Work Text:
Peter Hale scoffed at Chris' and Victoria's need to display their new-found puppy love once again by making out against a poor kids locker just seven doors down from his own, for the fifth time this week. He always felt the need to bleach his hands (and eyes) when he was in close proximity of the two, never knowing how far they've exactly gotten on these lockers, and he certainly wasn't afraid to show the disdain clearly on his face. Not like they noticed any ways though.
Peter grudgingly admitted to himself that he maybe, possibly, be overreacting, and that there's definitely more of a reason behind his disgust of PDA other than just the smacking noises of tongue and lips that seemed to be on constant replay like a broken record when he glances Chris Argent's way. He never truly understood how Chris and Victoria - or Vicky as she likes to go by - got together since they never seemed to interact before one day they just decided "Hey, my tongue and your tongue seem to really like each other, so lets not keep them apart and meet often to tangle."
Peter starts to think Victoria (he's never calling her Vicky just out of spite) would never appreciate Chris' studded tongue like he would. Would never run her hands through Chris' golden locks, never suck on the stud and make Chris purr. Not like he would.
It was stupid to have a crush on the most popular, straight, guy in High School, and Peter bloody well knew it, when out on a date with it, got a 'I'm with Stupid' shirt just to prove it. Jocks and science Nerds just didn't mix. But he fell captive like every other girl (and some boys) in Beacon Hills High School - despite the only interaction he and Chris have had together was when Peter's pen dropped and rolled under Chris' desk and Chris retrieved it for him. Till this day he's still denying that Christopher Argent is living proof that love at first sight truly exists.
Peter continued on with his famous Hale glare which he's seemed to inherit perfectly the entire time he rummaged through his locker and retrieved his chemistry books, mumbling things under his breath like "Victoria is just a stupid fucking doodoo head" , "I bet she's not even a real redhead."
(He always misses the occasional glances Chris throws his way when he turns his back to him)
"Gross." Peter hissed to himself.
So this goes on through the rest of High School, Peter knowing he had no chance with someone like Chris Argent, and Chris too busy smacking lips with Victoria to even notice him. It went on until the last day of High School, the day Peter almost confessed before cowering out of it, things like 'you're not good enough' and 'he's too good for you' ringing through his head. And he went on with his life.
High School ended, and he got a job at a law firm just on the outskirts of Beacon Hills. 10 minute walk, not many people, and Peter was happy for the distraction. He even moved up the food chain with his hard work and got his own assistant, someone smart enough to actually hold a conversation with him, despite the fact that he always seemed to trip on thin air.
Derek, his Nephew, did visit occasionally, but now Peter can never seem to get him out of the office after having a conversation with Peter's assistant. Peter thought his Nephews crush was adorable, mocked him often for it, although he does admit he did get a little concerned when his nephew one day just barged into his apartment and made himself at home, saying something like "There's termites in my apartment and I thought it'd just be easier to move."
The excuse changes every time.
Peter does appreciate the company though. He's been living a lonely lifestyle for a while since High School, never finding that click or spark with anyone, and eventually he just gave up. So he wakes up at 7AM everyday in an empty bed, drinks his coffee alone, and walks to work alone. He found himself settling into this lifestyle, settling for less than he deserves because that's what he truly believes he deserves. Nine years have passed since High School. And he doesn't think anything will ever change.
Until one day on a cold Winter morning of course. The law firm he works for decided one day to renovate the outside of the building, saying something like "It'll attract more people" , "Nobody wants help from a building with grass growing on the walls." and they called up and hired a place called Argent's Architects just because it was only down the road a few. And when Peter finds himself one day just about to walk through the building's entrance with his Costa coffee cup, waiting for the warm air conditioning to greet him, a spanner drops right in front of him, narrowly missing his face.
"Uh, I'm sorry about that, could you possibly pick that up for me?" A deep riveting voice called from above from the scaffolding two feet above Peter's head.
Peter sighed, clearly not amused that his precious work hours (He likes to work, sue him) were being cut into by someone's stupidity and incompetence. Peter bent down to retrieve the culprit of almost damaging his perfect face, nodding along to whatever the stranger was telling him to feign interest to the babbles of "I have such butter fingers you see." and "I don't even know why they let me be an architect. Pure luck it must be that I've gotten away with it this far."
Wanting to end this quickly and just get on with his day, and have hot standing air sex with the warm air conditioner that had beckoned him for about two minutes now Peter knelt back up and turned around to hand back the spanner with a clear unamused expression. But he just pauses. He can feel his heartbeat hammering against his ribcage so much it hurts. Because staring right back at him are the shockingly blue eyes of Chris Argent.
Christopher? and Peter Hale? are both said in unison. It seemed like Chris remembered him, and Peter ignored the butterflies that came along with that fact. Chose to ignore the spark that he thought died a long time suddenly flaring up with want, desire and Chris. Chris. Chris.
