Application for Claire Bennet (Heroes)
Sep. 1st, 2007 07:34 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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((Done with permission from the Heroes-muns. Spoilers for the whole first season.))
The door to the Sorting Room opened slowly, and a pretty blonde girl, about sixteen, poked her head around it. "Hello?"
Hitching her bag over her shoulder, Claire Bennet made her way inside, eyes wide as she took in the stone walls and suits of armor. "Wow. This is so just like the set to a movie." A kind of half-smile was on her face as she headed towards the table in the middle of the room. Setting her bag down, she sat, crossing her legs and glancing down at the application.
She'd come all the way to Scotland for a purpose. After the explosion, after Nathan (her bio dad, which was a concept she still couldn't wrap her brain around completely) and Peter (Uncle Peter? That just sounded weird) had disappeared - had died, probably - all Claire could think of was that she had to do something with the power she'd been given. Peter had saved her, then had died saving the world. He'd lived so brightly, so completely focused on his destiny, on what he'd been meant to do, and Claire wanted his death to mean something. She wanted her dad - her real dad, the man who had raised her - to not have taken a bullet for her for nothing. She wanted to help people.
Hey, even Nathan had come around in the end. The future wasn't set in stone. There was always hope.
Unfortunately, being a cheerleader in Odessa, TX, wasn't exactly the best background for a super hero. Unless saving people required a handstand or a human pyramid, she was going to need some help. Hopefully, she'd be able to get it here. Claire just had to remember that she was posing as a totally normal girl. Hey, she could keep cover. Not like she didn't have any experience in that.
"Um, hi," she said, not really sure what else to do. "I'm Claire Bennet. I'd like to apply for your school? Please?"
The quill jumped to life and Claire started back. At first she looked wildly around the room, heart pounding. She hadn't exactly had the best experiences with objects moving seemingly on their own. But when she didn't see anyone, Claire relaxed, looking down at the quill with a smile.
"Cool."
1. What is your favorite cheese? Why is it your favorite?
Wrinkling her nose at the question, Claire looked around the room. "This is kind of an...unusual question, don't you think? I mean, for a school application. Sounds like a question that would be on some internet quiz or something." She flashed a tiny smile, then shrugged and laughed a little. "Um, I feel like I should say brie or something, so I sound mature and sophisticated." Again she laughed, looking ruefully at the application. "But I guess the truth would be the nachos that they have at football games at my school? Even though I so shouldn't eat them. Or toasted cheese sandwiches with a glass of orange juice. I don't know, I guess I'm kinda simple."
2. Who would you kill first, Barney or Carrottop?
The smile on Claire's face faded slightly, and she looked up quickly. What kind of application was this? "Well, Barney has that annoying song," she forced a laugh, one shoulder rising and falling in a slight shrug.
But behind the friendly, if slightly bland, expression, Claire's mind was racing. Could they know? Or were they just trying to make her slip up? Or maybe this was just one of those personality things, like 'If you could only save one person from a burning building, who would it be?'. (Of course, Claire's answer to that would, in reality, be a lot different than most people's. Having the ability to heal yourself would do that.) In any case, Claire suddenly was a lot more wary of the application, and she proceeded with caution, smile frozen on her face, eyes darting around the room from time to time.
She had to be careful.
3. What time is it where you are?
Compared to the last question, this one was refreshingly normal. Taking a look at her watch, Claire said, "Well, I'm still set to Texas time. And..." she laughed. "God, I'm so bad at math. My watch says six oh-five. So whatever it would be to get it onto Scottish time."
4. If you were Albus Dumbledore returned from the dead, which member of the Order of the Phoenix would you sexually harass? How would you harass them? If you are Albus Dumbledore, please answer as if you were Sirius Black.
A look of repulsion crossed her face. "You can't force yourself on people. That's just wrong, no matter who you are. And you shouldn't encourage it, either. People who think they're above all that, they need to be stopped. You should be able to feel safe around people, especially people you think you could care about. Harassing them, forcing yourself on them, that's disgusting."
5. If you are pushing to be in:
A. Slytherin - please state the clever, witty name of the bar in which you bartend, in the dark.
"Um..." She paused, thinking. Then one corner of her mouth lifted in a sad little smile. "'Between a Rock and a Sponge'. It's...a play on the name of...of this guy I knew. He...he was a hero." Her smile was forced larger and Claire stuck out her chin, definitely not crying. "And hey, heroes get things named after them, right? I mean, a fictional bar isn't exactly a statue, but I think he'd laugh."
