webdesigned | open post.

( he hates group work.

surprising no one. or, maybe, surprising at least a few people. Peter Parker is a perfectly nice guy, maybe a little annoying in class when he goes off a tangent nobody asked for that is barely even relevant to the lecture, though overall seems normal and capable of socializing and interacting with peers. this shouldn't be that big a deal. everyone on the planet hates group work, yet looking at him wouldn't indicate a stubborn streak a mile wide and a refusal to let others help him, even when he needs it.

still, he has a paper to write, with a partner, and collaborative writing has to be his least favorite class of all time. his work keeps coming back doused in red ink and glaring bias against oxford commas and as much as he grits his teeth and tries to bear it because he's got to make it through his general ed requirements to make it on to enroll in biophysics, it doesn't mean he's actually got to like it. he's half assing it at best, and most people that pay him mind can tell.

but it's not just him anymore, is it? Peter had all the intentions of the world of putting in a good effort, since it wasn't just his grade on the line. MJ had been stuck with him because they both missed the class when partners were decided and he doesn't want to drag her down just because he hates hitting his shift key. he had the best of intentions, and yet... he's more than half an hour late when he drags into the library, drops down looking like he just left Fight Club (so don't ask), and when he takes out his book, it's literally broken in half. he stares at it for a moment, like even he is surprised, before he sets it down and tries admirably to pretend that didn't just happen.

awkward.

he doesn't come empty handed, though... as she stares him down he slides an apple juice along the table like its the holy grail. its a peace offering, please take it, MJ, he does at least feel bad about how long she's been waiting. ) Sorry, my cat got out, ( he lies badly, his lopsided grin all charm and bluster, if you don't count the split lip. it is kind of hard not to count the split lip, though. )

Edited 2017-07-22 09:29 (UTC)

( Peter Parker is weird.

she does her research before she actually meets the guy -- and by research it means she asked like two people that happened to be in her dorm lounge room when she got the email informing her that "due to their unexplained absences, Michelle Jones and Peter Parker have been assigned each other for the collaborative paper due in three weeks". so not the most thorough research, but she's seen him around and about as well, and honestly the guy is weird. smart as anything, she'll give him that, but sporadic on his good days and distracted on his bad, and all in all not the best group work partner to have been assigned.

still, she can forgive weird behaviour - or at least she could have, half an hour ago. she's weird in her own right, she's under no illusions about that, but at least she's punctual. enough time has passed for her to have a half-completed sketch of the couple three tables across from her that have spent the whole time lip locked, and she spins it around and presents it as if in payment for the apple juice. which she opens. and sips. this doesn't mean she's forgiven you, Peter, it's just that she happens to be thirsty. )

Oh, your cat? ( an eyebrow raises, and she nods along as though this totally legit and not in any way completely rubbish lie is in any way believable. another sip of the juice, and then she sets it down and narrows her eyes at him, quickly. ) Must be a big cat, you look pretty beat up. Peter...

( she drags out the syllables of his name, but as quickly as she dialled up the intensity on her inquisition, it disappears again and she grins, gesturing at the book. )

Cat ate your homework too, huh? Sucks, man.

( wow. a... well. he accepts the picture because it seems rude not to, but once he does, he's not sure what message she's sending with it. he goes from weary swagger in attempts to sell a horrible lie to uncertain embarrassment. he doesn't quite manage a thank you, instead putting the sketch on top of his obliterated book. yes, that perfectly disguises it looks like someone with a fist the size of a bowling ball tried to break through it. perfect. )

Look, she's... she's super wiley. You think dogs are hard on homework? Try a cat. Cats are crazy, man. She may be small but she's an animal. Like... more so than just being a cat implies. ( he's talking too much about the cat he doesn't actually have. Peter knows intensely little about cats, or even if they are crazy. he swallows, averts his eyes from her face, and is silent as he scrounges up what to say next.

he may be weird, yet even Peter can tell how much he's blowing this. Michelle hasn't said as much, but yeah, he's definitely blowing this. his blustering confidence deflates into genuine contrition, and that at least doesn't come off as achingly hollow. he is sorry he's late. he just can't really explain why. ) I'm sorry. I should have emailed you I was going to be late, I just... ( was fighting a mechanized rhino solider at the time. you know, like you do. he sighs, shaking his head and biting back what he can't say, trying to pull up something he can. ) I know you're stuck with me, so I promise I'll do whatever I can to make this painless. Scouts honor.

( he lifts a hand as if he's about to preform a pledge to prove it, before he shakes his head. ) Okay, no. I wasn't ever a boy scout. But like that. ( this is where he choses to be honest, apparently. )

( when he first signed up to be a member of ALASTAIR — and signed up was a strong word for coerced to participate — he'd almost thought it all sounded kinda cool. traveling worlds, planets, universes. maybe getting a little closer to feeling like he could be a hero again, after months of feeling like he could make up for the ways he'd failed. that was the idea. he'd never imagined it'd take years. he'd never imagined he'd go through so much, lose so many. after Gwen transferred the second time, Peter told himself he couldn't make the mistake of caring so much that he couldn't handle a loss.

after Stiles left, he was downright determined. all his hopeful thoughts of loving being worth it felt really hollow in the loneliness, even though he could rest knowing that Stiles had gone home to his dad and his best friends and a pack that'd do anything to protect him. surely, sooner or later, Peter would go back home, too. right?

at this point, though, he hopes that doesn't happen before Maya does. she's the last man standing, which is a pretty raw deal for her, all things considered. he's back to the rather unhealthy tendency of just one support system, though it's easier when they have an entire team's worth of people capable of supering. he doesn't have to hide that, yet he still hides a little. who he is, how much he can care about others, because there's only so many times he can love and love and lose and lose and lose.

he's survived it how many times now? Maya will be his last goodbye, that's a promise.

it hasn't happened yet. they've gone on more missions than can be easily counted, they're still slogging through, the missions that kick them in the gut as much as the one that earn fond smiles when they look back. at least they have each other, right? the last mission hadn't been heartbreaking, just long. he's glad to be back in Oska, even if walking the halls has a habit of making him miss faces he doesn't see in them anymore. they're heading down to dinner, because of course they are, one of the few things that hasn't changed is that both of them can put away almost more food than the magically generating kitchen can provide, when he feels the warning tingle, just at the back of his neck.

he reaches out to grab her arm and try and stop her before its too late, but the mistletoe, the stupid magic mistletoe, already has them trapped. it's almost like it's laughing at them. ) It's July, ( Peter tells the castle in exasperation, but as always, the walls don't have an answer. he looks a mix of sheepish and uncertain and something neither of them should try to decipher when he looks down at Maya. ) Look, we can just comm someone to pull it down.

( easy. no big deal. it's not an issue. they can wait five minutes, that mistletoe doesn't have to win. it's not that Peter can't imagine kissing her — actually, that's sort of the problem. he totally can, which is exactly why he shouldn't. )

[On the other hand, Maya's used to being left behind. It'd been happening all her life -- ever since she was an actual baby. People came, people went -- she wouldn't resent them for leaving even if they had a choice. Maybe some of them do.]

[It's awfully lonely, though. Especially with how long it's been since she's seen Phoenix. She knows time doesn't work quite right, in this case -- the second she goes back will be the same second she left, in her timeline (if she goes back), but-- it's hard not to feel isolated, sometimes. Missions go well and missions go badly, there's few things that are constant in her life now, and--]

[One of those things is Peter. The best constant, actually. No matter what goes wrong, no matter who leaves, no matter what happens, she knows she can stay strong if he's there with her. Which he is, in a literal sense, currently. They're back in Oska and though Maya can't quite bring herself to think of it as home, she's glad to be back. She's on her way to the kitchen with him when she gets wind of an odd sensation, and then, all of a sudden, he reaches out towards her to grab her arm.]

Peter? What's up?

[And it's about then that she notices she can't move. That neither of them can, actually. That there's something hanging above-- it's freaking mistletoe

Seriously?! Is someone pranking us?!

[She huffs in tandem with him, but there's just one little thing. When she thinks about the possibility of kissing Peter, it's not really an annoyance, but---]

[Actually, her heart starts to beat a little faster. What is up with that?]

Oh. Um, y-yeah.... I bet someone can burn it up with magic or something! Lemme grab my magitek, there's no way I'm going to let us get stuck here when there's a feast waiting for us in the kitchen!

I know it's probably not possible for buildings to have it out for you, but I don't know about this one.

( Oska's castle can rebuild itself on its own, after all, and this god forsaken plant seems to prop up every Christmas, without fail, trying to prey on the unsuspecting. being around for years means he's gotten good at avoiding the stuff when it's actually December, but even the vigilante isn't so vigilant that he was keeping an eye out in the middle of summer.

Peter is in the middle of patting down his pockets trying to find his own magitek when he hears the unmistakable increased tempo of the heartbeat right in front of him. now, he's no Matt Murdock, he's not exactly a walking lie detector, he doesn't know that much about heartbeat irregularity that he can know everything from that simple fact. still, the fact her heartbeat is racing is kind of familiar, considering... his might be, too.

Maya is still looking for her magitek and off on a tangent about feasts as of yet uneaten, but Peter pauses, watching her. he always seems to think it'll be so easy, to realize the disaster every time he reaches a little too far past friendship. the smart thing would be to call someone to get the mistletoe for them, not traverse a path that there's no coming back from once they start. he should be smart about this. )

Or I could just kiss you. It'd be faster. ( or.... you know, okay, he could just do that instead. nevermind, why bother being smart? who even does that? clearly not the technical genius, when has he ever bothered to be smart in situations like these. no matter how nonchalant Peter attempts to sound, there's an edge of nervousness in the suggestion, despite the clue he wasn't supposed to hear in her heartbeat. )

I don't know, I think it's plenty possible. This is totally the wrong time of the year for this kind of thing, anyway!

[Maya huffs a little.... there's not much else she can do in her position except complain, so complaining it is!!]

[He doesn't necessarily have to be Matt Murdock, to catch the way her heart starts the race, to catch how it literally skips a beat when he suggests kissing her. In fact, her cheeks might be tinging red, too --- what's up with that]

W-Well..... [The normally so witty Maya is actually at a loss for words. It's not that she's opposed -- actually, the more she thinks about it, the more she thinks it might be kind of nice -- but she's never kissed a boy before, she doesn't know how, she'd probably only embarrass herself, and--]

I mean.. I, If.... If you want to!

[It comes out a little squeakier and a little higher pitched than she intended, and she fumbles with the magatama around her neck that's serving as her magitek, failing at grasping it entirely]

( before ALASTAIR, Peter wouldn't have believed that a building could have ill intent, because it was you know, a building. magic wasn't a part of his perspective, and while there's still a stubborn part of him that can't quite let go of the possibility that even "magic" had some kind of scientific explanation...

he has at least stopped looking for them continually when confronted with things he can't explain.

there's no explanation for why there is magical mistletoe in the middle of July pinning them to the floor right now, yet there is an explanation for why Maya is suddenly turning red and squeaking in a way he's never heard before. it's funny to think in all the time they've known each other he's never managed to fluster her so badly, when Peter can admit to himself that his affection for her these days already runs a little too deep, romance or no.

for as dense as he can pretend to be, and as far as romantic inclinations go, it tends to be very dense — he doesn't find himself uncertain at the moment. well, maybe a little, wondering what it might be like to kiss her, and what might happen if he does. if it will change everything, and the chance of that change being horrible. considering how relationships work out for him, statistically, it's safe to be a little uncertain. he's not uncertain enough to doubt that he'd like to kiss her, though. )

I want to, ( he decides, sounding oddly certain about it as he lifts a hand to gingerly touch the heated red of her cheek. as if he has to experience the burn of her blush to prove to himself it's real — or maybe he just is oddly proud of the fact he caused it. ) If you want to.

[Maya's always been more flexible when it comes to believing in the unbelievable -- she herself is a spirit medium, a concept most people don't even believe in, so magic isn't such a foreign concept to someone like her. Still, even Maya wouldn't have considered a building to have a mind of its own, let alone malice or.... whatever's going on here. Maybe it's got a prankster spirit.]

