FIC: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Part 5
Adam wasn't sure how he survived the night with his family. Thankfully it was just his mom, dad, and brother and not the entire clan. They were curious and eager to meet Kris. There were only a few wildly embarrassing question to him and just a few to Kris. Everything seemed to be going great until his mother pulled out the baby pictures. But in the end it seemed more like a rouse to talk to Kris one on one. By the end of the night, Adam felt permanently embarrassed but it seemed his family approved of Kris and even Adam's determination to wait for Kris to be ready to change into one of them.
The next morning Adam took Kris to meet his friends, most of whom were part of the music industry.
They were all nice to Kris, which pleased Adam. Kris was invited to step into one of their recording booths to sing a song for them. Adam sat in the control area, alongside a few well known producers, a couple of artists, and his friends Tommy and Brad, both of whom had given Adam grief for falling for a southern human boy. But they all stopped their teasing the second Kris started singing.
"Holy crap Adam," Tommy said, jaw practically on the floor, "how is it this kid isn't signed yet? How the hell is he even human? He sounds like one of us."
"I have a few theories on that, perhaps and ancestral tie to one of the rogues who stayed on earth permanently, a small genetic link." Tommy gave him a withering look, "It’s that or the fates decided to had me a mate n a silver platter." Tommy shrugged, neither agreeing to the crazy ideas but definitely not disagreeing.
Brad seemed as transfixed by Kris as the others in the room, staring longingly at Kris. Brad was a rare creature for them. He possessed no singing ability, but he was a huge designer on their world. He was looking at Kris with a sort of jealousy that Adam had not seen in a while.
Adam moved next to Brad and nudged his shoulder. Brad turned the jealous stare on Adam.
"How is it a human, a freaking human, can sing and I can't. It’s in my DNA to do that but he just does it naturally while I sound like distressed piano." Adam put a hand on his shoulder.
"Brad, we have talked this to death. You were given a different gift, one that people crave. While you crave the norm, they crave the extraordinary." Brad sighed and went back to watching Kris.
One of the producers turned to Adam.
"I gotta sign this kid. Let me call some people on Earth and have them dig around this contract business. We'll get him." Adam smirked at the thought of getting Kris away from his evil boss.
He looked to Kris who, having watched the reactions of those in the room, seemed stunned. Adam gave him a thumbs up before motioning him out.
Kris shook hands with everyone in the room and chatted with Brad and Tommy while Adam worked out additional meeting schedules and potential recording sessions with the producers and other musicians.
~~
Kris liked Adam's friends. They were eager to talk to them and find out the most mundane details.
When he had started to sing, he was nervous. There were some pretty big name producers sitting there along with freaking Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. He thought he was going to dehydrate before he even started singing because he was sweating so much.
He simply closed his eyes and pretended to be back on the stage at X. He sung one of his own works and half way through he opened his eyes and almost stopped playing in shock. Everyone, and he meant every last one of them, had their jaws dropped open, like they couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth. Kris watched as Adam excitedly talk to his friend with the weird hair that Kris was going to call "artful skunk" with the bight shock of bleached hair on top and dark black hair at the base, and in a style that reminded him of the Flock of Seagulls look.
Then Adam had moved to his other friend, who seemed sad, yet angry. Adam spoke to him for a moment before nodding and turning back to watch Kris more.
When the song ended one of the producers turned to Adam and spoke animatedly. Adam smirked at Kris before giving him a thumbs up and waving him out. Gaga and Perry pounced on him the second he came out and started talking about song writing and having him write some songs for them and for them to write some songs for him. He agreed, though seriously fazed by the excitement of the women. They went off, talking excitedly to one another. Brad and Tommy pulled him in to chat with him while Adam was speaking to the producers.
Brad and Tommy were fun, and seemed to get a great deal of joy from tormenting and teasing him. Brad picked on his clothes, and Tommy picked on his height and the fact he blushed.
Adam finally came over to rescue him.
"Ready to head out?" He slid a hand to the small of Kris' back, thumb rubbing small circles, almost absentmindedly.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here."
"Drinks later tonight, at our place okay guys?" Adam asked his friends. They nodded understanding whatever was going on in Adam's mind. Perhaps telepathy was another thing their people did. Adam was forthcoming with information unless Kris asked directly.
"Sounds great." Brad said with a nod
"Definitely." Tommy bobbed his head, and then kept bobbing for a few seconds before stopping. Adam gave them one last nod.
"Tonight, seven." With that he herded Kris out of the room and started leading him back to their home.
"So what did the producer have to say?" Kris asked anxiously.
"Well he is going to make some calls back to Earth and have them dig into your contract a bit because " Adam gave a pause, which Kris thought was kind of cruel. Because what? Because he was awful, because he was good? "He really wants to sign you. Like the second you opened you lovely mouth."
Kris stopped and stared at Adam like he had grown a second head. "Please don't joke with me."
"I'm not, i would never, not with something like this."
"He wants to sign me? Seriously?"
"Yeah. He just has to Skype some of his-"
"What do you mean Skype? Like the chat service?"
"The exact one. How else do aliens on a planets thousands of light years away talk to their studios on Earth? We just gave it to your people. Helps keep the money flowing to our planet." Adam said with a smile.
Kris took a few deep breaths. He was going to get signed, he was going to get to make music for real.
"Holy crap Adam. Thank you! Thank You!" He threw himself at Adam and kissed him deeply, tongues, teeth and all. "I'm going to be a recording artist!"
"You practically are, already. Let’s go celebrate before the celebration dinner tonight."
Kris smiled at Adam. "I think I might love you." Adam's eyes widened a bit, sucking in a deep breath. Kris only started to begin to regret his words when a beautiful smile formed on Adam's lips.
"I think I might love you too."
Kris was definitely starting to feel at home.