“Oh I’m sure you will, and my family is influential enough that we can probably get away with it, besides, as our lord and savior Taylor Swift said- no body no crime, believe me, sulfuric acid will not leave a body,”
It was a little… relieving, almost peacefully so, that Brady shared his rather extreme and macabre way of venting, Stolas knew that this kind of conversation could disturb some people, but his amazing, magnificent partner clearly wasn’t one of them
His lips ticked down further, Brady sounded so distant, it was incredibly concerning coming from someone who was usually so present…
He hugged Brady tighter, pressing a few more kisses to his lover’s face, his shoulder, wherever he could easily reach
“Brady, my love, everything is going to be ok, alright? You have my word, I will make everything ok,”
As difficult as it was for him to see his partner this way, as much as he wanted to just wave a wand and fix everything with magic- something he knew wasn’t possible, things didn’t work that way- he also knew he had to be patient and let Brady come to him at his own pace, that was something fatherhood had taught him, that as much as he wanted to jump into this problem head first, sometimes you just had to be patient
He was relieved, though, when Brady started to open up to him, even though that opening up brought with it plenty of pain
Listening to Brady’s explanation was close to agonizing, and it was clear that his partner was still tormented by his past, something Stolas could understand intimately well
“Oh sweetheart…. I am so sorry…” he breathed, setting his phone aside now that he knew Octavia was alright and carefully tugging Brady into his lap, his height finally becoming an advantage as it allowed him to envelope his partner a bit better in the affection he deserved
“That is absolutely disgusting, and I am so sorry anyone has hurt you that way, or any way, it’s utterly inexcusable,” he promised, hugging his Dom tighter, rubbing his back and kissing his head, the comforting presence he was so rarely able to let out making it’s self very well known for once
“Have you ever considered getting some form of revenge? I could assist you with that, I can have quite the mean streak you know,” he hummed, bordering on teasing, as he began playing with the ends of Brady’s hair
“I understand, you know… they say daddy issues create people pleasers and mommy issues create sociopaths.. it’s alright, I’m a sociopath too… if you want to talk about it- any of it- you have my full attention, and.. if you would rather lay this down and revisit it when it doesn’t feel quite so raw…. we can do that too, and I can ease your mind some other way, it’s your choice, my love, and whatever you choose, you have my full support,”
In spite of the situation at hand Brady couldn’t help the smile that came across his face at Stolas words. “I know. Between the two of us, we could make it happen. Alone, you could, I see that. But, you aren’t alone, which makes things better in some regards. You’re quoting Taylor Swift?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking.
Brady could feel Stolas against him, and feel the kisses he was being given from his submissive. The entire situation had thrown him for a loop he hadn’t been expecting, and for someone who was normally so put together and prepared, it was an incredibly difficult thing to deal with. Though he struggled to keep his mind in the same place as his body, he felt his resolve weakening, doing his best to hold on to Stolas presence to keep himself grounded.
“That’s my job, isn’t it?” He asked, not in a mean or harsh way, but in the calmest of ways, a genuine curiosity on his face despite the distance still present in his voice. “I trust you, I know you will. I hope you trust me to do the same. I just can’t get...” He shook his head.
More than ever before, Brady wanted to confide in Stolas. To open himself completely, and release every bit of hurt and anguish he’d been carrying, masking so well, since all that had occurred between his mother and his ex. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to find the right words, part of him wouldn’t allow it. You’ve been hurt enough already the voice in his head rang.
“It’s...” He began, hearing Stolas unnecessary apology. “It just is. It was. I should’ve seen it coming. I’ve never considered myself to be a blind man. My eyes are always open, to avoid situations like that. If I know what’s coming, I wont’ be surprised. But I let...” Brady lowered his eyes, voice clearly strained under the weight of his emotion. “I let my feelings get in the way. I couldn’t see things for what they really were.”
Looking back on that time in his life was one of the most painful things Brady had ever tried forcing himself to do. After what he’d learned of his partner and his mother, he hadn’t begun to bring himself to look at either of them as anything short of traitorous, something he couldn’t reconcile. After spending his entire life believing he’d be alone, that he’d find no one, to learn the first person to change that mindset was the source of nothing but more pain? It drove Brady insane.
“Revenge isn’t worth it.” He said simply, tone still heavy under the weight of the emotion he’d bee withholding for so long. “Revenge against what? A man who didn’t love me, despite the fact that I would have given him...A man who used me, who betrayed me, and a mother who...Hasn’t ever really been a mother at all. It’s my fault. I should’ve known.” The self-blame was evident and strong, and it felt as though Brady’s heart was breaking all over again. “I wasn’t enough. I’m not enough.”