Fic: All or Nothing (7/?)
Title: All or Nothing (7/?)
Author: totallytamara
Rating: PG-13.
Disclaimer: I don’t know any of the people portrayed in this story, therefore I don’t own them, either. This wasn’t written in the spirit of offending anyone, it was written for the sake of creativity. I’m not making any money from this; it’s just for fun!
Summary: Then he and Kris were standing face to face in nothing but swim trunks. Adam was surprised that this was turning him on so much but it was definitely, definitely doing it for him.
Notes: Hey guys! I’m sorry this took forever but I hauled ass and got this finished today! Yay! LOL! Hopefully now that I’m on vacation these updates should be more frequent. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it’s happy I think. Comments are always appreciated and thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoy!
P.S: Reading this over, I just realized how much of a cheese-fest it is. I hope you don’t mind, LOL! Sorry in advance if it’s not really your taste.
Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6
Kris looked absolutely adorable. His hair was styled in that perfectly simple, perfectly delectable Kris fashion and his leather jacket and ripped jeans made Adam’s heart do a jig. Adam couldn’t help but smile. Kris brought back all those feelings Adam forgot he could have, those feelings of adoration and wonder and appreciation and amazement and… love. Adam flinched at the thought. Adam had promised himself he’d never feel these things again. But somehow, some way, Kris did it to him all over again. It made Adam scared and yet surprisingly giddy as he and Kris walked together down the Californian boardwalk, headed towards the beach to enjoy a day in the sun.
“Hello? Adam? Did you hear anything I just said?” Kris asked, smiling widely, catapulting Adam back to reality. Adam’s heart did that funny little Irish jig again as Kris smiled at him. It was just too much. He was just too much.
“Um… no. Sorry,” Adam laughed, and Kris joined in. “I’m sure it was very important and interesting and I’m sorry for daydreaming. Will you repeat yourself, please? I would hate to miss out on your words of wisdom.”
“Are you being sarcastic?” Kris smirked, his eyebrows rising over top of his sunglasses.
“Me? Never!” Adam replied, elbowing Kris slightly.
“Well, jackass, I won’t repeat myself. No need to be such a jerk,” Kris said, feigning anger.
“I am so terribly sorry,” Adam retorted. “Please forgive me, my dear, dear Krissy.”
“Maybe. Maybe I’ll forgive you. If you can CATCH ME!” Kris yelled as he began to run towards the sparkling water just ahead of them. Adam giggled and chased after Kris, determined to catch him and tackle him and roll him around in the sand. Stop that, you perv! Adam scolded himself. He wouldn’t ravage Kris on the beach, even though it was tempting. But he would have a fantastic day with his adorable friend. Because that was what they both needed.
Adam chased Kris until he was short of breath and the majority of the people on the beach were looking at them like they were lunatics. Adam noticed that Kris had taken his sunglasses off and was kind of glad. Kris had the most beautiful eyes. And, in that moment, his eyes teasing and warm all at the same time. It was a great look for him.
“You didn’t catch me,” Kris finally said, so quietly it was almost a whisper.
“You got a head start,” Adam replied, his voice just as soft as Kris’s.
“That’s no excuse. I’m disappointed. I had high hopes for you, you know,” Kris smiled cheekily.
“You know sports aren’t my thing, you meanie. Now who’s the jackass?” Adam answered Kris’s smile with one of his own.
“Still you,” Kris chuckled heartily. “Now are we gonna go swimmin’ or what?”
“I don’t know… I don’t know if you’re worthy of my company.”
“Oh, stop being such a drama queen! Now, you will take your clothes off and you will get in the water. Is that clear?” Kris commanded, and Adam’s heart sped up. He kind of dug Kris being in control.
“Whatever you say, master,” Adam joked, but he felt his face getting hot. He was sure Kris saw him blushing too. Kris gave him this look, as if to say, “I know what I’m doing to you and I’m not going to stop because I love being able to get you so flustered. So get used to it, bitch.”
Adam realized in that moment that he and Kris were standing pretty close together and he backed away slightly to take his clothes off. But he still faced Kris, and Kris was facing him. Slowly, they both began to get changed, never taking their eyes off of one another. It was like they were putting on a show for each other, and Adam could feel himself getting a little too excited. He sped up the process, whipping his jacket and t-shirt off and tossing them into the bag that he had brought along. He took off the jeans that he was wearing - later Kris said he couldn’t believe that Adam had managed to put his swimsuit on underneath them - and placed them in the bag. Then he and Kris were standing face to face in nothing but swim trunks. Adam was surprised that this was turning him on so much but it was definitely, definitely doing it for him. Before things got awkward and Kris realized that Adam was slowly getting himself into a… um… situation, Adam ran into the water, the temperature difference definitely helping him out. Adam looked at Kris from his position in the water and saw that Kris was still in the same spot on the shore, just standing there, laughing at Adam. Adam grinned and waved Kris over because now that he had calmed down he really wanted to be with his friend. Kris obeyed and made his way over to the water.
