INVISIBLE | P. PARKER

FIFTY

FIFTY;
DON'T CRY

THE WAITING AREA WAS TOO COLD, but for some reason, the coldness matched the aching of Cassie's heart. She hugged her legs once more as she rested her sane arm at the top of her knees, and stretched her other arm to inspect it. The black wrist splint around her hand and wrist made her heart drop to the floor. She had almost broken her wrist again for trying to save Peter from the brick, and now she was paying the consequences.

"Peter." She whispered, resting her forehead over her legs. "I'm so sorry, Peter." She said again, letting a mix of sigh and sob leave her lips.

Her watery, brown eyes closed as she focused on her breath. The way she felt her lungs accepting the air and letting it go with her mouth, the process was slowly calming her down, but not enough. She still felt her shoulders shaking under the blanket placed over them, and her hands were too.

"Cassandra." Her eyes opened, but she didn't look up. For some reason, the voice felt distant, almost like a dream. "Hey, Cassie–" She snapped up and pushed whoever touched her shoulder.

The brunette looked up to find a pair of brown eyes looking at her equally startled as she was, accompanied by a pair of turquoise ones behind him. She blinked away several tears as she threw the blanket aside and jumped to hug Tony tightly. The silence was replaced by the heartbreaking sound of her sobs against the man's shoulder.

"I–I tried, I really d–did. I swear." She stepped away trembling uncontrollably. "H–He told me to wait outside but I–I couldn't leave him like that, a–and then the b–building crumbled down out of n-nowhere." The girl tried to explain. Tony pressed his lips together. Seeing her like this broke his heart. "It's my fault–He–He wouldn't be hurt if–"

"Stop, stop, stop." Tony interrupted her, placing his hands over her shaky shoulders. Surprisingly, the touch calmed her down. "It wasn't your fault. You did your best to help Peter with the psycho. Don't take responsibility of things that are not even close to be your fault." Cassie nodded shortly before sighing deeply.

Pietro half-smiled as he embraced the teen in a bone-wrenching hug, letting her find comfort in his arms. The turquoise-eyed boy inhaled and exhaled deeply as he guided Cassie back to the seats in the waiting area and sat next to her, an arm around her shoulders as he waited for her to feel better.

"Bruce said I was lucky I didn't break my wrist again." Cassie mumbled, looking down at her hands. "But he said it's very likely that Peter must've broken something." Her voice quivered and Pietro tightened his arm around the brunette, but carefully watching he wasn't hurting her. "I wish I was as brave as him."

"You are brave, little Cassie." He whispered, cleaning the falling tears from her cheeks. "It's just–the situation wasn't in your favor."

Cassie nodded, but didn't say anything afterwards. The silver-haired boy looked up with a mixed expression in his eyes and met Tony's gaze, who nodded with a deep sigh and took his phone from his pocket. Pietro half-smiled as he placed a kiss over her dusty hair, and cleaned the rest of the tears falling from her cheeks.

"I wish I hadn't gone out that night." He knew what she was talking about, and decided to stay silent and listen to her. "Everything went downhill after that." He sighed, nodding. It was true, even if it hurt. "The only good thing about it was meeting you guys. All of you."

Tony half-smiled. "Kid, I–I want you to meet someone." He stretched his hand out for her to take it, Cassie looked at him and held his hand to stand up with his help. The man stood behind her and pressed his hands over her shoulders with a sigh.

Before Cassie could even tell him she wasn't in the mood to meet anyone, she choked on her own words. Her lower lip trembled at the sight at the end of the hall, her hand flew to her mouth as she watched the young man walking to her timidly. Slowly, she took in how pale and thin he looked since the last time she saw him. Instinctively she backed away when he tried to hold her arm.

"I–" She was at a loss of words.

"Meet Charlie Harding–" Tony began, but was interrupted by her whispers.

"Brother?" She held her hand up to place it over his cheek. Charlie closed his eyes and opened quickly. Cassie felt a lump in her throat as she admired every inch of his face, and he did the same. The young man stared at the small bruise in her cheekbone and the broken lip, but his eyes stopped in hers. "Charlie–"

"Hello, Angel." He half-smiled, and so did Cassie. She finally let the sobs leave her lips as she wrapped her arms around his torso and hid her face in his chest while she cried. It felt so good finally having her brother with her. "Don't cry. Please, don't. I'm so sorry. I'm very sorry." He closed his eyes and rested his chin over her head as she cried, soon he joined her. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Cassie looked up to meet his gaze and swallowed hard. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."