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spider-man-199999 · 1 year ago

Text

Pacifier pt2

pairing: Peter Parker x Fem!Reader;

word count: 7,5 k

part1! part3!

warnings: 18+; smut; drug abuse; mentions of sex; p in v; unprotected sex; Peter is younger than the reader, but still 18. Reader is around 20. Peter is trying to pin reader even though he is younger; Switch Peter;

summary: In this one you’re hired as Morgan’s babysitter (and low-key underpaid Stark!assistant). Looking after a little girl isn’t too hard, but looking after her “big bother” as well, definitely is.

an: I'm scared of writing smut but i did it; also I wanted sitcom vibes! It's a long one.

You didn’t end up actually doing the things you did in your dreams that night. You were too drunk to explain exactly what you wanted, and he felt like he was taking advantage of you. So, after a long and heated make out session, plus a tantrum from you, he carried you to your bedroom and put you to bed before anything actually happened between the two of you.

You woke up from a wet dream about Peter again. It seemed like they were getting more and more frequent. The entire thing began with you two kissing on the couch, you told him you wanted to do it, he carried to your bedroom and you did it. You looked around your bedroom, there was no Peter around. You had your clothes on. Great, it was just a dream. You stared at the ceiling. Your head felt like it was about to burst open from the hangover.

“That felt so real.” you whispered to yourself, closing your eyes and ran a finger over your lips, recalling the kiss from the beginning of the dream.

It was time to get up. All this party business had to end at some point and that point was in 5 days from now. Getting back to your routine was going to be hard if you kept this act up. So, you took a shower, changed your clothes and prayed there was something in this house that was going to cure your hangover. First thing's first - water. You felt like you could down a gallon. Drinking last night really took a toll on you this time. You walked into the kitchen and as soon as you did, the smell of burned eggs hit you and made you stop in your tracks like you had hit a wall.

“Wow, what’s going on here?” You asked, waving your hand in front of your face to get rid of the smoke.

“Hi! Good morning! I wanted to make some breakfast for my fake-but-not-so-fake girlfriend!” Peter said cheerfully when he saw you were there, turning towards you with the pan and wooden spatula in his hands. He was trying to make eggs, and failing miserably. Peter was still in his pajamas, his hair was everywhere. Seemed like the boy woke up and was practically on a mission to make breakfast as soon as he was awake.

“First of all, shhhh.” You shushed him, sitting down on a chair by the kitchen island, placing a hand on your forehead. “Second of all, I’m your nanny, not your… whatever you mentioned a few seconds ago.”

He stared at you confused but went on with scrambling the eggs.

“That’s weird, definitely not what you were saying or doing last night”.

You looked up at him. If your eyes could shoot lasers, they would. You would have absolutely killed him on the spot because of what he said.

“What am I missing about last night?”

“Missing? Wait, so you don’t remember us…” he stopped, turning to look at your face. He gulped when he saw the anger in your expression.

“Us doing what, Parker?”

“Well… you were pretty drunk.” He started, turning his back to you again. “And um, I drove us here.”

“Go on.”

“Well, we sat on the couch.” He said, taking a plate and placing it in front of you, still avoiding eye contact.

“Aha and then what?” You asked, starting to get worried. That sounded exactly like your dream.

“Um, we… I mean you… I didn’t want to take advantage of you in any way, but you kind of just did it, and you know how I feel about you so…”

“I did what exactly?”

“You kissed me. And I kinda kissed you back because I really like you, you know that.”

The two of you stood in silence for a few seconds. He was too terrified of looking at you, you were too shocked and upset to even say anything.

“And what did we do after that?” You asked after a few seconds.

“Hmm, well, you kept saying things about your dreams of me and how I should do what I do in them. And you were kissing my neck and… you gave me this.” He pulled the collar of his t-shirt down, revealing a hickey on his collarbone. “I really didn’t get the dream part, you were very much insisting on “doing the thing” but I’m not sure what “the thing” was and you wouldn’t really specify. It's not the first time you mention things about dreams, what's actually up with that? And then I had to pick up up and take you to-“

“I’ve heard enough.” You cut him off, standing up from your chair. He finally looked at you and you were staring back at him, which made him blush.

You didn't know how you were supposed to feel about all of this. So the whole thing wasn't a dream? It was just a memory? You were silently freaking out on the inside.

"Please tell me you used protection." You said after you got up from your spot.

His eyes shot up at you, confusion written all over his face.

"Protection?Oh... OH-" he started, waving his hands in front of his chest "We did not do that! I would never! You were so drunk! No, no, no, we didn't do it."

It finally felt like you could breathe again. So, it was a dream after all, or at least part of it.

"Thank god!" you said, sitting back down and grabbing a water bottle that was conveniently already on the island. ''I'm so not prepared to go to jail for pedophilia!"

----

Another night, another party. This time you were determined to not let any alcohol inside your system. Last time you drank led to almost hooking up with Peter and you were definitely not letting that happen again. This time you didn't allow him to come with you to the basement party. You knew there ware going to be a lot of drugs and what kind of babysitter would you be if you exposed him to that? No way in hell that was happening. Plus, it was sunday night already, he had school the next morning. One more reason not to bring him here. And of course, the most obvious being that you didn't want to spend more time with him than necessary, because your suppressed feelings for him kept slipping out.

"Y/N" Lidia called and waved at you from the other side of the room.

You were standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking around. You smiled once she got your attention, squeezing through the crowd to get to her. The smell of weed was suffocating and the room was already foggy from the smoke. You sat down on a poof next to your friend, tightening your ponytail.

"Where's Peter?" she asked

"I would have appreciated a "hey, how are you?'' before Peter was brought up but okay." you rolled your eyes, making her laugh. "He's at home, not exposing his underage ass to alcohol and drugs. I mean his home, not mine."

"Underage?"

"Yeah, he's an intern, he's 18. He's been building legos all afternoon, which makes him mentally 12."

She made an "oh" sound and nodded her head, taking a cigarette from the table and lighting it.

"He seems nice, mature, he was really worried about you when you got lost last time." she said after taking a drag from the cigarette.

"We broke up. Do you mind not talking about him tonight?" you asked her.

She passed you the cigarette. You took it reluctantly, you had promised yourself not drinking tonight, getting high had an unclear status. Suddenly the cigarette with Lidia's lipstick on the filter was between your lips, and the smoke was in your lungs.

"Okay, I won't talk about him." she said, taking the cigarette back from you. "Just one question. How would you feel about linking me up with him? Nothing serious, I don't want to be his girlfriend or anything. Building legos all afternoon sounds kind of fun."

You thought about it for a second. If you said no to this, you would be admitting you actually had feelings for him. If you said yes, you were risking him developing feelings for her and forgetting about you. Both of those sounded really bad for you. But somehow, giving her the number was the most logical, most convenient way to force yourself to move on from this circus show you were currently stuck in. If they did end up having a thing, you wouldn't have to worry about him flirting with you, you wouldn't have to worry about cracking under the pressure and giving in. After thinking about it for a minute, you finally pulled out your phone and gave it to Lidia. She happily took it and put Peter's number in her own.

----

High you was nothing like drunk you. The drunk version of you didn't really know what was going on around her, couldn't control her reactions or her actions. High you, however, was very aware of her surroundings, but hyperactive and happy. You were running around and talking to everyone like a dog that had the zoomies. Lidia and Peter had been texting throughout the night, by which you were pretending to not be bothered. But when he showed up at the top of the stairs in the middle of the night, you felt like you were hallucinating. Was the weed that hard really? No way you would start hallucinating. Soft giggles escaped your lips as you watched him walk down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, holding back laughter once you met him at the bottom.

"Wow, actually here to pick you up." he said, seeing the state you were in.

"Nah" you said, shaking your head and fixing the collar on his flannel. "You're here to flirt with Lidia, go." you said and pushed him into the room, sending him off.

He made a few large steps forward because of your force but stopped and turned to face you.

"No, really, she said you got the zoomies and needed to go home. That's why I came, to pick you up."

You looked up at him, laughing softly. Like you were going to believe that kind of nonsense. Sure, Lidia was your friend, but she was the one who asked you if you were okay with the idea of her hooking up with him. No way in hell she texted him just because she thought you needed to go home. Maybe it was a tactic to lure him in here? You looked around, making a step closer to him. You grabbed the sides of his open flannel while looking around the room, Lidia and some of her girlfriends were standing by the bar, having drinks. They were all looking over at the two of you, whispering something to each other. Was Lidia really going to turn into the anime villain? The only friend you had?

"You okay?" Peter asked you, placing a hand on the small of your back to grab your attention.

"I need some air" you said, taking his free hand in yours and turning towards the stairs. "And your phone."

"My phone? Why would you need that?" He asked, following you up the stairs.

He gave you his phone, and stood by you while you read through the chat between him and Lidia. There was no one in the yard besides the two of you, which eased your nerves at least a little bit. She was most definitely flirting with him in those chats and he looked too oblivious in his replies. She had invited him over a few times and he had declined all of them. So, it really was a cruel plot to bring him to the party after all? You shoved the phone in his chest, startling him, before walking off somewhere. He gathered himself, running after you.

"Hey, hey, care to explain what's going on?" he grabbed your elbow, stopping you. You turned around to look at him. He seemed worried, tired and confused, which was his usual state around you. You looked around again, relaxing your shoulders once you were sure it was just the two of you there.

"Okay so, I was talking to Lidia, she asked me about you, I told her we broke up." you started, getting closer to him so you could whisper. He leaned in closer to hear you better while you nervously played with the hem of his flannel. "And after I told her that, she asked me for your number, because well... obviously she likes you."

"Oh." he replied. "And that is an issue because?"

You didn't say anything, you didn't even look in his eyes. You were starting to come down a bit, which meant you weren't as bold.

''Communication, please?'' he said after the two of you stood there in awkward silence, placing a hand on your cheek and lifting your head so you would look at him.

You did look, with your faces dangerously close to each other, which made you remember the kiss. It made you blush, you were starting to want more than just a kiss at that point. You looked at his lips, then into his eyes again, which made him smirk cockily.

"I knew it!" he said, letting go of your face and throwing his hands in the air like he had just single handedly won a football game. "You were jealous! You actually like me!"

You blinked rapidly a few times while you watched him run around.

"Oh my god, you don't have to do a flip just because I was jealous!"

"So you admit it? Now I actually have to do a flip."

"No, Peter, don't."

He did a flip anyway. It's not like it was hard for him, he was Spider-man after all. You facepalmed yourself as you watched him, shaking your head. It was kind of funny though, him being so happy over something so small. But it actually was a big deal to him, you finally admitting you had some feelings for him made him so happy, he felt like he could fly.

"You just gave me the ick, I no longer feel anything." You joked, laughing softly.

He didn't take it as a joke, stopping immediately and walking over.

"So I did a flip for nothing?"

You placed your hands around his neck, kissing his cheek. He wrapped his hands around your waist, pressing his forehead against yours. The two of you stood there in silence like this for a while, enjoying the moment. You heard a door close, which made you let go of him and turn around. He still had his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him as Lidia approached the two of you. You immediately tensed up, not sure how this scene was going to unfold. She did admit to liking him, you lied about not liking him. It really was a whole mess in your head. You didn’t want to lose your only friend over a boy, but you also didn’t want to lose Peter over something so dumb.

"I knew you two didn't really break up!" he said cheerfully, clapping her hands happily.

"No. Well, in reality we never dated to begin with, he just said that because he's annoying." You confessed.

"Annoying?" Peter asked, acting offended.

"He's scared of girls flirting with him. He's scared of girls in general."

"No, I'm not."

"Okay, okay, no need to justify anything, I'll leave you two to it!" Lidia interrupted, smiling at the two of you. "I just wanted to make sure my plan worked."

"Your plan?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to see if she would get jealous, she totally did! I wanted to know if she was actually a cyborg or not."

"A cyborg?"

Peter laughed, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

"She's very capable of human emotions, such as anger and annoyance." he continued the joke, kissing the side of your head. You pushed his arm away crossing your arms in front of your chest.

"Get lost, both of you!" you whined as they collectively made fun of you, walking away from them.

"Thank you." Peter said to Lidia. She nodded in return, going back inside the house. He ran after you, hugging you from behind so you would stop.

“I thought you weren’t drunk? Why are you throwing a tantrum?”

“I’m not. I wasn’t jealous, I take it back. I don’t like you.”

—

Your back was pressed against the cold elevator wall, Peter’s fingers were gently touching the skin on your waist under your shirt. Your tongue was in his mouth while the two of you kissed hungrily. His hair was messy because you played with it while you made out. He lifted one of your legs, his hand running along it until he reached your butt, squeezing it playfully. The elevator door opened, which made you break the kiss. You did feel like you started coming down from the weed earlier in the evening, while still at the party even, but the effect definitely was not over yet. You looked at Peter, his arm was rested on the wall next to your head, he was looking down at you, panting softly. A soft blush was painted across the pale skin on his cheeks. He looked unbelievably cute. You grabbed the hand that was holding your ass, taking it in yours and leading him out of the elevator. The weed was making you very needy, and now that the rabbit was out of the hat, nothing was really stopping you from doing what you wanted most. And Peter was the thing you wanted to do the most right now. You walked rapidly to your bedroom, turning the lights on before pushing him on the bed. Peter looked at you in shock, he didn’t expect you to be this bold. Meanwhile you got on top of him, already trying to take his flannel off. He helped you with that, placing his hands on your hips, still processing that this whole thing is happening.

“Do you mind taking part in this?” you asked, annoyed by how stunned he was underneath you.

“Yes! I mean, no, sorry! I’ll just stop talking…”

“Yeah, that would be best.” you cut him off, kissing him afterwards while your hands went under his t-shirt and touched… spandex underneath it. You broke the kiss, sitting up and looking at him.

“Are you wearing the Spider suit?” you asked him, furrowing your brows.

He had completely forgotten about that.

“Yeah, I was on patrol when Lidia texted me to come over…”

“Please stop talking about her.” you whined

“You said you weren’t jealous.” He teased you, his hands moving under your shirt. He ran his fingertips along your back slowly, lifting your shirt further up with each movement.

You didn’t reply, just took your shirt off and lay down on him, attacking his neck with kisses and soft nibbles. His breath hitched when your lips touched his skin, moaning softly when your teeth dug into it.

“How do you take that suit off?” you asked, undoing his jeans before you kissed him again.

“Well, you just place your hand in the middle of my chest and it loosens up so you can take it off.”

“Take it off theeen.” you said, sitting up again.

You got off of him so he could get rid of all the clothes he was wearing, including the suit. It was your first time seeing him naked, which meant you had to stare. The clothes he usually wore weren't doing any justice to his physique, you could definitely tell that now. He snapped his fingers in front of you, pulling you out of your trance.

“You good?”

“Oh, I’m really good.” you smiled, getting on top of him again.

After making out for a few more minutes, your hand reached down to his underwear, slipping inside and taking a hold of his dick. His hand grabbed your shoulder, breaking the kiss you both were very invested in, to look at you in shock. You smiled at him encouragingly, kissing his nose before you gave him a few strokes. It’s not like he needed them, he was already hard enough. You pulled his underwear down, he still looked terrified and tense.

“Are you okay with this?” you asked.

He nodded, closing his eyes and biting his lip while you stroked him again with your hand. You had to loosen him up a little bit so you kissed down his jaw and neck, placing soft butterfly kisses further and further down - on his chest, his stomach, until you reached his penis. You got off the bed, getting down on your knees to stand between his legs. Peter still had his eyes closed, his muscles would flex when you touched him. Was he actually a virgin? You chuckled at the thought, your lips pressing against the shaft. It made him moan and flinch softly, his eyes flew open and he saw you between his legs. It made him support himself on his elbows so he could look at you better. Once he was looking, you gave him the most innocent stare you had in you before taking the tip in your mouth, running your tongue over it. He threw his head back, his fingers digging into the sheets. You giggled softly after that, giving him a slow long lick from the bottom back to the tip before taking the entire thing in your mouth, bopping your head. Your hand was stroking the parts that you couldn’t fit in your mouth, watching him as he squirmed and moaned under your touch. It turned you on even more, watching his toned chest rise up and down, his stomach muscles flexing. Seeing him like this made you more needy than before, so you undid your jeans and slipped your free hand inside to touch yourself. You moaned with his dick in your mouth.

“Ah, fuck.” he said, looking at you.

You two held eye contact for a few seconds while you went further down on him with your mouth, his hand found its way to your hair, resting there. Touching yourself wasn’t enough anymore, you needed him. You stopped sucking him off, resting your head on his leg while you looked at him. He whined when you stopped, looking at you. Peter’s fingers brushed some stray locks away from your face. Your fingers were still moving down your clit while you looked at him.

“Pete.” you moaned softly, your knees weak because you were getting close.

“Yes?” he replied between pants, cupping your cheek with his hand.

He ran his thumb along your cheek. You hid your face in his thigh, your free hand was still loosely holding his length as you came, moaning his name once more.

“Fuck, that was so hot.” Peter said, still petting your cheek calmly as you were coming down.

“Just wait ‘till we get to the actual sex.” you laughed, taking your hand out of your jeans.

