Peter Parker (oldparkerluck) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-05-19 11:11:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, gwen stacy (mcu), peter parker / spider-man (616) |
Who: Gwen Stacy & Peter Parker (616)
When: May 19th, morning
Where: Potts Tower lobby and just outside
What: Feels happened. (AKA Gwen ran into Peter, asked him to return Ben’s jacket, and there is huggage.)
Rating:Loooow.
Elevators. It almost felt like he was infiltrating an enemy operation just standing in one. But that was what you got after busting your arm good and proper. Web-slinging? Possible, but not the smartest until the bones were a little more healed. Even his spidey powers couldn’t mend the fracture in a few short days, which meant a classy sling was still part of Peter’s daily attire. It sucked. It also meant, to his students, that Mr. Parker was a total spaz who tripped on a sidewalk grate. But life went on, and he’d survive walking out to the food store like any other normal person on the planet. It just felt weird to take the long way around, which presently meant traversing the lobby of Potts Tower, half humming a tune as he hoisted his backpack up on his good shoulder. Gwen’s legs suddenly felt like lead the second she walked into the Potts Tower lobby. Although, well, it’s not like her entire physical and mental state had been prepared to set foot in here after the events of last night. From the second she woke up, she wished so bad it was all a bad dream, and things between her and Ben would be back to how it was before, but that hope shattered when she got up and saw Ben’s tux jacket on the back of her chair. That was what led her to go to Potts Tower; to return that jacket. And now she couldn’t move as she looked in the direction of the elevator. Did she have to go to his apartment? She might have felt numb right now, but there was no telling if she’d break down again if she saw him. Maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe she could find Julie and ask her to give it to him. Or Steve Rogers. He’d do that much for her, except she had no idea where he’d be. And then the elevators opened and her heart nearly jumped into her throat, until she saw the brown hair. It was in the moment Peter looked up from setting his iPod on shuffle that he caught the familiar sight of approaching. It was an instant smile, a semi-wave with his good hand, and, to cap it all off, Peter nodded his head by way of a greet. “Hey there, stranger.” Because there was a chance to have a little more time with Gwen here. All right, maybe it wasn’t in the way a college-bound Peter Parker had thought it would be, but friendship was coming just as easily now that they were over the initial awkward hump. Only, the longer Peter focused on Gwen, the more he had the gut feeling that something wasn’t right. Still, he kept his cheery disposition, waiting to see if she wanted to chat before he excused himself to go attempt being an adult capable of grocery shopping. “Hey,” she said, as he neared in a hushed voice, giving him a weak smile. She couldn’t help the emotions that threatened to bubble over when she saw him. Probably because they shared the same face but even moreso because she and Peter had started to form some sort of friendship and she really needed someone to cry on. But she wasn’t about to actually do that. “How’s your arm?” Okay, that definitely wasn’t right. Something was up. Luckily the lobby wasn’t bustling on a Sunday morning, so there was a sorta private cut of the building they could speak in. If Gwen wanted to talk. Peter nodded off to the side, taking a few steps just so they were out of the way of other residents coming and going. “Still attached, actually. The wonders of the human body, huh?” He wriggled the fingers -- a showing that recovery was in action. “I give it another day or two before I’m back in fighting shape.” He then gave the jacket in her arms a nod. “Never took you for the kind to sport a tux, even if I’m sure you’d make it work.” Gwen nodded, mumbling a “that’s good”, with a slightly stronger smile. Then he mentioned the jacket, and she instinctively frowned, looking down at it. “Oh, it’s actually... not mine.” After a pause she looked back up at Peter. “I’m glad I ran into you actually, I was wondering if you could do a favor for me? If you’re not.. in a hurry right now. I guess.” “Nah, just zipping out so Mindy doesn’t give me grief about how we’re clean out of food and I’m trying to starve her. Quick run, hopefully -- watch me get stuck behind the one old lady hobbling along with a shopping cart just for saying that.” Just keep it light, Peter. She’s clearly working up to something. Just give her space. “So, what can I do ya for?” he asked, brows lifting expectantly. Gwen hesitated a bit before stretching out her arm with the jacket hung over it. “It’s Ben’s.” She wasn’t the world’s greatest actress, so this time, no matter how she wanted to just keep a blank face or try for peppy, she had no energy to do it. She wasn’t sure if he was around the tower today or not but she suddenly felt like it was probably better to hand off the jacket and get out. And go to campus, because she still had two more finals to study for. If she could get herself to focus. “I was cold and he left it when--” Her voice caught, thanks to a giant lump forming in her throat and she had to pause for a moment. “When he dropped me home last night.” Gwen blinked a few times, avoiding looking at him because she knew she was having a horrible time hiding anything. She didn’t want to see how he was reacting. “Can you give it back to him for me?” Ben’s. There was a suspicion of as much, but the admission out in the open air was enough to have Peter’s mouth tugging downward into a small frown. But he reached for the jacket, tossing it over one shoulder so he could free up his arm again. “Course I can,” he gently assured her. And, god, was it hard watching her progress through these stages of trying to keep control over her expression and voice when something was seriously eating at her. Something with Ben. “Hey, look, I’m not sure what happened, but you okay there?” “I’m...” It would have been easy to just spill things, but it would come with a slew of complications, that would probably put Peter on the spot. That wasn’t what she wanted. But, god, would it have been a lot easier to admit that she wasn’t okay because the night after her first and only prom ever had ended on a heart-breaking note, because she and Ben had practically “broken up”. Gwen shook her head, crossing her now free arms over her stomach. “Don’t.. don’t worry about it. I should go. Still have studying to do.” She ducked her