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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
- 24
- 25
- 26
Chapter 25
Peter was apprehensive but also glad when they arrived at their destination and he could get out of the car. Sitting down for extended periods of time caused him a great deal of discomfort in his current condition. Even walking could not be executed without a certain amount of pain in his nether regions. Oh lord, what if the infection - or whatever it was - was spreading?
With Nathan's arm around his younger brother's shoulders, the two Petrellis entered the building and took the elevator to the floor where Shearsmith's clinic was located. A middle-aged nurse with platinum blonde hair drawn back in a neat bun smiled at them from the reception. Her face was not familiar to either of them.
"Nathan and Peter Petrelli?" she asked, glancing briefly at her computer screen.
"That's right," Nathan said without hesitation. Peter looked as though he was ignoring her, but he was only lost in his nervous thoughts.
Without so much as looking at where her hands moved, she picked up several papers and a pen, putting the items on a clipboard and handing them to Nathan. "This is for 3:30..."
"Also correct," the lawyer replied, taking the clipboard.
She finally finished typing and looked up at them, smiling. "Just fill those out and bring them back here when you're finished. I'll let you know when you can go back and see him."
"Thanks so much." Nathan gave his usual winning smile and led Peter back to a chair in the waiting room. Only two elderly women were within, discussing something about old acquaintances in the far side of the room. A television was playing old 50's sitcoms quietly on the wall next to the nurse's window.
A wall clock next to the TV kept the visitors updated on the time. In five minutes it would be the Petrelli brothers' turn to see the doctor, if Shearsmith kept up on his schedule.
Nathan took his brother's hand in his own to keep Peter from chewing on his soon non-existent fingernails, but the boy then reverted to his other hand, nibbling almost frantically on the already short nails. Nathan suspected that Peter would soon give himself bleeding fingertips, but he was not able to stop his brother's nervous tic without physically restraining him.
With the hand not busy holding Peter's, Nathan in turn filled out the information requested on a form. The nurse had asked him to hand the papers back to her once filled out, and when the lawyer rose from his seat to do just that, Peter's whole body jerked.
Nathan immediately turned to face his brother, gesturing with the board. "I just have to send this back to the nurse," he said, and Peter's body loosened slightly, although he still held onto his brother's large hand. "We don't have to get up just yet, bud. I'll be right back."
Peter let go, although with some regret, and slumped back into his chair. Certainly the nurse's window was only a few steps away, and thus Nathan never left his sight, but Peter's heart was pounding, and his nerves caused a slight panic to wash over anytime his big brother was not right by his side.
Thankfully the old women were too engrossed in their conversation about "what Dan said at church" to pay attention, because Peter would have hated to see anyone staring at his behavior at his point.
Before Nathan has returned from the nurse's window, the door to the examination room opened and two men - Doctor Shearsmith and the patient who'd been to see him - exited. The man who'd been to see the doctor before them looked worn out and feverish and had a rattling cough that made the walls of the clinic practically reverberate. In his hand, he held what was obviously a prescription.
"Remember, Hank, you must take all of the antibiotics this time. If you stop mid-treatment, the infection can return - even stronger than before," Shearsmith admonished his patient. "Do you understand what I'm saying? And stay off work until your fever is down."
The man named Hank muttered something inaudible in reply and brushed past Peter just as Nathan was making his way back to the waiting room. Finally the young man could not keep his self-control anymore. He flinched away from the man - with words like infection and bacteria repeating in his head - and gathered his arms up to his chest. By the time Nathan walked back to him, his small body was hunched over and directed toward the wall.
Kneeling down in response to the sight, Nathan softly addressed his brother, saying his name and patting his shoulder.
"I don't know if I can do this," Peter weakly murmured.
Nathan was about to give some form of encouragement or comfort, but a feminine voice called out for them from behind. Both brothers looked toward the window and found a brown-haired woman in a nurse�s uniform standing close to it, holding the information forms.
"Come with me, we'll put you in a room."
"Of course," Nathan replied, rising to his feet and gently nudging his little brother's shoulder. "Come on, big guy."
Peter allowed himself to be led toward the examination room by Nathan and the brunette nurse, though his instincts told him to bolt out of the clinic altogether. The fact that the doctor was a fleeting acquaintance did not help ease his fear. Last time he had seen Shearsmith was roughly two years ago, when he had needed antibiotics for a stubborn ear infection.
"Have a seat, gentlemen, and the doctor will be with you shortly," the nurse said, the practiced smile not leaving her face for one second, and Peter couldn't help wondering why her facial muscles weren't cramping by now.
"You'll stay, won't you? All the time?" Peter anxiously asked his big brother while they were waiting for the doctor. "You won't leave me alone?"
"Of course I'll stay, sweetheart. You needn't worry about that."
