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She had known for a long time that she would lose her husband and she had done her very best to delay it from happening. She knew the job well and always knew it would eat away at them until there was nothing left. In the beginning she was ignorant. She just didn't see it. But as the years passed she saw her husband start to pull away, not due to his job, although that did happen as well, but due to Connor. At first she was angry, thinking that they were sleeping together, then she found out they weren't. It was much worse... Love, and neither of those two morons could see it. She let it going as long as she could, thinking maybe it would fade, but it only got stronger. Stronger and stronger until she couldn't take it anymore.
The last straw wasn't even that bad all things considered. The boys had shown up from work deciding that they could get more done here. They hijacked the living room and the beer in the fridge and worked. When the time came for her to go to bed she poked her head in the room to see if Mason could be pulled away.
"I'll be up in a bit" he had said. So she went upstairs and settled into bed.
When she woke in the morning Mason was not there. She did her morning rituals and made her way down to the living room. And there on the couch lay her last straw. Both the boys were asleep on the couch. Mason spooned up against Conner, head rested against his back. Masons arm was wrapped around Conner, clutching to his stomach where his shirt had road up in the night, and Connors hand was laced with his holding it in place.
She knew this wasn't intentional on either mans part, it just happened, they gravitated towards each other.
She spent the entire day trying to figure out what to say to her husband but when he finally arrived home, sans Connor, all she knew Is that she was done.
He walked into the kitchen where she was sitting and saw her, he immediately frowned.
"Hey, you okay? What's going on?"
She nodded at the chair across from her, "sit down, we need to talk."
"Okay..." He sat. "I repeat, what's going on?"
She inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I think we should split up" she stated as matter of factly as she could.
Mason blinked and his jaw dropped.
"Im sorry I thought I just heard you say we should split up.. Now I don't know what's... Split up? Split up. As in divorce? As in no longer together? Is this about work because I've been making a real effort to–".
"This isn't about you not being around Mason. I know you've been trying to make more time for us and for that I'm glad. No, this is about the fact that I can no longer stand by your side when you are so unbelievably in love with another person."
"What?!" Mason sputtered. "I would never, ever cheat on you. You have to know that. I love you, and no woman could ever replace you. Where is all this coming from?"
She smiled sadly.
"I know you would never cheat on me. Not physically anyway. This is about you and Conner and how IN LOVE you two have been with EACH OTHER since the day you met. I can't compete with that, not anymore, I refuse to do that to myself. I know you love me but you are IN LOVE with him. So for both our sakes, yes, I want to split up."
The look on Masons face was one of pure shock. He kept attempting to find the words to say and stopping.
"Conner? I'm in love with.. You're joking. That's crazy. Where did you come up with this crazy... I'm not even gay. I don't... What?"
He looked so very lost and confused, and she felt sorry for him.
"You can deny it all you want but I've seen the way you two look at each other, like nothing else in the world exists. Just take some time and think about it. Really think and feel. You know I'm right." She stood up. "Come and talk to me again when you are ready and we'll sort everything out" she said and then went upstairs to leave the man alone with his thoughts.
Five minutes later, was just about finished packing a bag for him when she heard the door slam. With a sigh she closed up the bag and pulled out her phone. She knew Mason would go to the office and avoid Connor at all costs so she dialed. Conner picked up on the third ring.
"Hello lovely lady. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" He said as a greeting.
"Conner, could you come over to the house right now please?"
"Im kinda in the middle of something. What's going on? Everyone okay? The kids okay?"
She smiled a little at his concern. "Everyone is just fine, but please I really need you to come over here, right now."
"Roger that m`lady. I'll be over quick as possible." He said then hung up.
She grabbed the packed bag and headed downstairs to wait for him. It didn't take very long for him to practically burst through the door and run over to her.
"Okay so I know you said everything is okay but you wouldn't have gotten me to come over so fast if it wasn't bad. Who died? Is there a robber in the house? Should I call the cops? Where are the kids? Oh God. Where is Mason? I tried to call him but he wasnt answering. Did he take this kids? If he did I'm sure there fine. He wouldn't do anything bad. Probably just dinner or something.... Wait... Am I in trouble cause I swear I don't know anything about it" he rambled off in his usual way.
"Connor, calm down. The kids are fine. I'm fine. But Mason may not be. He just got... Some bad news and he ran off. Probably to get drunk and hide out in his office. He won't want to see me right now. So could you please take this bag to him and make sure he doesn't drink himself to death?"
Connor face shifted for just a second to that sad calculating look before returning to it's usual manic state. He grabbed the bag from her and did a mock salute.
"Can do m`lady."
–––––––––
Connor drove to work and sure enough there was Masons car parked outside. He made his way into the building giving a quick wave to the security guy before heading to the elevator and up to their offices.
He approached Masons office only to find the door locked.
"Hey buddy? Ya wanna let me in?" He called out, only to receive a grumbled "go away" in response.
Left with no alternative Connor pulled out his keys and used the copy he made of Masons to unlock the door. He unlocked it and poked his head in.
Mason was half laying half sliding off of his couch. He was disheveled and judging by the half empty bottle of whiskey in his hand, quite drunk. Conner came in and closed and locked the door behind him. He set the bag down, then grabbed Masons desk chair, dragged it over and sat down.
"You wanna tell me what's going on? Erin called me and told me to get my ass over here asap. Said you got some bad news?"
