Some things don't change
Title: Some things don't change
Author: diane_mckay
Pairing: American Idol RPS - Kris/Adam
Words: 1089
Rating: PG
Summary: Of all the seasons, Kris loved fall the most.
Author's notes: Fills the prompt FUTURE: vacation for my kradingo even though it's not exact. Written for kradam_kiss, based on this prompt left by zacsgirll in the prompt post....old men!Kradam, sitting on a bench at the beach in the early fall. It's a bit chilly, so they have their grandpa sweaters on, holding hands, watching the seagulls fly above and the pretty boys running along the shore (Adam might get a slap on the shoulder from Kris), and they kiss sweetly.
Thanks to bright_lights28 for the beta read. <3
Of all the seasons, Kris loved fall the most.
The city was beautiful in it's own way, the lights shining even more brightly into the sky as the weather changed from summer to fall. When Kris talked of Los Angeles now, it was always the city. So many years ago, it simply been another city like any other, one of hundreds. Years of living there had made it into his city. Maybe love does that.
But fall in the city was different from how it had been in Arkansas or any of the numerous places Kris had been to during the season. The city was cement and glass and movement of people. When Kris had spoken of fall, he had always described the slow change of color. Bright yellows and oranges and reds and the shine of the sun through leaves letting you think that perhaps you could stare longer into the light without being blinded. He spoke of the way the wind blew and how you curled into whatever warmth you could. Of the way it brushed against your cheeks, leaving an echo of the colors of the world on your face. He said it let you feel alive.
So on an ordinary day in late September, when Kris lay still and pale in a hospital bed with wires counting the beats of his heart, this is what Adam thought about.
Kris didn't react as Adam held his hand in his own. Kris' eyes were closed and Adam hoped he was dreaming. Adam turned Kris' hand over, lightly tracing the familiar callouses and reading the lines of Kris' palm. Kris always laughed when Adam did that and every time he would ask, "Will I find love? Will I live a long life?" The lines were always changing but the answers had always been, "Yes. Yes." Please. Adam placed a kiss in the middle of Kris palm and rested it over his heart as he always did.
A doctor that was shockingly young was explaining about stress and travelling. Explaining that it wasn't unusual for age to affect the heart. Fifty years, Adam thought. They had been doing this together for fifty years now.
What does he need?
Rest the doctor had said.
*****
He found a house by the ocean. The floor to ceiling glass windows faced west, pointing towards the water. If you looked out, all you could see were the waves crashing lightly on the sand, stretching forever. When the sun set on the ocean, it cast the sky in deep purples and golds. Adam knew Kris would love that. It wasn't a large home but they hadn't needed one in almost twenty years. In front of the house, there stood a tall tree with bark as old as time, its leaves showing the first hint of red.
*****
Adam woke afraid. He was cold in a way he hadn't been in months, since they had come home to their new bed. Kris wasn't there with him, his share of the comforter tossed aside. Adam's half had been carefully tucked around him, assuring he wouldn't become chilled.
Adam's socks slipped slightly on the hard wood floor. He wore them to bed every night now because Kris' feet got cold too easily now due to decreased circulation. Kris hated wearing socks to bed, he complained his feet were suffocating. The bathroom was empty and Adam found the same thing with every room he checked. Kris was nowhere to be found within the house. The sun had risen and shone brightly through the windows, reflecting off the ocean. It was silent in the house, Kris' guitar sitting quiet in the corner. He glanced at the door. The coat hanger Adam insisted on buying was empty. Kris was gone.
*****
It took Adam only ten minutes to find Kris. He was sitting on a bench wrapped in his rattiest old sweater and his hands were wrapped around the outside of a coffee cup. He was breathing into the lid to warm his face. Adam stood watching him for a minute. He closed his eyes and let his breath rush out.
When Adam slowly sat down beside him, Kris glanced at him guiltily and then looked down at his coffee with a slight pout on his face. "You wouldn't let me have any."
Adam knew he shouldn't find that so cute after more than fifty years. Especially not after sneaking out to buy a cup of coffee. "Kris, the doctor---"
Kris cut him off, nodding and saying, "I know."
Adam breathed slowly for a minute. "You scared me."
Kris reached for his hand, "I'm sorry. I know. I'll leave a note next time."
"That's not what I mean," Adam said quietly. He felt very tired suddenly and it wore on his face. "You could have died. You almost did. And I. I have no idea how to be without you."
"Well," Kris sighed and then cracked a small grin, "I had hoped that I'd make some sort of impression after fifty three years."
"Fifty."
"Fifty-three."
Adam sighed, exasperated. "Kris, it's fifty. We just had that huge anniversary party six months ago."
"I remember that. You invited the entire state of California," Kris laughed at the memory.
Adam smiled at the familiar sound as he always did. "So why do you keeping saying it's --"
Kris interrupted him again. Adam really should think up some way to keep him from doing that. "I like to count from when we first met. So it's been fifty three years. Actually, fifty four next tuesday."
Adam stared at Kris. He was still surprised by him every day. Kris leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips. When he sat back again, Kris smiled softly at him. Kris squeezed the hand he still held tightly.
"I'm still here Adam."
Adam closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again, Kris was still beside him smiling. Adam laughed with relief and grinned. Kris grinned back.
They sat for a few minutes more on the bench, feeling the wind on their skin, huddled together for warmth.
"I'm buying you a new sweater for our anniversary then."
Kris gasped and looked at him in shock. "What? No, I love this sweater."
Adam rolled his eyes. "It's a plaid sweater, Kristopher. You look like an old grandpa."
"I am an old grandpa. And what's wrong with plaid? I love plaid," Kris replied, sounding offended.
Adam laughed long and hard, simply enjoying their life as the fall winds blew.
