Gift!fic for albion1919
albion1919's Christmas wishlist included a request for some Sylar/Heidi fic, so I cooked up this wee bit of pre-5YG angst. Merry Christmas, Tammy! Hope you like. :)
Title: Erase
Fandom: Heroes
Characters/Pairing: Sylar/Heidi
Rating: PG, I guess. Nothing really objectionable in it.
Word Count: 1,298
Summary: Heidi can sense something's not right. 5YG-verse.
Of all the many names and aliases that Gabriel Gray had been called, he decided that “Mr. President” had the nicest ring to it by far. In a little over six years, the anonymous watchmaker had traded his shop for the White House, leaving behind his dark and quiet seclusion for a ceaseless whirlwind of responsibilities and power. It was a career change he hadn’t regretted for a second-even when, as now, he was barricaded in his office, up to his ears in problems that needed to be solved yesterday.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his train of thought, and the door began to open before he had a chance to respond. Only a select few individuals could enter his office without permission, meaning that either a national crisis had just occurred or his wife had come to visit him.
Nathan’s wife, he corrected himself automatically as Heidi Petrelli appeared in the doorway, yet the warmth of his smile was genuine as he greeted her.
She lingered in the doorway, her head tilted slightly so her hair fell in black waves over her shoulder. “How busy are you right now?” she asked.
He leaned back in his chair and looked up at her, raising one eyebrow. “Considering that you’re wearing your Serious Discussion face, I should probably say I’m extremely busy.”
Heidi laughed softly and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. “I guess I just can’t fool you.”
He allowed himself a tiny mental smirk that didn’t quite match the amused look in Nathan’s eyes. “An impossible task, I’m afraid,” he said teasingly, standing and moving out from behind the desk. “So what’s on your mind?”
She didn’t answer immediately, instead crossing the room and straightening the various objects that littered his desk, neatening the piles of folders and papers that waited patiently for his attention. He’d noticed that it was a habit of hers, something she did to occupy her hands while she was collecting her thoughts. It was only a moment before her movements stilled, and she took a deep breath as she turned to face him.
“I’m worried about you, Nathan,” she said, quietly but earnestly. “Lately…you haven’t exactly seemed like yourself.”
Sylar kept his face impassive. “How’s that?”
“At first it was just a collection of little things,” Heidi went on. “Things that don’t quite fit. Like eating multiple servings of peas at dinner even though you hate peas. Or forgetting about the time that Simon ruptured his appendix and had to go to the emergency room. But even aside from those…” She sighed. “I’m not even sure how to put it in words. Sometimes, the way you talk and act just seems different. Darker, somehow. I feel like at times, even if it’s just for a moment, I don’t know who you are anymore.”
“Heidi…” he said, letting his voice trail off.
“I know you’re busy,” she pressed on. “I know you’re stressed. I know you have so many things on your mind right now. But…I just can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more going on. Something’s not right.” She paused, and Sylar could just make out the slightest catch in her breath before she continued. “Nathan, if something’s wrong, if…if you’re hiding something from me, I would rather you just tell me. No matter what it is. I just…” She exhaled slowly, and it was as if the vitality and conviction drained out of her, leaving her a harrowed and weary shell. “I just want to know.”
Sylar looked down at his hands, Nathan’s hands, at the golden wedding band encircling his finger. “No. You don’t.”
She reached out and took his hand, gripping it tightly, drawing his eyes to hers. “Try me.”
He stared at her a long moment, his fingers still clasped in hers. She was holding her breath, probably unconsciously, and all her muscles were tensed. He could hear her heart pounding, could almost see the pulse jumping through the delicate skin at her neck and wrists.
He forced himself to look away. The temptation to reveal himself to her-to drop the disguises and defenses and finally let her see him-had grown increasingly stronger in recent months. It prodded at his mind every time he touched her, pushed harder every time she called him Nathan. It was an insatiable, impossible demand.
“I want to tell you, Heidi,” he said, a rare moment of complete honesty, his voice barely above a whisper. “You have no idea how much I want to tell you.”
“Why can’t you?” Her words were hushed and wistful.
He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.” His imagination supplied him with a sudden picture of her face, twisted with shock and horror, inconsolable, and for once he felt no pleasure at the thought of causing pain.
“Trust me,” he said, “it’s better for both of us this way.” This isn’t easy for me either, Heidi.
Turning away before she could answer, he picked up the cell phone on his desk, fingers finding the correct buttons automatically. “Parkman, send the Haitian into my office.”
He ended the call and looked back to Heidi, meeting her pained gaze squarely.
“Please, Nathan,” she whispered.
He stepped closer to her and let the backs of his fingers trail down her cheek, his knuckles rough and warm against her skin. His lips hovered above her ear. “Nathan didn’t deserve you.”
She jerked a little and took a step backwards. “What?”
His hand moved from her face to her hair, twisting the strands in his fingers, preventing her from backing away further. “Shh, shhh. None of this will matter in a minute.”
“What are you talking about?” Her eyes were wide, and she craned her head toward the door as the Haitian entered noiselessly. “What’s going on?”
The Haitian approached slowly, his hand outstretched and his fingers splayed. Sylar released Heidi’s hair and stepped away. “Count your blessings, Heidi,” he said softly. “This is better than the alternative.”
* * *
Heidi blinked twice, frowning as she glanced at her surroundings. She had made her way to her husband’s office, only to forget why she was there as soon as she stepped in the door. Aren’t I too young to be losing my mind like this already? she thought, a twinge of exasperation leaking into her mental voice. Whatever it was, I guess it must not have been that important…
Nathan was seated behind his desk, looking at her expectantly. “Something wrong, honey?”
“No, nothing,” she said, quickly collecting herself and giving him a smile. “I just wanted to say I love you.”
