InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Not if she bites you first."

Jared Corbo (protective_seal) wrote in tensor,
@ 2011-04-29 13:23:00

Entry tags:

jared_corbo, petra_kristensen

Petra, backdated to last night
Jared was pretty damn good at video games, and he would brag endlessly about it if given the chance. Especially if it meant that he could impress a pretty girl. With Petra, though, he wasn't as worried about impressing her. It was easy to be around Petra. Not that she didn't occasionally make him nervous or want to be better behaved, but he never felt like he needed to do something entirely foolish to get her attention. Not that that would stop him from doing something foolish.

"So you have to get the box from there to there," he said. He was sitting on the floor, back against one of the couches in the Games Room of the Student Activities Center. It had taken a wee bit of threatening and wheedling on his part, but he had gotten everyone else to clear out. He held the remote and went through the first level without even moving his hands. The field did all the work for him. It was one of the skills he was proud of. "Like that. Want to try the next one?" he asked, holding the remote out to her.

He wanted to pull her over and settle her sitting between his legs, against his chest, but he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate. Plus it might also wind up depressing him, which was not what he wanted.

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protective_seal
2011-05-03 01:11 pm UTC (link)

Jared shook his head. "I'm sure there are other people who think you're amazing. Maybe not in the same way I do, though. Wouldn't really want that. But I'm sure your friends do,"

The joke had made him laugh, though he got quieter and more serious when she curled into him more. Sometimes he could pretend better than others. Sometimes he could imagine body heat and the slight pressure of other people. And sometimes he simply felt cold and trapped.

He was doing a good job of pretending at the moment. It was almost like being normal.

"I'm really happy that you're my girlfriend, and that I'm your boyfriend. `Sides, Pet, I think it's enough that you don't think all the bad things about me. You get to think I'm, I don't know, not a moron, and I'll think you're not a dork all day long."

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petra_firma
2011-05-03 09:31 pm UTC (link)

She chuckled, giving Jared a tight squeeze before sitting back. "Does it bother you that I do that? Touch you, I mean. I know you can't feel it but...I don't know, I don't want to get out of the habit. I'm a touchy-feely sort of person, I guess, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable or something." Petra looked concerned, but hadn't moved so far away that she wasn't still touching Jared. Or rather, his shield. She preferred not to think about it that way though.

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protective_seal
2011-05-04 03:03 am UTC (link)

He pulled her closer. "No way, Pet. If anything I prefer it. I mean, I can't feel it and sometimes it upsets me a little, but it also helps some. It's weird. The counselors says that it's important for me to do normal things. Not just for others but for me as well. Apparently I start to get isolated and moody when I don't."

"So, please, keep touching. One day I'll feel it." Hopefully.

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petra_firma
2011-05-04 03:44 am UTC (link)

"I won't stop then. Which is good because I like touching you," Petra replied, wrapping her arms around Jared and smiling. "My counselor told me the same thing, after my family died. That's part of the reason I knit so much, I think. My mom taught me when I was really little, and her mom knitted and HER mom did too all the way back as far as we know. So, it's like, as long as I keep doing it, I keep a bit of them alive in me. That's way corny, I know, but it's true," she finished, honest as always.

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protective_seal
2011-05-04 01:00 pm UTC (link)

Jared frowned not at the story but about the part where Petra had said her family died. Had he known that? Was that something he should have heard when she was talking but he had been busy just staring at her because she was so pretty?

It was possible.

Hadn't there been a bit of a rumor about something along those lines? Had he been listening then?

Finally he just decided to bite the bullet. "Okay. This might be awful, and I'm sorry, but did you tell me about your family before because it's not ringing bells? I mean, I'm sorry they're dead obviously but..." he would stop himself before he made this terrible.

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petra_firma
2011-05-04 11:45 pm UTC (link)

"Oh! Oh no," Petra exclaimed, sitting back and clapping a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry, I've never just blurted it out like that," she whispered, shocked and embarrassed by her slip up. "I know I've never told you," Petra continued, shaking her head. "I mean, I might have said something about them not being around but that's WAY different than just- I'm so sorry, Jared," she apologized, absolutely mortified.

