"T-then why?" Gwen lowered her hands and looked at him with red, swollen, tear-filled eyes.
"I..." How to explain that he had given up being two things at the same time— a hero and a teenager? How to say that he had decided to be Spider-Man and not Peter Parker? How to explain that now Spider-Man was who he was, and that Peter Parker was the costume that hid his identity? How to say that every time she looked at him, he felt like going back on that decision?
"I made a decision about my life, Gwen," he said finally, the words coming out slowly. "A decision that made me realize that I need to focus on what is important. And the internship... would only get in the way of that."
"What could be more important than your dream?"
"Aunt May," Peter replied, making Gwen's eyes widen.
"Did something happen?!" she asked urgently.
"No, she's fine," Peter reassured her, but then frowned. "For now."
Gwen tilted her head, confused. "I... don't understand."
"We're going through financial problems," Peter explained, lowering his head. "And because of that, May is pushing herself to get money. She's working more than the doctor recommended. I... I'm afraid that the stress, along with the effort, will make her have... another cardiac arrest."
"Oh, Peter..." Gwen hugged him, her arms wrapping around his neck in a quick movement. Peter stiffened as he felt her body against his and smelled the perfume he knew so well. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have asked my dad to help. I'm sure MJ and Harry would help too!" she continued.
Peter didn't know what to do with his arms for a few seconds until he slowly hugged her back. "I know... but I can't keep depending on you forever. Besides, May would hardly accept it. She has pride—you know her." He paused, feeling his heart beating hard against his chest because of having Gwen so close. "No. This is something I need to solve on my own."
"But, Peter, your dream..." Gwen pulled back enough to look at his face. Her eyes were still red, but the tears had stopped falling.
"It's not like I'm going to give up everything, Gwen." Peter said, reassuring her. "I'm just leaving the internship. That's all. I'm not going to stop studying. And when we graduate, we'll still come here together. I promise."
Gwen looked at him for a long moment, her eyes scanning his face as if searching for something — the truth, perhaps, or some sign that he was lying to comfort her. "Okay... if that's what you need to do, I support you. And if you need help, any help, anything at all, I'll help. You can count on me."
"Thank you, Gwen," Peter said, full of gratitude, as a small smile formed on his lips.
She pulled away, adjusting herself on the bench, wiping her face with the back of her hand and sniffing once, her nose making that characteristic sound of someone finishing crying. Peter also adjusted himself, giving her time to compose herself, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Peter," Gwen called after a few seconds of silence.
"Yes?"
"We need to talk," Gwen said in a serious tone. "About us. About what happened at the funeral—"
"I don't want to talk about that." Peter cut her off, his voice coming out colder than he intended. He saw her expression change instantly— her eyes widening, her mouth opening into a silent "O", and her cheeks losing color as she turned pale. "It still hurts, everything that happened. And I don't think that will go away anytime soon."
Gwen tried to say something, but he continued before she could speak. "But I'm not angry at you. Just want to make that clear. I'm not angry. I understand your reasons—why you did what you did.."
"Peter..."
"And, honestly? Even if you ended things with Harry today, we still wouldn't be together." Peter saw Gwen's eyes widen even more, her pupils dilating as if he had said something unimaginable. "It's not because of you, okay? It's because of me. Everything that happened made me reflect on myself. I looked back at the way I treated Liz, and I saw how immature I was. How I was an idiot. How I hurt someone who didn't deserve it, simply because I didn't know what I wanted. I guess I'm not ready for a serious relationship, Gwen. Not now. And even if I were, my focus is going to be entirely on May from now on."
Gwen listened to everything in silence, staring at him with her mouth slightly open.
"So, Gwen... how about we pretend none of this happened and go back to being... us? Like it was before? Because this tension between us is killing me, seriously. I want my best friend back. I can't stand walking by your side and feeling like there's a wall between us anymore." Peter finished, letting out a long sigh.
