Starfishing [2/?]
Title: Starfishing
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff
Rating: G
Word count: 4,225
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the human and angel characters and this is a work of fiction.
Summary: Adam enjoys more excitements in Heaven. But he also gets a shock when the greatest doctor of all times gives him an unexpected diagnosis. Could the doctor possibly be right? Could Tommy help him with his newfound condition?
“Take it off~ and try me on~” Tommy was busy singing while making two potions at the same time. One was for Adam and one was for himself. He had never been a decent cook, but he quite enjoyed making potions. That’s why his potions were mostly homemade while his food was usually ordered in. He planned to order in today’s breakfast too once he asked Adam what he wanted and made him drink his potion. “Just come on~ I want your naked love~”
“Good morning, Tommy.”
Tommy yelped. When had Adam come out of his room?
“Was that my song? I think I heard ‘Naked love’.” Adam chuckled as he walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah, you heard it right.” Tommy turned pink. “If your ears are bleeding, I can throw something in your potion that might stop it.”
“Ahaha, my ears are fine, but thanks for the sense of humor.” Adam was glad that Tommy seemed to be more comfortable around him. “You forgot to mention last night that you were a fan. Such an important piece of information!”
Tommy laughed. “I guess it slipped my mind. I had a million thoughts running in my head.”
“I’m sure you did. And, I’m so glad you’re a fan.” Adam beamed and sat down on a thick cloud next to the kitchen island. The cloud floated higher to adjust to the length of his legs. “Things are seriously amazing here. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve said ‘amazing’ since I got here.”
Tommy laughed again. He turned off the hot cloud and poured Adam’s potion into a mug. “Here you go. I hope I put in enough energy to keep you awake.”
“Haha, sorry I fell asleep on you. That reminds me, have you seen the feather I was holding last night? I’d like to take it home as a souvenir if that’s okay with you.”
“Ah, I cleaned up the living room this morning, but I can give you a fresh one.” Tommy flapped his wings and shed a couple of feathers that were past their prime.
Adam jumped down from the cloud and picked them up. “Oh my god, they’re still warm. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Do you want an empty jar for those?”
“Yes, please!” Adam put his feathers in the jar and gave it a big kiss, “Mwah!”
Tommy apparently couldn’t stop laughing today. Adam was too adorable. “What do you plan to do with them? It’s not like they’re the best ones out of the bunch.”
Adam took a good look at the feathers. They had lost their shine and had turned a little beige. “I still find them beautiful. They played their part and now they’ve retired.”
Tommy looked up from pouring his own potion. That was a wonderful way of thinking.
“Hmm, I could stick them into my hat or use them as quills.”
“You still use a pen?”
“Well, my fingers are usually attached to my iPhone, but I do write lyrics on paper. I carry around a notebook and scribble things down.”
“I can get you a pen and a notebook if you want.” Tommy sat across Adam with his potion.
“Thanks. But are we talking about an actual pen and a notebook? Or do I get to write on a frosty notebook with a fiery pen?”
“Haha, that sounds like a great idea. You should work in Fifth Heaven.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. How many levels of Heaven do you have and what are the differences?”
“There are seven levels in total. The first four have natural-born angels that deal with the five elements of Earth, animals, plants, and humans respectively. The fifth has human-born angels with great powers. They help out other angels and look after the sixth and seventh Heavens. The sixth Heaven has animals. Great safaris there. And, the seventh has plain human-born angels like me with limited powers.”
“Limited powers? You can fly, make potions, and dye things with a thread pulled out of a rainbow!”
“Yeah, but other angels can do so much more.” Tommy took a sip of potion, prompting Adam to do the same.
“If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear about that ‘so much more’.”
“Haha, my mentor’s coming over in an hour. He could probably give you better answers. He’s used to curious souls like you.”
“Wow, you have a mentor? That’s great! How’s he going to get here? By foot or by wing?” Adam giggled.
“He actually likes to ride on his unicorn, Corny.”
“The unicorn’s name is Corny…”
“Yeah.” Tommy sighed. “Terrance thinks it’s hilarious and unique.”
“Haha, I can’t wait to meet him.”
Tommy gave Adam a faint smile. He could only hope that Terrance would want to meet Adam too. He had no idea how his mentor would react. Isaac had only told him via text that he would be coming over with him.
