Verity (jokeshopgirl) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-04-27 15:23:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, peter parker (spider-man), verity |
Who: Verity and Peter Parker
Where: Supermarket
When: Weekend, 4/20ish
What: Random Encounter, and Peter’s a Superhero
Rating: Low
Status:Complete
Poor Verity. She knew that Oliver was going to freak out about this whole thing, and she assumed it meant the end of their relationship. She’d had no idea how hard it was going to hit her, though. She was sitting on the curb outside one of her favorite cafes, next to the supermarket not far from her house, staring off into space. She wasn’t visibly pregnant, not yet, but she looked very pale, very weak, and there were dark bags under her eyes.
Unfortunately, there was a car trying to pull up to the curb, trying to parallel park on a relatively busy street. Verity was so out of it that she didn’t see the car, and the car didn’t see her sitting there with her knees drawn to her chest.
Peter was in the process of walking into the supermarket to go and buy, well, groceries for that terrible biological function of ‘needing to eat’. So when he stepped onto the curb, and began to walk for the door, walking past the cafe that was near the supermarket, he didn’t even seem to notice the girl sitting there sulking over something.
Instead, what happened was something that might haunt Peter for the rest of the week; something that would exhibit some sort of manifestation of the dreams he was so scared of being real. Something clicked in his brain, and he reacted even before he knew what was going on; in his own mind, it seemed to move in a bit of slow motion, for anyone else he just moved incredibly quickly. He leaped at the girl on the curb and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her up and away from the car that was backing in, twisting them both away from it before setting her to her feet when the car jolted to a halt.
He looked back at it, then back at her, and at some of the people who were looking at him. He then glanced back towards her once more, “I uh... are you okay?”
It was a beautiful day out, and there were people sitting in the outdoor tables and chairs by the cafe. They were all looking now, as Peter swung Verity up and out of harm’s way. The driver of the car was so distracted by the blur of people that he actually tapped his car into the other car along the curb, his tire bumping into the place where Verity had just been. If not for Peter’s quick thinking, Verity might have been seriously injured.
She was blinking up at him, still slightly unsteady on her feet, a bit bewildered by what had just happened. “I... oh...” She teetered a bit on the spot. She was light-headed, and the sudden movement (not to mention standing suddenly after being crouched for so long) was making her woozy. “No... I don’t think I... I am.”
He looked around and rushed a person out of their chair, before moving her towards the seat, helping her along, before she was then sitting down in said chair. He reached out to grab a pitcher of water, filling a glass and handing it to her, “Just re-hydrate yourself a bit, get focused. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths, it’s just a bit of shock and your brain trying to make sense of all that just happened. Fight or flight kicking in, while also coming to terms with what almost happened, and the fact you’re ... nevermind, nevermind don’t want to hear this right now.”
It was so kind of him to usher her into the chair. She accepted his help with a very weak “thank you” and collapsed into the chair. The woman who’d been sitting there was finished, anyway, and got up in a huff to leave them alone. The little dog who’d been her only companion was sniffing at Peter’s ankles, but the woman tugged the dog off by its leash.
Verity shook her head a little, but accepted the water. “...I’ll just throw it up again,” she said, and took a very, very small sip. It was almost difficult for her to swallow it. “I’m sick. Well, I’m pregnant.” Every time she said it out loud it was a heavier impact.
He frowned watching her, “Well, uh, then you really should be drinking water because it’ll keep you hydrated after throwing up. But uh, congratulations! On being pregnant that is, not on the throwing up.” He rubbed at the back of his head but then just smirked and put the water back down on the table when she was finished with it.
He then reached out to grab a cloth, dabbing it into the pitcher of water, before bringing it up to run along her forehead, “It’ll cool you down and relieve some of the stress you’re feeling.”
“Stress is just... ugh.” Verity said, lifting her hand to gently take the cloth from him and dab it over her forehead. It actually felt quite ice. “I know, I just... I keep throwing up the water, too.” She frowned a bit. It might have been time to go see if her doctor could do something for her for the nausea. She felt weak and tired all the time, and that may have been because she wasn’t getting enough nutrients. Her doctor didn’t seem concerned about her weight loss, but Verity felt like she was starting to look like a skeleton.
“I think my boyfriend and I just...” She swallowed, her eyes burning. Tears welled up and she blinked, trying to fight them back. “I mean... I don’t know if the baby is his.” Why was she telling all of this to a stranger? “It’s... from my dreams, I think. That’s the only possible explanation.”
Peter blinked a few times and just set his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. He wasn’t really sure what he should do really, but he knew he should do something. He frowned and just watched her a moment, before reaching down to take her hand, “Your uh, your dreams got you pregnant? I uhm, well I mean there are definitely ways to check and find out paternity. At least that way you’d know...”
He frowned, “Are you sure it isn’t his?”
