please know that i'm yours to keep , (brad)

[lydia]

out of all the things that could have happened on her birthday, being kissed by a seventeen year old was not what lydia had expected -- especially a seventeen year old she'd just adopted. the day had been going quite well up until that point, but after one action from a teenage boy, everything that she'd been looking forward to seemed to crumble. within thirty seconds of the kiss, lydia had managed to grab her keys and her purse and bolt to the car before she'd even had a chance to process what had happened. lydia was not the type to run away from her problems, especially when her family was going through the trouble to make her night special. in all honesty, she didn't really know why she reacted so dramatically in the first place. embarrassment? surprise? she had no idea. the only solution that made sense was to go for a drive and get away from any other trouble, but it wasn't a long-term solution, and after spending a night away from home, she'd decided to act courageously and make her way back. besides, lydia missed her comfortable bed, and her eeyore slippers, and her husband.

stepping up to the front door, she turned the handle sharply and slipping inside, kicking off her shoes. with a quick look around, lydia headed straight for the kitchen, searching through the fridge for something half-decent to eat. she was trying to be quiet, but with the clattering of bowls on the counter, it was impossible not to notice that someone was snooping around for a snack.

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[bradley]

bradley hadn't expected lydia to just up and disappear, especially on her birthday. at first he figured that she'd just be gone for a bit, but when minutes turned into hours he got worried. tried calling, tried texting, but got nothing. it scared the living hell out of brad to not be able to get ahold of his wife. tucker seemed a bit out of it, but brad hadn't given it much of a second thought. he'd been too worried about lydia. he had spent the entire day off of work cleaning the house and making meals. he'd spent a little too much on a diamond necklace for lydia, even knowing that they probably couldn't afford it what with getting all the new furniture and stuff. he'd also managed to get himself to buy her a cooking dvd with a mix of different how-to's to watch while cooking.

sleep wasn't even an option for the man. he'd lost his appetite and his tiredness. so, while tucker had disappeared somewhere and noah had gone to his room, bradley laid on the new couch, staring at the ceiling with his eyebrows furrowed together, listening for the front door. apparently somewhere between counting the dots on the ceiling and being worried, he drifted off into a highly uncomfortable sleep. he woke up to the sound of bowls clanking on the counter, quickly sitting up and heading into the kitchen. lydia? he asked before he got into the room, sighing heavily in relief to see his wife. oh thank god. you had me worried si -- what's wrong? he asked, looking down at her with concern written all over his face. he held his arms open and stepped closer, wrapping them around her.

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[lydia]

though lydia was sure her family was worried, she hadn't expected to run into anyone when she got home. as soon as she'd stepped through the front door, she fell right back into her usual routine -- she went about her own business, trying to put together a bowl of cereal before her stomach growled any louder. admittedly, doing anything in the kitchen wasn't her regular routine, but it felt normal, and normal was exactly what she needed at that moment. so with deep breaths, lydia fumbled with the box of cheerios and struggled to get them all in the bowl as her hands shook.

just as she'd started to uncap the milk, the sound of brad's voice sent her into a fit of anxiety. turning away from the counter, lydia offered a weak smile and a mumbled, hi in return. her entire body felt stiff, and as he approached, her carefully composed expression fell. i'm sorry, she answered, pressing her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. closing her eyes, lydia tried to concentrate on settling the queasy feeling in her stomach, but the effort only sent her into a fit of hiccups. i didn't mean to miss din-- hiccup. --ner, or to stay away from home. i ju-- hiccup. --st panicked.. i lo-- hiccup. --ve you, and i'm sorry i didn't answer my ph-- hiccup. --one. holding her breath, lydia's arms found their way around his waist as her body finally relaxed and leaned against his.

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[bradley]

at first glace, bradley came off as just a lazy guy. someone who refused to do anything but work late at a job that he did hardly anything at, then come home and sit around on his couch in front of the tv, not helping out and just being intimidating. that wasn't completely true, though. brad may have been really lazy, but he did things when he needed to. he liked to help out, he was just always so exhausted from work that he never had the enthusiasm to do anything but sit around on his couch. when someone he loved got hurt or disappeared on him, though, he went into protection mode. he would call, and search, and do everything in his power until everything was okay again. he liked normality, he liked structure. more importantly, he liked the people he loved to be happy, even if he didn't have the best way of showing it that often.

the hiccups weren't a good sign, brad knew that. she was stressed, and he wasn't very happy about that. he just held her though, running his hand through her hair repeatedly in an attempt to calm her down. it's fine. i was just worried that something might have happened to you. i love you too. he placed a kiss on top of her head, leaving his lips rested there for a moment. why'd you disappear like that, though? what happened? brad liked to be in the loop when stuff happened in their house. if he didn't know what was going on, he got stressed. the conrad house had never really been one that kept secrets, and brad made sure of that. even if he wasn't really one for talking about himself, he really didn't mind listening.

