𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 | peter parker

viii. tricks

I reach my hook and swing it back and forth, with a sense of boredom.

I am hanging upside down now, waiting for Peter to show up to whatever place he asked me to meet up at after college.

Peter should be here any minute now.

Me and Peter, however, have been on with our schedule for weeks now. We wake up, check out the city, talk, get caught, run away from the police, sleep. And the boring significant-routine-for-the-sake-of-spiderman repeats itself.

He said that, and I quote.

My version of the routine, however, was slightly different.

We wake up, we check out the city, we talk, we get caught, we run away from the police, I practice magic, I try to find a way back, I fail miserably, I sleep.

By the way, I found myself an apartment in the middle of the city. It's small and cozy but the hardest part is having to perform a spell everytime a neighbor senses something odd in me.

It's kind of simple however, just dingding the neighbors whenever they're suspicious and tadam, its suddenly scripted that I am a loyal customer and they've known me for years now.

I decided to skim the address book once again before coming here, and to my surprise, it made stuff more complicated. And by stuff, I also mean finding a way back.

I couldn't find anything relatable, people who exist in my universe do not have a trace of existence here, which doesn't really make sense. But then, what if they never really existed? Could this all be some kind of mind trick?

What if my whole life was and is and will remain a joke? Everything is possible.

The faint yell of Peter, nevertheless, snaps me back to the real world.

"Look who decided to show up" I mock, only to be met with a pair of upturned hazel eyes. "Are we about to kiss right now?"

"I suggest we do it in the right way"

"Which is?"

"I should be the one hanging upside down"

"Well, with me along, we are gonna need to change that Parker" I taunt as I make my way up to the closest dangling metal bar.

I land flipping my hair with one arm behind my back, the other crouching down to the ground, and I grin to myself. Progress.

"Hey, that's my pose"

"Your pose?" I ask in disbelief. "Hah, you wish"

Peter webs to the point next to me as he flies himself up. I successfully crawl my way into the rails. "What is this place anyways?"

"It's a fun setting. My type of amusement parks"

"Lame" I whisper under my breath and continue crawling my way to the end of the railing. Why did I even start crawling in the first place.

I finally balance myself and jump to the ground with a smile. "You good up there, Tarzan?"

"What did you just call me?" he cackles with a scoff, somewhere from the ceiling.

I look over the place, waiting for Peter to come down, and I notice a skateboard. "Hey, is that yours?"

"It is" the brunette answers grunting, as he comes landing next to me. "Do you know how to skate?" he questions.

"I unfortunately, do not"

"I can teach you" Peter suggests.

"I do not have a death wish, Parker"

"I never said you did" he asserts as he makes his way to the middle with his skateboard.

Peter starts off with normal skating. He then lifts himself up, popping up with the board at his feet and into the air in a circular motion, causing his board to do a full 180 degree spin.

"That's impressive" I announce.

His tricks were a lot, and actually cool. There is no way I'm admitting that to him, tho.

"So, enjoying the show I see" he grins.

"I'd like to you to teach me" I start, doubting my words. "You're kind of, um, fine, at that thing"

"Only fine?"

"I guess"

"Oh well, if you want me to help you then you've gotta admit that I'm the best at skateboarding, and better than anything or anyone you've ever seen" Peter genuinely smirks.

"We both know that would be lying" I imply.

"No actually, it wouldn't"

"You're intimidating"

"Mhm. I'm waiting tho"

"Fine" I groan as I roll my eyes in arrogance. "You're good at skateboarding"

Silence.

"What? I did it"

"That's not enough"

"Are you being serious?" I snap through gritted teeth. "Fine, fine! You're amazing at skateboarding"

"Still not enough" he huffs, raising an eyebrow.

"Peter Benjamin Parker - I swear to -"

"This way is more efficient" Peter then admits. "That's why I am politely asking you to do it this way"

"This was is going to get you killed"

"One could dream"

"Screw you Parker. Your talents are surprising and staggering and stunning and bewildering and incredible and fascinating and bewildering and amazing and astonishing!" I mimic dramatically, my hand flying to my chest. "You're the best skateboarder in this city and in this world and in all the universes I've ever been to!"

By the time I finished, Peter was looking at me with a dazed focus, suppressing a laugh. "What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? Was that not enough?"

Peter seemed to lose the ability to hold his wheezes together and burst out. "That - that - was the most hilarious thing I've ever heard" he admits between strong laughs.

I don't know the reason he was laughing that hard, but I actually wanted to giggle at his laughs.

I've never seen him laugh like this before. It was cute.

"Are you like - an english dictionary?" he cackles with tears in his eyes. "Nevermind, how about we start?"

"How about you stop laughing first?" I snarl and roll my eyes at him and he clears his throat. "Yes, yes, let's start"

"First off. Try standing on the board without falling down. There's no right way to stand on the board, so set it and figure out what feels more comfortable to you"

I manage to do what Peter asked, even though the skateboard was shaking under my legs and I knew I could fall any second.

"Well done. Now try to push off. When beginners start, they often tend to take several short stabs before getting started, rather than long pushes. Long pushes however, will make your ride more balanced"

"Okay but I'll yeet myself any moment now"

I manage to push of to a first short distance without descending. Then the second. Then later on the third.

"That's cool! It's literally working!" I exclaim as I push myself to another short distance. "Time for an upgrade" I smirk as I get ready for a long and strong push.

Plottwist.

I was going down with my arms outstretched all over the place.

But Peter seemed to be faster than gravity that his one hand was under my legs and the other under my back, so that I am currently cradled in Peter Parker's arms and therefore did not meet the ground.

Peter looks down at me with an appreciative smile. "Falling for me already?"