Travis and Adam

They spent the morning packing and getting ready to check out. This was the last morning of the convention and the vendor room was closing at 11am. They had room service send up breakfast and sat quietly together for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company as they ate.

Both men felt it deep inside. Last night had taken their relationship to a new level. While they knew it was quick, they were also firm in their belief that they were meant to follow this path.

Travis caught Adam staring at him, a shy smile on playing at his lips. God, he was adorable. "What are you thinking about?"

Adam jumped a little. He had been so lost in observing Travis and letting his thoughts wander to the previous evening that he hadn't known Travis had been staring at him. He cleared his throat a little. "Um, nothing really. Just thinking about... last night." He blushed and looked down.

Travis loved that Adam still got shy over things. His boyfriend was so cute. He reached across the little table and traced his thumb down Adam's jawline, smiling when he heard him sigh and leaned into his hand. He held his face firm for a second and then playfully swatted at his cheek. "Okay, we have to get moving!"

Adam knew he was right and they quickly made one last check around the room before they left the card keys on the dresser and closed the door behind them. They were going to man the booth for a couple of hours, pack everything back up to be shipped back to the office and get to the airport as soon as possible.

One look at the vendor room and it was obvious almost everyone had already closed down early or were in the process of closing down. Ben and Michael were just finishing up when the guys reached their booth.

"Hey, so I guess you're heading out early?" Adam asked.

"Yeah. We talked about it and decided it was so dead already in here that we might as well just pack up," Ben said. "What about you guys?"

Travis looked at Adam. They both smiled and nodded. It was time to get out of there.

"Want some help? We're done here. And the UPS shipping guy will come get all the boxes once you're done. I already called him for us. He's apparently here for the entire morning to help shut down the room and get everything shipped that needs to be. They're offering a discount. Must be some deal they have with the hotel."

"Thanks, Michael! We'd love some help." Travis smiled at their new friends.

They were boxed up and ready to go in less than half an hour. They thanked Ben and Michael, exchanged business cards and promised to stay in touch and then Travis left to find the UPS guy.

Adam watched his man swagger across the room in his tight-fitting faded jeans and cowboy boots. God, he was crazy about him. He found himself grinning as he looked down at his new boots. When Travis gave him those boots last night he had been thrilled. He loved them. But, when he gave him a key to his apartment, he had thought his heart was going to burst. He realized he was standing there smiling like an idiot and tried to get hold of himself.

"Leaving so soon?"

Adam's heart fell into his stomach. He knew that whiny voice and braced himself before turning to face Albert. "Leave. Now."

Albert looked offended, but completely ignored Adam's order. "It's been so nice seeing you and getting to know you again. I hope we can get together again soon."

"I have a restraining order against you, Albert. You can't talk to me. And my boyfriend will be back any second. Do you want a repeat of your past encounters with him?"

Albert instantly recoiled at the mention of Travis. "You know he's not the one for you. You need someone refined and educated. Someone that can take care of you the way you deserve. You know you need me."

The leer on his face was enough to make Adam feel sick. He pulled out his phone and punched in 9-1-1 and looked at him. "Do I need to call?"

Albert glared at him. "I should be the one calling them and reporting the way that tyrant treated me! How dare you act like I have done something wrong here! You came to MY hotel. You broke the restraining order yourself, Adam." His voice came out in a sneer and his eyes narrowed as he glanced at the phone in Adam's hand.

Adam hovered his thumb over the call button. "You have five seconds, Albert. 1. 2. 3-"

Albert backed up. "Okay. Okay. I'm leaving. But, you remember this: our story is not over. You let them put me in a hospital because you were too weak to admit the love between us."

"4."

He huffed. "Fine. But at least I have your address now." He threw him a sick little smile and fled quickly.

Adam breathed out hard and felt dizzy. He moved to sit down in one of the chairs and lowered his head to his hands. What was he going to do? It hadn't occurred to him that Albert would learn his address. And he would kill him if he touched one hair on Travis's head! His body shook as he thought of losing the man that he cared about more than anyone else in the world. He felt sick to his stomach and silently prayed that he wouldn't throw up.

