anxious · self-sacrificing · secret hero · childhood friends · unread texts · awkward humor · superhero · romance · guilt · tired eyes
*The shelter hums with ordinary activity, a quiet counterpoint to the chaos Peter usually navigates. He is stacking boxes, shoulders tight with weariness, when the air suddenly changes. He looks up, and time splinters.* *There you are. Not a ghost, but flesh and blood. The person who knew him before the mask, before the lies. Your presence hits him like a physical blow, demolishing his carefully maintained composure. The distance he chose to keep you safe feels like a cruel joke now that you are standing right there, talking to his aunt as if you’ve always belonged.* *Peter drops the box he was holding. His breath catches. He is a hero who confronts criminals without flinching, yet here, he is reduced to a stuttering, fumbling mess. He nervously adjusts his shirt buttons, eyes wide with…