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In Midtown’s library, you, Ned, and MJ sat around the table, studying diligently for the upcoming academic decathlon competition. Sitting beside MJ, you just threw a rolled up paper ball at Ned, sticking your tongue out at him, when a panting boy came up to the table with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Hey, guys.” He greeted everyone with a smile and dazzling eyes.
Except at you. When his gaze landed on you last, his smile slowly faded. Looking up at him, a smile almost crept against your face, a reaction from being naturally friendly and simply head over heels for him, but you forced yourself not to. Thus, with tight lips, you nodded to greet him, mirroring his apathetic expression.
You’ve tried to talk to Peter before, but he wouldn’t say much. Even through text, he would barely reply more than a word or two. Peter made it clear he didn’t like you back, not even as a friend.
Now you were always unsure of how to act around him.
Your eyes stuck to your book, avoiding eye contact with Peter as he sat down in the empty chair beside Ned. In contrast, the three figures surrounding you didn’t utter a word and simply glanced at each other in silence. MJ caught Peter’s attention and kept looking back and forth between you and him, hinting to the brunette he should do something. Peter squinted his eyes in confusion.
After some time passed, the tension in the air thick and blatant between you and Peter, you hastily announced your goodbyes to Ned and MJ, leaving without another word.
Peter softly let out a breath, his head twisted towards the sight behind him, as he observed the way you floated towards the exit, your hair swaying with each graceful step you took.
The second the door closed, which caused an echo throughout the library, MJ broke the silence.
“For someone so smart, you’re certainly an idiot.” Immediately, Ned and Peter’s heads whipped towards her direction. Like always, her nose was back in her sketchbook. The train of confusion tore through Peter’s mind faster and faster, not stopping any time soon.
“What do you mean?”
“She likes you dumbass,” MJ’s gentle sketching protruded within his ears. He wondered if she was drawing him; she always loved to draw others in crisis - not that he was in crisis. Not in crisis at all. “And you like her too-don’t try to deny it.”
“What?” he laughed with a little shakiness. He turned to Ned for support, but Ned wasn’t doing a great job; his friend pretended to be occupied with studying. Peter’s focus darted back to the decathlon captain.
“I don’t like her and she doesn’t like me. At all. How could I even like her?”
Lifting her head from her sketchbook, she pointed the tip of her pencil’s eraser towards Peter. “You like her so much that you blocked her out. She told me she tried talking to you a few times, but you never let the conversation go anywhere.”
“Because she doesn’t like me!” he protested, more bitterly than he intended.
“No,” MJ sternly shot, her eyes like lazerbeams. She pointed her pencil towards the exit behind him. “Can’t you see? She tried to talk to you,” Pencil back to Peter. “And she thinks you don’t like her. Now she’s embarrassed to be around you.”
Once again, Peter glanced over to Ned. This time, Peter’s best friend awkwardly looked away, even from his books.
Was Peter really that blind? You two have been like this for months now. He couldn’t recall how things ended up like this, but this was the game you kept playing.
Every time Peter stepped into the room, you’d leave.
Every time you stepped into the room, Peter would desist to speak.
And yet, whenever Ned or MJ spoke of you in front of Peter when you weren’t around, he’d make an effort to listen in on the conversation. Super-hearing or not, he was conspicuous when he’d stare at the respective speaker with starry, intrigued eyes.
And vice-versa. Whenever Ned or MJ spoke of Peter in front of you, you’d freeze and focus on what they were saying about your crush. You didn’t make it any less obvious when you even inquired further about his life, asking questions about him since Peter wouldn’t tell you himself.
The revelation engulfed the corners of Peter’s mind. Blinking several times, he began to stammer incoherently, unable to comprehend the new knowledge. “I-I-”
“Let her in, Peter.” The observant girl cut him off. “She cares about you. More than you think.”
Afterwards, any mentions of Peter and you were exempt from the conversation and things were back to normal. Ned and MJ bantered while all Peter, still reeling in disbelief, could think about was the possibility of you actually liking him back.
On the other hand, MJ’s words echoed over and over.
Let her in, Peter.
She cares about you.
But Peter couldn’t afford to let any more people into his heart, not with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Two days later, the academic decathlon team met up in the usual spot after school. MJ sat on the steps of the raised stage while Mr. Harrington was too busy texting his new girlfriend in the corner of the room. Your feet slid across the floor as you entered the room, noting everyone spread around.
