Despite the fact that they had to leave for school in 5 hours Peter and Ned were sat on the floor of Peter's bedroom feeding their terrible habit of staying up way too late finishing an elaborate LEGO project. Peter winced as he felt the painful reminder that he still had his binder on. All of this Spider-Man stuff was not easy on your ribs when you were constantly compressing your chest.
"Peter, don't you think you should take that off, it's hurting you." Ned asked resting their hand affectionately on his back. Peter winced again and shook his head, picking up another LEGO piece and adding it to the spaceship. Ned understood, they were non-binary so they too had their fair share of dysphoria but they just wanted Peter to be safe. Thats what a person in the chair was supposed to do, right? "Peter, come on man, its not like I haven't seen you without it before. Why don't we just stop working on this for the night and we can watch Brooklyn 99 and go to sleep."
Peter nodded and let Ned help him up and hand him one of their hoodies and his Hello Kitty pants for him to change into. Peter got changed and returned to his room where Ned was already collapsed on Peter's bed queuing up Brooklyn 99. Peter flipped onto the bed next to them in the most showoff manner he could muster. He immediately crossed his arms over his chest and shrunk back into Ned's hoodie ignoring the concerned look his best friend was giving him.
After watching only one episode Ned found themself struggling to stay awake and pulled their already sleeping friend off their shoulder and onto their chest so they could hug him as he slept. This was normal for them, they would often end up cuddled together after a long night and neither of them ever mentioned it or thought anything of it. Ned would never tell Peter but it was their favorite thing in the world. They loved knowing that Peter felt safe and loved that it was because of them even more.
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Aunt May knocked on Peter's door early that morning waking both of them up and alerting them that Peter needed to come do his T shot before he left for school. Ned and Peter untangled their limbs and rolled out of bed. Getting dressed took Peter forever because he kept changing his shirt in order to find one that made his chest flat before Ned got impatient and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around and aggressively reassured him.
"YOU LOOK FINE YOU BEAUTIFUL FUCKING SPIDER-BOY" Ned shook him jokingly before Peter surrendered and grabbed the nearest sweater he could find.
Peter hated doing his shot by himself so he always had Ned do it for him whenever he was over. He was always so dramatic when he took his shot even after being over a year on T. He always made Ned "kiss it better" and put one of his many Iron Man band-aids on his arm while he sat on the counter and covered his eyes with his other arm. It was another one of their things that they never thought much of.
When they arrived at school they were greeted by the familiar yet unwelcome voice of one Flash Thompson. The only other person who knew Peter's secret.
"HEY, PENIS PARKER!" he shouted at him, an obvious jab at his lack of male body.
"Fuck off, Flash." Ned retorted, swinging their arm protectively around their friend and leading him away.
"Aw, that's so sweet," Flash mocked. "Your oh so precious BOYfriend coming to your rescue, or should I say girlfriend, or whatever the fuck it is."
That comment really got to Ned. They broke away from Peter and ran for an empty science lab. Peter found them minutes later mid panic attack under one of the desks. He lent down and wrapped his arms around them, pulling them into his shoulder. Peter was practically sitting in Ned's lap but neither of them cared enough to move. Ned just sobbed and gasped into the sweater Peter had spent way too long picking out that morning while Peter murmured words of comfort into their ear.
"Hey, I have a crazy idea," Peter whispered softly, "there's not much important happening today so why don't we just go"
"G-go? Go where?" Ned continued to sob but looked up at Peter confusedly
"I'm not sure yet but unless we leave this school you aren't gonna be able to calm down." Peter gently took Ned's hand in his own and slowly helped them to their feet. One Ned was up and Peter wasted no time dragging them down the hall and out the door.
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After calming down (basically just Ned crying on Peter's shoulder while he passionately insulted Flash) the the two teenagers decided to get some sandwiches and go to a nearby park. After a few hours of just walking around and laughing at ducks in the pond they wound up sat on a bench, looking up at the clouds. After just 5 minuets of this Peter began a heated debate over whether or not one of the clouds looked like mjolnir or not.
"You just think it looks like mjolnir because you're in love with Thor!" Ned jabbed.
"Shut up!" Peter laughed, "I am not!"
"A little defensive there are we?" Ned poked Peter's side and was shocked when their apparently very ticklish friend launched himself all the way up into the tree they were sitting under. Peter swung back down and landed upside down on a branch about 2 feet above Ned leaving his face mere inches from theirs. "It looks like you're gonna kiss me." Ned pointed out, silently hoping he would.
