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SIGHTSEEING AND
SPIDER-MAN?

"Broken hearts are beautiful
because they grow stronger each
day." —Bridgett Devoue
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ADELINE couldn't remember when was the last time she woke up to a sunny day, in London, it was either light rain or dark clouds looming over the sky. The last five days consisted of Harry celebrating with his classmates, rearranging her bedroom while receiving a few gifts, and sleeping in because of the change in time zones. Nonetheless, she felt like an outsider within the walls, both the Osborn men had their own plans and it seemed like she was interfering. It's not like she had friends here that she can go out with, there was only Harry, Peter, and their other (unofficial) friend Mary Jane.

However, she decided to forget about it and instead enjoy the breakfast left by the family butler, assuming it was freshly prepared. Bernard was kind enough to serve warm strawberry french toasts, a glass of milk, and a side of poached eggs beside the desk drawer. Hungrily savoring each bite with a satisfying hum, Adeline calmly finished the meal before getting up to start the day. It was already afternoon and no one came up to check on her. Still wearing her cotton pajamas and a white robe, the girl walked out the room to search if anyone was still around at the penthouse. 

There was silence at first throughout the hallway, with the occasional ticking from the grandfather clock by the staircase. That was— until hearing two hushed voices below, curiosity piqued her interest as she strolled downstairs. Norman was gathering his overcoat and briefcase before heading out with Harry having a disheartened expression. She couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, inching closer but it was evident it wasn't anything good. Her brother sighed sharply and then commented, "Adeline is finally home and you continue to act like she's not here."

"That's not true, son. You know I love you both more than anything." Their father countered, subconsciously fixing the tie and looking at the mirror with a concerned look. Norman continued to be in a frail state but hid it from them to avoid receiving unwanted questions, giving Harry a sterned glare. Seeing how he was about to protest on her behalf, Adeline couldn't just stand and watch it happen before her eyes.

"What's going on?" She spoke out, both of them turned in her direction and they feigned similar smiles. The young Osborn could see right through their lies but pretended to not notice it, reaching the last step of the staircase. Norman got closer to place both hands on the shoulders, firmly making sure that she looked directly at him with a neutral glaze.

"I have to attend an emergency meeting, sweetheart." He insisted, awaiting her response with a gentle smile. Adeline couldn't deny that she felt like it was going to be a long summer if it meant he was always busy with his career. Not that she didn't hate him for that, it just gets old not pretending she was always happy.

"Oh... I know how important it must be." The young girl responded with a small grin, reaching towards the tie to adjust it perfectly. Part of her did imagine the many conversations they had when she wasn't around, got her thinking if the topic was always about her.

"Harry, would you care to take your sister around so she doesn't get bored?" Norman questioned to break the silence, Harry nodded silently in obedience. However, he simply bit his tongue to prevent remarking or getting too stubborn for his own good.

"Dad— do you know when you'll be back?" Adeline asked suddenly, seeing how inappropriate it was to ask something so gullible. Her eyes filled with hope that today would be different, but he already gave her the answer she needed.

"I'm afraid not, but tomorrow I have the day off. I'll make it up to you then, alright?" Their father stated, observing how disappointed she became yet nodded in acknowledgment. He felt how guilt slowly consumed him for resenting her for years, nonetheless, Norman just couldn't remove the image of how alike Adeline was to Emily.

"Alright," Adeline muttered calmly, his mind almost flickering between seeing his dead wife and daughter. Hearing his inner voice saying some rather tempting words, he tried hushing the Goblin before doing something extreme. Managing to push aside the sudden thoughts, he gently grabbed her chin higher to look at him.

"Good girl," He answered with a half-smile, pulling Adeline into a hug while stroking her head. She didn't waste a second to return the touch, always thinking if it was the last but he cut too short for her liking. Norman reached into his pants pocket to get his wallet out, taking a credit card before handing it to her. He took another glance and announced, "Before I forget, here's my credit card, and don't worry about the expenses."

Harry stepped forward to give a quick embrace and slowly took his sister back upstairs, handing her a brochure of New York's attractions. Staring down at her hand with curiosity, she turned to him and wanted to ask about what it was. Instead, she felt how he was pushing Adeline towards her bedroom and shut it afterward. It only left her confused by the sudden urgency and heard his muffled voice from the distance, "I got us a tour guide so go change... and wear comfortable shoes!"

She chuckled at his strange behavior, walked to the vanity mirror to drop off the items, and started planning what to wear. The latest fashion items were in her newly renovated wardrobe as a late 'welcome back home gift' her father explained, something she wasn't expecting. Unaware that Harry was already dialing someone for some extra company, seeing that it would be a great time for Adeline to know each other again. He waited for a while and took the liberty of eating some treats from the leftover breakfast tray before heading out sightseeing.

After a bit, he made a few other calls until noticed she appeared by the living room to glance at their father's portrait. The girl decided to wear something casual yet elegant enough, a red shirt that accented the plaid skirt and black mid-heel shoes. Her face wrinkled in confusion and stared profusely to see if she remembered this particular one, only to realize she didn't. Leaning closer to delicately stroke the painting and trace the outline of the intricate designs. Walking closer to see how amazed she was at the precise detail it went through, pondering it must have cost a fortune.

