Empty Grave

By: D.A Cirle

Disclaimer: Heroes is owned by Tim Kring, I only own this story and make no profit from this.

Warning: T/PG-13 for slashyness, slight language, etc.

Feedback/Archive: I do love some feedback, but if you want to archive my fic, then email me and let me know. I am very cooperative though.

Pairing: Kensei/Hiro

Setting: After the end of Chapter Two (Season Two) Part III of the Empty series.

Summary: He thought he could still hear Kensei's screams in that dark and lonely grave.

He thought that he could hear Kensei's screams in that dark and lonely grave, just as he was falling asleep or as he was asleep and dreaming; as if even from all this ways away, he could hear him, though the man lay more than six feet under in the ground. He hadn't wanted to do it; but he couldn't have killed him. Perhaps he should have…but he just couldn't.

Feelings which held a deep hold on him made him reevaluate just why he didn't do it and why he was kept up at night with the thoughts of the man who had tried to put a virus into the world which would kill nearly everyone.

Had the betrayal he had done so many years ago really put the thought into Kensei Takezo's head? And if so…how could he live with himself if it were true?

He should never have kissed Kensei's princess, he knew it. A part of him hadn't even wanted to, though another said he should, but he couldn't pull back when he knew that she was going to kiss him. He just wished that Kensei had never seen it.

Kensei's voice was burned into his brain; his piercing eyes which could make him feel this sharp sting in his heart everytime the man looked at him…so many other things which made up the whole of Kensei Takezo, a man who called himself Adam Monroe in this time and made him realize something about himself which he hadn't truly known until this very moment…as he walked down the dark cemetery towards a certain grave.

He could have just teleported himself to the spot, but he needed the time to walk so he could think and try to clear his head of these confusing thoughts. All of which revolved around the sword-saint.

He gasps out loud as he reaches the grave; it was empty! There was a large hole in the ground where the casket which held Kensei was in; large piles of dirt was on either side of the hole, making it appear that someone had dug this grave up.

And no Kensei in sight.

He looks around helplessly for a moment. Who knew just how long it had been like that and Kensei could have been long gone from here, or…dead. But…no, Kensei could heal! And he could take care of himself very well! So there was no need to worry! (Although he did worry; though the man had tried to release the virus, Hiro still…)

He walks around the closest pile of dirt and then around the other one, looking down as he hears a faint sound coming from the grass. He stares as he looks down at the form of Kensei; the man was obviously alive, though he sounded a little winded at first. He was sitting awkwardly on one elbow and was in the midst of getting himself up when he looks up at the approaching footsteps.

"…Carp?"

And just like that; the voice, those piercing eyes, and he knew what he had felt all along, even all those years back when he had been trying to make Kensei into what he needed to be; a Hero…

He loved him.

He takes a few steps forward and grabs at Kensei and pulls him up. The man looked quite surprised, to say the least. He didn't seem to know what to say or do; the memory of Hiro putting him in there must still be quite, quite fresh as it had only been a week since the fact.

"I love you," said Hiro suddenly. "Even though you turned yourself into a villain because of my betrayal…I finally understand what has been warring within my own heart and why I felt even worse when I kissed your princess, I should never have done and—"

Kensei pulls him close and kisses him. Hiro gasps at the sudden touch, feeling his heart beat wildly and his body feel as if it had went through fire. This was the feeling he had been waiting for, having not felt it with Yaeko like he thought he would/should. This was what his heart had longed for and had tried to tell him, though he couldn't understand.

This man had been what he had wanted all along, villain though he may be.

His lips felt clumsy against Kensei's, but the man didn't seem to mind or care. If anything, he pulled the time-traveler closer, one hand on the back of his neck and the other on the small of his back. He feels Kensei run his tongue along his bottom lip and he can't help the whimper that escapes him, allowing the man entrance into his mouth.

He opens his eyes, which he couldn't even remember closing and looking into Kensei's face, eyes closed with passion and clearly wanting to be nowhere else in that moment. They both pull away from each other after a long moment, taking in deep breaths as they tried to pull themselves together.

Hiro looks at Kensei, who seemed to get himself under control much easier than he, himself could. It was silent for a moment and Hiro wondered if, although he had gotten to kiss the man (Yatta!), what would happen now. Would the man try to continue to be the villain? Play the part which had not been fit for him? Would he force Hiro to do something drastic to keep the world safe again?

Kensei extends a hand out and Hiro forces himself to relax as the man touches his shoulder; a combination of desire and wariness did not sit well with him as he waited for the man to say or do something; he couldn't make the first move, not in this.

"I love you too, Hiro." said Kensei, smiling at him and making Hiro's insides squirm in a good way, both at the smile and at Kensei calling him by his name. Though he didn't mind so much the man calling him a fish. "I…really lost my way. Seeing you kiss Yaeko hurt me more because I figured out that I loved you, not truly because you were kissing her because I wanted her. I admit that I thought nasty things for awhile, after White Beard's camp blew up. I regenerated from a nasty, blackened, twisted state that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies. But after I had the time to think of it…I knew that I just wanted to see you again…"

"Kensei…"

"I went through life rather mechanically for awhile," continued Kensei, giving Hiro a brief glimpse into the many, many, many years Kensei had gone through alone. "A time passed and I knew that I had to start living again. And I did. I met people...slept with people, but I never had that feeling in my heart again. I tried, but I could never feel the same way with another person."

