“You’re the one that said it,” Peter said with a smile. “As for why I’m here...there’s another thing here that’s held my interest.” He looked around them before lowering his voice. “I know you don’t want me. Or if you do, you won’t once you meet Gavin. And what kind of big brother would I be if I didn’t protect him?”
“I didn’t call you a lost cause,” Nora said, her voice escalating until she realized it was and she quelled the immediate defensiveness. She tucked her hands into her pockets and looked back at him, eyes widening. At first she thought he’d meant outside of all of this, outside of here, that he’d said she wanted him. And she stumbled over her words for a moment before she realized he wasn’t talking about that. “Not a very good one,” She admitted. “But no one here wants to hurt your brother.”
“No, you called us a lost cause,” Peter teased lightly. He shook his head. “I’m not worried about him getting hurt. I’m worried about him being used. I always have been.” He’d spent his whole life taking care of the other man, and he wasn’t going to stop now.
I’m the lost cause, you were just in the conversation. Or the first person who had taken any sort of interest in her in a long time. It was unsettling and the freak out that she felt was why she’d said that. But she chose not to think about it now, not to even answer it. “No one is going to use him. We’re all here, working together for a common goal. You should let your brother make his own decisions.” Although...she’d sort of made sure that Marie joined her here so she wasn’t one to talk, really.
“You don’t know what he can do yet,” Peter said with a sigh. “I’m still deciding. If I let him decide, he’ll run headlong into this. He’s a bit reckless like that.” He watched her for a moment, spotting the healing mark on her cheek. “Seems like it won’t leave a scar.”
“Well, you should give your brother some credit,” She said, even though she’d never met his brother and shouldn’t be giving people family advice. Why was she so antagonistic? When he pointed out her scar, she watched him and then shook her head. “Wouldn’t be my first one if it did. A face scar is pretty badass too.”
“Yeah but I’d hate it if it was mine,” he said, not commenting on the fact that she told him to give his brother credit. She didn’t know his brother. “I think you’re badass without the help,” he added, drifting closer.
That actually had Jessie softening, watching him as he stepped closer. And she didn’t step back. “I….thank you,” She said after a moment, not really sure what else to say to that. “If you’re part of the mob, I guess you would know badass when you saw it.”
He shrugged and nodded. “I would. Though usually it’s...bigger.” He smiled at her then leaned in closer. “Can I take you out sometime? We don’t seem to be on the right foot.”
She was definitely taken back by that, having thought that they were past that awkward part of the conversation where they were out of sync. But he was just throwing that right out there, and pairing it with a question like that? “...Like a date?”
“Will you say no if the answer is yes?” he said. “I would prefer that, but I’d understand if you don’t want it to be a date. You don’t like me very much remember?” Peter smiled, then nodded. “I have been thinking about that kiss though.”
Great, now he was bringing up the kiss again. And she didn’t want him to catch her thinking about it either so she just cleared her throat again and watched him. “You’re not going to take no for an answer anyway. So...let’s just do this.” It wasn’t the best answer to a date, but it wasn’t an outright no either. Because she just couldn’t get her mouth to say the word ‘no’ anyway. Not around him.
It wasn’t much of a yes either, but Peter nodded none the less, not seeming phased by it at all. “It’s settled then. Dinner at my place. Day after tomorrow. I’ll cook. You just show up.”
“Day after tomorrow,” She said, and then slipped by Peter to head out of the area and back home. She could wait for Marie outside, he wouldn’t need to know that. Right now she just needed to get more air, clear her head.