synopsis:peter finds his way into your home and does something out of character, but it makes your heart soar.
pairing: peter parker x fem!reader
taglist: @sp1deys @inu1gf @stanmixtapes @wilczachannn @peterparkertheloml ( send an ask to be added! )
warnings:mildly injured peter parker, she/her pronouns used, LOTSA fluff!!!
author’s notes: i just hit 200 followers!!! holy cow thank you so much !!!! <3 my requests are open!!!likes+comments+reblogs are always appreciated!! <3
y/n’s eyes widened, hearing the sound of someone shuffling around on the fire escape beside the window in her room. she stared at the window, trying to rationalise with herself. it wasn’t uncommon for peter to pay her visits late at night after he did his patrol, claiming something about having to know if ‘his favourite person was tucked in nicely’, despite y/n claiming she could tuck herself in perfectly fine, ‘nope! nothin’ beats the old peter parker burrito blanket special!’ he would say in return.
the window started to slide open, y/n’s nerves easing as she saw the red and blue suit slowly roll through the window and dropping to the ground with a thud.
“peter what the fuck! i said be quiet when you do this!” y/n scolded him, keeping her voice quiet, but the tone harsh. obviously, she wasn’t actually mad at peter, but he was both risking her parents catching him and finding out he is spiderman.
“sorry,” he giggled getting up on his feet, a goofy grin on his face.
“hey, hey, c’mere..” y/n’s face softened, noticing a cut on his face, right across his cheekbone. she sat up and peter sat right in front of her, still smiling, “what happened?”
her hands went up to his face, cupping his cheeks gently, “i’m okay, just some drunk guy with a knife is all, you should’ve seen him, he was like swish fshh woosh, but then i was like fwip sheew pow.”
“i’m sure you were great out there, bug boy,” y/n laughed, walking over to her dresser and searching for the clothes he left there. once, she found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, she threw them behind her.
“ow.”
y/n turned around to look at peter with the items of clothing over his head, “you can dodge bullets, but not clothes?”
“it’s- it’s complicated..” he smiled, removing the clothes from his face and standing up to get changed. his hand pressed down on the spider symbol branded on the chest of his suit and at an instant the suit fell down his body and he was left in his boxers.
“really? you wear your face on your boxers?” y/n raised an eyebrow at him.
“technically the mask isn’t my face.” peter covered his boxers with his t-shirt, his face red from embarrassment.
“i think it’s cute, maybe i can get a matching pair,” y/n chuckled grabbing a wet wipe from her dresser to clean up his face, waiting for him to get dressed. peter smiled to himself as he got changed, the idea of his girlfriend wearing merch of him making him all giddy inside.
“finally… bed time,” peter sighed, letting himself fall back onto the bed, smiling at y/n.
“did you hit your head why are you looking at me like that?” y/n smiled, laughing a little bit at his facial expression. he looked like a little puppy staring at his best friend in the world.
“missed you a lot, pretty girl.”
y/n’s eyes widened and she froze, just staring at peter, “are you sure you didn’t hit your head?”
peter just frowned dramatically at her, reaching his arms out and acting like if she didn’t join him in bed in the next three seconds he would just combust into flames. y/n rolled her eyes and got into bed with him, making sure to clean his face off before they cuddled. she held his face gently and as carefully as she could, she cleaned the dried blood off his face and cleaned the cut. even though she knew it would be gone in the morning, it was still hard to see the man she was so in love with getting hurt night after night.
“what’s on your mind, pretty girl?”
there it was again. that nickname. it sent butterflies straight to her stomach.
“oh, the usual - y’know, my very adorable boyfriend but his side hustle as bug man always getting him hurt,” y/n chuckled, throwing the wet wipe away and quickly planting a kiss on peter’s cheek, just under the cut to make sure that she didn’t hurt him.
“c’mere,” he mumbled grabbing y/n by the waist and pulling her on top of him. she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him.
“there’s my pretty girl.”
it wasn’t that peter didn’t compliment y/n - oh, he did. a lot. but nicknames was something he never did, he wanted to of course, but he was just awkward and it never felt natural to him. but boy did it make y/n’s heart soar to hear the nickname ‘pretty girl’ coming from him.
“what’s with the nickname?” y/n laughed softly.
“what? you don’t like it?” he raised an eyebrow, he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable at all.
“no, no, i like it. i really like it,” y/n admitted, feeling slightly flustered, “i’ve just never heard you call me that.”
peter smiled, pulling her closer to him, “i just want you to know how pretty you are… you are so pretty.”
y/n knew he was sleepy, he usually got very sappy and sweet at bedtime, “and you, peter parker, are even prettier.”
he scrunched up his nose as she kissed his chin and laughed quietly, “i don’t think so, you can’t say that when i have the prettiest girl in new york in my arms.”
“just in new york?” y/n teased.
“in the world- no! in the universe!”
“you are so cute,” y/n chuckled, hiding her face in his chest.
“i love you, y/n… so much,” he sighed, his hands moving up from her waist to her back, “i am deeply in love with you, sometimes it’s distracting, but that’s good, because while i’m out spidermaning i have my pretty girl here waiting for me all pretty in her pyjamas.”
“you’re such a sap, i love you peter.”
“the avengers banned me from talking about you, said i can’t talk about you unless they meet you,” he laughed.
“they want to meet me?” y/n’s eyes widened.
“who wouldn’t want to meet you?” peter smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling at how widely he was smiling.
“maybe one day, but right now you better sleep, i’m lacking vitamin b.”
synopsis:spiderman shows up to his local convenience store, beaten up pretty badly, but he’s on a mission that only you can help him with. he needed his damn slushie.
pairing:peter parker x gn!reader
taglist:@sp1deys @inu1gf @stanmixtapes @wilczachannn @peterparkertheloml (send an ask to be added!)
warnings:very brief mentions of violence, wounds mentioned, none of these are described in detail, fluff, they/them pronouns used
author’s notes: i was inspired by a tiktok of a cosplayer, which i can’t find bc my fyp refreshed :( likes, comments + reblogs are appreciated!
fridays were a day that people often looked forward to; most people quite enjoyed fridays. the satisfaction of having a productive day, yet being able to relax at home and enjoy your time not thinking about getting up the next day for work, or school. not y/n. no. they did not like fridays at all. especially not after their boss had moved them on the roster to take the night shift on fridays. what was worse was that y/n worked that evening alone, not that it was a big deal seeing as it was a small convenience store and not many people would come in during the night, but still y/n had heard all about the convenience stores being victims of armed robberies, one even getting burnt down at some point.
the night shifts scared y/n. simple as. they could care less about the fact they’d have to stay up late, often staying at the store until the very early hours of the night, occasionally having to kick out a few drunk teenagers very obviously trying to steal from the place. y/n’s boss was an asshole, but still… it was an unwritten rule amongst thieves not to steal from small businesses, only to take from the corporations that wouldn’t notice a thing or two missing.
the ringing of store’s bell drew y/n’s attention away from the cash register and they looked up towards the door which was once painted neatly with a nice neat coat of forest green, but over the years the paint started to chip, exposing the wood underneath it. y/n’s eyes widened as they watched a beaten up spiderman walk over to the slushie machines. his suit was covered in rips, ranging from the size of y/n’s thumb to the size of y/n’s hand, to say they were concerned for the masked hero was an understatement. he had a gloved hand propped up under his chin as if he was deep in thought about the different flavours of slushies, but before y/n could ask him if he needed to go the hospital he turned to them. his mask was ripped in a way that revealed the bottom half of his face and one of the eyes had been broken, y/n guessing that it had unfortunately taken the blow of a punch during a fight. y/n could see one of his eyes through the broken eye of the mask and saw the softest chocolate brown puppy-dog eyes staring back at them.
“hey, sorry, how much is a cup of one of these?” he asked, his head tilting slightly, something peter did subconsciously, yet y/n smiled at the adorable action.
“you sure you wouldn’t rather have an ambulance?” y/n questioned laughing slightly, despite their concern for the masked superhero’s life.
a smile spread across his face, wincing slightly at the pain in his busted lip as he did so, “no, no, i’ll be fine, wouldn’t want to go to a hospital anyways, not after the night i’ve had.”
“if you’re sure, spiderboy,” y/n smirked, watching the hero cross his arms across his chest to express his dissatisfaction with the nickname (lightheartedly of course), “it’s on the house, whatever size cup and flavour you want, go wild.”
“are you sure? i don’t want to do that, i can pay! i have money, i know i look like i may not, um but i can pay!” peter protested, holding up his wallet just to prove that he in fact could pay for his slushie.
“take it as a thanks for saving the city,” y/n smiled and made their way from the counter towards the slushie machines, “so what size and flavour does the superhero desire?”
“hmm, tricky question,” he mumbled, turning back to the machines and placing a hand on his hip as his other reached up to his chin, reading the labels on the machines, “what’s your favourite flavour?”
“can you keep a secret?” y/n smiled cheekily at him, mischief obvious in the glint in their eye.
“i wont tell a soul!” peter did an ‘x’ motion across his chest, smiling at the person next to him.
“okay good, because if you did… i’d have to kill you and that would be tragic, who would rob me of my money for a free slushie!” y/n joked, making peter laugh nervously, “i’m kidding spidey, come here whenever you like, as long as the boss doesn’t find out i’m giving free drinks out.”