Both brothers lifted their heads when the door opened and Doctor Shearsmith finally entered. The doctor was about the same age as Arthur Petrelli, if not a little younger. Though his sandy hair was greying and thinning, his eyes were always warm. A surprising face on someone who had known Arthur for so many years, Nathan considered.
"Nathan!" he said with a grin. "I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I read your name in the schedule!"
Nathan stood, despite a hand still grasping his right, and he awkwardly shook the doctor's hand with his left. "Afraid not," the lawyer answered, gesturing to his younger brother. "Peter's had some bad times."
"Well hey there, Peter," Shearsmith said, his voice instantly lower in volume, as though dealing with a small animal. It was almost as if the older man knew something was different with the boy. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Peter only nodded, staring at the man's knees rather than his eyes. Nathan knew this had to be surprising on some subtle level for the doctor. The last time Peter had been to an appointment with Shearsmith, he was talkative and cracking jokes. Now the young man was acting as though he had never met the doctor before.
"Now tell me... What's been bothering you, Peter?" Shearsmith asked, trying unsuccessfully to establish eye contact with his patient. If he found anything weird with Peter's behaviour, he was considerate enough not to show it.
Peter merely glanced at Nathan, unsure of what to do or say. It was embarrassing enough to tell what was wrong, let alone having to show it...
"It's alright, buddy," Nathan whispered. "He's a doctor, you can tell him."
Peter swallowed and made two unsuccessful attempts to speak before his vocal cords finally obeyed him. "I've been having this itch..."
When he received no reaction - he did not dare look up to see the expression on the doctor's face - the boy continued. "I tried not to scratch it, but it was so bad... it just got worse..."
"Where did the itching begin?" Shearsmith inquired as he removed a pen from his pocket.
"Well..." Peter hesitated, and Nathan knew from his response that the area in question would become easy for the doctor to guess. "It's... downstairs. In my rear," he finally blurted out.
After scribbling for a few seconds, Shearsmith looked at Peter. "Is there any pain?"
"Yeah..." Peter said, his voice tinged with regret. "We didn't know what it was, but I tried not to scratch. And then it started hurting. Hurting, itching. It hurt even worse when I scratched."
"Have you seen any discharge? Any discoloration in the stool?"
"Mmm-hmm," Peter said timidly.
There was a brief pause, which the doctor spent scribbling down notes in his notebook. Nathan suspected that no one else but the doctor could read the notes.
"Sounds to me that you've contracted either an STD or a yeast infection, Peter," the man finally said. "But I'll have to take a look at you before I make any assumptions. There are examination gowns in that cupboard over there. Take off your clothes and put one on, and let me take a look, okay?"
When Peter made no move to get up or respond in the first place, a concerned wrinkle formed between the physician's brows. "You can go change over there, if you'd like." He gestured at a small area in the corner of the room, enclosed by a white drapery.
Peter's body, already tense to begin with, curled up tighter on the seat. "Why do we have to do that?" he asked. "Can't you just go with what I said?"
"I can't be sure unless I take a look at the source of the problem."
"But..." Peter hardly able to form words coherently in his head. He was afraid. Even when Nathan paid any attention to the place where those monsters violated him, he felt that small twinge of fear, and to let someone else go there was hardly thinkable. What if the doctor's examination ended badly somehow? What if he had to be operated on again? And what if questions were asked about why Nathan had not brought him to seek help sooner? Would Peter have to live with his parents again? With his father?
"Pete, Pete," his brother's voice whispered. The younger man realized as he snapped out of his haze that his brother's large hands were rubbing at the tense knots which were once shivering shoulders. "Peter, it'll be alright."
The doctor cleared his throat at the obviously awkward scene that was playing out before him, and finally said, "I understand that it might feel... embarrassing to be examined down there, but I can't make a diagnosis unless I see the area in question."
"I know..." Peter whispered.
"Peter, it'll be alright," Nathan repeated. "I'll be right beside you. Alright? I promise I won't take my eyes off you."
Giving a defeated, miserable sigh, Peter finally gave in, accepting the gown Shearsmith was holding out to him. He knew that examination gowns were supposed to prevent the patient from feeling quite as naked during a physical, but to Peter it really didn't make a difference. His most vulnerable parts would be exposed to the mercy of this man.
"Like I said, you can go change over there, if you..."
"It's okay..." Peter muttered, seating himself on the bunk and simultaneously struggling out of his sweater and T-shirt. Once the gown was on - as predicted, its back was open - he removed his jeans and underwear as well. Nathan stayed true to his word and never let his gaze stray from his brother's face.
"Alright, now we'll have you lie down on your back right at the edge of the table here..." Shearsmith indicated. And I'll just take a look inside and see what the problem is. After that I'll get a sample and"�
"What kind of a sample?" Peter interrupted, the worry clear as crystal in his voice.
