They Are Like My Children
Title: They Are Like My Children
Characters: Sylar (Gabriel Gray), Peter Petrelli
Rating: G
Word count: 274
Setting: Inside the Wall
Summary: Sylar is happy to realize he can feel love.
Epiphany.
“I can feel it,” Sylar said, thinking aloud in a way. He looked up after a moment, catching the other man’s eyes.
Out of the loop of cognitive process, Peter was confused, “What?”
“My abilities. I can feel it for my abilities.”
Peter was quiet, waiting for the connection.
He elaborated because, of course, it wouldn’t be obvious to Peter. “Love. I can feel it - for my abilities. They…told me I couldn’t.”
“Who told y-,” Peter cut himself off as the answer became obvious to him.
Sylar nodded, adopting a sad sort of smirk. “I thought they must be right, after all the things I’ve done. Who would do all that, you know? It’s not like it was any mystery that I’m fucked up, but…I love my abilities more than anything else in the world.”
He smiled softly to himself, trying to convey his happiness in having all those wonderful tricks up his sleeve. He loved them like…like they were his children - he cherished them, nurtured them and learned them well. He loved having them around; loved how he was with them and what he learned from them - he was invincible and talented as well as indispensable. He had purpose and use, a strange sense of belonging even. He could feel that deeply, could feel something human, even if it was for something so weird and freakish as to be obsessive and probably insane. It was a relief, that human emotion. It eased his soul a little. A sort of connection he’d been looking for even though it was bound to go unfulfilled.
With rueful amusement, he amended, “Except maybe books and clocks.”