Fic: Twisted Fate | 2 of 2
Title: Twisted Fate
Type: AU | Romance-type thing
Rated: R
Adam nervously eyed Samantha and Evan sitting on the bench, bodies nearly lying flat on the table top. They talked quietly with heads bent together too closely. “They’re up to something,” he murmured.
“They’re adorable,” Evan said. “I wish all the kids in my class were this cute and well behaved.” He pushed up from the table. “I’m going to talk to them. That’s okay, right?”
Kris waved a hand and smiled, “Not a problem. But know they’re not generally this quiet or well behaved.”
“Alone,” Evan said, putting a staying hand on Adam’s chest. “We should get to know each other without you there.”
“Have at it,” Adam agreed, shaking his head. “Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Adam watched as Evan strolled over to the kids, taking the juice bottle and chips before approaching.
“Hi Jared. Hi Samantha,” Evan said sitting down next to the boy.
“Hi,” Jared answered back, still coloring and not looking up.
“Hi,” Samantha parroted, as she looked up at smiled. “I’m going to talk to daddy. I’ll be right over there, okay Jared?” They shared a look and a nod before she left the table.
“Are you okay?” Evan asked.
“Not really,” Jared answered. He put his crayon down and put his chin on his hands.
Evan leaned over the table and mirrored Jared’s position, “What’s the matter?”
“I want to swim with dolphins.”
“That would be amazing,” Evan said enthusiastically.
“Yeah, but…”
Evan reached out, “What sweetie?”
“With daddy Adam and daddy Kris…” Jared stopped and pulled his arm away from Evan’s hand. “Me and Sam just want to spend more time with daddy Adam.”
“I’m sorry this is so weird for you guys,” Evan voiced sympathetically. “Adam loves you. You know that, right?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because daddy Adam won’t take us.”
“No?”
Jared shook his head sadly and laid it down on his arm. He wiped the corner of his eye, “I really want to, though. So does Sam.”
“Well, I think your daddy has a good reason for not doing it now. I’m sure he’ll take you one day.”
“Do what one day?” Adam asked, taking a seat across from Evan.
Evan straightened up and gave Adam an incredulous look, “How come you won’t take Jared and Sam to swim with dolphins?” He rubbed Jared’s back as he went back to coloring. “It seems like they really want to, and it sounds like fun.”
“What?” Adam narrowed his eyes at Jared, who didn’t look up but continued to scribble in his book furiously. “I just don’t think that would be a good idea right now. They still have school and trying to arrange everyone’s schedule…”
“Summer’s around the corner. Isn’t school almost finished for them? You could go during their vacation,” Evan insisted. “They’d both have an amazing experience and a great story to share with their friends. When kids do something like this, they’re so excited and ready to learn more. Plus, with, you know…with the home situation” he said lowering his voice, “it’d be a great way to spend time with them.”
“I’m not…it’s…I…” Adam blew out a breath and smiled. “It sounds great.”
Evan jumped up and squealed, running around the table to hug him. Adam used the distraction to level a glare at Jared. Jared stuck out his tongue and giggled, running away as Adam pulled away from the hug.
Adam sighed, “I guess I have some planning to do.”
**
Neil grabbed tissues from the box to wipe the corners of his eyes, and then blew his nose. He cackled again and let out a deep breath. Looking at Adam, he sighed, “I love those kids. Have I mentioned that lately?”
“Kris never should have adopted them,” Adam growled. “He should have shipped them off to their grandparents in Fargo or wherever the hell they live. Godfather, for fuck’s sake. That’s all he was…is. But, nooooo, he goes and fights for permanent custody. Who does that? He’s a single dad now when he should be…ugh.”
“So, I get to go, too, right?” Neil asked, kneeling down to pat Adam’s head before going into the kitchen.
“What?” Adam asked sitting up from where he lay prone on the floor in the connecting family room. “Fuck no, you’re not going.”
“Well, who else is going to help babysit the spawns when Ivan…”
“Evan!” Adam said. “His name is Evan.”
“Whatever,” Neil retorted. “Anyway, since Evan is insisting that Kris goes so the three of you can bond, which I think he’s insisting on so he can make sure he doesn’t get shit karma from breaking you two up…who’s gonna watch the kids?”
“The resort has sitters and daycare and shit.”
“Uh, you do know which kids you’re talking about, right?” Neil asked, one eyebrow raised. He pulled two beer bottles from the fridge. “There’s no way you’re going to have any alone time with Evan, and why should Kris be alone and tortured by the two brats when he can get that at home? I can help.”
“Help like a boil on my ass that you are,” Adam mumbled. He lifted the corner of his mouth as thanks as he took the beer from Neil. “I’m taking the kids with Evan. Just the four of us.”
Neil coughed as he tried to swallow his beer and not spit it up. He quickly grabbed more tissues and smothered his own mouth. “You’re going to do what?” he choked out.
“What? It’ll be fine,” Adam answered. He got up and yanked a few sheets of paper towels from the counter and held them out for Neil. “How bad could it be? It’ll only be for a few days.”
“Have you met Sam and Jared?” Neil asked wiping down the coffee table. “Aren’t you the one that dubbed them the evil spawns from hell?”
“Pet names so that they know I love them,” Adam said flippantly. “Evan’s a grade school teacher. He’ll be able to help out. It’s what he does.”
“What if Kris won’t let you?”
“What won’t I let who do?” Kris asked as he came through the room. He set down the plastic bags on the kitchen table. Without looking away from pulling cartons out of the bags, he yelled, “Sam! Jared! Get away from Uncle Adam’s shoes!”
Adam’s eyes went wide as he ran out of the room.
“That, Adam!” Neil shouted after him. “That is why.” Laughing as he peeked around the corner, “I’ll put in my vacation request on Monday.”
**
Kris smiled at the greeters and bowed his head to accept the bright pink and purple orchid leis being placed around his neck. He gripped Samantha and Jared’s hands tighter as they squirmed, trying to escape.
The excited, non-stop chattering and the effort to calm the two overly-hyper kids on a cramped five hour flight left him with a pounding headache that was slowly bordering on migraine territory. The bright sun, heat and humidity of Hawaii weren’t helping. He just wanted to get to the hotel and into a bed and under the covers.
“Hey, you okay?” Adam asked as they waited at the luggage carousel.
“Fine,” Kris grimaced. “Just a little bit of a headache.”
“Sorry you got stuck with them the entire flight,” Adam said as he stepped in front of Kris and started to massage his temples. “Neil said he offered…”
“Mmmmm,” Kris replied closing his eyes and leaning into Adam’s fingers. “Yeah, but, he shouldn’t have to watch over them,” he mumbled. “It’ll be bad enough, considering he’ll be stuck in the same room as us this whole time.”
“I know how you get with these headaches,” Adam tsked. “I should’ve offered you my seat for a bit to take a nap.”
“Is everything okay?” Evan’s tentative voice came up from behind them.
With that, Kris’s eyes snapped open. He stepped back, leaving Adam’s hands hanging in the air, “Oh, uh, yeah. Where are the kids?”
Adam gave him a confused look as he stuck his hands into his pockets, “Neil took them to get something to eat. You okay?”
The loud clang and buzz indicating the arrival of their luggage gave Kris the excuse he needed to walk away. He grinned, but knew it looked a little maniacal. “Fine. I’m good, don’t worry about it.” Turning, he headed to the carousel.
“Is he going to be okay?” Evan asked.
“Yeah,” Adam answered. “He gets these headaches, and…he should be okay.” He patted Evan’s arm absentmindedly as he continued to stare at Kris. He frowned as Kris wrapped his arms around himself as he disappeared towards the restrooms.
**
Neil stepped inside the room from the balcony and slid the screen in place. The light ocean breeze floated into the suite, airing out the afternoon heat. He watched Adam try to move off the couch without knocking the sleeping Jared off his chest.
“You should tell him,” Neil said.
Adam raised his head as his hands crossed over the boy’s back. “Tell who what?” he asked quietly. Finally able to slip from under Jared, Adam stood up and stretched his back out. “What are you talking about?”
“Kris.”
“You’re either trying to confuse me or I’m having a really weird dream right now. Give me a minute while I put him in the room, then maybe you can explain it better.” Adam carefully lifted Jared from the couch and carried him into the second bedroom.
Neil turned on the television, adjusting the volume enough to cover their upcoming conversation. As soon as they got to the hotel and checked-in, he was as surprised as Kris when Adam volunteered to watch the kids for the night so Kris could take care of his migraine. Even Evan seemed to be a little taken aback by the offer, but he covered it up quickly. Neil knew because he was watching.
