[ His frown only deepens at that. In the early days he might have refused outright, would have needed convincing, but now, at least, he considers it. Almost two years without magic means he’s regained some bad habits, but at least now it translates to mild reluctance rather than absolute refusal.
It helps, too, that exhaustion is well and truly settling in, and part of him thinks that if they start moving, they won’t get very far.
Peter lets out a quiet breath, leaning back against the rough wall of the tree. ]
[ He doesn’t realize that he’s holding his breath until Peter eases back against the wall of the log, and he lets it all out in a relieved sigh. (And honestly, he’s not sure what he was more worried about, Peter refusing the magic, or insisting on pushing himself.) ]
Casting the spells might drain me a bit, but after that I’ll be fine. We’ll be resting anyway.
[ He’s got power to spare, considering his magic never saw much use at the cabin. It kind of feels good to flex his magical muscles again, but he knows better than to overdo it. Laying the wards shouldn’t be too bad, and as long as they rest afterwards, he’ll be fine by morning.
But he still stalls for a moment, reluctant to leave Peter’s side or let go of his hand. Eventually he finds the motivation, brushing his thumb over Peter’s hand once more before pulling away. ]
[ He gives Charlie’s hand a quick squeeze before he pulls away entirely, and he tries to smother the almost familiar pang of loss that sounds low in his chest.
Just for a little while, he has to remind himself, and for a surreal second, he wants desperately to kick himself that he even needs the reminder. Stupid, he knows, to throw himself headlong into this partnership again; he needs to stay at least a little detached, just to stave off disappointment.
He forces himself to offer a small, wry smile. Lightly, ]
I’m not going anywhere.
[ Because now that he’s let himself get comfortable, now that he’s let himself acknowledge that he’s pretty spent, the idea of moving sounds like a pretty poor one. And because it bears repeating, ]
[ Though he says it with a slight roll of his eyes. It’s kind of cute how Peter’s being all protective, but Charlie’s not the one with the hole in his back.
He slips away, stepping outside of their little shelter. Laying wards is a complicated business, and it takes him nearly a full hour to get it set up to his liking, but anyone passing by should be inclined not to give the log so much as a second glance, and that should be more than enough in case Peter’s old team somehow picks up their trail.
It takes more out of him than he thought it would, though, and he’s looking a little weary by the time he finally trundles back into their hiding spot. ]
Sorry about that. Wards aren’t all that quick anyway, but I think I overestimated my own speed.
[ Peter spends the next hour or so in something of a haze, exhausted but forcing himself to stay awake in case he needs to act. The poultice Charlie applied to his wound helps to keep the pain from reverberating up and down his side, and while it still aches, shifting around to wake himself up isn’t nearly as painful as it could be.
At the tail end of an hour, Peter frowns; if it weren’t for the whisper of movement and the crunch of Charlie’s boots in the dirt, he would start worrying in earnest. As it is, when Charlie finally reenters the hollow tree, Peter studies him with a surprising sort of sharpness, despite the bleariness of his eyes – which means he immediately notices how drained Charlie looks. Peter straightens, giving Charlie another once-over. ]
You alright?
[ Because no matter how often he saw Charlie use his magic in the six months they spent together, Peter never could quite shake the guilt from that first evening when he saw the aftermath of Charlie pushing himself to the very edge of his limits. ]
[ That sudden, sharp concern startles him. There’s a lot of things he remembers about Peter, a lot of things he would think about as the months rolled past, but he somehow forgot about his penchant for worrying about him. Apparently, he never could shake that first meeting, when Charlie drained his reserves of magic dry and looked like he was an inch away from passing out.
The bewildered, owlish look on Charlie’s face smooths away into something softer, part amused, part fond, as he casts Peter a small smile. ]
I’m fine. Just a little tired, but it’s not too bad.
[ Lightly, unconcerned, as he steps into their hiding place. Instead of settling across from Peter like he had before, he opts to sit next to him, lightly pressing their shoulders together. ]
I’m not the one who took an arrow to the back, here. How’s your wound?
[ He nods a little, as if affirming that “tingly” is a good thing. It’s better than being in pain, that’s for sure. After that, he just sort of lets things fall quiet. He’s beat, and he imagines Peter is too. They both need some sleep and—
And the soft little nudge at his side draws his attention. He glances over. ]
You don’t have to thank me, Peter. I’d— I’d do anything… for you.
[ That last part comes out quietly, a little embarrassed. It’s a bit much, considering they’ve only just reunited, but it tumbles out all the same. ]
[ The weight of those words fall heavily on him, punching the air from his chest, and Peter falls silent again, licking his lips a little nervously.
At length, all he can manage is another, ]
... Thanks.
[ And his voice is small, though no less grateful. Peter’s just not entirely sure what to do with the significance of those words, with how strongly they resonate with something in him.
