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"Yo, Pete." Peter's brought back to reality by MJ, who looks at him bored, with her eyebrows raised. The pencil in his hand freezes.
"Wha-?" he asks sheepishly, unaware of what he was doing. MJ nods at the pencil and looks back up at him.
"That's annoying." Peter's eyebrows shoot to his hairline as he grabs the pencil with both hands, straightening his himself and leaning back.
"Sorry!" He presses his lips on top of each other.
"What's got you so worked up, dude?" When Peter opens his mouth to reply, she continues: "No, wait, I don't think I actually care that much. If you could just stop tapping that pencil, that'd be great."
Peter scratches the back of his head with a smile and a scoff and nods.
"Alright, alright."
"Well, MJ might not care, but I do. What's up, bro?" Ned glances back from where he's seated so he can make eye contact with his best friend. Peter drops his arms on the desk and presses his mouth into his elbow.
"It's nothing," he says quickly, muffled.
"Liarrrrr," Ned laughs quietly, trying not to disturb the class too much.
"I'm not a liar!"
"Said Pinocchio," MJ says with a grin.
"Gahh, you guys!" Peter now presses his forehead into his crossed arms.
"Is everything alright back there, Mr. Parker?" The teacher looks up from his book and cocks an eyebrow. Once again, Peter shoots to sit back upright and nods once.
"Yes, sir."
Peter rushes out of the class when the bell finally rings, evading further questions from his friends. He wants to get there first. At her locker. He rushes past Flash and some others, easily evading them. He turns the corner and pulls a face when he spots her already putting some stuff in her locker. She can't see him, because her locker door opens on his side. He comes to a halt right next to her and tries to casually lean against the lockers. Without success. He pants slightly and raises his eyebrows when Daphne chuckles.
"Smooth." He can hear her smile. She closes her locker and makes eye contact with him, cocking one eyebrow. His whole body lights up when he sees her face again. "You ready?"
Peter blinks a few times and has to take a breath.
"Kind of nervous, to be honest." Daphne nods once and takes a step closer to him to press a quick peck on his cheek. He swiftly grabs her face with his hands and connects their lips, closing his eyes as he breathes her in.
"Wow, Pete, we're in public." She laughs as she pulls back. His thumb caresses her cheekbone and he half smiles.
"I know, I know... I just... I'm really nervous," he admits, changing his earlier statement.
"And kissing me makes you less nervous?" She grins mischievously and stretches her back, letting go of him.
"A little, yeah."
"Can't kiss all the time, Pete," she chuckles. "Besides, it's just a costume fitting."
"A dress rehearsal is more than a costume fitting, you know that," he counters. Daphne nods and grabs her bag.
"True, true." She brings her hand up to push it through Peter's hair and he closes his eyes, leaning into her touch. "You'll be fine," she says reassuringly.
"Are you sure?" He asks with a slight frown. She leans in to press another kiss on his lips, making Peter's heart skip a beat. She smiles against him.
"One-hundred-twenty percent."
...
"Peter, I can tell you're tense," Madame Touha groans softly. This is the seventh time she's told him to relax, but Peter can't help himself.
"Sorry, Madame," he breathes while placing Daphne gently on the ground.
"To be fair, I kind of expected you to have nerves of steel," she chuckles as she looks down. She tries keeping it vague, because she still doesn't know Daphne knows about Peter being Spider-Man. Peter pulls at the sleeve of his costume, rolls his shoulder and laughs sheepishly. Daphne presses her lips on top of each other and decides to refill their water bottles.
Peter can't help but stare at Daphne as she walks away from him. The big white and pink-ish red costume fits her perfectly. The pancake tutu is gigantic, making her seem even smaller than she already is. She's stunning, like a porcelain doll. He sighs longingly as Daphne walks out of the dance hall to the changing rooms, but gets pulled out of it by a snap in front of his face.
"This is not Romeo and Juliet, Peter, I need you to focus," Madame Touha says sternly.
"Right!" he yelps. "I'm just..." He takes a breath. "I'm nervous for Sunday."
"You'll be fine," Madame Touha says with a nod. "If you focus." Madame Touha glances at the door and back at Peter. "That concussion..." She mumbles.
Peter half freezes and presses his lips together.
"Concussion?" He tries to sound stupid but fails miserably.
"Did you have anything to do with that?" She cocks an eyebrow at him. The way she enunciates the sentence says enough about which version of Peter she's talking about. Peter immediately shakes his head.
"No!" He pulls a face. "Not directly." Madame Touha's eyebrows raise.
"Not directly?"
"I can't really... Say what happened..." Peter purses his lips as he bites the inside of his cheek. He hates how unconvincing he sounds. "I was there, but I wasn't the cause."
"Then what was?" Peter simply shakes his head. He senses Daphne in the hallway and looks at the door.
Before Madame Touha can continue questioning Peter, Daphne walks back in. She stops in her tracks when she sees their contorted faces.
"Is everything alright?" she asks carefully.
"Yeah, I just asked Peter about your concussion." Daphne's eyes immediately shoot to her boyfriend.
"It's not bothering me anymore, if that's what you mean." Madame Touha smiles.
"I don't like it when people keep secrets from me, Daphne." Madame Touha walks up to Daphne and cups her face. "You've been so tired since you met Peter." Before Daphne can counter, Madame Touha continues. "But you've also improved at a pace I can barely believe." Daphne looks down at the two water bottles in her hands.
"Madame, I-"
"During classes you push each other to your limits." Madame Touha stifles a soft laugh as she brings a stray hair behind Daphne's ear. "Constantly trying to impress each other with your abilities." Madame Touha lets go of Daphne's face and lets her hands fall to Daphne's shoulders. "But your mind is clouded with worry." Madame Touha glances at Peter, who fiddles with his fingers. "As is his." She sighs slowly. "You know. Don't you?"
