Summary: Why is life always the hardest when you try to live it normally? The day to day life of some of our beloved characters who are just trying to make it to tomorrow.
Author's Note: This fanfiction was birthed from many conversations about Heroes, the characters, the plot, everything basically. So know in advance that you are stepping into a fanfiction that is loosely based on the characters it mentions. They are more exaggerated versions and I apologize if you don't like them. Furthermore there is a fair amount of Peter bashing and I would be sorry about this but 1) Peter is one of my favorite characters (at least season one Peter) and 2) He makes it too easy.
Warning: I don't have a beta for this fic, so sorry about the grammar.
Trial and Error
Chapter 1
Free at last…or so he thought.
Signing his last form with a practiced flourish of his hand he gave a sigh, leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his growing hair. It had been a long day at the office, dealing with the usual minutiae that normally hit him on a day to day basis. But for some odd reason, today was especially exhausting.
Chancing a glance at his clock a small smirk twisted his lips as it read the appropriate time for him to leave the office, grab some dinner and head home for some much needed and much deserved rest. He stood and stretched, giving a tired groan, then walked over to his coat hanger and pulled on his suit jacket tugging on it where it needed to be fixed. Pausing for a moment he cocked his head to the side. A strange incessant tone had caught his ear and for a brief moment fear gripped at his heart. But before being even slightly discernable, the noise was gone and he was once again calm.
And then it happened.
The instant his hand closed around the door knob to truly signify his freedom, a buzz was emitted from his phone, signaling that his secretary had something to tell him, which meant that his day, unfortunately, was not yet over.
Clenching his jaw he strode over to his desk and slammed his finger against the annoying button.
"What is it Abby?" his voice doing an extremely poor job of hiding his annoyance.
"I'm sorry Mr. Petrelli" came a small voice "but…"
Realization hit him painfully hard, like two bullets to the chest. The noise, the incessant tone that he had heard wasn't a passing ambulance or fire truck that would set any normal pair of eardrums on fire, oh no. This was another thing entirely, something much worse than a police siren or any other of the sort.
And for the second time that day pure and utter fear gripped at his heart.
"…your brother's here" Abby finished.
Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose, a migraine already setting in.
"Why didn't you tell him I was gone for the day?!" he hissed, his free hand clenching and unclenching in an attempt to stave off stress.
"I tried" she whispered harshly "but you-you know how…insistent he is!"
Through the tiny speaker he could hear the chanting that he dreaded so much. The chanting that would keep him awake for nights on end because he couldn't drive it from his mind.
"Let-him-in"
Each word was clipped, practically bitten off from the anger that was coursing through his being. He was so close to being out of the office. He could taste the freedom and relief that came with leaving after a hard days work and as usual, Peter had to ruin it.
Nathan threw his body down into his chair and immediately cursed, throwing his hands out to catch him as the back tipped towards the floor. The chair was broken.
Great.
Pushing the button from earlier Nathan instructed Abby to call up whoever it was that needed calling and get him a new chair, stat.
Then he heard it. It was low at first but increased in volume as the source drew closer and closer and closer to his office.
"NathanNathanNathanNathan!"
Closing his eyes he drew in a long slow breath through his nose and let it pour out of him through his mouth. He'd dealt with Peter almost his entire life, one more time consuming, agonizingly painful, angering interaction wouldn't kill him…hopefully.
The door to his office was suddenly thrown open as if by an unusually strong gust of wind and the exuberant idiot himself was bouncing happily on the balls of his feet in front of Nathan's desk.
"Peter," Nathan tried his best to sound chipper "what a surprise."
The younger man's eyes were beaming with some unshared joy just waiting to burst out and Nathan sat in anger waiting for the news that caused him so much happiness.
"NathanNathanNathan!!!"
The older brother stared dead-pan at him, choosing not to point out the fact that Peter had had his attention.
"Yes?" he growled.
"GuesswhatGuesswhatGuesswhat!"
Nathan decided that staying silent would be the best answer at a time like this. Peter would undoubtedly spew forth what he wanted to say having heard a guess or not.
"I got a job!"
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Nathan was glad that the chanting was over and-wait…
"Didn't you…have a job already Pete?" he asked quizzically.
"I did" Peter answered "but I quit, remember?"
To be completely honest no, he didn't remember at all but being the diplomat he was he smiled at his brother and nodded in a fashion that denoted 'oh how silly of me, of course I remember you quitting your job!'
Peter flashed him a crooked smile and resumed his bouncing.
"Wanna know what I do now?"
Nathan rubbed his brow ridge in an attempt to soothe his pounding head.
"What do you do now?" he asked tiredly.
"I'm a paramedic!" Peter announced joyously. His hands thrust in the air not unlike a certain time traveling, teleporting, sword wielding character we know.
Nathan took notice of the action and shook his head "Put your arms down Peter."
Ignoring the comment the prettier of the two brothers would put his hands down when he was good and ready. Patiently he awaited his older brother's praise…which sadly did not come.
"You're a paramedic?" Nathan asked, unimpressed.
Shot down, Peter shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes growing a bit dull.
"Yes" he answered cautiously.
"Pete..."Nathan paused and sighed, trying his best to prepare himself for what he was about to say "doesn't becoming a nurse take more schooling than becoming a paramedic?"
Peter silently contemplated his brother's observation, his tongue poking out slightly in thought.
"Yes" he answered finally.
