The Master Words
Mar. 4th, 2013 06:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spongetasticFor the first two hours after getting back in the car, the air was thick in a heavy awkward feeling. Peter focused his attention on the road ahead-- or tried to. His lips stubbornly remembered Adam's pressed warm and strong against them. Peter tried desperately to fight how excited the memory made him feel. Caitlin, he told himself. Think about Caitlin. His heart could never forget the people he loved, but it was getting harder for him to ignore his growing feelings for the older man.
Adam allowed for the silence. Somehow he always seemed to know what Peter needed. But after those two hours had passed Peter started hearing music. He thought at first that Adam was humming, but found the music was coming from the older man's thoughts. He listened in trying to guess the song.
"Barber of Seville," he said aloud.
"Hm?"
"That song," Peter clarified, feeling embarrassed.
"I'm surprised you know it," Adam said with a smile.
"... Only from cartoons," the younger man answered. Adam laughed at that remark and immediately the air felt lighter around them. After all, it wasn't as if they hadn't kissed each other before. The only thing that changed was they were closer now than before.
"Let's play a game to pass the time," Adam suggested. "We each pick a song, and see how long it takes for the other to guess it."
"Sure, okay." It sounded like a good idea, and it would bring a relaxed friendly atmosphere back in the car. Peter couldn't think of many songs right away, so he chose something easy. "Get back, get back. Get back to where you once belonged," he sang quietly.
"Ah, now, what's the challenge in that?" Adam teased him. "Try this one: 'Gone are those evenings on broadway. Together we'd go to a great show. But now I begin with the late show and wish that you were watching too'." That was a tough one and Peter couldn't come up with the answer. "Frank Sinatra. Thanks for the Memories."
"You like Frank Sinatra?" Peter asked in surprise. He loved learning these new things about Adam.
"I went to a few of his concerts," Adam answered with a shrug. Peter was amazed and was itching to ask more about it, but Adam seemed keen on continuing their game. So they did, singing or humming snippets of songs back and forth.
The time flew by like that, and they stopped only to switch so Adam could drive for a while. Peter could almost forget why they were on this journey.
Adam pulled into a motel. This time Peter insisted on actually paying for a room, though he conceded to giving fake names in case the Company was trying to pick up a trail. Lying came easier for Adam so he was the one to give the names. He came away from the desk with a single key.
"No need to waste our money on separate rooms," he explained. Peter didn't respond but he could feel his face getting hot. Their room was only slightly better than the one they used last time. There was a TV with bad reception, and he suspected the water in the bathroom would only run cold.
"I guess tomorrow we'll be meeting with Victoria," he said, trying to fight through the awkwardness again.
"Yes, and I want to speak with you about that." Adam took him by the elbow and guided him to the bed. "Victoria is an old acquaintance of mine and I suspect she won't be willing to tell us anything when we confront her. I want to be sure I can count on you no matter what."
"Of course you can, Adam," Peter assured him, surprised the older man even needed to ask.
"There is something I want for you to remember. As long as you feel you can trust me, say to me: 'We be of one blood, thou and I'."
"We be of one blood, thou and I," Peter echoed.
Adam smiled and leaned close. Peter could feel the man's warm breath. "Good," the older man murmured, and pressed his lips against Peter's. He allowed it and responded. His hands rested on Adam's shoulders, slowly winding around his neck. Adam's hands secured themselves around Peter. The empath felt at ease like this. He felt perfectly safe and relaxed... until Adam's fingers slipped up past his shirt to brush against bare skin.
"Wait," he gasped, backing off.
"I can wait as long as you need me to," Adam responded. But he didn't move his hands, and Peter could feel fingers gently trailing up and down his spine. "I'm very patient, Peter." Again he tried to remind himself of Caitlin, but it was hard with Adam's fingers distracting him.
"We be of one blood... thou and I," he whispered. Taking that as permission to go on, Adam gently peeled off the empath's shirt. Peter had never done this with a guy before and could only sit there watching his friend. Adam reached forward and thoughtfully caressed the symbol around Peter's neck.
"Where did you get that?"
"The Haitan gave it to me," Peter responded. "He hung it around my neck. Do you recognize it?"
"Yes. From a very long time ago." Adam's eyes left the symbol and trailed up until they locked with Peter's. He swallowed, his own emotions making it difficult to guess what Adam was feeling. He started playing self-consciously with the symbol. "It's all right," Adam smiled gently. "It's a good thing."
