fic: rewrite our story 4/4

[inbetweencabs]

Part Three

: : :

”It’s starting to get really cold up here,” Adam says and Kris just nods. He tightens his arms where they’re wrapped around Adam’s waist. They’re sitting on the cliff, Adam between Kris’s legs, his head resting on Kris’s shoulder.

“Summer’s ending,” Kris softly says, turning his head to kiss Adam’s nose. Adam just hums and pulls Kris’s arms tighter around him.

Since their last week in Rue Falls has started, Kris has been going up to the cliff with Adam every day. They talk about some of the stuff they’re going to do back home, but mostly they just sit in comfortable silence. Kris thinks that’s just them trying to soak in each other’s presence, no matter how lame that sounds.

But six weeks together is just too short. And this night is going to be their last together. For a while, anyway. Kris knows he’s going to miss Adam. And Kris believes Adam when he says he’s going to miss Kris.

But if he’s going to be honest with himself, Kris has no idea if they’re going to work outside of their little summer bubble. Kris is going back to Arkansas to be with his friends, and Adam dreams of LA. He knows that it’s not fair to hold Adam to that promise, not when he knows there would be other guys falling all over themselves to be with Adam, but Kris wants to keep the dream. He never claims to have the most practical of hearts.

“I’ll be waiting for your first letter,” he says against Adam’s ear, “so don’t make me wait too long.”

“I’ll send you an e-mail as soon as we get home,” Adam answers, smiling widely. “And write you an old-fashioned letter. God, you’re such a sap.”

“What, letters are more personal than e-mails,” Kris huffs when Adam laughs. “And I’ll do the same. Because I know you’ll love it.”

“Jerkface,” then Adam props his hand on Kris’s thigh to lean up and kiss him. Kris moans softly against Adam’s mouth, missing this already. He’s never had a real boyfriend or girlfriend before Adam, but he just wants Adam so badly. Charles, his best friend from home, tells him that it’s hormones. But Kris thinks it’s not just that.

There’s something bigger between them, and Kris just can’t deal with it sometimes. He makes Kris believe that he can do everything he sets his mind to. Kris can have the foulest of tempers, especially in the mornings, but Adam can turn that around with just one of his silly offhand comments. He makes everything that Kris feels deeper, brighter, louder. It scares the hell out of Kris, but to be honest, he’s stopped caring that it does.

The sun is starting to set. Kris tries to push away the heaviness that seems to have settled on his chest. He buries his face on Adam’s blond hair and says, “I have something to show you.” He reaches behind him to grab his backpack and takes out a small wooden box. When Adam turns to look at it, Kris says, “I thought we could make a time capsule. To open next summer.”

“Like I said, you’re a sap,” Adam says. But his eyes are unnaturally bright when he looks at Kris.

Kris playfully nudges Adam, and Adam turns around to face him. Kris puts the box on the ground between their feet, and opens it. He rummages in his backpack and takes out their notebook. “Let’s see if we could finish these songs next year.”

“We would,” Adam says with such conviction in his voice that Kris can’t help but smile. Adam then takes off his leather bracelet and places it over the notebook. After that, he removes a silver hoop on his right ear. “I have the other one at home, I’ll wear that when we get there.”

Kris takes a guitar pick from his jeans pocket and puts it beside the earring. “I was using this the first time we met. You know, when you fell on your face climbing up here.” Adam pushes lightly at his feet and Kris laughs. “And then this,” he puts a battered book on the box. “My Beatles tab book.”

Adam takes the tab book and flips through it. When he smiles, Kris knows that he’s looking at the page where ‘Two of Us’ is. On it are their silly doodles, and Adam’s stick figure portrait of the two of them. They learned the song together on one of the first days after they met and when Kris was finally able to play it without mistakes, they celebrated with some avocado ice cream and making out until sunrise.

“Daniel gave me this,” Kris hands Adam a picture. “We can put it there, if you want to.” It’s a candid photo of them laughing at something they’re watching on tv. Kris’s nose is squished on the picture and his head’s lolling on Adam’s shoulder. Adam’s mouth is opened wide, his eyes closed tightly. But Kris’s favorite part of the picture is their clasped hands resting over Adam’s thigh.

Adam stares at the picture for what seems like forever. When he looks at Kris, he reaches out to intertwine their fingers together. “I’m going to miss you.”

