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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
- 29
- 30
- 31
Chapter 30
Once Thanksgiving was due, only one month remained of the old year, and though he did not want to admit it, Nathan felt a nagging concern that the upcoming year might bring several great changes to their lives. The approach of Peter�s birthday and Christmas � two holidays very close together � were almost enough to give the lawyer a stress-related headache as soon as he brushed the thought.
A �normal� 19-year-old would have wanted to set up a great big party with lots of friends, booze, and certainly no worried parents or over-protective older brothers around. Nathan could remember himself at that age, and though Peter had always been a shy and reclusive type, his wishes had changed a lot since last summer.
�What do you want to do for your birthday, Peter?� he asked his little brother one evening on the couch. This time �Shriek of the Mutilated� was on TV, and despite Nathan�s initial and immediate refusal to let his brother watch it, it turned out to be one major crock of an awful movie.
�I dunno,� Peter answered.
�You don�t want to throw a party?� Nathan asked, part of him hoping for a no and another part dismayed at the thought of a negative response. After all, the old Peter would have wanted a party.
�No...� Peter said with a small sigh. �Who would I invite?�
A heavy weight fell on Nathan�s heart when he heard the question. Indeed, who would Peter invite? His friends? Would he even have friends anymore, now that he had changed so much?
�You don�t like booze anyway,� the lawyer said abruptly, trying to switch gear, perhaps a little too soon.
�Huh?�
�Kids your age like booze at their parties right? And you thought it was yucky.�
�At least your beer was,� Peter said. �Tasted more like lukewarm piss to me.�
�Oh man, that�s harsh!�
�It did!�
�Yes, yes, fine, fine,� Nathan admitted. But booze or no booze, there most likely would not be a party for Peter�s birthday this year. If the kid invited his old high school friends and let them see his dramatic change in behaviour, they would probably either feel sorry for him or laugh. Neither was a very comforting thought, and Nathan thought it best that Peter�s high school acquaintances would simply continue to believe their former classmate was living his life to the fullest at some university on the other side of the country.
Nathan realized with great regret that this might very well have happened if not they had gone on that ill-fated camping trip. His ill-fated camping trip. Damn it. Another guilt-trip would not help either of them at this point.
�There must be something that you wanna do?� Nathan tried a second time.
�Not really,� Peter said, leaning against his brother. �I have you, after all.�
The statement troubled Nathan. He knew he could not always be there for his brother, even though he would have liked to be. He could be patient for Peter�s recovery, but he was also eventually going to have to return to the office.
�And you always will,� he finally said, rubbing at his brother�s back. �Still... it is your birthday. It should be special. Something different...?�
�Different how?� Peter asked, and his older brother gave a dramatic sigh, causing a giggle.
�Do you have to be so difficult?� he asked.
Peter continued to laugh. �Always. You�re my big brother, I�m supposed to be a pain in the ass.�
�And how.�
The two of them were then distracted by the film, whose ridiculously crude looking bigfoot monster entered the scene, resembling a disgruntled Santa Claus. Both brothers laughed loudly.
As it turned out, Peter could not specify what he wanted as far as a gift more than what he wanted to do, so Nathan�s only choice was to improvise when he went out cruising shops for presents. After a tour to the mall � and a small detour to a place not located in the mall � Nathan had come up with three gifts for his brother, all of them very different from each other. Hopefully he had something that would appeal both to Peter�s childish mind and his more mature side about to enter adulthood.
Only two days left till the boy�s birthday, and Nathan had not even ordered a cake yet. Normally these things had been their mother�s field, but since he was responsible for Peter now, he could no longer rely on her to take care of it.
If he was lucky, he could get a cake that actually had writing on it, but as far as who was the best in town in the cake business, he had no idea. For a brief moment, he considered calling his mother � she was going to want to wish her youngest son a happy birthday anyway...
Thinking of calling someone for advice caused a spark of an idea in Nathan�s head, and he dashed into the kitchen to find his address book. Heidi always kept numbers of various random (sometimes too random) services, and perhaps she had left a few behind during one of her stays in his apartment. Scrambling through the multicolored pieces of notepaper, he came across a number for �Angelica�s: Fine Desserts� in a handwriting that was not his.
Thank you, Heidi, he thought to himself regretfully, and picked up the phone.
*
Peter didn�t expect anything special to come up for his birthday; after all, he had explicitly told Nathan he did not want a party or anything like that. Just he and his brother, a movie night and lots of takeaway food would be better than great. Of course he wouldn�t object in case Nathan had a present or two for him...
