A/N: Thank you once again to ALL of you who are reading, reviewing and enjoying the story. This chapter is a bit longer than normal. I hope you won't mind. Thanks again so much for reading and reviewing! Lady Dragonsblood
Adam, Shawn and John Cena had been hard at work on Bret's surprise party. Adam had come to like firefighter, Lieutenant Cena. They worked well together and hoped to get together socially as couples with Bret and Phil after the party and camping trip.
Adam had also managed to finish the painting and have it professionally framed. The frame was a gift from Chief Lawler and his wife. Mrs. Lawler also wanted to talk to Adam at some point about putting some of his art work in the store to sell for a commission. The physician was excited about the prospect. He'd have to wait to tell Bret, otherwise the Captain might get suspicious.
It was a hard ting to do, but everyone was able to keep the party a secret. Chief Lawler even managed to arrange for Station 51 to be on stand by duty for a few hours on the evening of the party. That meant, they would only be called out if all the other departments were out on calls.
It was Lawler's job to get Bret out of the fire house while John, Adam and Shawn decorated and set up the party.
Before anyone realized it, it was July 2. Bret had woken up in his bed at the fire station, he always missed Adam, but more so in the mornings. He missed the blond head lying on his shoulder, the tresses tickling his nose. Usually Adam smelled wonderfully of their sex. It was the most intoxicating scent in the world, he wished he could bottle it for days like this. He was now forty-six, and he felt every hour of it; without Adam.
There had been a debate between John, Adam and Shawn. Should everyone ignore Bret's birthday or fuss over him to throw off any hint of a party. They decided that ignoring his birthday would lead to more suspicion.
"He's in the shower. Better start the pancakes. Remember, Adam said he likes his syrup warmed up," John said to Seth, who was on cooking duty. Dean was helping by frying up bacon and sausage.
"Yup, got a pot on to warm. The good stuff Adam gave you; from Canada. Alright boys, belly up to the table, breakfast is nearly ready," Seth said in a happy tone as he poured twelve rounds of pancake batter on the huge griddle space on the industrial sized stove.
Bret Hart entered the lounge/living area of his fire station. He dressed in black slacks, white, short-sleeved, button down shirt and black tie. He smiled as he watched his men as they gathered for breakfast. His heart swelled with an almost fatherly pride. He smiled even wider when he heard the ring tone of his cell phone, he knew it was Adam as the tune "Sugar, Sugar" played. He turned and left to answer in private, leaving the sniggers and laughs to the firefighters.
"Hi Sugar, everything okay? You're calling so early," Bret said in a convincingly worried tone. He knew exactly why his boy was calling and he didn't want to ruin it for him.
"I just wanted to wish the man I love a happy birthday. Sorry you had to work, but I'll give you your present tomorrow night," Adam's tone went from happy to soft and seductive. Leaving no doubt about the meaning of his words.
"Thank you, Sugar. Hum, I wonder what you could mean? Maybe a bow and ribbon tied around that naughty cock of yours? I'll lick it and suck it, make you cum till you scream, then I'll lick you all nice and clean. Yummy in the tummy," Bret growled out his words in a low, husky voice. He'd gone into his office and shut the door.
A soft whimper entered Bret's ear as Adam went weak in the knees, "Any chance of a quick trip home? Now?" Adam nearly begged. Bret's words had made him rock hard.
Bret chuckled, "I wish Sugar, I wish. Thanks for the birthday call. I'd better go, Seth is making pancakes with warm syrup. I love you, Adam. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Yeah, I know. I sent him a tin of Canadian Maple syrup, for a birthday treat. Yes, tomorrow and for teasing me, you'll be sleeping on the couch. I love you, Bret. See you tomorrow," Adam's tone was teasing. He ended the call by blowing a kiss into the phone.
Bret blew a kiss back and ended his own call. He left his office and went back to the others. Seth was just putting a huge platter of pancakes on the large table. Dean followed with a matching platter of bacon and sausage. The men looked up as Bret came into the room. If they hadn't known it was Adam on the phone earlier, they would know now by the expression on their Captain's face. He looked like a love-sick puppy
Bret sat down at his place at the head of the table. The room grew silent, and they bowed their heads as Hart offered their morning prayer:
"When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage, give me the strength to save some life, what ever be its age. Help me to embrace a little child, before it's too late, or some older person, from the horror of that fate. Enable me to be alert, and hear the weakest shout, and quickly and efficiently to put the fire out. I want to fill my calling, and give the best in me, to guard my neighbor and protect his property, and if according to my fate, I am to lose my life, please bless with your protecting hand, my family who are my life," They held a minute's silence as well. Each man spent a moment remembering lost friends. With an "Amen" from Bret, the chaos of eating began.
