A/N: To any of my friends or previous fans of my work, yes, I know this isn't the fandom I usually write for, but if you're here, I'd like it if you checked my story out anyway.
To members of the Heroes fandom, hello. This is the first time that I've written anything for Heroes, but I hope it won't be the last. I've totally fallen in love with Pemma and I just had to write a fic about them.
Peter Petrelli walked the chilly streets of New York city on New Year's Eve, his hands buried deep in his pockets and his coat zipped all the way up to his neck, trying to shut out the cold air that whipped through the skies and blew his hair wildly about his face.
As he came upon Times Square, he didn't even bother to glance up at the crowd that had gathered to celebrate the coming of a new year. Ever since his brother Nathan had died, Peter didn't feel like celebrating anything. Nathan was his best friend, had always been his best friend and now that he was gone, Peter didn't know how to go on with life without him.
Since the loss of his brother, Peter hadn't talked to anyone, not even his mother whose calls became more frequent with each passing day. He had retreated into himself and avoided all human contact whenever possible. He took on additional shifts at the hospital, even though he was already nearly working 24 hours a day before Nathan's death. The only reason he wasn't at the hospital now was because his superiors had insisted that he go home and rest.
However, instead of going home to sleep as was suggested, here Peter was, wandering aimlessly about the streets of the city. He cut through the massive crowd of excited people in Times Square and continued his walk through the busy city streets.
Also wandering the streets of New York alone that same night, was Emma Coolidge. She too, wished to avoid the crowds of Times Square, albeit for reasons different than those of Peter Petrelli. She just didn't like crowds or or noisy places. She preferred the quiet. She was more comfortable in her own skin when she was far away from those elements. That's why tonight of all night's Emma would be no where near Times Square, where all the New Year's festivities were taking place.
Emma's wanderings eventually led her to the same park and the same bench where she had first seen the beautiful colors of dancing light emanating from a cello that a man was playing nearby. Neither the cello, nor the man who had played it were in the park tonight however. Barely a soul was anywhere to be seen in the park this evening in fact, as most of the city was out somewhere preparing to ring in the new year. The only people coming into the park tonight were those who were simply passing through on their way to a party or some other location where they would await the arrival of a brand new year.
Emma was content to sit alone in the park enjoying the quiet and the solitude for a while before heading to her apartment for the night, despite the chilly winds that blew through her hair and tickled her skin. She enjoyed looking at the scenery around her. She sat taking in the sights around her for a few short minutes, then remembering the brown bag she had brought with her, Emma opened it up and pulled out the sandwich that had been held there.
The wind was really whipping about tonight and Emma had to hold the now empty paper bag under her leg to keep it from blowing away. As Emma leisurely ate her sandwich, while also trying to keep her long blonde locks from being blown into her face, someone entered the park. Though Emma didn't notice, as she her back to the park's new arrival. Nor did the person walking through the park notice Emma. He was too lost in his own world to even notice where he was, let alone another person.
The wind seemed to have a plan for the park's two sole inhabitants and the moment the man came close to the bench at which Emma was seated, a strong gust of wind cut through the air and pushed the brown bag that was loosely held down by Emma's leg and sent it sailing through the air until it collided into the leg of the man walking by.
Both of the park's occupants noticed the actions of the little brown paper bag, as was the plan that it had collaborated with the wind. Emma felt it flee from under her leg and Peter felt it crash into his. Both pairs of eyes fell on the bag and when they did so, Peter and Emma became aware of each other's presence for the first time.
Despite his down mood and the fact that he'd barely spoken a word since his brother's tragic death, Peter couldn't resist saying hi to Emma. She just had a way of lifting his spirits whenever he saw her and tonight was no exception, for the first time since losing Nathan, a smile found it's way onto Peter's face.
Peter took a seat on the bench next to Emma, making sure to position himself in such a way that he was facing her, so that she could easily see his mouth to be able to read his lips.
"What are you doing out here?" Peter inquired of the woman he first met in the file room of the hospital and had since spent many wonderful moments with.
"I could ask you the same thing," she replied.
"I'm just not really feeling the holiday spirit this year and I didn't know what to do. I didn't feel like being around a lot of other people tonight."
"Me either," Emma concurred.
The wind picked up, making the already chilly night grow colder, causing a shiver to run down Peter's spine and Emma to shake slightly from the frigid air. "It's getting pretty cold out here," Peter said, while hugging his arms to his chest in attempt to keep warm. "You want to go inside somewhere where it's warmer?"
