Hunted [1]

~ Fifteen ~

Peter's next few weeks weren't full of words, but full of actions.

And, in other words, he didn't talk that much, preferring to write notes or speaking in a quiet tone.

He still did his usual routine; writing a note to Bucky every morning (he just wanted him to come out of his room), grabbing an apple for his breakfast, being late to school.

The only time he really talked, honestly and properly, was when he was Spider-Man. And even then he didn't say as many witty puns as before.

(Could puns even be described as witty?)

Ned and Harry were worried, he could tell. They nudged him when they had a chance; sometimes Ned tried his hardest to punch him and see if that had any reaction at all.

It didn't.

~~~

Harry was concerned. Peter hadn't spoken for the last few weeks, and he didn't know what to do. He didn't know if this was just a thing that Peter did sometimes, if he just had to be apart from the world before he could go back to it.

He was confused, to be honest.

By Ned's reaction, this wasn't a normal thing that Peter did, but he still didn't know what to do.

He hadn't been there for six years, what was he supposed to do? Act like he had when they were eight? Give Peter a stuffed toy and act like everything was better?

Because truthfully, Harry knew something was up. He knew that it had something to do with him. What, he had no clue. But something.

Peter gave him these looks, looks like he was scared for him - scared of him, sometimes. But why?

Maybe it wasn't Harry who Peter was seeing, who Peter was afraid of. After all, Peter had been avoiding coming to his house recently, hadn't he?

Whenever Ned wasn't free, he'd just say he had homework (which was a lame excuse, but a liable one). Whenever Peter said it, which was rare nowadays, he gave a small smile.

Harry didn't know why.

He just wanted to know what was up with his friend. What more could he ask?

~~~

The same thoughts were going through Peter's head those few weeks. Over and over and over again, they wouldn't stop, they wouldn't change.

It's almost as if his mind wanted him to figure something out.

Still the thoughts reigned through his mind. His best friend's dad had hurt him? Tortured him? Aware of every action he was doing?

He had to constantly remind himself that it wasn't really Harry's dad, that Norman was the Goblin now, but it didn't do anything. After all, if your good and you turn into a monster, you don't immediately turn evil.

What if he'd been planning this all along? And Harry was at Oscorp with him, what if he -

A sudden realisation had Peter sitting up in his bed, giving a small gasp.