Fic [American Idol RPF]: Forbidden City (1/2) - Adam/Kris/Katy
Title: Forbidden City
Author: choose2live
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Adam/Kris/Katy in slash, het, and poly combinations. Incidental Adam/Drake, Adam/OMC
Length: ~12,500
Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction. I don’t know these people, and if you do, for the love of God go away.
Summary: As Kris and Katy start their new life in LA, they immerse themselves in recording, publicity and culture. But when things start to emotionally unravel for Adam, they must decide if they're ready to redefine their relationship. Second in a series (first part: Wonderland).
Author's Notes: I can't say thank you enough to lovetoseverus for her endless enthusiasm, encouragement, and spot-on critiques. And for battling alongside me for hours and hours with the ending that wouldn't come!!! You're the best; you've not only made this possible, you've made it so much fun.
*
Wonderland
FORBIDDEN CITY
After the Idol tour, it only made sense to move to LA. Kris had been hesitant, worried that Katy was making the choice purely for his sake, but she gently persuaded him that she wanted it too.
"In a way, it doesn't seem like we fit here anymore, you know?" she said, tilting her head back on his shoulder so she could see his face. "It's not that everyone hasn't been great, but Conway isn't a good fit for our lives now. You have to record, do press, you'd be traveling to LA constantly anyway. I think we'll both be happier if it's not a constant tug-of-war between two places. There are things expected of both of us now."
Kris' jaw got a slightly stubborn set. "I don't want to conform," he protested.
"It's not conforming, it's adapting. Come on, you wouldn't be fighting this if you got, say, tenure at a university and we had to move and start attending functions."
Kris laughed. "As if that would ever happen," he said, but squeezed her shoulders. "If you're sure. I hate to take you away from your family."
She smiled, but it was bittersweet. "Family was meant to be left, Kris. We have to fly the nest sometime. But now we have the resources to visit a lot, so it won't be like we never see them." She hooked her fingers through his belt loop. "Besides, there's family in LA, too. I don't think Adam knows what to do without you joined at his hip."
Kris laughed and a light wash of color stained his cheeks. "I think Adam has more friends in LA than I've had in my entire life."
"Which is why he calls you every day," she teased.
"Hey, sometimes he calls you, too," Kris retorted, smiling before lapsing into silence.
"If you're sure," he said, after awhile.
"I think it's right," she replied softly. "I think we belong there."
*
Even with Kris' record advance and tour money, it wasn't enough to buy a house in LA. Once Katy got over the initial shock of it, she decided it was for the best - if Kris' career took off, they'd be able to buy then, and have a better sense of the city and what they wanted.
In the end, it was Adam who guided them through the move, lending suggestions and connecting them with a realtor friend of his. They decided on renting a small house in the canyons, tucked away from the chaos but without being distant. It was also only fifteen minutes from Adam's West Hollywood condo and the club scene he favored.
Adam managed to convince them to go out with him shortly after they moved. "I'll even take you to some straight clubs," he wheedled, and Kris had laughed and given in. Katy hadn't known what to think, torn between laughing at the pointlessness of it all - they were married, what did they need with clubs? - and fascination with a part of life she'd never experienced before. In the end, her curiosity won out, and it was only with moderate trepidation that she and Kris followed Adam down to West Hollywood.
She was startled to find that she loved it. There was just so much: colors and people and sounds, a sensory overload that she wanted to revel in. The gay clubs were her favorite, filled with flamboyantly dressed people of both sexes (and some who were indeterminate), all behaving in outrageous and fun - and sometimes rather shocking - ways.
It all would have been overwhelming, and she would have felt uncomfortably out of place had she been with anyone else. But she was with Kris, and they were with Adam, who seemed to be in his natural habitat. He moved through the clubs as easily as breathing, seeming to know everybody, and drawing her and Kris into his technicolor world.
Kris, she could tell, wasn't quite as relaxed as she was; however, given that he was the focus of not a few hungry eyes, she couldn't blame him. She squeezed his hand and smiled; he gave a little grin and sidled closer to her. Adam noticed, and laughed, slinging his arm around Kris' shoulders. He had to shout so they could both hear him above the music: "Don't worry, Kristopher, if I can't have you, nobody will," and winked at her over Kris' head.
*
There were moments when Katy had a hard time grasping the extent to which their life had changed. And yet, it had been in a state of flux for so long that she almost couldn't remember what it was like to be "normal." This is limbo, she decided, and if she was being honest with herself, she thought it sucked. She had never wanted mundane predictability and the ability to put herself on auto-pilot for life, but there was a stress to never knowing what came next, to having plans changed on a dime, and for those plans to universally revolve around Kris. Because when his schedule got changed at the last minute by some faceless person in PR, he at least had a new task in front of him - even if it was just another interview asking the same questions. She was left dangling, at a loss until whatever time the celebrity gods saw fit to return him to her.
It was something she felt she could deal with; something she'd been dealing with in some capacity for the past year. But now, she had no job to fill her days, no friends to call for spontaneous lunches, and little knowledge of the sprawling city she insisted they move to. She couldn't even rely on Adam, because if Kris was busy, Adam was slammed. She knew it wasn't their fault, and saw the regret in Kris' eyes when he had to leave her, but couldn't help feeling a bit slighted and lonely.
*
One afternoon about a month after they'd moved, Kris arrived home bearing several Trader Joe's bags and what looked suspiciously like a picnic basket.
He grinned at her baffled look. "I'm taking you out tonight," he said, walking into the kitchen and depositing the bags on the counter. "Sharvani told me about this place I think you'll love." Sharvani, Kris' manager, was one of the few professionals in Kris' life that Katy actually liked, and who made as many allowances as she could for them to spend time together.
Katy raised an eyebrow. "And we provide our own food?"
"I'm assured it's better this way." He grinned crookedly at her, brown eyes sparkling. "Go on, get dressed. Casual clothes. And bring a jacket."
Two hours later, Katy found herself at the top of the Hollywood Bowl, staring out at the natural amphitheatre nestled in the hills, a glowing dome at the foot. It was close to dusk, the sky a riot of color as the day faded, the Hollywood sign peeking over a ridge. Around them was the mellow activity of people making their way to their seats, relaxed, prepared to settle in for the evening.
Kris drew her up towards the back, where the wooden benches were only sparsely occupied, and they found a relatively private spot to open up the picnic basket. Kris had packed well: finger sandwiches and California rolls, a side of fresh fruit, a bottle of wine. He placed a glass in her hands just as darkness fell, and she sipped from it as a wave of applause traveled over the audience, welcoming the first chair violin to the stage.
It was enchanting: the calm night air, turning cool as strains of Mozart surrounded them. Peaceful and perfect, the overwhelming energy of Los Angeles faded away until it was just her and Kris, enjoying timeless music under the stars. Kris' arm came to rest around her shoulders, and she leaned into him with eyes closed, not caring about anything except the two of them.
*
Sometimes, watching them, she felt extraneous.
It was never something that could be predicted; it could be triggered by virtually anything, as far as Katy could tell, and then suddenly there would be smirks or laugher or elbow-jogging and the world shrunk into a space occupied only by Kris and Adam. Kris' lips would curl, and a laugh would bubble up and overflow from his mouth, pure pleasure at whatever memory or joke was being shared. Adam's eyes would crinkle, gaze riveted to Kris' face, looking as pleased about Kris' response as he was about whatever triggered it.
She could resent it, she supposed. She could feel shut out, isolated, or dismissed. Yet watching them always made her smile, gave her a warmth in her chest as if her heart was glowing. She felt as if she were witnessing something personal and intimate, trusted with the truth of something the world only thoughtit understood.
And then they would turn to her, their eyes alight with affection, and it would cease to be a moment for the two of them alone. It would expand to include three, and it was moments like that when Katy understood that love had no limits.
