He had waited for her. Not in any sort of obvious way; he pretended at a normal life. Though he'd never bothered feigning interest in other women, he was always able to brush aside the concerns of his family.
"I have enough to worry about trying to control all these powers and stay one step ahead of catastrophe. I don't have time for a girlfriend. And even if I did, why would I want to drag someone I could love into this horrible mess? It would be cruel and dangerous. I couldn't do that to her."
Of course, when he said, "her" he was thinking of someone in particular. The affectionate title of Uncle needled him, but he endured it. It allowed him to be close to her, as much as that nearness tortured him. The warmth of her hugs nearly broke him each time but her sweet smell softened the blow. What choice did he have?
The one thing Peter hadn't counted on was the jealousy. He could handle the immorality of his love for Claire – his niece. He could take a deep breath and resist the urge to kiss her temple when she cried on his shoulder. But all of this control and this understanding of sacrifice were only possible because of their closeness. Peter couldn't be her lover, but he could still give her love; he provided it when her life was unstable and frightening. She trusted him above all others – until she met West.
West was someone her age, someone who also had powers and could understand what she was going through. He was also someone she wasn't related to. She could kiss West, hold him and share an intimacy that must always be denied to Peter.
Peter had thought his pain was already almost more than he could handle. As Claire and West grew ever closer, he would learn that there was more to hurt than distance.