Fic: A Matter of Timing (American Idol; Adam/Kris; 1/2)
Title: A Matter of Timing
Summary: Adam Lambert is looking for his other half in a universe where love can come with a guarantee.
Pairings: Adam/Kris; Adam/Drake, Kris/Katy, references to past Adam/Brad
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~14k
Notes: Fusion with the TiMER universe, which created the concept of the TiMER. Many thanks to nevada01 for beta and to first reader chosenfire28 for encouragement.
A Matter of Timing
“Man, this place is crazy.”
Adam glanced over to look at the boy who’d spoken. He’d already seen the guy around a little - enough to know that he was just Adam’s type, all tiny and sharp and pretty. But this was the first time that Adam had heard his voice and - of course - he had to be Southern.
“The best kind of crazy,” Adam said and he held out his hand. “Adam Lambert. Number One-Eight-Seven-Seven.”
“Nice to meet ya.” The guy didn’t seem to notice as Adam twisted their grip slightly looking for - and, yes, the cute boy had a bare wrist where it counted the most. “I’m Kris Allen.”
Kris Allen had unknowingly been Adam’s favorite eye-candy since they’d all gotten here yesterday, so it was nice to finally get his name. And he might even be the one - though Adam had promised himself that he wouldn’t get caught up in the search for his one the way that some people did. Though American Idol might not be the worst place to look for love, considering how widely it sampled throughout the country.
“So, I kinda think that number three-two-eight-nine-five over there is kinda cute,” Adam said, nodding toward the doorway - he didn’t actually think 32895 was that cute but he was the person in the room who looked most like Adam apart from, well, Adam himself, so it seemed the safest way of evaluating Kris’s potential.
“That guy?” Kris asked, and his voice squeaked up a bit and he flushed all over and tugged his hand out of Adam’s, like he’d just realized that it was still there. “The tall guy with the mohawk and all the chains?”
“Mmmhmm.” Adam watched as Kris reached down and - oh - fidgeted with the shiny wedding ring that Adam hadn’t even looked to see. Well. Shit. “Maybe one of the girls is more to your taste?” Adam asked, sounding as casual as he could and then he searched the crowd, as if trying to spot a potential female person.
“I’m- uh. I’m married,” Kris said. “So, yeah. I’m not looking at cute- at cute anyones.”
“I guess I’ll have to do without a wingman,” Adam said cheerfully, relieved that he hadn’t come on too strong. “Oh, hey, it looks like they’re letting us back into the theater - want to snag some seats near the front?”
Kris agreed easily and, as simple as that, before Adam had even realized it, they were already something close to friends.
Most of the people trying out for season eight didn’t have TiMERs, Adam noticed as Hollywood week wore on. It made sense, when he thought about it. The TiMER was still only two years out of development and, in the States, it had launched primarily in New York and L.A. From what the person who had implanted him had said, TiMER planned to be the mating tool of choice by 2025, but it was still early days for the company. They needed to prove their record, first.
He actually got to explain what the TiMER was all about to Kris, on the second-to-last day of Hollywood.
“True love,” Adam said, sitting down cross-legged on Matt’s bed, watching as Kris tuned his guitar. Kris’s roommate wasn’t in at the moment, so Adam didn’t feel bad about snagging his space. “It’s about finding the one person that you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.”
“Through a wristband? How exactly - does it flash or buzz or something when you meet your- your person?” Kris asked, setting the guitar aside and coming over to Adam’s side. Adam held out his wrist and Kris examined the TiMER carefully. It wasn’t very impressive just to look at it - only a rounded rectangle of plastic slapped over his pulse point. “Oh, it really is a timer.” Kris delicately brushed his fingers over where the TiMER met Adam’s skin. Adam couldn’t quite repress his shiver, but Kris was focused enough that he didn’t seem to notice.
“It counts down until the midnight before you meet your one,” Adam said, trying to concentrate on Kris’s words, not the tempting warmth of his hand. “Once you’ve zeroed out, you know that you’re going to meet the love of your life the next day. When you... when your eyes meet... then both your TiMERs go off at the same time. It’s... it’s a chime sort of sound. And then you know.”
“But yours is just... blinking,” Kris said.
“Ah, that means that my one doesn’t have a TiMER implanted yet,” Adam said. “It actually-” he laughed, because some day - after he found his one - the story would be funny, even if it wasn’t just yet. “-I went in with my- he... Brad was my boyfriend then. We were sure that we were soulmates.”
“But if you loved each other-”
“He tried,” Adam said, reaching down and touching the TiMER, his hand covering Kris’s slightly. “But every morning, he could look down and see that- that he still needed to meet the love of his life.”
Adam could still remember his implantation with crystal clarity. He’d gotten his put in first, so it hadn’t been strange that it had just blinked up at them. But then Brad’s had been put in and... and instead of chiming out confirmation of their true love, it had started counting down. 621 days until Brad met the love of his life. And it wasn’t going to be Adam.
“But... how can you really be sure it’s right?” Kris asked, his nose wrinkling up in the cutest way- and Adam shut down that train of thought ruthlessly. Married. Not interested.
“You stick around in Hollywood long enough and you’ll get to see it at work,” Adam said. “It’s- there used to be a lot of fake relationships here and everyone- everyone hoping to find something real. The TiMER finds you something real. Some of the pairings have been surprises - you probably heard about George Clooney coming out, even in Arkansas?” Adam teased. “It’s because his TiMER went off - with his waiter for the night while he was on a fake date his publicist set up for him.”
“Yeah, Katy might have mentioned that,” Kris said. Adam had yet to meet Kris’s wife - she was going to come up for the judges’ mansion segment if Kris made it that far, Kris had mentioned - but he was absolutely determined not to be jealous of her. Even if Kris was so unfairly cute and friendly and cuddly. “Um. That seems like something that he wouldn’t want. Being... forced out of the closet like that.”
“It turned out well,” Adam said breezily. George had given an interview, not five weeks ago, when he’d said that his TiMER going off like that had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. “He’s really happy about it now. He wouldn’t have gotten the TiMER if he hadn’t been prepared to risk it, after all.”
“Huh.”
“You really haven’t heard about TiMERs in Arkansas?”
“Nah, it’s not really something - it doesn’t sound like the sort of thing most people I know would be into,” Kris said.
“People don’t like love in Arkansas?” Adam asked.
“People like to make their own choices, I guess,” Kris said. “And that TiMER thing - you said that it ruined a relationship that you really wanted to keep.”
“It would have ended anyway,” Adam said. “Maybe not as quickly as it did but... he has someone out there. Someone else out there who has a TiMER counting down to exactly the same day and waiting for the same moment. And when they do meet - that love is going to last the rest of their lives. Who wouldn’t want that?”
“You can’t guarantee love,” Kris said, quietly. “That’s not- that isn’t how it works. You make a promise to work through the bad times and it is work and it’s not- it’s not magic.”
“Of course it isn’t magic,” Adam said. “It’s science. The TiMER is a finely-calibrated scientific tool.”
Kris pulled away from Adam then, finally, and laughed, but Adam could tell that Kris was laughing because he was uncomfortable, not because he was amused. “You guys are so weird out here,” he said. He patted Adam on the knee and then went back over to his own bed, starting up on tuning his guitar again.
They didn’t get a chance to talk much after they both got through the Hollywood rounds, but they exchanged phone numbers, and they texted a little over the break.
so, your timer things showed up in ar. being sold as ‘perfect new years gifts’.
knew they’d get there sooner or later. anyone buying them?
couple down the street got them. zeroed out and chimed at the store. kinda impressive.
yeah. my friend danielle just got hers. she has 5 yrs to go!
my buddy charles is thinking of getting one. he’s a lil insecure around the ladies
Adam didn’t ask Kris whether or not he and Katy had gotten them. If they had, Kris would have mentioned it. Given Kris’s thoughts on marriage, Adam figured that they probably wouldn’t bother, but he hadn’t gotten the chance to get to know Katy at all, to see if she felt the same as Kris did. He had seen her, from far away. Shining pale hair and actually shorter than Kris, even in heels.
The TiMERs seemed to sell really well everywhere over New Year’s, because when the show was gearing to start up again and all the people who’d advanced in Hollywood were ready for the next round, Adam could see way more of them on people’s wrists than he’d noticed last time.
Kris was going to be rooming with Matt Giraud again, so Adam went ahead and followed Matt back to his room once he spotted him.
