Something

Callie / Peter

19th March 1979

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Callie side-along apparated Peter straight into her bedroom, then immediately released his arm and moved to the wall opposite of where he stood to put some distance between them. 

She thought it might be the polite thing to do, given that her new mate was human, to exchange greetings and engage in a few formalities before they got to the part where she bit him. The biting seemed like the kind of thing a human would want to wait for until they’d at least learned someone’s middle name, she supposed.

Peter looked around the room and took in the matching white double bed frame, bedside tables, vanity and chest of drawers, the pale blue curtains and comforter, the yellow accents and the rug that tied it all together and smiled to himself. 

It was softer than he would have guessed for her, but in an ultra-feminine sort of way that seemed to be a perfect fit. Clean, orderly, with every knickknack and odd and end arranged with precision.

So, she was bossy, clean, and precise. Noted. He looked back over at her and grinned at the sight of her pacing back and forth in the small space between the vanity and the closet door.

“Did you panic, Callie?” He asked, smiling as his eyes followed her anxious movements.

“What? No. What? Shut up. This is not panic. I am not panicking.”

“No,” he laughed, “It’s, uh…a thing. My friend, Lily–the redhead back there? There was an incident with a bit of kidnapping, via apparition, and she… not that I’m saying you actually kidnapped me, I’d hardly–never mind. Hi, Callie.”

“Hi, Peter.” Callie sighed out, pausing her rapid movements as she turned to face him.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly.

“It’s a lot,” she responded, twisting her fingers together in front of her, “do you know everything, then, about that couple back there? The really tall guy and the girl with the weird hair?

“Remus and Hermione?” Peter laughed.

“Sure. Gods, who the fuck names their kids…” Callie shook her head and Peter laughed again.

“No, I know, I swear. It gets worse.”

“How could it get worse?” 

“So, Brad’s boyfriend? Sirius.”

“He told me that, and I still can’t believe it’s an actual name.”

“His brother’s name is Regulus.”

“What the actual fucking fuck?”

“Right? I swear, when I have kids, I’m naming them, like… Steve. Real generic shit, you know?”

“John. Bob. Something dreadfully boring.” Callie laughed. “My name is Calliope, which to be fair, is a mouthful, but at least I get Callie out of the deal.”

“Callie.” Peter smiled.

“Peter,” she breathed.

“You know,” Callie repeated, “about Remus and Hermione, and what they are to each other. About Brad, likely, as well?”

“You mean…” Peter twisted his mouth to the side and narrowed his eyes. “When Brad says you’re a friend of the family, he means you’re…”

“Pack.” Callie nodded.

“Okay.” Peter breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I didn’t want to…I’ve a tendency to put my foot in my mouth, so I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. But yes, I know. Remus is one of my best mates. He, James and Sirius were my dormmates all through school, so I’ve known about Remus for years. Then Hermione is Sirius’ and Regulus’ sister, and she’s Remus’ mate. And now I’ve met Brad through Sirius, so I’ve heard loads about the pack. Not the most well versed, I suppose, but I know enough.”

“You know enough.” Callie nodded. Good. She could work with enough. “And when you… when you saw me, did you feel anything um… out of the ordinary?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.” Callie repeated. Peter merely continued to stare at her like he was studying her intently, if not a bit predatorial, which was twisting her head up in a million new and–admittedly–interesting ways. 

She was supposed to be the predator here, dammit.

“Well elaborate, for fucks sake.” She threw her hands up in the air and then, feeling rather foolish at the display of petulance, crossed her arms over her chest.

Peter smiled at her–soft, and so gentle she could almost feel the warmth of it settle over her skin like a thick blanket on a cold morning. Soothing, she thought. Everything about him just… fucking soothed her. 

She wasn’t sure what to do with that. 

She’d never quite been soothed.

“Well, I’ve a bit of a hangover, so I was feeling a little dizzy anyway, and I was distracted by jellybeans when I came outside, so it took me a moment to notice you. Once I did, I just… gods, Callie, you’re so gorgeous, it's unreal.”

“You think I’m gorgeous.” Callie grinned and reached a hand up to twirl a lock of hair around her finger.

“I do.” Peter nodded. “And I just…you were looking at everyone while Brad introduced you, and then you looked up at me and I suppose it’s the eye contact that does it, yeah? They may have told me, they’re not super forthcoming with the details.”

