Heroes - The Man Who Told Everything (Peter, Hiro, Nathan)
Tomorrow is the birthday of the very illustrious W. I could preface this with all kinds of claptrap, but the fact of the matter is that she is just all kinds of awesome and I am very honored to know her. So, this is for you, Happy Birthday!!11!1!1!
Heroes
Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura, Nathan Petrelli
Spoilers for 1.11 'Fallout'
The Man Who Told Everything
It's the laughter that distracts Peter. People don't tend to laugh in Nathan's campaign headquarters. They work, they cajole, they sell souls and eat babies -- but laughing? Not really.
He's standing at Lisa's desk, listening to her latest tale about her six year-old nephew's love of all things Star Wars, and nodding his head in all the right places. Peter tries to get to know everyone on Nathan's campaign staff because someone has to -- no matter what Nathan used to tell Peter about fraternizing with the hired help.
The Nathan-voice inside Peter's head reminds him that campaigning is serious business, not for fooling around, and so Peter excuses himself and winds his way through the desks looking for the culprit or culprits.
Peter's not a killjoy, he's not going to make people stop enjoying themselves, it's just so rare that Peter wants to join in. He wants to have a moment of levity, a moment of not worrying about the world, and the cheerleader, and the fact that he almost died of radiation poisoning.
Yeah, that pretty much sucked.
Kind of like the whole vision where he exploded in a city full of abandoned cars and people he recognized. Simone was there. Claire was there. Even Mohinder was there. And they all turned away.
He doesn't want to think about that. He doesn't want to think about Nathan stalking out of these very campaign headquarters with an annoyed look because he had to save Peter, again.
At least he didn't run away.
Their mother is wrong. Nathan does love him. Nathan would do anything for him. It doesn't matter that Nathan ran away to Vegas because he wanted to be with someone who didn't make him feel guilty all the time.
Their mother steals socks -- of course she's wrong.
And then Peter finds himself pausing in the doorway of Nathan's office, because she's not so wrong after all. Maybe he should remove his rose-colored glasses.
They are two heads bent together, sitting side-by-side at a desk in the back of Nathan's campaign office and discernable by the short dark unruly hair. It's an uncharacteristically messy look for Nathan, but it's Saturday though. A day of relaxation -- or as relaxed as Nathan ever gets in these offices.
A flash of sunlight reflects on the glasses of the man on the left; he is waving his arms animatedly as though drawing a diagram in the air. He seems familiar to Peter, if only for the intimate way he and Nathan interact.
Nathan cocks his head to the side, listening intently or perhaps just pretending to do so. He says something that Peter can't hear, and the man in glasses responds.
When Nathan throws his head back and laughs, Peter's stomach curls, because he's never heard Nathan laugh like this before. Like it's a real laugh. Like he means it and isn't just trying to buy a vote or charm a potential campaign donor.
It's a full-bodied laugh, full of promise and joy, and Peter feels a flash of something akin to resentment -- but that's just stupid, because Peter doesn't have to be jealous of anyone. Maybe he's not the alpha dog, but he saved the cheerleader. He probably saved the world. He doesn't have to lurk in doorways and be jealous that Nathan's laughing with someone who's not him.
"I thought this was a serious place of business," Peter mocks, pushing himself upright and walking inside the office. He'll just pretend that he's not nearly as tired as he feels right now. Petrellis are all about appearances, even while recovering from near-death experiences.
Nathan whirls around, the smile on his face slipping away as though it never existed at all. "Pete," he says, "I thought we agreed that you were going to stay home and rest."
Peter's smile is less of a smile and more of a smirk. "And miss all the fun of being the scapegoat of my big brother's congressional campaign? I thought you wanted me where you could keep an --"
Peter's words die off when the man next to Nathan turns in his direction. "Hiro?"
"Peter Petrelli!" Hiro's chair topples over onto the floor when he jumps up, and just like that Peter goes from irritated to confused to encased by five-foot-six of excited Japanese man.
Peter doubts that his face can adequately convey how he's feeling, but he makes sure to pat Hiro on the back, even as he's eyeing his brother appraisingly.
"You two know each other?" Nathan reads Peter's mind. His tone turning somewhat arch at the end of his query.
