Inspired by James Blunts awesome "Goodbye my Lover"…

Depressing but sooo beautiful =)

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2014:

Claire lay on her bed, looking at the picture that still made her feel melancholic. She touched it and then she put it back into the box. A box she had packed to forget about everything that was inside of it. All that bittersweet memories she didn't want to think of then. She could still picture everything that happened, the day she decided to forget.

***

September 2008:

It was a beautiful day in early fall, after a disastrous summer. The sun was shining on the first leafs to fall of the trees in the garden of the Petrelli house. Everyone was silent these days. Most of them remained in a state of shock after what happened.

Claire spent these days sitting in her room, starring out the window distractedly. It had been the right thing... but still she felt like what she had done was wrong. At that time, the thought of Peter hit her like thousand icicles.

She had bought a box and wrote "Do not open" on it in big letters. Everything that had something to do with it was now inside that box, right in front of her. Claire tried to resist opening it, but she seemed to be masochistic enough to open it at least once a day. She had also put her favourite CD in the box yesterday, because she couldn't stand the sound of James Blunts "Goodbye my Lover" any longer. She would probably have been able to play it on the piano herself.

Earlier that day, Nathan had come in to talk, it was one of his rare visits since he'd moved to D.C. He had been a bit distant after finding out what had happened, but that had changed soon: He had actually started treating her like his daughter.

After he left, Claire decided that the whole thing needed a final stroke. She couldn't leave her new home she had barely got used to yet, but she could hide her memories. She wouldn't have to see Peter anymore, just one more week and he was going off to Washington to stay with Nathan for some time. The time she had last seen him to now seemed like forever.

Peter had been coming round her room several times, but Claire wouldn't let him in. He had even stayed in front of her door half a day, but then he gave up. He knew it was the best to give her some time, so she could handle things until she was ready to talk to him.

But the day she bought the box, she was ready to talk.

Claire stood up and put the box under her bed. Walking down the corridor to his room felt awkwardly familiar even after all those days of separation.

She knocked on the wooden door, preparing to meet him. The door opened rapidly and in the doorway stood a washed out and tired looking Peter.

"Claire!"

His eyes widened. He just stood there looking at her. Peter had never felt so much joy before that moment. When he finally stepped aside and let her come in he was still gazing at her like she'd been the 8th world wonder. Claire set down on the edge of his bed, without saying a word, only breathing in the well-known smell of his room.

Neither of them knew what to say.

"I'm sorry…" was everything Peter managed to press out after realizing that this was certainly not a dream.

Silence filled the room again and Claire was fighting against the tears that filled her eyes.

"I should have", Peter started again "... I mean I shouldn't have...I…"

"We shouldn't have, after all it takes two. I don't need to be protected anymore."

That sounded more annoyed than Claire had wanted it to.

He took a deep breath.

"I know."

"So, Matt told you." She avoided saying something specific.

"Yeah." So did he.

She nodded slightly and looked around the messy room. Peter was still standing next to the closed door.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you for so long."

"I had to face the truth on my own" she added in her thoughts, aware that he'd heard it.

He sat down next to her, but still facing her.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm... It's getting better."

"I know this is the last thing you need to hear now…but I just had to make sure you know that I still love you, Claire."

She closed her eyes…

"I know."

… And let herself cry all the tears she'd been holding back. He knew it might won't make her feel better, anyway he took her into his arms. Claire didn't protest, she felt save in his arms. She leaned in and felt his chin resting on her head.

They stayed like that for moments, hours, maybe days.

After Claire had left, emptiness filled Peter's room. A month ago she'd left with a smile and he'd known she would come back.