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heroslayerHe's hovering around the edges of the devastation when she finds him, powdered remains of civilization and life falling around him like snow.
He'd think it was a little ironic--there was snow before his mother died, and debris so fine it could be snow after this--if he were thinking anything right now, but he's not. His mind has simply shut itself off. That much is clear in the hollow look in his eyes. In the way he picks at the ruins of his sweatshirt, still clinging to his chest where his skin has burned and blistered and healed, as if he's not even aware he's doing it. In the way he moves, not even flinching when the ground under his feet gives way every so often when he strays to close to the edge of the crater he left.
He'd think it ironic. She thinks it's the most terrifying thing she's ever seen.
"Gabriel!"
Her voice is lightning in the silence that's fallen, each crunching footfall through the rubble thunder, but he doesn't turn to face her. He doesn't react, he just stares into the wasteland, and she can't help but think of that book on her Daddy's shelves, back years ago. When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you. She doesn't want the abyss--that abyss, the one she knows that hovers--looking into him. She doesn't want this to make a monster of him again, so she puts a hand to his shoulder when she reaches him, turning him away from it.
Unfortunately, however, he just keeps staring, eyes boring blank holes in her--through her--as if he can't really see her. She might not be twenty-four anymore, but she can't help but pout. She's lost her son and her home in the last few hours; she doesn't want to lose her husband, too.
"Hey," she tries again, and still he ignores her. Random fury rises in her heart, and sparks fall from her fingertips, in an attempt to wake him from his stupor. He starts, but other than that, nothing. "C'mmon. Please."
And something about those two words pulls him out of his catatonia. He's not sure what it is, not even aware he'd been spoken to, much less shocked, in the last few minutes, but he's back. He's back and she's warm and close, looking up at him like she's about to burst into tears at any moment, and he can't just ignore that.
He puts an arm around her waist, his other hand going to her hair to guide her head down to that space at his shoulder where it fits. He turns his head to her forehead a second later, lips brushing her forehead, working in a mantra of words that he just can't get out but are somehow clear, anyway. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
More irony, as he can remember scrawling the same words on the walls of his apartment after Chandra's death.
She doesn't tell him it's ok--really, it's not--but she pushes up on her toes, pressing a kiss to his lips, and it's almost as good. It's almost enough for him to believe that in that instant, everything will be alright.
Muse: Gabriel Gray (Sylar)
Fandom: Heroes
Word Count: 531 (without lyrics)
