Chapter Text
Lara Jean couldn’t stop smiling as she wandered through New York City.
She never would have imagined herself falling so completely for a city like this. New York was everything Lara Jean was supposed to hate. It was loud, crowded, chaotic. The crime rate alone should have been enough to send her running home. And yet, somehow, she was falling in love with it.
Chris, walking beside her, suddenly slowed to a stop. Lara Jean followed her gaze to a small table set up along the sidewalk, where a woman sat behind a spread of tarot cards.
Chris smirked. “Oh, we are so doing this.”
“I don’t know, Chris.” Lara Jean said, eyeing the table skeptically. “Aren’t these things just a big scam?”
The woman at the table looked mildly offended—and yet, somehow, also proud. She had the look of someone who knew exactly what she was selling and was confident she could make Lara Jean eat her words.
“How about a trial run?” the woman offered. “I’ll pull your first three cards for free. If you want a full reading, you can come back later.”
The girls exchanged a glance.
“What have we got to lose?” Chris said with a smirk, dropping into the chair. “Let’s do this, witch lady.”
The tarot reader laughed under her breath before gathering the deck.
She shuffled for nearly a minute before handing the cards to Chris to finish mixing. Once Chris seemed satisfied, the woman spread the deck across the table and motioned for her to choose.
“Your first card represents your present. The second represents your future. And the third is a warning—something you should watch out for,” she explained as Chris reached for her first card. “The High Priestess,” she read. “She represents your inner voice, your femininity, and your intuition. You know exactly who you are, and you don’t apologize for it.”
Chris shrugged, a sly grin tugging at her lips. “What can I say?” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I’m one of a kind.”
“As for your future…”the woman said, motioning for Chris to pick her second card. “The Lovers.”
Chris’s smile immediately disappeared. She waited.
“This card means exactly what it sounds like,” the woman continued. “You will find a union or partnership that helps you grow stronger.”
Chris and Lara Jean exchanged a knowing look.
The woman motioned for Chris to draw her final card.
“And your warning…”
She turned it over.
“The reversed Hermit. You must beware of isolation. You will lose your way.”
Chris let out a sharp breath. “Well,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “I guess we’ll wait to see how right you are, mystery lady.”
She turned toward Lara Jean.
“LJ? You’re up.”
The girls switched places as the woman reshuffled the deck. She repeated the same process, letting Lara Jean mix the cards before spreading them across the table.
“Go ahead.”
Lara Jean took a slow breath and reached toward the deck. She didn’t know why she felt so nervous. They were just cards. It wasn’t as if they actually meant anything. Right?
She drew one. The woman turned it over. “Reversed Death.”
“That’s good, right?” Lara Jean asked hopefully. “The opposite of death sounds like a good thing.” The woman just stared at her. Lara Jean's smile faltered.
“The Death card represents the end of an era. A significant change. Reversed, it represents a fear of change—resisting it no matter how much it hurts and repeating negative patterns.”
Lara Jean slowly sank lower in her chair. “So… not good then?”
“That is merely your present.”
The woman gestured toward the remaining cards. Lara Jean swallowed. Suddenly, this was becoming a lot less fun. She reached for her second card.
“The Fool,” she read. “The Fool represents new beginnings. Infinite potential. Innocence. A breath of fresh air.”
Lara Jean nodded slowly. “Yeah. Because we’re going to college soon, so that’s definitely going to be a new and fun opportunity, right?”
Chris didn’t answer. She simply shrugged and pointed toward the deck.
“Last card.”
Lara Jean hesitated before drawing. The woman turned it over.
“The Hierophant.” She studied the card for a moment. “Your warning is against tradition. You should stray from established structures and what you see as the ‘safe’ option. Open your eyes. Open the door for something new. Something you’ve never seen or done before.”
Lara Jean sat quietly for a moment. She looked past the woman and out at the city.
Something new. Something different. But they were just cards. Surely they didn’t actually mean anything. Right?
“The interesting thing,” the woman continued as she gathered the cards, “is that you’ve both only pulled Major Arcana cards.”
The girls looked at her, confused by her implication.
“Some believe that means this is a defining time for both of you. A time of major change.” She smiled faintly.
“Don’t waste it.”
Lara Jean and Chris exchanged a wary look.
Then Chris snapped them both out of it with an exaggerated sigh and clap of her hands.
“Well. That was definitely something.”
She stood.
“But I think I need a sandwich. LJ?”
Lara Jean laughed and nodded.
As they walked away, Chris glanced around in search of a place to eat.
“Thank you for your prophecies, oh wise one,” she called over her shoulder, giving the woman an exaggerated bow.
