Chapter 6 –This is dedicated to Howlingwolf666

Love You Anyway

By Revengehero

Please Read and Review—this was originally meant to be the last chapter, but I find my story going in a new direction.

A ring at the doorbell brought no answer. Neither did a loud knock at the front door. The young man used Power to let himself in through the locked door. Softly, he let it shut and lock beside him.

"Pete?" he called out softly. On the living room sofa, he found his love stretched out on the couch, asleep. He walked over and leaned over to peer into his face. Dried tears streaked his cheeks, and he wasn't just asleep. He had passed out.

A recently opened pill bottle and a half-empty glass of water stood on the living room table. Worry raced through his mind. Only two pills missing from the new bottle. Thank God, he thought. He sat down on the floor, and let his arms wrap around Peter's waist.

He watched him as he slept, occasionally rubbing the younger man's face and hair when he moaned softly. I love you Pete, he whispered to the sleeping form.

Peter dreamed that he was sitting outside at Ma's house. He and Nathan were supposed to go hiking today, but Nathan had ball practice that had run on later than it was supposed to. How long would it be before he got to see his big brother?

Pretty soon, Nathan was running up the driveway. "Are you ready, Pete? Let's get going!" Nathan called as he came up. A big smile spread across his face as he beheld his beloved little brother. "What's the matter Pete?"

Peter hadn't moved; he sat there staring behind Nathan's head, off in the distance. An older boy with dark eyes and black hair shyly shuffled up the driveway, keeping his eyes to the ground. Peter felt a twinge of fear. Nathan looked back.

"He's a friend. He's going to hike with us today. He won't hurt a thing." Nathan looked at his brother, his look pleading with Peter to understand. "He's shy. Let's make him feel comfortable. We can do that, can't we Pete?"

As Peter looked at the boy, he noticed he wore thick glasses and looked just as afraid as Peter. Suddenly, he felt sorry for him. He could sense that this boy was all alone, and that it took every bit of courage he could muster to come to this house.

"Sure" Pete replied. "Let's go." He saw the boy smile, and Peter was no longer afraid. When they'd been hiking, they'd gotten tired and had to rest. He suddenly was no longer in the woods, but, as so often happens in dreams, he was in his back yard, on the back porch's swing.

To his left sat Nathan, and the dark-haired boy to his right. Suddenly, all three of them joined hands, and it felt comfortable to be there. Peter smiled, and then laughed, happy to be in the middle surrounded by so much affection.

Peter realized that someone really did have a hold of his hands. When he looked down, there was a beautiful black-dark haired man gently clutching his hands with one hand and rubbing the side of his face with the other. The most accepting, loving expression he'd ever seen. He jumped back.

Who the hell-his mind started in, but didn't have a chance to finish. He knew. There were the both of them, Nathan and Sylar, just like in his dream. But different too. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and began to rub his hand along the man's hair, over his forehead, and down the side of his face. He pinched the chin lightly, Then, he brushed his fingertips over the man's full, soft lips. The man's eyes closed as he sharply took in a breath. Then, dark eyes pierced his once more as he opened them. Both of them, Peter mused. They were so beautiful together.

"Are you-?" The question died off in midsentence. Sylar? Nathan? He didn't know what or how to ask.

Shockingly, the handsome face broke into a smile. And laughter spilled out. "I'm me. Or us, I guess. We're one, Pete. And I'm happy." A pause as the dark man looked at him adoringly. "I love you. You know that, don't you?" Peter found that he did know that. But what was he supposed to do? He got up off the couch and walked over to the window. He stared at nothing; just tried to make sense of something that couldn't make sense.

The dark man stood just behind him. "Pete. I'm happy now. Can't you accept what's happened? Neither of us can be without you. And we're better together." Peter turned slightly to regard the Sylar-esque man lightly tap his own chest at the last assertion. And, to his surprise, Peter could see that they might indeed be telling the truth.

This man before him radiated an aura of stability, emotional security, and most of all, pure love. "I'm done with hatred, with violence, with lies. All I want is you." Peter felt drawn in to this new man, who was so new, yet so familiar.

He felt himself responding in the only way he could. "I know I should be afraid. I feel like maybe, if I let myself stop and think this over, I'd run out the door. But I can't do that. No matter who you are now, no matter what we have to do to be together, I can't stop it. I just-love you anyway."