"Almost Home for the Holidays" (1/1) by Lisa Michelle
Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction.
Category: Kris/Adam fluff, Holiday fic
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Delays aren’t always a bad thing.
“Almost Home for the Holidays” (1/1)
By Lisa Michelle
“Shit.”
Kris glanced over at the man that plopped down in a chair two seats to the left of him. Well, if you could call the molded plastic blue seats at the airport gate chairs. The man was ticked about something. He opened his overstuffed black backpack and started rummaging through it with a frantic look on his face.
Kris was none too happy waiting for his flight. He was a nervous flier. Maybe this guy was as well and was taking those frustrations out on the poor backpack. Ha. Cellphone. Of course. It was the number one adult babysitter as evidenced by the travelers all around him, engrossed in the free Wi-Fi, heads bent over their phones.
“I think you’re supposed to swear after you get home to your family,” Kris said.
“What?” The man looked over at Kris with gorgeous blue eyes that he wasn’t expecting.
“I . . . mean, I assume you’re going home for the holidays?” Kris asked.
“Yeah, couldn’t find my phone for a sec,” he said. “You know how it is.” He turned back to the device.
Actually, Kris wasn’t the type to stay glued to his phone all day. It looked as if this guy was. He managed to shrug out of his hoodie with barely a glance away from the screen. Kris noticed all the tattoos on his arms and the black nail polish. Didn’t see many guys like that back home; southern boys generally had a no makeup rule.
Those black studded boots must have been met with frowns from the TSA. However, Kris didn’t like taking off his Chucks and relacing them, but they were metal-free and sensible. This guy looked like he had thrown the first thing on and shoved a bunch of clothes into a backpack this morning. Kris looked at his rolling tote that stood vigil next to him and remembered rolling all his shirts and pants into a neat ball to conserve space.
“Are all the flights delayed?”
Kris turned and noticed the man was talking to him. “Yeah, I believe so.”
“Shit,” he repeated. “Just practicing for later on with my folks.”
Kris smiled. “Your trip isn’t starting out well, is it?” Kris asked.
“I thought I was going to miss my flight, but made it and then only to wind up here in Atlanta.” He glanced out the large glass pane window. “I mean it’s barely snowing,” he complained.
“Oh, so you’re not from the South,” Kris said.
“New York.”
“We must look like a bunch of idiots to you.”
“Fuckin’ pansies,” he muttered.
“Actually, pansies are pretty -“ Kris began. “Never mind.”
“Do they have to live in Florida?” he said. “I know so many people whose parents have moved down there.”
“I think once you reach around seventy-five you’re legally bound to move there,” Kris told him.
The man shrugged, but turned back to his phone.
This guy was going to Florida as well. Perhaps they were on the same flight. I mean he is right here waiting at the gate, so it would be possible. Kris was about to ask when his stomach growled loudly.
“Was that you?”
“Sorry. I’ve only had cereal today and a granola bar,” Kris admitted.
“I’ll watch your stuff if you want to get something.”
“Everything’s eight dollars here,” Kris said. “I am not paying eight bucks for a half of a club sandwich.”
“It’s the airport. Of course it’s fuckin’ expensive. They know you’re hungry and they’ve got you by the balls.”
Kris knew his mom would die if he brought a guy home and he said something like that at Sunday dinner. “No, I’m good. They’ll serve something on the flight.”
“Yeah, a bag of pretzels and three ounces of soda.”
“You’re full of holiday joy, aren’t you?”
The man smiled. It made him look even cuter. “Sorry, I’m Adam and -“ His phone rang and he started talking to the person. It sounded like a friend. A couple minutes later, he grabbed his bag and walked away.
Of course he finds a cute guy only to have him leave the first chance he gets. Story of his life. His parents weren’t expecting Kris to bring someone home for the holidays. The last serious relationship he had ended over the summer mutually, but he’d had a few dates since then. No one he was particularly interested in seeing more than twice. He was lonely and the holidays made it worse. Going to see his parents would take his mind off his nonexistent love life and allow him to enjoy some Southern cooking. He could almost taste the mac and cheese now.
