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Ever since he’d caught MJ, Peter 3 had not been able to shake the feeling. The feeling of almost loss that poor Peter 1 had to deal with. He didn’t know if it hurt worse, though, what he’d been through with Gwen or what this Peter was going through. Either way, every time he closed his eyes to sleep, it’s all he thought about.
He’d been able to keep the nightmares to a minimum. Back in his own universe, he used to scream so loud at night that Aunt May would always be at his side when he woke up with knuckles white from clutching his duvet so hard.
That’s how she found out for sure that he was Spider-Man. After a long day, he’d crawled up into bed without even thinking about changing. His door was closed and locked, and there was no way May was getting in. Of course, once she heard him later that night, she made her way past the locking mechanism and saw him, suit and all, thrashing around under his blankets.
But sharing a room with Peter 1 meant that he couldn’t do that kind of stuff, and for the most part, his brain agreed. So instead of scaring him, it made him sad. He woke up in bed after a terrible dream and just cried. About Gwen, about MJ, about the Aunt May Peter 1 had lost. It was all just too much.
The umpteenth time it happened, he’d finally had enough. He climbed out of his bed and slumped over. He carefully and quietly stepped out of the room and made his way over to the pull out sofa Peter 2 was sound asleep on.
Standing over it for an unreasonable amount of time should have been the most uncomfortable thing ever, but he couldn’t really get himself to produce any words. Suddenly, his spidey sense went crazy, and he hopped up to the ceiling and froze when he realised it was Peter 2’s awakening that was causing it.
“What are you doing up there?” Peter 3 deflated and came back down to the ground. Peter 2 rubbed his eyes as he did. “Did you have another nightmare?”
Peter 3’s eyes danced across the other’s face. “What? How did you… I didn’t tell you I was having nightmares.” Peter 2 but his lip nervously. “I’ve been too loud. God, I’m sorry—”
“I just heard you crying a bit last night. I don’t mean to embarrass you. I just figured it might have been a nightmare.”
“Oh. Well, uh, yeah, it was. Nothing serious, really, just a bit of monsters in the dark.” Peter 3 laughed nervously.
“What are you doing out here? Did you need something?”
“Oh! Uh, well, I was just wondering if I could sleep in here.”
Peter 2 smiled and nodded. He threw the covers off of him and began to climb out of the bed. “Yeah, I can go stay in there with the kid—“
“N-no, no, I meant… can I sleep in bed with you? I just need somebody, and he was so peaceful that I couldn’t bother him.”
Peter 2’s face softened, and he climbed back into the bed. “Yeah, you can… of course you can.” He slid over far enough that Peter 3 could come lay down, too. When he did, Peter 2 closed his eyes and began to go back to sleep.
“Thanks.”
He smiled sadly at Peter 3’s wobbly voice. But before he could respond, Peter 3 had also closed his eyes and turned to face him. He, too, looked too peaceful to disturb with any questions about these nightmares he’d been having.
Peter 2 could do nothing but fall asleep.