Disclaimer (also for future reference): absolutely nothing wrong happens in the universes I write in unless I specifically hint at it or just say so, (i.e; no deaths, no traumatizing events) but y'know, everyone still found a way to find each other and be one big happy (semi-debatable) family. Don't question the logic. This is fanfiction. How else am I supposed to explain that Vison and Pietro are alive, and that Peter is still 16/17 but Morgan is also 5 and existing even though The Snap never happened? I don't even know if any of these take place in 2023 or 2017 or what. Just...who the hell knows? Shhh...
And yes. This also serves as a warning to say I'm mentioning a couple of characters in this chapter that I haven't seen in fics often and this is definitely a teaser that they're probably going to make more appearances from now on.
Also²: there are translations at the end of the chapter. You'll understand once you get there. (Unless you just use Google Translate mid-reading. I'd advise against skipping to the end for them, to avoid your eyes catching spoilers, but they are there—okay this AN is ridiculously long. I'll stop now. Enjoy!)
Warning/potential trigger: there's a brief mention of someone wanting to die, but it's also coming from a tired Gen Z kid, so its really not to be taken seriously
"So, you're telling me that you and Peter are dating, but you're also...not dating?"
"Exactly!" You exclaimed, finally relieved that Pietro was getting the memo. You glanced up from where you were doing your homework to where you felt his eyes on you to meet a deadpan face. "It's not a hard concept to grasp."
"Oh no, it is not hard." He shrugged, half-heartedly agreeing and spinning a pen between his fingers too fast for your to actually see it was a pen. "I'll tell you what it is though: prost ca naiba."
You rolled your eyes, wondering if it was for better or for worse you took those Romanian classes a couple years ago. It wasn't like you were going to continue letting him commentate your life when he got bored (which was often) unless you actually knew what he was saying. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously! Are you even hearing yourself right now? You two are obviously into each other, so why not just date and make it official?"
"It's..." you sighed. "It's not that easy," You tell him, letting out a soft huff as you were starting to get frustrated with your homework. "Me and Peter, we've been friends for so long, and we have this special relationship that isn't romantic, and the both of us realize that we don't want to ruin that."
Pietro just groaned, the answer obviously not being the one he wanted. "It has been over a month! How haven't you figured something out yet?"
"I'm sorry we're taking things slow?"
"That word literally isn't in my vocabulary, do you even know just how much it antagonizes me?" He slumped dramatically in the chair he was sitting in, spinning the pen faster; fast enough that you could hear it cutting through the air like helicopter blades.
"Why are you so invested, anyway?"
"Because," Pietro took the the question as an invitation to sit closer, appearing in front of you on the couch in a blur, and you barely had the time to make sure your homework didn't fly everywhere. "Spotting tension is something I'm an expert with, I like to think. I saw Peter coming from a mile away, and how many more times do I have to say that I have literally been waiting forever for this?"
"Whatever you say," you scoffed, "but neither me or Peter have the luck you have when it comes to any relationship other than being friends. Testing the waters is the best choice of action, here."
"You do lack my charm, no?" He mused, a smug smile appearing on his face and you just rolled your eyes, smoothing out your paper and circling an answer on the multiple choice portion of your work.
"If by 'charm', you mean being attractive and confident enough that you could flirt with literally anyone and they'd do anything you want, then yes. You're absolutely right."
"It's really all in the confidence, prietenul meu, but I will take a compliment when I get one. If you are having trouble, what do you say?" You glanced up again as he paused, searching his brain for the right phrase. "Ah! Fake it until you make it!"
"Having confidence isn't my problem," you sighed. "It's getting over the fear that going for something romantic would ruin the relationship I already have going strong with Peter." You admitted, biting the inside of your cheek. You valued his friendship more than anything else you could have.
"Maybe I should have Wanda block the part of your brain that releases whatever causes fear or something." You glared in Pietro's direction. "What? I have a lot riding on this!"
"You're betting on me and Peter?!" You gasped, homework forgotten about. "With who else?"
"Hey, snitches wind up in ditches! And the Black Widow would make sure I would never get found."
"Natasha?!"
"La naiba."
