The frigid morning air combined with the early fogginess of the winter weather only made Peter curl up more in the duvet cover. New York weather wasn’t getting any easier with it changing every couple days from rain to snow in a matter of hours. He turned to lay on his side, facing the window and desperately tried to go back to sleep, but his body wasn’t having it. Once he was awake and alert, there was no going back to dreamland.
He let out a groan and rubbed his brown eyes, blinking away at the sudden light coming in through the window.
Slowly lifting himself onto his elbows, Peter turned his head at the alarm clock; it was just past seven a.m. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair, no doubt in his mind it was sticking up in multiple directions like always after a good night’s rest.
Peter sat upright, stretching his neck back and forth to release the stiffness. His eyes widened at the sight of the snow flurries coming down from the dark clouds, slowly covering the balcony in a white blanket.
Morning patrol was definitely off, he mentally told himself before hovering over the woman laying next to him. Emily. A small smile formed on Peter’s face instantly, he let out a sigh. He met her a couple months after he got back from the whole ‘multiverse teleport fiasco’ as Peter likes to tell her.
He was on break from the Daily Bugle when he quite literally bumped into her as she was running late for an internship at a publishing company. Peter quickly apologized profusely and helped her with her fallen items from her bags.
Emily thanked him with rosy cheeks and left in embarrassment, but Peter, oh, he was gone from the minute she looked up at him. He watched her cross the street safely and continued on his journey to the coffee shop. It wasn’t until a week later when he had to interview someone for the Bugle’s column of ‘upcoming people to look out for,’ granted, Peter wasn’t a reporter by any means, but one of the usual guys was out sick and he needed the money.
The woman he was to interview was Emily’s boss. After a short ten minute talk with the cold and calculating woman, Peter got half a page of notes and promptly left, but not without seeing Emily again. They talked while she was on break and agreed to meet up again later that night at a small diner for dinner. The two of them have been inseparable ever since. She balances him out and in return, Peter takes care of her. When she told him about her mental health issues, he immediately understood her little ticks and how to help through them.
She always clenches her fingers tightly, leaving behind nail indents on her skin when she’s nervous. She forgets to take her medication if she wakes up late. Peter even knows her routine, along with her coffee order. It was nice, really nice, for him to care about someone again, after a while. Peter wouldn’t admit it, but he was lonely, mostly afraid of himself and what he could do if he let that anger stay within him. He didn’t want to let it out again, not when he finally had something good, something worth fighting for everyday.
Emily’s long hair cascaded down her bare back, her bangs slightly covering her sleeping eyes as she slept. Peter slid them out of her face as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll be right back, bubs.” He whispered not to wake her up.
Gently, he lifted his side of the sheets to get out of bed before setting them back down to keep his girlfriend in the warm cocoon of blankets. Peter quietly grabbed his clothes for the day out of the dresser and headed to the bathroom to change before he went to get coffee and bagels for breakfast. He left the bedroom door ajar for Emily to hear when he gets back and not worry.
Peter smoothed out the creases in his jeans as he sat on the sofa lacing up his docs. He looked around the small apartment, seeing if they needed anything else he could get while he was out, so they didn’t have to leave the comfort of their home during the harsh weather. They already stocked everything besides the little things like more dish soap and sugar.
Wrapping the scarf around his neck and slipping his coat on, Peter shook his head before grabbing his wallet and keys from the tray. He probably left his phone on the nightstand, but he didn’t really need it since the bagel shop wasn’t that far away, just down the street. Perks of living in New York, there’s always coffee and food around every corner.
Locking the door behind him, Peter took the elevator down and ran into Rob, the manager of their apartment building. He was a kind old man, hardly bothered them for maintenance, but was adamant on monthly rent. Rob sent him a short wave before Peter trudged outside in the snowy weather. He didn’t care about the snowflakes falling in his hair or on his clothes. He’ll be dry soon enough.
Crossing the street to the shop, Peter grabs the door handle, holding it out for someone to exit. The woman mutters a thank you before continuing on. Peter nodded his head. He rubs his hands together, getting some warmth before heading to the back of the shop to order.
“Morning, Peter.” A loud, grumbly voice said from behind the countertop.
