Chapter 7
...
Black Widow smiled at the two youngest members of the team when they entered the dining area. There was something different about them though. She couldn't tell for certain but Peter and Wanda seemed to be...happier.
Sitting beside her was Maria and judging by the curious look on her face, she was wondering the same thing.
"Welcome back, Маленький паук." Natasha greeted, giving Peter a friendly hug. "How did your patrol go?"
"Same as always. I just stopped a few thieves and carjackers. There was this one guy who was dumb enough to try to mug a mother and her child out in the open street." Spider-Man replied as he took a seat. "I webbed the moron up before he could touch them and left him hanging upside down by the streetlight."
Maria reached over and ruffled Peter's hair. "Nice job. Sounds like you had a busy morning."
"Eh, not really. Today was like all the other days I go on patrol so I'm used to it by now."
Wanda gazed at Peter with a proud smile. She was always amazed by how often her boyfriend fought hard to keep the streets of the city safe and this time was no exception. While it's true she and the Avengers defended the world from major threats like Ultron or Loki, extinction level events like the ones those supervillains caused seldom happened.
Nowadays, the Avengers only busted up illegal arms dealers or destroyed the occasional Hydra base. But it wasn't on a daily basis and even then, the team only intervened if the intel they recieved was solid.
"Where did Jane and Darcy go?" He asked. The beautiful Sokovian woman was wondering the same thing. They were still here when she came to find Peter.
"Thor took them back to their research lab." Natasha explained before she handed Peter their business card. "Jane said you're welcome to visit them whenever you like...she and Darcy are really hoping to be able to work with you."
The webslinger smiled as he put the card into his pocket. He couldn't wait to see Dr. Foster and Darcy again soon. Steve entered the room with Falcon following behind him. The place turned silent quickly as the Captain nodded in greeting to everyone before he looked at Spider-Man.
"Peter, do you have a moment?"
"Uh, yeah. What's up?"
Steve gestured to the door. "I just want to talk. Let's go outside."
Spidey got up and followed the Captain and Falcon out of the room. Wanda felt worried for Peter as she turned to Natasha and Maria...and the latter was deviously grinning for some reason.
"It's okay." The Black Widow reassured. "Peter's not in trouble."
Just outside, the webslinger stood nervously as he waited for Captain America to start talking. Falcon was looking at him with a frown on his face...as if he was having a bad day because of the young Spider.
"For the record, I still don't think you're ready to be in the field." Captain America stated before he sighed out of reluctance. "But Hill and Romanoff have convinced us to give you a fair chance and see how well you work with the team."
"More like they threatened us..." Sam muttered under his breath. Peter heard it anyways but put the matter aside for now as Steve continued to talk.
"There's a fugitive we've been hunting down by the name of Rumlow and we've got good intel he's planning to make an assault in Nigeria in a few days." He explained. "You're coming with us so we can finally arrest him."
The young Spider almost couldn't believe it...was he finally going to be able to work with the rest of the Avengers?"
"But you have to follow my orders without question, kid. Fail to do so and I'm suspending you from the team."
"Y-yes sir." Peter stood up straighter. "I won't let you down."
"I hope not." was all Captain America said before he turned and left.
"We've been after this guy for years so don't screw this up for us." Sam warned as he followed Steve out of the room.
His stomach growled again, reminding the young Spider that he still hadn't eaten yet. He couldn't help but feel excited though...the chance to work with his idols had finally arrived.
Wanda reached for Peter's hand as he came back to their table and sat down. "What did they want?"
Peter pecked a kiss on his girlfriend's knuckles. "...Cap's asked me to finally join the team for a mission."
The beautiful Sokovian woman grinned and gave her boyfriend a firm hug. She knew this was something he had always wanted ever since he was asked to join the Avengers.
Natasha and Maria watched Wanda embrace Peter with a hint of fondness in their eyes. It finally dawned on them why the two youngest Avengers seemed so much closer to each other than before...and they couldn't be happier for the young couple.
"Mr. Wilson mentioned something about you two threatening him and the others...what exactly did you guys say to them?"
Black Widow and Hill just shared a look with each other before they chuckled.
"Nothing much." Maria smirked as she playfully pinched Peter's cheeks. "...I just simply promised Steve I'd show the team those embarassing PSAs he made if he didn't give you a fair chance. Most of the guys were against the idea until Nat pulled out her knife and threatened to castrate them all."
"Wait...what?" The young Spider asked, not certain he heard right as his stomach grumbled once more.
His girlfriend on the other hand looked impressed at what Hill just said and she bumped fists with her and Black Widow.
"We'll tell you about it later. Let's just enjoy lunch first, Peter." Natasha said nonchalantly before she got up to make some sandwiches for her Маленький паук.
...
Peter thought about the mission as his hands worked on the finishing touches of his project. Black Widow had explained all the basic details to him while he ate. Not all of the Avengers were going on this operation. The team members taking part consisted only of himself, Wanda, Natasha, Steve, and Sam. Hill would remain in the compound to provide intel and logistical support.
The plan was to remain hidden amongst the people in Lagos until Rumlow made his move and then Captain America would give the signal to apprehend him. Even though an undercover mission like this was something up Hawkeye's alley, Mr. Barton wasn't going to be a part of it. When he asked why that was, Natasha explained Clint was taking some time off to be with his family.
Maria warned him that Rumlow and his men would be carrying a lot of heavy firepower...which was why Peter went to the lab after lunch so he could get something ready in light of this. Wanda left to go train with Natasha and Maria in hand to hand combat drills.
"How we looking, Karen?" He asked, looking up at the holographic schematic chart.
"The internal and external O.S. is functioning at one hundred percent capacity. All that's left is to install the upgraded flight system...estimated time of completion is forty minutes."
"Take your time." Spider-Man advised. "I don't want to rush this and make a mistake we might miss."
"Of course, Peter. I will make certain everything is working as it should be."
"Thanks, Karen." Peter said with a smile before turning back to the Asgardian bracers in his hands.
Because Uru was such a strong and durable metal, the webslinger knew it would be a good idea to install his webshooters within the bracers Thor gave him. Doing so would not only protect the webshooters from virtually anything but also his hands and wrists too.
It wasn't proving to be a difficult task but Peter made sure to stay focused so no errors were made.
"...Not sure if you know this but when we first met." The words of a familiar song began to flow out of the young Spider's mouth as he worked. "I got so nervous, I couldn't speak."
Whenever Peter was deeply immersed into his work, he would sometimes sing to himself. It was a habit he picked up from Uncle Ben...who often sang when he was busy with something, whether it be doing taxes or fixing a table.
This song in particular was a favourite of Ben's...and his Uncle had once explained it was because the lyrics perfectly described how much he loved May.
"...In that very moment, I found the one and my life had found its missing piece."
Peter's voice echoed throughout the room as he quietly sang. What he didn't know was that there was another individual listening in as he stood by the door.
Thor had just returned from bringing his ex-girlfriend and her intern to their home. While they didn't exactly part on the best of terms, it did his heart good to see Jane and her friends doing well. The God of thunder was on his way to the living area when his ears heard a beautiful song being played. Intrigued by the wonderful melody, Thor moved to find out just where the music was coming from.
The music seemed to be coming from the lab...and Thor's eyes widened when he found the source. It was Peter who was singing the song he heard.
"So long as I live, I love you. Will have and hold you. You look so beautiful in white." The young Spider sang as his hands stayed busy tinkering with the webshooters.
Thor found himself entranced by young Parker's soothing voice. The way the words flowed out of his mouth was just so gentle and sweet...it was perhaps one of the most breathtaking things he's ever heard.
"Thor? What are you doing?"
The son of Odin turned to see the Black Widow, Maria Hill, and the Scarlet Witch approaching with a confused look on their faces. They had just finished training in the workout room and were on their way to the break area when they noticed Thor hiding behind the doors to the lab.
"What are you doing?" Hill asked again.
"Shh, quiet." Thor raised his finger to his lips before he motioned for them to come closer. Their curiosity piqued, they all moved to see what their Asgardian friend was pointing at.
