There's Too Much Green To Feel Blue

Peter's new found strength felt wonderful. He could be happy for long period's of time again. But he noticed a significant change in something he just couldn't put his finger on.
"I healed faster this time." Peter said to Sam one morning over breakfast. They were seated opposite each other on the kitchen counter.
"You did what, now?" Sam asked distractedly as she placed grapes into her mouth.
"I mean, think about it. The first time you helped me, it took the first half of summer for me to realize that it was okay that Hash was in a coma. This time, it's been a week and I've made more progress than the first half of summer!"
"You're not exactly over it, sugar cube." Sam said eating a cherry.
"I know," Pete said picking up his last cherry, "but I--"
Sam reached over, gently pulled the cherry out from between his fingers and placed it slowly into her mouth. Peter didn't know why, but he was mesmerized by this act. Peter stayed staring at her. He wasn't staring in a perverted way, he just felt it was funny in a cute way. He kind of felt like he was watching an adorable kitten falling down, it made him want to go 'aw'.
"Cherry man," Sam said cutting into his thoughts, she snapped her fingers, "hey, you were saying?"
Peter stared at her open mouth, "You, you took my cherry."
Sam threw back her head and laughed, "Wow, that's hilarious. You made it sound both dirty and stupid." she sighed, "Just like Paris Hilton. So, what were you saying?"
Peter stared at her, "Something's wrong." he declared.
"No, there isn't, Pete, you underestimate your own strenght and value." Sam said licking her fingers.
Once again, Pete watched her. Every little thing she did was so fascinating and important nowadays, as it was with Lily. But he thought maybe she was right, she was always so encouraging and supportive and he supposed he didn't know his own strength.
"Maybe you're right," Peter agreed, "I've been through the worst, I can take on anything now."
"I hear that." Sam said, "Got anymore cherries?"
"I wish." Peter blurted out.
Sam looked at him worringly, "Okay, I'll buy you more later. Wow," she stood and gathered the plates, "talk about a guy who loves his cherries."
Peter laughed, "Now, that was dumb and dirty."
"Just like Paris Hilton!" they both said in unison before they laughed.
Sam was still laughing as she headed to the sink with the plates in hand.
"Let me help you." Peter said rounding the counter.
"No, I've got it." Sam said, "Help Lily get dressed."
"No, I want to help you." he said softly.
"Okay." Sam said. She turned and twisted the sink's knobs.
"Lily!" Peter called.
Lily immediately ran to the kitchen.
"Can I trust you to dress yourself today?" Peter asked leaning over her.
"Yes!" Lily gave him a thumb's up.
Pete smiled at her and tussled her hair, "Okay, love you."
"Love you, daddy." Lily called as she went to her room.
Peter turned to Sam, who stared at him and suddenly blew foam bubbles in his face from her hand.
"Ah, all I see is foamy bubbles!" Peter said squeezing his eyes shut and wiping his face.
"You wanted to help." Sam said wiping her hand on his black sweater with the red collar and diping her hands into the sink.
Peter wiped his eyes and opened them. He studied Sam as she washed the dishes. She wore a light blue dress, a green short shrug, matching caprice tights and blue flats. He self consciously looked at his sweater and blue jeans.
Sam turned her head over her shoulder and saw Peter looking at his shoes, "Peter, are you-----are you checking yourself out?!"
Peter looked up at her and flipped his hair to the side, "You look pretty today, Sam." he said.
"Oh." Sam said. She hadn't been expecting that response.
He rolled up his sweater sleeves and joined her on her left side.
"I wish I could say the same for you." Sam said smugly.
"What?" Peter asked dropping a plate into the soapy water.
She laughed, "I'm kidding, you dress...nice."
"What, what are you talking about?" Peter asked.
"I'm kidding." Sam repeated, "You're a fashionista, there, are you happy?"
Peter smiled and nodded, "Well, actually, yes."
He laughed as Sam splahed him with water. When they finished, Sam headed to her apartment while Peter took Lily to his mother's. His mother was being more understanding since he had taken an entire day to go and tell her everything that happened. She was willing to care for Lily more often since she understood he needed time to sort things out.
He dropped Lily off and headed back to the apartment. Sam was already inside when he arrived. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, facing the right wall.
"What are we doing today?" he asked closing the door.
"Aroma therapy." Sam answered placidly.
"What, what's up with that?" Peter asked.
"We haven't tried that one yet." Sam said.
"Are you serious?" Peter asked.
Sam looked at Peter, looked at the spot in front of her and then looked at him again.
Peter sighed and sat in front of her. There were candles already lit, resting on the small shelf under the tv.
"Okay, now, just sit, close your eyes and try to relax." Sam said as she closed her eyes, "Come on, let's be like Hawthorne Heights and concentrate on our healing." she said. "Or like Fergie and center clarity, peace, serenity."
