[ She didn't wanna do this. She really didn't wanna do this. But her mind's made up and while Eudio left the opportunities open to her for over a year, they were now closed. Not forcibly either. While it was a bizarre choice on her part, no doubt about that, choosing to be with Clint for the long run was a big deal. And making that particular choice didn't seem hard at all.
But even if she was happy. Even if she wanted to solidify things as being real with Clint, it didn't make what she was about to do easy either.
It's the same rooftop they'd first met at. Well, where she'd met Spider-Man, where everything first fell down into a spiral with him. She remembers the spot because it's the exact building that the hot dog truck parked across from every night and with so many night shifts doing hero duties, you learn a thing or two about special self-made landmarks.
And they have good hot dogs too. That's why Kate has two large ones packed in aluminum at her side, having invited Peter to grab a quick bite with her tonight. She invited Peter, not Spider-Man, knowing she wanted to do this without the mask on.
She's already nervous, even as she waits at the building's edge by herself, long legs dangling off into the open air. ]
[ Peter Parker decides, for the sake of the seriousness of tone in Kate's voice, to head to the aforementioned rooftop in a more traditional manner. He leaves his webbing and the red-and-blues back home on the other side of the city, climbs up the millions of flights of stairs, and pulls the door open. He's a little breathless but working out on the reg is pretty much Spider-Man's night-life, so it doesn't take him long to find his breath and get back to normal.
He spots her sitting on the parapet by herself. The bright lights of the city around them keep things up here fairly illuminated. Pair this with the moonlight, and he can see how the pale glow of everything around them brushes across Kate's shoulders, soaks into the darkness of her long hair.
She looks amazing.
But things between them haven't been things at all for the past little while.
Peter and Gwen decided that they would try something a little more serious, a little more exclusive, and while Peter's terrified of how fleeting it could be, how much danger she could still be in, being with him, he hasn't been willing to let her go anyway.
He feels his heart being split in two, seeing Kate now. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to meet her here of all places, where everything kind of started on a whim.
He finds his feet moving forward on their own accord, however. Worn-out Converse shoes as opposed to his spider-boots.
[ She hears her name and there's that instant shiver. There's a specialness to his voice, always has, possibly on account that it was the biggest thing that helped her connection Peter and Spider-Man in the end. Because the voice never changed, with his charming awkward comments and he way of making her laugh no matter what he was wearing. She hears it and it makes her turn towards her, which only brings about the ache in her chest all the more.
But she smiles, because this shouldn't be a sad thing, not really. They weren't together, not like that, so whatever comes as a result after tonight shouldn't be anything too bad.
That's what she tells herself anyway. It makes it a bit easier. But barely. ]
Hey, you! [ That cheery tone she can still pull off when she tries. ] Just in time. I was about to gobble up your sausage. I'm starving. [ A beat: ] Well. Not your sausage. I wasn't aiming for dirty talk, I promise.
[ Peter laughs, and somehow it feels easier to pretend everything is great and not weird and awkward and just a little bit painful.
He shrugs a shoulder and joins her on the ledge of the building, never afraid of heights, not while he's Spider-Man and has spider-DNA wound up in his own. ]
Uh-huh. You know, I'm starting to feel like you brought me out here under ulterior motives. That's like - like a supervillain thing to do. Very sneaky.
[ You don't see him moving away or anything like that though.
Ah, shit. I exposed myself too soon. They always said I had too much of a big mouth. That's not a lead in to another dirty joke. Damn it!
[ And she laughs. The way she's always managed to do easily in Peter's presence. In Peter's, in Spider-Man's. Just him. They always had it so easy like this and Kate admired it in the way that made her feel so relaxed. Because there wasn't any burdens to it, no underlying frustrations. Even finding out he and Spider-Man were one of the same, she'd expect it not to work and yet it did.
Whatever this had been meant to be, it had made sense for what it was. And that only made Kate sadder about all of this. ]
Uh, yeah. Course. Just how you like it, same as from during one of our hero snack breaks. [ She grabs one of the aluminum-wrapped hot dogs and hands it over to him. ] Feast up.
[ Peter raises an eyebrow, skeptical, but he's still in fits of laughter which betray his attempt at being serious and suspicious.
This easy, carefree feeling between them is something he's always kind of appreciated about hanging out with Hawkeye. They both have their baggage but it's not with each other. And it's nice sometimes, just to leave it at the door. It's nice to know someone else is going through the same things you are.
He accepts his aluminum-wrapped gift, unfurling the foil with enthusiasm. ] Perfect timing, actually, considering the fact that I am also starving. Thanks, Kate.
[ Kate finds herself falling in line with his laughter, something she wasn't actually prepared for upon coming here. The smiling, the laughing, it's always natural with Peter, just as much as that fluttery feeling in her chest whenever she spent time with him like this. Kate's capable of overanalyzing things far more than she should, but it's not like she needs to in order to accept just how much she likes this boy.
Probably why it'd be better to just get this over with instead of prolonging it. For both their sakes.
