All Of Me (Peter Parker x Reader)

Chapter 51

The next time Peter saw (y/n), it was at school while she was walking out the door. The second he saw her, his heart started pounding as his mind decided that this was the perfect opportunity. Taking a deep breath, Peter walked over like usual and called her name. (Y/n)'s head to turn around like lightning at the sound of his voice.

"Hey Peter!" she called back, stopping as she waited for him, her blank face gaining a smile. "How'd your day go?" she asked.

"Oh, all right I guess. You know my photography teacher?" he started.

"The one in the class you hate?" she specified.

"Yes! He said for someone who hates it so much, I'm really good. He even mentioned an open job for the Daily Bugle that's been open for years, but no one wants it," he explained.

"You should go for it if you're that good," (y/n) thought aloud.

"Only if I become desperate," he said.

(Y/n) quirked an eyebrow, pausing for a second before shrugging her shoulders. She's never seen any of the pictures that Peter has talked about, but it sounded like he could make really good money for it. She didn't understand why he wouldn't use this skill to make (what sounded like) easy money. Still, what he wanted to do with his time was his business. In their line of service, free time had to be chosen carefully.

"Oh well," she said simply.

"Hey, (y/n), are you free today?" Peter asked suddenly.

A sudden burst of happiness lit up her face, and she turned to look at him, stopping in her place right before they crossed the street to the bus stop across from the school.

"Actually, I'm not," she told him, a nervous smile on her face.

"Oh, really?" Peter said, a twinge disappointed.

"Yeah! I'm going out with someone today," she said.

Peter's heart raced, and not in a good way. The kind where your stomach dropped while your heart physically stings with every beat. "With who?" he asked, trying not to sound as hurt as he was. "Is it that Ethan guy?" he asked.

Peter knew him. Well, not knew him, but knew of him. There was a difference. He was nice enough, a bit baby-ish, didn't like to fight, and not too far off of the nerdy personality he had himself. When (y/n) said she'd hung out with him a few times at school and out, everyone was glad that she was making friends on her own, even if it wasn't intentional at first.

Now it was killing Peter on the inside out, and (y/n) could sense it.

"No," she started, watching his face and body, mirroring his nervous stance a tiny bit. "I'm actually hanging out with my Mom. We're having a girl's day!" she said with a nervous chuckle.

Peter felt like he'd narrowly missed a semi-truck, a feeling he could actually relate to. He could tell (y/n) had picked up on his shift in attitude, and relaxed as he did. He knew that they were still nervous around each other. "Walking on eggshells", so to speak.

"That's great! ...Right? Whose idea was it?" he asked.

"Mine," she answered. "I'm sorry about tonight, but maybe we can hang out tomorrow when we patrol?" she suggested.

Peter shook his head. "No- I mean!- we can still patrol tomorrow, but I wanted to hang out apart from patrolling, just to have fun, you know?" he said.

(Y/n) contemplated it for a moment. "Ok, then. Well, I gotta go meet my Mom somewhere. She's picking me up today," she told him.