Chapter 11
...
Peter barely managed to duck beneath Black Widow's haymaker before he tried to nail her with a right uppercut. If it weren't for her years of combat experience, Natasha wouldn't have been able to avoid Spider-Man's swift punch. Narrowly moving her neck back in time, she quickly kicked out his legs from underneath but Spider-Man planted his hands behind him before he drove both his feet towards her face.
Black Widow raised her arms up to block it but the force of his kick was still enough to knock her backwards across the floor. She tucked her body and gracefully rolled back on to her feet. Before she could blink though, Peter had already leapt towards her with his left fist ready to punch down on her head.
She was able to move her head away just before his fist could make contact and Spider-Man's punch ended up putting a sizeable dent into the ground. Natasha leapt onto Peter and wrapped her legs around his neck, repeatedly driving her right elbow down onto the centre of his head.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Peter repeated as he desperately tried to fend her off. Natasha was driving the point of her elbow too...it felt like she was trying to drill a hole in his head.
His hand finally managed to grab hold of her elbow just as she was about to drive it down again and with a powerful grip on her left leg, Spider-Man threw the Black Widow off his shoulders.
Natasha flipped once through the air before she gracefully landed feet first on the floor.
"You've improved, Маленький паук." She said with her hands on her hips. "You've managed to trade blows with me for almost three minutes."
Peter gave her a grin as he rubbed his sore head. "It's all thanks to yours and Ms. Hill's training. I've been practicing everything you two have taught me...though a dozen punching bags might've been destroyed in the process."
Natasha chuckled and motioned for him to follow. "I'm proud of you, Peter. Let's take a quick break."
While he wasn't tired, Spidey nodded at the idea and walked towards the table where their water bottles were waiting. After they ate breakfast, Natasha and Maria told him and Wanda they would be training more for the next few days in preparation for the upcoming mission. Maria was working with the Scarlet Witch while Black Widow focused on training her little Spider.
"So are you nervous about your first mission with the team?"
Peter took a quick drink of water before he replied. "A little. Mostly anxious though...I just don't want to screw things up during the mission."
"You'll do fine. Just remember to follow Steve's orders and keep yourself protected." Natasha reassured, ruffling Peter's hair. "As old fashioned as Cap is, he's actually good at giving the right orders."
"I know. I'll give it my best effort."
"That's the spirit. C'mon, break's over. Let's get back to work."
Spider-Man saluted before he made his way back to the training floor. Black Widow took a moment to grab a pair of firearms.
"Oh no..." Peter groaned when he spotted the guns in her hands. "We're doing live fire exercises now, aren't we?"
Natasha smirked. "Yep. Don't worry, these are loaded with blanks but they'll still sting if you get hit. We're going to work on your disarming skills for a bit."
"So no webs for now, right?"
"That's right. Now get ready. Remember...stay calm as you think carefully on how best to approach an enemy who's opened fire on you."
Spider-Man nodded as he stood ready to move. A split second later, Black Widow opened fire. He instinctively flipped to the right and avoided the sudden burst of rounds. Natasha fired again in careful bursts, narrowly missing Peter as he managed to move out of the way by a hair's breadth.
Spidey knew he needed to get in close and neutralize the firearms. Without his webshooters, there wasn't much he could do from a distance but he had a chance if he could get in closer.
Peter kept leaping out of the way of the incoming rounds while making sure each jump he made took him closer to Natasha. Black Widow figured out what he was planning and retreated back to put some distance between them. Spider-Man took this chance to rush forward, surprising her a little as she took aim and fired at him.
Peter leapt just before the blank rounds could hit him, launching himself forward over the crossfire as he knocked the guns out of Natasha's hands and pinned her to the ground with his bodyweight.
"Man, that was tough." The young Spider said, slightly out of breath as he got up and offered his hand.
Natasha took Peter's hand and pulled herself back onto her feet. "When have I ever made things easy for you? That was smart thinking though, using the opportunity to close the distance when I retreated. Nice work."
"Good morning, Peter. Natasha."
Steve walked into the room with his shield in hand, dressed in workout clothes. He was sweating a bit too...he must've just come back from his daily jog.
Peter waved in greeting "Uh, hi."
"Steve." Black Widow said with a polite nod.
"That was a nice takedown you did there." Captain America said. "...How about going a round against me?"
Spidey rapidly blinked twice, not sure that he heard right. "What? You mean spar with you?"
"Yeah...I've realized you're the only one I haven't trained with and I want to gauge your skills for myself."
Peter was a little uncertain until Natasha gently gripped his shoulder. "Go ahead, Маленький паук. Show him what you got."
"...Okay." He nodded and made his way back to the training mat.
Steve removed his shoes before he joined Peter on the mat...and he carried his shield with him too.
"Are you going to be using the shield?"
"Yeah, unless you don't want me to."
"No, no. It's fine. Let me just..." Peter dug into his pockets for something but they were empty.
"Here, Peter." Natasha grabbed his webshooters from the table and threw them to him. "Go kick Steve's ass."
