Work Text:
(One-Shot, used to be a Two-Shot but both were very short)
(for the 'Lost & Found' fanfiction collections)
Part 1
Sylar/Peter/Noah Gray, Costa Verde
"Noah, don't make me ask you again," Sylar pointed to the stairs.
"But I don't want to!" Noah fussed, stamping his wee foot on the floor next to Mr. Muggles. The Pomeranian barked at the child before sauntering off to sit next to Peter in the living room.
Sylar took off his glasses & glared at his son. Noah folded his arms but his father copied him. Meanwhile, Peter watched from the couch, one hand on the dog's soft head, while trying hard not to laugh. "Go upstairs to your room," Sylar finally whispered dangerously low. "Or you'll wish you had."
"You can't make me."
"Believe me, boy," Sylar took a step closer to his son. Peter sat up a bit straighter, keeping an eye on his friend. "you have NO idea what I'm capable of. Now, it is way past your bedtime & you demanded to skip your nap. I only said yes because Peter was here & the three of us had time for a BBQ out by the pool. But this is the result. So no more nap-skipping. You're too young, still."
"Nope," Peter shook his head to himself, realizing the mistake Sylar had just made. Oh well, too late now.
"I'M NOT A BABY!"
Sylar winced, his Enhanced Hearing all but making his ears bleed. He sighed heavily & tried again. "No," he agreed as best possible, hopefully to fix his verbal mistake. "But you're acting like one. Now get upstairs!" After another stare-down, he added, "Or else, no more ice cream." Noah took a reluctant step or two towards the stairs, paused & looked back at his father. "Ever!" Sylar went on. Noah grumbled to himself & started upstairs. Once near the top, he took off running down the hall to his room, but Sylar wasn't fooled. "NOAH! DON'T YOU DARE SLAM—"
Bang!
Sylar's shoulders drooped as he muttered to himself, "—your bedroom door. Some days, I wish his mother was still here." He plopped himself down on the couch on the other side of Peter as Mr. Muggles curled up to sleep. "I wonder how much easier it would be if he had his Mom."
"Well, considering that she keeps trying to kill me," Peter shrugged. "You'd still have problems. Like, trying to keep her away from me & all."
Sylar half-glared at him. "I'm already doing that."
"Oh right, I forgot," Peter teased.
"Shut up," Sylar ordered, leaning forward to the coffee table where an almost empty pie plate was. He helped himself to the last wedge of peach pie.
"Hey, I was going to eat that."
"You snooze, you lose," Sylar shrugged & started on it, licking off some whipping cream from his fingers. "Do you remember the simple days when I used to pull brains out of skulls?"
"You call those days simple?" Peter scoffed at him. Sylar covered one index finger in whipping cream & drew a white sweet line all along Peter's facial scar. "Oh? Oh! How dare you!" Peter snatched at Sylar's pie but it was held too far out of reach. "Give it here, Gabriel!"
"Make me," Sylar whispered in Peter's ear when it came close while Peter was stretching further for the pie.
"I will," Peter pushed Sylar until he was lying completely under him & passed one hand down Sylar's outstretched arm still holding the pie away; down towards the plate.
"Oh no, you don't," Sylar held the pie plate high by power alone.
Peter lay on Sylar's bare chest & looked up. "Oh yeah? I have that power too, you know."
"Your scar looks ridiculous."
Peter turned his face down, rubbing a little of the whipping cream onto the tip of Sylar's nose. Sylar had a smug look on his face, almost as if he was about to start laughing. "I wonder who's fault that is?" Peter asked, poking Sylar's body in the worst place possible, between the ribs, making his worst enemy turned friend & nephew-in-law grunt in surprise.
Forgetting all about the pie, Sylar let go his power to rub his side. Peter got up just on time for the pie to come crashing down on Sylar's face. "What the f—" Sylar spluttered through pie & cream. Peter burst out laughing. "Ohh, I hate you!" Sylar groaned as he clawed away the remnants & looked up to see Peter crying from laughing too hard. "You're dead! Spare Claire the trouble." Sylar lunged off the couch as Peter took off running through the kitchen & out the sliding door. Sylar was hot on his heels. He found Peter by the pool in the back yard, once more. It was dark out by now, save for the light of a half moon.
