Sweetest Sin

After waiting for a week with no word from Adrian, he'd gone back to the house but had been told that Adrian was on vacation somewhere they couldn't disclose. The kids, he was told, were with their maternal grandparents. Oliver had stood there staring at the security guy for a while, a myriad of emotions running through him. Anger, frustration, humiliation but most of all, Oliver was hurt. He'd never felt so frightened and alone in his life. He'd gone home and bawled his eyes out so hard he hadn't been able to go to work for two days. Jason would have gone ballistic if he'd seen him then and Oliver didn't want that.

"Hey." Jason popped his head into Oliver's office. "The guys are in. We'll be meeting in...hey are you okay?" He asked when he noticed the abject expression on Oliver's face as he stared at the phone in his hand. Jason stepped into the office and closed the door. "What's wrong Olly?"

"Nothing, I'm..."

"Bullshit." Jason cut him off. He already knew Adrian had gone MIA on Oliver. "What did Graham do? I knew..."

"Jace please." Oliver groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. Jason had always been protective of him. Oliver was therefore not surprised at his reaction to seeing him so unhappy.

"Has he finally called to say someth..." Jason began between clenched teeth.

"He hasn't alright?" Oliver bellowed. "He's done nothing at all." He whispered and then furiously wiped at his eyes. "He still wouldn't talk to me, Jace. I've kept calling, sending messages... Nothing."

"That son of a bitch." Jason muttered, drawing Oliver out of his chair and into his arms.

"He's grieving, have some respect." Oliver said shakily. "He'll come around."

Jason snorted. "The woman has been dead for over a month now. How long is it going to take him to grieve? Shouldn't life go on? What about you? Doesn't he care at all?"

"I don't know what else to do Jason. I promised her. Now I'm just..." He gave a deep sigh when Jason released him from his embrace.

"Don't waste your time on someone who isn't willing to waste their time on you, Olly."

"Jason please..."

"Do you still want to pursue this relationship? Wouldn't you rather forget about him and move on?"

"I love him, Jace." Oliver moaned.

Jason snorted as he sat in one of the chairs in Oliver's office. "More often than not, people fall in love with people they can't really have." He muttered, drawing a soft sigh from Oliver.

"I was told this would happen and that makes me rather want to reach out even more." Oliver sat down too. "I already feel as if I've failed Donna. But I wasn't even given the chance." He groaned. "I need to see him and be there for him. Do you understand?"

Jason sighed. "Unfortunately I do." They sat quietly for some time, each lost in his thoughts, till Jason broke the silence. "I guess we have to take matters into our own hands. Why don't you give me some time to check things out?"

"What are you going to do?" Oliver asked with narrowed eyes. Jason was called The Snoop when they were in school. He had a knack for snooping around and uncovering things that people wouldn't have known ordinarily. He always said it was his talent.

"Hey, what's the use of having a talent if I can't use it?"

"Jace..."

"Relax. I just want you to surprise the good doctor wherever he is." Jason said getting to his feet. I know people like Graham, Olly. If you don't push, you'll lose them forever. Pussies if you ask me." He muttered as he turned towards the door. At the door he stopped and turned to look at Oliver. "He's going to have the shock of his life. All you have to do is be your sweet self, but this time, with a touch of aggression. He won't know what hit him. Coming?" Jason left the office.

Oliver stared at the door for a moment and then felt himself smile for the first time in he didn't even know how long. He felt better somehow. But then Jason always knew how to lift his spirits. And even as he left his office for his meeting, there was a glimmer of hope in his heart.

***

"I'm sorry, Dr. Graham is indisposed." The Scorpion King lookalike with a scowl on his face, told Oliver at the door of Adrian's luxury lake house.

Oliver stared at the man. He'd seen him in Adrian's hospital about twice. He was supposed to be the head of Adrian's security detail but Adrian didn't usually allow him to stay by his side as he was supposed to.

"Listen man, I've travelled all the way from Florida to see Dr. Graham." Oliver said with a deep sigh. "It's a life and death situation, Sir. I need to..."

"I'm only doing my job buddy." The huge man scowled as he looked past Oliver to the sleek rented Audi parked in the driveway. "The boss told me not to allow any visitors so..."

"Mr..." Oliver waited for the man to supply his name but he didn't. "Look, you seem like a very nice fellow." Oliver said with a smile. People liked his smile. He hoped The Scorpion King in front of him would. "Can I call you...'The Rock'?" He asked with a slight tilt of his head. "You look so much like him. I..."

"Name's Mark." The man finally gave his name. "So what do you want from Dr. Graham?"

