Petrelli for Congress Campaign headquarters, Sunday afternoon
Saturday had been devoted to Peter settling in at home and letting Angela catch up with him. Nathan had been more than happy to stay out of that one. Months alone with Angela had reminded Nathan that while he might be the favorite son, Peter was the one who somehow managed to get their mother to occasionally remember how to act like a human.
That is until the topic of conversation turned to Peter's boyfriend. Which was why Sunday meant Peter was spending time with him.
"Wow," Peter said as he looked around at all the hustle and bustle of Nathan's supporters. "Get you, Mr. Congressman."
"Not yet," Nathan said. He lead Peter towards his office so they could talk in private. "Soon maybe."
"No maybe about it." Peter sat down in a chair in front of Nathan's desk. "You're going to get elected and you're going to be great."
Peter was one of the few people in their family who could say something like that and not make Nathan instantly suspicious that they were after something. "Thanks." Nathan closed the door to give them some privacy, then went to take a seat. "Does that mean you'll help by manning the phones?"
"What? Oh, uh, maybe." Peter pulled his satchel into his lap and started rummaging through it. Nathan bit down on the urge to tell Peter to get a proper briefcase and maybe something resembling organization skills. "You remember that time we were different versions of ourselves? I had a scar and you were president only it wasn't really you?"
When Nathan offered no reply, Peter looked up at him. "Nate?"
"I was just thinking how much I don't miss Fandom," Nathan told him.
Peter flicked his hair out of his eyes and sat forward. He pulled a sketchbook out of his bag and opened it to a page. "I think I might be drawing that."
Nathan barely glanced at the page. He knew giving it too much attention would only validate it. He could see enough to tell that it was a drawing of a person exploding, which was more than enough information for Nathan to know how to handle this. Namely, as one of Peter's weird little quirks and not something serious. "Morbid topic to practice your skills on."
"This wasn't practice," Peter said. He pointed at the picture as though that would make Nathan look at it again. "This happened. It was one of my powers - the one where I draw the future? I keep drawing this."
"'Keep'?" Nathan asked, his voice neutral.
"Drawing and painting," Peter amended. "The painting's - um - with Sam."
Nathan wondered why Peter didn't elaborate on that topic, but he wasn't going to encourage him by asking. "So?"
"So?" Peter stared at him, incredulous. "Nathan, something's going to blow up New York! If this is the future we saw in Fandom then that somebody is me!"
Nathan knew that. Actually Nathan knew even more than that because Claire, who had lived that particular future, had told him the details. Which was why Nathan knew without a doubt that the thing to do was get Peter off of this subject before he hurt himself or anyone else. "It's a picture." Nathan reached out to close Peter's sketchbook. "That's it. We don't know what it means."
"It means - "
"You can't control this power," Nathan continued, talking over Peter. He looked his little brother in the eyes, making sure Peter was listening to him. "You draw these things and you don't know what they are. Could be anybody. Could be anywhere. Hell, could be a picture of you drawing the picture, right?"
Peter looked like he wanted to protest, but at the same time he couldn't totally deny what Nathan said. "Yeah, but - "
"So let's not waste our energy chasing after shadows." Nathan got up and went to stand behind Peter. He put his hands on Peter's shoulders and gave them a rub. "Pete, one step at a time. You just got home. How about you get settled and then we'll take it from there?"
"But - " Peter started again.
Nathan pressed in with his thumbs, trying to convey both calm and authority. "Especially since you're out of Fandom, home for good, and sounds to me like one of your powers is freaking out on you. Let's deal with that first. God forbid you start drawing stuff like this in front of Ma. Or worse."
Guilt flashed over Peter's face. "I'm getting my own place."
"Good." Nathan patted him on the back. "Do that. You've got nothing on your plate this week. You could be in a new place in no time."
Peter reached for his sketchbook. "I guess."
Nathan went to take the book before Peter could. "Let me. I can use it to keep an eye out if something comes up."
"There's pictures of me and Sam in there."
Nathan snatched his hand back. "You take it. Just make sure nobody else sees it."
Peter smirked. He put the book back into his bag. He turned around to look up at Nathan uncertainly. "You sure about this?"
