Love & Ecstasy (3 & 4/?)

Title: Love & Ecstasy
Subtitle: The line between love and lust is blurry
Authors: lifeisnotragedy and carelesshands
Chapters: 3 & 4/?
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Peter/Claire and Isaac/Claire
Spoilers: Up to episode 1.9 (Homecoming) – the rest is AU
Summary: AU. They say it was destiny. One girl capturing the hearts of two men. But when three hearts are in play, heartache is always near. And when the heartache gets too much… she realizes she has to make a choice. Between the two men that has her heart. Between love…and ecstasy.
Disclaimer: We own nothing…it’s all Tim Kring’s!
Author’s note: This is a Peter/Claire/Isaac love triangle story. Obviously there will be Isaac/Claire relationship…but Gina and I are both Paire lovers at heart…so you all know how it will end… Also note that it is AU and doesn’t follow the storyline of the show…so Nathan is not her father. Xposted at paire_love and heroes_fic
Video trailer: VIDEO TRAILER FOR THIS STORY HERE!
Previous chapters: 1 2



Chapter 3

Peter leaned forward as he watched Claire from the corner of his eyes. She was lying flat on her stomach across her bed, busy doing her homework. Her golden locks were tied back into a loose ponytail that showed of her neck and the places where the hickeys would have been if her body had not regenerated. Once every few minutes she would look over her shoulder at him as he studied her, a small blush creeping up her cheeks with each smile he gave her.

After a while Peter finally became bored with the situation and moved so he was next to her. He extended his arms and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her onto him as she squealed.

“Peter!” she choked through her giggles and Peter smiled.
“Yes Claire?” he asked with a fake innocent expression which caused Claire to roll her eyes. Slowly Peter lifted his hand and tugged at the necklace around her neck, pulling her down towards his lips. Claire relaxed in his arms and let herself be pulled down into his lips. It didn’t take long before their lips crashed together.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Claire unconsciously tugged at the necklace as she remembered only one of the many times she had tried to study with Peter in her room. Emphasis on the word ‘tried’. She was unaware of the foolish smile that had slid over her face at the memory.

Isaac wasn’t.

Although he didn’t know what she was thinking about – it made him smile when he saw her foolish grin. She only smiled like that when she believed no-one was in the room to see it or when she wasn’t aware that she was doing it.

Either way – Isaac loved to see it.

Isaac walked into Claire’s view as he handed her the ice cream he had bought them. She smiled as she took it, wordlessly thanking him. Claire stood from her place on the park bench and joined Isaac as he walked further into Central Park.

It was a beautifully sunny day and everyone was out and about – the Park was filled with many people – New Yorkers and tourists alike. Everywhere couples walked hand in hand and Claire and Isaac both watched with eyes that had a hint of jealousy in them. They wished it was so easy for them like it was for everybody else but they were different.

Claire and Isaac had spent most of the day in the Park – enjoying the sunshine and the fact that there was no nearing apocalypse that had to be taken care of. For the first time in a long time they were just Claire and Isaac – not heroes.

He was just a boy that had bought an ice cream for his best friend.

She was just a girl that physically was spending time with her best friend – but mentally was with someone else – yet still loving the company of her friend.

Isaac finished his ice cream first and watched as Claire finished hers off, a ripple of laughter escaped Isaac’s throat as his eyes trailed down to the piece of ice cream that had found its place on Claire’s face. Her brow moved to form a frown which made Isaac laugh even more at her adorable face.

“Claire…” he laughed and Claire shook her head as she tried to keep her own laughter in.
“What?” she choked out and his laughter died down.
“Claire there is something on your face…” Isaac smiled and Claire wiped furiously at her face – missing the piece of ice cream every time – as her cheeks blushed bright red.
“It’s still there…”
“Well if it bothers you so much why don’t you just do something about it!” Claire cried out in frustration with herself that she was embarrassing herself in front of her friend. Isaac nodded as he stepped closer to Claire, used his finger and in an almost deadening slow motion to wipe the stuff away. All the time Claire’s eyes never left Isaac’s and as he pulled his finger away they both were surprised at the sudden longing for his touch on her skin.
“Is it all gone?” Claire was the first to speak and Isaac shook his head.
“No just stand still…I’ll get it off in a second.” He smiled as he leaned closer.

Neither one was really sure of what was happening when Isaac placed his lips over her silky smooth skin and kissed the final ice cream off of her. Even when he was perfectly sure it was all off he let his lips linger on her skin and moved till his kiss hit almost dead center of her lips. Isaac was the first to pull away as a sense of revelation hit him. Both of their eyes were the size of space ships as they stared at each other in complete shock.

Isaac’s mind was on the fact that he had actually kissed her – something he had wanted to do almost since the first day Matt had introduced his daughter to him.

Claire’s thoughts were on the suddenness of it all – the kiss and the unlocking of the feelings she had long since tried to hide. Some part of her had always thought of Isaac in a more-than-friendly-way but until now she had hid behind the memory of what she and Peter had had.

