Peter Parker x Billy Russo AU
Read chapter 8 of Of All The Things I've Seen here.
A snippet:
Down the stairs, on the entryway to another room, was Billy. He was standing in the shadows, one shoulder leaning against the wall as he observed whatever was going on inside. When Peter approached, he turned his head toward him and smiled.
“So you can be punctual.” He murmured, his voice velvet soft. “You’ve only known me for a few days. You’re not allowed to judge me yet.” Peter responded with the same volume, feeling the left corner of his mouth going up. “Just making observations. When I judge you, you’ll know it.” Peter could now see inside the room. It was a support group guided by a strong looking man. Men and women were sitting in a circle and taking turns talking. There was a coffee machine in the corner alongside some donuts. “It’s a group meeting for veterans suffering from PTSD. Friend of mine runs it and holds counseling sessions for them. We used to serve together overseas, Curtis, Frank, and I. I thought bringing you here to listen to what both of us have to say about Frank would be better than just hearing me talk.” Billy explained, careful not to talk too loud and cause disturbance. “Do you come here a lot?” Peter asked quietly. “Sometimes, to check on Curtis. Not for the meetings.” Billy added meaningfully. “Why not?” “I don’t… feel as bad as they do, and I wouldn’t want them to feel as if they should’ve moved on already like I did. People respond to trauma differently, and they deserve to feel validated in their own response.” It felt like the explanation had taken a lot out of Billy, as if it had been a while since he had to explain himself to someone.
