Most people don’t understand how hot the city can get. How the heat seeps into the sidewalks and humidity hangs in the air. The way the sunbeams reflect the heat off the buildings, more so from Ollie’s perspective high in the sky. A hot New York day could almost be like hell.
Even swinging between the buildings couldn’t cool Ollie down. She cursed her polyester suit despite how flexible it is. She had webbed himself all the way to Manhattan before she realized how far she traveled.
Seeing as most of the crime in this part of town was corporate, she thought she could swing by and cool off at the Tower and say hi to Tony. Mr. Stark, she corrected herself in her head.
The soles of her feet were burning from the heat. All the things she did to portray herself as a non-gendered superhero were really taking a toll on her today.
Her chest binder was a cruel torture device. Her long braid she wrapped around her neck to give the illusion of a thicker, less feminine frame was a nouse. Sticky with sweat, getting tighter and tighter. Don’t even mention the chaffing between her legs. It’s too hot for this!
Ollie was panting now that the Tower was in sight. Though her relationship with Mr. Stark has been a bit strained since she hadn’t revealed her identity yet, he wouldn’t turn her away.
Mr. Stark viewed it as a lack of trust, and in reality, that was half the reason.
Trust Tony to have her back in a fight? All-day. Trust Tony not to treat her like a child when he sees her baby face? No way. The rest of the Avengers treated her like the adult she was, but Mr. Stark was a bit too protective, and it gets under her suit.
Retaining her secret identity was one way she took a jab at him. Knowing how much it bothered him. It was immature, but Ollie didn’t care. Having a crush on the man didn’t grant him any special privileges.
In fact, her crush allowed her to see him as the man he was. Beautiful, impatient, stubborn, determined, curious... The complete lack of respect for her privacy he would show, ‘harmless’ she imagined him calling it.
Parker luck was real and unrelenting. Mr. Stark would read her history off a screen like it meant nothing. Wouldn’t see the actual work in going to a community college at 14 and then enrolling at Columbia at 16. Then, losing Aunt May on top of that! Now being homeless for the last? Well, mostly anyway. It was too much, a lose-lose either way. Tony wouldn’t see Ollie for who they were. Worse yet, she’d be on the receiving line of his pity. Ollie just wanted to be Ollie. Fight crime, build stuff, make out with cute guys and girls.
Ollie hefted himself over the railing onto Mr. Stark's balcony. Tony had the windows wholly open, hot air waving out. She announced herself, “Mr. Stark?”
A muffled reply came, “Spidey? Is that you?”
She crept tenuously into the penthouse. With every step, hotter dry air than the city's air penetrated her suit. Inquiring as to where he could be, she called out, “Mr. Stark?”
“In the access panel!”
Following his voice, she spied Tony on his hands and knees, only his backside protruding from the small door on the opposite side of the kitchen.
Her voice squeaked, “What in the world?”
Tony backed out slowly and stood. Shirtless, wearing only his black gym shorts, his olive-toned skin shimmered from sweat, like a glistening shrine to the gods: his arc reactor, a beacon.
He wiped his forehead and smeared a little oil across his brow. “The compressor broke, and the wiring is fried. I’ve fixed the wiring, but the heat kicked on, and it’s locked.”
“Have you-”
“For Pete’s sake, yes! A child could fix this.”
“Then why-”
Mr. Stark raised his hand as if to say, ‘not one more word’ and retreated into the access panel.
Tou-CHEY, but it has to be at least 95 degrees in here. Ollie went to his kitchen and filled up a glass of ice water for her friend, placing it on the floor outside the door. She took a moment to stare at his sculpted ass, wondering if it would be squishy or firm. Probably both. “Uh, Mr. Stark? I put a glass of water down here for you.”
Tony sighed and crawled out, looking a little ashamed. He gulped it down, “Sorry, Itsy Bitsy. I’m almost done. Then we can reap the rewards of the 21st century.”
“Okay, Mr. Stark. I’ll just be on the balcony if you need me. I’m just gonna’ get you a refill first.”
“Thanks, kid,” and he disappeared back into the panel.
Ollie filled a glass for herself as well. When she lifted her mask to drink, beads of sweat fell onto her upper lip. Ugh.
