Maybe, Peter thinks, if they just get up and run now, they can get to a place where whatever is about to occur doesn't happen. That particular fantasy, though, is one that doesn't deserve the daylight, as Peter will not allow himself to retreat further into the darkness. He won't go back, only forward. At least, that's the plan.
"Yeah," Peter says quickly, holding eye contact and even being so bold as to touch his shoulder. The shoulder is safe, some very nervous experiments have shown. He sees (probably) straight guys do this all the time and no one questions it. If there’s already suspicion, it may give their game away, but Peter has to assume that their private world is still private. Going public means going their separate ways, and he can’t handle that, or he could and he refuses to entertain the idea.
Peter’s eyes dart to Nadia, who is wearing the most heartbreaking combination of knowing terror and deep empathy. How did two such incredible people end up with such awful parents? Peter often wonders what the hell they thought having kids would be like; from what he’s gathered, they certainly didn’t get what they bargained for. Most likely, they’re deranged. How could a couple of brilliant, hard-working, compassionate, forethinking children such as Jason and Nadia possibly be a disappointment to them? Jason works his ass off, and he certainly doesn’t do it for himself because he’s miserable. That much is clear in the way his shoulders slump, his skin bruises, and the way he treats himself after the smallest step backward. Poor Jason: he’s a prodigy being treated like a burnout.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nadia,” Peter promises. He lets his sharp focus linger on her for a few moments to prove he will touch base with her. Then, they’re off, Sister Rachel walking ahead of them while the boys follow side-by-side. He can find a reason to call his mom and he can probably even get her going on something long enough that he can listen to Jason’s conversation, as well. He needs to know what magnitude of crisis this is, so he can plan the corresponding course of action, if he can.
no subject
"Yeah," Peter says quickly, holding eye contact and even being so bold as to touch his shoulder. The shoulder is safe, some very nervous experiments have shown. He sees (probably) straight guys do this all the time and no one questions it. If there’s already suspicion, it may give their game away, but Peter has to assume that their private world is still private. Going public means going their separate ways, and he can’t handle that, or he could and he refuses to entertain the idea.
Peter’s eyes dart to Nadia, who is wearing the most heartbreaking combination of knowing terror and deep empathy. How did two such incredible people end up with such awful parents? Peter often wonders what the hell they thought having kids would be like; from what he’s gathered, they certainly didn’t get what they bargained for. Most likely, they’re deranged. How could a couple of brilliant, hard-working, compassionate, forethinking children such as Jason and Nadia possibly be a disappointment to them? Jason works his ass off, and he certainly doesn’t do it for himself because he’s miserable. That much is clear in the way his shoulders slump, his skin bruises, and the way he treats himself after the smallest step backward. Poor Jason: he’s a prodigy being treated like a burnout.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nadia,” Peter promises. He lets his sharp focus linger on her for a few moments to prove he will touch base with her. Then, they’re off, Sister Rachel walking ahead of them while the boys follow side-by-side. He can find a reason to call his mom and he can probably even get her going on something long enough that he can listen to Jason’s conversation, as well. He needs to know what magnitude of crisis this is, so he can plan the corresponding course of action, if he can.