Keep It Safe

[takhallus]

Word count : 572
Genre : Angst
Pairing : Luke / Sylar
Disclaimer : I do not own these characters
Rating : G
Spoilers : Up to 3-16

 

“Please let me come with you.” Luke hadn’t wanted to beg, he’d wanted to negotiate. But it wasn’t happening. He had had this feeling since Sylar had rescued him from the government men, like the cabin where Samson was holed up was the end of the line.

 

“I need a clear head, I can’t be watching out for you all the time. I’ll come back.”

 

“You won’t! Don’t lie to me, okay? You won’t come back for me.” He could feel tears pricking at his eyes. So many times on this roadtrip he’d wanted to cry, but he refused to let himself. The tiny purple crescent shapes on his palms where he had dug his nails in were the only tell that he had even been close.

 

Sylar sighed. He knew this wasn’t the last time he would see Luke, he knew right at this moment that he was intent on coming back for him, to carry on teaching him, to pass on his knowledge. Like he would have to a son. A son, he thought. Not a brother, why didn’t I think brother first?

 

He didn’t know whether his mind would change when Luke was out of sight, when his voice, his little chuckles at the most inappropriate things, his re-framing of the long drive into some kind of fantasy roadtrip, were all just memories. He didn’t know if he would be alive to come back for him.

 

Sylar looked at Luke, who was twisting his sleeves into his hands as he tried not to cry. The boy was so used to being abandoned and rejected, but he still had hope. I can’t take that away from him.

 

He looked down at his watch, and unfastened the metal strap. “Come here,” he said, without meeting Luke’s eyes. The boy stepped closer and Sylar took his wrist, fastening the watch around it, the bracelet too big for him, but not big enough to fall off. “You know I’ll come back for that. It’s a loan.”

 

Luke swallowed and nodded. He stared straight ahead and suddenly clung to Sylar, pressing his cheek against his chest. He squeezed hard, with nothing to lose now that he was leaving. Finally he broke, sobbing as he felt Sylar’s hands on his back, his strong upper arms gripping his shoulders and his chin resting in his hair.

 

Sylar looked up at his father who was hovering in the doorway. The man came outside, hands in pockets as he regarded the unlikely scene. “You should start driving, dark’s on the way.”

 

Sylar loosened his grip on Luke and the boy gave one last squeeze before stepping away, wiping his eyes self-consciously on the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m leaving something important with you, please take care of it till I get back.” Sylar said softly. Luke nodded, but when he looked up at Sylar he saw it wasn’t him he was talking to.

 

Sylar reached out and held Luke’s shoulder as he had done the first night they met. He got in the car and started to reverse away from the cabin, trying not to look back. As he straightened up and glanced into the rear view mirror he saw Luke raise a hand to wave goodbye. He gave the slightest twitch of his wrist, sure that Luke had seen it when the boy smiled widely. The next time he moved his hand was to wipe the tears from his eyes.