For the 1 millionth time, Adam couldn't believe he was standing where he was standing

He messed with the collar of his shirt, a gray button-up with black buttons. He made sure that his pants were tucked into his black dress pants, and everything was still ruffled even after about 7 hours of his shift. The hotel lobby was empty but opulent. An elegant blend of monochrome with pops of color would have made his mother jealous as hell, her HGTV binges being a testament to that. He adjusted his name tag, which gave his name and title of Assistant Head Host.

Adam's life had been crazy the last 5 years. He finally couldn't stand his father anymore and went to live with sex kid. That was a whole weird thing but it was so much better than living at home and dealing with all of that criticism every single day. He managed to graduate, but he couldn't find anything he wanted to do. He loved animals and stuff, but he couldn't exactly find a career in that that didn't need a bunch of education or paid like crap. About 6 months after he graduated he came across an advertisement to be the front desk clerk of a hotel that was part of a complex with a country club and a golf course.

That wasn't his scene normally, sure. But no college degree required, a month off in paid vacation, and a free meal from the world class restaurant in the hotel couldn't be beat. Besides, his dyslexia wasn't that much of a problem except for the occasional weird name. And with people not constantly putting him down, he was actually decently good at working with them. So good in fact that he got a promotion about 6 months ago. He was completely blindsided by that and cried about it in gratitude when he got home to his apartment.

Not that he would admit that to anyone.

He looked around the lobby again. He wasn't expecting much because he was on the night shift. Not only did it pay a bit more, but there usually wasn't much to do. And when it was, it was something interesting, like calling the cops or something. After his promotion technically he didn't need to be in the front counter. He could be checking on the house cleaners or going through the answering machine for anything. But the usual front desk had called out because her son had gotten tonsillitis. Plus, the valet guy didn't show up for his shift and some of the bell hops tended to sneak away. So really it was Adam running the show. He didn't mind - - for once in his life he knew everything he was supposed to do. He glanced down to the computer to check in on everything for a moment before there was the sound of footsteps. He looked up...

And felt his tongue promptly glued to the roof of his mouth.

It was three men rolling in suitcases, chatting amongst themselves. One of them seemed a bit older, with an almost royal looking face. He had deep dark eyes and darker skin--but a little paler than it might be if he spent more time in the sun. He was also the tallest of the trio. He was wearing a t-shirt with the black outline of what appeared to be a dog but with longer ears. Under it was a strange mix of symbols--they look like Egyptian hieroglyphs. Like legitimately the symbols you would see on the walls of a tomb. Beneath that in all caps was the caption "HOUSE OF LIFE STUDIOS".

The next tallest was more bulky in frame. His shoulders were probably broader than Adam's entire body and his chest was tight against his matching t-shirt to the others. He had the darkest skin but with lighter eyes. He was quieter than the others, but his eyes showed that he was not without a sense of humor.

The shortest had the lightest skin, probably mixed race. He was fairly animated, with a bunch of gestures and laughing while he talked with the tallest. He was the most average in build, but by the way his own House of Life studios t-shirt hugged his arms showed that was only in comparison. Adam was staring so long he almost didn't realize that they were right up to the counter. He played it off as if he were actually looking at the computer screen instead and looked up from it.

"Good evening. Welcome to Rose Brook. How may I help you?" Adam was sort of pleased with himself that came out sounding like a mature, confident professional. Somebody who hadn't been looking at the guests in a much more than friendly way. The oldest step forward, digging in his wallet.

"I believe we have a reservation. Booked by House of Life Studios." His voice was mature without being too deep. He had confidence that Adam could never hope to have by the way he just came out with that with keeping direct eye contact. Adam still struggled with eye contact to that day.

"Of course. Allow me to find the reservation," Adam told him. His fingers flew over the keys and he frowned slightly.

"I am sorry. I don't seem to have a reservation under that name."The other man's eyebrows crunched in confusion.

