Heeeey, another chapter. So I'm in love with writing this story. I'm having so much fun. I'm writing another chapter now even though I need to be studying for a very important test. So enjoy please.
I really want to know what you guys are thinking of this story.
Thanks for reading!
Words: 3,302
Manhattan. The home of many tall apartment buildings. Nice apartment buildings. Some more than others but all rather expensive. All with a great view of the city from the roof as well. Or so thought a certain dark-haired, teenage girl.
She'd taken to climbing the fire escape outside her bedroom window most nights. The stars still weren't visible from this high up, unfortunately, but it was still a killer view. One she was becoming accustomed to. One that filled many pages of her latest sketchbook.
In the back of her mind, Ada imagined one night she'd be joined by a Spider themed hero. She wouldn't admit it, tried not to let herself hope it would happen. He was busy doing superhero things and whoever was under the mask, he had a life as well. Leading two lives probably didn't leave him with much time. And that was okay. She'd got to meet him once, that would have to be enough.
Her life hadn't changed though. Not the big picture anyway. She would smile more when thinking about her too short of a conversation with Spider-Man. She'd done a lot more art of him. Having seen him in person was great inspiration. Ada hoped that one day, she'd be able to give him her favorite. It wasn't much, but he deserved something. A thank you for looking out for people when he had no obligation.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Ada looks down at her swinging legs. The people walking way down below her looked so small. Like ants. Everyone going about their own business. She'd never been afraid of hights, or falling. If she was, she probably wouldn't be able to pull herself onto that ledge every night.
Running a hand through her long hair, Ada carefully shifts just enough to pull her phone from her pocket. 00:38. It was late. And a school night. Even if she wasn't tired, the teen figured it was best to turn in soon.
With one last look out at her city, the teen released another sigh before swinging her legs around and planting them firmly on the roof. Sliding her phone back into her pocket, Ada walked across the roof to her fire escape and climbed down until she reached her window.
Maybe tomorrow, the teen thought to herself as she climbed inside. Or maybe not.
Another day gone, followed by another starless night. It was a clear night, but that didn't seem to help give Ada a bigger chance at seeing the stares. She tried not to be sad, or whatever. Ada's been blocking out her feelings for a long time now, she'd thought by this point nothing could make that so difficult.
She just wanted to see the stars. And talk to someone. Someone who doesn't have all these expectations. Her "friends" weren't really that. They were just people she found herself hanging around at school who only wanted to gossip and talk about stuff she had no interest in. And, hey, if that's what you like, go for it, but she didn't. She hated who she was around them. Her father treated her like she was nothing but expected her to be everything. It was hard after her mother died. Nathan was never the same after his wife died. He was still a hardass before, but without her to guide him the right way, he just...
Shaking her head and her thoughts away with it, Ada throws the paper airplane she'd just made off the roof, wallowing in her self pity. "I'm pretty sure that's littering."
Ada would never admit to the surprised yelp she let out as the voice sounded behind her. Nor the fact that she probably would've fallen off the fifteen-story building if it wasn't for the hands gripping her arm. "Shit! I am so sorry." Peter apologized, mentally slapping himself for being such an idiot. Sneek up on the girl who's sitting on the building's edge, great idea, Parker.
"Phew, okay." Ada whispered as she clutched the hand that was holding onto her. The teen has no idea why but the next thing Ada knew, she was chuckling. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She gasped out between laughs, waving the hand that wasn't holding onto Spider-Man's shoulder.
"You okay?"
"Pretty sure I just saw my life flash before my eyes." Ada breathed, stepping back from the superhero when she realized she was still holding onto him.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snuck up on you. I didn't mean to, I sometimes forget how quiet I am." Peter quickly tried to explain, wincing behind his mask.
"No." Ada shook her head, straightening her shirt. "Uh, I was the one sitting on the ledge after all."
"Yeah, that's really dangerous." Peter commented, moving his eyes away from her to where she'd been sitting.
