Family Emergency

Chapter 7



Nathan was phoned at the usual end of his daytime work schedule and asked to pick up whatever had been left at the hotel. When he got back to Peter's apartment, he found his brother reclining peacefully in bed as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Peter did not even have to open his eyes to know he was there.



"Don't stare," he warned.



Snickering, Nathan nodded and approached the bed. "I won't. You okay?"



"I guess so," Peter replied, stretching his rounded body as his brother joined him on the mattress.



"What did the doctor say?" Nathan inquired, putting his arms around his brother's shoulders.



"I need to eat more, I'll be fine, blah blah... she gave me this." Reaching for the night stand, he picked up the photograph, passing it to the older man.



Nathan eyed it carefully. “Is this who you picked up the ability from?” he asked.



Peter nodded. “Yeah. I can remember him now. He came to the hospital while I was working weekend hours there. Of course he was nowhere near that big then…”



“But he’s just a kid!”



“Seventeen,” Peter confirmed. “Tragic, isn’t it? You know what? He died, but his baby survived. I got to meet her. Cusack named her Hope.”



Nathan could only stare. “You mean… the baby that came out of him? And it actually looked normal?”



“She was adorable,” the young nurse said in a mixture of sadness and longing. “Which I know ours won’t be…”



A hand passed through strands of dark hair. “Would you have wanted that anyway?” Nathan asked. “We’re going to have to give it away…”



“I know,” Peter answered, the aggravation not well-hidden in his tired voice. “I’m not even sure if that would make any difference anyhow. But… I kind of wish we weren’t going to give away a kid that’s so obviously messed up.”



The sigh which followed the statement was long and heavy. Nathan glanced at the head of hair he had been patting and nuzzled it.



“You upset?”



“A little.”



“Then I should tell you that I picked up something that might just cheer you up,” Nathan announced as he let go of his hold on the younger man and shuffled off the bed.



Peter, who had enjoyed his brother’s ministrations up until now, looked up at him with curiosity and slight disappointment. “What is it?”



“This,” he tossed the item from his pocket to the young nurse. Peter read the label on the tube of liquid.



“Tummy Honey Butter?!”



“Yeah, it’s stretch mark cream,” Nathan proudly explained. “Since I noticed that you’ve gotten some recently, I thought”—



His speech came to an abrupt stop when Peter hurled the bottle at him, his face practically a storm cloud.



“If you seriously thought you’d cheer me up with that, you can’t be real!” he snarled, pulling the bedcovers up to his chest. Suddenly the misshapen lump his once graceful, lithe body had turned into became even more obvious to him, and he felt like crying.



“What’s your problem?” Nathan exclaimed as he rubbed the place on his shoulder where the contained had hit him. A bruise would most likely develop. “I’m trying to make it easier for you, and all you do is act like a little brat!”





“Don’t you know how much that kind of shit hurts?!” Peter said between sobs, tears leaving tiny wet dots on the sheet which now covered his bump. Briefly the image inspired thoughts of how those very bed covers might be the only thing to fit him in several months to come. It only made him feel worse.



Nathan blinked, totally confused. “WHAT are we discussing now? I’m confused. What shit are you referring to?”



“Never mind, just never mind!”



“God, no wonder I hid from Heidi both times she had the boys…”



“SEE?!” Peter wailed. “See?!” This is all about her! Maybe you hid from her because you’re such a jerk!”



Shaking his head, Nathan left the room to take a breather from the fight. Peter was most likely too hormonal to be reasoned with by now anyway.



For the following minute or two, he could hear Peter bawling all the way to the living room and wondered when it was safe to go back in, if at all. Nathan felt like he was playing with fire every time he went near Peter, and all his efforts to be thoughtful had ended up as total disasters. What was he doing wrong?!



The crying had still not stopped when he decided to stick his head into the bedroom and ask simply if Peter wanted to be left alone for the remainder of the evening.



“If you wanna go, then go!” the younger man sobbed back at him. “I’m probably too much of a fat, ugly blob for you to spend time with, anyway!”



“Peter,” Nathan said calmly as he slowly approached the bed, contemplating if it would be safe to go near Peter now and hoping nothing would get hurled in his direction.



“The shape of your body doesn’t repel me. Not the slightest. But with your constant mood swings, I just don’t know how to deal.”