Daphne stands frozen in place, not daring to look at the woman whom she would call her mother if she could.
"I'm sorry," she whispers. Madame Touha chuckles.
"Why are you sorry?"
"I should've told you." Daphne's voice cracks as she speaks.
"And I shouldn't have told you?" Madame Touha bends down a little to meet Daphne's gaze. "I knew how dangerous Peter is, yet I allowed him to stay. Do you know why?" Daphne looks up slightly, trying to hold back her tears. She shakes her head slightly. "Okay, so maybe it was partially because I had more younger boys join when word came out that Spider-Man knows ballet," Madame Touha says nonchalantly as she waves one hand. "But they don't know that Spider-Man goes here. I would've sent Peter away to another school if it weren't for you."
Daphne's barely breathing at this point, listening to what Madame Touha is telling her.
"Me...?"
"I see how happy he makes you, Daph." Madame Touha gives her an encouraging smile. "And after everything you've been through... The crap with David... You deserve someone as kind as him." Madame Touha looks at Peter, who's staring at the scene unfolding in front of him. He has no clue what to do, so he just stands there, breath hitched in his throat. Madame Touha winks at him and smiles. When she looks back at Daphne, she nods. "Someone who can protect you. Take care of you." Daphne finally manages to smile back at the teacher she's known for half her life. "And with him being Spider-Man... One little ballet performance is honestly the least of your worries." She finally lets go of Daphne's shoulders and they all feel like they can breathe again.
Sure, Madame Touha doesn't know about the Zephyr stuff, but she is actually hitting the nail right on its head. With everything going on, the performance really is the last thing they should worry about. It puts it all in perspective, shutting down everything that's troubling them. Daphne puts up a half smile and slightly shakes her head.
"You're right," she mumbles. Daphne turns to Peter who suddenly has a determined look on his face. The corners of Daphne's mouth curl up into a grin. This facial expression suits him more than she expected it to. She straightens her back, matching her determination with Peter's. She cocks her head. "Wanna go again?" Peter smiles at her and nods once.
"Let's do this."
...
A stranger walks into the dance hall, just when Daphne got changed into her Swanilda outfit. Peter, who already changed back into the outfit he wore to school today, eyes her warily. Daphne, however, perks up.
"Alice?"
"Hey, Daph!" She brings her hand up into a small wave and then pushes it through her half-long black hair. "Was hoping I'd find you here!" Alice nods to Madame Touha. "Madame," she says with a cheeky smile. Peter decides to assess the situation by staying quiet, but he doesn't take his eyes off the teen. Daphne glances at Peter and shakes her head quickly, realizing that Peter doesn't know this girl and therefore sees her as a possible threat.
"Peter, this is Alice. We used to be classmates when I was still in art school," she says quickly. She raises her eyebrows when Peter doesn't unclench his jaw. "She played violin at the Halloween party...?"
"Right," he mumbles. "Alice."
Peter finally relaxes slightly when Alice addresses him.
"Heard you started ballet this year and you're already performing with Daphne this Sunday? Quite the feat." She crosses arms. "Respect..."
"Peter," Peter says quickly.
"Ah, yeah! Parker!" Alice smiles and Daphne's eyebrows raise.
"How'd you-"
"You know Sarah and Tyrone, man. They talk." Daphne laughs and nods.
"They sure do." There's a short silence before Daphne breaks it. "Whatcha doing here?"
"Ah, yeah, I uh..." Alice scratches her head again. "We're not actually allowed to ask people who aren't from art school to help us..." Daphne's shoulders droop slightly, realizing that that was why she didn't get any texts or calls from her previous classmates to help with the group performances. Alice raises one finger. "But...!" He pauses for dramatic effect. "Avery injured herself yesterday and I decided to officially pull a 'fuck it' and ask the best ballerina we ever had in our class."
Daphne snorts.
"You're overselling me," she laughs. Alice turns her head slightly.
"You're underselling yourself."
"Is Avery okay, though?" Daphne asks worried. Alice waves her hands.
"Yeah, yeah, she'll be fine. Just needs some rest, so she can't actually join the performance. But my act isn't complete without a ballerina."
"And Avery was your first pick."
"I wasn't allowed to ask you, Daph," she whines. "You were always my first pick for acts, remember?" Daphne laughs as she brings up her hands in defense.
"Right, right." She cocks her head at her. "Is it a difficult piece?"
"It's one we've done together before, I figured I'd change my line-up to suit you, since this is so last minute."
"Gee, Alice, you gotta play what you want, not what I can dance to."
"Oh, no but I want to play this," he smirks. "And if you're dancing for me, I want to see your firebird again!"
"Oh, nooo." Daphne glances playfully at Alice, knowing which choreography she did with Alice that involves a Firebird. "Fairy tale?" Alice grins.
"I'm back on my Eurovision bullshit, sorry, Daph," she laughs. "I even got Malcolm for the vocals again, though, so it's gonna be lit!" Daphne walks up to her and starts pushing her out the door.
"Fine, I'll help you. Got time to go through it tomorrow?" Alice lets herself get pushed out the door as she nods.
"Yeah, I'll text you."
"Great," she says with a smile as she lets go of Alice.
"Now, I gotta practice my solo, so if you don't mind..." She uses her head to gesture at the door.
"Aight, aight, I'm leaving!" Alice turns around one more time and jumps giddily. "Eee! I can't believe we're performing together agaiiiin!" Daphne smiles brightly. Fuck, she's excited for this performance.