What Peter definitely didn�t expect was to be woken up by his brother at 8 o�clock in the morning to the sound of Nathan singing �Happy birthday to you...!�
�Come on...!� the boy complained, pulling the covers over his head, trying in vain to block out the outrageous sound of his brother singing. Nathan couldn�t carry a tune to save his life.
�Haaaappy biiiiirthday deeeeear Peeeeter, happy birthday to youuuuuuu!�
Peter swatted at the lump of his brother�s form hovering above him through the blankets, but even this did not make Nathan stop singing. Peter suspected he did it just to pester him now.
�You suck...� the boy muttered but the only response he got was a finger tickling its way into his armpit.
�Get up, birthday boy!� Nathan urged. �I made you breakfast in bed!�
Curious despite his groggy mood, Peter lowered the blankets and peeked out to see a tray of cereal and toast, held by the lawyer wearing a party hat.
�You�ve gotta be kidding.�
�Don�t you like my hat?� Nathan asked, placing the tray down on his seated brother�s lap. �Hold on, I�ve got one for you too.�
Instead of objecting, Peter only sat frowning as an equally ridiculous conical hat was put onto his head. But the frown could not last very long when the two brothers could only stare at one another�s silly yet festive appearance. Seconds later they were both laughing.
�It�s your birthday,� Nathan stated. �How often are you going to have the chance to act dumb for the sake of it?�
�Without pot,� Pete added, and they shared another laugh as he worked on his breakfast.
Once Peter had finished off his toast and most of his cereal � no matter how fast he ate, it still had time to get soggy � Nathan darted into the kitchen only to return carrying a muffin with one small candle stuck into it.
�This is just an appetizer,� Nathan promised. �I�ve got a bigger one for you out there. Now let�s see if you can manage to blow out the candle!�
�Have you got any presents for me?� Peter couldn�t help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him.
�Oh, I don�t know. What do you think?� Nathan replied over-casually, stroking his chin, as if pretending to think it over.
Peter�s face lit up. Nathan messing around with him had to mean yes. �What is it?�
�Blow out the candle first and I�ll tell you.�
Nathan was only half finished speaking when his little brother had blown out the candle in response to the request.
�Okay, what is it?�
�It�s a surprise for this evening.�
Nathan laughed at the fist which weakly punched his shoulder, and he encouraged his baby brother to finish the treat.
*
Much of the day consisted of the two Petrelli brothers having what Nathan had labeled as a �grand outing�. Said outing involved hours in Central Park, simply enjoying the atmosphere, and then a tour of the city�s statues, which were greater in number than Peter had originally thought. Only when the afternoon rolled around did the brother�s return home, but not before stopping at the video store for videos.
Nathan was worried that Peter might try to pester him for another scary movie, but thankfully the boy seemed to have learned his lesson and did not even go near the horror section. Eager to get home and open his presents, Peter readily accepted pretty much anything Nathan suggested, and it ended with the two of them heading home with one action movie and two romantic comedies.
The movies, however, were quickly forgotten once the brothers were back indoors and Nathan told Peter to wait in the kitchen while he went to retrieve the boy�s birthday gifts.
�Oh man...� Peter�s eyes widened as he took in the sight of three wrapped gifts, very different in both shape and size. This ought to be interesting...
�Maybe this one first...� Nathan said, putting forth a gift bag topped with crinkled wrapping paper.
Peter did not care which present he unwrapped first, so he went ahead with the older man�s suggestion. This one of course was the easiest to open. Grabbing handfuls of tissue paper, he looked inside, could not see the gift, and instead reached in, feeling soft fabric and... Peter removed the plush tyrannosaurus with a laugh.
�I figured Trixie needed a hot boyfriend,� Nathan said with a good natured grin.
�That�s just perfect!� exclaimed Peter, his smile big and radiant as he played along. �I�m sure she�ll love him.�
�Hmmm, which one next...� the lawyer mused aloud, leaning back and forth between the two remaining presents.
Rolling his eyes, Peter pointed at the one to the left, a box shaped gift. When there was no objection from Nathan, Peter went on and began unwrapping his selected gift.
�An electric shaver?� he exclaimed once the wrapping paper was off and he could see the apparatus featured on the box. For some reason, the idea of shaving with an actual piece of equipment rather than just the disposable razors was enticing to him.
�That�s right, little guy,� Nathan grinned. �Figured you might need one soon. This fluff is getting pretty thick.� Reaching out, he pinched the downy dark hairs growing on his baby brother�s upper lip, eliciting a squeal from the boy.
�Can I try it tonight?� Peter asked excitedly.
