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Sin Whispered Love

By: JulietteLaBelle



Prologue

Red lights in the darkness.

A screeching shriek.

The angry growl of metal giving.

Glass shattering.

My sight blinded.

My heart racing.

My fear choking me.

No escape.

Pain.

This is all I knew in my final moments.

Just like that it was over...



Chapter One

3:14 am. The dream was the same every time. The same fear, the same agonizing scream of bending metal. The same shattering sound that gave him chills even hours after he had woken, terrified and shaking. He knew it was the only scrap of memory he had, and he wished as he had a thousand times that he remembered nothing at all. He unwrapped and threw off the sweat soaked sheet and sat on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands, trying to collect and calm his thoughts.

With a groan, Adam made his way, in the dim light coming through the open bedroom window, to the bathroom which connected to his room. He didn't bother turning on the light in here either, as the streetlight right outside his apartment kept the place illuminated at night. This did not bother him, as it had the last tenants. The white porcelain of the bathroom's every surface reflected the light well in here.

Adam stared at his ghostly image in the mirror, a silhouette against the sanitary background. His short spiky cut brown hair was slicked to his forehead and neck, and even in the poor lighting he knew his pupils were dilated, taking over the pale green that made his eyes the allure of every girl he had met since he woke up. Well, that and four days a week at the gym. Adam had no intention of becoming a bodybuilder, but he liked the idea of being able to handle himself in any situation. The doctors had only told him to take it easy and not over exert himself.

He couldn't see the scar that ran a striking white gash under his left eye and up towards his temple, but he knew it was there. After he washed his face he returned to the bed, where he lay awake for hours, unable to relax enough to let sleep's gentle touch lull him back into the darkness.

When dawn finally came he decided to get up. No point laying in bed once the sun was up if you're not sleeping. The shower would feel good and ease his mind, and after he turned on the spray he looked at his reflection once more. In the newborn light he didn't look as bad as he had after his nightmare, except maybe for the bloodshot eyes that made his eyelids feel like they were coated with sandpaper and the slightly tinted shadows under those tired eyes.

When he stepped under the steaming water he could practically feel the weight of his restless night melting from his tense muscles. He stood with a hand on the wall, his head hung as he let the water massage his neck and shoulders. Almost an hour later he felt refreshed and turned off the water. Standing there for a moment to let the worst of the water drops stay in the shower stall, he reached around the curtain and grabbed his towel off the rack, wrapping it around his waist before stepping out. It took him another hour to complete his morning routine. Brush teeth, shave, fix hair, up in a spikes of course, and dress.

He opted for a nice fitting pair of jeans that were nearly a foot wide at the bottom, black with red stitching. Buckles and zippers were scattered randomly across the denim and shiny chains draped from several of the short straps that had metal loops at their ends. He chose a red sleeveless shirt and a black button down with fire climbing up its sides. Top it off with the round, red lensed glasses and he was ready to go. He threw on his boots with their bright orange laces and fed his cat before making himself eggs and toast. 

He took his time. His appointment wasn't until 11:00 so he turned on the TV and flipped to a random news channel as background noise while he ate.

At 10:46 Adam got off the bus a block from his therapist's office, pushing his glasses up his nose as he waited for traffic to slow enough to cross the street. The red light came and he shuffled across the street with a group of random people, not really paying attention to them.

The building was meant to look like a house, with its sky blue siding and white trim, as well as the shutters that flanked every window. At two stories, they even went so far as to add a porch, but the flat blocked roof seemed to contradict the illusion. The real homes on the neighborhood block were adorned with peaked and shingled roofs.

He arrived in the receptionists office and signed in with time to spare. He sat in the only chair, the only person in the waiting room. The decor was tasteless as were all doctors offices, PH.D. or otherwise. Couches and chairs that looked like they belonged under plastic in an elderly woman's house, the dark blue clashed horribly with the brown carpet, and the fake plants that sat in every corner needed dusting. He sifted through the old magazines on the fake wood coffee table but found nothing of interest. He spent his time looking at the oil paintings on the walls of landscapes and lakes that, upon approach, only looked like smears of random color.

"Alright Adam, you can come back now."

He turned to see his therapist, Dr. Nakato. The woman was barely older than him at 23 and was already set on a path for life. She was Asian, but he didn't know what her heritage specifically was, and thought it too rude to ask. 

Today she was dressed in a blue sun dress with a yellow beaded necklace and sandals, using the simple clothes to hide her stunning figure, adding to this effect by having her waist length hair braided down her back. As they walked she smiled at him. "So how was your birthday last week?" She was very easy to talk to, and he had no problems speaking to her honestly.

"It sucked. Everyone wanted me to go out and hit the bars. I tried telling them I couldn't but they just didn't understand."

She opened the door while she listened to him and they took their usual seats. She at her desk and Adam in one of three chairs along the other wall. "They kept telling me 'one night won't kill you' and 'you have to get back on the horse' so eventually I just asked them to leave." She nodded as she pulled his file from one of the drawers and opened it. Grabbing a random pen from the collection in a cup on her desk, she began writing. The friends he spoke of were three guys he had met in physical therapy, and two of their friends.

"Well, that's not fun.. What did you do after that?" She looked up at him, shaped eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Nothing really. I just stayed home and watched a movie. Ordered pizza," he said, raising one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

She was nodding again her dark eyes on the paper as she scribbled in her sloppy handwriting. The half hour long appointment went as they always did. She asked him how he was adjusting since the accident that robbed him of his memories up until he was nineteen. He told her he was fine. His life was fine. Everything was fine. Except...

"Anymore dreams?" She met his eyes for this one and he couldn't manage to lie to her.

"Yea, last night. It was the same." It had been a few weeks since he'd had the dream, and he thought maybe he was finally getting over it. It was the only dream he ever had these days. She wrote that in his file.

"Well we said we would wait for it to happen again before trying the regression technique I told you about. So if you think you're ready we can schedule you to see the a specialist later this week unless you would rather wait?"

She left the option open to him, waiting for his answer without trying to push him in any direction. Another half shrug.

"Yea, I guess that's fine." He said. Dr. Nakato smiled as she finished writing and closed the file to look in her datebook.

"Ok, how does 5:30 on the 17th sound?" When Adam nodded she did as well. She was always nodding. Always smiling. She wrote the appointment on a small card and handed it to him. "When you get here I'll be able to explain what to expect, and then we will set you up at the hospital. Unless there's anything else you wanted to talk about I'll see you then."

It took him five minutes to get back out on the street, and he stopped to enjoy the fresh air. He always felt tense when dealing with doctors of any kind. They made him uncomfortable. He stared out across the road for a while, the few pedestrians he saw were strolling around a park that consisted of a paved path winding through the open grounds. Large oaks dotted the land and uncomfortable looking benches were set at regular intervals so the weary could rest, and absorb the tranquility.

