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Brother's Keeper	By : Bloodylocks Category: G through L > Heroes Views: 3679 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes or the characters, and no financial gain is made from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Brother's Keeper
- 2-Ch. 2
- 3-Ch. 3
- 4-Ch. 4
- 5-Ch. 5
- 6-Ch. 6
- 7-Chapter 7
- 8-Chapter 8
- 9-Chapter 9
- 10-Chapter 10
- 11-Chapter 11
- 12-Ch 12
- 13-Ch 13
- 14-Ch 14
- 15-Ch 15
- 16-Ch 16
- 17-Ch 17
- 18-Ch 18
- 19-Ch 19
- 20-Ch 20
- 21-Ch 21
- 22-Ch 22
- 23-Ch 23
- 24-Ch 24
- 25-Ch 25
- 26-Ch 26
- 27-Ch 27
- 28-Ch 28
- 29-Ch 29
- 30-Ch 30
- 31-Ch 31
- 1
- 2
Chapter 1

Peter had hardly slept at all the night before, but that didn't stop him from being wide awake and alert the following morning. Today was the day Nathan was going to take him camping. The mere thought of three whole weeks in the wilderness, just he and his brother, was enough awaken butterflies in the young boy's stomach. He had finished high school and was going off to college in the fall; this was his last real chance to spend time alone with Nathan, and Peter intended to make the most of it.
The sound of tires screeching on the yard below his bedroom window made Peter bounce up like a bedspring. Grabbing his backpack - far too large for someone of his diminutive size - he practically threw himself down the stairs to go greet his brother.
Even as children, the two brothers did not go camping that often. Their father had taken them fishing more often when he actually felt like showing that he gave a damn. Either way, camping had never been too bad of an experience. The best part of any excursion had always been creating memories with himself and his big brother, rather than whether or not they would see a bear or what the mountain range looked like from their site.
Peter could remember far back as the age of six, unable to sleep from the bug lamp's constant crackle, and curling up inside a big blue sleeping bag with his brother as they told each other funny stories to pass the time until the little boy's eyes finally closed.
"Well, it looks like no one wants to come with me," Peter heard now as he hurried towards the door. "I guess I'll just have to go by myself!"
"Jerk!"
Peter did not slow his pace despite the heavy backpack weighing him down and ran almost straight into Nathan's arms, laughing as though he was six years old again when his big brother - still much bigger than he and most likely to remain so for the rest of their lives - lifted him and spun him around several turns only to finish planting a wet, smacking kiss on his cheek. Peter pretended to be disgusted and wiped the area with his hand, laughter still bubbling out of him.
"Your stubble tickles..." he murmured.
"You're just eighteen, buddy. Soon enough you'll have one of your own," the older man replied and affectionately ruffled his baby brother's mop of unruly dark hair.
"I dunno," the young man laughed, "I've kind of lost hope for that."
Nathan's own hair had grown out of its military cut that he had acquired from his years in the Navy, but it was still as trim as ever. Peter had often joked that his big brother was twisted as tight as a dolphins butt because of his proper nature. Hopefully the Navy had not robbed the older man of his ability to get down in the dirt as he had done in the past.
"You all ready to go?" Nathan asked, double checking the items he had brought in the car. Peter nodded and heaved his huge backpack in through an open door, balancing it precariously on top of a cooler which no doubt contained drinks and food. Although a possibility was present of beers beings included, Nathan would most likely deny his brother any of them, despite the fact that their parents would not be present.
Peter leaned against the door to the driver's seat, trying his best to keep his voice casual when he asked the question. "Can I drive?"
"No," was Nathan's immediate response, and he even sent Peter a look that practically declared him mad.
"Oh come on! You know I got my license two months ago!" the younger man exclaimed, ready to resort to begging or pleading. In most cases, enough of that got his will through with Nathan.
"No way, buddy. I'm not letting you drive through New York City. Perhaps once we get somewhere more quiet..."
Peter muttered something about trust being the key ingredient in every relationship when their parents, Arthur and Angela Petrelli, appeared to say farewell and make sure Peter had brought everything he needed.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll look after him and keep him out of trouble," Nathan said, sounding exactly like the responsible older brother he was supposed to be.