Kris smiles and he tries to say something. But then, he just nods and Adam puts the picture in the box.

They lock the clasp together. Just as the last light of the sun shines over the ocean, they bury the capsule in the hole they dug behind a stack of rocks at the far end of the cliff.

Adam puts a large rock over it and when it’s finally in place, he pulls Kris into a hug. “Until next summer.”

“Until next summer,” Kris agrees and stands on his tiptoes to give Adam a kiss.

: : :

When he’s not working, Adam spends the rest of his stay in Rue Falls with Kris. The erratic schedule that Claire and Blaine made makes Adam and Kris go on dates at random times during the day. When they finish the shoot early, Adam goes to sit at The End chatting with Kris’s friends. On days when the shoot’s at night, Kris comes over to the set after work and brings food. Those nights usually end with the rest of the guys on the set going to The End to watch Matt or Kris play.

Adam’s never felt happier in such a long time.

And when he’s happy and trying to ignore things he should be thinking about, time flies by quickly. He spends a lot of his time with Kris but whenever he wants to talk about what’s going to happen once he goes back to LA, Adam just freezes. He doesn’t know how to start the conversation, not wanting to hear that Kris doesn’t see the thing they have between them going anywhere. And Kris doesn’t initiate anything or drop a hint either, so Adam’s really kind of lost on what to do.

Adam wants so bad to try and see if they could make things work. But he knows it’s unfair to make Kris understand that Adam has to be with Doug for at least a year. That for a year, Kris would be a secret kept from the public, when all Adam wants to do is to take his hand and kiss him whenever and wherever he wants to.

Kris could agree even if it hurts him, and that’s the last thing that Adam wants to happen. He can’t even act the way he wants to around Kris in Rue Falls because people can’t see them together, not when Adam’s supposed to be into Doug or Ste. So they have dates where they know people won’t talk. Like on the set, or at secluded corners of The End. Or those private places that Kris has discovered through the years. So Adam thinks that having to do that on a much larger scale is totally going to scare Kris away.

Adam wakes up the morning he’s set to leave Rue Falls with panic threatening to claw up his throat. He takes a deep breath, mentally compartmentalizing his schedule for the day. He’s supposed to have brunch with Kris before Steen picks him up to go to set. They’re doing the last date with Doug and Ste at a secluded resort at the far end of the beach strip. After that, they’re back to LA to film the final scene, where he’s going to pick Doug.

He’s still deep in thought when he meets Kris at The End an hour and a half later. But when he goes to the kitchen to see Kris waiting with two plates full of blueberry pancakes, fried bacon, and cheese omelets, Adam pushes his thoughts away and gives Kris a good morning kiss.

“I probably smell like grease, sorry about your life,” Kris tells him but he’s giving Adam his lopsided smile.

Adam’s heart lurches. “You have the food, I won’t be complaining. Even if I’m going to have to do an extra hour of crunches because of this.”

“You don’t need that,” Kris retorts before setting the plates on the table at the corner, and Adam just has to grin at him. Megan comes over and gives them coffee, and Adam some orange juice. Adam has started eating his pancakes when Kris leans over and whispers, “what time do you have to be on set?”

“In about an hour and a half,” he answers. “Why are we whispering?”

“In about 30 minutes, Emma’s going to be coming in,” Kris leans forward to whisper directly in his ear, “and Andrew’s going to propose.”

Adam makes a noise that is, to his horror, close to a squeal. Kris runs around and sits on his lap. Adam says, “oh my god” at the same time that Kris mutters, “shut up.” Adam starts laughing and he just stops when Kris kisses him full on the mouth, their teeth clicking together and tongues darting out to slip against each other’s.

Adam groans and gets lost in the kiss, the fog only lifting when he hears Allison’s “Jesus fucking Christ, this is a food establishment. Stop doing that with your tongues.” Adam breaks away from Kris and realizes that his hands are on Kris’s ass, his thumbs tucked on the waistband of Kris’s jeans.

“I told you to shut up,” Kris says a little breathlessly. When Adam opens his mouth to protest, Kris grinds down.

“You are so evil,” Adam moans and pushes Kris off his lap. Kris laughs and sits back down on the chair across from Adam.

Under the table, Adam hooks his feet with Kris’s and smiles dreamily. “So, is it going to be in here?”