"This is ridiculous." You threw yourself back against the couch. "Doesn't everything have anything better to do? I can't believe it. And"--you sat up and pointed your pen menacingly at the speedster in front of you--"don't you have to be on a collage campus an hour away in five minutes for your next class? What the hell are you even doing here?"
"The air conditioning in my dorm is blasting cold air into the already freezing room. I don't want to spend any unnecessary time in there. Hypothermia is a serious problem, Y/N."
"Your body literally vibrates fast enough to produce enough heat for four people in the middle of a snowstorm in Antarctica, so stop lying." You grumbled as you rolled your eyes. Pietro just shrugged, an indifferent look on his face.
"I can't help it if your life is more entertaining."
You snorted. "Yeah, okay. I think I've witnessed you wink at a group of girls and one of them nearly fell over. I'd say yours is entertaining enough, Mr. Ladies-Man."
"Compliment me again, and I might think you like me too."
"Don't get too full of yourself. I like Peter way too much to even bat an eye in your direction." You said, staring at your homework in an attempt to clear your brain so you could focus.
"You hurt my feelings, you know? You can always admit the truth. If you want, I'll even wait for you, prinţesă," You heard him tease and your reaction was to throw the pen in your hand. You didn't even need to look to notice he caught it as you rummaged through your bag for another one.
"Thanks! I have been loosing pens like crazy and I need this for class." The couch bounced as he stood up in a blink.
"What the hell? No! Give it back!"
"What? I didn't hear you! Too busy moving at the speed of sound, y'know? Gotta go!"
"You dick!" You shouted after him as the silver of his hair and the navy and black of his clothes streaked through the air as he left the room.
So now you were sitting on the couch in one of the many (but the one that gets used the most) living rooms of the Avengers Tower alone with the homework you promised yourself (and Tony) you would get done before you did anything else on a Friday afternoon.
Needless to say, you were bored and left alone with your thoughts. Never a good combo.
You considered texting Peter, since he was one of the only ones you could trust at this point, but then you remembered he hadn't faked being sick to get out of school early.
In your defense, you had just remembered about the homework that was due the next period and you had zero percent of it done. You just happened to be a very convincing lair, paid a very grumpy Happy with two Hershey's bars for pulling him from his day off to pick you up, and flashed an innocent grin to Tony as he met you in the Tower with his arms crossed and his best Dad Face on as a mask to hide the smirk he was holding back. Lucky for you, Pepper was with Morgan at some kind of school function. If not, she would have three-sixtied you right back to Midtown Tech.
One thing led to another--or rather, they didn't--and two hours later, you were still lying down on the couch. The only difference being that your Global Studies textbook was splayed over your face in a sign of defeat.
A loud drawn groan was what announced Peter's arrival as he slumped into the room, his bag landing on the floor with a heavy thud.
"Don't you have an apartment?" You forced out. You wouldn't ever oppose to seeing Peter.
"May's at work. Don't wanna be alone."
"Mhm,"
You didn't move, but you listened. A soft tired moan droned on from Peter, and you could hear it move as he traversed the room until it finally stopped as he settled.
Curious to where he was, you say up and found him laying on his back against the ceiling a couple feet away from you, his hands pulling at his face.
"There's room down here, you know."
"Up here's cleaner."
"Are you saying I'm dirty?"
"I'm saying you take up all the space."
"There is literally another couch right across from me."
"You're on the good one."
You bit back a smile. "You okay, Pete?"
"I'm ready for the tiny leprechauns that pinch me when I sleep to just kill me already. They've tortured me enough."
"Well, whenever you want, you can come down and I'll give you a hug. Not as good as the sweet release of death, but I'd say pretty damn close."
Peter moved his hands, revealing a large smile. It was a bit of an awkward angle, looking up at him the way you were, but you smiled back, rolling your eyes as you swung your legs over the side of the couch to sit like a normal person and make room for the boy if he decided to come down and sit next to you. Which, of course he did.
You pretended not to notice as Peter dropped from the ceiling, stumbling a little as he landed and nearly knocking over a lamp. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him look up to see if you were watching, and you kept a poker face despite your instinct to let out a snort.
It wasn't long after he sat down next to you, watching as you were writing out the answer to a short response question, that you felt his arms wrapping around your torso and his head lying down on your shoulder.