He smiled back, but for a fleeting moment-so brief she wondered if she had imagined it-it almost seemed that the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I love you too, Heidi.”
Title: Erase
Fandom: Heroes
Characters/Pairing: Sylar/Heidi
Rating: PG, I guess. Nothing really objectionable in it.
Word Count: 1,298
Summary: Heidi can sense something's not right. 5YG-verse.
Of all the many names and aliases that Gabriel Gray had been called, he decided that “Mr. President” had the nicest ring to it by far. In a little over six years, the anonymous watchmaker had traded his shop for the White House, leaving behind his dark and quiet seclusion for a ceaseless whirlwind of responsibilities and power. It was a career change he hadn’t regretted for a second-even when, as now, he was barricaded in his office, up to his ears in problems that needed to be solved yesterday.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his train of thought, and the door began to open before he had a chance to respond. Only a select few individuals could enter his office without permission, meaning that either a national crisis had just occurred or his wife had come to visit him.
Nathan’s wife, he corrected himself automatically as Heidi Petrelli appeared in the doorway, yet the warmth of his smile was genuine as he greeted her.
She lingered in the doorway, her head tilted slightly so her hair fell in black waves over her shoulder. “How busy are you right now?” she asked.
He leaned back in his chair and looked up at her, raising one eyebrow. “Considering that you’re wearing your Serious Discussion face, I should probably say I’m extremely busy.”
Heidi laughed softly and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. “I guess I just can’t fool you.”
He allowed himself a tiny mental smirk that didn’t quite match the amused look in Nathan’s eyes. “An impossible task, I’m afraid,” he said teasingly, standing and moving out from behind the desk. “So what’s on your mind?”
She didn’t answer immediately, instead crossing the room and straightening the various objects that littered his desk, neatening the piles of folders and papers that waited patiently for his attention. He’d noticed that it was a habit of hers, something she did to occupy her hands while she was collecting her thoughts. It was only a moment before her movements stilled, and she took a deep breath as she turned to face him.
“I’m worried about you, Nathan,” she said, quietly but earnestly. “Lately…you haven’t exactly seemed like yourself.”
Sylar kept his face impassive. “How’s that?”
“At first it was just a collection of little things,” Heidi went on. “Things that don’t quite fit. Like eating multiple servings of peas at dinner even though you hate peas. Or forgetting about the time that Simon ruptured his appendix and had to go to the emergency room. But even aside from those…” She sighed. “I’m not even sure how to put it in words. Sometimes, the way you talk and act just seems different. Darker, somehow. I feel like at times, even if it’s just for a moment, I don’t know who you are anymore.”
“Heidi…” he said, letting his voice trail off.
“I know you’re busy,” she pressed on. “I know you’re stressed. I know you have so many things on your mind right now. But…I just can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more going on. Something’s not right.” She paused, and Sylar could just make out the slightest catch in her breath before she continued. “Nathan, if something’s wrong, if…if you’re hiding something from me, I would rather you just tell me. No matter what it is. I just…” She exhaled slowly, and it was as if the vitality and conviction drained out of her, leaving her a harrowed and weary shell. “I just want to know.”
Sylar looked down at his hands, Nathan’s hands, at the golden wedding band encircling his finger. “No. You don’t.”
She reached out and took his hand, gripping it tightly, drawing his eyes to hers. “Try me.”
He stared at her a long moment, his fingers still clasped in hers. She was holding her breath, probably unconsciously, and all her muscles were tensed. He could hear her heart pounding, could almost see the pulse jumping through the delicate skin at her neck and wrists.
He forced himself to look away. The temptation to reveal himself to her-to drop the disguises and defenses and finally let her see him-had grown increasingly stronger in recent months. It prodded at his mind every time he touched her, pushed harder every time she called him Nathan. It was an insatiable, impossible demand.
“I want to tell you, Heidi,” he said, a rare moment of complete honesty, his voice barely above a whisper. “You have no idea how much I want to tell you.”
“Why can’t you?” Her words were hushed and wistful.
He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.” His imagination supplied him with a sudden picture of her face, twisted with shock and horror, inconsolable, and for once he felt no pleasure at the thought of causing pain.
“Trust me,” he said, “it’s better for both of us this way.” This isn’t easy for me either, Heidi.
Turning away before she could answer, he picked up the cell phone on his desk, fingers finding the correct buttons automatically. “Parkman, send the Haitian into my office.”
He ended the call and looked back to Heidi, meeting her pained gaze squarely.
“Please, Nathan,” she whispered.
He stepped closer to her and let the backs of his fingers trail down her cheek, his knuckles rough and warm against her skin. His lips hovered above her ear. “Nathan didn’t deserve you.”
She jerked a little and took a step backwards. “What?”
His hand moved from her face to her hair, twisting the strands in his fingers, preventing her from backing away further. “Shh, shhh. None of this will matter in a minute.”
“What are you talking about?” Her eyes were wide, and she craned her head toward the door as the Haitian entered noiselessly. “What’s going on?”
The Haitian approached slowly, his hand outstretched and his fingers splayed. Sylar released Heidi’s hair and stepped away. “Count your blessings, Heidi,” he said softly. “This is better than the alternative.”
* * *
Heidi blinked twice, frowning as she glanced at her surroundings. She had made her way to her husband’s office, only to forget why she was there as soon as she stepped in the door. Aren’t I too young to be losing my mind like this already? she thought, a twinge of exasperation leaking into her mental voice. Whatever it was, I guess it must not have been that important…
Nathan was seated behind his desk, looking at her expectantly. “Something wrong, honey?”
“No, nothing,” she said, quickly collecting herself and giving him a smile. “I just wanted to say I love you.”
He smiled back, but for a fleeting moment-so brief she wondered if she had imagined it-it almost seemed that the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I love you too, Heidi.”