WITHOUT WAX (Part Two of Two)
WITHOUT WAX
Author: lady_michaelis , Artist: cassandra_ml , Beta: eirana_regan
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Kris Allen, Cale Mills/Tommy Joe Ratliff
Rating: R
Genre: AU - romantic comedy, chick flick-ish
Word Count: 18,950
Warnings: Sexual content, language
Summary: For this artist, there is only one muse.
Disclaimers: Oh, you know what I’m supposed to write for this segment.
Note: For the Kradam Big Bang. The story is slightly inspired by Elizabeth Kostova’s The Swan Thieves, but mostly inspired by my love for art.
THE SCRIBE
It never fails to amaze me how my most famous work to date is a carefully written chronicle of how an artist finds his muse. Through the course of my writing career, I’ve been famous-or infamous, perhaps-for my feature articles and works of non-fiction in Affari Italiani. I still don’t know what came over me the day I decided to put together a romance novel based on my cousin and his lover. Whatever it was, I had faith that this story was worth sharing, and, miraculously, the world chose to agree with me.
Milan is a barrel filled to the brim with art. By sitting at the Piazza del Duomo and watching people interact, I’m sure you can come up with a romantic story of your own. Though I spent a bit of my time updating the novel there, the idea of writing this story came to me while I was drunk on martini from the main character’s liquor collection. It wasn’t in a flash of brilliance or anything; I was merely listening to his muse (my cousin) ranting about how sexually repressed he was. I don’t remember exactly what happened after that, but I found myself slumped over at my desk with a half-written manuscript in hand.
Well, I don’t need to tell the story all over again. If you’ve purchased the book, I’m sure you know it by heart now. If you’ve read it once, read it again. If you’ve read it twice, read it for a third time. To this day, I believe that it is the most worthwhile thing I have ever written.
Autumn of 2013
1918, Via Tadino
Milan, Italy
“They’re asking me to write another book,” Tommy announced, brushing his bangs away from his face. “They were willing to pay me quite a sizeable amount, but I said no.”
“They just need to deal with the fact that it was a one-time thing,” Cale said matter-of-factly. “You’re a journalist, babe, not a novelist. You were simply inspired by a story so extraordinary that you had to share it to the world somehow.”
“Which was exactly what I told them,” Tommy affirmed. “You can’t force people to write; the magic happens when you least expect it to. So what if I want to be the journalist who wants to die with only one novel to his name? My editor told me it could seal my status as a legend.”
Cale smiled at him. “You’re already a legend, Tommy. You’re just too noble to admit it. Imagine; a love story written by one of the most ruthless journalists of all time is being passed from the hands of one teenage girl to another. That’s gotta be something, man.”
“Remember the looks on some of those girls’ faces when they came to the book signing?” Tommy smirked. “I was this close to laughing like a mad man when they found out I was the author. They were probably expecting T.J. Ratliff to be a lovelorn woman of some sort.”
“It’s the power of the initials,” Cale remarked. “Take J.K. Rowling, for example. She was advised by her editor to take up a second name in order to become a woman of initials. Do you think people would be keen on purchasing a book about a boy and a Sorcerer’s Stone written by a woman named Joanne Rowling? I highly doubt that. I’m sure most of the people back then knew you as Tommy Joe Ratliff of Affari Italiani, but there will always be some who are ignorant of our local publications.”
Tommy wound his arms around his lover’s neck, laughing as Cale leaned in for a quick kiss. “Since when did you get so clever, hmmm?”
“We’ve been together for almost five years now, remember?” Cale chuckled. “I’ve been watching you do what you do for so long that I can already begin to see the logic behind writers and their eccentricities.”
Tommy blinked. “This means they’ve been together for almost three years. Unbelievable.”
“Speaking of Adam and Kris, a postcard came in the mail today.” Cale crossed the room to retrieve it from the stack of mail. “It’s nothing much, but Kris seems really excited.”
“I’m sure,” Tommy said with a smile as he read Kris’ short note. “It’s his first time in Germany, so it’s pretty darn easy to imagine him behaving like a tourist. He was supposed to stay behind, but Adam thought his guests at the gallery would like to meet his muse.”
“I can’t believe he finally decided to allow people to see those paintings,” Cale declared. “The old gallery is beginning to look like the chapel it once was.”
“The mural is forever, though,” Tommy said calmly. “The memory of the beginning, preserved forever on the domed ceiling in the heart of his home-a perfect tribute.”
“What do you think is going to happen next?” Cale asked, raising his camera to capture the setting sun.
Tommy said nothing. He curled his hand around Cale’s bicep, pressing his cheek against the soft leather of his jacket. Just like any other story, theirs would simply go on.
THE MUSE
I like Mister Lambert. A lot.
Because he has such a big house-seriously, it’s so Bruce Wayne-he invited me to stay with him instead of bunking in with Tommy and Cale in their messy apartment (artists are quite messy in general). He told me to feel at home here, but I’ve gotten lost dozens of times trying to find the kitchen! Aside from us, the only other person here is his student, Allison. She’s loud, funny and really great company. Yesterday, she let me join her by the lakeside to watch her paint. Unlike Adam, she’s very much into recreating still-life versions of the natural world. Right now, she’s trying to do a Monet and paint as many water lilies as she can for her very first art show. I find myself wishing I were half as talented as she is.
Speaking of paintings, I haven’t seen the ones Adam has done of me yet. I don’t know whether I should ask to see them or if I should wait for him to offer. I don’t want to be forward, but I don’t want to appear disinterested, either. This is all so confusing. Both Allison and Tommy say that I should bring it up casually during dinner or one of our afternoon strolls, but I’m afraid that it might put an end to the magic that stretches between us. Though we haven’t really gotten past him kissing my hand, I find myself looking forward to what he has planned. He’s being a perfect gentleman by not pushing the boundaries he thinks I have, but I do wish he would just sweep me off my feet without me expecting it. He was right about the idea of romance; everyone wants to be treated like a princess at one point in their life. I’ve never lived as anything but a schoolteacher, so I’m a complete stranger to Adam Lambert’s ideas of romance and his grand gestures. He calls me his muse, so I guess it doesn’t feel strange to look up in time to catch him studying my face, my gestures and my movements. Sometimes, he’ll be sketching away on one of his pads, but he never shows me, and I never ask.
Tommy and Cale are coming over for dinner tonight. Perhaps they’ll give me some clue as to what my next move should be. I’m awfully tired of waiting.
Spring of 2011
Lambert Manor
Milan, Italy
Kris was tipsy. He had never been this close to getting drunk in his life before. With Adam’s permission, he had invited Tommy and Cale over for dinner, and Tommy just had to convince them that it would be a great idea to accept Adam’s invitation of helping themselves to the contents of his liquor cellar.
“Ask him to show you,” Tommy said calmly, nursing a half-full glass of martini. “I went all shitty boldfaced on him and made a request the last time I was here.”
“Actually, he went a different route and used his manners,” Cale snickered. “I was very surprised and very impressed. We had a bit of a ball in bed that night.”
“We didn’t fuck on the bed that night, remember?” Tommy said crisply. “You had me up against the wall like the sex-crazed jungle animal that you are.”
“He’s right, you know?” Cale stage-whispered, swaying slightly. “I just look like a nice guy on the outside.”
Kris leaned back in his seat, half-listening to the pair’s playful banter as the pleasant side effects of having just the right amount of martinis washed over him. So far, his first week in Milan had been pretty amazing. As soon as he had taken one glance at the space Kris had cleared up for himself on the sofa at Tommy and Cale’s, he had gone on ahead and invited Kris to stay in one of the twenty guest rooms in his mansion. While he had tried to argue about not wanting to impose on Adam’s hospitality, Tommy made it a point to pack his bags for him and send him off with a furtive wink.
Half an hour later, Kris found himself standing in the foyer of a mansion bordering on palatial, desperately trying to remember how to get to his bedroom from the main entrance. Allison, Adam’s protégé, had kindly provided him with a hastily drawn sketch of the floor plan, but he found it rather difficult to read her childish handwriting. Noticing his distress, Adam very kindly transferred him to a new bedroom that was on the same floor as his.
Over the course of the next few days, Adam had been the perfect gentleman. He listened while Kris tinkered with the instruments in his lavish music room, and took him for long walks in the manor’s carefully maintained gardens. It was all good and Kris was having the time of his life, but there was one thing that continuously bothered him.
Adam had clearly said he was attracted to Kris, but was he really going to keep everything PG13 until it was time for Kris to fly back to Los Angeles?
“Is it stupid that I feel even more sexually repressed now than I’ve ever felt before?” he asked drunkenly.
“Kris, you’ve been sexually repressed all your life,” Tommy corrected him. “You always chose spending a night alone in your bedroom with a vibrator rather than running wild with one of those guys that tried to date you. Sure, sex toys can be the shit, but that’s like twenty-something years of solitary confinement.”
“Hey, I wasn’t the only one who refused to put out!” Kris whined. “You enjoyed making people suffer until the day you met Cale. How did Cale manage to land you, anyway?”
“Those were the hardest two years of my life,” Cale said with a grin. “He was-and still is-a menace in the office; everyone was so terrified of him from the very first day he walked into the building. I guess I was the only one cheeky enough to annoy him. Basically, we would argue a lot and end up in someone’s bed right after. We realized we had fallen into some sort of relationship a couple of months into the fight-and-fuck thing, so we just made it official.”
Kris blinked, trying to keep himself awake. “…that is very original. And highly characteristic of Tommy.”
Tommy smirked. “What can I say? I like adventure. Speaking of which, how’s yours going?”
“It’s very PG13,” Kris replied with a sigh. “Not that I’m complaining about it, but I thought he liked me. I mean, he refers to me as his love and muse, but he hasn’t done anything hardcore. Brad told me artists are funky when it comes to their affections-that they chase you until you’re out of breath and somehow end up falling in love with them, anyway.”
“Maybe Lambert’s afraid,” Cale suggested. “He’s spent all these years looking for you, so he doesn’t want to just go barreling in and possibly ruin everything.”
“Basically, the ball’s in your court now,” Tommy added. “You want to get things going? Seduce him.”
“I refuse to come off as a slut!” Kris said hotly.
“But Kris, dear, you’re a natural slut,” Tommy placated him. “Your adoring public just doesn’t know it because you restrict the action to the bedroom.”
Kris glared at him. “Remind me again why I thought it was a good idea to invite you over.”
“Because I’m your cousin and you love me,” Tommy replied. “Also, you knew I would be missing out on half my life if I missed out on the amazing contents of Lambert’s liquor collection.”
“Do you know he got me a new coat?” Kris suddenly remembered. “It’s vintage and all, but it’s by some guy named Giorgio Armani, and Adam said his stuff is really expensive. Of course, I was protesting all the way, but he wouldn’t have any of it.”
“Dude, you’re so fucking drunk,” Cale accused him. “You can’t tell Armani from Chanel-fuck, even I’m doing it-when you’re sober. Haha, this is fucking fantastic! Anyway, let the man spoil you. Toppy bastards like us love having the means to spoil our pretty little bottom boys. He’s bought you a lot of random things, hasn’t he?”
“Well, I have a collection of porcelain cat figurines now,” Kris admitted. “I bought one at an antique shop yesterday. When I got back, I had six others waiting for me.”