'That's it... I've taken the first step to push her away from me,' Peter thought, feeling his chest tighten while at the same time feeling his conviction solidify. 'It'll be better this way... yeah... she deserves someone who's fully there for her, someone who is present, who doesn't disappear from one second to the next, who doesn't show up late to dates, who doesn't have to choose between saving the city and saving her.' He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs.
The silence that followed was long — so long that Peter lost count of the seconds. But he made no move to break it, giving Gwen all the time in the world to process what he had said.
"I..." Gwen finally began, her voice hesitant, her fingers moving anxiously in her lap. "I don't know if I can just pretend that nothing happened." She bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on some point on the ground. "Going back to being just your friend like nothing's changed. Because... it has changed. But... if that's what's necessary for us to go back to talking... I'll try."
Peter smiled, placing his hand over hers, his fingers wrapping around her cold fingers. "You know, there's a theory called the theory of three encounters. It says that we will meet the same soul three times. But never in the same way. The first encounter is quick, almost imperceptible. The person passes through your life like a passing breeze, without you realizing the future meaning they will have. In the second encounter, the spark and the connection are there. But the moment isn't favorable. Life pulls in opposite directions. Each person has their own battles to fight, and you end up separating."
He turned on the bench, facing her. "And finally the third encounter, when both have already gone through experiences, learned from their mistakes, matured and are ready."
"What are you saying, Peter?" Gwen asked, keeping her eyes on his.
"I'm saying that we have a whole life ahead of us. We don't need to rush or put an end to anything just yet."
***
After a few more minutes of conversation, Peter said goodbye to Gwen and walked away from ESU. But he didn't step into the first alley to change. Not this time.
Because that feeling of being watched had come back.
He didn't know when it had started — whether it had started there, after he moved away from ESU, or if it had already been there before, while he was talking to Gwen. Maybe since the bus ride, or even earlier, at school. Peter had no idea. His attention had been completely focused on Gwen for the past hour, which now proved to be a terrible thing.
Peter kept walking as if everything were normal, his hands in his pockets. He didn't quicken his pace, nor did he look back too obviously. Instead, he let his eyes wander over the shop windows, the windshields of parked cars and the reflective surfaces scattered along the street.
There were several people on the sidewalk, and none seemed out of the ordinary. Nothing that screamed "it's me, I'm following you."
'Alright, alright. Let's analyze all of this calmly.' Peter thought, pretending to tie his shoe, crouching down and letting his eyes scan the sidewalk behind him. 'First of all, it's not a coincidence. Twice in the same day, in different places, at different times? Someone is watching Peter Parker. Or maybe they're trying to observe Spider-Man through Peter Parker.' He stood up, once again finding nothing, adjusting his backpack before continuing to walk. 'It doesn't matter which it is. The result is the same: I'm not safe.'
'And this person has experience. They know how to tail someone without being noticed.' He realized, feeling his stomach twist with the urgency to find the stalker.
Peter was about to turn the corner when he heard the sound of two sirens echoing between the buildings. He looked toward the street in time to see two police cars speeding down the avenue, lights flashing red and blue and tires screeching against the asphalt.
The feeling of being watched was immediately replaced by the feeling of duty. Someone needed help.
Finding the stalker would have to wait.
Peter looked around quickly, his eyes scanning the building facades until he found a restaurant. He ran toward it, a bell chiming as he entered, and went straight to the restroom, ignoring the confused look from the waiter who was approaching with a welcoming smile.
As soon as he stepped into the restroom, Peter locked the door behind him and ran to the window at the back — a narrow opening, barely large enough for him to fit through, that led to the back of the restaurant. He forced the rusted glass upward, which opened with a creak, and squeezed through it in a quick motion, his shoulders scraping against the edges.
Outside, Peter straightened up, already opening his backpack. He didn't have time to waste.
***
Disclaimer: This story and its characters belong to Sony Pictures and Marvel Comics (Disney). This is merely a fanfiction written by a fan, with no intention of infringement.