Peter looked up and grinned. “Morning to you too, John. How’s business?” He grabbed two large coffee cups and filled both of them up. Black with sugar for him, and for Emily, cream and sugar, just the way she liked it. He tightened the covers on the cups before setting them down in a cup holder at the counter.
“Always good. I take it you want the usual for you and Em?” The older man wrote their orders without even glancing at Peter before he sent it to Phil in the back.
Peter chuckled. “Of course, you know how we like ‘em.”
“Sure do. The two of you have been coming here ever since you moved in down the street, seems like forever ago.” John said as he used his pencil to ring up the two breakfast sandwiches and coffees Peter ordered. “Same as always, $11.50.”
Nodding his head, Peter paid him as Phil came out of the back, putting the sandwiches into a brown bag for him. “Thanks, Phil. See you later John, stay safe. This weather isn’t lightening up anytime.”
“No shit. It’s gonna get worse sooner rather than later.” John shook his head and yelled at Phil to stop messing around in the back. Peter took that as his cue to leave, holding the drinks and bag in each of his hands. He almost slipped in a slush of snow as he rushed back home, hoping Emily wasn’t awake just yet.
Holding the bag under his arm, Peter entered the elevator once more that morning and waited the seconds it took for him to reach his floor. His hand fiddled with the locks, still cold and red from being outside. He let out a sigh once inside the warm apartment again. Peter set the bag and coffees on the counter before slipping off his docs and placing them on the mat to not get snow on the hardwood floors.
He walked over to the radiator, checking to see if it was at full blast. It was, but not enough. After twisting it clockwise until he heard a hissing noise, Peter let it be as he washed his hands and took the warm sandwiches out of the bag.
His head turned at the sound of the bedroom door opening, revealing Emily looking just as adorable as ever in the early hours of the morning. She wouldn’t exactly say that, maybe something along the lines of: “ugly as shit when I wake up.” Peter walked over to her as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms above her head revealing her stomach and beauty marks.
Peter’s heartbeat quickened at the sight of her in his t-shirt. It was too big on her petite frame, but she didn’t care in the slightest. Her usual bare slender legs were covered in a pair of gray sweatpants and thick wool socks. Definitely needed if the weather is going to be bad.
“Did I wake you? I tried to be quiet, but the damn radiator was–” Peter began.
“Shush.” Emily said, pressing a finger to his lips. “Too early.” She side stepped him and darted for the coffee on the counter, wrapping her hands around it and taking a sip, letting out a sigh as she did.
Peter shook his head and took a seat next to her at the counter. He watched as Emily reached a hand out for her sandwich, but he moved it away at the last second, earning a glare from her. “Not yet, bubs.” He reached up to the nearby cabinet and took out a pill bottle, opening it and handing her medication. “Take that first.”
Still glaring at the man, Emily sighed, resting her chin in her palm, and pouted. “Do I have to?”
“Yes. It’ll be quick and then we can eat.” He smiled and waited patiently as Emily slowly put the pill in her mouth and swallowed it with the warm drink. She looked at Peter with raised eyebrows, gesturing to him to hand her the food. She stood up, carrying the sandwich and coffee to the living room and sat on the couch, right leg over left, with a blanket on her lap.
Emily grabbed the tv remote and put on the news to check in on the snowstorm situation. It was only going to get worse by continuing over the weekend, with more flurries coming in from the north.
Shrugging her shoulders, she ripped the paper wrappings off the sandwich and took a bite of the warm food, getting some ketchup on the side of her mouth. Emily ignored it and continued to eat.
Peter chuckled and stood up, grabbing a handful of napkins, along with his breakfast meal, and sat next to her. He took a sip of his coffee before lifting a napkin to Emily’s face. She looked at him with a perplexed look as he held her chin and wiped off the excess condiment she had on her face. Peter rolled it into a ball and threw it into the trash from across the room, making it in one shot.
The two of them sat quietly in each other’s company, knees touching one another as they watched the snow fall from the sky. Peter tilts his head, looking at how Emily cups her small hands around the coffee cup once more that chilly morning. The rings on her fingers glisten in the light coming from the television. He’s grown to like them when the metal isn’t scratching his face or hitting his nose in the middle of the night. They fit her perfectly, especially the one he has hidden in the bottom of his sock drawer that Peter plans to give her whenever he feels like it.