Archive of Our Own

In the movies, New York in the winter was a magical place. Unfortunately, the reality was not nearly as picturesque, and the first snow of the season hit Peter like a truck. 

“Fuck,” Peter swore for the third time as he lost his balance when his crutch hit an icy patch on the sidewalk. It was only Harry’s grip on his arm that kept him from landing in the snow again. Peter narrowed his eyes. “Winter is ableist.”

Harry snorted at him. Peter was very glad to have his oldest friend back in the city, but he did not appreciate the amusement in Harry’s expression. “You know, Pete, you could try being careful about where you step. Like everyone else in the city.”

Peter waved that excellent point aside and huffed as Harry hauled him back on his feet. His breath condensed in the cold air. If this was how the season began, he could only imagine how much more snow would be in his future. It was true they’d seen many people fall victim to the ice on their walk, but Peter would be mad at the weather if he wanted to be. “Don’t negate my words with logic. This is the most violent of seasons.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

Peter grinned. He really had missed Harry, even if he was called an idiot a lot more now. Harry’s face was red from the cold, but he was grinning in the same way he used to when they were kids; Peter had noticed that Harry only ever smiled like that anymore when it was just the two of them, and even then it was a rare sight. Not for the first time, Peter wondered what had gone on in Europe. Norman Osborn wasn’t known for being the warmest of fathers, but Harry sometimes looked so battered down. 

Well, Peter decided, there was no point in dwelling on that when they could be making the most of the afternoon. 

“You love me. Hey, remember when we had that snowball fight in my yard?”

Harry cast a sideways glance at him. “Which time?” he asked wryly. “We had a lot of those.”

Peter bent down and, in the guise of rubbing his knee, surreptitiously grabbed a handful of fresh powder. “The one where Aunt May made you eat snow.”

“So, every time.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest. “You have a very violent aunt, you know.”

Peter did know. He packed the snow in his hands into a ball and got ready to launch it at Harry. “Not as violent as—hey!”

Harry burst into peals of laughter as Peter fell into the snow, victim to Harry’s shove. Harry was quick to pick him back up again, but the right side of Peter’s pants were already wet. “You had that coming, Pete.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Peter brushed off his pants as best as he could and used his fraying scarf to warm up his reddened hands. “You know, Flash and Cindy wouldn’t push me into the snow.”

He regretted the words immediately. Harry’s expression closed off and he shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets. His hat hung low over his face, but Peter could still make out his frown. “Well, sorry I’m not them.”

“Don’t be like that.” Peter crossed his arms over his chest. “I can have more than one friend. But don’t worry, you’ll always have the honor of being my oldest friend.” 

The joke fell short. Harry wouldn’t meet his eyes, but Peter could guess what he was thinking; this wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. “I just don’t think people like that can change.”

It was a familiar comment that Peter was quickly losing patience with. “Really? Because there was a time when I thought you would have dropped everything to be there for me if I needed you, but I didn’t even get a call from you the night my life changed forever.”

Harry looked stricken. “Pete, I told you, I didn’t know how to contact you—” 

“You really expect me to believe you couldn’t find a way? We’re both smarter than that.” Peter exhaled heavily. He really hadn’t wanted to bring that up at all, because he didn’t hold that against Harry. Even though a call would have been nice, they hadn’t been in touch for a long time at that point. “I think you didn’t know what to say, and that’s fine, Harry. But that night changed me, and Flash was the one who helped me through it. He’s changed. Denying it doesn’t make it less true, and I’m—I’m tired of listening to you put him down when the last time you saw him was more than five years ago.”

Harry was quiet for a long moment. Peter shifted his weight as he waited for Harry to speak again, but he wouldn’t be surprised if his friend stood his ground on the matter. Harry was as stubborn as his father, and he could hold a grudge nearly as long. 

Finally, Harry exhaled slowly, his breath condensing in the cold air. “I’ll lay off him, Pete. I’m sorry for upsetting you.”

It was as close to an apology as he would get, but Peter also knew Harry well enough to know that he was being sincere. He smiled tiredly. “You’re tough to crack, huh? Makes me wonder how I managed to get through your walls.” He poked Harry in the side for emphasis. 

Harry batted at his hand. “No idea. Biggest regret of my life.” He nudged Peter with his shoulder. “Come on. We’ve got to get you to your knight in flaming armor.”

Peter flushed red, but he hoped the cold was enough of an excuse that Harry wouldn’t notice. He wasn’t so lucky, judging by Harry’s smirk. “I don’t tease you about Liz,” Peter muttered, pouting.

Harry laughed. “That’s because I wouldn’t be nearly as awkward about it.”

