Fic: Sentiments

[cloversworld]

Title: Sentiments
Author: clover71
Pairing: Cook - Archie; Cook – Caldwell
Rating: PG-13
Description: The story takes place 7 years in the future.
Disclaimer: This fiction is created based solely on the imagination of the author and for non-profitable purpose. Most characters used are based on real people but the details within do not purposely imply occurrences in real life; thus, anything here that concurs with real events may be completely coincidental.
Summary: David Cook reminisces his life-changing events.
Author's notes: This may come as a totally boring story. These scenes just kept playing in mind after a dream I had about Cook and Archie and I just had to write it. But I'm not a very good writer, I couldn't write to save my life. This is based on the song: ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told' by Oliver James.


~ start ~

It is the most peaceful sight you've ever seen. The nine-month-old infant lying on his stomach on a wooden crib lined with a mattress covered in blue and white cotton sheets. You ran a finger across his soft pink cheeks and brush a few strands of brown hair off of the baby's forehead. You sighed as your thoughts noted for the thousandth time what a beautiful baby he is. Your baby.

'How could you be this lucky, David Cook,' you said to yourself as you pulled a blanket over his body and kissed him on his head before walking out of the nursery with the baby monitor on your hand. You turned back to glance at your son once again and smiled before walking through the hallway and made your way down the stairs.

One of the bigger rooms on the ground level of your fairly large house was turned to a private recording studio much to your own satisfaction.

This had given you the opportunity to work at home most of your time because you did not have to spend it at some other recording studios if all you needed to do was write songs or arrange music or record a run-through demo for an album. At least you get to spend more time with your family.

Your heart skipped a beat at the thought of having a family that you thought you could only dream of. Your thoughts lingered as you go through several sheet music on the table. Your eyes landed on a large photo album underneath the pile.

It is an album that holds precious memories of your life-changing events that serves as an inspiration when writing songs. You picked it up and sat on a couch by the wall and went through the photo-filled pages that were mostly taken during your time on idol and the tour and some were taken thereafter. Nostalgia washes over you as you reminisce the old days.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

= flashback =

"You really got it bad for that kid, mate", Michael Johns' voice filtered through the other end of the line.

"Am I that obvious?" you said, balancing your cellphone between your ear and your shoulder.

"Dave, the way you stared and glanced at him over the course of the last few weeks in the competition is a dead give away," you heard him gulp, guessing he might have taken a swig from a bottle of water or something, "not to mention the fact that you can't seem to keep your hands off that boy. You were pretty touchy-feely, mate."

You sighed and ran a hand through your hair. "I dunno man. I just can't stop thinking about him. It's gotten to the point that I think I'm having inappropriate feelings for him. I'm afraid to pursue him though. We've gotten quite close. I don't wanna scare him off."

"Inappropriate. Ha!" Michael's voice rang in your ears. "Wait...What about Kim?"

"I don't know. I mean I like her. A lot actually."

"Why do I hear a 'but' coming."

You sighed. "But...I honestly do not know, man. I'm so confused." Then you suddenly started rambling. "I mean, Kim and I have got something going. But these feelings...these damned feelings I have for Archie are crippling me. Now that the tour is coming, Kim and I of course will be spending more time apart and that means I'll be spending three months close to Archie and I honestly do not know what will happen in those three months. I don't know if I'm just confused and these feelings for him would go away. And I...I... ugh! I really don't know what to do Mike."

= end of flashback =

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

You remember being fond of Archie from the first day you laid eyes on him. He was so adorable and innocent-looking everyone instantly liked him. What you never expected though was you'd grow close throughout the competition. Since Michael was voted off, you spent more time with him and started knowing him as a person and not as a fellow contestant, or a competitor for that matter.

And knowing him more inevitably pulled you through a pool of emotions that you fought hard to keep at bay as your conscience continuously derived some senses into your conscious mind. You tried to induce the fact that he is only seventeen and could possibly be against the idea of homosexuality.

Then you met Kim. She was a very pretty girl and you convinced yourself that it would not be too hard to like her. You dated. And dated more. And the public and media graced your personal life, placing your relationship with Kim on the spotlight. And you were happy. Until you were halfway through the summer concert tour for American Idol.

You were certain that you did your best to act normal around Archie. Everyone expected you'd spend less time together than you did during the last weeks of the competition because of the fact that Michael would be around and they all knew you were best friends for life.