[But it's hard for her to maintain these Mayaish trains of thoughts when he's so close, and her heart is beating, and he's saying that he wants to kiss her and he's touching her very red and hot cheek. Does she even know how to kiss? She's never done it before. She's only ever seen it on TV, what if it's bad and he doesn't like it--]

[(He must be so proud of himself, to get the upper hand on her like this. The teaser has become the teasee!)]

There's--- I mean, we----

[She's known to stammer, at times, especially when flustered, but those situations don't come up with Peter. She stops herself from saying there's no other choice, because now that she's thinking about it, maybe she does want it. Maybe it'd be nice. And they have to, right? So they might as well.]

O... okay. Let's do it. [And a quick, hasty, also kind of squeaky addendum:] B-But you're not allowed to make of me! I've never kissed anyone before!

( he's definitely better than he used to be. due in no small part to Maya herself. it's hard to deny the supernatural when your best friend is a medium capable of completely taking on the form of the dead. there's no science-ing your way out of that one.

proud of himself? never. or, okay, maybe a little. usually the one forgetting what he wants to say, losing his train of thought, and stammering over his own feet is Peter. it's pretty new to have it the other way around, though to be fair he won't hold it over her head...

too much. frankly, it's impossible not to do it a little, she's tiny and that isn't his fault. )

They say practice makes perfect. ( PETER, s t o p. hopefully this kiss is horrible and Maya decides she never wants to try again. at least, it won't take multiple tries to please the mistletoe. he's not quite as cavalier as he lets on, though, with the fact it is her first kiss. it's not a shock, actually, though it leaves a slight flutter to his heartbeat to realize that it's a big responsibility. oh good, he even found responsibility in making out. literally, only Peter Parker.

for a first kiss, it isn't fancy. he has to tilt her chin up just to make it possible to kiss her, their heights working against them. not enough to make it impossible, though, and the kiss is short as it is sweet. he can already feel the magic slipping away when he tries to gauge her reaction, dark eyes both hopeful and a hair nervous. ) Horrible? ( he whispers, because of course when in doubt: make a joke at your own expense. )

[ honestly, it's probably karma that she gets to be the stammering losing her train of thought dweeb for once, while he teases her and holds it over her head. it's not something that happens to maya a lot -- she's able to roll with a lot -- but romance is one of those things she has zero experience in, thus making her very easy to fluster. ]

Practice..... how many times are you planning to do this?! [ funny, though, when she thinks about it, she might not mind if it's more than once. his lips touch hers as he awkwardly contours down so that their faces are level -- it's short and not how she'd imagined it to be from movies, but it still leaves her feeling warm and flushed and like there's something in her chest. she kind of wants to stick her leg out in the air like it's a disney movie, too, but it passes too quickly. ]

Well.... [ she's not actually meaning to tease him in this very rare scenario, the little pause is more her trying to process how she feels about it. ] .... It was... kinda nice. Except, I think my lips were kinda dry... did they feel kinda dry to you?

[ she still feels warm, and she's still stammering a little. huh. ]

( that's a dangerous question to ask a boy, Maya. when given an option between one kiss and many, it would take a rare kind to err on the side of one and done. Peter is a whole lot of things — heroic to a fault, a huge sufferer of survivor's guilt, not half as funny as he thinks he is, and a horrible indoor skateboarder — but above the simple and expected desires of a male his age? mmm, no, he's not that.

that said, his excessive interest in the activity and experience in it besides, the kiss is indeed quite short. maybe it's not as stunningly romantic that way, but coerced into canoodling through disruptive magical plants sort of killed the romance before they even started. he'd rather know it is something she wants instead of something she feels obligated to agree to.

a moment is long enough for him to wonder, and silence is rarely to be taken as a good sign, yet the momentary panic is quelled as she decides it wasn't so bad after all. he's relieved and reassured all at once, though really, what was he expecting? she asks him about whether her lips seemed dry and perhaps it's the scientist in him that has to verify his findings before he can elaborate on them, but with the knowledge one kiss had been "kinda nice" Peter seems inclined for the second to be more on the edge of "more or less enjoyable".

so the second kiss is less fleeting, less testing, less inquiring, less to impress a plant and more simply because he wants to. because he's wanted to for longer than he likes to think about. it's a dangerous edge he's teetering on, but when it comes down to it, it's also an edge he's never been any good at not jumping straight off of sooner or later. )

[ it's hard not to let her mind wander --- this is all new to her, it's a scenario they've both been forced into, and it's not how she imagined her first (and second) kiss would go. it's frankly not something she even thought about too much -- despite being a teenage girl, she's never really had a huge interest in romance. in fact, prior to meeting phoenix, she's hardly even know any boys. and despite that -- the lack of experience, the lack of teenage girl daydreams, she can't think about anything else but that kiss right now. ]

[ or how soft his lips were. she actually starts to lick hers before he presses in for another one --- somehow, even though she sees him leaning it, it comes as a complete surprise to her. like it's never occurred to her that he'd willingly want to kiss her without the magic forcing them too. this time, despite being just as prepared (not at all), she does lean in, twining her fingers in his hair and pressing into the kiss. she's still kind of hesitant and shy, following his lead, but she makes a little contented noise in the back of her throat and closes her eyes. ]

( he's horrible about first kisses, apparently. Maya is welcome to air complaints. Gwen he'd peaced out literally seconds after thanks to a giant lizard attack without even an attempt at a goodbye. Stiles, he'd immediately started saying dumb shit about the chemical reactions in fireworks. jury's out on how he'll ruin this one but i believe that destructive power is still inside of him.

it probably should have occurred to her — he isn't the greatest at hiding feelings that creep up on him, and he's beyond pretending that he should be. his heart is a mangled, foolish thing — age and pain and experience hasn't managed to wring it out of him. she might not have considered it but he has, and maybe this wasn't the perfect set up, it was perfect for pushing past that last bit of resistance. the ingrained human fear of falling, before the push off the edge.

Peter Parker has always been too inclined toward the adrenaline of a fall.

knowing her as long as he has, Peter knows that some of her boisterous nature and easy confidence is more of a fake it til you make it situation. it is an unspoken vote of confidence that in a moment like this, she doesn't try to pretend she's more sure than she is. hesitant and shy can't manage to make the kiss any less sweet, and he smiles against her mouth at the endearing little noise she makes, though not long enough to require pulling away.

sense and propriety should dictate that making out in the halls of Oska Castle would be shortlived. it might be on Maya to be the one with sense and propriety since Peter is more inclined to enjoy the moment as long as she wants to share it. a horrific 'when you give a mouse a cookie' situation, though only slightly as selfish. after all, there's a lot to explore in a kiss when you're new to giving them. that's absolutely why he's so invested in it, right? that's a good alibi if anyone asks. )

( usually, Peter is the one that needs fixing up. he's learned to be pretty good at it. because even with the super healing, he still hates the look in his aunts eyes when she finds him bruised or bleeding. it's easier to fix it up and get it to heal faster than it is to ignore it and try to impress on the only family he has left that he's fine, really, or make up any new excuses about why he looks like someone hit him with a brick wall.

(he really needs to move out. Aunt May will still worry, there's no avoiding that. but she doesn't have to worry about breaks and bruises that will fix themselves up sooner than later. because they won't ever stop and she won't ever stop worrying.)

the fast healing thing, really, kind of makes injuries seem less concerning. not to say Peter get hits on purpose, but he'll take one when he has to, and he'll certainly take one before letting someone else get hit. some things can't be avoided and he doesn't think too much about a sprain, or a bruise, or having to stumble into bed because he can barely move for how much it hurts. if he sleeps long enough, it'll be like it never happened. makes it easier to think that it didn't matter quite as much, as long as he could avoid the look in his aunt's eyes, the reminder that someone cared enough to hurt because he hurt.

safe to say, he probably isn't ready for the tides to be turned. still, the fact Matt isn't texting him back has him worried, and more nosy than usual. when he makes it to Matt's fire escape he presses an ear against the door, trying to figure out if he was even there. sleeping maybe? and while he can't track heartbeats across city streets, Peter's hearing is more than good enough to know that Matt is in the apartment, somewhere, and that something is wrong.

and with knowing that there's not much that could keep him out, truth be told, though it would be super awkward to explain why he's there if one of Matt's friends happened to be present.

it's weird to be in the apartment in such extreme darkness, but it makes sense. Matt doesn't need a light on, after all. Peter would sure like one, but he manages to get down the steps without falling down them. ) Matt? ( why is he whispering? he doesn't need an answer, really, turning toward the sound of uneven breathing. the light through the window is all red neon glare, and it does nothing to improve what he sees. ) Jesus— ( Matt will be mad at him for that one later; Peter doesn't care. he drops to his knees in front of Matt, not yet touching, instead trying to make out how bad it was without deafening Matt with his heartbeat exploding through his chest. he's certainly unsuccessful in the last endeavor, because Peter can't manage to calm it down. he braves a touch, and he's barely able to find a spot on Matt's arm that doesn't look like it'll hurt like hell to be touched there. ) It's me.

[Things got better for Matt. He went back to practicing law. Foggy and Karen even started to joke, "Don't let a building fall on you" before he left. They knew his secret-- his senses. But what they didn't know was that months after he stopped being Daredevil... he went back to being Daredevil. The news didn't always capture it, he was going for low level guys. Then he got over his head.

His relationship with Peter was a strange one. Peter seemed to take the whole city while Matt just stayed in the kitchen. He found a small group of Yakuza (which pissed Matt off, he ran them out of the city twice now). He was watching them. Maybe he should have asked Peter for help. But Matt went ahead and started a fight during a arms deal.

--The thing about Matt's suit is that it was near indestructible. Near. Knives could still penetrate at different angles. It wasn't bulletproof, but it at least stopped them before they pierced his skin.

Peter would find Matt on his couch as per usual when he was injured. Shirtless, stripped down to boxer briefs and blood. He had slashes across his back which made him curl up and face the back of the couch. His front wasn't much better, huge blooming bruises from bullets adorned his chest and arms. Blood poured from a gasp on the side of his mouth and his hands shook.] Peter... I'm sorry. [He turned to face him, sightless eyes looking just past Peter's eyes.] Do not call a doctor.

( yeah, maybe he should have. Peter probably could have made time to stop some yakuza, even if that isn't necessarily his usual beat. and it certainly would have gone easier, with two of them instead of one. they don't team up that often, and part of that is because Peter can't stop finding it terrifying to have someone he cares about on the front lines — oh, of course he knows Matt is punching a bloody swath through crime in Hell's Kitchen, but it is easier not seeing it, and knowing how close it can sometimes be, even for someone with senses sharper than his are. the other part, well, that probably has to do with how Matt Murdock sucks at admitting he needs help.

case in point, the fact he was sitting here bleeding out in his boxers without so much as a word. Peter shakes his head, not knowing what to do with a sorry. is this what his aunt has felt like, watching him stumble home with injuries? no, Aunt May probably feels worse because she doesn't know how he's getting them, that he walked into them knowing the danger and that it was worth the risk. turns out knowing isn't that much easier. )

Who did this to you? ( he hasn't fought for revenge in a long time, but that doesn't mean Peter won't go out of his way to make sure those who hurt people he cares about are held accountable. he can definitely make some time for that. as for the no doctors thing, well, he should have seen that one coming, but somehow Peter can't help but be incredulous. )

You need a doctor! You could bleed out here, on your stupid sofa! ( he's generally not one to insult furniture, but this situation is proving a little stressful. Peter stands up, abruptly, and paces a few tight steps. his aunt is nearly done with nursing school — maybe he could... no, no he can't. he really can't explain to her why he knows this implausibly beat up lawyer. that's not a story he wants to get into right now. )

I'm going to get a first aid kit. Stay there. ( honestly, Peter, where is the guy going to go? it's safe to say Peter is panicking a little, even as he moves to the kitchen. Gwen Stacy is supposed to be tucked neatly away in the box of his mind, and yet his thoughts keep drifting toward what happens when Matt doesn't manage to stumble back to his apartment after getting beat to shit. thankfully, Matt can't hear his panicked thoughts, just his racing heartbeat — and the way he tears apart the kitchen trying to find the first aid kit. )

Yakuza. They had swords or something. Guns too. A little primitive, a little new age. [Matt tried to chuckle but ended up coughing. Eugh, his lungs hurt.] No! I can't go to a doctor. Try to explain how this happened to me. [Matt made a point to never raise his voice at Peter. The reason is simple: Peter is precious. Not because of his age or anything like that. Just Peter's demeanor. Peter was sweet, so Matt tried to be that right back to him. But instead his voice echoed off the high ceiling of his apartment.]

