#peakvic

Adam gently cups Matt's face, smiling warmly, his freckles standing out with the help of the lamp on their night stand. He then places a kiss on Matt's forehead, then the nose, and then finally those lovely lips. Adam places both of his hands where Matt could see them, perfectly in view.

‘You sure you want to do this?’ Adam signs intimately, the smile on his lips refusing to fade away.

Matt responds with a nod, and licks his lips and closes his eyes for a moment. He takes a slow breath, and then loosens his shoulders.

Adam places his hands against his lover's chest, lightly grazing against chest hairs. Matt grins sheepishly, and tries to maintain eye contact with Adam. Matt lifts himself up, his hands situated onto Adam’s sides, and pushes his lower half closer to Adam’s. The fabric of their boxers now touch, just barely, as Adam is helplessly beginning to throb.

The weight upon him causes Adam to sigh, and slides his hands down Matt’s chest. His thumbs press down onto Matt’s sensitive torso, sending shivers to and from the two. Matt reacts to the loving touches by gripping a little more tightly on Adam, trying to hold himself down as his thighs twitch slightly. His lips quiver, but he then bites down on them, as if to stop sound from coming out of his mouth.

It was always enjoyable for Adam to give what Matt wanted, even when Matt didn’t know what he wanted for sure. He loved everything about his hushed partner; the times when Matt was cold and rushed to Adam for warmth, the moments they spoke instead of using sign, the silence filled with tender touches instead of any other movements. What Matt lacked in words, he mastered in gestures.

Matt lifts his left pointer finger up slightly, and presses the tip of it on Adam's waist. He begins to trace four letters onto the skin, over and over again, a bit faster each time.

A-D-A-M. A-D-A-M.

Adam hums the moment he understands what Matt is trying to do, and then reaches his hands further down, now caressing the very bottom of Matt's back, just a mere few inches above his butt. He gently presses his bulge against Matt’s, the texture of his boxers adding heat and uncomfort. Adam closes his eyes, trying to block out the mild sting of his underwear.

Noticing the tension building up, Matt decides to take his right hand and then takes a hold of the rim of Adam's boxers. He tugs once, indicating that he wants them taken off. Matt could feel his cheeks turning red as he feels Adam's hands leave the space they occupied and teasingly work their way onto Adam's hips. He tucks his thumbs under the waistband, then deliberately slows the process down, pushing down only a bit before stopping for a moment, then continuing. Matt lifted himself up, putting his weight on the lower half of his legs, and begins to also take off his boxers.

The two observe each other in awe. Adam's jaw is slightly open as he watches the body hairs of his partner become a bit denser as the boxers work their way down, to Matt's knees. Adam admires the now exposed lower half, as Matt's cock now pulsates needily; he momentarily surrenders to his thoughts, and gives a small thrust forward. Matt lets a whimper escape, and then completely takes off his boxers. Adam hums, and then caresses Matt's inner thighs. He could feel Matt shiver from his touch, but he still faces against the relentless silence. Damn mouth is agape but yet no sound. He knew his lover, internally, begged for more, he just needed to give more loving before he could really see Matt unravel before him. He watches Matt return to his previous position, those familiar hands returning to their spot on his waist, his twitching member waiting patiently.

Adam returns the favor, after a few moments of being dazed, with one hand removing his underwear, and the other pulling his cock out with almost no hesitation. He only pushes his down to his knees, before taking his free hand and lovingly wraps his hand around Matt's cock. Adam lets go of his own, and puts his other hand in Matt's field of vision.

R-e-a-d-y.

Adam fingerspells the word one more time, and then traces a question mark onto the air.

Matt's eyelids flutter, and he then nods. Slow pumps of Adam's hand begin to take up Matt's thoughts, as Adam reaches out for the lube and condoms he prepared earlier on the night stand.

Any and all movement ceases, as Adam pours a good amount of lube to slick himself up, putting it on his fingers first. He draws Matt's attention back to reality as he rubs the length of his finger against the crack of Matt's ass, teasing as he passes along his ever desperate entrance. Matt nods his head, despite already having agreed earlier, and loosens up his back a little.

Adam slips in one finger effortlessly, as Matt finally breaks his facade, throwing his head back, and letting out a long, low groan. With ease, Matt takes in Adam's whole middle finger. Adam only has the mere thought of fingering Matt, and already Matt has built up his impatience, in that he seems to be pushing himself up and down Adam's finger. Adam helps Matt keep balance by positioning his free hand under, to support Matt's ass. He adds one more finger, and the response is of more audible pleasure. Matt moans, his volume now uncontrollable, as Adam sustains the pace, his two fingers following the natural curve of Matt, he stops briefly at his deepest point in, and curls his fingers.

“Adam…” Matt shivers, the croak his voice unexpected. His mouth now refuses to shut, as if intoxicated from Adam's presence. He wants to beg for more. His voice needed to come out, for all of him to be his. Any less self control and Matt would gladly curse under his breath.

Adam smacks his lips together, his thoughts a little fuzzy. It was evident that Matt’s cock grew since Adam began fingering him; what was previously held almost horizontal by Matt's blood rushing down to his crotch, now has since perked up, as Adam could see the traces of Matt's nerves on the underside. He snaps himself out of his stare, and gently pulls out his fingers. His lover groans, and retracts even slower, elongating the pleasant sounds emitting from that rarely used voice. Adam wanted to get the most out of it while he still could.

Adam cleans his fingers with the shirt next to the two, one he was wearing before. He takes a deep breath, and withdraws his other hand off of Matt. He rests his hands right above his bellybutton, and allows Matt to do as he pleases.

Their weights shift around, as Matt lifts himself up using his thighs, and carefully repositions his lower torso, hovering right above Adam. Matt looks down, watching his own hand move about, gets a hold of Adam's member, and softly grazes the rather eager tip against his asshole.

Adam darts his hand onto his cock, overlapping Matt's hand partially, and holds it in place. Matt lifts his head up and looks at Adam for any indications of discomfort. Adam eyes the lube, and then at his own cock. Matt then makes an o-shape with his mouth. Both Adam and Matt let go, and Adam again reaches for the condom and lube. He takes a few minutes to properly put a condom on; he then takes the lube, pops it open, giving himself a sufficient amount before closing the lid down. He slicks up his cock, partially thrusting into his hand rather than his hand doing all the work. Adam moans as quietly as possible, as to not surprise Matt on the sound. His hand finally pulls away, and Matt begins to pant in anticipation.

“Adam...can I?” Matt squeaks out, his tongue slightly hanging out of his mouth. His lover nods, and with that, he begins to push himself down onto Adam's cock. His fingers resist the urge to clasp onto the skin any deeper, as it might start to hurt Adam.

A long, breathy groan slips out of Matt's mouth, as he could feel Adam throb and twitch within him. He finally bottoms out, and takes a deep breath. Adam takes the opportunity to put his lubed up hand and begin to give Matt a very slow, but firm, handjob. Matt lifts his hands, and takes a few moments to think, before continuing.

