#I went through a bunch of plagiarism trainings and well a lot of this kind of behavior is straight up plagiarism

[thresholdbb]

PSA

I love the Star Trek fandom community and its boundless creativity. That said, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect and give proper attribution when your work is inspired by other artists or a particular niche. There is an unfortunate tendency to steal ideas and posts without giving credit, which is both unfortunate and disingenuous

Part of being in a community is how you engage with other members of that community, and underhanded behavior does not get us any closer to a Starfleet future

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based, and if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth... you don't deserve to wear that uniform." -Jean Luc Picard

[thecreativeangel]

aut neca aut necare: lll

Peter Parker x Fem!Reader

*Please don’t plagiarize my work, thank you :3*

Summary: Apparently she’s not popular with reporters, she might have a thing for her best friend and has to watch her mother leave (good riddance?). 

Warnings: Cursing. Peter’s fallen madly in love.......with Kimberly. 🎉

Words: 2.7k 

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“Newest Queens vigilante “Nyx” seen alongside Spiderman on a midnight prowl of the city.” You read aloud at lunch, Peter and Ned listening closely. Michelle might have been listening in too, but she didn’t show it. “Nyx, seemingly an apprentice of sorts to Spiderman, was captured on camera by teens near the docks of Brooklyn. The teens provided little comment, except that they were uneasy with her presence.”

You threw the newspaper down, trying to hide the scowl that was forming on your face. That had been the latest article of many, all of them more condescending than the next. Compared to other papers this one was tame. And “Nyx”? Seriously? Like the MAKEUP BRAND?

“What do you think about it Peter?” Ned asked, staring at his friend with a suspicious level of curiosity. Peter only shrugged, nudging Ned with his elbow.

“She’s probably a nice person.” He said, picking up an apple slice. “I haven’t seen her around Queens yet.”

“Fuckin’ nosy ass paps,” You grumbled quietly. “‘They felt uneasy around her’? What a bunch of bull.”

“What’d you say Y/N?” Ned asked, leaning closer to you.

“Nothing,” You said lightly, smiling at him. “Just talking to myself.”

“It’s a weird name to call her, don’t you think?” Michelle said loudly from her end of the table. “‘Nyx’. Not really a superhero name.”

“I think it’s ‘cause she only comes out at night,” Ned answered, toying with the straw in his milk. “And she only wears black.”

“Nah, she wears dark blue and silver too.” Peter said passively. Michelle, Ned and you all turned to look at him with varying degrees of confusion.

“I saw some other pictures,” He explained quickly, sending you a sheepish smile. You had looked the most confused. “It’s a nice suit. She seems very cool.”

Michelle raised an eyebrow. “She only comes out at night.”

“Like a bat.” Ned commented.

“Like Batman.” Peter offered.

“Like someone who wants to blend in,” You said, wrinkling your nose. “Not like Batman.”

Peter opened his mouth to say something but closed it immediately. He looked behind you, watching someone pass by. Without looking you could tell it was Kimberly. No matter how hard he tried to hide it from his friends, Peter’s eyes got a bit brighter when she was near. You’d memorized that change without meaning to, even though you didn’t like it.

“I need to go get some water.” was Peter’s brilliant excuse to talk to her. You waved your hand dismissively, flipping through the news article lazily. It’s not like you told Peter that Kimberly hated you because you failed to save her mother. Telling him must have slipped from your mind. And it’s not like guilt ate away at your insides every day because of that failure. It’s not like that at all.

“Hey Kimberly…”

You listened into their conversation, somewhat irked, your eyes still trained on the article. Kimberly’s pleasant voice faded in and out of your hearing range. You heard her giggle, saying something back to him. Listening to them talk like normal people was torture. You focused back on your newspaper. ‘Several more reports came in from a family that claimed Nyx robbed last Saturday as they came back from a concert.’ You scoffed and noisily sipped apple juice through a straw. ‘The family also chose to remain anonymous.’ Ha! Turn on your location assholes, I just wanna talk. Peter sat down again, looking happier and more thoughtful than before.

“Well what happened?” MJ asked, still glued to her book. “Did you make out or what?”

“No! No-” Peter scratched the back of his neck. “We just talked.”

“About what?” You asked, regretting it soon after. You hadn’t wanted to ask, but it slipped out.

“She’s happy to talk to someone,” Peter said, his ears turning pink. “Her mom died in the fire last month, and it’s a lot to get used to. She’s so…”

“Resilient?” Ned finished.

“Yeah, but nice too.” Peter said, glancing back at Kimberly. “And positive.”

You saw her stand up once more to throw away her trash, flashing Peter a shy smile. And, when Peter had turned his back, she met eyes with you. Kimberly looked at you like she was watching an animal eat its own throw up. That’s exactly how disgusting you felt too. Her usually kind dark brown eyes shone with cold blooded murder.

“Hey, d’you guys already have Mrs. Keilman’s class?” Peter asked, sorting through his notes. You snapped out of your trance, happily taking the chance to look away from Kimberly.

