[ Only when Ben starts to feel Peter's restlessness and him pulling away does he let go, settling back down into his chair but staying close, expression intent and concerned. He rubs his hands together, listening as Peter talks his way through it.
Ben doesn't respond at once. He really had just been planning on going with Peter on this one... until he'd heard Peter's reasons. And now he is weighing contrasting needs. The need to support Peter and let him make his own decisions. The need to give advice and be honest as his friend. The need to not get involved when it feels scary, when he's afraid it will cause conflict. The need to retreat into himself and avoid all of this, after the day he's been having.
Eventually, though, he says: ]
I don't know Poison as well as you do, so... obviously, it's your call, and I'm gonna follow your lead. But... earlier, when I texted her, she didn't seem scared of the cameras. Like she seemed really, super insistent that she was fine. And- I think it would scare me a hell of a lot more if I found out somebody I trusted had kept something like this away from me, than if I found out someone had just been in my room.
[ Ben gives a small shrug, lifting his hands in the air to indicate uncertainty. ]
Stuff comes out, eventually. It does. It always always does. So you just have to decide... what you think is better. Her not scared, but also unprepared and uniformed, or her scared and upset like you are, but ready to help.
[ It's pretty clear what side he's leaning towards, but he meant what he said about following Peter's lead. There's no doubt in his mind that Peter means well, and it's not like he has a whole lot of romantic relationship experience to draw on, here. It's possible Peter knows Poison best and this really would scare her to such a degree that it's better not to mention until they have it under control. ]
And you weren't weird. You were reacting like a human being.
[ You're not going to wave it off as some weirdness, Peter. Ben's wise to your tricks and not going to let you get away with it. There will be none of that while he's around.
But he does smile, despite all of it, when Peter mentions his little mishap. ]
You really fell in a pool? ...Like a big pool? Did you trip?
[ He has seen Peter leap into the air and cling to trees and walls and ceilings. Imagining him klutzing out like that is... pretty priceless. A sliver of happiness on this otherwise dark day. ]
no subject
Ben doesn't respond at once. He really had just been planning on going with Peter on this one... until he'd heard Peter's reasons. And now he is weighing contrasting needs. The need to support Peter and let him make his own decisions. The need to give advice and be honest as his friend. The need to not get involved when it feels scary, when he's afraid it will cause conflict. The need to retreat into himself and avoid all of this, after the day he's been having.
Eventually, though, he says: ]
I don't know Poison as well as you do, so... obviously, it's your call, and I'm gonna follow your lead. But... earlier, when I texted her, she didn't seem scared of the cameras. Like she seemed really, super insistent that she was fine. And- I think it would scare me a hell of a lot more if I found out somebody I trusted had kept something like this away from me, than if I found out someone had just been in my room.
[ Ben gives a small shrug, lifting his hands in the air to indicate uncertainty. ]
Stuff comes out, eventually. It does. It always always does. So you just have to decide... what you think is better. Her not scared, but also unprepared and uniformed, or her scared and upset like you are, but ready to help.
[ It's pretty clear what side he's leaning towards, but he meant what he said about following Peter's lead. There's no doubt in his mind that Peter means well, and it's not like he has a whole lot of romantic relationship experience to draw on, here. It's possible Peter knows Poison best and this really would scare her to such a degree that it's better not to mention until they have it under control. ]
And you weren't weird. You were reacting like a human being.
[ You're not going to wave it off as some weirdness, Peter. Ben's wise to your tricks and not going to let you get away with it. There will be none of that while he's around.
But he does smile, despite all of it, when Peter mentions his little mishap. ]
You really fell in a pool? ...Like a big pool? Did you trip?
[ He has seen Peter leap into the air and cling to trees and walls and ceilings. Imagining him klutzing out like that is... pretty priceless. A sliver of happiness on this otherwise dark day. ]