Starlight Express, Part 1/10
Chap 1
“Whoa. You look like shit, Kris baby.”
Kris chuckled swiftly at the choice of expletive, but Adam Lambert was not exactly the most tactful of people, and it was, actually, quite a step for the older man to soften his choice of words when he was around Kris. “Thanks, man. And hello to you, too.”
Adam clasped Kris’ hand briefly in greeting, pulling him in for the familiar hug, then pulling away to give the shorter man a once-over. He had not seen Kris for two days since his Idol win, being shuttled around, as they both were, from one interview to another. “Seriously, Kris, sweetheart. Aren’t the PAs taking care of you or something?”
Kris shrugged, wearily dropping his guitar onto the couch in the dressing room corner. “They are. Nagging me worse than Katy. But I s’pose my body just isn’t getting enough sleep or something. Plus No Boundaries is really rough on the throat.”
Adam clucked sympathetically as he folded himself into a seat in the farthest end of the room. “Don’t I know that. I so hate my version of that song, it’s so awful. At least yours manages to sound genuine despite all the hurricane crap.”
Kris sagged onto the make-up chair, swiveling slightly, swinging his jeans-clad legs from side to side. He sighed, a long, shuddering, tired breath, rubbing his face. For a moment he closed his eyes, throwing his head nonchalantly back to stretch his neck, and Adam had the luxury of watching Kris unobserved.
Despite the fact that he looked tired, Adam had to admit Kris really didn’t look like shit. True, he had dark circles under his eyes, hidden under all the layers of concealer, and his lips were pale, but Adam thought he still looked as gorgeous as ever. His day-old stubble, which the producers let him grow to make him look more macho (and honestly, he doesn’t need it, he’s oozing with it), still made Adam want to nibble his jaw line every time. And when he laughed - on cam, off cam, it doesn’t matter, it was always the same Kris Allen-patented laughter - it was still sexy, and so fucking adorable.
So, no. Not shit. Just … untouchable.
Adam sighed, a deep, longing sigh that seemed to come from the tips of his toes.
Kris opened his eyes at the sound, catching Adam staring. He grinned. “Stop watching me, Lambert. Otherwise Danny might go on air again to say that he loves someone in a godly way.”
Adam laughed, a pure belly gurgle that made his cheekbones stand out and his eyes sparkle. “But I do love you in a godly way, Kristopher Neil Allen,” he said.
“Shut up,” Kris drawled.
“Fuck yourself,” Adam shot back companionably, making both of them laugh.
A brunette with jumpy eyes poked her head in through the dressing room curtains. “Er, sorry, Mr. Allen, but you’re due on stage again in five.”
Kris managed a smile. “Kris, just Kris, please, Julia. Mr. Allen’s my dad.” The brunette blushed, looking flustered. “Yeah, I’ll be out.”
The moment the brunette left, Adam winked at Kris. “You’re weaving the old Allen magic everywhere, my boy."
Kris playfully threw the small backside pillow at Adam, his aim straight and true, clipping the taller man’s hair. There was a moment of awkward silence - Kris’ eyes becoming as big as dinner plates and his jaw dropping to form a horrified “oh”, Adam sitting stunned and glancing at the mirror to see his perfectly moussed-up hair now slightly askew -
“You little twerp, you’ve asked for it now,” Adam growled, his voice becoming louder with each word. He rose from his seat, but before he could take a step, Kris had moved out of his seat - jumped, really, faster than a supposedly tired man could - and was sprinting away, laughing, out through the curtains, where muffled sounds proved that he had just collided into the brunette who, it seemed, was standing right outside the entrance.
Adam laughed, picturing Kris making his apologies, explaining why he was running without his precious acoustic onto the stage. He must be blushing like crazy now, Adam thought to himself. And Kris hated blushing.
Settling himself on the makeup chair, Adam grinned wickedly. It was good enough a revenge.