Author's Note: Sorry that it's taken me a little while to update but I just went back to school and I've also been binge watching this new netflix show called End of the Fucking World. That show has to be my new favorite show. It's so hilarious if you like dark comedies. The two main characters in it reminded me of Emma and Peter. Not in a personality sense but just in the way of how they interacted with each other sometimes. It was so weird because it looked like a romance at times but at other times it felt like watching an episode of a murder show on the Investigation Discovery channel. It's super good so I highly recommend it.
ilypopxtart333: It's not foreshadowing. That was just a conversation between Peter and Emma. He didn't give Emma the thumbs up to kill but in a way he was still saying that he'd kind of understand if she did it and he'd still be her friend no matter what.
Spawn Hades: Yeah, I still don't know whether or not I'll include a Venom storyline in the story but I'll see. It would definitely not happen anytime soon though.
MusicLover315: Thank you so much! I'm glad you love the story so much. I mean it's at over 450,000 words and they're still not together but somehow when I write it, it doesn't feel like I'm dragging it out. There are going to get together soon(maybe really soon) but it's definitely going to be because I feel like it's the right timing. It's always been like that with writing this story.
bonitalito: Emma and Peter's relationship will be probably be the center of a lot of teasing. It's going to be a lot of fun to write. Especially when the others return. I think Tony, Sam, and Clint will give Emma and Peter the hardest time. Bucky probably won't find it as amusing.
Radioactive88: Rumlow's not going to think rationally about anything. If he thought like a sane person than he wouldn't even think about going head to head against the Avengers. A normal person wouldn't think Emma would be worth it and they'd straighten out their priorities. However, Rumlow is so obsessed with Emma that he'd do anything to get her back. I don't think he realizes that he could die. He's just completely delusional.
Mcduffie145: I knew that he was the guitarist for Fun but I just never listened to the Bleachers before. I think just one song. He's also worked on Taylor Swift's albums which is cool I guess but I don't really like her anymore. She has one or two good songs on every album but I'm just not that big of a fan of hers anymore.
The only song I ever heard from the lead singer of Fun was the one he did with P!NK and I think that was it. It kind of sucks that he hasn't done anything else because he's a really good singer. I always wondered why Fun never put out another album.
Emma's definitely not the same as she was when she first started living with the Avengers. I mean...Emma's fallen in love, made friends, started to somewhat enjoy school, and she's even been acting pretty amicable with Tony. Who would've predicted any of that at the beginning of the story?
Sherlockreader: Thank you! It's certainly a process to write this story but I love writing it.
Guest: It's going to be a while before everyone finds out but Emma's definitely going to tell someone soon about what Rumlow did to her.
Thank you for all the reviews and I'm sorry for not answering all of them but it's been like a week since I updated and I just wanted to get this chapter out to you guys.
Next week came and with it came Peter's sixteenth birthday. As soon as Peter found out that he was two months older than Emma he never stopped teasing her about it. She pretended to be annoyed when in all honesty she was amused. Emma was thankful for Peter's birthday because she knew it would be a distraction for the both of them. After everything with Fisher and Volkov, a party would give them a much needed distraction which is something they both needed right now.
May decided to host the birthday party in their small apartment. It was just supposed to be a small gathering of Peter's closest friends with the exception of the Avengers. They didn't think the decathlon team would be totally cool with the presence of the Avengers. It would probably be a shocking sight to most although Ned seemed to think it would be cool if the Avengers actually showed up.
Emma knocked on the door to Peter's apartment, somehow feeling a bit nervous. She wasn't sure why…well, she actually knew why but pretending to not know was better than admitting that she was no different than any other teenage girl out there. The former assassin had probably checked her make-up three times in the mirror before leaving the townhouse. Emma was currently wearing a pleated knee length teal skirt with a pair of sheer black tights underneath. She was also wearing a cap sleeved black heart patterned blouse with a scoop neckline and neckline tie over it. Emma paired the outfit off with a pair of black velvet ankle boots that had a flower pattern on them. Currently she was feeling pretty good about her outfit and deep down she hoped Peter liked it. The more rational, logical part of her resented herself for actually thinking that but what was she going to do? This was probably a weird side effect of being in love.
She carried Peter's birthday present under her arm and it was all so strange to her. Usually Steve was the only person she got a birthday present for. Steve would usually buy gifts for the others and let it be a shared gift from the both of them. Still…Emma found herself both excited and worried for Peter's reaction to the gift. She really hoped he liked it. Emma never had much experience with gift giving.
Peter Parker opened the door and immediately smiled at the sight before him. He glanced over Emma quickly before his gaze returned to her face. Peter was nervous as Emma looked at him with those ocean blue eyes of hers. Under the light in the hallway he could even see the green in them. She was dressed fashionably as always in her usual skirt and blouse combo. He was embarrassed to think so but he loved it when she wore those cute skirts that showed off her long legs. Peter immediately blushed from the thought and he knew May would smack upside the head if she ever knew he had those kinds of thoughts.
"You're here." Peter said softly and Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Did you think I wouldn't be?" She questioned and Peter just shook his head. Emma glanced over him and noticed he was wearing one of his usual t-shirts with a lame pun on it. It reminded her of those stupid shirts that Stark always wore but on Peter it looked adorable. She noticed how a goofy smile had appeared on his face the moment he saw her. His brown eyes gleamed with happiness as well and Emma felt her heart skip a beat at the sight. Whenever he looked at her like that she felt weird. Not in a bad way but in a good way…a different way. Emma didn't think anyone had ever looked at her quite that way before.
"Well, I know you're busy and all so you didn't have to come out of-" Peter said nervously as he blushed but Emma didn't give him the chance to finish.
