chapter nine; joan miró

Magnolia Prince liked Thai food. It was her favourite cuisine by far; she loved the flavours that exploded in her mouth once her lips hit her spoon, as well as the beautiful colours and textures in each different meal. But for some reason (possibly that she had just found out that one of her only friends was a crime-fighting superhero...you know, the usual stuff), she was struggling to finish her Khao Pad, instead choosing to push the rice around her plate as if it were some sort of entertainment.

"So, Maggie, how're you settling in?" May asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence the trio had all been sitting in for a while now. Maggie was stuck between the two Parkers, trying her best to avoid Peter's oh-so-subtle burning gaze in the side of her head. He had been looking at her the entire time they had been here, but had also attempted to make himself not look too obvious (it hadn't worked in the slightest).

"Pretty good actually, I've gotten to know people quite well," she forced a smile, before it faltered a little bit as she realised what she had said. Peter tensed a little, so she chose to change the subject. "This place is really great, May. I've been struggling to find a good Thai restaurant since I moved here."

"We come here all the time, don't we Peter?" May's eyes travelled over to her nephew, who responded with a tight-lipped smile and a quick nod. The older woman deflated a little, as her efforts to lighten the mood clearly weren't working. "Gosh, what's the matter with you? I thought you loved larb?"

Maggie didn't spare a glance at the boy beside her. Her eyes were instead set on the colourful dinner on the table below. Someone had etched a 'cool S' into the wooden top, though she noticed whoever had drawn it had accidentally done it backwards.

"Is it too larb-y?" May continued, trying to force some words out of Peter, who stabbed at his dinner and clenched his jaw. Maggie shrunk a little in her seat, tracing the backwards letter with her index finger. "Not larb-y enough. How many times do I have to say larb...before you talk to me? You know I larb you."

"It's just the...internship, May," Peter finally responded, and Maggie shrunk down a little further. She hoped this conversation wouldn't get too deep with her around, though she was more than happy to excuse herself to go and cry in the bathroom. "And I'm tired."

Me too, bitch, you ain't special. Maggie thought, tilting her head a little.

"The Stark internship," May hummed, leaning forward a little bit. "I have to tell you, I'm not a fan of that Tony Stark. You're distracted all the time, he's got you in your head. What's he got you doing, anyway? You need to use your instincts."

"An explosion earlier tonight, after an ATM robbery was thwarted by Queens' own colourful local crime-stopper, the Spider-Man," Maggie's attention was caught by the television in the corner of the restaurant, and she felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of the red and blue hero snapped outside a port-a-potty. It was so different now that she knew; she didn't see the Spider-Man anymore, she just saw Peter in a costume. The joy of having the mysterious hero had left her, and she didn't know whether or not she liked it. "As the Spider-Man attempted to foil their heist, a powerful blast was set off, slicing through the bodega across the street. Miraculously, no one was harmed."

"If you spot something like that happening, you turn and you run the other way," May's voice sharpened slightly as she looked back at Peter, her eyes also landing on Maggie for a few seconds. The teenage girl slid even further into her chair, though if she went any more she'd be on the floor.

"I need to use the bathroom," the girl piped up sheepishly, pushing her seat out and jumping up, rushing towards the back of the restaurant. She didn't mean to be so sudden and awkward, but she didn't look back to see the reactions of the people she had left behind. She was far too flustered for that kind of participation.

Luckily for the young girl, the restroom wasn't hard to find. Tears were already welling up in her eyes as she rushed down the hall caught between the kitchen and the outer wall. Maggie nearly collapsed as her shoulder hit the door, and she pushed herself into the confined space, trying to catch her breath. Her hands quickly found her hair and she anxiously tugged until her scalp was in immeasurable pain.

"It's okay, Maggie," she whispered to herself, trying to de-escalate the situation before it became any worse. "You're okay. You can keep a secret, can't you? It'll just take a little bit of time to get used to. You're fine, you're okay."

If anyone had walked in on her, they'd think she were slightly mad, but she was far past caring at this point. She needed to collect herself, and she couldn't do that in front of her superhero friend and his Aunt.

Eventually, Maggie was able to catch her breath, and she looked up at the small mirror across from her, her eyes meeting her reflection. Her hair was disarrayed and her eyes were a little bloodshot, but otherwise, she was okay. 

She was okay.

The girl reached for the cold water tap and ran her fingers under the spout, before flicking droplets against her face. The cool sensation seemed to bring the red heat in her cheeks to a slow, and she began to feel her body proceed to settle. 

She was okay.

Upon the swift return to the table, May and Peter were nearly finished with their meals. Maggie apologised for her absence and tried to force the food on her plate down her throat despite not having any appetite. Peter was still staring at her, but she knew she'd probably throw up out of fear if she looked back at him. 

"You feeling alright, Maggie?" May asked, reaching forward and placing her hand on the girl's arm. Maggie nodded.

"Yeah, just a bit of a headache," Maggie responded with a soft smile, nibbling on a carrot. May nodded, sitting back in her chair and placing her cutlery on the side of her plate, signifying that she was done. 

★☆

"It was great seeing you, Maggie!" May called out as Maggie stepped out of the car, beginning to walk up to her apartment building. The girl turned and waved, before her heart fell at the sight of Peter jumping out and running over to her. 

"Peter," she began, her eyes quickly averting to the ground. Peter hesitated, before he placed his hand on her shoulder. 

"Maggie, listen," he interjected, his eyes filled with worry and slight hurt that she hadn't spoken to him all evening. "I'm sorry, i-it's just that nobody's supposed to know, and I-I didn't know what to do when you and Ned saw me-"

"I saw my drawings," Maggie said softly, causing Peter to trail off. The girl lifted her head so that their gazes met, and Peter tensed a little bit in confusion, before he realised what she meant. "That's how I figured it out. The night Spider-Man saved me, I told him he could keep my drawings. I saw them in your room, and it clicked. Pete, I'm not gonna tell anyone, okay? I think what you're doing is great, trust me, it's just...I need a little time to process the fact that one of my friends is a superhero, you know?"

Peter smiled shyly, before pulling Maggie in for a hug. Maggie squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around his stomach, her forehead pressing against his chest. 

Oh for goodness sake, of course he smelled nice. 

The two teenagers pulled away from each other, and Peter exhaled slightly, his breath fogging a little in the cool night. "Thanks for understanding, Maggie. You're a great person, and an even better friend."

Maggie flushed a little and looked down at her feet, before back up to see Peter walking away. He waved as he climbed back into May's car, and they drove off, leaving her by herself. 

The warmth in her stomach disappeared as she was alone once more, and Maggie sighed, before turning around and walking back to the brick building she called home. 

Upon entering the apartment, Maggie embraced Marty and apologised for having been gone so long. She saw his leash and a note on the table from their next door neighbour, who offered to walk and feed the St Bernard during the day, which was super helpful considering there was hardly anyone home anymore. 

The girl collapsed on the sofa and reached for one of her many drawing pads and pencils from the coffee table. Flicking through the pages, Maggie noticed how many of her works were of eyes. The same eyes, it seemed. She had noticed it before, but now it had properly sunk in. They were eyes she looked into almost everyday, ones that showed a variety of emotions, half of which she had troubling feeling herself. They were inspiring, beautiful and full of potential.

"Oh, my god," Maggie groaned as it clicked in her head, throwing the pad onto the sofa beside her. 

Of course.

They were the eyes of Peter fucking Parker. 

★☆

let's hope that wasn't weird

sorry i've been gone so long lol

i've had this in my drafts for months but,,,, writers block,,,, yah know??? it just be like that sometimes