Geeks - 4. AWA

CHAPTER FOUR: AWA

Mikeal woke up in the morning, warm underneath the sheets. Adam was lying next to him, reading a textbook and making marks with a highlighter.

"Good morning,” Adam said, after seeing Mikeal stirring and opening his eyes.

"Morning,” Mikeal said, blinking. Adam didn't look like he was very comfortable. "You don't study at your desk?"

"I didn't want to disturb you,” Adam said. In truth, he didn't want Mikeal waking up alone in an unfamiliar bed and he had rather enjoyed stealing glances at the brunette while he slept. He closed the book and snuggled in close to Mikeal, kissing him again. "What do you want to do today?"

Mikeal shrugged. "Shower? Breakfast?"

They showered quickly, taking turns since the little shower wasn't big enough for two and Mikeal was feeling a little shy after last night. Mikeal insisted on taking Adam out for breakfast, since Adam had shared his dinner with him last night. They went to IHOP and stuffed themselves with warm fluffy pancakes while Adam kept up a steady game of hooking his foot around Mikeal's ankle under the table.

"I want to ask you-" Adam said, sweeping his last morsel of pancake through the remaining syrup on the plate, "-if you want to go to AWA with me next weekend?" He popped the morsel into his mouth.

"Sure,” Mikeal said. "What is AWA?"

"Anime weekend Atlanta. It is a con, like the one I met you at for the first time."

"Oh,” Mikeal said. He wondered if Julie was planning to go.

"Your friend can come too if she wants,” Adam added as if reading Mikeal’s mind. "I share a suite with several people. It's a little crowded at night, but a lot of fun."

"Are you going to dress up?" Mikeal asked.

"Probably,” Adam said. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"Will other people be dressed up?"

"Yes."

"Then I want to dress up too,” Mikeal decided. "But nothing too weird."

Adam lifted his eyebrows. "Have you ever seen an anime, baby?"

Mikeal shook his head.

"We'll have to remedy that. What are you doing for the rest of the weekend?"

"Well I need to study and I promised to tutor Julie, but on Sunday I'm available."

"Hmm. I have to work tonight and Sunday morning, but then I'm available that afternoon. I can come over or you can come to my place and I can show you a couple of anime. I can help you find a non weird character."

Mikeal smiled. "Sounds good."

Even though he had already showered, Mikeal still stopped by his room to change his clothes before heading to Julie's room. He opened her door to find Julie jumping up and down on her dorm bed, singing along with yet another Katy Perry song playing on the radio. Mikeal chuckled as she jumped off the bed, almost cracking her head on the ceiling, and threw herself against him in a bone-crushing hug.

"What's up?"

"I had the best date ever last night,” she squealed.

"Cool. So did I."

She pulled back and smacked him on the shoulder. "And you've been avoiding me."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Sit." Julie pointed to the bed. "Tell me everything."

"I thought we were here to study?" Mikeal teased.

"Mikeal!" Julie was almost trembling with excitement and curiosity. "I can't concentrate until you tell me everything! I haven't heard from you all week! I don't even know how your date last Sunday went."

"It was good," Mikeal told her with a nonchalant shrug. He sat down on the bed. "He took me to the park. We flew a kite and had a picnic."

Julie sighed and flopped down on the bed next to him. "That is so romantic. Then what?"

"We talked a little, and then he dropped me off."

Julie glanced at him. "There is something you're not telling me."

"No."

"Yes there is." She got up on her hands and knees and studied his face. "Tell me."

Mikeal sighed. "So I might have been avoiding him a little bit after that first date too."

"Mike!" Julie cried. "Why?!"

"I-I don't know. I was confused."

"About what?"

"Well, I tried to do what you told me to do. I tried to relax and not worry."

"And?"

"I had a really good time."

Julie threw her hands up in confusion. "Then what happened?"

"I started to worry again."

Julie shook her head. "I have never met anyone who worries as much as you do. Are you sure you don't have some kind of anxiety problem?"

"Julie, I had a really good time. And I really like him,” Mikeal said quietly. "That's why I worried."

"Why?"

