"You get it," Luc replied just as sleepily. He wrapped an arm around Adam. "Or we could ignore it."
That sounded like a marvellous plan. Adam snuggled against Luc, ready to drift back to sleep. But whomever was at the door kept knocking. Then Luc's phone rang.
Luc grunted, before fumbling for it. As he looked at the screen, his eyes popped open and he scrambled to sit up, dislodging Adam.
"It's Mum and Dad," Luc said. "They're outside."
"Shit." Adam's heart pounded in his chest. "What time is it?" It felt way too early for their parents to be banging on the door.
"Half eleven," Luc replied, wincing. "I guess they drove? But they must have set off early." He nudged Adam. "It's a good sign that they're here. Come on. I'll tell them to give us five minutes."
"Five minutes? It takes you about half an hour just to do your hair."
Luc jabbed Adam between the ribs. "Only half the time you spend in the shower, then."
"Funny guy," Adam said, before wrapping his hand around the back of Luc's neck and pulling him down for a kiss.
"Morning breath," they both mumbled, before laughing and breaking apart.
Adam pulled some clothes on, whilst Luc disappeared downstairs to use the bathroom. His heart was still racing, as was his mind, trying to make sense of why their parents were outside. It had been two weeks and all they'd had was dead silence. Okay, so Luc had visited a couple of days earlier, but he'd said it hadn't gone well. But now... now their parents were here. His flesh went cold. Maybe their parents had brought the rest of his stuff.
"Your turn," Luc said, wrapping his arms around Adam from behind. "Try not to stress."
"Easier said than done." Adam dragged a T-shirt over his head. He twisted in Luc's arms and kissed him, tasting mint on his brother's breath.
"Go on," Luc urged.
As tempting as it was to ignore the inevitable and drag Luc back to bed, Adam knew it wasn't an option. He half climbed, half slid down the ladder and headed to the bathroom, where he quickly washed and brushed his teeth. He got the tips of his fingers wet and ran them through his hair, giving the messy dark strands more definition.
As he left the bathroom, Luc was waiting for him. "Ready?"
Adam shook his head. He took a deep breath. "But we have to face them."
He joined Luc and held his hand and, together, they opened the door.
Their parents weren't standing there with a bunch of bags. In fact, they had nothing out of the ordinary with them at all.
"Can we come in?" their dad asked.
"Sure," Luc said, standing aside and pulling Adam with him.
Their parents strode in, making their way to the sofa, before sitting down.
Luc squeezed Adam's hand. "It'll be fine," he whispered. "They obviously want to talk."
Adam nodded, but he didn't feel his brother's confidence at all. Maybe all his belongings were in the car and this was just the build-up to being told they never wanted to see him again. He swallowed a couple of times, trying to make his mouth moist, but his tongue still felt dry and heavy as Luc tugged him over to stand in front of their parents.
"Sit down," their dad said.
Not that there was anywhere else to sit, so Adam and Luc sat on the floor, with their backs to the TV. They were still holding each other's hands. Adam squeezed Luc's tightly, seeking comfort, or maybe a shield.
"We've come to apologise." Both their parents spoke at the same time, their words a garbled mess. They laughed nervously and then Deborah motioned towards her husband, giving him the green light to speak first.
"We've come to apologise," he repeated, after clearing his throat.
Adam's eyebrows crawled up his head.
His dad rubbed his hands over his thighs. "We treated you both very badly," he went on. "We overreacted and took far too long to come to that realisation. Yes, the two of you being together came as a shock, but we shouldn't have acted the way we did. We shouldn't have told you to leave." He hung his head.
"Dad..." Adam began.
"Parents make mistakes too," Deborah said, her voice shaking as tears gathered in her eyes. "We're not saying we fully understand, but we don't want to lose you, either of you. We love you both too much. We just... we hope..." Her voice broke.
"We hope you'll be able to forgive us," their dad said.
Adam didn't know what to say. He glanced at Luc, looking for some clue. Luc was smiling ever so slightly. He cupped his other hand over Adam's.
"We love you too," Luc said firmly. "Does this mean you can accept the two of us being together?"