Kris points his thumb towards the door. “Right there in the main room. And that’s where we need your help.” He then calls Andrew who’s nervously hovering by the stove.

So that’s how thirty minutes later, Adam finds himself standing outside The End. The people on queue outside are starting to shoot him some really weird looks, but Adam’s eyes are trained on the parking lot. When Adam sees Emma drive by in her vintage red beetle, he quickly calls Kris to let him know.

“Stall her! We’re not finished here yet.” Kris says in response.

“For fuck’s sake, I don’t even know why you didn’t set everything up sooner!” Adam says but he’s laughing.

“You already know why, stop laughing!” Kris is chuckling too. Apparently, Andrew just decided to propose that morning and sent everyone into a panic with all the preparation he wants to do. Kris thinks it’s amusing, but Celine is panicking that there isn’t enough time. Matt, Brad, Megan and Allison just started jumping around, doing whatever it is that Andrew wants them to do. Adam tries not to find it too charming.

Adam hears what sounds like a chair crashing on the floor and Andrew cursing. Celine’s also cursing in French and Adam just laughs harder. “Oh crap, here she is. Don’t kill yourselves in there.” He then puts his phone in his pocket.

“Adam! What are you doing standing here?” Emma says as soon as she sees him.

“Kris hates me,” Adam tries to make his voice sound really sad.

Emma looks at him weirdly for a second then says, “then why are you smiling?”

Adam internally panics for two seconds - Andrew’s going to kill him if he blows this - then tries a save. “Errr… because you’re here now and I need you to help me talk to him.”

Emma huffs. “What did he do now? You know Adam, he may act really stupid sometimes, but I think he’s in love with you.”

“He is?” Adam squeaks and reminds himself that he’s not here for that tidbit of awesome info. So he tries to push that aside and says, “I don’t know about that. He’s been acting really weird these past few days.”

“Huh,” Emma leans on the wall. “Well, maybe it’s because you’re leaving. And I don’t know what you guys have talked about but maybe he thinks this won’t be going on after you leave.” She then gives Adam a look and says, “please tell me this isn’t just a thing for you.”

Adam swallows. “It isn’t,” he says and Emma smiles at him brightly. “But… I don’t know, I have stuff to do.”

He must look really miserable because Emma leans up to give him a hug. “I know, sweetie. And I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. But Kris is my friend and I haven’t seen him this happy in forever.” She then kisses him on the cheek. “But you have a life too, and sometimes things happen at the right time. He’ll get over it.”

“I don’t want him to ‘get over it’,” Adam whines against Emma’s hair.

Emma just smiles at him sadly. “But hey, you still have today. Go talk to him, do whatever. Come on, I’ll yell at him.”

Just then, the phone vibrates in Adam’s pocket. He takes it out and sees that it’s a missed call from Kris, their signal that they’re ready inside. Adam swallows past the lump in his throat that just seemed to get bigger when he sees Kris’s picture on the screen of his phone.

But he just takes Emma’s hand and tugs her inside, “yeah, it’ll work out.”

As soon as they step inside the hall, Adam sees the different colors of petals strewn on the floor. He knows they took the flowers from Matt, Celine and Kris’s backyard, but looking at them, he hasn’t seen anything more beautiful. They look wild and yet oddly charming, just like Emma is. There are balloons all over the place and right at the middle of the room is a small pumpkin- shaped piñata.

“What the fuck is going on?” Emma says and then she looks at Adam with wide eyes. “Holy shit, is it Adam’s surprise goodbye party? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“What? No!” Andrew steps forward. Adam moves to stand beside Kris. They’re all standing by the door, which was left open when Adam and Emma came in. The people lined up outside are now standing on the doorway and watching.

Emma looks at Andrew with raised eyebrows and Andrew quickly falls on one knee. Adam sees Emma’s eyes widen in surprise and in a second, they were filled with tears. Andrew has started to say, “Emma, will you…” when Emma tackles him to the floor, covering his face with kisses.

“I’ll marry you, you jackass,” Emma says and kisses Andrew. Celine and Matt take a picture of the two of them sprawled in the middle of petals and balloons. Megan, Brad and Allison throw confetti on them. Adam can hear the people laughing and clapping by the door, but when he turns to look, he sees Kris looking at him with a small smile.

