MAGIC TRICKS [PETER PARKER]

FOURTY-SIX

NADIA WAS SILENT the entire boat ride back to the hotel. Peter consistently sent her curious glances during the trip, to which Nadia ignored completely. He was one of the few people in the world who had the ability to read her entirely, like an open book written in large print, but she was sure Dimitri could read her just as easily, at least in that moment. She was too tired to try and hide it all under a stoic expression anymore.

Peter Parker was not an idiot. He had known since the moment they reunited that something was seriously wrong with his girlfriend, and it was more than just the fact that he'd died and come back to life five years later. It was deeper than the fact that Stark was as much her father figure as he was his, and that they'd both just lost him- for good. Was whatever wrong an accumulation of all these things? Probably. But Nadia was difficult sometimes; it was hard to get her to open up, no matter how much he tried. He was not oblivious to the fact that she hadn't set foot inside her super-suit since the day he returned. He was not blind to the rise of her heartbeat every time he told her he was going to scout downtown. Peter knew she was trying to hold a strong facade for his own well-being, and he was determined to show her that she could rely on him in the same way.

When they arrived back at the hotel, she brushed past him to the back hallway leading to her room, but before she could enter it, he grabbed her wrist, intending upon confronting her about this. "Hey," he said, pulling her back to face him. "What'd Fury say?"

Her dark eyes flickered to the creaking floors beneath them, avoiding his gaze. "Nothing. Just tried to convince me to change your mind, that's all," she answered truthfully. Nadia forced herself to look up at him, trying to conceal the emotional exhaustion that overwhelmed her. She'd gotten pretty good at that.

Peter wasn't buying it tonight, though. He prodded at her wall with his kind brown eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Nadia stiffened, pulling her hand from his grasp to scratch at the back of her neck. "Yeah, are you?"

He studied her for a moment. Peter had gotten a little taller over the past few months, so he stood a few inches over her now. "Come on, Nads. You know you can tell me anything."

Her wall cracked, though only slightly. He really knew how to work those puppy dog eyes, and it was slowly getting through to her. "I'm all right, Peter, really. Tired, I guess." Peter took her under his arm, holding her in a close embrace. She relaxed into him, breathing a sigh of relief; everything was better and brighter after she'd gotten a Peter Parker hug. He was soft and warm and gentle and everything right in the world, and all of their problems were forgotten for a simple moment, as she closed her eyes, burying her head in the hood of his jacket. "I'm glad he didn't ruin our vacation, more than that water monster already did," she admitted in a lame attempt to change the subject, once they pulled away to look at each other again. She tacked on a fake smile and a dry laugh at the end, for good measure.

Peter noticed the tiredness in her eyes, and nodded, deciding to drop it for the time being. "Yeah... Good thing we aren't going to Prague, right?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ★ ｡･:*:･ﾟ

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Nadia's suitcase dropped to her feet. She whipped around to face Peter, who trailed behind her as he spoke to Ned. "What is this?"

They stopped to see Dimitri, the man from the night before who had taken them back to their hotel, standing in front of a big, fancy bus, holding a sign which read "MIDTOWN HIGH."

Mr. Harrington gestured happily towards the bus. "We're going to Prague!"

Nadia gave Peter a tired look, which Ned caught sight of. "What's going on?"