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[lydia]

though lydia complained about brad's laziness, she wasn't much better. she couldn't cook, or clean, or do any of the things normal mothers were meant to do. most of her time was spent giving her clients massages, playing video games with her son, or trying to redecorate the house. in short, she was just a young woman trying to fit herself into the family life, no matter how horrible she was at it. but she wasn't all bad news. in fact, lydia loved her little family and how completely dysfunctional they were, and when it really counted, she was always there for them. but in the mean time, she'd keep trying to cook, and clean, and be the perfect cookie-cutter mother no matter how many times her efforts failed.

shivering at his touch, lydia shook her head repeatedly. no.. no, i'm fine. nothing happened to me. leaning back, she looked up at him and bit her lip. i just ne-- hiccup. --eded a breather. holding her breath again, she waited until she was sure the hiccups were gone before speaking up. i think.. i think tucker has a crush on me, she blurted, eyes wide. he.. we were playing cod, and i bet that he wouldn't win, and he said that if he did.. i had to do whatever he asked, and i was stupid.. i didn't even think of what that could mean. all her words seemed to spill out like vomit, and as much as she wanted to stay calm and calculated, her brain wouldn't allow it. so.. he won, and then he kissed me. and it.. it freaked me out. and i'm sorry for running away. i should have just stayed.

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[bradley]

a normal family was the farthest thing from what the conrads ever would be. brad worked too many nights, as a club manager at that, and lydia was.. well, she was lydia. they were still young, despite the fact that they had a teenage son. while most teenagers had parents that could cook well and were always worried about keeping the house clean, that wasn't how it was with them. brad knew how to cook, but a lot of nights he wasn't around for dinner so take out was ordered or lydia attempted ( and failed ) at making a home cooked meal. nights that he was home, he would get off his butt and make dinner, usually something simple because of how exhausted he was. he really was a good husband and father, he just never really knew how to prove it so he kept to himself.

a sigh of relief had started to slip through his lips the second that lydia said nothing had happened to her. he wasn't sure he could ever live with himself had he let something happen to her. on her birthday, at that. brad waited patiently as lydia dealt with her hiccups, keeping quiet like usual. however, his body tensed up as she rambled on about what had gone down. he was more than a little pissed at tucker, but he took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his wife a little bit, suddenly feeling even more protective than he already had been feeling. he.. he kissed you? a seventeen year old.. that we took in.. kissed you. brad tensed his jaw, staring down the hallway toward where the guest bedroom was. whatever. i'll deal with him later. all that matters is that you're alright. he pulled back enough to look down at her and kiss her forehead. promise that if anything like that happens again you'll come to me instead of running, okay? i don't want you uncomfortable. he was way out of line. you're mine. he gave her a gentle squeeze, resting his forehead against hers.

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[lydia]

lydia wasn't one for big gestures, no matter how much every other woman on the planet craved them. she understood that her husband worked long, irregular hours, and if he didn't feel like cooking, she wasn't going to force it on him. besides, when he did have the energy, she was happy with whatever he did. sure, lydia sometimes wished brad wasn't out late, but that's just how life was, and she'd learned to accept the fact that when he got home early in the mornings, she'd roll over and make extra room for him so he didn't miss out on any cuddling. over the last eighteen or so years of marriage, lydia had learned to love the little things in life.

as brad's body tensed, lydia's hands ran up and down his back, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't flip out on her. she knew he wasn't the type to lose his temper, but she couldn't help but wonder about it this time. she'd messed up royally, and anything that he was about to dish out, she was more than aware she deserved. i.. yeah. she breathed, looking down at their feet. i know you're probably mad at m-- she paused, looking up at him. surprised. of course i'm alright, lydia murmured, leaning into the kiss on her forehead, [b..]and i promise to stay if it happens again.

