Breaking Adam

"Thanks guys, I think I'm gonna go talk to the new stud."

Kyle wanted to stop him but Brad held him back, he knew Adam, and he wouldn't really hurt Evan, deep down past his hurt and anger at life he had a very soft heart.

Adam had never walked so fast in his life as he walked to the fraternity. He saw that Evan's car, recently brought over, was in the parking lot and smiled a grim smile.

Good, it was time to talk.

Adam walked in the frat house, looking around downstairs, not finding him and ignoring Jessica who was on the couch. He stormed up to James's room, not bothering to knock, and received a very startled look from both James and Evan, who were sitting on opposite ends of the room, James studying and Evan playing on his laptop.

"Adam what the hell dude ever heard of knocking?"

James was all geared up to be angry.

"I need to talk to Evan here James, if that's cool with you." Adam's voice was dangerously low.

James frowned and was about to say something when Evan stood up, his face blank.

"It's cool James. I'll be back later."

Evan walked out and Adam followed, not looking back at his confused friend. Evan walked into Adam's room, leaving the door open for Adam to follow. Shutting the door, and locking it for good measure Adam stood in front of it, arms crossed as Evan sat again in his computer chair. Adam tried not to think of the nice sweet guy he had met that night three weeks ago.

"So, what's got ya in a huff big man?" Evan said, and Adam rolled his eyes, knowing he was downright puny next to Evan.

"So tell me Evan, what exactly does not wanting to be with a guy right now mean? I thought that meant you needed time to yourself but apparently it means opening your legs to every other guy on this campus with a dick. So what took me out of the running for the new stud on campus? Am I not good enough for you because I'm not a slut?"

Evan flinched like Adam had hit him but Adam didn't care, he didn't even think to care. Evan sat up straighter, clearing his face and looking at Adam with even eyes.

"Jealous Adam?" He drawled and Adam's fists clenched in an effort to stay still.

"No Evan, confused, a little hurt, but believe me, I'm not jealous."

Evan blinked and stood up, "What I wanted you to be jealous?"

The change in attitude was downright confusing, "What?" Adam asked stupidly.

Evan walked over to him, reversing the roles until Adam was the one a little scared and Evan was the one all worked up. Evan backed him against the door, placing a hand on either side of his head.

"What If wanted you to be jealous of all those guys Adam? What if I wanted you to fight for me, like you started to tonight?"

Adam pushed him away, angry, "No you told me you didn't want to be with a guy Evan, you fucking told me that, make up your damned mind what you want."

Evan came back, pushing him against the door again, "You're so dense, didn't you ever go through kindergarten?"

Adam was lost again with the reference and Evan sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What did you do when you liked someone in grade school Adam?"

Adam was still confused, "I told them. Why?"

Evan let out a bark of laughter that made Adam jump, "Man how did I not see that coming?"

Adam moved out from under Evan, turning to face him, "So what was the reference?"

Evan leaned against the door, mirroring Adam's earlier pose.

"Not everyone is like you Adam. Most people don't tell them, they pick on them, they are mean to them, they avoid them, tell them to go away. Let's just say I haven't grown up much."

Adam stared at him a minute before he got it, "You avoiding me, were an ass, told me to go away, all because you actually liked me?"

He couldn't keep the disbelief from his voice.

Evan gave a short laugh, "Yea."

Adam wasn't sure what Evan thought his reaction was going to be with his little confession, but he guessed it wasn't anger from the look on his face before he decked him across the jaw.

Evan's head snapped against the door and he slowly looked back at Adam, rage in his eyes as he rubbed his face.

"What. The fuck. Was. That?" He growled, each word clipped with anger.

"That you fucking asshole is for kissing me like I was your last lifeline, pushing me away like a pussy, and worst of all? Becoming the new slut on campus because you couldn't tell one guy you liked him."

Adam shook his head, looking at Evan with a bitter smile.

"Was it worth it Evan? Why the fuck did you fuck all those guys huh? Just because you liked me?"

That was the only part Adam was honestly confused about.

"No Adam. Because the only way I could get you out of my head was to lose myself inside someone else."

Evan's voice was hurt, and that caught Adam off guard, but he refused to let it slow him down.

"Why Evan, damn it why? If you were that into me why couldn't you just fucking tell me!"