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	protective_seal 2011-05-05 04:56 am UTC (link)
	Okay. Well. Good. At least he hadn't missed something important. "Um. Well. Actually." He paused and then wrapped both his arms around her. "I'm sorry about your family. It's okay. I can understand why you wouldn't be talking to people about that all the time." "I'm sorry." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

petra_firma
2011-05-05 08:08 pm UTC (link)

Petra, in turn, wrapped her arms around Jared. She wasn't crying but she was obviously tense at first. Gradually she relaxed, taking a few deep, cleansing breaths.

"Thank you," Petra said quietly. "My shrink also said I don't have a lot of patience for myself." She snorted; a totally un-Petralike sound. "I guess I spend it on everyone else. But I keep thinking 'I should be over this. It's been a year.' But it's something I might never be OVER over." Petra shrugged and sighed. "Thank you, though. It means a lot to me that you care."

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protective_seal
2011-05-05 08:19 pm UTC (link)

Jared was really really glad that she wasn't crying. He was not good at comforting crying girls. He wasn't really sure what to do with them other than just, like, be there, which wasn't always the best thing ever.

"Of course I care. You're my girlfriend. If I didn't care, I'd have to beat myself up." Which would have been ridiculous. "And I don't think that's the sort of thing that anyone gets over."

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petra_firma
2011-05-05 10:45 pm UTC (link)

She nodded against his shoulder. For all that he professed to be dumb, Jared seemed to be pretty insightful at times.

"Just so you know," Petra began, tilting her head up to look at Jared. "This?" she let go momentarily to pat his arm within his field of vision. "Is absolutely perfect. Just tight enough so I know I'm safe here. With you. So," and now she grinned. "Bookmark it. So next time you want to hold me, you won't have to worry," Petra teased gently.

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	protective_seal 2011-05-05 11:48 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh. Uh." He frowned a bit. "I'll try, but it's hard to gauge." In truth he hadn't actually be thinking about the shield or worrying about holding her too tight. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	petra_firma 2011-05-06 01:36 am UTC (link)
	Petra rolled her eyes. "I'm kidding, babe. Although...maybe not thinking about it isn't that bad?" she suggested. "I mean, obviously, you got it right this time and you weren't thinking about it. Maybe...hm. Could you be over-analyzing? Always worrying about it has GOT to be stressful, right? Maybe, maybe you just need to relax?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	protective_seal 2011-05-06 04:03 am UTC (link)
	Jared sighed and nodded. "My counselor says that too. That I should stop thinking so much about it because most people are going to tell me before I hurt them. But." He pulled away from her enough to run a hand through his hair. "I've accidentally hurt people before because I wasn't being careful." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

petra_firma
2011-05-06 04:21 am UTC (link)

"But that was an accident," Petra pointed out. "I certainly wouldn't be mad at you if you hurt me accidentally. I know you'd be more than mad enough at yourself, but still. Accidents happen." It was funny how firmly Petra believed that. Accidents were accidents. And yet, she still couldn't forgive herself for the death of her family.

Petra sighed. "But anyway, it's okay, Jared. I understand. And I promise I'll always tell you before you even come close to hurting me, okay?"

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	protective_seal 2011-05-06 04:25 am UTC (link)
	"Well. I mean. Some of them I was trying to punch the snot out of, but I went overboard without meaning to so. Yeah. Accidents." He grinned at her and leaned back in to press his field covered lips against her cheek. "That's a deal I'm holding you to, Pet." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	petra_firma 2011-05-06 05:09 am UTC (link)
	"You? Get in a fight? I am SHOCKED and APPALLED!" Petra gasped, trying not to laugh as well. "Or I would be if I was, you know, blind and deaf and, like, not dating you and so on." she joked, patting Jared on the cheek. "And I like you holding me to that deal. I like you holding me in general," she finished with a happy sigh, laying her head on Jared's shoulder. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

protective_seal
2011-05-06 05:42 am UTC (link)

That did make Jared laugh. "Yeah. Well. Not so many since coming here. I'm trying to get on good behavior so I don't get shipped back to Canada."

He pulled her closer. "I do, too." And then he stopped himself before he said anything else. Like how he wished he could feel her because they'd been over that. It would come in time. He hoped. Petra seemed convinced, but Jared wasn't there yet.

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