"I'm eighteen, I don't need a babysitter..." Peter muttered, annoyed that his parents still didn't see him as a grown up even though he was technically of legal age.
Their attitude was most likely due to Peter's personality. Whether it was due to being the younger child or that Nathan was such an overachiever, Peter was simply a sensitive kid with a young heart. Lord knew he tried to be mature for his age, but around Nathan, that facade seemed to melt away like the ice in their mother's drink on this hot summer day.
As they pulled out of the driveway, Peter looked back at their home, lavish and extravagant as it was. The house was a huge difference from where the two brothers were headed, out into the Appalachian mountains.
*
Nathan had a huge map covering the roads in their home state plus pieces of neighboring states. Peter had never been a good map-reader and found himself unable to even point out their current location.
"So... where are we going, again?" he asked his brother after an hour on the road. Nathan wore his shades and his gaze was directed straight ahead.
"Upstate New York, and from there to Pennsylvania, and I'm still choosing between Maryland and West Virginia," the older Petrelli replied without taking his eyes off the road. "Anywhere in particular you wanna go?"
"Not really..." Peter murmured. He'd seen very little of the world outside his home; here he was, pushing twenty, and he'd barely been out of his home state. "I trust you completely and fully."
"Good... because this is a kidnapping."
"Oh no!" Peter laughed. "But think of my family! They'll pay anything to get me back!"
"For YOU? Hell, they won't care," Nathan replied, and he laughed when he received a slap on the shoulder.
For another hour, the brother exchanged small talk and then listened to the radio. Eventually, Nathan got bored of music and began to engage in conversation again.
"So what do you want to do when we get there? Have anything in mind?"
"Well..." Peter said, hesitating as he shrugged. "I dunno... I can't remember all of what we did as kids. Fishing I can remember... and exploring around the site..."
In truth, Peter had thought for a long time about what he wanted to do at the camp site, but he remained silent about it for now. It wasn't a good time to bring up such... matters.
Peter pictured his revelation taking place at night or late in the evening, when everything around them was silent and Nathan could give him his undivided attention. Oh, how long Peter had yearned to have just that. He realized with growing excitement that this trip might be his last chance to reveal what he truly felt for his brother.
"So... how are things with you and Heidi?" he asked, once again trying to sound casual. "Is it... serious?"
"Might be..." Nathan replied with a thoughtful nod. "I like her. She's smart, sexy, accomplished... Just the kind of girl mom and dad's been hoping I'd meet."
Peter simply shrugged, not wanting his obvious disappointment to show. He'd met Heidi once, and though the woman had been polite or even kind to him, he could not help but loathe her for having adhered to Nathan.
"If the opportunity comes up, I might ask her to marry me," Nathan suddenly said.
"Uh oh..." Peter said, trying to hide his displeasure. "Are you saying I'm going to be an uncle?"
"No, you little turd," Nathan snapped, feigning a punch at his little brother's head. "That's more of the kind of mistake you would make with a girl."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Peter responded, though he had reasons as to why other than protected sex.
Another few hours went by as the Petrelli brothers' view went from woods to suburbs, to woods again and to freeways. Due to Peter's begging, they stopped for dinner at a fast food restaurant instead of having something a little healthier in the cooler.
Nathan shook his head, chuckling as he saw a bounce in Peter's step as they walked back to the car, enjoying their French fries. The kid could drive him crazy sometimes, but he was glad to be taking this trip with him.
It being July, it was bright almost around the clock, and Nathan was in no hurry to find them a camping spot.
"We could sleep in the car the first night," he suggested but was met with vehement resistance from his brother.
"No way! We make camp and set up a tent! I don't wanna sleep in this narrow car seat and possibly even freeze to death in here once the sun sets."
Nathan patiently pointed out that his car had air conditioning while a tent did not, but nothing he said could budge Peter's mindset. He was sleeping in a tent, curled up in a sleeping bag, and that was it. The former Naval officer thought to himself that sometimes his baby brother could be as stubborn as a mule.
