Fic: Let it in that ray of light, 3/4
They don’t have sex that night. Tommy’s too exhausted and he’s only mildly embarrassed about that. Hey, apparently, slowing getting your soul sucked out is tiring. Who knew?
Tommy makes Adam cuddle with him though. Well, make is a strong word. He just has to point out the bed and Adam wraps around him, snuggling him against his chest. And even though they both are fully clothed it feels so good the last thing Tommy wants to do is sleep. But he does sleep and if he’s holding onto Adam’s hand when he does, well, he doesn’t think anyone would judge him.
Isabelle looks confused at a pretty dark haired girl. “Why? I don’t understand. Why would you do this?”
The dark haired girl looks at Isabelle up and down. She’s a ghost. “Because he’s mine. He’s always been mine. You could never understand him. Understand what people like you have done to us.”
Isabelle still looks confused, like she can’t understand the words being spoken to her, “But I love him. I would never hurt him.” She shakes her head and a tear spills down her face, “I thought you were my friend.”
The dark haired girl smiles at her. “This never would have ended well. I did you a favor.”
Isabelle looks down at her see-through hands and her world goes grey.
Tommy wakes up with a gasp and as soon as he tries to think of the dream it starts to slip away. Faint images of Isabelle and another girl filter through his mind. Tommy can’t remember their conversation and can only parse out Isabelle’s feelings of confusion. He turns over to see a still sleeping Adam and decides not to wake him. They already know someone cursed the locket and just need to figure out who. Did the girl curse Isabelle and if she did how? And why would she curse Isabelle? Tommy can’t figure it out, there are too many question and not enough answers. He lets out a breath of frustration.
“Tommy?” Adam’s squinting at him and sounds incredibly sleepy.
“Hey, go back to sleep,” Tommy whispers to him and then tries to wiggle under his arm.
Adam lifts his arm for him and Tommy can hear the smile in his voice, “Okay.”
Tommy snuggles Adam’s arm to his chest and closes his eyes. He falls asleep to the sound of Adam breathing.
~~~~~
Emily is in her fifties and a few years a go when her mother died her brother must have raided all her valuables she had kept in a safe. “I only saw the locket once or twice. Mom never let anyone touch it, though. Said it was special or something. I think it just reminded her of grandma, honestly. It was grandma’s originally and when she died it was one of the only things mom had left of her. It‘s a shame Simon got to it first. I remember it being quite beautiful.”
Tommy stops her suddenly. “It was your grandma’s? Originally? What was her name?”
If Emily finds that a strange question she doesn’t seem to notice. “Caroline. Yeah, Caroline Turner. Use to be Shields before she married my grandfather. I don’t know where she got the locket though.”
“No, no that’s fine. Thanks for all your help. Really, thank you.” Tommy hangs up a minute later and turns to tell Adam everything she had told him.
“So do you think her mother knew what it could do? What about her grandma?” Adam asks him and Tommy thinks about what exactly Emily said.
“I don’t know. It sounds fishy. Not letting anyone touch it and saying it‘s special?” Tommy mulls it over and then thinks of something. “When did Isabelle die? Could she have known Emily’s grandmother?”
Adam sighs and says, “I think it’s time to talk to Isabelle again.”
~~~~~
Now she’s staring out the window and looks less forlorn than usual. She almost seems normal. For a ghost. “I was twenty and completely in love with a man from the wrong side of town. He was poor. I was not.” She looks back at them. “His name was Leo Turner and his best friend was Caroline Shields. They were Roma.”
“Roma?” Tommy asks.
“Romani people.” When they still look perplexed she adds, “Gypsies. They were gypsies.”
Tommy nods at her and she continues, “We lived in different worlds but when I met him… there was just something about him. I fell for him and I know he loved me too. So when he asked me to marry him I said yes.”
She drifts over to where Tommy’s sitting and runs a finger over the blue jewel. “Then Caroline gave me this as an engagement present. Said it was for good luck and I shouldn’t ever take it off.” Isabelle laughs and it’s not a pretty sound. “I thought she was going to be my best friend too. I trusted her. But then I slowly got sick. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with me.”
Isabelle suddenly walks back to the window. “And when I died Caroline was there and the only one who could see me. She told me she was the one Leo really loved and that she wanted him all to herself. And she got him.”
