THE CEMETERY WAS PRETTY DURING THE DAY. THAT WAS WHAT PETER TRIED TO FOCUS ON RATHER THAN THE SITUATION AT HAND. He had known it was a long time coming, over a month in the making. He just didn't think the day would come. He tried not to let his feet drag as he made his way to the large cemetery. It had been revamped years before, a memorial placed to commemorate those who were lost during The Incident. The unveiling had been a world-wide event and it moved many, himself included.

School had ended, but he wasn't jumping for joy. No, he had dreaded the last bell and the days to follow, especially the third. He wanted nothing more than to just sleep through the day, but he knew it wouldn't be right.

It was only for the summer.

He walked through the open gates, looking out at the large, empty cemetery. He had come at the time when no none else came, everyone always busy doing something else.

He noticed a figure standing by the graves in the patch designated for those who passed during The Incident and felt his heart grow heavy.

He slowed as he neared the figure, coming to stand next to her, placing his hands in his pockets to avoid taking her hand.

"I always come a month after the anniversary."

He didn't say anything. He just looked at the two graves and the new bouquets of flowers.

"After a month, everyone's already celebrated the anniversary, no one bothers to come anymore. No more press, no more people."

He braced himself. The story had long since been coming, though he already knew what it was.

"I had come once during the actual anniversary. It was the first one. It was this big thing and there was all this security and press and a live event. Huge.

"Flash had helped me push through the crowd. I could barely make it through the gates. Everyone was just so sad.

"It was hard to see all these people. They felt differently and they lost different people, but we were all sad. I could feel it and it hurt so much.

"I didn't pay attention to the ceremony. I dont think anyone really did, at least not the people who lost people. I think they all did what I did and just stared at the graves."

Peter took her hand, hearing her swallow thickly.

"Afterwards, someone came up to me for an interview. I was still a kid and I didn't want to be rude, so I agreed.

"The questions were okay at first, I guess, just asking how I felt about the ceremony and how I felt in general. They were okay to answer.

"Then they got bad. They asked who I lost and how I was going to survive. They just—they asked too much, I just lost my parents.

"I freaked out. I don't remember what I did, but everyone was staring and the cameras and Flash had to pull me away and I just—I swore I would never go back during the actual anniversary.

"That interview has dictated my entire life. Everyone has seen that interview. People when they hear my name know who I am. For an entire year, I had people recognizing me on the street. In New York. Some tried to be sympathetic, others made fun of me.

"People don't know how to talk to me. I don't know how to talk to me. I just—I miss my mom and dad."

Peter turned and pulled her into a hug, holding her up. He rubbed her back and whispered as she cried into his shirt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Diana pulled away, sniffing. She looked up at Peter, sighing. "My flight leaves in about three hours. I have to get home in half an hour."

He nodded stiffly. "Okay."

She sighed. "Did I make the right decision?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's just for the summer and maybe it'll be good. Connect and bond, you know?"

She placed her hands on his arms. "You'll text?"

He smiled. "Of course." He raised a hand and pulled at the chain of her necklace, running a hand over Pluto.

"Harry and Gwen cried the last day of school, did you see?" she asked, laughing mirthlessly. "For someone who claimed to be a pretty heartless asshole just last year, Harry sure knows how to cry."

He nodded. "Yeah. Is that why you didn't want to see anyone after school ended?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's just for the summer, but...I feel like a traitor. Everything that they did and I'm still going."

He shook his head. "This is your choice. You didn't betray anyone."

She bit her lip. "Who's gonna help you?"

He huffed. "Mr. Stark's been monitoring me. We're starting small. Besides, his new suit's a lot safer than my old one."

Her face fell even more than it already had. "So...no more doc and Bugs?"

His face fell as well, realization hitting. "N-no, I'm sure there's still..." he sighed and pulled away, running his hands over his face. "Shit, doc."

"This is good, though," she said, trying to pull him back, "We want you to be safer so you don't need a doctor. It's better if you don't need me."

"But I do need you!"

She wrapped her arms around him. "Peter..."

He dropped his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Diana."

After a moment, he pulled away, taking her hand. "I wanna introduce you to someone."

He pulled her away from her parents and over to the other side of the cemetery. They stopped in front of another grave, one with a familiar name.

