Storm Front - Peter/Sylar and Angela
Character: Peter/Sylar and Angela
Genre: Slash
Author: thewatchmaker
Fandom: Heroes
Word count: 2300ish
Rating: PG
Prompts:
Whatever by Godsmack for scifi_muses vol3.week38
9. "Break Out" Foo Fighters for 30_ballads 5/30
044. As much as you can carry. for 100_fairytales 63/100
“You have to return her call one of these days, Peter,” Sylar said, looking up from the book he was reading on the sofa. He devoured books like he used to crave powers. “It’s been a week, and she knows where you live. Sooner or later she’ll come over like hurricane Angela.” His hair was freshly cut, and he was wearing glasses. I liked both. He was a different person, so was I.
The sofa was the second new addition to my usually barren apartment. Sylar was the other. While we’d lived in his apartment filled with books and clocks when we were trapped inside his head, that apartment was long gone in the real world. Now we were going to make my wasteland a home instead of just the place I sleep.
“I know.” My stomach twisted into a knot the size of the Empire State Building with the thought of her storming into the apartment like she did at Thanksgiving. Neither one of us could take that. I’ve been away from her for years in my head, and I’ve made peace with Sylar and the rest of my life.
“You haven’t made peace with her,” he said. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was reading my mind. But he knows me better than anyone now. It’s not hard for him to pick up my thoughts.
“What if I don’t want to?” It was petulant. A flashback to the annoying little brother that I used to be, and I didn’t miss the disapproving look he shot me for it. “OK, I’ll go see her. Will you be all right if I leave you alone?”
“Peter.” His smile was so sweet as he put the book on the back of the couch and got up, taking my hand in his. “There’s an entire world of people out there. I can hear them, and I need to get used to that. Just because I had a panic attack at the barbershop doesn’t mean I need a babysitter. Don’t worry about me. I’m not alone anymore. I have you.” He brushed his thumb along my jaw and gave me a kiss. “And you have me. Go talk to the dragon lady. We can go out to dinner later.”
“You want to go outside?” He was having a hard time after being in solitude for so long. It was like watching a prisoner adapt to being on parole.
“I have to teach myself how to be around people again.” He touched his temple and shrugged. “Learn how to put up walls on my empathy and stuff. I can’t live in here forever, and I you can’t spend all of your time with me. I need to become a real person again.”
I ran my fingers through his hair and pressed my forehead against his and then stole one more kiss before slipping on my jacket. “I’ll be back as fast as I can. Mind if I borrow flight?”
“I don’t mind.” His long fingers wrapped around mine as I focused on copying the power from him. “But you take regen back when you get home.”
That was one thing he insisted on. Sylar didn’t want me to get hurt, and giving me regeneration every other power was his way of protecting me when I wasn’t around. Part of it was also because unlike him I was going to get old and die. I didn’t want to think about what he’d be like when I was gone forever like that.
***
I landed in the garden in the back of the mansion. The roses were starting to bloom, and the flowerbeds were choked with brightly colored blossoms of one kind or another. There was a light drizzle falling, and my face was damp from the quick flight. I tucked my hands into my pockets, fishing out my keys, so I could get inside. But the door opened before I got halfway across the patio.
My mother was waiting with one hand on the door knob and the other on the ever present pearls around her throat. She looked tired, and there was a hint of wine on her breath when I kissed her cheek on the way inside. The kitchen was brightly polished, and there was a cup of coffee and a pair of English muffins covered in butter and my favorite marmalade waiting at my spot at the table. It was just the way I like them. One nice thing about having a mother who can dream the future, you don’t have to call ahead, and she’ll have breakfast waiting for you.
“Peter, you’re looking well,” she said giving me the head to toe once over. Then she filled a cup of strong black coffee for herself while I dumped sugar and cream into mine. Too many imaginary years living with Sylar had broken my black coffee habit.
“I’m looking like me,” I said as I took a bite of the muffin. You aren’t supposed to eat in fairyland, but fuck it I’d been drinking the Petrelli Kool-Aid my entire life and it hadn’t effected me much. I could handle a quick breakfast with my mother without being brainwashed. “Enjoying the rest of my last week off from work.”