"What's it mean?" Peter asked him.
"It means I was right to teach you the master words." Before Peter could ask what that meant, Adam's lips were on his neck. And asking questions didn't seem important anymore.
Adam allowed for the silence. Somehow he always seemed to know what Peter needed. But after those two hours had passed Peter started hearing music. He thought at first that Adam was humming, but found the music was coming from the older man's thoughts. He listened in trying to guess the song.
"Barber of Seville," he said aloud.
"Hm?"
"That song," Peter clarified, feeling embarrassed.
"I'm surprised you know it," Adam said with a smile.
"... Only from cartoons," the younger man answered. Adam laughed at that remark and immediately the air felt lighter around them. After all, it wasn't as if they hadn't kissed each other before. The only thing that changed was they were closer now than before.
"Let's play a game to pass the time," Adam suggested. "We each pick a song, and see how long it takes for the other to guess it."
"Sure, okay." It sounded like a good idea, and it would bring a relaxed friendly atmosphere back in the car. Peter couldn't think of many songs right away, so he chose something easy. "Get back, get back. Get back to where you once belonged," he sang quietly.
"Ah, now, what's the challenge in that?" Adam teased him. "Try this one: 'Gone are those evenings on broadway. Together we'd go to a great show. But now I begin with the late show and wish that you were watching too'." That was a tough one and Peter couldn't come up with the answer. "Frank Sinatra. Thanks for the Memories."
"You like Frank Sinatra?" Peter asked in surprise. He loved learning these new things about Adam.
"I went to a few of his concerts," Adam answered with a shrug. Peter was amazed and was itching to ask more about it, but Adam seemed keen on continuing their game. So they did, singing or humming snippets of songs back and forth.
The time flew by like that, and they stopped only to switch so Adam could drive for a while. Peter could almost forget why they were on this journey.
Adam pulled into a motel. This time Peter insisted on actually paying for a room, though he conceded to giving fake names in case the Company was trying to pick up a trail. Lying came easier for Adam so he was the one to give the names. He came away from the desk with a single key.
"No need to waste our money on separate rooms," he explained. Peter didn't respond but he could feel his face getting hot. Their room was only slightly better than the one they used last time. There was a TV with bad reception, and he suspected the water in the bathroom would only run cold.
"I guess tomorrow we'll be meeting with Victoria," he said, trying to fight through the awkwardness again.
"Yes, and I want to speak with you about that." Adam took him by the elbow and guided him to the bed. "Victoria is an old acquaintance of mine and I suspect she won't be willing to tell us anything when we confront her. I want to be sure I can count on you no matter what."
"Of course you can, Adam," Peter assured him, surprised the older man even needed to ask.
"There is something I want for you to remember. As long as you feel you can trust me, say to me: 'We be of one blood, thou and I'."
"We be of one blood, thou and I," Peter echoed.
Adam smiled and leaned close. Peter could feel the man's warm breath. "Good," the older man murmured, and pressed his lips against Peter's. He allowed it and responded. His hands rested on Adam's shoulders, slowly winding around his neck. Adam's hands secured themselves around Peter. The empath felt at ease like this. He felt perfectly safe and relaxed... until Adam's fingers slipped up past his shirt to brush against bare skin.
"Wait," he gasped, backing off.
"I can wait as long as you need me to," Adam responded. But he didn't move his hands, and Peter could feel fingers gently trailing up and down his spine. "I'm very patient, Peter." Again he tried to remind himself of Caitlin, but it was hard with Adam's fingers distracting him.
"We be of one blood... thou and I," he whispered. Taking that as permission to go on, Adam gently peeled off the empath's shirt. Peter had never done this with a guy before and could only sit there watching his friend. Adam reached forward and thoughtfully caressed the symbol around Peter's neck.
"Where did you get that?"
"The Haitan gave it to me," Peter responded. "He hung it around my neck. Do you recognize it?"
"Yes. From a very long time ago." Adam's eyes left the symbol and trailed up until they locked with Peter's. He swallowed, his own emotions making it difficult to guess what Adam was feeling. He started playing self-consciously with the symbol. "It's all right," Adam smiled gently. "It's a good thing."
"What's it mean?" Peter asked him.
"It means I was right to teach you the master words." Before Peter could ask what that meant, Adam's lips were on his neck. And asking questions didn't seem important anymore.