MAGIC TRICKS [PETER PARKER]

FIFTY

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I GAVE BECK THOSE GLASSES." Peter scrambled around his hotel room. "I mean, how could I be that stupid?"

"He's probably spying on us right now or sending  one of EDITH's drones to come and murder us," muttered Nadia, as she and MJ followed him inside.

MJ frowned. "You had access to killer drones?"

Peter faltered. "Yeah, I didn't really want them- especially after I almost killed Brad."

Their friend frowned harder, as Peter dug through his bag for his phone. Nadia watched as MJ asked, "You almost killed Brad?"

She sent her a haphazard glance. "Long story."

"Look, we need to call Mr. Fury and tell him that Beck's a fraud but... he probably tapped my phone," Peter mumbled, shaking his head as he tried to think of something to do. Nadia watched, unsure, as she spun away from them, pulling his stealth suit from his backpack. "I need my suit, and we need to go to Berlin and talk to Mr. Fury in person..." His eyes flicked up to her for a second, and he took a step closer, gathering her hands gently. "I need your help. I need you, Nadia."

Nadia couldn't tear her eyes from him, parting her lips to tell him she couldn't- but she thought about the stakes, and all that he meant to her.

Facing Thanos was the scariest thing she had ever done, and losing Peter was one of the hardest. Her fear of losing him again was all that was keeping her from doing what she knew she needed to, from doing what she knew was right- putting on the suit and being the Aura again. But he needed her. And it was still terrifying, the thought of really fighting again- not dodging like she'd done that night against the fire elemental- but fighting. But if it was with him, for him, then maybe... maybe she could do it.

"Okay." Nadia nodded, and she squeezed his hand. "Okay." She kicked off her shoes, turning and pulling her hair aside so that he could unzip her dress, and she tried to ignore the little trail of warmth his fingers left behind when he did so without question. Nadia let the dress pool around her hips, forgetting that MJ was in the room, and Peter pulled his shirt off over his head. Nadia's cheeks warmed instantly when she accidentally allowed her eyes to roll down his very, very attractive front, all the way to the band of his underwear, then very embarrassingly up to his eyes again. He blinked at her, eyes flicking down to her black bra then quickly back to her face. MJ cleared her throat.

"Sorry, could you... Turn around, please?" Nadia asked, stepping in front of the half-naked Peter Parker and crossing her arms over her chest, squeezing her eyes shut as embarrassment washed over her, knowing MJ had just watched them check each other out. MJ nodded, raising her eyebrows. "Don't have to tell me twice..."

Nadia turned back to Peter, as he fumbled with the button on his jeans. She slipped the dress down past her hips, not oblivious to his desperate attempt to keep his eyes focused on the floor, as she leaned down to step out of it. "I'm not the jealous type," she told him lowly, "But you did die- so forgive me if I'm a little protective."

Peter laughed as his cheeks flushed an even brighter red. He then pulled his stealth suit from the bag, followed by another bundle of black material. "Uh, here. That scary European lady at the rest stop had this, but I didn't know if I should... or if you wanted..." He stopped talking, and Nadia tried to smile, taking the extra suit from him. "Thanks."

"Uh, you're welcome..." His eyes followed the motion of his hands as he started to pull his suit on as fast as he could.

The suit Fury had made for her was very similar to the one she already had, except this one was all black, including the mask. So, once she'd pulled it on and come to terms with the fact that this was not the same suit she'd been in when Tony Stark died, all was well. Except for Ned, who stood in the doorway of Peter's room, looking at MJ with wide-eyes.