Her fingers pick at her own hot dog, nails plucking small pieces of the bread, her eyes locked down at it. She doesn't take a bite, doesn't say much of anything for the next lingering seconds, her own thoughts running a mile a minute. Until finally she speaks clearly. ]
[ The words that come from Kate's mouth make swallowing his current bite of hotdog kind of difficult. He doesn't quite choke, but his throat suddenly feels a bit thick.
He blinks in her direction, confused. ]
Okay.
[ It's the first thing his brain can think to say. They haven't really been seeing each other, not since things with Gwen started getting a lot more serious, but to hear it said like this --
[ She'd said it but it's what comes after that makes her feel sick. That flutter in her chest suddenly feels like an uncomfortable ache and she keeps asking herself in her head why she had to do this at all. Why couldn't it have just stayed as it was. Because she had to start getting real feelings, is why.
Kate squeezes pieces of aluminum foil between her fingers before taking a deep breath and places the food behind her. No, she needs to be real with this. He'll take it the wrong way.
She twists where she sits, turning to face him properly. ]
Look, because you get any ideas. I know this is kind of the stereotypical line, but when I say it isn't you, it really isn't you. Because you, Peter, you've — [ She can't help the partial smile, even if it's very much a sad one. ] You've been so great, Peter. Like you can't believe. Like — [ She cuts herself off. Because she could say so many things about him. But that won't help what she's trying to establish here. ]
I know we've never really ... been a thing anyway. I mean, this was always for fun, and it just kind of comes and goes here and there, but ... well, we just, for sure, can't do that anymore because — [ She shrugs a shoulder, lips pressing together, like it isn't a big deal. But it is. Of course it is. ] There's someone. Someone with a whole lot of history. And, and I think I might be going home with him sometime soon. Don't know when, but I have a gut feeling it might be soon.
[ Peter nods. His shoulders seem to relax, ever so slightly, even if the truth of it hurts too.
He thought it'd been him. He really did.
Yeah. His chest feels tight, but at least he knows it isn't him. It's someone else. It's always someone else. That's okay.
It's okay.
That's the way it's always been for him too, ever since he'd met Gwen Stacy. It'll always be someone else and the memory, the reality, the presence of Gwen Stacy. ]
Okay. [ He says again.
Usually the kind of guy who can't stop talking even if someone tried, this time around, Peter finds himself unsure what to say. What words can he say that won't sound stupid or foolish or desperate or hurt? He offers her a smile, small but as genuine as he can muster. He's not sure how convincing it is, but he's making an attempt. ]
I'm happy for you, Kate. Really, I am. You deserve someone awesome. You deserve the best.
[ It's not meant to be a breakup. Because they were never together. This was never going to last, they both jumped into this knowing that, prepared for it to. Especially Kate. Kate who'd begun to involuntarily fall for Wally West only for him to tell her goodbye. Things weren't meant to last in Eudio. She learned that the hard way. So she started this thing with Peter (actually Spider-Man) already accepting it for what it is.
And somehow this was turning out even harder than Wally. Because Wally's had a promise, unaware of what could come for them, remaining hopeful on the possibility of a future. This wasn't that. Kate was choosing someone else, someone else for the long run.
And even if she knows her feelings for Clint reside on a much bigger scale than Eudio ever was, it doesn't mean she'd found something here. Something small but with so much potential. She found Peter Parker.
His kindness, his typical good words, it burns through her as harshly as much as if he had gotten furious with her.
Kate's silent for however long, she doesn't keep track. Because she's looking at Peter, the reflective light of the moon keeping him in her focus. His kind eyes, his small smile. She scoots over closer, her fingers slipping over his. ]
I've been really happy during every moment with you. I want you to know that.
Hey, it's okay. [ Peter puts a hand over hers, squeezing the tops of her fingers gently. ] Don't worry about me.
[ It's not a breakup. It's not. And yet it feels a little like one. Or maybe it's the end of the potential of something that will never be, and that's what makes it just the tiniest bit tragic.
Peter Parker is used to tragic.
It's only here, in Eudio, that he's even had a chance to challenge tragic with aggressive happiness, and it's thanks to people like Kate for giving him that. He could never regret something so important. ]
For the record, I've been really happy with you too. [ But - there's always a but. ] What happens in Eudio stays in Eudio, right?
[ Kate plays lightly with Peter's fingers pressed closely to her own, her eyes watching the movement of them as to find some focal point that isn't Peter's face. Because it is harder than she thought it'd be. Peter might have been a fleeting thing, but he was something.
A thought explores her mind, something she contemplates as she continues to focus low. She could tell him. That'd actually be better. Wouldn't it? ]
Hey, Pete? [ She finally glances up again, catching his eyes. ] There's actually more to it. About me leaving. There was something I was really thinking hard about doing. I haven't really run it by anyone else yet.
[ She chews on her lips for a beat, taking a breath. ]
I'm thinking of asking the reps if they could give my memories to the next Kate that comes here.
He wonders what that could mean if other people did it. If other people could do it. Like him. After all, he can't see himself living here for the rest of his life either. He'd want to go home, wouldn't he?
