🕸️ SPIDER-SENSE

“That’s a LOT of bus rides, Parker,” Gwen chucked, a small smirk playing on her lips as she opened the door wide for him to come through. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you MISSED me,” she teased in a sing-song voice. “But also, I just pulled a batch of cookies from the oven. Want some?”

“I might have missed you a bit, yeah. Is that weird?” He had hoped on his way to her house that she had missed him at least enough to invite him in, but to be offered fresh-baked cookies upon arrival exceeded all expectations and boggled his mind. Was this the elusive thing called good timing? He wasn't usually so lucky.

• C/IVIL WAR, or "That time I bailed on my homework to go to Germany, where I stole Cap's shield & basically became an A/venger, but got sent home because some guy turned into a giant."

• H/OMECOMING, or "That time I fought my girlfriend's dad on the outside of an invisible plane & totally ruined prom."

• I/NFINITY WAR, or "That time I met a wizard & went to space in a donut, where I became an A/venger for real, but then I didn't feel so good & got all dusty."

• E/NDGAME, or "That time I got to ride a pegasus & play football with the I/nfinity G/auntlet on a team of superheroes, but then my dad figure died (that's #3)."

“I didn’t think…” She set her hand on the trunk lid, taking a moment to move the mechanisms and pop the lid, staring at THE Spider-Man. “….spiders got stuck in trunks.”

The battle had been one of the toughest Jessica had ever fought her, body bruised and bleeding from the hits that she took. Mask lay in pieces on the rubble covered ground and without it, revealed to the world who she was…and the bruises on her face. The worst injury was her side that had been bruised during the grey fire, causing tears in her suit that exposed the bloody wound. She’d been taking a moment to breathe for the first time that day, having been moving since the moment she arrived. Just as eyes are about to close from exhaustion, she hears him.

Spinning around, and ignoring the pain she felt, she finally saw him. (Hell, she probably saw him during the fight but didn’t register it was him because of the chaos.)   “ Petey? ”   The girl speaks with a hoarse voice, taking a stumbling step towards him. She practically falls into him, shaking arms pulling him into a hug as the tears seep from her eyes.   “ You’re okay…, ”   Pulling back, her hands rest on his cheeks,   “ You’re alive. ”

The nanotech of his iron spider-suit shifted and folded itself away as Jess reached out for a hug. The intuitive suit must have sensed the safety Peter felt at her presence. Now he could feel the softness of her embrace, unlike his hug with Tony not long before. She squeezed tightly and he squeezed back, afraid to let go should events repeat themselves.

“I'm alive. I'm okay.” His voice cracked as he echoed her words. A single tear fell down his cheek, preceding a quiet stream as he moved his grip from her shoulders to her waistline. His hand touched something wet, and he knew right away that it was blood. She had a wound on her side.

it had been a big change. aki was a west coaster at heart so coming to the big apple was definitely a huge culture shock. he didn’t feel like he fit in which was fine, it was a new school. it’d take a while to get accustomed but his socially awkward tendencies were of no use in this type of situation.

he nods, sticking his hands in his jean pockets with a pursed smile. “yeah. i uh, swim and play ultimate so… that’ll hopefully get me somewhere? new yorker’s don’t surf, do they?” probably not you dumb idiot! “–oh! i’m a-akimitsu curtis. or, aki is cool too.”

“Nice to meet you, Aki!” Peter could say Akimitsu's full name with no trouble if he tried, but he preferred to use nicknames and shortenings when given the chance. They were more familiar and inviting.

“Hey! Please! Please, somebody let me out! Hey!”

“I was in the neighborhood, needed to see a friendly face. I took three buses and a cab to get in the neighborhood, but…”

In the aftermath of it all, Peter wandered the battlefield, searching for familiar faces he could comfort himself with. His face was blotchy, with red circles around his eyes and his legs refused to walk in a straight line. All the weight of his emotions evaporated into excitement at the sight of Jessica's familiar red suit and dark hair. He ran to her— part of him wanted to jump straight into her arms, but he had so much to say and he wanted to look at her face a little longer.

“Oh my gosh, Jess. Are you a sight for sore eyes! So many crazy things have happened since I left the bus. Did you see— did you get here when Doctor Strange opened all those portals?” His words rushed out faster than he could process them, disjointed and excitable. He was trying so hard not to think about the negatives that he didn't notice how Jess's face had changed from five years spent without him. He assumed she had been turned to dust as he had and brought back to present day with him.

“I’m not heartless. Dogs are the only truly pure thing in this world and we did nothing to deserve them but thank goodness we have them.” She let her features stretch into a wide, amused grin. “I just don’t see why anyone would own a cat when there are dogs in the world.”

“i-i.. i mean yeah, duh,” he laughs a little nervously. “but like. no one really knows me, i guess? not that i really care all that much but i uh, i’ve never really been the er, n-new kid. i guess.”

Oh, new kid jitters. That was something Peter could relate to. He hadn't known anyone when he first came to Midtown Tech. It was easy to feel overlooked, like someone that nobody else cared about. Realizing this made him glad that he had decided to talk to this kid, especially since nobody else had instigated a welcoming committee.

“Such optimism. Good going. Did you trip or something?”