Wait, he was considered on par with the guy who sold Rachel to demons? Jesus. That was a metaphorical kick in the nads if Peter had ever had one.
But, on the other hand - this was steering the conversation away from Simone, which was a relief. Not that this was any more fun to talk about, really. Absently, he wondered exactly how Rachel saw him, if she only saw what she wanted to see. Maybe that was why she hadn't considered the radioactive power to be a problem.
The news that she was staying here was even worse. Peter felt a brief rush of panic - why was she staying? Was it because of him? Of course it was because of him, but was what he felt not enough? He didn't want to jump straight into a relationship right now, so Rachel was breaking it off entirely. Then again, who was he to doubt - maybe Rachel felt she had a better life here (although her misery definitely made that not an option). And there was nothing he could do, short of kidnapping her. He'd begged Rachel to stay, once, after the demon. That hadn't worked as long as he would have hoped.
"I'll still visit, if you stay," Peter replied, voice soft. "I'll visit as often as you let me, and even when you won't." God, he wanted to beg her to come back.
In that one word was every self-doubt and fear I'd ever had. Every guy who'd ever used me and then called me a whore the next day in school, every person who'd taken advantage of me because my dad was gone and I was alone. Every second of confusion I'd ever faced because I didn't understand who I was, didn't quite get how to really connect with other people.
It simply was out of my realm of comprehension as to why someone, once they were free of the burden I knew myself to be, would willingly come back. Why Peter came after me I got - the guilt factor, the fact that I was his friend, I understood that. But to continue to come to me, even after I'd left... Why?
He wasn't Ivy, he didn't need me for anything. He wasn't Jenks with some undefinable sense of built-in loyalty. What could possibly bring him back?
Or maybe it was just something one said, at the end. Maybe this was a nicety I was unfamiliar with. Usually, by the time I got to this point with a guy, they were glad to be rid of me. Maybe Peter was just being polite.
In which case, I kind of wished I could take back my question.
Taking another long drink of his beer, Peter absently wiped the droplets of condensation off with a finger, and smiled faintly. Probably the first one he'd managed since the demon; strange, that it felt a little unfamiliar.
"Because I do love you," he answered honestly. "Obviously not in the way you want me to, right now. Because you're... you. Because I care about you and I want to know you're happy, and I want to do my best to make sure I can be a part of that." Even if he wasn't the one that was responsible for it. "Because your company is something that brightens my day, and I don't know if I want to go without that. So I'll visit."
He'd do it invisible if he had to. It wasn't out of obligation or any selfish need to be around someone who made him smile, it was just... Rachel. And he didn't know if there was any better way to put that in words.
"Oh." I looked down, brow furrowed in thought. "Well, now I kind of feel like a bitch." Giving him a faint smile, I finally picked up my beer and twisted open the top, taking a drink and grimacing at the taste. "God, that's gross."
For a little while I just sat there, silent. Then I stood, reaching down and taking his hand to tug him gently up with me. "Come on." We walked the short distance down to the edge of the water. "I've never gone swimming in an ocean before."
Chucking off my shorts, I let go of his hand to splash into the water, dunking my head under once I'd gotten out far enough. Coming up with my hair hanging in tangled strands, a grin on my face, I called, "Come on, Petrelli! Or, what, you can walk on water, too?"
One thing I could do, extraordinarily well, was live in the moment. And that obviously was the best thing to do. I wasn't Ivy with her maps and markers and rulers. Instead of trying to wrap my brain around everything, I was just going to take this moment, with the sun setting like liquid fire across the water and Peter here, with me, and I was going to embrace it with everything I was worth. And if it ended tomorrow, it ended. At least I'd have this.
Going wide eyed for a moment, Peter just stared at the water and Rachel. He was in nice clothes! He hadn't planned for randomly going swimming in the ocean!
But he was definitely following Rachel's line of thinking. Peter genuinely felt that talking could be good, but sometimes just letting that go and having fun was even better.
His mouth twisted in a challenging smirk, and he raised his eyebrows at Rachel. "What, you don't think I can?" He called, tugging on memories of Nathan - oh, this was on. Shrugging off his coat and leaving it on the sand, Peter focused his concentration and walked out, more hovering than flying, his shoes barely making ripples on the water.
He'd have to remember this specific use, it was pretty cool. Beaming a triumphant look at Rachel, he stopped a few feet away from her and kicked some water in her direction. He hadn't had a splash fight in ages.