He made his way across the street now and seated himself in the first of the wooden benches he came to, sighing as he pulled off his shades to rub his eyes. His fingers always found their way to his scar and absently he traced it with his fingertip. He didn't remember his entire life. He didn't remember the crash that took it from him a week or two after his eighteenth birthday, save for these maddening nightmares.

The first memory he had now was waking up in the hospital a year and a half after a cop, drunk and pissed off, slammed head first into his '86 camaro. The cop didnt survive to be punished. He knew this because when he came out of the coma, his doctors and various lawyers gave him details. His doctors informed him that he could recover physically, but he would most likely never remember anything. He had gone through the windshield and slammed into the cruiser his car was making out with. The doctors were surprised he had survived. Shocked when he woke up with mostly functioning motor and verbal skills.

He had lost a great deal of his vocabulary with the memories though and along with physical therapy had needed tutoring to recover the missing and jumbled words. He didn't need any of that anymore, and after returning to a somewhat normal life the only thing he had to do was see the shrink every month and once in a while a specialist to make sure his brain would continue to develop and function normally after the trauma. That was three years ago tomorrow. He didn't think he would be celebrating.

Adam sat there for some time, lost in that thought. He spent a lot of time these days trying to remember something, anything from his past. He never did. Not what songs his mother used to hum to get him to sleep, not the name of the neighbors dog, not what brand of cigarettes his father smoked. Not a scrap of memory ever came to him. Not that he knew any of these would-be memories were accurate. He didn't know if his dad smoked, or if the neighbor had a dog.

He assumed his mother would have sung to him as a child, but again he didn't know these details from the information he had collected from before his life was shattered. He couldn't ask because his parents hadn't survived the accident. His mother took her own life a year later and Adam's father had up and left, sure he would never recover. He drank himself into a burning darkness that he soon destroyed with a bullet through the temple. Seeing as how he didn't remember them at all, he couldn't manage to feel bad about losing both of them, the only feeling he could muster was a kind of faded empty want. If his father had held on just a little longer then Adam would've at least had him, but even that knowledge was faint in the emotions it caused.

Adam didn't know how long he sat there, elbows on his knees, eyes focused on the ground at his feet, seeing something farther away. So completely lost in his reverie that the gentleman who sat down beside him went unnoticed, which was a fairly difficult thing to do.

"It's going to rain soon."

It bothered Adam, how smooth that voice had been as it split through the images in his mind, like tracing a line across your reflection in the still surface of a pool. He turned pale green eyes towards the stranger who had managed to sneak up on him. He was tall, Adam could tell that just from sitting next to him. Adam was on the short side at only 5' 6 and this guy looked like he was six feet or more.

The stranger wasn't even looking at him, he was leaned back, his elbows on the back of the bench, staring up through eyes so blue they looked like they held the sky itself. If only you couldn't see the true, grey, sky reflecting in them. He wore black leather gloves with silver spikes going across the knuckles and the fingertips cut off. The man looked to be around Adam's age, with chin length black hair that looked silky despite the shaggy cut and held a vibrant blue at the tips. It was long enough in the front to cover his eyes, but now it had fallen victim to gravity and had revealed his face. 

He wore the same style jeans, Tripps, that Adam wore, though his were white with purple stitching, and a different assortment of buckles and straps. His had no bondage straps Xing across the back, and he wore a tight fitting black shirt with some kind of Japanese looking rabbit on its front. No sleeves, to reveal well built arms and from the look of that shirt the rest of him was pretty as well.

Adam suddenly realized he was staring and snapped his eyes to the face of this good looking stranger. His profile was nice as well, clean skin, straight nose, and those eyes.. The blue orbs turned to him then, the guy's whole head tilted to the side as he pinned that gaze on Adam. "You should probably get inside. Wouldn't want you to get wet." Even through the veil of dark hair Adam could still see those eyes brightly, as though they were glowing, and the sound of his voice once more caused ripples through his mind. For a moment he could think of nothing to say. Lost in the eyes of this stranger. And then..

"Who are you?" Adam said, finding his voice, pleased when it was strong and revealed nothing of how off balance this guy made him. The stranger chuckled quietly, revealing straight white teeth and a sexy smile, even for a guy. Adam noticed then that this mans lips looked more suited for a girls face, and with that thought came the realization that those lips looked soft and utterly kissable. Just the right shade of pink.

"I am Zeke, and you are?" Adam blinked at him for a second before realizing that he was staring again.

"Adam... My name is Adam," He said quickly, still pleased with the strength of his voice, not at all sure why he was even reacting this way.

"Well Adam, you should find some form of shelter from the rain. I don't see an umbrella." Adam could feel Zeke's gaze as it slid down his form. No umbrella.

Adam could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, and turned to look down the street to hide the blush. Another soft laugh from Zeke caused him to return his gaze and Zeke once more pinned him with those perfectly blue eyes. "I mean, unless you're the type who likes to get wet?" Adam couldn't miss the double entendre anymore than he could miss the twitch of Zeke's lips as he fought a devilish smile, the twinkle in his eyes as he refused to release his gaze. Adam's face heated once more and he looked away before he revealed another blush to him, missing the amusement on Zeke's pleasant features.

"N..No.. I really should be.. Leaving," Adam said, standing up. He kept his attention on everything but Zeke, putting the red glasses back on his face and then fiddling with them once there. "It was nice meeting you..."

"Goodbye Adam." Zeke said as Adam turned to walk away. He remained sitting in the bench, watching as Adam strolled off down the street to catch a bus home. Adam could feel Zeke's eyes on his back even after he had turned the corner and was out of his site.

The entire bus ride home Adam thought about Zeke, unable to keep his thoughts on anything else. There was something about him, Adam didn't know what it was but he felt something stirring inside him. Almost like familiarity, but Adam had no idea if he actually knew him then or if he just wanted to know him now.

These thoughts continued as he arrived home and tossed his keys on the kitchen counter, dropping himself in a chair as his all white cat ran into the kitchen and trilled at him. "Hello Pi," he said. Pi jumped up into his lap, purring and he sat there petting her for a moment, always having enjoyed looking at the cats icy blue eyes. Blue eyes that made him think of Zeke. His eyes were captivating, like the door to his soul was ajar and if he looked hard enough he would be able to see right in. He sighed and set the cat back down on the floor, his attention wandering to the TV which he had left on for Pi and he stared uncaring at the news. Something about an earthquake on the other side of the world. Nothing that interested him beyond hoping people were ok, and even that wasn't enough to keep his attention from Zeke.

Adam went about the rest of his evening as usual, but instead of thinking about his past he thought about his future, and when he went to sleep, he didn't dream.

Sin Whispered Love Ch. 02



It didn't take Adam long to forget. He had spent the next day analyzing the encounter and after reminding himself of the way he had reacted to Zeke's piercing gaze, he found himself angry. Alone in his apartment, he concluded that there was no way he should've felt that way, he was not a "fag" after all. Not that he thought there was anything wrong with gay people, he just didn't like the idea of seeing himself that way. He forcefully kept all thoughts of Zeke at bay and after a few days he stopped having to. He had that tenacious dream again, and his thoughts returned to their constant search for the truth. Another day passed and it was time to go to his appointment with Dr. Nakato.

