[fic] Therapy ficlet: Crystal Clear
Title: Therapy Ficlet: Crystal Clear
Pairing Asami x Feilong x Akihito
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Therapy
Warnings: None really
Notes: This is a random story in the Therapy timeline. It doesn't take place though directly after the last one. There are still issues to be worked out there.
The idea for this little fic was born from a combination of two things, Stacey's (pugpugsley's) contest at club_sion and Stacey's birthday.
Happy Birthday Stacey! And thank you for all the hard work you've put in to keep club_sion alive.
I seem to be writing about these guys and the sea a lot lately. But since I found out one of Stacey's hobbies I thought it would be nice if Asami shared it. ^___^ (I hope I didn't screw up any details - but hey I did research and everything! XD)
While this does sort of fit the club_sion contest, Therapy Asami isn't quite canon Asami anymore, so I don't think it should be an entry, merely a gift. Have a great day Stacey, and many happy returns! *hugs*
"Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahooooo!"
Waves exploded from the sea as Akihito hit the surface in a cannonball, drenching everyone on the deck of the charter boat.
"Honestly," Fei said, sweeping his soaked hair back from his face. "Is he insane? Does he not understand that coral is sharp and pointy?"
Asami took the time to appreciate the view he had of Fei's now-soaked body in its form-fitting wetsuit before scanning the clear waters for clouds of blood. "He's not that stupid. I saw him check over the side of the boat before his little stunt. But we'll be lucky if he hasn't scared away every living creature within a quarter mile. Why don't we go farther out?"
Fei shrugged, making even the casual gesture look elegant. "That's up to you of course. You're the one with all the experience."
Asami stepped closer, a smile forming on his lips. "So you finally admit it?"
A burst of laughter came from behind making Asami take a quick look over his shoulder. He grinned at the sight that greeted him. Tao was talking video games to the very well built, and now very wet teenage daughter of the boat's captain. She had stars in her eyes, but Tao didn't notice because his eyes were fixed at the chest level of her soaked t-shirt. "Tao, will you be coming with us? Tao?"
"Huh?" Tao blinked as if hypnotized before turning to look at them.
The upper half of Fei's body swiveled to take it all in at a glance and he muttered, "Oh Jesus. Did we bring condoms?"
Asami laughed. "Tao, you should ask her back to the villa for dinner later, then you can show her your gaming system."
There was more muttering from Fei. "Is that what they call it now?"
The boy's face brightened. "OK! You go on ahead. I'll, uh, wait here. I have this, um, cramp." The girl became very solicitous and offered a massage, and Tao forgot his family.
Fei turned back around. "I suppose I should play the father and give him a talk, but considering our example...."
"He won't do anything. At least not anything you're afraid of. His idea of being daring with a girl is still just holding her hand. I don't know where I've gone wrong with him...."
Asami moved to the rail and bent over it, motioning to Akihito with his hand, speaking when he drew close. "We're diving a little further out. Stay close to the boat, and don't even think about putting on that gear without me here. If you want pictures, I'll take you down later, but I won't let you go down there with anyone else."
Akihito looked up at him, his eyes and smile sparkling like the water he shook from his hair. "Descend with you to the depths, you mean?"
Asami felt a little embarrassed at those words, though they'd been a declaration of his commitment at a time when he never gave anything like one. And so they stood. But he shrugged slightly. "It's not safe down there if you don't know what you're doing, and you're new to it. I want you with me."
"You don't need to worry so."
"I always worry about my life." And he straightened and turned back to Fei, leaving Akihito to figure that one out on his own.
---
Asami kicked lazily along a couple meters above the sea's floor, his strong legs and fins carrying him swiftly through the water. A shadow moved up to accompany his on the seabed below and he rolled onto his back to see Feilong a few feet above him, moving with even more grace than he exhibited on land. Stray pieces of his hair flowed about his head like kelp, making him look like a creature of the sea, a mermaid, or a siren. Asami was sure it was the latter, because he felt the siren's call.
He angled his body upward to swim directly underneath Fei, who looked down in amusement and pointed at him, then pushed his finger into his fist, clearly saying, "You? On the bottom?"