After settling into their rooms, the five of them grabbed dinner from the diner across the street. Evan called it an early night and disappeared into the master bedroom of the suite. Samantha and Jared poured over maps and brochures, talking a mile-a-minute about all the activities they wanted to do while Adam fondly smiled at them. Samantha crashed first on Adam’s lap, then with a little prodding, dragged herself into the other bedroom. Jared bounced around a little longer until Adam pulled him on top of him, patting his back until he fell asleep.
“Okay, what are you going on about?” Adam asked. Going through the living room and picking up the mess the kids left behind, he paused to look at Neil who was silently watching. “What?”
“Just weird seeing you all domestic like this,” Neil answered. He got up and started to help. “You’re good with them.”
“It’s not that hard. Besides, I’ve had more than three years of practice,” Adam laughed dropping the haphazard stack on a chair.
Neil snorted, “Except you were gone for eight of those months.”
“I sent gifts.”
“I know.”
“Okay, sit,” Adam said, grabbing Neil’s shoulder and leading him to the couch. Pushing him down, Adam sat on the other end and motioned with his hands. “Go on. What were you saying? What are you going on about?”
“I think you should tell Kris how you feel about him.”
Adam opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he breathed out, “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve got eyes, Adam.”
“And?” Adam asked, falling back onto the couch. He tilted his head back to avoid Neil’s gaze. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You’re in love with him. Have been since you first met him,” Neil stated softly. “You got that look when I introduced you.”
Adam lowered his head and looked at Neil, anger coloring his voice, “And why are you bringing this up now? When my boyfriend is in the other room?”
“I think you should let Kris know,” Neil insisted.
“He knows!” Adam said in a harsh whisper. “He doesn’t feel the same. You know that’s why I left town. I needed to get over it…him…before I lost Kris as a friend. Why are you doing this to me? I’m in a good place.”
Neil leaned forward and pulled on Adam’s shirt, bringing their faces close. “Kris doesn’t know you asshole,” he said back quietly. “Both of you were on the roof, stupid drunk when it happened. You guys kissed. So what? Now you’re trying to pretend it didn’t happen or that you don’t remember?” He shoved Adam back and continued. “Then you ran away. You never gave yourself a chance. Never gave him a chance. He was heartbroken when you left without even a good-bye.” Neil stood up and threw his arms in the air and grunted in disgust, “I think you two are too stupid to even deserve each other at this point.”
Grabbing the remote off the coffee table, he turned off the television and threw remote onto the couch.
“Have a good night,” Neil said. He stopped before opening the door. “Kris or I will swing by in the morning to grab the kids.”
**
Adam pointed the remote at the TV like it was an extension of his hand, flipping channels, barely stopping to see if anything could catch his attention, focused instead on the array of colors flashing over the screen. Maybe if he really had magical powers, his life wouldn’t be this shitty.
His phone buzzed again. Seeing Kris’s name on the display, he just shut the phone off. He heard Neil approaching and tried to ignore him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neil place a bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table.
“You’re in love with him.”
A statement. One that Adam didn’t want to think about. Adam slid down on the recliner and covered his eyes with an arm. Why did he think it was a good idea to come over?
“Wow, nothing to say,” Neil snickered as he started to pour the wine. “You obviously want to talk about it, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. You either want someone who won’t give you shit or you’re here to see what I know. And considering I always give you shit, I’m guessing it’s the latter.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Here,” Neil said handing a glass over. “You look like you need it.” Taking his own glass, he stretched one arm across the back of the couch and crossed his leg and eyed Adam carefully. “So talk,” he demanded. “What’s going on?”
“I think I’m going to get out of town for a while.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Neil paused mid-drink and pursed out his lips, “Ah, running away. That’s a nice choice, didn’t realize it was on the table, but…” He paused, “But, really? Didn’t think it was an option you’d pick even if it was. Damn, that wasn’t even in my top three for you. I’m going to lose the fucking office pool.”
“Fuck you. I’m not running away,” Adam said churlishly. “I…I just need a break.”
“And, how long are you going to be gone? Where are you going?” Neil asked. “Not that the office will miss you much, considering you really don’t do anything there. But, it’d be nice to know just so human resources can make a note of it in your file, and you know, so I can let mom and pop know so they don’t freak out.”
“Such the loving brother you are.”
“I’m at your service,” Neil said bowing slightly in his chair. Reaching for the wine bottle, he leaned over and refilled their glasses. They sat in silence for a while.
“He hasn’t said anything,” Neil said softly. “But, he’s been trying to get a hold of you.”
Adam remained silent, studying the glass in his hand.
“You know you fucked up, right?”
“I know,” Adam whispered.
**
Kris’s smile faltered when he saw the weariness in Adam’s body and the dark circles under his eyes; Evan and the kids trailed behind as they jumped out of the elevator excitedly. Kris ran up to meet them at the elevator, “Shit, I knew you shouldn’t have had them in your room overnight. I should’ve gotten them last night or as soon as I got up this morning.”
“It wasn’t a problem, Kris,” Evan said. “They were fine.” He looked at Adam and Kris, then smiled. “I’m going to take them to the breakfast buffet. We’ll meet you there?”
Nodding, he mumbled out a thanks, but his focus was on Adam. “What happened?”
Adam straightened up and faked a smile, “Nothing. Like Evan said, wasn’t a problem. How’s your head?”
“Uh, better.”
“Where’s Neil?” Adam asked looking around the lobby, avoiding Kris’s eyes.
“He went to some yoga class thing,” Kris answered. “He said he called and that you and Evan would bring the kids down, so I could sleep a little more.” Kris reached out to touch Adam, but jerked back with Adam’s flinch. “You look like shit. What’s going on?”
“I’m hungry. We should get in there, yeah?”
Kris watched as Adam headed into the restaurant. Not knowing what else to do, Kris followed him in.
Samantha and Jared were bubbling with excitement and easily lured the adults into smiling and laughing with them. Kris breathed out gratefully as the mood that seemed to hover over them dissipated as they finished breakfast.
“Okay,” Kris said as he wiped up the mess around Jared’s face. “You, me and Sam are going to beach for a bit, then maybe we’ll take a boat ride, yeah?” He looked around the table and smiled at Adam and Evan before continuing to address the kids. “We’re going to let Adam and Evan enjoy day. I think they need a time-out from you two.”
“Kris…” Adam started to say.
“No, Kris,” Evan chimed in. “We’ll join you at the beach.”
“When are we going to swim with the dolphins?” Jared asked.
Samantha laughed, “You need to learn how to swim first, you dummy.”
Adam blew out a breath, “Wait, Jared doesn’t know how to swim?”
Kris sighed, “No, which is why I don’t understand why you insisted on this trip.”
“You little…” Adam stopped abruptly and laughed. “Oh god, I got...damn” He looked at Samantha and Jared who both had the wherewithal to look embarrassed and scared at the same time. “I got hustled by an eight and ten year-old.”
The chair Kris was sitting in scraped noisily across the tile floor as he got up from the table. He stood over Samantha and Jared to grab their arms. “I think I need to take the kids outside for a bit and have a few words. Excuse us…”
“But, Uncle Kris…” Samantha said, twisting in her seat.
“Kris,” Adam said standing up. “Don’t…”
“Stay out of this, Adam,” Kris ground out quietly, trying not to cause a scene. He clasped his hands in each of the kids’ hands and drew them out of the chairs, making sure not to tug too hard. “Come on, you brats,” he said with a tight smile. “We need to have a small talk.”
Adam stepped up and put his hands on Kris’s shoulders from behind, stopping him. “Really, Kris, it’s okay.”
Lifting his shoulder to signal that Adam should remove his hand, he walked out of the restaurant, Samantha and Jared in tow.
**
Evan and Adam sat at the table in uncomfortable silence. He could’ve kissed Neil when he showed up and offered to take Evan to the North Shore and surf all afternoon, especially since he knew how Neil felt about…well, everything. After checking the suites, Adam searched the property looking for Kris and the kids.
He studied the property map again, wondering where the three of them could have disappeared to. Kris wouldn’t go too far, but he was definitely hiding out with the kids. Now, whether it was because he was yelling at them or trying to avoid Adam because he realized what the kids did…
A sudden burst of laughter caught his attention. It sounded achingly familiar, which was joined by children’s giggling. Adam stepped quietly on the stone trail and headed around the mass of tall bushes to a small inlet. The path turned sandy as it revealed a cozy nook away from the bars, cabanas and pools. Worn wooden beams held several hammocks and swings as palm trees provided cover from the sun.
Adam smiled at what he saw. Kris was lying in one of the giant hammocks with Samantha and Jared on either side of him. Adam stepped back into the shadows so that he could watch them.
“…I really wanted to swim with the dolphins, though,” Jared was saying sleepily.
“I was going to get you swimming lessons this summer, Jared,” Kris scolded, then sighed, “You shouldn’t have done that to Uncle Adam.”
“But it was Sam’s idea!”
