Geeks - 3. Avoidance

CHAPTER THREE: AVOIDANCE

Avoiding Adam until Mikeal got his feelings figured out was the plan. But it was hard to stay away from Adam. Mikeal also tried to avoid Julie, because he didn't want to have to answer the questions she was sure to have about his new relationship. Adam called several times but Mikeal was too afraid to answer. Because then Adam would ask to see him and Mikeal knew he would be too weak to resist. And he still wasn't sure about how he felt.

But staying away from Adam for too long proved too hard to resist. On Friday, after he was done with classes, he dropped off his books, showered and dressed with care, before heading out to the cafe. He realized halfway there that he didn't even know if Adam was working tonight. Oh well. If he wasn't, he would just get a coffee and go home.

When he got there, he immediately saw Adam, leaning against the bar. Mikeal grinned and opened the door, stepping inside. Then froze. Adam was talking. To a girl. He was smiling at her, in that same disarmingly charming way he had smiled at him and his heart clenched painfully as he saw him reach out and playfully tug on a lock of the other girl's long brown hair. Adam glanced up, saw him watching and gave him a cool nod.

Mikeal stood there for a moment, suspended with shock, then whirled around and sprinted back out the door, tears blurring his vision. He walked a few uncertain steps, then gave up, sinking down onto the sidewalk.

God. He was idiot. He was some kind of idiot that messed up everything. Everything! He had been given this opportunity to go out with this cute, sexy guy with his brilliant smile and endless eyes, and then he went and fucked it up because he didn't understand his own feelings. And now Adam was with some girl, and...

The thought of Adam with a girlfriend brought a hard compression up in his chest and he choked back a sob. He was desperate to go, to get back to his dorm and have his breakdown in private, but he couldn't seem to get his body to move.

There was a slim shaft of light and a muted wave of voices as the cafe door opened. Footsteps approached him and a moment later, he felt Adam sit down next to him on the curb. There was a flick of a lighter and the sweet smokey smell from Adam's cigarettes filled Mikeal's nose. He surreptitiously wiped his eyes on his sleeve, even as he relished the warmth of Adam next to him, drinking it in and committing it to memory. This would probably be the last time.

"You know, there are much more comfortable seats inside. Some booths, even," Adam suggested.

"I prefer out here," Mikeal said, hating how rough and grating his voice sounded.

"On the ground, in the dark?" Adam asked, and even though Mikeal was intent on studying his knees and street beneath his feet, he could almost see the sardonic smile on Adam's face from the tone of his voice.

"Like I want to sit in there and watch you flirt with that brainless brunette bimbo?" Mikeal snapped.

Adam raised his eyebrows. "You know, for such a shy acting guy, you sure do develop a viperous tongue, especially in situations where it is completely uncalled for. As my sister is neither brainless nor a bimbo, I would like to hear an apology towards her at some point."

Mikeal looked up. "Sister?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah. If you had stayed five seconds longer to see her face, you would have seen the resemblance. Did you think she was someone else?"

Mikeal shrugged. "I dunno. I didn't know your sister was in town."

"You would have, if you would bother to pick up your phone every once in a while. And even if I did decide to see someone else, could you blame me, when you've done nothing but give me the cold shoulder since our date in the park?"

Our date. The phrase sent a warm glow through him along with those faint flutterings of panic. Mikeal couldn't answer, so he just stayed silent. But Adam was totally right. He was an idiot. A total idiot.

Adam chuckled a little and ground his cigarette out. "I like you, Mikeal. But I'm a little confused as to where I stand. First you insult me at the con when I am trying to help you out. I understand that, though, I came across a little abrasive. Then you came to me at the pool, wearing that sexy corset and gave me those sweet little kisses. And leave. Then I find you at the cafe where I work and we talked and had that nice dinner and kissed some more. So I figure things are all good. I take you on the date in the park, and we have a great time. Then you leap out of the car before I can even kiss you goodbye and completely ignore me for several days. Then you come here and start spewing venom. You're hot and cold, Mikeal. Like the Katy Perry song."