Hiro grabs onto Kensei's hand on his shoulder and the man smiles at him again.

"Along the way I met others with abilities, only rarely did I come across someone with regenerative abilities such as myself. But I helped those I could, how could I not?" he asked, more to himself than to Hiro. "You had shown me how to be a Hero and I did as much as I was able to, passing on things to new generations…then more than thirty years ago I came across a group of people; they had discovered new abilities and were scared, not knowing what to do with them or how to control them. So…I taught them."

This was when Hiro grew tense; waiting to hear the part where Adam/Kensei had came up with the plan to send out the virus.

"It was good for awhile, there were the Petrelli's, Parkman, Victoria, Bob, as well as others including…your father." He spoke that last part quietly, looking into Hiro's face. So far Kensei had seemed completely sincere, speaking directly from the heart and Hiro could see no lie in it, just as much as he could see the regret on the man's face at the mention of Nakamura Kaito.

"Then…some of them wanted more, became greedy. The Shanti virus had already been made by this time, crafted by Victoria Pratt's skill and the greediness of everyone else. I didn't like what was going on, neither did Kaito and we both had started to see what everyone else had turned into—"

"But…"Hiro interrupts, causing Kensei to stop and gaze at him. "I saw you and my father talking and he was saying that you…" He couldn't finish what he was saying, absently noticing the lack of dust on the man's suit, even though he had come from a grave.

"I know, but I can explain…" His eyes grew distant for a moment, reliving memories which must have still been very fresh to a mind like his which regenerated itself over and over. "Parkman…he originally had the ability to read minds, but it quickly grew into something more. I learned later that Bob and the others, excluding your father and later Victoria, had talked him into using his power on me. Just because I can regenerate, doesn't mean that I can't be affected by anything."

"He put the thought into my head to use the virus; it would be all me, my idea. My sudden plans to put it into use, when they themselves were the true cause behind it, making more even as they locked me away, saying that I had tried to do the unthinkable when all along it had been they who had been trying to change the world into the bleak world that Peter had seen…"

He stops and Hiro looks at him. He wondered if that were the truth or not and if it really was so, then the man had been unable to control himself, saying things that had been forced into him by people with greedy hearts and minds. But looking into the man's pain filled eyes; regret was foremost in them as he gazed at Hiro. Hiro felt himself relax and knew the man spoke the truth; this was a much different tone and attitude than he had tried to pass off to Peter Petrelli after all.

"I love you," Kensei repeated. "I've had a long time to think and shorter time to try and repent, but I truly am sorry and if I could change things, without making them worse, then I would. I really would."

"…I know you would," said Hiro, giving a small smile to Kensei as he pulls him close for a moment, daring to take the initiative and kisses the man.

They stay that way for a long moment, in one another's arms and looking at each other.

"I love you," Hiro laughs softly. "It feels very freeing to say it and not have to wonder about your feelings or where you stand. But I have to ask…just how did you get out in the first place?"

Kensei smiles at him, more of a smirk really, and glances at the pile of dirt for a moment, then turning back to Hiro, eyes sparkling with some sort of emotion.

"Oh, just a chap named Sylar and a blonde girl named Claire. She seemed quite adamant about getting me out of there and then freeing me of the little mind number that Parkman and company pulled on me, letting me remember all that I felt as I was doing all of these things I had never wanted to do." He said to Hiro's shocked look.

"She didn't look too bad in a skirt really and he was quite…" He stops with the joking around as he looks at Hiro who still looked shell-shocked. "But don't worry my carp. I love you, so they can't hold a candle to you, ne?"

He moves his mouth over Hiro's, lips gliding together in a dance which Hiro was already getting addicted to, but he had only one thought in that moment;

Kuso!

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A/N: Well…that came out of nowhere. As I'm writing this A/N (right after I just finished the fic), it is 3:30 in the morning and I had just been skimming through some fic, but then I just started writing and this thing took off. I had the vague idea of a post chapter/season 2 Kensei/Hiro, the graveyard thing was actually a nice thing for fic ideas. Alexi is my own original character from a fic I am doing which centers around her, a new Hero being found by Sylar and…stuff. It's set after the end of season/chapter two into chapter/season three and I am quite enjoying my ideas for it. I have lots of plans. And the Kensei being helped out of there was originally going to be Alexi and Sylar taking him out of there, removing the brainwashing from him and him going with them, but then this little baby popped out and I couldn't be a prouder fic momma! D

A/N 2: As I am writing this A/N 2 it is past 2:20 a couple of days after I finished this and I have written collaborative pieces with this that can go together or be stand alones. So there seems to be an 'Empty' series. (Me write a series? Woot!)

Until then!

Read and Review!