#love the subtle nods to mj

[fangerine]

usher pulling out all the stops for his halftime show

[kentochronicles]

The Way We Were

Nanami Kento x Reader

AN: hi guys, so this is actually my first ever fic that I’ve written and posted and finished 😅 pls feel free to leave feedback and reblog - mj

Genre: Fluff, implied smut, just so much love for this man that I got a tattoo of him 😭

Word Count: 1185

(my fav gif of him)

Tagging the loml: @empower-bi-women 🩵🩵🩵 thank you for being my reader for this 😘

The clinking of glasses and distant hum of laughter surrounded you, but your attention was fixed on one person across the room. Nanami Kento, the man with his sleeves rolled just enough to reveal the slightest sliver of forearm—a small, yet powerful detail that managed to steal your focus entirely.

You’d both been at odds all night, exchanging barely-there glances across the crowded room. There was something about him that just… pulled you in. The unspoken connection, the barely-there touches, the way his eyes lingered for a second longer than they should have.

Finally, as if he could sense your thoughts, his gaze found yours. It was intense, unwavering, and when he nodded for you to follow, your feet were moving before you could second-guess yourself.

The hallway was dimly lit, a quiet escape from the chaos. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching you approach. There was an unmistakable spark, something volatile simmering beneath that perfectly composed exterior.

“You shouldn’t look at me like that,” he murmured, his voice low, holding an edge you hadn’t heard before.

“Like what?” you replied, trying to sound casual. But the thrill running through you was undeniable.

A smile ghosted across his face, one that was gone in an instant, but the look in his eyes told you everything. He took a single step toward you, closing the space between you both, his hand grazing yours in a touch so light you barely felt it—but it sent a rush of heat through you all the same.

There was a silence as you both lingered in that moment, breaths mingling, hearts racing, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

It was maddening, this tension—the way he pulled you in, the magnetic draw that seemed to make the air hum around you both. And as his gaze flickered from your eyes to your lips, you knew you weren’t imagining it. It was real, all of it.

The silence lingered as you both leaned against the wall, the tension between you thick but softened by an unspoken understanding. His fingers brushed yours again, lingering a little longer this time, and you felt his grip tighten ever so slightly. It was subtle, but it spoke volumes. You felt like you were balancing on the edge of a moment that could mean everything or nothing at all.

“Sometimes I wonder if all of this is a little too good to be true,” he murmured, his tone uncharacteristically soft, as if he was letting you in on a rare thought.

His confession caught you off guard. Nanami was always so steady, the one person who never seemed to get swept away. But in this quiet moment, with only the dim light casting shadows around you, there was something so vulnerable in his gaze.

“You don’t have to hold back around me, you know,” you said, barely above a whisper.

He chuckled softly, a sound that felt more like a release than anything else. “It’s dangerous to let yourself get too close, isn’t it? But with you…” He trailed off, almost as if he was giving himself a second to reconsider. But he didn’t pull away.

You let the words hang there, not filling the silence, just breathing in this moment and letting it settle. There was a tenderness in the way he looked at you, an acknowledgment of all the things left unsaid.

His hand finally slipped into yours fully, and the warmth of his touch, combined with the stillness of the room, created a cocoon around you both. It was as if, for a brief, timeless second, the rest of the world didn’t exist—just him, just you, and that rare, treasured sense of calm in the midst of all the chaos that surrounded your lives.

This quiet moment was fleeting, but it was enough to remind you both that some connections ran deeper than words, bound by the kind of chemistry that couldn’t be explained, only felt.

Nanami’s hand tightened around yours, his thumb brushing softly over your knuckles. For a man who always seemed so steadfast and grounded, he was showing a side that felt so unguarded, so rare. It was as if, in that quiet hallway, he had finally let down every barrier he’d so carefully built.

He met your gaze, a mixture of certainty and longing in his eyes. “I don’t know what happens next, and maybe I don’t have to. But tonight… I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

His words lingered, filling you with a warmth that spread slowly through your chest, like embers quietly igniting. In that fleeting instant, you felt safe and seen, like all the pieces had finally clicked into place.

You leaned into him, your head resting against his shoulder, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath. He wrapped his arm around you, holding you close, letting the silence say what neither of you dared to voice aloud.

It was just the two of you, tucked away from the world for a few perfect moments, held together by a magnetic pull that words couldn’t capture. And maybe you didn’t need them to. This was enough.

For tonight, this was everything.

***the next morning***

Sunlight spilled gently through the curtains, casting a warm, golden glow across the room. You stirred, feeling the softness of the sheets and the quiet presence beside you. As your eyes blinked open, you found Nanami lying there, his gaze already on you, a faint smile curving his lips.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice still soft with sleep. There was something relaxed about him in the early light—like the weight he always seemed to carry had lifted, if only for a moment.

“Morning,” you replied, your voice quiet, as though anything louder would shatter the serene spell around you both.

He reached over, his hand warm as it brushed your arm, a gentle touch that felt like a promise. You lay there in comfortable silence, just soaking in each other’s presence, neither of you needing words. Outside, the world was waking up, but in here, everything was still.

After a moment, he sighed, a contented sound that made you smile. “You’re… different,” he said thoughtfully, his fingers tracing small circles on the back of your hand. “I didn’t expect someone to feel like this—a mix of calm and chaos.”

You laughed softly, understanding exactly what he meant. Being with him felt like balancing between two worlds: the intensity that had drawn you together and the quiet, gentle peace that held you close now.

He brushed a kiss to your forehead, then lingered there, as if to savour this simple intimacy. “I could get used to this,” he whispered, more to himself than to you, as though he, too, was discovering the quiet beauty in sharing a morning like this, something so simple yet so rare.

In that moment, with the morning light surrounding you both, you realised that whatever came next, you’d remember this: the quiet sweetness, the closeness, and the feeling of waking up beside him, as if you’d found something you never knew you were searching for.

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

Short Prompt # 9

TW: Violence, blood, worry, bruises, choking

"What is the point?" Villain hisses, fingers tightening with a subtle threat at Hero's throat, leaving scattered bruises all over their neck in ugly shades of purple and brown.

"Of what?" Hero rasps weakly, playing the fool and gasping for air. They refuse to meet the villain's steel-hard gaze, trying their hardest to pry their fingers off of their neck.

The criminal aims a cruel kick to their ribs with their knee, force just shy away from causing a fracture. The crime-fighter lets out a wince, and the villain sharply tilts their chin up, forcing them to meet their eyes.

"You're going to kill yourself! Running back and forth between the agency and I, like some frenzied animal, trying to reach the unattainable," they snap, the muscles of their face contorting into an expression of pure, unbridled fury.

But behind the reinforced concrete wall of anger, their eyes still hold a look of hurt, a sign of something the villain had tried so hard to bury deep within their being, to obliterate and destroy, shattering it like a flimsy piece of glass.

Yet, the hero was willing to pick up the pieces, to prick their fingers on the thorns in Villain's rose garden, just to hold them close.

Wrenching their nemesis's hand off their throat, they push them away, still trying to be gentle. A damned fool, as always.

"It's not 'unattainable', Villain. I want to be a hero, to save people. And I still want to love you. You don't have the right to tell me how to live my life," they answer softly, gently resting a hand on their shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

The villain pushes their hand off like it was burning them. "You don't get it, don't you?" they say, tone disbelieving, shaking their head and laughing humourlessly.

"No," the hero says pragmatically, "I don't."

Villain let out an almost animalistic snarl, letting their fist collide with the crime-fighter's nose, drawing blood. "The desire I experience for you, these flames that I cannot put out, licking my heart and burning it blackened is not the one from the sonnets and the romances, Hero. It is the one from tragedies, torn apart and yet so incredibly close together, like a tapestry woven with the twisted threads of a cruel, beautiful fate."

"Then maybe," the hero says sharply, all the softness from their gaze gone, "I would gladly handle the heat of the flames." They pull the criminal close, kissing their jaw, leaving them dazed and at a loss for words, face flushed scarlet.

"But, it's wearing you down," the criminal attests, still breathless.

"Sweetness," Hero says softly, "I need to you to trust that I can do this." They cup the villain's face with their hands lovingly.

With a tenderness they don't think they deserve. . .

But, they nod at the hero fervently, eyes as wide as saucers, not saying a word because it didn't seem like it would make any difference.

They want, more than anything, to believe Hero, to register the kind words, to lose themselves in the feeling of being loved. But the sugar-sweet moments would always have a bitter taste; the villain's past, their fear of desecrating the hero trailing them like their own shadow. But Hero had always told them that their story didn't have to be a tragedy because it was theirs to rewrite.

✨️Le Taglist: @larinzz @syberianjade @lateuplight @altu-interactions @enbious-prince @astr0-mj @thelazywitchphotographer @addictedsandwhichaki @justalittlecorrupted @quaggasus @theangstyclown @vernilliom @mothmancommitsarson @starssabove @kurai-hono-blog @talkingsperm @catsarecool00 @muffinrebel44 @sunnynwanda @annablogsposts @cardboardarsonist @itsmyworld23 @onlywhump

Wanna be on the taglist? This'll take you there!

[deactivated-deadpool-anon]

First Kiss

This is my first fanfic in over a year god forgive me lmfao

Hobie Brown x Oc

[ A late night in Earth-893 (Neon York) Hobie had just gotten to Edgar's apartment after a long mission pertaining the two]

Hobie pulls on a pair of spare gym shorts tossing the rest of his suit to the floor of the messy yet perfectly fitting room for a teenage boy. "Oh, hey Hobie! When did you get here? You know that spider-punk was here? Ya just missed him." Edgar says teasingly as soon as hobie's head pops through his t-shirt opening. Hobie rolls his eyes with a small smile and sits down beside Edgar on the small full size bed "Oh really that wanker?" Hobie asks as he takes the blunt edgar was smoking and takes his own puff. "Hey! Don't call my best friend that!" Edgar defends this idealistic image of Hobie in the suit. Hobie chuckles slightly "best friend eh?" Hobie asks adding unnecessary emphasis. Edgar's cheeks go red slightly "I mean- y'know.." he mumbles, it was true that Hobie and Edgar had only known each other for 3 months but Edgar who within the recent year felt like he had no one quickly grew an attachment to Hobie. Hobie chuckles again "No need to be embarrassed there mate i'm just playing with ya." Hobie nudges Edgar jokingly and passes the blunt back. Edgar takes a long draw from the blunt and let's the smoke out into the air with a small cough "Yeah." Edgar shrugs like Hobie pointing that out meant nothing "I sometimes exaggerate relationships on accident.". Hobie shakes his head "No it's okay I liked it." Hobie takes the blunt and finishes it off. Hobie subtly inches his hand towards Edgar's on the bed. Edgar catches on quickly and looks at him with a raised eyebrow which Hobie responds to with a playful shrug and smirk. Edgar just rolls his eyes and interlocks pinkys with the taller man. Edgar absentmindedly leans in a tad "What's your game plan here, hm?". Hobie also leans in "Oh nuthin just working my magic here." Hobie says confidently. Edgar laughs "That so?" he leans in again and Hobie quickly closes the gap cupping Edgar's cheek. Edgar makes a small noise of shock and Hobie pulls himself atop of Edgar now straddling his lap. After a few minutes of this small make out Hobie is surprised when Edgar pulls back and is suddenly... crying? Hobie quickly pulls himself off of Edgar and sits back beside him with his back against the wall "Shit! I'm sorry love I shouldn't have-" Hobie begins to apologize but Edgar cuts him off as he sits up and wipes his eye "No it's not you d-don't apologize". Edgar sits there and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself and Hobie slowly rubs his back. "I just miss her a lot.." Edgar finally speaks "...M-My MJ she died earlier this year Doc Ock just impaled her with one of his tentacles it was horrific to put lightly.." Hobie listens intently. Edgar shakes his head with a small sad laugh "it was always like her to be in places where she wasn't supposed to be of course it'd be her damn downfall..". Edgar straightens his posture "I haven't been with anyone since her death due to a subconscious fear of replacing her.. she was the best girlfriend someone could ask for and i don't want to forget her." Hobie gets a subtle disappointed frown but doesn't say anything, a rejection could be hard but Hobie could tell it was more important to comfort his friend now and handle his own feelings later. "But, I should recognize that the fact she left such a huge impact could never let me forget her.." Edgar says and Hobie nods in agreement. Edgar turns to look at hobie with a small smile and he cups his cheek "Y'know.. I quite liked that." Hobie regains his smile realizing that he hasn't been properly rejected yet "I knew my magic would work.". Hobie cups Edgar's hand "Say hypothetically if you were thinking about being with someone again, we could take it slow." Edgar places his forehead against Hobie's "Well hypothetically I think I'd like that." Edgar kisses hobie's cheek softly.

[khalixascorner]

Say it Loud(er) Epilogue

Summary: When Tony goes before the Senate to protest an inhumane amendment to the Superhero Accountability Act, he doesn't mean to admit he loves Spider-Man on live CSPAN. Rather than recant his statement, Tony rolls with the punches and declares them married too. Now he just has to let Peter know before the press gets their hands on him.

Tags: Accidental Marriage, Public Confessions, no literally, it's mostly fluff with a little bit of spice right at the end.

Fill for Marvel Trumps Hate 2022

Read on AO3 Here Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

“You ready, Tones?” Rhodey asked, and Tony checked his suit in the mirror one last time. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m ready,” Tony said, throwing a grin at his friend. “And we get real pictures this time too.”

“You get a whole ass real wedding this time,” Rhodey retorted. “Nice of T’Challa to host it for you too.”

“Peter did ask for the trip to Wakanda and a honeymoon,” Tony said.

“I still can’t believe you invited Secretary Ross,”  Rhodey scoffed, turning to check his own appearance one last time.

“Hey if it weren’t for the man being a greedy short sighted bigot, who knows how long it would have taken for us to get our shit together,” Tony said with a laugh. “Plus, there was no way T’Challa would let him within 100 miles of Wakanda.”

Rhodey started to respond, only to get interrupted as Happy stuck his head in. 

“Alright gentlemen, let's go,” Happy said. “Don’t want to keep the bride waiting.”

“If he hears you say that and takes offense, don’t expect me to protect you,” Tony teased. “He’s stronger than me and I don’t have my other suit.”

“It’ll be fine,” Happy said with a scoff. “Kid still owes me for driving him around when he was a twerp.”

“That’s my fiance you’re talking about, Hogan,” Tony warned, and Happy just held up his hands while muttering. 

“Alright, alright, enough stalling, let's go,” Rhodey said, pushing Tony towards the door. 

-------------------

Soon enough Tony was standing at the front of a small crowd, Rhodey and Happy at his side, while T’Challa stood in front of a vibrant tapestry. 

Ned and MJ walked down the short aisle first, taking their places on T’Challa’s other side. Then the music changed. It wasn’t a traditional bridal march and was probably more suited to the epic scenes found in Peter’s favorite movies, but as the music built, Tony couldn’t imagine anything more fitting for a pair of heroes. 