“You need to start seducing him if you don’t want to turn into some crazy guy that collects cat figurines,” Tommy declared. “I’m sure the perfect opportunity is just around the corner.”
“But I don’t know how to seduce a man,” Kris protested. “I can’t just lounge naked on his bed.”
“Actually, I think he’d like that,” Cale said thoughtfully. “I’d kill to see Tommy lounging naked on our bed for once; he’s always wearing those baggy hoodies to sleep.”
Tommy scowled. “Because it’s cold at night. And it’s not like you don’t find ways to get me naked, anyway, you motherfucking toppy bastard.”
Kris sighed and pressed his glass to his forehead, relishing in the cool feel of the moisture against his skin. Maybe he should have just gone on ahead and asked Adam if he could see the gallery.
“I’ll ask him tomorrow,” he said out loud. “Or later. Whatever-I’ve decided that I’m going to ask.”
Cale patted him on the back. “Good for you. Send us an owl when you’ve had sex.”
“Fucker, we don’t use owl post here.” Tommy nipped his ear. “Looks like all that Harry Potter you’ve been reading has invaded your sense of logic. If I want to get home in one piece, we should probably go while I can still function like a normal human being. Kris, would you be so kind as to locate our host? I don’t want to appear like an ungrateful wretch by just traipsing out unannounced.”
“Sure thing,” Kris agreed, steadying himself on his feet before leaving to find Adam-who was, of course, in his studio with the beginnings of his latest creation.
“Are you alright, love?” Adam asked solicitously, rising from his seat to support Kris’ weight. “You look as drunk as I was during my graduation day!”
“I think I had a little too much martini,” Kris said thickly. “Anyway, Tommy and Cale have decided to go before they collapse on your grape room couches, so I came to fetch you so they could say goodbye. Alli’s escorting them to the door as we speak.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Adam nodded. “Come now-and try not to fall over.”
Kris vaguely remembered saying a drunken goodbye to Tommy and Cale before he felt himself being led down a long, unfamiliar hallway.
“Where are we going?” he asked Adam. “I don’t think you’ve shown me this part of the manor before.”
“That’s because I want to keep it as a surprise,” Adam said with a furtive wink. “I know you’ve seen all sorts of rooms and facilities here; this is one of my more recent additions after a trip to Japan. It’s completely out of place in a very Italian home, but I think it will wake you up a little. Normally, I’d send you straight to bed, but I foresee a killer hangover in your future if you do.”
Kris watched in fascination as Adam revealed a pair of bamboo double doors behind a pair of velvet drapes. Smiling, he offered Kris his arm and escorted him through the doors, making Kris feel as if he suddenly traveled back in time to ancient Japan. Adam’s surprise, it turned out, was a traditional indoor Japanese hot spring. It had everything from bamboo trees, rock formations and dimly lit Japanese lanterns. Somehow, it was easy to imagine Adam sprawled out in the pool like the emperor of his own kingdom.
“This is amazing, man!” Kris breathed. “I’ve never been to Japan before, but based on what I’ve seen in movies and on the Discovery Channel, this is pretty damn authentic.”
“Thank you,” Adam said graciously. “I had a friend design this based off some photographs I brought home. My bank account was weeping for awhile, but the expenses are so, so worth it. The reason I brought you here is for you to try it out; the water is rather soothing and highly therapeutic. The changing area is just behind that shoji screen-you’ll find the robes and loincloths there as well.”
Trying not to look too excited, Kris set off in the direction Adam had pointed and busied himself with choosing a silk robe from the selections on the lacquered rack in the corner. Eventually, he picked up a nice-looking gold one with what looked like cranes and cherry blossoms embroidered on it. He stripped off his civilian clothing before wrapping the loincloth around his hips, pulling the robe on and stepping back into the makeshift spring. Adam was already in the water, sipping from a bottle of what was presumably sake. Flushing, Kris averted his gaze as he disrobed, afraid that he would say something terribly inappropriate if he allowed himself to lock gazes with Adam.
“You are beautiful,” Adam murmured, if a little breathlessly. “I can’t believe I haven’t started drawing you yet. I do not wish for you to feel overwhelmed by my attention, so I held back a little.”
“And here I was starting to think I was not at par with your expectations,” Kris chuckled, feeling his face heat up. “Is this why you haven’t shown me your gallery yet?”
“Yes,” Adam confessed. “To a non-artist, it would bear the appearance of a stalker’s domain. I desire you, Kris Allen, but I am noble enough not to act upon it like a ruffian.”
Kris bit his lip, feeling himself harden under the thin piece of cloth covering his sex. Adam’s words wrapped themselves around him, coursing through his body like strong, smooth tequila. Afraid to reveal his arousal, he turned in the water to reach for the sake, giving into the urge to drink until he was out of it to have the license to blame it on the alcohol the morning after.
“…wait.” Adam whispered. “Hold that stature, if you please. I must draw you.”
Kris heard a rustling movement in the waters, which meant that Adam had stood up to get something-his sketchbook and pencils, most probably. He raised his head and sucked in a breath, gazing unabashedly at Adam’s toned physique with its lean muscles and galaxies of freckles. Not immune to his attention was the long, thick cock resting in between his thighs, tempting Kris’ imagination to run wild.
Desire. He had not known it until the day he met Adam Lambert.
“The lines of your back are perfect,” Adam murmured. “I can’t believe I’ve managed to live through so many years without seeing you in the flesh.”
“Is this your definition of arduous affections, then?” Kris asked, moaning a little as he felt Adam’s hand brush against the skin of his back as he lowered the cloth to further expose the curve of his hip.
“Mmmm, yes,” Adam replied throatily, brushing his lips across the nape of Kris’ neck. “Art can be a highly eroticized experience if both parties wish it so.”
“I’ve never been touched like this before,” Kris murmured, shamelessly rubbing himself against the stone wall. “All my life, I’ve only been touching myself with my own hands…”
“This is the Kris I have never been able to paint,” Adam whispered into his hair, reaching down to rub in between his ass cheeks. “You have always looked so innocent, so melancholic-even in my mind. I want to awaken your sexuality, Kris; I want to help you experience the things you’ve missed out on.”
“Yes, Adam,” Kris exhaled, arching into his touch. “You can have anything you want.”
He tipped his head back on Adam’s shoulder, sighing softly into his mouth as Adam brought their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss.
THE DREAM WEAVER
When I was still in art school, we were once asked to draw ‘love’ and submit it at the end of the period. It was probably the most baffling assignment of my student life, and I will never, ever forget it as long as I live. No matter where I went in search of inspiration, there was nothing that struck my heart in the ways that landscapes usually do. At the end of the period, I turned in a blank paper to my rather unsurprised professor, telling him that in all honesty, I found nothing that spoke to me. He regarded me closely for a moment before saying, “Thank you for being honest, Mister Lambert. You may turn in your assignment when you finally understand what love is.”
I graduated that fall, but I knew not of love.
Shortly after I laid my eyes on Kris, I drew up a sketch-it was the earliest version of the fresco in the old chapel-and sent it to my professor. A few days later, he sent me a postcard that said: “Spectacular work, Mister Lambert. Here is your long-overdue A+.”
Spring of 2011
Lambert Manor
Milan, Italy
Adam had never sketched so feverishly in his life before. His bedroom floor was littered with images of Kris--some half-finished, others done to the last detail. Kris himself was curled up in Adam’s bed, eyes bright with mirth as he crawled over to take the sketchpad from him.
“Enough already,” he said teasingly. “You’ve been sketching since three in the morning.”
“I haven’t been this inspired in years,” Adam admitted. “And, if you must know, it was quite impossible for me to keep my eyes and hands off you in your state of undress.”
“You should have just asked me to strip naked the moment I walked into your manor,” Kris said promptly, hoisting himself into Adam’s lap. “I would have gladly complied, you know.”
“And chase you away with my lewdness?” Adam asked with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to his pouting lips. “Not a chance, my love. Not a chance.”
Kris sighed happily, and Adam deepened the kiss, mapping out the contours and ridges of Kris’ mouth. He had bedded men before, and they almost always went easily because they allowed themselves to be swayed by his clever tongue. It had, however, never felt as natural as it was now, Kris pliant and trusting in his arms. Adam moved his hands down to trace his curves, coming to rest on the swell of his ass.
“Make love to me,” Kris whispered. “I want to feel you.”
“Lay back,” Adam murmured. “I want to see you.”
Kris allowed himself to fall back onto the mattress, legs spread wide to accommodate Adam in the space between them. Adam moaned as his cock came into contact with Kris’, sliding them against each other in a lazy, unhurried pace. They had gone back to Adam’s room naked earlier, unconcerned with anyone seeing them since Allison’s room was located in the southern wing of the manor. There had been many kisses and brief touches in between sketches, but none quite as exhilarating as to the activities they were engaging in now. Adam was quickly learning how responsive Kris was to his touch, and this delighted him immensely. He loved the soft little noises Kris made each time they came into contact with each other; he wished for this to be just as pleasurable for Kris as it was for him.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured against the skin of Kris’ neck. “I will never tire of saying that, my love. Now, I will teach you to see yourself the way I see you.”
He extended a hand to Kris and led him to the divan in front of the mirrored wall in his dressing room. He made himself comfortable on the seat before crooking a finger at Kris, motioning for him to sit on his lap facing the mirror. Whimpering softly, Kris hastened to obey, his face blushing a bright scarlet as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.
“Do I…do I have to look?”
“Yes, you do,” Adam said firmly, gently squeezing a nipple between two black-tipped fingers. “I want you to see everything that I’m going to do to you.”
Kris moaned and shifted further into his embrace, shamelessly rubbing the crack of his ass against Adam’s cock. “Yes, yes. I’ll do whatever you want-just, just fuck me.”
“Well, well, well, it looks like someone certainly likes doing what he’s told,” Adam observed. “You’re going to listen to every word I say, won’t you, my sweet boy?”
“Yes,” Kris whispered. “I’ll-I’ll do as you say.”
“Very good,” Adam said approvingly. “Now, get down on your knees and take my cock, Kristopher.”
“But I don’t know how,” Kris murmured, reaching out to touch his face. “Will you…teach me?”
“My pleasure, dearest,” Adam smirked. “On your knees now-don’t hurt yourself.”
He raised his gaze to admire the soft curves of Kris’ body in the mirror, loving how he seemed to glow under the dim lighting of the room. If Adam could draw him now, he certainly would.
“Mmmmmm…you feel even better than you look,” Kris said softly, jacking Adam with his callused fingers. “So big and thick. Will this even fit in me?”
“We can worry about that later, Kristopher,” Adam said with a throaty chuckle. “I’ll do the magic and make things happen. But for now, you’re going to suck my cock and like it.”
He watched as Kris tentatively licked the leaking tip, tasting Adam’s cum on his lips. He seemed to like it, though, as he leaned forward again to suck the flared head into his mouth.
“That’s it, baby,” Adam murmured, petting his hair. “Don’t forget to fold your lips over your teeth, though; it can hurt like a bitch when they scrape over the skin.”
From the way he was treating the blowjob like a science experiment, it was pretty evident that Kris knew almost nothing in terms of technique. He was, however, rather perceptive and enthusiastic about the whole thing. If Adam made a pleased sound in his throat, Kris would dutifully repeat the same motions again and again until he decided to experiment further. At times, he would accidentally take in too much, and he would end up gagging on Adam’s cock, but he merely took a moment to recover before going in again.