He might have had a point there, but Peter would never admit that. He rolled his eyes instead, and he and Harry resumed their walk to the Baxter Building. Even though he’d been there a few times now to visit Johnny, it was easy to feel dwarfed by the impressive building. Harry didn’t seem bothered in the least, but then again, Harry had grown up in a very similar place. Peter felt a little more secure when he had Harry by his side, but he couldn’t help the nerves that steadily mounted as they got closer and closer. 

“My father is worried that you’ll start working for Reed Richards.”

The very casual statement from Harry nearly made Peter lose his balance. His jaw dropped just slightly, and he blinked owlishly a few times before he regained enough of his senses to ask, “Why is he worried about that?”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess he always thought you would come to work for him, but now you have connections with the Richards.”

Peter bit his lip. When he was much younger, he had dreamt of working at Oscorp. It had been very natural; he was best friends with Harry, and his parents had both worked with Norman before their deaths. But it had been years since Norman had spoken to him, and in that time, Peter had read about the endeavors of others in the field—and Reed and Susan Richards were among the most impressive. He imagined what it might be like to work in their labs, under their tutelage, but he dashed the daydream. Peter knew he was smart, but he knew that the chances of such a thing happening were practically nonexistent. 

“I’ve only spoken to him a few times, and never about his work.”

Harry raised a noncommittal brow. “What, you don’t think he’ll take notice of you?”

“I’m here for Johnny, not his brother-in-law.”

“Course you are.” Harry came to a stop—they’d arrived. “That doesn’t mean he won’t notice you. Everyone does eventually.”

If there was a twinge of bitterness in Harry’s voice, Peter lost his chance to respond to it when the doors opened and a crowd of people pushed their way between the two of them. Peter barely heard Harry’s farewell before he was alone in front of the Baxter Building. He swallowed thickly, a little unsettled still by how Harry had seemed before they parted. He hated that he might be the cause of any upset between Harry and his father, but for all his genius, he couldn’t begin to think what he could do about that. 

The Fantastic Four’s incredible defense system was programmed to recognize Peter now, so he was able to walk straight to the elevators and up to the penthouse. While he was in the elevator, he received a text from Johnny that said to make himself comfortable and that the Four would be out for a little longer—a news notification for a disturbance in Midtown came through simultaneously. 

Peter stared at his phone display for a moment, taking that in. Attacks on New York had become almost frequent in recent years, and being close to two superheroes meant that he’d become somewhat desensitized to many of their dangerous endeavors—unlike Flash, who still paced the room whenever Cindy was out as Spider-Woman. It was much easier for Peter not to worry about Johnny, but lately the attacks seemed to be on a much larger scale. Just last week, Johnny had told him about a subterranean adventure he and his family had gone on to prevent a man from submerging the city. It was as terrifying as it was unbelievable, but Johnny had laughed about it. 

And so had Cindy, but Peter tried not to feel excluded by that. 

Being alone in their apartment was strange, but Peter supposed that, as far as threats went, he was hardly the worst thing the Four had been confronted with. There was nothing to do now but sit on the sofa and hope that whatever was keeping his boyfriend away was resolved soon. Peter rubbed absent-mindedly at the scars on his legs, which always seemed to ache in the cold, and kept his eyes on the darkening sky. He wondered if he’d see Johnny fly home, bright against the sky, or if he’d come back in the Fantasticar. 

In the end, he didn’t find out. The quiet must have lulled him asleep, because the next thing Peter knew, someone was gently shaking his shoulder. Embarrassed, he sat up and came face-to-face with a grinning Johnny. 

“Sue’s making dinner,” Johnny told him. Peter blinked away the rest of his grogginess as Johnny rambled on. “And she called your aunt and uncle about staying the night—the snow is really bad right now, you wouldn’t be able to make it ten feet. And even though Ben is totally wrong and I could fly safely in this weather, Reed pointed out that it probably wouldn’t be good for your health.”

The meaning of those words clicked a second later. Peter sat up, squinting because his vision was still blurry—he thought from sleep until Johnny handed him his glasses. “Oh—are you sure your sister doesn’t mind? Because I can make it home.”

Johnny pointed out the window, and Peter turned to see that the snowfall had become a blizzard so harsh, he could barely see the lights on the buildings nearby. “You can’t, and she’s totally cool with it. Hey, SUE!”

Peter jumped at Johnny’s sudden shout, but an answering yell came from where he knew the kitchen to be. “What?”

“Tell Peter it’s okay for him to stay!”

Peter’s face was doing its best impression of a tomato when Sue leaned around the corner, one hand braced against her pregnant belly and the other resting against the doorframe. She smiled kindly at Peter, but only after she shot her brother an exasperated look. “More than okay, Peter. I wouldn’t want you going out in that, and we have a guest bedroom ready. Your aunt and uncle gave their permission.”

