Rollercoaster - Peter Parker

11. Garbage Cans

The rest of the night was pleasantly spent talking, joking, eating Thai food - ice cream for dessert - and a lot of smiling. The looming anxious concern went through Peter's head multiple times as the night was beginning to wind down: What if he tries to kiss me?

Sure, Peter kind of hated himself for thinking so confidently that someone he liked wanted to kiss him, but he was genuinely scared. When the two rounded the corner down Peter's hallway, he started sweating.

The thing was, Peter wanted to kiss Caden, but he also didn't want everything to crumble to pieces especially not after a successful first date.

Caden stopped a few doors away from Peter's, smiling down at the boy. "I had a really nice time. I hope you did, too."

Peter chuckled, meeting the boy's brightly lit blue eyes. "Yeah, it was great. We should do it again sometime."

"Peter Parker," Caden started, a smirk tugging at his lips, "are you asking me out on a second date?"

Peter could've sworn he turned as red as his sweater in that moment. He looked down at their feet, smiling at Caden's voice that was full of faux questioning and a huge grin. "Well, only if you'd want to..."

"Of course I'd want to," Caden answered, a hand trailing down the boy's arm until he gently held his hand.

Peter glanced upwards to see Caden smiling down at their intertwined fingers. The older boy settled his gaze onto Peter's face. "Do you want to come in? I kind of don't want May to ask a million questions right away, you know?"

"Sure thing." Caden broke their eye contact, turning towards Peter's apartment door. He dragged Peter along, hand gently holding his.

"I liked talking with you, by the way, even though looking at you is great, too. You're pretty cute," Peter echoed Caden's statement from earlier in the night, laughing softly as the taller boy's ears reddened. "You know, one of these days I have to walk you home to repay your multiple favors."

"Maybe after our next date," Caden replied absentmindedly, shooting Peter a wink that passed by so quickly that he questioned whether he had imagined it.

Peter drew his hand away from Caden's, reaching into his pocket to grab his keys. Unlocking the door, Peter heard footsteps approaching the doorway rather quickly.

Opening the door, neither boy was surprised to see both May and Harper waiting for them. The women smiled at them, sipping their coffee as Peter locked the door behind him.

"How was dinner?" May greeted them, having to suppress her wide smile as she saw Peter and Caden's hands brushing each other.

"It was great," Peter answered, hand brushing Caden's as he went to put his hands in his pockets. He looked to the other woman at the table, smiling. "Hey, Harper."

"Peter, I don't see you for about a month and you get yourself a boyfriend," Harper commented with an impressed smirk, pulling her dark hair to the side. Peter sharply inhaled, shifting on his feet.

He glanced towards May, her eyes already on him and a bright grin on her face. He hummed a response, dragging his eyes over to Harper's dark ones. Starting in the direction of his room, Peter was dragged back to the kitchen area after hearing Caden speak.

"I'm Caden Young, by the way," the boy politely shook hands with Harper, smiling at her. "I've heard about you from Peter, you're Harper."

"I am," she raised her eyebrows at Peter before looking back to Caden, "Hopefully all good things said?"

Caden immediately nodded his head, causing May to crack a smile. "Yes, only good things. Like, how you make May happy and that makes Peter happy."

Sensing where the conversation would head from the look the women gave each other, Peter grabbed Caden's wrist, dragging him to his bedroom. "We'll be in my room!" he called down the hall, shutting the door as soon as they were inside.