"I don't want to! Let me sleep!" Adam whined as Bret shook him to consciousness. It was nearing eight pm. Bret knew Adam had to go to work at ten. Bret laughed, he was finding that waking his new lover wasn't easy. He'd been up for several hours. Hart had showered, dressed, cooked supper and packed a lunch for Adam. He'd even washed, dried and ironed Adam's clothes from yesterday.
"Come on, Sugar. Supper is ready and your clothes are clean. You need a shower, while I think you smell wonderful, others won't. You reek of sex. No, come to think of it, don't shower. I want Barrett to know you belong to me," Bret teased the physician. He was tempted to crawl into the bed and keep Adam there.
Adam giggled from deep under the covers, "don't worry, he'll know. Food? Laundry? We've only been together a few hours and I'm spoiled already. Did you make me one of your wonderful lunches too?" Adam asked as he poked his head out of the covers.
Bret laughed, really laughed. For the first time since Davy's death, Captain Bret Hart was truly happy. He felt light and free. If nothing else he was more than thankful to Adam for giving him back his smile and laughter. It felt good.
"You are already so spoiled you are just rotten. I made a kind of ham, macaroni and cheese casserole, with corn bread. Yes, I also washed and ironed your clothes from yesterday. Say, um... maybe eventually you could bring a few things here, to have, you know just in case. Take the middle drawer in the vanity too, now get that delicious ass outta bed!" Bret teased with a wink and a lick of his lips. He pulled the covers off Adam's naked body. It made Adam squeal.
Adam hopped out of bed and narrowly avoided Bret, as the older man took a swipe at his pert ass. He dashed into the bathroom to take a shower. Once again the physician was amazed. His neatly pressed, freshly washed clothes, socks and underwear were folded on the vanity. Fresh towels and a wash cloth were also waiting. He wasn't sure where his relationship would go, but Adam knew he was in for a good time. As he showered, he thought back to their sex last night. It made him smile. He'd never felt so wonderful in all his life.
While Adam got ready for work, Bret busied himself. First he stripped and remade the bed with fresh sheets. He then took the dirty things down to the laundry room He could smell their sex in the dirty sheets. It was a heady, intoxicating scent. He wasn't sure where their relationship was going, but he knew it would be an adventure.
"Bret, this is delicious, could I have the recipe?" Adam asked as he finished his second helping of Ham Mac casserole as Bret called it.
"Sure, I'm glad you like it. Listen, I'm not sure when I can see you again. I'll be back at the station by the time you're off tomorrow. Do you know your schedule yet?" Bret asked he took the last bite of cornbread.
"No, not yet. I'm due for days though. It will be hard to get time together, but we'll work it out. Your willing aren't you. I mean, last night, it wasn't a fuck and run? Was it?" Adam was suddenly worried. Memories of guys in high school came to his mind. He'd been a fuck and run victim too many times.
Bret looked at Adam in shock. He thought Adam understood that he was serious about building a relationship. He frowned, "How can you even think that? After all we said last night. Adam, I'm in this relationship one hundred percent. I would never do that to you, and I'm hurt that you'd think it," his words were clouded by that hurt.
"I'm sorry, Bret. I know you wouldn't do that. I just let bad memories get to me. I'm honestly sorry, it won't happen again," Adam had gotten up and knelt by Bret. He rested his chin on the older man's knee, he looked up at his new lover with sad eyes. He truly felt bad, he was always rotten with relationships.
Bret smiled softly, he stroked Adam's head tenderly. He understood, he knew Adam had a fear of relationships. Hart vowed to earn Adam's trust, "Hey, it's alright. I understand. I'm going to do my fucking best to prove to you I'm not Randy, Chris or anyone else who's hurt you. I meant what I said, I'm here for as long as you want me. I care deeply for you, I do love you, as a friend, and I hope it grows," his words were soft as he caressed the golden locks.
"I love you, too. Thanks for being so understanding. I know you're not them. I just had a flashback to school and a couple of fuck and runs. Will you call me when you can? I'll miss you. I just hope Wade will understand," Adam said thoughtfully as he sat back on his chair.