There should be a good first aid kit under the sink. Claire... she uh, she left it for me. Gloves and stitches, the whole thing. I'd ask you to call her but. [Pause for dramatic effect.] She wouldn't answer.

[He hears Peter's heartbeat, feels the heat rush to Peter's face.] I just need a few stitches and then I can meditate, it'll help me heal. [As if that were comforting.] Did you text me?

( Peter knows full well there's no explaining it, no making the questions go away and certainly no avoiding the attention it'd gather from all the wrong people. he knows because he's been in the same position, when he doesn't quite hide the worst of his injuries. that doesn't make him any happier about it, though. he's not sure he's ever heard Matt use that tone of voice before, and even if he'd like to protest more, he doesn't. Matt is right, as much as he hates it. )

Just putting it out there, probably would have been a good idea to keep in touch with the nurse. ( because he is not a nurse. his idea of first aid is ramshackle at best because let's be honest, he doesn't really have to worry that much. he could ignore it and wake up perfectly fine. now that it is someone he cares about that could very well suffer if he doesn't do a good job, he wishes he had any clue what he was doing.

once he's found the kit, he's back, kneeling on the floor between Matt's legs and rifling through the kit with an abundance of nervous energy. he does stop to pinch the bridge of his nose at the idea Matt can focus his body back into one piece, though. Peter is not a mystical creature, his head runs on scientific rules and equations. he knows Matt believes that, but for his part, he can't. which only means he has to make sure the guy doesn't bleed out in front of him, and gets those stitches he needs, which provides absolutely no pressure to the situation, thanks for asking. ) Of course I texted you. I am always texting you.

( feels a little pathetic, now. he should have known from the silence that something was up — Matt always answered, when he could. the painful nothingness was a glaring clue, and he should have been doing something about it sooner. ) If I'm giving you stitches, you have to talk me through it. ( he feels dumb to have to ask, but he'd rather seem foolish than do it wrong. )

[Matt had sat up from his laying position when he heard Peter rifling around under his sink. It took a lot of energy and he felt like his head was going to explode from pressure.] I can't be friends with the nurse anymore, we got too close. [Would that be enough to placate Peter? Claire said she couldn't fall in love with someone who was so close to becoming the thing he hates. And that broke Matt twice. But he didn't want to tell Peter the details of his former flames. Especially when Matt and Peter were attached to each other the way they were.]

You ever get hit in the head so many times it feels like ... ugh.

[Peter knelt on the floor in front of Matt and Matt reached out to put his hand on Peter's shoulder. Something to comfort him, because this pain was a mighty one. Listening to Peter's heart like a cat purring.] I can talk you through it. Put the gloves on. Do you know how to sew? Isn't that how you got your suit?

( placate? not exactly. instead he wonders how close is too close, and if he will find out sooner or later. Peter tries to remember the importance of not getting too attached, not letting anyone too close — but he sort of sucks at it, and he already knows if eventually Matt decides that he’s the next person in his life that needs to be kept safe from himself, it’s going to hurt like hell.

there’s no time to worry about that right now. he physically shakes his head, as if he can shake the fears out loose. the touch on his shoulder is actually surprisingly grounding, and he turns the shake into a weary nod. okay, he can do this. )

Oh, yeah. You remember Doc Oc? Rang my bell hard enough that I don’t think I could speak properly for two days. Only my aunt could understand the gibberish. ( for Peter to still be messed up after a day, it’d been quite the hit. Peter isn’t a nurse like Claire or Aunt May, but he knows enough to disinfect his hands before he grabs the gloves. it goes okay until he uses his teeth to pull on the second one. ) Crap, ( he mumbles, reaching for the second pair. sorry, Matt, his bedside manner needs work. )

[Matt twisted on the couch, leaving a warm spot on Peter's shoulder where his hand was. It reminded Matt of how Peter explained his spider sense to him. Matt could feel the warmth from his hand on Peter but the weird itching feeling that he had to keep focused on it, that it was there. Along with his head was pounding.] Tentacle guy, yeah. I'm glad you're okay and speaking clearly again. [Small smile! He sits so that Peter can reach his back and get the worst gash, the deep one that goes alongside his shoulder blade.]

It's okay, Pete, I got all night. Uh-- Thanks for not being mad at me. Usually when people find me half dead, I get a lecture. Unless that's coming?

Guess it depends on who you ask. ( when he was mid embarrassed stammer, Peter still hardly made any sense. luckily he has no time (and no reason, at least so far) to be embarrassed. he has to focus on what he’s doing, because while yes spider senses did help in a situation like this, he’s not really used to using them in any other way but defensively. it was probably something he could learn from Matt — his senses were so refined they were incredible, even for the guy who could pluck a fly from midair.

as for not being mad... ) I gotta be honest, not feeling delighted right about now. ( he gets the second glove on without his teeth (these gloves were seriously too small for his dumb gangly hands) and finds the peroxide. ) And since you don’t actually have all night, I’ll argue with you about how you should have told me you were taking a team of katana and gun wielding yakuza later.

( probably not yelling — it took a lot to get Peter heated enough to yell. but yeah, you’re probably in for a worried lecture at some point, Matt. on one hand, Peter gets it. on the other he really would have hated to crawl in the window and found Matt dead on his sofa. seriously he can probably handle only so many dead romantic interests... )

[Matt drops his head when Peter talks about just how delighted he isn't. He licks his teeth-- his mouth tastes coppery. His shoulders shrug and that causes him to hiss.] You don't have armor, Peter. If it can cut through my suit, it would have sliced you open. [No, he doesn't see it ironic when he's pretty much bleeding out from being sliced.]

Y-You, I know you've dodged bullets but these guys... these guys need someone to hit them a little harder than you do-- [FUCK MATT SHUT UP.]

( whatever happened to arguing about this later? well, as much as Peter would like to drop it — would probably be better to drop it, because Matt is in no state for the argument — there's just something so wild about the guy broken and bleeding in front of him protesting how it wouldn't be safe for him to be involved, when he knows full well what he's capable of. )

I don't have armor, but I also don't have to think about avoiding katanas and gunfire like you do. It just happens. ( and okay so maybe he relies on it happening a little too much and sometimes he walks away worse for the wear, but he still could handle the injury better than Matt — his suit would be the only thing with a hole in it after a day or two. there are plenty of reasons why he would have been pretty good backup, if Matt were willing to ask. Peter had been assuming Matt didn't want to see him hurt, but it turns out he also has critiques for being too softhanded. Peter is actually stunned silent for a moment, but unfortunately for Matt, not for long. ) So what, because I try not to leave people unconscious you just had to go fight doubly armed yakuza by yourself?

( yeah, congrats, he is annoyed now, Matt. he doesn't hit as hard as Matt does, that's a fact, but that's not because he can't. hell, he can hit much harder than Matt can, and if he did, he'd probably kill people. not something either of them want on their conscience, last time he checked. Peter doesn't hit that hard because he knows that, and Matt should know it too, instead of judging him for it. despite being a lot more angry now than he'd been not even thirty seconds ago, Peter can see that even arguing his case is painful for Matt. it isn't worth pushing him any further, not right now. ) Stop moving, you're making it worse. ( his voice sounds sharp, but there goes the thrill of his heartbeat again, giving away he's more terrified than angry. )

[It isn't until Peter responds that Matt realizes he sounds like Frank. Frank bragged that they don't get back up again when he hits the baddies. That paired with the reminder of Peter's spider sense, which was much more fine tuned than Matt's own senses-- well, it shut him up.

He hears Peter's heartbeat in his head (along with a tinny, dog whistle sort of sound). Matt tilts his head ever so slightly, trying to pick up more of Peter's body.] I'm sorry-- you're right. I-- You should know by now I don't ask for help that easy. I'm sorry-- next time. [Matt means it, but he's also saying it to hopefully get that heart rate down. He stills himself, grabbing onto the cushion of the couch to brace himself for the needle.

He's looking into his kitchen, away from Peter's sweet face (he doesn't know what it looks like, but if he looks as good as he tastes and feels...] I can't afford to piss you off, you're all I got left. [Matt says this with a small laugh in his voice, like 'ha ha I need you' but it probably comes off as 'ha ha you're the King of Suckers.']

( he's sort of feeling like the king of suckers, right about now, but hey. it isn't the first time Peter has gotten in too deep and been left to wander the emotional quagmire of caring about someone despite the danger. it's just sort of new that the danger after Matt is often of his own making, instead of the crazy people who hate Spider-Man enough to aim next to him if they have to.

he can't exactly call Matt out for not asking for help, because after all, when was the last time Peter gave that a shot? he tends to run solo, and he does that on purpose, even with Avengers on one side of town and Defenders on another. he keeps to himself, and that's how he likes it. the last time he dragged someone into the fight with him, she ended up on the wrong end of his own web. it is just easier to go alone and take a hit here or there because if he's taking it, nobody else can.

but maybe it is time to make an exception, if it means Matt will spend less nights like this one. ) I am not, ( Peter mutters, but perhaps he is the only one who knows Matt is back to old habits. so at least for tonight, it probably is a good idea to not annoy him, Matt!! though even annoyed, Peter can't manage to take satisfaction in causing Matt pain, so when he has the peroxide ready he warns, ) This is going to suck.

( he already feels guilty about it, but if he doesn't start moving the blood is only going to get worse, not better. so he pulls back the bloodsoaked gauze already present (at least Matt got that far) to disinfect the wound, he's moved closer to give Matt something to lean on if he wants it. maybe his bedside manner isn't so bad, after all. )

You've got pretty much all of me... [His unfocused eyes don't move, still just tiny mirrors in his skull facing in a random direction. He doesn't mean to sound romantic, but sometimes when you're super dramatic, everything you say sounds like life or death. No, no one else knows what he's up to, he's been able to stay out of the news. Matt hasn't gotten badly hurt since he's gone out, so no explaining that there. He felt that Peter was the only one left because he was understood by the other man. You always think the one you love understands you the best, and they never do.]

Do it-- ah! [Matt clenches his teeth and grunts.]

( it is oddly romantic, considering who is saying it, but Peter doesn't assume that is what Matt means. he sort of just figures Matt means he'll do what Peter asks to make sure they can scrape him off this sofa sometime in the next few hours. plus the blood loss has to be making him a little loopy. if he wanted to dig into it to really think about it (he definitely doesn't), they're both on that same page, the only other person in the world that understands well enough to be leaned on. if only they could actually let themselves.

Peter's senses sizzle uncomfortably at the wince before Matt even makes the sound, and despite the fact he doesn't pull back, he definitely feels terrible about it. ) Sorry, sorry, sorry. ( he reaches for Matt's hand and uses it to take the place of his own on the gauze. apparently he has a needle to thread, he needs both hands for that. ) Hold that. On a scale of one to ten, how much am I going to hate this stitches thing?

( Peter is gently estimating about a... 26? maybe 28, if Matt is going to make more sounds like that. )

[Matt starts breathing in a odd rhythm, trying to imitate what Stick taught him so many years ago, what he did every time he was half dead. Maybe to Peter, it would sound like a television character going through childbirth. What a weirdo. He holds the gauze, and tries to assure Peter.] Well, it'll be an experience to remember. Is this an okay place? You comfortable? It's going to take a bit.

[What he said to Peter echos around in his head. And yeah, the blood loss does have him loopy, because he repeats himself.] You know that, right? You have me.

( it does sound a little weird, he'll give him that. but when it comes to pain, everyone needs a coping mechanism. if that helped him, Peter wouldn't mention it. for his part, even if it probably won't help Peter occasionally uses a bag of frozen peas to ice whatever hurts worse, as if it would magically make it better. sometimes it feels like it does. sure it's not a half defrosted steak from a broken deep freezer, but it feels like something Uncle Ben would have had him do anyway, so he does it.

