Into the Light | Peter Parker x OC

Chapter Fifty-Seven

A/N: okay i'm in love with this chapter bc it's the perfect breezy(ish) chapter we needed amongst all this angst. i mean, it's not like it's completely angst-free because, let's face it, when is it ever lol. there's just a couple much-needed comic relief scenes sprinkled throughout here so i hope it gives everyone a chance to breathe

other than that, enjoy this very long chapter and please don't forget to vote + comment! :)

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"I don't know...the last time

I ate something unhealthy

was...fondue."
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"Good morning, love," she heard a voice whisper.

Without even opening her eyes, she knew who it was. She hummed softly into her pillow, feeling golden, bubbly warmth fill her up from inside. She felt his familiar touch as his fingers gently traced her smiling lips. Her closed eyes. The ridge of her nose. Tucking her hair behind her ears. She sighed softly, peacefully. Everything felt so slow and serene. Her limbs felt heavier, the way they did after a long, deep slumber. His presence next to her felt like the only source of light for the whole world. She could wake up like this every morning.

"Come on, sleepyhead," he whispered and she could hear the teasing smile in his voice, "The sun's out." Slowly, she opened her eyes with a gentle smile, squinting in the soft, golden sunlight spilling into her room.

When her vision cleared, she realized she was alone. Alone in her bed, alone in her room.

Alone.

She sighed, hiding her face in her pillow. Reality sucked. Really, really sucked. She wished she could go back to sleep. He was always there in her dreams. It was the only place she could see him, touch him, hold him anymore. Every day without felt like leaving the house knowing you'd left behind something important.

There was a knock on her door before Pepper poked her head in to see if she was awake.

"I'm up. I'm up," the teenager mumbled into her pillow, "I'll get Morgan." Pepper smiled softly, walking over to sit down beside her legs on the bed.

"Don't worry about that today," she said, "Tony's on it."

"You're not going for a run?" she asked with a frown, lifting her face out of her pillow. Pepper shrugged.

"Thought we'd stay in today. You don't have to get Morgan dressed every morning, you know. You're still a kid, she doesn't have to be your responsibility," she said. Adelaide shrugged, looking away.

"If I didn't wake her, she'd sleep past noon. That girl loves to sleep. Good luck waking her up when she's a teenager," she joked, making Pepper smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. And then Adelaide realized what she was doing here. "Tony told you, didn't he?"

"What? We're married. We aren't supposed to have any secrets from each other," Pepper said. Adelaide gave her a look.

"He hides a stash of the really good chocolates in his bed stand," she said. Pepper smiled.

"I know," she said, "I steal them sometimes."

"I don't know anything about marriage, but stealing can't be good for it either," Adelaide said pointedly.

"And how do you know about the chocolates?" Pepper asked. Adelaide gave her a sheepish look.

"Touché," she mumbled.