One Dance 3: Illusions

4.

The next day at school, Peter tried to avoid your gaze.

You wished you weren't looking at him, wished you could just ignore the fact that he was there. But you couldn't.

You felt it in your heart that this wasn't going to last much longer. If he didn't dump you today it would be tomorrow.

All the torture, mind control and experiments hurt less than whatever you were feeling now.

Screw Hydra. Screw all that they ruined. Screw your relationship that they trashed.

By lunch you had given up on staring and tried your best not to look at him during all of your classes. Even in the hallway when Ned came running up to him saying, "Dude! I'm so excited for this trip. Europe! The Eiffel Tower!"

You pushed through what felt like hours of grueling work until the bell rang for your last class. You grabbed your bag and your books and headed straight out to Happy's car.

Peter watched you leave and he sighed. He pulled himself together and walked out after you.

Just as you were about to exit the stairway, he called out your name.

"Y/n?"

You turned around with a confused look.

"I wanted to say goodbye before you left."

"Really?" you asked with annoyance.

"Yes, you're important to me—"

"It didn't seem so when you ignored me all day."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "You did the same thing."

You were fuming now. "I only ignored you because you're acting different! Ever since I came back it's like you don't even care! You are stiff when I kiss you, hug you, you barely text or call me—"

"If there was something wrong then why didn't you just talk to me!?"

You stared at him, bottom lip quivering with anger and a touch of sadness. "Because you ignored me and I thought you didn't want to be around me anymore. I messed up, sure. But you didn't even try to talk to me to resolve things."

He was quiet, waiting for you to say something else. He hated this. He didn't want to talk about it. But when he looked at you he only saw a soldier. It hadn't been like this earlier—not until the trauma had really sunk in.

"You're afraid of me, Peter. I know it. I know you don't want to be around me—"

Peter shook his head. "Maybe I don't want to be around you! But you don't have to hate me because you won't talk to me!

Your eyes widened and you turned towards the door, slamming your hands against it and walking to Happy's car.

"Wait, y/n...I—I didn't mean it—" he said, following you out.

"Then why the hell did you say it?"

He stood with his mouth opening and closing like he couldn't figure out what to say.

"That's what I thought," you said, storming off.

He didn't follow you this time and let you walk to Happy's car.

You hadn't cried yet, not even when you climbed into the car and Happy asked what was wrong.

Tears fell out of your eyes and you wiped them away quickly.

Don't cry for him.

Don't cry for him.

You kept repeating it, but it wouldn't stick. Ten seconds later and you were full on sobbing in the back.