Chapter Text
Oh fuck. Oh no. First day of class, and she was going to be late. To make matters worse, her hair looked like shit. She gripped the door and slid silently into the lecture hall. Most of the seats were filled, but she found a corner close to the back. She felt someone looking at her, but wouldn’t dare turn her head. As expected, the majority of the other students were men. Majoring in aerospace at Empire State University was certainly a choice, one made huddled up in bed at an absurd hour, a few seconds from dozing off. A majorly depressing decision considering how far from home and lonely she now was—but that’s okay! She would figure it out on her own, as she always did. This was college, she told herself. She shouldn’t be sulking on her first day. Only now, looking up from her computer screen, did she remember that her professor was Bruce Banner. Banner as in the Hulk. The Avenger. It was mind-blowing to see him in person. She’d had a bit of a fascination with the Avengers since The Battle of New York, when she was a little kid.
She fiddled with her keychain, Talia, her name. The last concrete piece of home she had left, the only one that mattered. She thought about the conversations and debates she would have with friends back home, about the ethics of it all. Talia held a conviction to everything she loved, and she loved arguing. She defended superpowered individuals so strongly, one might have gotten the wrong idea and mistaken her for an affiliate. Dr. Banner suddenly paused to answer someone’s question, “Cindy, is this a question about protons or more stuff about the Avengers?” He sighed as the girl in front of her slowly lowered her hand. “Okay. Guys, I love to tell stories…but you know I gotta teach you some physics at some point here.” The entire lecture hall sulked, and she was disappointed herself. “All right, let it rip, Cindy.” he waved his hands dramatically in the air, and Cindy smiled.
“Well, if Thanos was so worried about overpopulation, why didn’t he just use the magic glove to make more food?” She asked.
Dr. Banner looked down, concealing his expression. “Arthur, you wanna answer that question?” A guy with green face paint got up and did his best Hulk impression; the whole lecture hall burst into applause. The class was dismissed just as the applause began to die down. Sliding her laptop into her bag and throwing it over her shoulder, she caught sight of someone with dark curls in her pocket mirror. He walked up to Dr. Banner and asked him something, his voice muffled by the chatter of other students. Looks like she had failed at trying to make a friend in her first class. It hit her just then that she did, in fact, know the dark-haired man.
Move-in day at her new apartment. It was the cheapest rent that she could find in all of Manhattan. It was windy as hell; stepping out of the taxi, her hair flew into her face, covering her eyes for a moment. The pavement was wet from rain, and the humidity of late summer made her bracelets stick to her skin. Dragging her suitcase through the front door, sirens blasted in the distance. She took out her phone to look up her unit number. Shit—” Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” She hurried to pick up her phone, but the stranger beat her to it; damn her for not paying attention. He handed it to her and lent her a hand to get up. Talia took it.
“My fault. I should’ve seen you standing there,” he said curtly, running out the door before she could even say anything else. She stood there for a few moments, and the sounds of New York City came back to her. Talia realized that she must have looked stupid as hell standing there. The elevator creaked eerily, and she struggled to shove her key into the door of her 4th-story unit. Throughout all this, she couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger she had bumped into at the entrance. Now he was here. Her apartment building was pretty small, so it surprised her that they hadn’t bumped into each other again in the past few weeks (literally). But he had completely slipped her mind up until this point. Talia had begun walking to her next class when she once again saw the stranger talking to Dr. Banner as they walked. She couldn’t help but listen in. From a distance, of course. Mumblings about the inhibitor made to suppress the Hulk were all she could make out. Curious how such a device could control something as unpredictable as the Hulk.
The rest of the day passed ordinarily, and unfortunately she hadn’t talked to anyone worthwhile aside from the occasional question or passing comment. Feeling unreasonably tired, she thanked her younger self for taking Calc BC in high school. The concept of a student going into those classes without the previous knowledge was enough to send a shiver down her spine. The bus ride was dreary, and her apartment was cold. It took an embarrassingly long time, for an engineering student, to figure out that something was wrong with her heating system. Thinking for a moment about all the assigned work overwhelmed her to the point of gathering every single blanket she owned and taking a nap. The apartment was still barren, heavy boxes littered around; listening closely, faint yelling accompanied by jazz music could be heard outside of the open window.
Bursting upright, the emptiness of the apartment stilled her. She wiped her eyes. The red alarm clock on her nightstand read 4:07 AM. She missed work yesterday. Gripping her pillow against her face, she let out a muffled scream. Talia took out her phone, immediately lowering the brightness, and sent her manager a quick apology promising to (hopefully) not forget about work again and that from now on she’ll be a good little barista. She placed her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes. For a moment there was silence. Drilling, or was that…printing? Soft frustration and forceful pen clicking could be heard on the other end of the wall. At first she tried to drown it out with her thoughts, but that didn’t work. Getting up, she placed her ear to the wall. The consistent pen clicking was then replaced by a string of fuck and oh no no no no. She found herself frowning. It made her upset that something had gone wrong.