“thank you,” he smiled, his hand reaching up to the back of his neck to rub it.
“in the back we have a secret flavour, it’s my favourite.. it’s birthday cake flavour,” y/n explained, pointing their finger behind them and gesturing to the door that had “STAFF ONLY” plastered across it in a bright red.
“birthday cake slushie? that sounds interesting,” peter hummed, “i’ll take one, large cup please.”
“only because you asked so nicely, spidey!” y/n teased, “don’t worry, i’ll make it an extra large cup, looks like you could need it.”
“ouch, i thought i looked pretty good,” peter joked with a lopsided smile across his face.
“follow me,” y/n rolled their eyes playfully at him and led him towards the door with the threatening blocky text in bright red, “here it is, the real deal, queens’ finest!”
“queens’ finest? i’ll be the judge of that!” he laughed, ignoring the pain in his body as he did so.
“of course, only fitting for queens’ protector to judge it,” y/n nodded, laughing along with him and placing the cup under the slushie machine and filling it up. they placed a cover on the top and placed a plastic straw into the hole at the top of the plastic cover, “don’t tell anyone i’m giving you a plastic straw, just couldn’t have you drinking with a soggy straw.”
“man! your secret is safe with me as long as i can take home some of these, i hate those paper straws! they always get all wet and i have to drink out of the cup,” peter ranted, pleasantly surprised to find someone who shared the same opinion about paper straws.
“dude sometimes the straw gets so soggy i just end up accidentally eating it, like once… there was a good half of the straw gone,” y/n admitted, passing him the drink, “c’mon try it.”
“i’m not even gonna ask about you eating a straw…” he muttered, holding the cup up to his mouth so he could drink it through the straw. he paused for a few seconds and then looked at y/n with wide eyes, although they could only see one, “this- this is amazing! this is the most amazing thing i have ever had!!”
y/n smiled brightly at him, “i’m glad! now that it’s spiderman approved i’ll make millions from this,” y/n smirked playfully, the tone of their voice making it obvious that y/n actually wasn’t going to go through with branding it the spiderman approved slushie.
“ha ha, very funny,” he mocked sarcastically, trying to hide the smile that was itching to spread across his face, “so what’s your name? i feel like “shopkeeper” might not be your name.”
“actually, my name is shopkeeer, shopkeeper the third destined to a live behind a cash register!” y/n joked, getting themself a slushie, “i’m kidding, it’s y/n.”
“y/n,” he repeated as if he were testing out how their name would sound from his lips, “that’s a nice name.”
y/n had a surprised expression form across her face, but a smile still spread across it, “thank you, bug boy.”
“bug boy?” he laughed.
“yeah, bug boy!” they chuckled and then took a sip from their own slushie.
“you know technically spiders aren’t bugs,” peter corrected, a smug smirk on his face.
“yeah yeah, i know arachnid shmarachnid, whatever smarty pants,” y/n scoffed, a joking and playful tone to their voice. they paused for a second and then spoke again, “do you want to go to the roof, y’know some fresh air?”
“yeah, that’d be nice,” peter smiled at y/n, agreeing to meet them their in a few minutes, as y/n would have to temporarily close the shop to make sure no one came in and robbed the place and also seeing as peter could climb up there himself without having to go through the trouble of climbing up a fire escape. peter sat himself down on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling over the edge, as he looked up at the sky, his slushie in hand. despite almost losing a fight to a large group of armed men, he was enjoying himself. he felt at peace knowing that he had saved a group of slightly older women and that he had his slushie he had been craving the whole day. and maybe he was happy about his new slushie buddy too.
“hey there bug boy!” y/n called out, jogging up to him, “looks like someone’s deep in thought, a penny for your thoughts?”
peter just smiled, chuckling and turning his head slightly to look at y/n who was leaning on the slight wall he had been sitting on, he assumed that they may have been slightly scared that they’d fall off the edge, not that he would let that happen.
“just thinking about how nice it is at night, y’know forgetting about the criminals and stuff,” he shrugged, suddenly feeling really small and stupid talking about it, “it’s- it’s stupid, but-“
“not stupid at all, i promise,” y/n smiled genuinely at him, giving him a thumbs up to keep going.
“um, well, it’s just that.. it’s quiet at night, but it’s not so quiet that you feel alone, you can sometimes hear cars and the occasional group of people way too drunk to care about the time… it’s- it.. it’s nice, and it makes me feel less.. alone,” peter’s face started to heat up out of embarrassment, realising he was opening up to a complete stranger that didn’t even know who he was under the mask, but it touched him that a complete stranger was willing to treat him like he was not a hero and talk to him like he was a close friend and listen to him ramble, often like mj and ned would do.
“those are some deep thoughts, bug boy,” y/n smiled up at him, “i get what you mean, i don’t like silence much either, feels too much like i’m waiting for something bad to happen.”
“well, never fear because the friendly neighbourhood spiderman is here!” he joked, putting on an overly enthusiastic voice on, making y/n laugh, as they set down their slushie on the wall that reached just below their chest.
“my hero! how ever shall i repay you!” y/n dramatically gasped.
“free slushies forever.” peter tried to answer in a serious tone, but his smile kept cracking through the serious facade he had put on for the joke.
“your wish is my command, bug boy.”
“why thank you, y/n.”
“so, tough fight tonight?” y/n questioned, a curious eyebrow raising as they picked up their slushie again and taking a sip.
“yeah, a little.. but i won! you should see the other guys, they won’t be messing with anyone for a good while,” he smiled, this job although it came with very limited rewards, nothing would ever top the reward of knowing criminals were being put away because of him. well, maybe after tonight the the free slushie was the best reward he’d gotten yet, the churros he got from an old lady once had nothing on the birthday cake slushie.
“y’know i think you’re one of the coolest heroes, you do everything with no pay and you seem to enjoy it,” y/n shrugged, “i don’t know, maybe if i were a hero somehow, i’d like a little bit of compensation for my troubles.”
“well, this slushie is a pretty good compensation i think,” peter said, taking another sip of the slushie.
“consider it a payment for your service,” y/n smiled, “and maybe you can get that free slushie for life you wanted, only as long as you show up on fridays after nine, that’s when my shift starts.”
“you’re kidding right?” he looked at them puzzled, “you don’t need to do that, i was only joking.”
“and? if bug boy wants a slushie who am i to deny him of his slushie!” y/n exclaimed dramatically.
“does the slushies come with.. maybe your number?” he asked, knowing he may be pushing his luck with that question, but the smirk on y/n’s face telling him otherwise.
“smooth, spiderman.. very smooth,” she chuckled, “check the side of your cup.”
he looked down at the cup and turned it, looking for what they were hinting at. sure enough, on the side of the cup read a phone number and ‘call me? :)’, “when did you even do that? i didn’t even see you hold a pen for the entire night!”
“a magician never reveals their secrets,” y/n smiled proudly.
“do you just have a stash of cups either your phone number on them or something?” peter joked, tilting his head in a teasing manner.
“that’s pretty smart, but nope! i only give my numbers to the cute, but slightly disheveled looking superheroes that show up,” y/n teased.
“ohh, i see, you get a lot of those coming through here, then?” peter asked, a playful tone in his voice.
“unfortunately not, you’re the first, but i may need to beat the other heroes off with a stick from now on, bug boy’s the one getting free slushies from now on,” y/n laughed, finding their own joke amusing.
“oh yeah, because you just have a bunch of super heroes lining up to get your number,” peter rolled his eyes, a small smile across his lips.
“woah! okay then bug boy, no free slushie for you!” y/n scoffed, pretending to be offended by him.
“nooo! my free slushies!” he frowned playing along with their joke, “i take it back i’m sorry, anything but my free slushies for life!”
“hmm, i’ll consider giving you your free slushies back, if you promise to text,” a cheeky smirk formed on their face as they looked at the semi-masked hero.
“man… i don’t know if i can do that!” he exaggerated a sigh and frowned.
“damn, okay, spiderman has no mercy tonight,” y/n laughed.
“i’m joking, i’m joking i promise,” he laughed with them.
“this was really nice, but i’m gonna have to go reopen the store if i want to keep my job!” y/n smiled at the masked hero.
“thanks for hanging around with me, y/n! and thank you for the slushie, i’ll definitely be back!” he exclaimed excitedly and then started stuttering in a slightly panicked voice, “w-wait, no i meant i’d come back to see you, not-not just for the slushie, i swear.”
“you’re cute bug boy, i’ll see you around!” y/n waved at him, before making their way to the fire escape, reluctantly leaving the hero alone. peter sat there for a few more minutes, staring down at the cup and smiled at the phone number. he turned the cup around, fidgeting with it before he left the rooftop. he noticed the same handwriting on the other side of the cup and stared at the words ‘ur an idiot :)” staring at him.
“Stop! Peter, stop!” you laugh and giggle as he pokes at you.
“What? What? What do you mean?” Peter laughs and lunges to wrap his arms around you, pulling you back against his chest as you both laugh.
“S-stop,” you wheeze, “the food is ready. We have to go.”
“Oh? You want food more than to hang with me?” he raises his eyebrow at you.
“Hm, you or food? I think I’ll pick food!” you say and try to laugh and get out of his grip.
“Wow, ok. Food doesn’t save the world, though,” Peter jokes.