“Oh, okay. I—thanks. Thank you, Dr. Richards.” He winced at himself, catching Johnny’s smothered laughter out of the corner of his eye. 

Sue didn’t seem to mind. “Call me Sue, Peter.” She turned to Johnny. “Get him a fresh change of pajamas and a spare toothbrush from the bathroom cabinets. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes—and get Reed out of the lab when you come to the kitchen, will you?”

Johnny saluted. “Whatever you say, sister-o-mine.”

Sue rolled her eyes and disappeared back into the kitchen. Johnny took the opportunity to lean forward and peck Peter on the cheek. “Glad you’re here,” he said simply. 

He should be used to such sweet sentiments from Johnny by now, but Peter still blushed. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he returned, looking over Johnny for any signs of injury. He paused when he saw suspicious-looking holes on the sleeve of Johnny’s uniform. His brain stalled. “Are those… bullet holes?”

Johnny looked down. “Oh, those? Probably. I guess a few managed to break the fabric before I flamed on all the way and melted them. Reed’s still perfecting the formula. If Ben tells you I wasn’t paying attention, he’s lying.” When Peter frowned at him, Johnny shrugged. “Okay, maybe I wasn’t. What can I say? I got carried away. Heat of the battle, you know?”

Peter didn’t, not really. All he really saw when he looked at the holes in the fabric of Johnny’s suit was proof that Johnny would have been shot if it hadn’t been for his powers. He counted quickly; at least three times. Peter hung around enough with Cindy to know that the superhero life was very difficult and nothing to be envious of, but he couldn’t help but resent the way Johnny could be so cavalier about the very thing that had changed Peter’s life so permanently. 

He must have been quiet for too long, because Johnny’s smile dimmed. He put a hand on Peter’s knee. “I really am okay.”

“We’re all glad for that, pipsqueak,” a new voice said, “but you could stand to use your brain, for once.” Ben Grimm entered the room and huffed at Johnny. He looked at Peter and raised a brow, jabbing a thumb in Johnny’s direction. “Sure this is the one you want?”

Most of the tension drained out of Peter’s shoulders at the joke. Johnny’s head and shoulders sparked in indignation, and Peter let himself laugh. “I’m sure,” he said.

The Thing nodded. “Must be a tough kid if you’re willingly putting up with Matchstick over here. If I could, I woulda thrown him through the wall already—”

Johnny threw a pillow at him. “Hey! Stop trying to turn my boyfriend against me—and you’re one to talk, you dried up lump of clay, I don’t know why Reed’s stuck with you all these years—”

Sue’s shout interrupted their argument. “Ben! Johnny! We have a guest!”  

Ben waved her concern aside with a quip about showing Peter the real them, and Johnny tugged at Peter’s hand. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get Reed and get to dinner before Sue murders me.”

Peter shook his head in amusement and slid his arm through the cuff of his crutch before following Johnny out of the room. His earlier discomfort was slipping away as his excitement at the prospect of seeing Reed Richards’ lab mounted. And it didn’t disappoint—when the doors slid open, Peter was confronted with the most incredible display of modern technology he had ever seen. Everything shone silver-chromium, and stuffing the room were holographic display boards, mechanical arms, beakers of bubbling substances Peter was absolutely dying to inspect, and so much more that he couldn’t even give a name to—it was everything he ever dreamed of. 

And there, right in the middle of it, was Dr. Reed Richards in a lab coat, hunched over a microscope as his elongated arms wrote on a holographic screen across the room. Peter could not believe that he was watching the Mr. Fantastic do science in his personal lab. It was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen.

Johnny, apparently, did not share his enthusiasm. “Reed, you lost track of time again and Sue’s going to murder us all if you don’t come up to dinner right now.”

“Oh—yes, you’re right, I’m coming—” Peter watched as his arms shrank and returned to normal proportions. Reed turned around and gave a small start when he saw Peter, but then his expression turned warm. “Peter! I forgot that Susan said you’d be joining us—always happy to have you here, I hope you weren’t waiting too long—”

“I wasn’t!” Peter said hurriedly. “It’s really cool to be here. I mean, your lab is amazing. I’ve always wanted to see something like this.”

“That’s right!” Reed clapped his hands together. “You develop Spider-Woman’s tech. That’s very impressive.”

Peter beamed. “Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you.”

Reed shrugged off his lab coat. “I’d love to talk to you more about what you do. Perhaps during dinner—”

“Hate to interrupt,” Johnny pouted, “but Sue’s ‘no tech talk during meals’ rule is still in effect.”

Reed’s shoulders sagged. “Ah, yes. Yes, there was an incident a few months ago—but later, Peter, I’m sure we can find time. This snowstorm doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon, if my instruments are correct.”

