- Posting Speed
- Multiple posts per day
- Online Availability
- 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Writing Levels
- Prestige
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Primarily Prefer Female
- Genres
- Political intrigue, fantasy, futuristic, sci fi lite, superheroes, historical fiction, alternate universes. Smittings of romance, but only as side plot.
Is This Thing On?
A collab with @KatSea
Peter tapped his computer screen impatiently. He had managed to handle this program once or twice, but setting two calls up at once was a different story. His eyes narrowed as he let his fingers drop to the keyboard, typing away furiously as he worked to begin a call. "Georgie! I'm almost connected with pops and Levi, come come I'm excited for you to meet them a little...er, more formally." Peter swallowed his hesitation as he leaned back into his swivel chair, arms behind his head. He nodded that that call had gone through and all he needed to do was wait for them to pick up.
Georgie wasn't far, but her nerves made her feel like she was halfway to the moon. It wasn't like her to have so much anxiety over something that shouldn't have been so big… but this… this was Peter's family. This was his blood. And all she wanted, desperately, was to impress them.
Scooting over from the couch, she bit her lip and fidgeting, she stood beside him, "...W...where do I stand? What do I… should I say anything? Oh… gosh! Are they on, already? Pete, help!"
"Hold on." Peter reassured her, picking up the laptop and deciding to move them both over to the couch. "It'll be easier this way, promise." Peter could sense the nerves emanating from Georgie, and as his habit called for, he reached for her hand and squeezed it. "You've got-"
"Pete?" He heard a voice call from the laptop, his brothers form soon appearing on the screen. The man had been in a swivel chair very similar to Peters, a little girl in bright blue pigtails nestled against him, nearly asleep. "You there?" He called with a small flick of his wrist, one arm wrapped around his child to make sure she didn't fall off his lap.
"Hey! Lev!" Peter greeted in a soft voice, making sure not to wake up his niece. "How's it hanging?"
"Good, just took Lizzie for a really long walk around the trails. She seems to be quite the rascal. Likes playing in the dirt. I had to compromise and make fairy houses with her, which she absolutely loved. I'm going to be making some little fairy trinkets for her for the houses. Gotta teach them at an early age, after all. How are you and the lady?" Levi made a motion with two fingers towards Georgie on the other side of the screen.
"Levi? Peter? Goodness, hold on." Another, gruff voice hopped onto the chat. Peter could only see his father's slouched form as he attempted to fix wires beneath his home computer. "You know...we did make this a lot harder than it had to be."
"Ah relax pops. You should be able to figure it out. You see that big bold button? That's the on switch." Levi commented with a smirk, bouncing his daughter on his knee.
"I raised a smart a…" Ibrahim caught himself as he recalled a six year old and a friend of his son was also on the phone. He cleared his throat. "Pardon."
"You know soap usually takes care of a sharp tongue." Levi commented with a chuckle.
With a small squeak, as the screens came to life, Georgie curled into Peter's arm, peeking out from behind his shoulder. They seemed charming and adorable and sweet, and goodness, that little girl was more precious than kittens in a box of glitter… but she couldn't help but fear…
"...What do I say?" She whispered.
"Hmm? Oh, just say hello." Peter whispered in reply and gave his friend a little nudge. His brother must have noticed her nerves, and with a pleasant smile, saluted her.
"Well hello there miss, Georgie right? Petey here sure talks a lot about you…"
"Ah, this is Georgina, a pleasure." Ibrahim claimed as his head peeked up from beneath the desk. His dark hair was scraggly, but he had managed to keep his visage well shaven. He seemed rather awake, compared to most days.
"H-hi…" a soft voice greeted, sleepy and nearly inaudible. Lizzie's head popped up from her father's chest, and with a little wave, she greeted her grandfather, uncle and uncles friend. She soon plopped back onto her father and promptly began to snore.
"It's a Christmas miracle." Levi grinned, adjusting his grip on her.
Blushing, Georgie peered out a little further from behind Pete, as his brother and father greeted her, followed byt he adorable glitter kitten. Her heart warming, she smiled brightly, "...H...hello. I've heard so much about all of you, too… It's really nice to meet you, um… sort of."
"Good stuff I hope." Ibrahim asked with a chuckle, eyes fluttering back as he relaxed into his chair. "These two boys are notorious for being rather...exaggerating."
"Okay, maybe I only told my wife once or twice that you wanted to name me Leviticus Jebediah." Levi claimed with a thin smirk, his eyes flickering back and forth around the room. "But yeah, Pete, shouldn't tell such a sweet lookin lady that we are crazy folk."
"I only ever mentioned that you humiliated me three times, Levi." Peter muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"Okay, you have to admit, switching the covers of your hardcover books for that of...er, less appropriate topics was rather funny."
"My God, son. I pray, so heavily for you." Ibrahim claimed with a thin smirk, rubbing his brow and shaking his head. "You are a father now."
"Oh don't tell me you didn't do ridiculous things after I was born." Levi claimed with a broad pout.
"That's the thing, son. I don't admit it."
They were… decidedly, wonderful. That was all she could think in the moment, as she watched their interactions and her smile grew. Sliding further from hiding, she laced her fingers through Peter's and shaking her head, looked between the two men on the screen, half in awe, "All good, I promise. I'm not sure there's anything in the world Pete loves more than his family."
"Books."
"Science fiction."
"Chocolate."
"Jeopardy."
"Hugh Jackman."
"Marvel comics."
The two men listed things one after the other, both keeping track on their fingers. Peter rolled his eyes as their protest towards her last statement.
"She's right you know." Peter claimed with a light chuckle. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"We know we know." Levi claimed with a wave of his hands. "Although, I am curious, how did you two become roommates anyhow? Peter sort of mentioned needing some help around the apartment."
"Ah, you ask questions too much." Ibrahim interjected. "I say we get to know the miss before we ask too many questions. So. Georgina, how have you been doing at the apartment? I assume you and Peter are well adapted?"
"N...No, it's okay. I… I sort of thought you might ask." She murmured with a small, sheepish smile, "Pete… He sort of saved me. I… I have a…" What did Pete call it? "A medical condition, and I was having trouble finding my medicine, and Pete… he found it for me. I… I didn't have a place to stay, so, he let me stay with him, and…" Tucking back her hair, she looked at Pete with a smile, "...It sort of just stuck. It's… we've adapted pretty good. He's keeping me on schedule and taught me to write and everything."
"Oh, a medical condition?" Ibrahim frowned. "I am sorry my dear for such a thing. Peter what…"
"She's actually very similar to my condition which is why we've gotten along so well." Peter hopped in, swallowing and giving Georgie's hand a light squeeze. "She's been sort of having a difficult time with jobs and such, you know, the young adult sort of living situation and we decided it would be financially wise to stay in the apartment together."
"You speaking 200 miles an hour." Levi claimed with a raised eyebrow. "You good?"
"Fine." Peter claimed as he swallowed again.