Up to this time, you can't seem to recall why it happened. You do remember clearly how. One late night on the bus, Archie walked in the lounge area to find you slouched on the couch, watching a re-run of Friends. He asked if he could watch with you and you simply patted at the empty spot beside you.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

= flashback =

"Cook?" Archie's voice came above whisper.

You kept your eyes glued to the television screen as you replied "yeah?"

"Are you uhm... have you been avoiding me?" You turned your head to him at that point. And he briefly looked into your eyes before dropping his gaze on his hands that were laid on his lap. "That must've sounded strange, but...oh gosh. I mean, I know you're not mad at me or anything. Since you uhm, you still talk to me and all that. But... I don't know. You must think I'm crazy or imagining things... but," he looked back at you and shrugged, "things seem different between us. I was..uhm...I was wondering what changed."

You felt your heart got caught in your throat somehow. You stared at the most beautiful person you've ever set your eyes on and you felt your emotions struggled from the grip of your conscience so it could flow freely.

Taking a deep breath, you tried to find the right words to tell him how you feel, braving whatever consequences fate throws at you. You told him that somewhere along your journey through idol, you've fallen in love with him. And that you tried to deny how you felt because you were afraid the feelings would not be reciprocated and you feared you would lose him in the process.

He was confused. He asked about Kim. And you tell him how you like her, but you were never in love with her.

Minutes turned to hours. And you both sat there on the lounge. Talking. Thinking. And finally coming to terms with your feelings. He told you he felt the same way, but were afraid of the reality it brings. You both agreed to give it a try in the end. And of course, you shared your first kiss that night. And so that's how the story goes.

= end of flashback =

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

You went through the pages that contained photos of you and Archie and remember the fun times you had together during the tour. You were so in love. And your friends saw and felt it.

Your eyes landed on a photo of you and Archie seated on the bed of your hotel room in Tulsa taken the day before the end of the tour. You were fooling around with the camera and decided to set its timer and took that picture that now holds the most precious of all precious memories. Because that was the day Archie selflessly gave his virginity to you.

The next pages on the photo album showed pictures of you and the rest of the top 10 idol finalists. Pictures that were taken at the dressing rooms; at the backstage; and at the after-party during the last concert night. Tears welled up in your eyes as you remembered that very emotional night when realization hit you that it was probably the last time you'd see all those people you've grown close to together for the longest time to come. And you weren't sure when you would see most of them again.

What dreaded you the most was the status of your relationship with Archie. Over the last month before the tour ended, you've taken steps to deepen your bond; however, things remained uncertain because you both knew there were a lot of things to consider.

So you talked about it before you parted the day after the tour ended. You talked and deliberated. You were more concerned over Archie's career than your own. His first single had hit number one on the Billboards Top 100 charts. His fan bases have evidently multiplied throughout the duration of the tour. You knew right then that he has a very promising future in the music industry. And what you two have just made all that hang on a thread that could break and risk him losing everything he had worked so hard for.

And then there was Kim. You never did break up with her. She had thought all along that the reason you contacted her less was because you were busy with the tour and with your album. She had been patient and understanding all throughout. And you felt badly about breaking her trust.

You were caught in between two rivers and you knew you had to choose only one path to take. Decisions never came that easy. You weighed the pros and cons painstakingly. In the end you just followed your heart.

You closed the photo album and sighed. For months after the tour, you wondered whether you have made the right decision.

You heard the baby's cry over the baby monitor as you settled the photo album back on the table. You rushed upstairs to find your son on a sitting position, gripping on the bars of his crib and crying his heart out. You walked over to pick him up while making shushing sounds.

"There, there," you whispered as you patted his back and carried him downstairs. "Are you hungry? Daddy's gonna get you some snacks."

You placed him on a high chair as soon as you've reached the kitchen and went through the pantry to look for his baby biscuits. You were handing him a piece of his biscuit when you heard the front door open followed by a high-pitched yell, "Daddy?"

"I'm in the kitchen sweetie," you called out. And seconds later, a four-year-old little girl ran into your arms and planted a wet kiss on your cheek.

"Hey. How was the field trip?" you asked as she sat her bag on the floor and rummaged inside it, her dark hair covering her face.

You heard the front door open and close again. "David?" a voice called out.

"In the kitchen, babe," you replied.