“You don’t care about my freakin’ mood swings,” Peter spat out, though it seemed like a mere attempt to get the older man to leave the room, if not the apartment. “You don’t know about how I feel, you don’t even listen!”



Nathan sighed and sat down next to the curled up, trembling form.



“I’m here, Peter. And I am listening. If you don’t think I was before, at least try to think that I am now.” He placed a hand on a shoulder, causing Peter to flinch. “Come on. I’ll listen to everything you have to say. I want to know how to help, and how you feel. I know I can’t possibly realize what you’re going through for myself, but I can try to understand it as best I can.”



The stiff muscle underneath his palm slowly but surely went lax, and though tears still fell into a tiny damp puddle on the sheets, Peter’s body and stopped shaking.

“I feel ugly. I don’t want to look at myself, not even in a mirror. I can’t imagine why you would disagree.”



Nathan realized that the same old “don’t be silly, you’re beautiful no matter what” was not going to work this time.



“I can’t deny that if this were me, I’d probably feel the same way,” he said after much consideration. “However, I don’t find you ugly. Different, yes, but you’re still my baby brother. Still my Peter.”



“I look like I’ve swallowed a melon,” Peter said miserably. “And my ankles and feet are all nasty and swollen, and my hair feels greasy no matter how many times I wash it. And there are other things too, like”—



“And despite all those things, you’re still my Pete,” Nathan interrupted. He bent down, kissed one pulsing temple, then the cheek a few inches lower. “Is there anything you’d like me to do, that would make you feel better? Rub your body, maybe?”



Peter avoided his brother’s gaze. He was touched by the effort the lawyer was putting forth, but it hardly changed how vulnerable and horrific he felt. “But… oh, I dunno…”



“Tell me.”



“I’ll still feel ugly, no matter what. And what if you touching me makes me feel even worse.”



Nibbling an earlobe, Nathan whispered, “I can try to make sure the experience is too mind blowing so that you’ll remain distracted.”



Brow wrinkled with worry, Peter still resisted. “But… like I said… we shouldn’t encourage…”



“And like I said: this is for you, and not the kid.”



Peter glanced over his swollen body and saw the network of delicate scar tissue forming from his stretched skin. What a way to make him even more conscious about the bloat…



“Where’s that stuff I hocked at you, then?”



Nathan raised a brow. “You’re willing to give it a shot, then?”





Peter made a motion meant to represent a shrug. “I suppose it can hardly make things worse… So yeah, rub it in.”



After retrieving the thankfully still intact bottle of stretch mark cream from the floor, Nathan slowly pulled back the covers from Peter’s body, wanting to give his brother some time to object in case he’d changed his mind. A slight tremble passed through the supine form, but nothing was said.



“I’ll need you to remove those, too,” the older man said, tugging slightly at the waistband of Peter’s boxers. Shrugging again, his little brother made the slightest of tries to lift his hips as Nathan pulled the soft cotton material down and off. It was then he noticed the angry red marks the waistband – now obviously too tight – had left on Peter’s skin.



“Poor little guy,” Nathan mused aloud, hand tempted to physically inspect the inflamed area. “You gonna need more underwear soon? Looks like that hurts.”



“If I don’t, it’ll hurt even more,” Peter spoke as if calculating the situation out loud. “Boxers don’t fit well anymore anyway. If I get a large enough waist, I won’t be able to walk from the seams going up my ass.”



“We’ll have to keep our options open then… try new things… such as this,” Nathan stated rolling up his sleeves and rubbing a sizeable amount of the cream into his palms. Peter grimaced, but said nothing.



“Okay then, here we go,” the older brother said.



“Then get going,” Peter replied, hoping it would either be over soon or feel a hell of a lot better than he expected it too. This much attention paid to his stomach was definitely not his idea of a good time.



He closed his eyes upon feeling the initial brush of Nathan’s hands against his sensitive skin and leaned back, trying to will himself to at least try to enjoy it.



“Relax…” Nathan whispered, still feeling the tension present in his brother’s body. On occasion, he felt something that could have been a kick from the foetus against his palm but thought it safest not to mention this to Peter. His brother and he had given each other massage plenty of times and both knew what the other liked, but Nathan had realized that he had to discover new ways of touching Peter, since the other’s physique had changed so much.



Tracing Peter’s groin line with his fingers, he tried his best to avoid getting dollops of cream stuck in his brother’s pubic hair. Luckily he was still completely smooth everywhere else; Peter had never had much in the way of body hair.



