darker_london | So totally unfair (Peter, Razvan)

Razvan strode into Peter's office without knocking. The man had once been an angel. In Razvan's mind, he could sense Razvan's demonic presence approaching and that meant knocking was irrelevant. He found Peter behind the desk, looking up at the door with a slightly exasperated look on his face.

"What?" Razvan asked, closing the door behind him. "You were expecting someone else, Chief?"

"No, no," Peter replied, pushing his desk chair out from behind his gigantic desk so he wasn't dwarfed by it. "I was just in the middle of something."

"Whatever," Razvan said, waving his hand about. Nothing was more important than him. Peter should know that. And despite his protestations, Peter had stopped working and given Razvan his attention so it was Peter's fault, really. "I was with Evan yesterday," he said, taking a seat in one of Peter's comfy chairs. "He's making a lot of progress."

"He is," Peter said with a nod, his tone of voice seeming to ask 'and?'

"I think he could make it in the residential halls."

Peter's eyebrows raised. "And that's your professional opinion?"

Razvan, who had no credentials whatsoever beyond actually being a demon, made an unflattering face at Peter. The man may have been the person Razvan most respected in the world, but that wasn't saying all that much. "Oi, fuck you, I spend more time with him than anyone except you!"

Peter thinned his lips for a moment and then he wheeled his chair a little closer to Razvan. "Razvan-"

"Okay hold on, I didn't ask for a prayer circle," Razvan said, raising one hand in the air in the hopes that Peter would stop moving forward.

"And I would never in a million years invite you to one," Peter shot back dryly. "There is a reason you and I spend the most time with Evan. He doesn't want to see anyone else. I think it's wonderful that you care enough to visit him-"

"I don't care! It's just something to do."

Peter gave him a knowing look Razvan wanted to punch off, at least for a moment. "Fine, I think it's wonderful that you take the time to visit him, as you understand the issues he faces much better than I ever can. The fact remains that Evan is still terrified of most people, especially if they have wings, as most of the people in the residential wing do. I don't even know how he would react if Connie were to morph into a wolf in front of him. Or morph from a wolf..."

"How is he ever supposed to learn?" Razvan asked.

Peter's expression suddenly became extremely sympathetic and it made Razvan uncomfortable. He squirmed in his chair as Peter said, "that's up to him, Razvan. I don't believe that Evan poses a thread to anyone any more. That is true. I have spoken to him at length, however, and he has expressed fear of coming up against any demons who aren't you."

"Well no shit, his mother killed his dad in front of him and then tried to kill him! Unless he meets more demons and realises we aren't all trying to kill him, he's going to be stuck in that cell forever!"

"Razvan," Peter started, as calm and as caring as ever. Razvan's stomach twisted and he felt sick. "I understand what you are saying, and you are absolutely right. But Evan doesn't want to move out of his room yet. He feels safe there. And as much as I would like to see him make progress too, this is his step to take, not ours. I am not going to force this on him. That would likely be the best way to see him go right back to how he was when he came here. Violent and unwilling to speak to anyone."

It wasn't right. Razvan didn't like it. "But, Chief, he-"

"I know you don't like seeing people locked in, Razvan. I know where the guilt stems from, seeing as how I was one of the people you once showed very little hospitality to while holding me captive. This isn't your fault, Razvan."

"I know," he hissed. He didn't want to think about Fort Haven, dammit. Why had he even come in here. He didn't want to be psychoanalysed. "Never mind."

"I know you want to get him out of the secure wing because you are seeking absolution, but you don't need to, Razvan. Evan will move when he is ready and not before. And you have no need to be absolved for anything. You worked hard on changing how you interact with people and I'm so proud of you."

Razvan wouldn't ever admit it, but hearing those words from Peter Kemp meant a great deal. So much so that he stood up and hissed, "oh fuck off, I was just trying to help." Peter couldn't know it meant a lot to him, after all.

"And you're doing a wonderful job, Razvan."

"Humph."

"Are you going to be alright?" Peter asked, looking concerned.

"I'll be fine," Razvan said, standing up and straightening his hat. "And I am not trying to absolve anything. You're wrong. Go back to looking up porn on YouTube."

Razvan left, muttering to himself in Romanian. Peter had no right to tell him how he was feeling. He just had no right. And he was completely wrong anyway, wasn't he? Razvan was just bored, he didn't care. He didn't want to fix Evan because that would make the horrible things he had once done seem a little less horrible...right?

Stupid Peter Kemp was always right.

In revenge, Razvan took a permanent marker from Nova's desk and he drew a moustache on Peter's picture in the staff hallway. That'd show him.