"Peter Petrelli save cheerleader," Hiro says matter of factly, disentangling himself from Peter. Nathan's face shutters immediately, and he's across the room closing the door of the office before Hiro's finished talking. "He save the world!"
Nathan turns sharply on his heel, and Peter steels himself for the storm that's coming. "You sent him to that backwater?" Nathan hisses. "Do you know he almost died? What were you thinking?"
Hiro blinks. "Peter is big hero."
"Peter is not a hero!" Nathan retorts sharply, stalking back across the room. "Are you the one who's been putting this crap in his head?"
Hiro doesn't seem fazed at all by Nathan's tantrum; he just nods as though it's a given. "I come from future and tell Peter to save world."
"And you did it?" Nathan gives Peter an incredulous stare. "I suppose I should be happy you didn't tell him to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge!" he retorts to Hiro, before turning back to Peter. "What have I told you about talking to strangers? Jesus Christ, Pete, this is fucking New York! What if he'd told you to kill the Mayor?"
Peter narrows his eyes. "Then I guess we should be happy he didn't tell me to kill the Mayor," Peter retorts dryly. Peter hates it when Nathan acts as though Peter doesn't have a brain at all. "If Hiro's so strange, why's he in your office? What are you two so buddy-buddy about, huh?"
Nathan shuts his mouth for a moment, and Peter chalks one up for his side. Hiro looks between them. "You are Petrelli," he says slowly to Nathan, before turning back to Peter. "You Petrelli too!"
Peter snorts. "Um, yeah."
"You are brothers? Yatta!" Hiro claps his hands as though Peter's just performed some amazing trick, but Peter doesn't get it. "This very good. You are like X-Men! Like Cyclops and Havoc!"
"You didn't know..." Peter cuts himself off, because that's not the right question at the moment. "How do you know Nathan?"
"Ooooh," Hiro says, the smile on his face growing broader. "You are brother of Neo. He go whooo--"
"Hiro!" Nathan's clearly gotten back in his groove. "Now's not really the time for reminiscing, we have other things to discuss."
"Like The Flash?" Peter interjects.
"You were eavesdropping?" Nathan's voice is all irritation.
"I can see how you were talking about really important stuff," Peter retorts.
"He not know you go whoosh whoosh?" Hiro interrupts them, and Peter just stares. Hiro knows? Of course, Hiro can also stop time, but he knows.
The incredulous look Peter gives Nathan doesn't even begin to cover half of what he's thinking, but Nathan can't see it because he's covered his eyes with his hand. "Hiro, what did we say about you not telling people about that?" Nathan asks rubbing his forehead.
"Yes, but is not same," Hiro protests. "Peter Petrelli is your brother. He must know all."
"Yeah, Nathan," Peter counters, crossing his arms, "I should know all."
Nathan glares in return. "How'd you meet Peter?" he demands.
Hiro opens his mouth, but Peter cuts him off. "He came to me in the subway. He stopped time. I told you this, but you didn't listen, because you never listen to me," he spits.
"You're getting excited," Nathan deflects. "You should sit down. You only just got out of the hospital."
Hiro's face falls in concern. "You are sick? Why you not telling Ando and I this when we see you? We have destiny, we help."
Nathan makes a derisory noise in the back of his throat. "Hiro, enough about the destiny thing," he says, even as he hooks his foot around the chair he's vacated and drags it squeaking across the floor. When the squeaking stops, Nathan looks pointedly from Peter to the chair.
Peter scowls and stays standing. "I'm fine, it was nothing important."
"Nothing important about you almost dying," Nathan counters. "Do you know he almost died?" he harasses Hiro.
"Not like you would miss me," Peter snarls.
Nathan rolls his eyes. "You can leave the drama queen routine at home; it could probably use the bed rest."
"Not if it saves the world."
"I don't care about--"
"Yeah, well, if the world ended then it would be real hard for you to be elected to Congress, now wouldn't it?!"
Nathan's mouth sets in a thin line. "I can't deal with you when you're hysterical like this. You're worse than mom."
"Yeah, well, at least she cares about me!" Peter shoots back.
"Do you think I went to fucking nowhere for my health?!" Nathan snaps.
