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High school felt like a lifetime away. Your had grown and changed, and were happy with your life. Nonetheless, and even if you had no intention on reliving your high school years, there was a part of it that stuck with you. A person. A friend.
Peter Parker. You found yourself thinking about him often, regretting not having approached him when you could. It was rare to find a person like him nowadays, someone kind and selfless, someone caring and optimistic. You missed his energy, restless but cheerful, even if you had never properly talked to him. That was the only thing you wished you had done differently, the one opportunity you might have missed.
Other than that, you were successful and your dreams had come true. It took a lot of work, but you were right where you wanted to be. After dreams of fighting for your longtime dream of becoming a firefighter and helping people, you had finally made it.
Your thoughts kept wandering as your restlessly rode in the backseat of the firetruck, speeding to get to where you were needed. A thudding sound on your window snapped you back to reality, and your heart skipped a beat when you looked in that direction and distinguished a red and blue blur.
“Spidey!” You rolled the window down to talk to him as he stuck to the side of the truck.
“Y/N” He greeted you, also quickly waving to the pilot. “Where’s the fire?”
“Uh…” You mumbled, still getting used to the hammering of your heart. “Right around the corner”
“I’ll see you inside” He nodded his head in determination, already holding his arm out to swing away.
“Be careful!” You told him just as he flew to the building, following the trace of the dark gray smoke that had started to cloud the streets.
“You too, Y/N!” His voice got lost in the distance, and you heard the indistinguishable sound of glass breaking, knowing he had just forced his way into the building to save the people trapped inside it.
You took a deep breath just as your firefighter partner pulled the vehicle to a halt. With that, and putting on your gear, you jumped out of the truck and ran off to save the day. Always with the help of your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.
Sometimes you found yourself wondering how Spiderman was doing. Maybe it was because you had grown fond of him, even more than you were already before you knew him, after collaborating with him whenever there was a situation that required firefighters.
Was he lonely? It felt like he knew everyone in New York, and at the same time, no one. Was he too busy looking out for other people to take care of himself? A part of you wanted to give back to him, to help him as much as he had helped others. He had special abilities, and you admired that he used them so diligently to favor the people.
Your feet carried you on their own while you mind wandered. Ever since you had first Spiderman, it had changed your life. He inspired you and gave you strength, you couldn’t stop thinking about him. But there was something that took your mind off of the subject.
“Y/N?” A gentle voice called you just as someone tapped your shoulder. “Hiya!”
“I can’t believe it” You whispered when you were face to face with him. “Peter Parker?!”
You took a good look at him, endeared by the mere sight of your old schoolmate. He looked taller and more confident, and his eyes were bluer than your remembered. Other than that, he still had the same kind expression and cute grin.
“It’s me” He chuckled, doing a little bow with his arms. “Wow, you look great!”
“So do you, you look so handsome!” Peter widened his eyes and blushed at the comments, and you also surprised yourself to the point of having to change the subject. “Um… where’s your glasses?”
You stared at him, realizing that’s why his eyes looked bluer. He looked a lot better without the glasses. Peter chuckled again, waving his hand in the air.
“I got rid of them, I’m wearing contacts”
“Right”
You two stood there in awe, still trying to wrap your heads around the fact that you had met again by chance. When you locked eyes, you two inexplicable chuckled and averted your gazes. It was almost as though all those years of wanting to talk to him had returned in just a second. Judging by his demeanor, he was in the very same situation.
“So um…” He continued, trying to keep the conversation going. “So what’s going on with you?”
“Well, I’m a firefighter” You tried to sound humble, but you couldn’t help the excited smile that accompanied the statement. “It took me a long time, but I’m here now”
“I know!” Peter eagerly exclaimed, bearing a smile similar to yours in his lips.
“You do?” You tilted your head at him, surprised that he had found out somehow.