“It’s so nice,” Kris commented once he got in the water, swimming farther out, his small frame being eaten up by the waves with each breaststroke. Adam watched Kris swim - damn he was so cute - and couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, really nice…” Adam replied, but he wasn’t talking about the water. Adam followed Kris as he continued to swim, and once Adam finally reached him, Kris looked at him with worry.
“Are you okay? You’re acting kind of… dazed today. What’s on your mind?” Kris asked, his brown eyes resembling something delicious like chocolate, making Adam lick his lips absent-mindedly.
“Uh, yeah, I’m fine. Nothing’s on my mind. You know, I’m just really, really happy. To be here. With you,” Adam answered, looking at Kris through his eyelashes. Kris grinned and Adam swore that he was blushing. But then Kris dunked his head underwater and the red that Adam thought he saw on Kris’s cheeks disappeared.
“Thanks,” Kris smiled once he came up for air. His hair was sticking to his forehead the way it does when it’s soaked and Adam felt the adoration that he had for Kris intensify a thousand times over.
Adam and Kris swam for a little while, splashing each other and playing pool games like Marco Polo. By then, the sun was beginning to set, the sky coloured orange, pink, red. Adam couldn’t understand why this sunset, this one insignificant sunset, a sight he’s seen a thousand times, felt like the most beautiful thing in the entire world. But then he realized that it was probably because of the company that he had, and instantly, he felt like a lovesick teenage girl. Watching as Kris splashed around in the water, so content, made Adam feel complete. He could watch Kris play in the water forever and never get bored of it.
“I’m hungry,” Kris complained as he began to swim towards the shore. “I’m getting changed.” Adam followed Kris back to the sand and they grabbed their things, retreating to the on-site change room to shower and get dressed. Once they had finished in the change room, they began to walk towards Adam’s hybrid. They both hopped in and Adam started the car, the soft hum of the engine somehow relaxing to Adam.
“Where are you taking me?” Kris chuckled, unsure of where Adam was headed.
“To dinner,” Adam replied as he pulled out of the parking lot and merged into traffic on the main road.
“I know that, silly, but where?” Kris asked.
“Somewhere nice. You’ll love it, I promise,” Adam answered. They drove until Adam pulled up to a small Italian restaurant on a practically empty street. “I hope you don’t mind eating here. I just didn’t want to be interrupted and this is kind of a hidden gem. Nobody’s ever here. It’s a shame because this place has the best lasagna in the world,” Adam explained as he parked the car.
“No, that’s cool. I love places like this. Plus, I love Italian,” Kris smiled as he exited the car. They began walking towards the restaurant.
“I remember,” Adam said quietly as they stood in front of the restaurant. Kris looked up at him, almost seeming surprised, before Adam opened the door for him and they entered the restaurant.
Adam was right, the place was deserted. There was a man sitting at the bar, drinking himself into oblivion it seemed, and an elderly couple sitting together, eating under candlelight. Adam and Kris walked towards the corner of the restaurant, far away from the other patrons, and took a seat at a small booth. There was a candle on the table, just like all the others in the restaurant, and the corner was pretty dark except for the flicker of the candle. It was really romantic and it scared Adam a bit to bring Kris into the romance head first. Adam was afraid Kris would run, get scared and turn around, turn away from him. But Kris looked almost excited to be eating in such a romantic setting. He sat on one end of the booth and Adam sat at the other. A waitress came over and gave them their menus, but under the recommendation of Adam, both he and Kris ordered the lasagna. They ordered a bottle of wine which Adam was apprehensive about, but Kris seemed to be on his best behaviour. Adam was glad to see that Kris didn’t rely on a bottle to get him out of things anymore.
“So, what’s been going on with you lately?” Kris started as they waited for their dinner, taking a small sip of his wine.
“Oh, you know, busy working on my album. I’ve mostly been keeping low-key, lately. The press needs a break from me,” Adam joked. “What about you?”
“The album, that’s pretty much it with me, too. How about… you know… are you still with Ben?” Kris asked, clearing his throat uncomfortably.
“Yeah,” Adam replied, not really wanting to talk about his boyfriend with Kris of all people. He changed the subject. “How’s Katy?”
“Truthfully? I don’t know. She left,” Kris answered, scratching the back of his neck.
“WHAT?!” Adam gasped, completely shocked. “She left?! What are you taking about?”
“Well, last night, she left. She’s going home to be with her family. She’s taking a train out to the suburbs to spend some time with her friends and then she’s headed to Arkansas,” Kris explained, shrugging, almost like it didn’t really matter to him.
“Oh, Kris, I’m so sorry. What happened?” Adam’s voice was soft and sympathetic. He reached for Kris’s hand across the table and grabbed it, squeezing. Adam had every intention of letting go after just a few seconds, but Kris held onto his hand tightly.
