Healing (Peter, Aly, Thomas, Others)
Peter's birthday was, so far, perfect. Thomas and Spectre were seated on the sofa, cuddling with Abby who was mocking Stuart. It wasn't completely clear what Stuart was doing, but as Abby mocked a large percentage of the things he did, it could have been anything. David, his arms full with his young son William, moved over to join them, and he and Thomas broke into a passionate conversation about the theatre and children while their respective spouses looked on, their faces more than fond.
The rest of Peter's closest friends and family had gotten together as well. Liz was talking quietly with Dietrich, he was being even more attentive now that he felt he had to compete with Emma for Liz's affections. Even though Emma was still in hospital. Hope had her head in Tasha's lap as she chatted with Deirdre, Renee and Kait. Lavannah, Gavin and Mirela were nearby, chatting quietly and teaching Mirela new English words. Zoe was somewhere, Peter was sure... Dylan was holding court, entertaining Lydia, Anna, Caleb and Mara. And Isabella was holding an excitable baby Thomas while Peter's mother in law, Jacinta had ahold of Lauren. They were talking in Spanish so rapidly that Edward, Jacinta's husband, looked quite left out.
Ever so quietly, Aly sidled up to Peter who was watching the festivities silently, choosing to remain on his own in the corner. He wasn't pouting at all. It was more calming to him to take this all in than to join in, at least for the moment. Aly smiled at her husband as she reached his side. "Enjoying the show?"
Peter laughed and he pointed to David and Thomas. "I think your brother might just steal Thomas away from me. My best friends becoming best friends. What are the odds, hmm?" Honestly, Peter was simply so glad that he could share Thomas with people. He had wanted to for so long. "And Adrian and Christina look like they've never seen anything so darling in their entire lives."
"Well you have to admit, David and Thomas are handsome men. They do make a striking pair."
Peter eyed Aly quizzically. "Should I feel threatened?"
"By my brother and...well...Thomas who is like a brother? Oh yeah." She winked and then she wrapped her arms around Peter's waist. "You know I think your crazy hair is sexy." She kissed his shoulder and he laughed which made her smile ever more wide. She loved it when Peter laughed. So often he had to be serious. It was nice when he got to let that go.
Peter turned to face his wife, and he wrapped his arms around her too. "I won't shave my head then." He kissed her hair and leaned his cheek against her forehead. "This is nice. It's quiet...Dream Theater is playing in the background. People are happy. I like it."
"More than a cruise party that is attended by...god, gazillions of people..."
"Hey, that was fun too until Bonsai decided to make a menace of himself." Peter rubbed his hands up and down Aly's back. "But I think this is what I needed." Especially since he seemed to be slipping every so often nowadays, back to his bad habits of sneaking a drink here and there. He knew it wasn't necessarily because of the pressure he faced at the hospital. Peter had always had pressure and for the most part, he handled it well. It was because he was remembering. He was remembering his tumour and the memories hurt.
Aly nodded against Peter's chest. "Me too." She admitted. She had lost her first husband to a tumour. To find that Peter had one too...it had been too much. "But I should tell you, I did order a stipper cake for later."
Peter snorted and then he pulled back so he could look at her. "It's not Alessa, is it? Because she's sort of my cousin now...and that's...slightly disturbing."
"His name is Rex." Aly said, completely straight-faced. "He's for me because you're too old to perform a lapdance now."
Peter let out a veritable cackle, which brought Thomas romping over. "What! Where's the funny?!"
"Aly is informing me that I am too old to satisfy her." Peter said, his voice filled with mirth. Thomas turned white, as he was one year older than Peter, and his husband was three years younger than Aly, though he had been dead for most of those years of difference, to be fair...
Aly giggled. "I'm just being up front about it, see."
"With a stripper cake." Peter nodded.
Thomas backed away. "Your marriage is scary..." He said, returning then to the safety of David and Spectre.
"He said we're scary, Honey..." Peter said with his eyebrows raised.
"Well, he's probably got a point." Aly grinned and then she gave Peter's arse a pinch. "Come on, Sexy. I'll show you just how much I was kidding."
Peter looked shocked, though the expression was more than put on. "You want to be intimate with me in the middle of my party?!"
"I do believe that's what the young people do these days..." Aly mused.
"Oh, well, if it's what the young people do, who are we to fight it?" Peter slipped his hand into his wife's and he smiled at her.
"Besides, I didn't get you a present." Aly winked.
