“(Name), hold on! Wait!” Peter shouted from the balcony as he spotted (Name) walking along the sidewalk, her hands shoved in her pockets.

When Peter spotted (Name) walking outside by herself, Peter quickly uttered a quick apology to Liz and rushed off the balcony to catch (Name). Thankfully, it didn’t take long for him to catch up to her.

“Hold on a second! Where are you going?” Peter asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s fine, Peter. I understand what’s going on,” (Name) reassured, forcing a smile. “You and Liz have history. I won’t stand in the way of that anymore.”

Peter’s body froze up at the mention of Liz, slowly drawing back from (Name) as she pushed his hand off her shoulder.

“T-There’s nothing going on between me and Liz!” Peter shook his head vigorously. “I mean there is, I-I mean there was but it’s not—” (Name) held up a hand to cut him off.

“Like I said, I get it, Peter. You don’t have to say anything else.”

Before Peter could put his foot in his mouth any further, (Name) took a couple steps back from Peter before doing a quick scan of their surroundings to ensure nobody else was around. Her eyes began to glow before her body suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

A few days had passed since Peter, Ned, and (Name) attended the back-to-school bash. Instead of talking to Peter about what happened, (Name) had chosen to keep her distance from him and focus on her school work and training. When Peter realized (Name) left the party shortly after seeing Liz and him together, he desperately wanted to talk to (Name) and reassure her that he didn’t want to be with Liz. (Name) was the one he wanted to be with, but because Peter had stupidly put his foot in his mouth and (Name) was avoiding him like the plague, that was easier said than done.

As much as Peter wanted to have a conversation with (Name), he knew he couldn’t force her to talk to him about what happened.  So, Peter decided to bide his time and wait to have that conversation with her until (Name) felt comfortable doing so. When (Name) asked to accompany Peter on his evening patrol on the rooftop of the Avengers Tower as Spider-Man, he didn’t expect to have that conversation.

“Peter, what exactly am I to you?” (Name) asked.

“W-What?!” Peter turned to face (Name), the eyes of his mask dilating in size at the sudden question.

(Name) took a seat on the edge of the building next to Peter, allowing her legs to dangle off the roof. With a flick of her wrist, the hooded jacket that hid her face from view vanished into thin air as well as the mask that covered the bottom half of her face.

“I… just want to know where we stand.” (Name) confessed, shyly meeting Peter’s gaze. “The truth is, I’ve been curious to know what happened even though I have also been afraid of what the answer might be. I’d rather know the truth instead of burying my head in the sand, even if it hurts in the end.”

Peter paused for a moment to take a deep breath and slowly exhale the anxiety and uneasiness he felt building up before he slowly removed his mask. He used one hand to hold his mask and the other to gently rest upon her own. He felt his heart leap in his chest when he felt the sensation of (Name)’s fingers brush against his own.

“(Name), I really care about you,” Peter began. “You’re…honestly one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time. I know we’ve only known each other for just a few months, but it feels like I’ve known you a lot longer than that. You’ve become one of my closest friends, and I feel like I can tell you anything. I’d...like for us to be more than friends, but I’ll understand if don’t want to be.”

A smile made its way to (Name)’s lips, a blush rising to her cheeks. She wrapped her hand around his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I care about you a lot too, Peter. I’d really like if we were. More than friends I mean...”

“Y-You do?!” Peter couldn’t contain the excitement or shock in his voice.

“Yeah, I do.” (Name) nodded, her eyes twinkling with amusement at Peter’s reaction.

Peter lifted their held hands before he gently kissed the back of hers and looked into her eyes.

“You deserve to know what happened after you left the party last week.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to, Peter.”

“No, I do. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings if we’re going to move forward.”

(Name) stayed quiet then nodded to allow Peter to speak.

“The girl you saw I was talking to at the party was Liz. She was someone I used to go out with back when she and I were on the decathlon team at school. After she moved away, we tried dating long distance. We thought we’d be able to make it work, but neither one of us realized how difficult it would be dating when we lived in different places, so we both agreed to end it and remain friends.”

“I see. That must’ve been hard.” (Name) frowned.

“Yeah, it was. But I promise you that nothing happened between us after you left the party. I told her that I was seeing someone.” Peter said, panic evident in his voice.

“It’s okay. I believe you.” (Name) giggled. “But who exactly did you say you are seeing now?”

“C’mon, don’t make me say it.” Peter said, averting his gaze.

“Sorry, it’s not really clear.”

“Well, I could make it clearer.”

