alnifolia | [psl] it's such a mystery the way you know me

[ Kasumi had been a complete wreck when she called Charlie, but the wizard doesn't say as much. Instead, he reaches over and rests his hand on Peter and Kasumi's twined fingers.

A silent assurance that he's not going anywhere ]

[ He winces, guilt winding up in his throat, sour like bile. He looks down at his lap. ]

Sorry. For this whole mess, I mean.

[ She shakes her head. ]

Don't. I'm glad we could help.

[ Which is sort of a vast understatement, but "I'm glad we could save your life," feels a bit heavy. ]

It's not your fault, Peter.

Like Kasumi said, I'm just glad we could help.

Yeah, well. Still owe you guys one. [ Balances and ledgers and staying in the black -- that's what life's all about ayyyy.

He tips his head back against the headboard, eyes slipping shut. He's tired, and his body is a lead weight, and it's still too warm in here, and despite their assurances, he still feels guilty about all of this shit. ]

Don't tell me you've been spending all your time here. Your friends're probably worried about you guys.

[ Well, there was the time Peter saved her from bleeding out in an alley, too, but this isn't really about balances and ledgers and staying even. To Kasumi, it's about helping Peter because, well, she still really doesn't want to lose him. Sure, the Porter could bring him back, conceivably, but she'd rather not leave that up to chance. So to his first comment, she stays silent. At the second, she merely shakes her head and says with a light tone, ]

Nah. They're pretty used to me not being around sometimes.

And despite what it probably seems like, Nonah 005 isn't gonna burn down without me.

Besides, you two are important to me. There's no where I'd rather be.

You say that now, but when that house is a smouldering ruin, you're gonna wish you'd listened to me.

[ She spares Charlie a concerned glance, though it's pretty clear it's one being made in jest. ]

If you need to go check and make sure everything's still intact... Or that they didn't adopt another dozen animals while you were gone...

It's fine. Bull and Ken know where I am, anyway, and they'll call me if something disastrous happens.

That, or we'll be able to see the explosion from here.

You guys had better wake me up if there are fireworks.

Oh, come on. Like we'd let you miss something that big? Have some faith, Star-Lord.

If my house explodes, I hope you know I’m crashing here indefinitely.

Sounds more like Goto's problem than mine.

Might make the bringing guys home thing a little tricky, but I think we can manage.

I mean, as long as you don't mind sharing, I think we can work something out.

[ He snorts quietly. ]

You guys can keep that arrangement to yourselves, thanks.

I'm afraid there might a few people we can't share, Charlie.

[ and she shoots both of them an apologetic look. Leave it to Kasumi to steer this conversation off the rails. ]

Honestly, though. You guys are welcome to stay however long you need to.

[ and that, at least, should mean a lot coming from her. ]

[ He very nearly asks if Peter is on the “yes” or “no” list, but this isn’t the time. And he does, at least, realize the importance of such an invitation from Kasumi, and offers her a small smile. ]

I appreciate it.

You guys hungry? I could always go on a food run.

[ whatever just happened, whatever that was, totally went over Peter's head. Let's blame it on his injury. ]

I could probably go for a pizza covered in painkillers.

[ "Yes," is the answer to Charlie's unasked question. I mean. Look at them. Look at their lives. At Peter, she quirks a brow. ]

I hear pizza loud and clear. But I can get you some painkillers separately. I hear analgesics don't mesh with mozzarella.

I mean, you really want to, we can just let you sprinkle painkillers on your part of the pizza, but I'd rather have my part without.

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

[ and as for what Kasumi said-- ]

You have got to stop reading those blogs written by alarmist moms.

Excuse you, but alarmist mom blogs are a legitimate form of entertainment.

[ And with that, she's shifting to get out of the bed. Girl's gotta get ready, after all. Which is basically just her tying her hair up in a ponytail and then reaching for one of her many hooded garments. ]

Just where do you think you're going? I thought I was going on a food run.

[ There's a pause as he considers Peter. He knows the poor guy must still feel like crap, but he also knows Peter doesn't like being cooped up or fussed over, and right now he's had an overdose of both.

So it's against his better judgement that he says, ] Unless we all wanted to go somewhere.

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