Who: Kane and Adrian When: evening, Sunday, July 1 Where: phone, Witcham Rd Status: complete
As soon as Kane was back in his car and driving away from the hospital, he dialed Adrian. The past thirty minutes or so had been a whirlwind of stress, and it didn’t feel over. He didn’t know if the Lucas fiance was going to call Adrian too, but Kane figured he would be preoccupied with getting Mila in to see someone in the ER for a little while at least. Kane felt compelled to let him know -- he knew he would be pissed if Adrian didn’t tell him he’d taken Bailey to the hospital. He just hoped Adrian would be rational about it and wouldn’t blame him for some weird reason or ... something. He’d even done a good job at not blurting everything out to Mila in some crazy loss of mouth control, like he’d done at the stupid carnival with Bailey. His hands flexed on the wheel as the phone rang through his car’s speakers, trying to figure out what to lead with.
It wasn't often that Adrian was home alone, and technically he wasn't right now but it was the closest he'd gotten to it in a while. Mila and Aaron were both out somewhere and Roxy was in the guestroom being hermity so he had the tv to himself for a little while and was enjoying the mindless browsing. When the phone rang he was almost certain it was Mila or his mother, not a lot of other people called him these days, especially not on a Sunday evening. He was a little surprised to see Kane's number and grinned slightly as he picked up, lowering the volume on the tv. "That's not very discreet," he drawled teasingly, but he was alone so he didn't mind and it wasn't like Mila could read his thoughts even if he hadn't been alone. He'd just expected texts, not a call.
Fuck, his voice was sexy even on the phone, it was so ridiculous. That wasn’t at all important though, and Kane had a feeling this conversation would be unfortunately brief. “Well, it’s important,” he said seriously. “Listen, don’t freak out okay? Her man’s with her and I’m sure she’s gonna be okay, but I just took your sister to the Mercy ER. I happened across her with a flat out on Witcham, she said she left her phone at home, and while I was changin’ her tire, she started having like, stomach pains, so I drove her over there.” He almost launched into how Mila called Aaron from his phone on the way there, but that was probably useless information he didn’t need to babble about while Adrian processed the main point.
Adrian's grin faded fast and he was on his feet before he knew it, his body ahead of his brain which was still trying to process what Kane was saying. It was a lot to process, from Kane having been the one to take Mila to the hospital to the fact that she was at the hospital. Aaron was with her but fuck... Was she losing the baby? She'd said it wasn't fully human so he'd just assumed - like an asshole - that it would be just fine, supernatural pregnancy and all. "How was she? When you left? Did it seem serious?" he asked, already heading out of the living room. He doubted she was just having random stomach pains, not if she had gone to the hospital, but then again if anyone could afford to be paranoid about losing this baby, it was Mila. He probably didn't need to go to the hospital, but he would anyway, there was no way he was sitting home, even if Aaron was with her.
“She was walking okay and talking and aware and everything, I didn’t see any blood, so maybe not real serious,” Kane said with some hesitation. His opinion didn’t really count for shit since he knew less than nothing about pregnancy stuff, but Adrian was a nurse, so he could at least describe Mila’s condition for him. “The pain just seemed to come and go, like bad ... cramps, I guess. She seemed worried, but still like, trying to say she’d pay me for the ride and shit.” He rolled his eyes at that as he drove away from the hospital. “She was okay enough to make some chit chat on the way, and you came up ... I didn’t let on that I know you at all, just so you know,” he murmured. Maybe that was low priority right now, but Kane wanted to tell him before they hung up.
It was low priority but Adrian still wondered what the hell Mila could have been saying about him to a random guy. It was no time for paranoia and he knew that but he still couldn't help that nervous tingle. "I need to call Aaron," he said since it didn't make a whole lot of sense for him to rush to the hospital if his sister might very well be on her way home by the time he got there. He just hated the idea of Mila stuck out there at the side of the road by herself, especially knowing what this damn town was like. It was his turn to be the fretful sibling and nag at her for leaving her phone at the house but at least it had stopped raining out there. "Uh so, it kinda goes without saying I probably won't make it tonight either..." He'd meant for Saturday to be a fun night out but the storm had wrecked any plans he'd had and now it looked like Sunday night wasn't going to be any better. "I'll call you back, okay?"
Kane had assumed that they wouldn’t be seeing each other, but it was still disappointing to hear. He smothered it, because Adrian’s sister was definitely more important. “Whatever you need to do, man,” he answered easily enough. “Just hope it turns out to be nothing. Meantime, I’m gonna go back out to Witcham and get her tire changed and make sure it’s all locked up, for whenever you guys can go get it.” Kane knew he didn’t have to do that, and Adrian would probably say so, but it just felt like the right thing to do. He could at least save Aaron or Adrian that small headache.
