(If you usually skip the author's notes, read this one.)
Hey everyone,
Let's start with the good news:
This chapter is 2800 WORDS!!!!! Wow. I think this is the longest chapter yet.
Now, for the bad news, this is the second-last chapter. The next update will be the last one. I'M NOT CRYING 🤧🤧🤧 YOU'RE CRYING!
My baby has all grown up! That's crazyyyy.
On another note, I just wanted to see your opinion.
- Clint x Natasha
OR
- Steve x Natasha
OR
- Bruce x Natasha
OR
- ______ x Natasha
Personally, I felt like the way Marvel did it with Bruce x Natasha, it felt kind of forced.
Comment which one you think is the best ship, or come up with your own!
Personally, I like Steve x Natasha. :)
Anyways, I'll stop talking now so you can read the chapter.
Byeee,
Breeze/Nicky (<-- it's my nickname)
Bruce stood there, mouth hanging wide open in pure shock as I revealed my secret to him. Actually, I didn't say anything, just peeled off the mask in front of him. We had just exited the quinjet, so everyone besides Bruce was standing behind me, watching Bruce's reaction.
"You're not going to Hulk out, are you?" Clint asked, walking over to Bruce from behind me and poking Bruce's cheek with a finger. For some reason, I had a feeling that Clint wanted him to Hulk out, even though that would mean big trouble for us.
He snapped his mouth shut and raised his eyebrows at Clint. "Of course not. I'm just... surprised, very surprised."
Thor made his way over to Bruce and slung his arm over his shoulders. "But a good surprised, I'm sure!"
Bruce patted Thor's arm. "Of course. Of course." Thor broadly grinned, and Bruce turned his attention back to me. "Well, at least now your previous injuries make sense, and now we know why you've been... a little bit secretive."
I rubbed the nape of my neck and sent him a shy smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. I needed to fully trust you guys before revealing my identity."
Bruce smiled and nodded, understanding that they had earned my trust. "It's okay. I'm glad you trust us now."
There was a couple of seconds of silence before Clint clapped his hands together, shattering the calm. "Excellent bonding. Can we go eat food now?" Talking about food, I realized I was actually pretty hungry.
I heard Tony sigh and looked back to see him rolling his eyes. "Is food the only thing on your mind, Clint?"
Clint tilted his head as he mulled over the question, as if this was some kind of moral question that needed to be analyzed in every way before coming to a conclusion. He lifted up a finger. "Food and fun."
"Let's have some fun in the gym then, huh?" Natasha smiled at Clint, but it was a dangerous smile. I honestly felt scared for Clint at the moment. The glint in her eyes told me there would be nothing fun in what she had planned.
Clint shrugged, not a witness to her real intentions. "What do you want to do? Weightlifting?"
"Kickboxing." Natasha grabbed his wrist and dragged him over to the elevator.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" I asked as we looked at Natasha shoving Clint into the elevator and the doors closing. She wouldn't go too far, would she? I mean, yeah, Clint had kept my secret from her, but it was because I asked him to. It wasn't his fault. Maybe I should go after her and explain what happened. I didn't want to see Clint get hurt because of me. I started taking a step after them, but then I felt a hand grabbing my wrist gently.
I looked back and saw Steve. "I'd let her get some steam off. Don't worry. She won't hurt him. Maybe throw harder hits and kicks than usual, but nothing that'll damage him."
"Permanently," Tony added in a murmur.
I frowned, looking over to Tony. "What?" I asked.
"Huh? I didn't say anything." Tony covered his lie with a smile. "Anyways! I'll order some Chinese food. Friday, when the food arrives, feel free to notify Clint and Nat."
"Of course, boss," Friday said. In the meantime, Thor and Bruce walked over to the elevator, Bruce trying to explain to Thor about something he found out in his research. Surprisingly, Thor nodded along with what he was saying, seemingly interested. I assumed they would be going to Bruce's lab as the elevator doors closed, leaving me with Tony and Steve.
Tony told Friday, obviously joking, "And notify Bruce and Thor as well when the food arrives, as they have so rudely left us without even saying goodbye."
"Whatever you say, boss," Friday told him. Tony gave the ceiling a critical eye as we heard a slight attitude coming from Friday. Tony probably decided he would deal with this later, shrugging and moving over to the kitchen. Steve followed him, frowning at the tablet in his hand. I went over to one of the chairs and hopped on it.
"Why can't I call Bucky?" Steve tapped the tablet multiple times.
I couldn't help but give him a small smile as I knew what the problem was. "Mr. Rogers, that's a tablet."
"I'm aware, Peter, but why isn't it allowing me to call Bucky? I think I need to send this to the it guy," Steve contemplated as Tony took seven plates and laid them on the table. Tony and I shared a smile, our minds both thinking about the scary clown, It.
"I.T.," Tony corrected, "And no, it's perfectly normal. You know there's a difference between a tablet and a phone, right?"
