CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
( CRISIS TIME )
TO PUT IT SIMPLY, Peter Parker was having a crisis. It wasn't a mid-life crisis or one about his secret identity, but more about the fact that platonic feelings about a certain friend of his were changing into romantic feelings. It was a crisis because he wasn't used to liking his friends in that way – other than Harry Osborn, but that doesn't count because everyone has had a crush on Harry at some point. He was used to liking people who he wasn't friends with; like Mary Jane Watson, or Liz Allen, or his brother's friend, Ezekiel. The worst part of it all was that he was realizing this during lunch time when he caught himself staring at him instead of Liz. And he had realized his crush on Liz was dying down, but it hadn't hit him until then that it was because of Nicholas fucking Berry.
Ned looked at Peter wide-eyed. The boy had his head in his arms, not wanting to look up in case he caught sight of Nick looking back at him, which has happened once in a while. "It's just a crush, man, it'll go away soon," Ned tried to reassure Peter. "Although, I kinda hope it doesn't and that he likes you, too. I mean, you'd be a cute couple. Imagine you two fangirling over Star Wars together!"
"He likes Star Trek better." The fact that he knew that made Peter pout even more; even more so about the fact that he remembers exactly where Nick had informed him of that information. It was over a phone call last week while Peter had been out being Spider-Man, and somehow Peter had brought about how he was going to have a Star Wars marathon Ned, which led to Nick saying he loved the movies as well but loved Stark Trek more after some time.
"So? You like those movies too – but I really do think its just because you find Chris Pine hot-."
Peter sat up and gave his best friend a look, one that shut him up. It wasn't that Peter didn't want people to hear that he liked guys, it was just that if the topic went in the direction Ned was accidentally pointing it to, then they'd never get on track again. Peter just wanted to mope about his new crush. A crush he hoped wouldn't last too long.
"Ned, this is serious. What- what if I end up telling him, or he finds out and doesn't like me back? We're friends now, that could ruin everything, you know?" Peter said.
"Dude. Olivia liked him, he turned her down, and they're now friends," Ned reminded Peter.
"If you think Sweetheart Nick is rude enough to stop being friends with you for feelings, your a dumbass," a voice spoke up farther down the table.
It surprised the boys because Gwen and Olivia were having girl time somewhere and Harry was with some of his classmates so neither of them was expecting anyone to speak up. Their surprise went away, however, when they realized it had been Michelle Jones. She was a quiet girl who kept to herself and read whatever book she had with her and drew occasionally. She was nice from what Peter and Ned had seen so far, and they actually quite liked the girl sitting near them.
"W-What?" Peter asked, still a bit stunned.
Michelle sighed. Almost as if she didn't want to say anything else to them. "Nick is too nice to drop a friend just because of unrequited feelings," she told him. Her dark eyes moved away from them to something else. "Incoming."
The two boys were confused about Michelle's last two words up until the turned their heads to see Flash Thompson walking their way. Ned made a noise at the back of his throat while Peter's expression became one of dread.
"Penis Parker!"
"Hi, Flash."
"Listen, I need your puny ass to do me a favor," Flash stated and plopped himself in the seat across from Peter, who wore a surprised expression. "Do you have what Mrs. Wellington gave the class for homework on Friday?"
Instantly, other than shock, confusion coursed through Peter. Flash never asked him for favors – let alone anything to do with homework; the kid bullies him with names and insults alike for simply being one of the best in class. So exactly why would Flash for homework?
"Why- why me?" He hesitantly asked.
"I don't feel like bothering Nick for it again," Flash explained lamely, acting as if it wasn't a big deal when actuality he was freaking out on the inside – but Peter definitely didn't need to know that. "He's helped me too much. And I won't be copying it word for word; I don't even all of it. It's just a few answers."
Peter and Ned shared a look, and Michelle raised an eyebrow at the boy but didn't say anything as she went back to focus on whatever book she had been reading earlier. Flash watched them carefully and tried not to show how desperate he really was. He gave a stern look, about to threaten him with some blackmail he didn't actually have when Marty Milton plopped down in the seat beside him. Everyone looked at the taller freshman in question.
"So, everyone here is at least somewhat friends with Nick, yeah?" He instantly asked, and leaned against the table as he looked at the other three boys and then to Michelle, who simply shrugged before shaking her head. She and Nick haven't really talked much, so there wasn't any reason why they would be friends.
"I mean, I guess," Flash shrugged.
"Why?" Ned questioned, not-so-subtly nudging Peter who very-not-so-subtly blushed and glared at him, hitting his arm a second later.
"Um." Marty's brows furrowed as he watched the best friends' short interaction, along with Flash and Michelle. She shook her head and quietly muttered about the two sucked at being subtle while Flash just stared in utter confusion. Ned and Peter back at Marty with wide eyes. It was clear to the soccer player that they were hiding something. They reminded him of Nick almost. Marty breathed in and shifted in his seat before he continued to speak. "I dunno, I was wanting to ask if he's been acting differently around you guys? It's stupid, really, I just feel like he's not being truthful? If that makes sense? He's been dodgy lately and canceled some plans we had yesterday to hang with Olivia. Not that I'm mad, or upset – or jealous, even. I'm just confused because he only cancels when he's sick or something serious comes up. Plus, Anita knows something but won't tell me."
"Maybe he and Olivia are dating?" Flash suggested with a shrug.
"Doubt it," Michelle muttered, but the boys didn't hear her. Peter was too busy digging through his backpack to give Flash the homework, Ned was too focused on what Flash had suggested, and Marty simply didn't hear her.
