Peter Parker Imagines

65. Begin Again - Part Three

a/n: I don't really have anything to say other than hope you enjoy! next part should be out in about a week :) and it's gonna start getting real painful so uh be ready

warnings: language, death mentions/allusions, angst if you squint, but also fluff

reminder: my requests are closed!

"I got in, I got in!" You did a little dance around Peter and waved a paper around, making him laugh at how weird you were being without anyone even caring. "The newspaper just gave me this acceptance letter, I'm the only freshman that got accepted, can you believe it!"

"'Course I can, you're an amazing photographer, congrats," he grinned while you finally stopped running circles around him. 

It had only been a few days since he peeked through your photos and this was the first time he had seen you since he returned your notebook - and he was still surprised at your positive attitude that never seemed to go away. 

"Dude this is gonna be great," you squealed, "Okay, I'll shut up now, sorry. I know we're here to study but we should also get started on that project for photo, too."

"Good idea," he agreed, watching how you blew some hair out of your face and struggled to stuff the paper in your bag. 

Even out of breath and flustered, he was beginning to really notice how pretty you were (not that he wasn't aware before), and how he always was in a better mood when you were around, how he started to go out of his way to spend time with you even if it wasn't for studying or a project. 

It was starting to get a little worrisome getting this close to you, but right now, he was ignoring it. 

"We should try that new coffee place on fifth," you grinned, falling into step next to him after fighting with your bag for a moment. "I've heard from a review it has really good black coffee, so I'm sure you'll love that."

"Where would you have even heard that from?" He chuckled, "Who reviews black coffee?"

"I have my ways," you said mysteriously, trying not to giggle at his expression. "But I did hear that it's cheap. And I love cheap things."

"Fine, we'll go to your new-cheap-good-black-coffee coffee shop," he agreed, shaking his head at your pleased expression.

Peter listened to you ramble about your grade in bio for most of the walk from campus to the cafe, finding your presence calming despite your outgoing personality. He tried not to stare too much when you got that excited expression on your face when you were talking about something you loved - the way your eyes lit up and you waved your hands around, lips spread into a wide smile - you looked breathtaking to him.

"Oh, shit," you suddenly muttered and tugged him arm to make him stop, and he realized you had frozen by a broadcast on one of the televisions in an electronics shop you were both walking by. He was so distracted looking at you that he hadn't noticed you even stopped talking. 

He would really have to stop doing that.

But that was the least of his worries when he focused on the news, the scene playing out on the screen making him feel a little sick. New York wasn't a stranger to gun violence, and neither was he - but seeing it on the tv tended to trigger those memories for him, and it didn't help that the woman broadcasting the news of a shootout had a photo of Spider-Man in the lefthand corner. 

"Three people were announced dead at the scene," the broadcaster spoke clearly, the words making you frown while Peter tensed next to you. "Police were too late to the shootout and the victims couldn't be saved in time. Times like this are when New Yorkers have to ask - where's our hero in situations like these?"