Behind the Mask

I felt a pair of lips touch my forehead. "Wake up, sleepy head."

I flinched out of heavy sleeping. My eyes took a moment to focus on Peter's smirking face. "Hmm?"

He crouched down beside my bed. "It's after nine. We're supposed to be in the auditorium by ten."

My drowsy brain muffled his words. When it clicked, it was like someone flipped a lightswitch. "Oh!" I leapt out of bed and threw open my closet.

"Didn't you set an alarm?"

"I was so beat when I got home last night..." I multitasked while fishing for an outfit. "I must have forgotten to set it before I crashed.

I'd spent the day before scurrying around the city in search of 22 subjects to photograph. I reached the number in only a few hours, but looking back at them I had to retake a few. I wasn't finished until late.

Peter watched me toss a pencil skirt on the bed. "Long day, huh?"

I made a noise in my thoat that agreed with him. I found a blouse and a belt to match both. I got on my knees and added a pair of flats to my outfit. "Okay," I said to myself, checking the time. I had less than forty minutes to get there.

I scowled when I looked in the mirror. "I don't have time to shower!" My hair was a kinky haystack after a tornado blew through.

"You look pretty." Peter said, surpressing a fit of laughter.

I snatched up a brush and worked out the knots without saying a word. When I finished, my hair was just a neater kinky haystack.

I saw Peter approach me through the mirror. "Is this your natural hair?" He asked, holding a strand in his fingers.

"Unfortunately."

He shifted the haystack to the side and leaned close to my ear. "I think it's sexy." He whispered, pressing his lips to a spot near it.

I tried my best to ignore the prickly feeling that shot through my body. "I need to get dressed."

"Can I help?"

I whipped him with the skirt. "Why are you so hormonal today?"

He just laughed. I shooed him out of my room and pressed the thought of him helping me dress to a different place.

I met him in the kitchen, still tucking my blouse into my skirt.

"So professional," He observed. He wore something similar to our date night that never really happened.

"Is that sarcasm?" I chugged a glass of orange juice and didn't wait for his answer. "Let's go."

"Easy, now." He took the empty glass from me. "We have time."

I huffed. "Are you kidding? We only have ten minutes before..." I titled my head as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the spider suit beneath. "What the hell are you doing?"

"There's only one way we can get there in ten minutes." He folded his clothes and placed them in a backpack.

He was pulling the mask over his face before I spoke again. "What if someone sees and figures out that --"

Peter was waiting on my balcony. "Are you coming, or not?"

I had this weird feeling, something mixed with adrenaline and fear. "You're just going to swing me through the city?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

I stared at him, and he started humming the tune from the Jeopardy game show. "Fine!"

I fit myself in a comfortable place beneath his arm and held on for dear life. I squinted my eyes shut, only aware of the webs shooting and the wind forcing my hair out of the clip I twisted it into.

"Are your eyes closed?" Peter asked me, as I felt a dip similar to a rollercoaster.

"Mhm." I mumbled, clawing into his shoulder.

"Why? It isn't scary."

"Says you!" I shouted over a car horn that sounded too close. "Don't drop me!"

He loosened his fingers on purpose.

"PETER!" My eyes shot open and I caught a glimpse of Central Park below us. I wanted to close my eyes again, but I couldn't. It was incredible, way better than any rollercoaster.

We landed at the back entrance of the building where the Photo Expo was taking place. I wobbled, trying to get used to my feet again.

"You okay?" He ran a hand through his hair after removing the mask.

I nodded, holding the backpack so he could unzip it and get dressed again.

Peter pulled his pants on over the suit. "You're so quiet."

I swallowed. "I'll talk more when my lungs get here."

Peter smiled and leaned to kiss me. He didn't touch me with his hands, just held me captive with his lips alone.

Believe it or not, we made it inside before ten. I had to re-twist my hair into the clip, but other than that it looked like we walked there like everyone else.