"It'll be a cotton swab against the area like a paintbrush. One of these," and he held up a sterile glass container full of said swabs. "We'll have a nurse present too, if you don't mind, to assist me."
Peter winced visibly as he sat down on the padded table and turned to lie on his back, his older brother assisting him. The pain was bad now, but what would it be when the doctor finally examined him? Nathan patted the back of his baby brother's neck, and it soothed him only slightly.
"Will it hurt?" Peter asked nervously, edging toward the end of the table with trepidation.
"It might be a bit painful, especially if you clench," the physician replied truthfully. "But it's in no way dangerous," he quickly added upon seeing Peter's expression go from anxious to terrified. "Now, if you could spread your legs..."
Peter very reluctantly complied with the request. His current position and the gown prevented him from seeing what was going on between his legs, and not knowing somehow made it even worse. Nathan's left hand served as a cushion for Peter's neck, and his right was held in an iron grip by both of Peter's hands. The boy's breathing was fast and shallow, and Nathan could feel the pulse beating hard on a spot in his brother's long, pale neck.
"I'm here, sweetheart," he assured one more time, sensing that Peter needed it.
A minute later, the same brown haired nurse entered the room with a tray of objects. One of which was a large cylindrical instrument that made Peter shake when he looked at it. "What's that?" he asked, his voice weak.
"It's a speculum, but from what I'm seeing so far, especially when I shine the light down there, I don't think we'll be needing it. Normally it's used to examine further inside the person by holding their vaginal or anal pathways open. But as I said, I won't use it today."
"Good," came the tiny voice.
Washing his hands and slipping on some gloves, the doctor requested that Peter scoot just a little closer to the edge of the table, and his close proximity made Peter's legs tremble at the thought of what would happen next.
"Relax, sweetheart," the nurse said. "It'll help if you don't tense up your thighs or you bottom."
"I'm trying," Peter whimpered, though somehow he could not help what his body was doing. He tried to focus instead on his brother's fingers lightly rubbing against his skin, but even then the sensation of the doctor's fingers took more of his attention.
"Alright, I'm going to insert my finger, Peter."
The boy covered his face with his free hand, the other still squeezing that of his older brother. The unwelcome intrusion of a gloved finger made Peter clench up further, and a loud whimper from pure pain exited his throat. Nathan's heart almost broke at the sound and sight of his baby brother's agony, and a momentary instinct to protect his kin from harm made him want to knock away the presently responsible for the hurting, namely doctor Shearsmith. The feeling only lasted a fraction of a second, and instead of acting out, Nathan rested his brow against Peter's, their hands tightly clasped.
"Your rectum itself feels normal, Peter," Shearsmith announced after a brief but still painful examination of his patient's inner walls. "I can detect a small sore, and what appears to be scar tissue... but there are no masses or anything that would suggest a serious problem. Have you been suffering from creamy, pus-like discharge?"
"Yes, he has," Nathan replied in his brother's stead.
"Apart from the itch, what else?"
"Well, he's been constipated," Nathan said. "And found bowel movement painful. And a few days ago, he was bleeding from his rectum."
"Hmmm..." The doctor was silent for a few seconds before speaking up again. "I think I know what's causing this, but to be 100 percent sure, I will have to take a rectal swab."
"What is it?" Nathan asked.
"The symptoms fit gonorrhea like a glove."
Nathan had been preparing himself for the diagnosis since the moment he made the appointment hours before, but somehow he still felt his stomach lurch as though it were flipping over. Somehow the answer was still jarring, perhaps because now the disease had a name. He rested his forehead against that of his brother once more and stroked at a slight neck as Peter whimpered.
//Gonorrhea. Those animals gave my baby brother gonorrhea. Anything else they can throw at him even after they've gone to hell?//
"Nathan?"
Knocked from his thoughts by the doctor, he lifted his head from against Peter's and looked toward the older man. The nurse was already closing a small container which housed a cotton swab. In the lawyer's musings, the sample had already been taken.
"I think that will be the end of the examination. It's alright Peter, you can get dressed again."
Peter's entire body was trembling so badly that Nathan had to help his brother get dressed and button his jeans for him. Knowing how traumatic the examination must have been for the boy, he once again wished they could have traded places.
"When will you find out if it's really gonorrhea?" Nathan asked the physician after Peter had been dressed and the nurse had gone to deliver the cotton swab test. "And more importantly, what will you do to help my brother?"
Shearsmith pulled out a chair and took a seat opposite the two brothers, his visage sympathetic but also troubled. "Peter..." he began, "since you have an STD, it is my obligation to ask you some questions concerning your sexual behaviour. Remember that anything said in this room will never reach anyone outside these walls."
"My brother is not sexually active," Nathan blurted out. "Not now and not ever."
