darker_london | Like two peas in a podperson (Thomas, Peter)

Thomas knew he was welcome in the Kemp House at any time, so he let himself in to find Peter in the living room. The man was lying on his stomach on a playmat propped up on one elbow, with one of his hands on Baby Lauren's belly. And the tiny girl was, miraculously, not crying. In fact, it looked like she was sleeping. Thomas raised his eyebrows and he looked down at Peter. "Are you...casting a spell or something?"

Peter chuckled lightly and he looked up at his best friend. "I think the contact put her to sleep. Every time I tried to move away she fussed, so I just stayed like this. I can't feel my hand, and my ribs are putting up a might fight, but at least she's content."

"Ah, a true father." Thomas plopped down on the floor near Peter. "How long have you been lying like that?"

"Oh...an hour?" Peter gave Thomas a sort of desperate look. "Could you get me some water?"

Thomas laughed and he jumped up to do just that, returning a few moments later to find Peter exactly how he'd left him. "You do have to move eventually you know..." He said, holding the water out for Peter to take.

"Yes, but when I do, she's probably going to wake up and then she'll cry and the peace is nice." Peter looked up at the water and then he realised both his hands were occupied. If he raised the one he was using to keep himself up, his body weight would be supported by Lauren's ribcage, which was stupid. And the other hand was self-explanatory. "Oh, bollocks."

Thomas grinned and he leaned down, holding the water to Peter's lip for him to drink. Which he did, thankfully. And then he gave Thomas a rather dry look. "That wasn't embarrassing at all."

"Don't worry, I'll only tell everyone we know. But they'll think it's endearing, so you should be fine."

Peter chuckled as Lauren shifted a little under his hand. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"She is, Peter. You know? I reckon we've done pretty darn well..."

Peter looked around himself and then back at his best friend. Fourteen years ago, they'd been a pair of monks with nothing between them but a friendship, unbreakable even by death, and a whole lot of sexual tension. Now, they were both married, and happy. Peter had his brood and Thomas had his...harem... Svetlana wasn't pursuing Peter and his family anymore. The Templar had faded, though both knew they would never be gone completely. But the terror they had brought against London was over. Things were good. Better than. "Yeah...you're really right."

"For two people from completely different worlds, we meshed pretty well, didn't we?" Thomas said with a nostalgic grin.

"Don't you past tense me!" Peter said with an incredulous look on his face. "We still do! But yes...you have a point."

"You, little rich boy, me, scallywag from the projects..."

Peter snorted. "Thomas, you are not from 'the projects'. Or Harlem!"

"I've been watching too much of your Good Times." Thomas winked. "But you know what I mean anyway. You're all...upper class. And I'm...not."

"Which is bullshit because you have more class than any one of my neo-nazi relatives." Peter said bitterly. He kicked his legs up in the hair and he crossed them at the ankles, looking every bit the teenage girl he really was inside.

"Yeah, not enough class not to hate you on sight when you showed up at Downside..."

Peter thought back to the first day he'd arrived at the abbey to find he'd been paired up with someone who'd already been there a year. And wasn't fond of him. "You were so pissed off! Your face was like grrrrr." Peter did a startling impersonation of Thomas's 'not impressed' face.

"That's because I was stupid." Thomas said, reaching up to straighten a bit of Peter's incredibly messy hair. "It's alright, you set me straight. Hah! Or...no so much straight..."

"I can't help it, I'm irresistible." Peter winked. "And I do a mean chant. Admit it. You can't resist musicians."

Thomas giggled at that. Peter had a point. Peter, Kat, Spectre...all musicians of a sort. Not that Peter utalised his talent anymore, but he had at the abbey. "Musicians are shiny! And sometimes they get to wear tight pants. Not that you did while you were singing."

"But my robes were happenin', Baby."

"Not that I got to see you sing much anyway because you kicked me out of the chapel."

"Your aura is tone-deaf! You threw my chorus out of whack!" Peter insisted and then both Thomas and Peter burst into laughter.

"I threw your something out of whack." Thomas managed to say through his laughter.

"I was a very confused little monk, don't mock me!"

"But it's so easy! 'Dear God. I don't understand my feelings for Brother Littleton. Every time he gets near me, I feel so strange. What is this affliction, God? Or does he just wear magnets in his pants?'" Not that Thomas hadn't been confused either. But Peter was cuter about it.

Peter snorted and he shook his head, amused. "I think you did wear magnets in your pants."

"How else would I attract a high-class beauty such as yourself?!" Thomas cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, just being yourself comes to mind." Peter looked back down at his sleeping daughter, breathing lightly under his hand. Realising that he wouldn't have her if things with Thomas had worked out was quite a startling thing to ponder. "I love that you come back here, Thomas. To visit. I love so much that you're a part of my children's lives. And my friend's lives. To share you with them is...it's priceless. I talked about you all the time, but it was hardly the same. The stories can't encapsulate you. Pretty much only Thomas can encapsulate Thomas."

Thomas leaned forward and he kissed the side of Peter's forehead. "Thank you for sharing them with me."

The two were silent for a moment, and then Peter looked back over at Thomas. "You're here saying goodbye, am I right?"

"Something like that." Thomas nodded. "It's not imminent, but I'm staying with Spectre tonight and Mary tomorrow..."

"As you should. I'm glad you came." Peter hated it when Thomas left, but he always came back. They always needed him. "Do you have a little while?"

"Peter, I have all afternoon to watch you lie there with your hand on Lauren while she naps."

Peter grinned. "Awesome," he said, quite out of character because he knew it would make Thomas laugh.