Title: Never-Ending
Timeline: Post-Fugitives Future-fic
Summary: "Their years don't show on their bodies. It's deeper than that. It's cracks, chinks, wear and tear…the two of them going their own way until they fall apart and meeting to put each other back together again."
A/N: I'm thinking Nathan will fight for control of Sylar's body and win and that led to me thinking that, if he manages it and Peter gets his empathy back, the Petrelli brothers could live forever…
They meet in an abandoned building in New York or Newland or whatever they're calling it this century. The building is familiar. Peter thinks they might have gone to school there once, Nathan before him. He can't remember. Nathan never knew; it's a piece of his history Sylar's ability never managed to pick up and place in Sylar's – no, Nathan's – body.
That's easier now too. Why worry about a few missing childhood memories and a slight change when many, many years have caused Peter to forget just as much and changed him even more?
"How's Claire?" Nathan asks.
That's one thing that hasn't changed; bad father and daughter relationships never get around to being repaired when you literally have all the time in the world. "Last time I saw her, she was a redhead living across the ocean painting portraits. Hundreds of years and she's still not good at it."
Nathan laughs and it's real in a way nothing else has been since they separated. Peter remembers goodhearted farewells when they just needed space, angry words and slamming doors when they waited too long. There was even a gun and garbage truck in there somewhere but he doesn't like to remember that one…
They sit down beside each other on the dusty floor, both leaning toward the other.
Solid.
Real.
Home.
"I'm thinking of going back into politics."
It's Peter that laughs this time. Nathan was already president twice. He had two different faces. One even had a horrible Texan twang.
"What are you calling yourself this time?"
"Peter Perelli," Nathan easily replies, "The politician. You're Nathan Perelli: the paramedic." Papers come out of his black, rain-resistant suitcase. A past they never lived flows out of his mouth. Its times like this when Peter thinks Nathan was born to live forever.
Then, Nathan looks at him with an intensity that's bordering on desperation and Peter remembers he hasn't said he'd do it. He slides some of the papers out of Nathan's hands. "I never liked the name Nathan," he taunts.
Nathan's relief is obvious and Peter reminds himself that neither of them is good at this. Their years don't show on their bodies. It's deeper than that. It's cracks, chinks, wear and tear…the two of them going their own way until they fall apart and meeting to put each other back together again.
"Peter's a little too common for me but I'll adjust," Nathan throws back.
"I had a guinea pig once. I called it Nathan."
What do you think?