"Happy birthday, Cap!" everyone chorused at once. Phil then led a rousing round of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" as Seth filled a plate and put it in front of Bret. He placed the pitcher of warm Canadian Maple syrup next to his Captain's plate.
"Thanks guys. I really do appreciate it. Do I get a special supper too?" Bret asked with a smile. A part of him was embarrassed by the attention, while the other part of him enjoyed it; a little. He was thankful though, not all the Captains had the deep respect that he had from his crew.
"When is your meeting with the Chief? I need to know for the supper timing," Seth asked as he stuffed his mouth with pancake.
"At three-thirty over at 32. Chief is filling in for their Cap for a couple of weeks. That reminds me, he'll be filling in for me at the end of the month. I hope you boys will do me proud," Bret informed his men as he took his own bite of syrup soaked pancakes.
"Hells bells! Your vacation came through! That's great Cap. What are you going to do, if you don't mind telling us?" Phil asked as he put more bacon on his plate. Firefighter's had endless pits in their stomachs.
Bret laughed,"Yes it did, after Chief agreed to fill in. Camping, for a week. Going with Trips, Heartbreaker, Adam and a stuck up British Doctor," the Captain rolled his eyes when he spoke of Wade.
"That Barrett fellow? Good Lord, how did that happen?" Jimmy Uso asked, his brow raised. He'd met Wade at the hospital a few weeks earlier. He had to go have an X-ray on his wrist after he fell during a fire. Thankfully it was only mildly sprained.
Bret laughed, "Heartbreaker isn't even sure. Things were said and suddenly, Wade was invited. Adam, bless him, is happy to show him American style camping," Hart smiled as he thought of his boy.
"You should send him on a snipe hunt, Cap," Bray Wyatt said with a wink and smirk. He, Erick and Luke began to clear away the dishes of the men who had finished eating.
"Heartbreaker and Adam mentioned it, the Brit spoiled it. He told them a friend had warned him about snipe hunts. I'm sure we can think of something. It's not right not to prank a virgin camper," Bret responded with a thoughtful tone. He wanted a nasty, but harmless prank to play on Barrett.
"Poison ivy in the toilet area, lizard in the boot, rubber snake in the sleeping bag," Dean Ambrose added his ideas as he finished the last pancake.
"If anyone says a word about this, I'll hang you upside down from the pole, but that happened to poor Adam last year, by accident. He went to take a shit in the middle of the night, he got poison ivy instead of the leaves. Shawn said my poor Adam couldn't sit for two weeks," Bret said in a tone with no humor. He wasn't making light of Adam's situation. No one laughed, they all knew how itchy and painful a serious case of poison ivy could be, especially in the privates area. They also promised not to tell Adam, Bret had told them about it.
Station 51 was called out at two-thirty that afternoon. They responded to an accident at the entrance to one of the malls. They had to pull one of the drivers out of a car, but luckily he wasn't badly hurt. Secretly, while they did their jobs whole-heartedly, the men worried this would mess up the plans for the surprise party. Luckily they got back to the station just in time. Bret went directly to his meeting with the Chief.
When the trucks pulled back into the station, they found Adam and Shawn hard at work decorating. They had parked their cars at the little strip mall down the block. They didn't want to risk having Bret see their cars later.
Shawn was putting a cloth over the large table. It was black with a border of realistic red and yellow flames. It wasn't a childish design, it had been made for an adult "Firefighter" themed party. Instead of eating at the table, it would be used as a buffet, where the food and drink would be served. The paper plates were red, the napkins yellow and the cups and plastic "silverware" were black.
"Adam! Shawn! That's fantastic! Where did you find it?" Roman Reigns asked as the men came in from the "garage". In the middle of the table was a large, metal antique fire engine. In the 1940's it had been a wonderful children's toy. Now, it was being used as a flower "vase". Adam was arranging a bouquet of red, yellow and specially dyed black carnations in the rear of the antique toy.
"I found it at an antique store a few days ago. I'm going to let you keep it after the party. I thought it would look nice on top of the book-case," Adam replied as he fiddled with the flowers until they were perfect.
"It's really cool. It will look good up there. Thanks Adam, you're okay," Roman said with a smile. He left to go take a shower and change into clean clothes for the party. All the firemen went up to shower. When they finished, they came in to help with the rest of the decorating. Seth, Dean and John were in the kitchen, there was a lot of food to prepare.
As no one had the time to make finger foods, the hors d' oeuvres had all been bought at the wholesale food club. Mini quiches, mini hamburgers, meat balls, cheeses, pickles, olives, celery and carrot sticks, breads and crackers made up the majority of the "meal".
Seth had also made his special treat, that he called, "Lumps of Coal". They were made with the same ingredients as rice crispy treats, only the rice cereal was replaced by finely crushed Oreo cookies. Instead of cutting the treats into neat squares, Seth formed them into shapes that looked like lumps of coal. They were delicious.
