It was 9:00 AM and Peter was a nervous wreck.
The fifteen year old just got out of the shower, and was looking at his closet with intensity. Not even when he had to disarm a bomb some maniac strapped to a building or even on some unfortunate guy had Peter been this focused.
The reason? He doesn't know what to wear for his date with Emma Grace Frost. The beautiful 15 year old that had become someone so very important to him in these last two months, so much so that Peter gathered all his courage and invited her out. But now he is lost.
Should he be casual since they are going to be shopping all day? Maybe a little bit more formal because of the occasion? A little blend of the two? Can he even manage to make a blend of the two?
Peter is a genius, his teachers know it, his friends know it, Dr. Octavius keeps telling him that he is and even he's had some universities looking his way already!
But when it comes to fashion? Peter is an absolute moron.
And up until now he's never had a reason to really dress up, not like this anyways. His friends all know how much he likes his nerdy pun T-shirts. And it's not like they are not bound to see them once or twice at school, so Peter doesn't really care to be seen with them outside either.
His clothing style has been almost the same ever since he was like 7 or 8 eight years old, with the only meaningful change being his body growing with the years, and of course, the spider bite.
Since the spider bite, Peter suddenly gained a couple inches of height and his muscles have been growing slowly but surely. Perhaps his constant web slinging and crime fighting are shaping his body to that of an athlete, and that is great! Peter really likes how his muscles look.
Having the body of a swimmer but more ripped is something he didn't expect in his life, but he definitely likes it.
He's not a vain person, far from it actually, but a little self love never hurts anyone, right?
The downside of suddenly waking up taller and more muscular was that Peter had to hide himself under some extra layers of clothing so that no one could even begin to suspect something is different about him.
It came in handy for him since his body regulates temperatures weirdly, so his extra layers help keep him warm. But right now he wanted to show off a little for Emma, show her that he can also be someone to look at.
With that in mind Peter nodded his head as he pictured his outfit.
Some, slightly less loose than his usual, dark jeans, his nicest pair of shoes; which are some black and white converse and a tight black T-shirt that helps him to show off his muscular frame.
To finish his outfit for the day, he'll be wearing one of Emma's gifts for Peter that she gave him on his birthday, which is a brown jacket made from a material way too fancy and expensive for him.
He was debating himself for a minute if he should wear one of the T-shirts that MJ got for him on his birthday as well. But something inside of him told him that was a really bad idea.
He looked at himself in the mirror once he got dressed, nervously making sure he looked alright while trying to fix his messy brown hair.
"Come on Pete, it's just Emmy, it's not like you're fighting Sandman or something. It's gonna be fun!… I hope" Peter hyped himself up until he thought about one of his villains, and that reminded him that the chances of something or rather, someone, ruining his day is pretty big.
Peter looked at his still torn suit and sighed, he almost fixed it completely, but it was still not street ready.
'Just for today, please just give me today' Peter pleaded mentally as he left his home without his suit, ready for his day with Emma.
————
Delmar's is pretty close to Peter's house, so he walked calmly there. He checked his cell phone again and smiled as he saw he was going to be 15 minutes early for once. He gained a reputation of an unpunctual guy ever since he became Spider-Man, so he was satisfied with his arrival.
Peter was walking with a small smile on his face until he reached the sandwich store, and there, already waiting for him inside, was Emma. Sitting in the usual booth they sit in with two sandwiches in front of her.
Peter was able to see her through the restaurant's glass, and he could see that Emma was fixing her hair with her cell phone in selfie mode, clearly a little nervous herself.
Peter chuckles softly at that; she was perfect in his eyes and it was silly for her to fix her hair like she was, but not wanting to make her wait more for him, he hurries inside".
"Emmy! Hey, you're also early, I just…" Peter greeted his 'date', until his mouth stopped working when he laid eyes on her.
Like usual, Emma was wearing all white. She had a pair of white sneakers, light blue - tight jean shorts with a white belt and a close fitting white cropped T- shirt under a cropped white blazer.
Emma's makeup is discreet, except of course for her blue lipstick and eyeshadow. Her shoulder long blond hair is covering her ear from her right side, and behind her ear from the left side with medium sized hoop earrings and some pretty expensive looking sunglasses on top of her hair.
She, as always, looks breathtaking in Peter's eyes.
Emma for her part was equally as excited as Peter has been for the day, opting for dressing more casually than she's used to because of all the walking they are going to do, but looking as beautiful as she usually does, like a celebrity or model.
She ended up arriving half an hour earlier to their meeting spot, so she went through everything she wanted to do in the day over in her head.
She ordered for both of them and waited patiently for Peter to arrive while scolding herself mentally for arriving so early. In her mind it makes her look desperate instead of cool, but she figured that showed she cared and that would make Peter happy.
And just when Emma was starting to think that Peter would be late, even with 15 minutes to spare, she heard Peter calling for her with an excited voice by her shortened name that she loved hearing from Peter.
She quickly stood up from her table and smiled brightly at the boy, while also feeling her cheeks burn slightly at how handsome Peter looked for her.
"Why, hello Pete. Don't you look quite handsome~" said Emma flirty as she looked Peter up and down.
"I-I, y-you - I mean, uhm, *EHEM*, t-thanks Emmy, you look great as well" Peter stammered nervously now that he was in front of the girl.
"Just great?" Questioned Emma with a raised eyebrow.
"Well no, I-I mean you do look great! but… you look beautiful Emmy, as always" Peter said as his cheeks got a bit redder.
"That's better" Emma shot him a satisfied grin, which Peter found enchanting as she sat back down.
