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“No no no, not that one…it’s too plain.”
Kris rolled his eyes, but smiled at Adam. “It’s just a cake. Honestly, I’d be happy with anything as long as I get to marry you.”
“It is not just a cake! It’s our wedding cake and it has to be perfect and pretty and…and us!” Adam looked as manically happy as a seven-year-old boy who’d just discovered a closet full of Christmas presents. His eyes were so bright that they outshone the dazzling masterpieces on display throughout Torrance Bakery.
Catching Adam’s contagious grin, Kris scooted a few inches closer to him on the plush couch and murmured, “Something that represents us, huh? I don’t think our friends and family would appreciate a cake decorated with handcuffs.”
Adam snickered and continued to turn the thick pages of the cake sample book. His face was still glowing.
“So lover boys, have you decided?”
The couple looked up at their wedding planner, a tall, dark and gorgeous man by the name of Sutan. Kris and Adam sighed simultaneously, and who could blame them? Sutan was sleek as a panther and his smile would make even a vampire blush.
“Not yet,” said Kris. “Apparently we’re going for perfection. Can you suggest something perfect?” He got a smack on the thigh for that.
Sutan narrowed his eyes at them, paused, and then whisked the book away from Adam’s lap. “If you want perfection then I’ll need to get to know you two a whole lot better…and no I am not suggesting a threesome.”
“Such a shame,” Adam said with an attempt at flirtatiousness, but the effect was completely ruined by the I-LOVE-KRISTOPHER-ALLEN-hearts in his eyes, which were so metaphorically large that Sutan actually squealed at the cuteness factor.
“Oh my gawwd! You two are so precious I can hardly stand it!” Sutan took their hands and yanked them up from the couch. “Come on, we are having dinner and I wanna hear all about how you met and what kind of things are important to you. We have so much to do!”
Adam’s mouth turned up in a smug grin. He’d told Kris they should start planning immediately even though they hadn’t set a wedding date yet. He’d also tried to tell Kris that a wedding planner would want to interview them. But Kris, being the sweetest and most considerate man on the planet, had wanted to protect Adam’s privacy and thought Sutan could just help with some very basic decisions. “I’ll be fine,” Adam whispered as they were led out of the bakery, “you and I agreed on what to say and I know how to take care of myself.”
“I know you can,” said Kris, “sorry, I just--”
“Love me?”
A quiet, one note chuckle accompanied Kris’ bemused expression. “Yeah. I just love you.”
They beamed at each other and continued to follow Sutan towards a nearby restaurant until Adam said, “You know, that would make a great song title…I just love you.”
“It does have a nice ring to it.”
**
“First things first,” said Sutan when they’d all been seated at La Capilla Mexican Restaurant. He flagged down a server and ordered a Rosa Rita margarita. “Best ever,” he told Adam and Kris, but they decided on mango and strawberry varieties instead. After the drinks were served and sipped, Sutan took out a small notepad and began the interview. “Tell me how you two met.”
Adam was ready. He’d been preparing for this ever since he’d proposed to Kris a month ago. Then why is my heart pounding so hard? He took another swallow of margarita, licked his mango lips and went for it. “We met at Macy’s.” He ignored Sutan’s expression of horror and plowed on. “Kris used to work there and – no I don’t shop at Macy’s – I had to deliver something to my uncle who also works there.” Sutan looked relieved, no doubt having internally cringed at the thought of Adam perusing a selection of tacky polo shirts. “I saw Kris as I was coming down the stairs and I went over and flirted a little because…well look at him!” Adam smiled at his lover, who was indeed just as hot as he’d been on that fateful day. Somehow he made plain green t-shirts sexy. Somehow he made jeans thank the god of clothing for the opportunity to hug that fine ass.
“Mmmm, I see your point,” said Sutan with a wink and a half-cocked smirk. He pinky-stirred his drink in a lazy clockwise circle.
Kris’ cheeks flushed when both Sutan and Adam continued to stare. “Stop,” he said, not quite giggling, “just…keep going…Adam, you dork.”
Yep. Pretty much the cutest man in the universe. “Sorry babe. Okay, so where was I? Oh yeah. So we flirted and naturally he thought I was gorgeous and I gave him my info and we hooked up and well…the rest is history.” Adam spread his hands open as if to say that’s all there is to it. Which was a downright lie, of course, an understatement so profound that it equaled out to a lie. There was more to their history than there were freckles on Adam’s face.
Kris coughed, scratched the back of his neck.
And Sutan frowned. “Boyfriends, how in the hell do you expect me to do anything with that? Details, I need details! Was it love at first sight? What was so special about the moment you met?”
Adam was about to describe how Kris’ eyes had captivated him when he heard--
“The Tie.”
He gasped and turned to Kris, who clapped both hands over his mouth, seemingly shocked at his slip up.
“What’s going on?” asked Sutan. He leaned forward over the table, looking startled but curious. “What about a tie?”
