Before the chapter starts I wanna thank my reviewers flame knight & KyaraDoesFanfics! =)

Music tip:
Ed Sheeran - Photograph
youtube: watch?v=YYc9NPiVw7c

For You

Chapter 17:
Like a Dream

[Still flashback]

Together they walked through the still open front door and while Adam put his suitcase down in the hallway near Mitch's, he closed the door behind him. Voices could be heard from the living room, which contained the kitchen as well. Expectantly Adam looked at Mitch, but he didn't move an inch.

Suddenly he wasn't so sure about Adam meeting his family anymore.

Of course the other noticed that something was up.

"Mitch? Don't tell me you're freaking out on me," Adam asked with a higher voice than usual and without being able to hide the panic in his eyes, Mitch turned to him. "No…?" Needless to say that Adam figured the lie out in an instant.

"Oh really? Thank god, because I'm so chickening out right now and really need your fricking support, because your parents are gonna murder me when they find out that I'm fucking their so-"

"Shut up or I'm strangling you myself!" Mitch hissed and threw a terrified look in the direction of the voices. No one seemed to have heard Adam's whispered words. "We are so not going to tell them that, are you crazy?! They'll lock me up in the basement and never let me out again. Actually did it to Marley as they found out she was doing more with Mike than just kissing!"

Adam visibly paled and then turned around on the spot to escape through the front door, but Mitch's deadly grip around his waist held him back, before he could even touch the doorknob. "Please let me go Mitch, I'm too young to die," Adam whined with the desperate voice he often used in his videos and it would have made Mitch crack up, if it wasn't for the panic still stirring him up.

"Oh no, you're part of this relationship as much as I am, now deal with it!" he replied fiery and tightened his grip, which he actually enjoyed. Being close to Adam and feeling the heat of his body always had a special and calming effect on him, but being so close to him in his parents' house made his heart race so much more. Somehow the struggle stopped, Adam must have felt the sudden change in his boyfriend's mood and put a hand on Mitch's clutching ones. For a moment both stayed silent and enjoyed the feeling of the other. Then Adam carefully raised his voice. "I would never leave you alone, you know?"

Again his serious side came to light, one that not many got to see on Adam. At first Mitch had been quite surprised about this other part of Adam, but with the time he had learned to cherish and to love it. In some way it represented his past, all the dark thoughts and unspoken secrets he held close to his heart while trying to make others happy. He often tried to hide it, even though it actually showed how smart and thoughtful he was and how much more he cared about every single person in his life than he wanted them to know.

Just few got to see this side of him and so Mitch embraced it with as much love and reassurance as possible, because deep down he knew that Adam felt vulnerable. With a soft smile on his face he leaned his chest against Adam's back, put his chin onto his shoulder and replied, "I would never let you go, you know?"

Adam quietly chuckled and turned his face, so that Mitch was able to see his raised eyebrow and the cocky smirk he just couldn't get enough from. "Really?" His voice was mostly amused and teasing, but there was a barely audible undercurrent of real worry and doubt in it. Pressing a kiss onto the skin under his ear, what Adam always seemed to love, Mitch decided to eliminate his fears with offering some vulnerability of his own. Adam wouldn't betray his trust. Never.

"I simply can't. I-… There is a reason, why I didn't have many relationships up until now, Adam. It's so hard for me to really trust people, to commit myself fully to them, because…" The grip his hands still had on Adam's shirt tightened and Mitch avoided the eyes of his lover, because it was so hard to keep talking about it, when the only person in his life knowing about his insecurities was Jerome.

He didn't say a word, instead Adam tenderly caressed his hands and leaned his head against the Canadian's. The words came on their own and Mitch closed his eyes.

"But then there was you."

A low chuckle. His own. Adam kept quiet.

"And suddenly it was so easy to trust them, especially you, because you have this damn ability to bring out the best in people. You cheer them up, you motivate them, always with this bright smile on your face… I can't let you go Adam, you mean too much to me and-"

He couldn't finish his little speech due to Adam's hand grabbing his chin and raising it, so that he was able to press his lips on Mitch's. This time the kiss was neither short nor soft.

Adam deepened the kiss quickly and put a hand in the Canadian's neck to keep him in place, driving Mitch crazy with the way his tongue caressed his own and the way their lips fitted perfectly together. His beating heart stopped and the fluttering feeling in his stomach disappeared together with every little piece of panic.

No matter what others might think about their relationship – it felt incredibly good and right for Mitch. Every time he was together with Adam, all of his worries suddenly became less important and no matter how desperate the situation seemed to be, with Adam there was always a little piece of hope at the end of the horizon.

Somehow Adam felt like home.

After what felt like hours they finally had to break the kiss due to the lack of oxygen. Panting Mitch rested his forehead against Adam's and closed his eyes, while he enjoyed the strong grip around his waist, guarding and possessive at once.

"You can't just start saying stuff like that, Mitch," Adam chided him for his earlier words, but the smile tugging at the corners of his red lips revealed that he didn't really mean it. "By the way, I love you too," he added and pressed another kiss onto Mitch's deep red and swollen lips, before Adam finally let go of his waist and instead grabbed his hand possessively.