"It's your birthday, Parker. I wouldn't miss it for the world…I'm not a total bitch." Emma told him as she smirked at him. "Now are you going to let me in or what?" Peter faced reddened even more as he quickly stepped aside and let the blonde in the apartment. It was when she walked past him into the apartment that he saw the present under her arms. The gift looked to be very flat which didn't seem to give Peter any clue as to what it might be. It was wrapped very carefully and intricately but Emma always seemed to do everything to near perfection.
"Here, take this." Emma said as she practically shoved the gift in his arms before glancing around the apartment. She noticed that Peter's aunt had decorated the living room with birthday directions. A happy birthday banner hung from the wall as well as Star Wars party decorations littered around the apartment. Emma raised an eyebrow at the Star Wars themed birthday cake. It was all very cute. She was even reminded of the past couple birthdays she had when Steve tried to go all out for her birthday.
For her fourteenth birthday Steve, Sam, Pepper, and Clint had all decorated the penthouse of Avenger's tower. Steve had ordered her a huge birthday cake with a strawberry filling which was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. The last birthday she had before was the one with her parents and that was a decade prior. Emma hadn't really expected anything for her birthday because Hydra was never one for festivities. The Avengers had showered her with gifts and Emma hadn't known what to say. The only bad thing was when Tony hired a clown for the occasion like she was an infant. The billionaire learned never to do that again after the clown was found three days later in the closet of Tony's bedroom. He was perfectly alive but quite traumatized from being tied up in a closet for three days. Emma never really handled birthday party celebrations very well but she was willing to make an effort for Peter.
"Emma!" May called out, a delighted look on her face, as she set out some snacks for Peter's birthday celebration. "So glad to see that you've made it." Emma still didn't quite understand what May's deal was. A normal, sane person wouldn't let their nephew be in the company of a trained killer but strangely May seemed to think Peter was safe with her. Emma just decided that May Parker had to be a bit crazy but she seemed nice and maternal anyways so she couldn't be completely deranged.
"You didn't have to get me anything." Peter said quietly as he walked up to her and Emma looked at him a certain way. The usual way she did whenever she thought he was being stupid.
"Don't make such a big deal about it, Parker." Emma told him as she tried to remain nonchalant about the ordeal. Inside, however, she was constantly worrying about what he'd think of the present. Would he like it? Would he hate it? Peter set the present next to the presents his aunt had gotten him before blushing once more as he followed Emma's gaze as she looked around the apartment curiously.
"I know it's a little much." Peter said in embarrassment at the childish decorations. "Aunt May seems to think I'm still five." Emma immediately shook her head.
"No, it's nice…I like it." Emma told him with a small smile on her face. Peter felt a bit less embarrassed about the party decorations but he still wished that he could prove to Emma that he wasn't some immature little kid. Emma always acted so mature and grown up that he just wanted to show her that he could be like that too. Peter just didn't know how to show her that when his aunt still treated him like a little kid.
"Emma, you're here!" Ned exclaimed as he stepped out of the kitchen, a plate full of snacks in his hands. He grinned at the blonde as he moved closer to them. Emma gave the dark haired boy an amused smile.
"Hey, Ned." Emma said politely and Peter glanced between his two friends. He had been relatively hurt when the two of them attended the dance together but after everything that happened with Liz's dad Peter couldn't really hold on to any of that. Besides…Ned explained to him that he and Emma only went to the dance as friends.
"Did you not bring a coat with you?" Ned asked in disbelief as he noticed that Emma was wearing a short sleeved blouse. "Are you crazy?! It's so cold outside." Peter was also very concerned for the blonde. He hoped that she wasn't too cold but Emma didn't seem bothered in the least. She just shrugged.
"Siberia's much colder this time of year." Emma said vaguely and Peter took that to mean that she didn't mind the cold.
"Well, tell me if it gets too cold in here for you." Peter said to her, his brown eyes still laced with concern. Usually that's when Emma would tell someone to fuck off. She didn't like being coddled like a child but it was just different with Peter. Emma didn't mind his concern and she actually felt flattered.
"I will." She promised before Emma averted his gaze. His brown eyes were just too overwhelming to her sometimes. Emma always felt she was going to lose control over her emotions and that scared her. Luckily Ned seemed to swoop in and save the day, although he didn't exactly know that, and changed the subject to that of Star Wars. Now that Emma had seen all the movies they included her in on the discussion although she mostly just teased them about being nerds. Despite all of Emma's teasing, she did enjoy conversations like these. Conversations that didn't consist of the impending threat of Hydra or Volkov's death. Emma actually cherished moments like these where everything was so normal and simple. If only it could stay that way forever.
"I can't believe you're at this lame party." Michelle deadpanned as she gave the blonde a bored look. Emma smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement, at her friend. It was about a half an hour later and everyone from the decathlon team was showing up to Peter's apartment. Well…everyone except for Flash and Charles but that was no great loss. Cindy and Sally were in one corner of the living room giggling about something. Emma didn't mind the two girls that much but she still found them annoying like she found most teenage girls annoying. Abe was telling a joke to Peter, Tiny McKeever, and Ned, causing the three young boys to laugh. Emma didn't know Tiny that well but from what she could tell he was nice enough. He had somehow gotten a hold of Toomes' goon's weapon a few weeks before after the whole incident went down. Tiny had gotten into a ton of trouble over that one so he had been spending quite a lot of time in detention with Emma and Peter. Fortunately Emma and Peter's required detention had ended last week much to their relief as well as Coach Wilson's.
"You're at this lame party too." Emma retorted as she raised an eyebrow.
"You've just never struck me as the partying type. You didn't even show up to Liz's party." Michelle told her and Emma shrugged.
"Well, I don't know if Peter's Star Wars party is quite at the level of Liz's alcohol infused hipster party." Emma said sarcastically before looking around the room. "Parker doesn't appear to have any joints or LSD laying around either. Doesn't seem to be that fun of a party." Michelle gave her an odd look.