“They wouldn’t be. It’s sort of… it's really personal. Intimate. The eye contact, though, that can be… that was…”

“Perfect,” Peter whispered, “you asked if I felt anything out of the ordinary. I suppose it would be more appropriate to say that for the first time, I did not. I was watching you, and you looked up and met my eyes, and I just… found my something.”

“Something?” Callie giggled.

“My something. I’ve been…Well, I’m gonna sound like a proper bawl bag now, but I’ve a lot going on in my career–I’d love to tell you about that, soon–but personally, I’ve got these amazing friends, and all this external stuff going on, but it sort of happens around me. Remus and Hermione are mated, and they’re so in love it’s borderline disgusting. 

Sirius is finally out of the closet and happy and Brad is the perfect yin to his yang. James and Lily just got married and now they’re in a sort of triad, with Regulus, which I guess goes back to some old stuff from school that’s a huge deal for all three of them to finally be together. They’re all my people, and they all have their people, and I’ve just sort of felt like I’ve been… waiting.”

“Waiting for something?”

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever really had anything of my own before. Not that–not that you’d be… well I mean I suppose I’d be yours, to be exact?”

“You are.” Callie’s eyes went wide at the sound of her growling affirmation, and she pressed her lips together, then gave Peter an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I…”

“Don’t ever apologize for that. That’s hot as fuck.” Peter stared at her mouth for a moment, then flicked his gaze up to her eyes. 

“I saw you, and this feeling that’s been nagging at the back of my mind, like something is missing, but I didn’t know what that something was, died in an instant. Because you were there, and you’re my something. I don’t know how all of this works, Callie. But I know that you just said I’m yours, and that feels right, and I’d like you to be mine, too.”

“That’s how it would work. It goes both ways.” Callie nodded.

“You like jewelry.”

“Huh?” Callie scrunched up her brow and then turned her head to look to where Peter had nodded over her shoulder at the little stand atop her vanity, which held a collection of necklaces and bracelets. “Oh, right. Yeah, I… grew up with the pack, save for visits with a sister of my Mum’s in France. I always loved the fashion in Paris, so when I came here…I just like pretty things.”

“I make pretty things.” Peter gave her a lopsided grin. “I mentioned work a moment ago. I’m in the process of taking over the family shop. Magical jewelry.”

“Good.” Callie nodded. “I prefer jewelry for most gifting occasions anyway, so that makes it convenient for you. I like flowers too. Grand gestures. Pretty words.”

“You like to be romanced?” Peter pushed off of the wall and moved farther into the room to sit down at the foot of the bed. “I’m not the poetry type, but I am absolutely the gift type.”

“Good. I’ll handle poetry, then.”

“Must there be poetry?”

“Yes.” Callie braced her hand on the side of the vanity and kicked her heels off, then sat on the stool so that they were facing one another, just a few metres apart.

“There’s a lot to talk about, with… this,” she said tentatively.

“You can start by saying it,” Peter challenged with a grin, “I think I’d like that.”

“Right. I should. I want to. It just seems like such a big thing, to acknowledge it, and I think I’d like to make sure you want this, first. We don’t even know each other.”

“Peter Phineas Pettigrew. Born 12th July, 1960. My favorite color is red. Went to Hogwarts, where I got poor marks because I didn’t give a shite about anything but charms since I already knew what I’d do for a living. Which is, Jürgens Jewelers. Four generations back in Germany, I’ll be the third here. I love the hell out of the work. Can’t stand the paperwork side, but it’s necessary for running a business so I deal with it.

“I was educated in the pack, and I’m attending university now, to study Business Management. I like for things to be in order. Lists and paperwork. Balancing ledgers.” Callie gave a resolute nod, as if she’d reached a firm decision, which Peter couldn’t help but smile at. “Oh. Calliope Bernadette Murray. June 2nd, same year. My favorite color depends on my mood. A lot of things depend on my mood.”

“I can handle moody.” Peter grinned. Callie shifted in her chair. Peter’s smile broadened.

“All those people back there are my friends. Family, really. Lots of ties there. I’ve got my Mum still, lost my Dad to the pox outbreak last year. We weren't close. I’m an unregistered animagus. I take the form of a rat, which I like to think is fitting because I'm really good at blending in. I like music, beer and sweets. Big fan of the Beatles, the Stones, all the greats. Pretzels are my favourite food, and I don’t care if that’s a real food. I love jelly beans to an alarming degree, and hate wearing a tie. I’m a bit awkward, but I like to think I’m kind.”

