Headcanon for the Petrellis
THIS IS A WIP FOREVER. bentley'S FAULT. FEEL FREE TO COME READ?.
PS: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
ETA: NOW KIND OF ORGANIZED!!
1979 - 1994ish
- Peter was Nathan's Christmas present! Once Peter was a bit older Nathan totally tried to give him only one present that counted for both Christmas and birthday until Peter told him to stop being a cheap bastard.
- When Peter was a kid he asked Nathan for a dog, who in turned asked their father until he agreed.
- Arthur took them on a fishing trip once. Peter insisted on letting the fish free after they caught them because they didn't NEED to eat them.
- When Peter was tiny and Nathan was prepping for college he'd do that thing sometimes, where you pretend to have lost your tiny sibling in a VAST AND UNKNOWN EXPANSE. Then one time he nearly actually almost lost Peter in the mall and was really just about prepared to bring a lawsuit down on the heads of a clearly inadequate security team.
- The first time Nathan showed up to pick Peter up in pre-school, every single kid there seemed to know who he was and they all looked up at him like he was some sort of hero.
He found out later that Peter brought pictures of him whenever they did show and tell.
- In his college years, Nathan totally used the fact that he was such an AMAZING big brother to such an ADORABLE little kid in order to score with the ladies. Girls, they love family men.
- Whenever Peter didn't like one of Nathan's girlfriends, he'd behave like a brat or make up an excuse so he'd take him home.
- Which worked out well enough, since if Peter really, really didn't like a girl Nathan would break it off for convenience.
If he tried to maintain the relationship, there was a chance Peter would say something stupid like BUT HER TEETH ARE FUNNY D8 and Nathan would be like, okay, whatever. But then he would slowly be unable to not notice and would, yes, eventually break up with her.
- Peter liked ponies when he was young. This probably brought much worry into a household that prided itself in raising MANLY MEN.
- Nathan was the kid in high school who was both irritatingly popular and memorized at least two more digits of pi a day just to piss people off.
- While in college, Nathan called home just about once a week. To talk to his parents, sure, but also to make sure Peter didn't start swallowing quarters or anything.
(he used to be able to tell Peter when to wipe his nose from across an interstate landline)
- Peter never understood why Nathan looked up to Arthur so much. He also never understood what Angela saw in him.
When he was a kid and he was asked to draw his family, he drew Nathan first, then himself, then Angela. He added Arthur almost as an afterthought.
- Peter used to sneak into Nathan's bed regularly until he left for the military. He still did it a couple of times when he visited until he was 14 or so.
- Peter had a brief emo teen poet stage. It only lasted until Nathan told him to stop being retarded.
- Nathan probably also told him his poetry was crap. But then, Nathan is very critical of things like modern poetry and philosophy and all that feel-good new-age artist crap.
- It was crap. Peter kept a notebook somewhere, he figures someone will eventually find it and mock him forever.
- In high school Peter wrote an essay criticizing Machiavelli's approach to EVERYTHING. His teacher called him an idealist but gave him an A anyway.
- Nathan used to proofread some of his homework assignments.
- Peter's first word was 'mama' a kid version of 'Nate' was his second one; 'dada' didn't come until after words like 'milk,' 'toy,' and 'play.'
- Peter was the kid who was always full of scrapes and the like. He totally stood up to the bullies to protect the smaller kids.
- Nathan and Angela split band-aid duty.
- Peter thought Santa was unfair because Nathan never got any presents. Eventually that line of thought was what led him to realize he didn't exist.
- Nathan sometimes organized little scavenger hunts for Peter on, like, Easter and also his birthday. This trend actually continued extremely sporadically until Peter was in his second or so year of college.
- Peter looked forward to those more than he looked forward to Christmas.
- Peter spoiled the dog they had beyond belief, and whenever Arthur yelled at it, it ran to hide under Peter's bed.
- Nathan used to tell both the housekeepers and everyone in the family to keep his room closed off when he was away, but somehow dog hair would still get everywhere. It was ridiculous.
- Peter played Peter-Pan for a school play when he was 10. HE WAS VERY GOOD AT IT.
