Starfishing [4/?]
Title: Starfishing
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 3,992
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the human and angel characters and this is a work of fiction.
Summary: Adam and Tommy get to know each other better. They grow comfortable sharing the same space and connect some more through music. Adam can’t stop touching Tommy and Tommy has no desire to stop him. They’re in trouble.
“Oh no, this can’t be right.” Adam got off the foggy scale with a groan. He didn’t want to question things in God’s land, but was this accurate?
He got back on the scale and glared at the numbers. They were the same as before. He admitted that he had been eating rather well, but this was only his fourth day in Heaven. Given how he had only drunk a potion on the first day and how he had only had breakfast today, these numbers were too much to handle.
“Tell me something. Are my potions high in calories?” He asked Tommy who had just walked into the guest bathroom to drop off some fresh towels.
“I’d lie for you if they didn’t take off my points, but potions have zero calories. Sorry.”
“Oh, I need to do some housework then. I need exercise! It’s safer to do it inside, right?”
“Yeah, I have a stationary bike in the basement.”
“That’s great, but please give me some housework, Tommy. I promise I won’t break anything or go through your personal stuff.” Adam had never imagined himself begging for housework, but it was a perfect way to get rid of his extra weight and help out his generous host.
“Fine. You can water the floors and polish the doors.”
“Okay. I’ll leave you alone while you get some work done.”
“Thanks. You can listen to the CDs under the audio. Music should make things easier. You can also check out the radio if you want. We have over two hundred stations.”
“Oh, wow. Today shall be Music Day.”
“Oh, speaking of music, I wanted to ask if you’d like to go see a harp recital tomorrow night. Terrance just texted me that he can get us free tickets. It’s at his God’s Theater.”
“Cool! I’d love to!” Adam beamed. Now that he thought about it, his heavenly trip wouldn’t be complete without listening to the instrument that was often associated with angels.
“Okay, I’ll let him know. The dress code is formal, so we’ll have to put on bowties. That okay with you? I have two bowties.”
Adam laughed. “Bowties with angel pants? Sure. Why not?”
“You can also use my body paint if you want.”
“Oh, yes, I’d like that. Thank you. What about you? Any chance I get to see some gold on you?” Adam asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Sure. Why not?” Tommy mimicked Adam’s voice.
“Haha, that was cute.” Adam tickled Tommy’s wing and pulled a giggle out of him. The top of his wings seemed to be sensitive. He followed Tommy out of the bathroom and decided to check if cuteness was a potion ingredient. Everything Tommy did was so damn cute and he wanted to know why.
While Tommy checked on his humans in the study, Adam busied himself with the watering can. He was now watering the floor in the living room, humming along to the radio. He had tried to listen to Tommy’s CDs, but none of them had been in the right case. So that was what he was going to take care of after he polished the doors. It was weird to water a floor, but he remembered how Tommy had told him to think of stars as plants. It also helped that the floor was green since it felt like watering the grass.
He was glad that he had chosen the radio in the end since the DJ took time to introduce the singers before playing their hit songs. Apparently the Celestial Sisters’ ‘Save your soul’ was a big hit at the moment. It had power vocals and a funky beat that made him dance. According to the DJ, these four angels hadn’t had much luck singing in their human lives, but they had turned their careers around after settling down in Heaven.
“Good for them.” Adam walked into the kitchen and refilled the watering can in the sink. He watered the kitchen floor, pleased how the star absorbed the water in a heartbeat. He was also pleased that he got to help Tommy with this particular chore; the watering can was heavy. Tommy did seem to have muscles in his arms, but it had to be easier for a big guy like himself.
‘Oh, right! The potion ingredients!’ He finished watering and put the can down on the floor. Tommy had let him watch while he had made potions this morning, so he knew where to look. He opened the cupboard full of jars and looked around. The ingredients weren’t kept in alphabetical order, so he had to check every jar.