“My family is massive. My Dad is the youngest of seven pups. Lots of cousins, but I’m an only child. I like music too, though, personally, I think that, now that Fleetwood Mac has found Stevie Nicks, there's really no need for anyone else to make another record again.” Callie grinned. “I like to dance. Wine is far better than beer, but I can smell the firewhisky on your breath, so we’ll have that in common. I’m not unkind, but I’m very assertive so I come across that way more often than not. I suppose I am a bit of a bitch sometimes. What is your stance on the war?”

Peter blinked in surprise and shifted on the bed. His stomach turned at the thought of keeping any information from her, but he knew he had to toe certain lines, as far as information that wasn’t his to reveal was concerned. It felt inherently wrong, though, to not tell her everything, so at the least, he had to tell her something.

“I’m not supposed to say, for obvious reasons, but I don’t think that likely matters with you. I’m a member of the Order of the Phoenix, which is an underground organization that is actively working to try to weaken Voldemort’s attempts to rise to power. I don’t want to lie to you, or keep things from you. That feels unnatural. But there are things I can’t tell you yet, as far as some peripheral stuff goes, because it’s someone else’s story to tell. Is that okay?”

“That’s okay.” Callie smiled in relief. Gods, she knew the fates wouldn’t have been so cruel as to link her to a blood supremacist, but it would have hardly been the first time she’d heard of a mating bond between two people that technically shouldn’t have worked. She had just hoped for easy, when and if her time came around. She was starting to think she may have gotten exactly that. “So, you’re not a blood purist?”

“Fuck no.” Peter spat, then winced and lowered his voice. “Sorry, no. Not at all. If it helps to assure you, my friends are all people who have reasons to be especially disillusioned with the blood supremacy shit. Muggleborns, a half-blood werewolf, a defected death eater, disowned Black heirs… and I’ve got some shit I’m working really hard to keep from happening, so, we all have vested interests in making sure this war ends the right way.”

“Disowned Black heirs?” Callie cocked her head. “Yeah. I see it. Sirius and the other one? It’s hard to miss the eyes and hair. I’m removed enough that my eyes fell somewhere between the Black grey and my dad’s blue, but I suppose I’d be related to a couple of your people, then. In the inter-marriage, pureblood sort of way that a lot of magical people are linked. My grandparents on my Mum’s side were Callidora Black and Harfang Longbottom, but Grand-mère disowned herself as soon as she became of age.”

“They say it’s a small world, but the wizarding world is smaller.” Peter laughed. “I can see it now. The nose and chin, your hair. You’d be some relation to my buddy Frank, too, on the Longbottom side. So was your dad a muggle?”

Callie shook her head and spun on the stool to busy herself reorganizing the makeup she’d pulled out in her haste this morning. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this part of the conversation. Peter seemed… gods, he really was so cozy. She could talk to him for hours.

 Even like this, with sore teeth and hands that were twitching to just fucking grab him, she still felt so comfortable in his presence, in a way that she would likely have been a little unnerved by, were it not for the fact that she knew everything there was to know about the bond.

He was supposed to feel comfortable. He was her mate. This was for a reason, and she knew she needed to trust the magic, but the idea of him looking at her like she was some sort of science project or freak or–

Peter laid his hand on her shoulder, and she snapped her eyes up to meet his in the reflection of the mirror over her vanity. He stared back at her for a moment – fuck, she was beautiful. Hot, foxy, all the things, but up close, it was nearly unnerving. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever wrap his head around how someone so gorgeous–and, clearly, even from the little bit they’d spoken, fierce–was supposed to want him. 

But gods, she felt right.

He moved his hand, sliding it up the side of her neck to gently grip her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and turned her head to look at him.

“I ask a lot of questions. I’m analytical and I like to watch people. Learn them, so that I know how to take care of them. I am especially interested in taking care of you, Callie.” He reached out with his other hand and brushed the hair back from her face, then let his fingers rest on the side of her cheek and she relaxed into his touch.

“This is all very fast. I may not be wolfy, but I spend a lot of time with a mated pair. I know enough to know that now that we’ve met, things won’t be the same for either of us again. So, I’ll need to learn you a little quicker than I’m used to learning people. I mentioned your dad, or, asked if he was a muggle, and you shut down.” 

Peter paused, studying her face for a moment before he continued, “you don’t have to tell me why that is, but there isn’t anything about you that I don’t want to learn, so at the very least, if there’s a topic you can’t discuss, you just have to tell me it's off-limits, yeah?”