"Liz didn't have any drugs or alcohol at her party." Michelle replied and now it was Emma's turn to give her the odd look.
"Then what the hell were all those stupid idiots doing there if not for drugs or booze?" Emma asked pessimistically and Michelle gave her a suspicious look.
"How would you know there was a ton of stupid idiots there if you weren't there yourself?" Michelle asked her. Emma could've come up with an excuse to Michelle's question but she was almost sure Michelle knew about her anyways. What was the point in making shit up anymore? Emma instead gave Michelle another smirk as she shrugged nonchalantly.
"Touche." Before Michelle could respond, however, there was a knock at the door. Emma curiously glanced at the door since she was sure Peter had told her that there wouldn't be anymore people attending the party. She sincerely hoped that Tony didn't decide to crash a party in an attempt to make Peter look cool. That would be embarrassing.
The blonde watched intently as Peter went to answer the door. May had returned to her bedroom to give the kids some privacy although she peeked into the living room every once and a while to probably make sure they weren't having an orgy or snorting cocaine. Just normal teenage stuff like that. Emma honestly didn't know what May expected a group of nerds to do at a party. The worst they could probably do is get into a fist fight over the topic of Star Wars vs. Star Trek.
Peter opened the door only to reveal none other than Betty Brant. Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise at the sight. The petite teenage girl with hair that was such a pale blonde color that it almost reminded Emma of the Malfoys hair color. The short blonde had taken her best friend's place in the social hierarchy of the school, becoming the most popular student at Midtown. How could she not? Betty with her wealthy background, big blue eyes, and honor student roll. The girl participated in almost every school activity, making her the model student at Midtown. The fact that Betty was now at Peter's apartment kind of seemed odd to Emma. What reason would the small girl have to be there? It seemed like Emma wasn't the only one surprised to see Betty there either because Peter sure seemed shocked to see the teenage girl at his door.
"Betty?" Peter asked in surprise. The small blonde smiled at him with a smile that looked something similar to a politician's smile. Emma never really minded Betty that much but mostly because she never talked to her. Betty gossiped a lot and giggled with her band of dimwitted cheerleader friends but she never annoyed Emma enough to make the blonde despise her.
"Hi, Peter." Betty said almost shyly but there was something off about her tone. It was as if the shyness was full of purpose and intent. Emma furrowed her eyebrows as she watched the interaction with interest. Michelle also seemed quite interested as she too watched Peter and Betty. Emma noticed that Betty seemed to have brought a couple of her friends with her. There was the cheerleader friends, that Emma had always found annoying and unnecessary, Carlie Cooper and Lily Hollister but there was also Seymour O'Reilly. Great…it was a group full of gossiping nuisances.
"Um…hi. What are you doing here?" Peter asked nervously, clearing not sure what Betty and her friends were doing there. Betty only smiled at him, tucking her hair behind her ear as if she were nervous or shy as well. Emma narrowed her eyes. She had the feeling that she wasn't going to like this one bit.
"Well, I knew it was your birthday so we were hoping to drop by. I hope we're not intruding." Betty said and there was something almost…flirtatious about her tone. Peter shook his head furiously.
"Of course not." Peter said before stepping aside to let Betty and her friends in. The group of friends hurriedly made their way into the small apartment. Emma watched the short blonde closely as Betty looked around in distaste before looking back at Peter with another politician's smile.
"You have a nice home." Betty said politely as she looked at Peter from underneath her eyelashes. Emma wanted to scoff because that sounded like bullshit to her. She had seen the way Betty had looked around the apartment.
"Thank you." Peter replied as Betty then handed him a square shaped present. The weird interaction between the two seemed to be over as Betty and her friends then moved to a different area of the room. All of them were giggling amongst each other before glancing over in Peter's direction every now and then.
"What the fuck's their problem?" Emma muttered under her breath but Michelle heard her anyways. The frizzy haired girl raised an eyebrow at her.
"You mean you don't know?" Michelle questioned with an amused smile on her face. Emma gave Michelle a questioning look although it wouldn't surprise her if Michelle knew more than what she was letting on. The girl seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere around the school. Michelle was almost like that creepy guy on Game of Thrones who knew everything about everyone. Not that Emma liked Game of Thrones or anything but it just another show Darcy forced her to watch.
"Know what?" Emma asked and Michelle almost seemed delighted to tell Emma about the current school gossip.
"It seems like Betty's set her eyes on a favorite nerd of yours. I've heard that she's so infatuated with Peter that she's planning to ask him to tutor her in chemistry." Michelle told her and Emma didn't like the sound of that at all. To others it might've sounded like the two were gossiping like most teenage girls but it was more like an exchange of intel between an informant and a superior. She clenched her fist but gave no other indication of caring as she maintained a calm and collected expression on her face. Emma scoffed.
"Well, that's nice…what a loyal friend. Now that Liz is gone she decides to go and sink her claws into Parker?" Emma shook her head, feigning amusement. "Isn't there some kind of girl code against that? You know…the usual teenage girl nonsense?" Michelle eyed the blonde curiously, not sure if she could really buy the amused expression on her face.
"I don't know. It seems like Betty's taken over everything Liz-oriented at school." Michelle replied and Emma narrowed her eyes at the short blonde who was at the other side of the room. What? So this girl suddenly decided that she was interested in Peter? That didn't really make sense to Emma. Why now? Why would she find Peter so interesting all of a sudden? The question seemed to bother Emma so much that she couldn't help but utter it aloud.
"Why now? Why the interest in Parker all of a sudden?" Emma questioned and Michelle gave her an odd look before reluctantly answering.
"Peter works out, doesn't he?" Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the odd question.
"What?" Michelle just shrugged before elaborating further.
