nice save, sir
peter hummed along to the playlist MJ had furiously made for him when he confessed to being a little outdated in the music world, concentrating on sewing up the rip in his waiter suit.
wanda had dropped a tray and he'd had to bend backwards in an awkward position to snatch it up, legs splaying like a giraffe in ice skates and wincing at the 'ripppp!'
"I'm so sorry, I'm getting so much better though, I'm sorry-"
"if you apologise one more time-" peter had flicked her with his cloth, murmuring out of the corner of his mouth. they were both stripping tables near the other.
"i know, i know..." there was a shout in the distance, a commotion coming from the kitchen. "oh-"
people's heads turned at their tables, hands setting down cutlery as the echoing sounds continued, metal clanging and raised voices yelling.
peter strained with his hearing and identified paprika as the quieter voice of the two, and him and willow exchanged a look before making their way through the restaraunt towards the double doors.
it was the most stressed they'd ever seen paprika, peter thought. his needle missed the material and went for his finger instead. "ow!"
"you good?"
"yeah, J. needle's misbehaving."
"awww, it takes after you." janet cooed.
"are you saying my sewing needle is my adopted child?"
"name it, name it, name it..." she chanted.
peter set down his project and contemplated. what's a good name for a needle?
smiling at his own lack of maturity, he raised it dramatically in the air. "needle, i christen you...sir stabby."
janet squeaked in delight. "I love it!"
a few minutes later it was done and peter was warming up, doing a few stretches; due to the cavernous nature of his 'nerd cave', he could mindlessly run around in circles or leap up and twine his hands around the thick swinging metal chains to work on his upper body strength.
it would've been a warmer day if the wind wasn't so strong. peter had to be careful with timing his swings as he tarzan'd through the streets, careful so he wouldn't get swept away. a little spider in a big storm.
down below, his grin faded behind his mask and the mechanical almond-shaped eyes narrowed. changing direction mid-swing, peter landed lightly onto a dumpster and rolled.
round the corner, sheltered from the wind, a kid with a messy mop of blonde hair lay wheezing on the floor with bruised knees, a gang of older teenagers stamping on something on the ground.
peter crept forward slowly, though they wouldn't even have heard normal footsteps with the roaring gale brushing past the alley, and grimaced.
"stop it! please-"
"erm, lads." peter started, jerking back at how quickly four menacing little faces whipped round to glare at the intruder. "jeez, okay. yeah, leave the kid's.."
peter looked at the shell-shocked kid on the ground for help, making a flappy beckoning motion. "the kid's.."
"3D windmill slash volcano slash ball pit model for my science class." the boy sniffled, wiping his nose.
peter gaped. "yeah. that. leave it alone, alright?"
"or what, man?" the only bully not cowering stepped forward, and his hand, covered in band-aids, peter noted sadly, twitched towards his pocket. "this ain't none of your business."
"drew, let's go, dude." his friend seemed to be struggling between fear and admiration when he stared at the vigilante. "It's the spider guy!"
"spiderman." peter supplied.
band-aid bully reluctantly followed his mates out of the alley, though not before scowling heavily at the kid still kneeling on the ground, who flinched. peter stepped in front of him protectively. "yep. off you pop, go watch the simpsons."
bully flipped the finger and turned the corner; as soon as he was out of sight, the blonde boy burst into tears.
"thank you, thank you!"
"oh, man, it's alright!" peter's heart twinged as he helped the kid up.
"crap. they broke my inhaler."
"oh, f-" peter stopped himself. "..falafel.."
"nice save, sir." janet hissed inside his mask.
"thank you."
"sorry?" the kid asked.
"oh, not you. talking to my computer pal." peter gestured to his mask. "she's a riot. "
"that's really really cool, sir, but-" he sniffled again. "what am I gonna do if I need my inhaler in school today? and, I'm already late, and my math teacher won't take any excuses-"
at the increasing breaths and the start of a new wheezing episode, peter encouraged him to sit next to him on the tarmac. "It's okay, it's okay, I'll get you a new inhaler, how about that?"
"really?" his shining eyes looked bigger than the dinner plates peter carried on his working days.
"of course, buddy! do you have your prescription on you?"
the kid crawled to the side and dragged his yellow backpack to them with his shoe. "in there." his breaths were still coming short, and peter patted him awkwardly on the shoulder.
"okay, okay, cool.." peter debated for a moment, mind working faster as his breathing grew more laboured. "listen.."
"would you like to wear my mask for a bit?"