“I had her second peri-”

Your phone dinged, and you scrambled to unlock it when you saw it was your mum. It was a short text: “Don’t go to Peter’s house after school.” Before you could reply, she sent another one. “Come straight home before 5. Or I’ll leave anyway.”

“Shit.” You muttered, typing out a quick “ok”. Peter, who’d been reading over your shoulder, pretended he was minding his own business. You were too tired to tell him off.

“So what’s your mom gotta say?” MJ asked, actually looking up from her book.

“She uh- she says I can’t go to Ned’s after school,” You said, playing with your food to avoid meeting her scrutinizing gaze. “She’s probably staying at the company over the weekend.”

“You can’t come over for movie night?” Ned asked dejectedly. “But we rented Back to the Future. Peter was going to bring popcorn.”

You put on a grin and patted his back. “It’s fine Ned. Michelle will be happy to take my place, won’t you Mickey?”

“Wh- excuse me-” MJ stuttered, probably for the first time since you’d met her. She suddenly looked very flustered, a general reaction to you calling her Mickey. “F-first of all, don’t call me that. Second-���

“She’d love to go Ned.” You cut her off.

Your mother set down her wine glass and stared at you through half lidded, unimpressed eyes. This happened often, the mother daughter staring competitions, testing who would crack first. Your ears and neck felt hot, and when she raised an eyebrow, you looked away. She always won.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner,” You said, avoiding looking at her. You sounded pouty, like the child she thought you were. “What am I supposed to do for two months? How am I going to buy food? Is this even legal?”

“It’s legal unless you decide to tell the authorities,” Your mother said cooly. “Which you won’t. You’re sixteen now, old enough to make your own decisions instead of following me like a sheep. When I was sixteen-”

“You were already starting your college education, I know.”

Your mother picked the glass up again, taking a bored sip as you continued what she considered a childish rant. “Mum, I’m not even mad ‘cause you’re leaving- I’m pissed ‘cause you supposedly forgot to tell me.”

“Watch your language.” Was her only reply.

“What-” You snapped. “I’m allowed to stay at home alone for two months but I’m not allowed to curse? That’s some backwards logic right there-”

She stood up suddenly, nearly knocking the chair over in the process. Maybe it was an adult thing, but she had always been able to silence you with her glare. Add the fact that she was a smidge taller than you, assuring her win in this intimidation game. You noticed that suitcases were already laid out on the leather couch.

“I am only doing this because the company called me a few days ago, very short notice, mind you,” She huffed. “And they need me to be there, since Kacy proved to be an incapable-”

Your mother’s nose twitched. “I’ll leave you some money. Tell Peter’s aunt if you’d like, maybe she’ll help you with groceries and such. Don’t sit around being useless like you normally do.”

Having finished off her glass, she went to put it in the sink, once again ignoring your existence. That tended to happen when you disappointed mother, and it made you shake with anger. As soon as the wine glass left her hand-

It exploded. 

Your mother shrieked like a wild pig. Shards flew and scattered, thankfully staying mostly in the sink. You realized you’d been glaring at the glass and quickly looked away, still frowning.

“How the hell?” You mother breathed, hesitantly approaching the sink. She picked up a shard of glass and held it between her thumb and pointer finger, as if examining it would explain why the glass exploded. I did that. I didn’t even touch it!

“Have fun on your trip,” You murmured, pushing past her to get to your bedroom. “I hate you.”

She made no attempt to follow you, but yelled “fucking brat” as you slammed your door shut and locked it. With half a mind to fall on the bed and scream into a pillow, you instead decided to do something. Talk to someone, maybe. Still face down against the mattress, you blindly grabbed around for your phone and propped yourself up on your elbow to dial Peter.

“Hey, this is Peter. Parker. Uh, I messed up- May! How do I delete thi-”

You breathed a laugh, quiet just in case your mum was listening in. Peter never failed to mess up his voicemail. You’d been there when he spent two hours trying to make it perfect, in case Liz ever called. Through the door, you heard your mum loudly zipping up her suitcases and calling a cab. You shoved your head into the pillow and groaned. Should’ve asked when she was leaving.

You looked through your contacts and clicked May’s before thinking. Yes, dialing your best friend’s aunt’s number might not have been the best idea, but May was an angel. An angel who knew how to responsibly buy food and make out checks. She answered within two rings.

“Hello?”

“Hi May.” You greeted.

“Y/N!” She chimed. “Oh god, it’s wonderful to talk to you! How’s everything going?”

“It’s great,” You said lightly, cringing when your mum dropped a suitcase and cursed. Hopefully Aunt May didn’t hear that. “I’m doing alright. Is uh, is Peter home?”

“No. Sorry honey, he’s out with a friend. I could leave a message…?”

“That’s okay,” You refused politely. “Actually- Could I borrow Peter’s old bike? My mum won’t be able to drive me for a few months.”

“Sure, he doesn’t use it anyway. What’s wrong with your mom’s car?”

You bit your lip. “Her license expired. She has to retake the exam and all that. Can I come over and pick it up?”

