ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ ── ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴇɪɢʜʙᴏʀs

FRANKIE WOKE UP from the cold breeze, having forgotten to shut the window before falling asleep. She first petted Bella back to sleep before gently climbing out of bed, socks padding against the hardwood floor as she shut the window before leaving the room, hoping to get a glass of water before going back to sleep.

But it had not been the deserted hallway she expected to find, instead all the lights were on and suitcases had been placed in the middle of the living room. The picture frames on the wall had been placed down, realizing that one of their family portraits from way back before her father died lying broken on the floor, having been smashed by a wine glass that now lay in a hundred broken pieces.

And on their pristine white couch, her mother sat, hand wrapped in a bandage and staring blankly before her. Frankie's eyes followed the line of suitcases and duffel bags before staring at her mother's unmoving stature.

Instead of speaking up, she went straight to the kitchen, pulling a pitcher of cold water and not bothering to use a cup as she drank from it. She already knows what's coming and somehow the thought doesn't bother her. Instead she's filled with unmoving numbness.

"I can't stay here," her mother spoke up, voice shaking. "This place is a haunted house."

Frankie placed the pitcher back in the fridge, taking her time to wash her hands despite not needing to before facing Melissa Strange, looking absolutely broken and not like the legendarily calculating and cruel surgeon people know her to be. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. A hotel? Anywhere but here."

"When are you coming back?"

"I don't know."

Frankie watched as a lone tear fell from her mother's eye. Her sapphire eyes are cold and her posture is stiff, unmoving and empty. She's numb and not even the fact that she's being abandoned, again, and that she's completely and utterly alone, again, can make her feel anything other than exhaustion. She's tired and she wants nothing more than to climb back to the comfort of her bed surrounded by Bella's warmth.

"Okay."

And with that, she turned her back on Melissa Strange, a woman she had lost long before she left.

Sighing, she pulls Bella closer to her chest, planting a kiss on the shih tzu's head.

And outside her window, a superhero clings to the wall, having webbed a makeshift chair as he listens to her even heartbeats. He shut his eyes in an attempt to push a tear back. Is numbness not truly worse than heartbreak? To be in such pain that you stop feeling?

Peter Parker doesn't know what's more terrifying; to never see her again or to face her and see the emptiness in her eyes and not recognize the woman before him.

_._._

"AS SHOWN IN YOUR brother's will in case of an accident, he left you his apartment in Manhattan costing seventeen million, his three cars ─ a lamborghini, a vintage mustang and a lexus along with the two hundred and seventy thousand in his bank account and the untouched one hundred and thirty thousand trust fund your father left."

Frankie stared at the lawyer before her, leg over the other and Stephen's Columbia sweatshirt hanging over her shoulder. This man is telling her that she's as good as a millionaire at the mere age of eighteen and yet she has no desire to even smile much less jump with joy like this man seems to expect.

She had gotten access to her own trust fund the moment she turned eighteen, kept safe to pay for her college education, enough money to give her the choice to go into whatever career her heart desires.

"Not only that, but your mother has signed the Queens condominium under your name," the lawyer continues. "Along with the volvo."

She is now an owner of two luxury apartments, four luxury cars and a little more than half a million but all she really wants is enough cash to have Bella's teeth cleaned.

"Are we done?" She asked finally, unfolding her legs.

"Ms. Strange, I don't think you understand-"

"I understand perfectly, sir. I have no plans to move into my brother's apartment so you can lock it up for now nor do I have plans to use his cars or my mother's. I don't know what to do with it but I'm guessing you know how to keep it safe so please do that instead. I just want access to the money, enough for food, my dog's vet bills and payment for the cleaners."

"Are you sure, Ms. Strange?"

"Yes."

"Very well, I'll arrange everything right away."

Frankie forces a smile, bending over to gently pick up Bella from the floor. "Thank you."

And with that, she exited the instantaneous building, hailing a cab. One stopped and she entered, placing Bella on her lap.

"Where to, ma'am?"

And that's when Frankie realized that she didn't know. She doesn't know where to go. Definitely not back to the apartment and its suffocating emptiness, her mother's bedroom bare and empty, Stephen's untouched. As it turns out, her one companion in life is no other than a six year old shih tzu who happens to also be staring at her, seemingly awaiting her answer as well.

But Frankie doesn't know. There's nowhere for her to go. At least nowhere that would somehow make her feel any less empty.

Eventually, she settled for the café nearest her apartment building. Upon reaching the busy café, Frankie found an empty table outside where she flopped down her bag and placed Bella. The constant chattering around her kept her mind at ease as she ordered, pulling out a novel from her bag as she sipped her coffee. Keeping her mind busy has become her main coping mechanism whether it be by reading, watching a mindless show or surrounding herself with a crowd of people.

She feels heavy, all the time. Which really shouldn't come as a surprise but it felt as though there's an anchor weighing her down, always there, always present, wherever she goes, whatever she does but at least, it feels a little less heavy when she forgets it's there.

"I don't think they have a pup cup," she told Bella softly who had been watching her eat. "And the vet said I shouldn't feed you so many snacks."

