CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
❝ growing sideways ❞
BEING AT THE Compound was a breath of fresh air for Aster.
She hadn't been back there since the start of school, not only because it was too far from Midtown for her to stay there, but also because they were busy remodeling it. With most of the Avengers being gone, the facility was mainly being used for scientific research and military training, though it still housed the remaining team members.
Happy stood with the teenagers inside the Compound as they watched a Quinjet fly off through the glass walls. Peter had a toothy grin on his face, looking like a kid in a candy shop.
"You don't see that every day," Happy mentioned, tilting his head toward the jet.
"Oh, there they are. How was the ride up?"
At the sound of Tony's voice, all three of them turned around. The billionaire approached them in a pressed suit, with his hands lazily shoved into his pockets. His eyes flickered from Aster to Peter through his squared sunglasses.
Nodding at his boss, Happy chirped, "Good."
Tony finally glanced over at his bodyguard to say, "Give me a minute with the kids."
Happy's smile fell. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. I gotta talk to the kids."
After a moment of stunned silence, Happy murmured, "I'll be close behind."
"How about a loose follow?" Tony proposed. "All right? Boundaries are good."
Peter and Aster shared an amused look at their banter.
Sending a playful punch right into Peter's bicep, Tony grabbed the teenager and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Sorry I took your suit. I mean, you had it coming. Actually, it turns out it was the perfect sort of tough-love moment that you needed, right? To urge you on, right? Wouldn't you think? Don't you think?"
Walking beside them, Aster made a face. Peter was sporting a similar look as he hummed, "Yeah, yeah, I guess."
"Let's just say it was," Tony told him.
Peter let out a heavy sigh, "Mr. Stark, I really—"
"You screwed the pooch hard. Big time," Tony emphasized. "But then you did the right thing. Took the dog to the free clinic, you raised the hybrid puppies." Aster shot him a look, to which paused to think about his words. "All right, not my best analogy..." A beat of silence passed before he pointed at Peter and said, "I was wrong about you. I think, with a little more mentoring, you could be a real asset to the team."
Aster smiled, looking down at her feet. Knew it.
Peter's eyes went wide and he stuttered out, "T-to the... To the team?"
Tony shrugged off his shock, pointing at a door ahead of them. "Yeah. Anyway, there's about fifty reporters behind that door. Real ones, not bloggers." He tapped on his watch and the wall to their left opened. A brand new Spider-Man suit appeared, comprised of high-tech nanotechnology. Instead of the spandex material his old one was made of, this one had a metallic shine to it.
And to Aster's surprise, a similar Starlight suit was on the mannequin next to Peter's new one. The new blue and silver design shined in the spotlight it was under, making Aster's jaw drop. Staring at it in awe, she took a step forward to examine it closer.
Turning to his kids, Tony splayed his arms out by his sides and smirked at the shock on their faces. "When you guys are ready... Why don't you try those on? And I'll introduce the world to the newest official member of the Avengers: Spider-Man. And, of course, announce that Starlight is back."
Aster tore her eyes away from her new suit to stare at him. Sure, Tony had told her not to worry about Ross, but he didn't tell her that she was officially allowed to return as an Avenger.
Next to her, Peter chuckled, clearly amazed. "I..."
"Yeah. Give that a look. So, after the press conference, Happy will show you to your room, your new quarters." Tony turned to Happy and asked, "Where's he between? Aster and Vision?"
"Yeah, Vision's not big on doors," Happy joked.
"It's fun."
"Or walls."
"You'll fit right in."
Aster noticed a glimmer in Peter's eyes that Tony missed. Of course, was admiring the suit, taking it all in. But she knew him. Peter enjoyed being a friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. He was still young and had a lot to learn.
In the end, the Avengers would always be there. His youth, on the other hand, wouldn't be.
And Aster felt herself gravitating toward the same conclusion.
Glancing over at Aster, Peter hesitated. In response, she smiled at him and nodded softly, hoping he would understand her support no matter what he chose.
Nodding back, the expression on Peter's face shifted as a wave of confidence washed over him. He took a deep breath, turning to Tony to say, "Thank you, Mr. Stark. But I'm good."
Stunned, Tony stared at him for a long moment. "You're good? Good? How are you good?"
"Well, I mean, I'm..." Peter stammered, glancing over at Aster again. "I'd rather just stay on the ground for a little while. Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Somebody's got to look out for the little guy, right?"
Ripping his sunglasses off of his face, Tony blinked once. "You turning me down? You better think about this." He cocked a finger at the new suit, then at himself. "Look at that. Look at me. Last chance, yes or no?"