"What we have is timeless. My love is endless and with this ring, I say to the world. You're my every reason. You're all that I believe in. And with all my heart, I mean every word."
"...Маленький паук?" Natasha whispered, gasping in awe at how clear and strong Peter's voice was.
The webslinger was unaware of the small audience gathering just outside the lab doors. "So as long as I live, I love you. Will have and hold you...you look so beautiful in white."
Maria found herself swaying back and forth to the melody of the song with her eyes closed. Peter wasn't singing out loud but the lab was so empty and quiet that they could all hear him clearly.
"It's beautiful..." Wanda breathed out as she watched Peter sing with her hands clasped together. Like everyone else, she never knew her boyfriend was such a talented singer.
Thor on the other hand was making a funny effort in trying to stay stoic while holding back his tears but to no avail as they still fell. He couldn't help it though...young Parker's song just gave his heart such a warm feeling.
"And from now to my very last breath, this day I'll cherish. You look so beautiful in white...tonight."
Peter gently sang the last of the lyrics before he fixed the final bolt into place and held up his new webshooters. "There, all done. Now I won't have to worry about fixing these as much anymore."
Thor walked up and placed a hand on Spider-Man's shoulder. Peter yelped at the sudden touch before he turned around and saw the Norse God staring at him with tearful eyes.
"Thor? You okay?" He had never seen the God of thunder cry before.
The son of Odin nodded before he gave Peter a powerful hug, lifting the webslinger off his feet. "Your singing was magnificent, Man of Spiders. Never before have I heard such a wonderful voice like yours."
"What? Oh...you guys heard that?"
Maria looked like she was on the verge of crying herself as she smiled proudly at Peter. "We did. Thor's right, you sounded amazing. Where'd you learn how to sing?"
"Well, I didn't really take lessons but May and I used to sing the songs we heard on the radio together when I was a kid. We don't do that much anymore but sometimes I sing to myself when I'm busy working on something." He explained. "...My Uncle had the same habit."
Natasha put her arm around Peter's shoulders. "You sang wonderfully, Маленький паук. I would love to hear you perform again."
"Indeed, young Parker. It would be an honour to share your talent with us again." Thor added with a tone of excitement in his voice. Maria nodded in full agreement.
"They're not the only ones." Wanda said, pecking a kiss on Peter's cheek. "How come you never told us you could sing so well?"
"Uh, I don't know. It just never really came to mind before...was I really that good?"
"You were amazing!" The beautiful Sokovian woman praised before she pouted cutely. "...Maybe you could sing again for us sometime?"
Peter just sighed, unable to say no to his girlfriend's puppy eyed look. "Yeah, I guess."
Wanda happily smiled as she leaned in and kissed Peter. Natasha and Maria just grinned at the affectionate sight while Thor looked somewhat confused. He knew Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch were the closest of friends but he had no idea their relationship went deeper than that.
"C'mon, big guy." Natasha said, pulling Thor by the arm. "Let's give them some space."
The Black Widow and Hill left the room to give the young couple some privacy, pulling a slightly bewildered Thor with them. None of the two youngest Avengers noticed them leave as their little makeout session got a little more heated. Peter's tongue began to wrestle with Wanda's, eliciting a loud moan of pleasure from her as she enjoyed the sweet masculine taste of her boyfriend's mouth.
"Peter?"
The sound of his A.I. partner's voice made the young Spider reluctantly pull away from the beautiful Sokovian woman's lips, much to her annoyance.
"What's up, Karen?"
"I'm sorry for interrupting." The A.I. said, her apology directed more at Wanda. "But the flight guidance system's installation is complete."
"That's good. Run a final systems check and then lock it down."
"Understood."
"So what have you been doing in here?" Wanda asked, looking curiously at the holographic screen. It appeared to be a schematic of some kind.
"Finishing up an old project." Spidey said with a shrug. "I've been working on it for a while now and it's almost done."
"What is it?"
"Sorry, it's a secret."
"...You're not building something like Ultron, are you?" She jokingly suggested.
Peter chuckled. "No, of course not. I swear I'm not creating an evil artificial intelligence hell bent on causing the extinction of the human race."
"Good...but what are you making though?"
"...Something that'll keep me more protected during missions. I promise I'll show you once it's finished. If it makes you feel better, I'm making something for you too."
"Oh? Now I really want to know." Wanda gave her boyfriend the puppy eyed look again. "Please, Peter? Just a little hint?"
The webslinger knew he had to react fast before his tiny resistance to that adorable look of hers weakened. Peter held Wanda by her chin and quickly captured her lips with his, surprising the beautiful Sokovian woman before she lovingly kissed Peter back.
"I don't want to spoil the surprise." The young Spider whispered, reluctantly breaking away as he took a seat. "But I hope you'll like it when it's done."
Wanda sat down on Peter's lap. "If it's made by you, I know I'll love it...may I ask you something?"
"Of course. What's up?"
"That song...could you sing it again for me?"
"You mean the one from earlier?"
"Yeah, I really like that song." The beautiful Sokovian woman said softly, resting her head on Peter's shoulder. "...Because you sang it so beautifully."
Peter wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath before the lyrics of the song began to flow from his mouth again. Wanda closed her eyes with a smile as she listened to the sweet sound of Peter's melodious voice.
"...Not sure if you know this but when we first met. I got so nervous, I couldn't speak."
...
Chapter 8
...
Peter entered his apartment with a grocery bag in his hands. Taking off his coat, he took the eggs and carton of milk out of the bag and placed them in the fridge.
"Aunt May?"
For a second, it worried him to hear no response but he immediately smiled in relief when he found May napping away on the couch. Her day at work must've been quite exhausting and he could understand why...being a full-time nurse wasn't exactly an easy job.
Peter gently shook her shoulder. "May? I'm home."
"Huh?" She jolted awake and rubbed her tired eyes. "Hey, sweetie. Sorry...I kind of fell asleep after I got home from work."
"It's alright. Why don't you get some more rest? I'll make supper."
"Are you sure? I can help if you want." May asked, still half asleep.
The young Spider smiled. "I'll be okay. I'll wake you up when the food's ready."
His aunt reluctantly nodded and laid her head back down onto the many pillows placed all over the couch. "Alright...you're the best nephew ever, Peter. You know that?"
"And you're the best aunt ever." Peter whispered, kissing the side of her face. "Get some sleep."
It didn't take long for the tired woman to fall asleep again and he covered her body with a blanket before making his way to the kitchen. Peter grabbed a pot and filled it with water. He decided to cook some macaroni with cheese for them both...a tasty dish that was simple to make.
Putting in the right amount of noodles into the boiling water, the young Spider placed a lid on the pot and let it sit. He threw some butter into a saucepan and let it melt before he put in some flour, salt, and pepper. Once it was properly mixed together, he poured two cups of milk and freshly grated cheddar cheese into the saucepan and stirred it into the mixture for five minutes.
All he needed to do now was let it sit until the cheese melted. Then he could pour the homemade cheese sauce onto the finished boiled noodles for their dinner to be ready.
The webslinger quickly washed his hands and was rinsing away the soap when his phone suddenly buzzed.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Peter."
"Hi, Wanda." Peter smiled at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. "What's up?"
"Just calling to make sure you got home okay. How's your aunt?"
From her side of the line, it sounded like there was someone yelling in the background. "Uh, she's asleep right now. Her day at work was pretty busy. Is...someone fighting or something over there?"
She sighed out of exasperation. "Unfortunately, yes. Hawkeye and Falcon are arguing with Thor about why Mjolnir doesn't deem any of them worthy...while the rest of us are trying to eat dinner."
"Oh...is this because I raised the hammer?"
"They're just mad they lost a thousand dollars to Maria. Sam kind of keeps bringing that point up whenever he can."
"To be fair, I didn't think I was going to be able to lift Mjolnir either."
"We know and don't worry, it's not your fault." Wanda reassured. "So what are you doing right now?"
Peter opened the lid and checked to see if the noodles in the pot were done. "Making dinner. I told May to take a nap while I cooked some macaroni with cheese."