Peter can't help it, he huffs a laugh at the question. ) Matt I have to sew you back together. No, I'm not comfortable, but probably still doing better than you. ( his position is awkward, yes, but this is just how he is these days. he can contort without thinking about it and his body doesn't protest odd twists of his limbs. something that they usually have more fun taking advantage of it, but at least he doesn't have to worry about his legs falling asleep.

the needle is ready, though, which means he can only delay so much longer. Matt is distracting him, really, but when isn't he? ) Huh? Yeah, yeah, I heard you. ( hearing isn't quite the same as understanding, though. with Matt so close it is easy to angle a quick kiss against his jaw, and Peter doesn't care in the slightest the guy is sweating, bloody, and probably feverish from his injuries. he seems like he needs the comfort, and besides, maybe Peter needs the little comfort too. ) Tell me how to do this before you pass out, huh?

( truth be told the stitches might be easier on both of them if he did, though after they were over Peter would probably die of the stress waiting for him to wake up again. )

[Matt could feel Peter coming in close but he still flinched a little-- out of confusion. Why was he being kissed? He noticed it did seem to even out Peter's heartbeat, so let it roll. He exhaled a little laugh.] Thanks.

[As for the stitches, Matt tried to figure out a way to explain it to him. He did it for his dad as a kid and remembered it being pretty scary the first time. Oh right, that's why Jack let Matt have some bourbon.] Do you want a drink to calm down? That's what my dad-- anyway, okay, you're going to make a stitch, then tie it off, and make another. Go in at a 90 degree angle. Just above the fat. You know how to tie off thread? [He was going to make this up to Peter somehow. They'd go to Coney Island or some shit and Matt would win Peter a giant Spider-Man plushie. Yeah, that sounds nice. Oh boy, Matt was starting to feel dizzy.]

( yes, it is true the kiss was probably for Peter's benefit more than Matt's. shh. it is harder to let his brain run away with how the guy is definitely on death's door when he gets close enough to remind himself Matt is still talking, thinking, moving. it isn't as bad as it looks and it feels, at least, it won't be if he gets him fixed up soon enough.

Peter sits silently listening to instruction, and maybe even going through the motions in the air as Matt explains it. hopefully he's too blood deprived to pay attention, because it is admittedly dumb, but Peter wants to have a little practice before he's stabbing a guy with a horrific looking needle. making his own suits is never going to be the same after this. )

Yeah, ( and that is not a very clear answer, considering it is impossible to say if he's talking about the drink or tying off. ) Okay. I can do this. ( he feels sick, but, if he's going to throw up he'll do it later. why is it so much worse when it was someone else? he pulls back the gauze (less bloody than the first, that's good), gives himself one last internal peptalk, and leans forward to focus on his first stitch.

Matt doesn't mention if he feels the fact the first prick is pulled back out immediately, or if the first stitch might be too wide. Peter isn't willing to pull it out for another go, he'll just do another if he has to. ) Oh god, ( he says, mostly to himself, but he ties off the first with slightly shaky hands. )

[Matt started to breathe slowly when he feels the needle pierce his skin and then-- ugh. Matt's guilt was pretty awful by now, with Peter sounding so distressed and his adrenaline spiking. He didn't want to have Peter do this. He felt like he didn't deserve this friendship (or whatevership they had).] S-sorry, I know it's gross but you can do it. Don't think of it as flesh.

[He turned his head so that Peter could see his face from his position behind him. He wanted to shh shh and it's ok Peter so much. Matt reached back to grab the hand that wasn't holding the needle.]

Not sure that will help. ( he doesn't want this to seem less serious than it is. really, he isn't sure he believes that he can make him see this as anything besides what it is. maybe he should have agreed to that drink, but Peter would rather suffer this sober and do it right. he'd probably drink prodigiously after, did that count?

the first one has to be the worst one, he tells himself. ) I'm okay. ( again, a little quieter this time. mostly to himself. ) I'm okay. ( he can do this, Matt needs him to do this, and he will.

he manages his second stitch easier than the first, hands a little steadier. ) Talk to me about something. ( something to take his mind off what his hands are in the middle of. it might be a big ask, considering how any other man probably would have passed clean out by now. since he is still lucid, Matt should be able to talk. he's good at talking. )

[Matt feels the needle moving, and does appreciate Peter's hands not shaking. He decides to spew some science shit at him. Peter likes science shit.] I can feel the needle but it doesn't hurt. My head hurts, but all this? I numb myself to the pain. Stick said that my sense of touch makes it where I can manipulate my muscles and organs. I don't know if that's true, but I know when I'm really fighting hard, I can't feel anything. [Except righteous fury. Peter might have noticed a time or two during a team up with Matt that he smiled. When beating the shit out of people. He smiled more when he was fighting then he did in his every day life. Matt considers this, and is pretty sure Peter should run away.]

My dad was like that too-- not the manipulating of muscles. He just could take a hit. He was like a brick wall. He got knocked down a lot, but he'd get back up. Found out it was because he had to go down during a certain round. [Displeased face! Thin, white lips.]

( Matt does have his interests down, doesn't he? in fact it is a little shameful how easily his head rolls into scientific inquiry, and sorting through the knowledge he has on fight-or-flight instincts, the body's natural defenses against pain. he's done a little research on it, because of course he has. he's had a lot of need to know about natural defenses and reflexes these days. )

You do it on purpose? I get numb, but only after a few hits. It's like... it's like I can't let myself feel them, because then they'll slow me down. ( Peter doesn't feel as articulate as Matt is, so he doesn't put his point across quite as clearly. still, of all people, Matt should get what he's trying to say. it might be helpful if he could numb himself before the first hit even happens, instead of taking enough that they didn't register the same. maybe he'll ask about how Matt does it... when he's not bleeding to death.

he's making better time on the stitches now, something about Matt's voice makes it easy to concentrate. considering the state he's in, it's even and calm. comforting. well, until he mentions his dad, that is. Peter glances at his face, noting the line of his mouth and the look in eyes that couldn't see anything. ) He was a boxer, right? Why would he throw a fight?

[Matt had a time with Stick. A man who somehow knew about Matt's powers and helped him quiet the loud sounds that kept him up at night. Stick also made Matt feel like he had a friend, up until he left unceremoniously. It still smarts.] Hm? Yeah, I concentrate. But I get what you're saying. It's natural for you.

[He can feel the wound closing up, being held together by nothing more than a little thread. Matt knows he'll have to have someone cut these little guys out once he's healed. Maybe that's something Peter could do for him.] My dad threw fights for money to support us. Pay my medical bills. One night he wanted to do good by me and knocked the other guy out. They shot him. N-not the other guy, the organizer. [Peter will be able to tell that Matt wants to talk about his dad for days. He even bites his lip to keep it in. Maybe it's grounding for Peter while doing such a gross task, but Matt thinks he might cry if he keeps talking.]

( Peter wouldn't call it natural so much as his brain could only keep up with the first couple injuries, and then for the sake of survival blanked out the rest. though, maybe that is natural, in a manner of speaking. he's not going to try and puzzle out a better explanation right now, he's trying to focus on what he's doing.

focus, and listen. for a second there, it seemed like it was helping both of them, and then somewhere it turned and even if Matt is trying to hide it, it is obvious he's becoming more and more emotional by the second. and who can blame him? Peter did not expect the idle chatter to turn into what it had, and feels a little bad for asking for something that led to this. it was probably a stream of consciousness that had to do with the injuries rather than a genuine desire to reveal something so emotional. )

It's okay. I think I'm almost done. ( aka, you don't have to keep talking anymore if you don't want to. by his estimate he's only two or three stitches from done. he doesn't want to not say anything about such a heartbreaking confession, though. ) I'm sorry. About your dad. It sounds like he was a good guy. ( he doesn't need or expect an answer to it, but Peter feels he has to say it. he really gets it, probably more than Matt knows, but dredging up any of the dead father figures in his life is not something he's prepared to do. )

[Matt doesn't give an answer. There's really not more to say. Matt feels a little woozy and closes his eyes. Instead of relaxing, his body tenses up and he'd really like to turn and grab Peter. It would bust his stitches but it'd be worth it. He wants to live in a world where he wasn't injured and Peter would maybe be seen in public with him.]

Shit, I'm sorry. I'm ... I'm really tired. [A pause as he waits for a stitch to finish.] Can you stay here tonight?

( there probably isn't an answer. how many times has Peter heard the same? I'm sorry about your parents. your uncle was a good man. it was just one of those things people said, and while they had the best of intentions it didn't ease the leeching pain of losing someone. once again Peter feels like his words have failed him, because there's so much more he should have said if he knew how to say it. truthfully, if he was brave enough to say it. he can't seem to claw the words out of his chest, even though maybe Matt might like to know he's not the only one to lose someone too soon. he hates that they have it in common.

the stitches are uneven and there might be an excessive amount of them, but Peter thinks the wound is as closed as it's going to get. he cuts off the thread and fishes wearily through the kit to find a bandage to cover it with, touch still careful of the likely bruised ribs as he puts it on. )

Don't be sorry. ( while his thoughts might be reeling spectacularly, Peter is certain Matt has nothing to apologize for. well, except maybe the hitting too soft thing, but he's over that for the present. he can tell Matt is fading on him, which is a mix of reassuring (he should absolutely rest, he needs to desperately) and terrifying (what if he doesn't wake up?). one thing is for sure, though, it is easy to make the promise, ) I'm not going anywhere.

[Matt was taught from the time that his dad died up until even now, that things happened for a reason. His dad died for a reason. But he doesn't really believe that shit. He knows Peter lost someone, but doesn't know the details. He doesn't want to ask and knows Peter wouldn't want to answer.

He tilts his head to Peter's face, eyes slightly fixated on his lips luckily enough. Matt moves faster than he probably should-- planting a shaky, bloodied hand on the nape of Peter's neck, and pulls him forward. Matt kisses him, but it's a little more desperate than it's ever been. A dying man's kiss.] I don't deserve you, do I?

( it isn't possible for Peter to not expect things, and he feels it coming, fast enough that he stiffens. only long enough to force his hackles to lower — thing about super senses built to protect you, they didn't always know what wasn't a threat. his brain is overworked and his head and heart are just about equally exhausted, despite the fact he isn't the one who could have died tonight. his body is just overloaded enough that it couldn't factor in the possibility Matt would try to kiss him, despite the fact they've kissed now more times than he could probably count.

it's not much like the kisses of before. it's stained metallic, the blood a reminder of how messed up Matt still was, despite Peter's best efforts. it's not happy or playful or teasing, it's practically heartbreaking. Peter's instinct when Matt kisses him is to touch him and his hands string with his refusal to do so. it's not a matter of not wanting to, it's a matter of not knowing how to without hurting more than helping.

I don't deserve you. the words burn like he's a vampire waltzing through the vatican. Matt sees him as something he's not, something good, something better. that doesn't mean it's true, as much as Peter might like it to be. he's not something Matt doesn't deserve, in fact, maybe Matt is the one who deserves better. someone who will tell him when he isn't alone, someone who isn't so terrified of how he feels that he does all he can to avoid it, even if it self destructs every relationship he has. maybe Matt deserves someone who isn't already guilty of the worst crime a human can commit, and worse yet one so selfish and desperate that he won't tell someone that surely deserves to know. )

That's not true, ( Peter mutters, voice a little cracked. Matt can hear a lie, but there's none to be found here; Peter genuinely believes that, though good luck getting him to explain why. if Matt was verging on emotion before, Peter is probably more than verging. can he use the stress of the night as an excuse? probably, actually. walking in on your not-quite-boyfriend bleeding to death is pretty stressful. ) I need you to be okay, so please. Please. You have to rest.

[Matt doesn't expect anything from Peter in that moment. He knows that Peter's a bit miffed at him for-- well, pick something, there's a few things. He releases Peter from his grip and holds a hand out.] Help me up, we'll put old sheets on the bed because I am pretty sure I am still bleeding somewhere.

[He believes he doesn't deserve Peter. Someone who will keep their temper under control and stitch him up. Someone like Peter-- kind of timid in his presence, that will forget what he did wrong almost immediately and not give him any crap for it. Someone who will let him kiss them even when he's actively bleeding from not calling for help. Pretty much everything from the time Peter busted inside.

