Title: Alternate Realities: Chapter Thirteen, Affection
Rating: R/NC-17
Warning: violence, language, sexual nudity



Rather than rush home to his house, Adam headed to her apartment building. He presumed she would want to check on her cats and that was just as good of any place to kiss her. Only he really didn’t wait that long, not at all. As soon as they were in his car, the dark windows protecting them from any outside viewer, Adam leaned across the center console and pulled her into a kiss. It was soft and pleading, not intensely passionate like he was expecting. A soft sigh left her lips as he pulled away.

“What was... what was that for?” she breathed.

“For you being so beautiful,” he responded.

A flush filled her cheeks and she turned her gaze away from him. Grinning he reached over and grasped her hand gently before turning to start the car. She shifted a bit uncomfortably in the seat, her eyes glancing over him every few moments.

“What, Kylia?” he asked softly.

“Why.... why do you... nevermind,” she shook her head.

“No, sweetie, what’s on your mind?”

“I just don’t get why you’d want to be with someone like me when you can have any beautiful woman in the world,” she stated.

Adam didn’t reply to that statement right away. Instead his eyes danced over the traffic, trying to find some place he could pull over and give her his full attention. Seeing a parking lot near the beach, he flicked on his blinker and headed into it. Pulling into the first available parking space, he shifted the car into park and turned it off. Turning towards her, he once again reached across the console and pulled her into a kiss. This time Jane did not warm to it, did not return it. Pulling away, his fingers caressed her cheeks.

“Kylia, why would I choose anyone else in the world over you? Why would I choose some plastic bitch when I have a real woman beside me? Of all the beautiful women in the world, you are by far the most of them all. I choose to be with you because of everything you are,” Adam declared.

“But I’m plain and ordinary and fat and—”

“No, you’re not. Trust me on this, sweetie,” he declared. “You’re not. I love the fact your eyes don’t glitter falsely. I love the fact that you enjoy the simpler things of life like baking cookies. And as god as my witness, I love every single curve of your body.”

“You haven’t seen every curve of my body,” Jane stated.

His eyes sparkled, “What you wore to bed last night, didn’t leave much to my imagination, Kylia.”

The deep sanguine flush filled her cheeks again, “Yeah, about that. We can’t do that again.”

“What? Why not?” alarm filled his voice. “Nothing happened between us. You merely stayed the night over.”

“In your bed.”

“So? We’re both adults. And you know nothing would ever happen that you didn’t want to,” Adam pointed out.

“I should have stayed in one of the guest rooms.”

“No, you shouldn’t have and I’ll tell you why. Remember that night I stayed over in your apartment?” he paused for her to nod. “Tell me that you didn’t sleep better with me there. Tell me you didn’t sleep better last night than you have in a long time. If you can tell me that, then I will concede that we will no longer share a bed.”

“I... I... I did sleep best when you’re next to me,” she confessed. “But Adam, I don’t want to rush this. I don’t want... I just found my boyfriend fucking another woman yesterday!”

“I understand that,” he stated calmly. “And I know how much that hurt. But you know I’m not him, not like him at all. And I’m completely fine with taking this slow. I don’t want to rush or ruin this either. You deserve better than that.”

Her eyes dropped down to her lap, her fingers playing with the hem of his skirt that she wore, “I just... I just...”

He reached across the console again, his hand covering hers, “I understand that you’re afraid of what this could be and that you’re afraid I’m going to do to you what that fucker did. I’m not, Kylia. I will swear on Frankie that I would never do something like that to you. And I know it’s weird for you to have someone outwardly care for you and want to take care of you. But the fact of the matter is, they were all fools before. I know it will take some getting used to, but you deserve to be treated like the lady, like the princess that you are. And I will always treat you that way, Kylia. Always.”

“Adam, I just... I just...” her eyes ventured to look into his. “Could you maybe... maybe stay at my apartment tonight?”

Her question honestly caught him slightly off guard but he smiled anyways, “But of course. I’ll just call and let Gene know.”



Seated on the barstool, Adam watched Jane move about her small kitchen. She had adamantly refused to allow him to cook for her again and thusly was puttering about. He didn’t really care what she was cooking, there was just such a natural affection shown when someone cooked for another. That and she kept glancing at him every few moments. He wasn’t entirely sure what the emotion was in her eyes, but he liked to think it was affection, that he was working his way into her heart. Maybe it was too soon to be playing that, not it probably was, but he couldn’t help it. She just... she just... yeah.

Slipping off the barstool, he moved around the island and opened the fridge. Pulling out the bottle of wine, he refilled his glass before reaching around Jane to do the same of hers. He snuck a quick kiss on her ear in the same motion, causing her to giggle and wiggle away from him. Chuckling he returned to his seat, complacent to watch her cook freely.

“Do you cook for many people?” he asked, sipping the dry wine.

“No,” she looked up at him. “I don’t really... I don’t really have many friends outside of work and clearly I don’t have any inside of work anymore.”

“That’s a shame. Their loss,” Adam declared.

Her eyes went to his as she stirred the sauce, “What am I going to do with myself now, Adam? I don’t have a job to get up for in the morning. The only commitment I have is Thursday evenings. I have nothing any more.”

“What do you do on Thursdays?” he focused on that.

She smiled crookedly, “Go to the senior center and help out with Bingo night.”

Adam nearly spat out his mouthful of wine, “Would it by chance be the Roxbury?”

She nodded, “Yeah. Why?”

“My mother plays Bingo there every week for the past few years. And lately she’s been trying to get me to come down with her to meet... you,” he declared.

“Me?”

Adam nodded, grinning, “Couple of weeks ago she tried to talk me into coming down with her, to meet this sweet Jane who volunteered on Bingo nights, helping people read their cards. And you volunteer there on Bingo nights and happen to be the sweetest Jane I know.... thusly you must be the one my mom wants me to meet.”

“Really?”

“My mom’s name is Patsy and she’s—”

“One of the sweetest ladies there,” she declared, removing the pot from the heat. “She brings treats all the time too.”

He laughed, “Yeah. Ma likes to make certain everyone is well fed.”

“You should come to Bingo with me,” she declared, pouring the sauce over the roasted chicken.

Adam thought for a moment, “No. I have a better idea. I’ll go with Ma and we’ll see how long it takes her to play matchmaker.... to someone I’m already matched with.”