This heat was really affecting her. Unfortunately, regulating her temperature wasn’t one of her abilities. She had been saving civilians through winter months for years now. Oh, winter.
Leaned over the railing, hands clasped, she attempted to picture the city dusted in snow. Instead, she choked on the moist air, pulling her into a sweaty abyss.
The light reflecting off of Mr. Stark’s pool caught her attention. The water called to her as if there was a siren at its depths. She was so hot. Maybe she could just dip her legs in.
Slipping off her shoes, she tried to roll the bottom of her suit up, but it wouldn’t budge. She slipped her calves in the water anyway, and the dual sensation of roasting above her knees and perfectly content below was sensory overload.
A strong gust of wind carried the hot air that was escaping from the Tower and struck her. She ripped off her mask as she heard Tony cry from the penthouse, “For Pete’s sake!”
That was the second time today she had heard Tony unwittingly use her middle name in vain. Clutching her mask in her hand, she stood and listened for other signs of distress. Only hearing the sound of a wrench clenching against a bolt, she relaxed her grip until she realized the temperature had risen a few more degrees.
The heat was so oppressive. Ollie thought she was going to die. ’Fuck it.’ She dropped her mask on the concrete paving around the pool and began to disrobe. Despite having super strength, the polyester fought her as she extricated herself from her suit and her chest binder. She unwrapped her long braid from her neck, and it felt like pure freedom.
She thought he should be freaking out that she was on Tony Stark’s balcony in nothing but her panties, but she wasn’t. The only reason she had that thought was because she was finally cooler and could finally think straighter.
Still too hot though. As Aunt May would say, “Make hay when the sun shines.” She dove right into the pool. Her skin felt like silk as she glided through the water. It was sweet, sweet relief. As she breached the surface, she swept the hair out of her eyes as she scanned for Mr. Stark.
He wouldn’t be upset, would he? No, she chastised herself. It was only logical that she would cool off in a pool.
With her enhanced hearing, she heard Mr. Stark exclaim, “Eureka!”
It wasn’t a term she had ever heard him say. She smiled at the wholesomeness of it until Ollie realized that meant he was going to come to look for her. Be calm, be cool, she told himself.
Mr. Stark rounded the corner and crossed the threshold onto the balcony, “Spidey! I fixed it.”
His eyes were round, his jaw falling open.
Ollie stuttered, “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I- I hope you don’t mind. I-I…” her words falling away. Mr. Stark remained quiet. She lowered herself a little deeper into the pool. This was not how she planned her reveal at all.
Tony was speechless for the first time in years. His eyes darted between her crumpled suit and her naked form. This was Spidey? She was devastatingly beautiful with alabaster skin and contrasting big brown eyes. Nervous brown eyes, he noted. He wasn’t above staring, but he should probably say something. Anything to make the kid feel more at ease. ‘Speak, Tony,’ he told himself.
“Um. Good.” His voice was rough. “Glad you’re comfortable.”
“Do you- Do you want to get in? The water’s nice.”
Tony nodded dumbly, chucking his t-shirt aside before jumping into the pool. Tony was the one that couldn’t breathe now. The water was like a prison. He’s had feelings for Itsy Bitsy for a while now. And to discover she was physically attractive as well as intellectually? He chinned up at that thought. Fuck.
He breached the surface, brushing the water out of his eyes. Spidey was still there. Beautiful despite her hesitancy. Or beautiful because of her hesitation, he wasn’t sure. The only thing he was sure of was that he was never letting her go now.
Ollie pulled on her braid, willing herself to say something when Tony spoke, “Marry me.”
Her reply was soft, “You don’t even know me.”
“I’ve known you for years.”
“Not me, me,” she argued. But wouldn’t that be grand?
He swam towards her, but she backed away. He didn’t want to frighten her, “Well, you know me. I’m a selfish man. I want to swoop in and marry you before anyone else does.”
Her cheeks tinted red, “Wow, Mr. Stark. You’re so romantic.”
His left eye slightly closed in consideration, “You are older than 18, right?”
She agreed with a nod. Tony retreated, giving her more space. “But you are younger than you said you were,” he accused.
