Parkner week prompt 'prom'
TW for swearing
Peter's POV
Shit. Prom is tonight. I can't go. Not after homecoming, I can't do that again. Ned and MJ approach me as we walk out of homeroom, Ned talks immediately.
"Dude, are you gonna go?" His voice loud but worried. MJ just smacks his arm for me and says she'll see us 'losers' later. "I was just asking..."
"I know but even though it's been a year it still, hurts, you know?" Flashes of the warehouse force their way through, the sadness on Liz's face, the burning in my lungs. I swallow thickly.
We sit together in chemistry, trying not to get in trouble for talking. Flash throws paper balls at me, per usual, but one lands on the desk. Writing is scrawled over the crumpled page and curiosity gets the better of me, I already know what the teacher is teaching. Opening it was apparently both the right and wrong thing to do. The message was supposed to be opened but I regret reading it. Scribbled on the otherwise plain sheet says 'Penis Parker, back off the cowboy, he won't say yes to someone who will stand him up.' Ned glances at the note and turns to flip Flash off. Why would he worry about Haley?
He came to school a few moths ago but Mr. Stark introduced us a little before that, we got on straight away. Our passions for science led to nerdy banter and a fluid conversation while working in the lab. I don't know if Mr. Stark was impressed or scared our instant friendship. MJ liked how he never backs down from quips and Ned loves how he is just as geeky as we are. I like how confident he is and the geek stuff, and how his accent sounds. I love the way his curly blonde hair falls on his face so he ties it back and how he's got this almost permanent cocky grin. I may have a crush on him, but prom isn't going to happen for me. Even if Flash somehow gets Harley to go with him of all people, I can't risk hurting him the way I hurt Liz. If he knew about Spiderman then that might have been different but that might get him hurt too. MJ and Ned knew, not because I told them. Ned saw me get back from patrol and MJ is just smart.
A hand is put on my shoulder as the first bell rings out in the halls. Ned's sympathetic smile makes me feel worse but I know he's just trying to help. In order to get to our next class, we separate in the hall and head in opposite directions. My second class is physics, with Harley. And Flash. The two are sat next to each other so I take the hint and sit somewhere else.
Harley's POV
I get to physics as quickly as possible excited to see Peter again, even though I saw him this morning; we do sort of live together now at the tower. He's a little later than normal, not running in to sit with me when he gets out of his first class. Instead I'm greeted by Flash's smug face looking down at me. This bitch. Without a second thought he sits in what is technically Peter's seat but we don't have official plans so I can't say anything. Just then, he walks in. Brunette hair flicks in his eye as he steps in, bamboo eyes in my direction. They don't have their usual shine, no, they look dull and disappointed. He shuffles quickly into a seat near him, also the furthest possible seat from me. Did I do something?
"Why are you looking at Penis?" Ugh. Flash's snarky voice makes me want to hit him, let alone how he talks to Peter. "He doesn't like you back you know," I don't have to look to see his smirk, "he stood up his homecoming date for no reason, if you ask him to go, he'll do the same to you." Before I can object, the teacher starts wittering on.
When they bell goes, I give my self a headache standing up so fast, I still rush over to Peter's side before Flash can talk more shit to me. Peter looks up at me slightly, smiling but not his wide grin when he normally sees any of his friends. Something is seriously wrong, I can just sense it. He gets up and nods to let me know we can head to break. He doesn't speak a word the whole time until we sit with Ned and MJ.
"Yo loser, who died?" His shoulders tense and his face pales. Did someone die? No, he would have told us. I spoke to May last night as she came to the tower for dinner with us. She's okay, so what's wrong?
I almost miss Ned's worried glance to Peter before whispering something to MJ.
"Don't I get to know too?" I wasn't meant to blurt that out but it's a bit late now. Peter excuses himself and says he'll be back in a moment, I definitely do not miss the way his hand trembled. Ned let's out a curse before following him, leaving me and MJ with everyone's bags.
"Did I do something? If I hurt him please tell me." I cringe at how strained my voice is. She smiles before speaking less harshly as usual.
"No, something happened last year and a certain Eugene is isn't helping." A relieved sigh escapes my lips. Something clicks.
"Is it true he stood up some girl at homecoming? That's not like Peter at all, he's too kind for that." Her smile drops into a calculating frown. Now I'm worried.
"He did, not on purpose though, it's up to him if he tells you why. He liked her a lot but something really shitty happened and he couldn't make it." Now I'm even more worried. What the hell happened to him? Did someone hurt him? Why is Flash making it worse? Because it's Flash. Fair point.
"I can see the cogs whirring away so here's my unwanted but ultimately needed advice: He likes you back, how you don't know that astounds me, he just won't ask you because school dances are triggering for him." She smiles again. "Ask him to stay at the tower to work on something and ask him out there. I'll probably ditch and Ned will find Betty, we'll be fine without you two pining idiots." Another bells sounds and she disappears into the flood of students. I think that's the longest I've heard her talk uninterrupted.
Her plan voices it's self in my head again and I become determined.
Peter's POV
Booking it to the stall, tears spring to my eyes and flashbacks haunt me. Tooms. His sinister glints in his eyes, his confident voice, his refuse of my help. He dropped a fucking warehouse on me! Suddenly the small stall seems like a terrible idea as the 20,000 pound concrete roof falls on me all over again. Short breaths heave from my chest and my eyes screw shut. Blood drips down my face and my arms try to push me up under the weight. A scream tears through my throat.
Small yet assertive, a voice. Not Toomes. He's too quite to be him.
"You're okay, Peter, you aren't there. You're in the school toilet stall. I'm Ned, not Toomes." Ned, of course, Ned is safe. I'm not in the warehouse, I'm in school.
"Can I hug you mate? I know you can hear me now but I still need to make sure." I nod. The first time this happened, Ned didn't know. He just hugged me on instinct, I freaked out and hurt him. Not badly, just bruised his arm for three guilt drenched days. His arms made there way around me quickly and carefully. My thoughts cleared out. There is no blood, there is not weight, there is no Toomes or warehouse. Startling both me and Ned is a piercing bell reminding me what happened. Harley! He's seen Mr. Stark help me through these and knows how to but hasn't had to before.
Once again, me and Ned part ways and go to our respected classes. Maths, with Harley. I cautiously enter the room and Harley perks up. He waves at me and flips off Flash. I thought Flash asked him to Prom? Still, I sit next to the southern boy and he speaks up.
"Are you okay? Did Ned help you? Can I help? Am I asking too much?" My small laugh is muffled by my sleeve as I wipe away my tears. This clearly is enough for Harley to relax because instead of mothering me, we fall back into our casual talking and work on our tasks.
Later that night, Harley puts down his screwdriver and walks across the lab to my work station. His face is flushed but he has his signature grin plastered on his face.
"I'm not going to prom tonight either, by the way. It's not my thing." Confusion twists up my face like a draining towel.
"But didn't Flash ask you to go?" I hope that wasn't as rude as it sounded. A chuckle makes me freeze. What did I say?
"He did," more confusion brews in my mind, "doesn't mean I said yes. Why would I go to prom with some dick when I can dance in a lab with my crush?" Oh. Oh. Oh!
"You like me?" Still hasn't clicked yet.
"I know you, Smarter Than Stark Parker, are not this stupid, yes. I do." The calm in his voice mixed with the reassuring smile makes it click. "May I have this dance?"
"Of course."