Archive of Our Own

Titch was slowly understanding why his father was so insistent on passing down the family business: it was impossible to run a farm by yourself. Even with only half the land his father had, it was getting a bit ridiculous.

Phillip was hired mostly to do logistics: transport, sales, preventing a freak accident by a TV personality that burns down the arable land, etc. It was very helpful, considering Titch was very tech-illiterate, but Phillip did not have a green thumb, and therefore, he did not help with Titch’s current farming predicament.

Opening the applications for a farming assistant should not have been as nerve-racking as it was. Unfortunately, James’ lack of work ethic had permanently scarred Titch from trying to get any farming help.

This Derek guy seemed promising. Similar credentials to Titch’s own in terms of farming expertise and certifications, and around his age. As long as he was competent and physically capable, Titch could handle the complicated stuff.

Sitting in front of the farmhouse, he was ready to meet this man, whoever he may be.

A very tall man on a bike started riding up the pathway to the farmhouse. Resumes didn’t typically include heights, so Titch had no way of knowing if this was Derek, but there was also no reason for anyone else to be approaching the farmhouse at this time.

Moment of truth.

The tall man got off his bike and walked up to Titch.

“Hi, I’m Derek. You must be Titch, I applied for the farm assistant opening.”

Oh shit .

Titch looked at the man in front of him and his heart skipped a beat. Sure, Titch had found people attractive before, but never like this. Something about Derek’s demeanor, the excitement that was flowing through every word he said, his eyes that showed a shy kindness, Titch was awestruck.

“I- um, uh...” He struggled to find his words.

“Oh, sorry, did I come at the wrong time?” Derek asked a bit sheepishly.

“No, I’m sorry-” Titch tried his hardest to recover from the slip up. “Yes, I’m Titch. It’s nice to meet you, Derek. Why don’t I show you around the farm?”

He indicated towards the farmland and started to lead Derek around, never looking back at him until they reached the farmhouse again. And to his credit, Derek asked a lot of questions about Titch’s process and made some suggestions to improve efficiency. Titch was careful with all of his responses, but did not hide the fact that he was impressed with Derek’s knowledge.

“So, what do you think?” Titch asked upon reaching the farmhouse before finally looking at Derek again, looking into his eyes for a split second before stopping himself.

“I think I’d love to work here.” Derek smiled.

A lot was going through Titch’s head. This Derek guy was strikingly handsome and was more than capable of helping him on the farm. But it was that exact excitement to help out on the farm that meant that this relationship should be kept strictly professional. And for that reason, Titch couldn’t risk it.

He reached his hand out to shake Derek’s and their professional relationship was sealed, nipping whatever romantic feelings Titch might have in the bud.

–

Titch wasn’t usually one for a trip to the pub. Yes, he would go from time to time, but being raised in an Irish family while not being Irish himself meant that he was frequently out drank by his brother and father. Not to mention that due to Margaery’s influence, the pub-goers of their village were rowdier than the average pub-goers.

Tonight was a special occasion though: Derek’s birthday. And he invited the whole farm out for drinks. Yes, that included James and Phillip.

Unfortunately for Titch’s dumbass, he agreed to the night out before finding out who else would be joining.

He’d never admit it, but his affection for Derek had only grown since their first meeting. Derek had been farming next to him everyday for months. They slipped so easily into both playful banter and deep conversation while tending to the farm and it melted Titch’s heart. Then said heart would go crazy whenever Derek would remove his shirt on the hotter days on the farm. 

But he kept it in. He had to. He was technically Derek’s boss, and all the banter in the world couldn’t change that fact.

Or so Titch told himself.

This is why he was looking forward to going out to the pub with Derek tonight. It would be a setting where they weren’t boss and assistant, and even better, the night would be about Derek. Not aubergines, not the farm, not Titch’s family, but Derek. 

Phillip and James coming along threw a wrench into that plan, but Titch could make due. Hopefully.

Everyone was a couple of rounds in when Phillip pulled out a gift bag for Derek.

