Touch the Stars {Peter Parker}

Act 2: The Half Moon Reckoning

Peter was waiting nervously at the front doors of the school. That was the first thing that came to mind when Liam made his way to the institution. The reincarnation noted how Peter's fingers played with the helm of his shirt in a nervous tic. His eyes darted to and fro over the crowd as if searching for someone. Liam's thought of inquiry was answered when Peter's eyes fell on him, and his face lit up in a paradoxical combination of dread and excitement.

Whatever this was, it didn't bode well.

Thumbing his bottom lip, Liam bounded up the steps to join Peter to spare him the embarrassment of calling out to him. "You looked stressed out, what happened?"

"Uh," Peter stammered. "So you know how Uncle Ben and Aunt May picked me up from your house? So they were wondering why I was there, but context! Aunt May and Uncle Ben know about you since I talk about you to them... I mean not that I say things and I don't mean that creepily! You know! You're my friend so I talk about you to them sometimes. So I had to explain that I was at your house, and they wanted to meet you--"

"Okay, okay," Liam held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Slow down there, and breathe. I get it, Peter."

"R-Right," Peter took a few breaths to calm himself down. "So the thing is, they want me to invite you and your mom over for diner."

"...Huh?"

"Oh my God," Peter whimpered as he buried his head in his hands. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"I-I...uh," Liam blinked incredulously before he slapped his hands on his cheeks to regain his bearings. "They want my mom and I to come over for dinner?"

"Yeah," Peter mumbled, his voice muffled from how hard he was burying his face.

Liam sighed and placed a hand over his quickly-beating heart. So he was getting worked up over nothing?

"Okay," Liam nodded simply. "I'll ask my mom, but we'll have to see. When's the day?"

"This Sunday?" Peter peeked through his fingers, in a manner that Liam off-handedly noted as cute. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Liam spared the nervous future hero a smile as he readjusted the strap of his messenger bag. "It's no problem. I don't have anything better to do, I just need to make sure my mom's okay with it. I'll tell you if my mom's onboard and you can just text me the address."

"Oh," Peter blinked. "Are you sure?"

"Mhm," Liam smiled widely. "Loosen up a little Peter. I wasn't gonna do some sort of dramatic soap-opera rejection. I'd like to think I'm better than that."

This elicited a laugh from Peter, and unconsciously he relaxed. Liam couldn't help but chuckle and pat Peter on the shoulder. "Man, I thought you were gonna say something about you escaping jail or becoming a convict."

Peter blinked incredulously, but there was the hint of a sassy upturn at the edges of his lips. "Even if that was true, I wouldn't get caught."

"Sure, sure," Liam rolled his eyes fondly before passing Peter and entering the school. "I believe you."

And Liam did, not that he was gonna say it out loud for the sake of the banter. He whirled around, surprising Peter, and nailing him with a faux-suspicious look. "Unless you're coming out on me?"

Peter sputtered, his face flaming red. " Liam! "

"Kidding! Kidding!" Liam laughed and bounded down the hallway before Peter could reflexively swipe for his head. Peter grumbled unintelligibly under his breath and Liam grinned cheekily at him. It was easy as breathing to fall into this flirty persona when it came to Peter, Liam didn't know why but he attributed it to knowing about Peter Parker before actually becoming friends with him.