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“Argh.” Connor sat up dislodging the larger man and pushed off the bed slowly. The headache was tolerable and the pain in his knees no worse then the frequent occasions when he’s stacked the Harley. “Omelet?” Connor’s long fingers caressed Peter’s shoulder.
“Oh yeah, man I haven’t had one of those since you left.” Peter smiled. “I got time for a shower?”
“Yes, do I have clothes in that bag?” Connor pointed to the suitcase and Peter hopped off the bed opening it on the floor before them.
“I didn’t know what to pack so I just grabbed a few things, there’s a suit in the wardrobe, and” Peter began rummaging through the suitcase.
“I see you packed all your favorite things.” Connor teased.
“But of course.”
“Hand me some jeans and a shirt babe.”
~~~****~~~
Anton fretted over the medical files in front of him and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt as though a storm was brewing and he was unable and perhaps unwilling to stop it. Connor had never been a forgiving man when his personal life was in jeopardy and that he had lent fuel to fire in ostracizing Peter made him certain that he had lost favor of the Professor for good.
“Looks compelling.” Connor limped into the kitchen and peered over Anton’s shoulder.
“Actually it’s your case file.”
“Ah don’t tell me Elsinger was stupid enough to keep one on me at the lab?”
“Yes he was, friend of Matt’s liberated it for me. How do you feel?”
“Like I got knocked on the head with a gun and fell on glass.”
“No dizziness, no nausea?” Anton peered intently at the man as he rummaged in the fridge for eggs and cheese.
“Anton, I’m fine. I must congratulate you however.” Connor’s voice was amiable as he turned dark eyes on the other man.
“I’m almost afraid to ask.” Anton smiled weakly.
“I would be if I were you, but then luckily I’m not.”
“Meaning?” Anton leaned back and put his glasses down on the kitchen table.
“At what point would your much vaunted intellect have alerted you to the fact that Peter was suffering?” Connor didn’t still his movements instead; almost placidly he cracked the eggs into a bowl and began whisking adding condiments and herbs as he went.
“I approached him Connor, on several occasions, finally he had some grief counseling with Sonja but you know as well as I do that he had to make that step.”
“Yes, the great step. It’s a fine comparison theory Anton, doesn’t really stack up when you find them in their own blood does it?”
“I assessed Peter and I did not think he was suicidal.” Anton squared his shoulders.
“Yes however you never protected him either. You knew better than anyone left that Elsinger was manipulating him, saw what his friends were doing to him, felt his pain and still the good doctor decided he’s not suicidal so its not my problem. Convenient Anton and bloody pathetic.”
“Connor,” Anton adopted his reasonable tone and huffed slightly. “If I had known that you and Peter had a relationship, that losing you would affect him so deeply I would have moved a lot sooner. I regret that I didn’t, but in that time Elsinger manipulated all of us.”
“Excuses Anton, that’s all it is. It took a stranger to see him dying before his eyes to do something before his friends did.” Connor slammed the bowl down on the table and glared at the older man. His countenance was foreboding and cruel in the afternoon light and Anton shrank from it.
“You’re right.” Anton answered. “We didn’t care, not the way that friends are supposed to. I got lost in an experiment, Connor I was MIA as well for a while and when I got back I had Katherine and was preoccupied with my own life.”
“Nevertheless, you still let Lindsey barrack him, you still allowed people to treat him badly, you knew Curtis’s track record and it didn’t occur to you that he was setting Peter up? I trusted you Anton. You were the only one I trusted to look after him and you let me down.” Connor’s shoulders stayed rigid as he glowered, Anton felt his presence like the storm that it was and nothing he could say or do would redeem him to the man.
“I’m sorry.”
“I bet you are, fortunately Peter forgives you.”
“And what about you?” Anton looked up.
“While rationally I understand your position, I cannot emotionally accept it. Friends are stronger than family, we choose to be with each other and not because of commitment but because we want to. You saw and did nothing and that makes you untrustworthy and culpable in my book.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Do?” Connor swung back to the stove and sprinkled grated cheese over the eggs in the pan and added mushrooms. “Anton, at this point in time I really don’t think there is anything you can do.”
“So I can assume you won’t be coming back to the OSIR?” Anton sagged visibly.
“Oh I’ll come back.” Connor’s voice was deathly quiet. “Long enough to help Peter clean out his office and shove your faces as far into the shit as I can.”
“No.” Peter’s voice came from the doorway.
“No what?” Connor seethed as he was wrapped in a firm embrace. Matt had heard the exchange from the lounge room and decided that despite his regard for Anton personally, this was one fight that was not his. Now he stood at the door and watched silently.
“I never gave them a chance Connor, you knew I wouldn’t and prepared us both for that. Anton did his best and Lindsey and I have made our peace. Leave it love, it’s as much my fault as it was theirs.”
Connor leaned back in the embrace and allowed Peter’s presence to soothe him as he flipped the omelet over and tipped it onto a plate.
“Anyone else want one?” Connor asked and Matt smiled.
“I’ll take one.”
“Anton?” Connor turned to look at the old doctor.
“Please.” Anton answered accepting the peace offering for what it was as he closed the files on the table.
“You made me an offer to come back.” Peter said around a mouthful of egg and cheese.
“You considering it?” Anton was stunned.
“Unfortunately no, but I will concede to offering what I can on a consultation basis, work and schedules permitting.”
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