“Hey, is it okay if I look out the window? I finished my potion.” Adam grinned and held the mug upside down over his head.
“Sure. As long as you stay inside, we should be okay.” Tommy drank up his potion and led Adam to a small window next to the hot cloud.
Adam glued himself to the window and looked outside. Thick, flat clouds seemed to serve as ground, linked to one another by rainbow bridges. Clouds with a high level of pedestrian traffic were linked with double or triple rainbows with a larger width. Angels were walking or flying around in angel pants of various colors and patterns. Most of the female ones were topless as well and some of the angels had used body paint to decorate their bodies. He also spotted wings dyed with vivid colors and wasn’t this the most colorful scenery that he had ever seen? He wished that he was a painter so he could capture this breathtaking moment.
“Whoa… Do you also wear body paint?” Adam glanced at Tommy.
“Sometimes.”
“What colors? Gold…?”
“Haha, yeah, I have gold too. I think red and gold is a good combination on me.”
“I wholeheartedly agree…” Adam pictured Tommy’s creamy skin wrapped in rosy red and glittery gold. He had to see it with his own eyes. “Aren’t you leaving for work today?”
Tommy chuckled. “It’s Saturday and I work at home.”
“Oh! Can I ask what you do for a living?”
“I’m a guardian angel. I look after some delinquents who like to fiddle with guitars.”
“Oh my god, that’s all sorts of amazing. Does that mean you play the guitar?”
“Yeah.”
“Awesome! Do all humans have guardian angels?”
“Many of them do. And, if you’re asking if you have one too, the answer is yes. I even know who it is.” Tommy grinned. Adam was going to love this.
“Is it a friend of yours?”
“No. But you know him too by reputation. He’s a famous musician.”
Adam stopped breathing. All kinds of names flew around in his head. What kind of music was Tommy talking about? Was this angel a singer or a composer? And, was he really that famous? Otherwise how could Tommy have easily assumed that he knew of him?
“It’s Freddie Mercury! From Queen!” Tommy showed pity on Adam’s tortured soul.
“What…?” Adam wondered just how much shock and joy a human mind could take in twenty-four hours.
“I checked the archives and Freddie was listed as your guardian angel. But there was no contact information and he’s on tour in Sixth Heaven until Monday. I hope you’ll be downstairs by then, but if not, I’m sure he’ll find a way to send you home.”
Adam decided right then and there to stick around until Tuesday. It was only four more days. “But didn’t you say animals lived in the sixth?”
“Yeah. Who knows what kinds of animals he’s singing to.” Tommy chuckled, expecting Adam to join him. But Adam turned around with a gasp and slid down the wall.
“What’s wrong?” Tommy knelt between Adam’s spread legs. Things took a turn for the worse when tears started to roll down his cheeks.
“Boohoohoo…”
“Adam! Please talk to me. Is it something I said?” It was Tommy’s turn to panic. He was a terrible host that had made his guest cry.
“I… I don’t have my memorabilia…”
“What…?”
“I have nothing for him to sign!” Adam burst into a fresh round of tears. He couldn’t believe the utter cruelty of life.
Tommy let Adam bury his face in his shoulder and wrapped his arms and wings around him. Adam was a bigger fanboy of Freddie’s than he had thought. Luckily for him, he had a solution. He ran his hand up and down Adam’s back and spoke gently, “Shh, it’s okay. We’ll get you one of his posters. A new one you’ve never seen before.”
“A new one…?” Adam held onto Tommy’s waist.
“Yeah, there’s a music store nearby. We can also order online if you want.” Tommy chose not to mention all the new music that Freddie Mercury had been putting out. Music came out in rainbow CDs and wouldn’t be playable in the human world.
“Okay.” Adam sniffed and rested his cheek on Tommy’s shoulder. As embarrassing as it was, he didn’t want to move. He was cozy in the cocoon of wings and Tommy’s caresses were almost lulling him to sleep. Was this one of his powers?
“You know what the best thing is around here?” Tommy figured that they could use a change of topic. “There’s not much traffic. I couldn’t stand the traffic in L.A.”
“You lived in L.A? I live in L.A!” Adam lifted his face.
“Nah, I lived in Burbank but I often drove to L.A. It was a complete nightmare.” Tommy pulled back from the hug. Their faces were too close.
“Ah, I’d say our paths may have crossed before, but I doubt I would’ve forgotten such a beautiful face.” Adam beamed.
