Prompt Reply: Misconceptions
The last night of the tour came far too quickly for the 10 friends. Adam and Kris especially feared the end of the tour, knowing that their schedules would keep them apart far more than they would let them be together. After the final performance none of them wanted to go back to the hotel, despite being exhausted. They decided instead to check out a local bar - Allison would of course not be drinking. The mood at their make-shift after party was an odd combination of joyously celebratory and depressingly subdued. None of them wanted this to end, wanted to say goodbye. Some members of the group were drinking slowly, nursing one drink for the entire night, while others were drinking more than usual. Adam was drinking slowly, sending Kris worried glances surreptitiously throughout the night. Kris, on the other hand, downed his first beer within minutes of entering the bar and quickly moved onto his second. The others had never seen Kris drink more than a sip or two of alcohol the entire competition and tour but Kris simply ignored their surprised looks. He wanted to forget that tonight was the last time he would get to be with Adam, get to see him, laugh with him, hold him, for quite some time.
A couple of hours into the gathering Kris was dangerously drunk and showing no signs of letting up.
“I think I should get him back to the hotel before he gets alcohol poisoning or does something he’ll regret,” Adam said, watching Kris stumble towards the bathroom. The others nodded, knowing that Kris would be kicking himself in the morning if anything bad happened, and that Adam would be kicking himself in the morning if he let anything happen. Adam’s fingers tapped lightly on the neck of his beer bottle as he waited nervously for Kris to return to the booth so he could drag him home. When Adam finally saw Kris stumbling back in the direction of the group he quickly said his goodbyes and jumped up to intercept him. “C’mon, Krissy, we’re gonna get you home.”
“Sure thing, hot stuff,” Kris slurred. Adam shook his head and placed his arm around the shorter, very, very drunk man so he could lead him out of the bar. They walked the short distance back to the hotel quickly, Adam’s arm draped around Kris’ shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright and moving forward. Kris was humming softly under his breath and grinning like an idiot. Adam was pleasantly surprised when he managed to get Kris back to the hotel and into his room without a single photo being taken or running into a single fan.
“C’mon, Krissy, sit down here on your bed and I’ll go get you a glass of water.”
“I don’t want water, I want alcohol.” Kris mumbled but collapsed on the bed nonetheless. Adam sighed but quickly ducked into the bathroom to get the water he’d promised.
“Here,” Adam said when he’d returned, holding the glass out towards Kris. His only response was to grab Adam’s wrist and pull him onto the bed beside him. The glass fell out of Adam’s hand, crashing to the floor and spilling water everywhere as Adam’s body wretched forward into Kris’. Their faces were inches apart and Kris’ chocolate eyes were dark with what was undeniably and indescribably lust. Adam knew what was going to happen before it did but was powerless to stop it. Kris’ chapped lips crashed onto Adam’s soft ones. Adam could taste the beer on Kris’ breath. He jerked back and pulled himself off of Kris. “What the Hell, man?” Adam sputtered, still tasting Kris’ beer on his lips. Kris’ face was a mixture of surprise and hurt.
“I knew it; I knew you would never go for someone like me. Is it because I’m married? Or because I’ve never been with another guy? Am I not your type?”
“Kris, what are you talking about?” Adam’s voice was softer now as he tentatively sat on the edge of the bed.
“Why don’t you want to kiss me?” Kris looked as if he were about to cry.
“I don’t make a habit of kissing guys,” Adam laughed. He knew that a simple Google search would challenge that statement, but he also knew that there was more to the story than the pictures told. Kris stared at him, confused.
“But,” he stuttered, “you’re…you’re gay.” Adam laughed. He knew what people said about him, what people thought about him, he wasn’t stupid.
“No, Kris. Theatrical? Maybe. Fabulous? Definitely. But not gay.”
“But…you like shopping, and, and you wear eyeliner and nail polish! And you can dance! You spend more time on your appearance than anyone I know! You have more products for your hair than Katy and I combined!” Kris was rambling, the alcohol loosening his tongue, saying things he would never have dreamed of uttering sober.
“None of that makes me gay, Kris. I’m an actor, we’re all pretty flamboyant - even the straight ones.”
“What about the pictures? Of you in drag, of you kissing other guys.” Adam chuckled again.
“First of all, most of those were taken during shows, and second of all, a picture does not a gay man make. A couple of them were dares, a couple of them were jokes. I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life, babe.”
“And that, too! You flirt with guys all the time!”
“Honey, I flirt with everyone all the time.”
Kris’ alcohol-filled head was swimming with the new information. “You know what they’re saying about you, I know you do. They ask you during every interview if you’re gay!”
“Yeah, but when have I ever confirmed it?”
“Not saying anything is the same as confirming it.”
“No, it isn’t. If I denied being gay it would just add fuel to the fire. People would start saying that I was just in the closet. Besides, it amuses me to watch them squirm and wonder. I am who I am, gay or straight, and they can all bite me if they don’t like it. Not to mention it doesn’t matter in the least, it’s all about the music and the performance.” Adam smirked. Oh, he knew what the reporters and fans were saying, he knew it was a hot topic and would be till he confirmed that he was gay or (somehow) managed to prove that he was straight, but why should he bother with it? He was having a Hell of a good time, and the people who mattered, who needed to know, knew what was what. “You need to sleep,” he added, smiling at the already half-asleep southern boy. “We can talk in the morning.” Kris nodded and lay on the bed, on top of the covers. He was asleep almost instantly.