Matt wonders for a second if he's using Peter.]

( of course Matt wants to move. why keep all the blood on the couch when he can get it on the bed, too? if Matt tears his stitches walking to the bed Peter will kill him before the blood loss can. okay, he wouldn't, but, it'll at least be tempting.

despite the fact he'd had his entire lanky frame compacted into a ball, Peter manages to stand easily, without so much as a foot buzzing from not moving for too long. spider mutations, they're not bad all of the time. )

You should just stay where you are. ( maybe Peter should bully him into staying on the couch, but in his experience his bed is more of a comfort, even if it can be more of a struggle to get to on occasion. it takes a careful perusal of what damage remains to even decide how to safely help Matt up, but Peter ends up on the side without stitches, pulling Matt's arm over his shoulder. at least moving, doing something, helps him to leave the emotions behind. he'll just obsess over them later, that's how he works. ) C'mon. Don't over do it, I don't think you have any more blood to lose.

[Matt leans on Peter, actually giving in and letting him do most of the lifting. Concentrating on moving to the bed, knowing that Peter will lay next to him and he won't have to worry. Maybe he didn't call Peter for the Yakuza business because he worried about him getting a bullet in the head. Matt might just think he's the only one allowed to be a vigilante.] I want you to stay close to me, that's why we're going to the bed.

[They move slowly and Matt has mild hallucinations of them slow dancing and before he knows it-- he's on his side in bed, stitches up.] Oh shit, did I get anything on you? [His voice is a little distant, but his senses are still sharp and he follows Peter around the small room without looking.]

( wow, Matt, rude. you don’t own vigilantism, and if either of them should stay in the game it’d definitely should not be the squishy catholic that healed at perfectly normal speeds, even with a spot of meditation. overall Matt is lucky Peter usually has bigger problems to deal with, problems that rarely use guns when they can be in rhino shaped war mechs or wear a silly costume. if he had more time he very well might pop in on Daredevil more often.

he’s certainly more likely to after tonight.

Matt is compact muscle; certainly heavier than he looks. still not a problem for someone with spider strength, though Peter does note by the time they cross the threshold of the bedroom Matt isn’t really walking anymore. ) ... that is a horrible reason to move, ( Peter feels obligated to point out, but it doesn’t seem like Matt isn’t listening. Peter doesn’t have time to realize he lost him for a second there, because once he gets to the bed for some reason Matt is worried about blood transfer. spoiler alert, the answer is yes. Peter’s hoodie is probably a goner. Peter isn’t much of a liar, per de, usually he just avoids the truth if it isn’t worth saying. still, he’s not above a white lie every now and again. )

No. ( there is a snap of latex as Peter takes off the gloves. if Matt is paying enough attention, he will know that’s a lie. Peter is hoping he’s too out of it at this point. he tries to fish through Matt’s things to find the old sheets, but only spots fancy lawyer suits and more tie variety than a blind guy really needs. ) Matt, shut up and sleep. ( very loving, truly, but despite what Matt seems to think Peter is not actually perfect. the sheets are pointless at this point, Peter is only stalling. stalling what? truth be told, not even Peter is sure. his instincts to be evasive are so strong he doesn’t even need a reason. )

[Matt can smell his own blood on Peter's hoodie, can smell him going to the wardrobe-- no no the sheets are in-- forget it. Matt buries his face in the pillow, and could very well black out then. But he snaps back up, neck craning and sightless eyes facing Peter.]

I'll sleep when you get over here. Please. You know I don't ask for help. Obviously or... I mean... [Matt shrugs loosely, as not to move his stitches too much. He's needy, feeling sorry for himself and just wanting the warm body of Peter Parker next to him. They could make out some other time, Matt just wanted to feel the other man sinking into the mattress beside him. He reached out with a loose hand.] Peter.

( Peter feels strange fishing through Matt's clothes and things, though there's probably no skeletons hidden in the closet Matt hasn't already confessed to him completely unprovoked. of course there's no sheets, not even on the floor, which happens to be where Peter keeps his without his aunt's intervention. he can hear Matt's head hit the pillow and he almost expects that to be it. the guy is tired enough that it could have been, if Matthew Murdock were not so damnably stubborn.

honestly, Peter doesn't know why he's searching for sheets when Matt is already bleeding into the nice ones. he's surprisingly exhausted considering he's only done up a few stitches. a part of Peter wonders if after Matt passes out he can clean him up more without him waking up. the other part isn't sure he would stay awake if he got into the bed Matt seemed determined to coax him into.

is it just him, or is sharing a bed without the motivations of fucking each other's brains out a little more intimate? Matt doesn't seem to think so, so maybe it isn't. if he'd had any intention of refusing, the fact Matt is reaching for him despite the fact he should be out like a light is enough. if he doesn't he is fairly sure Matt will stay awake until he does. he still has his shoes on and he'll feel guilty about it in the morning, but what is worse, dirty converse on Matt's extremely nice bedding, or enough blood to make a generous donation? ) I'm here. ( Matt's hand is still outstretched so Peter takes it in his. just about the only part of Matt he can touch without hurting him. )

If you don't sleep now, I'm going to knock you out. Don't think I won't. ( he's half joking, half serious. for real, Matthew, SLEEP. )

[Sleeping in the same bed is pretty intimate, but Matt can't do those calculations right now. All he knows is that he wants to be comforted. And the only things that comfort him anymore are punching people to a pulp or Peter's touch. Two very different things. Oh, and luxury single malt whiskey, but that would thin up his blood too much and make Peter freak out more. Peter takes his hand and Matt closes his eyes.]

I'm sleeping. I'm sleeping. Stay here.

[Matt doesn't hear anything else Peter says, because he falls asleep. He's linked his fingers with Peter's and he doesn't seem to be letting go anytime soon-- though in about ten minutes, Peter could pry his fingers away.]

( yeah, that's a negative on the schmancy whiskey front. Matt will have to make do with some hand holding. Matt isn't the only one that needs comfort, turns out, but Peter knows there's only so much he can get. so he cradles Matt's hand like it's made of glass instead of a weapon that Matt can and does turn against people. he uses it as a pillow to get a direct line to the beat of his heart and uses that as his comfort instead.

it's not fast, it's not slow, it's not scattered or uneven. it's not normal and okay maybe it's weird that Peter knows what Matt's "normal" heartbeat is like. it's not the first time he's paid attention to it, is all. considering Matt uses his senses on Peter all the time, it seems fair enough that Peter can creep on his heartbeat on occasion. it is hard not to fall asleep listening to the reassuring thunder of it under his ear, especially because it has most certainly been a quiet comfort that helps him fall asleep before.

but turns out bone-tired weariness is not enough to put his mind to sleep, when the anxiousness chases to the front of his thoughts. even with the heartbeat, Peter finds himself worrying about whether the injuries will heal. if there's a concussion he doesn't know about that might keep Matt from ever walking up. if there could still be enough open wounds that he'll bleed out, slowly and surely, and Peter will wake up to find him cold and long since gone, and he just slept through it.

turns out that kind of anxiety is enough to keep anyone awake, and Peter instead wakes up to finish what he started. truth be told, it does make him feel a little better to catalogue the injuries and make sure that they're dealt with. by the time he's done (more cuts than he could count, about a dozen bruises, a shiner on his face, the list goes on) Peter is at least fairly confident Matt won't die in his sleep. even if he's certainly asleep — nothing but a few mumbles, even though it can't be comfortable to be splashed with more antiseptic and antibacterial than a hospital floor.

it's only after that Peter lets himself crawl back into the spot he's abandoned, and even then he doesn't fall asleep immediately. he holds onto Matt's hand, watches his restless sleep and lets the worries eat him alive for a little while, before not even they can keep him awake. )

[One night, Daredevil and Spider-Man showed up at the same gang hideout. It wasn’t planned, and by the time Matt realized there was another person fighting some meth dealers two floors up, it was too late.

They talked for a few minutes, before either of them ran away (rather, shimmied up a fire escape and websling’d away) before the cops showed up. Matt wouldn’t be able to remember their conversation years on into their friendship (whatevership) but he knew he was probably not very nice to Spider-Man that night.

It happened a few more times, with Spider-Man taking most of the city under his watch. He would end up in Hell’s Kitchen. Matt was unreliable, he took breaks from being Daredevil, to either heal his body or because he thought this was it this time. Spider-Man was always there.

It was an early evening when Daredevil arrived to the scene of a shooting. It was a small family that was mugged before executed. And Matt was pissed. He crouched on a parapet and listened from a distance. Then he heard that familiar heartbeat. Spider-Man. Except… the only person coming onto the scene was a gangly kid wearing a jacket in warm weather. He had a camera and a cockatiel’s hair.

But Matt didn’t know that.

As the man (spider man variety) walked away from the scene, Matt jumped down behind him and called out,] Spider? [He refused to add the man part to that.]

( to be fair, Daredevil didn't seem nice to most people. he punched his way through crime and while Peter doesn't exactly like his violence, he has to at least sort of respect it. he really hadn't been anticipating chasing one of Harry's goons into a den Daredevil was casing, and the guy turned out to be pretty territorial, despite the fact they were on the same side... or, okay, maybe at least parallel sides.

Spider-Man didn't really do team ups himself, so it's not the worst of problems that this Devil guy keeps growling at him to stay in his lane. Peter had no intention of listening, frankly, so the guy can growl all he wanted. he doesn't want to fight the Devil, but he thinks he could probably at least give the guy the slip if he had to. maybe at some point he'd realize they weren't against each other. maybe at some point they could maybe even tolerate each other... Peter wonders about him, what he can do, who he is beyond the mask.

though, admittedly, not enough to try and find out. maybe that's a secret better left unknown.

usually, the crime he dealt with was a lot more material. a robbery here, a mugging there, mostly threats and the occasional injury but usually nothing that couldn't be fixed. he's a little jarred by the blood on the sidewalk and the reality who is responsible is still out there. he wasn't even in this part of time to spider, the camera around his neck and the badge on his coat proclaims him as a photographer for the Daily Bugle. he'd been in the Kitchen to take pictures of a new aspiring chef at their restaurant and walked into a horror movie. he feels sick, and he feels angry. he needs to find whoever did this, and he doesn't know where to start.

the voice is familiar, even though he hasn't heard it that often. he is surprised he didn't sense the figure until it was too late, and the boots were on the ground behind him. and what did the guy say? there's a loud trill of panic in his heartbeat as he glances around and considers running, but if that'd show him as guilty nothing would. ) W-what? I don't know what you're talking about.

( Daredevil tilts his head to the side, noticing that the voice of Spider-Man isn't muffled slightly by a mask. Shit. Wait. He's outed the other man and he doesn't know how to back out of it. He strides forward and attempts to roughly grab the other man's elbow, hoping to yank him into the dark. )

What are you doing here? Why aren't you in your costume? ( Matt would call his 'costume' something like 'armor' or 'the suit.' )

I can hear your heartbeat. I recognize it.

( for a moment, Daredevil tugs and nothing at all happens. it isn't really intentional, it just turns out that when Peter is mid panic he can't think about how he shouldn't be adhered to the sidewalk like he isn't cemented into the ground. another horrible tell that he can't help and it's already too late. the next time he's tugged Peter forces himself to follow, though he's pretty sure he doesn't want to be in a dark alley with this guy. (in a few weeks, he'll change his mind about that.)

the explanation is a little horrifying, though admittedly only so many people could see straight through him based on his heartbeat alone. ) What? ( Peter wheezes, before snapping his head to the street — there's a car passing, and with his panic he can't turn off any of the powers he usually has so much control over. he looks back at the man in red, and for a loss of anything better to say, he just goes with what is immediately floating in his head. ) Creepy. Dude, that's creepy.

( knowing that the Daredevil is snooping on his heart rate, Peter tries to calm it down. it doesn't work. ) I... I'm here for work. ( he feels how stupid that sounds in his very bones. he is not going to tell the Devil of Hell's Kitchen he was just taking snaps for a local rag newspaper, but the camera and the press badge he's wearing probably says it for him. )

( Matt nods, yeah it is creepy. ) Look, I'm sorry. I should have left you alone. I didn't know what you were doing here, just standing.

