𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐄 ⚛︎ 𝗉. 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗄𝖾𝗋 ⚔︎ 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

I strongly advise listening to "Fourth of July" By Sufjan Stevens while reading to improve your experience

𓃭𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍

✍︎︎ Four Years Later...
✈︎ Queens, New York

Black Cat had just got off a city patrol with Spider-Man, 'I wonder when he's going to open up to me, I can't believe it's been seven years, and I still don't know who he is.' She thought.

She tried looking him up, or following him, but he'd always realize she was going after him and would swing around the city.

He's refusing to open up to her and she knows nothing about him.

These past four years have been eventful, but lifeless. Y/n felt...Abridged.

She was at the café MJ had worked at so long ago. Y/n was meeting her for a coffee date after not seeing her for a month, since her and Ned were going to MIT, and she had chosen Columbia. she'd usually grab a cup of coffee around this time everyday for the past four years.

Y/n wouldn't notice any regulars, except the barista Gwen Stacy and the brown-haired Peter Parker, he looked to be in his twenties, her age.

The familiar bell emulated it's ding, signifying a newfound customer. She looked up eagerly, wanting to see her best friend.

But it was the brown-haired man, with those sparkly brown eyes, a million thoughts evidently behind them. 'He had so much mystery to him...Peter Parker.' She thought. She always tried looking him up in the past four years, but found nothing of him.

He was a beautiful man, there's no denying that, and every day he visited the café like she had, he returned her smile, and made small talk. She assumed he was mutually attracted to her, 'I couldn't possibly insinuate that.' She shook her head.

Meanwhile, in Peter's mind, he was visiting his little Versailles every morning, his prized possession, and seeing her for four years through a shielding, jading mask killed him.

He was experiencing the grief of missing someone who was not defunct, but rather tempting him right in front of his eyes.

He always told himself countless amounts of times 'Don't mess with the spell, Y/n's better off without you. They're all better off. They're safe. They don't need Peter, they need Spider-Man.' He just wished someone was there for Peter like how all of New York was there for Spider-Man.

Peter was aware of Cat's copious attempts at unearthing his identity, but he insists on evading her for the time being, he always thought about his promise to Y/n and how he broke it. 'It's for her own good.' He thought. He just never knew she needed that missing puzzle piece, that she was suffering in silence.

"Getting the usual?" He tilted his head. "Yup, but I'm meeting a friend. She's coming in a bit, MJ...I've told you about her, haven't I?" She contemplated.

'Believe me, I know more than "of" her.' Peter thought then sucked in a short breath. "Uh...Yeah, yeah...You did. Ned Leeds too, right?" She nodded. He sat on the barstool next to Y/n.

This is how it's always been for the past four years. Y/n comes in, Peter shows up a short while after, then for the short time they have before classes they almost rekindle that old spark, and never exchange numbers or contact information.