Distance makes the heart grow fonder

Peter's eyes drifted over her as she lay back. He smiled, She'd gotten hot, while she was away. He smiled at her, "Oh I bet it was great, it sucks that you had to come back," he said softly. He gently placed his hand on her thigh gently as he looked into her eyes. "High school, has been... pretty boring," he said softly.

@ Aoibhe

Charlie laughed a little awkwardly and nodded "yeah it is I guess, but I was told how much you missed me and I couldn't just leave you hanging" she teased with a laugh. She figured by how he was talking he hadn't been told exactly why she was back here, and she actually preferred that.

"I mean no offence or anything... But it's pretty boring around here, so I wouldn't expect anything different" she commented, pulling her hair behind her ear as she looked looked up at him. "You have a girlfriend?" She aked him, genuinely interested.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter chuckled softly, "Well I'm glad you are back, to keep me company," he said softly. He shifted slightly on the bed. He had been expecting a question about his personal life, but had been hoping it wouldn't come so fast.

He blushed slightly, "Ah no, no girlfriend, still a uh virgin to be honest," he admitted, his cheeks going an even deeper shade of red. His hand was still gently placed on her thigh, sliding slowly higher.

@ Aoibhe

Charlotte smiled at him, givving his hair a little russle, causing her to lean in a bit closer to him on the bed. Although she tried to hide it, her face was clearly taken aback when he told her he was a virgin. "Oh ahh... Oh" she said quickly, looking down at her hands.

"I'm sorry... I just wasn't really expecting that. Sorry" she said, stumbling over her words a little bit. He really had changed so much since she last saw him, she was certain he would have had his choice of girls if he wanted them... And she would've questioned if he was gay if it weren't for his hand rising up her things, which she was choosing to ignore for now

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter chuckled softly, "yeah I suppose it is odd, it's a little awkward still living here with our parents," he said lightly. He sighed, "plus dad has been very clear, about not getting a girl pregnant," he added.

He shifted back on the bed slightly, moving away from her. "What about you? did you meet a sophisticated French guy?" he asked softly

@ Aoibhe

Charlotte pulled her hair back out of her face, tying it up in a messy bun as she listened. "Yeah I guess, I was lucky living with friends I Paris I guess .." she said with a shrug. She hadn't thought about how restrictive living with her dad was going to be again. She chuckled slight as she looked at him "you won't get anyone pregnant if your careful" she teased, giving g him a playful little shove before straightening up on the mattress.

" One, several who was counting, C'est la Vie" Charlie said with a soft laugh, although a slight sadness crept in to her face before she caught herself on.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter chuckled, "well I was happy not to risk it, I didn't really meet anyone worth it," he said. He looked her over. "Well, I hope you had a good time," he said. He sat up on the bed again, "well I suppose, I should give you some privacy, in case you wanted to change before dinner, maybe have a shower," he said.

@ Aoibhe

Charlie nodded softly, she was worried she had made him feel uncomfortable or something. , It hadn't been her intention at all. "You're probably better off... As in waiting for the right person or whatever" she added with a soft smile before standing up.

"Yeah I think I'm gonna go take a shower.. you can stay here though.. it's your room after all, if you don't mind me popping in and out for a little?" She aked him before standing up and gathering a few things. "Petey?" She asked, stepping close to him. "I missed you" she added, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter nodded, "yeah I suppose, plus it'll mean more, if the first time is with some I care about," he said softly. He nodded lightly to her, "yeah of course, my room is your room for now," he said softly. He hugged her back, "welcome Home Charlie," he said softly. He pulled back smiling, "hopefully everything will calm down, now you're back," he said.

@ Aoibhe

Charlie nodded and headed out towards the bathroom, pausing on the landing for a second. She could hear their parents talking in hushed voices downstairs and she tried her best to make out what they were saying. "I don't want them spending much time together, she's a bad influence" she heard her stepmother hiss. She didn't bother sticking around to hear her dad, she just slipped in to the bathroom letting the door close loudly behind her.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter decided he should spend the time she was in the shower, tidying up the spare room for her. He slipped out of his room once he heard the door close. "Yeah, but at least she got kicked out of school, and didn't leave for no reason," his stepfather replied back.

Peter moved to the spare room, and continued going through the boxes. It was where most of his father's things, along with Charlie's mother's things had been stored. What was kept of it anyway.

@ Aoibhe

Charlie spent much longer than was necessary in the shower, the heat turned up to the highest as she massaged her scalp. Eventually she turned off the water and headed back towards Pete's room to get changed. She could still hear her stepparents talking in hushed tones.

She rolled her eyes to herself knowing she would need to have a conversation with them later. She changed into something comfortable before venturing out on to the landing, following the sounds from the spare bedroom. "Hey, you don't need to rush cleaning this out I'm fine on the sofa" she said as she watched Peter lifting boxes around, his muscles flexing as he did so.

@ A Drop On the Window

Pete was slowly going through boxes of his father, and shifting the other's trying to organise them somewhat. He had made some progress on the room, the bed was finally cleared off properly. When he heard her come in, he turned around, "Oh hey, no worries, can't have you on the sofa," he said lightly. He smiled she looked cute in her outfit.

"Some of this stuff is from your mother," he commented lightly. He moved over to her, "that's why I've taken so long to clear it, some of my dad's stuff is here," he said.

@ Aoibhe

Charlotte opened up on of the boxes and scoffed softly, shaking her head. "I bet you could just dump it. My mother isn't the sentimental type" she commented, a sharp edge to her words as they came out.

She shook out her damp hair as she looked at what he had in his hands, her face softening a little. "That some of your dad's stuff?" She asked him sweetly, leaning back against one of the dressers as they spoke.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter looked at her, "I thought you might want to go through some of it," he said softly. He nodded weakly when she asked if it was his dad's stuff. "Yeah, I still miss him," he said lightly. His father had died, which is why he found it so hard to fit in with his step family.

He patted the bed next to him, "Come on join me," he asked lightly. He was glad he at least had one person to talk to in this house again.

@ Aoibhe

Charlotte nodded and sat down with him. She rested her head against his shoulder softly. "How long has it been now? Since he died?" She asked softly. Charlotte always felt a little bad bitching about her mother to Petey, at least both of her parents were still around.

"I can't imagine how hard it must be Pete... I can clear all this stuff if you find it hard going through it?" She offered gently.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter smiled weakly, "about a year before our parents met," he reminded her. He put his hand on her leg again, "I can't believe mum never talks about him, that she treats his memory so badly," he said. He looked around the room. "It's okay, it's nice to be able to talk with someone again," he said lightly.

He looked at her, thinking for a moment, "can you help me move some of his boxes into my room?" he asked lightly.

@ Aoibhe

Charlie put her hand on top of his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She nodded understandingly as he talked about his mother. "Yeah it must be difficult to watch, I'm always happy to talk with you Petey" she told him with a soft smile, turning her head to look up at him. "Even if you are a giant loser" she teased lightheartedly and pulled a little face at him.

"Of course I can help move it" she agreed.

@ A Drop On the Window

Peter chuckled lightly, as she teased him. "Well at least I didn't quit school in France," he said. He smiled when she agreed to help him. "Come on, then we can make your new room amazing, most of these boxes were his," he said.

@ Aoibhe

Charlie stuck her tongue out at him, deciding not to respond to that comment just yet. She stood up off the bed nodding, and picked up two boxes, gritting her teeth slightly under the weight as she began to move them across the hall. She was glad the movement of the boxes was drowning out the conversations from downstairs.

@ A Drop On the Window