“Tattle-tale!” Samantha pouted as she reached over to hit Jared.
The hammock jolted and swung around wildly, enough that Adam almost ran over to help them out before they fell to the ground.
“Hey, hey!” Kris yelped out. “Stop it!” Kris extended his arm over his head to grab the pole and slowed down the swinging. “Enough!” As the kids settled back down, he continued, “Just tell me why you did that to Adam, then you can say sorry when we see him later. Then, I’m going to change our flights so we can go home.”
“Why?” Samantha asked. “I like it here! And even Uncle Neil said you needed a break.”
“Adam and Evan need to have some time together by themselves, that’s why,” Kris explained. “We’re going to pay Adam back, and you two are doing chores at his house to help out.”
“But, Uncle Kris…” Jared whined.
Kris sighed, “Why did you two do this?”
The scowl on Samantha’s face nearly made Adam bark out a laugh. It was a look he’d seen on Kris’s face hundreds of times. Even though they weren’t his biological kids, they were definitely adopting his mannerisms.
“Because,” Samantha said.
“Because why,” Kris pushed.
“He’s not supposed to have a new boyfriend when he has you,” Jared answered. He hid his face into Kris’s side. “He won’t come home and you’ll be sad again.”
“We just wanted you to be happy like when Uncle Adam came back,” Samantha said sadly as she wrapped her arm around Kris’s chest. “This way you can spend time with him. We all can.”
Adam bit his lip. Well shit.
**
Kris closed the door as the last of his guests left. He leaned against the door and looked at the mess in his home. The congratulations party for him and the kids was a great surprise. It was an amazing night and fun to celebrate the finalization of the adoption, but now he was left with the clean up.
Granted, everyone chipped in and the bulk of the mess was taken care of, but the small stuff still remained. He shook his head as he bent down to grab stray wrapping paper and ribbons from the gifts, following a trail of streamers into the family room and kitchen.
“I’ve called in a cleaning service to come in tomorrow afternoon,” Neil said coming down the hallway. “The kids are snoring in the beds, so you have nothing to do except…well…” he looked over at Adam talking with Kris’s mom, Kim, outside.
Kris laughed as he dumped the mass in his hands into a trash bag. “He’s fine, I’m sure my mom is doing all the work.” He turned and stepped up to Neil, pulling him into a hug, “Thank you. Really.”
“What are friends for?” Neil said giving him a squeeze before stepping back. “Though, if I knew Adam would attach himself to you like this, I might have warned you away. Now, you’ve got three kids.”
“I…I like him,” Kris said, suddenly shy.
“Uh-huh,” Neil smirked.
Saved by Adam and Kim walking into the room, Kris bit his lip and went to the sink to wash his hands. Neil and Kim left after Adam offered to help Kris clean a bit more. Kisses and hugs were exchanged as Kris walked them out.
He and Adam had cleaned up the rest of the house quickly. Adam disappeared into the guest bathroom to clean up while Kris used the one in the master bedroom. He changed into an old t-shirt and sleep pants and fell unceremoniously onto the bed, spread out like a starfish on his back.
“Kris,” Adam whined as he flopped onto the bed next to Kris. “Why does life hate me?”
“What are you talking about?” Kris said as he tried to move Adam’s arm and leg off him. “And for fuck’s sake, why do you always land on me? It’s a king-size bed, there’s plenty of room. Is your aim that off?”
“Because I know you’ll always catch me.” Adam changed positions and rolled half his body over Kris’s, pinning him down. “Besides, you’re warm and comfy.”
“Are you drunk?”
“No, but I should be,” Adam groused. He moved until he was able to settle comfortably on Kris’s body, head resting in the nook of his shoulder and chest. He sighed when he felt Kris’s hand run through his hair. “Though, if you keep doing that, I won’t need to drink. I’ll be asleep before you know it.”
Kris laughed softly, “Yeah, let me figure out a way for your liver to thank me.”
“I’m glad you met Neil and became friends,” Adam said sleepily.
“Yeah? Why is that?” Kris asked, scratching Adam’s scalp lightly.
Adam shifted and yawned, “Because I wouldn’t have met you if you didn’t.”
“That’s so sweet.”
Burying his head and tightening his hold on Kris, Adam mumbled, “I wouldn’t have met my best friend and fallen in love.”
**
Kris was trying to figure out why Adam was acting strange around him. He spent the afternoon with the kids in the far end of the property to give Adam and Evan time to be alone. Before dinner, Samantha and Jared stood in front of Adam with their heads bowed to apologize. Adam just smiled and hugged them before disappearing back into his room.
They all had dinner separately, giving each other space. Kris used that time to call the airline, only to find out that he couldn’t change their flight without a substantial fee, which would end up being more than the rest of the hotel stay.
“Okay, new game plan,” Kris said with forced cheerfulness. “Tomorrow, we’ll start Jared’s swimming lessons.”
Neil walked into the room as the squeals and cheers died down.
“Damn, what was that?” he asked. “I could hear you brats all the way down the hall and the elevators.”
“I’m going to swim with dolphins!” Jared squeaked out. He started to twirl around the room until he bumped into Neil. “Sorry, Uncle Neil, but I get to swim with dolphins!”
Neil lifted him up and swung him around, “I thought that’s why we were here.”
Samantha laughed as she fell to the floor, “Uncle Kris is going to teach him how to swim first.”
Kris smiled and shrugged when Neil shot him a questioning glance. “Long story, tell you later if you’re so inclined.”
“Uh, no thanks,” Neil said putting Jared down.
“You okay?” Kris asked. “Haven’t seen you all day.”
“Yeah, just discovering the island and shit,” Neil answered. He looked around, “Adam and Evan out together?”
Kris rubbed the back of his neck, “Not sure, actually. Haven’t seen Evan since breakfast, and we saw Adam for a bit in his room, but don’t know, something’s going on, so we didn’t bother him about dinner.”
“Huh.”
“You know what’s going on?” Kris asked.
Neil shook his head, “No.” He smiled, “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Yeah,” Kris nodded. He looked around the room, lost in thought.
“Hey, so if you want, take a break. I’ll watch the kids and get them to bed.”
“Nah,” Kris exhaled. “It’s okay. You’ve done more than enough.”
“No, seriously,” Neil said pushing Kris towards the door. “Go downstairs and have a drink or three. Relax a bit, flirt, dance, mope, whatever.”
“I don’t…”
Neil opened the door, “I’m kicking you out of the room. You get no say in this. If you’re back before…” he checked his wristwatch, “eleven, you won’t be allowed in.” Neil smirked, “Hell, I’ll just bolt the door behind you and only unlock it five minutes after eleven.”
“You’re an ass,” Kris scowled. “I don’t want to be in the bar drinking by myself.”
With a final shove, Neil stated, “You won’t be alone for long. Go.” And slammed the door in his face.
“Asshole.”
**
“Okay, I’m here reporting for babysitting duty,” Adam said, his arm full of bags. “Oooh, you look nice. Which client are you meeting tonight?”
Kris ran down the hall and returned with trench coat dragging on the floor behind him, “What?” He grabbed the bags from Adam and set them on the table.
“Tonight?” Adam prompted.
“Oh, it’s not…nothing to do with work,” Kris answered, not paying attention. He turned to Samantha and Jared, “Okay, you two. Be good. I should be back in a few hours. Please don’t drive Adam crazy.”
The kids mumbled their good-byes as they continued to play their video game, barely acknowledging Kris as he leaned over to kiss their heads. He turned to Adam, “Thank you so much for this. The sitter had an emergency, and I couldn’t find another at the last minute, and I didn’t…”
“It’s okay,” Adam said grabbing Kris by the shoulders. “Relax.”
Kris blew out a breath, letting his body relax under Adam’s hands. “Seriously, thank you.”
“So, you never answered,” Adam stated. “What’s going on? Why are you all nervous and shit?”
“Oh, uh…” Kris stammered. “I…I’m…”
“Uncle Kris has a date,” Samantha chirped from the sofa. “With a boy!”
Kris blushed as he felt Adam’s eyes on him. “It’s nothing, just dinner.” He stiffened as Adam’s grip on his arm tensed. “Uh, do you think you can let go? I’m going to be late.”
“Oh, sorry,” Adam said, voice tight. He smoothed down the shirtsleeves and didn’t look back at Kris’s face. “Date, huh? That’s great.”
“We’ll see,” Kris replied slowly.
“No, really,” Adam smiled as he pulled Kris into a hug. “You should be getting out there. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
“Just kinda happened,” Kris mumbled as he stepped out of the hug. “I should go.”
“Have fun!”
It sounded fake to Kris’s ears, but he didn’t stop to think about it. He waved and gave Adam a small smile before he walked out the door.
