xlvii. different paths
chapter forty-seven
different paths
NINA HAS LEARNT, very quickly, that the universe enjoyed throwing her off-course. Making her stumble and gasp and reconsider everything she had been so sure of. She used to be so sure of her life, and in the past few years, what she was so determined to believe about herself━about the life she wanted━has tossed and it has turned. It has deviated off towards a different path filled with mishaps and dead-ends and ditches, and while the essence of her dream was still there, so much has also been added, and then changed━or completely switched.
She also quickly realised that most of these road bumps and these sharp turns and these thrilling chases have been the result of one, single person. For whenever she thought she should give up━whenever she cursed and declared that nothing could ever be. The universe reminded her that despite how much of an empty seat Peter Parker has become ... some days━some very special days of her life, he was there.
And it left her stumbling. It left her tumbling. It left her wondering what the universe was thinking when it chose her to play with, because no matter what, Nina Hart loved Peter Parker. It was a realisation that hurt but also filled her with this sense of understanding and accomplishment. To realise and understand she loved someone had a warmth and a comfortable feeling that swelled her chest and settled in her heart. Then to know that even if she was sure, deep down, Peter Parker felt the same way, there was always something stopping him from meeting her halfway.
She was standing here, on this small stage in front of many different people yet again who could change her life━give her everything she wanted, and yet, as Nina Hart spoke of endless possibilities, scientific exploration and this damned universe ... he was on her mind.
And maybe it was her distraction━or maybe it was her nerves, but as she got halfway through her presentation, Nina stammered.
She froze up, and she held a breath. It was so quick that no one noticed━at least she hoped not. The likes of the people watching her today: liaisons from OSCORP Industries, NASA━even members of Stark Industries were eyeing her from the back. Everyone John Jameson had managed to wrangle with the best words and best affirmations that Nina had the potential to bring about a scientific future left her shaking and her heart trembling.
Because what if she wasn't? What if she was way over her head. She was just a girl still in college stepping into waters many try but never succeed to swim in. Who was she to think that she could every be amongst them?
Nina closed her eyes and fiddled with her prompts. Some had started to wonder what had made her stop, sharing glances and muttering under their breaths. She took a deep breath, stop it, she scolded herself. In the crowd, John was trying to make her feel better, subtly giving her thumbs up and lightly gesturing for her to keep on going. MJ who had managed to sneak in at his side, was very out of place with her elaborate grinning and motions that made others glance at her, incredulous.
Beside them was a seat that was not filled. Another empty seat. Harry Osborn. Even with his company watching her, he did not have time to support his friend. A boy who used to be desperate to be there for Nina; to give her flowers and give her wonderful affirmations ... was so drunk in his own wallowing obsession that no one━not even his closest friends and his allies; the people that cared about him━mattered anymore. All that was on Harry's mind was Spider-Man, and mysteriously, the webs linger had disappeared off the earth, as well.
Don't focus on him, Nina chided herself yet again. She clenched her jaw and nodded to herself, apologising to the crowd and forcing herself to turn back to her projected presentation━when something else caught her eye.
Someone else.
Her speech was entirely forgotten. It breathed out of her lips into a quiet hitch of surprise. Nina's eyes widened. She couldn't look away. For there, in the crowd, where there used to be an empty seat━away from everyone else. She didn't even know how he managed to get in! But there he was: Peter Parker. His hair groomed and his shirt ironed; glasses on the bridge of his nose that lifted when he smiled and mouthed to her across the room: Hey.
Nina's heart fluttered. She was so surprised, her vision tunnelled━and she scoffed a silent, disbelieving smile. Her silence was awkward━people frowned and shared glances; some checked the time on their wristwatches. MJ and John tried to look around, wondering what had caught her attention so much that she stopped. But she didn't care.
She shook her head, not sure whether she was questioning the universe or him, but Nina Hart felt herself be filled with so much happiness to finally see him there ... she started to think past the realm of science to wonder whether she had willed the world to get him here. Willed him.
Because there he was. Finally━when she needed him, even if she didn't realise it until now.
At the ongoing silence, Peter Parker made a face━subtle and ridiculous. His brows bounced, nodding at her to continue. She knew she should, but Nina didn't want to look away.
