"I promise tomorrow night, Y/N"
"I'm so sorry, I got caught up with something"
"Had to get something for Aunt May, I'll see you tomorrow I promise"
Those were just some of the numerous excuses Peter told you almost every night. Every night for the past two weeks you've been stood up by your best friend, Peter.
You'd been acting as if it didn't bother you each time his name would pop up on your phone, indicating another excuse, another day, over and over again. Before something had caused Peter to vanish every night with no explanation, you two were inseparable. Monday and Friday nights were movie nights, while Tuesday and Thursday's were study nights.
Excitement stormed through your veins as soon as your knuckles hit his door, waiting patiently for Peter, or Aunt May to open the door, inviting you in. You treasured those nights, because Peter was around.
But tonight was different. Tonight was the night you had really had enough. You moved from working on your Algebra homework, which Peter was supposed to help you with, it was Thursday after all.
You shoved your pencil back into your backpack along with your textbook and spiral, zipping it up for the night. Sighing, you shut off your desk lamp whilst grabbing your phone, plopping down on the bed. You gazed at the ceiling, your mind recalling the last movie night the two of you had, the memories so vivid.
"Hey, Y/N/N! I hope you're ready for Empire Strikes back!" his lips curl into that breathtaking smile you loved so much.
His smile being contagious you laughed, "Of course! It's your turn to pick anyway," you threw your hands up and walked in automatically since it's a place of familiarity.
During the movie, you look over at Peter, his big, bright brown eyes glued to the TV, excitement filling them. Your heart fluttered at his gaze, your feelings becoming stronger by the minute. He catches your gaze and locks eyes with yours, bright brown meeting Y/E/C, both of your hearts beating a mile a minute without the knowledge of the others feelings. You smiled at each other and then focused back on film, realizing these were the nights you cherished the most.
Your phone lit up with a notification, breaking you from your thoughts.
From Pete:-): hey I'm sorry about tonight. Pls find some way to forgive me again. Study hard for that Algebra test tmrw, I know you'll do great.
You sighed heavily once more, letting the disappointment flood your memory, knowing that whatever he was doing must be more important to him than you.
-
The next day at school, you were pulling out your Algebra text book to slip back into your locker, getting ready for your afternoon class when you felt a someone lean against the locker next to yours.
"So, you miss me last night?" the familiar voice waking you up from your school daze.
You forcefully slam your locker shut once you see Peter cockily leaned against the lockers, eyebrows raised at you. Your eyes narrow, whipping your head in his direction, anger bubbling deep inside the pit of your stomach. You scan his figure up and down, his soft hair slightly over his head this morning. His eyes played with you while your gaze fell on him, causing your cheeks to slightly flush on instinct from him gaze.
God dammit, why does he have to look so fucking cute today, the day I've actually taken into my account of anger at him.
Breaking your trance you roll your eyes at him and turn your body to face him completely, "Not really. After text number thirteen of blowing me off, I've seemed to develop kind of a taste for disappointment," you sassed back, a frown displayed across your lips as you watch his smile fade as your sentence progressed.
His eyebrows scrunched and his eyes dropped in guilt at you, "W-What? Thirteen times?" he stuttered out, his cheeks becoming slightly flushed at the numerous times he's blown you off.
You shrugged your shoulders at him, sighing while turning on your heel to the opposite end of the hallway, heading to your next class. You couldn't confront him about it in the middle of the hallway, you'd get so fired up you'd end up making a scene. You weaved in and out of the crowded halls, ignoring Peter's calls to you as you make another trek to Chemistry without your friend by your side.
-
"Please, Y/N, please talk to me," Peter pleaded in your ear while you continue to pour the solution into the flask.
You nudged your goggles up with your forefinger, shaking you shoulders and thoughts as you attempted to focus on the lab and not the pleading boy next to you. His sighs continued since the beginning of class as he attempted to get your attention, his heart sad for leaving you lonely for yet another night.
Peter scooted his stool closer to you, neck craning towards your busy mind as he shoved is elbows on to the lab table, "I'm sorry, okay You know that. I just was so busy that you wouldn't understand..," he pleads for the millionth time in a span of ten minutes.
Your brain fought the urge to look over your right shoulder to stare into those captivating brown eyes that sucked you in every time. But no, not this time. This time was different. This time you actually decided to listen to the intellectual part of yourself and realize what Peter has done to you thirteen times, is absolutely ridiculous. The added play was the fact that every time this happened, he would just run out an apology, with no explanation. You never asked for one, because you felt bad. You didn't want to interfere with his personal life. Even though, you and Ned basically were his personal life.
