Title: Breath Of Life
Characters/Pairing: Peter/Claire (canon)
Summary: The last thing he had seen had been her face; when he woke up he thought he was in heaven.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Only if you haven't seen Season One...
Disclaimer: All characters belong to NBC and Tim Kring, etc. Please don't sue!
Author's note: I don't really know what made me write this, but... I did. It's weird, I wasn't even watching the show... or reading fanfiction... or doing anything remotely Heroes related... it was just random. No romance, but alas - it's Paire.
Summary: The last thing he had seen had been her face; when he woke up he thought he was in heaven.
Peter remembered everything that happened when he had been killed; how he had turned to see Mohinder's bleeding form pinned to the ceiling in an almost biblical way, how he had felt the sudden griping of panic as the professor had uttered the one simple name: "Sylar."
He remembered how he had whirled around to face the killer of many and the would-have-been killer of Claire Bennett, a sneer on his face. He could remember the mixing feelings of anger and fear that had come with seeing this man - the last person he had expected to find.
His first thought had been to run - Sylar was a murderer with so much more experience in combat than what he had. Peter had doubted that he even stood a chance. But his thoughts had flitted briefly to Mohinder, trapped above him in Sylar's telekinetic hold. He had thought of Claire and her friend, that girl who had been murdered for nothing at all, and of all the other people who had lost their lives or family from the hands of this one man.
His anger had flared up and his powers had kicked in instinctually, and for the first time since his dream Peter thought that his abilities would help him save the world and not destroy it.
For just one moment Peter had been on top of the world, and then it had all come crashing down around him.
The glass shard hadn't killed him instantly like he had expected; he still had enough time to picture her face framed with golden hair with that small little smile that barely reached her eyes.
He had fallen into the blackness with her words ringing in his ears: "I'm Claire."
His vision had filtered in again to see her practically glowing before him, her eyes wet with tears waiting to be shed and a hopeful expression growing on her face. He gasped in shock as air rushed into his lungs and he blinked, his eyes fixed on her face.
Was he dead? He had been killed, he thought - all the way. It had felt that way for sure. Peter couldn't remember the last time he had felt that kind of pain.
And yet Claire was here, staring at him in a white blouse with a smile growing on her face. Peter couldn't help but smile weakly back. Heaven?
Then a single tear slid down Claire's cheek and the rest of the world filled in around her. He noticed the bloodied glass shard resting in her hand, the familiar surroundings of the home he had grown up in...
Peter coughed lightly to try to clear his throat, his eyes not moving from Claire's face as he tried to fathom what she was doing in his mother's house. He wanted to ask her everything, every question on his mind and every question he had yet to think of.
"You saved my life," he breathed instead, his eyes searching her face for the answer to a question he didn't even know himself.
Claire laughed under her breath as another tear escaped her eyes. "I guess we're even, then."
His hand moved almost instinctually as he brushed the tear off of her face and Peter decided it wasn't really important why she was here at all; he never was one to question destiny.
He cracked his crooked grin as he grasped one of her hands in his, murmuring under his breath, "Guess so."
I don't really know what made me write this, but... I did. It's weird, I wasn't even watching the show... or reading fanfiction... or doing anything remotely Heroes related... it was just random.
But, gosh, how I love random.
Anyway, I hope you like this. :)
-WS