Though she was actually not satisfied at all, since she was slightly disappointed at the small praise; expecting a bit more from Peter. She doesn't like to read through Peter's mind, but she sometimes did to see his opinion on her or what he's thinking at the moment.
Never has she seen all of his life before, and this is because she believes it would be a breach of his personal and private life. More so than his thoughts at the moment, and she fears that if Peter ever found out that she did so, he would hate her.
It's also difficult for Emma to deal with someone with a mind like Peter's because he's so smart, more so than herself who is by no means stupid. In fact, Emma would say she's the smartest girl she's known, and it helps to have a cunning and manipulative father like she does to nurture herself to a business and 'real world'.
But Peter is different, his mind is always like a raging fire of information that Emma sometimes has problems when beaching it.
If Emma had to describe the barrier of his mind when she breaches into it, it would be like cutting her way through a path in a jungle. But rather than plants more like… webs? While also feeling her entire head buzz intensely. It's a very weird feeling for Emma, but it had to be done.
'-is really gorgeous, man I'm so lucky she accepted the date. Oh god I'm staring aren't I? She's going to think I'm a creep isn't sh-' Peter rambled nervously in his mind.
Emma giggled softly at Peter's thoughts, not finding him creepy at all. She dressed nicely for him after all, much as he did for her. She also felt her face burning brightly at Peter saying how lucky he is to be with a gorgeous girl such as her.
Emma's no stranger to compliments, but they do have a different impact when they are said by the person you want to hear them from.
And also, Emma is right, this is a date! Not just between friends, but a real date, date. She knows that Peter did invite her claiming that, but one never knows what the other is thinking.
No one but her, of course.
"Better… but I know you can do better than that. But no matter, we will have a lot of time to improve your compliments towards me" said Emma with a teasing wink, making Peter chuckle softly.
"Well, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so let's dig in. I took the liberty of ordering for you; number 5 with the bread flat, right?" Asked Emma as she and Peter sat down, one in front of the other.
Emma is not someone that eats from places that screams of cheap food, everything bathing with grease and a weird smell all around the shop; Emma avoids eating from fast food restaurants like the plague.
But Delmar's is special to her. It's the first place Peter and her ate when they first hung out by themselves after Chat left for California, and ever since eating from there she has had this weird craving to return and eat from this greasy trap with him.
And she usually keeps the temptation at bay, but if Peter, AKA the boy she likes, loves this place, who is she to stop him from taking her here?
Emma is a little ashamed to admit she usually is the one that manipulates Peter to invite her and his other friends here when they hang out though.
But she's lucky that Peter has a huge appetite for someone his size, making it easy to make him convince the others to get something to eat.
Peter meanwhile caught himself smiling stupidly at Emma's thoughtfulness, even remembering something as silly as him liking his bread flat.
"Yeah exactly, thanks Emmy, really" Thanked Peter again with a bright smile as he started eating, prompting Emma to do the same.
They spent little time in the little restaurant, talking and about anything that came to mind. Mainly it was about Peter reassuring Emma that his aunt and her sister were alright, and how funny it was that Emma is from Boston and Peter has family there.
They tried comparing restaurants and places they've been to, but because of their different economical situations, these were few. Not that it mattered to them, even managing to compare and find the different Boston each has experienced interesting when coming from their date's mouth.
After their breakfast the two teens walked next to each other, with Peter on the side of the road of course, debating themselves whether it would be too soon to hold hands or not. They each ultimately decided not to, simply conforming themselves on walking side by side until reaching the subway.
Place where Peter amused himself with Emma's reactions.
"Oh my god! Peter, is that man naked?!" Asked Emma in utter disgust as both teens entered their cart and she immediately turned to focus only on Peter once she accidentally laid eyes on the other man.
"Hmm, no. I'm pretty sure he has a speedo on… somewhere under his belly" Peter said, almost laughing at the sight of the overweight man that resembled a naked and bald Peter Griffin.
"Ugh, Peter, that's disgusting!" Emma whined.
"Well, it's nothing like that old lady shaving her armpits behind me" Peter said with a stifled laugh, which made Emma look behind Peter and see an old woman in what looked like her pajamas and a shower cap doing just that.
Just as Emma looked over, the old woman stopped her razor to sniff it, making Emma audibly gag a little.
"Oh god, I'm gonna puke" Emma motioned as she held her hand to her mouth "why are we here again?" Asked Emma with a scowl on her beautiful face.
"Come on, don't you enjoy the real New York experience?" Peter questioned with an entertained face that threatened to change Emma's scowl.
"Pete, darling? That statement only shows we live in very different New Yorks" Emma said haughtily, but with a fun smile that showed she was only teasing Peter… for the most part.
*Chuckle* "Well, I'm glad I'm the one that's able to show you this side of the city… as weird as it is" Peter said happily as he locked eyes with Emma. An easy task, given how they are roughly the same height.
*Giggle* "Well, I'm also glad I get to show you the better New York" Emma replied proudly. Excited to take Peter to her usual shops and whatnot to see his reactions.
"Oh come on, you can't tell me you've never been to the subway, right?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow and a funny tone in his voice, genuinely shocked at the thought of a New Yorker not being here even once.
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I've been here before… once or twice with Chat. But as a prim and proper lady that enjoys cleanliness and manners, my chauffeur is clearly the option I go for whenever I need to go somewhere" Emma said with her chin raised up high, bragging shamelessly without a care in the world.
