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[nostalgiabomb]

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[nostalgiabomb]

[ He snorts. ]

Yeah, the upside down thing definitely was the cherry on top of a shitty day.

[animated]

People never really think their clothes can be used against them. It's a nice trick.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ When they make it to his room, Peter shrugs out of his jacket, tosses it onto a nearby chair, and eases himself down into bed. ]

Seriously I wish I had a camera during all that. The looks on their faces, man. [ He smirks a little. ] Priceless.

[animated]

Glad it worked out. After a certain point, I was improvising.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He holds out a hand for him, trying to get Charlie to join him on the bed. ]

Could hardly even tell. Seemed like you'd done it a million times before.

[animated]

[ he kicks off his shoes, slipping off his jacket and draping it over the chair with Peter's. The sight actually gives him pause, the two of their coats just... hanging together. They've done it a dozen times before, it shouldn't be anything special.

He blinks a couple of times, turning to give Peter a wry smile ]

It's not like I have stature on my side. I've got to be able to talk big.

[nostalgiabomb]

I know, Munchkin.

[ And he matches Charlie's smile with one of his own. ]

And damn, was it sexy.

[animated]

You can marvel at my sexiness later. You got the crap beat outa you, and you should probably take it easy.

[ Doesn't stop him from coming over and plopping down on the bed, though ]

[nostalgiabomb]

I always get the crap beat outta me.

[ Granted, the evidence isn't usually so obvious, since he typically has his helmet on. The skin around his eye is pretty swollen at this point, red and green and dark purples showing themselves in an abstract sort of splatter. ]

-- Still kinda pissed at you for not doin' what I told you. Just so you know.

[ He says that, but it comes out flat. ]

[animated]

Sorry.

[ He says that, but he doesn't sound sorry at all. ]

When you just up and tell me to go back to the ship because some unknown bad thing is happening, makes me reluctant to just leave you behind, you know?

[nostalgiabomb]

I don't see why. It seemed like a perfectly normal thing for me to say. Like, "Oh, look at that, it's Tuesday.

[animated]

Maybe because I worry about you?

[nostalgiabomb]

Dunno why you would. [ He settles into the bed, trying to get comfortable. ] I tend to come out on top, right?

[animated]

You worry about me, don't you?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He knows where this is going, so he does his best to deflect. ]

Only because your bones are basically dust.

[animated]

I've got your number Peter. Don't dodge the question.

[nostalgiabomb]

I'm not dodging. I'm just sayin', we gotta keep an eye on you, since you're all brittle.

[animated]

You are dodging. That's what you do.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He shrugs. ]

Kinda how I've stayed alive so long. Learning how to duck.

[ -- yep, still dodging. ]

[animated]

[ Peter, Peter. You should know by now that when push comes to shove, Charlie goes straight for the jugular. ]

Is that it? You duck and you dodge, and you keep people at an arm's length because, why? Because you don't want them to care about you? Because you don't know how to handle it when they do care about you?

I'm curious. Humor me with a straight answer, why don't you?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... wow, okay, he invites Charlie into his bed, and this is the thanks he gets? See if he invites you back in here ever again.

Because the thing of it is, he doesn't have an answer for that-- for any of it. Keeping his distance has always been his modus operandi -- it's how the Ravagers raised him, anyway, and he's never really given it a second thought. It just made sense.

People have come and gone in his life, and he's used to it. They either leave him, like Mom, or they end up on the wrong side, like Yondu and the Ravagers. And one of these days, the team is going to realize that Peter's the weak link in this group, and they'll move along, too. They'll keep up contact for a while, and then they'll fade away.

And eventually, Charlie is gonna see what a fucking lump he is, and cosmic entanglement or no cosmic entanglement, he's going to leave, too.

It's just what happens, and it's fine.

He sits up with a wince, sucking air between his teeth. ]

The hell do you want me to say, man? Boo-fucking-hoo, I can't handle affection. Is that it?

[animated]

Maybe, if it's the truth.

I'd just appreciate it if for once an attempt at an actual, serious conversation didn't turn into a joke about my age.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ he makes a frustrated noise ]

I don't know what the hell you want me to tell you, man. What the fuck do you want from me?

[animated]

All I want is for you to understand that you worry about me, I worry about you. That's how relationships work.

So don't act like I'm not supposed to care when I very clearly do.

[nostalgiabomb]

Fine. I worry. You worry. We're just a circlejerk of emotions that apparently needs to be acknowledged aloud.

Happy?