A brow quirked, as Georgie looked to Peter, and shaking her head, she laughed softly, "...Peter just thought it'd be better I didn't end up in another shelter, is all. He's been… he's been so nice. I dunno what I'd do, honestly, without him. Probably end up back in the--"
Peters hand shot up, but he decided it would be better not to full on silence her. "Back in the shelter. Yeah. I wasn't exactly keen on letting that happen. You wouldn't believe how many young people have to find a place to sleep at night in this world…"
"You...you alright son?" Ibrahim questioned with a tilt of his head. "You seem peaked."
"I'm fine."
"Shelter? No… Silly Pete. I meant back in the…" But it clicked then, in the way it usually didn't, that he'd interrupted for a reason, and biting her lip, she looked to the screen again, then back to Pete, "...Oh."
"Oh, back in the lobby, she means. She used to have to find places to sleep and the buildings lobby had been one for a little while." Peter managed to pull off, much to Levi's disbelief.
"Hmm. You sure about that buddy?"
"Yes." Peter claimed with a raised eyebrow. "How are you and the wife?" He asked, hoping to swerve the conversation.
"Cranky." Levi claimed with a smirk. "But lovable. We are both alright. So, Georgie, is Peter a good roommate?"
"Oh, he is…" She said, with a sincere nod, and she gave his hand a squeeze, "He makes me post-its, so I remember to take my medicine, and he makes French toast with chocolate chips, and if I get the jitters, he stays with me and he makes sure I'm safe. He's also a really good dancer."
"She's got a tendency for panic attacks as well." Peter claimed with a nod. "We both make sure we have our medication on time…" he could have sworn he noticed a frown on his father's face but it vanished before he could confirm.
"Oh, is he now?" Levi claimed with a smirk. "He better be, I made sure he knew how. Oh, french toast too? Fancy smancy. You know how to treat a girl right, Pete."
"Shut it." Peter grumbled teasingly.
"That he does. He's very kind, and a perfect gentleman. He was very sure I knew he didn't want to have… romantic actions… when we decided to start sharing the bed. We both just… we sleep better, together."
Levi visibly choked and had to beat on his chest without waking up his child. Catching his breath, he looked up wild eyed to his brother. Their father, on the meantime, was simply placing his hand over his chest and trying his best not to say anything.
"Peter are you sharing a bed with your roommate?"
"Uh…" Peter struggled to answer this one, his cheeks aflame. "Sometimes we just sit on the bed until it's really late. It's nothing huge."
"It's a very big bed…" Georgie added, and for some reason, she wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to.
"That it is." Peter confirmed in a near squeak. He could tell it was taking all of Levi's brain power not to tease him about the given information.
"So...speaking of peter...any developments on love life or…"
"Oh shush." Peter rolled his eyes, noticing somewhat of an amused expression on his father.
"Pete? He loves life very much." Georgie answered, with a broad smile.
"I am glad to hear." Ibrahim replied with a smile. His attention drew on to his older son and with a small sigh he claimed. "I think he was referring to the mention of a girlfriend."
"Don't rub it in." Peter grumbled, raking his hand through his hair. "Nothing new to report, really."
"A… sorry… a girlfriend?" She could understand those two words separate. Girl. Friend. She understood them both. But together, they seemed to take on a meaning that was just, it felt different, and she knew it was something… that it meant something, but… what?
"Romantic partner." Levi clarified, confused about the woman's seeming lack of knowledge about the matter. He shrugged, figuring it was nothing. Peter blushed and realized that there may be some explaining that needed to be done if he wasn't careful.
"Er…"
"Oh…" Blinking, Georgie looked to Peter and could see the color in his cheeks. Sinking back into the couch, she bit the inside of her cheek, "Oh, no. Pete… he… It's not like that."
"Ah. I see." Levi nodded, smirking at his brother. "No one else then ~"
"Nope." Peter shook his head. "No developments there I'm afraid."
"Ah, no matter." Levi shrugged. "Otherwise everything good? I know it hasn't been a great time on trying to schedule actual visits. Life's been weird."
"On our end here too." Ibrahim admitted, frowning. "Although most days it's just me and a few neighbors playing card games and making sure the heater doesn't die on us."
"...No one else?" Blinking again, Georgie sat up a bit straighter. They'd moved on, but her brain caught on those words, and uneasiness filtered in, "...Hm."
"Hmm? Georgie dear you alright?" Levi asked, genuine concern seeming to flood him. Peter blushed. He screwed up. He knew he did.
"...I…" Nodding, Georgie gave a small, strained smile, "Oh, no… I… I'm fine. Just… getting… getting a little sleepy."
"Sleepy…" a gentle mumble came from the little girl nestled into Levi. Levi chuckled and patted the young girls back, shuffling briefly to grab a cover from the closet. He draped it over the both of them rather cautiously, making sure her head was still peeking out.
"Do you need some time to rest?" Levi questioned, head tilted. "Pete you didn't spend too much time talking last night did you…"
"No, no. It wasn't Pete…" She answered softly, "He is very good to me."
"Good to hear." Levi smiled at the young woman and made some movements on the keyboard. "Ah hold on small glitch…" Levi's head ducked out of the way briefly and there were small attempts to hide swears through normal speech.
"And he says I'm the old man." Ibrahim claimed with a disappointed shake of his head.
Sitting back, chewing absently on her thumbnail, Georgie studied Pete, the pink in his cheeks. This time, she was pretty sure she knew what it was from, "Said something wrong, didn't I?" She whispered.
"No no. My family just knows how to make me flustered. That's all." He reassured, squeezing her hand. "You are doing fine."
"Ah fudge biscuit." He heard Levi angrily curse as he fumbled over himself with a light thump. Lizzie luckily was able to remain in a stable position against his torso, her father flinging himself back up with wild hair. He snickered. "I miss the days when I could curse freely, you know?"
"Ah, that was the nice thing about you two boys. Words went from one ear to the other." Ibrahim touched one ear and then drew a line to the other.
Her attention was drawn back to the screen at Levi's tumble and sitting up, she frowned, "Goodness… are you alright??"
"I'm good and functional." Levi promised with a thumbs up, surprised his daughter remained snoring against him. "Just like her old man."
"Functional is a relative term." Peter claimed with a smirk. "Good might also be interpretive."
"Shush." Levi grumbled, working on fixing his hair. "You get the jist."
"Oh… good." This was easily the least confrontation she'd come across with this many people in one place, yet the anxiety continued to crawl awkwardly inside her, hands twitching in her lap, "She's very sweet. Your little girl."
"Lizzie?" Levi's demeanor brightened instantly. "She's a little sweetheart when she wants to be. Mostly when she's tired out. She can be a little demon, too. But that's how most kids are, from what I've learned."
"She's an angel compared to what I had to handle." Ibrahim claimed with a smirk. "Although, I have to admit, Levi wasn't a horrible child. Teenager, yes. Peter was the opposite. Might have been some foreshadowing there…"
"Oh, I wasn't horrible, per say…" Levi tried to defend, only to have heat travel to his cheeks. "Er, maybe a little bit."
"I… I don't know what I was like…" Georgie offered, biting her lip, "M...maybe I was horrible… Huh." Looking to Ibrahim's screen, she forced a smile, "What did Pete do? As a child?"
"Hmm?" Ibrahim questioned her, although he allowed the initial statement to slide off his shoulders. "Mostly he wouldn't sleep. He wanted to stay awake to read for the most part. That or he was bouncing off the walls. He wasn't a bad kid, he just had too much energy for all of us."