Shearsmith gave a grim sigh. "Nathan, I realize this is a... delicate matter for you and your family, but I am not an idiot. In order to contract rectal gonorrhea, Peter must have had unprotected anal intercourse with an infected person." Then, addressing Peter, he continued. "You can trust me. I won't tell your parents about any of this. Am I correct in assuming they are unaware of your orientation?"
Peter's face went red and he bowed his head in shame.
"They know," Nathan answered for his little brother. "Our father was not very... supportive."
Giving a quiet sigh, the doctor replied, "I see," and laid a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Like I said before. If there is anything, and I mean anything, that you'd wish to be kept in this room, I'll be obliged to keep your request."
Peter said nothing, so Shearsmith continued, not noticing the troubled look on Nathan's visage.

"How many sexual partners have you had, Peter?"
Partners? The very thought of the monsters who had broken him made Peter feel sick. Even the word �partners� sounded like Peter was, in some way... willing. The memories surfacing overwhelmingly made Peter hide his reddened face in his shaking hands.
Nathan finally cleared his throat and brought the doctor's attention to him. "Doctor... I think I should mention something that happened to my brother this past summer."
"Oh?" Shearsmith raised a brow questioningly.
"Actually, it happened to both of us," Nathan said. "Little is known to the public, partly because we wanted nothing to do with the press, and also since it didn't even happen around here. My brother and I were on a road trip..."
Nathan continued to summarize the events which then took place, keeping the most gruesome and horrifying details to himself, and he watched the doctor's face go from a healthy pink to ashen grey.
"Oh... my God," Shearsmith said and proceeded to loosen his tie. "So Peter... and you as well...?"
"Yes." Nathan rubbed his baby brother's back reassuringly. "They did everything to Peter. My brother's mind is still healing, and it's been a struggle. Now this..."
Peter's hands still remained clasped over his face, and now the palms were rubbing relentlessly at a wrinkled brow. Clearly even thinking about the horrible events caused him great emotional pain. When Nathan took one of the hands in his own, his brother only bent his head down further, his dark hair obscuring falling tears.
"I'm sorry," the words came out in a small whisper.
"No, this is nothing to apologize for," the doctor said as he watched the lawyer embrace his little brother. "What happened... that was terrible. But it was never your fault, and neither is this."
"See, sweetheart?" Nathan said softly as he held the shivering boy. "Didn't I tell you? He's an expert and he says it wasn't your fault. Never."
"Everything's wrong with me now," Peter said, voice shaking. "I have all these problems."
"I should have realized I was dealing with a case of sexual abuse when... when you were so afraid of an examination," Shearsmith told the boy. "Please forgive my ignorance."
"It's okay..." the boy murmured, still affected but not crying or trembling at the moment. "Can you help me get rid of it...?"
"Of course, I'll prescribe you an antibiotic that will take care of it. Don't worry, you'll be cured."
Shearsmith removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Nathan, Peter, I am sorry to say this, but according to regulations, I am bound to report all cases of an STD to the CDC."
"But... Peter hasn't had any sexual partners," Nathan objected. "We were telling the truth about that. And the rapists are dead."
"What about you, Nathan?"
A wrinkle formed between the lawyer's eyes for a brief moment. "What about me?"
"You said you were abused by these men too."
Feeling foolish, Nathan nodded, realizing what the doctor meant. "I... haven't had any partners. Not since we had left for that trip. And besides... I haven't felt any symptoms."
"If anything," Shearsmith said thoughtfully, recalling the story he was told, "from what you said, we should take a sample from your throat. Just to be on the safe side."
Nathan glanced at his brother, who had looked up to give an imploring expression. "Oh Nathan, not you too..."
Before the boy's apology could go any further, Nathan placed a finger against his brother's lips.

"Shh... it'll be alright. Don't worry."
"This will only take a moment," the doctor stated aloud as he prepared for another sample.
Nathan gagged reflexively when Shearsmith scraped the tip of the cotton swab against his pharynx, but he was glad he did not have to go through the same thing Peter had. The poor boy even offered to hold his hand in case his big brother was scared.
"Asymptomatic gonorrhea is common in women but somewhat rarer in men," the physician informed them. "Also, symptoms mostly occur within twenty days after infection, but as we can see here, that is not always the case. Should you experience any symptoms, Nathan..."
"I'll call you at once," the lawyer finished the sentence. "I got it. Now how about that prescription for my brother?"
"Ahh, yes." Shearsmith reached into his pocket and pulled out a prescription book and quickly scribbled something into it. After tearing out the page, he handed it to Nathan.
"Ciprofloxacin?" the older brother asked.
"That should take care of it."
"How long till it starts working?"
"Results should occur within the next three or four days. Give me an update on how he is after that time."
