❝ She's in my head and has you on her radar. You either leave and forget who I ever was, or live to kill me. ❞
❝ Is there a third option that doesn't involve losing you? ❞
. . . in which Rhea's fear of her own mother becomes so unruly that a masked...
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"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Rhea fretted, Peter's idea that just seemed absurd to her struck a pang in her chest. Lowering her voice to a mere, cautious whisper, she protested against it, "It happened 10 years ago, Peter. The only witness was me, a 5 year old child who couldn't differentiate wrong from right, the child who so willingly gave into her lie, who so faithfully believed her. Who would trust that kid? With no solid evidence, I would be a fraud to not only the police, but to everyone else. Hell, my mother might even try to kill me to silence me."
Peter's eyes widened, albeit still filled with the tender concern that Rhea has gotten to know all too well. From the very day she met him, she noticed it: the gentle worry he had for abandoned Mira back then, he had it for her too. And she wasn't wrong. He wanted to protect her more than anything else, although now it might be for a completely different reason, a feeling he couldn't understand. The same feeling that often made his stomach heavy just by looking at her and hearing her voice, or made his skin tingle every time her hand accidentally touched his.
"Hearing you say that... I don't think I can leave you here with a peace of mind," Peter admitted, he couldn't bear to think of losing Rhea at the hands of her own mother, and him not being there by her side to save her.
Rhea smiled warmly at her protective friend, "She wouldn't lay a single finger on me unless provoked, you don't have to worry." She reached out towards his hand and gently held it in hers, "I just don't know what to do." Her eyes casted a mournful gaze on the ground, Peter's warmth immediately becoming her own source of solace. Her retreat.
A few seconds of silence ensued between them, until Peter perked up at a sudden thought. Squeezing her hand in his, he looked at her, hopeful. "You can get her to confess and record it with your phone. I'm sure that'll be enough evidence to finally get your dad justice."
"I don't know. I'm... afraid," Rhea hesitated, her gaze dropping as she thought about it, "but I'm sure I can find the perfect opportunity to do that, catch her when she least expects it." A heartening, but hesitant grin appeared on her lips before she could realise. He nodded eagerly, seeing his own hope reflected onto her. And that gave him serenity. "Peter, I'll do it. But at the moment-" she lowered her voice even more before continuing, "we aren't on great terms. I need her to warm up to me again, and that's going to take awhile. I can't let her suspect me."
He placed his other hand on hers, feeling his cheeks becoming flushed at his bashful gesture, he tried to ignore it, "Do it when you're ready. I'll still be here for you, uh, as cliche as that sounds, but I mean it!"
She wanted to laugh at his constant nervous energy. Instead, she felt the dam holding back her tears starting to waver like the child she was 10 years ago. There was a static in her head once more, and she couldn't help but be overwhelmed with appreciation for him. She looked at their hands, as if it could stop the tears from coming forth. But it didn't.
Talking about her father's death made her feel vulnerable and scared, that's why it was better to tell the pre-made lie she's been fed no matter how much it disgusted her. But when it came to Peter, she felt safe, protected and carefree. He listened because he cared, and he helped because... she's his friend. They shared mutual love for each other, although neither of them knew the extent of it.
"Rhea," Peter whispered, seeing her walls come tumbling down, brick by brick. Knowing that she no longer needed words of comfort, he didn't hesitate to be the source of solace she saw him as. He inched towards her, carefully wrapping his arms around her heaving body as if she was so incredibly fragile. She returned the embrace, laying her forehead on his shoulder as she struggled to keep her sobs in.
Engulfed in his warmth, it was as if the world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no pain, no fears. Her mind felt at peace, and she wondered how could it be that she hadn't seen Peter's love for what it was before. Pure. Unselfish. Undemanding. Free.
Perhaps hope has been there all along, but without someone there to believe in her and assure her with genuine love, it was trapped like crystals in a stone.
She no longer could decide whether her love towards him was platonic.
And maybe, just maybe, Rhea and Peter weren't the only ones relishing this moment.
Someone else saw it as an opportunity.
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qotd !! ; if you could have the power/ability of any mcu character, who would it be?