[ Because she knew that, while this was her end of the line with Eudio, it didn't have to be that way for whatever Kates followed after. She was hoping it wouldn't be. ]
I wasn't the first Kate in the city. Third, actually. There was apparently two others before me but they left pretty fast. [ She shrugs, not elaborating on that fact since the reasons were still a mystery. ] My friends were pretty upset that I kept forgetting all these details of my time here. Like, whenever I showed up again, everything about Eudio was wiped, but you know, it was what it was. We dealt with it. But now if I leave again ... [ She smiles partially, but it isn't a happy one. ] Well, another Kate is gonna show up and those friends, along with everyone else I've met, you included, will have to deal with another blank slate.
[ She pauses for a moment, straightening her back, patting her thighs as she looks out towards the city. ]
I promised them I wouldn't forget again. And ... and well, I'm not sure I'd want to. I mean, sure, I wouldn't completely forget Billy and Loki, but there's Gwen. Adam. I'd forget Wally. [ Her lips press tight for a moment at the name. Then she looks back over to the boy beside her, sorrow in her expression. ] I'd forget you, Pete. Everything. Every look. Every conversation. Every kiss. Like it, like it never happened.
[ Her hand squeezes over his, entangling their fingers. ] And maybe it won't be me forgetting, but this other me, she won't know any of it. And I don't want you to meet a Kate who doesn't remember all the amazing things that happened in this place.
[ Peter squeezes her hand too, holding on tight. He wants her to know how much he appreciates what she's telling him right now, even if - for once - words seem to fail him.
He nods, mouth pressed into a thin and thoughtful line. ]
I didn't even think of that. Of - of other versions of you or me coming here and not remembering anything. What it would do to everyone else. I mean - I mean, I saw it first-hand. Dealt with it first-hand when I met Barry again and again, and finally he stayed long enough for us to -
[ He shrugs a shoulder, looking a little wistful, a little bashful. ]
When he left, it was pretty devastating. For me, but - for Gwen especially, I think. I'd hate to meet you again only for you not to remember me at all.
[ Her lips crinkle in a subtle frown. She'd only ever met Barry in passing during the many times he flocked through her apartment to meet with Gwen. The guy tended to be in and out so fast, sometimes it was hard to tell whether he had been there at all. ]
Yeah, she isn't saying much, but ... I doubt it's been easy on Gwen at all.
[ She turns away from his face, glancing down at their fingers once more. Like the gentle skin and soft comfort of caresses can somehow make this all easier. ]
I can't do that to her. I can't just abandoned her like that. She deserves so much better. And you too, Peter. [ She breathes in a weak laugh. ] I finally got to know you. Really know you. The last thing I want is to have that taken away.
[ He lifts their joined hands up to his lips, pressing a quick, soft kiss against hers. Maybe it's a little outside the realm of what's allowed, now that they both have someones - but it's the last sweet gesture he can offer her.
It's innocent, completely void of any alternative agenda. Not that Peter has ever been the kind of guy to have a hidden plans anyway. ]
I know. I agree. If there was a way to stop that kind of hurt from happening, I mean - there's gotta be a way to do it. The Eudio reps are capable of so much, this shouldn't be out of the realm of what they could do.
Kate, I don't want you to forget about me. And I don't want to forget about you either, when I feel ready to leave this place.
[ Her body tenses at the kiss, watching his lips linger on her fingers. There's nothing that says this is out of bounds, but it feels like it is, mostly because it does its part in making Kate all the sadder about losing this. She doesn't regret Clint, doesn't regret making that choice, doesn't regret that she knows what she's meant to do.
But she really did like Peter. Even if she'd never been able to convey that, never been allowed to. And she still does, really. She just wishes life was much more simpler for it. ]
Peter? [ She watches him carefully, not drawing away from his eyes, keeping hers focused on his. If she turns away, she might change her mind again. ]
Would you do it? Would you ask to remember me? Because I — [ She swallows, her fingers squeezing. ] I've seen a thousand different universes. I've hopped through them all, jumping back and forth to all sorts of possibilities. And I know, in this one, we've already made our choices. We're already set for what we want, but ... [ She attempts a smile but the sadness still pours through. ] But if I'm being honest. I'd really like it if there was a universe out there where I could really have the chance to fall in love with you.
It hurts a little more than he'd have liked to admit, hearing those words come from her mouth like that. They're just - so earnest and real and very, very true. It makes him impossibly sad, having to part from her now - even if. Even if it's because of the choices they've made, the people they love.
I'd really like it if there was a universe out there where I could really have the chance to fall in love with you.
He offers her a smile, small, almost nonexistent, but crooked to one side. ]
Of course I'd do it. [ His voice is soft, something in his chest suddenly throbbing with pain. He thinks it might be heartache. ] Of course - yeah. I wouldn't hesitate to ask the Eudio reps if it meant that maybe one version of us could have that chance. You're - you're amazing, Kate. I want every Peter who ever comes here to get to see that, to be with you just for a bit and know what it's like to know how amazing you are.
