Starlight Express, Part 6 of 10
Chap 6
One last stop, Adam thought wearily to himself. One more and this whole thing is finally, finally done.
Lil and Megan had gone off for the day to see the sights, and Michael, Anoop, Matt, and Scott had decided to grab some coffees nearby, so the bus was relatively quiet as he opened the double doors and let himself in. His own trailer was not far behind, but already he missed his tour mates’ noise, so he had abandoned his solitary luncheon and began looking for whoever may have been left.
On the very long couch off to the side of the bus Danny and Kris lay end to end. Kris’ eyes were closed, his head pillowed in his arms, while Danny lay on Allison’s lap. Allison had her sneakered feet propped up on the nearest counter, and they were all laughing at something.
“Hey, pumpkin, come on and scoot in,” Allison called as she caught sight of Adam. She nudged Kris, who opened his eyes and grinned. He moved his arms out from under his head, lifting it fractionally, then motioning for Adam to sit under him.
Though it was something of a major fantasy Adam had played over and over in his head (and which ended in such fantastic, rather acrobatic ways that he could not bring himself to admit to it), he did not want to ruin the friendly moment by giving Kris a nasty surprise the moment he put his nape down on Adam’s lap. Instead, Adam propped his fists on his hips and raised his brows.
“You be my pillow, cupcake,” he smiled at Kris, who unquestioningly obliged, pulling himself up to sitting position and letting Adam slide down into his former place. Adam lay back, closing his eyes, taking in the warmth Kris left on the leather couch, enjoying the feel of his firm thighs against his neck.
Danny smiled down at Adam. “So. We were just talking…”
“Danny invited all of us to come to his hometown. We’ll get to see his family an’ stuff.” Allison interjected. “Kris’ll come if prod staff doesn’t hound him for at least a week for his album. I’m coming. Hey, ‘bout you, Adam? Please? Come with us. It’ll be so much fun.”
Adam smiled at Allison. “I don’t know, baby girl. My schedule doesn’t look so good.”
“Neither does mine,” Kris interjected. “But I think we can wangle something or maybe you can call 19E. They usually listen to you.”
Two against one, Adam thought, and it’s not like he could really refuse these two anything. He sighed. “You better have something really epic in your place, Danny, or I will tell 19E they could have your head for taking Kris away from recording and writing and all that shit.”
Danny merely grinned, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses.
---
Milwaukee was not as sleepy a town as Arkansas and not as hot-and-happening as LA, but Danny’s family was so warm and accommodating that Adam wondered why he had hesitated to come in the first place. The paparazzi was less rabid, the stares less pointed, and the earnest, almost shy requests for pictures and autographs were so endearing that it was like a breath of fresh air after the craziness that was the American Idol Tour.
Not everyone had taken Danny’s invite for a visit, so only Adam, Kris, Allison, Matt and Lil had crashed in on Danny’s place and in about half a day reduced it into a haven of mixed-up gear. Thank God the family had given them a huge space just off the main living room, and although they had to sleep out of bags nobody minded. It was like a grown-up pajama party and they loved every minute of it.
“Hey Danny, I think I might just up and leave Kalamazoo for this gig. It’s so cool down here.” Matt twirled the straw in his mouth lazily, sighing. “Can you put me up for awhile till I get on my feet?”
“Duh,” Danny replied, punching him lightly on an arm. “Name the day.”
Lil laughed, her movement dislodging Allison, who was lying with her head on her legs, a bit. “Uh, no rash promises you might regret, Dan.”
Matt swiveled to look at her, an exaggerated look of offense on his face. “Ex-cuuuse me. For your information, I am not hard to deal with. I am funny, charming, good looking, and I sing, too. And I’m completely potty trained.”
“Well, at least that’s one less worry,” Kris replied with an easy grin.
“And Danny does want to have kids,” Adam joined in, and they all laughed.
Matt playfully threw a bag of unopened chips towards Adam, intending for it to hit him on the face. Kris nonchalantly plucked it out of the air before it hit Adam, his baseball-trained grip swift and secure. Danny quickly lobbed a pillow at Kris, who rolled out of harm’s range, but ended up with his face squashed near Matt’s rear.
“Hey! No feeling me up, man,” Matt whined.
The group laughed, and Allison, ever ready for fun, picked up the first pillow she could reach, swung it with all her might at Danny, and shouted, “Pillow fight!”
That was all it took. Seconds later, covered in feathers and cotton, the six stopped long enough to take in their surroundings before collapsing into hysterical laughter, Danny coughing so hard Kris and Adam had to pound him on the back to help him recover.
---
No one looked anyone else in the eye as Danny’s nephews and nieces trooped into their room to call them to dinner and took in the mess. They backed out of the room slowly, their eyes wide in shock, then fled.
No one could stop laughing over that one, either.
---
That’s it.
Tour over.
Amid the flurry of phone number-swapping, pats on the back, and promises to yes, yes I’ll call, Adam held himself back a little, if only to preserve this moment in his memory, before everything that was show business came and ruined everything, like it always did.
But hugs were now in demand, and Allison had come back for a third hug, which he could not deny. Even Michael hugged him, a friendly, brief clasp that was less like a handshake and more of a silent regret.
Apology accepted.
The last hug goodbye was the hardest, as Adam knew it would be. Most especially when it was to part ways with one very beautiful, earnest young man who had to stand on tiptoe just to whisper, Take care of yourself, man, before he was whisked away into the waiting arms of his own family.
