Just Out of Reach

Ch. 6: Hanging Up My Heart for You

"I'm gonna stop wasting time, honey, being a run around ... I'm gonna shake the reputations of being a ladies ma ... I'm gonna push aside everything I used to do. Because I'm hanging up my heart right now for you." - Solomon Burke

* * *

Though you were convinced Sunday would never come, it did. You were expecting everything that had happened at The Valley to be fake - a mirage - or some sick trick your mind had concocted after spending so many hours bursting to express your emotions to Peter.

And yet, as the sun rose through your window Sunday morning, Peter was sleeping soundly next to you.

His hair was curlier than you had ever seen it. It was frizzy and curly like a halo against your soft sky blue sheets. His right arm was splayed out under your pillow, where you were lying and facing him. Lying on his back, his lips slightly parted, his left arm crossing over his chest with his hand resting on his heart.

You were on your side, and your one leg was up and over his hip, legs mashed together as Peter's right arm twitched in his sleep and you scooted in a bit closer.

Slumber revealed the real version of everyone, your dad had once told you. It showed the innocence of anyone's face. And you believed it more than ever now as you watched Peter in his sleep. There were no worry lines, no glaring snarls, and most importantly, a slight smile graced his lips.

You wanted to pounce on him and press your lips all over his face to let him know just how much you appreciated his truest form. But you didn't dare wake him. You yourself were surprised you were awake, considering the two of you had talked late into the night. Peter deserved some rest.

You could tell he was exhausted - he constantly seemed drained - and so the fact that he was comfortable enough with you to fall asleep so deeply by your side caused your heart to ache.

Part of you, a large majority of you, was surprised that you and Peter hadn't had sex the night before.

You'd expected it. You would have welcomed it too. You'd just figured that's who Peter was, and it wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed the fierce make out sessions you'd shared back at the club, or the flurried kisses exchanged between the two of you throughout the night as intervals to your conversation.

But yet, it had all been so innocent. And you almost felt guilty for thinking that because Peter was known for sleeping around, that he'd sleep around with you.

After a bit of thought, you considered this a good sign.

You weren't complaining though. God, talking with Peter was your new drug. He was so honest with you, and so expressive in letting you know the answer to exactly what you'd asked. It was like he was forming answers to your questions as you were talking, and you felt comfortable enough to respond to all his questions as well.

You were both still a long way to go before you considered yourselves on the same page, and you knew Peter still locked away his darkest secrets, but you knew that if the two of you were going to go anywhere, they could one day come out.

They would have to.

He'd told you about becoming Spider-Man, but there was something he was holding back, you could tell. He told you about his parents' deaths and how he'd become obsessed in high school with finding out what had happened to them, which had led him to OSCORP, which had led him to a radioactive spider, which had led him to his powers.

There was a loss in his eyes though, as he told the story. There was an exponent he was leaving out of the equation, and you figured one day when he was ready to talk about it, he would.