Tuesday Evening, Room 401
Claire hadn't said anything to Peter on the way from the sewers to 401, butshe still held tightly on to his hand, holding his coat shut with theother, for all it didn't stop her shivering, and for all he was keepingthem both invisible.
It wasn't until they got to her door that she stopped, hand hovering over the door handle.
"What if Jenny's home?
"You could stay with me," Peter offered. Granted that didn't address the issue of whether Mac was home.
Claire glanced at him, all gratitude, and for a brief moment actually considered taking him up on it.
Then she shook her head.
"No. I just want to get back to normal."
"We should get you cleaned up then," Peter said.
"Yeah."
Claire took a breath, glanced at him quickly, then opened the door.
She wasn't sure if she was relieved or insulted to find that the room was empty and completely devoid of worried room mate, so she opted for both in equal measures.
"I really need a shower."
"Is there anything I can do?" Peter asked. Other than be fervently grateful that she was alive, that was.
Claire let go of his hand only when the door was shut, and had opened a drawer to get her towel. But now she turned back to face him.
"Can you stay here? At least until Jenny comes back?"
"Absolutely," Peter said, without hesitation. "Could stay the rest of the night if you wanted."
Claire smiled, which became a grin when she forced it, glancing down at the towel now hugged to her chest.
"You don't have to," she said. Which wasn't exactly a 'no'.
"Oh, sure," Peter said, teasing. "Guy turns you invisible for a while and then you throw him aside. I see how it is."
Claire rolled her eyes, but she was smirking now.
"Hey, do you know how many guys could turn me invisible if I wanted?"
"Oh,so now I'm not unique?" Peter replied. "Like I'm just one of the many hoards who could do that? Next you'll be telling me I'm not even the only Peter you know."
"You're not," Claire pointed out.
"But you are the only guy I know who can turn invisible. And you're the only person who's saved my life. Twice, now."
Peter smiled. "Any time. Honest."
Claire smiled again before breaking eye contact sharply.
"I'm going to get that shower," she said. "Won't be long."
"I'll be here," Peter said. He went to take a seat.
Claire was actually longer than she intended to be in the shower, running itso hot her skin began to burn. When she returned to her room, dressed in sweats and considerably cleaner, she was only a little pink.
"Sorry it took so long."
"That's okay, gave me plenty of time to read your diary," Peter replied.
"Hey," Claire snapped, annoyed.
A moment later she was frowning. "I don't keep a diary."
"There goes my attempt to try to sneak the location out of you," Peter said. "How you feeling?"
"Fine," Claire replied promptly, coupling it with a shrug.
"Not like I'm injured or anything."
"There'sways to be hurt that aren't physical," Peter said. Not that he hadn't totally co-opted that avoidance for himself or anything.
"Yeah, well, I'm not," Claire lied with no hesitation nor any concern Peter might believe her.
She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"'Cause you rescued me, like I knew you would."
Peter went to put his arm around her. "Always will."
Claire sunk into his arm, breathing deeply now as she resisted the urge to cry in his presence.
"Stay with me?"
By the tone, it was more of a suggestion, but she wanted to plead with him for it.
"You'd have to kick me out," Peter replied. "And you may be a cheerleader, but I still think I could take you."
Claire stiffened for an instant, then squeezed him tight, planting a gentle kiss of his cheek.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Peter glanced down at her, worried about her initial reaction. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Claire lied. "I'm fine, really."
She wasn't fine. But she was planning to be fine later, and that's what mattered.
"You know I'm here if you ever want to talk," Peter said. He rubbed her back in what he hoped was a comforting manner.
"I don't want to talk."
Claire pulled back a little, leaning against his hands. "I just want to forget it."
"You're in luck," Peter said. "I'm here if you don't want to talk too."
She relaxed again, and smiling, leaning forward again and wrapping both arms around him, head on his chest.
"What did I do to deserve you?"
"Saved my life once," Peter said, grinning down at her even if she couldn't see it. "I have high standards for friendship."
"You started," Claire objected, weakly.
"Did you save the world this time, or just me?"
Peter smiled at her objection. Then he shrugged. "I dunno. I'm happy either way."
"Well, you're one ahead of me now," Claire said. "Let's keep it that way."
"Yes ma'am," Peter told her. Impulsively, he went to press a kiss to the top of her head.
Claire smiled and bent her head to give him better access to the top of it, squeezing him again.
She wasn't likely to let go soon.
That was okay. Neither was Peter.
