(no subject)
Title: An Unexpected Guest, Part 5
Author: sinemoras09
Characters: Peter, Adam/Yaeko
Rating: R for non-graphic sex
Word count: 2,070
Spoilers: Season 2, Graphic Novel #66
Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Summary: AU. Adam and Yaeko find some common ground. And yeah, see above *points* LOL. Background taken from Graphic Novel #66, "The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei."
---
Yaeko can't sleep, so she takes her sword and walks into the parking lot. The moon is out, and outside is quiet except for the crickets chirping and the sound of cars driving by. Yaeko unsheaths her sword and lunges, arm forward, her sword plunging into the darkness. She twirls and lunges again; the metal arcs above her, gleaming in the half-light. Moving like water, slash, slash, strike! whirling and twirling until she crouches again, her sword held in position.
"That's amazing," Peter says, and Yaeko turns around. Peter is standing behind her, watching. "Adam told me you were good, but I didn't realize just how good you were."
"I am honored," Yaeko says. "I know only how to defend myself; I am a swordsmith's daughter. I am no samurai."
"You're more a samurai than I am," Peter says. He steps closer. "You okay?"
Yaeko shakes her head. "I am confused," Yaeko says. "It's been months since I last saw Kensei; now I cannot stop thinking about what happened. I do not know how I feel about him. There were moments--there were always moments. But they were fleeting and they did not last. I do not know if you'd call that love."
"But you know you loved the squire?" Peter asks.
"I do not know," Yaeko says. "When he kissed me it was as if the world had stopped. But that too was just a moment. I do not know if my love for him would last." Yaeko takes a breath and blinks back tears.
"I do not know myself," Yaeko says. "I am a fickle woman. I am so ashamed."
"No," Peter says. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. Adam dropped the ball on this, he threatened your father. No matter how you look at it, what he did was wrong."
"And what should I do, Peter-sama?" Yaeko asks. "Should I forgive him for what he did?"
Peter plucks out a piece of grass growing out from a crack in the concrete.
"I think you should talk to him," Peter says.
Yaeko nods. Her eyes feel heavy and her chest feels tight.
"I will," Yaeko says. Peter nods and goes back inside.
*****
Yaeko circles back into their apartment; she can just barely make out Adam's sleeping form curled up on the couch. She pauses, briefly, then walks closer. He's breathing deeply, his face pressed up against the couch cushion. Yaeko starts to touch his arm, but thinks the better of it, returning quietly into her room.
Yaeko lights a candle and kneels, praying to her ancestors for guidance. She listens to the wind and the cars driving by, and she closes her eyes. Pain makes him cruel, Hiro had said, and Yaeko nods to herself, miserably. She remembers the way he looked at her, that shy smile and the clumsy way he moved around her. Hiro moved with a nobleman's grace, but Kensei's awkwardness had grown endearing; and even though half the time he was either drunk or loud or just completely, mind-bogglingly insecure (for which he compensated by being louder, more drunk, and even more brash), Yaeko had grown attached. She thinks of those long nights at the campfire, and how she would lean her body against Kensei's back. Hiro had watched her with a sadness Yaeko did not understand; looking back, it only makes her feel more ashamed.
There's a knock at the door, and Yaeko looks up. Adam is standing at the doorway.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Adam asks, and Yaeko nods. He walks inside her room, closing the door softly behind him.
"I thought you were sleeping. I did not mean to wake you," Yaeko says.
"It's quite alright," Adam says. "I've become a bit of a light sleeper as of late. A sort of holdover from my stay at the Company. You were very quiet, I assure you."
Yaeko lowers her eyes. The candle flickers on the floor. She picks up the candle and sets it on the dresser, the smoke curling slightly in the air.
"Peter tells me you can heal; that the secret of your immortality is your healing ability. Is this true?" Yaeko asks.
Adam nods. "Would you like to see?" Adam asks. He pulls out a small knife and cuts his hand. He holds it out for Yaeko to see. Yaeko's eyes widen; the margins of the cut seal shut. She takes his hand and spreads the blood with her thumb. There is nothing. She looks up at Adam's face, awestruck. His eyes are smiling.
"The secret of my immortality," Adam says, and he folds his hand over hers. Yaeko looks away.
"Sorry," Adam says. He lets go of her hand.
Yaeko brushes back a strand of hair, then stares at her lap. He's sitting close to her now, a little too close. Habit and muscle memory compel her to lean against him, but she resists. Instead she folds her hands and casts her eyes downward, avoiding his gaze.
