darker_london | The other half (Peter, Kat)

Peter had dreamt of the darkened room again. The room filled with screams, though whose screams, he didn't know. It was driving him mad. What if it was someone he loved? Even if it wasn't, if it was someone he could help, he wanted to know! Sometimes, Peter thought that the visions he had were less helpful that not having them at all. It was a bitter thought, as often his dreams saved his life or the lives of others. But knowing you might be able to stop someone's pain if only the dream was a little clearer...that was understandably infuriating.

He was still thinking quite dark thoughts, and mumbling to himself as he tried to remember all the details of the dream, though so far the details consisted of 'dark' and 'loud'; when his cousin Kat entered the room, brightening it and him dramatically, pink hair, red smile and all. "Kat!" Peter said, bouncing out of his chair and throwing his pen down. He moved to hug her and she laughed, giving him a squeeze back. Kat was from the sane side of Peter's family and oh was it good to see her.

"Hey, Big P!" She said, once he'd let her go. She bounded over to his bed, as Kat always tended to bound or sashay, and she plopped down on his mattress with a wide grin.

"Hello...Little K? How are you?" Peter went back to shut his journal so it was no longer lying there showing it's angsty words to the ceiling, and then he joined her on the bed. "And to what do I own the honour of this visit?"

Kat turned to Peter, all at once serious. "I just...needed some Peter time." Her immaculately red lips turned down a fraction at the corners and it was as if Peter felt them pull at his heartstrings. He wrapped his arms around her again at once, and he kissed her delightfully pink hair.

"Kat...what is it?"

"I...so Thomas was gone. And before that I...did the whole...throwing myself at him even though we're both married to different people thing. Augh."

Peter winced at that. "Yes...this is why I do not condone alcohol...you know...anymore."

"That and when you get drunk you try to hang yourself?" Kat suggested, in her blunt manner, which was still less offensive than Deirdre...

Peter cleared his throat and he shifted slightly. "There is that, yes..."

"You know you're not allowed to try that again now. Because now it would work..."

Peter chuckled and he shook his head. "I promise I will not be hanging myself from any rafters any time in the near to distant future, Dear Kat."

"Damn straight. Anyway...Thomas doesn't really trust me anymore. And I don't blame him. And he's your best friend, but you guys were all...together once too. And I know the reason you weren't anymore was because he was dead. And same with me. And I...I just feel..." Kat took a deep breath. "I wish this had happened sooner sometimes. So I could be the one with him and not Spectre and Mary. And it's so bloody selfish! I love Alessa with all my heart. But I love Thomas too. And he gets to be with the two people he loves!"

"I don't think that's necessarily the case, Kat." Peter said calmly. "And to be honest...as much as I love Aly and I would never trade my life with her now, I do wish sometimes, that Thomas had spoken up when we lived at the Abbey. That he had said something so we could have left and lived our lives together. And I wish also, that he had been brought back sooner. I do. I understand what you're feeling and it's not betraying Alessa unless you act on it. Though...she should probably know. Aly knows. I talk to her about it. She says she wouldn't trade our life either, but she wishes William hadn't died, and how could I not understand that? And Kat? I know Thomas better than anyone. And I do not think he gets to be with 'the two people he loves'. He loves you and he loves me too. He gets to be with the two people it worked with. That's true. But love doesn't necessarily just go away simply because things didn't end up working out. Thomas has far too much heart for that. And I think...in this instance...it hurts him too."

Kat watched Peter, her eyes growing wider and wider until her face sort of crumpled and she turned away. "You think Thomas is hurting?"

"I think he does sometimes, yes. The same as we do. But Kat, we are lucky. Because Thomas is one of the most amazing friends you can ever have. He gives his all. And just because it's Alessa who you fall asleep with at night, that doesn't meant that loves you any less, or would give you anything less but all of him. I think part of the reason he says he doesn't trust you, is that he needs time to make sure he trusts himself too. He said no to you once, but how is he to know, that if you made another advance, he could say no again. You are Kat. You are beautiful and loving and wonderful. And seeing as how once you described to me every intimate detail about the sex you had with my Tasha back before she was my daughter, I can safely say he's probably missing that too..."

Kat snorted and then she covered her mouth. "You were in a tumour coma when I told you that, I was trying to horrify you enough to wake you up!"

Peter grinned and he kissed her hair again. "Well, your attempts are much appreciated. Not so much...the content..."

"Well I didn't appreciate it when you bled out of your eyes, so we're even." Kat said, sitting up and crossing her arms, but she was still smiling. "Because see...I thought you were dead then. And I need you."

"Ah, my bleeding eyeballs trick. Yes, that's another one I can safely say I won't be doing a repeat performance of, if I can help it. And I know, Kat. You have me."

Kat leaned forward and she snuggled up against her cousin, grateful for his words. They had made her feel better. Immeasurably so. Peter always did that.