Peter caught them and promptly slapped the webshooters onto his wrists. "I'll do my best. No promises though."
Steve looked at Natasha with a raised eyebrow. She only shrugged in response.
"If you're using your shield, he gets to use his webs."
He couldn't argue with that logic as he stood ready. Peter got into a battle stance and as soon as Natasha signaled for them to start, both Avengers charged at each other. Cap quickly threw his shield and Peter instinctively backflipped out of it's trajectory as he expected. Having thrown the shield as a diversion, Steve drove his left fist forward.
Spider-Man grabbed the handles before he landed and raised the shield just in time to block Captain America's punch. A loud metal clang echoed from the impact.
Natasha nodded in approval...Peter had already realized the shield was merely a distraction for Steve's secondary attack and he used Cap's own shield to defend himself.
"I'm going to need this back, son." Steve said before he threw a punch at his head with his right.
It forced Spider-Man to release his grip as he ducked out of the way, enabling the Captain to take his shield back. Peter moved his head just in time to avoid Steve's incoming fist and he was quickly forced on the defensive. He did his best to block and redirect the endless kicks and punches Cap was throwing.
Spidey managed to block most of them but every time Cap tried to strike him with his shield, he was forced to dodge out of the way. Steve suddenly pulled him in by the arm and drove a hard knee into his gut. Peter doubled over in pain but gritted his teeth as he clasped his hands together and swung them up into the Captain's jaw in retaliation. A bit of saliva launched out of Steve's mouth when his head nearly snapped back from the powerful blow.
Before Captain Rogers had a chance to recover, Peter flipped forward to build some momentum and delivered a powerful kick deep into his sternum. Steve felt the wind get knocked out of him as he fell to the ground hard.
Spider-Man quickly fired his webshooters at the arm that was holding the shield. Captain America tried to get back up, only to find his right arm and shield was stuck to the mat thanks to Peter's webbing.
"And stop!" Black Widow called out before she approached Peter with a proud smile. "Well done, Маленький паук. How does it feel to beat Captain America?"
Behind them, Steve was trying to pry his arm and shield loose.
"I don't think it counts as a win if it's training." Spider-Man said, wiping some sweat off his head. "Besides, I know Cap would've beaten me if he really wanted to."
Natasha caressed the side of Peter's face. "You are too modest sometimes, you know that? But that's not a bad thing and the way I see it, you did win."
"Thanks, Tasha."
"You bet. Now maybe you should help Steve remove the webbing. I don't think he wants to be stuck to the mat for an hour."
"Oh right." Peter moved to see if Captain Rogers needed help. It seemed as though he almost managed to get his shield loose.
"You want some help, Captain?"
"I think I almost got it. I-"
Steve pulled once more with all his strength and his right arm finally launched itself forward from the webbing...along with his shield which ended up hitting Spidey square in the face. There was a loud sickening crunch as Peter fell backwards, carefully holding his nose that was now bleeding.
"Peter!" Natasha yelled, racing to her Маленький паук's side. "What the hell are you doing, Steve?!"
The murderous glare Black Widow was giving Steve almost made the super-soldier shudder out of fear as he raised his hands in panic. "It was an accident! Son, are you alright? I'm so sorry."
"Ow..." Peter muttered as Natasha helped him sit up. The blood flowing down from his nose began to drip onto the floor. "I-I'm okay. It's alright, Captain."
Black Widow helped the young Spider stand to a vertical base. She made sure to keep his head slightly tilted so the blood loss could be kept to a minimum.
"Let's get you fixed up, Peter." She said, a tone of worry evident in her voice.
He carefully nodded and began to take slow steps to the medical bay with Natasha following closely behind. She gave Steve one last cold glare before they finally left the training room.
Captain America sighed out of shame as he moved to clean up the blood that had been spilt on the floor.
...
"Has the bleeding stopped?"
Peter moved his head carefully to check if any more blood would flow out of his broken nose. He waited for a minute and was relieved when he didn't feel any blood drip out.
"I think so."
Natasha nodded. "Good. Now lie down. I have to reset your nose back into place."
He laid back down onto the medical bed as she formed a triangle with her hands and carefully placed them over his nose.
"This is going to hurt. Let me know when you're ready."
Peter took a deep breath and braced himself as best as he could. "...Okay. Let's do it."
Black Widow brought her palms together and being as gentle as she could, dragged them down towards Peter's jaw. The young Spider almost saw stars as a sharp intense pain assaulted the nerves in his nose and he did his best not to cry out.
"Don't get up yet." Natasha said, putting her hand on his forehead. "Just try to relax and keep breathing."
Peter closed his eyes and took deep steady breaths. The pain slowly faded away as he sat upright. She filled a paper cup with water from the water cooler and handed it to him.
"Thank you." He said before he slowly drank it all. His eyes spared a glance at the pile of bloodied towels near the sink.
When they got to the medical room, the first thing Black Widow did was clean up all the blood that had flowed out of his nose with sterilized white towels. It took a while for his nose to stop bleeding.
