100 Marvel One Shots✔️

Begin To Hope >> Peter Parker X Male!Reader

You nod, following your new foster dad further into the apartment. "Yeah, red's cool." Mrs. Demarco didn't seem to comment on your tone, and glancing to her, she seemed more interested in the potential mould inhabitation than your manner of conversation. Steve Rogers opened a door to the left, and gestured for you to enter. When you did, you felt a wave of something new wash over you. "Wow..."

He'd really gone all out. Never had you had such a great looking bedroom in your entire life – the floors were wood, like the rest of the apartment, with a circular red rug by the bunkbed/desk combo's ladder. There was a wall-to-floor bookcase opposite the bed, and a little TV screen and a stack of Nintendo Wii fitness and racing games beside it. Most of the shelves had titles you'd read, but some you hadn't, and two rows of shelves were textbooks for subjects relevant to your new transcript.

You were about to say something else, but from the look Mrs. Demarco gave you, instead, you said, "Thank you, Mr. Rogers."

He grinned the All-American smile that had made people woozy for generations. "It's all good, _________. Call me Steve." He looked to Mrs. Demarco, and added, "Now, is there any more paperwork needed for me to sign off on, fax? I don't want to put you off schedule, Mrs. Demarco."

You didn't pay attention as she withdrew a small package of papers from her case, or that they'd migrated to the table in the living area. Instead, you walked further into your new bedroom, taking it all in. It looked too good to be true, but when you pinched your arm, you realised that it wasn't a dream. You were living with Steve Rogers, war hero, advocate, Avenger. Placing your small bag of things by the desk, you climb up the bed's ladder to sit on the edge, like a royal surveying their new domain.

Maybe life was going to get better. Maybe you could begin to hope.

The day you fell in love was the first day at your new school. No, you didn't fall for the vice principle, or a garbage can that had been ravished by fetid trash pandas. No, even worse. You fell for the boy next door. Maybe it was because he had perfect hair that didn't seem to go everywhere in the wind, or that his face was clearer than yours, or that when the bus didn't seem to stop for you both, he did the dash and had the driver wait for you to catch up.

"Hey, I'm Peter," he introduced, and patted beside him on the empty seat he'd snagged. "I don't think I've seen you around before."

You shake your head, and take a seat before the bus hits a speed bump. "No, I just moved in. I live at 103 Birch."

His eyes widen, and they're so big, it's almost like in anime when their eyes have sparkles in their irises. "No way! I'm at 102!" He replies, and grabs his phone from his jacket, which has a new message on its screen from someone named Ned. "I've got cable if you want to come over sometime."

You grinned, nodding. "Sure!"

It turned out that you'd be coming over for something other than cable. At first, you came over every second afternoon to work on a science project for the school fete. After that, you came over to work on a robotics project you needed a hand with, and his Spanish quizzes. Next, you came over to study physics with each other before exams. After a while, you just came over, your foster dad Steve not worrying about it at all, since he was mostly out of the house with Avengers business. Peter's Aunt May was like a mother to you, often cramming as much into your mind as Peter would, throwing facts and things she knew from local trivia and Family Feud.

It often felt like you had made a good friend, but sometimes, when you were tired with hooded eyes over half-done homework or waiting for the bus with Peter and you'd look at him right, your heart would flutter a little faster. You weren't sure what you'd call it, since you had no idea what it meant – the internet had some strange videos come up when you'd type in your symptoms, and you weren't quite sure how to bring it up over breakfast with Steve. So, life went on, and you kept coming over to Aunt May's and Peter's house next door.