She rubbed her chin, “How old did I say I was again?”
He smiled, “Twenty-Four.”
“Ah, right.” She was a terrible liar and tried never to lie in general. “I’m 19.”
He splashed her with water, “Ha! I knew you were lying!”
“Only because you’re so nosy!”
“So, did you actually graduate from college, or is that another lie?” he teased.
“Mr.Stark! I don’t lie! I mean, not often anyway... I graduated last year from Columbia.”
He wouldn’t even be mad if she were lying. Their work together showed him how damn bright Spidey was. Columbia huh? “That’s not an easy school to get into.”
Ollie felt herself blush. And she swam to the deeper end of the pool. “Yeah, no. I don’t know.”
“So, do you have a job? Do you want a job?”
“I’m good. Thanks, Mr. Stark.”
“What do you mean you’re good? Why are you always turning me down?”
I have something to prove, she told herself. “I mean, I appreciate the offer. But I’m kinda working on something on my own. When I’m done, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Mmm-hmmm,” Tony grumbled. Since we're talking about firsts here, you wanna tell me your name?” She shook her head and smiled coyly. “Come on, Itsy Bitsy! You show me your face, but you won’t tell me your name?”
She pushed herself off the wall.” Nope! You’re just gonna’ snoop on me.”
“What type of man do you think I am? Plus, it wouldn’t be tough to find an 18-year-old graduate from Columbia now, would it.” She kept swimming toward Mr. Stark and pressed his shoulders under the water. It was the first skin on skin contact they’ve ever had. The water made the warmth from their touch feel like heaven.
She dunked him, and when he pushed back up, he caught her by the waist and hoisted her on his shoulder. “What’s that Spidey? I’m not a spy. I’m Iron Man!”
Ollie giggled as he tossed her in the water. She was spitting out water between laughs.
As stripped as she felt, it was good to have this weight off her shoulders. She huffed, “Fine, fine! I’ll tell you, but you have to make me a promise.” His eyebrow raised, “And you gotta keep it, sir.”
Ugh, that did something to him. “I promise.”
“I don’t want you looking me up online or anything. Or snooping around in my life.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s all I ask for. Please, just respect my privacy right now.”
He swam closed the distance, eyes locked. He would give her anything she wanted. Promise anything. She tried to melt away now that she was trapped in his gaze but couldn’t take her eyes off Tony Stark.
“I promise,” he said again. “I’ll give you anything you want. My name is Tony. Call me Tony.”
“T-Tony,” she sputtered. My name is Ollie Parker. Nice to meet you.”
He closed the distance a little more. Tony’s arc reactor was just inches away from her chest. Looking up through her lashes, she had never witnessed him this closely. Her heart was beating fast, and she could hear Tony’s heart pounding as well with her enhanced hearing.
His face was full of desire. His pupils dilated, the blackness overtaking his chocolate eyes. His intensitiy focused on her. Except, she wasn’t a meal.
He was gonna kiss her.
She laid her hands on his chest, fingertips, and palms resting against his cotton shirt and looking towards her feet, ready to separate herself from Iron Man when Tony pulled her hand towards his lips and placed a large, sucking kiss on the hard muscle in her hand. Then, he released her completely.
She didn’t think Tony had exhibited much restraint in the past, and it floored her that he reacted appropriately to her.
He pulled back slightly, “What do you say, Ollie? Are we cooled down enough?”
“Yea’- Yeah. Good.”
“Good. I’ll go get us some towels.” Tony was faster than she thought, or she was reacting very slowly, but he was gone in a blink of an eye and returning with towels.
She slowly climbed out of the pool, paying no kind to her state of dress or lack of. Though she never wanted to reveal her identity, she had never been embarrassed about her body, especially after the spider bite.
She wasn’t an idiot, though. She knew men still ogle her, but Mr. Stark wasn’t. At least, she could see he was trying not to.
He had the towel wrapped around his shoulders as he handed her one. She wrapped it around her chest and torso and began to ring out her braid.
Reaching out, he playfully tugged on her long braid, and she swung it at him, slapping his arm with a wet thud. He pretended to be affronted but wasn’t.
