What Fades Away

chapter 4: i like (the idea) of you

cw: slightly smutty dream sequence

She feels an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Breathing on her neck that makes goosebumps rise all over her as she's pressed against someone. There's a body, but no face. It's like she is seeing everything underwater, blurred and in slow motion. A hand drifts up her inner thigh, pushing her underwear to the side.

The breathing increases as one finger slips in, then another. She lets out a moan from deep within her chest, arching her back towards the figure. Lips meet her ears, whispering words in a language that she can't understand. She feels it in her lower belly, a familiar tightening like a rubber band. She grips the figure's shoulders, broad and wrapped in black leather.

As the tension in her increases, like reaching the top on a roller coaster, her breathing comes faster now. The hand between her legs works harder, moisture pooling around long fingers.

"Come on, sweetheart." a rough voice whispers in her ear. "Show me how much you want me."

Her nails dig into sheets, the roller coaster coming to the top, a loud banging noise filling her ears.

Mara jolts up in bed, the banging once again echoing throughout her apartment. Bright sunlight filters in through the blinds, little dust particles floating in front her as she groans. In the mirror to her right, Mara sees the flush in her cheeks and the shine of sweat at her temples. It's been a while since Mara had a dream like that, she actually can't even remember the last time. She slides out of bed, feet padding across the cold hardwood as she creeps to the front door. The banging has increased. Grabbing the bat placed by the door frame, Mara squares up with it over her shoulder like she's at home plate.

"Bucky Barnes, if that's you, I have no problem trying to beat your ass." Mara yells at the door, waving the bat slightly over her shoulder with a cautious expression on her face. She can't get the dream from earlier out of her head, but she chalks it up to being lonely. Really, really lonely.

"Uh, no, it's not Sergeant Barnes. Sorry." Mara looks through the peephole and is met with a close up of brown eyes under a mop of disheveled brown hair. Mara sighs as she opens the door.

"Peter. What are you doing here?" She places the bat gently back behind the door.

"Were you really going to hit me with a baseball bat?" Peter steps in, pointing with a grin at the bat Mara put down. He's dressed casually, an old Midtown High sweatshirt under his winter coat, jeans hugging his lean but muscular frame.

"I thought you were an intruder." Peter's presence makes her increasingly aware of the slightly see-through nature of her sleep shirt. She walks back to the bedroom, throwing on her sweatshirt before returning.

"What intruder would knock first?"

"I don't know, Spiderman, you're the expert, not me. You didn't answer my question." Mara crosses her arms over her chest, staring pointedly at Peter. She isn't a morning person, always needing some time to warm up to the idea of being forced from the comfort of her bed.

"Oh!" Peter perks up, holding the straps of the bookbag on his back. He rocks on his heels a little. "Sergeant Barnes called and told me to come by. Said he told you about it last night."

Mara rolls her eyes, contrasting with the warmth in her cheeks when she thinks about Bucky last night. He was annoying and he was intrusive. He was thoughtful and his smile was just...NO. Mara shakes her body, as if she could somehow prevent the heat from her face from spreading to other places. As she walks into the kitchen, Mara turns to face Peter. He's standing there with a weird smile on his face, like he knows something that she doesn't.