*
One thing Katy couldn't get used to was being recognized. It seldom happened to her alone, but how often it happened to Kris was startling.
She shouldn't be surprised; after all, millions of people had not only watched Kris week after week, but cared enough about him to vote for him. She just couldn't quite comprehend how pervasive his fan base was. It had been different on tour; it was all very centralized and controlled. She expected fans to be there, to want to talk to Kris and even to herself.
She never managed to expect fans when they were out having lunch, or at the grocery store, or the gas station. Most of the time it was pleasant - Kris loved making people happy, and it didn't seem like too much to give a smile and an autograph when those tiny things could make someone's day brighter. She worked hard to squelch irritation at people who thought they had the right to interrupt her time with her husband, and instead enjoy that so many people recognized and appreciated Kris' talents the way she did.
Occasionally, however, things were less pleasant. "Adam should have won," was the most common, an epithet flung at them like a slap. Katy loved Adam, but she hated seeing Kris' well-earned victory dismissed. Yet Kris was always so calm and patient. "I know, he really should have. He's so incredible, though, he won't need to be the American Idol to be a superstar." And she loved her husband's heart while she hated that he capitulated so easily.
*
"-can't do it on Tuesday night, Sharvani, you know that."
Katy closed the door quietly behind her and headed towards the kitchen. Kris looked up from pacing the den and gave her a smile, taking some of the grocery bags from her and following her into the kitchen.
"No, I can't change it," he said into the phone, using his free hand to take cans out of the bags. "It's my date night with Katy. That's less changeable than a meeting with the President."
Katy smiled, feeling warmth suffuse her as she listened.
"Sharvani." Kris' voice was carefully patient. "Tell them no. I don't care what it might do to my career. My career is temporary. My marriage is forever. I seriously doubt my career hangs on this one thing, anyway."
He was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Thanks. You're the best." He hung up.
He put the phone on the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her softly. She closed her eyes and pulled his lip into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue before leaning back.
"What was all that about?" she asked, running a hand down his back before turning to the counter. "She doesn't usually give you a hard time, does she?"
"No." Kris moved behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder. "I think PR was leaning on her pretty hard. Apparently some big interview that could only possibly happen on Tuesday night." She could almost hear the roll of his eyes.
Katy frowned a little. "We can go out on a different night," she said, though she couldn't deny she was pleased at Kris' refusal.
She felt him shake his head. "No. If I start doing that, they'll never want me to stop. Besides, you're more important than any journalist." His lips found the side of her neck, and she inhaled, half-gasp, half-giggle.
"Mmm." Kris hummed against her flesh, the vibration sending shivers down her as she leaned into him. Reaching around, her hand found his hip and slid back, pulling him to her. Kris went willingly, pressing his hips into her, exhaling softly in her ear. His hand lowered to stroke lightly over her belly, gentle, teasing strokes that seemed to cause all the heat in her body to concentrate there. "Dinner later?" he murmured.
She managed to nod before she turned and kissed him.
*
Katy walked down Melrose, a couple of shopping bags in her hands. Adam had been right: the shops lining the street were fantastic, artsy little boutiques with unique and beautiful things. They were also mind-bogglingly expensive, and though Katy knew money wasn't tight anymore, she couldn't bring herself to spend it on anything that wasn't truly spectacular.
Her eye was caught by the storefront beside her, and she looked in the window, blushing to realize the leather-clad mannequin was modeling a dominatrix outfit. She was about to hurry past when she saw the display in the other window: a sage green nightie, sheer to the point of transparency, over the sexiest little bra and panties set she'd ever seen. It was more daring than anything she currently had in her lingerie drawer, which consisted mostly of cute-yet-practical underthings mixed in with gifts from her bridal shower that were only slightly sexier.
She could feel a low-grade burn in her cheeks, staring at the little scraps of fabric that didn't deserve to be called clothing. Kris would probably pass out to see her in such a thing, but the flush that would once have been embarrassment at the thought was now only pleasure.
Darting a glance back at the leather-clad form, as if it would bite, Katy took a deep breath and opened the door.
*
"…So Brad kicks the guy out, and he calls me to bitch…"
Adam's voice came across the kitchen, and Katy stifled a giggle as she stirred the pasta. "Is Brad capable of getting laid without calling you right after to bitch?" she teased. It had bothered her initially, that Adam would have to listen to his ex talk about all his new liaisons, but Adam seemed able to laugh it off.
"Of course not." There was a smile in Adam's voice, and then he was behind her, leaning between her and Kris to open a cupboard. "There's no way anyone's going to measure up after me. Too small, too selfish, too tame…" He tossed his head, making her giggle and Kris snort. Adam laughed, a bright sound echoing in the small space. He took a bag of sugar from the cupboard and went back to the other side of the kitchen.
Kris put a tomato on the cutting board and she handed him a knife, while Adam continued his story. "So Brad's going on and on about how shitty a lay this guy was, and completely forgets that he's at Alisan's place."
"Oh, lord," Kris said, chuckling. "I can see where this is going."
"I still can't believe he'd take someone to Alisan's place and not his own," Katy muttered, but couldn't hold back a smile.
Kris grinned. "You haven't spent enough time around Brad, then."
"Then suddenly I hear the door open; Alisan yells, and Brad screams like a little girl," Adam says, laughter in his voice. "Turns out that he called me pretty much right after… so not only were the sheets still dirty, Brad didn't even have any clothes on."
"Ohh, TMI," Katy called over her shoulder, adding mushrooms to the sauce.
"Then because there is no justice in the world, Alisan gets on the phone and is yelling at me for letting her walk in on him naked. Me!" She catches a dramatic arm wave out of the corner of her eye. "So she's making me take her out tomorrow as restitution."
"That's so not true," Kris teased, dumping the tomato into the salad. "She blackmailed you into it because that's the only way to get time with you anymore."
Adam gave a long-suffering sigh. "Sad but true," he conceded.
Katy took the pasta to the sink to strain it. "How's Drake?" she asked, suddenly realizing she hadn't heard his name that evening.
There was a hesitation, then Adam said lightly, "Oh, we aren't seeing each other anymore."
Katy blinked and glanced over at Kris, who seemed equally surprised. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, turning around to look at him. "What happened?"
Adam kept his back to them, and appeared to be pouring copious amounts of Grand Marnier into glasses filled with fruit. "Nothing crazy," he said. "I'm just so busy, I never have time, and it's not fair to him."
Katy looked at Kris again, and saw her thoughts reflected on his face: they managed to have regular time with Adam; not as much as they'd like, perhaps, but they all put in some effort and made it happen.
"I'm sorry, man," Kris said quietly, and stepped across the short distance to rest a hand on Adam's back.
Adam's strained smile softened as he met Kris' eyes. "He wasn't the right one, anyway," he murmured, gaze darting over Kris' face, before he abruptly turned back to sprinkle sugar over the top of his fruit concoctions. "Even if he was an incredible lay," he added in a brighter tone.
Kris chuckled dutifully and ran his hand over Adam's back before stepping away. Katy ached for her friend, and turned back to the counter to dump the sauce over the pasta, not caring that she made a bit of a mess. "Dinner's ready."
*
They had just stepped out of the restaurant when flashes erupted around them, bright spots of light popping before Katy's eyes, making her flinch.
"Adam! Why did you and Drake break up?"
"Was he cheating on you, Adam?"
"Did he only want you for your fame?"
Adam just kept walking, his public smile pasted on his face, leaving Kris and Katy hurrying to catch up. Once her eyes adjusted to the initial assault, she realized there were only a few paparazzi, but the flash of their cameras was disorienting. She followed Adam and tried not to let any of her anger show on her face, knowing that such an expression could be easily twisted.
"Did you break up because you're sleeping with Kris Allen?"
Adam's step hitched, and Katy couldn't help her jaw dropping just a little.
"Katy, how do you feel about your husband cheating on you with another man?"