A habit you couldn’t shake off, your gaze immediately fell upon Peter, who was talking to Ned. He laughed so bubbly, so lively. A pain ached momentarily in your chest; you wished you were the reason behind that laugh.
MJ caught sight of you, the last member to arrive for practice, coming in. Consequently, she barked:
“I’m pairing you off for today’s team-building exercise!”
Your heart skipped a beat. MJ never paired off people for team-building.
The captain glared at Peter with a smirk.
“Parker!” All eyes were now on him. You held your breath, wondering who name she would call next.
She called yours.
“You guys are together. Leeds…”
Walking towards each other, meeting each other halfway in the middle of the room, and each respective party with averting eyes, you two finally arrived to face each other about three feet away.
“Today’s warm-up exercise is to give your partner five compliments. Go back and forth between each other and compliment them on anything!”
Both of your eyes wandered, immediately seeing and hearing the scattered three pairs, complimenting each other without difficulty. Having your heart in your throat and ears didn’t make anything easier. You glanced over at the wavy haired boy, who still avoided eye contact too.
Every second passed excruciatingly. You even stared at the piece of gum stuck on the floor next to Peter’s red Converse shoes and mentally grimaced. You figured one of you had to speak first, so after what felt like forever, you finally found the courage within you to speak up.
“I…” You gulped. God, you wish you could disappear. Even being that old gum on the floor seemed to be a better position than you were in. Defeated, you realized you may as well just make the best out of the situation.
“I like how smart you are.” With a small smile, you quickly glanced up to see if Midtown’s brightest gave any reaction to your compliment.
He nodded in thanks, but still diverted his gaze elsewhere. Why did Michelle have to pair the two of you out of all the others?
Peter then rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. To your surprise, he mustered up a compliment. “I, uh, can say the same for you.”
His eyes glanced up and finally met yours for a few seconds. Your breathing hitched and you swore the earth stopped, or maybe it was your heart giving out. “I like how you study hard, even though you don’t have to.”
Your eyebrows ruffled alongside a tilt of the head, shocked at his response. Your chest warmed at the thought of Peter thinking anything highly of you, or just anything at all.
“Uhm, I…” What else could you say next? “I guess I like how passionate you are with the Stark Internship. I know it’s hard to juggle everything, but I get it. After graduating, it’ll be great for your future and I really admire that.”
Peter’s mouth dropped a little too much and you chuckled, fearing of having to pick it off the floor. He blinked in disbelief a few times, still trying to register your words. The flattery began to make his cheeks crimson with joy and his lips curl upwards.
Not wanting to copy your compliment again, he chimed, “You work hard. I always see you helping with the other clubs during lunch and after school. I mean, not always-that’s a little creepy-I mean, when I’m around, I do.” Peter inhaled sharply with pressed lips. His fingers tugged on his jeans tighter as he restrained himself from doing anything more embarrassing. A large exhale followed.
“Anyway,” he continued, trying to save face, “I like how you work hard and I admire you too.”
You had begun to play with your fingers, mentally compiling the next thing you could say. Then, holding onto the perfect thought, you bit the inside of your bottom lip.
“I think you have good heart, Peter.” It was his turn to tilt his head to the side, caught off guard by your sweet words. “You always try to be at our meetings and our study practices. I know you leave unexpectedly at times for whatever reason, but you try your best. And Ned tells me that you take care of your Aunt May a lot. I think you’re really sweet.”
You huffed, relieved that you two were almost done. Just two more compliments left. You rocked on the balls of your feet and were about to face the others again when Peter turned your attention away.
“Okay, I don’t mean to do this-sounding like I keep copying your compliments because I can’t think of any myself-but I mean every word I say. I think you have an even better heart than me…”
With a pout, you began to shake your head in disagreement. The persistent boy dared not to digress. “…for thinking so highly of me when I’m not a good team member or friend or anything. I don’t think I deserve you-” Peter blinked and caught himself in mid-thought, aware of what he was saying. He coughed, correcting himself. “I mean, your kind words.”
“Peter…” You stepped a little closer to him, now only a couple feet away.
“You deserve everything great.”