“Enough, darling,” Adam murmured, pulling out of a pouting Kris’ mouth. “As much as I would love for you to spoil me ‘til I come, there are other orders of business we must take care of.”
“I was having fun,” Kris whined a little. “You were just starting to enjoy it.”
“Darling, darling,” Adam leaned down to press kisses to his forehead and cheeks. “There will be many other opportunities for you to suck me off; I want to take care of you now, love.”
“What do I do now?” Kris asked breathlessly.
“First, I am going to kiss the living daylights out of you.”
Chuckling softly, Adam lifted Kris back onto his lap and pressed their lips together as he shifted their positions, pinning Kris underneath him. He pressed kisses down Kris’ chest as he moved lower, pausing to suck at his nipples, pleased to have Kris whine and writhe beneath him. He paused in his wake to watch a faint pink blush spread across his skin. Perhaps he would paint Kris like this someday, sucking and licking his nipples from time to time just to see where the flushing stopped.
“Look at yourself in the mirror, Kristopher,” he instructed. “See how flushed you are now? That is how you look like when you’re utterly devastated by desire-how you look like when I’m lavishing my attention on you. You make my dreams come true, love; I have long wished to worship your body.”
“Please, Adam!” Kris begged; raking his nails down Adam’s back.
“Please what, love?” Adam suckled leisurely at the skin pulled over his hipbone.
“Anything!” Kris cried. “Just-just touch me, please.”
“Oh, darling,” Adam smirked up at him. “I’m going to touch you in places where no one has gone before.”
He got down to his knees and spread Kris’ legs, pulling them apart-he was surprisingly flexible-until his snug little hole was revealed to Adam. Sighing, Adam leaned forward and dragged his tongue along the crack, feeling Kris’ hips jerk upwards in surprise.
“Adam…what on earth?” he asked. “Are you sure you want to be licking me there?”
“I told you to leave the magic to me, remember?” Adam hushed him. “I’m certain you will enjoy this more than you think if you let yourself go. All you have to do is lie back there, hold your legs open and watch what I’m doing to you.”
Kris whimpered, but hastened to do as he was told. Adam pressed in again and laved at Kris’ hole, relishing in the sound of Kris’ soft cries as he bucked his hips wantonly. When he felt Kris begin to relax, he spread Kris’ ass cheeks and pressed in with his tongue, licking into Kris’ opening. He smirked as he drove in deeper, tasting soap and musk. Kris was certainly very thorough when he washed himself.
“Oh fuck!” Kris moaned. “Feels so amazing, Adam-I’ve never been licked there before.”
“But you’ve touched yourself, haven’t you?” Adam asked.
“Yeah,” Kris replied breathlessly. “I touch myself sometimes, imagining it’s someone’s cock instead of just my fingers. Feels so, so good…”
“I’m going to make you feel even better now that I finally have my hands on you,” Adam murmured, reaching for the condoms and the lube on his dresser. “For the longest time, I thought it would be good enough for me to catch another glimpse of your face. But now that I have you naked and willing under me, I wouldn’t trade this for anything else in the universe.”
“Even for the complete set of da Vinci’s works?” Kris asked coyly.
“Love, those paintings deserve to be placed where other people can see them and enjoy their beauty. You, however, deserve to be enjoyed by me and me alone. No one else is allowed to see you like this, naked and begging for my cock. You wish for me to fuck you, do you not?”
“Yes, yes!” Kris cried, nails digging into his shoulder. “Fuck me, Adam. Fuck me hard.”
Cursing softly, Adam uncapped the lube and drizzled a generous amount of it onto two of his fingers. He rubbed them together to warm them up before pressing his index finger into Kris’ hole.
“Is this alright?” he asked. “My fingers are much thicker than yours, so it’s going to be a tight squeeze.”
“I can take it,” Kris said firmly, working his way down to push Adam’s finger deeper inside him. “I’m going to need a lot more than a finger if I’m gonna take your cock.”
“You’re a bit of a hussy, aren’t you?” Adam marveled. “Sometimes, you act like a shy little pussycat in need of guidance. At other times, you act like you just really want a cock in your asshole.”
“Which is right now.” Kris wiggled his ass impatiently. “Come on, Adam-another finger.”
Adam pressed in with his middle finger, watching in rapturous delight as Kris threw his head back and moaned. Slowly, he began to push and pull his fingers out of Kris, carefully observing the hitches in his breath and the changes in his expression as cues for his next move. From time to time, he would increase the pace, making Kris arch his back and claw at the velvet covering the divan. He was moaning loudly now, and Adam knew he was ready.
“Slick me up,” he murmured, rising to a standing position. “Get the condom on me, then get me nice and wet so I can make it easier for you.”
Kris pulled himself up to a sitting position and helped Adam slide the latex over his cock. When he was fully sheathed, Kris coated his palms with lubricant and slicked up Adam’s cock, seeming rather fascinated by the cock in his hand.
“That will do, love,” Adam murmured. “If you continue to touch me as you do, I might come in your grasp instead of in your ass; I’d hate to disrupt my carefully-crafted plans of seducing you.”
“Oh, so you were planning to seduce me?” Kris asked with a giggle, letting Adam maneuver him back onto his lap. “How could I have missed the signs?”
“That’s because I don’t actually have a plan,” Adam said, grinning. “I’m playing things by ear.”
He lifted Kris’ legs up to rest on either side of him, anchoring his weight by grasping his hip with one hand and guiding his cock in with the other. Kris purred and pushed into Adam’s touch, crying out when the head of Adam’s cock caught against his hole.
“Please, please!” he moaned. “I need your cock in me, Adam!”
“Such a slut,” Adam nipped at his neck. “Would you like me to go slow?”
“God, no!” Kris shook his head. “Just put it in me, please.”
“You have to watch though,” Adam said softly. “Watch me fuck you in the mirror, Kristopher.”
He slowly worked his cock inside Kris, not stopping until he was fully sheathed by the warm, hot flesh of his ass. Moaning loudly, Kris wriggled on his lap, trying to get some friction going.
“Be patient, love,” Adam reminded him. “I don’t want to end up hurting you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Kris assured him. “You must be having a grand time making me beg like this.”
Adam let him go. “That’s because your sweet voice is music to my ears, dear Kristopher.”
He watched in fascination as Kris began to fuck himself on his cock, letting out a strangled little cry each time he bore down on Adam. He went slowly at first, trying to ease up the sharp sting of pain and finding a pace that was to his liking. Adam ran a palm over the curve of his hip to soothe him, trying not to thrust upwards to chase his own pleasure.
“Take your time, love,” he assured him. “Remember, we are after your pleasure here. As soon as you find that place in you that sends shivers through your body, you’ll know what you want.”
“I’m torn, Adam,” Kris moaned. “It hurts, but I want this so bad.”
“Let’s try something else, then,” Adam suggested. “Can you get down on all fours for me?”
Nodding, Kris pulled himself off Adam and did as he was told. Adam positioned himself behind Kris and slowly slid his cock back in, moving inside him in long, measured thrusts. Kris, though still in pain, began to relax in his grip, hips canting a little to meet Adam’s thrusts.
“That’s it,” Adam murmured. “You’re being such a good boy for me, Kris.”
“Yeah,” Kris managed to croak out. “I’m a good boy. I’m your good boy, Adam. Oh god, please fuck me!”
Adam grabbed his hips-they were sure to bruise-and sped up his thrusts, fucking him deep and hard. Kris was rocking back against him now, nearly sobbing each time Adam hit his prostate. Determined to make him come, Adam wrapped a hand around his leaking cock and jerked it in time with his thrusts.
“Adam, Adam…” Kris cried. “I’m close! So, so close.”
“Come for me, my beautiful muse,” Adam panted in his ear. “Do it for me.”
He fucked Kris in earnest, continuing to piston into him as he came in spurts all over Adam’s dressing room carpet. Content, Adam gave into the urge to chase his own orgasm, slowly lowering himself onto Kris’ limp form as he emptied himself into the condom with a groan.
“Are you alright?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the nape of Kris’ neck as he pulled out of his body.
“…that was amazing,” Kris said dreamily. “My ass is gonna hurt for days, but it is so worth it.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Adam smiled, curling an arm around Kris’ body as he tossed the knotted condom away. “We’ll clean up later-I am simply too exhausted to move right now.”
“You shagged him, didn’t you?” Allison crowed. “Oh my god, I am so brilliant!”
“What a way to greet me good afternoon, Signorina Iraheta,” Adam arched an eyebrow. “And how, may I ask, do you know of this?”
“You have that after-shag glow about you,” Allison said with a grin. “Also, it’s fucking three in the afternoon. No one gets up at three in the afternoon unless they had a wild night of steamy sex.”
“Point taken, Allison.” Adam chose to ignore her nudges for his coffee. “By the way, I’ve decided to show him the gallery today. I’ve also decided to take his advice and release the paintings for exhibit.”
Allison looked thunderstruck. “…wow. That means I’ll finally be able to see them, too. What made you change your mind all of a sudden, hmmm?”
“The fact that I finally have the real Kris Allen in my life,” Adam replied serenely. “An image, especially when it is one you’ve created yourself, indulges your fantasies greatly. Having him here with me makes me want to share the art he’s inspired to people all over the world-like, this is what love can produce from people. I’m not calling myself brilliant or anything, but the story behind the idea that all of my recent work is devoted to him would tug at people’s heartstrings a little.”
“People do enjoy the appeal of romance,” Allison agreed. “I think this is going to be really good for you, Adam-I’d like to think of it as a comeback, even. Imagine; you’ve been out of the limelight for so long, and you reveal yourself to the public again with all these amazing creations born out of love for someone you’ve never met until recently. Oh, this is just like a fairytale!”
“Am I Briar Rose, then?” Kris asked, appearing in the doorway dressed in one of Adam’s old shirts.
“You’re my goddess, darling,” Adam declared, sweeping him into his arms. “In fact, I was just going to show you my shrine. Allison, would you care to join us?”
“I’ll pass for now,” she said with a roguish wink. “I don’t want to spoil your alone time.”
Adam grinned at her. “This time, I will say it of my own accord-you are brilliant.”
He wrapped an arm around a giggling Kris, leaving Allison to preen in the dining hall. It was a path he had walked with Kris a couple of times now; he had been to Adam’s studio, after all-but never beyond the doors he kept under lock and key.
“After I show you the gallery, I would have completely bared my soul to you,” he said solemnly. “That means no more secrets, Kris.”
Kris smiled. “There are none from my end, either. I’ve always been clean with you, Adam, and I’m glad that you feel you can trust me with your secrets.”
“Look at me,” Adam sighed, cupping Kris’ cheeks with his hands. “Here I am, keeping things secret from the secret himself. You slay me, Kristopher Allen.”
“Shush, you.” Kris elevated himself up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. “Whatever it is, I promise I’ll be cool with it. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked.”
“Which I have had nearly twenty-four hours to indulge in,” Adam chuckled, taking Kris’ hand in his own to lead him through the doors. “Mister Allen, I present to you years of my love and devotion.”