My eyes widened and I started to laugh. Seriously laugh, like I hadn't in days, weeks even. "You are far too cocky for your own good," I called back, treading water as he came out to me. Oh, but then he splashed me! Letting out a yelp, I ducked under the water and swam towards him.
He wanted to go? It was on and hopping.
Resurfacing under him, I grasped a hold of his leg and gave it a sharp tug, pulling Peter into the water with me. "Good old brute force wins the day!" I crowed, laughing hard, swimming in a slow, backwards crawl away from him. The sight of Peter, drenched in his nice shirt and jeans, shoes still on, was slightly hilarious. Especially since I was prepared in my bathing suit. Grinning wickedly, I slapped the water, sending a splash towards him. This was fun.
Peter would vehemently deny that he let out a manly shriek of epic proportions when he was pulled into the water.
Resurfacing, spluttering slightly and shaking his head to get hair out of his face, Peter mockingly glared at Rachel. The splash she sent towards him wasn't dodged at all, because he was a lot more involved in pondering Rachel; how she looked with a grin on her face under the warm light of the setting sun. He was a bit distracted.
Shaking himself out of those thoughts, Peter set his expression in a challenging look. "So not fair," he teased, making his way forward towards Rachel, apparently innocently. And, at the last minute, moved as quickly as he could in the water to try and tackle her. He'd show her brute force.
"Hey, winners play hard, baby." Slightly involved in my gloating, I didn't notice the danger until it was too late. Suddenly taken down, I shrieked as I was dunked under the water. But my arms and legs wound around Peter, making sure I took him with me.
When we resurfaced I was laughing again. With one hand I pushed my hair out of my face. The other arm was still slung around Peter's neck, our legs kicking in time under the water to keep us afloat.
"That was cheating," I informed him archly, my smile wide and beaming. Without thinking, my fingers moved to comb back Peter's hair. "I didn't know we were tackling."
Blowing excess water out of his face, Peter grabbed onto Rachel's shoulder to try and stay afloat. He'd always sucked at treading water, but at least he wasn't in any danger of drowning.
"You're a winner, huh?" Peter raised an eyebrow in teasing. "Guess that makes me a loser. And losers just play dirty."
He thought for a moment, trying to come up with something to do. Then, a very sheepish smile worked its way across his fight. "I actually can't back up that threat with anything, though. I'll have to accept my loss."
Giggling, I tipped my head back and groaned. "Oh, and a very disappointing misstep from Petrelli." Looking back at him, I shook my head playfully. "Always have something to back up the witty banter. First rule of being a hero. Well, that and the tights, but we'll work you up to that."
For a moment I just looked at him. The sun was flush with the water, now, behind us, turning the ocean a brilliant red. Something changed in my expression, my eyes going softer, with a hint of a deeper feeling I was terrified to admit was there. Trust. Hope. All those things I'd very determinedly put aside.
Fingers brushing his hair aside, hand cupping his face, I leaned my forehead against his. "I'll go back. With you," I whispered, eyes closing. "But I need to stay away for a few days. I need to...just be away for a little bit."
Blinking, my green eyes met his brown. "Stay with me?"
But, on the other hand - this was steering the conversation away from Simone, which was a relief. Not that this was any more fun to talk about, really. Absently, he wondered exactly how Rachel saw him, if she only saw what she wanted to see. Maybe that was why she hadn't considered the radioactive power to be a problem.
The news that she was staying here was even worse. Peter felt a brief rush of panic - why was she staying? Was it because of him? Of course it was because of him, but was what he felt not enough? He didn't want to jump straight into a relationship right now, so Rachel was breaking it off entirely. Then again, who was he to doubt - maybe Rachel felt she had a better life here (although her misery definitely made that not an option). And there was nothing he could do, short of kidnapping her. He'd begged Rachel to stay, once, after the demon. That hadn't worked as long as he would have hoped.
"I'll still visit, if you stay," Peter replied, voice soft. "I'll visit as often as you let me, and even when you won't." God, he wanted to beg her to come back.
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In that one word was every self-doubt and fear I'd ever had. Every guy who'd ever used me and then called me a whore the next day in school, every person who'd taken advantage of me because my dad was gone and I was alone. Every second of confusion I'd ever faced because I didn't understand who I was, didn't quite get how to really connect with other people.
It simply was out of my realm of comprehension as to why someone, once they were free of the burden I knew myself to be, would willingly come back. Why Peter came after me I got - the guilt factor, the fact that I was his friend, I understood that. But to continue to come to me, even after I'd left... Why?
