Bricks in the Wall, Chapter 15: Click
Title: Click
Characters: Peter, Sylar
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Words: 400
Setting: The Wall
Notes:Peter and Sylar are sitting on a park bench. An idle discussion about parks leads to pigeons and then to birds in general, flocking habits and finally to mate selection. Also, I am experimenting with using pure dialogue, as much as possible. Let me know what you think of that.
"I don't know how much thought birds put into mate choice. They're monogamous, sure, but their brains are tiny."
"Not all birds are monogamous, Peter."
"Okay, sure. But some are. I don't think they have much control over it, like when two sparrows get into a fight. I don't think they have any big thought process about it. They see each other and they react - that's it."
"So that's what you think love is? Just a reflex?"
"Sort of. I mean, it's not something people get a choice in. It either clicks or it doesn't."
"What makes it click for you?"
"Ha. I think I click pretty easy with people. Too easy. That's the problem. Sometimes I wish I could turn it off."
Sylar raised a contemplative brow and said nothing.
"I saw a picture in a biology book showing this male frog who had grabbed this fish. You know, male frogs sit around croaking to try to attract mates and when something shows up that fits their profile, they just go for it, grab on and don't let go. So this frog had a fish." Peter laughed uneasily. "Like that was going to work out well."
"I don't think our choices are always what's best for us."
"That's my point - it's not a choice. It's biological."
"So you think love's nothing special."
"It's special - no reason why it wouldn't be."
"But you said it was just a neurochemical process."
"So? Who you are is a neurochemical process. Doesn't mean you're not special. Just because we know it takes sperm and an egg to make a new life doesn't make it any less a miracle. What's miraculous is that it works at all." Peter sighed. "It's a complex system, like one of your clocks. Does knowing how they're made make them any less fascinating to you?"
Peter looked over when several beats passed without response. Sylar said softly, "You think I'm special."
Peter blushed immediately, and hard.
Sylar's brows climbed as everything made sense. "That's why you're going on about this." He grinned broadly, taunting, "Your tiny little brain didn't give you a choice!"