“You what?” he asked as he spun around in the door frame to look at her, confused was just the start of what he was feeling right now.
“I’m asking for a man who threw himself in front of a bullet for me, without even thinking. For the man who wanted to take me on a date to Rome, and brought flowers, and was shy and sweet about it. The man who wants to believe death isn’t a part of being a hero, and is still worried about hurting others.” She looked up at him with a sad smile. “Love doesn’t exclude pain, Pietro. If you hurt me, I’ll heal.
“If you say no, I won’t say anything about it again.”
Pietro sighed not knowing what he could say to her. What he should say to her. ”There are others like that, like what you want. You know, without the daddy issues and the whole having a job killing people because I don’t know how to be any different,” he said taking steps forward to her, “I…” he said, looking down at her feet before looking up again, “I just, I don’t think I could say no exactly.”
“Name one of us who isn’t like that, someone who doesn’t have their own ghosts and demons.” Summer clenched her nails into her palms to keep from stepping forward, into his arms. “I — I don’t need you to change for me. I’m not asking for that. I want you the way you are.” She turned her head, strands of hair sliding over her face, closing herself off completely. “I’m not in your mind, I won’t — just say … what you want me to do.”