He brought his legs up to encircle Fei's hips and join them, laughing at Fei's shocked expression, watching it turn wry as he rolled them over. Fei slipped his hands behind Asami to rest on his ass, rubbing lightly, his eyebrows wiggling flirtatiously before he twisted free to dart through the water a short way, where he paused looking back.
Yes, Asami thought, a siren luring him to his doom. He kicked more swiftly, loving the way he cut through the water, and he reached out and took Fei's hand, pulling him along as they came closer to the reef, because before they shared anything else, he wanted to share this with him.
Fei was a novice at diving, having only learned in a pool in case he had a mission that required it, but it was something Asami had done many times. This was an escape for him, a trip to another world where money and territories and laws didn't matter, at least not those of men. The animals down here had territories, at least some did, and their only law was eat or be eaten. For some reason, that made him feel at home.
A large silvery school of unknown fish flashed by, flocking with a precision no men could match. Asami and Fei gave chase for a moment, playing, but the fish must have recognized predators for they fled swiftly. Left without playmates, the two resumed their leisurely pace as they came upon the section of the reef Asami had wanted to show Fei.
He'd been here before, though he'd appreciated things differently then, when his heart had been encased in ice and steel. Then, the attraction had been the cold and merciless beauty, peace brought about by the utter adherence to the laws of nature.
Now his content was in sharing it. He watched Fei moving beside him, grace personified, and knew that he would no longer be happy with swimming the shoals alone. Not a lone barracuda anymore, a cold fish, but something hot blooded and mated for life, like orca. He laughed to himself. Wouldn't Fei love it, being compared to a whale? He looked forward to casually dropping the observation later, and the tussle that would follow it.
Fei was looking around, confusion on his face. He pulled out his notepad and wrote "I thought there'd be more color?"
Asami shook his head and pointed upward toward the surface. The water was clear, but the sun was still filtered by it. To see clearly they had to bring their own lights.
Fei tilted his head in question. Asami pulled his dive light from his belt and shone it on a section of coral near him, and brought Fei close. Murky blues and grays changed to delicate pinks and whites. A shocking red fish swam past their faces, flashing bright color only for an instant before disappearing once again into the shades of the sea around them.
Another fish, bright yellow and shy, hid within a small hole in the coral, its nose pushing out every so often, fading back when the large strange creatures remained. Fei took a small piece of kelp floating nearby and managed to coax it out, his gloved fingers briefly caressing it before it darted away.
Fei's face was filled with delight. Asami's hand went out, stroking a stray length of hair. He would never grow tired of this, seeing the child come out in this strong man beside him. The crime lord was still there. He smirked around the mouthpiece of his regulator. Should a school of yakuza suddenly come at them, Feilong would rip their throats out and feed them to the sharks like an old woman offering bread crumbs to pigeons at the park.
But here, with him, just him, Fei let his guard relax, knowing Asami could take care of himself, knowing they were safe as long as they were together.
Asami's pleasure wasn't completely unselfish. Fei, like Akihito, showed him things anew, and let him experience the wonder that he'd never quite felt before. He felt young with them, in a way that none of the flash of money and power and sex had brought him. It pleased him to no end, and he would show Fei this tonight when they made love.
He realized they'd stopped moving, except for gentle motions against the currents. Fei was looking at him, eyes soft in a way that made his heart pound furiously. He moved close to Fei, feeling no heat because of the wetsuit, and missing it. He pulled the regulator from his mouth, and took Fei's as well, then leaned forward and ever so awkwardly brushed their lips together, tasting salt and Fei on his tongue. More than that would have been impossible, given the amount of gear on them, but it was enough for the moment. Masks together, their eyes fastened to each others and promised more later.
Then Fei's eyelashes batted playfully, and he broke free, laughing, air bubbles rising from his lips. Asami smacked a clear place on his shapely butt, and made a mental note to look into neoprene body suits when they got back to Tokyo.
Equipment back in place, they resumed their swim, keeping an eye on their dive computers because they hadn't much longer.
