Chapter Text
August
Change wasn’t easy; lately nothing was easy. There were days when Peter thought he was genuinely better now, that he was finally past it. But there were also a lot of bad days when he didn’t find the motivation to even try to get better. It was honestly frustrating and deeply annoying. His birthday was a fantastic day, and it felt like things would truly be okay; this was a completely different day.
The thoughts never truly left, and this month was mostly spent trying to fast as much as he could, but it was never easy. Most days he had his meals with Tony. If he wasn’t available, he would eat with someone else; it wasn’t a coincidence. It was pretty obvious why he wasn’t left alone around food, but he absolutely despised being treated like a baby.
“Why can’t you understand that I’m fine.”
“What you are is full of shit; come on kid, you have to eat.”
“I do eat, you’re making a big deal out of nothing, I’m okay, okay?”
“Just eat, Pete, you know you have to eat, you’re smart, aren’t you?”
“Give me a break, you don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Stark.”
“We’re worried about you, Peter.”
“I don’t need it.”
Peter was absolutely sure that Tony was going to snap at him, it wouldn’t have been surprising. It was obvious that Tony was also making an effort, and it was bound to happen that they would both reach tipping points. This wasn’t it for Tony; he was calm and, to Peter’s surprise, he allowed Peter to truly express how shitty he was feeling. He understood, really; still, he hated it.
Regardless of how much he understood, and how much he wanted to make Tony happy, Peter still tried to avoid food and exercise as much as he could. After his birthday, Peter spent a lot of time training with Natasha and Steve. With Tony’s promise of Spider-Man making a comeback, Peter knew he had to be his best.
A week later, he was back out again as Queens’ vigilante. An agreement between Tony and Peter was reached, and it allowed Peter to go out a couple days a week. It wasn’t full freedom; Tony didn’t trust Peter and it was obvious that it would take more than a week for him to earn Tony’s trust back. Peter understood, but it was still making him feel even more like a baby.
It was all looking good, surprisingly. The last month was a complete disaster, and anything relating Spider-Man came with tragedy. The past few weeks were overall good, nothing big going on, just helping the little guy. Thank god nothing happened, Peter was sure that he couldn’t handle someone else dying on his watch.
There were good days and bad days, but then again, everyone had those, right? It just felt different to Peter. The bad days were really bad, and they quickly turned dark, almost to the point of scary. If he was honest, there were times when he wanted to quit; just throw it all away and give up. It almost felt like he was trapped, slave to his own mind.
Tony was always there for him, though. It was a good thing, and Peter knew that. But it didn’t take away the fact that Peter was also aware that he was being yet a bigger inconvenience, and that he had to be better so that the guilt that came with bothering Tony would fade away.
September
Soon enough, the burning hot weather started dying out, and autumn was just beginning. If it weren’t for school also starting, Peter would’ve loved it. Going back to school was terrifying for a large list of things, all which he wanted to avoid.
For one there was the obvious: he never thought he would live to go back to school. It was odd for his mind to deal with the fact that he had to take on a challenge that he never thought he would have to face. There was also the fact that he had to see Ned and MJ again. Just like with his classes, Peter never thought he would have to see them, which made it all the harder to come up with something to cover his lies and how much he had been struggling.
Though, what was probably most mortifying was the fact that he went shopping with Pepper for school supplies. It made Peter want to crawl under the earth and suffocate to death. He was an inconvenience, that much he knew. What was worst was the circumstances of it all, and he had caused all of it. Still, Pepper made him feel safe; she was there with him the whole time and never once did Peter feel judged.
The first day of school came sooner rather than later and it felt like Peter had no chance to prepare himself. Tony and Pepper rode him to school that first day. He wasn’t necessarily embarrassed, but he definitely felt intimidated when everyone turned to see him get off the overly expensive car. Everyone was murmuring about Tony and what the hell he was doing with Peter Parker. He wondered that, too.
Thankfully, the moment was brief, and next thing he knew he was meeting up with Ned in history class. It felt so nice to be somewhere where everything felt so… mundane. This was his life before everything happened, and it gave him a sense of peace. Now, the one thing that was troubling Peter was the fact that he had to speak to Ned face-to-face. They texted a lot, but they hadn’t really hung out since that day in July.
In reality, Peter was avoiding Ned. There were so many things he regretted, and so many things he was embarrassed about; Peter didn’t know how he was going to face his best friend after everything that happened. But, things turned out different from what Peter thought, and Ned’s tight hug only confirmed it.
“I was worried about you, dude.”