Once they were far enough away, Lara Jean glanced back. “That was… weirdly accurate, right?”
Chris immediately shook her head. “That’s how the whole scam works. It’s just vague enough that anyone could apply it to their life. Then they twist the words based on your reaction.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Scam artist 101.”
Lara Jean laughed. She was about to respond when they reached the entrance of a small sandwich shop. Neither of them noticed the man stepping through the door at the same time. Lara Jean turned and walked directly into his chest. The sandwich in his hands didn't stand a chance. Food splattered across his shirt.
“Oh my gosh!” Lara Jean's eyes widened. “I am so, so, so sorry. Let me buy you another sandwich.”
“Aw, shoot,” The man looked down at his shirt, wiping at the mess. “It’s alright. I’ve gotten really good at washing food stains out of my clothes.”
Lara Jean blinked. Before she could ask what that was supposed to mean, he turned toward the man behind the counter.
“Hey, man, think I could get another?”
“It’d be my honor, Spider-Man. On the house!”
Lara Jean froze. “Spider-Man?”
Recognition hit her all at once. His face had been plastered all across Times Square.
“Oh my God.” She covered her mouth. “I just spilled food all over Spider-Man?! I am so sorry!”
“It’s okay. Really,” he said, smiling reassuringly. “And call me Peter, please.”
Chris's eyebrows shot up. “Spider-Man?” She looked him up and down. “You’re, like, famous famous. What are you doing here in the middle of the day?”
“I got hungry,” he said with a shrug as though that were the most obvious answer in the world. “This has always been my go-to sandwich shop. They make the best food.”
Chris leaned an elbow against his shoulder. “So… What’s a girl gotta do to get a private tour of the city from Spider-Man himself?”
“Chris,” Lara Jean scolded under her breath, mortified.
Peter laughed.
“Are you guys new in town?”
“We’re here on a school trip,” Lara Jean explained. “Which we really should get back to before our group starts looking for us.”
“We’re going to an NYU mixer later,” Chris added. She grinned at Peter. “You should come. Take the mask off for a night.”
Peter hesitated. “I don’t know… Ever since people discovered I was Spider-Man, I’m not exactly the most popular person in the city.”
Chris reached into her bag and pulled out a sticky note. She quickly scribbled something down and handed it to him. “Well, here. Take the address. Come if you want. Don’t if you don’t. Up to you.”
The man behind the counter handed Peter his replacement sandwich. Peter took it, then glanced down at the note again before turning toward the door.
As he left, Lara Jean watched him go, then she slowly turned toward Chris.
“What?”
“You are so embarrassing!” Lara Jean exclaimed. “I’m sure a famous superhero does not want to come party with prospective NYU students. Assuming he even has a day off!”
Chris shrugged. “Hey, you never know. And I’m not the one who ruined the famous hero’s lunch.”
Lara Jean groaned, burying her face in her hands.
She was never going to be able to forget this.
---
Lara Jean couldn't help but smile as she took in the NYU party. Everything was so much better than she could have imagined. The people. The band. The music. The atmosphere. Everything felt alive. She could feel herself falling more and more in love with the city with every passing minute. As the band began another song, Lara Jean found herself caught by the melody. There was something about it. Something warm. Something familiar. Something that felt like love. The kind of love she felt for her Peter. Maybe this could be their song.
Just as she stepped out onto the roof to call her boyfriend, Peter, something caught her eye. Across the way, a figure sat perched on a beam. A man in red. Spider-Man. He was hanging upside down, completely still. He looked lost in thought. Like he had more on his shoulders than anyone else she knew. More than anyone should have to carry.
Lara Jean slowly lowered her phone. It was silly to think she could get his attention. No normal person should have been able to hear her from this distance. But what was the harm in trying?
“Peter!” she called. Nothing. She tried again.
“Peter!” A little louder this time. Just as she debated calling a third time, his head lifted. He turned slightly in her direction. Lara Jean smiled. “Over here!”
Faster than she could process, Peter launched himself off of the beam. He swung across the gap and landed on her rooftop.
“What is it?” he said, voice slightly panicked. “Is everyone okay?”
“Whoa, whoa!” Lara Jean quickly raised both hands. “Sorry. There’s no emergency. Everything is fine.” She watched the tension visibly leave his body. “I just saw you sitting over there by yourself,” she explained. “I thought maybe you’d want to come join the party.”
Peter glanced toward the building behind her. “I don’t know…”
“Lara Jean,” she finished.
He looked at her, confused. “Sorry. I just realized I never got the chance to give you my name after I ruined your lunch today.”
They both laughed.
“My name is Lara Jean. But my friends call me LJ.”