Phil, Jimmy and Jay helped Shawn hang black, yellow and red crêpe paper streamers from each corner of the ceiling to the center. From the mid-point, they hung an inflatable Dalmatian dog wearing a Station 51 fire helmet. It wasn't a "cartoon" dog, but a very realistic looking one more suited for an adult party.
The next thing Adam did was prepare the punch. It was made from strawberries, sprite and cinnamon red hots. It was the perfect blend to go with food, not too sweet, with a touch of spice. He served it in a crystal punch bowl from Shawn's antique dish collection.
"No! Adam! STOP!" Bray Wyatt yelled from across the room. He'd been moving the couch and chairs to make room for dancing later. Adam had reached into the cooler to pick up the dry ice to put in the bowl of punch. It would make "smoke" rise from the red liquid. He froze in place when the firefighter yelled at him. "That stuff will burn you worse than fire, and quicker too. Use these," Bray said in a more calm tone, now that the doctor had been stopped. He handed Adam a pair of gloves from the kitchen.
"Thanks, Bray. I wasn't thinking. Shawn remember that little boy? He picked up some dry ice a the ice house. Lost his little finger," Adam recalled as he put on the gloves. He picked up the thick ring of dry ice and put it in the punch. It made the red liquid bubble and smoke, like a witches cauldron.
"I remember, poor little mite. He was very brave about it too. Okay, cake will go here, next to the punch. Seth you and Dean put the rest of the food around..." Shawn was interrupted by the arrival of Mayor McMahon. The guests had started to arrive. Once everyone was there, John Cena would send a message to Chief Lawler, to tell him everything was ready. Adam had worked it all out down to the last detail.
After the Mayor arrived, Hunter, Captain Neidhart, and few of the others from Station 51, who were off duty and several Bret and Davy's friends from Station 40 came to the party. Adam wanted to make sure Davy's friends. who were also close to Bret were invited. In all there were twenty-five people waiting to surprise Captain Bret Hart.
"Okay, Seth, tell John it's time to send the signal. We're all here and ready," Adam said to the handsome young fireman. He liked Seth's style. Adam loved the way Seth had dyed half of his dark hair blond. He wondered how it might look on himself.
Seth did as Adam asked, then went to the kitchen area to check on the hot food. Dean was busily arranging the veggies around a bowl of dip. He'd finished the tray of cheese and crackers, along with the breads. A separate platter held "sweet" breads like banana, strawberry, date nut and pumpkin, one thing for sure, no one would starve.
"Alright, we're all going up to the dorm, when Bret comes in, we'll come out and surprise him. So, Phil, John if you'll lead the way. Wait, I want to thank you all. I wanted his first birthday without... well, thank you," Adam's voice trailed off. He didn't want to bring down the festive atmosphere.
John Cena stepped up, "No, Adam, thank you. Ever since you and Bret have been dating, we've gotten our old Cap back. We never thought we'd see him happy again. Just... don't do anything to hurt him, please?"
Adam smiled softly, "I won't John, I promise. I love him," he hugged John, then followed the fireman up the stairs to join the others, Phil had taken them upstairs while Adam and John spoke.
Jay Uso had been elected to signal when Bret came into the firehouse. There was an inter-com by the door with a button that signaled the dorm. He was polishing the chrome on the front bumper of the fire truck closest to the door.
"Missed a spot there, Uso," Bret said with a laugh as he entered the fire station. He wasn't surprised to see someone polishing one of the trucks. For firefighters, polishing the trucks was a form of therapy.
"Thanks, Cap. Meeting go okay?" Jay asked as he stood up. All he had to do was wait for Bret to turn his back or go into his office, then he would push the signal button.
"Yeah. He just wanted to discuss that report we're putting together on ambulances responding automatically to every fire call. He likes Adam's idea of a special crew at each hospital just for that purpose. That way a regular crew isn't tied up.
"That Adam is a good thinker and doctor. Um, Cap, we're all pleased for you two. I hope everything works out for you," Jay spoke softly. They all loved the way Adam had restored Bret's happy-go-lucky attitude. They had missed him laughing and hanging out with them in the lounge after Davy died.
"Yes, he is. I'm going to grab a coffee. Don't forget that spot you missed," Bret said with a wink. He turned to go the living section of the firehouse.
It only took Jay Uso a split second to push the button. Just as Bret put his hand on the door to push it open, a loud chorus of "Happy Birthday" wafted down from upstairs as everyone came out to surprise Bret. Adam was at the front, his beautiful smile out shone the sun.
Bret was totally taken by surprise. He had no clue Adam had planned this. He smiled as his boy led the rest of his friends down the stairs.
"Happy birthday to you..." the chorus of guests finished the serenade of Captain Bret Hart.