‘I want this slow, please. Make sure I don't lose balance. Also, this particular position will tire me out, so be prepared to switch positions when I look uneasy,’ Matt explains, his hands more shaky than usual. He signs the word ‘will’ once more to emphasize his expression.

Having a plan before they go any further reassured Matt, and that he wanted for him and his partner to enjoy this. Better than having to interrupt it all just to frantically sign something. Adam replies with a sly but reassuring grin along with a rough pump up and down Matt's shaft.

“Adam!” Matt whimpers lustfully, as he tries to figure out what speed he wants to go on. His hips move almost automatically, slightly guiding Adam around inside in a near-perfect circular motion.

He goes on to ride Adam, his hands comfortably back in their intended places. He tightens around his lover, and then teases the tip with the pressure intentionally. Matt bucks forward as he takes in all of Adam once more, only causing more pleasure to hit him, as Adam's hand is still is giving a loving massage, after all.

Adam sighs happily, seeing his boyfriend immersed in the pleasure. He gently squeezes down on Matt's cock, genuinely curious as to how Matt will react. Matt bites his lips, the bit of grip tempting to thrust into. His willpower, however, resists, and continues on to thrust Adam’s cock as far in as he can manage. Adam pumps steadily, and places his other hand to massage Matt’s inner thigh, gently, almost excruciatingly slowly inching inwards. Matt can’t help but to stick his tongue out a little and begin to pant, as he quickens his pace.

“Babe...take your time…” Adam whispers, pressing his thumb down a bit on Matt’s skin. Matt nods, and pauses for a moment. He takes a few deep breaths in, and then stays put.

Adam’s face lights up, which Matt notices, and tilts his head in response. He lets go of Matt’s cock, and then shifts his hands onto Matt’s waist. He passionately lifts him up, off of his cock, and lets him sit in the space between his legs. Matt signs a question mark.

‘Lay down,’ Adam replies, perhaps coming out as an order almost, as he gets up off of the bed, and puts himself in a kneeling position. To him, Matt began to look tired, and therefore takes initiative to offer a break from that position. He idly touches himself, as Matt lays back, putting his head onto the nearest pillow, relaxing his shoulders and loosening up his thigh muscles.

Adam moves his legs to the side, tales his condom off, and seductively looks to Matt, who is visually curious. He licks his lips, and kisses Matt on the stomach a few times. He begins to leave a trail of kisses, busying his hands by holding Matt’s sides, working towards the pelvic region. Matt refuses to take his eyes off of his lover, his hands aching to run it through Adam’s hair. However, he is worried more about not being gentle enough with his caress, and so decides to be still. Matt wants to say something, at least to assure his boyfriend he’s doing so well, but Adam has closed his eyes, at least for a moment, to leave a kiss on the tip of Matt’s cock.

Matt gasps, as he watches Adam take in half of his member into his mouth seamlessly. Adam’s tongue circles around, as he sucks firmly, but not roughly. Matt grabs onto the sheets, and attempts to keep his legs still, and thus removing his words from his hands, while Adam run his tongue against the slit of Matt’s tip. After a few more teases of the tip, Adam pushes himself down more, taking in most of Matt’s length. In response, Matt’s toes curl, and the grip on the sheets only intensify. One of Adam’s hands now gently handles Matt’s balls, massaging along with the bobs of his head, while the other works to tease and finger Matt’s eager asshole. Matt holds his breath, as if talking would ruin the moment, and without holding onto the sheet, his hands would be out of control, seeking out to touch Adam.

With a soft plop, Adam pulls himself away and then crawls up to kiss Matt. Adam smiles, and runs his hand across Matt’s hair. He leaves a kiss on his partner’s forehead before propping himself up, and goes to look for the lube within the ruffles of their blankets. Matt understands the implication through the body language, and brings up his lower half off of the bed, supporting himself by placing his feet flat against the bed, his legs ready to wrap around Adam. He would sign to Adam, though, if he wasn’t turned away at the moment.

Adam puts on a second condom, then applies some more lube on himself, and uses the extra on Matt’s cock. He returns to his comfortable spot with the stunning view of Matt. He lifts Matt up a little more, and brings him closer. He presses his tip against Matt’s entrance, avoiding the desire to thrust in all at once. Once his tip enters, he moves his hands right above Matt’s shoulders, and continues to push himself in. Matt wraps his legs around Adam’s lower torso, while his hands land on Adam’s upper back.

Matt decides traces on Adam’s back once more.

P-L-E-A-S-E. P-L-E--

His traces are interrupted by a sudden thrust, making Matt moan the rest of the word out. Adam begins to mouth a word, but stops himself and stares at Matt. His mouth is left half open, observing the silent neediness of his lover. Matt pouts a little, his gaze a bit dream-like. Then, a a small smile emerges, as Matt pulls Adam closer, not only to lock lips, but also let Adam know to thrust even deeper.

“Matt,” Adam groans out. They were just beginning again and already he feels like he is getting close. Matt also looks as if he wanted to as well, but didn't want their session to end. He arches his back, as Adam thrusts in a perfect rhythm, his abdomen gaining heat quickly.

Adam resists collapsing right on Matt, but manages to get low enough to nuzzle his nose into the soft, short locks of hair, as well as the prickly facial hair. He inhales sharply, and begins to thrust in faster. His gut begins to ache in an unexplainable way, while Matt could only process so much of the movements, and didn't even seem to notice his fingers tracing nonsense on Adam's back.

“Adam….I…” Matt mumbles, his breaths turning into longer and longer moans. His throat hangs on to the last sound, and Matt falls into temptation. Matt takes his right hand off of Adam's back to jerk himself off, to the same rhythm Adam is on.

Adam hums, as his body gives in.

“Matt…!” he yells, his cock twitching wildly as he came inside Matt. Adam grunts a few times, staying still as his body parts begin to ache all at once. Matt thrusts upwards from the warm fluid filling him, pumping furiously, and causing Adam to moan more from the sudden sensitivity.

“Adam…” Matt follows shortly after, his cum shooting up onto Adam's hips, and then onto himself afterwards. He gulps, as he slows down, letting go of Adam, and adjusting his legs back to a more comfortable place.

Adam pulls out of Matt slowly, the two both heaving and sweating. Matt lay motionless on the bed, his eyes fluttering, and heart beginning to slow down. Adam gets himself together, and decides to fetch towels to clean themselves of with.

Matt's body ached for more, but could no longer spend any more energy, as he turns to his side, and reaches for a pillow to cuddle after he cleans up. Adam returns, and sees his cute boyfriend stretching out his legs and arms. He climbs onto the bed, and hands Matt a warm, wet towel.

‘Thank you so much for tonight,’ Matt signs, then begins to rub the towel on himself.

“Oh no...thank you,” Adam responds, placing a gentle kiss on Matt's shoulder. “I love you.”