You felt your heart flutter at the proximity, and you couldn't help but to smile and lean into the touch. One good thing about your feelings for each other now being out in the open and accepted: neither of you had to hold back the urge to so something like this anymore without being scared the other would find it weird.
"Four tests." You eventually heard Peter speak into your shirt, his voice muffled and his grip tighten. "I have to take four tests in a row on Monday. On a Monday! Any chance I could ask Carol to take me into space when I see her on Sunday so I could fight in some kind of intergalactic war instead?"
"I think her and Monica already made plans, actually. Spend Valentine's Day weekend bar hopping and defending anyone who doesn't want to get hit on by some desperate creep, I'm pretty sure." Then you felt your eyebrows furrow as a confused look took over your face. "Wait, you're seeing Carol on Sunday? And you didn't invite me?"
Peter's breath hitched and you wondered if it was because you mentioned the upcoming holiday--a topic the both of you had been dancing around since you remembered it was coming up--or because you asked about the plans you hadn't known about.
"Yeah, um, there's something she's getting for me so I can-- Only for a few minutes though. Because-because she already has Valentine's plans."
Then he tensed, and you figured not to push.
"Oh."
The topic of Valentines was now hanging in the air. Neither of you knew exactly what the best course of action to take with it was. Not when the both of you still didn't know if dating was the best thing to do, and you were still debating the pros and cons of that.
Kissing Peter was really nice though, so that was obviously a pro.
Nevertheless, you had kept your plans for Sunday open. Just in case.
Peter relaxed just as fast as he tensed up and he sighed--a puff of breath against your skin--before he sat up.
He removed his arms from around you, but rested a hand on your forearm. For a few seconds, he kept edging his fingers closer and closer to your hand just to walk them back, like he was debating on actually holding your hand or not. It wasn't until they lingered against your wrist longer than usual that you locked your fingers between his. He smiled as gave you a small smile.
I was thinking about that, actually. About Sunday." He told you in a soft voice. You looked over to find him staring at the lamp he nearly knocked over a couple minutes ago.
"You were?"
"I was thinking that we should probably do something. You and me." You stopped writing and turned your full attention to the boy. "Not like, a date or anything! I know it would be really cliché if our first date was on Valentine's Day, but I know that I definitely want to spend it with you. Jus-just to see what it would be like."
"We don't have to do anything, you know?" You tell him, turning your hands over between, still intertwined. "We could spend all weekend in the lab for all I care. You'd need the distraction. Four tests-- Jesus Peter, what kind of teachers do you have?"
"The kind that conspire together to feed off the tears and anguish of their students." He replied without missing a beat, and you could swear you could see the exhaustion and fear in his eyes already.
"Yeah. that's settled," you sighed. "We're relaxing Sunday. Unless you want to spend it studying instead?"
"Oh, God, no," he groaned, falling back onto you and letting out a fake sob.
You placed a light kiss in his hair, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Lazy Sunday, it is."
"I'm about to enter the room!" You suddenly heard Sam shout loudly, making your head twist toward the doorway. "So now's the perfect time for certain people to throw on some clothes if the need be!"
"Iadul sfânt, Sam, stop the goddy yelling and just come in!" You said, groaning, and not missing the questioning look on Peter's face as Sam became visible and took a seat on the couch across from the both of you. "Hanging out with Pietro has its quirks," you whispered offhandedly.
"Hey, you can't blame me for not wanting to see something I don't want to see." Sam argued, stretching his arms and letting a hum of relief.
You just chuckled softly, nodding toward the remnants of the tac gear he was wearing. "You were on a mission?"
"Just some clean-up. I don't wanna get dragged into anything that'll need my attention this close to Valentine's. Me and Riley's got plans, man."
"Nice." You nodded your head, shoving your homework to the side and curling up. It was your turn to cuddle on Peter, homework be damned.
"What about you two? Got a date night planned? Must be big for you, yeah?" He grinned.
"Nah," Peter answered, his hand moving to your back and securing you in place next to him. "We're just gonna chill together. Watch some movies or messing around with suit upgrades or whatever."