Evan stood up then, "Because Adam I wasn't going to set myself to get hurt. God don't you see why no guys come on to you? You're a wall Adam, a nicely constructed, easy on the eyes, smooth talking wall. You don't let anyone in and anyone with a brain knows it as soon as they look at you. To like you and tell you would just be to hurt myself."

Adam stared at him for a long time before responding, "So making yourself the school slut was easier than confronting me and giving me a chance, maybe looking past this wall that everyone can apparently see or making an effort at all to get through it? I wasn't even worth the effort?"

Evan got angry then, "What would be the point Adam? You're so fucked up, hiding in your own little world why would I try? You don't let anyone in, not Brad, Kyle or hell even Jessica. You're so screwed up Adam you won't let anyone close to you. My daddy was never there for me, get the hell over it. You're so wrapped up in your own pain you wouldn't have let me get in anyway."

Evan gave him a withering look, "Besides, who would want to waste the effort on a guy as fucked up as you anyway."

Adam didn't say anything, and after a few minutes he could see Evan deflating, his eyes going from hurt and angry, to just hurt, then to shock.

"Adam...oh my god I'm so sorry."

Adam wasn't listening. "Move." He said, voice empty.

"What?" Evan said, frowning.

"I don't give a shit where you go, you can fuck your next trick in my bed for all I care but the get the hell out of my way now."

Evan moved away from the door slowly, wanting to reach out, to touch Adam but not daring to. Adam didn't spare him a glance as he left the room, throwing on his jacket as he walked down the stairs.

Evan called out after him but he was already out the door. He wasn't sure where he was going but he sure as hell wasn't staying there.

It wasn't until he ran into a huge chest, falling on his ass, that he realized they weren't as alone as they thought. Looking up into eyes the same as his own Adam froze at the sight of his father.

Chapter Five: Confronting dad

Adam picked himself up off the floor, noting his dad didn't even offer to help him and backed up a few steps. The man was radiating anger, and the look in his blue eyes was downright scary.

"Dad. What are you doing here?" Adam asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

James ran in the door, almost bumping into the huge man in front of it, stopping when he saw Adam. The guy was panting and Adam frowned as he looked at him with fear in his eyes.

"Adam I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was angry and I didn't mean to say anything, all I heard was you calling Evan a slut and I was so angry at you I just blurted it out when I ran into your dad. Then I went to the café and it turns out that Evan hasn't been...entirely truthful to me, and I knew you were just angry and I connected the dots, with him pushing you away and stuff. I'm so sorry."

Adam didn't have a clue what the guy was rambling about but apparently Jessica did. She was sitting on one of the couches, cuddled up with Sean, a guy in the fraternity and she stood up, coming over to Adam's side.

"James tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

James bit his lip and nodded, his eyes pleading with Adam to understand. Understand what? He looked up into his father's angry eyes and saw something else there. Hurt. Oh god. He knows, Adam thought.

Victor saw the light dawn on his son's face and nearly broke down.

"Adam tell me it's not true, tell me my son isn't a faggot." His deep voice was wavering.

Adam jerked like he had been slapped and looked away from his father, tears forming in his eyes. Evan stood at the top of the stairs, a hand to his mouth, reminding him of a much larger version of Kyle.

"Oh god." His father whispered, his voice disgusted.

That was the final straw for Adam, he ran around the big man, pushing James out of the way as he ran out of the fraternity house. He ran for so long his legs screamed in pain. He didn't know where he was but he found himself in front of one of the many guy's dorms. He knew this dorm, and he knew this was one place for sure no one would look for him.

Pulling out his cell he cleared the screen that said he had 11 missed calls and 7 text messages, along with 4 voicemails and pulled up a number out of the phone book.

"Hello?" The man who answered sounded frustrated himself.

"Alex. It's Adam." His voice was numb, and deeper than normal. He knew he sounded bad.

"Oh Adam, you sound like shit man. Are you ok?"

Alex's voice was worried now, and he heard a concerned voice in the background, probably his boyfriend Mike.

"I need a place to crash tonight. Some....serious shit is going down in my life right now and the frat house is out. I need a place people won't look for me. I know your usually at Mike's so I was gonna ask if maybe I could chill at your place."

His body was catching up to him and he sat down heavily on a bench outside the dorm as his legs gave out.

