Eloise's phone rings for the thousandth time, but she ignores it and sinks further under her covers. She doesn't even know how many days she has been closed in her room, the window covered, only getting up to go to the bathroom. After she was questioned at the police station, Eloise has had a lingering feeling of numbness. Her mind is foggy and she can't seem to fall asleep despite lying in bed all day. She just feels drained. And, honestly, she just wants to be alone.

Of course, there are several people who make sure that doesn't happen. Peter checks up on Eloise as often as he can with his busy schedule and knowing the feeling of wanting to be left alone. He tries to console Eloise, to let her know that he understands her pain and is a shoulder she can cry on, but she brushes him off. He did the same to his friends when his uncle died, but he still feels hurt by the action. Ned and MJ come over once each. Ned hasn't experienced a lot of death in his life, so he awkwardly tries his best to lift Eloise's spirits. When MJ visits Eloise out of nowhere, the strange girl just puts in a movie and watches it with her in silence. Although Eloise doesn't feel like being with anyone, she appreciates the action. Some of the people she expected to visit her didn't, such as Elena, Lucy, and Luis. Luis and Elena texted, and Alev calls her, but there's radio silence from Lucy. Eloise doesn't know how to feel about that.

May is Eloise's rock during these next few days. Despite working a full-time job and having her own nephew to take care of, the Italian woman makes it a priority to make sure that Eloise isn't grieving alone when that's the one thing she wants. May also tells her parents about the murder and how Eloise was there, and they actually seem to ease up around her. They don't scold her for spending the entire day locked in her room like they usually would.

Bucky doesn't call until a couple days pass. Eloise doesn't pick up, but he leaves a sympathetic message and tells her to call him back.

But she doesn't want to. She doesn't really want to do anything for a while, but there's one thing she knows she has to do.

Eloise wakes up on Thursday with a text from Alev saying that the funeral is the following day. She sits up in her bed, unwashed hair in tangles and dark moons stamped under her eyes. She glances at the window and sees the bright afternoon sun seeping in from the cracks between her blinds. Yawning, Eloise lies back down and covers her eyes with her blanket.

Peter races to return to the apartment building from the Avengers facility. He and Tony still aren't getting any closer to figuring out anything about Zagan and Dark Menace, but Tony saw the way Peter's foot kept tapping against the floor and how he was unfocused and he told him to go home early. Usually Peter would turn him down, but today he accepted the opportunity to get back and see Eloise. He has given her space, but he still wants to be there for her. He was glad to have Ned to help keep Peter from drowning in grief and sadness when Uncle Ben passed.

Peter knocks on the front door of the Jones's apartment. The last time he wanted to check on Eloise, he couldn't get in because she had locked the window.

The front door unlocks and opens, revealing a tall man in nice jeans and ironed shirt. Even though there aren't many similar characteristics, Peter recognizes him as Eloise's father.

Mr. Jones looks down at Peter, a scowl forming on his face.

Peter wrings his hands together and gives him a small smile. "Hi, I'm Parker, I mean, Peter." He takes a deep breath. "Peter Parker."

Mr. Jones raises a brow.

Awkwardly, Peter looks down at his hands before returning his eyes to the intimidating man in front of him. "Could I, uh, could I see Eloise, please? I'm her friend."

Mr. Jones starts to decline, ready to slam the door in the teenager's face, but he hesitates. Eventually, he nods.

A wave of relief washes over Peter as the man opens the door wider, letting him in. When Mr. Jones closes the door behind the teen, he says, "That door stays open."

With his back to Mr. Jones as he makes his way to Eloise's room, Peter rolls his eyes.

He knocks three times on her door. He waits, listening as she shuffles, but doesn't get up to open the door. Peter frowns and knocks again. When he still gets no response, he rests a hand on the wooden door and says, "Hey, El. It's Peter."

She doesn't reply.

Dropping his hand to the doorknob, Peter waits to twist it. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," comes her quiet voice, muffled by her blanket over her head.

Peter opens the door and pokes his head in first. When his eyes immediately find her on her bed, curled up in a small ball under her covers, he steps in all the way and shuts the door behind him.

Eloise feels the mattress dip beside her. She decides she should at least acknowledge his presence, so she slowly extends her legs from being pressed to her chest and sits upright next to Peter. Her blanket lies on her lap over her gray pajama shorts.

She turns to Peter beside her. He's already looking down at her, his worried eyes taking in her image from her messy hair to her dull blue eyes. It saddens him, seeing her eyes that were once so bright lose their spark.

Peter looks down at his hands. "How are you holding up?"

"Could be better," she replies, her voice rough from the lack of speaking these past few days. Eloise runs the pad of her finger over the fabric of the blanket. Her voice taking on a quieter tone, she says, "The funeral is tomorrow."

Peter looks over at her. She chews her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Are you going?"

She frowns. "Of course I am."

"I'm sorry," Peter quickly apologizes, not wanting to upset the girl any more than she is. "I just, I meant that you don't have to go if you don't feel well enough to. I think everyone would understand if you need to stay home."

