InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Ur nsanitee, it pleezes me."

Nathan Petrelli (aleaderwillrise) wrote in heroic_essence,
@ 2008-12-13 21:10:00

Who: Nathan and Niki/Jessica ( one or the other ... )
What: So we meet again
Where: Some swanky clothing store
When: Sometime between opening and closing

Usually he was a last minute shopper, but this year he'd gotten Heidi a few gifts early. So what was he going to do with them now? Return them. Get his money back. You see, this is what happened when you tried to make preparations way ahead of time. Things came up. Marriages failed. Wives left with the kids, and then you were left with nothing. Well, if you could consider a mansion, half of their assets, and a good chunk of the family fortune 'nothing.' But for once he wasn't thinking about what he'd gained monetarily. He missed them. He'd tried to call, but Heidi wouldn't answer. Even after he'd signed the papers and brought them to her, she'd sent the boys out. Everything was all so cold now. She said that she'd learned it from him, and he couldn't exactly argue with her there. That didn't make it sting any less.

He hadn't gone all out or anything: just some perfume, a necklace, and an evening gown. Alright, so none of those items were very original, but he had people that would go out and do this sort of thing for him. Instead, he'd cleared his schedule to wander through hoards of people shuffling through racks of designer clothes trying to find something that he knew Heidi would like, spare no expense. Then, of course, once he bought her all these nice things, he planned on taking her out someplace fancy. She was always complaining about how she never got to go anywhere anymore. Guess he wouldn't be getting the chance to show her how much he was willing to change. She'd given up on him, and now ... now he was standing here listening to this lady at the counter telling him that they had a 'no exchange after fourteen days' policy.

Nathan attempted to explain the circumstances to her, but the woman was either not listening or completely non-sympathetic. So, he pulled the 'do you know who you're speaking to' card, because he'd had just about enough. His fuse was already short, and she was not helping.

She went to get the manager, which meant he had to start all over. He explained ( again ) that the dress had been a Christmas present for his wife whom he was now separated from, and that he wanted a refund. It wasn't really the money he cared about; it was the principle of the thing. He didn't want to have this lying around the house, so every time he caught a glimpse of it he was reminded that his own wife had left him right before Christmas, and he'd been stuck with this piece of cloth that he thought would help improve their marriage.

Eventually they took it back, and the manager apologized for the inconvenience, though he could care less about how sorry they were. He had two more stops to make.

As he turned, he spotted a familiar figure towards the back of the store. At first he thought she just held a striking resemblance to the woman he'd met in Vegas, but the closer he got, the more he recognized her. "Niki?" He'd been approaching slowly, but when he saw her face, he knew that's who it had to be. Unless she had a twin sister ... Although what she was doing all the way out here was undoubtedly an interesting story.

Frankly, he didn't care. She was the highlight of his day no matter what kind of business she had in New York City.

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_duel_roles_
2008-12-15 10:55 pm UTC (link)

"How about this one?" the sales clerk asked the lithe blond woman who sat at a chair, looking nonchalant as the fifth dress came out. Jessica looked the red ensemble with interest, which was more than what she had been giving the poor woman. This one definitely had 'seducer' written all over it, just what Jessica liked in a dress.

Linderman had told her she could buy whatever she wanted with her successful dealings with the gang. He had gotten his money back (one way or another) and that meant she deserved a break today. A nice, large shopping spree break.

"Are you sure that's more my color?" she asked with a smirk. She pushed the sunglasses up onto her forehead. "I mean, you said that about three colors ago."

"No ma'am, this is definitely your color." She held it against Jessica's body and face. "This will fit you like a glove."

Jessica took the dress and looked at the price. Could be worse... "I'll take it then. If it doesn't fit like you said, I'll be back." She gestured for the woman to ring her up, handing her the credit card. Once the woman left, Jessica eyed more dresses, wondering what her next purchase could be once she deals with Linderman's next batch of losers.

They broke too easily; it wasn't as fun as it should've been.

"Niki?

Jessica reacted to the name, catching Niki's true frightened and trapped eyes in a reflection off one of the metallic racks. She turned to find Nathan Petrelli approaching her. Well, well... handsome young politician form Vegas.

Jessica couldn't forget a face - and body - like that. "Mr. Petrelli," she greeted him. "This is a surprise."

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aleaderwillrise
2008-12-16 05:00 pm UTC (link)

"Nathan." There was no reason to be so formal. After all, they knew each other pretty well. Not well enough for his liking, but at the time, once his initial annoyance over the intrusion had worn off, he'd been glad Peter interrupted them. But Heidi had left him anyway. Now there was no reason not to explore all available possibilities, not that he was making any assumptions. Niki had a family of her own, although every time he ran into her, she was flying solo. Either she needed a lot of 'me' time, or her marriage was going about as successfully as his had been. That could actually work out quite nicely for him, but he wouldn't wish a failed relationship on this woman just so he could get a little passion back in his life. He wasn't that selfish. She seemed like a nice person.