In an instant, her mind was made up. With a couple of long strides, she caught up with Adam, and wrapped her arm around his waist as she leaned into his side. Adam's arm closed automatically around her shoulders, and she saw his smile relax just a bit. Impulsively, she leaned up and kissed his cheek.
Adam laughed then, and as she pulled away, she saw Kris under Adam's other arm, smiling at her.
*
Kris raised his beer bottle. "To completing recording for our debut albums!"
"To a few days off," Katy countered from the other end of the sofa, lifting her own.
Adam, between them, held his away. "Forget that," he said. "To the two hottest selling albums of the year!"
They laughed, but toasted to it anyway. "You don't have high expectations at all," Kris remarked dryly.
"You'll never get anywhere by dreaming small," Adam said, playfully superior, and took a long pull from his beer. "And for the record, when I'm proven right, we'll be having a real party that doesn't involve watching baseball." He grimaced at the TV screen. "This is the most boring game ever conceived."
"It's the playoffs!" Kris gasped, mock-outraged, but Katy nodded seriously and leaned into Adam's side.
"You're right," she told him. "It is."
Kris groaned. "That's it, I'm taking you to a Dodgers game next year," he told Adam. "It's much more exciting in person, anyway."
Adam looked dubious, but Katy giggled. "You should go for it," she told Adam. "Then instead of articles on how you're converting Kris, they can be about Kris converting you."
Kris laughed; Adam chuckled a little and said, "Believe me, out of the wonders of straight life, baseball would not be one that would entice me." He leered at Katy playfully.
"Ooh, kinky," she teased, pressing herself against his arm and resting her chin on his shoulder.
Adam tilted his head and smiled at her, then pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She felt her skin heat and buried her face in his neck, hoping to hide her blush. It's Adam, she told herself sternly. I'm not allowed to be attracted. But he was warm and comfortable and he smelled good, and she sighed happily.
"Hey, no making the moves on my wife," Kris said, belatedly.
"I think she's making a move on me," Adam teased, draping his arm around her shoulders, warm and heavy. "That's what happens when you're more interested in bats and balls than your wife."
"Hey!" Kris exclaimed, and Katy erupted into giggles, looking over to see Kris flushed a deep red. His mouth quirked in a crooked grin. "Only sometimes," he mumbled, snuggling back sheepishly into Adam's other side, his eyes staying riveted to the screen.
Adam looked down at him, his face relaxed in a smile, and the affection in his eyes was so naked that Katy felt her breath catch. She remained still, watching carefully, soaking in the peace and contentment visible in his expression.
His head dipped, as if he were going to kiss Kris' hair, but then he pulled away at the last moment, eyes suddenly looking anywhere but Kris. Katy dropped her gaze, but not before seeing the strain in his face, eyes and lips tightening minutely. She couldn't help but squeeze him a little, but he tensed against her, standing abruptly.
"I'm going to get some more beer," he announced, not looking at them, and went to the kitchen.
When he came back, he sat down in the armchair, and the sofa felt empty and cold.
*
Katy surprised Kris in the studio, and grinned as his face lit up at the sight of her.
"Hey," he said when he could break away, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I'm about to go to lunch with Adam, come with us."
She didn't need any persuading, and Kris led her down a few hallways to a different studio. Sounds leaked through the door, indistinct and muffled. After a minute, they died away, and Kris knocked on the door.
There was the sound of the interior door opening, then the outer one, and a scowling face with long, unkempt brown hair emerged. "We're busy, Allen," he said.
"I'll wait," Kris said pleasantly. "Just please let Adam know I'm here."
The face disappeared and the door slammed, leaving Katy blinking.
"Charming," she said.
Kris shrugged a little and rolled his eyes. "They take their work pretty seriously," he said. "I told them I take feeding Adam seriously. They try to argue, but they never win."
The music started up again through the door, and they waited a few minutes before the song ended. A short while after that, the doors opened and several people streamed out. Most ignored Kris and Katy, though some gave a nod of greeting.
Katy peeked through the doorway and saw Adam in a serious discussion with another man, Adam nodding and listening while he pushed hair out of his face. They spoke for a couple of moments before Adam nodded and broke away.
"Come to rescue me, huh?" he said, smiling brightly and starting to walk down the hall, leaving them to fall into step beside him. "I don't have much time today," he continued, and glanced at Kris. "Can we trade producers? I don't know how you get away from them as often as you do."
"No," Katy answered for him. "I don't like yours."
Adam threw back his head and laughed. "They aren't so bad," he said. "They're just slave drivers. But they're genius. It's the lower-level guys you need to look out for, they're the ones that will power trip because they work with Howard Benson or whoever."
"I think 19 decided to break me in gently," Kris said with a chuckle. "But they knew you could take it."
There was a beat, and then laughter burst out of Katy, echoing in the hall. She looked over and saw Kris' face slowly turning red. "That came out wrong," he mumbled.
She kept laughing, and snuck a glance at Adam. He had his lip pulled between his teeth and was wearing what she thought of as his "I can't believe you just went there" face.
"So!" Kris said, still blushing hard. "CPK for lunch?"
The day was beautiful and the restaurant packed, so they wound up crowded around a little table meant for two on the patio. Adam was telling a story about his time in the studio that Katy didn't really follow, but as he gestured in the sunlight her eye caught something.
"You put new color in your hair," she exclaimed. "I love it!"
Adam grinned at her. "I did, thank you," he said, and seemed so pleased at her simple compliment that she had to smile.
"You did?" Kris said, looking over at him. "I don't - oh, there it is," he said as Adam turned his head. Kris lifted his hand and ran it through the thick hair on top of Adam's head, exposing the deep purple to the sunlight.
Adam went still beneath his hand, head bowed a little as Kris' fingers carded through the length once more before retreating. "It looks good, man," Kris said, and Adam swallowed before nodding his thanks.
"How's your family?" Katy asked, and Adam seemed to take a second to realize she was talking to him.
"Oh, fine. Neil's a pain in my ass as always," he said. "I think he's made it his mission in life to tell the world every embarrassing thing there is to know about me."
"I think that's the universal role of the younger brother," Katy said wryly. She felt Kris' hand bump against hers where it rested on the table, their fingers tangling together in a familiar connection.
"Yeah, but my brother has a much larger platform than should be allowed," Adam said with a half-smile. His eyes dropped to the table, where Kris' thumb was now stroking the back of Katy's hand. She doubted Kris even realized he was doing it.
"And he has way too much dirt on you," Katy teased.
Kris lifted her hand and brought it to his face. "Look at it this way, he's just keeping it real," Kris said, his lips brushing against her skin. He laughed at the face Adam made, the sound vibrating through her hand and making her shiver. She glanced over, but Kris seemed engrossed in Adam, unaware that he was molesting her hand.
"I can't take you anywhere," she scolded, laughing.
Kris blinked at her. "What?" he asked, before realizing he was talking through her fingers. "Oh," he said, and grinned sheepishly. He let her hand drop, but kept their fingers entwined.
She could never resist that expression, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. He turned slightly and she caught his lips instead, pressing moistly before pulling away. She stopped herself before she could do anything too unforgivably sappy, but was smiling as she turned back to the table.
Adam's attention was focused on something behind Katy, and she scooted her chair forward to draw his eyes back to her. "Kris said that Lady Gaga's working with you again next week."
He smiled and glanced at Kris before nodding. "Yeah, she is. She's going to be there for some of the mixing."
Katy, who had been prepared for an onslaught, blinked at the brevity of his response. "You must be excited to see her again."
"Definitely."
Their food arrived, and they ate quietly for awhile, with only the occasional comment. Adam seemed distracted, just picking at his salad and staring out towards the street. Occasionally he would look at Kris and Katy, an odd, closed expression on his face that Katy couldn't identify.
