Peter Parker Imagines

77. Sunburn - Part Five

a/n: okay I lied there's gonna be seven parts lmao

warnings: language, angst, and oh we about to get into that Pain pain...and some more intense dramatic irony, and sorry but I can't help but write reader as being oblivious and kinda dumb but that's just how it be sometimes 

When you woke up, your book wasn't in your hand and you were tucked into your bed, your phone plugged in and your window shut tight. With a frown you leaned up and moved your hand blindly onto your side table, your fingers feeling around to grab your phone but instead catching into a piece of paper.

Spider-Man left you a note.

thanks for the distraction :) - spidey

You smiled a little at the note, shaking your head as you set it down next to your book. He had definitely thrown an extra blanket over you and made sure your book was bookmarked, and you were pretty sure your phone hadn't been plugged in either.

For once, your emotions felt nice - you couldn't feel that underlying pain or guilt from Peter, but you knew it wouldn't last long. 

Your phone buzzed and you frowned, grabbing it and reading a text from Betty asking if you wanted to grab dinner with her and Ned. You quickly responded with an "of course!", realizing how late it was and deciding to get ready. But another two texts from earlier caught your eye, and you tensed when you realized it was a response from Peter.

thanks for checking on me last night, sorry I didn't respond right away

I guess I fell back asleep. or something

okay I know you don't want to talk but I really think we should. please?

The text was in your thoughts all day, but you couldn't bring yourself to respond. 

Maybe it was time to talk. Maybe he had something else to say. But you knew it wouldn't be what you wanted to hear - you knew in your gut he was with Liz and he was happy (you could feel that in his emotions all the time) even if he did regret hurting you. Nothing would change, he just wanted to save a friendship that you couldn't stand to be in any longer.

So you left him on read and spent the rest of the day avoiding it, feeling his disappointment increase the longer you ignored the text. 

By the time you were with Ned and Betty, you had shoved it to the back of your mind and tried to enjoy hanging out with your friends. It was easy to be with those two - they always had something to say so if you didn't feel like talking, you didn't have to. And luckily they didn't make you feel like a third wheel, which was nice.

"Isn't it kind of weird how we haven't seen Liz at all?" You asked Betty about halfway through dinner, missing how Ned's face scrunched up. "Is she really that busy?"

Betty shrugged, "You know Liz, she's always aiming high, she's probably started with college stuff already and is just focusing on that. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

You nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right. How's your internship at the Bugle going? I'm surprised you haven't brought it up yet."

Betty got an excited expression and started talking about her job duties, and it put you in a good mood to see how happy she seemed there. Ned chimed in every once in a while too, though he was doing basically as much as you were this summer. MJ, Peter, Betty - they all had internships and it was nice that you weren't the only one deciding to relax the last summer before senior year.

Ned offered you a ride home but you declined, knowing the restaurant was just a few blocks from your place, which was why you didn't drive in the first place. You hugged them both goodbye and promised to see them soon before heading home, grateful for the warm summer air so you wouldn't freeze on the way back.