Re: Marvel hospital: Gwen & Peter
"What?" Admittedly, Peter was a little worried about Flash holding his inaction against him, but he frowned when she said he had a 'thing' about him and MJ not being messed up. "How are you guys messed up? I don't get it." Okay, he got wanting to protect people from Silent Hill, but it sounded like more than that. Especially if Flash was keeping his distance from MJ because of it. "He doesn't want to mess her up or something? I bet she wouldn't see it that way." But maybe them trying to exclude him made sense, if they wanted to keep him out of the door so he wouldn't get 'messed up'. Whatever that meant.
Admittedly, MJ was big on making the first move. That was just how she was. But it wasn't a bad thing, and it wasn't a bad thing that Gwen was different. "It doesn't have to be you. You don't have to be her." He shrugged. "I like you just the way you are. Even if it doesn't seem that way." He blushed, just a little. Again. If he'd preferred MJ, he would have asked her out or tried to pursue something, but he wasn't doing either; he was still holding out hope that Gwen might give him another chance. Maybe not now, but someday. "Hey, I'm trying to be subtle!" He pulled a face when she laughed. "Closets aren't very subtle, Gwen Stacy."
Her knee bumped his, and it was distracting for a second before she started talking and Peter made himself look up. Okay, it wasn't about who he fell in love with, but she thought he'd inevitably fall in love with MJ and right then, in that moment, he didn't see it happening. Not with the way he felt. "I didn't say it was a bad thing. I'm just-- I'm just saying I won't be like 'oh, hey, Gwen doesn't want me, guess I'll go date MJ now.' Maybe not those exact words," he said quickly, "but you know what I mean. It doesn't work like that." He watched her pick at her jeans, old habits that were familiar, and he wished he knew how to reassure her in a way that would work. Words didn't seem to do much. "Hey. I know you said it's not my responsibility, but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you don't die. We can stop it. We can. It doesn't have to happen." So maybe he didn't have the best track record when it came to keeping her alive, but he'd get it right this time. There weren't many villains around, now that Harry was his high school self again.
He nudged her with his knee when she rolled her eyes. "You're pretty too. That's all I'm saying. Don't roll your eyes at me," he teased, but his expression turned serious when she sighed. "What do you want?"