𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

xx. to live with a secret

chapter twenty!
to live with a secret

    NINA WAS emotional seeing the long gashes across Peter's bare chest. Her gaze fixed on the dried blood around rapidly healing wounds, but not quick enough that it stopped Peter wincing at each touch her delicate fingers made with the wipes. That lizard thing had done this. Done this to him. Clawed his chest and made him almost collapse in her room ... what if Peter hadn't made it out? What if he hadn't made it to her window? That thought made her bite her lip to hide the tremble. Nina tilted her head, brows knitting together to hear him grit back a low hiss.

    "How did you learn to do this?" Peter suddenly asked her, eyes fixed on the way her nose twitched a little in her determination to stay calm.

    Nina━finished with cleaning the gashes━folded up the dirty wipes and threw them into the bottom of her waste bin. "My dad," she answered simply, voice stuck in the back of her throat. "He wanted me to know how to apply first aid in case I was━or someone else━was in trouble. A life skill I never realised I would need so soon." She sent him a weak pointed look that made Peter's brows lift, gaze soft.

    She watched him shift against the chair, his knees brushing against her sides from where she knelt in front between his stretched legs. He couldn't move much, but there was some relief to see that already, he was getting better. Peter reached up tender fingers to her cheek, knuckles tucking away loose strands of hair from her face. Nina found herself leaning into his touch, eyes fluttering closed.

    "It's okay," he told her softly. "I'm okay."

    Nina nodded. Her hand wrapped around his outstretched arm, meeting his gaze and forcing a smile on her face. But as it grew, it became genuine, a blush rising at the way he looked at her━so sweet and so caring.

    Peter met her smile with a slight one of his own, gaze flickering down to her lips. Nina's heart fluttered with amusement at the way he sat forward, eager to try and capture her lips in a kiss that would've surely made her knees weak. Nina played with him, tilting her head and following his teasing movements as if to kiss him. She waited until his large hand gently slipped around to the back of her neck to whisper against his lips, "Easy there, bug boy."

    His chuckle tickled her chin. It made her grin. "What did you just call me?"

    She met his eyes with an innocent, but cheeky glance, "Come again?"

    Peter Parker chuckled again, fingers tracing the back of her neck trailing upwards to thread into her hair. Chills made her limbs buzz. "Are you playing with me, Nina Hart?" murmured Spider-Man, lips brushing the corner of her mouth. They pressed like kisses from the wind to her cheek and her jaw, and Nina almost let herself fall, entrapped, into the web of his touch━until she felt the tension to his shoulders and saw the blood still coated on his chest.

    Nina shook her head, "No," she croaked, rubbing his arm. Peter frowned, looking up to meet her gaze that was suddenly welling up with tears. Her brows knitted and she pursed her lips, taking a deep breath to keep herself together, but she couldn't stop herself. All those worries and the thoughts she stressed over came back like a hit to her heart.

    Realising how upset she was, Peter's fingers gently fell away from her neck to cup her cheek, catching the tear that rolled down. "Nina..."

    "I know what this is," she told him, shaking her head slightly. "I know what happens..."

     Peter's gaze followed the hang of her head. "What is this?" He asked her gently. "What happens?"