She held Peter by the chin, checking to make sure other parts of his face weren't injured as well. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Pain's mostly gone...though my nose still feels a bit sore. Other than that, I'm okay."
"Good. I was afraid he'd broken your nose back there but I'm glad that's not the case."
Peter nodded. "Yeah...you're not going to kill Captain America, are you? It wasn't like he did it on purpose."
"I know and no, I'm not going to kill him." Natasha said before she smirked viciously. "I will beat the hell out of Steve the next time we train though."
The young Spider could only nervously laugh at that. It was a lot better than having the Black Widow kill Cap instead.
Natasha's eyes softened as she studied Peter's face...there was still small traces of baby fat in his cheeks but her Маленький паук has certainly grown into a handsome young man. When she first met him three years ago, Peter looked so young and innocent. Now he was more mature and experienced but he retained his adorable childishness.
What caught her attention the most was his hazel eyes...they were so bright and exuberant but there was also a hint of grief and weariness in them too. As much as she wished it wasn't so, she knew Peter had experienced a lot of traumatic events in his young life.
"Nat? Are you okay?" He asked, a little worried. She'd been staring at him without a word for a while now.
Natasha realized that she's been staring at Peter's face and quickly snapped out of her daze. "Sorry...I'm just admiring how much you've grown since I first met you."
"What do you mean?"
"When we first met, I couldn't believe how young you were." She said. "But I've watched you grow over the past three years both as a person and a superhero. Now you're a well-respected hero who's done so much to help keep the people safe."
He still wasn't used to hearing compliments be given to him and it showed when his face blushed. "Oh. Uh, thank you."
"I meant every word. Wanda's damn lucky to have you for a boyfriend, Peter."
"I think I'm the lucky one, to have such a wonderful woman like her fall in love with me." Peter said, smiling at the thought of his girlfriend. "But I'm lucky to have you as a friend too. Even before Tony recruited me, I always thought you were the most badass of the Avengers."
Natasha smirked in amusement. "Really?"
"Yeah. Only you could kick ass and look beautiful doing it at the same time...well, you and Wanda. Probably Ms. Hill too but I've never seen her work in the field before. I wouldn't doubt it though."
Men like Stark made empty lecherous remarks about her looks all the time and though she hid it well behind a cold face, their words always disgusted her.
But when Peter praised her beauty, Natasha couldn't help but smile a little as she knew he was simply being honest and genuine. It made her heart feel happy to know that her Маленький паук held her in such high regard, despite knowing about her troubling past.
"Thank you." Black Widow said with a small blush forming on her face before she did something neither he or herself expected.
Natasha leaned forward and pecked a kiss on Peter's lips. It was light and fleeting as she swiftly pulled back. She didn't know what prompted her to do that...it just felt right for some reason.
"N-Natasha? why did you?" He tried to ask but his voice trailed off, stunned at what just happened.
"...Because I've grown to care about you a lot more than I realized, Peter." She whispered, placing her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry if I've scared you."
"No, it's okay. You didn't scare me...I just never expected to hear this."
Black Widow nodded in understanding. How could she not? She just dropped a major bombshell on her little Spider.
"W-what do I tell Wanda? I don't think I can keep silent about this. It just wouldn't be fair to her."
"I'll talk to her." Natasha said reassuringly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'll make sure Wanda knows that."
"...Okay." Peter nodded with a grateful smile. "Thank you."
Maria and Wanda entered the medical room with worried looks on their faces as they approached Peter.
"FRIDAY told us what happened." The Scarlet Witch said, her hands cupping Peter's face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm alright. Nothing was broken but Tasha had to help reset my nose."
"Here." Hill handed him a bottle of apple juice. "FRIDAY said you lost a lot of blood. Drinking this will help."
Spidey thanked her before he popped the cap and drank about half of it in one gulp. Black Widow moved to throw away the pile of bloodied towels into the garbage. Wanda was relieved to see Peter wasn't badly hurt but she was still a little mad at the Captain.
"What the hell was Steve thinking?" Maria asked, folding her arms with a glare on her face.
"It was an accident." Natasha reminded. "He didn't hit Peter with his shield on purpose."
"Why did he bring his shield to training anyways? He almost never does that."
"I don't know. Steve didn't say anything about it before he asked Peter to spar with him."
The young Sokovian woman took a seat next to her boyfriend and carefully held the side of his face. "Does it still hurt?"
"Not anymore. My nose is a little sore but that's it."
"Good." Wanda said before her lips twitched into a smirk. "...How did it feel to beat Captain America in a fight?"
Peter chuckled. "I don't really think I won. I'm sure if it had been a real fight, Cap would've handed my ass to me."
"You should be proud though. Not many of us on the team can say they beat Steve. I think only Natasha and Thor have ever won against him...and now you too."
He thought about it and slowly nodded in agreement. He never even believed he could land a single blow on Captain America but thanks to Natasha's and Maria's training along with a bit of luck, he was able to hold his own against the super soldier. Just being able to accomplish that gave him a small sense of pride.
He knew better than to get cocky about it though...he still had a long way to go before he could beat Cap in a real fight.
