May 2017

I woke up in bed. His bed. I don't know why the thought shocked me each morning when the sun filtered through the drapes over the window; I'd been sharing his bed for the last six years. And yet, each morning, I woke in a panic.

"Good morning Claire." His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against him. I could feel the hard line of his naked body against my skin, warm to the touch. "Aren't you going to wish me a happy birthday?" His voice was soft and somewhat strained as he spoke against the nape of my neck. I shivered involuntarily. It was one of those actions, the tiny reflexes that I had control over.

"Happy birthday, Gabriel." My voice sounded false even to my own ears, but it was an unavoidable consequence of his control. Even my words weren't my own anymore.

"Thank you, Claire." He fell silent behind me as he breathed in the scent of my long hair. His hands began to roam across the expanse of my taut body. His fingertips were electric on my skin, literally. Tiny shocks of electricity poured from his hands as they traced up and down my stomach to my breasts and back down. He liked the way the tiny jolts made my spine stiffen and my pulse race. It set him on edge. He had told me once that it was almost as if I were enjoying it as much as he was. The thought excited him.

"You know, having you here is calming," he murmured into my ear. "You're a constant in all this. It's nice knowing that when I'm done at work you'll be waiting here for me. Being president is a very stressful job… especially when you're changing the way the entire world is run…" He paused to trace his tongue along the shell of my ear. Again, I shivered, and this time not entirely out of disgust. After six years Sylar had become an expert in his control over my body. "And it's nice to have you here to unwind with." His teeth bit down on my earlobe and I felt them sink through flesh. He let my mouth loose and I gasped aloud.

"Bastard," I said, as I felt the blood trickle down my neck and my ear healing itself quickly. He chuckled darkly as his tongue lapped up the blood and his arms grew strong as iron around me. I felt the sudden rush of control as he released me from the strings he usually controlled and I became a person instead of a puppet.

I tried kicking out, tried to struggle, but I was no match for his inherent strength as he rolled on top of me, sinking deep into me with one smooth move and taking my mouth with his.

It looked like he wanted a fight that morning. I was completely willing to give it to him.

I bit down on his tongue as I felt it snake into my mouth. He groaned and I gagged as his blood filled my mouth. He pulled his face from mine to allow it time to heal and I spat the blood back at him. It splattered across his cheek and down his neck, coating his skin and morning stubble with bright red.

"That wasn't very nice!" he hissed, pounding into me once to make his point. "You know, Claire, every so often I give you the chance to show me how much you want this, how willing you are to make things between us work." I felt the vise of his control wrap around me once more and the strings he manipulated so skillfully subdue me. I became pliant in his arms, arching up and letting him evoke the sensations he wanted from my skin. "And every time, you do something incredibly stupid."

He fell silent as he began to feast on my body.

He stroked and caressed and controlled me, and at the end, as the fireworks began to dance behind my eyes, I wasn't entirely sure he was still in control. Every movement of my body, whether manipulated or voluntary, got me closer to the sweet release I desired and hated.

After we were done and he had wrung moans of delight from my lips, he shifted from over me, lying on his side and propping himself on one elbow as I came down from the high. My breasts were heaving as I tried to get control of my breathing and looked over at him. It was at moments like this that I lost the will to fight him, when he was staring down at me and I was marinating in the delicious feeling he'd just inspired in my body.

"If only you could be this compliant all the time," he murmured. His voice inspired me to action and I found my desire for revenge. I rolled quickly, reaching for the knife he kept on his bedside table—but he was far quicker than I. I was back under his control the second I had straddled him, and he turned the position to his advantage, drawing me down as his lips ascended to caress my jaw.

"Oh Claire… Why can't you just want me?" he whispered.

My hot tears splashed upon his bare chest as he held me close for the rest of the morning.

Hello Folks! Hope you've enjoyed our little project thus far. So, Helene Fyne is actually two people, and this story is a collaboration we conceived after watching an Invisible Thread. This pairing just seems right. Please feel free to leave us comments, questions, and suggestions. The story is actually written through Volume Three, and currently weighs in at a hefty 100,000 words. We're still going strong though, and Volume Four will be completed shortly.

We do love comments! Please, PLEASE, let us know your thoughts.

Truly,

Mel and Chuck