He smiled when he came upon the jar of love. It had the most astounding color among them all. Tommy had told him that love was the only ingredient that you couldn’t buy with angel points. You had to love something or someone and let that love flow out through your fingertips. He had said that in his case, the jar was mostly filled with his love for music, food, and his friends. He had also added some love in their coffees, saying that it was the best sweetener up here.
‘Hmm, no cuteness.’ Adam closed the cupboard with a sigh. This seemed like another piece of evidence that went in favor of the doctor’s diagnosis. After their little kiss yesterday, he and Tommy had talked a lot. It had been an unspoken joint attempt to get over the awkwardness and the tension in the air. They had traded stories of their childhoods, early days of their careers, and favorite human musicians. And, the more they had talked, the more he had felt the urge to touch him.
It hadn’t been just physical attraction. He had kept imagining himself in all kinds of situations where he’d be tied to Tommy. When Tommy had told him that he had once auditioned for male pop singers, he had thought about how amazing it would’ve been if Tommy had auditioned for him. And, when he learned about Tommy’s jar of love, he had thought about how wonderful it would be if that jar was filled with Tommy’s love for him. As premature as it was, it looked like he was craving Tommy’s love.
“Hey, what’s with the sad face?” Tommy poked his head into the kitchen. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“Haha, I know. I was just having an epiphany.”
“About what?” Tommy opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. One of his delinquents was giving him a headache.
“About life, destiny, and relations.” Adam didn’t think that it was a lie. His words were just grand and vague.
Tommy cocked his head. “Maybe you had too much coffee. I know love tastes sweet, but two big mugs is a lot. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Haha, no thanks. But I’d like to talk about the mess that is your CD arrangement. Would you let me put the CDs in the right cases and arrange them in alphabetical order?”
Tommy frowned. “Why would you want to do that to yourself? No more coffee for you today.”
“Hahaha, it’s probably my OCD kicking in.”
Adam saw Tommy pick up something from the corner of the counter. “Is that an iPod? I thought everything came out in rainbow CDs.”
“They do. This is from my old days.”
“Ah, you brought it with you.”
“You can say that.” Tommy decided to spare Adam the gory details. He had only brought it with him along with the music in it because his car had been caught on fire and his iPod had apparently melted into his body.
“I’m sorry.” Adam gave Tommy a faint smile. The look on Tommy’s face told him that he had brought up an unpleasant memory.
“It’s okay. It’s been years already.”
Adam nodded. He wondered if he’d get to hear how Tommy had crossed over before he had to leave. He didn’t think that it was morbid curiosity if he just wanted to know whether Tommy had suffered. He prayed to God that he hadn’t.
“Thanks for helping out, by the way. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome! It’s the least I can do.” Adam smiled.
“You’re the prettiest maid I’ve ever had. Lucky me.”
“Really?” Adam thought about all the pretty faces that he had seen up here. “How many maids did you have?”
“None!” Tommy cackled and started running.
“None?” Adam picked up the watering can and ran after him. “I actually thought that was a compliment!”
“It is! If you want it to be!” Tommy dropped his beer and iPod and ran into the bathroom. He needed a weapon of his own.
“Tommy Joe, are you bringing a sunflower to a can fight? That’s not fair!”
Tommy didn’t respond with words. He jumped into the bathtub, turned on the cold water, and aimed the sunflower at his enemy.
“Ahhck!!” Adam covered his face with his free hand and took a couple of steps. His watering can did even less damage than expected since Tommy was shielding himself with his wings.
“Adam Lambert! Put down your weapon and surrender!”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll have to go on until you drop!”
“Good luck with that!” Adam snorted as he bulldozed his way into the tub. He wasn’t going to go down to a skinny little twink.
“Jesus, Adam! Let go!” Tommy struggled to hold on to the sunflower. Adam was trying to upgrade his weapon, the watering can abandoned on the floor.
“Not a chance!” Adam grabbed the stem with one hand and tickled the top of a wing with the other. Experience was a valuable teacher.
“Ahahaha! You fight dirty!” Tommy squirmed and tried to push Adam out of the tub.
