It Starts with a Spark

You know the downside to being a super-hero, and having a super-hero boyfriend? He shows off, a lot. Like today, for example, Peter has s “big surprise” for me. He really just wants me to jump off a building with him.
“C’mon Pix, do you really think I would ever really put you in any danger?” he asks, I shake my head
“Still not jumping of a twenty-story building with nothing but you and your “webs”.” I say, Peter sighs dramatically. He walks over to me, putting his arms around my waist. “Fine, I’m sorry,” He says as he his grip tightens “but hold tight.” And with that, he launches us off the building. My screams are loud even to my ears, but as we land I don’t think that’s the only reason my ears are ringing. Peter shakes his head, though his face is encased in his mask, I can imagine the pained expression, and the teasing smile.“Geez Pix, way to pack a scream. You’re gonna make half of New York go deaf.” He teases, dodging my playful punch. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting my boyfriend to try and kill me.” he pretends to be offended “What? I would never! You insult my honor.” He says, “So, up for round two?” he asks. I look at him skeptically for a second, then give in to my weaker self. “Fine but if I die I am going to haunt your ass so hard.” I say as he scoops me up, “Would you please not talk about my ass in public? It’s embarrassing.” With that snarky-comment we’re off again, flying from building to building, and fighting the urge to scream bloody murder.
Then it happens. Maybe my grip slackened or maybe Peter swung to hard, or wasn’t holding on tight enough, but suddenly instead of flying I’m falling, and very fast. “Peter!” I scream, unable to stop my mouth from saying his actual name. I claw uselessly at the air until “oomph.” I’ve landed on, a web.
The only small downside, my back is stuck to the web, leaving me looking like a turtle stuck on its back.I squirm trying to rip myself free from the sticky-ness of the web. Peter however, thinks this is hilarious and is laughing at me. Which only makes me angry, “Peter! This isn’t funny! Help me up!” I hiss, as I continue to squirm. “You know,” he says crawling over to me “since you’re here and all, I really wouldn’t mind a kiss, as a token on your appreciation.” He says, I growl furiously “Are you kidding me! You’re such a fucking pervert! Gah!” I fend him, off as he leans in. “I think that after saving your life and I, I deserve a kiss from the young damsel in distress.” He says, I stiffen. “What. Did. You. Call. Me?” I growl, each word more menacing than the next. “Um,” Peter scratches the back of his neck, a nervous tick of his. “You’re beautiful and I love you?” he puts his hands up in a “so help me” gesture. “You-you love me?” I ask, stunned. He flops down beside me, “Well yeah, I mean it’s fairly obvious. Most guys don’t like hang around a girl, when every member of her family has like dozens of legal ways to make him disappear, unless he loves her.” He says in this-is-so-obvious-how-could-you-not-catch-on sort of way. “D-do you love me?” he asks, trying to sound nonchalant. “Yes I love you, even though you’re a pervert and all.” I say. He laughs and kisses me quickly. “But I am sexy pervert, right?” “Sexy? I don’t think your sexy babe. Maybe, adorable or- ““Don’t you dare call me cute.” He says. I laugh “But you are very cute.” I tease. Now it’s his turn to growl. “I am not cute.” He says defiantly. “I don’t know; you are pretty cute.” I say. Instead of replying, he leans in kissing me harshly and roughly. The kissing is one thing, but his hands are another. They seem to everywhere and my body seems to hum from where he touches me. I’m lost in him, in this crazy boy. This crazy cute, and kind of sexy boy. And I love it.
Then we hear it, the soft “click” of an old camera. Then someone scurrying out from underneath us and out of the alleyway. “Guess that’s our cue to leave.” He says, as he grabs me.
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To be completely fair, I did try to tell Clint about the whole “not giving up being Red Hood and Peter being Spider-Man, and teenage girls being taken from my school thing” I tried, I really did, but we Barton’s aren’t exactly known for our sharing skills. So Clint ended up finding out another way.
It all started on that Friday when Peter and I were hanging out in my room, trying to find something to watch on Netflix. That’s when the question struck me.
“Why don’t you ever talk about Harry?” I ask suddenly, referring to Peter’s “kind of” best friend, Harry Osborne. Peter shifts uncomfortably, not looking at me. “I just don’t like to talk about him anymore.” He says, as if that would end the conversation. It doesn’t, if anything it makes my curiosity grow. “Well obviously, but I want to know why. I mean, c’mon we agreed no more secrets. He used to be one of the most important people in your life, and I don’t know anything about him. Everyone talks about him, but you never mention him. What happened that could be so bad Peter?” I ask “I-we it was just complicated.” He says, obviously uncomfortable. “Then uncomplicate it, tell me about it.” I say, holding his hands, he sighs and looks at me for a long time. “Harry was the first person I ever told about, my being Spider-Man. Mary-Jane, well she was just this girl I had a crush on, nothing to me yet really. Aunt May still doesn’t even know about me, being on Spidey. Plus, he was my best-friend, we told each other everything.” He laughs, caught up in memories and moments I can’t imagine. “It was cool for a while; you know? Me and Harry against the world. He helped me, came up with the name and the costume. Then his dad died, it changed him. He told me I wasn’t doing enough, that I was being hard enough with the people I was catching. He grew paranoid, he wanted me to start going after the people in his dad’s company. He didn’t trust anyone, he told me they were all going after him. He wanted me to kill them Anna. I couldn’t talk him down, so I stopped answering his calls and texts. He dropped out of school, I haven’t talked to him in a year. God, I feel awful about what happened. I was his best friend and I left him, I turned my back on him when he needed me the most. I’m not upset about Anna, I’m ashamed.” He finishes, as he looks at me. “Hey,” I say putting my hands on his cheeks. “I don’t think any less of you for what happened. Everyone makes a mistake, and you can still fix this.” I say as he puts his head down. “Hey, Peter. I love you. Okay? No matter what, I love you.” I say, he smiles. Its weak, but it’s a smile nonetheless. “I love you too.” He says as he leans in to kiss me when BAM!