"My name is Oliver. I'm sure you've seen me before..." When Mark remained quiet, Oliver went on. "I need to see him." Oliver said urgently. "You'll be saving a life if you allow me to see him. My life."

"You don't look sick." Mark snorted.

"You have no idea. Please, just allow me inside to talk to him. This is my i.d." Oliver pulled out an i.d. from his wallet and held it out to Mark but the scowling man didn't even attempt to take it. "I don't mean him any hard. I just really need to see him." Oliver sounded desperate.

Mark stared at Oliver. Of course he knew him. There was very little that Mark didn't know when it came to his employer. And he definitely knew the relationship between Oliver and his boss. A relationship that no one else knew about apart from his boss' late wife. Well, Mark had his instructions. No one was to be allowed to see Adrian. But just like every other staff in the lake house, he was worried about his grieving boss. The man needed to start living. He needed to come out of his bedroom. He wasn't eating at all. All his boss did was call him to send up a fresh bottle of whiskey whenever he emptied a bottle. No one had even been to look for the man in all the weeks that he'd been holed up in there because Adrian had created the impression that he was going on an important business trip. That had been the first time Mark had heard doctors could also go on business trips. He wondered how Adrian's loved ones could have bought that. Maybe Oliver was the answer. Maybe he could at least get the man to take a breather from his self-destruction quest. Mark knew just how much Adrian liked Oliver. He'd seen how he looked at Oliver whenever he thought no one was watching. Yes, Oliver was definitely the answer.

"Alright I'm going to allow you in." Mark said.

"Oh thanks Ma..."

"But for a totally different reason from your so-called sickness." Mark extended his hand, indicating that Oliver dropped his car key in his palm. "Now, let's get something straight here buddy. If you make me, in anyway, regret allowing you in, I'll serial kill your arse." He growled, making Oliver take a step back in fear.

"Easy there big fella." Oliver's hands shot up in a sign of innocence. "I promise I won't give you course to kill me."

"Who's there Mark?" Oliver heard a female voice ask from somewhere behind Mark.

Mark pushed the door open. "Oliver. Here to see Dr. Graham." Mark drawled, beckoning Oliver to enter the huge elegantly decorated foyer.

"You know he can't see any..." The elderly lady hissed at Mark.

"Well, I think he should, Ms. Sandra." Mark hissed right back. "The man is wasting away. If..."

"What did you say?" Oliver gasped as his heart began to pound like a son of a bitch.

"Noth..." Mark began but got cut off.

"Take me to him." Oliver commanded in a shaky voice, his eyes suspiciously bright. Both Mark and Sandra's eyes widened at Oliver's tone. "Take me to him now!" He growled, the command in his voice brooking no argument.

"This way." Sandra said, turning to lead the way.

"Ms. Sandra, maybe we should inform..." Mark began but no one was paying him any attention. He shut the door and followed the two up the stairs.

Oliver could feel himself shaking as he climbed the stairs behind Sandra. He dreaded what he was about to see. What had Mark meant by 'wasting away'? Oh God, please. He prayed.

"This is his room." Sandra paused when she got to a closed door. "I'll just knock and..." But before she could finish what she was saying, Oliver reached out and opened the door. Then ignoring Sandra's gasp, he stepped inside.

The room was dark, very cool and reeked of alcohol. Oliver could tell it was a huge bedroom. There was a seating area and a dining area for four. It was already noon but the blinds hadn't been drawn. His eyes landed on the bed and its lone occupant. When he took a step, his foot hit a bottle. He really hoped that wasn't all what Adrian did...drink.

"Don't tell me that's all he does." Oliver rasped. "Drink..."

Sandra nodded. "No food. Just alcohol." She said quietly when she noticed that Oliver wasn't looking at her.

"Fuck." Oliver swore as he abruptly moved towards the windows. He drew back all the blinds and began to open the windows. "Put off the air condition, Sandra." He threw over his shoulders.

"What the fuck is going on here." Adrian croaked from the bed.

Oliver turned to look at him and froze. Adrian looked nothing like the Adrian he knew and loved. For one, he looked skeletal and his beard and hair had grown so long one would think he was a character from the Old Testament. His Adrian. Oliver didn't even feel the tears as they poured down his face.

"Adrian." He whispered. Then he was running to the bed. He didn't pause to take off his shoes. He climbed onto the bed and pulled Adrian into his arms. Then he completely broke down.

