darker_london | Fight, Fight! (Peter, Thomas)

The moment Thomas walked through the door at Peter's house, he was welcomed by a fist to the face. He groaned and staggered backwards, holding his nose. His eyes flicked upwards to see a livid Peter, standing there positively glaring at him. "Peter..." The pain faded away, as it ever did, and Thomas straightened up to face his best friend.

"You...you crazy motherfucker!" Peter hissed. "What the fuck were you thinking?!"

Thomas winced at the onslaught of Peter's words. He reached behind himself and he carefully closed the door. Then he shot Aly a guilty look as she was hovering on the stairs looking quite confused. Aly gave him a 'you're on your own look' and she headed back upstairs to wake Baby Thomas. Thomas turned back to Peter, who's glare had only deepened. "Peter...I'm sorry. I have to go to Rome-"

"No you don't!"

"Peter. Yes I do. I can feel it. You need this of me." Peter needed Thomas to get taken by the Templars, and interrogated. They needed to know what the Templars were after. Hell, they could have found out Anna was an angel, and they could be after her. Why else would they want Abbot Erich Brunhardt? "You need to know what those bastards are looking for!"

"No, I don't!" Peter wailed miserably.

"Peter..." Thomas stepped forward and he took Peter's shoulders in his hands, but Peter jerked away from his touch. "Please...I'm sorry...but I can feel that you do need this. Ethan and Kali are back. Kat doesn't need me anymore. I wouldn't still be here if you didn't need me to do this."

"But this was your idea! You...you knew I would read your idea and automatically need it the second I knew it was possible. You knew exactly what you were doing! You fucking used me to go off on some suicidal quest-"

"Peter, I'm already dead!" Thomas yelled, raising his voice for the first time. "I am dead! Stop trying to save my life! It's too fucking late!"

Peter narrowed his eyes. "Oh, fuck you!"

Thomas bit his lip and he looked terribly ashamed. Peter had had to watch him die, and it had fucked his life up for a good 13 years. "I'm sorry." He finally said, holding one arm out in a calming gesture. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that... Yes...you're right. I knew you'd read that and you'd need to know what the Templar are after. But Peter...what if they're after Anna?"

Peter looked all at once terrified for his daughter. "But...we'll just keep her safe..."

"All the time? At school?" Thomas said, raising his eyebrows. "Those bastards have been around for hundreds of years. They could have people everywhere. They could easily infiltrate a school. If they're after her, you need to know. If they're after you, you need to know. If they want to know about the hospital, you need to know that too. Yes, it's protected. You are and so is your family. But you can't protect everything 100% of the time. Sometimes you'll be distracted. Especially you, as you tend to be a busy man. If you could focus on exactly what they wanted, you'd be better prepared. You could save lives. This will save lives."

"But Thomas...the Templars...they're going to..." Peter covered his mouth, though tears sprang to his eyes.

"I know, Peter. I know what they're going to do to me." He'd seen what they did to Peter. Once he'd seen the aftermath, and once he'd caught the entire goddamn show. "Amaris did worse. And I'm already feeling the pull. What's more going to do? Especially since it'll just go away. Seems like an appropriate fucking bookend to this hellish time I've had recently..."

Peter shook his head. "No. No it's not fucking appropriate. Thomas...I don't want you to go."

"No. But you need it." Thomas walked forward again and he kissed Peter's forehead, slipping his arms around his best friend. And this time, Peter didn't pull away. He returned Thomas's embrace tightly, unwilling to let him go. "I'll be okay. I'll be back here in a few days and it will all be over. And I'll be able to tell you everything they're after. We'll be more prepared. You and your family will be safer. That alone is worth it."

Peter let out a little mournful cry against Thomas's chest. He was Not Thrilled that he couldn't help the fact that he needed his best friend to go off and be tortured for information, just to know what kinds of things they were torturing people about. He hated the thought of anyone in pain, especially Thomas. Thomas was his other half. He loved Thomas and this fucking hurt. And he knew exactly what Thomas was going to go through because he'd been through it. In fact, one of the things they'd punished him for, was having sex with Thomas. They were sure to punish Thomas for the same thing. That punishment had been particularly cruel. They weren't all momentary things that would heal right away. The Templars had tortures that went on for days, and Thomas wouldn't heal until the catalyst was taken away. That's how it worked. They thought of sending him there was making Peter feel quite ill. "I hate you quite a lot right now, you tall, brave, brick wall of a bastard."

Thomas snorted. "I know, Peter. I love you too."