"As I said, I understand. You just tell Barrett to fuck off. Remember, if he gives you any trouble, tell Hunter or Shawn. Speaking of, do me a favor, let's wait to tell them, about us," Bret spoke, his brow raised. He wished Adam didn't have to be around the Englishman. Bret felt the urge of protectiveness towards his lover.
"I will poppa Bear. Yes, I'd rather tell them with you. Although I am sure Shawn will be thrilled, he's not fond of Wade either. I'd better get ready, I don't want to be late. I wish I had other pants, jeans aren't part of the dress code, at least they are black," Adam said with a sigh. He hated being unprofessional at work.
"Give me your house key. I'll go get your work slacks. Can't have my Sugar in trouble with the boss. But, if Hunt says anything, remind him that I have pictures of how he dressed in college," Bret said with a laughing wink. It was so easy to laugh with Adam around. They cleaned up after their supper. As they washed the dishes. Adam talked about how thrilled he was for Jason and Heath. He told Bret about having a party for them and Bret agreed it would be fun. They finished their work with other happy chatter.
Bret gave Adam the brown paper bag he'd packed for his "lunch". Adam had protested, but finally gave Bret his apartment key. Bret said he'd bring the pants in a couple of hours, giving Adam time to settle at work first. It had totally slipped both their minds that all Adam would have had to do was put on some scrubs once he got to work. Well, sometimes even the sharpest mind forgot the simplest solution.
With a passion filled kiss, Adam left for work. As he drove away, a pang went through both their hearts. Except for the for the few minutes when Bret would bring the slacks to the hospital, they knew it could be a week or more till they would see each other again. However, they both knew it would be that way and it was worth it. Both men were happier they'd been in a long time.
Adam parked in his spot. He noticed Wade was already there. Adam figured he'd have to start coming in even earlier, he couldn't let Wade show him up. He walked through the employees entrance.
AJ greeted Adam with a wave. There was one person pacing in the waiting room. The doctor grabbed his ID, pinned it on his coat, slipped the key card in and entered the Department. The cart that held the charts was outside his office door. There were eight charts waiting to be checked.
Adam reached for the key to his office, "Damn! I completely forgot the key is on my other ring!" he exclaimed to himself as he realized Bret had the key. He tried the door just in case, but it was locked.
With a shrug, he rolled the chart cart towards the break room. It would be the first time he'd worked in there. Dolph Ziggler, Wade and Kelly were in the room. Dolph was flirting hopelessly with the pretty blond nurse, as Wade read a newspaper.
"Hi everyone, how are things?" Adam asked casually. He had the charts nested in the crook of his left arm as he entered the room, then sat down.
Wade smiled brightly. "Good. Don't you do that in the office?" he asked as he folded the paper. Dolph followed Kelly out of the room, she looked like she was trying to escape.
"I... um... don't have my key. It will be here later," Adam said hesitantly. He wanted to tell Wade about Bret, but later, in the privacy of the office.
"And wearing jeans? Wasn't that the same thing you wore yesterday, for the shopping trip?" Wade asked with a bit of a laugh. He wasn't being mean, just curious.
"Yes, but at least they were washed, even my socks and tidy whities," Adam laughed in return. He went back to checking the charts, then continued. "I'm going to turn these in. I'm also going up to check on Chris. Alex and Mike should be updated, so I'll only be a few minutes. Page me if we get busy. Oh and Wade, I want to talk to you later," Adam said as he reached the door of the break room.
"Alright. I guess I can't blame you. Yes, I'd like to speak to you too. You look; different. Did something happen?" Wade's tone was again curious, his brow raised. There was something different about Adam, he just couldn't finger it.
"He treated me like a bastard, but I loved him; once. No, well yes, but not now, we'll talk later, I promise. I'll be back probably before shift starts," Adam said as he left the break room. He wanted to leave before Wade asked more questions.
Adam gave the charts to AJ then he took the elevator up to the second floor. It was where the Intensive Care Unit was. It was also the surgical floor.
