From The Ice || a Marvel Studios Fanfic

20 - The Posters

Liberty's P.O.V

"So, wanna study?" Peter suggested, sitting up from where the two of us lay on top of my bed.

I laughed, "I was just going to use studying as an excuse for you to come over, to be honest, but that would also be kind of great, I do actually have a maths test on Monday and haven't studied for it at all,"

"I can't believe that you actually lied to your dad, as in your dad Captain America," Peter said, reaching over to his school bag, getting out the relevant books.

"Well, he didn't need to know that I have a test, plus it's not going to hurt anyone that I told a tiny little lie, right?" We both laughed and got out our maths books. Peter was great at maths, as well as science, really he was just good at everything, (everything but art, that is!)

"What do you mean 'an excuse for me to come over'?" He asked, skipping across pages of his textbook to get to the same page that I was on.

I explained to him about everything, it all just slipping out of my mouth, willingly stepping forward and entering Peter's ears. He listened intently through the whole thing, through me explaining how I was actually born in 1945, my real age, my family, the ice, everything. Peter didn't ask questions just sat there, absorbing what I was telling him at double speed.

"I originally just invited you over to tell you about dad, about him being Captain America, and to explain all of that to you. I guess finding you out was perfect for me, which meant that I had someone 'my age' who I could talk to about this kind of stuff." I said, words sliding out of my mouth effortlessly. "Also I wanted to tell you this just so that you don't think I'm weird for saying that I understand the whole 'superhero' thing," I confessed, Peter, laughing under his breath as he got to the right page, started looking around my room, looking at what was hanging on my walls. I closed my eyes, why hadn't I managed to think ahead. My walls were covered in posters, posters of the Avengers.

"These are yours?" Pete asked, getting up and pointing towards the posters. I nodded but he didn't laugh like I was expecting him to, instead, he moved closer and inspected them. "I have this one at my aunt's house!" He exclaimed, gesturing towards the first poster of the six of them stood together after The Battle Of New York that dad had told me about from about a decade ago.

It was then that Peter's head seemed to dramatically turn towards the poster standing alone on the other side of my bedroom, he definitely seemed to recognise it, making me curl up inside myself in regret of not thinking of every single possibility. Yet, not even Scarlett Witch could've predicted everything that happened today. Peter moved closer to it and audibly gasped.

"That's..." he started, pausing as if trying to gather the words to speak, "That's me,"

"Yeah... erm... I've been a big fan for a while. Ever since Ned showed me that video of you- erm- him, saving your academic decathlon team in Washington DC," I answered. He looked back at me as I curled up into myself in embarrassment and smiled, he probably thought I was weird for having a poster of him on my bedroom wall. Instead of him saying anything, all he did was walk back over to the bed and hug me, a friendly hug, so relaxing and warm. It felt safe, there between his arms.

"You put it up like you would any of the Avengers," He murmured quietly, his chin resting on the top of my head as he engulfed me in pleasant warmth, amazement evident in his voice. And I smiled, at least he took it as a compliment.