Glancing up at the monitor, Kris saw the word delayed still listed next to his flight. He thought about getting up and asking someone for more information, but he probably wouldn’t learn anything more. Besides, Adam might come back and wonder where he was. Yeah, right. If this was a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Kris closed his eyes. Perhaps he’d be able to nap. Just ten minutes or so might help since he got up so early this morning.
****
“Hey, I hope you didn’t miss your flight.” Adam nudged Kris’s shoulder. “Hey.”
Kris opened his eyes. “I’m awake. What?” He looked over to the person sitting next to him. It was Adam. “What? Is it time to go?” He grabbed the handle of his tote.
“No, they said another hour at least,” Adam told him. “I’m just screwing with you.”
Kris exhaled. “Oh, I thought -“
“Sorry, for being such a dick,” he apologized. “But I do have this.” He held out half of half of a sandwich cradled in a paper napkin. “I wrestled a plastic knife away from someone at Cinnabon to make sure we each got exactly a half,” he said. “That’ll be four dollars.”
“Oh, okay.”
“No, I’m just fucking with you,” Adam said.
Kris was delighted to see this guy had a sense of humor. He wondered if the knife story were true.
“So who am I sharing my sandwich with?” Adam asked. “You can never be too careful these days.”
“Oh, Kris.” Kris took the sandwich and enjoyed the big bite of the chicken salad and pecans slathered in mayonnaise. “Wait, you said an hour? Are you going to Jacksonville, too?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Christmas in Florida is not going to be as good as Christmas in New York.”
“Wouldn’t know. I’ve never been,” Kris admitted.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said.
Kris found himself looking into Adam’s eyes again. “I’m starting to realize that.”
They both finished the rest of their sandwiches in silence.
“So, you’re on flight 1877?”
Adam nodded. “Yep.”
“Maybe we’re sitting near each other,” Kris said.
“Or maybe we’re not.”
“Then we’ve only got an hour.”
“An hour isn’t that long,” Adam told him, licking the mayonnaise off his fingers.
Kris was momentarily distracted. “It will have to do.”
****
END (1/1)
Category: Kris/Adam fluff, Holiday fic
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Delays aren’t always a bad thing.
“Almost Home for the Holidays” (1/1)
By Lisa Michelle
“Shit.”
Kris glanced over at the man that plopped down in a chair two seats to the left of him. Well, if you could call the molded plastic blue seats at the airport gate chairs. The man was ticked about something. He opened his overstuffed black backpack and started rummaging through it with a frantic look on his face.
Kris was none too happy waiting for his flight. He was a nervous flier. Maybe this guy was as well and was taking those frustrations out on the poor backpack. Ha. Cellphone. Of course. It was the number one adult babysitter as evidenced by the travelers all around him, engrossed in the free Wi-Fi, heads bent over their phones.
“I think you’re supposed to swear after you get home to your family,” Kris said.
“What?” The man looked over at Kris with gorgeous blue eyes that he wasn’t expecting.
“I . . . mean, I assume you’re going home for the holidays?” Kris asked.
“Yeah, couldn’t find my phone for a sec,” he said. “You know how it is.” He turned back to the device.
Actually, Kris wasn’t the type to stay glued to his phone all day. It looked as if this guy was. He managed to shrug out of his hoodie with barely a glance away from the screen. Kris noticed all the tattoos on his arms and the black nail polish. Didn’t see many guys like that back home; southern boys generally had a no makeup rule.
Those black studded boots must have been met with frowns from the TSA. However, Kris didn’t like taking off his Chucks and relacing them, but they were metal-free and sensible. This guy looked like he had thrown the first thing on and shoved a bunch of clothes into a backpack this morning. Kris looked at his rolling tote that stood vigil next to him and remembered rolling all his shirts and pants into a neat ball to conserve space.
“Are all the flights delayed?”
Kris turned and noticed the man was talking to him. “Yeah, I believe so.”
“Shit,” he repeated. “Just practicing for later on with my folks.”
Kris smiled. “Your trip isn’t starting out well, is it?” Kris asked.