Incredibly, Kris began to speak from behind his fingers. “It’s--”
“Nothing,” snapped Adam. He suddenly felt like bolting from the restaurant. His pulse was bordering on frantic. Keep it together. It’s not the end of the world. You can handle this. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry but we’ll have to arrange to meet some other time.” Slow breaths. Slow. His heart rate settled down to a trot and he managed to soften his tone. He did not want to lose Sutan, a man recognized all over California as a true artist who was highly sought after and rarely available. Adam had had to use his father’s connections to arrange the booking. “I really want to work with you but I think Kris and I need to agree on a few things first. Can we reschedule?” He made a supreme effort to control his freakout and smiled apologetically.
Sutan held Adam’s gaze for a moment before focusing his attention on Kris. “Honey,” he said softly, pulling Kris’ hands away from his mouth, “I can’t do this unless you are both equal participants. This is your wedding, too, okay?”
As Kris and Sutan began to have a silent conversation, Sutan’s words twisted oddly through Adam’s brain like disoriented snakes. I’m not shutting him out, am I? He didn’t think he was. Kris had no right bringing up something so personal. Adam set his jaw, waited another ten seconds and cleared his throat. He felt a little calmer now, but obviously the wedding planning couldn’t go forward until he and Kris were on the same page. I thought we were.
Kris finally nodded at Sutan. His eyes looked overly bright.
What exactly did he just agree to? Adam stood up from the table. “Okay then. Sutan, I’ll call you to reschedule?”
Sutan stood up, threw a ten-dollar bill on the table and began to stride away. His movements were incredibly graceful; the swish of his soft leather pants sounded like cheetah legs stalking through tall grassland. “You bet,” he said over his shoulder. “See you soon, lover boys.
What the fuck was going on? Why did Kris look so…fierce? Adam was rattled. After adding a few bills to Sutan’s ten, he made a quick exit, weaving around tables and uniformed servers. Kris followed. Once they were out on the sidewalk, Adam turned and confronted him. “What the hell was that? What were you thinking, bringing that up?” He knew his face was too hard, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t make his brows abandon the sharp ‘v’ they had formed.
Kris seemed to struggle with something internally, biting his lip in a way that would’ve been adorable on any other day. “Well I didn’t say anything before, but I’ve thinking it’d be nice to incorporate the Tie into our ceremony somehow.”
Adam walked into a wall of incredulity. His eyes bugged out of his head with the impact. “Are you out of your mind! How the fuck would we explain that to people, huh? Hey this is the tie I used to bind Kris’ wrists so I could fuck his brains out! Oh yeah and I also jerked off with it! Isn’t it lovely?”
A whipped puppy expression sat on Kris’ face for about one second before he went red, angry red like a thermometer plunged into a pot of boiling water. He looked so livid that Adam actually took a step back, not sure what to expect. “Don’t you dare…don’t!” Kris hollered. “You know it’s more than that! You know why it’s special, why it’s hanging on our wall right now! That tie was all I had of you in the beginning… it was the only thing… so just don’t, Adam!” The freshly sprung tears in his eyes stayed lodged in the corners, perhaps too furious to fall and expose themselves.
People stared. Some walked by quickly with the none-of-my-business stare while others slowed their steps, too curious to pretend everything was status quo. They had heard the words “jerked off” after all. There was nothing ‘angel’ or ‘rabbit’ about Kris right then, and no sign of Adam the wolf could be seen. The people were staring at two real men caught up in something terrible and beautiful, something called vulnerability.
“I know!” roared Adam, “I know it’s special, but Kris! It’s too personal to share, there’s no way I’m exposing myself to that kind of…of…”
“We don’t have to tell anyone anything! It’s our wedding, my wedding, and we can say anything we want about it or nothing! It’s just like you said about the cake! That day is supposed to belong to us!”
“Why are you yelling!?”
“Because you are!”
“No I’m not! I’m just trying to explain!”
“Well your explaining sounds a lot like yelling!”
Adam’s wall of incredulity shimmered at the edges, on the verge of melting away, but stubbornness kept it mostly intact. “I’m sorry,” Adam said in a more reasonable tone, “let’s talk about this at home.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
**
The ride home was anything but enjoyable. Squelching through a swamp in expensive boots would be more fun than enduring the huffy silence that continued to pile up between the two men. Adam gripped the steering wheel harder, shaking his head in confusion. What the fuck happened? Everything was going so well at the bakery and then…isn’t wedding planning supposed to be exciting and lovey dovey?
Apparently no one had informed him that planning a wedding was actually going to be this wonderfully insane thing that reaches inside, pulls out all the best and worst traits in you and baldly exposes them to one person you hope can handle them.
As usual, Fifi burst into a fit of joy at seeing her owners walk into the apartment. When she wasn’t greeted with equal enthusiasm, she started whining and wagging her tail at fifty miles per hour. “Hey girl,” said Kris, who reached down to pet her briefly. Adam did the same. He wasn’t about to take it out on her. But you’ll take it out on Kris? The love of your life? Nice, Lambert, real nice. Shut up, he started this. He deviated from the plan. He brought up the Tie. So? Big deal? Why’d you go all ballistic on him? Because it is a big deal! Uh huh, and that’s a great reason to have a tantrum in the middle of the street, is it? Adam ground his teeth, willing his brain to give it a rest. He seriously wished he could create a referee in there sometimes. With a whistle and everything.
