ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. IN THIS CASE, IT WAS THE DELICATE STRUCTURE OF HER LIFE. With the quick change of the calendar, her entire world crashed down, as it had every single year. She had felt the buildup, the tensions rise as it neared the date, but it all came to a head when the date was reached.

Peter wasn't there to help her through it.

She hadn't been at school the days nearing the date, Rosie taking pity on her and letting her have her space. She took her dinners in her room as she had normally done and barely spoke to anyone. Peter himself had stopped his visits that week after overhearing Flash explaining the situation to Harry and Gwen.

She had initially tried talking to Nicky, but it had gotten to be too much and she decided to talk to him once it passed.

That Friday, Harry had texted her, asking if Peter had mentioned anything about an internship. When she answered back that she hadn't, he explained that her boyfriend had left school early, breathlessly explaining that he had been chosen for an internship of sorts.

Peter hadn't told her. She tried texting him, but he didn't reply, probably because he was busy.

She knew better than to expect him to conform to her needs and pushed away the selfish thoughts that arose, but she would be lying if she said she didn't wish he was with her.

She was plagued with memories, her mind spinning elaborate fantasies the way it had in the museum all those months ago.

It filled her with the utmost happiness, the kind that tore at her heart and squeezed until it broke. The cruelest form of torture.

She sat on her bed, her heart aching, staring at the pictures she had hidden from everyone else. She only brought them out on that day.

She was home alone, the Thompsons having gone out in the morning with the rest of the city. She had gone with them the first year, but that was the only time. Never again.

She still hadn't cried, but she knew it would only be a matter of time.

She stared up at the ceiling, trying not to scream. She wanted to, but she couldn't even open her mouth.

She didn't want to move or cry or even think. She just wanted it to stop.

She felt her throat close painfully and her eyes start to burn. The tears burned, but were too dry, leaving her gasping for breath that she still had.

She imagined her mother opening the door, bringing her hot chocolate like she always did, her father behind her, lightly arguing that hot chocolate would hurt her throat and water or soup was better.

She would sigh because she always took her parents for granted and take the chocolate, knowing that the water and soup would come later.

Because her parents were still alive, she would probably have more friends and would be texting or Snapchatting them. Maybe she wouldn't even be friends with Gwen or Harry. She liked to think she would, though, but maybe Gwen would be on the cheer squad, but maybe she would too. Maybe Harry would be as cold and as mean as he said he was before. Maybe he had never tried to be better. Maybe she wouldn't because maybe she wouldn't even be friends with Flash. Maybe she would be friends with him and Sally Avril. Maybe she would be friends with Harry or maybe he would ignore them all.

Maybe she didn't even go to Midtown, she didn't even meet Gwen or Harry. Maybe Harrison was still alive, maybe he went too far, maybe Flash didn't even make it to freshman year.

Maybe she was mean to Peter. Maybe she never found him in the alley, maybe he found someone else to help him or maybe no one at all. Maybe someone went too far with him, maybe she wouldn't know he was gone.

So many maybes and the more she thought, the more painful it became because she didn't want to live in a reality where these maybes existed, but she wanted to live in the reality where her parents were still alive.

She just wanted to be okay.

Peter texted her later that afternoon.

She had just pulled herself through another panic attack—she kept a tally so she could tell Nicky later on because that was what she used to do with her old psychologist back when the entire Thompson family went—when her phone buzzed.

She waited a few minutes before picking it up. When she saw his name, her heart both fell and soared.

He had sent her a video message. She frowned at the thumbnail. It was of someone in a tight suit, the mask reminding her of a bug. It must have been Peter. In an odd suit.

Internship. Of course.

She warily pressed play, watching as the screen turned to Peter narrating in what failed to be a deep voice as a car drove, a man interrupting him part way, telling him that he couldn't show anyone the video. Peter had agreed, only to whisper a quick hello to her after the dividing screen of the car went up.

It then went to them in a private plane, Peter having absolutely no idea what to do. In any other circumstance, she would have found it endlessly endearing. Now, it was almost tiring.

It then went to him talking about how he was in Berlin—that made her eyes go wide—and how no one told him what he was doing there. She frowned; it sounded like he was being used.

She watched as he fawned over his hotel room, talking to himself in front of a mirror, asking her to wish him luck. It was a little too late for that. He was then ushered to another part of his hotel room—she, herself, was surprised by its size—where he was introduced to his upgraded suit, the one in the thumbnail.

He ripped off his mask to reveal his messy hair and beyond ecstatic expression, stuttering and practically squealing in delight.

She didn't even smile.

It then switched to him fighting the Avengers of all people in an airport. The videos were short and didn't make much sense then, but she understood the gist. He was an Avenger.

It then went to him back in the hotel room where he started, his hair wet and changed into normal clothes.

He was shouting, his words a garbled mess, frantically trying to explain his entire day and how amazing it was, running a hand through his hair, trying to gesture how wonderful and unreal his experience was.

She turned off her phone and threw it across the room.

º º º º º

The Thompsons returned with unwanted company.

"Why are you here?" she shrieked, trying to pull away from Flash who had grabbed her to keep her from running away.

"We just want to talk to you," her aunt said. Her biological aunt.

"I don't wanna talk to you!" she cried, struggling, "I don't wanna talk to you, I don't wanna talk to anyone! I just wanna be alone!" She sobbed, gripping the front of Flash's shirt.

"Diana, please," Flash whispered.

"No!" she screamed, "No, they're gonna take me away, I don't wanna go! I wanna stay with you and Peter, I want my parents, I want—" she fisted her hands in his shirt, her sobs turning into screams.

"No, they won't!" Flash shouted, shaking her, "Listen to me, they won't!"