“Haha, I was fat when I was human. You wouldn’t have looked at me twice.”
“I was a heavy kid too. I felt terrible in high school when other kids made fun of me. There wasn’t much talk about positive body images back then.”
“Yeah, it looks like things are getting better though. I watch over a high-school girl who struggles with her weight. She doesn’t like to look in the mirror, but she has friends who tell her that she’s allowed to love her body.”
“Good for her! But I think I know how she feels. I’m terrified I’ll get fat again. It’ll look like sloppy image management. So when I feel like I’ve gained a few pounds, I stay away from the full-length mirror.”
“Ah, the agony of being a star.” Tommy patted Adam on the arm. “You know what bothers me though? People saying that fat people should lose weight for their own health. Let’s face it. We all know that fat people don’t get mocked just because they seem like they’re not looking out for their health.”
“That’s true. And, it’s none of their business anyway.”
“Exactly. I get that certain body types might not look attractive to certain people, but everyone has a right to be comfortable in their own skin.”
“Well said.” Adam smiled. Tommy wasn’t just a pretty face. “So I guess angels are less reluctant to show their bodies? You guys fly around in nothing but angel pants.”
“Yeah, you get used to it. And, you lose a lot of angel points if you insult someone’s body. It’s a serious offense.”
“You have angel points? Aww, that’s so cute!”
“There’s nothing cute about how many points I’ll lose if God finds out about you.” Tommy shuddered. “And, I don’t think the punishment’s going to stop there.”
“It was an accident, Tommy. It wasn’t your fault.” Adam held Tommy’s hand with both of his.
“I don’t know. I replayed those few minutes in my head over and over again, wondering if I cast the rod in a restricted area. I mean, I was fishing outside my comfort zone. I’ve never gone over no.40 before. Maybe I missed a warning sign or only professionals are supposed to fish there.”
“Hey, even if it was your fault, I’m okay with it. Shouldn’t that make things better? The victim has no intention to have the perpetrator punished.”
“But what about what happened after the accident? That’s totally my fault. I don’t know why I didn’t call an ambulance. I say I was scared of God, but maybe I also wanted to be in trouble. Maybe I wanted something dangerous and exciting in my life. I’m sorry.”
Adam was impressed by Tommy’s honesty. It took courage to admit what kinds of dark thoughts might’ve slipped into your mind. “Don’t worry, Tommy. I’m still okay with it. As long as there’s a way back home, I’m good.”
“I know I should call God even now and confess my sins, but I’m a fucking coward. Oh, shit…”
“What is it?” Adam tightened his grip.
“I just lost points for cursing. Twice, urgh.”
Tommy rolled his eyes as Adam’s laughter filled the kitchen. It was a soothing sound, but Adam didn’t need to know that.
Tweet-tweet.
“Ready?” Tommy asked as he grabbed the doorknob.
“Yes.” Adam fixed his hair as he thought about how cute Tommy’s doorbell was. He wanted to leave a good impression on Tommy’s friends.
“Tommy! Are you okay?” Isaac flew inside and pulled his friend into a hug.
“Yeah. Where’s Terrance? Feeding Corny?”
“Yeah, he’ll come up soon. He gave me a ride and we got here as fast as we could.”
“Thanks.” Tommy left the door open for Terrance and stepped aside. “Isaac, this is Adam. Adam, Isaac.”
“Hi! Nice to meet you.” Adam shook Isaac’s hand and admired the sky-blue color of his wings.
“Nice to meet you too,” Isaac greeted him cheerfully.
“He thinks it’ll look like he’s flying without any wings,” Tommy explained the decision behind the dye job.
“Hahaha, what a cool idea.”
“Thanks! I think you just earned a new fan.” Isaac winked.
Adam was about to thank him back when a pair of silver wings caught his attention.
“Hello, Mr. Lambert. My name is Terrance Spencer and I’m responsible for Tommy Joe.” Terrance offered his hand.
“Hi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Adam shook the strong hand, hoping that Terrance would warm up to him and let him meet his unicorn.
“Does anything still hurt? I assume Tommy’s made you potions.” Terrance led the group into the living room.
“Yes, I had two cups, last night and this morning. I feel a little flushed, but nothing hurts anymore. Thank you for asking.”
“He may have hit his head on his way up,” Tommy added as he sat next to Adam on the couch.