"Would you look again? I know I reserved this room because I saw the statement on my credit card." Adam made sure to hit each key purposefully and individually to rule out any spelling mistakes. Still no dice. He swallowed as the man looked a little bit annoyed. Adam noticed that their clothes were a bit ruffled as if they had been traveling. That had to be the case, as Adam heard his accent and it was American.

"I'm sorry, sorry. I do not see that reservation under that name. Perhaps you could have put it under another name?" Adam almost winced at the almost whining quality in his voice. The man looked at him for a moment and his face softened. He pulled his hand across his face and sighed.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. It's been a long day. I suppose I could have put it under my name. Is there a reservation under Anubis?" Adam paused as he was about to type in the name.

"How is that spelled?" The man who called himself Anubis raised an eyebrow.

"You know the Egyptian god?" The man said with amusement. The way he said it made Adam feel like he should know the name. And maybe it felt a little familiar in the back of his mind?

"...I don't know, actually." Adam's words made Anubis smile.

"That's refreshing, actually. I usually get a few strange looks. I'm assuming you've seen Egyptian gods with animals for heads?"

Adam nodded. "On the walls of tombs. Like those pictures on your shirt." Anubis look down at his shirt and pulled it out as if he were forgetting what he was wearing. Adam had to swallow as a bit of anubis's flesh was visible on display. Taught, dark skin with a little bit of hair that definitely went lower. Anubis smiled and nodded. Unfortunately he put his shirt back into place.

"Yes, the very same. If you've ever seen one with a jackal forehead, that is Anubis. Helps decide whether you get into the afterlife or your heart is eaten by a monster." Adam couldn't help but smile at the explanation.

"Did your parents have a thing for ancient Egypt then?" He asked that casually as Anubis was being casual, too. A lot of Americans were like that, actually. Which was distinctly weird to Adam, but for once it actually wasn't bothering him. Anubis gave him a smile that was laced with something, like an inside joke Adam wasn't aware of.

"Something like that. Either way, it is spelled A N U B I S." Adam quickly put in the letters and a reservation did come up with that name.

"I see it now. Anubis... There's no last name. Were they odd enough to not give you a last name?"

"They're definitely an odd bunch," wisecracked the shortest one.

"Carter, show some respect," Anubis told him with all the venom Adam used to tell his cat to not sit on him. He then turned his attention back to Adam. "Like I said I thought I put the name of our company on there. I must have been dozing off. Here is my ID to prove it." He pulled out his wallet and showed an ID from where appeared to be New York. Conveniently, his thumb was over where the last name would be. But it was obviously the same man and it was paid in full. So Adam nodded and typed to get everything in motion.

"You booked one of the long stay suites at the rear of the hotel with some of the private garden space," Adam noted. "I will be giving you a key card that opens the door to the private wing and to your room. I will make three copies for all three of you." He did so with the machine quickly and put down the three key cards in front of them. Anubis pick them up and handed them to Carter and the other one whose name he had yet to learn.

"Thank you very much... Adam," Anubis said, peering at his nametag. Adam felt a little shiver hearing his name--pathetic really. "Is there anything else that I need to do for you?"

"You did everything online, so we're all set," Adam told him, printing a copy of everything for the hotel's records. "Please enjoy your stay and don't hesitate to call the front desk with any questions or requests that you may have." He had said those words a million times and he could recite them now without the slightest stutter or hesitation. Anubis nodded and looked at the two others with him.

"Ready to go?" He asked them. The middle height one frowned.

"We do have more stuff in the car. I didn't see any bellhops," He said. Adam looked around. He was completely right - -Not a surprise. He suppressed a sigh and hit the call button a couple of times. But as expected, nobody came. Adam looked around and then found the little placard that stated he would be back in a little bit. They didn't like leaving the front desk empty, but it was nearing 9:00. Most guests would be in the room or probably checking out the restaurant.

"I can help you with your bags. And maybe even give a call to the restaurant to do some last minute room service," Adam offered.

"tHat would be great," Anubis smiled. Adam tried to Ignore the weird swoosh in gut at such genuine thanks. He had worked for some ungrateful ducks in his day.

