— • —
Luna Giraldo moved her hands to rest on her hips, her lips downturned to provide the smallest pout, while her hair rested over one of her shoulders. She stood that way for a moment, eyes unblinking before a broad grin spread across her lips. "Did you get it?" She asked excitedly, practically bouncing in place, a drastic contrast to the once serious, model-like pose she displayed before.
Peter nodded just as excitedly, holding out his phone to her to display the image of her stood next to a work of art being displayed, the two posing identically. Luna clapped with content, before nodding her head in the direction of their classmates, signaling for them to catch up. Hiking her bag higher up her shoulder, she jogged to catch up to her class, expecting Peter to follow behind her. And he did, but only after taking a moment to set the newly snapped photo as his new lock screen, replacing the previous image of Luna at her spring musical with a bouquet of flowers.
Liz rose an eyebrow at her best friend when she rejoined the group. "Where have you been?"
Luna glanced at her for a moment before settling her focus on the painting in front of them. "With Peter taking pictures." To further back her up, Peter extended his phone out to Liz, the picture he just took displayed. Liz regarded him with a roll of her eyes, but still craned her neck forward to get a good look at the photo, much to Peter's pride. Unconsciously, Luna found herself reaching back to grip his hand, her eyes still trailing over the numerous paintings adorning the walls. Peter, still swiping through his multiple photos to show Liz, grasped her hand without another thought, their fingers intertwining with a gentle squeeze.
Mia, however, did take notice of the small interaction. "Okay, that," she gestured to the two of them with a finger, both halves of the couple staring at her with evident confusion. "That little handhold-without-looking thing, that was cute."
Both Peter and Luna glanced down at their intertwined fingers, neither phased by the sudden urge for physical contact. Luna shrugged, a gentle smile resting on her lips. "Thanks, Mia." With that, she gave Peter's hand a tug, leading him in another direction to another collecting in the museum.
Liz watched as the two stepped into the next hall and Luna pressed a kiss to Peter's cheek unprompted, causing him to grin at her before dropping the hand he held to drape it around her shoulder. She couldn't help but snicker at the sight of the two, shaking her head as the two behaved like they were on a date rather than a school trip. "Do they seem extra lovey-dovey today?" Liz asked aloud, assuming one of the two people beside her would be thinking the same.
"No." "Yes."
Mia and MJ looked at each other as they gave different responses, before frowning at one another. "I think they are," MJ emphasized.
"I don't think they are," Mia disagreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "They're just being Peter and Luna and making everyone be jealous of their love."
Liz snorted. "Jealous? Who the hell is jealous of that?" She turned back to look at the two, but her face fell as she saw the two were posing in front of a painting, replicating the pose of the couple in the art while Ned took their photo. "Okay, maybe that is a little jealousy-worthy."
MJ cleared her throat, causing Liz's head to snap in her direction, pretending not to notice the bashful expression she wore. "I still think they're a little more today," she insisted, turning the conversation back to the main topic. "Think something happened?"
What could possibly have happened? All three of them were at the trial yesterday, then Peter and Luna went to dinner with her dad and his family. That wasn't exactly relationship altering events unless Luna's dad did something that was a big deal. Surely Luna would have mentioned it if he did, right? It made Liz think for a second, consider whether or not they've gotten to the point where Luna would hide something like that from her, but she was quick to dismiss that thought. The girl texted her when she was going to pee, there's no possible way she wouldn't feel comfortable sharing whether her dad did something or not.
"Why don't we just ask her?" Mia broke the silence, her eyebrows raised as if the resolution were just that simple. "If something happened and we ask about it, then she'll just tell us."
"And if she doesn't?" Liz counters.
Mia made a face. "Why would she not tell us something if it happened? This is Luna we're talking about." Without waiting for further input, Mia left the other girls behind and walked ahead to Luna and Peter in the separate room. Liz's eyes widened as Mia walked with purpose, and she was quick to jog to catch up with the girl, gripping her wrist to tug her to a stop. "What?"
"We can't just ask," Liz stated matter-of-factly, her eyes wide. "What if nothing is going on and she just thinks we're rude?"
Mia blinked rapidly. "Since when are we afraid to talk to Luna about stuff?"