They watched hunters and their prey, each outwitting the other, life's game at its most raw. They saw new life, millions of tiny hatchlings floating on the currents, most becoming food, some learning and surviving. And they saw stubbornness and tenacity, life settling and clinging and thriving where it had no right to.
Their eyes met time and again, understanding and appreciation flowing between them. This, Asami thought, was what he'd been missing all those years. This was everything.
---
When they returned to the boat, Akihito was leaning over the side watching for them, camera in hand. The sun of the past few days had turned his already colorful hair shades of reddish gold that made his never-still figure resemble a living flame. As soon as he spotted them a smile broke across his face and he waved.
Asami pushed his mask off, letting it rest on top of his head as they swam the last few yards to the platform at the boat's stern. Akihito's hand was there waiting for him, strong for all it was delicate, reaching down, lifting him from the waters. He was grinning. "Looks like instead of descending with you I've raised you up."
"Always." Asami felt light, despite the weight of the equipment on his back. He turned and they both bent to grasp Fei's arms to help him onboard.
As they started divesting themselves of the gear, Akihito started talking, bubbling with excitement. "So how was it down there? Was it great? I can't wait to try it. Was there a lot to see? Were there any sharks? Or jellyfish? Or those big triangle things that look like UFOs? The ones you're responsible for of course, Ryu. Or did you get to see any-"
Fei's lips cut off the chatter while Asami looked on, amused as always by Akihito's futile struggle against himself and them, enjoying the moment when his body relaxed in surrender as it always did, even though it was happening for another man.
It wasn't, though, like it was with someone different when it came to Fei. It was like seeing another side to himself. Not that they were clones, though in many ways they were alike. It was more that they were joined now, inseparable, their partnership being greater than the whole, the three of them having created something that had a life of its own.
He shook his head in amusement. Dives always made him philosophical. He needed a smoke and a drink and sex, not necessarily in that order. The other two had stopped and were now looking at him, questions in their eyes.
Questions and his own personal lights against the murkiness of life. He realized that need wasn't the right word for those other things. He wanted his cigarettes and sex.
But what he needed, that was right in front of him. And no fool he, Asami stepped forward and claimed it.
~end~
Pairing Asami x Feilong x Akihito
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Therapy
Warnings: None really
Notes: This is a random story in the Therapy timeline. It doesn't take place though directly after the last one. There are still issues to be worked out there.
The idea for this little fic was born from a combination of two things, Stacey's (pugpugsley's) contest at club_sion and Stacey's birthday.
Happy Birthday Stacey! And thank you for all the hard work you've put in to keep club_sion alive.
I seem to be writing about these guys and the sea a lot lately. But since I found out one of Stacey's hobbies I thought it would be nice if Asami shared it. ^___^ (I hope I didn't screw up any details - but hey I did research and everything! XD)
While this does sort of fit the club_sion contest, Therapy Asami isn't quite canon Asami anymore, so I don't think it should be an entry, merely a gift. Have a great day Stacey, and many happy returns! *hugs*
"Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahooooo!"
Waves exploded from the sea as Akihito hit the surface in a cannonball, drenching everyone on the deck of the charter boat.
"Honestly," Fei said, sweeping his soaked hair back from his face. "Is he insane? Does he not understand that coral is sharp and pointy?"
Asami took the time to appreciate the view he had of Fei's now-soaked body in its form-fitting wetsuit before scanning the clear waters for clouds of blood. "He's not that stupid. I saw him check over the side of the boat before his little stunt. But we'll be lucky if he hasn't scared away every living creature within a quarter mile. Why don't we go farther out?"
Fei shrugged, making even the casual gesture look elegant. "That's up to you of course. You're the one with all the experience."
Asami stepped closer, a smile forming on his lips. "So you finally admit it?"
A burst of laughter came from behind making Asami take a quick look over his shoulder. He grinned at the sight that greeted him. Tao was talking video games to the very well built, and now very wet teenage daughter of the boat's captain. She had stars in her eyes, but Tao didn't notice because his eyes were fixed at the chest level of her soaked t-shirt. "Tao, will you be coming with us? Tao?"
"Huh?" Tao blinked as if hypnotized before turning to look at them.