[/b] with a nod, she bit her lip. he's just.. confused. i'm not uncomfortable.. i'm just worried. and you shouldn't have to worry. she answered firmly, tilting her chin up to kiss him. i'm yours, always and forever.
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[bradley]

if brad could give lydia the world, he would. but he had to work to be able to do that, and that left him with a lack of energy to give her everything he wanted to give her. so instead, he stuck with the little signs that he still loved her. helping when he could, going straight into bed to cuddle when he got home, even if it wasn't for long, taking her out on dates every couple weeks. he refused to turn into the married couple that never went out. his parents had been like that, and it had just made them crankier and crankier as the years went on. kicking him out at sixteen hadn't really come as a shock, seeing as he'd deliberately broken their rules and brought weed into the house, as well as sneaking out to see girls, lydia especially.

over the years, brad had perfected his temper. he knew how to keep calm enough that he would come off more as intimidating than anything, and he knew never to actually raise his voice unless the situation was bad enough. honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually yelled about something or at someone. he was more of the "silent, glare at you until you take the hint or leave" kind of person. that, or he'd give his angry voice and stay quiet just to be scary. he was disappointed that tucker could go against him like that. he'd taken the liberty of welcoming the kid into his home, getting him out of that house and scaring the man that had scared tucker many other times.. and then he went behind his back and made of move on his wife. he didn't care if he was 'confused' at this point, because at seventeen years old he should have known not to go after a married woman, especially one that had adopted him. i don't understand what's going through his head to even think of doing something like that. he shook his head lightly before he felt lydia's lips on his, leaning into the kiss a bit. i love you, lydia conrad. he smiled a bit, kissing her again for a moment.

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[lydia]

there were many things lydia wished she could change about her life, the first and foremost being her relationship with her parents. when she'd found out she was pregnant at seventeen, the news hadn't inspired much hope for her life at home, and within weeks, they'd informally disowned her completely. yet despite the reaction, lydia had managed to find confidence and stability in her new life with brad, and after noah had finally come along, she had no regrets. so maybe, just maybe, it wasn't her parents she really missed. maybe all she wanted to do was prove to the people who had had so little confidence in her that she was strong, successful, capable, and happy. why? because after all this time, she still managed to get butterflies, and goosebumps, and cute little smiles whenever brad walked into a room, she was able to look at her son with love and pride and cheer him on with whatever he did, no matter how far-fetched it seemed, and she had a stable job that she was good at, that didn't make her groan in annoyance every time her alarm went off.

i'm so happy i married you. she whispered, pulling away from him slightly. but.. she started again, letting her worries take over. about tucker.. i think that having a woman in his life that showed genuine care for him might have set him off, she offered, hands resting on brad's chest gently. because from what noah's told me, and what i witnessed at the foster home.. he's never really had anyone who's cared for him. shrugging her shoulders, lydia turned back to the counter and finished adding the milk to her cereal. and i think we both know how it feels to have parents that skip out on you, with sad smile, she reached for a spoon and dropped it into the bowl. it's not like he has the support you gave me when that happened. or vice versa.

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[bradley]

supporting noah came easily for brad. he wanted the best for his son, to give him the family life he never had. even if the teenager complained about his parents being embarrassing, brad saw it a different way. he was just trying to be there for noah, with any and all of his life choices. to be honest, it hadn't come as a shock when he'd come out of the closet. had brad dreamed of his son being gay? no. was be glad that the boy had found love? hell yes he was. he was proud of noah, even if he didn't show that all the time. instead, he kept quiet about his pride, and just went back to sitting around and checking that he had his room cleaned or he'd gotten food in him other than cookies or cake that disappeared from the house faster than it even got inside of it.

butterflies and those cute little smiles had always come easily around lydia. even after nearly eighteen years, they were still there, he made sure of that. she was the light of his life. he smiled widely, though it dropped a bit when she started to speak about tucker again. he didn't really want to talk about it, but he knew that they had to. how do you mix up mother figure and having a crush on someone, though? frowning slightly, he leaned against the counter. yeah.. you're right. like usual. he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them back up. i just don't know what to do. tilting his head back, brad looked at the ceiling as if it would answer all his questions. times like this, brad really wished he was better with words. but, he wasn't, so there was no hope in verbalizing all of the thoughts running through his mind.