Mark and Sandra stood by the door watching the spectacle on the bed. Oliver was crying so hard the bed shook with his violent heaves. Adrian remained silent, just staring at a spot on the wall unseeingly. Sandra sobbed silently till Mark led her out of the room to give the two men some privacy. Somehow they knew their boss was in good hands.

Oliver wept for what felt like hours. When he finally quieted down, he realized that Adrian was fast asleep on his shoulder. He gently lowered him onto the pillows before getting out of the bed. Adrian needed a shower badly, Oliver thought as he went into the en-suite bathroom. It was already wide open so he didn't need to wonder which door it was. It was a huge bathroom. The bathtub could hold about ten people. Apart from the tub which actually had stairs and a seat of sorts...obviously to help Donna, there was a shower and an actual seating area with comfortable chairs in the bathroom. Well, they were definitely not going to use the shower, Oliver sighed. He started filling the tub with look warm water and then left the bathroom. Then he went out of the bedroom, in search of Sandra.

"Need something?" The elderly lady asked before Oliver even got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Could you please prepare some chicken soup for him?" Oliver asked. He didn't even recognize his own voice. He didn't remember ever crying so hard.

"I'll get right on it."

"Thanks. Oh and Sandra? Sorry for being a bother but...I want to tidy up his room. Could you please give me stuff to use..."

"Bella?" Sandra yelled. "That's Bella's job. She hasn't been able to do it for weeks because Dr. Graham has stopped any of us from entering his room." She grimaced. "Well, except to send up fresh bottles. Mark will help you move him so that Bella can do her job."

"I don't need Mark's help." Oliver said quietly. The old Adrian, he wouldn't have dared try to move. But that skeletal Adrian in there...he could manage just fine. "I wanted to bathe him anyway so we'll just be in the bathroom whilst Bella tidies up." Oliver said just as a lady in her mid-twenties, who Oliver assumed was Bella, entered the foyer. "Hello, Bella." Oliver said with a smile and then turned to climb back up the stairs.

"The soup will be ready by the time you're done Oliver." Sandra called out, smiling when Oliver gave a thumbs-up.

Oliver entered the room and began to strip. Adrian was still passed out on the bed. After stripping to his boxer briefs, he went to the bed and stripped Adrian completely. He threw Adrian's stuff into the laundry basket in the room before going to pick Adrian, fireman style. Fuck, he'd lost weight, Oliver grimaced as he headed for the bathroom. He closed the bathroom door behind him and gently placed Adrian in the seat in the bathtub. Though he was still out, Oliver wasn't worried he would fall because the seat had been designed in such a way that its occupant could actually relax and not fall.

Oliver's plan was to first shave Adrian's face and cut his hair before he bathed him. He wanted to see that gorgeous face again so bad. By the time Oliver was done bathing Adrian, his eyes were opened but he still hadn't said a word. He simply stared at Oliver from beneath his lashes. Oliver dried him up and sprayed his underarms, wrists, and the back of his neck just as he knew Adrian applied his body spray. Next, he applied Adrian's aftershave and then gently pushed him into one of the comfortable chairs in the bathroom. The familiar fragrance of Adrian's aftershave and body spray was so heady it almost made Oliver dizzy. Fuck, he'd missed the man.

Shaking his head to clear his foggy brain, Oliver stripped out of his wet boxers and quickly bathed himself, feeling Adrian's eyes on him the whole time. He dried himself and wrapped a towel around him waist. Then he went to open the bedroom door to check whether Bella had finished her work. She had. The room looked spotlessly clean. Sheets were fresh and crisp and the room smelt lovely. Oliver went into the room and pulled on his jeans and undershirt which had been neatly laid out on the bed. He grabbed his shirt and hung it on the back of one of the dining chairs before going back to the bathroom. After hanging the towel, he went to Adrian, whose eyes never left his.

"Can you walk?" Oliver asked quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Adrian rasped. He didn't look angry...just curious.

"Can we talk about what I'm doing here after we get some clothes on you and some soup into that empty stomach of yours? Come on."

"I can walk." Adrian croaked, getting to his feet. But he swayed when he tried to move.

"And can you please shelve your stubbornness whilst I'm here?" Oliver muttered as he coiled Adrian's arm around his neck and wrapped an arm around his bare waist.

When they got to the room, he helped Adrian into bed and went to the walk in closet to find something for him to wear. After opening several drawers, he found boxer briefs, sweats and a t-shirt. He came back to the bed and dressed Adrian up. Then he left the room to go and check on Sandra.

