You're Not Alone

It had been quite some time since he could comfortably say he had more than one or two friends, the kind of friends he could truly count on. The kind who would stick by him no matter what, the kind he could feel comfortable around. But every time he thought it was all under control, when he didn’t feel so alone, it slipped through his fingers like fine sand. Often times, he would not show how much it bothered him, instead steeling his emotions, letting on that it was alright. There’d be others, and anyway, he could pour himself into his latest invention. Who needs friends anyway?!

But the more he worked, the longer the days became. The more he isolated himself, the more he lost himself to the thoughts parading in his mind. On occasion, said thoughts even drifted to Proteus, and those were the moments in which he could swear his heart began to break. He could feel it, nearly crippling him, and he so longed to just break down.

But there was no one around to lean on, to offer a shoulder to him.

That of course began to change over time, once he met the blonde matchmaker. At first, he’d make passes, hoping to get a one nighter. But she would not take the offer, though she was never mean or degrading with her refusals. Instead, she wanted to get to know him, which was more than a foreign concept. But Peter’s ice cold heart was slowly melting, and he opened himself little by little. Right now, he was feeling more than a little open, more like completely vulnerable. The feelings  he was holding inside, dammed up to everyone but himself, threatened to pour out.

He was alone; nearly everyone preferred Percy to him. Peter wasn’t stupid in the slightest, he could tell by their tones, their body language, their overall demeanor when he spoke to them. He was human too, and it hurt him. Did everyone forget that part? He wouldn’t cry, despite feeling on the verge of doing so. His head bowed, the grip on his wrench loosening.

Before it hit the ground though, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.

“You’re not alone”, Came a soft voice close to his ear, followed by a warm cheek pressing against his. Peter’s voice caught in his throat for a moment, out of embarrassment, and being genuinely touched by such a gesture and statement. A shaky hand reaches up, grasping at her sleeve. But on his face is a faint smile, returned in full by the blonde hugging him.  ”Even if it’s just me with you, you’re not alone. Okay?”

“Thanks, Kam. That….that means a lot. ” No one’s said these things before, no one’s been that devoted to him. It’s a warm, comforting feeling he could sink into. Actually, without even realizing it, he had begun leaning against her, furthering the embrace surrounding his soft, round form. He was called ‘Snowball’ for a reason, but Kamora liked it, apparently. She enjoyed how soft he felt, and Peter truly felt at ease with himself.

Subconsciously, he had turned in her hold, catching the matchmaker’s lips with his own. They stayed like that for a few moments, locked in a tender, passionate  kiss, and the occasional, gentle touch of fingertips brushing together, or on each other’s cheek.

Even if Peter were to die in this moment, at least he could say he did so feeling happy, loved, and appreciated. She was right; he wasn’t alone at all.