“You may feel flushed because you’re not used to the warm conditions here.” Terrance sat on the other side of Adam. “We’ll fetch you a doctor, but can I please ask you a few questions first?”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here?”
“Walking to a cab.”
“Were you holding anything?”
“Uh, just my phone and my wallet.”
“Did anything unusual happen before you blacked out? Did you hear anything strange or sense any danger?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t even remember getting hooked in the back. But there must’ve been enough air for a few hundred feet, so why did I pass out right away?”
“You were probably pulled up too quickly.”
Adam might’ve failed to sense any danger, but he managed to sense Tommy’s guilt. So he put his hand on top of Tommy’s that was resting in the small space between them. He could feel the eyes of the other angels on his hand, but comforting Tommy was his priority. He felt protective of Tommy even though nobody here was accusing him.
“Well, let’s get you that doctor then.” Terrance chose to ignore the matter for now. He needed more data to form a proper opinion.
A few minutes later, Adam was left on the couch with a teapot full of tea and a plate of tremendously tasty biscuits. The angels were huddled around the kitchen island to discuss in private, but he could still hear everything.
“So do you know any doctors who’d keep their mouths shut?” Isaac asked Terrance.
“Haha, we sound like the Mob,” Tommy chirped. He felt much better now that he had two helpers by his side.
“I’ve thought about it and I think we should call in the best doctor of all times. The father of human medicine!” Terrance flapped his wings in excitement.
“Hippocrates…?” Isaac guessed.
“Yes! I bet he hasn’t seen a human in ages! He won’t be able to resist getting his hands on Mr. Lambert.”
“Okay, that sounds way too dirty for anyone’s good.” Tommy snickered.
“You know what I mean.” Terrance bumped wings with Tommy. “He’ll keep quiet if he wants to examine a human.”
“Let’s see if he’s around then.” Isaac pulled out his tablet PC from his bag and turned it on. “Does he have a first name? Or is it just Hippocrates?”
“I think you can just type in ‘Hippocrates, the great doctor’ or something,” Terrance suggested.
Isaac checked the archives and looked up with a bright face. “We’re in luck! He’s practicing as a wing surgeon in our Heaven.”
“Good! I’ll make the call. Let’s hope he’s available.” Terrance fished his phone out of his pocket.
“Do you think he speaks English?” Tommy asked.
“I hope he does. He’s been dead for a while. If not, we can buy those Greek pills.”
“Cool. That way, I could insult you two in fancy Greek.” Isaac cackled.
“Let’s see. H-I-P-P…” Terrance started to press the letters on his keypad.
“Don’t call a hippopotamus.” Tommy giggled.
“Or a hippogriff.” Isaac giggled along.
“Wow, I’m impressed you know what a hippogriff is.” Tommy put on a serious face.
“Hey, I was sitting right next to you in hybrid animal class.”
“You did. But you were busy trying to get into Sophie’s pink pants.”
“Okay, I don’t deny that. She looks like a goddess in pink! But you were busy flirting too with that big guy who always sat behind you!”
Both of them turned their heads as Adam was overcome by a violent fit of coughing. Tommy flew over and rubbed his back while Isaac fetched him a glass of water. Terrance was still on the phone, wondering if he should warn the doctor that the patient might not make it to his appointment.
“Easy.” Tommy helped Adam get some water down his throat. He winced when he saw that Adam was teary. His guest had gotten tears in his eyes twice in a day and it wasn’t even noon yet.
Adam clutched Tommy’s hand as he tried to get his breathing under control. He had swallowed a biscuit the wrong way. But was it a coincidence that Tommy had flirted with a big guy? Or did Tommy prefer big guys in general? And, how big had this lucky guy been? Bigger than him? So did Tommy like his guys as big as possible? Or did he have a specific size in mind?
“Better now?”
Adam looked into Tommy’s eyes clouded with worry and sympathy. “Yeah, much better. Thank you.”
The small smile that he got in return made him feel even better.
It only took Hippocrates a few hours to knock on Tommy’s door. By the time he had arrived, Adam had bonded with Terrance over theater and had met the unicorn in the basement that also served as a stable. Corny had given him a funny look but had let him brush his glossy coat along with his sparkly mane and tail. He had also enjoyed lunch, thanks to Isaac who had ordered in the best kebab ever. Food and drinks had been beamed onto the delivery cloud, making his jaw hit the floor.
