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With a content sight Sam leaned back on the couch and took a sip of his beer. Peace. He finally felt at peace with himself that night. After a successful job with Sully, Sam had announced his upcoming visit to his little brother at short notice, but he didn't feel guilty about it.
Sam knew that he didn't really need to officially announce his visits to Nathan. His baby brother had been serious when he had told him that his door would be open for Sam at any time. And no matter when the elder Drake decided to arrive at his doorstep in New Orleans, Nathan always greeted him the same way: Pulling his brother into a tight hug, having that happy glow in his eyes which Sam had so dearly missed during those dreadful years in Panama.
Whenever Sam came to visit, he, Nathan and Elena had fallen into a routine they all felt comfortable with. This routine included take out the night Sam arrived followed by a movie night with the three of them cuddled onto the couch, having Nathan sitting between his wife and his brother - a happy Nate-sandwich. Usually, the movie would sooner or later turn out to be just some background noise as the brothers and Elena would end in catching up about Sam’s recent jobs with Sully and Nate’s and Elena’s work with D&F Fortune.
Tonight they automatically settled into said routine. They had Chinese take out, something Elena was craving in her now six months pregnancy, and settled down to watch Ocean’s Eleven – it was their third attempt as every attempt to watch it before had ended in a discussion between Nate and Sam about the heist until Elena had simply stopped the movie. Nathan sat next to him, also having a beer whereas Elena was snuggled on the left side of the couch with a cup of tea – her preferred beverage during her pregnancy.
Although tonight there was a slight difference: Nathan had been unusually quiet so far. “Hey, little brother, you alright?” Sam could not resist poking Nathan’s shoulder.
“Huh?” Nathan was visibly startled and nearly spilled his beer. “Yeah … yeah, I’m alright. Just a bit tired.”
Elena carefully grabbed Nathan’s beer bottle and placed it onto the coffee table. “Last month’s been pretty rough”, she explained to Sam. “Nate won’t let me help in the current research as he insists it would be too stressful in my current condition.” Elena motioned towards her pregnant belly and raised an eyebrow. “He prefers to keep working all night long and falls asleep at dawn.”
“Haven’t changed a bit, haven’t you, Nathan?” Sam could not suppress a smile.
“He hasn’t?’” Elena was curious. Nathan usually avoided talking about his childhood, youth and years as a young adult. Sam was the perfect partner in crime when it came down to receiving more information about this time period.
“Hello? Still in the room!” Nathan obviously was pouting and crossed his arms across his chest. He must have somehow missed the moment in which his wife and his brother had decided to conspire against him.
Sam ruffled Nathan’s hair. “Yes, we are aware of this, baby bro.” He took another sip of his beer. “I carried you to bed more than once when you fell asleep on your research in the middle of the night. Way back to when we were still living in the orphanage.”
Elena hid her smile in her tea mug while she was watching the two brothers. Since Sam had stepped back into Nathan’s life, her husband had clearly changed.
She had noticed that Nathan - once the events around Avery's treasure had sorted out - had become calmer. He had done his best to live a normal life with her in New Orleans, but he had never been able to completely hide that one spark from Elena that was still burning inside him. She could see it in his eyes. This restlessness that sparked in them. And that restlessness had disappeared when Sam returned to Nathan's side. She could not help but think that Nathan finally was complete again.
"Why don't you go to bed, Nate?", Elena asked her husband and took another sip of her tea. The upcoming project of D&F Fortune was the last project for the planned season before Nathan and Elena went on their baby break. In Elena’s opinion it was also the most labor-intensive project. She felt bad that Nathan did all the work almost single-handedly. Her gynaecologist had advised her to cut back a little during her pregnancy - a little thank you to a certain grenade that had almost killed her in Shambala. Elena had taken the advice seriously, but Nathan had gone one step further: Anything beyond editing the videos, he had simply forbidden her, even research he regarded to be too stressful. As a result the exhaustion in his face had become apparent by now. Elena eyed him. His eyes seemed unfocused and they constantly scanned the room, a clear sign that he was overtired and would probably soon fall asleep on the sofa.
Nathan shook his head vehemently. He wouldn't go to bed when the evening had just begun! Especially when his brother was visiting. "I'm awake!"
Sam couldn't prevent a sigh. His little brother’s behaviour was a powerful reminder of the days when he was a toddler. Taking a bath? No! Eating vegetables? Absolutely not! Going to bed while Sam was allowed to stay up? No way! His little brother had defiantly pushed his lower lip forward and stood up to his mother's gaze, unwilling to give in in the slightest. But - and Sam grinned - even then Nathan had become docile when his big brother intervened. "Come on, Nathan, let's take a bath together." - "Yummy, Nathan, theses brussels sprouts taste so good!" - "I'll join you and read you another story!"
