𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

xliv. nine lives

    She didn't see the camera lens held by gentle hands capture the moment she smiled as she thanked the girl that passed her. Peter Parker slowly emerged from behind the lens, gazing at Nina who wouldn't think to look his way━not anymore. Not without feeling that jab in her heart to know that the one person she thought would always be there for her, wasn't. But in this moment, in the crowded room, Peter Parker only saw Nina Hart━and he found her more beautiful than anyone else. 

    Nina pursed her lips once she took a sip from her glass. She searched the crowd and found one person exactly where she knew he'd be. Some part of her sighed sadly within her chest to be proven right, finding Harry all by himself clutching an entire bottle at the bar. 

    After what happened with Otto, he had become miserable. But now that his hope for a future that would make his late father proud suddenly returned to the light with four arms and malicious intent━robbing banks and speaking crazed words━, Harry had gotten even worse. 

    (They now called him Doc Ock━a rising villain. There was no mention of the man; the scientist he was before. But she supposed everyone loved the idea of a mad scientist who had lost his way). 

    Even if she wanted to go over to him, she knew there would be no point. He would snap at her and he would tell her to go away. He would insult her in a drunken slur, and everything she'd do to try and help him━to be there for him━seemed to mean absolutely nothing. She was worried. She was really worried. But she also didn't want her mood to be dampened by being hurt by him again. 

    What could she ever do if he didn't listen? Or want to listen? He was so caught up in his determination to fill his father's footsteps and find Spider-Man to avenge his father's death, that there was nothing else on Harry Osborn's mind. And it was consuming him; drowning him. 

    She pursed her lips and realised even without going over to him, Nina felt a sadness weigh over her still. She glanced briefly at the clock and took the little time she had left before the presentation to slip outside into the fresh air. 

     Peter noticed her go. With a flicker of a frown on his face, he left the group he was surrounded with, ignoring Jameson's shouts to take pictures to follow her.

    Nina glanced up at the sweet fairy lights and lanterns that lit up the balcony. She wandered to the edge, setting her arms on the barrier as she kept looking up at them, having a strange want to be a fairy light━bright, colourful, her life so simple with the only purpose to be wrapped around a tree in order to light up a dark night.      

    She gently rubbed her eyes, suddenly quite cold to be outside. Though it did not make her head back in through the door. She turned her attention to the city around her, and tried to imagine him swinging through it━wondering whether if he knew she was waiting on this balcony for him to be saved like some damsel in a movie. 

     Nina realised she was always waiting. Waiting on a balcony, waiting by someone's door, waiting for people to accept her for who she was━waiting for people to see her worth. Always waiting. 

     "Hi..."

    His voice made her eyes close briefly before she decided to turn to face him. Peter Parker stood there in his suit and his camera slung around and hanging from his neck. He looked unsure on what to say or what to do━he knew she was not happy with him, and yet he still came to talk to her. Nina didn't know whether he was brave or stupid━or perhaps both.

    Nina squared her shoulders and managed a stiff, "Hi."

   Immediately, he launched into an apology━like he always did, "Listen, I'm sorry━"