You moved on the bed, sitting down next to him before you placed your cum-coated fingers on his lips and he obediently took them in his mouth, licking them off clean. He held eye contact the entire time, making you bite your lip as you felt his tongue swirling around your fingers. Now you really needed to fuck him. Peter’s hand moved to undo your bra, taking it off of you and immediately pinning you on the bed afterwards. He showered your chest with kisses, his fingers quickly pulling your pants down. You whined from the feeling of his soft lips against your skin, his hands touching your body. You loved it more than you ever imagined you would.

“Who told you you were in charge?” You asked playfully, flipping him over again.

He was slightly puzzled by your sudden movements, throwing his hands back while he looked up at you. In his eyes, you were the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. You didn’t have enough nerve to take your panties off so you just pushed them to the side before taking his member with your other hand, teasing around the entrance. His hands were on your hips again, his head back while he enjoyed the feeling of your wetness on his tip, it felt heavenly, intoxicating, but incredibly painful to be teased like that.

“Who told you you could be on top?” he asked in return to your previous question, digging his nails in your soft, silky skin.

“Do I hear a complaint?”

“No, no, definitely not.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“What about-’’ he started, unsure if he should finish the question. “Protection?”

“Fuck.” you cussed out, it had slipped your mind altogether. “Okay um, a few minutes like this and we use a condom after?”

He nodded at your suggestion, neither of you could wait any longer for this. You squeezed the shaft of his dick, holding it in place while you slowly slid down it. The two of you moaned in sync, which made you laugh softly. It took a few seconds to adjust to the size before you started moving your hips. You didn’t want to brag about your skill, but you knew you were going to give him a very good time. All these dancing lessons when you were younger were paying off so well right now. You had one hand running up and down his stomach while your other hand was on his leg, supporting you as you rolled your hips on his, like the good cowgirl you were. Peter felt like it was too good to be true, if he didn’t have your nails digging into his leg, which was a pain he was definitely willing to ignore, he would have assumed this was a dream. The way your body moved like fluid was hypnotizing, and combined with the way you felt, he was really losing his mind. The two of you were playing a very dangerous game. His name rolled out of your lips, which was enough to drive him crazy given the circumstances. Peter closed his eyes, everything was getting too much for him.

“Pete, look at me.” you whined when you saw him.

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“I can’t, I’ll- Fuck.”

You stopped, getting off of him. What you were doing really was dangerous, you had to use protection at that point. You opened the drawer on your nightstand, taking a condom and tossing it to him. He grabbed it, unwrapping the thing and putting it on.

“I think it’s kinda…”

You looked down at it, the condom did seem small on him. It made you laugh, kissing him after that.

“Wanna be on top?” you asked him.

He nodded again, but he had different plans to yours. He grabbed your hips, turning you over on your stomach.

“Peter!” you protested in shock, looking back at him.

Peter smiled coily, positioning himself. He pulled your hips back slightly with one arm, inserting himself and started thrusting in you forcefully. You cried out burying your face in the mattress while he fucked you. This whole being innocent act really got you in the beginning, you actually believed he was a virgin for a second. You should have known he was a freak the second he licked your fingers. He was absolutely merciless, holding your hips in place while he slammed you, making you moan and whine with each movement. You were never the loud type, but the way he was fucking you, you just couldn’t help it. Peter’s hands moved up and down your back, held your waist. He made sure to touch every inch of skin that was exposed to him. His hand wrapped around one of your wrists, pulling it back. He did the same with the other, holding both of your small wrists with his hand at the small of your back. He really was a freak. You couldn’t move, he had full control now. All you could do was sit there, whine and cry his name while he rearranged your guts. It was getting too much, even for you, it felt like he knew all the right spots to make your legs shake. You tried moving your hips with his, but he would shush you and hold you down so you couldn’t move. You hated not being in control, but he wasn’t giving you a choice. You were actually enjoying being absolutely dominated by this shy, awkward geek. You were having a shaking orgasm all over his dick sooner than both of you had expected. He had to let go of your wrist and use both hands to help you stay steady while he fucked you through it, and even after you were done, he didn’t stop.

“Peter, Peter, please, I can’t.”

“What was that? Were you begging me?”

“Please” you cried out.

You hated being overstimulated, it felt so much better to just stop for a short break and do another round, but this you hated. He lay on top of you, not stopping even for a second, so he could whisper in your ear.

“I’ll stop when I make you squirt, princess.”

You whined, feeling his body weight on top of you. He was so warm, you could feel his toned muscles on your skin, his hair was tickling the side of your face while he kissed your neck and your shoulders. You gripped on the sheets in front of you, you were moaning his name, it was the only thing you could say, the only thing on your mind. I had never squirted before, you weren’t even sure you could, until you did. It was a shaking, strong orgasm, you felt like you had peed yourself but in the best way possible. It lasted so long and it was so intense you could barely breathe after it. You were still disorientated when Peter pulled out, turning you around, he came on your stomach and breasts. Your legs were flooded, he was wet all over as well, your sheets were soaked. You were too fucked to even think straight, to even care that you were about to fall asleep in this whole mess.

—-

You were woken up by the alarm on Peter’s phone. It was 7 am. You opened your eyes, seeing a curly head next to yours.

“Oh no.” you said, sitting up. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

You shook him awake, which made him groan in displeasure.

“Jesus, what time is it?” he asked “I’m so sore, wow.”

“No, no, no, no, no.” you kept repeating over and over.

“What’s up with you?”

“This didn’t happen! Please tell me it was a dream! It didn’t happen, right?”

“By the looks of it, it definitely happened.”

“God, no.” You cried, laying back down.

You definitely needed a minute to process it, staring at the ceiling, Peter rolled over on his side, supporting his head with one arm while he looked at you.

“I would suggest a shower, but I can see that you’re freaking out.”

You gave him the death glare, which made him slowly get out of the bed before you actually got the chance to strangle him. He was butt naked, which confirmed your memories of the night before. You groaned and turned your attention back to the ceiling, cursing yourself mentally for allowing this to happen. After a solid 3 minutes, it was time for a quick shower before driving Peter to school. He was already late, you didn’t want him to be even more late.

You caught him in his spidersuit, standing on the edge of the window with his backpack on his back. He turned his head to look at you, already holding the web he had shot a web somewhere into the distance.

“What the hell are you doing?” you asked him, still in your towel.

“Going to school?”

“In your suit?”

“I’m late, this is the fastest way there.”

“Take it off, I’m driving you.”

“But-”

“No, that’s too risky, take it off.”

“Well that gave me flashbacks from last night.”

“Forget them.”

The silence in the car while you drove him to school was deafening. Peter was looking out of the window and you were trying to concentrate on driving. But he kept distracting you, every time he moved you got freaked out that he would touch you. And you were even more terrified because you actually wanted him to touch you, it was more anticipation rather than fright. And his breathing, you were either hyper focused on his presence in general, or he was just breathing way too loud. And it reminded you of last night, his breath hitching under your touch, the warm tinkle on your skin from when he exhaled as he was on top of you. You were so drowned in your memories that you were caught off guard when the high school building suddenly appeared in front of you. You stopped the car in the parking lot, finally turning your head to look at Peter. He smiled weakly, his hand reaching out to hold yours. You were hesitant at first but you let him do it.

“I don’t want this thing to come between us.” he said

“You’re going to be late, you should go.”

“We really need to talk about this.”

“You’re gonna be late.”

He sighed, throwing his head back in annoyance. He ran his thumb along your hand, sitting like this for a few seconds. You couldn’t help but stare at your hands, a tingly feeling in your stomach with every movement he made.

“Have fun in class.” he told you, opening the door and walking out of the car.

—-

It had been two days since you decided to stay over at Lidia’s place. Being around Peter was too much to handle for you right now. He had been blowing up your phone ever since you disappeared. You didn’t really disappear, you didn’t want him to think you got kidnapped so you left him a note that you’d be staying with a friend for a few days.

It was a tough few days, you appeared at Lidia’s door shaking because you had been crying too hard. She helped you in, holding you while you cried your heart’s content out. After a good sleep in the night, mixed with some confusing stories you were trying to tell your friend, you were actually finally ready to discuss the situation. You walked out of the bedroom into the kitchen, sitting at the table as Lidia gave you a hot cup of tea.

“You doing okay?” she asked softly.

You nodded, taking a sip from the warm liquid.

“Want to talk about why having feelings for someone is such a drama?”

“It’s more complicated than just that.”

“How?”

“For starters, he’s barely legal. Also, he’s basically a colleague of mine and office romance is a big no.”

“You don’t even work in an office.”

“I didn’t mean it literally. How do you smoothly transition from nanny to girlfriend overnight? I imagine Tony freaking out if he finds out about this. They have a very weird son-father relationship.” You fussed your brows when you thought about it.

The two of you sat in silence, Lidia looked at you smiling like she had an evil plan. Your eyes met hers and you knew she was about to suggest something really crazy

“You can always leave Stark Industries. How about working for Oscorp Industries? I know Harry Osborn, he’s a really cool guy.”

“That’s basically like sleeping with the enemy.”

“Come on, it’s not like you’re planning on being the Stark nanny for your entire life! You can check out your options. You’re pretty, smart and young. Top of the class in both math and physics, you’re wasting your time babysitting. And Peter would no longer be your coworker.”

“I’m not EXCLUSIVELY babysitting. I do science work at Stark too. And I can't do that to Tony, he already pays me way too much for the job I do, he took me in when I had nothing left... In a very weird way he's like a father to me.”

“If I were you, I’d be trying to actually bag Harry Osborn. He’s your fan.”

You looked at her with the side of your eye. Whose side was she on? You had been crying for two days straight because you had feelings for Peter and suddenly she’s suggesting you start dating someone else?

“Are you just saying that because you still want to fuck Peter? How does Osborn Jr. even know I exist?” you asked her.

“Oh no, you already did that, cute Stark intern if way off limits at this point.” She said, taking a banana from the fruit basket and peeling it. “It was just a suggestion. If dating Peter is sooo complicated, just date someone else instead. Harry used to take Math with us last semester, he was asking around if you were tutoring but I didn't know you back then."

“But that would break his heart!’’

“Honey, you’re already breaking his heart. You keep saying you don’t want him, but you let him be your ‘fake boyfriend’ for the party, then you kiss him for real. After that you have a fake breakup with him, and the same night you sleep with him? And he has all his hopes up that you finally feel the same way, so you just run and hide from him. If that’s not toxic behavior, then I don’t know what is.”

She was right, you were leading Peter on, constantly playing hot and cold with him. One minute you wanted him and the next you didn’t. If you were feeling confused, which you definitely were, then it was probably even worse for him.

“Oh, god, I’m an actual asshole to him.”

Lidia nodded, biting off her banana.

—-

After the dire realization that you were a terrible person that did not deserve anything good to ever happen to you ever again, Lidia decided it would be good for you two to go out and eat some ice cream to cheer you up. You knew that no amount of ice cream could ever fix the damage you had done, but it sure was a way to give you some kind of dopamine, which you desperately needed. Peter still hadn’t given up on calling and texting, which was making you feel even worse for what you were doing to him. Lidia made sure to cover your tracks when he texted her in desperation, assuming you had gone to her since you had no one else. He was right, but she didn’t tell him where she lived and would only inform him that you were doing somewhat okay. That didn’t help his stress in any way, shape or form, if anything it just made him feel worse, like he had fucked his chances up big time.

But Lidia took you to her favorite gelato place anyway, treating you to some pistachio gelato, which you weren’t sure whether you loved or hated. Just like you did with Peter. But it was nice to go out for a change, and try something new. It was good to get your mind off of that awkward geek that has been driving you crazy for months now. After the cute gelato date, you decided to walk down two blocks to one of your favorite coffee shops. You went there all the time to get orders for the Avenger meetings, it was close to Stark tower and everyone appreciated a good coffee blend.

“So, that’s actually where you live?” Lidia asked, looking up at the glass building in the distance, coffee in hand.

“Yep.”

“The view must be amazing!”

“Breathtaking is a more appropriate word.”

And just as you were engrossed in the view, finally feeling some kind of peace after an eternity, you saw a red and blue spot swing around.

“Oh no.” you said, turning to Lidia, using your hand to turn her into the direction from which you came from, pushing her so she could go.

“What happened?Why are we going?”

“Just trust me, we need to go!” you said, still pushing her.

But you were too late, he had already spotted you. In a matter of seconds, Spider-man dropped down from the sky right in front of the two of you.

“We have to talk.” The masked one said, looking at you, as you attempted to hide behind Lidia.

The girl turned to look at you, slightly squatted down so you could hide behind her back.

“You know Spider-man?” she asked, stepping away to expose you to him.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at you with his head tilted to the side.

“How do you know spider-man??” Lidia asked you.

“I don’t, stranger danger.” You said once you gained your composure, looking at him.

He laughed at your words, shaking his head.

“We both work with the Avengers, she brings me coffee every meeting.”

“You don’t even drink coffee, you big man-child, you beg me to bring you hot chocolate so you don’t feel excluded from the coffee drinkers.”

“Oh, so you know my coffee order but I’m somehow a stranger?”

You were blowing the cover, which was really bad for the two of you.

“Okay I do know him.” you admit, turning to Lidia.

“And we need to talk, now.”

Before you even had the chance to reply he took your coffee cup and shoved it in Lidia’s hands, wrapping his arm around your waist and swinging you away from the scene. He had never done this before, you were actually shaking with fear for your life. You wrapped your arms and legs around him like a koala, holding him so tightly you were probably going to strangle him soon. He landed the two of you on a roof when he noticed you weren’t okay with swinging.

“You can let go now, we stopped.” he said, you had hidden your face in his chest, eyes shut as tight as humanly possible. The wind really had stopped. You looked up at him, letting go and stepping down, taking a few steps back while fixing your outfit.

“You wanted to talk?” you reminded, finally looking at him.

“What the hell did I do to push you away this bad?” he just exploded, all of the bottled up thoughts and feelings taking over. He was pacing around nervously while he talked, waving his hands in the air to emphasize the words. “Like for real, I finally thought I had a breakthrough with you, after all of this goddamn time, you actually admit what we both knew was true and then just…. You flip a switch and you run away? We’re back to square one? What more do you want me to do, Y/N? What else can I possibly do to get to you when you constantly refuse to communicate, you systematically run away from both your feelings and me? I’m really tired and confused all of the time because you just can’t seem to mak-”

“You’re right.” you cut him off.

He stopped walking around and looked at you. If he didn’t have the mask on, you would probably be able to read his expression, but you were guessing it was pure shock anyway.

“I’m right?”

“Yeah, absolutely.” you nodded. “I thought that if I pushed you away enough times you would just give up. But you never did. Then I let my guard down and this whole mess happened. It’s not that I don’t like you, I actually do, despite you being the most annoying person I have ever met in my entire life. I was toxic to you, like radioactive even, even more than that spider that bit you. I just thought, and I still do, that given our circumstances, it’s unwise to date.”

“If this is about me being younger again, you’re so wrong. Despite our age difference, I’m the one who actually wanted to work this out, right? You’re being immature.”

“It’s not about age. Well, it is kinda, but I genuinely think I'll be a bad girlfriend to you.”

He walked up to you, placing a hand on your cheek. You put your hand over his, looking at the mask.

“Don’t say that, you’ll be an amazing girlfriend.”

“No, Pete, I’ll act the same way I do now. I’ll be inconsistent and push you away and… hurt you.”

He stroked your cheek with his thumb, pulling you into a tight hug after that.

“How about we try? For a month?”

You pressed yourself to him, thinking about it. A month didn’t sound like a long time.

“Okay.” you said, he tried to let go but you didn’t let him, scared to see his reaction. It wasn't going to hurt you to try. Even if it made your blood run cold.

He moved one arm up, showing you his pinky. Peter really wanted to make this a pinky promise? Real mature. You laughed at his act but did it anyway.

“And what if it doesn’t work out?” you asked him, finally looking up as you locked pinkies.

“I’ll make it work out.”

“Just a heads up, I’m not going as your prom date, Parker.”

----

I'm tagging everone who asked for a part 2! Pls dm me if you want your tag removed!

@groundclueless @spiderman-stilinski @sovrwolfie @wtvbabes

@writingfortheunloved @leavemeoutofitkay @ivyquill

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the-wize-1 · 3 months ago

Text

Thawing the Widow (A Natasha Romanoff Story): Chapter 6 - Frozen Peas

Chapter Summary: Cat's plan kind of fails (is anyone surprised?)... but it also works out? Things happen and she’s reunited with a certain redheaded assassin.

Chapter Warnings: Talking about a mugging, playful threatening with a knife. This is and will be minor friendly! No smut in this story.

Notes: Nat returns this chapter! But this isn’t the last we see of Peter! Thank you to everyone who reblogged/commented/read so far! Getting notifications really encourages me and I enjoy each and everyone one of them. New chapters will come Monday/Thursday 5PM PST (I’m on time FINALLY). Also idk if I should make a tag list but if so lmk who’s interested! Happy reading!

Thawing the Widow Masterlist

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"That was awesome!" Cat breathed as Spider-Man dropped her and Taco back on the ground. Her heart was still beating fast from the exhilaration. Swinging around New York was similar to riding a roller coaster, albeit a faster, steeper, more dangerous one with significantly less elbow room.

Spider-Man looked around the abandoned streets warily. "Um… are you sure this is where you wanted me to drop you off?"