"Sure," the lawyer said, as he slipped the piece of paper inside his wallet. He then turned to his brother, who was still staring at the floor. "Hear that, bud? We can go and get you some medicine."
Peter only nodded. His thought most likely dwelt on leaving for home now. With another wince, he slid off of the table to his feet.
"Oh, and for the other problem..." Shearsmith said, writing out another prescription and handing it to the younger Petrelli brother. "A little something for the itching. That should help to make you feel a lot better."
Peter timidly took the piece of paper, feeling incredibly grateful for the considerate gesture made by his doctor. "Thank you," he said with a shy smile.
Casting a brief glance at the text on his prescription, he pretty soon realized he had no idea what Shearsmith had given him, but as a doctor, he should know what he was doing, right? Nathan held out his hand for the prescription and Peter obediently handed it to him. Of course his big brother wanted to keep them both in the same place until it was time to go pick up the drugs.
"I will call you about your test results, Nathan. If you'd happen to carry the bacteria, I'll prescribe antibiotics for you as well," Shearsmith said. "Until you hear from me, do not engage in sexual activity of any kind."
The older Petrelli gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle and said he could promise that. After months of celibacy, surely another few days didn't matter.
"Good luck, buddy," Doctor Shearsmith said before the two brothers left the room, addressing Peter. "Remember that you got some friends in this world yet."
Hesitantly, Peter gave the man a small smile and, remembering years of trust between himself and the older man, he hugged him. Nathan watched, once again feeling the twinge of a memory from years back, when his baby brother was literally just a baby, having learned to walk and giving plenty of hugs to everybody, including the doctor.
"We'll take these to the pharmacy and they should have it done in a matter of minutes if we're lucky," Nathan stated as the two Petrelli brothers returned to the car. "And in no time at all, you be feeling one hundred percent."
He opened the driver's side door for his little brother, feeling as though it was necessary.
*
They stopped by a pharmacy close to their home to pick up the Cipro and the other medication for itch which Doctor Shearsmith had prescribed for Peter. Said medication turned out to be a cream called Fucidine whose active ingredients were hydrocortison plus a mild antibiotic, supposedly to boost the anti-inflammatory effect of the steroid.
Peter opened the package containing the tube already in the car on their way home, squirting some of the cream out into his hand to see what it was like. Nathan, however, told him to put it away so that none would get on his leather seats. Peter, having nowhere to put the white dollop already in his hand, removed a Kleenex from his brother's glove compartment and thoroughly wiped his hands, now ashamed of what he had done.
Nathan was almost annoyed at his brother's inconsiderate behavior, but he quickly reminded himself that Peter could not help it. The lawyer spent the rest of the drive in sad silence as his thoughts lingered on the notion.
"Are you mad at me?" Peter asked worriedly as they ascended the apartment building in the elevator.
"Huh?" Nathan asked, pulled from his daydreaming. "No, what gives you that idea?"
"You've been quiet. And you look upset. I'm sorry I opened the cream."
"No, sweetheart," Nathan reassured the young man, putting an arm around the small shoulders. "I'm just thinking... about you getting better. I'm the one who should be feeling bad, after all, since you got so sick because of my idiocy."
The boy sniffled, lowering his eyes. He had to agree that Nathan's not taking him seriously had caused the illness to progress in the past few days, but it wasn't his big brother who had infected him but the horrible men in the woods. Supposedly he should be relieved that they had only given him something as harmless as gonorrhea and not AIDS or some other lethal disease, but with his rear end practically on fire, it was difficult to think positive thoughts.
The elevator stopped with a small jingling sound and the two brothers stepped out into the ninth story hallway where Nathan had his apartment. Peter could not walk particularly fast due to his ailment, and he was grateful that Nathan was thoughtful enough to adjust his pace to that of his brother.
As they slowly walked down the hallway, Nathan thought to remind his brother he loved him, to lighten his spirit. Peter's head automatically leant against his shoulder in response.
Once inside the apartment, Nathan asked his brother what the next course of action should be. "You want to go back to bed, or are you hungry? It's your call, whatever you feel up to."
"I feel gross. And I think I smell."
Smiling in amusement, Nathan said, "I could draw your bath."
Peter smiled. "That sounds good."
"Afterwards, perhaps we can try to start your medicine."
Peter followed his older brother to the bathroom and watched the man turn the taps on. The mirror began to fog with the heat of the water. "Will you help me?" he asked timidly. "With the cream, I mean..."
"Of course. Anything you want, bud."
This morning's tube of Preparation H, squeezed empty, still lay in the sink, and both brothers glanced at it. Nathan quickly removed it and threw it in the trashcan so that it would not remind Peter of what had happened earlier, or how ineffective the hemorrhoid cream had been against the actual cause of the boy's discomfort. Nathan felt ashamed of suggesting it in the first place. Who knew, maybe it had even worsened Peter's condition.
