||BEHIND THE MASK SERIES: BOOK 4||
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"Sometimes you need a second chance
because you weren't ready for your first."
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In which Charlie Barton is pulled
back into the world she left behind
to help a man with a metal ar...
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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓
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Once Charlie finally let Wanda and Bucky's words sink in, the arrow slipped from its notch and dropped to the floor with her bow quick to follow. Her eyes continued to study Pietro's face as tears fell from her eyes before her knees gave out beneath her. Just as she was about to join her equipment on the ground, the Maximoff boy appeared in front of her and grabbed Charlie by her elbows to keep her on her feet.
Pietro's attention stayed on her as he watched her closely and took in every aspect of her features. While his eyes continued to scan over her, Charlie kept trying to figure out if this was truly real or if her guilty conscience was just playing tricks on her again at the worst possible time.
"You didn't see that coming?" the speedster whispered, forcing her breath to get caught in her throat at the sound of his voice before her brain finally comprehended the feeling of his hands on her elbows, "I am so sorry, anđeo. I should have come back sooner."
"How? How are you here?" Charlie whispered just loud enough for him to hear before she took his hands into her own. Shock and confusion continued to fill every inch of her body as she looked him over one more time. "I watched you...how are you...how are you alive?"
"I wish I could tell you," he responded before letting out a humorless laugh, "the first thing I remember since Sokovia is waking up in some sort of hospital. When I couldn't find any trace of you or Wanda in the building, I ran away from that place as fast as I could."
Questions filled every inch of Charlie's brain before she forced herself to brush them aside. A small smile formed on her face as she pulled Pietro in for the tightest hug she'd given a person since her father came home after being freed from Loki's mind games. The tears she was trying to hold back throughout their entire conversation finally broke free and streamed down her face before landing on the shoulder of his shirt.
An unknown amount of time passed of them staying in the other's arms before they ended their moment and shared another smile. His fingers came up to wipe away the tears on Charlie's face before Pietro pulled her in for another hug. As his arms wrapped around her, the Barton girl continued to take in the fact that he was actually in her grasp.
"Why did it take you so long to tell me?" the archer whispered into the speedster's ear after building up enough courage to voice the thoughts going through her head, "after all this time, why come back now?"
"At first, I was trying to figure out what happened. When I woke up with no memories since Sokovia, I needed to get some more information about the world before looking for you and Wanda," Pietro answered before Charlie felt him stiffen up in her arms then he ended their hug to look her in the eyes while keeping his arms on her waist.