A slam interrupts the silence of the living room, the coffee table shaking a little bit. Matt adjusts his two hoodies, and the sweatpants he's wearing rubs against Adam’s soft carpet. Matt was most comfortable in Adam’s clothes, since his shirts were too big, and Matt loves that. Matt his beard in confusion, and looks up back at Adam. A storm was looming over, quite unfortunate that the power went out. Adam was forced to clean up his tiny shelf holding number of board games, and to pick one, as it was Matt’s request.

‘What is this? ’ Matt signs, then gestures Adam to sit next to him. Adam shakes his head in response, Matt frowns, and places his hands under the table.

He signs something Adam does not see. Adam tries to look under, and gets a bit frustrated. Matt smiles, then he sheepishly looks away. The rain, despite rough it is, calms Matt. He imagines kissing Adam under an umbrella as they take a stroll. Matt likes the more cloudy days than Adam, who preferred sunnier days where they could maybe play sports or exercise together every now and again.

Adam disrupts the moment by loudly tapping down on the table. His fingers start hurting before getting the attention of Matt.

‘What did you sign ?’ Adam asks, then begins to prepare the board, coughing a little at the collected dust over the years.

Matt places his hands on the table, observing all the little intricate board designs and pieces.

‘This game looks interesting, as always. ’ Matt clarifies, as he picks up a yellowed instruction booklet. 'You always choose a good one from our little pile.' Adam nods, and begins to set up the pieces. They both enjoy this game, but Matt moreso than Adam. There have been one too many instances where Matt preferred board games over video games, and over time Adam got used to it. The board game is simply Battleship.

‘I kind of wish it wasn't raining, ’ Adam stops signing for a second, and sighs. He looks out of the window, watching the rain fall rather violently. ‘We could be playing some baseball. ’ The thunder is soft against the walls and windows of Adam’s home, but the rain remains relentless.

Matt shrugs, and begins to place his little ships onto the pegs, thinking tactically. Adam's style, usually, was to check the middle of the board and spread out as circularly as possible. Matt picked up Adam’s tricks quickly, and Adam is close to figuring out Matt’s strategy. Nowadays, winning was purely based on luck, not tactic. Both seem to sway to improving their tactics. Or they could perhaps just start playing with others instead of consistently going head to head.

‘You first, ’ Adam points out, as he finalizes the last location of his ship. He tinkers with the red and white pieces, as Matt looks over what to hit first. Adam is the kind to hide a couple of his ships on the very edges of the map; the rest evenly spaced out within the middle.

‘F1, ’ Matt signs, as he observes Adam’s body movements, as well as his facial expressions. His eyebrows raise, as he notices Adam breathing out of his mouth more than usual. Matt found it odd how Adam even opened his mouth, as if sound were to come out.

Adam and Matt never talked to anyone. Strangers, friends, coworkers, and even some family members were all treated the same, meeting their shut mouths but quick hands. Every now and again a sound would come out, but no real words. Matt notices Adam's odd behavior of almost speaking for the first time. He fixes his hoodie again, playing with the strings. Adam sticks his tongue out.

‘Hit, ’ Adam signs, as he places a red peg marker on his 5-hit ship.

Matt nods his head in confidence. He points to Adam, signifying it is his turn now.

‘G3, ’ Adam chooses, after giving it much consideration. He tensing up, his legs and feet practically glued onto the carpet, unmoving. He stares into Matt's eyes. The response he receives is a shake of Matt’s head.

‘Miss. ’ Adam could feel the word slow and heavy against Matt’s gesture. It drags him down a little, as he settles in a white peg on his board.

The other turns pass by rather quickly, with Matt taking down Adam's first ship successfully, and Adam missing 3 or his 4 shots. Every miss signed by Matt made Adam furrow his eyebrows and scrunch up his freckled nose. His white pegs sort of mocked him, as he swears that Matt's usual tactics were not present, or even if it is being used at all. Matt preferred sticking his ships more inwardly, with only one near the side of the board. Adam only manage to hit one due to pure chance.

‘I’ve been unlucky, goddamn, ’ Adam complains, as Matt ends up hitting another one of his ships.

‘I’m sorry, ’ Matt apologizes then frowns. ‘We don't have to play if you don't want to. ’

Matt places both of his hands onto the top half of the small plastic casing, slowly pushing it inwards, signifying a concede or draw for the game.

“Don’t--” Adam gets up off the carpet, then stops. A crash of thunder and lightning interrupts Adam, both of them in astonishment. Adam screams in fright, the unexpected loudness forcing his vocal cords to make sound, while Matt sits back, afraid of both the lightning and hearing Adam’s voice for the first time. Matt is silent during the entire time.

‘Did you just talk? ’ Matt questions, taking time to sign each word carefully. Adam says nor signs anything back. His head lays low, forehead against his Battleship board, and eyes cast down. He has never disappointed Matt before, or betrayed him. Signing to each other was the one intimate thing that kept them tied when in public, it made them stand out but also kept their conversations hidden. Speaking up, in front of Matt out of all people, makes Adam’s stomach twist and pull in painful but indescribable ways.

Matt taps the table, trying to get Adam’s attention, of which Adam ignores. After a minute, Matt stops tapping. Adam is sniffling, and still hasn't looked up. Sighing, Matt closes both of their game cases, but remains on his side of the table. He then sighs, then sucks in a bit of air. Heart pounding, thoughts begin to spin around in Matt's head.

“Adam, it's okay,” Matt speaks softly, his voice resonating to Adam's core. Adam opens his eyes, and wipes his face with his hands. He looks up, seeing a nervously smiling Matt, who is shifting ever so closely toward him, going around the table. Adam grins widely, his cheeks flushing, as he closes the gap between the two.

‘You talked, ’ Adam signs, as Matt chuckles lightly then nods.

‘So did you. ’ Matt gives a small kiss on the cheek. He hopes it is enough to assure Adam. ‘You have a nice voice. ’

The fact that Matt never rushed things made Adam melt every time. He could literally wait entire decades for Adam, all that mattered was that they were both happy. Adam nuzzles against Matt, the warmth of his lover taking the edge of his embarrassment. Their fingers intertwine, no longer minding the storm outside. They felt safe together.

Slivers of sunlight break through the blinds on the window, as the neighborhood begins to wake for a brand new day. Birds start harmonizing, and cars start moving along, up and down the street. The blanket rustles at movement in the bed. Matt gently nuzzles his face into Adam’s neck, making barely audible noises in the process. Adam’s arm lays on top of Matt’s side, his hand resting on Matt’s upper back, his lips soft against Matt’s forehead.

Adam bleps.

Even when asleep, Adam stuck out his tongue a little every now and again. Matt has his own little habit of talking in his sleep. Neither ever managed to wake the other in the middle of the night, but they absolutely woke each other up often as it neared dawn. This is one of the more unfortunate times Adam wakes up Matt.

Matt groans, as he stretches out his arms and legs. In a bit of a daze, he is instantly confused by the rather burly figure caressing him. He twitches his nose, itchy from nuzzling into the beard, and then pulls away a little. He brings up his hand to wipe away the wetness of his forehead.