"Because. Things are going to be harder for me if I date Adam than if I dated someone like you. And I'm worried that I'm falling too hard too fast."

Julie's eyes widened. "Falling? Are you sure?"

"I don't know. But I think I might."

"Mike, honey, just go with it, okay? You can't spend the rest of your life worrying about what society thinks, or that you might get your heart broken. It might end badly, or it might not. But if you spend the rest of your life worrying about things that you can't predict, you're never going to be happy."

Mikeal exhaled. She was probably right. "Hey, before I forget, you want to come to AWA next weekend?"

Julie brightened. "Yeah. You have a room?"

"Adam is going with a couple of people. He said they have a suite."

"Sure, I would love to go."

"Okay. Now tell me about your date. And then we study."

In an attempt to make up for his earlier behavior, Mikeal was extra vigilant about answering his phone when Adam called. Adam called twice, once while he was on his break on Saturday night and again when he got off Sunday afternoon, before coming to pick him up. This time, when the blue Honda pulled into the parking lot, Mikeal was able to meet him with a smile and a confident kiss.

"I thought about some of the animes that might have a character that you could dress as that wouldn't be too weird," Adam said. "So I'm going to see if you like Death Note."

Death Note? Mikeal thought. His mind was already conjuring up grisly images of dead bodies, horribly mutilated with notes stuffed into their mouths. "Is this a horror show?"

"No,” Adam said. "I would classify it more like a psychological thriller. And although the subject matter is rather dark in nature, it's presented in a way that is almost…philosophical, I guess?"

Mikeal has his doubts, but when Adam curled up on the couch next to him and put his head in Mikeal's lap, he wasn't about to refuse.

Strangely enough, Mikeal found himself intrigued, both by the psychological delusions of the main character as well as the dramatic play off between the ingenious L and the arrogant, but equally intelligent Light.

"I like it,” Mikeal admitted after several episodes had gone by. "It's smart."

"This anime was originally a manga, which is a type of Japanese comic,” Adam told him. "But it was popular enough to become an anime and live action movies. I think L would be a good costume for you. In fact-" Adam tilted his head and studied Mikeal's face. "Are you a little Asian?"

"A little,” Mikeal admitted. "Apparently, my great grandmother was Japanese, I think. She and my great granddad met during the war and fell in love and got married. I never knew her though, she died before I was born." Mikeal shrugged. "I'm the only one who really takes after her though, my other two sisters are both blonde and super tall."

"I can see it, a little bit, in your eyes and the shape of your face now that I think of it,” Adam said. He smiled and twisted to give Mikeal a kiss. "It's a good thing though. Asian guys are kinda sexy, I think."

"Better make sure you never meet my roommate then," Mikeal said with a teasing grin. "He's 100% Korean."

"I think I like Japanese better,” Adam said. Another kiss, long and lazy. "So what do you think? You can be L. I'll be Light. All we would really need is a wig, and maybe some makeup around your eyes. You can wear some baggy clothes and carry some candy around. Your friend, Julie, what does she look like?"

Mikeal shifted a little to pull his cell phone out and showed Adam a picture.

"She would make a good Misa,” Adam mused.

"I don't like Misa,” Mikeal mumbled. "She's dumb as a brick."

Adam chuckled. "Don't worry about it. No one is going to care much about Light and Misa. They are going to want to see Light and L together."

"Really? Why?"

"Because fangirls are perverts, that's why. Anytime you have an anime with two reasonably good looking guys together, there is an instant assumption that they are screwing each other like bunnies."

"Those two?" Mikeal exclaimed. "But they're enemies!"

"Which makes it all the more sexy,” Adam purred. "Wait until we get further along in the anime. The two of them end up handcuffed to each other. They'll ask us to kiss at AWA too, I can guarantee it."

"Who is the 'they' you keep talking about?"

"Fans of the show. Are you okay with it?"

"With what?"

"Kissing me. In public. With the costume on."

"I guess so. If they ask."

"They will. Trust me." Adam chose that moment to kiss him again.

"Want to watch some more?”

"Sure."

***

"Stop squirming,” Julie commanded.

"I don't like it,” Mikeal whined, turning his head away.

