Beats of the Heart - Chapter 34: Chapter 34

By the time Miles reached Aura, he was nearly frozen and shivering. His jacket usually did a great job blocking the cold, but he usually had accessories to combat the chill.
He had visited Aura a few times, but this was the first without Shawn by his side. He didn't want to assume he could move around the company at will. He stopped at the front desk and gave a tight smile to the woman behind it.
She smiled warmly. "Mr. Mendez, it's good to see you again."
He paused briefly, trying to find her name in his memories. "Dory, right?" He finally asked.
Her smile grew. "That's right. I assume you want to see Mr. Pierce?"
He struggled to hide his trembling and nodded his head. "That's right. If possible. If not, I can wait somewhere more convenient."
She shook her head. "Nonsense. He has let us know you may stop by." She passed a badge across the desk. "He asked we give this to you if he was stuck in a meeting. He's currently on a different floor, but you can visit his office."
As he reached for the badge, his fingers brushed against hers, and she gasped. "Heavens! You're chilled to the bone!"
"I'll warm up soon," he tried to reassure her.
She pursed her lips. "Jules will be waiting for you, but she will have a hot drink to warm you up."
He nodded, entered the elevator himself, and selected Shawn's floor. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Although he was uncertain how Brian figured out he was related to the Andersons, he wasn't surprised by Will's meddling. He worried about how long he had before Larry found out.
What truly irked him was his threat toward Danny. The Anderson Christmas Eve party was the following day, and Danny would attend by himself. Nan had invited Miles to go, but he knew he would escalate the situation if he went.
He hesitated and fished his phone from his pocket. His hands ached from the lingering cold, but he could still dial Danny. He cursed when he got the voicemail.
"Hey, Danny. If Will contacts you, ignore him and let me know right away." He paused, the many worries filtering through his mind. "Can you stay in tonight? Courtney and Rob can come over, but I would prefer if you stayed in. I'll explain when I get home."
The elevator doors opened. "I'll see you soon," he finished and hung up his phone. He was surprised to see Jules rushing to him with a cup of tea.
He smiled. "Hey, Jules. You didn't have to." He said as he took the cup from her hand.
She ignored him and cupped his cheek. "Dory was right. You're freezing. Did you ride your bike here?"
Miles laughed at the accusation. "No. I had to meet someone a couple of blocks away. The walk was a little longer than I expected."
"Don't you have gloves or something?" She pursed her lips to show her disappointment.
"I swear I did," he said with an apologetic look. "But I took off without them. Facing the cold was better than staying there for a moment longer."
Her worry was etched on her face. She sighed and gently grabbed his arm. "Follow me."
She pulled him to Shawn's office and then through another door that Miles never noticed. He hardly registered that she had led him to an en suite until he was in a bathroom equipped with a large shower.
She pulled out some towels from a cabinet from the adjoining closet. "Use the shower to warm up."
Miles looked around, somewhat dazed. "Are you sure?"
"Of course, dear. Warm up and take all the time you need." She pulled him into a hug. "Let me know if you need anything."
She left him alone, but he was standing still. He didn't know how she knew exactly what he needed, but he was grateful. He started the shower and stripped off his clothes.
He stepped into the shower and hissed when the warm water pelted his body. It felt as though his skin was on fire, but he endured. It distracted him from his budding anxiety. His thoughts were becoming too loud in his head.
He didn't care about Larry finding out about Dirge—not anymore. He has created a way to protect himself, but could he protect Danny? After the veiled stories of verbal abuse, he feared for Danny even more. Danny was too kind and innocent to deal with the wrath of Larry, and now he put him in the crosshairs.
And if push comes to shove, would Danny walk away from the Andersons? The only family he ever knew? Would he also leave Miles behind in the end?
Miles clenched his fists, feeling his anger bubble over. Between Brian and Larry, he felt helpless, especially when trying to protect Danny. He took a few stabilizing breaths and leaned his head against the tiles while the water cascaded down his body.
Shawn was sitting in a conference room when Jules rushed in. She looked worried when she made eye contact with him. She hurried to his side.
