Heavenly Virtues

Part 5

This one's a bit short guys sorry.
I'll do a double update to make up for it.
~

Their walk to work on that bright Monday morning was quiet, bordering on uncomfortable. They worked at separate stations today and their lunches didn't overlap so the next time they saw each other was on the way home. The walk home was much like the one to work, quiet and tense. They opened the door to the loft hoping to see the lass but finding the clothes she had been wearing and a note instead. Murphy picked it up and read it over before passing it to Conner.

"I'm gonna shower then go see er at McGinty's." Murphy said as he started to take off his shirt. "Murph." Conner placed a firm hand over his brothers forearm. "We need ta talk 'bout it." Murph nodded his head. "Aye." Murphy turned to his twin. "I cannae do it brudder. She's special." His brother nodded trying to absorb what his brother was saying. "I know Murph, but I wanna be wit her too. We agreed, we said-" "Fuck what we said." Murphy exploded at his brother. "I'm fallin fer the lass Con. I need er to at leas' know how I feel."

Murphy had always been the emotional one, quick to follow his emotions in any situation. Most of this time it was anger he fell into, Conner on the other hand was calculated, always taking everything into account before acting on it but today was different, today he reacted with the same Murphy would've.

"THEN WHAT MURPH, YOU TELL ER YE LOVE ER AND SHE LOVES YE BACK, WHAT 'BOUT ME MURPH! WHAT IF IT'S THE OTHER WAY 'ROUND. WHAT IF SHE LOVES ME, NOT YE. CAN YE JUS' ACCEPT THAT MURPH?!" murph felt his anger flare at his brothers words, he couldn't accept that but he didn't see any other way. He saw the way she looked at him last night, there was something there. "FUCK OFF CON! IM TELLIN ER AND THATS IT." Conner was seeing red as his brother turned around he grabbed him, wrestled Murphy to the ground.

They fought back and forth for a while landing punches and pushing until Conner had Murphy pinned. "We can't brother. She'll come between us. I cannae let tha happen brother." Murph kicked him off and sat away from him panting and gripping his knees to his chest "Con." It was all he could get out before he broke down and started crying. Despite just a minute ago when they where gunning for each other the boys now sat face to face, foreheads touching and a hand gripping the back of the others neck. They sat like that for a while, drawing strength from the other before they broke apart silently.

Murphy took his shower as Conner sat on his bed reading a book with a smoke in his mouth and a beer in his hand. Once Murphy was dressed he sat at the table having a smoke deep in thought before he snapped his head up to Conner. "Con?" Conner dropped his book and took a swig of his beer "mmhm?" "What if we told her-" "Murph." Conner huffed, exhausted. "What if we told her.. and she feels the same about both of us." They held each other's gaze, mauling it over.

Conner picked his book back up and Muphy huffed as he went to grab a beer. "I could live wit dat." Conner offered from behind his book. Murphy perked up, grinning at his brother as he happily sipped his beer.

They stayed in that night talking back and forth more about what the shared relationship would entail if it ever came to be. They decided they would hold off and see if the lass came to them. She was shy and reserved, dealing with her own shit obviously and they didn't want to pressure her. They could be happy just being her friends for now.

When Ashley got back from the dinner with her Granda she met up with Rocco at he pub. "Hey Roc, have ya seen the boys?" Roc shook his head but offered her the stool beside him and she sat having a few beers with him and getting to know him a bit better as they both waited for the boys. Rocco really was funny, like genuinely funny and she found it easy to talk to him, like she did the boys, except with Roc there wasn't that overwhelming sexual tension that screamed at her with his every word.

When she was sure the boys weren't making an appearance tonight she said goodnight to Roc and went upstairs. She locked the door behind her and leaned against it staring at the bed. She didn't think sleep would come to her as easily as it had when she was wrapped up in one of the twins and it made her nervous. She grabbed a bowl of chips and a book and got comfy on her bed as she read. She finished the book from earlier and started a new one, she wasn't a few chapters in before the book fell out of her hands and he was thrown into her nightmare dreamland.

Flashes. That's all she could get out of her nightmares tonight. Flashes of what he did to her. The hitting, the kicking, the touching. When she saw the knife come out of the bag it was like she was wearing red tinted glasses, the reflection of the light off of the blade was red, his eyes red as he promised to see her in the afterlife. She felt the knife press to her throat, the seering, white hot pain as he carved at her skin. She remembered seeing flashing lights, red and blue through the window. It's what made him drop the knife. The door busted open, the sound of splintered wood echoing in the quiet house. The relief that flooded her as she saw officer Quinlan with her gun drawn. The panic that replaced it as she dropped the gun when he ran, not landing a single bullet in her the assailant. In an instant detective Quinlan was on her hands at Ashley's throat as she tried to stop the bleeding. She felt the sinking feeling of dispare as Quinlan begged and pleaded for her to hang on, that she couldn't loose another. She tried to reach out and tell her she was okay, that it would all be okay, she was okay, but she opened her mouth and all that came out was audible gasps as she struggled for her breath.

She shot up breathless again. Drenched again. His promises for her death rattled in her brain as she found her footing, she was sick of this. She hated that he could still find her, still torment her from so far away. She brought her bowl from earlier to the sink and resumed her spot on the bed picking up where she had left off in her book earlier.

She glanced at the clock, 4:30. She had slept four hours tonight. She shrugged turning back to her book, better then nothing.