"I guess you're right." Spidey finally said with a small grin. "Just being able to land a punch on Cap did feel kind of good."
The Scarlet Witch giggled at the goofy grin on his face as she stood up from the medical bed and held out her hand. "Let's get some lunch."
Peter smiled and took Wanda's hand before they left the med-bay with Natasha and Hill quickly following behind them.
...
"Ready to go, Peter?" Maria asked, holding a set of car keys.
Spider-Man nodded as he picked up his backpack. Hill was giving him a ride back to his apartment. After spending a relaxing afternoon watching the rest of Jurassic World with her, Natasha, and his girlfriend, it was time to go home before dinner just like he promised May.
Wanda held Peter close for a loving kiss. "Call me when you get home, okay?"
"I will." Peter whispered against her lips.
The Scarlet Witch smiled as she reluctantly pulled away. Natasha stepped forward and gave the young Spider a firm hug.
"Remember to come back for training tomorrow, Peter." She whispered. "And don't worry...I'll talk to Wanda tonight."
"Okay. No matter what happens though, you'll always be my friend."
Black Widow smiled warmly. "I know and thank you. Say hi to May for me, okay?"
"Will do." Peter nodded before he got into the car with Maria.
Hill started up the car and revved the engine twice before she drove out of the garage. Wanda and Natasha stood where they were, waving at the vehicle until it eventually drove out of sight.
"Brrr...it's kind of cold." The young Sokovian woman shivered as she rubbed her arms. "Let's go back inside."
Black Widow smiled in agreement and followed her back into the compound. After she closed the door behind her, Natasha gently reached for the Scarlet Witch's arm.
Wanda looked at her with curious eyes. "Natasha? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to you...can we go to your room?"
...
Chapter 12
...
Peter woke up early the next day, eating a quick breakfast before he left to patrol the streets. He normally would've done it after dinner but Maria had texted him the night before that their training sessions would be held in both the morning and evening.
Surprisingly, there was no criminal activities that he needed to stop. Maybe it was because even the small time bad guys didn't want to break the law this early in the morning or they were taking a day off...though that seemed very unlikely to last. Either way, Spidey wasn't going to complain. There was another reason he left at an early hour though and that was to seek someone out who operated in a shadier part of New York.
Which was why he was sitting on the roof of the building they usually met up on, waiting for his fellow street vigilante to appear.
"Hello, Spider-Man."
The webslinger stood up from the ledge and turned around. "Hi, Matt. How's it going?"
"Things have been quiet on the streets lately. Don't know why but I'm savouring the peace for as long as it lasts. So what brings you here to Hell's Kitchen?"
"I wanted to ask you for a favour."
"What is it?" Daredevil asked.
"Well, I've been asked to take part in this mission with the Avengers in a few days and I don't know how long I'll be gone. I was wondering if you and the others could patrol Queens for me until I get back."
"Of course. I'd be happy to help." Matt said. "I'll talk to Luke and the others. I'm sure they'll lend a hand too."
Spider-Man smiled behind the mask. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime. So your first official mission with the Avengers, huh? ...Are you nervous?"
"You have no idea. I just can't help but keep worrying about the potential mistakes I might make, you know?"
"I'm sure you'll do fine." Daredevil reassured. "You've been at this for three years now. Just remember to stay calm and be careful."
"I will." Peter nodded before Karen notified him of the time on his HUD. "I gotta go. I have another training session at the compound and I don't want to be late."
Matt gave a small grin as he offered his hand. Spidey took Daredevil's hand and shook it firmly. "You should stop by and visit us more often...especially Jessica. She misses you and your jokes."
The mechanical lenses on his mask widened a little. "Really? I thought she didn't like anyone."
"It may seem that way given how surly she is but Jessica is fond of you. She told us once that unlike most people your age, you're not an arrogant idiot and having you with us always helps to liven things up."
Beneath the mask, Peter looked thoughtful. He had always assumed the private investigator didn't really pay attention when he was around but it was nice to know that Jessica did care about him.
"Tell her and the others I'll pay them a visit when I get back. I'll even bring over some of those chocolate chip pancakes Jessica likes to eat after her usual hangovers."
Daredevil smirked. "Will do. Good luck out there."
Spider-Man nodded in thanks before he leapt off the roof and swung away into the distance. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen turned around to tend to the rest of his day.
...
Peter's heart almost felt like it was going to pound out of his chest as he entered the compound. He had no clue how his girlfriend reacted when Natasha told her about their little kiss yesterday but he really hoped she wasn't angry.
"Good morning, Peter." FRIDAY greeted jovially.
"Hi, FRIDAY. Do you know where Wanda and the others are?"
"Miss Maximoff and the others are just finishing breakfast. Would you like me to notify them of your arrival?"
"Sure." Spidey nodded. "Thanks, FRIDAY."
"You're very welcome."
Peter stopped at his room first so he could change out of his costume. Quickly putting on a set of workout clothes, he made his way to the dining area. Maria was washing her cup in the sink when he walked into the room and she gave him a friendly grin in greeting.