He stepped off the bus at his usual stop and looked around as he always did, though it was not to look for someone, it was a casual reflex and he thought nothing of it. As he walked he went over the details of his one, haunting memory as he had a thousand times before. He was always hoping that something new would come to him.

He walked with his head down, not really paying attention to his surroundings and he came upon the medical building in disguise too quickly as always. He couldn't sit in the chair like he usually did as there was someone sitting there. An older woman with shriveled skin and white hair. The perfect thing to go with the worn couch and chair, the horrid brown carpet and the dusty plastic flora in the ancient picturesque living room in his mind. The only thing missing was a cat... Maybe two or three.

"Adam?" He looked up from the magazine he was reading. The receptionist had called him and he had to stand up to see her.

"Yes?" He said. The thirty year old woman had blond hair that was lackluster and limp. Her face had that aged look most women fear even in their early teens and she looked like she hadn't smiled since her fifth birthday.

"Dr. Nakato is running late today. Is there any way you could come back in an hour or so? Let's say 6:30 or 7:00." He nodded and dropped the magazine on the table, heading for the door.

This time when he stepped out onto the sidewalk he did look across the street at the park. His pale green eyes glanced casually over the faces he saw and then he turned, having no interest in running into that unusual person he had met. He plugged his headphones into his iPod and put the headphones in his ears. Turning on something loud and angry he let himself zone out. When he looked up again he was out front of Zipper's, the locally owned music and book store. He came here sometimes to sit in the cafe and lose himself in the atmosphere. He hadn't been here for a while so he decided to go in and sit down, turning off and pocketing his iPod as he walked through the door.

The inside of Zipper's was interesting. The music was kept relatively low, but the song that was currently on deserved to be played at a level more accommodating to the artist. It was mostly a music store, with racks of both CDs and older records, stereo systems and other accessories. There was a small book section near the cafe, hardly worth noticing, and he passed it on his way to the bar. The walls were covered in street signs, pictures of music stars, some of them autographed, and various other curious artifacts. One such item, a life size alien sculpture with a fuzzy blue top hat that reminded him of Dr. Suess, stood at the end of the bar where Adam now sat waiting for the clerk to notice him.

The guy was very at home in Zipper's, considering he looked like he hadn't brushed his hair in years. The dreadlocks looked clean but snaked down his back in rough, jagged lines. The least he could've done was tied it back.

"What can I get you man?" He said walking towards him as he threw a dishtowel over the shoulder of his outrageously tie-dyed shirt.

"Just coffee," He responded with a half shrug and a nervous grin before he turned his attention to the countertop.

He sat there for at least half an hour before another person walked through the door. They really weren't busy today. That person walked into the collection of records and started glancing through the selection. Adam could barely make out the reflection in the grimy mirror behind the counter. His ability to lose himself in thought left him off guard when the stranger that sat down to him went unnoticed yet again.

"Fancy meeting you here," Zeke's velvet voice shattered Adam's thoughts and he looked up at him, as a trace of Deja Vu rippled through him, fading almost as soon as it happened. He just kinda stared for a minute, watching Zeke as he raised one hand to get the servers attention. When he turned his head and looked right at him, Adam saw the silver loop going through his lip.

"Is that new?" He asked, pointing to the ring.

"Yea, I just did it yesterday. It's still a little swollen," He said as he reached up to play with it.

"You mean you did it yourself?" Adam's face paled a shade.

"Yea, I own a piercing and tattoo shop. Well, I co-own it with my friend Nikky, but that's what I do."

Adam stared at him for a minute before he picked up his cup, taking a sip of the now cold coffee. He didn't like needles, especially the kind doctors used, and they were tiny. The kind piercers used were much bigger. "You can come see if you like," Zeke offered with that butterfly smile.

"No. Thanks, but I hate needles," he said with a shake of his head, "I have to be going anyway."

"Some other time then," Zeke said as Adam stood, tossing a few bills on the table. Adam walked away, Zeke followed with a shrug at the tender.

On their way to the door, Adam kept his attention on some of the action figures for sale, when something caught his attention. "No way," he said as he grabbed a thickly packaged casing, a fully assembled Mach 5 from the anime Speed Racer. "I love this show," Adam turned towards the counter and promptly bought the car.

Once outside he fished in his oversized pockets and pulled out his pocket knife. "Speed Racer? Really?" Zeke said with a laugh, shaking his head.

"Yes. Speed was the coolest race car driver ever. Well, he's not better than Racer X but still a close second. He's the coolest though." Zeke laughed again.

Adam was having trouble with the thick plastic around the car, and just when he thought he might get it open the knife jerked, skidded along the plastic and slashed right across his left palm. Blood welled immediately and started dripping down his arm before he even felt the pain from it. "Shit," Was all he said before Zeke grabbed his arm and wiped at the wound with the bottom of his shirt, trying to see how bad it was.

"That's a nasty gash. You're going to need stitches," he said as he applied pressure to the wound.

"Like hell. I'm not going to the hospital," He said, jerking his hand back. "I have to get going anyway."

He turned and started walking down the street, blood dripping from his hand. Zeke started walking after him, shaking his head as he grabbed his arm and raised it, elevating the wound.

"I can't just leave you here to bleed to death," he said, turning him again and leading him back towards Zipper's and the '91 red and black pin striped Charger. Before he let Adam in the passenger seat he took off his black tee shirt and wrapped Adams hand in it. Adam blushed, turning his attention away from his well defined chest and abs. "Now make sure you keep it above your heart and keep pressure on it."

"I don't want to go," Adam said firmly. Zeke only chuckled and opened the passenger door, waiting for him to get in. Which he did with an annoyed sigh.

"Make sure you buckle up," He said as he shut the door, a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.

On the way there, Adam only complained about the hospital for half the ride, the other half was spent complaining about his driving. Zeke liked to drive fast, but he knew what he was doing. The wait in the ER was shorter than the wait for the doctor once they got into the room and Zeke sat in the visitors chair, staring at him. "I can't believe I cut my hand like that," Adam said with a sigh. Zeke opened his mouth to say something when the doctor pulled aside the curtain., he was about fifty, with white hair. He looked amusingly like Bob Barker.

"Hi Adam, I'm Dr. Jenkins. Let's take a look at that cut," he said as he pulled on a pair of gloves. Adam unwrapped Zeke's shirt and showed him his palm. It was still bleeding and the fresh blood was smeared over his hand. The doctor examined him and nodded. "Ok, you got lucky. You missed the artery and it's not too deep. In other words you didn't hit anything important. A few sutures and you'll be good as new." The doctor smiled again and left, closing the curtain behind him.

