WARNING: this chapter does include text about rape. it doesn't go into horrific detail but it is mention and is given a non-detail account. if there any people out there who do not want to read anything related to sexual assault please skip the confession/ explaining part of the chapter. i love yall and please if you need help reach out and get it. 3

My body was on fire. My veins were pumping lava instead of blood. My muscles were burning with acid inside of them, my lungs were struggling for breath since they felt like they were touching fire as they inhaled.

There was only white around me. Light seemed to be illuminating everywhere. Voices were being muffled by the ringing in my ears. My eyes felt heavy as I tried to look around the room but my body wouldn't respond.

"Peter," I felt his name slip between my chapped lips. From what my eyes were telling me I couldn't see him. Everything was blurring together.

"Flint?" I thought I heard my name. It sounded far away like it was behind glass. My limited vision showed me a dark figure coming towards me. I perked up immediately- thinking the worst.

I bolted up ready to fight.

Not Kilgrave. Not Kilgrave. Not Kilgrave. I started to panic. My mind was static and I couldn't think straight. I pulled against the wires and tubes around me despite the pain that it caused. I screamed, cursing to high heaven.

"Flint! Flint!" The voice wasn't Kilgrave's. His was full of intention and cockiness.

My mother came into view. Her voice was soft and leveled. Her red hair was pulled up in a bun, her eyes were big with worry.

"Mom?" I breathed out harshly. My vision was clear I could see everything around me. I was in the Avenger's Headquarter infirmary. My mother was in front of me, near the back of the room my dad stood looking like he was biting on his lip as hard as he could.

"You're safe Flint." My mother assured me before anything else.

"It wasn't what Tony thought… there was more Doctor Octavius." I tried to explain what had just happened.

"We know," My mother placed her hand on mine. "Trust me once your father found out about what you went through; I could barely get him off from beating Tony." She tried to make me smile.

"Peter…" I whispered, anxiety ran through my body. "Where's Peter?"

My mom looked back at my dad and they shared a look. After being not only together but also friends and partners for so many years, they could probably have a whole conversation just by the slightest of different facial expressions they gave each other.

"Where's Peter?" I said more angrily.

"Flint," My father came forward. "You took a quiet a beating, you don't need to stress yourself."

"Don't talk to me like that," I spat. I rarely ever got short or angry in general with my parents, after so many years of missing them I didn't want to waste time I did have now being angry. "I don't care what either of you think about him. I would have died if it wasn't for Peter. I know you two care more each other's wellbeing than your won and know I'm asking you- where is Peter?"

For a second they sat in silence, again looking at each other; I could read this expression and them understanding what I was going through.

"Don't look at me, stubbornness was the quality you passed on," My mother joked towards my father who smiled. She then turned to me with a more serious look. "Peter, took more of a hit than you," I didn't particularly like the sound of that because of the number of machines I was currently hooked up to. "He's in critical condition. Both of you have been out for about a day now."

My chest tightened. It seemed insane that a person that I met just a week ago would mean so much to me. If I lost Peter- I don't know how I would function.

Without another word I tore out everything that was attached to me. My parents frantically tried to talk me out of it but I couldn't hear them. My ears were ringing and I only thought of Peter. Pushing past them I jumped out of bed and ran down the hall as fast I could. I pushed past nurses.

I passed each room and looked in the window. Each failed room made my heart sink lower. I wanted to scream, I wanted to tear everything off of the walls. I final looked through one of the lasts room and my heart stopped. There he was.

I entered the room quickly and silently. I stood at the foot of the bed looking up him. The swelling in his face had gone down a little bit but he still looked weird. He had gashes bandaged up and bruises covering his face.

There seemed to be machines doing every possible body function for him. He looked too pale, the smell of peppermint that usually surrounded him was now just the smell of latex and chemicals. I forced myself to walk up to his bed.

"Peter," I whispered. Nothing- not even the flutter of an eye. I felt hot tears form in my eyes.

"Peter I'm so sorry," I cried. I sank down onto my knees and cried into the bed. I was his partner; I was supposed to look after him. He was barely trained as an Avenger- I had been here for months, he was my responsibility and I failed him in the worse kind of way.

Tony had come and visited several times, sometimes staying hours on end. We didn't talk much, not that either of us was in a talking mood. There were times when he thought he would wake up. There was a stir in his sleep, he groaned or his eyes fluttered but up until this point they had all been in vain.

The doctors would come in and check in on his condition. I constantly asked them about his condition which didn't seem to change. Every time my heart seemed to rip itself apart with guilt and a load of other emotions I didn't have the energy to sort through. I felt like a ghost of my past self- just the shell of who I used to be.

The days seemed to drag by but yet fly by. The hours sitting there seemed like eternity but at the same time, the day would go by so quickly because I wouldn't let myself do anything else but sit and wait.

It was on the fifth day after our mission that someone really tried to push me out of the room.

"Flint you have to get out of the room," It was Tony who spoke to me. "This isn't on you- it's on me. I'm the one that signed him up."

"You weren't the one that saw him get chocked, you didn't seem him look so defeated. You didn't see what I did." I said plainly. My hair was in knots from being put up and taken down without any brushing.

