A/N Thank you all for following and faving, I appreciate your patience and feedback. This story really seems to have gotten out of my hands, but I do still plan on finishing it. For now, enjoy the new chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes.
"Niki," Claire asked one day while at the Sanders' residence.
After buying Zach's birthday gift a while back, Claire had been a little low on cash, and had used her free time on the weekends to babysit Micah for a extra money. Today the older blonde was heading out for a third date with Claire's school nurse, Peter, and Claire figured if there was ever a time to ask for guy advice it would be now.
"Yeah?"
"How do you know when you're in love someone?"
The older blonde paused during her make-up application to look at the teen through the reflection in her compact.
"Why? Are you in love with a boy from school?"
Claire's face flushed as she hid her hands in her back jean pockets.
Normally she'd bring up the topic to her mom. But since she was so wrapped up in Mr. Muggles' dog shows, and her dad was too concerned for her well-being to be bothered with something as tricky as tackling as boys, she'd opted to take the easier route and bring it up to her beautiful neighbor, whom she'd admired instead. It was just so much more comforting to talk to Niki about that kind of stuff than it was to her family. She didn't quite know why.
Niki quirked a brow.
"Is it the jock, Brody?"
Claire's face immediately scrunched up in disgust.
"Brody Mitchum? Please. He has an ego the size of Texas,"
Niki laughed at the girl's comparison. And that seemed to loosen Claire up a bit.
"Really? Then who is it, Zach?"
Claire threw her head back and groaned.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Well," Niki smoothed out the wrinkles in her purple floral dress and began slipping on her heels. "I know you've been seeing him for the past two months, so I figured that you'd probably bonded a lot over the school year."
The younger girl nodded.
"Right. So how do I know?"
"Well, how does he make you feel?"
"Uh.." Claire was at a loss for words.
Niki was already well aware that Claire was what one could call 'touch-blind', so that could only mean that she was referring to her feelings. And that was an even harder thing for her to have to explain. She didn't want to bring up how she'd been feeling down and kind of out of sorts for the past few months, because she didn't want to get the 'are you depressed talk' like she'd gotten from her parents. But she worried that if she didn't elaborate, that Niki might take offense to it.
Thankfully that didn't happen, because when Claire stayed silent Niki picked up the slack and instead asked;
"Do you feel all fuzzy inside when you're around him? Does your heart skip a beat when he looks at you? "
"Yeah...maybe," Claire said uncomfortably.
"Well then, you're in love. There's no point in being embarrassed about it, Claire."
"I know, it's just...we only recently started being friends again after a huge falling out a couple years ago, and - well- what if he doesn't feel the same way about me, and -"
"- You're afraid it's going to ruin your friendship."
"Yes, exactly!"
"Don't worry about it. If he loves you your friendship will only be stronger."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Claire, Zach is a very sweet boy. Even if he doesn't like you that way, that doesn't mean he won't like you at all. He'll still care about you like he does now. "
"You really think so?"
"I'm sure of it. Now go tell him how you feel."
"But what about Micah? Don't you need me to watch him for your date with Peter?"
"Nah, it'll be fine. I'll bring him with me. I've already had plenty of dates with just the two of us, and Peter's been dying to meet Micah. So this will be nice. Trust me."
"You're sure?"
"Positive,"
Claire grabbed her book bag off the counter and sauntered over to the front door just as Micah walking into the room.
"Okay, thanks Niki! This means a lot!"
Getting excited, Micah jumped up in his mom's arms.
"Mom, where's Claire going?"
Niki smiled and gave her son a peck on the cheek.
"To tell someone she loves them."
"I hope they love her back."
"Yeah, me too,"
