Lonely Hours [Kier/Shane]

Eight

Closing the door to Kier's office behind me I made my way back towards the front door and turned my head to gaze up the stairs; admittedly, it felt wrong to sneak around Kier's house alone. I had no idea where I was going and the idea of finding that out for myself seemed rude, what if I took a wrong turning and ended up somewhere he didn't want me to be?

"Oh, hello," A sudden voice called, causing me to jump slightly before turning around to be met with someone who seemed incapable of scaring someone if they tried; Kier's fiancé. "Are you doing alright?" Laurence asked, his head tilting to the side slightly while a comforting smile rested on his lips. I could only nod, appearing suddenly extremely shy in front of the man.

"I was just about to take these up to your brother," He explained, appearing unfazed by my reaction as he nodded towards the pile of pristine white towels he was holding.

"T-Thank you," I nodded, quickly wetting the surface of my lips with my tongue while playing with the bottom of my shirt. "I-I appreciate e-everything you're doing for him."

Laurence merely shrugged, his smile strengthening as he moved passed me and began to walk up the stairs, releasing the towels with one hand to gesture for me to follow. With a thankful smile I obliged, following only two steps behind as he led the way up two flights of stairs to the second floor, where he turned onto a long corridor.
"I-It's a beautiful home," I complimented, now walking alongside him, making sure to only walk on the rug laid out so I wouldn't dirty his polished floor. "I-I don't think I've ever been in a place so big."

He chuckled in response, gently opening a door at the end of the corridor and ushering me into the room. It was a guest bedroom, the room bare enough to tell me no one lived in it but the piles of used bedsheets thrown to the floor told me it wouldn't be unused for long. There was also the faint sound of a shower running from close by, which I instantly assumed was Drew.

"Yeah," was his response, his glistening teeth shining through his grin. "When Kier first invited me round I nearly fainted; I had no idea such a place existed around here." As much as I loved his excitement, I couldn't help but feel some form of sorrow at his enthusiasm; I couldn't understand how Kier could treat him so badly. This man was everyone's dream, yet he seemed so disinterested.
"What was he like when you first met him?" I asked, sitting myself down on the freshly made bed while Laurence flitted around the room, preparing it.

A faint blush tinted his cheeks as he picked up the discarded sheets, beginning to fold them neatly. "Oh, he was lovely," He began, a near childish giggle leaving his lips. "I wasn't fully qualified for the job when I applied, I was still in education, but Kier must have seen something in me to give me a chance. I think we started dating around three months afterwards; he took me bowling for our first date, of all things, but it was still fun. He paid for the fries too."

Ignoring the jealousy that was needlessly bubbling from within I managed a small smile, nodding gently along with the story before moving to help Laurence fold the last of the sheets.

"W-When's the wedding?" I asked, making small talk before I was allowed my own space. As much as I thought the man was a sweet person, the fact he was engaged to the person who I currently owed my life to made it slightly awkward for me.

"There's no set date yet, I-I, umm, haven't been able to drag Kier away from his work long enough to make any plans," I couldn't help but notice the clear drop of his smile, before he quickly returned it. "But it shouldn't be too long now; I-I'm hoping for a summer wedding, they always look the most beautiful."

"Yeah," was my timid response, placing the folded sheets on the pile beside him. "I'm sure it'll be amazing."

"Thank you," He chuckled, but I failed to return his smile. "I'm hoping so."

I nodded, my hands falling to my pockets.

"Well," Laurence began, clearing his throat to grab my attention before nodding towards the door we'd entered previously. "Your room is on the first floor, just take a right down the stairs and it'll be the first you come to. Your sheets are freshly changed and there's suitable dinner wear already laid out for you. If you wish to shower beforehand, your room has an en-suite so don't worry about having to find a bathroom, and we'll send someone to fetch you once everything is ready."

"O-Oh," I mumbled, overwhelmed with the information and his sudden change of friendly tone. "Umm, t-thank you, I-I'm sure I-I'll love it."

Shuffling over to the door I mumbled my thanks once more before hurrying from the room and down a flight of stairs, cautious to make sure I didn't trip and destroy the tiling before finding the correct room. It was near symmetrical to the one I was previously in; however, this time instead of there being a lack of life there was art everywhere; paintings, sculptures and bookcases filled to the brim with outdated literature covered the room, while a king-sized throne of a bed was situated in the centre. I couldn't stop myself from speeding over to it, ready to propel myself onto the surface before I froze at the sight of clothing laid out upon it. Picking up the numerous pieces of cloth I assessed what I was being forced to wear; a silk black shirt with a matching coloured waistcoat, blazer and tie with a pair of recently shined shoes sat at my feet. I frowned; I've never been one for suits, yet there appeared to be no other clothing choices other than the ones I was currently sporting. With a small sigh I moved over to the other side of the room in search of the bathroom. I only mistook it once for the closet until I finally found it and peeked inside, only to release a gasp of admiration; apparently, nothing in this house was modest.