“Y-Yeah… I… I remember you used to say you wanted to be one” He explained, gesticulating a lot. “I knew you’d make it”
“Thank you” You genuinely said, pressing a hand against his arm. “But I’m surprised you still know… we didn’t talk much, Pete…”
“You…” He showed you a sheepish smile. “You said it on the first day of class, when they asked us all”
“Oh” You laughed a little, looking away to pretend to look at your watch. “I don’t remember your answer, I’m embarrassed”
“I didn’t really have one” Was his response, and when you looked up at him there was that awed silence once more.
“Ehem” You awkwardly cleared your throat, hoping he didn’t find you boring. “So what are you doing then, Peter Parker?”
“You know, a little bit of everything” He shrugged. “I take photos of Spiderman for the Daily Bugle”
“Spiderman? Oh, he’s great!”
“You’re a fan?”
“Of course! I see him at work sometimes, he helps us out a lot”
“Does he?”
“Yeah! I tell you, on our own we wouldn’t be able to help so many people, but thanks to him we really make a difference. It’s just the best!”
You dared to glance at him again, realizing you had subconsciously looked away again. As soon as your gazes met, you realized he was staring at you with a mixture of fondness and amusement.
“What?” You bashfully chuckled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Actually...” Peter shyly began, scratching the back of his head. “I was wondering if… you, um… if you’d like to go get coffee with me some day… or I don’t know, go out to the movies or…”
“Like a date?” You interrupted, sensing he was starting to ramble.
Peter gawked at you for a moment, turning a bright shade of red. He quickly shook his head, awkwardly laughing and stuttering.
“Forget it, I… It was silly of me to think you’d want to go out with me and-”
“I’d love to” You hurried to say, causing him to instantly stop his fidgeting and stare at you.
“Really?”
“Yes, really!”
For a moment, he just stood there in shock, smiling like a fool. You grinned as many emotions overwhelmed you. It felt like you were in high school all over again, being flustered by his presence and finding him adorable. The difference was that now you were actually talking to him, and had agreed to go on a date!
“Um…” He held his finger up, looking for something in his pocket. “Here, call me later. We can talk and set a date”
You took what he was offering you, and saw that it was a business card that read ‘Peter Parker, photographer’ followed by his number. Nodding your head, you saved the card in your pocket, looking forward to getting home that day and calling him.
Once again, the two of you stared at each other. You showed him your best smile, that he happily reciprocated. A couple of seconds passed and neither of you had moved. Fortunately, a police car sped by, snapping the both of you out of the daze that had taken over you.
“I-I gotta go” Peter said, instantly becoming serious and taking a step back. “Call me, okay?”
“You got it” You took a step too, realizing you had somewhere to be. “Talk to you later, Pete”
“Talk to you later, Y/N” He smiled at you, lingering for just a little bit longer.
Then, the two of you begrudgingly walked away, at least with the exhilarating thought that you would not only talk on the phone later, but hopefully also go on a date soon.
_
There he was, late again, but he had arrived. Peter kissed you on the cheek and sat in the seat across from you, in the table you had occupied with him so many times.
“Sorry I’m late” He quickly excused himself. “Got busy with work”
You stared at him in silence, trying to read something in his eyes that betrayed the truth. As much as you loved Peter and you had enjoyed those five months with your boyfriend, you couldn’t help but to wonder what he was doing when he wasn’t with you.
He always came up with half-baked excuses, like he was with Aunt May, or that he lost track of time taking photos of Spiderman, or that he slept in. at first you had believed him, but after so long dating you were starting to get suspicious.
“You don’t think I forgot, right?” He asked with a smile, mistaking your thoughtful expression.
“About what?”
“Oh, c’mon…”
“What?” You chuckled, unable to get mad at him when he smiled at you like that.
“You happened to want to meet today, like I don’t remember what day it is!” Peter pulled something out of his jacket and handed it to you. “Happy five months!”
You observed the little box in awe, moved by the thoughtful gesture.
“Oh, Peter…” You picked the gift up, holding it in both your hands. “You’re always so busy, I was worried you’d forget… and I wanted to see you today, but I didn’t want to feel bad for-”
“I could never forget” He shook his head, focusing his blue eyes on you. “I’ve been in love with you since high school, remember?”