“Why? I mean, what do you mean?”
“I don’t know, Peter, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, Ned, I’m fine, I promise.”
“I’ll take your word for it, but I’m here for you, Pete.”
“Thanks, Ned.”
“Hey, what’s up with those LEGO sets you left at my house? Why are you sorry? What’s that about?”
It felt like a lifetime since Peter had gotten those sets, and it was stored in a compartment in the back of his brain; he never thought he’d have to think about it again. Leaving those sets for Ned was one of the things he did when he was trying to kill himself. Now that he was trying to get better, his mind just blocked it entirely.
“Oh, uhm, you know, I was out with Mr. Stark and we went to the LEGO store in fifth, and, uhm, I just thought I could get you a couple sets, you know?”
“That’s awesome dude, you didn’t have to.”
Peter still hated lying, and it was hard lying to Ned. But there was no way in hell that Ned would ever find out that he was part of the lies that built up to the massive failure of his life.
The whole month went by in a blur, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t challenging. It was very clear that he had increased his eating, and it was just terrifying. After all, he did tell Tony that he really wanted to try, and that only meant that it would get worse. There was no way for him to prepare at all for whatever came next.
Peter’s biggest fear was failure. He feared his life would be pointless and that it would surmount to nothing. The thing was that Peter had no idea what failure meant. The constant struggle in his head between wanting to get better or rather dive deeper into his self-hatred was exhausting, and he just didn’t know how to deal with it.
Tony wanted him to get better, that much was clear, and Peter really wanted to do right by him. He couldn’t just ignore the fact that the man had put everything aside to focus on him, there was something he could do about it, so he tried. With that in mind, Peter decided that it was best for everyone if he just looked away when Helen checked up on him and weighed him. He hated every second of it, but it would be worth it.
The month was ending, and with it came Sam’s birthday. It was kind of odd not knowing when each of their birthdays were, and this one came to a surprise. Honestly, it would’ve been better if he knew beforehand; Peter would’ve definitely planned something.
Sam became someone close to Peter, almost like a friend. Peter got along great with everyone, he really did, but most of them were protective of him. Not Sam, though. Sam joked with him and poked fun when he tripped or something like that. Before, it would’ve broken him, but now he just bantered back. Peter just loved spending time with him.
“Come on, kid, you know I’ve got this.”
“Do we really have to do this again?”
“You’re cheating, I know that; gotta have some trick up your sleeve.”
“Probably a spider.”
“Now don’t pull back.”
“You will never beat me, Sam, why do you insist?”
“Watch me.”
That afternoon, Peter let Sam win in hand-to-hand combat. They had known each other for almost four months now, and Peter had never let him win. He was always wary of his strength, and Peter made sure that he wasn’t putting too much effort in. Still, though, he always won.
It was Sam’s birthday, so Peter decided to give him the win. Even though Sam bragged about it all night long and said that he wouldn’t let him forget, Peter knew that Sam knew that he let him win. It would become a particularly fond memory for the both of them, even if they didn’t realize.
All in all, September was good. Things were getting better, and he could feel it. He was struggling a lot less when it came to food, and the voice inside his head was finally starting to tone down. Everything was going great.
October
Just like with Sam’s birthday, Peter wasn’t aware of anyone’s birthdays. Rhodey’s birthday came around, but this time he actually had Tony tell him the day before. When October 6th came, Peter was sure that Tony would’ve had something planned with the team. Evidently, he didn’t.
The morning went on pretty normally. They made breakfast in the left building and Steve joined in to sing happy birthday to Rhodey. Other than that, nothing was out of the ordinary. It was weirdly surprising, but Peter knew it wasn’t because they didn’t care about him. Rhodey wasn’t the type of man to have a huge celebration or anything of the likes; this was probably what he wanted.
That day wasn’t really out of the ordinary. Tony took Rhodey out for lunch and, when they came back, there was a cake waiting for him in the main living room, and the whole team celebrating him. Peter was really happy for Rhodey. The man was so supportive of him, and Peter knew that he was someone he could really trust.
A couple of days later, Rhodey took Peter to see those government archives they had talked about on Peter’s birthday. It was truly unbelievable that he was in such a place and had access to information that most people didn’t. They spent 6 hours there, and, if Peter was honest, he was having a blast talking with Rhodey and discussing what he had found out.
Driving would always be terrifying, but Peter knew he had to start learning soon. So, in October, Perter began his driving lessons. It was scary, and Peter feared screwing up so much that he very frequently thought of quitting. Tony had given him a ridiculously expensive car, and had offered to pay for the lessons and take care of everything; Peter couldn’t just let such efforts go to waste like it was nothing.