"If you want to sleep out here, you have to help."
"Yes!" Peter cheered as he raced for the trunk. Rolling his eyes, Nathan realized he would probably be the worst parent in the world based on the way his brother always got his way around him.
The area they picked did not look like public property, so they proceeded to pitch the tent and unroll their sleeping bags. Peter was blas� about the possibility of bears in the area, but Nathan did not want to take chances. Thus, up the cooler went via an improvised pulley system, far enough away from the ground and body of the tree on which it hung for no bears to try anything clever.
Nathan had already started the process of making a campfire when he noticed Peter was obviously headed somewhere. His little brother put a great deal of mosquito spray on his uncovered forearms and lower legs and checked that his water bottle was full and thoroughly hooked to a loop on his belt.
"What do you think you're doing?" Nathan inquired, failing to keep his voice from sounding critical. Letting Peter wander off on his own was simply out of question, no matter how "eighteen" his brother claimed to be. Everyone knew that Peter's sense of direction was pretty much absent.
"I thought I'd do some exploring," the boy replied. "Why? I won't go far, I promise."
"Give me a minute to put this out, if you want to explore," Nathan replied. "I'll go with you."
"I'm a big boy, Nate," the young man objected. "I can tie my shoes and everything."
"But what about doing things together like you said?" Nathan pointed out as he poured water over the flames and stirred the debris. "Besides, I want to make sure you don't get lost."
"I do not get lost!" Peter snapped as his brother joined him. His hair was ruffled again by a large hand.
"I love ya, buddy, but you couldn't find your way out of a sock."
Grumbling, Peter did not speak to his older brother for another five minutes until they came across something that made him brighten instantly.
"A lake!" he exclaimed, running ahead of Nathan.
"Careful of snapping turtles, shrimpie!" The older brother teased.
A sudden, intense urge to just throw himself into the heavenly blue water overcame Peter, and he started stripping before his brain had time to even think the decision through. Nathan's hand grabbing his arm was what finally stilled his frenzy, and Peter looked up at his brother, large eyes practically glazing with excitement.
"I wanna go swim, Nathan," he said. "Can we, please?"
"Slow down just a minute. We didn't even bring any towels, not to mention bathing suits, or"--
"Screw bathing suits! It's just us here, anyway. Can't we go, you know, skinny dipping?"
"Skinny dipping?!" Nathan exclaimed, his eyes going wide at the notion. "We can't go freaking skinny dipping!"
"Don't be a stick in the mud, Nathan..."
"What if someone sees us?? What if there ARE snapping turtles?"
"Then I'm safe, because they'll all go swimming right at you. Ain't that right, Italian Stallion?"
Oh, good lord... due to the fact that they grew up together, Peter had seen Nathan nude before, including his penis. At puberty, the younger man had even naively asked when his penis was going to get as big as his brother's.
"Come ooonnnnn..." Peter badgered him, stripping down to nothing at all and hurrying into the water.
Nathan watched in mild horror as his brother ran into the lake, splashing huge amounts of water on both sides of him. Snakes were another concern he had not even had a chance to bring up before Peter made his mad dash.
"Come on, you big sissy!" Peter shouted joyfully after a short dive through the water, now going up to his flanks. "It's not even cold! You'll love it!"
The older man sighed, wanting to claim that such childish behaviour was beneath him - he was now past thirty, after all - but he was also well-aware that Peter would not easily let him forget this if he backed out. Besides, he did feel rather hot and sweaty, and the sky-blue water did look cool and enticing.
"Fine, I'm coming!" he yelled back at the pale, waif-like form of his brother childishly splashing a few feet from the shore.
He did not rip his clothes off, like Peter had, but folded them neatly and methodically, as his nature demanded. Years had gone by since Nathan Petrelli last swum in a lake - let alone skinny dipped - but for Peter, he was willing to make an exception.
"WOOHOO, the Italian Stallion!"
Nathan initially groaned at the remark, but soon his mood was lifting to the point that he was planning something wicked by the time he reached his brother.
"Surprise."
