“No, you don’t, you don’t.” Adam held Ian back with both hands, red faced and shaking. “You don’t know,” Adam sighed, dropping his head, his hands around Ian’s waist holding him as if afraid to let go. Ian folded him tight, held him. “I can’t be this dumb. I just can’t be.”
Ian smoothed his hands over Adam’s face, his heart hammering painfully in his chest, an agony that grew with Adam’s next words.
“Tell me everything’s going to be okay.”
Ian glanced between them, tilting Adam’s face to his, he kissed him once. “I can’t,” he whispered, his fingers sliding away, wistful across his jaw.
“Then, why are you here?” The small, quiet way Adam asked him made Ian’s heart hurt.
The words needed far too heavy to lift, let alone bring to the light, where they’d both have to see its raw and ugly