“Wanna bet?” you laugh.
Peter laughs and shakes his head, finally letting his arms go lax and let you go. “I don’t know what’s hurt worse, my feelings or my ego,” Peter says in a fake hurt tone and sad look.
“Stop! Peter, stop!” you laugh and giggle as he pokes at you.
“What? What? What do you mean?” Peter laughs and lunges to wrap his arms around you, pulling you back against his chest as you both laugh.
“S-stop,” you wheeze, “the food is ready. We have to go.”
“Oh? You want food more than to hang with me?” he raises his eyebrow at you.
“Hm, you or food? I think I’ll pick food!” you say and try to laugh and get out of his grip.
“Wow, ok. Food doesn’t save the world, though,” Peter jokes.
“Wanna bet?” you laugh.
Peter laughs and shakes his head, finally letting his arms go lax and let you go. “I don’t know what’s hurt worse, my feelings or my ego,” Peter says in a fake hurt tone and sad look.
“Mhm, yeah, I’m sure you can talk to Tony about that ego thing. He probably has something to fix that,” you snicker and head toward your bedroom door. Peter gasps and runs at you again, making you laugh and try to open the door to get away from him, only to get trapped between his arms and the hallway wall. “What, did I lie?”
“No… guess not,” he smirks.
It’s a moment of silence as you both look at each other, all while he has you pinned to the wall, and after a moment, you lean up and place a tender kiss on his lips. He melts into the kiss, leaning his body more on yours.
“Ahem.” You pull away at the sound of someone clearing their throat. “There are kids here, ya know? Keep all the ick somewhere else,” Darrell, your brother, says. “And the food’s ready.”
You laugh and roll your eyes, turning to walk toward the kitchen, Peter not far behind. You both walk into the kitchen, the smell of food hitting your nose and making your mouth water.
You and Peter walk toward the living room, wanting to sit on the couch and wait for your mom to give the ok that everyone can eat. “What are you doing?” you look confused at Dominic, Darrell’s twin brother.
“There was a spider, and I don’t know where it went,” he says, spraying near the ceiling but also out into the air.
“Stop spraying that stuff everywhere. We’re about to eat,” you say.
“What? Scared of a little buy spray?” he mocks, turning the can toward you and spraying some at you.
It was only a little, but the bottle he’s using sprays a large area, so it didn’t only hit you, but it hit Peter also.
“Ugh. Really?” you scrunch your face and scoff, Peter starting to cough behind you. “Ma! Can you get your son and tell him to stop trying to kill us all with this bug spray!” you yell toward the kitchen.
“BOY! Stop using all my spray and sit down!” you hear her yell over the sound of Peter still coughing.
“I was just trying to get the spider!” he whines.
“Imma put a spider in your food if you don’t sit yo butt down and put my can away!”
Dominic turns around and gives you a mean look before leaving the living room. It’s now that you realize Peter is still coughing. You turn around, seeing him with his face buried in his arm as he wheezes. “Hey? You ok?’ you ask, concern in your voice as you put your hand on Peter’s arm.
He tries to stop coughing, but it turns into wheezes for air. "C-can'tbeathe! Can'tbreathe!” he says franticly, pointing to his throat and desperately trying to get air into his lungs.
Your eyes go wide, and you notice how pale he now looks. His eyes beat red, and tears started to run from them. “Peter? Hey, hey, Peter!” Peter falls to his knees, clawing at his throat and feeling it squeeze closed.
“Is everything ok? What’s wrong? What happened?” your mom asks her, and Marcus, your other little brother, comes to find out what all the commotion is.
You thought for a moment, and it started to sink in. Peter got hit with the bug spray. Technically, he’s part spider. He could be dying.
Peter starts feeling dizzy, and you get on your knees so you’re level with him. “Pete, I- I don’t know what to do…” you put your hands on his face. You thought hearing Peter gasp for help was bad, but then he goes completely silent, and your heart skips a beat. He stops making noise altogether, his eyes glazing over and his body feeling heavy. His weight leans into you, his head falling to your shoulder. You’d think he went unconscious, but there’s still the tiny movement of his body trying every few seconds to inhale.
You scramble to get your phone, quickly finding Tony’s contact. “Mr. Stark! Peter got hit with bug spray! I- I think he’s dying.”
Tony is quick to understand and told you to wait. He’d come as quick as possible with a solution. But who knew how long Peter had. Maybe his body could fight the spray, but maybe it can’t. Maybe there’s no way to save him at this point.
Within 10 minutes, there’s a knock on the door. Tony. You let him in and ignore the looks of surprise and confusion you get from your family. “What’s that?” you ask, watching him kneel down to your unconscious boyfriend laid on the floor and pull out a vile.
“A sedative,” he says, lifting up one of Peter’s sleeves and sticking it to his arm.
“Wait- sedative?? Won’t that stop his body from fighting the spray?!” you say, a little louder than you liked.
“You the scientist?” You can only blankly stare at him, closing your mouth from saying anything else. He sighs, “The sedative will settle his senses and powers, meaning he’s more normal for the moment, and instead of attacking him, his body will react more normally. Meaning not at all.”
Like on cue, Peter’s eyes shot open, and he woke up with a sharp gasp of air. “What? What happened?” he pants, still trying to catch his breath. You sigh and get down next to him, pulling him into a hug.
“You’re gonna need some rest, kid,” Tony speaks up, pulling your attention to him. He nods, still not fully understanding why but agreeing. Tony stands, turning to your family -who’s standing like deers in headlights- and smiles. “So, what are we having for dinner?”
“Darrell, come help me,” you say, standing and trying to help Peter up.
He snaps out of his daze and walks over. You don’t miss the hint of hesitation in his walk. He lets Peter put his arm around his shoulders, and both of you start walking him back toward your room. You make it to your room and help him on your bed, turning to Darrell, who’s still just standing there, not really knowing what to do.
“Get out,” you say with a fake smile and push him back through the door, closing it behind him. You let out a breath and turn back to Peter, climbing in bed with him and laying back. “How ya feeling?”
“Like I got sprayed with death,” he mumbles, turning and climbing on top of you, getting under the blankets and laying between your legs, the back of his head laid on your stomach.
You bring your hand up and run it through his hair. “Yeah, guess the bug spray is a big no no,” you say gently. He hums in response, closing his eyes and letting them rest.
You stay like that for about 3 minutes before your door slowly opens, the rest of your family, and Tony with a plate in his hand behind them, steps through. Your mom is the first to speak up. “You got a lot of explaining to do.”
You internally cringe, knowing there’s really no way out of this. You glance at Tony, who has a face full of food and is no help, but you feel one of Peter’s hands on your leg, slowly stroking it gently like he’s saying it’s ok, that you can tell him.
You take in a slow breath. “Yeah. Guess now is as best of time to let you guys in on everything.”
Returning to school on Monday morning was the most difficult part. All weekend, you didn’t receive a single sign from Peter. Your phone didn’t show any notifications from him, not a call, or even just a text, absolutely nothing. It tore you up inside trying to think of what you could’ve done wrong. Everything seemed to have been going so well. MJ tried to hit you up a couple times, asking why you left early from the dance and if everything was alright, but you didn’t feel like talking to her. You didn’t feel like doing anything, really. You just felt devastated, and sad, and broken hearted. All this time you had convinced yourself that Peter was a good kid, that he was someone you could really trust, that he wouldn’t be the kind to hurt you or use you. But now, you just felt foolish and stupid.
With whatever sliver of confidence you had left within yourself, you cleared your throat nervously and clutching your lunch tray, made your way to the cafeteria table. Just because Peter didn’t want to talk to you anymore didn’t mean you were going to end your friendship with Ned and MJ. You had been sitting at their lunch table every day now and it would be weird all of a sudden not to. “Hey,” you gave a weak smile as you approached, setting your tray on the table and sliding into a seat. You made eye contact with Peter and he instantly looked away, grabbing his tray and getting up, leaving the cafeteria. You stared, shocked and angry, watching as he left. “Are you shitting me?”
“Y/n-” MJ’s eyes softened, reaching out a hand to comfort you and you recoiled.
“No, that was, that was such a shit move,” you shook your head, refusing to feel sorry for yourself anymore. “Is he really going to be that immature?”
“He’s just-” Ned went to vouch for him but you held up a hand, cutting him off.
“He couldn’t even bother to look me in the eyes,” you muttered. “Did I really do something that bad?” You glanced down at your lunch, realizing your loss of appetite and got up, throwing away your food and marching out of the cafeteria yourself, frustrated and furious.
During chemistry, all you could manage to do was look back and glare at him. You hated Peter Parker. You decided to be brave and try to befriend him, open yourself up and be vulnerable for once, actually try to make a move with a guy you liked, and this is what you got in return. With no explanation or warning, he just left you, as if you meant absolutely nothing to him. In the middle of the homecoming dance much less. And now, that you were trying to still give him a chance and sit at his lunch table, he straight up ditched you? It made you feel worthless and you hated it. Once the bell rang, you made a bee line towards your locker and tried to go on with the rest of your day as quickly as possible. You told yourself to save your tears for when you got home. You couldn’t cry, not here anyways.
“Miss y/n, you seem distressed and dehydrated. Would you like water delivered to your room?” JARVIS chirped and you groaned, burying your face in your hands as you entered your bedroom, angrily throwing your bookbag to the ground.