They moved back and forth, all tangled up in each other before Adam managed to reach behind Tommy and turn off the water. He had won the battle, but he was too soaked and frozen to enjoy his victory. He had just hit the ‘DRY’ button on the wall when he felt too much bare skin against his thigh.
“Look away!” Tommy covered himself in a hurry, but they had both looked down already. This was what he got for wearing loose pants when he didn’t have an ass.
Adam chuckled at Tommy’s desperate voice. He had seen things and now he felt like a winner. “Here. I’ll fetch you a towel.”
Tommy stepped out of his wet pants and took the sunflower. This was mortifying.
While Tommy dried his front with compressed sunlight, Adam got rid of his pants and dried himself with a towel. He handed Tommy another towel and took the sunflower out of his hand. “Let me help you with your wings.”
Tommy wrapped the towel around his waist and closed his eyes. He was grateful for the help, but he also wanted to run out of here and crawl into a mouse hole. It was hilarious that they had seen each other naked one way or another when they had only kissed once-under duress. He would’ve laughed if he hadn’t been too busy swallowing hard; Adam was taking his time, making sure that every feather was dry to the touch.
“I’m sorry. Did you say something?” Adam thought that he had heard something.
“Nah, I didn’t say anything.”
But Adam heard it again and more clearly this time. “Oh my god, did you just purr?”
“I don’t think so,” Tommy purred. “I’m not a cat.”
“You totally purred! And, there’s no need to be ashamed. I’m flattered I could be so helpful!” Adam giggled. Tommy was the cutest thing. “Aww, your ears are all red!”
“Thanks for pointing it out,” Tommy grumbled. Adam was being impossible.
“But really, have you ever thought you might be a hybrid of an angel and a kitty? You’d be the prettiest half-kitty!”
Tommy didn’t hesitate to stomp on Adam’s foot. If he wanted feline temperament, he was going to get it.
“Oww!”
“Serves you right.” Tommy turned his head and glared. “And, don’t ask me if they take off points for treating your guests brutally because I don’t give a damn!”
Adam bit his lip not to burst into laughter. He wondered if they had just worked out some of the tension between them because he felt a whole lot better now. Of course, he wasn’t the one who had been embarrassed and teased, but he hoped that some part of Tommy felt the same. He had a feeling that he’d be enjoying his stay even more from now on.
“You ever thought about getting tattoos?” Adam asked as they sat down on the couch with cocoa. “I think they’d look great on you.”
“I did.” Tommy was wearing tighter pants with the waistband tied into a ribbon. “But my mom cried even when I got piercings in my ears, so I figured I could express myself in some other way.”
“Oh, sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. I could get inked now, but the thought of her still bothers me.”
“Well, you can always wait until it feels right. There’s no rush.” Adam dunked another marshmallow into his mug.
“Your mom was okay with your ink? Right from the start?” Tommy drank his cocoa.
“Yeah, she knew how much I hated my freckles. It was the best way to cover them. Do you want to know what they all mean to me?” Adam gestured at his tattoos.
“Sure.”
Tommy smiled and nodded as Adam told him the story about each of his tattoos. When Adam invited him to touch, he didn’t refuse. He traced some of the long lines on Adam’s right arm. They felt nice, but he found that he was more interested in the muscles underneath. Adam didn’t have any protruding biceps, but he could feel his strength simmering under the skin. If Adam had to, let’s say, throw someone on the bed and hold him down, he’d be able to do it.
“Tommy, are you okay? You’re a little red. I hope you’re not coming down with a fever.” Adam put the back of his hand on Tommy’s forehead.
‘I’ve got this fever that I can’t sweat out~’ Tommy thought as he was reminded of Adam’s ‘Fever’. He was going to turn into Saint Thomas by the time Adam had to leave.
“Maybe you should take a nap. Or do you want me to draw you a bath?” Adam stroked Tommy’s cheek. The poor kitty looked miserable. Maybe he shouldn’t have chased him with the watering can.