Sam raised his eyebrows. "Really? No cheesy chocolates, or professions of love followed by intense makeout sessions into the night?"
You scoffed, not bringing attention to the way Peter quickly glanced away from you. "That's just ridiculous."
He held up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying what I used to do when I was a teen. You two obviously aren't normal. Where are your hormones? Are you sure you're even teenagers?"
"Ah yes, we had Strange do some weird and complicated time stuff that took our consciousness from fifty years in the future and shoved them into our teenaged bodies so we would be wise and sure of how to navigate our future without setting off the apocalypse." You deadpanned with a straight face, looking at a very amused Sam Wilson in the eye. You told yourself you looked intimidating, even curled up next to Peter and holding his and and basically looking like any typical couple.
"That was really weirdly specific." Sam chuckled. "Were you waiting for someone to ask something like that?"
"Maybe I was."
"Well," He sighed as he pushed on his thighs as he stood up, "I guess I'll be glad to tell Stark he doesn't need to worry about you guys quote, unquote, 'fornicating' on the most romantic holiday of the year." He turned to leave the room, and you let out a dry laugh as he left. Figures Tony would send someone to find out your plans. He was probably stressed out of his mind with the thought of two kids he basically considers his own producing offspring. Oh no, that would make him a grandpa.
You snorted at the thought, and then registered Peter's embarrassment roll off him in waves of heat. He stammered a little, but you just nudged his shoulder and told him not to think about it.
"If you help me with my Global homework today, we can study for your stuff tomorrow, and have Sunday all to ourselves."
❤💙❤
Neither you or Peter were expecting to have the entirety of the Avenger-Only floors all to yourselves on Valentine's Day.
It seemed like it was one of the really rare days where everyone actually had plans, and you weren't exactly sure what to make of it. The amount of space was huge, and between you and Peter, you had free reign over a lot of things and subsequently could do almost anything.
In the current turn of events, you insisted that you and Peter spent the day at his and May's in Queens instead, but Peter had informed you that May had insisted that she wanted him out of the apartment and to spend it with you at yours--or in other words, at the Tower.
It was insane, really. Definitely unexpected. But not completely horrible.
There were so many opportunities on how to spend your first Valentine's Day with Peter now that the two of you were sort of/sort of not dating.
The next course of action seemed obvious once the both of you had thought of it, sharing a knowing look: you seized the big screen.
The rest of the Tower's inhabitants said Tony was just being overkill when he had dedicated an entire floor in the basement to be converted into a person movie theater, but at the moment, you and Peter were sending silent thanks and praising him and his billionaire ways.
You had to say, playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on a 40 foot tall screen with the best surround sound technology available thanks to you and Peter rigging the system to support your Switch was absolutely life changing. You didn't know if you could go back to playing on a smaller screen ever again.
When too many defeats in a row started to make Peter a sore loser (especially when the last one was to the A.I.), you decided it was time to do something else.
You honestly forgot it was anything but a regular Sunday as the both of you sat on the kitchen counters, eating ice cream and giggling as Peter decided to drown his in chocolate syrup.
Or when Peter had put on your playlist, having F.R.I.D.A.Y. blare your favorite songs over the loudspeakers and the both of you sang and danced around the common floor, pretending to create your own music videos.
Or when the sugar and exertion combined had caught up to you, and the both of you settled inot pajamas and snuggled on your bed with some kind of rom-com off of Netflix playing on your laptop in some kind of weak celebration of the holiday, even though neither you or Peter had been paying attention to it at all, deciding to talk instead, and completley lost but not bothered enough to restart from the beginning.
"Today was fun," you whispered, and you felt his lips curve into a smile where they were pressed into the side of your shoulder.
"Yeah. It was." Then you could hear hesitancy hitch in his voice and you lifted your head and waited to see what else he had to say. "Um, Y/N?"
"Yeah?"
"D'you think it's too late for a date--um, well, it's not really a date, and more of just something I wanted to show you. Er--not me show you exactly, since I didn't actually get it for you, but y'know, I asked for a favor, and--"
"Peter?"
"Yeah?"
"Of course it's okay." You smiled, sitting up. "What is it?"
