Mr. and Mrs. America Return

The private jet had landed five minutes ago but Kate couldn't stop kissing Steve. The pilot had disembarked and had the luggage and was waiting awkwardly outside for the two of them to emerge. These past two weeks had been incredible. They had spent their days making love, lying on the beach, and taking walks at sunset. They had not worried about or talked about work at all. Their sole focus had been each other. Kate still couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the past few months. She had thought that she and Steve were done forever but now they were married and she couldn't be happier. She didn't know what the future held for them, but she would face it side by side with her partner and husband.

She gently pulled back a few inches and looked up into his eyes. "I suppose we should head in..."

Two weeks was not long enough for Steve. The waves, the sun, the soft, white beach and being alone with Kate. The island wasn’t huge but large enough where you couldn’t see the end of the beach from where you stood. They shared in making their meals and the house had been previously stocked with everything they needed. Normally Tony had people there to make food and take care of the place but Steve and Kate didn’t want anyone there and so there weren’t.

Clothing had been optional but both Steve and Kate were fairly modest people so if they were outside they were usually in ‘something’ at least. Not always though and Steve will remember those nights where they made love next to a raging bonfire under the stars. And the other times to.

Coming back to the tower was bittersweet though. Both Steve and Kate lived for what The Avengers did and they had been gone too long and not long enough it seemed. That evening Isabella made lasagna and everyone but Peter was there. Tony and Isabella sat on one end of the table and Steve and Kate at the other. On Tony’s left Serena and Gambit sat and on Isabella’s left Natalya, Logan and Pharaoh sat. Peter’s spot was empty tonight though Isabella knew he loved lasagna.

Gambit’s eye was just a pale bruise now and word had gotten around to what had happened. No one said anything about the altercation though Isabella itched to speak to Serena about it. She had not, Tony would not allow her to. It was Wednesday and Serena and Gambit were scheduled to leave for Las Vegas on Saturday.

Serena had thought that over a few days her feelings for Peter would settle and then dissipate...that it was just because she hadn't seen him for a while that she was feeling what she was feeling, but that hadn't happened. Things remained tense between Peter and Gambit, despite what Gambit had told her. Not only that, but there was no real way to hide the fact that these two men had gotten into a physical altercation over her and everyone now knew. She had thought that everything was clear in her mind about what she wanted after Gambit had come back into her life, but now none of that was clear anymore and she didn't know what she truly wanted anymore.

Everyone had been excited to have Steve and Kate back and thankfully now they were the center of everyone's attention as they asked them about their Honeymoon and filled them in one some world events that they had missed. Kate and Steve had both not turned on the news or looked at social media the entire time they were gone. They knew that if something big happened that Tony and Isabella would have gotten in contact with them.

Serena glanced over at Peter's empty chair and knew that he should be here. He loved lasagna, especially her mother's lasagna. He had known that she was making it, yet he wasn't here. She finally couldn't take it anymore and she excused herself from the table, telling Gambit she needed to go to the bathroom, and got up and walked to her room. She closed the door and then did walk into her bathroom and closed and locked that door. She pulled out her cell phone and called Peter's number. As she listened to the ringing she paced back and forth in her bathroom.

Peter sat across from MJ as they ate their salads. MJ had long, red hair that fell down in waves to just beyond her shoulders and she had big, beautiful blue eyes that Peter could never stop looking into. She had very pale skin and a few freckles on her face that Peter really liked. She giggled at what he had just said and Peter smiled.

He knew that Steve and Kate were coming back today and that Isabella was making lasagna, one of his favorites. And only because he liked the way she made it. He was surprised when his phone went off and at first he thought to ignore it but he wasn’t wearing his wrist communicator right then and he knew he needed to make certain that something big wasn’t happening.

“Will you excuse me MJ, I really need to take this,” he said and got up from the table and moved toward the exit. MJ smiled and nodded then watched him step out of the restaurant.

“Hey, Serena? What’s going on? Do I need to get back to the tower?” He asked quickly and quite excitedly. Any chance for action and Peter was all for it.

