mad_muses february prompt set 1.4.1 [warmth]
On a busy night, there was no place more alive than the Sullivan Brothers Carnival. With its mixture of bright lights, vibrant colors and the large crowds, it was a constant hum of activity and noise. There was something almost comforting about it as well because of the fact that it could keep a person busy which helped to keep their mind from wandering too much. That was one of the reasons Claire chose to run the Ferris Wheel though she somewhat regretted it after a couple of hours. The line was long, keeping her busy as she opened the gate and let the steady flow of patrons revolve through her ride.
Perched on a box, she flashed another smile at a couple as she took their tickets from them and turned to drop them in the ticket box beside her. Once the wheel was full, she pulled the lever and watched the wheel slowly creak into action as it started to turn. Looking over the crowd, she watched the constant movement of bodies with a small smile that lasted until she saw a familiar form cutting a path towards her.
Sylar looked relaxed as he made his way along, looking ridiculously charming in his plaid shirt and jeans. His hair, which was longer than she could ever recall it being, was slicked back and gleaming lightly under the lights. She guessed that he had just had a shower. That or he had used way too much gel. The thought made her roll her eyes as she purposefully tore her gaze away from him, pursing her lips slightly as she pulled the lever to start letting people off.
She was in the process of taking some more tickets when suddenly there was a small paper bag dangling in front of her face. Instantly the delicious smell of fresh mini-donuts filled her senses and she arched a brow, ignoring the grumble of her stomach, as she looked to see who was offering them to her. Half expecting Lydia or Edgar, she looked briefly surprised and then confused as she found Sylar standing there instead.
“What are you doing?” She asked as she gathered her wits about her.
“I brought you a snack.” He explained it slowly, almost like he was talking to a child. “You weren’t at lunch.” For a moment he looked almost disappointed or maybe it was her own delusional thinking but she decided to not look too closely.
For a moment she considered telling him no but she couldn’t ignore her hunger. “Thanks.” She murmured as she reached up to take the bag from him. When he motioned at her to move, she looked confused but she shifted over only to watch him take the seat beside her. “Uhh...”
“You can’t operate the ride while you’re eating.” He replied as he reached to take some tickets, permitting more people some access to the ride.
Claire stared at him for another minute before nodding. “Thanks.” She plucked a donut out, covering the urge to smile a bit as she took a bite and watched him as he started to do her job.
She didn’t count the minutes as they sat there in companionable silence but she knew some time had passed before suddenly he made a scoffing noise, staring upwards. Intrigued, she tilted her head back to look up before arching a brow at him. Glancing down at her, Sylar noticed the silent question. “There’s a couple up there practically....” He trailed off meaningfully.
“Ew.” Claire wrinkled her nose, glancing upwards again. She looked at the different seats before finally finding the couple as the Ferris Wheel slowly brought them towards the bottom. Sure enough, they were practically on top of each other with no awareness that they were being watched. “Clearly they don’t care that they’re in public.”
“It’s a fetish for some people.” Sylar replied, actually sounding somewhat disgusted.
Looking over at him, Claire caught the expression on his face and it was enough to earn him a giggle. “You look offended.”
“Well, why wouldn’t I be?” He looked at her incredulously. “I don’t need to see that much of her anatomy. There are some things that should be kept private.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not meaning to laugh at you.” She tried to swallow a giggle as she could see he was somewhat insulted by her amusement. “It’s just -- I guess I never would have figured that something like that would have bothered you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not like you’re really known for subtlety.” She explained with a shrug of her shoulder, taking another bite of her donut.
“There’s a big difference between what I do and what they’re doing, Claire.” He scowled at her as he pulled the lever when the couple came around again. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the bar sprung open and the couple were pushed apart by an invisible force that only Claire understood.
Watching the couple separate with a confused look on their faces, she nodded a bit. “I guess, yeah.”
“I think something like that should be kept between two people.” He’s not going to go so far as to embarrass himself by saying it’s sacred or whatever but the implication is there as he looked back at Claire.
“I get it.” Claire surprised herself by agreeing with him as her mouth formed a little smile. “I think they should definitely keep it between themselves and off my ride. I’m scared to even touch that seat now.”
Sylar surprised them both then by laughing. “I don’t blame you.” He nodded, eying the seat as well. “Maybe I could burn it.” He asked, lowering his voice in a whisper.
“I don’t think Samuel would like that idea.” She lowered her voice in a whisper as well, her eyes dancing with amusement as she looked at him.
“Well.” He arched a bushy brow before he shrugged, smirking. “He wouldn’t have to know.”
“Somehow I think he would.” The reply came from behind them, causing both Sylar and Claire to twist around rather abruptly as they found the barker standing there with a look of amusement on his face.
“He did it.” Claire’s finger came up quickly, pointing towards Sylar as she tried to look as innocent as possible.
“I didn’t do anything.” Sylar shot her a look before glancing back at Samuel who was chuckling.
“Claire, why don’t you let Sylar take over for you for awhile? You can go take a break and maybe get some supper?”
She didn’t answer right away, her gaze flickering back and forth between the two men before she shrugged a bit. “No, I’m fine where I am. Sylar brought me donuts.” She held up the bag.
Her answer must have surprised them both as Sylar and Samuel quickly traded a look after their eyebrows disappeared up into their hairlines. “Okay.” Samuel answered easily after a moment, nodding his head. “Well, if you need a break later, let me know.”
“Will do.” Claire smiled as she turned back to the line, elbowing Sylar in the side gently as she motioned towards a small family who were waiting to hand over their tickets. Not wanting to disturb the moment of peace, Samuel walked away to leave Sylar and Claire alone as they worked the Ferris Wheel in companionable silence.