She stammered, she chuckled━rosy cheeked until she cleared her throat and apologised once more. Then, she went on with her presentation right to the very end━every now and then glancing over to check whether Peter Parker was still there, and the little smile on his face did not disappear at all that night.
Nina caught up with him afterwards. She found herself rushing a little through introductions and receiving cards with numbers and emails. She found herself promising to get back to them━Nina Hart left Tony Stark dumbfounded as she rushed off, slipping out into the cool night.
And there he still was, waiting for her. Nina stopped right at the step onto the pavement, clutching her coat around her shoulders to keep her warm. She didn't step any further, and the two of them watched each other━hesitant. Both of them knew why. After so long of broken promises and empty seats, neither of them were quite sure on where to go from here.
Nina eyed Peter━he seemed different almost. At it wasn't just because he had pressed his pants and ironed his shirt. It wasn't because his tie was straight and his hair was well-kept. He didn't look tired; he was calm and he was content, and while it suited him well━this fresh way about him, it seemed wrong. Because it wasn't Peter. And it made her frown a little. Perhaps it was a good thing━perhaps it meant he had figured out his life ... or maybe it meant something else. She didn't know what, she just knew something didn't settle quite right.
He was wearing his glasses again. Perhaps that was it.
She hasn't seen him wear those glasses since high school.
Peter Parker pursed his lips and then out from behind his back, he pulled out a small bouquet of flowers with a nervous shrug. "Uh━these are━well, these are for you."
Nina broke away from her stare, and her brows lifted to a gentle surprise. "Oh," she flushed and stepped down, awkwardly taking the flowers from his fingers. She found a little card set amongst the bright petals and managed a little smile. Mischievous, she glanced up at Peter from the brim of the note as she opened up. Then, she read it aloud: "To Nina," she said, grinning playfully briefly at Peter once again. She fixed her attention back on his handwriting and her next coy words fell away as she read what he said.
Nina Hart's smile became shy and sweet. You've hit the jackpot, Tiger, he had written.
She pursed her lips, blushing. Nina folded the note back up and slipped it back in its spot. "Pete..." she mumbled, not sure what she was supposed to say.
"It was fantastic," he said instead. She smiled and held the flowers close as they started to walk down the pathway. Lights hung over head; neon fast food shops signs and street lamps. The two walked in sync, slowly beginning to feel more comfortable in their careful company.
"Really?"
"Yeah!" Peter exclaimed, as if there was no other correct answer. Nina hunched up, a little taken by the compliment. He was one of the smartest people she knew━if not the smartest. For him to think her presentation was fantastic, she felt ... she felt like perhaps she was meant to be all they said. "That was such a great presentation. Maybe you should be the one writing my physics report."
Nina laughed. She shook her head. Her heart swelled. "I'm still biochem at heart. The changes I want to make is to this world first before I consider about what lies beyond."
Peter had a coy smile of his own, "Rocket scientists all over the world will be devastated."
She gushed, rolling her eyes. "No," she argued lightly. "But I do have a few cards. One of them is from Stark Industries━" she showed it to him, rather giddy. "They have an opening in an investigative team looking at trying to cure cancer━they're looking for a biochemist. Dr. Banner is leading the team. He's one of the world's leading scientists in Nuclear Physics. But, you know," she shrugged, shooting Peter a careful side-eye, "that might lead into my own industry. If I were to do that I would need a biophysicist of my own. Do you know of anyone?"
Peter knew exactly who she was talking about. He wildly shrugged, playing dumb, "Who?" he asked her.
Nina rolled her eyes and elbowed him. He chuckled. "You!" she told him, laughing. "We could be━I don't know━" she acted as if she was playing with joking hypotheticals, but as she started to think on it ... the idea didn't sound too bad. "Business partners or something." She gasped and smacked his arm, "We could call our business Park-Hart Industries or something."
"Park-Hart?" Peter arched a brow. She gaped at the dubious stare he held and she smacked him again. "Hey!" he laughed.
"I'm serious!" Nina giggled, feeling delightful in such a wonderful way. "And we would have to put both of our names on it! It's a good name!"