And with that, the senior dog seemingly rolled her eyes, turning her back on her owner and onto the busy streets. They remain like that for a good hour. Eventually, the people in the café begin to thin, turning the once lively chatter to soft laughter. Frankie had been debating leaving as well when Bella perked up, tail wagging. Looking up, she felt her heart drop to her stomach. Before her stood Peter, somehow looking as worn down and exhausted as she is.

Frankie couldn't help it. It was entirely instinct and longing as her feet seemed to be moving without her accord and before she knew it, she had practically thrown herself at his chest, arms tightly wrapping around his torso as she inhales his scent, her entire body sagging in relief for the first time since Stephen's death.

Peter stood frozen for a few seconds till he himself was unable to fight his logic as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as she could possibly go against him.

It wasn't until he planted a kiss on her head that she finally regained control back of her own body, remembering the funeral where she waited and waited for him to arrive, to comfort her, but he never did. To the scene outside his house where he lied to her face, how he had abandoned her when she needed him the most just as her mother did, how he's part of the reason why she felt so empty all the time.

She pulled away, feeling the tension return to her body. They stand before each other, blue eyes on brown. She can see the internal battle within them, the exhaustion and the burden. Frankie Strange is not stupid. In fact, she's anything but. She knows he's hiding something, that he hadn't completely abandoned her like it feels like. She knows Peter, she's always had. He's not the type to turn his back on the people he cares about. Whatever he is doing now, he must believe that he's doing it for her.

The problem was that whatever secret it was, if he thinks it's more important than her then she won't force herself on someone who's made up his mind.

And with that, saying nothing, she turns around, entering the café and half hoping he'll follow her. But he doesn't and Frankie swallows down the disappointment and instead paints a polite smile on her face as she orders a to-go coffee, trying to forget the way the anchor weighing her down seems to have disappeared with his arms around her.

However, when she returned to her table, Peter was gone but another replaced him. The man kneels down in front of Bella, feeding the fat shih tzu with treats.

Noticing her presence, she stood up, wiping his hand on his leg. He wears a full suit – Armani by the looks of it – a natural boyish smirk painting his lips.

"I couldn't help myself," he says and Frankie pushes down the annoyance of a stranger petting and feeding her dog without her permission. "I'm sorry."

"She's on a diet," she said instead, colder than she meant to.

The man only smiles, pulling out a couple more treats from his pocket. "Oh, don't worry, it's organic."

"What's it made out of?"

He blanks for an answer, sheepish. "I don't actually know but it was two hundred dollars a bag and the girl in the store said it's organic."

"Well, I'm sure your dog wouldn't be too happy with you giving its treats away," she spoke, untying Bella from the table.

"Oh I don't have a dog."

"So you're just ruining what I'm guessing is a tailored suit with two hundred dollars dog food in your pocket for fun? You know you could have put it in a plastic bag, right?"

"I did but another dog grabbed it earlier and tore it apart so I put what's left in my pocket."

"Somehow, that's not the weirdest thing I've heard from you within the five minutes I've talked to you."

"I'm new to town." He pauses, thinking as though he said something wrong. "Well, not new but I haven't been here in a while. I was in the dog park yesterday and none of them were approaching me so I bought treats and returned. They swarmed me."

"You brought two hundred dollars organic dog food to be able to pet dogs in the dog park

"It sounds pathetic when you say it like that."

For the first time in a while, Frankie could feel a genuine smile wanting to stretch across her face at the complete absurdity of this man. He seems to find amusement within his own stupidity as well as he lets out a chuckle.

"I'm Harry," he says with a smile. "Harry Osborn and I'd offer to shake your hand but I don't think you'd want that from the amount of dogs I petted today."

"I'm guessing lots of drool was also involved as well," she joked.

"Your guess would be correct."

Frankie somehow had the urge to laugh again. "Osborn? As in Oscorp?"

He nods his head in confirmation.

"That explains the Armani suit," was all she said.

"It's Tom Ford actually."

She rolls her eyes at the grin on his face. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Harry Osborn. Next time bring an extra plastic bag for the dog food."

And with that, she began walking away. She picks up Bella, knowing that she shouldn't be walking long distances despite knowing that her apartment building is only across the street from the café.

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Strange," the doorman greets as she enters. Alden looks like any white, middle aged guy but he's been the doorman for as far as Frankie can remember so she doubts he's actually middle aged.

"Mr. Osborn," Alden adds with a smile. Frankie turns around to see that Harry is in fact behind her, hands in his pocket and the easy going smirk back on his face.

"Good afternoon, Alden."

It isn't until they're both in the elevator when she narrows her eyes at him. "Are you following me?"

Harry shows his card key. "I live here."

"I've never seen you around before."

"Remember the part where I said I've been gone for a while?" He says with amusement, making Frankie roll her eyes as the elevator dings, indicating that he had reached his floor.

Coincidentally, it's right below hers.

author's note:
okay, summer vacation just started so i should be able to update much frequently now. also frankie and harry's friendship owns my heart <3