The next day, you opted out of sightseeing. Your excuse was cramps, but you knew that Ned, Peter, Flash, and MJ certainly wouldn't buy that. After all, they knew the mess that you were in. But you went downstairs at the end of breakfast and grabbed the rest of the muffins, took them back up to your room, and then ate those and drank the flavored waters that were in the vending machines in the ice room. 

Luckily, no one tried to come up to visit you. 

Not until that night. 

But all afternoon, you were bothered by so many text messages, and they were all from an unknown number. It was clearly Flash. You didn't have his number but for whatever freaking reason, he had yours.

All of the texts were different apologies. He sent several every hour - begging you to forgive him.

And to be honest, you wanted to. But your heart felt so incredibly blocked up. The three people you trusted had hurt your feelings in a matter of two days. And two of those three had left you behind without so much as a second thought. 

(But Flash didn't leave you behind, you left him.)

(But what he did to you-)

When there was a knock on the door, you nearly screamed. All you wanted to be was alone - didn't you make that clear?

You opened the door just a crack. "What?" you muttered. 

Ned was standing there. "Hi," he said softly. 

"Ned," you said, swallowing thickly. "I just want to be left alone today, alright?" 

"I will leave you alone," he said. "But you - you shouldn't let us ruin your vacation. I know. I know we screwed up, and apologizing is never gonna be enough. Best friends aren't supposed to hurt each other but I definitely hurt you and so did Peter and - and so did Flash."

You rolled your eyes. "Flash definitely isn't even a friend."

Suddenly, your door was pushed open a little more. You jumped back, catching it with both of your hands as Flash stepped in front of Ned. 

"Dude, I know what I did was horrible, but it wasn't all just me trying to tick Parker off, okay?" You tried to shut the door on him and he stepped in the space between. "No! Listen to me, okay? That's all I ask - listen to me. I never wanted to hurt you. Yeah, that was a total jerk move but... let's be honest, I've been a jerk until I started hanging out with you. And maybe I only did start talking to you yesterday but I've liked you for a really long time."

You blinked at him. "But what you did-"

"Was horrible, yeah. I know." He sighed. "If I could take it back, I would. It certainly wasn't worth it, even if it did make Peter jealous. Because really... it just made you miserable and that wasn't what I wanted to do. I just - I'm sorry."

You blinked and nodded. Stepping backwards, you said, "Do you want to take a walk?" 

"Yes," he said quickly. 

"Okay. Wait here and I'll get my shoes and a jacket." You shut the door on him gently and then turned around, pressing your back to the wood. 

You took a deep breath, then you went to get your shoes on.

//

"Everything is a mess."

You and Flash were stepping onto the sidewalk, walking side by side. It was raining a little, and with both of your hoods up, you were glad that Flash couldn't see your face. 

"I'm sorry I added to it," he said. 

"I... forgive you," you said. You looked at him.

"You do?" 

"Yeah," you said. "There's no use in me holding onto grudges. Especially when it comes to the only three people I consider my friends."

"I-I thought that you didn't think I was a friend," he said softly.

"Flash - even though I'm still struggling to think that you didn't do everything last night just as a way to make Peter mad, I still just... spending that day with you, I could be myself. That has to stand for something. Or maybe Europe is making me sound like a character in a stupid Lifetime movie." You fake gagged. "Okay, can we just - be normal? I'll forget all of this, you can forget all of this... Ned and Betty can be together and MJ and Peter can be together... and we-" You stopped.

"Can be together?" he finished for you.

You smiled. "Uh, yeah."

He nodded, then held out his hand. "Come on - let's get you out of the rain."

You took his hand happily. "Where are we going?"

"We're gonna make up for all of the stuff you missed today because your new friend was a complete butthead."

You laughed softly. "But all of the museums and exhibits and things are closed-"

"Who needs 'em?" He tugged you along, breaking out into a slow run. "Come on!" 

//

For the next three hours, you and Flash did simple things, like jumping in puddles where the cobblestone street dipped in a little, or stopping for gelato three more times because why not. And the entire time, you both took pictures and held hands and did everything just as you did it the day before. 

The streets were dimly lit and mostly empty, and you both were oblivious to where you were walking. But when you turned onto a new street to look at the shops on the corner, a man stepped out of the shadows. And he had a knife. 

In his heavy accent, he demanded money. Neither of you said or did anything.

You grabbed Flash's arm. He froze up and you looked at him, wide eyed and shaking suddenly. "Flash," you said-

The mugger was annoyed. He swiped for your bag, making you yelp as the blade of his knife slashed towards you, like he was going to hold it to your throat, and that was enough to drag Flash out of his terror. 

He grabbed the guy by his arm and jerked it downwards, trying to tear the knife away from him. 

"Flash!" you screamed. 

He twisted his arm, but the guy was bigger than him-

"Flash!" 

Suddenly, a figure swung out from behind your head, grabbing the mugger with the knife and lifting him off of the ground. You knew it was Spider-Man before you could even look at him. As Peter webbed the guy to the side of the nearest building, Flash fell to the ground, catching himself on his hands. You grabbed onto him.

"Flash, oh my gosh-" 

"I-Is that Spider-Man?" he stammered. "Holy crap, that's Spider-Man."

You ignored him. "Flash, are you-"

He blinked fast again. "Are you okay?"

"You tackled a guy. A guy with a knife."

Flash looked at the knife that was now laying on the ground. "I tackled a guy with a knife," he said in realization.

You helped him stand up, keeping your arms around him.

"I tackled a guy with a knife for a girl," he said. And he beamed. "I'm a hero."

You gave him a funny look.

Peter ran up to you, masked. "You guys good?" he asked, and he switched from his fake Queens accent to a fake British accent in the middle of the sentence.

"Fine," you said. "Thank you, Spider-Man."

"No worries," he replied.

You reached out and grabbed his arm. "I-" You couldn't finish what you wanted to say, because Flash was still standing right next to you. "Just... thank you."

He nodded, understanding. "You're welcome."

You smiled, and he saluted. "You two have a great time together," he said, and he shot a web that lifted him off the ground and towards the rooftops.

Flash stared after him. In a small voice, he whimpered, "Is Peter Spider-Man?"

You sighed.

Flash looked at you. "Did you know?"

//

In the end of it all, Ned stayed with Betty. Peter stayed with MJ. And you stayed with Flash.

And while you weren't too sure what your future would be with him, you were hopeful and optimistic. Because you liked him and he liked you, and on the way home, you sat by him on the plane, by the window.

And before take off, you had your head on his shoulder and he had his head against your hair. Your fingers were intertwined with his, both of you staring at the way you held each other's hands.

"I promise I will never hurt you again," Flash murmured. "And I will protect you from all muggers."

You laughed softly and turned your head to look at him. He looked down at you and then leaned down, kissing your forehead. It made your skin tingle.

Betty and Ned walked on the plane.

"Hey, guys," Ned said happily, waving with a cheesy grin on his face.

You waved with your free hand and smiled.

"It's kinda weird..." Flash sighed.

"What is?"

"I can't... really make fun of Ned and Peter anymore, ya know, 'cause they're my girlfriend's friends," he said.

"Well, I like you better when you don't make fun of anyone," you said.

"Yeah, I like me better that way, too," he agreed. "So... can I go ahead and kiss you... or..."

You flashed a grin. "You'd better, Thompson."

And he did - right there on the plane. And Peter and Ned and Betty and MJ and literally everyone else they came with made fun of him for it, and he just didn't care.

How things had worked out this perfect for you, you weren't sure.

///

that's probably the end