Once the tub was almost full and the air in the bathroom was moist and heavy with steam, Nathan turned off the faucets and experimentally felt the bath water with his fingertips. Hot but not too hot. Just the way Peter liked it.
The boy had already stripped away his clothes and stood in a posture that suggested he was either cold or shy. Rolling up his sleeves, the older man took his brother by the hand and guided him into the tub, wrapping an arm around the small frame and letting him rest his head as big hands scrubbed with the soap.
Leaning not only made Peter feel safe against his brother's shoulder, but took some of the weight away from his sore rear end. He could only hope that the cream he had been prescribed would work to rid him of the pain and itch. His presently negative attitude told him to not keep his hopes up.
Preferably Peter would have wanted his brother to join him in the bathtub, but he was almost certain that Nathan would say no, as he had already taken a shower early in the morning, before Peter got out of bed. The hot water caressed his skin like silk and helped his taut muscles and stiff joints relax, but only to a certain extent. The pain in his nether regions prevented him from fully enjoying anything.
Nathan helped him get cleaned mostly in silence, scrubbing his reddening skin gently with the softer side of a bath sponge.
"Sweetie..." Nathan suddenly began, unsure of what to say next. There was so much he wanted to tell his brother, but for some reason he had trouble getting any words out. "I... I'm so sorry for what happened."
Peter looked up at it, a slight uncertainty in his eyes.
"I'm supposed to take care of you, and... God, sometimes I wonder if maybe I got too fucked up as well... what if I'm not helping at all..."
He was interrupted by a sweet kiss on his cheek, and damp arms hugging him around the neck.
"Don't be sad, Nathan. Please don't be sad?"
Nathan paused as he took in the affection, musing over the words spoken to him. Clearly his baby brother had forgiven him.
"You don't have to feel bad. You're a good big brother."
"Thank you, baby," Nathan finally said, kissing and hugging his baby brother back.
They finished the rest of the bath in silence, Nathan thoroughly scrubbing the boy's body and finally rinsing him clean of shampoo and soap. A large green bath towel was immediately wrapped around Peter's small frame he stepped out of the tub, followed by his big brother rubbing him dry. Peter did not mention that he was fully capable of drying himself off, because he simply enjoyed the attention too much. Nathan's hands could almost make him forget about the itch and burn between his legs.
"Now go put on some clothes, and I'll make us something to eat, okay, buddy?" Nathan suggested, giving Peter a light nudge toward the door.
"I really just wanna go to bed..."
"You can go to bed after you've eaten something," the older man said firmly. "You have to eat, sweetheart. You know that, right?"
Peter looked down at the ground, slightly embarrassed. "Yes, I do. And I wanna get better."
"Good boy," Nathan said with a smile, placing a palm against the younger man's cheek, rubbing the skin with his thumb. "What's your pleasure, big guy?" he asked.
Peter looked aside for a moment and then gave a hopeful look. "Grilled cheese?"
"One grilled cheese sandwich coming right up. You could even help hand me supplies while we make it."
"Okay," Peter replied, his smile broadening.
*
"After your meal, we can give you the cream and you can turn in if you want," the lawyer offered as he sprayed some cooking oil onto a frying pan. Peter found the ingredients in no time and stood at his older brother's side, ready to be the assistant chef.
"Aren't you having any?" the boy asked when he noticed Nathan was only preparing one sandwich.
"Nahh, I'm having some canned soup instead," the older Petrelli brother replied and motioned to said can already waiting on stove. "Can you hand me a can opener, Pete?"
Peter immediately wrinkled his nose upon noticing what his brother was having. Pea soup. Tinned pea soup. Could it get any worse?
"That stuff smells like puke," he remarked, still scowling at the older man's choice of dinner.
"Perhaps, but it's healthy," Nathan retorted with a look of mock hurt on his face.
"Awww, did I hurt the beefcake's feelings?" Peter asked in a small voice as he grinned mischievously.
"Maybe enough to make me serve you this soup instead," the older man responded, lifting the open can towards his brother's face. Peter made a nauseated noise and took his sandwich to the table in retreat.
*
Following their meal, the brothers walked back to Nathan's bedroom, where Peter began to clearly fidget. "You'll be really careful, right?"
"Gentle as a lamb," Nathan promised, as he put an arm around his brother's shoulders and led him to the bed. "Now how are you feeling down there?"
Peter shrugged while hesitantly starting to shed his clothes. "Same as this morning... Still itching and hurting..."
"It won't for much longer."
"I sure hope..." Peter finally lowered his underwear and kicked the garment into the far corner of the bedroom. Even though he trusted his brother over anyone on the planet, he couldn't help feeling a bit vulnerable standing naked before a fully clothed Nathan, especially concerning what was about to happen. Peter let his gaze anxiously wander between his brother and the opened tube of Fucidine cream on the bedside table.