Kris kicked off his shoes and headed straight for the bedroom without a word. Adam, who was expecting a long talk, waited on the couch for him to return. Fifi was warm on his lap. Ten minutes went by, then fifteen. “Are you coming back?” he called. Silence. “Kris?” Adam heard only Fifi’s steady breathing. He got up with her in his arms and headed down the hallway. He found Kris already in bed with the lights off. “Angel? Don’t you wanna talk about it?”
“No. Not now. Come lay down with me.”
“But--”
“Please, just come be with me, okay?”
“Okay.” Fear crept in and opened its cloak, inviting Adam into its dark embrace. As he put Fifi down and undressed, the old whispers of doubt began to perk up, sniffing the air in horrible glee. He was suddenly ashamed of himself. He slunk through the gloom like a guilty man, face down and blushing. His side of the bed was icy cold.
“Spoon me,” said Kris.
Adam did. When his doubts and the silence were too much to bear, he hugged his lover tightly and asked, “Do you still want to marry me?”
“Of course I do. I love you more than life itself.”
“Then why--”
“Shhhh, just hold me and go to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”
It was Saturday night, July 3rd, 2010. They should’ve been out enjoying the holiday weekend. Instead Adam stared at the clock, his stomach growling with hunger, watching the numbers advance. He listened to fireworks go off for two hours before falling into an uneasy asleep.
At eight the next morning he opened his eyes and saw two objects where Kris’ head should be. Directly in front of his face was the Tie, framed and propped up on Kris’ pillow. Next to that was the stuffed wolf and rabbit Adam had given Kris for graduation, and they were still bound together by a child-sized tie. “Proving a point,” Adam mumbled, a little irritated. But he couldn’t stop the rush of nostalgia from swooping in and cuddling his heart. No matter how things had started out, that tie was a symbol of their union. Our union. Oh fuck.
“Angel,” he called out, “I get it okay? I get it. Please come in here.” When Kris appeared dressed in a pair of plaid boxers, Adam sat up and patted the bed.
Frowning slightly, Kris settled next to Adam and leaned against the headboard. “I’m sorry about last night, about yelling and not wanting to talk. I just…I couldn’t get my thoughts together until this morning.”
“I’m sorry, too,” said Adam, taking Kris’ hand and kissing the back of it. “I don’t know why I freaked out like that.”
The couple looked at each other. “It’s okay,” they said in unison. They laughed, but softly, as if things were still too tender for anything louder. It was a little awkward, a little…wobbly, and quite unlike the way they usually fought and made up. Instead of a blow up followed by a hashing out and then passionate sex to wash it all away, they sat in the discomfort and attempted to deal.
Kris hung his head. “It really hurt though, what you said…and the yelling.”
“Oh babe,” Adam said, sighing with regret, “I’m so sorry, but you totally threw me for a loop. Why did you bring up the Tie in front of Sutan? I thought you were all gung ho about protecting my privacy.” He looked at his lover, his fiancé, and felt sure he was missing something important here.
“I’m scared,” said Kris, still looking at his lap.
Adam tried to keep the sudden panic out of his voice. “Of what? Not…you’re not scared of getting married are you, angel, are you?”
But Kris grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek. “No. I’m scared of…ugh, I don’t know how to explain it. Okay, you know how hard I’ve been trying to say what I like…to have an opinion and get away from being a people pleaser, right?”
Adam nodded.
“Well I’m worried I won’t do that with this wedding planning stuff. You have so many ideas and opinions and--”
“Kris! I would never shut you out and you can always--”
“I know that, Adam, I really do. It’s not you I’m worried about, it’s me. I’m scared that I’ll just smile and let you take the reigns and not be firm on the stuff that’s really important to me. I don’t care what kind of flowers we have or what we eat for dinner, we can even have glittery wedding invitations, but the Tie is important to me. I couldn’t help saying something today, like if I didn’t say it then, maybe I never would. And I guess when Sutan told me that, about it being my wedding too, it just…I mean it hit home, ya know?”
Adam considered this for a full minute. The silence stretched as he thought about Kris’ feelings and tried to envision their wedding with the Tie, then without it. He’s right, about everything. And it would be really easy for me to turn into a diva. “Okay, I understand but…it’s so personal, what would we tell people?”
“I have no idea,” said Kris. “I don’t even know how to incorporate it into the ceremony yet, just that we have to somehow.”
“Okay then.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. The Tie is in. We’ll figure it out…we’ve got plenty of time.”
His expression radiant and joyful, Kris turned his body to Adam’s and said, “Can we kiss now? It feels so weird not kissing after a fight.”
“No shit it does,” said Adam vehemently. He reached for Kris’ jaw with both hands and brought their lips close. “Give me some sugar,” he whispered before sealing the deal.
**
Adam hadn’t seen a 4th of July fireworks display in over ten years. He’d tried to go with his family but the crowds were too much for him. Panic attacks left and right. No thank you. And what was the big deal anyway? Just a bunch of lights in the sky. He didn’t think he was missing out on much, so he typically spent the holiday doing what he’d always done, bar hopping and fucking. But this year he had Kris, and Kris was determined to see a show.
“Pleeeaaseee please please please can we go? Come on, Adam, please? It’ll be so pretty!”
