The Devil
James walked into the cafeteria, ignoring the funny looks he was getting. His late night activities had gotten a little out of hand recently and he was currently sporting a black eye (his left), a cut on his cheek (also his left), and a split lip (straight down the middle). He was used to the attention being one of Midtown Techs golden boys, so the looks weren't hard to ignore and he just smiled and continued on his way, stopping to wave and crack jokes in a true James Potter fashion.
He turned towards the back and headed straight to his usual table where Sirius Black was already waiting. James stuck out his hand preparing to do their signature handshake but Sirius just gave him a funny look.
"The bloody hell is wrong with you face?" Sirius asked. Straight to the point as always.
"What do you mean? Am I not beautiful? Fuck Pads, I really thought you were the one." James responded, mock pouting.
Sirius just gave him a blank stare. "You've been showing up with a different injury every day James, cut the bullshit."
"Got in a little scuffle is all. Y'know how it is." James said, trying not to act hurt at his friends sudden bluntness.
"A scuffle?"
"The scuffliest."
Another blank stare.
"Whatever." Sirius said, and just turned away from James, ignoring his still outstretched hand.
James finally let his hand drop and slumped onto the bench next to Sirius. He knew he was lying to him, but what the fuck could he even say? "Hey by the way I wear a spider onesie and fight bad guys every night because I got bitten by a weird spider and now I have super powers and radioactive cum." Well, actually he wasn't sure about the last part. But the point was how could he tell his best friend something like this?
He sat there next to Sirius still thinking, when the devil walked into the room.
Regulus Black.
James fucking hated him. But oh he looked glorious.
Regulus Black looked like a Renaissance cherub, the way his dark brown hair curled around his head like a halo, the imperial tilt to his nose, the liquid way he moved.
James loved it.
James fucking hated that he loved it.
He hated the way his best friends brother made his heart flutter (since he was 12), he hated the way Regulus just stood by while his parents repeatedly hurt Sirius (physically and mentally), and he hated the way he could never have him (never ever).
Apparently he had a lot more secrets than he realized at the moment.
He groaned and slammed his head down on the table, wincing at the way his black eye hit the table.
ouch.
He'd forgotten about that.
"What's wrong with him?" a voice suddenly asked, and a hand poking his head followed after.
"Dunno, he won't say." Sirius's voice responded.
"Maybe Evans rejected him again." The voice said again.
"She did not!" James exclaimed, suddenly snapping his head up angrily. "I told you blokes I was done chasing her this year!"
Remus began to say something but stopped when he saw James's face fully.
"The fuck happened to you?" Peter said, seemingly saying what Remus was thinking.
"Peter!" Sirius gasped. "Where did you pick up a mouth like that!"
"Good god, babies all grown up!" James tsked dissaprovingly.
"Ickle Wormykins is taking after his mommy." Sirius said, pinching his cheeks.
"Shove off." Peter mumbled trying to slap Sirius's hands away so he could drink his chocolate milk.
Sirius gasped again. "Wormtail don't say that! My goodness you'd think you were raised in a barn."
Small laughs started coming from the tables around them who were clearly trying to listen in. Sirius and James grinned at each other, loving being the center of attention as usual, but Remus rolled his eyes and ignored it all. Whereas Peter was angrily sucking his chocolate milk as if it could erase the furious red blush across his already pinky face.
As if suddenly remembering he was mad at James, Sirius turned away quickly. Trying to ignore him again. But when he turned away James didn't miss the little cuts showing above his collar.
He'd never wanted to hurt Walburga Black more than in that moment.
James loved swinging.
Around the city. Not the other kind of swinging.
Sometimes it was hard being everyones sunshine and he just needed to be free.
Up here, with his mask on, very tight onesie, and nobody to put on a show for he felt peace.
Not that he wasn't still putting on a show. He was the friendly neighborhood Spiderman, there was always a bit of showing off to be done. But here he wasn't James he was Spiderman, and recently he'd been needing this escape more and more.
He perched on top of the Empire State Building and let his thoughts drift. Back to Regulus, back to those lashes he'd seen on Sirius's neck, back to Regulus again.
