Peter Parker

You stood by the lockers, lost in your routine — your fingers sliding over the spines of your textbooks, your eyes quickly reading the titles of your notebooks, your head spinning over your homework list. The smell of chalk and cheap school coffee hung in the air. You expected Peter to come over any minute — his hair slightly tousled by the wind, a smile that warmed your insides, and his inevitable “sorry, I’m late,” even though he was never late for you. Instead, he came up to you - your biology classmate. The guy you sometimes laughed with in labs, but nothing more. He shifted from foot to foot, rubbing his neck awkwardly. His voice sounded uncertain, but firm

• Listen, I've liked you for a long time. You froze, your hand with the book hanging in the air. Your eyes slowly rose to him - surprised, confused. Your throat went dry.

• I'm sorry, but...

• But she loves me. You would recognize that voice out of a thousand. Calm, even, with a slight hint of iron. Peter appeared next to you, as always - on time. His hand confidently lay on your waist, and he slightly pulled you closer to him. His gaze was firm, not threatening, but in it you could read all the determination not to give you to anyone. The guy nodded in confusion and, without answering anything, turned away and walked away down the corridor. Peter stayed close. His fingers slid softly along your back as he leaned a little closer, almost touching your temple with his lips. Quietly, almost in a whisper, he said - I don’t care how many more guys try - I’m still the only one who will hold your hand. And you felt that strange, warm calm again. Since you started dating, it was like you came alive. Peter became your light in the middle of gray everyday life - with his embarrassed smile, slightly confused compliments, scratches on his arms and endless attention only to you.

He's the kind of guy who holds your hand not because he's afraid of losing you, but because he wants you to know he's there for you, period. Peter loves not loudly, not ostentatiously, but truly: in those short touches, in the way he straightens your jacket, in the way he remembers which locker your textbooks are in, and in the way he can say more with just one look than words.