Peter shook his head, still making that ridiculous face. "That sounds like some sort of estranged parking lot. How about..." he thought on it for a moment, and Nina didn't know whether he was serious━or whether she was too hopeful to think that the glint in his eyes told her he very much was. "Parker and Hart? Simple, but━you know━less is more."
Nina's brows knitted━a curious smile tugged at her lips. "Parker and Hart," she murmured. "Parker and Hart Industries. P.H.I━" she quickly upturned her nose. "Oh, that acronym sounds like something else..."
"Parker and Hart Discoveries," Peter offered then instead. "P.H.D. Makes us sound like we're qualified and smart."
"Oh, we definitely need people to think that."
Their gentle chuckles faded to a sweet silence. Nina fiddled with her flowers━she glanced up at the night sky, and considered what MJ had said. Perhaps finally, the universe was telling Peter Parker the same things it has been telling her.
As she felt his sleeve brush hers, the two of them walking quite close, she turned to him and said: "You could've told me you were coming."
Peter winced a little. He slipped his hands into his pant pockets. "Ah ... well ..." he wouldn't meet her eyes, "I was afraid you'd say 'Don't come'."
Nina flushed. She pursed her lips, knowing he was right. Trying to remedy it, she gently nudged her arm into his, "Well, I'm glad you did anyway." They shared a smile.
She continued to watch him as they neared a crossing. They stopped as they waited for the light to turn green. It was then that Nina had enough of analysing what had changed about him and instead muttered, "You look different, Pete."
He shrugged. Looking at his feet, he gave his left one a little kick, "I shined my shoes, pressed my pants." Nina was still smiling━she had missed how witty he was in his own cute way. "I did my homework━" he added, looking quite proud of the fact. She nodded, impressed. "I do my homework, now."
The light changed and they crossed the street, slipping around other nightly travellers━all heading out for dinner. Peter glanced at one couple that were holding hands and gazing up at the buildings; a pair of tourists in their own little world.
Peter Parker wandered that glance onto Nina who held her flowers with the first happy look on her face around him he has seen in a long time. He admired her for a moment. "You wanna get some dinner?"
She locked his stare as they came to the other end of the road. Admittedly, she wasn't sure. Nina hung her gaze and mumbled, "I don't know..."
"What do you mean?"
Nina huffed out a long breath, "I mean that every other time until today you've always disappeared off somewhere! There's always been traffic, or you got lost, or something popped up━the train lines changed, you have a paper due ... Just because you were here tonight doesn't mean you won't be there tomorrow."
"What if it does?" they stopped on the sidewalk. Nina sighed as Peter stepped closer, determined. "Nina, I'm serious. I let things get in the way before. There was something I thought I had to do. I don't have to. I'm not an empty seat anymore. Just give me a chance and I'll show you that."
Her shoulders fell. Nina's heart tugged towards him━it begged, but she was scared. She didn't want to be disappointed again.
Peter tapped a hand to his chest━to his heart. "I'm different. Punch me, I bleed. I climb the fire escapes, I fall. But for once in my life, I want to fight for what's on the ground! Not in the air. I'm here, standing on my own two feet at your door, Nina, not at your window. I want to fight for you."
His words should have reached a part of Nina that made her knees weak. They almost did. Until something struck her that made her double-back. His analogies made her heart jolt━and it told her something she felt like she should already know. That she should have figured out a long, long time ago.
Nina's heart then started to race. It started to pound. She stared at Peter Parker with a realisation she was still slow to comprehend. What he said━the way he said it; his poetry that was truth on his tongue, she could hear it. If she punched him right now, he would bleed. If he scaled the fire escape to her window, he would fall ... he would not be there to tap on her window to see her waiting, he would be by the door ... completely human.
It was crazy. It was more than crazy━it was insane! How could two completely different people be the same?
Peter was waiting for her answer; hanging off the edge of a building to hear her speak, but her mind was somewhere else.
Only he could get pictures. Only he seemed to know what Spider-Man thought. Only he was close enough to become the bridge between herself and a vigilante who knew who she was even before she even spoke her name. Until Nina closed the gap━and her mind went to scary places. These past few years ever since Spider-Man appeared, Peter Parker suddenly seemed to have changed. A siren echoed in the distance, and when Nina would blink, her friend would be gone. She couldn't find him at the tragedy that was Octavius's experiment, and yet, coming to the rescue instead was a superhero to take Peter Parker's place.