"You're afraid to talk to me?" Both girls whirled around, surprised to see Luna beside them, her lips settled in a deep frown. Liz could feel her chest tighten at Luna's crestfallen expression, suddenly feeling guilty for her hesitation. Luna never gave her a reason to question their friendship, not even in times where things seemed rough, so why question her now?
"Did something happen between you and Peter?" Mia asked her, taking the words out of Liz's mouth before she could process it. Luna's facial expression changed suddenly, and then Liz understood her hesitation was very much necessary. Because something did happen, and now she wasn't sure if she wanted to know because then she'd be left wondering why she even had to ask to begin with.
Luna's eyes flicked to the left and right before she let out a deep sigh. "Let's go to the gift shop." Neither of the girls questioned her, trailing behind her to the little shop on the other side of the bridge. Luna was quiet as they walked there, her head ducked down and...was she blushing? When they reached the gift shop, she stepped into an aisle with art books, before whirling around to the girls. "What...what makes you ask if something happened?"
"Liz thinks you guys are more lovey-dovey," Mia answered immediately.
Liz glared at the side of Mia's head, mentally cursing the girl for not allowing her to speak her own thoughts. Then she turned back to Luna, a nervous smile spreading across her lips as the girl stared back at her visibly discomforted. "I don't mean it in a bad way," Liz offered. "I just...have a hunch is all."
Luna remained silent, her brows pulled together, leaving Liz unable to read her. Was she angry? Was she hurt? Did she push too hard? Why was she so damn nervous?
Then Luna spoke. "We had sex."
Mia, who was looking between the two in silence, choked on seemingly nothing, her hand shooting out to grip Liz's upper arm. Liz's lips parted in surprise, clearly not anticipating the blunt response nor the circumstances of the confession. Then Liz's brows shot up, and she couldn't stop herself from yelping, "Are you fucking with me?"
Luna's cheeks flushed at the incredulous look her friend was sending her way, while Mia was practically vibrating from visible excitement. Before either of the two could stop her, she was speedwalking out of the aisle and into another, eyes scanning the books occupying the shelves. Her friends followed behind her, Liz spewing question after question while Mia wore a permanent smile.
"Okay, but like why?"
The question made Luna pause, her brows pulled together. "Why?" She repeated. "Because I love him."
"I know that, dipshit. I meant like what lead to it, why that moment?" Liz rephrased, ignoring the pang of jealousy she felt from Luna's tender confession of love.
Luna shrugged, continuing to scour the isles for a souvenir. "I dunno, it just felt right?" Her gaze settled on a printed photo of Starry Night, and she felt the tension in her shoulders ease as her fingers trailed over it. "We...admitted to being in love, so realistically, that's what lead to it."
Mia gasped. "You said the in." Luna bit the inside of her cheek to stop a smile from spreading across her lips, her stomach fluttering with butterflies at the memory of their conversation in her bedroom. "That's so...it's so..."
She tensed suddenly at Mia's tone of voice, and when she looked up from the print, Mia had her sleeves pulled over her hands as she wiped at her eyes. "Are you...crying?"
Mia stepped away with a wave of her hand, a sniffle heard as she walked away from the two for a moment. This left Liz and Luna, the former failing to comment on the answer she requested, too lost in her own thoughts to express any opinion. Luna focused on the print once more, feeling exposed in the suddenly awkward situation she found herself in.
When Liz cleared her throat, Luna's eyes darted up, her body going rigid, seeing Liz now had her arms crossed over her chest. "So, in love?" Luna lowered the print completely, giving Liz her undivided attention. "That's really fucking special, Luna."
Luna nodded in agreement. "It is."
"I'm happy for you."
"Doesn't seem like it," Luna told her honestly.
Liz frowned. "I am." Luna narrowed her eyes at her friend, eyes able to convey 'really?' Then Liz sighed. "Okay, I'm like ninety percent happy for you. The other ten percent is jealous."
Luna blinked rapidly. "You're...jealous I had sex with Peter?"
Liz's face screwed up in disgust. "Gross, no." Luna visibly relaxed. "Were you seriously—you know what, nevermind. The only thing I'm jealous of is the whole love thing, it's sweet. Peter lucked out with you because he'll never meet anybody as eager to love as you, and I hope he realizes that."
