Fic: Relationships: Relationships, Part 1
Series Title: Relationships
Section Title: Relationships, part 1
Author: Fabrisse
Pairings: Heidi/Peter, Heidi/Nathan, Heidi/Nathan/Peter, and Nathan/Peter
Rating: ADULT - EXPLICIT
Word Count: ~1900
Category: Drama
Spoilers: Pre Season 1, minor for Season 2 through Four Months Ago
Summary: Heidi has seen Peter and Nathan together. The three of them resolve the relationship.
Warnings: Incest, slash, het
Betas: snopes-faith and riverfox
Notes: This came out of discussions at TwoP during the episodes Nothing to Hide and Six Months Ago about either how clueless Heidi was to the vibes between her husband and his brother or how complicit she was in the secret. Since the deleted scenes in Nothing to Hide give us Nathan at Annapolis and Angela calling Heidi a “townie” those two things have entered my personal canon. The overall story is in three parts, “Townie,” “Brothers,” and “Relationships.” Each segment will have it’s own rating, but the overall series is ADULT-EXPLICIT.
From “Townie, part 3”
Heidi’s blood went cold. She needed to think, to figure it all out.
In a daze, she walked up the stairs where she found her friend, Jane, and explained that she had to leave because the nanny had called. In her head she heard herself patiently answering Jane’s questions. No, she hadn't found Nathan. Would Jane be kind enough to pass the message to him.
She grabbed her coat on the way out and stormed toward the subway. She thought better of it, put on her coat, and kept walking.
Damned if she would cry.
Nathan had opened up the world to her. Her body responded to his voice on the phone, the scent of him beside her in bed at night drove her wild. Except for that time between the doctor saying no sex when she was in her eighth month and the three month drought after Simon's birth, they'd made love every night of their marriage. Every night they were together. And when they weren't together, it was because the brothers were having a weekend together.
Damn!
She didn't want to think about how good they'd looked together. Peter's face looked like some renaissance saint transendent when he came deep in Nathan's.... She couldn't think about that right now.
The betrayal just kept magnifying. Peter, the one person Simon adored, sweet Peter, who called her to see Nathan in the hospital, who made sure she was all right when Nathan worked late, was as much to blame as anyone.
How dare they lie to her!
Heidi looked around. She was nearly to the Plaza. A drink sounded good, but too much alcohol would make her angrier, and she needed to be able to negotiate with Nathan.
The coffee shop on the corner looked appealing. Harsh light, floor-to-ceiling windows, linoleum and formica -- it would give her a good cheap cup of coffee and a place to sit down and pull herself together.
Heidi was on her second cup of coffee when the shadow sat across from her. She glanced up and saw Peter.
Her voice was calm. "Where's my cheating husband?"
"That answers that question." The waitress brought him a cup of coffee and checked to make sure they didn't need more creamer.
Heidi looked at him as she sipped her coffee.
"I didn't know how much you'd seen."
"So you were just going to come here and tell me that you were gay and I shouldn't judge you?"
"Bi. And no, that's not something you should judge."
The slap rang out in that harsh environment. Peter just gestured at the waitress to stay away.
"Feel better?"
Heidi could see her hand print blooming on one side of his face. "Not really, but I don't carry a weapon."
"Don't let Nathan hear you say that. He'll hear the threat, not the pain."
Her jaw flexed. "Do you want to tell me about my pain?"
"No. I want you to tell me about it." He signaled to the waitress. "Three small coffees, extra light, and three danish to go, please." Peter continued, "But not here. We'll walk through the park. You and me or all three of us, your choice. Hell, you can hit me again, if you want. But not in front of witnesses."
Heidi nodded.
Peter got out his wallet and paid for the coffees. "It's cold out. Need to use the restroom?"
"I'm not a child, Peter."
"No, you're a very beautiful woman."
"Don't try to charm me."
"I know better."
He grabbed their order and held the door for her. They crossed the street together, and he handed the coffees and bag to Nathan. "Pick your favorite danish."
"Pete?"
"Talk to your wife."
"Heidi?"
"Did Peter pick me out for you, Nathan? You needed a political wife, and he said, 'what about that girl from the museum?'"