Cat made sure she had the right dark alley. Granted, all the dark alleys looked generally the same in New York, but she had a great mind for directions. And she was pretty sure she was at the right place. If she squinted, she could spot a few familiar landmarks. And… there! If she could get a little closer, she could just make out the sliver of the door on the side of the wall.

The door of the safehouse.

"This is the one," she confirmed.

"If you're sure," he said. "Is there anything I can do to help? I don't think I have any cash on me— wait—" He awkwardly patted himself down for cash, even though Cat couldn't see how any pockets could possibly be hidden in the folds of his spandex. "Yeah, no cash. Sorry."

Cat suddenly had an idea. "Can I have your autograph?"

"What?"

"You know, to sell it," she said unremorsefully. "It might help me make some money. Sorry if that's offensive. I need everything I can get right now."

"Oh, that's really smart. I didn't even think of that. I don't have any paper, do you?"

Cat rummaged around in her backpack. She had a few souvenirs, a mug that was only a little cracked, some pieces of cardboard, and an I-Heart-New-York sweatshirt that was slightly too large for her. Lastly, she pulled out an extra thick sharpie. She'd gotten most of the items in the soup kitchen cupboards, or at homeless shelters.

Spider-Man quickly scribbled his signature on all of them, leaving little sweet but unnecessary notes. "Here you go."

"I'm really grateful for this," she told him.

Before handing the sharpie back, he paused. He stared at her for a long time. "Are you going to be okay?"

She glared at him. "Of course I am!" she said indignantly. "I'm tough, you know."

"I know. You're pretty neat, Cat."

"You're not so bad yourself, Spider-Man."

He awkwardly placed his hand on her shoulder, then removed it almost instantly. "Well, just know that if you're ever in trouble, I'll always be around. Just… scream for help, or something." He patted Taco on the head. "Bye, cute beagle." He shot a web up into a ledge of a building. He made a peace sign at her as he yanked himself into the air. "See ya, Cat!"

"Bye!" Cat called after him as he swung out of view.

I'll be okay, she thought.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

She was so not going to be okay.

"Damn," she swore under her breath, jamming her knife in the lock for the eighth time in the dim hopes that it would work that time.

Cat dug it in harder, twisting and turning every which way. She was waiting for the telltale clicks and shifts, but they didn't come. Instead, the knife was met with a stubborn wall that blocked it from moving in further. She'd been there for at least ten minutes, with a sinking heart. They'd changed the locks.

"Damn it!"

Taco barked. Cat liked to imagine she was sharing her frustration.

Frustrated and disappointed, Cat gave up. Plan A was a no-go. She'd have to find somewhere else to sleep. Which actually really sucked, because it was freezing. The wind was blowing with a frigid ferocity that night. She tried to yank the knife out of the lock, but it was stuck.

She swore again, tugging at the knife, but it stayed stubbornly stuck. Her grip slipped and she fell backwards onto the ground, landing hard. Oww. She groaned. Taco jumped up and padded over to her, licking her face.

Despite Taco being adorable as always, Cat was miserable. Her hands and face were numb with cold. She could hardly feel her fingertips. She was shivering in her feeble, tightly stretched coat and thin leggings that offered no protection from the cold. She'd been looking forward to the warm, welcoming safehouse, but now even that wasn't an option. The good thing was, the cold did a good job of numbing the pain on her face and ribs. She had long gotten used to the throb of pain.

Cat got to her feet, shaking with exhaustion. She took a shaky breath, steeling herself. Her eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth. Whether she was getting into the safehouse or not, she sure as hell was getting her knife back.

She rubbed her hands together, trying to generate some warmth into them. She wrapped her hands around the hilt of the knife, and raised her left foot to a position over the lock. Taco watched her with a perplexed expression, as if asking her what the hell she thought she was doing. Pushing off of her left foot, leaning sideways, she tugged at the knife as hard as she could.

The knife came loose. Cat couldn't regain her balance quickly enough, so she went flying backwards, slamming into the opposite wall with a sickening crash. She collapsed to the floor with a heap. For a moment, Cat laid there, breathing hard, and felt impossibly tired. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to fall asleep right there…

Then, she heard something moving behind the door. With a grunt of pain, Cat forced herself to her feet. She held her knife to her side, the slightest sliver of hope in her heart.

The door groaned open.

"You're making an awful lot of noise," Natasha said.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Natasha didn't say a word as she led Cat into the living room, and gestured to the table. Cat took a seat and watched as Natasha took out a bag of dog food from one of the cabinets and poured it into a bowl for Taco. Taco leapt on it eagerly.

"Do you have a dog?" Cat asked out of curiosity.

"No."

"Why do you have dog food?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

Cat took that as a good enough answer. Natasha wordlessly passed her a box of Chinese takeout. The smell of it had been filling up the kitchen. Cat dug in the moment she had it in her hands, feeling impossibly luckier and happier than she had in weeks. She ate like she was starving— probably because she was.

Natasha was silent, watching her as she devoured the takeout. Once Cat had eaten almost half of it, she gently tugged it out of Cat's hands.

"Sorry," Cat said immediately, scooting back in her chair. "I didn't mean to eat so much, I just—"

"Relax," Natasha said. "I'll give it back. You don't want to eat too fast or too much, or you'll throw up."

"Right." Cat took a deep breath. "Thanks."

"Here."

Natasha passed her a mug of steaming brown liquid. For a moment, Cat got excited, thinking it was coffee. When she took a sip and the taste of hot chocolate slammed into her, she wasn't too disappointed. It was surprisingly good. She was mostly glad Natasha had decided to let her in at all.

Cat wrapped her hands around the mug, trying to let the warmth of the room envelope her in its embrace. She relished in the moment, having a warm place to stay, food, and water. She shivered, remembering that it was only temporary and soon she'd have to be back out in the streets.

Cat couldn't take the silence. "Do you live here?" she asked.

"Sometimes," she answered vaguely.

"How did you know I was outside?"

"Like I said, you were making a lot of noise. I didn't think that was possible, considering those walls are about two feet thick."

"You changed your locks," Cat said resentfully.

"It's called a safehouse for a reason," Natasha pointed out. "What would be the point if persistent little orphans like you could break in?"

"I didn't think anyone would be inside."

"And that makes it okay?" Natasha asked pointedly.

"Um… no," Cat said, trying to sound remorseful. "Sorry."

Another bout of silence passed. Cat was trying to think of a way to ask for the takeout back. Her hunger was still rearing its little ugly head inside of her. But Natasha was holding the box just out of arm's reach.

"What happened to your face?"

"Nothing."

"I said, what happened to your face?" Natasha asked again, this time with an edge to her voice. Her eyes had narrowed.

"And I said," Cat fired back, "nothing."

"I gave you food," Natasha pointed out. Cat eyed the takeout box. "I could've left you out there in the cold. The least you could do is give me a straight answer."

Cat bit her lip. That was true. What would be the harm in telling her? Her stomach whined, yearning for the takeout. Still, some part of her didn't want Natasha to know. She stayed silent.

Natasha sensed the shift in her silence. She pushed the takeout box toward Cat, just a little. Cat reached for it, but then Natasha pulled it away. Cat looked up at Natasha with a mixture of betrayal and confusion. No food?

"Answer the question, and you can have it."

Cat scoffed. "That's not going to work on me."

"We'll see," Natasha said with an infuriating amount of certainty.

Cat worked her jaw. She crossed her arms and leaned back, defiant. Natasha stared back with an equal amount of fierceness. Cat's stomach growled painfully. It was loud enough so that even Natasha heard. She raised her eyebrows. Then, the smell of the takeout got to Cat.

"I tripped."

"You tripped."

"Yes."

"Try again."

"Fine. I got mugged." Cat lunged for the takeout box.

Natasha held it just out of reach, again. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused."

"Who mugged you?"

"How do you expect me to know? They weren't keen on doing icebreakers, and there wasn't enough time for me to run a facial recognition program."

"What did they want?"

Cat crossed her arms. "I thought you said I only had to answer one question. This seems like a lot more than one."

Natasha passed the takeout box to her. Cat started eating with a fervor. She was starting to feel a little full, but too full was better than too empty. She'd learned on the streets that she never knew when her next meal was going to be. If overeating to the point of throwing up meant she could spend another night without starving, that was what she was going to do.

Natasha got up and left, then came back with a first aid kit and a bag of frozen peas. She watched Cat wolf down the food with a horrified fascination.

"Slow down. You're scaring me."

Cat made a show of chewing for a long time before swallowing. The food in the takeout box was almost gone. She polished off the last bit, feeling satisfied for the first time in weeks. She started on the hot chocolate next, tipping the mug over until the last drop fell into her mouth.

Finally, she settled back into the chair with a sigh.

Natasha passed her the bag of frozen peas.

Cat stared at the bag of frozen peas. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Put it on your face, idiot."

Cat pressed it to the bruise on her face. She winced. "Ow."

"Don't be a baby. So, what did the muggers want?" Natasha repeated.

Cat sighed, long and drawn-out. Natasha had been awfully nice to her. She was lucky to be in a warm room with hot chocolate and takeout instead of shivering out in the cold. The least she could do was provide her with a little information.

"Money. They saw me give, like, twenty dollars to this Girl Scout, but it was pretty much the last of it. I kept telling them I didn't have any more, but you'd be surprised at how dumb they are."

"I'm not. How did you get away?"

Cat grinned. "Oh, funny story, actually. You know that guy, Spider-Man?"

"Sure. We've met a few times."

Cat gaped at her for a moment, having forgotten that Natasha was the Black Widow. She probably had met Spider-Man before. "You have?"

Natasha shrugged. "He's a good fighter. He's a bit of a talker, but a decent guy. We didn't really do the whole 'getting to know you' thing. We were mostly focused on trying to beat the crap out of Steve and his groupies."

Steve… Cat thought. Who was Captain America. Natasha was on a first name basis with Captain America— obviously— which was so cool.

"Yeah, anyway, Spider-Man swooped in and beat up all the muggers and stuck them on the wall. Then he swung me here. I asked him to autograph all my stuff so I could sell it."

"Hmm." Natasha moved the bag of peas from Cat's eye to see the bruise. "How hurt are you?"

Cat's ribs were aching, but she knew they weren't broken. Maybe bruised. It was mostly her face that was hurting, but the frozen peas had done a good job of numbing the area. "I'm fine. My ribs hurt a little, but—"

Without warning, Natasha reached out and prodded her side. Cat yelped, more shock than hurt, and thrust her hands up in front of her to defend herself.

"Jesus! Could you warn me before you do that?"

"Where does it hurt?" Natasha asked unapologetically.

"Just… like, around here."

Cat stayed stiff as Natasha pressed lightly against her ribs, examining them. "They're just bruised," she told her.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"You know, I could've told you that if you'd just asked instead of prodding me like some kind of lab rat."

Natasha straightened, looking her in the eye. She had an unnerving habit of doing that. Her piercing eyes were impossible to avoid. "So, tell me. What's your plan?"

"My plan?" Cat echoed.

Natasha raised her eyebrows. "Yes. Your plan for living on the streets, finding a job, feeding yourself, making sure you don't die. Unless you don't have one?"

"Of course I have a plan," Cat said, not wanting to admit that she did not, in fact, have any sort of plan. "I'm going to go to homeless shelters and the soup kitchens to get food. And I'm going to get a lot of canned food from pretending to be a Girl Scout. And I'll learn everything I need to know in the library— Don't make that face!"

Natasha's smirk reverted into a suspiciously convincing blank expression. "What face?"

"Like you think I'm some silly little kid who has no idea what she's doing. I'm really good at memorizing things. I could learn everything I need to learn in the library— You're making the face again!"

The second time, Natasha didn't bother to disguise her skepticism. "Yeah, because it's a crappy plan."

"It's not a crappy plan."

"Really? Then why'd you end up here, of all places?"

"Because I—"

"—had nowhere else to go?" Natasha finished.

She took Cat's sulky silence as an affirmation and plowed on.

"You don't have a consistent source of income. How do you expect to pay for things like new clothes, necessities, or literally anything you need to survive? You're also an easy target because you're young and you barely know how to defend yourself. You got mugged, which I promise will not be the worst situation you'll find yourself in, and you only just scraped by."

"I can defend myself," Cat protested. She thought she did a rather good job of fending herself off against the muggers, considering the circumstances. "I have a knife!" She grabbed it from the pocket of her jacket and pointed it at Natasha.

What happened next Cat almost couldn't explain in words. It happened so quickly. In one swift motion, Natasha lunged over the table and did something weird and uncomfortable with her arm, twisting and maneuvering it forcefully so that Cat's shoulder slammed down on the table. Cat glanced up, straining her neck, to see that the knife had made its way into Natasha's grip. It all happened in a matter of seconds. Cat could've blinked and missed it.

"What… the hell," she breathed. Also, ow. Her shoulder.

Natasha released her. Cat grabbed her shoulder, wincing. "Just because you have a knife doesn't mean you can defend yourself." She examined the knife distastefully. "This a kitchen knife."

"That wasn't fair," Cat grumbled. "You're the Black Widow. I stood no chance."

"So? You think a bunch of muggers are gonna go easy on you just because you're a little homeless girl? Haven't you've already learned that?"

Cat crossed her arms. "Okay, I get it. My plan is a crappy plan. It's not like you have a better one."

"Of course I do. I'll take you there myself."

All at once, alarm raced through her. Cat's feet slammed onto the ground. She pushed the chair away from the table with a loud screech and stood up. "You're not taking me to CPS."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'm not. Sit down."

Cat lowered herself back in the chair cautiously. "Then where are you going to take me?"

"I own an apartment not far away from here. I barely use it, so you could crash there for the time being."

For several moments, Cat couldn't speak. "W-what?"

"What is it with you and making me repeat myself twice?" Natasha groused. "Did you not hear the first time?"

"I heard," Cat snapped, recovering quickly. "Does it have heating?"

"Yes."

"And a plumbing system?"

"Yes."

"And coffee?"

Natasha frowned. "Of course."

"And Fruit Loops?"

"No."

"Oh."

"I could get some Fruit Loops," Natasha offered.

"Thank you," Cat mumbled, staring into the distance. This was impossible, right? There was no way something this good could happen to her. Her attention snapped back to Natasha, who was still staring at her.

"Why are you helping me?" Cat demanded. "This isn't a trick, is it?"

"Are you always this paranoid?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"Fair enough," Natasha admitted. "But you just have to trust me."

"I don't trust anyone," Cat said.

Something changed in Natasha's expression. Her eyes were faraway, looking into the distance. "You remind me of myself," she said. "I didn't want to rely on anyone either. But sometimes it's better to have people around you, people who are going to catch you when you fall."

Cat thought it was a bunch of bull. The more people she trusted, the more likely they could hurt or betray her.

"Anyway," Natasha continued briskly, abandoning her dreamy-eyed gaze, "you don't have any other choice. You can choose to go back in the streets and inevitably end up starving, poor, and out of options. Or, you could come with me."

"You promise you won't call CPS?"

"Sure."

That wasn't convincing enough for Cat. "I don't believe you."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "What, you want me to swear on a blood oath or something?"

That gave Cat an idea. She stuck out her pinky finger. "Pinky promise."

Natasha looked down at it. "This is hardly a legally binding contract."

"Pinky promise," Cat insisted. "The most unbreakable of promises."

Natasha linked her pinky with Cat's.

Cat nodded importantly. "The deed is done."

Natasha shook her head, bemused. "You're ridiculous."

Cat got to her feet. "So when are we leaving?"

"Slow down there, Turbo." Natasha got up as well and led her to the couch. Taco had noticed and followed them. "You look like you're about to kneel over. When was the last time you slept?"

When was the last time she'd slept? She honestly couldn't remember. "I don't know."

"Sleep first. Then we'll go."

"Okay," Cat agreed, too tired to argue. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and everything hurt. She just wanted to fall asleep and never wake up. She laid down on the couch, resting her head on the arm rest. Taco jumped up and laid on her chest. It was a lot more comfortable than the chair she'd been tied to the first time she'd been here.

"Hey," she said with her eyes closed.

Natasha's voice came from a little to her left. "What?"

"Can you teach me how you did that knife thing?"

Cat didn't hear Natasha's response, because she was already drifting off to sleep.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Notes: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think! Also my asks are open so feel free to drop anything there too!

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spacius · 1 month ago

Text

living in the past - dr. spencer reid: 1

Who? dr spencer reid x original female character

Where Daisy's biggest secret is revealed, not only for BAU but for the whole world.

Warnings: avengers, marvel, peter parker, far from home, snap. It takes place in 2034, Spencer is 30 years old and oc is 28. 5-year snap influence so chronologically oc is born in 2001 and Spencer in 2004 but he wasn't snapped.

“I know you’re going to say the same thing for the 38th time, Morgan,” Spencer whispered as if revealing a state secret, “but it’s not just me being paranoid. I swear, there’s something suspicious about her.”

They were ready, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive so they could head to the crime scene.

“Pretty boy, whether she’s plotting some evil plan to end the world or not, I have no idea—and honestly, I’d rather not know.” Derek grinned, trying to hold back a laugh as Spencer rolled his eyes. “But you might want to tone it down. She’s gonna start thinking you’ve got a crush on her.”