**
The woman warbling out love songs in the lounge was making Kris cringe. Just when he thought it was over and she’d take a break, she broke into another. Instead of feeling longing and heartache, he felt the twinges of a headache coming on. And, the barely touched glass of wine in front of him wasn’t helping.
“Is this seat taken?”
Kris turned his head and looked down the bar at all the empty seats. The man had the greenest eyes. Kris smiled shyly, “Uh, no.” He motioned with his hand, “Please.”
“Grant,” the man said extending his hand.
“Kris,” Kris replied, shaking it. His hand was warm. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’d ask if I could buy you a drink, but your glass is still full,” Grant said, nodding to the wineglass.
Kris chuckled, “Not really in the mood for a drink, but thought I’d need one to sit here.”
“Long day or bad day?” Grant asked as he waved the bartender down. “Either way, you should have something stronger.”
“Neither actually,” Kris laughed. “Just trying to wind down.” He paused, “Two kids and all that comes with it.”
“Ah, yes,” Grant nodded. “A crazy day.”
Kris barked out a small laugh, “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Well, then,” Grant said raising his tumbler. “Here’s to relaxing.”
Kris lifted his wine glass and clinked it to Grant’s, “To relaxing.”
**
Two days of fake smiles and avoidance. That was the easiest way for Adam to get through the rest of the week. Unfortunately, he couldn’t spend all his time in the suite, what, with Neil being a bigger asshole than usual by pushing the kids on him. They both knew Adam could never say no to them, despite the fact they were spawns of Satan. And being with them normally wouldn’t have been a problem if he wasn’t trying to stare at Kris in his swim trunks, tan and shirtless and smiling guilelessly.
If he thought he was being tortured during the day, the evenings were even worse, especially after the kids were put to bed and the four adults hung out in the living room area of Kris and Neil’s suite. Kris would change into a t-shirt and sleep shorts, put on his glasses and just look so relaxed and blissful. Adam couldn’t come up with any excuse to beg off.
Even Evan was being a bitch, making sure they all spent time together. “You’re a great guy, but you know as well as I do that this isn’t working,” he said. “I think you’re still in love with him, and I don’t want to be in the way. Neil and I talked while we were hanging out, and I understand now. So, I’m here to make sure you don’t make a big mistake. I see it...we all see it. It hurts me to see that you don’t.”
Fuck Neil and fuck Evan. And, fuck that guy who was flirting with Kris at the bar. Oh, and while he was at it, fuck Kris for…well, everything.
The only thing that put a smile on his face was Jared holding onto his hand like a lifeline as they went to the water park this morning to finally swim with the dolphins. He had been so excited and proud of himself that he learned how to swim enough to do this. However, as the moment approached, he let go of Kris’s hand and instead attached himself to Adam. He lifted the boy up and held him tight as Jared’s little body shook with fear and excitement.
“You can do it, buddy,” Adam murmured into Jared’s hair. “You wanted to do this, remember?”
Jared just nodded and squeezed his arms around Adam’s neck tighter.
The unadulterated glee on Jared’s face made Adam smile. Samantha and Jared were squealing and laughing in the water as they played with the dolphins, petting and swimming and feed them. The morning had been perfect.
He smiled again as he pictured the morning in his head while staring out at the sun setting along the beach.
“Uncle Adam!” Jared cried out as he ran through the lobby and slammed himself into Adam’s legs. “Come on! Uncle Neil got us cupcakes!” He pulled at Adam’s linen pants, but Adam couldn’t make himself care about the wrinkles. “Uncle Kris said we could have them after we eat, so we’re eating now. Come on! Come on!”
“Okay, okay,” Adam laughed, pulling Jared up in his arms again. “Let’s go.”
**
After dinner and one cupcake each, the kids knocked out. Neil and Evan mentioned something about sunset surfing and disappeared, while Kris went to the bathroom to change and take out his contacts. He thought he would be alone when he came out, but was surprised to see Adam standing on the balcony.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were on the verge of losing your boyfriend to Neil,” Kris said with a forced laugh. He went through the living room area picking up clothes and towels that were strewn about.
“Huh?” Adam turned around. “What? Sorry.”
“You okay? You’ve been…I don’t know…acting weird,” Kris asked. “Did the kids do something? Did I do something? Because if I did, I’m sorry…”
“No. No, nothing like that,” Adam sighed. He waved a hand and bent down to pick up a small t-shirt. “I’m just…I don’t know.”
“You know you can talk to me, right?”
Adam stopped short as he glanced up at Kris. He paused, then blurted out, “Evan’s going home tomorrow,” and quickly walked past Kris to put the shirt on the back of a chair.
“Uh…wow,” Kris said. He couldn’t move from his spot on the floor. “I mean, we’re only here for a few more days. I’m sorry…that sucks. How…um, why…”
“I don’t really want to get into it.” Adam took the pink box off the credenza and headed back to the main sitting area. He hovered behind Kris, “Come on, let’s have the rest of these cupcakes.”
Kris cleared his throat and forced himself not to lean back into Adam. “You don’t eat cupcakes, though,” Kris argued.
“Can’t be all that bad seeing how Sam and Jared nearly killed the lot of us to get to them,” Adam said setting the box down. He reached up to grab Kris’s arm and yanked him down onto the couch.
“It’s just the sugar,” Kris answered lamely, letting Adam sit him down. “They eat just about anything that’s sweet and looks like Crayola vomited over it.”
“Will it help if I imitate Jared? Come on, come on!” Adam said excitedly bouncing on the couch, then laughed. “They shouldn’t go to waste.”
**
Adam knew he should look away, but it was like...it was dirty and hot and…
It was obscene the way Kris was playing with the cupcake in his hand. Adam shifted on the couch as subtly as possible, back digging into the armrest. He barely resisted palming himself to ease some pressure.
The sun was setting, and now the soft rays of light were glowing behind Kris’s head, highlighting his tan. His dark-rimmed glasses made his cheekbones stand out starkly and sat crookedly on his face when he had reached up to scratch behind his ears trying to decide on which cupcake to choose.
Adam moved his attention back to Kris’s finger slowly swirling through the pink frosting, then followed its path as Kris put it into his mouth, lips sliding over the finger, traces of the white and pink sugar concoction left behind as he pulled his finger back out. His tongue slipped out, gliding along the digit up and down, from base to tip, licking away the last of the sugary mixture.
“…they already want pictures and called me a fail…a fail for not having video of…” Kris paused. “Adam? Are you…” he asked. “Adam?” he inquired louder.
“Huh? What?” Adam replied finally looking up from Kris’s mouth to meet his eyes. He tried to scoot back further on the couch, away from Kris when he realized Kris moved forward. A warm hand landed on Adam’s knee. “Uh…what? Yeah?” Adam stammered.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” Adam squeaked out. “What time is it?” he asked, looking frantically around the room. “It’s getting late, right? I should get going.”
Kris reached out with his other hand and grabbed Adam’s hand, the one on Adam’s knee moved up slowly, pressing down on his thigh. “What’s going on with you?”
“Kris…”
“What, Adam? What’s going on?”
Adam slumped down, bowing his head. “I can’t…” Adam whispered.
“Can’t what?” Kris repeated softly. He shuffled even closer, closing the space between them. He rose up on his knees and carefully peeled Adam’s fingers from gripping the seams of the couch. “Can’t do this?” He asked as he placed a soft kiss on Adam’s lips.
It was so light that Adam might have thought that he imagined it if he had closed his eyes. Instead, his vision was filled with Kris’s face.
“Kris…what are you doing?” Adam breathed out against Kris’s lips. His fingers were loose in Kris’s hands.
Kris smiled and kissed the corner of Adam’s mouth. “I’ve been told that I’m a dumbass, and that I should do something instead of pining away or moping away like a pathetic shithead.”
“Yeah?” Adam finally smiled.
Removing his hands from Kris’s, one gripped Kris’s waist and pulled him closer so they were chest to chest, while the other cupped Kris’s face. He gently removed Kris’s glasses and stretched out to slide them across the coffee table. Lifting his head, he kissed Kris again, relishing the moan Kris released from the back of his throat.
Adam pushed back so he was lying on top of Kris, hands roaming over his body, tugging at the t-shirt so he could feel Kris’s skin. He pulled back, panting heavily. “Remind me to thank Neil for being an interfering, meddling jackass.”
**
Neil opened the door quietly and tiptoed into the suite. The sight in front of him made him stop and grin.
Adam and Kris were asleep on the couch, legs tangled. One of Adam’s hands was under Kris’s shirt while the other pillowed Kris’s head. Kris’s arm was wrapped around Adam’s waist, as if he wanted to make sure Adam didn’t disappear, the other at Adam’s chest, near the heart.
As silently as he could, Neil grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and placed it on them. He lowered the lights around the suite and shook his head as he headed to his room.
He stopped at the door and smiled. “About fucking time, you idiots,” he whispered.
