Like a Heart Needs a Beat

sequel to far along this road

“Your mother came by today,” Kris says, clicking away at the laptop, not even bothering to look up.

“My mother?” Adam asks stupidly, trying to make sense of the non sequitur.

“Yes,” Kris says. “Attractive lady, early fifties. Leila Lambert. Your mother.”

Adam blinks. “You think my mother is attractive?”

Kris huffs at him and doesn’t even bother answering.

“What did she want?”

Kris shrugs. “Just to chat.”

Adam finds it disturbing that his mother comes to the pub “just to chat” with his boyfriend—who he hasn’t yet officially introduced to his parents. It’s all Neil’s fault. Telling her every little detail of Adam’s life.

“Chat about what?” he asks, taking a bite from his cheesecake, just to have something to do.

“Oh, you know. This and that.”

“Hmm,” Adam says, feeling more alarmed by the second.

“Your father wants to meet me apparently,” Kris says.

Adam drops his fork.

“He does?” he squeaks out, bending down to get the fork and hide his face under the table. When he comes back up, Kris is looking at him all calm and serene.

“Yeah. I said I’d mention it to you.”

Adam looks down at the fork in his hand stupidly. His father wants to meet Kris. That’s not a big deal. After all, his mother and Neil have, so it’s only fair.

“It’s okay if you think it’s too early,” Kris says, already facing away. “I told her you might.”

Kris is doing the tough guy thing again, where he tries to hide the hurt expression, but ends up overdoing it and sounding all gruff and manly—which he normally really, really isn’t. Adam slumps down a little bit. He hates this part. He wants to offer everything Kris wants from him on a silver fucking platter, before he ever asks even, but some things are ingrained so deep, he can’t stop the knee-jerk reactions.

“If you’re not ready, we don’t have to—”

“You really want to meet him?” Adam asks, because that’s the most important thing. Kris is the most important thing. He is the one thing Adam refuses to screw up in his life. Never again.

Kris shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind. But that’s not the point.”

Kris is too nice. He does this all the time. He not only puts up with Adam, but also just goes along with whatever Adam does like a champ. But Adam remembers what happened the last time he pushed him too far. There is a limit. They should keep away from the limit.

“I love you,” Adam says and keeps staring at Kris until Kris’ lips twitch and Adam gets a smile.

“That doesn’t work anymore,” Kris says, shaking his head.

It may not be as effective as it used to be, but Adam thinks he’ll still get a lot of mileage out of this one. He leans closer and gives Kris his most charming smile.

“But I really, really love you.”

Kris cracks up. Adam leans down and kisses his lips, crooked and parted, just the way he likes them. He means to pull back, he does, but then the kiss turns soft and serious, and Adam loves those kisses, so he lets himself forget what the point was and just enjoy it.

“Yuck! This is a family establishment, you know.”

Adam can see Allison standing by the booth, an empty plate in her hand, so he gives her the finger and keeps on kissing Kris. Seriously, if he can’t kiss him here, there and everywhere, what’s the point of having a boyfriend?

He pulls back when he’s good and ready, only after Kris has begun to melt against him, in just the right shape for Adam’s purposes. Adam runs his fingers along Kris’ jaw.

“Kris. Would you like to meet my father?”

Kris smiles at him and nods.

The End

September 2nd, 2009