“Happy birthday, mate.” He said, rambunctiously yet gently hitting Derek on the back.

“Oh, uh, thank you.” Derek replied in his typical awkward tone as he grabbed the bag.

Titch pulled out a box from his pocket and slowly slid it towards Derek. “Happy birthday, Derek.”

A huge grin suddenly plastered itself on Derek’s face. “Thanks guys.”

James started scrambling. “Oh shit, were we supposed to get him something!? Fuck uh, I didn’t-”

Titch agressively kicked his brother to shut him up.

“Oh no, you didn’t have to, James, its okay,” Derek reassured him, “But thank you both, Phillip and Titch.”

“Well mate, open it!” Phillip encouraged.

Derek slowly started going through the bag but quickly shoved whatever the gift was back in the bag. “Oh gee,” he blushed, “thanks Phillip.”

Phillip gave him another agressive pat on the back and gave a big belly laugh. “Hope you like it.”

Titch was confused by whatever the gift could’ve been, but it faded as he felt himself tense up a bit as Derek reached for his gift.

Derek slowly lifted the lid of the small box revealing a pendant on a string that Titch made himself out of some wood and metal scaps on the farm. His face lit up as he lifted the pendant. “Titch, did you make this?”

“Yeah,” Titch explained, trying to stay casual, “you always talk about how beautiful the farm is, so I wanted to give you a piece of the farm to always have on you.”

Before Titch could react, Derek dove at him and gave him a massive hug. “Thank you so much Titch. I love it.”

They had definitely hugged before, but this one felt closer. It felt like more: comfort and desire and yearning enveloping him.

To Titch, the hug felt like it lasted forever, but it did eventually end. Once they let go, Derek put the pendant on, promising to never take it off. 

The night went on and the men continued to drink. Phillip went home first since he lived further away, and James went to try to chat up a girl. This left Derek and Titch alone at the table.

Titch was a few more drinks in than he typically would be, but he was still coherent. He was talking with Derek about a book they both had read recently when the taller man realized the time.

Derek started getting up. “Oh shit, I gotta head out. I do have to head back to the farm bright and early tomorrow.”

Titch jumped up. “Let me walk you out.”

“Oh, Titch, you don’t have to. Plus James is still in here.”

“He’ll be fine, he tries this whenever he goes out.”

The couple walked out of the pub in silence and stopped right outside. Suddenly, the silence of the street overtook them. The calm made Titch realize how close they were standing. Neither of them wanted to say anything, holding onto the peace.

“Thank you, again, Titch, for the pendant.” Derek looked at Titch and smiled brighter than he had even seen. “It is really lovely.”

“Of course Derek.” Titch's heart started racing. He wasn’t sure if it was Derek’s smile or the alcohol, but something was emboldening him. “Can I give you one more gift?”

“Oh, of course, what is it?” Derek asked.

Titch reached up on his tip-toes and kissed the taller man square on the lips. It was short, sweet, and loving, nothing too intense. But he felt the way Derek reacted. He didn’t run or pull away, he was invested.

As he landed back on the balls of his feet, he looked back up at Derek and said softly, “Happy Birthday, Derek.”

Derek was smiling even wider now, but as he was about to say something, the pub door burst open and James stumbled out.

“Ti-Titch? You out here?” James asked, drunkenly. Suddenly, Titch sobered up and the years of instinct from nights out with his brother kicked in.

Titch sighed, and he went over to grab his brother. “I’m here.” He looked back at Derek, who looked like he wanted to say something, but was holding back. The bright smile on his face that was there mere moments ago was gone.

“I’ll, uh, see you guys tomorrow.” Derek gave a more half hearted smile and turned around. Titch wanted to stop him, but couldn’t bring himself to.

–

As far as Titch was concerned, Derek wrote off that one kiss as a drunken night that meant nothing. Or thats what he told himself everyday that Derek showed up to the farm and continued work like before.

