Falling Slowly

14. A Foreshadowed Event Happens In This One

1.6k words

"Happy birthday, Pete." Emma smiled, giving Peter a tight hug. She held him a little longer than a friendly hug before finally pulling away. "Too bad I beat you to it."

"Twelve days." Peter rolled his eyes, smiling at his best friend.

"Twelve days is still older, dumbass." Emma laughed, hugging Peter again.

Peter smiled in content and kissed the side of Emma's head. Emma gripped the back of his shirt as if he'd dissolve right there in her arms. The only thing that made her let go was the buzzing of her phone. It was Paige telling her she was outside.

"Paige?" Peter still held Emma's arm lightly.

"Yeah." Emma nodded. "She just has to go shopping for her wedding."

"Don't you think it's kind of weird she's marrying Adam just all of a sudden?" Peter asked. "My senses are going wild."

"Maybe there's a robbery or something down the street." Emma suggested. "Paige and I have been friends for long enough that I can trust her."

"Em, don't you think it's a little weird that ever since we released Adam, crime has been at an all time low." Peter shook his head. "My senses haven't been this heightened in so long."

"Pete, if you don't remember, I'm a mutant." Emma gave him a comforting smile. "If your senses are correct, I'll be fine."

"Right." Peter smiled back at her. "Okay. Well, be careful."

"You too, Pete." Emma smiled, getting on the elevator.

She went outside where Paige was sitting on a bench. At the sight of her best friend, Paige stood up and put her phone away. They greeted each other with a hug and started down the street.

"So, did you give Parker his present?" Paige wiggled her eyebrows at Emma.

"Yes." Emma smiled, shaking her head. "I got him a little candle and some Delmar's."

"You know what I mean." Paige rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't like him like that." Emma chuckled. "He probably has plenty of girls lining up to be with him and those muscles that can be seen through some of his shirts. Don't even get me started on how he looks in his-"

Emma shut her mouth before she exposed Peter. Paige raised an eyebrow before shrugging her off.

"You totally like him!" She squealed. "If you didn't, you wouldn't be complimenting his muscles."

"Okay, but there's more than muscles to him." Emma said. "Like how his eyes light up when he smiles. Or how he gets excited over Star Wars. He also does this little jaw clench when he's mad. And he gives the warmest hugs. And oh my gosh, I like Peter Parker."

"Good." Paige smiled. She stopped in her tracks and turned to Peter's apartment building. "That's all I wanted to know."

Paige held her phone up and pressed a button. Emma's eyes grew wide as she realized what happened too late. The window from Peter's apartment blew out, smoke instantly billowing out.

The sound of the explosion could be heard from miles away. Emma tried to run for it, but Paige grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Emma grunted as her head slammed down on the concrete.

"We know who you are!" Paige shouted, despite Emma being right in front of her. "It doesn't take that long to read a couple of damn files!"

"Adam." Emma bit her lip, standing up slowly to keep from passing out. "You were working with Adam and Sara and all of those other guys."