The nurse on duty waved Adam in with a smile and nod. Adam went up to her, "Chris Jericho?" he asked in a soft whisper.
"Kitten?" a raspy voice called from the bed closest to where the doctor and nurse were standing. Both heads turned toward the voice.
"Yes, it's me Chris," Adam said as he walked over to the bed. He pulled Chris' chart that was kept on a hook at the foot of the bed. He glanced over the papers. According to them, Chris was doing really well.
"Kitty, will I live?" Chris asked his former fiancé. His voice was rough and dry, mostly from all the medication and pure oxygen. He had a small nose clip that pushed the air from his nasal passages into his wounded lungs.
"Yes, you'll live. How are you feeling?" Adam's tone was friendly, but professional. He was a bit more bitter towards Chris than he'd thought, especially when Chris was still calling him "Kitten".
"I'm sorry, Adam. I guess I lost the right to call you my Kitten. I'm alright, I guess. I feel like I was in a plane crash. I ache all over," Chris' words came in pained, halted breaths. His ribs hurt, no his whole body hurt, especially his head.
"Don't worry about that now. I'm sorry this happened. Have they brought Evan in to see you? He was worried sick about you, we all were. Chris, he and I had a talk, you need to know, we talked it out. He's a sweet man, I hope you treat him better... sorry. I know now isn't the time," Adam said in a sympathetic tone.
"Yes, I got to see him for a few minutes. I'm glad you talked to him, he's felt so bad. Maybe, when I'm out of here, we could all talk again? My hair, will it grow back? I bet Hunter got a good laugh out of my baldness," Chris tone went from soft to almost bitter.
"We could do that. Of course it will. No, he didn't Chris, he was purely professional. He wouldn't let me into the operating room. I'd better go, my shift starts soon. I'll stop in and see Evan on my way back. You just rest, that's the best medicine. I'll come up and see you again before I go home. Chris, I still care about you, very much, but Evan, he's the one for you. Think about it, seriously, before you hurt him, like you did me," Adam hung the chart back on the hook. He'd said what needed to be said. Now it was time to let go, he had Bret now. That's where his future was.
The doctor left before the patient could respond. He went down the hall and turned left toward the Orthopedic wing of the hospital. One thing Adam didn't have to worry about was visiting hours. He opened the door, the nurse at the desk had pointed to. Evan was awake, reading a book by the small light over his bed. Evan looked up when the door opened. He smiled nervously when Adam entered the room, he still wasn't all that sure about Chris' former fiancé.
"Hi kiddo. Just saw Chris, he's doing really well. It will be a long recovery, but with your help, The Lionhearts will soon be performing again. How are you feeling?" Adam asked, his smile warm, his tone friendly.
Evan's smile grew wider, he knew then Adam had been sincere yesterday, "Good. I'll help him, as soon as I'm able. He was really upset about his hair. I told him he could wear hats, bring them back into vogue, he liked the idea. I'm alright. Lonely though. Mike and Alex went home when Jay and Heath came to visit," Evan said with a bit of a sigh.
Adam sat on the edge of the bed, "Good. He'll need you Evan. Hats! That's great! You're very clever. I'm sure hats will be in vogue with Chris Jericho wearing them. Don't worry Evan, I'm sure Jason will come again. You really won't be there too long. I'll come visit again too. I'm just down in Emergency, if you need me. I wish I could stay longer, but my shift starts in a few minutes. Hang in there, and Evan? When it comes to Chris be firm and don't take his shit. Get some sleep, rest is the best medicine," he gave Evan's hand a squeeze, with a warm smile.
"Thanks, Adam. Okay, I won't take his crap. You're an okay guy. Have a good night. Thanks for stopping in. Good night," Evan said with a smile. He waved as Adam left the room. He felt a lot better. Adam wasn't going to interfere with Chris and himself. He picked up his book and started reading again, his mind was at ease.