"Some girls seemed to have noticed that Peter's been maturing quite nicely. He can wear all those nerdy shirts he wants but girls notice things like that." Michelle then glared at the smug look on Emma's face. "Don't be disgusting. I don't notice things like that. I've just heard a lot of gossip in the girl's bathroom. Besides…Peter's not my type. I'm not into annoying little pests like you." It was now Emma's turn to glare at her friend. Emma liked to believe that she wasn't obvious in her feelings for Peter but clearly Michelle was even more observant than she originally thought.
"I'm not into Parker." Emma snapped although it was more in a hushed whisper so no one else would hear them. Michelle just smirked at her.
"Yeah, sure." Michelle said, not sounding like she believed Emma. "Look, if I were you I'd stake my claim over Parker pretty fast before you and Betty get into a cat fight over him…although that would be highly entertaining to watch." Sometimes Emma really disliked her suspicious and bluntly honest friend. Michelle was a little too honest sometimes for Emma's liking. If there was one thing that blonde didn't like it was being called out on her own bullshit.
"Parker can date whoever he wants." Emma spoke in a low and dangerous tone, her eyes glinting with anger and denial. However, the blonde didn't frighten Michelle in the least. "It's none of my business…even if he wants to lower his standards by dating an annoying and bratty bimbo." Emma then clenched her jaw before subsequently turning in the opposite direction to go talk to someone who wasn't going to piss her off…probably Abe more than likely. Michelle snickered as the blonde stormed off.
"Green's not a good color on you, Lewis!" Michelle called out and Emma gritted her teeth as she tried to ignore her friend. Everyone's eyes, including Peter's, were glued to her but she didn't care in the least. If she were somewhere without so many people she probably would've flipped Michelle off but she supposed she'd just have to ignore her for the time being. Was Michelle actually suggesting that she was somehow jealous of Betty Brant? Well…Emma had been jealous of Liz but that was different. Still…Emma really needed to regain control over these feelings for Peter or they were going to consume her. That frightened her above everything else.
It was after everyone had a slice of birthday cake that Peter finally started opening his presents. So far he had received a Star Wars collectable Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure from Ned which must've been really important because it seemed to make Peter ecstatic. May had gotten Peter a few video games for his Xbox, Michelle had gotten him a few Star Wars novels, and the others had given Peter additional presents. Peter finally reached the present Betty had gotten him and the short blonde had an excited look on her face. Emma wanted to roll her eyes at the short girl. Betty looked like she was about to piss herself with excitement. Seriously…she should really get a hold of herself.
"I hope you like it." Betty said shyly as Peter began to open the present.
"I'm sure I will." Peter said politely before finally opening the present. The look of surprise on his face was priceless as he pulled out a bottle of designer cologne. Emma bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the dumbfounded expression on Peter's face. He looked at the present like it was something he had never seen before. Seymour immediately glared at her as he spotted her and Michelle trying to stifle their laughter.
"Oh…um…it's very nice Betty. You didn't have to get me anything." Peter said unsurely, clearly embarrassed as most of the girls in the room seemed to giggle at him. Betty batted her eyelashes in a way that made Emma want to vomit.
"It's Calvin Klein." Betty said flirtatiously. "I got it with you in mind." Emma wondered where the hell this girl learned how to flirt? Probably from something lame like Gossip Girl. Peter blushed at the attention and Emma wanted to roll her eyes.
Peter swallowed before setting the cologne aside and reaching for the last present in the pile…Emma's present. He was honestly incredibly curious as to what Emma had gotten him. He wondered what a gift from Emma Rogers looked like. A part of him thought it would be something scary like a gun or some sort of weapon. The teenage boy eagerly tore away the gift wrap, more excited about this present than any of the others. It was Emma he was talking about after all. The blonde nervously chewed the inside of her cheek as she anticipated his reaction, unsure if he'd like it or not. Peter finally tore away all the gift wrap and was left with an astounding sight.
The present wasn't what he had been expecting at all. No, it was beyond anything he had expected to receive. From what Peter could tell it was a canvas painting of the night sky but it was unlike any night sky Peter had ever seen before. Dark blue covered the majority of the painting with gold painted stars sprinkling the night sky. Beautiful colors of green, purple, and light blue swirled together across the night sky, displaying the northern lights. The bottom of the painting showed the snow covered ground that outlined what looked to be a forest full of green pine trees. A polar bear walked alongside the edge of the forest in the painting as it stared up at the night sky. Peter was never one for art but this was by far the most beautiful piece of art he had ever seen. His hand gently traced the swirl of colors that displayed the northern lights. To Peter this painting looked like it belonged in an art museum or a gallery with other talented artists. Peter looked up at the anxious looking blonde and she swallowed nervously before speaking up.
"You said you've never really seen any other night sky aside from New York so I thought I'd show you another night sky." Emma said quietly and Peter stared at her. He wanted more than anything to kiss her or at least hold her. Emma had painted this painting just for him? Peter could hardly believe it.
"It's beautiful, Emma…I love it." I love you, Peter wanted to say. He really wanted to say that the moment she looked at him like that with those gorgeous blue eyes of hers.
"Oh my god, Emma. You're, like, a really talented artist." Cindy said in awe as she looked at the painting. That seemed to finally snap Emma and Peter out of the little world they always seemed to share. The world that made them forget about everyone else around them.
"You should enter that in a contest or something." Sally added. The rest of the others then peered over Peter's shoulder to look at the painting. Michelle raised an eyebrow as she gave the blonde a knowing look which Emma pointedly ignored. The only person who didn't seemed impressed with Emma's painting was Betty Brant. The small blonde crossed her arms as a look of disdain came over her face when she looked at Emma. It seemed like someone was a little pissed off.