Travis found him hunched over in his chair. He could see him trembling from several feet away and picked up his pace, crouching down in front of Adam when he arrived at the booth. He didn't even have to ask. Albert. Damn! How could he have been so stupid to leave Adam alone? He just slid his arms around his shoulders and held him close, letting Adam draw from his strength.

Soon his shaking subsided and Adam was able to relay everything that happened to Travis. Including the threat about Travis. "That's the second time he has said something like that. Do you think he would follow through?"

Travis snorted. "Let him try. He was the one harassing you. I was just protecting you. No lawyer is going to think he had a right to speak to you after learning about the past. I don't like him having your address, though. How did he get it if we are registered under the company?"

Adam pondered that for a moment. Then it dawned on him. "I used my own credit card to purchase some raffle tickets yesterday. I didn't even think about it."

Travis tried to calm him down a little. Adam was so pale, it scared him. He kept his voice calm as he spoke. "He's just trying to intimidate you. But, hey, how about you stay at my apartment tonight? We can swing by your place and grab some clothes. Tomorrow's Sunday. Do you have any plans?"

Adam loved that idea. "Sounds good. Nope. Nothing on my schedule, other than hanging out with my sexy boyfriend." A grin spread across his face as he thought about spending another night with Travis.

Travis nodded. They had a plan. At least for today. He knew there was more they would need to do, but for now just having a plan for the next 24 hours made him feel better. Travis wanted to get Adam away from here and head home. And he missed his own bed. These past few days had been incredible, but he always slept better at home. He missed his dog, Toby, too and couldn't wait to pick him up from the boarder. A thought popped into his head.

"Hey, you're not allergic to dogs, are you?"

Adam looked at him. "No. I love dogs! You have a dog?"

Travis smiled at his excitement and told him all about Toby, his Jack Russell Terrier: how he had been abandoned at the vet where a friend of his worked and how he was a little too rambunctious and no one wanted to deal with him.

"So you rescued him? That's wonderful." Adam was proud of Travis.

"Well, I was kind of going through some tough times, too, and I like to think we helped each other. He's fiercely loyal and can be scared of strangers, but once he warms up to people, he's fine. When you meet him, reach out your hand and let him sniff you."

Travis filled him in on Toby's antics, his favorite treats and more until the UPS man showed up and took care of their boxes. Then they grabbed their bags and hopped on the next shuttle from the hotel to the airport.

Travis hadn't wanted to scare Adam any more than was necessary, but he was damn glad to be getting out of that hotel. He didn't trust Albert, and felt that Adam was not taking him as a serious threat. Perhaps his boyfriend was in a little bit of denial. After going through what he did back at school, he doubted Adam wanted to relive that horrible incident. Still they needed to talk more about this situation. Something told him that Albert's reign of terror was not over and that it would only get worse before it got better.

But, he tucked that worry away for now. They had a plane to catch.

Soon, they were boarding their flight home. Travis thought back to the previous flight. He had been so worried about what to say, how to hide his attraction to Adam and generally unsure of how to act around him. His world had changed so much in just a few days. He slide his gaze to Adam, who was having trouble with his seatbelt. He smiled and leaned over to help him and got it taken care of. He was rewarded with a smile from Adam.

"Thanks. I get nervous on planes."

"You didn't seem nervous last time."

"That's because I slept the whole way. I was more nervous about being around you than the flight! Figured the only way to keep my hands to myself was to sleep." He flashed him a big smile, his cheeks reddening a little.

Travis chuckled. "Well, you seem okay now."

Adam slid his hand into Travis's and squeezed it. "I am more than okay. I feel fantastic!"

They continued to hold hands and talk quietly while the plane was still loading. A large man stopped in the aisle casting a shadow over them. He stood in the aisle for so long they both finally looked up to see what was going on.

He was glaring at them. His pudgy face was covered partly with a dark beard badly in need of trimming. His eyes were small, especially set above such a large hawkish nose and his flat lips were twisted into a snarl. He was about the ugliest thing Travis had ever seen.

His short stature did not carry his weight well. Travis guessed he was around 300 pounds. His denim shirt had made its way out of his waistband, leaving his sagging stomach on display. Passengers already seated were treated to an up close, eye-level view of it.