"Stop moving, dammit, or I'm going to end up poking you in the eye," Julie snapped. She held an eyeliner pencil in her hand and used the other one to grip Mikeal's chin. "Just look up at the ceiling. I'll be done in a second."

Mikeal gritted his teeth and looked up at the ceiling as she carefully traced the lower line of his eye. He had been okay with the jeans and baggy sweatshirt; they were warm and comfortable. He was okay with the flip-flops (the hotel wouldn't allow him to run around barefoot) and the lollipops stuffed in his pockets. He was okay with the wig that Julie had gotten for him (and after seeing how much she had gelled and moused and sprayed the damn thing, he was kinda grateful). But this was a bit much.

"It wouldn't be so bad if you would just sit still," Julie admonished, pulling down on his lid a little and skimming the water line.

"How come Adam doesn't have to do this?" Mikeal whined.

"Because he is Light and Light doesn't need makeup."

"Neither does L!" Mikeal insisted.

"L has dark lines and circles under his eyes and to make you a more authentic character, you have to have them too," Julie said. "Now shut up."

"If it makes you feel any better," Adam added from the mirror, where he was carefully arranging his hair, "I have to wear makeup all the time for my drama classes and plays."

Mikeal found himself suddenly envious. All Adam had to do was put on some khakis and a blazer with a tie. He didn't even have to wear a wig or anything, just put a little bit of color and gel into his hair. Julie didn't have to either, her blond hair was just long enough to pull into Misa's pigtails, although he thought she might have bought a few things to make Misa's elaborate black costume work. One of the guys that they were staying with was ready to dress up as Ryuk if they wanted him too. It was so crazy and Mikeal liked being a part of it for a change. And the best thing was....

....well he did kind of look like L. And Julie had enough skills with makeup that she did look like Misa, even though she was not Japanese. And no one would know who they were. No one from college, or home would know. Just Julie and Adam, and they were in this whole thing with him.

It was kind of awesome.

When Julie deemed him good enough to pass as L (either that or she had exhausted her short supply of patience), Mikeal bounded over to Adam and wrapped him in a hug. Adam chuckled a little and pinched him on the bottom. "You've been in the candy already, haven't you?"

Mikeal stuck his tongue out and Adam playfully pretended to snap at it before catching Mikeal by the shoulders and planting a real kiss on him.

"You guys are disgustingly perfect for each other," Julie decided, glossing her lips. Mikeal noticed she was a bit more grumpy than usual and felt bad that he hadn't gotten a chance to properly introduce them before the weekend of AWA. But with the short notice and the flurry to get everything ready before Friday, it hadn't happened. But Mikeal had promised a double date once they were back on campus, which soothed her a little bit. She was quite anxious for them to meet her new beau.

They ventured down into the thick of the convention, and Mikeal was honestly surprised at how many people recognized the trio for who they were. Mikeal got many compliments on his costume, especially. He didn't realize until later that, in his nervousness, he had actually adopted L's hunched over posture. Julie, as usual, just ate it up, smiling and flashing the peace sign at everyone she came across.

Eventually they separated. Julie was hitting almost every single cosplaying panel or workshop she came across, and while Adam gave several of them a longing glance, he had promised himself to stuck with Mikeal throughout the con, and knew he would probably find little interest in costume patterns, fabric choices and wig making. Instead, he focused on finding some anime screenings that he thought Mikeal would like, and walked around, checking out other costumes and introducing Mikeal to some of the people Adam knew. Mikeal didn't say much, which wasn't uncommon, but was taking everything in with wide eyes. Adam also noticed, with a bit of warm surprise, that Mikeal's hand never left his own. Later on that afternoon, Adam tugged on Mikeal's hand.

"Want to go upstairs?" Adam said. "Get some rest?"