"I didn't think you'd be able to get up this early." She said jokingly, ruffling Peter's hair. "Want breakfast? There's some ham and eggs left over."
"No, thank you. I already ate before I headed out. I'll eat the rest later though...I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be starving by the time the morning training session is over."
Hill's lips smirked deviously. "You won't just be starving...if Nat and I do our jobs right, you'll be sore and exhausted by the time we're done running drills."
Spider-Man groaned. "Great. I can't wait to get started."
"You and Wanda can handle it. We wouldn't be working you both so hard if you couldn't."
The Scarlet Witch stood up from her seat and smiled as she kissed Peter. Peter happily kissed her back...even though he was confused as to why she wasn't mad. Did Natasha not talk to her yesterday?
When Wanda finally pulled away, she turned to Maria. "I'd like to talk to Peter and Natasha in private if that's alright?"
Hill was curious as to why she asked but she knew better than to pry right now. Black Widow would probably tell her about it later anyways.
"Sure. I'll get things set up in the workout room. Meet me there when you're done."
She nodded and Maria left, leaving Peter alone with his girlfriend and the Black Widow in the dining area. Natasha didn't seem to be uncomfortable or nervous like he expected though...instead there was a small smile adorning her face when she looked at him.
"Hello, Маленький паук."
"Hi, Nat." Peter greeted before he looked at his girlfriend. "So I take it she's told you what happened?"
Wanda nodded. "She did and don't worry, I'm not mad at you, Peter. Natasha showed me what happened in her mind. I know you didn't do anything wrong."
His heart felt a small sense of relief to hear that but he needed to know if Wanda's friendship with the Black Widow was still intact.
"I wasn't too happy about what she did at first." The Scarlet Witch continued as she held Peter's hands. "But we talked for a long time and as we did...I realized Natasha's feelings for you are the same as my own."
Peter looked at the Black Widow in awe, who blushed a little when their eyes met. He never once even imagined such a cool and aloof woman like Natasha would fall in love with a boring science geek like himself.
"She loves you just as much as I do but neither of us desire to fight each other...so we finally thought of a better solution that I hope will make you happy as well."
He was about to ask what their solution was when Wanda suddenly stepped aside as Natasha walked up. Wrapping her arms around Peter's neck, the Black Widow gave a warm smile.
"...There's no reason why the two of us can't love you together." She said softly. "I admit it is a little unusual but if it means I get to be with you, I'm happy with it."
Spidey wasn't sure he heard right. "Wait...you mean I'll be in a relationship with the two of you at the same time? Are you and Wanda okay with this?"
"We are, Маленький паук." Natasha whispered before her lips gently touched Peter's.
She felt a tingle travel down her spine as she leaned into the kiss a bit more. Wanda wasn't kidding when she bragged about Peter being an amazing kisser. Her eyes closed, savouring the electrifying sensation her body was feeling from their kiss.
When she finally pulled away, Peter looked both a little confused and nervous as his face blushed a twinge of red.
"...Are you alright with this?" the young Sokovian woman asked, gripping Peter's arm gently.
Spider-Man didn't know how to respond to that. Never in his wildest dreams did he believe he'd end up in such an extraordinary situation like this.
"G-give me some time...I need to think about this." Peter said, looking into both their eyes. "It's not that I don't want to. I just never expected the two of you to have fallen in love with a guy like me."
Natasha and Wanda frowned...did Peter think himself to be undeserving of their affections? They'd have to fix that later but for now they nodded to what he asked of them. It was understandable that he would need some time to adjust to the idea.
"Of course." The Scarlet Witch said. "Take all the time all you need."
Spider-Man gave them both a grateful smile before he left for the workout room. Needless to say, it was going to be difficult for him to focus during his training sessions.
...
He was right. Even as he barely dodged Maria's fist, his mind was still thinking about what Wanda and Natasha said earlier this morning. Peter blocked Hill's kick with his left forearm and retaliated by throwing a right punch into a opening near her ribs.
Hill managed to avoid it in time and rolled backwards before she opened fire with a pair of pistols. They were loaded with blanks but getting hit by just one of them would sting like hell. Spidey flipped to the side to avoid the first volley of rounds, only to have Hill fire another burst at where he landed. There was no time to jump again even with his enhanced reflexes...and so Peter simply dropped to the floor on his stomach before he pushed himself back up with his hands.
Peter's mind once again thought about Wanda and Natasha as Hill holstered her firearms and charged towards him. It wasn't like he was against the idea. He cared for them both with all his heart but what scared him the most was the small possibility of their unique relationship falling apart. Their strong bond with each other wouldn't quite be the same again if that ever happened.
"Peter!" Maria called out. The young Spider snapped out of his thoughts just in time to duck underneath her incoming punch...only to be nailed in the chin by a hard and swift driven kick.
Spider-Man fell to the ground, rubbing his now sore jaw. "Ow..."
Hill unclenched her fists and knelt beside the webslinger with a look of concern. "Are you okay, Peter?"