�Sure thing, bud. Now open your third prezzie.�
Nathan tried to sound as though there was nothing special at all about the one unopened gift that remained, but on the inside he was nervous about Peter�s reaction. Dismissing it all as a joke would not do if his brother got upset or embarrassed.
This gift was pliable even with the wrapping on, and Peter guessed it to be some kind of book. Unwrapping it, he found he was partly correct.
�I... wasn�t sure what your tastes were,� Nathan said hesitantly as his brother quietly looked over the three magazines. The silence was cryptic to him, and he was not sure if Peter was happy for the gift or otherwise. �What do you think?�
Peter smiled timidly at his brother. �You got these for me?�
�Yeah, of course!� Nathan said, chuckling. �Who else could I get them for?�
�That�s...� Peter seemed to be searching for the right words. �Thank you. For all of the presents. Thank you!�
He jumped up from his seat and threw his arms around his big brother, planting big wet kisses on the masculine face.
�I�m glad you like them, big guy,� Nathan replied, accepting the gestures of gratitude. �I dunno if you saw the Playgirl mag in there. I know they claim it�s for chicks, but I get the feeling mostly guys read it.�
Peter glanced at the cover of said magazine. �That�s my favorite of the three so far. That�s how I like them anyway.�
�Like what?�
�The models. In the pictures. They look more like real men than the others.�
Indeed, the models of the other two magazines were rather young looking and small, just like Peter himself. Nathan, uncertain of what his little brother�s tastes were, automatically chose those similar in appearance to the boy.
�I�m not so much into twinks,� Peter explained. �Some of them don�t even look legal!�
�Twinks?� Nathan mused aloud. �So that�s what they�re called?�
He refrained from pointing out that Peter himself hardly looked �legal� himself and tried to accept the fact that his little brother, appearance and mental state not withstanding, turned nineteen today.
�I like guys with more muscle and body hair,� Peter continued, now blushing. �Slightly older, too...�
Nathan tried to remember some of the different terms that existed in the world of gay guys.
�Bears? Daddies?� he joked.
Peter looked horrified for a moment. �Now that�s taking it too far!�
�They had mostly �twink� stuff where I got your magazines, unfortunately. So I guess you�re in minority when it comes to taste.� Nathan felt like pointing out that �barely legal� and �just 18� porn involving girls was even more common; it was pretty much what mainstream porn consisted of. Older or mature women were considered a fetish of their own, much like BDSM or pony play.
�Still...� Peter noted aloud. �You got me those magazines yourself. And I�m really happy that you did.� And he gave another kiss, this time smaller and not so wet.
�And that makes me happy,� Nathan replied with a smile.
Two movies later, Peter decided that he wanted to try out his new electric shaver. In fact, his exact words were that he absolutely had to.
�Alright, let�s see how this thing works,� Nathan said, following his little brother to the bathroom. �Remember that I�m an old fart who still uses a regular razor. At least then we�ll both be learning.�
The device was unfortunately packed disassembled, but the instructions were easy to follow and the shaver only required double-A batteries in order to run successfully. Peter turned it on experimentally and stared for a moment at the buzzing object. Nathan had to grin, because he thought of a caveman discovering fire for the first time.
�Now... put it against your skin...� Nathan took Peter�s hand in his own and guided it to the boy�s face, letting the buzzing, shielded razor touch the mostly-smooth skin. �That�s it... now move it... slowly...�
�There�s not much to shave off, is there?� Peter asked morosely after a couple of minutes. He only had a pathetic little moustache, after all; not much to brag with.
�Not yet, but if you shave more often, it will stimulate hair growth,� Nathan said encouragingly.
�Could you... give me some privacy, perhaps? I�d like to explore this thing without anyone looming over me.�
�Sure thing, bud. I�ll go pop in another movie.� Nathan left the bathroom and Peter made sure his brother was in the living room and not coming back before he turned the shaver on again. He longed to see how it would handle actual hair growth, but the problem remained; he had none on his face.
Staring at himself in the mirror, he removed his shirt to see if there was any hair, no matter how small, that he could shave off. He proceeded to shave what little was present under his arms, but otherwise he had nothing. Eyes trailing below his navel, he lifted an eyebrow.
Well, not absolutely nothing.
Twenty minutes had passed of the movie and Nathan began to realize that his brother had been in the bathroom for quite a while. To say that Peter was not hairy was like calling the ocean a puddle, so why the long wait? Was he taking off his hair? Such a notion caused Nathan to worry, as he had read that it was an attribute of emotional discord.
Pausing the film, he got up from the couch and walked over to the bathroom door, which was still shut.