“Adam?” he murmurs. There is no response, but as Matt’s vision clears, he confirms that it is indeed Adam in front of him. Matt raises his head a little, inspecting the room for a clock, or his phone. He fails to find either, but takes note of all the clothes on the floor.

“Did I…Did we…?” Matt asks to himself, taking off his portion of the blanket. He had one of Adam’s shirt on, but he still had on his own boxers at least. He then recalls how unbearably humid the room got late last night, and rummaged Adam’s closet in search for cooler clothing. Other than that, the rest of Adam’s house remained clean. All of the clothes on the floor belonged only to Matt, and he sighs in relief. Last night’s little movie night with Adam was a date, and only a date.

Matt begins to get up off the bed, when Adam starts to wake up as well.

“Matt…” Adam calls out, his arm reaching out lazily.

Matt faces Adam, and runs his fingers through his hair, hoping to tidy it up. He raises his eyebrows at Adam, to which Adam whimpers in response. Matt yawns, stretching more, shaking the morning vigor to all the half-asleep parts. Completely awake, he gets up off the bed.

“No, wait…” Adam speaks up again, rubbing his eyes. “Come cuddle more.”

“But…work,” Matt counters, helplessly smiling at his adorable partner. Adam spreads his arms wide, waiting patiently. Matt shakes his head.

“Okay, a couple of minutes,” Matt gives in, as he climbs back into bed. Adam grins triumphantly, and then gives Matt a soft kiss on the lips. Adam then tightens his embrace, as Matt tries to make his arms comfortable.

“I love you,” Adam says sweetly.

“I love you too, but we’re gonna be late for work,” Matt chuckles, gently poking Adam in the stomach.

“Come on, Matt, don’t you like relaxing on the bed?” Adam asks, petting Matt’s loose brown locks.

“Okay, okay, I’ll get up,” Adam whines, as Matt gets up off the bed for a second time.Matt  picks up his clothes from the floor. His phone drops from one of his hoodie’s pockets.

“Ah, that’s where it is,” Matt reacts, picking it up. He neatly folds the clothes and stacks them on Adam’s bedside table. Both Adam and Matt make their way out of the bedroom. Matt heads to the bathroom, Adam close behind him. “D'you have a toothbrush I can borrow?” Matt points to the lone brush on top of a turned over cup. Adams hums inquisitively, as he opens up his little medicine cabinet. Adam successfully retrieves an unused toothbrush, and hands it over to Matt. Matt nods, and Adam closes the cabinet, giving a warm smile. After both brushing their teeth and sharing a small mirror to do so, both Adam and Matt make their way to the kitchen.

“Maybe I can make us waffles, those are easy to make,” Matt suggests, noticing the waffle maker stowed in one of the cabinets.

“No,” Adam replies.

“Why not?”

“Because nothing is as sweet as you,” Adam points finger guns at Matt. He also adds in a wink.

Matt shakes his head. “Fine. Cereal it is…If I could find it.”

Adam instantly finds the cereal box, and also gets two bowls, two spoons, and his carton of milk. Matt sits across from Adam, pulling his bowl closer. Adam pours the cereal for both of them, then the milk.

“Thanks, babe,” Matt acknowledges, then begins to eat. Adam attempts to fix his hair with his left hand nonchalantly. “How was your sleep, lovely?” Adam asks, his mouth crunching down. “Good. I don’t remember having any dreams though.” Matt stares at his cereal, letting it soak in the milk. “You?” “I dreamt about us getting trapped in the room. The only way out was to watch crappy movies,” Adam snickers. His cereal was already halfway done. “Oh, because we had movie night last night?” Matt ponders, finally taking a second bite. Then, a phone goes off. Matt recognizes the little sound bit. He gets up, and takes a look. His screen had only one notification up. “Someone texting me? This early in the morni–” He opens up his messenger app, cutting himself off to read what he was sent. “ hey you should be at work by now! you alright pal? ” he reads, his voice still with no emotional inflection. “It’s Bruce. He thinks I’m sick or something,” Matt manages to finish his sentence. “Aw. He cares about you,” Adam remarks, finished with his breakfast, getting up to wash his bowl. “Too bad you’re my boyfriend.” Matt smirks and rolls his eyes. “ be there soon. @ adam’s house,” he slowly reads back to himself, but also to Adam.

“Wait, why are you telling him you’re at my house? We never mentioned–” Adam’s brain freezes for a split second, realizing the major mistake Matt made.

“Oh…oops,” the smaller man shrugs, trying to look away at Adam. Bruce was the type to gossip, whether it was really true or not. James and him would spread it all around the office nonstop, causing both fake and genuine anger looming over the office. Adam crosses his arms, appearing disgruntled. Matt stares back blankly, as a message notification pops up.

“Matt, please. Don’t indulge their stupid imaginations,” Adam comments, picking up the clothes on the little table. He picks a hoodie from the stack. Both Matt and Adam owned a Funhaus zip up hood, but Adam assumes that the very one in his hands are his. One sleeve after another, Adam’s rather buff arms get outlined by the stretched fabric. He decides to not zip it up. The remaining clothes, on the other hand, he places back. A small hum in contentment leave Adam’s lips despite the size miscalculation of the hoodie. "We should get going,” Matt recommends, as he washes his now empty bowl clean. Suddenly, he looks down to inspect himself. “But we should put some pants on first.”

{ … }

Adam and Matt finally make it to the Funhaus office, coming in at the same time, as Bruce and James look at them oddly. The two were giggling like middle school girls, as they circle Matt and Adam. Lawrence watch the four in silence, scratching his head. Personal space didn’t seem to exist, as James places his hands on Adam’s shoulders.

“You guys are late! I wonder what happened…” Bruce nudges Adam, his eyebrows raising up and down. Bruce mouths things at him, but Adam didn’t bother to observe it.

“Yeah, I’m guessing you’ve hit your Peake , Adam?” James adds, looking over at his pun’s victim.

Adam sighs deeply, then seats himself on his office space, James and Bruce still hovering over. A gasp escapes one of them, as Adam’s monitors turn on.

“Oh! I see you have him as your desktop now too, hm?” Bruce jokes, as it was his idea to change Adam’s desktop from pictures of space to screencaps of Matt’s appearances in their Open Haus series. James laughs at this spectacle, despite knowing about the prank.

Lawrence takes a few glimpses to see what exactly is going on, apart the usual shenanigans James and Bruce are up to. They never bother Adam outside of recording videos, so this was different and intriguing.

“What? You’re even wearing one of his hoodies! You have never worn a hoodie like this before!” Bruce exclaims, now running to Matt’s office space, while James idiotically laughs some more.

“And ha! Peake’s got on one of Adam’s shirts!” The pointlessness of the conversation drags on, as Adam and Matt begin to tune the idiots out. Lawrence shakes his head, and gets the attention of Bruce and James by gesturing them to get closer. The three start talking, as Bruce leans against Lawrence’s chair. Adam gets up from his chair and walks over to Matt, trying not to get noticed by the two human equivalents of vultures.