He wasn't Ivy, he didn't need me for anything. He wasn't Jenks with some undefinable sense of built-in loyalty. What could possibly bring him back?
Or maybe it was just something one said, at the end. Maybe this was a nicety I was unfamiliar with. Usually, by the time I got to this point with a guy, they were glad to be rid of me. Maybe Peter was just being polite.
In which case, I kind of wished I could take back my question.
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"Because I do love you," he answered honestly. "Obviously not in the way you want me to, right now. Because you're... you. Because I care about you and I want to know you're happy, and I want to do my best to make sure I can be a part of that." Even if he wasn't the one that was responsible for it. "Because your company is something that brightens my day, and I don't know if I want to go without that. So I'll visit."
He'd do it invisible if he had to. It wasn't out of obligation or any selfish need to be around someone who made him smile, it was just... Rachel. And he didn't know if there was any better way to put that in words.
Reply
For a little while I just sat there, silent. Then I stood, reaching down and taking his hand to tug him gently up with me. "Come on." We walked the short distance down to the edge of the water. "I've never gone swimming in an ocean before."
Chucking off my shorts, I let go of his hand to splash into the water, dunking my head under once I'd gotten out far enough. Coming up with my hair hanging in tangled strands, a grin on my face, I called, "Come on, Petrelli! Or, what, you can walk on water, too?"
One thing I could do, extraordinarily well, was live in the moment. And that obviously was the best thing to do. I wasn't Ivy with her maps and markers and rulers. Instead of trying to wrap my brain around everything, I was just going to take this moment, with the sun setting like liquid fire across the water and Peter here, with me, and I was going to embrace it with everything I was worth. And if it ended tomorrow, it ended. At least I'd have this.
Reply
But he was definitely following Rachel's line of thinking. Peter genuinely felt that talking could be good, but sometimes just letting that go and having fun was even better.
His mouth twisted in a challenging smirk, and he raised his eyebrows at Rachel. "What, you don't think I can?" He called, tugging on memories of Nathan - oh, this was on. Shrugging off his coat and leaving it on the sand, Peter focused his concentration and walked out, more hovering than flying, his shoes barely making ripples on the water.
He'd have to remember this specific use, it was pretty cool. Beaming a triumphant look at Rachel, he stopped a few feet away from her and kicked some water in her direction. He hadn't had a splash fight in ages.
Reply
He wanted to go? It was on and hopping.
Resurfacing under him, I grasped a hold of his leg and gave it a sharp tug, pulling Peter into the water with me. "Good old brute force wins the day!" I crowed, laughing hard, swimming in a slow, backwards crawl away from him. The sight of Peter, drenched in his nice shirt and jeans, shoes still on, was slightly hilarious. Especially since I was prepared in my bathing suit. Grinning wickedly, I slapped the water, sending a splash towards him. This was fun.
Reply
Resurfacing, spluttering slightly and shaking his head to get hair out of his face, Peter mockingly glared at Rachel. The splash she sent towards him wasn't dodged at all, because he was a lot more involved in pondering Rachel; how she looked with a grin on her face under the warm light of the setting sun. He was a bit distracted.
Shaking himself out of those thoughts, Peter set his expression in a challenging look. "So not fair," he teased, making his way forward towards Rachel, apparently innocently. And, at the last minute, moved as quickly as he could in the water to try and tackle her. He'd show her brute force.
Reply
When we resurfaced I was laughing again. With one hand I pushed my hair out of my face. The other arm was still slung around Peter's neck, our legs kicking in time under the water to keep us afloat.
"That was cheating," I informed him archly, my smile wide and beaming. Without thinking, my fingers moved to comb back Peter's hair. "I didn't know we were tackling."
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"You're a winner, huh?" Peter raised an eyebrow in teasing. "Guess that makes me a loser. And losers just play dirty."
He thought for a moment, trying to come up with something to do. Then, a very sheepish smile worked its way across his fight. "I actually can't back up that threat with anything, though. I'll have to accept my loss."
Reply
For a moment I just looked at him. The sun was flush with the water, now, behind us, turning the ocean a brilliant red. Something changed in my expression, my eyes going softer, with a hint of a deeper feeling I was terrified to admit was there. Trust. Hope. All those things I'd very determinedly put aside.
Fingers brushing his hair aside, hand cupping his face, I leaned my forehead against his. "I'll go back. With you," I whispered, eyes closing. "But I need to stay away for a few days. I need to...just be away for a little bit."
Blinking, my green eyes met his brown. "Stay with me?"
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