Pinchhit for lordessrenegade by talk_back
Hey, there, lordessrenegade!! Though I guess your joyful spring is now a joyful summer, I still hope you enjoy these gifts! :)
Title: Ending
Author: talk_back
Pairing: Adrian/Milo.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 1
No one is really sure if he's coming back. Even the writers aren't sure; we'll contact you, they say. They film the last episode of season one and he's all smiles. See you, and thanks, and bye for now. There will be events and dinners and parties and Adrian will be there, dressed to the nines in suit and tie. They will laugh and joke like old times, or maybe it was only last year but it feels longer.
And then there will be the next season's filming, and Adrian won't be. He won't be there to laugh or joke or fool around. Won't be there to act professionally when no one else can manage it. Won't be there, showering, pulling off his shirt not realizing every one is staring, kissing behind the ear and touching and being the bestest big brother ever.
And Milo isn't sure if he can take that.
Title: Destiny Lost My Number
Author: talk_back
Pairing: Ando/Hiro.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 1
Hell found him.
Hell is a cubicle in Tokyo. Hell is his father coming back a week later, pitying glance from across the lobby, sending his sister to clean out his desk.
She smiles at Ando, and for once he isn't smiling back; he takes the clock from her and hangs it in his cubicle. Hiro will come back, Ando thinks, Hiro will find him. Ando doesn't need to call anyone in New York-- he already knows what will happen. It will end, one day, and Hiro will come back to him.
He isn't scared; Hiro has saved him from the Devil before.
Title: One Last Glance
Author: talk_back
Pairing: Peter/Nathan
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Season 1
Peter wakes up in the middle of a desert.
(How fucking cliche.)
It takes him a minute to notice that there's a teenager staring at him. A guy who looks almost familiar.
"Damn," says the kid. "Aren't you that guy who saved Claire?"
Peter stands up, realizes he's kind of sort of totally naked. "Yeah," he says. "Several times. I'm also her uncle." The teen is staring unrepentantly, and it's making Peter a little uncomfortable. "Could I borrow your jacket?"
"Hmmm?" says the guy. "Oh, yeah! Sure." He smiles, and hands it over. "I'm Zach, by the way."
"Peter."
Zach rolls his eyes. "Duh, I know."
Peter blinks. Well, alright; stranger things have happened.
At least he thinks they have.
Holding Nathan on the way up... closer to his brother than he'd been in months. Years. It had felt amazing, to be back, pressed against his chest. Strong muscles holding him there, face angled up but eyes looking straight into his. Classic Nathan; looking to the future, always. Looking ahead.
His clothes burning off, as Peter turned into a cloud of pure energy. Radiation. Nathan couldn't talk; his lips were gone, and then his face. His skin wearing away, and then his blood and veins, muscles turning black and burnt. Until all there was, was the blast, and the skeleton finally turned to ash.
That was where Peter blacked out. Even as his body reformed, knit itself back together, saving itself and flying halfway across the country. His mind was gone; why should he be alive when Nathan was dead?
One bikeride later, a little longer than necessary because Zach had to take off-track roads and sneak them in through the back, Peter is wearing clothes that are too tight-- and that means a lot, coming from him-- but they're clothes.
He doesn't know who to call, so he calls Claire's cell phone. "You have that?" asks Zach.
"Yeah," says Peter, and counts the rings out loud.
He says, "Hello," and he hears her break down into tears.
"You're alive?" is the first thing she manages, and he can feel the emotion over the line.
"Yeah," he says. She's still crying. I thought- Two weeks- The media thinks you two died in a fire- Sylar isn't dead- Everyone is half-crazy and-
And there it is; that's the question. He gives the phone to Zach; the kid hasn't talked to her in months, but still can do a better job at calming her down. When he gives Peter back the phone, she's stopped sobbing and laughs at the sound of his voice.
"I'll let you talk to my dad," she says. Peter bites down on his lip hard, but the voice isn't Nathan; it's Noah.
Oh, god. Nathan is-
"Peter," say Noah and Zach simultaneously.
"I'm fine!" he snaps back harshly, glaring at the reciever. Zach looks unconvinced, but Peter can't bring himself to care.
"I wasn't asking," answers Mr. Bennet, his voice scratchy and not-quite-concerned over the line, "Though I'm happy to hear that you're alive. We need your help, here. Sylar escaped." He doesn't even ask about Nathan, thinks Peter harshly. He doesn't even care.
"I'll drive," says Peter shortly. Who cares about Sylar when Nathan's dead? "Expect me in two weeks." He slams down the phone before Bennet can reply, and looks over at Zach.