"Surprise for what?" Peter asked, forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. But instead of a spoken answer, he was shoved backwards into the water. It was not a hard push or a painful one at that, but it was strong enough to send him off balance. When he surfaced again two seconds later, he had to pull his long, drenched hair aside like a curtain to see his big brother's laughing face.
"Oh you're gonna get it," Peter growled, and he lunged for Nathan's knees.
Nathan was more than familiar with the move Peter attempted on him; he'd gone through basic and advanced close combat training during his time in the Navy, but something he had not counted on was how much his movements were hampered by the surrounding water. His attempt to avoid his brother's attack ended with Nathan getting tangled up in his own legs and being helplessly immersed in the blue depths. The first thing he heard after resurfacing was Peter's pearly laughter. The little prick practically had devil's horns sprouting from either side of his head.
Despite having gotten a rather unwelcome gulp of cold water, Nathan could not bring himself to be angry with his brother. The only sound thing to do was to give Peter a taste of his own medicine...
Of course running was a challenge in the water, but fortunately Nathan was in enough shape that he could catch his little brother, who was nearly howling with laughter. When he grabbed the skinny young man, they both went under, a tangle of limbs and a symphony of giggles and splashes.
"NO tickling!" Peter shrieked as he felt fingers dive under his arms. "I'll bite you, you asshole!"
"Beg for mercy, you little brat!" Nathan laughed as they wrestled in waist deep water. In no time, the once restrained and proper man was a kid again, having fun with his little brother and without a care in the world.
Peter's laughter eventually turned into frenzied gulps for breath while Nathan's unrelenting hands tickled him in spots he didn't even know existed. He was too small and inferior in strength to push his brother away, and all he could do was gasp out desperate and wordless pleas for Nathan to stop. If not, Peter was convinced he'd soon go into cardiac arrest.
"Are you begging yet?" Nathan asked triumphantly, watching his brother's skinny ribcage fall and rise with spasmodic jerks. Peter was definitely near his breaking point.
"Yes... Yeeessshhh!"
"What's that? I can't hear you...?"
"YES! Fuck! YES!"
The lawyer finally released his victim, and Peter collapsed against him in a boneless heap, still hyperventilating. "I hate you..." he murmured.
"Then don't just hang there, do something about it!"
Backing up his challenge, Nathan quickly dove under water, leaving a dumbfounded Peter staring at the place where he'd vanished.
"Nathan...?"
Peter was suddenly reminded of Jaws. Great. Nathan could be anywhere, and the reflection of the sky against the surface of the water certainly did not help the situation, at least not for Peter.

Something brushed against his leg, and he turned sharply. It could have been Nathan, or just as easily a bit of wood floating by.He briefly wondered if there were pikes in the lake.
"I hope your toes get chewed off!" Peter shouted, now anxious at the thought of getting attacked by either a pike or Nathan. The young man could either wait and face the oncoming attack by his brother, or make a mad dash to the shore like a pussy.
Then something stroked his feet, and it definitely felt like fingers. Peter's entire body went taut, and for the fraction of a second, he could hear his own blood rushing in his ears. Then something large and solid made way in between his legs, and before he could react any further, he was out of the water, sitting on his big brother's shoulders.
Nathan laughed heartily, a deep, rumbling sound one didn't hear often. "Didn't see that one coming, did you, little brat?" he teased.
Peter, trying his best to retain his balance, planted his feet flat against Nathan's abdomen and tangled his fingers in what he could grasp of his brother's inch-long hair. He grinned as well; sitting on Nathan's shoulders in the nude was suddenly a rather agreeable experience.
Hoping his enjoyment would not become obvious, he returned to his juvenile comments.
"Haha, you've got my junk against your head."
"Really?" Nathan replied, pretending to be earnest. "It must be pretty damn small, because I don't feel anything."
"I'm gonna poke you in the eye, you hairy ape."
"And then I'll leave you here and drive back home," Nathan threatened with a mischievous grin as he turned toward the shore.
"Awwww, but where would you be without me?" Peter asked, rubbing his hands into his brother's cheeks and squishing his face.
Taking Peter's hands in his own, the older man proceeded to carry his brother home on his shoulders.