- Nathan saw that school play. And had to be dissuaded by Angela from taking too many hilarious pictures.
- That was the only time Peter had a major role in a school play. Before that he was stuff like "Sheep #5" or "Indian #2"
- When Nathan couldn't afford to come down for a play, he'd make Angela take photos. Even if Peter was just a sheep or a tree or some crap.
- After Nathan finished high school, the only reason Peter ever agreed to participate in that stuff was because he knew Nathan would almost surely show up for them.
- All it'd really take to get Nathan hopping trains back to New York from Annapolis was a phone call and an appropriate amount of audible despair.
- If Nathan called home and Peter wasn't the one answering, Nathan would hear him whining in the background.
"Is it Nathan? Can I talk to him? Can I talk to him now???"
- There was a period in college, either his second or third year, where Nathan just stepped back. He cut down on phone calls and nearly went an entire semester without going home--hell, he didn't even go back for spring break. He got wrapped up in classes, sure, but also in having that mythical college social life.
Later, he tried not to feel like an ass about it, but. :|
- Peter was very sad that entire year. Whenever Nathan did call, he'd ask when he was coming, and once it became obvious he wouldn't, he'd just limit the conversations to "Hi, love you, bye"
- Nathan didn't do it again, after that. Not after remembering he'd actually be leaving his brother solely in the hands of their parents. It wasn't that they were bad parents or anything but, really, Arthur only knew how to raise one kind of kid.
- Peter hid from Nathan for at least a day once he came back.
- That was one of the first times Nathan became fully aware of how involved he'd let himself become in his brother's life and vice versa. Even when his closer friends at college had been like DUDE YOU HAVEN'T LEFT IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT TO GO HOME ARE YOU OKAY and expressed similar concerns, Nathan just kind of let it roll off his back.
- Sometime during that year, Arthur tried to teach Peter how to play chess. Peter hated it.
1995ish - 2006
- Nathan bought Peter his first car. It was probably a pretty sweet car, too. And as environmentally friendly as it could be without being a hybrid or a Prius, because while Peter might be a big dumb hippie he's still a Petrelli.
- When Nathan told Peter he was getting married, Peter was not exactly thrilled. He was happy for Nathan but worried he'd lose him. HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING THOUGH.
- Of course Peter was Nathan's best man. Originally he'd suggested Peter be the maid of honor, but that got things thrown at him.
- Peter got kind of drunk at the reception party, and even poor, unsuspecting waiters learned from Peter how much he loves his brother.
- Nathan never stopped loving Heidi, but his feelings for her are pretty well-laden with guilt and a sense of obligation that he quietly thinks will eventually start overtaking whatever genuine affection is left in their relationship. Outwardly they have a nice politician/wife relationship; but Nathan doesn't lie to himself about it, at least. He hasn't spoken to anyone about the actual state of his marriage and, frankly, people who might even assume anything's going on generally know better than to ask.
- After the accident, Peter started visiting at least twice a week. He probably spent more time checking on Heidi and the kids than with Nathan.
- When Nathan's feeling even a little off-kilter, his first recourse is usually alcohol. When he's stressed out and can't sleep, he drinks milk with whiskey. He relaxes with scotch or beer, takes full advantage of Petrelli red wine and champagne stores for celebrations. It's just habit by now.
- Before the accident, Heidi used to call Peter whenever Nathan was working too much. Then Peter would go find him, drag him home and do his best to stop him from going near a case for at least a weekend. After the accident, Peter started keeping tabs on him without Heidi's help.
- In a happier, pre-accident time, if both Heidi and Peter ganged up on him about something he would inevitably submit. They did that more often than you'd think.
- Nathan was the first to know when Peter decided to become a nurse. Still, Peter stalled for as long as he could because he knew Nathan wouldn't like it.
- On one hand, yeah, Nathan was disdainful of Peter's career choice. On the other, Nathan can't really picture Peter being anything like him, and has never quite WANTED Peter to be like him, so. There you have it.
- Peter moved out of the Petrelli household without his dad's permission, and he didn't tell Nathan he had an apartment almost until he had his luggage ready to go. Angela helped him out with moneys.