B. Gryffindor ā Debate whether Harry should ultimately end up married to Fred or George. Use examples from a variety of world mythologies to bolster your argument.
Holding up both of her hands, Claire laughed and shook her head, eyes going wide. "Oh, no. I kinda think I'm the last person you should ask about all that. I've got, like, no experience, and the little I do have kind of...ended bad." But she considered the question for a minute, a smile playing out on her mouth. "But I guess, if I had to, I'd just say it should be whoever he loved. I mean, really loved. Like, the person he trusted and wanted to spend time with and made him feel safe. And butterflies and all that. If you're going to do the whole 'til death do you part' thing, it should be with your best friend, right?"
C. Ravenclaw ā You guys are supposed to be smart. Explain why my desk is inundated with paperwork at all times, even though Iām constantly disposing of it.
"Um, I'm not exactly smart." Claire gave a self-deprecating laugh, rolling her eyes. "I mean, I totally barely passed Bio. But maybe you should just get a secretary or something? Or switch jobs? I guess I don't see paper as a huge problem. That's kind of what my dad does for a living." Claire paused, biting her lower lip, then smiled again. "He's the manager of a paper company." So far as anyone else in the world needed to know, that is.
D. Hufflepuff ā Prove you are not useless.
"Me? I'm...just a cheerleader. I mean, I don't think anyone is worthless, but I'm not exactly anything special." Sticking her hands in her pockets, Claire stared down at the paper for a minute, not really seeing anything. Or, rather, seeing something very different than a rough, wooden desk and a large piece of parchment. "I've known some really extraordinary people, though," she continued quietly. "I mean, really, really amazing. There was this one guy, he saved my life. Even though he didn't even know me. He died saving the world. And there were other people, they gave up everything... I think that's special." Raising her head again, Claire blinked, then smiled softly. "I'm just a girl."
6. Offer a bribe to the members of this community so that they will not squib you. Items used in bribery do not necessarily have to belong to the person offering the bribe. Do not threaten us rather than offering a bribe. A threat indicates you either don't really want to be here, or don't have enough sense to answer the question properly. The hat will automatically squib you, regardless of other votes, if you do.
Oh. Um. Digging in her bag, Claire brought out a bag of gummy worms, a few pens (pink, glittery ones), a disposable camera, and a few paperbacks she'd bought at the airport. "Sorry, that's pretty much all I have." Glancing around, she tucked a strand of hair behind her hear, eyes questioning. "So - did I pass?"
The door to the Sorting Room opened slowly, and a pretty blonde girl, about sixteen, poked her head around it. "Hello?"
Hitching her bag over her shoulder, Claire Bennet made her way inside, eyes wide as she took in the stone walls and suits of armor. "Wow. This is so just like the set to a movie." A kind of half-smile was on her face as she headed towards the table in the middle of the room. Setting her bag down, she sat, crossing her legs and glancing down at the application.
She'd come all the way to Scotland for a purpose. After the explosion, after Nathan (her bio dad, which was a concept she still couldn't wrap her brain around completely) and Peter (Uncle Peter? That just sounded weird) had disappeared - had died, probably - all Claire could think of was that she had to do something with the power she'd been given. Peter had saved her, then had died saving the world. He'd lived so brightly, so completely focused on his destiny, on what he'd been meant to do, and Claire wanted his death to mean something. She wanted her dad - her real dad, the man who had raised her - to not have taken a bullet for her for nothing. She wanted to help people.
Hey, even Nathan had come around in the end. The future wasn't set in stone. There was always hope.
Unfortunately, being a cheerleader in Odessa, TX, wasn't exactly the best background for a super hero. Unless saving people required a handstand or a human pyramid, she was going to need some help. Hopefully, she'd be able to get it here. Claire just had to remember that she was posing as a totally normal girl. Hey, she could keep cover. Not like she didn't have any experience in that.
"Um, hi," she said, not really sure what else to do. "I'm Claire Bennet. I'd like to apply for your school? Please?"
The quill jumped to life and Claire started back. At first she looked wildly around the room, heart pounding. She hadn't exactly had the best experiences with objects moving seemingly on their own. But when she didn't see anyone, Claire relaxed, looking down at the quill with a smile.
"Cool."