“I’m just fine, JARVIS,” you grumbled, letting out a sigh and sitting on the edge of your bed, staring blankly at your phone. You didn’t know what to expect. He hadn’t reached out to you all weekend, and he couldn’t even talk to you at school, there would be no reason for him to do it now. “Fuck you.” You threw your phone across the room, trying to ignore the tears welling up in your eyes, when you heard a knock on your door.
“Hey sweetie, can we talk? I know you haven’t been doing too well lately,” your dad’s voice came from the other side of the door. “I haven’t seen you in the lab once, and I know that’s your favorite place to be. Something’s up. Please talk to me.” He knocked again and you stared, wondering if you should tell him or not. When he and Happy picked you up from the dance, you didn’t explain what had happened. You just said that you felt sick and you wanted to go home. He didn’t pry too much, and you were grateful for it, but now, you almost wanted to tell him. You wanted your dad to kick his ass, just like he promised he would. “Is it okay if I come in?”
You wiped the tears off of your cheeks and walked to the door, opening it and instantly falling into his arms, hugging him, crying harder. “I’m sorry,” you sobbed into his chest and he stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, clearing his throat and patting your back.
“Hey, hey let’s uh, let’s take this over there, okay?” he walked you over to where you were both sitting at the edge of your bed, him handing you a box of tissues as you blew your nose, red eyes glancing at his concerned eyes and furrowed brow. “What’s the matter, kiddo?”
“Peter Parker is a major asshole,” you sniffled, shaking your head. “I thought that uh, that he was nice and smart and handsome and charming, but he’s just a dick. Just like all the other boys.”
“Oh, that Parker kid?” Tony raised an eyebrow, looking a bit hesitant. “The boy who took you to the dance? He seemed awfully nice. What did he do?”
“All night he kept avoiding me like I was the plague or something, and it made me feel awful. And he wouldn’t talk to me or even look at me. And then this song came on, and I wanted to dance, and he uh,” your voice broke and you shook your head, shutting your eyes tight, trying to hold yourself together. “He told me that we weren’t working out. And he said that asking me to the dance was a big mistake.”
“Honey…” Tony put a hand on your shoulder and you just cried more.
“I really liked him, dad,” you confessed. “I was… I was hoping he was the one.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Sometimes boys are just assholes,” he sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
“I just- I can’t seem get over the fact that he never told me why,” you argued. “I doesn’t add up. We were doing so well, and I felt like we were really close, and then that night. He came to the door and he seemed different. And you talked to him and…” You paused, widening your eyes, putting two and two together. “What did you tell him, dad?”
“W-what?” he looked caught off guard and you hardened your piercing gaze, glaring at him.
“That night, when he picked me up for the dance,” you specified. “You talked to him and everything changed. What did you tell him?”
“I didn’t say anything,” Tony lied, although you could easily see the fear in his eyes.
“Bullshit,” you spat. “All night he looked terrified and nervous. You told him something that scared him off, I know you did. He wasn’t like this until he talked to you.”
“Look, Pete? That kid… he was trouble, okay? He was going to hurt you,” your dad finally broke and you stared at him, shocked and confused and infuriated all the same. Tony shrank back and you shook your head, enraged. “I was trying to protect you, I told him that I didn’t want him around you. Trust me, y/n, he might seem nice and all, but I know boys like him-”
“Like hell you know boys like him!” you shouted, angry. “Dad, he was the best thing that ever happened to me! Do you know how happy he made me? How much this meant to me? And now, just cause you’re scared that your little girl is growing up and she’s might get her heartbroken, you took away the only chance I ever had?” You ran your hands through your hair, pressing your lips together, feeling doubly betrayed.
“He was no good for you!” Tony persisted. “He was going to hurt you anyways.”
“Peter Parker was the sweetest boy I’ve ever met in my life,” you refused to believe his words. You stared at him, feeling broken and exhausted. “Dad, if you really cared about me then you would’ve known how much I wanted this.” You shook your head, walking to the door.
“Y/n. Y/n!” he called after you but you ignored him, marching to the elevator. He chased you out of your room. “Where are you going?”
“If you knew me then you would know,” you insisted, letting the doors shut and racing out onto the streets of New York, trying as best as you could to remember the address of that little apartment Peter showed you in Queens.
Thankfully, when you arrived, May had no problem with letting you in. “Is it okay if I talk to Peter?” you asked nervously and she smiled sweetly.
“Of course, sweetheart,” she responded. “He’s in his room right now working on homework. Feel free to just knock.”
And so you did. Standing outside his bedroom door, he opened it, blinking at you, shocked. “Y-y/n? I didn’t expect you to-” he stammered as you roughly brushed past him, quickly shutting the door behind you, facing him with your teary eyes.
“Fuck you,” you stood in front of him, eyes stinging, hands shaky, overwhelmed with emotion. “Why would you do that to me?”
“Y/n, I didn’t mean to…” he seemed so broken up, but you just stared at him, devastated. “I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” you asked, desperate for some sort of reasoning on his part. “You made me feel so stupid, like you didn’t even like me back, and I felt so angry at you. You couldn’t even look at me at the dance, and then at the lunch table today, god, I just- I get it. My dad scared you or whatever, but fuck Peter- why didn’t you tell me? It’s like you just decided to give up on-”
In the middle of you talking he cut you off, pressing his lips to yours, and you melted into the kiss. It was soft and warm and sweet and apologetic and when he pulled back, he looked at you, nervous, scared. “I’m sorry, y/n. I really am,” Peter insisted, reaching to grab your hand, holding it in his, brown eyes apologetic and genuine. “I’m an idiot. I should’ve told you, and I shouldn’t have done what I did, and I’m sorry. But I um, I also should’ve been honest.”
You looked up at him, biting the inside of your cheek, eyes blurry, still remembering the imprint of his lips against yours. “Go on.”
“I like you a lot, y/n. So ridiculously much. But I haven’t been completely honest with you, because I was scared, and I’m sorry about that,” he apologized. “The truth is, your dad didn’t want you to be with me because he was afraid that I’d put you in danger. The same way he puts you in danger.”
“What are you talking about, Peter?” you stared at him, but he only squeezed your hand tighter, struggling to find the words to say.
“He wasn’t going to let me tell you, or anyone really, and that’s why he didn’t want me near you, but I care about you so much and I don’t want to keep any more secrets between us…” he shook his head, looking up at you again. “You know how your dad is Ironman? And by you being his daughter, you’re constantly in a state of danger simply through association?”
“Yeah…” you trailed off, confused as to where this was going.
“Well-” he instantly shot up his free hand towards the ceiling of his bedroom and a small trap door fell down, making you shriek and jump towards him, a blur of red and blue falling from above. You jumped into his arms and he laughed slightly, holding you tight, and your eyes fixated on the clothing hanging from the ceiling, mouth agape. The red and blue fabric was part of a suit, a spider emblem etched in the center of the chest piece, bionic eyes sewn onto the mask, making your own widen.
“Holy shit,” you gasped.
“I’m Spider-Man,” he whispered in your ear and you stared at the suit dangling from the ceiling, watching as he shot his free hand up again, swinging the trap door shut and swiping the suit up with it, cleverly tucking the secret away in the ceiling. Your eyes widened before looking back at him, and he seemed scared, waiting to see how you would take it.
“What the fuck, Peter?” you blinked at him, partially terrified.
“I know, I know it’s a lot,” he smiled apologetically. “But I wanted you to know. And that’s why I know your dad, through the superhero stuff. When we first started working together and he found out we went to the same school, he specifically told me that he didn’t want me near you, but I uh, I really couldn’t help myself.” He blushed and shook his head, sobering up. “When he found out I was taking you to the dance, he got mad, because he knew I blatantly ignored his orders, and he thought that if I was around you, then you would be in twice as much danger as you already are. He told me I wasn’t allowed to be with you anymore, and I got scared, and I didn’t know what to do. So I cut you off completely, and I’m sorry.” He shut his eyes tight, tears of his own starting to surface. “That’s so fucked up, and unforgivable, and horrible, and I am so very sorry I put you through that.”
“I just thought maybe you hated me,” you whispered, hugging him tightly, sighing and trying to drink it all in. “But now, I think I’m slowly starting to understand.”
“I shouldn’t have let anything get in between us,” Peter acknowledged. “I really do care about you, y/n. So much.” He paused. “Actually, that night, before the dance, on my way to your house, I was planning to ask you out. And make us official.”
“Really?” you looked up at him, wondering if you should allow yourself to be hopeful again, so soon.
“Really,” he smiled. “I see where he’s coming from, but in the end, I shouldn’t have let your dad scare me.”
“He’s an overprotective jackass of a father,” you sighed. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love him.”
“He’s a good guy, Mr. Stark,” Peter admitted. “You’re really lucky to have a dad like him. He cares a lot about you.”
You nodded your head and hummed in agreement, pausing for a moment. “What are you going to tell him?” you wondered softly, both of you still holding each other, Peter’s fingers running through your hair. “When he finds out?”
“I think I simply might just tell him that I don’t care,” he murmured, shrugging softly. “Cause I really do care about you. And I would do anything to have you back in my life again, because you make me really happy, you do. And I know that I can’t have a normal life, but I can at least try. That would be fair, right?”