"No, you went for your election!"
"Goddamnit, Peter!"
Peter shakes his head. He really really wants to sit down, but this is just stupid and pointless. He can't deal with Nathan anymore. He's trying so hard and Nathan won't even make an effort to meet him at all.
His adrenaline doesn't have to carry him far, just out to the curb so he can get a taxi home. "I can't be here right now. I'm not going to be your whipping boy anymore," he says in a determined tone, crossing the room to leave.
"Wait!" Hiro calls when Peter's hand is on the doorknob. "This not your destiny!"
"Who the hell do you think I'm doing this for!" Nathan thunders over Hiro. When Peter turns around to respond, everything stops. Peter blinks. Everything has that blue tinge to it, like it did the first time Hiro came to see him, and sure enough--
Hiro stands there beside himself. Future!Hiro has his sword and his soul patch and he's studying Present!Hiro curiously. "Time traveling with glasses was a pain in the ass," he says mildly.
Peter chuckles. "Oh, laugh it up, Funny Man," Hiro replies with a grin, kicking the chair that Nathan had pulled out in Peter's direction. "And sit down, I know you're probably ready to fall over."
Peter can feel the furrows in his forehead. The differences between Future!Hiro and the Hiro he was just talking with are mind-boggling. The ease of this Hiro's English is just the tip of the iceberg; Future!Hiro has a completely different demeanour all together.
Peter can only assume it's part of the whole sword-carrying, time-travelling thing. "How did you-"
"Being everything to everyone is really exhausting," Hiro says simply. "You guys fight about this crap all the time."
Peter blinks. "'You guys'?"
"You and Nathan," Hiro says as though Peter's slow. "And to a lesser extent you and Claire. And you and Isaac. Actually, pretty much you and everyone. And me and everyone," he adds on thoughtfully. "They say we work too hard."
Peter sits down. Jesus, everything does hurt. He's exhausted. The almost-dying thing really blows. "So, we're alive in the future?"
Hiro rolls his eyes. "No, I came here because you're all dead. You really have to lay off all that watching of The 4400. Seriously, I leave the masochism to Nathan. Thanks."
Peter can feel the grumbling in his chest. "He's an asshole."
Hiro laughs. "Yeah, he is, but he's your brother."
"I'm sure he wishes he could go back in time and change that."
Hiro shakes his head. "He really did a number on you, didn't he? Don't worry, you get him back. Crap. I wasn't supposed to say that."
Peter looks at him with interest. "Tell me more."
"No way, I only came here today to tell you that you have to find the list."
"The list? I thought I had to save the cheerleader."
"Yeah, but you did that already. Same shit, different day. Try to keep up."
"Yeah, but," Peter interrupts.
"I've gotta go," Future!Hiro says, shaking his head at Present!Hiro. "Man, I had bad fashion sense."
"What list?"
"The list, find the list," Future!Hiro repeats. "And don't let Nathan get to you, he just does it because he worries. Oh, and before I forget, tell him that flying around in his pyjamas creates less drag than going out in three layers of clothing."
"Nathan's been flying around in his pyjamas?" Peter asks incredulously.
"How do you think we met?" Hiro challenges.
And just like that Future!Hiro is gone and Nathan's back to yelling. "You! Mom! Jesus Christ!"
Peter looks up at Nathan from the chair. Nathan's eyes are huge and his face is taut. "Any time you want to stop shouting, let me know, okay?" Peter says mildly.
Nathan blinks. "What are you -- weren't you just leaving?"
Peter gives him a wan smile. "I was tired, I needed a break. Also, your future self thinks you need some fashion help," he says to Hiro easily.
"I was here?" Hiro asks excitedly. "Just now?"
"Yeah, you said Nathan was an asshole," Peter grins.
Hiro looks confused even as Nathan scowls. "You said I was an asshole?" he queries.
Hiro throws up his hands. "You are brothers. You are mean. You should go whoosh whoosh -- it make everything better."
Nathan scoffs as his glower slides over to Peter. "Anything else from the future I should know about? Death? Destruction? Mom stealing more socks?" Nathan eyes Peter curiously. "Do I win the election?"
