Spider-Man: Nobody Home (18+)

Chapter 47: Ghost Of Titan's Past

Peter woke up the next morning with an uneasy groan as his eyes scanned the ceiling above him.

Christmas had come to Titans Tower.

While most of the others seemed elated for the holiday, it seemed as though Peter and Raven were the only ones who weren't.

He clutched his present for Raven, wrapped in darp purple wrapping paper, as he walked down the stairs. When he made it to the living room, he noticed the others gathered around on the couch with packages stacked all around. He looked up and noticed that someone had added tons of extra lights and tinsel along the crown moulding in the room. Peter couldn't help but groan at the sight.

Starfire's eyes lit up as soon as she noticed Peter enter the room yawning with his hair still messed up.

"Friend Peter! You are the awake!" Starfire chimed, levitating above the couch slightly with joy. "Come, you must open the gifts wrapped in decorative paper! It makes a MOST pleasant noise!"

"Coffee first." Peter groaned as he set down his package on the pile.

The others seemed confused at his demeanor and shared confused shrugs. Then Wally hummed to himself too curious to help himself and zipped into the kitchen behind Peter in the blink of an eye. He saw him with his head hung as he poured his coffee, looking grim as ever.

"You do know." Wally began with a smirk. "It's called holly JOLLY, right?"

Peter looked over his shoulder confused. "Hmm?" then noticed the speedster. "Oh, uhm... what?" he replied in confusion, stirring his coffee.

"Nothin." Wally shook his head. "Still, why the long face? You look like you just got second place in the science fair."

Peter couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head at that. "Good one." he replied. "I don't seem THAT grim, do I?"

"Ya do." Wally nodded. "Is this gonna be the new norm for you or something?"

Peter chuckled and shook his head at that. "Don't jinx me like that." he replied with a groan.

"Just more of a Halloween guy?" Wally nodded.

"What?! No I like Christmas too." Peter chuckled.

"It's okay." Wally joked with his hands held up. "I kinda had you pegged for a spooky season guy, with the whole spooky girlfriend and all..." the speedster caught himself at that. "Oops sorry, I mean uh..."

"It's okay." Peter replied with a chuckle. "With any luck she won't be my ex forever."

"Right. Luck." Wally chuckled. "Something you have in SPADES." They both laughed at that for a second. "So... you don't have a problem with Christmas?"

"I don't know!" Peter threw his arm up. "I guess it just hasn't been the same since..."

Wally raised a brow as he stopped talking. "Since what?"

"Just forget it." Peter replied feeling his chest tighten.

He quickly left the room and went back to the others where they had already started unwrapping their gifts to each other.

"Here's yours, Peter!" Dick called and pointed to a stack of boxes to his left.

Peter smiled with a nod and took a seat on the floor next to the leader. Then he eyes the leaning tower of boxes with an amused look.

"Was the tower really necessary?" He joked.

"How else are we supposed to crush ya?" Cyborg joked back. "Go ahead and start. Mines the nice one on top."