See No Love
Title: See No Love
Author: Jaune Chat
Fandom: Heroes
Spoilers: Early S3
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: NC-17 for sexual content
Pairing: Claude/Meredith
Word Count: 1,305
Summary: This was written for the Heroes Annonymous Kink Meme II, for the promp that went something like, "Claude is secretly working with Meredith to help Claire, and helps her deal with the consequences of the shipping container."
Meredith listened, swallowing around the lump in her throat as Claire sped off in the car, too distressed to even remember that Meredith needed a ride home. She didn't blame her daughter; Meredith herself was too shaken to even call after her.
After hearing from Noah about what had happened to Claire, Meredith had been determined to help in any way she could. Never mind that she hadn't seen her for over fifteen years, she remembered loving her beautiful little baby girl. But Claire didn't want another mother. Sandra had already done a great job raising her. What Claire wanted was a teacher. And Meredith had tried so hard to give her what she wanted...
"Not as easy as it sounded, right?" a voice echoed throughout the cargo container.
"No," Meredith said wearily, suppressing tears. "Claude, what if she hates me?"
In the corner near the door, Claude faded back into view.
“You knew this would be hard. Don’t back down now,” he admonished, stinging tone conflicting with the sympathetic expression on his face. After so many years of being invisible, of having no one see him, Claude couldn’t hide his expressions very well.
When Noah had found Meredith and asked her to help his family, Claude had shown up that evening at Meredith’s hotel room. After an inevitable round of screaming, death-threats, questions, and proof of sincerity, he’d finally convinced her that he only wanted to help Claire as much as she did. But she couldn’t ever mention him. Ever. He said there’d been a misunderstanding between him and Noah some years back.
Meredith could understand that. Misunderstandings had ruled a lot of her life.
“I won’t back down,” she said softly, two tears running down her checks and quickly evaporating. Breathing heavily, she half-collapsed next to the wall, sitting down heavily. “But this can’t have been what she wanted…”
“She wants to be stronger than she is. She had to know she can take it. You’ve already taken plenty in your life. I know.” It had only been a few days, but Claude had given Meredith more insight into Claire than she’d dreamed possible. He seemed to have known her, not even that long ago, and clearly cared for her. Being able to talk with someone about her, a sympathetic ear that didn’t judge her, was a relief. How could she talk to Noah about things like this?
But still, to have caused Claire that much pain and panic was heartbreaking. Another thick breath threatened to make her sob, and she covered her face with her arm, bracing against her knees. There was a rush of air, and Claude was kneeling on the floor next to her, arms around her, holding her tight.
“You’ll be fine,” he whispered, voice tight. She opened her eyes to empty air; Claude didn’t want her to see his face. Recklessly she reached up, fingers bumping into shaggy hair and an ear. Slowly, she guided them around his head, pulling him to her. Warm breath was on her cheek as she looked up to where his eyes had to be.
“Please, just don’t leave me alone right now. I’ll be fine Claude, but I need to be strong too.” There were a half dozen ragged, hesitating breaths. “And so do you.”
She closed her eyes as unseen lips sealed over hers. Salty and warm, she opened to him, drawing him in, pressing closer and closer, feeling the prickle of his beard against her face. She trailed one hand through his shaggy hair, then across one shoulder.
“Meredith,” he breathed into her open mouth, as one of her hands blindly found the bottom of his shirt. He wasn’t sure if he meant it as a warning or encouragement, but she never stopped, startling warm hands caressing his sides.
“Claude,” she whispered. Claude tugged her upright, pressing her hard against him, feeling her softness melting into his body. Too many years of being alone, of watching and never participating, fearfully staying on the sidelines, broke under her strength of need.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He couldn’t let her see his face, couldn’t let her be that close, but shivered pleasantly when her hands delved beneath his clothes, shoving them over his head. Hand caressed invisible flesh, lingering curiously on the puckered scar on his torso. He sucked in a fearful breath, dreading the inevitable question, not wanting to explain the bullet wounds, but Meredith didn’t stop.
Like inexorable fire, she flowed all over his body, warming and soothing. The armor of invisibility gave him boldness, and he could feel her gasp against his cheek when his calloused hands gently squeezed her breasts, nipples hardening against his palms.
He had to keep his eyes closed, because if he saw anything in her eyes, those golden flames, those banked fires, they’d unmask him. He’d want to tell her how he knew Claire, how he’d been a friendly “uncle” for so much of her life, how he’d felt free to care for her when Bennett, the perfect “company man,” would not. He couldn’t dare let her know. He wasn’t strong enough for that.
But he was strong enough for this, for a respite of pleasure in the charged air of fearful uncertainty. Both of their hands were blindly tugging at each other’s belts, Claude struggling for control when Meredith’s fire-warm hands curved around his spare hips. Shuddering, he pulled her up, clung to her, hearing her jeans drop to the floor of the cargo container.
“Please Claude,” she murmured. He forgot to breathe, forgot to move, when she gently lowered herself down onto him. How many years had it been since anyone had touched him but himself? How many times had he watched other people, enjoying the freedom his powers gave him from privacy? But Meredith was demanding more from him than he thought he could give. He only wanted to help her help Claire.
Meredith gasped as she tightened her legs around him, moving in slow rhythm. Claude clutched her harder and harder, straining to meet her. He’d never felt anything like this, the heat inside her, a fever pitch of tightness and desperation, undemanding pace and soft quiet moans. He could stay like this forever, burning slowly, providing fuel for the flames…
“Meredith, I-.” He wanted to tell her no, to fade back into oblivion, but crushed her to him as he felt a spasm of pure pleasure rip through him, pulsing in time to her gentle thrusts.
For a short eon there was only the sound of breathing in each other’s ears, and then slowly the two relaxed their grip on each other. Still feeling warmth in his core, Claude opened his eyes, and slowly faded back into view. Meredith smiled at him, eyes sparkling like embers at their centers, as she finally let go.
“Thank you,” she said softly, pulling her clothes back on. Claude resisted the urge to fade again as he got his own garments back in place. He really shouldn’t hide from her. What was the point now? He looked at her closely as she grabbed her shoes, seeing the lack of the wire-tight tension in her shoulders that had been there when Claire had left.
“I’ll take you by my hotel,” he said impulsively. “Get you cleaned up and back home. Claire will be back soon.”
Meredith only nodded, heading to the door, pausing to see if he was following. In the outline of the California sunshine, she looked calmer than he’d seen her in days.
“Can we talk about Claire on the way there?” she asked. Claude nodded, the warmth still lingering on his skin stopping the reflexive panic about being seen, being questioned. Claire would need both of them in the days to come, warm or not, seen or unseen, and neither would let her down.