~ the | end ~
Type: AU | Romance-type thing
Rated: R
Adam nervously eyed Samantha and Evan sitting on the bench, bodies nearly lying flat on the table top. They talked quietly with heads bent together too closely. “They’re up to something,” he murmured.
“They’re adorable,” Evan said. “I wish all the kids in my class were this cute and well behaved.” He pushed up from the table. “I’m going to talk to them. That’s okay, right?”
Kris waved a hand and smiled, “Not a problem. But know they’re not generally this quiet or well behaved.”
“Alone,” Evan said, putting a staying hand on Adam’s chest. “We should get to know each other without you there.”
“Have at it,” Adam agreed, shaking his head. “Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Adam watched as Evan strolled over to the kids, taking the juice bottle and chips before approaching.
“Hi Jared. Hi Samantha,” Evan said sitting down next to the boy.
“Hi,” Jared answered back, still coloring and not looking up.
“Hi,” Samantha parroted, as she looked up at smiled. “I’m going to talk to daddy. I’ll be right over there, okay Jared?” They shared a look and a nod before she left the table.
“Are you okay?” Evan asked.
“Not really,” Jared answered. He put his crayon down and put his chin on his hands.
Evan leaned over the table and mirrored Jared’s position, “What’s the matter?”
“I want to swim with dolphins.”
“That would be amazing,” Evan said enthusiastically.
“Yeah, but…”
Evan reached out, “What sweetie?”
“With daddy Adam and daddy Kris…” Jared stopped and pulled his arm away from Evan’s hand. “Me and Sam just want to spend more time with daddy Adam.”
“I’m sorry this is so weird for you guys,” Evan voiced sympathetically. “Adam loves you. You know that, right?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because daddy Adam won’t take us.”
“No?”
Jared shook his head sadly and laid it down on his arm. He wiped the corner of his eye, “I really want to, though. So does Sam.”
“Well, I think your daddy has a good reason for not doing it now. I’m sure he’ll take you one day.”
“Do what one day?” Adam asked, taking a seat across from Evan.
Evan straightened up and gave Adam an incredulous look, “How come you won’t take Jared and Sam to swim with dolphins?” He rubbed Jared’s back as he went back to coloring. “It seems like they really want to, and it sounds like fun.”
“What?” Adam narrowed his eyes at Jared, who didn’t look up but continued to scribble in his book furiously. “I just don’t think that would be a good idea right now. They still have school and trying to arrange everyone’s schedule…”
“Summer’s around the corner. Isn’t school almost finished for them? You could go during their vacation,” Evan insisted. “They’d both have an amazing experience and a great story to share with their friends. When kids do something like this, they’re so excited and ready to learn more. Plus, with, you know…with the home situation” he said lowering his voice, “it’d be a great way to spend time with them.”
“I’m not…it’s…I…” Adam blew out a breath and smiled. “It sounds great.”
Evan jumped up and squealed, running around the table to hug him. Adam used the distraction to level a glare at Jared. Jared stuck out his tongue and giggled, running away as Adam pulled away from the hug.
Adam sighed, “I guess I have some planning to do.”
**
Neil grabbed tissues from the box to wipe the corners of his eyes, and then blew his nose. He cackled again and let out a deep breath. Looking at Adam, he sighed, “I love those kids. Have I mentioned that lately?”
“Kris never should have adopted them,” Adam growled. “He should have shipped them off to their grandparents in Fargo or wherever the hell they live. Godfather, for fuck’s sake. That’s all he was…is. But, nooooo, he goes and fights for permanent custody. Who does that? He’s a single dad now when he should be…ugh.”
“So, I get to go, too, right?” Neil asked, kneeling down to pat Adam’s head before going into the kitchen.
“What?” Adam asked sitting up from where he lay prone on the floor in the connecting family room. “Fuck no, you’re not going.”
“Well, who else is going to help babysit the spawns when Ivan…”
“Evan!” Adam said. “His name is Evan.”
“Whatever,” Neil retorted. “Anyway, since Evan is insisting that Kris goes so the three of you can bond, which I think he’s insisting on so he can make sure he doesn’t get shit karma from breaking you two up…who’s gonna watch the kids?”
“The resort has sitters and daycare and shit.”
“Uh, you do know which kids you’re talking about, right?” Neil asked, one eyebrow raised. He pulled two beer bottles from the fridge. “There’s no way you’re going to have any alone time with Evan, and why should Kris be alone and tortured by the two brats when he can get that at home? I can help.”
“Help like a boil on my ass that you are,” Adam mumbled. He lifted the corner of his mouth as thanks as he took the beer from Neil. “I’m taking the kids with Evan. Just the four of us.”
Neil coughed as he tried to swallow his beer and not spit it up. He quickly grabbed more tissues and smothered his own mouth. “You’re going to do what?” he choked out.
“What? It’ll be fine,” Adam answered. He got up and yanked a few sheets of paper towels from the counter and held them out for Neil. “How bad could it be? It’ll only be for a few days.”
“Have you met Sam and Jared?” Neil asked wiping down the coffee table. “Aren’t you the one that dubbed them the evil spawns from hell?”
“Pet names so that they know I love them,” Adam said flippantly. “Evan’s a grade school teacher. He’ll be able to help out. It’s what he does.”
“What if Kris won’t let you?”
“What won’t I let who do?” Kris asked as he came through the room. He set down the plastic bags on the kitchen table. Without looking away from pulling cartons out of the bags, he yelled, “Sam! Jared! Get away from Uncle Adam’s shoes!”
Adam’s eyes went wide as he ran out of the room.
“That, Adam!” Neil shouted after him. “That is why.” Laughing as he peeked around the corner, “I’ll put in my vacation request on Monday.”
**
Kris smiled at the greeters and bowed his head to accept the bright pink and purple orchid leis being placed around his neck. He gripped Samantha and Jared’s hands tighter as they squirmed, trying to escape.
The excited, non-stop chattering and the effort to calm the two overly-hyper kids on a cramped five hour flight left him with a pounding headache that was slowly bordering on migraine territory. The bright sun, heat and humidity of Hawaii weren’t helping. He just wanted to get to the hotel and into a bed and under the covers.
“Hey, you okay?” Adam asked as they waited at the luggage carousel.
“Fine,” Kris grimaced. “Just a little bit of a headache.”
“Sorry you got stuck with them the entire flight,” Adam said as he stepped in front of Kris and started to massage his temples. “Neil said he offered…”
“Mmmmm,” Kris replied closing his eyes and leaning into Adam’s fingers. “Yeah, but, he shouldn’t have to watch over them,” he mumbled. “It’ll be bad enough, considering he’ll be stuck in the same room as us this whole time.”
“I know how you get with these headaches,” Adam tsked. “I should’ve offered you my seat for a bit to take a nap.”
“Is everything okay?” Evan’s tentative voice came up from behind them.
With that, Kris’s eyes snapped open. He stepped back, leaving Adam’s hands hanging in the air, “Oh, uh, yeah. Where are the kids?”
Adam gave him a confused look as he stuck his hands into his pockets, “Neil took them to get something to eat. You okay?”
The loud clang and buzz indicating the arrival of their luggage gave Kris the excuse he needed to walk away. He grinned, but knew it looked a little maniacal. “Fine. I’m good, don’t worry about it.” Turning, he headed to the carousel.
“Is he going to be okay?” Evan asked.
“Yeah,” Adam answered. “He gets these headaches, and…he should be okay.” He patted Evan’s arm absentmindedly as he continued to stare at Kris. He frowned as Kris wrapped his arms around himself as he disappeared towards the restrooms.
**
Neil stepped inside the room from the balcony and slid the screen in place. The light ocean breeze floated into the suite, airing out the afternoon heat. He watched Adam try to move off the couch without knocking the sleeping Jared off his chest.
“You should tell him,” Neil said.
Adam raised his head as his hands crossed over the boy’s back. “Tell who what?” he asked quietly. Finally able to slip from under Jared, Adam stood up and stretched his back out. “What are you talking about?”
“Kris.”
“You’re either trying to confuse me or I’m having a really weird dream right now. Give me a minute while I put him in the room, then maybe you can explain it better.” Adam carefully lifted Jared from the couch and carried him into the second bedroom.
Neil turned on the television, adjusting the volume enough to cover their upcoming conversation. As soon as they got to the hotel and checked-in, he was as surprised as Kris when Adam volunteered to watch the kids for the night so Kris could take care of his migraine. Even Evan seemed to be a little taken aback by the offer, but he covered it up quickly. Neil knew because he was watching.
After settling into their rooms, the five of them grabbed dinner from the diner across the street. Evan called it an early night and disappeared into the master bedroom of the suite. Samantha and Jared poured over maps and brochures, talking a mile-a-minute about all the activities they wanted to do while Adam fondly smiled at them. Samantha crashed first on Adam’s lap, then with a little prodding, dragged herself into the other bedroom. Jared bounced around a little longer until Adam pulled him on top of him, patting his back until he fell asleep.