She was curious about his uncharacteristic silence, when before he had been as gregarious as usual. Was it because she had crashed his time with Kris? Yet Adam never appeared to resent her; if she had to put a name to the look in his eyes, it would have been wistful.
She flushed to think back on her and Kris' kiss; that had been insensitive, especially when Adam was coming off a breakup. She shifted slightly away from Kris and resolved to keep her hands to herself for the rest of the meal.
They had barely finished when Adam put a twenty on the table and stood. "Sorry guys, I have to get back," he said, and walked away, leaving Katy and Kris blinking after him.
*
Katy had never given much thought to the work that went into making an album, but found herself getting a crash course in how very much was involved. Recording had finished, but after that there was editing, and mixing, and review of these things ad nauseam; then there was track selection, track order, and deciding which songs were best suited to singles and in what order they should be released.
It all made her head spin, and not for the first time she was glad to be on the outside of it. She loved Kris' music, but couldn't bring herself to be very interested in the process. After spending endless days in the studio, however, she felt that Kris appreciated the ability to come home and talk about something other than music.
And if her time with her husband was scarce, their time with Adam was nearly nonexistent. When she mentioned it to Kris, he frowned and ran a hand through his hair.
"I know," he said unhappily. "We usually get to do lunch at least once a week, but he keeps having to break our plans. I know he's busy, but we've always found time before."
So they continued on alone, eating and drinking and sleeping and making love, in a routine that soon became marked by little more than how exhausted they were when they fell into bed. Katy tried to keep herself busy, taking acting classes and looking for a photographer for headshots, and trying to explore the city they now called home. But it felt like nothing more than busy work, designed to keep her occupied until another evening came, and she could spend it in the company of her husband.
After Kris mentioned again that Adam wasn't meeting him for lunch, she made it a point to go to lunch with Kris as often as she could. They smiled at each other over cafe tables, told each waiter that flavored tea was not the same as sweet tea, and took turns trying exotic fare on the menus. But it never felt like enough, and too often they found themselves picking at their food, the bright LA sun doing nothing to penetrate their personal gloom.
*
It was two weeks before they saw Adam again, at a party 19E was giving at some producer's Malibu house. Katy breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him, and felt Kris' hand in hers relax a bit. Neither of them were comfortable with the social games that went on at functions like this, where Kris was trotted out as the latest prize acquisition in the stable of artists. Adam, though he vocally disliked the scene as much as they did, was able to navigate the shark-infested waters with a grace Katy envied.
Kris greeted him with their usual full-body hug, which Adam returned briefly before pulling away and hugging Katy. He squeezed her quickly and released, stepping back and out of their personal space.
Kris' brow was creased, and Katy frowned, but then Adam had two glasses of champagne in front of them and was telling some story about his drive over. He was dressed to kill, she noticed; spiked and studded white leather jacket over tight, tight black jeans, and fingerless gloves. His hair was styled into chaos, and his eyes ringed with black shadow. He was deliciously decadent, almost overwhelmingly so; but there was something in his bearing that felt off, like he was a showcased sculpture to be admired but not handled. Adam had always been unapologetic in his presentation of himself, but she'd never seen him appear quite so flamboyantly other, so deliberately out of context.
And for the first time, she felt put off by his otherness. She couldn't define it, exactly; only knew that he felt distant, as if she were trying to touch him and kept missing.
As the wife of the American Idol - a position, Katy knew, executives felt was inconvenient at best - she had very little to do except stay with Kris and hope that made the experience a bit more bearable for him. Therefore, she had plenty of time, and chose to spend most of it observing Adam. He was in full performance mode: flashy smiles, dramatic tones of voice as he listened and responded too-seriously, the occasional toss of head or hand. The party guests ate him up, hanging on to his every word and expression, and Katy wondered if they knew Adam was doing nothing but giving them a show. Their pet gay, she could hear him say in her head. Their political statement that they can wave to show how very progressive they are.
Occasionally, she saw Adam look over, and the façade cracked a little when his eyes landed on Kris. His smile faded, and his eyes burned with an intensity she couldn't name, but it made her shiver down to her toes. Then he would turn away, the mask sliding back into place, and her chest would ache a little.
The night wore on, exchanging meaningless pleasantries with industry heads who acted as if they were above celebrity, but surrounded themselves with it anyway. She could see from the set of Kris' jaw that he was frustrated; knew why from the way his eyes kept darting towards Adam. She wondered if he knew what was happening any more than she did.
When it came time to say goodnight, Adam had already gone.
*
When Katy entered Starbucks she immediately saw Adam, and allowed herself a sigh of relief that he hadn't stood her up. He was standing towards a corner with a man she didn't recognize; the man's back was to her, and Adam smiled and said one last thing before leaning down to kiss him.
The kiss was kept polite, but definitely went beyond friendly. Cocking an eyebrow, she approached, arriving as they broke off the kiss and the unknown man turned to leave.
Adam glanced up and saw her, and a wide smile crossed his face. "Katy!" he exclaimed. "Let me introduce you to Marc." He had a hand on the man's arm. "Marc, this is Katy. Katy, Marc."
She smiled and reached out to shake his hand while looking him over. Marc was - there was no other word for it - petite, only an inch or two taller than herself, with pale creamy skin and short brown hair that curled a bit on top. He had light brown eyes, and smiled brightly as he greeted her.
His handshake was delicate, and she had to quickly reel in her own for fear of crushing his fingers. "Katy, oh, it's so good to meet you, Adam's told me all about you and your darling husband." He lifted his hand and batted his lashes. "He just adores you both, and I can totally see why, you're just as cute as can be. Now I hate to greet and run," he continued before Katy could come up with a response, "but I have a meeting I just can't miss. You kids have a fabulous time." He leaned in and pecked Katy's cheek, then fluttered his fingers at Adam before walking out the door.
Katy blinked after him for a moment, then turned to see Adam grinning at her. Letting out a breath of laughter, she stepped up and hugged him, feeling his arms wrap around her, safe and tight. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in deeply, a knot of emotion forming in her throat as she realized how very much she had missed him.
She felt the press of lips to the top of her head before he released her. "Now, what would you like to drink?" he asked. "I'll get the coffee if you find us a spot."
A few minutes later they were ensconced in two armchairs, cold frothy beverages in hand. Katy wondered where to start; part of her was angry with him for avoiding them, but she didn't want to fight, didn't want to do anything to further alienate him. She chose to begin with the obvious. "How long have you been seeing Marc?"
"A couple of weeks," Adam answered easily. "Just seeing how it goes, you know."
"And is it going well?" she pressed.
Adam shrugged. "Well enough, I guess. We haven't had much time, since I'm so busy, but he's cute and nice."
"Your type is pretty transparently obvious," she couldn't resist teasing, instantly wishing she could take it back when Adam went very still.
"Hey, my type was established years ago." Adam laughed stiffly. "No fair holding that against me, Kit-Kat." There was a tension around his eyes as he smiled.
She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Don't be silly. I don't know; I just worry sometimes." The thoughts that had been floating disjointedly through her head over the last several minutes coalesced. "I don't want someone to get you just because they're a cute little brunette. They need to be…" She struggled for a word adequate enough. "They need to be perfect."
His expression was brittle. "Well, not all of us can be fortunate enough to meet the perfect guy in high school," he replied, trying for light and failing. "Some of us have to shop around a bit before we find the right match."
The air was thick and tense around them, and Katy abruptly hated everything about what they were doing; hated the subtext they were both trying to ignore, hated the expression on Adam's face that was an instant away from breaking, hated that she didn't know how to fix it. There was a long pause between them before Katy choked out, "We miss you."
He looked away, raw pain flickering over his face for a moment. "I miss you too," he said to the window, then seemed to gather himself again. "It's just hard when we're all so busy," he said, meeting her eyes again with a smile that looked painful. "And there's Marc, too; I don't want to make the same mistakes that I did with Drake."
"No, of course not," she whispered, and wondered if things could ever be the same again.