"Adam man do you want me to come get you? You can stay at one of Mike's clubs, the upstairs are almost all apartments you would be totally alone. You can stay in the dorm if you want though, that's fine to."

Adam really didn't want to go to one of Mike's clubs. Mike Donovan owned almost all of the clubs downtown and each one of them was ridiculously packed until way past 3 am.

"No man, if I could just crash at your dorm I would be eternally grateful."

"Don't even think a thing about it man. The spare key is under one of the little green frogs outside, by the steps. There is a lot of spare keys there though so just look for the one that has 102 in black on it."

Adam sighed, relived, "Thank you so much Alex, really. Tell Mike I said hey."

"Sure thing hun. Night."

Adam hung up the phone, lifted up the many frogs by the steps, and found the key. He'd have to call Alex back later and make sure everything was ok, he didn't like the tone in the guys voice. They hadn't really been friends that long, he had once been Brad's somewhat boyfriend and it ended badly. Lately though they had all hung out, and they were pretty tight.

He even liked his ridiculously overbearing boyfriend Mike. The man was coping with not being in charge. Alex was small, but damn he was feisty. Every time Mike told him not to do something, or tried telling him what to do it was like Alex prided himself on doing it. Last week one of the clubs almost had to get evacuated because the men were fighting so bad that Alex caused a bar brawl.

They loved each other though, hell when they weren't fighting for control they were like something out of a Disney movie. They never raised a hand to each other, they loved each other way too much for that. Glasses and objects, hell even customers....a whole nother story. They were coping though, and they were getting a lot better. Besides, Alex says the makeup sex was totally worth it.

Adam had never been so grateful that Alex lived on the bottom floor than he was right now. His legs were practically dead, and if he had to go up any stairs he was pretty sure he would have been crawling. He stumbled in the empty room and plopped down on Alex's bed. The guy never came home, he stayed with Mike almost every night. It's like they were a married couple, hell they fought like one.

Adam laid his head on Alex's soft pillow and closed his eyes. His cell phone felt like it was a constant buzz in his pocket and he finally turned it off, throwing it blindly into the room behind him.

Curling up to a big body pillow, facing the wall he finally felt his body relax. His mind was blissfully numb, and he didn't have to think about one damn thing. Not his father, or his so called friend, or that bastard whose name he didn't even want to think. Nope. Peaceful blankness.

Chapter Six : Dealing

Adam wasn't aware he had fallen asleep until he woke up. Alex was leaning over him, pulling the cover up over his chest and brushing his hair out of his face. Adam didn't jerk away because he knew Alex had the instincts of a mother hen sometimes, it wasn't sexual. His boyfriend wasn't behind him, as was usual and Adam frowned.

"Mike had to fly out for business for the day. Were not always attached at the hip."

Adam rolled his eyes at that lie and Alex laughed, "Ok yea we are. I'm not complaining though, I love his hips."

Adam laughed at the corny line and Alex smiled, happy he was cheering up. Alex crawled in the bed, moving behind Adam and reaching out, pulling his head down until it was comfortably snuggled into the guy's leg.

"So, talk to Uncle Alex, what did the big bad people do to my Adam?"

When the hell had they become such good friends? Adam wasn't sure but he felt like he had known Alex forever at this moment. Without a breath of hesitation he poured his guts out, starting when he first met his dad again, to the first encounter with Evan, to last night.

Alex never said a word, his face displaying a wide range of emotions through his story. The last one was sympathy, a fine breath away from pity which Adam couldn't stand. He didn't open up for a reason.

"So what do you want to do now?" Alex asked, his hand brushing Adam's hair behind his ear over and over.

It was ridiculously comforting. "Live in your dorm until graduation?" Adam said with a false hope in his voice.

Alex laughed, "You want to live in my dorm for another year and a half? Honey I doubt that would be fun for you, I mean me and Mike get really loud!"

Adam pretending to make a gagging noise and Alex smacked him in the back of the head. Adam laughed again, his eyes drifting to the door as he slowly got quiet.

"I don't know Alex, what would you do?"

"Well, my parents aren't really like yours. They were fine that I was gay, and they love Mike. Granted him and my father had a stare down for like half an hour while mom and I ignored them and played scrabble. We totally overlook that my dad is half the size of Mike when I say he won. Even I was surprised."

