Heroes, "A Stitch in Time" Claire/Hiro | rated pg
Fandom: Heroes
Title: A Stitch in Time
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Claire/Hiro
Word Count: 500
Genre: Drama
Notes: Takes place around Season 4's "Brave New World". Written for the "Sense" theme at heroes_contest.
Summary: Claire almost expects him to stop her.
Like clockwork, Claire senses his presence immediately. She doesn’t even notice the chill of the air on top of the Ferris wheel. Other times, she has - the sense of déjà vu immediately passing as she turns around.
“I thought you would stop me,” she says, and she wonders, knowing his power, that she must have said this a million times by now.
“Think about what you’re doing, Claire,” he says in that noticeable accented voice. It’s her turn to convince him she’s doing the right thing. The cameras are on her, and she hasn’t a second to spare. In other times, she imagines herself distracting him, not arguing or delaying the inevitable. Hiro watches her with regret and anxiety.
She has an idle thought - he looks different somehow. His hair longer, his clothes darker - he’s carrying a sword.
How far in future are you from, Hiro? She thinks.
“You know I have to,” she says, meeting his eyes with determination.
He grabs her hand. She doesn’t expect his touch or his strength.
“I have to stop you, for the future,” he says.
“Even if you blink us away, the cameras will still see something,” Claire notes. Hiro stares at her, unwavering.
“I know,” he says. “I’ve seen that future too. It’s better than the one you’ll start.”
“How bad can it be?” she asks, her foot slipping. Hiro’s grip tightens. One more step and she’ll fall, but Hiro is still holding onto her, his eyes pleading.
“Please, Claire, think about this. Think about all of us,” Hiro says. “People will die; people will panic.”
“People die all the time,” she says scornfully, “But I can’t - and they need to know it.” Claire slips her arm out of his grip and takes his hand, squeezing affectionately.
“You’ll regret this. In the future, you’ll beg me to stop you in the past,” he says. He leans forward, and she’s surprised when he rests his forehead tenderly against hers. He closes his eyes hard, as if he’s trying to purge all the images of his past from his mind. He exhales softly. “I hold you, Claire, and I tell you, I can’t do it. I can’t change the past anymore, but I -- can’t refuse you.”
Claire pauses. The future - his future - intrigues her, but she’s not frightened. She doesn’t even know if it will even end up that way. Destiny isn’t set in stone, she thinks, assured that she’s said this before.
She pulls away from Hiro’s hand, and he gasps as she holds her arms up and slips. She’s already falling.
Hiro yells, but she can’t make out what he’s saying, but it seems like maybe - in some different future - she already knows his words. “Remember, Claire, this is the future you really wanted!”
Claire hits the ground, cameras flashing, bones breaking, muscles and skin contorting. She lumbers on her wobbly feet and glances skyward. She just knows that she’ll see Hiro again.
Title: A Stitch in Time
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Claire/Hiro
Word Count: 500
Genre: Drama
Notes: Takes place around Season 4's "Brave New World". Written for the "Sense" theme at heroes_contest.
Summary: Claire almost expects him to stop her.
Like clockwork, Claire senses his presence immediately. She doesn’t even notice the chill of the air on top of the Ferris wheel. Other times, she has - the sense of déjà vu immediately passing as she turns around.
“I thought you would stop me,” she says, and she wonders, knowing his power, that she must have said this a million times by now.
“Think about what you’re doing, Claire,” he says in that noticeable accented voice. It’s her turn to convince him she’s doing the right thing. The cameras are on her, and she hasn’t a second to spare. In other times, she imagines herself distracting him, not arguing or delaying the inevitable. Hiro watches her with regret and anxiety.
She has an idle thought - he looks different somehow. His hair longer, his clothes darker - he’s carrying a sword.
How far in future are you from, Hiro? She thinks.
“You know I have to,” she says, meeting his eyes with determination.
He grabs her hand. She doesn’t expect his touch or his strength.
“I have to stop you, for the future,” he says.
“Even if you blink us away, the cameras will still see something,” Claire notes. Hiro stares at her, unwavering.
“I know,” he says. “I’ve seen that future too. It’s better than the one you’ll start.”
“How bad can it be?” she asks, her foot slipping. Hiro’s grip tightens. One more step and she’ll fall, but Hiro is still holding onto her, his eyes pleading.
“Please, Claire, think about this. Think about all of us,” Hiro says. “People will die; people will panic.”
“People die all the time,” she says scornfully, “But I can’t - and they need to know it.” Claire slips her arm out of his grip and takes his hand, squeezing affectionately.
“You’ll regret this. In the future, you’ll beg me to stop you in the past,” he says. He leans forward, and she’s surprised when he rests his forehead tenderly against hers. He closes his eyes hard, as if he’s trying to purge all the images of his past from his mind. He exhales softly. “I hold you, Claire, and I tell you, I can’t do it. I can’t change the past anymore, but I -- can’t refuse you.”
Claire pauses. The future - his future - intrigues her, but she’s not frightened. She doesn’t even know if it will even end up that way. Destiny isn’t set in stone, she thinks, assured that she’s said this before.
She pulls away from Hiro’s hand, and he gasps as she holds her arms up and slips. She’s already falling.
Hiro yells, but she can’t make out what he’s saying, but it seems like maybe - in some different future - she already knows his words. “Remember, Claire, this is the future you really wanted!”
Claire hits the ground, cameras flashing, bones breaking, muscles and skin contorting. She lumbers on her wobbly feet and glances skyward. She just knows that she’ll see Hiro again.