“I know” You playfully rolled your eyes. “Me too, silly”
“What are you waiting for?” He squeezed your hands in his. “Open it!”
A wave of warmth and adoration washed over you as you reluctantly looked away from your boyfriend and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful bracelet with your initials and his engraved on the inside of it.
“Pete…” You gasped, in your shock letting him gently take it from you to put it on your wrist. “This looks expensive…”
“I’ve been saving money for it all year” He beamed as his fingers gingerly brushed against your skin until the bracelet was secured. “It was worth it just to see your face”
You pouted a little, moved by his honest words. As faltering as he could be at times, it was things like those why you were so happy to be with Peter. He was one of a kind.
“I brought you something too, of course” You grinned, picking something up from your bag.
“Oh, you didn’t have to” He cooed, reluctantly accepting the small package you handed him.
“Neither did you, right?” You smirked, excitedly watching as he opened it.
“Wow, Y/N…” He showed it to you, proudly bragging about it. “It’s perfect, thank you!”
You absently fiddled with your new bracelet as you observed the framed photo in his hands. It was a picture of the two of you on your first month anniversary in Coney Island, hugging and laughing as Peter had unexpectedly kissed you in the cheek. You knew it was his favorite photo.
“I love it” Peter put his hand over yours. “And I love you”
You grinned, feeling lucky to have him. Just when you were opening your mouth to reply, a sound startled the both of you slightly, breaking the romantic moment. Feeling silly, you chuckled when you realized it was only your phone.
Taking a moment to hold a finger up and excuse yourself to Peter, you answered the call. You intently listened as soon as your recognized your firefighter friend’s voice. As he watched you, Peter’s face turned from curiosity to concern when reading your expression.
“I’m on my way” You said before hanging up, jumping to your feet and putting your coat on.
“What is it?” Peter urged you, standing up as well. “Is everything okay?”
“It was from the fire department, they’re already there, but they need backup” You paused for only a second to pat Peter’s cheek. “I’m so sorry, but I gotta go”
“I completely understand” He walked with you outside the cafeteria and called you a taxi as soon as you were outside. “Be careful, okay?”
“Y-Yeah” You muttered in a daze, feeling restless as you got into the taxi that fortunately stopped. “I… I hope Spiderman can help”
“Me too” Peter gravely said as he closed the door for you.
As the car drove you away from him, you waved goodbye at him. Peter reciprocated the gesture, but he was already leaving somewhere himself.
_
That was the worst fire you had ever faced, even in your somewhat short career. The flames burned like they came from hell itself, and they were resilient against the huge water stream of the hose.
You had managed to evacuate most of the people, but there were a few people trapped in the second floor that your colleagues were tirelessly trying to break free with their axes.
The wild roaring of the flames deafened you, as did the sirens blasting in the streets and the screams of nearby people as they witnessed the harrowing sight of the burning building.
The only good thing was that Spiderman had appeared briefly before you arrived. He had been the one to get almost everyone out while the firefighters struggled to put out the fire.
“This isn’t working!” You said through grit teeth, letting go of the hose that you held between a few of you. “I’m going in to help Spidey”
“No, Y/N!” Your friend, the one who had called you on the phone, yelled. “You’re not ready to face a fire of this magnitude alone! Come back!”
But you had already ran into the building. The shift in temperature was immediate and stark. Your gear helped you not get burned, but the thick garments didn’t help with the suffocating heat. Trying to focus on finding where you were needed, you looked around.
“Spidey!” You called out as you ran through the rooms, climbing up the stairs. “Spiderman? Spiderman!!”
“Here!” Came a hoarse voice from somewhere to your left, so you rushed to go there.
You had to stop for a moment when the ceiling creaked and the beams over your head came crashing down. Just in time, you pressed your body against the wall, keeping you from being crushed under it as the entire building slowly came apart and collapsed. You had to be quick, make sure everyone got out safely.