"Aw, now I wish I was eating at your home instead. I love your cooking. Is May okay?"
"She's alright...just exhausted from working so hard at her job. I'm planning to finish all the chores for tonight so she can get some more rest."
Wanda smiled on the other line. "Your aunt's an amazing woman. She deserves to take some time off."
"No arguments here. She's taken good care of me all her life...it's only right that I take care of her too." Peter said softly.
"You're a kind man, Peter. May's lucky to have you as her nephew." The beautiful Sokovian woman praised. "So are you still planning to pay Jane a visit tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah. Would you like to come with me?"
"I wish I could but I won't be able to make it. I'm sorry." She said, her voice filled with a tone of regret. "Natasha and Maria want to discuss some things with me tomorrow."
"About what?"
"Something about making a more protective outfit for me when we're out on missions? That's all they've told me so far."
"Okay. I'll see you when I get back from Dr. Foster's place."
"I'm looking forward to it. Looks like those two idiots finally stopped arguing with Thor. It's a good thing too...Natasha looked like she was ready to tase them so we could have some peace and quiet."
Spidey chuckled. "That's not surprising. Enjoy your dinner. I'll see you soon."
"Tell May I said hi. I love you, Peter."
"I will. I love you too, Wanda." Peter said with a smile before he hung up and put his phone away.
Serving the finished mac and cheese into two separate bowls, the young Spider walked over to the couch and gently nudged his aunt's shoulder.
"May? Dinner's ready."
The beautiful red-haired woman slowly opened her eyes and sat up as she stretched her back. "Hmm, that was a nice nap. What'd you cook for dinner? It smells delicious."
Peter pulled out a chair at the table and gave a fancy gesture for her to sit. "Our dinner tonight will be macaroni with cheese. Your seat, milady."
"You're such a gentleman." May playfully curtsied in thanks before she sat down. "Wow, this looks really good!"
"Only the best for you, May." The young Spider said, smirking as he filled up two glasses of water.
It was nice to see his aunt in such good spirits despite her hard day at work. Peter just hoped telling her about the upcoming mission in Lagos wouldn't do anything to ruin it.
...
Peter woke up early the next morning and ate a quick breakfast consisting of a cereal bar with a glass of cold milk. He was very excited to visit the renowned Dr. Foster's lab. Thor was giving him a lift to New Mexico and he couldn't wait for the God of thunder to arrive.
He just hoped Thor was able to read his address that Maria had provided for him.
The webslinger's eyes spared a glance at the door to his aunt's room and it brought to mind the conversation they had last night. After they finished eating dinner, Peter told her about how he was asked to take part in a mission with the Avengers in Lagos. To her credit, his aunt had stayed very calm as she listened to all the details he could provide. May took a moment to think after he explained everything and it was silent for a long while before she finally smiled with some hesitation.
"Thank you for telling me, Peter." She whispered, holding her beloved nephew's hand. "As much as I don't want you to go...I know this means a lot to you and you being there would help save a lot of innocent lives."
"If you don't want me to go, I'll stay behind." He had offered.
May shook her head and pulled Peter into a hug. "It's alright. The team needs you...just promise me you'll be careful and come back safely."
"I will." Peter said softly, holding her close. The way her body was quivering out of fear was not lost to him. "I promise."
"Good...and one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"When you find that Rumlow bastard and his goons, kick their asses for me."
Peter smirked as his mind snapped back to the present. His aunt could be such a badass when she wanted to be. The door slowly opened and May stepped out from her room.
"Good morning." She greeted before a yawn escaped her lips.
"Hey, May. I made you some wheat cakes with your favourite coffee."
May smiled as she ruffled Peter's hair. "You really are the best nephew ever. Is Thor here yet?"
"Not yet. He should arriving any minute now though...assuming he doesn't get lost."
"I still can't believe I'm about to meet the God of thunder." She muttered. "Is he actually a God?"
Peter thought about it for a second. "I guess so. Mr. Stark thinks the Asgardians are just highly evolved and advanced aliens."
"...How are the Asgardians aliens if they look like the rest of us?"
"That's what I said to Mr. Stark. I've never really asked Thor about it though."
Their doorbell rang and the young Spider got up to open the door. Thor stood on the other side in the hall, dressed nicely in the clothes of Midgard. He was holding an umbrella in his right hand for some reason.
"Good morning, young Parker." The son of Odin greeted with a happy grin. "I apologize for taking so long. It took me some time to find your home."
"It's alright." Peter reassured before he gestured to his aunt. "Thor, I'd like you to meet my Aunt May."
Thor gave a charming smile as he took May's hand and pecked a kiss on the back of her fingers. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, May. I see Natasha was not jesting when she described you as a woman of exceptional beauty."
"T-thank you." May said, blushing at the compliment. "It's nice to meet you too. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"A kind offer but I'm afraid I've already eaten. Another time soon though, perhaps?"
Peter couldn't tell if Thor was hitting on his aunt like Mr. Stark did when they first met or if he was just being polite...it was probably the latter though since there wasn't a creeped out feeling flowing through him as he watched them interact.
"Of course. Any friend of Peter's is always welcome here."
"Wonderful! I shall remember to come back here soon." Thor said before he turned to Peter. "Shall we go? Jane and Darcy await your arrival."
Peter nodded and left to get his bag. The son of Odin kissed May's hand once more before he left to go wait outside in the hall. Quickly checking to see that he hadn't forgotten anything, the young Spider stopped at the front door and turned to face his aunt.
May gave her beloved nephew a hug. "Have fun, Peter. Let me know if you'll be home late."
"I will. Get some more rest, okay? I know for a fact that you're still tired."
"Don't worry, I plan to sleep as much as I can today." His aunt said, pressing her lips on Peter's forehead. "I larb you."
"Larb you too." Peter kissed the side of May's face before he left to catch up with Thor.
The God of thunder was waiting patiently in the hallway and smiled when he saw the young Spider approach.
"All set then?" He clapped a powerful hand on Peter's back. "We'll head to the rooftop. That way, nothing here will be disturbed when I call on Heimdall to open the Bifrost."
Peter nodded before he pointed at the umbrella. "...I'm guessing that's Mjolnir in disguise?"
"Indeed. How did you figure that out?"
"I've never seen you go anywhere without your hammer before and the way you were holding it in the middle instead of the handle was kind of suspicious."
Thor looked impressed. "You have keen powers of observation, young Parker. I don't know which way it is to the top of this building. Would you mind showing me how to get there?"
The young Spider led the way to the end of the hall and they made their way up the emergency stairwell. Thankfully, he and his aunt only lived one floor below the rooftop so it only took traveling up one flight of stairs to reach and open the doors that led out to their destination.
"Best not to keep Jane waiting any longer." Thor murmured, tapping the umbrella onto the ground. A bolt of lightning struck the umbrella before it turned back into Mjolnir. "I'll have Heimdall transport us from here to her lab...stay close to me."
Peter stood next to Thor and watched as he raised the hammer to the sky. He had seen the God of thunder travel like this many times before and was curious to find out what it was like. However it might've worked, the young Spider knew without a doubt it'd be one of the coolest things to experience.
"Heimdall! open the Bifrost and take us to Jane Foster's lab!"
Nothing happened at first but soon a burst of bright multi-coloured lights shot down from the sky and enveloped the two Avengers. Peter felt himself begin to float before he and Thor were suddenly pulled into the sky...leaving nothing but a scorched rune mark on the rooftop of the apartment building.
...
Puente Antiguo, New Mexico...
Jane was humming a little tune to herself as she organized some of her books. Peter would be arriving with Thor any minute now and she didn't want the young man to think her lab was a mess. Granted it wasn't as advanced or fancy as Tony Stark's laboratory but she was proud of the workspace she had here.
Thankfully, there wasn't much of a mess to begin with and so it didn't take long to tidy everything up. She was really forward to seeing how much Peter understood about her research...maybe he could even find something new that might help prove her theories.
"You're up early."
Jane looked up to see her intern stumbling in as she yawned. Darcy looked like she had just woken up...which didn't surprise her boss. Her intern wasn't a morning person at all.
