The Voice - Adam Levine

[ToothTen]

After quite a bit of deliberation, I have decided to post this story, and with two parts currently written, I'm hoping that the actual posting will give me some incentive to finish the rest in a timely manner. That being said, I don't have much free time, and I am also working on Secret Santa, so I apologize in advance for the high likelihood that the updates will be few and far between.

A/N: I have decided that, while Adam Levine is still BEYOND HOT at age 35 (which is not old by any means), I am going say that he is 27, simply because I want to keep his age closer to that of my main character for no particular reason other than the fact that I imagined it that way. I have also decided to use the most recent panel of coaches because, while I loved the previous coaches and their chemistry, I was really happy with Gwen and Pharrell, and figured why not keep things fresh.

--

I bounced on the balls of my feet, body filled with nervous energy as I stood in the wings of the Voice stage, waiting for what was going to be the chance of a lifetime. I knew I could sing, I mean I had been in choir all through high school, and three out of four years of college, but it takes a lot to make it on a show like the Voice, and with only a couple solo performances under my belt, I figured I had a right to a few butterflies.

I looked down at my outfit to try and take my mind off of the looming performance, smiling as I surveyed what I considered to be a fashion success. Despite my general tendency to lean toward athletic clothing, I had chosen a cute black dress which fit tightly to my upper body, but flared at the bottom and came to about mid-thigh. To accent it, I had chosen a bright yellow blazer and matching yellow high tops, which solved the problem of "Alexia-sure-as-hell-doesn't-want-to-wear-heels-on-stage-where-she-could-trip-and-embarrass-herself-in-front-of-America." After topping the whole thing off with a white necklace and agonizing over the process of pulling my wavy blond hair into a sort of side swept bun, I was truly proud.

Earth to Alexia! A stocky tech guy had just lumbered over and pressed a microphone into my hand, and was now counting down from five with his raised left hand. This was it. I, Alexia Roberts, was about to change my future with a song.

I was greeted by raucous cheers and blinding lights as I strode out to the middle of the stage, and I quickly realized that closing my eyes was better than squinting at the disheartening backs of four red chairs, so I spent the 37 seconds before my music began playing contemplating the insides of my eyelids. I was brought back into reality by the first few bars of Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls, and when I started to sing, everything else melted away for the blissful minute and a half.

I just want you to know who I am

I held the last note out, savoring the beauty of a perfectly hit pitch, and as I let it fade along with the guitar, I opened my eyes to see the stunned faces of all four coaches, their clapping lost in a wave of noise from the crowd around them.

I couldn't control my grin as the cheering began to die down, my amazement at achieving a four-chair-turn probably written all over my face as Gwen Stefani leaned forward almost conspiratorially before saying,

"That was amazing! What's your name and how old are you?"

"My name is Alexia Roberts and I am 24 years old." I replied, admittedly a little shaky, probably thanks to the shock of being within about three feet of four of the biggest names in music, that kind of thing can put a person on edge.

"Well, Alexia, that was a phenomenal performance! You blew me away with your strength and tone, and I'd love to see what we can do with your range if you choose me." Gwen said with a bright smile, barely finishing before Blake started in.

"Alexia. That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." I blushed and mumbled thanks as the country star directed a wink at me before continuing, "I agree with what Gwen said, and I have to add that you are definitely one of the best blind auditions we've had in the history of the voice," I caught Adam nodding out of the corner of my eye, "and even though I am a country artist, I really think that the two of us can do great things together with a voice like yours."

"Thank you, that means a lot." I managed, still feeling shell shocked and a little bit in awe.

"You know, there's just something about your voice that caught my attention and didn't let go." Pharrell began, giving me that sweet smile of his. "As soon as I heard you singing, it was like everything else was kind of put on hold and I couldn't do anything but listen. I know that any of these guys would be able to work with you and produce wonderful things, but I think my knowledge of the music and songwriting industry may be invaluable to you when we are producing the album that I can't wait to hear, so just remember that these other guys can't offer that to you,"

"You make a good point." I managed, heart skipping a beat at his nonchalant way of bringing up my possible future in the music industry.

"Now wait a minute!" Adam said, standing up. "Let's focus on right here and now first. And speaking of first, I'd like to remind you that I was the first to press my button for you, but that's not as important as this: You, miss Alexia, were amazing. You blew me away, and I say right now we focus on winning the Voice, you and I, and after that, you can go off and cut an album or tour with Maroon 5 or whatever you want, because I need you on my team, and we will do this. I'm standing up right now to show to show you how devoted I am to us, so please pick me!"

"Thank you," I said, then blushed as Adam's gaze connected with mine.

"Okay, Alexia, it's time to make a decision. Pick your coach." Blake said, pointing a finger at himself. I swept my eyes down the row of faces, but found them snapping back to a certain tattooed rockstar as he sucked in an audibly sharp breath, then snapped forward to press two ticklish sneezes into the back of his wrist.

heH'PTCHh-uhh! 'ITCHhh-uH!

