Hey guys! Sorry for the delay but damn this time of the year is craaaaazy. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's pretty short but I think the fluff makes up for it. :p Also...

**RE-READ CHAPTER 11**

After re-reading Chapter 11, I decided I wasn't happy with the way it came out so I rewrote it. I reposted Chapter 11 along with this chapter so if you haven't already (before today, 12/18), re-read Chapter 11! The only part I did over was the naughty jenga scene. :p

"If you cry, I swear I'm going to punch you."

Adeline, who sat across from the Black Widow, let out a frustrated sigh and raised her head from her hands. "I'm not going to cry, Natasha. I am, however, really frustrated with all this and I need to talk girl talk with someone other than my boyfriend's twin sister."

"You can talk to Clint. It's like talking to a girl. Trust me, you wouldn't even know the difference."

"Natasha..."

The Black Widow only smirked at the younger woman's flustered expressions. "You act like you just committed a sin. So you whipped out his dick, it's not that big of a deal."

The flustered 23-year-old let out a groan and felt her face heating up again. "It is to me, Natasha. I care about him a lot and I wanted to save the intimacy for the right moment, not while I was drunk. I feel like...I feel like such a slut."

Natasha pursed her lips together and took a seat in front of the girl. "Kill the dramatics. You know that's not true."

"Feels like it," Adeline sat back in her chair and sulked.

"I'm sure he'll understand if you just talk to him," Natasha reassured.

Adeline drew her lips into a straight line and sucked in a deep breath through her nose.

"What?" the red head raised an eyebrow at the guilty looking girl. "Did something else happen?"

Natasha leaned forward and perked her ear towards her. Just based off the awkward look on Adeline's face, she knew it was going to be good.

"I...I snuck out while he was still sleeping. He's called me a few times and messaged me too. He even walked into the kitchen this morning when I was making coffee and I just booked it...I know, I'm awful..."

Natasha let out a snort and shook her head at the diamond girl.

"I'm so glad you find this funny."

"Very much so."

Adeline narrowed her eyebrows at Natasha. "Okay, I think talking to my cousin is better at this point."

"Relaaax. Listen," Natasha put her hand on smaller girl's shoulder. "I think you know the solution here. It doesn't have to be right away, but you need to talk to him. Ignoring him and running away is only making things more awkward. And I know you know that, Adeline."

Adeline let out what seemed like her thousandth sigh that day and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah...I know," she admitted in defeat.

"It's much more than embarrassment. You're afraid that he's going to see you differently."

Well, she wasn't wrong. Damn Natasha could read her like a book.

"Yes..." Adeline admitted again. "Things have been pretty much amazing so far. I'm hoping I didn't ruin a good thing, you know?"

Natasha shook her head. "That boy is head over heels for you, I hope you know that. I think he'll understand just fine."

Natasha's comment actually encouraged the younger girl. Adeline's lips twisted into a small smile. "I think he's in the gym right now. Maybe I can stop by and talk to him."

"Let me know how it goes. And you're cut off from alcohol. Every time you drink, something embarrassing always happens to you."

Adeline dramatically hung her head. "Thanks for pointing that out, Natasha."

"Anytime."

Adeline took her time walking to the tower's gym. She knew Pietro usually went to the gym around this time and was certain he'd be in there. The nervous girl mentally rehearsed what she was going to say in her head. No matter how she phrased and rehearsed her apologies, she felt like she couldn't put together the right thing to say. She knew a simple and sincere apology would do, but how she acted last night couldn't be changed.

"I might as well apologize for being a slut," she muttered.

When she approached the front doors of the tower's gym, she heaved in a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm and slow her racing heart down. Adeline cautiously entered the gym, first poking her head in to try and spot her silver haired boyfriend. She instantly spotted him on the far right corner doing pull ups with his back turned towards her.

Perfect, his back was turned towards her. It sure made approaching him a little less awkward.

Heaving another heavy sigh, Adeline stepped into the gym and walked towards Pietro. As she got closer, she could hear his heavy breathing as he pumped out each pull up. For the first time ever, she saw him wearing a form fitting black tank top. This was the first time she had ever seen his arms exposed. Pietro always opted for long sleeves and when she finally got close enough too see him clearly, now she knew why. A plethora of circular scars were scattered across his arms and body.

Adeline gasped when she saw those scars but immediately wish she hadn't. She mentally cursed herself when she saw Pietro drop down and turn to look at her all too fast.

The shame and hurt behind Pietro's blue eyes was all too instant. And Adeline felt like the scum of the earth for being the one to put it there.

Pietro didn't have to ask. He knew why she had gasped. She had never seen his arms before so therefore she had never seen his scars. And there were more where that came from. They were littered across his body. He knew they were horrifying to look at and for the first ever, in front of his brunette beauty, he felt so insecure.

The man would never be caught looking like this. He even came to the gym in a long sleeved shirt but when he started to get too hot, he decided to take it off. No one was in the gym anyway. That is, till now.

Pietro let out a slow breath. "Adeline," he softly greeted. "Horrifying, yes?"

Adeline was silent for what seemed like minutes before slowly shaking her head. She walked over to her boyfriend and ever so gently ran just the tip of her fingers down his right arm, which looked like it had more scars than the left. The touch of her fingertips made him jerk, as if her touch was electric.

"There is nothing horrifying about you..." she whispered, trailing off as she brought herself to look him in his eyes. Pietro ashamedly squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away from her as he felt her delicate fingers brush alongside his arm and over his scars.

