He lets his hand travel over her skin, hot against his fingers, and his lips follow in their wake. She arches her back off the mattress as his tongue licks around her belly button and she mews his name, hands cradling his head gently.
She never fights him here, always welcoming him.
She draws him up to her and kisses him passionately, hard and hot like he remembers. She smiles at him, eyes narrowing playfully as she pushes him down onto his back and straddles him. She straightens up, naked and beautiful in the dim light. Sylar lets his eyes explore her every curve and plane as a means to preserve the image and he never closes his eyes. She had been on top before and she knew, saw right through him then. Her eyes hold the same tenderness as they held then and he digs his fingers into her skin hard.
With her hips in his hands he helps her rise above his erection and she reaches her hand down to stroke it firmly, almost to rough and he groans, watching her pleasure him. He can't help whisper her name, reverently, as she finally sinks down onto him, enclosing so wet and hot around him.
She rocks, slow at first but then harder and harder, like before, until she's bucking her hips in a frenzy. Her hair flows and wisps around him and he can't help break the routine and gather her in his arms, turning her around so he's on top. He penetrates into her again, lifting her knee back as he strokes deeper and deeper.
"I'll stay with you, I'll stay." He whispers the words like before and she grins up at him.
It never fails to amaze him how real it is. How real she is.
And it's the only time when she looks like she loves him. Like before.
Maya stands outside his room, dressed in her pyjamas, and lets her fingers trail across the groves in the wood. Her Nadia had finally fallen asleep and Maya had left her with Meredith. She had made up her mind. She had been thinking about it since she found out he had killed her brother.
No, that's not true. She had wanted to kill him when she found out he had lied about being Mohinder's friend. Maya had never liked liars and Gabriel had to be the father of them. She bites her lip, moving her ear closer to the door but couldn't hear anything.
She had given birth months ago and he had cured her two weeks ago. With the prick of the needle and the touch of his hand on her arm Maya knew that she was in trouble. Her pregnancy had been her shield, while she had carried his child she knew he would never harm her but now she was so unsure, so unprotected.
Second to second she wonders when he would kill her, he had no reason to keep her here and he knew she hated him, made it clear that she would kill him given the chance.
So now was the chance. Mr Bennet had told her that Sylar, while powerful, could be defeated. His weakness was that he was to arrogant, always more concerned with the big threat and not seeing the little one coming up behind him.
She wanted to be that threat. Her hand tightens on the knife handle and she opens the door and slips inside. Maya lives in the same building as him, but on different floors and like her he had room after room. But she knew where he slept and she moves silently there, feet bare. The door is ajar and she takes a breath, holding it.
"Mine, mine…" The words are very faint and breathy, like he's running. Then she hears moaning, a female voice. Her first reaction is to turn back, not out of second thoughts but from a sense of voyeurism and embarrassment. Maya stands there and can't stop herself from listening, the sound of him like that bringing to mind unwanted memories. He had said that to her as he climaxed, back in some other life now.
Maya frowns, her skin feeling flushed and wonders who is with him. She tilts her head and listens to his breathing regulating, deepening until she's sure he's asleep. But she stands there for over an hour, her hand growing slick on the knife. Someone else in there, someone…
Her face hardening she slides through the jar in the doorway, careful not to disturb it. Her breath is trapped in her chest and her skin sweats and prickles, hair standing on end. She experiences almost a thrill to finally have him and she moves softly, stealthily closer. She can't make out the woman, just his back is in view, sweat cooling on his skin just as it burns on hers. Maya stands over him for a moment, eyes on his neck but her gaze is drawn to a round shoulder, the brown lines of a lithely muscled arm and she's moving around the bed. Who would sleep with him, who in their right mind - God maybe she didn't, maybe he…
His body is curled around the woman, her back pressed to his chest and his arms around her hold tight, tight. There's a part of Maya, a dark buried place that tingles with disappointment. Nothing he said or did could be trusted, everything about him is lies. Just as she had been guarded by her pregnancy she had also, as horrible as it was to think, been somewhat assured that the possessiveness he seemed to have of her was true, that those feelings would be another shield for her and leash for him. But they were just made of looks and words, nothing real.