"You have lived long," Yaeko says. "I envy your travels. I cannot imagine all the things you've seen."
"I haven't seen much of anything, to be honest," Adam says. "Pain, war, famine. There's nothing glorious about it."
"And what do you know of me?" Yaeko asks. "What do you know of my future?"
"You get married," Adam says. "You have children. Grandchildren. I even married one of them."
"You're joking," Yaeko says. Adam shakes his head.
"I assure you, no," Adam says. "But she was nothing like you. I had to stage my own death to leave."
"And so you leave more tears in your wake," Yaeko says.
"Yaeko that's not fair, I did it because I didn't want to hurt her," Adam says.
They lapse into silence. Yaeko tugs at her robe, frowning, slightly.
"I cannot imagine loving anyone else," Yaeko says. "And yet you say I get married."
Adam nods. "You'd be surprised how quickly you become attached," Adam says.
"You speak as if you have experience," Yaeko says.
"I do," Adam says. "Ten times at the altar. Ten lifetimes with ten different women. And I loved them all...in my own way."
"And what way is that?" Yaeko asks.
"In a way I wouldn't get disappointed," Adam says. "I knew none of it would last, so I tried not to get too attached. I learned firsthand how gut-wrenching it could be, losing someone like that. I didn't want to go through it again."
"And you've never loved anyone else? You've never let yourself get close?" Yaeko asks. Adam stares at his hands.
"I did, once," Adam says. "Her name was Angelica. Before her, none of my other wives knew about my ability: I would leave them before they could find out. Angelica was the first person I told. We kept moving as the years passed; for a while I pretended to be her son; then after that, her grandson. When she died, I was beside myself. I was at her bedside all night, weeping. And when I finally pulled away, I noticed her face was young again."
Adam's eyes fade. His voice dips, softly.
"The priest in the village said it was a miracle," Adam says, quietly. "That God had touched her with his hand. But it wasn't God, Yaeko. It was from my tears. I didn't know then about my blood, or its healing capabilities. I only knew that if there was a God, he pulled a mean trick. He made my Angelica young, but he wouldn't bring her back. It was the most painful moment of my life."
Adam's eyes dim. He swallows, staring at the wall.
"You would not believe the things I've seen," Adam says. "I've seen newborns tossed up in the air and speared with bayonets; I've seen women raped and brutalized. I've seen any number of atrocities, and after a while, you realize the world is nothing but pain, that love is a farce and those that think they're happy really are not--"
"Adam--"
"No, Yaeko, listen to me." Adam gently touches her arms. "You cannot stay here. The virus can't be stopped. No matter what Peter and I do, it's destined to happen tomorrow, at the very moment we set foot in their facility. And when that happens, I can't protect you. My blood won't bring you back; I'd never be able to forgive myself."
Yaeko touches his face.
"I have faith in you, Kensei. You will stop this virus. You just have to believe," Yaeko says.
"You have faith in the wrong man," Adam says. "I'm no good, Yaeko. I've seen too much. All I can do is watch the world destroy itself."
"You are a good man, Kensei. It is my fault you lost your way--"
"And what if I told you I was the one going to release the virus?" Adam asks. "What if I told you, there is nothing in this world but hurt and pain and the only way to make it better is to turn it all to ash. What would you think of me then?"
Yaeko blinks. "I do not understand," Yaeko says.
"You have to leave," Adam says. "If you stay, you'll die. And while I'd rather you die thinking me a hero, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself. I can barely live with myself to begin with."
Yaeko touches his arm. "Kensei--"
"Yaeko, no," Adam says. "Yaeko, you must--"
Yaeko kisses him on the mouth. She feels him hesitate at first, before kissing her back. Yaeko pulls him closer, the fabric of his shirt gathering in her hands. Her fingers tangle in his hair, slip underneath his shirt. She skims the shirt up and kisses his chest, pushing him back onto the bed. Adam tries to speak, but Yaeko kisses him again. She feels his breath on her neck, his body straining against hers. His hands slide flat down her back, around her waist and over her breasts. Yaeko pushes against him and Adam knocks into the candle on the dresser, the hot wax dripping on his arm. Adam winces, but Yaeko kisses the spot where the wax was. She kisses him as his skin knits back together, her lips tracing the scar disappearing from his arm. She pulls Adam on top of her, guiding him inside her, the soft noises from his throat coming out like sobs. She kisses his neck, her arms traveling blindly up his back, cries out as he thrusts and buries his face against her shoulder. They make love hungrily, desperately, pulling up from the crush of their bodies and gasping for air....
