Surprise - Peter and Liz

[st_hotflashes]

Liz wasn't sure if Peter was going to actually like the surprise she had in mind for him, but she had finished it a few days ago and she was proud of it. Liz was pretty sure he'd like it, but there was always a chance. She hoped now, after a couple of weeks the awkwardness that had been the 'therapy session' with Annie and Mr. Stark, Peter might be in the right sort of mood for it.

She sat on her bed, going over some chemistry homework idly as she waited for Peter to show up.

Comments

[st_arkintern]

"When we first started dating, I might have been," he says. But after all the things Liz's seen so far... there wasn't many things he'd find embarrassing to share.

[st_hotflashes]

She smiled at that and then leaned in to kiss him softly. It seemed like they had been dating for forever - in a good way - though Liz was equally aware that their anniversary was fast approaching.

She looked at him quietly with a fond smile, letting silence float over them for a moment. She felt lucky and she wanted to express it again, but she was sure he already knew that.

"Hey, um -" There was slight hesitation only because she didn't want to 'ruin' things, but since he brought up them dating it also meant she thought of Annie and how things were complicated. "About Christmas coming up. I was thinking... Annie's probably the only one here who believes in Santa still, right?"

Assuming the little girl still believed in him, of course.

"I think, well, I think there should be a present from Santa for her this year." Since she was pretty sure Peter wasn't going to want to be the one to break it to Annie that Santa was fictional. "And I think it's really important you spend the morning with her."

[st_arkintern]

Peter appreciates how understanding Liz is despite everything; there's so much she's had to go through after the appearance of Annie. He's grateful for it, and he's not sure she knows how much. Or that he appreciates it at all.

"What should Santa bring her? She has those Avengers plush toys. Do you think we could make some of the others before Christmas?"

[st_hotflashes]

"I think that would be a good idea. Maybe complete her set? Or maybe there's one she really misses?" Liz, of course, did not know a whole lot about Annie since Annie wasn't exactly the most forthcoming with her.

[st_arkintern]

"I'll find out which one she's missing," Peter says. He can't quite remember right now, either. "Then we work on it together?"

[st_hotflashes]

She paused. "Do you think that would be okay?" Though, Liz supposed Annie wasn't going to know who really made it. She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, of course. I'd like to make sure it's a good Christmas for her."

[st_arkintern]

"I mean, yeah, it's from Santa, right?" Peter smiles.

[st_hotflashes]

Her smile warmed and she leaned over to kiss him softly. "I'm happy to help be one of our elves."

[st_arkintern]

Peter runs his hand along the back of her head and gives her one quick chaste kiss before pulling away. Not entirely, but just enough that her breath isn't running hot on his face.

"Maybe we should dress up, too."

[st_hotflashes]

"As elves?" She smiled a little, flushing, and couldn't quite help but to picture Peter in such an outfit. "Would it surprise you if I said I've dressed up like one before?"

[st_arkintern]

"Not if you say that Maria made you do it," he says with a smile. Liz didn't seem like the sort of person to openly volunteer for something that would put her anywhere near the spotlight -- at least when they first met. That changed a little since they first started dating, though.

[st_hotflashes]

She laughed softly, smile wide as she shook her head. "No, actually. Isabel." Max's sister. "She gets really intense around Christmas. She wants it to be perfect. We call her the Christmas Nazi. Last year Maria and I dressed up as elves and Michael was Santa for the local children."

[st_arkintern]

"That's really nice, Liz." It really is. Peter hasn't done anything like that. Sure, he's volunteered a few times, but not like that. And probably not as often as he should.

"How do you feel about Christmas?"

[st_hotflashes]

"Christmas?" She smiled just thinking about it. "It's my favourite holiday I think. I mean, I like Halloween because you can escape who you are for a little bit, but Christmas... It's where magic exists, you know? It feels like anything can happen."

[st_arkintern]

"Halloween is my favorite, but Christmas is probably my second-favorite. Then New Years." Peter's loved costumes ever since he was a kid. It shouldn't surprise anyone that Halloween is his favorite holiday.

"Did you want to do anything for New Year?" he asks. "It's our first New Year together."

[st_hotflashes]

She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. They had first officially met on New Year's Eve last year. It felt like a big deal somehow.

"Maybe this year I'll be able to get a kiss at midnight."

Of course, Liz was also aware of Annie too.

"Or, um." She paused. "Well what would you like to do?"

[st_arkintern]

"We could try making fireworks again." Last year he made then with Sora a few weeks afterwards. Now Sora wasn't here. They would have to go more practical if they did it this year.

"But I definitely want a midnight kiss."

[st_hotflashes]

"Do you think we can?" She paused, thinking. It probably wouldn't be too hard, really. Between the two of them, their science was pretty strong. "I think a lot of people would like that, actually. And that way some of the others could get the day off, too."

[st_arkintern]

"We could just use regular fire instead of magical fire," Peter says. "Maybe we can come up with something more elaborate. Our fireworks last year were a last-minute thing." Now, at least, they had two weeks to perfect it.

[st_hotflashes]

She nodded. "I've made sparklers before, which we could make for everyone. And, I mean... we could probably find the other ingredients... the boutique has those cold packs which has calcium ammonium nitrate and I'm pretty sure I saw some salt-free salt in the restaurant the other day that has potassium." So they could make potassium nitrate which would help with explosions. Sulfur and Charcoal would be easy to find.

[st_arkintern]

Peter looks at the ceiling for a second, thinking. "Okay," he says, finally. "Let's work on everyone's gifts this week and as soon as we're done we'll start working on everything for New Year's." Peter has more faith in his ability to get the fireworks taken care of quickly than he does in making the things he wants to make for everyone before the holiday.

[st_hotflashes]

She watched him. There were simple moments like this one where Peter would get lost in his head, even for a second or two, and she'd see a glimpse of Peter that she thought was one of her favourite. She couldn't quite explain it, but it was moments like that she felt pulled to him even more.

She smiled, her chest filling with warmth and in a sudden moment of inspiration, she took his unguarded moment to move and sit on top of him, leg on either side. "Sounds like a plan." Her arms went around his shoulders. "But right now, I definitely plan to distract you."

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah?" Peter says, his lips tugging into a smile. "How?"

Peter knew he was just about to find out.