Forbidden City: Part Two
Author: choose2live
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Adam/Kris/Katy in slash, het, and poly combinations. Incidental Adam/Drake, Adam/OMC
Length: ~12,500
Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction. I don’t know these people, and if you do, for the love of God go away.
Summary: As Kris and Katy start their new life in LA, they immerse themselves in recording, publicity and culture. But when things start to emotionally unravel for Adam, they must decide if they're ready to redefine their relationship. Second in a series (first part: Wonderland).
Author's Notes: I can't say thank you enough to lovetoseverus for her endless enthusiasm, encouragement, and spot-on critiques. And for battling alongside me for hours and hours with the ending that wouldn't come!!! You're the best; you've not only made this possible, you've made it so much fun.
*
Wonderland
FORBIDDEN CITY
After the Idol tour, it only made sense to move to LA. Kris had been hesitant, worried that Katy was making the choice purely for his sake, but she gently persuaded him that she wanted it too.
"In a way, it doesn't seem like we fit here anymore, you know?" she said, tilting her head back on his shoulder so she could see his face. "It's not that everyone hasn't been great, but Conway isn't a good fit for our lives now. You have to record, do press, you'd be traveling to LA constantly anyway. I think we'll both be happier if it's not a constant tug-of-war between two places. There are things expected of both of us now."
Kris' jaw got a slightly stubborn set. "I don't want to conform," he protested.
"It's not conforming, it's adapting. Come on, you wouldn't be fighting this if you got, say, tenure at a university and we had to move and start attending functions."
Kris laughed. "As if that would ever happen," he said, but squeezed her shoulders. "If you're sure. I hate to take you away from your family."
She smiled, but it was bittersweet. "Family was meant to be left, Kris. We have to fly the nest sometime. But now we have the resources to visit a lot, so it won't be like we never see them." She hooked her fingers through his belt loop. "Besides, there's family in LA, too. I don't think Adam knows what to do without you joined at his hip."
Kris laughed and a light wash of color stained his cheeks. "I think Adam has more friends in LA than I've had in my entire life."
"Which is why he calls you every day," she teased.
"Hey, sometimes he calls you, too," Kris retorted, smiling before lapsing into silence.
"If you're sure," he said, after awhile.
"I think it's right," she replied softly. "I think we belong there."
*
Even with Kris' record advance and tour money, it wasn't enough to buy a house in LA. Once Katy got over the initial shock of it, she decided it was for the best - if Kris' career took off, they'd be able to buy then, and have a better sense of the city and what they wanted.
In the end, it was Adam who guided them through the move, lending suggestions and connecting them with a realtor friend of his. They decided on renting a small house in the canyons, tucked away from the chaos but without being distant. It was also only fifteen minutes from Adam's West Hollywood condo and the club scene he favored.
Adam managed to convince them to go out with him shortly after they moved. "I'll even take you to some straight clubs," he wheedled, and Kris had laughed and given in. Katy hadn't known what to think, torn between laughing at the pointlessness of it all - they were married, what did they need with clubs? - and fascination with a part of life she'd never experienced before. In the end, her curiosity won out, and it was only with moderate trepidation that she and Kris followed Adam down to West Hollywood.
She was startled to find that she loved it. There was just so much: colors and people and sounds, a sensory overload that she wanted to revel in. The gay clubs were her favorite, filled with flamboyantly dressed people of both sexes (and some who were indeterminate), all behaving in outrageous and fun - and sometimes rather shocking - ways.
It all would have been overwhelming, and she would have felt uncomfortably out of place had she been with anyone else. But she was with Kris, and they were with Adam, who seemed to be in his natural habitat. He moved through the clubs as easily as breathing, seeming to know everybody, and drawing her and Kris into his technicolor world.
Kris, she could tell, wasn't quite as relaxed as she was; however, given that he was the focus of not a few hungry eyes, she couldn't blame him. She squeezed his hand and smiled; he gave a little grin and sidled closer to her. Adam noticed, and laughed, slinging his arm around Kris' shoulders. He had to shout so they could both hear him above the music: "Don't worry, Kristopher, if I can't have you, nobody will," and winked at her over Kris' head.
*
There were moments when Katy had a hard time grasping the extent to which their life had changed. And yet, it had been in a state of flux for so long that she almost couldn't remember what it was like to be "normal." This is limbo, she decided, and if she was being honest with herself, she thought it sucked. She had never wanted mundane predictability and the ability to put herself on auto-pilot for life, but there was a stress to never knowing what came next, to having plans changed on a dime, and for those plans to universally revolve around Kris. Because when his schedule got changed at the last minute by some faceless person in PR, he at least had a new task in front of him - even if it was just another interview asking the same questions. She was left dangling, at a loss until whatever time the celebrity gods saw fit to return him to her.
It was something she felt she could deal with; something she'd been dealing with in some capacity for the past year. But now, she had no job to fill her days, no friends to call for spontaneous lunches, and little knowledge of the sprawling city she insisted they move to. She couldn't even rely on Adam, because if Kris was busy, Adam was slammed. She knew it wasn't their fault, and saw the regret in Kris' eyes when he had to leave her, but couldn't help feeling a bit slighted and lonely.
*
One afternoon about a month after they'd moved, Kris arrived home bearing several Trader Joe's bags and what looked suspiciously like a picnic basket.
He grinned at her baffled look. "I'm taking you out tonight," he said, walking into the kitchen and depositing the bags on the counter. "Sharvani told me about this place I think you'll love." Sharvani, Kris' manager, was one of the few professionals in Kris' life that Katy actually liked, and who made as many allowances as she could for them to spend time together.
Katy raised an eyebrow. "And we provide our own food?"
"I'm assured it's better this way." He grinned crookedly at her, brown eyes sparkling. "Go on, get dressed. Casual clothes. And bring a jacket."
Two hours later, Katy found herself at the top of the Hollywood Bowl, staring out at the natural amphitheatre nestled in the hills, a glowing dome at the foot. It was close to dusk, the sky a riot of color as the day faded, the Hollywood sign peeking over a ridge. Around them was the mellow activity of people making their way to their seats, relaxed, prepared to settle in for the evening.
Kris drew her up towards the back, where the wooden benches were only sparsely occupied, and they found a relatively private spot to open up the picnic basket. Kris had packed well: finger sandwiches and California rolls, a side of fresh fruit, a bottle of wine. He placed a glass in her hands just as darkness fell, and she sipped from it as a wave of applause traveled over the audience, welcoming the first chair violin to the stage.
It was enchanting: the calm night air, turning cool as strains of Mozart surrounded them. Peaceful and perfect, the overwhelming energy of Los Angeles faded away until it was just her and Kris, enjoying timeless music under the stars. Kris' arm came to rest around her shoulders, and she leaned into him with eyes closed, not caring about anything except the two of them.
*
Sometimes, watching them, she felt extraneous.
It was never something that could be predicted; it could be triggered by virtually anything, as far as Katy could tell, and then suddenly there would be smirks or laugher or elbow-jogging and the world shrunk into a space occupied only by Kris and Adam. Kris' lips would curl, and a laugh would bubble up and overflow from his mouth, pure pleasure at whatever memory or joke was being shared. Adam's eyes would crinkle, gaze riveted to Kris' face, looking as pleased about Kris' response as he was about whatever triggered it.
She could resent it, she supposed. She could feel shut out, isolated, or dismissed. Yet watching them always made her smile, gave her a warmth in her chest as if her heart was glowing. She felt as if she were witnessing something personal and intimate, trusted with the truth of something the world only thoughtit understood.
And then they would turn to her, their eyes alight with affection, and it would cease to be a moment for the two of them alone. It would expand to include three, and it was moments like that when Katy understood that love had no limits.
*
One thing Katy couldn't get used to was being recognized. It seldom happened to her alone, but how often it happened to Kris was startling.