Serena was about to hang up when suddenly Peter picked up. She suddenly felt rather embarrassed checking in on him, but she couldn't hang up now. "No...everything is alright. I...I was just surprised that you aren't here for my mom's lasagna. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright is all."

Peter’s eyebrows nearly climbed over his forehead. ‘Serena’s checking up on me?’ He thought. “No I’m alright, I’m just out with MJ. You know, from high school?” He said and wondered if Serena would remember her. She wasn;t one of Serena’s friends so he wasn;t certain if she knew her.

Serena did remember MJ. They hadn't been friends, but they had had a few classes together over their four years together in high school. Realizing that Peter was out on a date with her made her heart feel like it was sinking into her stomach. Why the hell was she feeling like this? She and Peter hadn't been together for three years! She was with Gambit and she loved him.

"Oh...yeah...MJ...I..I remember her. Tell her I said hello. I'm sorry I bothered you. I'll see you later," she said rather quickly and then hung up.

Peter couldn’t get a word in edgewise and when she hung up he just stared into his phone. Oddly, he wished she hadn’t hung up. Just her voice made him feel happy. He turned and walked back into the restaurant.

Back at the tower when Serena returned to the table Gambit saw her expression but didn’t say anything. He simply put his hand on her back and rubbed the back of her neck with his finger and thumb. He noticed she was as stiff as a board and he leaned toward her and whispered. “You’re so stiff, are you alright? Maybe you’ll let me give you a backrub later?” He asked and she’d know what that would imply. That much more would happen after the backrub or during if she wanted it to happen.

“So Gambit, where you are two staying in Vegas?” Isabella asked as Serena settled back into her chair. She saw Serena’s face and grew more concerned. “Caesar’s Palace, I’ve gotten Serena into a poker tournament being hosted there. She’s very good,” he said approvingly. “Poker? When did this all start?” Steve asked and it was unclear if he approved or not. He seemed eager to know though and all eyes shifted to Serena.

Serena flushed the toilet and washed her hands just to make it seem like she had actually been using the bathroom and not calling Peter. She walked back out to the table and sat back down next to Gambit. She was no longer hungry, but she knew she needed to try and eat something so she picked back up her fork. She felt Gambit's fingers begin to rub the back of her neck. She glanced at him when he offered to give her a back rub later. Of course she knew what he was ultimately implying. She didn't say anything and looked back at her mother when he began to speak to the two of them about their upcoming trip to Vegas. When Steve asked her when she had started playing Poker she glanced at Gambit and then looked at him.

"Gambit has been teaching me. I'm not nearly as good as he is, but I can hold my own against most players."

“She’s ofcourse being modest,” Gambit said. “Aren’t you excited to go Serena, you were a few days ago? You’ve never been to Las Vegas,” Isabella said sensing her daughters mood. ‘So she’s not so sure about staying with Gambit now that Peter is back...called it!’ She thought. Gambit was getting vibes from Serena as well that something was bothering her and he thought he knew why. Ever since Peter came back its like she’s been a different person. Moody, unhappy and lost in her own thoughts. He should have thought before he opened his mouth but his anger at this whole situation got the better of him.

“Well, since Peter has come back, she can’t decide how she feels about him so I don’t know if we will make it to Vegas at this point,” he said then slapped his napkin on the table and excused himself in a huff and stood up. True but something Serena had told him in confidence. Evenso he thought he had a right to be angry. She did not love him as much as he needed her to to keep him there. “I apologize for my outburst, I am not myself tonight,” he said then turned to leave the table.

Serena's entire face turned beet red at what Gambit said. Everyone was looking at her and she felt so embarrassed. She didn't say anything, but she immediately got up and left the table and went to her room. She closed the door and locked it. Her mother tried to talk to her, but she wanted to just be left alone. She didn't go to Gambit. They both needed time to cool off and to think. She tried to sleep, but found it nearly impossible.