“I thought I was going to miss my flight, but made it and then only to wind up here in Atlanta.” He glanced out the large glass pane window. “I mean it’s barely snowing,” he complained.
“Oh, so you’re not from the South,” Kris said.
“New York.”
“We must look like a bunch of idiots to you.”
“Fuckin’ pansies,” he muttered.
“Actually, pansies are pretty -“ Kris began. “Never mind.”
“Do they have to live in Florida?” he said. “I know so many people whose parents have moved down there.”
“I think once you reach around seventy-five you’re legally bound to move there,” Kris told him.
The man shrugged, but turned back to his phone.
This guy was going to Florida as well. Perhaps they were on the same flight. I mean he is right here waiting at the gate, so it would be possible. Kris was about to ask when his stomach growled loudly.
“Was that you?”
“Sorry. I’ve only had cereal today and a granola bar,” Kris admitted.
“I’ll watch your stuff if you want to get something.”
“Everything’s eight dollars here,” Kris said. “I am not paying eight bucks for a half of a club sandwich.”
“It’s the airport. Of course it’s fuckin’ expensive. They know you’re hungry and they’ve got you by the balls.”
Kris knew his mom would die if he brought a guy home and he said something like that at Sunday dinner. “No, I’m good. They’ll serve something on the flight.”
“Yeah, a bag of pretzels and three ounces of soda.”
“You’re full of holiday joy, aren’t you?”
The man smiled. It made him look even cuter. “Sorry, I’m Adam and -“ His phone rang and he started talking to the person. It sounded like a friend. A couple minutes later, he grabbed his bag and walked away.
Of course he finds a cute guy only to have him leave the first chance he gets. Story of his life. His parents weren’t expecting Kris to bring someone home for the holidays. The last serious relationship he had ended over the summer mutually, but he’d had a few dates since then. No one he was particularly interested in seeing more than twice. He was lonely and the holidays made it worse. Going to see his parents would take his mind off his nonexistent love life and allow him to enjoy some Southern cooking. He could almost taste the mac and cheese now.
Glancing up at the monitor, Kris saw the word delayed still listed next to his flight. He thought about getting up and asking someone for more information, but he probably wouldn’t learn anything more. Besides, Adam might come back and wonder where he was. Yeah, right. If this was a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Kris closed his eyes. Perhaps he’d be able to nap. Just ten minutes or so might help since he got up so early this morning.
****
“Hey, I hope you didn’t miss your flight.” Adam nudged Kris’s shoulder. “Hey.”
Kris opened his eyes. “I’m awake. What?” He looked over to the person sitting next to him. It was Adam. “What? Is it time to go?” He grabbed the handle of his tote.
“No, they said another hour at least,” Adam told him. “I’m just screwing with you.”
Kris exhaled. “Oh, I thought -“
“Sorry, for being such a dick,” he apologized. “But I do have this.” He held out half of half of a sandwich cradled in a paper napkin. “I wrestled a plastic knife away from someone at Cinnabon to make sure we each got exactly a half,” he said. “That’ll be four dollars.”
“Oh, okay.”
“No, I’m just fucking with you,” Adam said.
Kris was delighted to see this guy had a sense of humor. He wondered if the knife story were true.
“So who am I sharing my sandwich with?” Adam asked. “You can never be too careful these days.”
“Oh, Kris.” Kris took the sandwich and enjoyed the big bite of the chicken salad and pecans slathered in mayonnaise. “Wait, you said an hour? Are you going to Jacksonville, too?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Christmas in Florida is not going to be as good as Christmas in New York.”
“Wouldn’t know. I’ve never been,” Kris admitted.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said.
Kris found himself looking into Adam’s eyes again. “I’m starting to realize that.”
They both finished the rest of their sandwiches in silence.
“So, you’re on flight 1877?”
Adam nodded. “Yep.”
“Maybe we’re sitting near each other,” Kris said.
“Or maybe we’re not.”
“Then we’ve only got an hour.”
“An hour isn’t that long,” Adam told him, licking the mayonnaise off his fingers.
Kris was momentarily distracted. “It will have to do.”
****
END (1/1)