Old Flames and New Sparks
It had been a week since Peter had made the difficult choice to walk away from Felicia, and life had slowly started to return to some semblance of normalcy. School, patrols, and Avengers duties had filled his days, and while his thoughts still wandered to her from time to time, the sting had begun to fade. He felt a sense of clarity—like the fog that had clouded his judgment was finally lifting.
But life, as Peter had learned time and time again, rarely stayed calm for long.
It was a Friday afternoon, and Midtown High was buzzing with the excitement of the weekend. Peter was heading to his locker, dodging the usual chaos of students when he caught sight of Felicia in the hallway. She was leaning against her locker, casually chatting with a few of her friends, her laugh bright and carefree. It was as if nothing had changed. She looked so at ease like the past few weeks hadn’t affected her at all.
Peter’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected to feel this way—like the wound was still raw like seeing her laughing without him hurt more than it should. But there it was, the ache in his chest.
He tried to focus on his locker combination, hoping to avoid any eye contact, but it was too late. Felicia’s sharp eyes locked onto his, and her smile faltered for just a moment before she recovered, offering him a playful wink. Peter felt his stomach twist, unsure of how to respond. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to her—he missed her, more than he wanted to admit—but he knew he couldn’t go back to how things were.
“Parker,” a familiar voice called from behind him, breaking his thoughts.
Peter turned to see MJ approaching, her gaze flicking between him and Felicia with a raised eyebrow. “You okay?” she asked, her tone gentle but curious.
Peter sighed, closing his locker with a soft thud. “Yeah. Just… I wasn’t expecting to see her.”
MJ nodded, leaning against the row of lockers. “You knew it was going to happen eventually, right? You guys go to the same school.”
Peter shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I guess. It just feels… weird.”
MJ’s eyes softened. “It’s always weird seeing someone you care about move on, especially when you’re not sure if you have.”
Peter frowned, surprised at how accurate her words were. “It’s not like I want to go back, MJ. I made my choice, and I know it was the right one. It’s just… hard, you know?”
MJ nodded, her expression understanding. “Yeah, I get it. But you’ll be okay. You always are.”
Before Peter could respond, the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. MJ offered him a small smile before heading off to her next class, leaving Peter alone in the hallway. He glanced back toward Felicia, but she was already gone, disappearing into the crowd like a shadow.
Later that evening, Peter was back in the city, swinging between buildings as Spider-Man, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had followed him all day. Being Spider-Man always helped him clear his head, the freedom of the city and the thrill of the webs reminding him of who he was.
But just as he was starting to feel better, his phone buzzed in his suit. He pulled it out, expecting a message from Tony or Natasha about an Avengers mission, but it wasn’t either of them.
It was Felicia.
Felicia: "Meet me at our spot. We need to talk."
Peter’s heart skipped a beat. What could she possibly want now? They’d said their goodbyes. He had made his choice. But before he could stop himself, he was already swinging toward the rooftop where they had shared so many of their late-night adventures.
When Peter landed on the rooftop, Felicia was already there, sitting on the ledge with her legs dangling over the edge. She looked different tonight—less playful, more serious. Her usual smirk was gone, replaced with something more somber, more real.
“Parker,” she greeted, not turning around. “Took you long enough.”
Peter walked toward her cautiously, unsure of what to say. “Felicia, I didn’t think—”
“Yeah, well,” she interrupted, her voice softer than he’d ever heard it. “I didn’t think I’d be here either.”
Peter stood beside her, staring out at the city. The air between them was heavy with unspoken words, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
“So,” Peter finally said, breaking the silence. “What do you want to talk about?”
Felicia sighed, running a hand through her silver hair. “I know we said goodbye. I know you walked away, and I get why you did. But… I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Peter felt his chest tighten. This was exactly what he had been afraid of—getting pulled back in when he knew he shouldn’t. But hearing her say those words, knowing she felt the same way, made it even harder to resist.
“Felicia, I—” Peter started, but she cut him off again.
“I know you’ve got responsibilities. I know you’re trying to be the hero, the good guy. But I’m not asking you to change for me, Peter. I’m not asking you to give up who you are. I just… I just need you to know that I miss you. And I can’t pretend like none of this matters.”
Peter swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He wasn’t sure what to say, wasn’t sure if there was even a right thing to say. He missed her too, more than he wanted to admit. But could they really make this work? Could he find a way to balance the chaos of his life with the unpredictability of hers?
“You make it really hard to stay away,” Peter admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Felicia turned to face him, her eyes searching his. “Then don’t stay away.”
Peter’s mind raced, the logical part of him screaming that this was a bad idea, that he was crossing a line he shouldn’t cross. But his heart—his heart was pulling him toward her, reminding him of all the reasons he had fallen for her in the first place.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Peter said, his voice trembling with the weight of the decision. “I don’t know if I can be the guy you need me to be and still be Spider-Man.”
Felicia stepped closer, her hand reaching out to brush against his. “I’m not asking you to choose, Peter. I’m asking you to trust me. We can figure this out. Together.”
Peter stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to believe her, wanted to believe that they could make it work. But he had been burned before, and he wasn’t sure if he could survive another round of heartbreak.
“I don’t know, Felicia,” Peter said quietly, stepping back. “I need time.”
Felicia’s eyes flickered with disappointment, but she nodded, understanding. “Okay. I get it. Just… don’t wait too long.”
Peter watched as she turned and disappeared into the night, her figure blending into the shadows. He stood there, alone on the rooftop, the city buzzing beneath him, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t know what to do.
He had walked away once, but now… now he wasn’t so sure if that was the right choice.