"We're alive," Peter says easily. "I think that's enough information for right now."
-end-
Betas by antheia and serialkarma. Title from the song by Doves. I heart Doves. Have I said that yet this week?
Heroes
Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura, Nathan Petrelli
Spoilers for 1.11 'Fallout'
The Man Who Told Everything
It's the laughter that distracts Peter. People don't tend to laugh in Nathan's campaign headquarters. They work, they cajole, they sell souls and eat babies -- but laughing? Not really.
He's standing at Lisa's desk, listening to her latest tale about her six year-old nephew's love of all things Star Wars, and nodding his head in all the right places. Peter tries to get to know everyone on Nathan's campaign staff because someone has to -- no matter what Nathan used to tell Peter about fraternizing with the hired help.
The Nathan-voice inside Peter's head reminds him that campaigning is serious business, not for fooling around, and so Peter excuses himself and winds his way through the desks looking for the culprit or culprits.
Peter's not a killjoy, he's not going to make people stop enjoying themselves, it's just so rare that Peter wants to join in. He wants to have a moment of levity, a moment of not worrying about the world, and the cheerleader, and the fact that he almost died of radiation poisoning.
Yeah, that pretty much sucked.
Kind of like the whole vision where he exploded in a city full of abandoned cars and people he recognized. Simone was there. Claire was there. Even Mohinder was there. And they all turned away.
He doesn't want to think about that. He doesn't want to think about Nathan stalking out of these very campaign headquarters with an annoyed look because he had to save Peter, again.
At least he didn't run away.
Their mother is wrong. Nathan does love him. Nathan would do anything for him. It doesn't matter that Nathan ran away to Vegas because he wanted to be with someone who didn't make him feel guilty all the time.
Their mother steals socks -- of course she's wrong.
And then Peter finds himself pausing in the doorway of Nathan's office, because she's not so wrong after all. Maybe he should remove his rose-colored glasses.
They are two heads bent together, sitting side-by-side at a desk in the back of Nathan's campaign office and discernable by the short dark unruly hair. It's an uncharacteristically messy look for Nathan, but it's Saturday though. A day of relaxation -- or as relaxed as Nathan ever gets in these offices.
A flash of sunlight reflects on the glasses of the man on the left; he is waving his arms animatedly as though drawing a diagram in the air. He seems familiar to Peter, if only for the intimate way he and Nathan interact.
Nathan cocks his head to the side, listening intently or perhaps just pretending to do so. He says something that Peter can't hear, and the man in glasses responds.
When Nathan throws his head back and laughs, Peter's stomach curls, because he's never heard Nathan laugh like this before. Like it's a real laugh. Like he means it and isn't just trying to buy a vote or charm a potential campaign donor.
It's a full-bodied laugh, full of promise and joy, and Peter feels a flash of something akin to resentment -- but that's just stupid, because Peter doesn't have to be jealous of anyone. Maybe he's not the alpha dog, but he saved the cheerleader. He probably saved the world. He doesn't have to lurk in doorways and be jealous that Nathan's laughing with someone who's not him.
"I thought this was a serious place of business," Peter mocks, pushing himself upright and walking inside the office. He'll just pretend that he's not nearly as tired as he feels right now. Petrellis are all about appearances, even while recovering from near-death experiences.
Nathan whirls around, the smile on his face slipping away as though it never existed at all. "Pete," he says, "I thought we agreed that you were going to stay home and rest."
Peter's smile is less of a smile and more of a smirk. "And miss all the fun of being the scapegoat of my big brother's congressional campaign? I thought you wanted me where you could keep an --"
Peter's words die off when the man next to Nathan turns in his direction. "Hiro?"
"Peter Petrelli!" Hiro's chair topples over onto the floor when he jumps up, and just like that Peter goes from irritated to confused to encased by five-foot-six of excited Japanese man.
Peter doubts that his face can adequately convey how he's feeling, but he makes sure to pat Hiro on the back, even as he's eyeing his brother appraisingly.
"You two know each other?" Nathan reads Peter's mind. His tone turning somewhat arch at the end of his query.
"Peter Petrelli save cheerleader," Hiro says matter of factly, disentangling himself from Peter. Nathan's face shutters immediately, and he's across the room closing the door of the office before Hiro's finished talking. "He save the world!"
