darling [peter parker]

no!

Deep down, Wendy knew what was coming.

They were silent for a moment. She took a seat on the foot of her bed, the forceful action sending a pencil she'd left on her comforter that morning tumbling to the floor. He examined his hands like he didn't recognize them. After a long pause, he reached up and pulled his mask off. Her breath hitched in her throat.

Standing in front of her was her nemesis since the sixth grade, Peter Parker. And her boyfriend, Spider-Man.

"No," she said.

He shook his head sadly, his eyes brimming with tears. "Wendy-"

"No!" she shouted, jumping up from her seat. "No! This isn't happening. This can't be happening. Tell me this is some kind of fucked up joke."

"It's not a joke, darling," he said. His voice was so soft. So warm and comforting. Her vision blurred. No. This wasn't fair. Couldn't she just get one thing? One pure, uncomplicated thing? Hadn't she earned that? After all her hardships and turmoil, didn't she have the right to something right and good?

She stared daggers at him. "Don't call me that. You don't get to call me that." Was this entire thing some kind of sick plan, some kind of ultimate revenge?

"I've been trying to tell you," he insisted. "I was going to tell you at the party, but then you-" He paused and the ghost of a smile passed over his lips. She grimaced. His smile faded and he moved forward, reaching for her arm.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, falling back on her bed in a desperate attempt to escape him. "Was this-was all of this a joke?"

"No!" he exclaimed. He dropped to his knees and took her hands. "This was never like that. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I've never meant to hurt you." He took this moment to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Wendy's ear. He was so gentle. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend this was okay. Just another afternoon with Spidey.

Her eyes widened. "Then why?" His cheeks turned bright pink. It was kind of a cute look on him, she observed. She tried to shake the thought away. No. No liking Peter. 

"I've had a crush on you since sixth grade," he admitted. She froze. Wait, what the fuck? He absentmindedly played with her fingers as he confessed, "I only did the talent show because I wanted to impress you. And I only started photography so we'd have something in common. Honestly, I've lost track of all the things I've done just to get you to see me. And the whole time you thought I was conspiring against you." He chuckled, but it lacked humor.

He cleared his throat. "I just liked seeing our names together, you know? And seeing you. And when we would compete, that was the only time you talked to me, so I got more and more competitive and you just got prettier and smarter and more talented so I had to catch up. But I never wanted to compete against you. I just wanted to be with you."

She shook her head, dazed. Her voice came out as a breathy whisper. "Stop. Stop talking."

"I know what I did was wrong," he continued. "I shouldn't have had any kind of relationship with you as Spider-Man when you didn't know the truth but I was just so addicted to you finally liking me and-and getting to kiss you and be with you and care about you the way I always have. And I know that doesn't justify my actions in the slightest. What I did was still super shitty, and I was gonna end it after we first kissed, but you're so magnetic and much better at debating than I am, and wow, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Wendy was only half-registering his words. Her brain was having trouble processing all of this. So, this entire time she'd thought Peter was an enemy, he was actually just trying to get her attention because he liked her. 

"Why are you doing this right now?" she pressed. Tears traveled down her cheeks. He wiped them away.

He grinned softly, his voice cracking, "Because I want to go to homecoming with you." The air was thick and charged with tension. Everything hurt and nothing made sense. She bit back a sob. All of this, for homecoming?

She cleared her throat. "Get out." His face fell.

"Wendy-"

"Get out!" She shoved him away. She twisted and yanked a pillow from the head of her bed and launched it at him. He was already half-way through the window. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched him leave, his mask in hand. She shot up and crossed her room to the window. The grate laid on the fire escape, covered in leaves and debris. She hadn't even looked at it since Spi- Peter's first visit.

With shaking hands, she picked the grate up. She shook off the debris and carefully put it back into place. She grabbed the lip of her window and pulled it down. She went to twist the locks and hesitated. She felt the ghost of his lips on hers. She scowled and twisted the locks.

Fuck Peter Parker.

*

shorter chapter. this did not come out as emotional as i wanted but oh well