Adam Samuels (adamsammy) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2013-05-21 19:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | adam, adam and kyle, day seventeen, kyle |
Morning Truths
Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Early morning, Kyle's room
Dawn was just breaking when Kyle woke up for the second time. He had fallen asleep originally while the movie was still playing, and it had been a little bit of a surprise to wake up in the middle of the night, still dressed, but under the covers and with Adam curled up around him. Clearly the other man had decided not to leave after the movie ended. Or maybe he had also fallen asleep. Kyle had decided not to question it too much, especially at the moment. The second night of having someone else there as he slept felt really, really good.
He had gotten up for a few minutes. Checked his messages and filled in the quiz thing. Then he had headed right back to bed, sleeping through until now. He opened his eyes and turned over in the bed until he was lying on his side, facing his friend. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. No signs of nightmares plaguing him. He looked innocent - which was what he was, Kyle thought to himself. Innocent of what he had been convicted of, at least. Kyle kept coming back to that, time and time again.
Adam had considered leaving when Kyle fell asleep, but it was too tempting to just stay and stay close, he couldn’t help himself. So he curled up next to him and went to sleep. And it was nice to sleep properly, which was what he needed. When Kyle moved again, in the morning he shifted slightly, instinctively reaching out for Kyle’s waist to pull him closer, not quite awake yet.
When Kyle felt himself being pulled closer, he took a sharp inhalation. “Woah, okay, that’s enough,” he said, quietly, putting his hand on Adam’s hip to both stop himself from being pulled forward, and also to enable him to push away gently.
That woke Adam up, both Kyle talking and feeling his hand on his hip. He blinked twice then found himself looking at Kyle, trying to sort out what was going on at first. After a moment he realized he was holding on to Kyle and blushed, pulling his hand away. “Sorry...I...yeah sorry.”
“It’s okay. You were sleeping. You’re a cuddly sleeper,” Kyle said, quickly, giving him a reassuring smile. Yet still, he rolled over and got up out of bed, heading to the dresser to grab some clean clothes.
“Is that bad?” he said looking at Kyle as he got up, sitting up more, but not moving beyond that. The bed was colder when Kyle left, which was ridiculous, but true.
“No, not bad,” Kyle told him, as he pulled a top from one drawer and then went hunting for jeans and underwear. “I’m kinda that way myself. Just... mornings,” he added, having not looked at Adam at all as he spoke.
Adam ran his hand through his hair. “Because the last one was bad?” he asked. That had been the case. They’d fought over everything that time. He pushed himself up more, sitting up properly.
Kyle let out a laugh at that. God, A - you’ve got to stop looking at everything in the worst possible way,” he said, finally looking round. “No, not because of last time. Because it’s morning. And we’re both guys. And snuggling up to you, in the morning, could - maybe even would - lead to all sorts of wrong impressions,” he pointed out, wondering how blatantly he was going to have to spell this out to Adam. Which made him wonder if Adam had ever slept with a guy before. Present company excepted.
“What?” Adam asked at first then it dawned on him and he was blushing again. “Oh right yeah, I get it.” That would be weird. And likely lead to another fight not, something else.
“There we go,” Kyle said with a chuckle as Adam realised what he was talking about. “It’s nothing personal. Or bad. In fact...” He took a breath. “Thank you for staying last night,” he said, in a smaller voice. “I needed it.” And he probably wouldn’t have been able to ask for it. Not under the circumstances. He would have been afraid of Adam taking it the wrong way, meaning Kyle would have had to reject him yet again. But he hadn’t wanted to be alone.
Adam moved when Kyle used that softer voice, coming up behind him to wrap an arm around his shoulders. “Any time,” he told his friend softly. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
Kyle relaxed back against him a little, though a small voice inside pointed out that he probably shouldn’t do that. He ignored it. “Same for you,” he said, turning his head inwards towards Adam’s a little more.
Adam smiled when Kyle leaned back into him, not letting go. “I’m sorry I was such an ass to you. I didn’t mean to do any of that. I hope you’re not still upset with me.”
