[center][h2][color=seagreen][u]Peter[/u][/color][/h2][/center]
Peter had an excruciating numbness to his mind. He heard the sound of a metric crap-ton of waterfalls crashing and consuming his mind, filling it with freezing, sluggish water. So many -[i]too[/i] many- emotions flooded into the pool, swirling and smashing against his limbic system. First, he was embarrassed. So horrendously, torturously embarrassed to have been caught in such a childish situation. That man, Peter couldn't even remember who exactly that was that interrupted, but that man had been correct in labeling his behavior as sophomoric. Getting into a conflict, insulting the other professor and showing unnecessary cruelty. Next, he would be going to the guidance and complaining about his current crush. And the things he had said to Eric! As a man who prided himself with making people smile above all else, as trying to bring everyone at least a little bit of joy, to go against that and be so horrendous... His shame burned away at his face. It was absolutely against his own morals! After embarrassment and sweltering shame, he was wounded. He may have spouted his own hurtful words in the head of the moment, but that didn't erase the sharp incision Eric had made along the dip in his rib cage. It stung and strained his lungs. '[color=6ecff6]Spineless[/color]' he had been called, the word yet another blade formed of Eric's hatred. He didn't even dare disagree, only confirming his lack of vertebrae. Still, that hadn't cut nearly as deep as Eric's harshest implications: that Peter wasn't good enough for his best friend. Again, could the scientist really argue with this? He barely knew Jeremiah or his history or anything personal about him. Eric knew everything, having years on Peter where he could do so much more for the musician that Peter ever could.

R-right?

It was while Peter's mind was so focused on his faults, his shortcomings and everything he despised about himself that Jem caught ahold of him and hauled him out from the waters. Pet's savior pulled him from the collapsing waterfalls and held him in a tight, much needed embrace. At first, Pet was completely limp as he adjusted to dry land and the silence of his mind. Luckily, his boyfriend's words seeped into his stupor before long and filled the empty space with music. After Jeremiah finished talking, life returned to the smaller man's frame. Peter wrapped his arms around Jem, his palms gently pressing between his shoulder blades. His trembling had finally stopped as a sigh joined the notes swirling in his mind.

[i][color=seagreen]It's so good to hear your voice. I like it a lot.[/color][/i] Peter was incredibly embarrassed thinking such sentimental thoughts and would never voice them aloud. He did manage to relax however and pushed his face into Jem's neck. His breath was gentle and quiet as he inhaled slowly. He couldn't actually smell his partner's scent, but he liked to imagine that he smelled like the nice things he heard about. Like vanilla, which Ava had told him smelled like a small open kitchen with cream colored walls, or honeysuckle which was a spring breeze that fanned gently across your face. Sensations he did know. He found these thoughts comforting. The reality of Jem's killing habit was never allowed into these line of fantasies.

Eventually Professor Kalenki realized he hadn't said anything in response and pulled back his face to look up at the other teacher with wide blue eyes. [color=seagreen]"I think going to your house would be super cool!"[/color] Knowing their positional (and thereby financial) differences, Peter had images in his mind of mansions and three story building. A duck swimming through mountains of gold. [color=seagreen]"I bet it's huge!"[/color] He eyes flowed with radioactive excitement, nearly bouncing.

Sometimes the puppy comparison was too spot on.

Peter couldn't help but start to get elated, already thinking about what he might get his companion as a 'thank you for inviting me to your home' present. The encounter in the hallway faded from his attention span as he then thought about the various activities they could do at Jem's house. Like work on lesson plans side by side or fall asleep in each other's laps. How cool would that be?