“You don’t mind if I hang out and wait for Kris, right?” Adam asked, stealing onto Kris’s bed - the one without Matt’s suitcases on it - and cuddling one of his pillows. “I already called him to let him know I’d be in here.”
Matt had a TiMER now - blinking like Adam’s still did, so his one person hadn’t succumbed to the craze yet. “I think he’s going to try to sneak his wife in,” Matt said.
“I know,” Adam said. “He’s going to introduce us.”
“Oh. Won’t that be- yeah, not my business,” Matt said. He pulled out a notebook and sat at the little table the hotel provided, scribbling down some stuff - lyrics, maybe. Adam relaxed back onto Kris’s bed, letting himself zone out a little. He was going to go catch up with some of the other people he’d made friends with in Hollywood week once he and Kris had reconnected - he especially wanted to talk to Allison Iraheta, because she’d mentioned before the break that her mom was thinking of letting her get a TiMER of her own.
The door opened after another couple of hours and Adam propped himself up on his elbows, thinking belatedly that maybe he looked too comfortable on Kris’s bed.
Kris escorted his wife in, closed the door behind them. She had bright, curious eyes that she fixed pretty quickly on Adam.
“So, that’s Matt,” Kris said, motioning toward the corner. Then he looked over at Adam and smiled, and even with the plaid... everything... he was about the most adorable thing Adam had ever seen. “And this is Adam, the guy that you’re bored of hearing about. Adam, Matt - this is my wife.”
“Katy,” she said, with a little wave. She was tiny and perfect and there was maybe one brief moment where Adam completely hated her entire existence. Then he made himself get over it and bounded off the bed to take her hand.
“It’s really nice to meet you,” he said. “Kris has said some great things. You like acting, right?”
She laughed and said ‘yes’ and Adam was able to draw her into a conversation about Hollywood and ended up finding out that she had hopes of trying out for some acting jobs while Kris was in town for Idol.
“If we have time,” she said, glancing over at Kris, who was talking Matt. She leaned in toward Adam and lowered her voice. “We’re trying to keep our expectations manageable.”
Adam wasn’t really sure what to say to that, so he changed the subject to fashion and brought Kris into the conversation by asking him how many different types of beauty products he and Katy each owned, which started a round of light teasing.
After a little more catching up with Kris, Adam wandered off to find Allison and some of the others.
Allison had gotten her TiMER over the break, but she kinda hated it.
“So would you if you knew that you were supposed to wait ten years,” she grumbled. “Ten years!”
“You’ll be just about my age and I haven’t found my one yet,” Adam said. That settled her down a little.
“You’re right. This gives me time to get it wrong a few times,” she said. “Awesome. Hey, I’m going to sneak out for a smoke - you wanna come?”
“No, baby girl, I stopped to save my voice,” Adam said, somewhat pointedly. But he wasn’t surprised when she ignored him. Some things, people just had to learn for themselves, apparently. “Don’t let your mom smell it on you.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered,” she said, with a casual kiss goodbye.
Kris was nervous on their group night. Katy and someone Adam would bet was Kris’s mom were trying to calm him down, but from what Adam could see, nothing was working. Allison had seemed as cool as a cucumber when he’d seen her earlier and he knew that she would pull out that rock wail of hers and kick ass. Kris, on the other hand, seemed a little too nervous. And it probably wasn’t sensible to pick favorites when he was on the show and competing against them but Kris and Allison were his favorites and he wanted them both to move on to the next stage.
Not if it meant that Adam didn’t- or, well, he didn’t think so. But he wanted them there with him. So, he snuck up behind Kris and ambushed him, making him startle and laugh.
“I didn’t see you!” Kris said, as if that hadn’t been perfectly obvious. “This is my mom. Have you- I don’t think you’ve met her yet.”
“I haven’t,” Adam agreed, grinning down at Kris and looping an arm around his shoulder. “But she made you, so I’m sure she’s awesome.”
“She is,” Kris agreed, tilting his head back and meeting Adam’s eyes. His cheeks were slightly flushed. “Your parents are here, right?”
“Gosh, wow, Kris, it might be kinda early in our relationship for all these parental meetings,” Adam teased. He managed to look away from Kris and toward Kris’s mom instead. “Hi, I’m Adam.”
“Oh, I know, honey. I’m Kim. He talked and talked about you over Christmas,” Kris’s mom - Kim - said, shaking his hand. “I feel as if I know you already. I’m really looking forward to hearing you sing tonight.”
“Thanks,” Adam said, a little taken aback. Kim’s eyes flicked over his shoulder and her welcoming smile got another boost.
“And are these Adam’s parents?” she asked. Adam turned his head a little and - yeah, there they were, coming up to join the group.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Mom, Dad, this is Kris’s mom, Kim, and his wife, Katy, and this is Kris Allen,” Adam said, showing Kris off with a little flourish. “Everyone, this is my mom, Leila, and my dad, Eber.”
“I’m so pleased to meet all of you,” his mom said, shaking Kris’s hand first and then moving on to the others.
“It’s weird not to have my dad here,” Kris said, quietly, just to Adam. “But he couldn’t make it out. He’ll be watching on TV, though.”
“You’re going to do great no matter who is watching,” Adam said. “You’re doing that Michael Jackson song tonight, right? You’re going to blow everyone away.”
“I’m pretty sure blowing everyone away is your job,” Kris said. “You’re singing last. Even the producers know that you’re the best singer here.”
“Or they think I’m a glorious trainwreck,” Adam said, only half-joking. He knew that he was good - fuck, that he was great. But that wasn’t the only sort of thing that mattered in a show like Idol. If they wanted to make him look ridiculous on TV, there was probably a way for them to manage it.
But Adam did get through, all three of them did, just like Adam had said - had hoped. After the results show, Allison’s mom couldn’t stop hugging her and Kris and Katy were practically joined at the hip and glowing with happiness. And it wasn’t that he wanted Kris for himself. Adam hoped that he was enough of a grown-up not to pine after a guy who was straight and married. He just... he wanted that connection. Kris and Katy didn’t even need TiMERs to know that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.
Because both of their roommates went home, he and Kris ended up rooming together for the rest of the stay in the hotel. It was pretty convenient. Kris was already the person that Adam most liked to talk about music with in the entire group, so having him right there, all the time, was nice.
Okay, the part where Kris wandered around in towels sometimes was less nice.
Or, well... it was nice, but Adam was trying not to think of Kris that way, so it shouldn’t be nice.
But most of the time, Kris was dressed, so that was good.
And when they were told that they could choose their roommates for the mansion - they were going to get to live in a mansion, holy shit - he didn’t even think about it before asking Kris. Being around Kris was surprising easy, considering how straight and cute and off-limits he was.
Measures needed to be taken, though, so Adam called up a friend to help with his problem.
“Yello, you’ve reached the fabulous residence of Drake Labry. If you’re calling to commission a painting-”
“It’s me,” Adam said.
“Oh,” Drake only sounded disappointed for a second. “Hey, what’s up, honey? I saw that you made it through to the next round on that show of yours.”
“Yeah, I was actually calling to see if you’d like to come up for some shows,” Adam said. “And maybe a little something else on the side.”
“TiMER still blinking?” Drake asked. “Or are you getting a booty call because you have a countdown now?”
“Still blinking,” Adam said. “I just... I can’t go out to the clubs while I’m here in the mansion and most of my other friends are... well-”
“Either exes, don’t have a penis, or are otherwise unsuitable?” Drake filled in.
“Something like that,” Adam said. “What do you say?”
“Sounds fun. Do I get to be on camera?”
“You get to be on camera,” Adam promised, smiling.
The weird thing was that Kris, who liked almost everyone, didn’t like Drake. Except that Kris refused to admit that he didn’t like Drake. Katy, on the other hand, had practically bounced with excitement and asked if Drake was his boyfriend and Adam had kinda shrugged and said that they were dating, not wanting to get into the complexities of buddy-fucking with someone who’d gotten married to her high school sweetheart.
Drake was perfect, though - he had another three and a half years on his TiMER but absolutely no desire to go without some fun while he waited for his one to arrive in his life.
“I just don’t get it,” Kris said one night. “You talk about love and about those TiMERs like they mean something, but he has one and you guys are still. You know.”
“Screwing around?” Adam suggested. Kris shrugged. “That’s why it’s good. We both know that it’s casual and that it’s never going to go anywhere. I don’t need serious right now, not during the competition, but I do need to relax sometimes. He’s just helping me out. As a friend.”
