Multiverse of Madness

4

-2 months later-

Isabel

"Peter you can't let her treat you like that!" I argue throwing my crumpled napkin at his head as he groans in response.

"You are blowing things out of proportion" He tells me as I roll my eyes  at him. 

"She belittled you in front of her friends, in front of her ex-boyfriend"  I tell him as he clenches his jaw anger radiating off of him in waves.

"Well, I'm her ex-boyfriend. I have been for close to a month now. So whoever this dude is, its her ex-ex-boyfriend.  What was I suppose to say?" He reminds me as I roll my eyes at him.

"Yeah, you just stood there doing nothing! Respect yourself a little Peter. You do not deserve that. I mean, why did you even go to her stupid birthday party? You two aren't even together" I tell him angrily fisting my hands as he sighs.

"And these stupid empath powers just make me feed off of your anger, so imagine my surprise when I join this stupid dinner you forced me to come to and then have a sudden outburst because you keep compressing your emotions and I started projecting your piled up anger because you are simply a jealous freak!" I tell him angrily as he winced in guilt.

"I know, I'm sorry, I should've been more considerate. About your powers..." He agrees as I roll my eye irritably at him.

"Yes, yes,  you definitely should have and about dragging me to this stupid dinner to began with" I tell him with a small frown as he reaches his hand over the table to grab my hand but I clasped my hands together to avoid any innocent friendly touch on his behalf.

"If I'm being honest, I think I would've snapped at them either way, because I wouldn't let anyone talk to you like that" I tell him softly meeting his gaze and then looking away.

"Especially not that jackass" I added as he gives me a soft grin.

"Still, I'm sorry. My emotions overwhelmed you regardless" He told me looking over at me as I shrugged indifferently.

"I'm used to it, don't worry about it." I tell him with a soft smile. "Wait, used to it? What do you even mean?" He asks leaning forward resting his elbows on my dinning table.

"Yeah, I feel everyone's overwhelming emotions all the time. I go to a coffee shop and feel it. I go to work and I feel it. I come back home and I feel it. I can't escape it Peter" I admit slouching back in m chair biting my lower lip.

"And then there are days when I can't even hear my own thoughts anymore, just everyone else's and it scares me sometimes." I tell him as he frowns, furrowing his eyebrows together.

"Scare of what?" He asks me softly as I stand up and chuckle awkwardly.

"I-I-it's nothing" I laugh lowly picking up some of our leftover food to put it away.

Yes, we left the dinner shortly after my outburst. Not before I drenching my soda down Marlowe Jane's perfect hair.

"Don't do that Iz. Please don't open up and just shut me out" He argues standing up while taking a couple of steps towards me.

"I'm not shutting you out, I simply do not think it is of any relevance" I tell him shrugging again as he gently lays his hands on my shoulders and rubs them in a soothing manner. I close my eyes sighing softly at his touch as he sets his hands steadily on the crock on my neck.

"Why is it scary?" He asks again in a gentle tone as I flutter my eyes open. "It's scary because I think that maybe one day I'll get lost in all those voices. That maybe one day I won't be able to recognize my own" I tell him biting the inside of my cheek as he looks down at me while I stare at his chin to avoid eye contact.

"What if one day I don't recognize my own voice?  You know, the little voice inside my head. It's so loud sometimes, and I'm so scared to go to sleep at night because I hear them. I can hear them, I can feel them." I tell him.

"I can feel their pain, their grief and then I hear their voices" I tell him as he nods his head tugging me towards his chest and wrapping his arms around me.

"I thought you said you can tune the voices out. You can do it with me" He tells me as I chuckles softly.

"You are one person Peter and it's a million of them. Trying to keep them out is exhausting" I tell him as he rubs my back.

"Plus, I intentionally try avoiding staying out of your head at all costs" I add chuckling against his chest.

"Oh, yeah. Why is that?" He asks curiously. "You're my friend, its weird and not to mention an invasion of privacy." I tell him as I pull back from him.

"Or maybe you're scared about what you might find?" He suggests as I shake my head.

"No, its just weird" I insist laughing at him as he tugs at my hand. "You sure? He asks me as I nod.

"Yep. I'm one hundred percent sure" I reply as he grins down at me.

"So, what if I give you permission to read my thoughts. Would you do it then?" He asks me softly taking a step closer to me while I take a deep breath.

"Uh-well -n-no" I reply shyly shifting my gaze elsewhere. "What if I want you to?" He urges as I look into his eyes.

"I'm sure you can say whatever you need to say without needing me to read your mind" I encourage with a soft smile.

"I want to let you in Iz. I trust you and I' m not scared of being vulnerable with you" He tells me rubbing my arms absent mindedly as I sigh.

"But I'm not ready to be vulnerable with you Peter. I'm sorry" I tell shrugging myself away from him  and I caught a glimpse of a frown on his lips.

"Well I'm ready whenever you are, Iz." He tells me softly coming up behind me his hot breath breathing down my neck as I close my eyes at his proximity.

"And whenever the voices get too loud, I am one spiderling-swing away Iz" He tells me softly as I chuckled softly at his quirkiness.

"I know" I mumble looking out my window for a while in comfortable silence as I feel his hands on my shoulders. "So call me, use your voice and don't you dare forget it" He mumbles softly grazing his lip against my ear as I feel butterflies in the pit of stomach.

He lays a gentle kiss behind my ear, lingering long enough to make my whole body feel like it was on fire. I couldn't even breathe having his body pressed so close to me.

"I-I think you should go" I let out in a small voice, barely audible to my own ears but Peter has super hearing for a reason.  

"Okay" He responds back stepping away from me as I blink rapidly at the suffocating tension in the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow" He tells me as he picks his jacket up from the rack next to my door.

"Ok" I mumble still glued to my spot as he closes the door shut behind him. 

Oh God... what the hell just happened... nothing yet everything...

****

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