Peter stood by the edge, letting the towel slide down. The moonlight cast alternate rays of light & dark shadows across the water & bounced off the top of Peter's head. He dived in & once he re-surfaced, he taunted, "Come & get me, Sy. You could use a bath, after all."
"Kirby Plaza," Sylar muttered under breath.
"Come on, wuss," Peter swam away to the far end. Sylar continued to glare as he followed Peter into the water. He soon cornered the man in the farthest end nearly hidden under the shadow of the fence. Peter tread the water slightly as he held himself up by his arms resting across the edge of the pool, back against the corner. "What are you going to do? Hmm?" He whispered slyly as Sylar swam into the trap.
"I'm going to hurt you. Big time."
After a short somber moment, Peter whispered to himself, "I'm sure you will."
"What?"
"Gabriel, I have to leave for a while." Peter blurted out.
Sylar started into the darkness, listening to the soft splash of water as he & Peter moved nowhere in place. The game was suddenly over as he felt a cold panic that he was somehow losing Peter. "What do you mean?" He swam a few inches closer.
"Claire is relentless," Peter explained, sounding rather tired. "I'm going to leave for a bit. There's something I should change."
"Change? The past! Peter, you can't."
"I must!" Peter declared. "It's the only way to stop Claire by making sure she never jumps off the Ferris Wheel in the first place."
"But—but what about my power? I've only just learned to control it. Back then, I was a monster & ... &—oh Peter!" Sylar swam closer. Close enough. "What about Noah? If you change too much, he might never be born!"
"I won't go that far. Gabriel!" Peter let go of the pool's edge & wrapped his arms around his friend's neck. He had been waiting for this. He had planned this moment perfectly. "Don't worry. I just want to fix Claire. Save the cheerleader. Save the world."
"The world always needs saving, Peter," Sylar felt confused at first, being this close to Peter with nothing but simple swim shorts & chlorine water between them. His Empathy power took its time in taking over, for once. He felt the wall of the pool against his back & somehow figured it out that Peter had turned them around so that he was stuck in the corner.
"Look, I'll be right back in a day or two. Who knows?" Peter pressed a bit closer. "You may not even remember this & everything will be perfect, again. You, Claire, Noah. All together like how it used to be."
After several long moments in silence, Sylar let himself relax & melted into Peter's arms. "How it used to be? What about now? Peter, you don't want to do this. I know! I can feel it with the Empathy power. I know why you pushed me into this corner. Why do this if you're going to destroy it?"
"It'll be something I'll always remember," Peter whispered with a near-broken voice. He pushed Sylar more firmly into his spot & kissed the top of his shoulder, then his neck & finally his mouth. Sylar gasped but it only allowed more room for Peter's lips to move in between his own.
Sylar slowly pushed Peter away. "How could you? After all I've ever done!"
"How could Claire? She saw the good in you, if—if only for a while before she became blinded by her need to destroy me."
Sylar turned away to hide a tear. "I think with Claire, it was more of a guilt trip for us. We tried. We failed. We have Noah between us. Was it ever real love?"
Peter swam up & lay against Sylar's spine. "Is this?"
"I have hurt you many times in the past," Sylar said hoarsely. "Just as much if not more, than Claire."
"As you've often told Claire, we're immortal. We have to find a way to get along with each other, some day. If only Claire would stop hunting me. That's all I'm going back for to change. Nothing else! Erasing her memories of everything all the time isn't working since she eventually recovers that because of her Regen. We need a permanent solution."
"At the sacrifice of our love here & now?"
"We're immortal. I'll get you back. Mm, some day. Don't worry."