"It's eight in the morning." She said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I always wake up at this time...and you were supposed to help me clean the lab, remember?"
Darcy sat down at her desk and rubbed her tired eyes. "Uh, sorry."
"You might want to brush your teeth. Peter's going to be here soon with Thor."
That seemed to help wake her intern up quickly as she got out of her seat in a panic and rushed to the bathroom. Jane just shook her head out of amusement before she moved to check some of her equipment for any data it may have picked up last night.
Her intern soon stepped out of the bathroom and she quickly poured herself a cup of coffee to help keep her awake. Moving to her boss's side, Darcy drank some of her coffee before she began to tidy up some of the infrared photos scattered all over the table.
"You seem really excited about Spider-Man coming here."
Darcy shrugged with a smile. "I like Peter. He's a pretty cool dude. Most guys his age are stupid stuck-up brats and self-centred...but not him."
Jane nodded in agreement. She herself was fond of Peter...he was a kind and modest young man. Most folks would've tried to use the powers he got for their own selfish gain but Peter chose instead to become Spider-Man so he could help save lives.
She couldn't help but admire Peter for choosing such a noble but difficult path to do good in the world.
Something suddenly landed with a loud boom outside in the field. Jane just smirked as she walked to the back of the building. Darcy quickly followed her and they made their way out to the field...where a large rune mark was burned onto the ground.
And standing in the middle of it was Thor and Peter.
"Whoa...are we here already?" The young Spider asked, looking both a little dazed and excited.
Thor chuckled as his hammer shape-shifted back into its umbrella disguise. "Indeed we are. How did you like your first time traveling by the power of the Bifrost?"
"It was awesome! I never thought I'd get to see so many different stars up close."
"Hey, you two." Jane greeted, walking up to them with a big grin. "Welcome to Puente Antiguo, Peter. How have you been?"
"I'm doing well." Spider-Man shook her hand and looked around. "Is this your lab, Dr. Foster?"
"Just call me Jane and yes, this is where my research takes place. I know it isn't as fancy as Tony Stark's labs but..."
"What? No, your lab is great. Thor told me you made most of your equipment yourself. I think that's pretty cool."
Jane smiled warmly at the compliment. "Thank you, Peter. Why don't we go inside and get started then?"
"What's up, Spider-Man?" Darcy said, grinning as she gave Peter a hug. "Don't worry, we haven't told anyone about your secret identity."
"I know and thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate that."
"Anytime. We interns have to stick together, right?" She held out her fist.
Peter smirked and bumped his fist against hers. "Damn right we do."
As they entered the lab, Thor headed to the kitchen first so he could get a drink. Coming to this little town was always nice but the dry desert air here always made him thirsty. Darcy led Peter to the table where she worked and pulled out a chair for him.
"So how much do you know about wormholes?" Jane asked, sitting in front of the young Spider with her notebook in hand.
Spider-Man thought for a moment. He did some reading about the science of her work last night to help refresh his memory. "Most of the basics and some of the intermediate facts. Visually speaking, an Einstein-Rosen bridge or wormhole can be described as a tunnel with two ends. Both ends are usually separate points of destinations or time. Einstein-Rosen bridges theoretically are traversable but only if exotic matter with negative energy density is used to stabilize them. Otherwise, it would just collapse too quickly."
"T-that's right." Jane said as she looked at Peter in awe. He already understood what took most university students years to fully grasp.
"I still don't get it." Darcy was impressed and confused at the same time. "How does this thing work?"
Peter took a piece of paper and drew two dots on opposite ends of the sheet. "See the space in between these two points? That's the distance required to be traveled in order to reach from one end to another. The paper represents a plane in the space-time continuum."
Her intern indicated she was following so far with a nod as the young Spider folded the piece of paper. Now the two dots were right on top of each other. "What an Einstein-Rosen bridge does is pull and connect these points closer so it makes the distance relatively shorter and easier to travel."
"Oh! So it basically creates a shortcut. I get it now!" Darcy said with a excited smile before she turned to Jane. "How come you and Erik never explained it to me this way?"
Her boss was asking herself the same thing. Using something like Peter's simple method of explaining would've saved herself and Erik a lot of repeated attempts in teaching her intern the basics of her research. Not that Darcy was dumb or anything, far from it but her area of expertise was a whole other field of science.
"I'm impressed, Peter. You already have a solid understanding of the science behind my theories." Jane praised before her cellphone rang. She recognized the calling number as that of her old friend's, Dr. Erik Selvig.
"Sorry, I have to take this. Darcy, could you show Peter around the lab?"
Darcy nodded and took Peter's hand while her boss went off to the side to talk to her colleague. Thor was still in the kitchen, busy looking for something in the cupboards and drawers.
"So this is the stuff we use to record atmospheric data." She pointed to a couple of black telescopes. They were hooked up to various laptops that seemed to be taking both infrared and electromagnetic readings.
Her lips then twitched into a playful grin when she gestured to their research car. "You're gonna like this...this is the vehicle we hit Thor with when we first met him."
"Whoa, seriously?" Peter laughed as he placed his hand on the vehicle. "You said you guys hit him twice, right?"
"Yep. Once with the side of the car and the other time was when he walked behind the vehicle just as Jane was backing it up."
The victim of said incidents suddenly came up to them with a worried look on his face. "Darcy! I need your help."
"Whoa, what's wrong?"
"I cannot find any of those delicious pop-tarts."
Darcy shared a funny look with Peter before she spoke. "Uh, yeah. We ran out a few days ago. I was actually planning to buy some more today."
"Let us go now and procure more. I shall accompany you." Thor said and before she could say anything, the God of thunder was already leaving to grab his jacket.
Peter patted the beautiful intern's back. "Go ahead. I'll find a way to keep myself busy here. Besides, if you don't go with him...Thor might accidentally end up going to the pet store to buy pop-tarts."
Darcy giggled at the funny thought before she nodded and ran outside to catch up with Thor. Peter decided to take another look at the laptops. Maybe he was mistaken but it seemed to be working a little slower than it should be.
The young Spider checked the internal hardware and smirked when he confirmed there was nothing broken or missing. It was just running on an old operating system. This was presumably the case for most of Jane's gear too. The good doctor was still outside, busy talking away to whomever had called her earlier.
Peter thought for a moment before he sat down in front of a laptop and began to type away.
...
"Thanks for calling, Erik. I'll talk to you later."
Jane hanged up her phone and noticed her intern walking back with Thor. In their hands was a couple of grocery bags filled with boxes.
"Where'd you guys go?" She asked.
Darcy handed her bags to the God of thunder before she stopped in front of her boss. Thor went on inside with a childlike smile on his face, eager to partake in some of the pop-tarts they just bought.
"We went to go buy some pop-tarts." Her intern said with a shrug. "Thor got kind of hungry for them."
Her boss folded her arms. "So you left our guest here all by himself?"
"Peter asked me to go with Thor so he wouldn't get lost." Darcy defended. "Besides, he said he'd find a way to keep himself busy."
"Oh god, I hope Peter isn't bored out of his mind right now." Her boss muttered as she ran back inside. Darcy quickly followed her, feeling bad for leaving the young Spider behind.
Jane looked around the kitchen but only saw her ex-boyfriend...who was happily eating his strawberry pop-tarts at the table. Darcy checked the back of the lab and the bathrooms, only to find them empty.
"Thor, have you seen Peter?"
The God of thunder nodded and pointed to her intern's workstation. "Young Parker is right there. It appears he's busy fixing your equipment."
Jane and Darcy looked to where Thor was pointing and they spotted Peter, typing away on one of their laptops. Most of their data recording and sensor equipment was stacked on the table as well for some reason.
"Peter? What are you doing?" Jane asked as she and Darcy approached him from behind.
The young Spider turned around in his seat and greeted them with a smile. "Oh, hey. Welcome back, Darcy. Did you find those pop-tarts Thor wanted?"
The pretty intern nodded as she sat down next to Peter. "Yep. We bought a dozen boxes...although I'm pretty sure Thor's already eaten through half of them by now."