A soft sigh escaped Peter’s lips and Nathan definitely heard it, smiling. He watched the almost serene expression on his brother’s face and found himself enjoying the reaction which played out. Eyes closed, Peter fingered the sheets below him as he concentrated on the contact between his skin and the lawyer’s fingers.



Hands spread out and flat against his little brother’s flesh, Nathan glided the palms over the curve and in response to the sigh he received, repeated the motion, starting even higher on the shelf of Peter’s belly.



“Go lower,” the young man murmured, his body nearly completely limp. He looked as though most of the air had been sucked from him… and all resided in his stomach, Nathan mused, but he did not dare say anything, nor even laugh.



“Lower where?” he inquired.



“Below my belly button…” Peter answered. “It feels really good there.”



Nathan quietly observed that Peter’s navel was starting to protrude outward much in the same fashion as his nipples, but he did not dare mention his musings to his brother. It never did take much to get Peter upset, and now the line was even thinner.



“Don’t stop already…” the nurse complained when Nathan’s hands ceased their rubbing and finally withdrew from his belly.



“The cream’s pretty much been absorbed by your skin,” the older man replied. “Besides, I didn’t think you even liked it.”



“It felt… nice,” Peter confessed. “Surprisingly so. Could you rub me somewhere else now?”



“Sure,” Nathan immediately agreed, encouraged by the sudden enthusiasm. “Where do you want me to rub you? Your chest?”



The young man’s brow furrowed. “No, rub my feet. And then maybe my back, if you can still reach it somehow…”



“Aww, that’s a shame,” the older man said. “I would have liked to have had more time with your chest.”



Lips pursed for a second as Peter obviously felt greatly offended at the remark. “Why? Are my tits so fascinating because they look like a woman’s?”



Fearing he had gone too far already, Nathan quickly explained. “No, no, I don’t like them because they’re tits. I’m interested in them because they’re something new on you. I liked your chest before this all happened and now they’ve changed on us. I want to explore every part of you like I used to do.”



Rolling his eyes, Peter felt the need to reprimand Nathan, but he supposed curiosity was a sensible reason. “Did Heidi ever let you touch hers?”



Nathan actually looked stupid for a moment. “Huh?”



“When she was pregnant, dumbass. No matter how big or small, I know you’re a breast man. And those sure were inviting, weren’t they?”



The lawyer actually blushed. “Yeah, maybe…”



“Imagine your nuts being ten thousand times as sensitive as they are now. Now imagine me grabbing them.”



Nathan could not help but cringe. “Sorry.”



“Get the picture, big brother?”



“Yes, yes, I’m sorry,” Nathan repeated, holding his hands up. “Can we just… forget I said anything?”



“Just rub my feet…” Peter muttered, pulling his legs up and dumping said feet on Nathan’s lap. Sighing, the lawyer realized he had no choice but to comply in case he wanted to keep Peter satisfied.



“Just remember something, Nathan…” Peter murmured as his brother’s skilful hands worked to ease the tension in his swollen, aching feet.



“What’s that, Pete?”



“You’re not getting any tonight, just because you rub my feet. I really don’t feel like fucking in this condition.”



“Awwww!” Nathan jokingly responded. Deep down, however, he really was disappointed. All of this touching and fondling was beginning to put him in an excellent mood.



“I’m sorry, but I don’t. Please forgive me for not wanting to try a roll in the hay only to throw my back out or cramp up my legs or do something else just when I’ve gotten this comfortable.”



“Sorry, kiddo, didn’t mean anything by it…” the older brother said in apology. He continued to rub the swollen feet and simply enjoyed the noises his brother made in satisfaction. Mostly these were arousing themselves, but some in fact were downright cute.





“Tonight’s a night for spoiling you anyway,” he continued. “I like seeing you like this. All pleased and cuddly…”



*



Peter fell asleep only twenty past eight that evening, and the only time he moved out of bed was to use the toilet. Nathan suggested that he go brush his teeth when he was already back in bed, to which Peter replied that he didn’t give a flying fuck whether or not his teeth rotted and fell off as he had plenty of other more pressing problems to deal with.



The older man muttered something about bad breath but decided not to press the matter further. After an hour of watching TV and browsing through some of Peter’s health care magazines, he got ready for the night himself and joined his little brother in bed.