They were lying in bed, still cocooned in a naked post love-making haze. Adam chuckled at Kris’ squealing, but there was no way he was giving in. “Not a chance. You can go if you want. I’ll stay here and maybe watch from the back yard with Fifi.” The little dog, hearing her name, uncurled herself from the corner of the room and jumped onto the bed. Adam scratched behind her ears and she seemed to sigh in contentment. She lifted her tiny nose into the air so Adam could scratch under her muzzle, too.
“But you won’t be able to see anything from there,” Kris protested. “And I don’t wanna go by myself.”
“What about Matt? I’m sure he’d go with you. No, your pouting won’t work this time. Sorry, angel.”
Kris reeled his lower lip in. “Finnneee. I’ll call Matt and see if can tag along with him and Ali.” He mumbled something.
“What was that?”
“I said you’re a goober.”
Adam had to laugh at this. “What are you, five?”
Kris gave him an impish grin.
“Well you know what happens to five year olds don’t you? They get tickled!” He whipped out his tickle hands and dove into Kris’ sides. Fifi leapt away in a hurry, yipping in indignation at being so rudely displaced. But it was the best tickle fight ever. Adam was merciless and Kris had no hope of escape. The poor man kicked and flailed and cackled so hard that he started crying. Just as Adam was about to straddle him and go in for the kill, Kris let out an enormous fart.
“Oh my god! That’s disgusting,” Adam laughed, waving at the air. “You win, I’m so leaving you alone after that!”
“It’s your fault,” Kris giggled, “but now you know I have a secret weapon.”
Still laughing, Adam got up and went to open a window. “Phew! What did you have for breakfast?”
“Leftover broccoli soup. Which, by the way, is on your list of foods that promote the healing of broken bones. So that’s your fault, too.”
“Har, har.” Adam returned to the bed, scooped up his ridiculous man and said, “come on, smelly boy, you need to be cleaned up. Shower time.”
“Mmmmm, I like the sound of that.”
After showering, petting, sucking and eventually getting clean, Kris called Matt while Adam went into the studio to work on a new song he was writing for his album. He’d come up with the melody and a few lyrics one day as he watched Kris attempting to make chicken parmesan for dinner, which had turned out to be an unqualified disaster.
“Smoke in my eyes never keeps me from loving you…”
Adam entered his own private world and sang, the clear notes ringing out to join the birdsong in the trees. Singing was his life, his therapy, his one true love other than Kris. It was as if he were standing on a mountain peak and all was utterly silent save for the sound of his own voice cascading, swirling, caressing the earth. In times of sadness he sang a lament, and the words would cling to the mountain for support. When he was high on love, his song could scatter every cloud and join with Venus for a night of romance. Otherworldly, ethereal concepts, over the top some would say, but Adam didn’t care. Here in this place, he was connected to the universe.
Breath flowed in and out of his lungs effortlessly and an entire hour passed before he even opened his eyes again. When he did, he saw that a note had been slipped under the door. He stood up, smiling at Kris’ thoughtfulness, and picked up the note. It read:
Awesome news! Tommy invited all of us to a private rooftop party tonight! We can watch the fireworks and it’ll just be me and you and Tommy and Meg and Matt and Ali! I’m sooooo excited!
Adam opened the studio door. “Get dressed,” he said to Kris, “we’re going shopping.”
“What for?”
“If we’re gonna do this, then we’re doing it in style. We need wine, some food and a few six-packs.” Kris squealed with such delight that it made Adam wonder just how much he had suppressed himself during childhood. It’s just like when he got to fly the airplane on the way to the Grand Canyon. Hmmm. Well he deserves to let loose and regress a little. “How ‘bout we pick up some sparklers, too?”
There was a blur of motion as Kris flung himself at Adam, who managed to stay upright for about ten seconds before Kris tackled him to the ground. “If only I could hold a sparkler with my dick,” he laughed as kisses rained down from the beautiful, crooked lips he loved so much. “Now that would be something.”
**
Predictably, Adam went overboard. He was really getting into the spirit and insisted on cooking all afternoon. When Kris pointed out that there would only be six people at the party, Adam just shrugged and continued making enough food for about twenty. “It’s my way of saying thanks,” he said, without really knowing why he’d said it.
Kris cocked his head to the side, which made him look a little like Fifi when she was trying to understand the strangeness of her owners. “Saying thanks for what?”
“Huh? Oh, I don’t know. I guess…” Adam stopped stirring his sour cream pesto dip and thought about it. “For being cool with who I am, for being my friend. And cooking…well it’s the way I show love sometimes and…yeah.” I have friends now, real life friends who like me. These types of thoughts always seemed to tug on his heartstrings, and it was anyone’s guess as to what door would be pulled open: the door to the ocean of sadness or the one to the pasture of gratefulness. Adam was relieved when he found himself in the pasture and even more pleased when Kris nuzzled into him and murmured, “You are so normal in the best possible way.”
They kissed deeply, tenderly, as small dollops of thick cream slid from the spoon in Adam’s hand and decorated the floor around their bare feet.
