It's Not A Date...But It Is

[chimeramimicry]

"It's Not A Date...But It Is"
Who: Hesam & Peter


It hadn't been Peter's intention to show off.  He didn't think along those terms, despite being an exceptionally attractive young man who often drew errant glances from more than just the opposite sex.  When he pulled off his shirt in the locker room, he wasn't trying to recreate the poses of fashion models.  Purposefully.  It was just hard not to hold himself with confidence.  He still thought of himself as a hero after all.

Peter didn't notice if Hesam was staring or not.  He was too excited about their 'actual' date which might not even be one.  At least it made him smile.  Peter was not exactly known for smiling lately.  Or for taking time out of his busy New York City patrol schedule to do something human.  Like eat.

Comments

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"Nah, it's my turn," Peter insisted. He glanced at the total and grinned just a little. No one believed just how cheap this place aaa. He absolutely loved it.

Leaving a nice tip and throwing on his jacket, Peter headed back outside, hands in his pockets. He wasn't going to invite Hesam home. Nope. That led to making out and awkward mornings.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

He followed Peter out, feeling more at ease than normal. The full belly definitely helped.

"So, what next? Or are you ready to head home?"

The day had left him tired but work had his brain still going a mile a minute. A trip to a bar or heading out somewhere wouldn't exactly be a bad idea.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

With a day off tomorrow, Peter wasn't exactly planning on doing much more than sleep. He had his own patrols to do. He had newspapers to clip. He had a hero to be. But that didn't stop him from asking, as nonchalantly as possible, if that meant Hesam was coming him with him again. He even grinned, as if to say that he could well be teasing.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

Was Peter up to something?

"You got beer at your place?"

It was probably true that he sets himself up for a lot of these things but at that moment, he didn't care. Being out of work and off with a friend seemed better than going home to an empty apartment that still had expired milk in the fridge.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"We had beer last night so unless it just walked off?" Peter grinned and hailed a taxi. He generally took the subway home, but it was cold out. And he didn't want Hesam to change his mind.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

He crawled into the taxi, settling comfortably in the back with a sprawl. This had ended up being a really good start to the night - great food, good company. Some beers to finish it off and he'd consider the day to be a success.

"Anything on TV tonight?"

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"Hmm..." Peter was more contained when he sat, the New York lights casting a glow across him as they passed on by. "The news? I usually just watch that," Peter confessed slowly. "Don't have cable."

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

"You too huh? I'm lucky if I even get decent reception," he mused, smiling as he looked out the window.

"There's a beat up radio back at my place. Previous owners left it there and I've been too lazy to invest in a new one. Don't need it so much with an iPod."

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"You could use the parts to--" Peter was getting excited. Excited enough to talk with his hands about how he use to want to be an inventor when he was younger, but then he was afraid he'd be more like a mad scientist than a super hero.

Peter was serious. His eyes flashed as he spoke. He was still a dreamer under it all.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

"To what?" he encouraged, curious to how Peter had planned to end that. "Ground up into coffee?" he drawled, trying to provoke an answer.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

Peter just laughed. "You need to think bigger!"

After outlining the use of time machines and crime fighting robots not unlike Robocop, he turned more fully towards Hesam and tilted his head cutely to the side.

"I would probably find a way to make the ambulance fly. That would make us the best team out there. Can you imagine?". Evidently Peter could. He was grinning like an idiot.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

"All I can imagine right now is how much spare time you must have to think up crazy crap like that, Petrelli," he mused, shaking his head. Honestly, part of Peter's charm was his childlike manner but sometimes Hesam really did have to wonder what went on in the other's brain.

He'd imagine that stepping into Peter's mind would be like looking at a kaleidoscope.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

Hesam really had no idea and that was most likely for the best!

At his building, Peter paid for the cab and they headed up the really God awful elevator again to his apartment. Peter tried not to let it become awkward... Even as he got Hesam a beer. It was like last night's repeat.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

He had a better attitude about it all this time. He accepted the beer, then made himself comfortable on the couch, digging for a remote and switching onto the news. Making sure to lower the volume, he looked over at Peter.

"How long you been here, in this area? They got any plans of renovating that old pizza place? Looks like new owners. Hope they open up a 24 hour delivery. Would make the late shifts easier."

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"Moved in here half way through nursing school. Don't get my wrong, I love my parents, but my mom's a nitpicker. And Nathan was making fun of me for being twenty-two and still at home so..." Peter shrugged and joined Hesam on the couch with two beers.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

"You moved out by yourself? No girlfriend or roomate?"

He'd never really tried to get to know Peter before. He had to admit, he was curious.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

Propping his feet up on the coffee table, Peter shook his head. "Never really had a lot of friends. School friends and stuff, but nah, no roommates." He never even went away to college.

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

"Huh. Really? I always put you down as the social type. You're a good people person, dude. That's why I drive," he mused, glancing at Peter.

"I don't get you sometimes. You're the easiest person to get along with, you empathize with people immediately. Yet you avoid trying to come out with me and the guys. Do you ever kick back? Ignoring right now of course. Which I'm surprised you even agreed to."

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

"I'm surprised I agreed too," Peter said. It had been a good -- and awful -- two days. Being able to calm down and live for himself was pretty fucking remarkable, if he said so himself. He curled his arms around one knee, setting the beer aside. "I guess I'm all right with people, but getting too close...tends to work out badly."

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

"For who? You or them?" he asked, glancing over. This was a side of Peter he didn't normally see. He couldn't help himself from wanting to know more. For caring.

"You some kind of bad luck charm?"

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

Peter forced himself not to look as sad as he felt. He'd stop being so damned naive about the world, and though he still had a hero complex, it never worked out quite right.

So, he tried grinning instead. "Yeah dude. Real bad. Sorry!"

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

Before he thought better of it, he started to talk. "You know. I always figured you were a good luck charm. Whenever you and I work together, the day is never as bad as when I'm partnered with the others. I've been doing this longer than you but the only time I've done high numbers of saves, is when you're with me."

He shrugged, then took a sip of beer.

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

Oh Hesam, you've no idea what that means to Peter! Or maybe he did, with the way Peter's eyes shined so brightly. He looked down after a moment, running his fingers through a short fringe of black at his ears. "Maybe I'm only good luck to you then?"

[hesam-bb.livejournal.com]

With a laugh, he shrugged. "Maybe," he agreed. "Or we're a better team. I don't know. But it's true. You have a way of making impossible things possible, man. I appreciate it."

[chimeramimic.livejournal.com]

Peter wasn't good at this. He might empathize with people, but his ability to construction relationships were always pretty meager at best. The last two people he was with died. Well, he didn't really know about Caitlyn. He just could not get back to her.

Scooting closer to Hesam, Peter tilted his head in such a way to make it obvious he was going in for a kiss. Not the best ploy really, but Hesam made his stomach flip flop like everyone else he had ever crushed hard on.

Peter never did look to the past these days and heed their warnings.