InsaneJournal

Who: Pietro and Kate
When: August
Where: Smoothie Shop
What: Hanging out
Rating/Warnings: Low/None
Status: Complete when posted



Pietro hadn’t seen Kate for a while, he’d been working more at the gym while on summer break and he’d been helping his sister with her Pokemon go obsession. But today he’d arranged to meet Kate and catch up with her. He had no doubt she would have something fun to tell him, she usually did.

Ordering a smoothie he found a good seat and waited for her, fingers drumming on the table as they tended to do whenever he was too still.

Smoothies were the best. Kate loved the joy of a sweet, frozen treat, with the knowledge that it was at least somewhat healthy. So when Pietro suggested they go out for one, Kate was totally on board. She came into the shop and hopped into the short line. Only one person ahead of her, who was already paying. Then Kate ordered her smoothie and went to sit with her friend.

“Hey, Speedy. How’s it hanging?” Kate asked, flopping into the chair.

“Hello Kate” he grinned at her, “Things are good. How are you?” he asked. It was always nice to catch up with a friend and Kate had been a very good friend to Pietro since he and Wanda had moved to the county.

“Things are really good,” Kate said, nodding. She leaned back a little in her chair. “God, it feels like I haven’t seen you in ages. How much time has passed? Has it been weeks?” Probably not, but Kate had taken a trip to Mexico and needed to spend some time catching up with all of her friends.

“A little while” he said, “So tell me everything, how was your trip? Did you have fun?” Pietro had never been to Mexico or really anywhere in the States other than California, he wondered if he and Wanda should take a trip somewhere over summer. They might be able to afford it now.

“It was amazing. Boring, really,” Kate said, grinning. “Clint, Lucky and I spent the week hanging out on the beach, walking around in the sunshine, swimming in the ocean. He took me snorkling.” She laughed. “It’s just… I dunno. Kinda perfect. Totally normal. Nothing like living in Orange County.”

“I am not sure anything is like living in Orange County” Pietro replied with a smirk, “But it sounds like you had a nice time. Sometimes boring is what we need yes? I am hoping nothing crazy happens when our sponsor from England comes to visit” he admitted.

“I think one week of boring is good every once in a while.” Kate said. She gave a little sigh, stretching her arms up and over her head. “Yeeeeah, I hope so, too.” It was one thing for the crazy to happen to people who expected it, but quite another when people were visiting. If she was ever on speaking terms with her father again, she’d only go see him instead of the other way around.

Pietro nodded, even he had to admit a little calm was good sometimes. He had suggested going back to the UK but she had insisted on coming to make sure they were okay out here. “Thank you for the hope”

“Anytime.” Kate gave him a grin. “I’m glad we had a chance to catch up. You’ll have to tell me everything.” She said. “I should have called you when I moved in with Clint, huh? You could have moved all my stuff in seconds.”

“It would have been done much faster” he nodded with a smile, “Perhaps I should start a moving business” he joked with a laugh, “How is living with Clint going?” he added.

Kate laughed, too. “You’d make like, a million bucks,” she said, grinning softly. “Things are great. I’ve turned into a total girl and a complete sap, but it’s amazing to wake up next to him every morning, and get to cuddle with Lucky whenever I want to.”

It was an appealing idea, people always wanted things done faster and so far he’d not found anybody as fast as he was. Pietro laughed at that, “I think it is acceptable, as long as you are also still a badass with a bow yes?” he grinned.

Kate laughed. “Absolutely. I’m definitely still a badass with a bow. And the more I dream, the more badass I feel. Though sometimes my Dreams are all… soap opera drama stuff. But most of the time I’m like totally saving the world.”

“It is a good feeling, I have this also recently in my dreams too” Pietro told her, “After a little time fighting the wrong battle my sister and I have been working with the Avengers, it is a good feeling. To help others”

“Wait, you’re working with the Avengers now? That’s awesome!” Kate said, grinning brightly. “Because I’m pretty much an Avenger myself,” she added, proud as can be. “I mean, I work with Clint all the time. I pretty much live at his place.” She paused. “In the Dreams, I mean. In this world we do live together, so…”

“Clint Barton, indeed. I like him, in my dreams he is funny. I tease him and he threatens to shoot me. It is all good fun” Pietro grinned, from what he knew the Clint here had different dreams to himself and Wanda which was a shame but not all that unusual it seemed.