Isabelle looked quite sad again. “The curse tied me to the locket. Then Caroline hid it away. As did her daughter. I can’t move on.”
The silence that fills the kitchen after that is deafening. Until, “well, fuck,” Adam exclaims and Tommy agrees that that about sums it up.
Tommy looks at her lone solitary figure, glimmering against the black of night behind her, and feels a pang of sorrow for her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Isabelle doesn’t turn around. “What difference does it make? There’s nothing you can do. You’re still going to die.” She finally turns to look at Tommy and says, desperately sad, “I’m sorry.” She vanishes and Tommy stares out the dark window. He’s slowly beginning to believe this is real. That there’s a possibility he might actually die and he doesn’t know what to feel. It seems like a dream, fake, indistinct, and he’s just waiting for someone to wake him up.
Tommy looks at Adam and he doesn’t know what the look on his face is but it makes Adam shake his head at him. “Isabelle didn’t know what was happening to her. We do. And we can find a way to stop it.”
“Adam,” Tommy says a little hopelessly, not even knowing what he’s going to say.
“Don’t,” Adam tells him. “Don’t argue with a psychic. They know things. And I know you’re not going to die.”
Tommy just takes Adam’s hand in his and holds it before looking out the window and seeing nothing but darkness.
~~~~~
The next two weeks are a study of frustrated panic. Most of the time they are frantically researching any way to get the locket off. The rest of the time they’re making out like teenagers and cuddling like old people. They don’t have sex and Tommy weirdly doesn’t mind. He knows him and Adam mean something, he just doesn’t know what. The whole impending doom thing, surprising enough, keeps distracting him.
Isabelle is no longer any help as she has no idea how Caroline cursed the locket. And as Caroline is long since dead, and her relatives know nothing either, they are at a dead end there. So they search for anything they can find on cursed objects. They find a bunch of gibberish (thank you, Internet) and a small collection of books from various public libraries and book stores. One used book store has some interesting books on spells and rituals that Tommy buys on sale. Even if they are useless like Adam says, in fact, Adam says everything they find is useless.
“I don’t see why we can’t try that one Ritual of Release or whatever. So what if we have to sacrifice a small bird! It’s worth a shot.” It’s was just one bird, Tommy thinks, and he eats chicken. He has no moral high ground here whatsoever and he does draw a line at birds. He would not kill a squirrel or worse a bunny. Tommy shudders.
“Because I’m not killing anything,” Adam tells him and sighs, sounding a little exasperated. “Tommy, spells and rituals are unpredictable at best and can be extremely dangerous. Especially, if you don’t know what you’re doing and we don’t know what we’re doing. It could cause more harm than good.”
Tommy slaps his book on the desk and asks, completely frustrated, “More harm than me dead?”
Adam sets his own book aside. “ Yes!“ He leans forward and gestures at Tommy‘s book. “Besides, we don’t know if the ritual would even work and then we killed a poor harmless bird for nothing. Or it does work, and by work, I mean it releases you of your head and the locket falls off by default.” Adam gives him a look.
Tommy swallows and says petulantly, “I like my head.”
Adam flashes him a small smile. “I’ve grown exceedingly fond of it myself.”
Tommy returns his smile but loses it quickly. “Adam, if this isn‘t going to help then what are we doing?”
Adam runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “I’m missing something, I know it, I just.” Adam stops and looks at Tommy intently. “I just have to figure it out. I’ll know it when I find it.”
And Tommy, Tommy, who’s up shit creek without a paddle, takes a leap of faith. Tommy believes him. He just hopes he doesn’t step in anything.
Adam must see it because he’s says with so much conviction it kind of makes Tommy want to cry, “I won’t let you die, Tommy.”
Tommy, in an effort to keep his dignity intact and not burst into tears like small child, says lightly, “Good, because if you do I will haunt your ass. Don’t think I won’t.”
Adam makes a face, a mix between amused and really fucking not. “That’s not funny.”
Tommy shrugs. It is what it is. “The truth. It hurts.” Tommy gets up and sits in Adam’s lap while he still can.
~~~~~
They are sitting on Tommy’s bed because he can barely make it out of the apartment without passing out, and Adam’s reading something or other but Tommy is tired of reading and he wants Adam’s attention.
“Adam,” Tommy whines at him. So he’s being annoying, sue him, he’s allowed to be.
Adam just hums his assessment and turns a page in his book. “Adam.”
