To Live Forever || p.maximoff

Gemau (Games)

"We need to talk," Enid said, ushering him inside. He didn't like the tone of her voice. Or the way her eyes seemed to look anywhere but at him. Mama was out running errands in town and Katarina, well, no one really knew where she was. That meant she was home alone, with just enough time to try and figure things out. 

"I figured," Peter said, moving some decorative pillows and settling on the couch. "I'm kind of surprised you didn't find out sooner. There's a reason why I always win at ping-pong."

Enid gasped. "You cheater!" Her eyes finally landed on his. She punched him in the arm, sitting cross-legged on the other side of the couch. "How dare you? And I thought we were friends."

A tense laugh from Peter that slowly tapered off. "Yesterday....was a lot," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you okay?" His chocolate brown eyes trained on Enid until she mustered enough strength to reply.

"Honestly? No." She shook her head. "There's a lot I haven't told you. I thought keeping everything locked away would make it disappear...I was wrong. It just made things exponentially worse."

Peter didn't know what to say. Serious conversations weren't his strong suit. He wasn't the best at navigating his own emotions, not to mention other people's. He only knew he didn't want to let her down. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said, hesitantly reaching out for one of her hands and squeezing it. I'm here. I'm always going to be here.

Enid squeezed back, then shut her eyes tightly. "Just, I don't want you to think of me any different," she said.

"Dude, yesterday I saw you blow up a playground. I don't think anything can shock me now," he jested, his lips quirking into a boyish smile. 

"You'd be surprised," she said, opening her eyes. If she waited any longer, she'd lose the courage. And she needed to tell someone. "Do you remember when I told you my family moved from Wales?" Peter nodded. "Well...it wasn't because my mom got a job in the states. We were running away." Enid felt her chest seize up as the memories flooded into her head. The boat, the man with the gun, Mama screaming. Seeing her struggle, Peter squeezed her hand again. His hands were warm and strong. She trusted him. "The men said they were doctors. They lied. They found out I was a mutant and....and they--"

Any trace of a smile dropped from his face as he watched her crumble before him. Not knowing what else to do, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. Her head nestled in the crook of his neck as tears spilled down her cheeks. He could feel his shirt getting wet. He held her tighter. "It's okay, you're okay," he whispered. 

They remained in that position for a while, as Enid cried out all her tears and burrowed deeper into the warmth of Peter's jacket. When she finally stopped, she didn't want to let go of him. His warmth, his energy, it was contagious in all the best ways. Like a drug. That moment solidified her addiction.

"Well, that's enough of that," she said, straightening up and pulling from his arms. One hand wiped away what tears were left on her face, and she forced a smile. "I'm sorry....that was, a lot. And we literally just got back from the fucking pentagon."

He stared at her with those perfect brown eyes and when he laughed, they crinkled at the edges. "You're crazy, you know that?" He said. His smile wavered as he processed everything again, and again, and again, trying to settle on the right thing to say. "It must have been really hard...I'm sorry I couldn't be there to beat the shit out of those assholes," he started. "But hey, at least you wound up here, right?" A potent hopefulness spread through his face, painting him pink.

Enid bit the inside of her cheek, then replied, "Yeah, you're right. And there's nowhere I'd rather be." 

The air grew thick. Neither of them said much of anything. It was Enid who broke the silence. "Well, I, for one, am sick of being locked inside. It's the weekend, not a funeral."