The upper half of Fei's body swiveled to take it all in at a glance and he muttered, "Oh Jesus. Did we bring condoms?"
Asami laughed. "Tao, you should ask her back to the villa for dinner later, then you can show her your gaming system."
There was more muttering from Fei. "Is that what they call it now?"
The boy's face brightened. "OK! You go on ahead. I'll, uh, wait here. I have this, um, cramp." The girl became very solicitous and offered a massage, and Tao forgot his family.
Fei turned back around. "I suppose I should play the father and give him a talk, but considering our example...."
"He won't do anything. At least not anything you're afraid of. His idea of being daring with a girl is still just holding her hand. I don't know where I've gone wrong with him...."
Asami moved to the rail and bent over it, motioning to Akihito with his hand, speaking when he drew close. "We're diving a little further out. Stay close to the boat, and don't even think about putting on that gear without me here. If you want pictures, I'll take you down later, but I won't let you go down there with anyone else."
Akihito looked up at him, his eyes and smile sparkling like the water he shook from his hair. "Descend with you to the depths, you mean?"
Asami felt a little embarrassed at those words, though they'd been a declaration of his commitment at a time when he never gave anything like one. And so they stood. But he shrugged slightly. "It's not safe down there if you don't know what you're doing, and you're new to it. I want you with me."
"You don't need to worry so."
"I always worry about my life." And he straightened and turned back to Fei, leaving Akihito to figure that one out on his own.
---
Asami kicked lazily along a couple meters above the sea's floor, his strong legs and fins carrying him swiftly through the water. A shadow moved up to accompany his on the seabed below and he rolled onto his back to see Feilong a few feet above him, moving with even more grace than he exhibited on land. Stray pieces of his hair flowed about his head like kelp, making him look like a creature of the sea, a mermaid, or a siren. Asami was sure it was the latter, because he felt the siren's call.
He angled his body upward to swim directly underneath Fei, who looked down in amusement and pointed at him, then pushed his finger into his fist, clearly saying, "You? On the bottom?"
He brought his legs up to encircle Fei's hips and join them, laughing at Fei's shocked expression, watching it turn wry as he rolled them over. Fei slipped his hands behind Asami to rest on his ass, rubbing lightly, his eyebrows wiggling flirtatiously before he twisted free to dart through the water a short way, where he paused looking back.
Yes, Asami thought, a siren luring him to his doom. He kicked more swiftly, loving the way he cut through the water, and he reached out and took Fei's hand, pulling him along as they came closer to the reef, because before they shared anything else, he wanted to share this with him.
Fei was a novice at diving, having only learned in a pool in case he had a mission that required it, but it was something Asami had done many times. This was an escape for him, a trip to another world where money and territories and laws didn't matter, at least not those of men. The animals down here had territories, at least some did, and their only law was eat or be eaten. For some reason, that made him feel at home.
A large silvery school of unknown fish flashed by, flocking with a precision no men could match. Asami and Fei gave chase for a moment, playing, but the fish must have recognized predators for they fled swiftly. Left without playmates, the two resumed their leisurely pace as they came upon the section of the reef Asami had wanted to show Fei.
He'd been here before, though he'd appreciated things differently then, when his heart had been encased in ice and steel. Then, the attraction had been the cold and merciless beauty, peace brought about by the utter adherence to the laws of nature.
Now his content was in sharing it. He watched Fei moving beside him, grace personified, and knew that he would no longer be happy with swimming the shoals alone. Not a lone barracuda anymore, a cold fish, but something hot blooded and mated for life, like orca. He laughed to himself. Wouldn't Fei love it, being compared to a whale? He looked forward to casually dropping the observation later, and the tussle that would follow it.
Fei was looking around, confusion on his face. He pulled out his notepad and wrote "I thought there'd be more color?"
Asami shook his head and pointed upward toward the surface. The water was clear, but the sun was still filtered by it. To see clearly they had to bring their own lights.
Fei tilted his head in question. Asami pulled his dive light from his belt and shone it on a section of coral near him, and brought Fei close. Murky blues and grays changed to delicate pinks and whites. A shocking red fish swam past their faces, flashing bright color only for an instant before disappearing once again into the shades of the sea around them.