Adam looks up from his book and says, “Tommy.” Tommy pouts.
Adam totally rolls his eyes at him but puts the book down and tells him, “Come here.”
Tommy tries to act uninterested but obviously fails because Adam just rolls his eyes again and moves over to straddle Tommy’s lap. Tommy doesn’t complain.
Adam kisses him, slow and sweet, and Tommy’s just getting into it when Adam pulls back and says, “It’s driving me crazy, I'm missing something. I know it, I feel it, but… I just can’t grasp it.”
Tommy slaps his head back against the headboard and groans, “I’m going to kill you.”
Adam still has his scrunchy thinky face on and Tommy doesn’t think it’s cute. At all. Jesus, he’s so fucking screwed.
Adam’s absent-mindedly running a hand up and down his arm and Tommy stealthily tries to get a hand in Adam’s pants. He’s just about to give up (Adam’s pants are tight, goddamn) and just rip Adam’s zipper down when Isabelle wanders into the room.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Tommy throws his hands up. He’s just wants to get laid, and apparently, man and supernatural forces are joining together to defeat him. What’s next, is a chupacabra going to come in and ask for directions? Tommy is not going to be cockblocked by a chupacabra. Or a ghost.
Tommy points at Isabelle and says, “You. Ghost. Get out.”
“Tommy, don’t be rude. She has a name and feelings, and just because she’s a ghos–” Tommy can see the light bulb flash on above Adam’s head. “Oh, oh… Fuck, I’m so stupid. It’s been right in front of me this whole time.” Adam leans down and pecks Tommy on the mouth before swinging off his lap.
“I just got to check with someone.” Adam grabs his messenger bag and all but runs out the door calling over his shoulder, “Just don’t go anywhere!”
Tommy hears the front door slam and realizes the fucker just left him hanging with a hard on and a ghost for company.
“He’s right, you know. I do have feelings,” Isabelle tells him and vanishes.
Tommy hates his life.
Adam only has a couple of friends, besides his family, who know he‘s a medium. He told the first two because he trusts them, but the third, well, the third is a hippy psychic that knew it from the first moment they met.
Monte swings the door open and takes one look at Adam before saying, “I’ll make some tea.”
Adam tells him everything (minus the fact that he wants to nail Tommy through the floor although Monte seems to have inferred that part anyway) and then tells him his plan.
“I want to summon her. Caroline, I mean, she can tell us how to reverse the curse and if she doesn’t, well then, we’ll threaten to summon Leo and tell him that his lovely wife is a murderer.” Adam knows this will work, he just needs a confirmation.
“Adam, you know it takes a very powerful medium to summon a ghost,” Monte tells him and he looks concerned. “And that’s just one ghost, let alone two.”
“I can do it,” Adam says and means it. “What other choice do I have?”
Monte sighs at him, “It’s dangerous, Adam. You could die. Or worse end up possessed by something you really don‘t want to be.”
“I can do it,” Adam repeats and gives Monte a pleading look. “Monte, I know I can. I just need to know if you think it will work.”
Monte looks torn before finally saying, “Yeah, I think it could work.”
Adam beams at him. “Yeah?”
Monte looks at him seriously, “Yes, but for Christ’s sake be careful.”
“I will,” Adam tells him.
“I mean it,” Monte puts out his pinky. “Promise me.”
Adam rolls his eyes but pinky promises him. “I promise.”
Monte eyes him, “Alright. I take it we’re not going to make it to band practice tonight.”
Adam becomes sheepish, “Uh, whoops? I forgot.”
Monte rolls his eyes, “I figured. Now tell me about this Tommy fellow.”
Adam gives him an exasperated look but does as he’s told.
Adam’s been gone for hours and Tommy’s been through every emotion twice. Angry, sad, scared, frustrated, and hopeful. Like a bi-polar person on crack. When Adam finally bangs his way through the door Tommy’s nerves are so shot he feels like a deep fried Thanksgiving turkey.
Adam comes in all bright eyed and bushy tailed and excited and Tommy wants to punch him in the face. But he’s an adult and will listen to what Adam has to say before any punches will be thrown.
“I have a plan and I really think it will work,” Adam begins and proceeds to tell Tommy his plan to summon Caroline and to make her reverse the curse. Tommy listens quietly, and although he starts to feel a spark of excitement himself, is still too upset with Adam to say anything.
