Tom Holland Imagines

Next to Me {P. P.}

A/N: So this was another request sent to me by @Dawnofsm123. She also requested the last one so THANK YOU. Also, I am homeschooled so I have no idea how a nurse's office works. Hope you like it.

Word Count: 1211

   "It'll be okay, Y/N," Pepper told me. "Everybody goes through high school. I know you're nervous but you'll be fine."

   Pepper always knows how to loosen up my anxiety. Ever since the Potts adopted me, Pepper would give me "Sister Talks" where she basically helps me put up with adult guys and my edginess around them. Before the Potts adopted me I was abused by my birth father. My birth mother was killed by him and anytime there was a hair out of line, I was beaten to a pulp. Especially when my gift would be uncontrolled. According to Tony and Bruce, I have the power to bend other life forces and corrupt it to either kill or resurrect. The Potts and especially Pepper is the best thing that has happened to me.  Well, Pepper and Peter.

   I knew Peter would be at school along with Ned and Michelle, which is great; but they don't know about my past, so I usually am really quiet around them when things happen. Peter knows the most, but it still isn't much. All that he knows is that I'm adopted. He doesn't know why I was pulled out of my dad's house by Child Services. 

   Today is my first day of sophomore year. I went to a private all-girls school last year and there were no male teachers. I would've stayed if the school hadn't closed. But now I'm going to Midtown High with my friends. Tony suggested it since Peter goes there. 

   "What if something happens? What if-" I start.

   "Then you call me, or Tony, or Peter. Okay? You'll be fine," Pepper ends the conversation. I can never with an argument with her. I get out of the car, the school leering at me. 

   "You better be right about this Pepper," I comment.

   "I'm always right," she replies, mimicking Tony. I laugh and she drives off leaving me alone. I stand there for a moment, slowly breathing. I begin to walk toward the taunting building when all of a sudden I feel a firm hand on my shoulder. I scream, pull the hand off of my shoulder, and punch the person in the face once. When the person's face is revealed to me, I stand frozen in horror.

   "Peter, I'm so sorry. I-I-I just freaked out and-and I just-" I stutter.

   Peter moves his hand and I notice that his nose is crooked and bleeding. Man, I messed up.

   "Can you just take me to the nurse's office?" he says, annoyance in his voice. 

   "Um, yeah sure." 

~~~Time Skip~~~

   I'm sitting in the nurse's office with Peter, not just because I most likely I broke his nose, but also because I feel extremely nauseous. To the point of wanting to throw up. I think it's guilt, but another part of me keeps nagging that it's something else. 

   "Peter Parker and Y/N Potts come in," the nurse says. We stand up and follow the nurse into the small room. I sit down and Peter sits in the exam chair. The nurse looks at Peter's nose for a few minutes and then he gives him some gauze and an excuse note. Peter and I trade seats and before the nurse even approaches me I can feel my hands flooding with sweat. The nurse turns around and gets all up in my face. 

   "What's the problem?" he asks. He looks so much like my dad, I think. I flash back to when I was little, my dad screaming in my face "what's your problem?"

   "Uh-um, extreme nausea," I manage to spit out. He turns back around to grab something and then returns to gloat in my face. It's okay, everything's okay, don't throw up, I think. 

   "Chew this," he hands me a Pepto-bismal tablet. I stare blankly at the tablet, memories swirling in my head. Memories of my dad beating me. I start to gag and I cover my mouth. 

   Peter stands up and rushes a small waste bin in front of me. I vomit a few times, the contents of my breakfast and bad feelings flooding from my mouth. Peter holds my hair back as I continue to vomit. The nurse quickly writes an excuse note and hands it to Peter. 

~~~Time Skip~~~

   I sit in Peter's room and I feel tears glide down my cheeks. I stare out his window, watching the sunset behind the statuesque buildings, golden light shining on my face. The familiar creaking of Peter's bedroom door resounds in the air along with Peter's breathing. He sits next to me and hands me a warm cup of tea. He doesn't notice the tears at first, but then he pulls me into a hug and I lay my head on his shoulder. 

   "Is it always this beautiful at dusk?" I ask. He nods and we watch for a few more minutes before he shatters the silence again.

   "What's wrong? No offence, but you've been acting strange all day." 

   I still stare at the sky and ignore his question for a few minutes. I finally open my mouth and speak, dread weighing on my shoulders. "I should probably tell you something. But I'm scared to."

   "It's alright, I'm listening."

   I sit up to face him. He's wearing a nose splint on the bridge of his nose and he looks completely dorky. "As you know, I was adopted by the Potts."

   "Yes, but wha-"

   "I never told you what happened before they did." He stares into my eyes and I see the sympathy in them.

   "I would think it's a sensitive subject."

   "It is. And I thank you for being such a good friend and not asking questions. But things have happened and I think you should know.

   "Before I was adopted, I lived with my birth father. It was just the two of us because he-he." I break off, voice quaking. "He killed my birth mother. She was such a wonderful woman, Peter. Such a gentle soul. But my birth father beat me. A lot. And any time my gift got out of control, he would do unspeakable things to me. And when Child Services took me, I was so relieved. And I was only 12 at the time.

   "The reason why I was acting strange today is that I was scared, Peter. It took me months to get used to my Dad, Tony, the whole crew. So I'm sorry for breaking your nose and for panicking in the nurse's office. But I hope you understand a little more of why I did." 

   Peter tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I understand more but trust me, I know what it's like. After Uncle Ben died, I was wrecked. And then when Mr Stark came, it was like he was another uncle. I didn't really know how to cope with that because as much as I wanted the security of another uncle in my life, I didn't want to forget about Ben. He was the closest thing I had to a dad." 

   And with tears falling from both of our cheeks, we're leaning against each other and watching the stars come out. As much darkness that has been in our lives, you can't have stars to shine without the darkness.