It wasn’t enough to lure her back to the trailer that she had shared with Sylar before he had gotten his memories back but it was the first sign of something thawing between them.
[Sylar is heroslayer and Samuel is offering_hope, and both are used with lots of love and permission]
Perched on a box, she flashed another smile at a couple as she took their tickets from them and turned to drop them in the ticket box beside her. Once the wheel was full, she pulled the lever and watched the wheel slowly creak into action as it started to turn. Looking over the crowd, she watched the constant movement of bodies with a small smile that lasted until she saw a familiar form cutting a path towards her.
Sylar looked relaxed as he made his way along, looking ridiculously charming in his plaid shirt and jeans. His hair, which was longer than she could ever recall it being, was slicked back and gleaming lightly under the lights. She guessed that he had just had a shower. That or he had used way too much gel. The thought made her roll her eyes as she purposefully tore her gaze away from him, pursing her lips slightly as she pulled the lever to start letting people off.
She was in the process of taking some more tickets when suddenly there was a small paper bag dangling in front of her face. Instantly the delicious smell of fresh mini-donuts filled her senses and she arched a brow, ignoring the grumble of her stomach, as she looked to see who was offering them to her. Half expecting Lydia or Edgar, she looked briefly surprised and then confused as she found Sylar standing there instead.
“What are you doing?” She asked as she gathered her wits about her.
“I brought you a snack.” He explained it slowly, almost like he was talking to a child. “You weren’t at lunch.” For a moment he looked almost disappointed or maybe it was her own delusional thinking but she decided to not look too closely.
For a moment she considered telling him no but she couldn’t ignore her hunger. “Thanks.” She murmured as she reached up to take the bag from him. When he motioned at her to move, she looked confused but she shifted over only to watch him take the seat beside her. “Uhh...”
“You can’t operate the ride while you’re eating.” He replied as he reached to take some tickets, permitting more people some access to the ride.
Claire stared at him for another minute before nodding. “Thanks.” She plucked a donut out, covering the urge to smile a bit as she took a bite and watched him as he started to do her job.
She didn’t count the minutes as they sat there in companionable silence but she knew some time had passed before suddenly he made a scoffing noise, staring upwards. Intrigued, she tilted her head back to look up before arching a brow at him. Glancing down at her, Sylar noticed the silent question. “There’s a couple up there practically....” He trailed off meaningfully.
“Ew.” Claire wrinkled her nose, glancing upwards again. She looked at the different seats before finally finding the couple as the Ferris Wheel slowly brought them towards the bottom. Sure enough, they were practically on top of each other with no awareness that they were being watched. “Clearly they don’t care that they’re in public.”
“It’s a fetish for some people.” Sylar replied, actually sounding somewhat disgusted.
Looking over at him, Claire caught the expression on his face and it was enough to earn him a giggle. “You look offended.”
“Well, why wouldn’t I be?” He looked at her incredulously. “I don’t need to see that much of her anatomy. There are some things that should be kept private.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not meaning to laugh at you.” She tried to swallow a giggle as she could see he was somewhat insulted by her amusement. “It’s just -- I guess I never would have figured that something like that would have bothered you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not like you’re really known for subtlety.” She explained with a shrug of her shoulder, taking another bite of her donut.
“There’s a big difference between what I do and what they’re doing, Claire.” He scowled at her as he pulled the lever when the couple came around again. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the bar sprung open and the couple were pushed apart by an invisible force that only Claire understood.
Watching the couple separate with a confused look on their faces, she nodded a bit. “I guess, yeah.”
“I think something like that should be kept between two people.” He’s not going to go so far as to embarrass himself by saying it’s sacred or whatever but the implication is there as he looked back at Claire.
“I get it.” Claire surprised herself by agreeing with him as her mouth formed a little smile. “I think they should definitely keep it between themselves and off my ride. I’m scared to even touch that seat now.”
Sylar surprised them both then by laughing. “I don’t blame you.” He nodded, eying the seat as well. “Maybe I could burn it.” He asked, lowering his voice in a whisper.
“I don’t think Samuel would like that idea.” She lowered her voice in a whisper as well, her eyes dancing with amusement as she looked at him.
“Well.” He arched a bushy brow before he shrugged, smirking. “He wouldn’t have to know.”
“Somehow I think he would.” The reply came from behind them, causing both Sylar and Claire to twist around rather abruptly as they found the barker standing there with a look of amusement on his face.
“He did it.” Claire’s finger came up quickly, pointing towards Sylar as she tried to look as innocent as possible.
“I didn’t do anything.” Sylar shot her a look before glancing back at Samuel who was chuckling.
“Claire, why don’t you let Sylar take over for you for awhile? You can go take a break and maybe get some supper?”
She didn’t answer right away, her gaze flickering back and forth between the two men before she shrugged a bit. “No, I’m fine where I am. Sylar brought me donuts.” She held up the bag.
Her answer must have surprised them both as Sylar and Samuel quickly traded a look after their eyebrows disappeared up into their hairlines. “Okay.” Samuel answered easily after a moment, nodding his head. “Well, if you need a break later, let me know.”
“Will do.” Claire smiled as she turned back to the line, elbowing Sylar in the side gently as she motioned towards a small family who were waiting to hand over their tickets. Not wanting to disturb the moment of peace, Samuel walked away to leave Sylar and Claire alone as they worked the Ferris Wheel in companionable silence.
It wasn’t enough to lure her back to the trailer that she had shared with Sylar before he had gotten his memories back but it was the first sign of something thawing between them.
[Sylar is heroslayer and Samuel is offering_hope, and both are used with lots of love and permission]