The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (Garnet Run 3)

“Sorry,” Wes said again, looking sheepish. “I saw you from my basement window and I thought I’d... Anyway, hi.”

He sketched a wave that was so awkward and geeky that Adam wanted to pull him into his arms and squeeze him tight.

Maybe it was residual daring from asking strangers for help on the internet after posting a very off-brand photo, or maybe it was the accumulated sleepless nights. Whatever it was, Adam followed his desire. He slowly stepped closer to Wes, giving him time to retreat, and when he didn’t, he wrapped his arms around him.

They stood in the cold night air, before the blaze of lights. They held on to each other for a long time.

Adam breathed deeply, trying to figure out what Wes smelled like. It was something very green, like moss or wild grass, combined with something smoky, like...well, smoke.

Whatever it was, it clung to his sweater and Adam nuzzled closer, chasing it and Wes’ warmth and running his hands up and down Wes’ broad back.

“Hi,” Adam said after a while. It was just an empty thing to say that meant I’m here, and Wes murmured back, “Hi.”

Wes made no move to let go.

Was this happening? Were they doing this?

“Are we doing this?” Adam accidentally said out loud.

“Hugging in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of the winter, when we both have perfectly good houses ten steps away? Yes.”

“One of us has a perfectly good house,” Adam retorted. “The other has a house of horrors, filled with spiders and snakes and bags of gas.”

For a moment he thought he’d gone too far. Then Wes chuckled into his hair.

“Spiders and snakes need love too,” Wes said placidly.

And Adam supposed that was true.

“The lights look...” Wes began, then cut himself off.

“Pathetic. I know. I was just trying to get some more.”

Wes nodded.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked softly, brushing Adam’s hair back.

“Nope. I was watching Fanny and Alexander. I’ve been trying to get in the Christmas spirit for Gus’ sake.”

“What’s Fanny and Alexander?”

“A really long movie by Ingmar Bergman about a Swedish family’s Christmas in 1907.”

Wes just blinked at him. “I guess that would probably help put anyone to sleep?”

“I like it,” Adam clarified. “It’s beautiful.”

“Oh.”

Wes looked nonplussed.

“You know, really long movies by Ingmar Bergman about Swedish families’ Christmases in 1907 need love too,” Adam said.

Wes grinned. “Fair.”

“Do you want to come in?”

Wes darted a look back at his house where, Adam noticed for the first time, the basement windows glowed green.

“I was working,” he said regretfully.

“Do you want to take a break?”

“A break.”

Wes said it like it was as mysterious a thing as Fanny and Alexander.

“Cup of tea and a cookie?” Adam offered. “I didn’t make the cookies, I swear.”

Wes smiled.

“Okay.”

Inside, Adam brought mint tea and gingersnaps into the living room. Wes was sitting on the couch looking pensive.

“When you said this, you did mean us, right?” Wes said before Adam even sat down.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I meant...” Adam put the tea and cookies on the coffee table. “I mean, I like you. You’re lovely. And hot. And smart.”

And my kid worships you, he added silently. But that was way too much pressure.

Wes was watching and listening intently. Adam had never been the subject of such intense focus. He thought he could really get used to it.

“I just like you,” Adam concluded simply.

“I like you too,” Wes replied, still very intent.

Adam’s heart stuttered.

“Cool,” he said, mortifyingly.

Wes smiled. “Cool.”

* * *

What Adam needed in his life was a best friend. Someone he could talk to about his burgeoning relationship. Someone to whom he could send texts like, Made out w W in middle of street. Are we boyfriends now?!?!?! And Dating yr neighbor who might be a vampire—Y/N???

Unfortunately, most of his friends had faded away when Gus entered the picture, and the rest had revealed themselves more Mason’s friends than his when they split. He and River were close, but Adam wasn’t sure if they were on romantic-talk terms quite yet.

So, lacking an actual best friend, Adam turned to what he did have: coworkers.

Bright and early Monday morning, Adam posed the question to Charlie and Marie.

“What would you think about dating your neighbor?”

He said it neutrally, casually, as if he didn’t have his entire heart wrapped up in their answers.

Marie didn’t talk much, but her facial expressions spoke volumes, and this one said beyond a shadow of a doubt That is the worst idea I have ever heard and if you do that you will suffer.

Or maybe he was just projecting.

Charlie was one of the fairest people Adam had ever met. He thought things through from all sides and he didn’t jump to conclusions.

So when even Charlie hesitated, Adam felt his stomach fall.

“Yeah, okay,” he said.

Hot tears pricked his eyes and he blinked them away and ducked behind the counter, pretending to pick up his pen.