Chapter 35
Wayne Manor – Kitchen, Late Afternoon
Peter was trying very hard not to smile.
He failed.
He leaned against the kitchen counter, texting way too fast, that rare glow on his face that said “I’m somewhere else right now.”
Jason walked in first. Paused. Raised an eyebrow. “Is… is that a smile?”
Peter glanced up and immediately schooled his expression. “No.”
“Bro,” Jason said, already grinning. “You’re literally blushing. Are you texting her?”
Peter stayed silent.
Jason gasped dramatically and shouted toward the hall, “He’s texting her!”
Suddenly, the kitchen was flooded.
Cass glided in like a cat. Steph burst in behind her. Tim followed with a half-eaten sandwich. Damian arrived, arms crossed and already suspicious. Dick strolled in last, sipping coffee and grinning like a proud older sibling watching chaos bloom.
“Who is she?” Steph demanded.
“Is she real?” Tim asked.
“Is she an assassin?” Damian narrowed his eyes. “Because if she is, I want a background check.”
Peter opened his mouth—then closed it.
Dick tilted his head. “You know, I’ve never seen you this flustered. It’s kinda cute.”
“I’m not flustered,” Peter muttered.
“Oh, he’s definitely flustered,” Jason said, winking. “This is worse than the time Damian tried to say ‘I love you’ and sounded like he was threatening someone.”
“I was not threatening—” Damian started, but then caught Peter’s smirk and narrowed his eyes. “You. Talk. Now.”
Peter finally sighed. “Her name is Mary Jane or MJ for short , She’s… normal.”
“Define normal,” Tim said.
“She reads. She listens. She knows I’ve got shadows but doesn’t flinch. She laughs at my dumb jokes.” Peter’s voice went soft. “She makes me feel… real.”
The room got quiet for a second.
Then Dick clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You deserve real.”
Cass nodded. “Happy looks good on you.”
Jason grinned. “Just don’t forget to invite us to the wedding.”
“JASON—”
“Too soon?” he asked innocently.
Peter groaned, but he couldn’t stop smiling now. Not with the way they all looked at him — teasing, yes, but full of love.
He wasn’t the shadow anymore.
He was the heart they all protected now.
And as his phone buzzed again — a text that just read “miss your face, storm boy” — Peter let himself be fully, deeply, completely happy.