Walk Through The Memories (4/4)

“Last stop on the tour.”

Claire opened her eyes to the sight of a very familiar hallway that she hadn’t seen in years.  It looked smaller than she remembered.

“Union Wells High School,” Peter said, “The place we met.”

Emotion rushed over Claire and she almost couldn’t breathe from feeling so much at once.  The last time she’d been in this hallway at night she’d been running from a mass-murderer.  Peter had saved her and she had saved him in return.  Jackie…Jackie had told her to run and she did.  Sometimes Claire still wondered if she could’ve done something more. 

She wanted to say something, anything, but Peter’s tour had made her speechless yet again.  Claire let go of his hand and walked over to the glass display case where she’d run into him.  The article about Jackie saving a man from a fire was long gone, replaced with pictures of the school’s Science Olympiad team. 

She touched her hand up against the glass and it felt like she was touching the past.  It was weird.  Five and a half years ago this hallway had determined the course of her life for good and bad.  She almost felt like there should be a plaque on the wall: Here marks a turning point in Claire Bennet’s life.

Peter walked up and stood beside her and Claire stepped back from the glass.  He put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

She let her eyes go a little out of focus to look at their reflection in the mirror.  She always loved seeing the two of them together because it made their relationship more real for her.  Seeing them now, in the reflection of the glass display case where they’d talked for a brief moment before the world went to hell, made Claire feel more strongly than ever that the pull of destiny had been with them the entire time.  Destiny had set them on this path together and it all worked out in the end. 

She looked at Peter’s reflection in the mirror, wearing his blue button-up and khaki trenchcoat, and noticed that he was looking at her.  Their eyes met in the glass and he smiled. 

Claire returned the grin and leaned against him, thanking the universe for letting things turn out like this and giving her a happy ending.  Her eyes slid over to her own reflection and she was pleased to see how happy she looked.  It wasn’t too long ago that she thought things could never turn out this way.  And now Peter had put together this wonderful anniversary celebration, gotten her this dress…

“Peter!” she laughed.  “We’re dressed like we were that night.”

“I wondered how long it would be until you noticed.  Like it?”

“I love it.  You are the sweetest boyfriend ever.”  She turned to kiss him.  “What gave you the idea?”

“Well,” he said as he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.  “I saw the dress the other day when I was shopping -”

“In the woman’s section?”

“Shut up.  I was helping Nathan pick out something for Heidi’s birthday.”

“And?”

“I saw it and it reminded me of a conversation we had once about how you wished you would’ve ‘jumped my bones’ when we first met and so…”

“Peter Petrelli!”  Claire backed away and slapped him on the arm in exaggerated protest.

“First of all, it’s not considered a conversation when you read my thoughts…and I hope you didn’t mention any of this to Nathan.”

“Of course I didn’t say anything to him,” Peter replied.  “And it is a conversation if you’re mentally shouting your sexual fantasies at me.”

“Second,” she continued without acknowledging what he said, “If you took me here in the hopes of getting laid -”

He raised an eyebrow at her and she couldn’t even pretend to be upset anymore.  She had a very clever boyfriend.

“If you took me here in the hopes of getting laid,” she repeated, “you were so very right.”

She stood up on her toes and pulled Peter’s head down to hers.  Their lips met in a crushing kiss that almost shocked Claire in its intensity.  If she thought that kissing in the café had been erotic, this was a thousand times better.

The swirl of emotions that Claire felt ever since stepping into this hallway were radiating out of her through her lips and hands and the rest of her body.  This place was so many things to her.  It was filled with love and hope and death and trauma all at the same time.  Claire couldn’t help it if she wanted to push a little more love and light into this hallway to dissipate the darkness.  Vaguely, she wondered if Ginny Weasley ever wanted to have sex in the Chamber of Secrets.

Peter pushed her back until she hit the glass display case, her body pressed up against the cold material.  Her hands ran up his chest and neck and into his hair before lifting her head to meet his again.

“What about the security cameras?” she mumbled against his lips.

