Preacher Man (and bonus drabble)
by astolat
Kris wasn't sure how to start—they were living in the same room, so there was even more potential for making an annoying asshole out of himself, which he did not think was a great way to convert anybody aside from being the last thing he wanted to be, especially in front of Adam, who was by a couple orders of magnitude the coolest human being Kris had ever met.
Danny gave him the opening, though, making some remark at dinner over the Miss California thing. Danny figured out he was saying something stupid halfway through and tried to turn it into something else and then just trailed it off and started talking about the food instead, but Kris saw kind of a sardonic look in Adam's eyes, and that night Kris took a deep breath and said, "Adam—I don't, uh. I just wanted to say, what Danny was saying—that's not my thing. That's not what church is about."
Adam looked up from his book, his eyes softening in a way that made Kris feel warm and glad, and like he could add, "It's—you know, it's about caring about other people, and trying to be the best person you can, and building love and peace in the world."
"That's really beautiful," Adam said, smiling at him, and Kris felt this huge, joyful surge of relief and happiness; yeah, he'd totally nailed that one.
Next he tried his photos from his mission trips; he had a lot of really cool ones on his computer, and Adam was happy to have Kris bring it over to his bed and run a slideshow while Kris talked about how much good they'd done, and the work that was still going on, and how much it'd meant to him, and Adam lay sprawled on the bed listening to him, smiling, and sometimes stopping the slideshow and poking back to look at one picture or another, and rubbing Kris's back.
"It's great how much it means to you," Adam said. "I love that you have that kind of passion," which was good, that was a great start, and Kris was pretty satisfied with how that went.
A few days after that, he had a seriously brilliant idea, and he told Adam he wanted to write a song based on one of his mom's favorite Bible verses, for her birthday, and Adam said, "Awww," and Kris asked for his advice, and that was an excuse to read a whole bunch of them to Adam, who listened and nodded and had suggestions about how to put some of them together.
"I don't want to annoy you with all this," Kris said, cautious, but Adam said, "There's absolutely no bad about hearing you sing," which made Kris feel happy on more than one count.
Sunday they got back from the Ford commercial, and Kris decided okay, he was going to go for it, a little. "Listen, man, do you mind, I usually like to do more of a reading, Sundays, but there's no getting out to church here, and I don't really want to—this isn't something where I want to do some big thing downstairs, and anyway if I do—"
"Danny would love to join in," Adam finished. "No, I don't mind; you want privacy? I can take off—"
"No!" Kris said. "No, I—it's cool if you—I mean, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind," Adam said. "It's your thing, man. Go for it."
Which—wasn't exactly where Kris wanted to be, but something; he read one of his favorite passages out loud, softly, and then after he said to Adam tentatively, "I guess it's not your thing, though, right?"
"Organized religion?" Adam said. "Not so much, no. You're a good case for it, though," and Kris kind of wanted to blush, and also do a little victory fist-pump.
"We always—we discuss the reading, after," Kris said, and Adam smiled at him and patted the bed next to him and said, "Lyrics analysis I can go for," and Kris brought over his Bible and stretched out on the bed next to Adam, and Adam propped up on an elbow and offered his thoughts while Kris talked through it. Adam actually had some cool insights, too, which Kris figured had to be a good sign. He was thinking about it, he was letting it sink in.
"I'm going to turn in a little early," Kris said to Adam a few nights later. "Do a little reading before bed."
He was hoping, and Adam looked up from the game of Scrabble Allison was playing with Lil and Danny and said, "Actually, that sounds pretty good," and came upstairs with him, and Adam even stretched out on the bed and said, "You want to do another reading?"
Kris said, "You want to pick, this time?" and held out the Bible as he lay down next to Adam.
"Hm, I can do that," Adam said, and he took it and flipped back about halfway into the Old Testament and started reading, "The song of songs, which is Solomon's," his voice smooth and rich and soft, saying, "My beloved is mine, and I am his," and, "I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste," which, uh, Kris had never heard read—quite that way, and—
Adam put down the book and looked at Kris, smoky-eyed and smiling, and Kris felt his heart pounding, and Adam said softly, "So what do you think that one's about?"
"I, it, the," Kris said.
Adam said, "Have you ever tried more of a—participatory reading?" which Kris didn't get right away; then Adam opened the Bible and read, "His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me," and he slid his hand onto Kris's hips. Kris shivered involuntarily towards him, and Adam shifted a little closer to him, on the bed.
"I think it's about," Adam murmured, running his fingers over Kris's side, where his t-shirt was sliding up a little from his waist, "enjoying everything the universe gives you—"
"Oh," Kris said, as Adam's fingers touched his bare skin.
"Tell me what you think," Adam whispered, leaning in to breathe the words out in Kris's ear.
"It's—I think it's—" Kris managed. Adam was touching him some more, his broad warm palm sliding Kris's sweatpants down over his hip. "It's about the—it's about coming to God with—with our bodies, and—" He reached out, because of Adam's skin, and the soft fuzz of hair on his chest, yes, oh God, yes, and Adam said softly, "thy love is better than wine," and kissed him.
And a bonus drabblet, for the 2nd ontdai drabble meme, prompt 22. Kradam: Adam takes Kris shopping and makes him try on/buy girl's jeans (since he endorses them so much).
"Try these," Adam said, and sailed another pair over.
"What is with all of these?" Kris said, disembodied behind the fitting room door. "Man, I'd so be giving up if I hadn't ripped my last pair."
"Mm, yes, it was tragic how they caught on that hook," Adam said. "And how that other pair caught on fire and then got ripped apart by dogs. Let me see."
"These are all way too tight."
"This is what we've got to work with, so unless you want to try another store—"
"Can I take a bullet to the skull instead?" Kris said, and opened the door. "Seriously, man, this is the loosest pair."
Adam sighed in the blissful complacent glow of a job well done. "Turn around," he said, and enjoyed the view from that side too, and then because he had earned this, he put his hands on Kris's waist and tugged on the waistband, and then he slid his hands up and down over Kris's hips and thighs and calves, trailing his fingers down, scratching lightly at the soft snug denim. "The fit seems pretty good to me. Turn around again."
"Uh," Kris said, sounding a little strained, "I guess I'll just take them."
Adam smiled, slow and pleased, and stood up. "I really should check the fit in front before you decide," he murmured into Kris's ear, and hooked his fingers into Kris's belt loops to turn him around. Kris edged slowly around, a flush up in his cheeks. The jeans were pretty tight in front. Adam tugged on the waistband again, his fingers inside far enough down just to brush against the goods. Kris's breath hitched.
"Hm," Adam said and went for it, sliding his knuckles down over the zipper seam while Kris leaned into him, panting. "Very nice." He cupped his hand between Kris's legs, and Kris gave a moan and stretched up onto his toes as Adam held and lifted.
"Adam," Kris said, sounding desperate.
"Yeah, these are good," Adam said, rubbing his palm slowly and with happy cruelty back and forth. Kris totally deserved it for hiding all of this for so long. "Maybe we should take a couple of pairs. I think I might want to get these dirty."
All feedback much appreciated! |