Peter nodded enthusiastically. Johnny looked completely exasperated, but he held tight to Peter’s free hand as he led the way to dinner. Johnny’s hand was warm, almost hot, and it chased away some of the chill of the evening. Unlike Peter, Johnny was never sensitive to the weather, and the natural warmth he emanated was one of the many things Peter loved about Johnny. 

His inner reflection might have revealed itself on his face, because Ben gave him a knowing wink when he sat down for dinner. 

The meal, unsurprisingly, was delicious. Sue was an incredible cook, and she’d made a spread that would have been better suited for a king’s table. The amount of food was astounding, but Peter quickly realized most of it was for the benefit of the Thing, whose appetite was proportional to his impressive size. Along with the food, Sue served herself, Johnny, and Peter hot chocolate while Reed poured a cranberry-colored drink into his own and Ben’s cups. 

Dinner passed quickly, and soon Reed was clearing the dishes as Sue ushered Peter to a guest room. She sent Johnny for a change of pajamas, since they had failed to get them the first time she asked, and grabbed some extra blankets for Peter to use. “If you need more,” she told him, “this is the closet where I keep them. It’s unlikely that we’ll lose power in the storm with all of Reed’s experimental generators, but better safe than sorry.”

Peter took the blankets and thanked her. Then Johnny appeared in the doorway with a change of clothes for Peter. Sue passed them over, then took her brother’s shoulder in a firm grip. “Stay in your bedroom, Johnny. I mean it.”

Peter blushed furiously, but Johnny just rolled his eyes. “First of all, gross, like I would do that with you next door. Second of all, it’s only eight o’clock—it’d be rude to leave our guest all alone so early in the evening.”

Sue crossed her arms. “I’m checking your room at ten.”

“Oh my god, you are so embarrassing. Fine, do it.”

Sue nodded once. “I will.” She turned to Peter, and her expression turned much friendlier, but Peter could see the underlying sternness. “Goodnight, Peter.”

“Goodnight,” Peter returned. She left, and then it was just him and Johnny in the room. 

Johnny pointed at the pajamas tucked under Peter’s arm. “Come on, you can come to my room and use my bathroom.”

Peter was itching to get out of his clothes, which were still sort of stiff from being dampened by the snow when he was out with Harry. He agreed easily and followed Johnny a short ways down the hall. “I thought she’d never leave us alone,” Johnny groaned as opened the bedroom door for Peter. “You’re so lucky you don’t have any siblings.”

Peter snorted. “I don’t know. Aunt May likes to embarrass me when she can, and Uncle Ben isn’t much better.”

“Trust me, it’s worse with a sister. I can only hope that she’ll be too distracted when the baby comes to keep getting on my case.”

Peter didn’t have any experience with siblings, but he couldn’t imagine it was that bad. “You must be excited, though,” he said. He nudged Johnny with his arm. “You’re going to be an uncle!”

Johnny crossed his arms over his chest and ducked his head, a strange mix of pleased and suddenly sheepish. “Yeah, well. I’ll have to fight for my rightful role as fun uncle—Ben thinks he’ll be the kid’s favorite, can you believe it?”

Peter shook his head. “You’ll be a great uncle,” he said. 

“Think so?”

“Know so.” Peter stretched out his leg, which was starting to ache too much to ignore. “Mind if I sit down for a minute?”

Johnny pointed to the bed. “Help yourself. I’ll take a quick shower—I probably smell awful.”

He did smell like ash, but Peter hadn’t planned on saying anything. He made his way over to the bed, grateful to take some pressure off of his leg and take off his crutch. Johnny disappeared into the bathroom, and Peter took the opportunity to massage the muscles in his leg. His jeans made it difficult, so after a few minutes, he decided to change into the pajamas that Johnny had left him. He changed shirts first, then started the process of stripping his pants without aggravating the old injury site. 

He was just picking up the pajama pants when Johnny walked back out with a damp towel draped over his shoulders. 

“Oh, sorry,” he said, stopping when he saw Peter. He didn’t turn around, though, eyes glued to the scars on Peter’s thigh. 

It took every bit of Peter’s self-control not to cover them. He glanced down at his leg, then back at Johnny, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, he lowered his hands to his sides, silently allowing Johnny access. Johnny approached, his face open and free of any judgment. If anything, he looked mildly curious. 

He laid his palm on Peter’s thigh, pleasantly warm as always, and ran his thumb just under the more jagged of the two scars. “That’s where the bullet entered?” he asked.

Peter let out the breath he was holding. “Yeah. The other is the surgical scar, when they removed it.”