“Okay, what are you going on about?” Adam asked. Going through the living room and picking up the mess the kids left behind, he paused to look at Neil who was silently watching. “What?”
“Just weird seeing you all domestic like this,” Neil answered. He got up and started to help. “You’re good with them.”
“It’s not that hard. Besides, I’ve had more than three years of practice,” Adam laughed dropping the haphazard stack on a chair.
Neil snorted, “Except you were gone for eight of those months.”
“I sent gifts.”
“I know.”
“Okay, sit,” Adam said, grabbing Neil’s shoulder and leading him to the couch. Pushing him down, Adam sat on the other end and motioned with his hands. “Go on. What were you saying? What are you going on about?”
“I think you should tell Kris how you feel about him.”
Adam opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he breathed out, “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve got eyes, Adam.”
“And?” Adam asked, falling back onto the couch. He tilted his head back to avoid Neil’s gaze. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You’re in love with him. Have been since you first met him,” Neil stated softly. “You got that look when I introduced you.”
Adam lowered his head and looked at Neil, anger coloring his voice, “And why are you bringing this up now? When my boyfriend is in the other room?”
“I think you should let Kris know,” Neil insisted.
“He knows!” Adam said in a harsh whisper. “He doesn’t feel the same. You know that’s why I left town. I needed to get over it…him…before I lost Kris as a friend. Why are you doing this to me? I’m in a good place.”
Neil leaned forward and pulled on Adam’s shirt, bringing their faces close. “Kris doesn’t know you asshole,” he said back quietly. “Both of you were on the roof, stupid drunk when it happened. You guys kissed. So what? Now you’re trying to pretend it didn’t happen or that you don’t remember?” He shoved Adam back and continued. “Then you ran away. You never gave yourself a chance. Never gave him a chance. He was heartbroken when you left without even a good-bye.” Neil stood up and threw his arms in the air and grunted in disgust, “I think you two are too stupid to even deserve each other at this point.”
Grabbing the remote off the coffee table, he turned off the television and threw remote onto the couch.
“Have a good night,” Neil said. He stopped before opening the door. “Kris or I will swing by in the morning to grab the kids.”
**
Adam pointed the remote at the TV like it was an extension of his hand, flipping channels, barely stopping to see if anything could catch his attention, focused instead on the array of colors flashing over the screen. Maybe if he really had magical powers, his life wouldn’t be this shitty.
His phone buzzed again. Seeing Kris’s name on the display, he just shut the phone off. He heard Neil approaching and tried to ignore him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neil place a bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table.
“You’re in love with him.”
A statement. One that Adam didn’t want to think about. Adam slid down on the recliner and covered his eyes with an arm. Why did he think it was a good idea to come over?
“Wow, nothing to say,” Neil snickered as he started to pour the wine. “You obviously want to talk about it, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. You either want someone who won’t give you shit or you’re here to see what I know. And considering I always give you shit, I’m guessing it’s the latter.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Here,” Neil said handing a glass over. “You look like you need it.” Taking his own glass, he stretched one arm across the back of the couch and crossed his leg and eyed Adam carefully. “So talk,” he demanded. “What’s going on?”
“I think I’m going to get out of town for a while.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Neil paused mid-drink and pursed out his lips, “Ah, running away. That’s a nice choice, didn’t realize it was on the table, but…” He paused, “But, really? Didn’t think it was an option you’d pick even if it was. Damn, that wasn’t even in my top three for you. I’m going to lose the fucking office pool.”
“Fuck you. I’m not running away,” Adam said churlishly. “I…I just need a break.”
“And, how long are you going to be gone? Where are you going?” Neil asked. “Not that the office will miss you much, considering you really don’t do anything there. But, it’d be nice to know just so human resources can make a note of it in your file, and you know, so I can let mom and pop know so they don’t freak out.”
“Such the loving brother you are.”
“I’m at your service,” Neil said bowing slightly in his chair. Reaching for the wine bottle, he leaned over and refilled their glasses. They sat in silence for a while.
“He hasn’t said anything,” Neil said softly. “But, he’s been trying to get a hold of you.”
Adam remained silent, studying the glass in his hand.
“You know you fucked up, right?”
“I know,” Adam whispered.
**
Kris’s smile faltered when he saw the weariness in Adam’s body and the dark circles under his eyes; Evan and the kids trailed behind as they jumped out of the elevator excitedly. Kris ran up to meet them at the elevator, “Shit, I knew you shouldn’t have had them in your room overnight. I should’ve gotten them last night or as soon as I got up this morning.”
“It wasn’t a problem, Kris,” Evan said. “They were fine.” He looked at Adam and Kris, then smiled. “I’m going to take them to the breakfast buffet. We’ll meet you there?”
Nodding, he mumbled out a thanks, but his focus was on Adam. “What happened?”
Adam straightened up and faked a smile, “Nothing. Like Evan said, wasn’t a problem. How’s your head?”
“Uh, better.”
“Where’s Neil?” Adam asked looking around the lobby, avoiding Kris’s eyes.
“He went to some yoga class thing,” Kris answered. “He said he called and that you and Evan would bring the kids down, so I could sleep a little more.” Kris reached out to touch Adam, but jerked back with Adam’s flinch. “You look like shit. What’s going on?”
“I’m hungry. We should get in there, yeah?”
Kris watched as Adam headed into the restaurant. Not knowing what else to do, Kris followed him in.
Samantha and Jared were bubbling with excitement and easily lured the adults into smiling and laughing with them. Kris breathed out gratefully as the mood that seemed to hover over them dissipated as they finished breakfast.
“Okay,” Kris said as he wiped up the mess around Jared’s face. “You, me and Sam are going to beach for a bit, then maybe we’ll take a boat ride, yeah?” He looked around the table and smiled at Adam and Evan before continuing to address the kids. “We’re going to let Adam and Evan enjoy day. I think they need a time-out from you two.”
“Kris…” Adam started to say.
“No, Kris,” Evan chimed in. “We’ll join you at the beach.”
“When are we going to swim with the dolphins?” Jared asked.
Samantha laughed, “You need to learn how to swim first, you dummy.”
Adam blew out a breath, “Wait, Jared doesn’t know how to swim?”
Kris sighed, “No, which is why I don’t understand why you insisted on this trip.”
“You little…” Adam stopped abruptly and laughed. “Oh god, I got...damn” He looked at Samantha and Jared who both had the wherewithal to look embarrassed and scared at the same time. “I got hustled by an eight and ten year-old.”
The chair Kris was sitting in scraped noisily across the tile floor as he got up from the table. He stood over Samantha and Jared to grab their arms. “I think I need to take the kids outside for a bit and have a few words. Excuse us…”
“But, Uncle Kris…” Samantha said, twisting in her seat.
“Kris,” Adam said standing up. “Don’t…”
“Stay out of this, Adam,” Kris ground out quietly, trying not to cause a scene. He clasped his hands in each of the kids’ hands and drew them out of the chairs, making sure not to tug too hard. “Come on, you brats,” he said with a tight smile. “We need to have a small talk.”
Adam stepped up and put his hands on Kris’s shoulders from behind, stopping him. “Really, Kris, it’s okay.”
Lifting his shoulder to signal that Adam should remove his hand, he walked out of the restaurant, Samantha and Jared in tow.
**
Evan and Adam sat at the table in uncomfortable silence. He could’ve kissed Neil when he showed up and offered to take Evan to the North Shore and surf all afternoon, especially since he knew how Neil felt about…well, everything. After checking the suites, Adam searched the property looking for Kris and the kids.
He studied the property map again, wondering where the three of them could have disappeared to. Kris wouldn’t go too far, but he was definitely hiding out with the kids. Now, whether it was because he was yelling at them or trying to avoid Adam because he realized what the kids did…
A sudden burst of laughter caught his attention. It sounded achingly familiar, which was joined by children’s giggling. Adam stepped quietly on the stone trail and headed around the mass of tall bushes to a small inlet. The path turned sandy as it revealed a cozy nook away from the bars, cabanas and pools. Worn wooden beams held several hammocks and swings as palm trees provided cover from the sun.
Adam smiled at what he saw. Kris was lying in one of the giant hammocks with Samantha and Jared on either side of him. Adam stepped back into the shadows so that he could watch them.
“…I really wanted to swim with the dolphins, though,” Jared was saying sleepily.
“I was going to get you swimming lessons this summer, Jared,” Kris scolded, then sighed, “You shouldn’t have done that to Uncle Adam.”
“But it was Sam’s idea!”
“Tattle-tale!” Samantha pouted as she reached over to hit Jared.