A couple of weeks went by and he was finally done with his driving lessons. It wasn’t that easy, really. He had to manage his time a lot more now; squeeze the lessons in between school, decathlon, and his vigilate-ing. Tony made it easier, though, or so he thought. He was making jokes all the time, probably to relax Peter, but it only made it more nerve wracking.
The guy from the DMV did go to check on him and gave him green lights to get his permit. Somehow, Peter was even more terrified now that he could actually drive by himself. Tony made sure to make it a whole deal, not very out of character of him. He took Peter out for dinner, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but they came back to the tower to a fully decorated living room and a cake with a car and Peter standing next to it. It probably should’ve made Peter felt mortified, but instead he felt loved.
Peter laughed and smiled in front of everyone, but he wasn’t really as happy as he tried to look. He didn’t feel ready at all. The mere thought of killing someone made tears well up in his eyes. There was no more room for guilt in his mind; if more came, it would kill him. But he couldn’t show it, not with Tony being so happy. So, Peter simply shook it off and hoped for the best.
There was a very evident increase in his eating, Peter knew that. His meals were planned, even if Tony tried to play it as a casual choice. So, knowing this, Peter knew that he was gaining weight. The thing is, not only did he know it, but he could actually feel it. He knew far too well what was going on, but there was no way he would acknowledge it.
“You’re looking very good, Peter, it’s impressive.”
Objectively, when a doctor tells you that you’re looking good, it’s a good thing, right? This only meant that he was getting fatter, and there was nothing he dreaded more than that. Peter didn’t intend to, really; his eyes got the best of him, and he glanced down. It was then and there when his mind collapsed, and he lost any sanity within him.
The scale showed a very clear number, 122. He had gained over 15lbs, and it was horrifying. He had never felt so disgusted and so disgusting. This was the thing he feared most; his nightmares were coming true, and he was sinking into the darkness.
He couldn’t show it, though. Tony was so proud, and he had been so happy the entire month; Peter couldn’t bring himself to ruin that for him. Instead, he just remained quiet while he was dying inside.
“We should look into increasing your carbohydrates intake, Peter, your body needs them.”
“We’re working on it. The kid’s been eating more, things are going well, isn’t that right, Pete?”
“Uhm, yeah, sure.”
“It’s my opinion that now’s the time to also increase the number of meals in the day. We need to get closer to your calorie intake goals.”
Peter had never walked away so quietly, trying to seem as calm as he wanted Tony to believe he was. But he wasn’t, not in the least. So, as soon as he was out of Tony’s sight, Peter ran out of the tower like his life depended on it. It was like he couldn’t breathe in there anymore, and it was probably the worst day of the month.
The only thing that was keeping him sane was Spider-Man. It was the only time of the day when he could rest, when he could just take a break of trying and trying and trying. It was the only moment when he felt free.
He now had full freedom to go out on patrol. After two long months, Tony finally trusted Peter again, even giving him level 5 restriction access again. He still had a curfew, though, but it was better than nothing.
October came with heartbreak, and it was hard, but he was hanging on for the city. Nothing was making sense, but he was surely trying, and he wasn’t going to give up.
November
Something changed, and Peter couldn’t really pinpoint what, but it was good. Little by little, Peter could feel hope grow inside him, and it was good. Deep inside of him, Peter knew damn well why but he was scared to embrace it. It would mean that it was permanent and that was something Peter was scared of.
Things were great, actually. By the end of October Peter had already sorted things out with Tony and they had already arranged their trip to Stockholm and Seoul for thanksgiving break. They both agreed that it was best for Tony to go with him for all the right reasons, and Peter knew that Tony didn’t want to leave things to chance. Still, the man promised to keep his distance and just let him spend his time with May and May only.
School was also going good. Peter was actually having a good time; spending more time with MJ made him think that maybe he liked her. Peter couldn’t really tell; he had never known what it was like so it was just hard to know. Regardless, he really enjoyed spending time with her, it was the highlight of his time at school.
Finally, Peter was back to being a good friend. He completely isolated himself when he started struggling, and it was nice to see that he was actually being a better friend to them. Neither Ned nor MJ deserved the treatment they got from Peter over six months ago. He was determined to make things right.
Now with his permit, Peter drove to school almost every day. A part of him didn’t want to, especially at first. No one ever thought of Peter Parker as the kind of kid to have a lavish life, much less drive the newest A7 model. It was particularly intimidating, but it was his life now and it was time that he enjoyed it.
