One Last Kiss (Angela/Ishi)
Title: One Last Kiss
Fandom: Heroes
Rating/Genre: pg13/femslash
Characters/Pairing: Ishi Nakamura/Angela Petrelli
Summary: Ishi Nakamura was dying and she knew it. It was only a matter of days, maybe a week or two. And the only thing she wished for was one last kiss before death.
Word count: 1 596
Notes: Written for 100_women, prompt: 003. Ends. (If you want to know how I saw the beginning of this pairing, you can find out here.)
Ishi Nakamura was dying and she knew it. It was only a matter of days, maybe a week or two.
And the only thing she wished for was one last kiss before death.
It was not Kaito’s kiss she longed for.
No, as mush as her husband loved her, Ishi knew that someone had once kissed her in another way, differently. That kiss had been like a sunset and a sunrise and a sky full of stars; all of that at once.
Angela Petrelli was the one who had kissed her like that.
It was a long time ago now. It was before her children were born, when Kaito took her to New York and then left her there for a couple of weeks to be with the Petrellis. They were all part of the same company, all part of the same big plan, almost like family.
And Angela had seduced her; Angela had loved her.
Now, many years later when Ishi was prepared to leave this world, she couldn’t remember why she had eventually said no to Angela. Why she had pushed her away, why she had returned to Kaito as if nothing ever happened. It had seemed to be the right thing to do then. It had seemed to be the only possible choice.
But if only she could see Angela one more time.
And as if a dying person’s wish held some secret power, one day when Ishi was alone in her bedroom, a woman walked in who looked strangely familiar.
“Hello, darling Ishi”, said the woman.
It was Angela’s voice. Angela’s face. And yet not… quite the same Angela as she had known.
“Angela!” Ishi whispered, hardly believing her eyes, “what are you doing here? When did you come?”
“I came to see you one last time”, Angela said, “I arrived just now. No one knows I’m here.”
“What has happened to you?” Ishi asked; her eyes fixed on Angela’s face where unfamiliar lines seemed to reveal incomprehensible suffering and pain.
“Ishi”, Angela said softly and stepped closer, “don’t be afraid. You know that it has been ten years since the last time you saw me… but you see, I come from the future. I have travelled in time to see you.”
“Travelled in time?”
“Yes, Ishi. I haven’t seen you in thirty years… not since Kimiko was a baby.”
“Thirty years? Oh, I see… But how did you do it?”
Angela smiled and sat on the side of Ishi’s bed.
“Your son helped me.”
Ishi gasped.
“Hiro? Is he a time-traveller?”
Angela nodded, and for a while, the two women spoke of their children and their hopes and dreams for them, and Angela told Ishi everything she knew. And then Ishi said:
“I’m glad you’re here. I have missed you so much. Angela, I’m sorry that I left you like that…”
“I know”, Angela said, “it’s okay. You did what you had to do. That’s what we always do, is it not? Family comes first, and any other love comes second, or last… if at all.”
Then Ishi reached out her arm and grabbed Angela’s hand and pulled her closer.
“I know that you always said that love is overrated,” she said, “but you don’t really believe that, do you? You wouldn’t be here if you did.”
“Maybe you’re right”, Angela said.
I am right, Ishi thought. Nothing else matters. If we didn’t have love, we wouldn’t care about the future. If we didn’t do that, we wouldn’t love the world. If we didn’t love it, we wouldn’t try to save it, and the reason why we love the world is because we know that life can be beautiful. And it is love that gives us the greatest joy and helps us to see the beauty of the world.
She didn’t say any of this to Angela. She knew that Angela didn’t think the way she did. Instead, she said:
“Kiss me”.
Angela, the older Angela, seemed to hesitate in a way Ishi had never seen her do before. When she was young, she was the one who told Ishi what she wanted, told Ishi to let go of her fear. Her eyes had been burning with desire and she taught Ishi what it felt like to be absorbed in a kiss, to think of nothing but the burning moment. But this older Angela had so much sadness in her eyes.