"Pietro..." his name came out barely above a whisper. She reached up and gently turned his face towards hers. "Open your eyes."

It was so different for Adeline to see this side of him. To see something other than her overprotective, sweet and sometimes hot-headed Pietro. He was ashamed and horrified of his scars, she knew that. But surely he knew he had no reason to be around her. Did he not know how much she cared? His scars didn't matter to her. In fact, they only made her adore him even more.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and turned to look at her. His face held a blank and unreadable expression to Adeline.

"You know...I came here to apologize for last night but seeing you like this makes last night seem so unimportant," Adeline told him, taking one step closer to him. Adeline reached up and let her fingers brush over the one of the scars peeping out from his tank top. She knew they were all over.

Pietro grabbed her hands and harshly threw them off of him. But he instantly regretted it when he saw the hurt look on her face and the tears that welled up in her eyes.

"Pietro..." a single tear fell from her eyes and Pietro fought the urge to catch it and kiss them away. He had made her cry and it tore him to pieces. "I...I didn't mean to react the way I did. It's just..."

"I know, I am a monster," he admitted.

Adeline shook her head. "No. You're not. It's just...when I looked at you and I saw your scars, it hit me that...you almost died that day."

"I did..." he whispered. He briefly remembered Dr. Cho telling him how he was pronounced clinically dead for eighty three minutes. It was only when they started to remove the bullets from his body that he started to heal. It was a miracle, Dr. Cho had told him. The only explanation Dr. Cho could offer was obvious. If it wasn't for his body's enhanced abilities, there was no way in hell he would be standing here today.

More tears spilled from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I reacted the way I did because...because what if I never met you? I care about you so much, Pietro. I'm glad you're still here."

Adeline threw her arms around the much taller man and buried her face into his chest.

"You've changed my life already in the short time that I've known you and I'm so grateful for that. I'm so thankful you came into my life. And to think there was a chance it couldn't have happened? I don't even want to think about that."

Pietro stood frozen for a moment before slowly wrapping his arms around her. It was only then she started to shake. She was crying.

"Hey, no crying, diamond girl," Pietro ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry. I thought your reaction was bad."

"What? No. I wouldn't change a thing about you. You're perfect," Adeline confessed and placed a kiss over his heart. "All these scars you have...it only makes me adore you even more. You risked your own life for Clint and that young boy. Now Clint gets to see his son grow and that boy gets to live his life. That's all because of you. Your scars are nothing to be ashamed of. It only shows me and everyone else how strong and unselfish you really are."

Pietro was taken back by her words. Every time he looked at his body and his scars, it only reminded him of the overwhelming pain he felt when he had been shot during the battle of Sokovia. They reminded him of Ultron and how he and Wanda sided with him before joining the Avengers. His scars were just horrible reminders, period.

Adeline, however, didn't seem to think that. Her initial reaction was almost enough to make him think otherwise, but when she told him she adored him even more because of his scars...well, it didn't make him feel like such a monster after all.

Right there, in that moment, he realized something. Something he knew was inevitable if he continued to spend time with her. A warm feeling spread throughout his body and his heart welled up in complete and utter adoration for the woman in front of him.

Pietro tilted her chin up with his finger. He shook his head before pulling his lips into a subtle smile. "You are the perfect one. So beautiful, kind, strong, determined...that is why I am falling for you so fast..." he confessed and kiss her forehead.

Adeline felt her breath catch in her throat. His words had definitely shocked her, but made her happy at the same time.

"I'm falling for you too..." she whispered back, looking deeply into his blue eyes.

Pietro didn't spend too long looking into her rich brown eyes before bringing his lips to hers and capturing them in a kiss of desperation. He didn't know how to show as much affection he had in his heart for the young woman, but all he knew was that he needed to try somehow.

So he kissed her. Passionately. Pietro slowly pried her lips open with his tongue and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, letting it clash against her own tongue in a battle of dominance. He grabbed her face with both her hands and tilted her head back more, allowing himself to fully kiss her. Adeline moaned through his lips and grasped the material of his shirt in her hands, clutching onto him as she felt herself lose control.

After several moments, Adeline pulled away. She couldn't hold her breath as long as Pietro but oh how she wished she could of. She would have stayed kissing him forever if it were possible.

Pietro rested his forehead against hers and smiled. Adeline smiled too and let herself enjoy this intimate moment with him.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry for last night. I shouldn't have drank like that and lost control," she softly apologized.

The man's smile turned into a smirk. "Do not worry, diamond girl. I know you were drunk so it is okay. At least I know you have a naughty side to you," he teased.

Adeline's face instantly turned red. "...and thank you for being so sweet and stopping me before I could...you know, do anything."

Pietro grabbed her hands and held them to his chest. "Whenever it does happen, it will be special and unforgettable. I promise."

The brunette smiled and kissed his jaw. "Thank you."

The man smiled and pulled her into his embrace. He planted a kiss on top of her head. "Like I always tell you, printsessa, you never have to thank me for a thing."

Thank you to those who reviewed!

uconnhuskiesfan2001: Kat seriously does! Hmm, maybe Aunt Chrissy will teach her a lesson in the next few chapters... :P As far as everything else you had to say, we messaged about that! Oh, and yeah I love how Pietro is super snarky towards Kat. :p thank you for reviewing!

abstract0118: Aww thank you! :) I'm still going to play them out before that stuff happens. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

stellarstarlet: As always, your reviews seriously make me smile! I'm glad chapter 11 was your favorite so far and happy you got a kick out of it. Thank you for reviewing!

Guest1989: Glad you liked it! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!