Derek was enjoying this far more than he’d ever admit. While Spencer rolled his eyes so hard they nearly completed a full circle, Penelope burst into the room, her energy frantic.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, have you seen what’s in the news? You have to see it—my God, I’m going to combust, any second now!” Penelope spoke so fast that even Derek, with all his experience, could barely keep up. Spencer, for his part, blinked, trying to process the onslaught of words.

“Garcia, slow down, we can’t—”

“Spencer Walter Reid, for the love of all things cute and fluffy, open your phone and check the news now!” she demanded, practically vibrating with urgency. She looked seconds away from strangling the youngest member of the team if he didn’t move faster. “It’s breaking news, and trust me, this will back up one of your theories!”

That was all Spencer needed. He quickly pulled out his phone, while Derek raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

A news broadcast lit up Spencer’s screen. The anchor’s voice was grave: “We come to you now with shocking revelations about 2023 attack in London. An anonymous source has provided us with this footage, reportedly from moments before Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, died twelve years ago. A warning: Some viewers may find this footage disturbing.”

The screen cut to an altered video of the Tower Bridge battle. Spencer and Derek exchanged a glance, both raising an eyebrow before turning back to the screen. Just as they were about to speak, a man’s voice—Quentin Beck’s—filled the room.

“I managed to send the Elemental back through the dimensional rift,” Beck’s voice declared. “But I don’t think I’m going to make it off this bridge alive. Spider-Woman attacked me! She has an army of weaponized drones—Stark technology! She’s claiming she’ll be the new Iron Man, and no one else!”

A robotic voice followed, colder than the woman’s: “Are you sure you want to initiate the drone attack? There will be significant casualties.”

“Do it. Execute them all,” the feminine human voice, trembling like she was on the edge of collapsing.

The footage wasn’t as graphic as what Derek, Spencer, and Penelope were used to seeing, but it was disturbing in its implications. The video cut to J. Jonah Jameson, the notorious anchor.

“There you have it, folks: conclusive proof that Spider-Woman was responsible for the brutal murder of Mysterio, an inter-dimensional warrior who gave his life to protect our world. He will no doubt go down as the greatest hero of our time. But that’s not all—here’s the real blockbuster. Brace yourselves.”

The bullpen seemed to freeze, no one daring to breathe.

“Spider-Woman’s real identity is… Spider-Woman’s name is Gwendolyn Stacy Parker! Gwen Parker!”

On the screen, an image of Daisy appeared—Daisy, whom Spencer had been trying to convince Derek was hiding something. But this wasn’t right. The photo, though younger, was eerily similar. Too similar.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Spencer murmured, brows furrowing. “Her name is Daisy Hawke. There’s no way she’s Gwen Parker. We would know if she had any connection to a superhero.”

“Well, that’s what I thought,” Penelope said after calming down. “But then I started digging for something that could explain this madness, and suddenly, the pieces began to fit together.”

“And here we go—Reid-splaining has officially contaminated her,” Morgan quipped.

“In 2006, New York broke the record for missing children. But here’s the strangest part: 182 children went missing in a single day. Almost all of them were found together later, but there were very few details. So, I started digging deeper into the history of Dais—Gwen—whatever she calls herself now. There’s a gap in her life between 2006 and 2010. If you think about it, she’s never really talked about her childhood. So, I kept digging. And then, I dug some more. And there it was—among the 182 children kidnapped that day: Gwendolyn Stacy Parker. I believe that’s where the beginning of the false end of her life started.” She paused to catch her breath.

“None of the victims ever spoke about what happened. Since they were just kids, this whole thing could snowball into something huge.” Penelope decided to stop there; she didn’t like imagining what might have happened to someone she cared about so much.

“I’m sorry, Derek. I’m sorry, Garcia, but I have to say this once and for all—I told you so, and I’ve never enjoyed saying it more.”

“Pretty boy’s not going to let me live this down anytime soon, baby,” Derek muttered with a grin. “But hey, does Hotch, JJ, David, Emily, and you know, Daisy, know about this?”

“No idea. With Daisy being late, she certainly knows something. She’s probably in deep trouble with the life she left behind, and if the rest of the team doesn’t know, they’ll figure it out soon enough.”

“I don’t see why you’re so worried about it, Garcia.”

“You’re only saying that because you and Einstein never got along. I just—can’t imagine the pain of going through all the bad things you left behind when you were 18.”

“This about Hawke?” Hotch emerged from the shadows, his voice calm and composed. “Either way, be discreet. She’s one of our best agents, and it would be a shame to lose her. So act like she’s not a superhero.”

At that moment, the trio had confirmation that everyone knew, and they knew Daisy knew they knew, but no one would talk about it for a long time.

About 20 minutes had passed, and the team was already on the jet—everyone except Daisy, of course. Hotch had mentioned earlier that she had “encountered some personal issues and wasn’t cleared for this case.”

Out of everyone on board, Rossi was the most unsettled. He shifted in his seat, clearly itching to talk. If he didn’t get this out, it seemed like he might burst. “Hey, Emily,” he leaned over and nudged her arm subtly, “did you hear… about Daisy?” His curiosity was so obvious that it almost made her smirk.

“Dave, keep it cool,” Prentiss muttered, barely moving her lips. “I want to talk about it later, too.” Oh, Lord, Daisy's ear definitely would be hot.

Aqui está o texto adaptado para o estilo e os personagens de Criminal Minds:

“The case was solved in two weeks, and the BAU team quickly returned to Quantico. Most of them were too exhausted to think about the incident involving Daisy, but Spencer Reid didn’t fit into that majority. Being the genius he is, the details lingered in his mind throughout the case, often making it difficult for him to concentrate on his work.

Could it really be the same person? The face was undeniably similar — if not identical. The only difference was the hair color; Gwen had red hair while Daisy had brown. She must have spent a lot on hair dye.

Spencer preferred to believe they were different people. He didn’t like to admit it to himself, but at that moment, he wanted to be wrong. He hoped that all the times he had sensed something off about Daisy, that she was hiding something, were just his imagination. With his genius IQ, he would surely notice if she were, of all things, a superhero, right? Oh, when he saw her the next day, they would need to have a serious conversation.

Reviews and advice are welcomeaised voices and accusations in years.

Author's note: thank you to everyone who is reading this, this is the first time I write something like this and English is not my first language, but I had this idea stuck in my head for weeks <3 I'm sorry for the mistakes

criticism and advice are welcome

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akairawrites · 2 months ago

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THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN READER INSERT| pt3

Taglist

@luvvvjada @urmomsbananabread @cascadingbliss @mysticalhills @420sprite @jackierose902109 @skyesayshibitchez @roxanne-loves-luffy @scribegrl @Bunnyqueen25 @deimks @rukia-uchiha-98 @strawberryereamb @deliciousfatblaekeat @luvelyxp @crystals-faith @godknows-shetried @mess-in-side @lumineliax @instabull @lilupie @stvrfir3 @breadbrobin @bbiaa420 @harleycao @that-levi-kenma-kinnie @dotteeesstuff @just-reading-dany @lzzygrnt @blodmichii2 @solaris-lovegood @4araneia @ballerina-mina @notsaelty @sexyashbish @timmy-27 @xoxolexiiiiii @Amoyanani27 @tigerf-cker @punkinshambles @evilcado @huening-ly @partnersintime1

As you entered the house, you called out, "Mom! I'm home!" you closed the door using your foot and set your bag down on the floor. Walking into the kitchen, you filled a pot with water and placed it on the stove, patiently waiting for it to come to a boil. Once the water was ready, you carefully poured it into a cup and gently placed a tea bag inside. Balancing the cup, you carried it into the bedroom where your mother was resting. Placing the steaming cup on the bedside table, you switched on the lamp to bring a warm glow to the room.

"Hey, Mom," you said softly, leaning over the bed to gently wake the woman in front of you. Her eyelids fluttered open, and a small smile graced her face as her eyes met yours. You carefully helped her sit up in bed and handed her the steaming cup of tea. "Be careful, it's hot," you cautioned, picking up the TV remote and switching on her favorite channel.

You sat at the edge of the bed and observed her every move as she gingerly lifted the teacup to her lips, taking small, hesitant sips. The smile that had graced your face vanished as you noticed the pain and exhaustion etched on her features. You shifted your gaze downward, absently fidgeting with the textured fabric of the bedsheets, feeling a pang of concern for her well-being.

You observed her discreetly positioning the cup in her lap as she sat down before addressing you. "So, how was school?" Her voice was gentle, yet fragile. You lifted your gaze at the sound of her question. "Everything's fine," you replied with a nonchalant shrug, not feeling particularly compelled to share. "And your internship?" she inquired further.

“Uh everything's great, I like working with Dr.Conners more than I thought I would, actually.”

There was a moment of silence that hung heavily in the air., filled with unspoken words and shared understanding. Your mother glanced at you, her eyes searching for something beyond your words. "I'm glad to hear that, sweetie," she said softly, reaching out to squeeze your hand.

You squeezed back, feeling the frailty in her grip, not wanting to let go. "How are you feeling today?" you asked, your concern evident in your voice.

She smiled weakly. "Better, now that you're here. You always bring such light into the room." Her words were tender, and you felt a lump form in your throat.

"Mom, you know I'm always here for you," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I just wish I could do more."

"You are doing more than enough' she reassured you. "just being here, being you, is more than I could ever ask for."

You sat there for a while, holding her hand, letting the warmth of your presence speak volumes. The TV played softly in the background, but neither of you paid much attention to it. the bond between you and your mother transcended for each other no matter what.

After a while, you stood up, gently placing her hand back on the bed. "I should let you rest," you said, smoothing the covers around her. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes already growing heavy with sleep. "I will. Thank you, sweetheart."

As you left the room, you felt a mixture of relief and sadness. Relief that she seemed a bit better, and sadness at the fragility of her condition. You returned to the kitchen to grab your bag and headed straight for your room. You pulled your homework from your backpack and opened your bedroom window. The cool night air hit you in your face, and the sounds of honking horns and people yelling filled the New York night. The air wasn't blowing too hard, so it was a perfect roof night you grabbed your homework and placed it down on the metal railing of the fire escape.

You placed your hands flat on the wall and let the tip of your toes stick to the wall as well. Slowly, you began scaling the wall just like a spider. Not long after, you reached the roof, where you sat down on the shingles and looked down to see your paperwork. Quickly, you flicked your wrist and spider-like weds shot from your arm and gripped onto the paper swiftly catching it as it came to you.

With your homework secured, you spread the papers out in front of you and began working; the rooftop offering a surprisingly serene environment. The occasional gust of wind ruffled the pages, but you used your webs to anchor them down.

As you worked, your mind drifted to Peter Parker and the uneasy feeling in your gut. You knew exactly what it meant; you just didn't want to believe it. Four months ago, you discovered your newfound abilities but hadn't told anyone, not even Dr. Conners. The thought that someone like Peter could have abilities like yours scared you.

No offense.

The next day at school, you spotted Peter in the hallway at his locker. Your heart rate quickened as you approached, a strange mix of curiosity and anxiety bubbling up inside you. You tried not to make eye contact, determined to keep your head down and walk past without acknowledging him, but that same unsettling feeling you had at the Oscorp lab tugged at you, urging you to look his way.

Despite your efforts to avoid him, Peter suddenly turned, his eyes locking onto yours as if he could sense your presence. For a moment, time seemed to slow, and the noise of the bustling hallway faded into the background. The air between you was thick with unspoken tension.

Neither of you spoke, but the intensity of the moment spoke volumes. In his eyes, you saw the same confusion and uncertainty that had plagued you for months. It was as if he knew what you were hiding, and somehow, you knew he was hiding something too. The silence between you was heavy, filled with the weight of secrets.

You walked away, your heart pounding in your chest. As you walked away one thing was clear: whatever was happening to you, Peter was somehow a part of it.

Later on that same day, word about what happened with Peter and Flash spread around quickly. You thought it was about time to confront him about what you knew. Luckily enough for you, you didn't have to search the whole school. He was standing at the end of the hall with an older gentleman.

He seemed to notice you first, saying something to Peter before nodding in your direction, causing Peter to turn and look at you. You offered them both a tight-lipped smile. Peter’s uncle said something to him again before walking away, leaving Peter to slowly turn back toward you with a breathless laugh.

"Uh, that was my uncle... he told me to tell you how pretty you are."

"Really?" you replied, caught off guard and unsure of how to respond.

"Yeah..." he said quietly, his eyes dropping to the floor.

You nodded, eager to shift the conversation. "So, did you get expelled?" you asked, referencing the basketball incident.

“No, not expelled,” he said, shaking his head with a faint smile. “But I did get a few hours of community service.”

For a moment, an awkward silence hung between you, both but you cleared your heart pounded in your chest, from the weight of what you were about to say. You knew you couldn’t keep dancing around it any longer.

Taking a deep breath, you decided to just rip off the band-aid. “Peter,” you began, your voice slightly shaky, “I know about the spider.”

Peter’s eyes shot up, wide with surprise and a hint of fear. “What… what are you talking about?” he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid someone might overhear.

You glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in slightly closer. “The spider from Oscorp. The one that bit you,” you said softly, watching his face closely for any sign of denial.

Peter’s face paled, and he instinctively took a step back, his mind clearly racing. “How do you—?”

You interrupted gently, trying to keep your voice steady. “It happened to me too.”

For a moment, Peter just stared at you, his expression hard to read. It was as if the weight of his secret was suddenly shared, and he didn’t know whether to be scared or relieved.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

You shrugged, trying to hide your own nervousness. “I didn’t know how. I mean, this isn’t exactly something you bring up in casual conversation, right? But I’ve noticed things, Peter. It's like something told me. And when I heard what had happened in the gym…I just knew.”

Peter didn’t say anything else; he just looked at you, his expression unreadable. You furrowed your brows, wondering what was going through his head, but he remained silent.

"Look," you finally said, breaking the silence, "I’m going to be at Oscorp later. If you want to talk more about this, meet me there." You turned on your heels, not waiting for a response, and started making your way down the hall.

"I gotta go," you added over your shoulder before disappearing around the corner, leaving Peter standing there, watching you until you were out of sight.

Add your self to my taglist here

↳ Reblogging also helps!

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cardierreh15 · 7 months ago

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Web Of Lies

Warnings 18+: Violence , Cursing , Smut , Use of Deadly Force , Near Death Experiences , Blood , Mentions of Parental Loss . (Will be adding more along the way 😊)

Chapter 1: Itsy Bitsy Spiders WIP ⚠️

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me-myself-and-my-oboe · 3 days ago

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A Crescendo of Feelings

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x original female character

Summary:

In the heart of a bustling city, Bucky Barnes finds himself at a crossroads, drawn into the world of music he left behind. When his friend Steve persuades him to join the local orchestra, he unexpectedly encounters the vibrant and adventurous Tara, a primary teacher with a passion for the oboe. As their paths intertwine through rehearsals and spontaneous jam sessions, Bucky grapples with the ghosts of his past while Tara’s infectious spirit challenges him to embrace the present. Amidst the melodies and laughter, can they discover the harmony of their own hearts?

New story coming!

Chapter 1: New beginnings

Chapter 2: A Breath of Fresh Air

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deexchanel · 2 years ago

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Bullshit!

Word Count:

Pairing: Dad!Steve Rogers, BlackOC x Peter Parker.

Warning: Swearing, Arguing, Fighting.

Summary: Armani sneaks out and Steve finds out.

A/N: I thought of this at random. It’s not edited but I’ll fix it later.

Armani took curlers out of her hair as the group chat was booming with messages. It’s nearing the end of the school year, and it’s a party going on at Fran’s house. Everyone going, including Peter. Mj has him wrapped around her finger as they’ve gotten closer over the school year.

Eventually, the ‘You wanna hang?’ text stopped, and Armani hung out with her homegirls more. Steve was watching tv in the living room. “Armani!”

“Yess?” Armani paused on doing her hair, walking to the living room.

“Heyy what did you wanna eat-.”He looked over and examined the outfit. “Where are you going?”

Armani brushed off her dress, “Some party. I won’t be out late.” she turned around going to her room without waiting on a response but Steve followed.

“How are you going to go to a party? You didn’t even ask me to go like damn you could’ve at least asked!” He furrowed his brow. She waved him off because he’s always doing missions and never have time so why pay attention now. Steve always busy so she’s use to moving by herself without questions being asked.

“Don’t wave me off Armani Rogers and since you want to be like that. You’re not going.” Steve raised his voice, her waving him off struck a nerve. All she had to do was ask and she could go. He’s getting the vibe that she doesn’t respect him anymore. He is her father and wants to know where she going for her safety.

“You can’t do that!” She sat on her bed now mad. Steve pointed to himself. “Yes I can. I’m the adult!”

“yeah the adult that’s never here.”

She faced the window, shaking her head,“Man you bullshitin.”

He grabbed her shoulder, “I’m bullshitin? All you had to do was ask me but you blew up into this attitude monster! This conversation is over!” He shook his head in disbelief walking out the room.

Armani screamed into her pillow. The group chat buzzed some more and she screamed again. This is all so frustrating because why is he acting like this all of a sudden. It was one thing left to do.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y?”She whispered to the A.I system hoping that she will match her energy like how a Alexa be. This is Armani’s first time using it but she’s took notice to how everyone uses it.

“Yes Armani?” She talked in a normal voice but the teenager quickly shushed her.

“Shushh! Don’t talk so loud!”

“Yes?” The A.I now whispered.