Upon reaching solid ground, Nathan slowly crouched and bent his upper body forward, intending for Peter to leap off him. The younger brother complied somewhat unwillingly, not wanting the play and close contact to end so soon.
Once out of the water, both brothers quickly felt the shift in temperature and developed goose pimples in reaction to the cold. Peter longed to wrap a towel around his trembling body when it occurred to him that they hadn't brought any towels. The whole swimming thing had been done on a whim. His whim.
"Awwww, poor little guy," Nathan said half-teasing and half-sympathetic. "Are you cold?"
"What do you think?"

"

I'm thinking that I won't let you use my clothes to dry yourself."
"Damn, you're a mean, selfish bastard. Then can I warm myself against that broad hairy chest of yours?"
"Oh, hell no," Nathan exclaimed, charging at his brother with his arms out. Peter, though slightly disappointed that he did not get his wish, eagerly ran away from the older man, heading for the camp site. Clothes in hand, they raced up the path.
"Warmed up yet??" Nathan called after him as they ran.
When they reached the car and the site, everything was as the brothers had left it. Thank god there did not seem to be any bears. The sun was beginning its lazy descent toward the horizon, and night would be approaching in two hours. In the meantime, the two men could pass the time with a little dinner. Peter tried to ease down the cooler from the tree, but would have accidentally dropped the heavy thing to the ground if not for a pair of strong arms joining in.
"Damn it, Pete." Nathan tone was admonishing rather than reproachful. "You know you're not supposed to try stuff like this on your own."
"I'm not a little kid!" Peter snapped back, a bit more harshly than he had intended. "I just didn't expect it to be so goddamned heavy! Must be your stupid bear bottles..."
"Get some more muscle on your scrawny frame and I might actually take your word for it," Nathan said with an eye roll.
"Can I at least get a beer for my troubles...?" Peter tried, despite knowing that it was probably useless. Their parents must have given Nathan strict orders not to let Peter drink.
"I'll tell you what..." The lawyer put his hands to his hips and actually seemed to be considering it. "If you prepare dinner for us, I'll let you have a taste."
Peter brightened at the bargain, but he quickly hoped that the deal would not be broken if his meal tasted horrible.
"Sounds like a plan."
Fortunately, Peter managed to prepare food for the dinner without burning it. The brothers sat down around the fire, eating, talking and laughing the evening away. Peter had his own can of soda, but he only drank half of it, fiddling with the lid.
"So how about that beer, Nate?"
"I said a taste," Nathan pointed out, eyebrow raised. "Not a whole beer."
The unexpected and disappointing news made Peter want to punch his brother in the face. By all rights, Nathan had tricked him. If he'd known that his intake of beer would be limited to the couple of mouthfuls that Nathan suggested, Peter would never have gone through the trouble with making dinner, let alone dared to hope for a reward.
"That's not fair! You said I could have one!" he exclaimed, disappointment shining through his entire being. "You lied to me!"
"I did no such thing," Nathan replied calmly. "I'm responsible for you, baby brother. I can't let a minor get himself drunk in the middle of a forest."
"But you're here with me," Peter claimed, still refusing to accept his brother's decision. His pleas now contained a high degree of desperation, because even though Peter often got his way around Nathan, there were certain things - principles - that his brother adamantly refused to give in.
"I plainly said you could only have a taste, and you agreed to it. And you are a man of your word, aren't you?"
Peter grimaced for a minute, contemplated the question, and finally snapped, "No!"
"A taste, Peter." Nathan gave the look he had given when Peter was little. It was the same look that meant "don't play with my very expensive guitar", as well as "stop making noise when I'm studying".
"Well, can I have that stupid 'taste' now?" Peter asked.
The hard expression softened and Nathan passed the beer bottle to his little brother.
Peter took a swig and immediately grimaced at the bitter taste. Nathan's beer tasted nothing like the kind he'd experimentally tried at a classmate's birthday party. In fact, it this was downright yucky. His older brother merely laughed patronizingly.
"It wasn't all that good, was it? Something tells me you don't even want a whole bottle now."
