Starfishing [1/?]
Title: Starfishing
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 3,805
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the human and angel characters and this is a work of fiction.
Warnings: unscientific details, perverse use of angelic power, and possibly different views on Heaven, angels, and other religious concepts
Summary: Adam wakes up to a strange room and a thoughtful note. He soon meets the guy behind the note and likes what he sees. But where is he and what happened? Who is this mysterious creature and are those wings?
“Mmm…”
Adam stretched and rolled to his side. He wanted to sleep some more, but he was too sore. Why was he sore all over? Had he picked up someone at the party last night? That would explain the sound of the shower running. Had he overworked himself because his one-night stand had been amazing? And, why was his head pounding? How much had he drunk? He was pretty sure that he had left the party alone and had walked towards the cab. He had to have hooked up with the cabbie and this had to be his bed. Was it even a bed though? It felt soft as if he was lying on a fleecy cloud-not that you could actually lie down on a cloud.
He sat up and opened his eyes. It didn’t feel like morning, so he could hurry home in another cab. It was already bad enough that he didn’t remember anything about the cabbie. There was no need to make things more awkward by staying the night. But when his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room, he had to hold back a scream. Whatever mindfuck was going on, it did look like he was sitting on a thick cloud with a rainbow over his legs.
It wasn’t just the bed that seemed to be out of this world. All the furniture looked like it was made out of clouds. Even the orange walls and the green floor looked different and alive somehow. What types of material were these? How were the colors so vivid? He had never seen anything like this before. Did this cabbie also work as an experimental interior designer? If so, could he hire him to decorate his new place? Maybe he could ask him to do a set for his music video as well.
There was a note for him on one of the nightstands, so he picked it up and read it. The cabbie had a cute handwriting and knew his name. Could he be a fan? It was weird to read the cabbie introduce himself and tell him that he wasn’t in any danger. Of course not. Why would he? The cabbie went on explaining how this was a world that he wasn’t used to and how dangerous it could be if he went outside. He then spoke of an accident and something told him that he wasn’t talking about a regular car accident.
He put down the note and thought about how stupid he was. He only realized now that he was fully clothed; he hadn’t slept with this Tommy Joe. Either he was still under the heavy influence of alcohol or he had hurt his head in the accident. But why wasn’t he in a hospital then? And, what exactly did the guy mean when he said that he had gotten involved in the accident? Was he a witness or had he caused the accident? Had he brought him back to his place instead of taking him to the ER because he had issues with the law? Was that why he had stressed that he wasn’t a criminal? Was that a lie? Then why hadn’t he just called 911 and disappeared?
The shower had stopped running. He had to make a decision. Was he going to trust this guy and stay? Or was this his chance to bolt out of here and find his way home? He hadn’t been tied up and the bedroom door was open, so he didn’t feel threatened. The room didn’t look like it belonged to a dangerous criminal either. There were a few posters on the wall that he didn’t recognize and pictures of what he assumed to be family and friends on the dresser. But he didn’t know who had brought him to this unusual place and he was feeling anxious.
“Oh, hi! You’re awake!” Tommy slowly turned the light dial all the way to ‘MAX’.
Adam turned his head towards the en suite bathroom and gaped. If this was Tommy, the cabbie, he was going to be a loyal customer of that cab company for a very long time. The guy was a petite blond with one side of his hair hanging over his right eye. He had deep brown eyes, a slightly upturned nose, and such kissable lips. He was half-naked and a little wet as if he had rushed out of the shower. Black, loose cherub shorts were hanging low on his hips and the light brown happy trail made him really happy.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Tommy took a careful step towards the bed.
“Great. I must be in Heaven.” Adam blinked dreamily.
“Oh, you can tell? You’re in Seventh Heaven.”
“Yeah, I clearly am…”
“Awesome! This is going much better than I thought.” Tommy heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed his wing muscles. He kept his wings folded though. It was one thing to catch a glimpse of angel wings and quite another to see them spread.
“Wow, those look great on you.” Adam couldn’t tear his eyes off the wings that were poking out from behind Tommy’s shoulders. “I think it’s wise to try on your costume early in case you need time to fix it.” He winked with a smile.
“Thanks… But what costume are you talking about?” Tommy bit his lower lip. He knew that things had been going too well.
“Isn’t that what you’re wearing for Halloween? You’re going as an angel, right?”
“I am an angel.”
“Haha, that’s the spirit. It’s good to get into character.” Adam’s smile got wider. “I’m going as a werewolf this year. My fans are going to love it!”
“Good for you... But um, we need to talk.” Tommy’s shoulders slumped along with his wings.
