Hawk had never felt time move so slowly before.
But now, he felt it keenly.
Christmas vacation… In the past, Anya had loved it. Every Christmas Eve, the children's home staff would scrape together cheap little gifts, and Anya would smile brighter than anyone.
Because of her, Hawk had come to love the holiday too.
But after September 10, 2009—after the night Anya died—he stopped.
That Christmas Eve, he'd snuck into the cemetery to sit with her.
Since then, Christmas had been nothing but noise and mockery to him.
But this year?
This year he longed for it with burning anticipation.
Which, of course, made time crawl. The more you waited for something, the slower it came.
So Hawk forced himself not to think about it, sticking to his normal rhythm.
At last, one week before Christmas, Midtown High finally announced winter break.
Hawk left school with Gwen.
In truth, he wanted to head straight for New Jersey, to Lake Calver, to lie in wait for Hulk. But when Gwen's mother warmly invited him over, he had no excuse to refuse.
Back at the Stacy apartment, George wasn't home yet. Gwen took Hawk upstairs to her bedroom.
He was no stranger there now. He sat naturally at the edge of her bed while Gwen perched on her desk chair, phone pressed to her ear, laughing as she chatted with Mary Jane.
A few minutes later, Gwen set her phone down, smiling, and turned toward Hawk.
"Mary asked if we had plans for the holidays. She thought maybe the four of us could go somewhere together."
Hawk raised a brow. "Four?"
"Her and Peter."
Hawk blinked. "Seriously?"
Gwen grinned mischievously. "Guess when? Today—right after Norman Osborn's funeral. And guess who confessed first? Mary."
Hawk's eyes widened. "No kidding?"
"Didn't see that coming, huh?"
"Not at all." Hawk chuckled, shaking his head.
So this world's Peter hadn't pushed Mary away. A butterfly effect.
He thought back to last Sunday, when Peter had shown up at his window, hollow-eyed, whispering about killing his best friend's father. Norman had died the same way as in the movies—impaled by his own glider after trying to stab Peter in the back.
But here, Peter hadn't been caught by Harry. Instead, he had come to Hawk, spilling his guilt.
Hawk had been exhausted from scouting Lake Calver that day, desperate for sleep, but he'd listened. He'd sipped soda while Peter talked himself hoarse, trying to lighten his load.
And now?
Mary Jane's confession hadn't been rejected. Peter had accepted.
Hawk almost laughed aloud. Good for you, Parker.
He told Gwen simply, "That's good. Peter really does like Mary Jane."
"Of course," Gwen nodded, then narrowed her eyes playfully. "Kind of like a certain someone. Caring, but pretending not to."
Hawk met her gaze.
"Am I wrong?" she teased.
"No," he admitted softly.
Her smile blossomed. "So you admit you liked me since the start?"
"Yes."
"Thought so."
She tilted her head, eyes bright. "Because I liked you too."
She leaned back, thoughtful. "And that's how I know Peter's Spider-Man. If he wasn't, he never would've had the courage to accept Mary."
Hawk only smiled faintly. "Once again, I won't confirm or deny. Unless Peter chooses to reveal it himself."
"Doesn't matter. Mary will find out eventually. And once she does, she'll tell me. You know how she is."
Then Gwen asked, "So? Should we go? Mary thought we could take a trip during the break. Twenty-one days off."
A couple's getaway. Gwen's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
But Hawk frowned.
She noticed. "What's wrong?"
"I can't be sure yet," Hawk admitted with an apologetic smile. "I've got something I need to do over break. Just don't know which day yet."
Her brows furrowed. "Something to do?"
"Yes."
"If I asked what it was… would you tell me?"
Hawk's eyes met hers. She didn't blink.
He hesitated, then nodded. "If you ask, I'll tell you."
"Then I want to know, Hawk."
Her gaze was unwavering.
He fell silent for a long moment.
Then finally, two words slipped out, low and sharp.
"Kill someone."
…
(End of Chapter)
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