[Pre-played with the amazing repeterpetrelli. NFI. OOC comments provide much needed validation and we loves them]
It wasn't until they got to her door that she stopped, hand hovering over the door handle.
"What if Jenny's home?
"You could stay with me," Peter offered. Granted that didn't address the issue of whether Mac was home.
Claire glanced at him, all gratitude, and for a brief moment actually considered taking him up on it.
Then she shook her head.
"No. I just want to get back to normal."
"We should get you cleaned up then," Peter said.
"Yeah."
Claire took a breath, glanced at him quickly, then opened the door.
She wasn't sure if she was relieved or insulted to find that the room was empty and completely devoid of worried room mate, so she opted for both in equal measures.
"I really need a shower."
"Is there anything I can do?" Peter asked. Other than be fervently grateful that she was alive, that was.
Claire let go of his hand only when the door was shut, and had opened a drawer to get her towel. But now she turned back to face him.
"Can you stay here? At least until Jenny comes back?"
"Absolutely," Peter said, without hesitation. "Could stay the rest of the night if you wanted."
Claire smiled, which became a grin when she forced it, glancing down at the towel now hugged to her chest.
"You don't have to," she said. Which wasn't exactly a 'no'.
"Oh, sure," Peter said, teasing. "Guy turns you invisible for a while and then you throw him aside. I see how it is."
Claire rolled her eyes, but she was smirking now.
"Hey, do you know how many guys could turn me invisible if I wanted?"
"Oh,so now I'm not unique?" Peter replied. "Like I'm just one of the many hoards who could do that? Next you'll be telling me I'm not even the only Peter you know."
"You're not," Claire pointed out.
"But you are the only guy I know who can turn invisible. And you're the only person who's saved my life. Twice, now."
Peter smiled. "Any time. Honest."
Claire smiled again before breaking eye contact sharply.
"I'm going to get that shower," she said. "Won't be long."
"I'll be here," Peter said. He went to take a seat.
Claire was actually longer than she intended to be in the shower, running itso hot her skin began to burn. When she returned to her room, dressed in sweats and considerably cleaner, she was only a little pink.
"Sorry it took so long."
"That's okay, gave me plenty of time to read your diary," Peter replied.
"Hey," Claire snapped, annoyed.
A moment later she was frowning. "I don't keep a diary."
"There goes my attempt to try to sneak the location out of you," Peter said. "How you feeling?"
"Fine," Claire replied promptly, coupling it with a shrug.
"Not like I'm injured or anything."
"There'sways to be hurt that aren't physical," Peter said. Not that he hadn't totally co-opted that avoidance for himself or anything.
"Yeah, well, I'm not," Claire lied with no hesitation nor any concern Peter might believe her.
She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"'Cause you rescued me, like I knew you would."
Peter went to put his arm around her. "Always will."
Claire sunk into his arm, breathing deeply now as she resisted the urge to cry in his presence.
"Stay with me?"
By the tone, it was more of a suggestion, but she wanted to plead with him for it.
"You'd have to kick me out," Peter replied. "And you may be a cheerleader, but I still think I could take you."
Claire stiffened for an instant, then squeezed him tight, planting a gentle kiss of his cheek.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Peter glanced down at her, worried about her initial reaction. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Claire lied. "I'm fine, really."
She wasn't fine. But she was planning to be fine later, and that's what mattered.
"You know I'm here if you ever want to talk," Peter said. He rubbed her back in what he hoped was a comforting manner.
"I don't want to talk."
Claire pulled back a little, leaning against his hands. "I just want to forget it."
"You're in luck," Peter said. "I'm here if you don't want to talk too."
She relaxed again, and smiling, leaning forward again and wrapping both arms around him, head on his chest.
"What did I do to deserve you?"
"Saved my life once," Peter said, grinning down at her even if she couldn't see it. "I have high standards for friendship."
"You started," Claire objected, weakly.
"Did you save the world this time, or just me?"
Peter smiled at her objection. Then he shrugged. "I dunno. I'm happy either way."
"Well, you're one ahead of me now," Claire said. "Let's keep it that way."
"Yes ma'am," Peter told her. Impulsively, he went to press a kiss to the top of her head.
Claire smiled and bent her head to give him better access to the top of it, squeezing him again.
She wasn't likely to let go soon.
That was okay. Neither was Peter.
[Pre-played with the amazing repeterpetrelli. NFI. OOC comments provide much needed validation and we loves them]