Live for the Thrill
Peter had always hated rollercoasters, even before the spider bite.
Sure, being so high up wasn’t the greatest, nor were the rocketing speeds. But it was the lack of control that he despised. Careening down a track, stuck in a metal cart and completely strapped in. Just the thought of it made him break out in a sweat.
Things got even worse after he was bitten. His enhanced senses were great for crime fighting, not so great for everyday life. Every little thing was intensified, and there was no off switch.
So, like a cherry atop a very unpleasant sundae, Peter’s spidey senses made the whole rollercoaster experience that much worse. The joyous screams sounding more like a jackhammer. The rumblings and screeching of the coaster grating painfully against his ears. The sweat slick seats rubbing against him like sandpaper.
It would be easy enough to just avoid them for the rest of his life, if not for Y/N.
Y/N lived for rollercoasters. They were practically the physical embodiment of adrenaline junkie. Always rushing to the fastest, tallest, scariest ones they saw. Exiting the ride with their face flushed and hair wind blown, eyes shining with mad glee as they cheered about the coaster they were just on.
Frankly, it was adorable.
Y/N never pressured him to go with them. They would only ask him once, and always respected his answer. That’s one of the reasons he loved them. But for Peter, he was embarrassed every time he declined, even if Y/N didn’t seem to mind. He was Spider-Man, he was supposed to be absolutely fearless! Superheroes didn’t get scared! Especially not of silly things like rollercoasters.
So the next time Y/N asked if he wanted to go with them, he–very bravely, by the way!–said yes. Y/N seemed surprised by his answer, but they just smiled and grabbed him by the hand, leading him into the line.
Peter immediately regretted his decision. Of course he had to choose to go on a ride that went straight down. He clutched Y/N’s hand until his knuckles went white, palms growing sweaty as his anxiety increased. Y/N squeezed his hand comfortingly, sending him a soft smile as they sensed his nervousness. He squeezed their hand in return, feeling a bit of the nervousness fade away. God, what did he do to deserve Y/N?
Slowly but surely, they got closer to the front of the line. Y/N was practically vibrating with excitement, a wide grin spreading across their face every time they took a step forward. Peter, on the other hand, couldn’t be more different. He felt like he was walking to the gallows, and each time the coaster roared by he would suppress a wince.
He thought he was hiding his fear perfectly, but Y/N knew their boyfriend too well to believe the charade.
“Are you okay?” they asked quietly. Looking to him not in concern, but with understanding. “We don’t have to go on if you don’t want to.”
“N-no!” he protested lamely, “I do want to go!”
Y/N fixed him with a searching look, head tilted slightly to the side, “Peter, its okay to be afraid,” they leaned in closer, “do you want to hear a secret?” Peter nodded. Y/N smiled and whispered into his ear, “I’m scared too.”
“Really?” he asked disbelievingly.
“Really,” Y/N nodded, a gentle smile pulling at their lips. “So, are you sure you want to go?”
Peter looked over at the coaster, they were up next. He turned back to Y/N and answered honestly, “let’s do something else.”
“Bumper cars?” Y/N asked joyfully, eyes sparkling with childlike excitement.
“Hell yeah,” Peter answered, a goofy smile spreading across his face. Y/N squealed, pulling Peter in for a quick kiss before dragging him along to the bumper cars.
Peter grinned dumbly, licking the faded taste of cotton candy off his lips.