Spider-Man/Peter Parker One-Shots

(HC) A Way Out [Part 2]

"You do want to live, right?" The question seemed extra stupid after you took the outstretched arm of help.

"Yes, kid. Jeez, I thought you were smart." He noticed the small smile on your face so he chose to ignore the comment.

"Then we gotta address everything." He snatched a notebook and pencil and started writing something down. You leaned against a wall to watch him for a minute before you grew bored and asked what he was doing. "Writing everything down." He flipped the notebook around so you could see. On it was written: insomnia, home, income, safety. Under each was a list of possible fixes, ranging from getting a job at a couple different places or melatonin to help you fall asleep.

"You forget one big thing." You took the pencil and wrote 'STRESS' above everything else. "Being kicked out caused all the other problems, so if you fix one, it fixes the others. Like dominos." It was weird saying it out loud, like you just solved all your problems by finding the key issue behind everything. Only problem was, of course, that you still hadn't fixed anything.

"Good point!" He took the two items back and started scribbling furiously. He poked his tongue out as he worked, intently staring at the page as you watched. It was admittedly weird seeing someone care about you, at least genuinely. You doubted anybody else actually cared; I mean you thought your parents cared once upon a time, and look where you were now. It made you think...

"Why are you doing this?"

"Hmm?" He didn't look up as he squinted, putting the pencil in between his teeth.

"Why are you helping me? What do you get out of it?"

"I help a friend so she stays my friend. That's what friends do." He almost laughed, confused why that was even a question as you stared at him intently. He felt your eyes and swallowed nervously. "What?"

"There's got to be another reason." You were mostly talking to yourself but it was loud enough he could hear it.

"Have you never had a friend before?"

"Popular kids are good company but I wouldn't say they're trustworthy. At least not 'find a solution so you don't die' kind of friends."

"That's...lonely."

"You can thank mom and pops for that one." He went back to the notebook, looking a little less excited than he was before. "You don't like my tragic backstory?" It was a joke but the humor of your words seemed to be sucked up into a void. "I just don't get why you want to be my friend."

"It sounds like you need one." He offered a smile but there was a lack of joy in his eyes.

"What have you figured out?" you asked, taking the notebook from him and looking through it. "I've tried drugs for insomnia, so I think that one's only at the end of the line of dominos, not the beginning. I can't get a job for money if I'm at school all the time, but I'll see about it. I've got a house at the FEAST center but I'm not about to have my stuff stolen by someone. And safety...you don't have anything." You looked up at him, a quirk to your brow, but he just shrugged.

"That's only gonna come with all the other ones."

"I suppose." You looked back down. "It's a start. Thanks kid."

"So you're not gonna run off?"

"Not yet." You looked through the list of items again while he silently congratulated himself. "You should go to sleep," you mumbled, still reading.

"You need sleep too," he argued.

"I'm the insomniac, kid. You can actually get sleep, so take advantage of that. You go without it long enough and you start hallucinating." Your eyes followed something behind him and he whipped around. You let out a laugh, scaring him further. "There's nothing there kid, I'm just messing with you."