"Peter was seven when you and I met. And he was angry and jealous ... " Peter's head went up at that. "Yeah, I knew it was jealousy, I just didn't know what kind." He turned back to Heidi. "Peter was angry and jealous when I asked you out at the museum. He was also twelve. I don't know what thoughts he may or may not have harbored about me. But I've never found children attractive."
"So your letters..."
"I meant every word of them. I love you. I'm glad you're my wife, the mother of our son."
"When you were on the ship. There were other women, and I knew there would be. I had no claim. Were there other men?"
"No. I fooled around with guys my own age in seventh and eighth grade. Once I hit high school, it was girls. The only man since has been Peter."
"How many women have there been since we married?"
"None. I've had offers, and I came close to saying yes once. Literally, once. But I love you. I backed away."
"And I'm supposed to trust you?"
"Let me ask you this, sweetheart. How could I tell you?"
Heidi stopped dead. The men continued walking before they realized she was behind them.
Peter handed his coffee to Nathan and went to her. Heidi came up swinging.
"It's okay, Nathan." Peter let Heidi hit him. She backed him into a tree and kept pounding at his chest and shoulders until the storm of emotion passed. He put his arms around her and she began to cry.
Nathan put the coffees on a handy bench and came over. "Heidi, are you all right?"
"Do you know what the very worst part of this is?"
He handed her a handkerchief. "No. Tell me."
“It's that watching you two together felt right. You two look right together."
Nathan held her close. "Heidi, look at me."
She finished dabbing her eyes and muttering, "stupid mascara," and met his eyes.
"Did watching Peter turn you on?"
Heidi shuddered against him. "Yes. And when I saw it was you ..."
"That excited you, too." His voice was low and rough.
"Yes."
Nathan pulled her close and rocked her against him.
****
There was a long silence as they wandered through the soft night. Peter finally broke it. “Ask anything. I’ll answer what I can.”
“How long?”
“I made a pass at Nathan just after I turned sixteen.”
Heidi stopped and turned to face Peter. “You started it?”
“Between the age difference, the same sex thing, oh, and the fact that I’m his brother, how could he make the first move?”
“But…”
Nathan interrupted. “Ten years at all-boys schools, Peter. I wasn’t exactly blushing over the fact you were a guy.”
Heidi started again. “But you were only sixteen.”
“I knew I was in love with Nathan before he left to join the Roosevelt. I knew I wanted sex with Nathan before I was fourteen. When I saw him again… he was injured and it was so close to my birthday. It occurred to me that ‘over the age of consent’ would be important to him, so I didn’t say anything until then.”
“So from before we were married, you were …” Words failed her.
Peter filled in, “The other man?”
Nathan started to say something, but Peter quelled him with a look.
She turned to look at Nathan. “The night before our wedding, my mother took me aside and told me I could still call it off. And when I said, no, that I loved you, she told me the realities of being married to a politician. Did you know who my dad was screwing on the campaign trail?”
“Yes.”
“Mom knew. She said ‘Politicians are charismatic. People want to share that charisma. Make peace with it now, because at some point, if Nathan pursues a political career, he’s going to cheat.’”
They walked abreast for a couple of minutes waiting for a few people to pass them.
When they were clear with no one to hear, Heidi began again. “Mom’s rule was no one in Annapolis.” She looked at Peter. “It’s too late to say no one in New York City.”
“I never doubted for a moment that Nathan was in love with you, Heidi. You shouldn’t either.”
Heidi faced him. “Is this where you say, you’ll give him up, disappear from our lives?”
“If that’s what you want. I won’t disappear forever. But I can take a year abroad someplace. Improve my French or Italian. Hell, Peace Corps is two years. I think they’d take me.”
Nathan cleared his throat. “Do I get any say in whether you stay or go?”
Peter met his eyes. “No. I’ve always known Heidi was the choice you’d make, have to make, if it came down to choosing. Why would I torture you with thinking it could go any other way?”
“Tell him why, Peter.”
“Because I love him.”
“That’s the hell of it,” she said. “I asked Mom why she stayed with Dad. She said she’d rather have part of him than nothing.”
Peter put an arm around her shoulder. “I love you, too, but I don’t think you’ll believe it right now.”
“Oddly enough, I do. And Peter, I love you. You’re the little brother I never had.”
They walked on.
It was Nathan who broke the silence this time. “Do you want a divorce? You can sue for cause, if it would help.”