Peter's collage of photographs was a few rows down from mine, so I took a peek at it. He arranged them like a bullseye, circles and circles that led to the center : the picture of me and the sun on the building.

Mine was sort of color-coded, darks and lights separated into diagonal lines. It wasn't as unique as Peter's, but I was just glad I got all of my pictures in time.

The Expo was open to the public, though not many people ever came. I waited a while before someone approached me.

"Very interesting," A deep voice muttered vaguely.

I looked up and got a sick feeling in my stomach. He wasn't staring at the pictures, but at me. "I'm sorry?"

The man switched his eyes to the wall. "You are a talented young lady."

I saw the sweatband on his wrist, and the spider symbol hidden underneath. "Thank you." I croaked.

"Did you take these all on your own?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. He didn't look like a threat, but I could see it crawling beneath his skin. It unsettled me.

"Do you know where I can find Peter Parker?" He asked suddenly.

Lie, I told myself. "Um, no, I don't know him." Stupidly, I glanced down the row at Peter, and he glanced back. His jaw was tense.

"Oh, there he is. Thank you." The man started walking in Peter's direction.

I forced myself to keep breathing. He wouldn't try anything in public, would he? That didn't stop them from drugging my drink, but this man was alone. Or was he?

I watched closely as Peter spoke with the man, acting casual and calm. I chewed my lip and wrung my fingers until the man walked away. Peter looked over at me longingly, but forced a smile.

We weren't supposed to leave our places until they announced the results of the judging from earlier. I was so busy trying to guess what the man had to say that I didn't hear Peter's name called. They posted a ribbon on the photo in the center of his collage.

I shot him a thumbs up, but he shrugged it off.

It seemed to go on forever, but we were eventually freed from our shackles. We started speed walking until we met halfway.

"What did he say?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head before he hugged me. "Don't worry about it. Did he say anything to you?"

I slipped away. "Don't give me that crap, Peter."

"He just threatened me." He shrugged me off. "Nothing new."

"But they know who you are now. That's really bad..." It was finally starting to sink in.

Peter lifted my chin. "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you. They know who you are, too."

"They aren't after me! Who cares about me?"

"I do."

"Is there a problem here?" This voice was deep in a fake way, almost sarcastic. It could only belong to one person.

Chase grinned at the both of us.

"You could have showed up five minutes ago, when death threats were being issued." I grumbled. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"They're paying me to stand still for two hours. How could I pass that up?" He switched his eyes to Peter, then back to me. "And I wanted to see if you're feeling alright."

"I'm fine."

"Now, what's this about death threats?" Chase asked Peter curiously.

Peter hesitated.

"It's alright, Parker." Chase slapped Peter on the back like they were old friends. "I know all about your alter ego."

"This isn't a game." I warned him. "Stop playing around, okay?"

"I'm not playing, Liv." A serious tone glossed over his features. "I want to help."

"I don't think you can do that." Peter said quickly.

Chase raised both eyebrows. "What now?"

Peter blinked twice. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Oh, you don't?" Chase brought out his competetive nature.

I helped Peter avoid his question. "Are we allowed to leave yet?"

Peter did a brief survey of the people around us. "Yeah." I took hold of his arm and started walking.

"Wait up," Chase followed close behind, but we kept going at a quick pace. "I'm the best help you can get."

I bit my tongue. "Just stay out of it."

I felt Chase's breath close to my ear. "You're hiding from a bunch of criminals that want the Spider dead, and you're telling a police officer to 'just stay out of it'?"

Peter looked at me, insisting that maybe Chase was right.

"See? Parker's changing his mind!"

Peter stared straight ahead. We snuck out the back, the way we came in. Chase still followed.

"I'll let you know if we need you, okay?" I said cheerfully, waiting for Peter to strip into his suit.

Chase started laughing, paying no attention to me but the man in the red and blue spandex. "Well, I'll be damned."

I tucked myself beneath Peter's arm. "Goodbye, Chase."

He winked, and I felt Peter hold me tighter. "You'll call me."