And now Spider-Man had disappeared, and Peter Parker was standing right in front of her.
Nina was going crazy━she was turning into something more than that.
And yet, Peter Parker was different, here, right now.
He was wearing his glasses.
Slowly, she murmured, "You know what people love about Spider-Man?"
Peter blinked, confused by her sudden question. "Uh?"
Nina took a step closer━they stood toe to toe, and she could stare at him in his eyes; peer straight into the man behind the mask. "What people love about a hero? Those philanthropists in those big black suits, promising charity and giving out earnings━they're not heroes. Put them in a burning room where they had to make a decision to save a nobody from Queens and themselves, they'd leave that nobody to die and dust off their suits. Then, they'd hand out money to compensate her family in the forgotten neighbourhood.
"But the average person?" continued Nina Hart, not tearing her stare away from Peter Parker in front of her. He did not take his from hers. "The small kid down the street with the big glasses and a big heart? He'd run into that fire. Because in these streets, we stand on the same ground. We don't look out of the windows of those big skyscrapers. We work, we struggle, we understand. We're left alone by those who have the power to do something about it━but they hold no sense of responsibility.
"Spider-Man has the power, he has responsibility. He runs into that fire so that little boy doesn't have to. He saves him and saves the girl━he makes sure no one else in the rooms on either side get hurt, either. He cares about the little guy. He's a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. But despite all of that ... punch him, he bleeds. Push him, he falls ... but he gets back up. He always gets back up. Even when everyone is shouting at him: No More, he still pushes himself up onto his feet and fights. That's what makes him a hero."
Peter didn't utter a word. He was speechless. Nina didn't wait to see whether he understood, or whether she was right. She only smiled and stepped away. When she noticed a cab had pulled to the curb to let someone out, she said to Peter: "I'll see you Wednesday━eleven o'clock. Hot chocolate at that cafe down the street from my apartment. Don't be late."
*ೃ༄
PETER TUGGED the curtains closed. He rushed around the motel room, not even giving Nina a glance as she stood in its centre, lost and scared. He noticed things she couldn't━heard things she didn't. Even just the distant sound of an insect flying outside made him jolt to action, locking the second window closed and covering every blink of lamp light in the streets. As he did, he paced past Nina who watched him go, distressed.
"I can't believe I gave Beck those glasses," Peter quickly turned her iPad completely off that had been charging using the motel wifi. He covered the camera of it and her computer with a quick thwip of webs to make sure no one could see through. She didn't even have the breath to argue how she was supposed to get it off. "I mean, how could I be that stupid?" he leapt up onto the wall without a second thought. Nina stared, startled to see him climb it and then crawl across the roof without his suit, listening intently into even the air vent to hear anything that might be suspicious.
Once he was satisfied, he dropped back down and landed with a thud. He brushed past her yet again, "He's probably spying on me right now or sending a drone to come and kill me━" Peter stopped at his bag. He started to search through it.
Nina felt like she was on another planet, "Y━you had access to killer drones?" she whimpered out.
He found his laptop and set it down next to hers. She watched him fly threw a line of code that as smart as she was, couldn't begin to understand. She just hoped it was supposed to do something to make Mysterio unable to find them. They both knew it might be too late. "Yeah, I didn't really want them," Peter muttered as he did, "especially after I almost killed Brad."
She then choked, "Y━you almost killed Brad?"
Peter sighed. He closed the lid of his laptop and walked up to her. He fished out his phone, "Look, Nina━I'll answer all of your questions but right now I have to call Mr. Fury and tell him that Beck's a fraud..." a thought hit him and he slumped, frustrated. He flung his phone back onto the bed, "... But I think he tapped my phone."
"Maybe I could call him?" offered Nina, trying to help despite it all. They had to focus on what was happening right now, then once it was over ... then they would have to talk about everything else.
"No," Peter rubbed at his eyes. "I told him about you━you'd be the next person he'd target━" he tugged at his cheeks, "━if not the first, dammit. Why would I do that? What was I thinking?"