“It just… it fell apart. After we lost the baby, our marriage kind of died right in front of us. We just didn’t have anything left to be together for anymore. Honestly, if Katy hadn’t gotten pregnant I think we would have broken up sooner. It’s been kind of strained for a while now. Ever since the show ended, things haven’t really been right. I don’t know what happened, really. I guess we just weren’t meant to be,” Kris explained, looking down at his and Adam’s intertwined hands the whole time.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Adam whispered, rubbing the top of Kris’s hand with his thumb. Kris looked up into his eyes and smiled sadly. “You’re always going to remember her. You’re always going to love her. And she’s always going to love you, too.”
“I know,” Kris agreed, sighing. “But, it’s like we’re just at different places in our lives. She wants a family. I don’t think I’m ready for that, not after all that’s happened. And she wants to have that perfect house, the white picket fence, the two kids and the dog. I don’t want that. I want to just let things happen; I don’t want to plan the next twenty years of my life already. I just want to see what happens to me and roll with the punches. I’m trying to be more laidback and adventurous, you know,” Kris chuckled.
“Good for you,” Adam smiled. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little excitement in your life.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Kris looked so confident. It was the surest Kris had ever appeared to be. Kris squeezed Adam’s hand one last time before letting go, grabbing his glass of wine and having a sip. Adam tried to ignore the dip his heart did as Kris let him go.
Their food arrived a few minutes later, but that didn’t stop their conversation. The thing that made this friendship different for Adam, the thing that made this friendship unlike anything Adam had ever experienced before was that there was never a shortage of conversation. They always found something to talk about, no matter what.
“You’re right,” Kris said around the lasagna in his mouth. “This is the greatest lasagna I’ve ever had.”
“I told you. But don’t talk with your mouth full, Kris,” Adam scolded, half-smiling at his friend.
“Oh, of course, Mom. So sorry to disrespect you,” Kris laughed, wiping his mouth on the napkin beside him.
“You should be sorry. Jeeze, where are your manners, kid?” Adam grinned, kicking Kris’s foot lightly under the table.
“Excuse me? Where are my manners? I’m not the one that’s playing footsies in a restaurant, thank you very much,” Kris raised his eyebrows at Adam, and Adam laughed, choking on the food that was in his mouth. When Adam finally stopped coughing, he just grinned cheekily at Kris.
“You know you like it.”
Adam and Kris finished their dinner and ordered a desert to split because Kris claimed he couldn’t eat a whole desert by himself. But Kris ended up eating pretty much the entire chocolate mousse cake, and once the plate was empty, Adam glared at Kris.
“What?” Kris asked, wiping the edges of his mouth. “Do I have chocolate on my face?”
“Probably, since you ate the whole damn desert, you little piggy,” Adam replied, pretending to be angry.
“Hey! I didn’t eat the whole thing! I ate half,” Kris defended, putting his hands up like he was being held at gun point.
“That’s a lie. You pretty much scarfed down the entire desert. I was really looking forward to eating it, too,” Adam pouted.
“Well, sorry. Would you like me to buy you a desert, Adam? Because I will,” Kris offered, trying to make it up to his friend.
“No, no. You can just take me out to dinner next week, and we’ll call it even,” Adam smirked.
“Hmm… that doesn’t seem fair. How does eating the majority of a desert deserve a punishment of buying an entire meal?” Kris asked.
“I don’t know. It just does,” Adam said. Kris groaned in response because there really was no arguing with Adam. Adam won every single time.
They spent a good ten minutes arguing over who would pay the bill, and Adam finally won, saying that now Kris definitely had to take him to dinner next week. They left the restaurant, giggling like they did pretty much the entire day. Kris and Adam got into Adam’s car and Adam began driving, reluctantly, towards Kris’s house to take him home. Adam really didn’t want the night to end. He was having so much fun just catching up with Kris.
Adam parked the car in front of Kris’s house once they arrived, and they just sat in the car for a few minutes in silence. Finally, Kris spoke. “I don’t want this to end. Is that weird?”
Adam laughed. “Not at all. I don’t want it to end, either,” he replied, looking at Kris through the dark.
“We still… we have to talk. You know, about everything. I don’t want to but it has to come up eventually, right?” Kris said, bringing up the one discussion that Adam really didn’t want to have with Kris.
“Yeah, you’re right, we should talk,” Adam sighed. Kris’s eyes looked like they were glowing in the dark, and when his eyes finally locked on Adam’s, Adam felt everything inside of him come alive.
“Do you… um… do you want to come in? We can talk now, if you want. Or not… But I really don’t… I don’t want you to go,” Kris stuttered, and Adam felt like he was floating on air just hearing those words come from Kris’s lips.
“I don’t want to leave,” Adam said quietly.
“Okay,” Kris answered, just as quietly. They both exited the car and walked towards Kris’s house, all the while, Adam’s heart dancing once again. Kris unlocked the door and walked inside, asking Adam to follow. As Adam took of his shoes and Kris shut the door, Adam couldn’t help but wonder, couldn’t help but worry about what he was getting himself into.