Behind closed doors

Chapter 3

With heavy sigh he neared his door, silently wishing that Bucky would come along and tell him that he didn't need to go in there and he could come with Bucky and stay with him. He would take that abandoned shop then his apartment any day. Because there, he felt safe. But he knew that was a pipe dream.

He paused at the door, taking some steadying breaths, wincing at the pull of his ribs and the pain that sizzled through his body. Peter knew it was only going to get worse.

With that final thought in his mind he pushed the door open, wincing at the creak that emitted from the door and echoed around the room. Quickly, he walked in and shut the door behind him; his heart was beating quickly in his chest as began to move towards his room, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't see May.

"And where do you think you've been brat," May spits, coming to stand in front of him, blocking the view to the hall where his bedroom door is.

Instinct took over and Peter cowered away, a flinch rocking his body as he did so. His eyes automatically fell to the floor, a whimper bubbling in his throat that he had to physically swallow down.

"I'm sorry, I- I lost track of- of time," Peter stuttered, hoping it would be enough as to not warrant question.

May scoffed, her eyes hardening as a blaze of anger ignited within her, making her eyes shine in darkness. "Oh yeah, well tell me then how you've got bandages on you. You didn't tell anyone now did you, you know what'll happen if you do," May whispers, her voice calm, too calm that it makes Peter shiver in fear.

"I didn't- I didn't tell, I- I swear. Someone- someone just helped- helped me," Peter mumbles, trying to hold back the tears that were rising in his eyes.

A hand suddenly found its way around his neck and his back was slammed into the wall, his head cracked back and his vision blurred slightly as pain radiated from his head. Once his eyes came into view, he could see May stood in front of him, her grip on his neck tightening with every second and making it harder and harder for him to breath, his breaths coming out as wheezes.

She didn't seem to care all that much at the obvious bruise it'll make when she let him go.

"You better not tell anyone, I promise you I can make your whole life painful, even more so then I have now," she growls, her other hand curling into a fist and slamming into his stomach.

The pain is enough to bring tears to his eyes but Peter blinks them away, not wanting to cry in front of her.

Somehow, he manages a nod, the edges of his vision darkening with sicking pace at the hold May has on his neck.

A smirk falls onto her face as she hits him in the same spot a few more times before dropping his neck, allowing him to fall breathlessly to the floor. She squats down in front of him, grabbing his hair and pulling his head up to look at her.

His eyes focus on her and he tries to hold back the tremble of his body and the pain working its way around his body.

"Remember what I said Peter, it will only get worse for you," she whispers before dropping his head and walking away.

Peter sucks in a breath, a shaking hand moving up to massage his throat while the others curls protectively around his mid-section. He's really beginning to wonder if he'll have permanent damage with the amount of times he's been hit there.

After a moment of composing himself he finally pulls himself up on shaking legs, removing the hand that was massaging his throat to hold the wall to help support him. He stumbles to his room, grateful that Bucky had given him some food as he knew he wouldn't be coming out of his room for the rest of the day.