Somehow family duties never included doing things that Nathan enjoyed. He might have wanted to make other plans for Friday night, but when his mother mentioned the party, Nathan knew what he would be doing instead of hanging out with his friends.

As the eldest son, Nathan had been accustomed to being held out as an example of his parents' ability to cooperate and pass along their principles for years now, and he was aware of their intentions to groom him for the political spotlight. For the moment, his role at these parties was to be shown off, speak when spoken to and fade into the background when he wasn't needed.

He'd been introduced to Bob, a man whose smile was as blinding as the glare from his glasses, and who Nathan distrusted on sight, and then Mr. Linderman, who seemed preoccupied with something and several other men and women who he charmed just as much as the occasion called for. Greetings done, Nathan made his excuses, all the acceptable ones about having a mound of school work to do, and escaped to the hallway between the parlor and the main stairwell.

There he leaned against the wall and listened to the sounds coming from different parts of the house. He made it into a game and and tried to figure out where everyone was and what they were doing without opening his eyes to look.

With his eyes closed he could focus better and he picked out the clattering of dishes in the kitchen and the grumbling of the maid as she picked up after the guests who snuck upstairs giggling and hanging all over each other.

Fortunately Peter was shut up in his nursery and his nanny had strict instructions about what to do with people who bothered them; Nathan would have liked to see anyone try and get past that woman, considering what she did when Peter was woken up after she'd finally gotten him settled for the night.

He felt someone approaching and heard a deliberate scuff against the carpet, maybe a courtesy to tell him that he wasn't alone.

Nathan opened his eyes and saw a man with short blond hair and a face that had to give him trouble when he wanted to get a drink standing a few feet away. He was dressed in a dark suit, and although he seemed younger than any of the other guests, he carried himself as if he wouldn't be out of place among them.

"Are you lost?" Nathan asked politely.

"No, I walked away. These parties are more forced than comfortable and I lose tolerance quickly."

"Won't they miss you?" Nathan asked.

"Eventually, but they know I don't like being in one place any longer than I need to be." The man paused. "We haven't been introduced yet, I'm Adam Monroe, I work with your father." He stepped forward and offered his hand to Nathan.

"Nathan Petrelli."

Monroe shook the hand Nathan offered him and smiled. "I did of course see you while Angela was parading you around the room, but she didn't formally introduce us this time."

"Why not?" Nathan asked. There was no harm in asking a question if you were just looking for information. It was the sort of exchange that his mother had coached him on using with strangers he wasn't sure of, and he was pleased to have a chance to use it on someone who wouldn't know what his tells were.

"She's hesitant about you meeting me before you're ready," Monroe said.

"Are you a bad influence?" Nathan asked.

Monroe laughed softly. "Absolutely, and I'm just the sort of man who they know will act on my impulses."

Nathan frowned. "What does that mean?"

"That, if they find us, they shouldn't be at all surprised," Monroe said and stepped closer, and ran a hand up Nathan's arm and let it rest at the base of his neck, his fingers warm on Nathan's pulse, so far inside his space that Nathan was shocked to stillness.

Nathan was in high school, a senior, and so he'd been hit on by a lot of girls, some whose offers he'd accepted, but he couldn't remember a guy asking what Monroe's touch implied.

"What do you want from me?" Nathan asked.

"I'd think that was clear, or have you not been propositioned before?" Monroe asked.

"Not by one of my father's business partners," Nathan said.

"Technically I'm more of an associate, but the fact such advances haven't been made on you before is to your mother's credit. I imagine that were anything to happen to you, the resulting fallout would be apocalyptic," Monroe said.

Nathan blinked. "That's kind of extreme."

"Does a mother's love know reason? For that matter, does any sort of love have limitations?" Monroe asked. He sounded thoughtful and Nathan wondered if adults actually thought nobody else could pick up on those things.

"I don't know," Nathan said.

"You will," Monroe said.

"Being older makes you very sure of things."

"No, being experienced gives me certainty, being older affords me ample opportunity to test my expertise," Monroe said.