"That's really nice, Emma. You're super talented." Betty managed to say but Emma detected the fake politeness in her voice. Emma returned the petite blonde's fake smile.
"Thank you, Betty." Emma told her although she had the same fake politeness in her voice.
The former assassin then decided to pull a move just because she could. Emma really wanted to piss off goody two shoes Betty Brant. The small blonde was really getting on her nerves tonight with all her little flirtatious comments towards Peter. Even if Emma didn't have any right to Peter, she still felt possessive over him. Which was why she wanted to send a message to Betty.
Emma quickly surprised Peter by wrapping her arms around him and enveloping him in a hug. Peter stumbled back a bit from the sudden action but he soon returned the gesture, wrapping an arm around his friend. He was surprised by the gesture since Emma never seemed to be fond of displaying any sort of affection in public. Peter really wished that things could be more than they were between himself and Emma in times like these. Little did he know that Emma actually felt the same way and despite wanting to piss Betty off she enjoyed being in Peter's arms. She wondered if in a different world that they could be like this in public all the time…that they could be more than just friends.
Emma tried to ignore those thoughts as she opened her eyes and locked eyes with Betty from over Peter's shoulder. Midtown's favorite student was glaring at Emma as she clenched her jaw at the sight of the taller blonde in Peter Parker's arms. Emma smirked at the girl which only seemed to piss off Betty more. She then held onto Peter a bit tighter, closing her eyes in content just to add icing to cake before stepping back out of Peter's arms. Peter seemed confused by Emma's sudden behavior but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. He was slightly disappointed that Emma had pulled away so quickly. Peter felt like the hug ended too soon for his liking but he didn't indicate that he felt that way to Emma.
She smiled at him softly before walking off to go talk to Michelle. Peter watched her go, his heart beating a little too fast, but was immediately snapped out of his thoughts by Betty. The small blonde started to strike up a conversation with him but Peter found himself barely paying attention to her as his eyes remained glued to Emma. He knew for certain he'd never figure Emma Rogers out but that didn't mean he didn't like trying.
The party had cleared out not longer after Peter had opened his presents. The last to leave was Ned who said his mother wanted him back home since it was a school night. Emma was the only person to remain in the apartment as Peter inspected all the new gifts he had gotten from inside his bedroom. Emma walked around and observed the Star Wars action figures he had resting on a shelf. The blonde then looked down at the desk where Peter had abandoned the bottle of cologne that Betty had given him. She smirked as she picked the bottle up before glancing over at Peter.
"Wow…Parker. This is some pretty expensive cologne." Emma commented, her tone teasing. "I mean, it's not Tony Stark expensive but it's still pretty expensive."
"It was nice of Betty to give me that." Peter said shyly as he blushed. Emma scoffed.
"Yeah right. Brant only gave you this because she wants to get in your pants." Emma said bluntly. "Looks like you've got yourself a sugar mama." Peter immediately glared at her.
"Don't be disgusting. She was just being nice." Peter told her and Emma rolled her eyes. Sometimes Peter could really be naïve about things.
"You know, when I'm being nice I don't tell people that I think they're annoying assholes but I certainly don't go out and buy people Calvin Klein cologne." Emma said snarkily. "I mean, who does she think you are? Justin Bieber?" Peter immediately snatched the bottle of cologne from the blonde's hands and shoved it inside the desk drawer. Emma smirked at his reaction.
"We could just re-gift it if you really want. I'm sure Tony would appreciate some new cologne for Christmas." Emma continued to say but Peter just shook his head.
"Can we please talk about something else." Peter said before deciding to change the subject as he glanced over at one of his favorite presents of the night. Emma's painting. "Can we maybe talk about this amazing painting? Seriously, Emma, I've never seen anything this amazing." Emma rolled her eyes at him once more, thinking he was over reacting about the painting. She didn't think it was that great and besides…it's not like it was the only birthday present she was going to give him.
"It's just a painting, Peter. Nothing special." Emma said dismissively. "I'm not much of a painter." Peter locked eyes with her and Emma's mouth suddenly felt very dry. He had a way of making her feel important whenever he looked at her with those warm brown eyes of his…like she really mattered.
"Emma, this belongs in an art gallery or something. It doesn't belong in my boring and bland room." Peter told her and Emma shrugged nonchalantly.
"Maybe I painted it with your boring and bland room in mind." She retorted before deciding to show him the other present she had gotten him. "Which reminds me…I also got you something else."
"You didn't have to get me anything else, Emma." Peter said, looking very red in the face but Emma was already reaching inside the purse she had brought with her.
"Don't worry, Parker. It's not another bottle of Calvin Klein cologne." Emma quipped and Peter wondered if this was going be one of those things she never let him forget.
However, once Emma pulled out what she was looking for, it was clearly nothing anyone would expect a fifteen year old girl to have hidden in her purse. The gift Emma had was a large and scary looking knife that's only protection was the small leather case that covered the blade of the knife. Peter's eyes widened in surprise as the blonde smiled at him before pulling the knife out of the cover. It looked like one of the scary looking knives that Rambo had and Peter found that he was speechless. In all honesty he probably shouldn't have been surprised by Emma's gift. It was the exact sort of gift that Emma Rogers would give someone.
"Here, it is! Isn't it beautiful?" Emma said cheerfully. Peter eyed the sharp blade and looked at the blonde like she was insane.
"Is that a knife?" He asked her hesitantly and Emma's cheerful expression faded as she looked at him like he was stupid.
"No, it's a lollipop." Emma said sarcastically. "Of course it's a knife. A Ka-Bar knife to be exact. It's the standard Marine issued knife so I figure what was good for our nation's bravest is probably good enough for you too."
"You got me a knife?" He questioned in surprise but at the same time Peter didn't think he was that surprised by Emma.