*Chuckle* "Yeah, that sounds great. But I think a dunk with the 'plebs' can do you some good once in a while. See everyone and realize how equally complicated and beautiful their lives are… " Peter said humorously at first as he looked around and softly eyed everyone while his voice became softer and softer.
"…" Emma stayed quiet as she also looked around her, following Peter's eyes.
"No matter how weird they may seem" Peter finished with a chuckle after Emma remained silent, fearing slightly that he may be talking too deeply. Like he does for himself when he is Spider-Man and reminds himself of why he fights.
For the little guy; people just like him.
Peter turns and looks at Emma, who is now looking around her with intrigue, which causes him to do the same again.
All of the people stuck in their own minds; everyone with a life just as complete and complicated as his own; all struggling and succeeding in going through the day, one hour, one minute and one second at the time; everyone so… unique from the other.
Everyone with a chance to help or be helped by a friendly hand, deserving of a second chance from whatever mistake they might've done in the past. To be able to live a dignified life.
The boy sighs contentedly as he looks around himself and sees everyone. Peter needs to see who he fights for, he needs to feel the people around him so that he never forgets what is at stake if he were ever to lose while wearing his mask.
Lives just as important as his own depend on him. And maybe they don't appreciate him, or even know of him, but he sees them.
He sees the workers riding the subway early to get to work; the students going with him to and from school; the free spirits who only know themselves what they are up to.
He sees them all.
And he appreciates all.
Emma meanwhile turns her head and looks at Peter with sparkling eyes.She knows what Peter means, even if she can't fully comprehend it.
"Yeah… they are very weird" Emma says as she gains Peter's attention again. Her tone betrays a little disgust she still feels for the weirdos around her. But to her relief, Peter lets out a genuine and quiet laugh.
She delights herself with his laugh whenever she makes one of these remarks because she knows not many people would have, even if behind her conceited and haughty words, she meant to be humorous.
Many would have simply thought of her as ridiculous or too pompous because of her words. She didn't even have to read their minds to know that her wealth and good looks are enough for people to hate her, add to table her attitude and she has any room full of people judging her for every little thing.
But Peter sees beyond all that.
Peter likes her, she's sure of it. And he doesn't like her just so that he can get in her pants or so that she can buy him things but he likes her because of who she is. Who she truly is.
And sometimes her insecurities come to light and make her question things. She doesn't understand why someone like Peter would take the time to see behind the facade she sometimes puts on and bother to see what's behind.
Because Peter is someone who, in Emma's mind, could get together with any girl he'd like if he made the same effort he makes with her.
But here he is with her!
Emma knows she is rough, bratty, mean, prideful, selfish and self-important… but she's also a sweet, caring, lovable and scared girl underneath all of that.
And Peter likes both her sides, she's sure of it!
If not, Peter wouldn't be with her like he is right now; spending the last day of his summer vacation with someone who, intentionally or not, critiques almost everything around her while he smiles and laughs gently at her comments. All because he understands her.
He understands her like no one has ever before, even if they come from very different backgrounds and lifestyles. And she feels like she understands him as well, even without needing to invade his mind, which to a telepath like Emma, makes their bond even more special.
She can 'understand' anyone she wishes to with very little effort because of her powers. But Peter is making the very real effort to 'see' her like no one else had ever bothered to do before, which makes Emma want to 'see' Peter genuinely.
Without the aid of her powers. To make a real bond with someone that is to do the same with her. So she doesn't see his whole memories, she tries to stop herself from 'hearing' his thoughts and she most definitely doesn't mess with how he feels for her.
She wants something real with Peter Parker.
"But, well… perhaps some 'plebs' are better for me than others~" Emma said flirtatiously as she places her hand on Peter's chest and gets closer to him.
"Heh, maybe a pleb could also use the influence of someone of royalty as well~" Peter's face screamed 'nervousness', but he flirted back anyway.
He actually flirts back with the beautiful blue-eyed blonde face to face. Which Emma absolutely loves!
Seems like something about Emma knowing Peter after the spider-bite compels him to act more freely. More true to his 'new self' without the fear of being compared to his 'old self' like all his other friends and acquaintances do.
With Emma, Peter can simply be… himself.
*Giggle* "Well, aren't we lucky~" Emma giggled and kept talking in her tone while her heartbeat raced a bit faster in her chest at their shameless flirting in front of the weirdos of the subway who seem to be lost in their own world; too busy to care for two teens flirting.
Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by the announcer that signaled their stop.
They both sighed at the interruption, but kept on smiling as they still had the entire day for themselves. So they quickly left the station.
Finally they arrived at their destination in Manhattan, where Emma felt more at ease. This is where she lives after all, in the Frost International building's
penthouse.
She doesn't really like that her home is on top of her father's workplace, but she lets it pass because the size of the penthouse is huge, with plenty of room for Emma and her siblings to not meet each other if they don't wish to. And boy do they not want to.
The only family Emma can truly say she liked is her big brother Christian, which is a shame, but it is what it is.
Emma and her family moved to Manhattan when her father decided to start managing his entire company from the core of New York around three years ago. Just in time for Emma to start middle school.
A little less than two years after she moved to the city she met Chat while she was walking outside to try and get away from her father. There on the street she started reading the minds of anyone that looked slightly amusing as she had nothing better to do in her summer vacation.
Act that led Emma to find and befriend said girl, quickly becoming the first best friend Emma has ever had.
Emma breathes deeply the contaminated air of the city with a smile, preferring it a hundred times over the rotten smells of the subway. Peter laughed again, this time more loudly making Emma pout slightly, but found it funny as well so she laughed after a little bit.