- Nathan always wished Peter saw in their dad what he saw in their dad; similarly he wished Arthur would see in Peter what everyone else did. The tension between Peter and Arthur is probably one of the subjects Nathan and Angela bonded over best.
- Family was a huge part of Nathan's campaign platform, and while it seemed pretty insincere in a political context he's pretty instinctively a family man. He considers having taken care of young Peter good practice for when he had kids of his own.
- As much as Peter loves his nephews, he's not exactly close to them. He looked after them the months that followed the accident, but the impulse behind that was so Nathan would have less to deal with.
- Nathan isn't into video games. However, while on the campaign trail, if Monty or Simon asked for a game he'd have at least two aides play it to make sure it was age-appropriate.
- When the first Pokemon games came out Peter bought both versions, gave Nathan the red one and told him the game was a metaphor to represent the constant battle of Republicans versus Democrats.
- Nathan played it for a few hours, ignored it for a few months, and at the advice of a coworker bought a GameShark. GO GO REPUBLICAN RANGER.
- Peter challenged him to a POKEMON BATTLE the following Christmas. He lost despite having an awesome well-balanced team. CHEATER.
- Nathan was actually probably fully prepared to spend the rest of his life with Meredith. I mean, he would've been young and inexperienced and downright stupid--but he's good at this whole assuming responsibility thing. He was young, and if he didn't love her in some fashion already he thought he might've learned to.
- If Peter met Meredith (which I assume he did) he liked her a lot. Though I assume since he was pretty young, he was never told about the pregnancy or the fire.
- Meredith's and Claire's "deaths" marked...one of the very first times Nathan ever really thought about taking time off from the STREAM OF SUCCESS that was generally supposed to be his life. But...well, he's Nathan, and instead of going abroad for soul-searching--like normal young men in their early twenties with cash to burn, who do things like backpack through Europe and traverse the Silk Road--he committed himself fully to the Navy.
- Nathan had a steady high school girlfriend, maybe two, but was never quite in a serious relationship with potential to be long-term until Heidi. It goes without saying that he dated around a hell of a lot, though.
- Peter has been beaten with a cane, been insulted in several, very creative ways and gotten urine samples thrown at him since becoming a nurse. He loves his job anyway.
- Peter is awesome with needles. He's never missed a vein or anything.
- Nathan's congressional run was actually as a Democrat.
- Before his campaign actually began, Nathan woke up one morning and realized his theoretical platform entailed support of universal healthcare and limitations on executive power even in times of crisis. Also, investment in more government jobs. That is not really the way to score points with the Republican party.
However, he was a pretty staunch conservative throughout most of his high school years; college tipped him faintly to the social left and Peter topped it off with a lot of whining. He still kind of considers himself a conservative at heart, but he's also sensible enough to know what kinds of politics are cutting it in this day and age, and malleable enough to adapt.
- Peter would have been against Nathan running for congress, but given that it happened after Heidi's accident and Arthur's death he figured it'd be good for Nathan to have something to focus on.
- Yeah, that was pretty much the case. After...well, everything, Nathan started slipping up a bit in ways only he (and maybe Peter) would really notice. The campaign helped him regain his focus, but at the expense of the amount of attention he ended up paying to people who actually could've used him around.
- During the months before Genesis, Peter still visited Nathan somewhat regularly, either at his house or at his campaign headquarters.
- Nathan was thinking about getting a dog for his own kids.
- If Nathan hadn't gone the night Peter decided to try to fly, he wouldn't have jumped.
- During his campaign, whenever Peter got an "I AM NATHAN PETRELLI VOTE FOR ME" phone call, he'd listen to the recording all the way through just because it was Nathan.
* Peter has wanted to go flying with Nathan ever since he found out he could. He's just not sure of how to ask him.
CAMP
- Most days Nathan successfully ignores his power--in camp, he's barely flown at all. He doesn't like it. He associates bad things with it.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have the urge to sometimes. It's this niggling feeling, like there's a muscle he isn't using, and kind of wistful too. And sometimes he rolls out of bed hovering, which is why he's glad he's usually the first one awake in the cabin (or at least the only one around).