She shouldn't be surprised; after all, millions of people had not only watched Kris week after week, but cared enough about him to vote for him. She just couldn't quite comprehend how pervasive his fan base was. It had been different on tour; it was all very centralized and controlled. She expected fans to be there, to want to talk to Kris and even to herself.
She never managed to expect fans when they were out having lunch, or at the grocery store, or the gas station. Most of the time it was pleasant - Kris loved making people happy, and it didn't seem like too much to give a smile and an autograph when those tiny things could make someone's day brighter. She worked hard to squelch irritation at people who thought they had the right to interrupt her time with her husband, and instead enjoy that so many people recognized and appreciated Kris' talents the way she did.
Occasionally, however, things were less pleasant. "Adam should have won," was the most common, an epithet flung at them like a slap. Katy loved Adam, but she hated seeing Kris' well-earned victory dismissed. Yet Kris was always so calm and patient. "I know, he really should have. He's so incredible, though, he won't need to be the American Idol to be a superstar." And she loved her husband's heart while she hated that he capitulated so easily.
*
"-can't do it on Tuesday night, Sharvani, you know that."
Katy closed the door quietly behind her and headed towards the kitchen. Kris looked up from pacing the den and gave her a smile, taking some of the grocery bags from her and following her into the kitchen.
"No, I can't change it," he said into the phone, using his free hand to take cans out of the bags. "It's my date night with Katy. That's less changeable than a meeting with the President."
Katy smiled, feeling warmth suffuse her as she listened.
"Sharvani." Kris' voice was carefully patient. "Tell them no. I don't care what it might do to my career. My career is temporary. My marriage is forever. I seriously doubt my career hangs on this one thing, anyway."
He was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Thanks. You're the best." He hung up.
He put the phone on the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her softly. She closed her eyes and pulled his lip into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue before leaning back.
"What was all that about?" she asked, running a hand down his back before turning to the counter. "She doesn't usually give you a hard time, does she?"
"No." Kris moved behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder. "I think PR was leaning on her pretty hard. Apparently some big interview that could only possibly happen on Tuesday night." She could almost hear the roll of his eyes.
Katy frowned a little. "We can go out on a different night," she said, though she couldn't deny she was pleased at Kris' refusal.
She felt him shake his head. "No. If I start doing that, they'll never want me to stop. Besides, you're more important than any journalist." His lips found the side of her neck, and she inhaled, half-gasp, half-giggle.
"Mmm." Kris hummed against her flesh, the vibration sending shivers down her as she leaned into him. Reaching around, her hand found his hip and slid back, pulling him to her. Kris went willingly, pressing his hips into her, exhaling softly in her ear. His hand lowered to stroke lightly over her belly, gentle, teasing strokes that seemed to cause all the heat in her body to concentrate there. "Dinner later?" he murmured.
She managed to nod before she turned and kissed him.
*
Katy walked down Melrose, a couple of shopping bags in her hands. Adam had been right: the shops lining the street were fantastic, artsy little boutiques with unique and beautiful things. They were also mind-bogglingly expensive, and though Katy knew money wasn't tight anymore, she couldn't bring herself to spend it on anything that wasn't truly spectacular.
Her eye was caught by the storefront beside her, and she looked in the window, blushing to realize the leather-clad mannequin was modeling a dominatrix outfit. She was about to hurry past when she saw the display in the other window: a sage green nightie, sheer to the point of transparency, over the sexiest little bra and panties set she'd ever seen. It was more daring than anything she currently had in her lingerie drawer, which consisted mostly of cute-yet-practical underthings mixed in with gifts from her bridal shower that were only slightly sexier.
She could feel a low-grade burn in her cheeks, staring at the little scraps of fabric that didn't deserve to be called clothing. Kris would probably pass out to see her in such a thing, but the flush that would once have been embarrassment at the thought was now only pleasure.
Darting a glance back at the leather-clad form, as if it would bite, Katy took a deep breath and opened the door.
*
"…So Brad kicks the guy out, and he calls me to bitch…"
Adam's voice came across the kitchen, and Katy stifled a giggle as she stirred the pasta. "Is Brad capable of getting laid without calling you right after to bitch?" she teased. It had bothered her initially, that Adam would have to listen to his ex talk about all his new liaisons, but Adam seemed able to laugh it off.
"Of course not." There was a smile in Adam's voice, and then he was behind her, leaning between her and Kris to open a cupboard. "There's no way anyone's going to measure up after me. Too small, too selfish, too tame…" He tossed his head, making her giggle and Kris snort. Adam laughed, a bright sound echoing in the small space. He took a bag of sugar from the cupboard and went back to the other side of the kitchen.
Kris put a tomato on the cutting board and she handed him a knife, while Adam continued his story. "So Brad's going on and on about how shitty a lay this guy was, and completely forgets that he's at Alisan's place."
"Oh, lord," Kris said, chuckling. "I can see where this is going."
"I still can't believe he'd take someone to Alisan's place and not his own," Katy muttered, but couldn't hold back a smile.
Kris grinned. "You haven't spent enough time around Brad, then."
"Then suddenly I hear the door open; Alisan yells, and Brad screams like a little girl," Adam says, laughter in his voice. "Turns out that he called me pretty much right after… so not only were the sheets still dirty, Brad didn't even have any clothes on."
"Ohh, TMI," Katy called over her shoulder, adding mushrooms to the sauce.
"Then because there is no justice in the world, Alisan gets on the phone and is yelling at me for letting her walk in on him naked. Me!" She catches a dramatic arm wave out of the corner of her eye. "So she's making me take her out tomorrow as restitution."
"That's so not true," Kris teased, dumping the tomato into the salad. "She blackmailed you into it because that's the only way to get time with you anymore."
Adam gave a long-suffering sigh. "Sad but true," he conceded.
Katy took the pasta to the sink to strain it. "How's Drake?" she asked, suddenly realizing she hadn't heard his name that evening.
There was a hesitation, then Adam said lightly, "Oh, we aren't seeing each other anymore."
Katy blinked and glanced over at Kris, who seemed equally surprised. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, turning around to look at him. "What happened?"
Adam kept his back to them, and appeared to be pouring copious amounts of Grand Marnier into glasses filled with fruit. "Nothing crazy," he said. "I'm just so busy, I never have time, and it's not fair to him."
Katy looked at Kris again, and saw her thoughts reflected on his face: they managed to have regular time with Adam; not as much as they'd like, perhaps, but they all put in some effort and made it happen.
"I'm sorry, man," Kris said quietly, and stepped across the short distance to rest a hand on Adam's back.
Adam's strained smile softened as he met Kris' eyes. "He wasn't the right one, anyway," he murmured, gaze darting over Kris' face, before he abruptly turned back to sprinkle sugar over the top of his fruit concoctions. "Even if he was an incredible lay," he added in a brighter tone.
Kris chuckled dutifully and ran his hand over Adam's back before stepping away. Katy ached for her friend, and turned back to the counter to dump the sauce over the pasta, not caring that she made a bit of a mess. "Dinner's ready."
*
They had just stepped out of the restaurant when flashes erupted around them, bright spots of light popping before Katy's eyes, making her flinch.
"Adam! Why did you and Drake break up?"
"Was he cheating on you, Adam?"
"Did he only want you for your fame?"
Adam just kept walking, his public smile pasted on his face, leaving Kris and Katy hurrying to catch up. Once her eyes adjusted to the initial assault, she realized there were only a few paparazzi, but the flash of their cameras was disorienting. She followed Adam and tried not to let any of her anger show on her face, knowing that such an expression could be easily twisted.
"Did you break up because you're sleeping with Kris Allen?"
Adam's step hitched, and Katy couldn't help her jaw dropping just a little.
"Katy, how do you feel about your husband cheating on you with another man?"
