Over Land and Sea

sequel to fools and kings

In hindsight, Kris should have known that the conversation was not a good sign.

But in his defense, he can't really think when he's in bed with Adam.

~

"We could go away."

Kris feels like he has melted into the bed and against Adam. Adam's hand moving up and down on his arm is creating small waves on the surface of the puddle he makes. That's why he doesn't even turn his head around—puddles don't generally have heads.

"Maybe. Visit Mom," he mumbles. His mother would like that. She likes Adam for some strange reason.

"I don't mean just for a while. I mean we can move away."

"You can't move away," Kris says, thinking that Adam must have come his brains out as well. "You're the crown prince."

"I don't have to be," Adam says tentatively.

Kris finds that he is not a puddle after all.

"What are you talking about? Of course you have to be. Because you are."

Adam gives him a stubborn look. Kris knows that look well. It's never a good sign.

"You can't just quit being a prince," Kris says logically.

"I can quit being the crown prince," Adam replies, just as logically.

"And what? Abandon your kingdom? Your family?"

Adam shrugs. "They'll be okay."

"Don't be ridiculous." Kris scoffs. "You're going to be the king. And you're going to be the best king, this or any other kingdom, has ever seen."

"If I am king, I will need a queen," Adam says, looking into Kris' eyes meaningfully.

"Of course you’ll have a queen," Kris says. It's not like this is a surprise to him. He always knew that one day Adam would have a queen. "And an heir," Kris adds on second thought. The queen is a necessity, but Kris likes the idea of a miniature Adam.

"And you're just okay with that?" Adam asks, sounding angry.

"Of course I am."

"Well, I'm not. And thankfully, I'm the one that gets to decide, not you."

Kris sighs. Adam sounds like a five-year-old. Again. "I'm not the one deciding. That's just the way it works."

"Not for me it isn't."

Kris pulls the covers up and gets ready to sleep. He can't deal with this madness in the middle of the night. "You have a bit more growing up to do," he tells Adam before he falls asleep.

~

It's a week later that Kris is summoned by the king. He hurries there, trying to fix his hair and clothes on the way. He has never been summoned by the king before in all his years working here. He has no idea what it could be about. When he arrives, he spots Adam standing in one corner, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his lips. Knowing Adam as well as he does, Kris would bet good money on that look being a bad omen. A very, very bad omen.

"Kristopher," the king says jovially. "My son tells me you two are in love."

Kris' heart stops. The king looks at him, at first expectant, and then worried.

"Are you sure you haven't been hallucinating this relationship?" he asks Adam. "Because you've been known to—"

"Oh for God's sake," Adam says, rolling his eyes. "You scared the crap out of him."

"I did? Why?" the king asks, looking closely at Kris like he is an insect to be studied.

Kris looks at Adam in a way he hopes says what the fuck? Adam doesn't disappoint and understands perfectly. "I just told my father that we'll be leaving soon."

Kris' eyes widen in shock. "Leaving where? What?"

"Adam says he wants to leave with you," the king says in response. "And I don't blame him, really. I always knew he was different. He will do great things, but not here, not like this." He points to his crown when he says not like this and Kris thinks madness. There is no other explanation for this.

"You're just going to let him?" Kris squeaks out in protest.

The king shrugs. "It's his decision."

~

Adam follows him out of the room, but Kris doesn't slow down to let him catch up. He makes a beeline for the nearest window; he can't breathe. It takes him three tries to open the latch. He takes in a gulping breath, but the fresh air doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

"Kris..."

"Don't," Kris says, holding a hand up to Adam. "You just. I can't."

Kris tries to breathe deep and slow. It's like his lungs are stuttering, taking in and letting out only short bursts of air.

"Kris..."

Adam reaches towards him, but Kris jumps away like he is burned. "Don't touch me!" he says, a little hysterical. The world is upside down and it feels like he is breathing in water, he can't handle Adam on top of all this.

"Kris, it's okay," Adam says calmly, keeping his hands to himself.

Kris finds he still has the breath to yell. "It's not goddamn okay. You just GAVE UP THE THRONE!"

"Well. Yes," Adam says. "But Neil is a better politician anyway. He'd be—"

"You gave up the throne," Kris repeats. "For..." He looks up at Adam, unable to finish his sentence.

Adam looks back, serious and intent. He nods. "Yeah."

"You can't do this," Kris says, almost begging.

"I just did," Adam replies.

Stubborn bastard. He never listens to Kris about anything.

"I didn't ask for this," Kris says absently, talking to himself almost. "I didn't. I would have stood by you, no matter what. I would have—"

"I know you would have," Adam says, taking a cautious step toward him. "That's why I had to do it."

"You're crazy." Father and son both, Kris thinks. They are completely mental.

"No, I'm not. I just know what I want." He takes Kris by the hand and pulls him closer. "I want us to be together. No lies, no queen, nothing else between us."

Kris leans his forehead against Adam's to close his eyes and take deep, calming breaths. Adam may be stubborn and stupid and annoying, but as always, his heart is in the right place. Kris has problems with the way Adam uses his head at times—or doesn't—but he never doubts his heart.

"So we're going away?" he asks, trying to get used to the idea.

"Yeah," Adam says with a shrug. "We can travel for a while, see the other kingdoms, see if we like anywhere enough to settle down."

"Okay," Kris says, telling himself he can do that. He can do anything as long as Adam is with him. It makes no sense, but he can do it nonetheless.

Adam gives him a blinding smile, and Kris kisses him, out in the open for the first time, because what the hell, it doesn't matter who sees them now. Adam hugs him close and deepens the kiss, not a trace of his confidence left, urgency and desperation taking its place instead. Kris gentles him with his hands—seems it's now Adam's turn to freak out over this. There will be a lot more freaking out and panic in the days to come, Kris knows, for both of them. This is not something they can kiss and make better.

Kris does try though.

He only pulls back when something occurs to him. "What are you going to do now? You can't hunt dragons for a living."

Adam seems put out. "I don't know," he says, thinking about it. Then he brightens up suddenly. "I know! I can sing."

Kris rolls his eyes at him.

"What?" Adam pouts. "I can."

The End

September 16th, 2009