"That and he was a lot more devious. He tended to rearrange my room, even as a child. Put things where they didn't belong." Levi chuckled. "He once moved everything too slightly to the left for me to get my bearings."
"He doesn't sleep very well now, either…" Georgie noted, but amusement returned to her gaze at Levi's addition, and she shook her head, "That's terrible!"
"I also stole his jackets from time to time and let him have my smaller ones. Or shoes. Sometimes I'd make sure you'd only have left pairs of shoes." Peter claimed with a lift smirk.
"Eh, don't worry about it. I got revenge most of the time." Levi vowed, proud. "Er, mostly switching his books."
"Your poor father…" Georgie cooed, shaking her head, "He must've been a very patient man…"
"Yes." Ibrahim confirmed with a big grin. "I think I did a decent job though. Neither of them got any prison time on their records."
"Not yet."
Blushing furiously, Georgie lowered her gaze, "That's good. Prison is terrible…"
"I would assume so." Ibrahim shrugged, seeming to take nothing of her response. Peter tried his best not to pale and patted her shoulder.
"That's why we are good citizens." Levi scoffed at his brothers words.
"I'm a good citizen because I'm scared of my wife."
"Amen, son."
"You better be!" A disembodied voice called from somewhere in Levi's house, "Hi dad! Hi Pete!"
Squirming a little, Georgie continued to stare at her hands.
"Hey Daisy!" Peter greeted, grinning as the color visibly drained from Levi's face. He swallowed and chuckled.
"Hello, Dais." Ibrahim greeted with a small smile, shaking his head. "Honest son, sometimes I do prefer her over you."
"We all do." Levi mumbled with a soft chuckle, patting his child's head. "You okay Georgie?"
As a portion of Levi's wife appeared on screen, swollen stomach blocking most of the view, she bent down to kiss Levi, before scooping the little girl into her arms, "I'll lay her down." Glancing at the screen, she paused and her smile warmed, "Wouldja lookit that. Pete, she's gorgeous. You take care of that girl, now." Pointing a warning finger, she turned away, "Come to bed soon, Jukebox. Night everyone."
Blinking, cheeks flushed, Georgie looked to Pete, then back to the screen, "She is very nice, Levi…" She said, his question brushed aside.
"You shouldn't be lifting too much weight, love." He claimed with a hand pressed to his wife's stomach. "Our little guy seems to be doing well, though. He's gonna get in the way of cuddling." Levi teased with a smirk, before turning and noticing bright red on peters cheeks.
"I-I do. Promise."
"Do I have to go to bed?" Levi questioned, resting his head on her side. "Yes she is."
"Soon, my love." Leaning down, Daisy kissed his cheek, whispering something in his ear before she straightened, "Now lemme get this poor kid to bed. All hands, these Gunner boys! Never get your work done…" With a laugh, she started off, disappearing entirely from the frame.
"L..ittle guy? That… That was a girl? Wasn't it?" Georgie asked in confusion.
"You love it!" Levi called after with a light chuckle, pulling his legs up onto his chair. He rested his head on his knees.
"She's pregnant." Peter confirmed for her with a pleasant smile.
"Almost eight months now. Sweet baby is gonna come soon now." Levi rested his forehead in his hands. "Think it's gonna be a little boy."
"Have a name yet?" Ibrahim asked.
"It's a surprise."
"Pregnant?" Georgie looked to Pete with a small frown, brow raised, "I'm not sure I understand…"
"With child." Peter explained simply, his brothers head tilting in confusion. "They are about to have a son."
"We think it's going to be a boy. Can't be sure. Lizzie's hoping for a brother." Levi shrugged.
"Oh!" Nodding, Georgie smiled faintly, "I am very happy for you both. I'm sure he will be lovely, whenever you get him!"
"Thank you." Levi commented with a bright smile. "If he's anything like Lizzie, we aren't going to get sleep in a long time. Speaking of...I think I should head in for tonight."
"It was really nice to finally meet you, Levi. All of you…"
"Wonderful to meet you too, Georgie. Take good care of my brother." With a wave, Levi turned the screen off. Ibrahim smiled at his remaining son.
"Get a good nights sleep Peter. You too, Georgina."
"We will certainly try!" Georgie answers with an honest smile.
"Peace." Ibrahim granted onto his son before struggling for a good minute for turning off the screen. Peter leaned back in his chair.
"How do you feel?"
"...They… they are very nice." She murmured softly, picking at her fingernail, "I like them." Looking up, she frowned softly, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"You didn't." He promised her, trying out a smile. "That was mostly Levi's end. He likes to tease me because he uh...he knows what I'm feeling most of the time."
"B...but… but you…" Running her fingers through her hair, she shook her head, "It's okay, Pete. If… if you didn't want your family to know about me. All you had to do was tell me."
"That's not true, Georgie. I'm just scared about the circumstances. The powers. The hospital. I just want to keep you safe, you know?"
"O….oh." Cheeks paling, she looked up, "Oh, Pete. I… I'm so sorry. I thought… you… I just… I didn't realize. I'm so stupid." Covering her mouth with her hands, she shook her head, "I'm so so dumb."
"No. Sweetheart you aren't." He slowly took her hands off her face and gave them a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. I should have told you ahead of time of my concerns."
"I just thought… You… you seemed… and…" Her eyes misted over and she blinked, looking down with a shake of her head, "It… it's okay. Some… some things are better as secrets. It can all be secrets, if… if that's better."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled reassuringly down at her. "We can talk about that...I just wanna make sure that your safety is upheld. I...we don't know all the details about the hospital. We just need to be cautious, okay? You did great with them and I apologize for my brother."
"Levi? Wh...why?" Looking up at him, she shook her head, "It's nice that he care about your heart, Pete. That he… he wants you to be happy with… with someone. Like he is. He teases, but in his eyes, you can see he just… that's all he wants."
"I know. But he just likes to watch me squirm, too." Smirking, Peter rested his head against hers. "If...if you want to tell them about us, then that's something I should have taken into consideration."
"...I think I just need to… to understand why you don't…" She answered softly, fingers sliding into his, "It's too hard trying to figure it out on my own, is all."
"I'm...I'm sort of scared. And I'm sorry. What I did was very selfish." He hung his head briefly as one hand went to clamp the back of his neck.
"Scared?" She asked, and she reached out to tip his chin up with her fingers, "...What're you scared of, Pete? You can tell me."
"I don't know. I think...it's hard to describe. I just don't know how to say certain things with my family. I'm not ashamed of us at all I just...don't know how to say it."
"I mean…" biting her lip, she shrugged, "You still don't really know how to say it with me, so… I get that. But Pete… it's okay to just… to just let it be what it is. Your family, I think, understand you better than you know."
"I know. And I'm sorry." He squeezed her hands. "I think I'm afraid they will assume we are um...you know, physical and not at the point that we are."
"Physical, romantically?" She asked, sitting back a little, with a small, quirky smile, "Why does it always come back to this? Is that really so important to people?"
"You'd be surprised. People are obsessed about it. I don't know why. I guess because it can be pleasurable when done with the right person." He shrugged. "I shouldn't be so sheepish about this, sunshine."