"You're lying!" she shrieked, shoving him back, "You're lying, you just want me gone because you never wanted me here, your aunt and Danny's stupid grandma was right, I'm a burden, you don't want me—"

"I love you, you idiot!" Flash shouted, grabbing her shoulders, "I joined the fucking academic decathlon team to keep you around and 'cause you believed I was smart just like your stupid boyfriend!"

"If you love me so much, then why'd you bring them here?"

"Because Danny was lying! He was lying this whole time and if you would just listen to me—"

She shoved him back and raced into her room, slamming the door and locking it. She slid against the wood, trying to think.

Maybe Flash was right, maybe Danny was lying. It didn't make sense, he and his family were too close.

Flash loved her, he didn't want her to leave. He thought Peter was stupid, but she knew he thought he was smart because she remembered all the nights where Flash would cry because no one thought he would be any better than a dumb jock and he wished he was as smart as stupid Peter Parker.

Peter Parker. He was fine without her, he got new upgrades, he had a team now, she saw it in the video, he was happy and that was all she could want for him.

But she wanted to be happy too.

There was a knock on the door. "Diana?"

She sniffed. "Enjoy the funeral service, Aunt Daphne? You even visit mom's grave?"

A sigh. "I'm sorry for the pain my son caused you. My mother-in-law, she's...awful. She put him up to this, it wasn't my idea."

She huffed. "Your son paid two guys to beat up my boyfriend." He could have fought back, but it was the intention. "Those same guys mugged Flash. I hate your son."

"I don't blame you."

She scoffed and looked over at her phone. It was still where she had left it, but it was lighting up.

She crawled over and checked it. Five missed calls and nine texts. All from Peter.

from: Peter (5:03 pm)
Hey, did you see the video?

from: Peter (5:05 pm)
I saw you saw it, but did you
finish it I asked for you to call
are you busy?

from: Peter (5:10 pm)
Doc?

from: Peter (5:17 pm)
Hey, I wanted to tell you but
you weren't at school and I
knew you wanted space

from: Peter (5:56 pm)
Diana?

from: Peter (6:03 pm)
Are you mad at me?

from: Peter (6:05 pm)
I'm sorry if you are, I didn't
mean to upset you, please just
talk to me

from: Peter (6:10 pm)
Doc, please, you're worrying me

from: Peter (6:30 pm)
Just talk to me when you're ready.
I love you

She stared at the last text. Any other time, she would have reacted differently.

She turned on the camera and opened her door, taking a picture of her aunt, sending it to him. He replied immediately.

from: Peter (6:58 pm)
Call me later. Please.

She sighed.

to: Peter (6:58 pm)
Okay

She looked up at her aunt. "Explain."

º º º º º

"So, your aunt and uncle wanted to see if you want to live with them or at least stay with them for some time. It's entirely your choice and that whole 'worthy' thing was all a lie that your aunt's mother-in-law wanted Danny to tell."

"Yup."

"And Danny lied because he wanted to get what his parents wanted and his parents wanted a healthy loving relationship with you."

"Yup."

"Wow."

It was the night after the anniversary, Peter having returned back from his "internship" the night of, having been dropped off by Tony Stark himself.

She had initially asked him about his trip and he was more than happy to describe every detail, but quickly moved back to the matter at hand.

"So...Flash texted me. He said you had a bit of a meltdown."

She raised an eyebrow. "You text Flash?"

He shook his head. "More like Harry gave him my number when he called in a panic last night because you freaked out."

She sighed. "Can you blame me?"

He shook his head. "No, not really. I heard they offered you a deal. You gonna take it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think I should?"

He crawled over from the foot of the bed to lie down next to her, pulling her close. He closed his eyes and dropped his head onto her shoulder.

"Do what you want to?"

She ran a hand through his neat hair, messing it up the way she had seen it in the video.

"This weekend was a mess."

He laughed softly. "I'll say. I'm sorry I wasn't here to be with you."

She shook her head. "It's alright. Nicky listened to me and Harry gave me tips on how to get through panic attacks. Besides, you were off being an Avenger."

"Mr. Stark said that he'd mentor me," Peter said brightly. Then he dimmed, ashamed. "Sorry, you were saying?"

She just ran a hand through his hair. "I was thinking about what would have happened if my parents were still alive and...I dunno. I like how I am now, but I'm still not okay."

He shrugged. "People heal differently. You just need more time."

She sighed. "How much time, though? I mean...I want to be okay."

He kissed the top of her head. "I know. Me too."

"Did you mean it?" she asked a few minutes later, just before Peter dozed off.

"Mean what?" he mumbled, cheek resting on her head.

"Do you love me?"

A pause.

"You know...I think I have for a while."

Another pause.

"I think I love you too."

Yet another pause.

"You think?"

A sigh.

"I don't know what it's like to. I haven't–I don't–I don't know how it feels, but I wouldn't be surprised if I do."

Silence.

"Doc?"

"Yeah, Bugs?"

"Thank you for helping me in the alley."

A kiss.

"Thank you for loving me."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 06.30.17 )

Okay, like...this chapter was just...I wish that I prolonged their relationship and had chapters for it and stuff but let it be known they've been dating for two months now. This story is getting to be pretty long, so I just needed to keep fast forwarding.

EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: the reason the two moved so fast is because it'll all be explained in Part Two.

I like how I never said her name, I just kept referring to her as 'she' you know?

Okay, so, in this I kept the May date (or did I?) because the dates for both the first Avengers movie and Civil War line up pretty well so Peter would be gone and so on and so forth.

Flash in canon envies Peter for his almost natural smarts.

I know that Diana's character kind of pulled a 180 these past chapters, but I that's just because she's in states of heightened emotions and she can keep them bottled up when she's alone, but when she's with others, they come to a head and she has difficulty expressing them at times.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! (I wish it was better.)