Johnny nodded. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Peter shrugged. “Not like you’re thinking.” Now that he knew Johnny wasn’t awkward about the scars, they were easier to talk about. “The muscles get sort of stiff and ache at times, but it’s not always painful anymore. There are bad days, but they aren’t that frequent anymore. I won’t ever get full mobility back, though.” He wasn’t sure why he added that part. It wasn’t like Johnny had ever known him without the crutch. 

Now his boyfriend was watching him carefully. “Did I… upset you earlier?” he asked. His blue eyes were heavy with worry. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I…” Peter really didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t want to make Johnny feel bad, but it felt wrong to lie to him—and it was entirely possible that the matter would be brought up again if he didn’t address it. “I think it’s really cool that you can melt bullets before they come in contact with your body,” he said honestly, “but I guess it bothered me that you laughed it off. I know you see that kind of thing every day, but getting… shot…” Peter splayed his hand over his leg. “It changed my life.”

“Shit,” Johnny breathed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I won’t do that anymore, I promise. I’m really sorry.”

“I know,” Peter said quietly. Then he let out a laugh. “You know, sometimes I wish I was a superhero like you or Cindy. I feel kinda stuck sometimes, and then I see the two of you flying, and—” Peter waved his hands around as he searched for the right words. “The world must move so fast, you know?”

Johnny tilted his head to the side. “You’re not stuck. You’re, like, one of the smartest people I know. Your mind moves faster than I can even process sometimes.” Johnny climbed up on the bed and took Peter’s hands in his. “I live with two geniuses, so I know what I’m talking about.”

Peter bit his lip. “I don’t really want to be a superhero.”

“I should hope not. I don’t need any more competition when it comes to looking good in a suit.”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Peter laughed. He shoved a grinning Johnny in the arm, hard. “I just think it’s cool. There’s a lot of danger, but… you always make it out. And you give people hope that things can get better.” Peter fell back against the pillows. “It makes a big difference.”

Johnny laid down next to him. “You don’t need powers to do that. You inspire me every day.” Johnny turned his head so he was looking Peter in the eyes. “You don’t have powers, but you always help people anyway. You use your big brain to create incredible things.” He poked Peter’s temple to emphasize his point. “And… I might be in love with you.”

The breath caught in Peter’s throat. His heart beat wildly, and he scanned Johnny quickly for any sign that this was a joke or insincere. He found nothing; Johnny’s face was so open and honest, just as it always was. It gave Peter the courage to be vulnerable in return. “I think I’m in love with you, too,” he confessed. 

Johnny smiled so brightly, it actually lit up the room. “You mean that?” he asked, like he’d never heard anything like it before. 

Peter huffed out a laugh. “Why’s that surprising?”

“I don’t know.” Johnny propped himself up on an elbow and put a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “There’s a lot of things about you that surprise me. It’s what I like about you.” He dropped a kiss to Peter’s lips. “Like how you looked at me at the arcade. No one’s ever looked at me like that before.”

“At the arcade?” Peter looked at him, disbelieving. “The terrible arcade date when everything kind of fell apart? How did I look at you then?”

“Like you were happy you chose me.”

“Happy I chose you?” Peter didn’t understand what he meant, but he was a little distracted by the way a single blond curl was falling over Johnny’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

Johnny laid his head down on Peter’s chest. Instinctively, Peter’s hands came up to rest on his shoulders. “I thought for a while that Harry was trying to get together with you,” Johnny mumbled into his chest. 

“What?” Peter couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped him. “Harry and I are just friends, what made you think that?”

“Uh, maybe the massive crush he had on you?” Johnny lifted his head so Peter could see exactly how amused he looked. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. Oh my god, you really didn’t.”

Peter shook his head in disbelief. He was replaying years’ worth of memories in his mind, but none of them seemed to back up what Johnny was telling him. “I really don’t think—”

“He did, we talked about it. He backed off once he realized you really liked me. He’s not a bad guy, and I’m glad he’s your friend.” Johnny pecked him on the nose. 

Peter sat up, dislodging Johnny, much to his displeasure, if his grumbling was any indication. Peter stared at his boyfriend. “Harry liked me?”

Johnny rolled onto his back. “Yeah. Are you really that surprised? You’re a cutie, you know.”

Peter ignored the flirting. “Johnny,” he hissed. “I need you to explain this to me. He didn’t—he never even called me when he was away. Or when I got hurt. He just disappeared.”

Johnny considered him. “Well, I can guess at some of that. Sometimes it’s easier to cut people off when you miss them—not that it’s right, but you know, maybe he just didn’t know what to say anymore. Maybe he didn’t even realize he liked you until he left. Whatever happened, he really cares about being your friend.”

Peter bit his lip. “He’s been really hard on Flash.”