“Do you think you can mute the elevator ‘ding’ noise? I need to get downstairs!”

“No.”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y can you help me? Please! It’s this almost end of the school year party going on and I really want to go. My best friend will be there looking bad as ever and I need to be stepping with her. Plus Peter will be there.” Armani grabbed her purse then began to put on her shoes. “damn that boy is so fine!”

I guess telling F.R.I.D.A.Y her true feelings about Peter, she decided to help. “Since you want me to help, I have to tell them your whereabouts when asked. I am programmed too. Be safe Armani.”

“Okay F.R.I.D.A.Y. I just need enough time for Peter to notice me. Thanks.”

“It’s muted Armani.”

She didn’t respond, slowly opening the door to her room.Armani crawled on the floor as quiet as she could. Steve was on the couch nodding off with the tv playing in front of him. Her purse fell off her back onto the floor which had him to turn around but Armani was hidden behind the couch. Her heart beating against her cheat hoping he began to watch tv again.

She sat there another five minutes then began crawling again to the elevator. Armani pressed down and the doors immediately opened without a noise being made. When the doors closed she stood up but her legs felt wobbly.

“Oh shit!! How the fuck did I pull that off on a super soldier?”She joked to herself while clutching her beating chest. Armani laughed slowly sliding down to the ground again. Damn she really did that.

————————

“Hey bestie! You looking good as always!” Jayla instantly spotted her girl out the crowd. Armani lift her shades onto her head and gave her the biggest hug.

“Heyy bestie! Guess the fuck what!”

“Girl what?”

“I snuck past Dad on the couch. Bitch my heart was beating so fast.”

Jayla laughed her ass off. “Omg. Are you serious?”

“Yes!” Armani laughed then took sight of the crowd. She pulled at the hems of her dress looking for that familiar face. Her best friend obviously knew who she’s looking for and gave the lo.

“Left corner, behind the ping pong table near that bar. We can go over there if you want?”

Armani got nervous since she couldn’t see who was with them. “Does my outfit look good? Shades on or off? I’m not going.” She said in one breath. The best friends worked on telling each other whatever feel so the other can help the best way they can.

“Okay calm now babes. You look good and you will get his attention.” Jayla grabbed her shoulders then smoothed her pink hair down. “Let’s go over there. I got your back and you got mine.”

“Yeah you’re right. Whew!”Armani took a deep breath. They held hands as they walked over to the location of Peter. He stood there looking good as ever beside Ned. Some more of their classmates stood around holding conversation.

“Heyyy Peter.” Armani grew confidence when they were closer. He turned around with a cup in his hand and that to die for smile.

“Mani, Hey!” He took in her outfit. “You look really good.”

She took notice of the nickname he gave, “Thank you.” Mani smiled while giving him a hug. Peter took in her smell as he wrapped his arm around her waist. When they pulled apart, he didn’t let her get far. Him and Ned had talked about this moment for weeks. He’s always had his eyes on his ‘Mani’

“How about we go dance?”

This was the moment she had been waiting for. “Um yeah, let me go get a cup.”Mani was mentally dancing for joy as she walked to get her cup.

When she got back, he lead her to the dance floor.

“Damn, I need you right now

You can take your time, don't have to rush”

Collide played through the speakers. He stood behind her as his arm wrapped around her chest area. Peter’s face was very closer to her neck and he loved every moment of it. Armani focused on her hips to the beat.

“This might take us a while, yeah

I left all the doors unlocked and you said you're on your way.”

Peter grabbed her waist as she grind against him, feeling his friend grow. The liquor kicked in for the both of them but Armani wanted more. “I’m going to get some more to drink!” She pointed to the bar.

“Want me to come?”

“Yes please.”

They held hands as she guided them over to the bar.

———

Steve awoken suddenly, the vibe in the tower was off. The tv was still playing and only the kitchen light was on. He stretched then got up from the couch making way to Armani’s room.

“Armani? Princess let’s…” He opened the door to see an empty bedroom. Steve took notice of the surroundings. Her clothes were disorganized as if she was looking through them, no signs of struggle and she had multiple purses laid out. Armani had managed to sneak past him and now Steve was pissed. He pulled out his phone to text her.

Popsicle

You snuck out for what Armani?

Popsicle

You’re in so much trouble.

Popsicle

When have I ever been against you? All you had to do was ask Armani. I really can’t believe you right now!

Popsicle

Where are you??

Not getting a response, irritated him more. It was only one person to ask since it was only them two there. “F.R.I.D.A.Y where is she??”

“A party Mr.Rogers…”

————-

“Let’s go outside and take pictures!” Jayla suggested to the group. Armani ignored all messages from her Dad as she sat on Peter’s lap. Betty, Ned, and this cute guy named Luke were around them, chilling as well.

“Let’s go then.” Luke got up from the couch then turned to Jayla helping her up. The group made their way outside going to Luke’s car. While they helped Jayla with her pictures, Armani leaned against the car while Peter hovered with his hands on her waist.

“Your hands been glued to me all night Parker.” Armani giggled with her hands touching his soft hair. He kissed her neck,“You look so damn good I can’t help myself.” Peter pulled back a bit taking in those luxurious cheekbones and smooth brown skin.

“Can I take you out to somewhere nice?”

Armani looked away out of nervousness and a smile slowly crept in until confusion struck. “Don’t you talk to MJ? I don’t want to be seen as nothing.”

“You won’t be seen as anything. MJ and I aren’t anything Mani. I want you.” He placed his hand under her chin to gently get her to look at him. “You deserve to be took somewhere nice so let me do it.”

She blushed madly, with having liquor in her system she didn’t know if this was real or not. “Ohh my fucking god, is this happening right now?”

Peter laughed, “Yes, this is happening right now.”

Armani laughed herself for sounding so stupid,”Well then, yes you can take me out somewhere.” Peter smiled then leaned closer to her. She took hint and placed her lips onto his. Her hands went under his shirt as the kiss deepened. my goodness, his muscular build had her weak.

Then suddenly Peter is abruptly pulled off of her and Steve landed a punch to his face. “What! Dad?!” Armani screamed as Peter quickly regained focus and punched Steve in the face. Before they could wrestle, Armani quickly intervened.

“No! No! Do not fucking fight!” Her arms spread between the two guys to keep them apart. “Dad what are you doing here?!”

“I came to get my underage daughter from this party she wasn’t even supposed to go to! I find her swapping spit with Parker. I’m going to hurt you son!” Steve reached forward again but Armani tried her best to push him back.

“No dad chill out!”

“No Armani! I’ll chill out when my own daughter learn how to respect me. You’re 16! One Six! I let you get the crazy hair colors, the latest things, and be a little easy on the rules but what I don’t let slide is you sneaking out of the tower! Let’s go now!” Steve glared at her then grabbed her arm, leading her to his motorcycle.

“Wait Cap, I’m-” Peter ran his hand through his hair, wanting to apologize but Steve cut him off.

“Don’t say another fucking word Parker!”

He hopped on his bike and the second Armani was secured, Steve sped off. She held onto her Dad as tears began to fall down her cheek.

————

He put his bike in park and got off. They didn’t speak a word to each other while they walked into the tower.

“Dad…”Armani spoke softly as the elevator approached living quarters. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t respond, just looked straight ahead. She tugged at his leather jacket. “Dad.”

Steve faced his daughter with his cheekbone now swelling. The elevator doors opened and he walked out before her. “Dad!” Did you not hear me?” He was making way to the exercise room to release anger but turned around.

“I’m disappointed in you Armani.” Without another word, he walked off.

Armani stood there in tears knowing her father figure was tired of her shit. She pushed it to far and he probably wants to take her back to the orphanage. “Fuck! What have I done?”

———————

yeahhh cause what it do! should it be a part 2 ?

I hope yall are enjoying the new year!🫶🏾

Stay Slutty My Friends

#steve rogers #steve rogers x poc!reader #steve rogers x black!reader #steve rogers x daughter!reader #steve rogers x original female character #peter parker x black!reader #peter parker x black oc #peter parker

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peanut-butter-parkerxx · 7 months ago

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a reminder that you guys can request anything you like by the google form here!! so PLEASE get creative with your ideas ;)

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myouiminn · 1 year ago

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Threads of Destiny

Peter Parker x Reader

Notes: don't repost without my permission!

In the depths of an alternate reality, Peter Parker found himself lost in thought as he walked the tranquil streets of a past New York. His gaze lingered on the horizon, but his mind was entirely consumed by Y/n, the mysterious visitor who had crossed his path through the folds of time.

Y/n, on the other hand, examined the pocket watch in her hands, an artifact that had become the key to an unlikely love. She felt Peter's absence as a tightness in her chest, knowing the feeling was mutual. While she was confined to her own timeline, Peter's heart was tethered to her across temporal borders.

Peter and Y/n's encounters continued, each moment becoming a precious treasure they shared. They explored museums, attended vintage theater performances, and delved into each other's stories. As they got to know each other better, their feelings only grew, like a wild and untamed vine.

One night, beneath the starlit sky, they stumbled upon an old telescope in an abandoned observatory. While gazing at the stars, Peter gently held Y/n's hand, and they shared a silent moment that spoke volumes about their emotions. The universe seemed to conspire to bring together two souls separated by time.

However, reality caught up with them. They knew they couldn't continue like this indefinitely, and the farewell was inevitable. On a cloudy afternoon, they found themselves on top of a building, gazing at the city skyline that had brought them together. The wind whispered memories as they exchanged looks full of love and goodbye.

"I love you," Peter whispered, cradling Y/n's face in his hands. Tears in her eyes mirrored his deep emotions. "I love you too," she replied, clutching the pocket watch like a talisman of the fate that had intertwined them.

With a kiss filled with emotion and silent promises, they parted. Y/n closed her eyes and touched the pocket watch, focusing on her own time. When her eyes opened again, she was back in her reality, the watch safely in her hands.

The days that followed were filled with longing and yearning. As seasons changed, Peter continued his relentless search for a way to break through the temporal barriers that kept them apart. He delved into science, confident he would find a solution to bring Y/n back.

And then, one day, as the golden light of dusk bathed the city, Peter was in his lab when something extraordinary happened. Y/n's pocket watch began to glow softly, emitting a familiar energy. He looked at the artifact and knew what he needed to do.

With determination in his heart, Peter touched the pocket watch and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he stood before Y/n, who stared at him with wide eyes and an incredulous smile.

"Peter?" Y/n whispered, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I said I'd find a way," he replied, a smile equally surprised and emotional gracing his lips.

The hug they shared was more than a meeting of bodies; it was the reunion of two hearts that had traversed time and space to be together. Finally, they were united, their souls connected in a story that defied all odds.

And thus, the love between Peter Parker and Y/n proved that there were no limits to what the heart could achieve. Amidst the complexities of time and reality, they found each other, and together, they would face any challenge the universe presented them.

#peter parker #andrew garfield #andrew garfield x female reader #andrew garfield x reader #andrew garfield x you #peter parker x you #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x oc #fanfic #fanfiction #remus lupin

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marvelvillian23 · 1 year ago

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Does anyone know any Basement Wife fics. Multi chapter preferably but any fic will do.

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marvelwitchergilmore · 2 years ago

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Christmas Movies and Kisses

Summary: Peter Parker x Fe!OC (Alex) -> Peter and Alex have known one another for three years and maybe, finally, this is the year they fall in love.

Warning; Fluff, kissing, spoilers for Muppets Christmas Carol.

They had known one another for three years now. First meeting at Shield HQ, the pair found themselves inseparable. Peter and Alex, Alex and Peter. They were never without one another. Which was why Alex’s mother couldn’t understand why she was still single.

“What about Peter? Maybe that’s why you can’t find a boyfriend. They know that you’re too close to Peter.”

“The reason why I can’t find a boyfriend is because I don’t want one, Mom.” Alex told her for what felt like the thousandth time. “And Peter’s my best friend. If they can’t accept that we’re friends then I’m not meant to be with them. It’s that simple.”

“It sounds like you’re making decisions around Peter and not for yourself.”

“Mom.” Alex warned. “Look, boyfriends will come and go but my friendship with Peter? That is for life. I would rather be alone for the rest of my life and have my friends around me, than widowed, alone and sitting watching the sunset every day without my family.”

“Honey, that’s how you make decisions about how you want to spend the rest of your life with someone.”

“And spending it with Peter wouldn’t be that bad.”

“As friends? Maybe.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Is this the men and women can’t be friends, speech?”

“Honey, you know I don’t believe that for one second. Look at me and Mark. He’s been my best friend since I was 7.”

“Then you should get it.” Alex told her. “Peter is my ‘Mark’. We’re best friends and nothing will ever change that.”

Alex’s mom smiled and nodded, but she knew the truth. Even if her daughter didn’t. She could see it in Alex’s eyes. How she looked at Peter and smiled at him and how, no matter who was in the room, her eyes would always land on him and no-one else. She just wanted her daughter to be happy. Maybe find a husband? Give her a few grandkids? She was all for being alone if you're happy, but she knew her daughter. She was in love with Peter and when Alex would eventually realize, she was worried it might be a little too late.

“Okay, I think this is done.” Alex held up her decorated cookie and it looked…awful.

Her mom laughed and moved to her side. “Come here, let me show you.”

A few hours later, Alex got into her car and drove back home. Upon entering her apartment, Alex looked around. Someone was here.

“Hello?” She called out after she removed her coat and placed her keys at the side of the door. From under the small table, she took out her side-arm and made her way through her apartment.

“Hello?!” She called out again. And then she heard it.

“Ouch.”

Peter had banged his head on the underside of the kitchen counter. Alex gave a sigh of relief and moved back to place her side-arm back into its safe.

“Peter,”

“Hey,” He smiled a little sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. Alex sighed and moved towards her freezer before taking out the peas and holding them to the back of his head.

“I thought you had superpowers that stopped you from doing that.”

“So did I.” He smiled a little, placing his own hand over hers to hold the bag to his head.

“What are you doing here?” She smiled.

They were speaking a little quieter now, standing in front of one another. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Alex now looked around. Most of her apartment was dark, so Peter picked up the remote and handed it to her. She removed her hand from the back of his head and he placed the peas down to watch her type in the code he gave her.

“Type, 25/12.”

“25 12.” Alex said aloud and Peter smiled as he watched her light up, both figuratively and literally.

“Oh, Peter.”

“I know we said we’d decorate together but with you getting pulled in for missions, I didn’t know if you’d have time so I-” She was only half listening to him. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

Alex moved around her apartment, admiring all the lights and decorations. “Click the silver button at the bottom.”

Alex did and the lights dimmed, almost resembling snow. “Peter, I can’t believe you did this.”

“Anything for you.”

Alex turned around and found Peter behind her and her first thought was I love you. She’d found herself thinking that a little more often these days. She always thought about it, but recently it had been meaning more than just friends.

“Thank you, Peter. I mean it.” And then it hit her. “Oh, I have something for you, too.”

Rushing back into the kitchen, she picked up the tub her mother had given her. “Open it.”

“Christmas cookies.”

“Freshly baked.” Alex smiled.

Peter took one from the box and bit into it. “I can’t believe you still refuse to give me the recipe. These are amazing!”

“Why, thank you.” Alex smiled. “So, what movie are we watching?”

“There is a selection on the table. You pick.”

Alex moved around him and found three DVDs on the table. “Oh! This one!”

“Muppets Christmas Carol it is.”

Soon, the pair sat down beside one another and pressed play. The pair sang along to each song that came on and eventually, it came to Christmas Past.

“This always scared me.”

“Are you kidding? It still scares me.” Alex added. “Like, can you imagine if you woke up to that floating around your room at night. And it’s a ghost so it’s not like it can die twice.”

The movie continued and just as Scrooge made his way with the final ghost to Bob Crachit’s house, Peter placed his arm around Alex. He didn’t have to look to know that she was crying.

Peter held her closer as the movie got a little darker, and wiped her cheeks with his thumb.

…beg you to share my days…hold you close in a thankful heart.

“See, Tiny Tim’s okay.” Peter smiled.

As the credits rolled, the pair stayed in their position on the sofa. Peter had his legs stretched out and Alex cuddled against his chest.

Eventually, the room settled and all that was left was the lights glowing softly around them.

“Tony’s got that Christmas gala next week.” Peter mentioned. “Would you want to go with me? Apparently we all need a plus one and I was thinking you might want to-”

Alex moved her head so she was looking at him. “I’d love to.”

Peter placed a soft kiss on her forehead before the pair lay down again. If only they could stay like this forever. I’m in love with you, Peter thinks. If only I could finally tell you.

Every day he’d wake up and think Today’s the day. Today’s the day I finally tell you! But then…Not the right time.

“Hey, look.” Peter said as he looked out of the window beside them. “It’s snowing. Alex-”

But Alex didn’t move. Instead, she remained asleep on his chest. Peter was thankful no-one else was there or else they would be able to tell from a million miles away that he was blushing with love.

Peter was careful as he moved, making sure she wouldn’t stir awake. Not that much could. Once Alex fell asleep, it was deep or nothing at all. Peter quietly moved around her apartment, tidying everything up before going into her room and moving back her covers so it would be easier to help her into bed.

Then, picking her up from the sofa, carried her into her bedroom.

“Peter?” She asked.

“It’s okay, go back to sleep.” She wouldn’t remember waking up in the morning.

“Stay with me?”

