FicWad

Chapter Three

That next day, Miles slipped into Adam's office looking hesitant almost, peering in passed the door as if waiting for permission to enter. In all honestly, Adam was rather embarrassed by his behavior the night before, but he wasn't too concerned about having to confront Miles.

"How're you feeling?"

Adam put his pen down and leaned back into his seat. He woke up a few hours ago with a headache, for obvious reason, but not much else; no nausea or vomiting, at least. "Better," the blond replied. It was the truth. He felt worse when he woke up, but the hot shower and the few Ibuprofen helped a little.

"You went all out there. It wasn't like you," Miles said, chuckling a little. While Adam had gotten out of control every once and a while, he was never a big drinker; not like that.

"Yeah…"

"…Guess you were a little too excited to be back home?" Miles suggested. As far as he knew, that could've been the reason. It seemed a bit deeper than that, though.

The exchange was becoming increasingly awkward; even Adam could not convince himself of a solid reason. "Guess so." He gave a half-hearted smile, knowing full well that Miles could read him if he tried. The brunet moved in closer, up to the desk to lean in.

"Is everything alright? You've only been back for a few days…"

"Yeah," Adam nodded, his brow furrowed a bit. It seemed more like he was trying to convince himself. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

There was that look in his eyes, that brief but unmistakable glimmer. "Alright," Miles said, sighing. He thought he would give it one last try. "You can always talk to me, you know. If there's something wrong…"

"Everything is fine."

"Okay." The brunet raised his hands, feigning defeat—for now. "I just wanted to make sure before we have to go into that meeting. I don't want you feeling lousy. You need to be on your game, you know."

"I'm okay," Adam assured him, but he knew that was just an attempt to get Miles off his back. This time, he smiled with a little more enthusiasm; if it was all he could do for the moment. Adam stood from behind the desk, grabbing what he would need. Their clients were expected to be there soon.

For the moment, Miles kept off the subject. He knew Adam well enough to know when to back off and respected the man's privacy. The two of them made their way down the hall. Miles was on about Alison and something about dinner soon, but Adam could hardly think straight; his mind was elsewhere. They rounded the corner headed for the elevator, but before they could even get halfway down the hall, a familiar face appeared. Almost immediately, Adam's heart jumped into his throat; his face reddened at the sight of Ben.

"Well, if it isn't the wonder twins."

"Morning to you, too," Miles shot back, giving the brit a grin. Ben then turned his attention on Adam, eying him up and down and then back to Miles.

"Do you mind if I borrow him for a minute?"

Miles gave Adam a questionable look, but the brunet nodded eventually. "Yeah, just bring him back in one piece." He might have suspected something was going on if he had any reason to, but maybe Ben just had something to say that might have been forgotten the night before. With a smile, the brit led them off somewhere with a little more privacy, an area of the studio that wasn't occupied yet. Ben shut the door behind them and then moved to lean against one of the tables.

"I see you're looking well. Did you enjoy your bottle of rum last night?"

"I don't recall ever drinking any rum," Adam snapped; his sarcasm duly noted. "But yes, thank you."

"You know, you're being awfully rude to the man who got you home safely."

"I didn't ask you to do that."

"Believe it or not, it wasn't just you I was thinking of. I couldn't have asked Miles drag your ass home when his fiancée was on her way."

"Thank you, then," Adam said, hoping to move the conversation along. "Can I go to my meeting now?" He wasn't in the mood for this and he had very little time to get much deeper.

"You know, I don't quite know what I did to deserve this kind of treatment, but I don't like it."

The blond said nothing. He was just being defensive for fear that Ben would catch on; one of his more unpleasant qualities.

"I think I deserve an explanation." Ben crossed his arms. He was standing in the way of the door.

Still nothing. That infuriated him.

Only a few moments of silence passed before the brit sighed and uncrossed his arm. It felt like an eternity. "Fine then," Ben huffed, "I won't keep you."

With permission to leave, Adam, finally, moved towards the door. He brushed passed the brit, only to be grabbed firmly by the arm and yanked, coming face to face with Ben.

"Do you really expect me to let you off so easily?"

Adam opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off.

"If there's something I did or said to deserve this, I would like to know."

"…You didn't do anything," the blond told him.

"Then why the attitude?"