"That doesn't matter, okay?" Nina took a deep breath, trying to sort out her own thoughts so she could help sort out his. "Right now, we have to figure out how to let Mr. Fury know. Mysterio doesn't know that we know, right?"
"Right..." murmured Peter. He clenched and unclenched is palms. "What do we do━what am I gonna do...? I need my suit━" he returned to his bag and dumped out all of its contents onto Nina's bed, "━and I have to go to Berlin and talk to Mr. Fury in person."
He unbuttoned his shirt so fast Nina had no time to react. In seconds, he had flung it off and there she stood, her breath hitched and her words lost. Nina grew hot at the cheeks, her gaze fixed on━well, she knew she was right about the strength Spider-Man would need to ... she just━well, she just ... she hadn't seen ...
Nina huffed a flustered breath to see how muscular Peter actually was.
He heard her. His head shot up and he spun to her. Peter went bright red as well. Awkwardly, he held his crumpled shirt in front of him. The two stared at each other. He waited for her to turn around. When she hadn't, he flushed even brighter and muttered, "Uh━Nina?"
She jumped. Nina met the purse of his lips and the way he rocked on his toes and she realised she had to close her jaw. Nina did so. She wanted to hide somewhere in embarrassment. "I━uh━okay━" like she had been shocked, Nina turned to face the wall.
Her palms were clammy; she clenched them and closed her eyes. Don't, she scolded herself. Nina pursed her lips and tried to think of something else when she heard the sound of his pants zipper.
In the end, she couldn't stop herself. Nina peeked an eye open and held her breath, slowly━ever-so-slowly━moving her head to try and get a brief glance over her shoulder. Her heart raced; there was a moment where she nearly managed it when there was a long creak.
Nina squealed. She covered her hands over her mouth and stared, horrified at Ned and MJ who stood in the open doorway. There was a horrible, embarrassing silence.
Ned's eyes darted between Nina, then over to Peter who zipped up the top of his suit━then back to MJ beside him who was gaping, frozen with shock.
Nina didn't know she could get even redder, but she did. She quickly pointed at Peter, "This is not━!" she stammered, so flustered she could barely even think, "━We're not━I'm not━he's not━this is━I━"
Peter wasn't fazed. He pulled on his mask, completely ignoring the fact MJ was with them, "Oh, Ned! Perfect!" He uncapped the lenses of his black, stealth suit.
Ned glanced at MJ who managed to close her jaw and purse her lips. Though her eyes were wide━for once, she had no comment to make. "The━uh━" Ned forced a chuckle out of his throat, "━wow, dude. Y━your Night Monkey costume looks great ... for the━uh━" they all frowned at him, "━the costume party at the━uh━the Prince's castle..."
Peter gestured to MJ in the doorway, "She knows. Nina accidentally told her."
Ned spun to their friend, "What?"
Nina flushed again, "I━It was not an accident━"
"No one told me. I figured it out," MJ took a deep breath and jutted her chin out, all of the sudden returning to her cool and collected self. "But━wait━" she then pointed at Peter. "So, you're actually Spider-Man? Like really, actually Spider-Man? Because I was like only━like━ninety-six per cent sure━"
Peter stared at her. Dumfounded, he glanced down at his suit and then back up at her as if to say, What other reassurance do you need?
MJ cleared her throat and nodded. "Yep, right." She huffed and swung her long arms. Then, she grinned, "I can't believe I figured it out!" she shot a quick side-eye to Ned. "And it was a while ago. Like, a long time ago."
"I figured it out first," mumbled Nina, not sure why she needed to state this but she did.
Ned made a face, "Uh━no━but I━I knew first. I was the one━it was me. I was━"
"Guys!" Peter shut them all up. "We don't have time for this. Look, Mysterio is a fraud." He quickly explained to the two standing in the door way. MJ shoved Ned forward so they could close it to make sure no one else would overhear.
"What?" MJ let out.
Ned was just as confused, "But he saved me and Betty's lives?"
"He's been faking the whole thing," went on Nina, hugging her stomach and refusing to look at Peter. Her cheeks were still rosy. "It's all━it's all illusion tech."
"Yeah," Peter gestured at her, "he's using these━like━hologram projectors."
Ned blinked, "Whoa. That's ... that's crazy."