“I’m glad you’re going back to work. This mess that Claire’s caused has everyone up in arms. Are you planning a press conference to show the world what you can do?” Her eyes locked with mine over the rim of her cup, and I noticed one of her nails was chipped. She was in a bad way. My mother didn’t allow her nails to be ragged. That combined with the wine this early in the morning worried me, but this was Angela Petrelli. For all I knew it was an act to get my sympathy.
“No, mom, Sylar and I are not showing anyone what we can do.” There was no way in hell I wanted to be put under a microscope. I was sure that sooner or later someone would find the files from Nathan’s folly, but until then I would stay under the radar where life was safe and mostly normal.
“Peter, I don’t understand why you have anything to do with that monster after what he did to our family.” Her fingers tightened on the cup when I mentioned his name. I could feel the animosity radiating from her. “He killed your brother for God’s sake.”
“We love each other, mom. Because we need each other.” She will never understand this. “He’s changed. He’s not Sylar anymore.”
“So he’s Gabriel Gray now?” Her lips twisted like her cup was full of lemon juice and battery acid. It hit the table a little harder than normal when she set it down and placed both palms on the table. “The situation is unacceptable. I want you to come home.”
“I am home, mom.” I reluctantly left my muffin to cool. I should have chowed it down the second I sat down, now it’d get cold and go to waste. I’d have to buy some for the apartment. “I am in my apartment where I’ve lived a long time. I have no interest in living here ever again.”
“But you’re my son! This is your birthright!”
“It’s mine because Nathan’s gone.” The anger deepened my voice as I got up to pour my coffee down the sink and rinse the cup. That was something I picked up from the years with Sylar. No leaving dishes to pile up. I hated watching the muffins go into the trash, but I couldn’t stand the thought of eating them now. “I matter now because he’s gone. I mean for fuck’s sake, mom. You’d rather have a fake Nathan than me! You showered all of your affection on him my entire life, throwing me a crumb once in awhile if you thought you might lose control of me. But in the end it was always about Nathan. It was never once about me.”
“Peter, that’s not true!” She got up, knocking her coffee over. She didn’t bother to wipe it up. This was Angela; she’d leave it for the cook to clean up after her. “You are my favorite.”
“Bullshit. I’m your favorite because I’m the only one left. Claire hates you for what you did. I don’t know how I can look at you because of the lies, but I always, always come back. All I ever wanted was to matter as much as Nathan.” When I raked my hair out of my eyes I saw my hands were shaking, and if I still had Ted’s power, I’d probably be glowing. “I wanted you to love me. I found out you know. I know that you knew about me being the bomb. Nathan told me that you were going to let me blow up.”
“That’s not true!” She took a step back. I kept looking for tears in her eyes, but there weren’t any. I was calling her on her bullshit, and all she could think to do was lie to me.
“I should have taken Sylar’s lie detection power, but I didn’t want to throw up being in the same room as you. You were going to let me murder half of New York to put Nathan in power. You lied about him being dead. You put Sylar in his skin to take his place because you couldn’t stand the thought of Nathan being gone. You took away my right to grieve for my brother with your lies and games. You didn’t want me to save Emma.”
“Peter. You will not speak to me like this.” She took a few deep shuddering breaths and started to walk to the door. “You’re not welcome here. Get out.”
“Oh no, mom, you don’t get to dismiss me. For once in my life I’m going to be a Petrelli, and if that means cutting your heart out with the truth then so be it.” I stomped toward her and put my hand on the door, so she couldn’t leave the kitchen. “I know why you didn’t want me to help Emma.”
“Really Peter,” she glowered at me. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“Because of Sylar, you knew he’d save her from your dream, but that’s not all you dreamed. You knew that we’d end up together.” I jerked away from her before I did something stupid. I was so angry that I was vibrating. “You were willing to let Emma cause the death of thousands of people, willing to let Samuel destroy our world, just to keep me from forgiving Sylar.”
“He’s a serial killer, Peter!” She slapped me then, leaving a stinging handprint on my cheek. “You are better than he is!”