By the time Oliver came back to the room, Adrian wasn't on the bed where he'd left him. He heard water running in the bathroom and went to see what he was up to. He was brushing his teeth. Adrian came back to the room and climbed back into bed. But this time, he sat with his back against the headboard and stared at Oliver who sat quietly on the coach.

When Sandra knocked on the door, Oliver went to open the door for her and watched as she wheeled in a trolley to the bed. Oliver wondered how she'd gotten a trolley up the stairs but didn't ask. He'd asked her to add some mashed potatoes as well when he'd gone down to tell her they were ready. Hopefully Adrian would be able to eat a little bit with the soup. After feeling his ribs in the tub, Oliver was furious but knew it was the wrong time to react. His top priority was to get as much food as he could into Adrian. Hell, he was scared the man might need medical attention. If he had to scream, beg or even cry to get Adrian to eat, he was prepared to do it.

"Thank you Sandra." Oliver said quietly to a beaming Sandra.

"No. Thank you." She said with a smile that showed her respect and admiration for Oliver. "He looks great." She said, leaving the room.

Oliver sat on the bed, between Adrian and the trolley and looked at Adrian. "How are we going to do this?" He asked quietly.

Adrian shrugged and dropped his eyes. "I don't think I can eat anything now." He said.

"Well, too bad." Oliver said almost without emotion. "Because I don't care what you think. You're going to eat this food. I only wanted to know whether you'll feed yourself or I would have to feed..."

"Olly, I've gone without food for a very long time. Anything that gets in there will cause pain."

"Does that mean you're never going to eat again?" Oliver raised an eyebrow. "What's a little pain now for the greater good? Besides no one asked you not to eat. You're a medical doctor. You should have known better. Fold your legs."

Oliver picked up the tray, noticing from the corner of his eye that Adrian had folded his legs as he'd instructed. They'd eaten in bed together several times so Adrian knew just how Oliver wanted him. Oliver opened a bottle of water and thrust it into Adrian's hand. He didn't have to tell him what to do. Adrian took a sip and gave it back to Oliver. He could tell Oliver was trying very hard to hold in his anger and didn't want to break that control by acting stubborn. Without wasting any more time, Oliver picked up a spoon and scooped some of the soup. He tasted it. It was good.

"Open up." Oliver instructed. Adrian did.

After a while, the expected pains started. But Adrian neither complained nor refused to take any more food. Apart from the fact that he didn't want to upset Oliver, he felt he deserved the pain...he'd brought it upon himself just as Oliver had pointed out. By the time Oliver realized just how much Adrian was suffering, the soup was gone and the mashed potatoes was almost finished. Adrian was suddenly sweating profusely.

"Fuck, Adrian..." Oliver placed the tray back onto the trolley and pulled off Adrian's t-shirt. "How bad is it?" He used the t-shirt to wipe Adrian's brow. "Fuck, fuck, fuck...why didn't you stop me sooner?"

"What's a little pain for the greater good, remember?" Came Adrian's shaky voice.

"You're an idiot, know that?" Oliver groaned. "Come on, let's go sit on the balcony. The fresh air might help."

"And where did you learn that? MIT?" Adrian mumbled, pressing a button beside the bed.

"Fuck you, Adrian." Oliver muttered as he helped Adrian out onto the balcony.

They sat in the comfortable swing, with Adrian's head on Oliver's lap. Oliver heard a knock, and then heard the door to the bedroom open. He heard the sound of cutlery and knew the plates were being cleared. After about twenty minutes, Adrian could no longer suppress the urge to throw up. Oliver helped him to the bathroom and rubbed him on the back throughout his heaves. Afterwards, Adrian assured a worried Oliver that not everything came out.

"Relax." Adrian said hoarsely as they left the bathroom. "I can still feel the potatoes in my stomach."

Oliver didn't say anything to that. He quietly pulled another t-shirt on Adrian and then tucked him in. Adrian was asleep before Oliver was done tucking him in. He closed the windows, released the blinds and then switched on the air-condition. Then he left the room and went downstairs.

"Is he okay?" Sandra asked when she saw Oliver.

"He'll live."

"Thank God." She muttered. "Are you a doctor too?"

"More like a miracle worker." Mark said as he entered the foyer. "I'm glad I let you in." He grinned. "Here are your car keys. I've parked it in the garage."

"Thanks. Good to know you're not going to serial kill my arse after all." Oliver drawled as he turned to follow Sandra into the living room. "And no, I'm no doctor. Just a friend of Adrian's." Oliver said, missing the knowing look on Sandra's face. He couldn't possibly out Adrian by admitting their relationship to his workers. That was Adrian's prerogative, not his.