"Happy birthday. Did we surprise you? We were so afraid you knew about it," Adam said happily as he stood before his lover, his hazel eyes shone with happiness and above all; love.
"Thanks everyone. Yes, you got me good. I had nary a clue. You guys are great! And the Mayor? Wow, so what's next?" Bret said happily as he shook the Mayor's hand.
"We have food, punch, music, and dancing. For the next few hours were are on stand by, thanks to the Chief. So come on! Let's party!" John Cena said with enthusiasm. All heads turned to the front door as a loud barking was heard.
Chief Lawler entered the station, he was holding a leash, attached to the collar of a large, male Dalmatian Dog.
"Hydrant is back!" Seth said with a shout as he ran towards the Chief and tail wagging dog.
"That makes the day even more perfect. Hydrant is our station mascot. He developed a tumor and has been at the Vet's for the last six weeks. Hasn't been the same around here without him," Bret explained to the others. They watched as Seth reunited with their mascot. Seth was the one that always took care of Hydrant on their shift. He'd been miserable with the dog away. The Vet had given him a clean bill of health, and as part of the days events the Chief picked him up.
As Seth took Hydrant out to his kennel in the small back yard, the others went in to start the party. Bret was stunned and happily surprised at the beautiful decorations and spread of food. He loved the smoking punch bowl.
Bret hugged Shawn and thanked him for his part in putting the party together. "It was all Adam's idea. I just helped. Enjoy it, Buddy. He went to great lengths so see that Davy's friends, who you were friends with too were invited. That boy really cares about you," Shawn said as he ladled some punch into a cup.
Bret smiled, he could see Adam in the yard with Seth and Hydrant. The doctor was laughing, it made him look so beautiful. "I care about him. I'm sure you did more than just help. Shawn, I've been seriously thinking about asking Adam to..." the Captain was interrupted before he could finish.
"Let's limbo! How low can you go?" Jimmy Uso called out as he and Jay held a pole. They loved to limbo and had taught the others on their shift. They often had contests during their hours of waiting for their next fire call.
Bret was whisked away to join the contest. Shawn laughed at the "help me" expression on his friends face. Hunter came over to join his husband.
"Poor Buddy. Good thing I have a spare medical bag in my car. He's gonna need a shot for back pain. You did a great job, baby. The place looks great," Hunter said with a laugh. They watched as Bret made the first pass under the pole. The cousins held the pole waist-high.
Shawn watched as Adam came back in, then took his turn under the pole. He watched Bret watch Adam, the lustful look in his best friend's eyes was almost; embarrassing. He was pleased, however, he'd never seen Buddy so happy.
The limbo contest continued, but in the end they, of course, let Bret win. It was a lot of fun and Bret enjoyed it. After the contest, everyone gathered around the food and punch bowl.
"Okay, Bret, present time! Come sit here," Adam said happily as he led Bret to the couch. He put Bret in the middle, then sat on his lover's left. All the gifts had been piled up on the coffee table in front of the couch.
"I don't know where to start. Wait, yes I do. Thank you all for this, not just the party and the gifts, but for making this day so special. I know Adam, Shawn and John were the main ones behind the planning, but you all had a hand in it. I really do appreciate you, all of you. I couldn't have gotten through the last year without each and every one of you. Thank you just isn't enough, but I offer if from the bottom of my heart. I love you, my brothers, my friends, my... love," Bret spoke openly. His words were raw and honest. He ended by giving Adam's face a gentle caress.
The gathered group applauded, Bret's words and Shawn led a rousing chorus of "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow". For one of a handful of times in his life, Bret Hart blushed. He blushed even more when Adam kissed him after the song ended.
Adam handed Bret a present to open. It was a group gift from everyone at Station 51. The package contained five pounds of the expensive Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans Bret loved so much. He'd been hoping to get more of the delicious coffee.
More presents were opened, they included: new cologne, an expensive pen and pencil set, a new leather-bound day planner and a lot of gift cards to Bret's favorite stores and eateries. From the Helmsley's, he got a brand new poker set that included cards, chips and a green velvet table cover. It was high quality and costly.
"I guess this means the poker games are back. Thanks guys," Bret said as he got up and hugged his friends.
Adam's gift was last, "This is from me, and Chief Lawler had a hand in it as well. I hope you like it," the doctor handed his lover the large and beautifully wrapped package. Everyone watched as Bret opened Adam's gift. Mainly because they were curious to see what the physician had given their Captain.
Bret let the paper fall away from the painting. He was absolutely stunned. Adam had captured the scene from that Sunday morning ride perfectly. If he closed his eyes he could almost hear the distant chimes of all the church bells. He was utterly speechless because of one thing; Davy's pink sky.