head, reaching up with one hand to pull a strand of hair behind her ears. “And that’s all I came here to do. Giving back the jacket, I mean.” Peter snuck a fast glance around the lobby. Still mostly empty, still with them mostly alone. He didn’t even second guess a step in towards her, since it was clear as day that she needed someone to stop keeping his distance and show a little support. “Well, before you run off on me...” He swung his good arm around her in a quick, but confident, hug. “Can’t help but worry a little, Gwen. You need to talk, you can always talk to me, ‘kay?” At which point he crouched enough to peer up into her eyes and make sure she knew he meant it. The hug came as a complete surprise, but her arms automatically circled around him for the short while that it lasted. And in that while, her face crumpled. Maybe coming here at all was a big mistake. She could have just had the jacket couriered or something. Which is dumb because it’s not like she was that far away from the tower but she’d been trying to steel herself all day, because she had to prioritize right now, but it wasn’t working. Gwen nodded, doing nothing about the fact that her eyes were starting to glisten, when she looked at him. “I’ll see you,” she managed to get out, before she took a step back. It was either leave now or have her legs feel like lead again, she thought. Even if they were already halfway there. He’d been slightly afraid she would recoil, but the return was there, and Peter stepped back to give Gwen her space once again as their arms dropped apart. It wasn’t exactly the cure-all she needed, but at least the door was opened if she decided she needed to talk. That had to be enough without pushing. Although, Peter sent a glance towards the lobby front doors, then looked back to Gwen with brows lifted. “Actually, I think you have me for a few more seconds. C’mon, let’s walk to the front door. If I end up weirdly following you after that, I swear it’s just because fate wants me to awkwardly hover.” He gave her a small smile and stepped onwards to hold the door for her. Gwen turned around and walked out before him. Thank god for getting over that awkward phase of meeting an older version of an ex because this? This would have been so much more complicated if they had still kept their distance. But they’d talked, they’d confided, they even danced and took pictures at prom, and it meant a lot to her. Even if she didn’t know how much that meant to him. So when she stepped through the doorway and he followed, she turned back around to face him and started with, “He told me. About... about him. And why he can’t--” Gwen bit her tongue, realizing that she’d never exactly told Peter that she liked Ben a lot, that they were hanging out, because that would have been weird. And yet she told the other Peter, the one she had actually dated. “Can I ask you for another favor?” The hollow feeling swept over Peter too quickly to have braced himself. After all the nudging Ben to tell her, he didn’t think -- no, well, that wasn’t exactly it. It did cross his mind that there was something going on, but maybe he just wasn’t aware how far things got before Gwen finally received an explanation. Or maybe he’d just kept up blinders without consciously meaning to. Either way, Peter froze just outside the building; immediately lookie-loos started to gather around, which forced him back into step. He reached for Gwen’s arm to guide her away from the building. Only once they reached a clearing did he swivel around to face her. He ran his free hand through his hair. There was too much mental teetering on what to do, what to say, how to approach this. He had to ask: “How much did -- what... what’s the favor?” Oh god, she shouldn't have said anything. That just meant divulging into everything that had happened last night, the kiss and then the rejection, and there was no way she could get it out. In fact, the thought had her clasping her free hand over her mouth and had to give herself a moment. She was doing that one too many times. How the heck was she going to say that. "What I feel for Ben is way more--" No, that wasn't it, she decided with a shake of her head. "I need you to not push me to... Peter and I are over. The last thing I need right now is for someone to tell me to give him another chance and before you say that, please don't." Gwen sighed, bringing her hands to her face again, to rub her eyes before looking at him. "That sounds like a weird request but just.. just don't." “I wouldn’t,” Peter replied, tone somewhat lost. This was so hard to grasp, even without having to guess at what Gwen had been told or else pry into fresh wounds. Clearly she was upset. How could he have missed that she was getting that attached to Ben? “Look, you -- you’re amazing, Gwen. You are. Any guy -- any human being on the face of the earth who can call you a friend is lucky. I’m not gonna tell you to give anyone another chance, I promise. Anyone wants to be with you? They gotta earn that. Only you decide that one, Gwen.” Gwen pressed her lips together, regaining her control. She nodded and then took a deep breath, pushing her hair back behind her ears again. “Thanks.” It was a relief to hear those words, especially because if she had heard anyone else even ask to give her Peter a chance she would have screamed. “Really. Thanks. Okay, I should really go now.” She gave him a slight smile and gestured toward her messenger bag. “Two more to go. I have.. a lot of work to do.” Hopefully he had a good point somewhere in there. Something helpful to Gwen, since he knew he couldn’t do anything for the other Peter or Ben. Couldn’t... wouldn’t? Parker guilt was working overtime, and he was sure the last thing she needed was more of them pulling or pushing at her. Still, Peter summoned up a half smile and a nod. He fumbled with the buttons of the jacket that was still slung over one shoulder, serving as a reminder of how he needed to track Ben down for a little conversation. “No problamo. And, hey, good luck. Knock ‘em out, take no prisoners, show no mercy,” he told Gwen, before giving a side nod towards the direction he needed to head off in. “I’ll see ya ‘round, okay?” “Yeah. See you.” With one last smile, she turned around and started walking away. And her smile instantly fell off the second she did. That was it. That was her last reason to see Ben again even if she had just chickened out the last minute. Her emotions threatened to come pouring out right there and then and Gwen pushed them back. Finals. That should have been the most important worry of the day. Except now her worry was if she’d manage to concentrate long enough to make a good grade. |