Follow the Tracks - Peter

[st_x5_494]

It was 4:30 A.M. in the morning and Alec was already up and dressed. He glanced out of his room to the horizon that wasn't quite yet hinting at the sunrise, but it would be soon. He walked into the other room where Peter slept and crossed his arms over his chest while he watched the teenage boy sleep - it must be nice to sleep so easily sometimes.

He shifted, moving about the room silently as he gathered the needed material and then he suddenly through a set of clothing at Peter's face. "Rise and shine, sunshine. We need to get moving."

Comments

[st_arkintern]

"No, but humans going into space -- really going into space? It's not something they really do." Sure, there were exceptions to the rule like Quill, but most people never left the planet. Even fewer went anywhere other than Earth's orbit. And no one really traversed further than Earth's moon.

"There's something exciting about it."

[st_x5_494]

"I don't see the appeal." Maybe, partially, because he hoped he could convince Peter it was no big thing and the kid wouldn't go face Thanos - though Alec knew that hope was a far-reaching one.

[st_arkintern]

Peter shoots Alec a bewildered look. "You wouldn't ever want to leave Earth? You wouldn't want to see what the other worlds out there are like?"

[st_x5_494]

He thought about it as he pushed. Did he? Not really, even without wanting to sway Peter's opinion. There was a faint shrug - the sort of shrug you can manage when you're using most of your muscles to push.

"Pretty sure the same crap I deal with at home would be in any other world. The only difference is at least at home I know where I stand."

[st_arkintern]

"I don't know, it's exciting, you know? Not knowing where I stand really isn't that important to me. I really just want to experience as much as I can while I'm still around to do it."

That much was true. "There's still plenty of places on Earth I haven't been to, either. I want to see those places, too."

[st_x5_494]

"While I'm still around to do it" sat heavy on Alec's shoulders, though he didn't indicate as such outwardly. "Why don't you start with Earth first? See all those places. Good experience before you go interstellar."

[st_arkintern]

"Even if I didn't want to, I'd still go," he says. "I'd need to fight Thanos with everybody else."

[st_x5_494]

He shouldn't have been surprised that the kid called him out so quickly. He exhaled a little. "Yes, I know. Superhero stuff. Saving the world. yadda yadda."

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah. I'm glad you get it."

Peter takes a breath and keeps on pulling. "If there's anything I can do to help, I'm going to do it."

[st_x5_494]

"If you get yourself killed I'll find my way to your world and slap you over the head." It came out before Alec could stop himself, but he surprised himself with how tempered it was.

[st_arkintern]

Peter glances over his shoulder, not missing a step. "I promise, I'll be careful."

[st_x5_494]

"Great. Now I sound like a parent." Mostly because what Peter said back to him definitely sounded like a teenager reassuring a worried parent.

[st_arkintern]

This time, Peter doesn't look back.

"Or a big brother."

[st_x5_494]

Okay, so, maybe he smile just a little. It didn't remain long, but it was an automatic reaction. Alec wasn't even aware of it, truth be told.

"Just don't make me have to kick your ass, okay?"

[st_arkintern]

"You won't have to, okay? I'm serious."

There's some annoyance in Peter's tone -- the same sort of annoyance he feels whenever he thinks he's being underestimated, but it's more tempered than it might have been in the past. The past six months or so have changed him a lot; he's no longer as sensitive about his powers and abilities and in fact, he's starting to feel that maybe people might actually respect him for it.

Peter looks back at Alec and offers him a reassuring smile. The sort of reassuring smile he hopes tells Alec that he's going to be fine.

Because Peter is sure he will be.