Another second of silence and Peter clears his throat softly, giving Charlie another gentle nudge. ]
[ Ah, that probably was too much, but for once it's something Charlie is willing to let slide. Maybe when their two weeks are up, he can bring it back up when he tells Peter he'd like to stick together. (Because for all that Peter thinks that they need to try this out, Charlie's already decided.)
He does nearly protest Peter taking the first watch, but he's been in here resting while Charlie can feel exhaustion seeping in after throwing around so much magic today. ]
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Wizard, remember? I can put some wards up.
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It helps, too, that exhaustion is well and truly settling in, and part of him thinks that if they start moving, they won’t get very far.
Peter lets out a quiet breath, leaning back against the rough wall of the tree. ]
Not gonna put a drain on you, is it?
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Casting the spells might drain me a bit, but after that I’ll be fine. We’ll be resting anyway.
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[ A tad reluctantly, even as he forces himself to relax a little. ]
Just... be careful. Don’t push yourself too much. You’ve already done a lot today.
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[ He’s got power to spare, considering his magic never saw much use at the cabin. It kind of feels good to flex his magical muscles again, but he knows better than to overdo it. Laying the wards shouldn’t be too bad, and as long as they rest afterwards, he’ll be fine by morning.
But he still stalls for a moment, reluctant to leave Peter’s side or let go of his hand. Eventually he finds the motivation, brushing his thumb over Peter’s hand once more before pulling away. ]
I’ll be right back.
no subject
Just for a little while, he has to remind himself, and for a surreal second, he wants desperately to kick himself that he even needs the reminder. Stupid, he knows, to throw himself headlong into this partnership again; he needs to stay at least a little detached, just to stave off disappointment.
He forces himself to offer a small, wry smile. Lightly, ]
I’m not going anywhere.
[ Because now that he’s let himself get comfortable, now that he’s let himself acknowledge that he’s pretty spent, the idea of moving sounds like a pretty poor one. And because it bears repeating, ]
Be careful.
no subject
[ Though he says it with a slight roll of his eyes. It’s kind of cute how Peter’s being all protective, but Charlie’s not the one with the hole in his back.
He slips away, stepping outside of their little shelter. Laying wards is a complicated business, and it takes him nearly a full hour to get it set up to his liking, but anyone passing by should be inclined not to give the log so much as a second glance, and that should be more than enough in case Peter’s old team somehow picks up their trail.
It takes more out of him than he thought it would, though, and he’s looking a little weary by the time he finally trundles back into their hiding spot. ]
Sorry about that. Wards aren’t all that quick anyway, but I think I overestimated my own speed.
no subject
At the tail end of an hour, Peter frowns; if it weren’t for the whisper of movement and the crunch of Charlie’s boots in the dirt, he would start worrying in earnest. As it is, when Charlie finally reenters the hollow tree, Peter studies him with a surprising sort of sharpness, despite the bleariness of his eyes – which means he immediately notices how drained Charlie looks. Peter straightens, giving Charlie another once-over. ]
You alright?
[ Because no matter how often he saw Charlie use his magic in the six months they spent together, Peter never could quite shake the guilt from that first evening when he saw the aftermath of Charlie pushing himself to the very edge of his limits. ]
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The bewildered, owlish look on Charlie’s face smooths away into something softer, part amused, part fond, as he casts Peter a small smile. ]
I’m fine. Just a little tired, but it’s not too bad.
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Don’t push yourself. If you keel over, I’m just going to point and laugh.
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[ Lightly, unconcerned, as he steps into their hiding place. Instead of settling across from Peter like he had before, he opts to sit next to him, lightly pressing their shoulders together. ]
I’m not the one who took an arrow to the back, here. How’s your wound?
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[ And he punctuates it by waggling his fingers, as if the gesture might help emphasize it. ]
A whole lot better than it would’ve been if I had to deal with it on my own, though.
[ He falls silent for a few seconds, head bowed. Then, he gives Charlie a tentative little nudge in the side with his elbow. ]
... Thank you. [ Quiet, uncertain. ] For... showing up. And for— [ another small gesture, this time toward the bandage swathing his middle. ] —this.
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And the soft little nudge at his side draws his attention. He glances over. ]
You don’t have to thank me, Peter. I’d— I’d do anything… for you.
[ That last part comes out quietly, a little embarrassed. It’s a bit much, considering they’ve only just reunited, but it tumbles out all the same. ]
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At length, all he can manage is another, ]
... Thanks.
[ And his voice is small, though no less grateful. Peter’s just not entirely sure what to do with the significance of those words, with how strongly they resonate with something in him.
Another second of silence and Peter clears his throat softly, giving Charlie another gentle nudge. ]
Rest up. I can take first watch.
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He does nearly protest Peter taking the first watch, but he's been in here resting while Charlie can feel exhaustion seeping in after throwing around so much magic today. ]
... All right. Wake me if anything happens.