Title: Promises Kept
Author: Leela (leela_cat)
Pairing/Characters: Adam/Tommy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 19x100
Content/Warning(s): AU
Author's notes: Written for glam_100, prompt #072: loyalty. Many thanks to aislinntlc for the preread.

This continues from last week's drabble-set, Holding On.


Everyone is joking around backstage, getting into stage drag, taking pictures and videos, and tweeting the safer ones.

The crowd is laughing and cheering, loudly enough for Tommy to hear them even if he can't make out any words except, probably, Adam's name. He takes a deep breath, leans into the mirror, and tries to fix the mess his shaking hand made of his eyeliner.

"Here, let me." Ashley smiles and gestures for him to turn around. "You're just making it worse."

Her touch is gentle, the slight drag on his eyelids just familiar enough to help him calm down.

.o0O0o.

"You'll be fine," she says. "As soon as you hit the first notes, everything'll fall into place. And the fans just make it that much better. Best high in the entire world."

Tommy would have nodded if she hadn't been doing something with one of her brushes around his left eye. Or maybe if he'd been completely convinced.

Mostly, what he wishes is for Adam to come in and give him one of those smiles that makes everything right. But Adam's busy being a rock star, meeting and greeting, giving interviews. Shit Tommy's more than happy to leave to him.

.o0O0o.

"If you're gonna hurl, hit the trash can." Brian wrinkles his nose. "Venue staff never cleans that shit up until we leave."

Swallowing down the bile that's burning his throat, Tommy shakes his head and stabs at the iPhone he bought with his first paycheck, sending his first tweet: a backstage pic of the band.

It's another fucking first in a list that's so damn long he's not sure how many more he can stand without imploding.

One more, he tells himself, pushing his hand into his pocket and touching a card with writing in purple ink. Just one more.

.o0O0o.

Adam's deep in conversation over by the soundboards when Tommy reaches the wings. For a second, Tommy thinks he'll end up walking past without being seen, and he's not sure how he feels about it.

Still this is work, and Tommy knows it. Nothing's more important than this. It's life and dreams and every-fucking-thing ever, for him and Adam and everyone else back here. It's the sickest of all the fucking shit.

But Adam pauses mid-conversation, raises his head, and just fucking smiles at Tommy. Bright and shiny and full of that thing about Adam that Tommy totally can't resist.

.o0O0o.

The noise levels rise as Tommy makes his way across the darkened stage. He gets a slap on the ass from Ashley, a squeeze of his shoulder from Isaac, and a "You're not going to fuck this up" from Brian that's somewhere between reassurance and threat. The others, dancers and backup singers, just grin at him as they take their places.

Then Brian's counting off, and Tommy picks out the first few notes, and Adam walks onto the upper stage and starts singing.

It's the closest Tommy's ever come to understanding what his mom meant when she talked about heaven.

.o0O0o.

As they move from song to song, Tommy bounces and headbangs, jumping up onto Brian's mini-stage, playing with Ashley. He stands and just listens to Adam talk.

During If I Had You, Adam moves on Tommy in an unrehearsed slinky prowl that has Tommy half-hard before Adam slides in behind him.

Adam sings and undulates, rubbing his dick against Tommy's ass. His voice and moves flash up memories of being in bed, on a couch, against a wall. Tommy leans back against Adam, rests his head on Adam's shoulder, as Adam fondles his tuning pegs, turning their sex into music.

.o0O0o.

As if he knows exactly what's going on, Adam spins away just as Tommy's on the verge of fumbling the strings and fucking up so badly that even the audience would notice. He smirks at Tommy, blows him a kiss that has the crowd screaming, and heads off to flirt with the dancers.

Frustration has Tommy wailing an unplanned bluesy riff during the next song that draws a grin out of Brian. Unable to flip Brian off, Tommy repeats it, turning to Brian and lifting his guitar at the end in emphasis.

Brian's grin widens, and someone yells Tommy's name.

.o0O0o.

Startled, Tommy flings his head back to flip his hair off his face and squints through the lights, trying to see who it was. When that doesn't work, he moves closer to the edge of the stage, playing to the crowd.

He's so caught up in looking out over the sea of faces that he almost misses the shift from the song into the band intros.

As Adam gets closer and closer, Tommy's heart starts pounding. He has no idea what to expect. He practiced his solo, but Adam said he likes to be spontaneous, to speak from his heart.

.o0O0o.

"On lead guitar," Adam yells out over the audience's applause, "I want you to meet Tommy Joe Ratliff."

As Tommy rips out the first chord, Adam sinks to his knees, legs spread apart. Stepping carefully, Tommy straddles him, all but fucking rides him as Adam's hips thrust up with every beat.

Tommy stretches the chord out and out, twists it, flips it back down into the original song. And Adam flicks out his tongue, licks Tommy's fingers, and sucks. Exactly like he did last night.

Shredding the chord, Tommy vibrates the strings against Adam's lips and blows him a kiss.

.o0O0o.

The audience's cheers, the way some of them scream Tommy's name, stay with him through the last song, the brief stumble offstage, and the encore. When the concert's over, he pulls his guitar over his head and just stands there and looks out over the audience.

A teenage girl is waving a handmade sign decorated with his name and hearts. He smiles and waves, and she squeals, "Oh my god, Tommy." Her friends are giggling and bouncing around her.

