Nathan hates the baby. When he looks at him he doesn’t see family. He doesn’t see his flesh and blood, his heart, his kin. No, Nathan sees a bright red lobster of an infant, one who has sunk his two fat pincers into all around him. His mother and his father do not see the lobster, they see a small baby boy, but Nathan is wise to its evil intent. Nathan knows that screaming crustaceans do not belong above ground, and he wishes that Peter Thomas Petrelli would return to the ocean where he belongs.

Nathan grows to think that Peter might not be a lobster after all, as they are quiet creatures and Peter is a loud, obnoxiously cloying child who cries all the time. No, Nathan decides that he is a whining dog. Not a cute one, like the chocolate Labrador he is not allowed to have in case it scares the baby, no Peter is a rabid street dog who barks nonsensically at anyone who tries to pet it. Dogs like this are dangerous and should be avoided lest they sink their teeth into you.

 

Peter cries loudest whenever Nathan holds him. His mother says that that’s not unusual, that babies cry a lot, that Peter is an emotional sort, that the world is all very strange and new, and yet Nathan can’t quite forgive the little dog-lobster for crying whenever he holds him. Nathan is used to his father being distant, his father is a very Busy and Important man, yet to be rejected by a baby is more than he can stomach. Nathan has always been taught the importance of being Strong and Brave and a Fortress (which he has trouble spelling) so to see this weak, bawling infant receive more affection than he gets is just not right. He wishes Peter would just disappear. If Nathan could summon a genie in a lamp, this would be his only wish. Nathan closes his eyes and whispers a prayer under his breath. Please let the baby go away. Please.

 

 

 

 

Peter is two and one quarter. He follows Nathan everywhere on his fat little legs. Except Peter can’t keep up, and then he cries, he always cries. Then Nathan will get shouted at for not looking after his brother and for letting him fall. Nathan tries to explain to Peter that he is a lobster and so he might find it easier to scuttle than to walk, but the little boy just looks up at him, confused.

 

Nathan takes to sitting on the highest shelf of their airing cupboard. His parents don’t comment on his sudden disappearing act; his mother tends to be out with her ladies and his father is usually far too busy talking with Peter’s nanny. Nathan sometimes wonders what they talk about as his dad doesn’t speak Polish and Brygida’s English is terrible. Anyway, if they did notice they would put it down to Nathan being boyish and wanting a den, rather than him trying to climb to places where Peter cannot reach him. Then Peter sniffs him out like a search-dog.

 

He starts to mount the shelves, and Nathan realises that he isn’t a lobster at all, or a dog. No, Peter is a monkey. A climbing monkey, making his way up towards Nathan. But that’s not right either, because monkeys can climb effortlessly unlike Peter whose arms let go of the shelf. Nathan sees his little figure fall to the ground with a thud that should have been louder. Really, it should have shaken the house then people would have come running to help, but Peter is too small to make much noise. Then there is no noise at all. He doesn’t cry. He should be crying. His eyes should be open, and he should be looking at Nathan and crying. That’s what he does for God’s sake! What use is the stupid little limp thing if he won’t cry now? Nathan has never wanted Peter to bawl at him more than he does in this moment. He scoops the little boy up and cradles him and Nathan realises that he isn’t a cat who has nine lives, or a worm that’ll grow another head, he’s just a frail little boy who can be broken so easily. And Nathan has broken him. For those long, drawn out seconds he thinks Peter might be dead, and in that gulf of horror he realises he does love him after all. It must have snuck up on him when he wasn’t looking.

 

Peter opens his beady hurt eyes and frowns up at him. Nathan? This time it’s Nathan who’s doing the crying. He should stop. Big boys don’t cry. Ever. But Peter doesn’t seem to mind as he hugs him and says there there and then ouch and what happened and we okay? Maybe he doesn’t have to be Strong and Brave and a Fortress around Peter. He looks at him, really looks, and he sees a pair of brown eyes just like his own staring back. Nathan thinks that maybe isn’t some rogue animal that snuck its way into their family. Maybe they belong together after all.

End.

 

Please leave any comments or suggestions as feedback! This is my first ever fic so any thoughts would be most welcome. I was trying to avoid being too sugary sentimental but I do love these boys and that probably escapes through.