Chapter Text
Peter hadn't meant to say it. He and Ned had been talking about stupid things which turned to talking about deeper things which turned to Peter having a panic attack in Ned's arms.
This was a sleepover. They were meant to be having fun and chatting about nothing and eating all the garbage of the world. It was supposed to be fun. But then his heart had gone beyond control within his chest and Ned had noticed, despite how hard he'd tried to hide his shallow gasps for air in the near-silent room.
So Ned held him.
And Peter's heart began to burst in an entirely new way. One he wasn't sure about but one he figured he could look into, later.
It was just starting to calm when Peter finally managed to rasp the words out, trying to ease things and make detaching from his best friend less awkward. He'd clung to him much longer than he felt he was supposed to. Why'd he have to be so soft and warm, anyway?
Ned was so flustered he stammered out a few words, then tried to laugh it off instead. When Peter looked up at him, Ned Leeds saw the sparks of interest in his tired brown eyes and swallowed, biting down the urge to lean in a bit closer for a better view. Peter said nothing, just letting the air hang between them as he watched Ned try to adjust himself back to his usual vibe.
"Uh... You o-"
"I'm good! Good!"
"Okay, well... Cool."
"Cool."
And Peter grinned softly as he was let go of, although a sort of unsatisfied little whine left his lips at the loss of contact. They both looked at each other, laughed again and played video games for a couple more hours.