"So I suppose you're still in love with Hiro, then?" Adam asks.
Yaeko lies curled up on her side, Adam pressed tight against her back. She smiles, pulling Adam's arm around her.
"I'll admit, this was a rather pleasant surprise. I regret not having taken advantage of you earlier. Perhaps this whole sordid love affair could have been avoided. My sexual prowess being the deciding factor, of course," Adam says.
"Pig," Yaeko says. She feels him smiling against her shoulder, his lips on her skin.
"And how many men have you rebuffed?" Adam asks. "How many hearts have you carelessly broken?"
"Including yours?" Yaeko asks.
"Such high opinion of yourself! You were merely a trifle. Someone with whom I could pass the time."
"I do not believe you," Yaeko says.
Adam hugs her. "Don't be jealous, love," Adam says. "It's unbecoming."
Yaeko smiles, but then her smile starts to fade. She imagines the moment Adam found them kissing in the grove, Yaeko's hands on Hiro's waist. Then she imagines him alone, homeless and wandering the earth. It makes her feel ashamed.
"Yaeko, what's wrong?" Adam asks, softly. He touches her shoulder. "Yaeko, you're crying."
Yaeko turns and looks into Adam's eyes. Blue eyes, not brown like she thought they were. She touches his cheek, feels her face start to crumble.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," Yaeko says. Adam touches her face.
"No, it's okay," Adam says. He kisses her hair, pulling her close. "This more than makes up for it."
Yaeko starts to cry. Adam looks at her and seems to understand exactly what she is feeling, because he gathers her close and kisses her again and again, up and down the sides of her face and by the corners of her eyes.
Part 6
---
A/N: If it wasn't obvious, everybody's speaking Japanese in this. It just goes without saying, right? XD LOL.
Also: I realize this is kind of abrupt. In canon Adam was all hell-bent on destroying the world, and Yaeko hated his guts, so...yeah. In my head though, I can see this happening, so woo.
And before anyone gives me grief that HOMGZ, WTF YAEKO/ADAM, I offer CANON PROOF that they had feelings for each other, at least in the beginning:
FEELINGS! Fleeting moments/UST!! Ahahaha!! \o/
Poor Adam. He totally got screwed. XD
Author: sinemoras09
Characters: Peter, Adam/Yaeko
Rating: R for non-graphic sex
Word count: 2,070
Spoilers: Season 2, Graphic Novel #66
Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Summary: AU. Adam and Yaeko find some common ground. And yeah, see above *points* LOL. Background taken from Graphic Novel #66, "The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei."
---
Yaeko can't sleep, so she takes her sword and walks into the parking lot. The moon is out, and outside is quiet except for the crickets chirping and the sound of cars driving by. Yaeko unsheaths her sword and lunges, arm forward, her sword plunging into the darkness. She twirls and lunges again; the metal arcs above her, gleaming in the half-light. Moving like water, slash, slash, strike! whirling and twirling until she crouches again, her sword held in position.
"That's amazing," Peter says, and Yaeko turns around. Peter is standing behind her, watching. "Adam told me you were good, but I didn't realize just how good you were."
"I am honored," Yaeko says. "I know only how to defend myself; I am a swordsmith's daughter. I am no samurai."
"You're more a samurai than I am," Peter says. He steps closer. "You okay?"
Yaeko shakes her head. "I am confused," Yaeko says. "It's been months since I last saw Kensei; now I cannot stop thinking about what happened. I do not know how I feel about him. There were moments--there were always moments. But they were fleeting and they did not last. I do not know if you'd call that love."
"But you know you loved the squire?" Peter asks.
"I do not know," Yaeko says. "When he kissed me it was as if the world had stopped. But that too was just a moment. I do not know if my love for him would last." Yaeko takes a breath and blinks back tears.
"I do not know myself," Yaeko says. "I am a fickle woman. I am so ashamed."
"No," Peter says. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. Adam dropped the ball on this, he threatened your father. No matter how you look at it, what he did was wrong."
"And what should I do, Peter-sama?" Yaeko asks. "Should I forgive him for what he did?"
Peter plucks out a piece of grass growing out from a crack in the concrete.
"I think you should talk to him," Peter says.
Yaeko nods. Her eyes feel heavy and her chest feels tight.
"I will," Yaeko says. Peter nods and goes back inside.