Watching his baby brother in the peaceful state of slumber was calming enough to Nathan and he observed Peter’s sleeping form until he found himself drifting off as well.

Two minutes later, Nathan was awoken by the sound of snoring. He did not believe it at first, because he had never known the younger man to ever snore, and only softly if he had a cold. But he stared at the unconscious figure laying there, youthful lips parted and loud snores definitely emanating from him.



Careful and worried he would awaken him (though at this point he was annoyed enough that he might not care about the reaction), he poked at Peter’s shoulder. The young nurse only half-heartedly swatted at the interruption and continued to give a roaring rumble to his vastly irritated audience.



Nathan at first tried to simply ignore the noise, thinking that he’d put up with so many other things Peter had thrown at him in the past few months – or since his baby brother was born, really – but the snoring was too loud and insistent to just block out.



Sighing, the lawyer pulled his pillow over his head; and action which temporarily muffled the hideous noise. However, breathing got difficult after a few minutes, and he had to desert the idea. Seeing no other choice, he shook Peter again.



“Hmmppfff…” the younger man slurred, twitching but not fully waking up.



“Peter, turn onto your side,” Nathan hissed, trying to nudge his brother to comply.



“Hunnhhh…” Peter replied, and did as told. For the first half minute, he was quiet again, but soon enough the snoring returned. Though not nearly as powerful as before, it still distracted Nathan from getting any real sleep. He sat up, glaring at the figure snoozing so happily in the bed next to him, wondering if he would have any of the same in time. Unfortunately, Peter turned over on his back again and the noise increased in volume.





“Fuck this,” the lawyer mumbled, and he got up, pillow under one arm, and left the room. Reclining on the sofa, he turned on the television loudly enough that the snores were barely a problem. Good lord, he thought, Peter could sleep through a fire alarm.



The following morning, Peter awoke to find the other half of his bed empty. Confused as to what might have happened, he pulled on his boxer shorts – as uncomfortably tight as they were – and eased himself out of bed.



“…Nathan?” he called out anxiously while padding out of the bedroom, his ankles already protesting. A quick glance at the wall-clock told him that it was 7:37 AM. Had Nathan already gone to work? No, it was a Saturday…



Peter did not have to look further for his brother upon entering the living room. There Nathan lay stretched out on the sofa, his head in what looked like a really uncomfortable position and remote control still in his hand. White noise emanated from the TV.



He was clearly asleep, but not for long, Peter decided. The pompous prick would have to answer a few questions as to whether he’d chosen the sofa as a sleeping place rather than his brother’s bed.



Nathan jerked in terror when he was suddenly swatted over the head and abruptly drawn from his sleep.



“WHAT THE…” was all that he said in response. A rude awakening was just what he deserved. He stared with his slap-headed expression up at Peter, whose face read of ultimate displeasure.



“Care to explain why you felt the need to avoid sleeping in the bed with ME?”



Nathan at first appeared as though he could not remember, having just woken up, and still in a little bit of shock. “Oh, Pete, I can definitely explain that.”



Peter lifted an eyebrow, silently demanding said enlightenment.



“See, I couldn’t sleep, because you were snoring, and I didn’t want to wake you up and disturb your sleep.”



“What a crock,” Peter replied, frowning. “I’ve never snored in my entire life.”



“Sorry, but last night you certainly were. You even turned over and it did nothing.”



“No, I did not,” the nurse argued, his face now mirroring what he used to look like during his obstinate age – a period which Nathan remembered all too well. “You’re just saying that because you didn’t want to be near me.”





Groaning, the older brother let his eye roll up. “You were snoring like a jet engine, Pete! Look, I even had turn the TV on to drown it out.”



Peter suspiciously glared at the TV screen. “And why do you expect me to believe you?”



“Because it’s the truth,” Nathan said, standing up to face his brother. He cupped the young man’s face in his hands and felt the obvious prickle of stubble against his skin. Telling Peter to shave was no real use, though. When his eyes wandered downward, he could see that Peter had once again struggled into the boxers from yesterday, the waistband eating into his skin.



“We need to get you some new underwear,” Nathan stated.



Peter did everything to avoid looking into his brother’s eyes and finally wandered into the kitchen. Watching the younger man from behind, Nathan could see what Peter had meant the night before about the ill fit of the shorts. From the current shape of the young nurse’s body, the waistband did not match the seams of the article, which were now forced between the halves of his bottom like a thong.



