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Finding out where she lived had been almost laughably easy for Peter, it was just a simple matter of keeping track on her in the midday crowd all while using the very same detestable crowd of people as camouflage. Although, with her habit of constantly looking over her shoulder Peter there had been a couple of close calls… but in the end they’d both reached their destination with only one of them being the wiser.
Though past that things had turned substantially harder.
Her apartment had been located on the second floor and even someone as determined as Peter couldn’t exactly scale a ten foot wall brick wall.
The tree right next to her bedroom window however was of another matter entirely, its placement so convenient that it was almost enough to turn a person religious. Just about the same height and close enough that one could, theoretically, sit on one of the sturdier branches and press their face against the window.
But once there Peter, under the protective sheet of nightfall, he had faced yet another hurdle to get across, this time in the form of not just one, or two, but three locks which could only be accessed from the inside. Oh, he had ground his teeth hard enough to hurt at this reveal, but after a moment of quiet rage he’d realized that it was fine.. perfect in fact. It was a test, a challenge, something that would give him the chance to prove his dedication and worthiness, and then to boot it served as a protective barrier as well.
The world was chock full of creeps after all, filthy perverts who wouldn’t think twice before taking advantage if given the chance. That she was so well aware of that and taking such extreme measures to protect herself was reassuring, heartbreaking yes, but reassuring nonetheless. It meant she was no air head.
Still... it didn’t seem enough to make her feel entirely safe, if the restless fidgeting of her sleeping form had been anything to go by. The feeble motions had made Peter’s heart ache in ways he had never felt before and he had pushed his face and hands flat against the window pane. His dearest little sunspot was having a nightmare, and despite being so close he could do nothing but to watch her suffer. The pain was like the pinprick of a needle- no, more like a stray glass shard embedded deep within his flesh, and with one fist clenched against his chest he had momentarily contemplated smashing the damn window which separated the two of them.
He wouldn’t though.
It was tempting but he wouldn’t.
Even though he wished for nothing more than to just wrap his arms around her and whisper sweet nothings until those bad dreams went away... he knew it wouldn’t work. The sound of smashing glass, waking up to find an unknown man in her bedroom... no, that would not be the way to approach her. Peter didn’t want to scare her, that was the exact opposite of what he wanted. While he couldn’t deny how much easier it would be to just.. snatch her and drive off, that wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wanted to give their love a chance to blossom naturally, to make her want to stay on her own.
To make her want him the same way he wanted her.
The thought of it made Peter swallow dryly, for that to happen he would really have to be both patient, attentive and careful. He would have to spend some time merely observing her, figuring out her habits and her likes and dislikes. Figuring out what to say and how to say it, lest he'd mess up his one chance of making a good first impression. While he did feel like had a basic grasp of her person, quiet, meek and demure he of all people knew that appearances are far from everything. Once she felt safe (in his arms) she’d be sure to blossom into a very different person, one he couldn’t wait to get to know better.
The thought of that made his mouth water.
It would beyond a doubt be a side of her which nobody else had seen before, and once she truly was his then he would make sure that nobody else ever would. Except he himself of course, as her boyfriend he was bound to have a certain set of privileges after all.
Her boyfriend... the idea alone made him shiver in delight. It felt so natural, so right.
‘There, there darling... your boyfriend is here.’ He had murmured, not loud enough for her to hear, of course, but even so it seemed that she had sensed it. Her movements had stilled almost immediately and her slumber seemed to have turned more peaceful. It made Peter’s heart swell with joy. Despite never speaking the connection was there, she could feel it, just as surely as he could.
She knew that he was there and that he would stop at nothing to keep her safe.
It was magic. It was natural. Soul bound, destiny and choice mingled together in perfect harmony. Just as indisputable as a mathematical equation. She was his. He was hers. Two parts of a whole. That was the only explanation. All of his life walking around feeling bitter and hollow but now.. things would be different, everything would be different.
He had wondered then, was that how she had felt as well? Empty and devoid of meaning? Like life was nothing but a pain to endure? The thought aroused an odd feeling in him, partly sad at the idea of her going through the same pains he had suffered, yet he was also oddly delighted. If she was suffering then he could, no, he would be the one who would relieve her of that pain. Yes, yes that was it, this was how it was meant to be, he would bring her the same comfort and joy as which she had given him, and once they were together she would never want to leave. After all, why would she? Once in his care she would want for nothing, good food, company, entertainment and pleasure, all those things he would give to her and more.
All she would have to do was to accept it.