Adam picked up the fallen glass, refilled it, and placed it on the nightstand, along with 2 Aleve, for the morning. Finally, he took an extra blanket from the closet and covered his friend with it. “’Night, Kris,” Adam whispered to the sleeping man. He walked to the door but paused with his hand on the knob. “If I were gay, you’d definitely be my type,” he muttered to the still hotel room before pulling the door open and disappearing behind it.
A couple of hours into the gathering Kris was dangerously drunk and showing no signs of letting up.
“I think I should get him back to the hotel before he gets alcohol poisoning or does something he’ll regret,” Adam said, watching Kris stumble towards the bathroom. The others nodded, knowing that Kris would be kicking himself in the morning if anything bad happened, and that Adam would be kicking himself in the morning if he let anything happen. Adam’s fingers tapped lightly on the neck of his beer bottle as he waited nervously for Kris to return to the booth so he could drag him home. When Adam finally saw Kris stumbling back in the direction of the group he quickly said his goodbyes and jumped up to intercept him. “C’mon, Krissy, we’re gonna get you home.”
“Sure thing, hot stuff,” Kris slurred. Adam shook his head and placed his arm around the shorter, very, very drunk man so he could lead him out of the bar. They walked the short distance back to the hotel quickly, Adam’s arm draped around Kris’ shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright and moving forward. Kris was humming softly under his breath and grinning like an idiot. Adam was pleasantly surprised when he managed to get Kris back to the hotel and into his room without a single photo being taken or running into a single fan.
“C’mon, Krissy, sit down here on your bed and I’ll go get you a glass of water.”
“I don’t want water, I want alcohol.” Kris mumbled but collapsed on the bed nonetheless. Adam sighed but quickly ducked into the bathroom to get the water he’d promised.
“Here,” Adam said when he’d returned, holding the glass out towards Kris. His only response was to grab Adam’s wrist and pull him onto the bed beside him. The glass fell out of Adam’s hand, crashing to the floor and spilling water everywhere as Adam’s body wretched forward into Kris’. Their faces were inches apart and Kris’ chocolate eyes were dark with what was undeniably and indescribably lust. Adam knew what was going to happen before it did but was powerless to stop it. Kris’ chapped lips crashed onto Adam’s soft ones. Adam could taste the beer on Kris’ breath. He jerked back and pulled himself off of Kris. “What the Hell, man?” Adam sputtered, still tasting Kris’ beer on his lips. Kris’ face was a mixture of surprise and hurt.
“I knew it; I knew you would never go for someone like me. Is it because I’m married? Or because I’ve never been with another guy? Am I not your type?”
“Kris, what are you talking about?” Adam’s voice was softer now as he tentatively sat on the edge of the bed.
“Why don’t you want to kiss me?” Kris looked as if he were about to cry.
“I don’t make a habit of kissing guys,” Adam laughed. He knew that a simple Google search would challenge that statement, but he also knew that there was more to the story than the pictures told. Kris stared at him, confused.
“But,” he stuttered, “you’re…you’re gay.” Adam laughed. He knew what people said about him, what people thought about him, he wasn’t stupid.
“No, Kris. Theatrical? Maybe. Fabulous? Definitely. But not gay.”
“But…you like shopping, and, and you wear eyeliner and nail polish! And you can dance! You spend more time on your appearance than anyone I know! You have more products for your hair than Katy and I combined!” Kris was rambling, the alcohol loosening his tongue, saying things he would never have dreamed of uttering sober.
“None of that makes me gay, Kris. I’m an actor, we’re all pretty flamboyant - even the straight ones.”
“What about the pictures? Of you in drag, of you kissing other guys.” Adam chuckled again.
“First of all, most of those were taken during shows, and second of all, a picture does not a gay man make. A couple of them were dares, a couple of them were jokes. I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life, babe.”
“And that, too! You flirt with guys all the time!”
“Honey, I flirt with everyone all the time.”
Kris’ alcohol-filled head was swimming with the new information. “You know what they’re saying about you, I know you do. They ask you during every interview if you’re gay!”
“Yeah, but when have I ever confirmed it?”
“Not saying anything is the same as confirming it.”
“No, it isn’t. If I denied being gay it would just add fuel to the fire. People would start saying that I was just in the closet. Besides, it amuses me to watch them squirm and wonder. I am who I am, gay or straight, and they can all bite me if they don’t like it. Not to mention it doesn’t matter in the least, it’s all about the music and the performance.” Adam smirked. Oh, he knew what the reporters and fans were saying, he knew it was a hot topic and would be till he confirmed that he was gay or (somehow) managed to prove that he was straight, but why should he bother with it? He was having a Hell of a good time, and the people who mattered, who needed to know, knew what was what. “You need to sleep,” he added, smiling at the already half-asleep southern boy. “We can talk in the morning.” Kris nodded and lay on the bed, on top of the covers. He was asleep almost instantly.
Adam picked up the fallen glass, refilled it, and placed it on the nightstand, along with 2 Aleve, for the morning. Finally, he took an extra blanket from the closet and covered his friend with it. “’Night, Kris,” Adam whispered to the sleeping man. He walked to the door but paused with his hand on the knob. “If I were gay, you’d definitely be my type,” he muttered to the still hotel room before pulling the door open and disappearing behind it.