In an instant, her mind was made up. With a couple of long strides, she caught up with Adam, and wrapped her arm around his waist as she leaned into his side. Adam's arm closed automatically around her shoulders, and she saw his smile relax just a bit. Impulsively, she leaned up and kissed his cheek.
Adam laughed then, and as she pulled away, she saw Kris under Adam's other arm, smiling at her.
*
Kris raised his beer bottle. "To completing recording for our debut albums!"
"To a few days off," Katy countered from the other end of the sofa, lifting her own.
Adam, between them, held his away. "Forget that," he said. "To the two hottest selling albums of the year!"
They laughed, but toasted to it anyway. "You don't have high expectations at all," Kris remarked dryly.
"You'll never get anywhere by dreaming small," Adam said, playfully superior, and took a long pull from his beer. "And for the record, when I'm proven right, we'll be having a real party that doesn't involve watching baseball." He grimaced at the TV screen. "This is the most boring game ever conceived."
"It's the playoffs!" Kris gasped, mock-outraged, but Katy nodded seriously and leaned into Adam's side.
"You're right," she told him. "It is."
Kris groaned. "That's it, I'm taking you to a Dodgers game next year," he told Adam. "It's much more exciting in person, anyway."
Adam looked dubious, but Katy giggled. "You should go for it," she told Adam. "Then instead of articles on how you're converting Kris, they can be about Kris converting you."
Kris laughed; Adam chuckled a little and said, "Believe me, out of the wonders of straight life, baseball would not be one that would entice me." He leered at Katy playfully.
"Ooh, kinky," she teased, pressing herself against his arm and resting her chin on his shoulder.
Adam tilted his head and smiled at her, then pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She felt her skin heat and buried her face in his neck, hoping to hide her blush. It's Adam, she told herself sternly. I'm not allowed to be attracted. But he was warm and comfortable and he smelled good, and she sighed happily.
"Hey, no making the moves on my wife," Kris said, belatedly.
"I think she's making a move on me," Adam teased, draping his arm around her shoulders, warm and heavy. "That's what happens when you're more interested in bats and balls than your wife."
"Hey!" Kris exclaimed, and Katy erupted into giggles, looking over to see Kris flushed a deep red. His mouth quirked in a crooked grin. "Only sometimes," he mumbled, snuggling back sheepishly into Adam's other side, his eyes staying riveted to the screen.
Adam looked down at him, his face relaxed in a smile, and the affection in his eyes was so naked that Katy felt her breath catch. She remained still, watching carefully, soaking in the peace and contentment visible in his expression.
His head dipped, as if he were going to kiss Kris' hair, but then he pulled away at the last moment, eyes suddenly looking anywhere but Kris. Katy dropped her gaze, but not before seeing the strain in his face, eyes and lips tightening minutely. She couldn't help but squeeze him a little, but he tensed against her, standing abruptly.
"I'm going to get some more beer," he announced, not looking at them, and went to the kitchen.
When he came back, he sat down in the armchair, and the sofa felt empty and cold.
*
Katy surprised Kris in the studio, and grinned as his face lit up at the sight of her.
"Hey," he said when he could break away, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I'm about to go to lunch with Adam, come with us."
She didn't need any persuading, and Kris led her down a few hallways to a different studio. Sounds leaked through the door, indistinct and muffled. After a minute, they died away, and Kris knocked on the door.
There was the sound of the interior door opening, then the outer one, and a scowling face with long, unkempt brown hair emerged. "We're busy, Allen," he said.
"I'll wait," Kris said pleasantly. "Just please let Adam know I'm here."
The face disappeared and the door slammed, leaving Katy blinking.
"Charming," she said.
Kris shrugged a little and rolled his eyes. "They take their work pretty seriously," he said. "I told them I take feeding Adam seriously. They try to argue, but they never win."
The music started up again through the door, and they waited a few minutes before the song ended. A short while after that, the doors opened and several people streamed out. Most ignored Kris and Katy, though some gave a nod of greeting.
Katy peeked through the doorway and saw Adam in a serious discussion with another man, Adam nodding and listening while he pushed hair out of his face. They spoke for a couple of moments before Adam nodded and broke away.
"Come to rescue me, huh?" he said, smiling brightly and starting to walk down the hall, leaving them to fall into step beside him. "I don't have much time today," he continued, and glanced at Kris. "Can we trade producers? I don't know how you get away from them as often as you do."
"No," Katy answered for him. "I don't like yours."
Adam threw back his head and laughed. "They aren't so bad," he said. "They're just slave drivers. But they're genius. It's the lower-level guys you need to look out for, they're the ones that will power trip because they work with Howard Benson or whoever."
"I think 19 decided to break me in gently," Kris said with a chuckle. "But they knew you could take it."
There was a beat, and then laughter burst out of Katy, echoing in the hall. She looked over and saw Kris' face slowly turning red. "That came out wrong," he mumbled.
She kept laughing, and snuck a glance at Adam. He had his lip pulled between his teeth and was wearing what she thought of as his "I can't believe you just went there" face.
"So!" Kris said, still blushing hard. "CPK for lunch?"
The day was beautiful and the restaurant packed, so they wound up crowded around a little table meant for two on the patio. Adam was telling a story about his time in the studio that Katy didn't really follow, but as he gestured in the sunlight her eye caught something.
"You put new color in your hair," she exclaimed. "I love it!"
Adam grinned at her. "I did, thank you," he said, and seemed so pleased at her simple compliment that she had to smile.
"You did?" Kris said, looking over at him. "I don't - oh, there it is," he said as Adam turned his head. Kris lifted his hand and ran it through the thick hair on top of Adam's head, exposing the deep purple to the sunlight.
Adam went still beneath his hand, head bowed a little as Kris' fingers carded through the length once more before retreating. "It looks good, man," Kris said, and Adam swallowed before nodding his thanks.
"How's your family?" Katy asked, and Adam seemed to take a second to realize she was talking to him.
"Oh, fine. Neil's a pain in my ass as always," he said. "I think he's made it his mission in life to tell the world every embarrassing thing there is to know about me."
"I think that's the universal role of the younger brother," Katy said wryly. She felt Kris' hand bump against hers where it rested on the table, their fingers tangling together in a familiar connection.
"Yeah, but my brother has a much larger platform than should be allowed," Adam said with a half-smile. His eyes dropped to the table, where Kris' thumb was now stroking the back of Katy's hand. She doubted Kris even realized he was doing it.
"And he has way too much dirt on you," Katy teased.
Kris lifted her hand and brought it to his face. "Look at it this way, he's just keeping it real," Kris said, his lips brushing against her skin. He laughed at the face Adam made, the sound vibrating through her hand and making her shiver. She glanced over, but Kris seemed engrossed in Adam, unaware that he was molesting her hand.
"I can't take you anywhere," she scolded, laughing.
Kris blinked at her. "What?" he asked, before realizing he was talking through her fingers. "Oh," he said, and grinned sheepishly. He let her hand drop, but kept their fingers entwined.
She could never resist that expression, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. He turned slightly and she caught his lips instead, pressing moistly before pulling away. She stopped herself before she could do anything too unforgivably sappy, but was smiling as she turned back to the table.
Adam's attention was focused on something behind Katy, and she scooted her chair forward to draw his eyes back to her. "Kris said that Lady Gaga's working with you again next week."
He smiled and glanced at Kris before nodding. "Yeah, she is. She's going to be there for some of the mixing."
Katy, who had been prepared for an onslaught, blinked at the brevity of his response. "You must be excited to see her again."
"Definitely."
Their food arrived, and they ate quietly for awhile, with only the occasional comment. Adam seemed distracted, just picking at his salad and staring out towards the street. Occasionally he would look at Kris and Katy, an odd, closed expression on his face that Katy couldn't identify.
She was curious about his uncharacteristic silence, when before he had been as gregarious as usual. Was it because she had crashed his time with Kris? Yet Adam never appeared to resent her; if she had to put a name to the look in his eyes, it would have been wistful.
