Something Sinister

Prologue

October was your favorite time of the year. It brought so many of your favorite things - Halloween, an excuse to drink tea five times a day, scarves, Halloween, wool socks, Peter in beanies, and Halloween.

There was something particularly special about this October, being that it was the first October you and Peter were spending together as a couple. Peter was well-aware about your obsession and fascination with the fall and everything it brought (especially Halloween, your favorite holiday), and he felt a sense of pride knowing you wanted to spend it with him.

Peter was still sleeping, his breathing a soft and steady pace as he laid on his back, his head tilted slightly to the side, and his arm loosely, lazily looped around your waist. In nothing but his boxers he was still extremely warm, and you loved using him as your personal space heater whenever the two of you got these prolonged moments in bed together.

The first month of your senior year had been peaceful, much like this moment you were sharing together. It had been a big milestone for the two of you - everyone had found out about your relationship, you'd nursed Peter through his first cold in years, and if your bare chest and matted hair was any indicator in how the two of you were doing in the physical department of your relationship, then it was obviously going quite well.

The two of you had opted to spend the night at Stark Tower instead of going back to the Avengers' Compound the second weekend of October. It had been a long night fighting against what seemed to be a wave of petty crime, and the two of you were far too exhausted to make it all the way to the Compound, deciding instead to crash in your room at the Tower.

You knew Peter liked your room at the Tower much more than your rooms at the Compound anyway. Your whole wall was simply windows, allowing you to look out over all of the city - the city the two of you loved so much. You secretly liked it a lot better too, because the sunrises and sunsets were much more brilliant - especially when they were washing over Peter's bare skin.

You were on your stomach, one arm resting on Peter's chest as you leaned against him, and your other arm propped up above his shoulder. Your elbow was next to Peter's face, your chin resting on your hand as you leaned over him to watch the skyscrapers be hit with orange light and begin to twinkle as they woke up.

You looked out over his sleeping figure towards the rising sun, watching as your favorite city and home was washed with dazzling orange light. Your finger absentmindedly swiveled along Peter's chest, creating crazy patterns and designs as you became captivated by the city coming alive in front of your eyes.

"Why are you awake?" Peter asked softly, his voice startling you though he'd whispered it. You looked down to see his eyes were still closed but his arm wrapped a bit tighter around you once he became aware of where you were.

You sighed, "Just a restless mind, I guess," you admitted.

You slept loads better with Peter in the same bed as you, and since your fateful European vacation, you'd been gaining a much more normal sleeping pattern. But there were still nights that your mind would wander and you'd want to stay up all night tinkering away in the lab to distract yourself from your own thoughts.

Peter moved slightly under you, his hands coming up now to grip your hips as you leaned down against him, running a hand through his hair. Peter's slightly chapped lips blindly found your collarbone, kissing down along the curve of your outer left breast before sighing against your skin and tugging you down to rest flush against him.

"Good morning then," he whispered, eyes slowly blinking open to meet yours as you looked up at him. "Aw," he cooed, "Sleepy dust."

You closed your eyes as he gently swiped his finger along your eyes and then reached down to kiss your forehead. "Do you feel you got enough sleep? Want to go back to sleep at all?"