It was back to their normal dynamic. Except it wasn’t. They were closer. Physically, emotionally, but not romantically. There was something there. And yet nothing had changed. 

It was confusing, but Titch didn’t have time to consider that. It was almost time to start planting the summer harvest, so Titch spent most of his time focusing on that.

Of course, spring meant that rain was unavoidable. And sometimes unexpected. In this case, it was both.

Derek was helping Titch prepare the seeds when a light rain started, leading the two to move into one of the sheds to finish the work up. It wasn’t much work left and the forecast was just supposed to be light rain for a little bit. Unfortunately, the forecast lied.

Once the two of them wrapped up for the day, Titch peered outside the shed to a downpour.

“Oh, shit. I don’t think you’ll be able to bike home in this.”

Derek leaned over Titch’s shoulder to get a peek outside. Titch felt Derek pressed against him but ignored the warmth he felt from it.

“Oh that does look a bit rough. But I think I’ll manage.”

Titch thought about Derek potentially walking his bike all the way home, getting drenched, cold, and possibly even sick. And he couldn’t have that. Because I need his help on the farm, obviously , he told himself.

“No, Derek, you might get sick going out like with the weather like this, and at this rate, it’ll be dark by the time it clears.” Titch looked up at Derek with concern in his eyes. “James is on holiday right now, you can stay the night, Go home in the morning, you didn’t need to come in tomorrow anyways.”

The offer came out of Titch’s mouth before he could even think, but there it was.

Derek’s eyes lit up, but he also held it back a bit. “Are you sure?”

Titch didn’t leave him any more time to refuse. “I can make some dinner. Come on inside.”

The two men ran across the field to the farmhouse. It was an old building that had been passed down for generations through James’ mother’s family, but their father had been running the farm since they were small. So for as long as Titch could remember, it was just the three of them.

As they ran into the mudroom, the small distance from the shed to the house had already soaked through their clothes.

Titch shook his shoes off and looked at the state of his clothes. “Wait here, I’ll grab you a towel.” 

He ran upstairs and quickly ran a towel through his hair. Once his shag was mostly dry, he dried off the rest of his body and changed into a clean shirt and some sweatpants. 

Swinging by the linen closet outside his bathroom, he grabbed a clean towel, then stopped to contemplate.

Knowing James wouldn’t notice, Titch snuck into his brother’s room and found an old shirt and pajama pants he hadn’t seen James wear in years, before running back downstairs.

As he was about to greet Derek, he looked up and had to stop himself. The taller man was standing shirtless in the mudroom, trying to wring out his shirt. His hair was soaked with some of it pulled down by the water, framing his forehead. Despite removing his shirt, the rest of his chest was still damp, and his muscles that were used everyday on the farm were defined and almost glowing in the light of the room.

And Titch was taking in every inch of it.

After a few seconds, before Derek could notice the look on Titch’s face, the shorter man cleared his throat, getting his attention. “Here’s a clean towel, and I stole some of James’ old clothes, figured they’d fit you better.”

“Oh, thanks Titch.” Derek responded shyly.

Titch gave a slight smile as he handed Derek the clothes and towel. He turned away out of respect, even though every part of him didn’t want to.

“Uh, I can make something for dinner and put some tea on the kettle, if you’d like.” He tried to hide his nervousness behind his typical matter of fact exterior, and bringing in logic and planning was the only way he knew how.

“Oh, some tea would be lovely.” Derek replied, slightly muffled by the shirt he was putting on. “You can turn around now.”

Titch turned towards him without hesitation, and his eyes instantly shot to the smile on Derek’s face.

“You didn’t need to turn around you know, you’d probably see me shirtless soon enough on the farm.” Derek joked.

“Wanted to give you some privacy.” Titch shrugged.

“Need any help in the kitchen?”

Yes please . “Uh, I should be fine on my own.”

“I won’t get in your way, if that’s your worry.”

Titch hated how easily Derek was willing to help. It was one of his most admirable traits, but one that made keeping his distance very difficult. So he caved as soon as Derek asked.