Peter looked at her sleeping face. Maybe she thought he was somebody else.

She reached out for his hand, “Peter, please stay.”

After a moment, he smiled and whispered; “Okay. Just give me a minute.”

He already had some old clothes in her apartment. With the amount of times he had slept over, he’d be surprised if he didn’t have clothes at her place. And only now did he realize that she was wearing one of his shirts. It only made him fall harder for her.

10 minutes later, Peter pulled back the covers on the other side of her bed and slipped in beside her.

Alex rolled over and faced Peter. She was still tired, but a little awake now. Just enough for her to know that this wasn’t another dream. “Is this okay?” Peter asked her.

She took hold of his hand beneath the covers. “It’s okay.”

Peter smiled and placed another soft kiss to the top of her head and the pair found themselves a little closer, just like before Alex fell asleep.

I’m in love with you, They both think. I love you.

As the sun spilled in, Alex woke up to find Peter still beside her. Neither one of them moved in the night, too comfortable to leave their positions.

Peter woke to the soft sound of Alex’s laugh, “Good morning.”

Peter smiled. “G'Morning.”

Moving his hand, he pushed the few strands of hair from her face so he could see her more clearly, tucking the loose strands behind her ear.

Only, as they lay there together, Peter’s thoughts seemed to take over. With his hand beside her face, he leaned up a little to be over her. It felt like forever and a lifetime had passed by the time he got close enough to kiss her.

“Can-” Peter swallowed. “Can I kiss you?”

Alex tried her best to hide her smile as she gave a subtle nod. Peter moved in slowly, leaving enough time for her to put an end to it before it finally happened.

Peter caught Alex’s lips on his own and it was wonderful.

Alex’s hand came to his side of his own face to try and pull him closer. The kiss only deepened as a result.

Peter removed his hand from her cheek and slid it around her waist.

After a few moments, Alex found herself stradling Peter’s lap as he raised himself so he was sat up.

Pushing the hair from her face, the pair broke apart from their kissing and held their heads against each other’s.

“I need to tell you something, Peter.”

But Peter couldn’t wait. If he didn’t tell her now, he might never get another chance.

“I’m in love with you, Alex.” Alex remained silent whilst he continued. “Maybe I should have told you sooner, or I shouldn’t have told you but if I don’t tell you now I think I might explode.”

Alex smiled and quickly pulled Peter in for a kiss.

“So…is that…?”

Alex nodded and smiled. “I’m in love with you, too.”

“Are you sure?”

Alex let out a small laugh. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Peter smiled. “Good, just checking.”

Alex laughed again, holding his face. “You’re an idiot.”

The pair smiled as she kissed him again, placing as much love and passion into it as she could. She couldn’t think of any other way to prove it to him right now, but right now, her head was in the clouds. She had known she was in love for a while now, but this was it. He was it. Peter was hers and she was his and there was no stopping them now.

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skyfallslayer · 2 years ago

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Welcome to my official Masterlist for my account. Since I decided to start branching out to more fandoms beside Marvel, I thought I should organized my work a little better. Down below are links to each fandoms own masterlists. I am currently not taking any requests right now as I focus on finishing up some of the stories I've written so far. Any who, Enjoy!

Key Factors: 🔥 = Smut 🧸= Fluff 💔= Angst (Mostly what my fics surround)

MARVEL -

Mostly just me loving on Bucky and Matt. This Masterlist consist of romantic and platonic love between reader-insert and Original Characters; And some times, What if ? Fics.

Stranger Things -

Starts off with an original character au and spins out into "what if?" moments.

A Quiet Place -

Starts off with Reader getting trapped in New York.

Cobra Kai -

Coming soon: A rewrite of the show with Johnny Lawrence Daughter/ Robby Keene Twin!OFC.

John Wick -

Coming soon: Starts off with an original character au with Wick's daughter.

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amethystandemma · 2 years ago

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sincericida · 2 years ago

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OMFG, where do I begin? You’re a fucking writer, you keep writing your story the way you think it’s appropriate ❤️

Well, the gesture of Felicia warmed my heart. God, George, you know... what pain. How much I was distressed and cried for this couple so full of pain and damage. I enjoyed so much having Miles back with his look on the good side of others people. People like him bring me some hope. I love the interactions with Rex, I can see him being adorable in my mind. For god sake! The face that John Walker has! You're AMAZING!

I’m amazed and amazed! I ended this chapter like this: WHAAAAAAAT!? OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY...

sugar and vice, pt. 17 [mob!tasm!peter x fem!reader]

summary: time for a reckoning.

words: 9.5k

chapter warning: angst. bitter feelings.. description of a shooting.

series warnings: mob-typical violence, bang bang shoot shoot, whomp. hurt/comfort. s*xu*l situations. spousal ab^se. family trauma. dr^g use. coercion. manipulation. kidnapping. gore. blood. toxic/yandere!peter (maybe, sorta), negative self talk, shameless forced proximity trope. ‘only ten one bed oops’ trope, imprisonment. slowest burn. a dash of questionable and/or morally grey intentions. extremely toxic relationships.

This version of TASM Peter is not canon. The relationships and characters here are not healthy.

Don't date a mob boss.™️

18+ You’re responsible for your own media consumption, but if you don't remember when TVs were square, you should not be here.

Back to Part 16.

Part 17

Twelve hours after she last saw Peter, she emerged from her bedroom for the first time. It was already past lunchtime, but she didn’t have much of an appetite. Wearing a comfortable athleisure set with a soft fleece half-zip pullover (with plenty of pockets), she took only a glance down the hallway at Peter’s door. The door to the primary bedroom was closed, shrouded in shadow.

“If you’re lookin’ for ‘em, he’s not here,” a feminine voice called from downstairs. It was Felicia.

Honey followed the sound and padded down the stairs to see the other woman standing next to Rex’s terrarium. With her long, silver hair flowing down her back, she leaned down and curiously watched Rex chase after a tiny swarm of crickets. Her eyes were focused with morbid curiosity, tongue poking slightly out of her lip as she studied how the lizard moved. He darted around in the blink of an eye, gobbling up the tiny insects and crushing them in his jaws. He was so much faster when he had something to hunt.

“Didn’t know you were here,” Honey said, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “Got a meeting or something?”

“Nah, I’m on my lunch break,” she smirked. “Mafia stuff works up an appetite.” She straightened her back and let out a long sigh. “Wanna go do somethin’?”

Her brow furrowed. “What?”

“Well,” Felicia explained, “I was thinkin’ we could hang out. Just us girls. Get some lunch. Go get our nails done. Do some shopping. Stop by the hospital and snap a few x-rays?”

Honey’s shoulders slumped, her face falling flat. “Thanks, but I’m fine.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Felicia replied teasingly. “I heard you almost took a flaming bumper to the face. Pretty close call. Then again, I’ve had worse dates, though—”

“What did Peter tell you?” Honey asked sharply, her lips pressed together.

Felicia furrowed her brows. “All he told me was that you should probably see a doctor,” she frowned, disappointed at the hostility. “Nothin’ else.”

Honey rolled her eyes. “You ever get tired of doing what he tells you to do?”

Felicia blinked her long plush lashes several times, then replied calmly. “I’m not here because he told me to be. I’m here because I thought you needed a friend.” Honey swallowed hard, glancing away toward the bright windows and letting the light burn her eyes. “But if that’s not something you need right now, I get that too. Just say so.”

She sighed, and when she faced Felicia again, her eyes were red-rimmed. A lump settled in her throat, and her voice was a weak murmur. “It’s not the pain that bothers me. It’s the fear.”

She bit down on her jaw to steady it, attempting to ward off tears with her loathing. She looked over at Felicia to see the woman watching her patiently, brows pinched together with concern.

“For a second there, I thought I was gonna die,” she explained grimly. “I saw the flash... and I felt the heat— and I-I thought I was already dead.” Her eyes misted over, and she brought the back of her hands up to rub them angrily. She sniffed. “I was going to die and couldn’t do anything about it. I’d rather break every bone in my body than feel that again. I’d rather die, th-than feel...”

She couldn’t finish the sentence, biting down on her tongue. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. She flung out a million curse words in her brain, admonishing herself for crying in front of Felicia. Self-loathing bubbled up in her chest. A cruel, bitter chuckle escaped her throat as she reminisced over her suggestion to ‘embrace her power.’ It was a joke to think she had anything of the sort.

“Helpless,” Felicia supplied solemnly.

Honey glanced up at her. Blinking with surprise, she observed how the other woman held herself. Arms crossed tight in front of her chest. Whatever difficulty Honey had with eye contact, Felicia had it worse. The taller woman pressed her lips together, grimacing.

When the two women finally met each other’s eyes, Honey was perplexed. It wasn’t pity on Felicia’s face—not like she’d feared. Instead, there was a painful solidarity between them.

As Honey opened her mouth to speak, Felicia strode up to her, arms extended. Then, too quickly and perhaps too awkwardly, the taller woman hunched down and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Honey gasped at the action. She was hugging her. Honey wasn’t tall enough to place her chin on Felicia’s shoulder. Instead, she leaned into the hug, resting her chin against her clavicle.

Awkward as it was, it was a very pleasant hug. The smaller woman returned it as best she could, despite the throbbing ache in her side. At that moment, she could look past that pain and allow herself to feel the embrace.

Felicia gave good hugs, she decided.

Tears welled up in Honey’s eyes, and she allowed herself to feel those, too.

Thirty-six hours after she last saw Peter, she curiously poked her head into the empty primary bedroom to see it untouched. Sheets were pristine and smoother than glass. His toothbrush and toiletries were missing from the bathroom.

Peter had granted her wish. Both of them—it appeared, including the request she made before their shoot-out at the arcade. She wanted space, and now she had it.

Not only had Peter not made an appearance, but every faceless guard had strangely vacated the penthouse. It was quiet in the morning haze. Peaceful.

She spent the day alone with Rex on her shoulder. They found plenty of things to do. After all, they were in a million-dollar home. They had endless hours of TV to watch. They had access to a full home gym (which she hadn’t bothered to enter until now and wasn’t going to while icing a hairline-fractured rib, no matter what Rex said about accountability). She had a library of beloved novels to read, a heated infinity pool on the roof, and a $5,000 coffee maker.

What more could she possibly need?

Thirty-seven hours after Peter, she noticed no more lights coming from the camera in her bedroom. Or in the hall. Or in the primary bedroom, or the great hall, or the terrace entrance, or the kitchen, or anywhere else she looked.

Thirty-eight hours after Peter.

Thirty-nine hours after Peter.

Forty hours after Peter.

Forty-six hours after Peter, she tucked herself into the covers of her own bed. She was exhausted, and the doctor-prescribed 4-6 hour pain medication had worn off.

She embraced the pain like it was her child. It was grounding and balanced the self-righteous anger that burned in her chest.

Peter wasn’t coming back tonight. It’s probably best, she thought.

He’s probably fucking someone else, she thought.

Probably best.

The third day without Peter brought a pleasant surprise. Hearing a knock at the front door, she rushed into the foyer with Rex on her shoulder. The knock itself was odd since no one ever knocked. No one asked for her permission to enter. The place wasn’t ‘hers’ to grant people entry to. Or was it?

Curiously, she pulled the door open, and her heart filled with joy. “Miles!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the teen. Rex skittered around almost up on her head, displeased with the lack of personal space.

“Hey,” he chuckled, surprised as he returned the embrace, “whassup? I mean, I know I’m a sight for sore eyes, but—”

Grinning wide, she pulled back. “Hell yeah, you are! I’ve missed you so much! How are you? What are you doing here? What have you been up to?”

“Whoooaa,” he replied, hands outstretched. “We’ll get to all that later. First, can I come in?”

Honey flexed a brow. “Can you—you’re asking me?”

“I was asking Rex, but he doesn’t have thumbs.”

She blinked, stunned. “Ye-yeah, sure. Come in!”

“Cool! Alright, second thing—I’m hungry.”

Honey and Miles sat together on the floor in the TV room with empty boxes of Filipino takeout around them. Miles took the last lumpia roll after Honey insisted that she was stuffed. She had yet to learn where the skinny kid was putting all the food.

They spent several hours catching up on the latest teenage drama. Miles did most of the talking. He filled her ears with everything from his college applications, an opportunity he received to paint a mural at a local Boys and Girls Club, to the pretty girl he ran into (literally) while leaving a bodega. She was amused and engaged—and overall honored that he would share his stories with her and allow her to be a sounding board. She lamented not being able to do the same with her sisters.

On her part, Honey didn’t have much to say about her recent experiences, nor did she really want to. However, a question kept prickling the back of her mind.

“So. Um.” She cleared her throat, wiping her hands with a napkin as the hour grew late. “Have you, um, talked to Peter lately?”

Miles pressed his lips together, glancing at her briefly before his eyes fell to the ground. “Nah. Not directly.” Several moments of silence passed. “Haven’t seen ‘em since—” He bit his tongue. “For a while.”

She hummed in acknowledgment. “Probably a good idea,” she said.

Another pause. Miles watched her curiously. “I miss him.”

A bitter laugh she couldn’t contain burst from her lips. “I can’t imagine why.”

He raised a brow. “He’s not a bad person.”

She turned towards him accusingly. “How can you say that? You know what he is.” She connected the memory of Miles storming out of the penthouse after accusing him of being ‘on something,’ and the horrifying picture of Peter sticking a needle in his arm and becoming—something else. “You’ve seen what he’s done.”

“I have,” Miles nodded knowingly, although his tone didn’t suggest that he agreed with her. He shifted his position and gazed down at his shoes, losing himself in thought. “I’m worried about him, y’know.”

Honey rolled her eyes. “Miles. Seriously. You need to worry about yourself.” She connected with his eyes, imploring. “Peter is dangerous. The life he lives is dangerous. You need to stay as far away from him as you can.”

Miles fixed his gaze on her, studying her reaction. “I’ve known Peter since I was a kid.”

“You still are a kid—”

“I mean it,” he declared. Honey observed the resolve in his expression and silenced herself, allowing him to speak without interruption. “I’ve seen him when things are bad, yeah. But I’ve also seen him at his best. There’s good and bad in him. In everybody.”

Sighing, Honey listlessly nodded. “Two wolves. I know. I know.”

Another long silence filled the air, prompting her to look over at him. There was a darkened expression in his eyes, mouth in a tight line, as he gazed at the wall.

“Did I tell you I almost went to jail?” he asked. A crease formed between her eyebrows. She shook her head in confusion. “Yeah,” he added, nodding sadly. A dark cloud rested over him. “It was, um—It was a few years ago. Not long after my mom got hurt.” He crossed his arms tightly. “It was when we moved from Brooklyn. Things sucked that first year. I was in a school I didn’t like. Didn’t have any friends. My dad had to start dropping me off at the front because I didn’t want to go. It was embarrassing.”

The slightest glimmer of amusement tweaked his eye, and Honey grasped at it with a warm smile. Then, just as quickly as the light appeared, it went out again like a flame in the wind.

“I got into fights a lot,” Miles said without pride. “I was angry, y’know? A lot.”

With solemn eyes, she bit her lip, nodding. Violence was still somewhat new to her, at least from the perpetrating side. Anger she knew intimately.

“Everyone tried to talk to me about it. My counselors at school told my dad that I needed to see a therapist. But how was I supposed to talk to anybody? I couldn’t even tell them who I was, or what happened—”

His voice clipped. He swallowed hard. Her brows furrowed with concern as she watched tears well in his eyes.

“This one day, I don’t know. I lost it. I was walking home from school, and this kid from my class saw me. He was older than me, like 17 or something. This dude... sucked. Just not cool. Always messin’ with me. But on this day, I-I guess I wasn’t havin’ none of it. And I hit him. He went down, just one hit.” A smirk formed on his face. “It felt kinda good to shut him up.”

His half-smile faded, eyes darkening. “And then I hit him again. He was on the ground, and I-I just couldn’t stop.”

His voice was wracked with shame. Honey reached out and grabbed his hand, wrapping her fingers tightly around his.

“Next thing I know, I feel hands pulling me off,” he swallowed dryly. “I’m tryin’ to fight all of ‘em. I don’t know, I guess I thought— Like, I was back there? Where they took me.”

Tears welled in her eyes, as she sadly nodded with understanding.

“I kept fighting. Everyone. I wanted to hurt everyone—”

“Miles,” she said, heart aching. “None of that was your fault. You were probably having a flashback, you weren’t yourself—”

“Let me finish.”

She silenced herself, stowing her pity.

“Pete was the one that stopped me. He stopped me. He hugged me. Told me to go home. So I did what he said. When the cops came, they weren’t lookin’ for me. They were looking for him. He told them that he was the one who beat up that kid. Said he was a punk that needed a lesson.”

She sat motionlessly, stewing over the information. Miles looked up at her. “He took the fall for me. I asked him why. He saved my life, he got my family outta New York. Why do more than that? He said he believed in me. He saw what I did and believed I could be better than that. But if I had a record, no one was going to see past that.” His voice sounded tenser, stretched thin with emotion. “He saw me at my worst, and still—he tried to protect me. All he’s ever done since he got me outta that warehouse is try to protect me. Protect the people he cares about.”

Honey glanced away, her brows furrowed. Then, gently, she replied, “I understand why you feel that way, Miles. But he’s not just doing all this to protect us. He’s not keeping us safe.”