"Sorta cool," decided MJ.
"Yeah, like super ━sorta━cool."
"Is he white?"
Peter pursed his lips at MJ, not too sure on what she meant by that. "Uh ... yeah?"
Michelle scoffed to herself, "Typical," she muttered under her breath. "So, what about Felicia? Is she in on all of this?"
Ned seemed to short-circuit, "W━what━wait, what?"
"No," Peter immediately defended the Black Cat. Nina pursed her lips. She looked down at her feet. She missed the way he glanced at her━and he hesitated. He forced it down and continued: "Felicia's ... she has her own agenda..." his eyes found Nina's again as she shyly lifted her stare up from the carpet.
Nina knitted her brows to hide how much her eyes started to sting, "Yeah. She seems pretty happy being off by herself. I don't think the Black Cat cares about any of us anymore."
MJ pursed her lips at this. She looked to the floor as well.
Peter walked up to Nina. He fastened the belt at his hip. Gentle, he locked her stare through his open lenses━and she was thankful that she could see his eyes. "She does," he promised her. "She cares about you. She's here for you."
Nina took a sharp breath through her nose to bite back her tears. Ned frowned at how close they were.
"Wait ..." he pointed at them. "So .... you guys were working the case together or what? Is that what's happening here?"
MJ rolled her eyes, "They're back together, you dumbass. It's obvious."
Desperate for them not to get sidetracked again, Peter gestured to his best friend, "Ned, I need you to call May, get her to call Mr. Harrington and say she wanted me to stay with family in Berlin until this all blows over, okay?"
"Got it. Easy."
"Wow ..." muttered MJ. She almost sounded bitter. "You guys lie with such ease."
"I gotta go," Peter surged towards the window but Nina stopped him.
"Wait, wait, wait━!" he pushed the curtains open and glanced back. "The projector. You're gonna need this, Tiger." Nina grabbed the damaged electronic from the table and chucked it to him. He caught it with one hand. She saw his eyes lift at the nickname━something settled between them at the sound of it; that no matter what, they were okay.
"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" said Spider-Man. "Anyone who knows is in danger."
"Just be careful," whispered Nina.
Spider-Man nodded. Then, he snapped down the lenses of his mask and leapt out into the open air. Nina rushed forward to lean out after him, her heart dropping painfully into her stomach to see him swing away.
When she was sure he had disappeared off into the distance, Nina sighed and stepped back into the motel room. At the silence, she glanced around and hunched up, startled by the demanding stares of both her friends.
"What?" she let out.
Then, Ned slumped, upset. "You guys got back together and you didn't tell me?"
Nina gaped. "It only just happened, I━that's what you're upset about right now?!"
*ೃ༄
SOMETHING WAS ON PETER'S mind, Nina could tell. She glanced at him carefully as he lied beside her on the bed, reading over her essay as she continued to study. He hadn't spoken about what was upsetting him yet, she didn't know whether he was going to, either. But the furrow of his brows and the purse of his lips made her distracted, desperate to know what was on his mind. She frowned at him briefly, "You all right, Tiger?" asked Nina.
He hummed, meeting her concerned gaze. Quickly, Peter nodded. "Yeah, yeah," he shuffled through her papers and handed them back to her. "Perfect."
Nina made a face, taking her papers back knowing full well she asked him to help her cull words. "Peter..." she dragged on, setting it on her laptop keyboard and shuffling closer to him. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Peter watched her for a moment━he looked more tired than usual. She was sure everything that was happening with Harry wasn't helping━she couldn't imagine the weight he held on his shoulders to know that despite wanting to save his best friend, he couldn't━because it might just kill him anyway. He didn't know whether to risk it, or whether to walk away; and if he walked away, what would that make him then? She knew Max troubled him, just as much as it was troubling Nina. But she also could see that there was something else. Something that made him look lost.
Nina propped herself sideways on her elbow, looking down at him with a gentle arch of her brow. He let out a dramatic sigh and wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her close onto his chest, "Let's not worry about it." She tried to object, but couldn't help the smile on her face━her little chuckles at the sudden movement. "Doesn't matter━" he leaned in and brushed his nose against her, playfully shaking his head to hear her chuckle again. "Doesn't matter," he said again in a quiet, mischievous voice.
