Disclaimer: I'm not making any money from Heroes. I don't own Heroes. But if you let me talk to TK I bet I can get him to give it to me.
A/N: I was sitting at my computer and this came to me. Written for the prompt Love at heroes15 on Livejournal. Leave a comment if you liked or disliked or wanted to say hi.
Claire's always known the difference between loving and caring for a person, so when Lyle jokingly asks if Zach's in love with her she can honestly say no. Not to say that he doesn't love her, but she doubts he'll fall in love with her. And she doesn't think she could ever be in love with him. Maybe a long time ago there was a crush, but with time it faded and evolved into deep caring. His opinion matters to her; the things he does for her can make her light up and he's sensitive to what she thinks and says. Claire sees that Zach's captured the part of her heart that desires companionship and comfort. She wonders if he finds those qualities with her. In the end it doesn't matter because caring for and loving a person are completely different things.