[ It was reasons like this that she didn't want to get so close. Attachments were messy; they were messy back in her world and they're even messier here where nothing is permanent and the real trick is not falling for someone you're not meant to stay with. She'd already messed up once with Wally, letting her feelings get the best of her, only to have them trampled when he told her he'd be leaving. And that was it, she knew better than to leave herself unguarded again. Flinging with Spider-Man was safe; he was a mystery and no one can attach to a mystery for too long. Until he wasn't just Spider-Man and suddenly there was Peter, someone Kate didn't ask for, someone that slipped in unannounced when she wasn't looking.
She hates feeling this, and she hates it even more that he's feeling it too. To have a taste of a possible happiness, of soaking up in another, and having to choose between the two. Maybe that's where Eudio's true flaw was. People wondered if the city was scheming about giving you what you wanted. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe they gave you too much.
Kate leans in, pressing her forehead gently against his, just to take in a few seconds of silence. There isn't much left to say. Nothing can change between them here. But that promise of a possibility is a nice thought. ]
It's a deal, Peter Parker. [ She huffs a small smile, still bittersweet in its wake. ] No backing out.
[ Peter closes his eyes, taking a breath as though it'll lighten the heaviness in his chest. He nods ever-so-slightly, forehead pressed against hers. ]
[ Okay, she's not nervous, of course she's not. Because Kate Bishop doesn't get nervous with boys. There's never been a reason to be. She sees a cute boy and her confidence blazes up without a second thought, knowing where to take the conversation, how to keep it in her grasp. So what was so special about this boy that made her stomach flutter, that make her heart beat just a little faster? Damn that Peter Parker.
It was the first time they'd used the beads. After months of leaving Eudio and transitioning back into their old lives, Kate had finally stopped postponing the inevitable. She was itching to see him again. Which was crazy. Kate knew better than to be wild about a boy, but Peter wasn't just any boy.
In Eudio, he'd been just a casual use of fun when he was Spider-Man, no strings attached and a rest from the drama that came with falling in love. But then he confessed and he was Peter, throwing Kate completely off her game. And so he'd tricked her. Tricked her into making her fall, rather hard at that. And while Kate was still in no position to be okay with calling it love, it was something. And even after departing from the city, the tricky webslinger was still on her mind.
And there she was on the beach of LA, laying on a towel on the sand, just some feet away from her trailer. She'd decided on coming back here, after all, what with things being more than complicated in New York, civil wars and the like. Taking time to herself was preferable, which made laying in the sun in a bikini, as she was currently doing, worth it.
But loneliness didn't suit Kate either, which led to calling Peter. Granted, she could have called anyone else, any of the Young Avengers, but there was a certain cute face she'd been missing way too hard.
And as she leans her head back, stretching her neck, she pushes her sunglasses up away from her eyes, a grin rises as she catches sight of the aforementioned face. ] Well, well. Hello, stranger.
The furthest Peter Parker had ever traveled had been Eudio, which, to his credit, was real, real far, but outside of alternate-dimension cuddle cities, he's got very little experience with travel. Born and raised in New York, the city boy had no idea what to expect taking the trek to Kate's side of the country - and an alternate one at that.
But the LINKS beads worked.
He checked into an AirBnB on his way to the beach, changed into something a little less city and a little more beachy, and followed Kate's precise directions to her location point. He's pretty proud of himself, all things considered, for getting here without too much of a hitch. He's even got his spider-stuff just in case a certain superhero needs a certain superhero ally to help out in a rough spot later on.
He doesn't allow himself to ruminate too hard on the concept of seeing Kate Bishop again, especially when they're both out of Eudio now, incentives fulfilled, and moving on with their lives. Kate had always been meant to be someone he'd treasure in his memory, not someone who could - very realistically - become his future. But life never really works out the way you want it, and when you're Peter Parker, that sentiment goes double.
Somewhere along the way, Peter Parker thinks he might have fallen for Kate. She's the breath of fresh air he'd needed in his over-complicated life, someone who understood what it was to be a superhero and still never faltered in her outlook for a better world; someone who could find his heart in pieces and meticulously glue them back together, one piece at a time.
It isn't until he finds her by the waterside, all grins and long, long legs, that his heart feels whole again. She greets him, and it feels like no time has passed at all. ]
Hello, yourself. [ He kicks his sandals off, letting his toes dig into the sand a little. ] It's been - it's been ages, huh?
[ There's that funny feeling in the pit of her stomach again. Another reminder that despite Kate always doing well not to get some topsy turvey over a boy, that she somehow manages to fail in that department when it comes to this boy. At least any red to her cheeks can be excused as an effect of the sun. ]
Something like that. [ She lets out a happy laugh as she sits up and springs to her feet.
Turning to look at him, she can't hide that goofy smile, that sheepish twist of her lips as she looks him over. He still looks good, which is almost annoying in and of itself. How could anyone hope to move on from someone with that sort of adorable presence about him? Even seeing him dressed for the occasion, makeshift beach babe, leaves her irresistible to a smile.
She lunges forward, throwing her arms around his neck to wrap him in a hug. ] Good to see you, Pete.
[ Peter's voice goes a little soft, a little muffled when he buries his nose into her shoulder, hugging her back. His arms around her waist squeeze tight, wanting to feel her close to him.