"It does matter," she squished his cheeks, making him frown and stop right before he was going to kiss her. "I want to be here for you. That's what girlfriends are for: listening to their vigilante boyfriend's problems."
Going against his strength was useless. Even if he held most of it back, Peter easily pulled her hands away and turned them around. Nina couldn't stop him━nor did she want to━when he did kiss her this time. Then he pulled away and rested against her chest. She pursed her lips and let him, her fingers reaching out to play with his hair. He sighed, content at the touch, "I just want to spend time with my girl," Peter tried to joke, but she knew he was very much telling the truth. "Forget about everything. Can we do that?"
Nina relented. "All right," she smiled and continued to brush her fingers through his hair.
"Just lie here all day," his voice was muffled. "Forever."
Her heart fluttered. She pursed her lips and her cheeks grew warm, thinking about that word: Forever. It seemed so far away, and yet so close. She imagined the thought, lying here all day, together without ever having to leave to go home to somewhere else. To share a kitchen, and a bed and a table━to watch television late at night when they should be studying, snuggled up under the same blanket on the couch.
Nina couldn't imagine anything else that felt more wonderful and made sense to her than a future like that.
She glanced around her apartment━one that was originally meant for two.
It made her decide to take the courageous step. "You know..." she parted a little bit of his hair, brushing it down both sides, "... you could lie here all day."
He scoffed into her shirt, "If only..."
"I mean it," said Nina, hoping he'd catch on. "You could lie here all day━through the night, on the bed, on the couch ..."
Peter Parker lifted his head. He kept himself up by his elbows to frown at her. Nina shrugged, glancing around them. She continued, "You'd always have a window open to come home━you don't have to sneak around. I'd keep it open for you."
He began to understand. She saw him hesitate, "Nina━"
"We've been together a while," Nina quickly tried to persuade him. "I mean, through all the troubles we've made it through I just━it makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, it's the next step, right? You could move in━I want you to move in..."
Her voice trailed off as Peter pulled away to sit on the bed━he shuffled forward until his legs hung off the edge. She frowned and sat up, too, staring at his tense back. "It's not some crazy thing━"
"I can't," he told her.
She took a deep breath to ignore the way her heart hurt to hear him say that. Nina shuffled towards him, "Why not?"
"Because!" Peter flung his hands out, as if she was supposed to know just from that. When Nina stared at him, upset, he rubbed his eyes in frustration. "I can't, Nina━Spider-Man can't."
"Why can't he?"
"Do you really want it?" Peter turned to face her again. "Do you really want me disappearing off and coming back in the middle of night? I don't want that. I don't want someone to follow me back to you. You'd━you'd be in danger, Nina, all the time."
She shook her head, "No, no that's not true━"
"I can't━" he gestured to her sternly, "━I won't let anything happen to you. What if something happens and I'm not there to protect you? What if you get hurt because of me. Because I'm not home? I won't do that to you."
Nina blinked back tears. She took a sharp breath through her nose and looked down ... and here they were again, on this damning carousel; again and again and again, they said the same things, left for the same reasons ... neither of them could get themselves out of this infuriating loop.
She clenched her hands and told Peter, "I can't just lie back, Peter━I don't want to just go nowhere. What's the point of a relationship with someone if you stay in the same spot forever? Don't you want━? Do you seriously want to stay in the same spot? How do you even think that will work? I can wait by that window for a long time, Peter━" she pointed to the fire escape and he shook his head, letting it fall into his hands, "━but when will you make the move to do the same for me? To meet me at that window and come back. To stay."
He sighed, "Nina━"
"I can't keep waiting!" she felt her voice crack. She grew tearful. "I love you!" Nina pointed at her heart. "I love you, and I want to be with you, no matter the dangers because Peter Parker━you ... are worth it. I don't know how many times I have to tell you the same thing, over and over again to make you realise━is it too much of me to ask you to do the same thing? That no matter the dangers you want to be with me because I am worth it?"
When Peter didn't say anything━when he'd didn't even look at her to see the tears that had fallen down her cheeks ... Nina realised that maybe no matter what, Peter Parker was never going to change.
