requested by jarvisdropmyneedle07

/ / / 

August

"When do you get home?" 

You glanced at your calendar, even though you really didn't need to. You had the date memorized. It was so far away and it depressed you to see it. "June." 

He groaned, tipping his head back as he did. "Another seven months?!" 

"Yeah," you frowned. 

"I can't believe I missed seeing you off at the airport," he said, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry." 

"You don't have to apologize anymore, Peter," you said. It was true that him not showing up and leaving you to get on the plane with May tearing up, saying, "I'm sorry, he was supposed to be here" and Ned trying to call him with no answer left you heartbroken and angry for the weekend of traveling, but it was easy to forgive Peter. He was your best friend and your boyfriend and you couldn't survive any time without talking to him. "It'll just make the reunion that much sweeter, huh?"

He laughed, but it sounded sad. "I guess so. I just hate that I let you down---"

"Peter, come on," you said, shaking your head. "You can't let me down. You can't. Now can I read you the poem that I wrote for my writing class now, or are you gonna keep feeling sorry for yourself?" 

He smiled. "Go ahead." 

/ /

October

"No Halloween parties for you today?" Peter asked. 

"No way," you said, laying down on your bed, your laptop on your lap. Peter grinned at you. "I thought you knew me well enough to know that I would never set foot in a party willingly." You unwrapped a Snickers bar and popped it in your mouth. "No, I have a bowl of candy and a book of Edgar Allan Poe's poetry. I am all set." 

"Sounds great," he said. 

"What about you and Ned?" you asked, chewing on your candy. 

"I think he rented a scary movie or something and we're gonna have a movie night," he said, nodding. "No parties for us either. I didn't want to go without a date." 

"You wouldn't want to go to any party, Peter Parker," you said. "Stop trying to flatter me." He laughed, and your heart warmed. It almost felt like you were hanging out in his room again, just you and him together. 

/ / 

December

"It's a good thing there isn't a new Star Wars movie coming out this December," Peter said. "I wouldn't be able to go without you there. It wouldn't be the same." 

"Yes you could," you said, "Ned wouldn't let you skip out on a Star Wars movie."

"I wouldn't want to go," he said. He sighed. "This sucks. And we still have six months left."

"I know," you said, a pang in your heart making you swallow hard. "We'll get through it." 

"Our anniversary is next week," he said. "I guess we can video chat after your class on Saturday and have dinner together to celebrate. I have your gift sent to arrive that day and a card is coming too. And---"

Guilt sat heavy in your chest as you interrupted him by saying, "I can't do it Saturday. I have a group project. We have to study that day. I present on Monday---"

"Are you serious?" he asked. "But I have a trip with May on Sunday!" 

"I know," you said. "Peter, I tried so hard to get out of it. I really did." He dropped his face into his hands. "I can get out of there by nine, but I know that's later for you than it is for me and I don't want to make you stay up too late, you know, and I just want---"

"I just want you to be back home," he said, slamming his fist down on the desk. You jumped. "I hate this. I hate this long distance thing. I haven't --- I haven't seen you in months!" His voice dropped as he said, "I can't see my best friend. I can't hold you or hug you or have you here. I can't... I can't do this." 

You were crying now, silently. "I know. It really does suck." 

He looked at you and smiled sympathetically. "Aw, babe, I'm sorry. I didn't---" 

"It's not you," you whispered. "I just wish you were here to lay with me right now, Peter. I just wish you were here." 

"Me, too," he said. 

You sniffled and wiped your nose. "I have to go. I have to order dinner and pick it up. But... but I'll call you when I get back and we can just sit together. Okay?" 

He nodded. "I'll be here, just call me." 

"I will. I love you." 

/ / 

February

Valentine's Day came and went, and with the distance came a plethora of love letters from Peter. Every single day of the week a new one arrived. And in return, you wrote a letter to Peter, sealed and sent with a stapled pile of love poems you'd been writing. Most of them were cheesy, inspired by the dark brown eyes of his that you loved so much. But he would love them. You knew he would. He loved everything about you. 

/ / 

May

"I got my plane tickets," you said as soon as his face popped up on the screen. And you swore you never saw him grin so wide. He looked so happy and you swore you saw tears in his eyes. You showed him the plane tickets and he gushed about how he would be there to pick you up and he would have flowers and presents and you'd go on a date and then he would never leave your side again---

And you just grinned, because you were finally happy, and finally full of a little bit of hope. 

/ /

June

You'd heard the phrase "Distance makes the heart grow fonder" but you didn't ever think of it much until you saw him. After a flight that felt like it lasted years and years, after a night of no sleep and extra butterflies in your stomach, you saw him. He had a plastic wrapped bouquet of bright colored flowers in his hands and he was wearing a black t-shirt that you thought he looked so cute in and he was grinning and his hair was longer than it used to be and a curl laid on his forehead and he was running towards you so fast and you knew if people were paying attention, they would notice how abnormally fast he was and how when he collided against you, he knocked the breath out of you and nearly knocked you to the ground. 

And you cried against his shoulder, smiling so wide that it hurt and hearing his happy laugh right by your ear. He kissed the side of your head and then he kissed you right on the lips, and you sighed happily. Home. You finally let yourself think about being home. 

Because home was right here, right in front of you.