"Miles is in your office... but he seemed off," she whispered, ensuring no one could hear her.
"What do you mean?" Shawn asked as he stood up. The people in attendance were surprised by his sudden movement. He turned to Scott, "I have an emergency. Take over for me."
Scott nodded. "Of course."
Shawn rushed out with Jules on his heels. When they were in the elevator, he tapped his arm impatiently. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know." Her brow creased when she recalled his appearance. "He was cordial like always but mentioned he had to meet someone and left quickly. Whatever it was, he left without protecting himself from the cold and was absolutely freezing. I have him warming up in the shower now... I could be overreacting, but I still wanted to let you know."
Shawn squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you for pulling me."
When the doors opened, he took off to his office, leaving Jules behind. He knocked on the door to the en suite. "Miles?"
However, there was no answer. He placed his ear against the door, and he could make out the sound of the shower. Somehow, the silence on the other side of the door was more unsettling than anything.
"Miles, I'm going to come in," He called out again.
He slowly opened the door and called out again to warn Miles. But he threw all caution to the wind when he saw Miles slumped against the shower wall.
Shawn kicked off his shoes and stepped into the shower, fully clothed. "Miles," he called out gently. He placed a hand on Miles' shoulder, causing Miles to shudder.
Miles finally looked up, and his eyes were glassy and red. There was a storm of emotion behind them, primarily anger and frustration.
"Shawn?" He asked in a broken voice. Miles trembled and threw himself into Shawn's arms.
"It's okay. I got you now," Shawn murmured in Miles' ear. "Let's get you dry?"
He urged Miles to step out of the shower and quickly wrapped a towel around him. He grabbed another and started to dry him off.
Miles' hand brushed through Shawn's wet hair with tenderness. His frazzled nerves had calmed a little. "You need to dry off too."
"I will. Let me focus on taking care of you first."
Miles smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "As much as I enjoy the view, a wet suit must be uncomfortable."
Shawn deftly took off his suit and wrapped himself with a towel. He gently brushed Miles' cheek, his worry evident. However, he didn't push the subject. Instead, he kissed his lips softly before walking to a small closet that was offset from the bathroom.
He came back out shirtless but in a new pair of slacks. He held a pair of sweatpants and a sweater in hand and handed them to Miles.
Miles chuckled and dropped the towel, his body and tattoos on full display. He slipped on the pants but frowned. He didn't take into account how much larger Shawn was. The waist was loose, and the pant legs covered his feet. He rolled the waistband a couple of times.
Shawn wrapped an arm around Miles' waist and led him to the office, forcing him to sit on the couch.
Miles lay on the couch with his head resting on Shawn's lap. Shawn ran his fingers through Miles' hair, earning a satisfied groan.
"Are you feeling better?" He finally asked.
"A bit drained," Miles answered. "But better."
Shawn hesitated before his following question. "What happened?"
Miles bit his lip, unsure of his answer. "I met Will today. He forced me to come out and then surprised me with Brian."
Shawn tensed. "I wasn't aware those two were so close."
"Neither did I," Miles' voice was strained. "I left as soon as he came in. But... fuck... Will found out about Danny living with me."
Miles felt a wave of nausea hit him from the thought. Some of what Will said hit too close to home. He probably wasn't the greatest influence in the world, but he cared for Danny. This was more than what the Andersons ever gave the kid. More importantly, he would never use Danny as a threat or collateral like Will had. He would die to protect him. That had to count for something.
"Danny's safe, though. Larry can't have any influence over him."
This was the other point that gutted him. So many 'what if' scenarios ran through his head on repeat. Miles could easily turn his back on Larry but couldn't ask Danny to do the same. Despite all the bullshit, Larry raised him.
Miles was forthright with his wariness. "I don't know. It's still difficult for Danny to deny him. Larry is his father, after all."
Shawn ran his fingers through Miles' hair. "Have faith in him. Danny's much stronger than you know. I believe he will stand up for himself when he needs to."
