Hiding in the Shadows

Chapter 46 - Thanos Told the Truth

Shuri delivered the box to Thor and Loki for their approval while Peter was shown the room he would be staying in for the night. I, however, stayed behind in Shuri's lab with her permission. I knew that I could have run the tests back in my lab at home, but I needed to know if what Thanos had told me was true. There was no way that I could be the same species as a monster like him, could I?

Using both samples of Thanos's blood as well as skin, I used Shuri's equipment to create a DNA profile of Thanos. While the equipment was running that, I pricked my finger so that I could test my own blood and took a cheek swab for some of my cells. Whatever Wakanda was doing, they were doing right, because it took only a minute for both DNA profiles to be finished, a lot shorter time than it would have taken me back home.

I put the two profiles next to one another, trying to compare them. They were vastly different, as mine was a mix between human and alien race, while Thanos's seemed to be a mix of two different alien races. However, it was clear that what we did share was too similar to be a result of mere chance. I couldn't say with one hundred percent certainty that we were of the same species, but without another deviant to compare our DNA to, I had to deal with the fact that our DNA was far too similar to be linking an alien with a human originating on earth.

"Hey, (Y/N), what are you still doing down here?" I heard a voice ask softly, causing me to quickly hide the test results.

"Peter?!" I exclaimed, trying to act normally. "I just wanted to hang out here for a while, I'm not used to all of this technology. I'm sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away."

A small smile spread across Peter's face as he, wrapped his arm around my waist, "don't apologize, I don't blame you. This place is absolutely amazing."

I tried to smile in response, but at the feel of his arm around me, I could no longer keep all of my repressed feelings within. Overwhelmed by everything all at once, I pulled Peter closer to me and buried my face in his chest. Despite my best efforts to keep them at bay, my tears escaped my eyes and I collapsed in his arms.

"(Y/N)? (Y/N), what's wrong?" Peter asked, clearly concerned by my sudden breakdown.

"I-I was so scared, Pete," I confessed, holding him close to me. "I-If I h-had failed, Th-Thanos- Thanos would have succeeded and, Peter, y-you would be o-one of his victims. P-Pete, y-you would have di- oh god, I-I can't e-even say it."

"Shh, (Y/N), everything's going to be ok," he assured me, rubbing my back. "You know, when I was fighting Thanos on Titan, all I could think about was you. I was afraid that if I failed, he would return to earth and hurt you. And then when Dr. Strange gave him that stone, I-I suddenly wished that I had never gotten on the spaceship. I thought that the bus would have been the last time I saw you and I didn't even sit with you."

"Peter, we both agreed not to let our relationship push aside Ned and MJ, I was happy that you sat with him instead of me," I replied, pulling away to notice the tears falling down Peter's cheeks as well. I smiled weakly, "look at us, we're both complete messes."

"Well we are both teenagers risking our lives everyday and having to watch each other do the same, that surely takes an emotional toll," Peter reasoned, sitting down in the nearby chair and pulling me onto his lap. "(Y/N), I am so relieved that you were not hurt, but if you ever go up against a psychopathic alien again with only a questionably trustworthy Asgardian as backup again, I may kill you myself."

"God, now you sound like my dad. I was only trying to protect you, Pete, if I didn't agree to Loki's plan I would have had no one but myself to blame for your death," I admitted, snuggling up in his chest. Realizing that I didn't want to have to keep anything from him, I let a sigh and got up from his lap, "Peter, I-I don't want to keep any secrets from you."

"What are you talking about, (Y/N)?" Peter inquired, concern in his voice.

"I wasn't just down here playing with Shuri's equipment, I was running tests. Thanos, he told me something before he died and I wanted to prove that he was wrong. But it turns out he was telling the truth."

"The truth about what?"

"Here, see for yourself," I told him as I put the DNA results back on the screen. Realization washed over him, but it soon was followed by disbelief.

"What is this supposed to mean?" He asked, although I knew that he had already made the connection.

"Thanos and I are the same species, well at least part of us are the same. I'm mix between a deviant and a human while he's a deviant and some other alien race or something. Peter, I'm the same species as that bastard! And here I've been thinking that my powers were a gift and instead it links me to a homicidal madman!"

Peter remained silent for a moment as he digested the information I had given him, but he soon took my hand and lightly squeezed it, "(Y/N), this doesn't change anything about who you are. You're partly the same species as Thanos, so what? I'm fully the same species as Hitler and Aldrich Killian, that doesn't mean that I, personally, am a bad person, does it? (Y/N), I fell in love with you the way that you are. I fell in love with you because of your desire to protect as many people as you can, to help others who needed it. I fell in love with you because of the way your eyes light up when you talk about something your passionate about or look at something you love. I fell in love with you because you are so badass, yet at the same time you care so deeply. There are a million more reasons I could list right now, but the point is that none of them have anything to do with your family history. You were part alien when I fell in love with you and you still are now, nothing has changed except for the discovery of that fact."

"Oh Peter, what did I ever do to deserve someone like you?" I breathed, relieved that he did not despise me now that he knew my background.

"You didn't have to do anything, (Y/N), I'm the one who must strive every day to be worthy of you," Peter replied, placing his lips on mine. Passion flooded my body and I realized once again how close I was to losing him. Neither of us knew how much time we had left together and I decided that we needed to make the most of it.

"I'm sure Shuri doesn't want us messing up her lab, but I heard that you were shown a room for the night?" I inquired, the look in my eyes enough to tell him what I meant.

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(A/N): it was a real struggle dragging myself out of bed this morning, I just need this week to be over! I hope that you all enjoyed this little chapter between you and Peter!