"Well, I live for danger." Ada told him, smiling when she heard his slightly muffled laugh. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come." She tried to sound nonchalant, leaning against the brick ledge, just now noticing the backpack on the heroes back. She didn't comment on it.
"What, and not keep my promise? I always keep my promises." Peter said as he copied her stance. "Also, you're littering. Spider-Man stops crime."
"Gonna turn me in?" Ada joked. She thought she should be upset with him, for saying he'd come and not showing up for so long. But she couldn't be. He came after all and he was probably super busy. Plus he'd only had her first name to go off of, who knows how long it took for him to find her. And him just being here, she already felt like someone she wanted to be.
"I think I can let you off with a warning." Peter continued the joke, smiling down at the girl next to him.
"You've never thrown paper airplanes off a roof?" Ada asked him, cocking her head to the side as she watched him shake his head. "How long have you lived in this city?"
"Born and raised, actually." Peter informed her.
"Well, this is a disgrace." Ada stated, turning to brace her hands on the cold stone in front of her. "But I'm out of paper."
"As fun as watching little paper airplanes fly off the roof sounds, that's not why I'm here." The hero said as he jumped onto the ledge, offering the other teen his hand.
"You know, I may have never been told to stay away from strangers, but I think it's still implied."
"Your parents never told you to stay away from strangers?" Peter asked with a raised brow as he pulled the girl up with him, speaking again before she could answer. "And, anyway, I'm not a stranger, we've met."
"I don't even know your name." She jokingly argued, holding tightly to his hand so she wouldn't fall.
"Sure you do, everyone does. It's Spider-Man." Peter chuckled, his right arm held out by her side as a safety net. "Hope you're not scared of heights."
"Love them, actually."
"That explains your seating choice."
"It comes with a great view."
"Yeah, it does." Peter nodded without bothering to look away from Ada. "But I can show you better."
Ada couldn't help the huge smile that overtook her face as she looked into the bright white eyes of Peter's mask. "Really? Okay then, show me."
"Hang on tight." Peter smirked, pulling her closer to him, his arm around her waist as hers went around his neck. "Seriously, like, don't let go."
"I get it, bug boy." Ada nodded before pausing, her smile slipping from her face. "I'm sorry, was that offensive?"
"No." Peter chuckled with a shake of his head. "I give you permission to call me that inoffensively."
"Oh, well, I feel special." Ada's cheeky smile was back as her grip tightened. She was nervous but had no plan on telling him that. "Ready when you are."
"Okay." Peter nodded, securing his hold on the petite girl. "I got you."
"I admit, this is a much better view." Ada says before placing a chip in her mouth.
"You doubted me?" Peter asked in mock disbelief, taking a chip for himself, his mask pulled up to his nose allowing him to eat.
"No, of course not." Ada sighed, her eyes glued to the scene in front of her. It truly was breathtaking. She didn't even know what building they were on. After Spider-Man jumped off her roof, Ada wasn't very aware of her surroundings. She'd been too busy hanging on for her life. It was terrifying and the most amazing feeling all at the same time. She may have also let out a shriek sound, but that's never to be spoken of. "I can't believe you brought snacks."
"Couldn't let you go hungry, could I?" Peter chuckled. "I just guessed anyway, I had no idea what you might like."
"Who doesn't like Doritos?" Ada questioned rhetorically. "I do prefer the spicey ones though, not gonna lie."
"Noted." Peter nodded before bringing another chip to his mouth. "What's up?" He asked, his voice softer this time when he noticed Ada looking up.
"Nothing, just..." Ada sighed, looking down at her hands. An overwhelming sense a sadness suddenly shot through her out of nowhere. It happens often, these feelings, she just had no idea why now. She was happy right now, so why was she sad? "I can't see the stars."
It was silent after her quiet words. She continued to look up, choosing to ignore the holes burning into the side of her head from Peter's eyes. She barely noticed when the boy shoved their snacks back into his bag until he stood in front of her, mask back in place. "C'mon."
"What?" Ada asked, all her attention back onto the superhero.
"Do you have to be home at a certain time?" He ignored her question, pulling the girl to her feet when she places her hand in his.
