Peter Parker One Shots

Radiation

He was finally going to do it.

Twirling the sunflower stem between the pads of his fingers, soul on fire, nerves tied together and running through his blood. Peter can barely breathe, but he's sure about this. He's spent years loving her and it's time to admit it.

It's the last day of school and no one's sure why or how it became the Midtown Tech equivalent of Valentine's Day. Paper hearts litter locker doors, teddy bears holding chocolate are being carried down the hallways in the arms of interlocked couples, and roses nurtured in plastic wraps are just about everywhere Peter looks.

He wouldn't usually participate in it. Going home to mope seemed like a better option than approaching her and getting rejected. But this year, for some reason, he'd flipped his perception and decided that - what the hell - he'd give it a try.

He's regretting that decision right about now.

"Come on, dude," Ned says for what Peter feels like is the fifth time. His hands are digging into his shoulders and Peter knows it's to keep him grounded. He's been smiling since the beginning of their last class, and it's not helping him at all. "Look, there she is, go get her."

His hands are shaking so badly he's scared the petals are going to fall off of the sunflower.

It's her favorite. Peter's well aware she likes things simple, and he's respecting that. Opposed to the hundreds of rose bouquets he's seen today, he just has a singular flower and a question that will hopefully be met with a yes.

All he really wants is a chance.

Ned spins and shoves him into the masses moving about, hurrying to get out and start their summer. Peter has enough time to turn around with a panicked look and see the thumbs up his best friend is sending him before he has to move in fear of getting trampled.

God, he's sweating. He rubs a palm against his shorts.

She's standing in front of her locker, turning the dial. Her hair is tied back so that he can perfectly see her furrowed eyebrows, lips pressed together as she concentrates. She's wearing the school sweatshirt and some athletic shorts, looking flawlessly lazy and like everything he's ever wanted.

Peter hides the flower behind his back with one hand and tries his best to do something casual with the other. His heart is pounding. "H-Hey."

Her eyes flicker to him, brightening. "Hey, Peter! How'd your last exam go?"

"Um, fine. Great, actually." His palm involuntarily rubs at his neck, and he startles at the moist skin. "You?"

She rolls her eyes and tucks a rogue hair behind her ear, turning back to enter the last number of her combination. "Terrible. Halfway through one of the essay questions I started falling asleep so most of it just looked like chicken scrat-"

She stops when she flings open her locker, annoyed expression falling blank. Then she glances at him, alight with confusion and...something else.

Something that looks a lot like hope.

And that's when Peter's heart gets crushed.

Because before he can even ask what's wrong or peek over her shoulder to find out, Mason Daniels appears out of thin air with his blinding white smile and deep voice. "Do you like it?"

Mason Daniels is the reason why Peter and Ned have never really held out hope for girlfriends. He's quarterback of the football team, not bad at all when it comes to good grades, and anyone in the school will admit that he's incredibly good looking.

Peter's confidence takes a nosedive.

Like what?

Her eyes are wide as she reaches into the small space and brings out a fluffy, caramel colored teddy bear. There's a bold red heart held delicately between its paws and all Peter can do is stare.