Second Best (1/3)
“Fuck you, Drake!” Adam shouted down the hall after the retreating form of his boyfriend. The Idols were a couple weeks into their tour and were somewhere in Florida, though at the moment he couldn’t tell you where. He stormed into the hotel room and slammed the door behind him. “What the Hell is his problem?!” he shrieked, collapsing onto his bed, head in hands. Kris, who had been getting ready for bed, walked over and sat next to his best friend, placing a hand on his back.
“Fight again?” he asked, knowingly. Adam and Drake had been fighting a lot lately; over the phone, in person, even through e-mail. Kris wished there was something more he could do, something other than sitting and listening and commiserating. He wanted to hurt the person who was hurting Adam, to stop Adam from feeling any pain whatsoever. He wanted and he wanted and he didn’t know how to get. Adam nodded, running his fingers through his inky strands, and Kris pulled him tight to his shoulder. They sat there, Conway comforting Hollywood, in a comfortable silence as the time faded away. “I’m here if you need me,” Kris whispered against Adam’s hair. The older man raised his head until his stormy eyes met Kris’ soulful ones. The blue-grey of Adam’s eyes was dark, deep, filled with something that Kris couldn’t read. Before either of them really knew what was happening Adam’s lips had captured Kris’.
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Adam said, coming to his senses and pulling away. Kris looked at him for a moment without responding. The longer Kris went without responding the more Adam thought he’d really fucked things up. Kris shifted his gaze slightly so he was looking Adam in the eyes again, his eyes dark and fiery, and closed the small gap between the two, kissing Adam hard. This time it was Kris who pulled back and mumbled an apology.
He quickly ran his fingers through his hair and went back to the bathroom where he’d been before all the drama. Adam stared after him for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened before shaking his head. Kris finished preparing for bed quickly and got straight into his bed, ignoring Adam’s presence completely. Both men had a lot to think about, but neither really wanted to deal with it.
The next morning dawned bright and early, just as the days before, just as the days after. Nothing was different and yet everything was changed. Adam was up and gone by the time Kris awoke, the room showing no signs that another man even resided there. Kris sighed to himself, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and prepared himself for another day of the toil that is American Idol. He made his way slowly from his bed to the bathroom and then down to the conference room where breakfast was set up for the Idols every day. Today their spread consisted of bagels and someone making omelets. Kris quickly scanned the room for any sign that things had changed. Finding none he made his way to the buffet and picked up a half a bagel, even though his appetite was non-existent.
“Something wrong, Mr. Idol?” Allison asked as she joined Kris at his small table. She’d picked up the annoying nickname from Adam.
“Please don’t call me that,” Kris cringed. Allison laughed and sat down beside him - followed closely by none other than Adam frickin Lambert himself. Kris stiffened momentarily before noticing Adam’s smooth-as-ever movement. He decided he would take his cue from the older man - play it cool unless Adam made a big deal out of it.
He didn’t. Of course he didn’t.
The day proceeded just like all the others; rehearsals, sound check, interviews, show, meet and greet, tour bus, hotel. Adam had evidently sent Drake the information for the next hotel (still somewhere in Florida) because he was there waiting when the Idols pulled up. The others nodded their sleepy hellos as they passed to check-in so they could get a few hours’ sleep. Kris couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge Drake, however, and ducked into the hotel without a word. Adam didn’t come to the hotel room that night and Kris knew what that meant. Adam Lambert and Drake LaBry were together again. The next morning Kris looked at the still-made bed and sighed but said nothing.
The days continued as normal, Adam was back to sharing his room with Kris now that Drake had returned home, and Kris had almost forgotten about the kiss. Then, about a week after the Florida fiasco, Kris entered their hotel room to Adam shouting into his cell.
“I didn’t say that, Drake!” Kris couldn’t hear the response but it was obvious by the fact that it caused Adam to throw a shoe across the room, narrowly missing Kris’ head, that it was not the response he’d been hoping for. “I told you, that was nothing! Why are you being such a diva bitch?” He paused, listening. “Yeah, well, you too!” With that he jabbed the end call button and threw his phone onto the bed as hard as he could.
“Tough day?” Kris asked from the doorway. Adam’s head popped up and turned towards the southern accent.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s your hotel room, too,” Adam sighed. Kris’ eyes studied the glamrocker’s face. He looked tired, his eyes were rimmed with dark shadows and his normally glowing skin was drawn, dull.