She flushed to think back on her and Kris' kiss; that had been insensitive, especially when Adam was coming off a breakup. She shifted slightly away from Kris and resolved to keep her hands to herself for the rest of the meal.
They had barely finished when Adam put a twenty on the table and stood. "Sorry guys, I have to get back," he said, and walked away, leaving Katy and Kris blinking after him.
*
Katy had never given much thought to the work that went into making an album, but found herself getting a crash course in how very much was involved. Recording had finished, but after that there was editing, and mixing, and review of these things ad nauseam; then there was track selection, track order, and deciding which songs were best suited to singles and in what order they should be released.
It all made her head spin, and not for the first time she was glad to be on the outside of it. She loved Kris' music, but couldn't bring herself to be very interested in the process. After spending endless days in the studio, however, she felt that Kris appreciated the ability to come home and talk about something other than music.
And if her time with her husband was scarce, their time with Adam was nearly nonexistent. When she mentioned it to Kris, he frowned and ran a hand through his hair.
"I know," he said unhappily. "We usually get to do lunch at least once a week, but he keeps having to break our plans. I know he's busy, but we've always found time before."
So they continued on alone, eating and drinking and sleeping and making love, in a routine that soon became marked by little more than how exhausted they were when they fell into bed. Katy tried to keep herself busy, taking acting classes and looking for a photographer for headshots, and trying to explore the city they now called home. But it felt like nothing more than busy work, designed to keep her occupied until another evening came, and she could spend it in the company of her husband.
After Kris mentioned again that Adam wasn't meeting him for lunch, she made it a point to go to lunch with Kris as often as she could. They smiled at each other over cafe tables, told each waiter that flavored tea was not the same as sweet tea, and took turns trying exotic fare on the menus. But it never felt like enough, and too often they found themselves picking at their food, the bright LA sun doing nothing to penetrate their personal gloom.
*
It was two weeks before they saw Adam again, at a party 19E was giving at some producer's Malibu house. Katy breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him, and felt Kris' hand in hers relax a bit. Neither of them were comfortable with the social games that went on at functions like this, where Kris was trotted out as the latest prize acquisition in the stable of artists. Adam, though he vocally disliked the scene as much as they did, was able to navigate the shark-infested waters with a grace Katy envied.
Kris greeted him with their usual full-body hug, which Adam returned briefly before pulling away and hugging Katy. He squeezed her quickly and released, stepping back and out of their personal space.
Kris' brow was creased, and Katy frowned, but then Adam had two glasses of champagne in front of them and was telling some story about his drive over. He was dressed to kill, she noticed; spiked and studded white leather jacket over tight, tight black jeans, and fingerless gloves. His hair was styled into chaos, and his eyes ringed with black shadow. He was deliciously decadent, almost overwhelmingly so; but there was something in his bearing that felt off, like he was a showcased sculpture to be admired but not handled. Adam had always been unapologetic in his presentation of himself, but she'd never seen him appear quite so flamboyantly other, so deliberately out of context.
And for the first time, she felt put off by his otherness. She couldn't define it, exactly; only knew that he felt distant, as if she were trying to touch him and kept missing.
As the wife of the American Idol - a position, Katy knew, executives felt was inconvenient at best - she had very little to do except stay with Kris and hope that made the experience a bit more bearable for him. Therefore, she had plenty of time, and chose to spend most of it observing Adam. He was in full performance mode: flashy smiles, dramatic tones of voice as he listened and responded too-seriously, the occasional toss of head or hand. The party guests ate him up, hanging on to his every word and expression, and Katy wondered if they knew Adam was doing nothing but giving them a show. Their pet gay, she could hear him say in her head. Their political statement that they can wave to show how very progressive they are.
Occasionally, she saw Adam look over, and the façade cracked a little when his eyes landed on Kris. His smile faded, and his eyes burned with an intensity she couldn't name, but it made her shiver down to her toes. Then he would turn away, the mask sliding back into place, and her chest would ache a little.
The night wore on, exchanging meaningless pleasantries with industry heads who acted as if they were above celebrity, but surrounded themselves with it anyway. She could see from the set of Kris' jaw that he was frustrated; knew why from the way his eyes kept darting towards Adam. She wondered if he knew what was happening any more than she did.
When it came time to say goodnight, Adam had already gone.
*
When Katy entered Starbucks she immediately saw Adam, and allowed herself a sigh of relief that he hadn't stood her up. He was standing towards a corner with a man she didn't recognize; the man's back was to her, and Adam smiled and said one last thing before leaning down to kiss him.
The kiss was kept polite, but definitely went beyond friendly. Cocking an eyebrow, she approached, arriving as they broke off the kiss and the unknown man turned to leave.
Adam glanced up and saw her, and a wide smile crossed his face. "Katy!" he exclaimed. "Let me introduce you to Marc." He had a hand on the man's arm. "Marc, this is Katy. Katy, Marc."
She smiled and reached out to shake his hand while looking him over. Marc was - there was no other word for it - petite, only an inch or two taller than herself, with pale creamy skin and short brown hair that curled a bit on top. He had light brown eyes, and smiled brightly as he greeted her.
His handshake was delicate, and she had to quickly reel in her own for fear of crushing his fingers. "Katy, oh, it's so good to meet you, Adam's told me all about you and your darling husband." He lifted his hand and batted his lashes. "He just adores you both, and I can totally see why, you're just as cute as can be. Now I hate to greet and run," he continued before Katy could come up with a response, "but I have a meeting I just can't miss. You kids have a fabulous time." He leaned in and pecked Katy's cheek, then fluttered his fingers at Adam before walking out the door.
Katy blinked after him for a moment, then turned to see Adam grinning at her. Letting out a breath of laughter, she stepped up and hugged him, feeling his arms wrap around her, safe and tight. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in deeply, a knot of emotion forming in her throat as she realized how very much she had missed him.
She felt the press of lips to the top of her head before he released her. "Now, what would you like to drink?" he asked. "I'll get the coffee if you find us a spot."
A few minutes later they were ensconced in two armchairs, cold frothy beverages in hand. Katy wondered where to start; part of her was angry with him for avoiding them, but she didn't want to fight, didn't want to do anything to further alienate him. She chose to begin with the obvious. "How long have you been seeing Marc?"
"A couple of weeks," Adam answered easily. "Just seeing how it goes, you know."
"And is it going well?" she pressed.
Adam shrugged. "Well enough, I guess. We haven't had much time, since I'm so busy, but he's cute and nice."
"Your type is pretty transparently obvious," she couldn't resist teasing, instantly wishing she could take it back when Adam went very still.
"Hey, my type was established years ago." Adam laughed stiffly. "No fair holding that against me, Kit-Kat." There was a tension around his eyes as he smiled.
She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Don't be silly. I don't know; I just worry sometimes." The thoughts that had been floating disjointedly through her head over the last several minutes coalesced. "I don't want someone to get you just because they're a cute little brunette. They need to be…" She struggled for a word adequate enough. "They need to be perfect."
His expression was brittle. "Well, not all of us can be fortunate enough to meet the perfect guy in high school," he replied, trying for light and failing. "Some of us have to shop around a bit before we find the right match."
The air was thick and tense around them, and Katy abruptly hated everything about what they were doing; hated the subtext they were both trying to ignore, hated the expression on Adam's face that was an instant away from breaking, hated that she didn't know how to fix it. There was a long pause between them before Katy choked out, "We miss you."
He looked away, raw pain flickering over his face for a moment. "I miss you too," he said to the window, then seemed to gather himself again. "It's just hard when we're all so busy," he said, meeting her eyes again with a smile that looked painful. "And there's Marc, too; I don't want to make the same mistakes that I did with Drake."
"No, of course not," she whispered, and wondered if things could ever be the same again.
Forbidden City: Part Two