“Mhmh, I’m home anyway, so…” You heard her briefly lift the phone from her ear. “Wait honey, Peter just got home. Do you want to talk to him?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

You practically felt her beam through the phone and call something to Peter. Laughter and feminine giggling sounded through your end, and no offence to Peter, but he never had girls over.

“Sorry honey,” May said, sounding confused and apologetic. “Peter’s busy right now, but you can still come over for the bike. He says he’s with a friend, but I’m positive she’s more than a friend, because I haven’t seen him look at anyone that way since Liz.”

The heat drained from your face. “M-May, who’s Peter’s friend?”

“Oh, she’s from his science class I think, very quiet by the way. I think her name is Kimberl-”

You chucked your phone across the room. Probably not your best moment, but come on. Of all the people, why, why, why, why why why why why wHY WHY-

Breathing in deeply through your nose, you marched over, picked up the phone and hesitantly lifted it to your ear. May was already panicking. “(Name) honey, are you okay? I think something fell-”

“M’fine May,” You answered. “K-knocked over my lamp, but it’s fine. I’m fine.”

She didn’t say anything for some time, and you heard her walk further away from Peter and Kimberly laughing. “Honey, is everything alright at home? If your mother’s being difficult, you can sleep over here for a few days.”

“No, no,” You said quickly. “Mum’s been normal. It’s not that.”

Only after saying that did you realize your mistake. It’s not that. You knew May narrowed her eyes when you said that. “What’s wrong...?”

You opened your mouth and were interrupted by a shriek of laughter from Kimberly. If it were possible, you felt May narrow her eyes even more and glance in their direction.

“Y/N sweetness,” She whispered, even more caring than before. “Is it Peter?”

You bit your lip harder, feeling the skin break beneath your teeth. May pretended to be clueless in terms of pop culture and teenage angst, but she understood better than any adult. She knew the answer. “Is this why he didn’t want to talk to you?”

“I don’t know,” You breathed sadly into the phone. “I don’t want to know. May, it’s better to drop it-”

“It’s her, isn’t it?”

May, you are too damn smart for anyone else’s good. Stay this way forever. “I-I think so.”

“Okay, okay, just tell me one thing,” Her voice trembled with poorly concealed excitement. “Oh, I’ve wanted to know for six years- Sorry, sorry, gotta stay on task. Do you…like him?”

For some reason you looked around the room to make sure no one was there, even though the door was locked. What a hard question. Well, not really, but it was impossible to put into words. Do I like Peter? I mean, he’s opted not to talk to me because Kimberly is there, and I wanna choke him right now… Haha, that’s what she said. If you did like Peter, did you want to? So far, him being your second biggest secret, you hated it. You’d spend life denying that you were attached to anyone, even your mother (you being emotionally distant was her fault, probably). The question still stood: Do I like Peter?

“Yeah.” You shyly mumbled into the phone. May squeaked the moment it left your lips.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited,” May said breathlessly, like she were holding in a squeal. “This is so perfect! I mean, I always thought, hoped, even- But wow, that’s amazing!”

“Uh, May?”

“Yes honey?”

“He’s- Peter’s not-” You held the phone away from you and huffed. It seemed physically painful to say “he doesn’t like me”, but it was better to reject yourself before Peter got the chance. The group picture of him, you and Ned was sitting on your bed stand, collecting dust but ever present. You looked away from it. “Peter isn’t with Kimberly…to study. Just putting that out there.”

“Oh-” She gasped, biting her tongue. “Oh, I’m so sorry. She’s not very nice, by the way. Terrible girl. Very rude-”

“May, I know you like her. It’s okay that you like her. Kimberly’s a great person.”

It sort of burned your tongue to say that, but the statement was half true. Kim was nice to everyone, except you. She was kinder, more thoughtful, more tolerant and patient and optimistic. Perfect grades in all her advanced classes, in an already advanced school. Not to mention her flawless skin and shiny hair… But May seemed determined to make you feel better. “Y’know, there’s still something about her that I didn’t like.”

You smiled sadly at her attempt at cheering you up. “And what’s that?”

“She isn’t you, sweetness,” May said sincerely. “There’s only one of you.”

You laughed at that. “May-”

“I know, I know,” She confessed. “That might have been the corniest thing I’ve ever said, but I mean it. You’re such a wonderful girl, honey. Your mom just doesn’t give you enough credit.”

If this were said in person you might have cried, because even now your throat tightened with emotion. You let out a strangled “thanks May” before your voice got the chance to crack.

“No problem,” She said. “I’ll always be your honorary aunt. And honey?”

“Yeah?”

“Peter will always be your best friend,” May said thoughtfully. Peter and Kimberly’s voices got louder in the background. “But god help him if he hurts you, I swear I’ll-”

You giggled at her antics. “Thank you May. G’night.”

Aunt May grinned happily on her side of the call, feeling careworn but content. “Goodnight Y/N.”

Authors Note: This is the last chapter before things get...interesting.