"No," Peter confidently told him.
"Okay," Tony hummed. He wasn't mad, just impressed. "It's kind of a Springsteen-y, working-class hero vibe that I dig."
Aster bounced on her heels and butted into the conversation, "Yeah, I might have to turn you down too."
Her words surprised everyone. Peter's lips parted in shock, though they were just as quickly pulled into a smile. Happy worriedly glanced between Aster and Tony, while Tony just stared at his daughter with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, say that again?"
"I'll still be Starlight. I'll always be an Avenger," she told him. "But... I like going to school." She glanced past Tony's shoulder to look at Peter. "I'll be there when the world needs me. But in the meantime, I think I'll stick to one city at a time."
Just like they did with Peter, Tony's lips curled into an impressed smile. "When did you become so mature?"
Aster shrugged. "I'm not. I just like to change it up a bit." She pointed at him, narrowing her eyes threateningly. "But don't you dare give up my room, got it?"
"Deal." Nodding, Tony clapped his hands together and glanced back at Happy. "Alright, Happy will take you guys home. Yeah?"
"Yeah," Happy drawled, his eyes flickering between Aster and Peter. "Mind waiting in the car? I need a minute."
Nodding, Peter outstretched a hand to Tony. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."
Shaking the teenager's hand, Tony stiffly nodded. "Yes, Mr. Parker. Very well."
"See you around."
"Okay."
Peter backed away, clapping his hands together with a spring in his step. Before he could get very far, he turned back to Tony, eyeing his mentor with a suspicious smile on his face. "That was a test, right? There's, uh, nobody back there?"
Aster raised an eyebrow and turned to Tony, curious to hear what he would say. She knew it wasn't a test, no matter how much he would deny it.
"Yes, you passed," Tony lied without hesitating. He raised a hand and shooed Peter off. "All right, skedaddle there, young buck."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. Thank you."
"Yeah, thank you."
Aster stayed with Tony and Happy, waiting for Peter to be out of sight before deadpanning, "So, what are you gonna tell the press now?"
Instead of trying to convince Aster it was a test, Tony sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't know, but Pep's gonna kill me. Any chance you're feeling crazy and want to reveal your identity?" he joked.
Tony wasn't going to make her go in front of all those reporters. Sure, Starlight was back. But on Aster's terms. Not Ross', not the public's, hers.
Pretending to ponder his words, Aster told him, "Maybe another day." She turned and began walking away, though an idea came to mind as she passed by Happy. Meeting his eye, Aster leaned over and whispered, "Do you still carry the ring?"
Understanding her little scheme, Happy's eyes went wide and a smile pulled at his lips, though he did his best to remain stoic. "I've been carrying that thing for years. Of course, I still carry it," he murmured back.
"What are you two talking about?" Tony loudly interrupted them.
"Nothing!" Aster chirped, winking at Happy. "I'll be in the car with Peter."
She didn't go to the car. Instead, she and Peter snuck into the press conference and hid behind the sea of reporters that were there, watching as Tony enacted his backup plan and got down on one knee. The world saw a different side of Tony Stark when he asked Pepper to marry him.
In Aster's opinion, that was much better than the original announcement.
───
That night, Aster and Peter were sitting together, dangling their legs off of the top of Peter's apartment building.
They had been out in their suits all afternoon, basking in the freedom of being Starlight and Spider-Man again. A weight had been lifted from Aster's shoulders. It felt amazing to be able to use her powers again, and even more so that there weren't any urgent threats looming over her head. Usually, when she put on the suit, she was preparing for a major fight.
But not this time. She didn't realize that she had been suffocating under the pressure of going from fight to fight until it was lifted off of her.
"So, now that you don't need my help in becoming an Avenger," Aster drawled, breaking the momentary silence between her and Peter. The curly-headed brunette turned his attention to her, leaning back on one webbed hand. "Is our deal off?"
Peter breathed out a laugh. "Hey, just because I got an offer from the big leagues doesn't mean I don't need your help anymore. I've still got a lot to learn."
Smiling, Aster curled her knees to her chest. "Well, good. Because I still need your help."
Making a face, Peter shook his head. "You still need my help? Why?"
"Because nobody told me that being a normal teenager is harder than being an Avenger!"
Laughter tumbled from Peter's lips. His smile was a sight that Aster would never be sick of. "Aster, I can promise you that you're the only one who thinks that."
