Peter Petrelli (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spongetastic) wrote2013-03-04 06:56 pm
spongetastic) wrote2013-03-04 06:56 pm
Entry tags:
Cigarette
Originally written in 2008
It was strange where life decided to take him. Not too long ago he was a simple hospice nurse working in New York. Now he was driving down a road on the way to saving the world. In the passenger seat was the man he'd grown attached to. Ever since the memories came back he felt conflicted about this man, and last night just made it worse.
Peter sat with his back against the wall that night talking with Adam just like he used to when they were trapped by the Company. They sang together and laughed together, and Peter couldn't deny how much he had enjoyed that night. It made him feel a little guilty, as if he were betraying Caitlin. But neither could he ignore his feelings about Adam-- before and after Caitlin.
The man was extremely interesting. Peter grew attracted to him because of his good looks, his voice, and his selfless courtesy of always putting Peter first. But now that they were spending so much more time together Peter was finding more things he liked about Adam. He'd lived long enough to accumulate a lot of stories that he was more than happy to share with Peter. He had such varied tastes in music; many of them were songs Peter had heard of or even liked. It was like Peter was on a treasure hunt and he kept finding little nuggets that helped him understand his friend.
"Here's one I don't know," Adam said suddenly. Peter blinked and turned his focus to the man beside him. " 'Recording equipment for making compact disks.' "
"CD burner," Peter answered immediately. Peter bought some things to keep them occupied in the car and so far Adam's favorite was the crossword puzzle book. Unfortunately, the more recent ones had thirty years' worth of cultural references Adam wouldn't understand.
"Why the bloody hell would they call it that?"
"... I have no idea," Peter responded, laughing. He knew finding Victoria Pratt was important, but he was very glad Adam had talked him into going the long way. Adam had thirty years of living to catch up on and Peter was more than happy to help him with it.
At their next rest stop Adam insisted they go into a bar for drinks. Peter wasn't much of a drinker but followed Adam inside anyway. He stuck close to Adam as the older man went to the bar. Adam ordered a shot of scotch, and put it away like it was nothing.
"I'm sorry, Peter. Did you want something?"
"Er... a beer, I guess," he said, feeling very out of place in this bar. Adam was already on his second drink. "You know, for a guy who hasn't had a drink in a long time, you sure can hold your liquor," Peter noted, his eyes following the progress of the shot glass.
"And that surprises you?" Adam asked, smirking. "It is a very rare thing for me to get drunk." He finished off his second shot and tapped the empty glass on the counter, indicating he wanted more. Peter sipped his beer a little just to keep Adam company. It took a few more scotch shots before Adam decided he was finished and the two left the bar.
Once out of the bar, Adam pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "Where'd you get those?" Peter demanded.
"Where do you think?" Adam retorted. Peter sighed wearily. Adam's sticky fingers was definitely a subject they would have to discuss. But at the moment, it wasn't the theft that bothered Peter.
"No. No way. You're not smoking those. Don't you know those things cause cancer?" Adam gave him an amused look, putting one between his lips. It was obvious he was no stranger to this habit, either. "... Okay, so maybe it won't kill you, but... I hate the smell, and there is no way I would kiss you if you--" He stopped talking, but too late.
"What was that?" Adam asked, eyeing Peter thoughtfully. Peter swallowed and tried maintaining his composure.
"I said I hate the smell."
"No..." Adam took the cigarette back out of his mouth. "The part about kissing me." Peter's face burned; he didn't know what to say. The words just came out without him thinking. Adam flicked the cigarette away although he hadn't even lit it yet, and moved so he was standing very close to the empath. "Somehow I was under the impression you weren't interested in that any longer."
"I... I don't know," was Peter's answer. He couldn't get a good feel for what Adam was thinking, because his own emotions were too jumbled. Caitlin and Adam... two people he'd grown attached to in a short time, both so very different yet Peter didn't feel right ignoring either one.
Adam smiled at him in that disarming way of his. He made the move, a hand touching Peter's cheek as he bent his head down and kissed the empath. It almost felt like their first kiss all over again. Peter pressed back into Adam's advances but quickly pulled himself back.
"We should get going," he said awkwardly.