The voices from the kitchen, which was connected to the living room, were as loud as before and relieved Mitch felt his tensed muscles relax. It wouldn't have been a good first impression for his adorable boyfriend, if they had caught them making out in the hallway, barely able to contain themselves. And the basement imprisonment was for sure still an option, Mitch thought with a shudder and finally led Adam, still holding his hand, into the direction of his family.

Just before they actually entered the room, Mitch threw another hesitant glance at Adam.

"You ready?"

His sparkling eyes couldn't have been more convincing and were enough of an answer.

Then they finally walked into the room in which his family was already waiting for them.

His mother was standing to their right at the kitchen counter, preparing a meal while his father sat at the counter and seemed to mix a sauce at the moment. To their left, sitting on the sofas, were his siblings. Marley was excitedly talking to his younger sister Kyleigh and Connor kneeled on the sofa while watching his parents over the backrest. All talking ceased immediately as they noticed the young couple standing in the doorway and Mitch unconsciously squeezed Adam's hand even harder, as he waited for a reaction.

At first he had expected to be the one, who had to comfort and calm down his boyfriend, but now it was the other way round and thankfully Adam didn't seem to mind. Instead of freaking out again like Mitch, he threw his characteristic smile at Mitch's family and then raised his free hand. "Hello everyone, for those who don't know me yet, I'm Adam. Nice to meet you all!"

The first one to react was his mother.

With a bright smile on her face she stepped closer and pulled Adam into a tight hug. Mitch stepped back a bit and let go of Adam's hand, as he saw the look she was giving him. He didn't doubt for a second that it was about his involuntary collapse in Las Vegas, but what stunned him the most was the worry for him in her eyes.

Up until now he hadn't thought much about the events of the day before. It had happened due to certain reasons and although he still felt quite exhausted and was under the weather, things seemed to slowly get better because of Adam's care. He couldn't just ignore all the work he had to do and as long as it didn't leave any permanent damage to his body, he got over minor things like that pretty quickly. It definitely wasn't the first time for him to collapse due to overworking – not that anyone knew about it.

But of course he hadn't considered the opinion of the others, especially of his own family. It was one of his bad habits and as usual he had to deal with the consequences now, even if he would have preferred a stress-free day with his family.

"It's good to finally meet you too, Adam! Sit down, dear, do you want anything to drink? I guess it was a long drive," she warmly welcomed him and pulled him to a free seat at the kitchen counter. Before she even had the chance to give him a glass, Mitch's siblings had introduced themselves as well as his father. Mitch continued to stand in the doorway and leaned against the frame, while his hands were buried in the pockets of his jeans. Adam seemed to enjoy himself and Mitch could tell that the bright smile on his lips was an honest one, when he looked for Mitch.

He should have never doubted his family, especially after their promised support.

And then the anticipated storm came, as his siblings hogged his boyfriend and his mother was able to break away from them. With a few steps she arrived in front of him and pulled Mitch into a tight hug, even before he had the chance to check her mood. But instead of a rant she just pressed him even closer to her and mumbled, "If you do something like that again, I'll force you to move in with us."

Struck by her words Mitch blinked at his father, who approached them, and tightened the hug as well. Way too rarely he had the chance to see his family and even though Mitch liked the freedom he had in his life, he couldn't deny that he sometimes missed the care of his parents. Especially after situations just like yesterday.

"It wasn't that bad," he muttered and tried to ease their worries, although he knew that it was hopeless, even before his father made an unbelieving sound and continued to watch them carefully. Adam laughed about something that Connor had said to him, but from the corner of his eyes Mitch could see his boyfriend's glimpses towards them.

"Sure," his mother began with a sarcastic tone in her voice as she finally let go of him again, only to muster him critically. "You're too pale, there are dark circles around your eyes and don't even pretend that your hands aren't shaking."

"That's because you're making such a fuss right now."

"She's your mother, she's allowed to do that," his father teased him and then stepped forward to give him a tight hug as well. Before Mitch's mother had the chance to interfere, her husband whispered, "You better give in to her bickering, I know her longer than you do, she's not going to let you off the hook."

"I heard that," she complained playfully and smacked his arm, causing Mitch to laugh out loud. "And you know she's right," his father added with a more serious tone in his voice and gave him a hard look. He couldn't hold back the guilty expression from appearing on his face and even though he wasn't that much concerned about what had happened, he uttered, "I'm sorry for worrying you so much. The last weeks were just… crap, to be honest."

His parents exchanged glances, but they didn't get the chance to reply.

Adam appeared beside him, put a hand naturally around Mitch's waist and pulled the Canadian towards his side, a habit he picked up during their shared times at the LA house. He didn't even seem to notice the heavy blush on Mitch's face and his attempt to avoid his parents' eyes, as Adam confidently said, "You may be certain that I'll make sure it's not happening again."

"Oh I'm not doubting that for a moment," Marley said with a smirk on her face from behind their parents and caused everyone to laugh out loud. Mitch tried unsuccessfully to hide his red face, but the sound of Adam's carefree and slightly embarrassed laughter finally made him join in.

After all it couldn't be more perfect at the moment, Mitch thought.