Eloise shakes her head, rubbing the grogginess from her eyes. "No, I'll be fine, I need to go. I'll regret it if I don't." She lets her hands drop to her lap, and she turns to Peter. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you, and everyone else."

"Don't worry about it," Peter assures her as he moves his hand over hers. He leans forward and presses a chaste kiss to her head. "I understand, don't feel bad about it."

Eloise nods, but she can't help but let her guilt and shame grow as she thinks of everyone who has tried reaching out to her. She didn't talk to MJ and she ignored Ned. She didn't call Bucky and she didn't let him know that she's okay. She didn't even send a quick text to her friends saying that she's okay. She has just been ignoring them, and the guilt of it is just hitting her. It seems like no matter what she does and what she goes through, she always finds something to feel guilty about. And it's exhausting. But she can't help it.

Eloise ducks her head and lets her hair shield her face. Her brow pulls forward as she thinks about everyone she has shut out these past few days.

Peter feels her struggle and tucks her hair behind her ear. He frowns. "What're you thinking about?"

Letting out a shaky breath, she shakes her head. "It's nothing, I just—I just feel bad, you know? Because so many people are reaching out to me, but I'm ignoring them, and I still just feel so alone even though May, Luis, Elena, Bucky, Ned, and MJ, and you, are here for me and I . . ." She covers her face with her hands. "And I just feel like it's, like it's my fault, you know?"

"This had nothing to do with you," Peter shuts her thoughts down firmly, yet with care. He knows how it feels. He knows exactly how it feels to think it's his fault that someone died, but he actually was at fault in his case. He let his emotions control his actions and didn't stop a robber from escaping a shop with stolen merchandise. He let him go. And then the robber pulled a gun on his uncle whom was walking by. He was shot because of Peter. And the feeling was heart-shattering. There's no way he's letting Eloise feel the same. "It's not your fault at all, don't let yourself believe that."

At the amount of emotion behind his voice, Eloise nods. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and gently bites the skin.

Sighing, Peter leans his shoulder into hers. "You know, people are starting to wonder where Shadow is."

"So am I," she murmurs, picking at her nails.

Peter frowns. "What do you mean?"

She shrugs, even the action having no energy in it. "I don't know if I'll put the mask back on. How can I protect Queens if I can't even protect my friend?"

"That's so different," Peter argues gently. "And, again, it's not your fault."

She just shrugs again.

Peter sighs, realizing the conversation is going nowhere. He switches gears and changes the subject. "Bucky's worried about you."

"I'll call him back soon."

"Eloise," Peter says, tone turning more serious. His eyes level with hers. "Don't push everyone away."

She bites her lip and nods, but it's hard, and Peter knows that. He knows what it's like, and he probably knows better than she does that shutting people out is only harmful. Being alone in her room has only left her with her crippling sadness and it hasn't gotten any better.

Heaving out a heavy sigh, Eloise leans her head against Peter's shoulder. She closes her eyes and murmurs, "Are you going to the funeral?"

Peter hesitates. He wasn't exactly close with Cliff, but he did consider him a friend and he definitely felt the effects of his passing. The same goes for Ned.

"Yeah, and I'll let Ned know when it is so he can come too," he replies, looking down at her. "Do you think you'll go?"

Eloise opens her eyes and looks down at her hands as she mulls over her answer. Her immediate response would be of course, but she takes what Peter said earlier into count. Finally, she says, "I think so."

She looks up at Peter, her head still on his shoulder. He looks back down at her with a thoughtful gaze.

"Thank you," she whispers, eyes filled with sincerity. "You're so patient with me and you've stayed by my side through everything that has been going on. I can't thank you enough, Peter."

Peter presses his lips against her forehead and wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She smiles for the first time in a few days and melts into his side.

"I am in love with you," he says, slightly nervous as he spills his heart to the girl in his arms. "I love every part of you, and our circumstances can't change that."

Eloise leans her forehead against his. His soft breaths fanning across her face, the little freckles on his nose, the warmth in his chocolate eyes—all of him momentarily distracts her from the pain that has been swelling in her chest the past week.

She doesn't let her gaze stray from his. "I love you."

Her arms go around his neck as she loses herself in this moment. The words they have exchanged cause a deep warmth to bloom in their chests as it takes away some of the sting from the grief. In each others' arms, the two broken teens realize that life is unpredictable and cruel at times, but that doesn't mean it's all darkness. If you know where to look, you'll find a light that will help you through the hard times. To some people, the light is music, or the light is God, and sometimes the light is a person. It isn't guaranteed that you'll be lead out of the darkness as soon as you find the light, but you will develop hope.

Right now, as Peter and Eloise study each other, they come to the conclusion that everything will be okay in the end.

_____

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ALSO GO READ MASKED HEARTS BY acreativeblur . IT'S MY FAVORITE PETER PARKER BOOK. SHE IS AN AMAZING WRITER AND HONESTLY HOW SHE DESCRIBES GRIEF IS BEYOND PERFECTION.

Chapter Song:
Two | Sleeping At Last