Adam suddenly just wants to reach out and keep Kris forever. He thinks it might be the romance and the place, but standing there, he realizes that all those moments in between are the ones that make him want to stay. The quiet conversations. The warmth they make each other feel in the middle of the breeze. The way they believe in each other. And the things they do to each other that make the bad seem good, and the good better.

But Kris doesn’t move closer, and when Adam sees him looking at the people by the door, he then understands why.

Kris cheers with Brad when Emma asks, “Where’s my ring?” and Andrew answers, “in the piñata!”

Adam laughs when Emma gives Andrew a withering look. But when she hits the piñata and the box falls on the floor, Adam stops caring and puts his arm around Kris’s shoulders to tug him closer. When Kris just lets him, he suddenly feels like he wants to cry a little.

Adam leaves soon after Emma gets the ring on her finger. He’s quiet in the car and Steen doesn’t push, just softly tells him his schedule for the day. When Steen finishes, he asks her, “When are we leaving?”

“Tonight,” Steen answers. “If you want to. You’re shooting the final scene tomorrow afternoon at 3pm in LA.”

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning,” he says while staring into the distance. “We can make it, right?”

Steen looks like she wants to protest but she just nods. “As long as we leave by 7am, we’re good. I know it’s just an hour-long drive, but there might be traffic. And you need to have a fitting…”

“That’s fine.” He then closes his eyes until they get on set.

Later that day, an hour after his last scene has been shot, Adam stands outside Claire’s trailer waiting for her to come out. When she finally does, Adam quickly says, “I need to talk to you. Bring Blaine,” and just walks back to his trailer.

: : :

In the two years that Kris has lived in Rue Falls, he’s only been on top of the rock cliff where he met Adam twice.

The first time was about two days after he got off the bus. He remembers standing on the edge of the cliff, his hands slightly burned from the first day of working in The End’s kitchen. It’s funny how he can’t even recall what he was thinking about that time, but he remembers that his shirt smelled like petite cherry pies and cinnamon crusted chicken wings. He also wondered where Adam was at that time, and he even thought about digging out the time capsule. But he thought it was pointless, anyway, and left everything the way it was.

And the second time is now, when Adam texts him to meet him on top of the cliff. On the days that they’ve spent together, Kris never really brought up the idea of going to the cliff. He doesn’t want to pressure Adam, give him ideas that he has to be something for Kris when Kris knows that Adam can’t promise him anything.

And since Adam didn’t say anything about going to the cliff either, Kris thinks Adam feels the same way. Kris thinks it’s kind of like that time when they were kids, when they made promises that in retrospect, were really naïve and hard to keep.

But now Kris is older. He already knows how the world works. And he’s aware that there are just some things that have no way of happening. He lives for the moment, making little plans about the things he can control, and just enjoying the stuff that he can’t. Matt tells him he’s being passive; Kris thinks it’s just him being pragmatic.

But standing there on the cliff waiting for Adam to show up, Kris allows himself to daydream. Maybe he can visit Adam in LA and know how he arranges the pillows on his bed. Or Adam can hang out in Kris’s place in Rue Falls and have him lounge on Kris’s favorite chair. They can visit their families together because that’d be fun.

Kris is startled when he hears Adam say, “hey,” behind him. He turns and smiles at Adam, allows himself a kiss. Adam responds all warm and pliant, and Kris breaks the kiss before he gets to the point where he won’t want it to end.

“Not that I’m not happy you’re here but aren’t you supposed to be on your way back to LA?” Kris asks, staring at the setting sun.

“What? I haven’t even said goodbye to you yet,” Adam says, confusion obvious in his tone.

Kris looks at Adam and shrugs. “Oh. I thought the brunch earlier… never mind. Steen just mentioned you were leaving right after the shoot so when you didn’t say anything, I figured that was it.”

“I’m actually leaving tomorrow morning,” Adam softly says then he looks intently at Kris’s face. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

“I don’t know… I just thought if you wanted me to know, you’d tell me,” Kris mutters. That’s the truth, anyway. When Adam just remains silent, he tries to smile. “Hey, it was awesome to see you here. Made my summer.”

Adam nods. “I want to see you again, Kris. I’ll definitely keep in touch.”

“I’d love that,” Kris answers. They’re silent for a while and Kris takes a deep breath. He turns to Adam and twines their fingers together. “Hey, don’t feel bad if you get too busy to call me or anything like that.”