"Uh, yep. I'm alright. Nice kick by the way."
"Is something on your mind?" She asked, helping him up to his feet. "You seemed a little distracted back there."
Peter nodded. "Yeah...I've just been thinking about something. Don't worry, I'm not in danger or anything like that."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"...You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He muttered. He himself could scarcely believe it. "Besides, I don't think I'm the best at explaining it. You should ask Natasha later. She can tell you about it better than I can."
Hill looked a little uncertain but she reluctantly decided to leave the matter. "Okay. You know you can always come talk to me though, right?"
"I know. Thank you."
"Good. Let's get back to training before we break for lunch."
Peter cracked his knuckles with a grn. "Ready when you are."
For the next half hour, Spidey trained with Hill in a variety of difficult drills. Her method of training was a little different than the Black Widow's. Whereas Natasha taught him one thing at a time, Maria liked to combine different aspects of real time combat into one lesson. Both of their training methods was extremely challenging but also fun and Peter enjoyed every minute of it.
By the end of their training session, Spidey found himself lying on the mat as he tried to catch his breath. His entire body felt sore from having worked so hard. Maria sat next to him with a proud smile...Peter's skills have definitely improved a lot. It wouldn't be long before there was nothing left for her and Natasha to teach.
"How are you holding up?" She asked, offering her hand.
Peter took Hill's hand and helped himself up to his feet. "Tired and sore...otherwise, I'm okay."
Maria smirked. "Didn't I say earlier you'd be exhausted by the end of this? Nice work today though...you've improved a lot more than I thought."
"You did tell me to practice whenever I could. FRIDAY's kept count of how many punching bags I destroyed while I practiced the moves you and Natasha taught me."
"Your current record is at twenty eight, Peter." FRIDAY said from above.
Hill looked a little surprised. "You've been practicing that much? That's impressive. Did Tony say anything about it?"
"He made me promise to take things a little easier since he's the one paying for it all...I haven't destroyed another punching bag since."
Maria laughed as she patted a friendly hand on his back. "Something tells me that won't last long. Let's join the others. They're probably already done and waiting for us."
"Okay." Peter nodded before his stomach growled loudly. "I hope lunch is plentiful. I'm hungry."
"Why does that not surprise me?"
...
Wanda and Natasha were sitting on the couch, watching Peter gaze out the window as he hanged upside down from the ceiling. They wondered how it was he never got a headache from doing that...he always seemed so comfortable in that unique pose. Maria had left once she finished eating to help Captain Rogers verify some information after he called in during one of his missions.
Peter didn't talk much when he ate lunch with them. He seemed to be deep in thought the entire time. Whenever Wanda or Natasha asked if he was okay, Peter would simply smile and say he was fine. They knew he was alright physically but it was obvious their conversation this morning was what occupied his mind right now.
"I wish Peter would say something." Black Widow said quietly. "Him being so silent just doesn't seem right."
The Scarlet Witch looked at Peter with concern. "He's been thinking about what we spoke of this morning for a long time now."
Spider-Man let go of the webbing in his hands and landed on his feet. Having thought long and hard about the risks as well as the potential happiness they'd feel if they were together, Peter finally came to a decision.
"Natasha? Wanda?"
They both got up from their seats and made their way towards Spidey. Peter turned to look at them with warmth in his hazel eyes.
The young Sokovian woman hugged her boyfriend. "Are you alright?"
"I'm okay." Peter said, holding Wanda close. "...When you and Nat suggested the idea of me dating you both at the same time, it really threw me for a loop. I never thought I'd hear such a thing in my life."
"Peter...it's alright if you wish to remain with Wanda only." The Black Widow said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "You two make each other happy and that's good enough for me."
"But being with you makes me happy too." Spidey reached for both their hands and held on gently. "And if you two believe this can work...then so do I."
Wanda and Natasha smiled out of joy as they gave Peter a firm embrace. It was a relief, especially for the Black Widow, to hear her little Spider say yes. He was one of the few people in her life who could make her feel happy and she promised herself to stay by his side for as long as possible.
Natasha pressed her lips against Peter's for an affectionate kiss. "...I love you."
"She's not the only one." Wanda whispered, waiting for the Black Widow to pull back before she passionately kissed Peter herself.
The young Spider hugged them both a little more firmly. Even though all this still seemed a little unreal, he couldn't help but smile at the warm sense of joy his heart was feeling right now.
"Just because I'm your girlfriend now doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you during our training session later though." The Black Widow joked.
Peter just smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
...
Chapter 13
...
"Keep your arms up!" Black Widow instructed before she tried to stab Spider-Man with the practice knife in her hand.
The blade and edges of the knives were dull so they wouldn't cause a serious injury by accident but getting hit by them still hurted a lot. Peter pushed Natasha's right wrist away just before she could make contact, redirecting the knife thrust into the air harmlessly. Natasha swung the other blade in her left hand at his head. Ducking out of the way, he drove a hard right into her gut.
She felt the wind get knocked out of her as the practice knives fell from her hands. With a tight grip on the collar of her shirt, Spider-Man flipped the Black Widow over his shoulders and slammed her down to the mat.