The gallery was indeed, the heart of Lambert Manor. Adam Lambert was unused to walking around carrying his heart on his sleeve because he had safely ensconced it in this domed room-within the fifteen paintings and his obra maestra on the ceiling above them. Ever since he had sent his first and only letter to Kris, he had both dreaded and awaited the day he would finally escort Kris through those doors.
“…you did all this?” Kris asked in wonder, pausing in front of the nude (Adam felt like smacking himself for hanging it in such a prominent place). “They’re amazing, Adam. Seriously! Of course, I’m still feeling a little flushed because these are all images of me, but you are really very talented. I know I’ve said this in my response to your letter and when you walked me through your public gallery, but this is my honest opinion. You shouldn’t be hiding all this here, man; they should be where people can see them.”
“I was thinking that, too,” Adam said wistfully. “That was actually my original intention while I was in the process of painting the very first one I put on canvass-the one of you on the white horse over there. I thought I would do three or four paintings with an equestrienne theme and exhibit them as a collection, but I ended up being drawn into the world of obsession without realizing it. The more I painted, the less organized my thoughts became, and I ended up with fifteen concrete manifestations of my fucked-up imagination. I guess I just wasn’t ready to share you with the world just yet. All I had of you back then was a single memory, and I was afraid I would end up forgetting your face if I shared that one memory I had with the rest of the world.”
“People do stupid things when they’re in love.” Kris reached out to take his hand. “I jumped on a plane and flew straight to Italy just to find it-and I’m mighty glad I took the risk.”
“One altered choice, and we could have missed each other completely,” Adam murmured, lifting Kris’ hand up to his lips for a kiss. “Do you believe in destiny, Kris?”
“No,” Kris said softly. “But I do believe in free will. It’s the choices we make, Adam; we control our own lives-you decided to write to me, I decided to respond. It’s really simple if you think about it well enough. That’s how I see things, at least.”
Adam grinned. “You, my darling, are very, very smart. I’ve actually dug up telephone numbers of old colleagues who could help me out with the exhibit. Shit is probably going to hit the fan because they haven’t heard from me in an eternity, but I’m hoping for the best.”
“You’re going to be great, Adam,” Kris assured him. “You were always meant to be out there, sharing your talent with the world. I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear from you.”
“Perhaps,” Adam agreed. “I have one more question to ask of you, though.”
“Go on,” Kris urged him.
“That day I saw you at the fountain…what were you wishing for?”
“That’s easy.” Kris leaned in for a kiss. “I was wishing for you.”
THE MUSE
When I was on holiday one summer, my parents allowed me to accompany my grandfather to Milan, Italy for a vacation. I remember being really excited about it because it was going to be my first time to travel outside a country, and I was looking forward to visiting one of the most beautiful places on earth. I guess I can say I was in a hurry to grow up; I was bored of the life I had in Conway, and I wanted to experience the world without a parent holding my hand.
For me and this beautiful city, it was love at first sight.
I loved waking up to a world that I was so unused to. Instead of a bowl of Cheerios and a glass of milk, I would share classic Italian meals with my grandpa on our hotel balcony or in one of the cafes in the area. Instead of greeting neighbors I’ve known since I was a kid, I would stop to talk to the nice foreign folk I would pass on the street. People here are a lot more artsy than people in Conway, and while I knew next to nothing about art, I was happy to be in the company of such creative people. Milan fueled my energy, somehow, and I would pen song after song after song. In fact, I became so wrapped up with the culture that I began to embrace some of their traditions as well-my Italian is terrible, though.
On the day I was scheduled to go back home, I took one last walk around the Piazza del Duomo. When we had first arrived, the tour guide was telling us about how people dropped coins into the fountain at the square in the hopes of making their wishes come true. I didn’t think much of it during our stay, but for some reason, I was tempted to try it out. I’ve always been quite lonely, you see. Ever watch a movie where the main character was some sad boy or girl looking for love? Well, that’s me. I’ve never really felt how it is to actually be in love with someone. I’ve always been a teensy bit jealous of my school friends who would walk away from graduation hand-in-hand with a significant other, wearing their class rings and making plans for the future. It wasn’t something I thought about a lot, but I thought it would be nice.
I tossed my coin in and watched it sink to the bottom of the fountain until it was unrecognizable amidst the coins from my fellow hopefuls. On my last day in Milan, I wished for love.
Winter of 2011
The Hikari
375 East Second St.
Los Angeles, California
“Adam, we made a deal, remember?” Kris asked in fond exasperation. “At least one-eighth of your stuff goes to goodwill. Several scarves from your ‘keep’ pile have already fallen on my face!”
“But you made those for me!” Adam protested. “I love orphans and all, but I am most certainly not winding my special Kris scarves around their necks.”
“Well, if you want to keep all the fancy things, we can at least give away some of your old shirts,” Kris sighed. “You’re going to be in your studio more often than not, so those faded old things can go away. Before you say anything else, it’s either those or the funny little vase you love so much.”
“That’s one of the very first replicas made of Aalto’s Savoy Vase!” Adam exclaimed. “You are not giving a work of art to goodwill! I would much rather part with my shirts.”
“Terrific.” Kris pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose before heaping the folded pile of Adam’s old shirts into his designated goodwill box. “I’ll make my mango flambé tonight to make you feel better.”
“Can I lick it off you on the kitchen table?” Adam asked hopefully.
“Adam, we’re having guests tonight,” Kris reminded him. “These guests just happen to include our families, so you’d better be on your best behavior.”
“Alright, alright,” Adam whined, getting to his feet. “I’ll be good and set the table to avoid the temptation of taking back my old stuff while you’re not looking.”
“I love you!” Kris called out after him. “Don’t forget to start the roast; I already put it in the oven.”
Smiling happily to himself, he sealed the box shut with packing tape before moving to the walk-in closet to hang up the rest of Adam’s discarded clothes. They had moved into their new apartment last week, but Kris knew it was going to take another week to weed out their clutter and fix up whatever they decided to keep. Moving into a new home as a couple was a tricky thing; they had to estimate how much of their stuff they could keep based on the available space. Thankfully, Adam had left most of his expensive collections in the manor (“We’re going to have to keep a decent amount of art around this place if we want to save our reputation.”) just so they wouldn’t have to put up with an empty home when they flew out for vacations. He had never expected Adam to offer to move to LA with him, as he knew how much Adam loved Milan.
That had been their biggest problem towards the end of Kris’ stay in Milan; Kris didn’t want to come off as a jerk by saying he needed to stay in LA because of his job. As soon as his plane had touched down in LA, he’d called Adam to say hello, only to have Adam suggest that he do the moving to spare Kris the inconvenience. Kris had tried to argue, but Adam insisted that it would be more practical-he could paint in any part of the world as long as Kris was right there with him. It had taken awhile to get his affairs in order (he had his things shipped to Kris’ place in giant boxes at random intervals of the year), but he promised he would be home in time to spend the holidays with Kris.
“Love, do you remember where we put the spices?” he heard Adam ask. “I can’t seem to find them.”
“Probably in one of the drawers,” Kris suggested. “Hang on, I’ll be right there!”
He shut the door with his hip before heading out to the kitchen. Adam was standing in front of the oven, looking adorable in one of Kris’ frilly aprons and over mitts.
“I should really get to work on the labeling, shouldn’t I?” he asked, pulling the condiments drawer open for Adam. “I have a feeling we’re going to have a few mishaps like this until we get used to things.”
“I’d rather spend a lifetime of mishaps with you than an ill-free life without.” Adam wound his arms around Kris’ waist and lowered him to the floor in a faux tango dip. “Whether it be Italy or the United States, as long as you are with me, I am content.”
“You are insane!” Kris said with a happy laugh. “You are insane and I love you.”
“Oh, don’t let me interrupt,” a new voice said from the doorway. “It was open, so I thought I would simply invite myself in. Good evening, Adam-that apron suits you.”
“Ah, my dear Bradley!” Adam grinned roguishly at him. “Why, you’re quite early for dinner!”
“I thought I’d help out,” Brad replied, placing the bottle of champagne he brought along on the kitchen counter. “From the looks of things, you’re going to need it-people don’t get much done if they schedule quickies in between.”
Adam snorted. “For your information, I don’t have any intentions of ravishing him at the moment. Even I know when to hold back on sex.”
“Says the man who was nailing Kris to the living room wall the day I came over to introduce myself,” Brad shot back with a friendly smirk. “That was both hot and embarrassing at the same time.”
Kris had the grace to blush at the recollection of the incident. He had been so excited at finally having Adam with him that he had forgotten to lock the door. Plus, Brad had never been the knocking type. There had been a lot of awkward introductions and harried explanations, but Brad and Adam had ended up becoming good friends. The bad thing was that they had become united in the goal of discarding Kris’ wardrobe and taking him shopping for things that clung obscenely to his body.
“My boyfriend Cassidy saw two of your Kris paintings at the Metropolitan Museum, by the way,” Brad was saying. “He’s extremely impressed and wants me to get an autograph for him.”
“Kris’ autograph or mine?” Adam asked with a laugh. “Some people fawn over him more than they do me because they recognize him from the paintings; it’s delightful.”
“I get some of the weirdest questions because of that,” Kris giggled. “Like, ‘Hey! Aren’t you the guy with a naked painting at the Met?’ or ‘Aren’t you the twink on the horse?’.”
“Wait until I unveil the latest nude I’m doing of Kris.” Adam wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “He’s posing for me this time, so it should be a lot more detailed than the ones I did from memory.”
“I swear, you guys have this modern-day fairytale thing going on,” Brad said dramatically. “Move over, Wills and Kate; Adam and Kris are about to steal your thunder.”
Kris shook his head and busied himself with preparing the ingredients for the mango flambé. Their families would arrive in two hours, and they were still far from ready. For once in his life, it was nice to feel the stress of having to worry about whether his boyfriend’s family would like him-it just seemed so normal, somehow.
A long time ago, he would have been unable to imagine himself in such a situation, as having a boyfriend had never been one of his top priorities. If he had given in to logic and reason, he would be going over set lists and grading exam papers instead of making dessert for an entire army now. If he had chosen to ignore Adam’s letter, they would have never crossed paths, and Kris would have gone on living with an Adam-sized hole in his life without realizing it.
“Honey?”
“Yes, love?” Adam responded. His eyes were trained on the oven, carefully watching the turkey bake like the meticulous artist that he was. Laughing, Kris abandoned his mangoes for a moment to wrap his arms around Adam’s waist.
“I’m glad we met,” he said softly.
He could tell Adam was smiling. “I love you, sunshine.”
They had today, tomorrow, and the rest of their lives.
THE DREAM WEAVER
Winter of 2011
The Hikari
375 East Second St.
Los Angeles, California
It was Christmas Eve. Born Jewish, he never really paid attention to the holidays, but they were very important to Kris, and Adam wanted to make their first Christmas together special. He had gotten up early to set up the tree (he would save the decorating for when Kris woke), and Kris being Kris, had slept through the racket that Adam made. He was still asleep at the moment, his nude form half-wrapped in pale satin sheets. Smiling, Adam reached out to cover his bare torso. Kris snuffled, nuzzled his hand, and made the retreat back to dreamland. Feeling the stirrings of a new morning, Adam rose to his feet and threw on his sleep pants, picking up his half-finished canvass and his paint mix.
