Lil and Pietro, backdated to June 12

[om_quicksilver]

Lil and Pietro soothe their broken hearts with soccer and vodka. Or try to, anyhow.

Normally, Pietro would've had a party for the US's first game. Fill up Tony's rec room with mutants who loved soccer and/or football and just go to town with the giant TV, JARVIS predictions, fizzy drinks, and little cupcakes decorated to look like soccer balls.

Sadly, someone had put a damper on his party spirit recently, so he wasn't in the mood. Instead, he just called Lil, whose damper was remarkably similar at the moment. And he'd got a few bottles of vodka, since that was kinda her drink of choice--some plain, some in varying flavors--and invited her to watch with him in the Maximoff living room. They'd gotten a better TV, and Tony's birthday gift of the massive squishy couch was coming in handy. Pietro sported his Dempsey jersey and shorts, barefoot, and sipped on a bright blue vodka cocktail he'd invented himself.

"Okay, that was harrowing." He finally allowed him to speak at the half. Seriously, if not for his bb, Hope Solo, that shit woulda been 4-1 in favor of the Aussies. Still, the US was looking better, so there was hope.

"LeRoux should have had that shot in the last minute," Lil murmured, sinking further into the cushions and taking a long drink. "I mean, not that I am rooting for her because as a Canadian, I can't. We love our soccer girls and when someone born and raised in our borders chooses to play for a different team? Fuck, no."

Of course, there were plenty of government people backing Alpha Flight who thought the same exact thing about Lil.

But this was different! Alpha was jacked up; and this was soccer!

"And this isn't harrowing. Going zero-zero til the last minute on a penalty kick in front of your country at home is harrowing."

Pietro fixed her with a flat look. "Point taken, but come on. You've lived among Americans long enough to realize that any time we're not clearly winning, we find it harrowing. We're so not clearly winning this right now."

Lil arched an eyebrow at him, head cocked to the side. "Because your girls up front aren't connecting. Your goal was a fluke."

"Yes on the not connecting, no on the fluke," he said decisively. He reached for the little pitcher of pre-made blue martini-like substance on the side table. "Rapinoe is a goddess. A magical queer goddess of soccer."

"I thought that was Wambach." Really, if they'd been taking a sip each time the announcers said the forward's name in the first half, they'd be completely wasted. Lil held out her glass for a refill.

"They're both queer. And both goddesses." Pietro sat up to fill her glass first. "But unlike the announcers, I'm taking about the relevant-to-the-moment player, Rapinoe."

The taller mutant couldn't help but snort. "Fine. I'll give you that one," she admitted, watching him pour out. This... hadn't been a horrible idea. Yes, Lil had crashed at Jeanne-Marie's the night before and tonight she'd likely sleep right where she was currently sitting but it's wasn't like she was avoiding going back to her - formerly her and Brian's - room! Nor was she actively looking to drown her sorrows in alcohol; it just happened to be available in plenty during the two evenings since Bri left!

Pietro finished pouring for her, then went to fill up his own glass. "All I'm saying is that I need them to win a lot more balls than they're winning right now. So much."

She nodded and took a long sip. "Here's hoping someone will kick their asses into gear in the locker room." It was weird, feeling so apathetic toward the game. Usually, she was up and screaming or cheering at the players - today, Lil really had no passion for it. But Pietro was there and it beat sulking in her room.

"Thanks for coming over," Pietro said suddenly, glancing away from the game to take Lil in. She was in... similar shape to him, emotionally speaking. He got it. "I don't like hanging out alone even on good days, but I'm not really in a party mood, you know?"

"Yeah." She knew exactly. It was hard not to focus on the void in her life; she didn't want to be one of those exes people always talked about being crazy and clingy and dramatic but the newness of Brian's departure was still fresh and hurt like hell when she was reminded of it. "We make quite a pair, huh?"

Pietro raised his full glass. "To pretending to be okay!"

Lil's lips twitched into a forced half-smile as she clinked the rim of her drink against his. "I don't know if I've even gotten to 'okay' yet but I'm trying?"

"You're there--great faking!" Pietro lied.

She fixed him with a flat look. "I ain't the performer you are, sweetie," Lil reminded him. "But right now, even I can tell you're bullshitting."

"I am indeed." But Pietro still smiled. "But at least we have each other to fake with, right?"

"Which is both awesome and sucky considered we never had to fake anything with each other before," she replied, the innuendo half-hearted. God, she hated feeling like this.

Pietro chuckled, though, genuinely amused. "This is the part where I should say something else positive. But let's face it. We're miserable."

"Completely." Which also sucked. "It's only been two days and I'm already annoyed at myself for missing him so much. I didn't show you what he left me, did I?"

Pietro shook his head and scooted closer.

Lil grabbed her bag off the floor and pulled out the silver bracelet Brian had left in their room on the day he went back to England. "Infinity symbols. What the fuck am I supposed to think about that when I get this the day he jumps on a plane?" The loss and sadness was bad enough without him throwing cryptic symbols into the mix. Then again, it was Brian; for being so smart, he was especially clueless when it came to romantic gestures.

Pietro reached out for the bracelet. "That... is kinda a mixed message. Which doesn't seem like Brian." He looked up at her, then back down at the bracelet. "Was it like a thing with you two or... something?"

"No! And there wasn't an explanation left with it, either," she huffed, frowning at the bracelet. It was pretty, certainly, and Brian did excel in picking out exquisite jewelry - her diamond choker was proof of that. "I mean, the ring he gave me at Christmas was probably the most thoughtful piece he ever gave me 'cause he knows how I act when I get nervous and anxious..." Like she was right now, twisting away at the thinner bands so they spun around the thicker one on her right hand. "But I have no clue about this. Like, is it just supposed to be some pretty thing to wear or is there more to it? Romantic, or scientific, or whatever? And it's not like I can even ask him."

Pietro considered it, chewing on his bottom lip--a few seconds like lifetimes, to him. Crunching the variables, really: their relationship, what he knew of Brian, that kind of thing. Finally, he said, "You know. I wonder if he's saying that... even if he's gone, what you guys had will be important to him forever."

Her lips pulled into a thinner line as she shrugged again. "Maybe. God, he's so frustrating even when he's gone."

"He's the frustrating Braddock," Pietro said with a sage nod.

"That's only because Betsy likes you." Tossing the bracelet back in her purse, she leaned against him, running her thumb over the glass' surface so it squeaked from the friction. "This just fucking blows so much, Pietro. I thought it was bad when Scott and I broke up and it was but fuck." Lil shook her head. "It's worse when you love them, huh?"

This time, Pietro frowned and looked away. "Glad I never told him, anyhow. Did you?"

"Yes... But he was asleep," Lil admitted, sheepish and sad. "It was like, I had to say it but it was when everything was ending and letting him know would have just made things worse."

"It was the right choice," Pietro said firmly, still frowning.

She nodded silently a few times then quickly downed the rest of the liquor in her glass to stop the way her stomach and heart were twisting. "Okay, no more," she declared. "Talking about Remy and Bri, I mean. Soccer and drinks and us, right? That's what we're here for. We can be pathetic and sad later."

Pietro reached for the bottle to refill her. "Agreed, my friend. Agreed."

Waiting until both their glasses were topped off, Lil clinked her drink against his. "Here's to the only future broken hearts being those we leave in our wake."

Pietro clinked and drank deeply. Definitely something he could drink to.