Insane in my Russian Brain - P. Parker

Chapter Twenty One

"What are you wearing?"

Peter observed Kat as she walked into the coffee shop they had planned to meet at. She was nearly an hour late, and the coffee Peter had ordered them was cold.

Kat sat down in the chair across from him. She pulled her hood farther over her head, adjusting her sunglasses subconsciously. "A disguise. I'm supposed to be locked up in a prison, you know."

Peter scoffed. "Maybe you shouldn't have fought alongside Steve. It would have solved all your problems."

Kat took a sip of the cold coffee, gagging. "Listen, Pete, he broke me out of jail. I couldn't just walk back into that prison, I needed a way out. So I took his offer to leave. It was the safest way."

"Safest way for what?"

Kat placed down her mug on the table. "For you. I didn't know you had these... powers when I thought about it. I didn't know you were spider boy."

Peter raised a finger, correcting her. "Spider-Man."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. The point is, you have always offered me a safe space. And if the FBI happened to tie my past to me, you would be brought in. It would go on your record, and you might not have been able to get into college."

Peter nodded, clicking his tongue. "Thank you?"

Kat glared at him, but couldn't help but stifle a laugh and smile. This is what their friendship had always been known for. She was so glad it hadn't been completely over when they fought in the war.

Peter smiled. Maybe they could mend this. He knew it wouldn't be quick and that he couldn't just forgive her instantly, but he wanted this to work out. As friends or something more, he didn't know, but he couldn't treat her like a complete stranger, that was for sure.

Both eyes turned toward a screen in the corner of the room. A reporter spoke, showing a bundle of images as he continued to address his audience.

"People across the globe are startled at recent news resulting from a deadly Russian organization named the Red Room. Recently, the two war criminals, Natasha Romanoff and Ekaterina, who has no known last name, took down this organization. They are both still on the loose and governments around the globe have agreed to not stop until we have caught them. If you have any information, please inform your nearest police station."

Kat sighed, lowering her head to stare at the table. "Do you see what I'm dealing with here? I just saved the world from burning, and I have a death penalty on my name."

Peter reached across the table, going to touch her hand. "I'm sorry. You needed the money, I understand that. I may not respect your choice to kill all those children, but I understand where you're coming from. I hope you can see I'm here for you."

Kat felt an unfamiliar heat reach her cheeks. She didn't know why she was suddenly feeling so speechless in front of Peter, or why there was a fluttering feeling filling her stomach, but it felt good. Weird, but good.

"I love you, Parker, you know that, right?"

Peter's cheeks turned red as he darted his eyes anywhere but her lips. He wanted her to be saying that in a way that didn't apply they were friends. "Me too, Kat, me too."

⧗ ⧗ ⧗

"You know, May wonders where you are." Peter kicked rocks under his feet, as the two walked through the streets of New York. They had spent nearly the whole day talking about life in that coffee shop, laughing and joking around with each other. It felt like old times again.

"Yeah, what does she say?" Kat watched as lights turned on in the tall buildings around her, the sun setting in front of them. It was effortlessly beautiful.

"I covered for you. She started wondering why I wasn't talking about you as much, why you hadn't come back to visit. I told her you had left to visit some family and that you would be back soon." Peter talked about her to his aunt?

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She stopped in her tracks, turning to face Peter. "Do you want to do something reckless? You know, forget about our worries and problems for a while."

He thought about it for a second. Did he? "It depends on what you're implying."

Kat grinned, taking Peter by his hand. "I'll show you a place, come on." She took off running, pulling him along behind her.

"Kat, slow down, I can't run that fast."

Kat shook her head, jumping over cars to try to outrun him. "Sure you can't, big baby. Use that spider bite of yours for once."

Peter ran behind her, catching up until they were back next to each other, panting. He looked up at the building in front of him. His high school. "What are we doing here?"

Kat climbed a ladder beside the school. It lead up to the top of the roof, where Kat had stored away blanks and pillows from countless nights she had fallen asleep on those roofs. "You not coming?"

Peter clung to the bars of the ladder. "No, I am. I just want to know why we're here."

They made it to the top of the roof. Peter looked in awe at the decorated space. "Do you come here often?"

Kat sat down at the edge of the roof, dangling her feet. "I never really felt at home in my apartment. This was more of a home than anything at the time."

"And what about now? Where is your home at?"

Kat shrugged, beckoning Peter to join her side. "Anywhere really. Maybe it's with Steve or Natasha, with you... I don't know, Pete. Anywhere but the Red Room."

Kat leaned forward and observed the ground. One little step and she would be dead. Is that seriously the outcome she wanted? Kat wasn't sure.

Peter couldn't keep himself from glancing down at her lips. One little touch would change their friendship forever. He leaned in, he was ready for this kiss.

Kat suddenly stood, walking over to the pillows and blankets. "I slept on this rooftop for ages. All my stuff is still here. I'm surprised no one took it."

Damn it, Parker, you just screwed your one chance with the girl of your dreams.