“Oh, yes. Sorry. Where am I exactly?”
“Like I told you, you’re in Heaven. This is where angels live.” Tommy waited for Adam to freak out, but all he did was look at him with those pretty blue eyes. Adam had probably hit his head on his way up. He would have to call in a doctor in the morning. “Would you like something to drink? It might help you feel better.”
“Yes, please. Do you have any tea?”
“Yeah, I do. Are you hungry too?”
“Not really.”
“All right. Can you promise me you’ll stay put?”
Adam chuckled. “If I’m really in Heaven, where could I possibly go? Just tell me I’m not dead.”
“You’re not dead.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Your heart’s still beating, right?”
Adam put a hand over his heart. “Yeah, it is. But I feel like it’s beating more slowly.”
“That’s because I gave you a potion to help you breathe in thin air. It’s a good sign. It means your body has adjusted to the new environment.”
“Well, that sounds reassuring. Thank you.”
Tommy brushed off Adam’s words of gratitude; Adam was in this mess because of him. “You also don’t look or smell like death. Trust me, it’s not easy to miss the signs.” He left out the part where humans convulsed in sheer agony before they died. There was no need to put more fear in Adam’s mind.
“Great! Then I’ll stay put and listen to what you have to say.” Adam was damn proud of his calm self. “Can I use your bathroom though?”
“Sure. You can also take a shower if you want.”
“You think I’ll have to stay the night?”
Tommy nodded. “I left some voice messages, but we might not get any help until morning. So please feel free to use whatever’s in the bathroom. Things may look different, but they work pretty much the same.”
“Thanks.” Adam got up from the bed. “Can I borrow a change of clothes too? Something I can sleep in?”
“Oh…” Tommy scratched the back of his neck. “I only have angel pants.”
“Ah, they’re called angel pants, not cherub shorts!” Adam found himself fascinated with how things worked around here.
“I have some really loose ones that might fit you. I’ve been keeping them in case I got fat again.”
“Haha, you’re lending me your fatty pants.” Adam giggled.
“Yeah, and some socks in case your feet get cold.” Tommy pulled out a pair of rainbow socks from the dresser. “They’re free size.”
“Thanks.” Adam marveled at the feel of the rainbow while Tommy looked for the right pants. “I guess this is a real rainbow?”
“Yeah, it’s a condensed rainbow.”
“A condensed rainbow! Like condensed milk! I think I’m in love with your place.”
“Thanks. And, here you go.” Tommy handed Adam a pair of gray angel pants and pointed at the salve on the nightstand. “Once you’ve cleaned up, you should use the salve. I put some on your face and neck, but I think you’ll have more cuts and bruises under your clothes.”
“Okay. But why do I have cuts and bruises in the first place? Because of the accident?”
Tommy hung his head. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”
Adam could tell that Tommy was beating himself up over the accident. So Tommy hadn’t just gotten involved in the accident; he was the one who had caused it. He would find out soon enough what had led to all this and there was no need to make Tommy feel guiltier. So he gave him a small smile and walked into the bathroom.
“Holy mother of Glitter…” Adam closed the bathroom door and beamed. Sunflowers had replaced the faucet and the showerhead. The one in the bathtub was obviously bigger and had a longer, thicker stem. The tub was huge, probably to accommodate angels’ wings. As he had expected, the tub, sink, toilet, and the medicine cabinet were all white and cloudy. It was awesome. He wasn’t going to slip and hit his head on a hard surface; it was one of his biggest fears in life.
He put down Tommy’s pants and socks on the cloud that was floating near the door. He stripped and added his own clothes to the pile. He would’ve been heartbroken over the tear in the back of his leather jacket if he hadn’t been so excited about this place. He found himself humming a merry tune as he stood in front of the toilet. Maybe this accident hadn’t been such a bad thing. He couldn’t think of a more inspiring environment and God knew that he was having trouble with his third album.
“What on earth…” He stared as he kept peeing blue. He assumed that it was the effect of the potion that Tommy had mentioned, but it didn’t stop him from cracking up. His laugh only got louder when the toilet turned blue. Thankfully, it returned to its white self when he flushed it. “Amazing!”
Next up was the sink. He turned on the leaves on each side of the sunflower to adjust the water temperature. He pushed the nose of a Greek goddess to get liquid soap out of her mouth. The sink turned grayer and grayer as he washed his hands. He chuckled, thinking about how funny it would be if the sink got too heavy and it rained on his feet. But the sink soon went back to white just like the toilet. How efficient.