Silence fell over the room again as Ben stared hard into those eyes. Adam couldn't think. He wished he could have been honest, but this wasn't Ben's problem. Before he even had a chance to respond, the door opened behind them and Miles came in, taken aback to find Adam in Ben's grip.

"What's going on?"

Adam took his chance and shrugged out of the grasp, fixing his sleeve with the shrug of his shoulder. "Nothing," the blond replied, shooting Ben a bit of a glare. He moved out of the room, passed Miles who didn't run out right away.

"What was that all about?" Miles wondered, scurrying to catch up. Adam had not expected Ben to confront him like that or even catch on to his awkward behavior; a stupid mistake on his part. Unlike Miles, the brit didn't care to respect privacy when it dealt with him. He'd always been a rather inquisitive person and lacking in social courtesies at times.

"Just forget it." It was the only answer Adam could come up. Whether Miles had it in him or not to pry made no difference. They had little time to discuss it.

-

From: Miles

Up for dinner tonight? Alison has some free time. She was wondering if we could schedule something for later.

Received:
Monday, April 21 4:14 PM

~

From: Adam

Sure.

Received:
Monday, April 21 4:29 PM

~

From: Miles

How does 7:00-ish sound? There's an Italian place that just opened up—Milano's.

Received:
Monday, April 21 4:40 PM

~

From: Adam

I'll be there.

Received:
Monday, April 21 4:41 PM

Adam tossed his phone onto the desk and leaned back in the chair; his chin rested in his hand propped against the armrest. He'd been expecting this, to finally meet the woman that Miles was to marry, but he did not expect it to happen so soon.

The rest of the day went by painfully slow. As best he could, he avoided having to run into or see Ben. After their exchange earlier, Ben was the last person he wanted to see. He knew, unfortunately, that he could not keep doing that for much longer; not when they worked so closely.

He finished late on purpose and found a different route out of the building when it was time to leave. Adam stayed a bit longer just to kill some time before dinner. Truth be told, he was not looking forward to it. In fact, he was scared shitless. He hadn't even met this woman and still she was a frightening thing to think about. Getting through dinner without incident would be an absolute miracle.

Before he knew it, the cab had pulled up to the restaurant. Adam, after shelling out the fair, scurried up onto the curb and into the restaurant, out of the cold. Immediately, as he came through the door, he spotted Miles.

"You made it," the brunet said, smiling.

"Yeah." Adam slipped his gloves off. "Where is Alison?"

"Oh. She just called to tell me she's on her way. Traffic is horrible and her cab is stuck." That was alright. It would give him a little time to get a hold of himself. "Why don't we go to the bar?" He had no arguments. Adam trailed behind Miles and took a seat on the empty stool next to him. He got something a lot less toxic and went easy on it, not wanting a repeat of last night. Miles did the same.

"So tell me…" the brunet began and took a sip at his drink. "What was going on between you and Ben earlier?"

Adam nearly choked on his drink. He set it down and coughed a little, swallowing to help coax the liquid that went down roughly. It wasn't like Miles to pry, though he had been guilty of doing it in the past. Normally, Miles would just be there when Adam wanted to divulge in his deepest, darkest secrets. He wasn't a very nosy person and the question took Adam off guard.

"It was nothing…"

"Oh, please. Nothing," Miles echoed and laughed. "That was not nothing. He looked pretty pissed at you. What happened last night?"

Knowing he could at least get by on claiming stupidity, Adam opted for that. "I don't know," he said, shrugging. He really didn't remember what was said; not specifically, anyway. Just that his coat was off and in the closet along with his shoes. Most of the night had been a complete haze.

"Maybe you said something?"

"Maybe…"

"What was he talking to you about then? What did he say?"

Adam did not offer a quick answer. He gave a bit of a shrug, not knowing if he wanted to try even. The night, undoubtedly, would be stressful enough.

"You really don't remember what happened when he took you home?" Miles wondered. "I mean, sure you were trashed, but it didn't seem that bad." The blond wished for an interruption, something that would take the attention off of him—anything. "It's not like you guys were ever really close, but that was nice what he did. He insisted on taking you home."

"Hey!" a voice interrupted. Miles seemed to recognize it and spun around, accepting the hand that slipped over his shoulder and the woman who kissed him on his cheek. "Sorry I'm late," she said.