“I’ve never done that with any of my friends,” Kris said, but it wasn’t- sharp or judgemental. It was almost- it couldn’t be wistful. On the other hand, having recently met Kris’s friend Cale, maybe there was some wistfulness. Cale wasn’t Adam’s type, but he could definitely see why other people would be all over him. Maybe Kris did have some bi-curious tendencies that he’d never explored.
Kris was definitely more comfortable with a gay guy being all up in his space than most straight guys were, but Adam wasn’t sure if that counted for or against the theory. If Kris were repressed, he’d probably try to avoid touching that might make him feel things that he didn’t want to feel. Right? So, he probably was just a cuddly straight boy.
Probably.
Not that it mattered. Because Kris was married.
All of which worked great as a theory.
Right up until the night that Kris kissed him.
Kris colored bright red afterward and ducked away and Adam couldn’t really do anything about it because they had to be on air in a few minutes. Afterwards, though, and after their tearful hugs to Allison after she’d been voted off the show, Adam locked their bedroom door. And then he grabbed the chair from the desk and wedged it under the handle, just in case.
“Okay, what the hell was that, earlier?” he asked.
“I know, right?” Kris said. “I totally thought Allison would make it for sure.”
“So, what, you decided to say goodbye with your mouth?”
“Everyone says goodbye with their mouths,” Kris said in a mumble. “It wasn’t... I just needed. I needed to- Adam...”
And Kris looked up at him and... shit, those big brown eyes and those full lips and... and the door was locked. Adam licked his mouth quickly and tried to remind himself of all the reasons that he wasn’t going to show Kris what a real kiss was like.
“What is this, anyway?” Adam asked. “Is this- are you curious about what it’s like for guys? Because of what I’ve told you? Is it... it is because you want to know about buddy fucking? Is it-”
“It’s you,” Kris said, taking a step forward. “I just- I think about you, okay? I- I hurry off the phone with Katy so that I can talk to you more. I’m always thinking about what you- about the things that you say and do and the way you- your eyes and the way your hair feels and I can’t stop. I can’t- I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Kris sounded exhausted, like he’d just run a mile, getting all those words out.
“No matter what I do, I can’t stop,” he said again.
“Hey, hey, it’s all right,” Adam said, and he reached forward and tucked Kris against him. Kris was shaking all over, just slightly - fear or nerves or just too much emotion. Kris’s hands grabbed onto Adam’s jacket. They were as close as when they’d hugged tonight on the show, only now there were no cameras. No audience.
No wife.
Adam closed his eyes for a second and he should push Kris away. He should-
He already knew that he wasn’t going to.
Instead, he reached down to tilt Kris’s face up. Kris’s mouth was trembling, lips parted just a breath. “You might not even like it,” Adam said, stroking his thumb over Kris’s cheek, then sliding his hand down to Kris’s throat, feeling the quick beat of his pulse. “Just- if you don’t, it’s okay. We go back to being just friends. This isn’t a burned bridge.” Kris nodded, ever so slightly, his gaze fixed on Adam’s.
Adam slipped his hand around to the back of Kris’s neck, his other hand resting gently on the small of Kris’s back, and he bent down to place a light, teasing kiss against Kris’s mouth.
Kris huffed out a frustrated breath against Adam’s lips and pushed up into the kiss, tongue pressing against Adam’s lips. Slow and easy apparently wasn’t on Kris’s agenda. Adam let him in, pulled him closer, as close as they could get with their clothes still on. He gave a thought to taking care of that problem, but he didn’t get much of a chance - Kris wasn’t letting him go, taking a step forward to stay with him when Adam tried to pull back so that he could get Kris’s jacket off.
“Kris, we don’t have to rush,” Adam said, breaking the kiss so that he could lick Kris’s jaw, taste his skin and feel that edge of stubble that he didn’t always like. “No hurry, baby.”
Kris laughed. “There’s- I- I want to know. I want to know.” And he finally let go of Adam’s coat, his hands sliding over Adam’s body, down to tug at Adam’s shirt. “I have to make sure.”
“Nothing wrong with taking our time,” Adam said, taking the chance while Kris was distracted to pull his own jacket off and toss it to the side. He took a step forward, crowding Kris in the direction of the closest bed - Kris’s, as it turned out. “Or doing it again later.”
“I am so screwed,” Kris said, and his hands were on Adam’s skin now, those hands that Adam couldn’t mistake for anyone else’s - big for how tiny Kris was, with those subtle calluses from playing guitar for years, agile but hesitant. “You- I- Adam, I can’t even-”
“You can,” Adam said, and he reached down to grab the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head smoothly and then sending it to rest with his jacket. Kris had already seen him shirtless, of course. Impossible to avoid that when sharing rooms. But context really was everything.
Kris slid his hands up Adam’s torso and - fuck, he could feel the smooth drag of Kris’s wedding ring and everything just felt sick and sordid for a twisted second but he couldn’t - Kris was staring at Adam’s pale, freckled chest like it was something beautiful and Adam couldn’t push him away.
“Does- do you like it when-” but Kris didn’t seem prepared to wait for an answer, leaning closer and pressing his mouth against Adam’s nipple, first just a light kiss but it quickly turned into sucking when Adam sighed and pressed his fingers into Kris’s hair to hold him in place. Kris played with Adam’s other nipple, too, fingers stroking and flicking and experimenting.
Kris pulled back, dropping a last kiss on Adam’s chest, his fingers tangling up in the necklace that was still hanging around Adam’s neck. He tugged at it, pulling Adam down, and Adam smiled into the kiss, already learning the quirks of Kris’s mouth and how his tongue played, quick and teasing.
Adam wasn’t sure how long they kissed - but after a while, he needed to move, needed to get the fuck out of his too-tight pants. He broke the kiss slowly, sucking at Kris’s lower lip as he pulled away. “How about we get the rest of these clothes off?”
Kris nodded, chest heaving as he panted for air. Then he turned away, his shirt slipping off to land on the carpet. His hands reached down for his undershirt and Adam stepped up behind him, pressing himself against Kris’s back.
“I could do that for you,” he said, whispering into Kris’s ear. This was actually a really good view, all down Kris’s front. Adam put one of his hands over the bulge in Kris’s pants, curling his fingers around the outline of Kris’s dick.
“Oh, God,” Kris said, leaning his head back against Adam’s chest. “Jesus.”
“Not really all that relevant to what’s happening in this room,” Adam said, and Kris’s laugh sounded a little choked as his hips bucked against Adam’s palm.
Adam glanced up and the bed was only a couple of steps away. He rubbed at Kris’s cock one more time and then moved his hands up so that he could pull Kris’s shirt off. He turned Kris to face him and he nipped at Kris’s lower lip before tugging him in for a series of shallow, darting kisses.
“Sit on the bed,” Adam said, popping open the button on Kris’s jeans. “And I’ll blow you.”
Kris nodded slowly, his eyes wide and mouth still slightly open. He slid his jean off his hips, about mid-thigh, and fumbled backward for the bed, not taking his eyes off Adam. With a smile that Adam knew looked a little predatory, Adam helped Kris up onto the bed, stroking the back of his hand against Kris’s blue boxer-briefs. Kris shivered, eyes wide and lips parted.
Adam knelt down in front of Kris, still lazily tracing Kris’s cock. He settled in between Kris’s legs and pressed a kiss to Kris’s stomach. He’d seen this much of Kris already, but hadn’t ever given himself permission to look. Now, though, he let himself take it all in, from the muscled thighs to the flat stomach with that faint scar and then up to the tight nipples and perfect, hairless chest.
He reached down to tug Kris’s shoes off, glad that Kris tied them loosely enough that all Adam needed to do was yank a little. Now he pulled the jeans down and off, letting them crumple on the floor, and Kris was almost bare. Adam slid his hands up Kris’s legs - and here there was hair, though not as noticeable now as it was when Kris was straight from the shower, legs still slightly damp. He pressed a kiss against Kris’s knee, licked his way up Kris’s thigh as Kris squirmed under his hands.
Adam could see Kris’s dick through the fabric of his boxer-briefs, Kris so hard and ready that he was leaking a little. Adam leaned up and lapped at the wetness, sucking at Kris through the cloth. Kris whimpered, hips stuttering up against Adam’s mouth.