"Ugh!"
Peter knelt on one knee with a small look of worry. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm alright. That was a good move back there."
The young Spider took a seat next to her before he laid down to catch his breath. Black Widow wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't go easy on him just because she was his girlfriend now...if anything, she worked him even harder than before. But Spidey proved more than capable of keeping up with her more aggressive training and in the end, he was able to beat her in their last spar of the night.
Natasha couldn't help but smile proudly at Peter as she sat upright.
"...Is something wrong?" She asked. He was staring at the ceiling with a faraway look in his hazel eyes.
Spider-Man blinked out of his thoughts and shook his head. "No, everything's fine. I was just thinking about how fortunate I am...to have you and Wanda in my life. There's a part of me that keeps thinking this is all some sort of a dream."
A smirk graced her face before Natasha suddenly straddled Peter's hips.
"It's not a dream, Маленький паук." She whispered. Her face was just inches away from his. "Wanda and I are here to stay with you for as long as possible."
"...Would it be too soon to say I want us to stay together forever?"
Natasha leaned in and captured Peter's lips for a kiss. "Of course not. It's what we want too."
Peter smiled as he caressed her beautiful face. He was a lucky man indeed to have such an amazing woman like her love him for who he was despite his many flaws.
"...You know if Wanda find us like this, she may get mad that we didn't ask her to join us."
Spidey chuckled. "You're right. Should we go find her and Ms. Hill?"
"In a few minutes. Let's just stay like this a little longer." She said softly, laying her head on Peter's chest.
Peter wrapped his arms around Natasha and held her firmly. The two Spiders closed their eyes and enjoyed the comfort of each other's presence in silence.
...
The warm water cascading down all over his body felt refreshing as Peter scrubbed away the sweat his body built up from the intense training session. Natasha had gone to her own room to shower and they were going to join the others in the living area as soon as they were done. Rinsing off the last of the soap, Peter shut off the water and headed towards his closet. He quickly got dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans before leaving his room.
Captain America approached him from down the hall just as he was closing the door.
"Hi, Captain."
"Peter." Steve nodded in greeting. "I'm sorry about what happened the other day...are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Natasha had to reset my nose but that was it." Spidey said. "It's okay, Cap. I know you didn't do it on purpose."
"Thank you and again, I apologize. I just wanted to let you know there will be a briefing tomorrow morning about the mission coming up the following day."
"What time?" He asked.
"Seven in the morning."
"Okay. I promise I won't be late."
"I guess we'll see." Captain Rogers said before he turned to leave. "Have a good night, son."
Spider-Man walked the opposite way, thinking about what Steve just said. Why these mission briefings always took place at such odd hours was beyond him but he would do his best to wake up in time.
The Scarlet Witch was reading a book on the couch in the living area. Black Widow sat beside her, watching the news being played on tv with little interest.
Natasha looked away from the screen and smiled at Peter when he walked in. "Glad you're finally here, Маленький паук. What took you so long?"
"Cap came to talk to me for a bit." Peter replied, sitting in between Wanda and the Black Widow. "He just wanted to make sure that I was alright...where's Ms. Hill?"
"In her office, reading over some of the latest reports we got on Rumlow and his men. She'll be here shortly."
Wanda closed her book and set it down on the table before she rested her head on Peter's shoulder. Peter wrapped his arm around the Scarlet Witch, making her smile as she closed her eyes.
"You okay?"
"Yeah...just exhausted from training with Maria." The young Sokovian woman said quietly. "She and Natasha have been working us really hard for the past two days."
Because of his superhuman durability and stamina, Peter was less tired than his girlfriend was. That being said, his body still felt sore from all the sparring they've done in the last couple days. Natasha's and Maria's attacks didn't hurt him as much as they would on a regular human and he had to roll with their punches and kicks so they wouldn't injure themselves hitting him.
...But they still packed quite a painful punch.
"We're just sharpening your skills for the mission coming up. If it makes you better though, we won't be training tomorrow."
Peter and Wanda looked at the Black Widow curiously. "We won't?"
Natasha shook her head. "No. There's a difference between training hard and stressing your body needlessly. It's best for you two to rest up for at least a day before we head to Lagos."
The two youngest Avengers nodded, knowing it was best to trust her judgement. They would never say no to having a day off anyways...it meant they could spend more time together.
The cellphone in Peter's pocket suddenly buzzed. "Hello?"
"Hey, Spider-Man." Hearing the slurring but familiar feminine voice nearly made him freeze. "I heard you paid Daredevil a visit today."
"J-Jessica? Hey, how are you?" Peter said, making Wanda and Natasha look at him curiously.
The fact that she called him was a little unusual...Jessica hated making phone calls or recieving them for that matter. The private detective said having to listen to the annoying ringtones hurts her head whenever she's still a little drunk. She only tolerated recieving calls from her clients or close friends.
"Care to explain why you visited the Devil of Hell's Kitchen but not me? It would've been nice to see you again after the fucking long day I've had. I know Trish would've loved to see you too."
