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You flattened yourself against the wall, taking deep, quiet breaths. Standing still as a statue, you knew any sudden movement could bring this to an end. You shut your eyes as footsteps raced past, out in the hallway, but opened them once they kept going. You hadn't been found, but you were trapped.
The darkness seemed to suffocate you, curling around your limbs like a heavy weight holding you down. Adrenaline caused your heart to beat erratically, almost painfully, against your ribcage.
Without warning, the closet doors swung open, light spilling into the small space you'd crammed yourself into.
'Hah! Found you!' Wanda declared triumphantly, a smug smile curving across her face. You pouted, crossing your arms as you stepped into the hall. 'You cheated! You used your power to read my mind.'
Her expression become one of mock-hurt. Clutching the dark fabric of her shirt, she gasped. 'What an accusation!'
You shoved her into the wall, playfully. She giggled and the sound danced around the corridors of Stark Tower like a beautiful melody. You smiled, happy that Wanda was happy. It had been a big adjustment for her, for both twins, actually, moving from Struckers laboratories into the Tower. It had taken a while for them to settle in, become comfortable and bond with the other Avengers, and you were the one that made it easier for them to assimilate into this new environment. You were in training to become a member of SHIELDS medical department, dealing with the most severe injuries, testing out new equipment brought in from Helen Cho. It was something you rather enjoyed, although at first you had felt a little insecure about living with a gang of superheroes when you had no special powers yourself. You soon realised you didn't mind, as your talents at nursing were outstanding, a natural skill that was nurtured and brought to life more and more with each passing day. To know that you were the one who held these heroes lives in your hands when they were hurt in a battle, gave you a great sense of responsibility and pride. It was how you met the twins, after the battle against Ultron. Pietro had taken quite a lot of bullets to save Clint's life, and in turn, Clint had brought him back to you.
You'd never forget the anguish in your friends voice, the pained expression weighing down his face like an anchor, as he took your hand and spoke. 'Please. Save him.' His eyes had pleaded with yours, tears gathering at the corners. You promised to do your best.
It wasn't an easy job, but with the help of Pietro's super metabolism you managed to bring the boy back from the edge of death.
His twin never left his side, against all of the health and safety rules she refused to leave. Something had stirred in your heart as you watched her, dark hair sticking up at ridiculous angles, eyelids dropping heavily as she valiantly fought off sleep each night. You broke the rules for her, allowing her to stay until he was well enough to move into the tower. It was the start of a wonderful, firm friendship. Whenever nightmares raised their ugly heads, you were the first one they called for. If they were struggling to get used to the modern world, you were there to help them muddle through. You held their hands and wiped their tears, and they did the same for you. As the months passed, the three of you became so close you were practically joined at the hip. It was almost like having triplets, instead of twins, Tony often commented.
The Hide and Seek had begun as a way to kill boredom, as neither twin were allowed out on missions until Pietro was fully healed up. Well, Wanda was allowed, but refused to go anywhere without her brother. Even after he was well enough to start, Hide and Seek had become a regular part of your routine, and so it continued on. It was fun, exhilarating, a way of giving them the childhood they never got to fully experience.
'I told Pietro you're on, now.' Wanda informed you, and you knew she meant she had communicated with him via her powers. 'Count to one hundred, and no peeking!' You rolled your eyes and covered them with both hands, beginning to count out loud.
'One, two, three, four..' Wanda waited for a few moments, to ensure you weren't going to cheat. You heard her footsteps growing fainter as they got further away, and with a sigh you leaned against the wall, continuing to go through the numbers.
'98..99..100! Ready or not, here I come!' You screamed out as loud as your vocal chords would let you, to ensure one twin would hear. Of course, everyone else in the tower would also hear, but there was no one there that day, for some reason or another.
Wandering around the rooms, you checked every nook and cranny as you went. You treaded lightly, peering around corners discreetly. The kitchen was one of Wanda's favourite places to hide. The cupboards were large and roomy, making her feel less trapped between their walls. You opened and shut every door, sighing in frustration. Every time you were the seeker, it took at least an hour to discover Wanda and Pietro. And even then, you suspected they let you find one of them by that point.