Sylar turned back to face Peter. "Don't worry? Every day, I worry! What if I slip up & hurt somebody, again? What if Noah sees? If that boy ever found out about me ... Peter! I can't—I could never live with myself!" He looked Peter in the eyes, gave in & grabbed Peter, covering the medic's lips with his own.
Peter firmly held onto Sylar & lifted out of the water with him, using his brother's old Flight power. He landed on the side of the pool, closer to the sliding door where several mats had been laid down as a non-slip cover over the patio. He pushed Sylar down under him once more, this time sliding a hand downward to rest on Sylar's hip, just above the waistband of his dark blue swim shorts. He hesitated before saying, "I've never done this with a guy before."
"Neither have I."
Peter leaned forward to kiss the spot in the center of the breastplate. "Never really ... considered it before now." He moved his hand, hooking a finger into the elastic to pull down.
"Either of us could Shape-shift."
"NO!" Peter yelped. "Uh, no," He repeated in a softer voice. "I just want .. us. Just us." He captured Sylar's mouth with his own, once more. "Just ... us." He breathed before making a trail of feather light kisses down Sylar's chest.
"Mmm I—Peter! I never expected ... this," Sylar gasped. "I—Peter!" He suddenly bucked his entire body as Peter exposed him completely to the moonlight. The feeling of naked vulnerability swept over him & Sylar was lost for words, wanting nothing more than to writhe against Peter's ministrations.
"Well now, that looks rather painful," Peter teased, annoying Sylar. Less talk, more action. "I think you need a paramedic. Is there one available?"
"Peter!" Sylar groaned. "Will you please touch me?"
"Well," Peter barely passed his hand over Sylar's inner thighs, earning a groan. "if you insist." He kissed Sylar's lips again, entwining both his hands in that wet black hair. Then he promptly pulled away again & stood up.
"... Peter ..."
"Well, you can't expect me to stay dressed, can you?"
"I'll help you," Sylar got on his knees before Peter & yanked the accursed shorts off, already. "You're taking too long"
"Oh, eat my brain!" Peter used a power bolt to push Sylar back into a lying position.
"Gladly!" Sylar accepted the offer. He never actually ate brains but some people often wondered what he did back in his murderous days.
It took a moment for Peter to understand what Sylar was implying. Suddenly feeling somewhat shy & nervous, he obediently lay down next to Sylar ... in a six-nine. "Go right ahead," he boldly dared, resting his head on Sylar's hip. He shivered not from cold on this humid summer night, but from anticipation as well as a slight trepidation of the unknown masculine touch. Peter had never been with a man before, only becoming one himself when he had realized at a young age that the girl body he had been born with was all wrong for him. So he went through countless surgeries during his teen years to become the man he was born to be & it had all fully healed before he had ever encountered Claire's Regen. But now, being with another man would be something new & he felt somehow virgin, again.
Peter's breath quickened as he felt Sylar's hot mouth slowly take him in. He stroked Sylar's side, upto his chest & caressed his friend's peck as his breathing became rhythmic to Sylar's touch. Peter pressed his cheek onto Sylar's hip, biting into the flesh. He groaned, wondering how much longer he could hold on. He was soon unable to see clearly as a sudden urge to go over consumed him.
Sylar stopped & rested his face on Peter's hip in much the same way. He slowly but surely wriggled himself out form under Peter's head, expecting him to return the favour. Peter complied as best possible, simultaneously trying to concentrate on not coming & pleasuring Sylar at the same time.
Sylar petted Peter's body. "Mm. Having fun down there?"
Peter couldn't answer since his mouth was full. He succeeded in a simple. "Mhm!" from his throat which earned him a shock as Sylar bucked wildly to the vibrations of his voice.
"Did I hurt you?" Peter pulled back sharply.
Sylar lay flat as he smiled at Peter. "I'm fine. Come here."
Peter rearranged himself so that he was lying next to Sylar. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" He murmured as he moved onto Sylar.
"Well now," Sylar paused as Peter kissed him. "Look at us. All worried about whether or not we hurt each other."