It's been way too long since he's been able to do this and he'd forgotten just how nice it feels. How familiar she is.
It's weird when they're here in her world, her LA, and not in his shitty apartment back in Eudio, or her apartment, or the Tribune, or somewhere near the 24-hour hot dog stand Gwen Stacy had asked for as part of her second incentive. ]
Man, I really, really missed you. You - you been doing okay? You look amazing.
[ It feels good to hold him again, almost like the last several months hadn't happened at all, like everything had frozen just the way that Eudio tended to do. His face against her shoulder is a comforting familiarity, like multiple nights of staying over and falling asleep in a bundle of limbs without intending to.
Just a simple hug is enough to draw her back into all of it. ]
Well, of course you missed me. [ She draws herself back with a light chuckle, her lips finding his cheek to press a lingering kiss there.
Arms loose against his shoulder, meeting behind his neck, she grins at him, looking him over. ] And you're looking pretty good yourself, champ. Working in those sideburns. [ Laughing, she strokes gently at his cheeks. ] Things have been good here. Got the agency running again. Still getting it started, but it's kicking. How about you? New York weep happily at its favorite webslinger returning to its arms?
Nothing quite like that. But New York's always been a tough critic to impress.
[ Peter's tone is light, his words easy, like whatever sting the words could have had is absent now. Honestly, returning home was a good decision, one he couldn't regret, even though he missed a lot of people, missed the ease of living in a place where his worries were few, and his enemies even fewer.
He missed Kate Bishop most of all, though. He looked her up, while he was home; he looked for the Avengers too, other superheroes who shared his city and cities across the US. Of course none would be Kate (his Kate, if he might dare to consider the thought), and whatever Kate Bishop may or may not have existed in his world, she wouldn't know him anyway, not the way this Kate knows him.
He leans in to her touch; just a little, just enough, before he steps back enough for politeness sake. ]
LA suits you. I mean, I haven't seen a whole lot yet, I only just got here. But - uh. You look like you belong here.
Edited (lol i can't write at all) 2016-11-05 03:58 (UTC)
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no subject
But even if she was happy. Even if she wanted to solidify things as being real with Clint, it didn't make what she was about to do easy either.
It's the same rooftop they'd first met at. Well, where she'd met Spider-Man, where everything first fell down into a spiral with him. She remembers the spot because it's the exact building that the hot dog truck parked across from every night and with so many night shifts doing hero duties, you learn a thing or two about special self-made landmarks.
And they have good hot dogs too. That's why Kate has two large ones packed in aluminum at her side, having invited Peter to grab a quick bite with her tonight. She invited Peter, not Spider-Man, knowing she wanted to do this without the mask on.
She's already nervous, even as she waits at the building's edge by herself, long legs dangling off into the open air. ]
no subject
He spots her sitting on the parapet by herself. The bright lights of the city around them keep things up here fairly illuminated. Pair this with the moonlight, and he can see how the pale glow of everything around them brushes across Kate's shoulders, soaks into the darkness of her long hair.
She looks amazing.
But things between them haven't been things at all for the past little while.
Peter and Gwen decided that they would try something a little more serious, a little more exclusive, and while Peter's terrified of how fleeting it could be, how much danger she could still be in, being with him, he hasn't been willing to let her go anyway.
He feels his heart being split in two, seeing Kate now. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to meet her here of all places, where everything kind of started on a whim.
He finds his feet moving forward on their own accord, however. Worn-out Converse shoes as opposed to his spider-boots.
He takes a breath and clears his throat. ]
Kate. Hey.
no subject
But she smiles, because this shouldn't be a sad thing, not really. They weren't together, not like that, so whatever comes as a result after tonight shouldn't be anything too bad.
That's what she tells herself anyway. It makes it a bit easier. But barely. ]
Hey, you! [ That cheery tone she can still pull off when she tries. ] Just in time. I was about to gobble up your sausage. I'm starving. [ A beat: ] Well. Not your sausage. I wasn't aiming for dirty talk, I promise.
[ So much for easier. ]
no subject
He shrugs a shoulder and joins her on the ledge of the building, never afraid of heights, not while he's Spider-Man and has spider-DNA wound up in his own. ]
Uh-huh. You know, I'm starting to feel like you brought me out here under ulterior motives. That's like - like a supervillain thing to do. Very sneaky.
[ You don't see him moving away or anything like that though.
This kind of banter - well, he's missed it. ]
So one of those are for me?
no subject
[ And she laughs. The way she's always managed to do easily in Peter's presence. In Peter's, in Spider-Man's. Just him. They always had it so easy like this and Kate admired it in the way that made her feel so relaxed. Because there wasn't any burdens to it, no underlying frustrations. Even finding out he and Spider-Man were one of the same, she'd expect it not to work and yet it did.
Whatever this had been meant to be, it had made sense for what it was. And that only made Kate sadder about all of this. ]
Uh, yeah. Course. Just how you like it, same as from during one of our hero snack breaks. [ She grabs one of the aluminum-wrapped hot dogs and hands it over to him. ] Feast up.
no subject
This easy, carefree feeling between them is something he's always kind of appreciated about hanging out with Hawkeye. They both have their baggage but it's not with each other. And it's nice sometimes, just to leave it at the door. It's nice to know someone else is going through the same things you are.
