The Wonder

Pairings: Peter/Sylar (Gabriel)

Author's Note: This was written while downloading Kill Hannah songs (thanks to Lara-Van for that). Just, you know, a random fact right there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes. No profit made, etc.

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She pierced his skin with the needle and it burned, burned, burned. He wanted to get up and run away, far away to where she'd never be able to do that again, but he was strapped down, unable to move.

How had this happened?

It was all a blur and now he was spinning madly, like the world in that song he'd heard on the radio the day before. His head was spinning, his body, his heart pounding in his ears, pulse pumping, jumping in his neck, his wrist.

Dimly he recognised that there was someone else in the room with him, someone who should be achingly familiar. Someone he'd once cared for, maybe.

The woman said to this person, "It's done."

"Can he hear us?" said the person, revealing himself to be a man. He tried to gasp, as the realisation of who the man was wriggled its way through his subconscious.

"No," said the woman, little realising that she was wrong.

He tried to struggle but his head was spinning too much and anyway he was strapped down. How had he forgotten that? He was starting to forget that the man was familiar as well, even beginning to forget that he was in a room at all.

He saw images playing across the inside of his eyelids and they were beautiful. All the pretty colours, accompanied by sounds so heartbreaking they must have been composed by an angel. He knew tears were running down his face, at least he thought they were, they should be. Because the images were so beautiful, shattering him into tiny pieces of glass, which glittered in the late afternoon sun.

He saw the world reflected in the glass, all the pain, despair, war, death. It horrified him, shook him to the very core. And his head continued to spin, the beautiful images behind his eyelids juxtaposing with alarming clarity with the images reflected in the glass.

He no longer understood the voices floating above him. They were merely murmurs now, an accompaniment to the awe inspiring visions that continued to assault his subconscious. He wanted nothing more than to drown in this feeling, this conglomeration of sensations, all pooling into one spot, into him.

The one thing that stopped him from giving in completely, the one thing that brought a small frown to cloud his features, was that his lover wasn't there to share in the wonder. So he reached out his mind, sending out mental ropes to ensnare his beautiful, dangerous lover and bring him closer, bring him to the wonder.

All he wanted right then was to be wrapped in his lover's arms, safe and secure, and to live out his days deep inside the wonder, his lover beside him for always.

The world crashed in around him, harsh sounds assaulting his sense, tearing through the wonder. No, no, no.

He gasped for breath, gulping in mouthfuls of air as rough hands tore out the IV pouring the drug into his system.

The visions, the feeling of being shattered, ceased abruptly.

He blinked up into the face of his lover. Sylar. Gabriel Gray.

The man did not look happy. "Peter, how is it that you always get into situations like this?" He shook his head, as though lamenting the loss of Peter's intelligence, or maybe the marked absence of it at all. "It's like you go looking for them!"

"I don't go looking for them," Peter grumbled, reality arriving with the customary crash and bang. He gave a wistful thought to the wonder he'd experienced while high on that strange drug. "They find me!"

He tried to stand up, but the drug must have turned his muscles to jelly because he nearly fell over. A meeting with floor was luckily prevented by Gabriel who caught him with an audible grunt.

"My hero," Peter said, definite sarcasm colouring his voice. He tried to stand on his own two feet and eventually managed, although he remained wobbly for a few minutes.

Gabriel merely rolled his eyes, keeping him steady until he was able to walk out of the room unaided. "You realise that makes you the damsel in distress, right?"

Peter blinked. "Aw, hell, why does that always happen?"

A very serious look in his eyes, Gabriel grasped him by the shoulders and gazed into his eyes. "Because secretly you love it."

Peter glared. "I do not! And I'm certainly not the bottom in this relationship." He crossed his arms and sniffed for good measure. The overall effect was ruined by the way he seemed to almost imperceptibly tilt to the side. Gabriel kept a steadying hand on his shoulder in case he tilted all the way over and had a fascinating, but silent, conversation with the floor.

"Whether you're the top or the bottom, makes no difference," Gabriel said, leading him out of the room, and out of the building for good. "You just love being rescued."

Peter grumbled, outwardly denying every word. Inwardly he had to admit that Gabriel had a point. It was very nice, having those strong, masculine arms around him. Not that he couldn't get that anytime, and he certainly didn't get into these situations on purpose, but it was the context. Peter was the one who needed to be rescued while Gabriel could play the hero.

It was sort of ironic that only a few years ago their roles had been reversed.

A frown momentarily clouded his features. "Gabriel, how did you know where I was?"

His lover turned towards him, a small smile on his lips. "Why, you sang to me, Peter." His voice held a hint of amusement as he added, "You sang me to you."

Now it was Peter's turn to roll his eyes. "You have watched one too many Nicole Kidman movies." He wagged his finger severely. "No more movies for you until you learn to behave."

Gabriel laughed, the sound full and deep and somehow more beautiful than the wonder because it was real. It was real and Gabriel was his. And Gabriel was laughing, albeit at him. But there had been a time when Gabriel never laughed so it was always a relief, somehow, when he did. Peter smiled.

The smile faltered as Gabriel stopped laughing, now gazing at him with dark eyes, full of promises. Peter blinked, astonished, when his lover fell to his knees, proclaiming to the world, "Oh, Peter, say you'll be mine forever and I'll be the happiest man on earth!"

People walking by stared openly at the sight. Peter shifted nervously, trying not to shoot them apologetic looks. "You're an idiot," he said, sounding like he'd been through something like this time and time again.

Gabriel pouted. At the sight, Peter's heart pounded wildly and he wondered whether the drugs had really left his system entirely. He watched, mouth slightly open, as Gabriel got to his feet, looking morose.

"Bastard," Gabriel said, scrapping the side of his shoe on the concrete.

"Oh, you love me really," Peter said, wrapping his arms around his lover's waist and nuzzling his cheek. "Don't you?" he added, because he'd realised quite awhile back that he was remarkably insecure about stuff like this.

"Yes," Gabriel said with a sigh, pulling him closer. "A fact I curse the powers that be daily for," he added, to tell Peter he wasn't forgiven just yet. It wasn't everyday that Gabriel Gray fell to his knees in the middle of a crowded street and declared his love for all to hear, even if it had been half in jest.

"Would it really make you happy if I said I'd be yours forever?" Peter asked as they entered their apartment half an hour later. He'd been thinking about it, and had concluded that Gabriel must have been at least half serious because that was one hell of a cold shoulder he was giving.

Gabriel shrugged. "I guess."

Peter was silent for a moment then he shrugged inwardly. It wasn't as though he hadn't embarrassed himself enough already, what with getting kidnapped while on a quick grocery run. He really should have seen that one coming.

He fell to his knees before Gabriel, clasping his hands over his heart. "Oh, Gabriel!" he exclaimed, sighing dramatically. His lover rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Gabriel, baby, I'll be yours forever and for always!"

He intended to stand up, brush himself off and ask, "Well, are you happy now?" But Gabriel was too fast for him. Before he could catch his breath, even wrap his mind around what was happening, Gabriel was down on his level, kissing him fiercely, possessively, lovingly.

And all Peter wanted to do was give in and let go.

So he did.

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