"...It's not something small, Pete." She mused softly, giving him a delicate smile, "Not if it means… this much to you. And big things… you can't just make them happen or rush into them. You're my whole world, Petey. And I don't ever want something like fear to make you stop believing that. No matter what anyone else thinks, I'm not gonna stop caring about you, cause you wanna take your time."
"You really are my only sunshine." Peter claimed and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. "I promise I'll be less...hesitant. One day I will scream out how much I care about you. Like...like you did for me. But for right now...I'm sorry. I just want to whisper it to you."
Eyes brightening, she wrinkled her nose and shrugged, "...I don't need everybody to know, Pete. So long as I know. I like whispers… they're nice and they tickle my ear."
"If you are sure." He leaned in close to her, head curling into the crook of her neck. Slowly he said "You are the sunshine of my world, Georgie."
Fingers curving into his, Georgie sighed, and her eyes slid shut as the words rolled over her like a warm blanket, goosebumps prickling along her skin, "...Prettiest thing I ever heard, Pete."
"Says the woman who's brought the prettiest things into my life." Slowly he pulled away from her shoulder, fingers lacing through hers. Without a thought to prevent him from what happened next, he placed a gentle kiss to her lips. He pulled away after a moment, giving her a chance to say no. To pull away.
As he leaned forward, Georgie brought to mind the image of Daisy, kissing Levi and she knew what was coming, even in her sheltered lack of common sense. She breathed in, and for a split second, just a split second, every horrible scenario flashed through her mind. What if she was bad at kissing. What if she messed it up, somehow. Did you have to breathe? Could you suffocate in a kiss? What if she sneezed?? But his lips met hers and there was only silence in her mind… Pure… Blissful silence.
It was brief. Gentle. Tender. And her eyes opened, filling with tears as she reached up to touch his cheek, thumb dancing across the rim of his cheek bone, "...I think… if I never remember anything, ever again, in my whole entire life… As long as I remember this moment, right here, right now… I'll be okay." Breathing out, her smile warmed, "Better than okay."
Peters hands cupped her cheeks, his thumbs gently tracing along her features as he found himself red. It was a pleasant sting as he found himself lost in a trance. "I...I think that...I feel like a part of me just came to life. Something I don't think I've ever felt before." He admitted, his heart pounding in his chest. "S-sunshine?"
Smiling at his words, she leaned her cheek against his hand, eyes closing again, "Hm?"
"Can we always be like this?" He asked, innocent and nearly a murmur.
"...Can't think of any reason why not…" She breathed, her smile widening as her eyes flickered open, "I like it like this, a whole lot…"
"Me too. Me too." Peter looped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close to him. "I...I'm going to be honest. I didn't think I was going to fall like this."
Shifting, Georgie bit her lip and rested her palm on his shoulder, "...I did. The minute I met you, Pete. And you… you helped me pick up all the stuff I dropped in that store, when that mean lady was makin' faces at me. I knew it. Cause you… you're just really special, you know?"
"T-thanks." Peter blush and hid himself in her shirt. "I knew you and I were going to be good friends I just...wasn't anticipating that rush of emotions, you know? Kind of swept me off my feet."
Fingers curling into his hair, she twisted it around her fingers, shaking her head, "...Kismet. It… Sometimes, I think it's a real thing, you know? Like you… you were meant to come into the store at that exact moment…"
"I think it was God's way of interfering. Making both of our lives a little bit better." He snuggled securely into her. "Whatever the reason...I'm glad. I don't think I've ever been so content."
"Content…" She nodded, leaning her forehead to his shoulder, "...That's a… a really nice way to put it. It's kinda perfect, isn't it?"
"Jovial. Ecstatic." He mumbled, resting his head on hers and exhaled. After a moment he asked "You take all your medication today? Should I get you some milk and chocolate?"
"No… no. I'm fine. I'm good. I… I just wanna hold onto this for as long as I can…" She'd never been given much in life that she could hold onto… but she wasn't letting this moment go, easily.
"Okay. Okay. I won't let go." Peter promised, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. "Just be sure to take everything before bed? Then we can snuggle for a good amount of time."
"If… if I take it now, can we just… snuggle after?" She asked, with a small, slightly mischievous grin.
"Mmhm." Peter vowed with a light smirk. "And I'll make sure to whip you up some fancy hot chocolate if you'd like.."
"Wait, wait… Hot. Chocolate? It comes… hot?? Why am I just now learning this??"
"You can put other sweets in it too. Milk. Chocolate chips. Caramel." Peter informed with a mischievous smile, his brow wiggling.
"Oh… Peter Gunner. You… have been holding out on me." Wiggling her fingers into his ribs, she made a face, "You'll pay for that, you will!"
"Uh oh, my full name. I'm screwed." He chuckled as she poked at his ribs. He poked his nose to hers. "What are you gonna do? Deprive me of cuddles?"
"Never…" She looped her arms around his waist and leaning onto her tiptoes, pressed a delicate kiss to his nose, "In fact, I think you may owe me extra cuddles… for this outrageous offense."
"Extra cuddles?" Peter pouted. "There is no way in logical sense that is a punishment. In fact that's a reward more than anything else."
Grinning, she shrugged, "...But at least we both win. Now… go make this magical hot chocolate you spoke of, before I die from excitement!"
"Then I'll deprive you of more delicious items." He chuckled and kissed her head. "Yes, malady."
"I'm gonna go get comfy!" She chimed before bouncing off towards the bedroom.
Peter grinned broadly and stride into the kitchen. He began to prep some hot chocolate for the both of them, decorating it with as much sugary sweets as he could. Whip cream chocolate caramel and of course, some sprinkles he had bought for Lizzie the last time she came up. He strolled back into the bedroom and placed the cups down on the bedroom desk.
Flopping back on the bed, pulling the covers up over her feet, Georgie waited for Peter to return, her mind swimming with warm, fuzzy feelings that almost made her too sleepy to stay away. Eventually, she pushed herself upright and scooting to the head of the bed, waited there instead. When he returned, she grinned and patted the space beside her, enthusiastically.
"Ah; I see you've waited patiently Sunshine." He greeted with a grin and plopped down next to her, lying on the bed with his hands beneath his head. He glanced up at her with a big smile.
Flopping over onto her side, she curved her hands beneath her chin and laying on his chest with a matching smile, "I think… Pete… that this might be my most favorite day, ever."
"It's up there with mine, too." Peter claimed with a smile and placed an arm around her waist. He kissed her temple, lingering for an extra moment or two. He exhaled peacefully.
Letting her eyes fall closed, she lay her cheek down, "...Just… gonna stay right here… forever, mkay?"
"You know we are gonna have to get up sometime." Peter chuckled, lacing his fingers through her hair. "But for now...I'll savor this moment for as long as I can."
"Bah!" She protested, snuggling closer to him, "Nope. Never gettin' up. You're trapped now, and you're just gonna have to live with it."
"So I'm your captive now?" He questioned with a raised brow, leaning his head against the mattress. "I won't fight against it."