Adam hated goodbyes.
One last stop, Adam thought wearily to himself. One more and this whole thing is finally, finally done.
Lil and Megan had gone off for the day to see the sights, and Michael, Anoop, Matt, and Scott had decided to grab some coffees nearby, so the bus was relatively quiet as he opened the double doors and let himself in. His own trailer was not far behind, but already he missed his tour mates’ noise, so he had abandoned his solitary luncheon and began looking for whoever may have been left.
On the very long couch off to the side of the bus Danny and Kris lay end to end. Kris’ eyes were closed, his head pillowed in his arms, while Danny lay on Allison’s lap. Allison had her sneakered feet propped up on the nearest counter, and they were all laughing at something.
“Hey, pumpkin, come on and scoot in,” Allison called as she caught sight of Adam. She nudged Kris, who opened his eyes and grinned. He moved his arms out from under his head, lifting it fractionally, then motioning for Adam to sit under him.
Though it was something of a major fantasy Adam had played over and over in his head (and which ended in such fantastic, rather acrobatic ways that he could not bring himself to admit to it), he did not want to ruin the friendly moment by giving Kris a nasty surprise the moment he put his nape down on Adam’s lap. Instead, Adam propped his fists on his hips and raised his brows.
“You be my pillow, cupcake,” he smiled at Kris, who unquestioningly obliged, pulling himself up to sitting position and letting Adam slide down into his former place. Adam lay back, closing his eyes, taking in the warmth Kris left on the leather couch, enjoying the feel of his firm thighs against his neck.
Danny smiled down at Adam. “So. We were just talking…”
“Danny invited all of us to come to his hometown. We’ll get to see his family an’ stuff.” Allison interjected. “Kris’ll come if prod staff doesn’t hound him for at least a week for his album. I’m coming. Hey, ‘bout you, Adam? Please? Come with us. It’ll be so much fun.”
Adam smiled at Allison. “I don’t know, baby girl. My schedule doesn’t look so good.”
“Neither does mine,” Kris interjected. “But I think we can wangle something or maybe you can call 19E. They usually listen to you.”
Two against one, Adam thought, and it’s not like he could really refuse these two anything. He sighed. “You better have something really epic in your place, Danny, or I will tell 19E they could have your head for taking Kris away from recording and writing and all that shit.”
Danny merely grinned, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses.
---
Milwaukee was not as sleepy a town as Arkansas and not as hot-and-happening as LA, but Danny’s family was so warm and accommodating that Adam wondered why he had hesitated to come in the first place. The paparazzi was less rabid, the stares less pointed, and the earnest, almost shy requests for pictures and autographs were so endearing that it was like a breath of fresh air after the craziness that was the American Idol Tour.
Not everyone had taken Danny’s invite for a visit, so only Adam, Kris, Allison, Matt and Lil had crashed in on Danny’s place and in about half a day reduced it into a haven of mixed-up gear. Thank God the family had given them a huge space just off the main living room, and although they had to sleep out of bags nobody minded. It was like a grown-up pajama party and they loved every minute of it.
“Hey Danny, I think I might just up and leave Kalamazoo for this gig. It’s so cool down here.” Matt twirled the straw in his mouth lazily, sighing. “Can you put me up for awhile till I get on my feet?”
“Duh,” Danny replied, punching him lightly on an arm. “Name the day.”
Lil laughed, her movement dislodging Allison, who was lying with her head on her legs, a bit. “Uh, no rash promises you might regret, Dan.”
Matt swiveled to look at her, an exaggerated look of offense on his face. “Ex-cuuuse me. For your information, I am not hard to deal with. I am funny, charming, good looking, and I sing, too. And I’m completely potty trained.”
“Well, at least that’s one less worry,” Kris replied with an easy grin.
“And Danny does want to have kids,” Adam joined in, and they all laughed.
Matt playfully threw a bag of unopened chips towards Adam, intending for it to hit him on the face. Kris nonchalantly plucked it out of the air before it hit Adam, his baseball-trained grip swift and secure. Danny quickly lobbed a pillow at Kris, who rolled out of harm’s range, but ended up with his face squashed near Matt’s rear.
“Hey! No feeling me up, man,” Matt whined.
The group laughed, and Allison, ever ready for fun, picked up the first pillow she could reach, swung it with all her might at Danny, and shouted, “Pillow fight!”
That was all it took. Seconds later, covered in feathers and cotton, the six stopped long enough to take in their surroundings before collapsing into hysterical laughter, Danny coughing so hard Kris and Adam had to pound him on the back to help him recover.
---
No one looked anyone else in the eye as Danny’s nephews and nieces trooped into their room to call them to dinner and took in the mess. They backed out of the room slowly, their eyes wide in shock, then fled.
No one could stop laughing over that one, either.
---
That’s it.
Tour over.
Amid the flurry of phone number-swapping, pats on the back, and promises to yes, yes I’ll call, Adam held himself back a little, if only to preserve this moment in his memory, before everything that was show business came and ruined everything, like it always did.
But hugs were now in demand, and Allison had come back for a third hug, which he could not deny. Even Michael hugged him, a friendly, brief clasp that was less like a handshake and more of a silent regret.
Apology accepted.
The last hug goodbye was the hardest, as Adam knew it would be. Most especially when it was to part ways with one very beautiful, earnest young man who had to stand on tiptoe just to whisper, Take care of yourself, man, before he was whisked away into the waiting arms of his own family.
Adam hated goodbyes.