"Flint, if there is any change you'll be the first to know," Tony promised.

"Not interested." I shot back with some bitterness. "Would you ever leave Rhodes?"

I took Tony's silence was his defeat. He left a sandwich for me, I took a bite but there was no flavor. I ended up spitting it out and throwing the rest away.

That night I couldn't sleep. It seemed to happen every other night. One night I would sleep like the dead and the other my body wouldn't allow itself to sleep a wink. Sadly, I was up into the late hours of the night.

I stared at Peter and something took over my body. I got up and walked over to the bed; during the past days I had been reluctant to touch him because of his fragile state but now, all I wanted to is be near him.

I knelt down by the bed and rested my head on the edge. I placed my hand on top of his hand, there was no reaction whatsoever.

"Peter," I muttered quietly. Deep down my hope of getting a reaction was quickly thwarted. Still no movement.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I don't I even thanked you for saving my life. You know I would have died if you hadn't been there? You kept your promise." I felt my throat grow tight. "My only guilt is that I didn't keep mine about keeping you safe." I looked at him. "Also, I said I wanted to tell you about what happened to me and I think this is the only time I'll ever fully talk it out. I don't know if you can hear me but I'm going to tell you anyway." I already had tears rolling down my eyes but I needed to talk about that mission.

"When I started doing missions Tony gave me pretty simple ones. Taking down some drug dealer, catching some low key criminal in the act. I was good if I do say so myself. I got my missions done quick and without any loose ends. There were rumors that I was almost better than my mother at my age. But I wanted harder mission, I wanted to show that I was on par with everyone else. I begged and pleaded for months and then finally they gave me one. It wasn't anything super but it was better than what I was going at that moment. There were a bunch of suicides that were all interconnected by a small community of mutants hiding out in Philadelphia. Of course they were on SHIELDs radar but we decided to let them be. Until the suicides seems to pop up out of nowhere. I was sent down and through the next couple of days I found a connection- a man named Zebediah Kilgrave. He was a mutant with the power to take control over anyone. Not just put thoughts in their head I mean fully take control over their mind. Just by talking to you he could get you to rob a bank or kill a person. You are aware of what you are doing; you could be screaming in your head to stop or take control of your body but until he's out of your head- you're under his complete control.

"He raped me Peter. I tried everything. I tried to take control in every way I knew how. It felt like I was watching my body be a puppet on strings. I tried to kick and scream in my head but I was being held back by an invisible source." I was sobbing now. Words coming out in heaps, my breath was short and ragged. "He took my body and used it for his own pleasure and I just couldn't stop him. I know he had control over me and there wasn't anything I could do about it but yet everything I've been told throughout my life- taking care of myself. Being the freaking daughter of two Avengers." I cried. The weight of the story was now hanging in the air instead of on my chest and shoulders throughout the day.

I sat there crying by the bed, letting everything pimped up inside of me flow out. My body was shaking but my chest felt light. My breathing was ragged and short but I felt like a was taking my first real breathes in months. I focused and caught my breath and slowed them down. I looked at Peter and just as quickly as I had retrieve it my breath was taken away again.

Peter was looking at me. His eyes slightly open, his face understanding and his mouth formed a thin smile.

"Peter," I breathed out.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you." Peter spoke softly, his voice was horse. "Thank you for telling me your story. And Flint I just want to let you know, this doesn't change anything about how I feel about you. You're still amazing and wonderful and weird." He took a slow breath gathering his strength. "What happened to you wasn't in any way your fault. You were taken advantage of in the most sickening way and I promise as long as I am alive I will find Kilgrave and we will take him in okay? Don't feel guilty. It wasn't your fault." Peter looked sincere. My heart collapsed.

Carefully springing up I leaned over Peter and softly gave him a hug. He returned it with all the strength he had left. Pulling back his face was illuminated by the hallway light radiating in from the small window in the door.

My chest exploded and before I could stop myself I leaned down and placed my lips onto his. I felt his hand come up and softly place it against my neck pulling me slightly closer. His lips were dry but then again I didn't care.

I pulled away and looked at him. "I meant what I said back there too you know." I whispered in the air between us. "I do love you; you're my best friend." I wasn't sure what kind of love it was but one thing was certain- I didn't want to live and go through life without him by my side. It seemed odd that the daughter of the two most will-they-won't-they couple that didn't get together despite years of building a connection then had a daughter that fell head over heels in love within a few days.

Peter, wincing, moved over slightly leaving just barely enough room on the bed for me.

"You sure?" I asked cautiously. I didn't want to put him out. Peter nodded and carefully I laid myself beside him. We faced each other on our sides and intertwined our hands.

"I heard you," Peter mumbled. "The whole story. When I was out- it was like I was floating in this abyss that I couldn't get out of. I couldn't see, hear or move but then I heard your voice start talking and it just pulled me back into reality. Thank you." I could see that he meant it in his eyes. "How long have you've been here by the way?"

"Five days," I answered blushing.

"Without leaving?" He seemed a little astonished. I nodded. Peter smiled and then kissed my forehead. "Let's sleep," He suggested.

I fell into the most secure sleep I had gotten in months.