"What have you been working on?" Dr. Foster asked, taking a seat beside Peter on the left.
"Uh...well, I noticed that most of your equipment was running on an outdated operating system. I took the liberty of upgrading it so now they should be able to record data more quickly and accurately. I also modified some of the sensors so they're able to detect high levels of negative energy density. It's not perfect but at the very least, they might give you a general direction of where an Einstein-Rosen bridge could be."
The astonished look on the astrophysicist's face was a sight to behold as she moved to test some of her equipment so she could see for herself. Darcy got up to help her boss while Peter nervously watched on. Thor came up behind the young Spider while nibbling away on a pop-tart. In his hand was a plateful of chocolate and strawberry flavoured pop-tarts.
"What's gotten Jane so excited?" The God of thunder asked, offering the plate to the young Spider.
Peter grabbed a chocolate pop-tart and took a small bite. "She's testing her equipment to see if the upgraded O.S. I made works right. Man, I really hope it does."
"I'm sure it will. Have faith in your good efforts, Man of Spiders."
Jane came rushing back with the biggest grin on her face and embraced Peter as hard as she could. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Not only is our stuff working better than before but you may've just given us the one thing we need to prove some of our theories to be true."
The young Spider smiled as he gently patted her back. "It was nothing. I'm just glad I was able to help."
"You're amazing, you know that?" She whispered, pecking a grateful kiss on Peter's cheek. "Thank you so much."
Darcy hugged Peter from behind and looked at her boss with pouted lips. "Can we keep him?"
Jane was really tempted to say yes...if only Tony Stark hadn't asked Peter to be his intern first.
...
Chapter 9
...
When lunchtime came around, Jane and Darcy took Thor and Peter to Isabelle's diner. The large amount of food that Thor ordered didn't surprise them but the sight of so many meals brought over to their table did cause some of the other patrons to look at the God of thunder weirdly.
Peter couldn't stop chuckling at some of their bewildered expressions as he dug into his own lunch. Thor happily ate his food, oblivious to all the looks thrown his way. He wasn't pigging out...the son of Odin was just simply eating really fast.
"You've ordered quite a bit too, Peter." Jane said, looking at his plate. While it wasn't as much as Thor's, the meal he ordered was meant to feed at least two people. "Did you not eat breakfast or something?"
"No, I did. My metabolism is just a little faster than regular humans." The young Spider explained in a quiet voice. "So I have to eat more to provide the necessary energy for my body to function."
Jane nodded in understanding while Darcy just frowned. "Man, I wish I could eat as much as you guys and not ever have to worry about my weight."
Spider-Man looked over to Thor...who was halfway through eating all the meals he ordered. His own plate was almost empty while the famous astrophysicist and her intern were already finished eating.
"I don't think you have to worry about that. You look good already." Peter said before he smiled apologetically at the famous astrophysicist. "Sorry if we're eating a bit too much. I'd be more than happy to foot my part of the bill."
Jane knew Peter was being genuinely honest when he praised Darcy and she couldn't help but quietly chuckle as her intern blushed at the compliment.
"It's alright. Paying for lunch is the least I can do after what you did to help us."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Jane smiled at the young Spider. "But thank you for offering."
Peter nodded before he turned his attention back to the son of Odin...who had just finished eating and was now leaning back on his seat with a content smile.
"You alright, Thor? I think you ate enough to feed a small army."
"I am well, Man of Spiders." The God of thunder said, ruffling Peter's hair. "The food here is delectable as always."
The young Spider agreed wholeheartedly. The food made in this diner was really good and the portions they gave was generously large.
"If only Volstagg could see you now." Peter joked, patting the God of thunder's gut. Thor had told him stories about his friends, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Whenever he mentioned Volstagg, he often talked about his infamous appetite and round belly.
Thor laughed loudly. "He'd be proud of my eating so much, young Parker. As he would you...your ability to consume food almost dwarfs my own."
Jane and her intern grinned as they watched the two Avengers. The way they interacted with one another was just adorable, almost like that of a young brother messing around with his older brother.
Darcy pulled out her phone and discreetly snapped a photo of Peter and Thor laughing together. She even titled it the 'Brotherly Thunder and Spider.'
"Send that to me later." Her boss whispered before she rose from her seat. "Now that we're all fed, we should probably head back."
Peter and Thor nodded as they grabbed their coats and exited the diner with Darcy. Jane stayed behind for a moment to pay the bill...and thankfully, it wasn't as expensive as she thought it'd be.
"So who's the new guy, Jane?" Izzy asked, handing her a receipt.
"Peter? He's a friend visiting from New York...why?"
"Your intern hasn't taken her eyes off him since you all got here. Can't say I blame her...he's a good looking young man."
Jane smirked as she put away her wallet. "No arguments here. Thanks again for lunch, Izzy."
The friendly owner of the diner waved goodbye. "Have a nice day!"
The famous astrophysicist waved back before she left the diner. She caught up to the two Avengers and Darcy, who were in the middle of posing for a group photo. Jane snuck in from behind and wrapped her arms around Peter and Thor just as Darcy took the picture.
"Nice timing, Jane." Her intern said before she showed them the picture. Every one of them was smiling happily at the camera, with Thor and Darcy doing the victory gesture with their fingers.
"Thank you. Let's get back to the lab...I want us to work with Peter more before he has to go home."
Darcy nodded before she took Peter's hand and led the way back to their lab. Jane just smirked at the sight as she and Thor quickly followed the two interns.
...
"Thinking about Peter?"
Wanda looked away from the window and saw Hill smiling as she sat down next to her. Her hands were holding two cups of tea and she offered one to the Scarlet Witch. She and Maria had spent most of the morning with Natasha, discussing the idea of making a new and more protective outfit for her to wear whenever there was a mission.
After that, Wanda did training drills with her and Black Widow in the workout room for an hour before they decided to break for lunch. The Scarlet Witch was the first to finish eating and she sat down in the lounge area...thinking about her beloved Peter as she gazed out the window.
"Thank you." The beautiful Sokovian woman said, accepting the hot drink. "...I miss Peter. I've never liked being away from him for too long. Without him here, things just seem so boring and mundane."
It wasn't just that...Peter made her feel safe and accepted. Being around Natasha and Hill was great too but it wasn't the same level of comfort that her boyfriend's presence provided.
Maria nodded as she drank some of her tea. "I know what you mean. I miss your boyfriend too. If it weren't for him, I probably would've shot myself out of boredom from working here a long time ago."
She didn't really hate her job. It's just that most of the time she was at her desk, dealing with various forms of paperwork or reports...and such a task tended to get monotonous pretty quickly. Back when she used to work for SHIELD, there was at least the occasional field work every now and then to keep her busy.
If it weren't for her training sessions with Natasha and Wanda or Peter coming over to talk and assist her whenever he was here, Hill was certain she would've gone insane from the boredom of her routine a long time ago.
"Wait...you know?"
"What? That you and Peter are together now?" Hill said with a smirk. "Of course we know. After all, you did make out with Peter in front of us yesterday."
The beautiful Sokovian woman hid her blushing face with her hands...she had completely forgotten the others were still there when she kissed Peter in the lab.
Maria chuckled as she wrapped her arm around Wanda's shoulders. "No need to feel embarassed. Natasha and I are happy for you both."
The Black Widow walked into the room and greeted the two with a wave before she sat down on the other side of Wanda.
"Hey, you two. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
"Not at all. We were just talking about Wanda's new relationship with Peter."
"Ah, that's right." Natasha smiled at the Scarlet Witch. "I always knew you two looked good together. I'm happy for you and Peter."
She smiled back. "Thank you."
The Black Widow's lips then quirked into a devious smirk...the sight of which made the beautiful Sokovian woman feel a little uneasy. "May I ask you something?"
"Uh, sure." She said hesitantly before taking a sip of the tea Maria had brought her.
"How good of a kisser is Peter?"
Wanda coughed as the tea nearly got caught in her throat. "W-what?"
Hill gently patted her back...she was curious to know as well. "We're just wondering how good it felt. You looked like you were in heaven when Peter started to french kiss you yesterday."
