3| Diamond [Pietro M.]

18. Aftermath

Life isn't a box of chocolates. It's a box of rocks that Life's wrapped in a golden foil. You crave them lustfully and unwrap them hungrily, only to face disappointment and longing. It leaves a bitter taste on one's tongue. It crushes that small flame of joy cruelly, maliciously, with a smirk on It's face. Life loves to put out the goodness of a soul. It has no remorse.

Life is greedy. It loves to take and take and take. I used to think the same of Death, but now I see. Death is a protector of life. It covers them and shields them away from the horrors of living.

I can finally understand how the dagger that is Life pierces a person's heart. It twists and it twists and it twists until the soul gives out, until the body is weak. Until you cannot stand it anymore and you abandon your humanity. I finally can see why mankind is a weak species. We are so fragile and we break so easily. It's so much easier to rid yourself of emotion and corrupt your mind until those wretched decisions become easier and easier and easier.

But I am not that weak.

Wrapped in the arms of the man I love, I find peace. My turbulent mind is at a rippling ease as his chest presses against my back. The back of my head rests on his firm shoulder as I watch the white tufts of clouds sift across the great blue expanse above. Tall grasses rustle around us in response to the wisps of wind.

The day is early and pleasant. We're miles away from the African city as we embrace each other's presence. It's just the two of us, the sun, and the sky. Pietro and I are the only two beings for miles to come.

The declaration of my health sent ripples of worry, shock, and anguish through my family. It hurt me to hurt them like this, but I felt lighter than I had in weeks. It was freeing to share that burden instead of forcing myself to shoulder it alone. Metaphorically, I hadn't breathed this easily in a long while.

"What are you thinking about?" The man I've come to give my whole heart to murmurs into the shell of my ear. His lips gliding over the skin softly as he embraces me tighter.

"Life. How weak and fragile it is. How uncertain the tides can be as we wade through it unaware." I respond with a steady calm, my eyes fixated on nothing before me. The curly haired twin smiles before pressing a kiss behind my ear, causing chills to erupt along my arms. "Are you sure you even want this? Life can be so cruel, so short...and it can be even more so if you decide to tie yours to mine." I gently pull myself from the steady arms around my frame. I turn my torso to look directly into the eyes of my love. "I'll hold no resentment if you decide this isn't what you want, but I'll always love you regardless, Pietro." I tell him with the utmost sincerity. His eyes rapidly shift back and forth across my face, the corners of his lips twitching upwards into a smile.

One of his arms abandons its loose hold around my waist so he may hold the side of my face in his hand. His thumb rests over my cheekbone, gently caressing it all the while scanning my face. "Is that what you want? For me to leave?" I feel my heart clench painfully, looking timidly into the glacier eyes staring right back.

"I don't want to entrap you in a fate in which the pain may parallel that of death." I whisper sadly, looking down at his chest mournfully.

"And what if that's what I desire?" He whispers back, voice rivaling the wind in softness. The speedster leans forward, shortening the distance between us.

"I only want what you desire." I respond.

"Iris, I want to spend every waking moment by your side. Until the day you must leave me behind." And just like that, my façade crumbles like the breaking of ice in the spring. We lean in and our lips meet in the middle. I grasp at his shirt with one hand while bracing myself with my other on his thigh. The hand Pietro placed on my cheek pulls me close, and the arm around my waist keeps me there.

It's a passionate kiss. One full of love, of meaning, of words we don't have the strength to say out loud. It's one of longing, of trust, of soul. And it ends way too soon.

As we pull away, I notice Pietro holds a small box in the palm of the hand he used to caress my face. I hadn't even noticed he had dropped it. I blink a few times, before looking at that wicked smirk on his face. His eyes are alight with adoration and dare I say...fear?

I keep the grip I have of his shirt, my mouth agape as I watch him tensely. His arm removes itself from my waist as he opens the box. My heart flutters in response upon glancing at the simple yet elegant piece of jewelry. A ring. It's a rose-gold color and fashioned with diamonds set in diagonal streaks of silver around the otherwise simple band.

I shut my mouth and feel my lips tremble slightly, eyes darting back and forth between his eyes and the ring he presents me. "I've spent over a year in your radiating presence, no pun intended, and I can tell you there's nobody else I'd rather spend my life with, be it decades or months. Iris Barnes, would you do me the honor of becoming my future wife? Will you allow me to stand by your side as your husband while you live your life to the fullest for as long as our health permits?" I stare at him with a gripping sense of adoration, my chest swelling with unadulterated love yet tightening with anxiousness at the same time. I tilt my head and feel my lips pull into a stretched smile.

"Yes. One hundred times, yes." I suddenly purse my lips together in a last-ditch effort to keep tears from welling in my eyes. However, I almost crumble when he leans forward and engulfs me in another kiss. When he pulls away, the look of admiration and love in his eyes does me in. I choke on a laugh as I quickly wipe away free tears streaming over my cheekbones. Then Pie gently takes my left hand in his. He gently slides the beautiful piece onto my ring finger. I take a moment to admire it before leaning in to give my now fiancé another kiss.

"Pietro Maximoff, I can't even begin to express just how much I've come to love you."

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AN;

You lot are spoiled af. 3 chapters in one day?

The muse just seemed to hit me and I really just wanted to give you guys some cute fluff + a proposal c: