- Peter -
(Before the main story)
Peter told Lucifer he would be using the other echo to make a call. Lucifer allowed it because he assumed he knew what the call was about. He left Peter alone in his office, saying he would stop anyone from going in for now. Peter thanked him and took a seat behind the desk.
"Hey...it's Peter. Can I speak with Setsuna?"
Noise could be heard on the other side of the call. Peter waited, hopeful that he would hear the voice he wanted to. After a little while a voice answered.
"Finally decided to call?" The female voice said.
"It's good to hear ya voice, Setsuna." His voice was quiet.
Peter looked around at the room. He always found the large collection of books strangely calming. He couldn't quite find the words to say and thought that maybe if he stared long enough at the office they would come to him.
"Are you okay?" Setsuna asked in a concern tone.
"Hmm? Yeah...yeah I'm fine." Peter's tone seemed distracted. "...Sorry, it took a lot for me just to make this call."
"You realize how that sounds to me, right?" She said.
"Ya know I don't mean anythin' by it." Peter assured. "I...I just wanted to talk with ya again."
The air in the room seemed to be getting thinner as the conversation went on. Peter had felt a pit in his stomach. He wanted to hang up and call again, but he knew this was now or never.
"You're not dying are you?" She joked.
"No, course not. I...I just...sorry." He still couldn't find the words.
He had tried preparing what to say in his head. Every time he thought of something he would go back on it in his mind. He wanted to ask someone to play the role of Setsuna while he practices what to say, but couldn't bring himself to request that of anyone. He didn't want anyone seeing him like this.
"Do you want to try calling again later?" Setsuna asked in a soft tone. "I can wait."
"NO!" Peter caught himself. "Um, no...sorry. I feel like if I don't do this now I just won't do it."
Peter closed his eyes and tilted his head up. He covered his face with his hand, and yelled "Fuck" without opening his mouth.
'Be a fuckin' man. You can take third-degree burns, but you can't say a basic fuckin' sentence?'
He punched his leg as hard as he could, shaking the desk. He opened his eyes and stopped covering his face, took a deep breath, and exhaled as powerfully as he could.
"I just want ya to know I do think about ya." He finally said. "Not everyday, but I do, I swear."
"I know you do Peter." Setsuna responded. "Like I said before you don't have any obligation to be a part of my life."
"I...I just can't accept that for myself." His tone got shaky. "Ya mean a lot to me."
"Not as much as Lucifer though." She said in a calm tone. "I understood that when I met you, and I would never expect things to change."
Peter placed his head on the desk. What little progress he had made was growing the pit in his stomach into a boulder. He felt almost sick. He lifted his head and said what he was thinking.
"Ya know my past, and still accepted me. I felt like I owed ya this call, and I know how that sounds."
He was waiting for a response. The fact that he wasn't getting one made him continue.
"I...I just want ya to know if I could do things differently, I would."
Still no response. He closed his eyes and gripped his left arm as hard as he could, imprinting his hand's shape into the skin.
"I...I just...I just don't want to be a mistake in your life."
"You're not." She answered. "I made my choice, not out of impulse, but out of genuine want. Your name proceeded you when you arrived here, so I wasn't fooled for one second into thinking you would stay."
Peter felt hollow, the boulder feeling in his stomach was gone. He was happy to hear her words, if only for the brief feeling of relief they gave him. He released his grip on his arm and said the one thing he had wanted to this entire time.
"Are ya happy?"
It took a little bit of time for Setsuna to respond. Sounds could be heard on the other end that showed Peter she was still there.
"Yes...are you?" She asked.
"Doesn't matter." He answered. He paused briefly. "I hope I can see ya again someday soon."
"Me too...thank you for calling." She hung up the call.
Peter stared at the echo. He slapped it off of the table and placed his head in his hands. Lucifer knocked on the open door of his office.
"Sorry...we should get going. You know how he is." Lucifer said.
"Yeah, be right there." Peter walked over to the echo and picked it up.