Your eyes scanned Peter, noting all the little details of him and wondered what he was possibly thinking as he continued to have a hard time peering at you for more than a few moments. Trying to figure out what to say next, you closed your eyes, took in a deep breath, and let your heart take control.
Opening your eyes, you, barely in a whisper, opined, “I like your eyes.”
The slight glisten. The way his eyes dance when he smiled or laughed. The way they sparkled every time he walked into a room. You broke away from his trance and were red from head to toe.
“I-I really like your eyes,” was all you could assemble as a follow-up.
Don’t say the same thing. Peter mentally told himself. Anything but her eyes. Not that her eyes aren’t gorgeous but-
“I like your smile,” he blurted. He nodded, content with his response. “You have a beautiful smile.”
Funny enough, his compliment made your lips curve into a smile. You couldn’t believe what was happening.
“I like…” Your eyes tried to meet his for the last compliment. Your heart took the lead and without thought, you focused your stare on him as you stated-
“You.”
This time, Peter’s gaze didn’t break whatsoever. Piercing into you, his look reached the depths of your soul and shook you to the tips of your toes and fingers.
“I like you, too.”
It felt like you two were the only ones in the room, staring into each other’s eyes like there was no tomorrow. However, you broke your gaze soon after, realizing the room was awfully silent. Turning around, you noticed the silence lingering in the air. Everyone on the team, even Mr. Harrington, witnessed your reciprocating confessions.
“Penis Parker is finally getting some!”
“Shut up, Flash!” MJ retorted. The captain looked at the two of you from afar and nodded with a pleased smile. “Well, I think that was one of the better team building exercises we’ve done. Let’s get ready to practice.”
It was one of the only times Peter had stayed through a full decathlon meeting. Throughout the entire practice, you and him kept exchanging glances and small smiles with each other. By the end, you said your good-byes to everyone and began to walk down the hall in the opposite direction of most of the members.
All of a sudden, Peter’s “Wait up!” echoed in the hallway before he finally jogged to catch up with you. When he stopped and stood in front of you, you two began to speak at the same time.
“I just wanted to apologize-”
“No, I’m sorry-”
Both of you halted, laughed, and realized maybe you two were more alike than you thought.
“You go first,” Peter said.
You winced, “I’m sorry for being rude and always leaving whenever you came into the room. I just didn’t know how to handle you not liking me as even a friend. It was stupid of me.”
He shook his head, reflecting the same regrets. “I wanted to apologize for not talking to you, back then. I thought you didn’t like me as a friend either when you started talking to me. I’m really sorry. I’m not the best at these things.”
An abrupt buzzing came from Peter’s jean pocket and his eyes widened as he frantically grabbed the phone out to shut off the alarm.
“Sorry, I have to go. It’s the-”
“Stark Internship.” You beamed as you finished his sentence.
“Yeah,” he mirrored your smile. “Uhm,” he plucked at the sleeve of his sweater and his eyes looked towards the floor. “So, there’s this deli near my place-”
“Delmar’s? Please say it’s Delmar’s.”
Peter glanced up and he chuckled. “How’d you know?”
“The best sandwiches in Queens. If you said anywhere else, I’d probably have to fight you.”
His tongue slid against the left side of his bottom teeth, raised an eyebrow, and nodded softly in agreement. “Anyways, like you said, best in Queens. I go there all the time and their sandwiches are the best and I forgot you just said that so you probably go there all the time too, but I was just wondering if you might wanna… I don’t know, get something there sometime? Maybe? With me?”
Peter’s voice crack made you hold in a giggle; oh how adorable he was. You inhaled deeply before answering, keeping Peter on edge.
“It’s a date.”
“Great! Great, I’ll text you later tonight after my nightly rounds-” You raised an eyebrow in confusion. He clarified, “-my nightly rounds at the Stark Internship.”
Watching him walk away backwards, you noticed he was about to walk into the hallway pillar. “Peter, watch ou-”
Dodging it just in time, he swiftly twirled around it as if nothing happened and coolly ran his fingers through his hair. “I totally saw that there. I knew that was there.”
Laughing you called out, “Text me later!” as he grew further from your line of sight.
“I will!” he promised with a wave before running out of the school.
You glowed brightly as you went home, anticipating Peter’s next move.
Maybe MJ was right. Peter thought with a wide smile as he ran to the nearest alleyway.
Maybe Peter could afford to let one other person into his heart.