Peripatetic | TASM!Peter Parker x Reader

28: The Black Widow Sees Everything

NATASHA ROMANOFF (6-2-8)

Something was up with Y/n.

Since the encounter in her room after she'd missed training, I knew she was hiding something. I hadn't believed that she'd had a nightmare — I knew what she looked like after one of those, and while she'd appeared rattled, it wasn't the same. I'd kept a close eye on her at the Tower, but hadn't followed her when she went out. She may have been acting dodgy, but not enough for me to invade her privacy. Maybe she had a secret boyfriend or girlfriend, and was hiding them from her dad — but a nagging feeling told me that wasn't the case.

She was out of the Tower more often than not — going to Delmar's or the skatepark, hanging out with Peter and sometimes visiting Wade — but there was nothing more suspicious than that.

I sat in the common room with the rest of my team. It was one of the few nights where we all had time off, and we'd decided to spend it together. Peter was coming over soon, and then we'd start our game night, and probably fall asleep watching Star Wars. No one could deny the kid anything, and if he wanted to watch Star Wars, we would.

I liked moments like these — moments where we were all together. We felt like a family, something I had craved and longed for my whole life. I'd never admit it to them all, but these people made me feel safe, protected, and loved. I felt like I could be myself around them, like they didn't care who I had been and what I had done before this.

Y/n sat next to me on the couch, her phone on the table in front of her. She had a troubled look on her face, and her under eyes were dark, as if she hadn't been sleeping well. After tonight, I'd talk to her, to see if she would open up about what was bothering her. Y/n's phone began to ring, but her eyes had a far away look, as if she hadn't noticed.

"N/n," I said softly. "Your phone is ringing."

She jerked out of her thoughts and checked the caller ID. Her face lit up slightly, and she stood up, answering the call.

"Hey, Peter," she greeted, leaving the room.

"When will Peter be getting here?" Steve inquired.

His arm was draped around Bucky's shoulders, and Bucky looked more than content to be there. I was happy for the two of them, happy that they had found each other again. Their love story, while riddled with trauma and tragedy, was sweet. And yeah, maybe I liked annoying them a bit, because I smirked at Bucky, and was given a playful glare in response.

"Any minute now," Tony replied, checking his hologram. "He just entered the building."

We waited for the spider-boy to arrive, and for Y/n to get off the phone. When the elevator doors opened, I half-expected Peter to still be on the phone with the girl, but his phone wasn't even in his hand. My eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion, and I glanced at the hallway, where Y/n had gone.

"Where's Y/n?" Peter asked, after scanning the room for his best friend.

I cocked my head. "You were the one on the phone with her."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't called Y/n today."

I looked back at the team, all of them with confused looks on their faces, so I knew I wasn't the only one who heard Y/n say 'hey Peter.' Maybe she knew another Peter — but why wouldn't she have told us? Unless he was a secret boyfriend, but it still didn't add up. She told Wanda and me pretty much everything during our monthly girls' nights, but she'd never mentioned anything about someone new.

"Then who was she on the phone to?" Tony asked, suspicion written all over his face as he turned to the direction his daughter had gone.

I hadn't told anyone about Y/n's strange behaviour lately. She'd definitely been distracted for the past few days, and she was never around. Had anyone else noticed, or had it just been me? I looked at the team, and decided to speak. Sorry, Y/n. I know something's up with you, and I just want to make sure you're safe.

"She's been acting strange, lately," I stated, causing everyone to look at me.

Bucky sat up a little straighter. "I noticed it, too. She's been distracted."

I nodded, and Tony looked at me, suspicion and a hint of anger in his eyes. I knew he was protective of his daughter — she was the most important thing in his world — so I prepared myself for his onslaught.

"You noticed she'd been acting strange, and you didn't think to tell me?" he demanded, before turning to Peter. "She's been hanging out with you, why didn't you tell me?"

Peter shook his head. "I've been going to decathlon meetings all week, Mr Stark, I haven't seen her. We're going to nationals next week."

Tony looked flabbergasted, and he shook his head. "I noticed she'd been distracted, but I thought... I thought it was because she was processing the whole Multiverse thing. Strange contacted me and said she'd been 'harassing' him and Wong about it," Tony added at my raised eyebrow.

I shook my head. "I think there's something else going on," I stated.

Tony stood up and walked down the hall, all the way to the elevator. We all scrambled after him, and when we reached Y/n's room, he knocked.

"Y/n?" he called, but there was no answer.

"Maybe she's–"

Peter was cut off as I opened the door to reveal an empty bedroom. There was no sign of her whatsoever, and no indication of where she'd gone.

"Friday, which floor is Y/n on?" Tony inquired.

Friday was silent for a moment. "Miss Stark is not in the Tower, sir."

We all exchanged a glance. Something suspicious was going on, and we were going to find out what it was.

"Friday, where is she? Where's my daughter?"

WORDS: 1K

NOTES: oooooooooooohhhhh! the chapter from the tiktok pov that started it all.....