“No, Nathan. Even if we weren’t Catholic, I couldn’t. Mom was right. I’d rather share you than live without you. Remember our first date?”
“Mmhmm.”
“I haven’t lacked passion since that night.” Nathan pulled her to him and kissed her.
Peter walked ahead.
When they caught up to him, Heidi continued. “There are rules. You know the old joke. ‘A politician’s career can survive him being found in bed with anything but…’”
Nathan completed it. “A dead girl or a live boy.”
Peter raised his eyebrows. “I hadn’t heard that one.”
Heidi looked him over. “They’d add a new line for you two. ‘Caught blowing his brother.’ I’m angrier about that than anything else. Do you know how lucky you were that I’m the one who saw you? I don’t care which of you is into edgy sex, risking getting caught stops now.”
The brothers glanced at each other.
“We hadn’t seen each other in three weeks. We didn’t think.” Peter said.
“Start thinking. Please, Peter. Nathan sees the big picture, but misses the small moments. I don’t think you will.”
Peter grabbed her by the waist and pulled them both into a shadow. He kissed her deeply, and Heidi was shocked to find herself responding just as ardently.
“I don’t always think of you as a sister.”
Peter’s arm was still around her waist holding her close to him. Heidi reached up and kissed Peter again. “You think he’d choose me?”
“I know he would.”
“Guys, as much as watching you two make out is turning me on, we’re in public.”
They stepped apart. Nathan came between them. “I never thought I’d say this, but, if you two need to fuck to negotiate this, go ahead. Because Heidi, I love you and Simon more than I thought possible, but I love Peter, too.”
“I’ve never thought of being with another man, since I’ve been with you.”
“You two looked like the next step was finding a handy bed.”
Heidi glanced at Peter and found him smiling ruefully at her. “Peter?”
“I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about you. It has to be your choice.”
“Nathan?”
“I’ve already given my blessing.” He picked up the pace.
“I’m asking if you’d be hurt if I said yes.”
Nathan looked abashed. “Honestly, I want to watch.”
Peter caught Heidi’s eye. She reached over and pulled him into a kiss.
She whispered in his ear, “What do you think?”
Peter whispered back, “Let him watch.”
Section Title: Relationships, part 1
Author: Fabrisse
Pairings: Heidi/Peter, Heidi/Nathan, Heidi/Nathan/Peter, and Nathan/Peter
Rating: ADULT - EXPLICIT
Word Count: ~1900
Category: Drama
Spoilers: Pre Season 1, minor for Season 2 through Four Months Ago
Summary: Heidi has seen Peter and Nathan together. The three of them resolve the relationship.
Warnings: Incest, slash, het
Betas: snopes-faith and riverfox
Notes: This came out of discussions at TwoP during the episodes Nothing to Hide and Six Months Ago about either how clueless Heidi was to the vibes between her husband and his brother or how complicit she was in the secret. Since the deleted scenes in Nothing to Hide give us Nathan at Annapolis and Angela calling Heidi a “townie” those two things have entered my personal canon. The overall story is in three parts, “Townie,” “Brothers,” and “Relationships.” Each segment will have it’s own rating, but the overall series is ADULT-EXPLICIT.
From “Townie, part 3”
Heidi’s blood went cold. She needed to think, to figure it all out.
In a daze, she walked up the stairs where she found her friend, Jane, and explained that she had to leave because the nanny had called. In her head she heard herself patiently answering Jane’s questions. No, she hadn't found Nathan. Would Jane be kind enough to pass the message to him.
She grabbed her coat on the way out and stormed toward the subway. She thought better of it, put on her coat, and kept walking.
Damned if she would cry.
Nathan had opened up the world to her. Her body responded to his voice on the phone, the scent of him beside her in bed at night drove her wild. Except for that time between the doctor saying no sex when she was in her eighth month and the three month drought after Simon's birth, they'd made love every night of their marriage. Every night they were together. And when they weren't together, it was because the brothers were having a weekend together.
Damn!
She didn't want to think about how good they'd looked together. Peter's face looked like some renaissance saint transendent when he came deep in Nathan's.... She couldn't think about that right now.
The betrayal just kept magnifying. Peter, the one person Simon adored, sweet Peter, who called her to see Nathan in the hospital, who made sure she was all right when Nathan worked late, was as much to blame as anyone.