"Um, no." Ada shook her head. She knew her father wouldn't notice. This wouldn't be the first time she'd stayed out. "Why? Where are we going?"
"I'm taking you to see the stars." Peter told her, gripping her hand. "I know a place. It's not exactly close but, I can get us there. If you're up for it."
"Sounds like an adventure." Ada said after a moment of debate. Screw it, she thought. What did it matter? For the first time in a long time, she felt good. Like herself, she liked who she was right now. She felt normal. As normal as one can feel when swinging around New York with Spider-Man.
"So you in?"
"Let's go, Spider-Man."
"Just hold still." Peter told Ada quietly as he slowly lifted his hand.
"You're lying." The girl stated with narrowed eyes.
"Am not."
"There is not a spider in my hair." She told him but did as he said and stood still.
"You're right, there's not." Peter shrugged, pulling the leaf from the girl's hair to show her, chucking when she knocked it to the ground with a glare.
"Just for the record, I'm not actually afraid of spiders." Ada stated firmly, trying to fix her windblown hair.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yup, but I'm starting to find a certain, very large spider to be annoying." She chuckled as well, pausing after only a moment to look back at him. "That was a joke, by the way, I don't find you annoying."
"I know." Peter laughed while nodding. "C'mon, let's go see some stars."
"Are we even allowed to be here?" Ada asked incredulously, looking at her surroundings from where she stood atop the Avengers Compound's roof.
"Yeah, it's fine. why are you whispering?"
"I don't know. I don't want someone to hear us and have the freaking avengers come...do avenger things."
"They're not even here." Peter chuckled with a shrug. "Not all of them anyway." He added offhandedly as he removed his bag from his shoulders.
"Oh, okay." Ada sighed, watching as Spider-Man dug a blanket out from the bottom of his backpack. "Thank you." She said as she sat on the thick, blue cloth, slowly leaning back until she was flat on her back.
"Wow." Ada mumbled as she looked into the sky. "They're even more beautiful than I remember."
"Yeah, it's one of my favorite views." Peter said, his voice just as quiet as hers.
"I can see why." Ada muttered. "I mean, pictures aren't the same. It's different in person."
"I get that."
"My mother, she loved the stars." Ada found herself speaking after minutes of silence. "Uh, she would take me, when I was little. Just the two of us. We'd drive for what felt like hours, out somewhere. I never knew where, she said it was her secret place. We'd lie under the stars, just looking. Watching. It was my favorite thing. I haven't felt like that in a really long time and I'd forgotten what it was like. Until now. So, thank you, Spider-Man."
"Peter." The boy said quietly, turning to meet her surprised eyes as he pulled his mask off in one easy motion. "It's Peter."
"Peter." Ada repeated, her lips twitching upward. It felt amazing, knowing he trusted her enough to tell her his name and show his face. But she tried not to show it. She wasn't surprised by his age, she'd known it was close, if not the same as her own.
"Cute." She commented casually after a moment, earning a surprised chuckled from the boy.
"What?"
Shaking her head with a shrug, Ada repeated herself, words still casual. "You're cute."
Peter was glad it was so dark as he felt heat rising in his cheeks, but he still felt the need to look away from the girl. "You act like no ones ever told you that." Ada said as she watched his movements, gasping when he continued to look away. "Wait, no ones ever told you that?" She questioned, propping herself onto her elbows to look down at him. "How, dude? You're like a full ten. And despite what it sounds like, I'm not hitting on you, I'm just saying."
Snorting, Peter shook his head as Ada returned to her lying position next to him. "You know any constellations?" He asked curiously, comfortable with this girl he'd known less than a day. She was comfortable to be around. He didn't feel obligated to anything. Didn't need to wear any kind of mask, he sees that now.
"My mom did. She told me, I don't remember them all. That was her thing." Ada was quick to answer, her eyes tracking the stars. "She actually had her zodiac constellation tattooed. Sagittarius. I want to get a similar one when I can. I'm a Taurus."
"Leo." Peter said, raising his hand off the ground.