“He was a monster. But you still are one.” I pulled the keys out of my pocket and started to pull the keys to her home from the ring. “You will never change. Nathan’s gone. Now you want to control me and make me your puppet. Well I have no interest in that. I’m not the eager puppy begging for your affection and love anymore, mother. I’m not lost. I’m not a kid. I know who I am, and I’m a better person than you’ll ever be.”
“I am your mother!” She grabbed the keys when they hit the counter and threw them across the room. “You’ll be back! You need me!”
“No, mom, you need me, but you can’t have me.” I was afraid of what she’d do. I was hurting her, ripping her heart out if she had one, but I couldn’t stop. I’d held this in for so long, and my soul was torn open at last. “I put the pieces of me together without your help. I’m going home now. Don’t call. I won’t answer.”
She clutched at my arm as I opened the patio door, trying to make me stop. “Peter, please. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Sylar and I both learned a lot by being alone. I think it’ll be good for you. Goodbye, Mother.”
“You’ll be back.” Now she was crying as I yanked my arm free. It was raining, and I couldn’t wait to get far away from this place.
“Someday, but not for awhile.”
***
I was soaking wet when I came in through the fire escape. Sylar looked at me, and I could see him trying to figure out what to do or say. “I’ll make you some tea. Get out of your wet clothes.”
“Tea sounds good.” I left my coat on the windowsill where it might dry with time. “It was bad. Flew around a little before coming home to calm down.”
“I know,” he said, squeezing my hand and kissing my cheek where she hit me. “Go, change, and I’ll make something to eat to go with the tea. I went shopping while you were gone, so we have real food.”
“Do we have English muffins?” I asked on my way to the bathroom.
“We have English muffins and marmalade.” He paused at the kitchen counter and met my eyes. His were filled with so much love and hope. “It’ll get better.”
“I know that too. Be right back.” That’s how I knew he was a better person than my mother. Sylar didn’t rant about how horrible she was. He’d had his say about her years ago when we were trapped together. He knew he didn’t need to throw gasoline on the fire. Sylar knew that what I needed was someone who listened and loved me for me, not as a replacement for my brother. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Thanks for reading. Comments make me smile.
Genre: Slash
Author: thewatchmaker
Fandom: Heroes
Word count: 2300ish
Rating: PG
Prompts:
Whatever by Godsmack for scifi_muses vol3.week38
9. "Break Out" Foo Fighters for 30_ballads 5/30
044. As much as you can carry. for 100_fairytales 63/100
“You have to return her call one of these days, Peter,” Sylar said, looking up from the book he was reading on the sofa. He devoured books like he used to crave powers. “It’s been a week, and she knows where you live. Sooner or later she’ll come over like hurricane Angela.” His hair was freshly cut, and he was wearing glasses. I liked both. He was a different person, so was I.
The sofa was the second new addition to my usually barren apartment. Sylar was the other. While we’d lived in his apartment filled with books and clocks when we were trapped inside his head, that apartment was long gone in the real world. Now we were going to make my wasteland a home instead of just the place I sleep.
“I know.” My stomach twisted into a knot the size of the Empire State Building with the thought of her storming into the apartment like she did at Thanksgiving. Neither one of us could take that. I’ve been away from her for years in my head, and I’ve made peace with Sylar and the rest of my life.
“You haven’t made peace with her,” he said. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was reading my mind. But he knows me better than anyone now. It’s not hard for him to pick up my thoughts.
“What if I don’t want to?” It was petulant. A flashback to the annoying little brother that I used to be, and I didn’t miss the disapproving look he shot me for it. “OK, I’ll go see her. Will you be all right if I leave you alone?”
“Peter.” His smile was so sweet as he put the book on the back of the couch and got up, taking my hand in his. “There’s an entire world of people out there. I can hear them, and I need to get used to that. Just because I had a panic attack at the barbershop doesn’t mean I need a babysitter. Don’t worry about me. I’m not alone anymore. I have you.” He brushed his thumb along my jaw and gave me a kiss. “And you have me. Go talk to the dragon lady. We can go out to dinner later.”
“You want to go outside?” He was having a hard time after being in solitude for so long. It was like watching a prisoner adapt to being on parole.