- Peter is torn between wanting to learn to use his powers properly and being afraid to. He used to be very afraid of blowing up again, but now that he knows the powers he gets in camp don't stick, he feels better.
- Nathan doesn't know the full extent of what Peter can do and isn't going out of his way to find out, but he can appreciate the irony in his whiny little brother becoming, in essence, a flying brick.
He also knows very well Peter's scared of his own capabilities, but since it's not a burden Nathan can outright alleviate he's settled for holding true to his short spiel at the end of the season--it's really the best he can do. I'M NOT LEAVING YOU, PETER. EVEN IF YOU LEARN TO SHOOT RAINBOWS FROM YOUR NIPPLES.
- Peter has and will continue to hide any violent encounters. He has to help and save people and fight the bad guys, but Nathan has no reason to get involved.
- The fact that Peter is this side of invincible reassures Nathan so much, to a point where he nearly doesn't mind very strongly at all that Peter is probably going to spend his time kicking to the curb all that is unjust. Whatever makes Peter happy, so long as he's home at the end of the day.
- Peter knows Nathan can't stay in camp forever. He attempts to blow up the barrier every once in a while.
- Peter will follow Nathan home, no matter how okay he is in camp at the time.
- Every now and then--extremely periodically--when Nathan can't sleep, and if everyone else in the cabin is asleep, he steps outside for a breather. Sometimes this breather entails hovering a couple of feet off the ground, maybe a meter or two, and staring at his feet.
Then he goes back inside and goes back to bed.
GENERAL
- Peter had this hero-worship thing for Nathan. IT HAS NOT YET GONE AWAY.
- Nathan's political leanings are conservative, he'd be even more right wing if Peter didn't pester him about universal health care and the like.
- Whenever Nathan's sick, Peter goes check on him every day and until he's better. HE BRINGS HIM CHICKEN SOUP.
If it's bad enough for Nathan to skip work, he stays over.
- Fortunately, Nathan's the guy who will try to make it to work through sleet and snow and hail. If he had to work into the late hours of the night, and no one was around, he'd take catnaps at his desk.
- Nathan is a guy who needs to be accomplishing something. His life reflects that pretty well, with barely any pauses between graduation and the military and then law school and employment. Vacations are a privilege, not a right.
- Nathan's a natural cuddler. Thanks, canon!
- Like most manly men, Nathan isn't very self-expressive in the first place. He can probably count the number of times he's written fiction on one hand--all probably for school, at that. He is, however, extremely good at technical writing, legal briefs, and various forms of analysis.
- Despite being a SENSITIVE SOUL, Peter never really took to arts. He tried to learn to play the guitar at some point (because he wanted an electric one!) and was never good at it. He does, however, kick ass at guitar hero.
- One of Nathan's favorite lessons is "the end justifies the means". His close adherence to this philosophy is probably in part Arthur's fault.
- Nathan has always been the first person Peter thinks about going to whenever he has a problem regardless of the nature of said problem.
- Before Peter could heal, nothing could piss Nathan off quite like the sight of an injured Peter.
- Nathan's suits are, in fact, pretty designer. Usually Italian brand. He loves Brioni.
- Since he outgrew the age in which macaroni-made presents were cute, Peter struggles forever when trying to come up with presents for Nathan. It's not that he doesn't know what he likes, it's just that he already has everything.
- Nathan has forced Peter to get at least one or two custom-tailored suits. Because. Shit's nice.
- Peter's never dated much. When he actually makes a move is because he's completely smitten and wants a serious relationship. After a couple of relationships crashed and burned, he learned to play it cool, kind of.
- While Nathan assumed a fair amount of responsibility for Peter from the get-go, he began stepping in more when it became obvious Arthur wasn't as interested in devoting himself to father duty with Peter as he was with Nathan. He thought he might as well be the male role model, but he's still not sure how well he did on that score. On one hand, Peter is nothing like him or Arthur; on the other, Nathan's glad he isn't.
- Peter did want to be like Nathan when he was a kid, but as he grew up he realized it really wasn't his thing, so he went the opposite direction instead.
- Nathan has beaten Arthur at chess maybe two or three times in his entire life.
- When in danger/trouble/need of something, Nathan's always the first (and sometimes only) person Peter thinks about going to.