His first look at Peter stole his breath away. The suit was perfectly tailored, hugging Peter’s body like a glove. It was a beautiful blue, reminiscent of his other suit, with a red shirt and gold vest. It was also a not so subtle nod to their colors. 

May walked Peter down the aisle and Tony smiled as she pulled Peter into a hug before turning to Tony.

“You hurt him, and they’ll never find the body,” she told him, smiling pleasantly as she placed Peter’s hand in his. 

“Don’t worry, Friday will help you hide the body and Peter gets everything when I die,” Tony replied honestly. May nodded, her eyes already suspiciously wet as she moved to her seat. 

Tony took both of Peter’s hands in his and gave his fiance an encouraging look as they turned to T’Challa. 

“Thank you all for being here today,” T’Challa said. “We have come together to witness the marriage of Anthony Stark and Peter Stark. Well, the second marriage, rather.”

The audience chuckled and Tony rolled his eyes as T’Challa continued.

“Love is a precious thing, as is family, so there is no greater joy than celebrating a love shared between two people and the joining that will grow their families in turn,” T’Challa said. “Now, the couple has written their own vows, so I think we shall leave it to them. Anthony?”

Tony’s heart was pounding in his chest as he turned towards Peter again. He had written his vows probably a dozen times, and yet, he found himself throwing away the metaphorical notecards again.

“You know, I wrote a lot of drafts for my vows,” Tony said with a chuckle. “I wanted them perfect. But I’m a mechanic, not a poet, and honestly, there aren’t words enough in the whole universe to encapsulate how much I love you. And the truth is- well, the truth is I plan to spend however much time I have left on this planet doing my best to make sure you’re happy, healthy, and cared for. So I’ll be here, no matter what. Whether you’re sick or exhausted or excited, it doesn’t matter. I want to be by your side through all of it.”

“You know, for a second, I thought you were gonna say I am Iron Man,” Peter teased with a sniffle when Tony paused.

“The thought did cross my mind,” Tony teased back before his face became serious again. “I want you to know, Pete, that you’re it for me. For as long as you’ll have me, I’m yours and I hope you’ll still consent to being mine.”

“Of course, I still consent,” Peter said, rolling his eyes. Then the younger man took a deep breath. “I don’t have any fancy vows either, but I can promise you this: I promise to be loyal and true, to always have your back, and to never give up on us so long as you’re willing to try too. I’ll stay by your side, even when you’re old and grey. Well, more grey.”

Peter gave Tony a watery smile and he squeezed Peter’s hands reassuringly. He knew how much it scared Peter to think about losing him and maybe it was selfish, but Tony wanted all of the years he could get at Peter’s side. 

“But most of all, I plan to spend every day loving you, for as much time as we’re gifted together,” Peter said as a few tears slipped down the younger man’s face. 

Tony lifted up his hand to gently wipe them away then turned his attention to T’Challa. When it was time to exchange the rings, Rhodey pulled the custom set from his pocket. Friday had ordered their original set, and while she had gotten them functional ones, Tony had wanted something a little more them. 

The rings were made of blacked vibranium with a nanite ring in the center, coded to look like a starry sky in deep space. Before Peter, Tony would have said he never wanted to look too closely at the stars again, but Peter had followed him to space and had stayed by his side after everything. So when the younger man had grandly proclaimed that his love for Tony was greater than all of the universe, it had stuck. 

Peter gasped as he got a good look at it. Tony smiled softly, glad that he had managed to keep these a surprise after all.

“Not that I intend to let you forget but just in case, all you have to do is look down to remember that you’re my whole universe and I can’t imagine not having you by my side,” Tony murmured. Then he handed the other box to Peter.

“I love you more than there are stars in the sky, and I’ll follow you to the ends of the universe,” Peter promised as he slid the ring on Tony’s finger.

T’Challa smiled and declared them husbands. Tony drew Peter in, pressing their lips together with all of the tenderness and love he had. 

---------------

The rest of the night passed in a blur, and all Tony could remember was smiling so hard his face hurt as he realized that Peter was finally his husband for real this time and he didn’t have to give him back.

When he told Peter this, the younger man just laughed.

“I’ve always been yours, Tony,” Peter said, his eyes filled with love. “You just didn’t realize it yet.”

[blu-joons]

When He Finds You Wearing His Shirt ~ Astro Reaction

MJ:

A shy giggle came from Myungjun as he spotted what you were wearing, unable to stop his head from shaking as he knew exactly where you had been looking to find the shirt that you’d chosen to wear.

“Do you not own any shirts of your own?” Myungjun joked with you, his voice making you jump as you didn’t realise that he was in the room. “You’ve got a huge pile of shirts at the bottom of your wardrobe.”

“I do, but I wasn’t feeling like wearing one of those,” you grinned.

“So, you decided to just raid my wardrobe instead of that?”

Your head nodded with a proud smile etched upon your face, “where else was I going to go looking for a shirt if I wasn’t able to look in your wardrobe?”

“You’re lucky that you look as cute as you do wearing my shirt.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be mad,” you teased, spinning around in front of Myungjun, “you love whenever I wear your shirts secretly.”

“I guess it’s not the worst thing ever.”

JinJin:

There was nothing else that Jinwoo could do other than chuckle as he watched you walk around in his shirt, not only did it hang around you, but the sleeves especially were baggy from the difference between you both.

“My shirt is about six sizes too big for you,” Jinwoo couldn’t help but tease as you looked across at him at the sound of his laughter. “That shirt has been stretched so far to be able to get round my arms Y/N.”

“I think that’s why it’s so comfortable,” you admitted in reply.

“Do you feel like you’re wearing a shirt or a dress?”

Your head shook as Jinwoo continued to joke around, “honestly, I think it’s easily the loosest shirt that I’ve ever worn in my life.”

“Don’t you have one of your shirts lying around here somewhere?”

“I do,” you shrugged, “but I don’t think any of those shirts would be as comfortable for me as this one is right now Jinwoo.”

“I just knew you’d say that in reply.”

Cha Eunwoo:

You had never seen Dongmin’s smile so wide as you spun around at the sound of footsteps walking through the apartment. He didn’t quite know where to look as you moved around the room wearing Dongmin’s shirt.

“Am I still asleep and dreaming?” Dongmin joked as he walked across to you and wrapped his arms around your waist. “Could you just pinch me to make sure that I’m not dreaming seeing you in my shirt?”

“I’m not going to pinch you,” you chuckled back across to him.

“This might be the best morning I’ve ever had you know.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at Dongmin’s sudden admission. “Have all your other mornings just been really terrible for this to be the best one?”

“They’ve all been good, but this morning just doesn’t compare.”

“Would it finish you off if I told you that breakfast is on its way?” You smiled, catching Dongmin’s head nodding straight away in reply.

“That would be the icing on the cake.”

Moonbin:

A shake of the head came from Moonbin as he watched you walk out of the bathroom, his eyes narrowing on you as he noticed what it was that you were wearing after finishing up and drying yourself off.

“I don’t remember saying that you could wear one of my shirts,” Moonbin joked as soon as he met your eyes, watching you walk around with a lot more confidence in your stride as you got yourself sorted.

“I couldn’t put my dirty clothes back on,” you joked to Moonbin.

“So, you invited yourself to take a shirt of mine instead?”

Your head nodded as a chuckle came from Moonbin, “you can try and complain but I know that you’re enjoying seeing me like this deep down.”

“I don’t want to give you the satisfaction of knowing that.”

“Too late,” you teased, leaning across and pressing a kiss to Moonbin’s cheek, “you’re smile gives you away Bin.”

“Maybe I’m not as subtle as I thought.”

Rocky:

You sheepishly smiled as you turned around to face Minhyuk, holding up the shirt that you found. You weren’t quite sure what you were going to sleep in, that was until you found the perfect something of his.

“You want to sleep in my shirt?” Minhyuk asked you as you held the shirt up in front of your body, nodding your head in reply. “I guess my shirt does look pretty good on you, I can’t deny that at least Y/N.”

“Is that a yes then by any chance?” You continued to tease.

“I’ll let you sleep in my shirt but know that this is a treat.”

You hummed back to Minhyuk as you threw the shirt over your body before walking across to the bed. “I can’t believe that your shirts are so cosy.”

“That’s why I buy them, because they’re nice and cosy for me.”

“And now they’re nice and cosy for me too,” you joked, dropping down onto the bed and laying right into Minhyuk’s side.

“You’re enjoying this far too much Y/N.”

Sanha:

A chuckle came from Sanha as he watched you walk down the corridor backstage at the arena. The top that you wore tucked into your trousers was one that he recognised straight away, unable to look away from you.

“Have you stolen my merch to wear to one of my shows?” Sanha asked you as he threw an arm around you, greeting you sweetly. “There is no way that that is your shirt, the arms look far too baggy on you.”

“I don’t have any shirts of my own to wear,” you shrugged in reply.

“Where did you even manage to find that in my wardrobe?”

You couldn’t help but laugh as Sanha looked back at you in despair, “I had to have a bit of a look around in your wardrobe, but eventually I spotted this.”

“I can’t believe you’re actually wearing not just merch, but mine.”

“I think you should take this as a sign that it’s about time that you give me some merch of my own,” you joked, “and a shirt that actually fits.”

“I’ll make sure that I find you something.”

---

Masterlist

[comfortscripts]

Lovestruck And Masked ¬ Peter P.

Plot - Two Spider-heroes from the same universe. Two hopeless best friends who wished to be more. Maybe this crack in the multiverse was just what they needed. Genre - Fluff Pairing - Andrew!Spiderman x Spiderwoman!Reader Notes/Warnings - Just mutual pining. Tobey!Peter is Pete, Andrew!Peter is Peter and Tom!Peter is Parker. Also Andrew!Peter is 28 in this. Word Count - 1.2k

“Hey guys. I think I found another Spiderman!”

Ned’s shaky voice rang through the lab as all three Peters turned to the doorway, taking in the masked figure that stood shyly next to the awkward teenager.

“Actually, it’s Spiderwoman” Gripping the base of her mask as she pulled it off with a solid tug, unleashing her hair and causing Peter’s heart to skip a beat. “But you guys can call me Y/N.”

Eyes blown wide as the middle Spiderman takes in reality, gaze raking over her figure as he calculates his reaction. His Y/N, the only person he cared for since Gwen, was Spiderwoman? His best friend was the person who had saved his life on countless occasions under the disguise of that red and silver mask.

Throwing caution to the wind as he shuffles from behind the desk, straight into her direct view. Heart pounding as her joyous eyes locked with his, offering that spark of hope that she always provided.

“Wait, you’re Spiderman?”

“Wait, you’re Spiderwoman?”

Questions clashing at the same time, sending Pete into a suppressed chuckle as he watched express their confusion at the situation.

MJ stepped in as the pair of you stood awkwardly gazing at each other, she didn’t need a spidy-sense to realise that there was something more between the pair than they were letting on. “Hold up. Firstly, super cool that there is a female spider-hero, love that. Secondly, how do you two know each other?”

“We’re best friends” Those words were true, even though she couldn’t help but wish that they were more than best friends.

Peter fought back the urge to expose on that he had been in love with her for the past 4 years. “Have been for the past 7 years”

A heavy silence hung in the air as the 5 of them took a moment to digest the situation, unsure of what a 4th Spider-person meant for the multiverse, or why Peter looked at her with such unreadable intensity.

Fumbling slightly with stuttered words, attempting to seem more in control than was true. “Hi, I’m Peter Parker as well, but you know, from this universe. You any good at chemical reconstruction?”

▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️▪️ ▫️

Watching her work was enchanting. The fluid movements, the strands of hair falling to frame her face, that irritated smile that appeared when the materials wouldn’t cooperate. Peter was mesmerised.

“So, I know I’ve only known you for a few hours but I do know a love-struck idiot when I see one.” The quiet sound of Pete’s voice shook him from his watchful trance. Turning to face the older Spiderman, acknowledging his subtle nod towards where she was working alongside MJ. “What’s going on between you two?”

Gloved hand anxiously rubbing his neck, feeling the flush take over his cheeks as his affection gets called into question. “Nothing, we are just best friends. That’s all”

An amused huff released beside him, followed by a comical but judgmental quirked eyebrow from the mature Peter Parker as if to remind Peter that age doesn’t mean he is socially inept.

“Fine. Maybe I see her as more than a best friend, but I’ve had my love and that’s it. I can’t risk losing someone else by loving them, I can’t risk losing her.” Focusing back onto her excited figure as the cure takes form. “I love her more than I thought I could and if I lost Y/N, I’d never recover.”

The gentle hand rested against Peter’s shoulder, offering that brotherly support after his confession. “I know you didn’t ask, but the way I see it is that she would be safer and happier knowing how much you love her. Be her joy, be her best friend, be her crime fighting partner, be her safety, but most of all, be her love. Love is always worth the risk because it makes us stronger in every way. She isn’t Gwen, and you aren’t cursed, so go tell her before we enter the strangest fight of our lives.”

As the words sunk in, feeling as if they were etched into Peter’s skin, Parker announced that the cures were all ready to go. The fight was imminent, and Peter knew he couldn’t go into this without telling her.

The four shuffled around, suiting up and creating strategies for all possible scenarios but the middle Spiderman hung back, waiting for the perfect moment to pull her away. And with a gentle grip on her wrist, and a head tilt towards the hallway, he knew that there was no turning back.

“Listen, before you say anything, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I was Spiderwoman. Just, I wanted to keep you safe, and I thought that letting you know this side of me would put a target on your back, and I- well, I couldn’t handle knowing you were in danger.”

Her words hit the hero like a ton of bricks. She did this to protect him, just as he did for her. Heart swelling with admiration at her actions, and all the fear of admitting his feelings towards his best friend vanished as he felt her exposed hand wrap around his own scarred one.

“You hid it from me for the same reasons I hid it from you. If I lost you, I’d never recover because you are everything to me.” Pulling a breath from the pits of his stomach as he pushed to continue. “I am so in love with you that it terrifies me because the last time I loved someone this much, I couldn’t protect them. Just- I couldn’t go into this fight without letting you know how much I adore you and if something goes wrong tonight, you needed to know that I love you with every fibre of my being.”

Arms flung across Peter’s shoulders as her velvet lips met his chapped one in fluid movement. Years of untold love seeped through every second as the brunette gripped her body, holding it tightly against his, knowing that he had dreamt of this moment. Committing the taste of her to his memory, as she mapped out the feel of his lips against hers.

A gentle shudder rang through her body as the pair broke apart, foreheads staying together in an attempt to retain some intimacy before they were forced to become heroes instead of lovestruck hopeless adults.

“Peter, nothing is going to happen to either of us. I won't let anything happen to you tonight, or any night, because I love you in every sense of the word and I will always protect you, as I know you would do for me.”

Tugging her body closer as he rested his blush-filled face on top of her head, savouring the final moments of contact before suiting up. “I promise that after we get back to our universe, I’m going to take you on the greatest date of your life.”