You don't have to do that was on the tip of Adrian's tongue and there was a rush of something bittersweet that ran through him that Kane wanted to take care of something like that. "Don't go yet," he said hurriedly. "Let me- I'll call you back in a minute, okay?" As soon as Kane made a sound that vaguely resembled approval, he hung up to call Aaron, already heading out of the living room to put on shoes and a jacket and get the hell out of there. He didn't know if he was going to the hospital or not, be he knew he was going out either way. While he wasn't terribly reassured by Aaron telling him Mila was okay - people often looked okay when they weren't - he did let him convince him not to come there yet and so he took a deep breath by the front door and stopped himself from rushing out. Calling Kane back instead. "Hey," he murmured. "Can you come get me? Then I can just bring her car back now."
It felt like a safe bet to assume that Adrian was going to the hospital, so Kane didn’t stop the car or turn away from driving toward Witcham. He lit a cigarette and cracked his window, a little surprised when his phone rang again so soon. “You sure?” he asked, slowing the SUV down to pull in somewhere and turn around. “Got an explanation for that? How do you know where it was, if you didn’t talk to me? Who took you out there?” Kane was dying to see him, of course, but if Adrian was really going to keep all of this under wraps, he had to think about these sorts of things. It was probably fucked up that having affairs with married people had taught him more about subterfuge than any other part of his life.
"Fuck," Adrian groaned and he absolutely wasn't thinking of these things, not when he was stressed about his sister. "Come get me anyway, I need to do something right now and they don't want me at the hospital." Maybe he'd think of something, call Aaron again and ask him where the car was, something. Something! Or he'd just help Kane out and then leave the car out there even if he didn't love that idea. He winced and groaned again, feeling a bit like flailing. "Okay or, I'll meet you somewhere so you don't have to drive me back here when they're home." God this secrecy thing sucked. He'd never had to deal with this kind of bullshit before, the only time he'd hooked up with a guy was in Portland.
Kane stifled a chuckle and he almost told Adrian that he was bad at this, but the poor guy was obviously stressed about his sister, so he kept the comment to himself. If Adrian really wanted to have a stealthy relationship -- if that was even what they were doing -- he would learn. “Here, look, I’ll come scoop you up, you text Aaron and ask him where the car is, just tell them later a friend gave you a lift out there to get the car, if they even ask,” Kane suggested. “You can just drive it back.” He selfishly wanted more time with Adrian than it would take to get to Witcham and change a tire, but Kane would take what he could get. “How’s that sound? I’ll be there pretty soon.”
Adrian covered his face with his hand because of course he was driving Mila's car back, Kane didn't need to tell him he was bad at this, he felt pretty stupid right now. "That sounds good," he mumbled agreeably, shaking his head at himself. "I'll see you in a few." He didn't really know how far away Kane was but nothing was really that far in this town so he just used the time to go grab himself something to drink while he waited. He considered only momentarily telling Roxy what was going on but Mila could tell her later, the last thing he needed was her wondering who was picking him up.
He was more than ready when Kane showed up, closing the front door as quietly as he could before jogging to his car. "Once upon a time I would have killed you for even looking at my sister," he said as he got in the car, giving Kane a little smirk. Damn he looked good, he always looked good and his presence had a weirdly soothing effect on Adrian.
Being flustered was not very good for thinking tactically, so Kane didn’t blame him for being dumb at the moment. He’d probably thrown Adrian off to start with by asking questions. Even though he didn’t really want to stay Adrian’s dirty secret, he knew the discretion was important to him, so Kane would try to support it and help him avoid any traps he saw. He smiled back at Adrian as he climbed in, and pulled away with the curb before he gave into the impulse to kiss him immediately. Neighbors, blah blah. “Trust me, I got nervous when I saw it was her,” he replied with a chuckle. “I’d’ve kept driving if she wasn’t in trouble. I was just gonna put the spare on for her and pump it up, but then she started having pains and wanted to go to the ER ...” Kane gave a helpless little shrug. What else could he have done?
"Now I would have killed you if you left her out there," Adrian deadpanned and it was probably the least appropriate thing to joke about given their history but at the moment it felt like normal banter. "Thanks for not leaving my sister out on fucking Witcham," he added with a little smile. "Man I'm gonna get some payback on her for not bringing her phone." She certainly didn't hold a monopoly on fretting in the family. "They're gonna ask me how I knew she was in the hospital anyway, I'm just gonna chalk this up to random psychic shit that comes with my curse or something." God he was just jacked up on nervous energy right now, incapable of sitting completely still so he started fucking with Kane's radio to see if he could find anything that wasn't awful on there to listen to.
“You’re welcome,” Kane murmured with a faint smile, glancing at Adrian’s restless fingers messing with his stereo. “Maybe one of your hospital buddies texted you or something,” he offered. Claiming to be any kind of psychic could come back to bite him in the ass later, so it was probably better if he stuck with mundane explanations where he could. Even if it never came up, if nobody ever thought to ask, it was good to have a story ready. The radio selection was pretty dismal, so Kane rested his phone on his thigh and connected the bluetooth, then offered his playlist selection over to Adrian. “Here, pick something.” It was going to be vastly superior to anything the radio had to offer.