Nathan turns sharply on his heel, and Peter steels himself for the storm that's coming. "You sent him to that backwater?" Nathan hisses. "Do you know he almost died? What were you thinking?"
Hiro blinks. "Peter is big hero."
"Peter is not a hero!" Nathan retorts sharply, stalking back across the room. "Are you the one who's been putting this crap in his head?"
Hiro doesn't seem fazed at all by Nathan's tantrum; he just nods as though it's a given. "I come from future and tell Peter to save world."
"And you did it?" Nathan gives Peter an incredulous stare. "I suppose I should be happy you didn't tell him to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge!" he retorts to Hiro, before turning back to Peter. "What have I told you about talking to strangers? Jesus Christ, Pete, this is fucking New York! What if he'd told you to kill the Mayor?"
Peter narrows his eyes. "Then I guess we should be happy he didn't tell me to kill the Mayor," Peter retorts dryly. Peter hates it when Nathan acts as though Peter doesn't have a brain at all. "If Hiro's so strange, why's he in your office? What are you two so buddy-buddy about, huh?"
Nathan shuts his mouth for a moment, and Peter chalks one up for his side. Hiro looks between them. "You are Petrelli," he says slowly to Nathan, before turning back to Peter. "You Petrelli too!"
Peter snorts. "Um, yeah."
"You are brothers? Yatta!" Hiro claps his hands as though Peter's just performed some amazing trick, but Peter doesn't get it. "This very good. You are like X-Men! Like Cyclops and Havoc!"
"You didn't know..." Peter cuts himself off, because that's not the right question at the moment. "How do you know Nathan?"
"Ooooh," Hiro says, the smile on his face growing broader. "You are brother of Neo. He go whooo--"
"Hiro!" Nathan's clearly gotten back in his groove. "Now's not really the time for reminiscing, we have other things to discuss."
"Like The Flash?" Peter interjects.
"You were eavesdropping?" Nathan's voice is all irritation.
"I can see how you were talking about really important stuff," Peter retorts.
"He not know you go whoosh whoosh?" Hiro interrupts them, and Peter just stares. Hiro knows? Of course, Hiro can also stop time, but he knows.
The incredulous look Peter gives Nathan doesn't even begin to cover half of what he's thinking, but Nathan can't see it because he's covered his eyes with his hand. "Hiro, what did we say about you not telling people about that?" Nathan asks rubbing his forehead.
"Yes, but is not same," Hiro protests. "Peter Petrelli is your brother. He must know all."
"Yeah, Nathan," Peter counters, crossing his arms, "I should know all."
Nathan glares in return. "How'd you meet Peter?" he demands.
Hiro opens his mouth, but Peter cuts him off. "He came to me in the subway. He stopped time. I told you this, but you didn't listen, because you never listen to me," he spits.
"You're getting excited," Nathan deflects. "You should sit down. You only just got out of the hospital."
Hiro's face falls in concern. "You are sick? Why you not telling Ando and I this when we see you? We have destiny, we help."
Nathan makes a derisory noise in the back of his throat. "Hiro, enough about the destiny thing," he says, even as he hooks his foot around the chair he's vacated and drags it squeaking across the floor. When the squeaking stops, Nathan looks pointedly from Peter to the chair.
Peter scowls and stays standing. "I'm fine, it was nothing important."
"Nothing important about you almost dying," Nathan counters. "Do you know he almost died?" he harasses Hiro.
"Not like you would miss me," Peter snarls.
Nathan rolls his eyes. "You can leave the drama queen routine at home; it could probably use the bed rest."
"Not if it saves the world."
"I don't care about--"
"Yeah, well, if the world ended then it would be real hard for you to be elected to Congress, now wouldn't it?!"
Nathan's mouth sets in a thin line. "I can't deal with you when you're hysterical like this. You're worse than mom."
"Yeah, well, at least she cares about me!" Peter shoots back.
"Do you think I went to fucking nowhere for my health?!" Nathan snaps.
"No, you went for your election!"
"Goddamnit, Peter!"