The hammock jolted and swung around wildly, enough that Adam almost ran over to help them out before they fell to the ground.
“Hey, hey!” Kris yelped out. “Stop it!” Kris extended his arm over his head to grab the pole and slowed down the swinging. “Enough!” As the kids settled back down, he continued, “Just tell me why you did that to Adam, then you can say sorry when we see him later. Then, I’m going to change our flights so we can go home.”
“Why?” Samantha asked. “I like it here! And even Uncle Neil said you needed a break.”
“Adam and Evan need to have some time together by themselves, that’s why,” Kris explained. “We’re going to pay Adam back, and you two are doing chores at his house to help out.”
“But, Uncle Kris…” Jared whined.
Kris sighed, “Why did you two do this?”
The scowl on Samantha’s face nearly made Adam bark out a laugh. It was a look he’d seen on Kris’s face hundreds of times. Even though they weren’t his biological kids, they were definitely adopting his mannerisms.
“Because,” Samantha said.
“Because why,” Kris pushed.
“He’s not supposed to have a new boyfriend when he has you,” Jared answered. He hid his face into Kris’s side. “He won’t come home and you’ll be sad again.”
“We just wanted you to be happy like when Uncle Adam came back,” Samantha said sadly as she wrapped her arm around Kris’s chest. “This way you can spend time with him. We all can.”
Adam bit his lip. Well shit.
**
Kris closed the door as the last of his guests left. He leaned against the door and looked at the mess in his home. The congratulations party for him and the kids was a great surprise. It was an amazing night and fun to celebrate the finalization of the adoption, but now he was left with the clean up.
Granted, everyone chipped in and the bulk of the mess was taken care of, but the small stuff still remained. He shook his head as he bent down to grab stray wrapping paper and ribbons from the gifts, following a trail of streamers into the family room and kitchen.
“I’ve called in a cleaning service to come in tomorrow afternoon,” Neil said coming down the hallway. “The kids are snoring in the beds, so you have nothing to do except…well…” he looked over at Adam talking with Kris’s mom, Kim, outside.
Kris laughed as he dumped the mass in his hands into a trash bag. “He’s fine, I’m sure my mom is doing all the work.” He turned and stepped up to Neil, pulling him into a hug, “Thank you. Really.”
“What are friends for?” Neil said giving him a squeeze before stepping back. “Though, if I knew Adam would attach himself to you like this, I might have warned you away. Now, you’ve got three kids.”
“I…I like him,” Kris said, suddenly shy.
“Uh-huh,” Neil smirked.
Saved by Adam and Kim walking into the room, Kris bit his lip and went to the sink to wash his hands. Neil and Kim left after Adam offered to help Kris clean a bit more. Kisses and hugs were exchanged as Kris walked them out.
He and Adam had cleaned up the rest of the house quickly. Adam disappeared into the guest bathroom to clean up while Kris used the one in the master bedroom. He changed into an old t-shirt and sleep pants and fell unceremoniously onto the bed, spread out like a starfish on his back.
“Kris,” Adam whined as he flopped onto the bed next to Kris. “Why does life hate me?”
“What are you talking about?” Kris said as he tried to move Adam’s arm and leg off him. “And for fuck’s sake, why do you always land on me? It’s a king-size bed, there’s plenty of room. Is your aim that off?”
“Because I know you’ll always catch me.” Adam changed positions and rolled half his body over Kris’s, pinning him down. “Besides, you’re warm and comfy.”
“Are you drunk?”
“No, but I should be,” Adam groused. He moved until he was able to settle comfortably on Kris’s body, head resting in the nook of his shoulder and chest. He sighed when he felt Kris’s hand run through his hair. “Though, if you keep doing that, I won’t need to drink. I’ll be asleep before you know it.”
Kris laughed softly, “Yeah, let me figure out a way for your liver to thank me.”
“I’m glad you met Neil and became friends,” Adam said sleepily.
“Yeah? Why is that?” Kris asked, scratching Adam’s scalp lightly.
Adam shifted and yawned, “Because I wouldn’t have met you if you didn’t.”
“That’s so sweet.”
Burying his head and tightening his hold on Kris, Adam mumbled, “I wouldn’t have met my best friend and fallen in love.”
**
Kris was trying to figure out why Adam was acting strange around him. He spent the afternoon with the kids in the far end of the property to give Adam and Evan time to be alone. Before dinner, Samantha and Jared stood in front of Adam with their heads bowed to apologize. Adam just smiled and hugged them before disappearing back into his room.
They all had dinner separately, giving each other space. Kris used that time to call the airline, only to find out that he couldn’t change their flight without a substantial fee, which would end up being more than the rest of the hotel stay.
“Okay, new game plan,” Kris said with forced cheerfulness. “Tomorrow, we’ll start Jared’s swimming lessons.”
Neil walked into the room as the squeals and cheers died down.
“Damn, what was that?” he asked. “I could hear you brats all the way down the hall and the elevators.”
“I’m going to swim with dolphins!” Jared squeaked out. He started to twirl around the room until he bumped into Neil. “Sorry, Uncle Neil, but I get to swim with dolphins!”
Neil lifted him up and swung him around, “I thought that’s why we were here.”
Samantha laughed as she fell to the floor, “Uncle Kris is going to teach him how to swim first.”
Kris smiled and shrugged when Neil shot him a questioning glance. “Long story, tell you later if you’re so inclined.”
“Uh, no thanks,” Neil said putting Jared down.
“You okay?” Kris asked. “Haven’t seen you all day.”
“Yeah, just discovering the island and shit,” Neil answered. He looked around, “Adam and Evan out together?”
Kris rubbed the back of his neck, “Not sure, actually. Haven’t seen Evan since breakfast, and we saw Adam for a bit in his room, but don’t know, something’s going on, so we didn’t bother him about dinner.”
“Huh.”
“You know what’s going on?” Kris asked.
Neil shook his head, “No.” He smiled, “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Yeah,” Kris nodded. He looked around the room, lost in thought.
“Hey, so if you want, take a break. I’ll watch the kids and get them to bed.”
“Nah,” Kris exhaled. “It’s okay. You’ve done more than enough.”
“No, seriously,” Neil said pushing Kris towards the door. “Go downstairs and have a drink or three. Relax a bit, flirt, dance, mope, whatever.”
“I don’t…”
Neil opened the door, “I’m kicking you out of the room. You get no say in this. If you’re back before…” he checked his wristwatch, “eleven, you won’t be allowed in.” Neil smirked, “Hell, I’ll just bolt the door behind you and only unlock it five minutes after eleven.”
“You’re an ass,” Kris scowled. “I don’t want to be in the bar drinking by myself.”
With a final shove, Neil stated, “You won’t be alone for long. Go.” And slammed the door in his face.
“Asshole.”
**
“Okay, I’m here reporting for babysitting duty,” Adam said, his arm full of bags. “Oooh, you look nice. Which client are you meeting tonight?”
Kris ran down the hall and returned with trench coat dragging on the floor behind him, “What?” He grabbed the bags from Adam and set them on the table.
“Tonight?” Adam prompted.
“Oh, it’s not…nothing to do with work,” Kris answered, not paying attention. He turned to Samantha and Jared, “Okay, you two. Be good. I should be back in a few hours. Please don’t drive Adam crazy.”
The kids mumbled their good-byes as they continued to play their video game, barely acknowledging Kris as he leaned over to kiss their heads. He turned to Adam, “Thank you so much for this. The sitter had an emergency, and I couldn’t find another at the last minute, and I didn’t…”
“It’s okay,” Adam said grabbing Kris by the shoulders. “Relax.”
Kris blew out a breath, letting his body relax under Adam’s hands. “Seriously, thank you.”
“So, you never answered,” Adam stated. “What’s going on? Why are you all nervous and shit?”
“Oh, uh…” Kris stammered. “I…I’m…”
“Uncle Kris has a date,” Samantha chirped from the sofa. “With a boy!”
Kris blushed as he felt Adam’s eyes on him. “It’s nothing, just dinner.” He stiffened as Adam’s grip on his arm tensed. “Uh, do you think you can let go? I’m going to be late.”
“Oh, sorry,” Adam said, voice tight. He smoothed down the shirtsleeves and didn’t look back at Kris’s face. “Date, huh? That’s great.”
“We’ll see,” Kris replied slowly.
“No, really,” Adam smiled as he pulled Kris into a hug. “You should be getting out there. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
“Just kinda happened,” Kris mumbled as he stepped out of the hug. “I should go.”
“Have fun!”
It sounded fake to Kris’s ears, but he didn’t stop to think about it. He waved and gave Adam a small smile before he walked out the door.
**
The woman warbling out love songs in the lounge was making Kris cringe. Just when he thought it was over and she’d take a break, she broke into another. Instead of feeling longing and heartache, he felt the twinges of a headache coming on. And, the barely touched glass of wine in front of him wasn’t helping.