"Wow, that was, like...really nice. You feeling okay?" Liz glared at Luna, while the former let out a low laugh. "But thanks, Lizzie. I appreciate it, and I know whatever girl you end up with is gonna be just as lucky as Peter is with me."
"She will be," Liz agreed with a shrug. It was silent for a moment before Liz chuckled. "I can't believe you thought I was jealous about the whole virginity thing. I'm happy for you and stuff because you care about it, but virginity is a social construct, so I really won't care about it that much."
"Someone has been spending time with MJ," Luna muttered under her breathe, plucking the print of Starry Night off the pile and making her way to the register. "You know, you wouldn't have to be so jealous of Peter and me if you just asked her out already." Luna smiled at the woman at the register politely, before looking over her shoulder to Liz, who wore a deep frown. "It's super obvious you guys are into each other."
For the first time in a while, Luna could see her best friend blushing, but before she could comment on it, Liz was turning away. Luna laughed to herself when Liz shot her a middle finger, before shuffling forward to stand beside her. "How can you afford that?" She asked, changing the subject as she pointed to the large print.
"Babysitting," Luna informed her, taking out a few bills to give the worker. "You know my neighbor? I babysat her kid, Brad, he's a real pain, but she pays well."
"Hey, if the kids that much of a pain, I'll happily babysit him instead if she's paying that well."
"Hm, not too sure you'd wanna do that," Luna mumbled.
Liz's brows furrowed. "Why not?"
"He definitely has a crush on me," Luna snickered, before taking her bag from the counter and thanking the worker. "He's made me about six dandelion bouquets."
"Woah, watch out, Peter Parker. Brad sounds like some serious competition," Liz teased, causing Luna to gently elbow her. The two girls left the gift shop area, spotting Mia a distance away, her hands fanning her face. "You okay, bub?"
Mia nodded rapidly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just got a little too happy, and you know how much of a wreck my emotions are." Then she turned to Luna, a broad smile on her pink stained lips as she gripped Luna's shoulders. "But I am so happy for you, Luna. Losing your virginity is such a huge thing and—"
"Woah." The three girls whipped their heads at once, and Luna's face paled at the sight of a certain Flash Thompson, his phone already gripped between his hands. "Parker and Giraldo actually..."
"Flash," Luna spoke slowly, her voice dropping an octave to portray a threatening tone. "Think about your next move."
Flash appeared unbothered. "I think I'm gonna tell everybody that you two—"
"That they what?" Liz interjected, stepping forward with her eyes narrowed at Flash. Flash visibly stiffened when Liz glowered at him, but his phone remained within his clutches. "Like Luna said, think about your next move, really carefully."
Mia frowned behind the two girls, and before either of the two could further intimidate him, she stepped between them. "Alright, let's take this down a notch," she said softly, ushering both girls back a step. "Flash isn't gonna actually do anything," she looked over her shoulder at him, eyebrows raised, "right?"
He opened his mouth to protest but went silent upon meeting Mia's glare. "No..." With a nod of her head, he scurried away from the three, rejoining the class group.
"What, you're the Flash whisperer now?" Liz questioned with a frown. "What the hell was that?"
Mia sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing. I just know him a lot better than you guys since I've been his partner this whole year."
"You're totally the Flash whisperer now," Luna agreed, disregarding Mia's previous statement. "But it's fine. We need one of those, so we know how to take him down a notch."
"Right..." Neither of the two took notice to Mia's distant response, her eyes darting around the museum in search of something. It wasn't long before the three girls went their separate ways once more, rejoining their classmates as some pretended to care about the art displays, while the other just took photos for their Instagram feed.
Peter flinched when Luna placed a hand on his shoulder from behind, before relaxing further into her touch. He and Ned were sitting on a bench, pretending to observe the painting on the wall, but truthfully, they were debating the correct pronunciation of gif. Ned was quick to turn to Luna when she arrived, eager for her input. "Luna, gif, or gif?"
Luna's face distorted into one of disgust. "Who the hell says gif?"
Ned threw his hands up in exasperation. "Thank you! It sounds wrong."