Peter shakes his head. He really really wants to sit down, but this is just stupid and pointless. He can't deal with Nathan anymore. He's trying so hard and Nathan won't even make an effort to meet him at all.
His adrenaline doesn't have to carry him far, just out to the curb so he can get a taxi home. "I can't be here right now. I'm not going to be your whipping boy anymore," he says in a determined tone, crossing the room to leave.
"Wait!" Hiro calls when Peter's hand is on the doorknob. "This not your destiny!"
"Who the hell do you think I'm doing this for!" Nathan thunders over Hiro. When Peter turns around to respond, everything stops. Peter blinks. Everything has that blue tinge to it, like it did the first time Hiro came to see him, and sure enough--
Hiro stands there beside himself. Future!Hiro has his sword and his soul patch and he's studying Present!Hiro curiously. "Time traveling with glasses was a pain in the ass," he says mildly.
Peter chuckles. "Oh, laugh it up, Funny Man," Hiro replies with a grin, kicking the chair that Nathan had pulled out in Peter's direction. "And sit down, I know you're probably ready to fall over."
Peter can feel the furrows in his forehead. The differences between Future!Hiro and the Hiro he was just talking with are mind-boggling. The ease of this Hiro's English is just the tip of the iceberg; Future!Hiro has a completely different demeanour all together.
Peter can only assume it's part of the whole sword-carrying, time-travelling thing. "How did you-"
"Being everything to everyone is really exhausting," Hiro says simply. "You guys fight about this crap all the time."
Peter blinks. "'You guys'?"
"You and Nathan," Hiro says as though Peter's slow. "And to a lesser extent you and Claire. And you and Isaac. Actually, pretty much you and everyone. And me and everyone," he adds on thoughtfully. "They say we work too hard."
Peter sits down. Jesus, everything does hurt. He's exhausted. The almost-dying thing really blows. "So, we're alive in the future?"
Hiro rolls his eyes. "No, I came here because you're all dead. You really have to lay off all that watching of The 4400. Seriously, I leave the masochism to Nathan. Thanks."
Peter can feel the grumbling in his chest. "He's an asshole."
Hiro laughs. "Yeah, he is, but he's your brother."
"I'm sure he wishes he could go back in time and change that."
Hiro shakes his head. "He really did a number on you, didn't he? Don't worry, you get him back. Crap. I wasn't supposed to say that."
Peter looks at him with interest. "Tell me more."
"No way, I only came here today to tell you that you have to find the list."
"The list? I thought I had to save the cheerleader."
"Yeah, but you did that already. Same shit, different day. Try to keep up."
"Yeah, but," Peter interrupts.
"I've gotta go," Future!Hiro says, shaking his head at Present!Hiro. "Man, I had bad fashion sense."
"What list?"
"The list, find the list," Future!Hiro repeats. "And don't let Nathan get to you, he just does it because he worries. Oh, and before I forget, tell him that flying around in his pyjamas creates less drag than going out in three layers of clothing."
"Nathan's been flying around in his pyjamas?" Peter asks incredulously.
"How do you think we met?" Hiro challenges.
And just like that Future!Hiro is gone and Nathan's back to yelling. "You! Mom! Jesus Christ!"
Peter looks up at Nathan from the chair. Nathan's eyes are huge and his face is taut. "Any time you want to stop shouting, let me know, okay?" Peter says mildly.
Nathan blinks. "What are you -- weren't you just leaving?"
Peter gives him a wan smile. "I was tired, I needed a break. Also, your future self thinks you need some fashion help," he says to Hiro easily.
"I was here?" Hiro asks excitedly. "Just now?"
"Yeah, you said Nathan was an asshole," Peter grins.
Hiro looks confused even as Nathan scowls. "You said I was an asshole?" he queries.
Hiro throws up his hands. "You are brothers. You are mean. You should go whoosh whoosh -- it make everything better."
Nathan scoffs as his glower slides over to Peter. "Anything else from the future I should know about? Death? Destruction? Mom stealing more socks?" Nathan eyes Peter curiously. "Do I win the election?"
"We're alive," Peter says easily. "I think that's enough information for right now."
-end-
Betas by antheia and serialkarma. Title from the song by Doves. I heart Doves. Have I said that yet this week?