AVENGERS ANONYMOUS

TWO: ABANDONED


.:::.

I still couldn't believe it.

The Avengers.

I wondered if they would properly introduce him to the public. Maybe he would finally be able to make that appearance at Toy's 'R Us. He'd be able to play with Tony Stark's cool toys, and he'd get to actually speak with Dr. Bruce Banner. Maybe I would get to meet the god of thunder, or dive into those lovely pools of blue that were Captain America's eyes. Maybe Peter would get a cool new suit.

"I don't want a new suit." Peter said, and that's when I realized I was saying all these things out loud. "Why do you think I need a new suit? I thought you liked my suit?"

"I do like your suit." I said, stirring the sugar into my cup of tea. "I just thought you might want something new. You know, to meet the occasion."

"But why do I need a new suit? Mine's perfectly fine."

"I was just saying -"

"I don't want a new suit." He told me, drawing a few eyes from the people around us at the diner. I couldn't help but notice his change from need to want.

"Okay, okay." I smiled at his persistence, though he was still frowning down at his blueberry muffin. "Lighten up, I'm only kidding."

He stared down at that muffin for another moment before crumbling his napkin and getting up from the table.

"Wait, where are you going? Peter?" I stood up halfway.

"I just need some time to think. Finish your tea, and I'll see you later, okay?" He dropped a handful of money on the table.

"Peter, no, I was only kidding,"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll come over later and we can walk the dog." He was obviously distressed, and I couldn't let him walk out like that.

"I'm done anyway. We can go."

"No."

I hesitated briefly, starting to become concerned with his behavior.

He sighed, and he actually seemed kind of annoyed. "I'm fine."

"Is this one of those times when you insist on wandering around the city like a lost tourist?" I asked, recalling that night he put me through hell...but made up for it the next morning.

Peter cupped my face in his hands and kissed the corner of my mouth a few times. "Look, I love you, but I just have to go clear my head for a while. I'll see you later." He kissed me again and spun on his heels before I could follow him.

Was it something I said?

. . . . . . . .

It looked like it would start raining, which didn't call for a walk in Central Park, but I did it anyway. The clouds were fluffy but gray enough to produce a rain shower. I hoped he made it back before it rained.

Onyx tugged on the leash, spotting the open grassy area ahead of us. I unhooked her leash and allowed her to frolic freely.

I'd only had the dog for a short time, but I already loved her like she was always mine. It was nice to have someone to keep me company when Peter was busy, or just clearing his head.

I stood watching her chase a squirrel up a tree when I felt the first sprinkles of rain on my cheeks. I spotted a gazebo nearby and headed towards it, calling Onyx's name. It began raining harder, and I called her name louder.

I ran to make it under the gazebo before it really started raining, but Onyx was still busy sniffing at the tree.

"Onyx! Come here, girl!" I clapped my hands for extra emphasis.

Her ears perked up and she looked in my direction, but a man in a hoodie caught her attention as he ran by, away from me.

"No," I mumbled to myself. "Onyx! Stop!" She started trotting after him despite my efforts.

I looked closer at the man jogging and wondered for a moment if he could have been Peter. He had said he wanted to walk the dog with me. This man looked kind of similar, although anyone can look alike wearing a hoodie. But Onyx wouldn't just run after a complete stranger, would she?

"Onyx!" I darted back out into the rain after the two of them. Thankfully, the man noticed the dog at his side and stopped running. I caught a quick glimpse of his face, enough to realize it wasn't Peter.

I was out of breathe when I reached them, ignoring the rain already soaked through to my skin. "Onyx," I sighed, clipping the leash back to her collar.

"Friendly dog you have there." The man said to me.

I chuckled. "Maybe a little too friendly." I looked up at him for the first time, rain dripping into my eyes and off of my nose. He looked familiar, but it took me a moment to recognize him. "Oh, you're...you're Hawkeye!"

He shrugged. "I guess my disguise didn't work very well, did it?"

Now I was stuttering. "I'm - I'm sorry, I just - Wow!" I laughed like an idiot at myself. "I didn't expect to see you here - I mean -"

"Stark called us all in for something." He played along, giving me the answer that would satisfy the average citizen. "It's supposed to be a surprise." He winked at me.

"A surprise?" I knew Peter wouldn't be thrilled about that. "That sounds interesting."