�How�s it going in there, Petey?�
Peter glanced at the curls of dark hair now spread out on the floor and anxiously bit his lip. Nathan sounded troubled, or worried even. Why was that? Did he believe Peter was going to use his new piece of electronic to electrocute himself?
�I�ll be right out!� he called back and hastily knelt down to scoop up the hairs he had shaved off, dropped them in the toilet bowl, and flushed them down. Whatever was left on the floor, he proceeded to brush in underneath the bathtub.
Nathan was relieved to see that Peter�s hair was still firmly attached to his head once the boy exited the bathroom, but it also puzzled him, as he was certain he had heard the buzzing of the razor go on for minutes in a row.
�Training yourself to use the shaver, buddy?� Nathan asked.
Peter nodded. �Something like that.�
Towards the end of the movie, Peter had begun to do some strange squirming. He would wiggle his hips against the sofa cushions, lie still, and repeat the action. Sometimes he even rubbed himself, palm pressing against his groin through the sweatpants.
�Something bothering you there?� Nathan asked casually.
�Umm,� Peter hesitated, knowing his fidgeting was far too blatant to hide. �I just have an itch, that�s all.�
Nathan�s eyes widened for half of a second, but he remained calm. �Is it... you know...? That infection you had?�
�Oh, no! Not at all.� Peter replied, thanking God that this was not the case. �I just... well... I was using my shaver on my �treasure trail�...�
Nathan�s brow wrinkled in slight surprise. �You have a treasure trail now?�
�Yeah... or had�� Peter answered, blushing.
�Then why did you shave it off?�
�I... I wanted to try out the new shaver.�
Nathan laughed. �I could�ve tried it out for you.�
�Ewww,� Peter snickered. �Then I never could�ve gotten your smell out of it!�
�Who�re you calling smelly, you little turd?� Nathan swatted at the back of his brother�s head, causing a high-pitched shriek and an instant dodge from Peter.
�Besides, your fur is so thick it would�ve broken the shaver!� the younger man called out, the movie now completely forgotten. Instead he was busy trying to get his tickling hands into Nathan�s armpits.
Nathan would have none of it. He grabbed Peter�s wrists, pulled the boy toward himself and kept him locked in an iron-hold while blowing loud, sloppy raspberries all over his face, also rubbing his stubbly cheek against his brother�s smooth one. Peter did not just shriek; he squealed.
*
After the movie, the two brothers decided to turn in. Peter�s birthday had been a long and busy one, and both were thus appropriately drained. The new plush dinosaur had been given a place next to Trixie, and never was there a cuter couple, at least according to Nathan.
Peter was the second to brush his teeth, and when he entered the bedroom, Nathan still had the lights on, reading a magazine in bed. The younger man was still wearing his sweatpants and t-shirt.
�Tired?� Nathan asked as he watched the yawn which stretched out his brother�s youthful face.
�Uh-huh,� Peter said, rubbing at his face and finally undressing. Nathan went back to reading, disregarding his brother for the sake of good manners. He was about to ask how the boy had liked the celebration when he glanced up at the nude figure settling into bed.
�What the��
Peter looked up in surprise until he realized what his brother was looking at in shock. �Nathan...�
�You shaved your crotch?!� Nathan�s mouth continued to hang open while his eyes were riveted to his brother�s groin, and judging from his expression, Peter might as well have gotten a Prince Albert piercing.
�You don�t like it?� the younger man asked, suddenly regretting his impulsive desire to see the shaver in action. Upsetting his brother was definitely not worth it.
�Quite frankly, I don�t,� Nathan said, closing his mouth but continuing to frown. �Christ, Peter, you look like thirteen again!�
�I just wanted to try out the shaver on a part where I actually had hair,� Peter said for his own defense while crawling underneath the covers. �I didn�t think you�d even notice!�
�I find it tasteless,� Nathan muttered. �Besides, your entire groin is going to itch like a bastard until the hair grows back out. And your follicles down there can get inflamed, too.�
�You seem to know a lot about this, Nathan. You ever shave that jungle you have downstairs yourself?�
It had been a while since Nathan last caught his brother being obnoxious, but that hardly improved his mood now.
�Never, but I�ve had girlfriends who did. Sometimes their crotches looked terrible. Covered in red bumps and itching continuously. Hardly made them anymore attractive.�
Peter was hurt by his brother�s words, but more than anything he felt anger. He had gotten a brand new electric shaver for his birthday and Nathan was being a pussface about it. Peter restrained a huff. It was his shaver, and he could use it however he wanted! Had his brother forgotten the conversation about personal tastes in pornographic material?