**
At six o’clock Adam and Kris headed out for the party. Adam was dressed in the only shorts he owned, a pair of long khakis, and a plain white v-neck t-shirt. And because Kris was a goofball he put on the same type of outfit so that he and Adam could go as twins. The entire back seat of the car was taken up by food. Fried chicken, fruit salad, potato salad, glazed salmon filets, couscous with artichokes and walnuts, the sour cream pesto dip and enough cut up raw veggies to satisfy a small army of rabbits. Two bottles of Madeira wine and four six-packs of Budweiser were stuffed in the trunk along with the sparklers and some blankets and in the front, on Kris’ lap, was a peach cobbler.
“I feel like we’re going to a family reunion,” said Kris, chuckling a bit. “You totally outdid yourself this time.”
“Well you helped. You’re getting really good at chopping vegetables.”
“Very funny.”
“Hey I meant that as a compliment,” snickered Adam. “Soon you’ll be able to stir fry things without setting off the smoke alarm.”
“At least I don’t organize my hair products by bottle shape and size.”
“That’s because you only have two hair products. A big comb and a small comb.”
They continued to banter good-naturedly until Adam needed to concentrate on were he was going. “Read me the address again?”
“One hundred, South Thirtieth Avenue. You sure this is gonna be okay? The house overlooks a beach.”
“Yes you already told me and I already told you that I’ll be fine,” said Adam. “The only time I have problems anymore is when I’m standing right on the beach. You know that.” He glanced at Kris with an eyebrow raised. “Right?”
“Right. Sorry.”
Adam didn’t want to make a big deal of it. “It’s okay. Anyway, I can’t believe Tommy knows Steven Tyler’s daughter.”
“Yeah, I guess he and Mia went to school together.”
“And she’s just lending him her Santa Monica beach house for the night? Incredible.”
“I know,” said Kris, “but Tommy said she’s just cool like that.”
“Huh. Well someday we’ll be rich and famous, too, and we’ll have our own beach house,” said Adam in a dreamy voice. “And a private jet and a mustang convertible and-- hey there it is! Wow!”
Wow was right. The beach house appeared to be built right into a low, sloping hill. One part was underground and the rest was split into two sections: a wood-sided dwelling and what looked like a face attached to its front, a large, square-jawed face, mouth open to the evening sky. At least that was Adam’s first impression of the outdoor patio. When he peered closer he saw that the roof had railing around it as well. Another patio then, and maybe a greenhouse sort of thing at one end of the roof. Or a lighthouse? The entire dwelling was lit up in a beautiful modern smile.
“Why am I suddenly picturing Frankenstein?” said Kris.
“No it’s more like a robot head, like the Iron Giant cartoon,” said Adam. “That’s totally what the patio part reminds me of.”
“I think it looks like a boat house. We should get one of those too when we’re rich and famous.”
Adam was about to respond when he saw someone up on the roof.
“You guys gonna stay in the driveway all night?” Tommy called down to them.
“Well we’ve got enough food to last us till next week!” Kris returned.
“Damn it, get your asses in here then, I’m starving!”
They all shared a laugh as the rest of the crew (Megan, Ali, and Matt) came out to help unload the car. Everyone teased the couple about being dressed similarly, especially Matt.
“Can I call you Mary-Kate and Ashley?” he joked.
“Only if I get to be Mary-Kate,” said Adam as he lifted two cases of beer from the trunk, “she has way better taste in clothing.”
“I barely recognized you, puppy,” Ali said. “Can’t even remember the last time you wore shorts!”
Kris, trying to hold onto his box of sparklers while carrying two large bowls, grinned widely and said, “I remember. It was just last week at the beach when Adam and I…well, erm…” His face went pink.
“Took a roll in the sand,” Adam finished for him, looking rather self-satisfied and not at all embarrassed.
Megan put two fingers to her red painted lips and wolf whistled. “Public nudity! I should have you two arrested,” she giggled.
“Oh hush, you. We were way off to the side, no one saw us.”
There were snorts from the group and Tommy remarked that Adam and Kris probably have more sex than all the wild animals ever filmed for National Geographic put together.
“I swear if I were a girl I’d be poppin’ out babies left and right,” said Kris.
The quiet evening was soon punctuated with hoots of laughter at the image of Kris waddling around with a beach ball belly.
**
After depositing the food in the kitchen, Tommy took his guests on a tour. About half way through, Adam put on a very wicked grin. Oh yes, this will do nicely indeed.
Kris caught the expression. “I know that look,” he said as the tour moved forward. “You’re up to no good, I can tell.”
Adam just waggled his eyebrows. “Come on, we’re being left behind.”
The roof was spectacular. In addition to sporting cushy furniture including a two couches and couple of lounge chairs, it was covered in spongy grass. Kris seemed like he was restraining himself from touching it to see if it was real. Tommy showed them the lighthouse-looking thing and it turned out to be a sunroom with a bar in it. Very impressive, Adam thought. But better than all of this was the view: ocean as far as the eye could see.
Adam rested his forearms on the railing, heard the rushing waves, inhaled the salty air…and was instantly flooded with a memory of the recent beach lovemaking. Hi ocean. I’m not afraid of you. You’re really pretty.
“You’re kind of kickass,” Ali said quietly to him.