"A fire sign." Ada chuckled at the knowledge. "I think." She added with a thoughtful look.
"It is." Peter informed with his own chuckled.
"Thanks, for this." Ada said after yet another moment of silence.
"You already said that."
"I know. Just want to make sure you do too." She told him, turning her head to meet his eyes with a soft smile before looking back up at the stars.
Peter didn't say anything in return, only smiled as he continued to look up at the stars. It was nice. Relaxing. Just being. The silence surrounded them with the distant sounds of the nightly bugs.
Peter needed this, his life had been a lot lately. With school and Spider-Man, coming over to hang out with Mr. Stark. Train with the other avengers. He loved it all so much but it could become too much sometimes. He felt so tired some days. The kind of tired that sleep couldn't help. He didn't feel that now.
"Ada." Peter called out to the girl quietly, smiling as she blinked open her eyes to look at him. "It's late, let's head back."
"'Kay." The teen mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat up, a yawn breaking out as Peter picked up the blanket.
"Don't fall asleep on me." Peter joked as Ada wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Trust me, as soon as we start swinging, I'll be awake."
"Don't worry, I won't drop you."
"Good."
"I can't believe you do that all the time." Ada said as the two teens landed on her fire escape. She had gotten past most of the terror swinging brought. Her stomach still dropped when Peter would wing a little too high, go a little too far, but she still loved it. "I think my stomach is in my feet."
Laughing, Peter nodded as he slipped his mask off. "You get used to it the more you do it, but that feeling never really goes away."
"Good, it wouldn't be as exciting if it did." Ada says as she leans against the brick wall next to her window. "It's late, you got a curfew?"
"Yeah." Peter admitted with a sigh. "But since it's the weekend I can stay out later."
"Okay." Ada nodded thoughtfully. "How'd you find me, anyway?"
"Good old detective work." Peter said, darkening his voice as he did, succeeding in his task to draw a laugh from the girl across from him.
"Well if superheroing doesn't work out for you, you might have a job with the police."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Okay, well, I won't keep you any longer." Ada sighed, clapping her hands on her thighs as she stood straight. "Thanks for tonight, Peter. It means a lot."
"Yeah, it's not a problem. It was definitely a nice change of pace." Peter shrugged. He wasn't really sure how to reply. "Life can get busy, you know."
"Yes, it can." Ada nodded. "I don't want to overstep, but, will I see you again?" She asked hesitantly. She didn't want this to be the last time they hung out. She may not have known him long, but Peter was the first real friend she's ever had. She didn't want to lose that so quickly.
"Of course." Peter answered quickly. "I'll take you to see the stars again."
"I'd like that. And I will show you the joy that is throwing paper airplanes off the roof." Ada told him, smiling in excitement for the future to come. "Can we contact each other, or should I just keep an eye out?"
"I have a phone." Peter chuckled.
"Okay, well here, put your number in mine." Ada said as she handed over her device.
"Military time?" Peter asked, turning the screen around to face her with a raised brow, only earning a shrug from the girl. Quickly putting in his information, Peter turns off the phone but freezes when the lock screen lights up. Smirking, Peter once again turns the phone around for Ada to see the Spider-Man art word she'd done.
"Don't let it inflate your ego." She mumbled as she grabbed the phone from his hand. "Thank you, Peter Parker." Ada read the name he'd put under her contacts, sending a quick text to him so he'd have her number. "I'm gonna hug you now, so don't make it awkward." She said before taking a step forward to wrap her arms around his neck, not for the first time that night, his own arms going around her waist.
"I'll warn you before I drop by next time." Peter said when they pulled apart. "That way I won't almost kill you."
"Yeah, I'd appreciate that." Ada huffed a laugh.
"And maybe be careful around the edges of tall buildings."
"That's probably good advice." The teen nodded in agreement. "See you later, Spider-Man."
Pulling on his mask, Peter backed up to the fire escapes edge. "See you later, Ada."
Eh, don't care much for the ending but my brain stopped working. Thanks for reading, hope it was enjoyable!
'-'