"You know, my aunt's been dying to meet you," Peter piped up as he handed me a box of donuts. I hungrily stuffed one in my mouth. My sling had just been taken off, and my arm had healed already. I guess that was part of my new Inhuman powers. "I wouldn't prefer you up yet, but May might know how to keep the cuts from scarring too badly." Peter plopped down on top of his desk as I ate. "And she told me if I don't introduce you in the next few hours, she's gonna start staying in here. And I like my privacy... so..."
I sighed as he gave me his puppy-dog eyes, finishing off my second donut. "Okay," I smiled, rolling my eyes. I pointed a donut at him. "And it's only because I owe you my life." I huffed as I pushed myself off the bed, the last donut held in my mouth as I regained my balance. I looked up to see Peter at the door with a 'seriously?' look on his face. I pulled the donut out of my mouth. "What?"
"You know I'm going to go broke from buying food every three hours for you," he brought up.
"I like eating," I said defensively. "Also, I'm a Stark. I'll pay you back." Peter smiled and opened the door for me. As I walked out and into the living room, a woman possibly in her forties sat up from the couch.
"About time!" she said excitedly, getting up from her spot. "I was starting to think you were dead!" I laughed uncomfortably, flexing my metal fingers a bit. May seemed at ease with the idea of a metal arm.
"Yeah, well," I squirmed, "if you're nephew hadn't rescued me-"
"Those jerks were going down pretty rough on her," Peter interrupted, saving my butt. I silently thanked him. "They just... came out of nowhere."
"Well, I'm glad you're okay," May smiled. I looked down at my feet.
"Miss Parker, I do need your help though," I blurted. May waved a hand down.
"Oh, call me May," she chuckled. "What's the problem?" I looked to Peter, and he nodded. I slowly turned around and lifted up the back of my shirt, and I heard May gasp.
"What the hell..." she broke off. I looked over my shoulder to see May with a hand over her mouth, and I felt a little self conscious.
"How bad are they?" I asked, a bit nervous. May gingerly ran her fingers across them while using her other hand to hold up my shirt.
"They've healed," May answered. "Peter's done a good job." Peter straightened up in pride. "These definitely are going to scar though, even with the medicine."
"I'm okay with scars," I told her, wincing slightly as she reached a tender area an inch or two below my neck.
"I don't think I got your name," May said as she rubbed something warm on my back. I hissed through my teeth. For some reason, my hand reached out to Peter's and held it. Our eyes awkwardly met, and I let go right away. "Sorry, I should have mentioned this was going to sting."
"Bella," I gritted, trying to remember what I told Agent Hallow. "Bella... Star." I think that was right. May massaged the last of the medicine in and set the back of my shirt down. "Thanks, May."
"No worries," she waved before remembering something. May snapped her fingers. "Oh, I bought you something!" She hurried over to the couch and handed me a bag. I peered inside to see a bunch of clothes.
"May, you didn't have to-"
"Oh, just go and try something on," May said excitedly. "Bathroom's down the hall and to the left!"
____________________________________________________________
I tried brushing through the my tangles of hair after my quick shower, but all I received was messy waves. May had somehow guessed my clothing size correctly, because the fit perfectly. My teal skirt came a few inches above my knees, which would normally bother me, but with the tank top it looked perfect.
Carefully, I pulled Bucky's necklace out, rubbing the little dog with my hand. Oh, I missed him so much, him and the rest of the team. It didn't feel right, me being out in the open while the rest of my friends had to stay hidden. And Wanda, I hope she's okay, wherever she is. I glanced at the jacket she had given me when we first met, now almost in tatters. I was going to have to fix that. I lightly set it in the clothes bag, on top of the ones I had been wearing previously.
I looked at myself in the mirror, and I didn't see Isabel Stark. Sure, my eyes changed everything, but they lacked the playfulness that had lived up to the Stark title. Another thing broken about me, but another thing I was going to fix.
My eyes set on my metal arm. As handy as it had been, it would be a distraction, and I didn't need attention. I tapped its red star twice, and the metal loosened, allowing me to slip it off. I stuck it in the metal bag as well. Quietly, I carried it back to Peter's room, set it by the bed, and made my way to the living room, where May and Peter were waiting.