"Why don't you just rest your eyes a little, Nathan?" Invitingly, he raised his left arm and nodded his head in encouragement.
Nathan was torn. He was tired enough that everything in him yearned to snuggle up by Sam's side, listen to his heartbeat and finally fall asleep over his brother's steady deep breath. They had done it countless times - until that fateful day in Panama. But, and Nathan nibbled his lower lip thoughtfully, now Elena was sitting next to them. She knew that he was a cuddler but she had never really witnessed neither him nor Sam showing signs of brotherly affection. Those hugs did not really count, he assumed.
Sam could hear his baby brother thinking. Loud and clear. And he fought the urge of smacking him against his forehead. Because unlike Nathan, Sam was sure Elena wouldn't take it the wrong way. Sam had replaced their mother and father for years for Nathan, taking care of him since Nathan was five and he ten years old. For a long time, Sam had been the only family Nathan had got left. And whenever his little brother had been tired, insecure, or scared, he had sought his older brother's physical contact. "C'mere." He gently nudged his baby brother’s shoulder.
Oh, what the hell, Nathan thought and snuggled up to Sam. It was just as he remembered it. Sam put his arm around him and held him close. Nathan's left arm automatically found its way around Sam's stomach as he laid his head on his chest. It was like coming home. As if those damn fifteen years of separation hadn't happened. Nathan listened to Sam's heartbeat and closed his eyes.
Now look at you, aren't you the cutest! Elena based this thought on the hormone cocktail that pregnancy caused. She was delighted. Delighted that Nathan could shed the role of a protector and become the one who needed protection. And especially delighted that Sam had no inhibitions about showing his brother gently but firmly what was best for him: A well-deserved rest.
She smiled at Sam over the edge of her tea mug. Sam smiled back and gently carded through Nathan's hair.
***
They had watched the rest of the movie in silence, neither of them wanting to wake up Nathan who had been out like a light within minutes.
Elena finally turned off the TV. “I guess we could leave him on the sofa.” She motioned towards her husband who was curled up onto Sam. His deep and steady breath revealed that he was not going to wake up any time soon.
"And risk that he'll complain of a tense neck and back pain tomorrow? Absolutely not!" Sam shook his head. "I'll carry him upstairs to your bedroom."
Doubting, Elena looked at him. "You do realize that Nathan is no longer the lightweight that he might have been as a teenager?"
"Never underestimate the stubbornness of a Drake," Sam objected and made a move to cautiously release himself from his brother's grasp.
Elena quickly grabbed her smartphone. "Wait. I just need to catch this." A snapshot later, the picture of Nathan fast asleep cuddling with his Sam-pillow was recorded for posterity.
Her brother-in-law had wanted to protest at first, but then decided against it. There weren't enough pictures of him and Nathan together, he thought. Strictly speaking, he was grateful to Elena that her camera - both the one of her smartphone as well as her SLR – sometimes seemed to be in constant use. Gently, he grabbed Nathan's arm and freed himself from his embrace.
Nathan stirred, but didn’t wake up. Sam carefully got up from the sofa, mindfully holding his little brother’s head so he would not fall against the back of the sofa. Finally, he bent over, gently sliding his right arm under Nathan's knee and sneaking his left arm around his shoulders. Then he carefully lifted him up, with Nathan's head safely leaning against his chest.
Elena could not resist. Seeing Nathan being carried bridal-style by Sam had to be the cutest thing she had seen in a while. Click. Another snapshot. "I'll clean up the rest of this mess. You go ahead." She nodded at Sam and then grabbed her mug and the boys’ beer bottles.
Slowly, Sam made his way upstairs to the bedroom. He managed to open the door without disturbing Nathan’s sleep. You need to take better care of yourself, baby bro, he thought when he gently laid him onto the bed. In three months there will be a little human who will be depending on you and needing you. Sam smiled softly. He could not wait to meet his nephew – or niece. Both Nathan and Elena refused to reveal the baby’s gender.
When Sam grabbed the covers and tucked his baby brother in like he had down so many times, Nathan snuggled deeper into the pillow, mumbling contentedly, but not waking up. With a soft smile, Sam bent down to him.
“Sleep tight, little brother.”
He gently placed a kiss onto Nathan’s forehead and then tiptoed out of the bedroom.