Johnny winced. “Yeah, I noticed. Look, I don’t know for sure, but it’s probably just hard for him to see you be so close with someone else. He liked you, but I was there. So he wanted to keep being your best friend, but Flash was there—”

“I didn’t replace Harry—”

“I didn’t say you did! Just—haven’t you noticed that you’re Harry’s only real friend? He’s getting closer to me and Liz, but you’re the only person he really hangs out with. He just doesn’t want to lose you to other people.”

He had not noticed that. Peter put his head in his hands and groaned. “I just told him off for being mean about Flash.”

“Hey.” Johnny sat up and pulled Peter against his chest. “It’s not your job to fix Harry and Flash’s problem with each other. They’ll get over it. And, uh, maybe don’t tell Harry I told you all of this, but in my defense, I totally thought it was obvious.”

“It was not,” Peter complained. “I feel like a dick for always telling Harry he’s being unreasonable. I should have thought about how hard it must be to come back to the country and see that everything was so different.”

“Call him in the morning,” Johnny suggested. “I’m sure he’ll listen to you. He cares a lot about you. And if it makes you feel any better, he’s definitely into Liz now, so you’re free to give me all of your time and attention.”

Johnny’s wicked grin did make him feel better. Peter pressed his nose against Johnny’s neck. “Tell me again why I put up with you?”

“People do crazy things when they’re in love, babe. Like put up with me.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong. Peter counted himself among the lucky ones. “I’d better get back to my room before your sister comes in.”

Johnny sighed dramatically. “You don’t have to. Another day, another scandal… What's the big deal?”

“I really don’t ever want anyone in your family to see me without pants on.”

“All right, that’s fair. But don’t be surprised if I wake you up in the morning.” Johnny grabbed Peter’s face before he could form a response and kissed him deeply. When he pulled away, he was glowing bright enough to light up the whole room. 

Peter smiled so, so fondly. “I love you,” he said again, because now that he could, why would he stop?

Johnny glowed more brightly. “I love you, too.”

Peter kissed him one last time, then resumed the effort of putting his borrowed pants on. Johnny, thankfully, did not offer to help; he just chatted away about this and that until Peter was ready to give one more kiss goodnight. Peter managed to leave the room before Sue followed up on her threat to check on them, and he fell asleep quickly once he’d settled into the guest bed. 

Johnny did, in fact, follow through with his threat to wake Peter up. He was caught by Sue, who apologized to Peter on his behalf and then forced her brother to help with breakfast while Peter went back to sleep if he wanted to. He thought about it, but the early night he’d had meant that he was wide awake now. Really, it was more shocking that Johnny hadn’t slept a few more hours; he usually needed lots of rest after missions so he could replenish his flame. But if he was awake, Peter was more than happy to keep him company. 

When he made it to the breakfast table, he found Ben and Reed already there. Sue and Johnny served steaming pancakes as Peter sat beside Reed. Peter had never spent a morning with the Fantastic Four before, and while the bustle of breakfast was loud and chaotic, he liked it a lot. Sue and Johnny bickering about how long to keep the pancakes on the griddle, Ben grumbling about trying to read his newspaper, Reed half-distracted by his attempts to sneak a look at a tablet he wasn’t supposed to have at the table—it was very different from breakfast at the Parker household, but it felt very alive. 

“Peter,” Reed said suddenly when Peter was halfway through his fourth pancake, “I wanted to discuss something with you.” Mouth full, Peter could only nod his agreement and try not to choke. Luckily, Reed was satisfied with that and continued. “I don’t know how much Johnny told you about our mission yesterday, but I heard you had quite the hand in stopping Belladonna—”

“Reed!” Johnny hissed at the same time Peter asked, “Belladonna?”

Reed awkwardly cleared his throat. “Ah. Well, perhaps your friends were planning to—my mistake. Belladonna was working closely with Roderick Kingsley—you’ll remember the fire at Allan Chemical.”

“I do,” Peter said, even as he cast a questioning glance at his boyfriend. “What about it?”

“It was a cover up for a larger crime. Kingsley—who I’m told you are familiar with—used the fire to cover up some incriminating evidence about his involvement with Belladonna, the woman behind the recent string of murders. She used an advanced knowledge of chemistry to break into homes and murder her victims, which is why the police never found a murder weapon.”

“What was her connection to Kingsley?” Peter asked. He was a little surprised that Reed was sharing this information with him, but not as surprised as he was that Johnny wasn’t the one sharing it with him. 

Reed cleared his throat. “Roderick Kingsley was interested in taking the work of others and passing it off on his own. He has done this for years, but there was never any real proof of his crimes. We believe that he wanted to use Belladonna to quiet a number of the enemies he’d made, and that she was promised access to rare and valuable textiles and materials for her own experimentations in return for her help. The evidence suggests that Belladonna intended to double cross Roderick—he stole from her sister years ago and ruined her company as a result.”