He had a sunrise to paint, and it was going to be beautiful.
Author: lady_michaelis , Artist: cassandra_ml , Beta: eirana_regan
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Kris Allen, Cale Mills/Tommy Joe Ratliff
Rating: R
Genre: AU - romantic comedy, chick flick-ish
Word Count: 18,950
Warnings: Sexual content, language
Summary: For this artist, there is only one muse.
Disclaimers: Oh, you know what I’m supposed to write for this segment.
Note: For the Kradam Big Bang. The story is slightly inspired by Elizabeth Kostova’s The Swan Thieves, but mostly inspired by my love for art.
THE SCRIBE
It never fails to amaze me how my most famous work to date is a carefully written chronicle of how an artist finds his muse. Through the course of my writing career, I’ve been famous-or infamous, perhaps-for my feature articles and works of non-fiction in Affari Italiani. I still don’t know what came over me the day I decided to put together a romance novel based on my cousin and his lover. Whatever it was, I had faith that this story was worth sharing, and, miraculously, the world chose to agree with me.
Milan is a barrel filled to the brim with art. By sitting at the Piazza del Duomo and watching people interact, I’m sure you can come up with a romantic story of your own. Though I spent a bit of my time updating the novel there, the idea of writing this story came to me while I was drunk on martini from the main character’s liquor collection. It wasn’t in a flash of brilliance or anything; I was merely listening to his muse (my cousin) ranting about how sexually repressed he was. I don’t remember exactly what happened after that, but I found myself slumped over at my desk with a half-written manuscript in hand.
Well, I don’t need to tell the story all over again. If you’ve purchased the book, I’m sure you know it by heart now. If you’ve read it once, read it again. If you’ve read it twice, read it for a third time. To this day, I believe that it is the most worthwhile thing I have ever written.
Autumn of 2013
1918, Via Tadino
Milan, Italy
“They’re asking me to write another book,” Tommy announced, brushing his bangs away from his face. “They were willing to pay me quite a sizeable amount, but I said no.”
“They just need to deal with the fact that it was a one-time thing,” Cale said matter-of-factly. “You’re a journalist, babe, not a novelist. You were simply inspired by a story so extraordinary that you had to share it to the world somehow.”
“Which was exactly what I told them,” Tommy affirmed. “You can’t force people to write; the magic happens when you least expect it to. So what if I want to be the journalist who wants to die with only one novel to his name? My editor told me it could seal my status as a legend.”
Cale smiled at him. “You’re already a legend, Tommy. You’re just too noble to admit it. Imagine; a love story written by one of the most ruthless journalists of all time is being passed from the hands of one teenage girl to another. That’s gotta be something, man.”
“Remember the looks on some of those girls’ faces when they came to the book signing?” Tommy smirked. “I was this close to laughing like a mad man when they found out I was the author. They were probably expecting T.J. Ratliff to be a lovelorn woman of some sort.”
“It’s the power of the initials,” Cale remarked. “Take J.K. Rowling, for example. She was advised by her editor to take up a second name in order to become a woman of initials. Do you think people would be keen on purchasing a book about a boy and a Sorcerer’s Stone written by a woman named Joanne Rowling? I highly doubt that. I’m sure most of the people back then knew you as Tommy Joe Ratliff of Affari Italiani, but there will always be some who are ignorant of our local publications.”
Tommy wound his arms around his lover’s neck, laughing as Cale leaned in for a quick kiss. “Since when did you get so clever, hmmm?”
“We’ve been together for almost five years now, remember?” Cale chuckled. “I’ve been watching you do what you do for so long that I can already begin to see the logic behind writers and their eccentricities.”
Tommy blinked. “This means they’ve been together for almost three years. Unbelievable.”
“Speaking of Adam and Kris, a postcard came in the mail today.” Cale crossed the room to retrieve it from the stack of mail. “It’s nothing much, but Kris seems really excited.”
“I’m sure,” Tommy said with a smile as he read Kris’ short note. “It’s his first time in Germany, so it’s pretty darn easy to imagine him behaving like a tourist. He was supposed to stay behind, but Adam thought his guests at the gallery would like to meet his muse.”
“I can’t believe he finally decided to allow people to see those paintings,” Cale declared. “The old gallery is beginning to look like the chapel it once was.”
“The mural is forever, though,” Tommy said calmly. “The memory of the beginning, preserved forever on the domed ceiling in the heart of his home-a perfect tribute.”
“What do you think is going to happen next?” Cale asked, raising his camera to capture the setting sun.
Tommy said nothing. He curled his hand around Cale’s bicep, pressing his cheek against the soft leather of his jacket. Just like any other story, theirs would simply go on.
THE MUSE
I like Mister Lambert. A lot.
Because he has such a big house-seriously, it’s so Bruce Wayne-he invited me to stay with him instead of bunking in with Tommy and Cale in their messy apartment (artists are quite messy in general). He told me to feel at home here, but I’ve gotten lost dozens of times trying to find the kitchen! Aside from us, the only other person here is his student, Allison. She’s loud, funny and really great company. Yesterday, she let me join her by the lakeside to watch her paint. Unlike Adam, she’s very much into recreating still-life versions of the natural world. Right now, she’s trying to do a Monet and paint as many water lilies as she can for her very first art show. I find myself wishing I were half as talented as she is.
Speaking of paintings, I haven’t seen the ones Adam has done of me yet. I don’t know whether I should ask to see them or if I should wait for him to offer. I don’t want to be forward, but I don’t want to appear disinterested, either. This is all so confusing. Both Allison and Tommy say that I should bring it up casually during dinner or one of our afternoon strolls, but I’m afraid that it might put an end to the magic that stretches between us. Though we haven’t really gotten past him kissing my hand, I find myself looking forward to what he has planned. He’s being a perfect gentleman by not pushing the boundaries he thinks I have, but I do wish he would just sweep me off my feet without me expecting it. He was right about the idea of romance; everyone wants to be treated like a princess at one point in their life. I’ve never lived as anything but a schoolteacher, so I’m a complete stranger to Adam Lambert’s ideas of romance and his grand gestures. He calls me his muse, so I guess it doesn’t feel strange to look up in time to catch him studying my face, my gestures and my movements. Sometimes, he’ll be sketching away on one of his pads, but he never shows me, and I never ask.
Tommy and Cale are coming over for dinner tonight. Perhaps they’ll give me some clue as to what my next move should be. I’m awfully tired of waiting.
Spring of 2011
Lambert Manor
Milan, Italy
Kris was tipsy. He had never been this close to getting drunk in his life before. With Adam’s permission, he had invited Tommy and Cale over for dinner, and Tommy just had to convince them that it would be a great idea to accept Adam’s invitation of helping themselves to the contents of his liquor cellar.
“Ask him to show you,” Tommy said calmly, nursing a half-full glass of martini. “I went all shitty boldfaced on him and made a request the last time I was here.”
“Actually, he went a different route and used his manners,” Cale snickered. “I was very surprised and very impressed. We had a bit of a ball in bed that night.”
“We didn’t fuck on the bed that night, remember?” Tommy said crisply. “You had me up against the wall like the sex-crazed jungle animal that you are.”
“He’s right, you know?” Cale stage-whispered, swaying slightly. “I just look like a nice guy on the outside.”
Kris leaned back in his seat, half-listening to the pair’s playful banter as the pleasant side effects of having just the right amount of martinis washed over him. So far, his first week in Milan had been pretty amazing. As soon as he had taken one glance at the space Kris had cleared up for himself on the sofa at Tommy and Cale’s, he had gone on ahead and invited Kris to stay in one of the twenty guest rooms in his mansion. While he had tried to argue about not wanting to impose on Adam’s hospitality, Tommy made it a point to pack his bags for him and send him off with a furtive wink.
Half an hour later, Kris found himself standing in the foyer of a mansion bordering on palatial, desperately trying to remember how to get to his bedroom from the main entrance. Allison, Adam’s protégé, had kindly provided him with a hastily drawn sketch of the floor plan, but he found it rather difficult to read her childish handwriting. Noticing his distress, Adam very kindly transferred him to a new bedroom that was on the same floor as his.
Over the course of the next few days, Adam had been the perfect gentleman. He listened while Kris tinkered with the instruments in his lavish music room, and took him for long walks in the manor’s carefully maintained gardens. It was all good and Kris was having the time of his life, but there was one thing that continuously bothered him.
Adam had clearly said he was attracted to Kris, but was he really going to keep everything PG13 until it was time for Kris to fly back to Los Angeles?
“Is it stupid that I feel even more sexually repressed now than I’ve ever felt before?” he asked drunkenly.
“Kris, you’ve been sexually repressed all your life,” Tommy corrected him. “You always chose spending a night alone in your bedroom with a vibrator rather than running wild with one of those guys that tried to date you. Sure, sex toys can be the shit, but that’s like twenty-something years of solitary confinement.”
“Hey, I wasn’t the only one who refused to put out!” Kris whined. “You enjoyed making people suffer until the day you met Cale. How did Cale manage to land you, anyway?”
“Those were the hardest two years of my life,” Cale said with a grin. “He was-and still is-a menace in the office; everyone was so terrified of him from the very first day he walked into the building. I guess I was the only one cheeky enough to annoy him. Basically, we would argue a lot and end up in someone’s bed right after. We realized we had fallen into some sort of relationship a couple of months into the fight-and-fuck thing, so we just made it official.”
Kris blinked, trying to keep himself awake. “…that is very original. And highly characteristic of Tommy.”
Tommy smirked. “What can I say? I like adventure. Speaking of which, how’s yours going?”
“It’s very PG13,” Kris replied with a sigh. “Not that I’m complaining about it, but I thought he liked me. I mean, he refers to me as his love and muse, but he hasn’t done anything hardcore. Brad told me artists are funky when it comes to their affections-that they chase you until you’re out of breath and somehow end up falling in love with them, anyway.”
“Maybe Lambert’s afraid,” Cale suggested. “He’s spent all these years looking for you, so he doesn’t want to just go barreling in and possibly ruin everything.”
“Basically, the ball’s in your court now,” Tommy added. “You want to get things going? Seduce him.”
“I refuse to come off as a slut!” Kris said hotly.
“But Kris, dear, you’re a natural slut,” Tommy placated him. “Your adoring public just doesn’t know it because you restrict the action to the bedroom.”
Kris glared at him. “Remind me again why I thought it was a good idea to invite you over.”
“Because I’m your cousin and you love me,” Tommy replied. “Also, you knew I would be missing out on half my life if I missed out on the amazing contents of Lambert’s liquor collection.”
“Do you know he got me a new coat?” Kris suddenly remembered. “It’s vintage and all, but it’s by some guy named Giorgio Armani, and Adam said his stuff is really expensive. Of course, I was protesting all the way, but he wouldn’t have any of it.”
“Dude, you’re so fucking drunk,” Cale accused him. “You can’t tell Armani from Chanel-fuck, even I’m doing it-when you’re sober. Haha, this is fucking fantastic! Anyway, let the man spoil you. Toppy bastards like us love having the means to spoil our pretty little bottom boys. He’s bought you a lot of random things, hasn’t he?”
“Well, I have a collection of porcelain cat figurines now,” Kris admitted. “I bought one at an antique shop yesterday. When I got back, I had six others waiting for me.”
