Sleepover
After the party, Peter and Johnny were walking back to Johnny’s room to get dressed back into normal clothes.
As they walked back in silence, Peter thought over what had happened.
Tony Stark. One of his biggest role models. One of the people who had inspired him to make his web-shooters in the first place. When Pete had told him this, he laughed and said he could come over to the mansion to talk about tech whenever he wanted. He also offered to make a new spidey suit for him in the trans flag colors.
Professor X. He has said he would have invited him to come to his school if he had been a mutant.
The Young Avengers. A whole group of young queer superheroes. They all high-fived him, and even asked if he wanted to join.
The X-men. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Rogue had come up to him and said they knew what it was like to be hated for something they can't change about themselves, and it was good that he had the courage to tell the public like that, especially since it would help others like him as well. Even Wolverine had come up and patted him on the back. Although, he almost fell over from the force of it.
Captain America. He told Pete that he was brave for being able to do what he did every day. That he was brave for being able to come out when he has such a large public presence. He had said, “Son, back then, I wouldn’t have even been able to tell a single person I liked someone of the same gender. But now look at where I am. Seventy years in the future, and now i'm dating my best friend.” he wrapped his arm around Bucky Barnes. “Now look at where we both are. Look at how far the country has come. There is a lot left to fix, but a lot has happened since back in my day. You can be who you really are without worrying about being arrested.”
They finally got back to Johnny’s room.
By then, it was around one o’clock in the morning. They were both exhausted from all of the interaction, trying to act like they were cool enough to be in the presence of all of their idols.
Johnny cut through Pete’s thoughts.
“Dude. How do you feel about meeting all of those major heroes?”
“I don’t think I've processed that this is all real yet. This whole night has felt like a dream.”
“Yeah. Well we should start doing some actual dreaming soon. It's pretty late. And you look especially tired. Do you think you're alright to swing home like this? You could always sleep here, you know.”
Johnny didn’t know if was the lighting, but when Peter took off his mask, he looked like he could pass out at any moment. Johnny made sure to take note of how cute he thought he looked when he was sleepy.
Although he was pretty sure he was in love with him, telling him to stay here for the night wasn’t just a ploy to get him to sleep in the same bed as him. He really was worried about the guy. He didn’t know if it was safe for Pete to swing home like this.
Not only that, but he was still really paranoid about that guy that had just teleported out of nowhere and stabbed his best friend. What if he came back? What if Johnny couldn’t save him a second time? What if one day he had to wake up to the news that one of the only people he can truly talk to is dead?
Those thoughts kept him up at night.
While this was an enticing offer to Peter, he knew he should be getting home.
“As nice as that sounds, Torchy, I have to get home so Aunt May doesn’t know I left. And sleeping on the floor doesn’t sound very comfortable.”
“As long as you get there before the morning she’ll never know. And you don't have to sleep on the floor, my bed isn't too small for two people. I would know.” he said with a wink.
Peter rolled his eyes, “Very funny. Is this a weak attempt at hitting on me, Storm?”
“Would that be a problem, Web-head?”
He should have known it was risky, but at this point he had already said it.
“Hm. Guess not.”
Johnny’s heart caught in his throat. Even in the moonlight, Johnny could see a small blush rising on Peter’s cheeks. He wish he knew what he was thinking right now.
“Maybe you’re right though. It wouldn’t be so bad to spend a night here. But are you sure you could handle sharing a bed with this hottie?” Peter said jokingly, and flexed his arms, even though you couldn’t really see his muscles through the suit he was still wearing.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I've spent the night in bed with supermodels.”
It was true, but they could never be Peter. It's not like any of those random people had any personality. Well, maybe they did, but Johnny didn't exactly care that much about what kind of personality the other person had if they were already getting undressed. Even if they did, they never had the kind of emotional connection as he did with Pete.
“Whatever, man. I'm too tired to argue with someone who can't even pass a mirror without stopping to check how you look.”
“Hey! That's not true. But even if it was, at least I could make sure I don't have eye bags as big as you do right now.”
Peter took a pillow off of Johnny’s bed and threw it at him.
“Don't do that! You said it yourself, these suits are super expensive. Do you really want to have a pillow fight in them? Or can we at least change into night clothes first?”
“Trying to get my clothes off already are you, Matchstick?”
“Oh my god. Can we just go to sleep already? Because you desperately need some.”
“Fine. I’ll stop teasing you. But only because I really am tired.”
They both got dressed into some pajamas. When Pete came out of the bathroom, Johnny decided he liked seeing him in his clothes like this.
But then Johnny realized something.
“Wait a second. Are you still wearing your binder?”
A few seconds passed where Peter was just avoiding his eyes and scratching the back of his neck while Johnny stared him down.
“I mean, it's not that bad if i just do it for one night.”
“Uh-uh. Not happening. I’ll give you some more shirts and you can layer, or you can go ask Sue for a sports bra. But you are not wearing a binder to sleep.”
Pete knew there was no way he was going to talk Johnny into changing his mind.
So he walked down to Sue’s room.
After asking, and explaining why, she told him where her bras were. As he was leaving, she stopped him.
“Hey. I love you Webbsy. But I also love my little brother. And i see the way you both look at each other. So don't break his heart.”
“What do you-”
She closed the door before he finished his sentence.
As he walked back to Johnny’s room, he thought about what she said. Saw the way they both looked at each other? Don't break his heart?
Was she implying that-
No. Surely not.
Johnny didn't like him like that. So if that's what she meant, she was wrong. Even if he did like him like that, he would probably be over it in a few months and break up with him. Peter knew Johnny’s track record. He was never with one person for very long. He didn't just want to be a fling for a few weeks. But he wasn't even lucky enough to have that.
After he got back to Johnny’s room, and they got into the bed, they both tried not to make it obvious that they had separated themselves to opposite side of the bed but desperately wanted to hold onto the other.
They both laid in agonizing silence until they fell asleep.