He pulled away and smirked at her.

“God, I love Micah’s ability,” she sighed.  “Remind me to get that boy a present.”

“Better not be the kind of present you’re giving me,” Peter joked.

Claire sighed as his lips made their way down her neck.

“No, I like older men,” she replied as his hand caressed her waist.  “Particularly ones named Peter.”

She reached a hand up behind her to touch the cool glass.  It was such a sharp contrast to her rapidly heating body. 

“What if a guard walks by?”

“Won’t be a problem,” Peter replied.  She felt a slow tremor move along her skin and knew that he’d just used another of his powers in a very useful way.  “You just have to keep touching me to stay invisible.” 

“I don’t think that’ll be difficult,” she said before pressing her body full against his and kissing him deeply.  Every inch of her was touching every inch of him and Claire wondered how they still had all their clothes on. 

Peter took another step forward and Claire found herself backed up against the display case again.  He pressed his hips to hers as one of his hands reached up to caress her breast.  She moaned into his mouth and reached a hand down to untuck his shirt and run her fingers across bare skin.

“Claire.” His voice was taut and gravelly as he moaned her name.  She loved the effect she had on him.  Her left hand continued to move up his chest underneath his shirt.  Her right hand went to the collar of his trenchcoat and popped it up. 

“Can’t forget any details, Peter,” she said.  “Or shall I call you ‘mysterious hot alumni’ man?”

“Call me,” he replied between kisses, “anything you want.”

Peter’s hand trailed down her leg and played with the bottom hem of her dress.  Claire was glad Peter had opted for this outfit instead of tricking her into wearing the zippered hoodie and pants she wore originally.  This allowed for easier access and she wanted Peter’s hand to be able to wander wherever it wanted to go.  She wondered if she still had an actual old cheerleading outfit in her closet at home.  That could be fun some night.

Peter pulled his head back and looked into her eyes.  His eyes always showed so much.  She wanted to drown in the passion she saw there and knew that his look was a reflection of her own. 

Claire remembered how she felt when she first saw him.  She had been distracted and on edge from breaking the rules, but she looked at him and all of that faded into the distance.  Even before she really knew him, she’d felt the temptation to get lost in him. 

It was like they were role-playing as themselves and Claire couldn’t think of anything hotter. 

Peter’s hand dragged up her leg and under her dress.  His fingers skimmed the edge of her underwear while her hand ran back down his chest and followed the trail of hair to the button of his pants.  She undid the button one-handed and dragged the zipper down.    

“Oh, Claire,” he breathed as her hand brushed against him.  His eyes fluttered closed and she smiled.

When they opened again, Peter’s eyes were dark and filled with desire.  He kissed her intensely and Claire met him for every press of his lips against hers and every swipe of his tongue inside her mouth.  Peter’s left arm went under her ass and he lifted her up, leaning her against the glass for leverage.  Her legs wrapped around his waist and she arched against him, breasts leaning into his chest, eager to push things along. 

His hips pressed against her and his hand dipped under the elastic edge of her black underwear, caressing her hip before moving his fingers around to her front.  Claire sighed at the touch of his stroking fingertips.

“Peter.” She stilled his hand before he was able to insert a finger inside of her.  “This entire night has been foreplay, we don’t need any more.  I want you inside of me.”

He stilled after she spoke with an astounded look on his face, as if he still couldn’t believe that she wanted him enough to speak that desire out loud.

“Claire.”

He stretched her name out slowly, like she was something to be cherished. 

She withdrew his hand from under her dress and let it rest on her thigh before lifting herself up to kiss him slowly with all the love she felt.

“I want you, Peter.  It’s always been you.”

Somehow, saying those words here in the place they first met made everything seem more real.  Their relationship, their happiness.  Claire’s voice echoed down the empty hallway, reverberating against the empty lockers that had been inanimate witnesses, over five years ago, to the moment when she first laid eyes on Peter Petrelli.

He kissed her and she knew that he was repeating her words in his actions.  Tears welled up in her eyes from the beauty of it.  Claire never thought she would be able to feel this loved.  She never thought she could feel this much love for one person.

