Jack

Note: Peter is aged up to his late 30s early 40s!

It is quiet in the Parker household, not because it's empty, but because it's a day where it feels impossible to get out of bed. Peter barely manages to trudge out of his room by 10:00 am, four or so hours later than usual. He doesn't feel great about it. At least he was awake… though maybe sleeping in would have been better. Less to torment himself over.

He sighs, shaking his head. Keep it together, Parker! You've got a kid to check on for crying out loud. He doesn't immediately check on Jack, letting him keep his quiet morning, but keeping an ear out. Instead, Peter walks to the kitchen, figuring he may as well make a late brunch. It's something he always tries to do when her birthday roles around. It keeps her close. He remembers she used to say it was her favorite, but it honestly could have been because it's one of the few things he could make and not burn, at least back then. He didn't have much choice besides learning to cook afterwards.

While wheatcakes and sausages aren't special in the slightest, he manages to take up an hour making them. With that, he's run out of things to do besides talk to his teenager. So, back to the hallway it is, after a brief look in the mirror to make sure he looks like he has at least some semblance of a functional adult in him.

Jack had been sitting on the floor, back pressed against his bed, knees pulled up, staring at nothing in particular. His mask lay crumpled beside him. He’d been out late last night, like just one more patrol would stop him from breaking down. It didn’t help, didn’t do anything but make him feel exhausted.

At Peter’s voice, Jack exhales slowly, dragging a hand down his face before pushing himself up. The movement feels heavier than it should. He opens the door just enough to lean against the frame instead of fully stepping out.

“Yeah… I’m up.”

His voice is rough from disuse. His eyes flick past Peter for a second, landing on that same photo in the hallway. He doesn’t smile at it. Not like his dad does. Not today.

“She’d hate that you waited this long to eat,” he adds after a beat, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly- not quite a joke, but trying to be something like one. Jack shifts his weight, arms crossing loosely over his chest.

“…You make the wheatcakes right this time?” he asks, quieter now. “You burned them last time.”

It’s familiar. Safe. Something they’ve said before. But then his expression softens, just a little, the edges of that guarded teenage armor cracking in a way he can’t quite stop.

“I can help next time,” he mutters, almost as an afterthought. “Y’know… if you want.”

It’s not really about the food. It never is.

Jack Parker was late- very late. He swung to the window of his English class, slid it open with baited breath and dropped inside. Glancing around, he let out a breath as he thought nobody had seen him. Then, a voice rang out. He was in trouble.

With: @avengerofgold

It was just supposed to be a regular mission- some guy had come up to Jack, begging for help. He’d followed, especially when he heard a woman crying in an alleyway. But he didn’t realize it was a set up. Suddenly he was getting hit from all sides, his Spider-Sense going off at the assaults. Jack was left on the ground with a whispered warning, “You can’t save everyone, bug.”

And then JARVIS would let him know one of his protégés had gotten beaten up in an alley. 

Tony slipped into armor right away, and although he’d missed the perpetrators by the time he got there — no problem, he could easily track them down later for a serious talking-to — Jack hadn’t yet left, which spoke to the gravity of his injuries. 

His helmet retracted into the armor. 

Mr. Stark’s face came into focus, and Jack felt a strange mix of relief and embarrassment crawl up his throat. Of course Stark had to see him like this. Beaten to hell in an alley.

He took the offered hand, his fingers tightening on the armored palm as he tried to pull himself upright. The effort lasted about two seconds before his knees buckled, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his ribs. Jack hissed, sagging against the support with a wince.

“Yeah,” he rasped, his voice rough but aiming for casual. “I’m- totally fine. Just… testing gravity. Still works.”

He managed a weak smirk before his head tipped slightly forward, the world threatening to fade out again. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Didn’t think it’d be… a trap. My bad.”

Now he was pacing the living room, glancing every few seconds toward the clock like he could slow time down. He’d told himself to relax, that this wasn’t a big deal, but his heart hadn’t gotten the memo.

When the doorbell rang, Jack jumped like it had been an alarm. His dad was already moving toward the door. “Promise me you’ll behave yourself,” Peter said with a wink, teasing in that annoying dad way, before grabbing his jacket. “And don’t forget, I’ll be home later tonight. Don’t burn the apartment down.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack muttered, though his face was hot.