"Yes. My captive." She mused, looking up at him through her lashes, "Now I get to keep you… and you can't ever go away or disappear or leave…"
"I would never want to. I'm content with his way of being." He claimed and kissed her forehead. His eyes closed and he squeezed her gently.
A collab with @KatSea
Peter tapped his computer screen impatiently. He had managed to handle this program once or twice, but setting two calls up at once was a different story. His eyes narrowed as he let his fingers drop to the keyboard, typing away furiously as he worked to begin a call. "Georgie! I'm almost connected with pops and Levi, come come I'm excited for you to meet them a little...er, more formally." Peter swallowed his hesitation as he leaned back into his swivel chair, arms behind his head. He nodded that that call had gone through and all he needed to do was wait for them to pick up.
Georgie wasn't far, but her nerves made her feel like she was halfway to the moon. It wasn't like her to have so much anxiety over something that shouldn't have been so big… but this… this was Peter's family. This was his blood. And all she wanted, desperately, was to impress them.
Scooting over from the couch, she bit her lip and fidgeting, she stood beside him, "...W...where do I stand? What do I… should I say anything? Oh… gosh! Are they on, already? Pete, help!"
"Hold on." Peter reassured her, picking up the laptop and deciding to move them both over to the couch. "It'll be easier this way, promise." Peter could sense the nerves emanating from Georgie, and as his habit called for, he reached for her hand and squeezed it. "You've got-"
"Pete?" He heard a voice call from the laptop, his brothers form soon appearing on the screen. The man had been in a swivel chair very similar to Peters, a little girl in bright blue pigtails nestled against him, nearly asleep. "You there?" He called with a small flick of his wrist, one arm wrapped around his child to make sure she didn't fall off his lap.
"Hey! Lev!" Peter greeted in a soft voice, making sure not to wake up his niece. "How's it hanging?"
"Good, just took Lizzie for a really long walk around the trails. She seems to be quite the rascal. Likes playing in the dirt. I had to compromise and make fairy houses with her, which she absolutely loved. I'm going to be making some little fairy trinkets for her for the houses. Gotta teach them at an early age, after all. How are you and the lady?" Levi made a motion with two fingers towards Georgie on the other side of the screen.
"Levi? Peter? Goodness, hold on." Another, gruff voice hopped onto the chat. Peter could only see his father's slouched form as he attempted to fix wires beneath his home computer. "You know...we did make this a lot harder than it had to be."
"Ah relax pops. You should be able to figure it out. You see that big bold button? That's the on switch." Levi commented with a smirk, bouncing his daughter on his knee.
"I raised a smart a…" Ibrahim caught himself as he recalled a six year old and a friend of his son was also on the phone. He cleared his throat. "Pardon."
"You know soap usually takes care of a sharp tongue." Levi commented with a chuckle.
With a small squeak, as the screens came to life, Georgie curled into Peter's arm, peeking out from behind his shoulder. They seemed charming and adorable and sweet, and goodness, that little girl was more precious than kittens in a box of glitter… but she couldn't help but fear…
"...What do I say?" She whispered.
"Hmm? Oh, just say hello." Peter whispered in reply and gave his friend a little nudge. His brother must have noticed her nerves, and with a pleasant smile, saluted her.
"Well hello there miss, Georgie right? Petey here sure talks a lot about you…"
"Ah, this is Georgina, a pleasure." Ibrahim claimed as his head peeked up from beneath the desk. His dark hair was scraggly, but he had managed to keep his visage well shaven. He seemed rather awake, compared to most days.
"H-hi…" a soft voice greeted, sleepy and nearly inaudible. Lizzie's head popped up from her father's chest, and with a little wave, she greeted her grandfather, uncle and uncles friend. She soon plopped back onto her father and promptly began to snore.
"It's a Christmas miracle." Levi grinned, adjusting his grip on her.
Blushing, Georgie peered out a little further from behind Pete, as his brother and father greeted her, followed byt he adorable glitter kitten. Her heart warming, she smiled brightly, "...H...hello. I've heard so much about all of you, too… It's really nice to meet you, um… sort of."
"Good stuff I hope." Ibrahim asked with a chuckle, eyes fluttering back as he relaxed into his chair. "These two boys are notorious for being rather...exaggerating."
"Okay, maybe I only told my wife once or twice that you wanted to name me Leviticus Jebediah." Levi claimed with a thin smirk, his eyes flickering back and forth around the room. "But yeah, Pete, shouldn't tell such a sweet lookin lady that we are crazy folk."
"I only ever mentioned that you humiliated me three times, Levi." Peter muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"Okay, you have to admit, switching the covers of your hardcover books for that of...er, less appropriate topics was rather funny."
"My God, son. I pray, so heavily for you." Ibrahim claimed with a thin smirk, rubbing his brow and shaking his head. "You are a father now."
"Oh don't tell me you didn't do ridiculous things after I was born." Levi claimed with a broad pout.
"That's the thing, son. I don't admit it."
They were… decidedly, wonderful. That was all she could think in the moment, as she watched their interactions and her smile grew. Sliding further from hiding, she laced her fingers through Peter's and shaking her head, looked between the two men on the screen, half in awe, "All good, I promise. I'm not sure there's anything in the world Pete loves more than his family."
"Books."
"Science fiction."
"Chocolate."
"Jeopardy."
"Hugh Jackman."
"Marvel comics."
The two men listed things one after the other, both keeping track on their fingers. Peter rolled his eyes as their protest towards her last statement.
"She's right you know." Peter claimed with a light chuckle. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"We know we know." Levi claimed with a wave of his hands. "Although, I am curious, how did you two become roommates anyhow? Peter sort of mentioned needing some help around the apartment."
"Ah, you ask questions too much." Ibrahim interjected. "I say we get to know the miss before we ask too many questions. So. Georgina, how have you been doing at the apartment? I assume you and Peter are well adapted?"
"N...No, it's okay. I… I sort of thought you might ask." She murmured with a small, sheepish smile, "Pete… He sort of saved me. I… I have a…" What did Pete call it? "A medical condition, and I was having trouble finding my medicine, and Pete… he found it for me. I… I didn't have a place to stay, so, he let me stay with him, and…" Tucking back her hair, she looked at Pete with a smile, "...It sort of just stuck. It's… we've adapted pretty good. He's keeping me on schedule and taught me to write and everything."
"Oh, a medical condition?" Ibrahim frowned. "I am sorry my dear for such a thing. Peter what…"
"She's actually very similar to my condition which is why we've gotten along so well." Peter hopped in, swallowing and giving Georgie's hand a light squeeze. "She's been sort of having a difficult time with jobs and such, you know, the young adult sort of living situation and we decided it would be financially wise to stay in the apartment together."
"You speaking 200 miles an hour." Levi claimed with a raised eyebrow. "You good?"
"Fine." Peter claimed as he swallowed again.
A brow quirked, as Georgie looked to Peter, and shaking her head, she laughed softly, "...Peter just thought it'd be better I didn't end up in another shelter, is all. He's been… he's been so nice. I dunno what I'd do, honestly, without him. Probably end up back in the--"
Peters hand shot up, but he decided it would be better not to full on silence her. "Back in the shelter. Yeah. I wasn't exactly keen on letting that happen. You wouldn't believe how many young people have to find a place to sleep at night in this world…"
"You...you alright son?" Ibrahim questioned with a tilt of his head. "You seem peaked."