"We're going on a road trip, so pack your bags."
The teen blinks up at him. "Uhh... okay," he says slowly, probably trying to decide if Peter is homicidal or just an average nutcase, "but I have to ask my mom first."
Nathan is smiling at him; not a politician's smile, but a real smile. "We did it," offers Peter.
"No, Peter. You did it." Nathan looks away from him, staring upwards, into a blue blue sky Peter hadn't noticed was there. "I just made sure nothing got in your way."
"You're a hero, Nathan. The world needs you." Peter is close to tears, beads of sweaty frustration as he grabs at his brother's arm and passes right through. "You're a good person."
Nathan looks back at him then, lips turned with a small sarcastic smile. "I'm a politician," he says.
"You're my brother." The tears are flowing now, despite all his attempts to block them. "Claire and I... We need you."
"Goodbye, Pete." His brother is fading... or maybe it's Peter's vision that's fading. Either way, it all shines white and fades to black.
"I need you," Peter whispers, staring at the ceiling. Ignoring the dried salt on his cheeks, or the fact that there's a sixteen year old asleep in the bed across the dingy motel room, he slips his hand down beneath the covers and roughly thrusts into his palm.
Once, twice, three times and he comes.
There's never been anyone else who could get him like this, and fuck if he didn't realize it until it was too late.
"Nathan," he croons, the one most important word in the universe.
He doesn't sleep at all that night, and when Zach wakes up, the shower's running.
I love you too, Pete.
When they get back, there will be a funeral. Maybe there's already been one. Heidi will cry tears as black as the dress she'll wear. Simon won't want to come; Monty will bite his lips to shreds trying not to cry. Claire will clutch at herself, Noah's hand on her shoulder and her face turned into Zach's side. Others will be there; respectful and silent and unable to mourn properly: the blonde woman and her husband, Professor Suresh, all those normal people who knew Nathan through charity events, political shit, whatever.
Angela won't be there. Peter doubts if any of them will ever see Angela again.
Sylar's still out there. No matter what anyone says, the threat isn't over. One day, people are going to find out about them, and their greatest negotiator is gone. The Company is still out there.
Bad things are still out there, and without Nathan by his side Peter feels more than a little weakened.
I believe in you.
But maybe, just maybe he can do it all on his own... he's never been truly alone.
And you never will be.
[end]
Once again, have a lovely summer! <3
Title: Ending
Author: talk_back
Pairing: Adrian/Milo.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 1
No one is really sure if he's coming back. Even the writers aren't sure; we'll contact you, they say. They film the last episode of season one and he's all smiles. See you, and thanks, and bye for now. There will be events and dinners and parties and Adrian will be there, dressed to the nines in suit and tie. They will laugh and joke like old times, or maybe it was only last year but it feels longer.
And then there will be the next season's filming, and Adrian won't be. He won't be there to laugh or joke or fool around. Won't be there to act professionally when no one else can manage it. Won't be there, showering, pulling off his shirt not realizing every one is staring, kissing behind the ear and touching and being the bestest big brother ever.
And Milo isn't sure if he can take that.
Title: Destiny Lost My Number
Author: talk_back
Pairing: Ando/Hiro.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 1
Hell found him.
Hell is a cubicle in Tokyo. Hell is his father coming back a week later, pitying glance from across the lobby, sending his sister to clean out his desk.
She smiles at Ando, and for once he isn't smiling back; he takes the clock from her and hangs it in his cubicle. Hiro will come back, Ando thinks, Hiro will find him. Ando doesn't need to call anyone in New York-- he already knows what will happen. It will end, one day, and Hiro will come back to him.
He isn't scared; Hiro has saved him from the Devil before.
Title: One Last Glance
Author: talk_back
Pairing: Peter/Nathan
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Season 1
Peter wakes up in the middle of a desert.
(How fucking cliche.)
It takes him a minute to notice that there's a teenager staring at him. A guy who looks almost familiar.
"Damn," says the kid. "Aren't you that guy who saved Claire?"
Peter stands up, realizes he's kind of sort of totally naked. "Yeah," he says. "Several times. I'm also her uncle." The teen is staring unrepentantly, and it's making Peter a little uncomfortable. "Could I borrow your jacket?"
"Hmmm?" says the guy. "Oh, yeah! Sure." He smiles, and hands it over. "I'm Zach, by the way."
"Peter."
Zach rolls his eyes. "Duh, I know."
Peter blinks. Well, alright; stranger things have happened.
At least he thinks they have.