“Nah,” Miles nodded, shrugging with a half-smile. “Pete does what he does because he’s crazy. He’s messed up. Seriously.” She smirked back for a moment, the gesture failing to reach her eyes. “But I love ‘em, too. He’s family. That’s what families are for.”

Her heart cracked at his admission. She felt an overwhelming sense of pity for the teen. He was so pure. So naive.

Carefully choosing her words, she gently replied, “Miles, I’m not sure you fully realize what Peter’s capable of.”

He nodded, then said, “I am, though. He saved my life. That’s what he’s capable of.” He added thoughtfully. “That’s the Peter Parker I believe in. The kinda guy that’s gonna make a good dad someday.”

She observed him quietly, biting her tongue. The image of Peter holding a baby branded itself into her brain. She pictured him taking a hike near the mountain retreat with a small child sitting on his shoulders.

Was Peter a boy dad or a girl dad?

He was great with Miles in the moments that she saw them together. Peter had a knack for teaching. He gushed with enthusiasm when he’d explain a concept to Miles, whether nuclear fusion or chemical bonds. He made it sound interesting—even to her.

She could imagine Peter taking his boy by the hand and guiding him through the woods. Through adolescence. Struggling with the need to show them the world and all of its wonder and simultaneously wanting to shield him from it.

Then Honey remembered how Bella clung to Peter at her mom’s apartment. The child tugged on his pant leg, and he’d crouch down to meet her eyes. He didn’t patronize her when he spoke to her. He gave her his undivided attention, and Bella lit up inside to have it.

The memory of Bella pierced her heart, leaving a pang in her chest. “I don’t know about that,” Honey replied to Miles, her tone darker. “This is the same guy who has my niece hidden in a bunker somewhere.”

When she glanced over, Miles stared at her like she’d grown an extra arm. “What are you talking about?”

She sighed, eyes misty. “My niece, Bella. I miss her so much. Peter has her hidden somewhere, and he won’t tell me where.” Her brows furrowed in pain. “She’s just a baby.”

Miles blinked at her. Several times. “It’s not safe to know.”

She groaned with frustration. “Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

“No, you don’t get it. Peter can’t tell you where she is because he doesn’t know. No one does. That’s the whole point.”

Her head snapped towards him, eyes wide. “What?”

He shifted his body around, turning his shoulders towards her. “Only one person knows where your family is, and they’re not talking.”

She gazed at him, perplexed.

“They’re not gonna say anything.” He wore a knowing look. She stared at him, her mind spinning. When she opened her mouth to speak, Miles raised his hand, silencing her. “That’s enough heavy stuff for one night. Let’s get back to the game.”

With that, he turned towards the OLED panel in the room and grabbed one of the two Nintendo controllers next to them. Waking up the Switch, he navigated to a new screen, pulling up a character selection.

“I got Bowser this time. You wanna be Yoshi again?”

Honey stared at him, deeply confused. Miles turned to her, picking up the controller and putting it in her hands when she didn’t reply. “C’mon, we gotta get started. My neighbor’s gonna play us online.” He poked her in the arm to get her attention, then nudged his head towards the Mario Kart selection screen.

Confused, she glanced over at the characters. There was a Third Player.

“Cat Peach,” Honey said, staring at the Third Player’s character selection. “Bella loves Princess Peach.” When she looked back at Miles, he was a brick wall. Complete silence. Face neutral. Staring straight ahead at the TV screen, waiting for Honey to pick.

She curled her brow upwards, glancing at Miles, then back to the Third Player. Tears welled in her eyes as she observed the avatar on the screen. Her niece’s avatar. Her niece. Miles’ neighbor. Miles—mostly likely with his father’s help—had hid Bella and the rest of her family.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she turned back to Miles, her jaw agape. He avoided looking straight at her, taking a sip of his third Mountain Dew. “C’mon now. Some of us have an early bedtime.”

One week after she last saw Peter, another surprise guest appeared. Because Felicia had been by every day, that’s who she expected to find at the door. Honey gasped with delight when she saw who it really was.

With twinkling eyes and hands deep in the pockets of his hoodie, Eddie smiled back. “If it isn’t Nancy Reagan.”

They spent the next half-hour catching up. Honey profusely apologized—unnecessarily—to him for being the cause of another fallout. He rejected her apology—repeatedly— but accepted her offering of two-thirds of a strawberry cheesecake.

Honey eventually got around to addressing the splinter under her skin.

“So. Did Peter send you here to spy on me?” she asked, unsure if she wanted the answer.

“Nope.” He shook his head. She couldn’t help the strange way her heart sank at his answer. Eddie peered at her suspiciously. “But it would be nice to know what you want me to tell ‘em when he inevitably asks about you.”

She pressed her lips together, eyes suddenly interested in the granite of the countertop. She wasn’t sure what she wanted him to say. She wasn’t even sure of what she wanted.

After an hour passed, Eddie explained that he was sent to the penthouse for a reason. To deliver a package.

Her eyes bulged, heart tripping, as he handed her a smartphone. The only thing that kept her from fainting was that the device was much smaller than the one she was hiding in her pocket. A model at least ten years old. It had a simple case with one of those artist-drawing stickers. A red spider. She looked up at him, eyes full of confusion.

“For emergencies,” Eddie said, shoving his hands back in his pockets. “You’re a big girl. I’m sure you’ll be fine. But just in case.”

Three weeks after she last saw Peter, she reached for the spider phone for the first time.

It was shortly after lunchtime at a chic, New American restaurant off of West 51st, adorned with a crystal chandelier, neon lights, and lush botanicals. Honey and Felicia were seated at the bar finishing up lunch (and a bottle of champagne) when the silver-haired woman excused herself to the restroom.

Being left alone was no longer strange. In the past three weeks, Honey had experienced more freedom than she had in the last four months of living with Peter Parker. She was permitted to travel wherever she pleased. Just as long as she had the emergency phone. And guards to scope the area ahead of time and transport her. And Felicia or Miles as an escort. It didn’t feel like she was being escorted. After three weeks of lonely days in the penthouse, she longed for companionship.

After the incident at the arcade, she tried to stay vigilant when left alone. But when she looked up to see Felicia return to the bar, a strange man sat on her stool instead.

She’d never seen him before. He was at least sixty, but the expression lined in deep trenches on his long face made him appear centuries older. The scent of stale cigarettes enveloped him. With graying, auburn-sand hair and intense eyes that seemed to radiate disappointment, he fixed a hard gaze on her.

“I know who you are,” he quietly declared in a bitter tone.

Every muscle in her body froze, and she fought the urge to scream for help. Instead, she kept one hand on the bar near her nearly-empty plate, resting over her steak knife.

He glanced down at her hands, unimpressed, and he gave her a sardonic smirk. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help.”

She remained nothing more than a statue, lips pressed tightly together.

“More importantly, I know who you’ve been with.”

She swallowed hard. Eyes wide, she flicked them cautiously toward the corridor Felicia had disappeared through as violent images filled her mind. The food began to creep up her esophagus.

She shook her head. “I-I don’t know what you—”

“Don’t lie,” he sneered, light as a feather, while his eyes screamed in a fury. “I know you’re Peter Parker’s new girl.”

Her heart thrummed in her throat. She opened her mouth.

“If you make a scene, I’ll throw Miss Hardy into a jail cell so deep under this city she’ll be in New Amsterdam,” he glowered. Honey snapped her mouth shut while piercing sirens rang out in her head. “Did I mention I’m a cop?” he added with a cruel casualness.

She felt dizzy, her heart sinking in her chest. Her brain ping-ponged between John Walker, and Wilson Fisk, and whoever planted the car bomb, and the corrupt officers that cut down Peter’s aunt and uncle in a spray of bullets.

A long list of enemies. And by the look in this man’s eye, he wanted to be at the very top.

“My name is George Stacy,” he muttered, eyes dark. “Peter Parker killed my daughter.”

Something inside her shattered as she connected the distraught rage emanating from the man seated next to her to the angelic face in Peter’s photo box.

“Did he tell you about her? Did he tell you about Gwen?” His voice made a sound like glass breaking as he said her name. Grief and anger swirled in the blue depths of his eyes. A deep crease formed between Honey’s brows.

“Excuse me.” Felicia’s biting tone caught their attention. “You’re in my seat.” They looked over to see the silver-haired woman glaring daggers at the older man, fearless in her stance. Honey had never felt so envious of her courage in her life.

George fixed her with a disgusted sneer. “Well, well. If it isn’t the Black Cat. Parker’s still your favorite place to sharpen your claws, isn’t he?”

Felicia didn’t flinch, crossing her arms. “Aww, Georgie. Didn’t know we were already at pet names. Get out of my chair.”

Anxiously, Honey glanced back and forth between the two heavyweights. George stared up at her through narrow eyes. “You’re lucky I don’t throw cuffs on you right here,” he said.

Felicia rolled her eyes. “Kinky. Got probable cause?”

“You’re a thief who gets on her knees for a murderer.” He side-eyed Honey. “You both are.”

“I don’t really like your accusations, Georgie,” Felicia snarked. “‘Specially the criminal kind. Got proof?”

George’s jaw clenched. His eyes were black with rage.

“Didn’t think so,” Felicia answered, then turned to Honey. “How ‘bout we get outta here? I’m sure Georgie here can settle our tab.”

The man suddenly came to a stand, his full height bringing him to eye level with her. “You disrespectful little smartass.” He leaned in close, pouring venom into her ear. “You’re trash. Standing behind a man who pushed his wife off the Brooklyn Bridge. She was going to leave him! And he killed her for it.”

Wild-eyed, George turned to face Honey. “Y’know what she looked like when they pulled her body from the river?” His eyes welled with tears as he ground his teeth together. “Y’know what she looked like when I had to identify her? I couldn’t do it! The fall crushed every bone in her face!”

“That’s enough,” Felicia declared with a cold tone. “We’re leaving.”

She took Honey by the shoulder, guiding her from the bar. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks once they stepped out into the frosty air.

“You’re protecting a monster!” George shouted after them, his voice, heart, and soul obliterated.

Honey was quiet in the back of the car as they sped home.

“Was he telling the truth?” Honey asked with a mouse-like whimper, unsure if she wanted the answer. Unsure if she wanted Felicia to lie.

The woman’s gaze darted over, appearing shocked even behind the giant, black lenses of her Givenchy sunglasses. “Are you kiddin’ me?” Felicia snapped with indignation. “Of course not!” The woman sounded offended at the accusation.

Honey stared at her in silence, trying to decide which version of the truth she wanted to believe.

Twenty-three days after Peter, Honey sat across from Miles at a bistro table in front of a streetside cafe. To her right sat Bella—wearing a princess dress. Delightful as she sketched out a cat on a piece of paper. Black crayon was smeared everywhere. Miles leaned over, giving her pointers on her cat drawing, showing her his sketch of a spider.

Honey wanted to say something. She really did. But couldn’t find the words.

She couldn’t speak.

Her eyes filled with terror as she recognized the tall figure stalking towards the table, wielding a shotgun in his hands.

She couldn’t scream.

John walked up to the table, pointed the shotgun at Miles’ chest, and fired.

When she awoke, she was screaming. Her chest landed hard against a warm, firm body. Her mouth was open and dry, and her eyes were clouded with nightfall, and her throat was raw, her skin sweaty, and her face was wet with tears.

“It’s okay! You’re okay! You’re okay. It was a dream. I gotcha.”

She shuddered with relief, her heart still racing with terror. She gasped in short breaths, grounded only by the warmth on her chest, the sturdy oak branches around her body, and the soothing hum of Peter Parker’s voice.

“Shh, s’okay,” he cooed at her.

Honey buried her face in Peter’s neck, full-body sobs overtaking her. She squeezed his shoulders tight, digging her fingers into the fibers of his shirt. The scent of cinnamon and cedar filled her nostrils. Like some magic spell had been cast, she felt her muscles melt, cradled in the warmth of his hold.

“It’s okay,” Peter whispered, rocking her gently. “You’re safe. You’re okay.”

Another cry ripped through her chest at the idea. “M’not,” she stuttered over hiccups. “I’m not okay. Nothing is okay...”

She felt his fingers glide down her spine, smoothing down the tank top on her back. He softly replied, his breath tickling her ear, “It was just a bad dream—”

She was incoherent, crumpling in a pile of broken ‘no’s’ and ‘I can’ts’ and ‘I’m sorrys’ and ‘it's my faults.’ He chased away the shadows, his fingertips alternating between rubbing her back and running through her hair.

“‘S’not your fault, Honey,” Peter murmured, resolve in his voice. “None of this is your fault...”

Trembling with tears, she pulled away slowly. Hesitantly, Peter released his grip, handling her like an origami flower left out in the rain.

The scruff of his beard had grown back in, and he wore a black pullover sweater that made him appear soft and gentle in a way she was unused to. She looked up at the golden-flecked, whiskey hue of his concerned gaze. Her own eyes were bloodshot and bleary. Her heart swelled and ached at the sight of him. Distressed, his eyes flitted over her face.

The spell wore off. As soon as Honey’s body heat left Peter’s hold, they both mourned the loss. He dropped his gaze to the comforter, his cheeks flushed disconcertedly.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out, pulling his fingers away from her. “M’sorry, I-I wasn’t tryin’ to—I wasn’t watching you or anything.”

His eyes darted around, hands fretting. “Of course not,” he muttered under his breath. “Who says that? Th-That’s stupid.”

He looked back at her earnestly, “I-I didn’t want—didn’t mean to intrude, I didn’t... I-I know ‘m’not supposed to be here. I just... I came by for some stuff, and... And I-I heard you scream, and I... I thought— Uh... I, um... I’ll-I’ll leave you alone now.”

Tears spilled in rivers down her cheeks. “Why are you protecting me, Peter?” she whimpered. “Can’t you see I’m not worth saving?”

He paused, eyes going wide.

“You can’t love me,” she wept. “You don’t know who I am. You don’t know what I’ve done.” She shook her head, racked with grief. “I keep trying to protect everyone, but-but I can’t—I... I’m killing them. I’m gonna get them killed.”

“What are you talking about?” Peter whispered. He squeezed his hands together, fighting the urge to cradle her face in them.

“‘M’not a good person, Peter. And I keep waiting for you to throw me away.”

He was dumbstruck into silence, shaking his head. Brows pinched together in horror.

“Don’t say anything,” she sniffed. “Please... don’t say anything. Just... just please. I need you to hold me.” He gazed at her blankly, as she closed the gap between them, pulling him into a kiss.

Both of her arms circled his shoulders. She nudged her chest up against his. She pried open his mouth with her lips, slipping her tongue through. His breath hitched at the taste of her, his hands outstretched safely away from her body.

She pulled her lips away with a heated smack, “Please, Peter. Please just touch me.” When she leaned in to kiss him, she felt the expanse of his broad hands on her lower back. He scooped her into his embrace, letting himself sink beneath the depths of her kiss.

He could feel her heart beating up against his own, both of them like rabbits darting through prairie brush. She paused only briefly for air, resting her forehead against his before dragging her wet touch across his tongue.

He could feel her everywhere. In every artery. In every cell. Drifting within his lungs. Swimming through his brain until he was dizzy. Whenever he felt himself floating, faint with desire, she snatched him tighter. Crushing their bodies against one another.

She emerged from the shell of her bedding, crawling into his lap. Threw her leg over him, pressing her heat against his belly. The sensation drew a gasp from his lips, and he seized her hips gently. He held them steady in place.

“Stop,” he breathed. He felt her go still. He squeezed his eyes closed, pulling his lips away. “We can’t.”

His words twisted a knife in her belly, her soul bleeding out.

“I can’t,” he muttered apologetically.

She found his eyes, hers full of dismay. A punishment for her cruelty. She was afraid to ask. “Why not?”

His eyes glistened in the city lights outside of her window. He stared at her, the corners of his mouth downturned. “Because if you push me away, it’ll break me, Honey.” He swallowed heavily. “And I don’t have anything left to break.”

She squeezed her eyes closed, tears breaking through her lids. She lowered her head, grieving the innocence of when they’d first met. She’d give anything to go back to that moment.

“Stay with me,” she whispered urgently. She met his eyes again. “Just stay here,” she said, softly begging. “Please. Just hold me.”

She nudged the tip of her nose against his. He gazed up at her with somber adoration and mourning, eyes achingly tender.

“Just for tonight,” she pleaded. She wore a desperate expression, like she would perish if he let her go.

It hurt to look at her. It hurt to touch her, almost as much as it hurt not to touch her. Pain was a mutual friend.

Tears shimmering at his eyelids, he nodded softly.

Wordlessly, she gripped him tighter. As if she could physically hold on to the tiny bit of relief. She wanted to hold on for as long as she could.

They hung on to each other, curled up together beneath the darkness. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, her hand resting above his heart. Fingers outstretched, she studied the slow rise and fall of his chest. He buried his fingers in her hair, rubbing tiny circles on the nape of her neck. The sound of their hearts beating in sync soothed him, like rain pattering on a rooftop.

Just for tonight. They slept in peace.

Her limbs felt heavy, but she was warm. She snuggled against a firm body toasting her like a furnace, as tendrils of daylight pulled her from slumber. Her eyes blinked open. Curiously, she lifted her head.