Taglist - @guccixgemini @instabull @fairydxll @euyiana@starstruckspring @raajali3

[tinyyoungblood]

okay amazing here goes...so SOUR has been on repeat and your one-shot based on the album was super cute and just EVERYTHING 🥺 but also i was listening to 'traitor' the other day and the first line goes "brown guilty eyes and little white lies" and i just. the entire song puts me in the feels over a boyfriend i never had but anyway i was thinking what if...angst with peter parker!! maybe he's been more distant lately and lying about where he's been at nights or something? i'm not sure the world is your oyster!! thank you in advance💘 hehe

strangers with memories | peter parker

pairing: peter parker x reader

warnings: pure angst

a/n: “the world is your oyster” lol you’re so sweet <3 we don’t claim the peter parker in this fic because he knows better than this. enjoy x

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It was nights like these that made you feel like everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. The window was opened, leaving outside noise from the street to breeze in and blend in with the lo-fi beats playing quietly from Peter’s laptop.

Your legs were tangled under a soft blanket as Peter showed you outfit pictures from his Pinterest board, asking for your opinion. It simply made sense. The world felt at peace.

“No, I don’t think you understand. Orange and teal look really good together, see.” Peter turned his phone around to show you his screen. You squinted at the brightness, but once your eyes adjusted, you burst out laughing.

“Sure, if you want look like Perry the Platypus. Get that away from me.” You shoved his hand away and Peter grinned. He swiped to another picture with the same colours combination, and you shrieked. “Not the brown beanie! Dr. Doofenshmirtz would have a field day with this.”

Peter chuckled. He rose to his feet and tossed his phone next to you on the mattress. “I’m going to the bathroom”, he declared with an air of casualness that made you crack a smile. He was halfway through the doorway when he popped his head back in and asked, “You want anything?”

“From the bathroom?” You looked up from your phone.

Peter shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “Uh-huh.”

You suppressed your smile. “I’m good, thanks.” He gave you another shrug and left the bathroom, whistling a tune you didn’t know.

Not a second later, Peter’s phone gave off a subtle ping. It wasn’t your intention to look, but reflexes made you glance at it from the corner of your eyes. You regretted it instantly. Your shoulders tensed. It was just a text message—nothing scandalous, but the contact name made your stomach drop.

MJ.

Her name popped up on Peter’s phone screen more often than not. You really didn’t want to be bothered. You knew they were only friends, but you could already see the broad smile edging his face as he read the message. You hated where your thoughts had taken you.

Peter trusted you and you wanted to trust him as well, desperately. You demanded yourself to take the high ground. It still felt stupid and your chest caved in just at the thought of Peter grinning at his phone. He barely even answered your texts anymore.

You could already hear the white lies he was going to feed you. But you felt yourself wanting to keep the white lies. At least, that meant getting to keep Peter. All you could do was swallow the lump in your throat and take a deep breath. The world still blurred around you.

“May asked if you’re in the mood for Thai food.” Your gaze shot to Peter’s. He was leaning against the door frame, arms folded over his chest with the same calm expression as before. Don’t ruin this. Keep the peace.

You forced a smile. “Thanks, but I don’t like Thai food.”

Peter frowned at that. “Since when? You’ve always liked it.” He appeared almost affronted before realisation crossed his face. “Oh wait, my bad, MJ liked it. We actually just had Thai food together the other night with Ned.” A private smile curled around his lips at the memory.

“Sounds nice,” you replied weakly. It was all you could say.

Peter didn’t seem to mind. He pushed himself off and strolled over, picking up his phone to see the texts he had just received. He chuckled softly at whatever he had been sent and punched in a reply.

You simply sat there, fiddling with the blanket that suddenly felt too hot. Say something, the voice inside your head demanded. Be exciting. Don’t make him lose interest. Your hands curled into a fist. You felt ridiculous.

“So about Friday night,” you began awkwardly, feeling suddenly very out of place although there was nobody else in the room. Peter’s eyes were bright with delight as he typed away on his phone.

“Hm?” He said, and you had a feeling it wasn’t because he wanted to you to go on. He just wasn’t sure if you had spoken at all.

Your cheeks hurt from forcing a smile. “Are you going to pick me up or should we just meet there?”

Peter’s eyebrows creased. “Meet you where?”

“At the movies,” you said curtly. “We wanted to watch that movie, remember? It was your idea.” The bite in your tone finally made Peter look up. It was like watching a slow car crash.

“Was it?” Peter mused, and you nodded stiffly.

“Oh.”

From somewhere on the street, you heard people arguing. Their sharp voices cut into the room and drilled themselves into your chest. Don’t let this be us. That isn’t us. We’re better than that. You fixed your eyes on the curve of Peter’s neck, concentrating on his breathing to feel like he wasn’t drifting away. In reality, you knew that the ship was already leaving the harbour and there was nothing you could do.

“Sorry,” Peter finally said, lips pursed. “I kind of already made plans with MJ. Her uncle has this cool train collection that she wanted to show me. She told me about it at lunch today and I’m really excited. It’s pretty awesome.”

Your face dropped and he had the good sense to add, “But we can always catch the movie on Monday night if you want.”

“Why not on the weekend?” A part of you dreaded to hear the answer.

Peter didn’t hesitate as he waved you off. “Ned and I wanted to get started on that new Lego set I told you about.” You had no recollection of that. Peter’s eyes flickered to you before another text message came in, demanding his full attention. The sound made you feel nauseous. The ship was a dot now, fading into the horizon while you were still stranded.

“You can join us if you want,” Peter offered with eyes glued to his phone. “MJ is going to bring Thai food, I think.”

You didn’t bother to reply. You felt claustrophobic. Pushing yourself off his bed, you headed for the window. It was already opened by a crack, but you needed fresh air. It was almost overwhelming when you stepped over the window sill and let yourself out onto the fire escape. The stairs screeched but you didn’t care for the noise. What you needed was proof that there was more out there.

The railing was cold as you wrapped your hands around them. Each window across the street was alit in numerous colours. Silhouettes moved in those colours—people with their own lives and sorrows. The world continued to live.

You settled on one of the stairs and stared up at the night sky. No stars, nothing. You were really stuck at the harbour. Peter’s room was glowing in purple thanks to the LED strips you had set up together a few weeks ago. He had bought old vinyl records and you spent the entire night rating them until sunlight pooled in through the curtains. It all felt like a pipe dream now.

You didn’t know how long you’d been sitting outside by yourself. All you knew were the colour blocks of windows, shifting in and out of blurriness. You had been too busy watching the ship sail away that you only now realised how much you had starved yourself. One good night wasn’t going to change that. Your mind was just really good at leaving out the bad parts.

“Here you are.” Peter’s voice caught you off guard. You turned away, wiping your tearstained cheeks hastily as he watched you with knitted brows. “I just came to tell you that I invited Ned and MJ over. I hope that’s fine.”

When you didn’t reply, Peter stepped out and sat on the window sill. “You okay?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “Do I look okay to you?”

“Well,” he said, “You’ve been acting weird all week, so…I’m not sure”

“I have been acting weird?” You echoed.

Peter hesitated but lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “Yeah, but you’re always smiling, so I just assume you’re all right.”

“You can’t be serious,” you said bitterly, tucking your hands under your thighs to stop them from shaking. “Just look what we’ve become. You can’t even tell anymore if I’m putting on a fake smile.”

“What are you talking about?” He cocked his head to the side.

“Oh, you know.” You waved your hand at nothing. “Air pollution, climate change, everything and nothing these days. But you wouldn’t know, would you.”

“Y/N,” Peter said with an edge to his voice. “Are you going to tell me what this is really about?”

You hadn’t realised that you had started pacing until his question made you halt and whip around. There was acid in your tone as you snapped, “Don’t you miss me at all?”

“What?” Peter looked stumped. “We see each other every day at school. You’re literally standing in front of me right now.”

You scoffed and sat back down on the stairs. “Love really does make people blind,” you murmured and stared at the sky. Maybe it was going to rain.

Peter exhaled sharply and knelt before you, lowering your chin to look you in the eye. He thought he could find an answer in them, but you knew that if he’d been blind to it all this time, he wasn’t going to see it now. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he admitted, and your chest ached.

You wrapped your arms around yourself. “I want you. That’s all I wanted.”

“Wanted? You have me.” Peter pressed his lips together. “You have me right now, Y/N.”

“I don’t.” You couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “MJ has you. She’s had you for a while now, and I’m just here watching you both from afar.”

Peter opened his mouth, most likely wanting to deny it, but no sounds came out. He simply stared and stared and stared. Your heart was racing. There was no way back, so you went on, “I don’t care if you’re just friends. I really don’t care, because it hurts just as much knowing that I still let you treat me like that. I miss you and you’re sitting right in front of me. And you know what the worst part is?”

Memories flooded your mind, bricking you like thorns. You devoured them, hungrily, because you were used to living on crumbs. Peter holding you in his arms. Peter looking tenderly after your wounds and kissing your tears. Peter turning sorrow into bliss until you were drunk on laughter and the sky was dusted in stars.

A sad smile hung to your lips. “I still think the world of you. All those nights when I had prayed for someone like you. Someone who could be my safe person and I could be theirs—I thought I had that with you.”

“You do,” Peter hissed, and at once you wondered where he found the strength to believe his own lies. He sighed. “I promise you, you did. It’s just…” Your throat went dry as he bit his tongue. “It’s not something you can control, okay? Maybe you’re just not my only safe person anymore. It’s…it’s not a big deal.” Peter’s gaze dropped as your breath caught.

You were glad you were sitting. There was no doubt that your knees would’ve given out otherwise. His confession felt like a punch to the gut. That small, pathetic voice inside your head screamed and trashed, denying everything he’d just said. A part of you was always so hopeful—Peter used to love that about you.

Remember, it tried to reason, he promised he would never hurt you. Remember how it felt to have his arms around you. It couldn’t have been a lie. None of it could’ve been a lie. You squeezed your eyes shut.

“You’re not actually sorry,” you heard yourself say. “You’re just saying that to feel good about yourself. If you were sorry, you would’ve never made all those promises—” You didn’t have it in yourself to continue. No words would’ve done you justice anyway. “If you’re just going to keep hurting me, then leave me alone.”

Something dark flared in his brown eyes. “Leave you alone?” asked Peter incredulously. “This is stupid and you know it. All of this, just because I’m friends with MJ. Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous? We’re just friends. There’s no reason for you to get paranoid.”

“I’m being paranoid now?” Your eyes narrowed.

“That’s what I would call it, yes.”

“Then tell me this.” You jumped to your feet. “Last week, when Mr. Harrison took points off my assignment because I supposedly handed it in too late, why didn’t you speak up for me? You were there, you knew I handed it in time. All I needed was for you to tell him the truth, but you didn’t say a damn thing. Now I’m failing that class, and you know why this is the first time you’re hearing about this?”

Peter remained silent, but his eyes flickered, and the crease between his brows was evidence enough.

“Because you were too distracted giggling with MJ in the back. You didn’t even notice when I stormed out of that room, so don’t lie to yourself, Peter. You haven’t been by my side in a while now.”

You shook your head when Peter averted his gaze. Of course, he had nothing to say. Both of you knew it wasn’t just about that class. It was about the missed calls, the empty words, and all the times he had stood you up and let you down. At least he respected you enough to not deny it. No more white lies.

“See, this is the thing,” you began, swinging your leg over the window sill to step inside the room. You faced Peter and waited until his gaze drifted to yours. “You gave me your word and I was stupid enough to believe you. I trusted you. It was supposed to be you and me against the world, but you sat back and watched it beat me down because you were too busy falling in love with somebody else.”

Peter’s expression shifted and you turned your back to him. Seeing his frustration replaced by realisation was something you knew you couldn’t stomach.

So you made to leave. It was only when you were halfway through the room that you recognised the feeling simmering in your gut as something a bit different than resentment. You looked back over your shoulder, eyebrows lowered, and struggled to find your voice.

“Peter?”

It was barely a whisper, but you knew he heard you. He tore his gaze from the floor and looked at you. Wild storms were trapped in his eyes, an ocean rising. It was devasting to look at.

But it was then that you realised, that although Peter had never cheated on you, his brown guilty eyes still made him a traitor. You took a deep breath.

“Just don’t treat her how you treated me,” was all you said. And with that, you were gone.

* * *

i’d really appreciate if you left some feedback since i barely ever write angst and want to know what you think:) stay hydrated guys

[captain-tch]

The Webs We Weave (Spiderman: No Way Home x Reader)

When you're thrown into a universe that isn't your own, you're confronted with your past in more ways than one.

Part 5: quest to return home

previous chapter

Your words hung in the air between you. The eldest Peter reached out to you, squeezing your arm. You saw the understanding in his eyes. Like every version of you, he had experienced the heartache of seeing a loved one die before them. There was a strange kind of comfort in that.

A subtle change shifted through the air. Electricity crackled around you. Your hair started to stand on end. You turned towards it, seeing the villains start to emerge below. Anxiety stirred in your chest, anticipation brewing. This would be your first fight against a real threat.

Swallowing your nerves, you shouted at the other Peter's. "They're here!"

The conversation was long forgotten. Before long you were in a battle. You couldn't believe how horribly it went. You landed in a pile of Peter's, groaning as you realised the pain killers were starting to wear off. An elbow was digging into your back and you could feel someone's chin burying itself into your shin.

"These fuckers are probably loving this." You muttered to yourself as you untangled yourself from the pile, groaning as you felt your bones crack at the movement.

"We need to coordinate our attacks."

You snorted, shaking your head in disbelief. "How? You're all called Peter?"

"Uh," the youngest Peter pointed to himself. "I'm Peter One."

He pointed to the eldest. "You're Peter Two."

He pointed to the remaining Peter. "You're Peter Three."

He then pointed at you, shrugging. "We all know who you are."

"We'll focus on one, cure them, and move onto the next one."

You raised your hand, "Maybe I should distract them? I make better bait than a Spider-"

"Never doubt that you're one of us." Peter Three was quick to interject and slapped your shoulder, "If that's what you're comfortable with, it could work."

You nodded, heart warming at Peter's comment. You knew you weren't confident enough to be on the front line, but if you could distract the other villains to help them out, that would be more than enough. "Then let's do this."

As a group, you all sprang off of the Statue of Liberty. The wind rushed past you as you shot out a web, diverting from the three Peter's and scouring the area. As the Peter's coordinated their tactics to cure Max, you jumped towards the Lizard, knocking him off of his feet. He fell harshly to the scaffolding floor. Not wasting a beat, you shot the webs at his claws, securing him in place.

He growled. You shrugged, shooting a web and holding it in your palm. "No hard feelings."

You swung away, trying to find the three Spiderman's in the dark of the night. A crackle of electricity sounded above you. A lightning strike missed you by mere inches. Sensing another one incoming, you swung out of the way just in time to avoid being fried.

"Y/N, you okay?" You strained to make out who shouted, looking up to see two Peter's fighting Max. Unable to speak, you sent them a hasty thumbs up.

One minute you're swinging, the next, you're being tossed through the air. You barely had a chance to react as you toppled through the scaffolding, crashing into the Lizard. You groaned, tiredly pulling yourself up. Old and new wounds started to make themselves known, a dull ache spreading through your body. Clenching your teeth, you forced yourself to focus on the task at hand.