They both walked until Emma found the store of school supplies she was looking for, and Peter lost his mind.
Never had Peter even conceived that there was a fancy store to get an expensive notebook. Like, he obviously knows that there are insanely overpriced pens, but a $44.99 notebook?! That's crazy!
"Uhm Emmy? Y'know you can get a notebook from like…$3 dollars, right?" Said Peter hesitantly, not wanting to sound rude or anything.
"Of course I know that Pete, but someone like me deserves the best, don't you agree?" Asked Emma with a cute smile.
"Of-of course! I was just uh, y'know, just talking" answered Peter sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Emma looked at Peter in sympathy since she knows that his family, now only consisting of a teenager and a senior, struggle economically.
And if she was right about her theory based on Peter's comments he sometimes makes without meaning to, he's the one that most often than not, puts bread on their table.
Of course his aunt still pays the big bills of the house, but hearing him say he sometimes sneaks bills in her purse stirrs something in Emma.
It's a little sad, but instead of pitying Peter, Emma can only admire her crush even more. Because despite the harsh situation he's living in, he's still a caring, honest and noble man who always lends a helping hand however he can; instead of becoming someone hateful of the world and the situation he is in.
Instead of hating his life, Peter seems to be more appreciative of this one, even if it's hard.
It's also very impressive how Peter, at barely 15 years old, is capable of achieving so much. Being Spider-Man's unofficial photographer at his age is a feat on its own, but having a paid internship with a world renowned scientist is just on another level.
By the way Peter is achieving things, he's sure to be rich by the time they are both adults.
"It's fine Pete, but if this is your reaction to the school supplies, I can't wait to see you when we buy me clothes" giggled Emma in her hand imagining just how flustered Peter is going to be in there, both because of the prices and for her.
"Oh c'mon, I didn't react that badly" said Peter with humor in his voice, making Emma laugh a little harder.
"Oh please, I've never seen your eyes go wider than when you were reading the price tags" snorted Emma, laughing with no intent of being rude.
"Oh okay, laugh it up" said Peter in mock exasperation, making Emma hold onto him for support. Peter joined her in her laughter after a little and they both stayed laughing in the middle of the store for some amused faces to watch them.
Emma loves this feeling.
No one makes her feel this light and at ease as Peter does; it wasn't even that funny, and yet here she is laughing her ass off, and she loves it. She absolutely loves feeling this free around this man.
Or at least, almost free. There's still the problem of her being a mutant and the fear that Peter will reject her once he knows this.
She's almost sure that Peter was truthful when he said he didn't have anything against mutants and all, but there was still a seed of doubt in her head that kept her up past her usual bedtime. Fear that she placed on herself.
She was sure that Peter is different from Mr. Ian, but what if he isn't? He would hate her, and she would have to erase his mind making him forget all about her, and they would never be able to hang out again and they would never date and…
"Emmy! You okay?" Asked Peter with clear worry in his voice. One second he was laughing with the girl he likes, and the other it seemed like she stopped laughing and started sniffing, like she was about to cry.
Peter asked her if she was okay but she didn't respond the first two times, and when she did, she really did look like she was about to cry.
"W-wha-?" Emma barely managed to answer, deep in her thoughts and insecurities about being a mutant.
She would normally feel proud of the fact she's a mutant, and she hates having to hide it. She would love to show the world how special she is, shine like a diamond amongst all the regular humans and feel special because of it.
But no, people would hate her just as much as they hate her kind as a whole. Humanity fears change and the unknown, and she represents both.
It's not fair for her or the victims of the bigotry that fills the hearts of men, it's not fair that she is feared and hated for something she can't control.
For being born different.
And that hate turns into fear once Peter is mixed in the equation. She doesn't want to be hated or seen as disgusting by him, she wouldn't be able to handle that.
And she has thought about telling Peter, she truly has; but deep down she's really insecure about her nature because of the public opinion.
"Are you feeling okay?" Asked Peter again with the same urgency.
She could tell Peter and get rid of all the doubts in her mind. If he truly accepted her as she is, then great! She is right about Peter and he is worthy of being her partner. If not…
"Y-yeah, it's just… I haven't laughed that hard in a long time" answered Emma hesitantly as she wiped a little the few tears in her eyes, playing it off as if those were tears from laughing, which they in part are.
"You sure? I can walk you home and we can make a rain check on-" Peter suggested, clearly not buying Emma's excuse. It wasn't really funny enough to make anyone do all that, that's for sure.
"No! I-I mean, I'm fine really… well I'm finished with my supplies, let's go to the counter" Emma said hurriedly, not wanting to stop the date for something as 'silly' as her insecurities.
…If not… well, Emma will figure out what to do. She always does. And she will tell him, but not now, not anytime soon.
'God, that was embarrassing!' Thought Emma as she walked in front of Peter so he couldn't see her face.
"…" Peter didn't say anything after that, still worried for Emma but figuring it would be best to drop it for now.
After that little incident Peter and Emma paid for Emma's things for school, where Peter was once again shocked at the fact that the store is going to deliver everything straight to her home, making her laugh again and easing the tense atmosphere that formed between them.
Leave it to Peter to be able to calm her down by making her laugh.
"Okay then, now let's do the fun stuff, clothes shopping!" Says Emma excitedly as they both exited the store.
Peter noted that Emma acted like nothing happened in the store once again but shrugged it off. He hopes that if Emma has something to tell Peter or if she's unwell, she will be comfortable enough with him to tell him.
"Sure thing! But wait, you're buying clothes for high school, right?" Asks Peter, making Emma stop in her tracks nervously, already knowing where this is going.
