He Will Be Loved[Shevine]

Part 3: It's Not Right, Not OK

"You sure you're OK to do this by yourself?"

Blake wasn't referring to the way Adam was bustling around his kitchen nook this morning, but the way the younger man grinned when he looked over his shoulder he may as well have been.

"Trust me, Blake, I know what I'm doing. I got myself into this; I gotta do what I can to get out."

Blake sighed and took another long pull from his coffee cup. "Wasn't your fault."

"Hm?" Adam turned around again.

"What Kirk's done to you, it wasn't your fault."

Adam said nothing, just went back to preparing breakfast for the both of him that was his thanks for the shelter and crying shoulder the other night. He still wasn't moving as quickly as usual (leaving Blake to keep wondering what the hell Kirk had done with his back) but humming, talking random snippets to himself, and gesturing like writing his name in the air. There was the little oddball people had come to know and love, and god willing, he was coming back.

Soon Adam set a plate with eggs and hash browns with pepper slices in front of him and even gave his temple an air-kiss. "Eat up, big guy."

Blake had to smile. Damn, he'd even missed his friend's silly displays of affection.

Adam took the other side of the table with his own dish to eat quickly instead of savoring his food like he was wont to do. He had to get home (he'd repeatedly assured Blake that Kirk would be at his office by then), clean up and get into fresh clothes for the show, and start on removing all of Kirk's presence from his life. Was a hell of a risky move, but he was determined to do it himself...

He finished his plate before Blake was even halfway done and stood. "I'll see you at the studio, OK?" he asked and turned to head for the front door without waiting for an answer.

Fortunately he paused and turned when Blake said, "Adam, wait." The little grin from earlier bloomed again when the older man took him in firm and gentle embrace. "Jus' be careful, alright?" God, he'd never meant that more in his life than now.

Blake heard his friend breathe in, then out, a sound so light as to be a sigh. "Don't worry, I will." He added one more squeeze to the hug before slipping out and Blake just stood still, not taking his eyesight off Adam until he completely walked out.

***

Adam still wasn't at the studio by the time Blake got there. Showing up late had become more of an occurrence, to the point Blake would hear the crew mutter unkind remarks about how much Adam had changed. Once upon a time he would have agreed with them...

His phone sat heavy in his pocket. Occasionally he'd take it out, touch Adam's name in the Contacts list, and start a You OK? message, but was never able to hit Send. Somehow the constant checking-up-on-him felt like just another controlling Kirk would do... It also didn't help that Adam's message from the other night was still visible.

Need to come over. Don't ask questions yet just unlock the door.

Blake found himself thinking back on how this whole mess got started. Behati had barely been out of the picture for a couple months when Adam strolled into the studio with some tall, blond and buff dude on his arm, grinning like he'd won the lottery but still hadn't gotten the check yet. Needless to say, everyone was pretty surprised.

In between takes, Adam would spill the information on his new beau in gushing tones: his name's Kirk, he works at a patenting office downtown, he loves to surf, in fact they'd met at the beach when Adam was watching him come out of the water but he couldn't help it the guy was just so sexy, his dad played a little guitar in the Eighties so he knows a lot about vintage models and just, wow, isn't he awesome?