Peter Parker & The Avengers oneshots - 2

Admitting Love Is Hard To Do.

Part 2

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Peter had been lay in the hospital bed for just over three weeks now, and was yet to wake up.

"I should have kept him back." Natasha repeated once more. "I should have kept him back. Told him he shouldn't- Told him he wasn't ready to fight this hard on a mission yet."

Steve sighed, sitting down next to her. "He's Peter. He would have still gone out on the mission even if you told him he wasn't ready."

Clint lent against the side of wall as he looked inside to the hospital room which he lay in. Michelle still sat by his side.

Clint didn't look away from the window. "She's not left his side once."

Both Natasha and Steve looked up to Clint, him continuing on.

"He told us both not to turn back, even if he was hurt. Two gun shots went off after we heard yelling and grunts of pain." Clint explained, "Even without hesitation, she ran in for him. It was like nothing else mattered in the world except that Peter stayed alive."

Natasha walked over, standing beside Clint, as did Steve. Looking in, they saw the same picture Clint had been looking at for the past few minutes. But not in a creepy way.

"Well...they have known each other since High School." Steve stated. "A bond like that is hard to break."

Natasha sighed. "Do you think they know?"

"Know what?" Clint asked.

"That they're in love."

Natasha wasn't wrong. Even after everything, every mission, every wound, every smile and tear. They both stuck by each other's side.

But not like Clint and Natasha. No, this wasn't a family love. You know, the love hat you feel for your brother or sister or cousin. No, this was true love, soulmate love.

They were...are best friends. Nothing would ever change that. But they weren't just best friends. Yes, at times hey hated each other and could quarrel like the rest of them. But they'd never allow something bad to happen to the other person.

And if it did, they felt it too.

"Somewhere, in there, they know." Steve smiled.

He wasn't too far from the truth neither.

A few more hours passed and most of the others had gone back to the compound needing a shower and a proper meal.

MJ only ever left when she knew she had to. She went home every two days but only for an hour or two and then she was back.

Clint could see the fear in her eyes every time she walked in and out of the door. Every time she thought about Peter and whether he'd be fit enough to go on, powering through the next day.

It had gotten to around midnight when she was slowly drifting to sleep, only to be woken by the sound of a grunt and a small movement of a body.

"Whoa, hey, hold on. Don't move, you'll hurt yourself." She told him, sitting up to stop him.

Peter didn't even open his eyes but still spoke. "Where am I?"

"Shield HQ." She said, "They had to bring Cho in for you. All your old wound opened back up and now they're deeper."

Peter sighed. "You shouldn't have come back for me."

"Yes I should. And I did. Peter, I wasn't just going to let you die - and before you say that I was only told to because Tony was still weary of you going back out into the field. It wasn't."

Peter relaxes his shoulders as he sink into his pillow. "How long have I been out?"

"Just over three weeks."

The pair stayed quiet for a couple of moments. They didn't know what to say. Peter was still pretty banged up.

A yellowish bruise still curved around his left eye. He still had scars all over his body since they had cut deep. A few small scratches lay on his face.

"Did you get the hard drive?"

She nodded. "We did. Clint and I had got to the exit when we heard the gun shots."

"The guy tried to shoot me down. And he did, but I managed to grab a gun from the floor." Peter explained. That guy defiantly wasn't coming back any time soon.

By the morning most of the team, who weren't on a mission, had heard that Peter had finally woken up.

Cho told him that he was to stay in the hospital until she told him otherwise. Even with his DNA, he would be strong enough to lift or be swinging around placed.

He'd be strong enough to lift a few heavy boxes, but it still put him at risk of opening one of the deeper wounds.

MJ has to leave since she needed a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Clint stayed beside Peter for the rest of the day.

"You know, you gave us all quite a scare there." Clint said, walking over to sit in the chair beside his bed.

"Yeah, I know."

That was all Peter said. What else could he say. He told them not to come back for him.

"I think you scared MJ the most."

Peter looked towards Clint and gave a laughed scoff. "Why was she scared? She doesn't get worried over anything."

Clint's brows furrowed, "Peter, I'm being serious. You really worried her. If we got back here any time after we did, you'd be dead."

Peter pauses for a moment. "Why she so worried anyway? Most of the time she wants to kill me."

Clint gave a small frown. How was Peter missing this?

"Peter...you know why she was worried. It was the same 'worry' you had when she went on a solo mission to a possible Hydra base. That entire look and the way you acted whilst she was in hospital. She's done the exact same."

Peter frowned. "Barton, whatever you're getting at-"

"Peter, when she comes back, you need to tell her. I think both the team and I know that somewhere deep down inside of you both...you both love one another."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night, Clint's words still rang throughout Peter's ears.

Clint was right. About everything. They all were.

"Hey, how you doing?" MJ asked as she walked in.

"As good as you can be after Nat almost kills you and doesn't even have to be stood 3ft in front of you." Peter joked.

"Yeah," Michelle laughed lightly, "But Fury's coming tomorrow to check with Cho how your body is healing and how long it will take for you to be back out on a mission."

Peter just smiled and rested his head back. He was now able to sit up in his bed rather than just lay down.

MJ could see hear the cogs turning in his head. He was deep in thought.

"You Okay?" She asked him.

"Clint told me something today...and thinking on it now, I - I think he might be right? Maybe?"

Michelle frowned, "What is that?"

Before Peter could answer, Michelle's phone rang. Looking down at the caller ID she gave a small frown.

"I..."

He smiled, "Go, go on take it."

She gave a smiles frown before leaving the room, answering the call.

He lay his head back down and gave a small groan. He'd been kidnapped, tortured, beaten down, even almost branded at one point. And somehow, it was easier to fight through that pain than it was to admit the truth, not only to himself but to MJ too.