If her face turned anymore red, the beautiful Sokovian woman was certain her head would start blowing out steam soon.
"...It was amazing." Wanda lovingly smiled as she remembered the delightful sensation of Peter's lips pressing against hers. "It's hard for me to describe in words. You'd have to kiss Peter yourself to understand how wonderful it feels."
Natasha grinned. "Is that so? Maybe I should kiss Peter when he comes back then."
"I wouldn't mind." Maria admitted with a shrug.
"Wait, what?" An ugly sense of jealousy quickly flared up in the Scarlet Witch's heart.
The Black Widow chuckled as she gently gripped Wanda's shoulder. "Relax, we're just teasing you."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief...although she didn't feel entirely convinced by Natasha's words.
"So when is Peter returning today?" Hill asked.
"Later in the afternoon. He and Thor should be back by then."
"Peter must be having fun right now." Natasha said, looking out the window with a smile. "It's not everyday he gets to work with one of his favourite scientists."
...
Darcy tiredly sighed as she leaned back in her seat. After they all returned from the diner, Jane asked for her to compile all the data their sensors had recorded last night. It wasn't a surprise to see the readings were still the same as before but thanks to Peter upgrading their equipment, they now had a good chance of finding more accurate data to help their research.
"You okay?" The young Spider asked, looking away from the research papers in his hands.
Darcy nodded, taking her glasses off. "I'm alright. My eyes are just a bit sore from looking at this screen for so long."
Peter looked thoughtful for a moment before he went to the bathroom. Grabbing a clean towel, the webslinger soaked it with warm water and quickly returned to his seat.
"Here, wash your eyes with this and hold it there for a minute." Peter said, handing Darcy the towel. "Your eyes are sore because they're dried out from being kept open for too long. This should help."
The beautiful intern did as he instructed and gently rubbed her eyes with the towel. The warmth of the soft fabric felt soothing as the water relieved the dryness in her eyes. When a minute passed, Darcy removed the towel and grinned when she realized it no longer hurt to blink.
"Wow, that feels a lot better." She smiled gratefully at the young Spider."Thanks, Peter."
"Anytime."
"Want to take a break?" The beautiful intern asked, checking the time on the clock. "We've been sitting here for a few hours."
Peter nodded. "Sounds good. What should we do?"
"I've got an idea." Darcy stood up and gestured for him to follow. "Come with me."
She led the way to a staircase in the back of the lab. Climbing up the stairs, Darcy opened a hatch door at the end of it...and they stepped out onto the roof on the other side.
"Whoa..." Peter marveled at the breathtaking sight of the town below. "This is awesome!"
"I know, right? We've got the best view of the town here."
Darcy sat down near the edge before she turned to Peter and patted the spot next to her. The young Spider obliged and took a seat beside her.
"Jane and I like to come up here a lot when we need to get away from work for a moment." She said, her legs swinging back and forth over the edge. "Just watching the view here helps us to relax."
"I can see why. It's beautiful...thank you for showing me."
Darcy smiled as she rested her head on Peter's shoulder. "My pleasure, dude. I'm glad you came to visit us."
The two interns enjoyed the spectacular sight of the quaint little town in silence. Peter understood why Jane would choose to have her lab here...Puentes Antiguo was a nice quiet place to work in.
"So this is where you guys are. Enjoying the view?"
Peter and Darcy looked behind them and saw her boss waving as she approached. The two interns waved back, making room for her to sit.
Jane took a seat and gratefully smiled at the young Spider. "...Thank you again for helping us with our equipment."
"You're welcome. I'm just glad I was able to help."
Jane shook her head. "Peter, you did more than just help. You've given us a great chance to prove our years of research wasn't for nothing. I have a good feeling we'll find what we've been looking for and it's thanks in no small part to your amazing efforts."
Peter only smiled with his cheeks turning a twinge of pink...he still wasn't used to recieving praise or gratitude at all.
Darcy nearly squealed at how adorable Peter looked. "Aw, you look so cute!"
The beautiful intern and her boss giggled as they watched Spider-Man's face blush a deeper red. They were glad he came to visit them today. Spending time with Peter had been a lot of fun and Jane and Darcy really hoped they would get to hang out with him again soon.
"...Man of Spiders?" Thor called out, tapping Peter's shoulder from behind. "It is late in the afternoon. We should go before the evening is upon us."
The young Spider nodded with reluctance before he followed the God of thunder back down to the lab. Darcy and Jane walked behind the two Avengers, a little saddened that their new friend had to leave now.
"I'll get your bag." Jane whispered, giving Peter's arm a gentle squeeze before she moved to get his stuff.
Her intern grabbed his coat for him and held it out. Peter nodded in thanks as he slipped his arms into the sleeves.
"All set?" Thor asked with the disguised Mjolnir in hand. "Let us go outside then."
The God of thunder led the way to the field in the back of the lab. Standing next to the rune mark that had been scorched onto the ground when they arrived earlier, Jane handed Peter his bag.
"I've put some of my latest research papers in your bag in case you want to read them." The famous astrophysicist said. "Feel free to come see us anytime. You're always welcome here."
"I will. Thank you for the papers. I can't wait to start reading them tonight."
Jane smiled as she gave Peter a big hug. The young Spider held her close for a moment before he let go and turned to Darcy.
"I guess this is where we say goodbye for now. I hope you'll visit us again soon."
Spidey nodded. "Of course I will. Like you said...us interns have to stick together, right?"
"You bet your nice tight ass we do." Darcy smirked before she leaned in and pecked a kiss on Peter's cheek. "See you later, okay?"
"Y-yeah." Peter said, doing his best to keep his face from turning red.
There was a hint of amusement in Thor's blue eyes as he watched the young Spider. Peter met his gaze and shook his head with a grin before he stood next to the son of Odin.
"Take care of yourself, Thor." Jane ordered. She and her intern waved goodbye to the two Avengers. "That goes for you as well, Spider-Man."
"Yes, ma'am."
Peter gave her a playful salute before the God of thunder raised his hammer to the sky. A burst of bright multi-coloured lights enveloped around the two Avengers and swiftly pulled them into the sky, leaving nothing but another scorched rune beside the first one.
"...You really like Peter, don't you?" Jane teasingly grinned at her intern.
Darcy just smiled with a twinge of pink in her cheeks, making her boss chuckle a bit before they headed back inside.
...
Chapter 10
...
"Thanks for the lift, Thor." Spider-Man said as he stepped out of the rune symbol freshly burned into the grass.
The God of thunder ruffled Peter's hair. "You are welcome, young Parker. Anytime you wish to visit Jane and Darcy, you let me know and I will be glad to take you there."
"Thank you...are you sure though? I wouldn't want to trouble you."
"It is no trouble at all, I assure you. Now I believe we should head inside and tell the others of our return."
Spidey followed the God of thunder as they entered the compound together. Thor headed for the living area while he went the opposite way. There was one person Peter really wanted to see at the moment and he couldn't wait to find her.
"Welcome back, Peter." FRIDAY greeted.
"Hi, FRIDAY. Do you know where Wanda is?"
"Ms. Maximoff is currently in her room reading. Would you like me to inform her you've returned?"
"No, thank you. I'll let her know myself."
"As you wish. It's nice to have you back." FRIDAY said, sounding very happy.
Peter grinned. "Thanks, FRIDAY."
The young Spider continued to walk down the hall and eventually ran into Maria, who smirked when she saw him.
"Welcome home." She greeted, giving Peter a hug. "How was your day with Dr. Foster?"
"It went great! I had a lot of fun working with her and Darcy."
"I'm glad to hear that. By the way, congratulations on your new relationship with Wanda."
Peter nervously grinned as he scratched the back of his head. "T-thank you."
"Nat and I always knew you two looked good together." Hill said with a bit of fondness in her eyes. "Are you going to her room?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Then do so quietly. I checked in on Wanda earlier and she's asleep right now." She advised.
He nodded. "Thanks for letting me know."
Maria ruffled Peter's hair. "Anytime."