Peter followed her instructions.
"Now breathe in," she inhaled, Peter copied her, "now breathe out."
Peter exhaled and suddenly sneezed.
"Hmm." Sam smiled but kept her eyes closed.
They inhaled and exhaled for ten minutes before Peter realized that all he could smell were strawberries. They smelled really good, they made his mouth water. For some reason, the smell was making him happy, he wanted more. He inhaled with relish, they smelled amazing. He kept exhaling quickly to be able to inhale the sweet strawberries. Peter tried to stay calm and not make any noise of satisfaction. The smell was smothering him and he loved it. The strawberries, they smelled so fresh and beautiful. He had the strongest urge to take a bite out of one and feel it's tartness in his mouth. He smiled and took a deep breath to savor the juicy strawberry smell. The smell.....he'd smelled it before. It smelled just like--
Peter opened his right eye to peek at Sam. She was seated with her eyes closed with a small smile on her face. He felt the urge to reach out and touch her lips with his fingers just to see what they felt like. He closed his eye again.
"Sam," Peter said, "what fragrance is this?"
"Lavender." Sam answered, her eyes still closed.
Peter's eyes snapped open.
"The smell of lavender is calming." Sam explained.
"Why do I smell strawberries?" Pete whispered to himself.
"What?" Sam asked.
"It's working." Peter lied.
He crawled toward Sam, he kept watching her eyes in case she opened them. As he leaned forward, the smell of strawberries grew stronger. He knew it. The smell was so intoxicating, he closed his eyes and took a few deep whiffs.
"What are you doing?" Sam suddenly asked.
Peter's eyes flew open, Sam's eyes were shut tight.
"I can sense you," Sam said answering Peter's unspoken question, "Right," she reached out a finger and blindly placed it on his nose, "here." she slowly opened her eyes, "What are you doing here?"
"Um," Peter glanced at the floor, then, back at Sam, "enjoying the smell." he answered truthfully.
Sam smiled, "Maybe we shoudn't try aroma therapy." she said.
"No, no!" Peter grabbed her shoulders,"I like it." he insisted.
Sam smiled wider and placed a hand on his cheek, "Okay," she said, "Pervert."
"Pervert?" he asked, "Do pervert's tackle people?"
"What?" Sam asked confused.
He threw himself at Sam and they fell to the floor.
"Ugh, I should've seen that one coming." Sam said as Peter rolled off and layed next to her, "What, are you a football player now?"
"I don't know, do you want me to be?" Peter laughed.
"Eww, no." Sam wrinkled her nose.
Peter grabbed her hands, "Let's go to the park." he suggested.
"What for?" Sam asked.
"I don't know, we're always just here indoors. Let's go outside and just have a normal day." Peter said.
"You sure?" Sam asked.
"I'll buy you an italian ice." he bribed.
"Okay." Sam said.
They walked to the park and looked around at all the children playing on the park's playground as they walked on the long public sidewalk.
"All three of us should come here again." Peter said remembering the one day they all came earlier in the summer.
"Yeah." Sam agreed.
She plucked a pink flower from a nearby bush and placed it in Peter's hair. "There I just glammed you up." Sam said.
"I don't need any glamming up." Peter said.
"Oh, that's right, you're a fashionista." Sam said rolling her eyes, "Keep dreaming, hula girl."
"I am a motherfucking fashionista." Petr grinned.
"Whatever, you're a fashionista." Sam said.
"Your mom's a fashionista." Peter said.
"Yeah, but only in bed." Sam said.
"What?" Peter asked half-laughing.
"Nothing, Mr. Couture." Sam laughed.
"Look at that giant ant hill." Peter pointed at a great lump of dirt off the sidewalk.
Sam went over and kneeled next to it.
"Do you ever wonder what it would feel like to be that tiny?" Peter asked.
"But aren't we already tiny? We are all really, really tiny in the grand scheme of thing." Sam said looking up at Peter.
"Kimya Dawson?" Peter asked.
Sam nodded, "Very good, grasshopper." Sam stood up and they continued walking, "We are tiny, we just happen to be bigger than those little critters."
Peter had begun to understand alot of Sam's view of life the moment he started listening to the Ipod she gave him. It really had began to change the way he looked and felt about things. He had no idea music could make him so aware.
"What are you thinking about, Peter? Are you thinking about Hash?" Sam asked.
"No, why?" Peter asked.
"I don't know, you had this--you had this look on your face like, like you had just kissed someone you cared about deeply but that persons' mouth was full of poop."
Peter looked over at her questioningly. That was, by far, the weirdest thing he'd ever heard her say.
"No, I wasn't thinking about Hash or poop. Where do you get these things? Would you kiss someone with a mouthful of poop?"
"That depends." Sam said.
"On the person?" Peter asked.