"Uhm, yeah?" Answered Emma uncertain.
"Doesn't your school have uniforms?" Peter remembers from the very first day he met her and asked where she goes to school to make small talk, and she answered by telling him how she goes to that private all girl school 'Snow Valley School for Girls' and complained about how ugly the uniform is.
She has repeated that opinion several times when she says she wished her school allowed anyone to wear whatever they wanted; fashion is one, if not the only thing that Emma can bond with MJ over.
The few times Peter has hung out with the two girls at the same time, they would have these friendly arguments over who dresses better and why.
'Friendly' at least according to Peter, who thinks they both look great in everything they wear and tells them such, making them drop their argument for the rest of that day.
"Y-yeah we have them but… y'know we're starting a new period in our lives and a girl needs a whole new wardrobe. Wouldn't want to be seen by my classmates in high school wearing middle school girl's clothes, right?" Emma answered quickly and confidently.
"Huh, yeah sure, I guess" Peter answered unsure. Rich people do think very differently from him it seems. If his clothes could grow with him, he's sure he would still be wearing his elementary school clothes.
"Well let's hurry up then, we're wasting sunlight!" Emma exclaimed as she grabbed Peter's arm and started dragging him around. Neither one minding the closeness with the other or the physical contact, not at all.
Peter, for some reason, liked being dragged around like this by Emma. It made him feel wanted, and in his chaotic superhero life, having someone like Emma is a heaven sent for him.
She's decisive, cunning, funny, smart, funny, beautiful and another thousand things that makes him wonder how some simple kid from Queens catched her eye, even if it's just as friends.
And Peter would normally not even think about it, but he feels lonely.
He's got no family but May, who's almost always away, either on FEAST, with her friend Anna Watson or at church. Harry feels distant, and if Peter's being honest with himself, Harry has been acting like a jerk for some time now. And Gwen and MJ… Gwen and MJ are both great, and Peter really likes them both, but he has been so busy lately as Spider-Man and they haven't been supportive of him, not at all.
He can feel how hurt they get when he doesn't prioritize them, and how they must think he's either a coward or crazy by how he leaves them whenever a villain or a problem arises when they hang out.
And Peter knows he's a hypocrite, and he's starting to hate himself more and more for lying to his friends like he does, but is it really that much to ask for them to trust in him? To understand his situation?
Perhaps it is, and he's in the wrong.
That thought doesn't stop it from hurting though.
And Chat, as great as she is, is very different from Peter. They have almost nothing in common, and the things they do are made the most of, but sometimes it's just not enough. And it's a true shame since Peter really likes Chat as a friend and as a person over all.
But Emma is different from them, and at the same time so similar. Peter once amused himself by realizing that Emma is all his friends into one.
She's as beautiful and stylish as MJ, she's as smart as Gwen, as rich as Harry and as nice as Chat… at least to him.
Obviously these are poor representations of everyone's personalities in just a thought Peter amused himself with, albeit shamefully, and do not represent their whole personalities just by those descriptions.
And her being rich doesn't matter one bit to Peter, and her looks are just a plus since well… Peter is still a young man.
What matters to him is how Emma looks at him, how she seems to know what kind of man he is; the man he wants to be.
He tries his best to help everyone to the extent of his capabilities and Emma is the one person who he feels is really looking at him.
She sees Peter and the effort he puts into being the man he wants to become.
She doesn't compare him to the boy he was before he became Spider-Man; she instead says she respects how hard he works for his family and she appreciates the effort he does to make her feel seen as well.
God does Peter try hard.
He tries to be a good hero, a good friend, nephew… a good man.
But sometimes it is just too hard.
Sometimes Peter's regret and guilt over what happened to his uncle come and haunt him in his sleep; sometimes Peter sees the faces of the people he wasn't fast enough to save when his mind drifts away; sometimes all he hears are screams from civilians as they ask for help.
Sometimes all he feels is his fist making contact with someone's face, and how… right it feels.
There are difficult nights when he sees something on patrol that shouldn't have happened in the first place. Abused and beaten down people, raped victims, death civilians that did nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And he feels immense satisfaction when beating the crap out of the one responsible for that. Satisfaction he's never felt as Peter Parker.
Satisfaction that perhaps he never should have felt.
And those times he wonders if he's losing himself to the mask. If he's becoming more 'spider' than 'man'.
But no.
People like May, MJ, Gwen, Chat, Harry, his classmates, workmates and even the strangers in the subway remind him that there still is a reason for Peter Parker to be.
And Emma is one of the main reasons that he can keep going as of now. He's known her for so little time and yet he feels as though she's taken a super important place in his heart.
And she did so by looking at him. She looks at Peter as he is now, and he loves that feeling. He loves how she makes him feel.
Seen… wanted.
Meanwhile Emma was going through something similar with Peter. She's also a loner after all.
In her middle school Emma didn't have many friends, or any at all. Many were jealous of her looks and smarts, and the one friend she did thought she had turned out to be another telepath that she had to fight.
Once Emma won, she absorbed all the knowledge on how to use her powers from that girl.
She became stronger, more powerful. But at the cost of someone who she thought was a real friend to her…
There's also the incident with her teacher/crush. And her family isn't on the best of terms with one another, her best relationship there is with her older brother Christian, but the others…
Emma feels this world is rotten, and everyone's mind is the cause of it. But people like Peter could be the cure; people with minds so beautiful and noble she can't help but admire it.
Admire him.