As Peter prepared himself some tea, he felt hands on his shoulders and he slouched timidly. Nathan planted a kiss on the back of his head and gently consoled his brother.



“I was telling you the truth. I didn’t want to wake you, but I wanted to get some sleep too.”



Peter had to admit defeat. He had read about the increased likelihood of snoring in pregnant women.



“Maybe I should make a checklist of all the other things I might acquire.”



“That’s the spirit, little buddy,” Nathan smiled. “Now how about these shorts, huh? They really look like they hurt.”



“They’re definitely uncomfortable,” Peter agreed. “But they’re the only pair I have that still somewhat fit on me.”



“We should fix that, then. Why don’t you go take a shower, or a bath, while I go out and see if I can find something better suited for you?”



“There isn’t anything,” Peter said glumly. “I’ve tried to look, but you know what happens if I get boxers with a bigger waist…”



“I wasn’t necessarily talking about boxers,” Nathan said.



“Oh, please.” Peter rolled his eyes. “You know I don’t wear briefs. They’d probably look even more hideous on me now.”



“I didn’t say briefs, either.”



“Then what are you talking about? You’re saying I should go without underwear, or what?”



“No, no, I wouldn’t go that far,” Nathan answered, and his expression read that he clearly would have rather avoided the subject altogether. “Perhaps something much more… comfortable… something like…”



Peter had appeared confused until the trailing off of his brother’s suggestion made his eyes go wide and his lips tighten into a thin line. “I’m gonna hit you if you finish that sentence.”



Nathan automatically put his hands up because he truly believed his brother at this point in time. “I’m on your side, Peter, I just don’t want you being uncomfortable.”



“Uncomfortable!” the nurse exclaimed. “If you looked like me and THEN had to wear underwear made for women in my state, don’t you think THEN you would be really uncomfortable?!”



The tea kettle began to steam and whistle, a strange yet appropriate image reflecting Peter’s anger. Nathan backed away, hands still up as a sign of peace.



“You said so yourself that shorts don’t fit right and briefs wouldn’t work either. Why not?”



“You mean apart from feeling like a complete freak?!” Peter snarled. “How would I pee, for instance? There’s no fly.”



Nathan sighed. “Lowering them can’t be that much of a hassle, can it? Besides, in a few weeks I don’t believe you can still pee upright, anyway.”



Even though he knew he should have been expecting it, the fist that slammed into his face took Nathan by complete surprise, and he staggered back, pressing a hand to his now bleeding lip.



“Jesus Christ, Peter, would you fucking calm dow”—



Peter raised his hand for another strike, but this time Nathan was faster and caught his wrist before it could connect with his face. He shoved a struggling Peter backward against the sink and did his best to restrain him without actually hurting him. The younger man was crying now, and a snot bubble formed in his right nostril.





“Come on, now…” Nathan said quietly as though trying to calm a nervous animal in a veterinary hospital. Peter continued to struggle against him, but his present size and shape left him wheezing as he fought back.



“Come on…” his brother continued, and though the grip on Peter’s arms was not released, it was softened, as the young man’s fury was beginning to disappear, replaced instead by tearful frustration.



“I’m sorry…” Peter said, jaw tight and tears flowing as he turned his back on his brother. “I don’t want to be like this anymore… I want to look like myself again… someone I recognize. And I want to stop fucking CRYING.”



Removing the kettle from its burner and shutting off the stove, Nathan quickly poured his baby brother a mug of tea.



“It happens to everyone… everyone who gets pregnant, I mean,” he said.



“It shouldn’t happen to ME.”



“But you’re not just “everyone”. You’re special, Peter. And at the moment, all we can do is try to make you as comfortable as possible.”



Peter blew his nose with an audible noise not totally unlike the ones he’d made last night while snoring.



“Want me to ready you a nice hot bath?” Nathan asked, brushing back the bangs from his brother’s face.



Peter nodded mutely, grateful for Nathan’s forgiving nature. If he had just been punched in the face, he probably wouldn’t have offered to tend to the person responsible two minutes later.



“I’m sorry I can’t share it with you this time,” the lawyer said half an hour later as he helped Peter step into the water-filled tub. “Now take it easy, little buddy. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”



By the time Nathan returned to the apartment, Peter had finished his bath and was trying to dress himself. Already he was wearing a snug fitting wife beater, but was otherwise nude from the waist down.



