|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 71• Sleepless

After crying his eyes out, Peter fell asleep. He clung to his girlfriend as they slept. Y/n combs her hand through his curls very softly. She'd never seen him so beaten down before. He had been so worried. All of his emotions were too much for him, they were so overwhelming. Y/n couldn't sleep. She kept her eyes open throughout the night and repeated her movements over and over again. She thought about her mission - the one she gave herself - wondering if she should tell Peter. He would stop her. He would tell her it was insane and that she was insane. She didn't want Peter to look at her like that. She would do this for them. Everything would be okay - safe and normal. That's what they both wanted. She tried not to think about it too much. Around 4 am, Peter stirred a bit in his sleep and his grip on Y/n tightened. She kissed his head and whispered sweet things to pull him out of his nightmarish dream. It took him a while to stop moving. Y/n wondered what he could be dreaming about. She considered connecting their minds but remembered that the Arc Reactor would likely cut her plan short. His tense facial expression had faded away now that he was peacefully asleep. 5 and 6 am passed by. Nothing happened. The black sky outside was fading into a more purple, reddish color. The sun wouldn't be up for a while but the sky was already changing. Not too long after that Peter's alarm went off. It was time for him to go back home before May noticed that he was gone. Y/n dismissed the sound and turned her attention back to the boy resting on top of her - who was still sound asleep. She massaged the back of his neck to wake him up. Peter shifted again but refused to open his eyes. "Baby, you gotta open your eyes," Y/n murmured. 

Peter hummed and snuggled further into her. The warmth, the calming sounds, the comfort. She didn't want to pull him away from that and force him to go back to reality but he would have to at some point. Moments like this were always too short. Some would say that laying awake all night was terrible. Y/n didn't mind it so much this time. It was peaceful and quiet. Sure, she missed the city she grew up in, but this was nice. Peter's breaths were very calming. "Baby, you have to go before May wakes up." Peter shifted his head ever so slightly. "I go?" He mumbled. She smiled at her boyfriend and stroked his cheek very lightly. "You go, Pete." She replied in the same monotone he had. She hated herself for pulling him out of his sleep. He promised he wouldn't worry May again. "Longer, please." 
"Parker, you promised." Peter opened one of his eyes and looked around the dark room a bit. He realized that he wasn't in his own room. He realized what time it was. But he didn't want to go. He looked up at her and noticed that she was wide awake. "Have you been awake all night?" He asked her. She combs her hand through his hair again. "I couldn't sleep anyway. You did, though. You needed it." Peter lowered his gaze and didn't want to look at her again. He couldn't remember the last time he cried like that in front of her. He didn't like crying. His eyes got irritated and red and he would have some issues with his vision after crying. He's always had that - even after he got bitten by that spider. He inhaled deeply. All those thoughts from last night, that had disappeared, were now coming back to him. He just wanted to go back to sleep so he didn't have to acknowledge them. He felt his stomach twist for a moment. "Why don't we have a call with Ned and MJ tonight? We can have, like, dinner together online." She suggested as an effort to cheer him up a bit. Peter hummed and shrugged while still keeping his gaze lowered. She gave him a look and lifted his chin up so he would look her in the eyes. He looked so tired. This poor boy would do anything to go back to sleep. 

"I'm sleepy." Peter mumbled, "Don't want to swing." He added just before a yawn came out of his mouth. Y/n wanted to tell him he should go home because May would be worried if she discovered that he was gone again. But when she looked at Peter she could tell he was in no condition of swinging back to the city. His eyes were begging her to let her sleep some more. She cupped his face in her hands and brushed her thumbs over his cheeks. "Just a little longer. Okay? Then you go home." Peter nodded his head. He felt like a little kid but he didn't care. He wanted to be babied by her. It felt good and comforting. They got back to their previous position - Peter resting his head on Y/n's chest and her hands in his hair. He forgot about all his problems again as he fell back into a peaceful slumber. With her, he felt like he could let that all go. "Nighty night, baby," Y/n mumbled into his hair using the nickname again.