Holding Nathan on the way up... closer to his brother than he'd been in months. Years. It had felt amazing, to be back, pressed against his chest. Strong muscles holding him there, face angled up but eyes looking straight into his. Classic Nathan; looking to the future, always. Looking ahead.
His clothes burning off, as Peter turned into a cloud of pure energy. Radiation. Nathan couldn't talk; his lips were gone, and then his face. His skin wearing away, and then his blood and veins, muscles turning black and burnt. Until all there was, was the blast, and the skeleton finally turned to ash.
That was where Peter blacked out. Even as his body reformed, knit itself back together, saving itself and flying halfway across the country. His mind was gone; why should he be alive when Nathan was dead?
One bikeride later, a little longer than necessary because Zach had to take off-track roads and sneak them in through the back, Peter is wearing clothes that are too tight-- and that means a lot, coming from him-- but they're clothes.
He doesn't know who to call, so he calls Claire's cell phone. "You have that?" asks Zach.
"Yeah," says Peter, and counts the rings out loud.
He says, "Hello," and he hears her break down into tears.
"You're alive?" is the first thing she manages, and he can feel the emotion over the line.
"Yeah," he says. She's still crying. I thought- Two weeks- The media thinks you two died in a fire- Sylar isn't dead- Everyone is half-crazy and-
And there it is; that's the question. He gives the phone to Zach; the kid hasn't talked to her in months, but still can do a better job at calming her down. When he gives Peter back the phone, she's stopped sobbing and laughs at the sound of his voice.
"I'll let you talk to my dad," she says. Peter bites down on his lip hard, but the voice isn't Nathan; it's Noah.
Oh, god. Nathan is-
"Peter," say Noah and Zach simultaneously.
"I'm fine!" he snaps back harshly, glaring at the reciever. Zach looks unconvinced, but Peter can't bring himself to care.
"I wasn't asking," answers Mr. Bennet, his voice scratchy and not-quite-concerned over the line, "Though I'm happy to hear that you're alive. We need your help, here. Sylar escaped." He doesn't even ask about Nathan, thinks Peter harshly. He doesn't even care.
"I'll drive," says Peter shortly. Who cares about Sylar when Nathan's dead? "Expect me in two weeks." He slams down the phone before Bennet can reply, and looks over at Zach.
"We're going on a road trip, so pack your bags."
The teen blinks up at him. "Uhh... okay," he says slowly, probably trying to decide if Peter is homicidal or just an average nutcase, "but I have to ask my mom first."
Nathan is smiling at him; not a politician's smile, but a real smile. "We did it," offers Peter.
"No, Peter. You did it." Nathan looks away from him, staring upwards, into a blue blue sky Peter hadn't noticed was there. "I just made sure nothing got in your way."
"You're a hero, Nathan. The world needs you." Peter is close to tears, beads of sweaty frustration as he grabs at his brother's arm and passes right through. "You're a good person."
Nathan looks back at him then, lips turned with a small sarcastic smile. "I'm a politician," he says.
"You're my brother." The tears are flowing now, despite all his attempts to block them. "Claire and I... We need you."
"Goodbye, Pete." His brother is fading... or maybe it's Peter's vision that's fading. Either way, it all shines white and fades to black.
"I need you," Peter whispers, staring at the ceiling. Ignoring the dried salt on his cheeks, or the fact that there's a sixteen year old asleep in the bed across the dingy motel room, he slips his hand down beneath the covers and roughly thrusts into his palm.
Once, twice, three times and he comes.
There's never been anyone else who could get him like this, and fuck if he didn't realize it until it was too late.
"Nathan," he croons, the one most important word in the universe.
He doesn't sleep at all that night, and when Zach wakes up, the shower's running.
I love you too, Pete.
When they get back, there will be a funeral. Maybe there's already been one. Heidi will cry tears as black as the dress she'll wear. Simon won't want to come; Monty will bite his lips to shreds trying not to cry. Claire will clutch at herself, Noah's hand on her shoulder and her face turned into Zach's side. Others will be there; respectful and silent and unable to mourn properly: the blonde woman and her husband, Professor Suresh, all those normal people who knew Nathan through charity events, political shit, whatever.
Angela won't be there. Peter doubts if any of them will ever see Angela again.
Sylar's still out there. No matter what anyone says, the threat isn't over. One day, people are going to find out about them, and their greatest negotiator is gone. The Company is still out there.
Bad things are still out there, and without Nathan by his side Peter feels more than a little weakened.
I believe in you.
But maybe, just maybe he can do it all on his own... he's never been truly alone.
And you never will be.
[end]
Once again, have a lovely summer! <3