Work Text:
i.
James was stuck in the kitchen, as he normally was. The other boys had long left the studio, but James, he couldn’t leave until this recipe was perfect.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed, as he screwed up one of the easiest parts of the recipe for the fourth time. It was his time management; he was struggling to watch all the elements of the dish and would therefore forget the easiest element.
He needed help. Or to go home. But James couldn’t do either. There was no one else here and he couldn’t go home until it was done. So, he kept going. He tipped out the burnt caramel from the pot and set on starting the whole process again.
…
It was 20 minutes later, and everything was coming up to the intensity of the recipe. When everything needed something at once, he again forgot about the caramel.
“Watch it, your caramel will burn mate” James looked up, from his hands, with which he was piping a filling into a pastry, to see Mike. Smiling… and stirring his caramel.
“Ah thank you, you’re a life saver” He praised Mike, who in this instance was extremely helpful and not at all a hindrance. The other man just smiled, that smile that melted James.
James just smiled back. He was thankful to have help… he was thankful to have Mike.
Mike was always so helpful.
ii.
It was beautiful out. Yet still, James was stuck inside. It often was like this, James so busy he didn’t even notice the seasons go by.
“I’m going out” he announced to the room,
“Have fun” Barry answered back, not looking up from his laptop where he was editing.
“No, like for the day, someone has to come with me” I’m not going alone, he thought to himself. “I’ll make a picnic, we can have it at the park” he added, “Come on!” he whined, to the room of boys who couldn’t take their eyes off their work.
“Mate, I have so much shit to do before tomorrow” Jamie responded,
“Yeah and these pictures aren’t going to upload themselves to our Instagram” Barry added,
“I have a recipe lab I’m about to start” Ben finished. That’s not what James wanted. Sure, he knew they were all busy, but if he didn’t get out of this studio, eat some good food and hang out with his friends, he was going to go insane.
“I’m free” Mike piped up, smiling. Always smiling.
“Excellent”
...
So, they found themselves. In the sunshine. On a beautiful day. Eating the picnic James prepared. Keen to be out of the studio.
James found himself smiling, smiling at the smile that he adored. They didn’t talk much, but Mike’s presence, the outside, they were all so helpful to James’ mental health.
Mike was always so helpful.
iii.
James wasn’t usually out late. He woke early, he slept early. He went to work before the sun rose sometimes. But at this rate, he might not be home before it tonight.
He was at his favourite pub. A family owned one, small and homely. Dark woods, and rich smells made him feel safe. They weren’t normally open this late either. But being an Irish pub, on St. Patricks day, the place still had people in several of the booths, and a few still on the dance floor.
They had planned to go out as a group, him and the other Sorted boys. But things had come up. Mike was stuck at the studio too late, and by the time he finished, he messaged James apologising,
“I’m so sorry”
“What?”
“I can’t make it. I’m so tired and I just got out”
“Mike!”
“Sorry, have fun for me!”
Ben had gotten the flu, and with everyone else out, Jamie and Barry decided to spend the night in with their families.
James, however, was already out, even before they all bailed, and he wasn’t going home on St. Patricks day. He was going to drink some (or lots) of alcohol, he was wearing green, he was going to have fun.
The night went on, and James was smashed.
He had met a group of people who were all friends from school,
“My friends were alllll ff-friends in school” He slurred out, “I waaasn-t though, they, they met me late-r”
With that they spent their night drinking as a group. James having fun with them. It got later and later, and eventually the pub closed. The friends went home, bar one. A young man, Pat, he was tall, taller than James, but just as skinny, his hair was a light brown colour and blown out and big on top of his head. He was a smiler.
“So, James” he said, no slur. Pat was sober. “You better come home with me, it’s probably safest” he stated, no asking, as he put his arm around James’ shoulder.
“Noo, thanks. I’m okaaay” James was sloppy.
