Syncing
A/N: This is kind of a filler chapter. I had a new idea for this series that I’m gonna work on but more of that in chapter 3. But yeah, I didn’t wanna delete this but it also doesn’t have much to do with the new plot so that’s why it’s kinda shit.
“Ow!” You emerged from beneath the table clutching your head as you glared at Peter, black biro held aloft in your other hand. “Would you quit dropping things?” It was a break between lectures for you and there had been no point in going back to your dorm. Peter and Ned were working on some project and had invited you to join them in the library, Peter offering to stay until your lecture ended so that he could walk you back to your room.
Peter turned round from where he’d been staring at Ned’s laptop, blocking your view, and grinned. “I was just looking for that! Sorry, how’s your head?”
“Why don’t you ask my bruise?”
Anyone would think that you and Peter had been friends forever, but in reality it had barely been fourteen days. You supposed that was just how fast everything moved at college, everybody was so desperate for friends that socialising seemed a little less scary. Peter and Wanda knew each other from an internship that Peter worked in for Stark Industries, the latter seemed rather protective of the boy and you all met up with one another, with the addition of Ned, when you all had free time. Which happened to be a lot. The biggest difference to high school was that you only had one class a day, and more time off than you knew what to do with. It was a good thing you guys were so close to the city, you could just be headed down to the post office together and the next thing you know you’re stumbling out of a bar five hours later and raiding the sweet section of the nearest store. And Peter? Peter was amazing.
“I’m just saying, it’s a little much. I get that they’re souls are intertwined or whatever but does Ned have to update Betty on every little thing that goes on? I’m pretty sure my soulmate doesn’t care that I had leftover takeout for breakfast.” You pointed out as Peter walked you back to your dorm.
“Y/n/n, consider yourself lucky. I had to deal with it in highschool and before they’d even sussed that they were soulmates.”
“Okay, you make a good point. How do you cope to prevent losing your sanity?”
“You’re going to laugh.”
You stopped walking and glanced sternly at Peter. “I could never. Not without Wanda. “
Peter glared playfully but gave in, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “Well at first I just reminded myself that they were excited and new to it, I imagined that I would be the same once I found my soulmate. Now, I turn to you. Ned was my only friend for so long and I kinda panicked when he had Betty and MJ and I broke it off. Now I have all of you guys, but you’re around more often and you’re so easy to talk to. I barely notice it when you’re around.”
You smile to yourself, though gazing down at the ground to try and remain composed. “Hey so you’re coming to lip sync night at the union, right? We were all hoping to make it a kind of tradition.”
“Yeah! Yeah, I’m totally up for that. I think Wanda would kill me if I bailed.” He chuckled as the two of you began walking once again, now approaching your dorm.
“Most likely. Would you maybe wanna come up and work on a routine for-”
You were cut off by Peter’s phone pinging with a text and his smile dropped as he read it. “Uh, I can’t. I’m sorry, it’s an internship thing. Gotta make that bread somehow. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Uh-” Peter awkwardly kissed your cheek then ran off. Literally. He was running away, leaving you confused and understandably disheartened.
“What is he doing?” You almost fell to the ground while trying to hop onto the stool but you just couldn’t tear your eyes away.
Peter Benjamin Parker. Your close friend, the adorably dorky boy from Queens, science genius with huge dumbass energy, was dressed in a wig, short shorts, a vest and full makeup while lip syncing to ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna. You weren’t sure how many bonus points the union gave for coming prepared in your own costume but you were pretty sure Peter would be the one bringing home the bottle of champagne that was tonight’s prize.
Ned was filming his best friend, MJ was reading as if this was totally normal and Wanda was about to piss herself with laughter.
“He said something about owing you an apology.” Wanda replied as she passed you the drink she had been watching. “Your round is next.”
You nodded, still watching Peter bust a move. You’d never wanted to be an umbrella before but now you found yourself kind of envying the inanimate object. Peter Parker had moves. Who knew?
“He’s insane.” You breathed. All this for you? He was about to become the campus’ most famous resident.
“I think you mean brilliant. I was starting to worry that these two would be less entertaining once they found their soulmates.” MJ piped up.
“Peter’s found his soulmate?”
Ned turned and glared at MJ. “No, he hasn’t. He just likes someone. And if anything, we’re more entertaining now that we don’t have highschool to keep us repressed. I mean, look at this! He’s the hot girl.”
You put on a smile but the thought of Peter liking someone worried you. Why hadn’t he said something? Why was he so ready to give up on finding a soulmate all of a sudden?”
“So? Am I forgiven?” Peter asked with a small smile.
You rolled your eyes but draped your arms over his shoulders as you pulled him in for a hug. “You were never in trouble in the first place. But yes, that makes up for it. And now I have a video I can blackmail you with.”
You heard Peter scoff and felt his wig tickle your cheek as his hands came to your waist before he pulled back.
“You smell nice. Sorry, that’s weird.”
“No, no. It’s coconut.”
“Oh…I kinda like it. Um, do you think you could help me get this off?” He asked hopefully. Your eyes widened a little, and he added, “Not like that! I just didn’t realise it’s better to get proper makeup wipes.”
You smiled and downed the last of your drink. “Come on, Pop Queen, Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Still intent on making up for running out on you earlier, Peter insisted on staying up to watch movies and talk about next week’s lip sync night, so you headed to your dorm.
“Go wait in the bathroom, I’ll put this champagne in the fridge.”
Peter grinned. “I’m really glad you’re not mad, y/n. There’s so many people here on campus, I’m really glad it was you who needed to borrow a pen.”
He smiled more and headed to your ensuite room while you tried to keep from melting at the intensity of the gaze and make it to the kitchen. You said hello to your flatmate who was leaving with a tub of ice cream and opened the fridge to put Peter’s prize booze in. As you closed the door though, you noticed another backpack. Another one? You shook your head and opened it up. Empty. Not surprising in New York. Crime was inevitable in such a large city. This time, though, you noticed a name written on the fabric in sharpie.
‘Property of Spider-Man. Please stop stealing :(‘
Holy shit. No, the real Spider-Man wouldn’t just go writing his name on stuff and for someone who saved the world for a living, he was probably in his 30s. Right. So why would your soulmate steal Spider-Man’s backpacks? Unless… Whoa. Your soulmate was a cosplayer! An unorganised one clearly but it made sense.
“Y/n/n?”