"I suppose it takes some time getting used to..." Peter muttered. "And since you guys have practically raised me in a bubble, so..."
"Peter, you have your whole life ahead of you. What's the rush? You'll have plenty of time to try stuff once you're older. Why not be a kid and enjoy it while it lasts?"
"You're an adult and you get along just fine." Peter passed the bottle back to his brother, still wincing at the taste.
"Yeah, but you're only young once. Some days I do miss being your age."
"What, worrying about which University is going to take me?" Peter scoffed, looking a little sad. "No matter how old I'll be, you'll be older."
Nathan's face became compassionate as he realized the turn the conversation had taken. "Does that bother you a lot?"
The younger man went back to his soda, washing out the taste of the alcohol. "I don't know... sometimes. I feel like you'll always be the adult, not me. Some days I wish mom and dad could look at me like they do to you."
This particular topic of discussion had always bothered Nathan even though he didn't want to admit it. That he was their parents' favourite was not even kept secret; Arthur and Angela had put all their faith in him to carry on the family legacy. Peter... Well, Peter was just Peter. No doubt they loved him, but Peter would never be as important to the Petrellis as Nathan. Their firstborn, The Golden boy.
Having spent the first dozen years of his life as an only child, Nathan had not expected to get a younger sibling at the age of twelve. Rumors said that getting pregnant again at the brink of forty had not been in Angela's calculations, but Peter was born, and from the moment Nathan reached into his brother's cradle and let a tiny but strong hand grab his finger, he had known he would love the helpless little mite more than anything in the world.
Nathan stood up and walked around the campfire, taking a seat next to his little brother.

Wrapping an arm around Peter's shoulders, he pulled him close for a one-armed hug.
"I don't look at you like they do. I think I might look at you the same way they do to me."
Peter looked up at him and smiled, accepting the embrace and allowing his head to rest against a strong, sturdy shoulder.
"I love you Nathan."
Nathan smiled. "I love you too. It's pretty dark and we still have plenty of driving. You wanna turn in?"
"Okay," the young man answered, and he helped to extinguish the camp fire while Nathan turned on a flashlight. The two brothers teased one another as they stumbled to the tent, making spooky noises in the dark.
"I'm too old to be frightened by those ghost stories you used to tell me when I was a kid, Nathan," Peter informed his older brother. "You'll have to do better than that if you wanna scare me."
"Is that so?" the lawyer said with a wry grin. "I guess I will, then."
They crawled into the two-person tent where the sleeping bags were already waiting for them, Nathan carrying a flashlight under his arm. He figured it might come in handy if either of them needed to get out at night to take a piss or something else that required a certain degree of eyesight.
Undressing in the confined space turned out to be rather cumbersome and they bumped into one another several times in the process. Shivering from the cold, Nathan was quick to get into his sleeping bag, groaning at how cold the material was against his skin. Suspecting that the night would be a chilly one, he was more than a little surprised to watch Peter strip down to his bare skin, not even leaving his undershorts on.
"Good god, boy," Nathan exclaimed, curling further into the sleeping bag. Seeing his brother fully nude made him even colder. "Your nuts will freeze off you sleep like that!"
"The Vikings did it this way," Peter answered, slipping into his sleeping bag. "It's the macho thing to do."
After a few seconds of consideration, Nathan asked, "IS that something the Vikings did?"
"I dunno," his brother admitted. "But if you think of a real example like that, then let me know."
Laughing, Nathan turned over, picking up the flashlight and turning it off. "Ready for that scare?"
Peter snorted in amusement. "It doesn't work when you let me know that I'm going to get scared."
"Gimme a break, I haven't done this that often," an annoyed voice said in the dark. "What if I told you a ghost story or something?"
"Oh, please! I just said those aren't gonna work now that I'm eightee"�
"Not that sort of ghost story," Nathan interrupted. "Something that's actually happened. You know, like an urban legend."
"What's an urban legend?" Peter asked, his interest peaked against his will. Unbeknownst to himself, he scooted a few inches closer to his brother and saw Nathan's perfect row of white teeth gleam in the dark.