There was one thing that Peter couldn’t ignore, and it was the fact that he was gaining weight. He could feel it to extents he never thought imaginable. But, for some reason, he was okay with it. Somehow, that voice inside of him seemed to have actually backed away in defeat, and it was exhilarating. It never for a second meant that he was a fan of it, but he knew it was ultimately a good thing.
Being Spider-Man kept him sane, and he now had freedom to be himself; it was just happiness he had long craved. Nothing major had happened during those first three months, up until now. The city was evidently getting colder, even with a heater it felt like every single one of his organs were freezing all over.
But it took a turn for the worse; there was a major accident in the city. Apparently, someone slipped and fell in the sidewalk, which made a car drift, causing several car crashes. He hadn’t had something big happen since the day he tried to kill himself when the man almost fell of the Cyclon. This brought back memories that shook him to his core and made him panic, but he didn’t have time for that.
There were so many injured people and there was a car up in flames with a family inside. Peter couldn’t see anyone else but his parents and himself. There was no reason, really, but he couldn’t help but imagine the fear in the children’s eyes and how he felt it when his parents died.
He immediately ran to get them out but burned his hands; his hands were turning some sort of leathery white skin, which made him want to scream in pain. Regardless of how excruciating it was, Peter pushed through it, it was worth it.
“Don’t worry, I’m right here, I’ll get you out, everything’s going to be fine.”
“Take our kids out first, take them first.”
The sounds of the children screaming made his heart break, but he did as he was told and took the 3-year-old girl out, and then a 7-year-old boy. They were both immediately taken to an ambulance where they were getting checked out.
Now, taking the parents out was hard. The smoke was spreading, and the flames were getting stronger. For a moment, Peter thought the worst and assumed this was the moment he’d die. Instead, he took every ounce of strength within him and pulled the car door out and took the driver out. Immediately after, he went to the other side to take the children’s mother out, once again burning his hands while unbuckling the seatbelt.
His suit was all but useless, and his web-shooters probably melted down. His hands were exposed and burned to an extent he hadn’t ever seen. But he wasn’t done, he couldn’t be done yet. Once again, Peter pushed through and took the woman in his arms, running to the ambulance, making it just in time before the car exploded.
Thankfully, no one got severely hurt, which was just about enough for Peter not to beat himself up. There was so much pain all over his body, but Peter was determined to see things through, helping the authorities hand out water bottles and making sure that everyone was okay before he left.
Going back to the tower was a real struggle. He couldn’t swing back home, so he had to walk. With adrenaline now gone, Peter was truly struggling to get there. But, thankfully, it gave him time to think. The whole situation was overwhelming, and it was a lot. It felt like he could’ve really screwed up, but he didn’t.
It was just really odd to think like that. For a long time, he would’ve simply hated himself by thinking he could’ve gotten there faster. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, but he was now determined to think things positively, at least for as long as he could.
Once he finally arrived, he first bumped into Bucky. He really hoped he wouldn’t see anyone; he was much too exhausted, but he wasn’t about to be rude about it.
“I saw the news, kid; amazing work.”
“Oh, that was on the news?”
“Yeah, you did good, Peter.”
Peter wasn’t really sure what to say but he was well aware that his voice would crack if he tried to speak. Instead, he tried to smile and accept that he did something actually good. Somehow, Bucky’s pat on his back made Peter even more emotional.
“You did great, Peter; everyone’s all the better for it.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, kid, not everyone can do what you did.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that.”
“What about your hands there? You should have someone check out those burns.”
Peter had completely forgotten about it. It wasn’t like the pain had stopped, not at all, but his hands were already blistered, and the pain came rushing back in with strength he didn’t know it would. Still, Peter embraced it. He did a good job and he deserved to give himself some credit.
Thanksgiving break came sooner rather than later, and Peter couldn’t wait to get in that plane and cross the Atlantic to see his aunt. For a moment, he was terrified about it all, but he was going to be okay, and he knew that everything would be great.
The only time he had gotten out of the country was to go fight the rogues in Leipzig, which was odd all in itself, but Sweden felt so much different. It felt like it was a complete other world; it felt otherworldly. Everything seemed to go swiftly, and Stockholm was one of the calmest cities he could’ve imagined. Living in New York now seemed like the biggest chaos, and Peter was glad that May got to experience tranquility like this.