"Yes. It's much more useful than some stupid painting although I didn't think our classmates would understand the sentiment behind a knife." Emma explained but Peter glanced at the beautiful painting Emma had painted.
"I don't think it's stupid, Emma. I love the painting." He told her and Emma wasn't sure how to feel about his statement. She was flattered that he liked the painting so much because, although she acted like it was nothing for her to paint, the truth was that Emma had worked very hard on the painting.
"The painting isn't going to save your life like a knife can. I carry a knife with me everywhere I go because you never know when you're going to need it." Emma told him and Peter raised an eyebrow.
"You can't carry a knife with you all the time. Where would you put it?" He asked her and without warning Emma immediately hitched her skirt up a bit to show him. She was obviously just showing him the thigh holster that carried her knife but Peter blushed anyways. The room suddenly felt very hot before Peter tore his eyes away from her exposed thighs. Well, not completely exposed but her sheer tights provided a very thin barrier between her skin and the tights themselves.
"W-what are y-you d-doing?" Peter stammered nervously as he looked anywhere other than her lifted up skirt. Emma scoffed.
"Don't be such a baby, Parker. It's not like I was showing you my boobs or anything." Emma told him and Peter flushed an even deeper shade of red as he tried to not picture the time where he had seen the edge of her bra. It was in the hotel room back in D.C. and Peter had never really seen the entirety of her bra but that didn't stop him from picturing it every now and then.
"It's not appropriate." Peter said as he stared at the floor and avoided her gaze. Emma rolled her eyes at him before letting her skirt fall back down.
"Fine…you can relax now. I'm not flashing you anymore, Parker." Emma said in a bored tone and Peter finally returned his gaze to her. "I was just showing you my thigh holster. It's where I keep my knife with me at all times." Peter seemed to finally calm down a bit from the incident of Emma lifting up her skirt. His face was still red but he managed to put the less than decent thoughts about Emma aside as he changed the subject.
"Where did you even get a knife like that? Don't people think it's weird for a fifteen year old girl to buy a huge knife?" Peter asked her curiously and Emma shrugged.
"It's not like I do my shopping at Cabelas. I actually do my shopping at a much less discreet place." Emma said calmly and Peter furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"What does that mean?" Peter questioned.
"I know a guy." Emma finally admitted and somehow that didn't make Peter feel better about the situation.
"You know a guy? Wait…are you buying weapons from criminals?" Peter finally asked with wide eyes. Emma didn't seem at all bothered by what he was accusing her of.
"A criminal, Peter…A criminal. Just one." Emma answered calmly but Peter was freaking out.
"Emma! You can't buy weapons from criminals! That's not right…we can't consort with those kinds of people. You're buying weapons from the same people we throw in prison." Peter ranted as he started panicking about what this could mean for them…for Emma. He knew Mr. Stark would be quite pissed if he knew that Emma was buying weapons from common criminals. Emma just waved her hand dismissively.
"Calm down, Parker. He's an informant…it's okay." Emma told him reassuringly but Peter didn't feel reassured by her statement. "He gives me weapons and information and I don't tell the cops where he's at."
"That's bribery, Emma!" Peter accused but Emma just smirked at him deviously.
"Don't worry. I might not tell the cops where he's at but that doesn't mean that the devil of Hell's Kitchen will let him walk free either." Emma said smugly before continuing. "I have his trust while the devil of Hell's Kitchen does all the dirty work."
Peter immediately knew who Emma was talking about. He'd have to be stupid not to. Everyone knew about the costumed vigilante who made life a living hell for criminals in Hell's Kitchen. The mysterious hero was like Peter in the sense that he didn't kill anyone but in some ways he was worse than Peter. Daredevil was more skilled in hand to hand combat so he always gave his opponents a brutal beating. Emma had never personally met the Daredevil but she knew he was a formidable force from her informant's constant complaining about the guy. She didn't think she'd care much for him anyways. The guy sounded too self-righteous to her. The Punisher was someone Emma had much more respect for.
"I don't like you talking to criminals. It's dangerous." Peter said stubbornly and Emma just scoffed while she crossed her arms.
"This guy's a slimy little weasel. I doubt he's much of a threat to me." Emma retorted. "Besides…I made it clear to him to never cross me. He knows what will happen if he does." Peter didn't really feel the need to ask her what exactly would happen if this man crossed her because he had an idea. Emma seemed like the kind of person you didn't want to get on the wrong side of.
"Wait…you said you've been getting information from him? What kind of information?" Peter asked and Emma just stared at him.
"Remember Fisher?" Emma inquired and Peter frowned. Of course he remembered Fisher…How could he ever forget about Fisher and what happened to him?
"Yes."
"Well, we were able to find Fisher because my informant once sold a gun to Fisher. He gave me a tip and we followed up on that tip." Emma told him and Peter's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. Is this how Emma always knew about the criminals that didn't happen to be in the criminal database? He supposed so. The blonde was always resourceful so he should've expected her to find other ways to find information.
"Emma, you need to stop buying weapons from criminals. It's not right…you're only encouraging his criminal activities instead of stopping them." Peter told her as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde. Sometimes he really didn't understand Emma but he also felt sympathetic towards her. It was clear to him that Emma didn't really know that what she was doing was wrong.
"He always gives me intel about the whereabouts of his customers. If we throw him in prison he won't tell me anything else ever again." Emma tried to explain to Peter but Peter didn't really care. He didn't want her engaging in conversations with criminals like that alone. Peter knew more than well that Emma could more than handle herself but he still didn't like to imagine her talking to people like that without him by her side. Peter clenched his jaw.
"You still need to stop putting money into the pockets of people like that." Peter told her sternly, almost in a tone that reminded her of Steve. Emma wanted to argue with Peter but she was slowly starting to see his point. They throw some people in prison for one crime and then give money to another criminal for doing the same crime.