Slowly, like he was teasing himself, Adam carefully stripped Kris of the last thing he was wearing. This part Adam hadn’t seen before. Oh, Kris was beautiful here, cock proud and hard and just a lovely handful. He stroked up the shaft, fingers lingering under the head, where Kris would be most sensitive. Kris moaned, his leg twitched and, out of the corner of his eye, Adam could see Kris’s foot kicking in reaction. Adam pet Kris’s thigh soothingly and the muscles were so tense. Hopefully, Kris would be relaxed in a few minutes.
Adam licked at the head of Kris’s cock, able to taste him better now, without the flavor of cotton in the way. Not bad, as far as dicks went. And the way Kris shivered and called out his name made for an excellent sweetener. Adam kissed his way down Kris’s cock, leaving a sucking kiss at the base that made Kris grunt and push toward him. He put his hands on the insides of Kris’s thigh, encouraging Kris to spread them further.
Kris wiggled against Adam’s hands, falling backward on the bed, and Adam could see Kris’s hands grabbing onto the comforter, his back arching in a gorgeous curve. Kris lying down was... was good. Definitely something Adam could work with. He straightened up on his knees and leaned over to snag a pillow from the head of the bed.
“What- are you stopping?” Kris asked, breathless and confused, propping himself up on his elbows to watch Adam. “No. Bad time to stop. No stopping.”
“Not stopping,” Adam said, caressing Kris’s knee fondly. “Making things a little easier. Back up a bit.” Kris blinked down at him and then obediently scooted back on the bed. He had to bring his feet up to do it which was, well, just perfect. Adam stroked under Kris’s thigh. “Lift up.”
Kris’s eyes darted to the pillow in Adam’s other hand and he flushed and gasped, just a little. He raised up his pelvis and waited and watched as Adam slid the pillow under his ass.
“So flexible,” Adam said. “That’s going to be fun.”
He pushed Kris’s feet back and apart, spreading Kris’s legs until Kris’s breathing went ragged and his thighs were trembling, but Kris didn’t say a word, though he’d stopped trying to hold himself up on his elbows to watch, instead collapsing back onto the bed. After Adam got Kris settled where he wanted him, he pet the curve of Kris’s hip and then leaned back up to grab another pillow, putting that one under his own knees. The floor was carpeted here, but Adam planned on taking his time with this and, well, he wasn’t twenty-two any more.
He dragged a finger down Kris’s thigh, tracing the line of muscle back to Kris’s groin. With his knees bent and pushed back, everything was on display, and Adam cupped Kris’s balls, feeling the weight of them in his hand. Then he let them go, moving his hand up to Kris’s stomach, rubbing his knuckles across the place where Kris’s bare chest gave way to that line of hair that widened and pointed the way downward. Kris’s cock was hard and pressed up against his belly, but Adam ignored it for the time being, stroking an outline around it on Kris’s skin.
Kris said his name, low and broken, but he seemed content to let Adam play, holding himself still.
Adam had a brief moment of longing for the condoms that he totally didn’t have in the mansion but- ah, he wouldn’t want to rush, anyway. Not with Kris. There was something that he had that would make things a little easier, though. He dropped a kiss on Kris’s upraised knee and said, “Stay like this.”
He went over to the night stand near his bed and grab the lubricant stashed there for jerking off. There was probably some in Kris’s stuff, too, but Adam didn’t feel like wasting any time looking around and he didn’t want to pull Kris out of the happy, relaxed state that he was letting Adam coax him into enjoying. Then he went back to Kris, dropping back down to his knees. He squirted some of the lube onto his fingers and rubbed them together for warming before taking Kris’s cock in hand and giving him a few light strokes. Even as he kept jerking off Kris, slow and easy, he slipped his other hand down below Kris’s balls, rubbing his wet fingers against Kris’s hole.
Kris was saying things, nonsense words and Adam’s name and any number of promises that he had no way of keeping. Adam leaned forward to take the head of Kris’s cock in his mouth, sucking gently. He didn’t let Kris hurry to the finish, instead pulling back or slowing down whenever he felt that Kris was nearing that edge. Kris was lifting his hips up into Adam’s hand, Adam’s mouth, and his voice had gone high-pitched and breathy.
Adam breached Kris’s hole with one finger, then slid it out again, teasing around the edges. He gave some thought to going further, finding Kris’s prostate and showing him that pleasure, too, but Kris was already so far gone. It could wait for another day - because Adam had already decided that they would do this again, no matter what it took.
So, Adam held down Kris’s hips securely and then he slid his mouth down Kris’s cock, the head sliding against the back of his throat and then down. He stayed there for a second, two, and swallowed around Kris’s cock. It was enough - when he pulled back, Kris jerked under his hands and he was coming in Adam’s mouth, salty and a little bitter and so warm.
And now Kris was relaxed and pliant, barely paying attention as Adam rubbed his hands over the insides of Kris’s thighs. Adam got up, tossed the pillow that had been under his knees back up to the head of the bed, and then stripped off the rest of his clothes. Kris hadn’t moved, though it sounded like - was he giggling? It seemed like he was. Adam touched Kris’s knee and Kris opened his eyes and Kris was pretty much glowing, and anyone looking at him would have been able to tell that he’d just gotten off.
“You look-” Kris’s mouth curved up in a smile. “Can I call a guy beautiful?”
“You can call me whatever you want,” Adam said. He got on the bed and tugged Kris to lie the right direction on it, facing him.
“Are you- are you going to-” Kris blushed a little darker, but he didn’t seem scared.
“Not tonight,” Adam said. He grabbed Kris’s hand and licked the palm, then brought Kris’s hand down to Adam’s cock. “I like it a little rough, so don’t worry.”
Kris was unsure at first, his hand slow and too gentle. But he learned fast, seemed to learn all too quickly where and how to touch Adam to get the best reaction. Adam rested his hand on Kris’s hip, and when he was ready for how he wanted to end it, it was a simple matter of pushing Kris over to his back. Kris’s eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise and - someday soon, Adam was going to need to fuck that mouth of his.
Not today.
“Press your thighs together, as tightly as you can,” Adam said. And then he held his cock and slipped it between Kris’s legs and Kris seemed to understand what Adam was doing, and he squeezed his thighs around Adam’s cock, breath coming quick as Adam fucked between his legs until he came. Adam collapsed on Kris when he was done, but Kris didn’t seem to mind, kissing Adam’s neck until Adam worked up the energy to roll off to the side.
“We should probably sleep in your bed,” Kris said, and his hand was resting right next to Adam’s and it only took a second to turn his palm toward Kris’s and lock their fingers together. “This one is kinda messy now.”
“Shower first,” Adam said, and he tugged Kris off the bed and toward the bathroom.
Getting clean, of course, led to getting dirty all over again and then they had to clean up a second time. But, finally, they stumbled out of the bathroom and over to Adam’s bed.
Neither of them bothered to put on clothes, and Adam wrapped himself around Kris, front to back, his hand reaching down to cup Kris’s soft cock gently.
“Don’t think I can do three times,” Kris said. Adam felt a brief stab of desire to prove Kris wrong on that but- he was pretty tired himself. “God, Adam, that was-”
“I’m pretty good at sex,” Adam said, pressing a kiss to the back of Kris’s neck and sliding his leg over Kris’s.
“Yeah,” Kris agreed. His body stiffened a little in Adam’s arms. “You know- it wasn’t- it wasn’t just-”
“I know,” Adam said. He stroked Kris’s thigh. “Not that I didn’t- love this, but... why now?”
Kris let out a harsh breath. “You won’t- I... Katy’s friends are all getting TiMERs.”
“Oh,” Adam said, and he hadn’t let himself think about Katy during any of this and... even though he knew it was unfair of him to resent that Kris had brought her up... he did, just a little.
“And that means that Katy wants to get one, too. Wants us to get them together,” Kris said. His hand reached down and grabbed Adam’s, drawing it forward around Kris’s chest. “When she said- I just knew, you know. That I’d break her heart.” Kris’s voice was - strange, almost distant. “I’ve done it before. I didn’t- I didn’t want to do it again. But the TiMER wouldn’t...”
“Do you think it’s me?” Adam asked. He didn’t let himself hope.
“I don’t know,” Kris said, sounding very young and a little scared. “I just knew- after meeting you, I knew it wasn’t Katy. I- I want it to be you. But-”
“Once upon a time, you wanted it to be Katy,” Adam said. “Are you going to get the TiMER?”
“I’m going to try to talk to Katy about- about everything,” Kris said. “I guess we’ll go from there.”
There didn’t seem to be much to say after that, so Adam just kissed Kris on the cheek and let them both go to sleep.
