Parking the car, Peter got out and took a brown bag from inside before slinging it over his shoulder.
After walking a short distance, he climbed a set of stairs and knocked twice on the door.
Once he had done that, he waited for someone to open it.
It did not take long.
When the door opened, Peter saw the person standing in front of him and gave him a wide smile.
"Kurt! My blue friend."
Entering Xavier's mansion, Peter greeted Kurt with a handshake. Kurt smiled and returned it.
Once they were done, Peter stepped farther inside so Kurt could close the door behind him.
"Jason, my friend. It's good to see you. What brings you to the mansion on a Sunday?"
"I came to deliver a few things. I'd like you to take me to an empty room and bring these people there."
Peter handed him a sheet containing several names.
"I have some things to give them."
"Good."
Kurt led him to an empty room and told him to wait. Some of the people on the list were not currently at the mansion, so he would have to make a few trips using his teleportation, while others were simply busy.
Peter gave him an "okay" and watched him leave.
He placed the brown bag in a corner of the room and looked around.
There were several shelves filled with books, two large sofas, and a brown piano.
His eyes settled on the instrument.
Walking over, Peter began playing a few notes until he found a familiar rhythm that brought back memories of his childhood.
Closing his eyes, he allowed the music to flow alongside those memories.
Beautiful memories.
He became so immersed in them that he failed to notice the door opening.
Little by little, the people he had requested began entering the room.
Peter continued playing, allowing one melody to flow naturally into another. Some carried the weight of old memories from another life, while others reminded him of things he had never been able to finish before coming to this world.
They were small anchors connecting him to where he had come from.
For a moment, he allowed himself to sit with those memories.
Then, deliberately, he shifted into something more upbeat.
Something that carried good memories instead of painful ones.
A soft smile appeared on his face as he sang quietly, allowing the room to fill with something warmer.
His voice remained calm, and his hands moved across the piano keys with the ease of someone who had carried music inside him for a very long time. It would not be wrong to say that he had inherited his talent for singing from the original Peter Parker.
"Wow. Incredible, Sugah."
Peter turned around and saw that everyone he had requested was now inside the room.
"I didn't know you were good at music and singing," Rogue said.
"I'm a cute little box of surprises."
Peter walked toward the corner of the room and picked up the brown bag.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen."
Opening it, he pulled out a wrapped package.
"Hank, catch!"
He threw the package toward Hank, who caught it without hesitation.
When Peter told him to open it, Hank found three medical books filled with Peter's personal notes, along with separate books on chemistry and biology that also contained his annotations.
The expression on Hank's face made him look like a child in a candy store.
Peter then gave Kurt a packet filled with joke ideas and chemical notes designed to help his mischievous side truly shine.
For a brief moment, Peter wondered whether he was accidentally creating a situation similar to Fred and George Weasley, the prank-loving twins from Harry Potter.
In the end, he merely shrugged.
He would not be around to deal with the consequences.
Next, he handed Logan an envelope.
"Open that in private."
Logan gave him a confirming nod.
Peter also gave him a box of cigars and several bottles of beer to enjoy.
For Xavier, Peter had brought several books along with a new chessboard.
For Ororo, he had purchased tickets to an opera taking place the following week apparently two, no he was not planning to date her.
She thanked him and said she would probably attend with a friend, since Logan would most likely fall asleep halfway through the performance.
Finally, Peter approached Jean.
"Red, this one's for you."
He handed her an envelope.
Jean immediately frowned at the nickname.
When she opened the envelope, she pulled out a sheet of paper and began reading.
Once she finished, her eyes widened.
Out of the corner of his eye, Peter noticed that Xavier looked equally astonished.
Jean then reached inside the envelope and pulled out two objects.
A necklace bearing the image of a phoenix.
And a spider-shaped hair clip.
Everyone present, except Logan and Xavier, found the hair clip slightly unusual, but ultimately ignored it.
For a fraction of a second, Jean's right eye turned gold.
The change lasted only an instant.
But it was long enough for Peter to understand why.
Jean smiled and kissed him on the cheek, leaving behind a mark from her red lipstick.
Good thing I created that Carbunadium hair clip to absorb Jean's excess psychic energy. Now she won't have to deal with involuntarily hearing everyone's thoughts.
Peter then moved on to Kitty and handed her a box.
When she opened it, she found the latest phone model on the market, complete with a dragon-themed case.
The moment she saw it, she kissed Peter on the cheek.
Finally, Peter approached Rogue.
She looked increasingly impatient.
Peter ignored her.
Instead, he picked up the brown bag and started walking toward the door.
Rogue's expression immediately fell.
Disappointment appeared across her face, followed by genuine hurt when she realized that she had apparently received nothing.
Peter reached the door.
Then he stopped.
"I almost forgot."
He turned around and approached Rogue.
Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out another envelope and handed it to her.
Then, before anyone could react, Peter grabbed Rogue by the collar of her shirt and pulled her toward him.
He kissed her passionately.
Everyone in the room froze.
The sight was so unexpected that Logan dropped the cigar he had been smoking.
Peter pulled away from Rogue.
Without explaining himself, he said goodbye to everyone, walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him.
He continued down the hallway until he finally left Xavier's mansion.
Wiping the lipstick from his cheek, Peter got back into his car and headed toward his next destination.
This one would be quick.
He did not want anyone to see him.
Not even them.
And judging by how the day was progressing, darkness would soon begin to fall.
The perfect time to deliver the final gifts.
....