"All right," Adam agreed. He drew his hand away but was still smiling. When Peter turned to head back to the car, Adam dropped his cigarette pack on the ground. There would be no need for that anymore.
It was strange where life decided to take him. Not too long ago he was a simple hospice nurse working in New York. Now he was driving down a road on the way to saving the world. In the passenger seat was the man he'd grown attached to. Ever since the memories came back he felt conflicted about this man, and last night just made it worse.
Peter sat with his back against the wall that night talking with Adam just like he used to when they were trapped by the Company. They sang together and laughed together, and Peter couldn't deny how much he had enjoyed that night. It made him feel a little guilty, as if he were betraying Caitlin. But neither could he ignore his feelings about Adam-- before and after Caitlin.
The man was extremely interesting. Peter grew attracted to him because of his good looks, his voice, and his selfless courtesy of always putting Peter first. But now that they were spending so much more time together Peter was finding more things he liked about Adam. He'd lived long enough to accumulate a lot of stories that he was more than happy to share with Peter. He had such varied tastes in music; many of them were songs Peter had heard of or even liked. It was like Peter was on a treasure hunt and he kept finding little nuggets that helped him understand his friend.
"Here's one I don't know," Adam said suddenly. Peter blinked and turned his focus to the man beside him. " 'Recording equipment for making compact disks.' "
"CD burner," Peter answered immediately. Peter bought some things to keep them occupied in the car and so far Adam's favorite was the crossword puzzle book. Unfortunately, the more recent ones had thirty years' worth of cultural references Adam wouldn't understand.
"Why the bloody hell would they call it that?"
"... I have no idea," Peter responded, laughing. He knew finding Victoria Pratt was important, but he was very glad Adam had talked him into going the long way. Adam had thirty years of living to catch up on and Peter was more than happy to help him with it.
At their next rest stop Adam insisted they go into a bar for drinks. Peter wasn't much of a drinker but followed Adam inside anyway. He stuck close to Adam as the older man went to the bar. Adam ordered a shot of scotch, and put it away like it was nothing.
"I'm sorry, Peter. Did you want something?"
"Er... a beer, I guess," he said, feeling very out of place in this bar. Adam was already on his second drink. "You know, for a guy who hasn't had a drink in a long time, you sure can hold your liquor," Peter noted, his eyes following the progress of the shot glass.
"And that surprises you?" Adam asked, smirking. "It is a very rare thing for me to get drunk." He finished off his second shot and tapped the empty glass on the counter, indicating he wanted more. Peter sipped his beer a little just to keep Adam company. It took a few more scotch shots before Adam decided he was finished and the two left the bar.
Once out of the bar, Adam pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "Where'd you get those?" Peter demanded.
"Where do you think?" Adam retorted. Peter sighed wearily. Adam's sticky fingers was definitely a subject they would have to discuss. But at the moment, it wasn't the theft that bothered Peter.
"No. No way. You're not smoking those. Don't you know those things cause cancer?" Adam gave him an amused look, putting one between his lips. It was obvious he was no stranger to this habit, either. "... Okay, so maybe it won't kill you, but... I hate the smell, and there is no way I would kiss you if you--" He stopped talking, but too late.
"What was that?" Adam asked, eyeing Peter thoughtfully. Peter swallowed and tried maintaining his composure.
"I said I hate the smell."
"No..." Adam took the cigarette back out of his mouth. "The part about kissing me." Peter's face burned; he didn't know what to say. The words just came out without him thinking. Adam flicked the cigarette away although he hadn't even lit it yet, and moved so he was standing very close to the empath. "Somehow I was under the impression you weren't interested in that any longer."
"I... I don't know," was Peter's answer. He couldn't get a good feel for what Adam was thinking, because his own emotions were too jumbled. Caitlin and Adam... two people he'd grown attached to in a short time, both so very different yet Peter didn't feel right ignoring either one.
Adam smiled at him in that disarming way of his. He made the move, a hand touching Peter's cheek as he bent his head down and kissed the empath. It almost felt like their first kiss all over again. Peter pressed back into Adam's advances but quickly pulled himself back.
"We should get going," he said awkwardly.
"All right," Adam agreed. He drew his hand away but was still smiling. When Peter turned to head back to the car, Adam dropped his cigarette pack on the ground. There would be no need for that anymore.