"Sure, if you're interested in the type of surprises Tony Stark pulls out of his -"

"Olivia!" I spun at the sound of my name. Speaking of Stark's surprise...

I turned back to Hawkeye, being pulled by my dog in Peter's direction. "It was nice meeting you!"

He waved and started jogging off in the opposite direction.

Peter pointed to a tree that could serve as a temporary shelter. I met him there, wiping the excess rain off my forehead. "What are you doing here? It's raining."

"I went back to see if you still wanted to go for a walk, but when you weren't there I assumed you came without me." He ran his fingers through his wet head of hair. "I didn't know it would start raining."

I looked down at Onyx as she plopped herself at our feet. "I didn't think you were coming."

We were quiet for a minute, watching the rain soak some other people caught in the park. He'd been gone for hours, and after he abandoned me at the diner I didn't feel guilty leaving without him.

"Who was that?" Peter suddenly asked me. "That guy you were talking to?"

I debated whether I should tell him or not. "I think it was Hawkeye."

He scoffed. "You're kidding."

"They must be in town already. Or just starting to get here." I saw his face turn downward again. "He said Stark has a surprise for them."

"A surprise?" Peter didn't get it right away. Then he blinked. "Oh."

I leaned my back against the trunk of the tree. "Is that what's bothering you? Joining them?"

He did the same, his shoulder touching mine. "I'm still not really sure...about all that."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I know."

"And you shouldn't let Stark make any decisions for you."

"I know."

"So what's not to be sure about?"

He stopped talking, bottling up whatever he was feeling inside. In a way, it hurt me. We were supposed to be able to share everything with each other.

"If something was really bothering you," I began, watching his face closely. "You would tell me, wouldn't you?"

He nodded a wordless response.

It didn't seem like the rain was going to slow anytime soon. Peter made this assumption the same time I did and took the few steps back out into the downpour.

"What are you doing?" I asked, feeling a chill in the air from being damp.

He shrugged, standing there like buckets of rain weren't falling on his head. "We don't have time to hide under a tree."

He was right. We were supposed to be back at Stark's Tower for dinner, a meal we would be sharing with the Avengers themselves. I could hardly believe I'd forgotten about that.

He started walking away without me.

"Wait up!" I grabbed the dog's leash and she followed me willingly out into the rain. When I reached him, I yanked on his shoulder to spin him around. He watched me, curiosity furrowing his eyebrows.

I reached my hand around his neck. For some reason, I was nervous, like this was my first time kissing him. I slowly matched the space between us and touched his lips with my own, sinking my fingers into his dripping wet t-shirt, because every girl needs to be able to say she's been kissed in the rain.

Peter immediately jumped right into that kiss. I could taste the rain water dripping down his face and feel it splashing off his cheeks. One of his hands tangled in my knotty hair, and the other hovered to be sure my chin stayed in place. That kiss stayed slow and sensual and perfect all the way through.

I subconsciously wondered if we were creating steam.

Onyx was obviously jealous since she pounced up on my hip, smearing her muddy paws all over my jeans. I didn't mind it, but as much as I wanted to, we couldn't stay there forever.

I turned my face into his neck. "We're going to be late."

He guided my chin upwards again. "No, we won't." And like always, I believed him.

. . . . . . . .

We were so late it wasn't even funny.

Of course, upon returning to Peter's apartment and washing the dog, we were left to shed our own soaking wet clothes...well, one thing led to another and now we were landing on Stark's balcony almost thirty minutes late.

"You started it." Peter jabbed at me again, fixing the collar of his blue dress shirt. It took us even longer to get there because he couldn't wear the spider suit this time. Those dark alleyways we took seemed endless.

"I tried to stop it!" I reminded him, smoothing down my own dress. "You and your stupid hormones overpowered me again."

He snorted. "It takes two to tango."

I shook my head, making my way toward the glass doors. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Well it's true! Now we have to walk in and interrupt everything."

"Maybe you should have thought of that earlier when you left me stranded at the diner."

"Maybe you shouldn't have went for a walk in the park during a monsoon."

"Maybe you should just learn to keep your pants on and we won't have to be late again!"

I did not even attempt to filter that last part, and I definitely should have. I said it right as I opened the door and exposed us to the people waiting inside.

But they weren't just ordinary people, now were they?