❝ I don't want to lose you. I can't. ❞

Just as he promised, Axel was at Peter's apartment door no later than ten minutes after ten o'clock. The blonde gave a quiet thank you to May as the female let him in, ducking past her and up to Peter's room. His heartbeat had sped up significantly, fearful of what he would open the door to see.

Swallowing thickly, the teen pushed open the door, stepping inside. He saw Peter's limbs tense up and he was quick to hold out his hand in defense, reassuring the teen that it was only him.

"Oh, hey." the roughness in Peter's once soft voice made Axel internally wince, and the bruising and scarring around the brunet's cheeks and eyes only made the ache in his heart grow.

"Easy, easy.." the blonde coaxed, setting himself down on the bed beside the wounded boy.

"Peter," he breathed out as he reached a hand up to cup one side of the brunet's face gently, "What happened?"

"I tried to stop a bank robbery.. it didn't go as I planned." Peter mumured out, not meeting Axel's worried gaze, teeth pulling back his bottom lip visibly.

"A bank robbery?" Axel echoed, eyes widening a bit in fear.

Peter swallowed, nodding slowly.

"Peter! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I know, I know." was Peter's quiet, muffled reply.

Axel's facial expression softened and his voice dropped to a soft whisper.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the teen apologized quietly with his thumb pad gently grazing on Peter's cheekbone, "It's just.. I don't want to lose you. I can't."

Peter glanced up at those last few words, "Axel.."

"Everytime you go out on patrol, and Ned and I are left here, having to direct you on where to go.. I always fear that something's gonna happen to you and it's gonna be my fault." Axel felt as if someone had taken a knife to his heart and split it open, and now all his feelings were pouring out and he couldn't stop himself from speaking them.

The male didn't realise he had been tearing up until something wet streaked down his cheek and he saw Peter's eyes soften.

"Axel, please don't cry." the brunet breathed out, his own voice shaking.

The smaller boy shifted closer, resting his forehead against Axel's. With his dialed to eleven senses, he could hear the fast paced beating of the blond's heart, and soon found his own beating in time with it.

Axel let his gaze flit down to Peter's lips briefly, before quickly returning his attention to the brunet's eyes. Peter's breathing had grown a bit shallow, he had seen the sudden change in gaze from the blonde and now felt as if he could explode.

Axel inched his face forwards, nose bumping against Peter's. Peter stayed still, not having much experience in the kissing aspect of life. But, he didn't push away, he simply sat there.

Axel, a hesitant gleam in his eyes, licked at his lips.

'Screw it.'

The blond pressed his lips to the other male's, earning a small gasp from Peter.

The smaller brunet fell back on to the crumpled up sheets, moving his hand up under Axel's shirt and resting it on the small of the blond's back.

The taste of strawberry chapstick melted in to Peter's tastebuds as he ran his tongue over Axel's bottom lip, earning a small whine.

Axel's hand wandered up to Peter's curls, tangling his fingers in them.  The other was keeping him balanced above the male.

Briefly, the two detached their lips and stared at one another with flushed cheeks and pouted lips, small gasps of air leaving them.

Peter licked at his lips, smiling a bit as the hushed taste of strawberry chapstick returned to him.

"Strawberry?" the brunet hummed, raising a brow as he spoke.

"Oh, shut up." Axel breathed out through a laugh, lowering himself back down to press his lips to Peter's once again.

Peter lost himself. He immersed himself in the feeling of Axel's skin against his fingertips, the taste of strawberries and the muted scent of Old Spice cologne. Everything drowned out until it was the steady but loud beating of Axel's heart, the noise falling in pace with his own.