Money Can Buy You Love. And Glitter. Chapter 2
Summary: AU set approximately three years after Adam Lambert won Season 8 of American Idol. He has a successful career but after a string of failed relationships, has more or less given up on romance and is focusing on his career to the point of being a workaholic. He still has trouble with inappropriate appearances of the glambulge during performance and still loves glitter. Kris Allen is a singer/guitarist from Arkansas who moved to LA nearly two years ago to try and break into the business and get away from a small town and family life that became uncomfortable after he came out of the closet. He's just about ready to give up hope of making it into the business. He's still wearing plaid.
Rating: NC-17 eventually. This chapter is PG-13.
Ship:: Adam/Kris
Click HERE and scroll down to find links to all the chapters of this story.
Chapter 2: Treasure Map
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"I can't believe this!" Kris exploded, slamming his hands on the steering wheel. Damn it, he'd wanted, needed, to make a good impression and now his stupid truck wouldn't start?
"I think you flooded it." Adam shrugged as he sat next to Kris in a truck so decrepit it must have come from a Dukes of Hazard prop auction. Poor guy. "So we'll take my car. No problem."
"I asked you out," Kris insisted stubbornly, then sighed. Looking up apologetically, he spread his hands out. "I'm sorry. You're just trying to be nice and I'm--"
"Letting pride get in the way?" Adam suggested.
"Well, I was going to say that I was being a butthead, but your version sounds better."
"That's only true if the notion of my head meeting your butt is a bad idea."
Kris' mouth dropped open and he stared at Adam for a long moment, before a loud snort escaped his mouth, then a loud bark of laughter. "You...." he laughed again and shook his head. "Thanks..." he whispered, still chuckling, while looking down and touching Adam's thigh. Damn, he'd really like to run his hand all the way up that thigh and... Focus, Kris.
Adam grinned and used his hand to tilt Kris' face back to his. "Okay, now that you're laughing and putty in my hands--"
"Somehow I doubt you want a guy soft like putty in your hands."
"Good point." Adam touched Kris' shoulder. "Would you allow me to call a mechanic and have your car towed for you?"
"I can take care of it myself."
"I know you can. And I can totally appreciate the stubborn jut to your jaw -- having one of those myself. But bottom line is this: At the risk of sounding like a prima donna, I don't have a ton of free time, but I do right now. So I'd like to take advantage of that and go on this date with you, If that means that I need to use a contact I have to get a mechanic out here and take care of this problem, then I'd rather do that than miss out on a chance for us to go on this date." Adam took a breath and waited. He had really liked Kris the other day and wanted to see if they were as compatible as they'd seemed over coffee, but being realistic, he also knew that if Kris had more pride than flexibility, it wasn't going to work and he'd rather know that now than later.
Kris looked into Adam's eyes. He wasn't being conceited or patronizing, just honest. After all, Adam was super busy. Kris remembered that he'd been shocked that Adam had found time in his schedule to go on this date within just a few days of meeting. Then again, he was still shocked the guy was available -- and seriously, why the hell didn't he have a boyfriend, anyway? He smiled. "Fair enough."
"Are we good?" Adam asked, having seen the debate in Kris' brown eyes, the pride warring with practicality.
"We're good. You make sense. There's stubborn and then there's stupid." Kris nodded. He had been so easy going before he'd come out here and learned that easy going guys got run over. But Adam wasn't trying to run him over, he was trying to be helpful. Huge difference and... Kris relaxed. "I'll grab my stuff if you want to make a phone call. And... thanks. I really appreciate it."
"Seriously, not a problem." Adam smiled and searched through his contacts for the right number. "I actually like solving problems."
"Oh good!" Kris grinned. "Then you'll like this date idea I have."
"So what's your idea?" Adam asked after Kris had handed the keys over to the mechanic and the man popped the hood of the truck.
"Geocaching."
"What's that?" Adam asked curiously as he pointed toward his own car.
"You have a GPS, right?"
"If it's a gadget, I have it." Adam held up his remote car starter and pressed it.
"Great. So..." Kris grinned as he got into the passenger seat and traced the silver embroidery on the leather seats in Adam's car. Oh yeah, this was definitely Adam Lambert's car. Black car, black leather seats, sparkling silver trim. "It would really suck if someone threw up on these."
"You know my friends, apparently," Adam said drily. "Or is that your way of telling me you get carsick?"
"No, no." Kris rolled his eyes and said, "Just thinking of this time back home when one of my friends vomited in my truck."
"Well, that explains your truck," Adam teased.
Kris groaned. "It's disgusting, I know. Priorities..."
"I guess so, given that your phone isn't cheap." Adam raised an eyebrow. It was curious, that crap car, Kris' threadbare clothes, and that expensive phone. He had learned that when you were playing, 'One of these things is not like the others' in real life... well, it could be fascinating or it could be a red flag.