He accepts his aluminum-wrapped gift, unfurling the foil with enthusiasm. ] Perfect timing, actually, considering the fact that I am also starving. Thanks, Kate.
[ He takes a bite.
Man, that's good. ]
no subject
Probably why it'd be better to just get this over with instead of prolonging it. For both their sakes.
Her fingers pick at her own hot dog, nails plucking small pieces of the bread, her eyes locked down at it. She doesn't take a bite, doesn't say much of anything for the next lingering seconds, her own thoughts running a mile a minute. Until finally she speaks clearly. ]
Peter, we can't see each other anymore.
no subject
He blinks in her direction, confused. ]
Okay.
[ It's the first thing his brain can think to say. They haven't really been seeing each other, not since things with Gwen started getting a lot more serious, but to hear it said like this --
Somehow it makes everything feel ... awful.
Like maybe he'd done something wrong.
He puts his own hot dog down. ]
What - uh. What brought this on?
no subject
Kate squeezes pieces of aluminum foil between her fingers before taking a deep breath and places the food behind her. No, she needs to be real with this. He'll take it the wrong way.
She twists where she sits, turning to face him properly. ]
Look, because you get any ideas. I know this is kind of the stereotypical line, but when I say it isn't you, it really isn't you. Because you, Peter, you've — [ She can't help the partial smile, even if it's very much a sad one. ] You've been so great, Peter. Like you can't believe. Like — [ She cuts herself off. Because she could say so many things about him. But that won't help what she's trying to establish here. ]
I know we've never really ... been a thing anyway. I mean, this was always for fun, and it just kind of comes and goes here and there, but ... well, we just, for sure, can't do that anymore because — [ She shrugs a shoulder, lips pressing together, like it isn't a big deal. But it is. Of course it is. ] There's someone. Someone with a whole lot of history. And, and I think I might be going home with him sometime soon. Don't know when, but I have a gut feeling it might be soon.
no subject
He thought it'd been him. He really did.
Yeah. His chest feels tight, but at least he knows it isn't him. It's someone else. It's always someone else. That's okay.
It's okay.
That's the way it's always been for him too, ever since he'd met Gwen Stacy. It'll always be someone else and the memory, the reality, the presence of Gwen Stacy. ]
Okay. [ He says again.
Usually the kind of guy who can't stop talking even if someone tried, this time around, Peter finds himself unsure what to say. What words can he say that won't sound stupid or foolish or desperate or hurt? He offers her a smile, small but as genuine as he can muster. He's not sure how convincing it is, but he's making an attempt. ]
I'm happy for you, Kate. Really, I am. You deserve someone awesome. You deserve the best.
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And somehow this was turning out even harder than Wally. Because Wally's had a promise, unaware of what could come for them, remaining hopeful on the possibility of a future. This wasn't that. Kate was choosing someone else, someone else for the long run.
And even if she knows her feelings for Clint reside on a much bigger scale than Eudio ever was, it doesn't mean she'd found something here. Something small but with so much potential. She found Peter Parker.
His kindness, his typical good words, it burns through her as harshly as much as if he had gotten furious with her.
Kate's silent for however long, she doesn't keep track. Because she's looking at Peter, the reflective light of the moon keeping him in her focus. His kind eyes, his small smile. She scoots over closer, her fingers slipping over his. ]
I've been really happy during every moment with you. I want you to know that.
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[ It's not a breakup. It's not. And yet it feels a little like one. Or maybe it's the end of the potential of something that will never be, and that's what makes it just the tiniest bit tragic.
Peter Parker is used to tragic.
It's only here, in Eudio, that he's even had a chance to challenge tragic with aggressive happiness, and it's thanks to people like Kate for giving him that. He could never regret something so important. ]
For the record, I've been really happy with you too. [ But - there's always a but. ] What happens in Eudio stays in Eudio, right?
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[ Kate plays lightly with Peter's fingers pressed closely to her own, her eyes watching the movement of them as to find some focal point that isn't Peter's face. Because it is harder than she thought it'd be. Peter might have been a fleeting thing, but he was something.
A thought explores her mind, something she contemplates as she continues to focus low. She could tell him. That'd actually be better. Wouldn't it? ]
Hey, Pete? [ She finally glances up again, catching his eyes. ] There's actually more to it. About me leaving. There was something I was really thinking hard about doing. I haven't really run it by anyone else yet.
[ She chews on her lips for a beat, taking a breath. ]
I'm thinking of asking the reps if they could give my memories to the next Kate that comes here.
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[ Peter wonders what that might mean.
He wonders what that could mean if other people did it. If other people could do it. Like him. After all, he can't see himself living here for the rest of his life either. He'd want to go home, wouldn't he?
He meets her eyes. ]
Can they do that?
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I actually have no idea. But it's worth a shot.
