LoveBite [2]

62

Seated on the couch in the common room late the next night, Satine remains motionless, staring at the floor in front of her, though she jolts a bit with every tiny noise beside her. Every tick heard by her left ear causes a sudden and very quick reaction, but it is only forced away from her when she realizes the sounds aren't coming from the comms, but just the normal world around her.

She doesn't even move a muscle as a select few of the Avenger group crowd into the large room.

"Satine." Tony calls.

"...What?"

"Maybe you should go to bed." He nods and she sighs. "Go make sure Anya is okay too." He motions to the door and her eyes flicker up to his. "Not trying to say you're doing ignoring her --"

"What are you trying to say?" She interrupts and he tilts his head with a sigh.

"We're trying to say that we get why you're like this, but you need to pay more attention to Anya." Natasha nods as she pushes herself up to stand.

"Oh, like you all could do so much better." She nods with a grin. "I've raised that girl, with Peter, I know what I'm doing still." She points. "And, Anya will never be okay until Peter is bad home because she knows how we all feel all the time, so no matter what I do, I'm still hurting her, so don't even try to come to me and tell me to mother better."

"Satine, you need to sleep." Tony moves on, all knowing that she's right, though they can't let her win this argument, like she's won all else.

"No."

"Goodnight." He nods while motioning to the door.

"You need sleep, you won't get any better with --" Sam starts to speak, but it doesn't last long.

"I'm not going to bed!" She shakes her hands as her eyes widen. "I am not going to close my eyes until I know that Peter is home and he is safe in our bed and happy!" She counts on her fingers. "And, I have no way to find him, but you do." She points at Tony, Vision, and Nat and they sigh. "He should have been found two days ago! Two fucking days ago!" She puts up her fingers. "He has been gone, radio silent, for two goddamn days and we don't need anymore than that." She shakes her head. "We don't even know if he's still fucking alive and you think I'm just going to go and sleep peacefully in an empty bed, like nothing is wrong?!" She throws out her arms with a shock in her furrowed browd. "Hell no!"

"Satine." Tony calls softly.

"No, I will not spend my time like I'm on vacation with nothing else to do, but sleep! And, sure, I can make some cool stuff that finds people's location, I'm sure I could, I've already made some pretty cool fucking toys, but the one thing I didn't think of, the one thing I never thought would ever be needed, a fucking tracking device or some shit, it didn't even cross my mind!" She taps her head as the cries come out and Tony steps closer. "Find him please!" She begs and he nods.

"Okay." He speaks gentle for her as she backs away from him. "Alright, I'm trying, Satine, but you --"

"What?" She whimpers. "I need to calm down? Do I need to calm down? I'm miserable, Dad!" She sobs painfully. "He's been gone for two days and I'm already losing my mind." She puts her hand to her chest. "I can't do this without him, I can't take care of Anya without him here, but I don't know where he is." She shakes her head as he grabs her shoulders and hangs his head. "I want him to come home." She breathes before covering her mouth. "I'm losing it. I mean, is he just ignoring me or --"

"No." He shakes his head. "No, Hun, you are his absolute everything, do not start thinking you mean nothing to him anymore."

"He told me that something was wrong and I ignored him." She shrugs and he sighs. "I got a warning and I brushed it off, I figured nothing would happen, and now he's gone. I should've listened to him. This is my fault."

-

Down in her old bedroom, Satine sits up against the headboard with Anya leaning into her side, arms loosely wrapped around her waist.

"I miss Daddy." She mumbles against her arm and Satine brings her hand up to rub her arm and shoulder.

"I know." She whispers and swallows roughly, unable to hold her feelings from her. "It's okay. He'll be home soon. Daddy will be home soon."