It was around 1 am when she finally got up and walked out of her room. She walked into the kitchen and was surprised to find Peter there. He was getting himself a bowl of ice cream. They didn't say anything at first, but Peter got down another bowl for her and scooped out some and then handed the bowl to her. Several minutes of silence passed before Serena glanced at him.

"Did you ever think about our future together?"

Peter sighed and dropped his spoon back into his bowl but he didn’t leave though. He had to clear the air between them and there was alot of air. “Serena, why are you doing this?” He asked as if she was aggravating him. She had to know she was but she had an agenda. He only wished he knew what it was. He shifted around the table to stand in front of her.

“I heard what happened at dinner. Pharaoh told me,” he said. “If you don't love Gambit then you should tell him so. You always do this. You hook up with people who you don't intend on staying with. I don’t understand that. It would be different if you ‘thought’ that they had something but I think you know from the start. And you use me as an excuse in your own head as a reason to break up with them. I’m not special Serena. I’m just a normal guy. Maybe a geek but im certainly nothing special. We broke up for a reason,” he said though he honestly could not recall why right then. He could tell she was about to just leave but he grabbed hold of her forearm. He had a grip like an anvil and he would not let her go. “Tell me what you want Serena,” he said.

Serena felt like the entire room was closing in around her. She looked at Peter and tears came to her eyes. "I don't know what I want anymore," she told him honestly. "I thought I did and then you came back into my life. I do love Gambit...I do...but...then there's you. You think you're nothing special? You are...you were...to me."

“You can’t know how many nights I laid there, far away from you and wanting you there with me Serena,” he said and reached out and touched her face with his hand. He wiped away a few tears as he continued. “When I thought I was going to die I was alone and all I could think was that I’d never see you again. Or hear the sound of your voice or feel your lips on mine,” he said softly. “Since the first time that I kissed you there was never a doubt in my head who and what I wanted. It was always you Serena. Always,” he said as he pulled his hands back to his sides.

“I just never know if you’ll ever feel the same way for me. I think you do, sometimes. But you want more I think, sometimes. More than I can offer I think. Or maybe I don;t know what you want at all," he admitted.

Serena looked into Peter's eyes as he gently caressed the side of her face. Her eyes were soft and filled with so many emotions. Feeling his hand leave her cheek was a loss that made her heart ache. It was then that she knew what she truly wanted. It had been right in front of her this entire time, but she had tried to push it away. She wouldn't push it away any longer.

"I love you Peter Parker. I love you more than words could ever express. You inspire me to be a better person. I thought when we broke up that my feelings for you would eventually subside, but I realize now that all I was doing was covering them up. I do love Gambit, but when you walked back into my life I realized that I have never stopped loving you and never will. You are everything to me. You're my best friend...my soulmate. I never want to be apart from you again. I love you."

Before he even knew what he was doing Peter’s lips were on Serena’s lips and the feel of them was everything he had ever remembered they were and better. He felt her lips kissing him back and felt her arms go around his neck and her legs shift up to hold him against her as his arms wrapped around her back. Their lips moved with an urgent passion that their long separation had built up within them. A build up of raw emotion, love and desire that crackled like lightning between them. In fact he thought he felt a warmth coming from her into him as if her powers, perhaps an uncontrolled trickle of them were warming his flesh. They were both on fire it seemed. “God I want you,” He murmured into his kiss. He tilted his head back and broke contact. His eyes searched hers and then he drew her legs down, took her hand and brought her down off of the stool. It was clear that she had lit the bonfire that was burning out of control in his heart. He turned and led her toward the stairs.

Feeling Peter’s lips upon her own again was beyond anything she ever could have imagined. She and Peter were meant to be together and she wouldn’t deny that any longer. As the kiss deepened she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his. Hot, burning desire spread throughout her body. She wanted Peter as much as he wanted her. She started to go with him, but then she stopped and looked at him.

“I want this as much as you do right now, but I am still with Gambit right now and I can’t do that to him. Please let me talk to him first. I owe him at least that.”