Clint has flung open my bedroom door open, and is looking positively furious. His eyes narrow when he sees Peter. “Gee Clint, what’s your deal?” I demand I as I scoot off my bed.
“My deal? My deal, Anna is that apparently, my little sister and her new boyfriend, have been running around town playing super hero.” With a quick, glance at Peter (who was trying to be invisible at this particular moment in time) I looked back at Clint. “What are you ever talking about?” I ask, “Don’t, don’t even bother playing dumb. I have proof Anna.” He says as he tosses a newspaper at me.
Is our Spider-Man entangled in a Red hot web of love? Below it was a picture of Peter and I (in costume) kissing in that stupid web he made. I toss the paper to Peter, who makes a small whimper in the back of his throat. I can’t really blame him, the picture is of him, leaning over top of me, kissing me, with his hands in a rather unfortunate looking place. Plus, Clint does know how to use his hands as a weapon.
“Peter, go home.’ Clint says, tight-lipped, his eyes were narrowed and he looked, dangerous. Peter gathered up his things, nearly running out of the house, after we heard the front door close, Clint turned to me.
“Hood. Axe. Give them to me. Now Anna.” He says. “No.” I say instantly, “How can you do this Clint? I’ve grown up into S.H.E.I.L.D.That’s my home. You ripped me out of everything I knew Clint. You made me go on this stupid leave of absence, but you never once said no being Hood. You’ve been hiding something from me, this entire time! What is so important to you Clint?” I demand, but there isn’t an answer. Just a stinging in my jaw as Clint’s hand snaps out and he hits.
He. Hit. Me. Clint has never laid so much a finger on me. But he hit me. My eyes water, and Clint stands there speechless, stunned just as much as I am by his actions. He. Hit. Me.
I run, out of the room. Out of the house, down the street; out out out. I have to get away. Because he hit me.
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I don’t even know where I’m walking to, but I needed to get away from him. From everyone else. I just needed to breathe. That’s when my phone went off. I fished it out, hoping it was Peter. I needed someone to rant at, and Peter was my boyfriend. He had to listen to me rant, right?
It wasn’t Peter, in fact it was actually an Avenger meeting message. Telling me to meet up at Steve’s house. I wondered briefly if this was some kind of intervention, it would so be just like Clint.
So I walked there anyways, hoping to find out something. Or get a really good yell in at Clint.
Instead, I walked into a house full of the Avengers, and my boyfriend, and that Brenda girl, Steve’s girlfriend. She looked pretty pissed, which made me feel a bit better. At least I wasn’t the only one who was clueless.
“Brenda, could you just sit please.” Steve pleaded with Brenda, no one noticed when I slipped into the room.
“Why would I sit Steve? You couldn’t even trust me enough to tell me you were Captain America.” She screamed, seemingly not caring that there were some very important people in the room. Natasha stepped forward
“Brenda, I know this is a lot to take in, but you can at least let Steve and the rest of us explain ourselves.” she says, Brenda just looks at her for a second. She looked pretty doubtful, until Brenda looked over at Steve. She looked so broken-hearted, possibly even more than Steve did.
"Fine, I will let him explain. As long as he promises no more secrets. He needs to fully trust me." She replied, looking a bit unsure.
"I can't promise that fully, but I will promise to tell you what I am allowed to tell you. Does that work for you?" he says, as he wrings his hands.
“Yeah, I know how Fury can get.” she says, and then blushes. She knows that she’s slipped up about something. “Director Fury is my uncle, he told me not to say anything. He didn’t want it messing with Cap’s head.” She says. Steve frowns, but the rest of us are in shock. Fury has a niece? That’s well, it was unimaginable for Fury to have any sort of family.
"Well, I guess it's my turn to get my secret off my chest. Yes, I am an Avenger, but I couldn't tell you because it was a matter of security, But I guess it didn't matter because you knew who I was anyway. My question is though, weren't you the one in my room in S.H.E.I.L.D. when I woke up in the future?" Steve asked, as Brenda paled slightly.
"Yes, I am the one who was in your hospital room when you woke up. I just didn't know how you would react. I am sorry that I lied." Then she looked over at Clint and said "Clint, your sister, Anna, needs you. No matter how angry she is with you she needs you. And if I were you I would listen to what she has to say. She doesn't like it here and would rather be doing super hero things. Just try to talk to her.” I froze, how did Brenda know how I felt about the whole me-still-wanting-to-be-a-superhero-thing? Clint froze to, even more so when he realized that I was in the room.
"Thanks. That's the first thing that I have heard of her. She's not getting into trouble is she?" he asked, first he heard of me? Hopes I’m not getting in trouble? What the hell Clint?
"Brenda?" asked someone from behind, me. I turned surprised to see Peter here. Dressed in his costume no less.
"Brenda, Is that really you? I have been wanting to find you after all of these years. I don't think you know who I am because you have stopped looking for me. I'm your brother."
Well, that was just fantastic.

Notes