When he opened the door, every prepared thought flew out of his head.

Vivid stood there, casually dressed like he’d just walked off the cover of a magazine, holding a bouquet of flowers that looked like they’d come from somewhere far more interesting than the corner store. Jack’s eyes widened at the sight, his stomach doing backflips that made it hard to even form words.

“H-hi,” Jack stammered, his voice cracking slightly. His gaze darted from the flowers to Vivid’s face, then quickly back to the flowers like they were safer to look at. “Are those for me? I… I didn’t get you anything…”

He quickly took the bouquet, suddenly very aware of how sweaty his palms were. “Wow, these are… uh… really cool. I don’t even know what half of these are.”

Jack quickly turned toward the kitchen counter to set the flowers down before his face completely combusted. “Uh, thanks. I’ll- I’ll put them in water. I think we’ve got a vase somewhere.”

As he fumbled around for one, he tried to slow his racing heart. It’s just dinner and a movie. Just dinner and a movie, he told himself. Except it wasn’t just that. Not when it was Vivid.

Still, he moved in closer and helped grab a vase that Jack seemed to have missed, and filled it with water for the flowers before preparing them and setting them inside.

"I...technically speaking...have no mother. My father is my only parent. He conceived me with his powers and grew me in his own body. But I do have aunts, and Auntie Delirium has a beautiful garden. Not that these came from there. I'm not sure the flowers in her garden are safe."

He bit his bottom lip as he turned to look at Jack.

"I have...a lot of family."

He rubbed at the back of his neck, unsure if he was being comforting or just rambling.

“And… aunts with dangerous flowers? That’s-” Jack let out a half-laugh, shaking his head. “Man, I thought my family was complicated. You’ve got me beat.”

There was a pause before he added, softer, “Sounds like you’ve got a big support system, though. That’s… pretty nice.”

The point behind his creation?

Jack decided he didn’t want to push for details or anything, especially since he was so far into his confusion already. He hadn’t known Vivid too well, but it was still shocking. The fact that he had powers and a family that certainly wasn’t typical- and the fact that he liked Jack.

He felt his face heating up in a bright red blush as Vivid kissed his cheek, but he didn’t pull away. He just stood, a smile growing on his face as if they were the only two there.

“Oh- yeah. Sounds good.” Jack mumbled shyly.

***

The Wise family were by no means 'poor'. While Vivid and his 'Uncle' Cori lived in a two bedroom apartment, it was in the best part of town. A door in the apartment that shouldn't be there would lead to The Dreaming realm, giving Vivid easy access to his father's kingdom.

He dressed now in expensive yet casual clothes, and arrived right on time outside of the Parker residence.

He got out, carrying a bouquet of exotic flowers and knocked on the door, waiting for Jack or his father to answer.

Now he was pacing the living room, glancing every few seconds toward the clock like he could slow time down. He’d told himself to relax, that this wasn’t a big deal, but his heart hadn’t gotten the memo.

When the doorbell rang, Jack jumped like it had been an alarm. His dad was already moving toward the door. “Promise me you’ll behave yourself,” Peter said with a wink, teasing in that annoying dad way, before grabbing his jacket. “And don’t forget, I’ll be home later tonight. Don’t burn the apartment down.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack muttered, though his face was hot.

When he opened the door, every prepared thought flew out of his head.

Vivid stood there, casually dressed like he’d just walked off the cover of a magazine, holding a bouquet of flowers that looked like they’d come from somewhere far more interesting than the corner store. Jack’s eyes widened at the sight, his stomach doing backflips that made it hard to even form words.

“H-hi,” Jack stammered, his voice cracking slightly. His gaze darted from the flowers to Vivid’s face, then quickly back to the flowers like they were safer to look at. “Are those for me? I… I didn’t get you anything…”

He quickly took the bouquet, suddenly very aware of how sweaty his palms were. “Wow, these are… uh… really cool. I don’t even know what half of these are.”

Jack quickly turned toward the kitchen counter to set the flowers down before his face completely combusted. “Uh, thanks. I’ll- I’ll put them in water. I think we’ve got a vase somewhere.”

As he fumbled around for one, he tried to slow his racing heart. It’s just dinner and a movie. Just dinner and a movie, he told himself. Except it wasn’t just that. Not when it was Vivid.

