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Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;)
TB-GT-TB-GT-TB-GT
Barnaby slipped outside unnoticed, a tumbler of scotch in one hand. The cool evening air washed over him and he sighed in relief. The wedding had gone well, despite narrowly missing it because of a case, and Cully seemed overjoyed by Troy's surprise arrival.
Gavin Troy. Now there was a complex man. He had changed so much from when Barnaby had first met him, going from a hot-headed young man to a mature adult, but still keeping his sunny disposition.
Barnaby sighed again. It had been fate, he decided, that he had run into Troy earlier that day. He had been thrilled, of course, to see his ex-junior officer again, but there was a pang of sadness there as well.
"Phew. Bit crowded in there."
Barnaby grimaced before plastering a smile on his face and turning. "It is a wedding, Troy."
Troy grinned. "Cully seems happy."
"She is. And I know she is over the moon that you made it," Barnaby replied.
"What about you, sir?" Troy asked, his voice low. "Are you happy? Are you…over the moon I'm here?"
"Troy, don't," Barnaby warned the younger man.
"Don't 'Troy' me, *sir*. It was a simple question."
"Nothing about you, or *this*, is simple and you know it."
Troy shrugged. "Doesn't stop you answering the question, though, does it?"
"Yes, I'm happy. Yes, I'm glad you're here," Barnaby replied, his tone one of long suffering. "But you need to be more careful."
"Meaning…what, exactly?" Troy asked.
Barnaby turned to face the younger man properly. "When I walked down the aisle with Cully, who were you talking to?"
"What?"
"You mouthed 'you look beautiful'; who was it to?" Barnaby asked.
Troy's expression became guarded. "Who did think it was to?"
"Cully thought it was for her," Barnaby replied, deliberately avoiding the question.
"Did you correct her?"
Barnaby silently noted that sentence answered his question. "No, of course not."
"Well, Cully did look beautiful," Troy said. "But not as beautiful as you."
Barnaby looked at him, his expression amused. "Beautiful?"
Troy gave a half grin. "Well, handsome as hell would have been better, but that would definitely have given the game away, sir, wouldn't it?"
"Gavin, what happened between us…."
Troy put his hand up. "Please don't say it was a terrible mistake. I've heard that from you once already." He suddenly reached out and caressed Barnaby's cheek. "I left because of you and I came back to see you. I know you can never give me what I want, but that doesn't stop us stealing a few moments here and there, Tom."
"Not here, Gavin. Not now," Barnaby said, his eyes pleading.
Troy turned away, exasperated. "If not now, when? I've barely seen you over the past few years; you promised we'd see each other as often as time allowed."
"And we have," Barnaby replied softly.
"Yeah, right. I could count the amount of times we've been together since I left on one hand."
"It's too late for me to change my life, Gavin. But it's not too late for you. You're a young man; you should be with someone your own age."
Troy turned back quickly. "I don't want somebody my own age; I want you." He stepped forward, bending his head down as he slid his hand around the back of Barnaby's neck.
"Tom! Are you out here?"
Both men sprung apart and quickly schooled their expressions so nothing was revealed. "Over here, Joyce," Barnaby called.
"What are you doing out here?" Joyce asked, linking arms with her husband and kissing his cheek. "Oh, hello, Gavin."
"Mrs Barnaby," Troy replied, smiling. "Great party."
Joyce smiled back. "We're all so glad you could make it." She looked at Barnaby. "Tom, Cully wants to dance with you."
"Again?"
"I think she and Simon are getting ready to leave. And she wants to dance with you too, Gavin," Joyce said.
Barnaby rolled his eyes. "Alright, we'll be there in a minute," he replied. Joyce nodded, kissed him again and left, missing the look Troy gave her husband.
"So that's it?"
"Gavin, please don't spoil Cully's day," Barnaby said.
"What about us?" Troy asked. "You can't sweep this under the rug, Tom."
"I wasn't trying to. I just want to enjoy my daughter's wedding."
Troy sighed. "Fine. Go ahead, go and dance and have fun."
"Aren't you coming?"
"No. I've got to get back. I'm at work tomorrow," Troy said, the bitterness in his voice evident. "Say goodbye to Cully and Mrs Barnaby for me."
"Gavin, wait," Barnaby called, but his words were falling on deliberately deaf ears as Troy strode away. The older man sighed and said what he had been thinking since the wedding. "You looked beautiful as well. You always do."
When Troy reached his car, he leant against it for a few moments to calm himself. He had heard what Barnaby had said, and he was tempted to turn around and go back. To kiss the other man senseless, despite the possibility of them getting caught. Troy punched the steering wheel as he got into the car. Life was so damn cruel at times.
FIN