It was becoming abundantly clear to Adrian that Kane was far better at subterfuge than he was and he wasn't sure if that should worry him or not. It didn't really count when he was feeling this frazzled, at least that was what he was telling himself right now. He quirked an eyebrow when Kane handed him his phone. Sure, he'd been through it before but there was still something very intimate about going through someone's playlist and he certainly hadn't had time for that the last time he had Kane's phone in his hands. "Man, I don't know half this stuff," he admitted as he scrolled through but he wanted to listen to all of it to get some kind of insight into Kane that he might otherwise not get. He still settled for something familiar, not really in the mood for new experiences at the moment, then kept scrolling through the music as the car filled with a hard beat and guitar. This was... Fucking nice, actually. Just driving and listening to music. Adrian was sure he'd enjoy it more if he wasn't worried sick about Mila but it helped anyway.
Kane wasn’t too surprised that Adrian didn’t know all of his music -- he had a lot in there, and quite a bit of it was on the old side, even for someone his age. Or just obscure. Kane had a lot of time to listen to music while he endlessly drove around, looking for fares or monsters. The selection Adrian made put a half-smile on his face and Kane shook out another cigarette to tuck between his lips. Was it weird that he didn’t really mind Adrian browsing through his phone now? Probably. It also felt refreshing as fuck, in a way. Finally there was one person he didn’t have to keep any secrets from. Kane turned the volume up a bit and rolled his window down further to let the breeze in as he drove them out to Witcham. Mila hadn’t gotten too close to town before her flat, so it took them a while to reach the car, but Kane was content just to drive. When they got there, Kane pulled in behind it again and left his headlights on, turning the music back down as he looked over at Adrian with a little smirk. “You know how to change a tire? Your sister didn’t.”
Adrian scoffed a little at the question and he honestly wasn't sure if Mila didn't know how to change the tire or if she was just doing that girl thing where it was handy to have someone else get their hands dirty. Honestly he couldn't blame her if she was, being a woman didn't exactly come with a whole lot of perks and that was one. "I know how to change a tire," he replied a bit indignantly, but there was mirth in his eyes so it was mostly for show. He got out of the car, glad it wasn't raining but that didn't mean everything wasn't still wet. Maybe Kane had asked to rile him up into showing off and he considered making him change the tire anyway.
His answer made Kane grin a bit, because he’d definitely just been trying to rile him. Though there were plenty of men out there who were useless with cars ... but Adrian had lived in his vehicle for a long time, so Kane was sure he’d learned the basics. He got out of the SUV and ambled up to Mila’s car. “That’s my jack, by the way,” he said, gesturing with his cigarette, his tone vaguely amused. “Get her a better one, hers sucks. She said the spare was low too, but I got an air pump in the back.” He hung back a bit to see if Adrian would jump right in and do it himself.
Despite that urge to make Kane do it, Adrian headed over to the car to check it out. He was going to do this, mostly because of that pent up energy he was still feeling and maybe there was also some dumb need to show Kane that he actually could in fact change a tire. Kane had obviously been well on his way with getting the tire off so this would be a doozy and Adrian strolled back to Kane's car, taking advantage of the fact they were alone with nobody else around. "Get me that pump," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss him. He had very little interest in rummaging through Kane's car himself, the last thing he needed was to find a gun in there - and he had no doubt there were several.
Adrian managed to make those words sound dirty -- or maybe that was just Kane’s mind -- and Kane chuckled deep in his throat as he kissed him back. He gave Adrian’s ass a squeeze before he turned to go fetch the pump. He hated that this was going to be a short night for them, but they might as well enjoy the privacy while they had it. Kane found a good spot to squat while Adrian finished putting the spare on, lending a hand when it was needed and admiring the view when it wasn’t. “So butch,” he teased at one point, weirdly pleased to see grease on Adrian’s hands. Why was he so hot when he was filthy? Kane got the flat tire into Mila’s trunk while Adrian filled the spare up with air, and suddenly they were done.
Adrian wiped his hands on his jeans and grabbed the soda he'd brought from the car, cracking it open and leaning against Mila's car, next to Kane. His phone buzzed a second later, not exactly an update from Aaron but he was checking in to let him know they were waiting for the doctor. It made Adrian smile, knowing Mila was in good hands and that Aaron cared enough to keep him in the loop, he really was like the brother he'd never had. He texted him back quickly to ask where the car was, letting him know he was taking care of it. If Aaron didn't answer, it was easy to make up some bullshit about some friend seeing the car on the way into town. Slipping the phone in his pocket again he bumped his shoulder against Kane and smiled at him. "If she's okay, I might come see you tonight," he said and he really wanted to. Maybe he would anyway, it just depended on whether Mila needed him or not. If she lost the baby she might just want to cry in Aaron's arms or be left alone. Hell, if she lost the baby Adrian wasn't sure if he'd be feeling up for much of anything. That worried knot in his stomach just tightened and he made another concentrated effort not to worry about things that hadn't happened yet.