Last Updated: Dec 7 2008
PS: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
ETA: NOW KIND OF ORGANIZED!!
1979 - 1994ish
- Peter was Nathan's Christmas present! Once Peter was a bit older Nathan totally tried to give him only one present that counted for both Christmas and birthday until Peter told him to stop being a cheap bastard.
- When Peter was a kid he asked Nathan for a dog, who in turned asked their father until he agreed.
- Arthur took them on a fishing trip once. Peter insisted on letting the fish free after they caught them because they didn't NEED to eat them.
- When Peter was tiny and Nathan was prepping for college he'd do that thing sometimes, where you pretend to have lost your tiny sibling in a VAST AND UNKNOWN EXPANSE. Then one time he nearly actually almost lost Peter in the mall and was really just about prepared to bring a lawsuit down on the heads of a clearly inadequate security team.
- The first time Nathan showed up to pick Peter up in pre-school, every single kid there seemed to know who he was and they all looked up at him like he was some sort of hero.
He found out later that Peter brought pictures of him whenever they did show and tell.
- In his college years, Nathan totally used the fact that he was such an AMAZING big brother to such an ADORABLE little kid in order to score with the ladies. Girls, they love family men.
- Whenever Peter didn't like one of Nathan's girlfriends, he'd behave like a brat or make up an excuse so he'd take him home.
- Which worked out well enough, since if Peter really, really didn't like a girl Nathan would break it off for convenience.
If he tried to maintain the relationship, there was a chance Peter would say something stupid like BUT HER TEETH ARE FUNNY D8 and Nathan would be like, okay, whatever. But then he would slowly be unable to not notice and would, yes, eventually break up with her.
- Peter liked ponies when he was young. This probably brought much worry into a household that prided itself in raising MANLY MEN.
- Nathan was the kid in high school who was both irritatingly popular and memorized at least two more digits of pi a day just to piss people off.
- While in college, Nathan called home just about once a week. To talk to his parents, sure, but also to make sure Peter didn't start swallowing quarters or anything.
(he used to be able to tell Peter when to wipe his nose from across an interstate landline)
- Peter never understood why Nathan looked up to Arthur so much. He also never understood what Angela saw in him.
When he was a kid and he was asked to draw his family, he drew Nathan first, then himself, then Angela. He added Arthur almost as an afterthought.
- Peter used to sneak into Nathan's bed regularly until he left for the military. He still did it a couple of times when he visited until he was 14 or so.
- Peter had a brief emo teen poet stage. It only lasted until Nathan told him to stop being retarded.
- Nathan probably also told him his poetry was crap. But then, Nathan is very critical of things like modern poetry and philosophy and all that feel-good new-age artist crap.
- It was crap. Peter kept a notebook somewhere, he figures someone will eventually find it and mock him forever.
- In high school Peter wrote an essay criticizing Machiavelli's approach to EVERYTHING. His teacher called him an idealist but gave him an A anyway.
- Nathan used to proofread some of his homework assignments.
- Peter's first word was 'mama' a kid version of 'Nate' was his second one; 'dada' didn't come until after words like 'milk,' 'toy,' and 'play.'
- Peter was the kid who was always full of scrapes and the like. He totally stood up to the bullies to protect the smaller kids.
- Nathan and Angela split band-aid duty.
- Peter thought Santa was unfair because Nathan never got any presents. Eventually that line of thought was what led him to realize he didn't exist.
- Nathan sometimes organized little scavenger hunts for Peter on, like, Easter and also his birthday. This trend actually continued extremely sporadically until Peter was in his second or so year of college.
- Peter looked forward to those more than he looked forward to Christmas.
- Peter spoiled the dog they had beyond belief, and whenever Arthur yelled at it, it ran to hide under Peter's bed.
- Nathan used to tell both the housekeepers and everyone in the family to keep his room closed off when he was away, but somehow dog hair would still get everywhere. It was ridiculous.
- Peter played Peter-Pan for a school play when he was 10. HE WAS VERY GOOD AT IT.
- Nathan saw that school play. And had to be dissuaded by Angela from taking too many hilarious pictures.