[ Because she knew that, while this was her end of the line with Eudio, it didn't have to be that way for whatever Kates followed after. She was hoping it wouldn't be. ]
I wasn't the first Kate in the city. Third, actually. There was apparently two others before me but they left pretty fast. [ She shrugs, not elaborating on that fact since the reasons were still a mystery. ] My friends were pretty upset that I kept forgetting all these details of my time here. Like, whenever I showed up again, everything about Eudio was wiped, but you know, it was what it was. We dealt with it. But now if I leave again ... [ She smiles partially, but it isn't a happy one. ] Well, another Kate is gonna show up and those friends, along with everyone else I've met, you included, will have to deal with another blank slate.
[ She pauses for a moment, straightening her back, patting her thighs as she looks out towards the city. ]
I promised them I wouldn't forget again. And ... and well, I'm not sure I'd want to. I mean, sure, I wouldn't completely forget Billy and Loki, but there's Gwen. Adam. I'd forget Wally. [ Her lips press tight for a moment at the name. Then she looks back over to the boy beside her, sorrow in her expression. ] I'd forget you, Pete. Everything. Every look. Every conversation. Every kiss. Like it, like it never happened.
[ Her hand squeezes over his, entangling their fingers. ] And maybe it won't be me forgetting, but this other me, she won't know any of it. And I don't want you to meet a Kate who doesn't remember all the amazing things that happened in this place.
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He nods, mouth pressed into a thin and thoughtful line. ]
I didn't even think of that. Of - of other versions of you or me coming here and not remembering anything. What it would do to everyone else. I mean - I mean, I saw it first-hand. Dealt with it first-hand when I met Barry again and again, and finally he stayed long enough for us to -
[ He shrugs a shoulder, looking a little wistful, a little bashful. ]
When he left, it was pretty devastating. For me, but - for Gwen especially, I think. I'd hate to meet you again only for you not to remember me at all.
And vice versa.
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Yeah, she isn't saying much, but ... I doubt it's been easy on Gwen at all.
[ She turns away from his face, glancing down at their fingers once more. Like the gentle skin and soft comfort of caresses can somehow make this all easier. ]
I can't do that to her. I can't just abandoned her like that. She deserves so much better. And you too, Peter. [ She breathes in a weak laugh. ] I finally got to know you. Really know you. The last thing I want is to have that taken away.
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[ He lifts their joined hands up to his lips, pressing a quick, soft kiss against hers. Maybe it's a little outside the realm of what's allowed, now that they both have someones - but it's the last sweet gesture he can offer her.
It's innocent, completely void of any alternative agenda. Not that Peter has ever been the kind of guy to have a hidden plans anyway. ]
I know. I agree. If there was a way to stop that kind of hurt from happening, I mean - there's gotta be a way to do it. The Eudio reps are capable of so much, this shouldn't be out of the realm of what they could do.
Kate, I don't want you to forget about me. And I don't want to forget about you either, when I feel ready to leave this place.
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But she really did like Peter. Even if she'd never been able to convey that, never been allowed to. And she still does, really. She just wishes life was much more simpler for it. ]
Peter? [ She watches him carefully, not drawing away from his eyes, keeping hers focused on his. If she turns away, she might change her mind again. ]
Would you do it? Would you ask to remember me? Because I — [ She swallows, her fingers squeezing. ] I've seen a thousand different universes. I've hopped through them all, jumping back and forth to all sorts of possibilities. And I know, in this one, we've already made our choices. We're already set for what we want, but ... [ She attempts a smile but the sadness still pours through. ] But if I'm being honest. I'd really like it if there was a universe out there where I could really have the chance to fall in love with you.
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It hurts a little more than he'd have liked to admit, hearing those words come from her mouth like that. They're just - so earnest and real and very, very true. It makes him impossibly sad, having to part from her now - even if. Even if it's because of the choices they've made, the people they love.
I'd really like it if there was a universe out there where I could really have the chance to fall in love with you.
He offers her a smile, small, almost nonexistent, but crooked to one side. ]
Of course I'd do it. [ His voice is soft, something in his chest suddenly throbbing with pain. He thinks it might be heartache. ] Of course - yeah. I wouldn't hesitate to ask the Eudio reps if it meant that maybe one version of us could have that chance. You're - you're amazing, Kate. I want every Peter who ever comes here to get to see that, to be with you just for a bit and know what it's like to know how amazing you are.
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She hates feeling this, and she hates it even more that he's feeling it too. To have a taste of a possible happiness, of soaking up in another, and having to choose between the two. Maybe that's where Eudio's true flaw was. People wondered if the city was scheming about giving you what you wanted. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe they gave you too much.
Kate leans in, pressing her forehead gently against his, just to take in a few seconds of silence. There isn't much left to say. Nothing can change between them here. But that promise of a possibility is a nice thought. ]
It's a deal, Peter Parker. [ She huffs a small smile, still bittersweet in its wake. ] No backing out.
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No backing out.
[ He repeats. ]
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[ Okay, she's not nervous, of course she's not. Because Kate Bishop doesn't get nervous with boys. There's never been a reason to be. She sees a cute boy and her confidence blazes up without a second thought, knowing where to take the conversation, how to keep it in her grasp. So what was so special about this boy that made her stomach flutter, that make her heart beat just a little faster? Damn that Peter Parker.