Kyle looked away, but didn’t actually move. “I know you didn’t mean to do it,” he said, quietly. “It still hurt. You... You hurt me a lot, Adam,” he said, hoping that this didn’t go spectacularly badly. Trying to take Autumn’s advice. “And I know you don’t mean to. And I know if you realised it, you’d be so upset. Which is why we’re still friends. Nobody’s perfect, and I don’t expect you to be perfect any more than I’m perfect. And I’m far from perfect.” He moved to bring his own hand up, placing it over Adam’s around his chest, hoping to stop the guy pulling away before he thought to. “And... You’ve said to me so many times that you want to see the real me. The one behind the mask. So - I think that maybe it would be good for both of us if I start trying to tell you when you’ve upset me. And why. Because I think you need to learn who what you’re doing affects people. And you need to learn that I’m not going anywhere, and you don’t have to be perfect to keep me. And I - I need to learn to be more open, and not just about the easy things. I just... I think this is going to suck for both of us. At least, it will in the short term.”
Adam thought about pulling away, but Kyle’s hand did keep him there. “You know I would never mean to hurt you. Ever. And I know I do from time to time. But you’re right, I want to know the real you.” He leaned his head against Kyle’s, keeping his voice low. “I do need to learn though. I want to learn from you. And it might suck, but I think it’s going to be good for us. If we know more.” That was what Autumn had told him as well.
“Yeah,” Kyle agreed. “That’s what I was thinking.” Which he knew he’d just said, but he was still half waiting for Adam to get mad at him or get upset at him for even suggesting it.
“I just have to hope that I don’t upset you that much.” Adam smiled, resting his chin on Kyle’s shoulder.
“I’ll have you know, I’m an emotionally volatile person,” Kyle teased, knocking his temple lightly against Adam’s.
“Is that what it was? I could have sworn it was something else.” Adam teased back and squeezed Kyle a little more. “I think we’ll be okay.”
Kyle turned, twisting his hand so that he was holding Adam’s once he was facing him. “A - I’ve always known we’d be okay,” he said, with a small smile. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re not going anywhere. We’ve both been through hell, but now we’re here. There’s just one thing I need from you...”
Adam let Kyle turn, holding his hand. He agreed with everything he said, about being okay and Adam not going anywhere, but the last statement had him frowning slightly. “Whatever you need.”
Kyle smirked at him. “What did you think it was?” he asked, his eyes sparkling.
“I have no idea. Something bad or painful or something. But I’d do it.”
Kyle chuckled. “No, no - I said I was emotionally volatile. You said you could have sworn it was something else. What did you think it was?” Kyle pressed, giving his hand a squeeze.
“Oh, that. I was mostly teasing, but I guess...well it’s more that you’ve kept them bottled up more than them being volatile all the time.” Adam smiled more pulling at Kyle’s hand. “I mean the one thing you need from me?”
“That was it,” Kyle told him.
“Just that? To know what I see?” Adam sounded confused because he was. He wanted to know what Kyle was thinking.
“Right now, yeah. That was all I needed from you. Did you expect more?” he asked. “You know, I’m not as high maintenance as I look...”
“I really did think you were going to ask for something,” Adam said shaking his head and leaning his head in towards Kyle’s. “You aren’t no. This room is evidence of that.”
“Hey! I like my cave! It’s very... me. And no - I’m not asking for anything. Really, I kinda thought you would be mad at me, or really, really upset at me for even suggesting this. So, I’m calling this good,” he admitted.
Adam frowned. “I’d be really shitty if I was upset with you telling me when I’ve hurt you or upset you.” He leaned in a little more but not too close. “But yeah, we’re good.”
“Some people can be really shitty,” Kyle pointed out. “Even people that otherwise you’d like. People don’t like having their failings called out.”
“Ky,” Adam said shaking his head. “I know I can be a bad friend, but if this is what works? Then we can do it. I might be pissed at some points, but that’s not the end of everything right?”
“Adam,” Kyle said, shaking his head a little. “Being pissed at me for something doesn’t make you a bad friend. We don’t always have to see eye to eye on stuff. You have your views. I have mine. So, yeah you can be pissed at some points. I think I’d be more weirded out if you weren’t. You’d be, like, the Stepford Wives of friends, and even if we’re talking the remake, you’re no Nicole Kidman...”
“See? I’m still learning that part about it being okay to be different and mad.” Adam shook his head and rolls his eyes. “I am just as pretty as Nicole Kidman.”
“But she looks better in a corset,” Kyle said, mock-seriously. He took a step back and gave Adam an actual-serious look, still keeping hold of one hand. “Maybe we need that,” he suggested. “To explore that difference between ‘different’ and ‘mad’. Tell me - if you do something that you find out pisses me off... How does that make you feel?”