Flushing, Kris explained, "I don't have a computer, so I use the phone for internet and all that crap, so it's not such a bad use of money."
Damn, he was out of habit dating a normal guy who struggled with money, Adam thought, aggravated with himself for inadvertently embarrassing Kris about his phone. Adam touched Kris' knee and said placatingly. "Sorry. That makes total sense. If I had to make a choice between my phone and a car, I'd choose the phone too. Staying connected is way more important than the coolness of one's car. So, were you going to tell me where to point this car?"
"Well, we have lots of choices." Kris held up his phone. "It all depends upon where you want to go. I was thinking we'd go somewhere remote because you'd get privacy then."
Adam nodded. That was a damn smart idea. "What is this geocaching thing?"
"Basically it's an international hobby of search and find. You go to a website and decide the general area you want to go and then look for hidden boxes called caches. They're ranked according to the difficulty of finding them."
"So you need the GPS because you get the coordinates?" Adam asked.
"Right. You get the coordinates, but they're not exact. So when you get there -- wherever there is -- you have to search."
"Wherever there is..." Adam nodded. "I have that feeling many a morning on tour. Lane is my GPS. So did you pick out a general direction?"
"Yeah. I thought we'd go hiking, not hard hiking, an easy hike, but still -- that's why I told you to wear sturdy boots."
"Which I did." Adam pointed down. "And may I point out that they are totally uncool?"
Kris looked down. "They are actually. Where'd you get them and why do you have them?"
"You doubt that my closet contains a pair of sturdy boots?" Adam pretended mock outrage.
"I told you to dress casually and your tee-shirt has rhinestones on it," Kris pointed out.
"It's a tee-shirt. Ipso facto, it's casual."
"Casual rhinestones. Okay. From your closet. But the boots?" Kris pressed, curious about why Adam would have such a worn pair of hiking boots. "They look worn and used, which I don't think is your style."
Sighing, Adam admitted, "My brother's."
"Oh. You're close to your brother?" Kris asked, rubbing his thumb over the outside seam of his worn jeans. It had been so long since he'd talked to his own brother....
"Ehhhh..." Adam grimaced as he remembered Neil's negative comments about Adam's eagerness to date Kris even to the point of being willing to reschedule a meeting plus wear ugly boots. "He irritates me. Intensely. But he had broken-in hiking boots in my size. So I put up with him and his comments. For your sake."
Looking back up, Kris smiled. "Well, then. I owe you."
"I'll keep that in mind." Adam smiled back. This geocaching sounded like it might actually be fun. He could see using it for a game for his fans for some promo opp. And... he had to stop thinking about work. That was one reason he'd wanted to go out with Kris -- he'd forgotten all about the zillion pressure points on him when they'd talked in the coffee shop. Somehow this guy managed to relax him and interest him all at the same time. "So the box. What's in the box, anyway? Or are we chasing after nothing and it's all about the process rather than the prize?"
Kris blinked at the rapid change of topic. "Oh, the boxes have things, like little prizes, you know? You can take one from the box as long as you put another little prize inside. For a souvenir. It can be anything. Some little trinket."
"So... it's like following a treasure map?" Adam asked eagerly. "We should have worn pirate hats."
"You're..." Kris trailed off. Seeing the laughter in Adam's eyes, he grinned. "You're kidding."
"If it makes you feel better to think I wouldn't wear a pirate hat while we follow a treasure map, go right ahead."
Kris licked his lips in anticipation. Seeing the world through Adam Lambert's eyes was exciting. "You are going to be an adventure. I can feel it."
"Oh, you won't see my swash my buckle and unleash my dagger yet! It's only our first date."
"So what number date gets the buckle swashed?"
"Depends upon how shivered are me timbers."
Kris laughed at Adam's silliness. "I haven't laughed this much in forever."
"I'm glad you're laughing," Adam said sincerely. Kris had looked tired and nervous when they'd first met up for the date in a parking lot, but with every burst of laughter and smile, he seemed to shed more and more of his burdens. It was nice to make someone happy so easily. Adam touched Kris' cheek, then pulled his hand back. He was sometimes too touchy, but there was something about Kris.... Be careful, Lambert, he told himself. Be careful this time. "Sorry."
"Hey. It's cool." Kris reached out and squeezed Adam's' hand. Adam Fucking Lambert was sweet, too. "I'm a touchy guy myself."
Looking down at Kris' smaller hand encasing his, Adam wondered at the warmth he felt coming from him. It was too soon or... A year ago, he would have been running pell mell into this possibility, this chemistry he felt between them, but now...
Sensing some hesitation on Adam's part, Kris said carefully, "I know it's not glamorous. No glitter." God, he hoped he hadn't screwed this up.