Ollie bent over to pick up her suit, dreading putting it back on. She felt clean and cool, and her suit would be gross and suffocating,
Tony was old enough to know women needed more than one towel. He offered, “Do you want another one for your hair?”
“Umm, sure,” Ollie replied, taken by his consideration. She followed him into the penthouse with her grubby suit.
“Do you-,” Tony hesitated. “I could eat.” He pointed at her. “You?”
“I can stay a bit longer.” He was leading her down the hallway and asked, “Umm, Mr. Stark- Do you think I could throw my suit in your washer?”
Tony stopped in his tracks and leered at her Spider suit, “You’re telling me that your Superhero suit is machine washable?”
Ollie bobbed her head as Tony scratched the growth on his chin. She sighed with relief that he didn’t comment. Having refused his help with her suit multiple times, it was a sore spot between them. Instead, he continued leading them down the hall with her trailing a few feet behind him.
Tony was on his best behavior today. He wanted his house guest to stick around today. She had been bouncing between acting like a scared animal and the little shit Spidey he knew.
When he led them to his oversized bedroom with his giant bed, she stopped and took it in.
He welcomed her, “Come on in. I don’t bite. Unless you want me,” he punctuated with a wink.
“I’ve been bit before. Changed my life,” she flirted back.
He opened his closet doors and rummaged around. His closet was bigger than the bedroom she had when she lived with Aunt May.
He pulled out a pair of black gym shorts with the Stark logo on them and a black v-neck tee. He moved over a few feet and pulled out a Stark zip-up hoodie too. He asked, “Do you want socks?”
Ollie smiled at his kindness once again. “Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, sir.” He pulled similar clothes out for himself and tucked them under his arm.
She couldn’t help but be drawn to his arc reactor. He felt her eyes on his chest, and he tried to suck in his gut a little bit, “Feel free to change in here or the bathroom. Friday, disable the monitoring system.”
He motioned to take her suit. “Give me your underwear too.” She complied and slid them down under her towel, handing them over. “Machine wash cold?”
“S’fine.”
He shut his bedroom door on the way out and allowed her to get changed in peace.
Tony tossed her underwear and whatever that elastic undershirt was in the wash. Holding up her suit, he inspected it because he had never been given a chance before. Running his calloused fingers over the seams, he noted it was hand-stitched back together in more places than not. He cursed that his Itsy Bitsy was running around fighting crime in nothing but spandex, Jesus.
The sweltering temperature in the penthouse has finally dissipated, but he felt hot when he came out to find that Ollie had shut the balcony doors and windows, and she was lounging on the couch in his clothes. Clothes that were hanging off her smaller frame, looking as if he had marker her all over. Trying to calm his heart rate, he went to the kitchen to ignore her and hollered, “Thai?”
“Yes, please.” It had been one of the few meals they had shared together when he had managed to convince her to work in his lab before. She didn’t have all access to his lab or tower before, but he would up her clearance.
Friday placed their order while Tony rummaged around in the kitchen for water.
Sensing that Mr. Stark was ignoring her, she kneeled on the cushions and hung over the back of the couch to watch him. He seemed nervous, unfocused. Was she making him uncomfortable in his own home?
Instead of asking him, she asked what he had been working on. His face lit up, and he elaborated on the new upgrades he was putting in his suit. Finally, settling down, they bounced ideas off each other. Unbeknownst to her, he was cataloging her suggestions and prying information out of her for the suit he would make her.
By the time their food came, they were both famished, which was a good thing because Mr. Stark ordered enough food to feed half the Avengers. It had been a hot minute since Ollie had a feast like this, so she ate until she was ready to burst.
Finishing their meal, they moved towards the couch, and Stark turned on the TV. “Star Wars or Star Trek?”
She settled at the end, leaning on the arm, “Have you ever seen Stargate?”
“Don’t think so.” The hologram showed all the Stargate choices. Mr. Stark asked, “Which one?”
“The movie. 1994.”
“Ah, I don't remember most of the ’90s.” She kicked him impishly.
Tony couldn’t believe that she probably wasn’t even alive when this movie came out, but he clicked on it anyway and got up from the couch. Ollie hollered at him, but he returned a few moments later with two blankets and pillows.