“Fighting again?” Kris asked sympathetically. He sat beside Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder. This all seemed so familiar but Kris couldn’t bring himself to care.
“He read some tabloid article about ‘Idol exploits on tour,’” Adam sighed again, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, Katy saw that. She found it funny, actually.”
“See, that. That is how someone who trusts their partners should act!” He didn’t know if it was all the drama with Drake, the hectic tour schedule, the fact that he was exhausted through and through, or some combination therein, but Adam’s shiny façade finally broke. He began to cry and couldn’t seem to stop. Kris, unsure of what to do, hugged him tight to his chest and let him cry, let him let everything out.
After 15 minutes of uncontrollable tears, Adam pulled back slightly. Once more Kris surveyed his face, eyes puffy, makeup running, lips sore from worried gnawing. Without thinking Kris swept down and kissed Adam gently. There was a brief pause before Adam began kissing back, but neither pulled away this time. Adam’s mind was in overdrive; he was kissing Kris Allen! but he was going to let Kris take the lead. After a moment or two Adam felt Kris’ tongue lick his lower lip, begging entrance. Adam obliged eagerly and groaned as Kris deepened the kiss. When they pulled apart finally it wasn’t awkward.
“Drake’s an idiot,” Kris said, his eyes full of emotion, before he tore himself away to get ready for bed and begrudgingly call Katy.
When Adam’s phone rang at 6 am the next morning Kris groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. Not only was he not ready to get up and deal with the world, he really didn’t want to listen to the only person Adam knew who would call him at 6 in the morning. He drifted back to sleep for a few minutes but apparently he couldn’t escape into dreamland this time.
“I know, Drake, I’m sorry too.” Kris opened his eyes but stayed still, not wanting to intrude on Adam’s conversation twice in such a sort amount of time. “I overreacted, baby.” Adam’s voice was soft, repentant. “Ok, I’ll talk to you later.” Kris heard Adam end the call, much gentler than the previous night, and place his phone on the nightstand. “I know you’re awake, Arkansas,” Adam said with a smirk. “Were you listening in on my conversation again?”
“No,” Kris muttered, though the blush creeping across his face gave him away. “Well, not intentionally.”
Somehow Kris knew, Adam’s relationship with Drake was going to be the end of him.
*****
Author's note pt 2: Here are the links to the other stories. No real need to read them if you haven't, but just in case you're interested.
Not Yet 1
Not Yet 2
Not Yet 3
I Just Love You
Sleeping In
“Fight again?” he asked, knowingly. Adam and Drake had been fighting a lot lately; over the phone, in person, even through e-mail. Kris wished there was something more he could do, something other than sitting and listening and commiserating. He wanted to hurt the person who was hurting Adam, to stop Adam from feeling any pain whatsoever. He wanted and he wanted and he didn’t know how to get. Adam nodded, running his fingers through his inky strands, and Kris pulled him tight to his shoulder. They sat there, Conway comforting Hollywood, in a comfortable silence as the time faded away. “I’m here if you need me,” Kris whispered against Adam’s hair. The older man raised his head until his stormy eyes met Kris’ soulful ones. The blue-grey of Adam’s eyes was dark, deep, filled with something that Kris couldn’t read. Before either of them really knew what was happening Adam’s lips had captured Kris’.
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Adam said, coming to his senses and pulling away. Kris looked at him for a moment without responding. The longer Kris went without responding the more Adam thought he’d really fucked things up. Kris shifted his gaze slightly so he was looking Adam in the eyes again, his eyes dark and fiery, and closed the small gap between the two, kissing Adam hard. This time it was Kris who pulled back and mumbled an apology.
He quickly ran his fingers through his hair and went back to the bathroom where he’d been before all the drama. Adam stared after him for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened before shaking his head. Kris finished preparing for bed quickly and got straight into his bed, ignoring Adam’s presence completely. Both men had a lot to think about, but neither really wanted to deal with it.
The next morning dawned bright and early, just as the days before, just as the days after. Nothing was different and yet everything was changed. Adam was up and gone by the time Kris awoke, the room showing no signs that another man even resided there. Kris sighed to himself, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and prepared himself for another day of the toil that is American Idol. He made his way slowly from his bed to the bathroom and then down to the conference room where breakfast was set up for the Idols every day. Today their spread consisted of bagels and someone making omelets. Kris quickly scanned the room for any sign that things had changed. Finding none he made his way to the buffet and picked up a half a bagel, even though his appetite was non-existent.