Adam got back to the Emergency Department. He went to the break room, Dolph was sitting there, rubbing his cheek. There was a big, pink hand print sized mark on the platinum blond doctor's face. "Kelly?" Adam asked as he bit back a laugh. They had all, including Kelly, tried to tell Ziggler that she was a lesbian, Dolph just refused to believe it.
"Yeah. You know, maybe she is a lesbian. I guess I deserve it. She's just so pretty and I'm tired of being alone," Dolph said with a deep sigh. He was tired of being alone all the time.
Adam put his hand on his fellow Doctor's shoulder, "You'll find someone, Dolph. Just be patient. Kelly is a lesbian, and that's cool. So open up those eyes, take a look around, there maybe someone looking back at you, but not for long," he spoke thoughtfully. He just hoped Dolph would listen. Adam happened to know someone was looking at Dolph... AJ Lee, but they would have to figure it out for themselves, he was not playing matchmaker. That only led to trouble.
"That's good advice, thanks. You should be move up to the tenth floor. I'm out, thanks again. Have a good shift, good night," Dolph said with a smile. He left the break room feeling a lot better.
Adam laughed to himself as Dolph left. He didn't want to work on the tenth floor. Psychiatry was not his thing. That was better left to the experts.
Doctor Copeland sat down, as he did he was paged to the trauma room. When he arrived, the EMT's were doing CPR. The patient was an elderly woman from the nursing home down the street. Adam took over her care. He called Wade and Eva over to help. They worked on her for over an hour, but in the end, she passed away. Her time on earth was over. She was ninety-one, but that didn't make it any easier. It was hard to lose any patient.
Adam sighed deeply as she was taken to the morgue. He was pulled back to reality by Wade. "Come on, Sunshine. Let's go to the office and have a cuppa," the Englishman said softly. Wade led Adam by the hand to their shared office. When they got into the room he closed the door. Barrett pulled Adam in for a hug.
While Adam appreciated the compassion, he felt uncomfortable, "Wade, thanks but we need to talk," he stepped back from Wade's embrace. He'd hoped to wait a bit longer, but this might well be his only chance. He continued. "Wade, you're a very nice man, and I enjoy spending time with you. I've been thinking about us. I don't think, no, I know it won't work..." Adam was interrupted by Wade.
"Why? I thought things between us were starting to take off," Wade asked, his voice full of confusion, his brow was deeply knit. He held Adam firmly by the shoulders.
"Because Wade. Mainly, I don't want to invest in a relationship I know will end in five years. If we continued, it would tear us both apart when you go back to England. Also, it would be too hard to work together if we had a fight, and couples do fight," Adam explained as honestly as he could. It had been the two major deciding factors, not to mention the wonderful way he felt about Bret.
"Shawn and Hunter manage, I'm sure we could too. Who's to say in five years you wouldn't change your mind and want to come to England? It's not like we couldn't come back here to visit. You're not even willing to give it a try?" Wade plead his case honestly. He wasn't just going to give up. He really wanted a relationship with Adam.
"You've never seen them fight; trust me, it's not something you want to see. No, Wade. I'd never be happy living so far away from Jason. You might as well know, Bret and I are together. It happened last night. I just hope this won't change anything between us. I'd like us to keep on being really good friends," Adam's tone was sincere and he hoped Wade would understand.
Wade felt something drain from his soul. He'd really tried to change, be less... stuffy. He thought that was what Adam had wanted. He didn't know what to say next.
"DOCTOR COPELAND TO TRAUMA ONE, STAT! DOCTOR BARRETT TO TRAUMA TWO, STAT!" Eva's voice called out over the paging system. She repeated the message.
"We'll finish this later," Wade said, his tone was almost angry. He let go of Adam's shoulders and left the office, Adam on his heels.
When Adam got to the Trauma room, he was met by a hysterical woman. She looked like she'd been in a horrible fight. It turned out she had been; with her sister who was in the second Trauma room. Wade was looking after her. It had been a brutal fight, thankfully they had only used their fists, but that was bad enough.
Two policemen were waiting out in the hallway. They were afraid the two sisters might go at each other again. They also had a few questions for them.