Adam squeezes his hand tightly. “Kris…”

“Listen, I know what your life is like. I mean, I don’t know but I can imagine. So if you forget to call or you know, when life happens, it’s alright.” He looks down at their joined hands and gives Adam what he hopes isn’t a too-sad smile. “And if you do want to hang out with me again, you know where to find me.”

Kris finds Adam staring at him with bright eyes, and when Adam leans over, Kris meets him halfway.

The kiss starts off too soft, too gentle. But then Kris cups Adam’s jaw and feels the day-old stubble there, and he’s suddenly so aware that they’re not the boys who shared their first kisses anymore. They still are, in a lot of ways. But the confidence with which Adam’s tongue is mapping the inside of Kris’s mouth leaves Kris feeling so intense in a way that it never did before.

Adam breaks the kiss and he’s got his eyes closed when he speaks against Kris’s mouth. “Please tell me you want this.”

Kris quickly says, “yeah. All you have to do is ask.” Then he kisses the tip of Adam’s nose. “Or you know, just take.”

Adam huffs out a laugh before kissing Kris again. Kris doesn’t have an idea how he ends up straddling Adam’s lap, and how his hands got under Adam’s shirt. When Adam says, “take me home,” Kris just gets up and holds his hands out to Adam.

Ten years ago, the most that Kris and Adam had done was give each other handjobs. They were fumbling teenagers who liked rutting against each other, but mostly they just loved making out. Kris even regretted not doing everything with Adam, but then he thought they had time.

He knows better now. And that’s why as soon as they get inside his room, Kris falls on his knees and fumbles with Adam’s belt buckle and fly. He holds Adam’s cock, trying to see if he can remember if it feels the same way. But Adam moans and Kris decides that he’s with this Adam now.

And that’s how Kris discovers that Adam bucks his hips mercilessly when the head of his cock is licked. Or that Adam lets out a string of garbled curses when his cock is swallowed to the base and his balls are lightly raked with fingernails at the same time. Kris laughs when Adam gets mad at him when Kris insists on just playing with the rim of Adam’s hole, totally refusing to let the tip of his finger slip in. And now he can say that Adam likes to cling helplessly when he’s fucking someone; Kris is totally going to have bruises all over his chest where Adam held him tightly as he moves with Kris from behind.

But mostly Kris is going to remember how Adam says Kris’s name as he comes. And how he kisses Kris so tenderly after, almost like he’s committing all of it to memory.

When Kris wakes up early the next morning with just a handwritten note from Adam (You’re amazing. You don’t even know how much.), he isn’t really surprised. But he still hopes that maybe this time, it’s going to be different.

So he sends a text to Adam (I actually do. Know how amazing I am) then quickly follows it up with another (See you soon).

He totally doesn’t smile towards the ceiling for about an hour when Adam replies. (Yeah, see you soon!!! And I’m not losing your number this time. Having Steen guard it with guns and fire)

He’s still in a good mood when he goes in to work. His friends tease him mercilessly, but Kris just laughs with them. The fact that he doesn’t receive more texts from Adam the rest of the day doesn’t really bother him. He knows Adam’s working, anyway.

But when Kris wakes up the next morning and goes to check his phone, he sees that there’s still no call or text from Adam. Without really thinking about it, he calls in sick, reassuring Celine that he probably just needs some fresh air.

He reaches the top of the cliff when the sun’s already high in the sky, the heat beating on the back of his neck. He walks over to the pile of the rocks on the far end, and pushes the biggest rock aside. Then he picks up the shovel he brought and starts digging.

The box, when he sees it, still looks the same. Kris knows that when he washes the dirt off it, the wood would probably be more weathered. He hits the lock with the shovel to break it, and it doesn’t take long before he’s opening the box.

Ten years. And the pages of the Beatles tab book have yellowed, the frayed leather bracelet not so soft anymore. Kris sees a bit of discoloration on the hoop earrings, probably having come from some of the condensation that has seeped from the edges of the box. The pick’s a little brittle, and Kris decides to try using it on his guitar. Maybe it won’t break, but if it does, maybe he’ll mail the other half to Adam. Or give to him when Kris goes to LA, if Adam would be able to meet him.