"You get comfortable, baby," Nathan said. "I'll go wash my hands."
Peter obeyed and took up some space on his side of the bed, listening to the quick use of the nearby bathroom sink. Somehow, feeling nervous made him feel colder lying there without the clothes.
"You look chilly, bud," Nathan said as he slightly jogged back to his brother's side. "You can get under the covers, you know. The rest of you can be warm while we do this."
Peter nodded, feeling a little silly, and shuffled under the blankets. Having just washed his hands, Nathan's fingers were pleasantly warm, and helped take away a bit of the fear which gnawed at Peter's thoughts.
One of those large hands stroked at Peter's hip, and the boy heard Nathan's voice say softly, "You ready, Peter?"
Nibbling at his lip, Peter nodded. The boy, however, did not feel ready. His body was taut and tense, and Nathan could recognize one of his brother's nervous tics namely the chewing on his bottom lip.
"If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I can let you try it yourself," Nathan suggested, but was met with an almost frantic headshake from his little brother. "No, no, I want you to do it. I... I'd rather not think about what it feels like in there..."
"Alright, sweetie. But I need you to try and relax, okay?" Nathan inspected his fingernails, making sure they were short and without sharp edges.
Peter, lying on his back with his legs now spread, nodded. A blanket covered his upper body and the boy's hands were squeezing fistfuls of it, almost to the point of whitening knuckles. Apparently it was the closest to relaxing he could get.
Opening the tube, Nathan squeezed out a relatively large dollop of the white cream onto his right index finger. Not until now did he realize he should have asked Shearsmith to provide him with a few pairs of vinyl gloves just for this. With his free hand still gently stroking his baby brother's hip, Nathan whispered a few encouraging words as he tried to figure out the best way of applying the cream. If he was too quick, he might cause harm, or even remind his little brother of the rough nature of the men who had raped him.
As he continued to pat gently, Nathan realized what he could do to possibly help his brother to not be afraid. Still patting, he drifted his hand down closer to the area where he would be applying the cream. The figure beneath him uncoiled a small bit of tension, and Nathan, feeling encouraged, continued to caress.
"It'll be alright, Peter," he said. When his baby brother said nothing, Nathan was not sure whether it was a good or a bad sign. "I'm... I'm going to touch you there now, Peter. I'll be as quick as possible, so you just relax, okay?"
When there was still no negative response from Peter, Nathan carefully touched his brother's anus with his mid-finger, his other hand still busy caressing Peter's inner thigh. The sphincter reacted, as predictably, by flexing, but this happened only once, and Nathan began by smearing some of the cream around the orifice itself.
When Nathan's finger finally entered him, Peter hardly felt any discomfort. Even though his brother had bigger fingers than Doctor Shearsmith, his touch was far gentler and more tolerable than the physician's had been. The mere gentility of the contact inside him inspired him to slow down his breathing, focusing on keeping his body lax.
"How are you doing over there?" Nathan asked, keeping his finger still inside the boy.
"Good..." Peter whispered, his voice strained but a little less fearful than it once was.
Trusting that he could continue further, the lawyer slowly twisted his wrist, attempting to coat all possible areas.
Peter only kept his eyes squeezed shut and continued to repeat a mantra over and over in his head.
//Nathan makes it feel good, Nathan makes it feel good//
He had actually wanted this for years, having his big brother touch him in those areas... Behind his closed eyelids, Peter started to pretend that Nathan was not doing it solely for the sake of applying the ointment, but because he wanted to feel Peter's insides.
It was ridiculous, of course, but it worked. Peter's body relaxed further, and a buzzing current of pleasure radiated from his pelvic area, shortly followed by an intense wave of heat, signaling his body's response to the touch and his fantasies. Peter opened his eyes in shock, gazing at his supine, spread-eagled body. As feared, his cock was rigid and engorged, angled up toward his belly.
At that point in time, Nathan suddenly felt his little brother's flesh tense and tighten around him once more. Had he somehow hurt Peter? "Peter...?" he softly addressed the boy. "You okay?"
A shiver went through Peter and he finally asked, "Are... are we done y-yet?"
"Sure... sure sweetheart..." Nathan replied, confused. Slowly withdrawing his fingers, he wiped them on a small hand towel and stood, inspecting his brother's tense form.
Peter had his hand over his groin, hiding a throbbing, painfully obvious erection. Giving a small snuffle as he hid his face, the younger man was clearly ashamed as he curled up into a fetal position.
"Peter..." Nathan knelt in the bed, trying to uncoil his brother's taut, curled-up frame. "Peter, listen to me. It's alright, it's nothing to be ashamed of... Pete... come on, now... let go."