Spidey gave her a hug before he made his way to the Scarlet Witch's room. Slowly opening the door, he slipped inside quietly so as to not wake his girlfriend by accident. Peter removed his coat and set it down a chair before he knelt next to the bed. Wanda was cuddling her pillow as she slept and he couldn't help but smile...even when sleeping, she still looked so beautiful.
There was a half opened novel lying next to her hand...she must've fallen asleep in the midst of reading her book.
"Wanda?" He whispered, brushing some of her hair out of her face.
"Hmm..." She mumbled as her eyes opened. "P-peter?"
Peter waved. "Hey there, sleeping beauty."
Wanda slowly sat up before she threw her arms around Peter with a smile. "When did you get back?"
"Just now." He said, holding her close. "How was your day?"
"It was alright. I spent most of the morning training with Maria and Natasha. After we had lunch, I came back here to read until I fell asleep by accident."
"Sorry if I woke you up too early."
Wanda caressed Peter's face. "It's okay. You didn't disturb my sleep. How is Jane and Darcy doing?"
"They're doing good. I had a lot of fun working with them in their lab. Their equipment was a little outdated so I upgraded their internal operating systems...I just hope it helps them a bit."
"Knowing how smart you are, I'm sure it will." The beautiful Sokovian woman reassured before she suddenly yawned.
"Looks like you're still tired...how about you take another nap?" He suggested. "Dinner's not for another two hours anyways."
Wanda nodded before her mouth quirked into a smirk. She swiftly pulled Peter down onto her bed and held on to him like he was a teddy bear.
"Stay with me?" The Scarlet Witch asked, snuggling her head on Peter's well-toned chest.
Peter pecked a kiss on her forehead. "Of course I will...I love you."
"I love you too, Peter." She whispered as her eyes closed. The comfortable warmth of Peter's body helped lull her back to sleep very quickly.
His own eyes started to grow heavy and Peter took a moment to pull up the blankets before sleep finally overtook him.
...
When Wanda woke up, the first thing she noticed was the lack of Peter's chest that had served as her very comfortable pillow. She looked around for a moment before her lips frowned when there wasn't any trace of her boyfriend in her room.
Fortunately, Peter came back into the room a split second later...carrying a tray of food in his hands.
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you had left for home without telling me."
"I'd never do that to you." Peter reassured before he set the tray down. "We were supposed to have pizza but Thor and the others ate it all...though I suppose we did kind of oversleep. So I made dinner for us instead."
He lifted the lid, revealing a large pan filled with lasagna. Beside the pasta dish were two separate plates and two large glasses of water.
Wanda nearly drooled as the delicious scent reached her nose. "Isn't that the same lasagna we had at your place?"
"It is. Shall we eat?"
The Scarlet Witch nodded and joined Peter on the floor. He filled her plate with a generous portion of the famous Parker lasagna and offered it to her. Wanda nodded in thanks before she took the plate and eagerly dug into her food.
"Delicious as always." She praised, happily chewing away at the tasty pasta meal.
Peter grinned as he ate his own portion. "I'm glad you like it."
"I love your cooking...next time you and I should cook together. I can teach you some Sokovian recipes."
"Really? That'd be cool!"
Wanda giggled at the expression of awe on Peter's face. It was just so cute and innocent. "How about tomorrow morning then? I will teach you how to make some of the desserts we had in Sokovia."
"Sounds good. I can't wait to get started."
Someone knocked on her door from the other side. "Wanda? Are you awake?"
The young couple recognized the voice as that of Hill's. "Yes. Come in."
Maria came through the door with Natasha following behind her...and in the Black Widow's hands held another tray.
"Thought you two might like some dessert." She said, lifting the lid. Laid out on the tray beneath were four slices of chocolate cake. "...Is that the same lasagna you made for dinner at your place?"
"Yep. Would you like some? I made plenty."
"I can never say no to your cooking." Natasha said before she filled her plate with some of the lasagna. "Thanks, Маленький паук."
Hill scooped up what was left and tried some of the pasta dish Spider-Man made. Her eyes immediately lit up as the rich savory flavours hit her tongue.
"You weren't kidding, Nat." She muttered, eagerly taking another bite. "This is really good."
The Black Widow smirked as she ate her bit of lasagna. "Now you know why I'm always excited to go to my little Spider's house for dinner."
Maria nodded. "Your cooking is amazing, Peter...is it alright if I come with Natasha to your place for dinner sometime?"
"Of course. Aunt May would love to meet you."
"I'd love to meet her too."
Wanda smiled at the thought of her boyfriend's kind aunt. "May's a wonderful woman and quite beautiful too. You'll really like her."
Natasha turned on the tv in Wanda's room and randomly flipped through the channels. "What do you guys think about a movie? We can enjoy our food while we're watching it."
Maria and Wanda nodded at the idea. It sounded like fun.
"Sounds good. What movie are we watching?" Hill asked.
Peter was about to make a suggestion when he noticed the time. "Oh man, I forgot to call Aunt May and tell her I wouldn't be home for dinner."
"It's pretty late now. Let her know you'll spend the night here." Black Widow said.
Her little Spider felt a little hesitant about it until his girlfriend looked at him with pleading eyes.
"...Alright. I'll call May and let her know I'm staying."
Wanda visibly relaxed and gave Peter a loving smile. Spider-Man smiled back before he stepped out for a moment and dialed his aunt's number.
"Peter?"
"Hey, May."
"Thank goodness you called. I was afraid something had happened to you."
Peter leaned against the wall. "Don't worry, I'm alright. I was just taking a nap at the compound after I got back from Jane's lab and I kinda overslept by accident."
May breathed a sigh of relief. "I see. So are you coming home now or will you be staying there for tonight?"
"I talked to the others. It's already late in the evening and they said it'd be best if I stay here for tonight."
"I agree. Just come home before dinner tomorrow, okay?"
"I will. How are you feeling?"
"I'm a lot better now that I've gotten more sleep." His aunt smiled on the other line. "I think I will take tomorrow off too before I go back to work."
"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Okay. I love you, Peter."
"I love you too, May."
Aunt May was the first to hang up. Spidey put his phone away before he went back to Wanda's room. Hill and Natasha had made themselves comfortable on her bed with the Scarlet Witch seated beside the Black Widow. They were watching the movie being played with various degrees of interest.
"What are we watching?" He asked, sitting next to his girlfriend.
"Jurassic World." Wanda whispered as she laid her head on Peter's shoulder. "I've never seen it before but I'm liking the story so far. How's your aunt?"
"Feeling a lot better now. May's taking another day off before she goes back to work."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad she's letting herself relax more."
Peter nodded in agreement. "Me too."
The movie continued to play out as they watched in silence. Wanda winced a little everytime she saw someone get eaten by the Indominus Rex while Maria and Nat didn't even bat an eye. Peter had already seen the movie before but he still enjoyed watching it nevertheless. He made sure not to say anything that might spoil the story for the others.
"I can't believe they're going at it with non-lethals..." Natasha muttered as they watched the scene where the ACU team gets attacked by the Indominus Rex.
"No kidding." Maria said. "At least a few of them managed to get away."
"None of them would've died at all if Claire had just listened to Owen."
The young couple couldn't help but agree...it was clear Owen knew what he was talking about in the film but most of the other characters didn't listen to him because they were more worried about the future of the park rather than the well-being of the people.
Mid-way through the movie, Wanda was starting to feel sleepy again. She did her best to stay awake but the warmth of Peter's body was just so cozy that it didn't take long for her to fall asleep again.
Peter felt a little drowsy himself. The young Spider fought to keep his eyes open for as long as possible but he quietly drifted into a comfortable slumber.
Hill looked over to her right and smiled fondly when she saw Peter and Wanda had fallen asleep in each other arms.
"Hey, Nat..." She whispered, gently elbowing the Black Widow.
Natasha paused the movie. "Yeah?"
Hill motioned for her to come closer. The Black Widow did so...and her lips quirked into a soft smile at the sight of the young couple sleeping next to each other. Wanda's arms were wrapped firmly around Peter's waist as she slept.
Maria got up from the bed and went to turn off the tv. Natasha gently covered them with the blanket so they wouldn't catch a cold in their sleep.