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. My fingers feel like ice. I wouldn't want them to fall off. How would I sign?"
An amused smile played across Peter's face. He loved Emma's humor. It was always so unexpected. He never knew when it would come out or what she would say when it did and it just made him love her wit that much more.
"So, where should we go?" Peter asked as he stood, making sure to keep his face pointed toward Emma.
"What about our piano?" Emma asked uncertainly, her hesitancy at the suggestion clearly expressed on her face.
Peter had never heard the piano at the hospital be referred as his and Emma's, but he couldn't deny a certain logic of such a claim. They had certainly spent a great deal of time together sitting at that piano. He couldn't remember in recent memory anyone else who had sat at the piano other than he and Emma. And he couldn't deny that a part of him considered the piano as belonging to the two of them as well, even though the hospital technically owned it.
"That sounds like a great idea," Peter answered with his trademark crooked grin.
And with that, Peter and Emma walked through cold air and the gusty winds, heading for the warmth of the hospital which they had both only recently departed from. The trek to the hospital was made in silence as the night was quite cold and the two were more concerned with trying to keep warm, rather than conversing with one another. There would be plenty of time for that once they made it into the heated indoors.
Arriving at Mercy Heights Hospital, the two now nearly frozen employees of said hospital, began rubbing their hands and arms in an endeavor to raise their body temperatures. The heat flowing through the building soon surrounded them like a cozy blanket and began to warm them up. To help the warming up process along, Peter thought a hot beverage would be nice.
Before entering the little room where the piano sat, Peter turned to Emma and asked if she would like either some coffee or hot chocolate. When she answered that hot chocolate would be nice, he nodded his understanding and set off in search of two cups of the piping hot concoctions.
When he returned with a steaming Styrofoam cup in each hand, Peter found Emma sitting in her usual spot on the piano bench. As Emma accepted the offered cup and expressed her thanks, she also touched her fingers to her chin, then removed her hand, moving it downward.
"It means thank you," Emma explained of the sign she had just made.
Peter nodded his head and stored the information away for later use.
After handing Emma her cup of hot chocolate, Peter joined her on the bench. Together they slowly sipped the steaming liquid, letting it slide down their throats, warming them up from the inside out.
When she was sufficiently warmed, Emma set her cup atop the instrument and asked of her piano playing partner, "So, what ability do you have today?" She never knew from one day to the next, what ability the paramedic would possess. At the same time, she pressed one of the piano's keys, releasing a blue wisp of light into the air.
"I have a power that lets me block the abilities of others or erase memories," he explained. "But I don't need it anymore. I could get your ability again and we could watch the colors as we played together."
"How?" Emma asked, a perplexed look etched into her face. She never understood how Peter was able to exchange one ability for another.
"Like this," Peter replied as he took Emma's hand into his own with a warm smile.
Peter's smile was infectious and soon as similar expression found its way onto Emma's countenance.
He held her hand a moment longer than was required for him to gain her power, guided by some unknown force that compelled him to not break contact with the file clerk on her way to becoming the doctor she was meant to be.
When he released her hand, a light tint of pink colored his cheeks and he turned away to face the piano and press one of its keys, trying to hide his embarrassment. Emma too turned to the piano and together they played a beautiful song and created a rainbow of gorgeous pastel colors that danced through the air. Lights of blues, purples, pinks, yellows and greens, gracefully floated off the piano keys and lifted into the air.
The visual masterpiece that resulted from their harmony, was so mesmerizing that they couldn't tear their eyes away. Peter and Emma entered a world all of their own as everything else faded away. They put on a spectacular light show that only they could see as they played deep into the night.
When the clock struck midnight, signaling the start of a new year, the celebration going on at the nearby nurses station caught Peter's attention and his piano playing came to an end. Emma, not understanding why Peter suddenly stopped playing, turned to look his direction and placed her hand on his shoulder, her face displaying a questioning expression. He pointed to something behind him and when she turned to see what he was trying to show her, she saw confetti falling through the air and a group of nurses and doctors currently on break, excitedly blowing into party horns.
After a moment, Peter gently touched Emma's shoulder to regain her attention. When she was again focused on him, he smiled, saying, "Happy New Year, Emma."
And their non-traditional New Year's Eve came to a close with a traditional kiss, as Peter lightly pressed his lips to Emma's, giving her soft, gentle kiss.
A/N: I hope you all have enjoyed this little story and Happy New Year!