( He really doesn't know why he rushed over to the Spider. Excitement of some sort, that wave little kids do when they see each other outside of school. He notices the guy sort of stick when he went to grab him, also noticing he's wearing layers, and under those shirts is a muscly bicep. )

If you think this is unfair, I can make it right. ( Matt is telling himself do not reveal who you are to him )

I was... I saw the cops, and... those people... ( what was he doing, just standing there? well, trying to sort through a bunch of feelings and not processing them quickly enough. wanting to do something and for once feeling pretty powerless as to what. he wasn't expecting the Devil to pop out of the shadows and know him from his goddamn heartbeat, that's for sure. he doesn't know how the guy did not notice he certainly isn't dressed for crime fighting, though, it's not as if the streets were that dark...

he can't think about it that much, though, when Daredevil lands on exactly what Peter needs to completely forget about the discomfort of essentially being named and shamed by a guy that fights crime in fetish gear. ) Do you know who did it? ( it's funny, how the switch can flip, how Peter goes from sheepish and unsure to brazenly certain and surprisingly confident. usually he has to put the mask on to do it completely, but a lead on stopping whoever killed a family on a public street? yeah he wants to know how to help. )

( Matt nods, he was listening to the cops and detectives who figured it out. He's not surprised by Spider-Man jumping to that question, he's egged on it. Yes, let's go beat these people senseless, Spider-Man! )

Maggia. Kingpin is gone, some other families are moving in. This apparently looks like another execute style robbery over in Jersey. I was going to track them but then you were there and I had to find out why.

( Because Matt didn't trust Spider-Man. Because he was called Spider-Man (Daredevil apparently had so much more coolness factor to it). )

Are you going to come with me, or are you wanting your suit?

( look, Peter usually doesn't condone any more violence than he needs to get the job done, but he can look the other way on this one. given half the chance he'll probably make this guy bleed, just a little, for the family that never got a chance to fight a few blocks away.

in a way, this is what Peter has been sort of hoping for. Daredevil is pretty guarded and rarely happy to have him in his area of town, even if he's trying to do a good thing. Peter thinks they're more alike than they are different, but he's not going to fight the guy to convince him that he's worth trusting. besides, fighting someone to get them to like you seems like a pretty bad way to go about it.

for a second there, he'd almost forgotten that he's most certainly not dressed up for crime fighting. momentarily, he considers just trying to bail. maybe Daredevil hasn't seen his nametag yet, the one that definitely says Peter Parker in capital letters on it. maybe there's a chance of getting out of here without him really knowing who he is. and on the other, Peter is so determined to find justice for that family he's willing to push aside the panic that having his identity revealed usually inspires — at least, for a little while. )

Meet me on the roof? ( he frames it like a question, but he doesn't wait for an answer. the thwip and rush of air is the only warning Matt gets that he has already left. in the time it takes Daredevil to parkour up there, Peter can change. )

( Daredevil knows this about Spider-Man: he swings from webs (that shoot from his wrists), that he hits hard-- but not as hard has he could, and that he sounds like he's young. Daredevil can tell that Spider-Man isn't hitting as hard as he can because he can sense the potential in his muscles. Tightly coiled, hiding so much power. He kind of thinks Spider-Man is better than him, hitting only hard enough to subdue. Webbing them up rather than breaking their bones. It almost makes him ashamed of himself.

He gets to the roof in less than a minute, and when he gets up there, he calls out to the other vigilante (not too loud). )

You weren't in your costume down there, were you? ( Duh, Matt. This should give away his disability. Matt knows what he's doing and if he's going to run around in a devil costume, then it's okay to let someone know he's blind. He can still fight like a motherfucking beast. )

( he's mostly dressed by the time hornhead makes it up to him, everything but the mask. he's a fast dresser by necessity but it turns out Daredevil is also uncannily good at parkouring up the side of buildings. Peter is desperately trying to flatten his hair so he can put his mask on when Daredevil asks what should honestly be a really dumb question, but it sounds so genuinely baffled. )

Uh... ( obviously he wasn't? that alley wasn't that dark, though maybe the dark lenses over in the mask Daredevil had on probably didn't help, and... yeah actually those would be hard to see through, no matter the lighting. it hits Peter like a 2'4, and the fact he didn't see it sooner is pretty unbelievable. isn't he supposed to be smart??? )

You... I... uh... no. ( Peter was about to say something stupid like pointing out the fact the guy can't see and he imagines that's not helpful or a revelation, so he stifles it. ) Street clothes. Like I said, I was working, I have a day job. I guess you didn't see my nametag, then. ( this should be a relief, that his identity (and his face, come to think of it) are still relatively unknown. it weirdly feels a little disappointing. )

No, my guy, I don't see anything. So don't think I'm going to go around telling people who you are. I can keep a secret, believe me.

( Meanwhile, he's creeping on Spider-Man's body. It's harder to do outside, but he can sort of get the outline of a person depending on how the air moves around them. He's trying to get a read on how and where exactly the other guy is, but then it occurs to him. )

Maybe you can't believe me. I know this isn't a competition and we're working together, so--

( Maybe Matt was already punch drunk, but he reached at the back of his head and slowly pulled off the helmet. If Peter was taking a good look at him, he'd notice hair that needed a cutting, pale brown eyes that stared just past you, and a bruised up jaw. Matt already told a few people, he's loosened up on his secret policies. If superpowered people like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand could know who he was, why not this kid who gave him shit while helping out? )

Okay, point taken. While I'm at it, did you really just call me "my guy"? ( is that relevant? no. does Peter have to say it? also no, but given the opportunity he will always say something stupid in his nervousness. he's used to Daredevil grumbling and growling and usually telling him to get out of Hell's Kitchen, "my guy" is practically banter, it takes some getting used to.

despite the promise he doesn't have to worry, Peter does not much trust that his identity is safe. even if the guy is blind. last time someone learned about who he was, Gwen Stacy got thrown down a clocktower. it did tend to make you reluctant to share your identity, even with someone arguably on the same side. Peter can't help that reluctance, though he guesses Daredevil has secrets of his own, or he wouldn't have a mask on himself.

oh, Peter can believe it, he just feels pretty stupid and awkward about it, is all. he's definitely not hoping to get him to prove how blind he is, and absolutely not expecting for Daredevil to take his helmet off. good thing the dude can't see, Peter gapes like a total loser for a second. that's not the face he was expecting — it's sweet, almost, sort of like the cherubs you'd see in renaissance paintings. and almost disturbingly good looking, despite the bruise and hat hair. (Peter maybe didn't need to know that about him, he feels awkward enough around the guy as it is.) )

How do you know what is coming? Do you have super senses too? ( it's more revealing than Peter meant to be, and there's a momentary flicker of panic that he said something he shouldn't before he forces himself to stop and breathe for a second. ) Sorry, I guess... I'm not used to talking to someone like this.

Your heartbeat suggests you're younger, I thought 'my guy' would be funny.

( Matt shrugs, puts one hand on his hip and clutches the horned helmet in the other hand. He wants to make nice with this other vigilante. They're not Avengers and they never will be-- they're not super soldiers or gods. He wants to befriend Spider-Man. Not so they can work together, but maybe so they can stay on their own turf-- work together THAT way. Give each other info. Be like a team, only far apart. Very far apart. )

Hm? Oh, right. I'm blind but my senses are heightened. Chemicals in the eyes. They're up to a crazy degree. I can hear your heart-- that's why I said you sound young. It's strong. Strong enough that I'd put you in your early 20's. ( Or younger. ) After 25 it starts to sound a little different. I-- Do you remember when Punisher went to jail? That... that was me and my partner.

( Now that they're just standing here, he thinks that Spider-Man's voice isn't grating anymore. It's kind of pleasing to his ears.

They should probably get a move on towards the guy who did the shooting. But Matt is pretty sure the guy is going to hole up for a few days. He won't go anywhere. )

( his heartbeat suggests? damn his boyish heartbeat! lbr the way he talks and his voice gives it away, too. ) I don't need to hear your heartbeat to know you're too old to say "my dude". ( the fact Daredevil is trying to joke with him is wildly strange, but not in a bad way. who would have guessed the guy had a sense of humor.

it's really weird to have his age so easily pinpointed by something he would have never thought to worry about. at least most people aren't out here memorizing heartbeats... ) Yeah, I remember that guy. You have a partner? ( color him surprised, because he was pretty sure Daredevil worked alone. he's learning way more than he ever thought he would about the Devil of Hell's Kitchen today.

which feels at least fair, since Matt pinpointed him in his street clothes and could find him if he ever bothered, which is a tiny bit creepy, even now. ) We should... we should go, right? We can talk later. ( is that presumptive? is that a weird thing to say? they're not going to sit together over coffee and chat after this, why did he say that? Peter tugs his mask on and tries not to overthink it, which is not a strong point of his. ) I don't suppose you've got an address I can meet you at. Are you going to track this dude like a bloodhound?

Yeah. I won't say his name but I know it wouldn't be hard for you to figure it out. I guess if we're talking person to person, you can call me Matt.

( Matt sort of shrugged again. He was trying to play it cool-- and surprisingly, was? It felt like this vigilante hero super power thing was starting to get normal. That and Spider-Man's presence annoyed him at first but it was nice to know someone was covering his back-- when they did the Unintentional Team Up.

When Spideyguy mentions the shooter, Matt puts his helmet back on, taking a few moments to adjust it. He licks his molar and tilts his head, trying to hear -- the guy is too far gone but Matt knows the direction he went in. )

Three blocks south, then he's gone from there. Go on ahead, I'll meet you there. And uh-- I never mentioned this before because it would have been weird, but if we're working together, you can... ha, you can whisper to get my attention, tell me where you're going during the fight, whatever. I'll listen for you.

( this night has been wild, from start to finish. from being spotted in an alley based on his heartbeat to finding out that Daredevil was a cute blind guy that wants to work together and his name was Matt and he'd offered it willingly? Peter feels almost as if he's dreaming, it is hard to wrap his head around.

while it may be normal for Matt, what with a whole team of Defenders under his belt, it isn't normal for Peter. for a minute he considers just agreeing to call him Matt when the mask was off and to leave it at that, but... well, after a rollercoaster ride for his heartbeat, Peter manages, ) Okay. Uh.. Peter. My name is Peter. Nice to... you know... Matt. Okay.

( very smooth and eloquent, really don't know how Matt somehow falls for this guy.

the idea he can whisper for him is oddly adorable, and also helpful for teaming up. while Peter's hearing is probably not quite as good, he agrees, ) I should be able to hear you, too, even if I'm not nearby. I'll listen for you. ( Matt might have to use his big boy voice, though, Peter isn't used to listening for whispers. with that, Peter feels like they've been standing on the rooftop long enough, and heads to the side of the building to appraise what route he's going to take across the skyline. )

Don't keep me waiting, Daredevil. ( he's really going to be annoyed if he heads three blocks south and then Matt doesn't flip onto the roof a few minutes later. that's the best goodbye he offers, and just like that he's gone. maybe when they're better friends, he'll give Matt a lift. right now, definitely too weird to websling him around the city. )

okay harrington, i don't need a stopwatch to figure out i can last longer than 20 seconds

i'm not saying that you can't
i'm just saying it sounds a little suspect
you made yourself suspicious
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

are you trying to reverse psychology me, steve harrington? because it sure feels like you are.

i don't even know what that means, man
the highest science im taking is geology
you're the one that brought it up!

you know, it's when you try to get someone to do what you want by suggesting the opposite. like, saying there's doubt on the record means i will want to prove there's not

( aND GODDAMNIT HE DOES WANT TO PROVE IT, Steve is the master of reverse psychology and he wasn't even sure what that was. ...unless he's even more of a master at reverse psychology than either of them know??? )

come on, you don't really think it only takes me 20 seconds, do you? ( Peter this is NOT HOW you avoid reverse psychology!!! )

why would you do that? how is that supposed to work?