“Good point. I don’t think I could pull off a corset,” he said looking down at his torso. The question had him glancing up again, frowning slightly. “Awful I guess. Because I don’t want to upset you. And sometimes I worry about you being able to forgive me. That you might not.”
Kyle nodded. “Okay. Yeah. I figured it would be something like that. So, I’m gonna offer you a deal. I promise you, Adam Samuels, that I will always forgive you - as long as you can forgive yourself for whatever it is you do. And as long as you can tell me what it is you did, and why you’ve forgiven yourself. Because, as far as I’m concerned - that’s the most important thing. Being able to live with yourself. Other people can be far too forgiving. You. Me. That’s the issue. You forgive you, I forgive me. God - we spend so much time actually worrying about that - you forgive you, and I’ll forgive you. Promise.”
Adam found himself moving forward, forehead close to Kyle’s. “So I have to learn to forgive myself?” he asked, thinking that sounded a little off. “And then you’ll forgive me for my screw ups.”
“We all have screw ups,” Kyle pointed out.
“Yeah but I have more than most remember?” Adam said laughing. “But knowing you’ll forgive me is a good thing.”
Kyle hesitated for a fraction of a second, then leaned in, pressing a kiss to Adam’s forehead. “A... You need to learn - you need to have confidence that the people who love you aren’t going anywhere. You don’t have to cling to us. You just have to be you and we’re still going to be here. There’s nothing I’m not going to be able to forgive you for,” Kyle promised, safe in the knowledge that he was never going to let himself get in any situation with Adam where that could be a possibility. Not yet. Not until the guy had sorted through so many of his issues. Maybe, one day. He’d like to hope, one day. But, not yet.
Adam felt himself shiver a little a the kiss, but didn’t move beyond that. “I guess I just sometimes forget why you’d want to stay.”
“...And that’s what you need to learn,” Kyle told him, pulling him in a little, before letting him go and stepping away. “A - you know I’m not shitting you. I’ve tried to be honest with you. Even when it’s hurt you. Even when I’m telling you things we both know you don’t want to hear. I stay because I like you. I stay because... God, okay, please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re... In this place, you don’t terrify the ever living fuck out of me. And I’m not just here because of that, but what I mean is that you don’t... I feel safe with you. I’ve always felt safe with you, even before I knew you were innocent. And that - right now, that’s so much. But, you’re more than that to me. And if I have to repeat that every damn day until you get it through that thick skull of yours, I will.”
Adam didn’t want Kyle to go. He wanted him to stay close, but he didn’t quite follow after him when he pulled back. “You’ll always be safe with me,” he promised. “How was I going to take that the wrong way?”
“I’m not just in this because you don’t scare me,” Kyle told him. “I just... Though... Some days, I feel like everything scares me. I signed up for this, but - I don’t think... No, I know now... I didn’t know what I was signing up for. Jeff would never... I still feel like I deserve this, but...” He trailed off, not able to continue the thought.
That brought Adam closer, pulling Kyle into a hug. He wasn’t quite catching everything that Kyle was saying because it was coming in pieces. “It’s okay Ky. I promise it is.”
Kyle dropped into the hug, slipping his arms around Adam and holding him close. Needing it in that moment. He didn’t say anything else, figuring he had said too much already. More than he would ever normally share.
Adam didn’t move, one hand against the back of Kyle’s neck as he kept him there. “Don’t be scared. It’s going to be better.”
“Now you’re just saying things you think’ll make me feel better,” Kyle muttered against the other man’s shoulder.
Shaking his head just slightly, Adam grazed his fingers through the hair on the back of Kyle’s neck. “Yes, but I believe them. What happened to you, what happened to me? We’re never going through that again.”
“A, can I tell you something?” Kyle asked him. “About me. I’ve... If we’re being honest, I figure... It’s the place to start...”
Adam nodded, head close to Kyle’s. “Of course you can.”
Kyle took another breath. “I didn’t do what they said I did,” he told his friend.
That had Adam’s face screwing up in confusion. “Wait..what? Who said you did something?”
Kyle fixed him with a look. “Twelve men, good and true - who do you think,” he pointed out. “What I did, what I pleaded guilty to. What I’m here for. I didn’t do it.”
That had Adam really pulling back, staring at his friend. “What do you..you didn’t? Are you innocent?” Why would Kyle be here if he wasn’t?
