Peter follows the boy's gesture down to the book in his lap, staring there for a few long moments. Sketching... he's been drawing. There's an odd, sudden hitch in the older boy's chest β ghosts constantly follow him, whispering and creeping, and so many things make them flutter within Peter. He thinks of his sister's book, the one that she always kept with her, her little sketchesβ
There's an odd, quick little jerk of Peter's head, as though an insect's flown close to his ear and he's instinctively trying to make it leave. Can't think about it. Can't think about it.
The boy gives him new things to think about instead, and Peter does, slowly sinking down to sit beside him when gestured to, with an almost comical obedience: his body language as though he's a much younger child following an older person's orders. Peter sits there stiff and awkward, hands placed gently in his own lap.
"It's okay. Guess we're all a little jumpy." He manages to say, breathing out a soft exhale. "Yeah. I... I think I've only been here a couple days. It's hard to tell."
It's more words than he usually voices, something that's actually reminiscent of holding a conversation. Maybe it's easier to talk to someone who seems young and soft and safe (even if an aching heaviness lingers in his chest and he knows he deserves it to.)
no subject
There's an odd, quick little jerk of Peter's head, as though an insect's flown close to his ear and he's instinctively trying to make it leave. Can't think about it. Can't think about it.
The boy gives him new things to think about instead, and Peter does, slowly sinking down to sit beside him when gestured to, with an almost comical obedience: his body language as though he's a much younger child following an older person's orders. Peter sits there stiff and awkward, hands placed gently in his own lap.
"It's okay. Guess we're all a little jumpy." He manages to say, breathing out a soft exhale. "Yeah. I... I think I've only been here a couple days. It's hard to tell."
It's more words than he usually voices, something that's actually reminiscent of holding a conversation. Maybe it's easier to talk to someone who seems young and soft and safe (even if an aching heaviness lingers in his chest and he knows he deserves it to.)
"How long've you been here?"