"At least you'll match if it scars," He said with a grin that was closer to an honest smile. Adam's free hand traced the scar under his eye, but he didn't say anything for a while.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Sixteen stitches, a perscription of antibiotics and three hours later Adam and Zeke left the hospital. Zeke had a tattoo that covered most of his back, this was the first time Adam noticed it. It was a Chinese dragon done in tribal snaking up his spine and the arms and head were settled across his shoulders as though it were resting. "Did that hurt?" He asked as he tossed him back his bloodied shirt.

"No, not really. I have a high tolerance for pain," He replied with another of his teasing grins. The one that hinted at something more and made a blush break out across Adam's face. Zeke could do that with nothing more than his eyes, but when he brought his smile into it Adam could barely keep his thoughts straight. This didn't bother him as much as it had the first few times around, he realized.

Zeke started the car and the rumble of the engine resonated off the walls of the parking garage, making it sound like some huge archaic beast in the throes of battle. As he pulled out into the street he glanced over at Adam, who was busy examining the wound and flexing his fingers. He had a look of concentration on his face and Zeke couldn't help but smile.

"You look like you're trying to heal it with your mind," he said jokingly. Adam laughed and let his hand rest in his lap, shifting a bit to get comfortable in the seat. Now that the worst was over he was more comfortable. "So you co-own a tattoo shop?"

"Yes, I bought into it when I was 22," He said, glancing at him again before returning his attention to the street. A yellow light and then a red. He stopped behind a yellow VW Bug and looked at him. "It's on the corner of Leon and Trites near the mall. Tripper Laina Tattoo."

"Oh yea, I've seen that place. It looks good from the outside," Adam said, smiling. "I've never gone in, though." Zeke smiled and continued as traffic started moving again.

"You're welcome anytime," He said with a sideways glance, and then after a pause he said, "So where am I taking you kid?" Adam gave him the directions to his apartment. Zeke nodded. "I know where that is."

Zeke parked outside of the apartment building, shut off the car and turned to look at Adam. He fixed him with his intense, crystal blue gaze, swiping his hair away from his face. Adam felt the heat rising in his cheeks and once more his eyes went to the new addition to his hand, flexing his fingers and stretching the skin held in the stitching. "Thanks," he said after a minute, still not looking up.

"That's what friends are for," he replied with a shrug. It was no big deal, he hadn't lost anything for the time spent. "Hey, do you want to go with me to this concert? I have an extra ticket to the Otep show on Tuesday. My sister cant make it."

"Really? That's cool. Yea I'll go. Are you sure man?"

"No problem. I was supposed to take my sister but she had to work. She's kinda pissed about it actually," he said with a chuckle.

"Alright," He nodded, smiling. He knew he had been to concerts, he had found the ticket stubs in the things packed up for him by the state, but he didn't remember a single one. He hadn't been to one since the accident.

"I'll be here around six, ok?" He said as Adam opened the door. Adam nodded and got out.

"Ok, I'll be outside. If not just honk or something. Peace man," he said.

"Goodbye Adam," Zeke's velvet voice held that tone that seemed to grab his attention and as he caught his eye he offered another of those devilish smiles. Adam seemed to hesitate before he shut the door and headed inside. Zeke waited for him to go in before starting the car and pulling off, the roar of the engine could be heard even as Adam made his way up the stairs.

Pi was waiting for him when he opened the door. Sitting next to her empty food bowl she looked annoyed as she meowed at him. "Yea, I know. I'm sorry I'm late honey but I had to go to the hospital," He said to the cat. She meowed back and he laughed. "I'll get your dinner right now." Meow. "I'm getting it. Chill out will you?" Meow. He sighed and went into the kitchen closet, getting a scoop of dry food and poured it into her bowl. He had to call Dr. Nakato to let her know why he had missed his appointment and to reschedule. Then he took a nice hot shower and when he was done with that he sat down on his couch, flipping through channels on the TV. He settled on an old movie about a kid who goes into the future in a space ship. His eyes were fixed on the images on the screen but he wasn't really watching it. He was lost in thought. Again. After a while he laid down, relaxing on the couch, where he fell asleep.

This was different. Instead of the usual sounds and images, instead of the recurring nightmare of his accident, Adam found himself walking down an empty dirt road. Trees lined the edges, close enough that Adam felt like they were reaching for him. They stretched up high enough that when he looked up and around all he could see were trees, leaves and the path that stretched on forever. He started walking, not sure why. After a while he started feeling claustrophobic and began running. 

Soon he could make out a shape in the distance, a human shape and he stopped, squinting. The figure was waving one arm, beckoning to him. Adam started running again, this time towards the figure instead of from his fear. As he got closer he could see who it was. Zeke. He looked worried and he was yelling to him to hurry up. He ran harder, faster, his fear catching up to him again at Zeke's silent words. As he got closer Zeke reached his hand out and Adam followed the action. He was so close, but just when their hands touched, the image shattered like glass and he was dropping into a thick darkness.

Adam jerked awake, sitting up as a gasp forced its way into his lungs. He looked at the clock. 4:23 am. He slid from the bed and went to the bathroom. He turned on the light and ran the cold water, splashing it on his face. He stared at himself for a while, contemplating the dream. 

This was strange. This was entirely new. He made a mental note to call Dr. Nakato in the morning, well, later today. His face was dry by the time he realized, with mild annoyance, he wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon, so he started the day early.

A shower would do him well, though he couldn't help where his thoughts wandered while he lathered the soap over his body. He could feel himself stirring under his own touch, and blushed as he realized he had yet to indulge in this kind of activity. He didn't have any playboy magazines or adult dvds. He hadn't tried to become involved with anyone since he'd woken up, and if he had been in a relationship before, it was long since lost.

Thinking about Zeke, he let his fingers wrap around his already hard shaft, feeling the pulse of blood under the delicate skin. He imagined Zeke looking at him, with that penetrating gaze of his. Imagined what he would look like nude, in the shower with him, water cascading down his body as he beckoned to Adam. He imagined that his own hand was Zeke's hand as it slowly moved over his thick member. As he moved his hand, gently stroking, delicious shivers of pleasure danced up and down his entire body, and he wasn't surprised when, after only a few minutes, he was gasping Zeke's name, and painting the the wall of the shower with his shame. Panting, he leaned against the back wall, his eyes closed, letting the last few throbs of pleasure melt into the warmth of the water. He stayed like that until the water threatened to turn cold on him, and he quickly rinsed off and got out, tucking this secret away in the back of his mind for later analysis.



Sin Whispered Love Ch. 03



Adam hated waiting. He was waiting for time to stop slowing down. It was 4:30 in the afternoon on tuesday, the day of the concert. He was sure it had been 4:30 for at least an hour. He had spent the last few days in his studio since Dr. Nakato was on vacation for the last few days and would be until next monday. He didn't know if he was artistic, before the accident. When Dr. Nakato suggested he pick up a hobby, he had tried a few things. Bowling was one of the things he had tried first. He was a terrible bowler. He didn't really get into playing video games, and matchstick houses were beyond him.