“Yes I know.” He winked and put an arm around her. “You’re kind of kickass for noticing.”
The group of friends gathered at the rail to appreciate what the universe had to offer. It was the golden hour, that magical time before sunset where everything is bathed in soft amber light, as if God had opened a honeycomb right over the sky. The sun abandoned its cheery shade and became a ball of fire, transforming pale blue water into a scene of miniature sand dunes, browns and purples blowing across the ocean desert. Adam and Kris linked hands as the clouds dressed up in rainbow colors.
No one could think of anything to say. So they didn’t. They just watched until the rumbling of Tommy’s stomach became unbearable.
Adam had no idea that the whole Tommy is always hungry thing would cease to be funny that night and would never be funny again. As he and his new friend stood alone in the kitchen a few minutes later removing plastic wrap from the entrées, Adam asked him about it seriously for the first time since they’d met. The response he got broke his heart.
With large doe eyes trying not to be doe eyes and a deep crimson blush, Tommy said, “Until Alex gave me a job last year, I used to be homeless. I had nothing…no one for a long, long time and…sometimes I ate out of garbage cans, I had to.” He peeked up at Adam through his blond fringe of hair. “Why am I telling you this?” he whispered, almost to himself, his hands trembling a little. “Meg doesn’t even know.”
Oh my god. No wonder. Jesus christ, no wonder. Adam, very close to tears now, scanned his brain for something appropriate and comforting to say. When nothing came, he let his eyes communicate for him. I’m sorry, they said. I’m so sorry that you had nothing while I had everything.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Of course I won’t,” said Adam, finally finding his voice.
“Not even Kris, okay, because…I’m fine now. I don’t want people worrying about me and I don’t need any help. That’s all in my past. I have a good job and a nice place to live and a pretty girlfriend and--”
“Hey it’s alright.” Adam laid a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “I won’t tell a soul, I promise.”
Tommy leaned into the touch for a fraction of a second before pulling away and tossing his hair back. He sniffed, smiled. “Good thing I have such a fast metabolism, huh?”
It hurt to hear him joke about it, but Adam understood only too well. Nobody wants to remember feeling weak and afraid. “Let’s get this stuff up to the roof,” he said, feeling certain that from now on he’d be fighting an urge to feed Tommy at every opportunity.
As the party geared up, Adam did his very best not to think about what Tommy had told him, but it was extremely difficult when he kept seeing the man gobble down plates of food as if this might be his last meal. He tried to focus instead on the fact that Tommy was doing well now. If you can count being beaten up as doing well. That stupid assface Russell. God I’d like to kick the fucking crap out of him for hurting Tommy like that. But then he remembered Tommy’s words not too long ago: I’m not a damsel in distress. His attitude made even more sense now that Adam knew about his past. Thank god for Alex. If it weren’t for him Tommy would probably still be on the streets. I wonder what happened. Why didn’t his parents help?
“Babe?”
Adam looked up from his plate into Kris’ concerned face. “Hmm?”
“You okay? You seem really quiet.”
And because Adam understood Tommy’s need to feel normal, and because he had plans for Kris, he was able to set his worries about Tommy aside for the moment. The best I can do is be a good friend to him. “Yeah I’m okay. In fact, I propose a toast.” He stood up from the comfy couch he was sharing with Kris, grabbed a bottle of wine and filled everyone’s glasses.
“To friends and lovers!”
They all raised their glasses. “Friends and lovers!”
Adam beamed at Matt, Ali, Megan, Tommy and Kris, trying to pour every ounce of affection he had for them into his smiles. Look at me! I’m practically a social butterfly! The six of them shared a warm, fuzzy, kitten cute moment. And yeah…sometimes love just is.
Proud as a boy scout who’d earned his first merit badge, Adam returned to the couch with some very un-boy scout plans to get down and dirty with Kris. But just then the first firework lit the night sky and Kris flew to his feet, nearly knocking Adam to the grass.
“Looklooklooklook it’s starting!”
“Shit,” Adam laughed as he regained his balance, “outmaneuvered by pyrotechnics.” He threw a glance at the others, hoping to get some sympathy.
“Pyro wins over porno,” snickered Matt, who was getting cozy with Alisan under a blanket. They looked so sweet all bundled up together. This was definitely a couples event; even Tommy and Megan had walked off and were vertically cuddling at the railing. With a twinkle in his eye, Adam nabbed Kris around the middle and wrangled him back to the sofa. It wasn’t hard seeing as Kris was more than willing to be wrangled. Adam sat with his back against the armrest and wrapped his lover up in long arms and legs, and because it afforded more opportunities for mischief, he made use of a blanket as well.
Kris sighed, seeming content. “Oooooo! Look at that one, it’s like a willow tree!”
Adam rested his chin on Kris’ shoulder and smiled. “Or a dandelion.”
“Yeah,” said Kris in a whisper. “A dandelion.”
As more flowers and trees and dandelions blossomed above the now dark ocean, the fingers on Adam’s right hand began to walk under the blanket towards their destination. Step, step, pause…wait for another chorus of ‘oooos and aaaaaas’… step, step, step…over the shorts covering up one delectable thigh…step, step…
“Hey what are you--”
Adam’s fingers halted. “Want me to stop?” he murmured in his most seductive voice while nuzzling just under Kris’ earlobe. He heard a tiny gasp amidst the bang of another firework going off and felt Kris shudder in his arms. Bingo.