“I have to teach myself how to be around people again.” He touched his temple and shrugged. “Learn how to put up walls on my empathy and stuff. I can’t live in here forever, and I you can’t spend all of your time with me. I need to become a real person again.”
I ran my fingers through his hair and pressed my forehead against his and then stole one more kiss before slipping on my jacket. “I’ll be back as fast as I can. Mind if I borrow flight?”
“I don’t mind.” His long fingers wrapped around mine as I focused on copying the power from him. “But you take regen back when you get home.”
That was one thing he insisted on. Sylar didn’t want me to get hurt, and giving me regeneration every other power was his way of protecting me when I wasn’t around. Part of it was also because unlike him I was going to get old and die. I didn’t want to think about what he’d be like when I was gone forever like that.
***
I landed in the garden in the back of the mansion. The roses were starting to bloom, and the flowerbeds were choked with brightly colored blossoms of one kind or another. There was a light drizzle falling, and my face was damp from the quick flight. I tucked my hands into my pockets, fishing out my keys, so I could get inside. But the door opened before I got halfway across the patio.
My mother was waiting with one hand on the door knob and the other on the ever present pearls around her throat. She looked tired, and there was a hint of wine on her breath when I kissed her cheek on the way inside. The kitchen was brightly polished, and there was a cup of coffee and a pair of English muffins covered in butter and my favorite marmalade waiting at my spot at the table. It was just the way I like them. One nice thing about having a mother who can dream the future, you don’t have to call ahead, and she’ll have breakfast waiting for you.
“Peter, you’re looking well,” she said giving me the head to toe once over. Then she filled a cup of strong black coffee for herself while I dumped sugar and cream into mine. Too many imaginary years living with Sylar had broken my black coffee habit.
“I’m looking like me,” I said as I took a bite of the muffin. You aren’t supposed to eat in fairyland, but fuck it I’d been drinking the Petrelli Kool-Aid my entire life and it hadn’t effected me much. I could handle a quick breakfast with my mother without being brainwashed. “Enjoying the rest of my last week off from work.”
“I’m glad you’re going back to work. This mess that Claire’s caused has everyone up in arms. Are you planning a press conference to show the world what you can do?” Her eyes locked with mine over the rim of her cup, and I noticed one of her nails was chipped. She was in a bad way. My mother didn’t allow her nails to be ragged. That combined with the wine this early in the morning worried me, but this was Angela Petrelli. For all I knew it was an act to get my sympathy.
“No, mom, Sylar and I are not showing anyone what we can do.” There was no way in hell I wanted to be put under a microscope. I was sure that sooner or later someone would find the files from Nathan’s folly, but until then I would stay under the radar where life was safe and mostly normal.
“Peter, I don’t understand why you have anything to do with that monster after what he did to our family.” Her fingers tightened on the cup when I mentioned his name. I could feel the animosity radiating from her. “He killed your brother for God’s sake.”
“We love each other, mom. Because we need each other.” She will never understand this. “He’s changed. He’s not Sylar anymore.”
“So he’s Gabriel Gray now?” Her lips twisted like her cup was full of lemon juice and battery acid. It hit the table a little harder than normal when she set it down and placed both palms on the table. “The situation is unacceptable. I want you to come home.”
“I am home, mom.” I reluctantly left my muffin to cool. I should have chowed it down the second I sat down, now it’d get cold and go to waste. I’d have to buy some for the apartment. “I am in my apartment where I’ve lived a long time. I have no interest in living here ever again.”
“But you’re my son! This is your birthright!”
“It’s mine because Nathan’s gone.” The anger deepened my voice as I got up to pour my coffee down the sink and rinse the cup. That was something I picked up from the years with Sylar. No leaving dishes to pile up. I hated watching the muffins go into the trash, but I couldn’t stand the thought of eating them now. “I matter now because he’s gone. I mean for fuck’s sake, mom. You’d rather have a fake Nathan than me! You showered all of your affection on him my entire life, throwing me a crumb once in awhile if you thought you might lose control of me. But in the end it was always about Nathan. It was never once about me.”
