The Red Crayon

There were moments where Matt had wondered what it would be like to be in a coma.

Completely dead to the world, alone with your thoughts so you could confront all those dark things you’d hidden away for so long. But somehow he always managed to think of the other people, the friends and family that would surround his hospital bed if he ever slipped into one. What would they say? Would confessions be traded over his lifeless body, waiting for the moment that he was brought back into the world, away from the darkness?

They would all feel the way he had when he watched as the surgeons inserted the catheter into Kennedy’s chest, Suzy holding her hand tightly as she slept. That wondering whether they would ever wake up again. It was general anaesthetic he had to keep telling himself, she would always wake up in the end but there was always that fear buried deep in his gut.

Maybe it was the lawyer in him that was making him see things from someone else’s shoes, but he knew as he watched Kennedy be operated on, it was the father in him that was making him worry.

He’d dug up the suit he’d worn for the trial with Brian, and now he and Zacky were waiting patiently to be seen by Kelsey, who had helped them with the adoption process of the babies, and who was the only one with the combination to the contract they kept. He still hadn’t seen a copy of the contract and he was sure with careful combing of the text, he would be able to find a loophole somewhere.

As soon as he’d mentioned it to Brian, he watched as hope filled his once tired eyes at the fact that they might get their children back in their home. It was all that Matt needed to see to get him determined; he would give those babies back to their fathers if it was the last thing that he did in his career.

“Mr Baker?” Kelsey stuck her head out of her office door and beckoned the two of them in, Zacky’s suit a lot more expensive than Matt’s. He didn’t mind, that suit had got him through a lot of trying times, it would be like trying to throw out one of your vital organs.

The office was stuffy and warm, and as he adjusted his collar, Matt glanced over at Zacky, who he had briefed for all of last night about what to say, what to ask for and to only listen to him when he was asked a question. If anything, Matt was going to act as his mouth for this entire interview.

“Alright Mr Baker and uh…” Kelsey said as the two of them sat in the rickety chairs opposite her position on the desk and Matt leant forward, slipping so easily to the role he had acquired as the lawyer.

“Matthew Sanders. I’m the Baker’s lawyer” Matt said matter of factly and Kelsey leant back in her chair, pressing her hand lightly against her temple.

“You’re here about the contract aren’t you? I want to say that I can help you but I can’t, the only copy I have is the one that’s bound by law to be here on the premises”

“Then, you will photocopy another contract and have it given to me. Kelsey, if my clients do not even try to help get back the children that they legally adopted, from you I might add, it’s against no law but probably against moral rights” Matt said slowly, watching as the expression shifted on Kelsey’s face, as her small brain worked out the kinks of his statement. Sighing, she got up and walked to the filing cabinet and sifted through the top drawer until she pulled out a thick binding of paper and placed it on the desk in front of him.

“The parents signed over custody to the birth mother, that’s correct, but all I know is that there were a number of clauses about whether she was a fit mother for those children. If you can find some way to get through those, you’ll get Teddy and Winter back” Kelsey sighed softly as he picked up the contract, quickly letting his eyes run over the first few pages. A will, a DNR statement- all sorts of documents that would lead him closer towards the source of their problems.

Somehow he would find a loophole. Even if it meant making one himself.

***

As Jimmy and Ellen took Kennedy and Alex out to the beach for the first time since the insertion of the catheter in her central veins, Matt sat at the kitchen counter, documents spread out on every available space as he continued to search for that beloved loophole that would bring back the children Brian and Zacky craved so much.

He’d been worried sick not only for his best friends but for his daughter too, as she’d woken up in the middle of the night at least four times coughing and hacking, sometimes worse. Matt could barely understand what was going on with her body and what the drugs were doing to her, and all he could do was stand back and watch Jimmy calmly help her out, soothe her back to a calm state and gently ease her back into sleep, where she would stay for the next few hours before the cycle would start all over again.

He felt useless, like even though he was trying his hardest, for Kennedy his best efforts were being overshadowed by Jimmy knowing everything back to front. He would have to pick Jimmy’s brain as soon as possible to learn everything he could about the leukaemia before it was too late.

Suddenly, he heard someone walk into the kitchen and quickly glancing up from the masses of paper surrounding him, he saw Tuck staring back at him with a smile, two bags full of groceries in either hand.

“I figured that you could use some company, Baby. Brian told me everything when I went to talk to him this morning because you weren’t picking up the phone, so I decided I’d try to show you some moral support” Tuck smiled as he began unpacking groceries after finding some sort of clean space on the grill and putting the bags there, quickly putting things into the fridge.

For the first time in a long time he had a proper job and was making money to help put his son through school and keep him in a happy home. He and Matt had talked about buying a place together so that they could both be around for Kennedy and Alex without freaking them out too much, and had settled on an apartment not far from Brian and Zacky’s home.

It was only now to pay the down payment and move and they would have their very own home for the first time since they went to prison. As Tuck unpacked groceries, he would occasionally stop by Matt and press kisses to his temple, distracting him for just a moment before he would walk away again, deliberately teasing the other man.

The final straw came when he finally wrapped his arms around Matt and started to kiss at his sweet spot and the other man growled frustratedly and jumped up, slinging Tuck over his shoulder and walking into the living room, knowing that he was never going to get any work done while he was being teased like this.

Dropping Tuck to his feet he put his hands on his waist and pressed their lips together roughly, hand tangling in Tuck’s long hair as he groaned, happy that he was finally getting what he wanted. He had no intention of helping Matt because to be honest, half the things that were being said he didn’t understand at all, all he wanted was sex.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed this” Tuck whispered as Matt latched onto the side of his neck, kissing and biting a perfect mark into the other man’s throat, smiling at the sounds that fell out of the other man’s lips as he did so.

“Oh I think I do babydoll” Matt smirked in reply against Tuck’s throat, whimpering when he felt the other man’s long fingers travelling over the muscles of his body. What was it about him that made it so easy to forget everything in the world and only think of the other man, and the ways that he could make him feel so good?

“So…did I ever tell you that you as a lawyer is super hot? You know, when you get all hot and heavy up in front of the judge questioning all those people…” Tuck trailed off, lifting up his lovers head and watching with awe as Matt began to unbutton his checked shirt, hands running over the bare skin of his inked torso.

“Really? When I’m doing my job you’re turned on?” Matt asked in surprise as his fingers lingered on the last button of the other man’s shirt and he nodded, biting him lip slightly as he did so.

“It’s the power and the dominance you have over all these people who have to listen to you. It's just so damn hot. Makes me wonder what it’d be like if you transferred that to the bedroom and interrogated me” Tuck purred into his ear as his shirt was removed, leaving him half naked in the middle of someone else’s living room. Not that either of them minded of course. Quickly, swinging him up into his strong arms, Matt pressed another sweet kiss to Tuck’s lips and carried him to the bedroom.

“Well now I guess you’re about to find out”

Notes