How dare they lie to her!
Heidi looked around. She was nearly to the Plaza. A drink sounded good, but too much alcohol would make her angrier, and she needed to be able to negotiate with Nathan.
The coffee shop on the corner looked appealing. Harsh light, floor-to-ceiling windows, linoleum and formica -- it would give her a good cheap cup of coffee and a place to sit down and pull herself together.
Heidi was on her second cup of coffee when the shadow sat across from her. She glanced up and saw Peter.
Her voice was calm. "Where's my cheating husband?"
"That answers that question." The waitress brought him a cup of coffee and checked to make sure they didn't need more creamer.
Heidi looked at him as she sipped her coffee.
"I didn't know how much you'd seen."
"So you were just going to come here and tell me that you were gay and I shouldn't judge you?"
"Bi. And no, that's not something you should judge."
The slap rang out in that harsh environment. Peter just gestured at the waitress to stay away.
"Feel better?"
Heidi could see her hand print blooming on one side of his face. "Not really, but I don't carry a weapon."
"Don't let Nathan hear you say that. He'll hear the threat, not the pain."
Her jaw flexed. "Do you want to tell me about my pain?"
"No. I want you to tell me about it." He signaled to the waitress. "Three small coffees, extra light, and three danish to go, please." Peter continued, "But not here. We'll walk through the park. You and me or all three of us, your choice. Hell, you can hit me again, if you want. But not in front of witnesses."
Heidi nodded.
Peter got out his wallet and paid for the coffees. "It's cold out. Need to use the restroom?"
"I'm not a child, Peter."
"No, you're a very beautiful woman."
"Don't try to charm me."
"I know better."
He grabbed their order and held the door for her. They crossed the street together, and he handed the coffees and bag to Nathan. "Pick your favorite danish."
"Pete?"
"Talk to your wife."
"Heidi?"
"Did Peter pick me out for you, Nathan? You needed a political wife, and he said, 'what about that girl from the museum?'"
"Peter was seven when you and I met. And he was angry and jealous ... " Peter's head went up at that. "Yeah, I knew it was jealousy, I just didn't know what kind." He turned back to Heidi. "Peter was angry and jealous when I asked you out at the museum. He was also twelve. I don't know what thoughts he may or may not have harbored about me. But I've never found children attractive."
"So your letters..."
"I meant every word of them. I love you. I'm glad you're my wife, the mother of our son."
"When you were on the ship. There were other women, and I knew there would be. I had no claim. Were there other men?"
"No. I fooled around with guys my own age in seventh and eighth grade. Once I hit high school, it was girls. The only man since has been Peter."
"How many women have there been since we married?"
"None. I've had offers, and I came close to saying yes once. Literally, once. But I love you. I backed away."
"And I'm supposed to trust you?"
"Let me ask you this, sweetheart. How could I tell you?"
Heidi stopped dead. The men continued walking before they realized she was behind them.
Peter handed his coffee to Nathan and went to her. Heidi came up swinging.
"It's okay, Nathan." Peter let Heidi hit him. She backed him into a tree and kept pounding at his chest and shoulders until the storm of emotion passed. He put his arms around her and she began to cry.
Nathan put the coffees on a handy bench and came over. "Heidi, are you all right?"
"Do you know what the very worst part of this is?"
He handed her a handkerchief. "No. Tell me."
“It's that watching you two together felt right. You two look right together."
Nathan held her close. "Heidi, look at me."
She finished dabbing her eyes and muttering, "stupid mascara," and met his eyes.
"Did watching Peter turn you on?"
Heidi shuddered against him. "Yes. And when I saw it was you ..."
"That excited you, too." His voice was low and rough.
"Yes."
Nathan pulled her close and rocked her against him.
****
There was a long silence as they wandered through the soft night. Peter finally broke it. “Ask anything. I’ll answer what I can.”
“How long?”
“I made a pass at Nathan just after I turned sixteen.”
Heidi stopped and turned to face Peter. “You started it?”
“Between the age difference, the same sex thing, oh, and the fact that I’m his brother, how could he make the first move?”
“But…”
Nathan interrupted. “Ten years at all-boys schools, Peter. I wasn’t exactly blushing over the fact you were a guy.”
Heidi started again. “But you were only sixteen.”