But as the kiss sunk in and the air turned awkward it was obvious to her that it was time to move on.

As Isaac moved to apologize Claire’s lips had suddenly fallen on his and though he was shocked he immediately responded to it. It was a soft kiss – not the make-out kiss coupled shared on movies – but it was romantic and that was enough for that moment.

“Claire are you sure about this?” Isaac breathed as he pulled his head a bit away from hers. Claire nodded as her lips searched for his again.
“More than I’ll ever be.”



Chapter 4

Three months seem to fly when you spend it with someone. Before either Claire or Isaac could blink three months had passed and they were still together as a couple. Matt had been okay with them going out – he spent so much time at work she was anyways always with Isaac.

They spend most of their time in Isaac’s loft – doing the same things they did before just with kissing and making out between.

In the beginning Claire had stayed with Isaac because she thought that he was the only one that could give her a much needed distraction…so she could finally move on from Peter. The kisses would always be a mental battle for her – fighting against comparing Isaac to Peter, fighting against the memory of Peter. But after a while the fight became less needed and Claire found herself living in the moment – with Isaac.

“Claire!” Isaac bellowed as he opened the loft. He had gone to find her at her new job – working as an assistant for some or other rich woman – only to find that she wasn’t there. Next he had made his way to Matt’s house – only to find it empty seeing as Claire had slept over at her boss’s house that night. After surveying all her favourite places to be, Isaac was a very worried man when he finally got home. But as he entered his loft a familiar voice sang through the room.
“Yes?” her voice called out and soon after Claire emerged wearing one of Isaac’s painting shirts. He chuckled as he realized why she had come home.
“Painting again honey?” Isaac asked as he neared her and Claire crossed her arms over her chest.
“Don’t give me that look!” she groaned as Isaac circled his arms around her body. Slowly tilting his head he smiled at his girlfriend.
“What look?” faking innocence which she noticed.
“That look you have on your face! You don’t understand…I’m dating a painter and I can’t paint to save my life!” the chuckle that escaped his lips earned him a smack against the head. Quickly he bent down and kissed her slowly, lingering on her lips as she relaxed into him.
“Now let me take a look at what you painted…” he spoke against her lips and before Claire could respond he had walked towards her canvass.

It wasn’t a Picasso nor was it a Van Gogh or anything close to be called art, in fact, Isaac didn’t really know how to describe the…thing.

He guessed it was supposed to be a dog – or that’s how it looked to him if he squinted his eyes – really really squinted.

“It’s lovely!” he mouthed and kissed her forehead quickly, thankful she couldn’t see his deceitful eyes. Isaac quickly grabbed a water bottle and drank a huge gulp to keep him from saying anything else.
“You think? Hmm… you know what it is right?” she asked with a small smirk on her face and Isaac eyed her wearily and pushed the water bottle closer to his mouth.
“It’s you you dummy!”

The water landed on the floor and Isaac coughed as the water went down the wrong pipe.

oOoOoOoOoOo

They spent the rest of the afternoon together – laughing and kissing as Claire made them both a very early dinner. She was needed for work again and even though she didn’t mind she always made sure to spend some part of the day with Isaac.

The phone rang a few minutes after dinner – interrupting the lovers make-out session – and Clare grudgingly moved to answer it.

“Claire?” the small voice on the other side of the line asked and Claire was surprised to hear Molly Suresh’ voice. Molly was the adopted daughter of Mohinder Suresh – another friend of Matt’s – and Claire sometimes babysat for Mohinder.
“Molly sweetie…is something wrong?” Claire asked worriedly and Isaac sat a bit straighter as he recognized her worried tone.
“No no…Daddy just wants to know if you can come over he wants to arrange some things with you.” The girl’s chuckle filled the line and Claire smiled.
“Of course sweetheart I’ll come over on my way to work.” They hung up and Claire sighed as she grabbed her stuff.

“Leaving already?” Isaac asked with a mock hurt tone and Claire turned to him as he leaned against the doorway. She smiled as she planted a kiss on his lips.
“See you later…” Claire breathed against his lips and Isaac smiled.
“Later. I’ll hold you to that.”

Without another word Claire made her way out of the loft and into the street. She sighed as she walked away. This was usually the part where the boy and the girl pronounced their love for each other. But Claire wasn’t going to fall into that same trap again.

Pronounce love.
Spend great time together.
Boy leaves.
Heart broken.

There was no way…

oOoOoOoOoOo

His jacket came to around his neck and he pulled it even tighter around him as he made his way through the crazy streets of New York. It was a crazy idea – but it had been years and he was sure it was time to leave the past in the past. If only he could do that with everything – he thought sadly as he tugged on that which hung around his neck quickly.

He searched the streets for the familiar loft – the place where he had once spent a lot of time in – and found the door. He knocked once, making sure he stood almost completely in the shadows. The man of the house moved to open the door and when they were finally face to face he let himself be shown.

“Peter?”

NEXT CHAPTER: HERE