Surprise

I threw his hand off of me and backed up.
Harry looked helplessly up at me until his eyes began flooding with tears. I’ve only seen Harry cry a couple of times. He cried when I accidentally broke my arm in 3rd grade. He cried when his mom died. But those occasions happened years ago. Since then he hasn’t shown much emotion. He gets mad, but he doesn’t get angry. He has fun, but he doesn’t get excited. He’ll share his disappointment, but he never shows his sadness.
Now I'm watching my best friend sit in my room and sob. His tears are overflowing, and he hastily wiped them with his sleeve, leaving his eyes and nose red and raw. When I watched him cry after his mom passed away, he balled himself on the floor and wiped the tears away before they got the chance to fall. His eyes and nose were so red, that his pale skin made all the paler by the rosy hue. He still weeps the same way. He probably never stopped;he just stopped letting me see. Watching him cry for me churned my stomach, and brought tears to my own eyes. I feel awful.

Harry wiped his sleeve across his face one last time and then jumped off the bed. He quickly walked over to me and threw himself into a hug. He was very gentle, and careful. His body wasn’t touching mine, only his arms were wrapped around me. I awkwardly placed my hands on his back and patted him like a mother keeping her baby asleep. We stood there for a moment.
My mind raced with my excuse. Was it believable? Are there any holes in my story? I cursed at myself for even putting us in this position. How did I not realize he was in my room? I knew my spidey-senses were only for when I was in danger, but I think I had been in impending doom since walking up my stairs.

Harry gingerly let go of the hug but kept his hands placed on my shoulders, his fingers burrowing into my skin.

The air was still. The outside bustle seemed to quiet down while we stood staring at each other. It was like we were the only people in the world for a moment. His eyelashes clung together from the tears and drooped down. He blinked, and the tear splashed down onto his cheek. Unlike before, I didn’t hesitate. I extended my hand to his face. I cupped my hand on his cheek and brushed his tear away with my thumb. We both stood there unmoving for a few moments, until he shuffled backward, making my hand fall by my side. He sighed and ran to the door. He didn’t look at me as he left, but he yelled a quick “stay there” and dashed down the stairs. I heard the front door slam. I made my way to my window where I watched him run up the road, until I lost him when he turned into an alley.

That was intense. Why did I just wipe his tears? Was that weird? He probably thinks I’ve got brain damage from how I acted. Maybe I do? I did get knocked down pretty hard. I mean, I just got in a horrific fight. The kind of fight you see when you close your eyes, the kind of fight that repeats and repeats in your dreams too, but talking with Harry seemed more frightening to me.
I sighed and fumbled my way to the bed, and slowly lowered myself, wincing with every move. Once I was laying down, I tried to pull the covers over me, but my body screamed at me with every move. I give up and fall back onto the mattress. I’m cold.
It’s selfish, but I don’t want to lose Harry. We’ve been friends since the 1st grade. He’s been put in constant danger, just by knowing me, and I know his father's status doesn’t help him. At first, I played off sticking around Harry as protection since his father seemed to attract a sinister aura… but I have a feeling if I cut him off, he wouldn’t find himself in trouble anymore. He could live a normal life, without fear around every corner. The more I am seen with him while I’m spider-man, the more people connect our relationship. He’s constantly taken, and dangled over me. Why can’t these criminals leave my personal life out of it? I’ll just start ignoring Harry while I’m in costume. Then I can slowly leave him while I’m Peter too. I let out a deep sigh and rubbed my splitting headache with my fingers. I was beyond exhausted, the second my eyes closed I could feel myself lulled asleep.