“This is gonna be a long day,” Adam murmurs to Matt, then facepalms.

“Sorry I messed this all up,” Matt frowns a little.

“No no, it’s okay. Are you coming back to my place again after?” Adam gently places his hand on Matt’s cheek.

“listen, adam,” bruce begins, using his demanding tone, “you’re going out. not because we hate you; james and i love you. we do.”

“then why are you making me go out?” adam counters, raising an eyebrow bruce’s way.

they’re sitting around in adam’s apartment and it’s almost 10pm, which is about the time that adam usually goes to bed. but bruce and james have different plans for him. they’re trying to get him to go out to the bar, which adam feels like he hasn’t done in ages and still doesn’t feel the urge to do so.

“because school starts soon for eliza and we know that you’ve been wracking your brain about it, so we want to help you relax a little bit,” bruce explains. he’s sitting on the other side of adam’s couch while james is in the lounge chair, watching their interaction with a smirk. he decided to let bruce take the reins on this one, but adam knows that goddamn smirk and that it’s just going to get him into trouble. “it’s not going to kill you to come out for some drinks with your best friends, is it?”

adam shrugs. “i have beer in the fridge, we can just stay here.”

at this point, bruce has given up. he throws his hands in the air and dramatically falls back into the couch. “i can’t do it! james, you take over, he’s not budgin’!”

both james and adam shake their heads at the same time, although james is still wearing a smile on his face as he leans his elbows on his knees and looks at adam. “can you please come out with us?” he asks. “it’ll only be a couple hours, it won’t be as terrible as you think, and we promise to get you home at a reasonable time, even if it is a saturday night.”

adam fiddles with the hem of his t-shirt, letting the idea roll around in his brain. yeah, it is saturday night, but he has things to do tomorrow; he has to clean the apartment, do all of the laundry, make sure all of eliza’s things are ready for her first day of school, but it’s no secret that bruce is right. adam has been freaking out about bringing his daughter to school since her mom said that he could and he just doesn’t want to mess anything up. yes, her first day of school isn’t for another week and a half, but he has to be prepared.

the silence drags on as adam continues to toss the idea around in his head and it’s like bruce was holding his breath until adam finally decides to answer, “yeah, alright, i’ll go.”

//

before they left, adam made his friends promise him that he wouldn’t get drunk. he doesn’t need to get drunk, there’s no point, he’s got things to do tomorrow. he trusts bruce and james.

in hindsight, maybe he shouldn’t have trusted them so much as they coherced him into having ‘one more shot, kovic, c'mon, have fun with your friends!’

so now adam’s kind of drunk. great.

but he can’t deny that he’s having a good time. the bar they’re at is pretty crowded, but still casual and low key enough that he doesn’t feel stifled to impress anyone around him. it’s mostly just him, bruce and james bullshitting together, cracking jokes back and forth as they order beer after beer, sometimes cycling shots in the mix. but still, regardless of the fact that he’s drunk (which he aggressively denies when james give him a look, that famous smirk that usually gets them all into trouble), adam’s having fun with his friends and he’s glad that they went out.

“m'gonna get another beer,” adam announces, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the bar. “you guys need anything?”

both bruce and james shake their head before continuing their conversation, something about weekend at bernie’s that james is trying to explain a scene of and bruce is doing everything in his power to steer the conversation anywhere else. adam leaves the table to head over to the bar, which has way more people standing around than sitting.

he’s patient, stands behind a couple of people until they get their drinks and he can get his. adam drums his fingers on his legs and mindlessly looks around, but suddenly he’s being pushed forward with some yelling near his ear. both of his hands reach in front of him to steady himself on the person he bumped into while turning around and glaring at the drunk assholes who are trying to move through the bar area.

“yeah, excuse you!” adam yells over their grand entrance, even though it goes easily unnoticed. he takes a deep breath before remembering that, shit, he’s touching someone, and when he brings his attention to them, well, he’s looking right at adam. “shit, sorry,” he quickly apologizes, dropping his hands from the guy’s shoulders. “i wasn’t trying–i’m sorry, those guys kind of pushed me and i had nowhere else to go but forward? so…”

adam trails off with not much else to say, but when he gets a good look at this guy, his throat goes dry anyway. he’s… handsome. there’s no better word for it. great beard–a little thick, but not too much, wide, bright eyes, short, semi-curly hair and a smile so soft and gentle that it makes adam sober up, if only a little bit.

when the guy goes to open his mouth to speak, someone else wraps his arms around his shoulder, leaning heavily on him. “oh, don’t you worry about that,” he waves off, “peake certainly doesn’t mind a hot guy like you up against his back like that, right?” this guy has a wide, sharp grin and dark curls, light eyes and intricate eyebrows that waggle when he looks at adam.

‘peake,’ as adam’s been sort of introduced to him, flushes immediately as he elbows his friend in the side. “christ, joel, can you not?” he pleads, looking at his friend. joel’s forwardness makes even adam blush, rubbing his cheek to hopefully hide any redness that may show.

“c'mon! be friendly!” joel insists, “this guy clearly wants you to buy him a drink.”

adam’s eyes widen. “what? no! i never–”

“see?” joel says, completely ignoring adam, “he’s begging for it. you better give him some attention, peake, he might throw himself at you.”

“listen, i don’t need anyone to–”

joel groans, tossing his hands up. “oh my god, fine, he’ll buy you a drink so you guys can talk! jeez! and i’ll leave already!” the look 'peake’ is giving his friend is near deadly, but it doesn’t seem to phase joel as he grabs his own drink and practically disappears into the crowd.

which leaves adam and…

“my name’s matt,” he says, ducking his head for a moment. adam watches his shoulders rise and fall, as if he’s prepping himself to continue this conversation. he looks back at adam when he continues to talk, “my last name is peake, so, y'know, i get that a lot. matt peake or just peake.”

“oh,” adam nods, slipping his hands into his pockets to avoid doing anything embarrassing with them. “uh, well, i’m adam. kovic.” he clears his throat because there’s, like, a lump in it or something, he’s not nervous or anything like that. “uh, sometimes my friends call me kovic. but not a lot. so it’s mostly adam.”