1. What is your favorite cheese? Why is it your favorite?
Wrinkling her nose at the question, Claire looked around the room. "This is kind of an...unusual question, don't you think? I mean, for a school application. Sounds like a question that would be on some internet quiz or something." She flashed a tiny smile, then shrugged and laughed a little. "Um, I feel like I should say brie or something, so I sound mature and sophisticated." Again she laughed, looking ruefully at the application. "But I guess the truth would be the nachos that they have at football games at my school? Even though I so shouldn't eat them. Or toasted cheese sandwiches with a glass of orange juice. I don't know, I guess I'm kinda simple."
2. Who would you kill first, Barney or Carrottop?
The smile on Claire's face faded slightly, and she looked up quickly. What kind of application was this? "Well, Barney has that annoying song," she forced a laugh, one shoulder rising and falling in a slight shrug.
But behind the friendly, if slightly bland, expression, Claire's mind was racing. Could they know? Or were they just trying to make her slip up? Or maybe this was just one of those personality things, like 'If you could only save one person from a burning building, who would it be?'. (Of course, Claire's answer to that would, in reality, be a lot different than most people's. Having the ability to heal yourself would do that.) In any case, Claire suddenly was a lot more wary of the application, and she proceeded with caution, smile frozen on her face, eyes darting around the room from time to time.
She had to be careful.
3. What time is it where you are?
Compared to the last question, this one was refreshingly normal. Taking a look at her watch, Claire said, "Well, I'm still set to Texas time. And..." she laughed. "God, I'm so bad at math. My watch says six oh-five. So whatever it would be to get it onto Scottish time."
4. If you were Albus Dumbledore returned from the dead, which member of the Order of the Phoenix would you sexually harass? How would you harass them? If you are Albus Dumbledore, please answer as if you were Sirius Black.
A look of repulsion crossed her face. "You can't force yourself on people. That's just wrong, no matter who you are. And you shouldn't encourage it, either. People who think they're above all that, they need to be stopped. You should be able to feel safe around people, especially people you think you could care about. Harassing them, forcing yourself on them, that's disgusting."
5. If you are pushing to be in:
A. Slytherin - please state the clever, witty name of the bar in which you bartend, in the dark.
"Um..." She paused, thinking. Then one corner of her mouth lifted in a sad little smile. "'Between a Rock and a Sponge'. It's...a play on the name of...of this guy I knew. He...he was a hero." Her smile was forced larger and Claire stuck out her chin, definitely not crying. "And hey, heroes get things named after them, right? I mean, a fictional bar isn't exactly a statue, but I think he'd laugh."
B. Gryffindor ā Debate whether Harry should ultimately end up married to Fred or George. Use examples from a variety of world mythologies to bolster your argument.
Holding up both of her hands, Claire laughed and shook her head, eyes going wide. "Oh, no. I kinda think I'm the last person you should ask about all that. I've got, like, no experience, and the little I do have kind of...ended bad." But she considered the question for a minute, a smile playing out on her mouth. "But I guess, if I had to, I'd just say it should be whoever he loved. I mean, really loved. Like, the person he trusted and wanted to spend time with and made him feel safe. And butterflies and all that. If you're going to do the whole 'til death do you part' thing, it should be with your best friend, right?"
C. Ravenclaw ā You guys are supposed to be smart. Explain why my desk is inundated with paperwork at all times, even though Iām constantly disposing of it.
"Um, I'm not exactly smart." Claire gave a self-deprecating laugh, rolling her eyes. "I mean, I totally barely passed Bio. But maybe you should just get a secretary or something? Or switch jobs? I guess I don't see paper as a huge problem. That's kind of what my dad does for a living." Claire paused, biting her lower lip, then smiled again. "He's the manager of a paper company." So far as anyone else in the world needed to know, that is.
D. Hufflepuff ā Prove you are not useless.
"Me? I'm...just a cheerleader. I mean, I don't think anyone is worthless, but I'm not exactly anything special." Sticking her hands in her pockets, Claire stared down at the paper for a minute, not really seeing anything. Or, rather, seeing something very different than a rough, wooden desk and a large piece of parchment. "I've known some really extraordinary people, though," she continued quietly. "I mean, really, really amazing. There was this one guy, he saved my life. Even though he didn't even know me. He died saving the world. And there were other people, they gave up everything... I think that's special." Raising her head again, Claire blinked, then smiled softly. "I'm just a girl."
