Figure 8 Ch. 04

a/n: Wow, I'm finally back into the swing of things. Apologies for the first two chapters being absolute shit and any inconsistencies - I had just wanted to jump into the Sylar/Emma relationship too quickly, and didn't think carefully about the realistic process of them (with their past and emotional baggage) getting there. However, I don't want to edit the previous chapters yet because I'm just going to get stuck editing and not writing.

I promise to be more careful now that I'm taking writing more seriously again. On the good side, it means this story will be longer? Hope you like how this story is going :) Always appreciate comments!

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Emma squealed as Adam quickening steps broke into a run down the hill. The thundering sounds of the street construction swept past her, it seemed like the roads in San Francisco were always broken. "Watch out," Adam slowed down to watch her, and tightened his grip on her hand as she skipped over a chunk of cement that had been cracked by a nearby tree root.

"Adam," she laughed as she stumbled straight into his chest. Her nose smashed against his front pocket, and she inhaled his scent - their scent - the smell of Irish Spring and the fresh undertone masculine smell that was uniquely his. A tingle rushed from her heart and expanded to the rest of her face as his arms came around her. The tip of his chin rested on the top of her head, and she resisted the pull to kiss his Adam's apple.

Instead, he pulled back and kissed her forehead, causing her to break out into a smile. Here he was... she thought as she reached up and kissed his cheek, and he was now hers... a dark spark dampened the joy when she realized that Sylar had inadvertently brought them together, but Adam tugged her down the street, washing those thoughts away again.

He had seen her forlorn face when she had come back from work the day Sylar had yelled at her. "What happened," he asked, rushing to her side as soon as he saw her collapse against the door.

"I screwed up at work." Emma was shaking, and she wasn't sure from what. "I screwed up and Sy - the actor yelled at me for wasting his time... and - th -then he said I... wasn't cut for the job."

Adam's chest constricted as Emma started crying. She was such a hard worker, but this was an inevitable bump in the road for her. "Sh, stop," he pulled her away from the door and onto the sofa. Her arms came around him, seeking comfort, which he gladly gave. Anything to stop her from crying. "Emma. Emma, listen to me."

She hiccuped and looked up into his kind eyes. But she was still unable to shake Sylar's voice from her head. Not the one that was frustrated with her, the one that frightened her sexually, but the one, that on a professional level, was furious enough to try and get her fired. The one that from then on would not only remind her of her incompetence... but also...

"Emma..."

Adam broke her mind of the obsessive labyrinth she had been starting to build to protect herself from Sylar. One that she got lost in whenever he simply gave her a look. She desperately wanted to apologize to him, ashamed that she had struck so low ...all out of fear.

"Emma."

She jolted. It was too easy to get lost in the maze she had created for herself. "I'm sorry I've been a whack job all week," she said, burying her head into his chest. She knew her tears were staining his shirt, but she rather that than have him watch her cry. Even her voice couldn't hide her insecurities. "Work's just been stressful and today was the straw that broke the camel's back."

She held tighter as Adam laughed. She closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his calloused hand in her hair.

"I know, but you have to remember: You're not perfect, Emma. You're not Super Woman, and you can't just handle work this intensely without having a small mistake here and there. Was the mistake that bad?"

Her "No" was muffled into his chest. It hadn't been as bad as Sylar made it out to be, but the way his green eyes blazed as he shouted at her. She hadn't seen it coming until it was too late. He had humiliated her, for no particular reason the rest of the crew reassured her, all while telling her another story in his eyes. He was incensed, aroused, and - the worst of it all - falling apart with every word he spat at her. She felt at fault for not only the simple production mistake, but the reason he couldn't preform up to standard.

Adam waited her to finish sniffling and watched as she wiped her nose with the edge of her sweater. His heart clenched when her big eyes looked up at him, teary.

"It just makes me feel... so useless." She curled up, her butt nestled in his lap as her tiny body fit completely on top of him. Emma was not aware of how tempting her position had become, putting pressure in the right places. Her head dropped back down to his chest.

"Stop pretending that you don't make mistakes."

She wrinkled her nose, "I don't."