Another fish, bright yellow and shy, hid within a small hole in the coral, its nose pushing out every so often, fading back when the large strange creatures remained. Fei took a small piece of kelp floating nearby and managed to coax it out, his gloved fingers briefly caressing it before it darted away.
Fei's face was filled with delight. Asami's hand went out, stroking a stray length of hair. He would never grow tired of this, seeing the child come out in this strong man beside him. The crime lord was still there. He smirked around the mouthpiece of his regulator. Should a school of yakuza suddenly come at them, Feilong would rip their throats out and feed them to the sharks like an old woman offering bread crumbs to pigeons at the park.
But here, with him, just him, Fei let his guard relax, knowing Asami could take care of himself, knowing they were safe as long as they were together.
Asami's pleasure wasn't completely unselfish. Fei, like Akihito, showed him things anew, and let him experience the wonder that he'd never quite felt before. He felt young with them, in a way that none of the flash of money and power and sex had brought him. It pleased him to no end, and he would show Fei this tonight when they made love.
He realized they'd stopped moving, except for gentle motions against the currents. Fei was looking at him, eyes soft in a way that made his heart pound furiously. He moved close to Fei, feeling no heat because of the wetsuit, and missing it. He pulled the regulator from his mouth, and took Fei's as well, then leaned forward and ever so awkwardly brushed their lips together, tasting salt and Fei on his tongue. More than that would have been impossible, given the amount of gear on them, but it was enough for the moment. Masks together, their eyes fastened to each others and promised more later.
Then Fei's eyelashes batted playfully, and he broke free, laughing, air bubbles rising from his lips. Asami smacked a clear place on his shapely butt, and made a mental note to look into neoprene body suits when they got back to Tokyo.
Equipment back in place, they resumed their swim, keeping an eye on their dive computers because they hadn't much longer.
They watched hunters and their prey, each outwitting the other, life's game at its most raw. They saw new life, millions of tiny hatchlings floating on the currents, most becoming food, some learning and surviving. And they saw stubbornness and tenacity, life settling and clinging and thriving where it had no right to.
Their eyes met time and again, understanding and appreciation flowing between them. This, Asami thought, was what he'd been missing all those years. This was everything.
---
When they returned to the boat, Akihito was leaning over the side watching for them, camera in hand. The sun of the past few days had turned his already colorful hair shades of reddish gold that made his never-still figure resemble a living flame. As soon as he spotted them a smile broke across his face and he waved.
Asami pushed his mask off, letting it rest on top of his head as they swam the last few yards to the platform at the boat's stern. Akihito's hand was there waiting for him, strong for all it was delicate, reaching down, lifting him from the waters. He was grinning. "Looks like instead of descending with you I've raised you up."
"Always." Asami felt light, despite the weight of the equipment on his back. He turned and they both bent to grasp Fei's arms to help him onboard.
As they started divesting themselves of the gear, Akihito started talking, bubbling with excitement. "So how was it down there? Was it great? I can't wait to try it. Was there a lot to see? Were there any sharks? Or jellyfish? Or those big triangle things that look like UFOs? The ones you're responsible for of course, Ryu. Or did you get to see any-"
Fei's lips cut off the chatter while Asami looked on, amused as always by Akihito's futile struggle against himself and them, enjoying the moment when his body relaxed in surrender as it always did, even though it was happening for another man.
It wasn't, though, like it was with someone different when it came to Fei. It was like seeing another side to himself. Not that they were clones, though in many ways they were alike. It was more that they were joined now, inseparable, their partnership being greater than the whole, the three of them having created something that had a life of its own.
He shook his head in amusement. Dives always made him philosophical. He needed a smoke and a drink and sex, not necessarily in that order. The other two had stopped and were now looking at him, questions in their eyes.
Questions and his own personal lights against the murkiness of life. He realized that need wasn't the right word for those other things. He wanted his cigarettes and sex.
But what he needed, that was right in front of him. And no fool he, Asami stepped forward and claimed it.
~end~