“Alright, you can take care of the pasta, I’ll make the sauce.”

Dinner came together fairly quickly with someone else helping. It started as Titch doing everything, but Derek would reach over and grab an onion or a tomato whenever he noticed there was a large pile. They didn’t talk much, but it went like clockwork. The two of them understood each other perfectly. It felt domestic, sweet, and right .

After dinner, the two men sat on the couch, each with a cup of tea.

The conversation was casual, a bit dull. Titch told stories about his and James’ childhoods. Derek talked about his friends at home.

But like all things did in Titch’s life, the conversation came back to his farm.

“So, how are you liking it here at the farm?” Titch asked in a more reserved tone than normal.

“Oh it’s so lovely down here. I love working outdoors and farming.”

“What about the people? Phillip and James not giving you too much trouble?”

Derek laughed. “No, not at all. And even if they did, I don’t mind the other person I have to work with too much either.”

Titch got the implication, but was now confused. He knew Derek liked the kiss, but this was the first move that either of them had made since that night. Were they going to go further? Did Derek want to go further?

The thoughts were racking Titch’s brain as the rain was steadily beating on the windows of the farmhouse. It gave noise to the silence and the awkwardness of the gap in the conversation.

Derek lightly cleared his throat. “Sorry, we don’t have to-”

He was cut off by Titch grabbing his hand. It startled them both, Titch didn’t even seem to realize he had done it himself.

The two men looked into each other’s eyes, and the combination of the shared touch and longing stare gave him Titch the same feeling he had when they hugged on Derek’s birthday.

Given that, what came next was only natural.

Titch dropped Derek’s hand and leaned in from across the couch, cupping the taller man’s face and bringing their lips together.

While the kiss on Derek’s birthday was shy, like dipping his toes in the water, this was a full dive from the deep end. Everything from the skipped heartbeat the first time Titch saw him to the feeling of home he felt while cooking earlier that night was wrapped up in this kiss.

And most important of all, Derek was reciprocating, taking in everything Titch was willing to give.

Without another word, the kiss escalated. Before long, Titch found himself on top of Derek on the couch, and then he found himself doing much more than just kissing.

What was going to be a rainy night alone on the farm had turned into a night of passion and heat, and something more that Titch couldn’t put his finger on. He had done it before, but never like this. There was a connection there with Derek that he’d never felt with anyone else before.

He woke up wrapped in Derek’s arms on his bed, not quite remembering when they moved up here, but grateful for it nevertheless. Sliding out of bed as carefully as possible, he looked at the man in his bed. Derek looked like he fit perfectly there, and Titch felt like he was meant to spend the rest of time in his arms.

But the sun still rose, and Titch still had work to do.

So he put on some work clothes for the day and made some breakfast downstairs, leaving some behind for Derek on the dining table. As soon as he heard movement upstairs, Titch left the house and got to work.

Eventually, Derek joined him. There was no awkward tension that Titch could feel, just the natural cooperation between the two of them, so he proceeded as normal.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, Titch vaguely wonders why Derek would still be at the farm on his day off.

–

Under normal circumstances, Titch may have tried to progress the relationship. He thinks he would. He tells himself he would.

The next few days were going to be a packed schedule regardless of what may or may not have occurred since it was peak planting season for the aubergines. If they didn’t plant everything within the few day window, they would miss the best harvest of the year.

After the planting was over, he was going to talk to Derek.

Then James decided to mess up his planting. And while it wasn’t Titch’s job to help him, he couldn’t leave him alone to flounder. So he did everything except plant his seeds. He helped prep the soil and fertilizer, arranged the things he would need for planting. Yet it still didn’t shock him when James didn’t use any of it properly.

After he helped James, he was going to talk to Derek.

Finally, the day came. It was time for the first full checkup on the harvest. Once everything on both sides of the farm were looking as they should be, it would be an easy day at the farm, and he could ask Derek to sit with him and talk.

