ATHENA | peter parker

22 | dont let it stop you

22 | don't let it stop you

"Pull back, and shoot" Clint said as she did exactly as he instructed. "Bullseye! Well done, Thea."

"How bout I take over your position from now on?" The girl joked causing Clint to laugh.

"You're kidding but you genuinely could." He spoke causing Athena to roll her eyes playfully.

"Hey, have you seen Nat today?" Athena questioned.

"Mission in Greece," he stated "no idea what but something to do with russian spies and evil and whatnot."

"Did she tell you to look after me?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely not." He awfully lied.

"She knows I'm 14 right? I'm not six anymore, I can handle myself." She said, pulling the arrow back again and hitting the target right beside the previous arrow.

"You're still powerful, Thea." Barton shook his head and pulled the arrow of his own bow back, breaking the previous arrow in half with his precise aim. "Anyone could come after you."

"Exactly, I'm powerful. I can protect myself." She shook her head "I don't need to be monitored every second of the day."

"Yeah but it's nice to have some reassurance, isn't it?" Clint asked as he took a seat on a fallen tree.

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged, "hows Laura?"

"House sitting like always." Clint smiled "I swear she never leaves the place."

"How about the kids?" Athena asked with a smile as she asked about Clint's family.

"They—they're doing amazingly, honestly." Clint smiled whilst shaking his head "you need to come and visit again soon, they miss you."

"Yeah, I might next month when I'm not busy." Athena suggested.

"Sounds great," Clint said before looking at her, "I hope one day you find someone as good as Laura, and you grow up to be as happy as I am."

Athena looked at him and smiled "thank you, Clint."

She remaniced the moment as she looked down at a photograph of her, Clint and Natasha eating shawarma after Loki's attack on New York. She missed them, both of them, she needed to go and see Clint soon.

She was snapped out of her moment when Peters caller ID showed up on her phone.

"Hey, Peter." Athena spoke into the phone, "how was the party?"

"Can you come down to the lake?" He asked with a breathless voice.

He seemed like he was in panic, so Athena got up without any hesitation and said "I'll be there in a minute."

As soon as she got there, she noticed Peter sitting on the dome in his suit soaked in water.

"What did you go Scooba-diving or something?" She chuckled as she climbed up the dome and sat next to him.

"In a way" he shrugged.

"What happened?" She asked as he slicked his wet hair back.

"This guy with tech weapons, Mr Stark thinks I should stop chasing after him." Peter shook his head.

"Don't listen to stark, he doesn't know what he's talking about." Athena shook her head.

"I don't know, maybe I should. After all, I'm just a stupid kid, aren't I?" He looked down.

"I used to get that a lot." She stated "but honestly, it never stopped me from accomplishing things. Don't let it stop you."

"I just... can't stop thinking about it." Peter said making Athena look to him.

"You don't give up on something you can't stop thinking about."

The only thing that ran through Peters mind at that moment was her — he couldn't stop thinking about her, and no matter how young or stupid they were, he was certain she was the one.

"Peter?" Athena raised an eyebrow at him, snapping the boy out of his daze.

"Uh, yeah— um, what? Uh—" he stuttered awkwardly.

Athena laughed at him causing the spider boy to blush awkwardly.

"You're so cute." Athena nudged him causing his face to heat up even more.

After a few more moments of Athena laughing and Peter blushing like crazy, it all went silent.

"I'm really glad youre my friend, Peter. Right now, I feel like I've lost everything that's worth living for."

Peters smile faded as he looked at her sad side profile worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I just miss them," she said whilst looking at the rippling water.

Peter looked down. Apart of him thought that this was his fault. After all, he was on the opposite team. "I know they miss you, too."

Athena shook her head as she felt her eyes start to water, "things were so different before — before the accords, before I met you. I hate to admit it, but these past months you've really been the light in my life, Peter."

The boy smiled at her as he tried to talk but couldn't. "I-Uh, Athena, I need to tell you somethi—."

"Wait, shhh—" she cut him off and looked at him. "Did you hear that?"

"No" The boy shook his head. "What was it?"

Peter turned around for a moment, so, Athena jumped behind him and scared him.

Peter jumped back, almost falling through the dome as the girl continued to laugh loudly. Peter shook his head angrily and muttered "mean."

"Awh, come on, you love me." The girl chuckled and wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him.

A small smile crept onto his
lips as his head inched down closer to the girl sitting beside him.

Everything in that moment seemed to fade as she looked into Peters eyes. Everything about him relaxed her, his smile, his hair, his eyes.

Moments passed, and their faces were close than they'd ever been before. Athena felt his breath on her lips and felt the need to move forward and just... kiss him.

But she knew she shouldn't.

She cleared her throat and pulled away, turning her head so she didn't have to see Peters reaction to her pulling away.

"I should go."

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