Peter took off before he could taunt us any further.

. . . . . . . .

"I'm just saying, maybe we should give him a chance to --"

"No!" I said sternly. "I don't trust him to help us."

Peter closed the glass doors to eliminate the drafty breeze. "But he has access to things we could never get our hands on."

"He thinks it's a game." I repeated, flipping a page in my magazine. "It will be like involving a child. All he cares about is himself. He doesn't want to help me, or you."

Peter sighed, taking a seat close to me. "I saw the way he looked at you."

I grimaced. "What way?"

"He cares, Olivia." He said emotionlessly. "You can't see it, but he does."

"Bull shit."

Peter was taken aback. "Okay, then."

"Sorry." I angrily turned another page. "He just gets under my skin."

"Maybe you shouldn't let him?"

I ran my tongue over my teeth.

"I mean, think about it. Chase can help us figure out who we should be looking out for. He's like an invisible force that they won't see coming."

"Peter, I am not going to drag him into this!" I stormed into the kitchen.

He followed. "You won't drag him in because you care about him, too?" He said it as a statement.

I yanked open the fridge. "I don't feel like worrying about more people than I need to, okay?"

"To be honest, you don't really have a say in what I decide to do."

I stared at him blankly. He just shrugged.

"Oh, okay." I laughed. "I see."

He was hesitant. "You see what?"

"It's a pride thing, isn't it? You're just as competetive as he is?"

Peter played dumb. "What?"

I didn't know what came over me, but it felt like a sort of epiphany. "Chase is the last person I would ask for help, but I guess he's perfect to help you prove yourself."

Peter continued to appear dumfounded. "Are you serious?"

"Oh, come on. You and I both know you still haven't proven your authority over the city. The real challenge is proving yourself to the NYPD, so involving Chase just gives you someone to point at and laugh."

He pointed at me accusingly. "You know that's not true, Olivia."

"Well, it's either that or you're trying to get rid of me. You know I can't stand being around him." I left the kitchen without anything.

"Why are you turning this back on you? Sure, I'm afraid for you, but I'm afraid for me too! I care about myself too, you know. I don't see what other options I have." He folded his arms across his chest.

"Then you should be worrying about yourself, and not me."

"Maybe it is you," He suggested. "Did you ever think of that? You're so afraid and so unsure of yourself all the time that it's clouding your judgement. There are people that really want to help you, but you won't let them."

"Then what am I doing here?" I asked rhetorically, frustrated he couldn't make up his mind. "Spiderman is obviously your priority, because you can't last a day without thinking about him." I pointed to the suit hanging over the laundry basket. "You don't have to go through all of that. I get it, just ask me to leave you alone, and I will."

"Stop it!" He shouted at me.

I flinched, like he slapped me with his words. His eyes held me hostage, and if a look could be a kiss, it would be like the one we shared earlier, connected simply by the tenderness of his lips on mine.

"Please," He begged in a whisper. "I hate doing this to you, so just stop."

He hated doing what? Arguing with me? Leading me on? Making me hate him and love him at the same time?

"You're allowed to be afraid." He stepped closer to me, and I barely stepped back. "You're supposed to be afraid. I'm afraid, too." He reached for my face like it was as fragile as tissue paper.

The tears started when his forehead touched mine.

"It's okay to be scared." His voice broke on the end. "But you can't let it come between us."

My breathing hitched with the tears. I tried to swallow them back.

"After what happened today, at the expo," I was surprised to find him dodging his own emotions. "They want to use you against me, and I realized that if anything ever happened to you -- Olivia, if you ever got hurt...but you already did. And I couldn't help you."

"We can't do this alone." I understood. "We need help."

"We need Chase's help." Peter corrected.

We stood silently for a few precious moments, simply enjoying each other's presence. I thought he didn't know what it was like to wait long hours for the person he loved to come home safe, but he did. He waited an entire day for me, when the whole time I was safe with Chase.

The last person I would ever trust turned out to be the only one we could.