Verity took a deep breath and looked into Peter’s eyes. He was being so kind to her--a perfect stranger--she felt like she could trust him. It was strange that she was spilling all of her private stuff, but... well. She had to tell someone, and he was right there in front of her. “I haven’t had sex since November.” She said, quite honestly. “According to the ultrasounds, I’ve been pregnant since the tail end of January.” Peter may or may not have been familiar with prenatal ultrasound technology, but they were normally able to pinpoint the age of the fetus via ultrasound to the day by measuring its growth.
“I’m not sure it’s his. I’m not sure it isn’t. I just know I started dreaming about having sex with him, and suddenly I’m pregnant.”
He blinked, staring at her a moment then raised a brow, “Uh, yea alright. Well then, that would be weird. So alright, well there’s definitely a way to at least figure it out right? I mean, you can do a paternity test or something, and beyond that it’s up to you on how you decide how it happened...” Peter had no idea what she meant. Dreams getting someone pregnant? That was just, well that had to be impossible right? Well of course it was.
He thought a moment then and just smiled, “I know they have equipment at Stark Industries that can do it, insurance might cover it even.”
There were urban legends and horror stories about women getting pregnant in hot tubs or through two pair of jeans. Verity didn’t actually believe any of them, but if she and Oliver had been cuddled really close, and he’d... y’know... was it possible? For her to get pregnant in her sleep?
“Really? Well, I’ll have to contact my insurance company.” She said, a bit of resolve building within her. At least that was a place to start. “...you work at Stark Industries?” She asked. How else would he know that SI had the right kind of equipment to do a DNA test?
“Huh? Oh, uh.. yea. Yea I work at Stark Industries, work in the labs there,” he grinned before finally grabbing a chair to take another seat across from her. He watched her a moment, keeping his head tilted to the side, “Are you going to be okay? You just have to take these things one step at a time, don’t think too far ahead and worry yourself about anything.”
“It’s a bit easier said than done, I’m afraid,” Verity said, giving him a small, sad smile. “When the world’s falling apart around me, and there’s a little, wriggling peanut inside me... the only thing I can do is worry about the future.” She swallowed. “I’m Verity. Verity Ashford.”
If Peter knew anything about baseball, he might know the last name Ashford. Verity’s father was a famous baseball player on the San Francisco Giants whose career was ended by an injury about a decade ago. But he was still big in the sports world. If he knew anything about local hockey, he may have heard of Verity’s brother, Chace Ashford. He played hockey for a local pro hockey team.
“Verity Ashford... I recognize the name, oh your father played for the Giants! I knew him, well didn’t know him, but I watch plenty of baseball. Too bad about the end of his career though,” he then smiled and offered her his hand, “And I’m Peter Parker. No famous parents unfortunately, but I did go to a High School once, and once took a foul ball to the face.”
He winked before then shrugging, “And I get that you’re worried about the future, Verity, but fact is if you take it all on at once, and not one thing at a time? You’ll become overwhelmed.”
Verity shook his hand. “They called him ‘Nashford’ back then,” combining his first name of Nathaniel and his last of Ashford made him Nashford. Or simply Nash. Verity never really got into the nickname, she simply called him Dad. Still does, actually. “You follow the Giants? Good team. They’ve been on a bit of a winning streak lately. Dad’s just thrilled.” Talking about it made her forget her nausea, and she picked up the water glass for another sip.
“Thank you, Peter. I know it, I just need to be reminded when I forget myself and start freaking out about everything all at once.” She gave him a smile. It was warm and genuine for the first time since he rescued her from that car. “So... foul ball to the face? Really?”
“Oh, yea. I uh was young, at a Mets game in New York, and a supremely young kid, so apparently my ability to catch was pretty bad and just got face smacked by a ball,” he shrugged with a chuckle, showing off his eye, “Totally got a black eye. Fractured cheekbone as it is.”
He then nodded, “And yea I follow the Giants, but I’m a Mets guy because I’m from New York and my dad and all, but I follow baseball and living around here I follow a lot of the California teams now.”
“Wow! That’s a great story.” Verity said, giving a nod. “I’ve never caught a foul ball. Or been hit by one. My Dad is always up in a box, or something, so that’s where I’d go. And when I was little I used to play around in the locker room or the dugout. Even though I wasn’t supposed to.”
It was strange how talking about sports, of all things, made her feel better. “Well, I don’t want to keep you, Peter, I’m sure you had important things to do. I should get home. I feel a serious nap coming on.”
“Well I am in a bit of a rush, but I can stick around if you need me to, but yea you should probably get some sleep. It’ll only help you and the baby, so yea go take that nap,” he smiled and stood up before winking, “Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We’ll have to talk sometime when things aren’t so crazy, and you can tell me some more awesome baseball stories.”
He then gave her shoulder a squeeze before making his way towards the supermarket. He needed eggs and bacon.
“I definitely will.” Verity said, giving him a smile and a nod. Peter Parker. The name was so familiar. Maybe she’d look him up. If he could do the test for her... It was something she was going to have to remember. She stood after he wandered off, and made her way home for that nap.