"Right." Sam said.
"Benji Madden?" Peter quizzed.
"Oh, yeah," Sam nodded, "yeah, without a doubt. I'd stick my tongue in there and everything."
"And Joel Madden?"
"Aw, hell, yes." Sam answered.
"Billy Martin?"
"Oh, good Lord, yes!" Sam said with a passion, "Yeah, yeah, I'd suck his face no matter what, I don't care what's in there."
"Wow," Peter marveled, "That's disgusting."
"That's love." Sam said.
"Maybe." Pete said.
They passed by a medium sized tree with a gnarled limb that jutted out. Sam went to it, quickly climbed the tree and sat on the gnarled limb. It was just slightly above Peter's head.
"Peter, what's it feel like?" she asked.
"What's it feel like, what?" Peter questioned.
"To be a ghost?" she laughed, "No, no...to be you....right now." she said.
Peter looked up at her, no one had ever asked him such a question.
"Right now?" Peter thought for a minute, "I don't know, right now everything's...." he frowned, "nice."
'Is that right?' Peter thought, questioning himself.
"How so?" Sam asked swinging her legs.
"Right now everything's just fine. I'm not too happy or too sad, I'm just relaxed. The weather's nice, the day is nice, the atmosphere is nice, this conversation's nice...everything's....nice."
"So, what you're saying is, right now, it's pretty damn nice to be Pete Wentz?" Sam asked.
Peter laughed, "Yes, yes, right now, it's pretty damn nice to be me, it's like buttered toast."
"I like buttered toast," Sam said, "buttered toast is cool. So you must be feeling pretty awesome."
"What a random question." Peter said.
Sam pushed herself off the limb and landed down in front of Peter on her feet, "Well, I'm a random person."
"You're a weird person." Peter corrected as they began to walk again.
"Well, who's weirder, the weird person or the guy who hangs out with the weird person?" Sam challenged.
"I think you've already said that to me before." Peter said.
"And, yet, you still haven't come up with an answer." Sam smiled.
"I'll show you an answer." Peter pulled her to him and bit her forearm.
Sam gasped and ran a few feet away, "Peter, don't do that!" Sam scolded.
"I know it turns you on, get over here!" Pete chased after her.
"No, stay away, you evil piranha!" Sam cried.
"I'm going to get you, you little masochist!" Peter cried.
Peter reached her and Sam immediately crossed two fingers in front of her, "No, wait, kinkis!" she cried.
"What?" Peter asked, not understanding.
"I mean, truce, truce!"Sam said.
"Why don't you just let me bite you?" Peter asked.
"Because I like it." Sam said.
"Exactly." Peter grabbed her arm.
"No," Sam sighed, "if I let you bite me, will you promise not to do it again....unless I ask you to?"
"Okay." Peter agreed.
"And you have to stop when I tell you." Sam added.
"Fine." Peter lowered his head and gently bit her forearm again.
Her white skin was very soft. Peter added a bit more pressure.
"Okay, stop." Sam said dead serious.
Peter released her and quickly licked her arm before he let her go.
"Ah, another fetish!" Sam cried.
"Oh, yeah, tell me one more." Peter urged.
"Scratching." Sam said, "That does not give you permission to do all of these things to me no matter what how much you want to, only if I ask you to."
"Yeah, that'll happen." Peter snorted.
"You're a meanie for doing that to me. Buy me an italian ice!" she demanded.
They went to the nearest park vendor and bought two pieces of italian ice. They returned to the park's playground and sat on a stone bench, the same bench Peter had sat on when he had been feeling glum about Hash.
"Not feeling too kinky anymore?" Peter asked as he pulled up his legs to sit indian style.
"Nope." Sam chirped.
"Damn." Peter joked.
Sam playfully shoved him. Peter looked over at the park entrance.
"You see that part of the fence near the entrance?" Peter pointed to the left of the entrance.
"Yeah." Sam answered.
"I kissed Hash there once." he shared, "It was our first kiss."
"How very romantic." Sam said unimpressed, "You kissed her in a public place where a crazy hobo could've slept and peed."
"You're a crazy hobo." Peter shot.
Sam giggled, "Yeah, that's me. I'm the crazy hobo and you're the guy who's telling everyone that the world's going to end."
Peter silently stared all around him. He looked at the laughing kids on the playground, the chattering parents sitting on the benches. He stared at the trees softly moving in the afternoon wind, he looked at the clear sky, he smelled the grass, he felt the italian ice cooling his hand.....He had meant it, you know, it really did feel nice to be him at this moment, right now.
"You never know how the next day life can be, huh?" Peter asked.
"Yeah." Sam agreed softly.
Peter stared at her, "We should come to the park more often."
Sam took a bite from her italian ice, "Yeah." she agreed softly again.
They remained in silence and watched the children play.