"It's a modern myth that is based on an actual event. Have you heard the one about the escaped lunatic with a hook for a hand?"
Peter shook his head and already felt a cold shiver run down his spine. This definitely sounded better than the wimpy old ghost stories about monsters under the bed and skeletons in the closet.
"This young couple is making out in a car parked in the woods, and suddenly they hear on the radio that a murderer with a hook for a hand has escaped from a nearby insane asylum..."
"Did he lose his hand or something?"
"Some people think he cut it off himself so that he could always have the hook with him... in case he felt like disemboweling someone."
"Oh, Christ."
"Exactly. So when the radio announces that he broke out, the girlfriend gets scared. After all, they're all alone in the woods. No one else knows where they are. The boyfriend tells her nothing will happen and starts making out with her. Then... something scratches the window."
The change in Peter's breathing told Nathan that his brother's eyes must have been wide as saucers.
"Scared yet?"
"No, dumbass," Peter quickly replied. "Just keep going."
"Nahh, I don't want you to have nightmares..."
"Screw you!" Peter burst out vehemently. "Now tell me how the story ends!"
"Alright, if you think you can handle it... The boy wants to show he's brave and says he'll go out to investigate the sound. The girlfriend begs him not to go out; she's really rattled up and just wants to go home. The guy goes out anyway, and suddenly the girl hears another scratching sound, but this time it comes from the roof of the car."
Nathan made a brief pause just to evaluate his brother's response. Peter had always been easily spooked; the number of times he'd crawled into Nathan's bed as a little boy were countless.
"You still want me to continue?"
"Yeah... Yeah, of course," Peter replied, although he sounded a lot more subdued this time.
"So of course now she's terrified. She doesn't want whatever's there to know someone else is in the car, but she can't see the boy anymore. She finally calls out her boyfriend's name... and the scratching on the roof happens even faster. So she decides she'll just peek out the window to see if anyone's out there..."
After a few seconds of silence, Peter's entranced, nervous voice gives a small, "Well?"
"Well... when she looks out the window, she thinks that she can see something on the door handle. And it's the shape of a hook!"
"Did her boyfriend come back?"
"She didn't wait around long enough. She completely freaked and got out of the car to look for him."
"Did... did the hook man get her too?" Peter asked in a hoarse whisper.
Ignoring the question, Nathan continued onward with the tale, pleased with himself for having managed to scare his brother. "And now she could finally see what was causing the scraping noise. Her boyfriend's been gutted and hung from a tree, and it's his feet that are scraping against the roof of the car."
A small noise sounded from Peter, and Nathan was all too familiar with it; it was the sound of Peter's thumb slinking into his mouth.
"No way that happened for real!"
"Sure it did. Maybe a few things have been added to the original story, but that's basically what happened." Nathan reached out to ruffle Peter's hair. "Scared yet, little guy?"
"No!" Peter growled, swatting at the man's large hand. "Just leave me alone and go to sleep!"
"Schh! Did you hear that?"
"What?"
"Sounded like a twig breaking. Right outside our tent."
"That's not funny!" the younger boy snapped. "Quit putting things in my head!"
"Was that shadow from a branch or an arm?"
"NATHAANNNN!"
"Oh my god, it's the hook man!" Nathan moaned like a tormented spirit, rising from his sleeping bag and reaching out for his brother.
"STOOOPPPPP!" Peter yelled as he wrestled with his big brother, who only laughed and growled as the two rolled around inside the tent. Peter managed to slap his brother in the face, causing a shout of surprise and pain.
"It's your stupid fault," the boy grumbled.
"Be careful, the hook man might hear you."
"There's no hook man, you douchebag! I hate you!" Peter tried to shove Nathan off him, but the older man pinned him down with his superior weight and strength, only laughing at his struggles.
"Maybe not, but there's something alright. There's another urban legend, where this group of girls is camping out in the woods, and"�
"Stop it, alright!" Peter yelled. "I don't wanna hear it. Just shut up, Nathan! Please?!"
"Admit it, you're scared," the lawyer teased. "Just say it, or I *will* tickle you!"