“Okay.” Callie leaned her cheek into his hand as she let her eyes drift closed, soaking up the feel of his touch on her skin, before she looked back up at him. “That helps. I like that. Reassurance? I’m generally very confident, but once in a while, I might need that.”

“Noted.” Peter grinned and stroked his thumb over her cheekbone, then pulled back. Callie lurched forward instinctively at the loss and felt a brief wave of panic as she thought he was going to leave or… well, she wasn’t quite sure, but she was quite sure that she didn’t want him to stop touching her.

Instead of walking away, he folded in on himself and sat down on the floor with his back against the closet door. Staying close. She liked that.

“Both of my parents are magical, and they’re both werewolves. There are a lot of layers to it, I don’t know where to…”

“The beginning is usually a good place to start.” Peter dug in his pocket and pulled out the bag of jellybeans to pour some in his hand, then held it out to her. Callie stared down at his hand, feeling a bit dazed, and a lot like she might laugh at the simplicity that seemed to flow through everything he did.

“You are a very relaxed person, Peter Phineas PettigrewI am not.”

“I’ve noticed, Calliope Bernadette Murray.” Peter shrugged, then smiled when she reached out with two fingers and delicately selected a red jellybean. “Best flavour. I’m relaxed enough for the both of us. I’d imagine I’ll make you relax when you need it, and you’ll kick my arse into gear when I need it. Balance plays a pretty big role in all of this, doesn’t it?”

“It does. And while I can see the benefit of us being able to level each other out in that regard, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that you’re just so…calm and accepting about this. I mean…” Callie trailed off and gestured with her hands to the room around them. “You met me twenty minutes ago and now I’ve whisked you away to my room, where I, a vicious beast, intend to bite you. Even knowing about werewolves, most people would have a bit of pause.”

“Nah.” Peter shook his head and tossed another jellybean in his mouth, then patted the carpet next to him. Callie raised an eyebrow at him–really, did he expect her to sit on the floor when she had a perfectly good stool? She may have been raised in the woods and she may be part animal, but she drew the line at sitting on the floor eating jelly beans. 

She was hardly a child.

But then he had the audacity to smile at her. 

Ugh.

“I suppose most people would have pause.” Peter shrugged, passing the bag of sweets to Callie as she settled on the floor next to him. “Most people didn’t grow up with Moony.”

“Moony?”

“Yeah. Remus, it's… the Animagus thing? We did it so he wouldn’t be alone during the full moon. We all have nicknames, it’s a whole story for another time. But, Moony. He was four when he was turned, because his father was a werewolf hating arse who pissed off the wrong one. Raised him up teaching him he was this horrible monster, you know? He’d never even met another werewolf until he went to… well, I supposed it’d be your family, the pack where he met Brad. 

The time he spent there, and then sealing the bond with Hermione, having his mate, it changed him. He’s still awkward as shit, but you grow up with someone, watch them hate themselves, torture themselves, and then you see this thing click into place for them and get a front row seat to how good it is?” He paused, grinning over at her. “I’m not afraid of the bond at all, Callie.”

“That’s good.” Callie nodded. She passed the bag back to him and drew her knees up to her chest, then sighed. “I wasn’t turned into a werewolf. I was born one.”

“Oh, shit?” Peter raised his eyebrows, then nodded slowly. “I didn’t know that could happen. Brad said… well I thought the, uh, pups, were all like him.”

“It doesn’t happen. It’s a long story. My Papa Clary was the former alpha of the pack. He met his mate in my Grams, Bernie. They had seven pups, and my dad, Ray, is the youngest. My Mum, Florence, was attacked when she was twenty, while she was back-packing through Australia. She went off searching for answers. Wanted to find other werewolves, learn more. So she stumbled upon the pack but she… again, long story. 

It was a full moon. My dad shouldn’t have been outside of the wards, but he’d gotten caught in a storm. She found him, and the mating bond snapped into place, even in her wolf form, so she bit him. He got away but, given that it was a full moon, it turned him. Grams found my Mum in the woods the next day, and when she realized what she’d done it was a lot for her to manage, but ultimately, Dad had grown up in the pack and was more excited that he was somebody’s mate than he was scared about becoming a werewolf. He thought it was cool.” Callie laughed.

