TROUBLE! ━ TASM.

fifteen.

"I'm free!" Violet yelled at the top of her lungs, feeling the cool New York air swipe against her skin and chill her to the bone. She glanced around at the tall buildings around her before looking back at her mom and Peter, grinning like a child.

Peter laughed softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close for a tender kiss to the temple. Ever since he had introduced himself to Violet's mother and even gotten on good terms with her, he had been more of himself around her, even if it still made Violet's stomach curl nervously. "Not really, but I'm glad you're happy to be outside! That's new!" He taunted.

She gave him a nice, hard slug on the shoulder before closing her eyes in a wince at the sharp tug in her side, leaning into him more. "God, I wish I could just snap back into myself. Fuck trauma." She grumbled.

"Yeah, well, don't do stupid things," her mother chirped, "and maybe that wouldn't happen!" Giving her daughter a rub on the head, she gave the couple of teenagers a grin before glancing at the two cars in the hospital carpool lane. "C'mon, Aunt May is waiting to drive you guys home, and I have to get home to put Vi's clothes away before she comes back. Are you sure you can get her home fine, Peter?"

Ah, a mother's care.

The brunette boy gave the older woman a grin. "Yes, ma'am. She'll be home before you know it, safe and sound." And then he turned his head to give Violet a subtle wink, and she automatically knew what he meant.

"Fuck me." She grumbled. "But, come on. I have to update Aunt May on my life! I missed her so much!" She pulled away from the warmth of her boyfriend, hobbling her way over to the car that Aunt May had parked in front of them, pulling open the back door and sliding herself carefully on the seat. "Aunt May, my dear. I missed you."

Peter's aunt whipped around in her seat, her head tilting adoringly. "Violet. I missed you more. How are you feeling? Sore?"

Violet's mind fought to bring a laugh out of her lips at the dirty jokes that plagued her mind, but she just smiled sweetly. "Nothing I haven't felt before. Sad I have to leave you guys, though."

"Oh, you don't have to leave, you know that. But it is better for you to be home, my girl, and to talk to your mother. You're welcome over any time, and I know me and Ben would love to have you over for dinner as much as possible. A table of four isn't good for sitting three, you know?" Aunt May smiled as her nephew slid into the backseat with Violet, before turning forward to start the car and pull out of the hospital parking lot.

The girl leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder, closing her eyes and relishing in the warmth of the car and of the moment. She took a deep inhale of his cologne, snuggling closer into his side when his arm pulled her in.

Having a near death experience was oddly refreshing. It seemed to have shocked Violet back to life in the most ironic way possible. She realized what she lost didn't compare to what she had, and that she had to appreciate everything that came her way, even if it didn't make her happy in the moment. A single, spontaneous moment of meeting someone new had left her with a boy that made her happier than anything else in the world, and her father coming back and leaving again had left her closer to her mother than she had been her entire life.

Despite the life-rocking events that had occurred during the last week, she didn't think she could be happier.

In the midst of her deep thinking, Violet had fallen asleep tucked in the crook of Peter's arm, and was awoken by him nudging her gently. "C'mon, babe, let's go get your stuff so you can go home and sleep your free life away." His words were gentle, but he giggled quietly as he kissed her head.

The two crawled out of the warm car reluctantly, stepping slowly into Peter's house and stumbling up the stairs. They took a look around the space they had shared for the past two weeks, reminiscing on the way both of their things laid sprawled out across the desk and floor.

Peter wrapped his arms around her shoulders from where he stood behind her, laying his head on hers. "I love you, you know," he mumbled quietly, "more than anything."

She leaned her head against his arm, a smile playing on her lips. "I know. You've proved it multiple times." She turned around, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him. "And I love you, too. Always."

He grinned down at her, leaning down to kiss her lips before pulling back to chuckle lowly. "Remember when you wouldn't even admit you liked me? Even though you were very obviously super smitten with my boyish charm." His eyes rolled dramatically.

Groaning, she leaned back until she was broken from his hold, taking a step back. "Shut up. I don't want to talk about my inner demons with you right now." Then she started to pick up her stuff, folding her clothes.

"Maybe later, then?" Peter joked, helping her grab everything and tossing it on the bed to sort through later.

After about an hour of finding her stuff, folding it and packing it into bags, and fooling around like children, the duo had managed to get all of Violet's stuff together. Then, after another hour of fooling around, Peter guided her downstairs with a hand at the bottom of her spine. She said a way-too-dramatic goodbye to Aunt May and Uncle Ben before walking out with him, turning to him.

"We're not actually swinging to my house, are we?" Violet questioned, looking up at him.

Peter looked down at her like she was crazy. "Who do you think I am, Wonder Woman? Of course we are." He swung one bag over his shoulder before the other one on his other arm, before wrapping one of them around her waist. "Hold on, darling."

She wrapped her arms around his torso, trapping herself against him and letting out a huge sigh.

"You said you were free," he mumbled softly, the sound of a web zipping through the air, "now be free."

With that, her feet were off the ground, the wind howling in her ears. A huge gust of bravado built up in her chest, her eyes opening to glance at the buildings zipping by, lights flashing before she could even make out what they were illuminating.

Laughing as loud as she could and letting the sound get carried around from her, she turned her head to look around even more, a large grin brightening up her face.

This is how she wanted to live. With a boy she loved, a mother stronger than she could've recognized, and a life that she wanted to be stuck in forever.

THE END.

OR IS IT?