His eyebrows went up before he saw the twinkle in her eye dim.

"I mean, not ones that deserve scolding in front of the entire team," she finished lightly. She was glad that Adam was here. Having him physically present was much more satisfying than calling him on the phone or crying alone. Without thinking, she reached up and pressed her palm against his cheek. She ran her fingers over his growing stubble before, very quickly, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm so glad you're here... when I need you."

Shit. Emma didn't dare look up after what she just did. Her kiss was simple but so bold. But... here he was, Adam. Her first kiss and the only boy she had wanted since then. She couldn't describe the joy she felt when he continued to be her friend, even through the fumbling and awkward attempts to get his reignite their drunken flame. No matter how childishly she handled their relationship, Adam always made sure they stay on track.

Her breath caught as she felt fingers on her chin. They redirected her gaze, very gently, from the floor to his burning brown eyes. She might not be able to get lost in them, like an endless ocean or a depthless sky, but she could see very clearly what he wanted. She let her breath slip as Adam bent down and took her lips.

It was soft, teasing at first, as if he were resistant. When Emma felt him slowly back away, she found new courage rush from within and grabbed the edge of his shirt, pulling him down to take his mouth for her own. All the aggression, the pent up frustration from the past week - the past few years since she had known him - came pouring out in that one kiss. She couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her throat.

Desire took control. Her movements felt foreign for her first time, but her actions were familiar as her body mimicked what she had seen in all the videos she worked on. Their mouths were still connected as Emma raised her leg to straddled Adam properly. His large hands held her face, pulling her closer as he invaded her thoughts. All her thoughts... until she felt his hand slip underneath her shirt and his tongue in her mouth.

"Shit," he said as Emma jerked back. "Emma, I'm sorry, I shouldn't - "

"Don't."

"What?"

Emma felt her world crashing around her as she anticipated Adam's words of regret. She didn't want a repeat of her first kiss. The scene of Adam apologizing for taking it away, for not making it special - the implication that she was a mistake.

"I don't want to hear that your dick got ahead of you, and that if this had been a normal circumstance, you wouldn't have ever done this." She felt the tears welling up in her again, for a completely different reason, as if the first cry she had for him over four years ago had not been finished. "How is that supposed to make me feel - "

He silenced her with another kiss. At first she resisted, but Adam would not relent. He nipped and pressed his lips against her until she opened up her mouth to him.

"You talk to fucking much when you're worried. No, let me finish first. First... fuck," he looked away and rubbed his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I was your first kiss. Yes, I'm apologizing for my mistake four years ago. I was an asshole. I knew you liked me, and I just wanted to kiss someone so bad that night and you were there." His hands drilled into her waist when she tried to move away.

"I'm not finished. I didn't like you then, Emma. Not that way necessarily, and not the way you wanted me to, but mostly... I think... because I didn't deserve you. I would've hurt you."

"And now?"

"You mean, this?" He paused, his eyes flickering as if he were sorting out the words before they came out in full sentences. "I don't know what I'm feeling right now, other than the fact that I want to protect you. I want to be with you."

She nodded, unable to contain her happiness. Her dreams, her wishes, her fairytale ending was coming true.

"So... What do you say?"

He searched her eyes intently, wanting her to put a definition to this new door they had opened. Emma wouldn't look at him, her chest rising and falling, until he bent down and nipped her neck, begging for an answer.

"I've loved you even before you kissed me, Adam."

That was all he needed to hear. He ignored the shyness in her voice and the seconds she had hesitated, chalking it up to nerves. He hugged her like he had never hugged her before. His cheek rested against her hair as he mumbled, "I love you, too, Emma. Maybe not as strongly as you do for me, not on the same levels. Not yet. But I hope that's enough for now."

He felt her nod and tightened his hold, glad to have finally straightened out this one mess in his life. Now that she was his, things felt right. He could probably get the rest of his life back on track... before he had to leave for the tour.

Never had he imagined that he would see Emma this way, rather than the timid and cute bird he knew from college. She was now a fully fledged sexy being. Where did she learn to move like that? Fuck, he thought as she bounced slightly, causing him to grip her tiny waist. He closed his eyes, trying to think of anything to keep himself calm. Dead babies, clowns...