So, without the other knowing, each is the salvation of the other. For Peter, Emma is someone who looks at him for the man he's trying to be; and for Emma, Peter is the definition of goodness, something the world needs. Someone she needs in her life.
"Sure Emmy, let's hurry" said Peter softly as he felt Emma's hold on him tighten slightly. '… I just hope she's not like MJ when she shops' begged Peter in his mind.
————
Bored.
Peter, AKA The Amazing Spider-Man, is bored out of his goddamn mind.
Peter would rather be fighting any of his villains than spend one more minute on the most uncomfortable chair his bottom has had the disgrace of experiencing.
At first he was amused at how happy Emma looked when entering the high society clothing store that Peter wouldn't even be able to afford to look at. She was acting like a kid in a candy store while he resembled a fish out of the water.
But Emma dragged him around the entire place, which is more akin to a building worth of clothing than anything else, and spent around 2 hours scouring the entire place. Sometimes wanting Peter's opinion on what he thinks she should buy.
Peter, obviously, tells her every time that anything she wears would look phenomenal with her, but he still tries to give her an honest opinion.
He's no stranger to asking someone an opinion and receives only broad encouraging comments, usually when he's too deep in a science experiment or formula not even his teachers understand, and it's frustrating.
So he understands that he needs to be more specific with his answers as to not annoy Emma.
So after the 2 hours of searching, finally an employee asked Emma if she required assistance, and she full heartedly agreed, prompting Peter to sit down and wait for her until she finishes.
So he did.
That was an hour ago.
So here Peter is, in the store he's been at for the last three hours in the world's worst chair. He's ten minutes away from obliterating this cursed butt trap with his bare hands if Emma doesn't show righ-
"Hey Pete, sorry to make you wait" Said Emma sheepishly as she snuck up on Peter. Or at least tried to, giving his super hearing and stuff.
"Oh, nah, don't worry about it. Got everything you wanted?" Peter dismissed her worry, like he wasn't ten minutes away from snapping as he quickly stood up.
"That depends if you like it~" said Emma flirtingly as she motioned towards the employee who was carrying tons of clothes in her hands with difficulty.
"Uh, what?" Asked Peter, not understanding what Emma is planning.
"Well I chose the clothes, now I get to try them on! And you get to tell me how great I look in them, silly!" Said Emma happily at Peter's reaction, giggling in her hand as the employee did the same.
"W-wait, I-I…" The poor boy gained a deep red blush in his face at that, stammering poorly unable to say something before Emma bolted to the changing room.
The next 45 minutes or so were spent by Emma changing into her different clothes of choice and Peter gawking at her beauty in every one of them, one uncaring of how uncomfortable the chair is; offering some input in between 'wow's' and 'that looks great on you!'s.
Emma did ask Peter to be brutally honest, so whenever she came out wearing some weird dress from a fashion designer whose name Peter could barely pronounce, he let Emma know she looked silly.
…Maybe with nicer words.
Which was only a ploy from Emma to see if he was honest or not, doubling as a chance for her to laugh at his reactions.
Emma also was feeling herself, picturing herself as the most beautiful person in existence by Peter's expressions. And with good reason since she, now shamelessly, read Peter's thoughts every time she walked out of the changing room.
She knows she promises herself not to do it, but this is too good of an opportunity to pass on.
Emma noticed that it gets increasingly difficult to break through Peter's mental barrier the more she does it, but it's worth it when Peter thinks just how incredibly gorgeous his date is.
And better yet, not once did Peter's thoughts deviate from her.
Not once did he think of that histrionic redhead, or that blond nerd he hangs out with. It was all her and how he admires how she can look so breathtaking in every single outfit she puts on.
She loves that feeling. She loves being his center of attention. It makes her feel important and cared for.
It's also amazing to Emma how Peter manages to control any lustful thoughts he may have of her in his mind. Not that he doesn't have them, but he mentally scolds himself any time his eyes wander a little too close to her 'dangerous' zones.
When Emma finally meets Peter's aunt, she's going to congratulate the older woman in raising such a gentleman fervorously. And this made Emma confident in her to wear clothes more and more revealing, loving Peter's reactions and testing where his morals would falter.
She knows it's risky, and she hates when people look at her only that way, but she knows Peter is different so she feels daring.
"Okay Pete, do you think this is too small~?" asked Emma in a sultry voice as she stepped out in a white bikini.
Up until now she wore first casual clothes one would use at the mall on a Tuesday afternoon, then 'prettier' clothes one would use when hanging with friends on a Friday night. After that she wore a few tight dresses with an open back or exposed leg.
This was the most daring thing Emma's worn until now.
And it was Peter's breaking point. He stuttered lamely as Emma felt her heart pounding strongly after reading Peter's mind. Who knew someone as vanilla as Peter could think of one of his friends like that~.
Emma then suddenly felt embarrassed, so she quickly changed to her normal attire and dragged a still shocked Peter to the counter where Emma paid for her clothes.
"My, my, what a cute couple you two make" said the employee as she giggled at the two blushing teens.
"O-oh we're - I mean w-we're not, I'm not-" Peter stuttered at the fact that the employee 'mistook' them for a couple while Emma is watching him for his response intensely.
*Giggle* "Oh you youngsters remind me of my younger self, back when my husband was a shy and dorky kid" Said again the employee, still giggling as she summed up Emma's bill, saving Peter from further embarrassing himself. The clothes Emma ended up buying were also sent straight to her home.
Emma felt her stomach flutter at the mention of how the two of them reminded the older woman of her married life, which by the looks of it, is a happy one.
"Thank you for your assistance and kind words ma'am" Emma said with genuine gratitude as her cheeks also painted themselves pink.
