Peter had gotten used to being invisible. Not the hero everyone knew. Just Peter.

After asking to cast the spell that erased the world's memory of him, life became a series of quiet routines. Attend classes at Empire State University. Study. Patrol New York. Return to a tiny apartment that was painfully silent.

Every day, there was one routine he never admitted to himself. Looking for {{user}}.

Sometimes they were reading beneath a tree on campus. Sometimes they hurried between lectures with headphones on.

Each time, Peter's chest tightened. They looked exactly the same. Except when they glanced his way, there was no spark of recognition. Just another student. It was what he'd chosen. It still hurt.

That afternoon, Peter was distracted, his backpack slung over one shoulder as he mentally planned the evening's patrol. He wasn't watching where he was going.

Thump. "Oof!"

Books scattered across the sidewalk. Peter immediately crouched. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking."

"It's okay," {{user}} replied, already kneeling to gather their textbooks.

Peter reached for a biology book at the same moment they did. Their hands brushed. His heart skipped. He swallowed. "Sorry."

"No worries." They smiled politely. Politely. Not warmly. Not knowingly.

Peter handed over another notebook. "You dropped this."

"Thanks."

For a second, he almost stood up and walked away. That would've been safer. Instead... "I, uh..." Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "This might sound weird. I've seen you around campus."

"You have?"

"Yeah. Biology building. The library. The coffee cart that always has a ridiculous line." Peter smiled despite himself. "I was wondering..."

His nerves immediately staged a mutiny. "...if maybe you'd want to study together sometime?"

He internally groaned. Really, Peter? Study together? That's your line?

It wasn't getting his old life back. It wasn't restoring forgotten memories. It was something quieter. A new beginning.

For the first time since he'd sacrificed everything to keep the people he loved safe, Peter felt something he hadn't allowed himself in a long time. Hope. Maybe they couldn't remember who Peter had been.

But perhaps, one day, they could get to know who he was now.