6. Offer a bribe to the members of this community so that they will not squib you. Items used in bribery do not necessarily have to belong to the person offering the bribe. Do not threaten us rather than offering a bribe. A threat indicates you either don't really want to be here, or don't have enough sense to answer the question properly. The hat will automatically squib you, regardless of other votes, if you do.
Oh. Um. Digging in her bag, Claire brought out a bag of gummy worms, a few pens (pink, glittery ones), a disposable camera, and a few paperbacks she'd bought at the airport. "Sorry, that's pretty much all I have." Glancing around, she tucked a strand of hair behind her hear, eyes questioning. "So - did I pass?"
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 11:39 am (UTC)"Yeah, well. I'm not a magician, so don't be counting on any special show of tricks," he rolled his eyes briefly. Even though, if Claire asked, he probably would make an exception and show her a few tricks just to watch her face light up in a smile. Peter was, and he knew this quite well, a sucker for doing anything that would make people smile.
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Date: 2007-09-03 11:48 am (UTC)"What can you do?" Rachel asked, then winced slightly. "Sorry? Was that...rude? I'm not used to people having different abilities. Where I'm from, you're born a witch or a vampire or a werewolf or whatever and you pretty much can do what other people can, with just different degrees of skill."
Claire shrugged. "I don't mind. It's...actually kind of nice to just get to talk about it." Pulling a pen out of her pocket, Claire glanced up at Rachel and then jammed the pen into her arm.
"Holy--" Rachel's eyes went wide as Claire pulled the pen out with a wince and the wound closed up right before her eyes. The witch stared for a second, brow furrowed. Then, without a word, she pulled Claire into a tight hug. "Thank you," she muttered fiercely. Because Claire was the reason Peter was still alive. And no matter what she said, Rachel still had nightmares about holding Peter's broken body in her arms, his blood staining her hands. Only in the dreams, he didn't wake up.
Surprised, Claire hugged Rachel back, looking over at Peter with a confused look before laughing a little in bewilderment. "I...didn't do anything."
"Yeah," Rachel said, pulling back. "But that nothing means pretty much everything to me."
Baffled, Claire nonetheless smiled. "Then you're welcome. But I have no idea what you're talking about."
Rachel shrugged, looking rather embarrassed. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
Claire paused, shooting Peter another look, before asking, "So, um...vampires?"
"Hey, you can jam a pen in your arm," Rachel responded lightly. "Don't judge my life."
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 11:56 am (UTC)"Jesus christ," Peter mumbled weakly, rubbing a hand over his face. "Do you have to do that on purpose?"
Obviously Rachel had realized that Claire was the reason he could heal, and he shot her an understanding smile at the sudden hug she gave Claire. Peter was just as thankful towards his niece for the ability, but it was nice to see that someone else was, too.
"Yeah, vampires," Peter shrugged casually, amused at the sudden direction the conversation had taken. "There's all kinds around here. Werewolves, witches, people who say they're aliens, talking animals. It gets interesting."
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Date: 2007-09-03 12:02 pm (UTC)Rachel had leaned back slightly against Peter, that way where your shoulders overlap and you kind of fit together like two puzzle pieces. Claire watched for a second, suddenly getting the hug. Which only made her thrilled that someone cared about Peter enough to worry about him. In her mind, Peter needed someone to do that for him, the way he did for her, the way her dad and her mom did for her. Peter was kind of alone, and it sucked.
"That's..." Blinking, Claire laughed. "Wow. Okay. I'm not sure if I believe you or want you to read me a bedtime story. That's insane." She paused. "Now I don't feel nearly so freak-like."
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Date: 2007-09-03 12:13 pm (UTC)Shifting his weight so that Rachel could lean against him without toppling over, Peter affectionately bumped his chin against her shoulder, burying his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, it's pretty insane," he agreed dryly. "You get used to it, though. Most of the people around here are pretty friendly, eventually you don't even care that you're talking to an angel, or a," demon, Peter wasn't going to follow through and say the logical opposite, "house elf, or whatever. It's cool."
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 05:18 pm (UTC)And yet he apparently wasn't attracted to me at all. None of the touches on his part appeared to be leading anywhere. Very rarely had I felt this degree of comfort with a person, to feel secure that I could reach out and they would reach back. And it had never happened with someone who didn't want to sleep with me. I had no context for what Peter and I were doing. The only conclusion I had for the touches was sex, and Peter didn't want that. Not with me.