�Well, if I get red bumps, then I�ll get stupid red bumps,� Peter remarked moodily, crossing his arms and sinking under the covers. �They�re mine to deal with. It�s not like I shaved your stupid steel-wool crotch.�
Nathan glared at what he found to be bratty behavior and put down his magazine. �If you don�t want my advice, then fine. Just don�t come crying to me when it itches until you go crazy.�
Switching off the light, he lay on his back and pulled the covers up, closing his eyes. Neither brother wished the other good night. Unfortunately, they only had one bedcover to share, which normally wasn�t a problem but now caused a brief yet intense tugging contest between the brothers.
�Isn�t it bad enough that you always sleep in the middle of the bed and almost push me out to the edges?� Nathan demanded. �Must you hog all the covers as well?�
�Fine!� Peter shouted. He�d had enough and threw the end he was holding at his big brother. �Take it! Take it all! Why don�t I just go sleep on the floor!�
Peter was about to swing his legs over the edge and leave the bed to do exactly that when Nathan�s hand shot out to grab his arm.
�Don�t be a little brat, Peter. Come back to bed and let�s share like adults.�
�I�m not being a little brat, you smug bastard! Do you always have to get the last word?!�
�Fine. You have the last word.�
�Oh, eat shit, Nathan!�
Nathan did not answer, seemingly keeping his unspoken promise. Somehow this angered Peter even more, but he said nothing. Nathan did not have the last word, but he was not going to have the last laugh either. Sighing irritably, Peter turned on his side, back facing Nathan, and closed his eyes, keeping a firm grip on the amount of covers he had been granted. Meanwhile, Nathan refused to budge from his spot on the mattress and both brothers thus laid at opposite ends of the bed, backs facing one another and still refusing to say good night.
An hour later and still not asleep, Nathan was not sure which of the two of them felt it first, but he was certain that he was feeling a deep regret. This was supposed to be Peter�s birthday, after all, and he had ended it with a silly argument over something as trivial as a pubic hair shave. People did it all the time, and really; what gave him the right to judge what Peter did with his own body, as long as it wasn�t harmful?
Though it hurt his pride a little, Nathan decided that he would rather sacrifice that than his little brother�s unconditional trust in him.
�Peter...� Nathan began, turning to face the formless shape of Peter�s back. He reached out and put his hand on what he believed to be Peter�s shoulder.
�What?�
�I�m sorry about earlier. I was being a real jerk, and I see that now. Please, let�s not fight anymore. I can�t go to sleep knowing you�re angry with me, sweetheart.�
Nathan tensely waited for a response from Peter. Had he really gone too far this time?
�Do you mean it, Nathan?� the boy finally asked, his voice thick.
�Yes, baby,� Nathan said, relief coming in a sliver at a time upon hearing his little brother speak to him. �I mean it.�
Peter�s breath came in and out in a strangely heavy fashion, and Nathan wondered if his brother was crying.
�Can I have a hug?� he asked the boy.
Peter turned over almost immediately and scooted himself closer to the older man. He was still breathing heavily and Nathan would not have known in the dark that he was crying until he heard a sniffle.
�I�m sorry too,� came a tiny whisper that could not have been heard if Nathan had not been holding his brother close against him.
�It was a stupid thing to fight over to begin with,� Nathan proceeded to say. �I was being really judgmental, and I�m ashamed of that now.�
�I just wanted to try out the shaver...� Peter murmured, nose squashed against the lawyer�s collar bone.
�I know, baby, and it�s no business of mine if you�ve got hair down there or not. I guess it just freaked me out to see how young you looked without pubes.�
�I�m still nineteen.�
�I know, Petey. I hope you had a nice birthday otherwise.�
�Sure. I liked what you got for me.�
�That�s great, sweetheart. I was afraid you wouldn�t. Especially since I don�t know much about your taste in guys.�
Peter chuckled upon recalling the magazines. �But you tried. You actually got them for me.�
�I did.�
Peter expressed a long sigh, not of sadness but rather of release. Perhaps he was getting sleepy too, Nathan thought. God knew sleep was what both of them needed.
�Besides,� Peter added, his voice low, sleepiness confirmed, �now you know what to buy for me next time.�
Nathan chuckled. �If I find some more appropriate to your tastes, I�ll be sure to get it.�
�I�m tired now,� Peter stated, another long yawn seizing him. Nathan yawned in response to the hushed sound and slowly nodded.
�Me too. I�m glad we�re not fighting anymore.�
�Uh huh. Jesus, we�re starting to sound like an old married couple.�
Nathan chuckled at the notion and shifted with his brother in his arms until they were both comfortable, and ten minutes later, they were asleep.

TBC...
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Brother's Keeper