He'd seen Sirius shirtless before, and his scars weren't kind. They were deep and unforgiving, born out of the rage of a psychotic mother. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if Regulus had the same ones.
A sudden slightly glitchy voice startled James out of his thoughts and he stood up sharply. Preparing to go wherever it was he was needed.
"I need backup on 53rd, suspect is on foot and going towards East 59th, over."
James just grinned and fell back off the building. He loved this too. The wind rushing through every part of him, the chance he might hit the ground, the oohs and ahs when he shot a web right before going splat.
He shot a web out and let himself be pulled up about twenty feet above ground. He heard gasps and and saw pointing figures and couldn't help but wave.
He really was a bit of an attention whore.
James touched down lightly and began to advance towards the brick wall a man was running towards. Too easy.
"Naughty, naughty." He said, "What do we have here."
The man turned around, stared for a second and laughed.
He laughed?
"The fuck are you wearing?" The man said in a heavy New York accent.
James just frowned, clearly offended. "I'm Spiderman, dude. It's my superhero outfit."
"Is that supposed to scare me or something?"
"I mean yeah. Look I even made it so the eyes can narrow!" James said narrowing his eyes to show the guy.
The guy just rolled his eyes and pulled out a rather big knife. "Look kid, this is business, if you leave now I won't hurt you."
"Oh no!" James said backing away.
"Oh yes."
"Knives, my biggest weakness!." He said falling to his knees and covering his head. "P-p-please don't hurt me sir!"
"Oh yeah, scared?" The man said advancing with a smirk.
James just shot a web out trapping the mans hand that held a knife to the brick wall behind. "Oops, my hand slipped." He shot another one at the mans other hand. "Slipped again!" Another one at the mans crotch this time. "Oopsie daisy!"
"The f-"
Another one this time at the mans mouth.
He struggled for a second, not being able to breathe with the spiderweb covering his face before James began to advance forward.
He leaned forward a little, slightly enjoying the fear in the mans eyes as he struggled. He reached his hand out and poked two little nose holes. So generous of him, really.
"That's for saying I don't look scary." James said, as sirens wailed behind him and red and blue lights flashed. "And that, is your ride!"
He spun around ready to go when a cop pointed a gun at him.
"Take the mask off and put your hands behind your back."
"Mmm, I would but I have to be home for dinner." James joked trying to get a closer look at the officers face.
"This isn't a joke kid, do it or I'll have to shoot."
"Gosh what is it with people threatening me today?"
Then James realized. Orion Black had a gun trained on him. NYPD police chief, and Sirius's father. Well this was just lovely.
He froze for a second. This was the man that ruined Sirius's life. He had to do something.
Then he heard a gun shot, and he jumped away as quickly as he could. He landed on the wall behind him and wasted no time in swinging away. It still took everything in him to not turn around and beat Orion to a pulp.
James threw himself through his window and started yanking the suit off as fast as he could. About half way home he'd realized his arm was burning and there was a hole grazing the side of his suit. He finally got it off of his top half and stared at his arm to assess the damage.
He sighed in relief. It had just grazed him. Nothing too ma-
"Holy sh-"
A loud crashing noise.
Books slammed onto the floor, scattering everywhere.
"PRONGS WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?"
James jumped back slightly in shock to see his best friend in his bedroom, with... books?
He regained his composure quickly and suddenly remembered that Sirius probably saw him come through the window, and- Fuck he still had the suit on.
"PADFOOT WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" James yelled desperately trying to yank the suit off fully.
James finally got it off and threw it in his closet, slightly forgetting he was only in boxers.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN A BLOODY ONESIE?"
James lunged across the room and slapped his hand over Sirius's mouth.
"Keep it down would you? I've got parents y'know?"
James suddenly felt a wet thing run up his hand and drew it back quickly. "EW"
"Ew me?" Sirius asked. "You're the naked one."
James glared at him and put his hands over the area as if it did anything. "Why are you in my room?"
"You first."
James thought for a moment, wondering what he could say to get out of this. "No, you." Clearly he couldn't think of much.
"I asked first."
"My house my rules."
"My house now too, I ran away."
Oh shit.
"What?" Was all he could come up with.
"Now your turn."
Well, he couldn't really not tell him now.