“oh,” matt repeats, nodding as well. but he’s smiling and it makes adam smile, too. it’s a little calming to see that he’s kind of nervous, as well, but that may just be because his friend forced him into talking to a stranger that he probably has no interest in speaking to. and adam’s about to excuse himself, try a different part of the bar where he’s not bothering this poor guy before matt says, “so… can i buy you that drink?”

adam’s almost stuck, frozen in his place as matt stares expectantly at him, one eyebrow raised high. but the sounds all rush back into his ears and he blinks, shifting from one foot to the other. “i.. i mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. i don’t want you to feel obligated because your friend bullied you into a conversation with me.”

matt lets out a laugh and it’s short but it’s sweet and adam wants to make him laugh again. “he didn’t bully me into talking to you. i’d like to buy you a drink and i’d like to keep talking to you, if that’s okay.”

for someone who seems so shy and quiet, he’s smooth and quick, which is the complete opposite of adam and everything that he encompasses. but he nods and smiles wide, which matt mimics before turning back to the bar to get the bartender’s attention.

adam doesn’t know how long they talk for, but he knows it’s long enough for them to move to a more quiet, secluded area of the bar, in a hallway kind of near the bathrooms. that’s where they meet each other’s friends; bruce heads towards the toilets, but comes to a dramatic halt when he sees adam talking to a guy he doesn’t know. adam does some hasty introducing and gives bruce the gritted teeth comment of, “don’t you have to go to the bathroom?” just so bruce keeps it moving and doesn’t embarrass him in front of matt. unfortunately, matt also has the pleasure of meeting james, who just so happens to have to go to the bathroom about fifteen seconds after bruce had left. james keeps it short, but he pats adam on the back and gives him a wink.

joel comes around again, tugging along another one of matt’s friends who’s introduced to adam as lawrence. lawrence has thick-rimmed glasses, a welcoming smile, and is quite talkative, but joel excuses the two of them hurriedly after matt’s quick answers of joel’s “so what'cha talkin’ about?“s and "how’s it goin’?"s were getting shorter and shorter.

it’s getting later, much later than adam expected to stay out, but fuck, he likes talking to matt. they have so many of the same interests and hobbies and it’s great. he’s funny, but in his own tone that he’s sure many people wouldn’t understand, but their humor is similar, too, and adam finds himself enjoying this night more and more. (of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt that matt’s hard to look away from. even in the dark hall of a bar, he glows.)

adam’s had enough beers and shots to know that matt is attractive–more than just attractive, but. but adam hasn’t really, well, hooked up with anyone in a while. there was a guy back when he would visit some friends in austin, but that trip is too sparing that they couldn’t make it work. and he’s so busy with eliza that he just hasn’t had the time to even think about something like that. but matt is… matt’s fun and funny and handsome and adam can feel it, can feel the hole he’s digging himself into.

"this is nice,” adam states, sort of out of the blue. matt’s standing in front of him while adam leans back against a wall, one foot kicked up. it’s almost closing time and they’re both holding empty pint glasses, but adam’s focus is switching from matt’s fingers that are messing with the strings of his hoodie to the smile he always sends adam’s way that makes his stomach flutter. he doesn’t remember the last time he felt like this and he’s not sure if it’s good or bad.

“what’s nice?” matt asks, tilting his head as he rocks back and forth on his feet.

adam shrugs. “this. talking to you. meeting you. it was, it was nice meeting you,” he finally explains, although he lets out a soft chuckle at his own stupidity. “god, i’m bad at this. i’m dumb, sorry.”

“hey, don’t be sorry,” matt insists. “this is nice. i like this, talking to you. you’re nice to talk to.”

“i like talking to you, too,” adam says, his voice a little smaller than before. he feels like he’s confessed about something more than just their conversation, but he’s got just enough beer and liquor in him to maintain eye contact with matt.

matt, who–if adam isn’t crazy–is taking small, but slow steps closer to him. adam’s foot drags down the wall until it’s flat on the floor and matt hasn’t broken their gaze either and it’s when adam finally feels his lips being covered in what can only be described as warmth is when he closes his eyes.

he reaches out with the hand that’s not holding the empty pint glass to grab the nearest part of matt he can reach, which happens to be his hoodie. his fingers tighten in their hold and their lips don’t move for a moment or two and fuck, adam doesn’t know what to do or say and this has all gone to shit already.

matt only moves away for a second before their mouths are pressed together again and he’s at an angle and god, this is better, this is so much better as adam melts into the kiss. his eyes are shut tight but their lips move against each other slowly and smoothly and of course matt kisses just the way he talks–calm and smooth and relaxed.

adam doesn’t know how long they kissed, but when matt pulls away and adam can feel him taking a step back, he knows it wasn’t long enough. but he reliquishes his hold on his sweater and opens his eyes to meet matt’s, which are as bright as they were before. “that was nice, too,” matt tells him, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

it makes adam laugh and there’s a weight off of his shoulders but it feels really good. this feels good. it feels nice. “it was,” adam nods in agreement, licking his bottom lip.

the lights start to go up and people are starting to leave and matt doesn’t run away at the first sight of adam under actual lights. in fact, he does the exact opposite.

“we can… keep going, if you don’t mind,” he lightly suggests. “my place isn’t far.” and adam has to give him credit because it looks so seamless, so easy to say this for matt, when adam knows that he, personally, would be shitting himself to even suggest something like this. but it makes his part much easier because all he has to do is agree and he so wants to agree.

“yeah, we can do that,” adam answers, trying to keep his voice calm and not shaky (he doesn’t remember the last time he was so damn nervous around a guy, but it’s quite obvious that matt’s really not just a guy).

matt grins wide, tries to bite his lip to hide it but he can’t and neither can adam as he mirrors his smile.

“alright, let’s go.” matt holds out his hand.

//

Bruce - 1:27amkooooviiiicc, where are youuu?

Bruce - 1:29amare you doin the dirty in the bathroom with your new friend??

Adam - 1:42amstaying out with matt - text you tmrw

Bruce - 1:43amGET IT KOVIC!!!!!

Bruce - 1:43amyou better tell james and i everything!!!! every detail!!! take a picture!!!

Adam - 2:01amfuck off. thanks for taking me out tonight. definitely needed it

Bruce - 2:03am;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

//

“alright, are you ready?” adam asks, kneeling down to be eye-level with eliza as they stand outside her classroom.

the first day of kindergarten is probably terrifying–actually, every first day of school is terrifying, but this day is particularly rough for the both of them. for adam, it means his little girl is growing up, getting an education and becoming bigger and better than she already is. he may be more nervous than she is, but he can’t let her see that. no, he’s got to be strong, supportive dad, although he wants to sweep her back up in his arms and never let go.

eliza’s playing with her backpack straps, a sort of worried look on her face, but she’s smiling. “i think so,” she says, bouncing on her feet. adam can’t hold back his smile because he’s truly got the cutest, most perfect daughter in the world.

“you’ll be fine, sweetie, i promise,” adam tells her, kissing her forehead. there are parents and children around, some of them saying bye for now and others trying to say bye. unfortunately, many parents and children aren’t having the easiest time. “c'mon, let’s go meet your teacher and then you can start your very first day.”

adam stands back up and takes eliza’s hand in his before they head into the open door. there are more children around, coloring and chatting loudly as they do, while some more parents mill about talking to each other. there’s a small group of adults by the front desk, where adam assumes the teacher is somewhere, but he can feel eliza tugging on his hand.

“what’s up, baby?” he asks, looking down at her.