He mumbled out something appropriate for the situation and followed outside. He was lead to a rented white SUV. When the doors were unlocked via key fob he saw the back seat was covered with black duffle bags. He picked one up whose contents immediately spilled out. Unnamed guy quickly bent down to grab the tripod that had escaped.

"No worries," said Mr. Name, who quite possibly had the best ass Adam had ever seen. "Carter, I thought you said you packed everything away right."

"And I did, Walt. The guy at customs broke the zipper." Carter hoisted a bag over his shoulder and rolled his eyes." Honestly they always lose their minds at a bit of camera equipment." Adam supposed that explained the t-shirts. They worked for a studio. Well, also owned from the way Anubis had said "my company".

"Children, let's get everything packed up so we can relax and Adam here can get back to his job," Anubis chastised with a grin. "He is probably very busy." Adam took a duffle with a smile of his own.

"I'm really not," he confessed.

"Why not? I would assume that people would be flocking to bring their side pieces here on a Friday night," Carter quipped. Again with that odd instant friendliness even though they just met. Not that Adam minded. He was on good terms with most of the staff, but joking around with them never happened. Frankly, Adam didn't socialize much. He talked with Otis and his family often enough. They had taken him in after all. And he had his orange tabby Mittens. Outside of that Adam kept to himself.He had forgotten how good it was to just talk to somebody without the threat of losing his job hanging over him.

"March is the off Season for us. must of our clientele Vacations somewhere warmer until maybe June. The weather here can be a bit...well, not so good."

"You mean it's shit, then." Carter responded.Actually that was exactly what Adam had meant but he still remembered that they were guests. Carter noticed and shrugged his Shoulders.

"my sister grew up in London. She always said that the weather here was bad, and that what we got in New York was nothing in Comparison so we shouldn't complain. " That was interesting that his sister was raised on an entirely different continent than him, but Adam just nodded and led them back to the hotel. It was dead quiet So Adam felt less bad about taking them directly to their suite. He led them to a hallway that he opened with a scan of his badge. He let them go ahead of him so he could get the door locked... and Ok, he did find them attractive and he wanted a view of their muscles from behind where he wasn't in any danger of them seeing.

It had been a while since he found a guy that piqued his interest. Jean had explained that bisexual people could have lopsided attraction when it came to genders. And for Adam, that had been true. In the years since he graduated he had only dated girls. He hooked up with one or two guys that he had found hot, but that area he hadn't really explored Much. Although that could also be due to what Jean had called "internalized homophobia''. But these three guys had him feeling that hot feeling in his gut. So hard, in fact, that he forgot to keep walking and they looked back to see him 20 feet behind. He flushed and quickly caught Up with them.

"So are you here just for business or to visit your sister?" he asked carter to break any attention Away from himself.

"He's pulling a reverse Sadie," Walt answered. He added, ''his sister" when Adam met him with a blank stare. "We started in NYC but the market was a bit oversaturated and the scene there isn't For us. So we decided we're going to live here."

"We needed a place to stay while we got all the paperwork finished," Anubis Concluded. They were now in a long curved hallway that looked onto the golf course that was a part of this place. Despite working here for as long as he had, Adam had rarely ventured to that part of Rose Brook. That was more a clubhouse for old dudes who wanted to smoke cigars, abuse the staff, and pretend to play golf while they drank at 10 o'clock in the morning. They had their own restaurant in that building so thankfully Adam didn't have to deal with them much. In a separate annex of the building on the rear side facing away from the golf course and parking lot were basically mini apartments for long term stays. It wasn't often people got these, especially if it was the off season. They must have gotten a steal on a suite, considering a minimum term of stay was a month. He flashed his badge again and they were brought into a 4 way hallway. With his instructions they continued straight.

"So what made you Choose here instead of a flat or something?" Adam asked-they were going down the final hallway. This was even more opulently decorated than the rest of the hotel-- had to actually put in the work if people were going to be here daily for at least a Month.

