new york wolves } { of healing and social lives

[hereditare]

Peter: [after about 10 hours of sleeping, there is groaning, then snarling as his neck hurt when he goes to move his head]

Laura: [glances over and reaches over to steady him] Easy. The healing's going to be a little slower because of the drugs.

Peter: [she would be able to feel his pain if she touched him] Is my head at least still connected to my body? [because it felt like it was barely holding on]

Laura: [she does and she'll pull some of that pain, brushing a hand over the top of his head gently] Yes. Your head is still attached to you neck.

Peter: [there’s a soft whimper, his head pressing into her hand a bit as he took a slow breath] Remind me never to get another tattoo.

Laura: Done. [there's a beat] Marcus gave me some morphine for the pain, and something to keep it from getting infected.

Peter: I think the drugs are wearing off so why don't we see how long I can go to let it heal on it's own? [blue eyes opened to look up at her] It's not as bad as it was before.

Laura: [nods a bit] Okay. [she then shifts the bowl to the spot between them] Popcorn?

Peter: [goes to lift his arm... and sighs] The drugs are also prolonging the effects of the kanima venom.

Laura: [nods once before moving the bowl back again] Then I say we should at least try and avoid the morphine until it wears off for good.

Peter: I'm inclined to agree. [focuses his ears] What in god’s name are you watching?

Laura: The Other Guys. [which she responds to just in time for this]

Peter: You are still in love with everything Mark Wahlberg, aren't you?

Laura: I don't know what it is. I'm just ... inexplicably charmed by everything he does.

Peter: If you are having a marathon of him, can I request Shooter next at least?

Laura: I just happened to find it on TV. If you're still awake you can pick the next one.

Peter: Okay. [though being immobile makes it hard to want to stay awake. He keeps trying to reach of the popcorn though, and after about an hour his arm starts to move]

Laura: [will leave the bowl between them so that when he's mobile he can get there]

Peter: [and soon he's moving to carefully prompt himself up better on the bed, taking a handful of popcorn and carefully eating it] So, any word?

Laura: Nope. But I'm not exactly waiting for it.

Peter: Not even a peep from your favorite detective?

Laura: [smirks] Not a peep that you want to hear about.

Peter: [there's a small smile at that as he munches on his popcorn] Hint taken. [Laura may be his niece, but in the last few years she had come to fill in that role he needed from the loss of his sister and his anger at Derek not in the alpha way, but in the family companion way] I'm happy for you.

Laura: We're still feeling it out. But it's good.

Peter: That's good. There's no reason for you to rush.

Laura: [oh, there are reasons, but Peter doesn't need to hear those either] He's a good guy.

Peter: Good. [he takes another handful] Then I don't have to do the imposing uncle routine at him.

Laura: I'm .... not sure if it would work.

Peter: [doesn’t move his head, just his eyes and eyebrows] Should I take that as a challenge then?

Laura: Do you want to play the imitation game with a seasoned marine who knows what you are and really doesn't care?

Peter: [smiles] You take all the fun out of it.

Laura: [she laughs] I think I'm intimidating enough for him right now.

Peter: [reaches over and takes her hand] Well, you are the alpha. He's going to have to learn his place [smirking]

Laura: [rolls her eyes a bit] I'm sure he'll catch on fine.

Peter: Mh hmm.

Laura: What about you and Nadia? [there may be a little bit of a sing-song tone as she says the name]

Peter: We're still.... feeling it out. [smirk]

Laura: That's good though. That you have someone you like spending time with, that isn't us.

Peter: Not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, but it is nice to have someone with similar interests to talk to.

Laura: She seems to really like you.

Peter: God knows why. I'm insufferable at best.

Laura: She likes a challenge.

Peter: That I believe a hundred percent.

Laura: I guess it's a good thing that you challenge her then.

Peter: Perhaps. I will admit, I had hoped she would come out with Marcus.

Laura: Maybe she figured she'd see you when you could have an actual conversation with her.

Peter: Probably so. [but he had actually meant it when he had asked her to be there to hold his hand. In some ways, he was a bit disappointed, but he understood it at the same time]

Laura: [glances back at him for a moment, before reaching over and squeezing his shoulder] That's a heavy thing to be there for. I don't think she said no because she didn't care.

Peter: No, I know. I'm not upset. [he sighs. Not that he didn't love Laura or appreciate her presence in helping him heal, he had started to wonder in his mind what it would be like to wake up next to Nadia. Not that he had done anything to act on that before, but it had been in his mind]

Laura: [smirks a bit as she turns to face him, because she nat 20'd that reading between the lines and is now looking like the cat - or rather the wolf - that ate the canary] Maybe you should try making a move instead.

Peter: [raising an eyebrow] Excuse me?

Laura: Just ... I have a feeling that a lot of the early steps in this relationship has been you making the boundaries, right?

Peter: [deep sigh because why was he having this discussion? Oh yes, because Laura was his confidant] If you must infer, yes.

Laura: If you don't like where the boundaries are, maybe you should change them.

Peter: If this conversation is going the direction I believe it is - I'm not certain I'm comfortable going in certain directions. Ever.

Laura: [rolls her eyes] Not ... exactly in that direction, but close to it. I was thinking something along the lines of asking her out to dinner and not a friend dinner.

Peter: You know I haven't been on a real date since before the fire.

Laura: I do. And I have a feeling so does she.

Peter: I believe that she knows more than I give her credit for. She has a way of knowing things from me without my speaking them.

Laura: Then no need to be nervous about it. Just ... plan an evening for the two of you like you normally would, just up the romance a little.

Peter: It's been even longer since I've been romantic.

Laura: Romance isn't that hard. Make her dinner, use candles instead of the lights, pick a place with a nice view.

Peter: [chuckles] And then cue the awkward silences.

Laura: [rolls her eyes] You're still the same people. Do you have trouble talking to her when you're alone now?

Peter: No.

Laura: Then you shouldn't have any trouble talking to her now.

Peter: Well, we shall see. We still have awhile before it is even safe to return home.

Laura: [she nods in agreement] Or - and I will only veer down this particular path once - you could not use words at all.

Peter: [and she will just get the look]

Laura: I know it's not your forte, that you like to talk, but occasionally actions do speak louder than words. And that is all I will say on it.

Peter: [sighs and goes to shake his head and winces in pain and then curls up a bit as his hand just punches the mattress]

Laura: [gives him a sympathetic face] Want that morphine now?

Peter: [he tries to breathe through it, fingers gripping the blanket] Yes. [he's keeping his head very still, regretting have even sat up at all at this point]

Laura: [turns to the bedside table to grab one of the vials, and injecting it into his arm without preamble. Less chance for him to tense up that way]

Peter: [and Marcus left them the good, strong stuff. Give it about 30 seconds, and Peter is going to just slump to the side into Laura's lap, doped up wolf once again]

Laura: [smiles a bit at that, before brushing a hand through his hair soothingly while she goes back to the movie]

Peter: [and yeah, that hand is going to lull him back to sleep again]

Laura: [sleep well, Peter. She'll pester you some more about your love life in the morning]