"On the contrary! Thank you two for allowing this old lady to remember the day of her happy youth" said the woman as she closed her eyes, reminiscing her best memories of those days.
Emma smiled softly as she saw the lady's memories with her, taking note of possible date ideas she could use for herself and Peter. It's not like she wants to imitate this woman's life, but real life experiences are always welcome to make sure her future relationship with Peter goes smoothly.
And it's not like she can get any nice stories from her parents anyway.
"And kudos to you for waiting patiently for little miss here. Not many gentlemen these days, unfortunately" said the woman as she handed Emma her ticket, who agreed mentally with the older lady at Peter's gentlemanliness.
"T-thanks" Peter said, slightly embarrassed as he scratched his nape.
*Giggle* "Alright then, we should get something to eat. Come on" said Emma as she grabbed Peter by the wrist and started dragging him away from the store, much like she did before.
"Come again!" Called out the old lady one last time.
"So, do you have anywhere in mind?" Asked Peter with humor as he allowed himself to be dragged around by his date, who very obviously does.
"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I do!" Replied Emma happily at the fact that Peter doesn't seem to mind the contact they're having.
Walking, the duo reached a nice restaurant on Emma's suggestion. It wasn't as overly fancy as Peter expected, but still way more expensive than the places he usually eats from.
Emma tried to pay for both their meals once they finished because she knows that Peter is somewhat tight on money, but Peter refused to let her do so, saying that since she paid for breakfast that paying for this was the least he could do.
Emma argued a little bit but relented in the end, it was nice to have Peter treat her sometimes. It made her reaffirm again and again that he wasn't after her money.
Peter meanwhile paid without much thought. Seems like five days worth of meals and groceries really do save quite a bit of money.
Dangerous stuff for Peter to remember, but useful nonetheless.
He also liked treating Emma to things since it seems like she isn't used to someone other than her family doing that for her.
And while this might be a bad thing, it kinda relieved Peter since that meant she isn't used to going out with other boys. Peter isn't one to be jealous, or at least he doesn't think so, but the thought of Emma going out with someone else like they're doing right now really makes him uncomfortable.
Perhaps he needs to change that.
"Do you have anything in mind?" asked Emma as they both stepped into a movie theatre as the next stop in their date.
"Not really. I checked the catalog like… three weeks ago? But nothing really catched my eyes" Peter replied truthfully.
He really liked going to the movies, but since his powers showed he's been a little wary of the place because of its lights and volume. He's sure he can handle it, but it's also possible that he's going to be uncomfortable the whole time.
"What about you?" Asked Peter as he looked at Emma, who was looking intently at a poster.
"Hmm… well, what about this one?" If Peter didn't know Emma any better, he'd say she was nervous about her pick.
Peter looked at the poster she was referring to. A movie by the title 'LOVE, ROSIE' with the protagonists holding each other in a playful manner, with the guy hugging her and bending the girl face up while she has her arms crossed around the guys neck, looking at each other with bright smiles on their faces.
The movie poster just screams RomCom.
"Huh… sure! It seems like fun!" Peter replied easily as he held in a laugh at Emma's nervousness.
It's such a weird sight for Peter to see the usual cool and sure of herself Emma being hesitant in something. But honestly, it looks really cute on her.
"Are you sure? I know you boys aren't really into this type of things" said Emma, wanting to give Peter one more chance before they agreed to something that might bore him.
She too wants to make this day as enjoyable for him as possible, so if he wants to they can keep on searching for something else.
"Of course!" Peter said excitedly as he started walking to the counter to purchase the tickets, looked closely by a happy Emma.
She wanted to set the right mood for something between her and Peter happening, and Peter didn't mind too much since this genre was all his 'female friends' favorite.
Every time he watched movies with any of them it would inevitably be one RomCom in the mix, which he doesn't particularly like, but he doesn't complain either.
Midway into the movie, Peter was debating with himself just how appropriate it would be if he hugged Emma by the shoulder or something.
It is very silly, he knows; all his romance knowledge comes from these corny movies and it's not like they are very solid teachers.
But on the other hand, what if she was waiting for him to do something? What if he didn't do anything and that sent Emma a silent message that he isn't interested in her?
She did choose a romantic movie after all.
But on the other-other hand, what if he does something and that makes things awkward between them, or makes her uncomfortable? What if she really just wanted to be here as friends? Would that ruin his friendship with her?
Peter asked himself a thousand questions of such nature until his mind stopped working.
Suddenly all of his thoughts were stopped abruptly, because from the armrest where Peter had his, he started feeling Emma's finger tapping his hand in a playful way.
He turned and looked at her but she refused to do the same due to embarrassment, and once she placed her whole hand on top of his as she rubbed it with her thumb, Peter turned his hand around and interlocked fingers with her.
They both turned and looked at each other, completely ignoring the movie, each hypnotized in brown and icy blue eyes respectively. Both faces were glowing bright red, and with Peter's super-senses he could feel Emma's heartbeat grow faster and faster through her hand.
Peter and Emma started drawing closer to each other, inch by inch they closed the gap between them as they gazed into the other's eyes, gaze that started going down in flickering moments to the others lips.
Closer and closer until Emma closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, prompting Peter to do the same.
They were so close, so, so close until finally.
*Ehem!* someone cleared his throat exaggeratedly, making Peter and Emma flinch away from each other flabbergasted.
"The uh, the movie ended like 5 minutes ago, dudes" Said a guy from the cleaning crew, signaling around them to show the lights on and no other customers around them, only other employees who were snickering at both teens.