She thinks about killing the woman to but she couldn't be sure it would mean anything to him. He could never feel the pain like she did for Alejandro, never. Maya stops by their heads, gaze fixed on his sleeping face before her eyes peer further down. A gasp erupts from her lips and she stumbles back, eyes widening in shock.
Her, it was her in his arms.
Maya's hand grabs for her cross, heart thumping painfully in her chest. A shaky breath is exhaled past her lips and she moves tentatively forwards, eyes narrowing. She bends down and inspects closer. It was her, not a woman that looked like her or a doll but her. The same mouth, nose, skin, everything. She can even see the eyes behind the lids moving in dream. Maya straightens up, looking at Sylar. He sleeps with her. Jesus, has sex with her.
Not her, fake Maya. And just for a moment her mind flashes up that picture she had seen of him, the real Gabriel Gray. Meek and mild. Alone.
She bends down again, the curiosity overshadowing her original intention. This fake her, the way that he was holding her was just like she remembered, the first time they had made love - had sex. Maya lets her hand hover over her sleeping face, so real looking, and her eyes look at him quickly before she lets her fingertips touch the cheek of the fake her.
Black eyes spring open and she's staring into herself for a second before a hand grabs her wrist. Maya pulls back hard, gasping as the illusion of her disappears and he bolts up.
"Maya?" His eyes are huge in the little light there is, shocked. But then they begin to change, shift into a predatory rage as he sees the knife in her hand.
"No." She gasps the word as there is a pause, both not moving. Then Maya is propelled forward into the bed and she lifts the knife, plunging it down with no aim as she pushes him down with his own forward motion. The blade slices into his arm deeply and he shouts out in pain as she straddles him, drawing the knife up to his throat. He breathes sharply as his hand wraps around her wrist in a bruising grip, other hand on her waist, fingers digging into her side hard, blunt fingernails in her skin.
They remain still, Maya waiting for him to act, do something but he just lies there. Their eyes burn into each others, penetrating with hate and their breathing issues hard and fast. As the knife begins to slice across the skin of his throat his eyes widen in absolute shock and he speaks in a rush.
"If you kill me you'll be killing everyone that needs the cure."
Maya stills her hand, blood trickling down from the cut she had made. "I don't believe you, you just don't want to die." Her knife presses deeper and he hisses and Maya feels her stomach jump.
"I could have stopped you long before this Maya, you know I could."
"Then why haven't you?" She knew he could swot her in a moment and every second she was wasting was against her. He doesn't answer her, just flexes his fingers on her wrist. Maya feels the knife shaking and she's not sure if it's her or him.
"I'm telling you the truth, no one has the cure but me, no one can make it but me." She knew that he had taken everything that Mohinder had made, all his research and destroyed it when the virus had been released. But god, what if that was lies to?
She licks her dry lips, throat feeling clogged tight. "You are lying…" He shakes his head and the knife slices even more. He bares his teeth at her, eyes prickling with pain tears.
"I'm not, I'm not. Maya you do this and you will have even more blood on your hands."
She can feel her nose getting that pinched feeling and her eyes begin to itch with tears. "It's not right, not right that you should live while my brother is dead! You continue to breath, unpunished for everything you have done. Murderer, murderer!" Her hand comes down and hits his face, again and again until he has to grab it, nose bloody.
His eyes flash hot and bright and she can't keep up with the shifts in them; fear, humour, rage, pride, sadness. He shakes his head again, the pressure on the knife less. "You think you're so righteous, labelling me a murderer! I know what you are and so do you."
"Shut up!" Her voice growls out and she presses the knife down more but it doesn't move. Her eyes switch back to him, burning.
"I remember what you told me, I haven't forgotten. You liked it, liked having their life in your hands, the power you had over them. You -"
"I said shut up!" She couldn't hear that, not ever. He smiles up at her, the hand on her side softening as it rubs up her back and she becomes acutely aware that he's naked below her.
"You poisoned whole buildings and streets full of people trying to get me." His voice is silky smooth and Maya can't breath. She lowers her head, weighed down with guilt and the truth.