Kane really hoped whatever was wrong with Mila wasn’t ‘lose the baby’ serious. For one, that would be awful, and he got the feeling it would really fuck with Adrian. He hadn’t said anything about his sister being pregnant before tonight, but he really seemed like the kind of guy who’d be excited about being an uncle. Kane would have been too, if Bailey had any interest in having kids, but that didn’t seem in the cards for either of them. He leaned into Adrian’s shoulder more and hummed softly as he lit another cigarette. “Whatever you wanna do,” he murmured as he exhaled skyward, then gazed over at Adrian’s face. “I got no plans. But take care of your family first.” Kane knew he would. If Mila came home needing him, it might be a while before Kane saw him again. He smiled faintly. “I think she’ll be okay though, she seemed pretty tough.” Even though she’d been in obvious pain, Mila had kept her cool and hadn’t freaked out on him ... which was good, because it would’ve freaked him out even more. Kane slung his arm around Adrian’s shoulders and pulled his head over to smooch his temple.
This was so much like having an actual boyfriend and it was so much what Adrian needed right now, that closeness and reassurance. He got plenty of love from his family but it was so tinged with worry that it made him feel guilty. Maybe he was projecting, but there was no guilt associated with Kane, no expectations. "She's tougher than I thought," he agreed, staying right where he was, closer to Kane. "She survived the tunnel and came out okay." They'd both been in hell and crawled back out, if their parents truly knew what they'd been through they might even be more impressed than terrified. He drank some more, then offered the can to Kane, glad there was no traffic on Witcham at this hour, most people weren't going to be driving in and out of town this late and the headlights would give them plenty of time to separate and look less suspiciously together.
He accepted the soda with his free hand and lifted it to his lips. Kane could only vaguely imagine what kind of horrific shit Mila had been through in that place. Everybody had their own nightmare they’d lived through in this town, didn’t they? Often more than one. Adrian was likely tougher than he thought too, and Kane almost told him so, but that would probably be corny. Adrian made him feel corny, it was so stupid and he loved it so much already. He smoked and sipped in silence for a moment, just listening to the forest lining the road, reluctant to leave even though he knew they shouldn’t loiter out there for too terribly long. But hell, maybe they belonged out there even more than they did back in town, with all the wild dark things. “I got a line on a buyer for our merchandise,” he murmured as it occurred to him. “Might be a few more days to iron out the details, but the money’s comin’.”
Adrian wondered how someone could be both the worst thing and the best thing to happen to him but he stopped himself from musing about that out loud. He wished he could erase the bad parts of how they'd met, but at the same time so much of it had made this whole affair more freeing in a way. That didn't mean he wanted to constantly rub Kane's face in the fact that he'd literally killed Adrian, that was the one part he wished he could truly erase. "Windfall," he murmured instead. "Guess I should start looking for a cheap place to rent." He still had no furniture and he knew damn well that moving in somewhere was far more expensive than people realized. All the little things it took to make a home. He was sure he could snag some things from his family, like cutlery and such, but it all added up. He'd need a bed and somewhere to hang up his pitifully scarce collection of clothes. In a way it was easier to just live in his car. "Sometimes I wish I could just summon this thing inside me whenever I want, go hunting with you instead of working at the hospital." It was probably stupid and Kane was used to working alone, but Adrian remembered enough to know he'd really enjoyed the hunt and as much as he liked being a nurse, it didn't often come with that kind of a rush.
It was probably literally insane that Kane’s first impulse was to invite Adrian to move in with him. That was the exact opposite of stealth, and he’d never lived with anyone in his adult life, and that was way too goddamn fast ... but the urge was still there. He really was turning into an idiot over this guy, wasn’t he? “Yeah,” he agreed softly. “It’s way better than punchin’ a clock. Maybe you’ll learn to do that, you know? Or get the witch to adjust the spell?” Kane wasn't going to push him to do anything, of course, the wendigo was his monster to deal with however he chose. As long as Adrian wasn’t killing and eating people, Kane felt fine with whatever. He knew Adrian wasn’t a monster at his core. Knowing he needed money made Kane want to just give it to him so he didn’t have to work at all, but he knew that was also a crazy impulse. “You havin’ your own place would be nice though,” he added in a softer murmur, clunking his head against Adrian’s. “I’ll come see you for a change.”
Adrian grinned, ignoring the logistics of it all for a moment to just cling to the daydream part of it. He turned his body toward Kane, reached up to cup his cheek and then kissed him, savoring it this time. He shouldn't feel safe out here on Witcham, at least not when he wasn't all pumped up on monster power, but he did because Kane was there and the dark woods around them felt more like a shelter than a threat. It smelled nice out there too, nature stretching out for miles around them, the smell of trees and leaves amplified by the rain that had poured down all day. "Maybe I'll get a place at Castle View, it'll be easier to sneak around," he murmured with a little grin and maybe that was too much, living so close to each other. It sounded fucking nice though and nobody would question why their cars were parked outside of each others' places.