“I wasn’t really asking to be honest” James was suddenly wrapped in Pat’s arms, faces smooched together in an attempted kiss.
James pushed, and Pat pushed back.
“Fuck you” James yelled, as he hit Pat, just above his eye.
Pat snarled. So, James ran.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to fight the larger man in his state.
He had gotten away from Pat, his heart was pounding as he rounded a corner, stopping only when he was covered in the light of the last open place.
He reached into his pocket to get his phone out, hoping he could call an uber. But he found nothing in there.
“Fuck!” where was his wallet, where was his phone. James’ heart kept pounding. He was having trouble breathing.
He walked inside the small pub, the lights low inside, but still a number of people were drinking and laughing. James went to the bar. A little less drunk from the panic, he asked the barman for help,
“I’m sorry, I think I have just been mugged, could I please borrow you phone” He huffed out, trying not to cry. The man agreed and gave the phone to James.
Fuck he thought, who the fuck knows phone numbers.
He did know one number. Well he knew his parents, but they weren’t even in the country, and he knew the studios, but no one would be there. The number he knew, he knew it because it was his emergency contact. So, he called it.
“Hello” someone croaked on the other end, beautifully.
“Mike?”
“Yeah, who is this” the voice answered back, getting frustrated.
“It’s me, its James”
“James is everything okay” James couldn’t settle his voice, he may have also sobbed a little,
“No, could you please come and get me, I’m at O’Sullivan’s on Connor Street”
“Yeah of course buddy, stay there I’ll be there soon”
...
It wasn’t long, no more than five minutes, when Mike walked into the pub. He was in jeans and a sweatshirt, his hair messy against his face. He found James, who was sitting in a corner booth, bent over, holding a cup of water.
“James” Mike almost whispered.
James jumped at hearing his name, he looked up and saw Mike. Smiling, a small smile, but smiling, nonetheless. James began to cry,
“Oh my, James” Mike scurried to sit next to him, wrapping his arms around James’ shoulders, making the larger man seem small.
They stayed like that for a minute. Then they got up, they went home, to Mikes house.
“You can sleep in my bed, I’ll sleep on the lounge” Mike said, smiling at James.
“no” James whispered, “don’t leave”.
So, he didn’t. They climbed into the bed together, curling into each other. James was hungover, his head was screaming, and yet, he had never slept so effortlessly. When they awoke, James made breakfast, and thanked his friend for being so helpful last night.
Mike was always so helpful.
iv.
It had been months since St. Patricks day. It had been months since Mike had held James, held him as he fell asleep, full of turmoil, but wrapped in care.
And yet nothing had been said. Nothing would be said, because James knew Mike was just being helpful.
So, James avoided his eye. He avoided his smiles.
“James! Hello! Are you in there?” Ben was tapping his best friends head,
“Sorry, my head is just somewhere else” he answered bringing his eyes back to the kitchen and his friend,
“Could it possibly be with a certain blonde, who you can’t seem to take your eyes off?” Ben said, a small laugh coming from his lips.
“What! No! I, what?”
“You cant say no, you haven’t taken your eyes of Mike since, well since, like the day after St. Patricks day, the day after which you came in together, all smiles…” Ben started to ramble, “Holy shit, you slept with Mike!” Ben concluded.
“What!” James yelled, which attracted the attention of said blonde, with his smile. A question on his face, Mike stared at the two chefs. Who both waved him off, and sent him back to his work.
“I did not sleep with Mike!” James whispered, I wish I did, he thought.
“Well, you probably should, because you aren’t focusing” Ben flatly stated,
“I am not sleeping with Mike; I have no idea where this is coming from!” James voice, although a whisper, was very matter-of-factly. Which was funny to Ben, when seconds later James began to burn his eggs which he was frying, head clearly not on the task at hand.
“Fuck” He exclaimed, taking his eggs of the heat.
“Just ask him out already jeez” Ben said, walking off, away from the mess that was his best friend.
...