Heart clenching, Tommy realizes he can't imagine giving this up. That he doesn't ever want to lose Adam, any of this.

.o0O0o.

Tommy's lost in that thought, in the insane loyalty that now owns his ass, as he walks off the stage.

He gets a whirlwind hug from Adam, along with a "You played the shit out of that guitar" and a kiss brushed so lightly across his cheek that he's not sure whether he imagined it.

Then, as they're dancing around each other, washing off the performance and changing clothes, Adam sticks his head into the dressing room.

"Autographs and then the after party," Adam announces. "No excuses. I want you all there."

"Fuck yeah," Brian says. "Rhythm and booze time."

.o0O0o.

The crowds waiting outside blow Tommy's mind. He loses track of Adam almost immediately, as Adam's swarmed by fans and security.

He signs when asked, poses for more pictures than probably exist of his entire life up until that night. His face is starting to ache from making himself smile, when a girl pushes through the crowd.

"Holy shit, you're so amazing." She holds out her arm. "I totally need your autograph."

"Okay." Tommy looks for something to sign.

"My arm. Right below Adam's signature should be perfect." She winks at him, and he laughs.

It's such a fucking trip.

.o0O0o.

After autographs, they're directed to a bar in a nearby hotel. Music, laughter, and voices leak through the closed doors into the hallway.

Just before they go in, Isaac catches at Tommy's arm. "Give us a minute," he says to the others. Then he pulls Tommy over to a quiet alcove.

Worry makes Tommy bite his lip. "Whatever you want, I—"

"Oh no." Isaac shakes his head. "I just want to keep on playing with you."

Relief rushing through him, Tommy hugs Isaac.

"I won't say anything," Isaac whispers, "but you've gotta tell Adam. Not now, but when you're ready."

.o0O0o.

Tommy turns his head and stares at the restaurant where Adam's waiting for him. "We've already started talking. He knows shit—" Tommy shakes his head. "Shit I haven't told anyone in years."

"Good," Isaac says, letting Tommy go. "Adam's a good guy, but some people take advantage. He needs to be trusted."

"I trust him." The words feel strange in Tommy's mouth, almost alien. "Can't fucking remember the last time that was true, but it is for him."

Isaac smiles, wide and bright, and Tommy hugs him again. They walk over to the party together, knocking shoulders as they go.

.o0O0o.

Inside, there are people at every table, standing at the bar, and dancing in the tiny space in front of the DJ. Tommy turns to say something to Isaac, but he's gone and Tommy's alone in this crowd of too many people, too many strangers.

Heads turn his way, and he takes a step back. He's about to head for his car and home, when an arm snakes around his waist. Panic almost choking him, he brings a foot up, ready to kick back only to almost fall over in an attempt to stop when he hears a familiar voice.

.o0O0o.

"You really don't want to hurt me," Leo says. "I bite."

"Promises, promises." Tommy takes a deep breath, trying to slow the pounding of his heart. He slides an arm around her waist, leans against her.

"Seriously, though, you were totally amazing up there. Better than I've ever heard you."

"You think?"

"I know. And so do all the fans. Everyone was talking about you afterwards. You've probably got a ton of new followers on Twitter." Leo's lips twist into a smirk. "Of course, none of them know you like I do."

She nudges him until he smiles at her.

.o0O0o.

"You're having fun, right?" Leo snags them a couple of glasses of wine from a passing waiter. "Because if you're not, I can still kick Adam's ass." She arches an eyebrow at him. "Unless you've got better things to do with that very fine ass of his."

Adam's laugh makes them both spin around. "Thanks, I think."

For the first time ever, in Tommy's experience, Leo blushes. She gets herself together after a second or two, pink still lingering on the tips of her ears, and gives Adam her sweetest smile, the one that always makes Tommy nervous. "You're welcome."

.o0O0o.

This time, Adam's laugh sounds absolutely delighted. "You must be Leo," he says, eying the way they have their arms around each other. "Or at least you better be."

"And if I'm not?"

Tommy moves away from Leo. "Oh, fuck, no," he says. "You are not pulling that shit tonight. I wanna have a few drinks, maybe even more than a few, kick back with my boyfriend and my friends, and enjoy this very fine fucking high, thank you very much."

"Boyfriend?"

Adam's question is echoed by several women around them, and suddenly, Tommy finds himself the center of attention.

.o0O0o.

Tommy ducks his head, lets his fringe cover his face, hearing nothing but an old taunt.

Can't keep your mouth shut, Ratliff, might as well let me shove something in it.

"Boyfriend," Adam repeats, cutting through the buzz in Tommy's head, and holding out a hand.

Swallowing down the old hurt and fear, aware that everyone's watching him, Tommy steps away from Leo and takes Adam's hand. He's pulled against Adam, held there, warm and safe.

There was a promise, Tommy thinks, on that card, and as he kisses Adam, he knows he'll do his best to keep it forever.

.o0O0o.

This is the end of this arc of Promises in Purple Ink. There may be more stories to tell in this 'verse, but this one is told.

Thank you to everyone who went along with me on this weekly ride. I wasn't sure what would happen, back in October 2012 when I got this crazy idea to write a story through glam100 prompts. It turned into one of the stories of my heart.

And, somehow, it seems appropriate to post the final installment of this serial fic on my birthday, as a gift from me to you.

♥



.