TELEKINETIC │ p.p

Chapter Eleven

Kate and Ned arranged to hang out again, instantly making Peter and Vanessa happy with their success.

"I owe you guys," Ned spoke.

"No you don't," Vanessa retorted. "Friends do each other 'favors' without expecting one in return."

"Yeah, we're good, dude," Peter chuckled, slapping a hand on Ned's back.

"Do I tell Tony about what happened at the cabin?" Vanessa questioned, more toward Peter. Ned knew of everything, but it wasn't really his place to tell her to keep it a secret or to spill.

"Tell him what, exactly?" Peter quizzed.

"About the man," she responded. She hesitated and gave a long sigh before adding, "And that I know you're Spider-Man."

"Okay, uh, yeah, you should," Peter mumbled. "I'll come with you when you decide to tell him," he offers.

"Can we tell him right now? While I still have the slight courage to?" she asked.

"Of course," Peter responded, following her out of her room and toward the kitchen, where Tony stood with Happy.

"Office," Vanessa ordered to her uncle, not stopping, marching toward the aforementioned place. He didn't question it until the door was shut. "I know about Spider-Man, and figured you should be aware of that," she spoke, unable to make eye contact.

"That all?" Tony questioned. Tears gathered in Vanessa's eyes as she thought of the man, the bruises along her body where he gripped her tight and slammed her against the floor.

"Yeah," she muttered, trying to hold her voice steady. Tony didn't notice, walking out of the office. Peter stepped around Vanessa, staring at her.

"Why didn't you tell him?" he whispered.

"I- I couldn't," she stammered. "He'd ask questions and I-... I can't talk about what happened to me," she sighed, wiping under her eyes, holding her head up. "It was traumatic."

"I understand that," Peter spoke, "but he needs to know."

"He doesn't," she retorted. "Conversation over." She spun on her heels and walked out, feeling her chest fill with dense air.

"Can we talk about it at least?" Peter asked softly as he ran to catch up with her.

"What's there to talk about?" she stated more than questioned, adding a small chuckle that was not meant to be taken in a humorous manner.

"It might feel better to talk about what happened. Ya know, take away some of the-"

"I don't want to discuss it anymore, Peter," Vanessa snapped through her teeth. "I just want to forget about it."

"Okay," he responded gently. "I'm always here for you if you want to though."

"Thanks." It was more of a sarcastic reply, but Peter took it in a more genuine way.

- - 2 weeks later - -

It was late at night, and Vanessa couldn't sleep. Something was keeping her up and she didn't quite know what.

"Is Spider-Man busy?" Vanessa teased as she heard Peter's soft 'hello' over the phone.

"No, not at all," he responded. He was out on a random balcony of an abandoned building, staking out. His mission was to watch the entrance of a certain building, being positive that the building was not where his current villain hid during the day. He had a few other locations to check if this one didn't match up.

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" Vanessa questioned, turning onto her back, placing her free hand on her chest, feeling her ribs expand and contract as she took slow, easy breaths.

"Good question," Peter chuckled, his voice still quiet. Vanessa figured it was because he didn't want the possibility of waking May. "Why are you awake?"

"I don't really know," she sighs. "There's a lot going on in my brain, I guess?"

"Like what." Peter held a small smirk when saying this. Something about the thought of having a deep, late night conversation with Vanessa intrigued him.

"Well, for one, I have a suspicion that my uncle doesn't like me," she spoke. "Like, at all."

"You're crazy," Peter retorted, "he loves you! You're family!"

"Yeah, but why does he never show any... affection for me then?" she quizzes.

"Mr. Stark has some issues with that," Peter sighs. "It took him some time to warm up to me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Silence hung over them, Vanessa waiting for him to explain their journey or to say something along the lines of his and her uncle's budding friendship. "It took me almost dying for him to finally show that he had a soft spot for me."

"You almost died?" Vanessa asked, her tone of voice giving away how she felt. She even sat up as soon as Peter spoke the words. "What happened?"

"It's a long story," he grumbles.

"Well, I'm glad you're alive," Vanessa smiled, laying back down. "We have a lot more in common than I thought."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Peter's smirk came back.

"We both have had near death experiences," she started, continuing to list off things.

"And we're both really awkward," Peter chimed in.

"Yes we are," Vanessa chuckled, beginning to pick at the skin around her belly button. "But I feel so comfortable around you and talking to you is pretty easy, even though we've only known each other for like a month," she confessed, biting her bottom lip.

"I agree," Peter spoke. "I don't even think I had my shy, quiet, stuttering stage when we first talked."

"You were very excited that I was awake," she replied, giggling as she thought of the boy that danced by her bedside when he saw her opened eyes. He even hand-fed her in her first few minutes of consciousness.

"Yeah," Peter says while exhaling loudly, scratching the back of his neck where nerves itched his skin. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was adorable," Vanessa giggled.

"Another word a man shouldn't hear a woman describe him as," he responds, chuckling.

"'A man'. You're funny."

"I'm hurt," Peter spoke, pretending to be upset but smiling on his end.

"I'm finally tired," Vanessa announces, her eye lids falling.

"Get some sleep then, Nessa," Peter replies, smiling harder. "Sleep well."

"Night, Peter," she replies. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't," he chuckles.

"Promise?" she questioned sleepily.

"Promise," Peter spoke. And with that, she hung up. Peter sighed, slipping his mask back over his lips. "Promise," he whispered, readjusting his sitting position to a more comfortable squat, keeping his eyes locked on the building's entrance.