Saturday evening clinic post

[saves_the_world]

When the island had transformed overnight into something out of an Indiana Jones movie, all exotic and full of temples, Peter got the feeling things were going to get interesting. If he had only known just how, he might not have gotten so excited. Sure, there were temples to explore and new plants and animals to look at, but he scarcely had the

Comments

[visibleclaude]

Claude marched into the clinic without pretense and announced, "Peter, something has got to be done about that damned dog."

[saves_the_world]

Dropping the file folder he'd been flipping through, Peter summons up as much patience as possible before looking over at Claude. "Since you don't have the dog with you, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you aren't talking about a medical emergency."

[visibleclaude]

Claude snorted. "I might not pay that much attention, friend, but I do know that you're not a vet. Though I'm pretty sure that what the thing needs is an exorcist."

[saves_the_world]

"Careful. You keep all that whining up, people are gonna start thinking you're a drama queen," Peter points out, chuckling slightly. Hopping up on the counter, Peter swings his feet, his heels hitting the cupboards lightly. "So has Mr. Muggles' head started spinning around or did he just pee in your shoe and you're grumpy?"

[visibleclaude]

"The little hellspawn hates me. Trust me, urinating in my shoes is just the beginning." Claude was getting more irritable by the second, finally having someone to vent to. "And it's not like I ever agreed to adopt the damned thing. I shagged the man, I didn't marry him, I don't see why I automatically get custody of his wife's sodding dog!"

... it didn't occur to him what he'd just said until after he'd said it, and just set his mouth in a thin line, hoping that somehow Peter hadn't been paying attention.

[saves_the_world]

Peter was only half-following along, having reached for another stack of paperwork. He'd begun to sort it out, eyes flickering up to Claude every few seconds, when something Claude said had captured his complete attention.

Looking over at Claude, Peter blinked. "By shagged do you mean danced?" he asks weakly, Claude's admission having completely upended him for one reason or another.

[visibleclaude]

Claude started to deny... something, but instead found himself blinking and saying, "There's a dance called shagging? Christ, you Americans are so vulgar."

[saves_the_world]

"It's called 'The Shag'," Peter says absently, his eyes growing rounder and rounder as he stares back at Claude. A beat.

"You slept with Bennet?" he says incredulously. Somehow, that explained so much, and yet so little at the same time.

[visibleclaude]

Claude opened his mouth, then closed it again. There was no use in denying it, he'd already opened his big mouth.

It was all that damned dog's fault.

"Yes," he said tersely. "I did tell you that we came to an understanding, shortly before he disappeared."

[saves_the_world]

That remark earns a snort from Peter. Shoving the paperwork to the side, Peter runs a hand through his hair as he regards Claude. "Coming to an understanding and sleeping with somebody aren't exactly the same thing," he points out. He wants to add that Bennet is married and that it had definitely been wrong for them to sleep together, but somehow Peter can't bring himself to do it. Nathan had been here for a long time, too, and Heidi had never showed up. If Nathan was still here and found himself attracted to somebody else, Peter doesn't think he would have had it in him to meddle in his brother's affairs.

[visibleclaude]

"Well did you want me to make a blood public announcement?" Claude hissed. "Besides, what does it matter now? He's gone. And his timing was impeccable. I think I'd rather he just shot me again."

He pause and added, "Yes, Peter, I do have a beating heart beneath this cold exterior. Go ahead, have a good laugh."

[saves_the_world]

The question earns Claude a raised brow and the slight shake of Peter's head. "It matters because you're obviously hung up on it." Peter's tone isn't smug, just matter-of-fact.

"I'm not going to laugh at you, Claude." Frowning, Peter drums his fingers on the counter top as he processes everything. "I just...I'm surprised, that's all."

[visibleclaude]

"Trust me," Claude muttered, "no one was more surprised than me. I worked with the man for eight years and never thought he was anything but straight."

Then he scowled and added, "And I am not hung up on anything."

[saves_the_world]

Peter hadn't really ever thought of Claude as anything but straight, but this whole exchange proves you can't make assumptions about people -- not that Peter had ever thought of himself as the kind of guy who formed preconceived notions about people.

"Yeah," Peter insists, "you are. But that's all right." He can't help but to smirk a little. This is Claude, after all. "Just goes to show you're human like the rest of us."

[visibleclaude]

"What it proves," Claude said, "is that I was right. Letting anyone close is never a good idea. Nothing but distractions and it all ends in tears. Or whatever."

[saves_the_world]

Holding up a hand, Peter narrows his eyes. "Hang on. Before you get all cynical on me, you have to back up. Did something happen after all that? Or are you just pissed because Bennet disappeared?" Either scenario is entirely likely, but Peter needs to know which of those things happened before he can get on Claude's case about his viewpoint on getting close to people.