Kane set the soda can down on the trunk of the car and flicked his smoke away to rest both hands on Adrian’s hips while they kissed. Adrian’s hand on his face gave him all kinds of dumb, fluttery feelings in his gut. “Maybe you should,” he murmured back, smirking before he nipped at Adrian’s bottom lip. Moving into the same apartment complex sounded pretty fucking nice to him too. They’d have their own space, if they broke up they could just avoid each other, they wouldn’t even have to drive anywhere if they wanted to see one another. No family imposed curfews. Kane kissed him deeply again, his hands sliding around to Adrian’s ass to pull him in tighter. Whether it was healthy or not, Kane wanted him close and accessible, especially if they couldn’t be open about things.
Adrian knew it would never work out that smoothly but now he was daydreaming about getting an apartment right next to Kane so all the sneaking around would be as easy as it could be and he could spend every night with him if he so pleased. It was a dumb fantasy but it was one that made him happy so he let himself bask in it, only breaking free of the embrace when his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Aaron again, just checking in and letting him know where the car was while also offering to go get it himself - of course. Adrian smiled faintly at his phone and then leaned back into Kane, pulling him in for another long kiss. Mila was going to be at the hospital for a while if he knew doctors correctly and he had half the mind to go down there and demand someone see her right now. He didn't have any pull at Mercy and he was still kind of groveling to get his job back so it was probably good that he was being distracted instead.
He had to assume the text had good news by the way Adrian smiled at his screen, but then he was too busy kissing him to ask. Kane didn’t even feel particularly horny yet, but it was still so goddamn nice to feel Adrian’s body leaned against him and those plush lips caressing his own. He slipped his hands under the back of Adrian’s shirt to touch bare skin, relishing the warmth and shape of his back. It wasn’t safe to fool around out here unless they ducked into one of the cars, especially with the wendigo currently asleep, and Kane was pretty sure neither of these vehicles would ever be sexy to Adrian, since one was his sister’s and he’d been kidnapped in the other one. Kane was probably lucky Adrian could stand to ride with him anywhere ever. So he let them indulge in the kiss for another moment or two, then pulled back with a soft hum. “Tomorrow at least, if not tonight?” he murmured, his thumbs rubbing at Adrian’s back.
"Absolutely," Adrian murmured and he'd find the time, even if he had to make the time. He might not be able to stay the night but unless he got an impromptu shift at the hospital, maybe he could stay for a while during the day. He wished he could leave all the anxiety behind, things were really good right now, provided Mila was okay. In fact, he still didn't know for sure that she wasn't so this might be the last good moment he had for some time, it was just hard to let go of the insistent doomsday thoughts that his traumatized brain insisted on constantly flinging his way. Right now he could plan to see Kane tomorrow, even if those plans might change he'd still have the pleasure of looking forward to something for a little bit. "Let's put this stuff away and hang out in your car until Aaron texts again," he suggested, then smirked faintly. "Unless you've got something better to do."
Kane told himself he wouldn’t be disappointed if Adrian couldn’t make it for some reason -- a miscarriage would be awful, and he wasn’t so selfish he couldn’t understand Adrian neeing to support his family. He just really hoped that wouldn’t be the case, for his own reasons too. “Nothin’ better than this,” he murmured, half-smiling back. It meant more than just for the moment, he honestly couldn’t think of anything these days he’d rather be doing than spending time with this man. Kane patted Adrian’s ass and straightened up as he moved away. They made short work of clearing up the equipment, Kane returning it all to the back of his SUV, and soon enough they were climbing back into the vehicle. With a smirk, Kane glanced at the bench seat behind them and quirked a brow at Adrian. “You wanna get in the back and make out like teenagers?”
"Yes," Adrian said with a little laugh and then immediately shook his head. "But also no. You know." They weren't in town but a few cars had gone by while they were getting Mila's car ready so while there wasn't heavy traffic, there was always someone out and about. He thought about how he wished they had some kind of a spell to make them harder to see when he remembered the windows were all kind of tinted and the temptation to make the most of this moment got a little too hard to see. "I probably shouldn't be out here for too long," he added reluctantly but hell, it wasn't like he ever indulged in heavy petting with all his clothes on, yet another thing he'd missed out on as a teen so he smirked and added, "Maybe for a little bit..."
Kane stared at him with amusement as he waffled about it like a virgin on prom night. He wouldn’t have blamed Adrian for not being in the mood for that kind of shit because of what might be happening to his sister, but that didn’t really seem to be the issue. He reached down to pull the lever to push his seat all the way back, then flashed Adrian a grin. “We’re waitin’ on a text anyway, so ... I’m gonna be back there chilling, you join me if you want,” he said. Kane twisted and started to climb over the console between the front seats and into the back. It wasn’t the easiest thing for a man of his size, but he was pretty agile and he’d done it before, so he was settling into the back seat in no time. Even if cars drove by, they would just see an SUV with black windows idling behind a sedan, nothing sexy-suspicious about that, right? He wasn’t planning on fucking Adrian on the hood or anything.