And he looks at their picture. So much has changed, but Kris thinks it’s amazing how Adam and him seem to be happiest when they’re together. At least, Kris feels that way.

Kris puts everything back in the box as soon as he’s got the notebook on his hand. He laughs when he reads all their lyrics, either so simple or overwrought back then. But there’s one verse written on the last page of the notebook that Kris thinks he can work with. He tears the page and folds it carefully before tucking it into his pocket. This one he’s totally e-mailing to Adam if he gets to finish it.

He then puts back the notebook in the box and takes the picture. He puts the picture in his back pocket before walking over to where he had dug the hole. He drops the box back in the hole and stands up to bury it back again.

: : :

When Adam gets to The End and Celine tells him that Kris has called in sick but isn’t at home, he knows that he has to take off his wedged boots. After Andrew hands him a pair of running shoes, Adam takes off and goes to the beach.

Which is how he finds himself falling face first on top of the rock cliff, his jeans caked with dirt and his hair sticking to his forehead. But Kris is looking at him like he couldn’t believe that Adam’s actually there, and Adam lets the laugh bubbling up his chest escape as he turns over on his back.

Kris walks over and tackles him to the ground, settling down for a kiss. Adam can feel the rough ground poking his back but Kris is deliciously pliant and eager on top of him. And Adam can’t seem to stop kissing and touching Kris in all the places he remembers from their first summer together and from the other night.

When Kris finally stops mauling him with kisses, Adam breathes out, “I want to make this work. I really want to try. Like, so badly.”

“Yeah? That’s awesome. Because yeah… that’d be awesome,” Kris mumbles, hot breath tickling Adam’s neck.

Adam cracks up helplessly. “We’re changing the ending of the show.” At Kris’s confused look, Adam says, “I talked to Claire and Blaine. And we had a meeting yesterday with the producers. I don’t have to choose Doug and pretend to be with him.”

Kris slightly tenses and starts to move away from Adam. But Adam keeps a steady hand on Kris’s lower back to keep him in place. Kris frowns. “Wait, aren’t you getting into trouble?”

“No,” Adam whispers in Kris’s ear. “I told them I met someone and that not being with you isn’t an option. But Doug and Ste are in love, so yeah, main story arc?” He grins. “They’ll get together at the end.”

“And I’ll have you.” Kris is beginning to smile.

Adam nods. “And I’ll have you.”

Kris laughs. “The ratings will go through the roof.”

“I know! That’s why they agreed so fast, I think.” Adam nuzzles Kris’s neck, breathing in the smell of sweat and summer. “And now that that’s settled, you want this, right?”

“I’m on top of you, I think the answer’s pretty obvious.” Kris rolls his eyes.

“What? I just want to make that clear.” Adam hugs Kris tighter. “And I know you love it here in Rue Falls so we might have to drive back and forth. And you might need to put up with some publicity. God, especially after they show the show’s finale… and I’m a drama queen sometimes. And you need to start talking to me. Like, subtext is hot but sometimes, I’m dense. And…”

Kris slips a hand into Adam’s pants, and Adam just trails off because, yeah. Kris licks into his mouth and when they break apart, Adam hears him say, “We’ll work it out along the way. Stop thinking.”

But Adam sees how earnest Kris is with the way he’s looking at Adam, can feel it with the soft touch of Kris’s hands. And Adam’s just knows this is totally going to work.

Maybe they’ll get to finish writing all those songs, after all.

EPILOGUE

Not a lot of people tend to go to The End’s annual New Year Throwdown, but this year, people seem to be crawling out of the walls. Kris, Andrew and Allison are just going crazy in the kitchen, and Matt, Megan, Brad, Emma and Celine are just as busy in the main room. It’s a good thing that they just decided to have one big party - and as Brad suggested, “get everyone drunk. Drunk people don’t get hungry” - or else, Kris would be swimming in sauces and dinner stock.

But it’s been a good year - Kris thinks so, anyway. Business is good and he’s talking to Matt and Celine about opening a small The End in LA. It’s not going to happen anytime soon, but they’re working on it. He’s also written a couple of new songs and would probably have enough to record a demo. But he’s not thinking about that just yet.

Right now, what’s important is that Adam’s going through the kitchen doors, smiling widely. Kris still thinks it’s pretty amazing how they found each other again, but then, maybe it was just something that was bound to happen.

