InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Save the last dance"

Peter Petrelli (thegoodbrother) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2009-11-20 14:59:00

Entry tags:

peter petrelli

WHO: Peter and Nathan Petrelli. Possibly Chris Halliwell later.
WHAT: Brotherly bonding and awkward conversations with hot chocolate.
WHEN: After this.
WHERE: Peter's apartment.
RATING: TBD.
STATUS: In progress.

It had been fun, like the old days. Like a decade ago when he'd been young and Nathan hadn't had so many responsibilities weighing him down. There had been no clear winner to the snowball fight, but they'd both had fun, and he didn't think either of them had laughed so hard in years. That was the important thing. Now, they were walking into his apartment, snow in their hair and faces flushed from cold and exertion and laughter in equal measure. Peter shrugged off his coat, scarf and gloves, heading to the kitchen to make hot chocolate and nodding for Nathan to sit down.

"Make yourself comfortable," he said, happy to have this time to reconnect with his brother. He still hadn't brought up Chris yet, but he was getting there. He just wanted to enjoy this a little before potentially ruining it.

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chosemanypaths
2009-11-24 09:44 pm UTC (link)

Nathan had definitely not laughed that much in years, at least not that heartily. He couldn't remember the last time he really relaxed like that; the last time they didn't have something huge and life-changing dangling over their heads. Everything felt oddly calm - the presence of Sylar aside - and he was starting to remember how it felt to be home for Christmas. As odd and dysfunctional as their family could be - particularly when they were all together - he truly did miss the times when he could count on a quasi-normal family meal, complete with awkward conversation and parental reprimands for his younger sibling.

His engagement had put an end to that stage of his life, and from then on he had a different routine: the week before Christmas with his parents (and rarely Peter), and then Christmas Eve and Day with his wife and kids, generally elsewhere in the country. Most rich families had a summer house; Nathan had a winter one.

Removing his coat and hanging it up, the former Senator brushed the snow from his hair, face flushed from exertion and cold, before flopping unceremoniously on the couch. It felt good to relax, again.

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thegoodbrother
2009-11-24 10:22 pm UTC (link)

Peter brought out two mugs of hot chocolate, complete with mini marshmallows, and handed one to Nathan before sitting next to him. He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the warmth that spread through him. He could have easily used his abilities to keep from getting cold, but he preferred experiencing it. It was part of what made their trips out so fun. Getting cold and then running home and warming up. It wouldn't be the same without that bit of discomfort.

"Are we doing Thanksgiving this year?" he asked curiously. "It can be just me and you and mom, if you want. Claire's probably doing Thanksgiving with Noah." And Gabriel had Elle and Noah...and he really didn't want his brother alone on Thanksgiving. "And...well...my...Chris will probably be there. And Chris's aunt and sister." And he probably should have clarified right then that Chris wasn't short for Christina, or something.

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chosemanypaths
2009-11-28 03:45 am UTC (link)

Right down to the marshmallows, everything so far had been just as he remembered, from a time when things seemed so much simpler. The warmth of the mug between his hands, the sweet aroma of the cocoa drifting up with the steam, all of it brought back memories that Nathan hadn't let himself indulge in in ages; not since before their father died, the first time. He closed his eyes, just breathing it all in and taking it into the sensory overload he couldn't help taking part of as nostalgia and relaxation washed over him. Cold didn't affect him the way it used to, sure - his flight ability seemed to naturally insulate him from too much cold after a bit - but it was enough to make him feel really alive, in a way he couldn't remember having since he was a kid.

The Thanksgiving question returned him to the present, and to the fact that quite a few of the traditions he had always taken for granted were no longer a given thing, here. Things were irrevocably different, no matter how nostalgic he happened to be feeling at the moment. "I hadn't even thought about the holiday, honestly, Pete . . . So, first off, I think you've got some explaining to do." A slow, teasing smirk drifted across his lips, and he leaned forward in his seat, watching Peter with that smug, cat-who-ate-the-canary look only a big brother could possibly give a younger brother. "You keep mentioning this Chris name, and haven't said a word beyond it. So, start talking, little brother."

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thegoodbrother
2009-11-28 04:59 am UTC (link)

Peter looked down at his hands at Nathan's comment. So, it had come to that point then? It was time to actually tell his brother about his relationship with Chris. Time to tell his brother that he was in love with another man. Easy, right? Not so much. He felt panic rising like bile in the back of his throat and he had to fight the urge to freeze time and run away. It wasn't that he was ashamed of Chris, far from it, but the idea of something causing Nathan to turn his back on him terrified Peter. He took a sip of his hot chocolate, followed by a deep breath to steady himself, and he spoke. "Chris is my roommate."

Which wasn't what he'd meant to say at all. He sighed. "More than that, actually," he said after a long moment. "He's actually sort of my guardian angel...literally. He's what you would call a Whitelighter. His dad was one and his mom was a witch, so he's half-and-half. I'm his charge, apparently, so he looks out for me. He's actually helped me through a few things while I've been here." He knew he could leave it at that and Nathan wouldn't question it too closely, the inability of such a avid republican to fathom the notion that his brother might not fit into a neat little box keeping him from pushing. But he wouldn't do that. "And he's my..." he closed his eyes, "Chris and I are together, Nathan. He's my boyfriend...my...I love him."

He opened his eyes after a moment and looked at his brother. "Say something," he said nervously, terrified of how his brother might react.

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