Adrian tittered quietly to himself, shaking his head as he looked out the window. He knew he wasn't able to resist this and worrying about Mila just made it more tempting, a way to shut his brain off until he got any kind of news. He didn't leave Kane waiting long, climbing over the console to flop down in the backseat with an uncertain little grin. "C'mere," he murmured after debating whether to straddle Kane's lap or not but he still felt like anyone passing could see them. Even if he knew better, that physical anxiety didn't listen to logic and he was well aware so he didn't even try it, pulling Kane closer when he was settled in beside him, his body half turned toward him.
He pulled one knee up on the seat to turn and face Adrian, moving one hand to cup the back of his neck as he leaned in to kiss him. Kane had done a lot of making out in cars as a teenager, including his first experiments with other boys. He’d made a lot of fond memories in the Fallows ... but he got the impression that Adrian hadn’t been that bold. Kane wanted to give him a taste of those experiences, and the paranoid nerves were all part of it. He coaxed Adrian’s mouth open and slipped his tongue past his lips to taste him. He was already starting to feel warmer under his clothes, and he reminded himself that they couldn’t get too deep into anything.
Fuck but Adrian had missed him, missed this, and he gripped the back of Kane's head as he kissed him back needily, trying to hold back some of that rising heat in the core of his body. He couldn't imagine doing this at sixteen. Back then it wasn't just his family, his friends hadn't exactly been the kill-all-the-gays kind of guys but they'd made their fair share of jokes that made it abundently clear to Adrian that if they ever knew about him, there'd be a rift in that friendship for the rest of their lives, most of which had proven to be short. Adrian did not want to think about that, instead he focused on how funny it felt to be thirty-three years old, making out in a car and worrying about someone catching them. But at the same time it felt really nice despite the nerves - or maybe because of them. Kane had a knack for making the weirdest things feel good to him.
Kane wasn’t worried at all about being caught, except that it would probably freak Adrian out. He hadn’t been terribly open about his sexuality for his entire life, it was a private matter, and Kane had never had many people he trusted enough to open up to ... but he knew he could kick the ass of any homophobe who tried to fuck with him over it. Now that Bailey knew, he didn’t have anyone left to alienate, so he was quickly moving past giving a fuck. Life was short, he was almost a decade ahead of Adrian, and Kane wanted to grab this happiness and pleasure while it was here. Kane let his free hand start to roam over Adrian’s body through his clothes, running up his thigh and stomach and up to his chest. He could feel his heart beating harder and faster than normal and it put a pleasant tension in Kane’s lower belly.
It was easy to forget the things he was anxious about as he got lost in that kiss, but Adrian was torn between wanting an update from Aaron now and staying out here for a while longer. He had to remind himself time and again that he was powerless to do anything about whatever was going on with Mila, he only needed to be there later tonight if she needed him and that helped a little with that restless urge to go do something about it. It also helped to keep him from getting too aroused, making this more of an intimate moment than a purely sexual one. He couldn't keep himself from touching Kane, tracing his jawline with his fingertips, feeling the coarse stubble there before moving to sink his fingers into the soft hair at the top of his head. It was crazy how he made him feel, what he made him want. Kane was not boyfriend material and Adrian might never tell him that to his face but he knew. He had too many random thoughts about how this might end and so many of them involved Kane leaving town or getting bored with this. He was a lone wolf, a hunter, a dangerous man. He wasn't the type to settle down and move in with, even if Adrian ever got his ass out of the closet. It kind of sucked, but at the same time it made moments like these more important somehow, like something precious he knew he couldn't keep a hold on for long.
Adrian’s hands on his face always made him feel dumb and emotional, and Kane was wanting plenty of things himself at the moment. He mostly wished that things were different -- that he was different. Like he’d told Bailey, he knew this thing between them wasn’t for forever, maybe not even very long. Kane was sure the day would come when Adrian would be ready to seek out more for himself than Kane could give. Or he would just fuck it all up somehow. Either way it would be Kane’s fault, and he was almost okay with that, as long as they could keep doing this for a while. He’d shifted so quickly from not believing it was possible to needing it, and that probably should’ve been more scary than it currently felt. Kane’s fingers curled in the front of Adrian’s shirt and he pulled a bit, not really to move him but just to add some pressure. Kane grazed Adrian’s full bottom lip with his teeth and grunted softly.
The part Adrian wasn't too happy about was the fact that he was pretty sure he was falling in love with Kane. When this whole thing fell apart it was going to hurt so damn much and he wouldn't be able to talk about it with anyone except maybe Toby. Nobody who would fully understand. His family would wonder why he was so depressed and he'd need to lie and say it was just the usual bullshit trauma catching up with him again. It was a good excuse but it felt so disingenuous to blame that when it was 'just' heartache. He'd had no intention of letting this thing go so far but it was like going down hill on a bike with no brakes, he probably could have stopped it sooner but it would hurt no matter when he did it so why not enjoy the rush and delay the pain? The realization kept hitting him at random times but never as hard as when Kane pulled him closer and kissed him like this.