The studio had cleared out, all except for James and Mike. Mike who was finishing some editing, and James who was trying to pluck up the courage to ask his friend out.
Mike let out a sigh,
“You okay?” James asked, acting as though he wasn’t extremely happy to get to talk to Mike,
“Yeah, I’m just over this” he sighed again, “Do you want to go get a drink?”
“Oh” well that will do it, thought James, “I guess, a drink sounds good”
“Then maybe we could get dinner”
“Dinner?” James asked shyly,
“Yeah, I was thinking, kind of like a date?” He asked, a shy smile creeping onto his lips, always smiling.
“Yes!” James answered quickly.
...
They got a drink, they then got dinner, then they got a car back to James’ flat. Mike made James’ job so much easier, he didn’t have to ask, Mike knew exactly what James wanted. That was true throughout the evening, Mike helped James with his lips, burning for Mike for years. Mike helped James with the top button of his pants. Mike helped James explode into the happiest he had ever been. Mike helped James with his smile, that simple small smile he did, or the full-blown ecstasy smile. Mike was always smiling, now he was just always smiling at James, and Mike;
Mike was always so helpful.
V.
It was today, today that James was to be made the happiest man. He would wait at the end, he would wait for his love, he would stand there and see the most beautiful man in the world walk in. He would be made James Currie-Huttlestone, today he would marry Mike.
But that would only happen if he could find his cuff-links.
“Where the hell are they!” he yelled, high energy building into frustration.
“What mate?” Asked Ben, his best man, his best friend.
“My damn cuffs! I can’t get married without cuffs”
“You definitely can get married without cuffs, but for the sake of your sanity I will help you look.
Within 5 minutes, Ben had found the cuff-links, the case they were in had fallen beneath the bed,
“Thanks mate, for all your help” Ben was always so helpful, he thought as he wrapped one arm around the smaller man.
...
“What do you mean the photographer can’t come!” James yelled, again, man for his happy day he was yelling a lot, “I need a photographer at my wedding!”
“No, I understand… I’m sorry for your loss… thankyou for letting me know… thanks… bye” he responded to his photographer into the phone.
“What’s up mate?” Barry questioned as he walked into the room, seeing his friend a hot mess, with only a white button up on (with newly found cufflinks).
“The photographer cancelled! Baz what am I going to do”
“I’ll do it” he smiled around his words,
“That’s really nice of you Barry, but no, you have to be up there, Mike wouldn’t forgive me”
“Good point…” he stopped in thought, “Well we have tons of friends in photography production, why don’t we just ask one of them to fill in, then I can take the really important ones after the ceremony”
“Thank you, Baz!” James almost shouted, jumping to envelope his friend in a hug, “thank you so much, that would be such a big help” Barry was always so helpful, James thought.
...
“You have to be kidding me” this time he was almost whispering, worried that if he raised his voice he would cry, “why must everything go wrong” he said pulling his hair, which would now have to be restyled.
“I can’t not have a peanut butter flavoured wedding cake, its Mike’s favourite”
“I’m so sorry sir”
“No, this isn’t okay, this is why I picked you”
“Sir, I’m so sorry, I read your order wrong”
“Well that’s not my fault, there is a kitchen in there, maybe this cake can be for show and for cutting, and you can make a second cake peanut flavoured for serving?” He questioned the tiny, frightened pastry chef,
“Yes of course!” she squeaked.
James walked the small women out to her car, telling her all the while what his cake was to include, giving her some money to buy the ingredients. She hopped in her car, and as James went to turn around and get back to getting ready, he heard her car blow out…
“No! no, no, please no!” At the loud car noise, and possibly James’ panic, Jamie ran out to help.
“Mate what the hell?” Jay yelled to his friend, now in pants and a top, but with messy hair and crazy eyes.
So, James explained his situation,
“that’s okay, I have my car, I’ll take her to the shop, don’t stress” Jamie said, placing a hand reassuringly on the groom’s shoulder.