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[lydia]

though lydia loved her job, working as a massage therapist wasn't exactly a huge money-maker. she tried as hard as she could to help brad support the family, but no matter how many clients she took, lydia would never have a large enough income to live luxuriously. luckily enough, having expensive things and cars that lined the block wasn't what lydia wanted out of life, so instead of worrying about how many figures she made in a year, she focused on contributing to the bills as best she could. of course, having tucker around was going to make things tight, but in the long run, she was sure it would all be worth it.

lifting the spoon to her lips, she stuffed as many cheerios in her mouth as it allowed. i don't know how.. she sighed, turning to lean against the counter beside him with the bowl in her hands. maybe we all just need some time to adjust. i mean.. we adopted him, brad. we can't just give him up. stirring her cheerios, lydia shifted her weight from foot to foot as she processed everything. i think the best thing is to talk to him, and let him know what's going to happen -- that he can stay, but he needs to realize that there are boundaries he can't cross. looking over at him, she bit her lip. am i being too generous, or does all this sound reasonable?

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[bradley]

until brad had become manager, there really hadn't been much pay working at the club. however, now he managed to help out with bartending sometimes so he got tips, plus his pay really wasn't all that bad. he got to have meetings with potential musical performances and the paperwork really wasn't all that bad. if he was asked to change jobs, brad would turn it down in a heartbeat. sure, things were going to be tighter around the house, but that was fine. it wasn't like he had many needs to spend money on himself, so it would be easy for him to cut back.

how lydia could eat so late at night every night was beyond brad. his stomach seemed to turn off late at night, surprisingly. probably because when he'd gotten kicked out, he learned that snacks weren't a priority. he kept his needs separate from his luxuries. i know that. i wasn't going to even suggest that. no matter how frustrated bradley was, he would never put tucker through losing another set of parents. he hopped up to sit on the counter, leaning his head against the cabinets behind him. and that i'm not going to put up with those boundaries being crossed. a heavy sigh raised and dropped his chest. it sounds perfectly reasonable, lyd. this is all just.. fucked up beyond belief.

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[lydia]

despite the fact that lydia wasn't able to cook, she loved food, and for a thirty-three year old woman, she had the metabolism of a thirteen year old boy. even after a full dinner, she always tended to find herself on a midnight run for cereal, or toast, or whatever was available. it wasn't like she was stuffing her face, she just liked to pick at things whenever her stomach started to grumble, and if she never gained a pound, what was the harm? as far as lydia was concerned, if the food police were pissed, they would have come for her already.

stirring the cheerios again, lydia looked over at him sadly, i know, i was just thinking out loud. placing her bowl back on the counter, lydia stepped in front of him, hands resting on his legs. i don't want you to put up with them, ever. corners of her mouth dropping to a frown, she stepped back and wandered around the island, opening and closing drawers just to see what was inside. i know it's fucked up, and i wish we didn't have to deal with it. she muttered, eyes widening as she discovered her extra cutlery.

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[bradley]

bradley had always been rather protective of lydia. he would be willing to jump in front of a car if it meant keeping her safe and happy. so when someone else came in thinking that they could replace him, he could never quite get his mind to truly calm down. he loved his wife more than anything else in the world, even if he wasn't around to show it twenty four seven. she and noah were all he had in this world, and he would never let anyone come in and ruin that for him. sure, it sounded selfish, but it was true. he always put them first, and that's exactly why he worked so much. in order to keep them from having to work as often as he did.

he rested his hands on top of hers, running his thumbs over the soft skin a few times. brad had never really dealt well with confusion, and he had never even dreamed of ending up in a situation like this. he understood when teenage guys had things for their friend's moms, especially when they looked as good as lydia did.. but this was a step too far. this was "liking" his own adopted mother, and actually acting on it. that wasn't okay in brad's books in any way, shape, or form. he didn't want lydia out of his view for a single second. are you tired? he checked, sliding off the counter.

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[lydia]

like any other mother, lydia had the maternal instinct to protect her family, and was probably the reason behind her constant embarrassment of noah. she'd say she didn't mean to do it, but that would have been a lie. she loved to pick on the kid, and if she was keeping him safe at the same time, then she was happy. like her sex talks, for example. they were awkward as ever, but she tried to bring humour to the subject whenever she could. she wanted her son to be comfortable around her, to be able to come talk to her about anything, and the same went for tucker. she'd just never expected it to backfire like it had.

fidgeting in her cutlery drawer, lydia paused and looked up from her discovery. just a little, she admitted, closing the drawer gently. i didn't get much sleep last night. between freaking out about what had happened with tucker, and stressing over telling bradley, she'd hardly slept at all. not to mention the fact that she'd bought and drank a few too many coffees while she was on the road. are you? she asked, grabbing his hand in hers. your eyes look a little strained.

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