All of this felt so out of Kane’s control -- he hadn’t planned for any of this, and he was obviously failing hard at reining in his feelings. And damn did Adrian make him feel so much. That was part of what was so addicting about it, he felt more awake and alive than he had in a long time. It would go sour, like everything did, but for now it felt worth it, especially at this particular time in his life. His mom was dying, he was struggling to connect with his sister, he’d been in a long-running funk and drinking too much ... none of that was fixed, but it sure as fuck felt easier to carry when he could put it down sometimes. Kane didn’t really know yet what all this meant to Adrian, but he hoped it gave him some similar relief. His hand shifted from Adrian’s chest down to slip under the hem of his shirt, seeking the warmth of his bare skin.
Adrian couldn't help that needy little sound that escaped him when he felt Kane's hand there, it just felt too good and he arched closer to him, tightening his grip in his hair. Right now he didn't care if someone drove past, he probably wouldn't notice a car unless it came right up to them, he just wanted to kiss Kane and lose himself in him for as long as he could even if he couldn't go home with him tonight. He'd only been in this back seat twice before under very different circumstances and maybe he shouldn't like being there as much as he did after the first time there, tied up and terrified but it just added something to it, something he couldn't really pinpoint. Some other weird emotion that seemed to come with wanting Kane. He was just glad Kane didn't have his weapons there now, he was unarmed and vulnerable with Adrian and he had a feeling that didn't really happen often with people.
Feeling those long fingers tighten in his hair never failed to drive Kane crazy in the best sort of way. It kind of made him want to grow it out longer so Adrian would have more to pull on, but he’d had his crew cut for so many years it was hard to picture himself with anything else. He just loved to be touched, especially his head, and especially by Adrian. He’d had tons of sex in his adult life, but allowing this level of intimacy with anyone was beyond rare for him. It felt so good, but there were sharp edges to it too, and he wondered if Adrian was as afraid of it as he was. Kane spread his big hand against Adrian’s back, and he was seconds away from pulling him into his lap when Adrian’s phone went off again. With a pained little groan, Kane broke the kiss and sat back a bit so Adrian could check it. Normally he would’ve been happy to ignore the interruption, but it was probably news about Mila.
Adrian groaned too, but it was a mixed feeling since he wanted an update and that worry was always in the back of his mind. He pulled away just enough to fish his phone out of his pocket again, that knot in his stomach tightening before it loosened completely as he read Aaron's message. "She's okay," he said with audible relief. "And so's the baby." It made it tempting to stay out here a while but he knew Aaron might end up coming out there to help him if he did. "Maybe I can come by tonight after all," he said as much to himself as to Kane, glancing up to smile at him. He still wanted to get a lot more information and preferably even the doctor's name so he could get the information first hand. There were a lot of things Aaron and Mila might miss that he might pick up on since he was a health care worker. "I should probably get back soon, check in on her and bring the car back... You know I probably would have met you out here anyway." He remembered that they'd been using Kane's jack so it stood to reason that he would come back for it. "Guess we can become friends now," he added cheekily.
Kane was relieved too, mostly for Adrian’s sake, but partially for his own. He didn’t want something awful to happen to Adrian that would send him into any kind of funk and make him disappear. It was selfish of him, yeah, but oh well. Kane was already dreading the depression on the horizon when his own mother died, he knew it was going to fuck him up and make him bad company. So they had enough of that shit to look forward to. He smiled a little at the prospect of Adrian coming over later, then arched an eyebrow at the last bit. “Really, you think?” he murmured, trying not to sound too eager about it. Being Adrian’s ‘friend’ would be a foot in the door to his life, so to speak. He could at least openly exist in Adrian’s circle in some capacity. It was a weird thing for him to want, probably. But maybe Adrian was just talking and didn’t mean it, so Kane tried not to latch onto the idea too hard. “And I mean, come if you can and you want, but ... I get it if you wanna stay with her. Rough night.”
"Yeah," Adrian tittered, amused and endeared by Kane's reaction. He was going to mention that he'd met Mila's uber driver out on Witcham, Kane deserved credit for being there at the very least. "And yeah I'll text you and let you know. I'm gonna talk to Mila, get some more info about what happened and see if she needs me at home." There might still be something wrong that Aaron had missed when talking to the doctor, it was incredibly common for people to only take in a quarter of what they were told at the hospital and not all doctors were good at explaining in a language for the non-initiated. Add some shock or anxiety to the mix and information had to be given more than once and in a careful way. "Wish I could come spend the night after that," he added quietly and it still felt stupidly vulnerable to admit these things. Like Kane might suddenly get annoyed at how clingy he'd suddenly gotten.
On the contrary, everytime Adrian said something like that, it made Kane feel almost giddy inside. The bubbly sensation was also mixed with dread, but he was finding that most of the emotions Adrian drew out of him had that same shadow. Kane wasn’t afraid of pain, and he felt like if he only kept his eyes open and expected it, he could brace himself at the right time, and all this would be worth it. “Yeah me too,” he murmured back, one hand brushing fingers through Adrian’s hair. “See that’s why we need to be buddies, you can come watch the game all the time and get too drunk and fall asleep on my couch.” Kane smirked a little. It was a plausible cover story, right? “Just guys hangin’ out, you know.”