"I feel like he'd tell me that," Marty said.
Flash shrugged again, taking the homework from Peter as he handed to him as Peter spoke up, "Tell you what?"
"That he and Olivia Green are together."
"...Oh." Peter blinked and tried not to show his disappointment at the simple thought of the two together. "Well, uh, he hasn't been different around me. At least, not that I've noticed."
"Well, can you ask for me this afternoon? I know you two are going somewhere. Uh, seeing some scientist, or something?" Marty asked.
Peter nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. I'll be sure to remember."
Marty then smiled and reached across the table to pat Peter's shoulder. He muttered, "Thanks, bud," before he stood up to leave, saying bye and a 'see ya later' to everyone at the table.
+++
After school, Nick and Peter went straight to Oscorp to see Dr. Connors. Nick had decided to help with whatever the man was trying to make or fix as a nice payback for the man helping them with their project. He wasn't going to at first, but then he asked his parents if he should and they both agreed yes. The boys were there for a few hours, trying to figure out what was wrong with the equation Curt Connors was trying to make right. They were getting closer, and the man's excitement was growing. It worried Nick a bit how determined Dr. Connors was, but he kept those worries aside and instead focused on working alongside Peter the best he could. He wasn't a genius, especially not with whatever advanced science they were working with, but he still tried his best.
Now, they were seated in Evie's Bakery, a place they were gradually starting to go to more and more together. Just like usual, Peter got a chocolate croissant and chocolate milk while Nick got a blueberry muffin but with water instead of a mocha. They were seated at the same table, too. It was slowly, but surely, becoming their little spot and place to talk and hang out. Evalyn Green was at the front as usual, and the two boys had seen her two kids and disappear up a staircase that none of the customers were allowed to go up. Nick and Peter were sitting in silence as they ate, neither one really bothering to make conversation since they were both now comfortable with each other to simply sit there and do nothing together.
Nick's phone vibrated and he grabbed it to check whatever message he had gotten. It was from Olivia, who had seen them both as she went upstairs with her brother.
[from: olive garden
did u finally grow a pair & ask him out????]
[to: olive garden
lmao nah]
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Peter suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them both.
Nick quickly looked up from his phone. "You just did," he said and smiled widely as Peter rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Kidding, yeah. Go ahead."
"Okay. Um, this might be awkward, but uh... Are you and Olivia-?"
Both boys suddenly jumped, along with everyone else inside, at two loud crashing sound coming from outside the bakery, and Peter's question died instantly as they turned to look out of windows. Nick's face fell at noticing that a terrible car wreck had happened just happened. Two cars were squished together from the fronts of both of them, airbags clearly have gone off in them both; there was a third car, though, that had t-boned one of the other two quite badly. Pedestrians were calling 911 outside and people inside the bakery were quickly going to the windows to get a better look; others were helping the drivers and whoever else in the car out the best they could. Nick slowly stood up and peered over a few people's shoulders, only see a frantic mother trying to get to her kid in the passenger's seat, but the door wouldn't budge open because of the car that t-boned them.
Nick turned to tell Peter that he was going to call Ryan, but the other boy wasn't there. Not even his backpack. Frowning in confusion, he sent Peter a text asking where he went before dialing his uncle's number and rushed outside.
"Hey, Ni-."
"Uncle Ryan, you gotta get down here by Evie's Bakery," Nick told him quickly. "There's been a seriously bad car crash, and I think a woman's kid can't get out-."
"Whoa, hey, slow down," Ryan interrupted what was almost Nick rambling. "I know about it, alright? I'm on my way, I've been told to take care of everything. How bad is it?"
"Very bad. Three cars, traffic is already backed up."
"Shit. Okay, my partner and I will be there soon. Stay put out of the way, got it?"
"Yes, sir."
Nick did as told. Or, well, he planned to. He stood right outside of the bakery with other pedestrians who didn't know what exactly to do, some occasionally asking if there was any way they could help. But as he did so, and waited for his uncle to get there, Spider-Man made a sudden appearance. The guy who walked a drunk Nicholas Berry home two weeks ago; the guy Nick had nicknamed Pajama Boy; the guy he wanted to thank for most likely saving him from until college grounding. So he came up with an idea in his head: wait for the vigilante to get finished helping everyone who was stuck in any of the cars, follow him, and then thank him. Even when Ryan got there and told everyone to disperse from the scene, Nick still stayed close and simply used the "My uncle's the cop" excuse or the "I'm waiting for my friend here" excuse. Both worked well, mostly because they were true, so Nick didn't have to go anywhere too far away from the accident.
He watched as his uncle tried to stop Spider-Man as he got done helping to question him, but Ryan was unable to do so and shook his head before turning around to speak to his partner. Nick took that chance to slip away before Ryan was done, following the vigilante the best he could on his feet while the masked guy swung around. Fortunately for him, the guy didn't go too far before disappearing into an alley way. Nick sighed in relief and slowed his running, and easily turned into the alleyway.
"Yo, hey, Pajama B- Peter?"
Now, Peter could start having a crisis over his secret identity.
***
A/N— The ending is shit but oh well. Honestly I wasn't planned on Nick finding out about Peter being Spider-Man in this chapter but then I realized that if I didn't do it now I'd probably lowkey forget about it or drag this out too long lmao. So yeah! Also we got to find out Peter likes Nick so their friendship night start changing soon, wink wonk. That is literally all I have to say other than happy birthday to the literal love of my life, Tom Holland.
Hope you liked this chapter! xx