"I'm fine."
"Shelter? No… Silly Pete. I meant back in the…" But it clicked then, in the way it usually didn't, that he'd interrupted for a reason, and biting her lip, she looked to the screen again, then back to Pete, "...Oh."
"Oh, back in the lobby, she means. She used to have to find places to sleep and the buildings lobby had been one for a little while." Peter managed to pull off, much to Levi's disbelief.
"Hmm. You sure about that buddy?"
"Yes." Peter claimed with a raised eyebrow. "How are you and the wife?" He asked, hoping to swerve the conversation.
"Cranky." Levi claimed with a smirk. "But lovable. We are both alright. So, Georgie, is Peter a good roommate?"
"Oh, he is…" She said, with a sincere nod, and she gave his hand a squeeze, "He makes me post-its, so I remember to take my medicine, and he makes French toast with chocolate chips, and if I get the jitters, he stays with me and he makes sure I'm safe. He's also a really good dancer."
"She's got a tendency for panic attacks as well." Peter claimed with a nod. "We both make sure we have our medication on time…" he could have sworn he noticed a frown on his father's face but it vanished before he could confirm.
"Oh, is he now?" Levi claimed with a smirk. "He better be, I made sure he knew how. Oh, french toast too? Fancy smancy. You know how to treat a girl right, Pete."
"Shut it." Peter grumbled teasingly.
"That he does. He's very kind, and a perfect gentleman. He was very sure I knew he didn't want to have… romantic actions… when we decided to start sharing the bed. We both just… we sleep better, together."
Levi visibly choked and had to beat on his chest without waking up his child. Catching his breath, he looked up wild eyed to his brother. Their father, on the meantime, was simply placing his hand over his chest and trying his best not to say anything.
"Peter are you sharing a bed with your roommate?"
"Uh…" Peter struggled to answer this one, his cheeks aflame. "Sometimes we just sit on the bed until it's really late. It's nothing huge."
"It's a very big bed…" Georgie added, and for some reason, she wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to.
"That it is." Peter confirmed in a near squeak. He could tell it was taking all of Levi's brain power not to tease him about the given information.
"So...speaking of peter...any developments on love life or…"
"Oh shush." Peter rolled his eyes, noticing somewhat of an amused expression on his father.
"Pete? He loves life very much." Georgie answered, with a broad smile.
"I am glad to hear." Ibrahim replied with a smile. His attention drew on to his older son and with a small sigh he claimed. "I think he was referring to the mention of a girlfriend."
"Don't rub it in." Peter grumbled, raking his hand through his hair. "Nothing new to report, really."
"A… sorry… a girlfriend?" She could understand those two words separate. Girl. Friend. She understood them both. But together, they seemed to take on a meaning that was just, it felt different, and she knew it was something… that it meant something, but… what?
"Romantic partner." Levi clarified, confused about the woman's seeming lack of knowledge about the matter. He shrugged, figuring it was nothing. Peter blushed and realized that there may be some explaining that needed to be done if he wasn't careful.
"Er…"
"Oh…" Blinking, Georgie looked to Peter and could see the color in his cheeks. Sinking back into the couch, she bit the inside of her cheek, "Oh, no. Pete… he… It's not like that."
"Ah. I see." Levi nodded, smirking at his brother. "No one else then ~"
"Nope." Peter shook his head. "No developments there I'm afraid."
"Ah, no matter." Levi shrugged. "Otherwise everything good? I know it hasn't been a great time on trying to schedule actual visits. Life's been weird."
"On our end here too." Ibrahim admitted, frowning. "Although most days it's just me and a few neighbors playing card games and making sure the heater doesn't die on us."
"...No one else?" Blinking again, Georgie sat up a bit straighter. They'd moved on, but her brain caught on those words, and uneasiness filtered in, "...Hm."
"Hmm? Georgie dear you alright?" Levi asked, genuine concern seeming to flood him. Peter blushed. He screwed up. He knew he did.
"...I…" Nodding, Georgie gave a small, strained smile, "Oh, no… I… I'm fine. Just… getting… getting a little sleepy."
"Sleepy…" a gentle mumble came from the little girl nestled into Levi. Levi chuckled and patted the young girls back, shuffling briefly to grab a cover from the closet. He draped it over the both of them rather cautiously, making sure her head was still peeking out.
"Do you need some time to rest?" Levi questioned, head tilted. "Pete you didn't spend too much time talking last night did you…"
"No, no. It wasn't Pete…" She answered softly, "He is very good to me."
"Good to hear." Levi smiled at the young woman and made some movements on the keyboard. "Ah hold on small glitch…" Levi's head ducked out of the way briefly and there were small attempts to hide swears through normal speech.
"And he says I'm the old man." Ibrahim claimed with a disappointed shake of his head.
Sitting back, chewing absently on her thumbnail, Georgie studied Pete, the pink in his cheeks. This time, she was pretty sure she knew what it was from, "Said something wrong, didn't I?" She whispered.
"No no. My family just knows how to make me flustered. That's all." He reassured, squeezing her hand. "You are doing fine."
"Ah fudge biscuit." He heard Levi angrily curse as he fumbled over himself with a light thump. Lizzie luckily was able to remain in a stable position against his torso, her father flinging himself back up with wild hair. He snickered. "I miss the days when I could curse freely, you know?"
"Ah, that was the nice thing about you two boys. Words went from one ear to the other." Ibrahim touched one ear and then drew a line to the other.
Her attention was drawn back to the screen at Levi's tumble and sitting up, she frowned, "Goodness… are you alright??"
"I'm good and functional." Levi promised with a thumbs up, surprised his daughter remained snoring against him. "Just like her old man."
"Functional is a relative term." Peter claimed with a smirk. "Good might also be interpretive."
"Shush." Levi grumbled, working on fixing his hair. "You get the jist."
"Oh… good." This was easily the least confrontation she'd come across with this many people in one place, yet the anxiety continued to crawl awkwardly inside her, hands twitching in her lap, "She's very sweet. Your little girl."
"Lizzie?" Levi's demeanor brightened instantly. "She's a little sweetheart when she wants to be. Mostly when she's tired out. She can be a little demon, too. But that's how most kids are, from what I've learned."
"She's an angel compared to what I had to handle." Ibrahim claimed with a smirk. "Although, I have to admit, Levi wasn't a horrible child. Teenager, yes. Peter was the opposite. Might have been some foreshadowing there…"
"Oh, I wasn't horrible, per say…" Levi tried to defend, only to have heat travel to his cheeks. "Er, maybe a little bit."
"I… I don't know what I was like…" Georgie offered, biting her lip, "M...maybe I was horrible… Huh." Looking to Ibrahim's screen, she forced a smile, "What did Pete do? As a child?"
"Hmm?" Ibrahim questioned her, although he allowed the initial statement to slide off his shoulders. "Mostly he wouldn't sleep. He wanted to stay awake to read for the most part. That or he was bouncing off the walls. He wasn't a bad kid, he just had too much energy for all of us."