He claimed there were feelings, there. But I could only quantify emotions by the actions they generated. Things like this, like what we were now, I understood them on a basic level. He wants me so he holds me, he enjoys me so he sleeps with me. I matter to him, so he kisses me. I hold his attention, so he is attracted to me. My relationships had failed because I hadn't been enough, I had stopped being an object of desire.
But if I had never started with Peter, then how was I supposed to keep him?
I had tilted my head slightly to rest my temple against Peter's, lost in my own thoughts. I came back when I felt a sudden tension in his body and I blinked, lost. Oh, crap.
Rewinding the conversation in my head, I picked up the last thing I'd heard. "Why tape it?" I asked Claire.
"Well," Claire considered the question, biting absently at her thumbnail. "At first it was for my family. My real family. I wanted to show them what I was, thinking that they could, I don't know, explain me or something. But then it became for me. Like, so I wouldn't forget, no matter what." She paused, then evidently decided that Peter and I could be let in to some thought. "There's this guy who works for my dad. Or, he did. Anyway, he can take your memories. Make you forget. One day, everyone in my life had just...forgotten stuff. Except me. He told me I'd need my memories. And I had to pretend and..." Claire trailed off, the frustration of that still evident in her face. "Anyway, I wanted to always have a way so that they couldn't take at least that from me, you know?"
That was...a lot. I sorted through in my mind, making a logical list of...
Oh, who was I kidding? "Your real family?" I blurted out. "I thought Nathan was your dad."
"He is. My bio-dad," she grimaced slightly. "I was raised by my adopted parents. I didn't think they would understand who I was. Turns out, my dad understood probably better than anyone."
Wow, that was a whole lotta family for one person. I didn't have any, not anymore. I couldn't imagine having two. I didn't know if I envied her so hard it ached somewhere in my chest or if I was relieved I wasn't in her shoes.
Two guesses to which one it really was.
"He made you forget?" I changed the subject, looking...well, terrified. "That's probably the creepiest thing I've ever heard. Someone rooting around in your mind, making you think or feel or remember or forget something you don't want to? That's scary." The words were lame, but I couldn't actually express how horrified that thought made me. My brain was my own, thank you very much, and I'd appreciate it if it and my body were left in peace.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 05:19 pm (UTC)"Yeah," Claire gave one of her sad little one shoulder shrugs. "It was..." A brief smile glimmered across her face. "Yeah. Creepy. And lonely. No one remembered, not even my best friend, Zach. I was totally alone. And I knew my dad had done it. And then I tried to find my real mom, but she turned out... I don't know. And my real dad was Nathan, but he just gave her a check and left and didn't want to see me. I thought I was going to find a family, but..."
"They all left." I said that with so much history behind the words it hurt.
"Yeah," she whispered, looking at me. I smiled a little and shrugged awkwardly.
"They always leave."
"Not always." She looked over my shoulder to Peter then back at me.
In spite of myself, one corner of my mouth curved up in what could only be described as a hopeful expression. "Not always," I agreed quietly.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 05:38 pm (UTC)Jesus, the idea of Mr Bennet erasing everyones memories, though. That was an uncomfortable thought. On one hand, Peter wondered if it might not make everything easier - but on the other, he couldn't imagine forgetting what he could do. Likely, he'd go through the exact same progression of discovering them as last time.
He'd gone quiet again as they were talking; it was good that Rachel was being willing to talk with Claire. Small steps to becoming more emotionally comfortable with other people. And thank you, finally, she was admitting that people didn't always leave. Not that Peter had much experience with this, between his dad and friends and his patients. Especially his patients; each of whom he'd loved and devoted himself to, even when they were fading and would eventually die. It wasn't leaving, it was just... going somewhere else.
"Yeah, not always," he commented, nudging Rachel with his shoulder and shooting her a look. Honestly, she should know right now that he was one of the hardest people in the world to get rid of. Once Peter formed attachments, he didn't let go of them easily.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 06:11 pm (UTC)I turned so that I was facing Peter, eyes full of emotions that I really wasn't built to express. So I let them show, the best I could do, and I hoped it was enough. My arms looped loosely around his neck and I leaned in. Our lips met in a kiss, and even that gentle touch sent fire racing down my spine, made me weak at the knees.