"Yes, I know, Tony. They have different sizes. The tablet is bigger than a phone," Steve explained. I'm sure he was just reciting what he had heard from others.
Tony beat me to explaining, saying, "That's not the only difference. You can call someone with a phone, but not with a tablet."
"What? That sounds not so smart."
I laughed at Steve's choice of words and said, "In other words, dumb." Tony chuckled before adding seven cups to the table and from the fridge, different types of sodas.
"So what do I do?" Steve asked.
"Here, take my phone in the meantime. Just give it back after you're done with your chat." Tony took out his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to him.
I looked down and realized I was still in my Spider-man suit. I jabbed my thumb to the elevator. "I'm going to go change." I wanted to change into a warm hoodie. I cannot express in words how much I loved hoodies. Hoodies are a blessing. They are so comfy and feel so cuddly. I don't know what I would do in a world without hoodies.
Tony gave me a thumbs-up, and I made my way to my room.
On the way down, Friday said, "You are receiving a call from Ned. Would you like to answer?"
"Of course." I nodded and opened the door to my room.
I walked over to my closet as I heard Ned's voice enter my room. "Peter! How'd it go?!"
"It went really well!" I grinned as I pulled out a hoodie Mr. Stark had bought me a while ago. "Tony kind of freaked out a little bit because he remembered the fight between me and the Avengers and how I got hurt, but I made sure he knows I'm not holding a grudge and forgive him for that. It's not like he knew it was me."
"That's great. I'm glad that-"
"Let me talk to him, Ned!"
"MJ, let me just fini-"
"You got to talk to him earlier today. I haven't talked to him since the last time we've seen each other, which was a couple of days ago."
"Alright okay, you win."
I heard them talk in the background before I heard her voice clearly. "Peter! Are you okay? I heard what happened. You scared the hell out of me!"
I felt guilty for not calling her. "Hey! I'm okay now. I'm really sorry I didn't call you. A lot has happened this past day."
MJ said, "You better be sorry! I was worried sick! You weren't in school for a couple of days, and the only thing Ned knew was that you were kidnapped." I could hear the worry through her voice alone.
I nodded. "I know, I know. Zenon- I mean Bob- the bad guy, who kidnapped me was taken into custody, and Mr. Stark is dealing with his associates and other exploitation he was responsible for."
I heard MJ- or Ned- breathe out a sigh of relief. "Good good. I'm glad you're okay, Peter."
The side of my lips tugged up as I felt a warm, unfamiliar feeling in my stomach. "Thanks, MJ."
"Can I talk now?" Ned grumbled.
"Sure, loser."
"Finally," Ned complained before he continued, "Hey Peter, I'm glad telling them worked out well! Have they asked you any probing questions yet? That's what I would've done."
I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "Thanks, and not yet, but I'm sure it'll happen soon." I already planned to answer them honestly. I didn't have anything to hide anymore.
"Will you be at school on Monday?" Today was Saturday, so I had another day until school started.
"Probably." I couldn't see why not.
Ned asked, "Could you come over to my house on Monday after school? I bought a new Lego box. MJ will be here too."
"Ooooo, what'd you get?"
"It's a surprise. You'll see."
Friday spoke before I could respond. "Peter, the food has arrived. Tony is asking for you to join the others."
"Okay," On the way up, I told Ned and MJ I had to go, and we said goodbye to each other.
I walked out of the elevator, seeing all of the Avengers huddled around the food. Clint was eating as if he had been starved for a week. Was I surprised?
Nope.
At least, that meant Nat hadn't hurt him that much.
My eyes moved down to the floor, and I spotted a black dot on the ground. Moving closer, I peered down at it.
My heart stopped.
"Shit!"
A screech burst out of my mouth as I sprinted away from the black spider crawling on the ground.
"Language!" Was yelled across the room as I threw myself over the back on the couch and crouched behind it.
"Peter? What's wrong?" Tony dropped his fork on his plate and moved over to me.
I peered over the couch and pointed to the ground where the spider was crawling on. "S-s-sp-spider!" I ducked behind the couch again.
Clint laughed. "Spider-man is scared of spiders?"
"Shut up, Clint." Nat slapped his head lightly.
"Ow!" He rubbed the area where she hit him. "That was unnecessary!"
"If you think that's funny, why don't you kill it?" Tony asked Clint, raising an eyebrow.
Clint shivered, "Ew! No way! I hate spiders."
Tony glared at him. "Oh, so it's okay for you to be scared of spiders, but not for Peter?"
"But-but Peter is-"
Nat knocked her arm into his stomach and smirked at him. "This is the moment you stay quiet."
Clint glanced at Tony and decided this wasn't something worth fighting over, especially with Tony's new-found protectiveness. In the meantime, Steve withdrew a napkin from the kitchen and walked over to the spider. Stooping down, he picked it up and walked over to the elevator.
Bruce asked, his eyes following Steve. "Where are you going, Steve?"