*****
Yaeko circles back into their apartment; she can just barely make out Adam's sleeping form curled up on the couch. She pauses, briefly, then walks closer. He's breathing deeply, his face pressed up against the couch cushion. Yaeko starts to touch his arm, but thinks the better of it, returning quietly into her room.
Yaeko lights a candle and kneels, praying to her ancestors for guidance. She listens to the wind and the cars driving by, and she closes her eyes. Pain makes him cruel, Hiro had said, and Yaeko nods to herself, miserably. She remembers the way he looked at her, that shy smile and the clumsy way he moved around her. Hiro moved with a nobleman's grace, but Kensei's awkwardness had grown endearing; and even though half the time he was either drunk or loud or just completely, mind-bogglingly insecure (for which he compensated by being louder, more drunk, and even more brash), Yaeko had grown attached. She thinks of those long nights at the campfire, and how she would lean her body against Kensei's back. Hiro had watched her with a sadness Yaeko did not understand; looking back, it only makes her feel more ashamed.
There's a knock at the door, and Yaeko looks up. Adam is standing at the doorway.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Adam asks, and Yaeko nods. He walks inside her room, closing the door softly behind him.
"I thought you were sleeping. I did not mean to wake you," Yaeko says.
"It's quite alright," Adam says. "I've become a bit of a light sleeper as of late. A sort of holdover from my stay at the Company. You were very quiet, I assure you."
Yaeko lowers her eyes. The candle flickers on the floor. She picks up the candle and sets it on the dresser, the smoke curling slightly in the air.
"Peter tells me you can heal; that the secret of your immortality is your healing ability. Is this true?" Yaeko asks.
Adam nods. "Would you like to see?" Adam asks. He pulls out a small knife and cuts his hand. He holds it out for Yaeko to see. Yaeko's eyes widen; the margins of the cut seal shut. She takes his hand and spreads the blood with her thumb. There is nothing. She looks up at Adam's face, awestruck. His eyes are smiling.
"The secret of my immortality," Adam says, and he folds his hand over hers. Yaeko looks away.
"Sorry," Adam says. He lets go of her hand.
Yaeko brushes back a strand of hair, then stares at her lap. He's sitting close to her now, a little too close. Habit and muscle memory compel her to lean against him, but she resists. Instead she folds her hands and casts her eyes downward, avoiding his gaze.
"You have lived long," Yaeko says. "I envy your travels. I cannot imagine all the things you've seen."
"I haven't seen much of anything, to be honest," Adam says. "Pain, war, famine. There's nothing glorious about it."
"And what do you know of me?" Yaeko asks. "What do you know of my future?"
"You get married," Adam says. "You have children. Grandchildren. I even married one of them."
"You're joking," Yaeko says. Adam shakes his head.
"I assure you, no," Adam says. "But she was nothing like you. I had to stage my own death to leave."
"And so you leave more tears in your wake," Yaeko says.
"Yaeko that's not fair, I did it because I didn't want to hurt her," Adam says.
They lapse into silence. Yaeko tugs at her robe, frowning, slightly.
"I cannot imagine loving anyone else," Yaeko says. "And yet you say I get married."
Adam nods. "You'd be surprised how quickly you become attached," Adam says.
"You speak as if you have experience," Yaeko says.
"I do," Adam says. "Ten times at the altar. Ten lifetimes with ten different women. And I loved them all...in my own way."
"And what way is that?" Yaeko asks.
"In a way I wouldn't get disappointed," Adam says. "I knew none of it would last, so I tried not to get too attached. I learned firsthand how gut-wrenching it could be, losing someone like that. I didn't want to go through it again."
"And you've never loved anyone else? You've never let yourself get close?" Yaeko asks. Adam stares at his hands.
"I did, once," Adam says. "Her name was Angelica. Before her, none of my other wives knew about my ability: I would leave them before they could find out. Angelica was the first person I told. We kept moving as the years passed; for a while I pretended to be her son; then after that, her grandson. When she died, I was beside myself. I was at her bedside all night, weeping. And when I finally pulled away, I noticed her face was young again."
Adam's eyes fade. His voice dips, softly.
"The priest in the village said it was a miracle," Adam says, quietly. "That God had touched her with his hand. But it wasn't God, Yaeko. It was from my tears. I didn't know then about my blood, or its healing capabilities. I only knew that if there was a God, he pulled a mean trick. He made my Angelica young, but he wouldn't bring her back. It was the most painful moment of my life."
Adam's eyes dim. He swallows, staring at the wall.