“They never got pregnant. With our kind, conception is basically a guarantee if you don’t use something to prevent it, but my mother was from a few of those weird, incestual pureblood lines and fertility doesn’t come easy to a lot of them, so they didn’t think it would happen. Somewhere along the way, I was conceived, but it happened, um, during the full moon, so…”

“So, werewolf shagging equals werewolf baby?”

“Exactly. So, I’m, um…different than other wolves.”

“I like different.” Peter shrugged. “Different how?”

“My senses are stronger. I’m stronger and faster than most. I can also shift back at will. I can’t stop the transition, when the moon hits. But as soon as my strength recovers, I can just sort of… undo it and go back home. There are old tales, pack lore, that people like me can hone that skill and shift whenever they want, but I’ve never had have any desire to learn. I don’t hate my wolf form, but I worry about whether or not I could control it if I knew how. There’s a lot to worry about, if people found out about me being an anomaly, you know?”

“Is it hard for you?” Peter asked softly, his voice laced with concern.

“Not really. It was… My wolf came with puberty. So, I’d had a few years to hope it wouldn’t, but then it did. I think being in the city now, on a sensory level, is where the major issue comes into play. I’m sure between Ford and Remus you know enough about how heightened their senses are. For me, it’s tenfold. Every little noise is…” Callie pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“We should talk more. Tell me… tell me something you’ve never told anyone. I get all your secrets now, right?” She turned her head to lean back against the door and smiled over at him.

“A secret.” Peter stroked his chin playfully, then sighed. “I watch people. Pick up on what they need, so sometimes I’ll… act in accordance with that. I let Lily talk me through how to do something I already know, just because it makes her feel good to feel like she’s taking care of someone. I… Well, this one isn’t as much of an issue now that he’s more settled, but Remus was always afraid of being seen as an aggressor. There was this girl back at school who was obsessed with him, to the point he was uncomfortable. But he’d be too polite, and she’d never take the hint, so I’d jump in like ‘Oi! No means no, Greatling.’ Or whatever. Mouth her off until she got mad and left. Be the aggressor for him.

And I guess the secret part comes in, in that I worry about it. A lot. I worry that I’m being manipulative, by taking these things I learn about people and using them without them realizing it. I worry even more that… that I’ve sort of put myself in this space where I’m filling this role nobody sees. I feel like I’m really important, but in a way that goes unnoticed.”

“You’re stupid.”

“Sometimes, yeah.” Peter laughed.

“That’s not manipulation, Peter. That’s love. You take care of your people. Why would you think that’s being manipulative? Are there things people do for you?”

“Well, yeah. Of course.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to work, right? You take care of your people. It may be more black and white for me because I’m used to the pack mentality but, it seems to me like you’re just a good fucking friend.”

“Brad says we–that is to say, my friends and I–he calls us an ‘orphan pack’ all the time. Remus says he sees a lot of pack mentality in all of us, too. I suppose it’s not the healthiest compared to the rest of society, but we’re very communal.”

“That’s good. I need that, I think.” Callie nodded, then bit down on her bottom lip. “They might not like me. You might not like me. I’m a bitch. I don’t sugar coat things, and you seem very sunny and bubbly, like Ford, and I do not… bubble.”

“We have a good mix. More than enough bubblers. You can sit in the corner and judge everyone with Reggie.”

“You get me already.” She laughed. “I really don’t sugar coat things. So, I’m going to tell you that it is taking a tremendous amount of self-control not to attack you right now. I think it would be unfair to do so without making sure you understand the implications, and everything involved.”

“You don’t–well I don’t see how it would…” Peter trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck as he blushed. “Okay, well, are there any, erm… anatomical things I should know, that are different?”

"No, there is no female equivalent of knotting." Callie rolled her eyes and gave him a look of irritation.

“Okay.” Peter sighed in relief, then laughed. “Not that I would have any issue with it, I just… while I would never betray the confidence of a friend, I may have heard of an incident in which neither party knew that, um, knotting was a thing that happened, so…I just wanted to make sure there weren’t any surprises I should be aware of.”

She stared at Peter blankly for a moment as she tried to wrap her mind around what series of circumstances could have led to a werewolf not knowing he’d knot his bitch, then shook her head.

“It’s just normal sex, physically. Emotionally, it will probably be more intense. I would want to bite you, which would seal the bond. That’s a really big deal. You’d have to be sure, and we don’t even know each other yet.”