"No glitter." Adam shrugged, then flicked at the front of his shirt. "I think I'm wearing enough for the day's purposes. Unless you're planning on ending the day with a drag show or something?"
"No. But I thought it was a good way for you to get out without people bothering you or...well, us. So we'd get a chance to get to know each other."
"That sounds like an awesome idea, actually." Adam nodded approvingly. Actually, it was kind of a genius idea. "Are the little boxes only in the woods?"
"Nope. They can be anywhere. There are some around the beaches. There are even some in urban areas."
"Really? There are hidden caches just around, whwere we walk and drive every day?" Adam's eyes widened as he looked into Kris' eager eyes. Little treasures really were everywhere. Maybe, even... Starbucks.
"Yeah. But who walks in LA?"
"Besides prostitutes?"
"And me." Kris sighed. "Trying to save my gas money."
"Hey, been there, done that. Try doing it in boots because you think you're too cool to wear sneakers."
"Clearly...." Kris gestured toward his feet. "That is not a problem I have."
"Clearly, you are smarter than I was."
"Clearly, you're trying to put me at ease. I'm sorry. I'm really not a high maintenance sort of guy. Really."
"I didn't think so. I thought you were just nervous, trying to make a good impression and worried you weren't."
Kris' mouth dropped open. He leaned in and gave Adam a quick peck on his cheek. "You really are the nicest guy ever."
"Shhh.... You'll ruin my cool cred." Smiling down at the man beaming up at him, Adam sighed. Kris seemed like a nice guy too. Then again, he'd been screwed over by guys who seemed nice. Clearing his throat, he changed the topic. "So we should find something to put in the little cache? That means we need to go shopping!"
"It's nothing elaborate, Adam!" Kris laughed as he realized suddenly that they had spend half an hour sitting in a car and talking. Great date skills, Allen, he scolded himself. Who wants to sit in a parking lot? "Anything that fits, that's not going to degrade due to the weather. We can go to the Dollar Store. And it has to be G-rated."
"Well, damn." Adam snapped his fingers regretfully. "They really should have R and X-rated geocaching."
"I believe that's every night --"
"At a gay bar."
Kris broke into laughter and bumped his shoulder against Adam's. "Hey, that was my line! You stole it!"
Forgetting to keep his guard up, Adam leaned against Kris. "That's not the only thing I'd like to steal from you."
"I got nothing you'd want to steal--"
"No? How about your virtue?" Adam started the car and pointed it toward the nearest shopping center.
"You wouldn't have to steal that. I'd give it to you." Kris bit his lip. Where were these words coming from? When had he become such a flirt?
"Does that gift come wrapped up in a bow or with glitter?" Adam teased. He looked in the rear view mirror and caught sight of his own grin. The last half hour of just talking and teasing had been the best date he'd been on in a very long time.
"It couldn't be plain?"
"It could. But glitter makes everything better."
Kris grinned, then scraped his tongue with his teeth. "Really? I'd think the glitter could get caught and then you'd have to stop to floss."
Adam's head snapped over to stare at Kris in surprise and began laughing, feeling more than amusement, more than that. Happiness. He had a feeling Kris was going to be an adventure too. One without coordinates.
“Okay, let’s divide up the duties. You go into the Dollar Store and I’ll go over to the grocery store and get water and some other stuff.” Adam grabbed his hat and pushed his sunglasses up his face. He should have brought his Dusty Madrid wig.
“I invited you.” Kris looked up at Adam and wondered if he actually thought he was unrecognizable.
“I told you at Starbucks. I pay for my dates.”
“You are seriously a control freak.”
“If that’s a problem, let me know right now,” Adam said honestly. "I am bossy. I am actually working on it as part of my self-improvement plan and you can call me on it, but I am naturally bossy. It's my default."
“I...” Kris licked his lips nervously. “How big of a control freak are you, seriously?”
Adam leaned against the car and stared at Kris, while thinking. Kris' soft brown eyes were wide and worried. He cursed at himself and gently rubbed his fingers across Kris' shoulder, hoping he was reassuring Kris that he wasn't the type to lock him up in a dungeon. According to his mom and dad and Dani and Lane and Allison and Alisan and Brad and maybe a few more of his friends, he'd become much more controlling ever since the unfortunate incident with the cell phone camera and a certain law suit. But as everyone kept telling him, he had to dial it back.
"Wait, I'm wrong," Kris realized suddenly. "You let me plan this date, so you can't be too much of a control freak."
Adam smiled. He'd been shocked, then flattered, that Kris had been insistent that since he'd asked Adam out, he would plan the date. He could not remember the last time when someone had done that for him. Plus the guy was cute with a great ass. And a southern accent. Damn, he did not want to screw this up. “Okay, here’s the deal. I can be a control freak. But I'm definitely not looking for some guy who's submissive to my every petty little desire. That's unhealthy for everyone and frankly, a little scary because power corrupts. And..." Adam took a breath and hoped he wasn't making a mistake being this honest. "More important than my control is my interest in having the people around me be happy.”