“I think so,” you replied. “Why do you care so much, anyways? When you have your other things to worry about, like uh, like the Spider-Man…”
“Cause you’re beautiful, y/n. You’re smart and you’re bold and brave and funny and you always make me smile. When I’m with you it’s like I could stay there forever, and I can’t help but stare at you whenever I see you, and you just-” he looks at you, eyes sparkling, sighing. “You’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met in my life, y/n. Really. And I’d be damned if I let anyone take me away from you.”
“Sooo…” you giggled, looking up at him, your arms draped around his waist. “Does this make me Spider-Man’s girlfriend?”
“If you’d like to be,” he grinned.
“I don’t think there’s anything I could possibly want more,” you confessed, kissing him again, him holding you in his arms. You couldn’t imagine yourself being with anyone else.
It seemed as though after spending that evening in his apartment, everything between you and Peter changed. There wasn’t any awkward tension or tip toeing around your feelings. You could simply just feel and not have to be ashamed or embarrassed by it. He started going to meet you at your locker before school, complimenting you on whatever outfit you were wearing, and holding your hand, which was your personal favorite. It was like a reminder that you were finally his. Although neither of you clarified whether you were officially dating yet or not, it was obvious something had changed in your friendship. MJ and Ned were quick to point out this change, teasing you two relentlessly but also congratulating you both.
Even outside of school, Peter was still tugging at your heartstrings. He sent you adorable texts and even facetimed you before bedtime to talk. One morning before school he had even gotten you some iced coffee, and another day offered to walk you home. He was definitely the sweetest boy you had ever met, and you found yourself falling harder and harder for him each day. As the dance approached, Pepper helped you slowly get ready. She went out with you to find the perfect dress, one that complimented your eyes and cascaded down your hips, as well as some matching jewelry. She also briefed you on some dance lessons just in case your brain went blank in the middle of a slow song. You giggled to yourself as you imagined Aunt May doing the same with Peter.
Before you knew it, the night had finally arrived, and you were excited and nervous all the same. Staring at yourself in the mirror, fancy hairstyle framing your makeup painted face, you smiled. You wouldn’t have wanted to spend this night with anyone else but Peter. Walking down to the lobby you smiled at your dad, beaming at you with teary eyes. “You look absolutely stunning, y/n,” he gave you a big hug. “Can’t believe my little girl’s all grown up.”
“Best believe it,” you smirked. “I’ll be up and off to college before you know it.”
“Ah you won’t be gone long,” he shook his head. “I know you’ll breeze right through it. You’ve got your father’s brains.”
“If only she had your confidence too,” Pepper teased. “Then she’d be unstoppable.”
“Yeah right,” you scoffed. “I’m a teenage girl in high school, dad. You probably have more confidence than all of us combined.”
“A visitor has approached the door. Would you like me to let him enter, Mr. Stark?” JARVIS chirped through the building and you felt giddy, heart beginning to race.
“That must be Peter,” you smiled and you saw your dad tense behind you as you rushed towards the door.
“Peter?” he raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat awkwardly.
“Yeah,” you opened the door, proudly presenting your date to your father.
He stood there in the doorframe, just as you imagined, but almost even better. Hair swept back neatly, sporting a tuxedo and a bowtie, smelling faintly of cologne, he was handsome as ever. You wanted to kiss him right there on the spot. “Y/n! You look beautiful,” Peter gasped and you blushed, looking up at him, shy.
“Thank you,” you whispered. “You look very handsome too.” Your dad stepped out from behind you to get a good look at the boy and you stepped back to let them introduce themselves, noting the almost surprised look on both of their faces. Did Peter really think you weren’t going to introduce him to your family?
“Nice to meet you sir,” the boy extended his hand, looking a bit jittery. “Peter Parker.”
“Tony Stark…” your dad drew out his voice, seeming very off, and you stared at him strangely, confused. They shook hands slowly, both staring at each other weirdly, and you narrowed your eyes at the interaction, letting Peter step into the room and watching as the two of them struggled to find words to say.
“Big fan of your work,” Peter nodded slowly, smiling anxiously, entire body tense. “You’re a good man, Mr. Stark.”
“Going to keep my daughter safe tonight, Mr. Parker?” your dad asked, ignoring Peter’s praise, and you rolled your eyes, sighing, slugging him in the shoulder playfully.
“Y-yes sir, of course, absolutely,” Peter insisted, almost as if trying to convince himself, and Tony hummed, still skeptical. Your father turned to you and you instantly felt strange yourself, hoping everything was okay.
“Mind if I have a couple words with Petey here?” your dad asked and you stared at him quizzically.
“Sure, is everything alright?” you turned your head to the side.
“Of course, you know, just the regular don’t hurt my daughter or I’ll hurt you type of talk,” he reassured and you chewed on your inner cheek, looking up at him, hesitant.
You lowered your voice, leaning into his ear to whisper. “Just don’t mess this up, okay dad? I really like him,” you pleaded, and he smiled softly, nodding.
“It’ll only be a couple minutes,” Tony replied. “Why don’t you go out and wait with Happy in the limo. I’m going to talk to Mr. Parker for a little bit.”
Reluctantly, you followed his instructions, going out to wait in the backseat of the vehicle with Happy. Meanwhile, your father confronted Peter in the lobby, pulling him aside so that they were alone. “Look, Mr. Stark, I can explain really-” Peter began but Tony shook his head, shutting him up.
“No. What did I tell you?” he asked bitterly, taking off his glasses, cursing. “Shit. You’re not supposed to be doing these things, kid. And with my daughter? Are you serious? You have a job, people to protect, yourself to worry about. You can’t be involving other people who could potentially get hurt, just so you can boogie for a night in your high school’s gymnasium.”
“I know, I know. But it’s so much more than that,” Peter sighed, apologetic. “And I swear, I wasn’t the one who approached her Mr. Stark, I would never try to mess with your daughter. I know you told me already and everything, but I swear, she approached me. And I didn’t want anything to happen but she just, she’s really a great girl, Mr. Stark. She’s so smart and funny, and she kept asking me to hang out, and we kept talking and I- I couldn’t help but catch feelings. And there was this dance coming up and my aunt, you know my aunt, she kept bugging me to ask someone, and the only person I could think of to bring was-”
“Her. Okay, I get it, kid,” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. “But I don’t think you understand. She likes you. A lot. She’s really fallen hard. You’re all she ever talks about. And I’m just afraid if this keeps happening, whatever this is between you two, something bad could happen. You having these powers, being, you know, Spider-Man… It’s a full time gig. There’s no option for girlfriends, Peter. If something ever ends up happening to her, that’s not only going to be on me anymore. That’ll also be on you. And you’re just a kid, I don’t think you’re ready for that yet. I don’t think anyone ever is.”
“I promise I’ll be careful, Mr. Stark. I’d never let anything happen to her, I care about her a lot. I really do,” Peter swore.
“It’s not a matter of how much you care, Romeo. You can’t control things like this,” Tony argued. “Think of what would happen if anything happened to her. If anything happened to you! She’d be devastated. She wouldn’t be able to take it. And if you two stay together, she can’t know. She can’t know about any of this, about your powers or your suit, or the fact that we already know each other. It would be based upon a lie. And she doesn’t deserve that.”
“So what? I’m just not allowed to have a girlfriend?” Peter began to get annoyed. “I can’t be a normal high schooler sometimes? I’m not allowed to bring the girl I like to one school dance?”
“Look kid, none of this is normal. Not a single bit of it. And I know that’s not fair to you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unfair to anyone else either, okay? Being a superhero, that whole gig, being Spider-Man, that comes before anyone else. Especially girls, no matter who that girl is,” Tony explained. “I’m sorry, but no means no. You just can’t have both.”
“And apparently I can’t choose either?” Peter stared at him, desperate, but Tony insisted.
“Being a hero means doing the right thing,” he said firmly, finalizing his statement. Stark looked at the boy, noticing the sadness in his eyes, and shook his head. It was for the best. “Now go. Have a good night. Give her something to remember. Take care of her.” There was a pause and he sighed. “You can plan on telling her tomorrow.”
Peter blinked at Tony, trying not to either punch him in the face or start crying, watching as your father walked away, unsure of what to think or do. He wanted to swing away, to the highest rooftop, and scream at the sky. But he couldn’t. He had a dance to go to and a girl to take care of. A girl he couldn’t even keep if he wanted to. Walking silently to the limousine, he opened up the door, and you greeted him cheerily, but he remained quiet, making you concerned, furrowing your brow. “What’d he talk to you about? You were in there for a while, I thought you’d never come out,” you chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but he still looked different. Almost sad. “You okay, Peter?”
“It’s fine,” he shook his head. “He just uh, he told me to have a good time.” He gave a fake smile and you stared at him, concerned, wondering what the fuck your dad just did to make him look so goddamn depressed.
“A-are you sure that was it?” you wondered, and you could pick up the same type of tension on Happy. It was like everyone knew something you didn’t.
“Yeah, just forget about it,” Peter insisted. “It’s fine.”
When you arrived to the dance though, he seemed distracted and distanced, making you worry even more. Ned and MJ greeted you both with their dates, and you all poured glasses of fruit punch and took silly photos at the booth. When it came time to dance, you begged Peter to join you, and you swayed your hips to the music and twirled around in circles, trying to get him to loosen up, but he still seemed off. “What’s up with Peter?” MJ finally cracked as soon as you had stepped away from the boys and you shrugged.