Peter gently grabbed (Name)’s chin, turning her head slightly to face him. Her eyes briefly gazed into Peter’s warm brown one before she smiled at him and closed her eyes. Peter leaned over to softly brush his lips against her own. It was a soft and delicate touch, almost feather-like. The warm feeling and taste of his lips sent her heart racing, which resulted in a pleasant tingling sensation that spread throughout her body. Reveling in this feeling, (Name)’s arms draped around Peter’s frame, kissing him back in return.  Despite how gentle the kiss was, the feeling of it was euphoric. As much as (Name) wanted that feeling to last forever, she had to pull away for much needed air.

Chapter VIII: Doubt

Ever since their first kiss, things between Peter and (Name) slowly started to change. They’d hold hands on the way to and from school, share the occasional kiss when no one was watching, and cuddle together on the couch with a good flick. The problem was, Peter hadn’t asked her to be his girlfriend, so he wasn’t sure whether or not he could call (Name) that. Peter didn’t really like labels, but he felt that having one on their relationship would ease the growing doubt in his mind. Especially when some of the other guys at school began to notice (Name) the same way he did.

Peter’s eyes followed (Name) as he watched her walking down the hallway with one of the other male students. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by the way (Name) was smiling and laughing during their conversation, he couldn’t ignore the paranoia nagging at the back of his mind.

“Peter! Earth to Peter!” A voice called out, pulling Peter from his reverie.

“Huh?” Peter turned his attention back to Ned. “Sorry, what?”

Ned sighed and shook his head. It wasn’t that hard for Ned to figure out what was on Peter’s mind when he caught Peter stealing glances at (Name).

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Ned said. “You guys basically do the same stuff that couples do.”

“Yeah, I know but I don’t wanna rush her into anything, you know?” Peter said. “Besides, I don’t wanna just ask her out just because other guys are talking to her.”

"True, but you also don’t want to wait too long. Until you guys decide to make things official, (Name) is up for grabs.”

Peter stared at Ned, his expression turned sour. Sure, (Name) had become the object of Peter’s affections, but (Name) wasn’t some object to be claimed. She was her own person.

A beautiful, intelligent, and kind person. Peter stole another glance at (Name) as he watched her say goodbye to the male student before she approached Peter and Ned.

“Hey guys,” (Name) greeted Peter and Ned with a smile.

“Sooo,” Peter started. “What were you guys talkin’ about?”

“Oh, one of the seniors approached me and told me there’s supposed to be a back-to-school party this weekend at their house and he asked me if I wanted to go.”

“To go with him?” Peter said, the sound of disappointment evident in his voice.

“With you of course. Oh, and Ned too. He said I could invite whoever I wanted.”

“A party with other upperclassmen? Sweet, I’m in!” Ned grinned.

Peter’s shoulders visibly relaxed in relief and he smiled and nodded in agreement.

Maybe it’s a sign I should go for it and ask her at the party. Peter’s imagination went wild with speculations how the night would play out.

If only Peter knew that would be easier said than done.

Loud and crowded. Those were the only words that came to (Name)’s mind upon arriving at the party with Ned and Peter. The party was in full swing and filled with high school students drinking, dancing, sharing idle conversation or all the above. The atmosphere may have been new and a little daunting, but that wasn’t going to keep (Name) from having a good time.

“Do you want me to get you a drink?” Peter offered.

“Get me a what?” (Name) asked with confusion.

Peter pointed behind her towards the bowls of punch sitting on the kitchen island. (Name) smiled and nodded.

“Sure, I’ll take some. We’ll meet you over there.” (Name) pointed towards the dance floor before pushing Ned towards the dance floor. “Show me what moves you’ve got, Ned.”

“B-But I don’t have any!” Ned attempted to push back against (Name) only to end in futile, much to his surprise.

“Then I’ll teach you some. Don’t be scared.” (Name) said with a grin.

Peter laughed and shook his head in amusement before he made a beeline for the kitchen island to get some drinks.

“Can’t believe you’re at another one of these lame parties.” A familiar voice spoke behind him.

Peter looked over his shoulder briefly before he turned his attention back to the punch bowl.

“You’re here too, Michelle.” Peter said.

“Let’s meet in the middle and say that I’m not.” Michelle poured herself a drink after Peter finished.

“If you say so.”

“Whatever. I just came to warn you.”

Peter turned around to face Michelle, confusion evident on his face.

“Warn me about what?”

“Thought you might like to know that Liz is here.”

“WHAT?!” Peter’s jaw went slack for a moment, debating whether he heard Michelle correctly or not.

“Liz. Is. Here.” Michelle enunciated her words slowly.

“I heard you the first time. I-I thought she had transferred schools.”

“She did. Apparently, she’s visiting other family here for the weekend. Her words, not mine. Just thought I’d give you a heads-up.”