He took off his makeup and washed his face before jumping into the tub. All the liquid and gel dispensers were Greek divine figures which made him feel like he was taking a shower in Zeus’ castle. He really was in Heaven; the cloud was warm and soft under his feet, he was using high-quality shower gel, and his singing echoed off the walls perfectly. He washed his hair as well, wondering about the ‘DRY’ button next to the sunflower. He had so many questions for Tommy.
Knock-knock.
“Can I come in?” Tommy asked in front of the bedroom, holding a tray.
“Sure. Please come in.”
Tommy pushed the door open with his shoulder, only to find Adam standing naked in front of the mirror. “Oh, sorry! I thought you said I could come in.” He looked away and set the tray down on one of the nightstands.
“I did. I could use your help with the bruises on the back. Would that be okay?”
Tommy swallowed hard as he did his best to keep his eyes above Adam’s waist. Adam was trying to check his own ass in the mirror, but it seemed like his neck was too stiff.
“Tommy? Can I call you Tommy?” Adam didn’t miss the blush on the angel’s cheeks.
“Uh, yeah, Tommy’s fine. And, of course I can help you.” Tommy took the salve from Adam’s hand and got down on his knees when Adam turned around and faced the mirror.
“How does it look?” Adam flexed his ass muscles to test them out.
“Fantastic. I mean… the bruises aren’t too bad. You’re going to look fantastic once they heal.” Tommy cringed. Maybe he could add a bit of oblivion to Adam’s next potion.
Adam grinned. The pretty angel thought that his ass looked fantastic. It also felt fantastic to have Tommy’s fingers on his ass. When those fingers moved to his thighs, he turned his body a little to steal glances of the angel through the mirror. It took his breath away to see Tommy’s folded wings shivering slightly. “So those are real wings then?”
“Yeah.” Tommy stood up to reach Adam’s back. He was relieved to see that the hook of his fishing rod hadn’t done much damage. He was also glad that Adam wanted to talk; the silence had been overwhelming since his little slip-up.
Adam shifted his weight from foot to foot and asked in his most hopeful voice, “Would it be rude if I asked you to spread your wings? I’m a huge fan of wings, but I’ve never seen real ones before.”
Tommy spread his wings. It was no big deal. And, it was much better to see Adam curious than doubt the existence of his wings in an attempt to hold onto his sanity. So he went one step further and wrapped his wings around Adam. Hopefully it would both satisfy his curiosity and bring him a sense of comfort. As far as he was concerned, nothing beat a wing hug.
“Whoa…” Adam was mesmerized. Tommy’s wings were all over his bare skin. The sight in the mirror also made his jaw drop. The wings were densely populated with shiny, white feathers that seemed to slightly differ in size and shape. They looked soft, sleek, and strong, probably supported by a solid set of bones. He had once had a parrot to satisfy his wing kink, but it had always demanded him to sing whenever he stroked its wings. Looking back though, it was perhaps the best vocal teacher that he had ever had.
“I’ll have to blow you.” Tommy folded his wings and went down on his knees again.
Adam was now certain that he was brain-damaged. “Excuse me…?”
Tommy wondered why Adam sounded so startled until he figured out his mistake. “Blow on you! I’ll have to blow on you so the salve won’t mess up the pants.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Adam didn’t know what else to say. Had that been an honest mistake or a Freudian slip?
Tommy swallowed his heart and started to blow on the bruises on Adam’s ass. Maybe God already knew what was going on and this was his punishment. Maybe the image of Adam’s fine ass was going to stick in his mind for ages. Maybe this was the real punishment for his trip to Hell with Isaac. He had known that he had gotten off too easily; teaching a guitar class for bratty, little angels had only been the beginning.
“Thank you,” Adam croaked. Tommy’s breath on his skin was far too tantalizing.
“You’re welcome.”
Adam waited for Tommy to stand up before putting on the borrowed pants and socks. They were both comfortable and fit him well.
“Do you mind if we talk in the living room, Mr. Lambert? There’s more space out there.” Tommy felt like a change of scenery would clear his mind. The bedroom was too intimate.
“Not at all. And, please call me Adam. I’m ready to listen whenever you’re ready to talk.”
So when they settled down on the semicircular couch, Tommy started to talk.
“Wow, that’s an impressive story. You fished me all the way up here with a regular fishing rod. But how did you know I was fond of hope, love, and moonlight?” Adam laughed.
“I’m glad you’re taking this so well.” Tommy took a sip of tea.
“Well, I think everything happens for a reason and things could’ve been much worse. I could’ve been in Hell with an evil soul. But instead, I’m in Heaven with a beautiful angel who serves the best tea! Can I ask what kind of tea this is?”