She pulled away and stroked his cheek.

“It has always been you,” she repeated as she looked directly at him.  “It always will be.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Claire Bennet,” Peter said in a soft, serious tone.

Claire smiled.

“Well, you wouldn’t be having hot, invisible sex in a high school hallway, that’s for sure.”

He chuckled and reached up to pull her underwear down.

“No, I wouldn’t.  And what a shame that would be.”

“Oh, definitely,” she replied as she shoved down his pants and boxers.

With the type of skill that only came from practice, Claire positioned Peter at her entrance and he thrust forward with one smooth stroke.  Her head fell back against the glass and he let out a groan. 

A slight pause in movement let Claire soak in the feeling of this moment.  The cool glass felt frigid against her head and back because of the soaring heat running through her blood.  The breeze of Peter’s panting breath inches away from her skin dried the sweat on her collarbone. 

Then he started to move and Claire couldn’t even think about what she was feeling any more.  There was only touch and caress and the friction of skin against skin and lips against lips. 

The sounds of their heavy breathing filled the hallway, punctuated with moans and whispered gasps of each other’s names. 

Claire let Peter set the rhythm and moved her own body in time with his.  With each stroke she thought about how much she loved this man and how much she loved having sex with him.  It was like a personal mantra she wasn’t even aware of until now.  And by the look on Peter’s face, he could hear her loud and clear. 

Lousy bastard, she thought directly when she saw the cocky grin on his face. 

He laughed and kissed her hard. 

“Not my fault you’re so vocal.”

Like I said before, Claire thought back at him, thinking isn’t the same as talking out loud. 

“It is if you’re projecting.”

She rolled her eyes.

If you’re going to invade my privacy, at least do it properly.

“Challenge accepted,” he replied.

His hands started to trail in the path of her thoughts and their hips moved in time with each direction she gave.

Neck.

His lips brushed against her collarbone and moved slowly up to her ear.

Breasts.

His hands moved up to her chest and dipped below the low cut neckline of her dress.

Lips.

He kissed her in that slow, seductive way that always made her a little lightheaded.

Move.

“Demanding,” he laughed.

Move, she repeated.

She meant move faster and he was able to follow her implied directions as well.

“With pleasure,” he mumbled.

He pushed her harder up against the glass and Claire pulled his head to hers as his thrusting increased in frequency.  She threaded her fingers through his hair and moaned into his mouth when he hit one spot just right. 

Everything, all the pain and frustration and torture of her life, had led up to this moment.  She wished it could have been easier, but it was worth it anyway.  All of the worries about not fitting in didn’t matter because she fit with Peter.  All the pain of loving him was bearable now that she got the joy of loving him as well.  They climaxed kissing.

He brushed his head past hers and leaned in to rest his forehead against the glass.  Claire wondered if his breath was fogging up the surface, but she couldn’t turn to look.  Instead, she let her head rest on his shoulder and pressed a light kiss to the khaki fabric of his coat.  They hadn’t even gotten undressed at all. 

Claire let out a breathy laugh.

“What?”

Peter lifted his head from the glass to look at her. 

“Nothing.”

She dragged a hand through Peter’s sweaty hair and touched her lips to his forehead.  He smiled and gave her a slow, chaste kiss before slipping out of her and separating their bodies.

Claire’s feet dropped to the floor and she pulled up her underwear while Peter re-buttoned his pants.  With his untucked shirt and messy hair, he looked about as ruffled as Claire thought she probably did.  Her sixteen-year-old self never would have imagined this happening here. 

She started laughing as she slumped against the display case. 

Peter put a hand beside her head on the glass and leaned in her direction with a smile pulling at his lips. 

“Claire?” he questioned.

She grinned up at her boyfriend.

"You were right.  Life so gets better after high school."  

-

A/N: So?  What did you think of my first NC-17?  I was kind of nervous posting this part, even though I am pretty pleased with it, so I hope you liked it!