[The funniest part is that Steve really isn't trying. He's just Like This. So masterful he's not even fully aware of it himself.]

you keep saying that you don't, man, it's kinda sounding like you do

[Steve is Not Helping.]

look, im not gonna judge you dude.
it's all good, 20 second wonder or not
you do you

you're a total prick, you know that? 100%.

i don't HAVE to prove I can last longer than 20 seconds but whether you know what it is or not the reverse psychology is really working. so if you don't believe me i guess i will have to prove it to you somehow

well, i last longer than 20 seconds so i guess it's not all bad

right, sure. whatever you say, pete.
and how do you propose we do that?

i feel like 20 seconds is not exactly an impressive record for either of us

maybe i should just hand off a stopwatch and you can observe. you know, since this is just purely for the sake of numbers, right?

( Peter might be weak to reverse psychology but he is not above trying to torture Steve while proving his claim, either. it would either be torture or Steve won't last that long just watching and either way, Peter wins. see, he is at least occasionally smart! )

i never said how long ~i~ last, so i dont know what the fuck you're talking about
and yes, i have timed myself
cant believe you havent, someone needs to come revoke your nerd card

fine

[Oh god, let the game of gay chicken fucking continue. Like hell is Steve going to back down for an obvious challenge.]

i mean, that's just data, though
its different when you're trying to ~last~

[They're both losers, that's what they're gonna get out of this. Too late now, though.]

you just said "longer than 20 seconds", for all i know you clocked in at 20.339

( this conversation is spiraling wildly out of control, and while there's so much opportunity for one to laugh it off, walk away and just out the phone down... somehow even after the next rung of escalation, Steve gets another text back. )

okay, fine. you got a better idea?

( Peter has no idea what he's doing, but he's not backing down either. )

you never asked for clarification
or are you asking for proof, parker?

[ Oh, it's gone completely off the rails. Steve had definitely not been expecting this when he'd texted Peter to distract him, but distracted he is indeed.]

well, i dunno, you're the scientist here
im just saying that a lab data and field data are two different things

[Steve doesn't want to admit that he's out of his depth, but hell if he's backing down either.]

where are you?

seems only fair, and i gotta say, now i'm pretty curious

( and thankfully curiosity is only bad for cats, it's never ever been a problem for boys amid sexual exploration. )

home, but my aunt is sleeping. you?

( he can't decide if he hopes Steve is alone or if there's parents present that would prevent them from being idiots. )

[Yeah, that's patently untrue but you know what, if it helps them both sleep at night.]

cruising
my house is empty

[Oh, Peter, it's a nice wish but a losing bet. Steve's parents are never present. Nothing will prevent them from being idiots.]

you're welcome to come over

( yeah, that one was a swing and a MISS. oh well. if it is up to him to be the sensible one, they're both doomed to fail. )

okay. i'll be over soon. i guess i have to find a stopwatch first

( for sake of appearances alone. Peter is well aware that the timer will be pretty irrelevant when they are face to face. )

from here!

no way. any girl can be princess leia if they want to be. if you ever need to woo a nerd, just put the buns on and call the guy of choice a scruffy looking nerf herder. 99.999% of success. unless they like star trek or something

and i am gonna pretend you didn't say that because i can't actually intellectually fathom a negative opinion on the classic leia look. though i will give you she was way hotter on Endor, which is a controversial opinion

( he went in HOT on the nerd there. oh well, Bridget had to know what she was dealing with. he disguises it a little with the aloof skater schtick but he's definitely a nerd. the glasses give him away every time. )

his personality leaves a lot to be desired but is his hair really that bad? the job isn't that great but at least it is a job and pays ok if i get the exact picture of spider-man he's looking for

Edited 2021-05-19 23:46 (UTC)

from here!

um, no reason. drunkenly talking about photography, that super tracks. did i ask to take your picture, too? i am sorry in advance, i swear i'm not a creep.

( also, note to himself: check his camera and see if he ended up taking some without permission. he's wont to do that, too, and would at least feel a little bad if he snuck one in. )

i don't know that many super nice places, but good places i've got covered
being the first person you go out with is a little bit of pressure but if you wanna go i will try to be worthy of that responsibility

[ooc: <3!]

Okay, I had to think about it for a second, but I'm pretty sure you did. And you were quite sweet about it, but I'm not photogenic at all.

[She was a bit embarrassed about it, but he did manage to convince her of taking a couple. Eventually, he'll find her pulling some silly faces for him. Peter and his sweet talking is definitely dangerous.]

Peter, relax. i could swear you're text-hiperventilating. Any place would be nice. Going out with you sounds nice.

that's definitely, definitely not true. i'll develop the ones i took, i've got the receipts

( she's gorgeous. she doesn't know her angles, maybe, but Peter does, and there's a few of her without her tongue out and her nose wrinkled. it puts even more pressure on the being a good first dinner date sort of thing. )

maybe a little??? okay, it's just... i haven't dated a lot. or, a lot lately. or ever. really just the one person. and i haven't tried dating since she ... since she died.

( did he just ruin things before they started with heavy dead girlfriend talks? maybe. probably. but it doesn't feel fair not to mention it, either. )

i was never good at this in the first place and now i'm starting all over, you know? but i want to. if you still want to.

Peter, I look terrible in every picture. If you manage to make me look good that speaks more about your abilities as a photographer.

[He is sweet, fun and even if he ended a bit drunk their first night together, she doesn't regret a single thing about it. She's about to ask him a question about his schedule when another text from him drops. And Rey could have sworn her heart skipped a few painful beats.

It takes a moment before she finds the word to respond to that.]

Peter, I'm so, so very sorry.

i'm not really good at this myself, I've only met a handful of guys and never really went out on a proper date before. But I really want to. I want to get to know you better and, I feel like I just did in a way. I'm so thankful you trust me enough to tell me something like that.

I really like you.

( he doesn't argue with her, at least not for now. but he has definitely made it his mission to get pictures of her that perfectly captures how wrong she is on that one. no angles or lighting or excuses. she's beautiful and she has the sort of smile that makes your stomach tie in knots or your toes curl in your converse, so he doesn't think it'll be hard. )

i wanna get to know you better, too. so maybe it doesn't matter that neither of us know what we're doing, we can figure it out together.

like a proper date. like i pick you up and we argue about who pays sorta date. i'm thinking italian. that seems like a first date sort of food, right? definitely.

[He's sweet beyond words, it's no surprise she fell so easily into messy kisses and eager hands that led her into following him home. Most guys make her feel nervous as she's not had much experience with men or women before, neither being anything to boast around either. But with Peter? It's almost as if they had known each other for years.]

Yeah, that sounds like a plan. And actual proper first date with Italian food. Are we gonna eat on the same piece of spaghetti like the cartoon dogs tho? Not sure if that's cute or kinda gross.

So, how does it work? We Netflix and Chill later or does that make me too easy and put men off even if we already fucked before? I wonder if there's guidelines to this sort of thing on the internet.

( he definitely agrees with that sentiment. Peter feels like more often than not he's all nerves and nonsense around people he likes. Rey is beautiful and funny and incredibly smart, so it'd make sense he would be a stammering ball of uncertainty around her. he can't totally say why things feel easier with her — maybe because she's so upfront and open. says what she thinks and what she means. he likes that about her. )

i feel like only cartoon dogs can make that one work but how would we know if we don't try? and i definitely don't just say that as an excuse to kiss you over linguini

i really don't think there's a risk of putting me off at this point and making out with a movie going definitely isn't gonna do it. just figured i'd put that out there

Alright, is it true they offer garlic bread at these places? As long as my garlic bread breath doesn't put you off, I'm game. I feel like now we should try this in the name of science.

I was thinking of doing a bit more than making out to a movie. You know, just in case you're really invested in the idea of us following the plot. Just figured I'd put taht out there.

[Moments later she texts him a possible date, time and even a place where they could meet for their date. It's so strange, the kind of thing that happens to most girls but that Rey had almost given up on. But Peter? He's something else. So special she even surprises her friends bringing him up. It's fair to say they're almost as excited over this date as she is.]

i make a point of not going to any italian place where i can't ask for extra garlic bread or breadsticks as takeaway. if you don't comment on my garlic breath, i won't comment on yours.

we can pick something where the plot doesn't matter. i'm okay with that. truth be told i have about a twenty minute tolerance for paying attention to a movie, anyway

( that's usually his mind reeling a mile a minute and forgetting what he's doing in the middle of doing it talking, but if there's a hot girl getting naked next to him that can also take the blame.

Peter sends a 👍 in approval to the suggested date, and desperately prays that New York can give him a few hours to not be superheroic that night. just a few, that's not asking that much, right? )

[It gave her a little peace of mind, being this open to Peter about things like their dining plans or agreeing there were high chances TV would not hold their attention for long if he took her home after their meal. It was nothing like the guys her friend Rose often went out with. That sort of dance was confusing to Rey, to say the least.

She could only hope Peter would continue being this honest. This fantastic. This sweet and forward over what was happening between them.

Days flew by and before she knew it Rey was getting ready for their date. While she didn't trust Rose's usual taste in men, she did take her advice when getting ready for her big night. Together, they had settled for simple jeans, a grey cardigan, keeping her hair down and even a little basic makeup to go with it. It wasn't a complete stranger who looked back at Rey on her mirror by the time they were done.

And so she made it early to the spot where she and Peter were supposed to meet. It gave her time to text her friend back and thank her for her support while also checking social media, her attention stolen by the latest news on how Spider-Man had saved the city again.]

( yeah, about that whole honest thing. Peter is an open book, except for that one page he covered in white-out. even years after Gwen died, Peter still struggles with one particular facet of honesty. he's conflicted on whether he should have pulled back when the opening presented itself with Rey. though, is there such a thing as too soon to tell a girl you're into that you moonlight as a vigilante superhero? he's undecided. Rey is safer not knowing if things don't work out. and Peter is so new back into the concept of dating, he has a hard time knowing whether he'll manage to stick it out.

but somehow he still feels a little guilty, gliding to street level and finding his way into the mill of foot traffic. maybe he's just guilty in the usual sense, the it isn't safe to get attached to people when the last person died for it sense. it's been years, and his aunt has been trying to break him of his enforced distance for months, but still a hard demon to ignore on the eve of your first date since after his long-term girlfriend died. especially when any way he slices it, he feels responsible.

still. what's the worst that can happen, right? maybe Peter will decide he's not ready to date. maybe Rey will decide he's kind of weird, which he kind of is. Peter likes her, a little tongue-tied and all warm-and-fuzzy when he remembers that they'd already consummated that like after a particularly heated game of drunken The Floor Is Lava kind of likes her. and he wants to do this, the date, D A T E with public witnesses and everything. he's trying to go with that, and not overthink it. even if this is a one time thing, he wants it to be a good date. for Rey, for sure. because how on earth is it possible someone so beautiful and smart and funny and charming and that wrinkles their nose when they're concentrating hasn't gone on a proper date before? it's just wrong, and Peter Parker and Spider-Man both are determined to right the wrongs they see in the world.

Peter finds Rey easily, and it just sets off the tongue-tied and warm-and-fuzzy all over again. ) Hey, ( he says, and is he smiling already? is he that much of a dork? oh no. apparently so. his hand lands between her shoulderblades, just a thoughtless instinct to touch her, before he notes that she's lost in her phone and checks his watch, nervous. ) Crap. I'm not late, am I? There was just this... crazy thing up town, you know, so... ( speaking of that crazy thing, he might have a bit of a bruise by his hairline, but hopefully his crazy hair covers most of it. )

[It's the little things that sometimes are the most meaningful ones, Rey thinks. The ones that make you smile when you think of a person, just like she does when she remembers that cute way in which Peter sometimes looks away, coy and laughing things off. It's the little things, like the way her heart skips a beat as she feels a hand on her back, only to turn and for her whole face to lit up the second she notices he's already there. She's an impatient kind of person, hates waiting for other people. But for Peter? She brushes it off like it's nothing, instead craning her neck to press a kiss to his cheek as if meeting up and going out on dates was a thing they do every weekend. Your normal Tuesday. Shaking things up from meeting at his place for pasta and binge watching a show together.

Calm your horses, Rey.]

It's okay. [She shakes her head, waving it off as she holds her phone up.] I just made it here and was catching up with the news. It's crazy what happened, I'm not surprised there's traffic jams everywhere.