Peter dozed softly with her body nestled against his side. Her eyes softened as she gazed at the way the light danced across his freckles. She studied his image, memorizing each aspect of the moment. His hair was puffy and wild. She observed flecks of amber and gray in his chestnut beard. His lips were chapped with a plump cherry pout. And while she was mapping the lines of his face, she realized that this was the first morning she’d ever woken up next to him.

Like he could hear her thinking, his hand twitched, tightening his grip on her lower back as he stirred awake. Coffee eyes wandered quickly and found hers, lighting up with warmth. A sleepy, half-smile stretched across his features.

“You’re here,” she said dreamily, returning the smile.

“I am.” His voice was thickened by deep sleep. He watched her with fondness for several moments, before adding worriedly, “Did you not want me to be?”

Her smile dimmed for just a moment. She shook her head. “It’s nice.”

It was the truth. They gazed at each other, silent and starry-eyed and lost in a pleasant peace. He brought his hand up slowly to brush a piece of hair from her face. Her skin hummed at the brush of his fingertips. A shadow darkened her eyes. “I saw George Stacy yesterday.”

She felt his muscles tighten faintly, and his eyes fluttered shut. When he opened them, he drew a measured breath. Concern dimmed his gaze. “What’d he say?”

She pursed her lips. “He told me that you pushed Gwen off a bridge.”

A sharp pain flickered on his face like the sting of a wasp. A cold shadow fell across him, like the dark side of the Moon. “You believed him.” It wasn’t much of a question.

“I don’t want to hear it from him,” she said gently. “I want to hear it from you.”

His vision drifted. Melancholy and grief swallowed him, pulling him under a dark tide of painful memories. She felt his hands release her as he shifted to a sitting position. Her heart ached at the loss of his hold, and she hopelessly tried to seek comfort by wrapping her arms around herself.

“Gwen and I—we met in high school.” The hoarse creak of his voice startled her. He sat with slumped shoulders, leaning over a bent knee. “She was the only one that knew me, before my aunt and uncle died. She stuck with me after. Even when she saw what I was becoming.”

Bitterness accentuated his tone. Delicately, Honey sat up in her sheets, leaning enough to be able to see his gloomy profile. “She tried to save me,” he said. “But what happened, happened. I told her what I had to do. And that I am what I am. She couldn’t stop me, and I told her not to try.”

He swallowed hard. “I pushed her away, tried to break it off. But that just pissed her off more. Made her double-down. She was so damn stubborn. So she tried to help me.”

A pang contorted his features for a moment. She saw a faint tremor in his lower lip. He bit down on the flesh to still its movements.

“Her dad, though,” he continued. “He was a cop. He already hated me, even before I was a criminal. It was only a matter of time before he found out who I really was.” He sniffed, lifting his chin with a rueful look. “I knew he’d protect her, but he could only do so much. Eventually he was going to find us out, and if he wanted to protect her, he was going to have to pit her against me.”

The last part of his sentence cut through him like a razor. He paused for a moment, wetting his lips. Shoving his voice out of his pained chest. “So when she turned 18, she asked me to marry her.”

The sharp lines in her forehead faded at the revelation.

“She said if we were married,” he said, haunted by grief, “she couldn’t be forced to testify against me.” He gulped again, and by the look on his face he was swallowing rusty nails. “I didn’t care that it was part of a plan. It was the happiest I’d ever been since... even since before, I think.”

He went quiet for a while, before adding grimly, “I tore her family apart. He never forgave me for that.” A dark bitterness contorted his features, the familiar echo of self-loathing returning to his voice. “And I looked that man in the eye and swore that I would protect his daughter. But I failed.”

His eyes fell closed, and for a moment she thought his memories were tattooed on the insides of his lids.

“She fell,” he ground out, tears welling up. The dam was in danger of breaking. “I tried to catch her in time.” The breath sucked out of his lungs. “It was a matter of inches. Milliseconds. But it wasn’t enough.”

He slowly turned to face her, eyes shimmering with tears. “You asked me who was responsible for her death. I didn’t push her. But I’m the reason she was up there to begin with.” A pained flicker of a smile ghosted across his lips—a cruel impersonation of acceptance, of resignation of his guilt. “She died because of me,” he declared. “I let the woman I love die. I can’t let that happen twice.”

Eyes misty and red, he let the statement rest, as if dictating words he wanted written on his tombstone.

With a heavy heart, she replied, “But I’m right here, Peter. I’m not dead. Why wouldn’t you tell me the truth? Not just about Gwen, but Bella, too? Why would you make me think you knew where she was?”

Peter looked away, gazing down at his hands, pinching his lips closed. A false light returned to his tone. “My uncle used to say that one of the two keys to success was never telling everything you know.”

He didn’t follow up with anything after that. Her face slumped in disappointment.

“Bella means the world to you,” Peter explained, meeting her eyes again. “And I’d never put her life in the hands of just anyone.” He swallowed painfully. “Not even myself. I can’t be responsible for destroying someone else I love. I won’t.”

“Destroying me—you-you really thought the solution was pushing me away?” She sounded frustrated and betrayed. “That didn’t work with Gwen. Why did you think it would work with me—?

“Because I’m afraid I already have,” Peter affirmed. She fell silent as he gazed at her mournfully. “I know what rage does to people. I know what it looks like. That night, when we were fighting—I saw it in your eyes. Saw it when you looked at me. Hatred is... it’s a flesh-eating parasite. Never satisfied.” He gazed at her, eyes grim. “That’s all me, Honey. I did that to you.”

She sighed as regret seized her lungs. “Peter,” she pleaded, “let’s go back to the mountains.” His brow furrowed with confusion, as she explained more urgently. “Let’s go away. With Miles, and-and Felicia, and Bella, and everyone, and just—just hide?”

He shook his head. “What do you mean?”

“I’m scared, Peter. I’m scared that something awful is going to happen.” She felt the thick serpent crawl up from her belly again. “I’m-I—I don’t feel safe here anymore. Between the bomb, and... then George Stacy walked right up to me in broad daylight. What if that had been someone else?” His gazed at her worriedly, and she implored, “I’m... I’m afraid someone’s watching us. Watching me.”

She swallowed hard to keep the bile from spilling out of her mouth. Her skin felt clammy. Reptilian. Lying to Peter now made her physically ill.

“You’re gonna be okay, Honey,” he replied with gentle affirmation. “You and Miles, your family—I’m gonna protect you. You don’t need to worry.”

“Please, stop telling me that,” she declared firmly. “We both know it’s not true.”

He studied her silently with a frown, eyes flitting over her face. “I’m not good with flashing lights and loud noises.”

She blinked at him, brows pinched.

He met her eyes, as if continuing a confession, “Too much stimulation has always been an issue with me. Sorf of a-a weakness, I guess.”

“What does that—?”

“The cops could tear this place apart, but they wouldn’t find anything. It’s not here. It’s in a place underground. We call it The Bunker. It’s in an abandoned subway station that nobody knows about. Roosevelt. That’s our fallback position, a strategic planning base. Weapons, cash, files on every corrupt bastard in this city. It’s all there.”

Her brain was spinning with confusion.

“Inside a bank in Queens off of Woodhaven,” he added, casual and matter-of-fact in a way that made her feel unsettled. “There’s a safe registered under the name Ezekiel Sims. Inside, there’s $63 million in cash. Unmarked bills. Untraceable, clean money. It’s my cut. Nearly fifteen years’ pension for my sins. But it’s not for me. It’s for Miles and his family. The combination to the safe is his birthdate.”

“Why are you telling me this?” she blurted, overwhelmed.

Peter stared at her, eyes soft. “Because I’m done hiding. I’m through with hiding who I am. Especially from you.” Her brows furrowed as he explained, “If you wanted to turn me in, to drain me dry, take Bella and run—you have everything you need to know. As long as you and Miles are safe. Felicia. Johnny. Everyone left alive that matters to me—all I care about is that they’re safe.”

He swallowed hard, gazing at her solemnly. “Nobody can hurt me, Honey. No one but you. If that’s what you want.”

She felt the sting of tears brimming her eyes, her heart sinking in her chest. In under a minute, he’d given her the key to her freedom, to everything she could have ever wanted. It was also the key to his destruction. The nail in his coffin. Diametrically opposed to what she could ever want.

Why her?

That’s the only thing she could think about. It was a record running on repeat, slowly driving her insane. Why trust her? Why choose her? Why risk his life and legacy for her?

Not just material things—but his family was on the line. Secrets had already been divulged. Blood had already been spilled. Why would he love her when the weight of her betrayal made her want to die?

She cast her eyes downward, unable to meet his gaze. In her mind, she wanted to scream at him to run away. She wanted to scream at him for being so blind. For foolishly choosing her, when he could have anything else. Or anyone.

“Were you with someone?” she asked, as timid and quiet as a mouse.

His eyebrows pinched together. “With someone?”

“Someone else,” she replied, a little clearer. Again, she was conflicted at whether or not she wanted the answer. “Another woman. Or man.” He was silent as she stared down at the black polish decorating her nails. “You were gone for days,” she said, idly. “I mean, n-not that I expected you to just... y’know.” She took a deep breath. “It’s okay, if you did.”

When she looked up at him, Peter was staring back at her like she had grown an extra head. “Are you asking me if I’ve had sex with anyone since I left?”

Her eyes went wide, embarrassed by the bluntness of his question. “I mean, I’m not—” She stuttered, struggling. “No, I mean, I am. I just—”

She cleared her throat. It was like wet cement surrounded her vocal cords. “I get it,” she stated, her eyes darting from his face, to his chest, to the blanket, to the wall, and back around again. “You’ve got—your-your face is, it’s nice.” She was flailing. “And your rest of you, is, um, is—”

A heat wave traveled up her neck, making her feel faint. Her breaths were coming out short. “It’s okay,” she explained apologetically. “If you did. It makes sense. I just… you can tell me.” She met his eyes, trying to steal herself. “Please. If... if you don’t mind.”

Peter stared at her for a long time. He was quiet. Contemplative. He could have grown moss. Just when she was about to pass out from the anticipation, he shifted in his seat. His umber eyes fixed on her. “Honey. Since I met you, I haven’t looked at anyone else.”

She pressed her lips together, chewing on the inside flesh. His words were like a glowing, hot blade, slicing her open. Tears rimmed her saddened gaze. Her voice came out as a whimper.

“You don’t have to lie.”

His brows furrowed. A dreary expression leveled him. He turned his shoulders towards her.

“There’s not anybody else,” he softly declared. It felt like a whisper that only she could hear. “There’s not another woman. Or a man.”

His hand came up, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Not another sunrise or sunset, no fancy car, no drug trip...”

The warmth of his lungs ghosted over her face like a warm mist. “No cute puppy, no breathtaking waterfall, no flower, or beach or mountain—not a single moment of joy on this Earth—that compares to how you make me feel.”

Her muscles seized, eyes wide. Tears brimmed that she was unaware she could even feel. Added to that, was the rough touch of his thumb brushing at the edge of her mouth. He stared down at her lips like he could read lines of poetry written on them.

“I was in the dark,” he murmured. “After Gwen, I was asleep. Thought I was already dead. Until I saw you. Thought it was a crush. But then... I met you.” His warm gaze heated into a small smile, thawing out his features. “I watched you sing and dance and make food, and play games with Miles, and talk about animal facts, and tell stories to Rex, and apologize to the house plants when they didn’t get watered.”

He chuckled softly, like a candle flickering on a winter night. “I listened to you talk about everything like it was—like it was a gift. Like no matter how dark it was, there was gonna be a sunrise. Like you could already see it.”

She met his gaze as her eyes welled up. No one had ever looked at her like that.

“Bringing down Fisk was always endgame for me,” he murmured. “Didn’t ever see past it. Figured I didn’t need to.” Timidly, he leaned closer, as if sharing his biggest secret. “When you touch me, it’s like I can feel the sunrise. Like I can reach out and touch the future.”

A tear trailed down her face before he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. Her lip wobbled and she felt as if he was holding her upright. Like her life had been a perilous journey and she’d finally found rest.

“You once told me that you had all the power,” he said with a coy smirk. Embarrassment kissed her features, before he soothed it away with his hands. “That’s not the half of it,” he said. “You’re my tomorrow. You have the rest of my life in your hands.”

They gazed at each other, eyes shimmering, hearts swelling with emotions they couldn’t begin to describe.

“How could I look at anyone else?” Peter said with a profound wonder. “You’re the first and last thing I wanna see every day. There is no tomorrow for me if you’re not in it.”

His hands were holding onto the sides of her face, but inside, she was buckling. Her walls crumbled. She searched his eyes through her own blurry tears. Desperately looking for a catch. Seeking a reason not to believe him.

But she was right about another thing—she knew what it sounded like when he lied to her. And in every cell of her body, she knew that this was not it.

“Peter,” she breathed, with a wary tremor in her heart. It was like she was standing on shaky legs at the edge of the Earth, ready to dive into its core. “I think—” Her voice shook timidly, until she willed it to be steady. “I… I think... I’m in love with you.”

His eyes glowed, momentarily weakened by a fleeting helplessness. He closed them for a moment, as if to steady himself. “No,” he softly replied. Opened his eyes to stare at her like she was the answer to everything in the universe. “You’re not.” A gentle smile played upon his lips. “Not yet.”

Her insides melted for him. She wanted to fall into him and be consumed by the blaze.

“It’s okay, though,” he whispered with a subtle, teasing grin. “I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it happen. To be worthy of it.”

The cheekiness of his smile triggered an even wider one from her. She breathed out a small laugh, tears falling. He gazed down with eyes that spoke louder than his words. It left no doubt in her mind.

Peter Parker loved her.

It hurt to look at.

Her smile dimmed. “Peter.” She swallowed hard, mustering the strength to crawl across a mile of flaming coals. “I... I have to tell you something.” His light never flickered. He gazed at her, half-entranced, half-heartedly listening. “I’m... I’m not the person you—”

A phone buzzed.

Her heart seized in her chest. A full stop. It felt like the touch of death.

Peter flinched nervously, snapped out of the spell. He dropped his hands to his pockets, digging the buzzing device from his slacks.

She sealed her eyes closed, withholding a silent scream.

Peter gazed down at the screen with a frustrated sigh, looking up at her apologetically, and put the device to his ear. “What is it,” he answered, quietly seething. As he listened to the muddled voice on the other end, Honey was dizzy with conflicting emotions. She wanted to curl up and die.

“What do you mean he’s here? We’re supposed to meet in Brooklyn.”

That was the last straw. She needed to say it. She needed to come clean. She needed to tell Peter the truth about everything. To bare her soul and confess her sins the way he had. The only problem was that her heart was stuttering in her chest, shaking her stomach so much that she was going to vomit on her bedspread.

“Fuck,” she idly heard him mumble. “Alright. Let ‘em in. Make ‘em wait. I’ll be down in a minute.”

She was drowning in sorrow as he ended the call. Oblivious to her distress, he shoved his phone back in the pocket of his jeans. He looked back at her, disappointment twisting his face. He read the look on her face as frustration at the interruption.

“I’m... I’m sorry,” he winced. “I...” His eyes darted to her door. “I... I have to—”

He didn’t need to say it. Duty called. Her opportunity to resolve herself was slipping away. Maybe it never even existed.

He cupped her face with his hands, gazing at her tenderly. “You get cleaned up, okay? And I’m yours the rest of the day. We’ll go anywhere you want. Just gotta take care of this one thing. It’ll take me less than an hour.”

Less than an hour.

She had less than an hour until her world crumbled. Until she revealed to the one person that ever really loved her that he was wrong about her. She was never worthy of his love.

“I promise,” he repeated with soothing tones and gentle touches. He leaned in slowly, as if requesting permission, and pressed a delicate kiss to her forehead.

She responded with something that sounded vaguely like words. He removed his hands. His touch. His warmth. Finally, he removed himself from her presence.

Dread filled her, along with a cold fear that she’d never see it again.

She followed instructions with an empty brain. A hollow heart.

When she emerged from her room, she was clean. Her stomach was empty of its contents. The color had faded from her skin. She was an apparition, walking aimlessly among the living in the waking world.

Rex. She went down the stairs to check on Rex. Maybe he needed his terrarium cleaned. Maybe she could clean it. Maybe she could scrub the whole penthouse with a toothbrush while she waited for the sensation to come back to her fingers and toes.

Her feet guided her closer to Rex’s tank, and she stopped suddenly. Aware that someone was blocking her path. A tall, beefy figure leaned down over the terrarium.

They turned to face her.

Her eyes went wide.

Her heart jumped.

Her breath seized.

John Walker fixed her with a pleasant smile—cheeks rosy, shark-blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

“So, this is what you’ve been hiding away, eh?” he grinned snarkily.

The world was spinning. The earth was shaking. She thought the whole building would come down on top of her.

“I don’t think we’ve had the chance to meet,” John said.

Her brows furrowed. She was frozen stiff, barely registering Peter as he walked up into her view. Stood shoulder-to-shoulder with John.

“No, I, uh... I was saving it for a special occasion,” Peter replied. He glanced over at John with a fond expression, then faced her.

A rat caught in a trap.

A snake stretched between the fangs of two wolves.

Torn apart.

“This is, uh, an associate of mine,” Peter told her. “A friend, really. I'd like you to meet Steve Rogers.”

To be continued...

[back to masterlist]

a/n Thank you everyone for your patience and support! Things are going to heat up and move very fast. I appreciate your positive feedback.

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