Part Two
http://butterfly.dreamwidth.org/1332469.html |
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Summary: Adam Lambert is looking for his other half in a universe where love can come with a guarantee.
Pairings: Adam/Kris; Adam/Drake, Kris/Katy, references to past Adam/Brad
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~14k
Notes: Fusion with the TiMER universe, which created the concept of the TiMER. Many thanks to nevada01 for beta and to first reader chosenfire28 for encouragement.
A Matter of Timing
“Man, this place is crazy.”
Adam glanced over to look at the boy who’d spoken. He’d already seen the guy around a little - enough to know that he was just Adam’s type, all tiny and sharp and pretty. But this was the first time that Adam had heard his voice and - of course - he had to be Southern.
“The best kind of crazy,” Adam said and he held out his hand. “Adam Lambert. Number One-Eight-Seven-Seven.”
“Nice to meet ya.” The guy didn’t seem to notice as Adam twisted their grip slightly looking for - and, yes, the cute boy had a bare wrist where it counted the most. “I’m Kris Allen.”
Kris Allen had unknowingly been Adam’s favorite eye-candy since they’d all gotten here yesterday, so it was nice to finally get his name. And he might even be the one - though Adam had promised himself that he wouldn’t get caught up in the search for his one the way that some people did. Though American Idol might not be the worst place to look for love, considering how widely it sampled throughout the country.
“So, I kinda think that number three-two-eight-nine-five over there is kinda cute,” Adam said, nodding toward the doorway - he didn’t actually think 32895 was that cute but he was the person in the room who looked most like Adam apart from, well, Adam himself, so it seemed the safest way of evaluating Kris’s potential.
“That guy?” Kris asked, and his voice squeaked up a bit and he flushed all over and tugged his hand out of Adam’s, like he’d just realized that it was still there. “The tall guy with the mohawk and all the chains?”
“Mmmhmm.” Adam watched as Kris reached down and - oh - fidgeted with the shiny wedding ring that Adam hadn’t even looked to see. Well. Shit. “Maybe one of the girls is more to your taste?” Adam asked, sounding as casual as he could and then he searched the crowd, as if trying to spot a potential female person.
“I’m- uh. I’m married,” Kris said. “So, yeah. I’m not looking at cute- at cute anyones.”
“I guess I’ll have to do without a wingman,” Adam said cheerfully, relieved that he hadn’t come on too strong. “Oh, hey, it looks like they’re letting us back into the theater - want to snag some seats near the front?”
Kris agreed easily and, as simple as that, before Adam had even realized it, they were already something close to friends.
Most of the people trying out for season eight didn’t have TiMERs, Adam noticed as Hollywood week wore on. It made sense, when he thought about it. The TiMER was still only two years out of development and, in the States, it had launched primarily in New York and L.A. From what the person who had implanted him had said, TiMER planned to be the mating tool of choice by 2025, but it was still early days for the company. They needed to prove their record, first.
He actually got to explain what the TiMER was all about to Kris, on the second-to-last day of Hollywood.
“True love,” Adam said, sitting down cross-legged on Matt’s bed, watching as Kris tuned his guitar. Kris’s roommate wasn’t in at the moment, so Adam didn’t feel bad about snagging his space. “It’s about finding the one person that you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.”
“Through a wristband? How exactly - does it flash or buzz or something when you meet your- your person?” Kris asked, setting the guitar aside and coming over to Adam’s side. Adam held out his wrist and Kris examined the TiMER carefully. It wasn’t very impressive just to look at it - only a rounded rectangle of plastic slapped over his pulse point. “Oh, it really is a timer.” Kris delicately brushed his fingers over where the TiMER met Adam’s skin. Adam couldn’t quite repress his shiver, but Kris was focused enough that he didn’t seem to notice.
“It counts down until the midnight before you meet your one,” Adam said, trying to concentrate on Kris’s words, not the tempting warmth of his hand. “Once you’ve zeroed out, you know that you’re going to meet the love of your life the next day. When you... when your eyes meet... then both your TiMERs go off at the same time. It’s... it’s a chime sort of sound. And then you know.”
“But yours is just... blinking,” Kris said.
“Ah, that means that my one doesn’t have a TiMER implanted yet,” Adam said. “It actually-” he laughed, because some day - after he found his one - the story would be funny, even if it wasn’t just yet. “-I went in with my- he... Brad was my boyfriend then. We were sure that we were soulmates.”
“But if you loved each other-”
“He tried,” Adam said, reaching down and touching the TiMER, his hand covering Kris’s slightly. “But every morning, he could look down and see that- that he still needed to meet the love of his life.”
Adam could still remember his implantation with crystal clarity. He’d gotten his put in first, so it hadn’t been strange that it had just blinked up at them. But then Brad’s had been put in and... and instead of chiming out confirmation of their true love, it had started counting down. 621 days until Brad met the love of his life. And it wasn’t going to be Adam.
“But... how can you really be sure it’s right?” Kris asked, his nose wrinkling up in the cutest way- and Adam shut down that train of thought ruthlessly. Married. Not interested.
“You stick around in Hollywood long enough and you’ll get to see it at work,” Adam said. “It’s- there used to be a lot of fake relationships here and everyone- everyone hoping to find something real. The TiMER finds you something real. Some of the pairings have been surprises - you probably heard about George Clooney coming out, even in Arkansas?” Adam teased. “It’s because his TiMER went off - with his waiter for the night while he was on a fake date his publicist set up for him.”
“Yeah, Katy might have mentioned that,” Kris said. Adam had yet to meet Kris’s wife - she was going to come up for the judges’ mansion segment if Kris made it that far, Kris had mentioned - but he was absolutely determined not to be jealous of her. Even if Kris was so unfairly cute and friendly and cuddly. “Um. That seems like something that he wouldn’t want. Being... forced out of the closet like that.”
“It turned out well,” Adam said breezily. George had given an interview, not five weeks ago, when he’d said that his TiMER going off like that had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. “He’s really happy about it now. He wouldn’t have gotten the TiMER if he hadn’t been prepared to risk it, after all.”
“Huh.”
“You really haven’t heard about TiMERs in Arkansas?”
“Nah, it’s not really something - it doesn’t sound like the sort of thing most people I know would be into,” Kris said.
“People don’t like love in Arkansas?” Adam asked.
“People like to make their own choices, I guess,” Kris said. “And that TiMER thing - you said that it ruined a relationship that you really wanted to keep.”
“It would have ended anyway,” Adam said. “Maybe not as quickly as it did but... he has someone out there. Someone else out there who has a TiMER counting down to exactly the same day and waiting for the same moment. And when they do meet - that love is going to last the rest of their lives. Who wouldn’t want that?”
“You can’t guarantee love,” Kris said, quietly. “That’s not- that isn’t how it works. You make a promise to work through the bad times and it is work and it’s not- it’s not magic.”
“Of course it isn’t magic,” Adam said. “It’s science. The TiMER is a finely-calibrated scientific tool.”
Kris pulled away from Adam then, finally, and laughed, but Adam could tell that Kris was laughing because he was uncomfortable, not because he was amused. “You guys are so weird out here,” he said. He patted Adam on the knee and then went back over to his own bed, starting up on tuning his guitar again.
They didn’t get a chance to talk much after they both got through the Hollywood rounds, but they exchanged phone numbers, and they texted a little over the break.
so, your timer things showed up in ar. being sold as ‘perfect new years gifts’.
knew they’d get there sooner or later. anyone buying them?
couple down the street got them. zeroed out and chimed at the store. kinda impressive.
yeah. my friend danielle just got hers. she has 5 yrs to go!
my buddy charles is thinking of getting one. he’s a lil insecure around the ladies
Adam didn’t ask Kris whether or not he and Katy had gotten them. If they had, Kris would have mentioned it. Given Kris’s thoughts on marriage, Adam figured that they probably wouldn’t bother, but he hadn’t gotten the chance to get to know Katy at all, to see if she felt the same as Kris did. He had seen her, from far away. Shining pale hair and actually shorter than Kris, even in heels.
The TiMERs seemed to sell really well everywhere over New Year’s, because when the show was gearing to start up again and all the people who’d advanced in Hollywood were ready for the next round, Adam could see way more of them on people’s wrists than he’d noticed last time.
Kris was going to be rooming with Matt Giraud again, so Adam went ahead and followed Matt back to his room once he spotted him.