“can i go color? please?” she asks, looking back at him with pleading eyes.

he smiles and lets go of her hand, but runs a hand over her head for a moment and nodding. “yeah, go ahead. just be polite if you need to ask for some crayons or paper, okay?”

eliza barely gives him a nod before she’s off in a flash, crowding around some other children who are already coloring. she’s always been chatty, so she has no problem starting a conversation with the kids and adam watches her easily fit in. for that, he’s more than thankful.

adam’s eyes are on his daughter, so he doesn’t notice anyone in front of him until he hears a familiar voice, “adam?”

his head whips over and in front him stands matt, matt peake, wearing a button-up shirt that’s tucked into his dark pants and nice shoes and he’s standing right in front of him. “matt?”

god, he hasn’t seen matt since… well, since their little hook-up. it was only about two weeks ago, but they’ve both been so busy in their own personal lives that they haven’t had a chance to meet up again. they exchanged numbers, but their texting is spare and half of the time, adam’s afraid to initiate the first text in fear of saying something stupid, so he usually avoids it altogether.

but matt’s standing right here, in his daughter’s school and he’s all dressed up and what the hell is he doing here. “why… what…” adam tries, although nothing comes out well enough.

“this, um, this is my class,” matt tells him, hands gripping into fists at his sides. his face, although still a little surprised, is mostly unreadable and adam doesn’t like it. he’s used to matt’s sweet, soft expressions, to the faces he made when he was kissing adam’s body, when he was on top of him, when he– “what are you doing here?” matt asks.

even though it’s a question, matt asks him in a way that he knows exactly why adam’s here. his eyes immediately go to eliza and matt’s gaze follows, and when eliza notices, she waves from her spot at one of the tables. even in this terrible situation, adam can’t not smile at his daughter and wave back.

the thing is, he obviously didn’t tell matt about having a daughter. that’s not something you really do when you hook up with someone. and it’s not that he didn’t want to because he did, but he figured it would take time, time for matt to realize that adam likes him, that he’s not seeing anyone else, that he wants to spend more and more time with him. but now he’s here. and he fucked it up.

“that’s my daughter,” adam says, pointing over to the table. her brown hair is in braids that her mother did last night before dropping her off at adam’s since he’s hopeless and doesn’t know how to make it look nice. “it’s her first day of school, so…”

“she’s cute,” matt tells him. “looks a lot like you.”

when adam looks back at matt, he’s already looking at him. he’s smiling, but it’s not as big as it was a couple weeks ago and adam’s preparing himself for the rejection of a lifetime.

“so,” matt starts, “you’re not… married, are you?”

“no, god,” adam breathes out air he didn’t know he was holding in.

“are you seeing anyone?” matt questions, to which adam shakes his head in response. “is her… mom still around?”

adam nods, licking his lips nervously. “yeah, we’re–we were never married. but we’re not together anymore. but, y'know, we’re still close because–because of eliza. and it’s good, we’re… we’re good. i guess.”

matt nods and begins to unclench his hands, wiping them on the sides of his pants. “so you’re single?”

“completely and utterly alone.”

a laugh falls from matt’s lips and it relaxes adam because maybe, just maybe, he didn’t completely ruin this. “well, that’s good to hear,” matt says. “so would it be possible to maybe get coffee or lunch together one day?”

“that would be very possible,” adam tells him, biting the inside of his cheek.

nodding once more, matt’s shoulders fall a bit and he gives adam a smile that’s been burned into adam’s brain for weeks. “that’ll be nice,” matt comments, his smile growing.

“Can’t sleep?” He hummed in response. He hadn’t realisedMatt was awake. Matt turned to face him, tired eyes looking blearily up atAdam. Adam smiled down at him, leaning down to captures his lip in a gentlekiss.

“I love you.” Matt smiled back at him, Adam heart stillskipping a beat whenever he sees it.

“I love you too.”

Adam moved so he was laying back down. They laid face toface, legs entwining under the sheets. Adam could feel Matt’s breath on hisface they were so close. He sighed happily.

“Matt.”

“Hmm.”

“I love you.”

“You already said that.”

“I know, just wanted to say it again.” Matt chuckled.

“I love you too.”

Adam wanted to say everything in that moment, everything hefelt, how much Matt meant to him, how happy he was that Matt was here in thisbed with him. How he still couldn’t believe his luck that Matt loved him. But Adamhad never been the most articulate of people. He wished that he could find thewords that accurately expressed everything that he wanted to say to Matt, thenagain he wasn’t even sure such words existed.

So instead he kissed him. He kissed his forehead, kissed hischeek, his nose (which earned him a breathy chuckle) and finally his lips. Thekiss was deep, Adam hoping that all his thoughts, his feelings, his love weretranslated through this simple act. They parted, forehead touching against eachother, Adam brought his hand up to caress Matt’s cheek. The warm smile on Matt’sface was beautiful, somewhere in the back of his mind Adam felt that Matt knew.He knew what Adam was saying with that kiss. Peake always knew.

“Never change Peake.”

In the end Adam didn’t need to find the words, Matt hadalways known. He had known when they finally got together after years ofdancing around it. He had known back at Inside Gaming where the subtle looksand the lingering touches becoming a near every day occurrence.  Hell he had even known during College, fromthe late night conversations, the deep brown eyes that would lock with his toooften to be coincidental. Matt didn’t need Adam to say it, he felt it and he wouldn’thave it any other way.

The first two days were spent ignoring it, getting on withhis life and pushing the emptiness to the back of his mind. He didn't talkabout it to anyone, even when they asked he just shrugged them off and they lethim. He did his work, socialised with his friends and did all the sameactivities he did every day. But the emptiness could only be held back for solong.  

Day 3 was spent in his bed, not moving for anything. Theemptiness now taking the form of sadness. He stared at the ceiling for hoursupon end before decided the ceiling had been studied enough and then studiedthe wall instead. Food and water was brought to him thanks to caring crewmembers but it was barely touched.

Day 4 was a day of anger. It burst out of him like fire,consuming and burning everything in his path. Picture frames smashed, mirrorsshattered. Doors slammed, screaming, shouting, cursing heard throughout thepenthouse. When the penthouse had taken all it could, all the possessionssmashed, all the residents hidden away from the rampaging anger then it wastime to turn to the city. His favourite pistol tucked into his jeans, one oftheir spare cars absent from its normal space in the garage. Reports ofgunshots, explosions and chaos occupied the news station for hours. At the endof all, when the anger and rage had washed away, when the exhaustion set inAdam watched the car burn on the side of Chiliad, flames dancing, smokedispersing into the atmosphere and the soft crackling of the paint bubbling, ofthe plastic burning.

Day 5 was spent apologising half-heartedly to the crew,spent apathetically cleaning up the mess he had made and spent in an uneasysilence. It was much like day 3 expect he refused to step into the bedroom,instead spending his time in the kitchen, the living room. Everywhere else butthe bedroom. Day 5 could also be referred to as the day Adam gave up. The dayAdam resigned himself to the fact he was gone.