In total, Peter stayed in Stockholm for 4 days. After all, he only had a week for thanksgiving break, and Peter also took Tony’s offer to go to Seoul to meet Helen in her lab. Still, Peter had so much fun in Sweden. He always missed May, but it was times like these when he truly realized how deeply he felt her absence.
They went sightseeing and visited several museums and the royal palace. The whole experience was incredible, and Peter was glad that he had the chance to enjoying this like he now was. They also went ice skating and on a boat tour in the Baltic Sea. There were little words to describe how cold it was, but it didn’t matter at all.
Peter also got the chance to join May on one of her classes. It was odd, and he barely understood a thing, but it was enjoyable. What was best, though, was to see May in her element and see her so happy. Missing her was worth her magic.
Every day they went to a different restaurant to try new foods, trying to find something original from Sweden. Tony kept his promise and left him to spend time with May, but, with Peter’s approval, they did some things the three of them. It was the happiest moments he had had in a while. It was just nice.
Leaving Stockholm was painful, and he wished he could’ve stayed longer. Truth was, it would never be enough time. Passing up the opportunity to go to Korea and learn from Helen Cho wasn’t something Peter wanted on his conscience. So, he went to Seoul with Tony to spend three days and then return back home.
It was a completely different experience from how Stockholm was. The first day was entirely spent at the U-GIN Genetics Infinite Research and Development Lab. Helen showed him around and introduced him to her team. She also displayed how most of the protocols went, and Peter was just in awe.
“You have a lot of potential, Peter.”
“Uhm, I’m not sure about that.”
“Don’t let him fool you, Helen, he’d beat us both.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“I don’t – ”
“I hope to see you back here soon, we could use someone like you here.”
“So, Helen, the cradle?”
Tony kept on talking with Helen, but Peter just disconnected from the conversation. He was far too focused on the fact that someone like Helen Cho thought he was smart enough to work alongside such geniuses at her lab. Thankfully, Tony thought so too, and they spent most of the second day at the lab. Nevertheless, Tony also thought that they made it so far, they might as well actually see the city.
That night, they went to a lantern festival and had street food for dinner. Peter feared it all, he really did. It was all so foreign, and he had no idea how he would handle it all. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. He was far too focused on enjoying himself that he barely had time to think about calories. Instead, they tried Gyeran-Ppang, Bungeo-Ppang, Dakgangjeong, Ramyeon, and Kkwabaegi.
He ended up feeling bloated and almost nauseous full, but it never for a second freaked him out. He was in a whole new continent, and he wasn’t about to trick himself into despair for getting to try new foods. The lanterns that lit the sky seemed almost like a scene from a movie and it made Peter feel at peace. This was the kind of moments that would make him remember the good in the world.
December
Life was good, it really was. It had been a particularly long time since Peter could actually say that, but it was finally true. For a very long time it felt like it would never get better, but now it seemed like there was nothing that could ruin this.
There was the fact that he was now at a healthy weight, 157lbs to be exact. Not so long ago it would’ve completely freaked him out, but now that freaking out didn’t take hold of his brain. Getting weighed last time was challenging, but ultimately it was clear that it was for the best. It was time for him to grow up and give his best to truly be better.
One thing that wasn’t necessarily evident to Tony, or anyone for that fact, was that he was no longer self-harming. It seemed unfathomable, but he just didn’t feel the urge to take a blade to his skin anymore. Now it was almost like he had actually forgiven himself; who knows? Maybe this was the time when he could actually love himself.
Living in the tower seemed particularly intimidating at first, but now it was all great. He finally settled down and had everything under control. Not only that, but he ended the school year greatly, against all odds, really. He was a couple of months shy from being a sophomore, and he never for a second thought he would make it that far. That single fact made him appreciate the life he was given, and how much he had to live up to it.
December also brought Bruce’s birthday and Peter was glad he could be there with him. Bruce had become some sort of mentor to him, when it came to science. He spent a lot of time with him, and they became a lot closer. So, Peter simply spent the day hanging out with him and Tony.
Much like Rhodey’s birthday, it was all very toned down. Bruce was the kind of man that didn’t enjoy loud crowds and hectic environments, which is why Tony set up a nice dinner and ordered a cake. The whole team was gathered in the Compound for him and spent the night watching a movie and playing pool.
Now, Christmas was something Peter dreaded since the first time he set foot on the Compound. He knew it would eventually come, but it always seemed like it would never come, but it was now here. Every single member of the team was at the Compound, and it was just… odd.
