He's always there when Claire needs him and she teases him about spoiling her. That first time with Sylar in the school she was afraid, so very afraid, and then he was there.

He's always there.

*

Claire takes a car broadside, feeling her hip shatter as the bones in her legs give way, and she bounces up into the air from the impact.

She doesn't touch ground and knows Nathan's someplace close but it's Peter's arms which catch her out of the air.

It's a dreamy smile that crosses her face and it's got nothing to do with the pain.

"My hero," she drawls and passes out.

*

She's not there when he gets hurt and that's why he gets hurt. Nathan finds her, plucks her right out of the street with no more warning than the shout of her name. She doesn't ask why, she already kind of knows.

Claire curls up in a chair by the bed and grips Peter's hand tightly. The world might be going to end but it can wait.

She can't do this alone. Even with the others, without him she would be.

*

A few years ago, not that many, she was a cheerleader. She wore a flippy skirt, she kicked and screamed the boys to victory, she flirted, she sniped and she bitched. Claire thinks she was probably Lindsay Lohen without the boobjob (hers are real and Peter'll vouch for it.) and she's not supposed to be a superhero.

Peter's supposed to be. She's not sure what else Peter could be. He's polite, he helps old ladies cross the street, and he actually rescues cats out of trees. He hasn't missed one yet even though she keeps teasing him.

They're trying to save the world and he's got to get Frank the Tabby out of Mrs. McMasters oak tree again.

She says she's dating Clark Kent but, really, this is all about Superman and he isn't even usually bulletproof.

But that's what she's here for.

*

Claire heals but she crawls into bed aching with the day's injuries. It's not even really a bed. They're sleeping in an abandoned building on a cot.

My glamorous life... she thinks with a sleepy grin as he rolls over and makes room. Run down building in a pretty awful part of town waiting for the apocalypse. They're always waiting for it because it's just a failure away.

She tries not to think about it, she just aches instead.

He never says anything about it but she knows that he knows. All Peter does is pull her closer and rub her arms.

The ache goes away.

*

Claire throws herself off the building without thinking, grabbing for the man as he tumbles toward concrete.

Her hand catches his ankle, Peter's catches her. She grins over her shoulder, he grins back. Below them people are screaming like they always do but neither of them notice.

"Got you," he says breathlessly.

She grins wider.

Claire's been a spoiled brat since she was three, why change that now?

 

I don't own Heroes, but, well, dear Santa?

 

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