TASM Peter Parker Imagines

Two Sides (Part Three)

You stay that way for a long time, just the two of you. Peter lies beside you, your head on his shoulder. The taste of ash and copper has finally started to fade from your mouth, leaving behind nothing more than this blank stillness that refuses to leave. For once, though, you do not mind it. You can handle stillness, you can handle quiet. It is peaceful here with Peter, and you want nothing more than to keep it here with you forever, to pull this happy feeling around you like a blanket and drift off to sleep.

However, the time will always come when you have to force yourself up, wake from the blessed dream and come to terms with the situation at hand. Any HYDRA agents that survived the explosion will be fleeing for cover, and you still have the hard drive you were sent to collect. Still, the Avengers are coming, and that means one of you has to run.

You're finally forced to act when you hear the sound of engines echoing in the sky overhead. You open your eyes slowly, then sit upright as you feel panic start to flood in through your veins. Peter, less familiar with the sound currently rolling through the area, looks less concerned. "What is that?"

You point up, and he squints at the sky, face dropping. "That's the Quinjet. It means we're not going to be alone for much longer." Peter grimaces, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help you up. "What are you thinking?" You sigh. "It's time for you to head back. I'll make sure they don't notice you."

Peter frowns. "What if they get mad? I mean, technically you were supposed to fail the mission, or at least not blow up the HYDRA complex. What if they start asking questions about how you did it?" You place a hand on his arm. "I'll be fine, I promise. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to explain my way out of a mess. All I want is to make sure you're safe, and right now, that means ensuring you don't get caught by S.H.I.E.L.D. or any of their agents."

Peter looks as though he'd like nothing more than to plant his feet firmly in the ground and stay there, solid as an oak, until the Avengers leave the two of you alone. But he knows as well as you do that his anonymity is the best defense he's got right now, so he presses one last kiss to your lips before taking off, pulling his mask over his face as he goes. You watch him until you can see him no longer, then turn to face the direction you saw the Quinjet land.

This is how the Avengers find you about ten minutes later, when they finally come charging out of the forest to find you leaning against a large chunk of concrete recently propelled out of the HYDRA complex when the whole building fell to pieces. They look stunned, both that you're still relatively uninjured and that you managed to blow up a HYDRA center while you were at it.

Steve is the first one to speak; he always is. "You- we heard that things went south-" You nod, unable to disguise a small smirk. "I took care of things. Got the hard drive too, by the way." You pause for a moment, taking in their shocked expressions. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I mean, yeah you set me up to fail and all that, but surely you didn't think that I'd just give up when the odds were against me, right?"

Tony starts stammering. "We didn't do anything like that. Why would we?" You pretend to look contemplative. "I don't know. Maybe it's because you want me to be more dependent on the team. Maybe you didn't give me enough prep or support because it would justify you ending my solo career. Who knows?"

Everyone gathered looks shocked that you figured it out, but Natasha's grinning. She extends a hand to you. "Looks like you've proved yourself, kid. Let's head back." She jerks her head towards the Quinjet and the rest of the Avengers, after exchanging a few nervous glances, follow her lead. You turn back just once, when you're certain that no one is looking, and smile when you see a figure waiting for you in the trees. He raises a hand in a quiet wave, and watches as you turn back with the rest.