"What if I stopped buying weapons from him but let Daredevil take care of him?" Emma said, willing to compromise. She really didn't want to lose the one contact she had in the criminal underworld. Peter chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously as he considered that option.
"I don't know, Emma. We shouldn't be consorting with criminals." Peter said quietly.
"I know but what's one low life moron compared to several really evil criminal masterminds?" Emma inquired. "I know him. He'll never stop selling weapons…the second he's out of Riker's he'll be back on the streets selling weapons again. He's the greediest man I know. What's the point in trying to help him when he'll just do it again?" Peter considered what Emma was saying and realized that she had a point. This man was a person who was minuscule on the spectrum of criminals that could actually help them capture real criminals. Peter then shook his head as he couldn't believe he had actually been considering what Emma was saying. Sometimes his feelings towards her made him a little biased but he needed to think about this rationally. He couldn't let his feelings for Emma cloud his judgement.
"No more talking to your informant, Emma. He's still a criminal that belongs in a cell." Peter finally said stubbornly. Emma would usually snap at a person who thought they could tell her what to do but deep down she knew Peter was being the moral, upstanding person she loved. She wouldn't be in love with him if he wasn't like that. Also…Emma wasn't going to lie. Peter was really hot what he tried to tell her what to do.
"I guess you're right." Emma admitted. "Maybe I'll just leave him for Daredevil to deal with." The truth was that Emma didn't know if she was ready to cut off ties with her informant but she knew it was what Peter wanted to hear and she didn't feel like arguing with him. Emma would promise to not buy anymore weapons from him and that was sort of like a compromise. Right?
"Does this mean you don't like the present?" Emma asked quietly as she glanced down at the knife she had presented him with. Peter chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously because he knew that he couldn't tell her that he didn't like it. Mr. Stark said something about women always being right so Peter knew better than to say that he didn't like it. It was a knife that Emma had bought off a hardened criminal so usually he'd throw it away and track down the criminal she had bought it from but Peter couldn't find it in himself to do that to her. She obviously really wanted him to have the knife. Peter took the knife from her, a small smile on his face as he did so.
"No, it's fine. I like it." He told her and the truth was that he did like it in a way. Peter wasn't sure when he would have to resort to using a knife but deep down he knew a knife from Emma meant a lot more than her just wanting him to protect himself. It was a sentimental gift. Just like the painting in a way. Emma's spirits were lifted by the softened expression on his face. "Just don't buy anything else from that man." Emma nodded.
"I promise." Emma said and she knew she should've sworn off even talking to her informant but she couldn't do that. How would they ever find the criminals they needed to find if she didn't gather information from her informant? The blonde just decided not to tell Peter about the informant ever again. What Peter didn't know wouldn't hurt him. It's not like her informant was a dangerous person or anything. He was just a low life moron on the bottom of the food chain…he just happened to have connections to big time criminals.
"Where is it?" Peter asked softly, breaking Emma out of her train of thought. She glanced over at the brown eyed boy who had started staring at the painting once again. He had set the knife on the desk, the knife momentarily forgotten as he studied the painting. Emma realized that he must've been referring to the landscape of the painting.
"Siberia." Emma answered and Peter glanced back at her curiously. She knew that he was curious about why she would paint a place that brought her so much terror in her life. Emma would've been curious if she was in his position too. She sighed softly before elaborating. "I know that place gave me a lot of grief in my life. It's full of horrible memories for me but there's some good ones there too."
"Like what?" Peter asked her quietly and Emma smiled as she stared at the northern lights displayed in the work of art.
"Sometimes they would send my father and I to the forest alone so that he could train me in isolation." Emma answered before continuing. "He taught me how to hunt and how to survive out there. I know how it sounds but I really loved it there…it was so peaceful with just my father and I. There was no one else but us and I used to wish that we could stay out there forever. No more Hydra and no more missions."
As Peter listened to her he could hear how much she missed her father. Even if she didn't out rightly admit it he could hear it in the tone of her voice. Peter wished that he could somehow bring her father and grandfather back to her just so he could make the ache in her voice go away.
"It looks so beautiful there." Peter murmured as he looked back to the picture, admiring the Siberian night sky. Emma nodded.
"It is beautiful. My father and I used to lay there at night and count the stars as a way to pass time." Emma said softly as she remembered the few happy memories she had from that time of her life. "The sky was large and open...so much that it was like looking into space. There was no buildings or skyscrapers to block our view. The sky will never look as big and beautiful here as it does there." Peter frowned when he heard her say that.
"Do you wish you didn't live here?" Peter asked her hesitantly and the smile faded from her face. Emma shrugged as she considered the question.
"Sometimes I wish I didn't. There's just so many people here and it can feel suffocating." Emma said honestly before she continued. "But a lot's changed since my father and I trained out in the forest. I don't think I can live in silence again like that. The noise in the city is calming and I don't have to be alone with my thoughts anymore."
Peter eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her last statement. What she said didn't seem to make much sense to him. Alone with her thoughts? Emma realized that she had already said too much so she figured it was probably time to go anyways. She didn't know why she said all that to him. Usually she was way more guarded than that but Peter was just too easy to talk to. If she wasn't careful she might spill all her secrets to him.
"I should actually get going." Emma said suddenly as she pretended to glance at the time on her phone. "It's getting late." Peter was disappointed to see her go but he understood that she'd have to leave eventually. He'd see her tomorrow in Spanish class anyways.
"Yeah…of course." Peter mumbled as he nodded understandingly. Emma gave him a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes like the last couple of times.
"See you later then." Emma said as a fond look came over her face. "Happy Birthday, Peter."
