When you came in the air went out (for wantadistraction)

[work_inprogress]

New Orleans was vibrant and alive--admittedly with problematic elements, like all the dead things walking around undead. Peter had watched them for his first few nights in the Quarter and caught a few of them watching back. They hadn't made any moves toward him though, either considering him not a threat or not knowing what to make of him. If they weren't going to bother him, then he resolved to not bother them, either.

There weren't any other wolves, though, and he wasn't sure if that was good--no one to challenge or treat with over territory--or bad--where were they? Granted, it was a big city, and wolves traditionally liked to live closer to somewhere they could easily run, and for the moment he'd filed it away as that and been grateful. Since he intended to stay for a while, making nice in someone else's territory would have been awkward.

Better to just claim it as his own.

He bought a house in the Garden District, with enough trees around it for privacy, and a certain mysterious charm, wanting to be close to the Quarter, but not right in the midst of the noise. Besides--the Garden District was where Tulane was. And Tulane? 

Well, that was where Lydia was.

By careful observation, he'd worked out most of her schedule, knew which dorm she was in, which room, which window. The campus was lovely with lots of shaded areas and overhanging trees and he'd managed to find a bench under one with a perfect view--if you had a wolf's vision. Jeans, a broken in blazer and a leather messenger bag and anyone catching him reading there figured he was a professor. At night, he found it easy to blend in to the shadows, watching until she closed her blinds.

He didn't spend every night there, of course. Really. Just enough to know she was all right, that no one was bothering her. Enough to snarl at every boy who walked her home or he suspected of doing more. Interestingly...a couple of them seemed to drop out of school, disappear, shortly after any such encounter. Not that he had anything to do with that. Really.

She was his. He'd marked her, chosen her, bonded with her. He'd only been waiting for her to grow up before coming to claim her.

Now she had; and here he was.

He hadn't approached her, yet. The perfect time hadn't come. But he'd been in her room, breathing in her scent, leaving his though only another wolf or one of the dead things would catch it, know she belonged to someone.  He never took anything, but he left a long stem rose on her pillow each visit. Blood red, thorns still on. He came at different times, always careful to vary them, to stick to the shadows in case she'd left a camera running. Usually he did it when she was out, but once he'd slipped in, leaving it for her while she showered, and another morning she would have awakened to it next to her, like a token from a lover.

Which it was.

Tonight, she'd gone down to the Quarter with friends, and Peter followed. Watched the boys who bought her drinks, watched her dancing, laughing, followed her along crowded streets. Eventually she'd separate from the pack, and he'd follow, then, too.

He was tired of waiting.

Comments

[wantadistraction]

Lydia was conflicted. What could she really suggest? That he come back to her dorm with her? No, that wasn't really a possibility but it wasn't like she wanted to just be easily dismissed either. She was the one who did the dismissing when it came to boys and sex but Peter had always thrown her off kilter. Sometimes he threw her completely over and left her world upside down so she was scrambling to get everything right again.

"You're right. You should go." Or she should want him to go.

It all left her frowning quizzically at time as she tried to figure out what she wanted balanced with what was right.

[work_inprogress]

"I'm not just going to leave you in a deserted park," he said, frowning, as well. On that point he was clear. Thus the...getting her a taxi home, somewhere safe.

Her quizzical frown left him trying to wonder what she really wanted, since she didn't seem so certain about him going. Reaching out, he took her hand.

"Nevermind the taxi. I have my car. Come on."

[wantadistraction]

Okay, she had to appreciate that he wasn't going to just leave her in a deserted park though it was such a strange counterpart to the things he had done in the past. Not including the last few moments.

Then she blinked as he grabbed her hand to start tugging her along with him. Dealing with him was definitely odd. "So are you just in New Orleans for..." For her? "Are you living here?"

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He was glad she didn't fight him and led them back to the street, back toward where he'd parked his car.

"I bought a house in the Garden District," he told her with a nod and a sideways glance.

[wantadistraction]

"The Garden District?" She echoed before pursing her lips even though she couldn't really claim she was surprised. And yet a tiny bit of her was as he had moved all the way to New Orleans to buy a house near she was just to be with her.

"Look." She tugged at his hand to stop him again, waiting for him to turn and face her. "Let's go over this again. Just what are you expecting here, Peter?"

[work_inprogress]

"Mmhmm..." He stopped when she did, turning back to look at her, frowning slightly at the question.

"Expecting?" His head tilted a little. "I told you. I came for you."

[wantadistraction]

"Yes, but I need you to explain it more than that." She replied reasonably, her eyes narrowing a little. "Do you mean a one time thing? A few times to get the itch out?"

Then she frowned warily. "Or do you mean a more...permanent thing?"

[work_inprogress]

Peter lifted his free hand to wind one of her curls around a finger, rubbing over it gently.

"Do you think I could ever be satisfied with a few times, Lydia?" He arched an eyebrow. "I bought a house."

[wantadistraction]

Her long lashes flickered ever so softly when his hand slid into her hair again.

Her heart thumped as she wet her lips in reaction to his words, still wary. "You bought a house." She echoed again. "You expect me to move in with you?"

