“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.
“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.”
“Well some of my demons can get you killed. A lot of them actually,” he said, throwing his hands in the air as he started to pace around now, unable to keep himself still. “Why would you want something like this? Me? I’m broken Summer, I’m an asshole, I’m mean to people for no reason. I really don’t have many redeeming qualities.” He knew he was too selfish to tell her off, to tell her the lie that he didn’t love her. He couldn’t help to feel like he could do that to him or her. Before he knew it, his pacing started to get faster and faster before he stopped in front of her again, quickly taking her chin in his hand and pulling her face up to his to kiss it.
She could feel the breeze as his pacing became a brief blur — and then he was making her look at him, kissing her, and involuntarily she put her hands up to steady herself. When he let her go, she gasped for breath. “What — what was that for?”
“Oh, you still want kisses?” she teased, eyes alight. She hung on his arm, laughing and happy, while the crowd celebrated below them. “Of course I’ll be your New Year’s kiss, Pietro.”
“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.”
“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.
She got up, starting to come to him, but stopped, halfway there. “You don’t believe you should be loved. Do you.” She shook her head, sharply. “You — I can’t change what I feel, Pietro. I’ve seen inside you. I know exactly what I’m getting.”
“No I don’t. Not after everything I’ve been through. Not what I’ve done,” he said in a hushed tone. “You’re getting a killer. A broken man who will probably hurt you in some way. Is that what you really want Summer?”
“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.”
I didn’t know what to get you for Christmas — or even if you celebrate it. Maybe you celebrate Hannukah. There’s so much we still don’t know about each other.
So like the song says, I’m giving you my heart for Christmas. I think you’ve had it for a while, and neither of us realised. I love you.
“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 — ” She opened her mouth, closed it, then looked up at him with a determined expression. “I love you. Pietro.”
“Summer…” he said softly as he looked at her, speechless and scared. He knew things were moving along more and more, but this was so much more. His instincts told him to run, and run fast. He couldn’t do that to her, to love something like him. “You…you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into with that.”
She got up, starting to come to him, but stopped, halfway there. “You don’t believe you should be loved. Do you.” She shook her head, sharply. “You — I can’t change what I feel, Pietro. I’ve seen inside you. I know exactly what I’m getting.”
He sighed and took a sharp turn along the water. “Well I did say that you could, didn’t I? I’ll try not to fight you too much, but it’s hard when I’ve been conditioned that way.”
“I know.” Summer gave a half-smile. “I still can’t see through your eyes, darlin’. I’m sure it’s very beautiful, though, and I like you happy like this.”
Pietro let out a small laugh as she called him ‘darlin’, something he wasn’t exactly too used to from people. “Well running is always something that helps me feel better or happy. A few laps around the planet can be nice to clear my head.”
“Are we doing laps around the planet now?” She hitched herself closer, arms tighter around his neck. “Or are we going to Rome?”
He sighed and took a sharp turn along the water. “Well I did say that you could, didn’t I? I’ll try not to fight you too much, but it’s hard when I’ve been conditioned that way.”
“I know.” Summer gave a half-smile. “I still can’t see through your eyes, darlin’. I’m sure it’s very beautiful, though, and I like you happy like this.”
Pietro laughed softly. “Well right now there’s just water around, so you’re not missing too much.” He sighed. “Can’t you, like, tap into my emotions or something to get some idea about it?”
She cocked her head up at him, gaze going soft. “I can tell how you love it, but I can’t see through your eyes. Besides, you don’t like me in your mind.” Lifting a hand, she brushed her fingertips over his cheek. “As well ask me to explain what the sense of your emotion is like.”