- That was the only time Peter had a major role in a school play. Before that he was stuff like "Sheep #5" or "Indian #2"
- When Nathan couldn't afford to come down for a play, he'd make Angela take photos. Even if Peter was just a sheep or a tree or some crap.
- After Nathan finished high school, the only reason Peter ever agreed to participate in that stuff was because he knew Nathan would almost surely show up for them.
- All it'd really take to get Nathan hopping trains back to New York from Annapolis was a phone call and an appropriate amount of audible despair.
- If Nathan called home and Peter wasn't the one answering, Nathan would hear him whining in the background.
"Is it Nathan? Can I talk to him? Can I talk to him now???"
- There was a period in college, either his second or third year, where Nathan just stepped back. He cut down on phone calls and nearly went an entire semester without going home--hell, he didn't even go back for spring break. He got wrapped up in classes, sure, but also in having that mythical college social life.
Later, he tried not to feel like an ass about it, but. :|
- Peter was very sad that entire year. Whenever Nathan did call, he'd ask when he was coming, and once it became obvious he wouldn't, he'd just limit the conversations to "Hi, love you, bye"
- Nathan didn't do it again, after that. Not after remembering he'd actually be leaving his brother solely in the hands of their parents. It wasn't that they were bad parents or anything but, really, Arthur only knew how to raise one kind of kid.
- Peter hid from Nathan for at least a day once he came back.
- That was one of the first times Nathan became fully aware of how involved he'd let himself become in his brother's life and vice versa. Even when his closer friends at college had been like DUDE YOU HAVEN'T LEFT IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT TO GO HOME ARE YOU OKAY and expressed similar concerns, Nathan just kind of let it roll off his back.
- Sometime during that year, Arthur tried to teach Peter how to play chess. Peter hated it.
1995ish - 2006
- Nathan bought Peter his first car. It was probably a pretty sweet car, too. And as environmentally friendly as it could be without being a hybrid or a Prius, because while Peter might be a big dumb hippie he's still a Petrelli.
- When Nathan told Peter he was getting married, Peter was not exactly thrilled. He was happy for Nathan but worried he'd lose him. HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING THOUGH.
- Of course Peter was Nathan's best man. Originally he'd suggested Peter be the maid of honor, but that got things thrown at him.
- Peter got kind of drunk at the reception party, and even poor, unsuspecting waiters learned from Peter how much he loves his brother.
- Nathan never stopped loving Heidi, but his feelings for her are pretty well-laden with guilt and a sense of obligation that he quietly thinks will eventually start overtaking whatever genuine affection is left in their relationship. Outwardly they have a nice politician/wife relationship; but Nathan doesn't lie to himself about it, at least. He hasn't spoken to anyone about the actual state of his marriage and, frankly, people who might even assume anything's going on generally know better than to ask.
- After the accident, Peter started visiting at least twice a week. He probably spent more time checking on Heidi and the kids than with Nathan.
- When Nathan's feeling even a little off-kilter, his first recourse is usually alcohol. When he's stressed out and can't sleep, he drinks milk with whiskey. He relaxes with scotch or beer, takes full advantage of Petrelli red wine and champagne stores for celebrations. It's just habit by now.
- Before the accident, Heidi used to call Peter whenever Nathan was working too much. Then Peter would go find him, drag him home and do his best to stop him from going near a case for at least a weekend. After the accident, Peter started keeping tabs on him without Heidi's help.
- In a happier, pre-accident time, if both Heidi and Peter ganged up on him about something he would inevitably submit. They did that more often than you'd think.
- Nathan was the first to know when Peter decided to become a nurse. Still, Peter stalled for as long as he could because he knew Nathan wouldn't like it.
- On one hand, yeah, Nathan was disdainful of Peter's career choice. On the other, Nathan can't really picture Peter being anything like him, and has never quite WANTED Peter to be like him, so. There you have it.
- Peter moved out of the Petrelli household without his dad's permission, and he didn't tell Nathan he had an apartment almost until he had his luggage ready to go. Angela helped him out with moneys.
- Nathan always wished Peter saw in their dad what he saw in their dad; similarly he wished Arthur would see in Peter what everyone else did. The tension between Peter and Arthur is probably one of the subjects Nathan and Angela bonded over best.
