Peter had always thought, while he trained with the invisible man at the roof of the Deveraux building, that Claude and Nathan were so alike that they would never be able to get along. They would easily make each other snap. Good thing their powers aren't all that dangerous... He used to think.
He didn't know why, but he found himself wishing them to actually like, or at least stand each other. He just couldn't find the idea of those two men hating each other's guts appealing.
Those thoughts had little to no room, with the whole "save the cheerleader, save the world" ordeal, and the "please Claude, hit me hard enough to learn to control my damn powers and not end blowing New York up" thing going on, but still found their way to Peter's head, giving him even another reason to worry himself sick.
When Claude and Nathan actually meet, Peter can't help but feel atrociously nervous, what if they end up fighting, for God's sake?! What if they... What if they hit each other with funny laser-thingies?! ...Geez, Pete, that's lame.
Both men seize one another, and Claude finally smirks, offering his hand to the older Petrelli, with that cocky, overly confident, way of his.
"So you are the one and only Nathan Petrelli." He sounds smug, and his eyes twinkle with malice, which makes Peter want to both blush and dissapear, all at once. One, beacause he's seen that twinkle a thousand times, in more intimate and filthy situations; the other, because he's pretty sure Claude's about to do something not very nice.
"The one and only,yes." Nathan replies, using the most polite tone he can manage, while he takes the offered hand "And I'm guessing you to be Claude."
So far, so good.
"Yes. So you're the one who's got the kid on a leash?" Claude says, casually.
I take that back.
Nathan chokes, and opens his mouth once or twice, finding nothing worthy to say. Peter wants to vanish.
Claude seems satisfied and amused. The little bastard. But then his expression changes to one of absolute seriousness.
"The brat's now mine" The statement shocks Peter, but Nathan, having already closed his mouth, seems quite unfazed by it.
"He's not" Is the simple answer. "But I am lending him to you, so you'd better take care of him." The threaten is written all over Nathan's face. You hurt him, I kill you.
Still, Peter does not apreciate being treated like an object, and clears his throat (always the quiet one) to make himself noticed.
He states that he is no one's property, but Nathan and Claude stare at him, and then at each other, having some sort of wordless conversation with their eyes. And Peter's actually afraid of knowing what is going on, so he stays out of their minds.
While they take hold of him, and press hardly against him, he knows they've reached an understanding of sorts.
As he gasps, he can't help but sort of hate it, and actually wish they'd hate each other's guts.