It was the first time they'd used the beads. After months of leaving Eudio and transitioning back into their old lives, Kate had finally stopped postponing the inevitable. She was itching to see him again. Which was crazy. Kate knew better than to be wild about a boy, but Peter wasn't just any boy.
In Eudio, he'd been just a casual use of fun when he was Spider-Man, no strings attached and a rest from the drama that came with falling in love. But then he confessed and he was Peter, throwing Kate completely off her game. And so he'd tricked her. Tricked her into making her fall, rather hard at that. And while Kate was still in no position to be okay with calling it love, it was something. And even after departing from the city, the tricky webslinger was still on her mind.
And there she was on the beach of LA, laying on a towel on the sand, just some feet away from her trailer. She'd decided on coming back here, after all, what with things being more than complicated in New York, civil wars and the like. Taking time to herself was preferable, which made laying in the sun in a bikini, as she was currently doing, worth it.
But loneliness didn't suit Kate either, which led to calling Peter. Granted, she could have called anyone else, any of the Young Avengers, but there was a certain cute face she'd been missing way too hard.
And as she leans her head back, stretching her neck, she pushes her sunglasses up away from her eyes, a grin rises as she catches sight of the aforementioned face. ] Well, well. Hello, stranger.
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The furthest Peter Parker had ever traveled had been Eudio, which, to his credit, was real, real far, but outside of alternate-dimension cuddle cities, he's got very little experience with travel. Born and raised in New York, the city boy had no idea what to expect taking the trek to Kate's side of the country - and an alternate one at that.
But the LINKS beads worked.
He checked into an AirBnB on his way to the beach, changed into something a little less city and a little more beachy, and followed Kate's precise directions to her location point. He's pretty proud of himself, all things considered, for getting here without too much of a hitch. He's even got his spider-stuff just in case a certain superhero needs a certain superhero ally to help out in a rough spot later on.
He doesn't allow himself to ruminate too hard on the concept of seeing Kate Bishop again, especially when they're both out of Eudio now, incentives fulfilled, and moving on with their lives. Kate had always been meant to be someone he'd treasure in his memory, not someone who could - very realistically - become his future. But life never really works out the way you want it, and when you're Peter Parker, that sentiment goes double.
Somewhere along the way, Peter Parker thinks he might have fallen for Kate. She's the breath of fresh air he'd needed in his over-complicated life, someone who understood what it was to be a superhero and still never faltered in her outlook for a better world; someone who could find his heart in pieces and meticulously glue them back together, one piece at a time.
It isn't until he finds her by the waterside, all grins and long, long legs, that his heart feels whole again. She greets him, and it feels like no time has passed at all. ]
Hello, yourself. [ He kicks his sandals off, letting his toes dig into the sand a little. ] It's been - it's been ages, huh?
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Something like that. [ She lets out a happy laugh as she sits up and springs to her feet.
Turning to look at him, she can't hide that goofy smile, that sheepish twist of her lips as she looks him over. He still looks good, which is almost annoying in and of itself. How could anyone hope to move on from someone with that sort of adorable presence about him? Even seeing him dressed for the occasion, makeshift beach babe, leaves her irresistible to a smile.
She lunges forward, throwing her arms around his neck to wrap him in a hug. ] Good to see you, Pete.
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[ Peter's voice goes a little soft, a little muffled when he buries his nose into her shoulder, hugging her back. His arms around her waist squeeze tight, wanting to feel her close to him.
It's been way too long since he's been able to do this and he'd forgotten just how nice it feels. How familiar she is.
It's weird when they're here in her world, her LA, and not in his shitty apartment back in Eudio, or her apartment, or the Tribune, or somewhere near the 24-hour hot dog stand Gwen Stacy had asked for as part of her second incentive. ]
Man, I really, really missed you. You - you been doing okay? You look amazing.
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Just a simple hug is enough to draw her back into all of it. ]
Well, of course you missed me. [ She draws herself back with a light chuckle, her lips finding his cheek to press a lingering kiss there.
Arms loose against his shoulder, meeting behind his neck, she grins at him, looking him over. ] And you're looking pretty good yourself, champ. Working in those sideburns. [ Laughing, she strokes gently at his cheeks. ] Things have been good here. Got the agency running again. Still getting it started, but it's kicking. How about you? New York weep happily at its favorite webslinger returning to its arms?
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[ Peter's tone is light, his words easy, like whatever sting the words could have had is absent now. Honestly, returning home was a good decision, one he couldn't regret, even though he missed a lot of people, missed the ease of living in a place where his worries were few, and his enemies even fewer.
He missed Kate Bishop most of all, though. He looked her up, while he was home; he looked for the Avengers too, other superheroes who shared his city and cities across the US. Of course none would be Kate (his Kate, if he might dare to consider the thought), and whatever Kate Bishop may or may not have existed in his world, she wouldn't know him anyway, not the way this Kate knows him.
He leans in to her touch; just a little, just enough, before he steps back enough for politeness sake. ]
LA suits you. I mean, I haven't seen a whole lot yet, I only just got here. But - uh. You look like you belong here.