But, today you decided differently. You would interfere. You would crack him.
Your mind wandered back to reality, your eyes blinking rapidly as his continuous pleads began to ring back into your eardrum. Rolling your eyes, you reach up and yank off your lab goggles, turning to him with an exasperated sigh, sass taking over your demeanor, "Try me."
Your voice sounded skeptical yet angry at the same time, arms folded across your chest, lips pursed and Y/E/C eyes narrowed at his guilt stricken face. As the words carried to his ears, he felt a lump in his throat begin to form with the amount of lies he's about to let out in front of you. His hands became sweaty at your intent gaze, worried you may be able to detect the lies about to roll of his tongue.
He cracked his knuckles, head jerking to the side, mouth open as his jaw tightened in frustration before looking back up and stuttering a little, "It's... complicated, Y/N."
You eyes roll once again at his seemingly useless and generic reply to your concern for his nightly mishaps. You reach over and put back on your goggles, scooting your chair up farther before muttering to him sharply, "Much too complicated for me to understand though, right?" you sass back, shaking your head as Peter just sat there and looked at you with an intense, yet guilty stare.
Your snarky attitude didn't stop there. Your previous comment caused something in your brain to click as your eyes met Peter's in an intense glare, the back of your mind telling you not to stop there.
This is the thirteenth time, Y/N. And every other time you've let him off the hook. Not this time, don't do it.
Your mouth opened widely before turning toward Peter once again, before allowing your mind to take over and let everything you've been wanting to say to him for the past two weeks roll off your tongue.
"You know what, Peter? Every other time you've bailed on me, I've taken it with a grain of salt. I would let you skip your sorry ass into school every day, the usual sappy and half-ass apology on the tip of your tongue as you walked up to me, prepared to hit me with it. But this time, the thirteenth time, I'm fed up. It's not even an apology anymore, Peter! It's a game to you! No one in their right mind would make plans with someone night after night and then bail every fucking time!"
Your voice grew louder as each word jumped off your tongue. You knew you had attracted a few of your classmates' glares, but you didn't care. Peter never once separated his gaze from yours, his jaw tightening every time your voice grew. His guilty persona allowed you to cut him some slack, slight regret flooding your veins, your heart getting in the way of a heated and concerning argument.
Damn you, feelings. Fuck you.
Feeling your teacher's eyes on you, you picked up a flask to make it look as if you were working. Your attention snapped back to Peter instantly, head cocking sideways as you impatiently waited for yet another one of his lame, overused excuses to reply to your heated rant.
You swallowed the lump in your throat, Peter sighing as you did so. Your lips stayed pursed as you carefully watched his next movement, which cause your eyes to fill with surprise and shock. Peter's muscular, calloused hand reached over the lab solution (lol) and placed itself on top yours. The spark instantly ignited your veins by his sweet gesture and heart-warming touches that set you on fire.
He looked over at you softly, eyes settling on yours in concern, and radiated something you couldn't quite identify in the moment, "Y/N, I know that what I've done these past few weeks has been so shitty and such a dick move and I truly am so, so sorry," he let out, lips turning downward in a sad frown, eyes pleaded into yours, hopeful forgiveness filled them.
You heavily sighed, head looking down and then back up at Peter's gaze, opening your mouth to say something snarky yet forgiving all wrapped in one. But before you could respond, Peter began to let out his apology once again.
"What I've been doing could somehow put you in danger if it turned into something potentially bad, very quickly. And, I don't know what I would do to myself if something ever happened to you, god. I wouldn't be able to go on," his voice stuttered with fear and angst as the thought of your life at risk flashed into his mind.
You felt your heart puddle at the bottom of your stomach, face heating as the soft voice of Peter portraying his immense concern for your being met your ears in a soft trance. A smile formed across your face, eyes smiling as well as your brain processed what your response would be.
Peter cut you off, scooting even closer to you once more before staring deeply into your eyes, "You know I love you, right?" he questioned, voice quiet yet soft as the words danced off his thin pinks lips. Your arms and legs grew weak at his sudden comment.
On a romantic level or even on a friendly one, you knew where your heart belonged and why your concern for bailing on you was so deep.
Whispering lightly between the two of you, you answered truthfully, "I do now."
