Every Day ── PETER PARKER²

18. A Happy Beginning

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      "Hey, hey, she's gay. Liz A is gay."

      Luna was trying her hardest to block out the singing of her friend, though it proved much more difficult than expected. Liz was dancing around their hotel room for fifteen minutes now, the cause being Liz Allan invited the three to the pool with the rest of the team later. Liz had taken it as an advance, and neither Mia nor Luna had the heart to tell her that it was anything but.

      Luna was lying across the bed, laptop settled on her lap. She had been trying her hardest to distract herself, but somehow found herself watching videos of a certain web-slinging hero, not at all aiding with her aching heart.

      "Talk to him lately?" Luna's eyes trailed over to Mia, who was now leaning over, focus directed on video playing. Her attention was directed to Luna when she felt eyes on her, a single eyebrow raising. "Spider-Man, I mean."

      Liz stopped her chanting at this, suddenly straightening up as her interest was peaked. Luna shook her head slightly, quickly closing the video and setting her laptop aside. "No, actually." She sat up, clearing her throat, a ghost of a smile resting on her lips. "So, pool time?"

      "You don't have to come," Mia started as Luna got off the bed. "If you don't want to," she quickly added. "We know it's been rough for you, being around so many people isn't exactly a good option, is it?"

       It wasn't hard to tell what Mia was referring to, the girl not doing a very good job at tip-toeing around the topic. She was saying Luna didn't have to go because Peter would be there, and being around him wasn't a good option. If only Mia knew how around she was, because the one thing she needed right now was Peter. She needed him to hug her tightly and rest his head atop of hers, then proceed to mutter words of encouragement that weren't very encouraging, but helped anyways because she knew he was trying.

      She forced a smile, shrugging slightly. "I'll be okay."

      Too eager to wait, Liz went ahead, dragging Mia along with her. Luna had opted to stay back for a moment, needing to mentally prepare herself before heading out. She had expected to be approached by Flash about what went down in the lobby, and the last thing she needed was to attack him while already doing an act of rebellion by being at the pool. She inhaled a heavy breathe, before stepping out of her room, the breathe immediately being knocked out of her as someone walked into her.

      Her eyes widened as she met the startled eyes of Peter Parker, his hood pulled up, bookbag thrown over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" Was her immediate question, already on edge by his appearance as it didn't look like pool attire whatsoever.

      "N-Nothing," he stuttered, mentally cursing knowing he'd already been caught. "Just, um, going to study?"

      "You're still trying to lie to me?"

      "I'm not lyi-"

      "Peter." He stopped himself from spewing out another lie, the desperation in her eyes setting him off. "Just tell me where you're going."

      He swallowed hard, eyes darting between hers. "Just... tending to some things. Nothing major."

      "Nothing major," she repeated sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is this nothing major being tended to by you, or him?" He blanched. "Then it isn't nothing major, is it?" She let out a breathe, hands going to her temples. "My god, Peter, you stress me out, so much. So much shit is going on, and I feel like I'm going to lose my mind."

      He frowned, his mind immediately going back to his conversation with Liz on the bus. Now he could see it, the bags under her eyes, and the absence of the smile she always wore. Hesitantly, he grabbed her hands, bringing them to wrap around him. Shifting closer, he wrapped his arms around Luna, her head instantly falling to his chest.

      She couldn't help but let a tear slip, feeling ridiculously overwhelmed with all that was going on. Her break with Peter, Danielle's blackmailing, her nightmares. It was too much for the small girl to bare, and she didn't know just how long she'd be able to cope with it all before completely breaking.

      "I need you, Peter," she mumbled, eyes squeezing shut. "You're never around, and I can't blame you for that, but I want you to be around."

      Her words hit him harder than she knew. He was biting the inside of his cheek, trying to calm down the beating of his heart. She needed him. And he couldn't be there, that's what hurt most. His frown deepened as she pulled away, leaving him cold from the absence of her warmth.

      "I'm sorry," she mumbled, hands desperately wiping at her eyes. "You were going to do something and I just got all emotional on you. Just, um, be careful." In a rush to get away from the current situation, she placed a kiss on his cheek before slipping past him, head ducked down. Peter watched her fleeing figure, his heart feeling heavy in his chest.

      She joined the rest of the team silently, flashing small smiles to those who acknowledge her presence. Staying as distant as possible, she sat at the edge of the pool, her feet dipped in the water. She had a million thoughts running through her head, all of them revolving around the same boy. She could see in his eyes that he didn't want to detach himself from her anymore than he did, which only confused her more, because then what the hell were they doing? Why were they doing this to themselves if they both wanted the same thing? Each other.

      Luna was brought out of her thoughts as she was lightly splashed, eyes snapping up to meet those of Liz Allan. Her friendly smile was present as she swam close to Luna, until she was holding onto the side of the pool. "Hey, everything okay?"

      No. "Yeah," Luna nodded, "everything's fine."

      Liz Allan pursed her lips, glancing back at the rest of the team before whispering, "What about with you and Peter? Is that okay?"

      Once again, no. "Yeah, we're fine. Just a little thing."

      Liz nodded, "Good, good. Because, we're rooting for you guys." Luna's lips tilted up into a slight smile, her mood slightly lifted. "Can I ask you something, though?" Luna nodded. "Is... Liz, you know, single?"

      Luna's smile widened. "Yeah, she is. Want me to hook you up?"

      Her eyes lit up. "Could you?"

      At least their relationship wasn't going to shit.

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I realized while writing this that none of my ocs are happy rn in any of my books wtf