Kate grinned at that. “He does?” She asked, turning to look at Pietro. “I wish we had the same Dreams. I’d love to see that.” It’d be better than her own Dreams about Clint. He was kind of a disaster in them.

“He does” Pietro confirmed, he rather liked their banter. He had a lot of respect for the archer. “It is a shame they seem to be alternate dimensions, somebody Wanda knows dreams about another version of us where we have another sister” It was all rather fascinating.

“Oh?” Kate thought she’d heard some of those things. It seemed that everyone was Dreaming something slightly different. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it meant she had to be careful what she said to whom and when. She didn’t want to spoil things. Then again, the only person she really talked to about all this was Clint. And Pietro, obviously. “Damn, it’s so crazy. We’re all like, Alternate Universe versions of ourselves.”

“Crazy is definitely the word for it” Pietro agreed, “I prefer my version, in others it appears Wanda and I are not exactly on the side of good” he added.

“Huh.” Kate said, wondering exactly what that meant. Was he a villain sometimes and a good guy others? “Well, yeah, I mean, no one really wants to be on the bad side.” She said. “That’s like people wanting to be a sith lord, or something.” Of course she’d seen those movies. Both Harrison Ford and Ewan McGregor were freakin’ hot.

Pretty much exactly that from what Wanda had been able to learn from her friend Jean, it was interesting. “I am sure there must be some, I mean power calls to certain people doesn’t it. I imagine those are the kinds of people who would want to be on that side, even if they do lose every time”

“Yeah, maybe they don’t know they’re evil. I mean, that’s the best villain, right? The one who doesn’t know he’s being selfish or fighting for the wrong ideals?” Kate asked. There weren’t that many villains in her Dreams, but she’d dealt with her fair share. She wanted to believe the best in people in this world, though.

“Yes that is true. Sometimes you follow a path not realising what the outcome would truly mean” Pietro nodded, “There is usually a good reason for things, I do not think people are ‘born evil’ for no reason”

“I like to think that way, too,” Kate said, though she was musing on it. Nature vs. Nurture would be easier if there were always tried and true reasons for people who had gone bad and done horrible things. But there weren’t always reasons, were there? Serial killers who came from happy households and teenagers with loving, devoted parents and friends bringing guns to school? The world was a mess sometimes. And Kate was just doing her part to try and make it better.

“Did I tell you I got hit in the head by a can of beans in one of my Dreams?” She grinned as she changed the subject.

Pietro liked to think the best of the world and people and didn’t like to think evil was just something there waiting.

He laughed at Kate’s statement, “Seriously?” he said, because that sounded ridiculous, “How did that happen? Were you shopping and the shelf was too tall?” he teased.

“There were some fucktards looting this pharmacy, and I needed to get some medicine for someone during a huge storm? And one guy totally beaned me in the head. Literally.” Kate said, motioning to the back of her head where the can bashed into it.

“Ouch” Pietro winced, “Did you wake up with a headache?” he asked, because that was just the kind of thing the dreams would do.

“It was probably the worst headache ever. Like a hangover, really, without the fun the night before.” She shook her head a bit. “The worst part is I know more shit like that’s gonna hit me.”

“That really does suck” Pietro said with a wince, “Oh? You are a little trouble magnet hmm? I am not surprised”

“Yeeeeah,” Kate admitted sheepishly. “Clint and I get into all kinds of trouble. That’s after forming my own superhero team with some of my best friends. I’m sure I’ve got a lot of trouble waiting for me in the future.”

“I am sure you do but at least that means your dreams will be interesting yes? Better than boring dreams about working in a call centre or something” he grinned.

Kate laughed. “I dunno what I’d do if my Dreams were boring. So far so good, I haven’t died yet. Or caught some weird disease or lost a limb. I think those would be the worst case scenarios. But knowing Dream!Me? She’d just keep kicking right along. That’s how she rolls.”

“I am hoping that mine are the same” Pietro said, “I mean I am too fast for anything else” he winked.

“Ha! Well, if your Real Life is any indication, I couldn’t help but assume as much.” Kate said. She finished her smoothie and tossed the cup into the trash.

“Of course” Pietro told her with an easy smile, the dreams weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but he did like the real world benefits he’d gained from them. He wouldn’t give those up for anything.