What he did like was looking at the paintings in the waiting room of Dr. Nakatos office, so he ended up at the arts and crafts store a block from his apartment. He had gotten a few different types of paint but had settled on oil after trying each kind. His watercolor always ended up looking like a ghostly blob on the canvas, and he didnt like the flat shine of acrylic. After doing a few small pictures he realized he was actually not bad at this, so he had moved from the kitchen table, into the second bedroom he used for storage.

After clearing it out, he threw a tarp down and bought a real easel. Right now he was working on a landscape he had copied from a page in a travel magazine. As he waited for time to pass he stared at the picture, liking the way the tree tops looked with just a sliver of setting sunlight on their edges. The picture in the magazine was from a dense forest in Maine, taken from overhead. He wasn't sure if he was going to add the helicopter shadow into his painting as it was in the original image. Probably.

He turned on the TV in his bedroom as he got dressed. Grabbing his favorite green Tripps, he took the bondage straps off. These jeans were tighter than his others and he didnt like the way they looked with the straps. He threw on a tight fitting long sleeved fishnet shirt, and pulled on his red half sleeves over that. He grabbed a sleeveless red shirt that read 'Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat' in sketchy black letters. After spiking his hair up he brushed his teeth and threw a scoop of food into Pi's bowl. As he looked at the clock he heard a loud horn coming from outside. The clock said 5:43. Zeke was here. The knowledge made his actions in the shower dance across his mind again, and he was blushing as he locked the door behind him.

Zeke waited out front of the apartment for Adam to come down. He wore his fingerless gloves with a blue short sleeve shirt with a picture of a red and white spotted cartoon mushroom, and loose fitting black jeans. His hair was down as it usually was, and he brushed it from his face as Adam opened the car door and got in. He waited for Adam to buckle up before he pulled out into the sparse traffic. "So how was your weekend Adam?" "Not bad," he said, looking out the side window, finding it hard to look at him, "I spent most of it in my studio. I've been working on a new painting."

"You paint?" Zeke asked, looking at him with eyebrows raised. This surprised him. "Yea, I started after my accident. Doc said I needed a hobby." "Speaking of accidents, how is your hand?" Adam looked down at his hand, having forgotten about the wound there. This question surprised him because usually people wanted to know about the accident that had nearly killed him. "It's fine. Healing and all that," he said with a shrug. They continued the chatter until Zeke pulled into a diner that Adam had never been to before. When he pulled into a spot in the parking lot Adam looked around. "Pit stop?" "Are you hungry Adam?" Zeke gave him one of his sidelong glances, the corner of his mouth pulled up in a smirk. "The concert doesn't start until nine, I figured we could eat first." Adam nodded, pinned by that gaze, he felt like Zeke could read the secret behind his eyes. He was blushing again as he followed Zeke into the restaurant.

They got a table near the back, as the diner was empty if you didn't count the old couple who were eating quietly in the front. As they sat down, Adam picked up the laminated menu and started looking through it. Zeke eyed him with a watchful gaze, not saying anything. "The steak looks good... So does the double bacon burger," he said, mostly to himself, but as he looked up and met Zeke's eyes he couldn't help the warmth that spread through him. He didn't have long to think about it, that was when the bouncy blond waitress came over with her receipt book and a smile for the two terribly attractive guys she was lucky enough to get.

"Hi! What can I get for you guys?" Zeke didn't look at her, his blue eyes were still on Adam and he gestured to him to go first. "I'll have the double bacon burger, no pickles," he said, giving the menu and a polite smile to the girl before he looked across the table at Zeke. Zeke barely glanced at the waitress as he ordered. "I'll have the steak, rare, no pickle, and potatoes instead of fries," he said. The waitress nodded and took their menus, a frown on her pretty lips at the total lack of attention from either of them. They made small talk while they waited for the food.

When it arrived Zeke waited for Adam to begin eating before he spoke again. "So how did you get that scar on your face?" Adam stopped with a fry halfway to his open mouth and looked down at his plate. "I was in a car accident when I was eighteen," he said slowly, as though weighing his words before he spoke them. "A disgruntled cop was drinking while on duty and..." The pause took so long Zeke wasn't sure if he would continue. Then with a sigh he said, "The cop slammed into me head on. I was going thirty five, the cop was going about eighty. It wasn't a pretty sight, he didn't survive. I was in a coma for two years..." His voice trailed off. He didn't feel like talking about the family he had never known, at least by his current standards. Zeke didn't ask him anymore about it and the conversation turned more docile. The hours ticked away easily and then it was time for the concert.

They stood in line for the show. Surrounded by freaks like themselves, they were comfortable, but Adam noticed that Zeke seemed on edge. He kept glancing around, observant as he stood next to Adam. His perfect blue eyes were constantly shifting. "Are you ok?" he asked as the line moved slowly forward. "Of course," he said, meeting Adam's worried gaze. Adam watched those eyes, thinking to himself that he was hiding something. However if Zeke wanted to share, he would. "Are you?" He said instead. "What? Yeah, I'm ok," Adam said, his head tilting off to the side. As they waited, Adam couldn't help but watch Zeke out of the corner of his eye, wondering what was happening to him. They gained entry to the concert and wandered around the crowded warehouse, finding a decent spot to watch from.

It was two am by the time they were on the road again, both were still worked up from the concert. "That was so awesome..." Adam sat sideways in the front seat, his fears of driving forgotten for the moment. "The way she sprayed that fake blood at the end! Wow, That's gotta be the coolest thing I've ever seen," Adam said. Zeke looked over at him, his face blank. "Haven't you ever gone to a concert?" This question dropped the smile from Adam's face and he looked away. Zeke waited patiently for an answer. "Well... You remember what I said about my accident? The coma?" Zeke nodded. "Well, when I woke up... I....I have... No memories. I don't remember anything from before I woke up," Adam's voice was quiet as he revealed this part. "I have no memories of my childhood or my family... I don't even really know who I am..." He shook his head as he looked out the window, watching the dark empty streets as they sped past. "Are you hungry?" Zeke asked him after a moment, his voice quiet. "...Yea... I guess I am," Adam said, the smile returning to pull at the corners of his mouth.

The next day Adam woke to the sound of his phone ringing. He groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, trying to block out the high shrill as it insisted to be answered. It was too early, he knew that. Zeke hadn't dropped him off until around five in the morning and he had wanted to sleep. He reached with a blind hand past his alarm clock and grabbed the phone, sighing as the obnoxious sound cut off mid ring. He spoke with the cloud of sleep still fogging his mind. "Hello?" "Good afternoon Adam," a silky voice answered. 

The fog cleared almost instantly as he recognized the voice. "Hey Zeke. What time is it?" "It's two in the afternoon." "Oh..." "What are you doing today?" "Sleeping." Zeke laughed at this. "Well get up and get dressed. I want to show you something," he said. "I'll be there in an hour," he gave one more chuckle as he hung up.