"Hi, Uncle Ben."

Diana squeezed Peter's hand as he swallowed, voice cracking as he continued. "This is the girl I told you about. Diana. She's my girlfriend."

He laughed softly. "I remember how you used to joke about me getting a girlfriend. I wish you were around to meet her."

He glanced over at her and she smiled sadly, turning to the grave. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Parker. You sound like..." she glanced at Peter, realization dawning not only for him, but for herself, "You sound like a great dad."

Peter inhaled sharply, but he wasn't upset. She continued.

"You raised him well. He's gonna do amazing things. I'll take care of him for you. Me and Aunt May."

Peter wiped at his eyes. "He'd love you. You're a charmer."

She looked at him. "I mean it, Peter."

He kissed her. It was soft and slow and painful and made Diana's throat close as she cried, but it was all Peter.

"You should get going," he whispered, pulling away.

She nodded. "Okay."

He pulled her into a hug. "This is goodbye, doc?"

"I'd say so."

º º º º º

Diana sat in the taxi with Flash, Rosie, and Jesse, looking out the window. All of them were quiet, the tension in the air heavy as they neared the airport.

She closed her eyes, her hand fiddling with the Pluto charm, her heart heavy. It was only for the summer, but it was still hard.

"Holy shit," she heard Flash whisper, the first thing he'd said all day.

She opened her eyes, her heart stopping.

Across the way, across the side of the bridge, written in a familiar webbing, were the words:

I LOVE YOU

"The Spider-Man?" Jesse asked, leaning over to look.

Diana covered her mouth, nodding. "Yeah."

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and quickly pulled it out. It was a text from Peter.

He had sent her a picture. It was a selfie of him in his new costume, the bridge in the background.

from: Peter (3:04 pm)
You like it?

She smiled.

to: Peter (3:05 pm)
I love you

º º º º º

"This is as far as we go. We'll see you later, Diana."

She felt tears well up as she hugged Rosie, gripping her shirt tightly. Her godmother held her close, almost reluctant to let go.

Diana took a deep breath. "Thanks for being a great mom. It took me a while to get it, but I just wanted to mention it now."

Rosie burst into tears, nodding. "Stay safe, honey."

Jesse hugged her next, her hug bone crushing. "You better FaceTime every day, okay?"

Diana laughed softly. "Yeah, okay."

Jesse wiped at her cheeks. "Make his life hell."

She laughed and nodded, turning to Flash who had his arms crossed, not looking at her.

She tilted her head, bending down to catch his gaze. "Flash..."

He reached into his jacket pocket and shoved something roughly into her hands. She frowned and looked at it. It was a poorly written paper. She glanced at the top of the paper.

"Eugene Thompson. Ms. Polly's class. Second grade," she read, "A Day in My Life."

She scanned over the page, trying to understand the handwriting.

"...my mom had to work so I asked Diana if me and my sister could stay over at her house. I like Diana and her mom and dad. Her dad is cool. Diana is my best friend and we always have hot cocoa when I come over."

She looked up, swallowing thickly. "I'm your best friend?"

He didn't look at her. "I joined the academic decathlon team. I got my grades up—you know, I checked? I'm second in the class next to your boyfriend. I used to barely be passing. Diana, I did everything."

She sighed. "This isn't about you, Flash. It's not like I haven't noticed. I'm going because I need to at least try."

He huffed. "What's my favorite color?"

She frowned. "What?"

"What's my favorite color," he repeated, "We don't talk anymore, you realize that right? Yeah, sure, I left for most of the year, but I came back, I tried, but you didn't seem to notice, even though I did it all for you!"

"I've been under a lot of pressure, Flash—"

"Yeah, sure," he scoffed, "Making out with Parker and avoiding Danny, must be so hard."

She scowled. "I'm not choosing them over you, Flash! I'm not! But Daphne is my mom's sister, I have to know what happened, I just—this isn't about you, this is about me. I love you, you idiot, okay?"

He sighed. "Okay. Then answer the question."

She took a deep breath. "Red."

"Blue."

"Damn it!"

She groaned and gripped the front of his shirt, burying her face into the soft fabric of his shirt. "I'm sorry, Flash, but I'll be back, it's just for the summer."

