Timshel

viii - Familiar Faces & Barroom Deals

warnings: brainwashing, manipulation, graphic depictions of violence and murder, angst, a little fluff

***

"I really don't want to go, Aunt May!" Peter argues with May a few nights later while you were in the shower. He keeps his voice low as he knows you would be able to hear him otherwise.

"You do Peter, and I've got enough money for you to go."

"But we don't have enough for y/n to come."

"Sending two kids to Europe is a lot honey, I don't know how she would do on the trip anyway."

"But May, I- I can't leave her," Peter pleads.

"Have you asked her if she wants to go?"

"No, but I mean, she might, she probably would. She's never been anywhere other than New York and the Red Room. She should be able to see other places. She deserves to see other places."

"Peter, I'm sorry, I can't make it happen," May smiles sadly and Peter nods, he's not upset at May, he knew it wasn't quite possible for them. As you got changed he dug through his drawer of collectible action figures and old comic books, putting them in a shoebox and stuffing them into his backpack for tomorrow.

The next day at school, Peter sat Ned down and let him know his plan during art class.

"So I'm going to sell these," Peter pulled open his backpack, pulling out the shoebox and opening it just for Ned to see.

"Dude! What? Why?"

"The science trip around Europe? We can't afford for the both of us to go, so I'm trying to save up some money for y/n. She doesn't know, I want to surprise her okay?"

"Dude what happened to our plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"About being bachelors in Europe."

"Come on Ned, you know I don't want that."

"Seriously? Are you and y/n, but you told me there wasn't anything-," Ned starts to get excited and when Ned gets excited his voice gets progressively louder.

"Ned! Shut up, no, there's nothing."

"Why not?"

"Because she, she can't feel things like that."

"Like love? Man that's fucked up. Those Russians did a number on her huh."

"So I can't do that, because she wouldn't be able to feel anything back, so if she tried to say she felt something, then I would know she's lying."

"Well why would she lie? Why wouldn't she just say 'I'm sorry Peter but my brain is broken and I simply cannot feel that emotion.'?"

"Because she doesn't want to hurt me. She would think it's better to lie and say she feels the same way then to admit that it's not possible for her."

"Damn, and you're still going to try to pay for her school trip? You know the comic books and action figures won't nearly cover it right?"

"I know, but I need to start somewhere. Maybe I can ask Mr. Harrington to let me pay him back, like after the trip."

"And you're doing this all for a girl who can't even begin to like you back? Damn Peter, you're whipped."

"Shut up man," Peter couldn't help the blush creeping up his cheeks.

***

You and MJ were drawing. You were frustrated by your nightmare, frustrated that you couldn't do anything about Peter, you were frustrated that no matter how much you wanted to feel something like Betty described, you couldn't.