A/N: First actual fanfiction for Heroes. Any kind of feedback is encouraged, I need it! Please read the author's note at the bottom for more. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Do not own.
The first time Peter catches her he's amused. After all, it isn't every day you walk in on someone gorging themselves on ice cream. It's a funny sight, seeing Claire Bennett (or should he call her Petrelli? - something about that just didn't sound right) sitting on the couch, a half-empty gallon of ice cream in her lap and half a dozen empty cartons surrounding her as she watches some sappy romance movie (he notices offhandedly that it's Titanic).
"Claire?" He can't help the chuckle in his voice, and she blinks and looks up at him before glancing around herself. She offers a sheepish giggle in return, her eyes moving to lock with his as she shrugs.
"Just experimenting."
It's a suitable excuse he figures as he glides down to sit beside her, brushing two empty cartons out of the way. "And?"
"And?" She's teasing him, her eyes never leaving the screen.
"And," Peter presses, nudging her gently with his elbow, "what's the verdict?"
Claire simply rolls her eyes, "Fat doesn't build that quickly, you numbskull."
Peter lets out a sigh of defeat, sinking into the couch as he tries to get into the movie too, but he can't help wondering distractedly if Claire even notices the fact that she's started to lean in on him.
--
The second time Peter catches her he's confused. He realizes that most experiments have more than one trial run, but still - he thought the answer had been pretty obvious when five days after the first test she hadn't gained a pound.
"Claire?" He knows the confusion is thick in his voice this time, laced with a slight amount of worry. She glances up at him for just a second, and he could swear that there's something in her eyes he's not used to seeing. Not on her. "Claire, what are you doing?"
"Eating."
She makes it sound so casual, so ordinary, that for a second Peter almost lets it go. But something isn't sitting right with this, and he knows it. "I can see that." He frowns, moving to sit at her feet. "Why?"
"I..." she hesitates for just a split second, her toes curling into the side of his leg, "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke."
Peter's not convinced, they both know it, but what can he do? He breathes out slowly through his nose, his head bobbing gently to the side as he falls asleep. In the morning when he wakes up she's gone, but the memory of her toes pressed against his thigh is still fresh, as if she never left.
--
When Peter sees her the third time he knows she has no excuse, and he knows she knows that she can't trick him again. He finds himself in a flurry of emotions, from concern to hurt to anger and back again, and when he speaks his voice is quieter than normal. "Why have you been lying to me?"
She flinches slightly at the hurt in his voice, but doesn't look up at him, doesn't respond. She only stares at her hands, folded up in her lap. He takes a few steps closer to her, raising his voice slightly, "Why have you been lying to me? Tell me the truth, Claire." His eyes soften slightly, "Please."
For a moment Claire blanches, and Peter almost thinks she's going to lie to him again until he hears her utter in a voice barely above a whisper, "I... I eat when I'm upset, I guess."
"Upset?" Peter's eyes deepen as he plops gently beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder, "Why are you upset?"
Claire tenses slightly before she relaxes again, her hands fiddling nervously with each other as she speaks, "Because I think I'm in love."
Peter stares at her for a second, not quite sure he heard right. "You're... you're in love?" As she nods, he's not sure whether or not he's relieved. In love? "And that's why you're upset?"
She lets out a bitter laugh that doesn't suit her and nods, "Unfortunately."
He shakes his head, not understanding her words, "But how can that be a bad thing? Did-" his eyes narrow dangerously, "Did he hurt you? If he hurt you, I swear I'll-"
"No, no! Peter, it's not that... it's just..." she trails off, her eyes still refusing to meet his.
"It's just what, Claire? What?" Peter cries, exasperated, "I don't get it."
"Nobody would understand." Claire says it bluntly, "Nobody would accept it. Nobody could. Not even... why am I even telling you this!?" She tries to turn herself farther away from him, but he won't let her. He grabs her shoulders, holding her in place.
"I can understand, Claire! Just tell me. I'll... I'll explain it! I'll convince them!" He pleads with her and part of him wishes he wasn't, because nobody could deserve her that much - but the need to see her happy overwhelms any jealousy (jealousy? Why would he be jealous? She's his niece, he reminds himself - his niece) in him. "What can the problem be? Is..." He hesitates, "is he a... she?"
Claire barks out a laugh, and shakes her head, "No, he's very much male."
Peter laughs with her, glad the mood has relaxed a little, and more than a little relieved inside. His mind runs wild as he speaks, "What else could it be? Are you in love with a psychopath? If there's another Sylar you gotta tell-"
"Peter."
"-me, but I don't think that's it. Is he gay? No, that wouldn't make any sense! But there's nothing else there! I just don't understand how-"
"Peter."
"-love can be a problem, I mean, it's a gift. I know I would do my best to understand, and I'm sure Nathan and Heidi would-"
"Peter!" Claire finally snaps, turning and grabbing Peter by his shoulders, her eyes capturing his, "Have you ever been in love with your uncle?!"
As soon as she says it she gasps, covering her mouth with horror as she remembers who she's speaking to. Her eyes don't leave his for a few seconds longer, until she spins around and buries her face in the closest cushion.
"Your... uncle..." The wheels in Peter's head start whirling as he watches her nod, "Which means that you two are..." She nods again, "And I'm your only..." His eyes widen as he slumps down beside her. "Oh."
They sit like that for what seems like hours, the silence pressing on them like a too-warm wool blanket. When Peter finally clears his throat to speak, she's certain that it's over - any relationship they might have had - it's all over.
"Hey, Claire?" She shifts slightly in response, and Peter takes that as a signal to continue. "I know some people might not understand, but I think I might be in a similar situation."
Claire blinks, sitting up suddenly to look at him in shock, "... What?"
He's grinning his trademark lopsided grin at her, his eyes soft and warm and so full of emotion. "Have you ever been in love with your niece?"
Okay, I am oh-so messed up. I love this ship so much it hurts, because I just don't think incest is right. But how can Peter and Claire be wrong? It was destiny.
Anyway, hello. I am Winter Sapphire, and I was very much dreading writing for this fandom because I just don't know if I have the characters right at all. I tried, though, and a little reassurance is great, and I might just write for this fandom again if I think I can do it fairly well. So... please review? And if you see any inconsistencies with the writing, please tell me. I'm not used to writing in primarily present tense, and I rarely ask people to beta my stories...
I am so going to the special level of hell reserved for child molesters and people who talk at the theater...
- WS
(P.S., It doesn't help that I prefer the canon!Paire stories over the non-canon ones, either...)