01 | BABYLON ━━ 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿

three

It was the first time Nikolas had walked outside in a long time. His hands held the sandwich firmly, squeezing it as he ate from it, no, devoured it with his ragged breath. The people who passed next to them lowered the sequence of their steps to look at him in amazement but Nikolas just looked back trying to smile.

Peter took Nikolas's shoulder pushing as they continued walking before his senses stung with the people's stares.

"You do have an extensive appetite." Peter murmured letting go of his shoulder, shaking his sandwich and giving it one last look before handing it to his company. "You can take mine if you want.

Nikolas looked at him for approval and after Peter gave him another light shake he took it without hesitation. He just watched, noticing that his skin was still marked and slowly returned to his natural tone. Dark veins around his neck and stains that looked like days-old bruises on his jaw.

"This big appetite is...yours or---?"

"Both I think, it always happens when I finish a transformation so every time I allow myself to use them, they take all my energy and I get very hungry in the aftermath."

"And these powers, how did you get them?" He asked. 

Nikolas took a bite feeling Peter's gaze on him, but it didn't make him uncomfortable, just overwhelmed.

"A couple of short words started everything, screams, prayers, at the time I thought that person had offered me salvation but now I only think he offered me a sentence, a curse." Nikolas took hold of the necklace chain highlighting the dangling cross pendant. "They smell my blood and when they do, I turn into that thing. I thought i was protecting me and my sister but now I just dream that I can be fixed...--but I don't know how."

Peter lowered his gaze, respecting his silence from the weight of the memories that could come back when he talked about his past. Just as Nikolas decided to intervene causing Peter to raise his eyebrows almost saying "Really?".

"You talk a lot." Nikolas answered honestly, still looking up at the colored lights reflecting off the water as his fingers caressed his own palm. "Quiet for a long time, you talk a lot, it's...nice.

Peter told Nikolas how it all started for him although he already knew every detail but listening to it with Peter's enthusiasm made him feel calm, from getting the spider bite to the part where he fought on Tony's team in Germany and how Captian America left his cheek swollen for a week. Peter tried not to feel offended when he asked him who this Captain America was, but Nikolas heard his heart beat faster.

Peter was comfortable talking about his adventures as if he didn't talk about it with many people.

Their talk didn't last long and they stopped when they were facing the millionaire's tower.

"It's good to have what you said, what was the name?" Nikolas asked looking at Peter, his tone was still low and embarrassed, Peter could tell their different personalities and confidences when he was under the effects of another soul to when he was just Nikolas.

"A friend?"

"Yes, a friend." He whispered as if he could taste and feel the affection of it. "Go home carefully, friend."

"I am spider-man, nothing can against me." Peter said with teasing sarcasm and Nikolas looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That was sarcasm, it's when you say something that----

"I understand, friend."

They said goodbye.

 Or so Peter understood when Nikolas simply and without saying anything returned and entered the tower. That night the arachnid returned home with a lot on his mind. He had a lot to tell Ned, the thought of working with a demon made him feel like he was being tested on his abilities.

"Hey dude, I saw your message last night." Ned whispered excitedly the next day. "Now you will work with a creature from the underworld??"

"Sounds crazy right?! Although I don't think he likes to be called that way." Peter said without hiding his emotion as they walked to the class room. "Leaving out the detail that he almost ate my face, I think we're friends."

"Yes, a friend. Go home carefully, friend."

Peter was interrupted by an echo of voices surrounding a person he couldn't see due to the bulge of students and his height didn't help much.

"What's going on?" Ned muttered and one of them turned to them holding the camera on his phone.

"Looks like it's a joke, the rookie said he knew Tony Stark and someone put pictures of Ironman making fun of it. Flash said a few words but i didn't make it in time for it."

He turned around before he could answer anything. The supervisors soon arrived and the wave of people left the hallway leaving Nikolas looking directly at images of Tony as he dressed in his midtown-sweatshirt-uniform and his hair gelled back, smelling a bit of perfume.

Stark probably helped him, Peter thought; feeling bad about the teasing in his locker, he could tell what it might bring about on someone, the teasing of people.

"Nikolas?" Peter tilted his head in confusion, not knowing that he had been enrolled in the academic program.

(23/12/2022)