"It was cheap, there's maid service, and a 5 Star restaurant,'' Carter deadpanned. Adam had to suppress a snort which Walt failed to do. Anubis looked that familiar mix of exasperated and amused.

"That was not the only reason, ''Anubis said. ''There were many good reviews. The price was favorable, yes, with my credit card. But also he could be sure of filming in silence. And of course the mention of the friendly staff." He gave Adam a warm smile that made Adam's face hot. Good thing they had reached the door. Adam quickly showed them how the door keys worked before escorting them inside.

Carter whistled his appreciation at the apartment as Adam opened the doom not that he could be blamed. It was for sure nicer than Adam's place. Dark, expensive hardwood floors led to an open diningroom-kitchen-living room combo. There was a TV of at least 80 inches in a wooden bookcase with a Collection of books and fake plants. The coffee table had a glass pane over a storage place and some board games stuffed into racks along the side. The sofa was in the shape of an L and was a pristine white. A colorful rug tied it to the elegant dining room table with space for 6. The nearby kitchen was the dream of any chef. The stove was to die for, not to mention the neighboring spacious smart fridge. And Adam knew from his beginnings in housekeeping that the bathrooms-- yes, two full ones-- and 3 bedrooms were more than enough to make you comfortable over your stay.

Carter went over to the couch and Collapsed on it with a sigh. Walt started to rustle through some bags as Anubis leaned against the counter. The man obviously had a long day of travel that he wanted to put behind him. Though Adam had the strange urge to keep up their conversation, he thought he should get through the rest of his check-in spiel and get back to the front desk. There he could use his beeper to pester the rest of the missing crew back into action so he didn't have to run the entire hotel by himself. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out 3 laminated cards with QR Codes.

"These can be scanned to download our app." he explained to Anubis. "You can tap your room card against your phone to sign in. With the app you can order room service, the housekeeping, or contact the front desk. But if you need anything from us at all, you can always come to the front desk and I'll be more than happy to help. Technically the restaurant is closed, but I'll convince them to something to eat."

Anubis turned from leaning on the counter. The cut of his jaw and the muscles on his neck were put into contrast by the lights right above him. Though obviously worn by travel across the Atlantic, Anubis looked almost royal. Though the Ancient Egyptian name and no obvious last Name was a bit strange, it fit the mysterious man that smiled slowly at Adam.

"We are really grateful," he told Adam.

"Yeah, thanks for that. I'm starving!" Carter called from the couch. Walt had pulled out a tripod and was setting it up in front of the couch. He rolled his eyes at Carter.
"So starving that you can't give me a hand?" Walt complained. He turned to Adam as well to thank him. Adam was only barely aware of him as the tripod caught his attention. What were they filming on the couch?
"... And do they have any vegetarian options?" Walt was saying. There had been more lost to Adam's inattentiveness. He quickly nodded to cover his fuck up.

"Yes, We have a chef who can cater to all diets," Adam responded. And that chef Was a stern German who would use a cheese grater on Adam's balls if he had to make another order right when he had just finished tidying up his workstation. So he assured them once again that he would get them Some food and made his excuses to leave.

His walk back to the front desk was full of the three men he had just left behind. He Saw gorgeous people on the daily, rich beyond Measure, and Senseless for choosing this Place out of all the others in the Greater London area. None of them had captured his interest like Walt, Carter, and Anubis. They were of course Wet dream material, but it was more than that. They Were funny, down to Earth, and had treated Adam like a human being. He was good at his job, but the clientele had never been more than politely disinterested. Plus, there Was that business with the Cameras. Now Adam remembered Anubis saying that part of the appeal Of this place had been "a quiet place to film" or something like that. Did they plan to film here? And what Would they film were that the case? Sure, the lawns were well enough maintained. But save a squirrel stealing another diamond ring Adam couldn't think of anything they would want to film .