Adam, his sweet, beautiful boy had made sure Davy's pink clouds had been perfectly done. It was more than his heart and soul could take in. Without a word, he got up and left. His actions left everyone in shock, but none more so than Adam.
For a moment, no one knew what to do. Shawn's speech recovered first, "I think the party is over. I'm sure everything will be alright. It's best though, that if you're not on duty here, to leave. Thank you for coming. Captain Hart will be taken care of," the nurse's words were kind but firm.
The party guests followed Shawn's advice. It didn't take long for them to leave. Chief Lawler however, remained. The men of Station 51 began the task of cleaning up. All the while Adam just sat, frozen on the couch, everything was frozen except for the tears that tracked down his cheeks.
All that had only taken a few short minutes. Hunter had followed after Bret. While Shawn went to Adam, John joined the broken blond on the couch. "Adam, I don't know what happened, but, sometimes Bret just needs to walk away and clear his head. Come on, let's go somewhere more private," John said softly to his new physician friend. He led Shawn and very robotic Adam to Bret's office. Cena knew that would be the last place Bret would go.
Hunter heard the firehouse door open and close, Bret had gone outside. He found his friend sitting on the fire escape that led from the dormitory level. It served two uses. One, real escape if the station caught fire and two, training. It also had a third purpose, it was Bret Hart's thinking place.
Hunter climbed up the stairs and sat one step above his friend. "Buddy, talk to me," Hunter said softly as he placed a large, strong hand gently on Bret's shoulder.
"Adam... he painted Davy's sky. How could he be so unselfish? He could he be so; wonderful. I don't... deserve him," Bret said in a barely audible tone.
Inside Bret's office, John left Shawn and Adam alone to talk. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he hoped everything would be okay between his Captain and the physician. He'd never seen Bret so happy and it was because of Adam. He shrugged and went to help the others clean up.
Adam and Shawn sat on Bret's bed, Adam's head rested on Shawn's shoulder. With a deep sniff he spoke, "I thought he'd like the painting. What did I do wrong? No, I know what I did; I fell in love. Stupid, fucking me, thought for once, I had a real relationship. No more, Shawn, no more. I'll need a spare room at your place till I can find my own place. I feel so... numb," Adam's voice carried a tone that was one of complete and utter defeat.
Shawn overlooked Adam's language, for once, "Just hold on a minute. Don't just give up. Find out what's wrong first. Bret promised to never hurt you, I believe him, and I trust him. You should too. Pull it together, son. Grow up. If you love him as much as I think you do, you won't just give up. Isn't this relationship finally the one to fight for?" his tone was sharp. He hoped to give Adam the motivation to at least try to fight for Bret and love.
Adam was a bit shocked at Shawn's tone. Maybe he was right, but he doubted it. He was horrible at relationships and should have known better to even try. "Maybe. I should have known though, I was happy. For some reason, I guess I'm not supposed to be happy. So, can I have a room or not?" Adam spoke with another great sniff.
Shawn sighed, his point hadn't penetrated Adam's stubborn brain. "Adam, you didn't hear one word I said did you? TALK to Bret. Fight for this relationship. Because if you don't, it could be your last chance for happiness, and real love. You said you finally understood how Hunter and I feel about each other. Do you think a love like ours is easy? We fought for it, still do sometimes. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. You don't even know if there is a problem. Until you find out, don't give up! Are you hearing me this time?" the nurse was again firm in his tone. He had to get through to Adam. He just hoped his husband had found Bret and was talking to him.
Hunter sighed, he squeezed Bret's shoulder gently, "Love, Buddy. He did it out of love. He isn't trying to replace Davy, he trying to make his own place in your heart. By doing that sky in the painting, he's telling you it's okay to still love Davy and remember him. That's Adam, it's the way he is, and yes, you do deserve it. You have just as much right to love and happiness as anyone. Take it, Buddy, take it and treasure it. Hold it dear to your heart, hold him dear to your heart. God, I sound... stupid. Bret, go to him and tell him how you feel. He needs to know or else he's going to think you hate him. He'll feel like he's failed at another relationship. Then you'll have to deal with an angry Jason. Trust me; you don't want that, or an angry Shawn," the older doctor hoped some of what he said made at least some sense. He didn't want to have to deal with Shawn if he screwed this up.
"Fuck! I was stupid to just leave like that. Please, Trips, ask Adam to come out here. It's more private. Please?" Bret nearly begged. He prayed Adam would come talk to him.
"You bet I will. Just be honest with him. It will be okay, I promise," Hunter spoke with more confidence than he actually had. He knew how stubborn Adam could be. He got up and went to go find the object of Bret's affections.
"You're right, Shawn. It is worth fighting for, but I'm not sure I know how. I've never had the strength to fight back. Randy just hit me harder and Chris; he wasn't even worth the effort. How do I fight? Shawn, what will I do?" Adam asked in a frantic tone. He loved Bret and he wasn't ready to lose that. The fire of determination burned in his eyes.
