Media Troubles
“I can't believe you’ve never seen Harry Potter before.”
A few weeks later, after school, Peter is sitting with Johnny on the couch in the Baxter Building fast-forwarding through the credits before the movie.
“I can't believe my boyfriend is such a dork that he's seen all the movies and read all the books.”
“I'm offended. You have no right to judge me until you've at least seen the first movie.”
Johnny is about to say something but Peter stops him. “And don't you dare comment on the graphics or the design choices, because this was the first one, and therefore definitely not the best one.”
“What are you going to say next? The books are better than the movies?”
“Hey! When people say the books are better than the movies, they aren't always wrong. And in this case, it is true. Ginny, Ron’s little sister, barely even has any lines in the movies! She was great in the books!”
Johnny looks at him with equal parts affection, and equal parts like he has no idea what he's talking about.
“Ugh. Whatever. You can not believe me all you want, but trust me, you'll be taking it back by the time we finish all the movies.”
“Oh my god Peter.” Johnny gives him another look.
“What?”
“You're such a nerd. I love you so much.” He kisses him on the cheek.
“Oh my god, I love you too, but i'm serious,” he stops to laugh at his own inside joke, which only further confuses Johnny, “you aren't allowed to say anything until you've actually seen them.”
The next day, as he's walking to class, Peter was thinking of the night before, after he and Johnny spent hours watching the first three Harry Potter movies. Peter was satisfied hearing Johnny say ‘okay, I guess they aren't that bad’ and also with the information that he is willing to watch some more when they can. Peter would have made Johnny watch more, but he had only brought the first three movies with him, and he had to go home anyway.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Flash struggling to make friendly conversation with some kids who he used to make fun of.
It had been a few weeks since Flash’s outburst about him still admiring Spider-Man, and his attempt to apologise to some of the people he used to bully.
Everyone was at least a little weirded out by all of this sudden change, but most of those people didn't think it was a change for the worst.
In fact, with all of this change happening around the school because of this and other things that have been happening recently, Peter was working up the courage to come out. But at this point, all he had been thinking about was when he was going to do it, instead of how.
He spent most of the school day up in the clouds fantasizing about the most dramatic ways you could come out as trans, and the ways certain people at his school would react.
But as he was heading home, he was almost knocked off his feet when he saw a newspaper stand covered in newspapers with cover images all staring him.
But not just him - It was all pictures of him and Johnny. Kissing. On top of the statue of liberty.
Who knew anyone would have spotted them up there.
Thankfully, Peter had only had his mask rolled up to his nose, so not enough to reveal his identity, but it was still a clear shot of him kissing none other than the Human Torch.
He walked up closer to the stand so he could read some of the headlines.
“Is Spider-Man Really Just A Tomboy?”
“Was Spider-Man Lying About His Trans Identity?”
“Does the Human Torch have a Transgender Fetish?”
“Spider-Man and Human Torch New Most Iconic Gay Couple?”
Well. At least the last one didn't want to make him puke.
He started walking as fast as he could towards his house, and pulled out his phone to call Johnny.
“Hey! Peter! I just finished this insane level of Crash Bandicoot -”
“Johnny.”
“Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?”
“Great. So you didn't hear the news.”
“What? What news?”
“Johnny. Go turn on a TV and look at the news station.”
Peter listened as he heard Johnny get up and walk somewhere. The sun was bright on his face, and he felt like the whole world was watching him. He would have just swung to either his house or Johnny’s, but right now, he didn't really think being seen as Spider-man would be that great right now.
“Oh. Oh boy.” Johnny’s voice cut back though the phone.
“Yeah.”
“What are we gonna do”
“Why would you ask me that? You’re the one who is always in the spotlight.”
“Well, you’re the one who gets hate thrown at him every five seconds.”
“Wow. Thanks.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah. But i still think you are the one better prepared for this situation.”
“Uh, well, maybe we could make like, a public statement or something?”
“Like what?”
“I don't know! Ugh. Where are you right now?”
“I'm walking towards my house. But i don't think you should come over right now. People will be looking for you. For both of us. That's why i'm not swinging home right now.”
“I know, but I still want to see you.”
“Aw, what a sap.”
“Shut it Parker. And we still need to do something about the media.”
“Well, I don't know. Go consult your sister. Or Reed. Or Ben.”
“Oh god, Ben is going to have a riot when he sees this.”
“Then go tell Sue or Reed, because i'm home now, and I have a shit ton homework.”
“Alright, good luck with that. I’ll call you when I figure something out.”
“Okay. See you later.”
It was hard to concentrate on homework when there are so many other things on your mind. Shouldn't teachers know better than to give teenagers this much homework? Don't they know that their students are bound to not do it?
Later, when somehow, he finished his chemistry packet, Johnny called, and said Sue and Reed had a press conference set up already, and that he and Peter could just pop in at the end and say some stuff if they wanted.
From that point on, the night just seemed like blur.
The anxiety of talking to a crowd with a bunch of cameras pointed at him, the screaming, the crowd looking like a mob as soon as he set foot on the stage in front of all of them.
The flashes nearly blinded him, even through the mask.
But Johnny held his hand under the table.
He thinks he might have said something about his gender having nothing to do with his sexuality, but he wasn't sure if he said it aloud or not. He's not sure what he said. He's not even sure what Johnny said. But as soon as he walked back offstage, and Johnny took him back into his room and just held him, he started to come back to reality.
He might not have been able to speak just then, but he thinks he and Johnny’s embrace said all it needed to.
Honestly, Peter is just glad he didn't have a panic attack.
The next day, when he walked into the living room, he looked at the TV and saw himself and Johnny. He saw the rest of the FF standing up for them. He ate some toaster waffles Aunt May had made him. And he felt like things were going to be okay.