"Kirby Plaza," Peter playfully retorted before sliding his lower half into position.
Sylar's response was wide-eyed instant silence & a sudden stiffness in his body. His breath caught in his throat as he slowly raised his chest up to Peter's as he thrusted softly at first, yet harder & faster against him. Sylar gasped for air & held his breath as he wrapped his arms around Peter, pulling him into a crushing embrace.
Peter bit into Sylar's shoulder. He had somehow plunged into Sylar without even knowing it, or perhaps they had always been like this. He matched Sylar's rhythm, thrust for thrust, pulse for pleasurable pulse, both moving faster. Sylar's grip relaxed only for a moment as he paused for breath, then returned with more intensity than before.
It was over almost the moment they had joined, yet lasted an eternity at the same time. Sylar's body froze under Peter & he came with a prolonged strained cry through gritted teeth. Peter felt himself come as he drew blood from his unrelenting bite into Sylar's shoulder, the iron taste filling his mouth. After finally letting go & the two of them lay in each other's arms gasping for breath, Peter realized just how much his jaw hurt. He felt fingers trace over his scar.
"I have never done that, before," Sylar said. "With anyone. Man or woman."
Peter raised his head from Sylar's breastbone to look at him. "You were NOT a virgin before this. Come on, Sy!"
"I mean, I've heard there was a difference between making love & having sex. Now I get it."
Peter nodded, understanding. Now he knew what his slight hesitation had been about in the beginning. Not about being with another man, but falling in love, knowing he had to leave. He laughed softly. "In that case, I have never done this before, either."
"Not even with Claire," Sylar sighed sharply. "No wonder it never worked."
"You've harassed that girl since she was fifteen, yet you're just figuring this out now?"
"Shut up."
"Uh huh," Peter lay down again. "Who'd have thought? You of all people end up being my soul mate. It's never been like this for me, either & I've been with a lot."
"I know," Sylar half-laughed. "You're a regular Captain Kirk."
Peter laughed outright. "Guess that makes you my Spock. You even look a bit like him, what with the long eyebrows & all."
"Hey!" Sylar roughly turned them around so that he was on top. "I said, shut up!" He covered Peter's mouth with his own, forcing the scarred man to comply.
Peter tossed Sylar to one side so he could turn his back to him. He moved backwards until he was against Sylar's chest. He felt one arm glide over his side to hold him in place. They lay there together to rest.
About three hours later, Sylar opened his eyes to stare into pitch darkness since the half moon had left by now. Disoriented, he wondered why he was outside, then realized he was lying naked on the swimming pool mats save for a towel draped over him. Shaking himself, he finally remembered what had happened. "Peter?" Sylar dared to call out, knowing with a sick horror that he was alone. "Don't do it, please. Peter?" He stood up, wrapping the towel tightly around him & walked towards the sliding door. Taped to the glass was a note. After waving a hand to turn on the patio light, Sylar was able to see enough to read it.
Be back in a few days, my love.
"You better be," Sylar held the note in one hand & stepped inside.
Mr. Muggles snuffled around his toes before scampering off. The house was rather dark & silent. Noah lay asleep under the table. Sylar stepped into the kitchen & poured a handful of kibble into Mr. Muggles' bowl. "Sandra will be coming back for you in two weeks. You better stay healthy.” He filled a glass of water for himself & suddenly stopped to think. Noah was sleeping under the table? Sylar shrugged, finishing his water. With another power pulse, the patio light switched off & the door closed.
Wait.
"Noah?" Sylar bent down & poked at his son. "What are you doing under there?"
Noah whimpered & glared at being woken up. "Daddy, I'm tired."
"I bet!" Sylar laughed. "Come on out of there. Let's get you back to bed."
"Is Uncle Peter coming to bed, too?"
Sylar stopped mid-step. He thought for a moment & then put the boy down. "Um, Noah? Why do you ask?"
"I saw you out there with him, earlier."