Adam laughed.

"As for you though, I think maybe you should return your dad's call. I'll call Jess cause no doubt she's freaking, and for right now I would leave everyone else involved alone. James was a total ass for what he did and it's going to take a while to forgive him, but I know you will. Evan...I don't even know where to begin with that mess of a relationship."

Adam nodded against Alex's jean clad thigh, but didn't move. Alex understood, as always and let him lay there, stroking his hair, which Adam discovered he absolutely loved, for a good hour. Finally Adam sighed and sat up, kissing Alex's hand in appreciation.

"Thanks man. It's cool to be so comfortable with someone, and know it's not sexual."

Alex gave him a mock frown, "Now who the hell said it wasn't sexual? I just love your cute little butt!"

Adam laughed as Alex raised his voice to sound high and girly. He patted him on the back before breaking down and hugging him tightly. Alex hugged back, not complaining when the bigger guy squeezed the breath out of him.

He left to go take a shower, leaving Adam to make his phone call in private. Picking up the discarded phone, which had landed under Alex's desk, he flipped it open.

19 missed calls, 11 text messages, and 7 voicemails. Add that to the ones he had received before he got to Alex's dorm and he was a popular guy. He scrolled down the list of missed calls.

1.Victor 2. Jessica 3. Victor 4. Jessica 5.Victor 6. Jessica 7. Victor 8. Victor 9. Evan 10. Evan 11. Victor 12. Jessica 13. James 14. James 15. James 16. Evan 17. Jessica 18. Evan 19. Victor

Adam wondered briefly if there was a point when Jessica and his dad took turns, because that's how it looked. The number of times Victor called however amazed him. He went to his text messages.

They looked about the same, more from Victor than anyone, a few from Evan, a lot from Jessica and more than he would have thought from James.

The cool thing about the iPhone is that you can see who your voicemails are from. Most of them were from Victor and Jessica, and a few were from James. Only one was from Evan. He tapped the screen and took a deep breath, holding it up to his ear.

"Adam. I'm so sorry. I know what I said was wrong, and I didn't mean it like that. Look I really want us to talk. Please, I mean it, please, call me. I won't keep texting or calling, if you don't want to talk to me ill take the hint. Can't say anything about James and jess and your dad. Were all really upset Adam, no one has slept at all and your dad hasn't left. Please call me...um I mean please call one of us. Thanks. Evan."

The man's voice was ragged. He sounded hurt, and confused, and remorseful and drop dead tired all at the same time. Adam didn't delete the message but he didn't call back either. Instead he scrolled to Victor's name and tapped the number. He held his breath as it rang.

"Adam? Oh god Adam is that you?"

His father's voice was scared, and tired, and worried all at once.

"Hey Victor." Adam said, his own voice flat and quiet.

"Oh god it is you son. Adam are you ok? We are all so worried."

Adam heard a voice, then a couple of voices talking in the background, and the sound of his dad pressing the phone against his shirt.

The next words were muffled but he heard them, "Yes it's him. I don't know yet hold on!"

Adam guessed that was Jessica, she was ever the impatient, and he loved her for it.

"Adam are you ok? Please just tell me you are ok."

His father's held a warmth he hadn't known the man could possess.

"Yes I'm fine." Adam laughed to himself as that was relayed to the troops in the background.

No doubt the other brothers had been in on the man hunt that was more than likely sent to look for him. Adam was a very loved member of the fraternity, he had a lot of friends that cared about him, despite his so obvious wall he was oblivious to.

"Adam please come back to the fraternity, we need to talk. Me and you. You and Jessica, lord I have never met someone so young that worries like she does. You would think she was a 40 year old mother with 12 kids."

Adam laughed out loud at that one and he heard his dad sigh at the sound. That summed Jess up alright, that girl was ridiculous. Alex thought his friend Emily was bad, she was downright calm next to Jessica.

"No dad I'm not coming back to the fraternity right now."

Adam heard his father breath out a ragged sigh and couldn't help but add, "But I'll tell you where I am....and...and you can come here I guess."

He could hear the relived smile in his dad's voice, "Yes Adam ill go anywhere you want just give me the address and I'll be there as soon as you can. Are you downtown? Jessica said you might have gone to a friend's club, but apparently when she called the man he refused to tell her anything about you. That boy was downright evasive."