading him. Oliver wasn’t sure where he was, there were rocks under his feet and he could hear birds and owls and strange noises.

“Are you bringing me out here to rape me?”

“Honey, trust me, it wouldn’t be rape.”

The two stopped and finally Benjamin unwrapped the blindfold and allowed Oliver to take in his surroundings. A grin lit up his face as he looked around.

“I figured I’d take you here on a nice night when it’s not snowing.”
They were in the clearing. The ‘family clearing’, as Benjamin would like to call it. It was in the middle of the forest on the eastern side of the city away from all of the lights and hustle of town. It was the perfect place for star gazing and the Hobson family came every single year for a camp out.

This was the clearing that Benjamin brought Oliver to almost two months prior to ask him to be his boyfriend...officially. It held special meaning to them. Benjamin had gone all out that night two months ago; spending the day making a wonderful picnic, picking out the perfect outfit and all and when they had finally arrived at the spot...it had begun to snow and rain at the same time somehow - because the UK is a wonderful place. The food was drenched along with themselves and Benjamin had been really down on himself for ruining the perfect day. He obviously didn’t know Oliver.

Oliver had run out of the car in the middle of the mess and begun to dance and laugh and play all by himself in weather that he really should not have been out in - he fell ill 2 days later - and begged Benjamin to dance with him - he too got sick 2 days later. They had no food, but they had fun. Benjamin had turned on the radio and they danced to whatever was playing, even the advertisements. Benjamin had still asked Oliver to be his that day after realizing that it hadn’t been a total waste and they had sealed the deal with the kiss...in the middle of what was supposed to be the worst day.

...

“What are we doing out here?” Oliver laughed, sitting on the blanket that Benjamin had tossed on the ground. “It’s a bit late for a picnic, don’t you think?”

“I know, but I had originally asked you out here to watch the stars with me and that...that didn’t go so well last time, so I figured we could do it right now, if that’s okay with you.”

Benjamin was too much of a gentleman for his own good. Oliver wondered how he ever thought Carter was anything other than the jerk that he had been. Especially when compared to the angel who was sitting right in front of him.

“It’s more than Okay with me.”
Benjamin gave him a heart melting smile and pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses from the boot of his car. Pouring them both a glass, Benjamin clinked his glass with his boyfriend and took the first sip.

“It’s beautiful out here.” Oliver breathed, looking at the sky above him. He had never seen it so clear. Stars shone brightly above them, lone birds flew off into the night, they were surrounded by nothing but nature...it was perfect.

“It really is. Are you coming to the Hobson family camping trip this year?”
The Hobson family had turned out to be a second family to Oliver - or first family seeing his own had seemed to abandon him. He knew and loved all of the siblings, Benjamin’s parents were the kindest people he had ever met and prying Mrs. Hobson off of Sam was one of the most difficult tasks that Oliver ever had to perform. His son seemed to just magically appear in Helena’s arms without either of them moving an inch and he was super glued there until they left.

“I have a feeling I won’t really have a say in the matter, but I don’t know about Sam being able to come.”

“My mum won’t allow him to miss it. Plus he’ll be one by then, so it should be fine. Have you spoken to Johanna recently?”

He had spoken to her and she was doing great. She was getting the emotional support that she needed from her family and her pregnancy was progressing beautifully. She sent the men ultrasounds every time she got one done and she came down to visit Sam as much as she could. She was already planning his first birthday party and he was barely nine months old.

Sam was talking now. Well...‘talking’ is a bit much, but he almost made sense if you knew the context of the conversation that he was squeezing himself into. His vocabulary consisted of 12 words: no, yes, hi, bye, mama, dada, Jam (for James), Bo (supposedly for Ben), Tom, poop and baba (for bottle).

And how he loved to use those words as often as he could in the same long string of sentences.

Oliver found it hard to shut the boy up at times, but it was adorable to watch him attempt to speak, so he allowed him to continue. Sam was attempting to walk. He currently required the aid of tables, chairs and people as he was not able to step on his own, but it was entertaining to watch him try.

As for Thomas and James, surprisingly - to Oliver and Oliver only - they were still together. They were too adorable for Oliver’s taste and he was still wary of James, but it was easy to forget this distrust when James made such huge efforts to keep Thomas in his life, such as showing up to his school unannounced with flowers and candy or brining him up to dance in the middle of the kitchen with no music for absolutely no reason other than to hold him. They were quickly becoming Oliver’s favourite couple - next to him and Benjamin of course.

Oliver would have never in a million years thought that his like could ever turn out this perfect.