𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

xxxix. thinking about you, ii

chapter thirty-nine
thinking about you, part two!

NORMAN OSBORN'S death sent OSCORP into a frenzy. They haven't heard from him in months ... years, Nina was pretty sure. And now she watched the videos in his honour on every monitor in the building, celebrating the life of a genius who barely showed his face, and yet created an entire franchise and research facility that has brought so many discoveries into the scientific notion of the world.

And now that man his dead, and his son, Harry Osborn, returned from Europe to take over.

A boy who has been chasing this result from the moment he was forced away from his home into boarding school. And now he was back, and Nina was sure she'll never see him as well.

She knew little. She knew none of the mysterious Osborn heir; all except that Peter muttered his name once back in school. To tell her he was once friends with her late boss's son, back when they were kids and before he went to boarding school. Now, it was all Nina could think about whenever Harry Osborn was mentioned in the complex's hallways.

There was chaos for a few days. They were all resetting their systems, producing documents and archiving; showcasing everything they've worked for the past few years to the new C.E.O of OSCORP Industries. Or, rather, his assistant, Felicia Hardy. It was strange, how amongst everything that as happened, how much she was stressing in order to have all of her things ready for the change-over, Nina couldn't stop thinking of Peter.

She missed him. She really did. Perhaps it was what Max had said (though she hasn't seen him since)━how special it was to feel needed by Spider-Man━that made her remember what that was like; to remember what it was like to be loved not just by Spider-Man, but by Peter Parker, too. Or maybe it was because with Gwen's many interviews and invitations into prestigious schools━all outside of America, that Nina had started to feel truly, and completely alone.

As she sat during her lunch, enjoying a hot chocolate across from Gwen and some of Nina's acquaintances from college that she was trying to get to know more, she couldn't help but glance upwards towards to the very tops of the buildings━searching for him, wondering whether he was still there, watching her to make sure she was safe; like a guardian angel. But she was always disappointed.

Gwen Stacy, who was halfway through introducing herself to some of Nina's classmates and chatting about her most recent interview, stopped to see the forlorn look upon her best friend's face. She knew exactly where she was looking━why and who she was looking for, and it made her purse her lips. Even after a few months, Nina hadn't gotten over Peter Parker━at all.

"Did you hear about the crazy save Spider-Man made last week?" asked Gwen suddenly, pointedly towards Nina's whose gaze shot back, startled that she'd bring him up.

"What?" murmured Nina.

"Oh, yeah!" one of Nina's classmates let out; Liz Allan, a perky, brilliant minded young woman. "It was insane! The way he just swoops in and tackles that guy? What was he even trying to do with that metal suit?"

"I think he was trying to become a rhino, or something," mused Gwen. "He said he'd be back."

Nina was awfully quiet throughout their entire conversation, playing with the marshmallows in her hot chocolate until they had completely melted. She━of course━knew what had happened. She stayed on track of every fight, every save, every tabloid, every chance he'd might swing past.