𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐅𝐓 (X-Men ~ Peter Maximoff)

Heartbreak Hotel

The stereotype that Scotland was cold had always somewhat offended Jennifer, knowing that the sun did appear periodically, and when it did, everyone would be outside, flocking to the beaches. But now she understood what people meant.

The entire town was wrapped in an inescapable bubble of heat, everyone trapped inside it had stripped down to their shorts, crop tops and bikinis. Professional and sturdy shoes had been swapped out for useless flimsy flip flops and sandals as families, couples and random individuals wandered aimlessly down the streets, sharing stories or ice cream.

Jennifer, however, wasn't doing so well in the extreme temperatures. The sun was practically burning her skin off, even though she had smeared an entire tube of sunscreen on herself. If it weren't for the fact that she had arranged to met Peter after work, she probably would've hidden inside, her cold heritage proving to be a weak trait.

She could've avoided this terrible experience by taking the bus downtown, but no, she had believed walking would be pleasant. The half hour walk took at least twenty minutes longer than usual as Jennifer had to keep stopping for water and, on one occasion, a tub of ice cream. Suffice to say, when she reached the Maximoff's house she didn't bother to knock on the door, simply sauntering in to get away from the taunting sun.

Laura, from her seat her the living room, had an excellent view of the front door, so it didn't take her long to notice Jennifer's sweaty and frenzied figure leaning against the doorframe. "Peter's out at the moment honey." Noticing a frown on Jennifer's face, Laura continued. "He's getting us some food for dinner, would you like to join us?"

Nodding with a weary smile, Jennifer took a few deep breaths before taking a seat on the opposite armchair from Laura. The TV was on in the corner, but neither of them were watching it, Laura flicking through a newspaper and Jennifer staring up at the ceiling, still trying to regulate her heart rate.

"Do I spend too much time with him?," she blurted out, effectively catching the older woman's attention.

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Jennifer shook her head, trying to work out what she was saying. "It's just, I ... I'm always here, y'know? And I'm worried about what would happen if I left."

Laura leaned forward in her seat, a frown tracing her features. "Why would you leave?"

"I don't know," Jennifer answered truthfully, not sure why or what she was confessing. "What if something happened and we didn't want to see each other again? What would I do then?"

Grabbing Jennifer's hand gently, Laura gave a small, comforting smile. "I'm sure that's never going to happen. You may not see it, but you mean the world to him. I don't think anything could come between you for long." She paused, allowing Jennifer to process her wise words. She hadn't spent much time with the teenager other than for the odd meal, but when she was gone, Peter often talked about her, though he probably didn't realise people were actually listening. Laura knew how he felt months ago, and a part of her was surprised that they hadn't gotten together by now. Peter had never been straight forward though, and it was quite probable that Jennifer was his first friend in years, so, despite there being an obvious connection between the two, Laura could understand her son's hesitancy.

Seeing Jennifer process her words, Laura had one more thing to say. "What you can do now though, is go take a shower before he gets back, okay?"

Jennifer chuckled, nodding her head in agreement. She didn't know why she had opened up about her inner worries, but she had a vague feeling it had something to do with her experience with Peter last week, on the park bench. Nevertheless, she headed to the shower, ready to remove the layers of sunscreen, sweat and grime from her skin.