#hes just so...

Mutual Understanding

A small and silly Lies of P blurb by Lagooneah

Word count: Roughly 1500

Warnings: None! Unless if you count P and Gemini being dumb and adorable as one lol

You thought you were used to this by now. It had been a solid few weeks since it began, and it didn't look like it was stopping anytime soon.

What, you ask? Well, you had been hit with many, many different "attempts"- attempts at something or some end that you could never place, by a certain someone within the walls of Hotel Krat.

P usually came off as cool, collected, but for you, he never seemed to get anything right. At least that's what he thought, and his supposed "wingman" at his hip wouldnt help much either, because with every failed attempt P had at trying to communicate something with you, he would crack some joke that maybe should've stayed in the crevices of his mind, but instead spilled into the corridor for you to give an awkward laugh to.

You had no idea of what exactly he was trying to convey- every interaction was different but had very specific common traits at the same time.

P would approach you, something in his hand, stutter out your name and then a few words, force the "gift" into your hands, and then stare at you until Gemini broke the silence. Then they would rush away and not really give you any recourse. The gifts often differed- one was an old and semi-bloodied book that you could only assume P found out in the messy streets of Krat. Another was a random painting that Sophia said he got from his latest Black Rabbit Brotherhood run-in. It was a nice landscape painting over a water scenery, and now it simply sits on the wall in your room. Another, one of your favorite of the odd bunch, was when P gave you a small box and ran off, you opened it to find a mostly broken silver necklace, with a locket with a photo stained with oil within.

You almost enjoyed this, these random gifts, you knew from Sophia that P was still sort of on his way to humanity, only just recently having grown out his dark poofy hair to a straight medium length, so you always cut him some slack when it came to interaction. Your only problem was that you enjoyed the gifts, but couldn't tell him before he'd run off for whatever reason. It was weird. You knew he didn't dislike you. No, why would he gift you a collection of random things he finds on his adventures if he didn't like you?

You couldn't decipher why he was doing this, and more so, why he'd just run off afterward. Maybe he just wanted to be friendly? Maybe he needed to empty his pockets? Maybe...

Wait-

Before you could truly process your thoughts, you feel a familiar metal fingertip tap your shoulder. You look up from your book, then behind where you sit to meet eyes with the very puppet you've been thinking of.

P stands there, almost a bit tense, like how he used to be before he started gaining more humanity. His eyes scan your face quickly, and his lip quiver gently before he speaks in the lowest octave possible,

"Hi Y/N." He shuts his mouth, earning a crackle in his words, his eyes flicker to his lips with a near flash of frustration in them, but he keeps going- "How... Are you? How are you?" He repeats, more together in the second try than the first.

You smiled, nodding to him and not thinking twice of his slip of tongue, and answered, "Hello P. Im rather well, as well as i can be, and you?"

He nods, his lip twitching but not quite reaching a smile. "That's good." He answers confidently, before Gemini pipes up,

"They asked you how you were too pal-"

"IM GOOD." He exclaims much too loud for the library, a small feedback screech in the back of his throat as he belts the words out. You squint a bit at the sound, and you swear you hear Gemini whisper, "too loud, too loud!"

You meet eyes with P again, who, if you didn't know any better, looked mortified of his volume.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you." He waves his hands slightly, "You're not hurt are you..?" He asks, worried now, he knows that humans are sensitive creatures, and he may or may not be worried he's made your eardrums burst.

You shake your head and giggle a bit,

"No, no, P, I'm ok! It was a bit loud, but I assure you im ok." You patted the seat beside you, offering him to sit, and he listens, his legion and leg brushing just a bit against the side of your thigh, but he pulls away before it goes on any longer.

He stared at you while the pair of you sat, his bright blues scanning over your face again and again, like he was looking for something. You smiled, albeit awkwardly with his Hawkeye gaze, and you spoke,

"So uhm... About these gifts..."

"You hate them?" His question brings you to a pause. What? Why would you? Is that why hes been running off? He thinks you dont like them?

You shake your head again,

"Not at all! Goodness, if you'd only let me tell you before running off, you'd know i really do like them!" You exclaimed, shaking your head again in near disapproval. His eyes widen for a moment, taking in your expression, and all he says is,

"I'm sorry. Dont be mad." It sounds like a command almost, a statement, but with the look in his eyes, you know that's not what he means. He's never meant harm, not him, not to you.

You sigh, calming yourself and putting a hand over his metal one. With a friendly smile, you ask,

"Can I ask you something? About the gifts?" He looks at you, his eyes flitting to your hand on his a few times before meeting yours again. He nods silently, giving you the go-ahead.

"Are you... Giving me these gifts because you like me?" You delivered the question softly, still maintaining eye contact, and not letting him go. His eyes widened again, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he said,

"Y-yes..." Another crackle leaves his throat. You're starting to think that happens when he's nervous. You looked at his hand underneath yours, taking in a breath to speak, but before you could, he spoke up, "You... You confuse me. I never really know what to say to you, how to talk to you..." He puts his other hand over yours, squeezing it while he meets your eyes again."I... I want to understand you, understand why you make me so warm, why just hearing your voice loosens my... M-my springs." He falters slightly in his last words, but he clears his throat of it before speaking again, "Can I do that? Will- will you let me?" He asks, but this time, there's hardly an echo or a crackle. He sounds the most human asking to be closer to you, and it warms your heart and cheeks.

Your smile only grew as he spoke, and when he finished with that question, you nodded,

"Yes, P. You may. I'd love to get to know you too..." You confessed, and you swear you start to see a smile form on the puppets' lips,

"I... Ok. That's good." He says, more to himself than to you, causing you to giggle again. You find yourself leaning closer to him, your faces mere centimeters from one another. His eyes lower to your lips, then back to your eyes, his gaze is much softer, lazier almost as he draws nearer to you too.

It's as if the world stops for these few moments, just you and him, your hands tangled together, your faces near. You can feel a faint warmth of breath on your face. His breath smells lightly of oil and something else you can't quite decipher. It isn't a bad smell, not at all. it's simply him. Just as your lips brush against his, a familiar chirp breaks the silence,

"Woah- things got pretty serious fast, huh bud?" But before he can get all the words out, P grinds his teeth in frustration, grabbing the small lantern at his hip and turning him off. A small power down noise fills the room.

It's silent for a moment before you break out into uncontrollable giggles, laughing at the interaction. Geminis foolishness, P's immediate and harsh reaction- anyone would laugh at the pair. P seems to let out a huff but finds himself smiling instead of scowling when looking at you. Watching as you laugh, smile... Do the things that make him feel so warm around you.

After your fit of giggles, you open your arms to him, saying a soft "come here, you." And he follows, wrapping his strong arms around you while you grab his face, giving him the kiss he deserved.

You know that you felt a smile on his lips when you did.

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