Practice Makes Perfect

Peter sat on the edge of his bed, fully clothed and ready for his day...though this day would be very different from all his others.

He picked up his phone from the nightstand and took a breath. First task of the day; make the calls.

Of course, pressing the numbers on the pad was more difficult than he ever could have expected. He wanted to call Nathan first...it only seemed right. Nathan could probably already feel it, what Peter was about to do, since he could sense more stress than he himself felt.

Peter sighed heavily and set the phone down, abandoning his first task. He could do it later, when they had less time to interfere. He snatched up his cellphone instead, tucking it in his pocket and standing to leave.

He surveyed his abnormally bare apartment. It was usually messy, with clothes and snack wrappers strewn about. Now, there were a few stacks of boxes in the corner of the 'living room', and aside from his bed, nightstand and couch, he had donated all of his furniture. He wouldn't need any of it where he was going.

After assuring everything was in place, Peter returned to the bedroom. He slowly pulled open the drawer of the nightstand, and took out 'the note'. An ominous reference to what almost every suicidal person left behind. His had taken days to perfect, even though in the end it was so simple.

He carefully unfolded 'the note', and laid it just below his pillow at a slight angle. Peter wished there was something more he could offer his family in comfort for this terrible deed, but there was truly nothing. All he knew, was that this would solve more problems than it could ever cause.

Looking up, he noticed that stray black cat pawing at his window. With a vague, crooked smile, he walked to the window and lifted it open.

"Hey...you're gonna have to find someone else to feed you...I'm not gonna be around here anymore." Peter told the cat, as it purred loudly and rubbed its face on his hands. He had been feeding and taking care of the cat for roughly a year, and was now worried over whether it would be able to fend for itself.

Peter frowned, and checked his watch. 11:47...he decided he should go, and make the calls before everyone was too busy to speak with him.

"Bye...I promise to tell Nathan to feed you." Peter pecked the nameless cat on the head, closed the window, and headed to the roof.

While jogging up the long stairwell to the roof (the elevator had been broken down ever since he could remember), Peter fished his phone out of his pocket. He dialed in Nathan on speed dial, and hovered his thumb over the 'call' button. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Nathan, he was just afraid. Afraid he'd say something telling, that would make Nathan worried enough to come to Peter's apartment. He couldn't let him ruin it all after all of the preparations...

He paused in the stairwell, gripping the railing and his cellphone as if everything depended on it. On impulse, he quickly tapped the 'call' button, and chalked it up to shaky hands. It was stupid, but he needed the excuse.

Phone pressed hard on his ear, Peter proceeded up the stairs at about half the speed he had been.

"Pete?" Nathan's voice soon gripped Peter, in a sort of panic. But he had to keep it together. Just for a few more minutes.

"N-nathan..." Peter stuttered awkwardly. His ascent had slowed once again.

"Is something wrong? I'm on my way to your place now."

"Wait, what?!" Peter froze, eyes the size of dinner plates. No, no, no...he couldn't stop it now. He couldn't ruin it after all of this work...

"Ahh, we had plans for breakfast so we could talk about that job...I had something I had to do for Simon's class, that's why I'm late."

Peter slammed his hand to his forehead, and forced his fingers through his hair which had been getting him in the eyes. The only thing he could do, was hurry. He launched into full-speed, determined to get to the roof before Nathan could do a thing.

"Uh," he tried a few excuses in his mind, though none sounded good, "look, this isn't the greatest time, I'm kinda...busy."

"Doing what? Did you get a treadmill or something? Why are you panting?"

"Look, just...how close are you?"

"Just pulling up now...what's going on?"

Peter groaned, and leaned against the door to the roof. He was trying to catch his breath, trying to calm down, trying to think himself out of this. He couldn't be here anymore, he was so tired of it all. Out of frustration and desperation, Peter chucked his cellphone down the center of the stairwell, and heard a loud crashing noise just before he squeezed out the door.

He knew Nathan knew. They could always just tell when something was wrong with each other; nevermind the suspiscious phone call. And the rather destructive end of said phone call.

Peter sidled up to the edge, and peered over. He thought it only right that he go by jumping off a building, as heights were his biggest fear. But at the moment, he didn't even remember what 'fear' felt like.

What seemed like only seconds passed, and before he knew it, Nathan had burst onto the roof, looking disheveled, and breathing heavily. Despite Nathan's age, he still managed to get to the roof faster than Peter ever could have at full-speed. Adrenaline may have played a part, though.

Peter turned his back to the ledge, and got as close as he dared for the moment. Nathan was frozen, looking terrified that if he'd move, Peter would jump. Peter swallowed heavily, eyes filling with tears as their eyes locked.
This was not what he wanted. He did not want his brother to watch this. He just wanted to say goodbye, for them all to leave it at that - for them all to leave him alone to finish it.

"I just can't take it anymore, Nathan...I'm not meant to live here, burdening everyone around me. You'll see; it'll be better when I'm gone." Peter took a step back, even closer to the edge. Nathan rushed forward, before realizing he should be more careful and deliberate with his movements. He outstretched his arms in desperation, no doubt feeling that sinking in his stomach that Peter felt, too.

"Peter, please..." the unfamiliar sting of hot tears filled Nathan's eyes, but he didn't bother to blink them away.

"I love you, Nathan." Peter stepped back once more, but this time, he disappeared from sight over the edge.

"NO!" Without a second thought, Nathan went diving off the roof after his little brother.

And, just like that, the Petrelli brothers were tumbling towards the pavement that had previously been ten stories away from them...