"Adam?"

"Yeah," he exhaled loudly as she wriggled on his lap.

"You're still my first kiss."

She felt him freeze as he pulled back, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Suddenly she was aware of how her crying must've made her look. All the snot and tears running down her face, the salty taste of their kissing had been all her - god, it had only been a week and he witnessed her crying almost everyday. Feeling embarrassed, Emma tried to get off his lap, but he wouldn't let her turn away as he leaned in and kissed her again.

"I'm glad."

After a few more minutes of making out, Adam begrudgingly pulled a subdued Emma off his lap. She went to take a shower while Adam flipped through a take-out menu for dinner. By the time she had come out, dressed again in his t-shirt and boxer, he was watching a movie. Emma came over, smelling of fresh and masculine, and he pulled her close, causing her to giggle before he made her sit down so he could rest his head in her lap. They had done this many times before, but finally... it felt right.

Just as right as her hand found his, Emma smiled, recalling how perfect her relationship with Adam had turned out. She couldn't have wished for a more fitting way for them to finally discover their feelings for each other - or rather, his feelings for her. Sure it had taken four years, but now, no longer having to ask Adam to come to bed, to have him crawl in with his own volition, was worth every second she had pined for his heart.

"Here it is," he exclaimed as they finally found the brunch spot he had been wanting to take her since he saw in on the Food Channel. They were deep downtown, and the first time he mentioned it, he didn't fail to see Emma balk at the location. But it was a Sunday, and he reassured her that they wouldn't see anyone from work.

They put their name down as the hostess told them to expect a minimum of an hour wait. Emma gave the hostess her number so that she could explore the city with Adam.

They walked along the water front, enjoying the sea view, nice breeze and warm sun that came rare to the city. Emma felt like a giddy school girl as she pointed out little things to Adam. This was her dream come true - so many times she had come back to San Francisco, seeing things here and there that she had wanted to share with him, and now she finally could... except that he seemed less interested in the sights, and more with watching her.

"Stop staring at me."

"Why?" Adam's arm came around her waist to hook her beside him.

"I don't know."

"Is it because you're used to doing all the staring?"

She blushed. Adam was not shy about bringing up her old school crush on him over the years. When she complained, he countered that it was all fair in love and war. Bringing up moments of her adoring gaze was his way of reminding himself how stupid he had been to miss it all. "You're missing the rest of the city. It's a beautiful day for once and..." she laughed as he bit her hand.

"But I'll be... I rather spend that time with you than looking at buildings."

Emma smiled brightly and quickly kissed him on the cheek. She felt satisfied as Adam was unable to contain his happiness. He didn't return her kiss, but he kept her close to him, their hips swaying together, occasionally knocking into each other and causing them to tumble a little. Yes, she thought, they were different from the traditional couple. She already knew everything about him, and he her; the only things left to learn about each other was the present and... she sighed, remembering their kisses, he would teach her the carnal stuff.

They wandered back to the cafe an hour later, just in time for their seats. And after the waitress got their order, Emma watched Adam stir sugar into his black coffee. She remembered how much he hated coffee in college - especially black. It used to be simply whipped cream filled frappuccinos and caramel macchiatos for him. She wondered how much had changed since he graduated.

"Hey Adam. When did you decide... that you lo- lik- wanted me?"

"Well that was subtle."

She kicked him underneath the table as he laughed.

"Okay, okay." He looked down at his cup and stirred.

Emma watched him as she began to realize that there were gaps of his time that she didn't know about. Since graduation, he had worked hard with his band, and that meant a lot of time on the road. He had forgone a cell phone to make sure they could get from one gig to the other, and those times they traveled, Emma didn't hear from him. She just assumed he had forgotten about her, the way most people do when you no longer see them. Now she just wanted to hear that he hadn't, that she wasn't an afterthought, and this thing between them... was real.

