Fade: Evolved

Chapter 1 - It's Time To Move On

"Well I wouldn't want to share my room with anyone else," he says with a small smirk, causing me to giggle. 

We get a bit closer to each other. And just as we were about to kiss, I hear the door open from beside me and something is thrown in. The door then slams closed. A small box hits me in the side and lands on the ground beside me. I bend down and pick it up only to see that they're condoms.

"May!" Peter whines a bit and I just burst into a fit of laughter. A blush starts to form on Peter's face which causes my laughs to get harder. Eventually, I'm sprawled across the bed, my stomach hurting from laughter with Peter not too far behind. Once we calm down, I get up and change into one of Peter's shirts for bed. When I turn around I see Peter with a smirk on his face as his eyes scan every curve and crevice of me.

"Like what you see?" I tease.

"I always do," he says.

With the shake of my head, I crawl into my trundle bed and get into the sheets. Peter changes as well and gets on his bed as well. As soon as it gets dark we both start to shake, me more than him. Peter reaches down with his hand and I gratefully take it, lacing our fingers together tightly. But the fearful feeling that runs rampant in my veins doesn't stop there. Once sleep overtakes me, nightmare after nightmare plagues me. Visions from the stones imprinted in my memory. But his words echo throughout all of it.

"What do you Starks not understand? I...am...inevitable." 

I wake up in a panic, screams echoing from every part of me. The sweat on my brow, the intense beating of my heart, my blurred vision. All of these things equating into a full-blown panic attack...

I can't think straight...

I can't feel...

I can't breathe...

I can't - 

Peter's POV 

I was in a deep sleep before I suddenly woke up. Everything was peaceful and there were no signs of danger. That was until Erin woke up. 

Her tortured screams are the first things to alert me. Before I even think, I jump down into bed with her and try to snap her out of it. Her eyes continue to get brighter and brighter as her panicked breathing follows. I try to touch her but I was instantly burned. 

Aunt May quickly rushes in and tries to shake her out of it but it doesn't work. I try the same and Erin still doesn't respond. Purple sparks suddenly emit from her and they begin to come together. This isn't good. 

As a last resort, I pull her onto my lap despite the burning from her now glowing hands. Holding her close to me, I whisper into her ear:

"Normal people don't understand what it's like to be a hero, you do. Normal people don't understand the amount of loss I've gone through, you do. Normal people don't make me feel comfortable every time I talk to them, you do. " 

I look around and the purple sparks start to dissipate until they are no longer there. But her eyes and hands still glow. Despite the welts forming on my arms, I whisper into her ear again.

"You're safe, Erin. He can't get to you I promise." 

Her hands slowly return to normal and her breathing starts to slow down.

"I love you."

Her eyes stop glowing and go back to the new normal. Once she comes too and sees what she's done, she tears up and hides her face in her hands. 

"Erin, it's o-"

"No, it's not Peter! I lost control and I hurt you!" she says in frustration. 

"Erin..." May says softly. "Look at me."

Erin sniffles and does just that.

"Remember the bruises you had after your first time with him?" May reminds and I can see where this is going. Erin, however, slowly nods.

"Once Peter found out, he came home to me in tears. He kept saying he was the worst boyfriend and that he can never do that to you again. But with time he learned how to control his strength and from the noises that came out of this bedroom I would say it went over well."

"Wait, I thought you were at work?!" I butt in, causing Erin to chuckle softly. May just shakes her head and returns her attention to Erin.

"You'll figure this out just like he did. I know you will," she says softly before standing up and walking out. 

After some time and Erin wrapping up my burns, we both get ready for bed again. Except this time I don't leave the trundle. 

"What are you doing?" Erin says. "I could hurt you again."

"Then we'll figure it out. I'm here to help you work through this."

Erin nods shakily and lays down cautiously beside me. After about half an hour, she eventually lays in my arms as she did before. We both fall asleep and neither of us wakes up until morning.