Adam shoved the sandwiches onto foil and wrapped them up, before finally turning around. "We'd better go, or we'll be late."
"We're not in that much of a rush," their mum said.
"I'll go get my coat," Adam said, before stalking out of the room.
Their mum gazed after him. Their dad bit his lower lip thoughtfully.
"I thought you two were starting to get along better," Ken said.
We are, Luc thought, which was precisely why Adam was so angry.
"Sometimes." He forced himself to laugh. "Maybe he's glad to see the back of me."
"I don't think so," his mum said, softly. "I think he's upset that you're going, when you're finally starting to mend your relationship."
They'd done a whole lot more than 'mend' their relationship.
Luc cleared his throat. "Yeah, you might be right. I'll chat with him about it tomorrow. It's not like I'll be gone for good." He looked at them seriously. "I promise I'll be better at keeping in touchandvisiting. It's been great spending time with you. Withallof you." He really meant that and was determined to never let such a big rift come between them again.
***
Luc sat at the edge of the dance studio, taking as many photos as he could, whilst Adam moved around the space. All of his steps looked effortless, even the jumps seemed to take no effort at all. It was only when Adam started to work up a sweat that Luc could tell he was exerting any energy. Adam looked beautiful. There was a serene expression on his face and his gaze was soft, as though he wasn't really looking at anything at all; as though there was nothing but him and the music. It was captivating, breath taking, but also a little heart breaking. Dancing was what Adam was born to do. Not alone in a dance studio, or in a cellar, but on stage, in front of an adoring audience. He kept his thoughts to himself and lost himself in the show his brother was putting on, just for him.
"Did you get any good ones?" Adam asked, breathing heavily. He stood in the centre of the room, his hands on his hips.
Luc looked through the photos on the small camera screen. "Hard to tell. One or two." He grinned. "Maybe you should dance some more, just to make sure."
"You just like seeing me in tights."
Luc let his gaze linger on Adam's crotch. "What can I say? They leavenothingto the imagination." He licked his lips.
"Do you ever think about anything other than sex?"
Luc nodded as he stood. "I think about you." He wandered up to Adam and kissed him. "I think about having sex with you all the fucking time."
Adam laughed and turned away, but Luc grabbed his arm and pulled him back, into a tight embrace.
"I want you," he said huskily. "Now."
Adam placed his hands on Luc's chest and pushed him away gently, but forcefully. "I want you too, but not here. We can't fuck each other in a place where kids come to learn how to dance."
Luc growled with frustration. "Then where, Adam? You don't want to screw in a darkroom because it's too seedy and you don't want to screw here because what? Our deviant sexual behaviour might somehow rub off on a bunch of kids who aren't even here?" He dragged his hand through his hair. "I'm leaving in a few days."
"Do you think I don't know that?" Adam demanded. "Do you think I'm happy about it?"
"No." Luc sighed. "Of course not."
Adam turned to face him, his eyes wide and sorrowful. "How do we even know this is anything other than lust, Luc?"
Luc pressed his lips together. As far as he was concerned, he'd been in love with Adam for years. But then, his stepbrother had changed a lot. There was a possibility he was in love with the person he remembered Adam being, rather than the adult he’d become. He wanted his feelings for Adam to be more than carnal, but he couldn't be sure.
"We don't," he said sullenly. "It'll take time for us to figure that out."
"But we don't have time, do we? We live three hours apart," Adam reminded him. "I know this past week we've made an effort to act like we're making up and getting along, but Mum and Dad will be suspicious as hell if I suddenly decide to visit youeveryweekend."
Luc stared at him. "You'd do that?"
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a double bed?"