"That and he was a lot more devious. He tended to rearrange my room, even as a child. Put things where they didn't belong." Levi chuckled. "He once moved everything too slightly to the left for me to get my bearings."
"He doesn't sleep very well now, either…" Georgie noted, but amusement returned to her gaze at Levi's addition, and she shook her head, "That's terrible!"
"I also stole his jackets from time to time and let him have my smaller ones. Or shoes. Sometimes I'd make sure you'd only have left pairs of shoes." Peter claimed with a lift smirk.
"Eh, don't worry about it. I got revenge most of the time." Levi vowed, proud. "Er, mostly switching his books."
"Your poor father…" Georgie cooed, shaking her head, "He must've been a very patient man…"
"Yes." Ibrahim confirmed with a big grin. "I think I did a decent job though. Neither of them got any prison time on their records."
"Not yet."
Blushing furiously, Georgie lowered her gaze, "That's good. Prison is terrible…"
"I would assume so." Ibrahim shrugged, seeming to take nothing of her response. Peter tried his best not to pale and patted her shoulder.
"That's why we are good citizens." Levi scoffed at his brothers words.
"I'm a good citizen because I'm scared of my wife."
"Amen, son."
"You better be!" A disembodied voice called from somewhere in Levi's house, "Hi dad! Hi Pete!"
Squirming a little, Georgie continued to stare at her hands.
"Hey Daisy!" Peter greeted, grinning as the color visibly drained from Levi's face. He swallowed and chuckled.
"Hello, Dais." Ibrahim greeted with a small smile, shaking his head. "Honest son, sometimes I do prefer her over you."
"We all do." Levi mumbled with a soft chuckle, patting his child's head. "You okay Georgie?"
As a portion of Levi's wife appeared on screen, swollen stomach blocking most of the view, she bent down to kiss Levi, before scooping the little girl into her arms, "I'll lay her down." Glancing at the screen, she paused and her smile warmed, "Wouldja lookit that. Pete, she's gorgeous. You take care of that girl, now." Pointing a warning finger, she turned away, "Come to bed soon, Jukebox. Night everyone."
Blinking, cheeks flushed, Georgie looked to Pete, then back to the screen, "She is very nice, Levi…" She said, his question brushed aside.
"You shouldn't be lifting too much weight, love." He claimed with a hand pressed to his wife's stomach. "Our little guy seems to be doing well, though. He's gonna get in the way of cuddling." Levi teased with a smirk, before turning and noticing bright red on peters cheeks.
"I-I do. Promise."
"Do I have to go to bed?" Levi questioned, resting his head on her side. "Yes she is."
"Soon, my love." Leaning down, Daisy kissed his cheek, whispering something in his ear before she straightened, "Now lemme get this poor kid to bed. All hands, these Gunner boys! Never get your work done…" With a laugh, she started off, disappearing entirely from the frame.
"L..ittle guy? That… That was a girl? Wasn't it?" Georgie asked in confusion.
"You love it!" Levi called after with a light chuckle, pulling his legs up onto his chair. He rested his head on his knees.
"She's pregnant." Peter confirmed for her with a pleasant smile.
"Almost eight months now. Sweet baby is gonna come soon now." Levi rested his forehead in his hands. "Think it's gonna be a little boy."
"Have a name yet?" Ibrahim asked.
"It's a surprise."
"Pregnant?" Georgie looked to Pete with a small frown, brow raised, "I'm not sure I understand…"
"With child." Peter explained simply, his brothers head tilting in confusion. "They are about to have a son."
"We think it's going to be a boy. Can't be sure. Lizzie's hoping for a brother." Levi shrugged.
"Oh!" Nodding, Georgie smiled faintly, "I am very happy for you both. I'm sure he will be lovely, whenever you get him!"
"Thank you." Levi commented with a bright smile. "If he's anything like Lizzie, we aren't going to get sleep in a long time. Speaking of...I think I should head in for tonight."
"It was really nice to finally meet you, Levi. All of you…"
"Wonderful to meet you too, Georgie. Take good care of my brother." With a wave, Levi turned the screen off. Ibrahim smiled at his remaining son.
"Get a good nights sleep Peter. You too, Georgina."
"We will certainly try!" Georgie answers with an honest smile.
"Peace." Ibrahim granted onto his son before struggling for a good minute for turning off the screen. Peter leaned back in his chair.
"How do you feel?"
"...They… they are very nice." She murmured softly, picking at her fingernail, "I like them." Looking up, she frowned softly, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"You didn't." He promised her, trying out a smile. "That was mostly Levi's end. He likes to tease me because he uh...he knows what I'm feeling most of the time."
"B...but… but you…" Running her fingers through her hair, she shook her head, "It's okay, Pete. If… if you didn't want your family to know about me. All you had to do was tell me."
"That's not true, Georgie. I'm just scared about the circumstances. The powers. The hospital. I just want to keep you safe, you know?"
"O….oh." Cheeks paling, she looked up, "Oh, Pete. I… I'm so sorry. I thought… you… I just… I didn't realize. I'm so stupid." Covering her mouth with her hands, she shook her head, "I'm so so dumb."
"No. Sweetheart you aren't." He slowly took her hands off her face and gave them a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. I should have told you ahead of time of my concerns."
"I just thought… You… you seemed… and…" Her eyes misted over and she blinked, looking down with a shake of her head, "It… it's okay. Some… some things are better as secrets. It can all be secrets, if… if that's better."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled reassuringly down at her. "We can talk about that...I just wanna make sure that your safety is upheld. I...we don't know all the details about the hospital. We just need to be cautious, okay? You did great with them and I apologize for my brother."
"Levi? Wh...why?" Looking up at him, she shook her head, "It's nice that he care about your heart, Pete. That he… he wants you to be happy with… with someone. Like he is. He teases, but in his eyes, you can see he just… that's all he wants."
"I know. But he just likes to watch me squirm, too." Smirking, Peter rested his head against hers. "If...if you want to tell them about us, then that's something I should have taken into consideration."
"...I think I just need to… to understand why you don't…" She answered softly, fingers sliding into his, "It's too hard trying to figure it out on my own, is all."
"I'm...I'm sort of scared. And I'm sorry. What I did was very selfish." He hung his head briefly as one hand went to clamp the back of his neck.
"Scared?" She asked, and she reached out to tip his chin up with her fingers, "...What're you scared of, Pete? You can tell me."
"I don't know. I think...it's hard to describe. I just don't know how to say certain things with my family. I'm not ashamed of us at all I just...don't know how to say it."
"I mean…" biting her lip, she shrugged, "You still don't really know how to say it with me, so… I get that. But Pete… it's okay to just… to just let it be what it is. Your family, I think, understand you better than you know."
"I know. And I'm sorry." He squeezed her hands. "I think I'm afraid they will assume we are um...you know, physical and not at the point that we are."
"Physical, romantically?" She asked, sitting back a little, with a small, quirky smile, "Why does it always come back to this? Is that really so important to people?"
"You'd be surprised. People are obsessed about it. I don't know why. I guess because it can be pleasurable when done with the right person." He shrugged. "I shouldn't be so sheepish about this, sunshine."