"Heh she would" Mason grumbled and then took a swig of his drink.
Conner could tell this was serious and he didn't like serious.
"Okay what's going on. What was the news?" He couldn't keep the concern out of his voice so he didn't try.
Mason made a couple attempts and then finally sat up to face Conner.
" The news. THE NEWS, is that she has decided we are splitting up... Getting divorce.. Not gonna be married." He drank more.
And okay. Wow that was bad.
"Is it the job?" He asked and Mason shook his head. Not the job then. "Then what happened? What ever it is I'm sure it can be fixed."
Mason laughed in response. "You nna know what it is? She said she knows I haven't cheated on her but I am in love with someone else. So she decided she was done with me."
Connor gaped. "We'll that's just crazy talk. You love her. Who wouldn't. She's amazing. Besides if you were or did or whatever I think I would have noticed."
Mason shook his head. " I don't think.. I think shs actually right. If I really think about it.. Well.. haf.. Half right. Of course only half. The other half would be... Half."
Connor narrowed his eyes in a slight glare and then reached out and took Masons bottle away from him.
"Okay drunk face. That's enough of that. So who's this person she thinks you're in love with.. Or half or whatever it is you're saying?"
"See that's the thing. Is you."
And that's where Connors heart stopped. It must have. He couldn't breathe and his chest hurt.
"What?" He asked in an almost whisper.
"She said we have been in love wth eachother snce we met.. And I mean that's just... I was thinking. I know that I... But you yer always..."
Oh God. This was his fault. He felt sick and wrong. He knew it was wrong, he just couldn't help it. He tried so hard. All those women but none of them were enough and now this.
"Mason, I am so so sorry. This is all my fault. I'll fix this. I'll explain to her. I'll back off and she will be fine. I never wanted this to happen that why I never said anything. I don't know how she figured it out but she can't blame you. You haven't done anything wrong. Please, I'm sorry, forgive me..."
Mason frowned, blinked, and then frowned some more.
"Forgive you? You... Your telling me she was right?"
Connor winced and buried his face in his hands.
"Yes okay. She was right.. Half at least. I've.... Ya know. Since I met you. I'm not very good at this whole talking about feelings thing, you know that, but yes... I'm in love with you and I'm sorry."
Connor wanted to curl up and die. He had fucked up somewhere and now Mason was going to lose his family and he was going to lose Mason. He heard the couch creak and then Mason pulled his hands away from his face and looked him directly in the eye.
"So she was half right on my end and half on yours.. I think that means she's just right. If you and I both.. Then yeah."
"Both?" Connor was confused but starting to get excited.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you."
Connor smiled, "we'll excuse me Mr drunkface but it was difficult to tell. You even going to remember this conversation in the morn–" he was cut off by Mason grabbing him and pulling him forward for a kiss. That kiss quickly escalated into a full blown make out session. It must have, because the next thing Connor knew was that he was laying on top of Mason, who's hands were groping his ass, out of breath and grinding his erection down against his partners.
Connor groaned and stopped moving. This was too fast. It took every ounce of his willpower but he pulled away and sat up between Masons legs. Mason looked confused.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. But you are drunk and this can't go any further until you are not. If you were anyone else... But you're you and it's not worth the risk..." He stood up, "I'm going to leave now. I hate having to be the grown up but I care too much about this. So get some sleep and tomorrow if you still... Ya know. Well, you know where to find me." And with that he made his exit, leaving Mason aroused and confused on the couch.
Connor went home and immediately hopped in the shower to jack off. When he was done he got out and crashed in his bed, hoping to get at least some sleep.
––––
Connor woke to a banging sound and looked over to his clock, 11 am. He climbed out of bed and slid on a pair of jeans before making his way over to the door and opening it. Mason stood there awkwardly so he let him in and closed the door behind him.
"So... I spoke with Erin this morning. It's official, she and I will be splitting up, all on good..ish terms... I don't want you to think this is your fault because it's not."
Connor could tell Mason was sincere, and mentally he knew that it wasn't his fault, but that didn't make him feel any better.
"You remember last night?" He asked quietly.
Mason laughed, "of course I do. I didn't drink that much."
"So..?"
Mason lunged forward and pinned him to the wall, leaning in close.
"So," his lips brushed against Connors, "I want you, if you'll have me."
Connor groaned and kissed him, wrapping his bare arms around him to pull him even closer. It felt so good to have Masons hands on him but he needed more and it was entirely possible he had said that out loud because Mason slid his leg between his own and started to rub it against his growing erection.
"Fuck" he hissed and nearly slammed his head against the wall.
Mason chuckled. "We could do that," he said into Connors neck before starting a trail of sloppy kisses and nips up his throat.
This was ridiculous, Connor was no blushing virgin and he refused to melt into a puddle of goo. He reached down to grab the bottom of his partners shirt and yanked it upward. Mason got the picture and pulled back to help him remove it. As soon as the offending object was gone Connor ran his fingers through the hair found there, if he 'accidentally' brushed a nipple along the way well...
He groped his way down Masons chest and stomach before reaching the waist of his jeans. He smirked and reached a little further down to palm at Masons, probably quite painful, erection.
Mason groaned and bucked his hips. "Bedroom?"
"Bedroom." He nodded once and then pulled away. He turned to face his room, dropped his pants, and looked over his shoulder. "Coming?" He asked before strolling out of the room.