"Sure," Mikeal said. He wasn't very tired, but he was feeling a little twitchy from all the people and noise. And he knew that there were some after-hours parties and movies that Adam was planning on attending too. He followed Adam back to the room, surprised but not unpleasantly so, when Adam locked the door and backed Mikeal up against it, kissing him fiercely. Mikeal returned the kiss, greedily winding his fingers through Adam's hair, mindless of the gel and the color that was slowly staining his fingers. Adam moaned appreciatively against Mikeal's mouth, sliding his hands up the back of Mikeal's shirt, feeling the warm skin. Mikeal gripped Adam by his belt, pulling him towards the bedroom. Adam followed him easily, breaking off quickly to prop a chair underneath the door handle to give them some privacy.

"Julie-" Mikeal started.

"Is in a costuming panel for the next two hours," Adam said. "And I haven't had you to myself for almost a week." He pulled Mikeal's shirt up over his head and kissed his neck, the exposed lines of his collarbone. Their first experience had been a hurried, unsophisticated encounter and this time, Adam was anxious to take every scrap of privacy they were provided and use it to appreciate and explore Mikeal's body. Mikeal was already making delicious sounds, sighs and gasps as Adam let his lips play over the expanse of pale skin stretched across a narrow chest, lips and tongue bringing nipples to hard aching points. He kissed his way down Mikeal's belly, sliding his tongue under the waistline of the underwear he could see peeking out from the too big jeans.

Adam hesitated slightly, lips still pressed to the warm skin of Mikeal's abdomen, then stood back up, kissing Mikeal again as he unbuckled the brunette's jeans, and slid them off his hips. Mikeal shivered slightly, letting Adam plunder his mouth as he worked Adam's tie loose with shaky fingers and forced them steady to unbutton his shirt. Adam finally took mercy on him and helped struggle out of his shirt and tie, tossing them on a heap in the floor. Mikeal continued to kiss him, running his hands over Adam's body, feeling skin and subtle musculature. Mikeal loved the way that Adam felt underneath his hands, strong and solid and real, reminding him that this was a real definite thing, not a phantom fantasy that might slip way at any moment, any blink of an eye.

He stroked Adam's neck, his chest, ran his hands up his shoulders and back, smoothed them over the subtle curves of Adam's low back and abdomen, before nervously pressing a palm over the bulge in his pants. Adam responded by deepening the kiss, pressing his hips forward into Mikeal's palm. Encouraged, Mikeal unhooked his pants, slipping a hand down the front to grip him throughout the thin material of his briefs, holding the length of him through the cotton.

Adam could feel Mikeal's hesitation, and he carefully removed Mikeal's hand, kissing the palm gently and making sure Mikeal was watching his face, so he didn't think he was doing anything wrong.

"I want to jerk you off," Adam whispered into Mikeal's ear. "I want to jack you and watch your face when you come." He ran the very tip of his tongue along the edge of Mikeal's ear. "Is that okay?"

Mikeal could feel himself blushing again, but he nodded. Adam stepped out of his pants and guided Mikeal to the bed, gently covering his body with his own and kissing him some more. He moved to kiss Mikeal's belly again and slid his underwear down his legs and off to the floor, then shucked his own, so Mikeal wouldn't feel as self conscious. Mikeal surprised him, by reaching for Adam and closing a cool hand around his cock, which was already hard and leaking. Adam thrust into Mikeal's hand a little bit and then reached down, returning the favor. Mikeal's cock was warm and throbbing in his hand, a little moisture at the top. Curious now, Adam slid his thumb over it, then brought it to his mouth, tasting the salty flavor. Mikeal watched, his eyes wide. Adam licked his lips and kissed Mikeal again. "You taste good."

Mikeal didn't say anything, just turned red and Adam grinned at him, enjoying the way the blush seeped all the way down his neck and into his chest a little. Adam rummaged around in the bedside table for the lotion he had brought and poured some into his own hand and some in Mikeal's. He took his clean hand and guided Mikeal's back to his cock, sighing at the sensation of Mikeal's warm hand and the cool lotion on his cock.