“Peter, that’s not true!” She got up, knocking her coffee over. She didn’t bother to wipe it up. This was Angela; she’d leave it for the cook to clean up after her. “You are my favorite.”
“Bullshit. I’m your favorite because I’m the only one left. Claire hates you for what you did. I don’t know how I can look at you because of the lies, but I always, always come back. All I ever wanted was to matter as much as Nathan.” When I raked my hair out of my eyes I saw my hands were shaking, and if I still had Ted’s power, I’d probably be glowing. “I wanted you to love me. I found out you know. I know that you knew about me being the bomb. Nathan told me that you were going to let me blow up.”
“That’s not true!” She took a step back. I kept looking for tears in her eyes, but there weren’t any. I was calling her on her bullshit, and all she could think to do was lie to me.
“I should have taken Sylar’s lie detection power, but I didn’t want to throw up being in the same room as you. You were going to let me murder half of New York to put Nathan in power. You lied about him being dead. You put Sylar in his skin to take his place because you couldn’t stand the thought of Nathan being gone. You took away my right to grieve for my brother with your lies and games. You didn’t want me to save Emma.”
“Peter. You will not speak to me like this.” She took a few deep shuddering breaths and started to walk to the door. “You’re not welcome here. Get out.”
“Oh no, mom, you don’t get to dismiss me. For once in my life I’m going to be a Petrelli, and if that means cutting your heart out with the truth then so be it.” I stomped toward her and put my hand on the door, so she couldn’t leave the kitchen. “I know why you didn’t want me to help Emma.”
“Really Peter,” she glowered at me. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“Because of Sylar, you knew he’d save her from your dream, but that’s not all you dreamed. You knew that we’d end up together.” I jerked away from her before I did something stupid. I was so angry that I was vibrating. “You were willing to let Emma cause the death of thousands of people, willing to let Samuel destroy our world, just to keep me from forgiving Sylar.”
“He’s a serial killer, Peter!” She slapped me then, leaving a stinging handprint on my cheek. “You are better than he is!”
“He was a monster. But you still are one.” I pulled the keys out of my pocket and started to pull the keys to her home from the ring. “You will never change. Nathan’s gone. Now you want to control me and make me your puppet. Well I have no interest in that. I’m not the eager puppy begging for your affection and love anymore, mother. I’m not lost. I’m not a kid. I know who I am, and I’m a better person than you’ll ever be.”
“I am your mother!” She grabbed the keys when they hit the counter and threw them across the room. “You’ll be back! You need me!”
“No, mom, you need me, but you can’t have me.” I was afraid of what she’d do. I was hurting her, ripping her heart out if she had one, but I couldn’t stop. I’d held this in for so long, and my soul was torn open at last. “I put the pieces of me together without your help. I’m going home now. Don’t call. I won’t answer.”
She clutched at my arm as I opened the patio door, trying to make me stop. “Peter, please. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Sylar and I both learned a lot by being alone. I think it’ll be good for you. Goodbye, Mother.”
“You’ll be back.” Now she was crying as I yanked my arm free. It was raining, and I couldn’t wait to get far away from this place.
“Someday, but not for awhile.”
***
I was soaking wet when I came in through the fire escape. Sylar looked at me, and I could see him trying to figure out what to do or say. “I’ll make you some tea. Get out of your wet clothes.”
“Tea sounds good.” I left my coat on the windowsill where it might dry with time. “It was bad. Flew around a little before coming home to calm down.”
“I know,” he said, squeezing my hand and kissing my cheek where she hit me. “Go, change, and I’ll make something to eat to go with the tea. I went shopping while you were gone, so we have real food.”
“Do we have English muffins?” I asked on my way to the bathroom.
“We have English muffins and marmalade.” He paused at the kitchen counter and met my eyes. His were filled with so much love and hope. “It’ll get better.”
“I know that too. Be right back.” That’s how I knew he was a better person than my mother. Sylar didn’t rant about how horrible she was. He’d had his say about her years ago when we were trapped together. He knew he didn’t need to throw gasoline on the fire. Sylar knew that what I needed was someone who listened and loved me for me, not as a replacement for my brother. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Thanks for reading. Comments make me smile.