The Music Brings Us Together (5/?)
Title: The Music Brings Us Together
Chapter: 5/?
Pairing: Adam/Kris
Rating: R (For later chapters)
Summary: The behind-the-scenes story that we never saw, as I imagine it, anyways.
Beta: Adamgrrrl
Disclamer: Unfortunately, I do not own Kris, Adam, or anyone else in this story. Nor do I own any of the songs, or anything recognizable from American Idol or Ford. I barely own the plotline, as its based on the show. Adam and Kris belong completely to themselves, and each other.
“What are you doing?” Kris asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed though with a towel hanging around his shoulders. It was already Friday, so they had both started waking up earlier for rehearsals.
Adam looked up from his place on the bed. He was lying flat on his stomach, his feet propped against the headboard. He had the lyrics for his song on the end of the bed in front of him and a bottle of black nail polish wedged between his left thumb and forefinger, the brush suspended midair over his pinky. “Multi-tasking,” Adam replied with a smile, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He then returned to dipping the brush into the bottle as his eyes fell back to the song lyrics he was trying to memorize.
Kris just laughed and shook his head, rubbing the towel through his damp hair for a moment before tossing it onto the end of his bed. “Well, you might want to hurry up. We’re going to meet the rest of the group to learn the group number at two.”
“Alright,” Adam said simply, blowing on his nails. “Did you decide on your song yet?” he asked, glancing sideways at Kris as he shifted the bottle to his other hand and started painting that one.
“Almost,” Kris muttered. “I was thinking ‘Man in the Mirror.’ What do you think?”
“Yeah, that’s a good song,” Adam said, nodding. “Michael Jackson’s great.”
“I know it’s a good song,” Kris muttered snippily, falling back onto his bed with his hands over his eyes. “But I really need to make an impression if I want to get through. America hasn’t seen me much, remember?”
Adam gave him an apologetic smile, though he knew Kris couldn‘t see it. He knew it wasn‘t fair, and it probably would hurt Kris‘ chances. But this show was about finding talent, right? So America had to be able to see Kris‘ talent. Adam racked his brain, trying to think of any comforting words, but none seemed to suffice. He just wanted to be able to say something that would bring back that smile he‘d grown so accustomed to; the room felt so dim and depressing without it. “Yeah, it really sucks,“ he said finally. “But don’t worry so much. Just be yourself, and America has to love you.” Kris looked up and Adam held his gaze for a moment before turning back to finish his nails.
“I hope so,” Kris sighed.
“Come on,” Adam said, standing up after his nails finished drying. He grabbed his hat from the floor where he’d tossed it the day before and pulled it on.
“Where are we going?” Kris asked, looking up at him without standing. “We’re not supposed to meet everyone for another hour.”
“Let’s see if the girls want to get some lunch at the café down the block,” Adam said. “You need to get out and stop stressing about this song.”
“Fine,” Kris said with an exaggerated eye-roll, though he couldn‘t suppress a small smile. Adam felt an involuntary smile reach his own lips at being able to bring back Kris’ addictive smile. He shook himself mentally and tore his gaze from Kris, turning to walk out into the hallway.
Adam knocked on the door when they reached Ali and Jasmine’s room. “Hey,” Jasmine said with a smile, opening the door.
“Hey,” Kris said. “Y’all want to come eat with us?”
“We already ate,” Jasmine said with an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
“It’s cool,” Adam said, shrugging. “We’ll just see you in about an hour then?”
“Yeah.” Jasmine shut the door as Adam and Kris turned to walk away.
“‘Y’all’?” Adam muttered with a short laugh.
“What?” Kris asked innocently as they stepped into the elevator.
Adam just shook his head. “You and your Southern slang.”
Kris laughed. “And what do you say? You guys, or you girls or something?” he asked, “‘Y’all’ is so much simpler.”
“Whatever you say." Adam laughed and held his hands up in defeat.
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A while later they had sandwiches and were sitting at a table near the window in the deserted cafe. “Think you’ll get back into acting after all this American Idol stuff is over?” Kris asked, glancing up from his sandwich to look at Adam.
Adam shrugged. “Eventually, I think I will,” he said. “I love acting. And the ‘Wicked’ cast was amazing. It was so much fun. You know, you should try acting sometime.”
“Yeah, I think I might be good at it,” Kris said thoughtfully. “I mean, I’ve been acting like I can stand you twenty-four-seven since we got here,” he teased.
Adam gave him a mock glare, attempting and failing to not laugh a bit. “I’m serious. Have you ever even tried it? A school play or something?”
“Are you kidding?” Kris asked, raising his eyebrows. “The baseball team in high school gave me hell just for playing the viola. Auditioning for the school play would’ve been like begging to be shoved into my gym locker.”
“And somehow, I think you would’ve fit, too,” Adam said with a smile. Kris glared at him, and Adam held his gaze, the innocent smile still in place. Adam didn’t intend to be the one to break the gaze; Kris would break it first. Any minute, he would.
And he did. Kris looked down, shaking head and chuckling under his breath. “Jerk,” he muttered quietly, still laughing softly.
Adam laughed with him for a moment before shaking his head. “You should seriously at least give it a try sometime. Audition for a small part in a movie or something. One of those parts where you only have like one line.”
“I’d even screw that up,” Kris said simply, finishing off the last of his sandwich.
“A musical?” Adam suggested. Kris only laughed in response. “Oh, come on. You’ll never know if you don’t try.”
“You sound like my mom.”
“Somehow, I think she’d be having more luck than I am.”
“No, she would’ve already given up.”
“Well, I’m not going to. You need to try it.”
“Nope.”
Adam glared at him for a long moment. “Stubborn ass,” he muttered, earning another laugh from Kris. If they didn’t have to go learn the group number, he would’ve kept the conversation going just in an attempt to hear that laugh again. He always had a talent for making people laugh, but he’d never really wanted to hear anyone’s laugh as much as he craved hearing Kris’.
Adam shook the thought from his head as he stood. “Come on, y'all," he said with a smirk, “We’re supposed to be back in fifteen minutes.”
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Author’s Note: Thanks TONS AND TONS to the best beta ever, adamgrrrl!!! Thank you so much for everything!! Oh, and also, the locker joke was especially for colourfuldaze. (POCKET IDOL FTW!!!!) =D