“Something wrong, Mr. Idol?” Allison asked as she joined Kris at his small table. She’d picked up the annoying nickname from Adam.
“Please don’t call me that,” Kris cringed. Allison laughed and sat down beside him - followed closely by none other than Adam frickin Lambert himself. Kris stiffened momentarily before noticing Adam’s smooth-as-ever movement. He decided he would take his cue from the older man - play it cool unless Adam made a big deal out of it.
He didn’t. Of course he didn’t.
The day proceeded just like all the others; rehearsals, sound check, interviews, show, meet and greet, tour bus, hotel. Adam had evidently sent Drake the information for the next hotel (still somewhere in Florida) because he was there waiting when the Idols pulled up. The others nodded their sleepy hellos as they passed to check-in so they could get a few hours’ sleep. Kris couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge Drake, however, and ducked into the hotel without a word. Adam didn’t come to the hotel room that night and Kris knew what that meant. Adam Lambert and Drake LaBry were together again. The next morning Kris looked at the still-made bed and sighed but said nothing.
The days continued as normal, Adam was back to sharing his room with Kris now that Drake had returned home, and Kris had almost forgotten about the kiss. Then, about a week after the Florida fiasco, Kris entered their hotel room to Adam shouting into his cell.
“I didn’t say that, Drake!” Kris couldn’t hear the response but it was obvious by the fact that it caused Adam to throw a shoe across the room, narrowly missing Kris’ head, that it was not the response he’d been hoping for. “I told you, that was nothing! Why are you being such a diva bitch?” He paused, listening. “Yeah, well, you too!” With that he jabbed the end call button and threw his phone onto the bed as hard as he could.
“Tough day?” Kris asked from the doorway. Adam’s head popped up and turned towards the southern accent.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s your hotel room, too,” Adam sighed. Kris’ eyes studied the glamrocker’s face. He looked tired, his eyes were rimmed with dark shadows and his normally glowing skin was drawn, dull.
“Fighting again?” Kris asked sympathetically. He sat beside Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder. This all seemed so familiar but Kris couldn’t bring himself to care.
“He read some tabloid article about ‘Idol exploits on tour,’” Adam sighed again, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, Katy saw that. She found it funny, actually.”
“See, that. That is how someone who trusts their partners should act!” He didn’t know if it was all the drama with Drake, the hectic tour schedule, the fact that he was exhausted through and through, or some combination therein, but Adam’s shiny façade finally broke. He began to cry and couldn’t seem to stop. Kris, unsure of what to do, hugged him tight to his chest and let him cry, let him let everything out.
After 15 minutes of uncontrollable tears, Adam pulled back slightly. Once more Kris surveyed his face, eyes puffy, makeup running, lips sore from worried gnawing. Without thinking Kris swept down and kissed Adam gently. There was a brief pause before Adam began kissing back, but neither pulled away this time. Adam’s mind was in overdrive; he was kissing Kris Allen! but he was going to let Kris take the lead. After a moment or two Adam felt Kris’ tongue lick his lower lip, begging entrance. Adam obliged eagerly and groaned as Kris deepened the kiss. When they pulled apart finally it wasn’t awkward.
“Drake’s an idiot,” Kris said, his eyes full of emotion, before he tore himself away to get ready for bed and begrudgingly call Katy.
When Adam’s phone rang at 6 am the next morning Kris groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. Not only was he not ready to get up and deal with the world, he really didn’t want to listen to the only person Adam knew who would call him at 6 in the morning. He drifted back to sleep for a few minutes but apparently he couldn’t escape into dreamland this time.
“I know, Drake, I’m sorry too.” Kris opened his eyes but stayed still, not wanting to intrude on Adam’s conversation twice in such a sort amount of time. “I overreacted, baby.” Adam’s voice was soft, repentant. “Ok, I’ll talk to you later.” Kris heard Adam end the call, much gentler than the previous night, and place his phone on the nightstand. “I know you’re awake, Arkansas,” Adam said with a smirk. “Were you listening in on my conversation again?”
“No,” Kris muttered, though the blush creeping across his face gave him away. “Well, not intentionally.”
Somehow Kris knew, Adam’s relationship with Drake was going to be the end of him.
*****
Author's note pt 2: Here are the links to the other stories. No real need to read them if you haven't, but just in case you're interested.
Not Yet 1
Not Yet 2
Not Yet 3
I Just Love You
Sleeping In