[Ah. Well. That's...unexpected. But at least it stings much less than the last time Jon asked him about playing cat with someone else.]
I don't mind you playing with him and it won't make anything awkward. At least not for me, anyway.
[Not more awkward than things already are. Peter does...briefly think about - fantasize about - the idea of playing cat to Hawke's handler. It's not a position he has ever taken outside of work, aside from one session as Huaisang's fox which...quickly devolved into sex anyway. The idea of being cared for by Hawke as a pet is...oh. No, better not to think about that right now. It's unlikely to happen anyway. Why torture himself with the idea?
He might just leave the rest of the conversation there, except that Jon had said that he and Hawke were dating and...well, maybe their recent conversation has been eating at him. There's a very long pause, and a few dancing dots, before he sends another text.]
[That makes things easy, at least. Jon's about to ask after his boyfriend, generally, when the next message comes. His brow furrows in concern. Has he missed something?]
Do you need to talk about this? Not want, necessarily, but need. You’re not usually this opaque unless something’s actually bothering you. I’d like to be here for you, if you’ll let me.
[And Jon’s known Peter to be uncertain about his relationship in only one case: the situation with Martin. Is there some sort of tiff going on with Wolfe and Juno?]
[Peter knows he shouldn't have said anything at all. But at the same time, he knows he said what he said because he does need to talk.]
Maybe.
[It takes....a while to follow up on that. At least half an hour if not more and if Jon does try to reach out before Peter texts him again, it goes unanswered. But, finally:]
Juno has never been comfortable with our seeing each other, not really. That has increasingly become a problem for Adalwolfe.
[A problem for Peter, too, of course. But he's leaving that implied or unsaid.]
[Jon's aware of Juno's... reticence. He hadn't got the impression the lady was entirely as bad as Martin, but still. He'd walked into a situation with extra romantic partners when he'd thought he was Peter's only one. Or, well... only one in the running.]
Is it affecting your relationship with Juno, as well, or just you and Wolfe? Is our relationship affecting things with Juno?
It hasn't really been affecting our relationship. I think he's been trying not to show his discomfort to ME. Though that isn't to say I haven't been aware of it. And no. At least I don't think so.
I think it helped, in some way, that you and I were already together when he arrived. I'm not sure he was - or even still is - entirely happy about it, but I think he's been able to stomach it better. Or he's been lying to me about his feelings. I don't know. I did tell him once that I would be monogamous - romantically - if he wanted me to be. He said he didn't want that.
[Well. What he really said was that he'd leave Jon if Juno wanted him to but those exact words...he doesn't feel like saying them to Jon. He'll probably get the inference anyway.]
[It stings a little, knowing Peter would set him aside if Juno asked. But they've been in the reverse situation, haven't they? He would have been romantically monogamous for Martin if the man had asked for that. The realization that this is probably how Peter had felt is an unpleasant and sobering one.]
All right. So, you're facing two issues. Juno being jealous. And Adalwolfe having a pathological need for people to like him. With you stuck in the middle. Does that about sum it up?
But it isn't just about Juno LIKING him. He's uncomfortable with the idea that he's hurting Juno. That WE'RE hurting Juno. And I don't think he's wrong.
I know. I'll probably take you up on the offer soon.
[Really, he might not actually talk. But allowing himself to be upset about this in Jon's presence when he hasn't been able to be that around anyone else...Peter probably does need that.]
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I don't mind you playing with him and it won't make anything awkward. At least not for me, anyway.
[Not more awkward than things already are. Peter does...briefly think about - fantasize about - the idea of playing cat to Hawke's handler. It's not a position he has ever taken outside of work, aside from one session as Huaisang's fox which...quickly devolved into sex anyway. The idea of being cared for by Hawke as a pet is...oh. No, better not to think about that right now. It's unlikely to happen anyway. Why torture himself with the idea?
He might just leave the rest of the conversation there, except that Jon had said that he and Hawke were dating and...well, maybe their recent conversation has been eating at him. There's a very long pause, and a few dancing dots, before he sends another text.]
I don't think what we're doing is dating.
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Oh?
Did something happen?
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[That's....not a yes or a no.]
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Do you need to talk about this?
Not want, necessarily, but need.
You’re not usually this opaque unless something’s actually bothering you.
I’d like to be here for you, if you’ll let me.
[And Jon’s known Peter to be uncertain about his relationship in only one case: the situation with Martin. Is there some sort of tiff going on with Wolfe and Juno?]
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Maybe.
[It takes....a while to follow up on that. At least half an hour if not more and if Jon does try to reach out before Peter texts him again, it goes unanswered. But, finally:]
Juno has never been comfortable with our seeing each other, not really.
That has increasingly become a problem for Adalwolfe.
[A problem for Peter, too, of course. But he's leaving that implied or unsaid.]
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Is it affecting your relationship with Juno, as well, or just you and Wolfe?
Is our relationship affecting things with Juno?
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And no. At least I don't think so.
I think it helped, in some way, that you and I were already together when he arrived. I'm not sure he was - or even still is - entirely happy about it, but I think he's been able to stomach it better.
Or he's been lying to me about his feelings. I don't know.
I did tell him once that I would be monogamous - romantically - if he wanted me to be. He said he didn't want that.
[Well. What he really said was that he'd leave Jon if Juno wanted him to but those exact words...he doesn't feel like saying them to Jon. He'll probably get the inference anyway.]
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All right.
So, you're facing two issues.
Juno being jealous.
And Adalwolfe having a pathological need for people to like him.
With you stuck in the middle.
Does that about sum it up?
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But it isn't just about Juno LIKING him. He's uncomfortable with the idea that he's hurting Juno.
That WE'RE hurting Juno. And I don't think he's wrong.
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I'm sorry.
Dealing with this from any side is wretched.
Are you in love him?
Adalwolfe.
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Yes.
I realized it when we thought we had to leave.
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I can try talking to Hawke.
Remind him that someone else's emotions aren't actually his responsibility.
Or I could speak with Juno, I suppose.
[Tell him to stop being a jealous prick. Or at least be quieter about it.]
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Again, Adalwolfe isn't wrong and if anyone should be speaking to Juno, it's me.
And I will. Soon.
[He just has to do...something else first. Something he doesn't want to do very much.
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But I am here if you need me for anything.
Or if you need someone to talk to about it?
I can be here just to listen, too.
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[Really, he might not actually talk. But allowing himself to be upset about this in Jon's presence when he hasn't been able to be that around anyone else...Peter probably does need that.]
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Just don't wait too long.
[They're words he's said to another boyfriend in a very different context... but he'd like Peter not to self-destruct, either.]