Author's Notes, Disclaimer, Etc.: Heroes is officially my new obsession. Peter is, to be more precise. So I decided to write this fanfiction, after minimal prodding from my friends. I wrote this in about a half an hour at about 1AM, so I was a little out of it and pretty tired, so it probably isn't that good. But I generally write these kinds of fics early in the morning like that, so . . . that could explain the reason they get progressively worse towards the end. In my opinion, anyway. At any rate, I don't own Heroes or any of the characters in this fic. (Which makes me disappointed. Wouldn't that be cool?) And I'm not making a lot of money off of this or anything. I'm not even makingany money off of this. Anyway, I hope you like it. Also, if you happen to have any name suggestions for this fic, I'd really appreciate it, because this was pretty much a last-minute, I-have-no-freaking-clue, type of name.
"Claire, you can't go. Not now. Look, something big's going on and we need you to help," Peter begged. He would not make this a goodbye.
"Your mother is taking me to Paris, though, until the election is over. Nathan—my dad—needs to win, Peter. Then he can make a difference. And if people find out about me . . . "
"You can't leave," he insisted, almost angrily this time. "If you're not here . . . "
Claire sighed. Arguing with Peter was hard. She hated disappointing him. "It's just Paris. It's not like I'm never going to come back. In fact, I'll be back before you know if. You can do everything I can, Peter. It'll be okay."
"But I need you here, Claire. I need you," he said. He was happy that he stopped himself before saying all he was feeling.
She looked at him, her mind racing. Was he really implying what she thought he was? What she hoped for so desperately since seeing him at her school? "What do you mean?" she asked, a little breathlessly.
He backpedaled, trying to find a way out. This couldn't happen, it was so wrong . . . "If I explode, I need you to . . . you're the only one who can get close enough to . . . " As he said this, he realized how close he and Claire were, sitting together on the bed. His hand, in fact, had lightly rested on hers during his speech. Peter cleared his throat nervously and shifted away from her slightly. She's too young, he reminded himself. And it was overall just too wrong.
"I'm the only one who can get close enough to do what?" she asked, her breath catching. She, too, was intoxicated by the closeness of their bodies. She could vaguely feel his body heat reaching her. It was torturous.
"If I lose control, you'll have to shoot me before I explode. It'll save everyone."
"How can you say that, Peter?" she said, tears forming in her eyes. "How can you expect me to shoot you?"
"I know it's hard, Claire," he tried. It wasn't going to work, he knew it. But he couldn't stand seeing her cry. "It will save people, though. Please, understand."
In a low voice she said, "But you'll die…and I love you too much for that."
Peter was almost unsure he heard the last part right, but in the solemness of the whole conversation, it made him deliriously happy. If she had said it, that is. But before he really thought it through, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I love you too," he said, only then realizing what a grievous mistake he had just made. Even so, he couldn't being himself to let go of her.
Claire's heard sped up an insane amount as Peter toughed her. The tears in her eyes receded as he brought her head to his chest. She breathed in his scent as though it were a drug. Her arms snaked around him almost involuntarily. They found the bottom of his shirt and tugged at it. It was most certainly now or never.
Likewise, Peter buried his face in her hair and breathed in, encouraged that she hadn't bushed him away in revulsion. His hands traveled through her hair and down her back, landing right above the waistband of her pants. His self-control was still there enough to keep him from doingthat to her. He hoped.
Claire's hands began pulling Peter's shirt up, and she hoped over his head soon enough. She felt the shirt frong catch right below her chin and forced herself away from him. Instead, she looked into his eyes. They looked conflicted, as if trying to remind her that this was wrong—they were wrong together. But she refused to acknowledge it. She loved Peter—and she knew this might be her last chance to show him just how much she really did.
So she moved her lips towards his and in the moment before they touched, she saw the indecision leave his eyes, replaced by a fiery passion. Immediately their lips moved in a rhythm together, Claire feeling the urgency in both their movements. They both knew it now—there might not be much time for this later. If there was a later.
Between kisses Peter's shirt was removed and tossed aside. Claire ran her hands over his chest appreciatively before resuming the kissing. Peter now knew there was no turning back, no pretending they had misunderstood. It was all there, clean cut. He took hold of her shirt and removed it as well, taking the same dignity as she had in appreciating her chest. He felt himself chance as he looked at her breasts. Now with more urgency, he undressed her; unhooked her bra, slid off her pants, took off her underwear. She was the same way with him, causing them to be naked in under a minute.
And then they paused for a moment, both thinking the same thing. Was this really okay? But by now, they both knew, they had already crossed that line. And why did they go this far if they were just going to turn back?
Claire moved first and all at once Peter's thoughts were lost. His muscles tensed and immediately relaxed into her. They moved together, not too fast or too slow. It wasn't long before Claire let it out: she said his name into his chest, happily, almost without a care.
He sped up a little and almost immediately she matched the speed. And not long after that, they both came together, calling out each other's names and finally collapsing in each other's arms.
After a few minutes of silence, Peter said to Claire, "You have to do it. It's the only way."
The tears returned to her eyes, but she murmured, "I know."