“You need to start seducing him if you don’t want to turn into some crazy guy that collects cat figurines,” Tommy declared. “I’m sure the perfect opportunity is just around the corner.”
“But I don’t know how to seduce a man,” Kris protested. “I can’t just lounge naked on his bed.”
“Actually, I think he’d like that,” Cale said thoughtfully. “I’d kill to see Tommy lounging naked on our bed for once; he’s always wearing those baggy hoodies to sleep.”
Tommy scowled. “Because it’s cold at night. And it’s not like you don’t find ways to get me naked, anyway, you motherfucking toppy bastard.”
Kris sighed and pressed his glass to his forehead, relishing in the cool feel of the moisture against his skin. Maybe he should have just gone on ahead and asked Adam if he could see the gallery.
“I’ll ask him tomorrow,” he said out loud. “Or later. Whatever-I’ve decided that I’m going to ask.”
Cale patted him on the back. “Good for you. Send us an owl when you’ve had sex.”
“Fucker, we don’t use owl post here.” Tommy nipped his ear. “Looks like all that Harry Potter you’ve been reading has invaded your sense of logic. If I want to get home in one piece, we should probably go while I can still function like a normal human being. Kris, would you be so kind as to locate our host? I don’t want to appear like an ungrateful wretch by just traipsing out unannounced.”
“Sure thing,” Kris agreed, steadying himself on his feet before leaving to find Adam-who was, of course, in his studio with the beginnings of his latest creation.
“Are you alright, love?” Adam asked solicitously, rising from his seat to support Kris’ weight. “You look as drunk as I was during my graduation day!”
“I think I had a little too much martini,” Kris said thickly. “Anyway, Tommy and Cale have decided to go before they collapse on your grape room couches, so I came to fetch you so they could say goodbye. Alli’s escorting them to the door as we speak.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Adam nodded. “Come now-and try not to fall over.”
Kris vaguely remembered saying a drunken goodbye to Tommy and Cale before he felt himself being led down a long, unfamiliar hallway.
“Where are we going?” he asked Adam. “I don’t think you’ve shown me this part of the manor before.”
“That’s because I want to keep it as a surprise,” Adam said with a furtive wink. “I know you’ve seen all sorts of rooms and facilities here; this is one of my more recent additions after a trip to Japan. It’s completely out of place in a very Italian home, but I think it will wake you up a little. Normally, I’d send you straight to bed, but I foresee a killer hangover in your future if you do.”
Kris watched in fascination as Adam revealed a pair of bamboo double doors behind a pair of velvet drapes. Smiling, he offered Kris his arm and escorted him through the doors, making Kris feel as if he suddenly traveled back in time to ancient Japan. Adam’s surprise, it turned out, was a traditional indoor Japanese hot spring. It had everything from bamboo trees, rock formations and dimly lit Japanese lanterns. Somehow, it was easy to imagine Adam sprawled out in the pool like the emperor of his own kingdom.
“This is amazing, man!” Kris breathed. “I’ve never been to Japan before, but based on what I’ve seen in movies and on the Discovery Channel, this is pretty damn authentic.”
“Thank you,” Adam said graciously. “I had a friend design this based off some photographs I brought home. My bank account was weeping for awhile, but the expenses are so, so worth it. The reason I brought you here is for you to try it out; the water is rather soothing and highly therapeutic. The changing area is just behind that shoji screen-you’ll find the robes and loincloths there as well.”
Trying not to look too excited, Kris set off in the direction Adam had pointed and busied himself with choosing a silk robe from the selections on the lacquered rack in the corner. Eventually, he picked up a nice-looking gold one with what looked like cranes and cherry blossoms embroidered on it. He stripped off his civilian clothing before wrapping the loincloth around his hips, pulling the robe on and stepping back into the makeshift spring. Adam was already in the water, sipping from a bottle of what was presumably sake. Flushing, Kris averted his gaze as he disrobed, afraid that he would say something terribly inappropriate if he allowed himself to lock gazes with Adam.
“You are beautiful,” Adam murmured, if a little breathlessly. “I can’t believe I haven’t started drawing you yet. I do not wish for you to feel overwhelmed by my attention, so I held back a little.”
“And here I was starting to think I was not at par with your expectations,” Kris chuckled, feeling his face heat up. “Is this why you haven’t shown me your gallery yet?”
“Yes,” Adam confessed. “To a non-artist, it would bear the appearance of a stalker’s domain. I desire you, Kris Allen, but I am noble enough not to act upon it like a ruffian.”
Kris bit his lip, feeling himself harden under the thin piece of cloth covering his sex. Adam’s words wrapped themselves around him, coursing through his body like strong, smooth tequila. Afraid to reveal his arousal, he turned in the water to reach for the sake, giving into the urge to drink until he was out of it to have the license to blame it on the alcohol the morning after.
“…wait.” Adam whispered. “Hold that stature, if you please. I must draw you.”
Kris heard a rustling movement in the waters, which meant that Adam had stood up to get something-his sketchbook and pencils, most probably. He raised his head and sucked in a breath, gazing unabashedly at Adam’s toned physique with its lean muscles and galaxies of freckles. Not immune to his attention was the long, thick cock resting in between his thighs, tempting Kris’ imagination to run wild.
Desire. He had not known it until the day he met Adam Lambert.
“The lines of your back are perfect,” Adam murmured. “I can’t believe I’ve managed to live through so many years without seeing you in the flesh.”
“Is this your definition of arduous affections, then?” Kris asked, moaning a little as he felt Adam’s hand brush against the skin of his back as he lowered the cloth to further expose the curve of his hip.
“Mmmm, yes,” Adam replied throatily, brushing his lips across the nape of Kris’ neck. “Art can be a highly eroticized experience if both parties wish it so.”
“I’ve never been touched like this before,” Kris murmured, shamelessly rubbing himself against the stone wall. “All my life, I’ve only been touching myself with my own hands…”
“This is the Kris I have never been able to paint,” Adam whispered into his hair, reaching down to rub in between his ass cheeks. “You have always looked so innocent, so melancholic-even in my mind. I want to awaken your sexuality, Kris; I want to help you experience the things you’ve missed out on.”
“Yes, Adam,” Kris exhaled, arching into his touch. “You can have anything you want.”
He tipped his head back on Adam’s shoulder, sighing softly into his mouth as Adam brought their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss.
THE DREAM WEAVER
When I was still in art school, we were once asked to draw ‘love’ and submit it at the end of the period. It was probably the most baffling assignment of my student life, and I will never, ever forget it as long as I live. No matter where I went in search of inspiration, there was nothing that struck my heart in the ways that landscapes usually do. At the end of the period, I turned in a blank paper to my rather unsurprised professor, telling him that in all honesty, I found nothing that spoke to me. He regarded me closely for a moment before saying, “Thank you for being honest, Mister Lambert. You may turn in your assignment when you finally understand what love is.”
I graduated that fall, but I knew not of love.
Shortly after I laid my eyes on Kris, I drew up a sketch-it was the earliest version of the fresco in the old chapel-and sent it to my professor. A few days later, he sent me a postcard that said: “Spectacular work, Mister Lambert. Here is your long-overdue A+.”
Spring of 2011
Lambert Manor
Milan, Italy
Adam had never sketched so feverishly in his life before. His bedroom floor was littered with images of Kris--some half-finished, others done to the last detail. Kris himself was curled up in Adam’s bed, eyes bright with mirth as he crawled over to take the sketchpad from him.
“Enough already,” he said teasingly. “You’ve been sketching since three in the morning.”
“I haven’t been this inspired in years,” Adam admitted. “And, if you must know, it was quite impossible for me to keep my eyes and hands off you in your state of undress.”
“You should have just asked me to strip naked the moment I walked into your manor,” Kris said promptly, hoisting himself into Adam’s lap. “I would have gladly complied, you know.”
“And chase you away with my lewdness?” Adam asked with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to his pouting lips. “Not a chance, my love. Not a chance.”
Kris sighed happily, and Adam deepened the kiss, mapping out the contours and ridges of Kris’ mouth. He had bedded men before, and they almost always went easily because they allowed themselves to be swayed by his clever tongue. It had, however, never felt as natural as it was now, Kris pliant and trusting in his arms. Adam moved his hands down to trace his curves, coming to rest on the swell of his ass.
“Make love to me,” Kris whispered. “I want to feel you.”
“Lay back,” Adam murmured. “I want to see you.”
Kris allowed himself to fall back onto the mattress, legs spread wide to accommodate Adam in the space between them. Adam moaned as his cock came into contact with Kris’, sliding them against each other in a lazy, unhurried pace. They had gone back to Adam’s room naked earlier, unconcerned with anyone seeing them since Allison’s room was located in the southern wing of the manor. There had been many kisses and brief touches in between sketches, but none quite as exhilarating as to the activities they were engaging in now. Adam was quickly learning how responsive Kris was to his touch, and this delighted him immensely. He loved the soft little noises Kris made each time they came into contact with each other; he wished for this to be just as pleasurable for Kris as it was for him.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured against the skin of Kris’ neck. “I will never tire of saying that, my love. Now, I will teach you to see yourself the way I see you.”
He extended a hand to Kris and led him to the divan in front of the mirrored wall in his dressing room. He made himself comfortable on the seat before crooking a finger at Kris, motioning for him to sit on his lap facing the mirror. Whimpering softly, Kris hastened to obey, his face blushing a bright scarlet as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.
“Do I…do I have to look?”
“Yes, you do,” Adam said firmly, gently squeezing a nipple between two black-tipped fingers. “I want you to see everything that I’m going to do to you.”
Kris moaned and shifted further into his embrace, shamelessly rubbing the crack of his ass against Adam’s cock. “Yes, yes. I’ll do whatever you want-just, just fuck me.”
“Well, well, well, it looks like someone certainly likes doing what he’s told,” Adam observed. “You’re going to listen to every word I say, won’t you, my sweet boy?”
“Yes,” Kris whispered. “I’ll-I’ll do as you say.”
“Very good,” Adam said approvingly. “Now, get down on your knees and take my cock, Kristopher.”
“But I don’t know how,” Kris murmured, reaching out to touch his face. “Will you…teach me?”
“My pleasure, dearest,” Adam smirked. “On your knees now-don’t hurt yourself.”
He raised his gaze to admire the soft curves of Kris’ body in the mirror, loving how he seemed to glow under the dim lighting of the room. If Adam could draw him now, he certainly would.
“Mmmmmm…you feel even better than you look,” Kris said softly, jacking Adam with his callused fingers. “So big and thick. Will this even fit in me?”
“We can worry about that later, Kristopher,” Adam said with a throaty chuckle. “I’ll do the magic and make things happen. But for now, you’re going to suck my cock and like it.”
He watched as Kris tentatively licked the leaking tip, tasting Adam’s cum on his lips. He seemed to like it, though, as he leaned forward again to suck the flared head into his mouth.
“That’s it, baby,” Adam murmured, petting his hair. “Don’t forget to fold your lips over your teeth, though; it can hurt like a bitch when they scrape over the skin.”
From the way he was treating the blowjob like a science experiment, it was pretty evident that Kris knew almost nothing in terms of technique. He was, however, rather perceptive and enthusiastic about the whole thing. If Adam made a pleased sound in his throat, Kris would dutifully repeat the same motions again and again until he decided to experiment further. At times, he would accidentally take in too much, and he would end up gagging on Adam’s cock, but he merely took a moment to recover before going in again.