“I knew I was in love with Nathan before he left to join the Roosevelt. I knew I wanted sex with Nathan before I was fourteen. When I saw him again… he was injured and it was so close to my birthday. It occurred to me that ‘over the age of consent’ would be important to him, so I didn’t say anything until then.”
“So from before we were married, you were …” Words failed her.
Peter filled in, “The other man?”
Nathan started to say something, but Peter quelled him with a look.
She turned to look at Nathan. “The night before our wedding, my mother took me aside and told me I could still call it off. And when I said, no, that I loved you, she told me the realities of being married to a politician. Did you know who my dad was screwing on the campaign trail?”
“Yes.”
“Mom knew. She said ‘Politicians are charismatic. People want to share that charisma. Make peace with it now, because at some point, if Nathan pursues a political career, he’s going to cheat.’”
They walked abreast for a couple of minutes waiting for a few people to pass them.
When they were clear with no one to hear, Heidi began again. “Mom’s rule was no one in Annapolis.” She looked at Peter. “It’s too late to say no one in New York City.”
“I never doubted for a moment that Nathan was in love with you, Heidi. You shouldn’t either.”
Heidi faced him. “Is this where you say, you’ll give him up, disappear from our lives?”
“If that’s what you want. I won’t disappear forever. But I can take a year abroad someplace. Improve my French or Italian. Hell, Peace Corps is two years. I think they’d take me.”
Nathan cleared his throat. “Do I get any say in whether you stay or go?”
Peter met his eyes. “No. I’ve always known Heidi was the choice you’d make, have to make, if it came down to choosing. Why would I torture you with thinking it could go any other way?”
“Tell him why, Peter.”
“Because I love him.”
“That’s the hell of it,” she said. “I asked Mom why she stayed with Dad. She said she’d rather have part of him than nothing.”
Peter put an arm around her shoulder. “I love you, too, but I don’t think you’ll believe it right now.”
“Oddly enough, I do. And Peter, I love you. You’re the little brother I never had.”
They walked on.
It was Nathan who broke the silence this time. “Do you want a divorce? You can sue for cause, if it would help.”
“No, Nathan. Even if we weren’t Catholic, I couldn’t. Mom was right. I’d rather share you than live without you. Remember our first date?”
“Mmhmm.”
“I haven’t lacked passion since that night.” Nathan pulled her to him and kissed her.
Peter walked ahead.
When they caught up to him, Heidi continued. “There are rules. You know the old joke. ‘A politician’s career can survive him being found in bed with anything but…’”
Nathan completed it. “A dead girl or a live boy.”
Peter raised his eyebrows. “I hadn’t heard that one.”
Heidi looked him over. “They’d add a new line for you two. ‘Caught blowing his brother.’ I’m angrier about that than anything else. Do you know how lucky you were that I’m the one who saw you? I don’t care which of you is into edgy sex, risking getting caught stops now.”
The brothers glanced at each other.
“We hadn’t seen each other in three weeks. We didn’t think.” Peter said.
“Start thinking. Please, Peter. Nathan sees the big picture, but misses the small moments. I don’t think you will.”
Peter grabbed her by the waist and pulled them both into a shadow. He kissed her deeply, and Heidi was shocked to find herself responding just as ardently.
“I don’t always think of you as a sister.”
Peter’s arm was still around her waist holding her close to him. Heidi reached up and kissed Peter again. “You think he’d choose me?”
“I know he would.”
“Guys, as much as watching you two make out is turning me on, we’re in public.”
They stepped apart. Nathan came between them. “I never thought I’d say this, but, if you two need to fuck to negotiate this, go ahead. Because Heidi, I love you and Simon more than I thought possible, but I love Peter, too.”
“I’ve never thought of being with another man, since I’ve been with you.”
“You two looked like the next step was finding a handy bed.”
Heidi glanced at Peter and found him smiling ruefully at her. “Peter?”
“I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about you. It has to be your choice.”
“Nathan?”
“I’ve already given my blessing.” He picked up the pace.
“I’m asking if you’d be hurt if I said yes.”
Nathan looked abashed. “Honestly, I want to watch.”
Peter caught Heidi’s eye. She reached over and pulled him into a kiss.
She whispered in his ear, “What do you think?”
Peter whispered back, “Let him watch.”