"You would not believe the things I've seen," Adam says. "I've seen newborns tossed up in the air and speared with bayonets; I've seen women raped and brutalized. I've seen any number of atrocities, and after a while, you realize the world is nothing but pain, that love is a farce and those that think they're happy really are not--"
"Adam--"
"No, Yaeko, listen to me." Adam gently touches her arms. "You cannot stay here. The virus can't be stopped. No matter what Peter and I do, it's destined to happen tomorrow, at the very moment we set foot in their facility. And when that happens, I can't protect you. My blood won't bring you back; I'd never be able to forgive myself."
Yaeko touches his face.
"I have faith in you, Kensei. You will stop this virus. You just have to believe," Yaeko says.
"You have faith in the wrong man," Adam says. "I'm no good, Yaeko. I've seen too much. All I can do is watch the world destroy itself."
"You are a good man, Kensei. It is my fault you lost your way--"
"And what if I told you I was the one going to release the virus?" Adam asks. "What if I told you, there is nothing in this world but hurt and pain and the only way to make it better is to turn it all to ash. What would you think of me then?"
Yaeko blinks. "I do not understand," Yaeko says.
"You have to leave," Adam says. "If you stay, you'll die. And while I'd rather you die thinking me a hero, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself. I can barely live with myself to begin with."
Yaeko touches his arm. "Kensei--"
"Yaeko, no," Adam says. "Yaeko, you must--"
Yaeko kisses him on the mouth. She feels him hesitate at first, before kissing her back. Yaeko pulls him closer, the fabric of his shirt gathering in her hands. Her fingers tangle in his hair, slip underneath his shirt. She skims the shirt up and kisses his chest, pushing him back onto the bed. Adam tries to speak, but Yaeko kisses him again. She feels his breath on her neck, his body straining against hers. His hands slide flat down her back, around her waist and over her breasts. Yaeko pushes against him and Adam knocks into the candle on the dresser, the hot wax dripping on his arm. Adam winces, but Yaeko kisses the spot where the wax was. She kisses him as his skin knits back together, her lips tracing the scar disappearing from his arm. She pulls Adam on top of her, guiding him inside her, the soft noises from his throat coming out like sobs. She kisses his neck, her arms traveling blindly up his back, cries out as he thrusts and buries his face against her shoulder. They make love hungrily, desperately, pulling up from the crush of their bodies and gasping for air....
"So I suppose you're still in love with Hiro, then?" Adam asks.
Yaeko lies curled up on her side, Adam pressed tight against her back. She smiles, pulling Adam's arm around her.
"I'll admit, this was a rather pleasant surprise. I regret not having taken advantage of you earlier. Perhaps this whole sordid love affair could have been avoided. My sexual prowess being the deciding factor, of course," Adam says.
"Pig," Yaeko says. She feels him smiling against her shoulder, his lips on her skin.
"And how many men have you rebuffed?" Adam asks. "How many hearts have you carelessly broken?"
"Including yours?" Yaeko asks.
"Such high opinion of yourself! You were merely a trifle. Someone with whom I could pass the time."
"I do not believe you," Yaeko says.
Adam hugs her. "Don't be jealous, love," Adam says. "It's unbecoming."
Yaeko smiles, but then her smile starts to fade. She imagines the moment Adam found them kissing in the grove, Yaeko's hands on Hiro's waist. Then she imagines him alone, homeless and wandering the earth. It makes her feel ashamed.
"Yaeko, what's wrong?" Adam asks, softly. He touches her shoulder. "Yaeko, you're crying."
Yaeko turns and looks into Adam's eyes. Blue eyes, not brown like she thought they were. She touches his cheek, feels her face start to crumble.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," Yaeko says. Adam touches her face.
"No, it's okay," Adam says. He kisses her hair, pulling her close. "This more than makes up for it."
Yaeko starts to cry. Adam looks at her and seems to understand exactly what she is feeling, because he gathers her close and kisses her again and again, up and down the sides of her face and by the corners of her eyes.
Part 6
---
A/N: If it wasn't obvious, everybody's speaking Japanese in this. It just goes without saying, right? XD LOL.
Also: I realize this is kind of abrupt. In canon Adam was all hell-bent on destroying the world, and Yaeko hated his guts, so...yeah. In my head though, I can see this happening, so woo.
And before anyone gives me grief that HOMGZ, WTF YAEKO/ADAM, I offer CANON PROOF that they had feelings for each other, at least in the beginning:
FEELINGS! Fleeting moments/UST!! Ahahaha!! \o/
Poor Adam. He totally got screwed. XD