"I get it," I murmured against his lips. "I'm slow, not stupid, Petrelli."
Then I kissed him again, slowly, trying to express everything in actions rather than words that I knew would fall flat. That I didn't understand. That I'd wait for him to figure it out anyway. That I loved him. That I didn't expect anything.
That I thought I'd finally figured out he wasn't going anywhere. And that feeling would probably get washed away in a bout of insecurity in the future, but for now, I was secure. For me, that was pretty much the best I could hope for.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 06:35 pm (UTC)It didn't help that Rachel was a good kisser. Like, a really good kisser. He couldn't help but react and fall into that every single time.
Once they pulled away, Peter's mouth twisted in amusement. "Did we just scare my niece away?" He asked in a murmur.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 06:44 pm (UTC)Smiling at him, I pressed another kiss to his lips. "I like her." Why were we talking about Claire right now? "She's perceptive." That was said with a teasing smile as my fingers found their way into his hair. "You could take lessons!" I murmured, eyes dancing playfully.
Another kiss and, really, I was falling far too deeply into this. Mouth opening slightly under his, I let the taste of him fill my mouth, let the sound of his heart echo my own. This would be a really good time to be invisible.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 06:58 pm (UTC)This was confusing. And Peter didn't like confusing, no matter how much he loved sharing emotions. He liked emotions that he knew, that he could understand, relate to, and empathize with. Rachel was... confusing, but he liked her. He just didn't like that she was confusing. For a guy who prided himself on being able to understand people, it was a little disarming.
"Mm, okay, wait," he pulled back, a hand loosely cupping Rachel's jaw. "My niece is in the room, you're not supposed to be distracting me." His tone was lightly teasing, feigning reproving. "Not that this isn't good, but I have to be Uncle-like and tell her things before we leave. Like... no flirting with a guy that has thirty metal rings in his face, or something."
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 07:17 pm (UTC)Where Peter was confused, I'd had a brief, precious moment of clarity. He was attracted to me. That one realization was enough to validate everything else we'd been through. If he was attracted to me, then I understood what was happening. And if I understood, I could move forward.
My hand reached up to cover his. "All right, Uncle conversation time," I teased. "But I'm letting you know, I want to continue this conversation later. It's up to you, and I won't start it, but I want to." My eyes searched his. "Okay?"
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 07:25 pm (UTC)"Okay," he agreed, tucking his hair behind his ear and trying not to look like he'd just been making out - it didn't work very well. "Where did she go, did you see?" Peter would look for her, but he was a little more distracted in looking at Rachel.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 07:41 pm (UTC)Claire seemed to have a sixth sense, because she choose that moment to show up, giving her uncle a huge grin. "Sorry about that," she said around the smile. "I hope you guys weren't bored."
I shot her a look, to which I got an innocent little smirk. Yeah. So not loaning her my pants now.
"Your uncle wanted to inform you of the dangers of men with metal in their faces," I said soberly, hands in my back pockets, nudging Peter lightly with my elbow. "It's apparently very important."
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 07:53 pm (UTC)"Guys with metal rings in their faces aside," Peter shrugged, dismissing that, "I just have to ask that you tell your parents whenever you drop by and see us." His expression turned distinctly sheepish. "I don't want frantic letters being sent at me."
no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 08:26 pm (UTC)But then she darted forward, giving Peter an impulsive hug. "And I promise to watch out for the overly-pierced," she murmured.
Basically, she knew what this was. This was family, this was Peter acting like her Uncle, like someone who loved her. Growing up with the Bennets, Claire recognized the signs and loved Peter for them. It was like having another dad (one more wouldn't hurt) or an older brother, someone to watch out for her, someone she felt safe with.
She had no idea how much Rachel craved that feeling.
Pulling away, Claire looked over at the other woman. "You know," she said, "I bet my mom and dad would like to meet you, too. And I know my mom wants to meet Peter. You should come with me to dinner, sometime." Her grin widened. "My mom makes the best food."
There was a sharp flare of panic in Rachel's eyes, and she glanced from Peter to Claire, arms wrapping around herself. "Why would they--"
"Because you're dating Peter," Claire answered sensibly.
"We're not," Rachel protested feebly. "It's...complicated."
Claire turned wide-eyes to Peter. "Is it?" They'd just been kissing. How complicated could that be? (Save a tree root through the head.) (But even that wasn't complicated, it just sucked.)