"Yes, it certainly is. What brings you to New York?" She apparently traveled a lot, but she had good taste at picking her destinations. How convenient for him that it always happened to be a location he either lived at or frequented as well. This could become a routine for them, which he'd have no objections to. It was refreshing to have someone to talk to, if nothing else. Besides Peter ( who he didn't always view as an adult ), Nathan didn't have anyone he could sit down and have an intelligent conversation with. So it wasn't strictly a physical attraction, but that was undeniably a large part of it. Any guy would be a fool not to notice her stunning outward appearance, and if he denied making such an observation, he was lying.

Truthfully, it made much more sense for her to be standing in the middle of the women's department than it did for him to be there, so he'd stick to questions on a larger scale. He didn't really come in here a lot, or ever, really. Maybe them running into each other like this was more than a coincidence. Alright, so he typically wasn't one to believe in fate or destinies written in the stars or anything lame like that, but there could be signs. Eventually, a person would reach the roadblock, and that's when a choice would have to be made. However, until then, people stuck with what they knew. And if they didn't have a clue, they did what seemed right at the time. Nathan was one of those people. That's where he and his brother ran into most of their problems.

Peter, especially now that he thought he could fly, was convinced of a higher calling. Nathan saw politics as his higher calling, and his younger sibling couldn't wrap his head around that. He'd never understand that sacrifices had to be made in the real world ... not in some dream universe Pete had made up in his head. Even if it was real, a flying man was not going to change the course of the universe.

... But that was another story for another day: one he didn't intend on sharing with anyone else ever. Claire knew. Peter now had a buddy to talk to about it that could be trusted, so hopefully all the chatter would die down. In the meantime, Nathan was left at a point in his life where he'd never been before, and so he was having to learn new ways of doing things in a trial by error style. Only time would tell if he'd been successful at it.

Waiting to find out was always the worst part. Funny thing is, it seemed like he was always waiting for something.

Not today though. Today he was solely concerned with the here and now - and the here and now consisted only of Niki Sanders.

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_duel_roles_
2008-12-22 06:12 pm UTC (link)

"Nathan, of course," Jessica remarked with the playful smirk that Niki rarely used. She held out her hand for him to take in a cordial shake of 'hello.' "I guess we should be on a first name basis, shouldn't we?" There was that hint of reminding him how intimate they had gotten in Las Vegas, trying not to remind him what had happened that night. When his brother had nearly jumped off the Mandalay Bay rooftop.

"I'm in town for... business," Jessica answered, folding her arms under her chest. "I know you're a man of the town so I don't even have to ask what business has brought you here. I'm guessing more political dealings?"

The sales clerk came over and handed Jessica the dress, covered in a nice plastic bag to keep most of the small things from ruining the material. "Thank you, Ms. Sanders." She handed back the credit card.

Once Jessica had secured all her belongings, she looked up at Nathan curiously. "But one might wonder what you're doing in the middle of the women's department of Bloomingdale's. Are you here alone or can I help you in choosing something for your wife, maybe? I do have good taste in fashion, Nathan. I can definitely help you out." Jessica had to make sure to keep in mind who Nathan thought she was. Niki Sanders.

Funny, Niki had always come off as the shy, helpless type. But those who knew her on the internet had a whole different perspective of that persona. Jessica wondered what Nathan would think of Niki knowing what her side job was.

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aleaderwillrise
2008-12-22 07:19 pm UTC (link)

Had he known Niki better, he might've noticed that she wasn't quite acting like herself. Nathan did get the impression that there was something different about her, but he couldn't place what, and he didn't really spend that much time trying to figure it out. People's moods changed, and sometimes their personalities did too. He assumed that's all it was.

He instantly reached out to shake the offered hand, although all things considered, they were past that stage too, a fact which she wasn't too shy to point out. Funny how afraid he'd been of Heidi finding out about his near-affair. For a minute there, he'd actually felt bad about it. But two major changes had occurred in his life recently. He was now Congressman Nathan Petrelli and currently separated from his wife. Forget separated. They were getting a divorce. Legally he wasn't free yet, but he didn't have to feel guilty about exploring his options anymore. He wasn't worth the hassle according to Heidi, and that was fine. She was entitled to her opinion. He didn't need a secure marriage to tell him who he was.

No ... he had a brother for that.

Business. That's why she was in town. It's why a lot of people came to New York City, but he found himself hoping that this business trip of hers would keep her around for awhile.