Author: diane_mckay
Pairing: American Idol RPS - Kris/Adam
Words: 1089
Rating: PG
Summary: Of all the seasons, Kris loved fall the most.
Author's notes: Fills the prompt FUTURE: vacation for my kradingo even though it's not exact. Written for kradam_kiss, based on this prompt left by zacsgirll in the prompt post....old men!Kradam, sitting on a bench at the beach in the early fall. It's a bit chilly, so they have their grandpa sweaters on, holding hands, watching the seagulls fly above and the pretty boys running along the shore (Adam might get a slap on the shoulder from Kris), and they kiss sweetly.
Thanks to bright_lights28 for the beta read. <3
Of all the seasons, Kris loved fall the most.
The city was beautiful in it's own way, the lights shining even more brightly into the sky as the weather changed from summer to fall. When Kris talked of Los Angeles now, it was always the city. So many years ago, it simply been another city like any other, one of hundreds. Years of living there had made it into his city. Maybe love does that.
But fall in the city was different from how it had been in Arkansas or any of the numerous places Kris had been to during the season. The city was cement and glass and movement of people. When Kris had spoken of fall, he had always described the slow change of color. Bright yellows and oranges and reds and the shine of the sun through leaves letting you think that perhaps you could stare longer into the light without being blinded. He spoke of the way the wind blew and how you curled into whatever warmth you could. Of the way it brushed against your cheeks, leaving an echo of the colors of the world on your face. He said it let you feel alive.
So on an ordinary day in late September, when Kris lay still and pale in a hospital bed with wires counting the beats of his heart, this is what Adam thought about.
Kris didn't react as Adam held his hand in his own. Kris' eyes were closed and Adam hoped he was dreaming. Adam turned Kris' hand over, lightly tracing the familiar callouses and reading the lines of Kris' palm. Kris always laughed when Adam did that and every time he would ask, "Will I find love? Will I live a long life?" The lines were always changing but the answers had always been, "Yes. Yes." Please. Adam placed a kiss in the middle of Kris palm and rested it over his heart as he always did.
A doctor that was shockingly young was explaining about stress and travelling. Explaining that it wasn't unusual for age to affect the heart. Fifty years, Adam thought. They had been doing this together for fifty years now.
What does he need?
Rest the doctor had said.
*****
He found a house by the ocean. The floor to ceiling glass windows faced west, pointing towards the water. If you looked out, all you could see were the waves crashing lightly on the sand, stretching forever. When the sun set on the ocean, it cast the sky in deep purples and golds. Adam knew Kris would love that. It wasn't a large home but they hadn't needed one in almost twenty years. In front of the house, there stood a tall tree with bark as old as time, its leaves showing the first hint of red.
*****
Adam woke afraid. He was cold in a way he hadn't been in months, since they had come home to their new bed. Kris wasn't there with him, his share of the comforter tossed aside. Adam's half had been carefully tucked around him, assuring he wouldn't become chilled.
Adam's socks slipped slightly on the hard wood floor. He wore them to bed every night now because Kris' feet got cold too easily now due to decreased circulation. Kris hated wearing socks to bed, he complained his feet were suffocating. The bathroom was empty and Adam found the same thing with every room he checked. Kris was nowhere to be found within the house. The sun had risen and shone brightly through the windows, reflecting off the ocean. It was silent in the house, Kris' guitar sitting quiet in the corner. He glanced at the door. The coat hanger Adam insisted on buying was empty. Kris was gone.
*****
It took Adam only ten minutes to find Kris. He was sitting on a bench wrapped in his rattiest old sweater and his hands were wrapped around the outside of a coffee cup. He was breathing into the lid to warm his face. Adam stood watching him for a minute. He closed his eyes and let his breath rush out.
When Adam slowly sat down beside him, Kris glanced at him guiltily and then looked down at his coffee with a slight pout on his face. "You wouldn't let me have any."
Adam knew he shouldn't find that so cute after more than fifty years. Especially not after sneaking out to buy a cup of coffee. "Kris, the doctor---"
Kris cut him off, nodding and saying, "I know."
Adam breathed slowly for a minute. "You scared me."
Kris reached for his hand, "I'm sorry. I know. I'll leave a note next time."
"That's not what I mean," Adam said quietly. He felt very tired suddenly and it wore on his face. "You could have died. You almost did. And I. I have no idea how to be without you."
"Well," Kris sighed and then cracked a small grin, "I had hoped that I'd make some sort of impression after fifty three years."
"Fifty."
"Fifty-three."
Adam sighed, exasperated. "Kris, it's fifty. We just had that huge anniversary party six months ago."
"I remember that. You invited the entire state of California," Kris laughed at the memory.
Adam smiled at the familiar sound as he always did. "So why do you keeping saying it's --"
Kris interrupted him again. Adam really should think up some way to keep him from doing that. "I like to count from when we first met. So it's been fifty three years. Actually, fifty four next tuesday."
Adam stared at Kris. He was still surprised by him every day. Kris leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips. When he sat back again, Kris smiled softly at him. Kris squeezed the hand he still held tightly.
"I'm still here Adam."
Adam closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again, Kris was still beside him smiling. Adam laughed with relief and grinned. Kris grinned back.
They sat for a few minutes more on the bench, feeling the wind on their skin, huddled together for warmth.
"I'm buying you a new sweater for our anniversary then."
Kris gasped and looked at him in shock. "What? No, I love this sweater."
Adam rolled his eyes. "It's a plaid sweater, Kristopher. You look like an old grandpa."
"I am an old grandpa. And what's wrong with plaid? I love plaid," Kris replied, sounding offended.
Adam laughed long and hard, simply enjoying their life as the fall winds blew.