Travis finally spoke, trying to keep his voice level. "Is there something wrong, sir?"

"I saw you guys at the hotel," he sputtered. "You were kissing! It's disgusting! That's why I never even approached your booth. No way is my dealership going to do business with a couple of faggots!"

His breath reeked of alcohol and anyone could see he was swaying on his feet a little. Travis looked behind the large man and saw the line of others waiting.

"Sir," he began and felt Adam squeeze his hand in a silent message to stay calm. "If you have a problem with us, that's your issue. But you need to move on so that others can finish boarding."

"I ain't sitting next to no queers!" The man bellowed loud enough to cause others to turn their heads in an effort to see what was going on. A flight attendant hurried over to help. Unfortunately for the drunken man, it was a male flight attendant and it was clear to everyone around that he thought all male flight attendants were gay.

"Excuse me," the young man began. "Sir, you need to take a seat."

He looked at the man and almost choked. "Holy mother! I'm surrounded by them! Get the fuck away from me, you queer. And I ain't sitting next to these two queers, neither."

"Sir, I can smell the alcohol on you. I believe you need to step off this flight." The young flight attendant was holding this ground. "Security has already been called to escort you from the place."

The large drunk man curved his upper lip into a snarl and tried to stand straight, while balling one of his hands into a fist.

Travis and Adam looked at each other. This was not going to end well. Travis let go of Adam's hand and started to stand up, in case the man took a swing at the young flight attendant, but luckily two men in uniforms arrived on the scene and he sat back down.

The airport security officers tried to talk with the troublemaker, but soon realized it didn't matter. This man was drunk. And the homophobic slurs flying out of his mouth were enough to have him escorted off the plane, so they put him in handcuffs while he shouted about being around fairies and cried out about his civil rights. In the end, they were literally dragging him out and the entire plane erupted in cheers when he was finally pulled out the airplane door.

Thankfully, the rest of the flight was uneventful and before they knew it, they were seated in Travis's truck and waiting for it to warm up. There was a little snow on the ground, but it was just a dusting.

They headed out for Adam's place first, but both of them were hungry and decided to run through a drive-thru close to his apartment. Once they arrived at Adam's, they carried their food with them so they could eat inside.

Adam turned the key and pushed his door open, flipping on the lights as entered. He suddenly felt a little nervous. Travis was the first man he had ever invited to his apartment. He waved his arm over to show him where the table was. Not that Travis wouldn't have seen it. The place was pretty small.

Travis noted the large framed print of several soccer legends over the sofa. "Nice." He nodded to the picture.

"Oh, yeah. I love that! It was a Christmas present from my parents several years ago. I'm not great at decorating, but wherever I go, that gets hung in the main room."

Travis wholeheartedly agreed with his decision. He would have done the same. They both settled in at the small table and dived into their burgers and fries.

"Darn! They forgot to give us ketchup. Got any?"

Adam got up and found a bottle in his refrigerator and handed it over to Travis. He was rewarded with a big smile.

"Thanks!"

They had decided to just leave Adam's bags in the truck. Travis had a washer and dryer in his apartment and he do his laundry there and he already had several things in the bag, such as a toothbrush, shampoo, etc.

"I just need to grab a couple of things." Adam said as he stood to throw the fast food bag and wrappers away.

"Listen, until we talk to the police, or decide what we're going to do about Albert... Hey, why don't you stay with me? I mean, not just this weekend...but for the week. Or until this mess is cleared up?" Travis asked, trying to sound nonchalant, even though he had been thinking it through all day.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Adam didn't want to wear out his welcome, but he loved the idea of spending the week at Travis's place.

Travis reached over and put his hand on top of Adam's. "Would I mind? Let's see, would I mind having the sexiest man I know spend the week with me? Or would I mind sharing my place with the kindest, most caring man I have ever met? Or would I mind holding you close every night in my bed?" He kept his voice low as he stared deep into Adam's eyes. "Adam, when it comes to you, nothing would make me happier than to wake up with you in my arms every morning."

Adam burst into a huge smile and nodded his head. He felt a little too choked up to speak.

