Walking the Wire | PETER PARKER [1]

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A blush creeps it's way up her cheeks and she laughs it off, her arms retracting from his body. Eloise lies on her back and stares at the bottom of the top bunk above them. She feels Peter's eyes on her and peers over at him. He doesn't look away when she catches him.

He perched himself up on his elbow and tilts his head, still studying her. "You're in a good mood." It's a questioning statement, slight confusion lining his voice, but Eloise can tell from his lopsided smile that he's glad.

"I'm sorry," Eloise repeats herself, her eyes returning to the bottom of the bunk above them. "I don't like hurting anyone; I don't like hurting you. I don't know why I turned on you, but I was having another nightmare before I woke up. I'm sorry." She meets Peter's gaze as he listens. "I really, really hate my actions and all the hurt and even the death that I've caused," Eloise admits, her voice breaking when she mentions death. She swallows thickly. "It sucks. I had a ... I don't know what you'd call it, a flash? Anyways, I had a flash of that guard, and I couldn't stop thinking about my hands wrapped around her ... her throat." Her breath hitches, but she clears her throat and continues, Peter still listening carefully. "And I started hating myself instead of just my actions. But I know that even though I keep thinking that it's all my fault that she died and that Ned's arm is broken and so many other things, I know deep down that it was Russo, not me." Eloise bites her lip. Peter's hand finds hers and he squeezes it. For the umpteenth time, butterflies swarm in her stomach from his small gesture.

"That's good," He says after a few seconds of silence. "The guilt shouldn't be on your conscience as much as it is—or, was."

Eloise still feels guilty, sure, but it's all in the hands of healing. She turns her attention to Peter's hand perfectly entangled in hers and smiles softly.

Peter's hand traces her jaw and Eloise looks up, surprised at the contact. As soon as her head lifts, Peter leans forward and connects their lips.

Cue more butterflies.

Eloise's mind races as his soft, yet slightly chapped lips press against her own, the warmth spreading throughout her body like wildfire.

But Eloise doesn't kiss him back.

She only allows their lips to touch for three seconds before she turns her head, breaking contact. Peter's lips ghost her cheek as she turns away, blushing.

Peter immediately starts to word vomit. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable if you don't like me like that, and I get it if you don't and—"

"Peter," Eloise says, laughing lightly as she cuts his rambling off. His eyes dart to hers, searching. "I like you too."

Happiness swirls in his eyes. His lips part in shock. "Wait, you do?"

"Yes," she says, smiling. "But ... I don't think I can date anyone right now."

And just like that, the joy is swept off his face. Peter clears his throat and sits back against the wall, clearly embarrassed. He runs his hand through his unruly bedhead. "Oh."

Guilt eats at her insides, but Eloise knows that if she rushes into a relationship with Peter before healing more, it won't work out.

"If I didn't almost kill you a few times and I was in a more stable state of mind, then I would've kissed you back, Peter," Eloise tells him with complete honesty as she watches his reaction. He still looks embarrassed, but he seems to understand and nods. Eloise adds, "I want to heal fully before jumping into something so I won't regret it later."

Peter looks down at his hands and plays with them in his lap. "I get it. Sorry for embarrassing myself."

Eloise lets out a laugh. Peter glances at her, chuckling along.

When the moment passes, she grabs his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. He looks at Eloise kindly.

"Thanks for everything, Pete."

"You're welcome, El."

🕸

Eloise ends the call with Bucky and slides her phone into her back pocket as she steps off the bus, leaving the warmth. As soon as her boots land on the snowy sidewalk and the bus doors creak close before it chugs off, her entire body is encased in the frozen December air.

Teeth chattering and her hands shoved deep into her pockets, Eloise speed-walks down the street toward the library. It's eight o'clock, and whereas any normal library would be closed, the 24/7 one is open and it's where Elena and Lucy are, waiting for Eloise to join them to study.

It's just like old times, before she was bitten by a spider that made her lose control of herself for a while, before Eloise started having vivid nightmares and recollections of her hostility. Most memories come in the form of terrible dreams, but a few times she has flashes during the day and it twists her day from being decent to sour. But, she chugs through the hard days and lives for the good days. The good days are days where she lives instead of fearing the unknown. They're days like today, where Ned's arm is almost completely healed, Eloise gets an A on a pop quiz in Spanish, and she gets a surprise call from Bucky. He was calling to check in and to make sure that she's adjusting well, which she finally is beginning to.

Eloise can almost see the library when she catches movement from above. She cranes her neck and peers up at the tall buildings towering above. A familiar figure in red and blue spandex swings from building to building. When Eloise's movements halt, the figure sticks to the side of a building covered in glass windows and watches her.

Eloise waves.

Spider-Man waves back.

Eloise turns back and continues on her way to the study session, pulling her coat closer to her body. This is really like old times, isn't it?

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Attached Song: Chasing Cars (cover) by Sleeping At Last

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