Day 6 was the day the rest of them snapped. The day whereJames sped off on his bike, helmet hiding the determined scowl etched into hisfeatures. Lawrence disappeared as well returning hours later smelling of cheapliquor. The faraway smell of smoke escaping from Sean’s room. The coddling fromElyse, her constant hovering around Adam. Playing Halo just to try to draw aconversation from him not bothering to hide her disappointment when she failed.Bruce left for several hours in the evening, coming home with bruised andbroken knuckles. Joel locked himself away, the muffled sound of music and itcan be guaranteed that his stash will be several lines lighter by the end ofthe evening. Adam witnessed the crew falling to pieces around him. He knew heshould do something, be there for them, act like a leader but he couldn’t. Theemptiness wrapped tight around his mind, his body. Constricting him. Consuminghim.

Now here Adam was on day 7, out on the balcony with a packof cigarettes that was getting lighter and lighter. Smoke one, stub it out andrepeat. Hands gripped onto the railing tightly to stop the shaking. His phoneleft forgotten on the kitchen counter. No one approached him, he coulddistantly hear members of his crew, his family, going about their days behindhim. James still hadn’t returned. Adam should probably be concerned, shouldprobably check his phone. Maybe even call him but instead here he was half apack of cigarettes down with the sun setting on the horizon, casting the citybelow him in an orange glow.

The sound of the front door opening didn’t concern him,remaining unmoving but the sound of glass shattering broke through hisself-absorbed haze. Turning towards to living room his hand clenched around thecigarette packing as his eyes took in the scene in front of him.

There stood fucking Matt Peake. The man who disappeared off7 days prior, the source of the damning emptiness that had swallowed up Adam’smind and heart. There he fucking was, glaring at James who had his arm in adeath grip. Joel in the kitchen, the remains of a glass shattered around him,left forgotten as his eyes flickered from James to Matt to Adam and back toMatt. The atmosphere incredibly tense as Adam stared at the man who left him, leftthem without so much as a goodbye.

Once the initial shock had worn off Adam took a stepforward. Then another. The steps echoed in the quiet room, Matt abandoned hisstaring match with James, shoulders tensing up further as Adam drew closer andcloser to the pair.

Adam didn’t look at James as he spoke. “James, leave us.”James barely got two words into a rebuttal before the glare from Adam shut himup. With one final glare at Matt he let go of his arms, him and Joel wanderingdown the hallway. Adam waited until he heard the click of a door shut beforeturning to Matt.

“You left.” Matt didn’t answer. “I woke up and you weregone.” Nothing. “You just fucking left.”

Matt was finally looking at him now but his silence wasdeafening. He finally comes back and he has nothing to say. Adam wanted topunch the man, break his nose, spill some blood but what good would that do.

“Do you even realise how much that fucking hurt? To find yougone with no note, no text. If you wanted to leave Peake then a note would havebeen nice. It’s a common fucking curtesy.”

“I know.” His voice barely more than a whisper. His tonebetraying his as usual stony facial expression.

“If you want to just fucking go, then go right now. I’mgiving you the chance to leave, no questions asked. Just walk out that door nowPeake.”

Peake frowned, his façade slipping as Adam watched theflicker of hurt in his eyes.

“No.”

“Why not, you left before? Why is it different now Matt? It’spretty fucking obvious that you didn’t come back of your own will.” Adamcrossed his arms. He couldn’t help the venom in his voice. Channelling hisemotions into anger rather than having an actual break down in front of theman. He wanted to, he wanted to scream, to cry, to punch Matt in his stupidface. Matt seemed conflicted, words never came easily to him especially attimes like this. Adam waited, waited for Matt to turn and walk out of the door,out of their lives and out of his. He waited and waited but it never came.

Instead he got a quiet whisper. “I can’t.” Adam was about toask what exactly it was that Matt couldn’t do but Matt beat him to it. “I can’tleave. I thought I could but I can’t. I was wrong.”

“Wrong about what exactly? I still don’t know why you didit.”

Matt shrugged. “I was scared.” The statement echoed inAdam’s mind. Scared. He was scared. Scared of what. It wasn’t until Matt wasanswering him that he realised he was said it out loud. “Scared of us Adam.When I came here, when you hired me I was only supposed to be your sniper. Inever meant to get this close. You guys were never supposed to become myfriends, you were never supposed to more than my boss but things changed. Youguys drew me in, you drew me in. I found myself wanting to spend more timearound you, be with you. Then we started whatever it is between us. I was neversupposed to get this involved.” Adam stood shocked. Whatever it was he wasn’texpecting Matt to open up so much, usually a man of few words but here he wasspilling thoughts and feelings. “I was never supposed to fall for you.”

“So you left.” Matt sighed and nodded. He ran his fingersthrough his hair.

“It was too much, it kind of hit me all at once and I didn’tknow how to handle it. I’ve never let anybody get so close to me like you do,I’ve never had someone like you in my life and it scared me so I ran. I ranaway from it. I thought it would be easy, that I could forget and move on butthen James found me. I didn’t hide myself well, didn’t drop off the radar asmuch as I should have. I’m not sure I really wanted to. He was pissed, startedshouting at me and dragged me back here. “

“So what you’re telling me is you figured out that you loveme, freaked out and ran away.”

“Basically.”

“You’re a fucking idiot.”

“I know” Adam sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Heshould still be mad, he was still mad but Matt was here now, he was standingright in front of him. Matt eyed Adam warily. Having never been in a situationlike this he didn’t really know what the social protocol was, should he saysomething or just wait? He elected on waiting mostly because that involved himstaying quiet, already have spoken more than he had in the past week. It wasthe most he had ever talked about his feelings. Matt had been in plenty of dangeroussituations, some harrowing positions but never had he felt as vulnerable as hedoes in this moment.

“Do you want to stay?” Matt nodded. “What about us, do youwant to be with me? Properly this time, not whatever confusing mess we werebefore.”

“Yes. I do. Do you still want me?” Matt spoke the last partof the sentence sheepishly, not bothering to mask the worried anticipation hefelt. Nervous for Adam’s answer, nervous about how he had fucked up, fucked upso badly that he wasn’t sure what Adam even wanted him anymore.

Adam’s eyes softened. It was rare to see Matt like this. Theonly times he ever came close to seeing Matt like this, nervous, scared, hurtwas the nights after a heist gone wrong, the nights after one of their own hadhad a close call, a bullet that strayed too close to being fatal. Those nightsstill didn’t compare to seeing Matt’s face so openly exhibiting his emotions.No mask, no stoic face hiding turmoil and fear, completely and unabashedlybaring his emotions for Adam to see. He took a step towards Peake, closing thegap between them.

Wrapping his arms around Matt he whispered. “Of course I do.”He both felt and heard the sigh of relief. Matt slowly brought his arms up toreturn the embrace. Adam brought his lips to connect with Peake’s own, the kissbringing him back home. The apartment finally feeling like home again as theyslowly moved their lips against each other. They broke apart with soft smiles.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Look I don’t want you to spend the next few weeksapologising to me all the time. I’m not going to lie to you Matt, I’m stillhurt and it’s probably going to take some time but we’ll work through it. I’mpretty sure we’ve been through worse. It hurts but I’m not mad anymore” Mattchuckled. “Oh, but I can’t speak for the rest of the crew, have fun dealingwith that one.”