"That's strange, I don't remember they made a portrait of dad here," Adeline pointed at it, admiring how it showed a rare moment with him almost smiling. She was always interested in art or history so it was nice to see something she liked, even if it wasn't science for once.

"That's because it was three years ago when you were still in—," Harry explained and then stopped to realize his mistake, seeing how Adeline only nodded silently. Guilty slowly rises from his chest as she was never around for years to know everything, thankfully before they could say anything their butler came around with keys in hand.

"Where shall I take you today, Mister Osborn?" Bernard formally greeted the pair, awaiting their instructions for today. She was about to ask where but saw how Harry shook his head with a small smile, indicating on leaving right away.

"No need for a car today, we'll walk." He explained, wrapping his arm around the shoulder to slowly guide her towards the elevator. Adeline reached down towards her purse to pull out the brochure to see where she would like to visit first. The rest of the ride down was oddly silent, him checking his watch and having an odd grin on his face.

"I know that look...." She cut him off from whatever he was thinking of, the elevator dinged that signaled they arrived at the bottom floor. Strolling out to the street and him guiding with ease, getting more curious at his insistence on going.

"What look?" Harry inquired with a feign look, thinking he could get away with it. Yeah— well it wasn't working on her.

"Let me guess— dad told you I could never leave your side." She asked sarcastically at his worried face, not once him letting go of her hand. Swarms of people were coming and he held a tight grip to prevent her from straying away. Remembering a few times taking the subway inside of their dad's fancy cars, to avoid getting attention just because of the family name.

"What? No, it's not that." Harry swiftly answered, crossing the street with some cars honking or hearing a police siren from the distance. Adeline could focus on one thing if it wasn't the people then the cars or the distracting tall buildings. Taking in the experience of getting to know her old city, a concept that felt foreign and strange for being born here.

"London was never this... noisy," Adeline noted quickly, yet Harry heard every word as he gave a tiny chuckle. The crowd lessened the closer they got to the station, practically jogging along to check the times and go downstairs to purchase some tickets. Vastly different from what appeared above the station, even taking a glance to admire the constellation mural on the ceiling.

"Trust me, that's nothing compared to others. Part of the reason why we live in the best neighborhood." He justified and slipped through the gates to follow the indicated letter for the train. Pointing at the map to show her where they would stop and visit some sight, Harry smiled softly as he recalled getting lost twice before figuring it out.

"I guess that makes sense, but where are we going?" Adeline answered as she shook her head in agreement. Wondering if this became a normal occurrence if he needed to escape from the penthouse— not that it wasn't nice. It just lacked the warmth a home should have.

"Now that's a surprise." He teased his sister, earning a tiny eye roll at his tone. She nudged his forearm jokingly to demonstrate her annoyance yet managed to prevent a large smile from letting out.

"Surprises, surprises." The young Osborn muttered under her breath, seeing that the train finally arrived and slowly got on. Throughout the whole ride, they didn't utter a word, mainly because the siblings were squeezed together between other people. Her mind could only think about protecting the camera to photograph her summer vacation while she still can. Without realizing they got off, her eyes wandered around for any clues. Eventually giving up and asking him, "Where do we go now?"

"First stop, the Empire State building," Harry showed through the brochure she had, the pair getting on the sideway from a different part of the city. She slowed them down by wanting to take shots of the lovely day, even managing to discreetly get a picture of him. The destination was still about a few blocks away, and when they did arrive the line to enter was insanely busy.

Adeline stuck close as they were soon next to the ticket booth, excitedly wanting to explore everything. She checked her camera lens for functionality, however accidentally overhears Harry paying for three. Pausing momentarily on was the other person, yet left no room for conversation as they made another line for the elevator. The girl began reading some cool fun facts to pass time but eyed her brother texting yet acted normal. That was until a voice called out to him, sounding oddly familiar.

"Glad you can make it, Pete." Her brother outstretched his arm for a handshake, glancing up to find Peter standing there. Then it clicked— of course, they would do everything together, sending a polite wave to the boy. Parker on the other hand also put the pieces together on the significance of the sudden urgency.

"It's great to see you again, Adeline." Peter greeted kindly, smiling while giving her a handshake. She was fazed on what was happening, quickly widening her eyes at what she was thinking about.

"Oh— you can call me Ada if you like. My name is too long anyway," Adeline expressed her preference, seeing how it was a nickname they also used back at the academy. He nodded in understanding, testing out how it sounded to which she smiled approvingly.

"So! Who's ready for what I planned for today?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ🧪: *.☽ .* :🕸 ﾟ. ───

"NEW York have their own superhero?" Adeline chimed in, looking between the two boys walking slightly behind her. The topic abruptly came up when they walked past a newspaper stand that had a blurred image of the masked hero. Intrigued by the notion of having a superhero in an ordinary world was unusual, and likely impossible without knowing their true origins. Peter was the first to question them, but was pleasantly surprised that she was curious about it. Compared to her previous mundane lifestyle back at the academy, this summer already sounded interesting.

