Give
Title: Give
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing(s): Peter/Claire
Word Count: 589
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, something's got to give.
Notes: Spoilers up to episode 1:22 - Landslide. Written for fivebyfiction prompt "juggernaut."
When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, something's got to give.
It was wrong even before it was this wrong, but that hadn't been enough to stop them then. Peter wonders if it is now.
If he'd known before it all started, he could have avoided it. He blames Hiro, really. Six words of instruction, and none of them had been enough; he hadn't mentioned the really important stuff.
Save the cheerleader. Save the world. That was all well and good, but who was going to save him?
Save your niece, save the world might have been more appropriate (because 'appropriate' is something none of this will ever be). It didn't quite have the same ring to it, but it would have been a little more helpful.
He blames his mother, for never telling him. He blames Claire, because he never could have fallen in love with her if she wasn't here.
He blames Nathan, for taking the politician's way out yet again. "This is Claire," he'd said, when Heidi had spotted her on the stairs. "She's Peter's friend."
He blames Heidi, for her look that said "friend?" and that said "isn't she a little young for you?" but that mostly said "she's cute" and "congratulations."
He blames himself, for not stopping it earlier, when he still had the chance; for not stopping it now. He blames Claire for saving him, for being the first thing he saw. He blames Nathan, and then he laughs; because if Nathan didn't want to explain the life he had before Heidi, didn't want to explain his illegitimate daughter, how's he going to explain that the girl who's never slept in her own bedroom is his brother's niece?
If Nathan was cornered, he would say he didn't know. Plausible deniability is key; he goes out of his way not to see her perfectly made bedsheets, the looks they shoot each other when they're not quite alone, the way they held hands underneath the table, the way they had danced.
He never blames Nathan for meeting Meredith, because he may be going straight to Hell, but he'd rather do it with Claire by his side. He can't, or won't, give her up, and he tried to blame himself for that.
He could have said something, maybe, in the very beginning. Something beginning with "actually," and maybe just ending with "she's only a friend." It was exponential. Every minute he'd said nothing was a lifetime of explanations, and the first time he'd gone to her, he'd shut the door behind him.
He could have told the truth. Nathan would have killed him, but this is killing him, too. Except that he can't be harmed; he's damn near indestructible. They both are. He blames genetics.
Something's got to give.
His mother knows, and if there was ever anything she should have lectured him about (family; it's always family), this is it. She doesn't say anything. Nathan knows, and he won't say anything.
Heidi doesn't know, and she would say something. But all she says is "Claire is really nice," and, when she doesn't think he's listening, "they're really cute together." Nathan grunts noncommittally and finds something else to do.
They're the unstoppable force, Peter realises. Not that anyone's really trying.
And genetics isn't really immovable after all. He's living proof of that.
Sometimes, he waits for the Haitian to come. He waits to wake up and not remember that any of this is supposed to be wrong. Or to not remember her.
They keep moving.
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing(s): Peter/Claire
Word Count: 589
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, something's got to give.
Notes: Spoilers up to episode 1:22 - Landslide. Written for fivebyfiction prompt "juggernaut."
When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, something's got to give.
It was wrong even before it was this wrong, but that hadn't been enough to stop them then. Peter wonders if it is now.
If he'd known before it all started, he could have avoided it. He blames Hiro, really. Six words of instruction, and none of them had been enough; he hadn't mentioned the really important stuff.
Save the cheerleader. Save the world. That was all well and good, but who was going to save him?
Save your niece, save the world might have been more appropriate (because 'appropriate' is something none of this will ever be). It didn't quite have the same ring to it, but it would have been a little more helpful.
He blames his mother, for never telling him. He blames Claire, because he never could have fallen in love with her if she wasn't here.
He blames Nathan, for taking the politician's way out yet again. "This is Claire," he'd said, when Heidi had spotted her on the stairs. "She's Peter's friend."
He blames Heidi, for her look that said "friend?" and that said "isn't she a little young for you?" but that mostly said "she's cute" and "congratulations."
He blames himself, for not stopping it earlier, when he still had the chance; for not stopping it now. He blames Claire for saving him, for being the first thing he saw. He blames Nathan, and then he laughs; because if Nathan didn't want to explain the life he had before Heidi, didn't want to explain his illegitimate daughter, how's he going to explain that the girl who's never slept in her own bedroom is his brother's niece?
If Nathan was cornered, he would say he didn't know. Plausible deniability is key; he goes out of his way not to see her perfectly made bedsheets, the looks they shoot each other when they're not quite alone, the way they held hands underneath the table, the way they had danced.
He never blames Nathan for meeting Meredith, because he may be going straight to Hell, but he'd rather do it with Claire by his side. He can't, or won't, give her up, and he tried to blame himself for that.
He could have said something, maybe, in the very beginning. Something beginning with "actually," and maybe just ending with "she's only a friend." It was exponential. Every minute he'd said nothing was a lifetime of explanations, and the first time he'd gone to her, he'd shut the door behind him.
He could have told the truth. Nathan would have killed him, but this is killing him, too. Except that he can't be harmed; he's damn near indestructible. They both are. He blames genetics.
Something's got to give.
His mother knows, and if there was ever anything she should have lectured him about (family; it's always family), this is it. She doesn't say anything. Nathan knows, and he won't say anything.
Heidi doesn't know, and she would say something. But all she says is "Claire is really nice," and, when she doesn't think he's listening, "they're really cute together." Nathan grunts noncommittally and finds something else to do.
They're the unstoppable force, Peter realises. Not that anyone's really trying.
And genetics isn't really immovable after all. He's living proof of that.
Sometimes, he waits for the Haitian to come. He waits to wake up and not remember that any of this is supposed to be wrong. Or to not remember her.
They keep moving.