❛ Stop lying! ❜

Today was the day.

Today was the day that Melisande Aiza Dubois had to talk with Peter Parker about what she had found out during the research for their project.

She had needed to turn in her half of the assignment to him so he could put everything together and after avoiding school and him for two entire days she knew what needed to be done. She had to talk to him.

The girl took a deep breath as she stood in front of his apartment door with two stacks of paper in her hands. She pursed her lips and moved a strand of hair behind her ear before raising her knuckles and knocking twice on the door. She waited a minute.

There were frantic footsteps on the other side of the door and finally it opened, revealing a disheveled Peter Parker in its place.

Once he saw who was at the door, he smiled wide. "Andy, hey!" He leaned in to kiss her but she turned her head and he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He leaned away, his cheeks red and embarrassment spread across his face. "Uh, w-what's up? You wanna' come in? You can come in," he offered, moving from the doorway so she could enter. However, the girl only shook her head and glanced down at the papers in her hand. "Peter," she sighed softly while her eyes showed disappointment, "I know you're Spider-Man."

The boy looked taken aback and quickly shook his head, "N-no. I-I'm not Spider-Man, Andy. I couldn't be."

Andy let ou a dry chuckle and pursed her lips, "God, stop lying, Peter! I have proof, I have an entire notebook of proof!"

"I-"

Andy interrupted before he could lie again and she held out one packet to him that he took very hesitantly.  "This is our report on what Spider-Man has done for this city," she said softly before lifting her other hand and handing him the other packet. "This is everything that connects you and him. This is everything you have done for this city."

Peter looked at the second packet, seeing all the newspaper clippings and article print outs. He observed all the highlights and pencil marks. The notes in the margins. The exclamation marks on certain words. The statements. The dates.

The dates.

He saw a date that he guessed led Andy to figure it all out. It was their date he bailed on to "help Aunt May."

When he looked up, he saw a tear drop from Andy's eye. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and wipe it from her cheek, but he stood and let his heart break a little. "I don't know why I'm crying," she whispered, reaching up to wipe her tears away. "You won't understand, Peter. You don't-" she stopped herself. How did she tell the boy she liked that she was scared to get close to anyone with a job like his? How did she tell him that without revealing that she isn't who she says she is? "It must be becayse it hurts when you grow comfortable with someone and think you know them but then they lie deliberately to your face when you ask them if they're Spiderman," she finally answered with another tear dropping onto her cheek. "Andy, i-"

"I've never lied to you," she spoke. She wa ageing honest. Peter didn't know who she was like she didn't know he was Spider-Man, but she asked him if he was Spider-Man and he said no. She never lied because he never asked.

"Thank you, Peter," she said much more confidently as he eyes met his. Peter was utterly confused but she continued. "Thank you for giving Pappy hope. He deserves the world and never got it."

"I never wanted to hurt you, And," he whispered, reaching for her hand only for her to pull it away. "I liked your Uncle without every knowing him," Andy admitted. "He was genuinely nice to Pappy and he made him feel special. I admired Spider-Man because he did the same thing."

Peter's face fell at the mention of his uncle but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he was compared to him in such a good way. "Thanks for being a decent human being."

At those words, Andy took a step back and ran a hand through her hair. She began to walk away with Peter letting her when she turned back around one last time. "I've seen some crazy things in my life, Pete. My life isn't normal, but you- being with you... it made my life a little more normal than usual," she said with pursed lips. "I know it was all a lie, but it was still normal, even for a little while."

With that, Andy turned back around and walked slowly down the stairs. She wanted to turn back around, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. Peter had lied to her. She had been through hell and back and just needed someone to be honest with her, and she thought that was Peter until he showed her that he wasn't who he said he was. Andy was tired of people being able to walk out of her life because of their job. She told herself that it was because of that thought that she refused to get close to the Avengers again.

But maybe she was just scared of being alone.
his.

•••

"Where have you been?" Tony asked Andy once she arrived back to the compound that evening with a sullen look on her face and no desire to talk to anyone. She glanced behind her as she sat in a chair with her feet dangling over the edge and noticed Tony walking up the stairs with a frown on his face. "How long have you been here?" She wondered in pure confusion after knowing that she had gotten back an hour ago and Tony wasn't there. "I've been in the lab, your turn."

Andy sighed and watched as the man sat himself on the couch next to her with a stern expression on his face. "I was talking with Peter," she shrugged, turning her attention back to her book and flipping a page to continue with her reading. "Without telling anyone?" Tony snipped, annoyance lacing his words. Andy didn't look up and instead responded with a sigh, "This reading is due tomorrow."

Tony stood up and snatched the book from her hands. Andy jumped out of her seat, "Hey!"

"Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"

Andy rolled her eyes, "Because I'm not twelve! I went to see Peter, big deal!"

"I hope you're using protection," Tony muttered under his breath before tossing the book on the coffee table. "Gross! Tony!"

"Hey, I used to be a teenager," he said in defense with his hands raised in surrender at his side. "Like a hundred years ago! This is present day!"

Tony scoffed, "Try thirty years ago."

Andy huffed and walked into the adjacent kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge. When she closed it, Tony was leaning right next to it and she jumped as she was startled. "God, what do you want?"

"You're in a bad mood. More than usual. What's up?"

Andy ignored his question and went back to her chair to grab her book. But Tony beat her to it and grabbed her wrist to spin her around, something she didn't take too kindly too. "Leave me alone, I have work to do. Homework."

"If you tell me what's up then I'll go back to the lab and leave you alone."

Andy shook her head and ripped her arm from his grasp, "No deal."

Tony grinned and pulled out his phone, twirling it in his hands evily, "Then I guess I'll have to call Mr. Parker myself. Peter, you said?"

As he began typing numbers into his phone, Andy threw her hands up and groaned, "Fine! I went to end things, whatever we had is over! Good? Great!"

As she stomped away Tony ran after her and called out for her to wait to which she turned back to face him with her arms folded over one another. "Why? You guys were so cute together! Wittle Melisande with Wittle Peter! I shipped it," he grinned.

Andy grimaced, "Stop talking! Ew!"

Tony frowned when he saw she was truly upset and walked over to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What happened, Mel?"

Andy looked down for a brief moment before shrugging, "He's Spider-Man, Tony. He lied to me..."

"Can't you work it out? You are Piracy, you're lying just as much as him."

Andy shook her head, "No, i-it's different. I asked him and he lied. Besides, I can't handle anymore people leaving me. Someone with a job like that is bound to get hurt and I'm not putting myself through it anymore. It stops here, it stops in this room."

Tony looked at her eyes, eyes full of hurt and betrayal. Eyes full of loss, anger, sadness, frustration. He knew what she was going through, he knew what she needed. She needed people to be there for her, people that wouldn't leave when things got tough. "Okay," he nodded simply.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Andy gave him a small smile before waving her book in the air, "I've got homework, Da--" the girl stopped herself. Her mind went blank and Tony's eyes snapped up. Quickly, she stepped back and ran a hand through her hair, "I'll see you later, Tony."

Tony watched her walk off with clear speed in her pace. She closed her door to the long hall beside her and took a deep breath, one that she didn't know she had been holding in.

Tony turned around and smiled.

She almost called him dad.