Faith(less)

4|Thrilled

When he ends his shift, Chris meets him outside. Chris seems giddy. He practically drags the younger to the vehicle, and almost starts speeding.

"I want you to meet the guys," Adam looks at his lap, almost uncomfortably.

"Oh, okay," he says softly, eyes locked on nothing as he stares outside the window. If Chris notices anything about Adam's mood changing he says nothing.

"I think you'll really like them! They're a bunch of great guys! I'm sure - " Adam snorts.

"Slow down Chris, you've only known them for one day."

"Yeah but," Chris is still giddy and excited, "doesn't mean I can't think that they're great guys, because they are!"

"Okay, whatever you say," Adam smiles. Chris smiles back.

They arrive at Chris', another car already parked out front, making Adam tense. You can do this, you can do this, he mentally chants, hands tensing and curling on his thighs.

Chris' home feels warm, like it always does, and no matter the curling feeling in Adam's stomach that suggests he's going to throw up, he feels calmer. Its familiar. In the backroom, a casual area with black couches and a garden view, three men sit. Two of them familiar, the tall brunette with brown eyes and the breath-taking sandy locked man. Austin, sits on the arm of the couch, slouching forward into the conversation, smiling something that the third man, someone Adam had never met was saying. Chris clears his throat. Three pairs of eyes are on them. Adam shifts uncomfortably.

"Uh, this is my brother Adam," he smiles. Adam tries to do the same, but it probably looks more like a grimace; like he's enduring some greater pain.

"Uh hi," he tries weakly, eyes flicking up and flitting to each of their faces before dropping back to the floor. He can't do this.

"Did you tell her?" the voice is familiar and Adam doesn't want to look up. He does. His brow is slightly furrowed.

"Tell her what?"

"Olena has a crush on your female friend," the voice is deeper this time, more like a rumble from the throat and Adam's gaze is irrevocably drawn to the tan brunette. He nods at Adam.

"I'll make sure to tell her," Adam says.

"I'm Tim Foust," he smiles slightly. Adam smiles back, with some difficulty. His eyes flicker again to the third man, who also nods at Adam.

"I'm Rob Lundquist," he has a happy go lucky smile and makes Adam want to smile bigger and brighter like he does. He doesn't though. There's nothing and then -

" - I'm Austin Brown, but I believe we've already met," he's smiling, a quirk of his lips that shows his upper teeth and nothing else. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam sees Chris' brow furrow and his mouth open.

"How do you know each other?" it's not demanding, but there's no escaping answering it. Adam doesn't know what to say, how to say it but it seems that the pretty boy is also an angel.

"He gave me your number - thats how we got in touch," Austin smiles again. Adam moves to a chair that's in the corner, but still inclusive enough that he doesn't feel left out. He doesn't look at anyone for too long.

"So, Adam, we already know each others role so I'll introduce everyone. Tim here is our bass," he gestures to the male that Adam had already assumed was the bass singer. Tim nods and smiles.

"Austin is our high tenor," Austin nods when gestured at, wavy hair bobbing with the movement.

"Rob is our tenor," he points at Rob and the bearded man nods in turn.

"Yup that's me," he chuckles lightly.

"And I'm the baritone, and your the beatboxer," Chris smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners and teeth bared. His eyes aren't visible anymore. The sight of his brother so overwhelmingly happy made Adam smile too, embarrassment and anxiety momentarily forgotten as he's wrapped up in the moment with his brother. He feels eyes. Watching him from his place on the arm of the couch, Austin is also smiling but not as big as his brother. His smile is the kind you get when it's summer and the light is soft and not harsh, when it's winter and everyone you care about is together. Its the smile that's small to wear but expressive in it's fondness. Adam's breath catches. Their eyes lock.

Adam looks away. He glows pink. "Me and Adam can do the arranging for the most part. Adam did, after all, graduate with a bachelor in music," Chris looks proudly at Adam, as do three sets of curious eyes.

"Yeah well, uh, I could try?" its a feeble attempt at conversing with them. He talked freely with Austin yesterday, but he didn't realise just what exactly he was therefore. It's easier to make a mistake with a stranger than to make one with a friend.

Adam needs to stop lying to himself.

"Great! What should we cover - no wait," Chris cuts himself off, "we'll save that for another day! Right now I think it best if everyone went home and had a good rest. When should we schedule our next, uh, meeting?"

"Tomorrow if everyone is free," Austin suggests.

"I uh, I um, I have the shift tomorrow with Chance and I really don't want to have to bring Jenika in on her day off," Adam says.

"Uh, the day after then?" Austin doesn't miss a beat.

"Yeah, yeah, that works for me," Adam says, grateful. The others agree that on Friday, the day after tomorrow they should meet again at Chris' and plan their first project as a group.

Adam is so terribly thrilled at this idea, but dread squeezes his stomach.

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