"That fucking cunt! I'll kill her!" the woman stated with anger as Adam cleaned her wounds. She had a very deep cut on her cheek. It would need stitches.
"Now, now, you need to take a deep breath. This will need stitches. Eve, suture kit, a number two, please. Novocaine ten cc's as well," Adam spoke calmly to the woman and politely to the nurse. Eva went to get the items requested.
"Great, just fuckin' great! I'll be scarred for life. Ow! Hey Doc, watch it!" She snapped as Adam examined her wrist. Her left wrist was red and swollen, her knuckles bloody and badly scraped.
"Sorry. Eva, better call X-ray. Her wrist could be broken," Adam spoke to Eva, then continued as he spoke to the angry woman. "I'll make the stitches as small and neat as possible. You can have plastic surgery, if you want. Care to talk about it? Hang on a sec, this will sting for a bit," the doctor's voice was calm and soothing. So much so, his patient didn't even flinch when he injected the numbing liquid into her cheek.
While they waited for the Novocaine to numb the wounded area, the sister spoke, "Bitch hit me with the ring! Grandma's ring! Gran left it to me in the will! My sister came to visit, when she went to leave, I saw the ring on her finger! That cunt tried to steal it! We got into a fight and she hit me and the ring did this! Bitch!" She was angry, but at least she was calmer about it.
Adam took the needle and thread Eva handed him. To keep the woman's mind off the minor surgery, he spoke while he stitched. His fingers worked deftly making tiny stitches. "It must be some ring to do this much damage. Let me ask you, is she your only sister," Adam asked as he gently worked the sutures through the damaged flesh.
The woman as able to speak out of the side of her mouth, much like a patient in the dentist's chair. "Three carat Burmese ruby with diamonds. Sadly yes, aside from my daughter, she's all the family I got. Nan left me the ring for my kid, Shelly. My selfish sister thinks it should have gone to her cause she's the oldest," by the time she'd finished, she sounded almost sad.
"I only have my older brother. Our mom died and it was just us. He just got married. I'd be lost without him. We talk about everything," Adam said quietly and calmly, as he finished stitching the wound. It took fifteen small stitches. For a ring so beautiful, it had been an evil weapon.
"We used to be close. Nan wanted Shelly to have the ring, why can't she understand that?" the woman said with a sigh as Adam taped a bandage in place.
"Your sister, maybe she needs to understand how much the ring means to your daughter. Talking only takes the first word. Now, you're going to X-ray. Just relax. I'll be here when you get back," Adam said as he helped the patient into the wheel chair. An orderly from the X-ray department had arrived to take her. As they left, Adam went across the hall to check on the other sister.
"Ow! That hurts! You bastard! " the other sister was still highly agitated. Wade was still trying to clean her wounds. She had a black eye, bloody nose and several deep scratches on her face and arms. Adam recalled his patient had long, obviously sharp fingernails.
"Ma'am please, you must let me get these cuts clean. Just please, be still," Wade was trying, but his tone was aggravated. Nurse Gail frowned as she handed the doctor a fresh gauze compress.
"Hi, my name is Doctor Copeland. I'm the one taking care of your sister. Do you want to tell me your side of the story? I'm a good listener," Adam said calmly. He pulled up a small rolling stool and sat next to the sister, it drew her attention from what Wade was doing.
"She told you I stole the ring, right? I only wanted to borrow it. I finally had a nice date, with a guy from work. I asked her, she said no. I figured I could borrow it and give it back. I know Nan wanted Shelly to have it. I wouldn't steal from my niece! I love the girl! She and sis are all I have. She could have just lent me the ring for one night. I didn't mean to hit her. The ring cut her face. She alright?" the older sister explained her side of the story. She too went from angry to worried in her tone.
"Fifteen stitches, maybe a broken wrist. She's in X-ray now. As I told her, I only have my brother, I'd be lost without him. You two just had a very bad misunderstanding. Don't you think you owe it to Shelly to talk? I'm sure she needs you both," Adam said gently. He'd managed to calm the woman down. Wade was grateful.