“We have time though,” Peter said softly. He reached out, tentatively, and laced his fingers with hers where her hand rested on the carpet between them. “We can’t really un-open this can of worms now, and I wouldn’t want to. I know enough to know that not sealing the bond would be… distracting, right? The way I see it, it’s inevitable. Best to get the part we know is coming out of the way so we can work on the getting to know each other. Plus, I’d really like to kiss you soon.”

“I’d like that.” Callie laughed. “You’re right, it's… even now, it's very hard to hold a conversation with you because you keep turning your head and I can see your neck, and my fucking teeth hurt, and you smell so good.”

“What do I smell like? The smell thing is a big deal, yeah? I can’t… you have this really rich scent. Cinnamon and vanilla, and I can smell your perfume but there’s something sort of earthy too. Like leaves after a heavy rain. Like the woods. It’s addictive.”

“Yeah?” Callie bit her lip and shifted to face him. “You’re sort of… at first, I thought it was bubblegum, then I thought it was the jellybeans, but I think in a general sense its just… candy. You smell like sweets, and sandalwood, and something warm and metallic.”

“The metal is from the jewelry making, I’d bet. It’s a distinct smell, you’ll recognize it when you see the shop. I can’t wait to show you everything. I’ll let you pick out anything you’d like. Make you anything, and I’m really good with charms, I just made a set of portkey rings for Hermione that–wait.” Peter sat up straighter, nearly bouncing with excitement as he grinned at her.

“You said the noise of being in the city is hard for you? Can I see your earrings?”

Callie eyed him skeptically but nodded as she reached up to take out the delicate pearls she’d put on this morning and then placed them in his waiting hand.

“I take my pearls extremely seriously, Peter Phineas Pettigrew. If you fuck those up, I’ll kick your arse.”

“I kinda like it when you get scary. It’s alright, Callie. I know how to respect jewelry.” Peter chuckled and rose to his feet to walk over to the chest of drawers. He set the earrings down and Callie watched, crossing her arms over her chest and furrowing her brow as he brought his wand up and began to cast. It was… mesmerizing.

The way he twirled his wand, flicked his wrist, the incantations rolling off of his tongue in a voice so low that she was never more thankful for that damned heightened hearing, because she could listen to him sound all gravelly and Latin for hours.

He was competent as fuck. 

She liked that.

After a few minutes of intricate charmswork, he looked over his shoulder at her and smiled, then picked up the earrings and walked back over to her. Brushing her hair off of her shoulders, he began to put them back on her, and Callie went rigid, the combination of his proximity, his hands on her, the delicate way in which he was handling her precious pearls all mixing together and making her head spin.

Finally, he took a step back and grinned at her. 

Bright, genuine, hopeful.

“Go stick your head out the window.”

“What?”

“I’m serious. This is a really busy neighborhood. Go see how the traffic sounds now.”

Callie shook her head, then paused as she realized–wait. 

She could normally hear everything, to a deafening degree, even inside. She’d taken to wearing earplugs more often than not at home, even when her roommate was gone, just to get a break. She could still hear the soft thrum of the traffic below, but the voices, the general business…

Her jaw dropped open and she rushed to the window, flinging it open and sticking her head out into the cool morning air. 

It was better. 

So much better.

“It won’t be a cure-all, and it’d take a bit of time, but I can charm all of your earrings. I’ll make you some more, too, that way it’s a little more bearable. I’d imagine you can still hear more than most, of course, but you’re probably more in line with what Brad or Remus hear now, so hopefully it will help bring you a bit of relief. 

If there’s more, with your other senses… I could maybe work out a way to make a necklace to help with smell or taste, since it’d be close to the face, maybe a choker, so it's at the throat… though, of course, that might take some time to figure out, but it would certainly be possible. And I can take you to the shop anytime to show you some other options, I - ”

Callie spun around and brought a hand up, touching one of the earrings as she watched him ramble, and she couldn’t take it anymore.

In thirty minutes of knowing her, he’d just solved one of the biggest issues she had, so casually, and now he was blushing and rambling, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels and she just couldn’t fucking take it.

Peter.

Peter, who watched and catered and took care of the people he loved. 

Peter who rambled and blushed. 

Peter, who smelled like candy and metal and the woods. 

Peter, who was hers.

“Peter.” She cut him off as she took a step closer to him.

“Callie.”

"You're my mate."

"I am."

“Take your fucking pants off.”

“Bossy.” Peter grinned, his hands immediately flying to the waistband of his trousers. “I can work with that.”

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