[work_inprogress]

He shook his head a little. "Not now. I know you need time to realize you belong with me. I bought the house, because I'm not going anywhere in the meantime. I can wait."

[wantadistraction]

Lydia opened her mouth and then closed it before finally speaking. "You know how that sounds, right? Considering everything that happened?"

[work_inprogress]

Peter continued stroking that single curl gently, though he was watching her intently.

"I know. Doesn't make it any less true"

[wantadistraction]

"I mean, sex is one thing? Buying a house and saying that we belong together is another." She pointed out, looking at him as though she were trying to figure out some great equation that actually had her stumped for once.

[work_inprogress]

Peter tilted his head, looking down at her, then he shrugged a little. "Yes, it is."

And that fact didn't mean much to him. He knew what he wanted, who he wanted. "And it's still true."

[wantadistraction]

Lydia could see now that reasoning with him wasn't going to work, studying him for a moment before she let out a little sigh. "Let's go, I'm starting to get cold."

[work_inprogress]

One of Peter's particular skills was in making logic work for him and refusing to acknowledge it when it didn't. It was how he'd justified avenging family by killing family, after all. Her comment had him moving again, though, hand firm around hers. "The car is just up here..."

They were back near people, though he stayed off Bourbon Street, moving toward a side street where he'd found a parking spot. After the car with the remote, he opened the door for her, hand shifting to usher her in, but not letting go.

[wantadistraction]

Lydia was fairly quiet as she walked with him to his car, musing silently as she worked through everything that had happened. Noticing his car then, she gave it an appreciative once over before letting him help her into his car.

Then she was sitting and he was still holding her hand which made her look upwards with a curious arch to her brow. "Are you going to stand there all night or drive me home?"

[work_inprogress]

He arched an eyebrow, then looked amused as he let go and shut her door. It wasn't like she was going to jump out of the car and run. That wouldn't be dignified.

Moving around, he got in and settled then headed toward campus, though he took the streets that would take them by his house. It was on the way, so there was no real indication that he was doing anything other than driving a route to avoid the weekend night traffic.

He slowed when they got near it, though, leaning in a little to point out her window. "That's the house I bought..."

[wantadistraction]

If Lydia didn't know better, she might have wondered if Peter was going to take her out somewhere to finally kill her but she knew his obsession wouldn't let him. That and the fact that he did seem to be heading back to the dorms.

Looking up when he started to slow, she turned to follow the point of his finger, looking to the house with a curious arch to her brow. "Wow, that's...actually very nice."

Then, on a whim, she looked over at him. "Show me?"

[work_inprogress]

Peter looked at her slightly surprised. "...Okay..."

He made a turn at the stop sign and circled around to an alley behind the houses, driving back to his and the garage back there. Turning the car off, he got out and moved around to get her door.

[wantadistraction]

She saw the surprised look and arched a brow at him again. "If you expect me to spend any amount of time there, I should see if I like the place first." She replied somewhat haughtily as it was a good bluff. Not that she wasn't actually curious because she was.

Waiting till he parked and then moved around to her door, she slid out of her seat without help this time, studying the back of the house and the yard.

[work_inprogress]

"Valid point," he murmured.

The house had an iron gate around it with a garden in the back. A fountain burbled in the center and a hammock was strung between two trees. The porch wrapped around from the front and he'd put some comfortable chairs on it. Large trees ranged around the house, providing some additional privacy.

Opening the gate, Peter led her along the path to the back door. He flipped on the light as he let them in to the kitchen, giving her a half smile. "I'm still getting furniture and decorating. I wanted pieces I really loved, so I got the necessities for in here, and finished the Master bedroom and the living room. The rest is coming slowly..."

[wantadistraction]

When he paused to look at her, Lydia was clearly side eyeing him with the surprise evident on her features. It was the discussion of furniture and decorating that did it, honestly, because she hadn't imagined he would be the type of man to concern himself with that sort of thing. It was...interesting.

"What colors are you going with for the living room?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen, looking around.

[work_inprogress]

Peter arched an eyebrow at her surprise. He liked nice things, liked beautiful things, and if he also liked them minimal and uncluttered, that didn't mean there was a lack of an aesthetic.

"It's mostly black stained wood for the tables, shelves and cabinets," he said, leading the way toward the front of the house, and the room in question. "Light gray for the couch and love seat, then splashes of jewel tones for color. I'm thinking about a sapphire blue for the walls, but haven't gotten around to painting, yet."

The floors were hardwood throughout, and there was a rug under the coffee table that held that sapphire blue, along with burgundy and amethyst. Likewise, burgundy and amethyst throw pillows adorned the gray couch, and the same colors highlighted the Tiffany glass lamps scattered around the room.

[wantadistraction]

Lydia was quiet as she continued to look around, studying the kitchen first before they moved into the living room in question. Pausing just inside the doorway, she took in the colors, a look of almost awe and appreciation softening her features.

Then she walked in further, skirting around a table where she admired one of the lamps but then she was turning, holding up a finger, as she eyed the room suspiciously. "And you swear that you didn't get anyone else to do this for you?"