"You don't need stitches, but..." Wade went on to explain how to care for the wounds. Next he placed a cold compress on her bruised eye. It was much easier to treat her now that she was calm.
"Yes, you're right Doctor. Shelly is such a sweetheart. I would never take her ring away, never," the woman said almost tearfully.
"You mean that? I'm sorry sis, really. You can borrow the ring," the younger sister said humbly. Eva had wheeled her into the room, after a promise not to start another fight.
The two sisters kept talking while Adam and Wade looked at the X-rays Eva had put on the reader. "That sure is better. I hope they work it out," Adam said as he put on his glasses. He studied the X-ray closer.
"I couldn't reason with her. Yes, it's broken here," Wade said firmly as he pointed out the fracture. Adam nodded in agreement and put his glasses away.
A few minutes later, with Wade's help he was setting the woman's wrist. The cast went around her hand, halfway to her elbow. It was a clean, simple break and would heal in six to eight weeks.
"I'm so sorry sis. I'll take care of you. You and Shelly can some stay with me. Please forgive me. I shouldn't have taken the ring..." the older sister was interrupted by the younger.
"No, I should have lent it to you. I'd like that and so would Shelly. I'm sorry too sis. I'll forgive you, if you forgive me. Nan would be ashamed of both of us. Oh, we still have the cops to deal with," the younger sister said nervously as she bit her lip.
Adam finished the last wrap of the wet, plaster soaked gauze, "I'll speak to them. I assume no one is pressing charges?" he asked with a wink. He gently placed the woman's cast wrapped arm in a sling.
Twenty minutes later, both the sisters and the police were out of the Emergency Department. As soon as it was quiet, Wade took Adam by the hand and led him across the hall to their office. Wade wasn't done trying to win Adam over.
Wade closed the door, he pulled Adam into his arms. Adam felt uncomfortable and tried to back away. Wade held him firmly, "just relax, Sunshine. I'm just, look, I want to understand. I thought we had the start of something good between us. What happened?"
Adam looked into Wade's eyes, he could tell the man was truly hurt. While he felt bad, he knew he'd made the right choice in Bret. "Wade, yes, we had a good time together. I'll say it again. It's mainly the fact that in five years you are going back to England. I don't think I can take another break up. Can you understand?" Adam's eyes were pleading. He hoped Wade got it this time. Otherwise he'd have to get more firm and detailed in his reasons.
"Adam, how can you plan that far into the future? Five years are a long time," Wade's dark eyes were full of hope.
"Wade..." Adam was interrupted once again by Eva calling them to the trauma room. It simply wasn't their time to talk.
This time it was a drunk on the streets the cops had brought it. Apparently he'd fallen down and cut his head on the sidewalk. He was easily treated, and showing compassion, Adam admitted him for observation.
"Well, he'll at lest get a couple of warm meals, a bath and bed for the night," Adam said as an orderly wheeled the man off to a room upstairs.
"Who is going to pay for that? I mean, there is no health care for people like him," Wade's tone was unclear. Was he disgusted by or sorry for the man?
"There is a fund from the old Hill-Burton Act. It states medical care can't be refused for lack of funds. A lot of county hospitals used to be Hill-Burton supported. Hunter does fund-raisers to keep money in the account. It's up to our discretion. He needed it. Sometimes, just sometimes, if you show someone a little care and compassion it can change their life," Adam explained to the Englishman.
"I never thought of that. Most people just spit on you when you try to help them. But I suppose you just keep trying. If you save one life that way, it's worth it," Wade said thoughtfully.
That was the Wade that Adam liked. Maybe if things had been different, he would have chosen Wade, but Adam knew the man could never make him feel the way Bret did.
"Adam, can we try to finish our talk now, before we get busy again?" Wade asked his fellow physician. Again he took Adam by the hand and led him to their office. It was becoming deja vu in reality.
Wade closed the door behind them. This time he tried a different tack. Before Adam could say anything, Wade drew Adam in tightly and kissed him. His tongue tried to gain entrance into Adam's mouth, but the blond refused the invader entry.
