Gwen Stark (First POV)

Secrets and lies

Finally, I make up my mind on a movie, well, not really I just got tired of scrolling so I click on a random movie.

I hear the door open and my eyes make their way to see Peter walking out the room. I let out a breath of relief that I didn't know I was holding in the first place.

He's alive.

He gives a head nod as a form of a greeting and I nod back. I turn back to the TV and hear as he serves himself cereal.

It's fine, everything's fine. Watch the TV, don't ask, everything will be fine.

I feel the couch sink next to me. He sits there clearly still exhausted while eating. There is a lot I want to say, like where was he? How did he get hurt? Should I be worried? Is he in some kind of trouble?

But it's been 3 days, he's been in that room with no word or signs of life for 3 days, so I just drop it. Because I leave him alone and he leaves me alone.

"What are you watching?" He asks breaking the silence and setting the bowl on the coffee table.

"I don't know actually, just some movie," I say. Weirdly so, this has to be the longest conversation we've had since I moved in.

He lets out an exhausted sigh and leans his head back on the couch closing his eyes. I notice the scar still on his cheek and without even thinking about it I place my hand along the side of his face and gently rub my thumb over the scar.

"That seems like It might leave a mark," I say, and when he doesn't say anything My eyes meet his, and I notice how close we are. So I remove My hand and move back to my end of the couch. "Sorry."

What am I doing, why am I still here? I don't know this guy, and yet I'm staying here. He has so many secrets, well are they secrets? I don't even ask. And if I did, would he tell me?

Enough of this bullshit.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I simply blurt out and he continues to stay silent. "I mean, am I in danger? Are you? Should I even be here?" He shifts himself to sit straighter.

"No, It's nothing, I just, um, tripped." He says and I scoff.

"I'm not stupid, Peter, I know you didn't just trip." I roll my eyes and get up. "You know what, it's been really nice, but I have overstayed my welcome and frankly I don't really want to stay with someone who can't at least be honest with me," I say and grab my jacket that I had arrived with. It was the last thing I had from my own universe, at least the last meaningful thing. Tony's jacket.

"What, no, wait." He says getting up. "Look I'm fine, there wasn't anything wrong, I tripped." He says walking behind me as I make myself to the door.

"Bullshit," I say, almost yelling. I am tired of lies and secrets. I know he doesn't own me any of it but that didn't mean I had to put up with it.

"Where would you even go? You're just a kid, you can't go out and wander by yourself." I pause with my hand on the doorknob.

A kid.

That's what anyone ever saw me as. Tony, the rest of the Avengers, Pepper. The men in the dark alleyways.

A helpless kid.

I turn and make my way to him shoving him which causes him to take a step back.

"I am not some helpless kid who needs the help of a man. I am a woman, I am independent and capable. I do not need you, or anyone so you can shove that massive ego and fragile masculinity up your ass." I say feeling my blood boiling. He doesn't say anything, he just looks at me.

"You are so much like her." He whispers under his breath and I'm taken aback. I turn back towards the door and this time I make it out. Slamming it behind me. Unsure of where I was going to go.

And I hated myself for caring so much. How did things escalate so much? Everything was going fine. How did we go to not talking to me yelling? Why does it matter what he did in his own time? Why does it matter if he lies? If I didn't care I would still have a place to stay. But now I'm back on the streets.

I hate to admit it but I am a stubborn bitch.