time lapse ⇒pietro maximoff

XXVII

Third Person

Time was slipping through their fingers. Time was up. Only four hours, 21 minutes and 45 seconds until the turning point of the battle. And Pietro and Eden were planning to make the most of their time. Whether in or out of battle.

The two white haired lovers strolled lovely through Central Park, gaining stares from passerby moms pushing their children in strollers, young strung-out teens and the old couples reminiscing the days when they were young and full of love. Pietro stopped them, under the oldest evergreen in the park, where the leaves shaded them so perfectly. But light still managed to peak through, and cascade down upon them.

"What's wrong?" Eden asked curiously, gazing at her jittery lover.

Pietro smiled, brushing his white hair out of his eyes and clasped Eden's hands.

"I wanted to give something to you- I was something that I've been holding for many years," Pietro stammered, pulling a leather band from the pocket of his pants and held it in front of the archangel.

The leather band was a drawstring bracelet, with several thin bands following one thick one, that was the color of a chestnut. It was his mother's.

"It was my mother's, it was the only thing I could salvage from my collapsed home." Pietro slipped it around Eden's porcelain wrist.

Eden gaped at him in awe, feeling this love  surge through her with new purpose.

"I can't accept this, it was your mother's." She said, looking at Pietro straight in the eye.

He shook his head with a playful smile, tightening the bracelet around her wrist.

"No, I couldn't ever possibly take it away from you. I mean, it fits perfectly." Pietro said nervously, and Eden blushed. This was the first romantic gesture in her life.

"I ought to thank you then, Pietro. I didn't realize that I meant that much to you." She said with a gentle smile, admiring her new bracelet. She promised herself she wouldn't ever take it off.

"Now I feel rather embarrassed, I hadn't gotten you anything." Eden said, her cheeks flaring in shame.

Pietro laughed and brushed some of her white hair out of her eyes, and pecked her forehead.

"Don't be embarrassed my love, you're the greatest gift that I could ever receive." Pietro said lovingly, blushing at his own cheesiness.

The two white-haired heroes continued their leisurely stroll through the beautiful park, until a haunting question was asked by Eden.

"What if someone doesn't come out of the fight?"

She knew that she'd make it out alive, regardless of any assault or weapon that was used against her. But she knew the rest of her team and even her lover, weren't guaranteed invincibility.

Pietro sucked in air through his teeth and he shrugged, wrapping an arm around Eden's shoulders and responding with uncertainty.

"We've just got to have faith, don't we? How else are we supposed to survive anything? I believe and have faith in your brothers, and your father." Pietro said, and Eden absorbed every word he said.

Faith in her brothers. Her father.

She hadn't ever considered that people had believed in her father as this higher conscious being. Which he was. This omnipotent being who had complete control over every cell, neutron, atom, and molecule in every universe, in every dimension.

And there was a possibility that one day she'd be prayed to for protection, health and strength.

"I suppose I just forgot, I've just been so caught up with you, and everything that's been going on." Eden said sheepishly, and Pietro laughed at her embarrassed little grin.

"This is what's keeping me going. Getting to see more of you, everyday." Pietro said, pinching Eden's cheeks.

She blushed, and grabbed a hold of his large hands.

"Despite any predicament, I'll always remain by your side, Pietro. I promise." Eden promised, but later on during the day, that promise would be shattered.

Pietro's heart didn't only beat for the promise of a new day, but for the promise of having his soulmate by his side for as long as he lived.

"Shouldn't I be promising that to you, my dear?"

"I suppose so, I don't know of your human rituals. You're going to have to teach me." Eden said with a wink, and Pietro smiled at his lover.

"So there's going to be a day," Pietro began, walking them down the trail.

"And when is that?"

"There will be a day, where we have no battles or lives in danger, no binding responsibilities, and we'll just be free, and I want to know what you want to do, so I can join you." Pietro said to Eden, and she turned her head in thought.

"Learn more of your human habits and rituals. I've always been fascinated with humanity. It never ceases to amaze me in different ways ever time." She said dreamily, and then spoke again.

"I guess, if we had all the time in the universe, I'd very much like to travel,"

She lifted her hand and leaves came spiraling towards her.

"To climb trees, to scale mountains, to swim across oceans... And to spend time with you." Eden said, turning to face her lover, feeling this gut desire to kiss him before time runs out.

She knew she had nothing but time to promise herself, but time for him, was limited. Sure- he'd live longer than the normal human. But he'd age. She wouldn't. She'd stay young and jubilant until she desired to chose another vessel. But it wouldn't matter to either of them what they had looked like. But the chemistry they shared would keep them youthful.

But Eden had this feeling, this pre-notion that they were running out of time. Despite the battle, they were running out of time.

"What would you like to do?" Eden asked Pietro out of pure wonder, watching the gears turn behind his electric eyes.

"I'm not sure yet, my life has always never had a stable source of affirming answers. But now, not knowing what's next, and having you to keep me grounded, isn't horrible at all. It's actually quite comforting." Pietro said to his lover, his eyes flickering from the sight before him, to his own hands.

"And I feel like we've got all this time to share, so let's make it count."

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