What Is Love - Barlow/Williams

Part 35: Don't Give Up on Me

Chapter Summary: Sorry for the delay. As soon as I heard the Don't Give Up On Me song on the album, I knew I had to use it for a chapter title ;)...See end for A/N. Enjoy. x

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Gary and Robbie quickly separated, and faced the other lads with sheepish grins. Before Robbie finally answered, "You're right Markie, we do have some explaining to do, I get that – but Gary has to go call the Police first", his tone slightly more serious.

"It's ok – security have already done that", Howard piped up, "Gaz can go talk to them when they get here, so you've plenty time to tell us how all this came about?", he reasoned, while his face remained neutral.

Robbie couldn't tell if Howard was in fact as ecstatic as Mark and Jason so obviously were. It put Robbie somewhat on edge – it wasn't that Howard seemed unhappy at the revelation, more like he was worried or something.

"There's not much to say really", Gary replied instead, "We'd never stopped loving each other, we just needed for the other to know that, and some time to sort it out really".

"But when did it happen? Where? How? I had no idea! I mean, I'm so happy for you guys, I really am, I'm just – I'm surprised!" Mark declared elatedly, barely taking a breath.

"Wooah, Mark – calm down, it's only been a little while, we're still finding our feet." Robbie replied happily.

"What's 'a little while'?" asked Jason with a strangely steely look in his eye.

"Eh, just a couple of months, more or less" Robbie offered innocently.

The atmosphere in the room changed immediately.

"TWO MONTHS?!" Mark exclaimed in shock, "Two months?! I thought you were going to say two days, or two weeks! But two months?! How is this possible?!" He demanded, his excitement rapidly changing to irritation.

Gary and Robbie glanced briefly at each other, suddenly shamefaced and unsure what to say for the best. They had been so lost in each other in their little love cocoon, that they honestly hadn't considered whether it was that unacceptable to keep the news from the lads, for so long.

"We...er....it was complicated", Robbie tried to reason after a moment's reflection.

"Complicated, how?" Marked retorted, now looking more annoyed than Gary or Robbie had seen him long in a long time.

"Well, Lucas for one thing! Gary was still technically 'with' him so to speak, so we had to keep it quiet, until he broke it off".

"So, were you having an affair?" Jason asked rhetorically.

"Ha! Hardly!" Robbie guffawed, "Gary would have had to be in a proper loving relationship, for it to count as cheating, and besides, he was with me first, so..." He left the senence hang. The logic was after all, pretty sound in Robbie's mind.

"What does that even mean?" Jason enquired further, "Gary – weren't you in a proper relationship with Lucas?"

Slightly stunned by how the conversation had very quickly shifted, Gary looked blankly at Jason and the other guys. He didn't have a clue what to tell them. "Well...I, yes I was - but not in the way you think", he started. Yet seeing their confused faces simply stare back at him none the wiser, Gary knew he had to divulge more, he knew he owed them that; "Basically, Lucas thought we were more than what we were, but I never really cared for him, he just had a really strong personality which made it difficult to be straight with him", he told them.

"And that's putting it mildly!" Robbie added.

"Well yes, but the main thing is – I wasn't over Robbie, and although it took us some time and anguish, we just found our way back to each other, and that's what's important", Gary continued, smiling sweetly in Robbie's direction, "I'm just sorry it took so long."