She wiped away her tears. "Okay," nodded Nina. She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Okay ..." she puffed her cheeks as she sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. Nina was bitter. "Here we are ... again. You need to make a choice." Nina Hart told Peter Parker. "You need to make a choice on what path you're on, because this is the path I am on right now. And if we are on different paths, then maybe we should let this go for the last time. I am finished waiting for you to make up your mind, no matter how much I love you."
Nina marched over to the window and pushed it back open. Peter realised what she meant. She didn't look at him as he slumped towards it and climbed back outside. He waited a moment, as if hoping she'd meet his gaze━when she didn't, Nina heard him sigh ... then she heard the sound of the fire escape creaking as he leapt off ... and he was gone.
*ೃ༄
a/n: I hope u guys know that I cause myself this pain.
we're getting too close to the end of tasm2 this is not okay.
also the literal struggle I had to write the scene where Peter takes off his shirt trying to keep it as pg as possible because these guys are minors when the context of the joke in the film is farrr from pg lol.
also you guys better love me because I am buying nwh extended cut for this book because I don't have access to it on any of my streaming stuff. so I am buying it on YouTube. purely for this book. especially cos me writing the extended cut was requested.
I have to rewatch nwh for you guys and go through that pain, again, for you guys.
but it works cos u guys experience the pain again, as well.
we are going to the nwh ptsd again together.
though watching that movie in theatres on opening night ... that was a phenomenal experience - you could not hear what they were saying at ned's apartment the cinema was screaming so loud.
though it was sad as well, cos I was like the only one who reacted to daredevil. as soon as we got the shot of his mobility aid cane in may's apartment I was like OH MY GOD! and everyone was like bitch wtf?? and I was like shocked because daredevil >>>> how do you guys not know daredevil????
(uncultured marvel and spider-man fans).
they also barely got the ned hobgoblin reference either. I was chuckling and pointing out stuff from the comics and my friends who watched it with me were like TOBY AND ANDREW.
and I was like YEAH BUT LOOK IT'S LIKE ALMOST THE SINISTER SIX!
they're like THE ENDING NO HE'S ALONE.
and I'm like YO COMIC SPIDER-MAN! THEY'RE REFERENCING THE VIDEO GAME>> HE IS COMIC SPIDER-MAN-
they're like :(((( mj is gone.
and I'm like pfft, black cat, venom and then maybe gwen stacy and PLEASE HARRY OSBORN and then we'll get back to mj cos (spoiler?) she ends up knowing him again in the comics.
no but I want harry osborn and peter so bad.
I also want MILES. MILES HELLO?!?! WE NEED MILES.
this is why I love marvel's spider-man. it has miles without killing off peter (knock wood who knows what marvel's spider-man two will bring). mj is badass. it's got black cat. THE SINISTER SIX! Wilson Fisk, dumb comic-accurate quips, it's canon that gwen stacy might still be alive and we're getting both HARRY AND VENOM????? MILES AND PETER TEAM UP??? KRAVEN THE HUNTER?!
also that girl in the miles morales game whose deaf???? like >>>>>
I AM SO EXCITED can marvels spider-man 2 COME OUT ALREADY?!?!?
just don't kill off Peter Parker, Insomniac. like pls don't. Im begging u don't I will not survive.
Maybe they'll kill off Harry. I think they'll kill off Harry.
but like anyway yeah I was super excited at the end of nwh cos like even if we don't get anymore spider-man movies (because I'm still not super in belief of this second trilogy cos let tom breathe away from spider-man? let this dude start to move on? he's too good at his job (I'm serious do not argue with me) to be typecasted in a role for twenty-odd years. he said he doesn't want that), I'm happy to know that he's basically turning into a comic/ps4/ps5 peter parker and I am content and happy with that.
wow I rant a lot ....
but like it's okay if he isn't gonna continue as spider-man. then, we can have miles. not just that, there's always gonna be spider-man adaptions. he is the most favourite marvel superhero - everybody loves spider-man. they're gonna always make movies about him. there's so many stories to explore.
but like a live-action tv series (the 80s one was iconic but I mean one that's like got the same budget as the marvel shows) for spider-man would be so good. you can explore so many different comic stories in episodes and seasons rather than blockbuster movies.
marvel should hire me tbh.
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