Was her neighbor an engineering student? It definitely sounded like they were building something, but that made little sense because the semester was just starting. What type of psychopath builds robots for fun at 4:00 AM? She stepped back, deciding that she would go for a run to pass the time until her first class. She felt uneasy intruding on them like that. Class was brutal; she took notice of the stranger’s absence. She did meet someone named Avery, who Talia discovered was in the majority of the same classes as her. They walked together and had lunch; Avery added her to a group chat with a few other students. Bus ride, then Apartment. Thinking about her Physics project. Walking to work, fortunately with an umbrella. The weather turned sour quickly, and it had her feeling like she was auditioning for Pirates of the Caribbean. Talia slammed the door shut as she entered the cafe, trying to prevent the torrential downpour from entering the shop. The combination of her pink uniform, chunky yellow rain boots, and soaked hair made her look like a clown. It was just her and her manager, Linda. She was a stern older woman who ran the place with an iron fist, pink uniform and cozy atmosphere be damned. Talia tried to look alive but found herself staring at the raindrops as they catapulted onto the windows with a plop. Surprisingly, there were a few people who ran into the cafe to grab a quick coffee.
She had to explain that she could not give some guy his four pumps of vanilla syrup with graham cracker crumbles on top because that’s not something that they have. Their little disagreement turned into small talk about school; she discovered that this guy, Ned, was graduating from MIT, and he had been going to this cafe since he was a freshman in high school. His roommate even worked here. By the end of his tangent, Talia basically knew his whole life story. She even told him a bit about how she had just moved to the city and started at ESU. He left, and by the time she had to close up, the rain subsided into something softer. She didn’t even bother to open her umbrella as she walked home. Talia pulled out her keys, opening her door swiftly this time. The sun had just dipped under the skyline, and the city was lit aflame by streetlights and advertisements.
Talia changed out of her stupid pink uniform into plaid pajamas. Her hair was still damp from the rain. She decided to spend some time actually unpacking the boxes lying around. While hanging up movie posters and putting books in their respective spaces, she found her guitar. Talia played the opening chords of “Layla” as quietly as she could, pleased that her muscle memory did not betray her. Talia was by no means an amazing player, but she did know a few songs. It had been a while since she’d learned something new. College applications and the chaos of the previous year had kicked her ass. She placed the beloved instrument by her bed and opened her laptop. Talia reviewed some of the new information she had learned from her general chemistry class before shutting it off and going to brush her teeth, splashing a few handfuls of water onto her face while she was at it. Climbing into her bed, she closed her eyes. The consistent pen clicking and mumbling made their return, although this time accompanied by mechanical whirring and sounds of a faint robotic voice.
It was nearly twelve in the morning, and she was making the trek to the 24-hour deli around the corner of her apartment building. Nothing notable happened during the few hours she spent on campus; however, Talia spent the entire afternoon working on a programming project and inconveniently fell asleep in the middle of it, waking up a few minutes ago. She remembered that she really wanted a sandwich, so now she was walking down some dingy alleyway alone at night. Possibly not her brightest idea. She stepped inside, the flickering light catching her attention for a moment. To Talia’s immense surprise, Avery was standing in the checkout line buying a sandwich. He smiled when he saw her. Next to him was the guy she met at her coffee shop the other day- Ned, was it? Avery spoke, “Talia? Great minds think alike, I see,” he said, pointing to all three of them in a circle. “Oh—I almost forgot to mention this is my friend—” Ned cut him off, and they both spoke at the same time.
“We’ve met,” They said in unison.
Avery’s eyes widened, and he looked genuinely surprised. “This guy hasn’t been back in New York more than three times in the past four years; you told me you just got back today!” He said accusingly and poked a finger at Ned’s chest.
Talia spoke up and saved him from the mortifying ordeal of having to make up a response. “You’re the guy from the coffee shop—four pumps of vanilla syrup with graham crackers—Ned, right?” She asked awkwardly, although Talia never forgot a name in her life.
“Yeah, nice Spider-Man shirt,” He said. “I actually—” He pulled up an app on his phone, “—built an app that keeps track of all the recorded sightings of Spider-Man across the city.”
“Seriously? That’s so cool! I haven’t actually seen him yet.” She listened and nodded along as Ned went into a monologue about the mechanics of the app and how much he admires Spider-Man for saving him and his friends over the years.
“Wait.” She said, remembering how strange it was to see the two of these people in a deli together at 12 AM. “How do you two know each other?”