"Just speak from your heart. That's the best advice I can give you. I'm glad you finally love enough to fight. Randy was too dangerous to fight, that wasn't your fault, and Chris, wasn't the one for you, but Bret?" Shawn left the question hanging in the air.
"Is the one..." Adam was interrupted as they heard John directing Hunter to Bret's office. Shawn got up to greet his husband as he entered the room.
"He wants to see Adam. They need to talk, but it's not bad. They just need to talk to each other," Hunter whispered as he pulled Shawn into his arms.
"Good, go tell him," Shawn said simply. He never thought keeping Bret and Adam together would be so; exhausting.
Hunter went to Adam, "Hey kid. Bret asked me to come get you. He's out on the fire escape. All you need to know from me is, he's not angry with you. Just the opposite in fact. Now, go talk to him," Hunter used that annoying father crossed with doctor tone. It was the one Adam knew to obey without question.
Adam looked up at Hunter, "He's not angry? Okay, I'll go talk to him. I am not loosing him over something... stupid," determination not only flashed from his eyes, but his mouth as well. Adam went to talk to his lover. He prayed for the courage and ability to say the right things. He was not ready to lose Captain Bret S. Hart.
Bret looked as he heard footsteps, he smiled, it was Adam. He hadn't been totally sure his boy would come, he knew the doctor had a stubborn streak. He also knew while he'd been talking to Hunter, Shawn had been with Adam, he hoped that was a good thing.
Adam stood at the bottom of the fire escape steps, he looked up at Bret. The moonlight was bright, he could see the soft smile on his older lover's face, and the spark in his eyes. If it hadn't been anger, why had Bret left so abruptly after opening the painting. Bret moved to make room as Adam went up the steps.
"Can I sit?" Adam asked almost shyly. His built up confidence had slowly started to disappear with each upward step.
"Yes, of course, Sugar," Bret's tone was just as shy and nervous sounding. He hoped he could make Adam understand.
"Umm... I didn't think the painting was that bad," Adam said with a nervous laugh. Humor seemed to be as good an ice breaker as anything.
Bret smiled, "It wasn't. Baby, it was beautiful, so fucking beautiful. I love it, I really do. I want to hang it in our bedroom. Last thing I'll see at night, first thing I see in the morning, after your beautiful smile of course," he spoke honestly. He took Adam's hand in his.
"Then I don't understand what happened. Bret, I thought you walked out on me, on us. Bret, please, I love you and I am not going to screw up this relationship. I'll fight tooth and nail to keep this relationship going, that is, if you want it too?" Adam's tone was a mixture of confusion, hurt and determination.
Bret turned to his lover, he took Adam's other hand in his, so that now he held both the doctor's hands in his, the Captain's brown eyes burned with love, "I love you. I want this relationship to work too. Adam, I was just so overwhelmed. You so selfishly painted Davy's sky. I felt like I didn't deserve that. What you did in that painting was so... beautiful. It makes me so happy that you openly support me keeping Davy in my heart, I can't tell you what that means to me. I want you to know, yes, Davy will be in my heart forever, but you have a place there too, just as big. I'm sorry my reaction to the painting scared you, and spoiled the party. I just... didn't know how to handle what you did for me," He explained as best he could, each word came from his heart and soul.
Adam's tears began anew, he was so touched by Bret's words. All the earlier fears he had, simply washed away. Shawn was right, he had overreacted. "Oh Bear, I don't know what to say. When I painted the picture, I remembered how much you liked the colors of the sky I used in the other painting. I wanted you to know that I don't mind sharing you heart with Davy. I love you, Bret Hart," his words too came from his heart and soul.
"I just... you're so wonderful, Adam. I've never met anyone so unselfish, so caring, so loving. All I can say is I am the luckiest man in the world to have you in my life, in my heart, in my very soul. I love you, Adam Copeland," Bret let his own tears fall. It was that emotional.
"Oh, Bret," was all Adam could say. He leaned in and kissed Bret with all his heartfelt emotions. Bret pulled him in closer and took command of the kiss. Adam moaned softly as he parted his lips to allow the very skilful tongue to invade his mouth. By the time the kiss broke, Adam found himself in Bret's lap. He hadn't even noticed when or how it happened.
"I wish you could come home with me," Adam whispered softly as he lay his head on Bret's shoulder. What had started out as a near crisis was nothing more than emotions run amok.
"Me too baby, me too. I'll be home tomorrow and I can't wait. We'd better go in, let everyone know things are alright. Again, I'm sorry I scared you," Bret said softly as he kissed Adam's lips sweetly.
