Closed RP: The Morgan-Petrelli Tent

[likeabadpenny]

Damn, he had gotten dressed up for this? Surprise marriageStill, Peter Petrelli was hardly a man to fight fate - he tended to run face first into it - so he just calmly collected himself and headed down to the tent village. At least, by the looks of the rather large crowd, he wasn't the only person roped into this

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[phobophilia]

Ignoring all things such as being randomly married and almost constantly annoyed with that yellow-eyed cretin, Algaliarept was in a rather good mood indeed. His dear Rachel Mariana Morgan had been using ley-lines last night, making it all too easy to pinpoint her exact location. She really was... dreadfully careless at times.

Especially since she hadn't had the foresight to actually keep anybody from randomly wandering into her tent. Or, appearing, as the case may be. The demon, from his vantage point, could see Rachel dining quite happily with her new husband. Pity. He was about to destroy that in one minute.

"Now, this really is quite pleasantly domestic," Algaliarept announced brightly, walking casually into the living room, trailing a hand along the wall as if he were admiring the tent itself and not there for Rachel at all. "Rachel Mariana Morgan, you have done quite well for yourself

[phobophilia]

Algaliarept threw back his head and laughed loudly, genuinely delighted at this turn of events. Rachel just couldn't control herself, could she?

"I'm afraid that, my little witch, would be a price you're not willing to give. You already have my aura, you have my mark, what else? The only thing left is your soul," the demon smiled slowly.

Peter glanced at Rachel, his eyebrows raised in alarm. He didn't yet fully grasp exactly what a deal with a demon involved, but he knew enough that he didn't want Rachel doing one on his behalf.

Algaliarept paused to chew on another strawberry, looking at them both like they were the best entertainment he'd had in years. "Face it, Rachel Mariana Morgan. You have nothing left to give. If I take your soul, the ends this delicious little fight we have, and no matter how good it would be to drag you into the ever after, I'm not willing to take your soul yet. If you like, you can run to your yellow-eyed friend, he might give you a discount."

[racheltherunner]

Gritting my teeth, I exhaled. Slowly. My eyes darted over to Peter and then back to the demon

[phobophilia]

Algaliarept simply grinned at the offer, wide and menacing. "Didn't I just say that I wouldn't take that deal? You need to learn to listen," he reprimanded lowly, stepping closer to Rachel. "While it is absolutely wonderful that you'd even consider it, I told you. I'm not done playingHe was expecting some form of attack, and when it came, the demon was well prepared. Honestly, why did Peter think is such a great idea to just try and punch him? Hadn't he learned anything from this whole conversation? Algaliarept simply stepped back, smoothly shifted into the form he loved to torment Piscory with, and used Peter's momentum to throw him into the kitchen

[racheltherunner]

"Peter!"

Furious, I stepped forward towards Al, baring my teeth. "Get out of my house, you son of a bitch."

Not waiting for his parting shot, I ran into the kitchen, quickly kneeling beside Peter. "God, are you all right?"

Relief washed over me in a wave so strong my hands actually started to shake. Pressing my forehead to my knee, I breathed out a tiny laugh. He'd refused the deal. Frustration came next, though, prickling at the back of my neck and making me ill. He refused the deal because I could lead him to people.

Bastard.

My head came up, my eyes red but dry. "I'll leave. I'm sorry. I'll leave." My hand half reached out to touch his shoulder, but I let it fall back, fingers curling back to my palm. "But promise me, Peter, please, that you won't make a deal with him. It's not worth it. Whatever he offers you, it is not worth it."

[likeabadpenny]

Glancing over Rachel's shoulder just in time to see the demon chuckle and vanish with a wisp of red smoke, Peter frowned slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I heal pretty quick," he mumbled, irritated at his own lack of success. It had looked so easy to just jump over and punch him, knock him out, maybe. But the demon obviously had more tricks than he anticipated

[racheltherunner]

Of all the things in the world I was anticipating Peter saying at that moment, that certainly wasn't it. For a second I just stared at him, obviously shocked. He didn't want me to leave

[likeabadpenny]

Blaming oneself for most things; something Peter could largely identify with. And even though he did it himself, almost constantly, he could never understand why other people did it.

Shuffling around to sit against the counter, next to Rachel, Peter cracked his neck and looked at her. He knew the feeling of worrying about leading someone dangerous to people around you. God knew he'd probably wind up putting people in danger because of Sylar, if not himself.

"Yeah, well, it has no idea what I can do," he muttered, which might actually be a threatening statement if he hadn't just gotten himself thrown into the kitchen. Twice.

But he still truly had no idea why Rachel was thinking she had to leave. "No, you shouldn't. It's not your fault that some asshole likes to fuck with people." Apparently Peter liked to curse when he was frustrated at himself! "You did what you had to in dealing with him, I get it. It's okay."

[racheltherunner]

It's okay.

No one had ever told me that before. Not even Nick, in the end. No one who knew about the demon marks looked at me with anything better than vague disgust. I was dirty. Marked. Stupid.

For a second I just stared at Peter. Then, turning, I buried my face in his chest and just... Started to cry. Not heaving sobs or anything like that. I really didn't cry. It wasn't my thing. But tears were definitely spilling down my cheeks.