Michelle turned to leave but not before Peter called out to her. “Hey, wait!”

Michelle paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you know where she is?” Peter asked.

“No. I don’t. Good luck finding her.”

As Michelle walked off, Peter ran a hand through his hair as he tried to remain composed and calm despite feeling the exact opposite.

I need a minute to think. Peter took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before he picked up his drinks and headed over to (Name) and Ned on the dance floor.

“I’ll be back guys. I need to use the bathroom.” Peter handed (Name) her drink without waiting for a reply from them before he quickly maneuvered his way through the crowded room.

By the time Peter reached the other side of the room, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with the woman Michelle had warned him about.

“L-Liz…hi.” Peter said breathlessly.

“Peter? Hey! It’s really good to see you!” Liz exclaimed with a kind smile.

“Yeah, you too. I didn’t expect to see you here of all places.” Peter returned the smile, albeit nervously. “So uh…how’ve you been?”

“Hey, Ned, who’s that girl with Peter over there?” (Name) looked over in Peter’s direction.

“What are you talk—” Ned paused mid-sentence when he spotted Liz talking to Peter on the other side of the room. “Holy shit. She’s back?!” Ned said alarmingly.

“Who is back?” (Name) urged Ned impatiently.

“Liz is back.”

“Is she a friend of Peter’s?”

“Well, sort of. It’s uh… kind of a long story. I’m not sure I should be the one telling you this.” Ned confessed.

“Why not?” (Name) shot Ned a dubious look.

She was curious and anxious to hear more about who this Liz was and her relationship with Peter.

“I’ll put it this way. Peter and Liz used to… they have history.”

(Name) and Ned continued to watch Peter from across the room chat with Liz before they shared a warm embrace.

“I see now what you meant by history.” (Name) stood there stock-still, her eyes completely transfixed on Peter and Liz as the pair walked away together and onto the balcony outside and away from the party.

“Uh…” Ned seemed to be at a loss for words.

Chapter VII: Kiss

Tony stood before (Name) and Peter, his arms crossed with an earnest expression. He took a deep breath before he exhaled and opened his mouth to speak.

“I’ve given it some thought.” Tony began. “And I’ve decided…”

“Yeah?” Peter urged.

“(Name) can go to school this year.” Tony said.

“YEEEES!” Peter and (Name) cheered in unison.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Peter babbled with excitement.

(Name) rushed to Tony’s side and picked him off the ground to embrace him.

“H-Hey! Put me down! Easy there.” Tony yelped.

“My apologies.” (Name) laughed and set Tony back down on his feet and he brushed himself off.

“Don’t get too excited all right? There’s gonna be some ground rules that I’m gonna need you both to follow if you’re gonna go to school, alright?  As far as the school is concerned, (Name) is a normal high school girl who’s a transfer student from London, England and recently accepted into the Stark Internship.” Tony said.

“Wait, why London?” Peter inquired.

“Well her accent and formal dialect aren’t that different from those in England. Can’t exactly tell the school that she resides from Asgard if she wants to keep a low profile.” Tony explained.

“Good point.” Peter nodded.

“Secondly, since you’re acting as a normal high school student that means keeping your powers in check.”

“In check?” (Name) cocked her head to the side, unfamiliar with the phrase.

“No use of super-human abilities or magic.” Tony said with a firm tone.

“Aw, not even a little?” (Name) said with a teasing smile.

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed under his breath. “Just act like a normal person who doesn’t have any powers. Period.”

“I only jest.” (Name) said. “I’ve learned from the best. Thor has told me how to blend in with other humans.”

“Oh yeah, that’s incredibly reassuring.” Tony said in a sarcastic tone. Tony recalled the last time Thor tried to wear a disguise and blend in and he wore nothing but a jacket with a hoody that was two sizes too small.

“No, honest. See, watch.” (Name)’s body gave off an ethereal glow before her body slowly transformed into a carbon copy of Loki donning his Asgard armor.

“Ta-dah.” (Name) now transformed as Loki bowed and grinned in a Loki-esque fashion.

“Really?” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose looking more disgruntled about his decision while Peter was completely blown away by the transformation and began poking at her limbs to make sure it was the real deal. “That’s your choice on how to blend in?”

“This is merely a demonstration. I assure you I wouldn’t walk into the school looking like this.”

“This is the coolest thing ever!” Peter gushed. “Seriously! How can you not be impressed?”

“Gee, I dunno. Maybe because she looks too much like the guy that tried to take over Earth and make us his mewling quims as he so eloquently put it. And I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that.”

“Fair enough.” (Name)’s body quickly transformed from Loki into a carbon copy of Pepper Pots. “Is this more your style?”

