NOWHERE LEFT • Peter Parker

nineteen •

"He's taken enough from me."

May 2025

Peter and Cecilia sat in silence, well for him it was silent, she could hear everything around her but that didn't distract from the thoughts racing through her head or the guilt that was threatening to swallow her whole.

Kate and Yelena had gotten home half an hour ago, but all it took was one look at Cecilia's hallow expression for them to know that they'd talk later. Right now the two youngest members of their team needed to talk, but neither could find the words.

Lucky had joined after Peter had changed and was currently curled up in between them on her bed. They each sat with their back against the headboard but Cecilia's legs were pulled criss cross and her hands were in her lap. Peter's legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankle while his nervous fidgeting took place inside his hoodie pocket.

They both stared forward at the tv that wasn't on, the only lights being the string of them behind her bed that reflected against the dark surface. Yet the only time their eyes met was in that same distorted reflection. The silence between them was heavier than it had been in a while, and Cecilia didn't like it.

Perhaps she should have apologized, she had a feeling that she scared him between interrogating Connors and handling the dead man far too well. Yet Cecilia wasn't going to apologize, not when it still wasn't enough to get her hands on Fisk, not when their names were out there with people waiting to kill them.

If he wanted out that was fine, but she wasn't apologizing, not anymore, not for that.

Yet Peter wasn't scared, not of Cecilia at least. That scared him, that he was starting to turn into what he fought against with no regard of what could happen to him. Perhaps he felt like he had nothing left to lose, nothing but the girl sitting next to him, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to help her.

And despite how the night ended, there was still something he couldn't figure out, and that's who Oliver Daniels was. He could see the pain that she so desperately tried to mask with anger when he was mentioned, he could see it because it was the face that stared back at him every time he looked in the mirror.

"I'm sure Jessica is okay, she can handle it," Peter finally spoke up, his voice quiet but it still echoed around the room.

Truthfully, Cecilia knew that she could, but it was the fact that she shouldn't have to handle it that made Cecilia feel guilty. That her apartment was now the location of yet another person's last breath, and none of them were even her fault.

"Yeah, are you—are you okay?" Cecilia finally asked the question that was on her mind. The ever present worry that she would lose someone else to the darkness inside her, that he'd realize she wasn't all that different from the villains that they locked up.

Peter's mouth opened but no words came out, he furrowed his eyebrows and turned to face her, their eyes meeting for the first time since they sat down. And just like before he had left whatever he had wanted to say froze on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm okay, are you?" He blurted out gesturing towards her suit that lied crumpled on her chair. Cecilia didn't look away from him and gave a soft nod, she wasn't fine, but there was almost too many reasons to explain why.