*** Sign Language will be written in ITALICS!!

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Cindy came back a few hours later to pick up her sons. They needed to go home and pack. They promised to try and be back before a baseball game that the guys were wanting to watch came on.

"The Twins are going to kick some serious butt tonight. I can feel it." Rob grins as they load up on snacks to carry up to the man cave.

"It's going to be a good game." Austin smiles.

"Are you joining us, Tim?" Rob asks the brown eyed man that was sitting at the table drinking a beer.

"I seriously doubt it." Tim answers with a smile.

"You hiding away in your room again?" Austin asks, sitting down at the table.

"I don't hide. You know exactly where I'm at." Tim answers.

"Soooo, Tim? What do you think about that Adam Rupp. Huh?" Rob asks with a big grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tim says, staring straight ahead but he could definitely feel the heat rising in his cheeks.

"Then why is he blushing?" Chance asks, looking at the others.

"Chance wants to know why you're blushing." Austin laughs.

"I don't know." Tim says with a shrug. "He's just really nice and he has a sweet voice."

"And he's cute. Trust me." Austin chuckles.

"Yeah, but he also might be straight." Tim says before finishing his beer. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Okay." Rob answers. "We need to get all this stuff upstairs to the attic."

"Yall have fun." Tim says as he makes his way to the stairs followed by Satchmo.

"Don't you need your cane?" Austin laughs as Tim starts up the stairs like a pro, holding on to the banister.

"No, I got this." Tim chuckles.

~~

The guys look around as the elevator door slides open. Chris comes hurrying out followed by a less enthused Adam.

"Has the game started yet?" Chris asks running to the bar to grab a beer.

"Just the pre-game show." Rob answers.

"Great!" Chris says grabbing him a seat.

"Well, I'm going to go hang my clothes up in my closet. Uh, where's Tim?" Adam asks looking around the room.

"In his room. Probably reading." Rob answers without taking his eyes off the t.v. screen.

Adam nods even though everyone was glued to the screen of the television. He gets into the elevator and heads back down to the second floor.

He didn't remember seeing Tim in his room when he went to throw his clothes on the bed. The lights were off so he might have been in bed already.

As he started to pass Tim's room, he noticed Tim's silhouette in the light cast from the hallway. He was lying in his bed, leaning against the headboard, propped up on pillows.

"Hey." Adam says with a smile as he turns on the light. "What are you doing sitting in the dark?"

Tim slowly turns his head toward the voice.

"Are you being serious right now?" Tim asks with a raised brow.

It suddenly dawned on Adam that he had just asked a blind man why he was sitting in the dark.

"Sorry, that was a pretty stupid question." Adam sighs as he walks into the room.

"No offense, but yeah." Tim smirks. "You haven't spent much time around a blind person, have you."

"Actually, you're the first." Adam says as he sits down on the bed.

"I thought so." Tim smiles. "Let me finish this chapter."

Adam watches with fascination as Tim's fingers glide across the blank page.

"Done." Tim says as he reaches over on the nightstand for the bookmarker.

"So what are you reading?" Adam asks.

"The Miracle Worker. It's about Helen Keller. Awesome book." Tim says as he lays the book aside.

"I saw the movie. Very touching." Adam says. "So you decided to pass on the ballgame?" 

"Yeah, I just don't get much from it." Tim smiles.

"It's alright. I'm just not as much into it as Chris." Adam says.

"So, tell me something about Adam Rupp." Tim says, raising up some and sitting Indian style.

"Well, I just turned 35. My brother and I were renting a house across town." Adam says. "Not really that much to tell.

"So I guess that means that yall aren't married." Tim comments biting his lip.

"No. Chris has a boyfriend." Adam says. "Nate. They've been together about five years."

"And you?" Tim asks with anticipation.

"No, no boyfriend." Adam smiles. "What about you?"

"No boyfriend." Tim says shaking his head.

"I meant, tell me a little about Tim. But that was good information." Adam laughs.

"Oh, sorry." Tim smiles, his cheeks once again heating up. "My birthday is in a couple weeks, I'll be 36. Been blind since birth. Lived here for ten years. Uh, what happened between birth and now is not important right now."

"Okay, that's fine. But I find you very interesting." Adam says as he stares into the blank eyes that stare at nothing.

"Really?" Tim asks with a slight smile.

"Mhmm." Adam smiles.

"Uh, Adam? Would you mind if I do something?" Tim asks.

"What did you have in mind?" Adam chuckles.

"Nothing bad." Tim laughs. Causing Adam to smile at Tim's beautiful smile. "I would just like to get an idea of what you look like."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Adam asks.

"By touching your face. A blind person uses touch to see a lot of things." Tim tries to explain.

"Oh, alright." Adam says. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Just lay my hands on your face. That way, I won't poke your eye out by accident." Tim chuckles.

Adam reaches and takes Tim's hands and lays them on his cheeks.

"Like this?" Adam asks and Tim answers with a nod.

Tim's fingers slowly begin to glide over Adam's face. A small smile begins to creep onto his lips.

"You're smiling. Is that a good thing?" Adam chuckles.

Tim gently rubs his fingers over Adam's lips as he was laughing causing a huge smile to come across the blind man's face.

"You're, uh, definitely a very good-looking man." Tim smiles as he bites his lip. "You have soft lips and a beautiful smile."

"Thank you. Your smile is beautiful too." Adam says as he continues to stare at Tim's handsome face, taking in every detail. Making a mental note to someday asking him about the small scar by his left eye.

Tim runs his fingers through Adam's hair.

"Mmm, long hair. I like that. Soft as cotton." Tim says in a soft voice.

"Thank you." Adam answers in barely a whisper as his eyes move to Tim's lips.

"Adam?" Tim whispers as he lowers his hands. He lets go of a shaky breath.

"Yeah?" Adam answers in a soft voice.

"I, uh, I really want to kiss you right now." Tim chuckles nervously.

"Then what's stopping you?" Adam asks with a smile.

"Maybe the fear of getting a fist in the face." Tim laughs.

Adam laughs as he reaches for Tim's hand.

"Trust me. No punches will be thrown." Adam says as he caresses Tim's cheek with his other hand.

Tim reaches up laying his fingers softly on Adam's lip. He smiles as he feels Adam kiss his fingertips.

Tim turns his head in the direction his hand is. He slowly starts to lean in when he feels Adam's breath on his face as Adam also leans in to meet him.

Their lips softly touch. Tim's hand slides to Adam's cheek as their lips move in sync.

"Your lips are so soft." Tim whispers into the kiss.

"Hey, guys? What do you want on your ... Oops." Austin giggles as Tim and Adam jump apart.

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