"Oh! Okay!" He leaned over to grab his phone. "Well, I-I just have to see when Carol's getting here. She told me it might be a little bit, but she promised before midnight. But in her defense, she did have plans before I even asked, and I really hope I didn't inconvenience her or Monica, I would feel so bad--"
"Peter," you said softly, making him laugh nervously when he realized he was rambling again. "You really didn't have to get me anything, you know? I thought we said we weren't making a big deal out of this."
"And we aren't. I just thought--She mentioned something about this last time she visited, and I just thought you would like it. It has nothing to do with Valentine's Day at all. It just so happened that I remembered about it earlier Friday morning and the quickest time she could get it to me was today, because she has to go off world and all that. I do owe her a big favor now though, even if she says it's all good..."
"Um," now you weren't sure whether to be curious or concerned. Both seemed to be viable options. "What... exactly did you ask her to do?"
"Uh, you'll see!"
News flash of the year: you hated waiting.
You and Peter had migrated to stand on the balcony of the Tower outside, bundled up against the winter weather. You made sure Peter was wearing a few more layers than normal since he had a bit of a problem thermoregulating on his own, even if he insisted the both of you wouldn't be outside long.
He was right it seemed, and it wasn't too long for Carol to show up. Soon, you saw Captain Marvel, a bright light in the nighttime sky emerging from past the hazy clouds and who knows just how much further, and land in front in front of you and Peter, fully suited.
And in her hands, what looked like a small jar inside a magenta colored cloth pouch.
"Hey guys," she said with a casual grin. "As much as I would love to stick around, I'm an adult with previous engagements, and my night has just started."
She stepped forward and handed Peter what she was holding, her expression softening as she glanced between the two of you, and you couldn't help but to wonder if her and Peter had talked about something else he hadn't told you. "Don't worry about it. You've got this." She said to him, and he offered a soft thank you.
You were torn between watching Carol leave--exchanging a wave and a grin--and focusing your attention on the mystery item.
Once you were alone again, Peter motioned for the both of you to head back inside. Shedding the cold fabric of your hats, jackets, and scarves, you settled back on your bed, this time, the both of you cross legged and facing each other with the covered gift in Peter's hands.
You smiled as Peter took a deep breath.
"Um. F.R.I.? Could you turn off the lights please?" You cocked your head to the side.
"Of course, Mr. Parker."
"Mind telling me what we're doing in the dark? You asked, your eyes adjusting to see Peter's silhouette across from you, only visible by the slivers of light from your curtain covered window. But the answer was starting to make an appearance as you saw the faint glow come from the mystery item in Peter's hands.
"So, let me--let me explain a little."
"Please do," you laughed.
"Last time Carol visited, Morgan had asked her about the prettiest parts of space. I was just lucky enough to be included in the conversation too, I guess.
"Anyway, so, Morgan had asked, and Carol told her that it definitely had to be the stars she was able to see. And that how, when you forget that they're actual giant balls of gas, that they're beautiful and calming."
Peter untied the string on the pouch, but kept the item hidden.
"Then she mentioned coming across a shop on a planet she helped protect one. The owner gave her a couple of gifts out of gratitude, this being one of them. She told us how she didn't need it, because she could visit space and see it herself any time she wanted, so I asked her about it before she left. And then again a couple of days ago. I just--I just thought you would like it."
Peter let the cloth drop, and you gasped as light softly filled the room.
In an airtight jar, contained a plethora of twinkling colors that never seemed to stop moving. Reds and pinks, purples and blues and greens, all swirling together in beautiful and shimmering clouds. It almost hurt to look at, you had never seen anything like it before. All encapsulated in front of you on display like a galaxy in a bottle.
Your eyes were entrances on the jar Peter was now handing to you so you could get a better look, but you could see the smile that lit up his face as he watched your own, trained on your every move. For a few moments, the both of you stayed silent. Peter just as enamored as you were.
"She um," he started in a soft voice. "She explained that on that planet, they had made enough technological advances to be able to safely harvest stars so their scientists could study them further. After a couple of years, the tech was then spread to select employers for retail use."
"What I'm holding...inside here..." you breathes out.