Adam runs out of wind and fucking beams at Tommy. Oblivious motherfucker. Tommy’s urge to throw things rises.
“Tommy?” Adam asks hesitantly and when Tommy doesn’t say anything frowns. “Hey, this is good news! You can be excited, it’s okay.”
Tommy gives him a scathing look, “Yes, if by a sheer miracle we can pull this off I’ll be excited. Till then I’ll wallow in self-pity, if that‘s okay with you?”
Adam wilts and looks at Tommy like he’s just kicked his puppy. Repeatedly. It makes Tommy’s rage completely dissolve, leaving him slumped in the kitchen chair. He feels like an ass. A douchebag. A bag of dicks.
“I- I- Tommy,” Adam looks upset and it just makes Tommy feel guiltier. “Did I do something wrong?”
Tommy rubs his eyes, “No, God. I’m sorry. I’m an ass.” Tommy gives him an apologetic look.
“I know, but tell me what’s wrong anyway.” Tommy gives him a small smile and Adam continues, “It sounds impossible, I know, but this will work.” Adam gives him a reassuring smile. “I’ll make it work.”
Tommy doesn’t say anything and Adam asks again, “ What’s wrong?”
Tommy laughs, “Everything.”
Adam gets down on his knees in front of him, “A little more specific.”
Tommy shakes his head but says in a small voice, “You left me. I didn‘t,” Tommy pauses and Adam takes his hands, encouragingly. “What if you didn’t come back?”
Tommy whispers the last words and he knows he’s being pathetic but he hadn’t known where Adam had ran off too and Tommy really doesn’t know what he would do without him. Probably die.
“Aww, Tommy, I’m not going anywhere,” Adam gives him look so earnest and open Tommy wants to climb into his lap and never leave. “Baby, you’re stuck with me.”
“Yeah?” Tommy’s an insecure pathetic loser and he’s okay with that.
Adam gets up and offers him a hand. “Come with me.” Tommy doesn’t have to be told twice and takes Adam’s hand.
Adam leads him to the bedroom and then backs him against the bed. He kisses him then, softly and like he has all the time in the world to explore Tommy’s mouth with his own. Adam nips gently at his bottom lip before pulling back and asking, “What do you want?’ He slips a hand through Tommy’s hair and kisses along his jaw. “Anything. Tell me.”
Tommy knows exactly what he wants. Everything. And to forget everything just for a moment. “Fuck me.” He pulls Adam’s head up to look at him. “Fuck me. Please.”
Adam kind of shudders and Tommy knew he was a toppy bastard. He really doesn’t mind. Like really. Tommy actually gets a little dizzy with all the blood rushing down at the thought.
“Okay,” Adam tells him then starts pulling roughly at Tommy’s shirt to get it off. Tommy huffs out a laugh and lifts his hands up to help. They get it off and then they’re just grinning at each other. It lifts a tension that Tommy didn’t even now was there and it turns him loose and happy.
Adam pushes him down onto the bed and grins down at him before attacking his zipper. He gets them unfastened and tugs them down as Tommy lifts his hips. Adam pulls his pants and his boxers all the way off and chucks them to the floor.
Tommy’s completely naked and would feel awkward with Adam still dressed if it wasn’t for the look he was giving him. Adam wants him and Tommy needs Adam naked now.
“Adam,” Tommy complains but Adam just smiles at him.
“Patience is a virtue,” he sing-songs but then hurriedly takes his shirt and jeans off.
Leaving his own briefs on Tommy barely has time to see golden freckled skin before Adam drops to his knees and pulls Tommy to the edge of the bed. Adam makes a space between his spread thighs and Tommy’s almost all the way hard. His breath shudders out as Adam touches him with a hand and Tommy leans up on his elbows to watch. He has a second to see Adam smirk up at him and then Adam’s sucking him down.
Tommy groans as he’s encased in tight wet heat. He has to force his eyes to stay open as Adam pulls back enough to suck on the head of his cock. He starts slow, sucking the head before sliding all the way down and swallowing. Tommy bites his lip to keep from calling out and grips the bedclothes to keep from moving. Adam pulls back up again and drags his tongue up the underside of Tommy’s cock and he can’t take anymore.
“Adam,” he breathes down at him. When Adam just moans around his dick Tommy gets a hand in his hair and tugs. “Now, Adam, or I’m going to come down your throat.”
