Heroes, "A Stitch in Time" Claire/Hiro | rated pg

[quirkysmuse]

Fandom: Heroes
Title: A Stitch in Time
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Claire/Hiro
Word Count: 500
Genre: Drama
Notes: Takes place around Season 4's "Brave New World". Written for the "Sense" theme at heroes_contest.

Summary: Claire almost expects him to stop her.



Like clockwork, Claire senses his presence immediately. She doesn’t even notice the chill of the air on top of the Ferris wheel. Other times, she has - the sense of déjà vu immediately passing as she turns around.

“I thought you would stop me,” she says, and she wonders, knowing his power, that she must have said this a million times by now.

“Think about what you’re doing, Claire,” he says in that noticeable accented voice. It’s her turn to convince him she’s doing the right thing. The cameras are on her, and she hasn’t a second to spare. In other times, she imagines herself distracting him, not arguing or delaying the inevitable. Hiro watches her with regret and anxiety.

She has an idle thought - he looks different somehow. His hair longer, his clothes darker - he’s carrying a sword.

How far in future are you from, Hiro? She thinks.

“You know I have to,” she says, meeting his eyes with determination.

He grabs her hand. She doesn’t expect his touch or his strength.

“I have to stop you, for the future,” he says.

“Even if you blink us away, the cameras will still see something,” Claire notes. Hiro stares at her, unwavering.

“I know,” he says. “I’ve seen that future too. It’s better than the one you’ll start.”

“How bad can it be?” she asks, her foot slipping. Hiro’s grip tightens. One more step and she’ll fall, but Hiro is still holding onto her, his eyes pleading.

“Please, Claire, think about this. Think about all of us,” Hiro says. “People will die; people will panic.”

“People die all the time,” she says scornfully, “But I can’t - and they need to know it.” Claire slips her arm out of his grip and takes his hand, squeezing affectionately.

“You’ll regret this. In the future, you’ll beg me to stop you in the past,” he says. He leans forward, and she’s surprised when he rests his forehead tenderly against hers. He closes his eyes hard, as if he’s trying to purge all the images of his past from his mind. He exhales softly. “I hold you, Claire, and I tell you, I can’t do it. I can’t change the past anymore, but I -- can’t refuse you.”

Claire pauses. The future - his future - intrigues her, but she’s not frightened. She doesn’t even know if it will even end up that way. Destiny isn’t set in stone, she thinks, assured that she’s said this before.

She pulls away from Hiro’s hand, and he gasps as she holds her arms up and slips. She’s already falling.

Hiro yells, but she can’t make out what he’s saying, but it seems like maybe - in some different future - she already knows his words. “Remember, Claire, this is the future you really wanted!”

Claire hits the ground, cameras flashing, bones breaking, muscles and skin contorting. She lumbers on her wobbly feet and glances skyward. She just knows that she’ll see Hiro again.

Comments

[apckrfan.livejournal.com]

Oh very nice. I like the idea that what she does here sets things in motion that she probably doesn't take into consideration and at a future point in time learns to regret it. I can see that happening as she gets older and isn't at the stage of life where it's about her (as most girls are at that age).

Well done!

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!
Yeah, I see Claire's decision here as purely selfish. I can see in the future (even though Heroes was canceled) that she could come to regret it.

[apckrfan.livejournal.com]

Yes, cancellation sucks. Despite the fact I felt the show grew weaker as it went along I still wish Kring had the opportunity to tell his complete story. Hopefully we'll get more fics like this filling in blanks after that final scene!

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Yeah, agreed.

And for once I'd like to read a good, well-thought out post-Heroes fanfic that didn't involve Peter shagging Sylar all the time. Just my thoughts. :)

[commen-sense.livejournal.com]

this was fantastic. i love the whole idea of this fic and tbh, hiro/claire have always really intrigued me because there isn't enough fic for them and they def. have potential :D

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you!
Yes, Hiro/Claire has always been a favorite of mine, despite it being so rare. Glad you enjoyed it!

[luxken27]

Interesting. Speaking as someone unfamiliar with the canon, it seems to me that at least part of the reason she did it was to keep this cyclical momentum going. The last line, at least, hints at that. However selfish this decision is, there's incentive for her if she gets to see him again, in this future he tells her of. She hasn't thought far enough ahead to recognize that she'll regret these actions when that next meeting occurs, only that it will.

Very nice! =)

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks!
And I'm glad (even though you don't follow the fandom) that you picked up on part of her selfish decision is to see a future with him.

[luxken27]

I enjoy reading your Heroes fics, and you're making me really like Claire, LOL. She reminds me of Maxie from GH a little bit - very complex, with lots of layers :)

[gpgurl50.livejournal.com]

I love this. Hiro/Claire has always intrigued me because they were so fun and funny in the one episode they interacted and yet the incapability of their powers has the ability to make it tragic. You took if further and made it a bit tragic for the world because of their personality differences in this fic that causes the problems. They can't resist each other and so it causes them do things that will hurt one another and everyone else in the process. Sort of dark. Great fic.

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[eternal-moonie.livejournal.com]

AWESOME CLARO!

I couldn't help but write a new V fic after seeing the season finale. Really hope they get renewed!

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

I love how this could totally have been part of the show. If this had been the final scene, it would have been kick ass! Claire is so... true to her character and human, thinking she knows what's right and stubborn when someone points out there might be a better way of doing things. This fic is really true to the show; it's great!

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

[jaimie-prufrock.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. I wondered at the time if Hiro or someone would try to stop Claire...the angle that you wrote from was very intriguing. I liked that Claire had a sense of deja vu over the whole thing. I can see the same scenario playing over and over again with the same result. I also liked that you mentioned a future Claire actually did regret her actions. :)

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[amles80.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the real Claire and the Ferris wheel scene yet, I have even tried to avoid reading about it, so when I do it will probably feel like that's the fic and this is canon... because this feels very genuine. And I have never thought much about it, but I think I like the idea of Claire/Hiro.

[quirkysmuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)