Their dad nodded hesitantly. "If that's what it takes to keep our sons in our lives, then yes."
Adam felt his chin wobble. It wasn't the unreserved outpouring of acceptance and love he might have hoped for, but it wasn't a rejection, either.
"You can come home, if you want," Deborah said, looking directly at him.
He shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. The sadness in Deborah's eyes made his stomach lurch. He dipped his gaze, feeling sick, because he knew he was going to disappoint her.
"You're happy here?" his dad asked.
Adam nodded. "I... I've applied for a position at Ballet Torsion," he managed to say, even though his voice sounded cracked and frail. He lifted his head and met first his dad's gaze, then his mum's. "I need to start living my life for me. I hope you can both understand that."
They nodded, although Deborah sobbed.
"Of course," she whispered. "We're so grateful for everything you did for us and the dance school." She slipped off the sofa and knelt on the floor in front of them, placing her hand over Adam's cheek. "You should follow your dreams. I don't doubt the company will accept you. You're an exceptionally talented dancer and you shouldn't let your passion go to waste."
"I wasn't," Adam said, hating how close he was to tears. "I was helping other dancers find their potential. And I'll do that again, in a few years." He was certain of that, either as a teacher or running his own company.
Deborah wrapped one arm around him and the other around Luc, drawing them both to her in a firm embrace. "I love you both so much," she whispered, sobbing openly. "I'm so sorry I hurt you."
"We both are," their dad said, joining the hug pile.
That simple action of being hugged by both their parents ruined Adam completely. He sniffed once in a feeble attempt at holding back his tears and then let them flow freely, his chest heaving with the exertion of crying. Within seconds, all four of them were crying and hugging and then laughing, too. It was the weirdest combination of sounds he'd ever heard. But it was also amazing: the sound of a family reuniting.
"Do you forgive us?" their dad asked as they all finally parted.
"Yes," Adam and Luc said in unison, not even needing to glance at each other for mutual confirmation.
"Let us take you out for lunch," Deborah said, running her hands over her face in an attempt to wipe away the tears that made her cheeks glisten. "We've got some catching up to do."
"Sure," Luc said. "That would be great. But... could I borrow Adam for a moment?"
When their parents nodded, Luc grabbed Adam's hand again and tugged him to his feet. They headed to the bathroom, which was the only private space in the apartment.
Once there, Luc closed and locked the door and then pushed Adam against the sink, kissing him and holding him so tightly, Adam was sure his ribs and mouth would break under the pressure.
"Thank fuck," Luc whispered, resting his forehead against Adam's.
"You told me everything would be okay," Adam said, not able to temper the stupid grin that had spread across his face.
Luc nodded. "I did, didn't I?"
Adam caught hold of Luc's face and forced him to look up until their gazes locked. "You said it, but you didn't believe it, did you?"
Luc sighed and then shook his head. "But I'm so glad I was wrong." He kissed him again, the desperate heat of his mouth scorching Adam's. "So. Fucking. Glad," he said b
etween kisses.
"Me too," Adam agreed. "So, what now?"
"We go out for lunch and let them grovel some more?" Luc said in a none too serious tone, prompting them both to laugh.
"No, I mean... where do we go from here?"
"Well, we already agreed you'd move in," Luc said. "Don't think I forgot that conversation, just because we both fell asleep straight after."
"I'm glad you didn't forget," Adam said, circling his thumbs over Luc's cheeks.
"And you're going to get into Ballet Torsion," Luc told him confidently. "So I'd say our future is pretty much set. We live here for now and eventually find a bigger place that doesn't involve climbing up a ladder whenever we want to fuck."
"That sounds great," Adam said.
"Great?" Luc asked with mock shock. "It sounds perfect!"
Chapter Thirty-One
Luc
Luc watched Adam through the restaurant window. His brother was standing outside on the street, his mobile phone pressed to one ear, his hand covering the other.
"Looks important," Adrianna said, following his gaze.
"I'm hoping it's the ballet company he applied to a couple of weeks ago," Luc told her.