Everything was decorated for Christmas, all red, green, white, and gold; it was something Peter never thought the Avengers would ever do. It wasn’t them who decorated, obviously, but Peter just assumed that they weren’t the kind of people to be festive.
The only thing Peter knew for sure and filled his heart was the fact that he got to decorate the Christmas tree in Tony’s floor. No words could ever describe how joyful he felt; it was home.
“Are you serious, Tony? I already told you those don’t go there.”
“Come on, Pep, it looks good, you just don’t want to admit it.”
“It’s white tinsel and green garland, Tony, you will not make our Christmas tree the same as all your suits.”
“It looks good, and you know it.”
“I swear to god, Tony.”
“Come on, kid, help me out here.”
“Uhm – I shouldn’t , uhm –”
“You know I’m right, don’t you, sweetheart?”
There was no way Peter would side with any of them, so he just squirmed away and got drinks and snacks for the three of them. Still, he did what he was told, but he kept his opinions to himself. Not that he would ever admit it, but Pepper was right.
There was no way Peter would’ve thought he’d ever feel this happy again. Last year, Peter hoped he wouldn’t live to see next Christmas. This time, though, he just couldn’t get enough. It really was the best time of year, and he savored every second.
What was best, though, was when May arrived in New York on December 23rd. Peter knew she was going to go, but it was just unbelievable that he got to spend the holidays with her. Tony and Pepper became family to him, but his true family will always be May. She was the only thing that remained from the Parker family, and Peter just didn’t know what he’d do without her.
May stayed all the way to New Year’s Day. It was sad, really, but he still enjoyed every second. It felt entirely like it did on his birthday, except this time it was longer and more bittersweet. The entire week she was there was the greatest week, and there was nothing that would ruin that.
What made it even better was Christmas dinner. It was the perfect day; he spent the morning with May and then had lunch with May, Pepper, and Tony. As the night fell, everyone gathered around for a fantastic dinner. It was just so mundane, like it was just any other day.
There were no issues with anything nor anyone. The accords didn’t matter. He never jumped off the bridge. He never hated himself. He never starved his body. He never caused Tony any issues. May never left. It was just such a bliss and it also felt like an addiction; there was a real possibility that Peter would lose his way if he lost that feeling.
The new year began, and it came full of promise. This was going to be his year, and Peter was absolutely sure of it. There was little that could happen that would ruin this year. They received the new year in a rooftop that Tony had rented out; they oversaw the city and the fireworks, his heart full of hope. As the clock struck midnight, Peter hugged everyone around him; his whole family was there with him and things just couldn’t get any better.
January
Unsurprisingly, the year went off to a great start. Never once did he think he would ever say that, but here he was. There was little Peter could come up to explain that not even six months ago he tried to kill himself and now he couldn’t fathom not being alive. It was just great, there was no other way to describe it.
May went back to Sweden, which broke Peter’s heart. Still, he felt hope; she would come back at the end of the month to sort out some issues with her visa. He didn’t really understand it, but he would take any chance of seeing her again.
Life went on as usual, he went back to school now as a sophomore and it was all going smoothly. He was getting closer to MJ and Ned constantly teased him about it, which would normally bother him, but it just didn’t get to him anymore. The confidence and focus that came with the new year would not throw him off his game, nothing would.
His issues with food and eating all in itself were pretty much gone. Peter knew for a fact that it would never really go away, but for now it was good. He was maintaining his weight but eating what he needed and exercising accordingly. After a very complicated journey, he was finally getting really close to the goal they had set with Helen Cho. Somehow, even if he sometimes struggled, Peter fully embraced it.
May finally came back to New York to run her errands for her student visa. Heartbreakingly, she was just going to stay for two days, which broke Peter, but he wasn’t about to let it go. Now that he had spent the holidays and the happiest time of his life with her, Peter just didn’t want to let go.
So, May complied and decided to stay one more day. Peter had to go to school, and they decided – May insisted – that he went to school and that she’d stop by the tower at 4pm before going to the airport. During the entire day at school, he just couldn’t wait to see her. The bell finally rang and Peter ran out the door and speeded through New York to see her.
It was very icy and he fell more than a couple of times, but he ignored his bruised hip, only focused on hugging May before she left again to Sweden. Disappointingly, when he got home at 4:30pm, May wasn’t yet there. So, Peter went to his room and put everything down, ready to enjoy every second with her.
When he heard a knock on his door, Peter’s heart leapt with joy, or at least it did until he saw Tony standing in front of him with a mournful expression on his face.
“We need to talk, Pete.”