“Okay, not cool. Going below the belt now.” Tony warned.

(Name) removed the illusion and put her hand on her hip. “Not exactly the best choices, but as you can see if I ever need to blend in, that won’t be a problem.”

“Fine, you pass the inspection. Congratulations. Just one more thing.” Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone before he handed it to (Name). “Here’s a phone in case you need to reach me while you’re at school. Emergency use only. In other words, don’t call me unless I need to get involved. Understood?”

(Name) looked down at the device in her hands warily but nodded anyway.

“Peter, show her how to use it. It was hard enough trying to explain to Thor how email works.”

“Sure. You got it.” Peter nodded.

For once, Peter was looking forward to the first day of school.

The first day of school had finally come and Peter was anxious to start the day. He spent the last few weeks of summer break explaining (Name) the school rules, classes, and students to ensure (Name) blends in without any issues. Since shopping for clothes for tall girls wasn’t Peter’s forte, he sought the help from his Aunt May, which she enjoyed a lot more than Peter anticipated. When (Name) greeted him at his door wearing one of the outfits Aunt May helped her select, Peter knew he would have to thank her later.

“Wow, you look… you look great, (Name).” Peter said with a shy smile.

(Name) could tell by the warm blush rising to Peter’s cheeks that he meant what he said, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It was infectious.

“Why thank you, Peter. You don’t look so bad yourself.” (Name) returned the compliment. “You ready for your first day back?”

“Yeah, as I’ll ever be.” Peter’s blush only intensified hearing (Name)’s words. “How about you?”

“A little nervous to be honest, but I’m more excited than anything. I never thought I’d have the chance to experience the life of a high school student, and I have you to thank for that.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Of course it is! It was your idea that I start going to school in the first place. What better way to learn more about earth’s customs and cultures than getting an education here? You have no idea how much it means to me to have this opportunity, Peter.”

Peter’s body froze as (Name) reached out and gently cupped the side of his face with her hand, her thumb gently brushing against his cheek.  He swallowed the growing lump in his throat as her face slowly inched closer to his own. Peter found himself standing on the tip of his toes to bring his face closer until the front door abruptly opened behind them.

“Peter, you forgot your—oh!” Aunt May stepped out from behind the door.

“Aunt May!” Peter’s voice cracked and jumped back in surprise. “I-I wasn’t…we weren’t—“

“It’s okay,” Aunt May reassured with a laugh. “Here’s your lunch. You two behave yourselves, okay?”

“We will.” (Name) smiled before she looked at Peter. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“O-Okay,” Peter said, still reeling from their almost-kiss.

(Name)’s first day at school began without a hitch and spent most of her first day getting acquainted with her classmates and being bombarded with questions about what life was like living in London. Thanks to reading up on the file Tony devised for (Name) and her experiences in London, (Name) answered the questions with ease. So far, keeping a low profile and being a normal student wasn’t so hard… until it came time for gym class.

“This is what constitutes as exercise?” (Name) stood in line behind several other students who were waiting to take a turn at climbing the rope dangling from the ceiling. Everyone else who had taken their turn were busy running laps or doing push-ups or sit ups.

“Basically,” Peter said. “I take it the exercise back home for you was pretty rigorous.”

“Very rigorous.” (Name) nodded.

(Name) and Peter waited for the student in front of them to climb down the rope. Much to Peter’s disdain, it was his rival, Flash Thompson. Once Flash climbed down the rope, he dusted off his hands.

“Be careful up there. It ain’t as easy as it looks, and it would be a shame if you were to mess up that pretty face of yours.” Flash said as he winked at (Name).

(Name) rolled her eyes, unable to hide her distaste at Flash’s condescending comment. Her training on Asgard was strenuous and physically taxing so a little rope climbing was child’s play in comparison.

“I’ll find a way to manage.” (Name) replied before she grabbed the rope with two hands.

Using her upper body strength, (Name) climbed up the rope in no time at all, earning her quite a few stares from the other students who were watching down below. Flash stood there, his jaw going slack as he watched her climb up to the top of the rope.

“I guess it is as easy as it looks.” (Name) smirked down below at Flash.

Well, so much for keeping a low profile. Peter couldn’t help but laugh watching Flash stared at (Name) completely and utterly dumbfounded. When Peter caught Flash stealing glances at (Name) at lunch, it stopped being funny.

“Why does he keep looking over here?” Peter grumbled under his breath, stabbing his school lunch with a plastic fork as he watched Flash look at (Name) for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

“Probably because Flash can’t stop thinking about what (Name) did in gym class.” Ned chirped. “It was so awesome! The way you had Flash gaping like a fish was pure gold.”