Kyle shook his head. “No - no, I’m not innocent. I’m just not guilty of that. They... Someone else died because of me. My roommate, Jeff.” He barked a laugh. “Ironic - the name. I mean, what are the chances, right? But, yeah... I... He died, and it was my fault. But... They said it was an accident. But, it wasn’t. It was my fault. And I couldn’t live with that. But, nobody would listen. Then this other guy came up. And so... I said I did it. And I didn’t, but - I could convince them. I could say I did and I could get them to listen.”
Adam was so confused. So completely confused. “How did Jeff die?” he asked, wanting to know the origin of everything.
“He OD’ed,” Kyle told him. “And I got him into it all in the first place,” he admitted, dropping his head against Adam’s shoulder, the tears already forming in his eyes as he thought about what he’d done. “He was this great guy. He’d come to NY from Iowa. Never done anything before. I... He wouldn’t have even touched drugs if it wasn’t for me. I introduced him to all of that. And now he’s dead. Because of me.”
Adam made a face. “That’s not all your fault,” he said shaking his head. “Sure, maybe you got him started, but you didn’t give him more than he could handle right?” His hand was on Kyle’s neck again, trying to be soothing. “You’re doing all this, you’ve been through all this because you think you deserved it.”
“I do deserve it,” Kyle said, simply - and it was clear he entirely believed and accepted that. “It doesn’t actually matter what happened - Jeff wouldn’t have got into drugs if I hadn’t talked him into it. It all comes back to me. If it hadn’t been for me, he would still be alive. You said it yourself - just because you’re not guilty of the crime you convicted you of, doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”
There was a part of Adam that understood. There was a part that really got where Kyle was coming from, being guilty even if he hadn’t been holding the needle or whatever. “Is this what he would have wanted? You to suffer like this? To take the blame for something you didn’t do?”
"He wouldn't have wanted to die. He said no so many times, and I treated him like... like he was the one doing it all wrong. And finally he caved. Because of me"
“Did it happen the first time he did it?” Adam asked, confused. He knew what that kind of pressure was like from friends though, he’d listened to it himself and had caved himself.
Kyle shook his head. “No. Not even. But he lost control. He just got into more and more serious shit. It was like - like a switch had been flipped. And I’d been the one to flip it. He ODed on crack sometime during the early hours of the morning on January 17th, two years ago. I was at some fucking fancy gala with my parents that night, while he was dying in a pool of his own vomit.” The self-loathing was clear in his tone as Kyle spoke.
Adam frowned and shook his head. “Did you try and get him to stop? I mean...if he lost control, there’s a point where it stops being your fault right? When it’s not that you talked him into it and more that he didn’t listen to you about stopping.” He hated that tone in Kyle’s voice and wanted it to end, now.
“I wanted him to get into drugs in the first place,” Kyle averred. “I pushed him so hard. He was the closest thing I had to a best friend, and he hated that I was dealing. I was so fucking selfish. I was only ever concerned about myself. About how if he wasn’t with me in this, then he was a risk - he could turn me in. That’s all I cared about - some fucking friend, right?”
Right, Adam couldn’t explain that away. That sounded really familiar, the kind of familiar that made his stomach turn over a little. He pulled away from him, needing space. He moved towards the bed to sit. “That’s...you’re better now though aren’t you?”
Kyle let him go, standing in the middle of the floor, facing Adam, head bowed. “I’m trying to be,” he said. He’d said that so many times before. Told people he wasn’t a good person. Told them that he wanted to change. Told them that they didn’t want to know the person he had been, that there was a reason he was so determined not to be that guy any more. Now, for the first time, he felt like Adam was listening.
Adam swallowed hard, trying to get his head around it. It hurt hearing how much Kyle had been like Jeffrey in a way. But at the same time he was Kyle, and he adored Kyle. Giving in he held out a hand to Kyle. “I think you already are.”
Kyle didn’t meet Adam’s eyes, but he took his hand lightly. “Thank you,” he said.
Adam held Kyle’s hand in both of his, watching his friend. “I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.” Or he hoped he wouldn’t. If he was able to get away from a toxic friendship hadn’t been proven yet, but he liked to think he could manage.