"I-I uh, I wasn't gonna...WOAH" Peter stumbled down from the tree doing what he thought was impossible and actually losing his balance, knocking Ned down with him as he fell. They lay in the grass laughing for quite some time before they calmed down and Peter rolled on his side and simply said four words: "it looks like mjolnir.".
"ALRIGHT THAT'S IT, PARKER!" Ned laughed as they tackled Peter and started tickling his sides and neck sending him into a fit of heaving laughter. When Peter finally pushed them off he ran down the path just fast enough for Ned not to be able to catch up with him.
Peter finally slowed and turned back to see Ned out of breath about 10 feet behind him. The two agreed to go back to Peter's apartment as it was getting quite late, but Ned was absolutely exhausted and kept lagging behind on their walk back. Peter ran back to his friend and picked them up, putting them on his back. Ned tried to protest but Peter reminded them of his super strength and refused to put them down.
About 15 minutes later they arrived at Peter's floor but he insisted that they keep going up. Ned was too tired to ask questions so they just let him carry him all the way up to the roof before Peter gently set them down.
"I wanted to show you something." Peter said as he grabbed Ned's hand and led them to the edge of the building, beaming as he gestured to the sunset in front of them. He sat on the edge dangling his legs over the edge of the building. He let go of Ned's hand and patted the spot next to him indicating that Ned sit next to him.
"Nope! Not doing that, some of us don't have super balance" Ned snapped, "this is why I worry about you, Peter!"
"You worry about me? Why?" Peter asked, standing up and stepping away from the edge.
"Well yeah, you doing all these dangerous things as spider-man like being on top of all these super high buildings and that big scary wing guy....it makes me worried. Worried that you'll get hurt or die and I'll lose you. I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you, but...not as much as I do. You know I really do love you, Peter"
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea you worried that much!" he pulled them into a tight embrace before muttering "and of course I love you too." Ned pulled back, tears welling in their eyes.
"No, not like that, I love you love you...like more than a friend."
"Really?" Peter's face lit up as he looked to his friend for any signs that they weren't serious but couldn't find any, "because I've been crushing on you for an embarrassingly long time."
"B-but when you said you weren't gonna kiss me back at the tree. You seemed really freaked out."
"Well I wasn't going to kiss you, but I am now...if that's okay" Peter smirked and put his hand on Ned's cheek.
"Yeah," Ned exhaled a breath they didn't realize they were holding, "more than okay."
They leaned up and closed the gap feeling Peter's soft lips meet theirs. It felt surreal but so so right. Peter brought his hand up into Ned's soft black hair, pulling them impossibly closer before they broke apart gasping for air. Peter let his forehead rest on Ned's as they gazed into each other's eyes panting and smiling like idiots the whole time. Peter pecked Ned on the lips one more time before reminding them that May is probably worried and they should get inside.
The two of them walked into Peter's apartment hand in hand almost making it to Peter's room before Aunt May called to them asking where they were. When they turned around, still holding hands, she looked at their linked hands and then looked at Peter with a raised eyebrow. Peter nodded and started rambling in that cute Peter Parker fashion of his. May stopped him before he could get ahead of himself.
"Oh my god its about fucking time!" She sighed maybe a little too dramatically, "all these years of watching you two cuddle and flirt and you finally get it! Now go to bed you little love birds, and don't make any stupid decisions!"
The door had been closed for about 10 seconds before they heard a very excited yell of 'TONY? HI! YOU ARE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE THIS!'. Ned and Peter couldn't help but chuckle and make a joke about Tony giving the "dad talk" to Ned.
Peter changed into his pajamas without worry, he was just too happy to care about any stupid binder or dysphoria but when he finished changing he instinctively grabbed one of Ned's hoodies from next to their backpack throwing it on and literally looking like he was drowning. He collapsed next to his partner and rolled onto his side winding up face to face with them.
"I love you"
"I love you too, my beautiful spider-boy" Ned pulled him closer, planting a kiss on Peter's forehead before drifting off to sleep.
Peter awoke to a text message from Tony 'Hey kid, so you're dating your person in the chair? I'm engaged to mine so best of wishes to you and Ned. (PS: let them know that a dad talk is coming their way) -TS ' he smiled and responded 'Ned is the last of a dying breed, Mr. Stark. Don't worry about them.' Peter shut his phone off and rolled back over cuddling into Ned. There was no other place he would want to be right now.