Conversations and Candy Bars

First meeting

The cold and bitter wind whips around Peter's head as he walks down the sidewalk on his way home from work. It was only just turning from summer to fall but it was a cold and windy day. At least by Peter's standards; which really meant anything below 70 degrees was considered freezing. His camera hung around his neck by the heavy strap and it was rubbing the back of his neck raw like always. He considered it a miracle that he still had skin there from years of carrying that camera like that, and the cold just made it that much worse.

The sun was just beginning to set behind the skyscrapers of New York as he passes by an alley where a body-like form was laying sideways in front of the entrance. He pauses and looks down, terrified that he had stumbled upon a dead body. His heart rate accelerates and he breathes slightly on the heavy side as he inches closer to the man's bulky body.

"U-uh um h-hello there..A-are you okay?" he calls quietly and stops a few feet from the still form, who thankfully must have just been napping since he looks up and blinks owlishly at Peter.

"I'm fine kid. Thanks for waking me up. Really appreciate that." the guy grumbles in a thick and rough voice, still heavily weighted with sleep.

Peter may not have been very good at most social skills however he definitely recognized a healthy dose of sarcasm when he heard it; and that man was absolutely dripping in it.

"Oh I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure I didn't need to call the hospital or anything." he apologized honestly. He made no comment about his sleeping in an alley, obviously he was homeless and Peter did not want to be rude and point that out to the poor man.

"Hospital?" the man seemed to pale and curl up on himself in fear at the mere mention of the word. It made Peter wonder why but he certainly wasn't going to push the issue at all. Besides, he didn't even know the guy.

"No i- I won't call anyone now. I just.. I wasn't sure if you were..alive?" Bless social anxiety. Just bless it. "I'm sorry I-"

"Don't worry about it kid." The stranger seemed to relax a little but it was only marginal. "I'm fine."

Somehow I don't think he's fine at all. The logical part of Peter thought with concern.

"Do you-uh-would you like a chocolate bar?" he slips his backpack off his shoulders and starts to dig through one of the front pockets. Peter usually always kept a couple different type of sweets in his bag as a reassurance that if he got too horribly stressed out he could eat one to help relax himself. He would insist till the day he dies that sugar is the only thing keeping him going.

The homeless man finally turns his gaze up to Peter and watches as the obviously younger boy dig through the bag and come out with a handful of chocolate bars.

"Take your pick- want a Snickers, a Milky Way, or a Twix?" Peter asks with a grin and holds the candy out to the man, seeming to be fearless of any consequences his actions could have; Peter didn't know if this guy was a serial killer, a psycho, a rapist.. But he didn't really care either. He felt sympathy for someone who obviously was having a rough time and he felt some kindness should be offered to him.

The man, who was dressed in a faded and tattered red hoodie that served to cover most of his face from view, moves a little and looks at up at Peter with wide and questioning deep brown eyes. Peter was left a little breathless at how gorgeous he was, his jaw was sharp and defined, covered with a surprisingly light stubble for being apparently homeless. His muscles seemed to be fairly defined and there was nothing about him that was unappealing. Even the scars covering his face and likely the rest of his body didn't distract from the sheer handsome presence the man gave off. The guy clears his throat a little and raises his thin but well sculpted eyebrows at Peter curiously.