Running Up That Hill (Shakira & Adam Levine / Shadam)

Can You Hear Me Now?

*I think this chapter is more like a filler chapter than anything else.

Warning: If sex is only implied, does this change the rating? . . . If it does, then, uh . . . warnings?

She calls . . . once, twice, and three more times . . .

And he isn't sure if he should be happy or afraid.

She's worried about him . . .

And he isn't sure if he should be grateful or terrified.

What Adam is sure of is that he can't tell her what's wrong or why he stormed out the way he did or why he can't call her back or pick up the phone or - or - or why he needed to get away from her.

And some parts of him know that his past is keeping himself back and her future will keep him further back. He doesn't know if he could take it, so he locked himself up for the days that would follow.

A week later, he realizes that he's going crazy. His sanity is leaving him.

That's when he texts her and he waits on the staircase that faces the front door for her to come to him. He shuts off his phone because he doesn't know if his eyes could see straight enough to read her reply . . . or maybe it was too early for rejection.

Was that the swish of his front door opening? He couldn't tell. Was that the sound of heels clacking on his floor? He didn't notice. Was that the flop of a purse being tossed to the side? Was that the hoarse voice of someone saying his name?

"Hey, Adam . . . Adam. Hey," and she repeats those two words over and over again until he could digest what was happening and when he does, he lets out a small smile and greets her with a hello.

"Are - are you okay?" She hesitates when she asks what seemed to be a forbidden question the way it rolled off her tongue and he nods.

She sighs and takes his face into her hands, tilting his chin. "Adam, hey . . . hey, look at me." Adam does as he is told and silently thanks the heavens that she has such nice, soft hands. "I know this feels like the end of the world, but - but just stay with me, okay? It'll go away, I prom - "

And Adam's face turned from admiring her to being as confused as any guy could be.

" - mise." And he pushes her hands away from him because he could see now from searching her face. He sees her eyes that are so open that it exposes a trait, a knowing that he should not have seen.

"You knew," his voice cracks as he whispers two words that has him falling apart.

"Yes, yes, I did," Shakira once again tries to embrace Adam in her arms in a motherly way and he detests it, scrambling up and about and away from her, "because I had gone through the same thing and it hurts, I know, but -"

Adam lets out a breath of anger and frustration and glares at her, but his glare is flawed and it softens as every second passes.

"But - but it could only get better now," and Shakira's eyes are filled with innocence when they widen in fear of his response.

He only huffs when he steps closer to her and she flinches when he shakes his head at her. Her arms move on instinct to cover herself when he raises his, but he only wraps them around her.

"Then - then let me have this," he whispers. His eyes are closed while hers only widen in shock. "I need this. This makes me feel better."

She lets him . . .

. . . even when he backs up a little to look at her and places his lips on hers. She doesn't respond and stays rigidly still, hands to her side, while he groans, the sound tearing from the back of his throat, low and needy. She slants her mouth for his easier access because she could feel from his fast, hot, and desperate tongue that he really needs this. He grips her hips and holds her against him and nips at her lips and she could sense his fear. She fights back a sob because she's hurting him and herself and her family back home, but Adam's her friend and he is not only hurt, but he's alone, so she'll be here for him. Shakira closes her eyes and prepared herself to surrender and give in . . . I can help him . . . 

. . . when Adam took a step back, breaking their connection. Her eyes slam open in shock of him stopping and her in realization that she was about to give in. Adam took one of her hands in his and looked at her with a look that would have had any woman to her knees and kissed each of her knuckles.

"I love you," his voice hazy from lust and he whispers those three words continuously, finishing with one "I'm so in love with you" in a much clearer, much more precise tone that makes him seem so sure of himself.

Shakira closed her eyes as he led her to his bedroom and that night, they became one, with words of encouragement from both sides, their bodies moving and flowing in rhythm and in recognition that they fit perfectly together . . . but only one of the two acknowledges that as the other held his hand throughout the night as he fell into peaceful slumber. His hand guided hers to his heart that he had just handed her a few moments ago and she lets out a few gasps and sobs as tears flowed down her cheeks . . .

The next morning, Adam Levine woke up happy. It's been so long since he had and he reached over to touch the woman who was the whole reason and -

- his hands met cold, empty sheets.

And it took a few moments to realize what had happened and though he knew she was gone, he still searched through his entire house - in each room, opening each door, in each cabinet, on the roof, in the backyard. Despite the rest of his brain telling him that she was indeed gone, his heart uttered one final plead and did not listen as he tries to call her to be extra sure she left safely. He even checked his bed to be extra extra sure that whatever happened the other night was not his imagination.

And knowing that it has and knowing that he has made the biggest mistake in the world, his heart throbbed in pain.

Shakira didn't have to say anything for Adam to understand.

He fell to the ground in the kitchen, just like he had many years ago, he held his knees to his chest, just like he had when his parents exchanged those hateful words to one another, and he let out silent cries and pleads in his mind that went on for hours as he curled into a ball, just like he had when he was seven and his parents finalized the divorce and he hoped they couldn't hear his despair over their shouts - but his mother always had and she would hold him and tell him everything would be alright and her lies always made him feel so much better . . .

This time, no one would hear him and he felt his heart break into pieces and fall into place on the ground and he wished that someone could be here and feed him lies . . .

. . . but no one was here to and he doesn't know whether to be happy or afraid.

*I thought this chapter was boring as hell. LOL, but it served its purpose on filling you guys in on what's happening. I actually wrote the fourth chapter (correction: I wrote two chapter fours because there were two ideas that I really liked) before I started this one. It was real hard connecting all the pieces from 2 -> 4. 

I also did research on Adam's past. What a story to tell! Am I a horrible person to put Adam in this much pain? LOL . . . yes, yes I am . . . but I'll be uplifting the mood because I feel really guilty.