"Okay then" Nathan continued "then becoming a paramedic would be a step down from a nurse, wouldn't it?"
It took all of his strength to not call Peter an idiot and send him flying out of his office. The last thing he wanted to do was upset the younger man and cause him to throw a fit and make a scene.
"Mm-Hmm" Peter nodded, slowly rocking back and forth on his heels. Not sure in the slightest what his brother was getting at.
"So then why would you want to become a paramedic, when being a nurse is what you went to school for." Nathan concluded and stood from his broken chair smoothing down his jacket. He thought he handled the situation quite well if he did say so himself. Peter didn't seem to be taking the observation to harshl-wait…
Nathan watched exasperatedly as the familiar expression of anger crept onto Peter's features. The jutting of the chin was the final step and…
"You always have to crush my dreams Nathan!!!!" he cried, crossing his arms over his chest.
The older man rolled his eyes and let out a breath. He was stupid to think that he had avoided the minefield.
"Pete, I'm not saying to not be a paramedic what I am saying is think about it." Peter still glared hard at him. Nothing that could be said now would make him feel better unless it was what he wanted to hear.
"You can never just be happy for me!" he griped "You're the first person that I wanted to tell about this and you can't even…" his voice cracked and he held a hand to his mouth.
"Oh no" Nathan whispered under his breath, taking a step towards his brother an outstretched hand reaching to comfort. Peter pulled away before the hand could make landing on his shoulder and tried in vain to hide his tears.
"You can't even be happy for me" the statement now completely lost its anger and was said in the weepiest voice a human can muster.
Nathan groaned and ran a hand down his face. When Peter was crying it was absolutely impossible to deal with him.
"This is just like that time that I told you I could fl-"
"Oh-kay!" Nathan quickly shoved Peter out of the way to get to the open office door and shut it firmly, a couple of staff members already looking in and openly gaping at the crying 27 year old.
Turning around Nathan gave a small sigh of relief and shot a look at his brother who was currently picking himself up off the floor, tears still in his eyes.
"Peter how many times am I going to have to tell you! You can't-"
"Spread this stuff around" Peter finished snippily, wiping at his eyes angrily.
The older brother nodded and smoothed down his jacket once more, obviously trying to keep his nerve and not throttle his kin. But unbeknownst to the two brothers, the staff members that had been lingering outside were now doing their best to peek through the blinds shielding Nathan's office, trying to get a better look at the duo.
"Five bucks he cries for five minutes this time" whispered a new intern, fishing for said cash in his pocket.
"I'll take that bet" someone chirped.
"I would, but I'm already in the office pool" Abby said, filing her nails as she watched through a small slit she cut out for herself in the blinds. It had become a tradition, since the younger of the two brothers started visiting, that the staff would bet on which days he would cry. Abby had next Friday.
"What do you think he's crying about this time?" a woman carrying a box of files asked, stopping to take a peek.
"Dunno, probably world hunger."
"Or a break up."
"Or an ice cream cone he dropped."
They giggled and watched as Peter waved his arms around wildly, most likely in the middle of making a point. Nathan stood and watched, his dead-pan expression unchanged by the younger mans heartfelt explanations.
"Is he going for the door?" someone whispered hastily after a few minutes.
"Scatter!" Abby hissed, waving her hands to shoo them away and scurried over to her own desk, pretending that she was getting ready to go home.
"I'm sure Claude will be happy" Nathan's voice poured out into the hall through his now open office door.
"Nailed it!" a portly man with glasses rejoiced in a hushed tone and smiled as a young blonde slipped a twenty into his waiting hand.
"I still say he's Bi" she stated, crossing her arms loosely over her chest.
Peter stayed silent as he walked out into the hall, his eyes still rimmed with red and a tissue balled tightly in his fist.
"I'll call you tomorrow" Nathan said, patting his brother's shoulder. He silently thanked the heavens that their interaction was almost at an end.
The younger Petrelli nodded and shuffled his way down the hall still sniffling slightly. Nathan didn't dare take his eyes off Peter's retreating form until he turned the corner and was no longer visible. The senator leaned heavily against his office door and ran a hand through his hair. If he had been tired before he was exhausted now. He silently wondered many a night if one of his younger brother's abilities was being able to drain him completely of any energy he had. Nathan shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up and retreated into his office, doing a once over before snatching up his briefcase and successfully walking over the threshold and into the hallway, finally on his way home.
"Have a nice night sir!" Abby called after him, zipping up her purse.
Nathan raised an arm in response, turned the corner, and was gone from sight.
"He only cried for two minutes"
"Damnit" the intern sighed and reluctantly handed over his five.
"There's always next time" the winner smiled and walked away, pocketing his reward.
"Abby!"
Everyone froze. Nathan's voice carried down the hall, an unwanted visitor.
"Y-Yes sir?" Abby asked warily.
"Put me down for the 31st" Nathan informed her, walking back around the corner and stopping.
"I'm sorry sir…I don't understand" Abby fidgeted nervously, her voice shaking slightly.
Nathan gave her a knowing glance and shakily Abby added her bosses name to the list of people in the office pool.
"Thanks" he smiled and gave her a curt nod. Spinning and rounding the corner once more he knew that the 31st would definitely be a winner.
The office members were still in suspended animation before a tiny red-headed woman cleared her throat and smoothed down her skirt.
"Did anyone else just shit a brick?" she asked quietly and a silent nod was shared between the co-workers.
It had been a really long day.