He grabbed the hand attempting to cover Peter's groin, afraid his brother might injure his genitals with his spasmodic grasp. Prying the hand loose was not easy, and Nathan quickly replaced it with his own to keep Peter from squeezing the area any further.
"It's alright, sweetie... just calm down..." he soothed, one hand rubbing his brother's neck and the other one rubbing his pulsating groin. Nathan did not even consider the act as anything sexual until Peter's entire body spasmed, and he ejaculated into his brother's hand, letting out a strangled moan as he did so.
For a moment Nathan was completely flabbergasted. Withdrawing his hand, he could only regard the pearly white drops of semen now coating his palm.
Face red both from the physical pleasure and the humiliation he felt, Peter gave out a whimper which transformed into a pitiable sob. Nathan's visage became sympathetic and he reached out with his clean hand to comfort his little brother. But Peter would have none of it. He was too ashamed to feel deserving of any comfort now. He felt like some sort of vile monstrosity, and he turned his head and hid his face into the pillow beneath him.
"Baby..." Nathan urged, but he was only rewarded with a sob. "Pete, I have to go... go wash my hands..." the older brother murmured, uncertain of how to proceed.
While he did have to wash his hands, which were smeared with both spunk and ointment, he went into the bathroom mostly because he needed time to think, and he could not think while watching his little brother cry as if the world was about to end. Who knew, in Peter's childish mind, maybe it did. The boy was so sensitive, and in his mind, he had probably done something horrible.
Nathan thoroughly washed his hands with hot, almost scalding water and lavender-scented soap, gazing at his reflection while doing it. He had to go back, try to bring Peter out of his misery and make him believe everything was still okay between them.
"Baby," he softly called out as he entered the room again, uncertain as to how his brother would react. "You wanna talk?"
Only a pitiful sob could be heard in reply.
Forming an idea, the lawyer placed a knee onto the edge of the mattress. Hand on his baby brother's shoulder. "Move over a little, sweetheart," he gently requested.
Fortunately, Peter complied, albeit with his body as tense as it had been before they had tried to apply the ointment. Nathan waited until he had just enough space to move in behind his brother.
"Come on, little guy," he urged with a nuzzle as he wrapped arms around Peter's smaller figure. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."
Peter tried to talk, but it took several attempts before he could even form words. "I... I didn't mean to... it just... h-happened... When you touched me, and I..."
"Don't worry about it," Nathan said, lips to his brother's neck. "It was nothing. You're young, and your hormones are racing... besides, the anus is an erogenous zone for many people, men and women alike, so it's nothing to be ashamed of that you reacted to my touch."
"It wasn't that..." Peter said in a thick, throaty voice, hoarse from crying. "It was YOU. I liked to feel you touching me, and when you touched my... my cock, it j-just..."
"Shhh, baby, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"You should hate me..." the boy whispered quietly. "Why don't you hate me, Nathan?"
Nathan sighed. "It's simple as it sounds. Maybe other people argue otherwise, but I'll never hate you."
"I... I don't�"
"You're my brother, Peter," Nathan insisted. "Now and always, you've always been my brother and I'll always love you."
Minutes later, Peter's weeping calmed to the point that he could breathe evenly and serenely.
"Come here," Nathan whispered, tenderly turning his brother over and causing the two of them to face one another. Placing a hand under Peter's chin, he lifted the sweet, tear-stained face up to look at him. "I love you," Nathan said, looking into his brother's eyes. "More than anything."
"I love you too, Nathan," Peter murmured, but was quick to turn his eyes elsewhere. He did not wish to dwell on how much he loved Nathan or in what way. It only caused him feel more ashamed, despite his brother's unyielding love and forgiving nature. Nathan could not change the fact that Peter was a freak. A useless, disgusting freak that was in love with his own brother.
The lawyer's broad and surprisingly cool palm lay tenderly against Peter's hot, red-streaked cheek, quick to wipe away any stray tears that escaped his eyes.
As if he'd been reading his little brother's mind, Nathan then said, "I don't want you to think of yourself as some kind of freak, Petey. Because you're not. What you feel for me might not be a... conventional type of love, but it changes nothing between us, nor does it change the fact that you're a sweet, loveable person. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Blinking away some more tears, Peter bit at his lip before finally saying, "I guess."
"Don't feel bad, sweetheart. You should never feel ashamed for who you are � my little brother."
Peter received a kiss on his forehead, so he decided to be bold and return a kiss onto his big brother's jaw. He was rewarded with a hand stroking at his hair, rubbing softly at the back of his head. It soothed him and soon he was feeling tired enough to fade into sleep.
Nathan briefly touched his forehead to Peter's, whispering a goodnight to him before deciding to join him.

TBC...
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Brother's Keeper