Title: 59/100 FOOD

Pairing: Nathan/Claire

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1,033

Summary: After deciding that she needs to leave the Bennet house, Claire deicides to take her biological dad's offer to stay with him. It is understood that Noah and Claire were in a relationship which tore apart the Bennet household. Claire made the choice to separate from Noah in hopes that he'd work things out with Sandra.

I'm going stir crazy. I've been in this nice house that isn't my home for two weeks now. He's always gone because he's a freaking Senator. I am here of my own free will though so I can't really complain. 'My' room, which is just a fancy name for the guest room is nice enough, but it's not mine. Nothing in this house is mine except the clothes I brought from home. I'm tired of staring at the walls and I've yet to venture outside to the pool. I didn't bring a swimsuit, though I should have.

I wake up at eight like usual and because there's nothing to do, lay in the bed till ten. I'm so bored I could cry. No one texts me because I don't have any friends. You'd think I was an orphan in a halfway home, but no I'm Claire Bennet and I'm staying with my biological father, Nathan Petrelli.

I get up, staying in my PJs because Nathan's gone to work by now. I head to the kitchen. I want coffee and lots of it. The caffeine buzz I get for like five minutes is enough to wake me up. I hear a curse though. An audible curse from the kitchen.

"Damn it. The bag is too fucking small!" I pause. What the hell is Nathan doing not at work? I look down at my PJs, very inappropriate for Nathan to see me in. I run back to 'my' room and change into a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt. Bare footed I walk into the kitchen.

"What the hell-" I stop midsentence as I take in the view. Nathan Petrelli, Junior Senator in Washington, DC is covered from waist to face in vanilla and chocolate icing. Before him sits a mountain of yellow and chocolate cupcakes. I cannot help but laugh. He has a glob of icing on his cheek and chin. His face is very serious as he tried his damnedest to put icing in one of those professional icing bags. "What on Earth are you trying to do? What is all this?" He looks up and smiles.

"It's not as easy as the DVD says it should be." He nods to the small TV on the counter. There's chocolate frosting on the fast-forward and rewind buttons. I'm continuously laughing. It's too funny. "Are you going to laugh all day or help me put icing on Simon's Birthday cupcakes?" I bend over trying to breath, I'm laughing so hard. I can hear him huff, trying to get angry. I sober.

"Why not. So when is this party? And why haven't you said anything about it?" I walk into the disaster zone, knowing that I will not leave without icing all over me. I take the bag from him and search the drawers for a spatula looking utensil. "First off, you're not decorating a wedding cake, no need for the fancy bag." I laugh again at his stunned face and stick my tongue out at him.

"The party is this afternoon. I've got the boys all weekend. Really? I don't need that damn bag?" I laugh, he sounds outraged.

"Nope." I take the spatula and one cupcake frosting it with ease and without mess. I smile, teasing. I really shouldn't have. In a flash he's dabbed icing on my cheek. He chuckles. "Oh this means war!" I scoop a glob of chocolate on the spatula but it drops before I can get it to his face. I throw the useless utensil down and use fingers as he continues to dab and dollop on my person. I get madder with each new spot. "Damn it!"

"Hey, hey, hey just evening us up a bit." He holds up his hands and I dab chocolate on his nose to match the vanilla. I'm not even sure how it started but now we're running around the island throwing frosting everywhere. I'm on one side and he's on the other. We're both laughing. It is actually fun. "You're not going to get away from me!"

"Look again mister! I am away from you! You can't hop across the island to get me and neither can I, I guess it's a draw!" He grins devilishly and grabs the little food-colored tubes, a blue one. I wonder what he's going to do when he opens it and squirts it across the island. The distance is good and I lands on my shirt because I was too stunned to react. "HEY!" I grab a tube of red, but he's moving and I can't hit him. I run as well so we stay on opposite sides.

"I don't play fair. I'm a politician remember, Claire." I stick out my tongue and dodge the last of his blue tube. I squirt the last of my red and it finally hits him in the chest.

"YES! I GOT YOU! We're both out now! Truce?" I celebrate too early as I catch that mischievous glint in his eye that only Petrellis seem to get. I have one second to think 'Oh shit' before he uses his freaking flying ability to soar over the damned island and tackle me into the living room floor. "Shit!"

"I never play fair." I'm pinned under him, icing everywhere and staining the carpet red and blue. I can't help but laugh though.

"You cheated!" He grins, which makes my stomach flop funnily.

"I'm a politician, I told you." I shake my head, still laughing and wondering just why he hasn't got up yet.

"You can't cheat and lie ALL the time!" He shakes his head still grinning. He uses his finger to wipe a dollop of chocolate icing from my nose then leans in and kisses my nose. I'm too stunned to say anything. I have a hard time knowing how to act around him anyway. He's my biological dad, but I had a father. He's a stranger really. What he did was not what a normal father would do.

"Come on," He props himself up and then gets to his feet, holding out his hand for mine. I take it, "the kitchen is a mess and I think I'll order a cake instead..."

"Yeah since we used all the frosting on each other." He laughs, it's deep and reverberates through the house.