Chapter 9
The scene formed again. Johnny snuggled closer to Peter as the other boy took in deep breaths to calm himself. Peter smiled gratefully at Johnny who turned his attention back to the scene in front of them.
Peter was swinging around Queens. Johnny took a moment to appreciate all of the tiny acts Peter did to help everyone.
He gave an old lady directions for where to go. He stopped someone from stealing a bike, and when no one came to claim it, he attached a note onto it.
Peter did hundreds of other little acts to help everyone.
Johnny finally understood what Peter meant by helping out the little guy. The Avengers or the Fantastic Four would never stop to help these people, it wasn’t their job. Instead they stopped alien level threats, huge things that saved hundreds of thousands of people. But Peter managed to save everyone in his own way. He managed to help people who would otherwise have to deal with it all alone. Peter really was a hero.
The scene cut back to show Peter sitting in class, daydreaming and watching videos of himself as Spider-Man.
Johnny couldn’t help but snort at that, and Peter glared at him.
“At least I don’t have posters of myself on my wall.”
Johnny grinned back, “At least I don’t spend hours during school watching YouTube videos of myself.”
Peter rolled his eyes good naturedly and they both turned back to the image.
Peter answered some question about science mumbo jumbo to which Johnny let out an impressed whistle, and Peter smacked him over the head.
“It wasn’t that difficult a question Flamebrain,”
Peter went out for dinner with Aunt May, and sheepishly asked for a new backpack.
Sue laughed, “How many backpacks do you go through Spider-Man?”
Peter grinned, “Too many,”
It continued on the same way, the Peter in the scene going through his life, while the real-life version of them all made jokes and asked about random things.
Johnny could feel Peter relaxing and heard his heart-rate slow. This is nice. He thought.
The scene switched to show Peter climbing into his apartment through the window, crawling across the roof and gently pulling the door shut. There was the sound of smashing as the vision version of Peter whirled around.
The Peter that Johnny was lying on groaned, burying his face into him. Johnny wasn’t about to complain. I could get used to this.
In the scene, a young Ned gaped at Peter, the broken pieces of what used to be a Lego Death Star scattered across the floor.
“You’re… you’re Spider-Man!”
The scene shifted to one of Ned interrogating Peter on his abilities, and Johnny couldn’t help but laugh at Peter’s obvious discomfort. Both the one from the scenes, and the one in real life.
The scene moved on, showing quick flashes of Peter finding some weird purple glowing rock after a run-in with the vulture. Johnny could feel Peter wince every time Stark appeared on the screen. Johnny just curled into him tighter, hoping that would offer the other boy enough comfort. He seemed to relax slightly, so Johnny guessed that was a good thing.
There were a few more scenes playing out, most of them involved Peter’s extremely obvious crush on another girl, Liz. Johnny forced himself to figure out her name, if only to try and remember if Peter ever spoke about her. He tried to shove down the jealousy growing in him. Peter was allowed to have friends and crushes. He isn’t mine.
Johnny glanced up quickly at Peter, only to find his friend’s face bright pink. Ben snorted as Peter gave him a weak glare. He reached out for his mask, before Johnny’s hand shot out, grabbing his arm before he could put it back on.
“Wait!”
The room fell silent as the scene froze suddenly and Johnny regretted all of the choices he had made in his life that had led to this moment.
“I mean… I just…” Johnny saw Sue raise an eyebrow, “I like your face.”
Dead silence. Well that came out wrong.
“I mean… I just like seeing your face separate to your mask. As in… with your suit. And your face. I… I’m going to shut-up now.”
Johnny buried himself further into Peter’s chest as he waited for the boy to burst into laughter or to shove him away. Instead, Peter gently put his hand back in Johnny’s hair, and slowly started running his fingers through it, as if petting a cat. Johnny was embarrassed to admit how good it felt.
Johnny peered up at Peter, who had a soft, awed expression. Quickly glancing away Johnny turned back to the scene which was still paused. Johnny frowned, confused.
Why isn’t it starting?
He realised as soon as he heard the sound of a camera clicking, as he looked up to find Sue smiling guiltily as she put her phone away.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
“Now that we are all happy and comfortable, can we please continue?”
“Shut up ceiling guy!” they all yelled at the same time, then laughed quietly.
When they finally fell silent again, the scene started to play.