Why does everyone keep comparing my life to Katy Perry songs? Mikeal thought. "You're right," Mikeal said. "I'm just...I'm confused."

"About what?" Adam's voice was low and soothing.

"About you. And me. And everything."

Adam was silent for a moment. "Listen. I would like for you to come in and hang out for a while. Meet my sister, you'll like her. I have to help close the cafe tonight, but if you hang around, we can talk afterwards. Would that be okay?"

"Yeah." Mikeal chanced a glance up. "If that is what you want."

"It is." Adam shifted a little, bumped his knee against Mikeal's. "Is it what you want?"

"Yeah," Mikeal admitted. "That would be nice." He got up and followed Adam back inside. Adam introduced him to Emily, who did look similar to her brother, except her eyes were a deeper, more vivid shade of green and her hair was darker and longer than her brother's. She also had a softer, rounded face.

She was 15 and had dropped by to spend the day with her brother. Now, she was just waiting for her mother to come by and pick her up. She sat with Mikeal, eating cookies and drinking endless frappuccinos while filling him in on all the details of her life, including her parents, her siblings (she was one of five girls) her friends, her teachers, guys she liked and girls she detested. By the time her mother came in to pick him up, his head was spinning with the intrigues and politics of sophomore girls. He only had time to say hello to Adam's mother, a pretty and obviously harried woman, before Emily was chatting again, hugging her brother one more time and following her mom out the door.

Adam approached him right at closing time, with his jacket on and his satchel in his hand. "I talked them into letting me go early so you don't have to wait for me to close up," he explained. "Let's go."

Mikeal followed and to his surprise, Adam drove them to a cluster of apartments near campus. "Where are we?" Mikeal asked, getting out of the car.

"It's my place," Adam said. "I thought we might have a little more privacy here than at the dorm. Plus, I have some dinner ready in the slow cooker and I am starving. Are you hungry?"

Mikeal was ready to deny hunger, but as Adam opened up the door to apartment and the warm fragrant aroma of chicken hit him, he changed his mind. "A little, if you have some to share."

Adam smiled at him. "I always have some to share."

Mikeal sat down, casting a surreptitious look around. It was a small studio apartment, with the kitchen flowing into a living room

and a small nook, hidden by a bookshelf where he assumed the bed was located. The bathroom wasn't visible from his standpoint, but he could see a desk, computer, and TV all set up. The furniture was minimal but it still had a cozy, warm feeling to it. He eyed the gray sofa that dominated the living room, imagined curling up on it during a cold winter day, studying or reading under an afghan, with Adam at his side...

"Do you want anything to drink?" Adam asked as he moved around the small kitchen, breaking the nice fantasy Mikeal had been building up inside his mind.

"Um...water would be nice," Mikeal said. He sipped it and watched with interest as Adam poured what looked like white wine into a wine glass. "Are you old enough to drink?" he asked, without thinking of how rude it might sound.

Adam shook his head. "No. But my parents are pretty liberal, they always let us drink watered down wine growing up. Part of my French roots, I guess. So whenever they come to see me, they buy me some wine." Adam glanced over. "Do you want some?"

Mikeal shook his head. He could remember the taste of alcohol, staining Adam's mouth the first time he had kissed him.

Adam served up rice and chicken in a delicious sauce and they ate quietly, Mikeal complimenting him thoroughly. "My parents like to cook when they have time," Adam said. "I would always help, so I know plenty of recipes. I'll make you dinner someday when I actually have time to prepare something decent. I threw this together at the last minute, because Emily was coming over and I got unexpectedly called into work."

"I like your sister."

"She's a trip, isn't she? Never shuts up. Drove me out of my freakin' mind when I was younger."

Mikeal didn't have anything to say to that. He had two sisters, but they were both older than him, out of school and holding down steady careers. He didn't have a younger sister and he hadn't been that close to his older sisters, either.