In fact, he was crossing his toes in his boots, hoping that Adam was getting good news. Watching Adam's face was giving him no clues at all. He'd expected a grin to cross Adam's face, but so far, he looked impassioned. Maybe it wasn't Ballet Torsion at all. Christ, he hoped they contacted Adam soon. He hoped Adam got an audition.
"So, if all goes well we'll be going to watch Adam perform soon?"
Luc smiled and nodded. "I think it takes several months of rehearsals, so maybe not that soon."
"I'll expect complimentary front row seats," Adrianna said.
"I doubt I'll get any complimentary tickets." He winked at her. "Besides, you're the one with friends in high places, you should be the one to organise the freebies."
She folded her hands on the table. "I'll see what I can do."
Of course, they were talking hypotheticals, but Luc really wanted Adam's dream to become a reality. He deserved it after the sacrifices he'd made over the last few years.
"He's coming back," Adrianna said. "Should we pretend we weren't watching him?"
Ignoring her comment, Luc stared at Adam expectantly. Adam's face was utterly unreadable, which was absolute torture.
"Well?" Luc asked as soon as Adam sat down. "Was it Ballet Torsion? Have you got an audition?"
Adam's face remained impassive as he nodded. "It was Ballet Torsion."
"And?" Luc's stomach churned as Adam still didn't smile. Had they turned him down? Shit. They couldn't have turned him down, could they?
"You realise Luc is going to pop if you don't put him out of his misery," Adrianna said.
Adam breathed in deeply and hung his head.
"Oh shit, Adam, I'm sorry," Luc said.
"Yeah, you'd better be," Adam said, lifting his head. A grin spread across his face. "Because I got an audition!"
Luc let out a whoop and punched his fist high into the air. He didn't care that the people on the tables around them were suddenly staring.
"That's amazing. I'm so proud of you."
Adrianna clapped her hands. "That is amazing news. Well done."
Luc jabbed his finger into Adam's knee beneath the table. "Don't ever tease me like that again, though."
Adam laughed. "You loved it really."
Luc snorted. "So, when's the audition?"
"In a couple of weeks. I can't believe this is happening, Luc. I can't believe I've been given a chance to audition for one of the best ballet companies in the north of England."
"And you'll get in," Luc told him.
"One step at a time," Adam said cautiously. "I've got to perform well at the audition. I'm not going to swagger in there assuming I'm God's gift to dancing. If I want this, I have to work for it and try my hardest. All the dancers there will be just as good, if not better than me. Competition will be fierce. I have to keep my feet on the ground and my expectations realistic."
"You have a very mature attitude," Adrianna said approvingly. "What do you see in Luc again?"
"Hey!" Luc objected. "I'm mature." He squeezed Adam's hand. "Seriously, well done on getting this far. We should order some wine to celebrate." He waved to the closest waiter and selected a bottle of reasonable but not crazy expensive bubbly wine from the drinks menu.
When it arrived, a couple of minutes later, he poured each of them a generous amount—enough for the bubbly froth to rise and spill out of their glasses—before raising his glass in a toast.
"To Adam. Ballet dancer extraordinaire."
"To Adam," Adrianna agreed.
"To us," Adam said quietly. "Because without you to encourage me, I'd never have even applied."
"Soppy sod," Luc said, his cheeks glowing red.
"I'm not done." Adam stared at him, his brown eyes deep and soft like molten chocolate. "Realising I wanted to be with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you."
Luc bit his lower lip, squeezing Adam's hand even tighter. There was nothing he could say to Adam's words that wouldn't pale in comparison.
Beside him, Adrianna clapped her hands. "Bravo," she said. "So beautiful. Bravo."
"Is your boss mocking me?" Adam asked Luc, his nose wrinkling in amusement. He turned his gaze to Adrianna. "Are you mocking me?"
"Not at all," Adrianna assured him. She pressed her hand to her chest. "I'm actually quite humbled to be here with you two lovebirds. Would you like me to go?" She pointed her thumb in the direction of the door. "Or maybe you two would like to go get a room?"
They all laughed.
"I think we can hold off until after dinner," Luc said.