“Oh Ishi”, Angela said and caressed Ishi’s black hair; still as long as ever but more lifeless now, “if you only knew half of the things I have had to do…”
“I don’t know anything”. Ishi sighed and closed her eyes. “I forgive you everything.”
“In your eyes, the future hasn’t happened yet…”
“Exactly.” Ishi opened her eyes and looked at the woman in front of her; Ishi had already forgot her first surprised reaction at the sight of her. Was Angela thirty years older than the first time they had made love? Ishi didn’t see that anymore. All she could see was that this was Angela.
“Exactly”, she repeated, “and perhaps it never will happen. Who knows what you have changed by coming here today? But I’m glad you did. Angela, you look so sad, as if you are in pain. Are you? Show me where it hurts, and let me kiss it to make it better.”
Then, with her eyes locked in hers, Angela took Ishi’s hand and placed it over her heart; Ishi could feel its beatings and her hand recognized the rhythm.
“A heart that is aching because of what it feels, because of other people’s actions or non-actions, or because it grieves in the presence of death - that, I cannot heal.”
Ishi paused, and then she tried to smile a little.
“Even I can’t heal a broken heart”, she said, “I can only try to make it better by making you forget about it for a while.”
With determined, if slightly trembling fingers, she started to slowly unbutton Angela’s black silk shirt.
Angela saw that her hands were trembling, and she said:
“You’re weak; you don’t have the strength…”
“Yes”, Ishi replied, “I will always have the strength to love as long as I’m still alive, and I know what I’m still capable of.”
Ishi bent forward and placed a kiss where she could feel the beating of Angela’s heart.
“I think you’re wrong”, Angela said, “I think that your kiss can heal me.”
Ishi didn’t answer. Angela always has to win every argument, she thought, even when it’s not an argument. And maybe this will give her strength during the years she yet has to live, as it will make it a little easier for me to die, with my last wish fulfilled.
She sought Angela’s mouth, and found it. Angela’s lips were warm and welcoming, and breathed life into her. Her hands found their way around Angela’s back and unhooked her bra and removed it. Her fingers started to rediscover the thin, warm skin.
Angela gasped.
“My hands are cold”, Ishi said, “I’m sorry.”
“No”, Angela answered, “not at all… And if you’re cold, then I’m going to make you warm again - I can make you feel so good, remember?”
“You’re already doing it.”
Ishi put her arms around Angela and pulled her down on the bed, where she surprised her by showing unexpected strength and rolled them over so she was on top. She sat up and removed her nightgown.
“First”, she said, “I’m going to undress you…”
She gently caressed Angela’s hips through the cloth of her pencil skirt.
“…And then I’m going to kiss every inch of you, and then…”
“Yes?” Angela’s eyes were burning.
“And then I’m going to make you never want to leave me again!”
“But you were the one who left, remember?”
“I know”, Ishi admitted, and put a hand on Angela’s knee. She let it slide upwards, in under the skirt, over the thigh, and found the line of the thin tights, and tugged a little at it.
“I know, but I’ve missed you so much that it felt like I was the one who had been let down.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, darling”, Angela whispered, she put her arms around Ishi and tried to pull her head down for a kiss.
“No”, Ishi said, “take your hands away; be still. I’m going to make love to you and you can’t touch me. That way you’ll know what my dreams of you have been like. When I dreamed that you were close, but then I woke up and I couldn’t touch you.”
“Oh Ishi”, Angela said, “it has been the same for me…”
But she didn’t stop Ishi from doing what she wanted. She let Ishi undress her, and caress her, tenderly. Ishi’s hands had not forgotten where they most enjoyed touching her; her lips had not forgotten how much they loved the taste of her. Angela opened her mouth, but no words came out, just soft sighs. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands tightly around the sheets.
Angela opened her eyes.
“May I touch you now?”
“Yes, sweet darling”, Ishi answered and melted into a tight embrace. Their lips, their arms, their hair, their legs, locked together.
When Angela touched her, Ishi felt like she was flying, and she forgot that she was dying; Angela breathed life into her, as if the unexpected gift of her presence could make yet another miracle happen, and her life and her love would have no end.