“Spider-Woman was going to tell you the news,” Johnny interjected. He glared at his brother-in-law. “That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

“My mistake,” Reed said again. “But that brings me back to what I wanted to discuss with you, Peter.”

Peter could barely hear him, his mind was still reeling from this new information. Belladonna was the murderer, and Roderick Kingsley was involved? So Spider-Woman had done it? “Uh, yeah, sure. What—what is it?”

Reed leveled him with a look, and Peter realized that he had Mr. Fantastic’s undivided attention—a rare commodity indeed. “I understand that you created and developed the chemical formula for Spider-Woman’s web fluid.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “Um…”

“And that it was you who identified the chemical compound that Belladonna used at each crime scene.”

Johnny was trying to hide his smile. “Spider-Woman and Reed got to talking yesterday.”

“Oh,” Peter said intelligibly. “Um, yes. I did.”

Reed leaned forward eagerly. “And the web-shooters? You built those as well?”

Peter nodded. “I wanted to help her in any way I could, and I thought those things might help.” It felt a little lame when he was saying it to someone as acclaimed as Reed Richards, but it was the truth. 

“Those inventions are incredible,” Sue chimed in. She walked over to Reed’s side and put a hand on his shoulder. “We were very impressed to learn that you were the brain behind them.”

“The web-shooters themselves are brilliant,” Reed told him excitedly. “But the webbing is astounding. Spider-Woman informed me of the many ways she puts it to use, and I have to say, I was very surprised. It would be remarkable from anyone, but from someone so young? I think you will do many great things, Peter.”

“I…” Peter didn’t know what to say. He was practically floating from the praise his hero had just given him, but those creations also didn’t seem that revolutionary. “That means a lot coming from the two of you. But it—it was nothing, really.”

“It’s a lot more than nothing,” Reed said firmly before even Johnny could jump to his defense. “Peter, I know that you’re nearly finished with school. Johnny mentioned that you were thinking about attending classes at Empire State University?”

“I am,” Peter confirmed. He wanted to stay near his aunt and uncle, and it would be a lot more affordable than other schools. Uncle Ben had needled him about making sure he didn’t want to try to attend a school like MIT, but Peter didn’t think that would be realistic. He knew his uncle would work himself to the bone to make it happen if he wanted it, but it didn’t feel worth it. 

“I think that’s an excellent choice,” Reed told him. “I know people at that university, and I think they would be very interested in meeting you.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Oh, yes. Dr. Curt Connors, for one. Dr. Morris Sloan, William Fields—”

“Darling,” Sue interrupted gently. 

“Right! My point, Peter, is that I think you have a very bright future. You would do well at Empire State. And if you’re that close, I would like to offer you an internship here while you’re at school.”

Peter blinked. Then pinched himself in case he was dreaming and Johnny hadn’t actually come yet to wake him up. “An internship… here?”

“Paid, of course,” Reed continued on, like he hadn’t just turned Peter’s world upside down. “You would be able to attend classes and then come work in the building. You would start small, with some of my trusted colleagues, but I’m confident that we can find appropriate work for you that you’d enjoy. And if you’re satisfied here, I’m certain that you would be offered a full time position when it’s time for you to graduate—not that you’d be pressured to accept it, of course. You’d do well anywhere.”

“What Reed is saying,” Sue said, “is that we think we could help launch your career and connect you to great resources. Johnny thought you would be interested in the offer.”

Peter could hardly believe this was happening. “Really?” he couldn’t help but ask. “You’d want me to work here?”

Reed and Sue nodded. “You have a unique mind, Peter,” Reed told him. “We want you to be able to use it.”

It was everything he had dreamed of and more. Peter nodded quickly. “That would be amazing. I’ve always wanted—” He cut himself off, embarrassed. “I mean… that would be really, really cool. Thank you.”

They smiled warmly at him. Sue stepped forward and gave him a hug. “See how you feel once we put you to work. Then you can thank us.” She winked at him when she pulled away.

Peter grinned. “I will,” he promised. There was nothing he liked more, after all, than a good challenge. He couldn’t think of a better one than working at the Baxter Building. Maybe one day, he could work his way up to Reed’s lab.

“I told you you were a big brain!” Johnny threw his arms around Peter. “Can’t believe Reed spoiled the surprise about Belladonna, but hey—I’ll get to see you all the time next year!”

“You will not be with Peter in the labs,” Reed and Sue said as one. 

Johnny pouted. “You set fire to one microscope,” he muttered. 

Peter smothered a laugh as Reed lamented the research lost to Johnny’s antics, but his heart was soaring. He couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t dared to dream that this could happen to him, but it seemed that his work with Cindy was, somehow, impressive enough to capture the attention of two of the biggest scientists of the century. 

As soon as he was able to slip away, he called Harry. 

