The Trips of Field

Someone You Loved: 5

The view from the roof was absolutely stunning. As far as the eye could see, buildings reached desperately below them, trying in vain to reach above the tower.
Grass lay across the roof, dotted by chairs, hammocks and other outdoor furniture. The team had laid out a picnic blanket and were sitting around that, eating sandwiches and salad.

"Hey, anybody wanna play Never Have I Ever?" Liz asked, biting down on a ham and cheese sandwich.

"Sure! I'll start." Cindy chewed thoughtfully, thinking. "Never have I ever... eaten animal food."

Half of the team put a finger down, filling the air with excuses about pranks and dares.

Brad was next. "Okay, never have I ever done anything inappropriate."

No one down a finger.

"I'll go," Flash said. "Never have I ever been to jail."

Liz and Peter both put down a finger. "I went to visit my dad," Liz explained.

"And you, Peter?"

He swallowed. "I witnessed a mugging." It wasn't a lie, but that definately wasn't the reason why he woke up in a municipal holding facility in the Netherlands.

MJ flipped her fringe out of her face. "Never have I ever broken the sane bone more than once.

Yet another finger went down on Peter's end. "My nose has been through a lot," he explained. And my ribs, my arm, my wrist, my-

"Peter!"

"Oh! Never have I ever failed an assignment or test."

The majority of the team put down a finger, muttering "dang it Parker" amongst other things.

Abe was next. He crunched onto a chip and thought. "Never have I ever... kissed someone."

Ned, Betty, MJ and Peter all put down a finger. No one missed MJ bite on the inside of her lip or Peter's ears reddening.

"Wait, when!?"

"Betty and I were dating on the trip, and those two..."

"London Bridge," MJ laughed.

"I was in shock-"

"We were both in shock-"

"Sleep-deprived-"

"Adrenaline-"

"And the best decision of my life." Peter's face changed to beet red after he realised what he said. Everyone oohed and aahed except for Flash, Liz and Brad.

"Okay, next question before I bury myself in a hole of embarrassment." MJ shoved her hand in a chip packet, avoiding eye contact from everyone.

Ned obliged. "Never have I ever been shot."

Peter's head shot up, sending Ned daggers with his eyes.

"Peter, what is it?" Liz asked.

"Uh, nothing. Inside joke." Peter pulled his lips into a tight, sheepish smile.

Liz nodded, unconvinced. "Okay, never have I ever... I don't know, been hit by a train?"

MJ and Peter exchanged glances. Peter raised an eyebrow, to which MJ responded with a firm shake of the head.

"Okay." Liz put her sandwich down on her plate, staring determinedly between Peter, MJ and Ned. "What are you guys hiding?"

The three looked sheepishly between themselves before they all focused on Peter. He cleared his throat, looking down at his hands then back up at Liz. "Its just internship stuff. Don't stress about it."

She raised her eyebrows. "And so I suppose your internship involves shooting and getting hit by trains?"

Peter stared right back at her, not saying anything.

"What are you hiding, Peter?"

Peter panicked. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. Oh, nothing, I'm just your local, web-slinging hero with serious trauma and anxiety. No, that would not end well.

He opened his mouth, not even sure what to say when a distant ringing tore through the air. Everyone looked around, confused, except for Peter, who's ears narrowed down on the fire alarm several blocks away. "Talk about saved by the bell," he muttered. "Um, I gotta go, Mr Stark needs me." Not waiting for anyone, he stood up and bolted,  slipping out of sight down the stairwell.

Liz sighed, pursing her lips. "So, do you two want to tell us what's going on with him?" She said to MJ and Ned.

"No," MJ said.

"Why not?"

"Not our place to tell."

Liz rolled her eyes, exasperated. "MJ, I'm doing this for your own good. What are you going to do when he runs off on you?"

Michelle's eyes went cold, boring Liz down with a gaze that could freeze a heart. "There's a difference between when he asked you out and when he asked me out. I know why he runs off. He didn't tell me, I figured it out. He doesn't do it to hurt people, in fact it's the opposite. He trusts me because I trust him. And he's had a lot of trouble with trust recently."

"I just don't want you getting hurt."

"I've been hurt before, and so has he. I know him. And he won't hurt me."

Liz raised an eyebrow. "What makes you do sure?"

Everyone sat in silence as MJ leaned forwards, her chocolate eyes boring into Liz's own. "I'm observant. I know Peter. I know how he reacts in different scenarios and I know how he would feel about you guys talking about him behind his back. So do us a favour and shut it. I thibk toud be surprised about who he actually is under his facade." She stood up and left, hiding her face behind her fringe.

Liz swallowed. No one spoke. Cindy began clearing up the plates and cups, stacking them neatly on the blanket. "Maybe we should stop," she said, her eyes glued on making sure the plates were perfectly square.

Flash snorted. "Why? You've heard what he's done, so who says our theory is it correct?"

"What theory?" Ned asked.

The team looked at him. "Nothing that concerns you, nerd," Brad said sharply.

Ned frowned, stood up and walked away, hoping to catch MJ before she murdered someone.

"Honestly, Peter is growing more suspicious." Liz looked away and blinked. "Is that..." Her finger pointed to a red and blue figure about to web away.

"SPIDER-MAN!" Flash yelled, waving his arms wildly. "OVER HERE!"

The hero looked up, his white eyes widening slightly. He waved and jumped, plummeting for the ground. The team ran to the edge of the building, making sure he hadn't died. A web shot out, latching on to the other side of the street and an excited call rang out as Spidey swung into the air, suspended for a slip second before falling again.

Liz stepped away, going back to the picnic. She still had mixed emotions about the hero.

After all, he had put her dad in prison.