Avery piped up after a while, “I’m actually a transfer from MIT, got all homesick after the first year, you know how it is. Ned and I here actually went to the same high school.” He paused as another toothy smile crossed over his face. “You know, Ned’s hosting a house party tomorrow. You should totally come.”
“Yeah, you should come.” Ned echoed. “Here, I’ll text you the time and address.” He signaled for her to hand over her phone.
She let him enter his phone number and immediately changed his contact name to ‘graham cracker guy’. “I’ll see if I can come; Dr. Brown’s going to kill me if I don’t turn in my stats assignment on time.”
“Don’t be like that! You’ll be there!” Avery exclaimed, patting her shoulder and pointing, eyebrows raised. He walked out of the deli backwards, almost tripping over his own feet.
Ned gave her a wave and followed suit.
She shuffled her feet, feeling out of place being the only customer left in the small space. She grabbed a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips, swinging the plastic bag rhythmically as she walked back to her apartment. The elevator creaked familiarly. As she walked down the hallway, she saw a silhouette exit the door next to hers. Unit 404. It’s the same man she bumped into a few weeks ago and saw in her physics class. He saw her too, and appeared to be frozen for a moment. “Nice shirt,” He said awkwardly.
Talia looked down at her Spider-Man shirt and up again to meet his gaze. She smiled. “So you’re the psycho who builds robots at 4 AM.” She said frankly before realizing she had actually spoken those words, fuck I said that out loud. Her expression shifted to one of horror and embarrassment. She hoped that the slight shade of pink that colored her cheeks wasn’t visible in the low light of the hallway.
Her neighbor’s eyes widened, and he rubbed his neck. “What?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry—I meant to say ‘thank you.’ I think the sleep deprivation is starting to get to me.” She stated apologetically, speaking the last half of the sentence much too quickly. Talia dove into her unit before he could respond. Fuuuck. She sank down to the floor against the back of her door. It’s fine! She’ll just never leave her apartment again. She’s such a screw-up; Talia wasn’t hungry anymore.
Avery is nowhere to be found. Talia is going to kill him if he’s not already dead. To make matters ten times worse, today is the one day that Dr. Banner has decided to assign a two-person project, and her neighbor is here. She could just ask anyone else if they wanna partner up, right? Wait—oh god. Is he? oh no no no no. He’s looking straight at her. She wants to die, wishes the laws of physics would allow her to transform into a puddle on the floor and become invisible. Fuck it. She walks up to where he’s sitting and sits down in the empty seat next to him. “Hi,” She says stupidly. “We’re neighbors,” Talia states the fact as if it’s some huge revelation.
He looked surprised that she had sat next to him. God, why was he always so surprised? “I know,” He responded.
“I’m Talia; it’s my first year at ESU.” She stuck out a hand for him to shake.
Her neighbor looked to be deep in consideration of something for a moment but decided to speak. “Peter,” He said, shaking her hand. “So, no more accusations today?” He cracked a smile, the first she had ever seen from him, and it was beautiful.
She felt her face begin to heat up, and she laughed. “The only accusations you’re getting are accusations of skipping class.” She waved her hands around while speaking. “Seriously, I didn’t even know you were a student here.”
For a moment she thought she saw a flicker of guilt across his face, but it must have just been her imagination because he scoffed and mumbled, “Yeah right,” as he opened the document on the Uncertainty Principle.
graham cracker guy
party tonight!! be there!!!!!
okk
She knew she looked cute in her denim skirt and knee-high leather boots, but as she walked up the stairs, she began to feel a little nervous. She basically knew no one here. She’d brought a bottle of vodka, but Ned was apparently hiding in some corner. Music played loudly, people swayed to the rhythm, and Talia told herself that she needed to lighten up. Stop looking so stiff. Out of absolutely nowhere, Avery popped out and put an arm around her shoulder, somehow already drunk. “Taliaaa, you actually showed up.” He threw his arms up in the air. “I’m impressed!” He exclaimed, emphasizing the ‘impressed’.
“And I think you need to sit down.” She laughed, taking the red cup out of his hand as he began to pout.
“Nooo, I’m still drinking that.” He tried to reach out for it, but she stopped him.
“How about I get you another one?” Talia asked, fully intending to dump out the alcohol and bring him a cup of water instead. “Stay here, I’ll be right back,” she told him. Talia weaved through a never-ending swarm of people and filled a cup with tap water. Heading back to the same spot, she realized that Avery had evaded her. In the background, she heard a familiar voice: Ned. She spun on her heel and saw Peter talking to Ned. She didn’t exactly see him as the party type. Also, how the fuck does everyone know each other?!
