The Truth Can Hurt

“If venom taught me anything Kit is that time is so very precious. With what we do...our end could be tomorrow,” he said as he touched her face. “A week from now or a year,” he said. “I know what it feels like to lose the person that is the most important person in your life,” Peter said.in. Hushed tone. There were there in the restaurant and he didn’t want them to hear him. He traced 2 fingers across her jawline as if he were committing it to memory. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. A side effect perhaps of sharing his mind and his heart with another entity.

The food was delivered but Peter hardly noticed. Her face intrigued him. “The lines of your face, the look in your eyes, you have an uncanny beauty about you. Untainted by your experiences,” he said as his eyes really looked at her for the first time. “I don’t know why I am surprised, your gift likely helps you avoid scars on the surface,” he said then realized people had begun to look at them.

He smiled and then looked at the food. “Well, where the hell did ‘that’ come from,” he said as if he were talking about the food but clearly he wasn’t. He slid one of the baskets toward him and took a bit of the burger. He nodded satisfactorily and sighed. “Now that’s a burger,” he said happily.

Kitty felt her cheeks begin to flush slightly as Peter ran his fingers across her jawline. His eyes remained locked on hers and what he said made her heart begin to beat a little bit faster in her chest. For a moment the rest of the restaurant disappeared and it was just the two of them. After everything that she and Peter had recently been through she knew it would have been strange for there not to be a connection between them...and clearly there was.

As Peter pulled his hand back she blinked and the restaurant returned and she tried not to blush when she saw people looking at them. She ignored their looks and pulled one of the baskets towards her. However, she couldn't help but glance at Peter. She knew then that much deeper feelings than friendship were developing and that both frightened and excited her. Peter had just gotten out of a very serious relationship and she was in no rush so she decided to just wait and see what happened.

She took a bite of her burger and nodded and smiled. "It's very good."

Peter nodded as he took another bite of the burger. “So I guess Charles found you and you came to the mansion. What made you decide to help me? You didn’t even know me. A pretty big risk when you didn’t even know you could help,” he said.

Kitty ate a few of the tater tots and took a sip of the malt. It was all delicious and she was quite hungry. "Charles strongly believed I could help," she told Peter. "Tony and Isabella also talked to me. I felt so much guilt over my sister's death that I decided that I couldn't walk away from you when there was a chance I could help you. Then, after I met you, I was determined to find a way to help."

He stopped mid bite as he listened to what she said and then continued. Her words made him blush for some reason. He didn’t really know why. It felt good to know someone else that did things just because it felt right to do them. “Considering its the Starks I would have thought that they might have paid you. I know they really care about me and money seems to be one of their most abundant resources. I’ve really never had money so I wouldn’t know,” He said.

Kitty was quiet a moment before deciding to tell Peter the truth. “They actually did offer me money but I’m not going to take it,” she told him. They had given her half of the million but she was going to give it back and refuse the other half. She no longer felt comfortable taking it.

Peter thought about that for a moment. Thought about what he was doing. Internally he was judging her and he knew he shouldn't. She could have died and she didn’t even know him. The Starks pulled out all the stops to help him and instead of feeling grateful. He felt reproachful. Serena was the center of that. She was the center of everything that he felt that was wrong inside of him. He took her hand again.

“Please take the money Kit. God knows you earned it. I don’t know why I’m so angry. I feel as if I’m angry at everything...except you,” he said as his eyes began to water. “Take it and do whatever you want to do. I say we bury our demons and look forward,” He said though saying it and doing it were two completely different things.

When they arrived back at the tower the Avengers were there and as the exited the elevator Isabella stomped over to them with a look as if she were frightened out of her wits.

“Where the HELL were you!?” She did not spare an angry glare for Kitty either. “Peter, you do NOT leave your room!” She said angrily. “Kitt, I told you...I told you NOT to let him out!” She said as Steve, Tony, Logan, Natalya and Kate approached them. If Peter went crazy again they’d all have to try and subdue him. He saw Natalya surreptitiously draw her pistol.

“You...won’t need that Natalya,” he said as fresh tears filled his eyes. An angry, confused Isabella was right in front of him. She jerked as Peter hugged her and then he began to sob. “I’m so sorry Isabella. I didn’t mean to hurt you...I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” he cried. Logan only blinked. Steve looked just as confused as Tony did.

Kitty decided not to argue with Peter, but she wasn't going to take the money. Now that she was developing feelings for him it just felt...wrong. She was just glad that she could help him and that he was now recovering. She had hated to see him struggling against Venom. That was no way of living. They finished their lunch and then headed back to the Tower. As they exited the elevator they found themselves face to face with a very upset Isabella and the rest of the team. Natalya wasn't sure if she needed to draw her tranq gun and she started to reach for it, but then was told she didn't need it by Peter. She looked at him and saw the tears in his eyes. She immediately could tell that he was back to his old self...if not battered and bruised mentally.

Isabella was surprised when Peter suddenly hugged her and began to sob. She then slowly relaxed and put her arms around him as tears came to her eyes. Kitty looked at them all. "We managed to separate the rest of Venom from Peter. It is locked up. It's over and Peter can now fully recover."