But that was above his pay grade. He had to suck it up and call Karl in the kitchen to let him know it wasn't going to be an early night for him. He dialed the extension to the kitchen and made the order. The man at the other end gave him an earful both in English and in German. Adam didn't know German though so the tirade was only half as effective and the order went in. Setting down the phone Adam went back to his usual duties. He sent a call for all the other support staff to do their damn jobs. He glanced through the app portal on his computer for any requests. Then he did the same for voicemail-- the app was so easy and yet a lot of people wanted to do it old school. Nothing was there.

Adam was about to close the front desk for the night and go to the back office when his phone started ringing out loud. He must have forgotten to turn it off earlier. Frowning, he checked the caller ID. Nobody called him at this time off the night. He was the only person in his meager social group that worked these hours. The display showed his roommate, Kirk. Adam looked around at the empty lobby and accepted the call.

" WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?" Adam should practically smell the alcohol from his end. Kirk's usually quiet voice was slurred and 10x the volume. They rarely spoke but from the beer bottles he found about when he got home drinking was how Kirk spent his nights without Adam there.

" I'm at work, you tosser," Adam muttered under his breath. "What's so important?"

"THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO KEEP THAT BLOODY CAT 'WAY FROM MY ROOM!" Kirk roared back. Adam's blood ran cold even with Kirk belching like some sort of fairy tale ogre.

"What did you do to Mittens?" Adam bit back, forgetting to whisper.

"That fucking furball pissed on my shoes!" Kirk slurred back. "You're not cleaning out her shitbox and I'm sick of her pissing on my shit! I'm going to have to toss her off the balcony." That was a stab to Adam's sternum. He had never seen Kirk drunk before and apparently he was violent. Adam had to grip the counter because this felt like a pattern from childhood repeating itself and that wasn't good for keeping his head.

"She shouldn't be out of my room. I shut her in there when I left for work so she can use the automatic litter box in my ensuite," Adam told him, trying to keep a wobble out of his voice. He HATED being yelled at. It made his confidence shake like jello on a plate. Sure, Mittens initially had problems with the litter box. The fluffy orange and white kitten had come from a kitten mill and was scared of everything. But slowly she grew to love Adam who obviously sympathized with her. But Kirk was hesitant about a cat in their place. It was a two bedroom two bath place Adam was subletting. He was used to having the place to himself and his girlfriend until that relationship soured. Adam working nights meant he would be alone with Mittens. But Adam always made sure Mittens was in his room when it would be just her and Kirk. This had never been a problem.

"I went into your room to get a towel!" Kirk told him back. And obviously hadn't closed the door. Adam's throat tightened when he heard a frightened meow over the connection.

"Keep away from her!" Adam shouted. He was painfully aware of a memory of his father yelling at him after a disastrous spelling test mark came back. "Just let her back into my room and shut the door! I'll buy you another bloody pair of shoes!" He heard another pitiful meow and his whole weight was against the counter. She was Adam's companion when he came back from work, rushing to pounce on the bed and cuddle. Adam had grown accustomed to her unconditional love. If Kirk did anything Adam was going to prison for murder. There was a sound of Mittens hissing, Kirk swearing, and a door slamming.

"Little bitch scratched me." Kirk's voice was away from the phone like he had taken it away from his face. Then his voice came back into focus. "If I catch her outside your room again, I'm throwing you the fuck out! Hear me? Right out on your useless arse." Click. The line went dead.

Adam leaned against the desk. His breath was shuddering and he hated the fact there were hot tears against his eyes. He desperately tried to remember Jean's advice but his breath was coming too fast to reach his head. Why couldn't he get a grip? Kirk had obviously struck a chord. Useless. Despite the fact he was decently successful in his job, had a couple of good people in his corner, and a loyal pet, one word was enough to tear through his flimsy armor. That word had basically become his middle name coming from his father. He thought he was past it and now he was sobbing at work. A soft clearing of the throat caused him to turn around quickly.

Of course it was Walt.

He was standing there, still in the T-shirt of his studio but now in shorts. Adam immediately went to trying to dry his eyes on his shirt sleeves. It would wrinkle them but he really wouldn't be seeing much of the public in person if he was lucky. Walt looked at him and Adam almost blushed at the look the other was giving him. It wasn't pity or annoyance, but almost genuine concern.