Wouldn’t you? Kyle thought. It was hard not to, when he was being so down on himself. Adam didn’t have the greatest of track records with his friendship choices, after all. He wouldn’t be that harsh aloud though. “I really hope you wouldn’t,” he said, instead, lifting his head to look at Adam now. “Or if you were, I’d hope it would just be to tell me to stop it.” He sighed and sat down on the bed next to his friend. “But yeah - that’s who I am. And I’m terrified that I’ll fuck up again. Not - not in the same way. I know I’ll never go there again. But I know that sometimes I don’t see when what I’m doing is hurting people, not until it’s too late. That terrifies me.”
“I would tell you that,” Adam said, watching as Kyle sat next to him. Instinctively, his arm went around Kyle’s shoulders, holding him close. “I won’t let you. I can tell you when you’re hurting people, just like you’re going to do the same for me right?”
“Right,” Kyle agreed, determinedly. “I would really, really appreciate that. Someone who’ll call bullshit on me, because I don’t want to be that guy. Never again.” He looked across and shrugged at Adam. “You wouldn’t have liked that guy anyway. He was naive and stupid. Totally self-absorbed. Completely full of himself. Had an entourage rather than friends and didn’t realise that there was a better way of living.”
Adam bit at his lip. “I might have been part of your entourage,” Adam said. “I don’t think I would have disliked you. I probably would have looked up to you.”
Kyle smiled, a little sadly. “And I probably would have ignored you,” he said, in all honesty. Adam had no artistic talent, Kyle would have seen him as nothing more than a pretty face. “Which would have been my loss. But, that was why I didn’t have friends. My priorities were fucked.”
“It wouldn’t have been the first time I was just ignored,” Adam said with a shrug. “I spent a lot of my life being ignored.” When he was younger that essentially high school before Jeffrey came around.
“It’s not enough for you though,” Kyle said. “Or - it shouldn’t be. And it won’t be, in the future. You’re too good to be ignored. You’re better than that.” And Kyle was determined that one day, Adam would actually believe that fact, and not need Kyle to keep repeating it to him.
“Am I?” Adam asked, surprised more with the way that Kyle had worded it. He rested his head on Kyle’s shoulder, smiling a little.
Kyle looked down at Adam’s head, at the smile on his face. “Are you fishing for compliments again?” he asked, mock-seriously. “Because you know I feel that way. I keep telling you that you’re better than you think you are. Or else I wouldn’t still be around.”
“Okay maybe a little bit.” Adam grinned and looked up at Kyle. “I know you see it that way. I just know I’m not quite seeing it myself.”
“Do you think I’d lie to you?” Kyle asked, putting it that way. He wanted Adam to start believing in himself more. He thought it would really help with the man’s issues if he could feel like he was worth more than he currently reckoned.
Adam considered that before sitting up straighter again. “Not about that, no.” He couldn’t see Kyle lying about much of anything and definitely not that.
Kyle pulled back a little at that, a confused frown crossing his face. “Okay, firstly, my point: if you believe me, then you can hang your belief on my opinion, rather than yours. Secondly: what do you think I would lie to you about?”
“So I believe you and not have to worry about listening to myself?” Adam asked before shrugging. “Not much really, just...maybe how you’re feeling.”
“Well, the way I see it is that if you don’t think I’m full of shit, or lying to your face, then my opinion must be valid. And my opinion is that you’re a great guy, Adam. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. Until, when you look in the mirror, you see what I see. So, any time that you don’t feel like you’re good enough, you can tell yourself ‘yeah, but Kyle thinks I am’. And, in the meantime, I’m going to be working on being honest with you. Even about the feelings thing,” Kyle promised.
Adam felt himself blush slightly. “I’m glad you can see it. That definitely helps. And you talking about stuff, I think it’s going to help Kyle. Then we can manage accordingly you know? I can help.”
“I think so,” Kyle agreed. “And thanks, A - for... Getting it. For not trying to tell me that what I did was insane, or anything.” Which was how he figured so many people would see his choice. He’d heard enough of ‘you’re throwing your life away’ to last him a lifetime. People didn’t get it. Kyle felt that, at least, Adam was trying.
“I somewhat get it,” Adam said, looking at Kyle. “It is a little insane, but I think I understand where you’re coming from.”
“That’s good enough for me,” the artist agreed. Standing, he shook himself off a little and headed over to the computer, where there was, of course, a message blinking away. There was always a message blinking. Every morning. “Want to know what today’s got for us?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder as he brought the message up to be read.
“Sure. Tell me,” Adam said, leaning back more, not wanting to move, but glad that things seemed okay between them, which was actually a start in the right direction.
