Spiderman Oneshots

Everyday hero

Peter Parker was a hero, but not everybody knew this.

He was also Spider-Man, but that's not what this chapter's about.

Because when somebody is a true hero, they don't just save the day when they're wearing a mask. They do it at every single opportunity, on a scale ranging all the way from giving someone a smile on a bad day, to saving the universe.

~

Peter was doing the grocery run for May, who was sleeping off a bad cold. Their local shop was only taking cash at the moment due to a card machine malfunction, so he'd taken a couple of notes: just enough for the usual weekly shop. He gathered all the items into a basket and headed to the till to pay. He was second in the queue, and the guy in front was getting shouty at the cashier when she tried to explain they were only taking cash at the moment, even though it was clearly written on the sign outside and she was being perfectly polite and apologetic. Eventually he pulled out his wallet and paid (if he had the cash with him anyway why had it been such a problem????) and the girl at the till sighed in relief when he stomped out. Peter gave her a friendly smile as he handed over his basket for her to scan the items.

"Thanks," he said, and she smiled back. "Have you had a lot of that?" he nodded at the door. The cashier sighed.

"Yeah. Some people can't seem to read," she rolled her eyes, much more cheerful now as she scanned the last item and gave him the total. He handed over the money and she counted out his change, which he pushed into his pocket for safekeeping. He was just on the way out of the door with his shopping when he noticed his lace was undone, so he stooped in the corner to retie it. Because of this, he overheard the people behind him in the queue.

"Please Mummy, I want an ice-cream. Pretty please???" A little girl tugged on her mother's hand insistently. The woman sighed as she attempted to fish money out of her purse one-handed before the cashier finished scanning her items. 

"I don't know if I've got enough, sweetie, I didn't realise it was cash only." She deposited a handful of notes on the counter and went fishing for more when the girl at the till told her the total. Eventually she resorted to dumping out all of the coins for the cashier to sort through. She was left with $1 and 75 cents.

"But Mummy, you promised," the girl continued. "Please?"

"How much for an ice cream?"

"$2," the cashier replied apologetically. The woman broke the news to her daughter, whose face immediately scrunched up in preparation for tears.

"I have some change," Peter offered quickly. He had a weakness for crying children. He fished in the pocket for the coins the cashier had just given him and counted out the right amount. "Here, it's not like I'm going to use it for anything."

The woman went from politely declining to thanking him profusely but Peter told her it was absolutely fine. It was more than worth it to see the pure joy on the little girl's face when she was handed the ice cream.

~

Peter was carrying the shopping back up to his apartment when he had to pause awkwardly in the corridor, because a woman was stood outside, completely blocking the corridor as she spoke to his neighbour.

"Look, I'd love to help, but I've got plans with friends tonight. Sorry, maybe next time?"

"There won't be a next time if I can't go tonight! This is my only opportunity to get this job! I've already had to postpone the interview twice, and if I can't go I might lose the apartment. Please, Milly, can't you reschedule with your friends? I've never asked before and it'll never happen again."