"Yeah, tomorrow. John was a bit worried. Let's go before I let you take me right here," Adam said with a flirting laugh. The couple got up, climbed down the fire escape and headed back inside Station 51. They had some explaining to do to their friends.
"... and so, I handled it wrong. Well, not wrong, just not very well. I was so over come with emotion. I'm sorry I spoiled the party. Thank you all, for everything," Bret spoke, his arm around Adam's waist as they stood in the lounge room and quickly explained what had happened earlier.
The firefighters understood. It wasn't the first time Bret had walked out because of emotions. It didn't happen often, but had a few times, especially right after Davy's death. The Helmsley's were happy things hadn't been as bad as they first thought. Chief Lawler was also happy. As a matter of fact, he had one more surprise for Bret's birthday.
"We're glad things are alright. Adam, you are truly a special soul. Now, I was going to tell you this earlier, but Bret, you've been off the clock for the last hour. Go home. I'm taking over the last few hours of your shift. Jim will be here in the morning," Lawler said with a happy smile.
Adam and Bret looked at each other. Somehow, their wish had come true. Bret was going to be able to be at home that night and they were looking forward to it.
"Thanks, Chief, but are you sure? You don't have to do this," Bret said honestly as he looked at his boss.
"It was planned, Bret. For your birthday. We packed up some food and cake for you, plus we put your gifts in your SUV as well. Adam, if you want, leave your car keys and we'll bring it to the house tomorrow. Everyone said not to worry, most of them got the connection when they saw the painting. After all, they worked with Davy, they knew his love for sunset. Go home, enjoy the rest of your birthday," Chief Lawler spoke in an honest, fatherly tone.
"Thanks Chief. I do appreciate it. I'll make it up to Jim, on his birthday, and yours. Again, thanks guys. I love you, my brothers," Bret said honestly. He and Adam went around and hugged everyone. Adam gave John the keys to his Mustang and hugged his new good friend. Arm in arm, Bret and Adam left the station. Hunter and Shawn followed the couple.
"See Adam, I told you. It is worth fighting for," Shawn said with a quiet whisper as he hugged Adam goodnight.
"Yeah it is. Thank you, Shawn," Adam replied as he returned the hug. Bret thanked them as well. The Captain hugged his friends, then opened the passenger door of his SUV for Adam. The doctor slid into the vehicle. It felt like an eternity had passed since he'd arrived at the fire station earlier in the day.
Bret was quiet for a while on the twenty-minute ride home, as was Adam. Finally Bret reached over and took Adam' hand in his and spoke, "I'm so sorry, Sugar. I never meant to make you doubt our relationship. I didn't handle it very well. I'm glad that you felt like our relationship was worth fighting for, even if it wasn't a true fight. Oh, I don't know how to say it right," Hart said in a confused tone. All he knew was, he'd scared Adam and hadn't meant to.
"Shawn made me realize that of all my past relationships, this is the one worth fighting for. I'm just happy it wasn't about something bad. But I know now, if we do fight, we'll be okay. Let's just forget it. Enjoy the rest of your birthday. Now you can have your special present on your day!" Adam's tone had changed. It was low and husky. He wanted to forget the last couple of hours and get back to normal.
"Sounds good to me, Sugar. Sounds really, really good to me," Bret too husked his words. He put his foot down a bit and steered them a little faster towards home, and their bed. When the Captain and the Doctor arrived at Newcastle Drive, they sighed. Adam told Bret to unload the car. Before Bret could protest being left to do all the work, Adam disappeared into the house, then the bedroom, he had a surprise for Bret.
Bret laughed a bit at his boy, then proceeded to unload the SUV. He first put the left over food in the fridge and the cake went under the glass lid of the crystal cake plate. He let out a bit of a sigh. He hadn't meant to spoil the rest of his party, but he'd make it up to them, somehow.
Hart put the gift of coffee beans in the freezer, and the rest would wait. He leaned the beautifully framed painting against the television stand. "I almost blew it, Davy. Adam is so wonderful. I know you'd love him too. I hope you see how happy he makes me. He also lets me keep you in my heart. He's so unselfish and caring. I love you, Davy, but I want to be with Adam now. I know you understand," Bret whispered to the wonderful painting. He knew Davy was happy for him, how he knew he wasn't sure; he just knew.
Bret figured he'd given Adam enough time. He turned off the lights and went to the bedroom. When he opened the door, his breath completely left his body and speech failed him.
Adam was lying on the bed. He had a bubble gum pink bow in his hair. He also had a bubble gum pink ribbon around his hips and a big bow around his "package". Peeking out from the ribbon, on his left hip bone was something white, Bret was curious.
Adam had made sure his hair was perfect, from the ribbon it flowed in soft waves over his shoulders. He'd carefully trimmed the stubble on his face. He looked both adorable and ruggedly handsome.