His jaw suffered once more when the great doctor walked in. He had a long, gray beard that reminded him of Gandalf the Grey. He had matching gray wings and black tattoos all over his body that looked like Greek. Could it possibly be the Hippocratic Oath? That Greek language pill that Terrance had mentioned, did it also work for humans?
“Good afternoon, dear child.” Hippocrates motioned for Adam to sit on the couch and put his hand on top of Adam’s head.
“Hello, sir. Thank you for coming.” Adam smiled. He almost felt guilty for not presenting a medical mystery to this Doctor of all doctors. He was no doctor himself, but he was probably healthy enough.
Hippocrates examined his patient with a stethoscope, a thermometer, and a medical penlight. Terrance stood next to him and assisted as a nurse. The doctor hadn’t traveled with his own nurse to make sure that he could keep his end of the bargain.
“Any internal bleeding?” Terrance asked. He found it ominous that the stethoscope had made another appearance on top of Adam’s heart.
“No.” The doctor let out a sigh.
“He mentioned earlier that he felt a little flushed.” At Tommy’s words, all the angels checked Adam’s complexion. It was indeed a little pink.
“Yes, that is part of the problem. If you don’t mind, I would like to talk to the patient and his guardian alone.”
“Of course, doctor.” Terrance took Isaac and went into the guest room.
“Is he okay?” Tommy didn’t like how the doctor had a grave look on his face.
“I’m afraid no medicine can help him with his condition. He is very troubled, body and mind.”
Tommy went pale. “What do you mean, doctor?”
“I mean it is out of my hands. He needs to be cared for at all times, for the rest of his life!”
“Is it fatal?” Tommy dreaded the answer.
“It depends on the care he gets. It is both a blessing and a curse. It is already rooted deep in his heart, making it impossible to take it out. Alas, it is more powerful than any virus or disease ever known to mankind!”
In the middle of all this, Adam found himself captivated by the doctor’s monologue. He could’ve had a career in theater if things hadn’t worked out for him in medicine. But what on earth was he talking about?
“It’s up to you. The cure is in your hands.” The doctor grabbed Tommy’s hands. “Remember to tend to both his body and mind.”
Tommy nodded. He figured that the doctor wanted him to be a great host. But what exactly was Adam suffering from? “Can I ask what his condition is?”
“I will have to ask for the patient’s consent. It is my moral duty to ask him first.”
“Of course, doctor.” Tommy put some space between them while Adam lent his ear to the doctor.
“You are in love, my child.”
“Excuse me?” Adam laughed. He was single and as far as he knew, he wasn’t in love with anyone.
“Love is no laughing matter, especially when you love someone who doesn’t belong to your world.”
Adam’s eyes landed on Tommy. No way. He liked the pretty angel and they seemed to have similar approaches to life, but he didn’t think that it was love.
“It has only just begun, so you may not feel it yet. But I tell you now that it is no use trying to ignore it. The human mind is a thing of beauty. Live and adapt. Love him even more until there is no more love to give.”
Adam stared at Tommy. This was unexpected.
“So should I tell him or not?”
Adam shook his head. Tommy already had enough things to worry about. Tommy gave him a hurt look, but he soon seemed to remember that they had only met last night.
Adam couldn’t get the doctor’s words out of his head even after he was long gone. Isaac was telling him all about the railcloud system, but it was difficult to concentrate. His eyes kept following Tommy around while he and Terrance discussed a way to send him home. He didn’t want to be rude to Isaac and he was curious about the trains in Heaven, but he couldn’t help himself.
“I’m so sorry. Do you think I could hear more about it next time? I could really use a nap.”
“Oh, sure. A nap sounds like a great idea. You need more rest.” Isaac patted him on the shoulder.
Adam excused himself and got up from the couch. He glanced at Tommy before heading to the guest room. It would help to stay in a more impersonal room than Tommy’s. The doctor had advised him to love Tommy more, but how could he? He was going to go home sooner or later and there was no need for more complications.
“Adam?”
Adam stopped in his tracks. “Yeah?”
“Sweet dreams.” Tommy smiled.
“Thanks. See you later.” Adam smiled back. He walked into the bedroom with a heavy heart, thinking that the doctor might be right after all. No matter how magical those rainbow covers were, no dream of his could be sweeter than Tommy’s soft, private smile.
There is no remedy for love but to love more. - Henry David Thoreau