Luna frowned, looking down at Peter who was fiddling with her fingers mindlessly. "Pete, you say gif? Really?" Peter tilted his head back, hair pressing to Luna's stomach as his lips jutted out into a pout. "Might have to break up with you now."
Ned let out a cackle of laughter beside the two. "That's the funniest joke I've heard this whole year!" Luna mockingly glared at him, only making his smile widen. "Just look at what you're doing, and tell me your statement isn't a joke."
The girl hadn't even noticed her fingers were trailing through Peter's locks, her knee propped against the bench as he leaned back against her. A blush dusted over her cheeks, and she slowly removed her hand from Peter's hair, instead, resting it on his shoulder. "I see your point," she mumbled bashfully, now all too aware of her closeness to Peter. It's not that she meant to do it, well, maybe she did, but she also couldn't help it. They were closer now than ever, and the overwhelming amount of love she harbored for the boy was bursting out of her, begging to be displayed in any way possible. It seemed he was the same, considering he never once questioned her closeness, leaning into her touch when she offered it.
"Hey, Parker." Luna stiffened when Flash strode past them, phone nowhere in sight thankfully, but cocky smirk still present. "Congrats on the loss." It was simple enough, one word, yet it was enough to make Peter straighten up, his cheeks a deep scarlet as he turned to Luna.
She offered a nervous smile. "He...overheard me talking to Liz and Mia."
"You told them?"
"They're my best friends!"
"So?"
"Excuse me." The couple turned, Ned staring at them with evident confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about, but if Mia and Liz know, then it's best friend level stuff, and I would like to be kept in the loop."
Luna and Peter looked to each other, and in an instant, Peter was standing up and slapping a hand over Luna's mouth, her lips already beginning to part to speak. "Absolutely not," he silenced her, and her eyes narrowed at him. "Not out loud. I'll just...text him." He waited until her features softened to remove his hand, her arms crossing over her chest as she pursed her lips at him.
"Well?" She asked. "Do it, he's waiting."
Peter flushed, awkwardly fishing his phone out of his pocket and slowly typing. How she was unfazed by this uncomfortable situation was beyond him, but it wasn't like it was her first time telling anyone, considering she already went through the awkwardness of telling both Liz and Mia. He made a mental note to avoid conversation with them later. Finally, he tucked his phone back into his pocket, head ducked in embarrassment, not wanting to see Ned's immediate reaction to the text.
"Okay, what is—Oh, wow! Wow! Wow, wow! Crazy, wow!"
— • —
"Crazy wow," Luna snickered to herself, nudging Peter with her elbow. "It's crazy, wow."
Ned whipped his head back to her, peering over the seat of the school bus with a glare. "I was caught off guard, okay!"
"That's crazy...wow," Luna breathed out in mock-surprise, before chortling at her own joke. She slumped against Peter, eyes squeezing shut as she continued to laugh, while Ned turned back around, mumbling something about hating her. As she calmed down, her head lolled to the side, eventually falling to Peter's shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open to see his phone on his lap, his camera roll opened to the photos of today. "Send me that one?" She asked quietly when he moved on to the photo Ned took of the two of them.
Hung on the wall was a painting of two figures, their arms wound around one another. In front of the art stood Peter and Luna, their arms wound just as tightly around one another, Peter grinning at the camera while Luna grinned up at him. Peter zoomed in on Luna's face, craning his neck to glance at her face. "It's almost like you're in love with me or something," he mumbled sarcastically.
Luna scoffed. "You wish, Parker."
His lips tilted up into a smile, and he was prepared to wrap his arm around his girlfriend and inform her that she was right, but he stopped short. The smile on his face slowly faded, eyes trailing down to his arm where his hairs stood up straight. "Oh, no..." He looked behind them, panic setting in as his eyes settled on the large, donut-shaped structure in the sky.
Luna lifted her head off his shoulder with her brows furrowed, before following his gaze out of the window. "Oh fuck," she breathed out, her fingers curling around her sleeves as she grew nervous. Then she was looking at Peter, only to see he was already requesting Ned cause a distraction for his departure. Ned succeeded in doing so, leaping up from his seat with a shout about a spaceship, causing the rest of the class to follow him back. Luna was quick to grip Peter's arm, making him freeze. She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, hand cupping his cheek for a moment. "Come back to me safe, alright?"