"Thank God, it fits!" May laughed as I walked in. Peter jumped to his feet, dressed in a new outfit. For some reason, he looked speechless. I blushed, rubbing my paralyzed arm. "No... metal arm?"
"Just a cover for my paralyzed one," I explained. "Tony Stark created it, thought it would help me during my internship with him." Man, I was becoming a pro at lying. Nat would be proud. I remembered my father giving his internships out before the Avengers battle, and the idea flew to my head.
"You intern for Stark?" May said, astonished. She grabbed Peter with an arm. "So does Peter!"
"Wow," I nodded, smiling at Peter. He smiled awkwardly back. "What a coincidence!" May pushed Peter forward slowly, and he shifted his feet uncomfortably.
"Uh," Peter started. "I was wondering if I could go out with you- I mean, take you out." I tilted my head. "Outside," Peter hurried. "Go out for a walk, maybe do something, uh..."
"Sure," I smiled lightly, and Peter relaxed. I don't know why, but he looked kind of cute stressed. "I'm ready when you are."
May didn't waste any time sending us out the door.
"I'm really sorry about that," Peter apologized as we went down the elevator, blushing hard. "I didn't realize she would be like that..."
"Have you never brought a girl home before?" I inquired, and he shook his head. "Not like I'm to judge."
"Seriously?" Peter said with widened eyes. I gave him a look.
"No, Spider-Boy, I haven't dated anyone before." Peter ran his hand through his hair.
"Me either," he admitted. The trip was silent for the rest of the way until we made it to the lobby, where I sprinted outside. He found me by the apartment's doors with my face to the sky.
"What the heck are you doing?" he laughed. I looked at him and grinned.
"Getting my first breath of freedom!" I said back. I tried to lift both arms up, but I forgot about my paralyzed one. I looked down at it in all of its glory. "Happy feeling's gone."
"Aw, cheer up," Peter pushed, motioning for me to follow him. I hurried over by his side, and we walked down the sidewalk and into the heart of Queens. I shivered as we crossed a busy street.
"I was literally just in Florida," I grumbled. "Now I got to get used to New York's temperature all over again."
"Remember Germany?" Peter smiled, waving to someone as we walked by. I stopped to scratch a homeless dog's ear, and it barked with joy, wagging its tail and stomping its foot.
"The weather was nice there," I remembered, standing back up and continuing on with him. "A bit too windy for my liking, but the temperature was nice. Maybe I'll go back there with someone, this time for a vacation." Peter nodded, and for a minute or two we were silent. The two of us waited patiently to cross the next street.
"Are we not going to mention you kissing me?" he brought up quickly. I hurried past him and across the street.
"We are not going to mention that," I glared when he caught up to me. "And for starters, it was either that or you drowned, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"And you would be a giant splat on the pavement," Peter smirked. I rolled my eyes while trying not to smile. "Come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?"
"There are a few things during the Avengers War that were okay," I admitted. "I learned a few new things about myself." I looked over at him, and our eyes met. We both looked straight ahead, and I could feel my cheeks burning. "Peter, where are we going?"
"Somewhere cool," Peter answered.
"Is that your opinion on the place or just a pun?"
"Maybe both," Peter shrugged. "Just a few more minutes until we reach the subway." And again, silence came between us. I spent the rest of our walk looking around. Queens wasn't like New York, but if I imagined a more loud and bright surrounding, I was home.
When we got on the subway, I noticed two men watching at me intently. I swear I had seen them passing by Peter and I on the street right when we left the apartment. I shuffled a little closer to Peter. I didn't have my metal protection, my full strength, or a clue if my powers had come back yet since the fall.
They got off two stops before us, which made me sigh in relief. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, or I was just being paranoid.
"You okay?" Peter asked as we walked down the stairs from the subway, a little concerned. I nodded my head.
"Yeah," I nodded, giving a half smile, which fell when I saw him step behind me and cover my eyes. I let out a nervous chuckle. "Peter Parker, what the hell are you doing?"
"I want the place to be a surprise," Peter told me, and I scoffed in amusement.
"You do know I could just go and read your mind, right?"