“Thanks,” (Name) smiled at Ned. “But I really wish he’d stop. It’s unnerving.”

Peter nodded silently, the thought of Flash showing an interest in (Name) was both unexpected and irritating, especially since Peter wasn’t too fond of him. As Peter racked his brain on what to do, he was suddenly hit with an idea. A bold idea.

It’s now or never. Peter clenched his fists underneath the table as if to psyche himself up before he turned to face (Name).

“I’ve heard that sometimes public display of affection can make people uncomfortable. That might work.” Peter said, his eyes staring back into hers.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.” (Name) looked confused.

“It’s something I’d have to…uh, show you instead of telling you.”

And with those words, Peter leaned his body closer to hers and closed the gap between their lips with a gentle kiss. It took a couple of seconds for her mind to register what he just did before (Name) reacted. She slowly closed her eyes and allowed her body to move in sync with Peter, tilting her head to the side and kissed him back. The way his lips gently and lovingly caressed hers was enough to make (Name) desire more. Before the kiss could escalate anything further, Peter broke the kiss and turned his body back to face the table.

“There problem solved.” Peter ignored the blush that rose to his cheeks and the astonished look Ned gave him that practically screamed, “What the hell?!”.

(Name) sat there wordlessly with a smile despite the blush that rose to her cheeks as well.

Chapter VI: Holding Hands

“Back-to-school shopping?” (Name) said, confusion evident on her face.

“Yeah, school is about to start and I need to buy my school supplies for the new school year.” Peter explained. “Did you… wanna come?”

“Sure. I’m curious as to what sort of supplies you will need.”

Peter smiled on the outside but felt giddy on the inside. He had rehearsed in his head a couple of times the past few days how he’d invite (Name) to hang out. Sure, it wasn’t an official date, but the chance to share his customs and his way of life wasn’t an opportunity Peter could miss.

“Okay, let’s go.” Peter ushered (Name) to follow him as they left the Avengers Tower together and out onto the busy streets of New York.

As Peter and (Name) rode the busy subway together to their first stop, Peter told (Name) about what a typical day was like at school. It might have sounded mundane to some, but to (Name) it was enjoyable listening to Peter talk about his academic life. When he saw (Name)’s eyes light up with jubilance and curiosity and her lips curve into that smile of hers he could help but ramble on about every little detail. The more he watched her respond to his words, the more he experienced a reeling sensation in his chest. And it was making it that much harder for Peter to stop rambling.

“I’m sorry.” Peter apologized with a nervous smile. “I didn’t mean to ramble on like that. I never even asked you about what school was like for you.”

“It’s okay. I like hearing you talk about your school and your life. There’s no reason to apologize for it.” (Name) said.

“But enough about my school. What was school like for you back home?” Peter asked.

“Well, I actually didn’t get any formal schooling growing up.” (Name) confessed.

“Really?” Peter said, slightly taken aback.

“Well, nothing taught in a classroom anyway. My father was the one who taught me what I know about my home and how it’s connected to all the nine realms. The only formal education I had was with Frigga. I had begged my father to convince her to teach me what she knew about the art of sorcery since I didn’t want to just rely on my omni-senses when defending myself or Asgard.”

“Wow. Your education sounds way better than mine.” Peter said. “It puts my school to shame. It must’ve been cool to learn stuff like that.”

“Yeah, it was.” (Name) nodded. “I still have much to learn.”

“You and me both.”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve got that in common.”

The subway slowly grinded to a halt before the doors opened on each side, several people walking on and off the subway.

“Oh, this is our stop. C’mon, we gotta hurry and catch the next one.” Peter stood up from his seat and grabbed (Name)’s hand without thinking, which surprised her but she nodded wordlessly.

Oddly enough, (Name) didn’t seem to mind as he pulled her along and through the onslaught of people. His hand was a little on the clammy side, but it was firm and comforting. It felt as if this was Peter’s way of reassuring her that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and she liked how it felt.

“Made it. With minutes to spare.” Peter sighed in relief, sitting down in an open seat next to (Name).

It finally dawned on Peter that he was still holding (Name)’s hand and he immediately released his hand from hers, his face now flushed.

“I-I’m sorry about that.” Peter said, laughing nervously.

Oh, crap, and my hands are sweaty too. I hope she’s not grossed out. Peter immediately wiped the sweat off his hands on his pants.

Catching on to his obliviousness to what Peter had done, (Name) decided to tease him a little.

“Well, aren’t you bold?” (Name) said with a teasing smile.

“I probably should’ve asked first, huh?”

“I don’t mind.” (Name) reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand. She laced her fingers with Peters and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.