“Enough, darling,” Adam murmured, pulling out of a pouting Kris’ mouth. “As much as I would love for you to spoil me ‘til I come, there are other orders of business we must take care of.”
“I was having fun,” Kris whined a little. “You were just starting to enjoy it.”
“Darling, darling,” Adam leaned down to press kisses to his forehead and cheeks. “There will be many other opportunities for you to suck me off; I want to take care of you now, love.”
“What do I do now?” Kris asked breathlessly.
“First, I am going to kiss the living daylights out of you.”
Chuckling softly, Adam lifted Kris back onto his lap and pressed their lips together as he shifted their positions, pinning Kris underneath him. He pressed kisses down Kris’ chest as he moved lower, pausing to suck at his nipples, pleased to have Kris whine and writhe beneath him. He paused in his wake to watch a faint pink blush spread across his skin. Perhaps he would paint Kris like this someday, sucking and licking his nipples from time to time just to see where the flushing stopped.
“Look at yourself in the mirror, Kristopher,” he instructed. “See how flushed you are now? That is how you look like when you’re utterly devastated by desire-how you look like when I’m lavishing my attention on you. You make my dreams come true, love; I have long wished to worship your body.”
“Please, Adam!” Kris begged; raking his nails down Adam’s back.
“Please what, love?” Adam suckled leisurely at the skin pulled over his hipbone.
“Anything!” Kris cried. “Just-just touch me, please.”
“Oh, darling,” Adam smirked up at him. “I’m going to touch you in places where no one has gone before.”
He got down to his knees and spread Kris’ legs, pulling them apart-he was surprisingly flexible-until his snug little hole was revealed to Adam. Sighing, Adam leaned forward and dragged his tongue along the crack, feeling Kris’ hips jerk upwards in surprise.
“Adam…what on earth?” he asked. “Are you sure you want to be licking me there?”
“I told you to leave the magic to me, remember?” Adam hushed him. “I’m certain you will enjoy this more than you think if you let yourself go. All you have to do is lie back there, hold your legs open and watch what I’m doing to you.”
Kris whimpered, but hastened to do as he was told. Adam pressed in again and laved at Kris’ hole, relishing in the sound of Kris’ soft cries as he bucked his hips wantonly. When he felt Kris begin to relax, he spread Kris’ ass cheeks and pressed in with his tongue, licking into Kris’ opening. He smirked as he drove in deeper, tasting soap and musk. Kris was certainly very thorough when he washed himself.
“Oh fuck!” Kris moaned. “Feels so amazing, Adam-I’ve never been licked there before.”
“But you’ve touched yourself, haven’t you?” Adam asked.
“Yeah,” Kris replied breathlessly. “I touch myself sometimes, imagining it’s someone’s cock instead of just my fingers. Feels so, so good…”
“I’m going to make you feel even better now that I finally have my hands on you,” Adam murmured, reaching for the condoms and the lube on his dresser. “For the longest time, I thought it would be good enough for me to catch another glimpse of your face. But now that I have you naked and willing under me, I wouldn’t trade this for anything else in the universe.”
“Even for the complete set of da Vinci’s works?” Kris asked coyly.
“Love, those paintings deserve to be placed where other people can see them and enjoy their beauty. You, however, deserve to be enjoyed by me and me alone. No one else is allowed to see you like this, naked and begging for my cock. You wish for me to fuck you, do you not?”
“Yes, yes!” Kris cried, nails digging into his shoulder. “Fuck me, Adam. Fuck me hard.”
Cursing softly, Adam uncapped the lube and drizzled a generous amount of it onto two of his fingers. He rubbed them together to warm them up before pressing his index finger into Kris’ hole.
“Is this alright?” he asked. “My fingers are much thicker than yours, so it’s going to be a tight squeeze.”
“I can take it,” Kris said firmly, working his way down to push Adam’s finger deeper inside him. “I’m going to need a lot more than a finger if I’m gonna take your cock.”
“You’re a bit of a hussy, aren’t you?” Adam marveled. “Sometimes, you act like a shy little pussycat in need of guidance. At other times, you act like you just really want a cock in your asshole.”
“Which is right now.” Kris wiggled his ass impatiently. “Come on, Adam-another finger.”
Adam pressed in with his middle finger, watching in rapturous delight as Kris threw his head back and moaned. Slowly, he began to push and pull his fingers out of Kris, carefully observing the hitches in his breath and the changes in his expression as cues for his next move. From time to time, he would increase the pace, making Kris arch his back and claw at the velvet covering the divan. He was moaning loudly now, and Adam knew he was ready.
“Slick me up,” he murmured, rising to a standing position. “Get the condom on me, then get me nice and wet so I can make it easier for you.”
Kris pulled himself up to a sitting position and helped Adam slide the latex over his cock. When he was fully sheathed, Kris coated his palms with lubricant and slicked up Adam’s cock, seeming rather fascinated by the cock in his hand.
“That will do, love,” Adam murmured. “If you continue to touch me as you do, I might come in your grasp instead of in your ass; I’d hate to disrupt my carefully-crafted plans of seducing you.”
“Oh, so you were planning to seduce me?” Kris asked with a giggle, letting Adam maneuver him back onto his lap. “How could I have missed the signs?”
“That’s because I don’t actually have a plan,” Adam said, grinning. “I’m playing things by ear.”
He lifted Kris’ legs up to rest on either side of him, anchoring his weight by grasping his hip with one hand and guiding his cock in with the other. Kris purred and pushed into Adam’s touch, crying out when the head of Adam’s cock caught against his hole.
“Please, please!” he moaned. “I need your cock in me, Adam!”
“Such a slut,” Adam nipped at his neck. “Would you like me to go slow?”
“God, no!” Kris shook his head. “Just put it in me, please.”
“You have to watch though,” Adam said softly. “Watch me fuck you in the mirror, Kristopher.”
He slowly worked his cock inside Kris, not stopping until he was fully sheathed by the warm, hot flesh of his ass. Moaning loudly, Kris wriggled on his lap, trying to get some friction going.
“Be patient, love,” Adam reminded him. “I don’t want to end up hurting you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Kris assured him. “You must be having a grand time making me beg like this.”
Adam let him go. “That’s because your sweet voice is music to my ears, dear Kristopher.”
He watched in fascination as Kris began to fuck himself on his cock, letting out a strangled little cry each time he bore down on Adam. He went slowly at first, trying to ease up the sharp sting of pain and finding a pace that was to his liking. Adam ran a palm over the curve of his hip to soothe him, trying not to thrust upwards to chase his own pleasure.
“Take your time, love,” he assured him. “Remember, we are after your pleasure here. As soon as you find that place in you that sends shivers through your body, you’ll know what you want.”
“I’m torn, Adam,” Kris moaned. “It hurts, but I want this so bad.”
“Let’s try something else, then,” Adam suggested. “Can you get down on all fours for me?”
Nodding, Kris pulled himself off Adam and did as he was told. Adam positioned himself behind Kris and slowly slid his cock back in, moving inside him in long, measured thrusts. Kris, though still in pain, began to relax in his grip, hips canting a little to meet Adam’s thrusts.
“That’s it,” Adam murmured. “You’re being such a good boy for me, Kris.”
“Yeah,” Kris managed to croak out. “I’m a good boy. I’m your good boy, Adam. Oh god, please fuck me!”
Adam grabbed his hips-they were sure to bruise-and sped up his thrusts, fucking him deep and hard. Kris was rocking back against him now, nearly sobbing each time Adam hit his prostate. Determined to make him come, Adam wrapped a hand around his leaking cock and jerked it in time with his thrusts.
“Adam, Adam…” Kris cried. “I’m close! So, so close.”
“Come for me, my beautiful muse,” Adam panted in his ear. “Do it for me.”
He fucked Kris in earnest, continuing to piston into him as he came in spurts all over Adam’s dressing room carpet. Content, Adam gave into the urge to chase his own orgasm, slowly lowering himself onto Kris’ limp form as he emptied himself into the condom with a groan.
“Are you alright?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the nape of Kris’ neck as he pulled out of his body.
“…that was amazing,” Kris said dreamily. “My ass is gonna hurt for days, but it is so worth it.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Adam smiled, curling an arm around Kris’ body as he tossed the knotted condom away. “We’ll clean up later-I am simply too exhausted to move right now.”
“You shagged him, didn’t you?” Allison crowed. “Oh my god, I am so brilliant!”
“What a way to greet me good afternoon, Signorina Iraheta,” Adam arched an eyebrow. “And how, may I ask, do you know of this?”
“You have that after-shag glow about you,” Allison said with a grin. “Also, it’s fucking three in the afternoon. No one gets up at three in the afternoon unless they had a wild night of steamy sex.”
“Point taken, Allison.” Adam chose to ignore her nudges for his coffee. “By the way, I’ve decided to show him the gallery today. I’ve also decided to take his advice and release the paintings for exhibit.”
Allison looked thunderstruck. “…wow. That means I’ll finally be able to see them, too. What made you change your mind all of a sudden, hmmm?”
“The fact that I finally have the real Kris Allen in my life,” Adam replied serenely. “An image, especially when it is one you’ve created yourself, indulges your fantasies greatly. Having him here with me makes me want to share the art he’s inspired to people all over the world-like, this is what love can produce from people. I’m not calling myself brilliant or anything, but the story behind the idea that all of my recent work is devoted to him would tug at people’s heartstrings a little.”
“People do enjoy the appeal of romance,” Allison agreed. “I think this is going to be really good for you, Adam-I’d like to think of it as a comeback, even. Imagine; you’ve been out of the limelight for so long, and you reveal yourself to the public again with all these amazing creations born out of love for someone you’ve never met until recently. Oh, this is just like a fairytale!”
“Am I Briar Rose, then?” Kris asked, appearing in the doorway dressed in one of Adam’s old shirts.
“You’re my goddess, darling,” Adam declared, sweeping him into his arms. “In fact, I was just going to show you my shrine. Allison, would you care to join us?”
“I’ll pass for now,” she said with a roguish wink. “I don’t want to spoil your alone time.”
Adam grinned at her. “This time, I will say it of my own accord-you are brilliant.”
He wrapped an arm around a giggling Kris, leaving Allison to preen in the dining hall. It was a path he had walked with Kris a couple of times now; he had been to Adam’s studio, after all-but never beyond the doors he kept under lock and key.
“After I show you the gallery, I would have completely bared my soul to you,” he said solemnly. “That means no more secrets, Kris.”
Kris smiled. “There are none from my end, either. I’ve always been clean with you, Adam, and I’m glad that you feel you can trust me with your secrets.”
“Look at me,” Adam sighed, cupping Kris’ cheeks with his hands. “Here I am, keeping things secret from the secret himself. You slay me, Kristopher Allen.”
“Shush, you.” Kris elevated himself up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. “Whatever it is, I promise I’ll be cool with it. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked.”
“Which I have had nearly twenty-four hours to indulge in,” Adam chuckled, taking Kris’ hand in his own to lead him through the doors. “Mister Allen, I present to you years of my love and devotion.”