“You don’t mind if I hang out and wait for Kris, right?” Adam asked, stealing onto Kris’s bed - the one without Matt’s suitcases on it - and cuddling one of his pillows. “I already called him to let him know I’d be in here.”
Matt had a TiMER now - blinking like Adam’s still did, so his one person hadn’t succumbed to the craze yet. “I think he’s going to try to sneak his wife in,” Matt said.
“I know,” Adam said. “He’s going to introduce us.”
“Oh. Won’t that be- yeah, not my business,” Matt said. He pulled out a notebook and sat at the little table the hotel provided, scribbling down some stuff - lyrics, maybe. Adam relaxed back onto Kris’s bed, letting himself zone out a little. He was going to go catch up with some of the other people he’d made friends with in Hollywood week once he and Kris had reconnected - he especially wanted to talk to Allison Iraheta, because she’d mentioned before the break that her mom was thinking of letting her get a TiMER of her own.
The door opened after another couple of hours and Adam propped himself up on his elbows, thinking belatedly that maybe he looked too comfortable on Kris’s bed.
Kris escorted his wife in, closed the door behind them. She had bright, curious eyes that she fixed pretty quickly on Adam.
“So, that’s Matt,” Kris said, motioning toward the corner. Then he looked over at Adam and smiled, and even with the plaid... everything... he was about the most adorable thing Adam had ever seen. “And this is Adam, the guy that you’re bored of hearing about. Adam, Matt - this is my wife.”
“Katy,” she said, with a little wave. She was tiny and perfect and there was maybe one brief moment where Adam completely hated her entire existence. Then he made himself get over it and bounded off the bed to take her hand.
“It’s really nice to meet you,” he said. “Kris has said some great things. You like acting, right?”
She laughed and said ‘yes’ and Adam was able to draw her into a conversation about Hollywood and ended up finding out that she had hopes of trying out for some acting jobs while Kris was in town for Idol.
“If we have time,” she said, glancing over at Kris, who was talking Matt. She leaned in toward Adam and lowered her voice. “We’re trying to keep our expectations manageable.”
Adam wasn’t really sure what to say to that, so he changed the subject to fashion and brought Kris into the conversation by asking him how many different types of beauty products he and Katy each owned, which started a round of light teasing.
After a little more catching up with Kris, Adam wandered off to find Allison and some of the others.
Allison had gotten her TiMER over the break, but she kinda hated it.
“So would you if you knew that you were supposed to wait ten years,” she grumbled. “Ten years!”
“You’ll be just about my age and I haven’t found my one yet,” Adam said. That settled her down a little.
“You’re right. This gives me time to get it wrong a few times,” she said. “Awesome. Hey, I’m going to sneak out for a smoke - you wanna come?”
“No, baby girl, I stopped to save my voice,” Adam said, somewhat pointedly. But he wasn’t surprised when she ignored him. Some things, people just had to learn for themselves, apparently. “Don’t let your mom smell it on you.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered,” she said, with a casual kiss goodbye.
Kris was nervous on their group night. Katy and someone Adam would bet was Kris’s mom were trying to calm him down, but from what Adam could see, nothing was working. Allison had seemed as cool as a cucumber when he’d seen her earlier and he knew that she would pull out that rock wail of hers and kick ass. Kris, on the other hand, seemed a little too nervous. And it probably wasn’t sensible to pick favorites when he was on the show and competing against them but Kris and Allison were his favorites and he wanted them both to move on to the next stage.
Not if it meant that Adam didn’t- or, well, he didn’t think so. But he wanted them there with him. So, he snuck up behind Kris and ambushed him, making him startle and laugh.
“I didn’t see you!” Kris said, as if that hadn’t been perfectly obvious. “This is my mom. Have you- I don’t think you’ve met her yet.”
“I haven’t,” Adam agreed, grinning down at Kris and looping an arm around his shoulder. “But she made you, so I’m sure she’s awesome.”
“She is,” Kris agreed, tilting his head back and meeting Adam’s eyes. His cheeks were slightly flushed. “Your parents are here, right?”
“Gosh, wow, Kris, it might be kinda early in our relationship for all these parental meetings,” Adam teased. He managed to look away from Kris and toward Kris’s mom instead. “Hi, I’m Adam.”
“Oh, I know, honey. I’m Kim. He talked and talked about you over Christmas,” Kris’s mom - Kim - said, shaking his hand. “I feel as if I know you already. I’m really looking forward to hearing you sing tonight.”
“Thanks,” Adam said, a little taken aback. Kim’s eyes flicked over his shoulder and her welcoming smile got another boost.
“And are these Adam’s parents?” she asked. Adam turned his head a little and - yeah, there they were, coming up to join the group.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Mom, Dad, this is Kris’s mom, Kim, and his wife, Katy, and this is Kris Allen,” Adam said, showing Kris off with a little flourish. “Everyone, this is my mom, Leila, and my dad, Eber.”
“I’m so pleased to meet all of you,” his mom said, shaking Kris’s hand first and then moving on to the others.
“It’s weird not to have my dad here,” Kris said, quietly, just to Adam. “But he couldn’t make it out. He’ll be watching on TV, though.”
“You’re going to do great no matter who is watching,” Adam said. “You’re doing that Michael Jackson song tonight, right? You’re going to blow everyone away.”
“I’m pretty sure blowing everyone away is your job,” Kris said. “You’re singing last. Even the producers know that you’re the best singer here.”
“Or they think I’m a glorious trainwreck,” Adam said, only half-joking. He knew that he was good - fuck, that he was great. But that wasn’t the only sort of thing that mattered in a show like Idol. If they wanted to make him look ridiculous on TV, there was probably a way for them to manage it.
But Adam did get through, all three of them did, just like Adam had said - had hoped. After the results show, Allison’s mom couldn’t stop hugging her and Kris and Katy were practically joined at the hip and glowing with happiness. And it wasn’t that he wanted Kris for himself. Adam hoped that he was enough of a grown-up not to pine after a guy who was straight and married. He just... he wanted that connection. Kris and Katy didn’t even need TiMERs to know that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.
Because both of their roommates went home, he and Kris ended up rooming together for the rest of the stay in the hotel. It was pretty convenient. Kris was already the person that Adam most liked to talk about music with in the entire group, so having him right there, all the time, was nice.
Okay, the part where Kris wandered around in towels sometimes was less nice.
Or, well... it was nice, but Adam was trying not to think of Kris that way, so it shouldn’t be nice.
But most of the time, Kris was dressed, so that was good.
And when they were told that they could choose their roommates for the mansion - they were going to get to live in a mansion, holy shit - he didn’t even think about it before asking Kris. Being around Kris was surprising easy, considering how straight and cute and off-limits he was.
Measures needed to be taken, though, so Adam called up a friend to help with his problem.
“Yello, you’ve reached the fabulous residence of Drake Labry. If you’re calling to commission a painting-”
“It’s me,” Adam said.
“Oh,” Drake only sounded disappointed for a second. “Hey, what’s up, honey? I saw that you made it through to the next round on that show of yours.”
“Yeah, I was actually calling to see if you’d like to come up for some shows,” Adam said. “And maybe a little something else on the side.”
“TiMER still blinking?” Drake asked. “Or are you getting a booty call because you have a countdown now?”
“Still blinking,” Adam said. “I just... I can’t go out to the clubs while I’m here in the mansion and most of my other friends are... well-”
“Either exes, don’t have a penis, or are otherwise unsuitable?” Drake filled in.
“Something like that,” Adam said. “What do you say?”
“Sounds fun. Do I get to be on camera?”
“You get to be on camera,” Adam promised, smiling.
The weird thing was that Kris, who liked almost everyone, didn’t like Drake. Except that Kris refused to admit that he didn’t like Drake. Katy, on the other hand, had practically bounced with excitement and asked if Drake was his boyfriend and Adam had kinda shrugged and said that they were dating, not wanting to get into the complexities of buddy-fucking with someone who’d gotten married to her high school sweetheart.
Drake was perfect, though - he had another three and a half years on his TiMER but absolutely no desire to go without some fun while he waited for his one to arrive in his life.
“I just don’t get it,” Kris said one night. “You talk about love and about those TiMERs like they mean something, but he has one and you guys are still. You know.”
“Screwing around?” Adam suggested. Kris shrugged. “That’s why it’s good. We both know that it’s casual and that it’s never going to go anywhere. I don’t need serious right now, not during the competition, but I do need to relax sometimes. He’s just helping me out. As a friend.”