When you looked up, the Lizard wasn't there. Your hands were covered in the webs.

"Oh, fuck." You snapped, springing to your feet and bolting along the scaffolding. You just caught sight of the Lizard running towards the portal Ned had conjured. "Close it!" You screamed breathlessly, sprinting to catch up with the mutant.

Ned stood there wide eyed as he moved his hand in a circular motion, to no avail. The Lizard kept getting closer, closer, until he was at the entrance.

Ned dashed backwards, MJ tugging him to safety. You shot a web at the ceiling ahead, using that to catapult you forwards. Air whooshed around you as you sped towards him. You shot towards the Lizard, hot on his tail as he stepped through the portal.

"I got it!" You yelled to the two friends, springing up in the air and aiming a kick at his head. With just a fraction of second before impact, he turned towards you, snatching your foot in mid air. "I don't got it!" He tossed you out of the portal, back into the freezing air outside.

You crashed into the scaffolding, the structure weakening under the impact. Poles started to fall upon you, clattering and falling to the water below. For a moment you laid there, looking up at the ceiling. If this reality had taught you anything, it was that you were far more inexperienced than you initially thought. Oh, and that your pain threshold was extremely high.

Hearing crashes, you managed to push the debris off of you, turning to see the Lizard chasing Ned and MJ. Hot fury coursed through you. Without thinking, you snatched up the nearest pole, darting in the direction of the Lizard. Now, he was preoccupied with Peter Three, fighting him as he tried desperately to pierce the cure into the Lizard's skin.

"I am so sick," You swung the pole forcefully, enunciating each word. "Of this shit." The Lizard froze. You didn't take that as a sign to stop, repeatedly hitting him with the metal, and using it to knock his legs from beneath him. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground. Pinning him to the ground, you saw Peter Three stab the cure into the Lizard's scales. Underneath your hands the mutant began to change. The scales were shed, slowly replaced with human skin. At the back of your mind you were hoping it would be your Peter; you knew it wouldn't be him. That didn't stop the bitter disappointment seeping into you when you saw the facial features appear.

It definitely wasn't your Peter.

Dejected, you loosened your grip on the man's shoulders, taking a step away. Peter Three removed his mask, smiling fondly at the man. You left them to have a moment alone, trying to stamp down the jealousy growing in your heart. It seemed all of the Peter's had someone in their reality here, whilst you? You had no one.

Shaking your head, you faced the battle. You would be home soon, you repeated as a mantra to yourself, scouring the surroundings to find anyone else who needed your help and ignoring the deep throb of pain in your body.

Ned and MJ were standing on the scaffolding. The air whipped around them, they looked so exposed. A glint of green in the sky behind them caught your eye. Your body reacted before your mind could process it. You flung yourself into the air, swinging as fast as you could to reach them, getting so close you could touch them when a bomb hit you in the chest.

Panicking, you tried to throw it away as hard as you could, twisting your body to shield Ned and MJ with your own. It exploded. You were thrown through the air once again, ears ringing, a sharp stinging spreading across your chest. Your face felt as though it was on fire and each deep inhale made you cough.

Yet you kept falling.

In your periphery you saw a streak of red and blue dart downwards. Looking back up at the scaffolding, you saw Ned staring down at your disappearing figure, his hands cupped around his mouth.

"Look out!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

You turned to see the ground rushing towards you. In a rush you shot a web out just in time to alter the course of your fall. Instead of slamming into the ground, you fell with a hard splash into the water. Frantically you pulled yourself to the surface, gagging. With weak arms you managed to swim towards the shield that had once been attached to the Statue of Liberty.

Quaking, you pulled yourself up, only to collapse on the metal. The material was cooling on your burned skin.

You laid there for a few moments, trying to catch your breath. The sun was starting to come up and in the morning light, you could make out the full extent of the damage you had caused. The scaffolding had been ripped apart, the shield pulled from the Statue of Liberty. You winced, thinking of how the newspapers were going to drag Spiderman's name through the mud for it. At least it wouldn't be my problem for much longer.

The first Peter appeared in your vision. His face was stony, no resemblance of the smiling boy in the lab. No, this was the mask that fell when Aunt May died. Instantly you were alert, merely watching with a furrowed brow when he reached for something next to you.

Green Goblin's hoverboard.

"Peter, don't do this." You reached out to him weakly. He brushed you away without another thought.

It was a blur. Peter in his murderous rage went to attack Green Goblin, to avenge May and get the blood he thought he needed to cure the grief, when Peter Two appeared, blocking him from landing the final blow. His expression said it all.

You needed that expression when you were exacting revenge on the bullies of your friend. You needed that expression to stop you from falling deeper into your crater of misery. If one thing, you were glad this Peter could see the consequences of this action. He could see the regret in his elder's eyes, the weight of the sin.

Peter lowered the hoverboard, only for his elder to be stabbed in the back.

The cure was delivered in the next second. As the cure started to work on Osbourne, the weight of it laid on your chest. It was done. All of the villains had been cured. A whirlwind of emotions bulldozed you. You thought you'd be ecstatic for the moment you could finally go home, but now? Now you weren't too sure. You'd finally found three other people who understood what it was like to be in your shoes, three other people who kept the memory of your Peter alive.

Now, they were going to leave too.

Stumbling to your feet, you moved towards Peter Two, his face only an echo of pain. He smiled up at you. "Well done, the Spider."

"I didn't do much." He shot you a pointed look. You gave in, sending him a weak lift of the lips. "Thank you."

"He would be proud of you."

A well of emotion built up in your chest. You acknowledged the comment with a tearful smile, nodding your thanks. "Will," you cleared the lump in your throat. "Will you guys be okay?"

"We should be."

The eldest Peter shrugged. "I've been stabbed before, it's nothing new."

"I don't know how you're coping Y/N, you were pretty gnarly before we even got here." Peter Two commented. "Pretty badass actually."

The comment made your chest swell. The pain persisted. "I have no idea how I'll explain this to my parents."

The other Peter's laughed, thinking fondly of their past tales. "I told my Aunt I was cleaning the chimney."

The Peter from this reality watched the interaction with a soft smile. "Thank you all, so much."

"I'm going to miss you all." Peter Three beckoned you all into a group hug. You relished the feeling of having them so close. For a moment, if you closed your eyes and breathed in deep, you could convince this was your own Peter that was holding you so tightly. You pictured him leaning down, whispering in your ear.

"You did good, Y/N."

Without realising, a single tear tracked down your cheek. A small piece of guilt faded as the image of your Peter was washed away. The pain of his death would always be there, but maybe the wound was slowly turning to a scar.

The youngest Peter excused himself reluctantly from the embrace. He moved to greet his friends. Something niggled at your chest as you quickly grabbed his arm, sending him a small smile. "Thank you, Peter. You've reminded me of why I put on the mask."

His desire to save the villains, when one of them robbed him of everything he had ever known, struck a chord within you. He was what you aspired to be when you put on the suit. This was what your Peter saw in you. You knew that because you could see the reflection of that now in this Peter, a version of you.

You had just been too blinded by grief and misery to see it.

"Take care, Y/N." He said softly.

He disappeared from sight. You turned to the two other Peter's, the eldest finding support on Peter Two. A warmth blossomed in your chest. This was your family. The thought of never seeing them again made a lump form in your throat; you would be forever grateful for having met the two.

"Thank you, for showing me it's okay to make mistakes." You forced the words out of your throat. "For showing me it gets better."

Their kind faces were the last thing you saw as you feel yourself become untethered from this reality, the world spinning away. The battle, the Peter's, all faded away as you fell back into your own reality, stumbling as you came to an alley. You collapsed to the ground, the adrenaline long gone from your body, stones biting into your knees. Agony lit up all of your nerves and each movement reminded you of another wound.

None of that mattered in that moment. A deep breath told you everything you needed to know.

You were back home.

marvel masterlist

[phoenixyfriend]

Just saw the new Spidey movie! It was... incredibly good, actually. I heard as much but it really delivered on the hype.

Spoilers under the cut.

I teared up when May died, the conversation that confirmed that May WAS his Ben narratively, the catching-MJ thing and Garfield!Spidey's Trauma Reaction to managing it, and the Goodbyes right at the end where everyone knows they're about to forget him because damn. THERE WERE SO MANY GOOD PARTS. EVEN THE NOT-SAD ONES WERE REALLY GOOD.

Also I loved the "I just thought you'd be black" joke and how weirdly adorable Andrew Garfield was, and the subtle but noticeable nod to his Bi Spidey.

I want to write fic now

It's a problem

The Spideys all actually really liked each other, THEY WERE SO PSYCHED

I liked that the ending scene really pushed that Peter had finally landed in his perpetual comics life situation: broke and completely alone.

And in spandex that protects nothing.

[kj-1130]

Nothing For Me

Part 7

Main Masterlist

Part 6|Part 8

     You and MJ’s relationship continued to grow as time went on. 

     As she started her first year of high school, you worked on yourself, wanting to be good for her.

     Overtime, you learned how to process and deal with things better. You focused on yourself and your developing relationship with MJ and needless to say, things started to look up. 

     The ‘present but not really present father’ thing didn’t affect you as much as it did, but it was still there. It was one of the only things you hadn’t fully processed and to be honest, you didn’t think you ever could. 

     Your father is there, and has been aware of presence for almost a decade. And not once has he given you any type of consolation or love like a father should. You would think after Pepper was getting more involved in his life and forcing him to clean up (most of) his act, he would open his eyes and realize that a whole human being was living with him, waiting for him to realize that they were supposed to be relying on him; not an AI built in the comfort of their room. 

     But nope. Absolutely nothing changed. If anything, things got worse. 

     He was away more often, focusing on the Avengers. Or he was with Pepper, the new love of his life. 

     You tried not to linger on the situation often, knowing it would only lead to pain in your chest. So you just stuffed it in the back of your mind, hoping one day that the pain would just lessen all together. 

     About two months ago, you and MJ had decided to make things official after going on your first date. At first you talked about how fast the two of you were going, but Michelle simply said ‘we’ll be u-haul lesbians then.’ That was the end of the conversation. 

     Currently, you and your girlfriend were facetiming. You would’ve made the trek to her house but she was about to study and you both knew that you’d distract her. Plus the two of you were due for some time away from each other considering the fact that you’re at her place almost everyday. 

     “Okay, so I found this recipe the other day and I’m just now remembering it.”

     MJ looks at you confused, “Okay?” 

     You roll your eyes playfully.

     “I wanted to try it with you. After my ban from your place has been lifted.” 

     “It’s not a ban,” she chuckled.

     “Well, it sure as hell feels like one ba-”     “Mr. Stark has arrived with a guest,” M.I.A cut you off. 

     “Who is this guest?” 

     “Secretary of State, Thaddues Ross,” the AI replied, pulling up pictures of the man. 

     “Hey M, I’m gonna call you back.”

     “Yeah, yeah,” she nods, looking a little concerned. “Take all the time you need. Let me know if everything’s okay.”

     The two of you give your goodbyes and you ask M.I.A to pull up the live footage from the conference room.

     “Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an un-payable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives… but while a great a=many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word “vigilantes”, is what you first hear when you start watching. 

     Immediately your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

     “And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?” Natasha asks.

     “How about ‘dangerous’?” he replies. “What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?”

     The secretary activates a screen behind him which begins to play the previous battles the Avengers and SHIELD have fought in. 

     “New York.” 

     He clicks a button, footage of chitauri, shooting guns, and Hulk smashing plays. 

     “Washington D.C”

     A new video appears, showing the insight helicarriers firing at each other with chaos following. 

     “Sokovia.” 

     The frame changes, showcasing the terrified citizens that were on the flying piece of land. 

     “Lagos.” 

     “That’s enough,” Steve interrupts. 

     Ross nods in response and begins his speech again. 

     “For the past four years, you’ve operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That’s an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution.”

     He places a thick document on the table and slides it across to Wanda. As the team slides the book to each other Ross starts talking. 

     “The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries… it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they’ll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary.” 

     “The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place,” the Captain begins. “I feel we’ve done that.”

     “Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?” There was a momentary pause as the two men’s eyes met. “If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes… you can bet there’d be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That’s how the world works. Believe me, this is middle ground.”

     At this point, you’re walking out of your room after transfering the feed to your tablet and making your way to the elevator.

     “So, these are contingencies,” Rhodey states. 

     “Three days from now,” Secretary Ross begins. “The UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords. Talk it over.” 

     Natasha speaks up, “And if we don’t come to a decision you don’t like?”

     “Then you retire.” 

     The elevator stops and you look up seeing the Secretary walk in with someone behind him. You give him a subtle disgusted look before turning your attention back to the security footage.

     As the deathtrap descends, you can feel his eyes lingering on you. 

     “Can I help you?” 

     “You’re a little young to be an intern.” 

     “You’re a little old to be looking at me like that,” you shrug, swiping away from the video on your tablet as you feel him looking over your shoulder. 

     Ross gives an awkward chuckle and furrows his eyebrows. When you reach the bottom floor, he gets ready to step out and places a hand on your shoulder. 

     You look at him like he’s lost his mind. 

     “You seem like a good kid. Be sure to make good choices.” 

     Raising an eyebrow, you refrain from saying what you want to say. You lift your hand and gently take his off of you. 

     “Don’t touch me,” 

     Once he exits, you hear the chatting start back up.

     “Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor,” Rhodes told Sam. “Which is one more than you have. 

     “So let’s say we agree to this thing,” Wilson starts. “How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?”

     “117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you’re just like, ‘No that’s cool. We got it.” 

     “I have an equation,” Vision announces as you get back on the elevator. 

     “Oh this will clear it up,” Sam mutters. 

     “In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate.“

     “Toaster oven’s got a point there,” you mumble, stepping back on the metal deathtrap. 

     Steve asks,“Are you saying it’s our fault?”

     “I’m saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict… breeds catastrophe. Oversight… oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.” 

     “Boom,” Rhodey says.                             

     You see Tony lying on the couch, quite relaxed, contradicting the tense atmosphere. 

     “Tony,” Nat starts. “You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal.”

     “It’s because he’s already made up his mind,” Steve explained. 

     “Boy, you know me so well,” Stark starts, getting up and rubbing the back of his head. “Actually I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache,” he pauses to grab a mug of coffee. “That’s what’s going on, Cap. It’s just pain. It’s discomfort. Who’s putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?”

     Tony puts his phone in a basket and taps the screen. An image is projected of a smiling young man. 

     “Oh, that’s Charles Spencer, by the way. He’s a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul, before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn’t want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn’t go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia.”

     He pauses for a second as the team soaks in the information.

     “He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won’t know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass.

     “There’s no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I’m game. If we can’t accept limitations, if we’re boundary-less, we’re no better than the bad guys.”

     “Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don’t give up,” Steve rebuttals.

     “Who said we’re giving up?” 

     “We are if we’re not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame.”

     “I’m sorry. Steve,” Rhodey blurted. “That-that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we’re talking about. It’s not the World Security Council, it’s not SHIELD, it’s not HYDRA.”