Adam pulled away from the kiss, fire flashed in his green eyes. "Wade! No! Stop it! I'm with Bret. I'm sorry. I still want to be your friend, but not like this. I need you to understand," he tried to get out of Wade's grasp but the taller man held him tightly.
"I don't understand it. We had a good time. I made a jack of myself playing miniature golf. We had fun dancing at the pub. I even exposed myself to Shawn and Hunter, asked what I needed to do to be better in your eyes. You didn't even give me a fair chance before your made your choice," Wade was between anger and confusion. All he wanted was a chance. He kept his firm grip on Adam's hips.
Adam sighed, he had to be even more truthful, "Wade, everything I said was true. I won't move to England and you can't stay here. But, there is more to it than that. I didn't want to say it because I don't want to hurt your feelings..." Adam was interrupted by Wade.
"What? What is it? What did I do wrong? What can I do to make it better?" Wade Barrett did something he'd never done before in his life; he begged. He wanted a fair chance at Adam's heart.
Adam softened, "It's nothing you did wrong. Sure, you were a little high-handed at first, but you've worked to change that. I'm proud of you for that. But it's the way I feel, in my heart and soul. You're a nice person, and I feel good with you. But, with Bret, I feel wonderful, safe and cared for. I can't really explain it, but it's like electricity up my spine when he touches me. He's understanding and he takes care of me, and he let's me take care of him, can you understand?"
What neither man knew was that their conversation was over heard. Bret had arrived with Adam's change of pants. AJ had let him in. It wasn't unusual, often higher ranking members of the fire or police department were allowed into the treatment area. It also helped that he explained why he was there.
Bret heard Adam and Wade talking, he paused at the door. When Adam started to explain how he felt, it made the Captain's hart melt even more. He kept quiet, not to be nosy, but to give Adam time with Wade. His dislike for the Englishman grew.
Wade sighed, "So that's it then? I'm out like yesterday's newspaper, without a fair chance?" he felt like he'd been kicked in the gut.
"You, oh Wade, I just don't know what else to say. I just don't feel a connection with you romantically. Some people click that way, some don't. It doesn't mean we can't be friends, good friends. Please, Wade? It would make it so much easier for us here," Adam said earnestly. He really wanted Wade's friendship.
Wade finally let go of Adam's hips, "I guess you're right. If it's only a one-sided connection it won't work. Of course, we can be friends. I'm sorry it didn't work out for us. Good luck with Captain Hart. I'm going to the break room for lunch. You coming?" Barrett asked Adam, he had his fingers on the handle of the door.
"Yeah, I'll be along in a few minutes. I want to chart somethings, first. Thanks for understanding Wade. You will find someone and you will be happy," Adam said with a warm smile.
Wade opened the door, Bret's hand was raised as if to knock on the door. "Hi Wade, oh sorry, not going to hit you. I was just about to knock," Bret explained to the startled Englishman.
"It's alright, Captain. If you'll excuse me," Wade said as he stepped past Bret and left the room.
Adam smiled and fell into Bret's embrace. They kissed passionately, "I told him everything. I think I hurt him. I hope he'll get over it. Hey, you're late," Adam said softly as he kissed Bret again.
"Um, I heard. I've been outside the door, I didn't want to interrupt. He'll be okay. Yes, sorry, Shawn caught me. I had to explain that you slept in the guest room. He bought it, but I want to tell them soon. Now, put these on," Bret said honestly, as he handed Adam his black work slacks.
Adam flushed a bit, then laughed as Bret turned away as he changed his pants. When he finished, Adam pocketed his keys. He and Bret went down to the break room so Adam could eat his lunch.
Wade watched as the new couple laughed and talked quietly. One part of him was sad and disappointed. But, deep down, another fire burned; the fire of hatred.
Barrett decided right then and there, he was going back to his original plan. He was going to bury Adam at work, and take his place as Hunter's second in command. He'd just do it differently this time; with a smile.