" Is there something wrong with the room? I got your food ordered and it should be out in twenty," Adam said. His voice was rough and his professional façade transparent. Walt shook his head and stared into Adam's eyes. Walt's own eyes were so deep brown they were almost black, but it wasn't scary. His mother would have called them the eyes of an old soul.

" No, I came to give you this," Walt said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few bills. Adam nearly gasped as Walt pulled out almost 100 and pushed it across the desk at him.

"... You paid online," Adam said stupidly. Walt shook his head again.

"I know tipping isn't as common here, but you were so nice and helpful. We really appreciate you helping out so much," Walt told him. Adam swallowed and tried not to break into tears again for another reason. Who were these guys that would give a random guy 100?
"I can't accept this," Adam said, shaking his head. Walt looked a little startled.

"Oh, is that a rule here or something?" Walt asked like he was afraid he offended Adam or something.

"No, no, no, not like they," Adam rushed to assure him. He sniffed and wiped his face again. "It's just... that's a lot of money! I was just doing my job, and I'm not even great at that." Walt smiled.!

"The name badge says otherwise. And the fact you called the kitchen past closed to make sure we had something to eat," Walt pointed out. Adam actually did blush then. And Walt added, "And right now cash probably couldn't hurt... Sounds like things are a little rough at home." Normally Adam would have just brushed it off and pushed it down in himself until he should call Jean in the morning. However, Walt looked so patient and attentive, and the fact he left his room after a long night traveling to pay Adam a compliment caused the words to spill from his mouth.

" My roommate's an arsehole," Adam said, looking down at the counter. "Doesn't like my cat but blames her for pissing on his shoes when he locks her away from her litter box. She's just a cat! She didn't do it on purpose--she's afraid of anybody but me and she definitely wouldn't do it if she knew that drunk douchebag would try and hurt her..."His words came to an end. When he looked"I work nights back up at Walt and his smile was gone. But his eyes were still kind.

"That sucks," Walt said. From anybody else that would seem like the most nothing response. Walt actually seemed to mean it, though. "Is he always like that?"

" We never usually talk. I know he didn't like cats but I thought we were making it work. I moved in after his girlfriend broke up with him--probably because he's a prick when he's drunk," Adam responded. He put his phone back in his pocket. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

Walt still kept talking. "Is there anywhere else you can take her? Like an animal daycare?" Adam shook his head.

"I work nights. Nowhere would would be open, and I couldn't afford it," Adam said with a touch of bitterness. "Took me 3 months to save up for her automatic litter box and food dispenser. Now that I know it's such a problem I have to find something else for her. But places around here are expensive. I can try and ?" a new roommate but I need to know I can trust her with them." Adam stopped and looked back down at the counter.

"But it's not your problem. Thanks for the tip, mate. I...I really appreciate it. I'll make sure the food gets back to your room still warm." He expected Walt to awkwardly make his excuse and leave. That's what Adam would have done. Random strangers spilling their business on him would have made him clam up and split. But Walt didn't move. When Adam looked up he was obviously thinking hard by the way he was chewing his bottom lip. Adam wished he would stop doing that because the mix of nice and sexy would make the front of his pants wet, too. Finally Walt nodded and came to a decision.

"How about you and your cat stay with the three of us?"

"...Huh what?"
Walt couldn't have knocked him more off guard if he had spontaneously erupted into flame right there in the lobby. There wasn't any clues that Adam had misheard or misunderstood. No, it definitely looked like this guy with a fantastic personality, body, and ass was asking Adam and Mittens to share his unit at the hotel. Adam opened and closed his mouth several times before he was able to even speak.

"... You can't be serious" is what Adam decided on. Walt's eyebrow went up.

"Why not?" Walt asked as if this were a stupid question. Again Adam's cheeks flamed.