A sudden breeze raised goosebumps along your arms, and then your feet weren't touching the ground.
You were in the air and before you could process what'd happened, your surroundings had totally changed. You were in the smaller kitchen attached to one of the less important labs, a rarely used extension that was always empty. Pietro had his arms around your waist, head cocked to the side as he grinned sheepishly down at you.
'Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you.'
'You didn't. But, now it's your turn to be on, because I caught you first..'
'Let's take a break,' he suggested with an air of confidence, pulling you towards the small island placed into the middle of the room.
He lifted you with ease to perch on the edge.
You frowned, confusion swarming your mind. 'But Wanda..' Pietro cut you off with a wave of his hand. 'Wanda will be fine for a little while. She likes winning, anyway.'
You narrowed your eyes, studying him intently. He ducked his head, silvery-white hair falling over his forehead. Almost as if he were made self conscious by your scrutiny.
'Why are you looking at me like that?'
'Like what?' You echoed, playing innocent. 'Like.. I don't know. Like that,' he emphasised the last word, lifting his head a little so his ice blue eyes met yours.
(Y/E/C) eyes probed those intense sapphires for a few long moments, silence descending around you. It was a comfortable quiet, though. Not awkward or tense, both of you just content with being in the others company.
'So, why did you want to take a break, then? Get tired?' You teased, heart fluttering as Pietro chuckled lightly. 'We never get to spend any time together. Just the two of us, I mean.' The words took a moment to sink in, the realisation that Pietro was saying he wanted time, alone, with you. 'It's always the three of us, and I love Wanda of course.' He added on quickly, and you placed a hand on his thick bicep, squeezing it reassuringly, nodding. He paused, savouring the heat from your palm almost burning his skin. 'But I'd like to have some time, just us.'
You swallowed hard and found yourself blushing, red blooming across your cheeks.
'You are blushing.' Pietro commented, arching an eyebrow.
You averted your gaze, embarrassed. He was a stunning man, tall, with a jaw that could slice steel, muscled and strong but tender. Protective and sweet. The feelings that had been bubbling up slowly over the past few months suddenly rose like a tidal wave inside of you. Panicked, you tried to shove them down, away, out of your mind. You silently thanked whoever was in heaven that Pietro did not have his sisters gift. You couldn't stand the thought of losing your two best friends because you had developed a crush.
'No, I'm not.' You denied it vehemently, and jumped slightly as two fingers curled beneath your chin, pulling it up gently.
Pietro gave you a small smile, eyes sparkling with an emotion you were too afraid to identify. In case you got it wrong, in case you were misreading the intense way he stared at you. He lifted his free hand, brushing away a few loose strands of your (Y/H/C) hair, the sensation of his fingertips brushing against your temple sending sparks of electricity through you.
'I like you a lot, (Y/N).' Pietro's voice sounded heavy, deep and gravelly, his accent becoming stronger.
'I like you, too, Pietro.' You smiled nervously up at the silver haired boy, his face close to yours. You felt his breath wafting against your face, and desperately wanted to close the gap between your lips, and his, pale and soft and full.
'No, (Y/N). I mean, I really like you..' Both hands moved to cup your cheeks, one thumb brushing your cheekbone tenderly.
Your breathing hitched as the circular motions soothed you, but didn't slow your racing pulse. You nodded, mouth suddenly dry.
'I really like you, too.' Your words were heavy with meaning, hoping that it would be enough for Pietro to understand, that if he wanted you, you were already his.
As his lips pressed against yours, with a hesitant pressure you gladly returned. Your hands curled around his hips, holding him close, between your legs as he leaned into you. He pulled back a few inches, pressing your foreheads together. 'You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.' He admitted, and this time it was his turn to blush.
'You're blushing,' you giggled, repeating his own words back to him.
His reply was different to yours, though. He kissed you again, chaste and sweet. 'Yes, I am.'