Adam groaned again, wanting so much to go back to sleep, but he found himself sitting up to put the phone back on its cradle. The movement disturbed Pi, who had been sleeping next to him and she mewed her annoyance as she jumped off the bed. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya." He started with a shower and threw on the first clothes he grabbed. Very tight blue jeans and a black tee shirt. Nothing special. He didn't even bother to spike up his hair, letting it hang messy instead. He happened to glance out the window as he was pouring a bowl of cereal in the kitchen and sighed. It was raining. He didn't have an umbrella.

Zeke showed up as promised and Adam settled into the now familiar front seat. "So where are we going?" Adam didn't worry about car safety like he usually did when he was around Zeke. He found a certain kind of comfort just being near him. He felt safe. He wasn't yet aware of why he had these feelings as he didn't give much thought to it. "We're going to my shop first. I have to check in with Nikky," he said with one of those smiles Adam had become fond of. In the dark of his bedroom he had started to allow himself the thoughts and memories of that smile that he only rarely let slip, and had no more disagreements with himself as to why. He blushed again as he remembered the shower. Adam didn't say much on the drive, only stared out the drivers side window, and sometimes at Zeke, watching him drive.

It only took fifteen minutes or so to get there and Zeke pulled the car into his reserved spot, shutting off the engine. "Here, I brought you an umbrella since you don't seem to have one," he said as he reached behind the seat. He handed Adam the green umbrella and stepped out into the rain, not bothering to shield himself. Adam felt out of place, and left the umbrella on the seat. If Zeke could walk through the rain so could he. He followed Zeke to the door with no problem, but found when it came time to enter the shop he paused.

Zeke watched him for half a second before he grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Adam gasped as he felt the sudden warmth surging through his body, stemming from that small gesture. He didn't notice he had entered Tripper Laina, didn't even hear the jingling bells attached to the door, as he tried to make sense of the sudden onslaught of emotion. When Zeke let go, he felt a moment of sadness though it was quickly erased as he took in the shop. "Wow..." Was all he could manage. There were enlarged pictures of tattoos covering the red walls from different artists, and an entire section was dedicated to potographs taken of work he or Nikky had done. Tattos and piercings alike. Adam looked at these and couldn't help but notice how red and angry the skin looked in each one, though he supposed that was probably normal, considering the sharp objects involved. "Wait here for a second, please Adam? I have to go see if Nikky is busy. I'll be right back," He said as he disappeared behind a curtain next to the counter.

Adam moved to look at all the jewelry in the display case and was looking rather pale when Zeke returned with a girl who looked older than both of them, especially in the long flowing white skirt and purple shirt. She reminded Adam of a hippie except she had short, almost shaved, bright green hair, and dark eyes. Three silver loops laced their way through her left eyebrow and a small blue star was tattooed under the corner of her right eye. She was overweight, and when she came up to him, Adam noticed she was shorter than he was. "It's nice to meet you Adam," she said as she held out her hand for him to shake. As he did he noticed another tattoo on her right wrist, a small fairy sitting on a mushroom. "I'm Nicole, but everyone calls me Nikky." "I like the shop. I would never have come in here if Zeke hadn't brought me. I don't like needles," he said with a sheepish grin. Nikky laughed, causing her oversized breasts and stomach to shake. Adam looked politely away. "No one really likes needles. Well except for this freak right here," she said as she nudged Zeke, "isn't that right Z?" He smiled, but Adam was sure there was something under it. Annoyance perhaps.

"I just came by to check on the sales for last month. The bank called and said something wasn't adding up right. I think I forgot to log a few of them," he said as he rooted around behind the counter. "Hey where is the.. Oh, here it is," he said as he stood up, holding a blue binder with a jolly roger sticker on it's front, "I'm gonna take this with me. I'll bring it back later. We have to run anyway or we'll be late. You good here?" He asked as he came to stand next to Adam. As tall as Zeke was, Nikky looked like a dwarf next to him.

"Yea, I'm alright. Have fun," she said as she turned to head into the back again, waving one hand dismissively over her shoulder. Adam didn't miss the comment about being late. He had to admit, he was curious, Zeke had yet to tell him where they were going. He didn't usually like surprises, but he found himself looking forward to this one with a higher outlook than he would have if it had been anyone else.

It had stopped raining by the time they got back out to the car, and Adam raised one eyebrow as he asked, "What exactly are we going to be late for?" Zeke laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing," he said, "I just didn't want to stay there with Nikky. She's one of my best friends but sometimes she annoys me. Beside that, it's my day off, I wouldn't have come in if I hadn't needed to pick up the sale book." Adam looked at the binder that was tucked between the seats to hide his disappointment. "Oh, ok. I was just curious," Adam wondered if Zeke could hear the change of tone in his voice. "Where we're going doesn't have a time restraint," Zeke informed him with a smirk. "Oh..." Adam didn't ask any more questions about it and stared quietly out the window, thinking to himself.

He couldn't explain the butterflies in his stomach. It's not like this was a date, though that idea did give him a tiny shiver. Adam was slowly beginning to accept the roiling emotions that Zeke set to light in him. He didn't understand them, but he felt so comfortable it was hard to ignore.

Outside the window, businesses gave way to houses. Houses gave way to trees. Soon he was sure they were in some kind of forest. As the houses faded, so did the paved road. Zeke had to put his car in a lower gear and slow down as he made his way down a winding dirt road. Adam was reminded of his newest dream, and looked up through the window to make sure the sky was still visible. It was, barely.

They had spent almost an hour in silence, but once he didn't have to concentrate on the road, Zeke broke the train of thought Adam was lost in. "I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. My dad used to bring me and my sister here before he got sick," he said, and Adam looked over at him, caught off guard by this revelation. Zeke had mentioned before that his father had died of cancer when Zeke had turned 18, but that was all he had ever said about the man. Adam had the impression he didn't like to talk about it. "Oh?" Was all Adam could think to say, and he kicked himself mentally for the stupid answer. He was so distracted that he didn't realize when they pulled into a makeshift parking lot a moment later and Zeke turned off the vehicle.

"You don't mind hiking do you?" He asked. "It's not far, I promise." Adam shook his head. "No, not at all," he said as he looked around. they seemed to be in the middle of no where. Zeke climbed out and went around the car, opening Adam's door before he even had his seat belt off.

He climbed out and waited for Zeke to lead the way. It only took about fifteen minutes of walking before Adam began to hear the sound of water. He would have to ask Zeke to show him to the river. But as they kept going the sound got louder and as they stepped into a clearing five minutes later, Adam's breath caught in his throat.

The scene unfolding before him was breath taking, literally, and Adam couldn't help but feel humbled by the beauty he saw. Before him was indeed a river, surrounded by a small meadow, but the thing that truly awed him was the very high waterfall. Water turned white as it danced down the cliff face, catching on every outcropping boulder and tree root that dared the dangerous life, and spilling back into the calmly churning river. It was somehow chaotic and graceful at the same time and Adam was suddenly very glad he had answered his phone. 



