#starkschildwrites

You live a few streets from his apartment building

You two are still in your twenties figuring out life, so you figured learning to live by yourselves and being independent was the right call before you moved in with each other

You sleep over most nights though, you prefer to be there when he gets home from patrol, you want to be there to help him clean wounds and he likes to be in your presence after fighting a particularly stressful night

You hang out after your shifts from work, Peter works at the Deli, you work at a bookshop with a cafe

There's a diner you frequent that serves the best milkshakes. It's become a ritual to go there at least once a week

You mostly prefer to eat at home though, Peter's a great cook (living by himself all these years after Strange's spell taught him to master living home alone skills)

On nights when he's too tired from patrol, you either cook or you'll order in pizza from his favorite place

Peter makes the best wheatcakes. He takes his time making it (it calms him down) and makes it frequently for snacks

He makes May's wheatcake recipe, it's a comfort food, and reminds him of May

He makes it on her birthday and lights a candle for her

You have movie nights every week, alternating who picks the movie, and Peter always picks classic sci-fi hits from the 80s - 90s

Peter makes a point of making you things from your favorite movies

He sketches you fanart of your favorite characters doing mundane things, it's cute and you love that he spends so much time paying attention to things you love

Speaking of paying attention, he has a wall full of polaroids you took of dates with him

He also has candid photos of you taken from his Yashica Electro 35

He swings you home when you go on dates at night but tries not to do it too much in case someone takes a photo of your face, and it might risk his identity

The camera was an old gift from Ben. Peter remembers him every time he uses it, the memory of Ben bittersweet

He visits May's grave and brings her flowers every day

He tells you stories of May, Ben and his Parents

He hasn't told you about Mr. Stark, although you've made the connection that they might have known each other because you know Spider-Man and Iron Man worked together

You don't push him about it, he'll tell you in his own time

You come with him to visit May on her birthday and the day of her death

The first time he took you to visit her grave, he cried a little because he wished May was still around to meet you

You try to remind him you're safe with him and that being his partner doesn't put you in any danger

He tries to believe it, tries to believe he can keep you safe

Until he fought someone who could control minds, and they came after you

He was almost too late in catching you when you fell

It scared him so much he didn't know he could feel fear like this

Frank finding out about you made him thankful Peter wasn't fully alone like he originally thought

He'd never tell you that though

Peter tells Frank that if he dies fighting Jean, to make sure you get home safe and that he takes you at least to your friends

He wouldn't want you to be alone with your grief

You couldn't visit him at the hospital when he got shot, it would risk his identity

It killed you to not be by his side

You waited all night outside with Spider-Man's fans

You were kind of mad at Frank for accidentally shooting him, but you eventually understood he didn't mean to and that Frank was devastated he hurt Peter

You're thankful he was there for Peter all night, you didn't want Peter to be alone

You understood Jean's desperation to find her sister

You would do the same in her place, despite maybe going about it in a different way

You wish you could thank her for keeping Peter alive

It warmed your heart to know that he was so appreciated and loved by the city

You cried when you saw him step out of the building, he's fine and alive and in your arms again, and now you can finally breathe

Peter tells you about what happened at Damage Control

You're gutted to know Jean's sister was killed

You hope wherever she is, she's safe

Peter finally tells you about the spell, that he went to see his friends a few nights ago

You encourage him to approach them again, he needs to let people in his life again

Ned remembers him, he introduces you to Ned

They have hangouts basically everyday now

You love that he gets to be with his best friend again

Michelle hasn't remembered him yet, but knows about the spell

Ned, Peter, and you are trying your best to help Michelle remember, you're being careful though

You don't want to accidentally cause another incursion

Michelle and you end up being good friends

He has additional help during patrol, so now he's a little safer despite still getting hurt

It eases you to know more people care about him

He'd been your neighbour for two years, but you'd only been friends for about 6 months despite working at the same deli for a year now. You weren't close friends... just close enough that you check on each other at work, offer a listening ear if the other needs it, and you occasionally walk home together. Living across each other also made it so that you'd always felt safe whenever you walked home with him, never having to worry about being followed home by anyone.

Recently though, you've been developing a crush on him. Maybe it was the way he'd get you your favorite drink occasionally (he always got the order right), shyly handing it to you and looking away, hoping to avoid feeling awkward. Or when you'd share stories about your favorite customers of the day because of how kind they were, and how Mr. Delmar is such a nice boss.

You're sure it's because of how smart he is - which he tries to hide sometimes, like it's a secret he's trying hard to keep. It's adorable and impressive, really, how he'd help you solve equations when you'd sneak around doing homework during your meal breaks at the Deli- and it's also a plus how he looks so cute teaching you.

You're sure that you started to like him because of how his curls frame his face so perfectly even when they're a little messy.

You're sure it was because of the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs. It was charming, really, and you'd tried to make him laugh again just to see his smile. It lit up your day.

He lit up your day.

He lit up your day when university was too much, and you'd nearly break down from the workload.

He lit up your day when you'd have to deal with a particularly difficult customer, trying his best at a joke— probably a reference to a movie you mentioned you loved— just to make you laugh.

He lit up your day after you told him how you felt like a child because you still liked legos. He told you he loved them too.

He lit up your day when he got you merch from an artist you loved because it reminded him of you. It made you feel like he'd fit right into your life.

Despite the feelings you harboured, though, you were sure Peter didn't feel the same way. He was caring but distant, which is exactly why you hadn't become close friends with him yet. It was like he just didn't want to get any closer to you than he already was. Which is fine, of course, but it kinda stung knowing he'd say no if you tried to ask him out.

He was always alone, never having friends over at his apartment, never really leaving either (though maybe he did at night, but you could never tell why). Multiple times, he looked so exhausted, like he'd barely gotten any sleep even though Mr. Delmar lets you both off at a reasonable hour. Several times, you were alarmed to see him have bruises that looked like it was halfway through healing even though you were sure it should have been new— they weren't there yesterday. When you'd try to ask him about it, he'd avoid the question, and you never would pry.

He just seemed so isolated... lonely, and Peter didn't deserve that.

He also seemed to already like someone else, someone you'd never met. You noticed Peter always looked like he was yearning for someone. He'd stare off sometimes with a longing look in his eyes. It was like a visual to a heartbreak song.

It looked like someone missing an old girlfriend.

It looked like someone missing the love of their life.

And it broke your heart to see him so heartbroken. It broke your heart so much you wish he'd get with the person he loved— just so he'd be happy.

If it meant he'd have someone to talk to about his hard days, then you'd live with the agonising pain. If it meant someone could make him laugh effortlessly, you'd bear the heart clenching feeling.

You hoped, no matter how much it hurt you, that he'd be in their presence again if it meant he stopped being so lonely.