SLASH- that is my only warning. Plus this is a side story ONE SHOT about Adam, a character that is left all alone in my story What's the worst I can say? This'll be easier to understand if you read that first.

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Adam gives a slightly small, slightly bitter smile as he enters the familiar club. He pushes his way through the crowd and slides onto an empty barstool. This is what he needed right now. The mesh of bodies, the throbbing music, the way he could lose himself for a night…

The bartender struts up to him and leans on the bar counter, her top skimpy and her jeans tight and low. “Whadaya want?” she yells over the noise of the crowd.

“Gin and tonic,” he says to her. She smirks at him, nods once, and walks off. He leans back in a bit and glances around the club.

This had been the place he had first met Charlie. Charlie had been in a dark corner, all alone and on the spur of the moment Adam had gone up to him and offered a drink. Adam could still remember how those emerald green eyes had been tear-filled and bloodshot. Could still remember how the pain in those eyes had made his heart ache. Adam had sat down and they had talked, about anything and everything. Well, except for the reason why Charlie had been crying. They had never talked about that. Or the reason why Charlie had left Chicago. The past had never been mentioned within their relationship.

The bartender smirks once more as she slides a filled glass towards him. Adam grips easily and brings it up to his lips for a sip.

Charlie’s happy, that’s all that matters. Sure, Adam was alone now, but Charlie was happier with Alex. Adam had always known that Charlie hadn’t really loved him. Adam frowns as he swirls his drink.

“Why the frown?” Adam turns, blue eyes wide and stares at the man that he assumed asked the question. The man is lithe and trim, with short brown hair that feathers around his square jaw. Adam has the insane urge to run his fingers through the man’s hair to see if it is soft as it looks.

Adam shakes his head once and asks, “What?” directing the question towards the man. The man turns a bit and the green eyes that lock onto Adam makes him freeze to the bar stool. They’re not the normal shade of green Adam is used to seeing people having, or even the deep emerald color of Charlie’s eyes. They’re a beautiful, intense mix between a mossy green and a sea green. Adam feels like he is drowning from the stare. But then pale eyelids surrounded by dark, long lashes cover the green eyes and Adam is able to breathe again.

The man opens one eye and stares at Adam with it. “Why are you frowning?” He sits in the stool next to Adam and Adam feels his blood start to race through his veins, his cheeks start to flush, his heart start to pound…Adam quickly takes a drink from his gin and tonic.

Adam shrugs and runs one hand through his blond locks. “Reasons.”

The man pouts- jeez, why does he have to look so goddamn sexy when pouting? - and says, “You can tell me.” The pout disappears and a smile curls his lips. “It’s not like I’m going to go and spout off all your secrets.”

And for an hour or so, Adam talks- about Charlie, about their relationship, about Alex suddenly appearing into the picture. By the time Adam is done talking, he is a little more than tipsy and they both know there is no way Adam would be able to drive.

So the man helps Adam outside where the man hails a taxi and pushes Adam into it. The man talks to the taxi driver for a minute or two, but then turns back to holding a piece of paper and pen. He scribbles something on it and hands it to Adam. “When you feel like you’re ready for a new relationship, call me.” Then the man leans forward and brushes a chaste, butterfly kiss upon Adam’s chapped lips. He pulls away too quickly for Adam’s liking, grins, and then walks away.

After staring at his back walking into the club, Adam looks down to the paper that had been handed to him.

It says: Mark Davis 989-7529 Call me.

Adam last two weeks before digging out the crumpled paper he had thrown into his dresser drawer and calls it. Mark and him meet up at the Life Café. They talk and have a good time. A great time, even. They start meeting once a week. Then it turns it three times a week. Then, eventually, it goes to meeting there every day.

Everything is going good. But then one day, Mark kisses him. And it’s so passionate and Adam can’t ignore the desire coursing through him. He pulls Mark closer and grips Mark’s waist tightly. Adam can’t deny the fact that he had been thinking of Mark like this since the first time they met up in the Life Café. He can’t deny the fact that his mind had been filled with thoughts of Mark ever since that mossy-sea green gaze had locked with his own.

Mark pulls back a bit, flushed, and then grins.

---

The phone rings. Adam slowly untangles himself from the sheets and walks to the phone. He picks it up and mumbles, “Hello?”

“Hi, Adam! How’ve you been?” Adam’s brows furrow in confusion. Why was Charlie calling this early? He voices his question.

Silence answers his question. “You do know that right now, in Los Angeles, it is three in the afternoon,” Charlie replies. A glance at the clock confirms that, yes, Charlie is right, and why the hell is he so tired? A smug grin covers his face as he remembers why he didn’t get any sleep.

“So, how’s life treating you?” Charlie asks.

Adam pauses to think of an answer. “Great.” Then he suddenly realizes that that is a bad answer. Damn.

“Oh…Why’s it so great?” Now Charlie wants an answer and will bug Adam until he tells. Charlie learned that trick from Aimee. Damn her.

Adam drums his fingers against his thigh in thought. “Let’s just say I’ve got a roommate.”

“Oh.” Charlie sounds a tad disappointed. “At least you’re not alone anymore.”

Adam chuckles and says, “Yeah.” And then two slim arms are wrapped around his waist and a tongue licks his ear. Adam makes a choked noise that is a mix between a whimper and a moan. On the phone, all is silent.

“Mark,” he hisses. “Don’t do that while I’m on the phone.” He swats good-naturedly at Mark while Mark laughs loudly.

“I’m sorry,” Mark says between laughs, “but you left me all alone in a big, cold bed.”

Still on the phone, Charlie breaks out in laughter. Adam jumps and then flushes. “Sorry bout that,” he says into the phone.

Charlie, still giggling, says, “Roommate?”

The flush on Adam deepens and he glares at Mark. “Uh…sure.”

“How long have you two been together?”

Mark pokes Adam in the side, who hits Mark in the arm. Mark dodges it and sticks his tongue out at Adam. A cough brings Adam’s attention back to Charlie. “Um…A couple months?”

Charlie starts to ramble on the phone and Adam starts to accidentally tune him out when Mark kisses him on the back of the neck. Then Mark runs into the kitchen and wiggles his butt in the doorway. Adam raises an eyebrow but can’t help staring. “You know,” Charlie says loudly and Adam starts to listen to Charlie again. “Let me just call you back later. You seem…busy.”

“Ok. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Adam puts the phone back onto the phone charger and walks into the room, where Mark is laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Then he sees Adam and winks seductively. Adam shakes his head at his lover’s actions and lies down on the bed. Mark snuggles closer to Adam and sighs happily. Mark’s starts to breathe evenly, close to sleep once again, as does Adam’s.

“I love you,” Mark murmurs sleepily into Adam’s chest.

Adam drops a kiss on Mark’s head and whispers, “Right back at ya, babe.”

They drift off to sleep.