A F T E R G L O W - N W H「3」

T W E L V E

- THE CLOCK IS TICKING -

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     "Liz!" The speed in which she was falling allowed little sight on who exactly was calling for her until Peter One ran off the edge and started gaining on her quickly, hand outstretched to his friend.

As if time stopped, turning to slow motion, Liz watched as he was swiped right from her grasp by Osborn as he came gliding through, and what she thought was eliminating her chances.

Her Peter's heart sunk all the way to his toes, no time for even a moment of uncertainty before he flung himself off the building. He had to make it.

He didn't shoot a web, flashbacks of what happened last time playing through his mind over and over and over. He had to catch her with his own body, not trusting himself to execute such a rescue with previous trial and error ending so horribly. But this could be his redemption. Most people don't get chances like these...maybe this was his.

He was so close, pushing objects out of his path to get to her and finally he was able to grab her, holding her tightly against him as he shot a web connecting to the structure to make their landing have less of an impact.

It happened so fast yet so slow, she was unable to comprehend the two strong arms wrapping around her torso, holding onto her like a lifeline before she just stopped. She wasn't falling and she wasn't bleeding out. In fact, the only thing that 'hurt' was the excessive beating of her heart.

Her eyes were shut tightly in fear, her arms clinging to whoever was holding her, the sound and feeling of a heart beat thumping against their chest would peel her eyes open slowly.

She looked up, big brown eyes glossed with tears staring back at her and analyzing her features for injury like last time.

"Are you okay?" Peter asked, voice waning in a failed attempt to suppress the tears as he looked at the small cut across her temple. Luckily that seemed to be the extent of her injuries.

She only nodded, one arm still slung around his neck would cling to him further as the other came up to rest on his cheek.

Peter leaned into her touch, unable to stop himself from comparing it to the last time he saw her all those years ago. Her skin was warm and strong, not cold and drained of life like how it was implanted in his brain.

"Are you okay?" She asked, breathless in shock. Her voice seemed to of silenced the ringing in his ears as he nodded, staring deeply into her eyes.

Something he couldn't name struck inside him, his arms almost giving out before he set her feet back to the safety of the ground and wrapped his arms around her.

A choked up whimper sounded in her ear only encouraging her to hold onto him tighter as a single tear slipped passed her eye lid. "It's okay."

He nodded, not making a move to pull away as he breathed her in, still trying to grasp onto the fact she was okay, she was breathing, she was alive.

Nine years of questioning whether the outcome would be different if he did this or that differently, finally he got the closure he needed.

"Hey." She spoke softly, Peter pulling his head back to look at her as she smiled up at him. "I'm okay."

He nodded, the last piece of reassurance he needed to know he'd done it this time. He saved his Lizzie.

With their arms unmoving, their eyes broke away from each other as the structure started crumbling to a worse extent than before. Peter moved her further out of the way to ensure her safety before their gaze turned to the sky.