"...It's not something small, Pete." She mused softly, giving him a delicate smile, "Not if it means… this much to you. And big things… you can't just make them happen or rush into them. You're my whole world, Petey. And I don't ever want something like fear to make you stop believing that. No matter what anyone else thinks, I'm not gonna stop caring about you, cause you wanna take your time."
"You really are my only sunshine." Peter claimed and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. "I promise I'll be less...hesitant. One day I will scream out how much I care about you. Like...like you did for me. But for right now...I'm sorry. I just want to whisper it to you."
Eyes brightening, she wrinkled her nose and shrugged, "...I don't need everybody to know, Pete. So long as I know. I like whispers… they're nice and they tickle my ear."
"If you are sure." He leaned in close to her, head curling into the crook of her neck. Slowly he said "You are the sunshine of my world, Georgie."
Fingers curving into his, Georgie sighed, and her eyes slid shut as the words rolled over her like a warm blanket, goosebumps prickling along her skin, "...Prettiest thing I ever heard, Pete."
"Says the woman who's brought the prettiest things into my life." Slowly he pulled away from her shoulder, fingers lacing through hers. Without a thought to prevent him from what happened next, he placed a gentle kiss to her lips. He pulled away after a moment, giving her a chance to say no. To pull away.
As he leaned forward, Georgie brought to mind the image of Daisy, kissing Levi and she knew what was coming, even in her sheltered lack of common sense. She breathed in, and for a split second, just a split second, every horrible scenario flashed through her mind. What if she was bad at kissing. What if she messed it up, somehow. Did you have to breathe? Could you suffocate in a kiss? What if she sneezed?? But his lips met hers and there was only silence in her mind… Pure… Blissful silence.
It was brief. Gentle. Tender. And her eyes opened, filling with tears as she reached up to touch his cheek, thumb dancing across the rim of his cheek bone, "...I think… if I never remember anything, ever again, in my whole entire life… As long as I remember this moment, right here, right now… I'll be okay." Breathing out, her smile warmed, "Better than okay."
Peters hands cupped her cheeks, his thumbs gently tracing along her features as he found himself red. It was a pleasant sting as he found himself lost in a trance. "I...I think that...I feel like a part of me just came to life. Something I don't think I've ever felt before." He admitted, his heart pounding in his chest. "S-sunshine?"
Smiling at his words, she leaned her cheek against his hand, eyes closing again, "Hm?"
"Can we always be like this?" He asked, innocent and nearly a murmur.
"...Can't think of any reason why not…" She breathed, her smile widening as her eyes flickered open, "I like it like this, a whole lot…"
"Me too. Me too." Peter looped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close to him. "I...I'm going to be honest. I didn't think I was going to fall like this."
Shifting, Georgie bit her lip and rested her palm on his shoulder, "...I did. The minute I met you, Pete. And you… you helped me pick up all the stuff I dropped in that store, when that mean lady was makin' faces at me. I knew it. Cause you… you're just really special, you know?"
"T-thanks." Peter blush and hid himself in her shirt. "I knew you and I were going to be good friends I just...wasn't anticipating that rush of emotions, you know? Kind of swept me off my feet."
Fingers curling into his hair, she twisted it around her fingers, shaking her head, "...Kismet. It… Sometimes, I think it's a real thing, you know? Like you… you were meant to come into the store at that exact moment…"
"I think it was God's way of interfering. Making both of our lives a little bit better." He snuggled securely into her. "Whatever the reason...I'm glad. I don't think I've ever been so content."
"Content…" She nodded, leaning her forehead to his shoulder, "...That's a… a really nice way to put it. It's kinda perfect, isn't it?"
"Jovial. Ecstatic." He mumbled, resting his head on hers and exhaled. After a moment he asked "You take all your medication today? Should I get you some milk and chocolate?"
"No… no. I'm fine. I'm good. I… I just wanna hold onto this for as long as I can…" She'd never been given much in life that she could hold onto… but she wasn't letting this moment go, easily.
"Okay. Okay. I won't let go." Peter promised, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. "Just be sure to take everything before bed? Then we can snuggle for a good amount of time."
"If… if I take it now, can we just… snuggle after?" She asked, with a small, slightly mischievous grin.
"Mmhm." Peter vowed with a light smirk. "And I'll make sure to whip you up some fancy hot chocolate if you'd like.."
"Wait, wait… Hot. Chocolate? It comes… hot?? Why am I just now learning this??"
"You can put other sweets in it too. Milk. Chocolate chips. Caramel." Peter informed with a mischievous smile, his brow wiggling.
"Oh… Peter Gunner. You… have been holding out on me." Wiggling her fingers into his ribs, she made a face, "You'll pay for that, you will!"
"Uh oh, my full name. I'm screwed." He chuckled as she poked at his ribs. He poked his nose to hers. "What are you gonna do? Deprive me of cuddles?"
"Never…" She looped her arms around his waist and leaning onto her tiptoes, pressed a delicate kiss to his nose, "In fact, I think you may owe me extra cuddles… for this outrageous offense."
"Extra cuddles?" Peter pouted. "There is no way in logical sense that is a punishment. In fact that's a reward more than anything else."
Grinning, she shrugged, "...But at least we both win. Now… go make this magical hot chocolate you spoke of, before I die from excitement!"
"Then I'll deprive you of more delicious items." He chuckled and kissed her head. "Yes, malady."
"I'm gonna go get comfy!" She chimed before bouncing off towards the bedroom.
Peter grinned broadly and stride into the kitchen. He began to prep some hot chocolate for the both of them, decorating it with as much sugary sweets as he could. Whip cream chocolate caramel and of course, some sprinkles he had bought for Lizzie the last time she came up. He strolled back into the bedroom and placed the cups down on the bedroom desk.
Flopping back on the bed, pulling the covers up over her feet, Georgie waited for Peter to return, her mind swimming with warm, fuzzy feelings that almost made her too sleepy to stay away. Eventually, she pushed herself upright and scooting to the head of the bed, waited there instead. When he returned, she grinned and patted the space beside her, enthusiastically.
"Ah; I see you've waited patiently Sunshine." He greeted with a grin and plopped down next to her, lying on the bed with his hands beneath his head. He glanced up at her with a big smile.
Flopping over onto her side, she curved her hands beneath her chin and laying on his chest with a matching smile, "I think… Pete… that this might be my most favorite day, ever."
"It's up there with mine, too." Peter claimed with a smile and placed an arm around her waist. He kissed her temple, lingering for an extra moment or two. He exhaled peacefully.
Letting her eyes fall closed, she lay her cheek down, "...Just… gonna stay right here… forever, mkay?"
"You know we are gonna have to get up sometime." Peter chuckled, lacing his fingers through her hair. "But for now...I'll savor this moment for as long as I can."
"Bah!" She protested, snuggling closer to him, "Nope. Never gettin' up. You're trapped now, and you're just gonna have to live with it."
"So I'm your captive now?" He questioned with a raised brow, leaning his head against the mattress. "I won't fight against it."
"Yes. My captive." She mused, looking up at him through her lashes, "Now I get to keep you… and you can't ever go away or disappear or leave…"
"I would never want to. I'm content with his way of being." He claimed and kissed her forehead. His eyes closed and he squeezed her gently.