“…He actually saved me and my friends’ lives a few times in high school.” Ned was looking at some sort of board. She realized that it was covered in images of Spider-Man and theories about who he is behind the mask. Someone yells, and part of their conversation is drowned out. “…Just to know, you know?” He says to Peter. Ned smiled when he saw her. “I didn’t think you would actually show up!” He exclaimed with surprise.
Why do people keep saying that? “In the flesh.” She looked over at Peter and saw what looked like fear in his eyes. Her smile fell. She handed Ned the bottle of vodka.
“Sick. Thank you.” Ned placed it on the counter and took his attention away from her, explaining his app to Peter.
“Wait, you created Spidey-Tracker?” He had a far-away expression on his face and seemed genuinely amazed, past the point of a stranger. How long have they known each other?
“When did you two meet?” She interrupted without meaning to do so.
“Actually, we just met,” Ned responded. “Wait, have you—” He pointed between them but was once again interrupted when a tall, gorgeous woman walked through the doorframe.
“God, there’s like 50 people in our apartment,” She said.
She commented something unimportant about sociopaths, but Talia was totally lost in the expression on Peter’s face. He was in awe. He looked at this woman with something that could only be described as love.
“Nice flowers.” The woman nodded towards the flowers that Peter was holding in his hands.
“Oh, they’re uh—a housewarming gift.”
“Really?—”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Most people just brought beer and chips.” She smiled and took the flowers from him. Talia suddenly felt very small and uncomfortable. “I’m MJ, by the way,” She stated, looking at Talia and then Peter.
“Oh..I’m uh—” Peter stuttered and met Talia’s gaze, pleading, “—Maynard, I’m Maynard.” Peter—or Maynard? stated. He looked at MJ, and she nodded politely.
“Wait—you two don’t know each other?” Ned asked.
“No, I’m a neighbor,” Peter lied. He averted his gaze from Talia’s eyes.
“Friendly neighbor,” MJ took a sip from her drink, and Peter choked on his.
“I’m Talia, Ned’s friend.” She smiled warmly at her; Talia could tell she was going to like her, despite what weird thing Peter had going on.
“So, how was the interview?” Ned asked MJ.
Her eyes widened. “I’m gonna go put these in water.” She turned, but then turned back. “It was nice to meet you, Talia, and—” Her eyes fell on Peter, “—Maynard.” She practically speed-walked away.
Ned followed her, and Talia stayed behind with Peter.
They stayed silent for a while; she stared at him. She decided to speak, “Why—” She was cut off when Ned decided to exclaim something loudly. Both she and Peter poked their heads out of the room and listened in on what they were saying.
“What?” Ned sounded shocked.
“Yeah. I don’t wanna work for some soulless corporation.”
“But don’t you want like, health insurance?” Ned asked.
“Yeah, of course I do. But at what cost?”
“Depends on your deductible.” His eyes widened, and he realized something. “You mean like, your principles?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry.”
“I don’t know, I know it sounds cheesy, but something is just telling me that I’m supposed to be waiting for something great, you know?”
Peter looked at MJ, and they met each other's gaze.
She and Ned toasted to waiting for something great.
“Well, the wait is over,” Someone Talia once again didn’t recognize walked up to MJ and handed Ned a gift. Ned left the stranger and MJ standing alone.
She handed him a small bottle and said something inaudible; It made the stranger laugh. He leaned in and kissed her. Talia looked over at Peter, and something akin to heartbreak crossed his face.
Suddenly, Peter was shoving through the crowd, and Talia was following him. He stormed out of the building and kept walking in front of her. Rain began to pour down, and she heard a crack of lightning. She had to run a bit to catch up with him. “What was that?” She asked loudly but received only silence as a response. “Peter.” She said, struggling to keep up with his pace. Nothing. “If that even is your real name, Maynard.” She mocked. He stiffened, and she regretted the words immediately, but he kept on walking. “Peter, answer me.” She stepped out in front of him, forcing him to pause.
“It’s nothing; it doesn’t matter.” He mumbled, looking at the pavement.
“I have eyes. I’m not blind; It’s clear that you know her.” She furrowed her brow, squinting to look at him through the rain. “Even if she doesn’t know who you are.”
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” He met her gaze, and Talia could have sworn she saw a tear roll down his face, although it could have just been another drop of rain. She swiped it away, which was stupid because they were both soaking wet anyway. He looked down at her hand before she patted his shoulder and fell into a quiet pace beside him. They walked to their building together; the elevator ride was silent. Before reaching to grab his door handle, he spoke, “Talia.” He looked over at her. “Thank you for not telling them my name.” Just like that, he vanished into his apartment. She was left standing in her doorway, dumbfounded and even more confused than she had been before the party. And goddamn it, her HVAC system was still broken!