Us Against The World ｡ Peter Parker [2]

20 - Sixteen Candles

Letting my body twirl around in his arms, my chest touching his own, I grinned up at Peter Parker, the lights making his eyes look different. My hands threading around his neck, holding onto him. "Happy sixteenth, birthday girl." he said lightly. 

In his arms, while surrounded by my friends and celebrating a day I usually avoided, I realised this was maybe one of the happier days in my life this year. "Thank you, Pete. For everything." I muttered quietly and he nodded, knowing I really meant it with everything we had been through this year already. 

Rising to my tippy toes, my lips pressed against his own and welcomed the sweet taste of his lips. While my lips danced with his own, something flashed behind my eyelids and I was pulling away. The familiar sensation of my visions were drumming along my skull for a quick moment. I saw some of the very same fragments of scenes; the sinking ship, the hands reaching for each other and a strange green hand. But something new appeared too. A mouth covered in blood, red thick colouring dripping down somebody's chin. 

Quickly, my eyes were yanking open and my heart thudded loudly in my ears. My hands were slipping from Peter's neck, my skin suddenly feeling too hot. Peter was already frowning, "Hey, are you okay?" 

Pain flared near my temples, but I was giving him a firm nod. "Um, I think I just need some air." 

Peter understood the curse of my visions, he knew how I felt with my body feeling strange and the dull pain fading in my head. "Yeah, of course. Take a minute or two, then we'll have cake." I didn't even get to swoon over the fact he had gotten me a birthday cake because I was pushing away from him and hurrying towards the exit with my heart in my throat. 

The air was cooler outside, the colder months officially coming. The busy nightlife raced by on the streets with tourists wanting pictures and New Yorkers hurrying home after a long day. I let the air cool my mind and relax my body, the visions fading away. Despite having a nice night, my thoughts were suddenly clouded with a sad thought. I turned sixteen today and Colton would have been twenty years old. He would have been attending college and living out of home. He would have been a man. But that was taken away from him and each year I grew older, it reminded me that he would never have another birthday, and soon I would be older than he ever was. Blinking away tears, I glanced up at the sky, but didn't see any stars from the bright city lights. One true downfall about living in the city.

"Do you want one?"

The voice was smooth and all too familiar. My eyes yanked away from the dark sky, glaring across at Clayton Cole, who had an unlit cigarette hanging between his lips. Naturally, my annoyance levels were running thin because this new boy seemed to always be hanging around, always there to witness a private moment in my life. I eyed him, watching as he brought his lighter to the end of the cigarette and lighting it. "You know those things will kill you."

Clayton nodded, "I don't usually smoke."

A sharp laugh echoed from my throat, "Oh, is it some it's a metaphor crap?"

I watched as a smirk grew on his lips, smoke billowing around him. With some delicate respect, he turned away from me as he blew out the smoke from his mouth. That's when I noticed he didn't inhale the smoke, didn't let it sink into his lungs. He simply just breathed it into his mouth, before blowing it out. "No," he finally shrugged. Quickly, he was stepping in closer and placing his second unlit cigarette behind my ear like it meant nothing, his touch lingering. My eyes glared across at him as he stepped away. "It just gave me an excuse to speak to you."

Words halted in my throat. We stood on the empty street corner for a moment longer, the city of fame and promise around us. There were so many unsaid thoughts rushing through my mind about my brother, about my friends, about the power running through my veins and now about Clayton Cole, who was nothing but a riddle wrapped in a mystery. With another intake of smoke, his eyes were reaching across to me in the darkness. "Happy birthday, Florence."

Then he was turning away, leaving me alone in the gathering cold with nothing but a birthday wish and a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, knowing Peter Parker was still waiting for me to come back and finish the night of celebration with sixteen flickering candles. 

- author's ramblings - 

Um, I feel iffy about how it turned out but I've been planning on ageing them all up very soon, and like my timeline is off but who cares? We're truly getting back to the plot I promise, but these chapter are essential for other reasons, soon to be clear. Also, my #clayrence ship is rising. I'm not doing a love triangle, so don't fear Clayton in that way, he's not here to steal Florence, it's just a new friendship developing. Anyway, thank you to sublimes who created the lovely graphic for my editing contest! Please leave your thoughts, and know we've got a familiar OC of mine coming in next chapter, how fun! 

- tinkertaydust