Sin Whispered Love Ch. 04



They spent the afternoon enjoying the tranquility of nature. Zeke sat at the waters edge while Adam laid next to him, staring up at the puffy white clouds that drifted by at their lazy pace. He hadn't felt this kind of calm in the entire year since he'd woken up. Zeke hadn't spoken much, and Adam was content in the silence, but he was also worried. He felt like something was changing, but more than that, he felt like, maybe, he could finally move past who he used to be, the person he didn't know, a stranger. He thought maybe he could start to live instead of just exist. He looked over at Zeke, who was staring at the waterfall. He looked quite at peace. Adam noticed the same peace as it seeped into his own bones, and he sighed. Zeke looked over at him, one eyebrow raised in question. Adam just shook his head, and sat up.

It was then that they both heard a rustling in the brush behind them, and Zeke turned, quicker to react than Adam, but it was only a small fox, shuffling it's way through the clearing. It stopped when it saw them, standing perfectly still. Adam was surprised it would remain so close, the thought not halfway through his mind when his cell phone started ringing, startling the animal and it turned tail, darting back into the forest. 

Adam frowned as he reached into his pocket, looking at the display screen. It was Dr. Nakato. "Hello?" He said as he put it to his ear. "Yea, thanks for returning my call, " Adam stood up and walked a few paces away from Zeke. "Yes, I'm ok, just a few stitches... Yea, that's fine... Alright, thanks. I'll see you then," he said and hung up. He didn't tell her about his newest dream. He had decided to keep it for himself, though he wasn't sure why.

"Everything good?" Zeke asked, still sitting by the water.

"Yea, just my doctor," he said, looking down at the time on his phone. As he did, his stomach made quite an interesting growling noise. Loud, too.

"Are you hungry? We can go get something to eat if you want," Zeke said with a smile.

"Yea, I guess I am kinda hungry."

"Alright, let's go. I'm rather famished myself," he said as he stood up.

It wasn't long before they fell into some kind of routine. Adam's appointment with Dr. Nakato was postponed for the rest of the month, as something had come up with one of her other patients, and that left Adam available throughout the day. Zeke worked the morning shift in his shop and came by in the afternoon to pick Adam up. They went lots of places, the mall, book stores, amusement parks. Zeke loved the rides, but Adam was too scared to go on most of them. Zeke talked him into going on the free fall ride, but afterward Adam was sure his heart was going to stop at any moment. Their days were full of laughs and good memories. Adam was slowly beginning to come out of his shell. To find himself. He couldn't deny that this was all because of Zeke, though what that meant for him, he was unable to, or refused to, understand.

While they were out one evening, walking around town, trying to think of something to do, Zeke paused to look into the storefront of a clothing shop. Adam stopped as well and looked inside. He had never noticed this store before. He had never been inside, he was sure of this, but for some reason, he knew this wasn't quite true. Because he knew that if he stepped inside, the counter was in the very back, beyond the view of the window, and around a corner. If he asked for the restroom, he knew it would be through the red door next to the registers, but the sales clerks weren't supposed to let customers back there. It stunned him, this almost memory, and he didn't hear Zeke's voice as he asked if he was alright. 

Feeling the sudden need to go inside, he went to the glass door and pushed it open, anticipating the chimes that were attached to the door. There was only silence. He walked farther inside, past racks of jeans and shirts and jackets and shoes and belts and every other possible thing a clothing store could sell. There. That wall, and if he went around the corner... 

The door was there, but it was blue, and next to it was a row of mannequins in various stages of undress. He turned around, looking around the store again. On the far wall was the counter. The store was the same, but it was different. Maybe he was just hallucinating. "Adam, what the hell? Are you alright?" Zeke sounded worried as he grabbed hold of Adam's shoulders and turned him around so he could look at him.

"Yea... I just thought... I recognized this place.." Adam's voice sounded far away, even to himself and he wondered if he was having some kind of relapsed trauma. Zeke didn't say anything for a while, only stared at him.

"C'mon, let's get you sitting down," Zeke said as he steered him towards the door and back out into the cool night air. There was a bench a few feet away and Zeke had Adam sit down before he pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call. "Hey, it's me.. I'm good, but my friend isn't, could you bring out some cold water? ...I'm sitting at the bench right across the street.... Ok thanks," he said and hung up. Adam wasn't paying attention to the conversation. He felt lost, out of touch. He had been so sure about that store, and still was. The lay out had been the same, but having things out of order left him confused. This sense of deja vu was enough to make his head spin and he was fighting to remain conscious. A minute later, a short guy with a shaved head and a pizza hut uniform stood in front of him, holding out a cup of ice water to Zeke. "Thanks," he said as he took the cup.

"No problem man. I hope he's gonna be ok, but I have to get back to work. The boss'll have my ass if she catches me out here," he said as he turned and started back across the street.

"Here Adam, drink this," Zeke said as he held the cup out for Adam. When Adam didn't take the cup, Zeke moved it towards his lips, tilting it slightly so the cold water could pour gently into his mouth. He went slow, not wanting him to choke, and was relieved when Adam swallowed on his own. The cold seemed to help, and Adam's thoughts slowly began to clear. After a few mouthfuls of water Adam was able to hold the cup on his own, and the far away look is his eyes began to drift into focus. "Are you ok now?" Zeke asked, concern twisting his voice.

"Yea, I'm really sorry about that. I don't know what happened. When I saw that store, it was like, I knew it. Like I remembered it, but it was different inside than I thought it was going to be," Adam shook his head, still battling his confusion.

"Well they changed it around a few summers ago," Zeke said, and for some reason the guarded tone of his voice made Adam look at him. Was there something Zeke wasn't telling him? The thought only lasted a moment. As soon as he thought it, it seemed rather stupid. What could Zeke possibly be hiding about a store's reconstruction? He attributed the feeling to his fugue and Zeke's obvious concern for him.

When Adam realized he might've actually remembered something, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Dr. Nakato's number. 

The office would be closed at this hour, but he left a message asking her to call him as soon as she could. Zeke sat quietly next to him as he spoke, and after Adam hung up he looked a lot better. He was smiling, excited by the possibility of having some kind of breakthrough, instead of a break down. "This is amazing! Do you know how long I've been hoping for my memory to come back to me? This is the first time this has happened since I woke up!" Adam spoke animatedly, getting up from the bench and pacing back and fourth in front of Zeke. As he went on about it and what it could mean for him, Zeke sat, watching him carefully. He smiled, chuckled, and let him go, enjoying the energetic rambling. It was another half hour or so before Adam calmed down enough that they could continue enjoying the evening. They walked the streets, Adam with a skip in his step, and Zeke with a smile on his face.

At one point, Adam stopped walking, and looked at Zeke. "You know, the doctors told me I would probably never recover my memories," he said, the smile on his face so wide it was a wonder his face didn't break. Zeke laughed and threw his arm around Adam's shoulders.