"Good night, Маленький паук." The Black Widow said softly, pecking a kiss on Peter's cheek.
She and Maria took one last look at the sleeping couple before they left for their own rooms to turn in for the night.
...
"So do I stir now?"
Wanda looked at the bowl in Peter's hands. "Yep. Stir it for five minutes and then pour the batter into the pan."
"Got it." Her boyfriend nodded before he began to mix the batter.
The Scarlet Witch resumed kneading the bread dough in her own mixing bowl. The young couple had woken up very early in the morning. Eager to start teaching her boyfriend in how to make some of her favourite Sokovian desserts, she started the lesson almost immediately after breakfast.
Wanda was having a lot of fun cooking with Peter. They shared jokes with each other and she laughed whenever he made a funny mistake. The young Spider laughed along as he did his best to follow her instructions. Peter was doing very well with a little error made on his part every now and then. She had assumed her boyfriend's quick progress was because of his natural skills as a chef but he quickly corrected her on that.
It turns out he'd been practicing how to cook meals for years and his food was barely edible when he first started out. She giggled as her mind pictured a cute young Peter learning how to make food for the first time in the kitchen.
"What's up? Did I make a mistake again or something?"
"Nothing like that. I was just imagining you learning how to cook when you were younger. You must've been a very adorable child."
He shrugged. "Maybe...although Aunt May wasn't thinking that when I once nearly burnt out our oven."
"What did you do?" She asked, looking amused.
"I think I was baking an apple pie for the first time. I actually made it without much trouble...but I accidentally dozed off and the pie ended up catching fire from being in the oven for too long."
"What did Aunt May say?"
"She scolded me pretty hard." Peter said, smirking at the memory. "I was banned from using the kitchen for a week and I had to wash the oven. It took me three days to get it completely clean."
The young Sokovian woman laughed as she poured some water over the dough and kept kneading. Peter poured the mixed batter into the individual molds on the cookie pan before he placed it in the preheated oven.
"I hope I did this okay."
"It'll be fine...so long as you don't doze off." She joked.
Peter hugged his girlfriend from behind. "Don't worry, I've learnt not to make that mistake again. How's the bread going?"
Wanda relaxed herself into Peter's arms with a happy sigh. "Almost ready. All I have to do now is set the dough into the pan."
Pressing the finished bread dough into the loaf pan, she set the timer for forty minutes before placing it in the other oven. Wanda quickly removed her apron and washed her hands in the sink.
"Now we just have to wait for them to finish baking and they'll be ready to eat."
Peter saw a patch of flour still stuck to her face and he gently wiped it away with his hand. Wanda smiled as she wrapped her arms around Peter's neck.
"It'll be a while before the honey bread and cookies are done. What do you want to do?" He asked.
"...I've got an idea." Wanda whispered before she leaned in and kissed Peter.
Peter returned the kiss as his hands gently held onto her hips. He felt her tongue pushing against his teeth, trying to reach the inner parts of his mouth to which he happily gave access to. Wanda moaned out of pleasure when Peter's tongue began to wrestle with hers and she held onto both sides of his face in a desperate effort to kiss Peter even harder.
The young couple fell back onto a chair but their lips remained locked together. Peter's hands roamed all over Wanda's back, eliciting another moan from the young Sokovian woman as her body shivered in delight from his touch.
They were unaware that another person had just entered the room until...
"I hope you two are using protection."
Peter and Wanda jumped at the sudden voice before they slowly broke the kiss. Standing near the counter was Natasha, who was watching them with a devious smirk on her face.
"You two can keep making out if you want." She teased, walking towards them with a cup of coffee in hand. "Just pretend I'm not here."
The blush on both their faces grew a deeper red as Wanda stood up from Peter's lap.
Natasha's nose picked up the scent of something sweet coming from the two ovens. "Did you two make breakfast? It smells really good."
"I made Sokovian honey wheat bread while Peter baked Sokovian butterscotch cookies. They won't be done for another twenty minutes though."
Black Widow grinned in excitement. "I can't wait to try them out. After all, Peter's cooking is the best."
The young Spider checked the cookies in the oven. "So far so good...I just hope they taste good."
"It will." Wanda reassured. "Like Natasha said, you're the best cook we know. I'm sure they'll turn out fine."
"Thank you."
The sweet scent flowing out of the ovens was making Natasha's stomach quietly growl. She was eager to try some of the Sokovian food they made for her breakfast meal.
"Peter? Karen wants me to let you know your projects are now completed." FRIDAY announced.
"Really? That's great! Thanks for letting me know, FRIDAY." Spider-Man said.
Wanda and Natasha looked at Peter curiously, wondering what FRIDAY meant.
"What's she talking about, Маленький паук?"
Peter nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well...I kinda made you both a gift while I was working on my new suit."
"Is this the same surprise you told me about?" Wanda asked.
"Yes. Would you like to see them?"
The Black Widow nodded with a smile. "We'd love to."
Wanda wrapped her arm around Peter's and nearly dragged him to his lab. She was eager to finally find out what his surprise for her was. Natasha followed closely behind, chuckling at the young couple's cute antics.
"Karen, you there?" The young Spider asked, looking to the ceiling.
"Hello, Peter. I assume you are here for the finished items?"
"Yep. Could you bring out 21-A and B?"
"Of course." Karen said before two metallic canisters slid out from the side of the lab and stopped in front of Spidey.
"...I hope you two like them." Peter said, punching in the codes for both canisters to open.
The doors slid aside, revealing a advanced looking long red jacket on the left while the right held what looked like a slightly more armoured version of the Black Widow's usual suit. There was a large red hourglass symbol engraved on both of the small shoulder pads and part of the armour on the leg portions were coloured red. (It's the Black Widow outfit from the Square Enix Kai figure.)
"Whoa..." Natasha said, very impressed with how good her new suit looked. "You made this for me?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah...the fabric's made out of an advanced polymer that can withstand 5.56 x 45 mm NATO rounds. I upgraded your Widow's bites so they can shoot bolts of compressed lasers in case the bad guys are bullet proof. I also increased the voltage of your taser disks. Now they can drop a man into unconsciousness if you so choose."
Black Widow held it up for a better look and she smiled in approval. "Thank you, Маленький паук. I like this a lot. May I try it on?"
"Go ahead. There's a bathroom to the right in the back."
Natasha left to change into the outfit while Wanda put on the red jacket Peter made for her. It was light but she felt very protected wearing it.
"Do you like it?" Peter asked.
The Scarlet Witch nodded. "This jacket is so warm and comfortable. Is it made of the same material as Natasha's suit?"
"Yeah...it even has an internal heater too if the weather gets too cold."
"I love it." Wanda smiled before she gave Peter an affectionate kiss. "Thank you."
"So how do I look?"
The young couple looked to the right and saw Natasha come back...wearing the new suit Peter made for her. The new outfit accentuated every curve of her body just right and with the upgraded weaponry on her person, the Black Widow looked even more dangerous and alluring than before. The outline of the red hourglass symbols on her belt and shoulders were glowing a bright blue.
Peter couldn't help but blush a little. "Y-you look gorgeous."
"I agree." Wanda said, amazed at how stunning Natasha looked in that outfit. "It suits you very well."
"Thank you." Black Widow smirked at the cute expression on her little Spider's face.
"Does it fit okay?"
Natasha nodded. "Yep. I can move freely without any restrictions and it isn't too tight either...one question though."
"Uh, shoot."
"How did you get it to fit me so perfectly?" She asked curiously.
"Oh, FRIDAY helped out with that. She said Mr. Stark had your measurements in his files and gave them to me." Peter said.
"...Is that right?" The Black Widow gave Peter a grateful smile. "I love this suit, Маленький паук. I can't wait to try it out in the field. Thank you."
The young Spider grinned. "Anytime, Tasha. I'm glad you like it."
Natasha ruffled Peter's hair...she was going to kill Stark later for his perverse actions. Wanda could sense the cold rage coming from Natasha's mind and when she found who it was directed at, she nearly shuddered.
Tony Stark was a dead man.
...