NYC, Petrelli house, Friday morning
When morning came it found Peter asleep and curled up rather contentedly next to Ronan. Ronan, for his part, had spent the night for happy nekkid fun time deep and meaningful discussion about global warming.
Frankly Peter was content to stay like that for a while.
The sound of his room's landline going off made sure that would not be possible. Peter jerked awake and grabbed the receiver before it could ring again. "Hello?"
"Oh good," Nathan said on the other end. His voice was clipped in that way it got when he was keeping his game face on to make sure he didn't explode. "You're not dead. Which means you're just stupid. Not that this is news."
Peter facepalmed. "Nate. I am so sorry. I was going to call - "
"You sneak out of a party, fine," Nathan continued, ignoring him. "Not acceptable but it's what you do and we're used to it. You vanish for an entire damned day - "
" - honest, I just got distracted - "
" - with the new boyfriend who, for the record, I do not know nearly enough about - "
"I told you about him! Wait, how did you - "
" - who you bring to the house where you are not alone. Thankfully Maria was nice enough to call to let me know my little brother wasn't dead or kidnapped by fuck knows who but nice job being subtle, Pete, considering all the secrets you're currently keeping!"
Peter's shoulders slumped. He hadn't thought about it like that. "I'm sorry."
"Lucky for you all she saw was you and Ryan - "
"Ronan."
" - getting cozy. Also lucky for you that she likes you more than she likes Ma. So if Ma finds out about this, it's not going to be from her."
"I'll make it up to her," Peter promised. Having that sort of mindset about how to relate to the servants was one of many reasons why, for the most part, they all liked Peter more than they liked anyone else in the Petrelli family.
"Do you get how dangerous that could've been?" Nathan asked, calming down by only a hair. "What if you'd been doing some of those new tricks of yours and she'd seen that, huh? That gets out and it's dangerous for you, dangerous for her - "
"I get it," Peter said. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"You need to think with your head, Pete," Nathan said. "The one in your skull. Fun's okay, just be smart about it."
"What'd you tell Ma?"
"That you were having one of your drama queen moments and had gone sulking off to the city," Nathan said. More pointedly he added, "And that you'd be coming back this afternoon."
Peter nodded. Not that Nathan could see that. "I will. I'm sorry."
"Just be smart and try not to get yourself killed," Nathan said. "It's all I'm asking. That and you owe me."
"Bigtime," Peter agreed. "Thanks, Nate."
After he hung up, Peter turned to Ronan. "Sorry about that."
Frankly Peter was content to stay like that for a while.
The sound of his room's landline going off made sure that would not be possible. Peter jerked awake and grabbed the receiver before it could ring again. "Hello?"
"Oh good," Nathan said on the other end. His voice was clipped in that way it got when he was keeping his game face on to make sure he didn't explode. "You're not dead. Which means you're just stupid. Not that this is news."
Peter facepalmed. "Nate. I am so sorry. I was going to call - "
"You sneak out of a party, fine," Nathan continued, ignoring him. "Not acceptable but it's what you do and we're used to it. You vanish for an entire damned day - "
" - honest, I just got distracted - "
" - with the new boyfriend who, for the record, I do not know nearly enough about - "
"I told you about him! Wait, how did you - "
" - who you bring to the house where you are not alone. Thankfully Maria was nice enough to call to let me know my little brother wasn't dead or kidnapped by fuck knows who but nice job being subtle, Pete, considering all the secrets you're currently keeping!"
Peter's shoulders slumped. He hadn't thought about it like that. "I'm sorry."
"Lucky for you all she saw was you and Ryan - "
"Ronan."
" - getting cozy. Also lucky for you that she likes you more than she likes Ma. So if Ma finds out about this, it's not going to be from her."
"I'll make it up to her," Peter promised. Having that sort of mindset about how to relate to the servants was one of many reasons why, for the most part, they all liked Peter more than they liked anyone else in the Petrelli family.
"Do you get how dangerous that could've been?" Nathan asked, calming down by only a hair. "What if you'd been doing some of those new tricks of yours and she'd seen that, huh? That gets out and it's dangerous for you, dangerous for her - "
"I get it," Peter said. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"You need to think with your head, Pete," Nathan said. "The one in your skull. Fun's okay, just be smart about it."
"What'd you tell Ma?"
"That you were having one of your drama queen moments and had gone sulking off to the city," Nathan said. More pointedly he added, "And that you'd be coming back this afternoon."
Peter nodded. Not that Nathan could see that. "I will. I'm sorry."
"Just be smart and try not to get yourself killed," Nathan said. "It's all I'm asking. That and you owe me."
"Bigtime," Peter agreed. "Thanks, Nate."
After he hung up, Peter turned to Ronan. "Sorry about that."