"You can't be much older than-" Nathan was about to make a guess, but he met Monroe's eyes and their cold blue seemed deep and timeless and he couldn't say why that made it hard to speak.

"Yes?" Monroe asked, expectant and amused by Nathan's pause.

"Who are you?" Nathan asked.

"Names for count for little despite what significance they're given but Adam is who I've been for these last few years."

"And that's the only answer I'm going to get, right?"

"Here and now, I won't tell you more," Adam said.

"But that doesn't mean I won't ask you again," Nathan promised. He didn't like not knowing anything, even if it was unpleasant.

"I look forward to it," Adam said.

Nathan gave Adam an assessing look, the one that his mother said belonged in a courtroom, not her house, and said. "If that's clear."

"Yes," Adam said.

Nathan stepped forward, seized Adam by his collar and brought their mouths together in a kiss. It was the first time he'd kissed a man and he put intensity in for all the know-how he couldn't bring.

His determination seemed to go over well; Adam laughed a little and made the kiss softer for a second, directing Nathan into a rhythm that he could follow and then it became fierce again.

As Nathan's back pressed into the wall, his shoulder scraped the corner of a picture frame, displacing it slightly, and he twitched, distracted from what Adam was doing with his tongue. He grunted painfully and reacted immediately, propelling them into the opposite wall, taking the chance to pin Adam. It didn't last, the older man was strong and showed that he knew a lot of tricks that Nathan hadn't heard of, and a couple seconds later Nathan was the one on his back again.

"Are you afraid I'm going to run away?" Nathan asked and moved his wrists against the weight holding them in place.

Adam smiled. "Maybe I want to see what you'll let me do to you."

"I don't need someone else tring to get the better of me," Nathan said. Not when his parents were around and would be able to tell, by looking at him, that somebody had gotten the better of him.

Adam looked directly in Nathan's eyes while he twisted his wrists just hard enough to make Nathan wince, then he backed off. "You shouldn't worry so much about what they think of you, it doesn't matter."

Nathan shook his head. "It always matters to someone."

"And they're all looking at you, right?" Adam asked.

"Part of being a Petrelli," Nathan said.

"Nothing is certain," Adam said. "Destiny shouldn't limit your enjoyment of life."

"It's not about that," Nathan said.

"Never in the beginning," Adam said and added, "being young and rebellious should mean you've thought about free will, keep it in mind."

He sounded older again, as if he had some idea of what Nathan was planning to do with his life, and thought he could improve on it.

Adam turned Nathan back toward him, holding his attention with another kiss. It was teasing, unpredictable, forcing Nathan to get closer as he tried to figure out what angle Adam would be coming from next. This wasn't like kissing anyone Nathan had before, not only because Adam was a guy, but he made it into a game where if Nathan figured out the answer, they would both win.

The uncertainty made Nathan breathe faster and he held onto Adam as he put a had on his back and grabbed his belt as tightly as he could.

Adam chuckled, warm and pleased in Nathan's ear and then bit him, just above the collar.

Nathan gasped and swore. "That's going to leave a mark," said, but couldn't be too angry when Adam's tongue soothed where he'd just bitten.

"Something to remember me by," Adam said and blew softly on Nathan's throat, making him shiver as his hot spots were found and used well.

Minutes later, Adam pulled away, fingers lingering on Nathan's face as he stepped back.

Nathan ran his tongue over his lips, lingering on a tender spot and asked, "Are you going to be at the next one of these things?" This wasn't finished, in any sense, and Nathan wanted to see where it might go.

"If Angela hosts another gala, I suspect my presence will be requested," Adam said.

"So I might see you then."

"We'll meet again," Adam said. He kissed Nathan one more time, like he wanted to leave his taste in Nathan's mouth.

He leaned back and listened to the voices coming from the party. "However I regret that for now you must return to the festivities."

Nathan pulled away reluctantly and then headed back, catching sight of Adam one last time as he headed toward the sound of clinking glasses and laughter that was harsh and false compared to the voice that had been whispering in his ear.

-end