Kyle read the message and shorted, inelegantly. “Okay - apparently we’re going to be given five credits for every person that we greet today with a hug... So, that’s a totally random thing that couldn’t possibly go wrong at all...”
Adam got up and frowned looking at the message over Kyle’s shoulder before laughing. “Well it can’t be all wrong can it?” he asked wrapping his arms around Kyle’s waist. “Hey Kyle.” See? Not so bad.
Kyle looked across at him. “I’m hardly a great example of how that’s going to go,” he deadpanned. “Being you’ve hugged me at least, like, a dozen times already today.” He was very aware that they’d been becoming increasingly physical lately, but Kyle was comfortable with that. He’d always been something of a touchy-feely type with people he trusted, and lately he’d just needed the contact.
“Does that mean we get paid each time?” Adam asked, though he doubted it. “I figure if I want to hug anyone else, Wren and Mazie are safe options.”
“I doubt it, otherwise people would just find someone they were okay with and watch the money roll in,” Kyle replied, rolling his eyes. “Yeah - Wren, Mazie, Autumn... Oh, Carmel’s put up a post asking people not to hug her without warning. That’s a sensible approach if she doesn’t like them.”
“Hey not everyone is comfortable with someone right?” Adam asked and looked at the post. “That makes sense, given things.” He’d probably be in the same boat. “I wonder if I should do that too.”
“Maybe that would be best,” Kyle agreed, stepping back from his desk. “You can use my computer, if you’d like. I should probably go take a shower anyhow.” That seemed a good way to give Adam some privacy and space - even though the message he would be writing would be public and he’d be able to read it later.
Adam nodded, looking at the computer. “Yeah that makes sense. It’s not that I don’t like that sort of thing, I just get jumpy.” He looked towards the bathroom and grinned. “Get cleaned up.”
“Lack of jumpy is good. Get the wrong person and maybe they’ll be jumpy too,” Kyle pointed out. He headed off to pick up the clothes that he’d pulled out earlier. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he said, before disappearing into the bathroom.
“I’ll be here,” Adam said changing the settings on the computer to log in as himself, and post on his entry up about not springing hugs on him. Then he made himself comfortable, waiting on Kyle.
Kyle tried not to spend too long in the bathroom, but long enough to make sure he had a shave as well as showering. He dressed and then headed back out, his towel draped over one shoulder. “All done?” he asked Adam, glancing at the screen.
Adam glanced up with a grin at the sight of Kyle, nodding. “All done. Though now I feel disgusting considering you smell so clean.”
Kyle chuckled a little at that. “You can go and grab a shower if you want - unless you’d prefer to head back to your room,” he offered. He then paused as he had a sudden thought. “Though - there’s... I’m working on something. And - it’s stored in the bathroom. Under a sheet. Just... Be careful. And, er - don’t go looking?” he suggested. So much for absolute honesty - but it wasn’t really a lie.
Adam raised an eyebrow at Kyle. "That doesn't sound fishy at all," he teased lightly before getting up and shaking his head. "I should head upstairs. We already figured out your clothes don't fit me. So if you're doing better, I'll go do that."
Kyle rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “I’m doing better,” he promised. “Thank you - for everything.”
Adam grinned a little and nodded. "Any time. You don't even have to ask." He reached out to hug Kyle once more something friendly, distantly proud of himself that he could keep it like that, then headed for the door. "There's a poker game down in the bar tonight if you want to come hang out."
“I’ll be there,” Kyle promised. “Just - probably not taking part.” He’d given up a lot of things when he gave up drugs. It wasn’t that he was an addict, or was predisposed towards addiction, it was simply that he’d taken a long, hard luck at his life and specifically decided where he didn’t want to go, and who he didn’t want to be. “It’d be nice just to hang out with people though. Could, erm - could we head down there together though? Even if I have to come down early because you’re working?” Kyle really didn’t want to walk through the basement level on his own, unless he really couldn’t avoid it.
"I won't either, but I will be serving drinks and you can see what it's like to work with Jeremy. He's so fancy or something." Adam smiled but it faded a little when he said the part about walking down with him. "Of course," he promised, shifting forward to squeeze Kyle's hand.
“Thanks. Then I can sit at the bar and watch you work,” Kyle teased. “But go on, go get showered. I’ll see you tonight,” he said, giving Adam a push towards the door.
"Sounds good to me," Adam said letting Kyle push him and glancing back briefly with a playful smile before heading out and back to his room.