"This could open up a whole new world for you," he said. Adam couldn't help the sudden buzzing that raced through his entire body at the intimate contact. A blush erupted on his face, and he hoped Zeke wouldn't notice the sudden hardening in his jeans. Thoughts of the imagined scene in his shower flooded his mind, and he stood there like an idiot as Zeke observed the sudden reaction. 

Adam wondered if Zeke noticed the tension radiating off his body. As Adam didn't have the ability to move, Zeke stepped back and dropped his arm at his side. Turning, he started walking again, hiding a wicked smile as his hair fell to cover his face. "C'mon, let's go get you something to eat. I don't want you going into shock from all this... Excitement," he said, and Adam wondered if he imagined the velvet of his voice as he said the word 'excitement.' He certainly didn't imagine the heated throb that went through his body.

The next morning, Adam was awake when the phone rang at 8am and he quickly snatched it up. "Hello? Yea, thanks for calling me... Last night, I think I remembered something. I was out with Zeke and we went past this store and I had this, I dont know how to explain it but I knew that if I went in I would know where the counter was and what the store looked like... Yes, I went in, and the floor layout was the same, but everything else was different. Zeke said they remodeled the store a while ago, but I'm sure I remembered it the way it would've been, ya know, before... Yea, I agree... Yea, that's fine... Ok.. Bye," Adam hung up the phone and stared at Pi sleeping on the couch next to him, thinking about the appointment Dr. Nakato would be making for him at the hospital. 

Zeke was working most of the day, and had already said he would be busy, so that left his entire afternoon open. He decided to spend the day in his studio. He started on a new painting of a dying flower in a vase by a window, but couldn't manage to concentrate on it. By 10 he had given up and decided what he needed was something that required more focus. He grabbed a backpack and threw a change of clothes into it, along with his gym membership card and a few supplies for the shower. The gym was only a few blocks away, so after he poured a scoop of dry food into Pi's bowl, he threw the pack over his shoulder and jogged his way to the gym.

Once there he pulled his membership card out of his bag and went to the locker room. He swiped the card through the mechanism on an available locker and stuffed his bag inside, pulling the card around his neck. After he spent a few minutes stretching he started his work out. Push ups, sit ups and crunches, the bench press, the rowing machine, stair master, tredmil. He had a wide variety to choose from and made his way through everything, letting his thoughts drift away as sweat seeped from every pore. 

By the time 3 rolled around every muscle in his body ached, though in a good way, and he had finally had enough. He went back to the locker room, grabbed his bag from the locker and headed for the showers. He swiped his card again, activating the stream of water and pulled out his soap from the bag. Once under the water he quickly lathered and washed his whole body, not wanting to be here any longer than he had to be. Being in the public shower wasn't something he enjoyed, but it was necessary if he didn't want to walk home coated in sweat. The showers stay on for fifteen minutes and then shut off automatically, but he only used five, and once he was rinsed and felt clean again, he stepped out, wrapping his towel around himself. He dried off and dressed in fresh clothes quickly, packing the work out clothes in his bag with the towel and soap, he made his way through the gym and out the front door. The aches and pains in his muscles reminded him that he hadn't been to the gym in roughly a month, since he sarted hanging out with Zeke all the time. It felt good to be active again.

When he got home the message light was blinking on his answering machine, and he pressed the play button as he walked past, emptying the gym bag on his bed so he could put stuff away. The robotic voice told him he had one new message. "Hey Adam, it's Dr Nakato. I made your appointment at the hospital with Dr. Kendle next tuesday at 2. If you have any questions you know where to reach me. Bye, and good luck!" The machine beeped and the voice informed him he had no new messages. 

Adam sighed. He was looking forward to the idea that he might be able to remember stuff from his past. The things collected for him while in his coma were tucked away in a storage space in town. He used to go there all the time and look through stuff, hoping to jog his memory, but nothing ever happened and after a while he stopped going. The fact that he had almost remembered something on his own made him think of it. Maybe he would go there and try again. The decision was made before he even knew he was going, and he grabbed his wallet on the way out the door.

The bus took him within a two blocks of the storage facility, and he nearly jogged the rest of the way, unable to keep a slow, calm pace. He stopped at the gate, punched in his code and waited while the fence slowly opened to allow him passage. His unit was one of the closer ones, and he could see the lock he kept on it, with its shiny red face and blue numbers. As he turned the dial and popped the lock, he paused, hoping he might be able to stumble on another memory. He didn't really think he would though, because he had been through these boxes a thousand times. He had memorized the faces of people he met and didn't know. Gone through report cards from school where he maintained a B average. Read the books he must have liked. With a sigh he threw the garage door up and looked in at the dusty remains of his life.

He pulled aside the first box he always went through. The one with pictures in it. There was a school picture for every year of his life, and thousands in between. The ones of him with his family were the ones he focused on. His mother was a small pretty thing with red hair and green eyes, while his father had been almost the opposite. Tall and thick, with dark hair and eyes. He had his mothers eyes and his fathers hair. He looked like both of them equally now, but when he was younger he looked more like his mother. He sighed, feeling that same empty want. 

He didn't remember them at all. They were strangers now, and even though he couldn't mourn for them, he still wished he had gotten to meet them. He didn't have any other family, both of his parents were only children, just as he had been. His grandparents on his mothers side had died when he was a baby, and his fathers parents hadn't spoken to his father since he was 17, which meant Adam had never met them.

As the day wore on, he made his way through box after box. In the bottom of a box full of posters and various odds and ends he found something that caught his attention. It was a bracelet made of worn braided thongs of leather. A large white bead in the center was painted with a Chinese symbol. He stared at the symbol, sure he should know what it meant. As he toyed with it, he flipped it over at random and there on the back was the word 'Forever.' It was a masculine bracelet, and he remembered seeing it in here before, but it was suddenly very important that he take it with him. As he tucked it into his pocket, he decided he would give it to Zeke. Zeke had that Chinese dragon tattoo, so he would probably like it.

He hadn't noticed that the sun was starting to go down until the light inside his storage unit started fading. He looked at the time on his phone and was surprised to see it was nearly 6. He quickly started putting the boxes back in order and was just clicking the lock shut when his phone rang. It was Zeke. "Hey Zeke, what's up?"

"Hey I just got off work, are you busy?

"No, but I'm not home," he said as he started walking towards the gate. "I was just about to start heading that way though." When Zeke asked where he was, offering to pick him up, Adam told him about the storage place.

"Alright then. Sit tight, I'll be right there," he said and hung up. 

Adam smiled. Zeke was always so nice, always doing what he could for Adam. As he waited he played with the bracelet in his pocket. It only took Zeke ten minutes to arrive, Adam could hear the growl of his engine before he could see the car. As he climbed in, he pulled on his seat belt and took the bracelet out of his pocket, holding it out to him.

"Here, I found this in my stuff and I feel like you should have it," he said with a shy smile, but the dark look on Zeke's face when he looked down at the trinket dissolved that smile in a moments time.