“He’s been like that ever since he picked me up from my house,” you frowned. “I feel like something’s wrong.”
“Did you ask him about it?” MJ wondered and you sighed.
“Several times, but he won’t tell me what’s up,” you replied. “I’m almost scared it might be something I did. We were fine until he came over. Maybe the tower and my dad and everything scared him off.”
“I don’t think so, Peter doesn’t seem the type to ignore you,” MJ insisted. “Just let me know if I can help. I hope you figure it all out soon.”
“Thanks,” you gave a sympathetic smile. “Me too.”
“Best of luck, buddy,” she winked, going off to grab some snacks.
You shook your head, hoping everything would work out. Maybe the dance was just making him nervous. You made your way through the sea of people crowding the gymnasium, trying to find a familiar face. A slow song began to play, one of your favorites, and you instantly rushed towards Peter, holding out your hands. “Come on,” you begged. “Slow dance with me? Please?”
“S-sure, of course,” he smiled, getting up from his chair, making his way to the middle of the dance floor with you. He set his hands on your hips and you rested your arms on his shoulders, smiling as you looked into those hazel eyes you grew so fond of, thinking about just how much he meant to you. Sure, it started off as a silly little crush, having your eyes out for the smart nerdy boy in your chemistry class, but now? You felt like Peter was your best friend, and you wanted him to be something more. He was easy to talk to, to relate to, to be around. When you were with him, it was like the entire rest of the world disappeared.
“Can I tell you something?” you wondered and Peter looked at you, caught off guard.
“Uh yeah, yeah, sure,” he agreed. “But um, I have something to tell you too.”
“You do?” you raised an eyebrow, interested. You secretly hoped it was the same thing. “Maybe you should go first.”
“Are you sure?” he looked quizzical, almost unsure of himself.
“Mhmm,” you smiled, still swaying your hips, looking into his eyes, hopeful. What if he was going to tell you how much he liked you too? Or what if he asked you to be his girlfriend? What if he told you he loved you? No! No way. That would be way too soon. Wouldn’t it? Your heart raced as you watched him struggle to find the words to say, excited as ever, but as soon as they left his mouth you wished he had never said them at all.
“I don’t really think this is working out,” he whispered and you stared at him, beginning to feel your heart shatter into a thousand pieces.
“W-what?” you stammered, freezing in your place, confused.
“Us,” Peter clarified, looking down at the floor, embarrassed. “I think I made a mistake. Asking you to the dance. And I’m sorry.”
“Wait, what?” you almost laughed, trying to convince yourself this was all some crazy prank or something, but you looked up and saw the pain and sadness in Peter’s eyes and you suddenly knew something wasn’t right. Maybe that’s why he had been acting so weird. Did he regret asking you to the dance? He seemed so excited when he had asked you. And he had told you all week how much he was looking forward to it. Was it all just some big lie? You shook your head, still in denial. “You’re joking, right?”
“I’m sorry, y/n,” Peter mumbled, breaking away from you, walking off the dance floor. But you didn’t know what to do, instead just standing there, tears of your own forming in your eyes.
Were you fooling yourself? Were all of these feelings just one sided? Were you too stupid to see what was happening all along? You hated yourself for thinking someone like Peter could ever like you. You were just friends, and that was it. God, Ned and MJ probably thought you looked stupid too. Tears welled up in your eyes as you exited the gymnasium, pulling out your phone, sitting on the curb in your dress, hating yourself for messing everything up. Your phone rang several times before you sniffled, clearing your throat.
“Uh, hey dad?” you whimpered.
“Y/n?” Tony asked, concerned. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Can you pick me up from the dance? I want to go home,” you told him, voice shaky, wiping tears from your cheeks.
“Sure thing, kiddo,” he reassured. “I’ll be there in ten. Hang tight.”
The following weeks you found yourself sitting at Peter Parker’s lunch table nearly every day. You slowly got to know him better, understanding his passion for photography, his love for Star Wars, and of course, his obsession with science puns. Alongside him, you also got to know his friends, MJ and Ned. MJ was more laid back and careless than Peter, messy hair and doodling in class, dark humor and straight-to-the-point conversation. She wasn’t like the other girls you knew who liked to gossip about drama or swoon over boys. Instead she talked about true crime and conspiracy theories. Ned was a lot like Peter, minus the anxiety. He was a goofball who enjoyed LEGOs and read comic books and was always excited to announce whatever latest movie just came out or NASA’s newest discovery. His friends were interesting and cool, and you enjoyed hanging out with them a lot too. Of course, they weren’t nearly as charming and polite as Peter was, but you liked the company all the same. MJ was reliable in recommending you good music and Ned in showing you memes he thought you’d appreciate.
As far as Peter goes, when you weren’t sending silly selfies to each other or texting paragraphs back and forth over the phone, you both made an effort to spend time together at school. Study hall slowly became a regular thing between the two of you. After the dismissal bell rang, you would meet at the cafeteria vending machines to grab snacks, and then spread your textbooks out on a library table and breeze through your homework, sharing jokes and stories about the school day or whatever else was going on in your lives at the time. However, approaching the library that evening, both of you instantly pouted at the notice posted on the door.
“Closed for SAT prep,” Peter read aloud. “Uh oh.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you stared at the piece of paper taped to the entrance, letting out a small huff. “We have a test tomorrow and to be completely honest, I haven’t even read the last two chapters yet.”
“I have,” Peter piped up. “I can fill you in if you want, you can borrow notes.” He turned to face you and narrowed his eyes. “Although it’s not like you to be slacking on an assignment. What’s up?”
“I’ve just been helping my dad with this uh, this project lately,” you replied. “I’m trying to figure out how to improve computation time through admissible heuristic-”
“A* yeah,” Peter blurted, recognizing your words, and you paused, thoroughly impressed.
“Wait! Parker, you’re telling me you know algorithms?” you stood there, jaw still hanging in surprise.
“Sure, I am a computer geek after all,” he chuckled softly, flexing a humble brag. “I have a bit of experience in computer science, if you ever want a helping hand.”
“Holy shit,” you blinked, thinking to yourself, as if he couldn’t get any hotter?
“Anyways, you should really get on those chapters. You know this exam makes up ten percent of our grade for the quarter.” He pauses to think for a moment and then his eyes light up with an idea. “Let’s hang at my place and I can catch you up,” he offers, and you look at him incredulously, practically delirious at this point.
“Y-you want me to come over?” you raise an eyebrow and he stiffens, hesitant.
“Uh, I mean, if you’re okay with that,” he explains. “I just thought since the library was closed, you know, we could find a different place to study. It doesn’t have to be my place we can go to a coffee shop or the park or something-”
“No, no your place sounds perfect,” you insisted, head reeling at the fact that your crush just invited you to their house.
“Awesome, cause I know a really good pizza place on the way,” he grins and you think you could melt on the spot right there.
Peter doesn’t live very far from Midtown at all, just a couple transfers. And as far as pizza recommendations go, he knows the very best spot in town. It’s obvious he’s a Queens kid, the way he walks about the city and interacts with the people, it’s like there’s nowhere else he could ever possibly belong. It’s heartwarming, to see the way he talks about his favorite shops and people, pointing out little things like good climbing trees and perfect awnings for being caught in the rain. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he created the city himself, the way he was familiarized with everything. It was impressive.
Your dad didn’t really let you out of the tower to roam much. Happy usually escorted you around a in a car or he insisted you take a taxi rather than the subway. When you did go out, it was usually in his company, to a fancy party or a conference hall, a five-star restaurant or a prestigious academy. Being raised surrounded with such success and wealth was a blessing, and you were ever grateful for it, but it was times like these when you wondered what it would’ve been like to just be a normal kid. To be able to explore and meet others and know the city as well as Peter does, every little hideout and bodega, the best spot to watch the sunrise or grab a sandwich.
“Well uh, this is it,” Peter clutched onto the straps of his backpack, giving a nervous smile. “It might not be much, but it’s my home. It’s just me and my Aunt May, she’s the one who pretty much raised me so…” He shrugged and then opened up the door, you being sure to take everything in.
“Oh my gosh Peter! Hi! How was school today? Oh! And you brought a friend!” a bubbly brunette with glasses greeted both of you, scooping up Peter in a hug, and you instantly knew she must be Aunt May. “Hi dear, I’m Aunt May and you are?”
“This is y/n, remember?” Peter introduced you and you raised an eyebrow at that last part, noting the way that he must’ve mentioned you to her before. You tried to hide the blush rising to your cheeks.
“Y/n? Oh yes, how could I forget your-” May paused immediately upon Peter’s terrified eyes and nodded slowly. “Your uh, your?”
“My friend,” he smiled. “She’s my friend, May.”
“Right. Awesome,” she looked at you and you could sense her suspicion, that they were hiding something, but you dismissed it and smiled back. “I’m so glad you could come visit today, Miss Y/n! Peter’s told me so much about you.” You looked at Peter and he gave you terrified eyes, making you laugh. “Oh, was I not supposed to say that?” May turned to you and you laughed harder, reassuring her it was just fine, but inside, your head was reeling. Peter had talked to her about you before? You just hoped it was all good things.