"Happy Birthday, Bear. Wanna unwrap your gift?" Adam's voice was soft and seductive. One hand rested on his belly, the other was over his head, resting on the pillow.
"Your so fucking beautiful, my sweet bit of Sugar," Bret growled as he walked toward the bed. With each step, an article of clothing hit the floor. By the time he reached the bed, the Captain was naked, his cock hard. It bobbed against his abdomen. Adam couldn't help but lick his lips.
"I always said that tongue licking would get you in trouble one day. It's gonna be on this cock soon. First, I wanna open my gift," Bret growled as he climbed onto the bed. He straddled Adam's knees so he could easily untie the ribbon around Adam's waist.
Adam slowly licked his lips, leaving a light coat of saliva on them, making them shiny, "mmm, can't wait. You taste so... deliciously wicked. Open your present, Bear," he thrust his hips a bit making the bow wiggle.
Bret laughed, he reached up and began to untie the pink silk ribbon. When he removed it, his own tongue snaked out and licked over his lips. He then noticed the white thing he'd seen peeking out from the band of pink was a bandage. "Baby, what happened? Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" Bret's tone was full of concern. Had Adam been hurt? Had a medical test?
"You can remove the bandage, just be careful, the skin is tender," Adam said softly. He hoped Bret liked what he'd done.
Hart was even more curious now. The bandage was small, about two inches square. He very carefully lifted the corner of the bandage. He gently removed the tape covered gauze. Once again, he was stunned at what he saw.
"Sugar? You did this, for me? It's beautiful," Bret whispered softly. There, on the skin over Adam's hip bone, was a small, pink heart, outlined in black, tattooed on his flawless, lightly tanned skin.
"Do you like it? You know you're the only one I ever wanted to do this for. Chris wanted me to get a lion tattoo, but I never felt right about it, Randy wanted me to tattoo RKO over my heart, but I refused. For you, it seemed so right," Adam said softly as he sat up a bit and gently caressed Bret's face.
"I love it. That you would mark yourself as mine. This means everything to me. Thank you, baby boy. It's by far my favorite present. I love you," Bret sealed his words with a kiss to the tattooed flesh.
"Oh, you haven't gotten the best present yet. My mouth, on your cock," Adam's lips formed a wicked smirk.
Bret growled deeply. He kissed the tattoo once again, then moved up Adam's body. He braced himself by grabbing the headboard, the action kept his muscular body from crushing Adam. It also placed his cock right at the doctor's mouth.
"Open up that, dirty slutty mouth and suck my cock, boy," Bret said in a growling, commanding tone.
Adam gave his lover a very wicked grin. He leaned up and kissed the tip of Bret's cock, almost like a submissive, paying homage to his Master. He then began to feast on Bret's cock like it was the most delicious food in the world, and he had starved for days. As he bobbed his head, the pink bow in his hair fell off and landed on his pillow, neither man even noticed.
Bret took control of Adam's mouth with his cock. Adam opened his throat and took Bret in deeply as the firefighter fucked his mouth. Adam moaned around the invading shaft of hot, hard flesh. The vibrations made Bret's eyes roll back, it felt so damn good. As he slowly pumped in and out of Adam's mouth, the physician hollowed his cheeks and sucked Bret for all he was worth.
It didn't take that long for Bret to reach the point of eruption, "Take it boy, swallow it all," Bret growled as his ball sack tightened and his belly coiled. He came deep in Adam's throat. Adam swallowed as best and as fast as he could, but the pearly liquid dribbled out of one corner of his mouth and down his chin.
Bret pulled his spent, saliva and cum covered cock from Adam's mouth. He bent down and licked his essence from the doctor's chin, then kissed him. Adam purred as the older man's tongue once again invaded his well used mouth. Bret loved the erotic way Adam tasted as he lazily lapped around the warm mouth.
Bret rolled off Adam and in the same motion, pulled his boy to him. The kiss never broke. The Captain's hands caressed Adam's back as the doctor's hands tangled in Bret's brown curls.
They finally had to break the kiss. Both men were a bit breathless. As they waited to regain the powers of speech, Bret and Adam got lost in each others eyes. It was if they spoke without words. So many emotions passed between them.
Bret finally broke the silence, "I love you." The words were simple, but said with truth. Bret Hart was totally, head over heels in love with Adam Copeland; forever.
Adam looked at Bret. Yes, the man had told him many times that he loved him, however, this time, there was something a bit different. The tone, combined with the look in the Captain's soulful, deep, brown eyes told Adam the love was true, pure and very, very real. It made his soul sing.
"I love you, Bret Hart. I mean, I really do love you, with all that I am and that I have, I love you," Adam's tone conveyed the heartfelt truth. Adam Copeland was totally head over heels in love with Bret Hart; forever.