      “No, but it’s run by people with agendas, and agendas change.”   

      “That’s good,” Tony starts. “That’s why I’m here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing.  

     “Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don’t let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.”

     “If we don’t do this now, it’s gonna be done to us later. That’s a fact. That won’t be pretty.”

     Wanda finally speaks up, “You’re saying they’ll come for me.”

     “We would protect you,” Vision promised. 

     “Maybe Tony’s right,” the redhead speaks. “If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off--”

     “Aren’t you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?” Sam interrupts. 

     “I’m just… I’m reading the terrain. We have made… some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back. 

     “Focus up,” Tony says. “I’m sorry, did I just mishear or did you agree with me?”

     “Oh, I want to take it back now.”

     “No, no, no. You can’t retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case-closed--I win.” 

     From what you see, Steve stands to leave abruptly. 

     You then walk out of the elevator, tablet still in hand with the footage up. The captain walks past you just as you turn the corner and spot the team. 

     “Someone’s upset,” you hum. 

     You walk past everyone towards the fridge and grab a water bottle. 

     “Anyway, that was very childish. And kinda stupid.” 

     Inquisitive looks are thrown your way and you hold up the tablet awkwardly as you plop down on a chair. 

     “I was watching you. I kinda do that a lot. It’s not as creepy as it sounds.” 

     You open the bottle and take a sip. 

     “What are you doing down here kid--”

     “Ahhh,” you interrupt. “Don’t call me a kid. I haven’t been a child for years.”

     “Just answer the question,” Tony snaps. 

     “I like to stay informed. No one tells me anything and while you think that these private meetings only affect you, it doesn’t. It affects me too. You may not remember I’m your child but several people do. And that puts me in danger. So yes, I listen to your conversations to make sure it’s nothing I need to worry about.” 

     An awkward silence washes over as you gulp down more water. 

     “Anyway, I was just riding up and down the elevator waiting for you guys to finish. That Ross dude is kinda creepy by the way. But you’re really considering signing that thing?” 

     “Not you too,” your father mutters. 

      You let out a laugh and everyone looks at you strangely. 

      “Is this funny to you?” Rhodey asks. 

      “Yes,” you stop laughing abruptly. “I find it hilarious that this is the same government that was ready to drop a nuke on the city during the Battle of New York not giving a damn about a single civilian that was still in the area. I find it hilarious that this is the same government that lets thousands of children and women of color go missing and not do a thing about it. It’s funny that this is the same government that let HYDRA, Red Room, AIM; all that shit grow right under their nose. It’s funny because this government is the same one that uses taxpayer money for dumb ass projects and unnecessary military funding instead of using it to fund shit that helps the civilians they claim they care so much about. I mean how can you not find this situation amusing?”

     “Look,” Tony attempts. 

     “I’m not finished,” you challenge, looking him dead in the eyes. “This government don’t give a damn about y’all, especially not the three of us,” you say, gesturing to yourself, Sam, and Rhodey. “We’d be booted out of this country before you could even blink if they ever got the chance and you know that.

     “I don’t know why y’all are so adamant on gaining the government’s trust when they don’t give a flying fuck about you or these goddamn civilians. All they care about is power. They don’t care how many civilians come up missing or die in some tragic accident. It doesn’t matter what happens. When they see someone becoming richer or smarter or more powerful than they are, they will do anything to shut that shit down. 

     “I don’t understand how you can’t see that. And maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s just me and my experience,” you pause, catching the gaze of every person in the room with hard eyes. You take a deep breath and try to calm down. “Sign it if you want to. Think about how many lives you’ll lose then.”

     You stand from your spot and walk into the open elevator, ready to get to the comfort of your bed.��

-

     It had been two days since the initial meeting and you were currently sitting on Michelle’s bed watching her read. 

     “You’re really pretty,” you muttered out of the blue.

     You saw your girlfriend’s cheeks develop a subtle red tint as she mumbled back a ‘thank you, and continued reading. You groan and gently pull the book out of her hands. 

     “Hey,” she quietly protests. 

     “Please,” you pout, holding your arms out as an invitation.

     MJ fondly rolls her eyes before lowering herself onto you. You hummed contently and squeezed her before planting a kiss on her cheek. 

     She surprised you by turning her head and giving you a lingering kiss. That one kiss soon turned into something more. 

     Michelle gently pushed you onto your back and straddled your hips. Bending down she kissed you once again, her lips gliding with yours. 

     This continued for a few minutes, taking small breaks in between to breathe. You don’t think you could ever get enough of her and hoped that she was feeling similarly.

     You kissed until your jaws hurt. The euphoric feeling still lingered as MJ rested her forehead against yours, trying to catch her breath. 

     “We should do that again sometime,” you mumbled. 

     Your girlfriend nodded in response, giving one more chaste kiss to your lips before dropping to your side. 

     “Tomorrow,” she said after glancing at the clock that read 10:47. 

     “Guess I’m spending the night then.” 

     “I have no problem with that.”

-

     The next day, you were awoken by beeping from your phone. Once you were fully aware of your surroundings you picked up the device and read the notifications that M.I.A sent through. Scanning through them, you sat up with urgency and played the video. 

     “A bomb hidden in a news van ripped through the UN building in Vienna. More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda’s King T’Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Bares, the Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations.”

     Carefully removing Michelle’s arm from around your waist, you stand up and move to the corner of the room. You press the contact and hold the phone up to your ear. 

      “Nat what the fuck is going on?”

     You hear the woman sigh on the other side of the phone.     “Look, just… stay wherever you are.”

     “Yeah, okay, whatever. I want answers, Nat.”

     “(Y/n),” she says firmly. “Calm down and go back to whatever you were doing. Right now, this does not concern you and I would like it to stay that way. Do you understand me?”

     There was some silence, before you let out a forced chuckle. 

     “Okay, whatever. Bye.”

     “(Y/n) c’mo--”

     You disconnected the call and gently tossed the phone onto MJ’s desk.     “You sound stressed.” 

     Turning around to face the bed, you see Michelle sat up and leaning against the headboard. You nod slowly and crawl your way up towards her. 

     “I am.”

     You feel her hand take hold of your clenched ones and she rubs them, causing you to relax slightly. 

     “There was a um, bombing at the--the um… signing thing. And no one wants to tell me what’s going on, so,” you end the sentence, shrugging. 

     MJ’s head drops onto your shoulder and you let her cuddle close. 

     “They told me to stay where I was. So hopefully we can get something good out of that.” 

     There was no response and you thought she had fallen back asleep, but you were proven wrong when your girlfriend started getting up. 

     “C’mon,” she instructed, holding her hand out when she saw the look of confusion on your face. 

     Taking her hand, the two of you made your way to the kitchen. 

     She turned around and grabbed your shoulders. 

     “We are going to make some breakfast… or lunch whatever. And then we are going to binge watch until we can binge watch no longer. Alright?”

     You nod your head, chuckling and then got to work. 

-

     It had been days since you last heard from anyone. No updates from Natasha. M.I.A even told you there hasn’t even been a great deal of movement in the compound. Today you decided you would head back. 

     When you arrived it was quiet. As you walked down the halls you heard distant chatter and followed it. 

     Turning the corner, you were surprised at what you saw. 

     “What the hell happened?”

     The two men turned to look your way, but you were given no answers. 

     Tony had bruises on his face and he looked more tense than usual. Rhodey had some sort of tech on his legs. 

     “You fought them. You fought them all, didn’t you?” 

     Both men looked away and avoided your gaze. 

     “You didn’t even listen to what I said. This is what the government does. I tried to tell you, but you didn’t even fucking listen,” you ranted, your voice slightly raising.

     “Us breaking apart wasn’t the government. Most of this is on some guy th--”

     “Well the government allowed it to happen so I’d say it is their fault!” 

     You turned to your father with pleading eyes. 

     “Where are they, Tony?”

     “Kid, they’re criminals now, I don’t--”

     “Stop calling me that! I’m--I’m not some kid. I’m not your kid,” you let out a frustrated breath. “You--you couldn’t talk it out? Like mature adults? You just had to go assert your dominance somewhere--in what? An--an airport? Some vacant lot? You just had to fight. Do you not know how to communicate?” 

     You looked at the two men, shook your head, and brushed past them. 

     Just when things were alright.

-

     “(Y/n)?” 

     “What M.I.A?”

     You were currently laying in your bed trying to control the tears that were begging to fall from your eyes due to the amount of overwhelming shit you had been hit with. You talked with MJ for a little while and while it helped a bit, you honestly were still feeling like… well shit.

     “There’s a package for you.” 

     Furrowing your eyebrows, you head down to where the mail is usually placed, get the package with your name on it, and head back to your room. 

     Grabbing a pair of scissors, you cut the tape and open the box. Inside was a letter and a phone. 

     Hey sweetheart.

     It was Natasha’s handwriting.

     I’m sorry. I really am. We all are. I wish things wouldn’t have ended this way, but they did and we can’t really do anything about it now. 

     I listened to what you said. I listened and I tried my best to understand. I don’t think I ever wanted to sign the accords in the first place. The only reason I did so was so that we could stay together. So that I could stay with you. This team is the only family I’ve had in a long time. The fact that that stack of papers could end that scared me. 

     I just kept trying to convince myself that signing the Accords was the right thing to do; anything to keep this team together. Anything to keep everything from falling apart. 

     But the more I thought about it, I realized. You were right. Everything you said. This government doesn’t care. And if the government doesn’t care like they’re supposed to then we need to. People need the government, but they don’t have it. They do have us though. And they always will. 

     I love you. I didn’t say it enough and I don’t know when or if I’ll ever get to tell you that again. You are so precious to me and I’m sorry I couldn’t stay. If you ever need anything, you can always give me a call. 

     You wiped your eyes and gently picked up the phone. You held it in your hands for a moment before setting it down. You folded the letter back up neatly and placed both items in the top drawer of your nightstand. 

     You laid back down on your bed with less tears on your face. 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

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[liliacvol6]

Just Famous

Pairing: Tom Holland x reader 

Summary: You’re THE up and coming movie star, he’s the guy that plays Spider-Man. What happens when he reveals in an interview that you’re his celebrity crush

Warnings: Honestly just a cute ass lil story

~~~ 

I had this in my drafts forever so I figured I should probably post it eventually :)))

(Y/F/N) - your first name

(Y/L/N)- your last name

(Y/B/F) - your best friend’s name 

~~~~~~~~

You sat on your couch reading a news article about the up and coming movie Spider-Man Far From Home. You were a large marvel fan and had wanted to get into the movie series, you auditioned for MJ but it ultimately went to Zendaya. You talked about this recently in an interview, how losing the role made you work harder and that’s how you go the role you were nominated for an oscar with. 

“Y/N!!” Your manager and friend called to you, you looked up from your phone. Their face was bright red and they held out their phone, “Fucking watch this”

You grabbed her phone and pressed play. It was a video from an interview from the Far From Home press tour. Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon sat laughing and giggling while the interviewer came up with the next question, she waited for the giggles to die down and then said,

“So (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N) auditioned for the role of MJ, do you think the movie would’ve been way different if she was cast and Zendaya, you weren’t?” Tom started looking around the room at everyone and as Zendaya started to speak Tom threw his hands in the air waving around, 

“Wait just a minute, (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N) could’ve been my MJ? Are you serious??” Tom was smiling widely now, Zendaya slapped his arm and Jacob rolled his eyes,

“What am I not good enough??” Zendaya asked laughing, Tom shook his head and put his face in his hands 

“No, you’re great but she’s celebrity crush for sure and I would love to meet her” 

You gasped as your manager started laughing, “How crazy is that?” She asked taking her phone back. You couldn’t stop yourself from giggling. Tom Holland was extremely cute and from what you had seen in interviews and red carpet appearances he was a real sweetheart too, and YOU were his celebrity crush... you couldn’t believe it.

~~~~~One week later~~~~~

In the past week you were still swimming around with the thought of Tom Holland. It was just a stupid comment that he probably didn’t mean but you couldn’t stop thinking about it. The day you thought you had gotten over it, your manager informed you that you were just invited to the Far From Home premiere in two days. Naturally, this caused you to freak the fuck out even more than you already were. You called up your best friend and asked them to join you at the premiere. They said yes and now it was time for you to find the outfit. 

*I’m in love with this dress btw *

You settled on a dress dress that was to die for. The red was a not so subtle nod to one of Spiderman’s iconic colors and you looked stunning. 

~~~~~

The Night of the Premiere 

“Okay we are approaching so you and (Y/B/F) get ready to depart the car” Your driver told you, you looked at your best friend and they smiled back at you. You were nervous yet excited, nervous because even though you’re an actress you still got nervous in front of the camera. Also nervous because you were most likely going to meet Tom Holland tonight, which also had you excited. 

The car came to a stop and the door opened, you could see some flashing cameras in the distance and knew that’s the destination you had to get to. You stepped out of the car and people started screaming. You say all of the Spiderman fans screaming and waving. You waved back to them and (Y/B/F) came over and grabbed your hand, leading you to where you had to go. You scanned the people that were waiting to go onto the carpet. You were slightly overwhelmed with the amount of marvel stars that had shown up. 

“Holy shit, this is insane” Your best friend whispered to you as they also looked around at all of the celebrities. You nodded to her and turned around to talk to her while you waited to go on the carpet. 

“Oh my god! (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N)!! I didn’t know you would be here!” A voice yelled behind you, you turned and were face to face with none other than Zendaya herself. You were star-struck. 

“Oh wow hi, you’re incredible and you look so beautiful” You said to her as she pulled you in for a hug. You introduced your best friend and they received a hug from Zendaya as well. 

“I’m happy you’re here, Tom is a big fan” She said causing you to smile slightly. You wanted to tell her that you were a big fan of his but you couldn’t because Jacob came over and tapped her shoulder,

“Hey Z, we gotta take cast photos” He said looking from her to you, “You came! Awesome, Tom didn’t know if you would since his manager sent out the invite so late” He said smiling at you, you just laughed and waved as him and Zendaya were rushed over to the rest of the cast. You felt slightly embarrassed that everyone was throwing around Tom wanting to meet you like this wasn’t insane news to hear.

Your eyes landed on Tom Holland. The red suit, looked so good on him and you almost lost your breath when you saw him wearing glasses. 

“Woah” you audibly said as your best friend’s eyes went to where you were looking, to your horror he turned his attention to you. You both made eye contact and you felt your stomach flip in knots. He was so handsome and he was looking at you. He gave you a smile and turned his attention back to taking photos. 

After the group photos it was your turn to walk the carpet. You walked with confidence and smiled at the cameras. You were then joined by your best friend and took pictures together. When you turned to walk to the next picture spot you saw Tom staring at you, you went to smile but he turned away immediately. You watched as he started a new interview with Zendaya and it was your turn to walk past him and get ready to watch the movie. When you were walking past you heard your name being called by Zendaya. You turned and saw her ushering you over to the interview. You tried to not look nervous as you walked over to where the interviewer, Tom and Zendaya were standing smiling at you.

“Hi” You said to Zendaya, you turned to look at Tom and he was blushing. The interviewer laughed and held up her microphone.