He was half tempted to take Adrianna up on her offer of an early exit. Because Christ, after Adam's speech he wanted nothing more than to get his stepbrother home and rip off all his clothes. He took a sip of his bubbly wine in an attempt to dampen his rampant desire, but it was like throwing a teaspoon of water on a forest fire.
"Are you sure?" Adrianna asked, flicking her gaze between the two of them.
"Sure," Luc said, laughing when Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Speak for yourself."
Luc opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't quite find the words, so drank too much wine. The bubbles went straight up his nose, making him snort and splutter.
"I'm kidding," Adam said, slapping him on the back. "Christ, Luc, lighten up." He leaned across so his lips brushed against Luc's ear, before whispering, "I can wait, but we're not getting any sleep tonight."
Luc's eyes widened. He smirked but kept quiet. He was definitely looking forward to the meal ending, even though they hadn't even ordered food yet.
"You really shouldn't have kept Adam all to yourself for so long," Adrianna said. "You two are simply perfect together." She ran her finger over her lip. "Are you sure I can't suggest that thing?"
"What thing?" Adam asked.
"No," Luc said.
"What thing?" Adam repeated. "What am I missing out on?"
"I guess you'll never know," Adrianna said, very purposefully dropping her finger from her lips to her menu, where she glided it down the choices, her lips puckering despite having no one to kiss.
In that moment, Luc decided that he hated her. She was an amazing and funny boss, but he hated her.
"Boring," Adam complained. "Right, I've chosen what I'm having. What about you two slow pokes?"
Luc was glad Adam had moved on from the subject. Even though he knew she was only kidding and that she wouldn't really have a threesome with them, he still didn't need the idea being put into Adam's head. Adam was his. He didn't care how insanely jealous that made him, but he really didn't want to share.
The meal passed quickly. Adrianna was always quick to suggest a new topic whenever it looked like the conversation was starting to wane. Luc took every opportunity he could to make co
ntact with Adam, whether it was to simply touch knees, or to brush his hand over his stepbrother's thigh. They opted for dessert, mainly out of politeness to Adrianna, but eventually their plates were empty and their stomachs were full.
"Well that was lovely," Adrianna said, as she paid her portion of the bill and dropped a five pound note on the table to cover her share of the tip. "We'll have to do it again sometime." Her gaze softened. "I meant what I said, you are perfect together." She stood and pulled her coat on. "I'll see you on Monday, Luc. Good luck in your audition, Adam."
They nodded goodbye to her and watched her leave before Adam grabbed Luc's hand.
"Can we make our exit now? I can't wait to get you home."
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Luc told him, before kissing him. He started to stand, but Adam held him down.
"Are you ever going to tell me what Adrianna was talking about?" he asked.
Luc grinned. "Maybe, one day. But not tonight. Tonight, you're all mine."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Only tonight?"
"No, not just tonight. Always."
Chapter Thirty-Two
Luc
Luc and his parents took their seats. Like the night he'd taken Adam to see Don Quixote, they were in front row seats in the dress circle. His parents had dressed up for the occasion, his mum wearing a long green evening gown, with a faux fur bolero. His dad was wearing a tuxedo, with a green bow-tie to match his wife's dress. Luc didn't think he'd ever seen his parents looking so dolled up; his mum had even had her hair and make-up done. He knew they were insanely proud of Adam, just like he was.
It was the opening night of Adam's first production with Ballet Torsion, after months of rehearsals. As they waited for the curtain to rise and the lights to go down, Luc flicked through the programme. It was an interpretation of Orwell's 1984. Luc had never read the novel, but he did have a vague idea of the story. Not that he'd be concentrating on anything but Adam.
Sure enough, when the curtain rose and the lights went out, Luc focused on the stage, staring only at Adam. His stepbrother was beautiful and powerful and the most talented dancer on the stage. At least, he was in Luc's eyes. He didn't claim to be an expert and he'd freely admit that he was hopelessly biased. He watched both halves of the ballet intently, absolutely captivated by the stunning grace that Adam exuded with every extension of a leg or arm. One day, Adam would be a principle soloist, of that Luc was sure.
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