“Kris,” Adam whines. He starts untying the knot on Kris’s apron, and Kris squirms just to annoy him.

“I’m almost done here,” he laughs. “Stop that!”

Allison loudly says, “how many times have I told you guys not to grope each other in the kitchen? It’s totally unsanitary!”

“Hey, that was just one time!” Adam protests even as he leers at Kris when the apron finally comes off.

“One time too many. I’m still having nightmares,” Andrew shakes his head as he takes off his own apron.

“I know my cock is a monster but come on,” Adam pouts. Of course, Kris blushes as Andrew and Allison tease him, but he can’t stop laughing.

“Get out of here, all of you,” Allison shoos them away. “I’ll man the kitchen while you guys are goofing around.”

Kris kisses Allison’s cheek and tells her to come out around midnight. They then go to the main room, which is mostly occupied by the people who worked in the Bachelor. It’s basically a wrap party for the show, since they just had the final episode filmed live earlier that day. Claire suggested that they do the reveal live in Rue Falls, and since the ratings are insanely high, the producers readily agreed.

Kris feels Adam steer him towards the corner where Doug and Ste are kissing. They got together after it was decided that Adam won’t be choosing Doug, but now that the final episode has been aired on national television, they can’t seem to stop touching each other.

“You guys owe us,” Adam teases them and Kris smirks.

Ste rolls his eyes. “Yeah, like you didn’t get anything from this.” But he laughs when Doug playfully punches him on the side. “Seriously though, how great is this?”

Kris tucks himself closer to Adam’s side and just smiles. Because it really is pretty awesome how everything worked itself out.

He looks across the room and it’s one of those moments when everything feels just right. Andrew and Emma are laughing themselves silly in the middle of the room while Brad waves his hands animatedly telling a story. Matt and Celine are busy behind the bar, serving drinks but trading small smiles and light familiar touches. Megan’s ruffling Allison’s hair as she gets the order of fries and yells at Brad to start working his pretty ass off.

And all of that blends just perfectly with how Steen’s having a drinking game with five of the guys who were in The Bachelor. Claire’s also snuggling with a lifeguard named Max that she just met earlier that day. And Kurt and Blaine are standing in front of the jukebox, dancing to Love Shack, goofing around and being sappy at the same time. Adam’s bodyguard Jeremy is totally hitting on one of Celine’s friends. Even Adam’s best friends Danielle, Scarlett and Lee are standing by the bar chatting with Matt, Celine, Andrew and Emma.

And Kris has Adam standing behind him, arms wrapped around his waist. Adam props his head on Kris’s shoulder and simply says, “I’m happy.”

Kris turns his head because how can he not? “Yeah?” When Adam looks into his eyes and nods, Kris softly says, “I am, too.”

And Kris thinks they really are. Happy, that is. It’s hard work, especially when Adam has to travel and Kris has busy nights, and they sometimes have to go through the day with just a text. But it’s all worth it when they’re able to spend time together.

They’ve decided to see each other at least once a week, just to get to know each other better. They usually spend it lounging in bed whether they’re in LA or in Rue Falls. And they’re slowly building their life together, meeting the important people in their lives and consulting each other when decisions have to be made. Somehow, Kris thinks that the silence in between the times they’re actually together just makes everything better, more real.

Adam hugs him tighter and kisses his shoulder. They smile at each other - Kris is sure they look like the total saps they are - until Kris hears Brad say, “Kris and Adam!” When they turn to look at him, Brad points to the stage and makes kissy faces.

Everyone chants “Kris and Adam” so Kris tugs Adam towards the small stage. Celine’s already waiting there with his guitar and Megan hands over the mic to Adam. Their friends are rudely yelling out their requests until Adam says, “do we look like a jukebox to you? Break it up!”

They answer Adam with loud laughs and more yelling of song titles. But when everything has been hooked up and they hear Kris strum the guitar, they all quiet down.

Kris looks at Adam, and maybe it’s the high he’s on this night, but it almost feels like the first time they did this. Right there on top of the cliff, both infatuated with music and each other. It’s amazing and overwhelming in the best of ways. And when they start singing, Kris realizes that after all those years of falling in and out of love, and hair color changes, and discoveries and failures and dreams coming true, they’re still just Kris and Adam.

And they’re still perfect for each other.

MASTER POST