- Family was a huge part of Nathan's campaign platform, and while it seemed pretty insincere in a political context he's pretty instinctively a family man. He considers having taken care of young Peter good practice for when he had kids of his own.
- As much as Peter loves his nephews, he's not exactly close to them. He looked after them the months that followed the accident, but the impulse behind that was so Nathan would have less to deal with.
- Nathan isn't into video games. However, while on the campaign trail, if Monty or Simon asked for a game he'd have at least two aides play it to make sure it was age-appropriate.
- When the first Pokemon games came out Peter bought both versions, gave Nathan the red one and told him the game was a metaphor to represent the constant battle of Republicans versus Democrats.
- Nathan played it for a few hours, ignored it for a few months, and at the advice of a coworker bought a GameShark. GO GO REPUBLICAN RANGER.
- Peter challenged him to a POKEMON BATTLE the following Christmas. He lost despite having an awesome well-balanced team. CHEATER.
- Nathan was actually probably fully prepared to spend the rest of his life with Meredith. I mean, he would've been young and inexperienced and downright stupid--but he's good at this whole assuming responsibility thing. He was young, and if he didn't love her in some fashion already he thought he might've learned to.
- If Peter met Meredith (which I assume he did) he liked her a lot. Though I assume since he was pretty young, he was never told about the pregnancy or the fire.
- Meredith's and Claire's "deaths" marked...one of the very first times Nathan ever really thought about taking time off from the STREAM OF SUCCESS that was generally supposed to be his life. But...well, he's Nathan, and instead of going abroad for soul-searching--like normal young men in their early twenties with cash to burn, who do things like backpack through Europe and traverse the Silk Road--he committed himself fully to the Navy.
- Nathan had a steady high school girlfriend, maybe two, but was never quite in a serious relationship with potential to be long-term until Heidi. It goes without saying that he dated around a hell of a lot, though.
- Peter has been beaten with a cane, been insulted in several, very creative ways and gotten urine samples thrown at him since becoming a nurse. He loves his job anyway.
- Peter is awesome with needles. He's never missed a vein or anything.
- Nathan's congressional run was actually as a Democrat.
- Before his campaign actually began, Nathan woke up one morning and realized his theoretical platform entailed support of universal healthcare and limitations on executive power even in times of crisis. Also, investment in more government jobs. That is not really the way to score points with the Republican party.
However, he was a pretty staunch conservative throughout most of his high school years; college tipped him faintly to the social left and Peter topped it off with a lot of whining. He still kind of considers himself a conservative at heart, but he's also sensible enough to know what kinds of politics are cutting it in this day and age, and malleable enough to adapt.
- Peter would have been against Nathan running for congress, but given that it happened after Heidi's accident and Arthur's death he figured it'd be good for Nathan to have something to focus on.
- Yeah, that was pretty much the case. After...well, everything, Nathan started slipping up a bit in ways only he (and maybe Peter) would really notice. The campaign helped him regain his focus, but at the expense of the amount of attention he ended up paying to people who actually could've used him around.
- During the months before Genesis, Peter still visited Nathan somewhat regularly, either at his house or at his campaign headquarters.
- Nathan was thinking about getting a dog for his own kids.
- If Nathan hadn't gone the night Peter decided to try to fly, he wouldn't have jumped.
- During his campaign, whenever Peter got an "I AM NATHAN PETRELLI VOTE FOR ME" phone call, he'd listen to the recording all the way through just because it was Nathan.
* Peter has wanted to go flying with Nathan ever since he found out he could. He's just not sure of how to ask him.
CAMP
- Most days Nathan successfully ignores his power--in camp, he's barely flown at all. He doesn't like it. He associates bad things with it.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have the urge to sometimes. It's this niggling feeling, like there's a muscle he isn't using, and kind of wistful too. And sometimes he rolls out of bed hovering, which is why he's glad he's usually the first one awake in the cabin (or at least the only one around).
- Peter is torn between wanting to learn to use his powers properly and being afraid to. He used to be very afraid of blowing up again, but now that he knows the powers he gets in camp don't stick, he feels better.