Once dinner was eaten and the dishes were soaking in the sink, Adam topped off his wine and sat down with Mikeal on the sofa. "So talk to me. Tell me what is going on. I'm not accustomed to having a really great date and then being ignored."

Mikeal blushed.

"What was it? Did you not have a good time? Was I boring? Did I come on too strong?"

"No!" Mikeal said. "No, it's just...I've never dated a guy before, even though I am attracted to guys. I have been for a while. And I had such a good time. And I like you. A lot."

Adam looked puzzled. "So I'm confused. What's the problem?"

“I-I am worried that...I don't know how to explain it. I just needed some time to think."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I was afraid that if I talked to you, you would ask me out."

"So you like me, but you are afraid of going out with me?"

"I wanted some time. But I knew that if I talked to you, I would want to see you again."

Adam drank his wine. "You are one of those logical, analytical type people aren't you?"

"So?" Mikeal asked, feeling defensive.

"Always thinking and analyzing. I've never been like that, so it's hard for me to understand. I'm the type who just goes with the flow." Adam leaned forward a little. "Well, let me ask you a just a couple questions. Do you like me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to keep going out?"

"Yes."

"And have I done anything that has made you uncomfortable?"

"No."

"Then we are good. By my standards at least." He put his wine down and slid closer. "We'll take it slow, okay? We don't need to rush anything."

Mikeal felt vaguely annoyed. He didn't need to be treated like a blushing virgin. He wasn't worried about the physical side of things, just worried about how his heart was going to fare.

To make his position clear, Mikeal closed the distance between them and pressed his lips up against Adam's. He relaxed as he felt Adam return to kiss eagerly. Mikeal felt the wetness of tongue against his lips and opened his mouth. His heart was beating madly in his chest and warmth was pooling in his body again, swept in slow lazy currents as he met Adam's questing tongue with his own. Everything else, the panic, the hurt feelings, the tearing uncertainties all melted away with that warmth and all he cared about was making Adam kiss him like that...more...

Adam pulled away from the kiss, slightly. Mikeal noted with a strange mix of pride and amazement, that his breathing wasn't quite steady. Adam's hand was on his arm and Mikeal leaned into that warm contact slightly. "Do you still want to take this slow?" Adam asked. He was close enough so Mikeal could feel the warm flush of his breath, drown in the glowing peridot that was his eyes.

"No."

Adam stood, pulling Mikeal with him, then embraced him, pressing his body up against Mikeal's. Adam's mouth found his again and Mikeal pressed his hands against Adam's shirt, feeling a faint heat seeping in through the fabric. Adam took Mikeal's hands, placed them carefully on the seam of his shirt and Mikeal happily took the hint, unbuttoning the shirt with slow careful movements, until the shirt was open and his hands explored Adam's skin, pressing against his chest and stomach. There was none of the softness that he was used to from girls. Adam's body wasn't especially muscular, but it was firm underneath him, not yielding and the skin was so warm. He could feel Adam's arms around him, under his shirt, the fingers warm as they slowly massaged his low back.

"Mikeal," Adam whispered in his ear. "Can I undress you?"

Mikeal nodded and Adam took his hands, pulled him around the corner where there was indeed a bed tucked into the nook behind the bookshelf and a small bathroom concealed by a decorated screen. A small lamp on a nightable gave the space a soft illumination.

Adam's lips were on his skin, again, tucking gentle kisses underneath his earlobe, his jawline and down his neck as he slid his hand up under Mikeal's shirt, pushing it up his chest and finally pulling it up over his head. Normally Mikeal would feel uncomfortably exposed, but since Adam was already in the same state and pushing those delicious kisses against his lips again, he ignored it. Adam's hand moved to his jeans, unsnapping and unzipping, then pushing them down his hips. Blushing a little, Mikeal held onto Adam's shoulders for support, toed his shoes off and stepped out of his jeans. He slid his hands down Adam's chest, then unhooked his black slacks with trembling fingertips, letting them slide down his legs. Adam stepped forward, out of his pants and met Mikeal's mouth in another passionate kiss. Adam gripped Mikeal's hand and pressed it against the erection straining his briefs, groaning softly as they made contact. Mikeal kept his hand there, feeling the shape of him through the dark cotton, fondling him through the fabric. Adam slid his hand down the back of Mikeal's underwear, massaging the taut flesh of his buttocks and slid a finger down the crack, pausing when Mikeal stiffened, then chuckled a little.