"You did? I—I see. Uh huh, oh boy!" Sylar rubbed his face with one hand. "Ok um, well, what ... wh-what, uhh. What do I want to ask, here? Uhhh, what did YOU see, exactly?"
"You & Uncle Peter were out there," Noah yawned widely.
"Yeah, yeah I got that bit. Of course, I got that bit. I-I-I was there. Obviously, but ... erm ... how ... were we out there?"
Noah stumbled back to the stairs. "You both forgot your swimsuits to go swimming & were sleeping on the mat."
"DAMMIT!"
"Daddy swore!"
"GODDAM—er ... I mean ... uh ... " What the bloody hell did he mean? Sylar felt his face go red. "What I meant was ... whatever! Noah, go sit down. We need to have a little talk."
"But—"
"SIT DOWN!" Sylar herded the boy into the living room, wondering what the hell to say. This talk was supposed to be when the kid was ... what? A hundred? Not now! Oh! René! He could totally ... not ... call René. Because then he would have to explain to René just what memory he would be removing from the boy's brain & why. Not to mention, of course, the embarrassment of then having René know exactly what went on. Nope. Talk first. It was the only way out.
Where the hell was Peter when he needed him?
Sylar never saw his Peter again for the day Peter Petrelli returned to that house a few weeks later was the day his son was murdered. Sylar went nuclear with grief. After the Regen healed him, he disappeared, not wanting to be seen.
Part 2
Peter returned to the past approx 5 years to find Sylar
Love can hurt anyone it touches, even destroy them.
Peter had gone back to the past to undo the damage Claire had been doing. He had promised Sylar to keep Noah safe at all costs & now, he had failed so horribly that he was unable to find his Sylar in the future again. Only in the past.
Sylar strayed behind Peter, holding onto a cable half fallen from the ceiling. He was sure he had the nurse now. Since Peter's powers were broken, he’d make for an easier kill this time. Sylar took a step forward.
Next moment, he was flat on his face. How Peter ever managed to get behind him that quickly, Sylar didn't know. Angered beyond reason, Sylar swore to himself that Peter would die a slow painful de—what was that paramedic doing? Sylar tried but failed to use anything. Where were his powers?
Peter grabbed the raven-head & shoved him roughly onto a large board of plywood strewn over the floor. Sylar was stunned with the blow. Where was that damned Cheerleader's power? He was supposed to have it! Peter was on him in seconds, beating him down against the sheet of wood. He grabbed a nail gun.
Sylar felt sharp pains through both his palms. Peter crucified me? He looked at the nail sticking out of his hand. He was splayed out in the crucifix position, alright. Peter knelt over him, leaning his weight on the nail gun for a moment before sitting back a little, waving the gun in the air. A sudden cold horror shot through Sylar as he realized what Peter was planning next. No no no! Not this! He tried to get away. Tried to fight back. But he was literally powerless. He raised his head but being pinned in this way made all his muscles ache. Peter was going to put another nail into him, but in a very uncomfortable place.
Before that nail could fire, time froze. Sylar blinked & Peter was suddenly standing beside him. "Chickened out?" Sylar taunted.
Peter held up the nail gun over one shoulder. "I'm not your Peter. Not yet. I teleported my younger self outside." With that, he Shape-shifted to another version of himself—a scarred Future version—& walked away.
Sylar panted in shock over the appearance of the scar. He had heard about this dangerous version of Peter before. He soon found that all his powers were back & wrenched himself off the wood. "Peter? Why did you just save me, now?" No answer. He slowly stood up while thinking darkly. Why is it that whenever he had a fight with that man, they would always both come out alive? Did some time-travelling version of Peter really just save him? But why? Sylar shuddered & left, Regen slowly but surely doing its work at a last.
Long after the killer was gone, Peter stepped back through the wall. He glanced sorrowfully around, feeling much more alone than ever. "You become my lover in the Future, but destroy yourself at the death of your son. I can't find you anywhere but here in the past. This past is all I have left." Tears chased each other down the path of his scar.