"No one knows much about him and there's only been a few instances that they get glimpses." Harry passed the paper to her, directing the figure fighting against some ordinary criminals and webbing them. After visiting the Empire State Building and Times Square, they quickly were worn out and found a place to eat some late lunch.

"Well has anyone managed to get a clear shot?" The girl questioned with her eyebrows raised at the caption within the article, claiming that he doesn't deserve to be called a hero. Squinting her eyes to imagine how the masked vigilante appears, unfortunately, the dark background didn't do justice.

"Maybe he's just camera-shy." Peter joked at the awful snapshot the police captured. She gave a small chuckle at the lame remark, mentally agreeing that the hero was too fast for any camera to shoot him.

"Perhaps— too bad I don't know what he looks like." Adeline pondered, putting the paper away to focus on walking with the crowd. Getting slowly adjusted to the fast-paced environment, it's never dull in New York City.

"Let's look at the bright side... you're about to try the most amazing hamburger in New York!" Harry intervened as he basically dragged his sister inside to get a whiff of the scent. It was delightful, to say the least, a line was already formed as he was ahead to stand nearby.

"In that case, I want a strawberry milkshake too!" Adeline grinned excitedly, showing off that brilliant smile that showcased her perfect teeth. Feeling like a child during Christmas, this will be the third try getting some outside food for once.

"Just a coke for me," Peter called out, seeing how the siblings quickly split up with a plan. Adeline walked around looking for some empty spots, conflicted about where he should go with. The further she went away, he unconsciously followed behind her silently and glanced at how she gingerly searched.

"I thought you stayed with my brother." She questioned sincerely, catching Peter to stiffly raise his shoulders. Within a few minutes, they sat down at a table near the glass window as the pair stayed on opposite sides.

"I was but it wouldn't be okay to leave you alone," Parker expressed his concerns, earning a grateful nod from the girl.

"A genius and a gentleman. My Peter, are there any more surprises I should know about?" Adeline teased playfully that caught him off guard with feeling his cheeks heating up. Yet she gently laughed and apologized for the inappropriate comment but he insisted it wasn't a problem.

"So, what's your plan now that you graduated?" The female Osborn debated with her arms folded on the table, keen on what plans he had. It became a calm atmosphere for a while as he pondered, instantly Adeline felt ashamed of asking him, "Sorry, was I too forward? Maybe I should have not—."

"No no, it's fine. Well... I've always been fascinated with science. You know, Uncle Ben took me to a science camp once when I was ten. There was a scientist there that taught me almost everything I needed to know." Peter demonstrated, noticing a slight twinkle in his eyes when he spoke highly of his uncle. She remembered when her mother passed away, so it was something the girl can understand when dealing with loss.

"Hence the Science Award," Adeline recalled his graduation and showcased the certificate to her father, comprehending what his passion was. He nodded slowly as Peter briefly held a neutral expression, so she added to the conversation, "Harry mentioned you're getting a full-ride scholarship?"

"I did get the scholarship for Columbia University," Parker explained with a slight grin at his accomplishments, although it probably meant nothing to her.

"Really that's great!" She congratulated him, glad that his brother would also be attending with him. Seeing how close he was with Harry made her realize why she can't have a good friend like Peter, something Adeline secretly envied.

"And what about you?" He replied as the boy steadily looked into her warm chocolate eyes.

"Me? Well, I already have an idea of how my life is planned out— graduate high school, enter med school for my degree, then join my father in the science department." Adeline nonchalantly answered, knowing it was her obligation to follow the family business. Not that she minded helping create new studies or formulating ideas to change the world with one invention at a time.

"That must be... convenient," Peter noted with a slightly puzzled expression on if that's what she really wants. The girl began toying with her fingers and ring to ease her mind, staring down at her feet with a short sigh. Harry always got it easy, being the firstborn and a male almost guaranteed on carrying on the family name. Yet he muttered loud enough for her to hear, "But....?"

"But... I don't know. I guess I don't like the idea of ordering stuffy old men with suits or just because I'm an Osborn. That's why Harry gets the company, and I— well, let's see what fate does." Adeline shrugged her shoulders, tapping her painted nails along the forearm crossed. This piqued his interest when she mentioned one word.

"Fate?" Peter repeated the word, almost with incessant persistence. The way she carried herself in a conversation was refreshing, something that wasn't common back when he was at school.

"Yeah, I mean, I believe that our actions influence our outcome in life. Everything happens for a reason, whether you react or decide something else what you want to do. It might not make sense because it's always by chance, just like how we constantly wonder how it ends." She verbalized her intrusive thoughts, pausing to find him looking directly at her.

"You know, people don't think like that anymore," Peter whispered, shifting slightly forward with a small smile. She felt a flush creeping up her face, unsure why Adeline was feeling this new emotion— perhaps she just wasn't feeling well.

"Maybe not everyone but they should... just like there's no hero without a villain. One can't exist without the other."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Soon is about to be more interesting so please be patient with me! I'll introduce the others but I wanted to give a small taste of how the dynamic will be. Honestly, she's a cute sunshine girlfriend and I love her with my whole heart. Anyway, don't forget to comment, like, and please don't be a silent reader! Until next time my loves!