"That was honest," Kris said softly while looking up into Adam's eyes. They were clear and... well, honest. No hesitancy right now, no caution, just truth. That was the look he should always have. Whoever had put that caution in those blue depths should be shot.
"I'm honest. And that's a quality I demand in others."
Kris nodded as he looked down at his feet and thought. Adam was bossy, no doubt, but it was clear that partly he was bossing Kris around right now because he thought Kris couldn’t afford to pay for the extras and wanted to save Kris’ pride. It wasn’t the my way or the highway bossiness of his parents and... he wasn’t going to think about that right now. Be happy. It was a beautiful day with a beautiful guy and.... Kris allowed himself the luxury of slowly scanning Adam from his feet up his long legs and... yeah, he could totally get into Adam being a control freak in bed. He kept looking up until he reached Adam’s amused eyes, licked his lips and agreed, “I can live with that. All of that.”
"So live with the distribution of tasks as assigned and go spend a dollar." Giving Kris a gentle push in the direction of the Dollar Store, Adam smiled. He liked Kris a lot already and it had been a long long time since he'd felt so comfortable so fast with a date. Maybe because Kris treated him like a regular guy.
"Aye, aye, captain!" Kris grinned and saluted.
"Do pirates salute?" Adam asked. "I should Google the protocol -- didn't the Pirates of the Caribbean movie talk about a pirate code..."
"Don't get distracted. Go buy your own booty!" Kris laughed as he began to walk away, while looking over his shoulder at Adam. He could look at the man forever. God, he was gorgeous. He still couldn't quite believe he had this opportunity.
"How much is yours?" Adam leered at Kris' ass.
Slamming to a halt, Kris turned around and pointed at Adam. "More than a buck! How much is yours?"
"I dunno. Ask Lloyds of London." Adam smirked.
"Your ass is not insured!" Kris yelped. "No way."
"Don't doubt the insurability of my ass. You haven't seen it naked yet." Adam turned toward the grocery store and sauntered away. He looked over his shoulder and grinned when he caught Kris staring. "Time's a'wastin', me hearty! Fifteen minutes!"
"Oh crapsticks!" Kris started, then blushed. Adam's ass was damn distracting.
"How's it going?" Kris smiled as he spoke into his phone. "Great. I really like him. A lot. He's... sweet and funny with a touch of paranoid, but really he's... just awesome. To be honest, I can't believe this."
"Hi, Lane." Adam sighed as he called her back for his latest check-in. "Calling to check on Mr. Thirty-eight Cents? .... Yeah, I like him. How much? I... I'm not afraid!... He's a little prickly at times, but then again, so am I. He probably has baggage too, just like me, just like anyone who has been through the dating wringer.... No, Mary Poppins, I won't have a bad attitude. Yes, ma'am. But wait-- the background check?... Okay, so initially it looks good. Great." Adam looked up at he passed a frozen food aisle and saw the smile on his face. Good god, he looked happy. "But... you talked with the label about resources for a full check? Even better.... Yes, I'll have a good time. Even without a pirate hat. Although maybe the Dollar Store has --- No. I wouldn't buy condoms at the Dollar Store! I was talking about..."
“I got....” Kris smiled hopefully as they met next to Adam's car. “Pirate treasure!”
“Let me see--” Adam opened the bag. “Yes! You scored! Plastic pirate doubloons. Perfect. I can't believe they had these."
"I know, right?" Kris bopped up and down on his feet excitedly.
Laughing at Kris' excitement, Adam continued, "I mean, seriously. Geocaching is about looking for hidden treasure. So these are perfect. Did they have feathers?"
“Feathers?" Kris wrinkled his nose in confusion. "I didn't look. But the doubloons... Wait. I mean, it’s probably been done a million times before.”
“Not by us...” Adam said thoughtfully, looking back at the shopping center.
“Which means...?”
“I bet they sell glue and glitter in the Dollar Store!” Adam said eagerly.
“Oh boy...”
"And maybe feathers. We need feathers. And glue. Plus glitter."
Kris gulped. "Feathers? And glue?"
"And glitter, of course."
"Ooooh, boy. What are we going to do with that stuff? Like the glue? The glue worries me..."
"Stick with me...." Adam waited until Kris groaned at the bad joke, then pulled Kris along with him back toward the store. "And you'll have more fun than you expected."
"Why? Are you going to show me your naked ass too?" Kris grinned. "Is that why we need the glue and glitter and feathers?"
"Maybe the feathers are for when you show me your naked ass." Adam winked as they pushed open the door.
TBC
make up
Chapter 3 begins HERE