two sided | peter parker

prologue

"FUCK YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR," Peter hesitated, his lips trembling as he searched for the right words. His hands shook, his body vibrating with a sort of weakness that was rare and the most painful; the feeling of utter helplessness, defeat, and heartbreak all at once. 

He'd never once felt it, feeling it in segments whether it was physically as his superhero occupation or the nerdy senior, Peter Parker. The girl in front of him, she may have felt the same thing, but she was utterly different. Defiant, still, and strong, that's what Peter would've described her in that moment if he could only use three words.

She laughed bitterly, the winter air coughing up the exhales of her breath. The warmth of it created a cloudy fog of air before disappearing as quickly as it came. "You're unbelievable. Peter, Spidey, I don't even know who you are anymore. I don't think I do, at least. I'd like to think I at least knew Spidey, but that has to be somewhat of a stretch."

The superhero didn't say much, torn between two different worlds, two different sides of him that were never meant to collide. Y/n did something that Peter didn't particularly expect, she pulled out her phone. With a few taps, her wall seemed to crumble before him, tearing down into pieces as tears brimmed her eyes.

"Monday, October thirty first at ten p.m. 'Hey, I just ditched a lame party. Do you think we can sneak the last pieces of candy from those crabby neighbors on your street? Not if you haven't already, I'd expect that from you.'" That was nearly a month ago, dating back to Halloween when Peter had sneakily slipped out after making an appearance at Flash's party.

Y/n sniffled, raising her jacket sleeve to wipe her nose with it before letting it hang at her side again. The moonlit sidewalk made everything all the more painfully memorable, how they stood outside her previously shared apartment, watching themselves destroy everything they'd built up within a matter of minutes.

"And you were right," She choked, swallowing harshly afterwards. Peter recognized that pain too, the moment when your tears become too much and your throat decides to close out on you too. The moment where it squeezed together into an inexplicable ache that lingered even after you cried. "You were so damn right, and it hurts to know you were."

Looking down, a dejected smile appeared on her face.

"Because you knew me so well, and now, I realize that I never knew you."