“I’m okay.” Tommy couldn’t help but lean into the touch.
“Are you sure? Is there anything else I can do for you then?”
“You can polish those doors like you promised.”
“Haha, okay. I’ll get to it right now.” Adam pinched Tommy’s cheek and finished his cocoa. Polishing doors made out of star crust would be a new experience.
After dinner, Adam felt himself buzzing with the need to sing. He was a singer filled with joy; it had been a day of honest work and the venison had been absolutely tasty. Besides, he was dying to hear what Tommy’s guitar would sound like under his voice. He had eavesdropped on Tommy’s talent-sharing session while polishing the inside of the study door.
“If you want to say something, just say it.” Tommy tapped the kitchen island with his fingers. He couldn’t handle the expectant stare anymore.
“Are you tired?” Adam popped another strawberry into his mouth.
“Adam, what did I just say?”
“I want to sing with you!”
“Oh… okay.” Tommy didn’t think that he was good enough to accompany such a special singer, but he figured that Adam had to keep practicing. “Let me grab my guitar and meet you in the living room.”
“Okay! I’ll get the strawberries and drinks.” Adam took out the misty tray and filled it with the fruit bowl, a beer bottle for Tommy, and a glass of lemonade for himself. This was all so domestic, but he didn’t mind it one bit. His new place back home was big, but it only held one person. It was nice to share a cozy space with someone he liked-or loved.
“So what do you want me to play?” Tommy sat cross-legged on the warm floor with his acoustic guitar.
“Whatever you want to.” Adam opened the beer bottle for Tommy and crossed his legs on the couch.
“Thanks.” Tommy took a sip. “But you’re the one who wanted to sing. You must have something in mind.”
“Well, is it too early for Christmas carols? I feel like I should be singing those in Heaven.”
“Not at all. We’ve started the prep work two weeks ago. But I thought you were Jewish.”
“I am. But the carols are too good to pass over and we won’t be together around Christmas…”
Tommy felt a sting in his heart. Adam wasn’t going to be around for their greatest festival. He wouldn’t get to skate at Winter Wonderland under the huge, shiny Christmas Star or have season-limited snow candies. He wouldn’t get to see the traditional reindeer show by the Rudolph Dance Company or sleigh down Santa Hill on Christmas Eve. And, he wouldn’t get to experience the insane eargasm that was the Christmas piano recital with Mozart, Bach, and Tchaikovsky.
“What’s wrong, angel?” Adam walked around the coffee table and sat in front of Tommy.
“Sometimes I forget you’re not here to stay.” Tommy hung his head.
“Oh, Tommy…” Adam carefully lifted Tommy’s chin.
“I like you,” Tommy blurted out.
“I like you too.” Adam found his heart pounding. His potion had to be wearing off. “And, I already dread the day I’ll have to go home. I’ve only been here for a few days, but this place feels more like home than my own down there.”
“I’ll miss you, you know.” Tommy managed a watery smile.
“I’ll miss you so much, Tommy.” Adam smiled back. “But that’s still in a million seconds, so do you know how to play any carols?”
Tommy chuckled. “I happen to know tons. Isaac’s a huge carol junkie and we jam a lot in December. He plays the drums and my neighbor Mike plays the keys.”
“Cool! I picked the right guy on the guitar!” Adam jumped to his feet. “Can I borrow your laptop? Carols have the wildest lyrics.”
“Sure. Go ahead.” Tommy tried not to think about what Adam had just said. But could this have been his life if he had somehow made it to the audition and had somehow gotten picked? Exactly how much fun did Monte Pittman have down there? Had he ever played carols for Adam? And, what a coincidence it was that Adam wanted to sing carols when he knew so many of them?
Tommy let out a quiet sigh. Something told him that what he had considered as coincidences might not be coincidences after all. The fact that he already had enough moonlight for the fogbow trail, that he knew Satan who could go down to reassure Adam’s mother, that he had just gotten over his fear of heights to use rainbow trails-they all had to mean something. You couldn’t get that many coincidences in a row. So had he been meant to meet Adam this way? Had the fishing accident actually been God’s doing? What about the car accident? But what good could possibly come out of meeting Adam like this?