Titch had no regrets about their night together. And the time since then, their work has only seemed to improve. The same flow and domesticity they felt while sharing a kitchen that night was how everyday at work had felt since then.

He was sure that the way he felt about Derek was something that was reciprocated as well. And despite how stressed he was about the farm, Titch knew he had to face the music eventually.

Of course, Titch was a fool for thinking anything surrounding this man would go the way he planned.

As he was walking around the farm, it didn’t take long for Titch to realize something was wrong. The sprouts that should’ve been showing themselves at this point in the growth cycle were nowhere to be seen. Only for him to look over at James’ side of the farm, and his plants were not only thriving, but much further ahead in their growth cycles.

A myriad of emotions were going through Titch’s brain. Anger: at James since his side of the farm showed his complicity in whatever went wrong here. Disappointment: at himself for somehow continuing to fail at the one thing that he’s been working towards his entire life. Confusion: at whatever was happening to his plants.

And determination: because he was always the one to solve these problems by himself and he wouldn’t let himself move on until he fixed it.

Said determination kept him researching and experimenting for days. For almost a week straight, he would test the soil and the seeds, then try to make some sort of remedy, then plant it to see the results. And nothing was working. What was supposed to be a routine walk through the farm turned into one of the most stressful periods of Titch’s life.

Next to him the whole time was Derek. He didn’t get in Titch’s way, but he made sure that Titch was eating and staying hydrated. He made sure Titch stopped when it was too late in the day. And most importantly, he made sure that Titch wasn’t facing it alone.

Titch wished that he could show how much he appreciated it. But after a week of nothing working, he didn’t have it in him. All he could do is ask for Derek to be next to him.

“I tried everything!” Titch shouted from the middle of the field with his head in his hands. “Derek!”

Not far behind, Derek caught up to him. “You alright? What’s wrong?”

“I’ve tried everything and these aubergines just won’t grow.” It was his first time admitting his failure. “There’s something very wrong here.”

“No need to be overdramatic, love.” Derek said while holding onto Titch. 

Woah. Love ? What the hell was that about? They hadn’t even talked about that night. It wasn’t that Titch didn’t reciprocate, but where did this come from? 

Titch thought he heard James all the way from across the field but he was too focused on what Derek had said. Or, was saying.

“...Derek, your assistant and lover.”

This snapped Titch out of his brain fog very quickly. “It was one time Derek!”

“It was one time, and it meant a lot to me!”

He was not ready for this. They were supposed to have a proper conversation before making any decisions about their relationships. Its why he’d been holding it off for so long. 

His mind was racing thinking about how much Derek meant to him and the stupid aubergines that wouldn’t grow and Derek felt the same about him and what bullshit did James get up to. There was too much to deal with.

So he deflected. He told Derek how focused he was on his work and the farm but Derek was just supportive, giving him the space to work while showing how much he cared. Then James showed up and mentioned something about the weird drug dealing old lady who slaps him all the time. 

Nothing was making sense to him, his family, his love life, his farm. These were all things he thought he’d understood, but since Derek showed up to the farm, his view on all of it changed.

James finally left them alone after bragging about his harvest, leaving Derek and Titch alone again.

Derek took a deep breath and calmly looked at Titch. “Listen, I think your brother's done something. I think he’s been to Margaery. And I think she’s done something and that's what's going on with the land. This isn’t natural what's happening here.”

And at that moment, Titch wanted to give him another kiss.

How could he still care as much as he does? How could he not abandon Titch after that arguing? Derek wasn’t leaving and it was clear.

But he still wasn’t ready to say it to him.

“You’re right.” Titch sighed. “Lets go see Margaery.”

“I’m coming too?” Derek asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Titch tried to say non-chalantly. “You've helped me through this difficult period.”

“As a...”

“Lover!” Phillip yelled from across the farm. Titch had forgotten he was even there that day. How long had he been listening?

“Sorry, Phillip? Shut up!” Titch shouted back.

