Always // Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield)

-4- not my priority

Peter Parker didn't return home that night until 9pm.

Uncle Ben was sitting on the chair outside the house and by the look on his face Peter could tell just how disappointed he was.

"Be a man and get in there and apologize!"

Maya got up from where she was sitting in the lounge room and her eyes instantly fell on Peter as he walked through the door, guilt prominent in his posture.

"I'm sorry Aunt May I-uh"

"Honestly, you don't have to apologize to me. It's Maya-"

"To hell he doesn't"

"Look, I'm sorry Uncle Ben I-uh, I got distracted"

"Oh he got distracted!"

Maya could feel the tension rising between the two men and felt like she was about to be brought into a fight that wasn't hers to overhear. "I'll just uh- I'm gonna head home" She started heading towards the door when Peter grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Just wait, I'll walk you home"

"Well that really is the least you could do after leaving her stranded here when no one was home to let her in"

Maya tensed. She really didn't want to be pulled into this argument. She shot both May and Ben a warm smile before exiting the house and waiting on the steps for Peter. 

It was only a moment later she heard the front door open and she let out an audible gasp as the glass screen on the front door shattered as Peter slammed it shut. The silence that followed was almost deafening. No one spoke a word even as Peter grabbed a hold of Maya's wrist as he dragged her away from the house.

They ended up at a little convenience store, Maya waited outside while Peter promised to only be a second. She just desperately wanted to go home and forget about tonight. She contemplated just walking herself home as the silence that had fallen between the two was too awkward to bare.

She was snapped out of her thoughts a moment later when a figure emerged from the store and knocked her to the side. She grabbed a hold of the flower stand that was next to her, stopping her from falling to the ground. "What the fuck was that about?" She questioned as Peter strolled out of the store, handing Maya a chocolate milk.

"No idea" he muttered before putting his hand on Maya's back and leading her in the opposite direction of the commotion.  

They had only made it a few steps down the road before a gunshot rung out, making the two visibly jump. Peter turned around in the direction of the noise and begun crossing the road with Maya close behind.

He stood dead in his tracks when he made out the body that lay motionless on the sidewalk. Maya brought her hands to her mouth and stood in complete shock. Peter rushed over to Ben in a complete panic, the realness of the situation finally catching up to him.

"Uncle Ben! Uncle Ben!'

"Oh my God"

Call an ambulance! Maya! Call an ambulance" It was Peter's words that snapped the girl out of her frozen state as she grabbed her phone out and called 911. 

The whole word felt like it had froze, yet at the same time everything felt like it was moving a thousand miles a minute.

Peter felt a rush of relief wash over him as the ambulance arrived, only for it to disappear when the paramedics pulled out a body bag. At that moment, Peter's heart dropped and his entire world crashed around him.

He couldn't understand the voices surrounding him or make out the faces of those in front of him. He didn't even notice when Maya was no longer by his side anymore.

He was numb.