Shrugging, Aster stared off into the night sky. "Whatever. Oh." She perked up, remembering what she had put in the pocket of her suit. "Before I forget. I have something for you."
"What do you...?"
Before Peter could even finish his sentence, Aster was already dangling his surprise in front of him. A keyring hung on her pointer finger, connected to a vintage leather keychain. The familiar engraved initials B.F.P. shined softly in the moonlight.
Peter's lips parted in surprise and his eyes softened. He turned his entire body to face Aster, shaking his head ever so slightly. "You... How...?"
"You and I met before the airport," Aster said gently. "Back in 2012. We ran into each other during the Battle of New York."
"I remember," Peter whispered, still astonished. "Of course. I just... I didn't think you did."
"Pete, I have a photographic memory. Despite how hard you ran into me, I remember."
Breathing out a laugh, he teased, "I think you ran into me."
Playfully rolling her eyes, Aster held the keychain out for him to take. "Mhm. Anyways, you dropped this and were gone before I could give it back, so I held onto it. I was going through my go-bag earlier and I found it in there." A small smile pulled at her lips. "I guess I've been carrying it around on missions with me. It's sort of been my good luck charm."
Peter stared at her for a long moment, with a look in his eyes that nearly made her melt right on the spot. "That was my Uncle Ben's keychain. It was the last thing he gave to me right before he died."
At the emotion in Peter's voice, Aster's shoulders slumped and she placed it into his hand. "Well, then, I'm really glad I hung onto it."
Rubbing a thumb over the aged leather, Peter peered down at the keychain in his hand. He sat like that for a moment before lifting his head and holding it out for Aster to take back. "I want you to keep holding onto it."
Surprised, Aster's eyebrows drew together. "What? No, I can't—"
"If it's been your good luck charm, I want you to have it. And I think my Uncle Ben would have really liked you." He took her hand and flipped it over, placing it in her soft palm. His touch lingered as he timidly held his hand against hers. "I trust you with it."
Knowing he wasn't going to relent, Aster nodded, staring at him with a soft smile on her face. "I'll keep it safe."
"I know you will," Peter told her, admiring the way the stars reflected in her eyes.
The two of them gazed at one another for a long moment and time felt like it had slowed down. The bustling city beneath them fell silent and it suddenly felt like they were the only two people that mattered in the entire universe.
Peter leaned closer to her, just barely. It was almost like he was testing the waters, seeing what she would do in response.
With everything in her, Aster wanted him to come closer. She wanted Peter to take her hand in his and tug her closer until she was in his arms. Until they were chest to chest, nose to nose. The thrilling possibility of having her first kiss with him made her heart soar.
But then reality came crashing down on her.
Instead of leaning closer to her best friend, Aster's breath hitched in her chest and she reared back, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Uh, we should probably get inside and do our Chem homework before it gets too late."
The hint of disappointment on Peter's face made Aster want to take it all back. It made her want to grab his cheeks with both of her hands and pull his lips down to hers. But she didn't. Kind as ever, Peter was still able to force a small smile and insist, "Yeah, sure."
In all honesty, Aster was scared. She was terrified of how good it felt to get so close to such intimacy. The defensive training that was embedded in her brain was slowly unraveling and a sense of juvenile carelessness was taking its place.
And it felt freeing.
But she knew that a quiet life was far out of her reach. With every direction her life has gone in throughout the past, Aster knew not to hope for uninterrupted peace.
She thought back to when she was younger and used to ask Thanos about her mother. He ignored her, though curious little Aster didn't stop. She wanted to hear about their love story, still hoping that there was one positive aspect of her father she could hold onto.
"Love is a weakness," he had firmly told her. "It serves no purpose than to distract."
And in all fairness, he was right. Aster's biggest weakness was the lives of those she loved. She would do anything for them, no matter what.
Unlike Thanos, she embraced it. Aster would rather live a short life of normalcy with those she loved than ten lifetimes of power alone.
Unfortunately, she was still letting him get into her head. Maybe, there was a part of Aster that knew Thanos wasn't done with her. And if she could protect Peter by keeping him at an arm's distance, that would have to do.
AUTHOR'S NOTE!
HERE WE GO!
i can't believe we're at the end of spiderman: homecoming
showing you guys the start of aster and peter's innocent little love has been so fun and i hope you're all enjoying it as much as i am.
this chapter was super fluffy but it grew a little angsty at the end there, i know.
all aster wants is to be a normal kid and i'm the asshole who won't give it to her.
it'll only get worse, so i'm just gonna apologize in advance...
see you soon for the kickoff of act two!
<3 mal