“Ah, thank you so much, thank you, that would be such help” Jamie was always so helpful, James thought to himself.
...
James went inside to get ready, his hair was done again, his tie and blazer on. With a hug and kiss from his parents, it was time.
He walked into the small building, barn like in appearance, however, with small lights covering the place, white flowers everywhere. He walked in, arms knotted with his Mum and Dad. He made it to the makeshift altar, where their officiant stood, smiling. Where Jamie, Barry and Ben stood, smiling. Where he took his place, smiling, always smiling.
Then Mike walked in, hair curly on top of his head, blue suit, white button-up, grey tie, all down to his shoes, he was beautiful, as was the smile that accompanied it all. The smile that made everything go away; James suddenly forgot about his friend and employee (Raf) being his photographer, he forgot about how he lost his cufflinks, he forgot about how the pastry chef was currently making another wedding cake. He forgot it all, because Mike was always so helpful in making him forget. Making him remember all that was good, the sunsets they watched, the morning cuddles, the laughs, the joys, all the meals they had eaten together, all the places they had visited, all the kisses, Mike made him remember it all.
When it came time for vowels it all made sense to James,
“Michael, Mike, you are the love of my life. You and I have shared so much. So much joy and so much more, that I can’t even put it in words. You have given me hope, you have allowed me to look forward to tomorrow with excitement, you have shown me how much it means to give yourself to someone. I love every inch of you, from your toes to your beautiful smile. For without that smile, I may not be smiling. Thankyou for being my friend, for being my love. All I have left to say is; thank you for being helpful all those years ago and asking me out for dinner. I can’t believe I have someone so helpful on my side, I love you Michael Huttlestone”
And with all that, and some more, they were married. The other boys hugging their now married friends. Barry took the photos; the cake was absolutely delicious, and Ben made sure James looked perfect. James was surrounded by the most amazing and helpful friends, but his husband, Mike, well;
Mike was always so helpful.
The one time he wasn’t…
“MIKE” he screeched into his husbands’ ear, who with that flailed around, waking up,
“What, where is the fire?” At that James laughed,
“sorry love, but if you don’t wake up now you are going to have world war three on your hands”
“No thank you, I don’t want to be awake right now” and with that James’ husband disappeared beneath the blankets.
So, James got it all ready, he put the lights on, he lit the candles, he made sure to eat the cookie and munch the carrot. Leaving little bits as evidence. He put the turkey and other meats into the oven and set out the items that would be prepared later. When everything was ready, Mike finally made it down stairs.
His hair still a little messy, but he was dressed, the fun sweater he wore was James’ favourite… well second favourite to Mike being shirtless.
“You have not been helpful at all” he smirked at his husband, “this” he gestured all around him, “all me!” he exclaimed,
“Sorry love” Mike responded, leaning in, their lips meeting in a soft kiss.
They were shortly interrupted however, when two sets of little feet ran down the stairs,
“CHRISTMAS” exclaimed the both of them loudly. Jumping into their fathers’ arms,
“Merry Christmas Noah, merry Christmas Harper” James said cuddling his twins.
The family of four sat around the Christmas tree, unwrapping presents (that James had wrapped), laughing and having a fantastic day.
...
Mike kissed his babies’ heads (okay maybe not babies, they were six now), closing the door behind him as he left their bedroom.
At the door he turned to his waiting husband, “today was magical” he said, kissing James,
“Thankyou for doing everything, you were so much more help then I was, sorry”
“No worries love, lets go to bed yeah?” James responded
“I’m not actually tired”
“Neither am I” James winked, pulling his husbands arm.
James may have done everything, but he knew without Mike he wouldn’t have anything to do. No family to cook for, no children to wrap presents for, no reason to light a Christmas tree. So, James guessed, Mike was actually helpful today, because he made him so insanely happy, and...
Mike was always so helpful.