Miles slipped an arm around her waste, pulling her close. "Hey." He gave the woman a smirk and then looked to Adam. "This is Alison—Alison, Adam."

Her light strawberry blonde hair went just passed her shoulders, curled slightly at the ends. Eyes a sort of dark green, sharp and lined with liner stared back at him. Alison smiled brightly, holding out a polished, silky smooth hand which Adam accepted and shook gently. "It is so nice to finally meet you. Miles goes on and on."

"Does he now?" Adam took back his hand. It sort of stung a little. Miles just grinned a little and rolled his eyes. "It's nice to finally meet you, too."

"Well," Alison sighed, looking to her fiancée, "I would have been here sooner, but my meeting ran a little longer than expected. Then the cab driver took the wrong way and we got stuck in traffic."

"Don't worry about it," Miles told her as he stood from his seat. "Let's go get a table?"

~

"I heard you were promoted. Congratulations," Alison said and jabbed at the crouton in the middle of her salad.

"Thank you," Adam said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, draping it back over his lap.

"So you were transferred to London? It's really nice over there, apart from the weather. I haven't been in a while, but when I went, it was fun."

"Yeah. Well, they needed someone to fill in and picked from the junior members," Adam explained.

Miles added, "He was first pick, though. Adam's portfolio is amazing." The two exchanged a glance; Adam played off as modest, ignoring the compliment.

"I'm sure. That's a really big privilege. What a way to show off your skills, huh," Alison said. "But you know, I'm kind of glad they didn't pick Miles," she continued, setting her fork down and smoothing her hand over the top of his. The two stared into each other's eyes and she smiled a sort of sickening, dreamy grin. "I wouldn't have met him if they had." He squeezed her hand back and Adam looked away, just so that he could stomach swallowing his food. "You must be really busy now, though."

"Uh, yeah, well…it's nothing I can't handle," the blond replied and washed down his food with a few gulps of water.

"That reminds me, have you two had any time to ask him...?" she wondered, looking to Miles. She must have been talking about the wedding.

"Uh, yeah. Of course!" he chirped, happy to say that Adam had accepted. "But since he's only been back for a few days, I didn't want to spring all of this wedding stuff on him right off the bat."

"Fair enough," Alison said, nodding. "I've been so busy myself. It's hard to keep track of things."

"Miles told me you were in Vegas…"

"Yeah, for work. Actually, the woman who was supposed to go to had to cancel last minute so I went in her place."

"Now, what do you do?" Adam asked, leaning on his elbows against the table.

Alison nudged Miles with her shoulder and shot him a side-glance. "I see how much you talk about me," she murmured, smiling and then looked to Adam. "I'm an interior designer. Some guy, real big wig, saw my work on vacation here in the city and contacted me when he got back to Vegas. He's intending to build an office and wanted me personally. Can you believe it? It's my first big-name client, so I'm excited."

"Congratulations," Adam said.

Alison smiled and continued picking at her salad.

She was perfect. Well, at least Adam couldn't really find much wrong with her. The two seemed to be head over heals for one another. There were no obvious cracks in the relationship, even after three years of dating and this new found proposal. What small glimmer of hope he harbored that things might not be as happy as they seemed had been smothered at dinner.

Things wrapped up eventually, much to his relief. He saw them off, but not before subtly asking for Ben's address. His excuse was something along the lines of wanting to apologize; even though, in his defense, he was not terribly sure why he was asking for it. The two were off soon enough and Adam found himself standing outside the restaurant on the sidewalk in the cold, hands shoved in his pockets, breath billowing out in front of him. As the cars whizzed by, he thought to himself. He didn't like the sound of going home--not yet.

-

"Alright, I'm coming! Bloody shut the hell up!" Ben barked, marching towards the front door. Someone was knocking rather loudly, incessantly and it was annoying the hell out of him. He didn't bother checking to see who it was through the peephole. The brit undid the locks and practically tore the door off of its hinges. "Wha—" He cut himself off before he could finish, surprised to find Adam standing there.

Adam moved in through the doorway without permission, slipping passed Ben. He turned to face the other and just stared at him, waiting for that moment when he would get his head torn off. It never came.

"…Why are you here?" Ben was more shocked than anything else.

An interesting question, but one that Adam wasn't sure he could answer. Their last conversation hadn't gone very well. If anything, Ben was probably the last person he would have thought to run to, but there was no one else he could think of.