“I think I’ve figured something out instead of having to wear a stupid bra.”



“Really,” the older Petrelli replied, removing the undergarments he had purchased from the shopping bag. “What’s that?”





The nurse proceeded to roll up the top until it reached his chest. Enough layers of fabric now sat between his nipples and the outside world. Nathan could not help but grin at his brother’s desperate need to avoid having to wear a brassiere in order to keep his clothes from getting stained.



Nathan fought hard to suppress the laughter that threatened to bubble up from his throat. He did not want to upset his little brother and possibly even get into another scuffle with him, so he had better keep his features straight.



“That’s… that’s great, Pete,” he found himself saying. “Do you think it’ll actually work, though? How will you make the fabric stay rolled up?”



The young man shrugged. “I do have safety pins somewhere…” he muttered.



“I see…” Nathan still had to choke down impending giggles. “Anyway… Why don’t you try these on?” He handed Peter the pile of undergarments neatly packaged in plastic. “I’d like to see how they fit.”



Peter’s eyes widened. “You should be lucky enough that I’m agreeing to wear them!” Taking the bag, he forcibly turned Nathan around and guided him toward the bathroom.



“You take your turn in the shower. I’m trying them on without your help.”



“Aww, Peter, don’t be such a spoilsport,” Nathan argued. He truly wanted to make sure his brother fit in the undergarments. However, a part of him was also bursting with amused curiosity as to how the young man would look in ladies’ maternity panties.



“No. I’m thankful enough that you got them, and I will wear them, but let me try them on alone.”



“Nuts,” Nathan finally muttered when he had turned out the showerhead.



Slipping a pair of the clothing on, Peter did not dare look at his face in the mirror. It was bad enough thinking of this monstrosity as his own body without placing his visage within it, and now he had on women’s underwear to worsen the image.



By the time Nathan had finished his shower and re-entered the bedroom, Peter was back in bed, tucked in underneath the covers. The underwear were nowhere in sight.



“So…?” the lawyer asked knowingly, an eyebrow raised.



“What?” Peter murmured, the right half of his face hidden in the pillow.



“Did you try them on?”



Two seconds of silence passed. “Yeah.”



“Did they fit?”



“…I suppose so.”



“So where are they? You didn’t throw them away, did you?”



“Of course not!” Peter snapped. “They’re in my bureau. But you’re not gonna see me wearing them.”



A mischievous idea suddenly formed in Nathan’s mind. He lunged forward, yanking the bedcovers away from Peter’s curled up form.



“AGH! Jesus, Nathan, what the hell are you doing?” his naked brother exclaimed. “I’m fucking freezing!”



Nathan sighed and sat down on the bed, passing the covers back to Peter, who all but tore them out from the lawyer’s hands. “Damn, I was hoping you’d be wearing them.”



“To make fun of me?” Peter demanded.



“No, to make sure you were telling the truth about the fit.”



Peter huffed under the blanket and sheet, hiding his face. “I’m telling the truth. I didn’t throw them away.”



“I believe you.” Nathan looked over the obscured figure under the bedclothes, noting the dramatic elevation from the burgeoning belly. “But maybe I would have enjoyed seeing how good you looked in them.”



“Drop dead.”



A finger tickled what Nathan figured was the dip of an armpit. “Maybe you’d look sexy in them.”



“I’m not a woman!” Peter growled from under the covers. “Don’t take that away from me just for your own entertainment.”



“Jeez, Pete, where’s your sense of humour gone? I’m just kidding,” Nathan said with a groan. “I know you’re not a woman, okay? I was just trying to lighten up the mood.”



“Maybe you’ve failed to notice it, but I don’t exactly feel like being joked around with. What’s happening to me is bad enough as it is.”



“I’m sorry then…” Nathan shrugged, his voice flat. “Do you want me to leave?”



“I didn’t say that…” came Peter’s hesitant reply. “Just… don’t make fun of me, okay?”



“I won’t,” the older man promised. He lifted the covers slowly and slid in behind Peter, pulling his brother into the curve of his body. Oddly enough, there were no objections from Peter this time.



“You smell really nice,” he mused, nose buried in the still-damp locks of his brother’s hair.



Quietly, almost shyly, Peter responded with, “thanks.”