“Well, Lara Jean…” Peter continued. “I’m just not sure I’m in the best party mood right now.”
“Come on,” she pleaded. “I can tell you have a lot going on. I’d be surprised if you didn’t. But you don’t have anywhere else to be right this second. Why not take an hour and just enjoy yourself?”
Peter thought for a moment. Before he could answer, however, a group of girls rushed onto the roof behind them.
“LJ!”
“Oh, good!” one of them exclaimed. “You found some muscle!”
Peter frowned. “Muscle?”
“Muscle for what?” Lara Jean added.
“Pink couch!” The girls burst into laughter, laughing as if it were an inside joke no one else was in on.
Lara Jean and Peter exchanged a confused look, but before either of them could ask another question, they were dragged out of the party.
---
The group of girls, plus Peter, laughed as they rushed toward the subway station.
The seven of them each held a different end of the pink couch they'd somehow managed to steal from one of the girl’s ex-boyfriend's house. Peter, somehow finding a change of clothes along the way, now wore sweatpants and a hoodie over his Spider-Man suit, making at least a small effort to blend in.
By the time they reached the subway car, everyone was exhausted. They collapsed onto the couch in a heap. Peter, unsurprisingly, looked barely winded.
“See?” Lara Jean started, catching her breath. “Wouldn’t you be having a lot less fun tonight if you hadn’t come?”
Peter chuckled, looking down at the floor. “Okay. I’ll admit it. That was kinda fun. But the Daily Bugle would definitely get a kick out of calling me a thief and a terrorist if they ever found out I was here tonight.”
“Don’t worry,” Lara Jean said, gently patting his shoulder. “My lips are sealed. As far as I’m concerned, you weren’t even here.”
Peter smiled.
As the subway rumbled beneath the city, Lara Jean suddenly shivered. She hadn't planned on being out this late. Which meant she hadn't exactly planned for the chill either.
“Are you cold?” Peter asked, already taking his hoodie off before she could object. “Here. Take this.”
“No, no. I couldn’t,” LJ refused, pushing it back toward him. “Then your suit would be visible again. I’m sure you don’t want the extra attention.”
“Please,” he said, holding it out again. “Really. I don’t need it. My suit has a heater inside it.”
Lara Jean stared at him. She couldn't tell if he was joking. “Okay, fine,” she sighed. “Thank you. But at least give me your number so I can coordinate a time to get it back to you.”
Peter laughed. “As you wish.” He took her phone and started typing. A moment later, his eyebrows furrowed. “A different Peter appears to be calling you.”
“Oh!”
Lara Jean quickly took the phone back.
“Sorry. That's my boyfriend. Also called Peter,” she added with an awkward chuckle. “He must be wondering where I am.”
Peter nodded. “Yeah. It is getting pretty late. I should probably get back to my girlfriend, too.”
“Oh. You have a girlfriend?”
“Yeah. MJ,” he said with a faint smile. “She got off work a few hours ago, so I should go meet up with her.”
“Okay,” Lara Jean nodded. “Well… I’ll see you later, then?”
Peter nodded before turning toward the subway exit. A second later, he shot a web toward the edge of the exit and swung away.
“Oh!” Lara Jean exclaimed as she remembered. “Your hood—!”
But it was too late. He was already gone.
---
Lara Jean sighed as she finally returned to her hotel room. Her boyfriend, Peter, seemed disappointed that she'd stayed out so late. But she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty.She'd had fun. Real fun. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly alive. For the last few days, she'd felt like she'd been walking on eggshells around Peter. Tonight, though? Tonight she'd felt nothing but joy. Lara Jean sat on the edge of her bed, still wearing Peter Parker's hoodie. Without thinking, she pulled it closer around herself. She inhaled. The faint scent of him lingered in the fabric. She began to smile before immediately catching herself.
She shot upright. What was she doing? Why was she smiling over a boy's hoodie? A boy who was not her boyfriend. A boy who was, in fact, another girl's boyfriend.
She dropped the hoodie onto the bed as though it had suddenly burned her.
Relax, LJ. She thought, taking a deep breath. He's just something new. It's an infatuation. It'll fade in a matter of days. A week, max.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling. She thought having feelings for a boy who wasn't her boyfriend was a problem she'd left behind with John Ambrose. She and Peter had come so far since then. She didn't want to mess anything up now. Especially not for a boy who was already taken. Especially not for a boy she was probably never going to see again.
Lara Jean took another deep breath and sat down at the desk in her hotel room. Whatever these feelings were, she decided, they had to go. No matter what caused them. No matter how exciting or confusing or wonderful they felt. They had to go.
So Lara Jean did what Lara Jean did best.
She wrote a letter.