"Because--cuz I don't even know you," Adam eloquently stuttered out, gesturing between the two of them. "You're really telling me that you would be fine for some random dude and his cat sharing an apartment you've paid hundreds for. You'd have to pay an extra pet deposit for the room service and it would be extra since it's beyond last minute. And there are only three bedrooms." Walt shrugged.

"I don't know. Still sounds pretty possible to me," he said nonchalantly. Adam ran through his hair in frustration. Had he had some sort of fit between Walt's apartment and the front desk and he was imagining this? That was there only reason Walt was doing something so unbelievably...out there. Adam's skinn burned as Walt reached forward and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked right into Adam's eyes.

" I've known Carter and Anubis forever," Walt told him. "After my mom died they and Sadie and Carter and Sadie's uncle took me in. They helped me so much, going through school and everything else. And when I got sick with that same disease my mom had, they didn't give up on me. They worked their asses off to raise money and find a cure. They supported me and never gave up on me. They never made me feel like a burden." Walt squeezed his hand on Adam's shoulder. "They were nice to me when nobody else was. I want to pay it forward." Adam looked at him. Walt was the most serious out of the three of them and he continued to look so.

"But let me stay with you guys? And my cat?" Adam asked, shaking his head. "Even in a month of paydays I couldn't afford that room for a week."

" You wouldn't have to pay us," Walt told him. "You work here." Adam thought his head was going to fall off from shaking it so much.

"But... I'm just going to get in your way," Adam said with a sigh. "You don't know me. I could be a serial killer for all you know. And you're paying a lot for that room just to have somebody random staying with you." Adam actually gulped as Walt used his thumb to massage Adam right by the collarbone.

"A serial killer wouldn't try to find another place to find a better place for his cat," Walt told Adam with that conviction of his. "If you stay with us you should save a lot of money with no rent and no commute. You work nights so it wouldn't interrupt our filming. We all like cats, so that wouldn't be a problem. Sadie has a cat named Muffin. Well, we call her Bast now." In spite of himself Adam actually laughed.

"More weird Egyptian names?" Adam said. Walt smiled again.

"Something like that," Walt said, "Bast is no regular cat...And as for the bedroom, we'd all stay in one room anyway." There was a significance to that Adam didn't catch onto and his face clearly showed it. Walter laughed gently.

"Anubis, Carter, and I are together," Walter explained.

"Together?" Adam repeated blankly. "Together...wait, you mean like dating?!" Walter was clearly amused and maybe a little cautious.

"Yeah, like that," he confirmed. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no problem," Adam said quickly. Except it was because the thought of the three of them together made his balls ache. But he smiled and looked at Walt.

"You're serious? And Carter and Anubis wouldn't mind?" Adam asked. Frankly, it sounded perfect. Walt was right about the money he would save. His rent ate up a large portion of his pay. But a month or two should give him the time to find another place and get enough for a down payment.
"I wouldn't offer if I didn't think so," Walt told him. There was a long pause as all of Adam's demons that had been stirred by the phone fight berated every bad decision he ever made. But this didn't feel bad in the slightest. In fact, for the first time in his entire life the path forward was so clear. He was terrified at what may happen should this blow up in his face, sure, but he also felt an equally large portion of his gut telling him how good it would be if things went right. He looked at Walt and nodded.

"I can move in tomorrow," he told Walt, feeling his face break out in a grin. Walt smiled back and patted his arm ina friendly way. Adam felt a bit of coldness as Walt remove his hand. Still, he was happy as Walt seemed almost excited about this.

"Make a key card for yourself," Walt told him with a smile. "We can help get you get your stuff here. And just charge the pet fee to Anubis' card." Adam did so. He still felt like a proper idiot for trusting an admittedly sexy as fuck stranger, but he didn't stop himself. He looked up sat Walt from where he was at the computer.

"...Walt?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks."
Walt nodded. "Somebody did it for me. I'm just paying it forward. Just let me know if there's anything else you want me to do." Adam paused and took the bill and pressed it into Walt's warm, large hand.

"Take this," Adam said. "Call it my rent."