Ensnare

2 - And I Saved His

Hey guys! I'm going to start adding in songs that I was listening to while writing or that I think relate to the vibe of the chapter. Some songs might get repeated so I'm sorry about that!

ADITI

I groaned and rolled over in bed, not ready to start the day just yet. It was too much effort to do things. Especially when all the world did was prove that nothing mattered anyway.

"Aditi." The name swam towards me through the clouds of semi-consciousness.

"Hmm?"

"You're late for school." Clint poked me in the ribs. I shot up, scrambling for the gun that I kept beside my bed.

Clint, who was ready for this, had his hands over mine in a flash, lowering the barrel from my grip. I was breathing hard, my entire body shaking, the adrenaline thundering through my body from my fight or flight response. I couldn't feel him. It was like I was underwater, as though I was deaf, a sense I'd always had was gone. I couldn't feel what he felt. It was like trying to reach someone through thick, wet sand.

I made a couple of whimpering noises and burst into tears. Clint didn't say anything, just put the gun down and pulled me into him. I hadn't been sleeping well for months. Not since the psychopath Connie had looked me dead in the eyes and told me she'd be keeping an eye on me. Anytime someone touched me when I was sleeping, I reacted like that. Sometimes it even happened when I was completely awake. My paranoia had been causing issues. People would get headaches around me, and more than once I'd accidentally left Bruce with a black eye back when I was still making appearances outside my room. I couldn't feel them. But for some reason, they could feel me.

"Can you call them and say I'm sick again?" I whispered. I couldn't face going into school that day, couldn't face feeling as though I was walking around blind, couldn't face the pity on Peter's expression. Funniest thing was, I didn't even miss my friends. Nobody else knew, apart from Tony and Peter of course. Everyone else thought I went to school every day.

Clint sighed and wiped my face gently. "I already did, but I said you'd be in later if you felt up for it."

I nodded. I hadn't been in for three weeks. It was nearing mid-October and so far I had missed most of my last year of school.

I looked around my bedroom. I hadn't cleaned it. I was wearing the same clothes I'd been in for three days.

"Peter said he wanted to see you later." My uncle could see my face drop the moments those words had left his mouth. I hadn't let Peter in my room in a month. People just assumed we were together. I knew he made things up for me, that he told Ali we'd been to the park that day, or that we were doing homework together. He'd lie and tell people I was at my parent's place, or round his house with May. People always asked for 'Peter and Aditi' now. Not Peter or Aditi. And I couldn't bare it. I couldn't bare it.

I shook my head slowly. "I just want to be left alone."

"Tough luck." Tony Stark said from my doorway. "Want a cookie?" He asked, offering me a box. I shook my head. He shrugged and popped another one into his mouth.

I looked up at my uncle with a pleading expression, and his response was a shrug.

Tony came to sit down on my bed, looking at me as though he was considering something carefully. "Those dreams of yours, have you had any more?"

I shook my head.

"Nothing?"

I shook my head again.

"You've been keeping up with your work?" He asked. He was paying my school fees so it was a fair question.

I reached down beside my bed and threw him a pile of papers.