[Twisting her sling bag to hold it over her chest, her attention is still on him as she puts her phone away, her attention never leaving Peter.] I hope you didn't have to run much. Are you okay? You look like you really need to catch your breath. [Was that too honest? Rude to say? Don't ruin this, Rey. Not when you've met such a nice guy.] It's sweet that you rushed to be here. I appreciate it.

( the catch of her lips to his cheek isn't gonna make that grin go away, Rey. officially not happening. it's a weird relief that she cut through the awkwardness of knowing and not knowing all at once. they'd had a great night, and Peter is already quite intimate with what it's like to kiss her and then some. still, that had been with all inhibitions lowered, both of them operating on instinct and what felt good. this is different and finding the lines of what she likes and what makes her uncomfortable in a public setting is important. knowing some PDA is okay is an instant relief, as Peter struggles greatly with being entirely detached with someone he likes.

though the mention of it seeming like he ran here does get Rey an awkward laugh. half because, well, she's not wrong and he did rush to get here, and half because Peter is utterly terrible at keeping secrets and how does all of New York not know he's Spider-Man again? )

Ha, I... no, I'm okay. Maybe I need some extra cardio. We could play more of the Floor is Lava? ( he lifts his eyebrows hopefully, especially knowing how their game had ended. he isn't suave enough to land suggesting they burn calories together, but the idea is in there somewhere. ) I'll catch my breath when we sit down. I called ahead, didn't wanna risk this place being too happening.

( and maybe he could let go of her and maybe they could walk in just fine unattached but instead he grabs her hand and heads in that direction. )

Never ruling Floor is Lava off the menu, no. [Saying that with a straight face? Not something she could hold for long. Letting out a short heartfelt laugh, she practically beamed at him as he felt his hand wrap around hers. Immidiatly, Rey twisted her palm, her fingers slipping through Peter's, entwined as they held onto each other.

Frankly, there had been a time when she had not been comfortable with this sort of touch, not even something that now seemed as simple as holding hands. Too many years on her own, too many years without basic contact with other people, without receiving affection. But things had changed recently for her and she had sort of found a family in her now close friends. It was probably thanks to them that she'd dared opening up to Peter with such ease. Why she dared think that, just like he often stole smiles out of her as she sneaked into her thoughts, maybe she too could become someone dear to him.]

It was a smart thing to call ahead. [Rey pointed out as they walked in, the place packed and service busy. They were soon guided towards a little table at the back, the light dim and a candle burning inside a glass centerpiece. It was quite romantic, the sort of thing she'd only seen in movies.]

You've been here before? It's very nice. [Taking off her bag and coat, she placed them on the third chair by their table, right away thanking a waiter as they were handed the menu.] I have no idea of what to order. Do you? Do you have anything in mind?

[Settling down, her leg touched his briefly under the table. It was a knee jerk reaction to pull back. Briefly. Letting out a sigh, Rey allowed herself to relax, her shin resting against Peter's.]

( well, there is something intrinsically hilarious about a game called The Floor Is Lava. and considering Peter's usual reaction to intimate questions is uncomfortable laugher and turning the color of a lobster, he can't hold the laugh against her. look, he's not great at talking about sex. Peter is more of a little less talk, a lot more action when it comes to intimacy. he's not shy about doing — talking is a bit of a different story.

it's something unfortunate, that loneliness when they were little being something they have in common. Peter knows he's lucky, that his aunt and uncle, and now just his aunt, keep him from being entirely alone in the world. he hadn't been great about reaching out to find family outside of them, though, besides Gwen. and safe to say he'd struggled for a long time to try again after that.

this is uncovered ground, and truthfully Peter doesn't entirely know what he's comfortable with and ready for, either. he does know that her palm twisting in his, her fingers knotting with his — that feels pretty good. his thumb dusts across her knuckles in an unspoken note of appreciation and almost awe, that this is actually happening. and then he's back, focused on pulling out Rey's chair and greeting a waitress that he's seen plenty of times, since he's definitely a regular here.

once they're seated, he lets too-long legs gangle under the table. it'd be hard for Rey not to run into them, but he squeezes her hand before he releases it to let her know he doesn't mind the bump, or the choice to linger. he grabs a menu, drumming his fingers over the laminated paper before he points out his favorite. )

I swear I'm not thinking of Lady and the Tramp. This one really is my favorite. ( he drums on spaghetti and meatballs, which also happily announces it comes with endless breadsticks. ) But if you like seafood, the shrimp pasta is good too.

[With her elbow on the table and chin on her palm, Rey leaned forward as much as the table would allow her while they both checked out the shared menu. She considered the options Peter pointed out, but it wasn't that hard of a choice.]

I've never tried seafood, to be honest. I mean, aside from fish. [And even then that was not something she usually found on her diet. Not counting fish sticks, that sort of dish always sounded like something far too fancy for the sort of meals she could either afford or even prepare comfortably at the little place she had set up to become her home.] But I haven't had pasta in a while either and I'd really like to try your favourite, Peter.

[A cute, nice guy. A photographer that is lanky and far more flexible that you'd expect. A sweet boy who enjoys pasta and meatballs and that is always worrying about not making his partner uncomfortable.] The breaksticks totally sold me. And the possible reendition of Lady and the Tramp. You'd make a wonderful Lady, Peter.

[She wrinkled the bridge of her nose as she teased him, finally leaning back on her seat again. It wasn't long before that waitress he'd greeted and that had been so lovely to the both of them returned, taking their order. Rey couldn't be more thankful of how comfortable she was, what a nice atmosphere there was both in this place and in his company.

She had definitely spent too much time overthinking this date, worrying for no good reason. It all seemed to flow really naturally so far.]

So, I guess its the appropiate time to ask about you? You take photos for a living or are you just very, very good over your hobby?

Oh, I love it. Kalamari is my favorite. But uh, my aunt says I will happily eat anything, so maybe my judgement isn't the most trustworthy. ( and while it is true Peter has a forgiving stomach, and has once eaten a hotdog that he dropped on a busy New York sidewalk. he also thinks he has decent taste when he bothers to be fancy about it. being a freelance photographer relaxes his standards, because good food wasn't necessarily always cheap food. Peter would be happy to broaden Rey's culinary horizons, if she's interested — though they might have to pair it with low-brow fair. or he'll need to work a little more to keep up with the habit.

for now, though, he thinks she made a good call with the spaghetti. Peter asks for his second suggestion (maybe he can convince Rey to try some of the shrimp) and from there laughs at the assertion he would make a good lady. ) Wow. I have hair like this and don't land the role of tramp? You're being way too easy on me.

( truth be told, both of them seem more rough and tumble, street worn creatures, but maybe that wouldn't be as cute a story.

Peter is not sure he's good at talking about himself, but that does seem fair first date fare, doesn't it? so he better try. ) Right, I do. I work for the Daily Bugle. Honestly they don't expect particularly skilled photography, but I still like it. I do a lot of people pieces right now, like, taking pictures of kids at the science fair. Nice to meet people on the street, you know? ( Peter doesn't make a lot, granted, but it does allow some freedom for his other, even worse paid work. ) What is it you do?

from here!

harry i was literally a tree and somehow still managed to just stand there shellshocked and completely forgot my branch choreography. not like it was complicated, it was basically just wave your arms a little

you didn't miss anything. i promise. i think that tape is like the ring, you'll die in 7 days if you see that level of childhood embarrassment. and i kinda like you living, so

started here!

you're almost better at this hipster thing than i am?? i'm actually impressed

okay, if i get a glasses cord, you better help me pick one out, so it can be appropriately ironic but still artisanal

I have a knack for being good at things that it makes no sense for me to be good at. Knowing things included.

I know someone that could make you something like that. And then you can claim to have known the artist before others did. For proper hipster flex.

is this how i get suckered into wearing an actual glasses cord? a joke that has gone on too long and now i gotta commit?

okay, well, if the hipster cred is solid, i am out of excuses

You could chicken out. But I’m already sending a message. You’ll have to turn an artist down all on your own.

i could, but if i chickened out on hairbrained schemes that are better off abandoned i wouldn't websling around manhattan in red and blue spandex, so

ah but it’s a classic look that truly compliments your ass.

( wow, he's definitely blushing. )

i don't exactly have an angle on that but so i've been told
you really think so? the idea was form and function not presentation but still good to know

[He's pleased that he could make someone blush.]

Well, definitely not presentation in those colors, but it does look good on you.

commitment to theme. the spider that bit me was red and blue. don't ask
thanks, though. i think. completely covering my face helps imo

I so want to ask.

I don't know. I like your face.

( NOT HELPING WITH THE BLUSHING )

yeah, uh, well, i like your face too.

but somehow while you can pull that compliment off, i feel like buffalo bill saying that

[Not his intention to cause blushing, but he also won't shy away from it.]

Well, that's useful for making out with it.
I'm a charmer.

you are, it's a lot of pressure.

are you prepared to carry both of us on the charming front? because if we were having this conversation in person i am pretty sure i would have swallowed my own tongue by now

Come on, you're not that awkward. You gathered my attention.

i guess i have some charms? but rarely when being directly flirted with

( just ask Gwen, who he very suavely asked if she'd like, i dunno, uh, or we could do something else, if you want? without actually specifying anything in particular. )

i just get nervous. i need practice. how do you do it, do you get real smooth with your bathroom mirror or what

Well, you're charming me.

And my mutation helps me nod need to practice.

well, good. i have been trying. for the record. maybe that was already obvious.

that's way handy. super senses have never made me a better flirt. unfortunately.

Yeah, I'll admit that I noticed the trying. I do enjoy it.

then i guess i will... keep trying? this kinda got away from me, i am so glad we are texting and you can't see the dumb shade of tomato i am right now

I have faith in your ability to learn and grow.

i do appreciate that. maybe you can have faith and give me opportunity to put my growth mindset into practice by letting me flirt with you in person soon.

Whenever you want. I'm not doing much.

okay, i don't buy that. people with superpowers always have stuff come up unexpectedly, i know that life.

but... okay. friday? too soon? or not soon enough?

Yeah, but I'm mostly heroics support, so it's fine. And Friday's good. Unless you want something else?

friday. it gives me plenty of time to mentally prepare. and hopefully keep goons and petty crime down so i can snag some free time for the weekend. fingers crossed on that one

Mental preparation. Like what, mental sit ups?

googling spider puns. trying to decide which of my many unimpressive button up shirts to wear. trying to tame my hair to ultimately give up on it as usual. it's a whole process

Avoid the puns, the tightest shirt, let your hair do what it will do.

note taken on the shirt and hair

the spider puns are happening though. this is the web you've landed in, better to realize you're stuck with it.

Wow, I really do seem to be. Could they maybe spin up their game?

i tend to cling to what i know, but who knows. hang around long enough and maybe i'll mix it up.

I intend to hang around a while. There aren't many other highly intelligent young super heroes with glasses around.

is that all you look for in a guy? superpowers and nerdy glasses?

Someone who understands me? Yep.

you are more than glasses and superpowers. for the record.

but you've got a point that someone that gets it is nice.

I know that I'm more than that. I'm just saying there's similarities.

i guess, now that you point it out. maybe we need to get you a bespoke hipster glasses chain, too. 😛

Do we have to? I think I might be a touch too cool for that.

ouch. that one hurts. but yeah, you're probably right.

( he'll take the fall as the bigger nerd here. )

Yeah, I'm a nerd too, a big one. But I do like seeing you.

i like seeing you too. so i'm hoping friday isn't as far away as it feels like it is.

It feel like weeks.

people go on dates thursdays, right? maybe we should just do thursday.

( he folded fast on that one, didn't he... oops...

People go on dates on any day.

do they? that seems really ambitious.

but Thursday. I can do Thursday. see you then?

I'll do Thursday. With you. Happily.

open post.

idk man let me live

no i wont, cOLLEGE AUS YOU

WONDERFUL

no subject

papaya

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

rises from the grave ig

splashes you with holy water

wow

this is some gay shit

hi new friend

HELLO!!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

phone tags... i have regrets

IT'S FIIIIINE :D

puts a bow on this one 🎀

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

wrap here or on yours?

TFLN OVERFLOW

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject