Author: SG1SamFan
Characters: Zach, Claire
Pairing: Clach
Word Count: 828
Spoilers: Up to episode 1.14 "Distractions".
Rating: K
Summary: "And Zach's standing there, hands behind his back, and for the first time in months he's close enough to touch." Set after "Déjà Vu", "Blood and Tears", and "A Hero's Note", but can stand alone. Claire POV. Clach. AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or its characters and receive no profit from this story.
Archive: The Clach C2. All others please ask.
A/N: This is the final part in my set of four companion pieces, preceded by "Déjà Vu", "A Hero's Note", and "Blood and Tears". For this to make more sense character-wise, I suggest going back and reading the other parts. However, that's not necessary to understand what's going on.
A/N 2.0: I've been sitting on this for awhile, so I hope you find it a satisfying conclusion. I realize it's a bit fluffy, but I don't think it's out-of-character following the other pieces. Please let me know what you think! And if you've read the previous pieces, please let me know whether or not you feel this is out-of-character for how I've developed the relationship.
Lush vines twist through the porch trellis, cradling creamy yellow and purple flowers like dozing hummingbirds on their perches.
As I step out of the driver's seat of my rental car onto Zach's sidewalk, the sweet heaviness of warm wild honeysuckle tickles my nose. I close my eyes to inhale deeply.
A storm door clashes shut, and I whirl around. Blinking in surprise, I feel a ridiculous grin spring to my face. "Zach! Hey." He must have been waiting for me.
Zach smiles warmly. "Hey."
He's standing there in a Pink Floyd T-shirt and those tight skinny jeans I love. And Zach's standing there, hands behind his back, and for the first time in months he's close enough to touch.
I step forward and hug him, balancing on my tiptoes. Zach seems surprised for a moment, but then he wraps his lanky arms around me and pulls me close. The rough stubble on his cheek tickles my bare neck, and I shiver in the late-summer heat, shifting closer so I can breathe him in. He smells of laundry detergent, old comic books, the metallic tang of guitar strings… and something that's just Zach. I feel like I'm wrapped up in pure comfort.
Abruptly, he pulls away, slipping his hands back behind his back before I can catch a glimpse. I lift an eyebrow.
He clears his throat theatrically and with a grin, holds out a bunch of honeysuckle. "For you, milady." At my questioning look, he half-shrugs and says, "You mentioned once that these were your favorite."
A laugh bubbles up out of nowhere. No one's ever done random things like this for me—no one but him. "Thank you, Zach," I whisper, taking the flowers from him. Zach cocks his head just a little, and a lopsided grin brushes his lips.
Déjà vu knocks the breath from my lungs.
The slight tilt of his head, the gentle slant of his mouth… it's the way Zach looked at me the night he texted rocks at my bedroom window and said he was there to rescue me. He doesn't remember, but I'll never forget.
I feel like Zach can hear my thoughts because he swallows nervously, shoves his hands into his pockets, and suddenly, he looks serious and a little sad. "I missed you, Claire," he says.
My mind tingles like there's soda bubbling in my head. "I missed you, too, Zach," I breathe. Our eyes lock and my heart pounds in my ears as the moment stretches toward eternity. I swallow. It's like... like watching a glass tumble off a table, and knowing you can't catch it.
Suddenly, I realize what I could never admit before:
I'm falling in love with my best friend.
Something hits the ground.
I step forward, and kiss him.
I feel Zach gasp against my mouth. Then, his lips soften against mine, and I can't think beyond oh my God I'm kissing Zach. He lifts his palms to cup my face—gently, even though he couldn't hurt me—and then his fingers tangle in my hair and he's pulling me closer. I find myself clutching him, afraid to believe this is real, but he's so warm and I hope to God this isn't a dream
I have no idea how long it lasts, but eventually we have to break apart. Because only one of us would survive suffocation.
I drop my head to his chest, biting my lip. The realization of what I've just done hits me and this is definitely not a dream. "I can't believe I just did that," I whisper self-consciously.
I feel him exhale a soft chuckle, his warm breath on my hair. "Neither can I." I pull back a little to look up at him, and he's failing to hide a smile, cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink.
Relieved, I'm about to tease him about the blushing when I realize I'm missing something. I look down at the bunch of honeysuckle on his sidewalk and can't help but burst into giggles. Zach drops his mouth open in surprise, laughing with me.
Stooping, I pick up the forgotten honeysuckle. Then I stand, and he starts toward the front door, slipping a tentative hand into mine.
"So… how's my little Miss Miracle Grow?"
I pause. "You called me that once before, a long time ago."
Zach looks at me, crinkling his brow. "Oh… and?"
I smirk. "Let's just say I hadn't learned to appreciate your sense of humor yet." We both laugh. Then I lean in, mock conspiratorially. "Zach… can you keep a secret?"
He smiles. "Oh, I don't know, Claire," he says, playing along.
"I'm glad to be home," I tell him gravely.
"Really?" he deadpans. "Well, I'm glad you trusted me with that." I giggle and lean into him, and he lets go of my hand to slip his arm around my waist.
The honeysuckle is blooming again, dipping and swirling on the air. The only difference is that now, it's right here in my hands.
A/N 3.0: Thanks for reading! And as always, I appreciate any feedback, praise and constructive criticism alike, and will respond to every review. : )