"Always."
Despite his words of reassurance, and the smile he offered her before leaving, she didn't feel at ease. With her back leaned against the window, she pulled her knees up to her chest, anxiety swelling in her chest as she listened to the unintelligible chattering of her amazed classmates. At times she envied them for being in the dark, not having to worry that the hero they relied on to save them was someone important to them. In their eyes, Spider-Man was just another person in a mask trying to keep them safe, and heaven forbid they lost him, they'd be able to move on eventually. But she knew Spider-Man was the boy who burnt brownies with her last week and would invite her over to clean with him in case she wanted any of the articles of clothing he was going to throw out. Heaven forbid she lost him, she didn't know what she'd do, but she knew one thing—she wouldn't be able to move on.
"Hey." Luna was snapped out of her thoughts by the voice of her best friend, both Mia, and Liz settling into the seat across from her. "You gonna be okay?"
Luna exhaled a shaky breath. "Yeah, I should be. It's just a spaceship, this is our usual, right?"
"Not at all," Liz deadpanned, causing Mia to elbow her harshly. "I mean, sure?" Mia continued to glare at her. "Okay, I give up. I don't know what else to say to comfort her."
"I'm fine," Luna insisted, her eyes flitting back to the floating circle. "He'll be fine, I don't have to worry."
LUNA'S POV
My head was pounding by the time I reached my house, numerous sirens echoing around the city that was currently being destroyed. I was barely able to drop my keys on the hook beside the door before I was rushing into the living room, the tv being played loudly. In front of the tv was Andrew, his eyes unmoving as he watched the news report in shock.
"Tony Stark missing as battle breaks out in lower Manhattan..."
I quickly left the room, my hands already beginning to shake as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I paced the kitchen, my head getting heavier by the second as I waited for the call to begin. My breathing hitched when it went directly to voicemail, but I sharply inhaled, willing myself to not assume the worst. Maybe he was too busy fighting to answer his phone?
Then my phone rang, and without thinking, I answered it with a sharp, "Peter?"
The shaky exhale on the other side immediately told me I was wrong. "He hasn't answered you either, has he?" It was May, and I could already imagine she was pacing her kitchen just like I was, seconds away from bursting into tears. "Do you know if he...he went?"
"He did," I told her softly, trying not to indicate that I too was stressing.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god," May muttered under her breathe. "Please call me if you hear from him."
"Of course," I promised her. When the call ended, I immediately dropped my phone onto the counter, fingers gripping the marble top for stability. My chest was tightening with each second, and I could feel the sweat beading at my forehead. He said he'd come back to me safe. He needed to come back to me safe.
"Little?"
My head shot up, and I was sure I looked crazy, my face overheating and eyes pooling with tears. Andrew's features softened significantly, and he rushed forward to wrap his arms around me, just as the first tear slipped down my cheek. I said nothing, I didn't think I had to since my sobbing spoke enough as it is. My fingers gripped my brother's t-shirt like it was my dying wish, my body shaking viciously as I cried and cried.
"What's wrong, Little?"
The question only made me cry harder. Because I had no clue what was wrong. In fact, I didn't know if anything was wrong. I didn't know anything. That was the problem. I can't keep up with everything, and it's killing me inside. I want to have a grip on everything, to conquer the world, but I fucking can't.
Without asking any more questions, Andrew leads me to the stairs, never once breaking our embrace as he brought me to my bedroom, settling down on my bed. I slumped against my brother as I shook, my fingers twisting the ring on my pinky finger. Then something changed.
My head that felt like a million pounds felt lighter, my shaky hands went numb, and my feet were no longer touching the ground. I pulled away from Andrew quickly, our eyes locking with mutual shock in them. "Andrew, what..." Then everything went dark.
— • —
ROSE'S NOTE!
THIS FUCKING CHAPTER TOOK ME 4 DAYS TO WRITE BECAUSE ITS 4K WORDS LMAO WHAT
but the paragraph where luna talked ab wishing she was in the dark,,, that shit hurted