"Yeah, somehow I think this more than counts." Peter gave her hand a squeeze and he started to lead her upstairs.
"Happy Birthday, Peter." Aly said softly, squeezing his hand right back.
"It really is." He admitted.
The rest of Peter's closest friends and family had gotten together as well. Liz was talking quietly with Dietrich, he was being even more attentive now that he felt he had to compete with Emma for Liz's affections. Even though Emma was still in hospital. Hope had her head in Tasha's lap as she chatted with Deirdre, Renee and Kait. Lavannah, Gavin and Mirela were nearby, chatting quietly and teaching Mirela new English words. Zoe was somewhere, Peter was sure... Dylan was holding court, entertaining Lydia, Anna, Caleb and Mara. And Isabella was holding an excitable baby Thomas while Peter's mother in law, Jacinta had ahold of Lauren. They were talking in Spanish so rapidly that Edward, Jacinta's husband, looked quite left out.
Ever so quietly, Aly sidled up to Peter who was watching the festivities silently, choosing to remain on his own in the corner. He wasn't pouting at all. It was more calming to him to take this all in than to join in, at least for the moment. Aly smiled at her husband as she reached his side. "Enjoying the show?"
Peter laughed and he pointed to David and Thomas. "I think your brother might just steal Thomas away from me. My best friends becoming best friends. What are the odds, hmm?" Honestly, Peter was simply so glad that he could share Thomas with people. He had wanted to for so long. "And Adrian and Christina look like they've never seen anything so darling in their entire lives."
"Well you have to admit, David and Thomas are handsome men. They do make a striking pair."
Peter eyed Aly quizzically. "Should I feel threatened?"
"By my brother and...well...Thomas who is like a brother? Oh yeah." She winked and then she wrapped her arms around Peter's waist. "You know I think your crazy hair is sexy." She kissed his shoulder and he laughed which made her smile ever more wide. She loved it when Peter laughed. So often he had to be serious. It was nice when he got to let that go.
Peter turned to face his wife, and he wrapped his arms around her too. "I won't shave my head then." He kissed her hair and leaned his cheek against her forehead. "This is nice. It's quiet...Dream Theater is playing in the background. People are happy. I like it."
"More than a cruise party that is attended by...god, gazillions of people..."
"Hey, that was fun too until Bonsai decided to make a menace of himself." Peter rubbed his hands up and down Aly's back. "But I think this is what I needed." Especially since he seemed to be slipping every so often nowadays, back to his bad habits of sneaking a drink here and there. He knew it wasn't necessarily because of the pressure he faced at the hospital. Peter had always had pressure and for the most part, he handled it well. It was because he was remembering. He was remembering his tumour and the memories hurt.
Aly nodded against Peter's chest. "Me too." She admitted. She had lost her first husband to a tumour. To find that Peter had one too...it had been too much. "But I should tell you, I did order a stipper cake for later."
Peter snorted and then he pulled back so he could look at her. "It's not Alessa, is it? Because she's sort of my cousin now...and that's...slightly disturbing."
"His name is Rex." Aly said, completely straight-faced. "He's for me because you're too old to perform a lapdance now."
Peter let out a veritable cackle, which brought Thomas romping over. "What! Where's the funny?!"
"Aly is informing me that I am too old to satisfy her." Peter said, his voice filled with mirth. Thomas turned white, as he was one year older than Peter, and his husband was three years younger than Aly, though he had been dead for most of those years of difference, to be fair...
Aly giggled. "I'm just being up front about it, see."
"With a stripper cake." Peter nodded.
Thomas backed away. "Your marriage is scary..." He said, returning then to the safety of David and Spectre.
"He said we're scary, Honey..." Peter said with his eyebrows raised.
"Well, he's probably got a point." Aly grinned and then she gave Peter's arse a pinch. "Come on, Sexy. I'll show you just how much I was kidding."
Peter looked shocked, though the expression was more than put on. "You want to be intimate with me in the middle of my party?!"
"I do believe that's what the young people do these days..." Aly mused.
"Oh, well, if it's what the young people do, who are we to fight it?" Peter slipped his hand into his wife's and he smiled at her.
"Besides, I didn't get you a present." Aly winked.
"Yeah, somehow I think this more than counts." Peter gave her hand a squeeze and he started to lead her upstairs.
"Happy Birthday, Peter." Aly said softly, squeezing his hand right back.
"It really is." He admitted.