"Something like that," he responded vaguely when she asked about why he was here. Technically being where he was at the moment had nothing to do with politics.

Nathan casually slid his hands into his pockets when the clerk interrupted them ( but with good cause ), remaining silently and patiently waiting as they finished their transaction.

When Niki returned her attention to him, he smiled, but was caught off-guard when she mentioned his wife. A faint crease formed across his brow as the corners of his mouth dipped down into a frown. It was a reasonable assumption. That was sort of why he was here. Well, with the exception of making a return instead of a purchase, and a highly difficult one at that. Guess he didn't realize how sensitive the subject still was. Why? Because he chose not to discuss it. It wasn't very flattering to have a handicapped wife that would rather struggle on her own than stay with you. And while this had a little to do with public image, it was also a personal failure on his part, one he felt more strongly than he'd ever admit.

An awkward shift in stance gave away how uncomfortable he was before an out-of-place chuckle emerged from the back of his throat. "I'm sure you have impeccable taste, but I was actually returning something. My wife and I are getting a divorce." Therefore her assistance wouldn't be needed, at least not in a fashion sense.

"That'll teach me to shop early," he joked.

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_duel_roles_
2008-12-31 12:13 pm UTC (link)

Jessica noticed the expression cross over Nathan's face, and her brows knitted together in curiosity. She hit a nerve when she mentioned his wife. Interesting. And definitely something to take advantage of. She held the urge to lick her lips at the thought of trouble in the marriage. Niki would be concerned. So Jessica shifted her face enough to look like she was concerned. Of course, Niki also was the one who instigated the make out session with the Congressman so Niki wasn't an innocent in all this.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about that, Nathan," Jessica said, reaching a hand out to give his forearm a comforting squeeze. "And I'm sorry I brought up anything about her." She "tried" to smile at his comment about shopping too early. "Trying" meaning keeping it a sympathetic smile instead of a predatory grin, which came so much more naturally to Jessica.

"Look, this might be too forward, but do you want to just have a quick bite to eat, maybe over drinks? You don't have to talk about it." God, did she not want to hear about his sappy-ass marriage. "But we can just catch up, maybe start off the right way this time?"

She pulled her hand back, adjusting the dress in her arm, the plastic making the crinkling noise with the movement. Jessica really hoped he said yes, and hoped that one thing would lead to another. A man in pain, especially in pain in relation to love, was a man that was so vulnerable.

"I've only been to New York a couple of times and each time, I haven't had a chance to really look around. I've actually got more time on this little trip." She smiled again. "Like I said, it might be too bold of me, so I understand if you would rather not."

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aleaderwillrise
2008-12-31 08:08 pm UTC (link)

The fact that Niki was offering her condolences was very sweet, but his wife had left him, not died. It wasn't that tragic, not to anyone but him - and possibly the boys who didn't understand why he and Heidi couldn't have patched things up. They always had before. Some people just got tired of doing the same ole' thing over and over again. Apparently the perks of being married to a Congressman hadn't been enough to outweigh the negative aspects of their marriage such as the emotional distance that had existed between them - the one she claimed he was responsible for. That, and the physical separation that they'd been going through ever since he began this campaign. Now that it was over, she was gone, and he had way too much free time on his hands. Guess there wasn't always a national crisis that needed the government's immediate attention.

No, Nathan's biggest federal emergency at the moment was the FBI breathing down his neck about Linderman - after they'd told him they needed a little more time to complete their case before they sent him in to seal the deal. Nothing like being revved up and ready to go, only to be told to wait. He hated waiting.

Troubled hues dropped to Niki's hand on his arm. "It's alright," he muttered. It wasn't her fault. How was she supposed to know? Ironically, family had been one of their conversation's highlights the last time they'd spoken. For better or worse, a lot had changed since then. But this could work in their favor. He wasn't typically the type that went around romancing women, trying to sweep them off their feet. After falling in love twice and having it end in disaster both times, Nathan was a lot more cautious about pursuing a serious relationship again. However, he recognized when he was in good company, and it was especially difficult to mope around as if his life had just ended when he had someone so beautiful and kind apologizing when she hadn't done anything wrong.

When she suggested they go someplace else, his eyes lifted. Having drinks was exactly what had gotten them into their last predicament. With this being New York, he'd have to be more careful about who he was seen with and where. Truthfully he was angry and wouldn't mind rubbing a new girlfriend in Heidi's face ( maybe ), but he didn't want the media to be her source of information.

Still, this opportunity was too good to pass up. One could say he was vulnerable.

