AN: This is after the season finale. Peter and Nathan are fine. Sylar's whereabouts are unknown. People have gradually moved on.
Warning: Canon meaning incest, stalking, rejection.
Disclaimer: Well I could have owned it...if I had created it.
Hero Worship
She was never supposed to feel that way. Never.
She should have had more self control, she reflected sadly. She should have thought rationally instead of making decisions based on her feelings, especially feelings she wasn't suppose to have. She should of done a lot of things, falling in love with her uncle shouldn't have been one of them.
Of course she didn't blame herself for falling for him. It was Peter's fault.
He was absolutely lovable. He was no longer just her hero, but the man she loved so deeply...and that's what made him Claire's hero.
She was devastated the day it was revealed that she had an uncle and his name was Peter Petrelli. It was cruel to fall in love with one you cannot have, one you should not want to have. Claire was ashamed of herself for processing such vile longings. If anyone discovered that she loved him, she couldn't bear the disgusting thoughts that would screech in their brains.
She was certain no one would know of this secret. It would be hard to suppress and deny such feelings, but it would be done. She just didn't expect to fail. They sat so close together on the couch, which was not unusual. From the beginning she could recall that they had always been rather comfortable with the other's touch.
Claire was viviaciously laughing at the home movies of Peter and Nathan when they had been small boys. Peter was smiling himself; her happiness was contagious.
Her eyes smiled though her mouth dropped in shock as she watched as a young Peter shove his brother from behind after Nathan had been bossy.
"You were so hostile!" Claire laughed nudging him with her elbow.
"Were? I still am." Peter chuckled humorously.
"Yeah," she challenged nudging him in the stomach. "Sure," she rolled her eyes with a grin.
"You shouldn't underestimate me," he jokingly warned with a laugh as he faced her.
With speed and agility he roughly grabbed her hands and pinned them to her side.
"Care to disagree," Peter asked playfully.
His mouth was so close to hers as he spoke. She giggled until she realized how intimately close they were. Her senses sent messages to the brain to caution her, but before the messages made it to their destination Claire kissed him.
Peter broke away from the lip lock. His stunned eyes wide as if he was uncertain how he should respond.
"Im sorry," he muttered standing on his feet releasing her. "I uh--"
What had she done, she thought with dread. If only she could take it back.
She interrupted stammering, "No I--I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what, what got into me."
He looked at her uncomfortably like he was unsure about her.
The object of her affection knew now and she in that one second, in that one slip-up lost his trust forever. It was lost and she'd never regain it back.
"Maybe its best if--" he began softly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Claire could feel her tears were starting to form so she quickly left before he could finish. After what he had witnessed, she did not want him to see her cry about it. She was prideful, a Petrelli family trait no less.
She kept her room locked. She didn't fear Peter confessing what had happened to Nathan. She feared that whenever she would look into his face, she would see an unintentional disapproving expression towards her.
The precious look he had given to her, and her alone, would now never be the same. No one could have done a better job sabotaging what she had held so dear than herself. She wished they could go back to how they used to be. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable around her. She blamed herself, and berated herself furiously for ruining the best thing that had happened to her.
Gradually darkness seeped into Claire's room as day shifted to night. She took a moment to rest from worrying and mourning of her disarray as she change into her pajamas. She sat at her small desk pondering as she gazed absently at her black computer screen. She wished she had time travel powers then she could go back and fix what she had done. That would have been a more useful power, she complained bitterly.
She would have to see him in the morning. What would she say? Claire might as well have known how to spin straw into gold, and so she began to cry once more.
"What a dilema you have. What to do? What to do?" an uninterested, low male voice stated.
Terror-stricken she quickly turned from her computer screen and faced a familiar dark figure. He stood at the foot of her bed.
"If you scream, Claire. I'll kill all who heard you," he threatened effortlessly.
She swallowed hard as she tried to see the details in the dark. Though no one had moved, the light switch flipped on. Claire had thought if she was only able to see the man's face she would have felt a bit of relief, but she had been wrong.
The chair she sat on moved beneath her so now her back was to her computer and her whole body was faced toward the identity of her intruder. He looked rather short from her perception. He had dark careless hair, wearing a navy shirt with jeans. His eyes were as dark as his pupils, adament glaring at her.
Her lips parted as she breathed heavily, "How do you know my name. Who are you?"
A smirk shaped his face. He patronized, "You don't know? I thought you were a clever girl, but that's not true is it? If you were, you wouldn't be in this mess."
Her nostrils flared as she restrained her fear and fury, "What do you know of my problem?"
"I watched it." he gloated, sadistically overindulging off her woes.
He spoke humorously, "I was quite embarrased for you."
Claire chewed on the inside of her mouth. "Why are you here?"
"Don't worry. I can help you." he added with a sense of prestige.
Confusion distorted Claire's expression. "Why would you do that?"
"Let's just say I have something to gain in all this." he explained matter-of-factly.
"What do you want?" she asked eager for his help.
"Its a hefty price. I doubt you'll pay." he confided as the light went out, causing a gasp to escape Claire's mouth.
Slowly she was able to detect details through the darkness. In two steps, he now stood above her gazing into her with his demonic eyes.
"I want you." he stated in a fever that caused her body to tremble.
"Please go," she fearfully whispered as her eyes shifted from him and blurred behind tears.
Bending down so their faces leveled, he said tenderly, "I just want to help you Claire."
"That wouldn't help me," she replied softly as a tear trailed down her face.
"Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it help you feel better to feel affection, to feel cherished, as I can make you feel." he told her patiently.
She broke down into a sob finally making eye contact with him once more, " I want to feel like that. I really do, but I don't know you."
His fingers laced around her wrists.
"You can get to know me as I know you. I have given you so much of my attention." he answered encouragingly luring her in.
She shook her head. "I don't love you."
A smug smile appeared and he repeated Peter's words, "You shouldn't underestimate me."
She challenged him in anger, "How can you think that I would love a stranger who's been watching me secretly?"
He harshly pinned her hands to her sides repeating Peter again, "Care to disagree?"
She made no reaction. Barely whispering, he belittled her, "How does the story go, Claire? I think we both know what happens next."
"You're not Peter." she said weakly, grasping to anything that would refrain her from doing what could be regretable.
He replied penetrating her heart, "No, Im not. Im the one who's gonna heal your heartache. I'm saving you from his rejection...Im saving you from your hero."
The truth of his insight developed a rush through her body that impelled her to finish the story. Her efforts to fight the impulse weakened as the depth of his eyes overcame her. She leaned her lips onto his and kissed him. He kissed her back with fervor. Her tongue forcefully entered his mouth. Her passion erected a groan from him.
She stopped abruptly saying breathlessly, "Thank you Sylar for rescuing me."
She was never supposed to feel that way. Never.
She should have had more self control. She should have thought rationally instead of making decisions based on her feelings, especially feelings she wasn't suppose to have. She should of done a lot of things, falling in love with a twisted man shouldn't have been one of them.
Of course she didn't blame herself for falling for him. It was Peter's fault.