They go through the usual hello's and re-introducing of themselves like you usually would with someone from your old High School, asking how their life has been and about their jobs, completely oblivious to each others equally sweaty palms and curled up toes acting just like slugs sprinkled with salt. And this goes on for a few weeks, saying hello to each other and asking how they were near the doorway, never finding the courage to say anything more.
Then on the sixth week Peter just randomly decided to bring Chris some coffee without really thinking about it, saying "It's fucking freezing out here, you'll get blue balls so." (Chris fought the urge to correct Peter that the reason he's got blue balls isn't because of the weather) and even joins Chris on his breaks now, talking about various things and watching Chris work. Watching Chris work is his favourite pastime, especially when he wears them tight grey stonewashed jeans.
And Peter brings up Victoria. A lot. Because he's curious why Chris gets this instant attitude and chip on his shoulder when she's brought up. He loves mentioning her actually. He likes it an awful lot, because Chris acts like some sort of jealous wife, or worse, husband, and Peter likes to live in his little fantasy world where Chris actually cares enough about him to get jealous. Instead of Chris probably just being bitter over his and Victoria's break-up.
Peter is oblivious. Peter is a fucking idiot Chris thinks. Peter is oblivious because Chris isn't acting jealous, he is jealous. Chris hates it when Peter brings up Victoria in their conversations, in their time. Hates that even when she's gone she's still here tormenting him. He hates it when Peter mentions how pretty she was, and how smart she was, and how he regrets never actually having a conversation with the girl. Chris thinks to himself childishly that he could hold a better conversation with Peter then she ever could. Chris despises it when Peter brings back old memories of High School. Memories of when Chris used to always catch Peter looking his way and get excited, thinking of the possibility. How stupid he was for not noticing that Peter wasn't looking at him but Victoria until it was too late. How stupid he was to keep his grades up just to be in the same classes as Peter despite him not being the smartest tool in the shed. Sports was his thing. And how stupid he was to take books from the library right after Peter brought them back, just so he could find out what Peter was interested in and his likes. And maybe even find an eventual topic starter. He never really got around to talking to Peter about things like The Famous Five or Gulliver's Travels though. So Chris never confessed. Chris got on with his life. Him and Victoria went on a couple of years strong, strong enough to have a beautiful daughter of their own, but eventually they just realised that they weren't right for each other. And now Chris is a single dad raising a six-year-old girl. And now he wakes up alone, drinks coffee alone, and goes to work alone.
So Chris thanks his lucky stars every day for the law firm down the block wanting some new renovations. Thanks his luck that he's the one they called and requested. And for once bloody kisses the tips of his fingertips for being slippery like butter, because without them, his spanner wouldn't have dropped in front of Peter fucking Hale. Because now he doesn't drink coffee alone, and he has someone to talk to at work, and he wakes up happy, excited even. He loves that he get to talk to Peter Hale. Gets to listen to Peter Hale rant about his incompetent colleagues and goofy assistant. Thanks that he gets to look at Peter Hale (he also decides to just start calling him Peter)
So Chris hates it when Peter brings up Vic. So much that it finally gets to him and he just snaps at Peter to shut the hell up, going on about Victoria this and Victoria that, and mumbles that Vicky is a fucking doodoo head. Peter just stares at him with this shocked expression, apologising about how he didn't realise it bothered Chris so much, but Chris just completely listens over it. Because once an Argent gets started, they find it hard to stop. He starts asking Peter "What makes her better than me?" , "Why can't it be me you look at?" , "What makes her so fucking special that till this day you are still pining over her" Like I do over you. And Peter just stares. And stares. And stares until Chris realises he's made a terrible mistake. He apologizes for saying such stupid things, and that Peter should completely ignore what he just said, he apologizes until his hands are trembling and he drops his spanner. And he's on the brink of crying when Peter bends down to pick it up. When Peter hands it over to him with a poker face. And Chris knows he's fucked it up this time. He thinks about how Peter is just going to turn around now and never look back. How he'll never get to listen to Peter rant again. He thinks about how much he's going to miss his little coffee dates as he likes to call them with Peter.
He never expects Peter to stand on his toes and press his lips gently against his own, almost hesitantly. And he never expects Peter to whisper the words 'stupid' and 'idiot Argent' against his lips. Never even dreamed (okay that's a lie) about being able to kiss Peter Hale back. And he instantly completely falls in love all over again when Peter corrects him and tells him it was him he was staring at in the hallways of Beacon Hills High School, not Victoria. Laughs when Peter calls her a stupid doodoo head under his breath. Swoons when Peter tells him Victoria could never compare to Chris' looks and overall personality, and how he used to go to Chris' every lacrosse match despite hating the sport just to watch him play. Chris definitely laughs hard when he hears Peter mumble that basketball is a real sport. And curses at all the time they've wasted because of how blind and stupid they were. so Chris suggests that Peter should take him on a real coffee date this time. and Peter just smiles.
... Until he hears that Chris has a six-year-old daughter of course. Then he whines about being too young to be a father and that's when Chris just smiles.