But then Angela said:
“I have to go now.”
Fandom: Heroes
Rating/Genre: pg13/femslash
Characters/Pairing: Ishi Nakamura/Angela Petrelli
Summary: Ishi Nakamura was dying and she knew it. It was only a matter of days, maybe a week or two. And the only thing she wished for was one last kiss before death.
Word count: 1 596
Notes: Written for 100_women, prompt: 003. Ends. (If you want to know how I saw the beginning of this pairing, you can find out here.)
Ishi Nakamura was dying and she knew it. It was only a matter of days, maybe a week or two.
And the only thing she wished for was one last kiss before death.
It was not Kaito’s kiss she longed for.
No, as mush as her husband loved her, Ishi knew that someone had once kissed her in another way, differently. That kiss had been like a sunset and a sunrise and a sky full of stars; all of that at once.
Angela Petrelli was the one who had kissed her like that.
It was a long time ago now. It was before her children were born, when Kaito took her to New York and then left her there for a couple of weeks to be with the Petrellis. They were all part of the same company, all part of the same big plan, almost like family.
And Angela had seduced her; Angela had loved her.
Now, many years later when Ishi was prepared to leave this world, she couldn’t remember why she had eventually said no to Angela. Why she had pushed her away, why she had returned to Kaito as if nothing ever happened. It had seemed to be the right thing to do then. It had seemed to be the only possible choice.
But if only she could see Angela one more time.
And as if a dying person’s wish held some secret power, one day when Ishi was alone in her bedroom, a woman walked in who looked strangely familiar.
“Hello, darling Ishi”, said the woman.
It was Angela’s voice. Angela’s face. And yet not… quite the same Angela as she had known.
“Angela!” Ishi whispered, hardly believing her eyes, “what are you doing here? When did you come?”
“I came to see you one last time”, Angela said, “I arrived just now. No one knows I’m here.”
“What has happened to you?” Ishi asked; her eyes fixed on Angela’s face where unfamiliar lines seemed to reveal incomprehensible suffering and pain.
“Ishi”, Angela said softly and stepped closer, “don’t be afraid. You know that it has been ten years since the last time you saw me… but you see, I come from the future. I have travelled in time to see you.”
“Travelled in time?”
“Yes, Ishi. I haven’t seen you in thirty years… not since Kimiko was a baby.”
“Thirty years? Oh, I see… But how did you do it?”
Angela smiled and sat on the side of Ishi’s bed.
“Your son helped me.”
Ishi gasped.
“Hiro? Is he a time-traveller?”
Angela nodded, and for a while, the two women spoke of their children and their hopes and dreams for them, and Angela told Ishi everything she knew. And then Ishi said:
“I’m glad you’re here. I have missed you so much. Angela, I’m sorry that I left you like that…”
“I know”, Angela said, “it’s okay. You did what you had to do. That’s what we always do, is it not? Family comes first, and any other love comes second, or last… if at all.”
Then Ishi reached out her arm and grabbed Angela’s hand and pulled her closer.
“I know that you always said that love is overrated,” she said, “but you don’t really believe that, do you? You wouldn’t be here if you did.”
“Maybe you’re right”, Angela said.
I am right, Ishi thought. Nothing else matters. If we didn’t have love, we wouldn’t care about the future. If we didn’t do that, we wouldn’t love the world. If we didn’t love it, we wouldn’t try to save it, and the reason why we love the world is because we know that life can be beautiful. And it is love that gives us the greatest joy and helps us to see the beauty of the world.
She didn’t say any of this to Angela. She knew that Angela didn’t think the way she did. Instead, she said:
“Kiss me”.
Angela, the older Angela, seemed to hesitate in a way Ishi had never seen her do before. When she was young, she was the one who told Ishi what she wanted, told Ishi to let go of her fear. Her eyes had been burning with desire and she taught Ishi what it felt like to be absorbed in a kiss, to think of nothing but the burning moment. But this older Angela had so much sadness in her eyes.