"Alright, fine! I'm scared! You happy now, you sadistic piece of crap?"
"What should we do about it, then? You wanna crawl into my sleeping bag?"
"Get bent."
"Uh oh, someone's cranky. Sounds like he needs to go beddy-bye."
Nathan received no answer this time and figured he must have really pushed his brother's buttons. "I'm sorry, little guy," he said, patting a bare shoulder.
"No you're not," came a muffled reply. "You're a dick."
"I mean it, buddy. I was just joking around. I'm sorry I went too far."
"Hmmf."
Laughing softly, Nathan ruffled the boy's hair again. "Don't be scared anymore. It's alright."
"I'm not," Peter objected, contradicting his earlier confession.
"Don't worry," the older brother said, feeling the soft scalp beneath his fingers. "I'll protect you. I always do, don't I?"
"Yeah..." Peter admitted softly, although his heart was still racing. Part from fear, part from exertion, and part from... from simply being so close to Nathan. There was a stirring in his loins, and suddenly Peter was glad that his lower half was still concealed by the sleeping bag.
"Goodnight, baby." Nathan kissed his brother's forehead and then withdrew from him. "Try not to have any nightmares."
"Well, I can always hope not..." Peter muttered back, although he already knew that that would not be the case.
Nathan was sleeping in no time, but Peter found himself wide awake, even an hour later. Every noise outside of the tent seemed magnified to the point of startling the daylights out of him, and not being able to see all that was outside of the tent only made him even more edgy. Attempting to sleep completely covered by the sleeping bag only impeded his breathing and made him sweaty. Of course Nathan was blissfully unaware of any of this, completely unconscious and slightly affected by the beer he had consumed.
"Jerk," Peter mumbled.
He tried to change positions every two seconds to alleviate the physical discomfort and focus his mind on pleasant thoughts, like getting to spend the upcoming three weeks all alone with his big brother. This, however, brought his mind to all the nights that would follow this one, and the numerous "camp fire tales" Nathan seemed to know... God, just stop it, the young man berated himself. None of it's true. It's just a bullshit story to begin with.
Peter curled into a little ball, his torso sweaty and hot while his feet felt like they were encased in ice. He couldn't take more of this. Unless he did something, he'd end up spending the night awake and be smashed the entire day tomorrow. Struggling out of his sleeping bag, Peter crawled over to his brother, shivering when the cold night air impacted with his moist, bare skin.
Nathan slept soundly and peacefully on his back, one hand behind his head. Peter felt bad for having to wake him, but right now he really didn't have a choice.
"Nathan...?" he whispered, shaking his brother's shoulder. "Nathan? Hey, wake up!"
The lawyer simply growled something in reply, and his eyelids fluttered.
"Nathan, can I sleep with you? I... I'm really uncomfortable on my own."
Almost instantly, Nathan lifted the flap to his sleeping bag and mumbled an invitation. Peter could not believe it, but he accepted the offer anyway, happy to be inside that comfy, warm space. Even better, the place was comfy, warm, and next to his brother.
"Thanks, Nate."
"Mmm-hmm..." Nathan stretched his arms for a moment and resumed his previous position. Smiling, Peter looked at his brother's serene expression, which was now slightly more visible in the dark. Looking at the older man's face calmed him, as Nathan's mere presence always had a soothing effect on the young man. Even as a small boy, if he ever felt unhappy or scared, Peter would go to his big brother and find himself feeling better within minutes.

He curled up against Nathan's side, resting his head on a well-toned, broad chest that rose and fell in time with Nathan's breaths. Warmth and a sense of calmness spread over Peter's previously tense, clammy body like a comforting blanket, and he welcomed the sensation.

Suddenly the sounds from outside no longer mattered, as he had his brother's heartbeats to listen to. Although he was slightly disappointed at the limited amount of skin-to-skin contact, Peter was also grateful that Nathan was in fact wearing a T-shirt. If not, the dense hair on the older man's chest would have felt very uncomfortable against his face. Burrowing as close as physically possible, Peter was asleep within the next fifteen minutes.
TBC...
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Brother's Keeper