"Feels good," he said, bringing his own hand to Mikeal's cock and stroking. Mikeal's hand was already busy and Adam felt the delicious division of his concentration between focusing on the excellent handjob he was getting and bringing his partner to the same sweet brink of pleasure. He shifted his hips, thrusting into the warm hold and sweet constriction, staring down at Mikeal's own cock, long and flushed, sliding in and out of his grip. The sight sent him over the edge and with a few more strokes, he was cumming hard. He dimly heard Mikeal gasping underneath him, and then there was warmth spilling over his hand and fingers. He stroked a few more times, until he felt Mikeal sag and relax underneath him. Adam quickly licked and sucked the cum off of his fingers, then pressed a quick chaste kiss against Mikeal's temple. He cuddled up against Mikeal, wrapping his arms around him. "My hand is dirty," Mikeal said, holding it aside.

"That's okay," Adam said, gripping Mikeal's hand and pulling it around his waist. "We're both dirty. We'll shower later." He gripped the comforter and pulled it over their bodies, rolling over Mikeal so that he was surrounded, by the blanket and Adam's own body. He relished the way Mikeal pressed up against him, sweaty, tacky and with the smell of sex still lingering. He could think of no better place to be.

They cuddled for a while, dozed, then got up to take a shower and head back down to the con for dinner and three hours of something called Anime Hell which left Mikeal feeling disoriented and disturbed. Mikeal wasn't tired, even after most of the panels and workshops had closed, so Adam found a friend of his that managed to sneak them into a suite party. There was alcohol circulating and Mikeal was a little doubtful, but when Adam gave him a Jello shot, winked and swallowed one down, Mikeal followed suit. He was surprised at the sweep of warmth that followed the shot down his throat and through his stomach, but discovered that he actually quite liked it. He liked it so much that he had several more and when someone passed him a red plastic cup with a bit of clear liquid in the bottom of it, he drank it down without another thought. Instead of warmth seeping down his throat it burned like fire, flaring up in his sinuses and sending a sunburst through his chest and stomach. He coughed a little bit, from the heat and the bad taste and then Adam was next to him, passing him a cup of orange juice.

"Chase it down baby," Adam said, running a warm hand up his back. "And don't take anything else unless I give it to you."

"What was it?" Mikeal croaked. Adam lifted his eyebrows and gave him a slow, thorough kiss.

"Vodka, probably, from the way you taste," Adam said. "Drink the juice a little, then I'll get you some water. I don't want you hungover tomorrow."

Mikeal didn't know much about being hungover, but he did know that he really liked the way he was feeling right now. He felt happy and a little silly, he found things that were perfectly ordinary extraordinary funny or overwhelmingly profound. He felt loose and uninhibited and felt a warm blush of pleasure whenever Adam would look at him or touch him casually, or kiss him, without even caring about what other people thought. He didn't mind the way other people wanted to look at him, or talk to him, words came easily for the first time in his life and when people would laugh, he was sure it was due to his wit and charm, not due to ridicule and sympathy.

He couldn't remember leaving the party or the way that Adam had to almost drag him down the hall, laughing. He could remember the way he wrapped his arms around Adam's neck, looking up into his green eyes. And he could remember being in their room, stomach churning. They had to be quiet, Adam had warned him, because other people would be sleeping. Mikeal had found this fact to be absolutely hilarious, but Adam had muffled his laughter with a kiss. Then he was lying on his back, watching the ceiling spin overhead while Adam was taking off his shoes.

"Here baby," Adam said softly, helping steady his hand to get some more water into him. Mikeal drank it obediently, then gave Adam a sleepy, sweet smile when he laid down next to him.

"Feeling okay?" Adam whispered.

"Yeah," Mikeal said. "Kinda spinny, but I like it."

"Not sick?"

"No." Mikeal thought for a minute. "Is that bad?"

"Nah." Adam smiled and flicked his hair back. "No, that's very good. I was trying very hard to keep that from happening."

Mikeal was watching him, but it was hard to focus his gaze. Instead he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Adam, bringing him down on top of him. It helped, kept the dizzy spin at bay and felt good. Mikeal liked Adam, liked his heat and his weight and the way he smelled and sounded and breathed against him. Hell, he liked everything about Adam.

"I lub you," Mikeal said, gripping Adam tight.

"Do you now?" Adam said, amused. He pressed a kiss against the side of Mikeal's neck. "That's sweet baby."

Mikeal fell asleep a few minutes later, but even in his intoxicated state noticed that Adam didn't return the declaration.