Us Against The World ｡ Peter Parker [2]

Epilogue

2018
Queens, New York

Snow had covered the city once again, the bitter frost reminding us all that winter would always come again and promise that the world would always keep on spinning, even when we wanted it to slow down. Maybe that was the nature of changing seasons; to remind us everything kept on moving forward, that the carousel of life kept on spinning. 

Years had gone by since the days of Gwen Stacy and the heartache had indeed lessened, the memories of her bright smile and sacrifice for her loved ones had become just that, a memory. Despite the time healing wounds, we did not forget her. We kept her safe and sound in our hearts and souls. We told old friends and new faces about how brilliant she had been. We kept her so close to our hearts, that sometimes it felt like she was still with us. We kept a promise. A promise to live life with purpose and strength and to live boldly and bravely.

New villains had come and gone with the changing of seasons. New adventures that tangled our lives reminded us of the stories of heroes. Time had moved on, but thankfully, we had stuck together through thick and thin. Even now, with graduation looming and the possible idea of what our future might hold, we still held our heads high and promised to always honour our fallen friend. 

It was New Year's Eve, another holiday that was supposed to mark growth and the idea that tomorrow could be the very start of a brand new adventure, a brand new year that could promise greatness. I had bailed out on Harry Osborn's classic party, the idea of having to mingle and pretend I wasn't scared about what my future held, too worried about not getting into college and even more worried about actually getting into my chosen school because that meant change and right now, I was in a safe place of contentment. 

Snow was softy falling from the dark sky, but inside the Parkers' apartment, it was warm and toasty. May had brewed her special eggnog, my parents had taken the night off from work to watch the celebration on television. As a family, we had huddled around the lounge room playing boardgames, eating sugary delights and simply celebrating the new beginning in a sweet and little way. We had shared our resolutions, which included May learning how to cook a decent meal, my mother taking more time off from work and my father starting a new hobby of fishing, which we all knew would not be very successful. With warm laughter and wide smiles, it truly was a perfect night to end the year on. And since a very long time, I was happy. We all were.

Before the clock could strike midnight, Peter had managed to sneak us away from our families, who hadn't noticed or didn't mind. We had taken the short journey up the flight of stairs and ended on the rooftop. Wind nibbled at my lips but with the stretch of darkness and the blinking stars, this was the only place I wanted to be. 

Peter wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against his chest. His hair was long again, his shoulders wider and his courage mightier. He truly was New York's finest hero and it was clear he was perfect for the job of protecting the neighbourhood. With his arms around me, I watched the city skyline in peace. 

"Okay, Mr. Friendly Neighbourhood Spider, what's your resolution for the new year?" I asked playfully, waiting for the countdown to arrive. We had spent each and every New Year's together since freshman year and tonight would be no different. 

He hugged me tighter. "That's easy, to never break your heart. Again. We won't mention that little incident in sophomore year, that doesn't count."

I slapped at his chest lightly. "Come on, be serious."

"Okay, okay," he paused, thinking about it. "I want to get into MIT and make Aunt May and Ben proud. I wanna' make Mr. Stark proud too. He's always going on and on about MIT. So, yeah. I want to be the best version of myself, hero and simple kid, that I can be. Does that work for you, partner?"

A smile graced my lips. "You're already the best version of yourself."

"Because of you," he noted. "Anyway, what about you? What's your dreams for the year to come?"

It was my turn to pretend like the question hadn't been screaming in my mind for the last day and a half. "I want to be happy. I want to live like Gwen would have wanted me to, maybe get into Brown or Oxford University, even though you hate that idea, but I just want to try my best and see where life takes me. That's cheesy, huh?"

Peter shook his head. "Sounds perfect to me."

With a tiny movement of his body, he was leaning me backwards. A laugh sounded from my lips as he dipped me on the rooftop. My fingertips gathered in the curls at the nape of his neck to hold onto him while snowflakes fell around us. In the distance we could now hear the sounds of fireworks and distant cheering, meaning it was finally midnight. Without a word, Peter pressed his lips to mine. It was slow and meaningful, nothing like our recent desire to kiss and never let go, this was powerful and filled with love. It was the kind of kiss that left me breathless and filled with such hope that every day with him could be this good. 

While the tip of his tongue tracing my bottom lip, his hands splashed against my waist, the moment was slipping away when an all too familiar sensation wiggled its way up my spine. Suddenly, a flash of a dreamlike vision went off in my mind. The only thing that blinked so brightly in my mind was half the world gone, dust coating the streets as people vanished into nothing. 

When my eyes snapped open, Peter was giving me that dorky smile that made my insides flutter around. He kissed my nose lightly, holding me close. "You okay?"

I managed a soft nod. "Um, yeah. Just...let's go back inside. It's freezing out here." 

He agreed, his hand twirling around my own. "Happy 2018, Florence Parsons. Here's to it being a great year!" 

A hollowness filled my heart. Dread coated my limbs like a bad dream. Apparently, our days of trouble were not behind us. The only thing that we faced soon enough, was a new war. A war that would one day be called the Infinity War. A sad story told by those who had lost too much, but were determined to fight back for it. That was my new journey; to fight back and recover the days that were once filled with joy. One thing was clear; the world would always keep spinning, even when half the world was lost, even if that story was not told. The heroes would always fight back against all great odds and become more than just old tales of time.