“Is this seat taken?”
Kris turned his head and looked down the bar at all the empty seats. The man had the greenest eyes. Kris smiled shyly, “Uh, no.” He motioned with his hand, “Please.”
“Grant,” the man said extending his hand.
“Kris,” Kris replied, shaking it. His hand was warm. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’d ask if I could buy you a drink, but your glass is still full,” Grant said, nodding to the wineglass.
Kris chuckled, “Not really in the mood for a drink, but thought I’d need one to sit here.”
“Long day or bad day?” Grant asked as he waved the bartender down. “Either way, you should have something stronger.”
“Neither actually,” Kris laughed. “Just trying to wind down.” He paused, “Two kids and all that comes with it.”
“Ah, yes,” Grant nodded. “A crazy day.”
Kris barked out a small laugh, “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Well, then,” Grant said raising his tumbler. “Here’s to relaxing.”
Kris lifted his wine glass and clinked it to Grant’s, “To relaxing.”
**
Two days of fake smiles and avoidance. That was the easiest way for Adam to get through the rest of the week. Unfortunately, he couldn’t spend all his time in the suite, what, with Neil being a bigger asshole than usual by pushing the kids on him. They both knew Adam could never say no to them, despite the fact they were spawns of Satan. And being with them normally wouldn’t have been a problem if he wasn’t trying to stare at Kris in his swim trunks, tan and shirtless and smiling guilelessly.
If he thought he was being tortured during the day, the evenings were even worse, especially after the kids were put to bed and the four adults hung out in the living room area of Kris and Neil’s suite. Kris would change into a t-shirt and sleep shorts, put on his glasses and just look so relaxed and blissful. Adam couldn’t come up with any excuse to beg off.
Even Evan was being a bitch, making sure they all spent time together. “You’re a great guy, but you know as well as I do that this isn’t working,” he said. “I think you’re still in love with him, and I don’t want to be in the way. Neil and I talked while we were hanging out, and I understand now. So, I’m here to make sure you don’t make a big mistake. I see it...we all see it. It hurts me to see that you don’t.”
Fuck Neil and fuck Evan. And, fuck that guy who was flirting with Kris at the bar. Oh, and while he was at it, fuck Kris for…well, everything.
The only thing that put a smile on his face was Jared holding onto his hand like a lifeline as they went to the water park this morning to finally swim with the dolphins. He had been so excited and proud of himself that he learned how to swim enough to do this. However, as the moment approached, he let go of Kris’s hand and instead attached himself to Adam. He lifted the boy up and held him tight as Jared’s little body shook with fear and excitement.
“You can do it, buddy,” Adam murmured into Jared’s hair. “You wanted to do this, remember?”
Jared just nodded and squeezed his arms around Adam’s neck tighter.
The unadulterated glee on Jared’s face made Adam smile. Samantha and Jared were squealing and laughing in the water as they played with the dolphins, petting and swimming and feed them. The morning had been perfect.
He smiled again as he pictured the morning in his head while staring out at the sun setting along the beach.
“Uncle Adam!” Jared cried out as he ran through the lobby and slammed himself into Adam’s legs. “Come on! Uncle Neil got us cupcakes!” He pulled at Adam’s linen pants, but Adam couldn’t make himself care about the wrinkles. “Uncle Kris said we could have them after we eat, so we’re eating now. Come on! Come on!”
“Okay, okay,” Adam laughed, pulling Jared up in his arms again. “Let’s go.”
**
After dinner and one cupcake each, the kids knocked out. Neil and Evan mentioned something about sunset surfing and disappeared, while Kris went to the bathroom to change and take out his contacts. He thought he would be alone when he came out, but was surprised to see Adam standing on the balcony.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were on the verge of losing your boyfriend to Neil,” Kris said with a forced laugh. He went through the living room area picking up clothes and towels that were strewn about.
“Huh?” Adam turned around. “What? Sorry.”
“You okay? You’ve been…I don’t know…acting weird,” Kris asked. “Did the kids do something? Did I do something? Because if I did, I’m sorry…”
“No. No, nothing like that,” Adam sighed. He waved a hand and bent down to pick up a small t-shirt. “I’m just…I don’t know.”
“You know you can talk to me, right?”
Adam stopped short as he glanced up at Kris. He paused, then blurted out, “Evan’s going home tomorrow,” and quickly walked past Kris to put the shirt on the back of a chair.
“Uh…wow,” Kris said. He couldn’t move from his spot on the floor. “I mean, we’re only here for a few more days. I’m sorry…that sucks. How…um, why…”
“I don’t really want to get into it.” Adam took the pink box off the credenza and headed back to the main sitting area. He hovered behind Kris, “Come on, let’s have the rest of these cupcakes.”
Kris cleared his throat and forced himself not to lean back into Adam. “You don’t eat cupcakes, though,” Kris argued.
“Can’t be all that bad seeing how Sam and Jared nearly killed the lot of us to get to them,” Adam said setting the box down. He reached up to grab Kris’s arm and yanked him down onto the couch.
“It’s just the sugar,” Kris answered lamely, letting Adam sit him down. “They eat just about anything that’s sweet and looks like Crayola vomited over it.”
“Will it help if I imitate Jared? Come on, come on!” Adam said excitedly bouncing on the couch, then laughed. “They shouldn’t go to waste.”
**
Adam knew he should look away, but it was like...it was dirty and hot and…
It was obscene the way Kris was playing with the cupcake in his hand. Adam shifted on the couch as subtly as possible, back digging into the armrest. He barely resisted palming himself to ease some pressure.
The sun was setting, and now the soft rays of light were glowing behind Kris’s head, highlighting his tan. His dark-rimmed glasses made his cheekbones stand out starkly and sat crookedly on his face when he had reached up to scratch behind his ears trying to decide on which cupcake to choose.
Adam moved his attention back to Kris’s finger slowly swirling through the pink frosting, then followed its path as Kris put it into his mouth, lips sliding over the finger, traces of the white and pink sugar concoction left behind as he pulled his finger back out. His tongue slipped out, gliding along the digit up and down, from base to tip, licking away the last of the sugary mixture.
“…they already want pictures and called me a fail…a fail for not having video of…” Kris paused. “Adam? Are you…” he asked. “Adam?” he inquired louder.
“Huh? What?” Adam replied finally looking up from Kris’s mouth to meet his eyes. He tried to scoot back further on the couch, away from Kris when he realized Kris moved forward. A warm hand landed on Adam’s knee. “Uh…what? Yeah?” Adam stammered.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” Adam squeaked out. “What time is it?” he asked, looking frantically around the room. “It’s getting late, right? I should get going.”
Kris reached out with his other hand and grabbed Adam’s hand, the one on Adam’s knee moved up slowly, pressing down on his thigh. “What’s going on with you?”
“Kris…”
“What, Adam? What’s going on?”
Adam slumped down, bowing his head. “I can’t…” Adam whispered.
“Can’t what?” Kris repeated softly. He shuffled even closer, closing the space between them. He rose up on his knees and carefully peeled Adam’s fingers from gripping the seams of the couch. “Can’t do this?” He asked as he placed a soft kiss on Adam’s lips.
It was so light that Adam might have thought that he imagined it if he had closed his eyes. Instead, his vision was filled with Kris’s face.
“Kris…what are you doing?” Adam breathed out against Kris’s lips. His fingers were loose in Kris’s hands.
Kris smiled and kissed the corner of Adam’s mouth. “I’ve been told that I’m a dumbass, and that I should do something instead of pining away or moping away like a pathetic shithead.”
“Yeah?” Adam finally smiled.
Removing his hands from Kris’s, one gripped Kris’s waist and pulled him closer so they were chest to chest, while the other cupped Kris’s face. He gently removed Kris’s glasses and stretched out to slide them across the coffee table. Lifting his head, he kissed Kris again, relishing the moan Kris released from the back of his throat.
Adam pushed back so he was lying on top of Kris, hands roaming over his body, tugging at the t-shirt so he could feel Kris’s skin. He pulled back, panting heavily. “Remind me to thank Neil for being an interfering, meddling jackass.”
**
Neil opened the door quietly and tiptoed into the suite. The sight in front of him made him stop and grin.
Adam and Kris were asleep on the couch, legs tangled. One of Adam’s hands was under Kris’s shirt while the other pillowed Kris’s head. Kris’s arm was wrapped around Adam’s waist, as if he wanted to make sure Adam didn’t disappear, the other at Adam’s chest, near the heart.
As silently as he could, Neil grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and placed it on them. He lowered the lights around the suite and shook his head as he headed to his room.
He stopped at the door and smiled. “About fucking time, you idiots,” he whispered.
~ the | end ~