Peter didn’t let go of her hand and he listened to her words but he didn’t believe them. “No, you’re not with him. You haven’t been since I stepped foot in the tower. You went through the motions of being with him but I don’t think you are,” Peter said. “Admit that or I will carry you down to the gym and prove to you that you’re not,” he said seriously and his grip on her hand tightened as if he thought she might try to get away from him. He had never been like this before but if his time in Europe taught him anything, time was fleeting and he did not want to waste anymore time. Serena belonged to him and he was impatient to prove that to her once and for all. Part of it was how he thought Serena needed him to be more...forceful? Dominant? Confident? Yes,...confident he decided. When she seemed to be searching for a way to avoid admitting it AND him taking her downstairs and having at her he hardened his face. “No more secrets between us Serena,” Peter whispered and he let go of her hand. If she balked now he doubted he could take what she said seriously. Being in love was alot easier than being in a relationship. They were both intelligent people so they knew that much.

Serena was surprised by how Peter was reacting. She had not expected this from him. Clearly he had changed more than she had realized in Europe. She looked at Peter. “Ok, I’m not with him, but he’s still with me Peter. It would make me feel better to talk to him first and let him down gently. I do still care about him. I need you to understand this Peter. I’m with you, but this is something I need to do first.”

Gambit was not a fool but he was also an intuitive person. He didn’t need Serena to spell it out for him or anyone else for that matter. Peter had been in her life for a long time and clearly she had a thing for him just like Logan had a thing for Jean Gray. Accept Peter was very much available. Thus...the writing on the wall was written in large red letters. ‘Serena is not for you!’ It read. He had already began packing. What else was there to do. She’d come into his room and either profess her love for ‘him’. Not very likely. Or tell him the truth which he felt much more likely. Gambit had been with enough women to know that when they were involved with someone else. A husband or longtime boyfriend. And he had been with several married women, that leaving their significant others was not a preferred course of action for them. He always thought that odd but it was certainly true. Peter was ‘her’ significant other even though he wasn’t there and hadn;t been around for over a year. The result was the same though. ‘Get out before it hurt to much’.

Serena walked down to Gambit’s room and she knocked on the door. When he told her it was alright to come in she walked in and closed the door behind her. She saw him packing and her heart began to break a little in her chest. Despite everything she did love Gambit, just not like she loved Peter. She knew he already knew what was happening so there was no point in stating it. Now was simply a time of repairing their friendship.

“Gambit, I’m so sorry things have ended this way. This was never what I wanted. Please understand that. I do love you Gambit, I really do and I never wanted to hurt you,” she said as tears came to her eyes. “You made me very happy when I hadn’t been happy in a long time.”

It would have been easier if he could have just slipped out unnoticed but somehow he knew Serena would want to talk to him. He heard her out but as usual, her tears made his softer side come alive. He took her into his arms and hugged her. “Don’t be sad Serena, you figured out what you really needed,” he said as he let her go. He wiped some of her tears away like he always did. “You’ll always be my charie mwen. Always,” he said as he gently took her chin and lightly kissed her lips. His expression was one of obvious hurt but he did not cry. She felt something slip into her right hand. When she looked down she saw the jack of spades, the card he used to represent himself in her hand. “The jack of Spades is The Thief Card. I think it belongs to Peter now for he has stolen your heart from me,” he said with a smile. In a blink he produced the queen of hearts. The card he used to represent her. “I will keep this and always remember you Serena whenever it turns up for me,” he said softly. He put it in his left breast pocket. Then pressed her hand upon it, over his heart. “My beautiful Serena,” he said and chuckled. “Goodbye cherie,” He murmured as he picked up his bag and his cane.

Serena watched Gambit leave and for a while she just sat there and cried as she held the Jack of Spades playing card. This was extremely difficult for them both, but she knew that she needed to be with Peter. However, she would never forget Gambit and hoped that their paths would cross again in the future and that they would remain friends.

After a short time she left Gambit’s room and returned briefly to her own. She placed the card in the top drawer of her bedside table before going to Peter’s room.