Chapter Text
The room was enormous, just as all the rooms in the Petrelli mansion were. During the day, when the lights were on, or when sunlight shone through the large balcony windows, it was wonderful. There were so many places to play, so many things to imagine his bed and desk and closet were. But when the sun went down, and it was time to be in bed, the large room was covered in darkness.
In shadows, everything he could imagine as wonderful, magical things throughout his room, was now dark and foreboding. Peter had tried to ask his parents for a night-light, but they said that now he was sleeping in a big bed, he wasn't a toddler anymore, and he needed to stop depending on things and do without the childish comforts. So Peter had found one of the flashlights his father used on his camping trips, and smuggled it into his room. The batteries died early, just after midnight, and Peter was afraid again. He started looking through the toys he had in his room, trying all the batteries he could find, but none of them were the right size for the flashlight.
Soft footsteps in the hall, but Peter didn't hear them for his own fright. But when a door opened, with a slow creak, Peter gasped and shrank against the bed, scared that it might be the monster in the closet. Or worse, his father, to take back the flashlight and scold him for taking it.
"Pete?"
Only one person called him that. Peter opened his eyes and looked at the door, squinting through the light of the small book lamp Nathan used to read in bed. Peter got to his feet and rushed towards his brother in relief. Nathan caught him up in the arm not holding the lamp, slid inside the room, and pushed the door shut again with his foot.
"Still can't sleep, Pete?" Peter shook his head. Nathan ruffled his hair. "C'mon. Let's get back in bed and try. I'll stick around and make sure nothing's gonna bother you."
Peter looked up at his big brother. Nathan was sixteen, and he was smart, fun, and if Peter had known the word charismatic, he would have used that as well. But people liked being around Nathan, so it was always something of a surprise when Nathan wanted to be with his baby bother. "You're gonna stay?" he asked, eyes wide with hope and unabashed hero worship.
Nathan grinned. "Yeah. For a bit. And let's just keep this between you an me, huh?" He tipped Peter a wink, and happened to glance at the bed, seeing the flashlight and the number of batteries Peter had been trying to get to work. "I'll put away Dad's flashlight in the morning. But the rest of the batteries you found are perfect for this." He tapped the book light in his hand.
Together they cleared off the bed, and got in. It was only a twin sized mattress, but Peter was still tiny, and it fit the both of them well. Nathan lay down on his back, draping his arm around Peter's shoulders when the three-year-old curled against him.
It wasn't long before Peter was asleep, breathing calmly and evenly. Nathan, moving carefully as not to rouse his brother, set the alarm on his wristwatch to wake him up at 5 am, so he could put away the flashlight and get back to his own room before their parents woke up.