He gave his nose a quick rub before looking sheepishly up at his fellow coaches then calling out a "thank you" in response to the rumble of blessings he received from the crowd. After the eager fans quieted down and Blake gave up on shooting Adam a mock-disgusted look, I took a deep breath, then spoke into the microphone.

"I choose Adam."

--

so I know it's short, and there isn't much sneezing, but I wanted to set the stage (no pun intended) and if anyone is interested in reading more, please comment, I'd really appreciate it

[CHOCOLATE <3]

YES YES YES YESYESYESYESYESYESYAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I LOVE the voice, and Adam Levine...the thought of a sniffly, sneezy him is just..yasssss

[babygirl45]

Yes please post more soon.

[sapphiremint]

Adam, baby I love how you spelled his sneezes; I can't wait for more! I love the voice and the everlasting bromance that keeps me coming back <3 There's nothing like some RPF from my favorite frontman

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

I LOVE THIS HOLY MAC THIS IS BEAUTIFUL !!!

[Sarah_Snow]

You're the author, you're free to change his age. He was 27 once lol. And yes, he's beyond hot!

[ThatSneezyGirl]

Love this! Please continueeeee

[ToothTen]

Thank you so much for the support!! Hope you enjoy this part

"I choose Adam."

At the sound of his name, Adam Levine sprinted over and pulled me into a tight hug. The scent of his cologne washing pleasantly over my senses as I was pressed firmly against his chest. When I caught my breath, I said the first thing that came to mind at the same time as he whispered in my ear.

"Bless you."

"You're beautiful."

As I blushed, Adam chuckled, and then we whispered "thank you" at the same time, which only made my cheeks heat up more as we pulled apart. He winked at me, an amused grin still plastered across his handsome face as he returned to his seat next to Gwen and I was shuffled off the stage by Carson.

--

The two days of anticipation I had spent waiting for our first Team Adam meeting had dragged on slowly, despite the novelty of being in LA for the first time in my life. Finally, the day rolled around, and I found myself climbing out of a taxi at the front of the Voice building and steeling my nerves before walking through the doors and finding my way to the half formed group of Team Adam singers where I half-heartedly mingled with my fellow contestants for a few minutes. My small talk was interrupted by the entrance of Adam himself, and when I looked up at him, I was surprised to see his eyes on me as he began to explain the purpose of the day.

"So today is all about me getting to know you and your voice. We're going to do short individual sessions where I can figure out what kind of range you have, what your tone is like, just figuring out what to do with your voice, as well as finding out what vocal experience you have." Everyone sort of nodded and mumbled in affirmation of Adam's words, so he clapped his hands decisively and said "Jordan, come with me, everyone else can just chill here and get to know each other." At this a lanky, dark haired guy who looked a little younger than me stood quickly and followed our coach down a hallway just out of my line of sight. I turned back to the girl who I had been "getting to know" with and settled in for what I hoped wouldn't be too long of a wait.

--

Of course I was the last one. Just my luck. It was close to three hours since I had arrived, and about ten minutes ago, my only remaining companion, Sam, the pretty boy from Philly, had been sent back to see Adam, who was beginning to seem like "the man behind the curtain," since he hadn't made an appearance since his initial address, instead sending the previous singer out with a name for the next meeting.

Sam emerged suddenly, and earlier than I expected, then walked over to me to relay his message.

"Adam just got a call, so he said for you to come in after twenty minutes, since he should be done by then." I must have had a confused look on my face, because Sam just shrugged and said, "it's what he said, don't ask me!" I sighed deeply before replying,

"Whatever, I'm not in any hurry." In what probably came off as a slightly exasperated tone.

"I can wait with you if you want, keep you company." He said, with a little half smile.

"No, you should go and take advantage of the free time, I'll be fine." I said, giving him a little push on the arm, to propel his movement toward the door. He gave me a quick wave and walked out. I set a timer for twenty minutes on my phone, then opened up my kindle app and started to read.

When it was time, I made my way back to the hallway, but paused at the still-closed door. I didn't want to barge in on any conversation Adam was having, but I also wanted to get the meeting underway. After a moment's deliberation, I knocked on the door, then, receiving no reply, pushed it tentatively open before stepping inside.

I had expected to see Adam waiting for me, or at least on the phone, but that wasn't the case. At first I didn't see him at all, but as I glanced nervously around the room, I caught sight of a body curled haphazardly in an overstuffed arm chair off to the side of the room. It was Adam, of course, asleep, one leg pulled against his chest, the other stretched out on the floor, head propped up by one arm, iPhone still between the side of his face and his hand, although I was sure the caller had since hung up. It was an adorable sight, and I had neither the heart nor the courage to wake him up, so I decided to hang around a little longer in hopes that he would wake on his own.

Not sure what to do, I finally decided that I might as well make use of the beautiful practice room, and I hoped a little music would be enough to wake my sleeping coach. I slid onto the bench of a beautiful piano, then, after taking a moment to adjust the location of the bench, I began to play a song I knew by heart, singing the words to Ride by Lana Del Ray quietly along with the piano.

