Title: They Never Asked
Author: Leela (leela_cat)
Pairing/Characters: Adam/Sauli/Tommy
Rating: PG
Word Count: 13x100
Content/Warning(s): None
Author's notes: Written for glam_100, prompt #050: Sticky Fierce. Many thanks to florida_minxie for the preread, to eeyore9990 for the beta, and to moodwriter, who told me that the word for Daddy in Finnish is "Isi".


Sticky

"Daddy. Daddy. Daddy."

Tommy stopped a few steps away from luggage claim, ignoring the asshole who cursed him out. His heart and mind racing, he looked around. They never met him. They couldn't. They fucking shouldn't.

A whirlwind of pink and purple flung herself at him, interrupting his thoughts. Kara jumped up, and he automatically let go of his luggage cart and caught her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pressed tiny, sticky hands into either side of his face and kissed him with equally sticky lips.

He smiled and his heart soared. She smelled liked popsicles and sunshine.

\|/

"Missed you, Daddy," Kara said. "You went away with Uncle Isaac forever."

"Missed you too, pumpkin." He kissed her strawberry blonde hair. "Did you have fun while I was gone?"

She bounced in his arms, grabbing at the straps of his backpack. "We went to Disneyland, Daddy. And Dad and Isi and me went on all the rides. Even the ones that make you look funny. We did Buzz Lightyear twice, and I blasted all the robots. Like this."

Kara leaned back, making funny noises, and "shot" at Tommy. He tightened his grip so she didn't fall onto the cart.

\|/

As Tommy moved Kara onto one hip, he saw Leila coming towards them and all his questions flooded back. Why would she bring Kara to the airport? She knew better, knew what was at stake. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Before he could say anything, Leila hugged him and whispered, "In the car."

"Yeah, okay." Tommy checked on Isaac, who had his arms around Sophie.

"Stop worrying," Leila said.

Kara bounced again. "Dad and Isi are waiting."

"What?"

"Later," Leila said. She reached out to take Kara, but Kara shook her head and grabbed at his neck.

"No," Kara screamed. "Want Daddy."

\|/

"Daddy?" A woman screeched. "Oh my god, that's Tommy. With Adam and Sauli's kid."

"Fuck," Tommy muttered.

"That's a bad word." Kara patted his mouth and sang, "Daddy's in trouble."

"Come on." Leila took over the luggage cart. "Let's get out of here."

"Tommy!" A teenage girl shoved something at him. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Don't want, Daddy." Kara started crying.

"Is she really your daughter?" This time it was a pap, with a camera. "Are the reports true?"

Both arms wrapped around Kara, her tears soaking his hoodie, Tommy ignored the questions and followed Leila toward the doors.

\|/

Outside, Leila paused and looked around before heading for an empty space at the curb. A familiar minivan pulled in just as she reached it. Neil jumped out of the driver's seat. The side door slid open.

"Get in," Leila said. "Neil and I will handle your stuff."

Glancing at his guitars on the cart, Tommy hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but—

Then Kara sniffed and rubbed her nose on his chest, and a camera clicked, and a guy yelled, "Tommy, just one quick question."

He got into the van. Neil slammed the door closed behind him.

\|/

Scrambling out of Tommy's arms, Kara went over to Sauli. She babbled about nasty people and Tommy saying bad words as Sauli got her into her car seat.

Adam brushed his lips over Tommy's as he pulled him into the backseat. Sauli joined them. Adam slid an arm over Tommy's shoulders, and Tommy found himself snuggled between them.

"What the—" Tommy cut himself off before he swore again. "What's going on? The paps usually leave me alone."

"Get your seatbelts on," Neil said, turning around and making a face at them. "We don't have time for you to mess around."

\|/

When they were safely away from LAX, Tommy looked from Sauli to Adam and said, "Tell me."

"Someone sent pics of us to TMZ and the douchebag," Adam said, his voice low and angry. "From backstage at that concert in Helsinki last month."

Kara chanted, "Douchebag, douchebag," but, for once, they ignored her.

Tommy bit his lip to stop himself from swearing

"They're all over TV and the internet," Sauli said.

"Don't bother turning your phone on." Adam sighed. "Twitter is all kinds of insane. The fans are losing their... it."

"What're we going to do?"

"You're going to tell the truth," Leila said.

\|/

Fierce

All these years and he should be used to performing with Adam already, Tommy told himself silently. A troll through Twitter and Facebook between the airport and the Nokia had set off acid butterflies in his stomach that hadn't settled down. Making a face at the mirror, he fluffed up the back of his hair and added more hairspray.

It didn't help. Nothing could help them tonight.

At least Kara was at home with Leila, safely away from the cameras, the fans, and the paps. He didn't think he could've handled it if she was here.

\|/

"Fuck." Tommy rubbed at his stinging eye, smearing his eyeliner. "Can't even fucking do myself up tonight."

"Here," Adam took the pencil away and pushed Tommy towards a stool, "let me."

"Adam... I..." Tommy sighed and flopped down, almost sending the stool skittering out from under him. "You should let me go. This is going to fuck up your career," he said, not for the first time. "You'll lose everything."

"No, we won't," Sauli insisted, coming to stand behind Tommy.

Adam put a hand beneath Tommy's chin. "Close your eyes."

Leaning back against Sauli, Tommy did as he was told.

\|/

"Gloss." Sauli handed a tube to Adam. "Not that nasty red lipstick."

Adam's grip tightened on Tommy's chin. "Almost done," he said.

The gloss was slightly sticky on Tommy's lips. He pouted them and then pressed them together when Adam was finished.

"Beautiful." Sauli hugged Tommy from behind.

"Both of you," Adam said.

And then Tommy was caught between Adam and Sauli, held tight by them.

"Not letting you go," Sauli said. "Kara's birthday's next month. You're not getting out of it that easily."

Tommy was smiling despite the butterflies eating his guts when he took his place on stage.

\|/

Three songs in, Adam turned his back to the audience and walked towards Isaac's drum kit. Obeying the signal for a break, Tommy wrapped his hand around the neck of his guitar to still the strings, to silence the sounds.

The audience settled into a watchful, noisy hum that brought Tommy's nerves back to life. He reached for his glass but Ashley pushed an opened bottle of water into his hand.

His attempt to return Isaac's encouraging smile was a complete failure. Tommy turned around and focused on Adam, who'd returned to stage front.

Now, Tommy thought, and swallowed hard.

\|/

Instead of his usual Are you having fun, Adam asked, "So, how many of you haven't seen the pictures?"

A roar of words followed his question. Tommy stepped back, putting the bottle onto Isaac's platform before he dropped it.

"It's not a conspiracy." Adam slotted his mic onto its stand. "I didn't lie to anyone. If I'd been asked, I would have told the truth. But no one asked, until today."

Adam stretched his arms out and waggled his fingers. Sauli came out from stage left, as if he'd been expecting this, and took one of Adam's hands.

Tommy hesitated.

\|/

"Go on," Brian said, giving Tommy a rare smile.

Taking a step forward, Tommy paused and just fucking looked at Adam and Sauli. Even after all this time, they made him feel.

And they deserve all of you.

The thought had him lifting his guitar over his head. Jake, the tech, took it from Tommy before he'd even thought what to do with it. Then he walked up, took Adam's free hand, and faced the crowd.

"Since you asked," Adam said, "the answer is yes."

The screams were deafening, the camera flashes blinding, and their kisses made it all worthwhile.


.