❝Just because you hate everybody doesn't mean everybody hates you. You have people that still need you around, and I'm not afraid to admit I'm one of them.❞
. . .in which she must find a way to navigate through a changed world and a changed heart.
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☼ ☼ ☼
The bus was about ten minutes away from its destination. It'd grown dark, and most of Andi's classmates were becoming a bit tired. Few had already succumbed to their tiredness, Peter included. He'd been fast asleep on Andi for the last hour or so, while she sat quietly scrolling through her phone. She was ready to finally get off the bus and get to wherever Fury had decided to send them to. She was ready to lay on an actual bed rather than a set of uncomfortable bus seats. She was also ready for the quiet. The chatter around her was too much for her senses, and she was more than ready for a break.
Peter moved in his sleep, and Andi looked down at where he lay on her lap. She smiled softly and placed her hand onto his head, gently moving the thick curls from his face. He looked so calm and peaceful as he slept. The sight reminded her of the night the two shared together just a few days before leaving for Europe. Andi had been swinging her way around New York to figure out who the city's newest hero was, only to come home and find her best friend relaxing in her room. She remembered how his presence made her feel. She remembered the butterflies, but she remembered the dread as well—the dread of remembering what used to be. It was the reason she'd dismissed control that night and allowed him to stay with her. Andi needed that sense of comfort only he was able to give her. She needed to wake up to his loving touch. She needed to wake up with his arms wrapped around her so protectively, despite knowing she was more than capable of protecting herself. She needed to wake up in the morning to the smile that made her entire world turn. She needed to wake up to him.
As Peter lay sleeping, Andi began to think about how normal things were beginning to feel between them. She wasn't ready to jump back into the vast sea of their relationship just yet, but she welcomed the feeling that she knew eventually she could. Eventually, she'd learn to deal with her emotions in a healthier manner, and she was perfectly okay knowing he'd be the end result of the battle she once feared she'd lose.
"Hey, Andrews," Flash called from his seat across from her. Gwen was asleep against the window, but Andi didn't blame her. She, too, would also use sleep as a way to escape Flash's presence.
Andi's smile disappeared at the sound of his voice, however, and she turned to look at him. "What do you want, Flash?"
"I wanna know why the hell you like Parker so much," Flash said, gesturing to her current affection towards Peter. "Like, what is it that attracts you to such a loser, Andrews? I don't get it."
"I wouldn't expect you to get it, Flash," Andi spoke nonchalantly. "I wouldn't expect you to understand what it means to actually give a shit about someone."
"Um, I give a shit about someone," Flash remarked.
"Yeah, you can't count yourself," Andi told him with a sarcastic smile on her face. "Why do you care so much anyway?"
"I dunno." Flash shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I just figured you'd go for someone with a little bit more spice, y'know? Sports cars instead of busses. Private jets instead of the subway."