“Phillip, I said this is delicate, all right?”

Titch felt his cheeks warm. Somehow he had forgotten that Phillip and Derek were friends and it completely slipped his mind that the former would know about his activities with the latter.

In a rush to get away, he started heading for the path to the main road. “Come on, let’s go.”

Derek followed him, but before he took off, Titch heard him say the three words he’d been too scared to even consider.

“I love you.”

–

This was going to be the last time Titch ever visited Lady Margaery.

There was no doubt that she had some actual magical ability to her, and Titch was not in the mood to get an immortal witch on his bad side. But he also wasn't quite sure what her literal biblical knowledge of aubergines had to do with...anything really.

What he did know is that James used her magic to curse the land and Titch had to undo it. He did not know how to undo a generational curse. And at this point he wasn’t sure that Margaery knew either.

“They were invented...by Jesus Christ.” 

Yeah she definitely didn’t know.

“I don’t know if that is true or just the drugs talking.” Titch said to Derek, who seemed just as confused.

“I don’t know either. I’m no clearer on what’s happened here.” The taller man replied.

At least it wasn’t just Titch. But they had to get on track.

Titch turned back to Margaery. “Did my brother come to you?”

“Yes, he did and now you have, too. The next in the family. As your children will come to me as well asking for the aubergines. Just as they ask them of the Lord.” She replied with a bit of a smirk.

He did not have the patience to acknowledge anything past her saying yes.

“What did he pay you with?”

“Are we gonna have kids?” Derek interjected.

Titch felt his cheeks get warm as he was caught off guard by Derek’s feelings for him yet again today. He’d been forcing down the feelings until the farm was back to where it should be. But he couldn’t deny that raising a family with Derek would make him happy.

He turned to Derek trying to hide his excitement at the thought. “She- She’s not a fortune teller!”

Unfortunately, Margaery started lifting her hand in their direction and took another hit of whatever she was smoking. “Maybe.”

Derek let out an excited little squeal that made Titch’s heart melt.

He was, however, resilient and stubborn. And he was not dropping this. “What did my brother pay you with?” Titch asked Margaery again.

She reached into a box on her table. “Oh, he paid me with this iPhone.”

Titch looked at it and felt a rush of anger over his face. He never used his phone much and frankly he was too focused on the crops the past week to notice it’s absence, but that was definitely his phone. It was a bit older and smaller than James’ phone with a beat up case that he knew he needed to replace.

“Oh, thats your iPhone!” Derek pointed out. “He stole your iPhone, which means he paid you, because its his one.”

In hindsight, Derek may be more bothered by the fact that Titch had been missing his phone for a week than Titch was himself. Or at the very least something was bothering him enough to where he was pointing in Margaery’s face about how Titch technically paid for the spell, but it was abruptly stopped by a loud cracking sound.

“Stop that!” She screamed as she broke Derek’s finger. He screamed in pain and grabbed his hand as Titch turned to him.

If Titch was bad at handling his own emotions, he was even worse at dealing with injuries.

“Derek, are you okay?” He asked without getting too close.

“Are you gonna stand up for me?” Derek asked him back. 

That was not the question Titch was expecting. He really couldn’t do much else though.

“Yes!” Titch replied, turning back to Margaery. But it only took one look at the magical accouterments on her table and the menacing glare in her eyes to make him chicken out. Authority might be the thing he handled the worst. “She is a witch though. Why don’t you go to the hospital?”

“She broke my finger and you don’t even care!” Derek shouted, with a pang of sadness in his voice. And thats when Titch heard it.

The hurt. The genuine hurt in Derek’s voice.

They had been bickering, Titch had been denying his feelings, and Derek had been left hanging, but there was no real pain in Derek’s voice until this moment. Even when Margaery had cracked his finger, there wasn’t this much pain.

“I do care Derek, I just...” Titch’s voice trailed off. For some reason, he couldn’t get himself to finish the sentence.

“I’m gonna go to the hospital! You... work out your priorities!” Derek cried back when Titch didn’t continue.