Kris spread his legs ever so slightly.
It was all the invitation Adam needed. He let his fingers move again and they crept into the warmth between Kris’ thighs. There in the heat he extended his thumb and pressed it where all the seams met, right below the two soft globes Adam loved to lick and suck into his mouth. A quiet moan reached his ears and the sound spurred him on, but slowly, very slowly; he intended to tease, to build anticipation to breaking point. As a brilliant green firework burst into life, noises of appreciation filled the air and Adam pushed his thumb up to the base of Kris’ dick. He began to draw delicate circles over the spot…again…again…again…just barely touching the fabric.
Kris made a muffled choking sound, all innocence deflowered. “Fireworks…so p-pretty.”
“Mmmm, aren’t they though? Look, angel, see what happens after they explode? See how the lights shimmer and almost…dribble down? So intense,” Adam said with a firm press, “and then so gentle.” He uncurled his index finger and used it with his thumb to lightly stroke either side of that throbbing, luscious cock. “Up it goes,” he whispered as a thin ribbon of red shot heavenwards. “All the way up.” Up to the tip, the head, the leaking slit. Boom. “Then down, down, down.” Down to the base again, sliding down the rough tan cotton, swerving around zipper and fly, feeling the twitches of desire. “Up…down…up…”
“Adam.” It was a plea, a plaintive two syllable prayer.
“Follow me.” A command.
The lower level patio, that great, smiling mouth, beckoned to the lovers and they went to it, Kris trying to keep up with Adam’s long strides. The patio became dark as Adam found and turned off a number of lamps and light switches. “Don’t want you to miss the show,” he purred as he spun Kris around to face the ocean and trapped him against the patio railing. He rutted into the slope of Kris’ ass and Kris groaned, gripped the cool metal rail, arched his spine.
“Make me come during the finale.”
Adam’s cock went instantly, painfully rigid at the thought. He crowded his man like a wolf does its prey, breathing hotly on Kris’ neck, inhaling his scent and marking him. “Quietly now,” he said after he’d created an impressive love bite, “wouldn’t want to disturb anyone upstairs.”
Panting, Kris unbuttoned his fly and leaned over the rail a bit.
Adam reached into his back pocket for a packet of lube, chuckling to himself, and said, “My god, you really are a little whore, aren’t you?” He was already high on the thrill of domination. Mine.
Again Kris spoke with action by pushing his shorts and briefs down under his balls. His eyes were still fixed on the spectacular fireworks show, now halfway over. He looked utterly entranced and was, Adam thought, just about the most fuckable man ever. His body was obviously designed to perfectly sheath Adam’s cock, to be the perfect recipient of Adam’s bites and kisses and caressing hands. And when Adam pressed two lube shiny fingers into him, his moan sounded perfect, too.
With a few well-practiced movements they were joined, Adam deep inside Kris, his body curved slightly to embrace the smaller form, left hand on the rail and right hand already wrapped around Kris’ length. “Gonna make it my mission to fuck you every day of my life,” he said, almost whimpering at the extra tightness squeezing his cock when it neared its target.
“That should be part of our…oh shit…our…wedding vows...right there…right…”
Inside, the head touched Kris’ spot again and again as Adam drove it home with the intensity of an enchanted sledgehammer. But only one type of banging was audible this evening. When Kris cried out at the sudden twisting of Adam’s hand around his cock, the gunshot boom of an enormous Catherine wheel silenced him. When Adam’s keys started jangling in the pocket of his khaki shorts, faster with each thrust, all that the friends upstairs noticed was how the show seemed to be speeding up, gearing towards a finale. In fact Adam was doing his best to fuck his fiancé in time to the pyrotechnics.
Almost…if I suck on his neck at just the right moment…wait for it … He gritted his teeth in concentration, watching the sky, waiting, trying desperately not to come too soon. Patches of sweat began to appear…on his brow, between his palm and the railing, under his left big toe (which made it slip and skid over the edge of his flip-flop) and on his upper lip. He licked the salt away and was just about to murmur something naughty in Kris’ ear when Kris beat him to the punch.
In a dreamy soft voice that rasped at the edges he said, “Spank me when the next one goes off.”
“Fucking hell, I’m not gonna make it.”
“Yes you will, you will…Adam, spank me.”
The combination of giddy excitement and utter raunchiness in Kris’ tone brought Adam so close to the edge that he could see right over it and into the heavenly release of orgasm. He had to bite his lip hard enough to taste a little blood before he could refocus. “You’ll be the death of me,” he gasped as he let go of the rail and readied his hand to deal out a sturdy spanking.
Kris’ entire body looked like it was vibrating in anticipation, standing there with an ass full of Adam cock, eyes glued to the horizon just waiting for the thump of the launch, the whistle and the—“There it goes!”
SMACK.
And that was the beginning of the end. The night suddenly exploded with a storm of neon lights. It looked like a giant was making a batch of sparkly popcorn, popping it directly into the sky.