He set the lighting to ‘movie mode,’ which was perfect because it was dusk, so they had no trouble seeing the TV. Handing one of the pillows to her, she curled in on herself, Tony just sitting a few feet away, but not close enough to touch with movement.
Ollie sleepily commented, “I have a shift at eleven.”
Surprised, he asked, “You’re gonna patrol tonight?”
She nudged him with her foot again, “No. My job, silly.”
This piqued his interest, “What kind of biochemist job has you working nights?”
She considered how much to tell him and settled on the truth. “I work overnights at a... hotel.” She bit her lip, “Mainly, I nap. With my Spidey senses, it's easy to be on alert and catch some Zs.”
As soon as he opened his mouth, she knew he was going to keep badgering her instead of watching the movie. He inquired, “When do you actually sleep then?”
Trying to play up the sleepiness, she responded, “Hm? Usually between 9 am-3 pm. I try to patrol when the commuters are out. And then after dinner before my shift again. But sometimes, I have other duties I need to take care of. Hence, the napping.”
Tony was quiet as he processed the information. She was slinking further and further into the leather couch with his blanket. If she was working that much, he wanted her to rest while she could. Pulling her feet into his lap, he massaged her arches and lower calves. It was 20 minutes into the movie, and her breathing had leveled out, and Spidey was asleep.
Now that she had crashed, he pulled out his holopad. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in the movie, but he really wanted to start incorporating her ideas into his suit and the one he was going to make her. His focus was divided between his work and his sleeping Spider.
The movie was over, and Ollie continued to sleep. Tony set the lights to a soft spectrum. It was almost 9 o'clock, he didn't know if he should wake her or not.
He reached over and brushed the stray hair out of her eyes. She let out a little huff. Her eyes slowly began to open. It reminded Tony of a puppy waking up and stretching. She looked a little surprised but relaxed when she realized where she was. Using her trust to his advantage, he pulled her against his chest. “You're safe,” he reaffirmed.
Slouching into him and stretching her legs on the other side of the couch, she murmured, “What time?”
Tony shifted slightly, “Almost 9. Do you want to get up?”
Her face fell an inch, and she accidentally smashed her cheek into his arc reactor.
“Mmph. Nah.” He chuckled and let her head fall further down his chest, snuggling into his embrace as he cradled her in his arms. Running his hand through her hair, he closed his eyes to really appreciate this moment.
Spider. Now, known as Ollie Parker, an amazingly talented superhero and super person, was snoring in his arms.
Mmm. His Spider-Ollie looked vulnerable. This was probably why she didn't want to reveal herself. Because Spidey was not powerless. This young woman he met… Well, her face showed everything. He always sensed it—their snark masking their feelings. Their stubbornness, intelligence, both he and his Spiderling, were similar. He built Iron Man and kept it because he never wanted to be weak again. He had vowed to help people. Take his weapons back. Ollie wants to take back the streets. We're they really that different?
He was going to marry her. He could see it now—three months to get to know her before he asks again.
He lost track of time when Friday softly said, “Boss, it's 10 o'clock.”
He squeezed her a little tighter, and Ollie nuzzled into his stomach. “Time to get up, Spiderling.”
She rolled over onto her back and blinked slowly at him, running her fingers around his arc reactor that was illuminating blue through his shirt.
It was intimate. Another month to plan the wedding. In four months, Tony would make her his partner. He shivered at her touch and ran his fingers along the crown of her head.
Their eyes met. He didn't want her to leave him, now or ever.
“I have to go. But I had a good day.”
A few minutes after she had left, he grabbed his holopad and instructed Friday, “Bring up all the information you have on Ollie Parker, Columbia Grad year 20xx.”
His A.I. took a moment to respond, “Mx. Parker requested me to remind you of the promise you made her if you searched her name.”
Yup, Tony was a piece of shit. He could see it now—six months of marriage to realize that for herself.
“Boss, would you like me to find the information you requested?”
And another three months to finalize the divorce.
“No, Fri. That’s okay. Pretend I didn’t ask.”
That gave him a little over a year with his Itsy Bitsy. Is that worth everything he would put her through?
No. It wasn't enough time.
No one could be good enough for her.
But he was going to try.