LoveBite [1]

53

Satine was made to stay home from school the next day because she's still not feeling well enough to go to a crowded and stressful environment. They had Peter stay home too so he could be with her, being that she will definitely need him. He was perfectly fine with staying with her and now, he sits on the couch while she lays curled up beside him with her head on his lap. She has her arms pulled into her chest while he plays with her hair and rubs up and down her thigh.

All the others had been told about her, Nat, and Yelena's past so that they wouldn't be left in the dark with everything that's going on. Now they can understand what she's going through right now and not have to be so confused. They all need to know why she's upset, being that she's never even gotten truly mad or upset with anyone. She's been annoyed, of course, but being angry or sad is a different story.

Satine uncurls a bit and a few look at her as she turns to her back with her knees up. She looks up at Peter as she pushes her hand in the back of his hoodie. He sets his hand on her cheek and moves her hair behind her ear as she brings her hand to the side of her face to hide herself from the others.

"How many are staring?" She whispers and he secretly looks up through his lashes.

"A lot." He looks down at her with a nod and she smiles a bit. "Want 'em to stop?"

"...No, it's okay." She shakes her head. "It's just...this is hard." She breathes with tears in her eyes. "I don't..."

"Wanna talk about it alone?" He worries and she nods quickly.

He softly urges her to stand and she sits up and turns forward in her seat. They all quickly look down, as if they hadn't been staring seconds before, and she stands for them to walk out of the room.

"I feel like we can't breathe around her, right now." Clint sighs.

"No, you can breathe." Yelena nods. "She'll just start crying, if you do."

"Exactly."

-

Satine sits at the head of her bed with Peter sitting right in front of her, waiting for her to say whatever she needs.

"I...I don't...I don't understand." She shakes. "I don't get it. This is just so hard to understand. I don't..." She sighs. "I..." She starts to cry as he sets his hands on her cheeks. "I don't...I don't want to be upset." She cries and he nods. "I want to be okay."

"I know." He coos while pushing her hair behind her ear. "I know."

"I want to be happy tomorrow." She concludes. "Okay? Will I be okay tomorrow?"

"I honestly don't know." He shrugs softly. "I hope so."

"You are supposed to lie." She cries harder.

"Oh." He realizes with raised brows. "Oh, I'm sorry." He nods. "I'm sorry. Yes, you'll be okay. You'll be smiling tomorrow, for sure."

"You're a bad liar." She throws her forehead to his chest and hugs tight around his waist.

"Oh, God." He sighs with his hand on the back of her head. "Well, we're gonna smile anyway, okay? We're gonna make you smile until it's a real smile. Okay?"

"Okay." She sobs in his shirt.

"Good, now, lay down." He gets free of her hold.

"Okay." She sniffles cutely and he smiles a bit with a small chuckle.

He stands and pulls the covers out of her way, only to pull them on her a second later.

"I will be right back." He states with raised brows while kneeling to her level and she nods. "Don't move."

She nods again and he stands to head back out of the room and to the elevator. He gets back to the common room and they all look up at him.

"What's going on?" Tony lightly furrows his brows.

"Uh, fair warning, tomorrow, she's gonna be acting a little different." He starts with his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean?" Thor shakes his head with his arms crossed.

"She's gonna make herself smile because she hates being sad. I mean, we all know she's never upset, Sharon doesn't count, and she hates when she is, so she's just gonna act like she's fine."

"'Sharon doesn't count.'" Sam mumbles with a smirk and Peter and Bucky chuckle.

"It's a fake it till you make it kind of situation." He explains further with a nod. "And we're all gonna act fine with that." He motions. "It's better than watching her like she's been today."

"A lot better." Nat nods.

"Right." He nods. "Okay, I'm gonna go back to her, now." He points with his thumb towards the door while inching backwards.

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up." Tony nods.

He nods back before quickly turning around and hurrying back to the elevator.

"My new nickname for him was right, huh?" Yelena asks. "'Loving boyfriend.'"

"Yeah, tell me about it." Tony scoffs.

"Understandable." Nat rubs her eyes. "She's perfect for him, I wouldn't want to lose her either."

"Even when she goes crazy." Pietro nods.

"Even when she goes crazy."