I'd thought I was going to die. In that moment, as I looked at Al, I thought he was going to take my soul and I was going to be tormented in the ever after. I'd been prepared for that, for the fight to escape. At least, as much as one could prepare for something like that. And now, not only was I still here, but Peter was... God, he was being nice. After everything Al had told him, he wasn't recoiling away. I didn't know how to respond to that. Apparently, I hugged and cried

[likeabadpenny]

Seriously, what was happening? Peter was just saying the same sorts of reassuring things he'd say to everyone, but Rachel was acting like those same words were the best words she'd ever heard in her life.

But, despite his confusion, he started stroking Rachel's hair as she cried, hoping that it helped. Yes, the demon had said some disgustingly cruel things, and yes, he might not have shown up if Rachel wasn't there. But Peter still didn't mind.

"Well, that's your choice to not care about me, if you think it'd be better," he smiled wanly, brushing the back of his hand over Rachel's cheek to wipe the tear tracks away. "But Rachel, I want you to make a choice that will most benefit you, not me. Just take my safety out of the equation. I can't die, so it's not even worth worrying over

[racheltherunner]

"Yeah, right," I snorted, shaking my head. "Look, Petrelli, I..."

Swallowing hard - damn it, I hated stuff like this. I wasn't good at it, it scared me, take your pick of cliche reasons, but they all were true. I just wasn't equipped for emotional closeness. But after what Peter had just witnessed, after what I'd opened him up to, he deserved something.

"I can't take your safety out of things. Because..." Oh, freaking hell. "Because I do care about you. It's stupid and it'll probably get you hurt - it'll definitely end badly - but whatever. It's true. So I can't look at this in any other way but... Al, he

[likeabadpenny]

Peter briefly considered if it would be a stupid idea to try and find Nick, in order to give him a stern talking to. Not to beat him up, because Peter didn't really work like that, but at least to let him know exactly how much he'd hurt Rachel. ...Yeah, it probably wouldn't work. But the thought was there.

The kiss surprised him, but Peter didn't jerk away - he let Rachel do what she needed to. If she needed comfort, and this was how she needed to take it, then he'd let her take whatever she wanted. He wasn't going to let it go further; that would feel too much like taking advantage.

He watched her walk over to the table, and reached up to grab the edge of the counter, hauling himself upwards. "Yeah, I want you to stay," he repeated quietly. If Rachel stayed, then he could protect her.

"Besides, if you hang around long enough, eventually you'll meet the guy that's trying to kill me," Peter continued ruefully. God, he hoped Sylar and Rachel were never in the same room together. Well, he hoped Sylar was never in the same room as

[racheltherunner]

If I'd known the reasons he let me kiss him, I'd have left right then. Right after shouting at him that he was damn lucky to be kissed by me and I hoped his balls fell off with rot. Lucky for Peter, I was not possessed with the power of reading minds.

Then again, if I'd known that, maybe my stupid hopes wouldn't have gotten raised. He should know better, really. Especially with what I'd told him. I had been hurt. Deeply. If a guy was going to treat me the way Peter did, I was, despite my best efforts, going to start getting involved. Better to know, straight off, that I wasn't wanted than to let me build up these ideas in my head. Like what had happened with Dean. I'd just been a warm body, but I had been too stupid to realize it. Until it was too late.

"What?" I asked, looking over at him as I stacked up plates. "Since when do nurses get death threats?"

[likeabadpenny]

Slumping against the counter as if it were holding him up, Peter considered his options as he watched Rachel stacking dishes. He could be straight with her, and tell her all about Sylar. He could warn her about what Sylar did, and tell her to run if she ever saw him. But honestly, Sylar seemed to going after the people that had flashier powers nowadays - Susan, for instance - and Rachel would probably just be left alone.

If he didn't tell her, she wouldn't worry. Rachel didn't need to know that every single fight with Sylar had ended in his own death. She didn't need to know what he did. Not if she wasn't a prime target.

"Right about the time I started throwing myself off buildings," Peter replied dryly, pushing himself off the counter and heading towards the bathroom. He needed a shower. And an excuse to evade this topic.

[racheltherunner]

Hell no.

My fingers reached out to grasp his shoulder, my eyes going hard. I'd opened up to him. Like I didn't do with fucking anyone. He was going to be straight with me.

"Why are you afraid of steel poles?"

Oh, no, I wasn't going to back down. Relentless, I stared him in the face, eyes searching for answers. "How did you almost kill your brother? What does .07% mean?"

I needed to know. If I had just trusted Peter with huge parts of myself I needed to know.

[likeabadpenny]

Though he didn't make a move to pull away when Rachel grabbed him, Peter didn't look at her in favor of looking at the floor, a frown tugging at his lips.

God, she went right for the hard questions, didn't she? She might not know that they were hard questions, but was asking them anyway. What had happened to when they agreed about the 'hand signals'? Peter had never pushed her, she'd volunteered everything on her own. And if she was felt she was obligated to get answers from him, she was probably going to be disappointed.

"It doesn't matter," he mumbled, taking Rachel's hand off his shoulder and changing direction, this time heading for the entrance of the tent. Screw showering, he was going to take a walk. Possibly go for a fly.