Unaccustomed to Apology

"I… came to apologize, Mrs. Garnet." Peter stood with an awkward rigidity, a hand placed oddly on a table. He stood near the room's doorway with his body angled away from her. His gaze was locked in her direction, and yet he avoided her eyes. He was more likely eyeing the window behind her out of the corner of his vision than he was looking at her.

"...Peter?" Tito asked, confused and nervous. He was very obviously uncomfortable, and he very rarely called her by her family name - not since the beginning of their marriage, anyway. Peter took Tito's response as a prompt to continue.

"...I acted out against you. I...should not have struck you. It was not constructive, or appropriate of me. And so I have come to…" He spoke as a man trying to remember a script, but half way through it seemed to have left him. Peter struggled for words.

Tito and Peter began trying to speak in the same moment, then quickly cut short. After an awkward trade of words Tito insisted Peter finish first. Peter shuffled speechlessly for a few long moments before finally blurting something out. "I'm sorry. Tito." He hung his head. "You did not deserve my anger. I've come…to beg your forgiveness." 

Tito waited for a few seconds as Peter's anxious silence stretched out, just to make sure he was done. "... Thank you for apologizing, Peter." She said very quietly. The pain had faded, and she'd finished crying some time ago. But she had not ever expected Peter to apologize to her. Not like this anyway.

Peter's shame, to his own frustration, did not abate even as Tito thanked him. His eyes were closed, his hand balled into a fist on the table. Then, he looked up, hearing the sound of Tito's creaking chair. She'd stood up, and was approaching him timidly. She paused, out of arms reach from him, and asked in a mouse-like voice. "Can I kiss you, Peter?" Peter instantly perked up, a hope flickering alive inside him.

"Ah- erm- oh! Um, of course you- yes." He fumbled, looking away shyly. Tito quietly closed the distance between them. Peter brought the hand he'd rested on the table awkwardly back to his side and all but held his breath in anticipation as Tito brought her face close to his. The kiss on the cheek she gave him was soft and warm, and with it he felt some of his anxiety melt away. He returned the kiss, placing his closer to her lips and bringing his hand up to stroke her neck.

The embrace they ended up in was warm and comforting. And yet, Peter still did not feel his mistake had been resolved. With Tito pulled close against him he whispered in her ear. "I… will say again that I am sincerely sorry, love. Unrelated anger should not be taken out on someone like yourself. …It will not happen again, I swear to you."

Tito closed her eyes and leaned into his embrace, thinking. "...If that's the case, then I do forgive you." She whispered.

" …I love you, Tito." Peter squeezed her tightly and pressed his nose into her cleanly braided hair, smiling. Tito smiled too. Such a sincere declaration from Peter was not especially usual, and it felt wonderful.

"I love you too, Peter." She kissed him again, with just peck on the cheek. And when they held each other that night, there was nothing but mutual affection.