"I'm going to set it free outside."
"Of course Steve would do that. That's predictable," Tony commented.
Nat stood up, pushing her seat away from the table. "I'll join you, Steve. I want to get some fresh air."
"In New York City?" Tony sounded incredulous.
She hit his shoulder lightly. "Shut up, Tony."
"Ohhh," Tony said as it clicked in his brain. He gave her a knowing smirk.
"God, living in a house full of boys is unbearable." Nat groaned, joining Steve in the elevator.
Tony couldn't help but yell back, "It's a skyscraper, not a house."
Seeing that the spider was removed from the situation, I stood up from my hiding position and slowly made my way over to the dining table, eyes on the ground to make sure it was clear. I did not want another experience with a gross spider. Just thinking about it made me shudder.
"Here." Tony passed me a plate heaped full of noodles and chicken. "Eat up. Because of your fast metabolism, you need to eat more than the average person."
I took it from his hand and sat down at the table, picking up a fork. "How do you know about that?"
"It would only make sense, with your genetic differentiation." He gestured to me. "About that, how did you get all of those abilities in the first place?"
Prepared for their questions, I answered, "A radioactive spider bit me."
Bruce nearly spat out the water that he was drinking. "Radioactive?" He shot a look at Mr. Stark. "We should take a look at his DNA in the lab, if that's okay with you, Peter."
I shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
"How did you figure out that you had powers anyway? Did you just wake up one day, and were like oh shit, my strength quadrupled?" Clint asked me, shoving a fork full of noodles into his mouth. He didn't bother closing his mouth as he asked me the question, making Tonny crinkle his nose at him.
"I used to wear glasses. The next morning, I could see perfectly clear without my glasses. That was the first sign. From then on, I just, I don't know, figured it out as I went along."
They continued to ask me questions such as, 'when did this happen', 'what are all of your abilities', 'who knows about you being Spider-man besides us', 'when did you tell the others', 'how do you make your webs', and others.
I answered them all patiently, knowing they deserved these answers. Halfway through the questions, Steve and Natasha joined us for dinner again. I thought I saw Nat slightly blushing, but I was convinced that I was seeing things.
At the end, Tony said, "Okay, I think we've asked him enough questions."
"But-" Clint started.
"You can ask him more tomorrow, Clint," Steve told him.
Tony smiled widely. "Wait a second here, guys. I'll be right back." He went out of the kitchen.
"What is he up to?" Bruce asked. Everyone shrugged, including me. I had no idea what he was planning.
Tony came back soon after, his hands hiding something behind his back. His eyes met mine. Uh oh. This was about me.
He gave me a grin as he approached me. "Happy birthday, Peter!" He removed his hand from his back and handed me a box wrapped in colorful wrapping paper.
I accepted it from him but frowned up at him. "But my birthday was months ago, on-"
"August twenty-seventh, I know. I'm sorry I missed it."
I laughed. "Mr. Dad, you didn't know me at that time. How can you miss something you didn't know existed?"
"I know, I know. That's why it's a late birthday present. Open it!" Tony seemed excited, and I didn't want to burst his bubble by rejecting the present.
I looked down at the box in my hand. It was small, the top around the size of a hand. Turning it over, I found a crease and ripped it open. Pulling off the wrapping, I gaped at the gift in my hand.
I glanced up at Mr. Stark, my mouth wide open in shock. "A phone?!"
He nodded. "Yours got destroyed a week ago, and you definitely need one. And don't you dare tell me it's too expensive or anything like that. It's yours. You can take it out of the box, if you'd like."
I placed the box on the table and lifted up the cover carefully. Taking out the phone gently, I clicked the home button to start it up. I was surprised that, instead of the regular set up screen you had with a new phone, there was a picture of Tony and I smiling together. I remembered when we took this picture. It was while we were working in the lab, and Tony insisted on talking a picture together.
Looking down at the phone and being surrounded by who I considered my family, I felt a feeling I hadn't in a very long time: acceptance.
I placed the phone down and threw myself at him, giving him a tight hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Of course, Peter!" He patted my back and added in a wheezing voice, "And you sure are strong!"
"Oh, sorry!" I loosened the hug, not wanting to squeeze him to death.
"I'm glad you like it." Mr. Stark smiled down at me.
"I love it! Now I just need to get a case, so if I drop it, it doesn't break."
"I already got you one." He withdrew a case from his pocket. Another grin broke out on my face as I recognized all of the Avengers on the back, with an Avengers symbol in the middle. A squeal escaped out of me as I quickly put the case on the phone.
The Avengers smiled at my excitement.
Tony said, "Okay, time to go to bed, Pete."
"What? But it's only nine." I pointed to the clock on the oven.
"And the doctor recommended plenty of rest. Come on, let's go."
Sighing, I was sad that the day had ended so quickly but happy that I was able to live through such an enjoyable experience. I would never forget this memory of us together. Telling everyone goodnight, I made my way to bed.