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Peter had never intended for you to get hurt. He wanted to keep you and Spider-Man as far away from each other as physically possible.
But then Doc. Ock was attacking Times Square while the two of you were on a date there, and he couldn’t not do anything about it. And in all the chaos and mayhem, a falling building came far too close to crushing you for either of your liking. Peter was able to catch it just before it crushed you, and the minute you were safe, he forgot all about the secret he was supposed to keep.
“Oh, my god, are you okay?” Spider-Man asked, hands on your face and arms, checking to see if you were hurt in any way.
You nodded, half paying attention, half looking for Peter, who you had lost in the crowd of people running away from the attack. But when he said your name in a voice that sounded just like your boyfriend’s, you froze.
“How do you know my name?” You questioned.
Then, Peter froze, his hold on you tensing slightly before loosening. “I’ll explain everything later, just, are you okay?”
You nodded again before Spider-Man (Peter?) squeezed your arm before leaving to continue to fight Doc. Ock.
That was hours ago. Now, the two of you were lying together in bed, staring up at the ceiling as Peter explained everything. How and when he became Spider-Man, why he decided to keep it a secret from you (in order to protect you), if he was ever planning on telling you (eventually, he just wasn’t sure when).
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he murmured, his finger trailing up and down your arm as your head rested over his chest. “I really thought I was protecting you,” he said, tightening his hold on you as he was reminded of how close you came to death. How if he hadn’t noticed you, or was just a second too late, you wouldn’t be here with him right now. He would be left to mourn you, and that’s one of the worst things he thinks could ever happen.
You sigh against him. “I understand why you kept it a secret,” you reply, moving to hold his hand. “I just… I don’t know, did you not think you could trust me?”
He quickly shook his head no, even though he knew you probably couldn’t see him from this angle. “No, of course not,” he quickly explained. “I really was just doing what I thought would keep you safe. Obviously, that didn’t work out too well, but, you know.”
He tried to play off his words as a joke, but the truth is, he didn’t think he could live with himself if you got hurt because he was Spider-Man. He doesn’t even know what he would do. The thought alone was enough to make his stomach churn.
The two of you are silent after that, the only sound coming from either of you being the occasional sigh. His hold on you never wavers, though, not wanting to be away from you after what could have happened. Not when now, you might be put in even more danger for even knowing who he is.
His thumb his rubbing against your knuckles when you finally decide to speak again. “Can you stay the night?” You ask so quietly, he’s not sure if he even heard you correctly. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”
He nods, lifting your joint hands to his lips to press a kiss there. “Of course I’ll stay,” he replies quietly, pulling you closer to him as if he never wanted to let you go, never be far away from you ever again. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” he mutters, knowing he needed to stay for himself just as much as you needed him to.