“Anyways… We’re gonna study for our test, so we’ll be in my room. Just knock if you need me,” Peter explained, and to your surprise, grabbed you by the hand and led you down the hall, heart fluttering in your chest every step of the way. He dumped his bookbag on the ground and shut the door, flopping onto his bed, sighing. “Sorry that’s my Aunt May, she can be a little overbearing at times.”
“No, no, you’re all fine,” you reassured, taking a seat next to him at the edge of his bed. “I get it. My dad can be a lot like that too. Lots of questions and pestering- it’s just cause they care about us, you know.”
“Yeah, I appreciate that,” Peter smiled softly, leaning up and looking at you, noticing the way you pressed your lips together, waiting to ask something. “What?”
“You told her about me?” you wondered, and he swallowed nervously, clearly embarrassed.
“I mean, uh… Yeah. I did…” He paused, staring at the floor. “Is that okay?” he asked, scared. “I mean, I tell Aunt May about everything, she’s sort of my best friend- but not in a weird way, she’s my aunt you know, but-”
“You’re fine, Peter,” you laughed. “I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“Oh,” he grew quiet, letting out a soft sigh of relief as you laughed a bit harder, smiling at him. He looked back at you, face reddening, hazel eyes softened. “You have a nice laugh, you know.”
“Really?” you cocked your head to the side, growing self-conscious. “I always thought it was a bit too obnoxious.”
“No, it’s genuine,” he shook his head, insisting. “I like it a lot.” He looked down towards his feet and started to pull out some textbooks from his backpack, and you could’ve sworn you heard him mumble. “I could probably listen to it all day.”
Reading classic English literature was never the most exciting way to pass time, but with Peter, it instantly became your favorite hobby. Both of you impersonated characters and made fun of the old dialect, as well as sprinkled in vine references at every appropriate moment. While writing notes, you doodled cartoons in the margins and decorated them with stickers. It was like hanging out with Peter outside of school made doing school related things much less nerve wracking. It gave you the freedom to be laid back, boisterous, and most of all, handsy. Throughout studying you found yourselves guilty of seeming to find any excuse to touch the other, whether it was poking, tickling, pulling hair, slugging a shoulder, or tugging on a sleeve. At one point, Peter even leaned against your side, resting his head on your shoulder and watching as you scrawled down notes, making your head dizzy.
A notification went off on Peter’s phone and he sighed, walking over to where it was charged on his desk before staring intently. “Woah,” he held his phone screen up to you with the displayed time. “I didn’t even know it was this late! I’m sorry.”
“Oh no,” you glanced at your own phone, spotting the several missed calls and texts from your father, sighing. You didn’t want to leave, but you knew you had to. You didn’t want to dig yourself a deeper hole. Shooting your dad a couple texts and asking Happy to come pick you up, you groaned, realizing there was no avoiding explanations on this one. The school library wouldn’t have even been open for study hall at this time if you said you were there. “Shit, I’ve got to go. I’m sorry, Peter.”
“It’s okay,” he insisted, although you could sense his disappointment too. “Maybe another time?”
“Definitely,” you grinned. “I think I like hanging here much better than the library. You even have a periodic table up on your wall for reference.”
“Exactly!” he pointed out, overexcited, and you giggled at his enthusiasm. “The library’s got nothing on us.”
“It’s a lot quieter in here too,” you added. “Which is ironic, because you’d think a library is the quietest place there is.”
“Not in a high school it’s not,” Peter shook his head and you laughed alongside him.
“You got that right,” you agreed.
Gathering up your things into your bookbag, you joked back and forth with him, until you were about to head out the door and he stopped you, making you freeze. “C-can I ask you something?” he wondered and you stared up at him, wide eyed, nervous. “I’ve sort of been meaning to ask you but I get nervous sometimes and I didn’t know how you’d react but uh-”
“What’s up, Parker?” you smirked, having a feeling that whatever was about to happen could only lead to something good.
“Well you see, there’s this dance coming up, next week actually, and me and Ned were talking about it. Um, it’s the homecoming dance. I was wondering, if it’s okay with you, and it can be as friends or maybe more than friends but well, maybe, I was thinking…” he stopped rambling and sighed, looking at you, frustrated and terrified of himself all at the same time. “Would you like to be my date to the homecoming dance next Friday?”
“Peter-” you stared at him, fireworks exploding in your chest. “Yes! Of course!”
“Wait, really?” his eyes lit up and you nodded eagerly, dropping your bookbag and rushing up to hug him.
“Really,” you insisted, wrapping your arms around him. You had never hugged Peter before, but he was warm and comfy and he smelled like fabric softener. You buried your face into his shoulder, squeezing tight, muffling your giggles. Both of you pulled back and he was smiling ear to ear, you as well. “I wish I could stay longer, but um, I’ll be sure to shoot you a text when I get home.”
“For sure,” he kept smiling at you like a fool, and you couldn’t say anything because you bet you probably looked the exact same.
Waving goodbye to Aunt May and closing the door behind you, you took a step before instantly hearing Peter excitedly ramble on to his aunt. “I asked the question May- the one to the dance. And she said yes! She said yes, holy shit- I’m gonna need a suit. And a corsage. Where do you even get a corsage?”
“Woah, slow down there, kiddo,” Aunt May chuckled. Trying not to eavesdrop any longer, your entire face flushed, heart fluttering, fuzzy feeling enveloping you as you walked down the hall. You were falling for Peter Parker. And you were falling hard.
The car ride home with Happy was pretty quiet, and you knew you were going to get another talking to, you could just feel it. It wasn’t that you were purposely trying to be rebellious or anything, sometimes you just genuinely lost track of time. It was easy to be distracted when you were with someone like Peter. Your attention seemed to effortlessly gravitate towards him, you couldn’t even help it yourself. Making your way up to the elevator, half of you was still buzzing with excitement from your night at Peter’s, but the other half was dreading the rest of the night to come dealing with the repercussions from your dad.
“It’s nine o’clock, y/n. Where in the hell were you? And don’t even start with study hall,” your dad folded his arms, already exhausted.
“I went over to a friend’s house to study,” you explained. “I’m sorry, I lost track of the time and I just-”
“Was it a boy?” he looked at you, narrowing his eyes from behind his glasses and you sighed. “The boy?”
“What does it matter?” you whined.
“It matters because you’re the type of girl to get into trouble,” he argued and you did a doubletake, offended.
“Excuse me?” you stared at him. “I get perfect grades, dad! I’m on the honor roll! And you think that I’m going to get myself into trouble?”
“You’re my daughter, y/n. There’s no way in hell that you aren’t,” he shook his head. Tony sighed, looking you up and down, and then pursed his lips. “Does he treat you right at least? This boy?”
“Y-yeah,” you blushed, nodding, slowly feeling your agitation fade away. “He’s really sweet.”
“Is he smart?”
“Super smart. He competes in the decathlon, dad. Plus he literally studies computer programming for fun.”
“So he’s a giant nerd.”
“No! Okay, maybe. But he’s a cute nerd.”
“Alright, alright,” Tony nodded slowly. “So are you two dating or is this a crush type situation?”
“He asked me to the homecoming dance,” you told him, blushing furiously just at the thought of Peter Parker in a suit and tie, hair gelled back, swaying with you on the dance floor.
“I better get around to meeting this kid then,” he insisted. “If he’s inviting you over and going to the dance with you and all.”
“I’m sure you will, dad,” you smiled sweetly. “The dance is coming up soon and he’s obviously going to pick me up so, you can have a couple words with him then. He’ll be dressed up and everything, it’ll make a good impression.”
“Right, right,” he laughed. “Well just be careful, alright? I can’t have my daughter’s heart getting broken out here. He should know he’s messing with Iron Man’s daughter, I’ll kick his ass if he ever wrongs you.”
“I know, dad,” you rolled your eyes, giving him a big hug. “But I think we’re safe with this one. He’s a really good guy. I can feel it.”
Although none of the other girls in your class would agree with you, you were convinced that Peter Parker was the most attractive guy at Midtown High. He had stolen your heart from the very first day of AP Chemistry, confidently answering some basic questions concerning the structure of carbon compositions, and you basically swooned. You found smart guys unbelievably sexy, and ones who were humble were twice as good. Parker was a quiet kid, very sharp and sensible, but also friendly and courteous. Unlike the other boys at your school, he wasn’t loud mouthed and cocky, throwing outrageous parties and trying to hit on every girl within a five foot radius. It was refreshing to see a guy your age not be obsessed with copying down your homework or trying to invite you to a college frat party. Peter Parker was different, and you liked that about him. You liked it a lot.
He kept to himself and two his friends mostly, MJ and Ned, which made you more interested in him and his life. Most days he either wore these adorable blue V-neck sweaters or these goofy science pun t-shirts that looked as if ordered in a bulk pack from Amazon. He was a proud member of the photography club, robotics club, debate team, and Science Olympiad. He was one of the smartest people you knew, and in turn, that simply made him the most attractive. Perhaps it was your father who had established your high standard in boys, seeing as he dabbled in astrophysics and technological engineering as a hobby. He was Ironman after all, being an overachiever was practically a household expectation. You were pretty smart yourself, and although it could be looked upon as rude or inconsiderate, the truth was you liked to surround yourself with others who either matched or challenged your intellect.
