No Matter What- Peter Parker

Chapter 13

*Peter's POV*

     I quickly made my way down the street towards Central Park. I thought about what just happened with y/n. Maybe I shouldn't have brought up that I know something is going on. I mean, she hides it pretty well, I only figured out about her panic attacks because of Spiderman. I just wish she would come to me about them, instead of having to find out as someone else (at least to her).

I hate that I have to hide from her that I'm Spiderman. She's my best friend, as close of one as Ned. It would be so much easier if she knew so I could stop making shitty excuses and lying to her. I can tell she's starting to catch onto them. 

But I can't tell her now. What if she's disappointed that I'm the one behind the mask? She seems like she really respects him considering the way she talked about him in school. It's the last thing I want for her to be disappointed to find out she was actually talking about me. I especially just want to keep her safe. May and Ned finding out may have been an accident, but they know the risks of knowing my alter ego. I just can't put y/n in harm's way like that, she means too much to me. I don't know what I would do if she ever got hurt.

I pushed the thoughts out of my mind as I got to the park. I wanted to take a closer look at it after the attack to try and get any clues to find out the identity of the Goblin. Once I got to the area, it was no longer taped off by the police. The car had been towed away but the landscaping was still destroyed, and a lot of the trees have dark burns marks from his bombs. I walked up to one of the trees as I brushed my hand against the ash. The burnt area covered one side of the tree and it was about five or six feet long. Those bombs were like the size of baseballs, so it was scary seeing what kind of explosions they could create.

I continued to scope out the area. There was nothing where the car used to be or the field where all those people were held hostage. I started to give up when I looked at one more area, the area that y/n had been hiding after we separated. I didn't want to leave her there, but I had to do something as Spiderman. I really regretted it when I saw the horror flash in her eyes as she watched me fight the Goblin.

A few feet away from her hiding spot, a flash of something reflecting the sun caught my eye. I made my way towards it to get a closer look. I bent down to pick the piece of metal up to get a closer look. It looked like it was some kind of exhaust for an engine or something. It must have fallen off when I damaged the thrusters on his hoverboard that could make it fly. It was pretty unique and high tech, something that wouldn't be typically manufactured for everyday use. The Green Goblin must have manufactured it; he really knew what he was doing.

I checked the time and noticed it was getting pretty late and I still had to head to Ned's. I put the piece in my backpack to look at later, maybe Ned can help me figure out where it came from.

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Ned and I spent hours researching the device and came up with nothing. There wasn't anything on it that we could use track it, telling us this probably wasn't approved to be sold on the market. Great, that makes it that much harder to figure out who this guy is.

I grumbled as I threw myself onto Ned's bed, staring at the ceiling. He swung around in his chair to look at me, also frustrated with how much research we did and had nothing to show for it. "What are you gonna do to find this guy, Peter?" he said, looking at me intently.

I sat up and stared at him, amused by his enjoyment by this. He still couldn't fathom that I was Spiderman but loved every second of being part of what he calls my "inner circle." I can't lie, it was kind of a relief when he found out. I finally had someone to talk to about this stuff, and he helps me however he can to fight the bad guys. "I don't know Ned, I have no idea where else to look. I hate to say it, but I don't think we'll be able to find out more until he strikes again."

Ned looked anxious at my response, but he knew I was right. "What about the Avengers?" he asked, "Can they help?" I sighed as I answered, "They're all still busy cleaning up the world after The Blip. Unfortunately, we're on our own with this one."

He smirked. "Don't worry Peter, we'll figure this out. New York will once again be saved by the friendly neighborhood Spiderman and his trusty Guy in the Chair," he said as he spun around in his chair, emphasizing his role. I chuckled, nothing like Ned to know how to lighten the mood.

He suddenly gave me a serious look, "So what's going on with y/n? You guys seemed a little tense when I saw you chasing after her out of the school." I looked down at my hands, recalling the events that took place after school. If she wasn't even comfortable with me knowing, I doubt she would want me blabbing her secrets to Ned.

"She's just got a lot going on," I said, "it's not really my place to say. I'm going over her place later to talk more about it..." I trailed off. It made me sad to think about everything she had been hiding and I had been so oblivious to it. Ned looked at me with concern. "Are you going to tell her about...you know...." he asked. I turned to him quickly and scoffed.

"Are you crazy?? I can't tell her who I am! Do you know how much danger that would put her in?" I rambled. What made him think that was a good idea.

He sighed as he ignored my sudden hostility. "I can tell she's starting to not believe the lies you're telling her, Peter. You haven't been coming up with very good ones," he bluntly said. I looked away from him. Damn, I wish he wasn't right. He continued, "Who knows, it could make things a lot easier for you two. And besides, I don't mind adding another member to our inner Spiderman circle." He winked at me as I chuckled and smiled.

"I can't tell her Ned. I mean it, I don't want to risk putting her in harm's way. You should have seen her when the Green Goblin attacked. She looked terrified and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Plus, I don't want her to be disappointed...." 

Ned gave me a quizzical look, "Disappointed how?" I looked down at my hands in my lap, "Disappointed by who's behind the mask."

Ned scoffed, "Y/n? Disappointed you're Spiderman? Please," he snickered.

I gave him a curious look, "I'm serious. What if I'm not who she expects?" Ned looked me over and thought about his answer. He finally said, "Peter, it's y/n. She's your best friend. She would probably be thrilled to find out Spiderman was someone she knew, especially if it was you. You heard how much she respects him at lunch. Besides," he added with a wink, "she would probably find it super hot."

My face turned red. Y/n? Finding me hot? I let out a nervous chuckle as I looked at him, "What are you talking about? Y/n and I are just friends..." I trailed off. Ned scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Seriously? You two are probably the smartest in school yet completely oblivious towards one another."

I looked at him confused. Oblivious? Understanding I wanted him to go on, he continued, "You two got super close since school started. I mean, you guys are practically as close as we are, and I've known you for years! You spend almost everyday together, and quite honestly sometimes you guys act like you're already a couple. It makes me and MJ sick." The red on my face deepened so I was practically a beet. Ned laughed at my reaction, "Come on Peter, you're seriously going to tell me you don't have feelings for y/n?

I thought about it. Did Ned have a point? No, no he was way off. Y/n and I were best friends and nothing more. I mean yeah, I thought she was gorgeous. Her blonde hair seemed to get brighter in the sun and her eyes were a deep ocean blue. Her laugh was contagious and that smile could brighten even the darkest of rooms. She was the first person I wanted to tell my victories too, and the person I turned to after a bad day. She always knew how to make it better. I enjoyed spending time with her, we always knew how to have a good time no matter where or what we were doing. My favorite memories were when we would talk late at night sometimes, dreaming about our future and where we want our lives to go.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as I gulped and looked at Ned with wide eyes. He returned my gaze with a smirk and a knowing gaze. Holy shit, I liked my best friend.

I was developing feelings for y/n.