Nathan's all alone in the house. The clock soon strikes seven, and Peter hasn't shown jet. He said he would come around seven, but in his case it means anything between six and eight.
Nathan stands in the living room in front of the open fire. He thinks about pouring a glass of cognac, but realises that it's not a good idea. He can't do that every time he feels alone. No one would appreciate that. He sinks down in his thoughts. He thinks of the girl he saw earlier with Peter. He doesn't understand why he can't get her out of his head. He's been busy, even though his calendar's empty, but still his thoughts been running to the girl. He calls her the girl in his mind, cause she can't be more than that. But that makes him feel old, so he just calls her angel. The blond angel that walked into his life when he needed someone the most. When the felt the most alone. He's a realistic man and don't believe in things that he can't see. But her appearance's making him believe in a higher power that answers his prayers, and that fate exists. He melts on the inside when he thinks of her smile. He never got to hear her voice, but he suspects that it's clear and makes pain disappear.
He's pulled up from his mind when the doorbell rings. He hurries over to it and opens. Outside Peter's standing and smiles his signature half smile. Nathan gives his bother and quick hug and pets him on the shoulder.
- For once you're on time.
Peter shrugs his shoulders.
- Have to try that too sometime...
He walks past Nathan into the house. It's first then that Nathan sees the bag in Peters hand.
- What's in the bag?
He asks while he's closing the door. Peter doesn't even turn but keeps on walking to the living room.
- Movies, chips and beers.
- Sorry?
- Movies, chips and beers, he repeats slowly so that Nathan shall understand what he's saying.
Nathan laughs confusingly.
- Why?
- It's been a long time since we had a movie night.
- We haven't had a movie night since…
- …I turned twenty and finally moved to my own apartment.
- Exactly. So why have one now?
- Do I have to have a reason to spend time with my big brother?
He asks in a way that makes Nathan sure that there's something more behind it. But he wont ask what it is. He knows Peter good enough to know that when Peter wants to talk about something he does so when he's ready. He feels his heart clench a little and he gets something tender in his eyes when he watches Peter. He walks up to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.
- You're right. You don't need a reason. So…what are we enjoying tonight?
Peter smiles at him and moves around in the bag.
- Donnie Darko, Fight Club and Trainspotting.
Nathan grins at him, but sighs on the inside. Peter doesn't have to say a word about his troubles, cause Nathan already knows. These are the movies that Peter watches when he feels lost and confused and just needs something to hold on to. Nathan's touched that Peter chooses him, it's been a long time since last.
- Sounds good. Did you say you had chips and beer to?
- Yup. Only the best.
Nathan walks out to the kitchen and fetches a couple of bowls to pour the chips into. He also finds the bearglasses that he got from Peter the day that he turned thirty. The glasses are enormous and contains two bottles, and on the side there's drunken pigs. He grabs them to and goes back to the living room where Peter's starting the first movie. Nathan pours the chips in the bowls and happily sees that they start by watching Fight Club. If he's lucky they'll only watch that one. He's hopping cause he's seen the other two one too many times, but he never seems to get tired of Fight Club.
They sits down on the couch with the chips between themselves and a lot of beer and starts to watch the movie. Tyler Durdens voice echoes in the living room and both men relaxes.
Two hours later the credit starts rolling. Nathan stretches and leans backwards. He glances at Peter who seems to be relaxed. He smiles to himself. Peter seems so calm, in no need for the other movies.
He fills up his glass for the fifth time, at least. He does a quick count in the head and realises that over the past two hours he's been drinking at least eight beers. Peter's been drinking at least as many, if not more. He feels so light in his body, but his head is heavy. A sure sign that he's been drinking a little to much. But he doesn't care about that right now. Peter looks at him with a dim and slow gaze that doesn't follow him all the way. Peter grins at him and sweeps the remains in his glass. Nathan reaches for two new bottles to fill up Peters glass again. Peter shakes his head. He looks down on the chips that they barley touched. They chare the silence while Peter turns of the movie and also turns of the TV at the same time.
The thoughts in Nathan's head's goes back to the angel. He doesn't want to think about her again. Not now when Peter needs him. But he feels that maybe that's why she's turned up again. Peter's sitting with him, and Peter knows the angel. And he knows that when Peter gets some alcohol in his system he likes to talk. And to talk a lot. And Nathan wouldn't be a vary good politician if he couldn't get the answers to his questions without Peter suspecting a ting. So he pulls himself together to find the right questions.
- So…your friends from earlier…who were they?
Peter leans back and gets a stupid smile on his lips.
- Claire and Ted. Takes the same course that I do.
- Really.
Nathan tries not to sound too eager, just interested enough. But inside he yearns for more information. His angel's got a name. Claire. He carefully tastes the name and it feels right. If an angel should be called anything it would be Claire, that's one thing he knows for sure. He wants to know more about her.
- That girl…Claire…she looked quite young. Is she really old enough for the university?
A huge grin spreads across Peters face.
- She's nineteen. Young but intelligent as hell. You would love her.
Nathan flinches. That's the wrong words in this context, but still so right. Love her? It feels so strange.
- How come?
- She reminds me of you actually. Smart, cultivated, loves a good discussion and she's stubborn as an ass. The only difference is that she has humour…
- I've got humour, Nathan cries.
Peter laughs at him, and he realises that he just walked into that one. He smiles stupidly at Peter.
- And she's good looking.
- Don't you think that I'm good looking?
- Can't tell. You're my brother. I have to think that you're good looking!
Nathan gives him an encouraging pat on the knee. He wants Peter to tell him more about Claire. He wants to meet her. He doesn't want anything more than that right now.
- So…if we're that much alike maybe we should meet.
Peter looks at him. Nathan can't read his brother completely, but he doesn't think that Peter suspects his intentions.
- You're right. You should. She works just a few blocks from where you work.
- Really, Nathan says and unnoticeable leans forward while he tries to seem mildly interested.
- Yup. Midnight Café.
- I know that place.
- Go there. She knows that you're my brother. She would love to meet you. Like I said, she loves to discuss, so she'll talk your ears of if you get her started. She works almost every night.
Inside Nathan smiles like a cat that just swallowed a rat. He just got all the information that he wanted, and Peter doesn't even seem to be aware of what he just did. He looks at his brother. Right now he's just a little boy in every way, and that's so moving. Peter stretches out on the couch and closes his eyes. Nathan looks at him for a second before he does the same thing. Slowly he falls into a pleasant sleep where he's surrounded by sparkling green eyes, blond curls and soft hands. And they have a name, Claire.