“I think it’s made from a plant that grows in Second Heaven. It was a gift from an ex.” Tommy tried not to get excited about how Adam had called him beautiful. He was just being nice.
“An ex-husband?” Adam hoped that he wasn’t being nosy.
“Nah, an ex-girlfriend.”
“Oh, I’m sorry things didn’t work out.” Adam didn’t feel sorry at all. The vast array of cosmetics in the medicine cabinet had told him that Tommy wasn’t straight. He wondered if he could thank Tommy for taking such good care of him. He didn’t have any money on him, so he would have to find some other way. Tommy might turn him down gently, but he would have to insist.
“Do you mind if I ask a few questions about this place?” He decided to ease into it and get some answers for himself.
“Go ahead.”
“There was a ‘DRY’ button next to the sunflower. How does it work? I used it to dry my hair, but it wasn’t wind that came out. It was light and it worked fast.”
“Yeah, that’s compressed sunlight. The sunflower saves up the light during the day. You can also use it for your body.”
“Do I have to worry about UV rays?”
“Haha, no. Apparently God’s got it covered.”
Adam smiled. Tommy had an adorable laugh. It was nice to see him less tense and worried. “I noticed that your furniture looks like clouds. Are they all clouds?”
“No, some of them are fogs and mists. This one’s a mist.” Tommy tapped the couch. “They have different feels.”
Adam chose to misinterpret Tommy’s gesture and moved right next to him. “What about the walls and floors? I love the vivid colors.”
“Thanks.” Tommy hoped that his wings would stay still. He didn’t want to look like a dog wagging its tail. “Stars have many different sizes and purposes around here. This house is a housing star and it’s naturally orange. I pulled out a green thread from a rainbow and used my powers to get green floors.”
“Wow! I would’ve never guessed that this was a star! And, that’s how you dye things? And, you have powers? Incredible!” Adam wished that he could call up everyone he knew and tell them about this. “Are all the stars alive? Is this one alive?”
“Yeah, think of them as plants.”
“Can I touch it? Or do you think it’ll be offended and emit some kind of a toxin?”
“Haha, don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”
Adam grinned. There was that cute laugh again. He turned a little and put his hand on the wall behind the couch. It was a bit prickly but quite warm to the touch. “So this is how it’s warm and cozy in the house.”
“Yeah, it warms and cools the house on its own.”
“Amazing! I love how the floors are heated too.” Adam rubbed his rainbowed foot on the floor. He had never imagined Heaven like this. “What about the doors? Are they part of this star too?”
“Nah, they’re made out of star crust. They’re soundproof.”
“Really? How useful!” Adam beamed and put his hand on Tommy’s arm. “Thank you so much for being patient with my questions.”
“No problem.” Tommy kept his wings in check. “But can you excuse me for a minute? Nature calls.”
“Sure. But I can’t promise there will be any tea left when you come back.”
Tommy laughed. It was good to know that he had chosen the right tea. He flew into the bathroom instead of walking to give Adam a chance to look at his spread wings. He was flattered by his attention.
Once he took care of his little business, he stood in front of the sink. He washed his hands and took his time fixing his hair. He also put on some lip gloss and practiced his smiles. Would it be weird to suddenly show up with some eyeliner and mascara on?
He flapped his wings as he thought about how Adam had called him beautiful. It wasn’t the first time that he had gotten such a compliment, but it felt different coming from a star. Was this what people called being ‘star-struck’?
When Tommy came back with just a hint of mascara on, Adam was fast asleep with one of his feathers in his hand.
‘Aww…’ Had he been in there for so long? Perhaps Adam was still exhausted.
He carefully took the feather out of Adam’s hand and scooped him up. It was as if time had been rolled back; he had flown into his bedroom with an unconscious Adam a few hours ago. But he felt much calmer and even a little excited this time. Even though he hadn’t handled the accident in an ideal way, he could always try to make it up to Adam by making his stay as pleasant as possible.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered as he tucked Adam in under the rainbow covers. The rainbow would guarantee him colorful dreams.
He hesitated before pressing a kiss to Adam’s forehead. It was an innocent kiss, wishing him good night. He couldn’t possibly get punished for this.
He made sure that the bed was warm and walked out of the room. He could hardly believe his day. He had gone to the fishing place to relax, but he had managed to achieve the exact opposite. Looking back at his time in Heaven, though, perhaps he could use a thrill. He had ventured into Hell last month because he had been bored to hell. Hiding a human in his house and letting him in on the secrets of Heaven was badassery at its best. The only thing that might be better was sending the said human home without showing up on God’s radar. Could he pull it off? Only time would tell.
Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. - Maya Angelou