Since establishing your crush on Peter Parker, you strived to spend more time with him. You told yourself you could start it off as a friendship with a silly crush and see how things went from there. Towards the end of the class one day, you were determined to talk to the boy. The plan was to ask him to go over some of his notes with you, maybe make it a study date situation, hope he didn’t call your bluff. It wasn’t that you didn’t understand the lesson, you understood everything perfectly fine. Hell, you could probably speak stoichiometry in your sleep. However, you needed a good reason to introduce yourself, so you hoped for the best and decided to take a leap of faith. Nervously smoothing your sweaty palms down on your thighs and gathering your books up from your desk, you walked over to where he was talking to his best friend Ned. “Hey,” you tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around, staring at you with his soft hazel eyes, brunette hair swept up neatly, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
“Oh hi,” he gave a warm smile and nervously cleared his throat. “What’s uh, what’s up?”
“I’m y/n, I sit over there,” you pointed out as an introduction.
“I think I’ve seen you around. Aren’t you Tony Stark’s daughter?” he cocked his head to the side and you groaned slightly, ever the exhausted with being immediately associated with your father.
“Yup that’s me,” you sighed. “Uh, anyways, I noticed you seem pretty caught up on this lesson and I was having some difficulty understanding some of the concepts, I was hoping maybe I could borrow your notes sometime? If that’s okay?”
“Oh?” he seemed surprised, but flattered, blush rising to his cheeks. “Sure! Of course. I’m Peter by the way, Peter Parker.” He gave a nervous laugh and then shook his head. “My notes aren’t the neatest in the world but if you think they could help, I’d be more than happy to lend you them for a night or two.”
“Thanks,” you nodded. “That would be great. I think I’ve seen you in my lunch period too, so I could always just return them to you before class then.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he agreed. “Or uh, if you wanted, we could always hang out at the library afterschool and I could explain it to you. Protein structural components can get a little tricky sometimes.”
“For sure,” you chuckled, realizing how lame you probably sounded laughing over chemistry. “I’m usually free afterschool, as long as you’re okay with it, that sounds great to me!”
“How afterschool tomorrow?” he offered. “Just for an hour or two?”
“Perfect,” you couldn’t help but blush yourself. “Thanks, Peter. Really.”
It felt like your heart was beating out of your chest as you walked away, envisioning his adorable smile still in your mind. He was so sweet, and kind, and understanding. Pretty eager too. You had to stifle a laugh as you heard Ned slug Peter on the shoulder and whisper shout, “Dude! You just scored a study date with Y/n Stark!”
“See ya, Parker,” you turned around and winked, walking out of the classroom and towards your locker.
The next day in class, you kept glancing back in your chair to look at him, smirking to yourself every time you caught him staring back. He was shy alright, and nervous, but it made him all the more adorable. That morning you made sure to fix your hair up and put on a little bit of lipstick, and after being thoroughly interrogated by your overbearing father, you were able to get out the door in one piece. It wasn’t that you were overexerting yourself into catching his attention, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t hoping to have him compliment you. The rest of the school day, you caught yourself using the rest of your attention to calculate how much time was left until you could rush to the library and actually talk to him for once.
“I thought you’d never show up,” you teased as he took a seat next to you at one of the tables, setting his backpack down on the floor and sighing.
“Me either,” he groaned. “Ned wouldn’t stop bugging me about this being a date.” He gave a nervous laugh and turned to you, but you weren’t laughing. Instead you looked at him, smiling sweetly, unable to resist your temptation.
“It can be a date,” you shrugged, opening up your textbook and waiting for a response, only to catch him dumbfounded, struggling to find words to say.
“Oh, I mean- I-” he stammered and you chuckled.
“I’m just playing with you, Parker,” you playfully reassured. “Now come on, open up those science notes so I can take a good look. I’m still lost on the GPCR structure similarities.”
“That’s what doesn’t really make sense to me though,” he mused, doubtful as he instead swiped your notes across the table, reading them over and pointing at your diagrams. “I think you do. All of these are mapped out perfectly, and your comparisons are spot on.”
“Well there’s no harm in getting clarification,” you replied, trying to grab back your notes but he held them out of your reach, narrowing his eyes. Peter didn’t buy it.
“Why do you need my help, y/n? You’re literally the smartest girl in school. Your father is Tony Stark for heaven’s sake, you don’t need tutoring,” he insisted. “If anything, you should be tutoring me.”
“You?” you scoffed. “Pete, you’re varsity on every academic team there is. No way.”
“I just don’t get it,” he admitted. “Why’d you ask for my help? It’s obvious you understand the lesson perfectly fine.”
“Well…” you blinked at him, shocked at how quickly he had seen right through your cover. “I uh, I don’t know.” Your face turned a bright shade of pink and you began to feel queasy. “Can I be honest?”
“Of course,” he nodded, concerned but also curious as to what you had to say.
“I just wanted an excuse to talk to you,” you confessed, embarrassed. “I always see you around and you seem so smart and you’re a part of all these clubs and teams and I don’t know…”
He looked surprised, almost confused, but then smiled. “Me? Why me?”
“I dunno. You seem really sweet.”
“Thanks. You too.”
“I was thinking maybe we could be friends? If that’s not too weird or-”
“No, no that sounds, that sounds great,” he insisted, clearly flustered. He looked up at you, eyes sparkling, lips curled up in a smile. “You could’ve just asked you know.”
“Yeah I’m uh, I’m clearly a fool when it comes to those kinds of things,” you laughed nervously, scratching the back of your head.
“Well, since we’re here anyways,” Peter decided. “Want to do homework together instead?”
“Sure,” you agreed. “That sounds great.”
Both of you spent the next couple of hours solving Gauss-Jordan elimination matrices and memorizing resistance series equations. In a lot of ways, Peter Parker was just as much of a nerd as you were. It was comforting to know someone’s brain worked the same way yours did, excited to be challenged with theorems and calculations, determined to find solutions and build upon your already established intellect. When the library eventually closed, you walked to the cafeteria vending machines and grabbed some chips and sodas, exchanging conversation and making each other laugh with stupid jokes.
“Sit at my lunch table tomorrow,” Peter invited after having added you on snapchat. “MJ and Ned will be there, and you can bring some of your friends if you want too.”
“Okay,” you grinned. “Count me in.”
Walking home, your entire stomach was filled with butterflies. Things couldn’t have gotten better. He was genuinely funny, and clever, and really sweet too. You hoped and prayed things would go well between you two. Practically skipping to the elevator, you tried to hide the stupid smile on your face in hopes that your dad wouldn’t pry too much. However, you instantly cringed when you heard JARVIS’ voice greet you as the doors slid open and you reached your floor.
“Good evening, Miss Y/n. It seems that you have finally arrived home from school,” he chirped and you groaned, knowing what was to follow. “Your father has requested that I alert him upon your arrival, he has been inquiring about your whereabouts-”
“Yeah, yeah, I know JARVIS,” you mumbled, setting your bookbag on your chair and frowning. “I came home late, I was at study hall with a friend.”
“You are approximately three and a half hours late from your usual arrival,” JARVIS informed.
“I am aware,” you insisted yet again, noticing your dad march towards you from a hall. Part of you was surprised he even noticed you were gone at all. Most of the time he was either out with the Avengers on a mission or cooped up in the lab working on a new project.
“And where were you afterschool, young lady?” he inquired, arms folded, peering at you above the rim of his glasses.
“I was at study hall with a friend,” you repeated, chewing at your lower lip, trying to play it off. “It took a little longer than I thought it would, I’m sorry.”
“You couldn’t give me a call at least?” he asked, annoyed.
“I didn’t think you cared,” you shrugged.
“Well I’m your father, so I do,” he argued and you nodded, growing quiet and waiting to hear whatever scolding you had coming to you.
Sometimes you wondered why he was constantly on your case. Maybe with him being an Avenger and all, always exposed to threats and danger, it translated to him being constantly worried about you. You knew it was just cause he cared, but at times, it did get a bit overbearing. You’ve learned by now to just nod your head and respond with “yes dad” and “I’m sorry dad” interchangeably.
“Much less, why are you all dolled up?” he looked you up and down in disapproval. You glanced down at your skirt and sweater, remembering the way he had inquired about your hair and makeup this morning. He wasn’t wrong. You rarely ever put any effort into your appearance when it came to going to school. You usually threw on some jeans and a hoodie and made your way out the door. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were trying to impress someone.”
“I’m not,” you lied, rolling your eyes. “I just felt like changing it up today.”
“Uh huh,” he drew out. “Twenty bucks says your little friend at study hall was a boy.”
“Dad!” you whined and he smirked.
“That’s all I need to know,” he threw up his hands defensively, secretly proud of himself. “Hey kid, get your homework done and then meet me in the lab. Bruce has a project for you concerning some Dijkstra’s algorithms that are right up your alley.”
“Lucky for you I already got my homework done in study hall,” you pointed out. “So let me grab a snack real quick and I’ll meet you down there.”
“That’s my kiddo,” he smiled proudly. “See ya in a bit.”
It was times like these when you blamed your dad for your high standard in boys. Being the daughter of Tony Stark came with some pretty high standards, and even higher ones for any boy you decided to bring home. So when the cute nerd in your chemistry class catches your eye, you’re determined to get him to like you back.
y/n (reader) x peter parker (love interest) x tony stark (dad) // fluff & angst