The gallery was indeed, the heart of Lambert Manor. Adam Lambert was unused to walking around carrying his heart on his sleeve because he had safely ensconced it in this domed room-within the fifteen paintings and his obra maestra on the ceiling above them. Ever since he had sent his first and only letter to Kris, he had both dreaded and awaited the day he would finally escort Kris through those doors.
“…you did all this?” Kris asked in wonder, pausing in front of the nude (Adam felt like smacking himself for hanging it in such a prominent place). “They’re amazing, Adam. Seriously! Of course, I’m still feeling a little flushed because these are all images of me, but you are really very talented. I know I’ve said this in my response to your letter and when you walked me through your public gallery, but this is my honest opinion. You shouldn’t be hiding all this here, man; they should be where people can see them.”
“I was thinking that, too,” Adam said wistfully. “That was actually my original intention while I was in the process of painting the very first one I put on canvass-the one of you on the white horse over there. I thought I would do three or four paintings with an equestrienne theme and exhibit them as a collection, but I ended up being drawn into the world of obsession without realizing it. The more I painted, the less organized my thoughts became, and I ended up with fifteen concrete manifestations of my fucked-up imagination. I guess I just wasn’t ready to share you with the world just yet. All I had of you back then was a single memory, and I was afraid I would end up forgetting your face if I shared that one memory I had with the rest of the world.”
“People do stupid things when they’re in love.” Kris reached out to take his hand. “I jumped on a plane and flew straight to Italy just to find it-and I’m mighty glad I took the risk.”
“One altered choice, and we could have missed each other completely,” Adam murmured, lifting Kris’ hand up to his lips for a kiss. “Do you believe in destiny, Kris?”
“No,” Kris said softly. “But I do believe in free will. It’s the choices we make, Adam; we control our own lives-you decided to write to me, I decided to respond. It’s really simple if you think about it well enough. That’s how I see things, at least.”
Adam grinned. “You, my darling, are very, very smart. I’ve actually dug up telephone numbers of old colleagues who could help me out with the exhibit. Shit is probably going to hit the fan because they haven’t heard from me in an eternity, but I’m hoping for the best.”
“You’re going to be great, Adam,” Kris assured him. “You were always meant to be out there, sharing your talent with the world. I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear from you.”
“Perhaps,” Adam agreed. “I have one more question to ask of you, though.”
“Go on,” Kris urged him.
“That day I saw you at the fountain…what were you wishing for?”
“That’s easy.” Kris leaned in for a kiss. “I was wishing for you.”
THE MUSE
When I was on holiday one summer, my parents allowed me to accompany my grandfather to Milan, Italy for a vacation. I remember being really excited about it because it was going to be my first time to travel outside a country, and I was looking forward to visiting one of the most beautiful places on earth. I guess I can say I was in a hurry to grow up; I was bored of the life I had in Conway, and I wanted to experience the world without a parent holding my hand.
For me and this beautiful city, it was love at first sight.
I loved waking up to a world that I was so unused to. Instead of a bowl of Cheerios and a glass of milk, I would share classic Italian meals with my grandpa on our hotel balcony or in one of the cafes in the area. Instead of greeting neighbors I’ve known since I was a kid, I would stop to talk to the nice foreign folk I would pass on the street. People here are a lot more artsy than people in Conway, and while I knew next to nothing about art, I was happy to be in the company of such creative people. Milan fueled my energy, somehow, and I would pen song after song after song. In fact, I became so wrapped up with the culture that I began to embrace some of their traditions as well-my Italian is terrible, though.
On the day I was scheduled to go back home, I took one last walk around the Piazza del Duomo. When we had first arrived, the tour guide was telling us about how people dropped coins into the fountain at the square in the hopes of making their wishes come true. I didn’t think much of it during our stay, but for some reason, I was tempted to try it out. I’ve always been quite lonely, you see. Ever watch a movie where the main character was some sad boy or girl looking for love? Well, that’s me. I’ve never really felt how it is to actually be in love with someone. I’ve always been a teensy bit jealous of my school friends who would walk away from graduation hand-in-hand with a significant other, wearing their class rings and making plans for the future. It wasn’t something I thought about a lot, but I thought it would be nice.
I tossed my coin in and watched it sink to the bottom of the fountain until it was unrecognizable amidst the coins from my fellow hopefuls. On my last day in Milan, I wished for love.
Winter of 2011
The Hikari
375 East Second St.
Los Angeles, California
“Adam, we made a deal, remember?” Kris asked in fond exasperation. “At least one-eighth of your stuff goes to goodwill. Several scarves from your ‘keep’ pile have already fallen on my face!”
“But you made those for me!” Adam protested. “I love orphans and all, but I am most certainly not winding my special Kris scarves around their necks.”
“Well, if you want to keep all the fancy things, we can at least give away some of your old shirts,” Kris sighed. “You’re going to be in your studio more often than not, so those faded old things can go away. Before you say anything else, it’s either those or the funny little vase you love so much.”
“That’s one of the very first replicas made of Aalto’s Savoy Vase!” Adam exclaimed. “You are not giving a work of art to goodwill! I would much rather part with my shirts.”
“Terrific.” Kris pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose before heaping the folded pile of Adam’s old shirts into his designated goodwill box. “I’ll make my mango flambé tonight to make you feel better.”
“Can I lick it off you on the kitchen table?” Adam asked hopefully.
“Adam, we’re having guests tonight,” Kris reminded him. “These guests just happen to include our families, so you’d better be on your best behavior.”
“Alright, alright,” Adam whined, getting to his feet. “I’ll be good and set the table to avoid the temptation of taking back my old stuff while you’re not looking.”
“I love you!” Kris called out after him. “Don’t forget to start the roast; I already put it in the oven.”
Smiling happily to himself, he sealed the box shut with packing tape before moving to the walk-in closet to hang up the rest of Adam’s discarded clothes. They had moved into their new apartment last week, but Kris knew it was going to take another week to weed out their clutter and fix up whatever they decided to keep. Moving into a new home as a couple was a tricky thing; they had to estimate how much of their stuff they could keep based on the available space. Thankfully, Adam had left most of his expensive collections in the manor (“We’re going to have to keep a decent amount of art around this place if we want to save our reputation.”) just so they wouldn’t have to put up with an empty home when they flew out for vacations. He had never expected Adam to offer to move to LA with him, as he knew how much Adam loved Milan.
That had been their biggest problem towards the end of Kris’ stay in Milan; Kris didn’t want to come off as a jerk by saying he needed to stay in LA because of his job. As soon as his plane had touched down in LA, he’d called Adam to say hello, only to have Adam suggest that he do the moving to spare Kris the inconvenience. Kris had tried to argue, but Adam insisted that it would be more practical-he could paint in any part of the world as long as Kris was right there with him. It had taken awhile to get his affairs in order (he had his things shipped to Kris’ place in giant boxes at random intervals of the year), but he promised he would be home in time to spend the holidays with Kris.
“Love, do you remember where we put the spices?” he heard Adam ask. “I can’t seem to find them.”
“Probably in one of the drawers,” Kris suggested. “Hang on, I’ll be right there!”
He shut the door with his hip before heading out to the kitchen. Adam was standing in front of the oven, looking adorable in one of Kris’ frilly aprons and over mitts.
“I should really get to work on the labeling, shouldn’t I?” he asked, pulling the condiments drawer open for Adam. “I have a feeling we’re going to have a few mishaps like this until we get used to things.”
“I’d rather spend a lifetime of mishaps with you than an ill-free life without.” Adam wound his arms around Kris’ waist and lowered him to the floor in a faux tango dip. “Whether it be Italy or the United States, as long as you are with me, I am content.”
“You are insane!” Kris said with a happy laugh. “You are insane and I love you.”
“Oh, don’t let me interrupt,” a new voice said from the doorway. “It was open, so I thought I would simply invite myself in. Good evening, Adam-that apron suits you.”
“Ah, my dear Bradley!” Adam grinned roguishly at him. “Why, you’re quite early for dinner!”
“I thought I’d help out,” Brad replied, placing the bottle of champagne he brought along on the kitchen counter. “From the looks of things, you’re going to need it-people don’t get much done if they schedule quickies in between.”
Adam snorted. “For your information, I don’t have any intentions of ravishing him at the moment. Even I know when to hold back on sex.”
“Says the man who was nailing Kris to the living room wall the day I came over to introduce myself,” Brad shot back with a friendly smirk. “That was both hot and embarrassing at the same time.”
Kris had the grace to blush at the recollection of the incident. He had been so excited at finally having Adam with him that he had forgotten to lock the door. Plus, Brad had never been the knocking type. There had been a lot of awkward introductions and harried explanations, but Brad and Adam had ended up becoming good friends. The bad thing was that they had become united in the goal of discarding Kris’ wardrobe and taking him shopping for things that clung obscenely to his body.
“My boyfriend Cassidy saw two of your Kris paintings at the Metropolitan Museum, by the way,” Brad was saying. “He’s extremely impressed and wants me to get an autograph for him.”
“Kris’ autograph or mine?” Adam asked with a laugh. “Some people fawn over him more than they do me because they recognize him from the paintings; it’s delightful.”
“I get some of the weirdest questions because of that,” Kris giggled. “Like, ‘Hey! Aren’t you the guy with a naked painting at the Met?’ or ‘Aren’t you the twink on the horse?’.”
“Wait until I unveil the latest nude I’m doing of Kris.” Adam wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “He’s posing for me this time, so it should be a lot more detailed than the ones I did from memory.”
“I swear, you guys have this modern-day fairytale thing going on,” Brad said dramatically. “Move over, Wills and Kate; Adam and Kris are about to steal your thunder.”
Kris shook his head and busied himself with preparing the ingredients for the mango flambé. Their families would arrive in two hours, and they were still far from ready. For once in his life, it was nice to feel the stress of having to worry about whether his boyfriend’s family would like him-it just seemed so normal, somehow.
A long time ago, he would have been unable to imagine himself in such a situation, as having a boyfriend had never been one of his top priorities. If he had given in to logic and reason, he would be going over set lists and grading exam papers instead of making dessert for an entire army now. If he had chosen to ignore Adam’s letter, they would have never crossed paths, and Kris would have gone on living with an Adam-sized hole in his life without realizing it.
“Honey?”
“Yes, love?” Adam responded. His eyes were trained on the oven, carefully watching the turkey bake like the meticulous artist that he was. Laughing, Kris abandoned his mangoes for a moment to wrap his arms around Adam’s waist.
“I’m glad we met,” he said softly.
He could tell Adam was smiling. “I love you, sunshine.”
They had today, tomorrow, and the rest of their lives.
THE DREAM WEAVER
Winter of 2011
The Hikari
375 East Second St.
Los Angeles, California
It was Christmas Eve. Born Jewish, he never really paid attention to the holidays, but they were very important to Kris, and Adam wanted to make their first Christmas together special. He had gotten up early to set up the tree (he would save the decorating for when Kris woke), and Kris being Kris, had slept through the racket that Adam made. He was still asleep at the moment, his nude form half-wrapped in pale satin sheets. Smiling, Adam reached out to cover his bare torso. Kris snuffled, nuzzled his hand, and made the retreat back to dreamland. Feeling the stirrings of a new morning, Adam rose to his feet and threw on his sleep pants, picking up his half-finished canvass and his paint mix.
He had a sunrise to paint, and it was going to be beautiful.