“Okay. How about we start with something easy and familiar like ‘Silent night’? I love this one.” Adam sat in front of Tommy again. He wanted to stay close.
“Sure. Let’s do this.” Tommy took a swig of beer. Maybe things would hurt less with more booze.
Thankfully, Tommy felt more and more at ease as songs went by. It had been perceptive of Adam to suggest Christmas carols. After all, what kind of songs could be more cheerful? Adam’s voice wrapped itself around his tunes and he had to smile at how easy this was. He could hardly believe that this was their first time jamming together. He had been trying to follow Adam’s pace, but they naturally fell into the same rhythm.
Adam beamed at Tommy’s smile. He knew the reason behind it; he felt it himself to the bone. Their musical energies were intertwined and it felt as if their connection was growing tenfold. Was music really this powerful? It never ceased to amaze him just how smoothly music could bring people together. Whether God knew about his misplacement or not, he felt blessed that he could share this moment with Tommy.
“Shall we take a break?” He asked when he noticed that Tommy’s bottle was empty.
“Yeah. I’ll get some water.” Tommy tried to get up, but Adam put his hand on his knee.
“Let me. You’ve been doing all the hard work here.” Adam headed to the fridge.
“I see you’re nicely settling into your role of maid.” Tommy chuckled.
“Whatever, sugar daddy.” Adam stuck out his tongue.
Tommy gasped. “Sugar daddy? I’m only a few months older than you! And, I’m not getting any sex!”
It was Adam’s turn to gasp. “A few months older?” He couldn’t even begin to think about how Tommy sounded as if he wanted sex.
Tommy put his hands on his waist. “Why do you sound so shocked?”
“Why wouldn’t I be shocked? I thought you were like five years younger than me!” Adam banged his head against the soft foggy fridge. Heavenly furniture was perfect for dramatic moments.
“Are you saying you only like youngesty young twinks?” Tommy couldn’t help his sharp tone.
“Tommy, I don’t think twenty-seven would be youngesty young.” Adam poured some water into a glass.
“So thirty-three would be too old for you? That’s six years older than twenty-seven!”
Adam laughed. Poor Tommy was going to burst a blood vessel. “Tommy, I like you all the same.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Tommy didn’t look convinced, so Adam decided to prove it. He came back to the living room with Tommy’s water and resumed his place. When Tommy raised a perfect eyebrow, he kissed that eyebrow and curled his hand around the back of his neck. He waited to see if Tommy wanted to pull away, but nothing moved except for his beating heart.
Tommy fluttered his wings as Adam kissed him deeply. He put his hands on Adam’s chest, relishing the body heat that seeped into his skin. He kissed back, unable to do anything else. Adam’s heart was pounding against his palm and his other hand was caressing his cheek. He felt loved and cherished. He could do this all night.
“Did you like it better yesterday?” Adam asked in a whisper, resting his forehead against Tommy’s.
“Nah, I liked this one better. You must like me more than yesterday.” Tommy gave Adam an Eskimo kiss.
“Well, maybe you’ll like the next one even better.”
Tommy pulled back with worry. There was going to be a next one? Weren’t they supposed to not get too close to each other? He knew that they weren’t having much luck, but didn’t they have to keep trying?
“Come on. Give me your hands. I’ve been told I give good massages.” Adam could read the questions on Tommy’s face, but it wasn’t like he had any answers. It just felt like his efforts to keep his distance were becoming pointless. Would it be so bad if they chose to love each other? Would it be too much for Tommy when he left? Would he live to regret this thought? But in the grand scheme of things, wasn’t it always better to love than to not?
He shook his head to chase away the thoughts. All he wanted to do right now was to massage every inch of Tommy’s hands and sing the night away.
It is painful, but don’t avoid it. If you avoid it, you have avoided the greatest opportunity to grow. Go into it, suffer love… - Osho