“So, Miss (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N), we were just discussing all the different celebrities that are here tonight when Tom Holland let it slip that he was most excited to meet you” The interviewer said holding the microphone over to you, you didn’t know what to say, Tom was now looking at you with a sheepish grin on his face and you giggled into the mic.

“That’s really sweet, I was really happy when I got the invite because I’m a huge Spiderman fan and I think Tom is doing a great job of portraying him” You said smiling at Tom and then the interviewer.

“Ah.. Thank you” Tom said quietly. 

“Oh my god he’s so embarrassed, that’s so adorable” Zendaya said reaching out to pinch his cheek, he playfully slapped her hand away causing everyone to laugh. 

After a few more questions that the interviewer had managed to loop you into as well, she said “Well thank you for the interview and I can’t wait to watch this film!” she said cheerfully before turning and moving on to interview someone else. 

“I’m sorry about that” Tom said to you as you went to turn away, you turned back and made eye contact with him. You smiled and shrugged

“Don’t be, I have wanted to meet you for a while” You said, mentally you were applauding yourself, you couldn’t believe you managed something intelligent out and especially something somewhat flirty. 

“Listen, I know we don’t know each other that well but if you would ever wanna get a bite to eat or something I’d love that” Tom said giving you a big smile, you felt your insides once again freaking out and you shook your head

“Yeah, I’d love that.” Tom beamed at you and then glanced down and back up

“You look beautiful tonight, and uh.. listen. there’s this after-party I’m throwing with a few friends and I’d love for you and your friend to come along so we could hang out. Only if you want.” He added the last part hastily 

“Oh absolutely, that would be a lot of fun.” 

“Great, can I get your number?” He asked, you said yes and he went over to Harrison who had his phone and brought it back to you.

You put your number in and he thanked you. You didn’t have any time after that to chat because everyone was called in to watch Far From Home. Your best friend tugged on your arm when you were in the theater and showed you your phone which they were keeping for you while you took pictures. 

You had a new text

“Hey, It’s Tom!”

Another one

“Tom Holland, haha shoulda specified. Anyways, here’s the address for the party. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.”

Another text came in while you were looking at your phone

“And you really do look incredibly beautiful tonight” You smiled at your phone and texted him back 

“You look incredibly handsome tonight, I especially love the glasses :)” You looked up just in time to see Tom getting flustered and Harrison laughing as Tom hit his arm. You couldn’t wait for the after-party.

[side-shuffling-hyperfixations]

I would really love to see a fic where maybe Peter 3 meets Spider-Gwen or Gwen in another universe. I would love to se them reunited!!

Heart in My Hand (Still Breathing)

Summary: A mishap with the multiversal gateway brings Peter Three face to face with Gwen Stacy, the Spider-Woman of Earth-65.

As the portal swirled open in a blur of cool light, it was safe for Peter Three to assume that one of his brothers had decided to make an impromptu visit. Those were the best kinds of visits, he mused, although he was usually the one making them. They were too polite to say anything but it was obvious to all three of them that he relied most emotionally on their time together.

Translation: he was clingy and they put up with him butting into their lives more often than he deserved but he wasn't about to start objecting now. They were the ones taking initiative this time, embracing some spontaneity! He was wanted first. It was a treat!

Their multiversal gateways had never been such a bubbly array of colors before, he noted briefly as he hopped eagerly to his feet, but who cared as long as it got the job done? If they wanted to stay overnight, they could carve out some of their time to make the necessary adjustments.

“Get over here, bitty bug!” he called, trusting his bet that it would be Peter One. “Five whole days, 120 whole hours since I last got the chance to squeeze the stuffing out of you! I won’t stand for any rumors that I’m losing my touch!”

“Uh…sorry but I'm gonna have to decline. I’m not really a touchy-feely sort of person.”

That wasn't Peter One's voice or Peter One's tingle. It wasn’t Peter Two either; it wasn’t even a man. Peter Three’s skin prickled, heart dropping into his stomach—and when the interloper finally came into full view, it lurched right back up into his throat.

“Oh. Okay, you’re new,” she realized, lips pursing as she seemed to belatedly regret arriving with her mask off. “Don’t freak out, okay? I’m sorry to intrude on you and…whoever you were expecting but there’s been some kind of mix-up. My name is—”

“Gwen?” he breathed, barely audible over the hammering in his ears. The last time he had heard that heartbeat, he was nineteen and she was—

“Stay with me, stay with me. You stay with me.” He knew she was already gone by then but still he begged, desperate to deny the absence, the empty silence in the dark, cold cavern of her chest as he cradled her.

Now here she was standing in front of him, her pulse skipping an uncertain beat as she absorbed the pale, grievous expression that had overcome his face. No doubt she could overhear how his heart was racing too. Still she chanced a small nod.

“Yeah, mhmm. Gwen Stacy, the one and only Spider-Woman.” Glancing beyond him to the suit draped over the edge of his bed, she added, “I take it that's not a thing in your world, Spider-Man?”

Half formed, desperate, disbelieving thoughts were spiraling through his head too quickly to grasp. Peter One and Two had MJs in common but their variants looked nothing alike. He had never seen a variant of Gwen before. He had made a point not to seek them out on his brothers’ worlds. This one had a lower voice, her hair was cut and styled differently, and the costume was—wow, but she was still unmistakable to him.

“Gwen,” he choked out again, a helpless, broken record. A tragic line from a heartfelt movie flitted through his head: You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you. And it was that which gave him the strength to fight his first instinct and take a few unsteady steps back, not forward.

She was beautiful, healthy, whole, unbroken, but she was still young and she wasn’t his.

Question. She had asked a question. “Y-You—Sorry. Yeah, you—you’re a thing here. You were. I mean, I knew you…or her…but not as Spider-Woman, just as Gwen. S-She, um—”

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t say it, not with her face hovering blurrily before his stinging eyes. It was torture. What would a variant of her say if she knew he had gotten her killed?

Judging by the subtle slump in her shoulders and the dimming of her eyes as they darted briefly away, she could already suspect, and that was almost worse than having to break it to her. “You’re Peter Parker, aren’t you? I…knew you too, back on my world. Before. Peter was my best friend. And then, well…crime-fighting Spider life. Things happened, like they always seem to, and I…I couldn’t save him.”

I’m never gonna be able to forgive myself for that.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” Shaking her head to clear it of whatever grave memories had surfaced, she added, “And I’m sorry I ended up popping in here, wherever here is. I was trying to find somebody else—another Spider-Man, Miles Morales? Must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I get it.” With nothing else to do, he ran his hands down his face, as if trying to mold the flesh into a paltry, masking smile. “That seems to happen a lot with us.” One wrong turn, one wrong move and then…

Gwen fidgeted, cast a reluctant glance back at the portal behind her and then slid a tentative foot forward. “Look, I know I just said I’m not really a hugger but—do you, real quick—can we—? You just look like you could use one.”

He could and he would, a crushing weight tumbling off his back as he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around her. It was only when she hugged him back, willing and earnest, that he dared to tighten his grip and imagine a world where Gwen Stacy was still real, warm and alive, the hero she was meant to be.

He sank into it. He breathed. Blessedly, so did she.

[alldayangst]

love someone for loving you (Peter Parker)

All of my fics are LGBT and PoC friendly. Soulmate and uni AU.

PAIRING: Peter Parker x reader, Brad Davis x reader (for like, a second)

Warnings: Makeout sessions. Characters drink but they’re of age to do so in this fic. Peter says ACAB and if you disagree with that & can’t have a mature convo about it, then this isn’t the blog for you. This fic isn’t all the way accurate to the MCU timeline. Harry [Osborn] and MJ live in Queens. Betty, Flash, Ned, Brad, Peter and reader all attend NYU in Brooklyn.

Thank you for reading if you make it all the way to the end! Word count: 4.2K words.

Happy reading!

“You’re so fucking hot, y’know that?” You were making out with Brad in your dorm room, with the lights off. Brad was a nice enough guy. Had taken you out on a few dates. Told you your hair was pretty. Said he’d like to get to know you more. But you’re not as eager to take things further because something in your heart just knows he’s not your soulmate. And you’d like to wait a little while for the novelty to wear off before you did something you regretted and entered a relationship you’d known was doomed from the start. “So fucking hot.” Brad kissed along your neck, big sloppy wet ones that left saliva trails from his lips to your neck. 

You didn’t like that kind. 

And that was another reason you knew you and Brad weren’t destined, because your soulmate would just know what you like, know you like the back of their hand. Right? Right.

It’s then that Brad tries to take your jumper off, but your soulmate tattoo is on your ribcage, and in this world, letting someone see your soulmate tattoo is probably makes you more vulnerable than getting naked in front of them. You try to pull your jumper down, but Brad doesn’t get the hint and tries again. You place your hands on his chest. “Not today, Brad.”

You don’t see Brad again. And maybe Brad was your soulmate because he led you to Peter. But Peter definitely wasn’t your soulmate, and I’ll tell you why you know that.

“Y/N!” Betty waved as you stumbled back into the party, shoes placed on improperly and no part of you subtle to what you’d been doing with Brad in your room just a few minutes ago. “Not you out of your room so early!” Your room door slammed behind you as Brad left your room, jacket in hand.

“Didn’t get any?” Betty made a fake pout at you, smoke breezing past her face as you stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do as you found yourself in a circle with two of Betty’s friends she’d had yet to introduce you to. Sometimes, you wished Betty was your soulmate, but Betty made it clear before you signed the lease that you weren’t her type and truly, you couldn’t see yourself being anything more than friends. And you were the best of friends. Meaning she’d always be the first to comment heart eyes under your pictures and tell you to get that outfit because your booty was doing the thang in that pair of trousers. 

Things would just be easier, if they were easy.

But things weren’t handed on a silver plate for you like they were for others; where they’d been friends with their soulmates since childhood, or lived up the street from them or their soulmate saved their life or something else blindly obvious. And, desperate to find the gold in the treasure chest, you moved upstate to school at NYU. Because great minds and all that. You stood in perfect silence for a minute, chaos never ceasing to happen around you, before Betty decided to make the strangers next to her strangers no more. One shook your hand and said, “I’m Ned.” Oh. So this is who Betty had been raving about? Betty grimaced and placed her hands together to plead with you not to expose her consuming infatuation with her new boyfriend. In a bid to divert the focus, Betty patted the back of the slightly taller one next to Ned, with wispy brown hair and eyes like fresh, raw cocoa. “I’m Peter, nice to meet you.” He shook your hand.

“I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you guys.” You sway your attention back to Ned with a smirk on your face, Betty clutching her solo cup a little too hard, her inner monologue begging you to knock it off. You knew Betty was going to get you back for this, but you needed somewhere else to fixate your gaze since you weren’t sure you could trust yourself not to ogle at Peter. With Brad’s saliva on your neck and having only known him for all of twenty seconds, you weren’t sure if Peter would take to any romantic advances. You weren’t even sure if he’d met his soulmate. “So, I’ve heard a lot about you, Ned.”

“All good I hope.” Ned replies and the room glints with his boyish grin.

“Well-” You didn’t get to finish your sentence, and it was probably for the better. Betty grabbed Ned’s arm, vodka making tiny puddles on the floor, with a huge fake smile plastered on her face. In turn, that only gave you a great, genuine smile, loving to tease your friend. “Baby! We should go to another side of the party!”

“What about Peter?” Ned’s voice was getting lost in the jungle of party goers. “Peter can come.” Peter turned to go follow his friend, but not before mumbling a low, “See you around, Y/N.”, snaking his arms around your back, pulling you in for a quick hug. “See you around, Peter.” 

He didn’t reply. Peter could only give you a thin lipped smile, packaged with a lazy half-nod before he was absorbed by the population around him, just as his friend was. And you cursed yourself that night for not taking your chances and saying more.

History was an 8am class, your only class in the morning. You woke with a a dull ache in your head and a dark mark on your neck that lasted longer than your relationship with the guy that gave it to you. The last thing you wanted was to run into Brad. But destiny offered you the next best thing.

“Oh. Hi, Flash.” You attempted to cover your face with your copy of Romeo & Juliet - if your soulmate was here, the last person you wanted them to see you with was Flash Thompson. Flash was walking backwards as you were walking forwards, unamused by his efforts to corner you. “Can we talk, Y/N?” Flash was Brad’s best friend, so you knew you were in for trouble.

“Can’t Brad speak to me himself? His mouth was working last night.”

“I can see that Y/N. Nice hickey.” You cringed, and Flash could tell he was running out of time to bemuse you. “Brad doesn’t want to bother you if you’re not interested-”

“Oh, so you decide to bother me instead.” You remark, and hop over a couple of steps so Flash had to awkwardly speed up.

“I just wanted to ask where you and him stood. Like, are you breaking up with him? I thought you had a pretty good thing going on.” His pace started to slow again as you slowly ascended up some of the last sets of steps. “I mean, seriously Y/N? What if you guys were soulmates? I wouldn’t wanna give up so easily.”

“That’s true.” You looked down at your sneakers. You hated this version of the world you lived in. Everything was driven by concepts, whether it be the concept of soulmates or the concept of time that left your campus filled with students five years older than they really were, or the concept of good and evil that spawned superheroes who you weren’t sure did more damage to the world than they gave back.

Overall, the concept of fate was once you had to always wrestle with. And you thought that maybe yours was standing at the top of the steps to rescue you from this conversation, ready to make Brad feel the trip of the guilt he and his friend tried to make you feel for not feeling the same way. “Y/N! We have class, c’mon!” Peter waved his goggles at the top of the steps, a knowing smile on his face as Flash looked up at him and glared. 

Peter just had to steal his thunder on a sunny day.

You ran to meet Peter at the top of the steps. “Thank you for bailing me out. You’re a hero.”

Peter was startled. “Who, what, when, where, me?” He scratched the back of his neck and gave you an uncomfortable, stammered loop of laughter. “Hero? Not me. I’m just good ol’ Peter.”

You chuckled as you breathed out another ‘thank you’ and returned the hug Peter had left un-exchanged last night. “I’m guessing you have bio?”

“Guilty as charged. So what’s your major?”

“English Lit.”

“Oo, how long are you planning to work at Starbucks?” Peter remarked as he held to the main door open for you. “Peter?” He hummed in response. “Fuck you.”

You sat next to Betty in History, the professor droning on about something that made you question why you continued to take History, but as your best friend snatched your book from you, you were reminded. “Star crossed lovers, eh?” Betty skimmed through the fights and the love scenes that all culminated to the uncertainty whether Romeo and Juliet were even supposed to be together. 

“Seems like you and Ned these days, huh.” You couldn’t believe that it had taken Betty three months to allow you to meet Ned, nevermind his cute friend. Ever since the ‘boyfriend’ label had been slapped on their little love affair a month and a half ago, you were beginning to see less and less of your best friend. It felt like two people paying for a single household, and with your lease ending in a short time, you worried Betty would almost evaporate from your life completely.

“Almost.” Betty tried to keep it hush, sheepishly grinning, but gave in completely in record time. “We said we’re gonna show each other our tattoos tonight!” She squealed, another student shushing her from the row above.