"I just came from dinner," he began, unconsciously trying to avoid eye contact.

Ben shut the door, locked it and crossed his arms over his chest; his weight leaned on one leg. "That's right," the brit said, cooling down some. "Miles told me about that. How did it go?"

"Good," Adam replied. It really had, but that's what bothered him the most.

"You don't seem terribly thrilled." When Adam said nothing, the brit sighed and uncrossed his arms, shoving his hands into his pockets.

The blond turned to peer through the entryway into the living room. He hadn't noticed it at first upon marching into the apartment. Ben's place was actually rather nice—simple, but nice. He noticed a laptop on the coffee table, surrounded by a stack load of paper. Quite obviously, he had barged in at a bad time, but that hardly fazed him.

"I've been thinking…about your behavior lately," Ben continued, walking up behind Adam. "It didn't make sense at first, but when we were having drinks, you seemed distracted. Then you go and get bladdered and I have to lug you home, and now this. It's always about Miles." Ben moved in closer, inspecting him. Adam just stared back, waiting for those words. It had to have been written all over his face. It wasn't just something that had sprung up over night. No, even before he moved to London, Adam had been exceptionally close to his friend. It was just not as obvious back then as it was now. "What is it about him?"

"I don't..."

"You do," Ben said, eyes narrowed. "You love him."

Adam said nothing again. He couldn't deny it. He just stood there silent and unmoving—exposed.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He was. That much was made clear when Adam did not deny it. "I can't believe it," Ben said, smiling. He moved passed the blond into the living room. "Well, that's not true. I suppose I can." The room was silent save for a small fan in the corner. For whatever reason, it was a bit hot in the apartment. "Let me ask you something; why me?"

Adam stared at him, needing clarification.

"Why come running to me about this. I thought you loathed me."

"I don't...loathe you…"

"Then why? What is it you want from me? What do you expect me to say?"

Adam opened his mouth to answer, but the words left him. He needed a moment to think, to get his mind straight. "I came to apologize."

"Apologize?" Ben echoed. "Why whatever for?" Smartass. He was mocking him and Adam took note. Still standing in the middle of the doorway, the blond just tore his gaze away and shook his head. He thought it best to leave, but Ben stopped him before he could even take one step. "Alright, alright! Go on then." His grip was much gentler this time, not like before in the office.

"You didn't do anything to deserve the way I treated you," Adam confessed. "I just…"

"…Don't want to admit it?" Ben offered.

"Maybe."

"No, not maybe." The brit let go of Adam and gave him a little space. "I can see why."

Only slightly offended by his seemingly uncaring attitude, Adam snapped in return. "What would you have me do?"

Ben only shrugged. "I'm more curious to know how long it's been."

"Since...?"

"Since you've been head over heals for the guy." When he received hesitation, Ben continued. "A while then? Goodness gracious, don't tell me the moment you met him."

"No!"

"Well, I suppose that's fortunate."

He'd never really thought about how long it had been since these feelings had manifested, but the thought wouldn't leave his head. The more he mulled over it, the worse it felt. Something weighed heavily on his chest and it became harder to breathe. It must have been obvious. Ben seemed to notice something was wrong.

"What's wrong?"

He didn't realize his breath had quickened, nor that he had gone awfully silent again. Ben moved towards him. Adam had made a big mistake in coming there. "I should go," he said, but the brit grabbed him, gentler this time.

"Wait, you can't just leave." He did is best to avoid eye contact, but Adam was not expecting Ben to pull him into his arms or to embrace him the way he was. Ben slipped an arm over his shoulder, the other as well and a hand combed through the back of his hair. Adam simply froze at the touch. As nice as it felt to be held like that, it was just as weird to have Ben showing affection. There had always existed a sort of disarray between them; a chaos he could never quite understand, but it felt natural, nonetheless. It just was. "I'm sorry," Ben murmured, voice muffled a bit. Being a few inches taller, his cheek rested against the side of Adam's head, pressed against his sandy blond hair.

He didn't pull out of the embrace right away or even fight it, simply due to the fact that he was beyond shocked. The moment Adam regained even the slightest bit of sense, he pushed out of the other's embrace. "I need to go," he said again with a bit more gravity this time. Ben did not chase after him.