"It's not forward. I would love to. I could even give you a tour if you like." That way she'd be more familiar with the city if she ever wanted to come back. Or he could personally escort her around town whenever she flew in. Either way, he didn't mind. He was up for whatever she wanted to do. Food and drinks had been mentioned first, so he started there. "Would you prefer a restaurant or a nightclub?" She hadn't said she wanted an entire meal, and while the upscale eating establishments he knew of had a variety of alcoholic beverages to choose from, if she was looking for some kind of mixed drink or fruity concoction, she'd probably find a club more her style. They were also a little louder, but he wasn't that old ( despite Peter's claims ). He still appreciated a change in venue every once in awhile.

... There was also his place, but since Niki had been so concerned about coming across as forward, he wouldn't suggest that yet. Didn't want to scare her off. Though if she was going to be staying here longer than she anticipated, there was no need to rent a hotel room for that length of time when he had plenty of space in his own home.

Hmm. Out of town for the holidays. That realization gave him another idea, but he'd present her with one question at a time.

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_duel_roles_
2009-01-20 08:58 pm UTC (link)

Jessica grinned when Nathan accepted her invitation. That was easy. But again, men were so easily led when you offered the bone. She wasn't sure how Linderman would feel about her having a little fun with Nathan. But it wasn't like she was going to DO anything to him. She just wanted to have a little fun with a very handsome man.

"Nightclub?" Jessica grinned wider. "I haven't been to a decent nightclub in a long time. I'm sure a man of your stature knows the great ones. VIP treatment, maybe?" Then she laughed to show she was only playing. "Actually, I'd love to go to a nightclub, have a few drinks, maybe dance the night away. And a tour of the city would be great. I want to see all the hot spots around here. I'm sure you know them all."

She slipped a hand through his arm, pulling him along towards the front of the store. "It's great to be out of the house, away from the husband and kid."

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aleaderwillrise
2009-01-26 05:16 pm UTC (link)

"When you're with me, you get anything you want." And that applied everywhere, at least in this area. He could say that with confidence, but he wasn't being arrogant. In a way, he was a celebrity around here. No matter where he went, he was recognized by someone, and because his name and face were associated with money and power, people were very accommodating when he walked into a room. Whoever he was with got the royal treatment too. Typically when he flaunted his importance, he was trying to impress someone else. His tastes were expensive, but he rarely indulged. A lot of it was for appearances sake. He just happened to be more convincing at it than Peter, who openly resented having to put on the charade.

So even if she was just joking, he wasn't. It was true.

One brow raised when Niki mentioned dancing. Nathan didn't want to disappoint her, but him on the dance floor was not a pretty sight. Heidi had convinced him to try on several occasions, but he usually only agreed when they were at a private party with friends and family, not in public. "Dancing?" The rest he had no objection to. But that one word was met with a mountain of skepticism. "I don't dance, but you can." Watching suited him just fine, although it could get a little awkward for her. He just didn't want her to have all these expectations, and then realize once they got there that he wasn't as fun as he seemed - not that he felt he gave off the 'fun' vibe.

His eyes dropped to her hand as she guided him along, a temporary crease forming across his brow. Something was different about her ... or maybe not. He'd only met her once. Could be that this was more what she was usually like. Either way, he was intrigued. Besides, a little physical contact never hurt anyone.

Nathan started listing some of his top recommendations as they waited for the car to pull around. Then, once it arrived, he held open the door for her and let her slide inside before getting in himself. The items she'd purchased had been loaded into the trunk for safekeeping until they decided to call it a night, and they dropped her off at wherever she was staying ... that is if she declined his invitation - the one he'd get around to eventually. Because of his other disastrous relationships, he was more cautious about moving too quickly or giving the wrong impression. He enjoyed Niki's company, and he didn't want to say or do anything that would send her running in the opposite direction.

"So, where to?" Curious hues shifted over to her, although he'd been finding it incredibly difficult to keep his attention anywhere else.

It was hard for him to connect with people. Either he didn't understand them, or he didn't want to. In all honesty, he wasn't the nicest person in the world, and his patience tended to wear thin rather quickly. He knew that, but it was all a part of the package deal. In order to be a good leader, he couldn't be a saint. But he always had the greater good in mind. However, he hadn't done anything that wrong either. For a politician, he was still remotely clean. His dirtiest affiliation was a set-up, and one he'd be rid of soon enough.

... Which was something he shouldn't be thinking about at all with a beautiful girl sitting beside him, though he couldn't help but wonder ... if he and Niki ever did become serious, and that was a big 'if,' would she be in danger? Moving against Linderman was a huge risk, but with Heidi and the boys out of the picture, it was the perfect opportunity to strike if he was ever going to. Peter was still vulnerable, but he could protect his brother. He would at all costs. Thing is, he couldn't be in two places at once. So would it be fair to lead her on?

Unfortunately, he was not that much of a gentleman. They'd deal with that bridge when they came to it.

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