Love & Tea Bags on The District Line with Responsible Adults

Lock-In

With no goal line technology, much to Jay's annoyance, the yellow vest wearing crew who stood at the end line declared a draw. Jay called for extra time. Micky was set for one more round and Bradley realised that all Brits were bloody cheats.

The argument between the three of them flared up, with Mike and Dan watching on in amusement. Mark, however, decided as ever the peace maker, that they all needed a nice cup of tea to calm themselves down. So he offered up Bradley's shop. Bradley couldn't exactly say no to that; it was a nice bit of marketing for the place. Take a picture of a rock star and an ex prem footballer in his shop and the town could put up one of those brown signs declaring it a national landmark or place of interest. People will flock by in their droves.

They all bundled through the door, the little bell tinkling on overdrive as 6 men shoved themselves into the small, dainty tea place. Fortunately, the heavens opened once the door was closed, and the loud clap of thunder followed by the jagged yellow lightening strike made them all jump. The squeals from outside carried into the tea shop as contestants and spectators all found somewhere to run for cover. But Bradley was in no mood to feed the five thousand, so clamped down the shutter and locked the door.

A couple of quick phone calls later, where Jay and Mike were assured that Ann and Noah had occupancy of their children and found their way to the nearest pub. That didn't alleviate much of Mike's worry; he knew what Noah did in pubs. Although, he had sobered up a little since he married Ann. And there wasn't anything they could do about it now the raging storm was only getting worse outside the tea shop window.

Micky called Jason who moaned about having to go to the same pub as the girl he tried it on with and her partner. He'd had ugly stare outs before, but realised he couldn't very well slap the guy about a bit now he was in charge of a young kid, who happily played with the girls' children. Ever an awkward moment for poor old Jase.

So the six men; two couples and one odd combination of who knew what was going on, set to finding somewhere to sit. All the tables and chairs had been taken away for spectators to use outside during the race. Which meant the shop was void of anywhere to sit, perch or lean on, other than the floor. Jay sat down first, leaning up against a wall and outstretching his bad leg that now started to throb. Mike sat in between his legs, offering up a little sympathetic stroke of Jay's knee and rested his head back onto Jay's shoulder to breath in the musky potent smell of sweat and mud. He'd missed that smell. They should bottle it. A fantastic idea of an Eau Du Rutland Christmas release entered his head and he chuckled.

Micky crouched down the opposite side wall, resting his forearms on his knees, with Dan shuffling in beside him. Micky smiled, letting a hand fall from his own knee to idly rest on Dan's one instead.

Mark stood watching the couples, undecided what to do as Bradley went out back to check the weather report on the radio.

"I hear you write books, Micky," Mike asked across the tea room.

"That's right," Micky replied.

"Anything I would have read?" Mike asked. "Or, y'know, maybe his mum has?" Mike nodded toward Jay who slapped him on the head.

Bradley came bundling back in, not allowing Micky to answer the in joke he clearly didn't get, with a crate of beer under one arm and waving a phone in the other.

"Storm'll be here a while," Bradley confirmed. "Might as well get comfy." He sat down in the middle of the floor, slapped the crate in front of him and pushed it out to the middle. "Help yourself, lads."

Mike instantly pushed himself off Jay, reached for two bottles, cracked them open in his hand and handed one back to his husband. He held it up in a cheers, Jay and Mike clinked theirs together and took a swig in perfect union.