He was about to ask what was going on before Vivid pulled his chin up, making his gaze fix on the other again, though his heart was racing in his chest. The revelation that Vivid had powers too that he’d never told him about was a big shock, making Jack wonder why it hadn’t come up before if he supposedly already knew that Jack was Spider-Man. He could feel his throat drying up as he listened to the other speak: about his family, who Jack figured weren’t too wholesome. Nightmares. Death. Destruction. These weren’t people Jack could even imagine having dinner with.

And yet, Vivid said it all so casually.

Jack flinched as time resumed again like it had never happened, the sound of the school bell resuming with a loud trill that made him jump. The chatter of students filtered in from the hallway, filling the space where the stillness had been moments ago.

“You… knew?” Jack managed after a long pause, his voice coming out shakier than he wanted. “All this time?” He glanced toward the door as if checking that no one had heard, though he wasn’t even sure what they could’ve overheard. “I mean-“ He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit, “-if you already knew, why didn’t you say anything? Why wait until now?”

His mind spun with a thousand questions. How long had Vivid been watching him? Did anyone else know? Was this some kind of threat wrapped up in a compliment? And then the last part of what Vivid said hit him like a sucker punch: I like you. I think you’re freaking adorable.

Jack blinked rapidly, processing the words. “Wait. You- like me?” His voice cracked embarrassingly at the end, and he immediately hated himself for sounding like a startled middle schooler. He fumbled for words, unsure if he wanted to run out the door or stay rooted in place. “You… you can’t just drop that on someone and expect them to- to know how to react!”

His face burned red. He tugged his hood up, using it as a shield while his brain screamed at him to say something cool, but nothing came out except a quiet, “…You’re impossible.”

And yet, under the flustered panic, he felt something else bubbling up- curiosity. A strange, hesitant spark of relief that maybe someone actually saw all of him and didn’t run the other way.

All things needed to end eventually. Even the Creator of Everything. Vivid was created to be their replacement. Thousands of lives from now.

But...this was currently life number one.

And he was a sixteen year old boy with his first crush.

The point behind his creation?

Jack decided he didn’t want to push for details or anything, especially since he was so far into his confusion already. He hadn’t known Vivid too well, but it was still shocking. The fact that he had powers and a family that certainly wasn’t typical- and the fact that he liked Jack.

He felt his face heating up in a bright red blush as Vivid kissed his cheek, but he didn’t pull away. He just stood, a smile growing on his face as if they were the only two there.

“Oh- yeah. Sounds good.” Jack mumbled shyly.

The test was very difficult, and not just because of distractions like being talked to. He swore he studied – but maybe all the late night patrols instead of studying harder were catching up with him. He groaned as he got to a particularly difficult problem, staring at the paper like it would give him the answer. When he finished, he got up and quickly walked to the door like he could literally escape his certain failure on the test. But life – and Vivid- had other plans.

Jack had almost reached the door when he felt himself being pulled back. He was about to protest when he heard the words coming from the other. His jaw dropped open and he forgot how to form a coherent sentence as he looked at Vivid.

“I- Why… Why me? I’m nobody- especially not here,” he muttered as a guy who had slammed him into some lockers earlier in the week smirked and whispered something to his friends as they left the room. Jack averted his gaze, sighing. “I don’t want to drag you down by being seen with the loser.”

The world froze around them as Vivid's eyes changed. They swirled with countless colors like a vibrant watercolor painting. People were midstep in the halls. The hands on the clock stopped moving.

"I know who you are, Jack. I've always known. The littlest spiderling in the multi-verse."

He smiled softly as he got a bit closer, nudging Jack's chin upwards to make the other look into his swirling eyes.

"My parent is the embodiment of dreams, King of Dreams and Nightmares. My Uncle Cori is literally the first Nightmare made flesh. My Auntie is Death. One of my uncles is Destruction."

The world started again. His eyes back to their normal shade as he let his powers release.

He was about to ask what was going on before Vivid pulled his chin up, making his gaze fix on the other again, though his heart was racing in his chest. The revelation that Vivid had powers too that he’d never told him about was a big shock, making Jack wonder why it hadn’t come up before if he supposedly already knew that Jack was Spider-Man. He could feel his throat drying up as he listened to the other speak: about his family, who Jack figured weren’t too wholesome. Nightmares. Death. Destruction. These weren’t people Jack could even imagine having dinner with.

