Trying Them On
Reed allows Peter to leave the Baxter Building the next day, on the condition that he won't let himself get hurt at school, or go out crime fighting.
That is going to be a challenge. The first probably more so than the second.
When he gets to Aunt May’s house after he is released, she asks him where he was.
“So, where did you go Paula? And what were you doing? Who were you with? I was getting worried there for a bit.”
“I was with some friends. We were just hanging out.” he said, slightly uncomfortable.
“Oh. I see. Who are these friends of yours? They aren't going to be getting you into any trouble are they dear?” Peter let out a small laugh at that. The Fantastic Four? Getting him into trouble? Ridiculous.
“Of course not. They are very nice people Aunt May. Don't worry.”
“Alright. But if they even think of hurting you, i will hunt them down.” she claimed with a determined face.
“You know i can protect myself, don't you?” he let out with a small chuckle.
“Yes, but you are my neice. I raised you. I would do anything to make you feel safe and cared for.”
“Aww. That's sweet of you May.” Peter tried to hold down the upsetting lurch in his chest.
“I mean it Paula! Anything you need, anytime you want, i am here. Always have, always will be.”
“Thanks.”
“It's no trouble.” she gave him her best smile, and turned back to making lunch.
Peter turned to go upstairs, and was halfway to his room when Aunt May called out.
“Were there any boys dear?”
Well, technically there were three, but he wasn't about to tell his aunt that. Two of them were like brothers to him anyway. And one had a girlfriend. Although, there was Johnny he supposes.
“Nope, it was just us girls. No one to be worried about.” It felt so fake coming out of his mouth there might as well have been flashing neon lights ratting him out.
“Okay sweetheart, just checking. You would tell me if there were, right?”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
He felt horrible lying to her like that. But what was he supposed to do? Tell her the truth? Let her freak out? He wasn't ready to tell her yet. Or at least that's what he told himself.
When he got to his room, he flops down on his bed, only to be reminded that he shouldn't be making such sudden movements when he feels a horrible pain taking over his right side.
Damn that teleporter.
Ben said he would clobber ‘that teleporting snot nosed jerk’ if they found him. Peter didn't think that would necessarily be the best course of action, but the thought was nice.
He got up after a few moments, and decided to try on the binders Reed gave him. His heart let out a swell of affection at the reminder of all the FF had done for him.
He walked across the room to the bag that held the two binders that Reed Richards, of the Fantastic Four, made specially for him.
He took out the tri-top first, and slid it on once he was undressed. It felt right. It felt normal, and comfortable. It was an incredulous moment.
His chest was even more compressed than the ace bandages, and he could move without anything digging into his sides. He could actually breath, both physically, and emotionally.
He put a shirt on to see how it looked, and oh hell was it magical. All the air left his body, but for once, in a good way.
It felt as if he finally fit in his own body. Comfortable in his own skin. He let out a dry sob and thanked his lucky stars for the friends he had made.
He soon took off the tri-top, and swapped it for the tank top one instead.
When Peter looked at himself this time, he allowed the tears to roll down his face. What was the point of trying to hold them back anymore when he felt this much joy?
It looked like a real tank top. It looked like a real shirt. It looked like he was a regular boy wearing summer clothes, and not a girl trying to be a boy. He looked at himself and felt finally happy with himself. He was drunk in joy as he started to dance around the room. If anything would have walked in on this, they might have laughed at how Peter was dancing, but to be fair, he had too many emotions in his body that he needed to express.
Nothing could stop him now.
Johnny Storm was the kind of guy that would do anything to protect the people he loved. This included Peter Parker.
That is why he may or may not have followed Peter home to make sure he got home safe. Definitely not to find out where he lived.
He followed him until Peter walked into and old, homey looking house. As Johnny got closer to the house, the lower he crouched down so he would remain out of sight. He walked up to one of the widows in the front of the house, and peeked through one of the corners as he tried to make himself as small as possible. He saw Peter and an old lady standing in the living room. They were talking about something, and Johnny tried his best to hear what they were saying.
He missed the first part of what they said, but he assumed his aunt was questioning him about where he was and all that. Pete said he had been with nice people, and his aunt said she would hunt them down if they hurt him. Johnny thinks he likes Peter’s aunt.
The next thing he knew, Peter had said something about protecting himself, and his aunt said she would do anything to protect her niece. And was calling him Paula. Then when Peter started going upstairs, he answered the question about boys with ‘just us girls’.
Johnny didn't know how to take this new information. Did she not accept him, or did she just not know?
Johnny hoped for the latter.
When Peter made it up the stairs, Johnny went around the house in search of Peter’s window.
It's was on the second story, so he had to flame on his lower half to fly up. When he found it, he was happy to find that the blinds were open.
He peeked in just in time to see the Web-head flop on the bed, and wince as soon as he landed. The idiot. Doesn't he know to be more careful with such serious wounds?
He laid there for a while, until he got up to walk across the room to a bag. He saw Pete take the binders Reed had given him out of it. When he started getting undressed, Johnny looked away until he thought it would be safe.
Peter looked at himself proudly. Johnny was happy for him. He deserved this. Spidey put a shirt on over it, and he thought Pete might start to cry. He didn't though, so Johnny was able to hold a leash on his emotions.
He looked away as Peter tried on the tank top binder.
When he looked up again, he saw as Peter let go of whatever he had been holding back and there were tears rolling down his face. Peter looked so, so genuinely happy. When he started dancing like the idiot Johnny swore he was, he had to admit, he did laugh a little. But he knew the guy wasn't exactly trying right now, as he thought he was alone.
Even though Johnny had laughed, he knew a little of what Peter felt. Sure, he knew gender was a completely different thing than sexuality, and that it was a hell of a lot harder to hide who you are physically rather than mentally, but Johnny remembered hiding who he was. He remembered hiding his sexuality. Not just from the public, but from his family as well. He had figured out that he was attracted to both men and women about the time he turned 13. At that time, he didn't want to tell anyone, because he had just figured out why people had called those girls holding hands 'dykes'. He had just figured out why people had just called those guys looking at each other for just a little too long 'faggots'.
How else was he supposed to think at that time, in that kind of situation?
So, no, Johnny would never be able to know exactly how Peter felt, but he knew what it was like to not think you would be accepted by anyone. Of course, now he knew that not everyone thought like that. Now he knew that it didn't matter what your sexuality was, or what gender you were, or what body you had been born with. Now he knew that not every one was a complete asshole.
And now Peter knew that too. So when Johnny watched Peter crying and dancing with so much joy, and so much glee, he may have teared up a little.
After he saw his friend start to calm down a little, he let himself down, walk a safe distance away, and fly away from the little neighborhood.