Peter Parker Imagines

36. Sweatshirt

A/N: I promise part seven of excuse my french will be up soon, but I got this idea in my head and had to write it out before I got it. hope you guys like!!

Warnings: Mentions of Break-Up, Angst, Fluff

Sitting atop a building that had become familiar to him in the last four months, his hands freezing despite the built-in heater that Tony had created in his suit, all he wanted was to shove his hands in pockets or mittens because God, New York was so cold this winter. 

It wasn't snowing, not yet, but it would probably be within the next few hours. Everyone walking about below him was bundled up, making him think that maybe next time he would wear that Spider-Man sweater Ned had given him as a joke, over his suit. After all, heroes had to stay warm too, didn't they?

He shifted slightly on the ledge, trying to remain a bit hidden but also stay out enough so he could watch the front door of the apartment building across from him. For the last couple months he had kept up this routine, at eight pm every night. He felt ridiculous about it, but it wasn't like he could stop himself from pausing his rounds to sit on this ledge and wait. He never had that kind of self-control.

Right on cue, you came out into the open, your apartment door slamming as you rushed to lock it behind you. Peter felt relief, and the usual stab of pain in his gut, when he saw you shove a hat over your head and glare at the sky. He chuckled lightly at your expression, knowing how much you hated the cold, but loved the snow - ironically. 

As you began walking down the street, pulling on mittens and biting your lip in concentration as you struggled to get them on your freezing fingers, he stood up and followed, rubbing his hands together for a bit of warmth.

He swore to himself every night it wasn't creepy that he followed you. Okay, maybe a little, but he couldn't help it. You worked a night shift at a local 24-hour cafe, something he protested against when you two were dating, and he didn't like the idea of it any more now. 

Peter just wanted to make sure you were safe. He was doing his job - you were a citizen, he was the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, it would be messed up if he didn't make sure you got to work safely. 

His eyes were on you as you finally got your gloves on, shifting your purse and walking with a bit of a quicker pace. He remembered how paranoid you got about walking alone, and he knew you had a right to be - how many people had he saved from muggings in random alley ways? 

It had been four months since you ended things, but it still made his heart hurt to see you. He didn't see you any other time, because when you left, you had no reason to visit his side of Queens. You went to a college in a different borough, and you only lived and worked here. Peter lived on the other side of town. 

Maybe, he always thought, that was why you waited until graduation to break up. He knew he was hurting you by always skipping dates, or being extremely late, or not telling you the reasons for his tiredness and bruises. If you had dumped him while you were still seniors, you still would've had to see each other every day. 

He hated himself for doing that to you, but ever since May and Ned found out about Spider-Man, his life had gotten so much more complicated. He realized things that he hadn't considered before - they were in danger now because of him. They had knowledge of who Spider-Man was, and if that ever got out, it could get them hurt, or worse. He couldn't take back the fact that they knew, but hell if he wouldn't try to keep it from you. You were such an important person in his life, and if endangered you for something like this, he would never forgive himself.