“I’ve never done that with any of my friends,” Kris said, but it wasn’t- sharp or judgemental. It was almost- it couldn’t be wistful. On the other hand, having recently met Kris’s friend Cale, maybe there was some wistfulness. Cale wasn’t Adam’s type, but he could definitely see why other people would be all over him. Maybe Kris did have some bi-curious tendencies that he’d never explored.
Kris was definitely more comfortable with a gay guy being all up in his space than most straight guys were, but Adam wasn’t sure if that counted for or against the theory. If Kris were repressed, he’d probably try to avoid touching that might make him feel things that he didn’t want to feel. Right? So, he probably was just a cuddly straight boy.
Probably.
Not that it mattered. Because Kris was married.
All of which worked great as a theory.
Right up until the night that Kris kissed him.
Kris colored bright red afterward and ducked away and Adam couldn’t really do anything about it because they had to be on air in a few minutes. Afterwards, though, and after their tearful hugs to Allison after she’d been voted off the show, Adam locked their bedroom door. And then he grabbed the chair from the desk and wedged it under the handle, just in case.
“Okay, what the hell was that, earlier?” he asked.
“I know, right?” Kris said. “I totally thought Allison would make it for sure.”
“So, what, you decided to say goodbye with your mouth?”
“Everyone says goodbye with their mouths,” Kris said in a mumble. “It wasn’t... I just needed. I needed to- Adam...”
And Kris looked up at him and... shit, those big brown eyes and those full lips and... and the door was locked. Adam licked his mouth quickly and tried to remind himself of all the reasons that he wasn’t going to show Kris what a real kiss was like.
“What is this, anyway?” Adam asked. “Is this- are you curious about what it’s like for guys? Because of what I’ve told you? Is it... it is because you want to know about buddy fucking? Is it-”
“It’s you,” Kris said, taking a step forward. “I just- I think about you, okay? I- I hurry off the phone with Katy so that I can talk to you more. I’m always thinking about what you- about the things that you say and do and the way you- your eyes and the way your hair feels and I can’t stop. I can’t- I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Kris sounded exhausted, like he’d just run a mile, getting all those words out.
“No matter what I do, I can’t stop,” he said again.
“Hey, hey, it’s all right,” Adam said, and he reached forward and tucked Kris against him. Kris was shaking all over, just slightly - fear or nerves or just too much emotion. Kris’s hands grabbed onto Adam’s jacket. They were as close as when they’d hugged tonight on the show, only now there were no cameras. No audience.
No wife.
Adam closed his eyes for a second and he should push Kris away. He should-
He already knew that he wasn’t going to.
Instead, he reached down to tilt Kris’s face up. Kris’s mouth was trembling, lips parted just a breath. “You might not even like it,” Adam said, stroking his thumb over Kris’s cheek, then sliding his hand down to Kris’s throat, feeling the quick beat of his pulse. “Just- if you don’t, it’s okay. We go back to being just friends. This isn’t a burned bridge.” Kris nodded, ever so slightly, his gaze fixed on Adam’s.
Adam slipped his hand around to the back of Kris’s neck, his other hand resting gently on the small of Kris’s back, and he bent down to place a light, teasing kiss against Kris’s mouth.
Kris huffed out a frustrated breath against Adam’s lips and pushed up into the kiss, tongue pressing against Adam’s lips. Slow and easy apparently wasn’t on Kris’s agenda. Adam let him in, pulled him closer, as close as they could get with their clothes still on. He gave a thought to taking care of that problem, but he didn’t get much of a chance - Kris wasn’t letting him go, taking a step forward to stay with him when Adam tried to pull back so that he could get Kris’s jacket off.
“Kris, we don’t have to rush,” Adam said, breaking the kiss so that he could lick Kris’s jaw, taste his skin and feel that edge of stubble that he didn’t always like. “No hurry, baby.”
Kris laughed. “There’s- I- I want to know. I want to know.” And he finally let go of Adam’s coat, his hands sliding over Adam’s body, down to tug at Adam’s shirt. “I have to make sure.”
“Nothing wrong with taking our time,” Adam said, taking the chance while Kris was distracted to pull his own jacket off and toss it to the side. He took a step forward, crowding Kris in the direction of the closest bed - Kris’s, as it turned out. “Or doing it again later.”
“I am so screwed,” Kris said, and his hands were on Adam’s skin now, those hands that Adam couldn’t mistake for anyone else’s - big for how tiny Kris was, with those subtle calluses from playing guitar for years, agile but hesitant. “You- I- Adam, I can’t even-”
“You can,” Adam said, and he reached down to grab the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head smoothly and then sending it to rest with his jacket. Kris had already seen him shirtless, of course. Impossible to avoid that when sharing rooms. But context really was everything.
Kris slid his hands up Adam’s torso and - fuck, he could feel the smooth drag of Kris’s wedding ring and everything just felt sick and sordid for a twisted second but he couldn’t - Kris was staring at Adam’s pale, freckled chest like it was something beautiful and Adam couldn’t push him away.
“Does- do you like it when-” but Kris didn’t seem prepared to wait for an answer, leaning closer and pressing his mouth against Adam’s nipple, first just a light kiss but it quickly turned into sucking when Adam sighed and pressed his fingers into Kris’s hair to hold him in place. Kris played with Adam’s other nipple, too, fingers stroking and flicking and experimenting.
Kris pulled back, dropping a last kiss on Adam’s chest, his fingers tangling up in the necklace that was still hanging around Adam’s neck. He tugged at it, pulling Adam down, and Adam smiled into the kiss, already learning the quirks of Kris’s mouth and how his tongue played, quick and teasing.
Adam wasn’t sure how long they kissed - but after a while, he needed to move, needed to get the fuck out of his too-tight pants. He broke the kiss slowly, sucking at Kris’s lower lip as he pulled away. “How about we get the rest of these clothes off?”
Kris nodded, chest heaving as he panted for air. Then he turned away, his shirt slipping off to land on the carpet. His hands reached down for his undershirt and Adam stepped up behind him, pressing himself against Kris’s back.
“I could do that for you,” he said, whispering into Kris’s ear. This was actually a really good view, all down Kris’s front. Adam put one of his hands over the bulge in Kris’s pants, curling his fingers around the outline of Kris’s dick.
“Oh, God,” Kris said, leaning his head back against Adam’s chest. “Jesus.”
“Not really all that relevant to what’s happening in this room,” Adam said, and Kris’s laugh sounded a little choked as his hips bucked against Adam’s palm.
Adam glanced up and the bed was only a couple of steps away. He rubbed at Kris’s cock one more time and then moved his hands up so that he could pull Kris’s shirt off. He turned Kris to face him and he nipped at Kris’s lower lip before tugging him in for a series of shallow, darting kisses.
“Sit on the bed,” Adam said, popping open the button on Kris’s jeans. “And I’ll blow you.”
Kris nodded slowly, his eyes wide and mouth still slightly open. He slid his jean off his hips, about mid-thigh, and fumbled backward for the bed, not taking his eyes off Adam. With a smile that Adam knew looked a little predatory, Adam helped Kris up onto the bed, stroking the back of his hand against Kris’s blue boxer-briefs. Kris shivered, eyes wide and lips parted.
Adam knelt down in front of Kris, still lazily tracing Kris’s cock. He settled in between Kris’s legs and pressed a kiss to Kris’s stomach. He’d seen this much of Kris already, but hadn’t ever given himself permission to look. Now, though, he let himself take it all in, from the muscled thighs to the flat stomach with that faint scar and then up to the tight nipples and perfect, hairless chest.
He reached down to tug Kris’s shoes off, glad that Kris tied them loosely enough that all Adam needed to do was yank a little. Now he pulled the jeans down and off, letting them crumple on the floor, and Kris was almost bare. Adam slid his hands up Kris’s legs - and here there was hair, though not as noticeable now as it was when Kris was straight from the shower, legs still slightly damp. He pressed a kiss against Kris’s knee, licked his way up Kris’s thigh as Kris squirmed under his hands.
Adam could see Kris’s dick through the fabric of his boxer-briefs, Kris so hard and ready that he was leaking a little. Adam leaned up and lapped at the wetness, sucking at Kris through the cloth. Kris whimpered, hips stuttering up against Adam’s mouth.