I hear the birds on the summer breeze,

I drive fast, I am alone in midnight

Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble,

But I, I've got a war in my mind

So, I just ride, just ride,

I just ride, just ride

HeH'NTCHhh-uh!

I jumped at the sudden sneeze, halting my playing and almost falling in my haste to get up from the piano as Adam unfurled himself from the chair and stood.

"Uh bless you, sorry I woke you up." I mumbled, wishing my joggers had pockets I could shove my hands into.

"Thanks," Adam said softly, "I wish I hadn't made you stop playing, it was beautiful." I flashed back to the blind auditions when he had told me I was beautiful, and before I knew it, I was blushing.

"Will you play it again?" He asked, "I've been listening to ranges and scales from everyone else, and I think I'd rather just hear this from you, we can figure the rest out as we go."

"Yeah, of course!" I said, sitting awkwardly back down on the bench as he spanned the room in a couple long strides. Up close I could see the way his normally impeccable hair was mussed and the traces of bleariness in his eyes, as well as a smudge of red across one cheek from where his phone has pressed into his skin, and the un-polished-ness of his appearance made me smile. It was nice to see that the "sexiest man of the year" was also a human being.

"What are you smiling at, Lex?" Oh, so he had a nickname for me now. Be still my beating heart.

"Uh nothing, you just, um, look cute. And tired," I answered before I had time to think, the words rushing out of my traitorous mouth. He grinned at me, sliding into the space between piano and bench, and sat down close enough that our arms touched.

"Well if that's kind of relationship we have now, I'd like it to go on the record that you look very cute too." Was he flirting with me? I didn't want to risk flirting back with Adam Levine and making a fool of myself, so I just looked down at my hands and asked,

"Should I play now?"

"Whenever you're ready," he answered, back in that soft voice that seemed to convey support and encouragement. Probably his "coaching voice," I thought, starting to press the keys with ease born from many repetitions of the song. I was surprised to hear Adam's voice join mine as I sang the words, clear and perfectly on, although I would have expected nothing less. The sound we produced was what really caught me off guard though, it was gorgeous, filling the room with that round tone that can't quite be achieved with one voice alone, but requires two people to be as locked in as, say, a pair of synchronized divers, but somehow we were hitting it right now. Until Adam's voice faltered and dropped out, leaving my voice alone once again. I felt his shoulder move against me as he turned away, bring his hands up to cup the lower portion of his face as he rocked forward with two otherwise unrestrained sneezes.

H'PTCHhh-uh! HehH'NtSSHhh-hh!!

He gave a soft sigh and slowly lowered his hands, rubbing them discretely on his dark jeans before running one through his hair, giving it an even more disheveled look. He sniffed, the sound sharp and liquid, then turned back so he was shoulder to shoulder with me, looking straight ahead at the piano.

"Adam," I started, and he turned slightly, meeting my concerned eyes with his slightly damp ones. "Why don't we call it a day. I'm tired, and you sound like... like you could use some sleep too. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I guess it is getting pretty late. I feel bad, though, you didn't really get your fair share of practice. Why don't you give me your number and I can set up a make-up." He replied, a hint of congestion settling in his voice as he managed to look both tired and a little sick, as well as unbelievably attractive. And sure as hell couldn't say no to that, especially with the earnest look he was giving me.

"Yeah, yeah, Levine. Give me your phone and I'll let you satisfy your conscience." I joked, holding out my hand while he pulled the black rectangle out of his pocket. As I typed my number in it hit me. When did I get so bold? Did I just call him "Levine"? I finished quickly, a little embarrassed now, and pressed the phone into his hand as I stood, grabbing my purse and trying to avoid the eyes I knew were glued on me. I finished, and was about to walk out the door when Adam grabbed my arm and pulled me back gently.

"Don't I get a hug before you run out?" He said with a smirk that showed one dimple. I let him wrap me into a hug, and I had to admit to myself that it felt good to have the physical contact. Adam held me for what felt like a long time as I leaned into him, but finally broke the contact with a step backwards as he brought both hands up to his face to catch his fourth sneeze of the evening, this one noticeably wetter than its predecessors.

hH'PTSSHhhhh-uh!!

"Bless you, Adam."

"Thandk you, Legx."

And with that I walked out the door, hoping Adam would go home before he crashed out.

-----

A/N: I apologize again for overall lack of sneezes, but I promise the next parts will get more into sickness as I have less of this even remotely plotty stuff to address

also there are probably a lot of errors since I am writing this on my phone so sorry in advance

Edited December 11, 2014 by ToothTen

[ThatSneezyGirl]

This >>>>>>>

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Aw this is so cute! I like Lex and Adam's relationship.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[All Time No]

This is unbelievably adorable! I love Alexia and sneezy Adam is precious! The little banter is cute and this is very well-written!