"I did what I needed to do, I did it for good reasons. Killing you is a good reason." Her voice is deep and wavering, a low wail. She's not speaking to him, she's not speaking to anyone.
"I know, I know…" His voice is barely above a whisper and Maya raises her head. She looks wearily into his eyes.
"I wish I had never met you."
His head tilts and his face falls. She called me a monster. "I don't. Maya I -" He pauses and lets the hand on her wrist go to move down her body, settling on her now flat belly. "What you've given me. Maya I -"
"No, no don't even dare say anymore." She doesn't want to cry but she feels it pressing down on her, like a hand pushing down into water, making it gush up. Her forehead presses to his chest, tear rolling off her nose to drip onto his skin. Her emotions had been even more volatile since the baby had been born and she hadn't had one full nights sleep, accepting no help, especially not from him.
His hands rub her back gently. "Maya…" His voice is soft, soothing and she looks up at him, at the knife.
"Are you telling me the truth? About the cure?"
"I swear it on Nadia's life." He looks at her for a long time and she can't look away. His arms tighten around her as she finally blinks, drawing the knife away. His fingers scrunches through her hair. "Stay."
"What?" She blinks at him, trying not to yawn. So tired, drained and empty. She feels herself being tilted on to her side and her stomach screws tight. "Gabriel…" He moves on top of her and his body lies flush to hers, naked and she feels him pressing hard against her thigh.
"Stay with me. Just tonight, just once." He looks down at her hopefully as she pushes him away furiously.
"No, god no." Her eyes harden and her face twists in disgust. His hands on her tighten, drawing her closer.
"Just sleep, no sex." Maya struggles out from under him and rises, almost scoffing at his words as his erection is freed between them. She gets to her feet and is immediately pulled back to him as he sits up, feet on the floor. Her hands push at his shoulder but he doesn't move again and she looks down at him, her face clouded with thought.
"If you are alone it's all down to you, you deserve to have no one." She pulls away from him and his hands tighten on her hips before growing slack, face impassive.
"So do you Maya. You're just as alone as I am." He rises, standing up. "More so because no one can have you."
"What?" She moves back, her breathing rough. His eyes stare at her fiercely, greedily as his hand come up and cups her flinching face.
"You're mine, always and everyone knows it. You're untouchable."
Maya's brows rise and she laughs into his face. "Yes, to you. Go back to your illusions Gabriel, only they will have you." Again she sees that pale, bespectacled face for a moment, owlish and paper creased. But the one before her reddens, mouth twisting as his breathing grows shallow.
"God don't test me…" Then he lets her go and steps back, shoving her away roughly. Maya raises her chin but her heart sinks. She couldn't kill him, maybe never could but it wouldn't stop her from inflicting as much pain as she could.
"Pathetic little man." She hisses the words at him, her chest heaving as he flinches.
"One day Maya, god one day I promise…" He's shaking and she steps back, like she's just seeing that wild animal at last.
"If you try to harm me or Nadia -"
"What?!" He steps towards her, face blanching. "I'd never do that, I'd die first." His voice rings with conviction, pained and she feels her mind skip a beat. His fingers brush down her arm and she can see the blood over it. "Don't push me from her, you never let me see her."
"Can you blame me? I'm -I'm scared that you'll do something terrible."
"She's my daughter." His face frowns at her in disbelief and she doesn't know what to think. "I gave you room after she was born, let you know that I'm no threat but it's been months Maya."
She sighs, hand running through her hair. She can feel her body winding down, her mind sluggish. "I thought you would take her from me."
"If I had wanted to I would have done it already. I know you don't sleep."
Maya narrows her eyes at him, mouth thinning. "Because you creep into my room like a snake at night."
"Says you." He scoffs at her before his face softens "…I like watching you sleep."
Her face twists scornfully. "Why?"
"Because it's the only time you don't hate me."
The cutting remark dies on her tongue and she stares at him with dead eyes but her body seems to shrivel and pump powerfully at the same time. She breaks away from his gaze and turns. "You can see her but other then that me and you are strangers."
"I'll see you for breakfast Maya." His fingers brush down her back and she shivers all the way back to her baby.