Slowly, like he was teasing himself, Adam carefully stripped Kris of the last thing he was wearing. This part Adam hadn’t seen before. Oh, Kris was beautiful here, cock proud and hard and just a lovely handful. He stroked up the shaft, fingers lingering under the head, where Kris would be most sensitive. Kris moaned, his leg twitched and, out of the corner of his eye, Adam could see Kris’s foot kicking in reaction. Adam pet Kris’s thigh soothingly and the muscles were so tense. Hopefully, Kris would be relaxed in a few minutes.
Adam licked at the head of Kris’s cock, able to taste him better now, without the flavor of cotton in the way. Not bad, as far as dicks went. And the way Kris shivered and called out his name made for an excellent sweetener. Adam kissed his way down Kris’s cock, leaving a sucking kiss at the base that made Kris grunt and push toward him. He put his hands on the insides of Kris’s thigh, encouraging Kris to spread them further.
Kris wiggled against Adam’s hands, falling backward on the bed, and Adam could see Kris’s hands grabbing onto the comforter, his back arching in a gorgeous curve. Kris lying down was... was good. Definitely something Adam could work with. He straightened up on his knees and leaned over to snag a pillow from the head of the bed.
“What- are you stopping?” Kris asked, breathless and confused, propping himself up on his elbows to watch Adam. “No. Bad time to stop. No stopping.”
“Not stopping,” Adam said, caressing Kris’s knee fondly. “Making things a little easier. Back up a bit.” Kris blinked down at him and then obediently scooted back on the bed. He had to bring his feet up to do it which was, well, just perfect. Adam stroked under Kris’s thigh. “Lift up.”
Kris’s eyes darted to the pillow in Adam’s other hand and he flushed and gasped, just a little. He raised up his pelvis and waited and watched as Adam slid the pillow under his ass.
“So flexible,” Adam said. “That’s going to be fun.”
He pushed Kris’s feet back and apart, spreading Kris’s legs until Kris’s breathing went ragged and his thighs were trembling, but Kris didn’t say a word, though he’d stopped trying to hold himself up on his elbows to watch, instead collapsing back onto the bed. After Adam got Kris settled where he wanted him, he pet the curve of Kris’s hip and then leaned back up to grab another pillow, putting that one under his own knees. The floor was carpeted here, but Adam planned on taking his time with this and, well, he wasn’t twenty-two any more.
He dragged a finger down Kris’s thigh, tracing the line of muscle back to Kris’s groin. With his knees bent and pushed back, everything was on display, and Adam cupped Kris’s balls, feeling the weight of them in his hand. Then he let them go, moving his hand up to Kris’s stomach, rubbing his knuckles across the place where Kris’s bare chest gave way to that line of hair that widened and pointed the way downward. Kris’s cock was hard and pressed up against his belly, but Adam ignored it for the time being, stroking an outline around it on Kris’s skin.
Kris said his name, low and broken, but he seemed content to let Adam play, holding himself still.
Adam had a brief moment of longing for the condoms that he totally didn’t have in the mansion but- ah, he wouldn’t want to rush, anyway. Not with Kris. There was something that he had that would make things a little easier, though. He dropped a kiss on Kris’s upraised knee and said, “Stay like this.”
He went over to the night stand near his bed and grab the lubricant stashed there for jerking off. There was probably some in Kris’s stuff, too, but Adam didn’t feel like wasting any time looking around and he didn’t want to pull Kris out of the happy, relaxed state that he was letting Adam coax him into enjoying. Then he went back to Kris, dropping back down to his knees. He squirted some of the lube onto his fingers and rubbed them together for warming before taking Kris’s cock in hand and giving him a few light strokes. Even as he kept jerking off Kris, slow and easy, he slipped his other hand down below Kris’s balls, rubbing his wet fingers against Kris’s hole.
Kris was saying things, nonsense words and Adam’s name and any number of promises that he had no way of keeping. Adam leaned forward to take the head of Kris’s cock in his mouth, sucking gently. He didn’t let Kris hurry to the finish, instead pulling back or slowing down whenever he felt that Kris was nearing that edge. Kris was lifting his hips up into Adam’s hand, Adam’s mouth, and his voice had gone high-pitched and breathy.
Adam breached Kris’s hole with one finger, then slid it out again, teasing around the edges. He gave some thought to going further, finding Kris’s prostate and showing him that pleasure, too, but Kris was already so far gone. It could wait for another day - because Adam had already decided that they would do this again, no matter what it took.
So, Adam held down Kris’s hips securely and then he slid his mouth down Kris’s cock, the head sliding against the back of his throat and then down. He stayed there for a second, two, and swallowed around Kris’s cock. It was enough - when he pulled back, Kris jerked under his hands and he was coming in Adam’s mouth, salty and a little bitter and so warm.
And now Kris was relaxed and pliant, barely paying attention as Adam rubbed his hands over the insides of Kris’s thighs. Adam got up, tossed the pillow that had been under his knees back up to the head of the bed, and then stripped off the rest of his clothes. Kris hadn’t moved, though it sounded like - was he giggling? It seemed like he was. Adam touched Kris’s knee and Kris opened his eyes and Kris was pretty much glowing, and anyone looking at him would have been able to tell that he’d just gotten off.
“You look-” Kris’s mouth curved up in a smile. “Can I call a guy beautiful?”
“You can call me whatever you want,” Adam said. He got on the bed and tugged Kris to lie the right direction on it, facing him.
“Are you- are you going to-” Kris blushed a little darker, but he didn’t seem scared.
“Not tonight,” Adam said. He grabbed Kris’s hand and licked the palm, then brought Kris’s hand down to Adam’s cock. “I like it a little rough, so don’t worry.”
Kris was unsure at first, his hand slow and too gentle. But he learned fast, seemed to learn all too quickly where and how to touch Adam to get the best reaction. Adam rested his hand on Kris’s hip, and when he was ready for how he wanted to end it, it was a simple matter of pushing Kris over to his back. Kris’s eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise and - someday soon, Adam was going to need to fuck that mouth of his.
Not today.
“Press your thighs together, as tightly as you can,” Adam said. And then he held his cock and slipped it between Kris’s legs and Kris seemed to understand what Adam was doing, and he squeezed his thighs around Adam’s cock, breath coming quick as Adam fucked between his legs until he came. Adam collapsed on Kris when he was done, but Kris didn’t seem to mind, kissing Adam’s neck until Adam worked up the energy to roll off to the side.
“We should probably sleep in your bed,” Kris said, and his hand was resting right next to Adam’s and it only took a second to turn his palm toward Kris’s and lock their fingers together. “This one is kinda messy now.”
“Shower first,” Adam said, and he tugged Kris off the bed and toward the bathroom.
Getting clean, of course, led to getting dirty all over again and then they had to clean up a second time. But, finally, they stumbled out of the bathroom and over to Adam’s bed.
Neither of them bothered to put on clothes, and Adam wrapped himself around Kris, front to back, his hand reaching down to cup Kris’s soft cock gently.
“Don’t think I can do three times,” Kris said. Adam felt a brief stab of desire to prove Kris wrong on that but- he was pretty tired himself. “God, Adam, that was-”
“I’m pretty good at sex,” Adam said, pressing a kiss to the back of Kris’s neck and sliding his leg over Kris’s.
“Yeah,” Kris agreed. His body stiffened a little in Adam’s arms. “You know- it wasn’t- it wasn’t just-”
“I know,” Adam said. He stroked Kris’s thigh. “Not that I didn’t- love this, but... why now?”
Kris let out a harsh breath. “You won’t- I... Katy’s friends are all getting TiMERs.”
“Oh,” Adam said, and he hadn’t let himself think about Katy during any of this and... even though he knew it was unfair of him to resent that Kris had brought her up... he did, just a little.
“And that means that Katy wants to get one, too. Wants us to get them together,” Kris said. His hand reached down and grabbed Adam’s, drawing it forward around Kris’s chest. “When she said- I just knew, you know. That I’d break her heart.” Kris’s voice was - strange, almost distant. “I’ve done it before. I didn’t- I didn’t want to do it again. But the TiMER wouldn’t...”
“Do you think it’s me?” Adam asked. He didn’t let himself hope.
“I don’t know,” Kris said, sounding very young and a little scared. “I just knew- after meeting you, I knew it wasn’t Katy. I- I want it to be you. But-”
“Once upon a time, you wanted it to be Katy,” Adam said. “Are you going to get the TiMER?”
“I’m going to try to talk to Katy about- about everything,” Kris said. “I guess we’ll go from there.”
There didn’t seem to be much to say after that, so Adam just kissed Kris on the cheek and let them both go to sleep.
Part Two
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