“Woah, that’s big!” It genuinely felt as if the wind had been knocked out of you. You realised you’d never gotten as far as Ned and Betty without either you or you partner showing your soulmate tattoo; and when they were never the same, you broke it off. “What if they’re not the same?”

“They will be.” Betty smiled. “I’m sure of it.”

Two loners getting together was never a recipe for success. Betty had given over your number to Ned, who handed it over to Peter, who’d texted you asking for you to come over: ‘wanna make it up to me for this morning at the steps? my bestie is with your bestie, so u wanna get pizza? do you like pineapple?’ 

Sure enough, you were over at Ned & Peter’s within ten minutes, Peter swinging the door open dressed in a tight red and blue top, a hoodie sparsely covering it, with an overexcited greeting of “Mi casa es su casa!”

The energy wasn’t returned. Not just yet. You had to be sure of something first. “Don’t tell me that there’s an American flag top under that hoodie.” Peter looks down at his Spidey suit which he’d completely forgotten he had on between scaling the ceiling in anxious anticipation of your text back. “Having such a boner for the USA is kind of a turn off.”

Peter started cussing under his breath and quickly turned to zip his hoodie all the way up. When he turns back to you, it’s word vomit. “I’m not saying I don’t love this country, I mean, I love Queens. I mean-”

You raise your eyebrows, curious to see where Peter would go with this. “The NYPD fucking hates me,”

“And what would they want with your little ass?” You walk into the apartment. He’d never admit it, but Peter kind of likes the way you bust his balls. It puts him on the spot, makes him want to tell the truth to you about who he really is.

“I mean, I can’t really say-”

“OK. I don’t wanna be an accessory to anything so,” You laugh. “I won’t push. ACAB.” There’s a thud that follows you closing the door. 

“I agree. ACAB.”

A few hours pass with Peter and he’s beginning to unravel. He shows you the photos he’s taken over the years, several of them featuring a fair haired boy you’d never seen around campus before. “Is he your soulmate?”

Peter nearly chokes on the coffee he’d prepared for himself. “No. Harry? In his dreams.” He sets his mug down. “No, uh, that’s my friend. He lives back home in Queens.”

“You say back home like Queens isn’t a 10 minute drive from where we are.”

“Yeah. But it’s not right here.” You weren’t sure if you’d bruised Peter’s feelings, so you move onto another photo. There’s a polaroid that makes a thin pile with another on the table.

It’s the New York City skyline, from all the way up.

“How’d you get a photo from all the way up here?” Peter grabs the photo underneath it, but not before you catch a glimpse. The glossy paper is adorned with an image of a beautiful girl, black necklace around her neck, the scribbles underneath her photo reading ‘MJ, Pre-blip’.

You think this girl is too gorgeous to just be a friend.

But judging by the way Peter reacted when you suggested Harry was the same, you kept quiet. He didn’t want you to see it anyway. 

“I’m really sticky and I climb up walls.” Peter being Peter is relieved he told you the truth, even if you didn’t know it.

“You’re weird, kid.” You thought you were being smooth, but you couldn’t help the way you look at his lips like they hold the answer to every question you’d had in your life.

“Uh-huh. But you like a bit of weird. Maybe Brad was too square for you.”

“Huh?”

“Huh.”

And then when you and Peter kiss, you suddenly understand what poets mean when they call your lips jigsaw puzzles, because yours and Peter’s slot perfectly together. And you get why there’s all these love songs on the radio, and you feel the Earth shift in your mind and you just know this is the unmistakeable indicator that Peter is your soulmate. Another reason you and Peter are destined, when he goes to kiss your neck, it’s like soft little hot touches. 

You liked that kind. 

And a soulmate would just know that, know you like the back of their hand. Right? Right.

Peter rests his forehead on your own, lips swollen. “I don’t want to go anywhere, don’t wanna do anything you don’t wanna do.”

You and Peter cuddle for the rest of the night on his sofa, Ned and Betty doing the same on yours. And the novelty picks back up like clockwork.

“Peter? What if we aren’t soulmates?” you groaned, Peter’s hand on your head, keeping you snug to his chest. You and Peter had been dating close to two months now, Ned and Betty moving to five. In any other relationship, you would’ve called this phase The Ticking Time Bomb. You toyed with the black dahlia that sat perfectly between his pecs. Peter had been to Queens last week. He’d retrieved his necklace from the girl in the photo, MJ. She was an old friend, he said. Him and her? Not meant to be. Maybe in another life, he’d say. Another timeline. Then he’d gesture between the two of you. This. This is meant to be. Us.

Peter shrugged. “What if we weren’t?” Peter had an almost permanent bandage on his ribcage, exactly where your soulmate tattoo was. Where and how Peter got injured was a mystery to you, and he’d never dare tell you no matter how much you pushed. It almost made you wonder if he was keeping any more secrets from you.

You propped yourself up, both hands on his chest. 

“I couldn’t move back in with Betty. She and Ned are soulmates, they need their privacy.”

“Who said you’d ever to move back in with Betty?”

“I couldn’t afford to live by myself, Peter. Not everyone had a Stark internship in high school.”

“Who said you’d have to move out at all?”

“If we’re not soulmates-” Peter moved your hands from his chest and wrapped them around your waist, pulling you in for a loving kiss. “What have I told you? You and me, we’re meant to be. Us.”

But you didn’t have the tattoos to prove it. 

You and Betty were sitting in History class, ignoring the professor’s droning as per usual. Betty had this beaming smile on her face and you were sure if she didn’t say what was on her mind soon, she was going to explode all over someone’s Henry VIII’s notes.

“Betty?”

“Yeah?” She shrieked with scarlet cheeks.

“Spill.”

Betty let out a breath. “Well, since you insisted.” You couldn’t help but smile at your best friend. “I think Ned might propose tonight!”

“I feel like you should be taking me out to dinner before you dump all this load on me.”

Betty’s eyes glazed over, obviously too excited to contain her emotions. “What about you and Peter? The tattoos must match up since you’ve stayed around this long.”

“Actually, I-”

Betty makes an O face at you, which told you she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “C’mon. You haven’t played I’ll Show You Mine if you Show Me Yours?” Betty was in awe. “Y/N! You must really like him.” 

You did really like Peter. That was the issue. You weren’t ready to feel jaded if your tattoos didn’t match up like they all inevitably did in the past. You felt something different for Peter. Betty was right. That was why you stuck around this long. “Hey Betty, is my old room still my room if things between me and Peter don’t work out?”

“Of course, Y/N! I’m here for you til’ the end of the line.” Betty pulled you into a great, big hug.

“OK. Session dismissed.” Your professor echoed. “Everyone can go. Y/N and Betty, stay after please.”

You’d gotten kicked off of History, which was bittersweet. Seeing as History was Betty’s major, your professor had to keep her there - but he was sure ‘she’d flourish once you two were separated.’  

You and Betty walked out of the main entrance, Ned and Peter both waiting for you under the shelter at the top of the steps. Seasons had changed. It was far from the summer day Peter had to spotted you on the way to class. “We’re gonna run in, drink some cocoa. We’ll catch you guys later.” Ned shivered as Betty re-engulfed him in his jacket she’d been holding for the scent. 

Love was weird, but you wanted so bad to be a part of it.

You turned to Peter beside you. “And what are we gonna do?”

“Swinging.”

“Peter, I don’t swing. I’m perfectly happy in our relationship.”

Peter held onto your waist, your head nuzzled into his neck, not daring to look down at the city below you. This was the first time you’d ever experienced something like this, no doubt, but Peter was getting a strange sense of deja vu.

“Y/N!” You didn’t move from your place in his neck, but he knew you could hear him. “I love you. I trust you.”

“You’re-” You didn’t trust yourself to speak. “Fucking.” You opened one eye just to be sure you weren’t dreaming. “Spiderman!”

“I’m something more important: your boyfriend.”

Leave it to Peter Parker to get all sappy with you in the middle of the sky. 

You opened both your eyes now. “What about my soulmate?”

“What?” Startled, Peter lost controls of his webs for a moment, and knocked his rib on the side of a building. Luckily for you, you were lower to the ground.

‘Injury detected,’ Peter’s AI, Karen, stated.

“Yeah, I know, Karen.” Peter stated.

“Is it right there, babe?” Peter nodded, sat on the concrete, and pressed the spider in the middle of his suit. You watched as it became loose.

Your eyes flickered to the bandage on his ribcage. Maybe you had your answers as to how Peter always seemed to be hurt, but you needed your ultimate answer. And it was behind the bandage. “Right here, are you sure babe?”

You were on edge. You weren’t sure what you’d do if fate didn’t allow this to be true. For the sake of your heart.

So you peeled back the bandage.

And you found nothing there but a series of bruises. Your heart was crushed. “Nothing, Peter. There’s nothing there.” You had tears in your eyes, and before long you were ugly crying. This wasn’t a case of the novelty wearing off. This was a case of the novelty being broken down ‘til it can’t function no more.

“That’s a good thing baby, maybe I just need to go to a hospital.”

“No, I mean it Peter! There’s nothing there!” You pull up your heart to reveal a half full shirt printed on your body twenty one years ago, this exact heart only belonging to one other person in the world. But it wasn’t Peter. Even though he had just told you he loved you. “Fuck!” Your voice became incomprehensible, drowned out in tears and squeaks of sorrow. “I’m so sorry, but we can’t see each other any more. T-there is someone out there for me. You need to understand.”

And, unsure if your legs would take you all the way, you made your journey to Betty.

When you made it to Betty’s, she stood in the doorway with a rock on her finger. You couldn’t see that, though, through your tear blurred vision.

“Oh, poor baby.” She immediately embraced you, with Ned circling to your side to group hug you. You sniff into her shoulder. “He’s not-we’re not-”

“My darling.” She pauses. “I’m hoping you got the first month’s rent.” She laughed and you laughed before she pulled you back in her embrace and allowed you to feel what you needed to feel.

It’s often underestimated how miserable you need to be in order to cry yourself to sleep. You didn’t even know you did until you woke in your old room, your old band poster replaced by a calendar titled ‘Ned and Betty Forever’ and you laughed because Ned and Betty hadn’t even known each other longer than than six calendar months.

And you missed your windowsill on which you’d perch and overlook the breathtaking view of Brooklyn, and the even more awe-inspiring view of NYU students hurling after one too many, especially after yours and Betty’s parties.

“Do you guys even clean this room?” You called out. “You got a serious case of cobwebs.”

Peter lowered himself to meet your view. You were about to draw the blinds on him, only to realise Betty and Ned had gotten them removed whilst you were living with Peter.

“Hear me out.”

“I have no choice.” You chew on the flesh of your cheek. “You took a while to find me.”

“You left me for dead.”

It was hard to beat that one.

“Peter, if you have something to say, say it.”

“I’m sorry.” he’s swinging upside down, side to side and it slightly amuses you to think he’s getting dizzy if the last three months were at your expense. “I know how much this soulmate bullshit means to you, and I kept you longer than you would’ve liked. I’m also sorry ‘cause I knew I wasn’t your soulmate from the start.”

You gasp.

“But I wouldn’t in a billion years say that either you or I belong to someone else. MJ is my soulmate, yes. I love her with all my heart, but I believe destiny can change in the same world where people disappear for five years. MJ moved on. I’ve moved on. Who cares about a stupid tattoo? People go to parlours and give themselves their own all the time. People get them removed all the time. I’m getting my black dahlia erased.” Your face softens a little bit at that, you guard slightly down, but you refuse to wave a white flag without first making your point.

You rubbed your rib cage. “I care.”

“Y/N, you’re smarter than to deny what you feel. You’re an English major, studying Romeo and Juliet. You understand the world better than I do, and I’ve been to 600 different versions of it. You have a heart half full on your ribcage and I have half a flower on my foot. Tell me, would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?” 

You know the answer’s the same one Betty gave Ned tonight when he got down on one knee, the same response you’d give Peter if he was to ask you the same question, what you’d tell anyone if they queried if you’d go through what you went with Peter all over again.

You pull down his mask, and look deep into both of Peter’s eyes, and still him from swinging. “Love someone for loving you for a change.”

And you don’t have to say it, Ned and Betty hiss it out for you not so subtly from the windowsill in the livingroom. “Yes!”

So when you and Peter kiss, it’s not about novelties or concepts, fate or tomorrow, it’s just the beautiful bliss that is love, in this moment.

The unmistakable indicator that you and Peter are meant to be.

Fin.

Credit for the gif goes to: @/tomhollandnet

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[theartofdreaming1]

As usual, my thoughts regarding this week’s prompts and random thoughts on chapters 25-27 are below the cut.

heart

The imagery that really caught my attention this time was Peeta pointing out the changes in the moon to Katniss: The only indication of the passage of time lies in the heavens, the subtle shift of the moon. So Peeta begins pointing it out to me, insisting I acknowledge its progress and sometimes, for just a moment I feel a flicker of hope before the agony of the night engulfs me again. - So for one, we see another example of Peeta focusing on the small details in life (which I’ve previously hypothesized to being an important element in his recovery from his hijacking) as well as Peeta being the one to give Katniss hope, even if it’s just for a brief moment. Also, it’s a nice parallel to Katniss looking at the moon and desperately wishing for it to be “her moon” back in chapter 23. As a nocturnal person, I also love watching the moon from my living room window🌙

mind

Hmmh, I don’t think that Katniss and Peeta’s win was predetermined - although I do believe that by introducing the romantic angle, they significantly improved their odds. A Career winning the Games is not really that special and exciting, since it happens so often (although Careers generally satisfy that excitement for violence/blood/gore, that plenty of Capitol people seem to share). As a volunteer from District 12, who achieved an extremely good training score and proved herself to be very capable in the arena already, Katniss definitely had an edge by playing into the classic underdog story, which offered another exciting “narrative” for the Capitolites to follow - that, coupled (heh) with the romance angle Peeta introduced? Katniss (and Peeta) definitely had the entertainment (and excitement through novelty) factor on their side. Ironically, Cato’s chances of winning were not as good as he expected, precisely because he was playing it by the book.

soul

Poor Peeta (and Katniss), it hurts that their relationship was in such a rocky place by the end of the book. Especially those weeks right after the end of Book 1, when there were still cameras around District 12 and they had to pretend while hurting must have sucked big time🥺

Chapter 25

Ugh, the muttations are just so unsettling... *shudder*

Honestly, I’m just so impressed by Peeta’s presence of mind to draw that X on Cato’s hand, after he had just most of his calf ripped off, only to be grabbed and put in a headlock by Cato! He and Katniss work insanely well under pressure

God, Cato’s death is just so gruesome and awful... In the end, his “gift” from the Feast doesn’t help him win at all, but instead ends up prolonging his suffering a cruel amount... I wonder if in general these “gifts” come with a string attached (aside from the expected danger of trying to get them, I mean) - because the Gamemakers also intend for Katniss’s “gift” (medicine for Peeta) to force an even more cruel outcome on her - saving him from blood poisoning only to be forced into killing him herself... 🤔

I’m not sure if this is exactly medical protocol, but I’m terrified that if he drifts off he’ll never wake again. “Are you cold?” he asks. He unzips his jacket and I press against him as he fastens it around me. - Katniss is terrified of the idea of Peeta dying; at the same time, Peeta worries about her freezing - I can’t with these two 😩

Peeta begins to doze off now, and each time he does, I find myself yelling his name louder and louder because if he goes and dies on me now, I know I’ll go completely insane. He’s fighting it, probably more for me than for him - Katniss can’t lose any more people she cares about 😢; on a different note, Peeta fighting his unconsciousness “probably more for [Katniss] than for him” points out one of the crucial elements Katniss brings into Peeta’s life - she is that someone for whom he will fight - including for his own life and well-being - even when it feels easier to give up... Having that person in your life that keeps you going can make all the difference - if Katniss hadn’t had Prim and promised her “to really, really try” to win (and later also made Rue the same promise), I’m not sure she would have made it this far; it’s the thought of Prim anxiously watching her after Rue’s death, that forces Katniss to keep going, to not give in to despair after that particular traumatic event - Peeta, on the other hand, didn’t really have that kind of person in his life, as he will point out on the beach in CF (and Katniss acknowledges herself that the only person who will be devasted if Peeta dies is her)... that is not to say that neither Katniss nor Peeta aren’t fighters on their own - but it helps to have someone that inspires you to not give up

the adrenaline pumping through my body would never allow me to follow him, so I can’t let him go. I just can’t. - We’ll see the mirrored version of this by the end of Mockinjay 

Pity, not vengeance, sends my arrow flying into [Cato’s] skull. - Another act of rebellion, technically (sure, this can be spun as Katniss killing Cato so she and Peeta may win - before Peeta dies from blood loss - but we know better - Katniss’s motivation was compassion for her supposed enemy)

We inch down to the tail of the horn and fall to the ground. If the stiffness in my limbs is this bad, how can Peeta even move? - Peeta is tough as nails, yo!