- Nathan doesn't know the full extent of what Peter can do and isn't going out of his way to find out, but he can appreciate the irony in his whiny little brother becoming, in essence, a flying brick.
He also knows very well Peter's scared of his own capabilities, but since it's not a burden Nathan can outright alleviate he's settled for holding true to his short spiel at the end of the season--it's really the best he can do. I'M NOT LEAVING YOU, PETER. EVEN IF YOU LEARN TO SHOOT RAINBOWS FROM YOUR NIPPLES.
- Peter has and will continue to hide any violent encounters. He has to help and save people and fight the bad guys, but Nathan has no reason to get involved.
- The fact that Peter is this side of invincible reassures Nathan so much, to a point where he nearly doesn't mind very strongly at all that Peter is probably going to spend his time kicking to the curb all that is unjust. Whatever makes Peter happy, so long as he's home at the end of the day.
- Peter knows Nathan can't stay in camp forever. He attempts to blow up the barrier every once in a while.
- Peter will follow Nathan home, no matter how okay he is in camp at the time.
- Every now and then--extremely periodically--when Nathan can't sleep, and if everyone else in the cabin is asleep, he steps outside for a breather. Sometimes this breather entails hovering a couple of feet off the ground, maybe a meter or two, and staring at his feet.
Then he goes back inside and goes back to bed.
GENERAL
- Peter had this hero-worship thing for Nathan. IT HAS NOT YET GONE AWAY.
- Nathan's political leanings are conservative, he'd be even more right wing if Peter didn't pester him about universal health care and the like.
- Whenever Nathan's sick, Peter goes check on him every day and until he's better. HE BRINGS HIM CHICKEN SOUP.
If it's bad enough for Nathan to skip work, he stays over.
- Fortunately, Nathan's the guy who will try to make it to work through sleet and snow and hail. If he had to work into the late hours of the night, and no one was around, he'd take catnaps at his desk.
- Nathan is a guy who needs to be accomplishing something. His life reflects that pretty well, with barely any pauses between graduation and the military and then law school and employment. Vacations are a privilege, not a right.
- Nathan's a natural cuddler. Thanks, canon!
- Like most manly men, Nathan isn't very self-expressive in the first place. He can probably count the number of times he's written fiction on one hand--all probably for school, at that. He is, however, extremely good at technical writing, legal briefs, and various forms of analysis.
- Despite being a SENSITIVE SOUL, Peter never really took to arts. He tried to learn to play the guitar at some point (because he wanted an electric one!) and was never good at it. He does, however, kick ass at guitar hero.
- One of Nathan's favorite lessons is "the end justifies the means". His close adherence to this philosophy is probably in part Arthur's fault.
- Nathan has always been the first person Peter thinks about going to whenever he has a problem regardless of the nature of said problem.
- Before Peter could heal, nothing could piss Nathan off quite like the sight of an injured Peter.
- Nathan's suits are, in fact, pretty designer. Usually Italian brand. He loves Brioni.
- Since he outgrew the age in which macaroni-made presents were cute, Peter struggles forever when trying to come up with presents for Nathan. It's not that he doesn't know what he likes, it's just that he already has everything.
- Nathan has forced Peter to get at least one or two custom-tailored suits. Because. Shit's nice.
- Peter's never dated much. When he actually makes a move is because he's completely smitten and wants a serious relationship. After a couple of relationships crashed and burned, he learned to play it cool, kind of.
- While Nathan assumed a fair amount of responsibility for Peter from the get-go, he began stepping in more when it became obvious Arthur wasn't as interested in devoting himself to father duty with Peter as he was with Nathan. He thought he might as well be the male role model, but he's still not sure how well he did on that score. On one hand, Peter is nothing like him or Arthur; on the other, Nathan's glad he isn't.
- Peter did want to be like Nathan when he was a kid, but as he grew up he realized it really wasn't his thing, so he went the opposite direction instead.
- Nathan has beaten Arthur at chess maybe two or three times in his entire life.
- When in danger/trouble/need of something, Nathan's always the first (and sometimes only) person Peter thinks about going to.
Last Updated: Dec 7 2008