He tried again to free his hand, but Logan only held on tighter.
“Ad?” Logan’s voice softened, cutting through Adrian’s frustration.
Adrian turned, exasperated. “What?”
Logan swallowed, his thumb tracing slow, absent-minded circles on Adrian’s wrist. “Let me take care of you.” His voice was quiet, pleading. Then, as if sealing a promise, he brought Adrian’s hand to his lips and kissed it.
Adrian’s breath hitched, his anger faltering.
“Logan, I don’t want to be the needy person who comes begging for money.” His voice cracked slightly, the words scraping at his throat. “I don’t even want those treatments.”
“Yes, you do.” Logan’s response was immediate and firm. “You’re keeping me alive, remember?” His tone softened into a teasing whisper as he nestled his head against Adrian’s chest, inhaling deeply and savoring the delicate texture of the fabric brushing against his cheeks. Against his face, he felt the firm strength of Adrian’s chest, a comforting presence he memorized with each breath. He could hear Adrian’s strong heartbeat, each one an echo of life for which he was grateful. He allowed himself to be enveloped by this sensation, letting it wash over him like a soothing balm, numbing the chaotic noises of the world outside.
Adrian’s resistance crumbled in an instant, his arms moving instinctively around Logan, fingers threading into his hair.
“You’re not begging for anything, Ad. You’re just coming with me.” Logan whispered against his shirt. “Or would you prefer I go alone?”
“No, of course not.” The answer came without hesitation.
“Then let me deal with my father.” Logan sighed, closing his eyes as he relished Adrian’s warmth.
There was a beat of silence before Adrian huffed, shaking his head. “Lo, if you don’t have money, why the hell did you book the most expensive suite and rent a Maserati?”
Logan smirked against Adrian’s chest. “It’s not that I don’t have money. I don’t have enough money. Plus, I told you, the suite was the only one available. And I’ve always dreamed about driving a Maserati.”
Adrian groaned but couldn’t hide the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.
The cab came to a gentle halt, the rhythmic patter of rain dancing against the windows creating a soothing backdrop between them.
“Don’t you dare,” he warned Adrian, who was reaching into his pocket. With a firm gesture, Logan commanded Adrian to exit while swiping his card and thanked the driver.
Adrian retrieved their bags from the trunk, carefully placing them onto the slick sidewalk. As Logan joined him, he inhaled deeply, the crisp, cold air filling his lungs, and watched in fascination as his warm breath mingled with the Seattle night, a fleeting wisp against the dark, star-studded sky.
The apartment building rose like a glass-and-steel monolith against the night sky, towering above them, its windows glinting with the fractured light of the city. Even at this late hour, Seattle was still breathing—cars slicing through the rain-slicked streets, headlights casting silver streaks on the pavement, pedestrians bundled against the cold, their hurried steps whispering against the sidewalk. Beyond the buildings, patches of darkness hinted at parks, trees swaying in the wind, silhouetted against the electric hum of the skyline.
Adrian took it all in, the urban sea so different from the sun-drenched shores of home. He turned to Logan as the cab pulled away. “You live here?”
Logan nodded, bending to grab his suitcase. “Yeah. Close to work and the airport.” He smirked slightly.
Adrian hesitated, his fingers ghosting over Logan’s wrist before he caught his hand properly, stopping him just before he reached the large glass doors.
“Have you…” Adrian’s voice was careful, his fingers squeezing slightly, “lived here with her?”
Logan closed his eyes for a moment, setting the suitcase down again, his heart shrinking from the hurt in Adrian’s voice as he asked it. Without a word, he stepped closer and wrapped Adrian into his arms, breathing him in. “No.” He leaned in and kissed him, slow and certain. “I moved here after we split up. Actually… I haven’t even been here since I bought the place.”
Adrian pulled back just enough to search Logan’s face. “How so?”
Logan’s hands moved absently, tracing Adrian’s back over the thick coat that wrapped him. “Everything happened so fast,” he murmured. “Basically, the house Sandy and I lived in? My father bought it for us. And when I told her I was gay… she left. Walked out and never looked back. And I—” He stopped, taking a breath. “I couldn’t stay there. The house felt haunted. Not by her; by me. By all the things I tried to be, all the ways I tried to force myself to live a life that was never mine.”
Adrian’s hold on him grew firmer.
“So, I started looking for you.” Logan swallowed, his voice quieter now, but no less intense. “And then I found this place. Signed the contract. But before I could even move in, I got the call.” His fingers curled against the back of Adrian’s neck, holding him close. “That they found you. And I did the only thing I knew how to do. I ran to the airport and got a ticket to the fucking Middle East.”
Adrian let out a short, breathy laugh, shaking his head. “You’re insane.”
“Completely.” Logan grinned. “You love it.”
Adrian just hummed in response, but his fingers brushed lightly over Logan’s wrist, lingering.