"Lie down," Adam said, kissing him behind his ear and pulling his own briefs down. Mikeal followed suit, stripping nude and lying on the bed, looking up at Adam with uncertainty shining in his eyes. Adam lay down next to him, and just held him for a few minutes, kissing him gently. Adam eventually moved to straddle him, leaning over and kissing Mikeal again, before lowering himself down on top of Mikeal's body. Adam kissed him again and Mikeal wrapped his arms around his neck, then moaned a little as Adam started to move slowly against him, grinding and humping. Mikeal slid his arms down to Adam's waist in an effort to bring him closer and Adam complied, letting his weight come down on top of Mikeal's body.

Adam looked down at Mikeal, framing his face in his hands as he moved against him, precum slickening their cocks. Mikeal was moving against him as well, and the feel of his body writhing against his was turning Adam on so much he could barely think straight. Soon he found himself just lost in the sensation of their bodies moving together, and the pressure building in his cock. Mikeal was looking at him, seemingly able to see past him, down deep into the very soul of him and he felt more turned on than vulnerable. His orgasm approached quickly and feeling Mikeal's body arching underneath him and the quiet series of groans Mikeal made as he orgasmed was enough to send him over the edge as well. He smiled a little as he felt Mikeal relax underneath him and pressed his lips against the side of his neck. "You're sexy."

Mikeal blushed. "No I'm not."

"You are," Adam said, kissing him again. "Am I too heavy for you?"

Mikeal shook his head. "No." He looped his arms around Adam's waist. "No, I like it."

Adam laid his head down on Mikeal's shoulder, liking the feel of him breathing underneath him. In a few minutes, he would have to move, get them underneath the blankets where it was warmer and clean off a little, but for now, cuddling like this in the afterglow with the room smelling of sex was nice. He hadn't expected his evening to end like this and was grateful that Mikeal had come by. Prior to their meeting at the cafe, Adam had decided that he would call Mikeal one more time, and if he hadn't heard back in a few days, he would delete Mikeal's number and just walk away. He didn't have the patience to deal with people who didn't know what they wanted, but he had been reluctant to let go of Mikeal, who was cute and smart and sweet and completely unaware of how sexy he was. And then he had shown up at the cafe, looking good enough to eat and spitting nails because he thought that Adam had already moved on and was trying to pick up another girl. It was flattering and a little exasperating.

Mikeal murmured something and Adam lifted his head. "What was that baby?"

"Can I stay the night?"

"Sure thing," Adam said. He toyed with one of Mikeal's dark curls.

"I need to call Julie so she won't worry," Mikeal said and Adam reluctantly got up so Mikeal could retrieve his cell phone. Adam padded to the kitchen, got some bottled waters and wet down a sponge in the sink, scrubbing off the residue of their earlier activities from his belly and thighs. He returned to the bed and ran the sponge over Mikeal's stomach and legs too, playfully kissing his belly and distracting him while he was on the phone.

"Good night Julie," Mikeal said pointedly and tossed the phone off to the side, shoving Adam away playfully, smiling. Adam was briefly tempted to try to draw Mikeal into a wrestling match, but Mikeal looked sleepy and after classes and working a full shift himself, Adam wasn't faring much better. He pulled Mikeal underneath the sheets with him, rubbing his back and the top of his neck. Mikeal seemed infinitely more comfortable now and Adam was hopeful that this had been some kind of test that he had managed to pass and that it eased all the fears that had been keeping Mikeal at a distance.