And yet, Vivid said it all so casually.

Jack flinched as time resumed again like it had never happened, the sound of the school bell resuming with a loud trill that made him jump. The chatter of students filtered in from the hallway, filling the space where the stillness had been moments ago.

“You… knew?” Jack managed after a long pause, his voice coming out shakier than he wanted. “All this time?” He glanced toward the door as if checking that no one had heard, though he wasn’t even sure what they could’ve overheard. “I mean-“ He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit, “-if you already knew, why didn’t you say anything? Why wait until now?”

His mind spun with a thousand questions. How long had Vivid been watching him? Did anyone else know? Was this some kind of threat wrapped up in a compliment? And then the last part of what Vivid said hit him like a sucker punch: I like you. I think you’re freaking adorable.

Jack blinked rapidly, processing the words. “Wait. You- like me?” His voice cracked embarrassingly at the end, and he immediately hated himself for sounding like a startled middle schooler. He fumbled for words, unsure if he wanted to run out the door or stay rooted in place. “You… you can’t just drop that on someone and expect them to- to know how to react!”

His face burned red. He tugged his hood up, using it as a shield while his brain screamed at him to say something cool, but nothing came out except a quiet, “…You’re impossible.”

And yet, under the flustered panic, he felt something else bubbling up- curiosity. A strange, hesitant spark of relief that maybe someone actually saw all of him and didn’t run the other way.

He leaned over towards the other, nodding. “Thanks. Hopefully I can pay you back for this in the form of paying for your lunch today. But the one thing I won’t do is take this test for you, dude. You’re on your own for that,” he chuckled. “Hopefully it’s not too bad- I tried studying, but there was this dog in the street and-“

The teacher’s voice cut him off.

“Mr. Parker, quiet please. The test is starting- eyes on your paper.”

Jack sighed, tapping his pencil against his desk as he stared at his paper.

"Dude, you're so dense. I'm top the class."

He shook his head before looking down at his own paper. He was done before anyone else. When you understood the working of the multi-verse and every language it possessed...it made things like high school tests...easy. But if he wanted to live on Earth, he needed to comply with it's rules. At 16, that meant school. After all, his Uncle Cori wouldn't let him drop out.

When the class was over, he waited for Jack...and when Jack was there, he pulled him aside.

The test was very difficult, and not just because of distractions like being talked to. He swore he studied – but maybe all the late night patrols instead of studying harder were catching up with him. He groaned as he got to a particularly difficult problem, staring at the paper like it would give him the answer. When he finished, he got up and quickly walked to the door like he could literally escape his certain failure on the test. But life – and Vivid- had other plans.

Jack had almost reached the door when he felt himself being pulled back. He was about to protest when he heard the words coming from the other. His jaw dropped open and he forgot how to form a coherent sentence as he looked at Vivid.

“I- Why… Why me? I’m nobody- especially not here,” he muttered as a guy who had slammed him into some lockers earlier in the week smirked and whispered something to his friends as they left the room. Jack averted his gaze, sighing. “I don’t want to drag you down by being seen with the loser.”

Jack Parker was late- very late. He swung to the window of his English class, slid it open with baited breath and dropped inside. Glancing around, he let out a breath as he thought nobody had seen him. Then, a voice rang out. He was in trouble.

"Dude. Again?"

Vivid didn't have to be here. He could return to his father's realm at any time. The Dreaming didn't have things like...school. But the Dreaming also didn't have things like Jack.

Vivid had become...fond.

Not that they were friends. Vivid...didn't have friends. He had a hard time connecting to mortals.

Of course, he knew Jack's secret. Father is Spider-Man and he himself is learning to become one of the Spider-Men and Women that roam the city and the Multi-Verse.

But he can't exactly say that he can read minds and walk in dreams.

He leaned over towards the other, nodding. “Thanks. Hopefully I can pay you back for this in the form of paying for your lunch today. But the one thing I won’t do is take this test for you, dude. You’re on your own for that,” he chuckled. “Hopefully it’s not too bad- I tried studying, but there was this dog in the street and-“

The teacher’s voice cut him off.

“Mr. Parker, quiet please. The test is starting- eyes on your paper.”

Jack sighed, tapping his pencil against his desk as he stared at his paper.