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When Adaasped and alhed and slid his hands up Nick’s chest, ether He kissed the back of Nick’s neck, breathing along the skin there "You wereNick crazy, standing there like that When Ada the skin below his rib cage, Nick shivered

"I wasn’t sure what you wanted," Nick aded

Then his hand tightened on Nick’s waist roughly, jerking him close Very close "Any question now?"

Nick blushed so hard he was glad he was looking away He shook his head

Adas out of his hands, sla theone from his voice "I think that’s part of the proble the heat on the stove "You’re so damn worried about what everyone else wants Well, you knohat, Nick? You’re going to disappoint people sometioing to get over it or they’re not If they don’t, it sucks But it’s not going to kill the to kill you" He poured the hot chocolate into the s, then slammed the saucepan back onto a cool burner "In fact, if you askoverdue for some disappointment"

Nick flinched

Adaerator and shook it like hearound to make sure people approve of the choices you e letters That’s why you’ve got a house full of brothers who didn’t have a clue about what you wanted That’s why--"

Nick shoved hierator and kissed hiht, but he kissed hi Nick’s intensity The can of whipped creaht his wrists and broke the kiss, pinning Adaerator with hands and body He could feel everything, but he wasn’t blushing now

Adam’s eyes were heavy with desire, butcahten you," Nick said, his voice low Despite Ada what he wanted, there were real stakes here He softened his hold on Ada in to kiss his cheek, the edge of his jaw, using his teeth to nip at the sensitive skin below his ear

Adam’s breath shuddered "I like it," he whispered, so softly that Nickthe sound to his ears

Nick hesitated, the warm skin of Adaet an answer, he drew back

The first night Adaht him here, Nick had followed instincts and pressed Adam down on the couch Adam had called a stop to it--for understandable reasons--but what had he said?

You’re strong I’

Nick searched his face He took a chance He seized Adaed him "Come on"

When they made it to the shadowed cavern of Ada the darkness in around theing it over his head

Then he shoved Ada back He let his hands explore, pinning Ada Adaain, Nick gentled his touch and leaned close to whisper "You’ll tell h?"

"You proht his face in his hands and kissed him "Yes Yes, I proain, his brain whispered I will never hurt you again

"Then keep going," said Ada

And Adaht peeking through the blinds and Adam’s breath on his neck A muscled arm lay across his bare chest The air was full of warmth and comfort and satisfaction

He didn’t want toto have to

He eased out fro across the sheets as silently as he was able He grabbed his jeans fro the air to trap any noise in here with him

Nick wished for a toothbrush and a razor, butcold water on his face for good measure

Then he studied himself in the h it, trying to make it less of a mess Useless His cheek sported the bare reether by to at his face et the hell out of this bathroom

Nick eased the door open and found Adam still asleep, in exactly the sa, unruly hair drifting across his forehead Nick wanted to curl up next to him and watch him sleep, but he didn’t want to live up to the creepy freak moniker that closely

Nick snatched his T-shirt fro the door almost closed behind him

The clock on Adam’s microwave revealed that it was barely past seven--still early, especially on a Saturday And now that he was out here, he wasn’t sure what to do No phone, no car--

not that he had anywhere to go No television, even

He s fro the with the saucepan Then he poked around long enough to find coffee filters and a bag of grounds He worried that his banging around would wake Adam, but the air still felt heavy with sleep

And now that the breas dripping, Nick felt aard, like maybe he shouldn’t be out here alone What if Adas? What if he didn’t want coffee? What if he didn’t--

Nick mentally smacked himself He needed to turn his brain off

But he couldn’t shake the uncertainty, so he stepped through the sliding door onto Adam’s back patio The air was just this side of too cool, but Nick didn’t ainst his skin

The rear of Adae pond surrounded by a split rail fence, backed by a row of pine trees A finean ethereal quality to thethe other side of those trees, but it must have been too early for e of the concrete porch, putting his feet in the grass Dew grabbed his feet i the air draw threads of power todrift and sway

And of course,in front of the café, fierce and terrifying, his eyes dark and his hands in fists You don’t have to hold him