BUILT TO BLEED- peter parker

"You died," he said, eyes locked on the glowing Stark screen. "Fifteen minutes. Flatlined. And then you came back."

Avery stood frozen across the room, fingers curled around the edge of the lab table. "Peter-"

"You lied to me."

She flinched. Not at the words-but the hurt in them. His brown eyes, usually soft, lit with fire now.

"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you-"

"Oh, right," he snapped, arms thrown wide. "You just forgot to mention you died in one of the biggest alien invasions ever? And then came back with powers?"

She took a breath, but it caught in her chest.

"I was scared."

"I was there, Avery. I watched people die. And you-" he broke off, pacing like he couldn't stand still. "You came back from the dead and didn't think maybe I deserved to know that?"

"You wouldn't have looked at me the same," she said, and her voice cracked. "You would've treated me like a science project. Like everyone else does."

His face twisted. "I looked at you like you were the smartest, funniest, most incredible girl I'd ever met."

She stepped closer. "Peter, please-"

He shook his head.

"You're just like the rest of them," he said, voice low. "You hide everything until it explodes. You want to be normal so bad you're willing to lie to everyone who gives a damn about you."

She looked at him like he was already gone.

And maybe he was.

"I told you about Uncle Ben," he whispered. "You're the only person I ever told that story to. And this whole time, you were sitting on a secret that big?"