That actually sounded amazing, Kane was very straight-passing, nobody would even question what Adrian was doing at his place. He still feigned a groan and rolled his head back momentarily. "Does that mean I have to care about sports again?" It hadn't exactly been a chore, he'd enjoyed the games and keeping tabs on the teams, but it had been six years and he had no idea what was going on anymore nor did he particularly care to look it up himself. Maybe Kane could fill him in on some of it, that'd be a far nicer way to catch up than looking things up online. "I like it," he added with a warm grin, all jokes aside. "Let's be 'buddies'."
Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest way to conduct a relationship, but it was closer than all of the sneaking around. Who said they were aiming for healthy anyway? They were both fucked up and they knew it. He liked the sound of it, though -- Kane would actually get to acknowledge him in public, be seen with him without it being a disaster. Adrian wouldn’t have to make up some elaborate string of lies just to get out of the house. “Only football, and probably only for background noise,” Kane assured him with a little grin of his own. He hooked his hand behind Adrian’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss, this one soft and lingering. “Buddies with secret benefits,” he murmured against Adrian’s lips. It felt like so much more than that to him, but they didn’t have to put a real label on it.
Adrian smiled and snagged another kiss, knowing he'd probably be grinning like a loon on the drive back home. This was a nice way to keep away the blues while he couldn't physically be around Kane, knowing they could spend more time together. Hell, even watching the game together sounded like a good time to him and that was without all the wonderful benefits. "You know I missed out on like six years of football," he murmured against Kane's lips. "It'd be real nice if someone wanted to watch a bunch of them again." That meant they weren't really restricted to what was currently going on. He just hoped Aaron wouldn't want to come too, that'd be hilarious and awful. Better keep the reasons he was going out to himself unless he actually had to explain himself.
Kane chuckled softly and swiped his tongue lightly against Adrian’s bottom lip. Lazing around on a couch with Adrian all day -- a better couch than the one he currently owned -- with some beers and some of the best games of the decade on the TV did sound really good. Domestic, like what real boyfriends did. Or at least what Kane imagined they probably did, it wasn’t like he’d ever been a real boyfriend. Was all that so wrong of him to want? He’d been so sure for so long that he would never ‘settle down’, but Kane was learning that he couldn’t really be sure of anything about the future. All of it was pretty moot anyway with Adrian still in the closet, and the big possibility of all of this crashing and burning looming over them. Kane just needed to focus on the moments he had, that was it. “I can get you caught up,” he told Adrian with a little smirk. He let his hand wander down to gently squeeze Adrian’s crotch. “If you think you can concentrate.”
"You can get me caught up after sex," Adrian tittered and batted his hand away playfully. He did not need to get more of a raging boner when he had to leave and might possibly not see Kane until tomorrow. "Then maybe I can concentrate a little." He was pretty sure that wasn't true, even after sex he was so damn preoccupied with Kane he probably couldn't keep his eye on the game for long, especially when he wasn't all that interested in it to begin with. Thankfully it wasn't like anyone was going to drill him about the details of a random game from years ago, he didn't really know any hardcore sports fans anymore.
The games didn’t really matter to Kane either -- he liked to get drunk and zone out while he watched football, so none of it stuck in his head extremely well in the first place. It was just a way to pass the time, and now it was an excuse for Adrian to hang out at his place more, and maybe even tell people where he actually was. Grinning, Kane tweaked Adrian’s nipple through his shirt since he didn’t want to be groped elsewhere, then pressed another firm kiss against his lips before he sat back and reached for the door handle. “Better go, I guess, before your family assumes you can’t change a tire either,” he said reluctantly.
"Or before my brother in law comes out here looking for me," Adrian murmured and he could too easily picture Aaron catching them in the act. Would he keep quiet? Would he be grossed out? Adrian wasn't eager to find out. He wasn't eager to tear away from Kane just yet either but he did, letting Kane leave the car first before scooting out after him. "I'll text you soon," he promised, even if he already told Kane as much. "Thanks for helping my little sister out. I'm glad you were here." He'd already said that too but he had a feeling Kane didn't often get heartfelt thanks for things so repetition didn't seem like a bad thing.
“Eh, y’know. Easy stuff,” Kane muttered with a sheepish smile and a shrug. The good he did in the world usually went unnoticed -- he took care of things most people didn’t even know needed to be done, so he definitely felt awkward about appreciation. It was nice though, like so many other things about Adrian. Nice on levels he didn’t deserve but he wanted to take anyway. Kane pulled him in close one more time for a tight squeeze and a kiss, then let him go with a thump on the back. “Drive safe. Take care of that girl.” He didn’t know if Adrian would end up coming over that night or not, but Kane knew he would go home and wait to see. Maybe straighten up a bit, take a quick shower, just in case.