Raising Hybrid Puppies [a Starker coffee shop AU]

Chapter 29

Author's Note: This chapter wasn't planned. And I wash my hands of all responsibility. See, this is what happened:

Me: Ok, here is the plan. *clears throat*
Character: Hold up. You're forgetting something.
Me: Huh...
Me: ...
Me: Indeed I am.

Then this practically wrote itself. I wasn't in the least bit involved xD (I'm rather proud of this chapter, though, so I hope you enjoy!)

***

Chapter 29

"A-an hour? Why does he need an hour, that's so long, why can't he –"

"Anticipation. Building suspense," Mr. Kassell's smiling – it's good that he's smiling, right?

"Relax, Mr. Parker. There were no major hick-ups."

MJ looks up from typing on her phone. "No major hick-ups isn't the same as an optimistic outlook."

The lawyer exhales audibly. "Well, the decision is in Judge Wethers's hands now. He has to set a precedent. And yes, Miss Williams, you may quote me on that." Kassell smirks at Peter. "He'll like that."

For the sake of the country's legal system, Peter hopes that a Twitter thread won't affect Judge Wethers's decision. For himself, though...

"Parker. I need a quote from you, too."

"Wh– really?"

"It'll help."

"Your follower count, you mean."

MJ doesn't rise to the bait. "I'm doing this to gather data, not to turn into a celebrity; that's your gig. I'm going to analyze the responses – not just to this, to the entire scandal – and see how today's media landscape reacts to controversial topics."

Across the aisle, Tony is conferring with Mrs. Potts and his lawyer. Neither of them is frowning, which is another strike in the good column, Peter thinks, isn't it? At that moment, Tony looks up, as though he felt Peter's eyes on him.

Their gazes meet.

He can see the same worry that's tugging at him reflected in Tony's expression, and the same unease coil in his stomach... but there's hope, too.

"Stark and Parker making moon-eyes at each other across the court room," MJ reads as she writes, startling Peter and breaking the moment. "This is gonna be a long break, dot-dot-dot. Hashtag FreeStarker, hashtag why-am-I-friends-with-romantic-idiots." She raises her head. "You have two seconds to protest before I tweet it."

He manages a "Moon-eyes?" which MJ defends with "What else would you call it?" and it's out in the world.

Across the room, Tony pulls his phone out of his pocket, unlocks it... and chuckles. JARVIS probably pulled up the right thread immediately.

"He – he liked my Tweet."

Peter glances back at MJ, who's staring at her screen, slack-jawed. This is as close to speechless as Peter has ever seen her.

Across the room, Tony smirks at them before following his friends in their exit.

*

Peter's been waiting forever but a glance at the clock shows they still have twenty-five minutes. How can they still have twenty-five minutes?

Aunt May places a hand on his leg to put an end to the jiggling.

"Sweetie, why don't you get us some snacks?"

Peter's stomach is in knots but he knows she's not asking cause either of them is hungry. He leaves the waiting room – a different one, further from the court rooms since it's getting more and more crowded as the afternoon goes on – and finds a vending machine at the back of the corridor, past the elevators and around a corner.