“Derek, I’m sorry, I-” Love you. I love you . The words were on the tip of his tongue. And he couldn’t let it out. They were stuck in the back of his throat.

Maybe if he told him now, Derek would only think it was damage control. Maybe Derek was lying earlier. Maybe Derek was better off without him. Maybe a million different things were stopping Titch from saying what he meant.

Derek let out another hurt cry as he stormed out of Margaery’s shop. Titch watched him leave as every part of him was screaming to go after him.

“That was your moment, by the way.”

Titch turned around to Margaery taking another hit.

“What do you mean ‘my moment’?”

“To say I love you.”

–

Titch didn’t want to fight back. James’ yelling was warranted and a long time coming. But he had lost things he didn’t even know he had.

And I know about broken dreams.

All it took was Titch coming as close to dating the love of his life as he could for him to ruin it at the final moment. Derek deserved better than someone who couldn’t even say they loved him.

So he let James yell at him. Because it couldn’t be worse than the feeling of Derek running away.

“Can you stop fighting for one minute! You’re brothers!” A familiar voice shouted from the side of the field along the path, standing roughly where he was the first time Titch laid eyes on him.

Derek was back and all the life that Titch thought he lost that day came back.

“Look- I didn’t come here to stay,” Derek said as he walked towards the brothers. Titch’s heart sunk once again, but he thought he would have a chance now to at least talk it out. “I just came to tell you that I made a deal with Margaery, and she made it so both sides of the farm would grow well! Neither of them perfectly, neither unrelenting, but well. Like it should be for brothers.”

And Titch fell in love with Derek all over again. This beautiful man who had every reason to abandon him continued to be there for him and his farm. He couldn’t have asked for more.

“You don’t have to feed on each other. You can work together, you can love each other.”

Titch felt the hurt in that last sentence, and he knew he had to interject.

“I don’t know that we can work together because-” Titch breathed in deep. “Because before you went to see Margaery, I went to see Margaery. And I asked her to undo all the work she’d done so that the land would be barren for both of us.”

That visit to Margaery the previous day took everything out of Titch. But he needed to do it. Like he needed to do this.

“And in return, she would give you your footballing skill.” Titch looked up at his brother who looked bewildered.

“So I made a deal with her…for nothing?” Derek asked, and Titch knew this was his chance.

“No! Derek,” he reached his hand out to the taller man, “you did your good deed after I did mine.”

Titch tried to grab Derek’s hands, but he flinched one away in pain. “Broken finger.”

“Look, Derek.” Titch pointed back at the ground. “This land, when I came back to it, I thought it’d be barren, but look!”

The small sprouts that should’ve been there from the beginning were slowly peeking out of the ground.

“Look, aubergines.” He looked up at Derek and squeezed onto the hand with no broken fingers.

“That’s good.” Derek whispered with a massive smile on his face.

Behind them, James had found an old football by the house and was doing tricks he hadn’t pulled off in years. Once he finally put the ball down, he ran towards Titch and they reconciled. All of the blame they placed on each other from Titch’s adoption to James’ farming (or lack thereof) came out in a hug that finally felt like how a brotherly hug should feel.

When they let go, Titch turned to Derek and decided that he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity again.

“And Derek, I owe you an apology.”

Derek huffed a bit. “Yes, you do.”

“Derek, I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened. But not just that.” He grabbed Derek’s good hand like it was the only thing he would hold for the rest of his life. “Derek, I love you.”

A shy smile crept on Derek’s face. “Yeah?”

It was all Titch needed to know he could keep going. “Please, grow this land with me and I will give you the most unrelenting aubergine you’ve ever seen.”

“Alright.” Derek agreed with the biggest smile on his face.

Seeing that smile, Titch knew he would love this man for the rest of his life. 

So he reached up and pulled Derek into a kiss. A kiss filled with love, home, and a promise to never let go.

Because Titch was never going to miss a moment with Derek again.