So it's finished. It's changed somewhat since I had the idea almost 9 months ago - it's been written and rewritten, pages of stuff thrown away (I have to ask how one sex scene can be 12 handwritten pages and then go down to 1,000 words!) but it's finished. I hope you enjoy it.

The Ending (A.K.A. - A New Beginning)

Rocky leaned back in his office chair, struggling to regain his concentration. He probably shouldn't be trying to make business decisions when he was emotionally fried but life did have a way of carrying on whatever hand a person was dealt.

His cell rang and he checked the display. After screening his calls for the last week, it had become second nature to him. He groaned when he saw that it was Misty.

"Hello?" he said, trying to sound clueless.

His sister snorted, not fooled by his act. "Well?"

Damn. That hadn't worked. He shook his head wearily. Two days ago, Misty had given birth to Annabelle and Zoe and when she had come to pick up her son, Xander, who Rocky had been babysitting for her and Dave, she'd gotten an earful of a message that Adam had left for him. He had found himself spilling the whole sordid story which had been a mistake. She had an annoying habit of calling him whenever she was awake with the girls and wanted to know if he'd talked to Adam. And she was driving him nuts.

"No, I haven't."

"What is your problem? You have a great guy, who's one of your oldest friends, in love with you and you're running scared."

"Hold up. I am not afraid." He wasn't. Just because he'd had the hottest, best sex of his life with Adam and he left afterwards without a word didn't mean he was afraid. He was being cautious because what had changed between them?

"Bullshit," Misty growled. "I'm might be sleep-deprived but not stupid. You can lie to yourself but not me."

Silence filled the line. He wasn't giving her any answers because she was reporting to their siblings and this was between him and Adam, not his entire family. Finally, she sighed. "He's not going to be there forever. He'll get tired of waiting for you and where will you be? Kicking yourself because of pride. Maybe nothing will come of it or maybe it can be everything you've needed. But don't you owe it to both of you to find out?"

His heart in his throat, he ended the conversation and leaned back in his chair. Last week, after waking up cuddled next to Adam, with the sweat still drying on his body, he felt as if the world was ending. Since then he'd ignored any attempt that Adam had made to contact him. At first, the messages had been pleading with him to call back and finally today's message said that when Rocky was through with being a coward, Adam would be waiting for him.

He knew he needed to talk to Adam but what was he supposed to say? No hard feelings. Oh, it was the beer. Sure, we can forget about it. Hell, he didn't want to forget about it. He wanted…everything.

He propped his feet up on the desk and rubbed his eyes. "What am I going to do about you, Adam?" he asked aloud. And that was just the tip of the iceberg, wasn't it?

"At least you're thinking about me. I was wondering."

Rocky jumped, startled to hear the voice of the man he'd been thinking of, and his foot caught some of the stuff on his desk and it crashed to the floor.

He tried to keep his mouth shut but he felt cornered and he always attacked when he felt off-balance. "Look at what you made me do." He got up and knelt down next to the papers. And then just stayed there, not picking anything up. It was suddenly too much for him. A week ago, he'd been here with papers covering his floor, getting ready to go to Adam's, not knowing what was getting ready to happen. And now, he was here again in the same situation but Adam was right there. In front of him.

He looked up and his fingers laced tight at the look Adam was giving him. His eyes conveyed a startling mix of emotions – anger, regret, tenderness, uncertainty, and…love.

His body went weak. He'd been afraid that Adam hated him but it didn't look like that was the case. He stood, wanting to look Adam straight in the eye when he explained but Adam spoke first.

"I never should have come into your room that night, never should have touched you. I lost control but there's really no excuse." He ran his fingers through his rumpled hair while Rocky watched him. "I'd wanted to be close to you for so long and then you were there in front of me. It was tempting fate but I had to be near you for once." Adam's head snapped up and he looked at Rocky. "I wouldn't have done anything to you if you hadn't been awake. I swear."

He shut his mouth when Rocky laughed. "What?" he asked, frowning.

"Don't be stupid. You were getting off the bed when I grabbed you. I know you better than to think that."

"So why did you leave?" Adam asked softly.

Ah, yes, the question he'd been trying to find an answer to. "I was afraid." Okay, not what he wanted to say but the truth, nonetheless. "You've just broken up with Tanya and I was afraid that you wanted to be with me as a rebound thing or that because you were drinking, you'd make excuses as to why it happened. So I left."

"Tanya and I broke up a couple months ago," was the startling reply. Rocky knew his mouth was hanging open like an idiot. "Months? She told me that you'd broken up that night!"

"She knows that I have feelings for you and has been urging me to call you. I guess she got tired of waiting for me to make a move."

Could he be dreaming? Because he'd always wanted to hear this but it didn't feel real yet. Surreptitiously, he pinched himself. Nope, he was awake.

There was still something he didn't understand.

"What happened…?"

Adam paced away from him. Rocky watched him with an indulgent smile. Adam always thought better when he moved.

"I've been extremely selfish in this whole situation." He looked out the window, his back to Rocky. "I'm bisexual and I've known it since I was 12. I had this huge crush on you and because I didn't think you swung my way, I thought it was futile. I found a girl I liked in Tanya and we dated and everything was great. Until you came out."

Adam turned from the window to look at Rocky. "I thought I owed it to Tanya to stay with her so I distanced myself from you. It was easier. For me. But, Tan shouldn't have to settle for a man who only loves her halfway. She deserves it all. And the thing was? She knew what was going on with me and there toward the end, we were nothing more than friends who lived together." He walked back to the desk and stood close to Rocky.

Silence fell between them but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was hopeful and tense and all those confusing emotions that made love so worthwhile. Finally Adam spoke again.

"Even if it's just get the hell away from me, could you please say something?"

Rocky's lips twitched. Now it felt real. He had all these words he needed to say; things they needed to talk about but where to start?

"I love you." And that was he really needed to say.

He captured Adam between the desk and him and licked his way into Adam's mouth, tasting spearmint and heat. He kept it slow and soft, holding Adam's hands still, so he was the only one touching. The only one teasing until Adam nipped Rocky's lip and then it became all fumbling hands and breathless laughs and shuddering moans.

Later, as they sprawled in the office floor in a boneless heap, Rocky had to smile. Adam thought they were tempting fate but Rocky had a feeling that no matter what happened they'd win in the end.