Things to know: Nice!Flash :)
Faster. He had to go faster.
Peter swung across the city, building up momentum as he went.
"Faster." He mumbled to himself. "I have to be faster." Peter ignored onlookers, he ignored cries for help, he ignored The Daily Bugle, his main focus was to become faster.
At school, all he did nowadays was run laps until he was forced into class by a teacher. Even then he tapped his feet to keep his legs moving.
No breaks. No food. No sleep. Not until he was faster.
"Hey, Parker?" Someone whispered to him during class. He looked up to see Flash. "Are you...okay...?"
"I'm fine." Peter responded. Flash looked unconvinced.
"Are you sure?" Flash asked.
"Mr. Thompson, can you at least pretend to pay attention?" The teacher asked him.
Flash gave Peter one last glance before facing the front.
---
At lunch, Flash looked all over the cafeteria for Peter. He was thoroughly surprised when he didn't see him.
He walked all over the school. Where could he be? He passed a window, stopping when he spotted a familiar head of fluffy brown running laps on the track. "What the actual fuck?" Flash asked.
He ran out to the track. "Parker! What are you doing?" Flash asked. Peter glanced at him, but made no effort to reply. "Did you even eat?!"
"I can't." Peter replied shortly as he passed. He couldn't rest until he was faster.
Because maybe if he was faster he could have saved Ben in time.
Maybe he could've stopped May from going out when he KNEW something was wrong.
Maybe he could've grabbed the stones out of Tony's gauntlet if he had gone just a tiny but faster.
Maybe he could've saved MJ and Ned from the drones if he was just a smidge faster.
Maybe.
"You're going to kill yourself at this rate!" Flash yelled after him.
"Why do you even care?" Peter said, running in place in front of him. "I thought you wanted me dead."
Flash's breath hitched. "I-I never--"
"'The world would be better off without any useless Parkers.' That's what you said, isn't it?" The look in Peter's eyes was cold, unforgiving.
"I-I was a dumb kid, okay? I-I didn't reall--"
"You didn't really mean it? That's a laugh." Peter scoffed. "Have you even apologized for back then?"
That shut Flash up. Peter didn't wait for a reply and continued running.
---
It was gym, the only time Peter was able to run in class. They were in the middle of the second lap when Peter began to feel faint. "Are you okay?" Flash asked, running up to him.
"I-I'm fi--" Peter tripped over his own feet and was sent tumbling to the floor.
"Peter!" Flash exclaimed, kneeling down. He brushed some hair out of Peter's face and saw that he had passed out. "Permission to take Peter Parker to the nurse?" Flash asked as he raised his hand, not looking away from Peter.
"Permission granted." The coach said, also concerned for the boy.
Flash picked Peter up bridal style and began rushing to the nurse's office.
---
"He's terribly malnourished." The nurse said after checking over Peter. "Do you know when he ate last?" She asked.
"Um, I don't know if he eats at home or anything, but he stopped eating lunch about 2 months ago." Flash bit his lip.
"It's a miracle he lasted this long then." The nurse grimaced. "Anorexia, perhaps?"
"I don't think so, but then again, I'm not a professional." Flash chuckled awkwardly. "He usually spends all of his time running nowadays, his grades have been declining..."
"You've been watching me closely, huh?" Peter mumbled, waking up. Flash jumped.
"Pete!" He exclaimed, before gasping and covering his mouth with his hand. "Sorry." He whispered. "How do you feel?"
"Shitty." Peter grumbled. Flash coughed and gestured to the nurse. Peter flushed. "I mean, crappy."
"Not much better, but it'll do." The nurse shrugged. She walked over to her bag and searched for something. "Ah ha!" She exclaimed.
She pulled the item out of her bag and bounced back over to Peter.
She cheerfully held out a granola bar. Peter rose a brow, and took it reluctantly. "Thanks..." He mumbled. He didn't eat it.
"You can't leave this room until that bar is in your stomach." She told him. Peter sneered but complied.
"I want you to start packing a lunch for him." She whispered in Flash's ear. "He might not be receptive to it at first, but make sure he eats."
She stood up, leaving the room.
Peter and Flash were left to sit in silence. "I'm sorry..."
Peter shot his head up, looking at his former bully. "What?"
"I'm so sorry." Flash looked genuinely upset. "I should've never...I'm such an idiot, y'know? I didn't think before I talked. I was dealing with a lot, I'm still dealing with a lot, and I guess I chose to exert my pain onto you."
"That's--"
"--no excuse, I know." Flash rubbed his eye. "I could never make it up to you. I realized after the whole incident with MJ and Ned, y'know? I realized how stupid I am."
"It was Spiderman's fault they--"
"It was mine!" Flash yelled. "It was my fault! I was there! I stood there frozen like an idot! Michelle rushed out to drag my ass back, but she wasn't fast enough..." He looked down. "And Ned, god bless his heart, ran out to check on his friend...and you know the rest..."
Peter was clenching his fists.
"And what did I do after she went down?" Flash laughed pathetically. "I hid, like a coward." He looked back at Peter. "It should've been me." Flash shook his head. "You would've been...so much happier if it was me instead..."
"Don't say that." Peter grimaced. "We can't erase the mistakes of the past, we can only move foward." He shook his head. "Which is what I haven't been doing."
"I haven't either." Flash sighed. "How about we try to move on together?" Flash suggested. "Truce?"
"Truce." Peter smiled. "Thanks, Flash."
"Eugene."
"Huh?" Peter tilted his head.
"Call me Eugene."
A/N:
Idk if I like or hate this one.
Also, before you ask, I'm not making a part 2.
*
Susie: ...we've been set up, haven't we?
Darius: It appears we have.
