You're my escape- A Peter Parker Love Story

A Divide

Eliza leaned forward to press her elbows into her knees. Her fingertips rested against one another as she held her hands up to her chin. Her eyes stared ahead of her, looking at the empty seat with the small oval window situated by it.

She could see Happy from the corner of her eye, and noticed the way he watched her without breaking.

"I'm fine, Happy." She told him tensely as she kept her gaze ahead. Her gaze blurred over as she found her world fading away. She thought of the museum, with its pristinely white walls and floors so clean they reflected the lights. Christina's World materialized before her in all its beautiful detail. She blinked, and when her eyes opened she could still see the swaying of the grass and the soft material of her dress.

"You sure?" He asked from his post at the front of the plane. "Because you normally only stare off like that when you aren't okay."

She pulled in a long breath and lifted herself up in her seat. As she did, Christina's World faded until she saw the empty seat and the small window in front of her. She blinked again and turned towards Happy. "Where's Tony?" She ignored his statement. "He said he'd be here. But he's not here."

Happy let a single breath push past his lips. He moved along the thin aisle way and took the seat directly in front of her. The jet was small enough that his knees almost brushed against hers, which made her sit back and pull her feet in to give him more room.

Happy was a larger man, but he wasn't unhealthy. He looked, to Eliza, like he had lived a rich life in which he was cared for greatly. His round face oozed friendliness, but after a single conversation with him Eliza realized that looks could be deceiving. While he did have his moments, he could also be short with her when he was tired of hearing her talk. They got along fine, but she knew the only reason he was there was to play babysitter to her, and that made her like him slightly less. He didn't seem too keen on the idea of being a babysitter either, and it showed in his conversational skills. 

"Tony's recruiting that kid you told him about."

"Peter?" Eliza's voice rose an octave. "For this?"

Happy nodded as he leaned back in his seat. He shimmied his shoulders as he made himself more comfortable then rested his hands on the arms of the chair. "You convinced him that the kid had talent. He's going to use that."

Eliza scoffed and bowed her head. "Does he think that's really the best idea?"

"Natasha saw a talent in you," Happy told her. "How is this different?"

Eliza squeezed her eyes shut and lifted her hands to dig her palms into her eye sockets. That question was driving her insane. Could they not see the difference? Could they not understand the emotional toll it takes to kill someone? Her soul weighed heavy with the lives she's stolen. She knew Tony suffered from what he's had to do, and Natasha has spent most of her life trying to make up for all the bloodshed. So if they knew the cost, why were they willing to put someone else through it.

"I gotta ask again... are you okay?"

"No." She told him as she rubbed her eyes harder. "I'm not okay, Happy."

"Good, good, that's progress."

Eliza dropped her hands from her eyes and lifted her head to stare deadly into his eyes.

"I just mean-" he cleared his throat. "That you're not lying. Now we're getting somewhere."

"We're not getting anywhere, Happy!" She stood from her seat as her anger pushed through her. "Tony is convincing a kid to join a war he has no part in. A war between a man in an iron suit and a 90-year old super soldier. How is that progress? How is this-" she lifted her hands around her. "-getting us anywhere? I don't-" she stopped as she realized the words that were about to come out. Her hands dropped to her sides without care as her shoulders drooped down. "I don't want to fight them," she realized out loud. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked down at Happy. All of her anger fizzled away as it was replaced with sorrow. "I like Steve, and while Sam is a bit rough around the edges... he's a good cook."