Miles was still uneasy when Shawn took him home from Aura. However, Shawn never left his side. He sat at the kitchen table, tapping his fingers on the wood while waiting for Danny to return. Shawn sat beside him, pressing his leg against his to help ground his anxiety.
"Do you think he'll listen to me?" Miles asked.
Shawn chuckled. "Probably not, but that's okay. We'll have a contingency plan."
"Fuck. I swear that kid is more stubborn than I am."
"That's quite a feat."
Miles laughed, easing his worry a little. "That's true."
"How long have you been close?"
Miles sighed. "Honestly, not long. I didn't know he even existed until I was 18, and then I kept my distance for as long as I could. But something about Danny always made me feel protective. Several years ago, we connected over something small I can't remember. But that was what we needed to click."
Miles leaned back in his chair and released a heavy breath. "Growing up, it's been just me and my mom. I never knew what it meant to be a big brother, so I have no idea what I'm doing."
"You're doing your best, which is all he needs." Shawn intertwined his fingers with Miles'.
"I just wish I could cut off Larry altogether. As an outsider, I can see that it is the healthier approach for him, but would he?"
"I—"
The door opening cut off Shawn's words. Danny, Courtney, and Rob came inside wearing matching concerned looks.
"Miles! Are you okay?" He called out as he approached Miles. "I got your voicemail."
Miles stood and engulfed him in a hug. "Yeah. Come sit down."
Danny's brow creased, but he did as he was told. Miles glanced at Shawn, who gave him a reassuring nod.
Miles sighed, contemplating his words. "Will reached out to me today."
Danny tensed, and his eyes widened. "What did he want?"
"He wanted me to work with Eclipse."
Danny stood up in anger. "What the hell? Both of them are snakes! I can't believe they would gang up on you! I can't believe you would actually give them the time of day..." his words tapered off. "Why did you give them the time of day?"
Miles sent another glance toward Shawn. "He had a compelling reason."
Danny rolled his eyes. "Nothing is compelling enough to meet with both of... oh." He paled a little. "He found out I was staying here."
Miles nodded sullenly.
Danny sat down with his head hung low. "Shit... Is he... is he going to tell Dad?"
Miles ran his hand across the scruff on his chin. "He might. Actually, he probably will."
Danny seemed to have lost some strength and slumped further in the chair. "I don't want to go back," he said quietly.
Miles reached across the table and held onto his hand. "This is your home. It will always be your home. Nothing will change that unless you decide it's time to leave. I promise you."
Danny nodded but didn't look convinced. "But... what if Dad makes it difficult for you."
Miles smiled. "There is nothing he can dish out that I can't handle."
"But—" Danny tried to protest but stopped when Miles shook his head.
"Nothing, Danny. He doesn't scare me and no longer has the means to threaten me."
"Okay. I'll see what happens tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? You plan on going to that Christmas Eve party?"
Danny laughed somberly. "Yeah. It'll only be worse if I miss it. I'll be alright, though. Nan will be there."
Usually, Miles would be comforted by that. However, Larry seemed to lose his composure whenever Miles was involved.
"My parents will be there as well," Shawn said. "You're welcome to join them if it becomes overwhelming."
Danny gave him a tight smile. "I might take you up on that offer. Are you going?"
"I was going to stay downstairs at the bar with Miles, but I am happy to attend if you would like," Shawn explained.
Danny jerked his attention back to Miles. "You're going to be there?"
"In the building, yes. I wanted to be close in case you need us." Miles answered.
Danny released a long breath. "Okay. You don't need to attend, Shawn. I appreciate the offer. I feel better knowing you two will be there for me."
Danny went to bed early while Courtney and Rob went home. Shawn and Miles had curled up on his bed in comfortable silence.
Shawn was absentmindedly running his fingers up Miles' arm. The sun was already setting, and the room was darkening with just a hint of orange lights.
"You're still worried," Shawn whispered.
"I am," Miles curled close to Shawn, savoring his heat. "But we'll be there if anything happens."
Shawn kissed the top of his head. "Of course. Always."