LIAR, LIAR. Peter Parker

two. meet the father

Amused, Peter grabs a shirt from the couch and puts it on. There's a ridiculous science pun on it, a pun he knows Nina would make fun off if she wasn't in so much pain. "Has anyone told you that you keep the heater way high up? Its almost summer. Plus, my body is like a built in furnace and I was sweating so much last night it almost killed me."

"You're so dramatic." Nina hisses, cheeks tinted red as she rests her head on the floor.

"You just called me a man-whore." Peter deadpans, "Because I was shirtless."

Nina lifted her head sharply, immediately regretting the action and thumping it back down on the wood floor. The pounding intensified for a moment before settling itself back down.

There's a million thoughts clouding her mind, a million questions awaiting to be answered, but the first thing she asks is, "Why are you here, then?"

"Well, my plan was to explain the whole situation to your dad, but he wasn't here." Peter walks over towards the girl, crouching down next to her so she doesn't have to stand up from her comfortable position on the floor. Instead, he takes the bottle of water and Aspirin, a smile dancing his face when Nina immediately accepts the help he's offering. "I stayed for a bit and you kept waking up every thirty three minutes to throw up - yes, I timed it, don't call me a nerd - so I just decided to swing home and grab a bunch of clothes and get my school backpack."

"Why... Why did you do that?" Nina asks, genuinely confused. A little by Peter and a little of herself. "I can see the bags in your eyes and we have classes tomorrow. Well, today."

Peter shrugs as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Because there's no one taking care of you here."

Something mushy in her stomach fluttered for a minute from the words that came out of his mouth, and instead of thanking him like she had planned to, Nina moaned at the shot of pain ringing through her skull, bringing her legs up to her chest so she could wrap her arms around them and rest her aching head down on her knees.

"Peter, seriously, I think I'm dying. This is the worst pain I've ever experienced. You're a chem nerd, right? Then there must be something you can do?" she knew she was sounding petulant and needy, like a small child, but not one part of her could care.

"I'm sorry, but that's all I can offer at the moment," he looks genuinely guilty, and it almost makes Nina feel bad for being a whiny bitch, but another wave of pain engulfed her head, so she doesn't really care. "Unless you have aspirin, citric acid, and sodium hydrogen carbonate somewhere here."

"No..." the girl groans, until a lightbulb lights up in her head. "But I do have a father who can get rid of it in an instant, so... shut up for a moment for me, will ya?"

Her stomach rumbles embarrassingly loudly.

"Shut up," Nina grumbles, knowing that the boy has a look of amusement on his face. She doesn't need to look at him to know so.

"Didn't say anything."

"You thought of it!"

"I'll try to make you something, then. It's seven in the morning." The boy removes his t-shirt, really feeling like he's going to burn out because of how hot Nina's apartment is. "I think I better have you eat something before before your small intestines scream at me again."

She doesn't tell him to put on a shirt with the knowledge that nothing happened last night. Besides, a shirtless Peter Parker was a sight for sore eyes; she'd openly admit that to herself.

When Peter's in the kitchen, doing whatever the hell he is, Nina shuts her eyes and focuses, as hard as she could with the pounding headache.

Over the past six months, her connection with her father grew stronger - and there were instances when she'd merely wish for something to disappear... it could be a migraine, or her period cramps, or the pain from a burnt leg. Sure, it didn't hurt, since Druig would alter her brain so that the pain wouldn't register, but the injury was still there.