"Sorry, I was in a hurry. I didn't want to be late for training and I figured since you're usually...hung over in the morning, I thought it'd be best if I didn't bother you while you slept it off."
Jessica chuckled on the other line. "Glad someone respects my need for sleeping late but seriously, I don't mind if you come by every now and then...especially when you make those chocolate chip pancakes."
"I'll cook some for you as soon as I get back." Peter offered kindly. "I'll even make that ginger honey tea you like to drink."
"I'd be stupid to say no to that. You got a deal, Webhead. Don't worry about Queens, me and the others will keep it safe until you return from that big mission with the Avengers."
"Thanks, Jessica. I owe you guys one."
"Just come back in one piece." She said in a more serious tone. "If I find out you've returned injured and I will find out...I'm gonna hunt down the son of a bitch responsible and rip his fucking throat out."
Peter nervously laughed at that last part. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
"You better. Stay safe, Parker." Jessica instructed before she hung up.
...
Natasha and Wanda had been listening to the conversation and while they didn't hear all of what was said, they heard enough to deduce the woman on the other line was either a acquaintance or close friend of their boyfriend's.
"Who was that, Маленький паук?"
"Hm? Oh, that was Jessica Jones." Peter explained, putting his phone away. "She's a private investigator."
Wanda tilted her head curiously. "How do you know her?"
"I met Jessica two years ago while I was out on patrol once. She and the Defenders were being attacked by some criminal group called the Hand and I helped their team fight them off."
Natasha recognized the name...she read a little about the Defenders from the observational reports SHIELD had on them. They were a four person team of street vigilantes who operated on the more darker and shadier streets of New York.
"You've worked with the Defenders?"
"I team up with them every now and then." Spider-Man said. "Jessica might seem grouchy at first but she's actually kind of nice once you get to know her."
Maria entered the room with a weary look on her face and sat down beside Wanda. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed her tired eyes.
"I hate reading all these intel reports sometimes. It took me two hours to call all of our agents and make sure the information they secured was solid, not just second hand rumours."
The Black Widow chuckled. "Makes you miss being in the field, huh?"
"You have no idea." Hill muttered, moving her shoulders around. "Ugh, my neck and shoulders feel as stiff as a rock."
"I can help with that if you'd like."
Maria looked at Spidey curiously before she nodded with a grin. "I'd appreciate it, Peter. What will you do?"
"Something I do for Aunt May whenever she has a really stressful day at work." He went to the sink and rinsed his hands in warm water. "I give her a little massage to help her relax."
The young Spider stood behind Hill and placed his hands on the back of her neck first. Being careful to avoid pressing on the bones, his fingers gently began to knead into the muscles of Maria's neck. Her muscles felt very stiff to the touch and he applied a bit more strength to loosen some of the more tense knots in her neck. Hill closed her eyes and grunted in relief as Peter massaged away the stiff feeling on her upper torso. The aches in both her shoulders and neck was probably a result of her spending so much time sitting at her desk with a poor posture.
Natasha and Wanda shared a smirk as they watched the expression on Maria's face. It was rare to see her so relaxed and at ease. Most of the time, she was cold and professional except in the presence of those rare few she could call friends.
"There, that should do it." Spider-Man said as he put his hands down. "How do you feel?"
Hill moved her neck and shoulders around, smiling at how the muscles within no longer felt rigid and tense. She was also more relaxed now and didn't feel as tired as she did hours earlier.
"Much better. Thank you, Peter."
"Anytime, Ms. Hill."
"It's Maria, remember?" She reminded with amused eyes.
Peter sheepishly grinned. "Right. Sorry, I'm just so used to calling you by your last name."
"You've earned the right to call me by my first name a long time ago. Besides, Ms. Hill makes me feel old."
"Sorry...Maria. Man, that's gonna take some getting used to."
Wanda giggled as she held Peter's hand. "I'm sure it won't take you very long. I mean you kept calling me and Natasha Ms. Romanoff and Ms. Maximoff for two weeks straight before you finally felt comfortable enough to use our first names."
"That is true." The Black Widow said, chuckling at the funny memory.
"We've only just met back then. I didn't want to be rude to the people I've always looked up to."
"We know, Маленький паук. We're just teasing you." Natasha pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "...You think you can give my shoulders a little massage too? They feel kind of stiff."
Peter nodded. "You bet."
Hill narrowed her eyes as she watched Peter and Natasha...something about them was different. Maybe she was imagining it but the two Spiders seemed to be a lot more affectionate with each other than before. The Scarlet Witch didn't look to be jealous or anything, which was surprising...and her bewilderment only grew when Wanda kissed Peter too almost immediately afterwards.
"Wait a minute..." Maria said under her breath once it finally dawned on her. "Are you and Wanda both dating Peter?"
The Black Widow mentally slapped herself as she answered her question with a nod. She had completely forgotten to tell Maria of her newfound relationship with Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch.
And judging from the expectant look on her face, Natasha knew there was a lot of explaining she had to do.
...