"Do you want to be surprised or not?" I sighed and allowed him to walk me forward. "Okay, step up twice. Now turn left."After I obeyed his instructions, he told me to keep my eyes closed. I followed him blindly as he took my hands and pulled me through what I'm guessing was a doorway. I was suddenly blasted with air conditioning, and he let go of my hands. I waited a few minutes. "Okay, open your eyes."
I blinked a little from the bright lights, my eyes quickly scanning the area. Peter stood a few feet away with two pairs of skates in his hands, and he was giving me a nervous smile. "Well?"
"You brought me to an ice skating rink," I noted. Peter frowned a little.
"Do you not like it?" he asked, setting down the skates. His cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "We can go somewhere else, you know. Sorry, I should have asked-"
"Peter, Peter," I interrupted. I let out a breath of air before giving him a smile. "It's great."
"Really?" Peter brightened. "Wow, I didn't think you'd like it."
"Why?" I smirked, setting my right hand on my hip. "Because I'm a little rich and spoiled princess who has to get what I want?" His cheeks reddened even more, and I laughed. I stepped forward and grabbed the smaller skates. "Let's go, Spider-Boy."
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Peter's PoV
I watched as Isabel tried to lace her skates, but the effort was in vain. I heard a giggle, and I turned my head toward the noise. A girl was nudging what I guess was her boyfriend.
"Is she even trying?" I heard her whisper loudly in a snide tone. "If she can't even put skates on, why is she here?" I quickly bent my head down, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Isabel glaring at the girl. We both made eye contact, and she was the only one who saw me shoot a thin strand of webbing at the girl's skate, connecting the sharp edge to the tile floor.
I balanced only skates and made my way over to her, hearing a small thump behind me as the girl fell over. "Need a hand?" I asked.
"Sure," Isabel answered, and I could hear the annoyance in her voice. That girl had really gotten to her. "If I had my powers..."
"Powers?" I questioned quietly, a little concerned. "Have they not been working?"
"I don't know, I haven't tried using them ever since the fall." I finished tying the bow on her last skate, and I helped her to a standing position. Isabel tried to get her balance, but the blade tilted on her left foot, and she careened into me. I lost my balance, and we both fell backwards onto a mat. We both looked at each other and smiled before realizing what had just happened. The soft murmur of voices in the room quieted as all eyes can on us.
"Sorry," Isabel laughed, breaking the silence. "My clumsiness got in the way of me and my poor boyfriend." Boyfriend? D-did she just say... boyfriend? You idiot, I told myself. She's just covering up what happened.
I didn't want to admit to myself that I still had a crush on her, and that this felt both awkward and amazing at the same time. It wasn't like I could get to know her longer and ask her out... or something. Besides, why would she even want plain old me?
"Yeah, sorry," I smiled along with her, trying to get those thoughts out of my head. I was here to have a good time with my friend. I pushed myself up before I helped her, and we quickly went out onto the rink.
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Isabel's PoV
Peter laughed at me as I desperately clung to the ice rink's edge. He was skating like a pro. "Isabel, if you let go, you'll be okay!"
"Easy for you to say!" I shot back. "You've done this for so long!" Silently, though, I agreed with him. Giving a quick sigh, I let go, and I managed to stay upright. Peter clapped for me, and I rolled my eyes, though I appreciated his encouragement.
"Okay," Peter instructed, skating backwards. "Bend forward a little, and push off the ground with one foot." I followed his instructions. "Now lift that foot up slightly before setting it down and repeating that action with your other foot." It took a few pushes, but soon I was skating. Not like a pro, of course, but better than I did at the wall. I felt a hand push my chin up slightly, so I was no longer looking at the ground, but now up forward.
"Don't forget to look..." I turned my head, and my eyes again met Peter's brown, innocent ones. "...up," Peter finished. I didn't understand what I was feeling... something both nervous and excited at the same time. I blinked and realized how close we were.
"Yeah," I said, and we both backed away. "I'll... I'll remember that." The awkward silence was lifted when I felt a snowflake touch my nose. I looked up, startled, to see small flurries coming down from the ceiling and to the rink. Peter smiled, spinning around as he watched them fall.
"It looks like your powers are back," he acknowledged, and he lifted a hand up to touch the new snow. I shook the last of my weird emotions out of my head.
"Yeah," I nodded, adding a smile. "I guess they did."