"The death of a star," Peter nodded, confirming your suspicions. "Stardust." His voice was quiet too. "We're all made up of that, you know? Stardust. You and me. Everyone around us. Everyone in the world is constructed of something as beautiful as what you're holding in your hands right now. And that's what I always see when I look at you. Colors. Bright and vibrant. Always churning and changing. Always beautiful. A sea of possibilities and chances to become anything you want."
When you felt a tear roll down your cheek, you let out a short laugh, drenched in so many emotions.
For the first time, you tore your eyes from the stardust and looked at Peter. You couldn't even form the words let alone the thoughts of how much you absolutely adored him in this moment alone.
How much you loved him.
Wow. You were in love with Peter Parker, weren't you?
Being careful, you gently placed the jar on the bed besides you, and instead took Peter's hands.
"I-I don't even know what to say," you admitted truthfully in another soft laugh.
"You don't have to say anything," Peter murmured, swiping his thumbs over the skin on the back of your hands. "I mean, you do--you do like it, right?"
You opened your mouth but no sound came out over the shock of what kind of question that was, so you shook your head and tried again. "I-I love it! I'm literally crying right now, Peter, I can't believe you got me something like that!"
Then he laughed, and his eyes seemed to shine brighter with the stardust illuminating him in a damn near ethereal glow.
"I know you're lying, you know," you accused him, although there was no real accusation in your words. "You definitely meant for this to be a Valentine's present. There's no way you couldn't have, especially when you said something as smooth as that after."
"I was just telling the truth!"
"Mmhm," You rolled your eyes, your smile betraying your annoyance. "I want to hate you for this, because now there's no way I'm ever gonna be able to give you a gift as perfect as this at all, but there's no way I could ever hate you. I just can't."
Peter just smiled, bringing your hands to his mouth and placing a soft kiss to your knuckles. "I'm sorry,"
"You such a sap!" You giggled, leaning in closer, letting go of his hands to wrap your arms around his neck. "I have to get you something now. How am I gonna top this?"
"You don't have too. Your reaction was far more than worth it." He assured you, although you knew in the back of your mind that you were going to be thinking about gifts for a while.
You just shook your head, a smile unable to leave at this point in time.
Peter tipped his head forward, and the both of you just sat with your eyes closed and foreheads pressed together in the silence for a couple of moments, the stardust still by your side and letting off a thrumming and comforting warmth and light.
"Can I-- Could I kiss you again?" Peter broke the silence in a soft voice. "I-I'm not exactly sure if that's something we're doing-- Is that a thing? Are we doing that now? It's totally up to you. I just wanted to ask before I--before I did anything."
You couldn't form the words, so you just nodded your head. Your brain was firing at cylinders you had never reached before, and emotions burst from your chest. You couldn't think of a moment that could ever be better than this one. Than a kiss shared in the quiet of the night. In the prescense of a star.
It was in that moment that you realized that maybe you have nothing to be scared about.
That you had fallen in love. Even if you hadn't known it before, you did now. That being with Peter or not couldn't be decided with a pros/cons list.
Because if being with Peter gave you precious moments like this, moments that made you forget about everything else in the world other than the boy you held in your arms, than you were going to do whatever you could to make these moments with him.
The moments you wished could be stretched out to last forever.
The moments that could very well mean forever.
-----------
Okay, this might be my new favorite addition to the HolidayVerse. I don't know how I'm gonna to top this one.
No bonus scene this time because I felt it was fitting without one, since it's a little on the longer side (totally not because I couldn't think of one because of the amount of warm and fuzziness I was feeling inside after writing the ending)
A note to mention, I don't proclaim my love for Pietro nearly enough?? I love one (1) speedy boi.
I also now kinda wanna write a college au where Wanda and Pietro are definitely the cool seniors or TA's that freshmen Peter and reader could have as friends or whatever. Idk. Just another thing to go into the plot shop.
Oh yeah! I didn't forget. For the people who didn't whip out Google Translate, translations! (I am in no way a fluent in Romanian, so if I phrased anything wrong, anyone who knows more about the language than I do, please tell me!)
prost ca naiba = stupid as hell
prietenul meu = my friend
La naiba = damn it
prinţesă = (okay, this one is obvious) princess
Iadul sfânt = holy hell