"A lot can happen in three months," he muttered, "I don't think I can keep this up if you're not here."

She laughed softly. "I've seen you, Flash, you love being a nerd."

He shook his head. "Whatever. Don't get too comfortable there or I'll burn all your things."

She nodded, smiling down at him. She reached into her pocket, placing something in his hands. It was the card that Harry had given her at the beginning of the year.

"I already talked to him and Rosie and Harry, if you want to go, they can set up your appointment immediately. He has a lot of patients, but he's more than willing to take you."

Flash frowned. "A shrink?"

"Psychologist," she said, "I know we all went to one, but this one is different. He'll be looking out for you, won't report to your mom, nothing. You'll like him, Flash, he's funny."

He pocketed it. "I'll think about it. Thanks."

She sighed and glanced back towards the airport. "I should go."

She yelped as Flash pulled her into a hug. "Please don't," he whispered, "Please."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes. "It's just three months."

"A lot can happen in three months."

She shook her head. "Flash Thompson, it's just for the summer. I'm gonna come back and everything'll go on as usual. It's not like I'm going away for a year."

His tone was so serious that it gave her chills. "You don't know that."

She just smiled and squeezed his arm. "Bye, Flash."

He nodded. "Bye, Dina."

She grabbed her suitcase and tugged it forward, making her way towards the entrance to security, casting one last glance to her family. Not her surrogate family, just her family. She wasn't betraying them, she wasn't.

As she rounded the corner, about to fall in line, she heard a shout.

"Doc!"

Her heart stopped. Diana turned around just in time to see Peter run towards her before being picked up and spun in a small circle. She yelped, wrapping her arms around his neck as he put her back down, laughing as he pulled her into a hug.

"Geez, Bugs, dramatic much?" she laughed, well aware of everyone staring at them.

"I saw this in a movie once," he said, pulling away to look at her. His hair was windswept and she ran her hand through it, smiling.

"You wanna have a moment?" she asked, tilting her head. Her eyes darted over to the Thompsons who all had their phones out and were filming.

Peter nodded eagerly. "Please?"

She smiled. "Okay."

"I'm gonna miss you, doc," he sighed, intertwining their fingers, "But hey, just for the summer, right? No one can change that much."

She bit her tongue to keep from disagreeing. She just nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I'll bring you back a souvenir or something."

He hummed. "That'd be nice. Please don't get me a Pluto shirt."

She pouted. "You're no fun."

He laughed softly, pressing their foreheads together. "I don't think this is how moments usually go in movies."

She snorted. "I don't think we're in that sort of movie, Bugs."

He sighed. "I know. We're in those action movies where the girl has to leave the guy because it's too dangerous or something."

She snorted. "I was gonna say we were in one of those angsty romantic movies, but that works too. Just not a romcom."

"I dunno," he drawled, raising his finger to show the princess bandaid she had given him a few days before, "We're romantic partners in crime fighting. I fight, you heal, we kiss."

She shook her head. "The epitome of romance."

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I'm really gonna miss you, though. This summer's not gonna be as fun."

She struggled to roll her eyes. "I think you'll manage. One kiss and you go all soft."

He laughed mirthlessly. "I think it was more than one."

"Just kiss her already, you fucking nerd!"

Diana closed her eyes, sighing. "Eugene Thompson, I swear..."

Her words were lost as Peter kissed her, an arm sliding around her waist, his free hand moving to her face. She stood on her tiptoes, leaning into him, gripping the front of his too big jacket. She vaguely heard Jesse cheering in the background and huffed out a laugh. Peter pulled away, peppering kisses along her face, trying to make her laugh.

"There it is," he mumbled, holding her at arms length, just looking at her, "Have fun, doc."

She nodded, pulling him into a hug. "Will do, Bugs."

"Bye, Diana."

"See you soon, Peter."

— END OF PART ONE —

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 07.04.17 )

I made it! I made it before the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, legit I am so happy.

I really wish I had written this chapter better, but I like how the original story started with the cemetery, but in the rewrite Part One ends with it.

Part 2 will be up sometime after Homecoming. Damn, this story is long. Part 2 won't be as cute, bear in mind, um...yeah.

But nevermind that! Let's be happy and pretend everything is okay for now! Yay!

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in Part 2!