"O-oh s-sorry about that, let's uh, let's go Emmy" Stammered an incredibly embarrassed Peter as he stood up, still holding Emma's hand.
Emma for her part remained sitting in shock, absolute rage at all the coworkers for ruining her first kiss with the boy she likes and wants him to be the one who gets it.
'God damn it!' The blond screamed in her head with pure frustration in her being.
But she played it cool; she simply nodded and stood up still holding Peter's hand and quickly led Peter out of the theater.
Peter mistook it as embarrassment also from her part, but in reality she was fleeing the place before she did something stupid with her powers.
Well, anything more than the heavy migraines she gave every employee of the place, especially the one that interrupted them.
The both teens then walked around Midtown Manhattan hand in hand while Peter talked about anything that came to mind, trying to get Emma to relax, who was still pretty shaken up by what happened before. But eventually Peter managed to make her laugh and return to her former happy self.
'Well, we will have more times when we can kiss. Many, many more~' figured Emma in her mind as she laughed at something Peter said, squishing his hand for comfort.
They walked until they reached Central Park, where Emma managed to sneak some pictures of herself and Peter eating ice cream without him knowing. They stayed there, watching all kinds of people go by as they talked, laughed and relaxed in each other's presence. After a while of walking, they both decided it'd be best if they sat down for a little while.
There, in a bench in Central Park, the two youngsters sat down side by side as they let a comfortable silence form in between them as the sun started to shine orange.
Emma figured it was the best moment to rest her head on Peter's shoulder, while he rubbed his thumb on her hand.
"I had a great time today Pete, thanks" Said Emma softly. She really did have a great day with Peter.
"I should be the one thanking you Emmy, today was… special to me" admitted Peter, slightly shyly. A day with the girl he likes, with no responsibilities other than looking after Emma? Almost sounded like a dream for Peter.
"It was also special to me" Emma admitted with a dumb smile on her face as she melted in Peter's arm. Even though he has steel like muscles, the boy is a surprisingly good pillow.
*Chuckle* "I'll never forget your reaction to the guy in the subway" Peter said while laughing at the memory.
*Giggle* "Nor I your reaction to all the prices" Emma teased as she also remembered Peter's wide eyes during all their purchases.
Peter and Emma stayed in their position while laughing and bantering about the things they did today as they watched the people in the park, all living their lives to the best of their abilities.
Boy teens felt at ease like this; being able to imagine life as easy and entertaining as they had experienced that very day, able to do so because of the company they are currently enjoying.
Emma and Peter stayed that way until they both reluctantly had to stand up, with both their curfews approaching. Peter walked Emma to her building and stopped at the lobby of the Frost International building, where he and Emma finally let go of each other's hands.
"Well Emmy this is you… I'm-I'm going to be busy now that high school is starting, but I would really like it if we could repeat this again some day. If-If you also want to, of course!" said Peter, adding quickly to the last part, not wanting to sound overly bold or anything.
Emma giggled in her hand "I'd love to Pete, really~" Emma said as he closed the distance and placed a kiss on Peter's cheek. She would've gone for the real kiss, but she'd rather it happened in a more romantic setting.
She said her last goodbyes as she made Peter promise again that he would text her when he reached his home and finally left.
Peter decided to walk home that day, feeling happy and satisfied by the events of the day he just had with the girl he likes.
She really looks at him, cares for him and accepts him for who he is. Without the 'unsullied' version that was Peter Parker before the spider bite, his uncle's death and the burden Peter carries with himself daily.
Peter Parker changed that day, and it seemed like everyone started drifting away from him since then. But not Emma; she met Peter as the man he was 'reborn' into, and she accepts him like that.
That thought gives Peter strength. Enough strength to put on his costume once he arrives home and prepare himself to go out and save as many people as he possibly can. Peter Parker had his fun, now is Spider-Man's turn to come out and see what the city he loves has to offer.
But sometimes he wonders.
What would have happened if the spider didn't bite him? It was just another cosmic mistake after all, anyone could have been bitten that day and be 'blessed' with those powers.
Would he still be as close to his friends as he was before the bite? Would he be as smitten as he is with Emma if Peter hadn't changed?… would his uncle still be alive?
Sometimes Peter doesn't feel strong enough to put on the mask and go out to the city. Sometimes he feels too dejected by everyone; the news, the general public, even his aunt and friends.
So it's time like this with Emma where he feels recharged as both his identities. And despite being tired, he wears the mask and goes out to try and make the world a bit better for her.
For everyone.
But Peter is tired.
Not only because he spent the whole day awake, walking and laughing with Emma until the sun set, but because sometimes everything is too much and he just wishes to take a breather.
Days like this makes Peter's internal desire for a normal life hit him like a truck. He loves his powers, he loves being Spider-Man and despite everything, he loves his life.
But the guilt of his uncle, the things he can't avoid as Spider-Man and the friends he hurts makes him doubt himself.
*Sigh* Peter sighs with his full costume but with his mask off; he is holding it with his hands while looking at himself through the lenses as if they were mirrors.
He is now alone in his room after wishing his aunt a good night, preparing himself for his patrol and he wonders 'can I just… rest for one night? Can I just end this really perfect day as Peter Parker?'.
'No… I can't' Peter thinks as he remembers his uncle and the promise he made after his mistake; a mistake that took his uncle's life.
Peter is tired, he wants to sleep and dream of the day he had with Emma like a regular teen. But he can't.
He doesn't deserve that.
And sometimes it's too much.
But sadly, there is no rest for the wicked men.