A/N: So this is a ficlet part of a two-piece story which was co-authored with Allie (Thegloryofspring) for our friend Ambre (Elialys) as a going away present. The second part can be found on Allie's profile under the same name, check it out! The story is set in the universe introduced in Brown Betty.

Enjoy!

The first time Peter Bishop realizes he loves Olivia Dunham, it's strange. She sits before him, literally mending his heart. It hurts like hell - who would've thought being heartless was painful - yet all he can see is her and all he wants to know is her voice speaking to him, almost inaudible over the pounding of his head. He realizes it right before all becomes black, knows it when she smiles her little smile and tells him 'done' and he closes his eyes without regrets.

The first time he takes her out dancing isn't in some fancy restaurant or jazz club or even a shady bar, the music loud and the back of her dress low. They're in the lab under the watching eyes of his pseudo- father and there is no music playing but a low, deep humming yet he doesn't care. Touching her sends shivers down his spine and all others are forgotten as he looks into her green eyes.

The first time they kiss, it's snowing and her red lips are cold as they touch his. His coat is draped over her thinly clad shoulders, a sign of chivalry that'd taken some convincing on his part for her to accept, and it falls to the ground unnoticed as she clings closer to him, their bodies pressing together and he can feel her smile against his lips.

The first time they fight, it's horrible. They're both irritated and sleep deprived and stubborn as hell, and for a long time he thinks this is it. They're done, it's over, there's no going back after the things they said that night. But then, as he swirls the amber liquid in the glass he's holding, he thinks of when he first met her, half drowning and panicked and oh so strong and he realizes he can't let her go. So when he finds her in her office, drowning herself in work he knows really doesn't need doing, they finally make up and he finds out crying and kissing go together quite well.

The first time he meets her sister, she introduces him as 'her partner'. It's the truth, technically, but he can tell Rachel isn't fooled. He can't say he minds. Then the little girl enters, and a strange feeling shoots through him at the sight of her. She look so much like Olivia, her hair blonde and eyes green just a shade lighter. The feeling, he'll later acknowledge, is desire; he wants to have a family with Olivia, to bicker about the stupidest things, to be the overprotective dad he'd never had, to kiss their little girl goodnight.

The first time he asks her to marry her, she says no. Strangely enough, he isn't sad; it really isn't like them anyway. So that night he just plays the piano and she sits on the stool next to him, her head resting on his shoulder and her eyes closed until the music fades and they just sit, hands intertwined.

The first time he sees her cry, she's sitting in front of her vanity. The deep red colour she normally wears absent from her lips and her hair, usually curly, hangs straight down her back. He's still in bed, unmoving, and she doesn't notice him. He can see her reflection in the mirror as she touches a heavy cross resting in between her collarbones. Another tear falls from her eyes, trailing down her cheek. He moves a bit as to relieve himself from his admittedly uncomfortable position, but she catches it and her hand rises quickly to wipe away the wetness on her cheeks. The look in his eyes stops her, though, and instead the tiniest little smile appears on her face as she stands up and walks over to him, her finger stroking his cheek with a feather-light touch. She moves the covers, lying down next to him and as he holds her close and presses a kiss into her hair, he realizes this is the first time he's ever felt at home.

A/N: Liked it? Hated it? Don't forget to check out the second part, it's called 'Seven First Times' as well and can be found on Allie's (thegloryofspring) profile!