Before I am even aware of my actions, my bow is loaded with the arrow pointed straight at his heart [...] I drop my weapons and take a step back, my face burning in what can only be shame. “No,” he says. “Do it.” [...] “I can’t,” I say, “I won’t.” - In spite of her initial reflex, Katniss chooses Peeta/ chooses not to kill him; it’s a recurring theme in their relationship (despite her wariness of others, she chooses to open up to Peeta eventually; although she vowed to never marry and have children, she’ll choose to have a family with Peeta); also, my psychology-brain just noticed how this moment illustrates how harmful thoughts/impulses don’t have to determine your actions and are not an indicator of who you are - it’s about what you choose to do

“You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this areny trying to think my way out. - Again, makes me think of MJ; also, I think that from this point onwards, Katniss and Peeta are officially linked together forever; the bond they forged during this traumatic experience will connect them to each other until the day they die

“On the count of three?” Peeta leans down and kisses me once, very gently. “The count of three,” he says. - My heart😭

Chapter 26

... while our muscles are immobile, nothing is preventing the blood from draining out of Peeta’s leg. Sure enough, the minute the door closes behind us and the current stops, he slumps to the floor unconscious  [...] Through the glass, I see the doctors working feverishly on Peeta, their brows creased in concentration [...] I’m not sure, but I think his heart stops twice. - Peeta was in such a bad shape by the end of the Games; I’m still kinda salty that the movie really glossed over this fact :/

... they’re taking Peeta but leaving me behind the door. I start hurling myself against the glass, shrieking and I think I just catch a glimpse of pink hair - it must be Effie, it has to be Effie coming to my rescue - when the needle jabs me from behind. - Oh geez, in Catching Fire Katniss will also get sedated in a hovercraft because she’s upset about being separated from Peeta 😢 (also, Katniss thinking that Effie is coming to her rescue 😭)

While she [Lavinia, the avox] adjusts my pillows, I risk one question. I say it out loud, as clearly as my rusty voice will allow, so nothing will seem secretive. “Did Peeta make it?” She gives me a nod, and as she slips a spoon into my hand, I feel the pressure of friendship. - Katniss is so considerate of Lavinia’s situation, and Lavinia’s giving her a gesture of comfort and support; they’ve never been able to have a proper conversation (Katniss doesn’t even know Lavinia’s name), but still they managed to build up such a bond - compassion certainly is a strong thing to behold 😭 (and this whole scene is just through and through about compassion, with Katniss asking how Peeta is doing!)

Home! Prim and my mother! Gale! Even the thought of Prim’s scruffy old cat makes me smile. Soon I will be home! - Katniss is so excited to see her home and her loved ones again

I want to get out of this bed. To see Peeta and Cinna - Aww, the two people she grew closest to over the course of the past weeks (Haymitch will be added to that list in just a smidge)

Or do I hear a man’s voice yelling? Not in the Capitol accent, but in the rougher cadences of home. And I can’t help having a vague, comforting feeling that someone is looking out for me. - Thank God for Haymitch! 

And behind one of them [doors] must be Peeta. Now that I’m conscious and moving, I’m growing more and more anxious about him [...] “Peeta!” I call out, since there’s no one to ask - Katniss is sick with worry over Peeta; romantic feelings or not, she cares so fricking much for him by now!

I run for them [Effie, Haymitch, and Cinna] and surprise even myself when I launch into Haymitch’s arms first. When he whispers in my ear, “Nice job, sweetheart,” it doesn’t sound sarcastic. - These reunion scenes are so intense and heartwarming! And then Katniss asks about Portia and Peeta because their presence would make this scene complete 

when I asks for seconds, I’m refused. “No, no, no. They don’t want it all coming back up on the stage,” says Octavia, but she secretly slips me an extra roll under the table to let me know she’s on my side - It’s moments like these that help humanize Katniss’s prep team - they might be shallow, they might be completely oblivious and ignorant, but they aren’t that bad [of course, the prep team chattering about their mundane lives while talking about the event that ended with the deaths of 22 children shortly after, leaves a bad taste in our mouths]

I immediately notice the padding over my breasts, adding curves that hunger has stolen from my body. My hands go to my chest and I frown. “I know,” says Cinna before I can object. “But the Gamemakers wanted to alter you surgically. Haymitch had a huge fight with them over it. This was the compromise.” - God, the idea that the Gamemakers wanted to give a boob job to an unconscious, malnourished 16-year-old girl makes me sick 🤢 (Also, what’s the flipping deal about boobs?! As a pretty flat-chested gal, I’ve always been annoyed that there are barely any bras my cup size that are not push-up ones; I’m not self-conscious about it, so stop making me pretend that I’m bustier than I actually am!)

“I thought it’d be something more... sophisticated-looking,” I say. “I thought Peeta would like this better,” he [Cinna] answers carefully. Peeta? No, it’s not about Peeta. It’s about the Capitol and the Gamemakers and the audience. Although I do not yet understand Cinna’s design, it’s a reminder the Games are not quite finished. - Ugh, that sinking feeling when Katniss and the reader realize that the Games are still not over... Sidenote: Peeta flirted up a storm with grimy, bloodied Katniss and complimented her when she wore Cinna’s first, absolutely badass costume (”You should wear flames more often”)... Katniss’s girlish outfit  has nothing to do with Peeta and she knows it... Cinna could have dressed Katniss up in a trash bag and Peeta would have been smitten - although a trash bag by Cinna would probably still look pretty good ;)

“How about a hug for luck?” Okay, that’s an odd request from Haymitch but, after all we are victors. Maybe a hug for luck is in order. - Aww, Katniss actually wouldn’t have minded giving Haymitch a hug just because - sadly, this is about survival tips instead :/

But what was it Haymitch said when I asked it he had told Peeta the situation? That he had to pretend to be desperately in love? “Don’t have to. He’s already there.” Already thinking ahead of me in the Games again and well aware of the danger we’re in? Or... already desperately in love? I don’t know. I haven’t even begun to separate out my feelings about Peeta. It’s too complicated. - Poor Katniss... she didn’t have the time and peace of mind to sort out her feelings regarding Peeta before they all got tied up and muddled with her need for survival. Now she’ll be having an even harder time trying to untangle that mess :(

Chapter 27

Then there’s Peeta just a few yards away. He looks so clean and healthy and beautiful, I can hardly recognize him. But his smile is the same whether in mud or in the Capitol and when I see it, I take about three steps and fling myself into his arms [...] He rights himself and we just cling to each other while the audience goes insane. He’s kissing me and all the time I’m thinking, Do you know? Do you know how much danger we’re in? After about ten minutes of this, Caesar Flickerman taps on his choulder to continue the show, and Peeta just pushes him aside without even glancing at him. - Man, their reunion here always gets me - it would be so fricking good if Katniss didn’t have to worry about their potential doom 😒😔 - she barely has time to just be happy to see Peeta alive and well before slipping back into survival mode while Peeta is just genuinely thrilled to have her in his arms, completely unaware of the pressure and immediate danger Katniss experiences in this moment... It hurts so bad

I’m with Katniss - How did the previous victors endure rewatching those horrible moments from the Games?! I guess because they had to, but oof... I think I’d just completely shut down, blocking out the footage shown, ugh

But I do notice they omit the part where I covered her [Rue] in flowers. Right. Because even that smacks of rebellion. - In such a callous and cruel place as Panem, any act of compassion can be regarded as rebellion, it’s crazy. In a place filled with apathy, hedonism, greed, and cruelty, the most radical things you can exhibit are love, kindness, and respect!

A wave of gratitude to the filmmakers sweeps over me when they end not with the announcement of our victory, but with me pounding on the glass door of the hovercraft, screaming Peeta’s name as they try to revive him. In terms of survival, it’s my best moment all night. - Again, another instance where Katniss’s genuine feelings/reactions to Peeta are get muddled with her need for survival

The one thing I never do is let go of Peeta’s hand. - irrevocably linked with each other

Despite Haymitch’s running interference, I’m determined to see Peeta privately. - Katniss just wants to have an honest and open talk with Peeta 😢 (I get where Haymitch is coming from, and maybe in this instance it’s the right call, but we’ll see a similar situation in the beginning of CF when Haymitch advises Katniss not to tell Peeta about President Snow’s visit and that time, it doesn’t go so well...)

Then Peeta’s there looking handsome in red and white - for someone who isn’t sure whether she’s into him or not, Katniss sure mentions how good Peeta’s looking a lot ���

“Well, there’s just this and we go home. Then he can’t watch us all the time,” says Peeta. - 👀👀 Peeta is so thirsty here; reminds me of when he pulled Katniss close to him in the cave before they set out to hunt... He clearly believes she’s also “already there” regarding their relationship; he’s never this “suggestive” (can’t think of a better word right now) with her once she lets him know that she doesn’t really know how she feels about him - I feel a sort of shiver run through me and there’s no time to analyze why - Katniss totally isn’t averse to what Peeta’s suggesting here, either (though there’s probably also a healthy amount of fear mixed in with the thrill of being wanted - letting people in can be terrifying)

I can feel Peeta press his forehead into my temple and he asks, “So now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do with me?” I turn in to him. “Put you somewhere you can’t get hurt.” And when he kisses me, people in the room actually sigh. - It’s me; I’m people 🙋🏼‍♀️ (also, the “turn in to him”?!?!! it just suggests such a closeness, I can’t-)

Katniss burying her face in Peeta’s shirt when she’s afraid she might cry learning that he lost his leg 🥺 (how awful it must be to be constantly on display while you’re dealing with your private feelings, ugh)

“... The moment when you pulled out those berries. What was going on in your mind... hm?” [...] It seems to call for a big, dramatic speech, but all I get out is one almost inaudible sentences. “I don’t know, I just... couldn’t bear the thought of... being without him.” - It might not be a super eloquent way to put what she was supposed to say, but this way, Katniss is being perfectly honest (and frankly, if she’d had the chance to properly process her feelings, she would have been able to voice this sentiment with less hesitation)

I go back to my room to collect a few things and find there’s nothing to take but the mockingjay pin Madge gave me. Someone returned it to my room after the Games. - For one, Katniss didn’t think of that pin (again), but also - was the pin returned to her simply because it’s standard procedure or did someone (like Plutarch, for example) arrange for Katniss to get the pin back, to keep her connection to this symbol going?

I stare in the mirror as I try to remember who I am and who I am not. - Poor Katniss! She’s been through so much, experienced so many traumatic events in short succession recently (aside from the trauma she already had), already had problems defining her identity beyond sheer survival, and now the Capitol also keeps pushing an identity onto her and a romantic relationship, when she hadn’t even had the chance to figure out how she felt about that yet

“... Haymitch has been coaching me through the last few days. So I didn’t make it worse,” I say. “Coaching you? But not me,” says Peeta. “He knew you were smart enough to get it right,” I say. “I didn’t know there was anything to get right,” says Peeta. - Oh boy. It’s always so painful to see Peeta realize that he’s been completely out of the loop; again, we’ll see how Katniss and Haymitch adopt a similar strategy in the beginning of CF: banking on Peeta’s good social skills and eloquence and keeping him in the dark. In a way, it’s a sort of compliment they pay to Peeta for being good with people, but, by not telling him, they are also using him for their purpose (which is motivated by caring for and wanting to protect Peeta, but still). Peeta is right to be upset about it - he has always been very clear about not wanting to be used as a piece in anyone’s games, really. And, as we will see later in CF, they are way more effective as a team when they are open and honest with each other.

“It was all for the Games,” Peeta says. “How you acted.” “Not all of it,” I say, tightly holding on to my flowers. “Then how much? No, forget that. I guess the real question is what’s going to be left when we get home?” he says. “I don’t know. The closer we get to District Twelve, the more confused I get,” I say. He waits, for further explanation, but none’s forthcoming. “Well, let me know when you work it out,” he says, and the pain in his voice is palpable. - It’s just so goddamn painful😢 They’ve both been done so dirty by that forced star-crossed lovers of Distrct 12 routine. (Sidenote: I appreciate that Peeta actually gives Katniss the chance to explain herself here - still, it’s too much to deal with on the spot so I can understand why Katniss ended up dropping the ball, even though it’s frustrating to read.)

That it’s not good loving me because I’m never going to get married anyway and he’d just end up hating me later instead of sooner. That if I do have feelings for him, it doesn’t matter because I’ll never be able to afford the kind of love that leads to a family, to children. And how can he? How can he after what we’ve just been through? - Oh Katniss, you certainly are skipping a couple of steps here; I’m pretty sure there are some options in between dating and being married with kids you could look into. Also, she’s just assuming that this is what Peeta wants, but she doesn’t know that at all - As someone who also has this stupid habit of imagining how whole conversations could possibly transpire and then resigning myself to the hypothetical outcome of said imagined conversation instead of actually having them: Don’t do that. ‘Never assume - it makes an ASS out of U and ME.’ 

I see Peeta extend his hand. I look at him, unsure. “One more time? For the audience?” he says. His voice isn’ t angry. It’s hollow, which is worse. Already the boy with the bread is slipping away from me. I take his hand, holding it tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go. - Ma babies! They are both so hurt and both just want to be with each other 😭 But they’ll need some time apart, to figure things out before they can do that.