Kris yelped and Adam, his left hand still tingling, wrapped both arms around Kris’ chest and let his aching dick have its way. Right now what it wanted most in the world was to jack itself off in that exceptional ass, and all thoughts of planning and timing disappeared as Adam’s instinct to fuck, to hump and rut and spill his seed took over. Miniature starbursts reflected in eyes that refused to close even when pleasure demanded it. Instead, Kris white-knuckled the railing and made little grunting noises each time Adam snapped his wicked, out of control hips.
Amidst the thunderous finale all the pent up bliss tottered at last on the precipice of release and Adam crushed Kris to him, opened his jaws and latched onto Kris’s neck. In the next few seconds it was all over. The barely hushed moans, Kris shuddering and writhing in Adam’s arms, clenching around Adam’s cock, pleasure shooting with every explosion as if each firework carried a concentrated dose of it, and Adam still thrusting, still sucking on tender neck-flesh. One hand reached out to encircle Kris’ dick, to stroke it, to catch the cum pumping from its slit. One beautiful pair of freckled lips opened to emit a strangled cry of sweet sexual deliverance.
“Fuckfuckfuck!” Kris hissed, finally closing his eyes as the last fireworks highlighted the smoke-filled air. He slumped back into Adam, who began to lave at the surface wound he’d created.
“That’s right,” he said, breathing heavily in between licks, “that’s goddamn right.” When he was satisfied with his work, he kissed up to Kris’ cheek, encouraging Kris to turn his head so their lips would meet. Somewhere during the makeout session Adam pulled out and brought his handful of Kris cum into the mix; together they made it disappear.
“You’re insatiable,” Adam accused his lover in a fond voice as he dropped little kisses all over that gorgeous face.
Kris beamed up at him, skin flushed, looking dazed. “That was… I don’t even know… the most amazing… the sexiest… wow… I mean…”
“Shhhhhh, angel, just come here.” They embraced again, chest to chest, and Adam felt like their hearts must be singing to each other. I am loved. I am loved. I am loved. Yeah, and I’m a fucking good lover, too. The most amazing…the sexiest… What was that saying, pride goeth before the fall? Well Adam wasn’t buying it. The way he figured, he was due some pride after everything he’d been through.
Gradually the couple regained enough brain power to separate from each other and headed to the bathroom for a quick clean up before rejoining their friends. Kris was applying some concealer to his neck from the little tube he carried with him when he abruptly stopped and exclaimed, “Hey I forgot all about the sparklers!” He frowned, rather adorably Adam thought.
Unbelievable. One minute he’s begging for cock and then next he’s all pouting like a little kid. “Well how about we have a sparkler after party then?”
Kris’ face lit up again.
**
Adam and Kris arrived up on the roof to find the others munching some leftovers. “Enjoy the show?” Matt said, winking at them.
“Quite,” Adam responded smugly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it.”
Alisan cackled, nearly spraying Megan with a mouthful of fruit salad. “I bet you haven’t,” she said after swallowing. “And you, Kris?”
Those brown eyes still had a far off, dreamlike quality. “Incredible…just incredible.” It took him a minute to realize that everyone was laughing at him, but he just stuck his tongue out at them and said, “So I brought some sparklers. Anyone else want in?”
While it was fun to wave the hand-held fireworks around and make glowing orange figure eights in the air, Tommy was the one who took things to the next level. And he couldn’t have possibly known what his actions would lead to. Surprisingly, he turned out to be something of a street performer. He could balance a sparkler on his palm, could throw one up in the air and catch it without burning himself, and even passed one around his waist from hand to hand so fast it looked like he was hoola hooping with fire. “I used to do tricks for…um, for my friends and family.”
You mean you did it for money when you were homeless. Adam was sure that’s what Tommy had been about to say. Don’t dwell. “Very cool,” he said, smiling and clapping along with the others. “But oh my god please don’t give Kris any ideas…look!” Adam turned and pointed.
“What?” said Kris as he quickly dropped the firework, the flaming end of which had been an instant from making contact with his palm.
Adam groaned and covered his eyes. “Maybe we need to hit a pharmacy on our way home and pick up some more Band-Aids.”
“Kris, you really shouldn’t,” said Tommy. “It took me a long time…at least start out with pencils or something because I seriously don’t want to be on Adam’s shit list if you burn yourself.”
Matt, Megan and Alisan snickered.
“Oh come on you guys,” said Kris, “stop it, I’m not a child and I like taking risks sometimes.” He stared them all down. “I can be badass, ya know, I can take Adam on and win, too.”
“Uh huh,” said Matt. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Fine, we’ll have a wrestling match right here, me and Adam.”
Adam shrugged, looking unconcerned and highly amused.
“And you can be the referee, Matt,” Kris continued, “and whoever wins gets to…to…”
“Pick out the wedding invitations!” Adam shouted, suddenly inspired. I am so gonna win this.
Kris smiled at him. “You are on.”
And that’s the story of how, almost nine months later, friends and family members all over the world opened their mailboxes to discover peacock themed cards adorned with the words:
Adam Mitchel Lambert and Kristopher Neil Allen cordially invite you to…
~End~