“Oh Ishi”, Angela said and caressed Ishi’s black hair; still as long as ever but more lifeless now, “if you only knew half of the things I have had to do…”
“I don’t know anything”. Ishi sighed and closed her eyes. “I forgive you everything.”
“In your eyes, the future hasn’t happened yet…”
“Exactly.” Ishi opened her eyes and looked at the woman in front of her; Ishi had already forgot her first surprised reaction at the sight of her. Was Angela thirty years older than the first time they had made love? Ishi didn’t see that anymore. All she could see was that this was Angela.
“Exactly”, she repeated, “and perhaps it never will happen. Who knows what you have changed by coming here today? But I’m glad you did. Angela, you look so sad, as if you are in pain. Are you? Show me where it hurts, and let me kiss it to make it better.”
Then, with her eyes locked in hers, Angela took Ishi’s hand and placed it over her heart; Ishi could feel its beatings and her hand recognized the rhythm.
“A heart that is aching because of what it feels, because of other people’s actions or non-actions, or because it grieves in the presence of death - that, I cannot heal.”
Ishi paused, and then she tried to smile a little.
“Even I can’t heal a broken heart”, she said, “I can only try to make it better by making you forget about it for a while.”
With determined, if slightly trembling fingers, she started to slowly unbutton Angela’s black silk shirt.
Angela saw that her hands were trembling, and she said:
“You’re weak; you don’t have the strength…”
“Yes”, Ishi replied, “I will always have the strength to love as long as I’m still alive, and I know what I’m still capable of.”
Ishi bent forward and placed a kiss where she could feel the beating of Angela’s heart.
“I think you’re wrong”, Angela said, “I think that your kiss can heal me.”
Ishi didn’t answer. Angela always has to win every argument, she thought, even when it’s not an argument. And maybe this will give her strength during the years she yet has to live, as it will make it a little easier for me to die, with my last wish fulfilled.
She sought Angela’s mouth, and found it. Angela’s lips were warm and welcoming, and breathed life into her. Her hands found their way around Angela’s back and unhooked her bra and removed it. Her fingers started to rediscover the thin, warm skin.
Angela gasped.
“My hands are cold”, Ishi said, “I’m sorry.”
“No”, Angela answered, “not at all… And if you’re cold, then I’m going to make you warm again - I can make you feel so good, remember?”
“You’re already doing it.”
Ishi put her arms around Angela and pulled her down on the bed, where she surprised her by showing unexpected strength and rolled them over so she was on top. She sat up and removed her nightgown.
“First”, she said, “I’m going to undress you…”
She gently caressed Angela’s hips through the cloth of her pencil skirt.
“…And then I’m going to kiss every inch of you, and then…”
“Yes?” Angela’s eyes were burning.
“And then I’m going to make you never want to leave me again!”
“But you were the one who left, remember?”
“I know”, Ishi admitted, and put a hand on Angela’s knee. She let it slide upwards, in under the skirt, over the thigh, and found the line of the thin tights, and tugged a little at it.
“I know, but I’ve missed you so much that it felt like I was the one who had been let down.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, darling”, Angela whispered, she put her arms around Ishi and tried to pull her head down for a kiss.
“No”, Ishi said, “take your hands away; be still. I’m going to make love to you and you can’t touch me. That way you’ll know what my dreams of you have been like. When I dreamed that you were close, but then I woke up and I couldn’t touch you.”
“Oh Ishi”, Angela said, “it has been the same for me…”
But she didn’t stop Ishi from doing what she wanted. She let Ishi undress her, and caress her, tenderly. Ishi’s hands had not forgotten where they most enjoyed touching her; her lips had not forgotten how much they loved the taste of her. Angela opened her mouth, but no words came out, just soft sighs. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands tightly around the sheets.
Angela opened her eyes.
“May I touch you now?”
“Yes, sweet darling”, Ishi answered and melted into a tight embrace. Their lips, their arms, their hair, their legs, locked together.
When Angela touched her, Ishi felt like she was flying, and she forgot that she was dying; Angela breathed life into her, as if the unexpected gift of her presence could make yet another miracle happen, and her life and her love would have no end.
But then Angela said:
“I have to go now.”