Taking a deep breath to gather some courage, you ran into the room where Spiderman was. You found him lifting a fallen closet off a young woman, who scurried away as soon as she was freed.
“Help her!” Spiderman asked you, so you hurried to help her to the window.
Once the young woman had climbed down the ladder that the firefighters set to help people out of the building, you turned back to Spiderman once more. Only a few meters separated you.
You didn’t know what to say to him, but being in his presence felt special as always. You smiled, thinking it was best to thank him for now. Before you could open your mouth, however, a loud haunting noise above you startled you.
Time slowed. You peered up, at the beam that threatened to fall over you. Spiderman had already shot his web, but in his hurry it hit the beam instead of you. He tried again, trying to swing you out of the way. But it was too late.
“NOOOO!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, running to you when the beam heavily slammed you against the ground. “Y/N!!”
Stuck between the collapsing wooden floor and the heavy beam, you could only lie there as you waited for him to free you. But even if he did, you feared it was to no avail. Something was very wrong, you could feel it. You couldn’t breathe. You had inhaled too much smoke. And the beam was crushing you, the damage was done.
“Save yourself” You tried to speak up and make yourself heard over the loud crackling of the fire around you. “Leave me, it’s too late for me”
“Stop that” He urged you, straining as he tried to lift the beam off you. “You’ll be okay”
Perhaps it was that you were starting to drift, but you still felt more lucid than ever. It was then, on such a moment, that you realized his voice was familiar. The way he spoke, called your name, comforted you. How could you have not seen it before?
Spiderman successfully lifted the beam off you, not losing a second in scooping you into his arms and swinging with you away from there. Suddenly, you found yourself on the outside again as you went through a window with no glass. The fresh air of the night felt like a relief compared to the thick ashy air of the inside.
Gingerly, Spiderman lied you down on the floor, calling for help with a broken voice. You tugged at his hand until he looked down at you.
“Hey” You called him, trying to smile at him. All you could think about was all the happy moments you spent with both of them. With him. “Look at me, Pete”
“What…?” He uttered in awe, freezing for several seconds. “You knew?”
“I had a hunch” You smiled, feeling like you had always known deep down. It made sense.
Your heart raced, and you felt alive despite your pain, despite the way your body gave you signs that you were definitely not okay. Because the person you admired the most and the person you loved the most were one and the same. He was your hero, your inspiration, your hope.
“Peter, you’ve done so much for me...” You tried, being interrupted by a sudden coughing fit that worsened your pain and made you wince. Still, you made an effort to keep talking. “But I need you to do one more thing, okay?”
“No, don’t talk like that” He desperately took your hand in his, knowing you so well to understand what you were implying. “You’ll get through this, we need to make it to a year”
“I need you to…” Still you continued, pretending like he hadn’t said anything. Tears gathered at the corners of your eyes. “To never give up, to keep doing good and move on”
“Y/N, no, I…” He gawked at you, and you pictured his features changing with realization behind the mask. “I-I… I can save you!”
You shook your head, feeling like this was the very first time he lied to you. His excuses to hide his identity didn’t matter. Not anymore. Not now that you knew the truth.
“You can’t save me this time, Pete...” You grabbed the hem of his mask and pulled at it, just enough to reveal his mouth. There were many people around and you didn’t want to reveal his identity. All you needed was a kiss. One last kiss.
“I can’t save you… I can’t?” He repeated, starting to wrap his head around that. “All these powers, and for what?”
“But you have already saved me...” You winced, but powered through it to tell him. Just hold on a second longer. For him. “I don’t have an empty heart anymore”
Using the very last of your strength, you weakly pressed your hand against his nape. Imagining the intention behind the gesture, Peter closed the distance between you and kissed you on the lips. Urgently, desperately, scared out of his mind. For only a second, the kiss infused you with life, rid you from all the pain and fear. A second after, before he even pulled away, everything was gone. Only your smile remained.
And now… after his heart was filled with love, after reuniting with you and falling in love all over again, after being together with you for five wonderful months and even having gotten a ring for you… now, it was his heart that was empty.