"The field trip was great!" your daughter exclaimed as she stood holding a piece of paper on her hand. "We went to the farm, and the teacher made us draw what we like most about it." She handed you the paper and you realized it contains doodles of what looks like farm animals. Your daughter pointed at every picture she had drawn explaining what it was supposed to be. "This ones are the chickens. We got to feed the chickens, daddy!"

Your significant other sauntered into the kitchen and gave you a kiss before planting one on your son's head and asked, "did Ethan take a nap this afternoon?"

"He actually just woke up," you said as you watched the person you have loved and lived for for seven years walk around the kitchen and prepares the family dinner. You take pleasure in staring at the beauty before you that had always taken your breath away; the smile that had always melted your heart and brightened your day.

"Daddy look, these are the pictures taken on the museum we went to," your daughter pulled at your arm, shoving the digital camera on your face.

"Wow, these are fantastic," you said as you pressed buttons on the gadget. "Why don't you change out of your travel clothes and wash up for dinner?"

"But daddy, I've got lots to show you," your daughter whined.

"Do as daddy says, Karissa," your spouse said firmly, to which your daughter complied.

*******

You finished up some work at your home studio after dinner while your partner prepared the children for bed. You went through the photo album one last time and stared at the pictures on the last few pages that feature your wedding and the days when the children were brought home from the hospital. The last page contains family pictures. And you felt a tug in your heart at the sight of your children's happy faces, and the love that reflects on your eyes and your partner's as you looked at each other.

You smiled. You smile because you know deep down that you have made the right decision all along.

You checked on the children before going to your room. Your son was already deep in slumber and your daughter was sucking her thumb while your partner sang her to sleep.

Half an hour later, your lover crawled into bed and cuddled beside you after taking a long shower. You wrapped your arms around each other and kissed passionately. You made love like you always did, regarding each moment like it was your first, moving in a rhythm only you two understand, engulfed in a passion so strong and yet remain sensitive to each other's needs. As you both reached the edge, you continued to worship each other's body.

"I love you so much Cook," he said in between kisses.

"And I love you Archie, I always have, and I always will."

You kissed him lightly on the forehead and said a silent prayer to thank God for every moment in your life spent with the man you love more than anything, your reason for living.

You both closed your eyes and soon after, sleep overtook your senses.

^--^--^--^--^--^--^--^--^--^

People Magazine: Cover Story - Celebrity Gay Relationships
August 2015

Gay relationships have been openly practiced in the celebrity world for the past years. It had been fortunate that society had learned to embrace this idealism over the course of time; thus, a lot of celebrity gay couples have shamelessly flaunted their successful relationships in the public. In this issue of People Magazine, we took the liberty to gather insights from friends and relatives of the most popular gay couples in the entertainment industry.

On David Cook and David Archuleta:
By Carly Smithson

I have never seen two people so in love with each other as Dave (Cook) and David (Archuleta) are. I consider myself lucky to be one of the few people that witnessed their love grow stronger in time. I have watched how Dave tried to keep his feelings for David hidden during the last few weeks of the competition and the first half of the tour for American Idol. It was a long and painful struggle because he thought it was the only way to protect David from the bitter reality of homosexual relationship. Apparently David likewise had feelings for Dave. And we knew fate would bring them together somehow.

Dave and David fought a long battle against prejudice over the years. With the help of their truest friends, they won the fight. Dave exerted great effort to earn the blessing and respect of David's family and he proved to his own family that he was righteous enough regardless of the nature of their relationship. They got married two years after the American Idol tour ended and started a family not long after through surrogacy. They now have two children and my heart is simply overjoyed to see them extremely happy. Imagine, if destiny somehow decided for Dave to look the other way, then I would not be writing this greatest story that could ever be told.



~ end ~



==============================
posted originally at cookleta


And if I lived a thousand years
You know, I never could explain
The way I lost my heart to you
That day.
But if destiny decided
I should look the other way
Then the world would never know
The greatest story ever told
And did I tell you that I love you,
Just how much I really need you
Did I tell you that I love you tonight?
- The Greatest Story Ever Told by Oliver James

Comments

[clover71.livejournal.com]

i just reread this fic so i can refresh my memory and remember the backgrounds i created for this world since i'm working on 'wishes'. this was originally posted over at cookleta so i was surprised to see a comment here :)

thank you so much for the lovely review and i'm glad you liked it :)