"Absolutely," Nathan lied with no hesitation. He gave Peter a hug, then escorted him towards the door. "Now go hit an open house or something. I'll help you pick a place when you're done."
Peter shot Nathan a look of gratitude. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Nathan assured him.
That is until the topic of conversation turned to Peter's boyfriend. Which was why Sunday meant Peter was spending time with him.
"Wow," Peter said as he looked around at all the hustle and bustle of Nathan's supporters. "Get you, Mr. Congressman."
"Not yet," Nathan said. He lead Peter towards his office so they could talk in private. "Soon maybe."
"No maybe about it." Peter sat down in a chair in front of Nathan's desk. "You're going to get elected and you're going to be great."
Peter was one of the few people in their family who could say something like that and not make Nathan instantly suspicious that they were after something. "Thanks." Nathan closed the door to give them some privacy, then went to take a seat. "Does that mean you'll help by manning the phones?"
"What? Oh, uh, maybe." Peter pulled his satchel into his lap and started rummaging through it. Nathan bit down on the urge to tell Peter to get a proper briefcase and maybe something resembling organization skills. "You remember that time we were different versions of ourselves? I had a scar and you were president only it wasn't really you?"
When Nathan offered no reply, Peter looked up at him. "Nate?"
"I was just thinking how much I don't miss Fandom," Nathan told him.
Peter flicked his hair out of his eyes and sat forward. He pulled a sketchbook out of his bag and opened it to a page. "I think I might be drawing that."
Nathan barely glanced at the page. He knew giving it too much attention would only validate it. He could see enough to tell that it was a drawing of a person exploding, which was more than enough information for Nathan to know how to handle this. Namely, as one of Peter's weird little quirks and not something serious. "Morbid topic to practice your skills on."
"This wasn't practice," Peter said. He pointed at the picture as though that would make Nathan look at it again. "This happened. It was one of my powers - the one where I draw the future? I keep drawing this."
"'Keep'?" Nathan asked, his voice neutral.
"Drawing and painting," Peter amended. "The painting's - um - with Sam."
Nathan wondered why Peter didn't elaborate on that topic, but he wasn't going to encourage him by asking. "So?"
"So?" Peter stared at him, incredulous. "Nathan, something's going to blow up New York! If this is the future we saw in Fandom then that somebody is me!"
Nathan knew that. Actually Nathan knew even more than that because Claire, who had lived that particular future, had told him the details. Which was why Nathan knew without a doubt that the thing to do was get Peter off of this subject before he hurt himself or anyone else. "It's a picture." Nathan reached out to close Peter's sketchbook. "That's it. We don't know what it means."
"It means - "
"You can't control this power," Nathan continued, talking over Peter. He looked his little brother in the eyes, making sure Peter was listening to him. "You draw these things and you don't know what they are. Could be anybody. Could be anywhere. Hell, could be a picture of you drawing the picture, right?"
Peter looked like he wanted to protest, but at the same time he couldn't totally deny what Nathan said. "Yeah, but - "
"So let's not waste our energy chasing after shadows." Nathan got up and went to stand behind Peter. He put his hands on Peter's shoulders and gave them a rub. "Pete, one step at a time. You just got home. How about you get settled and then we'll take it from there?"
"But - " Peter started again.
Nathan pressed in with his thumbs, trying to convey both calm and authority. "Especially since you're out of Fandom, home for good, and sounds to me like one of your powers is freaking out on you. Let's deal with that first. God forbid you start drawing stuff like this in front of Ma. Or worse."
Guilt flashed over Peter's face. "I'm getting my own place."
"Good." Nathan patted him on the back. "Do that. You've got nothing on your plate this week. You could be in a new place in no time."
Peter reached for his sketchbook. "I guess."
Nathan went to take the book before Peter could. "Let me. I can use it to keep an eye out if something comes up."
"There's pictures of me and Sam in there."
Nathan snatched his hand back. "You take it. Just make sure nobody else sees it."
Peter smirked. He put the book back into his bag. He turned around to look up at Nathan uncertainly. "You sure about this?"
"Absolutely," Nathan lied with no hesitation. He gave Peter a hug, then escorted him towards the door. "Now go hit an open house or something. I'll help you pick a place when you're done."
Peter shot Nathan a look of gratitude. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Nathan assured him.