"I've always missed you, you know?" Adam's smile didn't quite reach his eyes until he looked at her. Her heart bloomed as she realized how true those words were. "When it all first started out, it was easy to keep in contact with you, like nothing had changed, but then things started building up and you and I were so busy. One missed phone call became three, and then no return calls and I stopped having a cell phone plan. When we were on tour, somehow just picking up the phone and calling you didn't seem as natural or as ... it wasn't the first thing on my mind as it used to be."

They were interrupted by their food, which Adam was grateful for. For the pause to carefully hash out his words so that they didn't reveal too much about his time away. He slowly drizzled the syrup over his pancakes, methodically cutting them up so that he could give a little to Emma.

"And the times I did think about calling you, I got angry. I got angry because I felt like I always had to maintain the relationship. When I stopped calling, you seemed to forget about me."

"But that's just - "

"I know. Just how you are. I remember that now, but fuck me if it doesn't piss me off at times," he laughed. He looked up from his food. "Hey, after I'm done with this confession, you'll tell me how much you still love me right?"

Emma laughed. "I'll tell you what I like about you."

"I'll take that." He sipped his coffee. "So we weren't supposed to get two months off, we were supposed to keep touring, but then Chester had to go to rehab... for alcoholism and drug addiction."

"What?"

"To be honest, I don't blame him. We worked so hard and alcohol was the only way out. It's just funny how after the success, he couldn't kick it. But our managers demanded that he get clean before we started the tour. So while Chester is in rehab, we get two months to do almost anything. And I was going to head home, but before I got my tickets, I don't know, somehow I saw this movie Like Crazy and thought of you. Next thing I knew, I was on a plane to San Francisco."

"That depressing movie made you think of me?"

Emma's face contorted in disgust as Adam laughed.

"Well, not just you. Us. The whole long distance thing and how it doesn't work. I came to visit you cause I missed you, but I guess it wasn't really until the whole club incident," he looked down and missed the way Emma stiffened, "that I realized I didn't like it when another guy was interested in you. That I... I knew you better than anyone else."

She reached over the table and grabbed his hand.

"You do."

"Good."

He gave her hand a slight squeeze, and chuckled.

"So wow. Uh, heavy for a first date, huh?"

Emma shrugged, her eyes flirtatious. "It was a'ite.."

"Now it's your turn."

"Hm?" she looked at him innocently. "My turn for what?"

Adam realized how much he had wanted to hear her admit it. Admit that he hadn't lost her in all this foolishness. He hadn't shared everything, just the basics and what the media has probably already told her, but he would be damned before she knew about the strings of one night stands he had before he remembered her. Guilt swarmed his insides; he couldn't admit the first of the real truth. The truth that even through missing her - he had forgotten about her, that he had only seen that movie because the girl in his bed had played it on demand.

He relaxed visibly when she stroked his hand.

"Okay."

She meet his gaze once or twice during her confession. Starting from his voice to the little things he did to make her feel protected - wanted. Emma didn't miss the way his eyes grew stormy as she whispered how she liked his arms around her, in bed, on the street, anywhere, because they made her feel safe. How his scent and eyes reminded her that someone out there really cared about her, not just in a way that friends felt obligated to, but because he genuinely did. The conversation was so delicate and private for such an open area, but no one took notice of the couple completely enamored with each other. Although one more than the other.

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"Honey, you have the glow!"

Emma's eyes bulged as Greg pinched her cheeks and pulled her face towards the light. She allowed him to squeeze and manipulate her face at will, the huge smile never leaving his face. His voice boomed throughout the studio, catching a few curious ears before he settled down.

"Tell me, what have you been doing this weekend?"

She had the audacity to turn away and blush, confirming all the dirty thoughts in his head. If only he knew that the further Adam and her had gone was his tongue in her mouth. It was all she felt like doing because the moment Adam reached for her breasts, she shied away.

"Oh boy, a boy, am I right?"

Greg clapped his hands together. He crossed his legs and waited for Emma to spill every detail about her orgasmic night when he noticed her smile fade into a lost expression. Tracing her gaze, he followed it to the other side of the room, where Sylar was walking out of the dressing room in nothing but a towel. "Oh my god," he said, drawing a connection, "did you - "