Lamia's Pet

Christmas In Coils *Non-Canon*

A cuss came under Peter's breath as he tossed another sheet of torn wrapping paper to the side of the couch where he sat. Why is gift wrapping so hard? Even with a video tutorial he'd still failed to grasp how to make it look pretty. It had to look good, otherwise it may look like no care was put into it. Even though it was quite a thoughtful gift, if not a little unorthodox. Especially considering who it was meant for was by no means a typical person.

"Alright, I'm heading out for the day. You can expect me back... today." Virgil said as he stepped out of his room and picked up his car keys off the kitchen counter.

Peter had been living with his brother, Virgil, for the past year, mostly to escape their mother. Peter was the baby in the family so she smothered him at times. Moving in with Virgil was really the only way to get away from all that and try to grow up. Although, it'd been a bit difficult keeping a job over the year, Peter had been mostly out of work for the year. Virgil didn't mind, since he believed family should stick together, but even still, Peter felt guilty over being such a burden. Despite Virgil's insistence that he doesn't mind him at all.

"What have you got there?" Virgil questioned, leaning over the back of the couch to look over his brother's shoulder.

"I-it's a gift... for our neighbor..." Peter explained, showing Virgil a sweater that had a cute little coiled up snake wearing a Santa hat on the front.

A loud groan erupted from Virgil, "why do you gotta gift anything to that woman? She's a bitch, and has gotten even weirder since you started living here. She's bad news I tell you."

Their neighbor was a very unique woman. Pandora was her name, and she wasn't a woman in the usual sense. Or maybe not human would be the right term? She is a Lamia, a half snake half woman hybrid of sorts. Before Peter moved in Virgil would often complain about Pandora and how she was always very rude and creepy, but since Peter had been here...

Upon first meeting Pandora, Peter had been startled, as Virgil never mentioned she was a Lamia in all the times he'd vented about her. Almost mimicking Peter's own surprise, Pandora had locked eyes with the young man and stared for a few moments before finally blinking and introducing herself, and Peter introduced himself in turn. Since that day she often invited herself over when she knew Virgil was out or at work. It seemed like all of what Virgil had said was wrong, as she was always quite kind to Peter. Every holiday she bought some kind of treat to gift to Peter. She had said she would bake something herself if she could, but she was not much of a cook, and stuck to buying things like cookies instead. This holiday Peter wanted to get something for her for being so nice.

Peter ignored his brother's warning and continued to wrap the gift.

Glancing to his watch Virgil shook his head,. "Anyway. You be careful around that snake. I'll be back late for sure, so don't bother waiting for me. Eat dinner whenever." Virgil opened the front door and hurriedly exited

It wasn't unusual for Virgil to be out late. "Alright. I'll see you later then." Peter called out to Virgil as he shut the door.

With a sigh, Peter returned to his wrapping to find himself surprised. It had actually turned out pretty well this time. Maybe he had been thinking too hard before and the distraction of talking with Virgil was all he needed? Either way, the gift looked nice. Uniform and aesthetically pleasing. Peter felt pride just looking at the gift, though that feeling soon shifted into a feeling of nervousness.

"Now I have to give it to her..." he gulped.

It wasn't so much the worry of her liking it that concerned him as much as it was how she may interpret the gift. Over the year and the many meetings with Pandora he'd grown somewhat attached to her, but there was still a distance between them both. It was like a chainlink fence, they could see and even reach out to each other, but never in full. Over the year there had been a few times that Peter had thought that barrier would be torn down and then. Who knew? It often filled Peter with anxiety to think about what would follow. It didn't help that whenever Pandora crossed his mind- which was often- he returned to wondering what could be. Rather, if it should be.