Adam moans again but relents and pulls off, asking hoarsely, “Where’s your stuff?”
Tommy’s breathing heavily but points to his nightstand. Adam leans over and rummages until finds a condom and lube. Tommy goes to lean back again but Adam stops him by holding out the lube. “Stretch yourself. I want to see.”
Tommy would protest but he’s past the point of caring and he really wants Adam’s dick in him tonight. He takes the lube and slicks his fingers before reaching back behind his thigh to circle his hole. Adam’s right there between his thighs, watching intently, and Tommy flushes but doesn’t stop, just pushes a finger in to the knuckle. Tommy stretches himself and he’s acutely aware of Adam but loses it a little when he hits his prostate. He groans loudly and adds another finger. He’s just about to add a third finger when he feels a slick hand against his own. Adam pushes in a finger alongside his and Tommy has to grab the base of his dick with has other hand to stop himself from coming. Adam plays a minute longer until Tommy yanks his fingers out and pushes Adam away. “Adam, now.”
Adam surges up and he’s lost his briefs somehow and Tommy doesn’t want to state the obvious, but damn, he’s huge. “I’m not going to be able to walk tomorrow, am I?”
Adam has the good grace not to look too smug. “Maybe.” His hair falls into his eyes and Adam pushes it back without thinking then frowns down at his lube covered hand he just ran through his hair. It’s ridiculously adorable and Tommy’s stupid heart clenches.
He’s also fucking gorgeous, all flushed and mussed with miles of freckled skin for Tommy to see. His mouth waters.
Adam gets a condom on quickly and then he’s pulling Tommy by a thigh and without pausing starts to slide into him. He pushes in slowly, letting Tommy get use to him, and he feels every sweet inch as Adam’s cock stretches him. Tommy breathes out on a grasp and wants more, for Adam to give Tommy all of him.
Adam stops for a minute, breathing harshly down at Tommy, then kisses him messily before pulling back out. He starts a hard rhythm and it feels so good Tommy fucking whimpers.
Tommy loses himself in it, hands gripping tight onto Adam’s back and shoulders, as he rides the sharp edge of almost there pleasure. Adam gets a hand between them and Tommy comes with a cry, jerking into Adam, whose rhythm stutters before he fucks into him harder, all finesse gone.
Tommy feels Adam arch and come through the fog and doesn’t come all the way back to himself till Adam collapses on top of him. Tommy waits and doesn’t really want him to move but breathing’s becoming an issue.
Tommy squirms and Adam gets the message, pulling out with a sigh and falling down beside Tommy. He takes the condom off and ties it, and then throws it in the general direction of the trash. Tommy picks up a t-shirt and half-heartedly wipes them down before throwing it too and vowing never to move again. Thankfully, Adam throws a blanket over them and cuddles him to his chest. Tommy’s so fucking in love with him it hurts.
They lay in silence for a while until Adam says, “We should do that again. After next week, I mean. If you still want to.” They have four days left.
Tommy smiles and plays with Adam’s hand on his chest, noticing his chipped black nail polish. “Yeah, I would like that.”
Adam moves his hand up his chest and his fingers glance the locket. Adam jerks back with a hiss and brings his hand to his mouth. “It burned me,” he says around his fingers.
“What? I didn’t feel anything,” Tommy says and tries to pry Adam’s fingers out of his mouth. “Here. Let me see.”
Adam gives him his hand and sure enough there are two red patches at the tip of Adam’s index and middle finger. “I don’t think it likes me,” Adam says sulkily.
“Huh,” Tommy says. “I didn’t know lockets had feelings. Even cursed and homicidal ones.” Tommy looks amused at Adam’s disgruntled face and then puts Adam’s burnt fingers in his own mouth and gently sucks on them.
Adam gets a heated look in his eyes but says, still peeved, “I still don’t think it likes me.”
Tommy rolls his eyes and gives Adam his hand back. “I don’t think it likes me, either, since it’s trying to kill me and all.” Tommy reaches down and touches the locket himself but the stone only feels unnaturally warm like usual.
“See!” Adam tells him. “I get bad, angry vibes from it. It doesn’t want me near it.”
“That’s weird,” Tommy says and Adam nods his head in agreement.
Adam gets a speculative look in his eye. “Yeah, it is.”
Part Four