“You were right,” Peter gushed as soon as Harry picked up the phone. “Oh my god, you were right. Reed Richards just offered me an internship when I go to college.”

“That’s great, Pete!” He sounded groggy from sleep, but Harry’s answer was immediate and genuine. “I told you it’d happen! And don’t worry, I’ll break the news to my dad.”

Even though he was joking, Peter winced slightly. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

“No,” Harry assured him. “That’s great news, Pete. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Peter hesitated as he thought back to his conversation with Johnny last night. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?” Harry sounded worried. 

“I haven’t been very fair to you lately,” Peter began slowly. He knew Harry well enough to know that if Harry thought for a moment he was being pitied, he’d hang up. Peter didn’t pity him, but he didn’t want to give his friend the wrong impression. “I was so focused on what you were saying about Flash that I didn’t think about how you were feeling.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. “Not sure I’m following, Pete.”

Peter took a deep breath. “You know you’ll always be my best friend, right? Flash and Cindy are my best friends too, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend time with you. You were my first friend, like, ever. I wouldn’t just throw that away.”

“Didn’t think you were.”

Peter heard that he was getting guarded. “Are you jealous of Flash?” he blurted out. He knew it was the wrong thing as soon as he said it and tried to backtrack. “Shit, no, I meant—”

“I’m not,” Harry cut in. “But I—if I’m being honest, I hate that he might know you better than I do now. We used to know everything about each other, and I guess I wanted things to feel like they were before. That wasn’t fair of me.” Harry sighed heavily. “Listen, I know that Flash has probably… changed. And I know you like him, so I should give him a chance. You were right about that.”

Peter frowned. “But I wasn’t being fair to you.”

“You don’t have to be fair to me when I’m being a dick, Pete.” There was a smile in Harry’s voice. “Part of the friendship thing is letting me know when I’m being an asshole.”

Peter snorted. “Well, when you put it like that.”

“Yeah.” Harry was quiet for a moment. “Johnny told you about the arcade, didn’t he?”

“No,” Peter denied immediately, but he knew it was useless. Harry always knew when he was lying. 

“Relax, I’m not mad. You really never knew?”

Peter felt bad. “No. I’m told I’m not always the most observant.”

Harry really let out a laugh then. “You’re really not. But don’t worry—Liz is a better girlfriend than you could ever hope to be.”

Peter huffed. “Thanks a lot.”

“What’re friends for? Johnny should be happy—if I was really in the game, he wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“That confident, are you?” Peter teased. “You think you could compete with him?”

“Duh. There’s no risk of the smoke alarm going off when I get excited.”

Peter laughed so hard that he doubled over. Harry had a point; Johnny had set fire to more than one tablecloth on their dates. Harry joined in on his laughter, and any tension between them was dissipated. Right before Peter said goodbye, Harry had one last thing to say. 

“Hey, Pete? I’ll try harder with Flash. You don’t have to worry about us anymore.”

Peter nodded, even though Harry couldn’t see him. “I really appreciate that.”

“Sure. Tell your boyfriend I said hi.”

Peter grinned. “I will.” He hung up the phone, and then he felt Johnny’s arms wrap around him. “Harry says hi.”

“Told you he’d understand,” Johnny mumbled into his neck. “The snow’s finally stopped. Sue said I should take you back home.”

“Oh, yeah.” Aunt May and Uncle Ben would be anxious for him to get back. “Is your sister driving us?”

Johnny looked at him conspiratorially. “Actually, I thought I might show you what it’s like to fly.”

Minutes later, Peter was bundled in a heavy jacket and clutching his crutch in one hand and Johnny’s neck in the other as they soared over the city. The morning was bright, and the sunlight glinted off of the ice and snow that the storm had left behind. From so high up, the dirt and grime of the city was practically non-existent; he couldn’t believe he was admitting it, but it looked as beautiful as a New York winter did on screen. 

The wind bit at his face as Johnny flew him at a leisurely pace. Peter was glad that he wasn’t racing—this was too magical, too wondrous to miss. Seeing the city from this vantage point was an experience like nothing else. 

He told Johnny as much, and his boyfriend nodded. “It never gets old,” he told Peter. He looked right into Peter’s eyes as he said, “There’s no better view than this one.”

Looking into Johnny’s face, backlit by the morning sun and bright blue sky, Peter had to agree. 

He looked back at the city passing far below them, stretched out to the horizon. He thought about the future he’d been promised that morning, so close to being in his grasp. Johnny had been right, he realized, when he told Peter that he wasn’t stuck. There was so much more for him to do, and he couldn’t wait to get to work. 

Peter was very, very glad that Johnny didn’t drop him when he surprised him with a kiss, but he did feel Johnny burn brighter in response.