LoveBite [2]

90

Peter steps into the house in his SpiderMan suit and his mask folds away. Today was the first day in weeks that SpiderMan has been out and about and the first day he was alone in sixteen years. It was a very quiet day for him.

He finds his beautiful wife sitting at the dining table, where she munches on some chips and french onion dip. With her eyes on her phone, she tilts her head as he leans in to press a kiss on the side of her neck. She backs away and turns around to place her hand on his cheek and pull him into a real kiss.

"Did you have fun?"

"A little." He shrugs and she nods. "It was refreshing to be out there, but it would've been a lot better with you there too." He sits in the seat beside her, causing her to sigh. "How much longer do you think you'll have to wait?"

"Uhm..." She folds her hands in her lap and sniffles. "I don't know if I'll be able to go back out there." She side-eyes him, cautious as she breaks the hard news to him.

"What?" His brows furrow as his back straightens. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I have it in me anymore." She mumbles shamefully and his head tilts.

"Hold on." He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his hand. "How -- how long have you been sitting on this? Why do you think you can't be LoveBite anymore?"

"Since I got home." She adjusts nervously with a pounding heart, her lungs in her throat, and his brows raise.

"Two weeks?" He slouches and she nods with tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't want to hurt you with this, Peter." She lays her hand on the table and he hangs his head. "I mean, this means the world to both of us, but I don't think I can do it."

"But you're still so strong." He breathes. "You're almost as strong as me now." He motions and she shakes her head a bit and just stares at him. "What? Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Because I'm not almost as strong as you. We can't deny that the radiation killed a great majority of my strength. I'm not there anymore, not anywhere near. I just learned that if you stand up too fast, you feel like you're going to pass out." She nods and he sighs. "Baby, my lungs are damaged and I know this is temporary, but my stamina is jacked. I wouldn't be able to swing around and pull myself up like that. I will slow us down so much and we have never been weak together. Never. And I can't let that happen."

"But --"

"Last time we talked about this, it was you convincing me that I'm more than just LoveBite." She nods and he pushes his fingers through his hair. "And that I don't need my powers."

"You don't." He nods surely. "You don't need your powers, but you don't know for sure how much was lost." He taps the table and she nods in agreement. "So please just wait before you decide for sure that you're done. If you're right and you really can't be LoveBite anymore than that's okay." He breathes softly, brows wrinkled sadly. "Because whatever you do, you know I'm there with you. I will support you in everything you do, but just wait."

"Okay." She leans in to place her hand on his cheek. "I will."

She stands as he sits back and she presses her lips to his forehead and seats herself on his lap. She lays her arm over his shoulders and hugs him to her chest, his hold on her waist strong.

"And if I'm right..." She lays her chin on his head and grazes her thumb up and down his cheek. "If I have to retire, I think me being with Anya more would really help her. She's different." She fears and he knows she's right. "She changed. I know after what happened to me, she's bound to not be okay, but I'm worried, because she's different. We all have our own way of greiving, but she has hers and everyone elses. And she doesn't know how to control this yet, if she even can." She backs up to see his face. "I mean, I don't even want to know what it's like for her everyday with all the kids at school, the crabby teachers, going to the store. It's exhausting for everyone else, just imagine how it is for her." She tosses her hand in fear and he quickly takes it to hold tight. "And when she's home, she gets this." She whimpers. "Me in tears and you pretending like you aren't in just as much pain as I am." She says and he brings her fingers to his lips, tears in his eyes too. "And I know that I'm not sick anymore, I'm not going anywhere, but I did."

He squeezes his eyes shut with that and she watches a tear slide down his cheek. She pulls her hands back and lays his head back to swipe it off as he clears his throat and sniffles.

"You're getting better." He nearly whispers, his voice raspy. "This means we all are. We'll get better together, Baby, I promise." He kisses her palms and she nods. "We'll be okay."