HOPELESS ☾Peter Parker - 1

THIRTEEN

Peter Parker was a do-gooder. No matter what, he would always do what he thought was right and would stick true to what he believed in. 

Aspen Blue was a survivalist. She did what she needed to do to get by, but always stuck to her personal morals--no matter how twisted they could be. 

After the argument they had, Peter realized just how delicate the tough girl was. She was so closed off that it was eating her alive, and the fear of getting emotionally hurt made her fearless when it came to physical pain. The young Blue would willingly sacrifice herself if it meant avoiding the pain of anyone else getting hurt. 

Peter could feel himself growing comfortable with the girl, and in all honesty, it was hard not too. She knew his biggest secret, so it felt as though he could tell her anything. 

But could he?

The boy didn't really know anything about Aspen, and he was afraid that if he asked, she would get mad, or worse, lie to him. 

He could feel his feelings slowly starting to grow for the beautiful girl, but he knew he needed to control them. He honestly thought it all along, but once she pulled out of his grasp while they were on the roof, it was confirmed: Aspen wasn't ready.

It's like she said herself, she has way too much going on right now, so there was no point in even thinking that she would see him in a way that was more than friendly. He knew she had been prisoner of Hydra, and he had heard stories of what they did to people, so it wasn't hard for Peter to understand that the girl was emotionally unstable.

Peter decided that it would be best to suppress his thoughts and feeling and ignore any hope that they could one day be more.

He knew that liking her was hopeless, for he had never even seen her show a deep emotion. Sure, she would laugh and smile, but Peter could tell that it wasn't true happiness. 

The expressions she made and the way her smiles fell, he knew that all to well. He had seen it before. He had lived it before. When his Uncle Ben died, he became like Aspen is now. Empty smiles, short laughter, and never true joy. 

He knew from experience that there was nothing he could do to pull her out of that state, she would simply have to do it herself. Sure, he could help guide her and care for her, but no one can really change how a person is. 

The best way to help Aspen find herself again would be to simply be her friend. 

And Peter was okay with that. He was fine remaining that way if it meant that he could be around her. He could continue to care about her, and assure her that he cared, without moving any further. It would be hard, but for the best, and he knew that. 

After all, Peter Parker always does what's best. 

If she was beautiful now in her saddened state, Peter couldn't wait to see the angel she would become when glowing with happiness. So that's exactly what he made a plan to do. He would be her friend and bring her joy until she could fill herself with it on her own. Then maybe one day they could become something more. 

Peter stared at the profile of Aspen's face as the two sat with their feet dangling over the side of a tall building. After their fight, he had carried her to his favorite place to look over the city, and the whole time Peter was praying that she couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating. 

"This is incredible." Aspen said in pure awe, staring at the lights around them. "Do you come up here often?"

Peter snapped his gaze away from the girls features before she noticed his staring. He looked out at the city he called home with a blissful expression.