Travis patted his hand. "Okay, then grab your work clothes and whatever else you need this week."

Adam hurried to his room and packed his clothes, grabbed some other necessities and was ready to go in minutes. Travis chuckled when he came out carrying a pillow.

"I do have pillows at my place, you know."

"This is my favorite pillow!" Adam huffed back at him, only half joking. He didn't want Travis to think he had a security blanket, because that's not what this was. He just really liked the pillow and after the last few nights with hotel pillows he wasn't leaving without it.

Travis smiled. "What's so special about this one?"

"It's ergonomic. It's perfect for your neck and shoulders. You should try one."

Travis shrugged. To him a pillow was a pillow, but he didn't really care if Adam wanted to bring it over.

"Anything else?"

"No, I think I'm good." He looked down at the two bags he was toting and the pillow tucked under his arm. He wasn't sure he had room for anything more. He laughed a little. "Guess it looks like I'm moving in!" As soon as the words fell from his lips, he froze. "Umm, I mean...I didn't mean to imply..."

Travis moved quickly and took the bags from his hands and set them on the floor and then ran both of his hands up and down Adam's arms. Adam dropped the pillow as he stared back into Travis's eyes. His knees felt weak and he rested his hands on Travis's hips. The look in Travis's eyes made him feel as if he could see into this soul.

Travis pulled him close and pressed his lips against Adam's, holding him close. He didn't push, didn't turn it into a passionate kiss, even though his heart had done somersaults when Adam joked about moving in. While he knew it was too soon to do that, he knew that ultimately, he wanted Adam to share his life, his apartment, his bed... everything. Hell, he had practically said that earlier. God, he was definitely losing it. He wanted the whole dream: the picket white fence, as it were.

When he pulled back, Adam leaned down a little and rested his forehead against his. They both breathed in each other's scents, fighting the desire to go further.

"Hey," Travis whispered. "Let's get out of here and pick up Toby."

"Yeah, okay."

Each one of them grabbed a bag and Adam tucked his pillow under his arm again and they left the apartment.

The closer they got to the kennel, the happier Travis got. He couldn't wait to see Toby and really hoped Adam liked him. When they pulled up to a newer looking building, Adam could see the large run areas that were fenced in, giving the dogs freedom to play and run and still stay safely near the kennel.

"Come on!" Travis said as he jumped out of his truck.

Adam couldn't help but smile at his excitement. He also silently prayed that this dog would like him.

******************

He shouldn't have worried, he thought a few hours later as he surveyed his new surroundings. The big comfy brown leather couch he was the main piece of furniture in the living room, but there was an overstuffed matching chair and ottoman, as well. Toby was still so excited to see his Daddy, he hadn't stopped running around and jumping on and off the ottoman.

"Down!" Travis ordered him sternly, once again catching him on the ottoman. "You know the rules."

Toby looked at him for a second and then jumped down again. As soon Travis headed back into the kitchen, though, he was right back up. Only this time he jumped from the ottoman to the sofa to climb on Adam. He was definitely curious about this new person that had shown up with his Daddy. He sniffed Adam again and nudged one of his hands until he started petting him.

Adam snuck a look towards the kitchen and looked down at the little dog sitting in his lap. "You're going to get me in trouble, buddy! I'm new around here and I don't want to be relegated to the sofa at bedtime." He laughed a little. "But, you are just too cute!"

Travis peeked out of the kitchen and smiled when he saw Adam letting Toby break the rules. That dog was hard to say 'no' to. He had lost many battles himself. He was an old softie when it came to his dog.

He was glad that Adam seemed to be feeling at ease in his home. When they first arrived, Travis had helped carry his bags to his bedroom and cleared out a drawer and some space in the closet for Adam. After that, he had given him a quick tour of the two bedroom apartment. The second bedroom was set up as an office/ work-out space.

Travis had never really gotten around to making the apartment cozy or whatever you wanted to call it. He just never had a sense of style and every time he tried to look at new towels or bedding or pictures he couldn't tell what went together and what didn't. He felt a little self-conscience showing Adam his place, but Adam hadn't said anything about it being plain or ugly.