"Thanks." Peter said quietly as his face flushed. Emma gave him one last quick smile before leaving his room and Peter watched her go, feeling confused as he always did from what Emma said and did. Sometimes he wished there was some kind of guideline book that translated her words and actions but he was sure there no such thing in existence. He supposed mulling over Emma's behavior was a good way to pass time anyways. Peter could actually pass a lot of time that way.
Peter was sound asleep when he was suddenly woken up by a faint breeze in his room followed by the feeling that he was being watched. He slowly opened his eyes which were still heavy from sleep. His vision was still blurry as he looked through the darkness of his bedroom, his eyes catching sight of a blurry figure next to his bed. His vision subsequently focused as he sat up in bed, alarmed by the figure. It was only then that he relaxed since he realized that it wasn't an intruder…no, it was Emma Rogers. He felt both elated and confused to see her. Elated because he was always happy to see her but confused because he didn't know what she was doing in his room in the middle of the night.
The blonde didn't smile at him as she knelt down at his bedside. Her ocean blue eyes shone under the moonlight streaming in through the window. She didn't frown at him either…she just simply stared at him with such intensity that Peter's mouth suddenly felt dry. Emma always made him feel nervous whenever she stared at him like that. It was like she could see right through him or something.
"Emma?" He asked once he felt confident enough to do so. "What are you doing here?" The blonde tilted her head to the side as if she didn't understand his meaning. Peter glanced down at her and noticed that she was wearing the same stunning green dress she had been wearing the night of Homecoming. He blushed at the way the bodice of the dress seemed to cling to her. Peter would be lying if he said that he hadn't stared at her chest either. He knew it was really wrong for him to do so but he couldn't help it…he was incredibly attracted to her and the fact that he was in love with her didn't help in that department either. He also knew, however, if he kept staring at her like that Emma would probably kill him.
"I came to see you." Emma finally said as if it were obvious. Peter swallowed nervously as he could practically smell the sweet familiar scent of strawberries and coconut.
"Really?" A dreamy look came over his face as he stared at her. She looked like an angel underneath the moonlight. A small smile came over her face as she reached over and gently ran her fingers through his hair. Peter leaned into her hand, her touch causing his breathing to hitch.
"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Emma said, her voice a mere whisper as her eyes rested on his face. There was a kindness displayed on her face that made her look like the teenager she actually was.
"Emma, it's the middle of the night." He told her, still not quite understanding what she was doing there at that time of night…not that he wasn't glad that she was there. Her fingers then moved down to his face as she gently caressed his cheek. Peter could feel his heart racing as he looked at her and marveled at the gentleness of her touch.
"Don't be silly, Peter." Emma said as she gave him an amused smile, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "Besides…I came here to give you your birthday present." Peter raised his eyebrows.
"You've already given me a birthday present…two actually." Peter replied and Emma cupped his face with her hand, her fingers resting along his jawline.
"This will be the last one. I promise." Emma whispered and Peter didn't know when her face came so close to his. She was merely inches away from him. He swallowed nervously as he spotted her rosy pink lips which looked so tempting to him.
"What are you doing?" Peter asked, his eyes wide and voice higher than usual. Emma didn't say anything as she leaned in and Peter was sure his heart was going to jump out of his chest. Instead of questioning Emma, his eyes fluttered shut as he too leaned in to meet her half way. The second their lips met Peter felt hooked. Her lips tasted sweet, probably reminiscent of the birthday cake from earlier, and it was like he couldn't get enough. Emma's hand moved from his face and her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. Peter felt the sudden need to be closer to her. The feel of her soft lips against his was incredibly intoxicating and he found that he never wanted it to end. However, Emma suddenly pulled away and Peter felt disappointed from the loss of contact. There was something about the way she stared at him, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. Peter couldn't help but admit to the very feelings he had been keeping bottled up inside all this time.
"I love you." Peter said suddenly and for some strange reason Emma didn't look surprised. She looked she might have even been expecting him to say that. The blonde only smiled at him softly as she grasped one of his hands in hers.
"I love you too, Peter." Emma whispered to him. Peter's eyes widened in surprise because he could hardly believe what she just said. Emma didn't give him enough time to react to that new piece of information as she leaned in to kiss him again. Her face was inches away from his when Peter felt a strange sensation come over him and was whisked away from the scene with Emma.
Peter Parker woke up suddenly and found himself be in the very same room as before except there was no sign of Emma. It was dark like before but the window wasn't opened and Emma wasn't anywhere to be seen. His heart was pounding against his chest as he searched the room desperately for any sign that it hadn't all been a dream. To his disappointment it became very obvious to him that none of it had been real at all. Peter was left all alone in his room with no Emma and a wave of sadness came over him.
His dream had been everything he ever wanted. Emma had kissed him…she had loved him in that dream but it wasn't real. Peter had felt Emma within his grasp and he had felt her soft lips against his. In his dream they had finally gotten together and it had felt so real to him but the truth was that it was all just a dream. His eyes watered as he rested his head back against his pillow, feeling more and more disappointed by reality. The dream had given him everything he ever desired but Peter knew it could never be true. Emma always made it clear that she didn't believe in love.
A part of him hoped that she might eventually fall in love with him but Peter didn't know if she could. He wanted more than anything to be able to call her his girlfriend…to take her out on dates and to hold her hand through the halls of Midtown. Peter dreamed of kissing her and holding her. He even wanted to be able to tell her that he loved her on a daily basis without the fear of rejection. Peter just didn't believe that Emma would ever feel the same. There was moments between them that he thought she might feel something but then she said or did something to convince him otherwise.
Peter buried himself underneath the blankets as he longed for something he wasn't sure he could ever have. The dream felt so real to him which was why it devastated him to know that it was just a fantasy. He wished it was real but Peter honestly didn't know if Emma could ever feel the same way that he did about her. Peter supposed being around Emma was better than nothing but he still yearned for more.
He didn't think he would ever stop yearning for more.