Self Sacrifice

"Right, so he's not an actual friend then?" Andy settled back into the couch as Austin handed him his drink.

"Well...I can trust him. I can always trust Sienson to do whatever is in his best interests. So...I pretty much always know what he's going to do."

"So why would he be calling you now?"

"Probably wants to borrow money with better interest rates than what anyone else would give him...that or he wants me to help him find dirt on someone." Andy nodded.

"Sounds like a nice guy."

"He's dangerous...but because we have this facade of a friendship, he won't turn on me, I'm too useful."

"Anyways...shall we watch that movie?" Austin looked at him before leaning down suddenly and placing on him a gentle kiss, lips and hands lingering on his skin slightly longer than they should.

"C'mon."

Andy glanced up at Austin from where he was positioned on the couch, legs crossed over his, head against the arm of the furniture. His previously relaxed aura had faded, he now looked tense and it bothered Andy.
"Go work...make your important calls, reply to emails. Go for it."

"No, I'm spending time with you."

"That's just your way of saying that you're looking after me. I'm a grown man, I don't need baby sitting. Go and do what you have to."

"No. Because...I know that if I leave you alone you'll start working again, and that's no good for you-"

"Fine. I solemnly swear that I will not do work until you permit me to do so. Happy?" Austin attempted a small smile and leant down to kiss him. A slight flame of arousal began to curl in Andy's stomach as one of his hands involuntarily snaked up around the back of Austin's neck.

"Happy. And frustrated. Don't push me." Austin breathed, detangling Andy's hand from the sensitive spots it continued to brush over on his neck. Andy smirked slightly as he stood.

"Do you need help getting anything?"

"Just cause I've got a broken ankle doesn't mean I'm a complete cripple - I've got my crutches right here." Austin rolled his eyes and walked out, begrudgingly.

"Watch some more movies!!!" He called back.

As he was looking through the extensive movie collection, his phone rang, displaying an unknown number.
"Hello?"

"H-hi...Andy, is that you?" Andy froze as the familiar, leathery old voice came into his ear.

Austin wasn't happy. He knew something was about to happen with Sienson and it made him uncomfortable, he wasn't entirely convinced that Veronés had given up trying to hurt the people he cared about, his feelings for Andy were starting to confuse him, and he had a lot of work to do.

"Dammit!!" Andy heard Austin curse and a thud followed, but it hardly registered in his brain.

Austin collected himself, knowing that his temper upset Andy, and strode out to the lounge to make them drinks.
"Andy do you want some tea or- is everything alright?" He broke off when he realised that Andy still hadn't put a DVD in, and was sat in an unnaturally stiff position on the sofa.

"I...yeah, yeah. Tea's good...tea's good...thank you, I'll make it!!" Austin frowned as he practically scrambled to his feet, and began swinging hurriedly out of the room.

"The kitchen's that way." Austin stated and watched as Andy nervously tried to laugh it off.

"Andy, Andy! What's going on?"

"My dad just called." Austin only just managed to decipher the words as they fell in a hurried mess from his mouth.

"And?"

"I...we...I haven't...I mean...my...they..." Andy leant his head on Austin's chest, breathing shakily.

"Come on." Austin pulled him back to the couch and settled him across his lap.

"What happened?"

"They umm...they kicked me out...well...my mum did. She was sick...and my dad couldn't cope with both of us...and I had...I had to leave...and he just...he just called-"

"Breathe...calm down." Andy pulled his sleeves down further over his hands.

"He...apologised...my mum's in..a mental hospital...and he's...he wants to see me...to apologise...."

"Ok...that's a lot to take in for you, at a time like this. But isn't that mostly a good thing?" Austin acted as though he wasn't shocked.

"I suppose.....haven't seen him for twelve years though...haven't heard from him...nothing." Austin's heart gave a painful twang as Andy shamefully whispered out the words of his troubled past, and tried his best not to cry.

"Nine years...aren't you like twenty two?"

"Twenty three."

"So you were fourteen..?" Andy's eyes fluttered shut, almost like he was trying not to see all the memories that Austin could practically see flooding up to him like a wave.

"Hey..it's ok-"

"No it's not! It's not ok!! I'm right back where I was now!! And I've already got all this crap going on I can-"

"Stop." Andy's lip trembled and he breathed quietly.

"Listen to me. Listen." Andy looked up at him.

"You are not a fourteen year old kid. You're a twenty-three year old man. You're a fantastic journalist. You're well of financially, and you have the sexiest boyfriend on the planet. Trust me when I say that you can handle this. It won't be easy, I'm not saying that. But you can handle it, we'll get through it together, ok?" Andy's eyes were slightly widened at his caring speech, and Austin resisted the urge to become uncomfortable.

"What?" Andy snorted quietly and shook his head.

"What?! I just tried to be nice there!"

"I know, I know. It just bugs me that all I could focus on back there was you calling yourself my boyfriend." Austin swallowed and pushed away the panic that automatically rose.

"Well...I...I think we've gone pretty far past the point of fuck buddies, don't you?"

"Yeah...I suppose we have, just never would've expected you to acknowledge that."

"Me either! Well hey, it's a day for revelations. But listen...I know this is hard to believe, but if you could talk to your father...it might even help you. Even if you decide to never speak to him again...it might help you being able to resolve things rather than just burying them." Andy suddenly leant down and placed a salty kiss on his lips. Austin resisted the urge to kiss away the rest of his tears so he could remember what they tasted like, and settled for rubbing his back gently, subconsciously memorising the dimples at the bottom and his spine at the top.

"Thank you."